What was talent?
Orodan had this conversation with his first mentor Adeltaj Simarji long ago.
There were two types of talent. The first was a natural affinity towards something, the ability to grasp it quickly or being possessed of heightened proclivity for it. The other was working hard enough, straining beyond belief to where one¡¯s efforts and hard work was a talent of its own.
But what if one possessed both sorts of talent for a single thing?
Orodan could be said to have both in the art of martial violence. He wasn¡¯t only talented and able to quickly grasp skills related to being a warrior¡ but also worked hard towards it.
And the other thing Orodan was talented in, both in terms of affinity and hard work¡
¡was Cleaning.
Although he wasn¡¯t sure if his beneficiary saw it that way.
¡°Orodan¡! What are you doing to my house?!¡± came the outraged cries of the tanner, Mister Heatherswith. All while Orodan beat the rugs, dusted the paintings and essentially turned the leatherworker¡¯s house upside down.
The man was a decent enough leatherworker, being near the Adept-level, but his house was utterly filthy. And Orodan would have the stench of tanning agents and rotten flesh stuck in his nose for the rest of the loop. It was as though the man brought his work home with him.
This loop, he had gone all out and bought out Fodgarton¡¯s supply of cleaning supplies. A variety of cleaning solutions, soap bars, wipes, scrubs and tools were carried in one comically massive sack across his shoulder. He would need it to tackle the filthy monstrosity that was Mister Heatherswith¡¯s home.
To the side, the man¡¯s wife and daughter looked on in fascination and smug satisfaction as the floors were truly given the proper scrub they needed. But, as satisfied as the man¡¯s family looked, Orodan could only feel utter dissatisfaction himself.
The stench, and the tanning agents¡ were almost bonded to the damned floorboards. His keen eyes could see an utter mess within even the deepest parts of the wood. It was as though this man walked around in pools of tannins at work and trudged home after every shift without changing his boots. What a mess!
Orodan had to admit¡ he couldn¡¯t clean this man¡¯s house fully and perfectly yet at his current level of Cleaning. He¡¯d need to spend many more loops and broaden his horizons cleaning different environments before he could return and perform a perfect clean of this messy leatherworker¡¯s home. To clean he floorboards and get the tannins out now, would necessitate destroying the house itself. Orodan just didn¡¯t have the skill to cleanse the filth without utterly shaving the material out, yet.
He had already utterly cleaned his own house in far faster time. A Cleaning skill of 50 versus one of 40 made a massive difference in how quickly he managed it. As did the new fifth action.
One and a half hours on this loop, instead of the three hours it took last loop. He did it in half the time, and Orodan decided to use the time he¡¯d gained by getting to work on the filthiest house he¡¯d seen on his street.
It was a valiant effort, but doomed to failure at his current level of Cleaning.
Orodan identified three potential methods for perfectly cleaning Mister Heatherswith¡¯s home.
First, was to increase his Cleaning skill past the Elite threshold of level 70. Not only was each level more impactful as the skill grew, but the qualitative benefit he got at level 70 might just allow him to manage the currently impossible task of getting the tannins out of the wood. As it stood, the tanner¡¯s house was soaked to the core with the products of his work. What did he even do to get it that bad?
Second, was to use his Alchemy skill and create his own cleaning solution which would target the tannins specifically. Due to assisting in creating high-level alchemical concoctions in the last loop, Orodan¡¯s skill level was decently high at 53. But his knowledge wasn¡¯t necessarily proportional to his raw ability with Alchemy. That being said, creating cleaning solution was something incredibly basic. And even Apprentice-level alchemists oft made specialized solutions to clean gunk off magic forges and enchanting tables. Orodan felt that he could make such a concoction right now. But he¡¯d have to visit the local herbalist to use her equipment.
Third, he was attempting at the moment.
To use Whirlpool Whirlwind to potentially suck unwanted dirt and tannins towards himself.
It was a strange skill of his that he developed during his training sessions against Arvayne, but one that he didn¡¯t use in actual combat. It was at level 38 from all his sparring, but hadn¡¯t really advanced beyond that due to the lack of use in his hardest battles.
The skill involved spinning rapidly in a synchronized manner that caused enemies, projectiles and objects to be drawn towards him. He was like a gravity core, pulling all inwards with him as the focus. Last loop he recalled the times where papers, dust and dirt would fly towards him in his initial uses of the skill, particularly at the lower levels. But at its current level he could consciously control what was drawn inwards.
¡°Mister Heatherswith, please take your family and step outside for a moment,¡± Orodan ¡®asked¡¯. The asking involved picking the man up like a sack of flour and depositing him outside his front door while he ranted and raved. ¡°This will be a quick test, my apologies.¡±
Orodan took position within and activated the skill.
Skill activation was rather janky at lower levels, with fine control going out the window. If he attempted this at level 1 of the skill, he might¡¯ve destroyed the neighborhood as every house would be sucked towards him. His raw might¡ made even the first level of a martial skill exceedingly deadly.
But thankfully it was at level 38 and Orodan now had some measure of control over it.
It was a struggle, but Orodan performed a Whirlpool Whirlwind¡
¡with just his fingers. He himself didn¡¯t even spin his entire body. With simply the rotational force generated by his fingers he performed a miniature and controlled use of the skill. Replicating the mechanism and feeling of the skill¡¯s activation with just his fingers wasn¡¯t easy. Especially when it was a move that was quite far from the normal activation of Whirlpool Whirlwind.
But the experiment and boundary pushing led to gains.
[Whirlpool Whirlwind 38 ¡ú Whirlpool Whirlwind 40]
[Cleaning 50 ¡ú Cleaning 51]
But the result still wasn¡¯t what he would hope for.
The trace amounts of dust, some surface-level tannins which were stuck to the wood and other debris flew towards his hand. But there were still deep levels of filth within the very pores of the wood that Orodan couldn¡¯t pull out with a simple use of Whirlpool Whirlwind.
Using too much force with the skill would just damage the house and have floorboards being ripped out.
He sighed as he walked outside, loading his supplies up into the sack once more. It was a good effort, and he¡¯d cleaned Mister Heatherswith¡¯s filthy house to the best of his ability, but it wasn¡¯t perfect.
He¡¯d need to spend several loops working on all methods of cleaning this man¡¯s house. Improving his Cleaning skill, making his own cleaning solution concocted specifically to flush impurities out of material and training Whirlpool Whirlwind to be more precise and train its finer control.
This would involve cleaning different areas of the town and broadening his cleaning horizons by gaining experience.
Moving forward, this would necessitate barging into random places in Ogdenborough and just¡ cleaning.
¡°Enjoying the view up here are we?¡±
¡°Yes, although I don¡¯t know how many more times I can experience it before it gets old,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Let me guess, my disabling of the scrying eye orbs alerted you?¡±
¡°Well¡ yes. You bypassed our watchers somehow, but when our view from the scrying eyes was cut, of course we¡¯d come investigate,¡± the dragon lancer replied. ¡°Might I ask your name?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. Might I ask yours?¡±
¡°Arendethar Althadin.¡±
¡°A pleasure,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Are you perhaps trying to compete with House Vedharna? You needn¡¯t bother, they pull off the flying lancer look better.¡±
¡°Insolence! Those imitators could never compare to the majesty of a dragon!¡±
It wasn¡¯t Arendethar who replied¡ but the dragon he rode. Ulrusdun.
¡°It isn¡¯t you but your rider that fails to match up,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Silver robe and lance? The pegasi knights I¡¯ve seen wear regal armor and match their mount¡¯s harness and regalia.¡±
¡°See?! I warned you that wearing such sloppy attire would reflect poorly on us!¡± Ulrusdun exclaimed to his rider. ¡°My brother continually mocks me for your disheveled and basic robe, and yet you do nothing to rectify the matter!¡±
¡°Your society¡¯s focus on prestige and appearances is shallow! Don¡¯t you think-¡±
Orodan tuned the bickering rider-mount pair out. He hadn¡¯t intended to start an argument about draconic fashion sense!
But soon, the conversation was cut short anyway as the mountain erupted and the peak he was on rose well beyond the clouds.
Orodan enjoyed the nice view from above for a second, before he activated Mana Black Hole. The machine froze just like last time as its mana was utterly drained.
[Quest Completed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Ancient war machine disabled]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +1 Action Increase]
The feeling of power settled within his soul and he felt it at its current limits. He could use sextuple actions now if he chose, but this would be his current limit. Regardless, it was a monstrous increase to his combat power.
Previously, Orodan could multiply his own attack power by four in the last long loop. But now¡ he could multiply it by six. Just by itself, he felt that this was a significant closing of the gap between him and the Avatar of Eximus. He mightn¡¯t defeat the Avatar on this loop, but he was making progress.
And this time as the familiar lightning javelin flew towards him, Orodan met it midway with an action increase Shield Throw. It was a nice benefit, to simulate infinite ammunition this way. But, long as he didn¡¯t throw the original shield, he could use an action increase to toss copies as many times as he wanted.
[Shield Throw 68 ¡ú Shield Throw 69]
The skill wasn¡¯t at a very high level, but when backed by his Physical Fitness, Shield Mastery and Death Rage¡ it was strong enough to stalemate the attack of an average Grandmaster.
Shield met javelin, and the air erupted with a powerful explosion. The enemy Grandmaster¡¯s attack was stopped and Orodan immediately fled to create distance from civilization for a proper fight.
He stopped roughly around the same stretch of Novarrian forest he did last time and dug his heels, preparing to make a stand. The spear and javelin wielding Novarrian shortly caught up and gave him a wary look before speaking.
¡°You flee no longer? A wise decision, a peaceful surrender will go easier for all of us,¡± the man spoke. ¡°There are plenty more reinforcements approaching, and you cannot defeat us all.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not surrendering,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And I¡¯m glad to hear more reinforcements are arriving, as I¡¯m counting on it. And you would be surprised what one person can do when they have time and infinite attempts.¡±
¡°What are-¡±
It was overkill, but six of him came into being and the Grandmaster was killed in an instant. To use so much of his strength on a single-Grandmaster was excessive, but it ended the matter immediately.
Soon, the enraged dual-Grandmaster and his two cronies arrived, and the man wasn¡¯t happy about the death of his friend.
A melee ensued, and they too were killed. Which finally prompted a familiar portal to open fifty feet from him and the appearance of Cruxamar Aetholion.
The man was poised to deliver his spiel, but Orodan had no time for that.
Every skill was pushed to the limit and Orodan immediately entered melee against the Chosen One of Eximus.
Within two seconds, Orodan¡¯s sextuple action increases had the man on the back foot. Orodan was as strong as a triple-Grandmaster Chosen One with a four times multiplier from action increases. So, if he used six of himself to launch an all-out attack? He could beat a Chosen One now.
He was on the verge of winning outright when a near-blinding glow suddenly emerged from Cruxamar¡¯s eyes, and then the battle changed once more.
Orodan had to admit, his sextuple action increases allowed him to present more of an offensive threat to the Avatar. He¡¯d even dare say he was a tenth as powerful as the Avatar of Eximus right now.
But that still wasn¡¯t enough.
Eximus¡¯s howls of pain rang out as the Avatar continued pounding Orodan into ever-reducing puddles of blood. Finally, he spoke.
¡°Foul! Where have you obtained such an accursed skill that can harm me through my Avatar? Has a dark divinity granted you fell strength? A blighted being such as you cannot be allowed to exist.¡±
Which was followed by the familiar charging of a beam of horrifying chronomantic energy which was divinely empowered.
Sadly, Harmony of Vitality was a skill that didn¡¯t scale with action increases, as it was self-directed and any healing his action increase selves did, wouldn¡¯t benefit his main body.
Darkness was his next destination as every particle of Orodan Wainwright was destroyed.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
The familiar emotional turbulence and impaired sensations that came with soul damage assaulted him. Each death against the Avatar of Eximus¡¯s final attack left him with some heavy and lingering damage to his soul.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
But his Soul Manipulation was now at level 83, and Orodan¡¯s stubborn willpower did not allow his soul to lose its integrity even when damaged. In a sense, all the experience he had with Eternal Soul Reactor was utterly invaluable now that he was attempting death loops against the Avatar of a God.
In a sense, Eternal Soul Reactor was a source of infinite energy of increasing levels of generation. As it ramped up, the strain on his soul was tremendous, so Orodan was quite practiced in maintaining its integrity even while under immense strain.
At its current high level, even if parts of Orodan¡¯s soul were shattered or destroyed, he could clamp down and prevent the rest from going out of control while he worked on healing it.
Orodan spent the first thirty minutes after waking up, in meditation. He began healing his soul and repairing it to optimal condition. He even worked on strengthening it a bit during the healing process.
Orodan wasn¡¯t a soul mage and didn¡¯t study the arts too deeply. Despite that, he probably had a better understanding of the soul than most soul mages did. He was instinctively quite familiar now, with the structure of his own.
The outer layer was where one¡¯s memories, experiences and surface level things came from. To assault and ¡®destroy¡¯ a soul often meant harming this part. Which could cause memory loss, changes in personality, and so forth.
The actual inner core however, was indestructible. Not even Gods could actually destroy this part of the soul. Only subject it to various amounts of pressure and damage in what would essentially be torture. This was also where things like Blessings and Quest Rewards were held.
Deeper than that? The topic wasn¡¯t well researched as nobody could view the deepest parts of another¡¯s soul. But personal accounts theorized that this was where one¡¯s true character and who they were, was situated. Some even hypothesized that the System¡¯s skills were held here, but nobody knew.
Regardless, the thirty minutes passed, and Orodan gained two pleasant messages.
[Soul Manipulation 83 ¡ú Soul Manipulation 84]
[Soul Strengthening 31 ¡ú Soul Strengthening 32]
For anyone else, suffering permanent soul damage with each death would be catastrophic. But to Orodan? It was an excellent form of soul training. The divine artifact and headmaster of soul magic at Bluefire were starting to lag near the end of his last long loop. But to train against an actual Chosen Avatar? What an excellent find!
He held full confidence in his will and current Soul Manipulation. He would not lose himself even if the entire outer layer of his soul was disintegrated. Memories and experiences seeped into the deeper layers and could be recovered with time and effort even if the outer layer was annihilated. This was how reincarnators came to remember their old lives.
With the matter of the soul settled, it was time to clean.
Orodan shot to his feet and immediately blazed over to Fodgarton¡¯s, to secure some high-quality cleaning supplies.
This set of death loops would boil down to two things.
Cleaning and dying.
And maybe some soul training and ancillary skills learned along the way.
Until he could overcome the Avatar of Eximus, each loop would last only half a day. Just like old times.
There were then two phases to the day. The first phase involved waking up, healing his soul, ransacking Fodgarton¡¯s shop in order to hone his Cleaning and building the warehouse. And the second phase involved stopping the ancient machine and facing the wrath of Novarria in response, which involved the Avatar of Eximus, and who knew what else when he eventually overcame that.
Orodan left Fodgarton¡¯s with an extensive stock of cleaning supplies.
He deposited the sack at his hovel, but instead of getting to work, he experimented with one more thing.
The making of his own alchemical cleaning solution.
The herbalist was four blocks away, nearer to the edge of town. The woman wasn¡¯t even a proper alchemist, having only picked up the basics of the Alchemy skill through passed down knowledge and practical application. She wasn¡¯t a graduate from any crafting academy, but was still doing well enough for herself. Even the residents of a poor town like Ogdenborough needed cheap healing for their maladies.
Still, the woman¡¯s shop was stocked with weaker alchemical concoctions, and most importantly¡ alchemical ingredients and reagents. Even if it was a rather bare selection of herbs sourced only from the local area, it was sufficient for Orodan¡¯s purposes.
He crumbled the simple steel padlock in his palm and opened the door. After depositing a stack of fifty silvers onto the counter, Orodan began perusing the ingredients and found the three that would be relevant. Prepared bundles of the swoofler vine, which possessed corrosive properties. Bags of dried verwenta mushrooms which were toxic but whose extract was quite good at seeping into all kinds of material, and the firgon moss which was a neutralizing agent.
He gathered these ingredients and began utilizing the herbalist¡¯s alchemical workshop to synthesize what he needed.
Frankly, Orodan¡¯s Alchemy was at level 53, but his theoretical knowledge still needed work. Alchemy was as much a theoretical discipline as it was one that relied on skill levels. He had spent six months at Bluefire, and while this gave him the beginnings of a foundation in the art, he wasn¡¯t fully educated in it. He¡¯d need to spend at least the equivalent of four years at Bluefire to fully grasp all there was to know about alchemy and the discoveries of the modern Imperial-tradition of alchemy.
Assisting with high-level potions gave him the skill levels, but it didn¡¯t necessarily correspond to knowledge, yet.
Still, creating alchemical cleaning solution wasn¡¯t difficult. It was something that even Apprentice-level alchemists could do.
Orodan was about to get to work in preparing the ingredients, but then he made a most annoying yet fortuitous discovery.
The ingredients¡
¡were dirty.
It was both frustrating and exciting. Frustrating in that Orodan simply wanted to concoct an alchemical cleaning solution, but now that he knew the ingredients were dirty, how much inefficiency would there be in any products he made? Yet it was exciting, because Orodan wanted to see just how much better he could make any creations of his if he truly focused on the ingredients.
And the thought of leveling Cleaning in a new way was also a bonus.
Thus, before he could really start working on concocting an alchemical cleaning solution for himself, Orodan brought all the ingredients over to the washing pit. A proper alchemist¡¯s workshop had running water, but Ogdenborough was poor and people drew water from wells. Consequently, the herbalist¡¯s shop had a gigantic water barrel to which a faucet was connected, this drained into a pit for when things needed cleaning.
Orodan ran the faucet and realized that even the water was stale and a breeding ground for bacteria. This water wouldn¡¯t do for cleaning the ingredients.
So Orodan went atop the barrel and popped the lid off. The water was a bit murky. Still serviceable for the needs of an herbalist, but not quite good enough for Orodan. Periodically draining and refilling it from a well was hard labor for a woman whose Physical Fitness wasn¡¯t her focus.
So Orodan decided to help by cleaning the water.
His hand hovered above the open barrel and he charged an uncast Draconic Fireball to first heat the water up. This would purify some of the filth. And as the water heated up and the unwanted particles within decided to energetically flit about because of the higher temperature¡
¡Orodan placed his hand in the water and used Weapon Aura on the entirety of the barrel and its contents.
Six minds worked together in tandem. Death Rage activated to give him a boost in reaction time and his Physical Fitness was quite high which also added. Like that, Orodan accounted for every single particle within the water as his minds strained and he felt a headache approach.
Now that he accounted for everything, he commanded Weapon Aura to make the particles float upwards, towards the surface of the water. This part was easy enough, given how many other ridiculous things he¡¯d done with Weapon Aura. At its current skill level this was nothing.
The hard part was the Whirlpool Whirlwind he planned on doing with his free hand.
His minds were strained, but without losing concentration he whirled the fingers and wrist of his free hand to utilize Whirlpool Whirlwind, and focused it upon only targeting the unwanted particles in the water.
[Whirlpool Whirlwind 40 ¡ú Whirlpool Whirlwind 41]
[Cleaning 51 ¡ú Cleaning 52]
A bead of sweat fell from his brow in concentration and nearly landed within the now utterly pristine barrel and pure water within. Thankfully, gravity was slow to Orodan¡¯s reaction time, and he easily caught the drop before it dared contaminate the precious thing he¡¯d created.
Out of curiosity, Orodan used Identify on the contents of the barrel.
[Name: Water
Description: Water of ninety-nine percent purity.
Tier: Initiate]
Identify gave an item¡¯s name, description and tier. Most things like water were understandably mundane and were typically Initiate-tier. Alchemical concoctions would list their effects and enchanted items would list the enchantments alongside tier.
But, even with his efforts the water was still only at ninety-nine percent purity. The reason being, that between Orodan¡¯s cleaning and his use of Identify, dust and natural particles in the air had entered the water. As the loops went on, he¡¯d have to experiment and figure out a method of preventing dust from falling, and how to keep something from becoming dirty in minute ways after he¡¯d cleaned it.
For this loop, the water would suffice.
Orodan then used the newly cleaned water to rinse the ingredients for his alchemical cleaning solution.
The swoofler vine and firgon moss were thoroughly soaked and had the smallest bits of them touched up with a cloth and brush after. The verwenta mushrooms weren¡¯t to contact water, so Orodan simply used a fine brush and minute uses of Whirlpool Whirlwind to clean them to the best of his ability.
[Cleaning 52 ¡ú Cleaning 53]
[Whirlpool Whirlwind 41 ¡ú Whirlpool Whirlwind 42]
Throughout the whole process, Orodan realized again that Cleaning was a long road ahead of him. Each ingredient held minor impurities within, and Orodan¡¯s current Cleaning skills and tools were nowhere near enough to perfectly clean an ingredient and rid it of all the unwanted particles within. He would have to develop new skills, bring them together in synergy and execute his vision flawlessly if he wanted to achieve this.
Thus, the perfect cleaning of an ingredient was a target benchmark to reach down the road in a future loop.
For this loop however, he cleaned everything to the best of his ability, and finally set to work on creating his own alchemical cleaning solution.
Unlike some potions he¡¯d assisted in creating at Bluefire, he couldn¡¯t just pour mana into it and empower the cleaning solution to create some fantastical product that would purify everything. Mana empowerment was a process only usable for certain potions, and even then only Orodan with his unfair Weapon Aura, titanic willpower and multiple minds could use it that way.
If he tried it with this alchemical cleaning solution, he would end up creating a lethal acid which would render the area uninhabitable and burn straight into the depths after destroying its container.
So for once, Orodan didn¡¯t engage in any shocking displays which broke the standards of alchemy. Instead, he sat there and concocted a basic alchemical cleaning solution like a normal alchemist.
The swoofler vines were stripped of their skin and the extract squeezed out of them. The verwenta mushrooms were crushed into a fine powder through Orodan¡¯s raw strength and combined with the swoofler extract. This mixture was then balanced by adding crushed firgon moss to it to lower the acidic effect. Without the moss, this would instead be a decent Apprentice-level poison.
Orodan didn¡¯t exactly have any talent in Alchemy. But he did work hard, and he had certain advantages that regular alchemists didn¡¯t. His willpower and ability to endlessly focus was one, as were his six extra minds. But the main advantage was Weapon Aura which allowed him to minutely track each and every change, down to the particle, within a concoction as it was made.
Using Weapon Aura, Orodan made sure to add the perfect quantities of each ingredient to maximize the effectiveness of the solution.
He created enough to fill five jugs, and while he gained no skill levels from the task, he did feel immense satisfaction at applying his Alchemy skill to come up with a practical solution to an issue.
[Name: Deep Cleaning Solution
Description: An excellently concocted cleaning solution for purifying materials of unwanted filth deep within.
Tier: Adept]
This¡ was possibly some of Orodan¡¯s best work to date. Not just for the tier, but because he¡¯d taken what should¡¯ve been an Apprentice-level cleaning solution, yet made it so well that the System deemed it worthy of the Adept tier. And he¡¯d done it without using simple mana empowerment cranked up to insanity with his energy generation.
Tier was decided not just on power, but also on the usefulness of the effects. A cleaning solution that could get deep inside the pores and cells of wood or stone to flush it of its impurities¡ was without a doubt quite useful. Magical items and other sensitive equipment could be cleaned with it. This would fetch a few gold if Orodan decided to sell it.
With the alchemy done, Orodan finally returned to his hovel. This time, with the intention of truly giving the place the deep clean it deserved. The very pores of the wooden floorboards, the foundations, the rocks¡ it would all be cleaned!
¡°O-Orodan¡ I can¡¯t smell it anymore¡ the comforting smell¡¡±
The man looked depressed beyond measure. As though something incredibly precious was stolen from him.
[Cleaning 53 ¡ú Cleaning 54]
His own hovel and Mister Heatherswith¡¯s home had been obsessively cleaned by Orodan and his new alchemical cleaning solution. Indeed, the atrocious stench was now gone.
But, Orodan used Weapon Aura upon the floorboards and still sensed impurities within the cells. Some particles of tannins were almost fused together with wooden ones. Creating a solution which could target those would mean one that was strong enough to also damage the wood.
So Orodan¡¯s journey to reach the heights of Cleaning still had a ways to go.
He wrapped up at the tanner¡¯s house, much to the joy and gratitude of the man¡¯s wife and daughter. He then continued cleaning the road towards the construction site at 4 Ale Road and assisted Vilia and old man Hannegan in getting the job done.
The warehouse was also finished in good time, with it only taking one-and-a-half hours instead of two this time because of Orodan being familiar with it. Which meant he had half an hour to spare before he had to get moving for the mountain.
¡°Old man, surely there must be something more I can do to increase my Cleaning skill? Tell me of some of the dirtiest houses in town,¡± Orodan asked.
Old man Hannegan was thoroughly flabbergasted by Orodan at this point as he¡¯d seen him build the warehouse. So, he wasn¡¯t surprised that Orodan was focusing so much on Cleaning.
¡°Your training to become the Republic¡¯s greatest butler aside¡ have you considered offering your services to the mayor? His mansion is quite dilapidated from what I hear the occasional maid say,¡± the old man spoke, and Orodan mentally filed that away for oncoming loops. ¡°And uh¡ never mind. The mayor¡¯s mansion should be a good spot.¡±
¡°You were about to suggest something else, don¡¯t hold back, come on old man,¡± Orodan pleaded.
¡°Urgh¡ will you ever stop calling me old? I¡¯m only sixty!¡± old man Hannegan replied. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s dirty work which is beneath the station of a talented figure such as you, but the latrines around town always require cleaning.¡±
The latrines? Now there was an idea. If there was anything was truly dirty, it would be those. And perhaps even worse, the cesspools. Ogdenborough didn¡¯t have dedicated water mages like the average town did to deal with such issues. Next loop, he would target the cesspits and latrines around town. He might gain skill levels from cleaning such piles of filth.
¡°I see¡ anything else?¡±
¡°Well, you could always ask to clean the blacksmith¡¯s forge or the tanner¡¯s shop. Those get rather dirty,¡± the old man answered. ¡°And the local healing house in Scarmorrow could always use a hand keeping the place clean for their patients. Anyhow, this is all moot as someone like you shouldn¡¯t be wasting their time with such a thing. Why are you even doing this Orodan? I thought you always wanted to be a mighty warrior?¡±
¡°The two aren¡¯t mutually exclusive,¡± Orodan replied, and then he smiled. ¡°Besides, I just like cleaning.¡±
¡°Enjoying the view up here are we?¡±
¡°Your dragon¡¯s scales¡ they¡¯re rather dirty aren¡¯t they?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Y-you dare?! My scales are among the most lustrous in all of Inuan!¡± the dragon roared. ¡°I, Ulrusdun the Everlasting Haste, am possessed of a majesty beyond which you have ever seen human. Who are you to utter such a disrespectful thing?¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t as disrespectful to you as it is to your rider,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Isn¡¯t he supposed to help clean your scales? I recall reading about the bond between you two.¡±
¡°You¡! Aren¡¯t you being a bit too insulting for someone who just decided to bypass our watchers and lounge atop Mount Castarian?¡± Arendethar asked. ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright, you wouldn¡¯t know me,¡± he replied. ¡°Might I clean your dragon¡¯s scales? I can see multiple areas where you¡¯ve done a rather sub-par job. How high is your Cleaning skill, anyway?¡±
¡°It¡¯s 41! What¡¯s yours?!¡± the dragon rider exclaimed, almost embarrassed to be having this conversation.
¡°Level 54. But there¡¯s more to Cleaning than just skill levels as I¡¯ve been learning recently,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°The method, the tools and equipment used, the goal behind the cleaning, it all matters.¡±
¡°Then what¡¯s your goal behind cleaning? One can¡¯t simply clean everything,¡± Arendethar remarked. ¡°Take, for example, dust. What is dust? It¡¯s no more than little bits of shed matter from everything around us, including ourselves. But we cannot eradicate dust outright. Rather, cleaning must account for the fact that dust has existed and will continue to exist even after we¡¯re gone.¡±
¡°But does it have to?¡± Orodan posed in return. ¡°There is cleaning, and then there is the skill Cleaning. What are skills if not our attempt to impose our demands and will upon the world? We do not simply perform the action for the sake of doing it, but we clean and use our Cleaning skill to achieve an aim, to impose our will upon reality.¡±
¡°Are you then suggesting that the Cleaning skill could be pushed high enough to alter reality itself? To make dust no longer exist upon anything it touches? To prevent dust from settling on things cleaned ever again?¡± the dragon rider asked. ¡°How is that possible?¡±
¡°Why would it not be possible? I have a mythical rarity skill that allows me to alter reality itself to return attacks. No matter what kind or where the sender is,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°It touches upon the concept of something greater that I have yet to fully understand. If it¡¯s possible with this skill¡ then why wouldn¡¯t it be possible with another?¡±
¡°Y-you have a mythical skill? I¡¯ve never heard of you Mister Wainwright¡ who are you really?¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This conversation is about to come to an end,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°You¡¯re a good sounding board to discuss these things with Arendethar Althadin. We should continue this from now on.¡±
If Arendethar questioned how Orodan knew his name, it wasn¡¯t a concern he was able to bring up.
The mountain erupted, the ancient machine arose, and Orodan used Mana Black Hole to disable it.
[Quest Completed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Ancient war machine disabled]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +1 Action Increase]
[Soul At Capacity ¡ú Reward Aborted]
Well, that was a giant letdown.
It answered what would happen if Orodan completed the Quest but couldn¡¯t take anymore action increases due to his soul capacity being a limiting factor. For now, he could no longer farm the reward from the first Quest. But at the same time, it would be a good indicator of his soul¡¯s growing strength when he did manage to acquire another action increase.
The flying javelin of lightning came his way, and Orodan casually slapped it away once more before fleeing down to the wilderness to avoid innocent casualties.
Orodan then stood his ground once far enough, and the Novarrian was killed.
The three following Novarrians were also killed, and it took Cruxamar Aetholion being possessed by Eximus to finally end him as usual. The darkness took him.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
Orodan stayed in bed for another twenty minutes as he worked on healing his soul. No skill level gains came from it, but that was okay. He had an endless number of loops ahead of him, and he was sure gains would come.
Clean. Die. Repeat.
This would be Orodan¡¯s new focus.
No more action increases could be acquired until he strengthened his soul, and to do that he would need to bite down and commit to death grinding now.
However many loops it took, it was time to blitz through them.
Chapter 33 - Clean. Die. Repeat. II
The next three loops were spent getting his Cleaning skill up high enough to do everything in a timely manner. Orodan could now clean his hovel in thirty minutes, and Mister Heatherswith¡¯s house in another thirty. His Cleaning had gone from 54 to 56 across those three loops. His Maintenance had also gone from 23 to 27 from smoothing out the dirt roads.
Additionally, the warehouse was completed in an hour instead of two. Partially due to familiarity, and partially due to the three levels he gained in Construction.
This meant that Orodan was now left with two free hours in each loop. His fights against the Avatar of Eximus were rather short, and consequently he didn¡¯t gain skill levels just yet. But, as the loops progressed he felt he¡¯d gain something profound by struggling against the divine.
On the matter of the extra time gained from cleaning faster, Orodan decided to visit some of the places old man Hannegan had suggested. Such as the mansion of the man he was standing before right now.
¡°Ah, Orodan Wainwright! So you want to¡ clean my mansion?¡± the mayor asked. ¡°I genuinely appreciate the offer, and I wasn¡¯t aware that you had such a high-level Cleaning skill. Truly, who would¡¯ve thought a member of the county militia would have the time to train such a thing. But, I must regretfully inform that I have specifically assigned staff for the job and would not wish to deprive them of employment.¡±
¡°You mistake me Mayor Aldus, I was just giving you a fair warning before I began,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for permission.¡±
¡°What do you-¡±
The man¡¯s words were ignored as Orodan walked up to the door and pushed past him, entering his home. It was quite dirty within. Dusty leather couches, worn floorboards and paintings which looked filthy were among the things he saw.
Mayor Aldus Vilthar was officially paid a decent salary by House Firesword for assuming the mayoral position in Ogdenborough, but it wouldn¡¯t be near enough to allow him such a mansion in this poor town. Orodan always suspected the man was on House Argon¡¯s payroll and involved in their shady business at Eversong Plaza.
Regardless, his sack of cleaning supplies was unfurled and Orodan got to work.
The fancy carpets were taken outside and given a proper beating, alchemical solution was used to get deep into the wooden floorboards and give them a thorough cleanse, and the walls were similarly given their due attention.
Over the course of the job, he encountered various documents in the man¡¯s solar that were suspect. Letters between him and an individual titled as ¡®A¡¯ who was his superior. These letters detailed how the clandestine deliveries to and from the tavern were to be done, and also mentioned the frequent ¡®redirection¡¯ of Ogdenborough¡¯s county militia to keep them away from Eversong Plaza, except on days when they wanted additional manpower.
The ¡®A¡¯ could¡¯ve been either stood for Aeglos, the heir to House Argon, or Argon itself. It didn¡¯t take a genius to deduce who the letters were addressed to.
Quite nefarious, even if Orodan had become a bit too strong to care about such trivial things. After all, it was a bit silly to be playing investigator, looking through clandestine letters in a mayor¡¯s home when one fought Grandmasters and Avatars in battles that destroyed counties. Although, the usage of letters usually implied that secrecy was a priority; as communications amulets could be traced and the contents intruded on.
About two thirds of the way into finishing the mansion, he heard a crier outside the mansion.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! Come out! You¡¯ve broken into the mayor¡¯s home and are unlawfully within! Surrender and the law may consider leniency!¡±
The voice sounded quite familiar, even if Orodan hadn¡¯t heard it in a while. It was Sergeant Woodgard!
Orodan had skipped his shift today, so naturally the man would be working now. A report of a break-in at the mayor¡¯s house was of a higher priority than most others, so the Sergeant naturally responded himself.
He of course, ignored the crier and simply continued cleaning. What a filthy and disordered mansion this was. The solar was disorganized and messy enough, hinting at the fact that the mayor allowed nobody inside. But, the bedroom was even worse! Orodan wasn¡¯t an idiot, he knew what the stains on the sheets and couches were.
Good for the mayor. Although Orodan practically drowned the sheets and couches in cleaning solution before rinsing and then drying them off with Draconic Fireball.
Once he finished with the rooms upstairs, Orodan went downstairs to see a gathering of militia waiting for him.
¡°Wainwright! You bloody idiot! You¡¯re a no-show for your shift and now you decide to break into the mayor¡¯s mansion?!¡± Sergeant Woodgard roared in his usual spittle-producing tone as his face grew increasingly red. Orodan let the man be hit with the Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity backlash from the insult.
The Sergeant¡¯s face somehow turned even redder, and the man looked faint, as though his blood pressure was far too high! An almost fourfold return on an insult must¡¯ve made him really angry. Orodan would swear the man looked as though he would collapse at any moment.
¡°Apprehend him! Now!¡±
The nine militia men and women alongside the Sergeant approached Orodan¡
¡but he simply continued cleaning.
Arms attempted to grab onto his own but they were simply pulled along like ragdolls or pushed away like children as Orodan continued working. And it finally took Sergeant Woodgard¡¯s club shattering upon Orodan¡¯s head for the man to realize something wasn¡¯t right. It was a good thing Orodan chose not to allow the reciprocity for that strike, as the multiplier would¡¯ve likely killed the Sergeant.
What really cemented in their minds that they were better served backing off, was when Orodan began using his six selves once more to get the job done quicker.
¡°You¡¯re dirtying the floor with your boots Sergeant, please move,¡± Orodan said as he picked the man up by the back of his collar, like a misbehaving cat, and deposited him outside. Sergeant Woodgard was now exceedingly wary of Orodan and didn¡¯t protest whatsoever. The rest of the militia also wisely decided to back out of the mansion, although the Sergeant¡¯s communication amulet did glow.
[Cleaning 56 ¡ú Cleaning 57]
The mayor¡¯s mansion was quite decent for increasing his skill levels. Orodan would have to periodically return from time to time. It also gave him the inspiration to seek out other mansions and large structures for cleaning in his later loops once this set of death loops was concluded.
It took almost the full two hours Orodan had to clean the mansion. It was a different environment, and he wanted to ensure a thorough job was done.
[Cleaning 57 ¡ú Cleaning 58]
He stepped out the front doors of the mayor¡¯s mansion to see a squad of the mounted unit waiting for him. The Captain of the riders, an Adept, held a wary look as he stared at Orodan. Sergeant Woodgard was whispering to the man. But, Orodan¡¯s ears were quite profound now, thanks to his Physical Fitness.
¡°Sir, this man is Orodan Wainwright. He used to be an Apprentice-level militiaman in the Ogdenborough barracks. Now he¡¯s powerful enough to send my entire troop running,¡± Sergeant Woodgard quietly whispered.
¡°I see, thank you,¡± the Captain replied. The man then trotted his horse forwards a bit before speaking. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, I am Keharion Taj! Have you perhaps unlocked a Blessing? A Bloodline? What has caused your meteoric rise in power? Either way, you needn¡¯t worry about facing discipline for this¡ ¡®stint¡¯. Come with us to Trumbetton so we may evaluate your talent, and all will be forgiven.¡±
Orodan was about to reply when his hairs stood on end as he felt something in the air. It was a familiar feeling¡ the accursed aura of the divine.
He looked to the horizon to see a blazing bolt of golden light approaching.
¡°Who among you has a Blessing from Ilyatana?¡± Orodan asked, and an unassuming rider was looked at by his peers, singling him out as the one.
It wasn¡¯t the man¡¯s fault, but of course somebody among the mounted unit held a minor Blessing of Ilyatana. Talking face to face in close proximity, the Goddess likely detected the faint traces of the unwanted Blessing upon his own soul. An Avatar was now descending to investigate further.
These unwanted Blessings he received in the last long loop were now rearing their ugly heads in the form of this inconvenience. Orodan was now learning that anyone with even a minor Blessing from any of the three enemy Gods, could cause them to detect him.
Well, he had no intention of standing his ground here in the middle of Ogdenborough.
A titanic leap cratered the ground and took him just outside of the town¡¯s borders. And another leap which caused a tremor throughout Ogdenborough, took him to the peak of Mount Castarian.
The blazing golden light was coming from Karilsgard. Given its intensity, it was likely Heredin Aeronsul, the Chosen Avatar. Ilyatana wasn¡¯t holding back in her investigation.
A familiar dragon and rider came out of a large portal and approached him before the Avatar of Ilyatana did however.
¡°No time to talk, get out of the way unless you want to face the wrath of an Avatar,¡± Orodan told Arendethar and Ulrusdun. As he spoke, Orodan extended the sense of Mana Black Hole as far as he could, and he felt the machine¡¯s mana pool, deep beneath the mountain, concentrated within the orb.
He then pulled and felt it all enter the skill¡¯s reserve.
[Quest Completed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Ancient war machine disabled]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +1 Action Increase]
[Soul At Capacity ¡ú Reward Aborted]
He would¡¯ve liked to stay to receive the javelin, but as it stood, Orodan had perhaps five seconds before the Avatar of Ilyatana reached him. He thus leapt off the peak of Mount Castarian, towards the Novarrian wilderness on the southern side of the mountain.
Mid-air, a familiar lightning javelin came for him, but it missed by a decent distance as Orodan was going too fast.
He hit the ground and took off running. Within seconds he reached his preferred spot, and decided to stand his ground away from civilization.
It wasn¡¯t the Novarrians that reached him this time, but the Avatar of Ilyatana.
Bindings of golden light attempted to restrain him, just as they did in his very first encounter with the Goddess of Fate. But this time, Orodan cycled Eternal Soul Reactor frighteningly fast and shattered the bindings easily. Chosen Avatar or not, restraining Orodan Wainwright was no longer something the Gods could do. They would have to kill him.
¡°You dare resist? You bear such an intriguing Blessing of mine, yet I do not recall bestowing it,¡± Ilyatana spoke. ¡°But that is fine, I shall descend unto you regardless, now that we are in such close proximity.¡±
Heredin Aeronsul¡¯s eyes lost their glow for a moment, and a horrifying wail of divine agony erupted after which the glow returned.
Orodan had to admit, he quite enjoyed hearing this meddling Goddess scream in particular. She was his first divine enemy.
¡°Impossible! To hurt me through an Avatar, to cross the dimensional boundary and reach me in the divine realm¡ you cannot be allowed to live! Whichever dark God sent you will find your soul scoured to the core!¡±
Gods specialized in different things.
Agathor was the God of War. Eximus was the God of Time. And Ilyatana was the Goddess of Fate.
But even outside their purviews, they were capable of various things such as soul attacks and regular destruction, but to differing levels of proficiency. Orodan thus learned two things.
First, that Ilyatana was superior to Eximus when it came to assaulting his soul.
His consciousness nearly departed, he began forgetting what he was doing and his emotions were all over the place. This was some serious soul damage, and it took all Orodan had in order to retain who he was and prevent the entire outer layer of his soul from being obliterated.
[Soul Defense 51 ¡ú Soul Defense 53]
Second, Eximus was far superior to Ilyatana when it came to damaging his body.
¡°Why won¡¯t you die?! How can a mortal be so resilient?!¡±
The Avatar assaulted him with beams of light that almost completely turned him to ash. But almost, wasn¡¯t enough.
Orodan kept reforming, and he recalled the tidbit that Ilyatana had Chosen in all three major human nations but consequently her Chosen were individually weaker. A weaker Chosen meant a weaker Avatar, thus Orodan was barely able to survive the strongest attacks of her Avatar. Although he lacked the ability to fight back at all aside from Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity which made her howls of pain echo for miles.
[Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 63 ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 64]
[Harmony of Vitality 79 ¡ú Harmony of Vitality 80]
Her screams of frustration and pain continued for a while, even as her host continued to fall apart.
Finally, the fun and games ended as a portal opened fifty feet from Orodan, and the familiar face of Cruxamar Aetholion stepped out. Albeit, his eyes were already glowing with the power of Eximus.
¡°Ilyatana, why do you cause such a ruckus in my lands?¡± Eximus asked as he stepped forth. ¡°Oh? This boy has such a Blessing of mine? Let me see if I can descend¡¡±
¡°Eximus wait! He has a foul skill which-¡±
It was too late, and yet another divine roar of pain occurred as the possession failed and was rebuffed almost fourfold.
¡°Vile abomination! Come Ilyatana, we shall put this one to rest permanently!¡±
If Eximus hadn¡¯t come in, Orodan might¡¯ve even been able to outlast Ilyatana outright by causing her host to burn out. It was heartening to know that he could possibly outlast and ¡®defeat¡¯ the Avatar of the Goddess of Fate through his survivability. Her Avatar was weaker than the other Gods¡¯.
But to face two Chosen Avatars at once? This loop was over.
Two beams struck him. One, a divine beam of pure chronomantic might which obliterated every particle of his body. The other, a godly beam of light which was incredibly harmful to his soul. Together, they ensured the darkness of death took him.
But, just before that, Orodan felt that there was some critical insight within this situation. He was struck by not one, but two separate divine attacks simultaneously. And in that moment, just before death came, he felt that there was an incredible discovery to be made if he kept repeating this moment.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
He flitted in and out of consciousness. He forgot who he was for brief moments. And he felt every kind of emotion under the sun.
Who was he?
It took forty minutes of focused introspection and willpower to repair all the damage he suffered. The entire outer layer of his soul had been mostly destroyed.
[Soul Manipulation 84 ¡ú Soul Manipulation 86]
[Soul Strengthening 32 ¡ú Soul Strengthening 35]
On the other hand. The gains had been incredible. Two entire levels in Soul Manipulation from 84 to 86? At such a high level, gaining two was a profound breakthrough! He also managed to build his soul back up stronger than before as it was damaged so thoroughly. If anything, the damage was an opportunity to become stronger.
What if¡
¡he allowed the outer layer of his soul to be completely destroyed?
A dangerous idea, but good training though.
The thought stewed in Orodan¡¯s mind as he hit up Fodgarton¡¯s and got to work.
The latrines weren¡¯t Orodan¡¯s main target, the cesspools were.
Bigger cities of course, had well-engineered and artificed pipes to handle the issue. Towns however, used water mages. But, Ogdenborough was one of three towns in Volarbury County that didn¡¯t have water mages on hand to maintain the sewage system. The other two at least had running water to flush the night soil away, but his town didn¡¯t have even that.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The system of sanitation was mildly interesting, even if Orodan didn¡¯t need to bother with such things anymore thanks to Eternal Soul Reactor burning it away. That he could count on one hand how many times he ate and drank over the years was also a factor.
His personal matters aside, the Ogdenborough Department of Public Sanitation wasn''t pleasant. It was located on the outskirts of town and the stench could be smelt from quite a distance away. Orodan¡¯s neighborhood of Briar Court wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as the homes that were within range of the odor.
Thus, the workers toiling to clean them and load night soil were paid a decent salary.
¡°We pay three gold coins a year, with a generous overtime rate of fifty silvers for each day off you work,¡± the man explained. ¡°We have a high turnover rate, thus we¡¯re also offering a sign-on bonus of two gold paid out over six months.¡±
The diminutive man was the manager for the cesspits, and unlike what Orodan would expect, wasn¡¯t poverty-stricken or miserable looking. Rather, the manager was well-dressed, spoke eloquently and looked quite happy. Although he did have a breathing device on to help filter the odors.
Orodan found the rate quite surprising! He made a single gold coin a year as a member of the county militia, and even Sergeant Woodgard, the highest paid member of the barracks made a gold coin-and-a-half yearly. He supposed it made sense given how undesirable the job was, but where did the money to pay sanitation workers come from?
¡°How are you paying your workers that much? The county militia pays a gold a year at most to talented members,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Where does all that gold come from?¡±
¡°Partly through grants from the Cathedral, and mainly because it¡¯s the Republic itself that funds sewage management throughout its territories. Our yearly rate and overtime are the same all throughout the Republic and its territories, owing to our union,¡± the man explained. ¡°With how well you¡¯re handling the odors without a breathing mask, I¡¯d say you could do well in this line of work.¡±
The odors were bad, but Orodan¡¯s willpower had seen him through worse things. The Eldritch smelled rather grotesque too, and he¡¯d managed to tolerate that for a full year.
¡°Sounds like a good deal for your workers,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But, I¡¯m not here for the money. I just want to clean the latrines, and particularly the cesspools.¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡± the man asked. ¡°Are you perhaps one of those eccentric people like the famous Arendethar Althadin who wanders around honing the Cleaning skill?¡±
Orodan nodded, and the man had a manic smile on his face.
¡°Excellent! Come, let me show you to our supply room which has all manner of equipment,¡± the man offered. ¡°I¡¯m Olosco Fendinhall, manager of the Ogdenborough sewage network. We sometimes get strange individuals like yourself who come by asking to clean, so by all means let me help facilitate that.¡±
People went around honing their Cleaning skill in such a way?
Well, Orodan shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. If people went on dangerous journeys to hone their combat skills or find inspiration for their crafts, then it wasn¡¯t exactly impossible for someone to do the same for Cleaning.
Orodan was led to a modestly sized store room which looked out of place in the poor town of Ogdenborough. Within¡ was a treasure trove.
All manner of fine brooms, well-crafted mops with tailor-made heads, bars of alchemical soap, jugs of alchemical cleaning solution and everything Orodan could ever want for the purposes of Cleaning. His eyes lit up like a hungry child at the butcher¡¯s.
¡°This¡! This is exactly what I need!¡± Orodan exclaimed in a show of rare excitement. ¡°How does Ogdenborough even have such equipment?!¡±
¡°That¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t belong to Ogdenborough my boy,¡± Olosco explained. ¡°All this good stuff, is under the purview of the Republic¡¯s Department of Public Sanitation. Some of the cleaning equipment is even enchanted.¡±
¡°Truly? I always thought the absence of water mages in Ogdenborough meant that the town¡¯s sewage maintenance was similarly dreadful,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Do people not make off with the items you have in storage?¡±
¡°Well firstly, the job is still every bit as shitty as you¡¯d think,¡± Olosco spoke with a pleased grin at the pun he made. ¡°You¡¯re still manually shoveling night soil. No matter what enchanted breathing masks I give you, it¡¯s still grueling labor. Second, there are scrying eyes watching the store room. And most importantly, I don¡¯t say this to people but, I¡ am an Adept swordsman.¡±
Olosco held Orodan¡¯s gaze for a while, hoping to see the look of awe. When it didn¡¯t come, the seconds dragged on and the man could only awkwardly cough.
¡°Oh¡ right! Yes, yes, very impressive,¡± Orodan tried to amend, but the damage was done. Olosco couldn¡¯t dare meet Orodan¡¯s gaze after that. Yes, in his first life Orodan might¡¯ve been impressed, but it¡¯d still raise the question of why an Adept was guarding a literal shit hole.
¡°Erm¡ anyhow, the equipment is here if you wish to work on cleaning our latrines and cesspools,¡± Olosco said and then made himself scarce in embarrassment. Which was just fine with Orodan.
He gathered the relevant supplies into a large sack and surveyed the situation.
The network of latrine trenches from the various districts of Ogdenborough ran towards communal cesspools in each area. This was also where homes would empty their chamber pots. Due to being under the Department of Public Sanitation, Ogdenborough wasn¡¯t barbaric and at least had basic enchantments on the communal cesspools to prevent the smell from wafting out in residential neighborhoods. But, they did still need to be emptied and cleaned weekly by hand since there were no water mages on staff in Ogdenborough¡¯s local branch.
This consisted of using ladles and shovels to dig the excrement out and loading it into buckets, which were then unloaded into large containers pulled via horse drawn carriage to the center Orodan was at currently. The containers would then be unloaded into the central dumping pit, which was enchanted to slowly burn the excrement away over time.
Despite the fact that Ogdenborough had no water mages and running water for its sewage, the system implemented by the Department of Public Sanitation worked quite well. The Republic had a certain standard of sewage quality that it enforced across all its territories. Preventing disease outbreak was one benefit, but winning public approval in the poorer areas and justifying taxation was another. Taxes were good for something it seemed, even in Ogdenborough.
Orodan thus had a few targets. To clean the latrine networks, to empty and clean the communal cesspools, and to then unload the collection into the dumping pit. Of course, he wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think he could clean all of Ogdenborough¡¯s latrine network and cesspools in the two hours he had. But eventually? It was a good target to aim for.
His target for this loop however, was to start cleaning the latrines and cesspools of the nearest areas and expand his way outwards from there.
He would alternate what to clean in each loop. One loop, the mayor¡¯s mansion. Another loop, the latrines and cesspools of Ogdenborough, and another, the forges and tanneries which he had yet to hit.
With that decided, he diligently got to work.
Horse drawn carts and buckets weren¡¯t exactly necessary when he could just carry the massive containers himself. He created six of himself to carry six of the massive excrement containers. The gap in speed between himself and gravity was massive. So, every time an action increase self disappeared after a second, Orodan simply re-created another one before the container hit the ground. Like this, it would look to the average eye that there were six of Orodan carrying six containers.
Upon arrival, the containers were dumped near the communal cesspool of the area.
Department of Public Sanitation workers were meant to work during the night. Of course, Orodan didn¡¯t care as he wasn¡¯t officially employed by them. His act of dumping the containers in broad daylight and pulling out cleaning tools caused murmurs to erupt and a sense of outrage and anger among the passersby and residents of the street.
¡°Hey! Since when do you dirty cretins do this unsightly work during the day?! Get off of our street!¡± exclaimed an angry man who was hawking goods to people walking by The man''s business would be impacted. He marched towards Orodan and put a hand on his shoulder.
Only to be summarily ignored as Orodan continued working. Which, when one had a Physical Fitness of 85, meant that the unfortunate hawker was dragged along and thrown into the latrine Orodan was cleaning.
¡°Now look what you¡¯ve done,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten the latrine dirty. Move before I make you move.¡±
The man was flabbergasted and didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He¡¯d felt Orodan¡¯s strength in that moment and wanted no more trouble. He simply stood there and looked miserable, too afraid to cause a ruckus.
Orodan felt some pity for him, and in-between cleaning the latrine, decided to dunk a substantial amount of his own concocted alchemical cleaning solution onto the man¡¯s head. He then threw him a few towels and soap bars.
¡°Clean yourself up, use the towels and soap and pass me your clothes so I can clean them while you dry off,¡± Orodan spoke.
The man was too scared to disobey. Something about Orodan¡¯s focus and calm attitude throughout the whole situation must have unnerved him. While the man got to a corner and cleaned himself up, Orodan dedicated an action increase self to cleaning his clothes, all while the rest focused on getting the latrines cleaned.
A ¡®clone¡¯ of his jumped down the well and leapt back up with a filled giant water barrel. Buckets of water were drawn from this barrel and thrown down the latrines, washing the undesirable matter down towards the cesspool. Orodan threw the water with such force that a single bucket''s worth would flow down the full length of the trench and reach the cesspool. All the while, other ¡®clones¡¯ scrubbed the latrines and gave them a deep cleaning with his alchemical solution.
He finished cleaning and drying the unfortunate hawker¡¯s clothes with a Draconic Fireball and handed them back to the man. He was understandably awed by how quickly everything was done, but Orodan cared not about that.
[Cleaning 58 ¡ú Cleaning 59]
The System message however, he did care about.
The latrine trenches were filthy beyond measure, which was a good environment to level Cleaning in. The stone was soaked to the pore with unwanted excreta, and Orodan¡¯s personal alchemical solution was put to work in cleaning the trenches, all while he furiously scrubbed and mopped the stone.
The mops were enchanted in that wielding them was dramatically easier. The weight was light to the wielder, but the head of the mop was heavier and also absorbed filth into itself. Dunking it into water also gave the cleaner the option of putting their thumb over a rune on the handle to absorb liquid into the mop head, which could then be discharged elsewhere by holding their thumb over another rune. It was elaborate craftsmanship and enchanting.
Within an hour, every latrine trench in the area was cleaned till the rocks were almost sparkling.
The first person to sully it would be ashamed to relieve themselves upon it!
Finally, came the cesspool itself. For which Orodan cast a continuous Whirlpool Whirlwind above its open mouth with one hand, while his other hand hovered a charged Draconic Fireball in its way.
Filth flew upwards, only to meet the all-incinerating heat of the uncast Draconic Fireball. The fumes were atrocious, but none of the excreta escaped the heat of a spell that could hurt Grandmasters. Orodan was slightly worried that he¡¯d start an accidental fire in the nearby houses, so he held the temperature back somewhat. But even then, all the excrement was burned to ash.
[Cleaning 59 ¡ú Cleaning 60]
It was a novel method of emptying a cesspool, but it earned him a level in Cleaning. He continued his work and thoroughly scrubbed the inside of the cesspool, dumping the entire remainder of his alchemical cleaning solution within to try and get it as clean as possible. Of course, excrement was virtually bonded to the stone of the cesspool, so it¡¯d be a few loops before Orodan could figure out how to perfectly clean it.
He had another hour left, but no more alchemical cleaning solution. And he didn¡¯t want to do a half-baked job, so he instead opted to simply clean the nearby dirt roads and houses using the remainder of the time.
[Maintenance 27 ¡ú Maintenance 28]
Near the end of his free time till the machine¡¯s awakening, he saw a troop of county militia approach. It was Corporal Botterson¡¯s troop.
¡°Wainwright? I heard someone say it was you, but to miss your shift to clean the gutters and shit pools here? Really?¡± the man asked with some incredulity in his voice, as though he wasn¡¯t quite believing what he was seeing. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±
¡°Nothing¡¯s gotten into me Corporal,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m still the same battle-loving Orodan Wainwright you know, just¡ training in different ways.¡±
The man remained silent for a few moments, until he saw Orodan resume the action increase aided cleaning.
¡°What in the world?! You know magic now, Wainwright?¡± the man exclaimed. ¡°I always knew you were a real talent, but to be a mage as well¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a mage!¡± Orodan indignantly protested. ¡°And this isn¡¯t magic, it¡¯s a Quest Reward.¡±
¡°A Quest Reward? You don¡¯t have to pull my leg, I know you hate mages but you can just admit it¡¯s magic,¡± Botterson replied.
Orodan sighed. Of course Botterson would dismiss it as outlandish. The Corporal was a bumpkin just like everyone in the Ogdenborough branch of the militia and the original Orodan.
"H-he threw me into the latrine!" the poor hawker now voiced up.
"What are you on about? Your clothes look entirely clean to me," Botterson replied.
Orodan ignored the antics and didn¡¯t waste time with any further explanation, for the machine¡¯s awakening and his new training method approached.
Finding the mounted unit from Trumbetton wasn¡¯t an issue. Aside from the high priority call he forced them to attend in the last loop, they¡¯d otherwise stuck to their routine of patrolling Ogdenborough¡¯s main road leading to Eversong Plaza for this busy day.
So when Orodan walked up to the rider who held a minor Blessing of Ilyatana and waved before promptly leaping away for the mountain, the rider was understandably shocked. Even more so when a blazing bolt of golden light sailed through the skies overhead thirty seconds later.
Orodan himself didn¡¯t have much time to speak to Ulrusdun and Arendethar when they appeared in response to him landing upon the peak of Mount Castarian. Instead, he simply activated Mana Black Hole and drained the entirety of the mana pool he was getting quite familiar with.
[Quest Completed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Ancient war machine disabled]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +1 Action Increase]
[Soul At Capacity ¡ú Reward Aborted]
He leapt off the mountain immediately after, and as usual, upon reaching a safe distance from civilization, it was the Chosen Avatar of Ilyatana that reached him first.
¡°Fascinating, such a-¡±
Orodan gave her no time to talk. He simply launched an all-out assault upon her. Something which rightfully enraged her.
¡°Heresy! You would dare assault the divine?!¡±
His response was to keep fighting, which soon became impossible as he was continually reduced to puddles via beams of golden light which seriously battered his soul. Although hearing Ilyatana¡¯s scream of pain in return was worth it.
[Soul Defense 53 ¡ú Soul Defense 54]
Immediately after the message, a portal opened nearby and the Avatar of Eximus stepped in.
¡°What ruckus is this Ilyatana? Explain yourself,¡± Eximus spoke and then looked closer. ¡°Oh? How profound! For this mortal to have such a Blessing¡ hold for a moment Ilyatana, I believe I can descend unto him.¡±
¡°Do not! This unholy wretch has a skill which can directly harm me!¡±
As usual, Eximus¡¯s greed trumped his caution, and the God of Time attempted to possess Orodan. Only to be rebuffed with an almost fourfold backlash a moment later.
A divine roar of agony rang out.
¡°Enough! Such foul power cannot be allowed to stand! Let us dispose of this vermin Ilyatana!¡±
And this time, when the two beams of divine power came towards him¡
¡Orodan purposefully had his soul defenses down as low as possible.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke them.
[Quest Bestowed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Defeat the Novarrians and their allies as they attempt to activate and commandeer the ancient war machine beneath Mount Castarian]
[Quest Bestowed ¡ú The Chosen Eldritch Star - On the eve of the current year the Chosen One of the Eldritch Gods will descend unto the world as a fell comet, defeat this being who is an Avatar of all of the Eldritch Gods and protect the world along the way]
The person got to their feet and reached for their weapons, ready to fight. But no enemies were around, so the weapons were sheathed. The building they were in was¡ dirty. They felt a profound desire to clean it.
But before that¡ who were they?
They had no clue what all these strange messages meant, so they were put to the side.
A quick external survey and internal affirmation from an unknown place confirmed that he was a man.
But that still didn¡¯t answer who he was. He could remember nothing, his name, his background, what he was supposed to be doing.
But one thing that did stick out to him¡ was that this hovel, was dirty. Was it his home?
The nameless man picked up a rag and got to work in thoroughly cleaning the hovel best he could. Yet, he felt unsatisfied as though a part of himself deep within was telling him it was inadequate.
The man thus walked two blocks over someplace that would have good cleaning supplies, and he also visited a humble herbalist''s shop where he concocted his own cleaning solution. How he knew all this, the man did not know. A sack of silver was deposited as recompense at these places and he returned to his hovel and worked upon it with vigor.
His body was strong. He felt as though he could shatter an entire county and kill everyone if he wanted. But, that felt disgusting, not befitting a true warrior. To harm the weak was not his way.
He was a warrior.
He didn¡¯t know where that thought had come from, but he felt quite certain about his identity.
The warrior thus returned to his hovel and got to work. The entire thing was cleaned in under thirty minutes, as though he was quite familiar with it, but he still felt dissatisfied as though there was more to do.
Thus, he made for a neighboring house with a disgusting stench of leather, tannins and rotting flesh.
¡°Orodan, what are you doing here?¡±
Orodan? Was that supposed to be his name? Nothing consciously came to mind, but something far away told him that was correct.
He wasn¡¯t sure what this far away source was, but attempting to connect with it seemed like a good idea. So he followed its gentle urgings and got to work on this man¡¯s filthy house. Everything was cleaned thoroughly, and a skill which whirled his fingers in a manner to create a vacuum to draw dirt towards it, was used to draw filth towards a luminous fireball in his hands.
He wisely decided to let the fireball die out. He got a feeling his neighbors wouldn¡¯t fare very well if he threw it.
His neighbor looked distraught while his wife and daughter looked grateful beyond measure once the warrior finished.
But, this still wasn¡¯t enough! The voice urged him to seek out the town forge, and so he did.
The man hammering away at metal didn¡¯t so much as get a chance to complain before Orodan barged in and began furiously cleaning the place.
It was a unique environment, one that the strangely distant source hadn¡¯t encountered before. Thus, it was up to the warrior to figure out how to tackle things such as ash, molten slag sticking to the crucibles, and all manner of detritus unique to the craft of blacksmithing.
His alchemical solution wasn¡¯t up to the task of cleaning metal detritus and molten slag, thus he had to utilize his strength to rip metallic dirt off with his fingers before he could apply the solution. An hour passed, and the warrior ruminated on how best to clean the blacksmith¡¯s hammer.
The distant voice informed him that the hammer was an incredibly important part of the blacksmithing process. Its cleanliness and integrity could influence the outcome of a craft. And this hammer, was dirty to the core.
To verify this, he heated a strip of metal with his dragon-like fire and then hit it with the hammer. Upon closer examination, he could see, and almost feel the impurities in the hammer affecting the metal he was pounding.
He thus alternated between cleaning the hammer with solution and his weird hand whirls, while also testing it out with hammer strikes to ensure its cleanliness, its integrity.
As the hammer strikes fell, he saw a message pop up.
[Cleaning 60 ¡ú Cleaning 61]
The skill level increased from such fine application of Cleaning no doubt.
However, he felt something more. Something beyond just the Cleaning skill. As he cleaned, he maintained a continual sense of the filth within the hammer.
The voice was demanding he follow the path, claiming it would hasten his reconnection with it. But, he refused to settle.
A mere Cleaning Sense was not the height of what he could achieve.
The voice heard him and was satisfied with his desire. It too, was a perfectionist. It too¡ was stubborn.
At the end of the day, what was cleaning? Was cleanliness not just the act of purifying the unclean? But by whose metric were things deemed unclean? Pure by which standard?
The answer was simple. His own.
Cleaning was a skill. Skills were a being¡¯s method of exerting their own will upon the world. The distant voice also agreed and said that there was cleaning and then there was Cleaning. The act of cleaning was different from the skill Cleaning. To simply clean was one thing, but to actively utilize Cleaning meant channeling the skill to impose one¡¯s own will upon existence.
When a swordsman simply swung his sword, it was a sword swing, obeying reality. But when they used a high-level Sword Mastery skill to parry ten blows simultaneously and return death unto all? It was more than just a sword attack, it was forcing reality to bend to its will.
Similarly, using Cleaning to purify an object down to the cellular level was more than just the act of cleaning. It was forcing reality to adhere to his vision and will.
Dust and dirt were a part of nature. Nature, was naturally dirty by the metric of many. Cleaning was not nature. It also wasn¡¯t destruction, as cleansing something properly meant maintaining the parts you wanted while clearing out what you didn¡¯t want.
Thus, Cleaning, meant striving for purity.
His constant perception of the filth within the hammer then, was a sense¡ a vision.
His Cleaning skill, would then be the tool he used to achieve this Vision of Purity.
[New Skill (Legendary) ¡ú Vision of Purity 1]
[Cleaning 61 ¡ú Cleaning 62]
The voice drew closer, as though a core part of himself was in resonance between him and it.
And Orodan Wainwright remembered who he was once more.
[Soul Manipulation 86 ¡ú Soul Manipulation 89]
[Soul Strengthening 35 ¡ú Soul Strengthening 38]
That was one heady experience! And his soul was still quite damaged, but his memories had come back.
He sat in place and finished repairing his soul as Mister Harworth simply stared at him in horror. Orodan¡¯s amnesiac self had basically ignored the old blacksmith and turned his forge upside down in cleaning it.
His new skill, Vision of Purity, even at level 1, allowed him to detect all the unwanted filth and impurities in everything around him for half a mile. He didn¡¯t need to be looking at it, he could simply detect it through the skill¡¯s all-encompassing ¡®vision¡¯. The information would seriously strain the mind of anyone else, but Orodan¡¯s was quite resilient and trained by now.
Just like that, he had gained a legendary rarity skill. He could already see it functioning as a detection skill of sorts if he got its level high enough. Perhaps he could even sense sneaky beings like Vespidia with it once he got its level high enough and was able to distinguish what the skill was telling him.
Perhaps he could finally detect what exactly needed to be cleaned in his mentor Arvayne Firesword¡¯s soul and maybe¡
¡even his own.
This out-of-body amnesiac training was incredibly valuable. Not only did it lead to critical insights he mightn¡¯t have achieved otherwise, but it also brought him more in-tune with who he was at core.
It was incredibly dangerous, to essentially allow the outer layer of his soul to be completely destroyed. But the gamble had paid off.
If reincarnators whose outer soul layer was destroyed could recover their memories. Then Orodan correctly surmised that his endless willpower could do the same in a dramatically shorter period of time.
It was madness to allow his soul to be destroyed over and over.
But it was good training. And he was far from done.
Chapter 34 - Forcing A Ceasefire & Defying Gods
Like that, thirty loops had passed.
It was the equivalent of twenty days of continuous work. His skills had grown in some ways, and he understandably faced bottlenecks in others.
Eternal Soul Reactor and Soul Manipulation remained stuck at level 89. Allowing the outer layer of his soul to be completely destroyed and then reforming it was decent training, but it took more than that to cross the difficult gap leading to the Master level. He would need to make an insightful breakthrough at such a high level rather than simply brute force the matter. Soul Defense would¡¯ve increased if he bothered to defend against the soul attacks, but as it stood, he got more benefit from allowing the attack to hit him undefended.
Soul Strengthening however had increased from 38 to 42 as his soul was repeatedly damaged and healed stronger. He had acquired one more action increase from the first Quest as a result, bringing his total ¡®clones¡¯ to seven.
Harmony of Vitality however, was at level 83 from all the ludicrous damage he¡¯d desperately been trying to heal from. Slowly but surely, Orodan was gaining extra time with each loop against the combined attack from the two Avatars. He couldn¡¯t survive it. But he could draw his death out to two whole seconds now.
These two seconds were priceless as they gave Orodan more time to experiment and focus on finding insights into what divine energy was.
His combat skills hadn¡¯t really increased otherwise, as his ¡®fights¡¯ against the Avatars consisted of him being bombarded by divine beams while he was suppressed. It was more a display of his masochism than a fight. That being said, some skills like Dying Struggle and Death Rage had gained a level each over the number of deaths. And most importantly, Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity loved the training he put it through by assaulting Gods directly through their Avatars. It gained four levels from 64 to 68.
Incorruptible Being had increased from 47 to 50. The constant attempts at possession from the Gods were good for something, even if they didn¡¯t strain him overly much by this point. Fate Disconnect had also levelled twice and was at 42 from him churning Eternal Soul Reactor hard and attempting to maintain the fate shield¡¯s integrity as the power coursed through him.
Skills tempered through fighting aside, the biggest gain was in his skills trained through his daily routine upon waking up.
Woodworking, Tool Mastery, Laboring, Maintenance and Construction had all gained levels, although Orodan was approaching the limit of what he could squeeze out of working on a single warehouse over and over. Skill levels weren¡¯t simply increased through brute force repetition, but also through varied experience. And his increasing familiarity with building the warehouse at 4 Ale Road was beginning to get in the way of his skill level gains.
His Cleaning skills however, had made a huge leap over thirty loops.
Cleaning went from 62 to 71. He was now a Cleaning Elite! Something the people of his old life would endlessly make fun of him for no doubt. Orodan could now, if he wanted, apply for a position as a cleaner for the Palace of Karilsgard. The head maids and butlers on staff were rumored Cleaning Elites as well.
Whirlpool Whirlwind had increased from 42 to 53 due to his unique and Cleaning-adjacent usage of it. Casting it with one hand instead of the full body motion meant that he needed to have a deep understanding of its mechanics. Whether it was his natural talent at martial skills, or the Blessing of Agathor, this wasn¡¯t a problem for Orodan. Thus, skill level gains for it were fast.
Vision of Purity had made the biggest gains however. Orodan felt a natural proclivity towards Cleaning, and this extended to his desire to see all the impurities within something removed. He now had Vision of Purity on at all times, and the deeper he looked, the faster the skill level gains came. The Legendary rarity skill went from 1 to 41.
At its new level, Orodan could detect all the impurities in something for a radius of two miles. The skill had subtle nuances and abilities that weren¡¯t apparent to him until he trained with it extensively.
Firstly, extending his detection underground was difficult, as the ground was chock full of impurities. However, as he gained skill levels he realized that instead of his initial attempts to furiously account for each and every little thing in his mind, something which caused massive mental strain. He could instead detect underground through smarter mental organization. The ground¡¯s impurities were mostly similar throughout it, so all Orodan had to do to save mental processing power was organize his detection to view things as a pattern farther out instead of with incredible focus upon each and every particle of dirt.
Orodan discarded this cheap trick as the method of a weakling. A true warrior would never balk at hard work and would never rest. Thus, Orodan was now under tremendous mental pressure at all times as he accounted for each and every particle of impurity within two miles. He walked around with blood often leaking from his eyes, nose and ears due to the sheer strain. But his willpower could bear it, and he refused to allow his focus to falter. He suspected that the skill wasn¡¯t ordinarily honed like this, but it was good training. And the skill levels came dramatically faster as a result.
The gains made over thirty loops had been excellent. And this loop, he might even gain some more as he was visiting someplace he hadn¡¯t been in a very long time. The town of Scarmorrow where he went through his first set of death loops against the archer outside the temple.
Specifically, he stood within the local healing house.
¡°Let¡¯s see if I have this right, you want to help clean the wounds of our patients?¡± the healer asked. ¡°I respect your desire to do good young man, but without licensure from the Department of Health I¡¯m afraid I cannot allow you to operate on people. Furthermore, your own eyes are bleeding, are you alright?¡±
¡°Ah, that. I¡¯m just focusing very hard. Also, I wasn¡¯t asking for permission,¡± Orodan replied, and the man¡¯s eyes widened.
Orodan gently bound his arms and took the communications amulet off his neck before seating the healer in a chair and tying the man to it. He then picked the chair and man up and walked to the patient bays.
¡°I must protest this! I have no idea who you are and what your training is,¡± the healer exclaimed. ¡°Without proper education you¡¯re as likely to kill a patient as you are to heal them!¡±
¡°I concur,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Which is why you¡¯re seated there and tied up till you calm down. I¡¯m confident I can clean the minor wounds and you¡¯ll help do the healing afterwards. Imagine how good a result you could achieve if the wounds were properly cleaned and your tools sterilized?¡±
The man calmed down noticeably at the thought of that, although he still maintained a wary gaze. And wasn¡¯t too happy about being tied up either. Orodan felt a little guilty about bullying him, so resolved to let him loose after the first display.
¡°Oh? She¡¯s already been treated, just waiting for her mother to pick her up,¡± the healer spoke.
The first patient, was a little girl with a decent cut to her leg. The cut was bandaged already, and the girl was simply laying in the cot idly counting the tiles on the floor. Orodan¡¯s subsequent arrival with a chair in his hands surprised her. And the healer tied to said chair didn¡¯t help calm her.
The girl wasn¡¯t stupid, but she had a good head on her shoulders as she didn¡¯t immediately scream.
¡°W-who are you? Mister Casterton, what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked.
¡°Aliya, be nice and help the man with whatever he wants to do, yes? Everything will be alright,¡± the healer, Casterton spoke. The world wasn¡¯t a nice one. From a young age everyone was told about the power of Adepts and above, and many stories had tragic endings. From their perspective, Orodan could just as easily be a cruel maniac intent on harming innocents.
Orodan knelt down before the girl.
¡°Hello there, are you Aliya? I¡¯m Orodan,¡± he introduced. ¡°How did you get that cut on your leg?¡±
¡°I was¡ exploring,¡± the child replied. ¡°I fell from a tree and got hurt.¡±
¡°Oh? I¡¯ve climbed trees before, and a fall usually comes with more accompanying scrapes and scratches than you have,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Was it truly just a fall from a tree?¡±
¡°It was!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I swear!¡±
A little too forceful an answer. Orodan recalled being like that himself whenever the matrons questioned him about what he was up to.
¡°Fair enough, how about we work on getting this wound properly cleaned though?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°As it is, you¡¯ll take longer to recover and it might get infected despite the salve applied.¡±
¡°That¡ shouldn¡¯t be so,¡± Casterton spoke, but with doubt in his voice. ¡°I cleaned the wound to the best of my ability and the salve of purification was applied. I¡¯m not arrogant enough that I¡¯d claim to be beyond error, but is there truly something I missed?¡±
Orodan decided that he liked Casterton. The man was humble and seemed to care for those under his purview.
¡°It isn¡¯t that you missed something. Rather, that the wound is just a bad one and Aliya here might¡¯ve ignored a bit longer than she should¡¯ve,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I can sense various impurities deep within that the salve didn¡¯t manage to reach.¡±
¡°Truly? What skill is that?¡± Casterton asked.
¡°It¡¯s a Legendary skill, Vision of Purity.¡±
¡°L-legendary¡! You¡ you aren¡¯t lying are you?¡± Casterton asked, but not with any serious accusation but as though he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re far more qualified than I to treat her, please¡ do not let me stand in your way young master.¡±
Legendary rarity was the pinnacle of society at an Academy like Bluefire and the circles Orodan frequented in the last long loop. But, now he was in Scarmorrow, in Volarbury County, where Elites were spoken of in hushed whispers and the common individual wouldn¡¯t believe the existence of Master-level people.
¡°Nonsense, I have no healing skills which affect others. I simply wish to remove the impurities within her wound,¡± Orodan elaborated. ¡°I¡¯ll still need your help to actually treat the wound afterward. Although¡ if you don¡¯t mind, perhaps you could teach me a bit?¡±
Orodan wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea of learning basic healing. Rather, he much preferred to begin from the basics instead of learning the magical school of healing first. Some would call him stubborn, but Orodan felt that learning manual healing from the ground up was better than attempting to cast spells which were a quick fix for the issue.
¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± Casterton replied with a smile. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t do much when I¡¯m bound to a chair.¡±
Ah, that was a small detail he¡¯d overlooked. Casterton was untied from the chair, and the man then began the process of unwrapping Aliya¡¯s bandages. The wound didn¡¯t look bad visually, but Vision of Purity told him a different story.
Small disease particles were already latching onto the girl¡¯s blood cells and flesh. And while the amount of bacteria within wasn¡¯t significant, it was likely to still trigger inflammation of the wound as her immune system fought it off in the coming days. Something that would increase her recovery time.
Furthermore, Orodan was said to be stupid. But war, death and bloodshed were his specialty. When he had caused hundreds of thousands himself, did this little girl really think Orodan Wainwright wouldn¡¯t recognize a sword wound?
¡°Who¡¯d you fight?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I didn¡¯t fight anyone!¡± Aliya exclaimed defensively.
¡°Then why does it look like you¡¯ve been cut by a sword?¡± Orodan asked and she got nervous. ¡°It wasn¡¯t very sharp¡ perhaps rusty? Hmm, that¡¯d explain why I can sense impurities in the wound.¡±
¡°Okay, but you can¡¯t tell my mother!¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on it, but only if you tell me who you were fighting,¡± Orodan demanded.
¡°Fine¡ I may have gone into the monster-infested ruins nearby. The one that fledgling adventurers use for training,¡± Aliya replied with a guilty look upon her face. ¡°I got past the checkpoint by sneaking in behind an adventurer party and explored for a bit. Killed a few slimes but the skeletons were tougher than I thought, but I managed to get away.¡±
¡°Aliya! What were you thinking?! If your mother heard about this¡!¡± Casterton exclaimed.
¡°Nicely done kid! I greatly approve of your warrior spirit!¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Of course! How old are you? To be marching into battle at your age is the way of a true warrior!¡± Orodan praised heartily with a big smile on his face.
¡°Mister Orodan! Please do not encourage this reckless delinquent! Should you be preaching such things as a responsible adult?¡± Casterton protested.
¡°I¡¯m only seventeen myself,¡± Orodan said, even though it was technically true physically. But not mentally. ¡°Besides, I was fighting from a very young age too. This can only be a good thing for her.¡±
Left unsaid, was that he¡¯d also killed someone when he was younger. He still felt dirty about the subsequent gain to Combat Mastery from that. But, he was stronger now and didn¡¯t need to commit such acts out of desperation.
¡°Even if you¡¯re a young man, you¡¯re still an adult. Consider the potential consequences. What if she dies? The monsters within the local dungeon aren¡¯t a joke,¡± Casterton cautioned. ¡°The Republic carefully curates such places and as a result some particularly fiendish and smart things can arise.¡±
Casterton was partially correct. The Republic¡¯s Department of Monster Management did in fact maintain many above-ground monster infestation sites and allow them to survive within certain limits of strength. They were a good spot for fledgling adventurers or the troops of a noble house to train without much risk. Of course, this meant that the monsters were a bit smarter than average and were used to dealing with adventurer parties and their tactics.
Skeletons weren¡¯t naturally occurring creatures. The ones within the infestation that wounded Aliya were likely under the control of a monster necromancer deeper within. The girl was lucky to have not encountered that. That the skeletons were mindless animations was her saving grace.
Fighting slimes was one thing, but to face skeletons and necromancers while unprepared at her level? It could lead to death.
That being said, Orodan cared not about risk himself. Even in his first life he gladly marched to a warrior¡¯s death. So who was he to deny another their chance to reach for more?
¡°Maybe¡ but how can one acquire strength without risk? I too have been through many perilous battles in order to acquire the strength I have,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t deny that her mother and family will grieve if she were to die within the ruins. But death occurs all the time. In our world, where skill levels decide our lot, is it not wrong to deny an aspiring warrior her chance to seize a better life?¡±
¡°But she doesn¡¯t even understand the risks! This child doesn¡¯t know any better, she doesn¡¯t know the terror of death,¡± Casterton explained. ¡°She won¡¯t get to see her mother howl over her corpse. If that happens, will you answer for that Mister Orodan?¡±
¡°I suppose you have a point, but only insofar as her not knowing the consequences,¡± Orodan accepted and then turned to Aliya. ¡°He isn¡¯t wrong. If you die, your mother will grieve and you¡¯ll be just another corpse like many. Are you ready for that darkness to take you? Death isn¡¯t pleasant; you could be torn limb from limb as you scream in agony for help that never arrives.¡±
¡°I¡ I know that! I¡¯m scared every time I enter the ruins or explore the nearby wilds and hunt weaker monsters,¡± Aliya replied with determination. ¡°My brother died while delving in an adventurer¡¯s party, and he was supposed to be the one that helped us out of poverty. With him gone¡ I want to bring that look of pride onto the faces of mother and father again. That assurance that their child will look after them.¡±
¡°So you want to make your parents smile again?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You say it with conviction¡ it must be a good goal then.¡±
¡°Of course it is! Don¡¯t you want to make your parents smile too?¡± Aliya asked.
¡°I don¡¯t have any. My parents were killed before I ever got to know them,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°There are no memories of them, I was too young.¡±
Aliya was a bit too young to express condolences properly, so she could only awkwardly stammer a bit, but Casterton saved her.
¡°As you¡¯ve experienced such loss Mister Orodan, shouldn¡¯t you then want to prevent a family from losing their child?¡±
¡°Ideally, nobody would suffer,¡± Orodan answered. Perhaps one day, one loop, he would become powerful enough that he could eliminate death across the world. ¡°But, for now we live in this ruthless world of ours where people are killed in bloody wars almost every century. Thirty-thousand years ago, the continent of Inuan faced devastation and civilization upon it was destroyed. In such a world, to deny someone their freedom to choose, to deny them the opportunity to grow and travel their own path which reaches for their desires. I don¡¯t believe in that.¡±
Thirty-thousand years ago, the Void Horror destroyed the lives of billions of people during its ascent. Now, in just six months, it was returning and would do the same once more. Idealistic attitudes about what childhood should be like wouldn¡¯t stop it. Society morals and norms wouldn¡¯t help. The only thing that mattered, was strength, power.
Aliya¡¯s brother died adventuring in an attempt to provide a better life for his family. Orodan could respect that. But, ideals didn¡¯t change reality. And it could be cruel.
What mattered, was strength. Power to live life according to your ideals. And the ingredients to obtaining power were tenacity and consistency. Both of which this little girl before him had.
Her brother wasn¡¯t strong enough, but perhaps she could be.
¡°You don¡¯t believe in that? I respect your struggle to attain strength Mister Orodan, but surely she¡¯s too young-¡±
¡°Fate cares not about how young someone is when enacting its cruelty,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°Her fate will either be decided by her own strength, or the power of those stronger than her. I would rather see this girl empowered, encouraged to strike out and seize her own destiny. To defy fate with her own hard-earned strength. Did you not hear the conviction in her voice? She knows the risks and she¡¯s still intent on pursuing this path.¡±
¡°I see I cannot convince you¡ but what does Aliya herself have to say?¡±
¡°I want to keep fighting,¡± she spoke resolutely. ¡°I have to take care of my family.¡±
¡°There¡¯s your answer healer. Aliya¡¯s mother needn¡¯t worry about her glorious battles against slimes and skeletons,¡± Orodan remarked with a smile. ¡°Now then, we still have healing to do, so how about we get to work?¡±
Casterton the healer of Scarmorrow, could only sigh and shake his head.
Vision of Purity was powerful.
Particularly because it allowed him to detect and feel each and every particle of impurity within something, down to the smallest level. When used in tandem with something like Whirlpool Whirlwind, which at its current level could be modified to only draw things that he wanted toward himself¡ fantastical results could occur.
It was still an incredibly difficult thing, but Orodan was attempting to make completely pure water.
Water, even the purest water one could find in nature or an alchemist¡¯s laboratory¡ was still impure in the most minor of ways. Many things could dissolve in water. Dirt, dust and incredibly small particulate matter in the air were just the biggest things that could contaminate water. The smallest and hardest things to detect, were natural gases that simply dissolved into water.
Like this, water was such a simple substance, yet it could also be so complicated. Especially when it came to perfectly purifying it like Orodan was attempting.
With Vision of Purity as the conductor and ¡®spotter¡¯, Orodan¡¯s Weapon Aura wrapped around the entirety of the giant water barrel. His seven minds worked together as every bit of particulate and even gas within the water was completely gathered to the center. His eyes and nose leaked blood from the mental strain, but Orodan didn¡¯t stop.
Then, with multiple pairs of hands casting Whirlpool Whirlwind, all the foreign matter and gases were pulled out. He kept Whirlpool Whirlwind running constantly, refusing to allow even the smallest particle of matter or gas enter the water.
[Cleaning 71 ¡ú Cleaning 72]
The water, began glowing.
And Orodan used Identify on it.
[Name: Pure Water
Description: Water of one-hundred percent purity. Perfect elemental affinity.
Tier: Adept]
It was his first time making truly pure water. His skills were now high enough to do it. The product had jumped two whole tiers from Initiate to Adept as a result of being one hundred percent pure.
Orodan was quite satisfied with the result. But it was an unstable product that wouldn¡¯t last without his continuous intervention via Whirlpool Whirlwind. In fact, he would need to use it right this instant.
The Whirlpool Whirlwind above the barrel picked up in power, and soon, the entirety of the glowing pure water was a spinning orb. One continuous Whirlpool Whirlwind above it, pulling it upwards. One constant cast of the skill below, pulling it downwards. Using the two continuously, Orodan moved the orb of pure water towards the concoction container.
[Whirlpool Whirlwind 53 ¡ú Whirlpool Whirlwind 55]
To the outside observer, it would look like Orodan was using telekinesis. But this incredibly fine work of using two suction forces to perfectly levitate and maintain control of a barrel-sized orb of water¡ was far superior to mere telekinesis. In Orodan¡¯s opinion anyhow.
Before the orb of water was guided inside, a ¡®clone¡¯ of his quickly cleaned the container perfectly to ensure no contamination occurred. All while other ¡®clones¡¯ worked on cleaning the two ingredients for the healing salve to the best of his ability.
Why would Orodan settle for merely cleaning? The process of healing Aliya¡¯s wound involved not only cleaning it, but applying a purification salve at the end. Yes, Orodan could make an Initiate-level healing potion to heal her instantly, but not only would it deprive him of the cleaning experience, it could also lead to impurities remaining within the healed wound regardless.
Healing potions, unless they had a secondary effect, didn¡¯t cure poison or remove impurities. They simply healed around them. While one could use healing potions to continue healing until the poison naturally ran its course, it was inefficient, expensive, and certain poisons weren¡¯t so easily attacked by the body¡¯s natural immune system. Purification salves and elixirs were specialized for the purpose of attacking and flushing toxins out, thus Orodan was focusing on that.
His Alchemy was at level 53. Scarmorrow wasn¡¯t a very wealthy town, and the local alchemists were near the Adept-level, but not quite at it. Bigger towns in the county had Adept and Elite-level alchemists, but not Scarmorrow. This meant that Orodan had the opportunity to make a better salve of wound purification than anyone else in town could, especially when paired with his stringent insistence on cleaning everything.
As the cleanliness of the pure water and the container were maintained, other ¡®clones¡¯ of Orodan worked on cleaning the two ingredients for the salve. After cleaning them and while their purity was maintained, he used Identify on them too.
[Name: Pure Astragon Plant
Description: A plant with decent healing properties. One hundred percent purity.
Tier: Adept]
It was Adept tier, which was quite profound as the regular astragon plant was merely at the Initiate-level. Purity was something that could make a true difference in his crafts.
It wasn¡¯t a groundbreaking concept, and Orodan wasn¡¯t discovering something unheard of. The purity of ingredients was something oft theorized and strived for in alchemy. Creating perfect purity ingredients took massive amounts of labor, expense and high level skills. The alchemists capable of such then stored the ingredients in specially enchanted containers, and even the lab itself was enchanted.
Of course, Orodan could forgo all the enchantments as he was purifying and maintaining the ingredients himself. But due to the concurrent purification and maintenance, even he was starting to approach the max number of ¡®clones¡¯ by the time he finished purifying the second ingredient.
[Name: Pure Tellorus Jelly
Description: Jelly from the Tellorus Tree. One hundred percent purity
Tier: Adept]
As was becoming a pattern, it was Adept instead of Initiate as the regular jelly should¡¯ve been.
What if he not only purified it, but then empowered the ingredients? Something to consider for the future.
Finally, Orodan got to work and expertly prepared the ingredients, utilizing his Tool Mastery and Alchemy skills to finely chop the astragon plant¡¯s stem and mix it into the tellorus jelly. All the while, ¡®clones¡¯ of his worked to ensure the concoction remained pure.
It wasn¡¯t a difficult salve to create, merely Initiate-level, but Orodan was using Adept-level ingredients. It would be an interesting end-result. The process took less than a minute, mainly because while Orodan was faster than sound, the concoction needed time to safely heat up and mix thoroughly. All the while, Weapon Aura wrapped around the contents and ensured they blended together as perfectly as possible.
Finally, came the mana empowerment phase, and it was incredibly minuscule. Orodan couldn¡¯t risk putting too much mana into the salve lest it become too mana-rich for use on the little girl. High-level potions containing a lot of mana could kill low-level people.
But, even as he poured in no more mana than the recipe called for, the concoction still took on an otherworldly glow. It wasn¡¯t the usual crackling and energy rich glow of excess mana he saw in the last long loop whenever he¡¯d empower potions beyond their limits. Rather, it was a glow of profound purity. As though the salve was so pure, that it was unnatural, not meant for this dirty world.
[Alchemy 53 ¡ú Alchemy 54]
Orodan used Identify.
[Name: Perfect Purification Salve
Description: A perfect Initiate-level Purification Salve. One-hundred percent purity.
Tier: Adept]
¡°Incredible¡ how have you made this?¡± Casterton asked.
¡°I just cleaned everything very thoroughly,¡± Orodan replied. But even ¡®very thoroughly¡¯ was be an understatement.
He was in agreement with Casterton though; the result was incredible. An examination of the mana coursing through it told Orodan that this salve was still safe to apply upon a regular person. The power it glowed with was borne of purity, not excess mana.
¡°We mustn¡¯t tarry Mister Orodan! Bring that thing here and maintain whatever protective spell you¡¯re using upon it,¡± Casterton spoke urgently, almost excited. ¡°Let¡¯s have another go at little Aliya¡¯s cut!¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Orodan wanted to protest that it wasn¡¯t a spell, but couldn¡¯t say anything. Whirlpool Whirlwind, when cast with a single hand, did look like some mage¡¯s spell. Even if Orodan would angrily correct anyone who called it such.
Orodan hovered a hand above Aliya¡¯s leg.
¡°Now, hold still. Let me see if this works,¡± Orodan said.
¡°If it works? You¡¯ve never tried this before?¡± Casterton asked.
¡°No. Only on weapons. I don¡¯t know how well this¡¯ll work on a person¡¯s leg,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°But, I¡¯m confident it won¡¯t harm her. At worst, it just won¡¯t work.¡±
Aliya could only nervously look on herself as Orodan¡¯s hand touched her leg, just beneath the cut, and Weapon Aura wrapped around her limb.
Immediately he realized that there were complications to attempting this.
The main one being, that the girl¡¯s mana pool instinctively resisted someone wrapping Weapon Aura around her leg. But, much like chronomancy could still affect others as long as the total mana spent was a few times greater than the target¡¯s mana pool, so too could Orodan¡¯s Weapon Aura.
And he wasn¡¯t lacking for mana.
Aliya¡¯s face began paling a bit as her own mana pool drained in its attempts to resist Orodan¡¯s Weapon Aura. The girl wasn¡¯t even consciously doing so, but she became exhausted all the same. It wasn¡¯t harmful, and a quick mana potion would top her up afterwards.
[Weapon Aura 84 ¡ú Weapon Aura 85]
The unique experiment earned him a level in the skill. And Orodan focused in on every single particle in Aliya¡¯s leg. The blood cells, the bone, the veins, arteries¡ and the disease particles that threatened to inflame the wound once more.
He guided all the disease towards the surface of the cut, and he even began guiding the minute impurities in her bones that way as well. Her entire leg was being purified. Her bones had many spots with air pockets and impurities, as did her veins and muscles. Orodan drew all of these towards the cut.
¡°That feels really uncomfortable¡,¡± the girl spoke. ¡°Is it almost done?¡±
¡°Very close, hold on for a few more seconds,¡± Orodan spoke, and another hand hovered atop the cut.
Whirlpool Whirlwind was cast, and all the impurities flew towards Orodan¡¯s hand, where an uncast Draconic Fireball burned it all up. The glowing purification salve was then guided out of the container and onto the wound. Orodan was fully prepared to yank every trace of the salve out at the slightest indication that it was harmful. He¡¯d seen regular purification salve used, but not this pure variant which was two tiers higher.
¡°Wow! That¡¯s such a pretty fire! Are you a mage, mister?!¡±
This little jerk¡
¡°I¡¯m not a damn mage!¡±
¡°Ahem! What Mister Orodan means to say is that he is an esteemed spell blade, isn¡¯t that right sir?¡±
A vein on Orodan¡¯s head throbbed. But further argument about the fact that he was a warrior and not a mage or spell blade, came to a stop.
Aliya suddenly gasped, and Orodan saw why. The perfect purification salve entered her wound, and began flowing throughout her entire body. Orodan was about to stop it on instinct when he noticed that it was cleansing all the impurities within her.
Minor toxins that were present from being near hazardous workspaces, impurities in her body, in the bones, muscles and cells. Every unwanted particle was attacked. But, the amount of salve used wouldn¡¯t be enough, so Orodan gratuitously dumped more unto the wound.
The girl¡¯s eyes widened as the changes spread throughout her entire body. With Vision of Purity, Orodan saw it all. Every little thing was purified.
Was this the power of a perfect potion made with pure ingredients?
Orodan considered the implications of his ability. Perfect potions were incredibly expensive to make; the act of achieving and maintaining one hundred percent purity throughout the entire alchemical process was extremely difficult. Usually, only specialized labs with copious amounts of mana-hungry enchantments would be used, and oftentimes the value of the completed product didn¡¯t justify the cost of running the equipment.
But, for Orodan to be capable of making a perfect potion from scratch? If he was a hapless boy on a journey to reach the heights of alchemy, he¡¯d have to worry about being hunted down and forced to work for a government who would want to develop his talent for themselves.
As it stood though, Orodan was the warrior caught in a time loop. He struggled against Avatars and could beat any mortal Grandmaster in the Republic now. What governmental force could hope to take him alive when he was a threat to a nation if left unchecked?
The purification process ended, and Aliya finally rose to her feet. The wound was still present, but looked incredibly clean now. Aliya herself looked different, more powerful and whole.
¡°I feel incredible,¡± the little girl spoke. ¡°What did you do mister?¡±
The answer was simple.
¡°I just cleaned things up a bit.¡±
After drinking a regular healing potion Orodan concocted, the girl¡¯s capabilities had increased by at least fifty percent. The salve he made was a little too powerful, and Orodan saw Casterton eying it covetously upon seeing Aliya bounding around like a spring chicken. He allowed the healer to imbibe it, and drink a healing potion afterwards, and the man experienced a similar boost in capabilities.
Throughout the entire process, Orodan looked closely using Vision of Purity.
It wasn¡¯t that the purification salve gave people increased ability by itself. But rather, each and every impurity in their body was removed, and a subsequent healing potion filled in these gaps. Bones were made denser, muscles were made stronger, the lungs were cleaner, the blood flowed better. Even the brain could think quicker as the body was just made¡ better. Orodan suspected that the common folk people would pay good money for this if he ever decided to market it.
Orodan himself destroyed and reformed his own body so often with Harmony of Vitality, that he didn¡¯t need to worry about physical impurities. Additionally, society¡¯s wealthier people could pay for high-level purification elixirs, so it wasn¡¯t an issue for them. The common folk however, would sacrifice an arm and a leg if it meant giving their child a chance to improve their baseline and bring wealth to their family.
The rest of his trip at the healing house was intriguing. Most patients had minor injuries, but a few did have something severe.
He gained another level in Cleaning by drawing all the disease out of a terminally ill woman and using the perfect purification salve on her. Her husband was incredibly grateful and almost pledged his lifelong loyalty to Orodan if he hadn¡¯t forced the man to stand and get a hold of himself.
And two patients weren¡¯t physically ill¡ but cursed.
Vision of Purity could see the foul plague upon their souls, and Orodan wasn¡¯t too sure as to how he¡¯d go about scrubbing curses from souls. He didn¡¯t have any skills that allowed him to directly interact with the souls of other people yet, and the purification salve he used on them was physical and didn¡¯t affect their souls. Although they were quite grateful for the relief of some of their physical symptoms.
He tried wrapping Weapon Aura around them and feeling for their souls, but the immediate resistance from their souls and the discomfort they reported made Orodan put an immediate end to that experiment. He¡¯d rather perfect it on his enemies first. Besides, currently Orodan could only affect his own soul and didn¡¯t have a method of manipulating others. He¡¯d have to seek teachers for the art.
Regardless, Orodan ended the day on a decent note. The little girl¡¯s mother picked her up, and a friendly look from Orodan to the healer encouraged the man to forget about Aliya¡¯s exploits.
He made a mental note to consider helping the little fighter advance herself in some loop once things settled down a bit. It was good to see a youth with such a drive to advance and gain strength, Orodan greatly approved.
But for now, his cleaning targets were complete. Orodan¡¯s cleaning related skills were now high enough that he could clean two priority targets in a single loop once he was done his standard clean of his hovel, the tanner¡¯s house and the warehouse. This loop, it was the local blacksmith and the healing house in Scarmorrow that he hit.
He was also fast approaching a keen insight against the power of divine energy. Orodan felt that soon, he would achieve enlightenment in that regard.
¡°Enjoying the view up here are we?¡±
¡°It was nice the first thirty times,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°But in all honestly, I wonder how many times I can see the same thing before I grow tired of it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a question I¡¯ve oft considered myself,¡± Arendethar replied. ¡°But, having a many millennia old Master-level dragon as a friend does give me some perspective. Care to share your wisdom with the man, Ulrusdun?¡±
¡°Hrm¡ you humans focus overmuch on surface level things,¡± the dragon spoke with a haughty tone. ¡°I understand that your lives are fleeting, but there are often many ways to look at a singular thing and still find the beauty within it. Tell me, here from atop the peak, what do you see?¡±
¡°I see the distant High Spire of Karilsgard, one of the tallest buildings in the world,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I see Trumbetton near the center of the county, I see Velestok, Scarmorrow¡ I see a lot of towns.¡±
¡°And what of the life? The people? Do you see them too?¡±
¡°Of course. My eyes can see the riders of the mounted units patrolling between towns. The merchants and passersby upon the streets,¡± Orodan replied. His eyes, which could see the smallest of particles within an object, were also capable of seeing minor details many miles away. ¡°If this is meant to make me see the beauty of life and the innocent folk below, I see it. Rather, I¡¯ve taken it upon myself to protect it too.¡±
¡°Yes, being atop this mountain is not merely physical, but symbolic for those such as us,¡± Ulrusdun replied. ¡°We hold much power, and in a sense we are ¡®above¡¯ the fleeting lives below, but high up as we might rise, there is always something greater. The lives below live in the shade of our decisions, their fates subject to our strength and whims. Similarly, above us, we too are subject to the whims of those beyond. The sun, the moon, the stars and what comes thenceforth. Walking has made you humans accustomed to looking towards your feet. You¡¯ll grow tired of the view only if you look downward, to those beneath. Up above, the sky and stars are endless, their terrors and wonders infinite.¡±
Orodan took a moment to comprehend the dragon¡¯s words. Even here, on the peak of Mount Castarian, they were under the cloud layer. How often did Orodan simply watch the clouds and stars? He might never run out of things to discover if he simply looked upwards. Strong as he¡¯d become, the Eldritch Avatar was still a foe beyond him at this time. He was on the path of ascension towards being capable of besting it, but it would be a long path.
But looking at the same thing a different way¡ it wasn¡¯t a bad idea.
¡°But, hypothetically, what if one had all the time in the world? Would I not eventually run out of things to look at then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You speak as though it isn¡¯t a mere hypothetical,¡± the dragon remarked. ¡°But, even then, so what? Have your legs been cut off? I was not aware that young humans had grown so lazy that they cannot walk. If the view tires you, then simply move someplace with a better one. Once those are exhausted, go elsewhere. You will never run out of places to see no matter how much time you have, human.¡±
¡°I see, thank you. Your wisdom is appreciated,¡± Orodan replied with a respectful incline of his head. ¡°The dragons have always been good to me, I owe the Time Wind a debt of gratitude in general.¡±
The dragon harrumphed, but in acknowledgement.
¡°Anyhow, this conversation has been derailed. Might I ask why you¡¯re here atop the peak of Mount Castarian? You realize this place is heavily monitored and protected, yes?¡± Arendethar asked. ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t bypass our watchers and take a seat atop the peak in full view of the scrying eyes just for the sake of enjoying the view?¡±
¡°No. Rather, I knew that you would arrive if I did, so I make it a habit of doing this in every loop as you two are an interesting source of conversation to liven up the repeats,¡± Orodan replied, much to the man¡¯s confusion. ¡°You are Arendethar Althadin are you not? The manager at Ogdenborough¡¯s Department of Public Sanitation spoke of you. Apparently you go around cleaning random things to hone your Cleaning skill?¡±
The man looked rather embarrassed at being called out about the fact.
¡°Where did he hear that?! Those are unfounded rumors, I assure you!¡± he exclaimed, and then calmed himself. ¡°But, we¡¯re getting off topic, what¡¯s this about repeats and loops you speak of? Chronomancy? My items meant to detect and ward against it aren¡¯t triggering, and Ulrusdun feels no manipulations in the winds of time either. Might you explain yourself?¡±
¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll give you an honest answer as long as you give me some good recommendations for places to clean,¡± Orodan offered. ¡°My Cleaning is at level 73, but I could always use new ideas and methods to train the skill. I¡¯ve hit forges, tanneries, dirty houses, a mansion, the sewage system and a healing house. How else can I improve?¡±
¡°Level 73? Incredible¡ you have the highest Cleaning skill I know of in the Republic then. Even the Palace¡¯s head butler is only at level 70. And to reach such a level with so little variety? A true prodigy¡¡± Arendethar replied in a subdued manner. ¡°I do not know how I can help you then, but you should consider working at the forest preserves of House Simarji. I acquired some of my greatest skill level gains by attempting to purify and aid the plants and trees as they grew.¡±
That was a good idea. It would also be the perfect opportunity to meet his first mentor once again. Once his set of death loops was done, Orodan made a note to visit Velestok again.
¡°Thank you, I¡¯ve tried Wood Communion to help plants grow before, but perhaps tying Cleaning into it will help as well. As for my situation? I¡¯m in an infinitely repeating time loop,¡± Orodan answered seriously. ¡°Every time I die, I wake up on this day again. Which ties into me being here to disable the ancient machine under the mountain. I can¡¯t have my home town be destroyed.¡±
Orodan got to his feet and looked intently towards the main road leading into Eversong Plaza. He had been keeping an eye on a particular patrolling rider of the mounted unit this entire time. Vision of Purity now had a range of nearly five miles, and Orodan had recognized the rider¡¯s filth signature and kept track of him.
¡°A time loop? We¡¯ve already established I detect no chronomancy, what are-¡±
Arendethar¡¯s words were cut off as Orodan used a full body Whirlpool Whirlwind.
At its current level of 55, the range of the skill was almost two miles, which was enough to reach his target. Furthermore, he could also target specific people to pull towards him, and the line of sight was now straight, so the man would arrive in a straight path and not smash against anything on the way.
The winds around Orodan spun like hurricane, yet nothing else nearby was affected. Arendethar and Ulrusdun warily flew to gain some distance however.
[Whirlpool Whirlwind 55 ¡ú Whirlpool Whirlwind 56]
Within ten seconds, a terrified looking Apprentice-level man flew into Orodan¡¯s outstretched hand. The man¡¯s momentum was gently brought to a stop, but it wasn¡¯t pleasant.
¡°Apologies, here¡¯s a something you might find useful for your trouble,¡± Orodan said as he placed a vial of his perfect purification salve into the man¡¯s inner armor pocket. ¡°I just needed to call your Goddess. You mind giving this poor man a ride off once I¡¯m gone, Arendethar?¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t bother to hear the dragon rider¡¯s reply. He instead simply extended Mana Black Hole far down the mountain, and disabled the ancient machine.
[Quest Completed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Ancient war machine disabled]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +1 Action Increase]
[Soul At Capacity ¡ú Reward Aborted]
After that, he leapt off the mountain to make some distance lest the lightning javelin¡¯s shockwave kill the poor Blessed rider he¡¯d abducted to get Ilyatana¡¯s attention.
Mid-air, the lightning javelin predictably flew for him, but it predictably missed with how fast Orodan was moving. The Grandmaster wasn¡¯t a threat, but the blazing golden comet that tore towards him from Karilsgard, was.
Upon landing, the Novarrian Grandmaster actually reached Orodan first. But was promptly killed with a single All-Strike. The reinforcing Grandmasters who might¡¯ve sought revenge otherwise, never ended up making an appearance because the Avatar landed upon the ground with a furious explosion first.
¡°I sensed a peculiar Blessing upon you mortal, were you perhaps trying to get my attention? Allow me to descend unto you and commune.¡±
Naturally, her attempt failed and Orodan relished her pathetic screams of pain. The battle was on.
Thirty seconds passed, as Orodan was utterly suppressed by the Avatar¡¯s golden beams of light. But this loop, he kept his soul defense up. Additionally, his Soul Manipulation and Eternal Soul Reactor were at level 89, but most importantly he was very familiar with the structure of his own soul and how to quickly heal it now. So the Avatar of Ilyatana¡¯s soul assaults weren¡¯t as effective.
The message that came after was also a welcome difference maker.
[Harmony of Vitality 83 ¡ú Harmony of Vitality 84]
¡°Why won¡¯t you die?! You abomination! I mutilate your soul beyond repair and you still recover! How?! Your foul ability to harm the Gods cannot be allowed!¡±
Going from 83 to 84 in Harmony of Vitality was a big difference. Orodan was now confident that he could outlast and force the Avatar of Ilyatana to burn out and die in a one-on-one battle. But, that wasn¡¯t his goal, and the arrival of Cruxamar Aetholion, the Avatar of Eximus, complicated matters as usual.
¡°Such a mess! Oh? What¡¯s this interesting Blessing you have? I cannot recall ever giving such a thing out. Let¡¯s see¡¡±
¡°Eximus, wait!¡±
As usual, greed trumped caution, and the screams of yet another God were added to the beautiful cacophony which graced Orodan¡¯s ears. He had to admit, hearing Gods scream in agony from assaulting him was amusing.
¡°Vile fiend! You dare assault a God?! I shall eradicate every trace of you in the annals of time!¡±
Ten more seconds passed, but it felt like eternity. Orodan was reduced to a handful of particles over and over¡ but the single level he gained in Harmony of Vitality made a huge difference as he wasn¡¯t outright destroyed for once. Even as he felt the familiar darkness of death approach plenty of times, he managed to keep from touching it.
This was the single most extended exposure Orodan ever had to divine energy. And it was with two distinct sources of it too.
What was divine energy? What was the holy provenience that the Gods called upon?
The Cathedral refused to speak of it, and Orodan had never heard any Gods, whether Inuanan or otherwise, talk about it. But as he was battered by it repeatedly, Orodan¡¯s last thirty loops of exposure came together with the continuous assault he was going through now.
His Vision of Purity extended deep into it¡ and Orodan attempted to make sense of it.
It was the farthest thing from uniform. The divine energy was a chaotic mess, in this both Ilyatana and Eximus were united. Both of them emitted divine energy that his Vision of Purity was almost overwhelmed by because the energy was so disharmonious.
He continued reforming and studying the power the two Avatars were blasting him with. He felt so close to understanding, yet still so far!
What was this chaotic mess composed of? What really was divine energy?
Orodan needed more, this wasn¡¯t enough to make the breakthrough.
Ten more minutes of being suppressed by continuous beams of chronomantic and golden energy passed, and two things occurred.
The two Gods realized that their Avatars would burn out before they could kill him.
And Orodan gained another skill level.
[Harmony of Vitality 84 ¡ú Harmony of Vitality 85]
Titanic beams of divine power rained down upon him. The wilderness had been eradicated for almost a hundred miles. The ground was a lifeless, glassed crater.
Yet, whatever damage the divine beams did, was undone instantly. Orodan¡¯s survivability was too strong, the vitality endlessly produced from his soul too much. These Avatars couldn¡¯t kill him now.
Orodan had reached a tipping point with that skill level gain. He could now survive both Avatars at the same time.
This, was the beginning of the end for their Avatars in this battle. But, Orodan wasn¡¯t satisfied with merely defeating them. He needed his breakthrough, he needed to achieve the enlightenment about divine energy.
¡°The two of you aren¡¯t enough¡ call the God of War.¡±
¡°Arrogance! You will die soon enough as your power runs-¡±
They would learn the hard way that assuming Orodan¡¯s energy generation had limits was a fool¡¯s gamble. But, he took the matter into his own hands, or rather, his own soul. He used his Soul Manipulation to reach within the very core where he felt the third Blessing of Agathor, and he struck it like a bell, causing a powerful resonance.
The call had been sent out.
Ten seconds later, a portal opened nearby, and the familiar figure of his mentor Arvayne Firesword stepped out. But, his eyes were glowing orange. This wasn¡¯t Arvayne Firesword, this was Agathor, the Inuanan God of War, the strongest of the Prime Five.
¡°I did not wish to interfere overmuch¡ but you bear my Blessing as well, warrior? How intriguing,¡± Agathor spoke. ¡°I heard your call, why have you summoned me? To beg for my aid perhaps? I have seen your conflict and know that descending unto you would be a poor idea.¡±
¡°No. I called you, because I wish to challenge you as well.¡±
A resounding divine laugh rang out for miles in response.
¡°I like you warrior, what is your name? If I am to slay you, I would at least have your name so that I may remember the mortal who dared challenge the God of War to combat.¡±
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright. And I¡¯ve been challenging you for a long time now, you just might not remember it,¡± he replied. ¡°And one of these loops¡ I¡¯ll be the one to kill you.¡±
¡°Strange things you say and bold claims you make. I shall pry the secrets from your mind once your soul is broken down.¡±
And then, it began.
It wasn¡¯t a divine beam of energy. It was pure warrior prowess.
Orodan could only wish to fight as well as Agathor did. The other two Avatars hung back at range and battered him with divine beams of energy, but Agathor had no such compunctions. This, was the Avatar of the God of War, and he was the most skilled warrior Orodan had ever faced in the time loops. Orodan had no doubt that Agathor¡¯s Combat Mastery was beyond level 100, as even the True Vampire he fought in the energy well wasn¡¯t this profound.
During the brutal melee, no amount of technique, skill or determination prevented Orodan from being carved apart. The host body was crackling with enough divine energy to nearly destroy it, but the Avatar continued savaging Orodan with almost reckless abandon. Agathor¡¯s divine rage made Orodan¡¯s own Death Rage look like a child¡¯s temper tantrum, but the God of War still guided his battle rage perfectly alongside flawless technique.
But, while the God of War was strong¡ this was just his Avatar. And Orodan had fought worse things in the depths, which were more powerful than an Avatar. He had survived the True Vampire, and he would survive Agathor¡¯s melee butchery of him.
Orodan couldn¡¯t yet beat the Avatar of Agathor in melee¡ but he could survive.
Fifteen minutes of one-sided butchery occurred, but Orodan wasn¡¯t anywhere close to death. The Avatar of Agathor would be terrifying for a foe with even the strongest defenses, but against the near-godlike self-healing abilities of Orodan, unless it was utterly overwhelming, direct strength mattered not.
¡°Feh¡ your survivability is quite cockroach-like. I see engaging you in a fair contest of arms is a futile endeavor,¡± Agathor spoke. The War God¡¯s ability to withstand pain must¡¯ve been quite high as not once did he scream or complain about the backlash from Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity. The difference in mentality between him and the two weaker Gods, was apparent. ¡°That will be enough. Eximus, Ilyatana, let us join hands and unleash the full extent of our energies once more. Your stand was a valiant one Orodan Wainwright, but if you refuse to work alongside us¡ then you are too much of a threat to be left alive.¡±
Orodan had been waiting for this moment.
Eternal Soul Reactor flared to its greatest extent, and all the power was directed towards Harmony of Vitality. He had one goal, to survive, and to learn.
Two gray and golden beams of divine energy were joined by glowing orange one. And the attack destroyed almost two hundred miles of terrain.
His vitality skills were high, but the addition of a third God, the strongest of them, was overwhelming. This triple assault would kill him.
But, he saw and felt the familiar chaotic mess within Agathor¡¯s divine energy as well. As the darkness of death approached, Orodan took some advice he¡¯d heard earlier and decided to look at the same thing a different way.
Vision of Purity was dependent on what Orodan saw as impure. So, instead of impurities in the divine energy¡ perhaps it was the combination of many things?
As he ruminated in the split instants before death, he saw it, he heard it. The impurities weren¡¯t a chaotic mess, or rather, it was meant to be so. Divine energy, was an amalgamation of many.
Voices which professed one thing. Faith. This faith led to energy. Thousands, millions¡ billions of voices giving faith and power to the divine. The basis of divine energy then, wasn¡¯t just individual power, but faith. Reliance upon the strength of others. It was so¡
¡°¡weak.¡±
The only word he uttered as his body was obliterated.
Divine energy was weak, because it was composed of faith. Soul power derived from billions of worshippers. The key to resisting it then was to realize that borrowed strength would never be the equal of power earned honestly. It was to understand that soul power acquired through billions, wasn¡¯t equivalent to the power of a singularly determined one.
To embrace the tenet that quality trumped quantity.
Orodan¡¯s Eternal Soul Reactor flared. His mind and willpower strained to the utter limit, and his own soul energy fought the divine, not in a contest of raw power, but in a contest of pure quality.
He did not care how many billions provided the power to these weak Gods. Orodan would stand and show every one of their billions of worshippers that his soul was the superior one. That his willpower was beyond all of theirs.
The darkness of death actually touched him for a brief moment.
[T@e] [mp%] [o&ra*l]
[A@n] [o!m] [aly!]
[S@y] [st!] [@em]
[E@x] [cep] [tion]
[F@o] [!@u] [n@d!]
[Li@fe#] [Si@!gns] [D@ete#@ct$ed]
[!A#b#o!@rt@#in^g] [P%r*ot#o$co@l]
But through sheer force of will Orodan refused to die for just a moment longer. He needed just a few more moments of life. And in dire straits, inspiration struck.
Skills were located in the absolute deepest part of his soul. They took up no soul space, and they could be said to be the most integral part of him. To try and manipulate them as they worked however? Horror stories of soul explosions were the cautionary tale. It was something attempted only by Grandmasters of the soul arts, and even then history recorded only a handful who could attune a skill for the better in such a way.
But, desperation was the mother of innovation.
He directly manipulated his soul to manipulate where Eternal Soul Reactor expelled his soul energy. Extreme pain wracked him, and the following message told him it was a bad idea.
[Pain Resistance 88 ¡ú Pain Resistance 89]
But, Orodan was an idiot, and he was stubborn. He persisted and refused to stop.
What he needed, what he demanded. Was that his soul produce energy not just from the core of his body where the soul¡¯s metaphysical location was. But all throughout. That the cells of his finger would be as much a production point for Eternal Soul Reactor as his core was. To do that, he¡¯d need to expand his soul, his very being, to cover his entire body, his whole self.
His mind almost shattered under the strain, but his infinite willpower refused to allow it. Slowly, but surely, under grueling pain¡ his soul expanded to envelop his entire body.
And finally, he crossed the threshold.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 89 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 90]
[Soul Manipulation 89 ¡ú Soul Manipulation 90]
[Additional Title Slot Gained]
Using this jump, Orodan began producing soul energy from the skin of his fingertips, his nails, his hair, his very pores. Every single cell of his body was now a production point for Eternal Soul Reactor. It might¡¯ve seemed a minute difference, but it was important for what came next.
The divine energy struck his cells, but they were now all production points for his soul energy via Eternal Soul Reactor.
His soul energy stood against the power gathered from billions, and he finally proved it. That his singular soul was superior to the faith of billions. That quality could beat quantity.
That divine energy could be defied.
He resisted the divine energy assaulting him.
[New Skill (Mythical) ¡ú Divine Resistance 11]
A breakthrough of eleven gained levels due to his keen insights into exactly what resisting the divine meant.
He stepped back from the darkness of death. Harmony of Vitality flooded his body, and Orodan was reformed once more as the divine energy failed to eradicate him. The attacks were incredibly powerful, so they still caused some damage, but it was nowhere near what they formerly did.
In combination with Harmony of Vitality¡ it was like taking a bath in a vat of boiling water.
The energy continued washing over him for a bit longer, but the first Avatar to stop, was Ilyatana. Eximus and Agathor followed seconds after.
¡°You¡ what are you? I can sense it¡ you have learned how to resist the divine¡¡± Ilyatana spoke, breaking the silence. ¡°This, this is a calamity akin to the ascent of the Void Horror. Our continent is threatened.¡±
Orodan thought the Goddess of Fate was being melodramatic. Yes, he could now render divine energy attacks obsolete, but Avatars who decided to use physical attacks could still carve him up, and powerful beings such as the oldest dragons and the horrors within the abyssal depths might still be capable of killing him. He had Divine Resistance, but still didn¡¯t have the ability to resist soul energy which any combatant of true power would use.
¡°If divine energy will not kill you, perhaps an army will,¡± Eximus spoke, and Orodan had an inkling of what would come next as multiple portals opened.
Masters and Grandmasters wearing Novarrian colors poured out. At least two hundred Masters stood before him, and over thirty Grandmasters.
¡°Kill him.¡±
Eximus¡¯s command was obeyed, and Orodan was swarmed.
It was a titanic battle which rent the very ground. The Avatars joined in and Agathor led the charge to engage him in melee, with Eximus and Ilyatana contributing periodically.
¡°Do not engage him in melee. He will butcher anyone who isn¡¯t an Avatar, leave the close combat to me,¡± Agathor commanded.
It was somewhat flattering to be taken so seriously by the God of War, but the tactic was frustratingly effective. Agathor carved him up like a vegetable while the forces of Novarria assaulted him with all manner of arrows, javelins, bolts and spells.
In response, nearly fifty Masters were killed on the spot as they received the backlash from Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity.
¡°Healers! Chronomancers! Get the dead back into the fight! He has a skill that returns damage! Keep your assaults low but constant!¡± the commanding Novarrian Grandmaster yelled. The intensity of the assault upon him lessened, which was nice. Not that the Masters made any meaningful damage contributions against Orodan anyways.
Entire battalions of healers and a squad of chronomancers worked furiously to quickly bring the dead back. But even then, some were beyond saving as too long had passed or the mana cost was too high and the healer-chronomancer pair working on them wasn¡¯t good enough to salvage the situation.
¡°He has Mana Resistance too! Our spells aren¡¯t working!¡± a Novarrian triple-Grandmaster mage called. ¡°Who the hells is he?!¡±
¡°Focus on your tasks, leave the command to us!¡± Eximus roared. ¡°We¡¯ll wear him down eventually, his energy can¡¯t last forever!¡±
He wouldn¡¯t blame them. It was a fair assumption to make that the energy of one man would run out when faced against three Avatars and a small army of Masters and Grandmasters. Unfortunately for them, when facing Orodan Wainwright, this was the wrong assumption to make.
Fifteen minutes of battle passed.
The Master-level combatants pelting him were reduced to a third of their original numbers as the healers and chronomancers began running out of mana and potions. They were being continually supplied with more potions through space mage supply line specialists, but they just couldn¡¯t keep up with how often Orodan¡¯s attacks were killing them in the rare moments where he saw an opening to throw an All-Strike their way.
Ten of the Grandmasters had died as Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity increased in level to 70, becoming Elite and gaining a qualitative increase in power. None of the healers and chronomancers had the reserves to bring a Grandmaster back from death, and even though they were single Grandmasters, their deaths were a crippling blow to the Novarrian Empire.
Throughout the fight, Orodan¡¯s focus was on one particularly tempting target¡
¡the Avatar of Ilyatana.
Heredin Aeronsul was a weak triple-Grandmaster, consequently, in full Avatar state, Ilyatana was the weakest Avatar in the battle. Orodan gleefully took advantage of her scurrilous fear of him and happily targeted her with a vengeance.
Ten more minutes passed, and even as Agathor tore him apart, Orodan simply kept reforming like an unstoppable plague upon the Avatar of Ilyatana and savaging her with All-Strikes, Vitality Black Hole and Vitality Destruction. Her own divine beams of energy were ignored, and her proficiency in melee combat was pathetic. She was a coward and averse to pain and risk.
He was about to deliver the killing blow.
¡°Stop! You¡¯ll kill my Chosen!¡± Ilyatana roared.
Finally, Eximus saw what was occurring and stopped fighting.
¡°Stop! Enough!¡± the Avatar of the God of Time roared. ¡°If we allow you to leave, will you?! We surrender! You¡¯ve proven how tenacious you are!¡±
Orodan Wainwright? Leaving a battle? How idiotic a thing to ask of him.
In response, Orodan only had a crazed smile on his face as seven of him launched All-Strikes towards the Avatar of the Goddess of Fate.
A horrific wail of divine pain rang out, and the golden divine energy left Heredin Aeronsul¡¯s corpse very unwillingly.
A shame he already had the Avatar Slayer title. It would¡¯ve been a fine moment to receive it.
The Novarrian army looked on in horror and some were contemplating retreat already. The Avatar of Eximus still didn¡¯t move to fight, even as Ilyatana¡¯s Avatar was killed. And Agathor¡¯s weapon was readied once more, but without confidence. Yes, the God of War was by far the better warrior. If Orodan ever met Agathor face to face, he¡¯d be squashed like an ant. But, this was a mere Avatar, and while Agathor was better than Orodan, the God couldn¡¯t kill him.
¡°Only one course of action remains,¡± Agathor spoke. ¡°The last time we could not kill something, we sent it very far away. And I do not think you will find us when you return.¡±
A hand gripped his throat, and suddenly Orodan was flying in the air.
Agathor planned on sending him into the void between stars, much like the Void Horror thirty-thousand years ago when it destroyed all civilization on Inuan.
He was all but certain that he would be taking an unplanned trip to the stars when something enveloped his vision. Scaly, and massive. Both he and Agathor were grasped within its clawed hand and slammed onto the ground.
¡°Kultuanir! You dare interfere!? Ilyatana should have slaughtered more of your vile kind!¡±
¡°And that is precisely why I will not allow you to dispose of this mortal,¡± the dragon spoke. ¡°For too long have we waited for the opportunity to kill the Chosen of that vile genocider, and now this mortal does it for us? We owe this one a great debt.¡±
¡°You realize this means war with the Republic?! Your entire dragon flight will be butchered to the last hatchling!¡±
¡°Your Republic now has one less Chosen Avatar, and any attempts to turn on us dragons will result in Novarria taking advantage of your territory,¡± the dragon replied. ¡°We would also make any attempts on us quite costly. Consider carefully if you would like to hand control of this land over to Eximus and Malzim.¡±
Orodan looked to the side and saw a suspicious lack of interference from the God of Time as Agathor¡¯s Avatar was being manhandled by the patriarch of the Time Wind dragon flight. Perhaps the triple-alliance between Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana was looser than it seemed.
¡°Tch¡! Fine! Leave and never return to these lands Orodan Wainwright!¡± Agathor roared with barely concealed fury and indignation.
Orodan didn¡¯t reply, mainly because he¡¯d be lying if he said he wouldn¡¯t return. Technically, it wouldn¡¯t be in this loop, but future ones.
But for now, Orodan had done it.
He¡¯d killed an Avatar with his own power, forced the other two enemy Avatars to retreat and acquired Divine Resistance. Novarria had been dealt a heavy loss of many Masters and Grandmasters, and he had the appreciation of the Time Wind dragon flight.
In the horizon, Orodan could see Novarria¡¯s own allied dragons making way for the battlefield. He had no particular grudge or conflict against them, so for once, Orodan decided to actually leave a fight.
Partially because he¡¯d acquired whatever he could from this loop fighting Novarria and the Avatars. And partially because he didn¡¯t want to kill any more people needlessly when they weren¡¯t his enemies. His conflict was against the Gods, not Novarria or their dragons. Attempting to pursue Eximus or Agathor might lead to senseless innocent casualties.
With the Avatars fended off, Orodan could now focus on the target he originally had set. He could survive the Gods, but he still needed to find a way to avoid their detection. Or else he¡¯d never be able to enter a city or study at an academy on Inuan.
For now his destination¡
¡was the entrance to the depths in Ranmere¡¯s Folly.
Where he would venture into the abyssal depths, and hopefully encounter some friendly monster civilizations who could point him towards various useful skills. It was also deep underground, where the influence of the Prime Five was non-existent. But who knew what horrors worse than Avatars he¡¯d encounter there?
Chapter 35 - Revisiting The Depths & Soul Cleansing
It was good news, but Orodan was still slightly disappointed that there were no further pursuers, assassination attempts or bounty hunters that attempted to hound him during his thirty minutes of travel to Ranmere¡¯s Folly, near the western border of the Republic.
Of course, assassins and bounty hunters were a little futile against someone who could kill an Avatar and send a nation¡¯s army running. But, he supposed expecting some poor assassin to try and kill him would just be cruel.
The only reason it took thirty minutes to get to the bog known as Ranmere¡¯s Folly was because Orodan didn¡¯t want to destroy the landscape during his journey by going any faster. While he was a bit more destructive and wanton with his killing in his earliest loops, Orodan regretted a lot of that and no longer wished to just cause death and destruction on a whim.
Ranmere¡¯s Folly, named for the Imperial expeditionary captain that had gotten two-hundred men killed by recklessly venturing into the deep depths, was the location he and Arvayne Firesword had originally ventured to for the purpose of hunting in the deep depths.
They had gone through in a focused manner, and Orodan didn¡¯t have the time to truly explore the depths back in the last long loop. He¡¯d ignored the civilization of depths moles in the wild depths, and avoided communicating with many of the creatures. Most importantly, he avoided the chamber and subsequent descent leading into the abyssal depths.
The Republic of Aden¡¯s Department of Monster Management went by the Imperial classification system for sites infested by monsters. Sites such as the local abandoned ruins which the little girl in Scarmorrow snuck into, were classified as Level I; suitable for beginner adventurer parties. The monsters within went up to the Adept-level at worst. Risky for Apprentice-level adventurers, but nothing truly dangerous as Level I sites were by necessity curated and maintained by the Department. They had watchers and scouts who monitored the monster populations within and guards who controlled access to the site. In order to be classified as Level I, an infestation site had to be monitored and curated round the clock.
Level II monster infestation sites were where civilization, watchers and constant monitoring were no longer in the picture. These sites weren¡¯t curated, but were subject to yearly surveys by a team to ensure that nothing within exceeded the Elite-level. The worst monster within a Level II monster infestation site, was thus an Elite. And the survey report could be no older than a year. Elite-level adventuring parties or Adepts who were willing to risk death for wealth would often venture into Level II sites.
Beyond that, was where things began to get dangerous for the average adventurer. Level III sites were ones with no official survey reports and the strong possibility of Elite monsters. Since the Republic¡¯s education system never officially confirmed the existence of the Master-level and beyond, the formal classification simply stated that Elite monsters were strongly suspected in great numbers. Incredibly dangerous for even Elite-level adventurer parties. However, Orodan knew better from his time at Bluefire. The Monster Studies class had outright told the upper year students that Master-level monsters were present in Level III sites. Hence their classification.
Officially, attempting to enter a Level III site without authorization was a crime. All entrances to the depths were inherently classified as Level III monster infestation sites due to the lack of a full survey report. Nobody could truly scout out the network of underground paths and caverns that were the depths. Thus, all depths entrances received the Level III classification.
But, while it wasn¡¯t officially confirmed to the public, or even to the average Elite, the abyssal depths existed. Hence, certain entrances to the depths were given a Level IV classification. Energy wells and entrances to the depths which had a clear path to the abyssal depths, were all given this classification. Level IV sites near civilization had a watcher at all times, and attempting to enter was a serious crime.
Of course, Orodan wasn¡¯t concerned even as a portal opened a hundred feet from him and three nervous looking men stepped out.
¡°Mister Orodan Wainwright¡ we apologize for intruding sir, but we¡¯re obliged to inform you that you¡¯re about to enter a Level IV monster infestation site,¡± the leading Capital Guardsman spoke, standing firmly away from the entrance to the depths at Ranmere¡¯s Folly, and making sure not to get in Orodan¡¯s way. ¡°Of course, I doubt someone of your power level will find that a concern¡ sir.¡±
The man looked terrified, and the two guardsmen next to him were similarly nervous. Whoever put them up to this must not have liked them very much. The news of Orodan killing the Avatar of Ilyatana must¡¯ve spread by now, and these guardsmen looked like they were aware of his feat.
Well, Orodan wasn¡¯t about to kill some poor guardsmen who were passing on a message.
¡°Thank you for the warning. I¡¯ll be delving rather far below, so you needn¡¯t worry about seeing me again,¡± Orodan answered. It was partially true, as they¡¯d likely not see him again in this loop. Given how dangerous the abyssal depths were, the likelihood that he¡¯d spend at least a few loops dying to the horrors within¡ was quite high.
Still, Orodan wasn¡¯t looking to pointlessly cut loops short. He did want to explore the rest of the depths as thoroughly as possible before descending down the chamber and subsequent hole which led to the abyssal depths. Orodan¡¯s plan for his depths loops then, was simple.
Wake up, clean, disable the machine and fend off the Avatars, and head to the depths at Ranmere¡¯s Folly. Within the depths, Orodan planned on spending a week exploring the depths each loop before finally jumping down to the abyssal depths at the end to finish the loop off. During his exploration phase however, he planned to hone his various crafting skills, meet the monster civilizations within and hopefully acquire new skills, knowledge and training opportunities.
Additionally, there were some incredible treasures to be found in the abyssal depths, and Orodan wanted to follow up on investigating what the elven Goddess Cithrel had called ¡®the first gate¡¯, deep within the abyssal depths. He wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think he could contend with whatever lay in wait yet, after all, the last time the ¡®first gate¡¯ was breached it resulted in a Void Horror coming forth to destroy civilization. But, to defeat the Eldritch Avatar as it was now¡ was beyond Orodan alone. But if there were other Void Horrors in the abyssal depths? If they existed, perhaps overcoming them would be a good first step to surmounting the challenge of the Eldritch comet.
But first, he wanted to clean his soul of the unwanted Blessings. He had Divine Resistance, but he needed to apply that to his soul in tandem with Cleaning and Vision of Purity. Orodan felt he could do it, but before making the attempt he wanted to head deeper into the depths so as not to face any possible divine interference from potentially vengeful Gods. He wanted to find a safe spot, away from civilization in the deep depths where nobody could interfere with the process.
Thus, Orodan stepped into the mouth of the cavern and began his journey.
The cavern was quite well-lit with the familiar glowing ostolitus mushrooms sprouting from the walls. It was rather quiet and the Adept-level vitality-devouring cave bats were hiding behind the stalactites and stalagmites in fear of Orodan. Monster instincts were sharp as usual, and they would often recognize when something was vastly stronger.
The cavern he was in, was merely at the civilized depths. Monsters here were infrequent and weak, and the dwarves and drow had civilization at this depth underground. Of course, dwarves and drow were quite far away in the Dokuhan Mountains, so Orodan wasn¡¯t likely to encounter any in the Republic.
Orodan could go down the clear path which led to the abyssal depths. Last time he ventured here, it was a rather straightforward route which he still remembered. But, that wasn¡¯t his priority. First, he wanted to take a day and explore the civilized depths for a bit to see what he could find.
A full day had passed, and Orodan had to say he¡¯d missed the feeling of a slightly longer loop where he didn¡¯t wake up back in his bed.
The civilized depths at Ranmere¡¯s Folly were predictably, quite sparse. The entire day he spent exploring them was productive however. He¡¯d found multiple varieties of plants, herbs and mushrooms for use in alchemy and drew them into a spatial ring he¡¯d appropriated from one of the corpses of the battle in Novarria. Eventually, he hoped to learn how to craft and enchant his own spatial rings, but that would require a high level in both Enchanting and spatial magic. The rings were expensive for a reason, with only high-level Masters and Grandmasters having them.
Either way, it was a decent ring and had more than enough space to hold the spoils of gathering from this part of the depths. He¡¯d fully explored the civilized depths here and now knew the layout by heart alongside the locations of the alchemical ingredients to harvest. His trip through here would take less than an hour in the next loop.
Consequently, his Pathfinding skill went from 8 to 26 from a full day of exploration, and he was sure it¡¯d increase further still. He also acquired the Gathering skill, a common rarity skill which was at level 11 from all the gathering he¡¯d done.
His spatial ring was laden with alchemical ingredients as he stood before the entrance to one of his targets in the depths.
Monster civilization. Specifically, the depths moles.
The mortal races weren¡¯t the only sapient beings on Alastaia. Depending on species, some monsters gained intelligence sooner, but even the absolute dumbest creatures gained the beginnings of self-awareness and thought by the Elite-level, and the Master-level was a guarantee of sapience.
Sapient monster species, much like the dwarves and the drow, often made their homes in the civilized and wild depths. While the humans of Inuan were officially rather averse to any relations with subterranean monster species, it didn¡¯t mean that they were unfriendly; simply that it was a rarer thing.
The mole that had burrowed out of the ground in front of him, was a familiar one.
[Name: Axeltugus the Watcher (Species: Depths Mole)
Title 1: Claw Combat Elite
Title 2: Earth Magic Adept
Title 3: Combat Adept]
¡°Human, I see you¡¯re traveling through the depths alone,¡± the mole spoke. ¡°I am Axeltugus the Watcher, of the Bladed Crystal clan. We depths moles have no quarrel with your kind and all are free to pass unhindered, but might I ask what your purpose here is? I can sense your strength and hope your intentions are peaceful.¡±
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright, and I come in peace to explore the depths and acquire knowledge and skills,¡± Orodan introduced and explained. ¡°In six days I intend on descending into the abyssal depths. But, before that, I hope to trade with your clan and perhaps learn a thing or two?¡±
¡°You wish to enter the abyss¡?!¡± the mole exclaimed in shock and wariness. ¡°Allow me a moment great human¡ I must contact my betters. Which isn¡¯t to say I am hindering you in any way! By all means if you wish to go thenceforth, I would not dare to stop you¡ but dealing with someone of your stature would be above my station.¡±
Orodan understood why the mole suddenly became so wary. A solo traveler outright stating they intended to enter the abyssal depths? Such a person was either delusional and would die, or they were possessed of tremendous power. Orodan was both.
A communications amulet around the mole¡¯s neck glowed, and someone was undoubtedly called to respond.
¡°Who makes the amulets for you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Not to imply that you couldn¡¯t do it yourself, but the make of that communications amulet seems awfully close to the Imperial tradition.¡±
¡°Ah, our goblin friends on the surface trade with us,¡± Axeltugus explained. ¡°We have crafters in our clan, but our specialties lay in different areas than Enchanting.¡±
¡°Goblins? I thought they were considered a nuisance and to be killed on sight?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Should you be telling me of their existence so openly?"
The Department of Monster Management for all three human nations of Inuan had an active extermination order out for goblins across the continent. Orodan had never seen a member of the green race before, but like orcs, they were considered monsters even though intellectual viewpoints often held that they were more similar to mortal races than otherwise. Orcs and goblins weren¡¯t welcome in any settlement of the mortal races, and on Inuan the wandering tribes were subject to the constant threat of death.
¡°They are friendly and under our protection for now,¡± the mole replied. ¡°Besides, even a tracking specialist would have a hard time finding them. They¡¯re quite good at evading all manner of detection. Also¡ people of your level of strength aren¡¯t usually interested in going out of the way to slaughter goblin tribes.¡±
That was true. Orodan had no interest in butchering any peaceful goblins. But, it was news to him, to hear that goblins were good at evading detection. Did that perhaps extend to the tapestry of fate and divination? He¡¯d heard nothing about goblins having such capabilities during his time at Bluefire.
¡°I see. You¡¯re right that I have no interest in harming goblins who¡¯ve done me no wrong,¡± Orodan assured. ¡°Still, I wonder if I might have the opportunity to speak to them?¡±
¡°That¡ is not up to me, esteemed human,¡± Axeltugus spoke. ¡°The ancestor will be arriving soon, you can take it up with her.¡±
It was as the Elite-level mole said, its ancestor came by to speak with Orodan after roughly thirty minutes. The ground trembled, and something the size of a building came out from underneath a good distance away.
He used Observe on it.
[Name: Istilvaras the Ceaseless Burrower (Species: Depths Mole)
Title 1: Claw Combat Grandmaster
Title 2: Earth Grandmaster
Title 3: Combat Master
Title 4: Grandmaster Slayer
Title 5: Burrowing Master]
It made the almost man-sized Axeltugus look like a pebble, and Orodan could feel an ancient aura from it and see a look of age in her eyes. This mole was old. It had to be at least somewhat ancient to be a dual-Grandmaster monster.
That being said, it wasn¡¯t an apex species, and Orodan instinctively felt that it couldn¡¯t jump any tiers. It was as strong as a mortal triple-Grandmaster but that was it. To Orodan, who could now kill Avatars, she wasn¡¯t a threat. And from the wary look the mole was giving him, she knew this too.
¡°Greetings Orodan Wainwright¡ my hairs stood on end as I approached,¡± the Grandmaster mole spoke. ¡°Only some of the worst denizens of the depths could make me feel so. I know of every triple-Grandmaster in the Republic of you humans, yet your name and face are unfamiliar to me. How may our humble clan help you? This stripling tells me you wish to trade and learn from us, is this true?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know what skills your settlement specializes in, but I¡¯m hoping to learn whatever I can in six days before I descend into the abyssal depths.¡±
In response, the ancestral mole gave him a flabbergasted look.
¡°You¡ what do you think we can provide you in that short a period before you descend into that horrid place?¡± it asked. ¡°We won¡¯t seek to stop you, but I must counsel against it. While I can sense your power is great, unless I am mistaken, it won¡¯t be enough to make any meaningful progress down there. You run the risk of death, and then our settlement might be under scrutiny when whoever backs you comes by to investigate.¡±
¡°I have no backers at this time. And I simply wish to learn whatever crafts I can, and perhaps help you with any tasks you need done in return,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°As for death? It¡¯s not a concern of mine.¡±
¡°You¡¯re an exceedingly strange human¡ over my millennia of life I¡¯ve seen many Grandmasters delve into the abyssal depths from our section of the depths, usually in organized war parties. But, I¡¯ve only ever seen one wander in alone. He was a Chosen Avatar and his screams were heard all the way to the deep depths,¡± the Grandmaster mole spoke. ¡°Once again, I must counsel against this, but you make your own decisions.¡±
¡°Thank you for understanding. I know it must sound bizarre, but my circumstances are unique,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°In any case, might we come to an agreement about me trading with your clan?¡±
¡°Of course. Allow me to be honest and give fair warning though,¡± Istilvaras spoke. ¡°This entrance you see here merely leads to a sentry outpost. We do not allow outsiders into our actual settlement, nor do we give out the location of it. Any attempts to find its location will be considered a breach of trust and the end of peaceful relations. We mean no disrespect, but our clan would not have survived this long without such secrecy. Additionally, more than a few Grandmasters of the Republic owe me a great debt, and I shan¡¯t hesitate to call for aid should we be threatened, whether outright or subtly in negotiations.¡±
Orodan thought it a fair disclaimer. Of course, he didn¡¯t bother telling the mole that calling some Grandmasters as reinforcements was a bit futile when he could kill an Avatar and send an army running.
¡°I understand. My words might not mean much, but I have no desire to bully you into accepting unfavorable terms,¡± Orodan replied. He made sure to leave more than adequate monetary compensation for whatever he took from the stores of Ogdenborough. To coerce peaceful beings through force went against his sense of honor. ¡°If you have a price or demand I cannot meet, I¡¯ll simply accept that. I can always return once I have it ready anyways.¡±
¡°Your assurance of good faith and fair dealing is appreciated,¡± it replied. ¡°To the meat of the matter, currency means little to us, so in return for our teachings and items we would ask for tasks to be completed or items of your own. Is this acceptable?¡±
¡°Absolutely. In fact, point me in the direction of whatever you need killed,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Not to sound arrogant¡ but I¡¯m confident nothing down till the deep depths can kill me. Would you like to expand your clan¡¯s territory?¡±
¡°This is just too much!¡± Istilvaras exclaimed. ¡°How are we meant to repay all of this? I expected maybe one or two troublesome monsters cleared out, but this¡ we can¡¯t even hold this much territory.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to hold it, but the resources you¡¯re free to plunder will help your clan quite greatly, no?¡±
Orodan hadn¡¯t lied.
A single day had passed, and five miles of the deep depths were entirely cleared of hostile monsters. The overwhelming majority of the monsters within the deep depths were all quite aggressive and territorial, unwilling to give up their spot and taking any approach as a sign of conflict.
Orodan had some decency, and didn¡¯t barge in with the intent of killing them¡ but when they attacked him unprovoked for being nearby, it was a different matter. Needless to say, a great number of monsters had been slaughtered.
The strongest monsters of the deep depths were dual-Grandmasters, and Orodan had grown leaps and bounds since his last trip where he struggled against the single-Grandmaster spider dragon, even if it was an apex species that could jump a tier. Nothing in the deep depths challenged him. He would need to reach the abyssal depths to make progress on his combat skills.
A side benefit of the day, was that his Gathering and Pathfinding had increased yet again, and Orodan now held the new title of Pathfinding Apprentice as it was sitting at level 31. Gathering had also increased to 16 as he harvested more exotic alchemical ingredients from the various parts of the deep depths that he scoured.
¡°Still, this is just excessive,¡± the Grandmaster mole replied. ¡°We¡¯re incredibly grateful for your aid, please¡ allow us to provide you what we can now. Whatever tutelage you require, whatever items you need, the wealth you¡¯ve provided us more than covers for all we have to offer.¡±
He was led back to the sentry outpost they¡¯d spoken near yesterday, but this time Orodan was shown to a secret passage in the wall. The wall was entirely smooth, and Orodan¡¯s Vision of Purity didn¡¯t detect any passage behind it¡ until Istilvaras waved her hand and the very rock parted smoothly like water. An impressive feat to Orodan, but undoubtedly trivial for a Grandmaster of Earth Mastery.
¡°You aren¡¯t actually leading me back to your settlement itself are you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You have done much for us, Orodan Wainwright. But, while you were clearing the depths for us, I contacted my human friends in the Republic,¡± the mole spoke. ¡°They told me about your exploits in slaying an Avatar. We are a bit powerless to resist if you decided to wantonly slaughter us, so we hope this show of goodwill sways your thoughts against that. It also isn¡¯t unprecedented for us to show humans who¡¯ve done us a great service the location of our settlement.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on acting dishonorably against you to begin with,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Either way, thank you for inviting me inside. Might we-¡±
Vision of Purity caught the small figure rushing towards him all of a sudden, and he directly stared at it.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The little thing froze in place as Orodan¡¯s eyes met its own. Small, pointy eared and¡ green. Its body and face were quite similar to a human¡¯s, except smaller.
It was Orodan¡¯s first time seeing a goblin. Albeit, it was a child. The adult behind it dressed in ceremonial garb however, was two-thirds his own size.
¡°Zur! Do not approach the guest so casually! Do you not see he is conversing with the venerable one?¡± the older goblin scolded. In response, the little one frightfully stumbled backwards, feeling genuine fear upon looking at Orodan.
He didn¡¯t want to scare the little thing, but monsters had a great instinctive sense of power levels and when something was stronger than them. Upon seeing Orodan face to face, it must¡¯ve realized his strength.
Orodan stared¡ and continued to stare.
¡°Honored guest¡ we are flattered to be the subject of your gaze, but is there anything we can help you with?¡± the elder goblin spoke. And Orodan realized how long he¡¯d been staring for.
¡°Apologies¡ it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never seen a goblin before,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°You look quite similar to halflings, besides the green skin. The illustrations I¡¯ve seen in books and stories portray you as hook nosed and wart covered. Quite the disservice.¡±
¡°The humans discriminate against our kind quite heavily¡ but that doesn¡¯t mean the depictions are inaccurate. Goblins who embrace their monstrous side farther will look more like what you¡¯ve seen depictions of,¡± the old goblin spoke. ¡°Consequently, those who embrace the monstrous side overmuch are the ones causing trouble on the surface for humans and encountered more often; hence them being infamous. I do not think your books speak very deeply of those goblins like us who embrace their gentler side.¡±
¡°Fascinating¡ I wasn¡¯t aware embracing one side over another could change your appearance like that,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Is that on an individual basis? Or generational?¡±
¡°Both. Goblins born to parents who are more monstrous will start off looking closer to them¡ but over time this can change,¡± the elder goblin. ¡°Naturally, tribes will cast out or even kill goblins who go against the chosen side of the group. Choosing to embrace the gentler side in a tribe of raiders will not end well.¡±
¡°But, surely this isn¡¯t tied to how you fight? I see the spear you carry and recognize a fellow warrior,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Is it tied to your morals and how you conduct yourself? Is it a Bloodline all goblins share?¡±
¡°You¡¯re correct. It is tied to how a goblin conducts themselves rather than what skills they hone,¡± it replied. ¡°A goblin who raids and butchers or plunders and steals, will embrace their monstrous side and bring that part of our Bloodline to the fore. On the other hand, a goblin who acts with honor will remain pure even if they embrace the martial arts and are capable of violence.¡±
¡°It¡¯s my first time hearing of all this¡ and I¡¯ve never heard of goblins who embrace their gentler side before,¡± he said. ¡°Are there more tribes like yours out there?¡±
¡°On the surface? Almost none as the humans have orders to kill us, and the violence is reciprocated leading to those tribes naturally being more warlike,¡± the goblin elder answered. ¡°But, there¡¯s one other tribe like ours that I¡¯ve heard of living in Novarria, although they similarly cohabit with another species of subterranean beings.
¡°I see, thank you for the explanation,¡± Orodan said. He was truly curious about how exactly the goblin Bloodline worked. One side was monstrous and the other side mortal. What species had intermixed to create goblins?
¡°Anyhow, I apologize for taking up your time esteemed guest, I know you and the venerable one have business of your own to attend to¡ but if you don¡¯t mind passing by sometime, we would happily trade whatever you want in exchange for your assistance,¡± the elderly goblin spoke. ¡°I am Griok, and our Rising Spears tribe would be grateful for any-¡±
¡°Elder! Please do not trouble our honored guest!¡±
It wasn¡¯t the Grandmaster mole who was disinterestedly waiting during the whole conversation, but another goblin voice. Spear and shield carried across his back, the goblin looked to be the very image of a stalwart warrior.
¡°Zukelmux¡ I was simply conversing with this friendly human visitor,¡± Griok spoke.
¡°That will not be necessary. I can see you were about to trouble the esteemed guest with our problems,¡± the goblin known as Zukelmux spoke. ¡°We can handle our own affairs, we¡¯ve been dependent on outside help for too long¡¡±
¡°Zukelmux¡! Do not speak so in front of the venerable Istilvaras under whose strength our tribe shelters!¡± Griok reprimanded and then turned to Orodan. ¡°I apologize for you having to see this, esteemed guest. Zukelmux is likely the greatest talent our humble tribe has seen, but the brash nature of youth has yet to leave him.¡±
¡°Elder¡ it isn¡¯t arrogance to desire our tribe¡¯s strength be acquired with hard work. That we stand on our own feet to solve our problems,¡± Zukelmux replied. ¡°But, you¡¯re correct. I sincerely apologize, honored guest¡ you should not have to see this and I overstepped my boundaries.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°If anything I agree with you. One¡¯s fate is determined by strength. Whether it be the strength of yourself or the strength you seek by sheltering under others. Personally¡ I¡¯m of the belief that power purchased through anything other than honest work is unreliable. Perhaps you might consider venturing into the depths with me from time to time.¡±
Zukelmux looked as though he immediately grew a sense of real respect for Orodan upon hearing his worldview. It likely aligned closely with the goblin¡¯s own.
¡°I would not be opposed to that¡ but would I not only hold you back? I sense how powerful you are, and my instincts tell me you¡¯re far deadlier than the honored Istilvaras.¡±
¡°Much like my old mentor dragged me down to the depths to fight while he watched over me, so too will I do the same with you,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°In the next five days before I descend to the abyssal depths, I¡¯ll be learning, crafting and exploring. During the times I explore the depths, you¡¯re free to come along and try fighting some powerful things. I¡¯ll keep watch as you do.¡±
¡°Honored guest¡ Zukelmux is the greatest warrior of our tribe. Risking him so unduly in the depths against-¡±
¡°I accept!¡± Zukelmux himself interrupted. ¡°But¡ I never got your name.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright.¡±
Orodan decided that next loop, before confronting the matter of the ancient machine he would grab his talking book companion from the White Cloud clan of pegasi in the Eastern Kingdoms.
Zukelmux didn¡¯t talk a lot, although he was quite good with the spear, and had gained many skill levels. And his teachers in the various crafts weren¡¯t much for small talk either.
On the matter of new skills, he had acquired the Mining skill through finding deposits of valuable Dothril ore and precious stones. Mining had increased all the way to 9 through his efforts. There weren¡¯t a lot of ore and precious gem deposits, thus it didn¡¯t increase nearly as much as Gathering, which was now at 24 from all the alchemical ingredients he gathered.
Alchemy itself had gained a level over the five days and was now at 55. Orodan concocted potions in bulk and gave them out for free as he had little use for them, much to the delight of the moles and goblins.
And now, six hours before he was to set out for the abyssal depths, Orodan successfully polished the diamond he¡¯d mined earlier and acquired one more skill.
[New Skill ¡ú Jewelcrafting 1]
Almost a hundred hours of constant practice to acquire the first level. When he wasn¡¯t naturally talented at something, Calledro¡¯s Average applied to him as well.
Jewelcrafting. It was the craft of taking rare precious stones from deep beneath the earth and then cleaning, polishing and cutting them to create a finished product that could channel power. Many higher level enchantments used precious stones as focusing points, and they were a necessary material for the craft.
Even the basic communications amulet in wide use around Inuan, had a quartz embedded within which was prepared by a jewelcrafter before it was enchanted. Beginner jewelcrafters could only cut, clean and polish a stone. But as the craft got more advanced, they were expected to empower the jewels for use in specific enchantments, attune the stone to a specific element or energy source, and at the highest levels jewelcrafters could turn a raw precious stone into something that could be worth hundreds of gold in and of itself.
The goblins of the Rising Spears tribe were the ones who taught Orodan this. Specifically, Griok the chief.
¡°I¡¯m surprised to see a tribe¡¯s chief who is also a Master-level jewelcrafter,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°In the Republic, our nominal leaders aren¡¯t really focused on their crafts to the same extent.¡±
¡°How can I call myself the chief if I¡¯m not willing to dirty my hands with honest labor to better our lives? In fact, my expertise in Jewelcrafting and Enchanting is partly why my tribe is allowed to live under the protection of the moles,¡± Griok replied. ¡°You¡¯ve taken to the burrows and tunnels well though. Humans who enter usually complain of being a bit¡ cramped.¡±
¡°Well, my hovel back in the Republic is of roughly similar size, so I don¡¯t mind,¡± Orodan answered as he finished up and presented the diamond to Griok. Before that, he used Identify on it.
[Name: Pure Diamond
Description: A formerly rough diamond whose structural integrity is perfect. One hundred percent purity
Tier: Adept]
¡°This is¡ phenomenal! Your ability to clean objects is of priceless value! Imagine the heights you could achieve if you had dedicated teachers of the crafts over an extended period of time?¡± Griok posited. ¡°Even I cannot make a pure diamond¡ how have you done this? What is that strange spell you¡¯re using to draw the impurities out? You must be quite the mage!¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a spell!¡± Orodan exclaimed, and then noticed Griok with a wry smile on his face. The old goblin truly was a mischievous old fogey. Initially, he appeared polite, and he still was. But there was a hidden joker within who enjoyed teasing the youngsters. ¡°I can see why Zukelmux can¡¯t keep his composure around you¡¡±
¡°I have no idea what you mean my young friend,¡± Griok replied with a little too wide of a smile. ¡°Your dislike of mages and magic is a bit strange to me personally.¡±
¡°Is it? During basic training long ago, we were always taught to be wary of mages. Growing up, the popular sentiment in my town was that mages were dishonest and likely to curse the common folk,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°While I¡¯ve grown to realize that the stories were foolish, the fact remains that most mages are averse to conflict and risk. Ask a warrior to hold the line and a good portion will die fighting; we know pain and can take it. Ask a mage to risk themselves and the majority will find some way to retreat. They¡¯re also happy to sit back and pelt you with spells, or order their pets to tear you limb from limb. That being said¡ I¡¯ve met some good mages since my younger days, so such a viewpoint doesn¡¯t hold true for them all.¡±
¡°Your wisdom exceeds your youthful appearance,¡± Griok spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, most of my tribe¡¯s younglings hold a similar derision towards mages and are almost idolizing of the martial path, but this I feel is short-sighted. The pinnacle of power can only be reached by using both ranged spells and martial might, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°N-no?¡±
¡°No. My lack of derision towards mages doesn¡¯t mean I agree with the ranged spellcasting style of combat,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Having to fight at range simply means that when the time comes and the enemy is near, you¡¯ll falter.¡±
¡°But what if you need to fight at range? What if your enemy stays out of sight and simply strikes at you with impunity? What will you do then?¡± Griok asked.
¡°I do have ranged attacks¡ but my preferred one is where I close the distance by sending myself at the enemy.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Griok could say nothing else to Orodan¡¯s insistence that melee combat was the superior form of fighting. It wasn¡¯t merely hubris or being set in his ways. If an attack was too strong to bulldoze through, then Orodan was simply too weak and would need to train harder. If he couldn¡¯t reach his opponent via Flash Strike then he was simply too slow.
When he fought the enemy Avatars and the Novarrian army, the threat he presented in melee was so deadly that Agathor, the God of War, had to explicitly warn the Novarrians to avoid Orodan in close combat. Wherever he went, his foes died. He took on monsters feared for their close combat prowess in toe to toe battles. The psychological pressure he presented up close, combined with the fact that enemy formations and movements were forced to move around him, meant that Orodan was in no rush to ever prioritize ranged combat.
Shield Throws and Draconic Fireballs were typically the most he did at range, or creating a ¡®clone¡¯ to use a Flash Strike towards the enemy.
¡°Either way, the time is approaching for me to enter the abyssal depths,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°It¡¯s been an enjoyable time I¡¯ve had with your tribe and the mole clan.¡±
¡°Zukelmux won¡¯t dare say it¡ but he¡¯ll miss your company. He gained Elite-level in four other skills over these five days,¡± Griok spoke. ¡°Will you not see him to bid farewell?¡±
¡°What¡¯ll that serve? I¡¯ll be returning in a day anyways,¡± Orodan spoke.
Technically, he wasn¡¯t lying. Orodan would return in a day. It would just be a day in the next loop. He also hated goodbyes and had tried his best to accept the melancholy that came with knowing nobody in the last long loop now remembered him.
He also wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think that he¡¯d get anywhere far in the abyssal depths on his first try.
Arvayne Firesword told him in the last long loop, that a group of twenty Grandmasters of the Republic had ventured down there, and the first thing they encountered was a creature that killed two Grandmasters and forced the Chosen to enter full Avatar empowerment to kill it.
Orodan knew he would die. Not just once, but many times.
But this would be his new set of death loops.
Finish up the Ogdenborough part of the day, bully the enemy Avatars and make for the depths at Ranmere¡¯s Folly where he¡¯d explore, craft, learn and finally delve into the abyssal depths after a week.
Within, he planned to hone his combat skills against whatever horrors lay within, perhaps find some naturally occurring eldritch creatures to practice cleaning upon, and investigate this ¡®first gate¡¯.
But first, it was finally time to cleanse his own soul.
Last time, he hadn¡¯t gone all the way down that massive descending tunnel which led to pitch darkness. But, he was here now, in the dark chamber which lead into the abyssal depths.
The familiar ostolitus mushrooms which characterized the entirety of the depths thus far, had changed. No longer did they glow, but they almost sucked light inwards. The denser saturation of world energy in the air must¡¯ve made them evolve into this variant which stole the light rather than illuminating the place.
In the center, lay the hole, which was a straight fall into the abyssal depths.
Orodan wasn¡¯t going inside just yet though. Instead, he was meditating.
What was the divine? What were Blessings?
Orodan knew the answer to the first question. Divine energy was simply the faith of billions, the strength of many. It was weak, a cheap shortcut to power, and something Orodan could now resist. But what were Blessings?
Previously, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure. But now, with his Master-level Soul Manipulation and Divine Resistance which allowed him to feel for the threads, he could see the connection from his own soul going towards¡ something. He wasn¡¯t sure what the ¡®something¡¯ was. Orodan theorized that the connection went towards the divine realm, but since it was in another dimension he couldn¡¯t directly follow it.
The core of the soul, was where Blessings and the Quest Rewards were held. Upon closer examination he could see that his own skills didn¡¯t burden him whatsoever, they were his power. The Action Increases took up space, but didn¡¯t have a connection going anywhere. Orodan had fairly earned the reward, and he couldn¡¯t sense any thread of fate or soul energy leading towards the world or such nonsense.
The Blessings however, were a different story.
Orodan could feel the sick Blessings which festered within. The threads of divine energy from each Blessings were almost like chains, and Orodan was certain Agathor used them in the last long loop to prevent his usage of Malzim¡¯s Blessing. The divine chains around the three latest unwanted Blessings, were particularly thicker and more restrictive than the rest. These Blessings must¡¯ve been specifically crafted to control him and make for an easier possession.
Well, it was time for it to all go.
He wasn¡¯t sure how much Agathor¡¯s first Blessing helped, but Orodan was confident he was born to be a warrior. He needed no talent assistance from the God of War. As for the second Blessing? Orodan would work on developing a skill of his own to fill its void.
But as for the others¡
¡°Malzim¡ Ozgaric, thank you,¡± he said in a rare moment of prayer and gratitude. ¡°Your Blessings have protected me all this time, and although I cleanse my soul now, my debt to you will never end for all you¡¯ve done. I hereby vow to ensure the two of you are repaid.¡±
His debt of honor proclaimed, it was time to begin.
Eternal Soul Reactor flared to the absolute maximum, seven minds worked together, and Orodan concentrated on extending Soul Manipulation into the very core of his soul with as much raw power as possible.
Immediately, horrific pain assaulted his mind. The core of the soul already wasn¡¯t meant to be broached, but to do it when Eternal Soul Reactor was churning hard enough to almost destroy his physical body? It was even worse.
But, Orodan would not stop. He¡¯d had enough of the divine and their Blessings.
He wanted it, he needed it¡ he demanded this result. To be forged anew and his soul cleansed.
His willpower was pushed to the limit in keeping not only his own soul from exploding, but to also further push Soul Manipulation towards the Blessings within. The cancerous rot that needed to be purged.
But, on a critical precipice he realized that his soul was now sturdy and true enough to survive the destruction¡
¡so why try to prevent the destruction of the outer layer of his soul?
Orodan trusted in himself and his own identity. He let go of the concentration on keeping his soul intact, and focused purely on ripping the divine plague out.
A titanic explosion erupted, and the pain was all-consuming. The being knew nothing.
Who was this being?
An irrelevant question.
All that mattered was ridding the self of the corruption, of the foul plague of foreign power.
But how could it be done? The answer was simple. A vision of purity saw the foul plague clearly, and the ability to cleanse was used in tandem with an ability to manipulate the soul.
Slowly, but surely, the first parasite was lanced and thrown out. Its divine threads pried off one by one and eradicated with the superior quality of the being¡¯s own soul energy. A strange ability which allowed the being to almost resist the parasite¡¯s power, came into play during the final stages of the manipulation.
[Agathor, God of War, abandons you]
[Blessing Lost ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Servant - Increased affinity with Agathor and easier ability to channel his divine energy]
[Blessing Lost ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Heart - Increased talent and learning rate for all warrior related skills as determined by Agathor]
[Blessing Lost ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Quarry - Once you see your target they cannot flee. Your attacks will land on fleeing or evading foes and destiny will bend to ensure you find your mark]
The largest parasite, the gutless manipulator who called himself a War God¡ would trouble the being no longer.
[Ilyatana, Goddess of Fate, abandons you]
[Blessing Lost ¡ú Fate¡¯s Servant - Increased affinity with Ilyatana and easier ability to channel her divine energy]
The scheming Goddess¡¯s plague came next.
[Eximus, God of Time, abandons you]
[Blessing Lost ¡ú Time¡¯s Servant - Increased affinity with Eximus and easier ability to channel his divine energy]
And then, the third enemy God, who thought to hold dominion over time, but made an enemy of the being who transcended it.
But there were two more, and although the being removed them with sadness. It recalled a vow, to repay the good that was done by these two Gods.
[Malzim, God of Death, abandons you]
[Blessing Lost ¡ú Death¡¯s Call - Whenever you will it, Death takes you]
[Ozgaric, God of Trickery, abandons you]
[Blessing Lost ¡ú Trickster¡¯s Veil - Your Status, fate and soul are impossible to peer into unless you will it]
As the final Blessings were removed, a message came up.
[Soul Manipulation 90 ¡ú Soul Manipulation 91]
[Eternal Soul Reactor 90 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 91]
The being continued manipulating its soul, and then¡
¡Orodan Wainwright remembered.
He was three cells away from ending the loop, but he wouldn¡¯t have cared if he did.
Orodan was finally free of the foul taint of the Gods. The only way they could detect him now was if Fate Disconnect went down, and even then only an Avatar of Ilyatana would descend. A foe he could now defeat.
At last he could enter cities once more.
The entirety of the dark chamber he performed soul surgery within¡ was obliterated. And something had come up the hole leading to the abyssal depths to see what¡¯d happened.
Floating above the ground was a humanoid, fifteen feet tall. A long white head with two yellow alien eyes, six arms which were glowing with barely concealed elemental fury and space around it constantly shifted.
[Name: Azluyal Excrodatar (Species: Fallen Void Archon)
Title 1: Combat Grandmaster
Title 2: Speed Casting Grandmaster
Title 3: Soul Grandmaster
Title 4: Space Magic Grandmaster
Title 5: Grandmaster Slayer]
Orodan fought bravely, but even if he came in prepared and fought at his absolute best¡
¡this thing was just too overwhelmingly strong. A quadruple-Grandmaster on the same level as the True Vampire he encountered in the energy well.
It was a mage of unfathomable power, and if he thought Mahari¡¯s speed casting was impressive¡ then this floating alien mage with six arms, the title of Combat Grandmaster, and elemental spells which were powered by soul energy, was akin to a God.
Orodan never got close, and if fire, lightning and wind spells failed to kill him, the subsequent ice, water and earth spells did the job. He died within five seconds of a barrage that annihilated every cell in his body.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
Orodan got to his feet, adjusted his titles and then called forth his Status.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Avatar Slayer
Title 2: One Who Has Experienced Death
Title 3: Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
Title 4: Cleaning Elite
Available Titles:
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
Grandmaster Slayer
Combat Elite
Sword Elite
Shield Elite
Physical Elite
Unarmed Combat Elite
Wrestling Elite
Cleaning Elite
Woodworking Adept
Alchemy Adept
Enchanting Apprentice
Laboring Apprentice
Blacksmithing Apprentice
Pathfinding Apprentice
Rewards:
Permanent +6 Action Increase
Skills:
Eternal Soul Reactor 91 (Master - Mythical)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 70 (Elite - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 52 (Adept - Mythical)
Incorruptible Being 50 (Adept -Mythical)
Divine Resistance 11 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 85 (Elite - Legendary)
All-Strike 80 (Elite - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 80 (Elite - Legendary)
Mana Black Hole 79 (Elite - Legendary)
Vitality Black Hole 79 (Elite - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 77 (Elite - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 72 (Elite - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 62 (Adept - Legendary)
Wood Communion 48 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Body Tempering 44 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Soul Strengthening 42 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 42 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 41 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 6 (Initiate - Legendary)
Death Rage 85 (Elite - Exquisite)
Iron Body 79 (Elite - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 75 (Elite - Exquisite)
Flash Strike 65 (Adept - Exquisite)
Whirlpool Whirlwind 55 (Adept - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channeling 45 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 24 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 18 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 3 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Soul Manipulation 91 (Master - Rare)
Weapon Aura 85 (Elite - Rare)
Soul Defense 54 (Adept - Rare)
War Cry 35 (Apprentice - Rare)
Dying Struggle 83 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Throw 68 (Adept - Uncommon)
Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 54 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Pain Resistance 89 (Elite)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 86 (Elite)
Physical Fitness 85 (Elite)
Combat Mastery 83 (Elite)
Sword Mastery 81 (Elite)
Wrestling 80 (Elite)
Shield Mastery 78 (Elite)
Cleaning 73 (Elite)
Tool Mastery 59 (Adept)
Woodworking 57 (Adept)
Alchemy 55 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)
Enchanting 41 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Blacksmithing 35 (Apprentice)
Laboring 33 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 33 (Apprentice)
Pathfinding 31 (Apprentice)
Construction 27 (Initiate)
Flare 24 (Initiate)
Gathering 24 (Initiate)
Repair 21 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Intimidation 10 (Initiate)
Observe 9 (Initiate)
Mining 9 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Identify 5 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
Jewelcrafting 1 (Initiate)
He breathed a sigh of relief and victory. The Blessings were gone! He had removed the foul taint of the divine upon his soul.
The loss of some useful abilities was a small price to pay for finally being in control of his own destiny. Besides, if he wanted to die, he could simply crank Eternal Soul Reactor hard. If he needed to avoid detection, Fate Disconnect did the job. As for the rest? In time he¡¯d simply create his own skills to fill the gaps.
He was now free to pursue education or enter cities again. He¡¯d broken free of the yoke of the three tyrannical Gods that sought to keep him under their control.
But, he wasn¡¯t done with the abyssal depths yet. His upcoming death loops down there would be fun. And¡
¡the alien mage monster would be an excellent source of new resistance skills.
Chapter 36 - Against The Abyss I
The jungle was as he remembered it, even if the view from the floor was different to flying above like he had last time. The occasional large river going through, but otherwise the vegetation was packed incredibly densely. The canopy was so thick that in many parts not even a single ray of sunlight would touch the floor... His Vision of Purity however, allowed him to ¡®see¡¯ for miles. It was excellent training as unlike the environment of town, which was a bit more uniform, the sheer biodiversity of a rainforest meant that Vision of Purity was taxed in accounting for every particle of impurity. The life here was incredibly complex, and Orodan could sense various prey, predators and more participating in the circle of life beneath the canopy.
He saw eagles flying above, occasionally swooping down to target prey. A tiger-man hunting party battling a ferocious crocodile the size of a house, and gorilla ¡®convoys¡¯, swinging from branch to branch in a journey to deliver goods from one gorilla settlement to the next. And in the deepest parts of the forest, Orodan could vaguely sense some powerful auras at the Grandmaster-level. A handful might even be dual-Grandmaster monsters.
The Altarban Rainforest was a lively place. And everything within avoided him as though Orodan was a natural disaster.
The tiger-man hunting party and the crocodile both fled and forgot about their battle as he ran past them. The gorillas missed their swings and clumsily fell or smacked into trees as he travelled. And the powerful signatures he¡¯d felt in the deep parts of the forest? The massive hydra curled up into a ball and hid under a rock while the ancient tree remained as still as possible. Nothing in the rainforest wanted anything to do with Orodan.
Monsters had excellent instincts when faced with beings stronger than them. It was also good incentive for Orodan to learn how to fly, as being a disruptive wrecking ball running through the rainforest was something he¡¯d rather avoid.
Immediately upon waking up, the first thing he did was prepare a quick gift and then make for the Kingdom of Ravastaran. Travel time wasn¡¯t as big a concern at his level of power; at most the trip would take thirty minutes, albeit it was a bit destructive of terrain. But, for the sake of not wasting potential Cleaning time, Orodan was forced to run with that sort of intensity.
Finally, near the end of his disruptive run through the rainforest which spooked the local wildlife, Orodan saw the peaks of the misty mountain overlooking the jungle. This was where he remembered the settlement of the White Cloud clan being.
On a good day, in ideal conditions, Orodan would¡¯ve been diplomatic. His loops had mellowed him out somewhat, and he was no longer the brash, headstrong idiot he was in his younger years.
But when every minute wasted could be used on Cleaning¡ Orodan was happy to forgo some manners.
A jump carried him straight to the building which housed the White Cloud clan¡¯s mana battery. Alarms immediately blared as he crossed some invisible threshold, reinforcements would undoubtedly be responding. He landed and had to smash the roof as it was one of the few buildings that didn¡¯t have the opening for aerial entry. He promptly kicked down the reinforced door which led to the mana battery room.
A golden maned pegasus stood before him, although it looked incredibly wary upon actually seeing him.
¡°Hold stranger! Who are you to barge onto the White Cloud clan¡¯s territory in such a destructive way?!¡±
¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m going to charge your mana battery and take a book from your sanctum of cursed items,¡± Orodan answered before barging past the pegasus, putting his gift down and laying both hands on the battery. Its monstrous instincts were good, and it likely recognized how strong he was. If Orodan hadn¡¯t hurt anyone just yet, then throwing its life away trying to fight him was pointless.
An incredible glow overtook the room, and the pegasus had to look away as the main mana battery was charged. Weapon Aura took over the main mana battery as Orodan forced it to accept his energy faster. Within fifteen minutes, it was fully charged. A massive difference in speed compared to the last time he¡¯d filled it up.
¡°¡are you a God?¡± the pegasus asked.
¡°No. I¡¯m not nearly arrogant enough. But I am looking for an annoying and talkative book,¡± Orodan answered as he smashed the ceiling on his way out to make for the vaults. ¡°I hope this is enough compensation for my destructive actions.¡±
While Orodan wasn¡¯t concerned about energy generation, the overwhelming majority of beings were. For the White Cloud clan, their natural mana generation capabilities weren¡¯t enough to break even in powering their settlement mana batteries. Thus, they had to resort to buying mana crystals, which could get expensive.
For Orodan to completely fill the main battery? He¡¯d granted them centuries of prosperity as they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about mana crystals for a while. It more than covered the cost of whatever damage he caused.
He barged into the vault, and before the human pegasus knight guards could get in his way, the golden maned pegasus stopped them.
¡°Let him pass! He is beyond any of you!¡± it bellowed. They heeded its words and moved aside.
The cursed sanctum was entered, and Orodan ignored the filth in the air to make his way towards one particular item. One cursed book with the soul of an arrogant and knowledgeable being within. Words were unnecessary¡
¡so, both hands simply wrapped around the book and opened it right up.
Pain assaulted him, but he was quite above the level this book could dish out now and simply ignored it. He also held Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity back as the current multiplier might be a bit much for someone he intended to have as his teacher.
¡°Must you be so difficult? Always greeting anyone who opens you with such a rude introduction¡ Exus Baldrimon, right? Or are you a dragon trapped inside a book?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Who are you?! How do you know all of this?! Has the Hegemony sent you to finish the job? One of the Gods¡¯ dirty little hunters, are you?!¡± she exclaimed.
¡°What? I¡¯m not a God nor am I sent by them,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°I¡¯m in a unique situation and I need your help. Look! I even brought your favorite treat!¡±
Orodan then proceeded to lift and unfurl the gift he¡¯d prepared. A fresh bowl of mixed fish and fruit.
¡°Now, I know it might be a little stale, but the Ogdenborough markets aren¡¯t known for their quality, so I¡¯ll-¡±
¡°I hate fish and fruit! What manner of sick joke is this?!¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes could only widen. She hated it?!
¡°But¡ you told-¡±
¡°And have you even considered how I¡¯m supposed to partake in that disgusting treat when I am trapped inside of a book?¡± she asked. ¡°Now I know for certain somebody sent you, which God was it? Astalavar? Excromon? Their dirty Hegemony always did fear anyone rising up.¡±
¡°Er¡ no, nobody sent me, I came here to get you of my own volition,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°As for who told me you liked fish and fruit¡ it was you.¡±
¡°Explain. Or I¡¯ll explode the damaged remains of my soul and wipe the entirety of this pitiable nation out with it,¡± she demanded.
Orodan didn¡¯t tell her he could possibly survive the attack. But a country destroying strike was still a serious threat to him. But it needn¡¯t come to that, because honesty was the best policy.
¡°I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright, and I¡¯m in a time loop. We met in the last long loop I was in,¡± Orodan revealed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how or why I¡¯m in this time loop, but it seems to evade even the notice of Gods, who should be above the flows of time.¡±
¡°That¡ wasn¡¯t what I expected to hear,¡± the book spoke. ¡°You will elaborate and expand on everything.¡±
¡°Your story is one of true willpower and determination¡ but also real stupidity,¡± she spoke, and Orodan let Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity loose upon her for the insult. ¡°Urk! Is that how your skill works? You did not lie when you claimed it could return any attack, no matter the form.¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s how Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity works,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°But how am I stupid? Why does everyone keep saying that? I think I¡¯ve made some good decisions thus far! Look how far I¡¯ve come!¡±
¡°Yes, you¡¯ve gotten quite far somehow, but that isn¡¯t what I take issue with,¡± the book spoke. ¡°What I think is idiotic, is your dogged insistence on refusing to learn magic. Yes, you dislike mages as you¡¯ve told me enough times already while recounting your tales, but why limit yourself? Would a true warrior not be strong enough to overcome their biases?¡±
¡°But they simply stay at range and pelt-¡±
¡°Yes, and that¡¯s how you died so pitifully in the last loop against that Fallen Void Archon you told me about,¡± she interjected, much to Orodan¡¯s annoyance. But he had to admit she had a point. ¡°Without that Blessing you scrubbed, an opponent that can flee and dance circles around you while using ranged attacks is a bad match up for you. I understand you like to give people terrible advice about how to fight, but you¡¯re in a time loop and they¡¯re not. Your mentality and atrociously forward style of fighting are holding you back. I still can¡¯t believe you gave that goblin some uppity lecture about fighting when you have the ultimate cheater¡¯s power of all time¡ such a lack of perspective.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t want to accept her words, but he could begrudgingly accept she made sense. The only reason nobody else fought in so berserk a manner, was because they had no time loop, and no incredibly vitality skills acquired through the abuse of such.
¡°Then what do you recommend I do? I¡¯m confident I can kill that annoying void archon in time. Especially if the power difference wasn¡¯t so big,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m having to jump a tier to fight it after all.¡±
¡°First of all, you should lecture people less and work more on your own shortcomings,¡± she spoke. ¡°Our first priority should be teaching you offensive magic and methods of closing the distance.¡±
Orodan¡¯s face soured as though he swallowed a bitter lemon.
¡°You want me to learn¡ spells?¡± What am I? A mage?!¡±
¡°Any mage who heard you calling yourself that might just end their own lives in shame,¡± she replied, and Orodan decided to swallow the insult and not reciprocate. ¡°You¡¯re not a mage, you¡¯re the farthest thing from it. But that doesn¡¯t mean you should neglect all the tools available to you. When I say offensive magic, I don¡¯t mean simply slinging spells from a distance. Using chronomancy to hasten yourself or slow your opponent, using spatiomancy to teleport. With your endless reserves of power, the real idiocy you¡¯ve committed is not learning a single field of magic properly. You could freeze an entire nation in time, brute force past the strongest anti-teleportation wards in the world, and just engage in ludicrous feats of raw power¡ yet you insist on acting a child, neutering yourself because of stupid pride.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. I do have the ability to use the Draconic Fireball, thanks to you,¡± Orodan retorted. ¡°And my derision towards magic is a fair price paid for my natural talent in the ways of the warrior.¡±
¡°I will admit that your martial talent is the greatest I¡¯ve seen of any being. Together with your willpower, you could very well become the strongest warrior in this world,¡± she spoke. ¡°But would a true warrior allow themselves to be held back by mere pride? Is your willpower truly strong if you allow yourself to remain ignorant and short-sighted?¡±
Orodan frowned, but he absorbed her words and genuinely thought about it. She was wrong! Or so he wanted to say. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was being stubborn. He was set in his ways and resisting change.
Long ago he pondered if he couldn¡¯t reach the Grandmaster-level in all the skills. How could he attain that goal if he allowed his mentality to be held back?
This book was useful.
¡°Perhaps¡ focusing more on magic needn¡¯t mean I¡¯m abandoning the way of the warrior,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. That my mentality towards magic holds me back, my lack of talent might be a result of this derision towards mages and spells.¡±
¡°Now you begin to see some sense,¡± she spoke. ¡°Good. Given your rock-headed nature I thought it¡¯d take several more years of time looping before you acceded. Perhaps we can save you yet.¡±
¡°We? You¡¯re awfully agreeable this time compared to the last,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Does this mean you believe me and agree to help?¡±
¡°From what you tell me, you used me as a training dummy in the last loop, so I¡¯d understandably be unhappy about the arrangement,¡± she venomously spat. ¡°And now that you¡¯ve told me about this time loop¡ I can see how your potential is limitless. Plus, from the stories you tell me of the debt you feel towards these two Gods who did you a good turn¡¡±
¡°Yes, I asked you what you wanted in the last long loop as well. Aside from your self-defeating suggestion that you liked bowls of fruit and fish-¡±
¡°And how was that version of me supposed to know you were a time looper? Perhaps I thought it¡¯d be amusing and said so to get rid of you.¡±
¡°Yes, well I hope you found my gift amusing then,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Hells, I might just bring it with me in every loop I pick you up from now on.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Bring me a bouquet of sasmarilla flowers instead, I might actually like those,¡± she replied, and Orodan made a mental note.
¡°Anyhow, I recall you telling me you wanted a new body last time,¡± Orodan said. ¡°When I acquire the relevant skills, I promise to help you with that.¡±
¡°Thank you. But my conditions from the last time that you speak of, still stand,¡± she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t harm me, do not bring me near Gods, and don¡¯t attempt to parade me around like some toy.¡±
Orodan nodded to those reasonable requests.
¡°That¡¯s fine by me. Now then, given that I¡¯ve told you my secrets, will you tell me who you are at last?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re just the necromancer Exus Baldrimon. He was historically a dual-Grandmaster, but that¡¯s nowhere strong enough to destroy a nation like you claim your soul explosion is capable of.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, it isn¡¯t strong enough,¡± she spoke. ¡°And I¡¯m still not telling you who I am.¡±
Orodan sighed.
Well, it was worth a shot. She could keep her secrets. He had time loops to try and figure it out eventually.
Their exit was a bit more complicated than Orodan would¡¯ve liked. Mainly because it involved fleeing at top speed through the Altarban Rainforest while a responding force of Grandmasters of the Kingdom of Ravastaran attempted to pursue him.
Breaking into a defended settlement of beings who were quite important to the Eastern Kingdoms would cause a ruckus, who would¡¯ve thought?
Orodan had no conflict with these people, and the dual-Grandmasters they sent in pursuit weren¡¯t a threat to his life. He evaded, used Mana Black Hole to drain portals before they could open, and soon enough he lost his pursuers. Their attacks also lacked any killing intent, with the pursuit being more for show than anything else. The governing parties of the Eastern Kingdoms had to maintain the appearance of control, but the loss of a cursed item to some random interloper who charged the settlement main battery fully in return¡ wasn¡¯t really a bad pill to swallow. That they recognized his own conflict avoidance, also helped smooth things over. Their half-hearted pursuit stopped halfway to the Republic border.
Orodan crossed over to the Republic side of the border and made his way back to Ogdenborough. Moving forward, he planned on acquiring his book companion in each loop. While the loss of an hour was a bit regrettable and would leave him less time to clean, all it meant was that he would clean one less target area per loop. Unfortunate, but the trade-off of having the book around to advise him for a week was worth it.
The Republic was allied with the Eastern Kingdoms. Perhaps if he¡¯d barged into Novarria and then managed to flee back to Republic territory, the pursuit wouldn¡¯t have amounted to much, even if there would be diplomatic inquiries. But, as it was, his pursuers were undoubtedly investigating who he was, sending out messages and attempting to find him.
It might not even be a malicious investigation, but an unknown Grandmaster-level individual barging into the White Cloud clan¡¯s settlement and leaving with a cursed item, was something everyone wanted to know more about. It would¡¯ve been a problem¡ if Orodan wasn¡¯t leaving Ogdenborough by the end of the day.
As it stood, his hometown was the lowest priority for a search. The investigators of the Eastern Kingdoms couldn¡¯t directly search around, instead they would have to appeal to the Republic for answers. And while the Republic of Aden was all too happy to help their closest allies with such a thing¡ the investigation wouldn¡¯t start in Ogdenborough. Much scrying eye footage would have to be reviewed, teams put together, and these tracking ordeals took more than a day.
In other words, Orodan was free to go about his business of Cleaning, constructing the warehouse and where he was now¡
¡attempting to perform manual healing on someone for the first time. His goal? To acquire the Basic Healing skill.
Last loop he¡¯d watched Casterton closely and examined how the man engaged in the art of manually cleaning, disinfecting, and bandaging someone¡¯s wounds. This loop, it was time to put all he¡¯d learned into practice.
Multiple ¡®clones¡¯ working together finished the basic healing manuals within minutes. He felt that he held a good theoretical foundation now, all that was left, was to execute.
¡°While this would normally be quite unethical, after you cleansed Aliya my concerns about your character have been allayed and I feel I can make an exception for such a talented young master,¡± Casterton spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll start with something incredibly basic. Clean the wound, use the salve, and then bandage it properly.¡±
Orodan did as instructed, but with the usual compulsions of his own to ensure the perfect cleanliness of everything involved. In this loop, he¡¯d already cleansed Aliya¡¯s wound and consequently earned Casterton¡¯s trust. He was now working on another patient, a man from Scarmorrow¡¯s lumber yard who had a deep axe wound in his arm from a lumberjacking accident involving a colleague.
The angle, depth and location of the wound made it clear to Orodan¡¯s expert eye that it wasn¡¯t an ¡®accident¡¯ at all. But rather, a defensive wound from attempting to defend against an axe while bare-handed.
¡°Let me guess, you tried shoulder blocking it and realized it wasn¡¯t a fist, but an axe?¡± Orodan asked as he worked. The man¡¯s eyes widened in panic.
¡°Not at all, sir! T¡¯was just an accident from felling a tree! My colleague got a little too excited and hewed me instead of the tree!¡± the man explained a little too earnestly.
¡°The wound seems a little too deep for that¡ and the tearing suggests you were retreating and trying to fend the attack off,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°You have bruises on your other arm too, what really happened?¡±
The man¡¯s face turned ugly, and his eyes became watery when asked such a direct question.
¡°Sir¡ please, I humbly request you don¡¯t press the matter,¡± the man said. ¡°My colleague had an accident, and that¡¯s that.¡±
¡°Fair enough¡ who am I to pry?¡± Orodan replied and continued working.
He wasn¡¯t ignorant to the ways of the world. It was either a case of the man being extorted or threatened in some way¡ or it was a domestic issue involving someone the man didn¡¯t want to see in trouble. Unlike Ogdenborough, the county militia in Scarmorrow wasn¡¯t nearly as inept. Domestic matters were responded to, and the offender quickly apprehended, at least at the Initiate and Apprentice levels.
The wound was cleaned, disinfected, and a perfectly clean bandage applied.
[New Skill ¡ú Basic Healing 4]
A decent gain, likely for the perfectly clean result and Orodan¡¯s decent bandaging technique, which wasn¡¯t difficult when one had high physical abilities and fine control. That he understood the theory well enough also helped.
¡°Nicely done Mister Orodan! I daresay I couldn¡¯t wrap a bandage so well myself! You¡¯re a natural at this¡± Casterton praised. Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if he was a natural or if it was his existing physical abilities, reaction time, willpower and fine control that helped speed level the early Initiate levels of most skills. ¡°Now then, let us move onto the next two patients. Quite unfortunate what happened to them. They¡¯re hunters who went out searching for game and instead ran into a monster. I would¡¯ve missed the curse upon their souls if not for this handy device.¡±
Casterton then pulled out an expensive looking magnifying glass which was etched with various enchantments. It was a soul viewing lens, a common enchanted device in any healing house meant to assist healers in ruling out or confirming the presence of curses as the cause of a patient¡¯s symptoms.
Good healers who were well-educated and took their careers seriously, had the uncommon rarity Soul Sense skill. But, for a majority of healers, an uncommon rarity skill was difficult to obtain, and they relied on said device.
¡°I won¡¯t be needing that. I can sense the filthy curse upon their souls from here,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°It¡¯s not taken root too deeply yet. But¡ I have no skill to manipulate the souls of others yet.¡±
¡°Of course, I merely wished to show them as a case study of how curses look like. That you can sense the curse is a step in the right direction already,¡± Casterton replied. ¡°In truth, our healing house doesn¡¯t have a soul specialist who can combat curses. They¡¯ll have to make the journey to Karilsgard and request mercy at the Cathedral of the Prime Five.¡±
Healing houses weren¡¯t all equal, and they had mana costs up front. Unlike Orodan, the typical healer wasn¡¯t a mana battery and could only heal so many patients before they needed to use mana potions to top up. Consequently, mana was a commodity with a cost and something a healing house had to account for, particularly when they healed higher-level patients whose healing was more mana intensive.
Additionally, not every healing house had a soul specialist. The one in Trumbetton, the centre of the county, had one. And of course, as did the capital, Karilsgard. But these services didn¡¯t come cheaply as soul specialist healers were a hot commodity next to chronomancers and psionics. But, to foster goodwill and increase faith in the Prime Five, the Cathedral in Karilsgard offered free services to anyone who visited and asked. Without the means to pay for treatment nearby, these men would have to journey to the capital.
Even if it was inconvenient, at least the option was available, Orodan thought.
¡°I¡¯ll alleviate their symptoms with my purifying salve, but that¡¯s all I can do for now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have a skill that might let me interact with their souls, but I¡¯d rather not experiment on the innocent.¡±
Casterton accepted this, and they continued working on the patients, causing Orodan¡¯s Basic Healing to increase to level 9. He healed the remaining patients of their minor injuries and cured the terminally ill woman of her disease causing Cleaning to rise to 74 as well. Her husband was maniacally grateful as usual, and Orodan had to almost pry him off.
¡°Mister Orodan, you¡¯ve done some excellent work today, myself and the patients here are grateful,¡± Casterton thanked.
¡°It wasn¡¯t anything difficult,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But¡ you would¡¯ve healed them anyway, so it¡¯s hardly a big deal.¡±
¡°Well¡ not necessarily,¡± Casterton meekly said. ¡°If you wondered why the patients here remain when a simple healing potion can cure injuries, it¡¯s because treatment costs are something to factor. Not everyone can afford a high-quality Initiate-level healing potion, and anyone at the Scarmorrow healing house isn¡¯t here to seek magical healing. We only perform Basic Healing here alongside alchemical supplements. The terminally ill woman you cured¡ even the Cathedral in Karilsgard declared that the woman would die before the healer capable of curing her returned from his depths delve.¡±
¡°I see¡ it¡¯s a shame that circumstances have led these people here, but I¡¯m glad I was able to help,¡± Orodan replied. He enjoyed the privilege of the time loops and powerful vitality skills, but not everyone had such advantages. ¡°As for her, I simply drew all the disease particles out of her body. Admittedly, many of them were quite deeply settled, and given how contagious it is¡ missing even a single bit would lead to a resurgence. I can see why a high-level healer would be needed.¡±
¡°And that is what¡¯s profound. Your ability to detect even the smallest particle of disease and impurity, what rarity is that skill?¡± Casterton asked. ¡°Why are you so insistent on learning the art of healing?¡±
¡°I intend to heal someone of something undesirable in their soul. But given how destructive it was doing it for myself, I need to learn healing from the ground up before I can attempt such a thing for him,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°As for the rarity, it¡¯s legendary.¡±
Orodan ignored Casterton¡¯s shock and made his way out of the healing house.
As he entered an empty alleyway, his book companion came out of his ring and flittered about his face.
¡°Boy, I overheard your conversation back there,¡± she spoke. ¡°I might have a suggestion for you.¡±
¡°Oh? Don¡¯t tell me it involves ritual mass sacrifice or something abhorrent,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Of course not! Who do you take me for? To suggest such foul methods¡¡±
¡°You dusty old tome! It was you who suggested such a thing last time when you were suggesting methods for learning the Draconic Fireball faster,¡± Orodan exclaimed.
¡°I recall no such thing! You mortals have such faulty memories.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because it was in the last-¡± Orodan cut himself off and sighed. Why was he allowing some old hag trapped in a book to get him going? ¡°Alright, just tell me what your suggestion is.¡±
¡°Good to see you focusing on what matters. How easily riled up you are, boy,¡± she replied. ¡°Anyhow, have you considered just breaking into a local jail and experimenting with your Weapon Aura on irredeemable criminals?¡±
¡°Hrm¡ it¡¯s not the worst idea, but how will I know for certain that they¡¯re guilty? I¡¯m only willing to consider the most horrific scum as training subjects,¡± Orodan replied, and the book actually stopped for a moment. ¡°You seem surprised?¡±
¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to agree so easily¡ then again from what you tell me of your early loops I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. You¡¯re rather ruthless when you want to be,¡± she replied, and Orodan felt at least somewhat regretful of what he¡¯d done before but didn¡¯t let it cause hesitation now. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m quite proficient in the psionic arts, so I can verify the truth of what they¡¯ve done.¡±
¡°You¡¯re likely to lie to me about a thief being a murderer, but I suppose I can accept this provided you don¡¯t have me experiment on some poor drunkard,¡± Orodan replied.
It was a good idea. But for this loop, the healing house was all he could do. The additional hour spent retrieving his favorite book meant that the hour for the machine¡¯s awakening was near.
It was time to disable the machine and face the Gods once more. Although this time, without any Blessings upon his soul.
A quick trip, and his favorite book had been deposited far away, on the way to Ranmere¡¯s Folly. The fight would be a destructive one, and Orodan didn¡¯t want to get her caught up in it.
¡°Enjoying the view up here, are we?¡±
¡°Quite so! The clouds above, the stars beyond, the void surrounding our world on all sides¡ it¡¯s beautiful.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ I like this human, he sees beauty in more than just the ground,¡± Ulrusdun replied. ¡°Why can¡¯t you take more after him Arendethar?¡±
¡°But there¡¯s such beauty in the view below as well! Us humans walk on the ground and our eyes are focused downwards as a result,¡± Arendethar replied. ¡°We can¡¯t all constantly look skyward like the dragons do.¡±
¡°If you focused less on your frivolous pursuits and more-¡±
Orodan tuned the bickering dragon and rider pair out. His Mana Black Hole extended deep underground, and the core of the machine was detected¡ and it was promptly drained.
[Quest Completed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Ancient war machine disabled]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +1 Action Increase]
Success!
His soul was now unburdened by the Blessings of the Gods, and he could begin filling up the space with useful things once again. Who knew how many Action Increases he could fit in there now?
He waved goodbye to Ulrusdun and Arendethar before leaping off the peak of Mount Castarian as he had many times before. The lightning javelin missed him as usual, and he went an even farther distance away from civilization to avoid collateral damage and innocent casualties.
Once at a sufficient distance, he planted his feet and waited. The single-Grandmaster approached and was promptly slain. The subsequent trio of Grandmasters who sought revenge were also slain quickly, and before he knew it, a portal opened fifty feet from him and Orodan was looking at Cruxamar Aetholion. Albeit, without glowing eyes to signify tapping into the Avatar state.
This time, he had no Blessing for Eximus to detect, so technically, Orodan held the element of surprise. Neither Eximus nor his Chosen knew just how powerful Orodan was at this point. Without forewarning on his side, could Cruxamar react quickly enough to a rapid assault? Orodan didn¡¯t think so. At his current level of power, if he wanted, he could likely kill the Chosen in a sudden rush of overwhelming power amplified by Surprise Attack. The difference in power needed to do this was enormous, but Orodan was confident he could do it.
But where was the fun in that?
¡°The Republic must want another war, for that can be the only reason why you¡¯ve slain four of our Grandmasters so wantonly within our borders,¡± Cruxamar spoke. ¡°You realize there is no negotiation or coming back from this point, yes? To kill four of our nation¡¯s strongest is to deal us an irreparable blow which we must reciprocate. Your identity is unknown to me, but you will die all the same.¡±
¡°You¡¯d better call for assistance then, as you aren¡¯t going to be enough,¡± Orodan replied, and for once, his Fate Disconnect went down willingly. ¡°I would recommend re-assessment of your odds. Use Observe, and then call for reinforcements, I want a good fight.¡±
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Cruxamar looked intently at Orodan for a split moment, and then his eyes widened like saucers.
¡°A-Avatar Slayer¡!¡± the Chosen exclaimed, as though uttering a term of pure horror and dread.
His eyes took on a glow, and immediately the full power of Eximus descended unto him.
¡°Sacrilegious fiend! How have you slain one possessed of the divine?! To defy the authority of the Gods, to reject our providence¡ the very world stands against you! Die!¡±
Divine beams of chronomantic power washed over Orodan, and the surrounding fifty miles were eradicated. Eximus took him very seriously right from the start. Of course, Divine Resistance meant that such attacks, weren¡¯t enough to truly hurt Orodan.
If the combined divine power of three Avatars couldn¡¯t kill him, then what hope did Eximus alone have?
¡°Rotten monster! Your ability to resist divine power is unholy beyond measure, and this despicable ability to cross the dimensional divide and touch me directly? You cannot be allowed to remain, for the good of this world.¡±
Eximus wasn¡¯t stupid. The second he said this, more reinforcing parties arrived to assist the Avatar of the God of Time.
Multiple portals opened, and a familiar small army of Masters and Grandmasters entered the battlefield, all being commanded by an unfamiliar face, but one with glowing golden eyes indicative of an Avatar of Ilyatana.
This time, he had no Blessings that the Gods could track. And the battle was occurring on Novarrian soil. So, it would only make sense for the Goddess of Fate to send her Novarrian Chosen in Avatar form.
Divine beams washed over him, and Orodan began fighting in earnest.
The Novarrians lost more than half their Masters and even a handful of Grandmasters in the first volley of attacks they hit Orodan with.
¡°He can somehow return attacks! Lower the intensity!¡± roared one of the Novarrian Grandmasters.
¡°Mana Resistance!? How is that possible!?¡± exclaimed another. ¡°Our spells are useless! Use items which convert to soul energy!¡±
He tuned out the shouts of the battlefield and focused on going blade to blade against Eximus¡¯s Avatar. Or rather, blade to fist as his weapons just weren¡¯t strong enough to withstand the sheer amount of divine energy he was being washed in. Neither were his clothes, which meant that he was fighting in the nude.
But, with Eternal Soul Reactor¡¯s new qualitative upgrade, his modesty was preserved as the sheer glow emanating from every cell of his body meant that nothing could really be seen.
The first thing he realized was that without Agathor, the two Avatars were far less effective. The Avatar of Eximus was still strong, enough that Orodan could barely stalemate him. But the fact that Orodan could barely achieve a stalemate was a serious upgrade compared to fighting Agathor. Having to contend with only Eximus gave Orodan far more openings to exploit. And he used these openings to viciously target Ilyatana who shied away from the melee, something which greatly panicked her, as her melee proficiency was rather pathetic.
Five minutes of battle later, the situation was looking grim for Orodan¡¯s enemies.
The Avatar of Eximus looked ragged, and the Avatar of Ilyatana looked to be near falling apart. Orodan¡¯s All-Strikes, Vitality Black Hole and Vitality Destruction brought the Goddess of Fate¡¯s host to the brink of destruction.
¡°Stop! You¡¯ll kill him! My host will die! Eximus! Malzim! Save me!¡± Ilyatana roared as she began to flee, and Orodan remembered, that he no longer had the second Blessing of Agathor to prevent enemies running away.
¡°Running away? Now how can I allow that?¡± Orodan asked with eerie calm as he continued his dogged pursuit of her. ¡°You pursued me so insistently in my younger years¡ how can I not repay the favor now?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t even know you! How have I managed to offend you?!¡± Ilyatana shouted in reply.
¡°In another time, you might not remember it though,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°What really matters, is that your covetous nature is rotten to the core. If you had me at a disadvantage, you wouldn¡¯t think twice to exploit me. Now that the tables are turned, you beg for mercy, how pitiful.¡±
¡°Anyone would try to negotiate clemency in such a situation!¡±
Not him. Even before the loops, in his first life Orodan had simply died fighting. Without the time loops, he would be the one suicidally brave random soldier that died pointlessly by charging enemy lines. Who thought making him the subject of a time loop was a good idea?
But at least he was doggedly persistent. While he had no doubt a scheming looper with more self-preservation would¡¯ve found many creative solutions by now¡ would they ever be as strong? As stubborn?
It was this unending persistence that was proving to be Ilyatana¡¯s nightmare. Her divine beams failed to hurt him, and neither did they dislodge him. Eximus wasn¡¯t Agathor. And the God of Time¡¯s Avatar failed to pry Orodan off as he repeatedly savaged her to the point of death.
And finally¡
¡°Wait! We surrender! We shall leave you be!¡± Eximus pleaded. ¡°What is it you want? We can come to a compromise perhaps?¡±
¡°Leave me be? I¡¯m the one who decides that now. And what I want¡ is the death of every God present here,¡± Orodan replied, and Eximus could only watch as eight of Orodan came into being, and all of them launched All-Strikes towards the Avatar of Ilyatana.
Slightly stronger than her Chosen Avatar in the Republic, but the host body died all the same as a wail of divine agony was let out. The Avatar of Ilyatana, was disintegrated.
¡°Call the dragons, and¡ tell Demosthenos to activate the contingency plan. The Empire is threatened.¡±
Eximus gave the order solemnly, and Orodan wasn¡¯t sure what the contingency plan was. All he knew was that the Avatar of Eximus immediately moved to engage him in melee once more. Orodan clashed against the enemy God¡¯s worldly form as many more portals began opening and Novarrian reinforcements appeared.
Five more minutes of battle passed, and many more Novarrians fell from assaulting him as Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity increased to 72. Divine Resistance also gained a level as Eximus¡¯s divine power washed over him and was resisted. Combat against an Avatar where he wasn¡¯t being completely bullied and unable to fight back, was also good for his other skills. All-Strike, Unassailable Fortress, Vitality Black Hole and Endless Blitz all gained a level each.
Increasing numbers of Novarrians fell trying to assault Orodan, and their healers and chronomancers were running out of mana, unable to keep up with how frequently they were dying. The remaining enemy Avatar was also beginning to look quite ragged as Orodan gained skill levels, the balance was slowly tipping from a stalemate to where Orodan had a slight edge. Given endless time, Orodan was certain he could kill the God of Time¡¯s Avatar, but unfortunately, the situation changed.
The most powerful curse Orodan had ever felt struck him, and for a moment his senses went haywire. His Eternal Soul Reactor and Soul Manipulation worked in concert to immediately burn it right off, and the assault was of course reciprocated.
He heard a man scream but bring himself under control quickly.
¡°He shrugged off even that. This really is a terrifying foe, just who have we offended?¡± the man spoke. Orodan recognized him from the last long loop. Before he¡¯d ventured into the energy well, this man had come forth and warned the Republic to play fair. It was the cursed reincarnator, Demosthenos Albathrax. ¡°Be wary, his ability to return damage is incredibly powerful. I was nearly cursed myself.¡±
¡°I suspect you¡¯ll find soul assaults, curses included, to be less effective than you¡¯d like,¡± Orodan called out.
Vision of Purity detected something approaching him, even if his sight couldn¡¯t catch it. His hand snaked out and grabbed the would-be assassin by the throat before her attack could hit. The shroud of invisibility dropped, and a frightened Vespidia Aulmalexis held his gaze.
¡°He can sense me through the shroud!¡± she called out and used some strange skill to vanish from his grasp and reappear next to Demosthenos. ¡°This man is dangerous beyond compare¡ how have we erred by making such an enemy?¡±
¡°If you¡¯ll notice, my conflict is primarily with Eximus, not Novarria, so you haven¡¯t really earned my ire nearly as much as this meddling God of Time,¡± Orodan interjected as he clashed against Eximus and smashed an All-Strike against his Avatar¡¯s face. ¡°Any of you I slew, it was in self-defense.¡±
¡°You cannot claim self-defense when you¡¯ve killed so many,¡± Demosthenos spoke. ¡°And neither can we allow you to kill our Chosen Avatar when he¡¯s an important part of our nation¡¯s strength. But if the divine cannot end you¡ then we¡¯ll test if dragons suffice.¡±
At those words, at least three-hundred mages teleported onto the battlefield and began working in concert to open a gigantic portal. The Novarrians stopped assaulting him and simply focused on defending their space mages who were working, and Eximus furiously engaged him simultaneously.
In truth, Orodan wouldn¡¯t have interfered anyways as he wanted to see what came out.
And he did see, or rather, his entire vision was enveloped by scales the moment the portal stabilized.
[Fire Resistance 24 ¡ú Fire Resistance 25]
The flames assaulting him were incredibly powerful. The spider dragon he fought in the deep depths was but a flickering candle in comparison to the inferno that was incinerating him despite his Fire Resistance. All while he was held within its grasp.
¡°How dangerous¡ I¡¯ve actually been burned by my own flames. Not only does your ability to return damage bypass my natural affinity with fire, but you can also reform at such a speed? I can see how you slew Ilyatana¡¯s Avatar,¡± the dragon spoke even as Orodan was held tight in its grasp and being burnt while also being crushed. ¡°You were wise to call for our aid Demosthenos; imagine this one being corrupted by the Eldritch? We must kill him now.¡±
Eight of him launched All-Strikes in all directions and fought furiously enough that the dragon was forced to let go lest its palm be savaged. Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity also helped.
Upon breaking free, Orodan saw before him a red scaled dragon the size of Kultuanir.
¡°Eldramir, be careful. I do not know if you¡¯ll be enough to kill him either. Our benefactor is almost awake and will be arriving soon if you can simply hold out,¡± the cursed reincarnator spoke.
This dragon then, was the patriarch of the Novarrian Soaring Flame dragon flight. A being capable of killing an Avatar one-on-one, much like Kultuanir.
The battle resumed, and now Orodan truly was suppressed. Fighting a being that could bully an Avatar was hard enough, but to add the Avatar of Eximus, the cursed reincarnator and the Novarrian forces to the mix? He could only defend and hope to survive.
Ridiculous as it was to say, the Avatar was a non-factor. The dragon¡¯s mauling and burning, the Novarrian army¡¯s barrage, and the cursed reincarnator¡¯s attempts at making some foul magics stick to his soul were a bigger threat than mere divine energy beams.
The dragon was the big threat, as was the Novarrians¡¯ shift to using soul energy converter items which meant Mana Resistance wasn¡¯t something he could rely on. Orodan was reduced to puddles of flesh multiple times, but this still wasn¡¯t enough to kill him.
Nowadays, only being reduced to a puddle was a good thing. It was when he was reduced to a few cells that the danger zone struck.
Fifteen minutes of a one-sided beating continued as Orodan was mauled in every which way.
[Bulwark Physical Resistance 77 ¡ú Bulwark Physical Resistance 78]
[New Skill (Exquisite) ¡ú Curse Resistance 4]
Orodan would have to thank the cursed reincarnator for his contribution in the next loop. Naturally, his soul already made it incredibly difficult for curses to latch on, particularly when Eternal Soul Reactor and Soul Manipulation were so high. But with the new skill, the curses had a harder time catching on altogether as Orodan identified their mechanisms for sticking to souls and tried resisting it specifically.
He was certain the butchery would go on for a while longer, until he felt a massive shockwave from a distance away, and a flood of chronomantic energy striking nearby. It wasn¡¯t divine energy. And it struck at his enemies.
The battle was brought to an immediate halt.
¡°Kultuanir¡ you dare interfere? Can your dragon flight afford the all-out war this will lead to?¡± Eximus asked.
The patriarch of the Time Wind dragon flight landed and ignored the Avatar¡¯s comment altogether. Instead, Kultuanir¡¯s gaze never left the Novarrian dragon that was previously assaulting Orodan.
¡°You look well Eldramir. I see your time spent licking human boots hasn¡¯t dulled the sheen of your scales,¡± the Time Wind patriarch venomously spat. ¡°On the Novarrian leash as usual?¡±
¡°Spouting your lies as usual Kultuanir. Seeking a better future by working alongside the humans isn¡¯t slavery,¡± the Novarrian dragon replied. ¡°Then again, you would¡¯ve maintained draconic supremacy and not done anything as the Fierce Ember continued slaughtering mortals with impunity.¡±
¡°And you thought slaughtering an entire dragon flight of our kind was an appropriate response to the murderous actions of a few?!¡± Kultuanir roared. ¡°No wonder you work so closely with that genocidal witch. Such a shame that one more Chosen of hers has fallen¡ this mortal you seek to destroy is now under our protection. The Time Wind and Sapphire Gale are appreciative of his good deed.¡±
The two dragons continued to stare one another down as multiple portals opened, and the forces of the Republic poured forth.
Demosthenos Albathrax stepped forward to speak with Alcianne Rockwood who was leading the forces of the Republic alongside Arvayne Firesword.
¡°First the dragons threaten to clash, and now the Republic steps in to exploit our moment of weakness as well? You really do crave a second war, don¡¯t you?¡± Demosthenos spoke. ¡°How¡¯s that curse feeling? I made sure to provide you one that ages like fine wine as time passes.¡±
Alcianne Rockwood¡¯s face had an ugly look, but it was schooled into a sneer of bloodlust soon after.
¡°Big words for someone whose army was just cut in half,¡± she spoke. ¡°We on the other hand, remain fresh. As do our allies in the Eastern Kingdoms who¡¯ll be on the way. Your brash and domineering foreign policy has gone on long enough, today has been a stroke of unexpected luck. Novarria will fall today.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ I will admit, this man we¡¯ve earned the ire of is powerful. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s a reincarnator who has remained hidden all this time, an elf under a transformation or someone who truly has achieved immortality,¡± Demosthenos spoke. ¡°But you¡¯re being a little too arrogant if you think this is the extent of our Empire¡¯s strength. He should have awoken by now.¡±
Alcianne¡¯s smile faded, and her eyes took on a serious look.
¡°You don¡¯t mean to say you actually awoke him for this? Tch¡¡±
¡°Did you expect us to twiddle our thumbs while we fought an unkillable foe who slew an Avatar by himself?¡± Demosthenos replied.
Silence reigned for a few seconds, and then it was broken as a portal of strange energy opened a few feet away. Three people stepped out.
The first, the Chosen of Malzim. The second, a man with a regal appearance, flowing cape, and an ornate crown upon his head; the current emperor of Novarria. And they stood to the side to herald the entrance of another man.
Tattered cape, rusted armor, and a crown that was cracked and looked to be falling apart, albeit it had a black jewel of unimaginable quality socketed into it. And eyes that were the most ancient of any human he¡¯d ever seen.
Rodistan Deathmarrow, the Chosen of Malzim, and Demosthenos Albathrax, the cursed reincarnator, and the current emperor of Novarria all bowed to this man. Seeing such powerful figures do so, the rest of the Novarrians bowed as well.
¡°Your Majesty¡ your humble servants apologize for disrupting your meditations, but this situation has devolved farther than we¡¯d like,¡± Demosthenos spoke. ¡°This man here is-¡±
¡°Yes¡ I see it. He is an Avatar Slayer and has a Mythical skill,¡± the man spoke. ¡°I suppose the Cleaning Elite title is but a jest? It¡¯s a pretty good obscuring shield you have there, a few more levels and it will stop even me.¡±
Orodan double checked just to be sure, but he was certain he had Fate Disconnect on. Yet, this man could peer through it to Observe him?
The voice was quiet, but powerful, and Orodan could immediately tell the man was dangerous. He wasn¡¯t sure about the exact level, but he had an instinctual feeling that this man was as strong as the True Vampire he fought long ago.
¡°Who are you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I admit, I haven¡¯t been seen in many millennia¡ but surely people have not forgotten the bearer of the dark crown?¡± the man asked.
¡°The dark crown? The only person who¡¯s known for that¡¡±
¡°Would be me. You¡¯ve caused a ruckus within the borders of the empire I founded, and you don¡¯t know who I am?¡± the man asked. ¡°But that can be forgiven, as I rarely get the chance to meet a fellow Avatar Slayer and warrior. It is good to see someone who also shuns the foul influence of impotent Gods. Your body look strong, and your gaze honest, good. The mortal races have need of men like you.¡±
The man, the first Novarrian Emperor¡ said this in full hearing of the Avatar present and cared not a whit for the consequences.
¡°Balastion¡ this man slew Ilyatana¡¯s Avatar, but even before that he held that sacrilegious title,¡± Eximus spoke.
¡°Oh? You¡¯ve slain more than one Avatar?¡± the first emperor asked. ¡°Good. The Gods often require reminder that their place is in the divine realm and not upon the mortal plane. I¡¯ve often thought about purging the faith of these Prime Five from this continent, but my concerns are elsewhere for now. Anyhow, all of you can disperse, I wish to speak to this young man.¡±
¡°We do not bow to you, first Emperor of Novarria,¡± Agathor spoke, his eyes glowing orange. ¡°You are but a mortal, and you need reminding-¡±
One moment the first emperor was talking to Orodan. The next, he stood where the Avatar of Agathor was. A shockwave erupted, and the Avatar was reduced to a glowing pile of divine energy that struggled to reform. The crown glowed, and a familiar purplish-gray energy continually revolved around the Avatar of Agathor, utterly suppressing the power of the divine.
¡°Foul! You would dare reveal that energy upon this world?!¡± Halor exclaimed through Alcianne Rockwood.
¡°This power is but a tool, its user determines the morality,¡± the first emperor spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve been studying the strange energies of the crown for so long, yet even then I can only use it for brief moments without becoming Eldritch myself.¡±
Much as Orodan enjoyed seeing Agathor receive a beating, he felt that the only one to free his mentor from the War God¡¯s shackles, should be him. So, he stepped forward, his own eyes glowing with soul energy.
¡°Let him go, or we¡¯ll come to blows,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°I couldn''t care less about that meddling divine bastard, but the host is someone I care for.¡±
¡°And you think yourself capable of contending with me?¡± the crowned ruler asked. ¡°I am older than a majority of the dragons on Inuan. I have slain Avatars, and defied Gods. I¡¯ve delved the abyss and seen what lays beyond the first gate¡ you stand on my lands and still feel bold enough to threaten me?¡±
¡°I too have slain Avatars, even if I¡¯m not an old fogey like yourself.¡± Orodan remarked and the man had an amused look on his face. ¡°Also, I have Eldritch Resistance, so that artifact will be less effective against me than you think. Besides, I intend to scour the God of War from Arvayne Firesword¡¯s soul myself. The only reason I haven¡¯t attacked you outright is because Agathor and I have unresolved enmity. Seeing him be bullied is entertaining.¡±
¡°I have never met you, mortal. What enmity could we possibly have?!¡±
Both Orodan and the first emperor ignored the God of War.
¡°A Chosen One for a Chosen One¡ it would only be fair and maintain the power balance,¡± the man spoke calmly as he maintained the energy binding the Avatar of Agathor. The forces of the Republic were utterly mortified at the display. A Chosen Avatar suppressed like a child; the God unable to even leave the body. Eldritch power was strong. Even the two dragon patriarchs present looked at it with incredible wariness. ¡°But¡ Eldritch Resistance? How? I suppose there has been enough death today, and my meditations have been interrupted for long enough. I wish to have words with this young man. All of you¡ leave.¡±
The esoteric black energy surrounding the Avatar of Agathor was released, and the God of War beat a hasty retreat, blazing orange into the sky. The Novarrians promptly obeyed, and the Republic force beat a hasty retreat following Agathor. Soon, the only ones left in the glassed crater of destruction, were Orodan and the first emperor of Novarria.
¡°Did you perhaps want to duel? You¡¯re quite strong,¡± Orodan said.
¡°And you¡¯re quite the cockroach,¡± the man said. ¡°While I could kill you, it might take time, and I have better things to do. How about we have a conversation instead. The others cannot see it, but I can tell you¡¯re no older than¡ thirty? Definitely not in your forties yet. So, how did you acquire such power?¡±
¡°I¡¯m in a time loop. Every time I die, I come back to life on the same day, which is today.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ I thought maybe it¡¯d be a divine Bloodline, or a transmigrator from another world,¡± the man replied. ¡°I know I sensed the latter in the last few years near the East but hadn¡¯t bothered to investigate. But a time loop? That, I wasn¡¯t expecting. You¡¯ll have to tell me more.¡±
And so, they settled in for a polite conversation amidst a scene of utter destruction. What a strange day.
What a surreal conversation it had been.
Despite the raw terror the man inspired in both his own subjects and the forces of the Republic, the first emperor of Novarria, Balastion Novar, was quite the cordial man. At no point were there further insults thrown, no threats or demands for explanation.
If anything, the more Orodan explained the particulars of the time loop and his journey thus far, the more polite the man became.
Of course, the man frustratingly refused to elaborate about what Orodan would find down in the abyssal depths, and also didn¡¯t tell him what the first gate was. Balastion claimed that it would ruin the experience of finding out for himself.
The interesting part was that the man actually proposed Orodan seek him out in a future loop for training and even gave explicit instructions on where and how to find him. That the instructions involved breaking into Novar¡¯s Peak, the capital of the Empire, by force¡ was something Orodan questioned.
But the first emperor had an amused smile and simply claimed Orodan shouldn¡¯t have trouble with it at his level of power, with the stipulation that if any civilian lives were lost in the process, Balastion would refuse to deal with him. Fair enough, Orodan thought, as he too wouldn¡¯t accept senseless casualties in the attempt.
When Orodan asked why the man suddenly became so polite, the answer was simple.
Balastion wasn¡¯t stupid enough to offend a time looper. The man must¡¯ve had some sort of truth-verifying skill; and since he could peer past Fate Disconnect, it would work too. He seemed to believe everything Orodan said without question, and at one point Orodan uttered a small and purposeful lie just to test it¡ and the man had a frown on his face.
¡°He really was an odd man¡ beings of power don¡¯t normally react like he does,¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re used to dealing with arrogant Gods who intend to manipulate you,¡± his book companion spoke as she fluttered about his head. ¡°Anyone who isn¡¯t an idiot would understand that making an enemy of a genuine time looper is the stupidest thing possible. Yes, he might be stronger than you now, but will that always be the case? Have you noticed how nice I¡¯m being since you informed me?¡±
¡°Hmm¡ that makes sense. Who would¡¯ve thought all that was needed to stop you being such a prickly hag was being told I¡¯m in a time loop?¡± Orodan said and the book landed atop his head in retribution. ¡°Never mind, still a little prickly, but in a cute way.¡±
¡°I¡¯m older than all civilization on this world, boy! I¡¯m not¡ cute!¡± she protested, but also gave another part of the puzzle about her identity.
¡°Whatever you say, grandma,¡± Orodan quipped.
¡°Feh¡ comments about my age don¡¯t annoy me,¡± she spoke. ¡°Besides, I still think you¡¯re incredibly stupid for being so honest about the time loop. Have you never considered the repercussions? If this is some spell gone awry from the divine realms, what if the caster comes to investigate? What if it runs out of power?¡±
¡°You¡¯re correct about all your concerns,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If anything, I should listen to you on the matter.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good to see you show some sense. Now then, from future loops you should-¡±
¡°I should listen to you about it, but I won¡¯t,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be like me.¡±
¡°You¡! How idiotic can you be? Has your entire time in the time loop thus far not been spent dealing with some consequence or the other from blabbering about it?!¡± she said. ¡°The Goddess of Fate tried to control you, three hostile Gods gave you unwanted Blessings and attempted possessing your body simultaneously, and who knows what else?¡±
¡°Again, you¡¯re right. In fact, when the time loops started, the very first loop I had¡ my ¡®second chance¡¯ before I even knew I was in a time loop, I marched to the local temple and warned them about an attack and told them about it,¡± Orodan explained, recalling his younger days. ¡°Of course, somebody in the temple was a mole for House Argon, and one of their Adept-level enforcers came out and killed me shortly after.¡±
¡°Then you should know better, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± she asked. ¡°I bet you played it smarter after dying to that Adept.¡±
Orodan simply smiled.
¡°On the contrary¡ I proceeded to then die against that archer nearly fifty more times before I grew strong enough to fight weaker Adepts,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Getting stabbed to death was quite painful, and it was where I first developed Pain Resistance and experienced death many times in an intimate manner.¡±
¡°Is that how you¡¯ve been training all this time? By dying? It seems so foolish,¡± she remarked. ¡°As though you¡¯re cheaply relying upon the time loops.¡±
¡°Well, I don¡¯t always simply die to advance. My very first mentor taught me the value in squeezing the very last drop out of myself in everything I do. To work hard and never become complacent,¡± Orodan continued. ¡°But at the end of the day, whoever chose me for this time loop, whether by accident or not¡ chose the absolute worst person for it.¡±
¡°A rare moment of self-awareness from you? Shocking!¡±
Orodan ignored the dusty crone and continued.
¡°I told you about how I died for the first time, but I don¡¯t think I told you the particulars of it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Even before the time loops, even before I knew coming back was a possibility, when Eversong Plaza was attacked, I stood alongside the loyalist troops of the Republic. I took fatal wounds fighting two Apprentice-level raiders at the same time, and even as I was dying, I charged the Master-level leader and died after my sword bounced off his hide.¡±
¡°Your recklessness got you killed then? So, what you¡¯re saying is¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ve always been like this. I don¡¯t know how or why, but self-preservation in the face of impossible odds was never a trait I possessed. If this was some epic tale with a hero in it, I¡¯d be the soldier mentioned in passing who dies charging like a fool, a mere footnote in the story,¡± he elaborated. ¡°To put someone like me in a time loop¡ do you truly expect I¡¯ll ever learn caution? My lack of fear is what¡¯s allowed me to become stronger than Avatars, my willpower was greater than the foul divinities of the Eldritch. If I bleed, I¡¯ll simply demand my blood get back into my body, if I break, I¡¯ll put myself back together¡ and if the worst happens and I die? I simply come back. If whoever¡¯s in charge of the time loops finds me? Who knows¡ I might just demand death go away as I figure things out.¡±
¡°Anyone else I would call delusional, but with all you¡¯ve done, who even knows if it can be called delusion at this point?¡± she spoke. ¡°Good thing I¡¯ve decided to be nice to you. With your rock-headed insistence, you¡¯re likely to not give up till you get me a new body, near-impossible as it may be.¡±
¡°And why would it be impossible?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Because, my soul is damaged and my old body is gone,¡± she answered. ¡°I know I haven¡¯t told you my name all this time but that¡¯s because¡ I genuinely do not remember it.¡±
It was the most she¡¯d ever told him so far, and Orodan wouldn¡¯t downplay her trust.
¡°I see¡ could we perhaps heal your soul? I can heal my own and am working on skills to scour clean the soul of my mentor eventually,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Perhaps I could help heal yours when I¡¯m proficient enough? Hells, maybe we could even explore the world and try to find clues as to who you were?¡±
¡°For once, you suggest an idea I would consider almost good,¡± she backhandedly complimented. ¡°But yes, I would appreciate that, thank you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. You helped train a number of my skills in the last long loop,¡± Orodan said with gratitude. ¡°What¡¯s the point of being in a time loop if I can¡¯t repay those who¡¯ve helped me when I needed it. Yourself, Gods like Malzim and Ozgaric, and my mentors are among the people I intend to repay.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ it¡¯s good to see a time loop hasn¡¯t eroded your principles at least,¡± she spoke. ¡°Can¡¯t say I was the same when I had power¡¡±
She said the last part quietly, but Orodan chose not to pry as he felt it a sensitive matter. Painful soul and psionic assaults were how he remembered their first meeting. Suffice to say, he had an inkling that her experience in such skills and her prickly greeting might mean that her past wasn¡¯t the most ethical one.
Still, she seemed regretful, and who was Orodan to judge?
The conversation ended as he and his flying talkative book entered the entrance to the depths at Ranmere¡¯s Folly. Within, lay a week of exploration, mining, gathering, and working on his crafts. And after that¡ the abyssal depths.
It had been a week of excellent gains. His companion was an absolute wealth of knowledge when it came to the crafts and searching for materials throughout the depths.
Gathering, Mining and Pathfinding had all made decent gains as she gave him advice about cavern systems, the depths, and which ways a tunnel were likely to go based upon their structure, the curvature, etc. His Jewelcrafting had gained ten levels and was now at 11. He didn¡¯t have much talent for the craft itself, but his obsession with Cleaning must¡¯ve been an integral part of preparing a precious stone, so it helped make good gains.
Fate Disconnect gained a level from his dedicated sessions where he would churn Eternal Soul Reactor to a high level and attempt to maintain the shield¡¯s integrity. As did Soul Strengthening as he worked towards slowly increasing the very quality of his soul and the energy it produced. But Orodan felt that simply attempting to strengthen the soul without damaging it and attempting to rebuild it, was too slow. He¡¯d need to train against dangerous soul assaulting monsters in the abyssal depths to increase it efficiently.
Additionally, Wood Communion gained a level as Orodan helped bolster the mole clan¡¯s defenses by empowering their wooden structures to absurd levels. The Grandmaster mole¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her head at how valuable the wood became.
Most importantly, his companion insisted he hone his Draconic Fireball and Flare through constant practice. Much as he hated it, he had to admit it was good for him. Draconic Fireball went from 6 to 12, and Flare from 24 to 26. Like a mother forcing their child to eat unpalatable vegetables, she forced Orodan to practice his magic skills. He refused to call them spells as that would hurt his pride too much.
And Orodan, in frustration with his magic teacher, had taken it out on poor Zukelmux who was given additional training and challenges, with Orodan watching over the young goblin of course. Which led to the gain of a surprising skill.
[New Skill ¡ú Teaching 1]
That had been a surprising message, and Orodan made a mental note to try and develop it further. It would likely help when attempting to help Adeltaj advance to dual-Grandmaster or assist Mahari in developing the Elemental Fist once more.
But now, it was time for the descent.
His companion bid him farewell saying that she¡¯d remain with the mole clan for now. She also gave him actual instructions on how to quickly gain her trust in the next loop. Who knew just being honest with her would¡¯ve made such a difference?
He bade farewell to the goblins and moles and made his way towards the familiar dark chamber with mutated ostolitus mushrooms that absorbed light rather than emitting it. This was the chamber with the hole in the center which led down into the abyssal depths.
Last time, Orodan¡¯s soul surgery had drawn the attention of the Fallen Void Archon as it flew upwards and found him. But this time, there was no such distraction, and Orodan instead looked down the hole.
It was pure darkness, and he had to emit a low level of Eternal Soul Reactor light to see. His Vision of Purity saw that the hole went down for a mile before it led to another chamber, which was the true beginning to the abyssal depths. It was quite clean within, likely owing to the sheer density of world energy making things have purer forms. Inside the first chamber, his Vision of Purity detected a single being, likely sleeping.
Orodan plunged down the hole.
A crash resounded through the quiet chamber upon his landing, and he finally saw what it was that his skill detected from above. Observe was used.
[Observe 9 ¡ú Observe 10]
[Name: Ezvalad the All-Consuming (Species: Dark Slime)
Title 1: Amorphous Combat Grandmaster
Title 2: Combat Grandmaster
Title 3: Dark Grandmaster
Title 4: Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
Title 5: Grandmaster Slayer]
A blob of pure darkness, enough that even with the light emitted by Eternal Soul Reactor, he couldn¡¯t make out any features upon it. It was man-sized, and from the sounds it was making, looked to be digesting something.
Orodan had never seen slimes before. They were meant to be the annoying nuisance monsters fledgling adventurers went after, or young children hunted in the sewers of cities to hone their skills.
For him to meet a triple-Grandmaster slime¡ it was a good introduction to the race. It was right in the first chamber of the abyssal depths. Orodan suspected this thing camped in the chamber and happily ate any daring monsters from the deep depths who felt it was their time to descend lower as they¡¯d grown strong enough. Or any foolish mortals seeking to venture this deep.
The chamber he was in, was pitch black. Without the light emitted by his own soul, even his profoundly powerful eyes could not see, as even the most powerful night vision required at least some level of light. But he had some, and he had Vision of Purity.
This monster would be a good first foe to fight in the abyssal depths.
¡°I hope you didn¡¯t gorge overmuch,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to make you throw up your lunch.¡±
In response, the slime stopped digesting. Even as Orodan landed it was content to continue eating, but now that he¡¯d uttered words of challenge? Somehow, it got even darker, and the very light of his soul began to be drawn towards it. At the same time, the dark element assaulted him. His mind, soul and body were assaulted, and Mana Resistance didn¡¯t help as this was the creature¡¯s natural element.
The dark element devoured light sources, inflicted mental and soul damage, and harmed the target¡¯s vitality. The last time he was assaulted by the element was in the energy well under Jerestir, when he fought a lightning depths salamander who was proficient in dark magic.
But there was a difference between a being with the title of Dark Magic Grandmaster, and Dark Grandmaster. The latter implied that dark was its natural element and fuelled by its soul energy. Which meant, that Orodan felt a powerful assault upon his mind, soul, and vitality as a beam of pitch black hit him.
¡°Food is¡ strong. Strong mind, strong soul¡ and full of life,¡± it spoke with a strange voice that was translated by the System. Of course it had sapience, all Grandmaster creatures did.
But the good thing about the dark element, was that since it did multiple things, it wasn¡¯t particularly great at either. Orodan¡¯s soul and mental defenses were powerful, and his vitality, endless. Yes, he felt the full effect of the dark beam, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill him. Nowhere near it.
He raised his fists, and launched a Flash Strike through the attack, reaching its position. He empowered himself to the limit, eight of himself came into being in the same instant of time and space, and All-Strikes were launched towards his foe.
Only for all eight of himself to have their fists sink into the blob. His arms began almost immediately disintegrating.
¡°Delicious¡!¡± it spoke, as it attempted to devour Orodan.
Then, it decided to move, and Orodan was reminded that it was both a Combat Grandmaster and an Amorphous Combat Grandmaster. A dark blob covering his vision was all Orodan saw before he felt his entire body begin disintegrating. Not just from the outside, but whatever method this slime used, it was as though every cell of his body, even the ones deeper within that hadn¡¯t touched the goop yet, were being consumed. Eternal Soul Reactor fed into Harmony of Vitality, and Orodan began blazing with power to throw this foul slime off.
[Harmony of Vitality 85 ¡ú Harmony of Vitality 86]
But¡ in that moment where his body was being utterly disintegrated, Orodan felt that this was a fantastic method of training Harmony of Vitality.
In return, Orodan used Vitality Black Hole and Vitality Destruction on the slime as he threw out All-Strikes in every direction. Finally, it had an effect. It shrieked and jumped right off of him.
¡°You are no prey¡ you are a predator!¡± it said¡ and then promptly began fleeing. Orodan found himself missing his convenient Blessing from Agathor in that moment.
¡°Wait! Come back! Do that thing again, it was really good!¡±
¡°Madness! Away with you foul mortal!¡± it shrieked and fled down one of the three tunnels leading out of the chamber.
Orodan followed the dark slime as it swiftly hopped and plopped its way away from him. He was faster, but every time he caught up it would simply flow away from his grip. It was like trying to grab water. Finally, Orodan remembered that he had another skill for situations like this.
A full body spin was performed, and Whirlpool Whirlwind targeted the dark slime with full force. It roared in unwilling anger as it was yanked right off the stone floor and pulled straight towards Orodan, where he had uncast Draconic Fireballs ready to burn its body away.
Upon realizing that escape attempts would simply lead to being pulled towards Orodan, it decided to stand its ground and fight.
A brutal melee ensued.
His fists met flowing dark slime that flowed around them and disintegrated his body. Physical attacks were barely affecting this creature, however his All-Strikes that were used alongside Vitality Destruction, did real damage by directly targeting its life force. The soul energy from Eternal Soul Reactor helped burn at it quite a bit, as did all the Draconic Fireballs he kept exploding in its face at point blank melee range. Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity also helped grind it down as it disintegrated itself as much as it did Orodan. Most damaging, however, was Vitality Black Hole.
[Vitality Black Hole 80 ¡ú Vitality Black Hole 81]
[Vitality Destruction 39 ¡ú Vitality Destruction 41]
[Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 72 ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 73]
¡°Greedy human predator! Descending so deep even after what you awoke long ago!¡± it roared.
Thirty minutes of battle passed, and Orodan had to admit, this dark slime would be a serious threat on the surface. Its vitality was monstrous, it was weaker than the quadruple-Grandmaster Fallen Void Archon, but it was still fearsome. It was only thanks to Orodan¡¯s own gains in power which allowed him to fight Avatars that he could stand against it even as his body was disintegrated over and over. Without his vitality skills, he would¡¯ve died thousands of times over. If anything, he was an excellent counter to it, else he could see it killing Avatars wantonly if it managed to envelop them completely.
It was terrifically skilled, and quite powerful. The only thing that held it back was its weak body which meant it wasn¡¯t the threat in melee that it could otherwise be with the title of Combat Grandmaster.
He gained one more level in Harmony of Vitality thanks to the disintegration his body was undergoing, but he felt this was the extent of the gains he¡¯d make with this skill, against this opponent.
At last, a final volley of eight All-Strikes combined with Vitality Destruction, brought it down. There were minor particles of it remaining, but Vision of Purity saw these and Vitality Black Hole killed them while a Draconic Fireball eradicated them.
An excellent fight and fantastic gains!
Orodan gleefully walked into the next chamber down the path which the dark slime tried fleeing, only to encounter something that might actually kill him. Observe was used.
[Name: Kaliyega the Ever-Charging Truth (Species: Eldritch Minotaur)
Title 1: Greataxe Grandmaster
Title 2: Combat Grandmaster
Title 3: Physical Grandmaster
Title 4: Eldritch Grandmaster
Title 5: Wielder Of A Mythical Skill]
Now that was just unfair. Based off titles alone it was stronger than the Fallen Void Archon.
Twelve feet of pure muscle, purplish-gray eldritch energy running through its veins, and eyes which spoke of madness. Wielding an axe of strange purple metal, this was one of the naturally occurring Eldritch creatures in the depths that Arvayne Firesword had spoken of long ago.
Orodan fought valiantly and survived for roughly twenty seconds thanks to his new levels in Harmony of Vitality. He would¡¯ve survived for longer if not for one small detail.
The moment his Eternal Soul Reactor churned hard enough, a familiar foe pried space apart to arrive. It was the Fallen Void Archon.
Orodan couldn¡¯t yet fight one quadruple-Grandmaster. So, to be ganged up on by two? A combined elemental attack struck him from the speed-casting mage menace and the darkness of death took him.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
The Fallen Void Archon was a Soul Grandmaster, and it was a Space Magic Grandmaster, of course it could track any emissions of soul energy that were too high and then promptly teleport to find Orodan. That was just another layer of challenge added onto his loops in the abyssal depths.
Perhaps he ought to flare his soul hard enough in the initial chamber to attract the spellcasting monster so that he could deal with it fairly, one on one?
Orodan discarded this weak idea immediately. What kind of scheming coward would take such an easy way out? It was either the hard way, or no way.
There was only one way forward for Orodan.
To train and become strong enough that he could beat the Fallen Void Archon and whatever monster he was fighting that forced him to churn Eternal Soul Reactor hard enough that the archon arrived. He would either win the two-on-one like a real warrior, or not at all.
And to do that, involved a lot of grinding.
It required many, many loops spent dying in the abyssal depths.
Chapter 37 - Against The Abyss II
The Ogdenborough Jail was one of the more spacious buildings in his poverty-stricken town. It was a single tower with four floors. Each floor contained four units capable of housing forty offenders, with the basement containing a segregation unit for those who needed a beating and correctional treatment, and assaultive offenders. Like that, the jail was capable of housing nearly seven-hundred prisoners.
The facility was officially under the purview of the Volarbury County Militia, but of course Orodan knew growing up¡ that the jail was really run by the stooges of House Argon. The jail was seen as a punishment post for incompetent members of the militia who couldn¡¯t hack it during training and were considered too weak to be allowed to patrol the streets. Orodan faced no such issue, being the top of his cohort during training. But many of the people he trained with wound up working here.
¡°Wainwright? I remember being in training with you!¡± the girl exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s me, Ostolon! Bildica Ostolon. I know you were the top of the class, but I always cheered you on during spars and drills.¡±
A tad bit too skinny, and with dark circles under her eyes. No wonder she was working at the jail, her natural diet and conditioning were abysmal, and her Physical Fitness was rather pitiful for dark circles to form from lack of sleep. Orodan didn¡¯t remember this girl at all, but she must¡¯ve been a slacker during training. Socializing or hiding from the wrath of the instructors while Orodan took every opportunity to work hard and seize opportunities to advance himself.
¡°Ah yes, hello,¡± Orodan replied, attempting to remain polite. ¡°I¡¯m here to see some of the prisoners.¡±
¡°Er¡ is this an on-duty assignment? I wasn¡¯t told of anyone from the patrol barracks coming by,¡± she spoke. ¡°You¡¯re not in uniform either. Let me just contact my sergeant to verify-¡±
¡°No need, it won¡¯t take very long, and I won¡¯t need permission,¡± Orodan said as he walked past her at the front desk and approached the heavy steel doors leading to the secure part of the institution. He left a few perfect healing potions on her desk as he left. ¡°I hope that covers the damages.¡±
Metal was casually folded under his grip and the door came off its hinges.
¡°W-Wainwright?! What are you even doing?!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°B-by the Gods¡!¡±
She was a bit indecisive, so the alarm came fifteen seconds after he entered the facility¡¯s secure area. Took her a bit long to activate the alarm mechanism, a defensive vulnerability, but then again, she must¡¯ve been posted at the front due to her lack of competence in general.
¡°Code Red, front registration! Code Red, front registration!¡± came a magically amplified voice.
Men and women of the militia looked at him warily as he walked down the halls towards the offenders¡¯ living units. Finally, a particularly large one, slightly taller than even Orodan himself, spoke up.
¡°The hells? Aren¡¯t you Wainwright? Are you who caused the alarm?¡± he asked. ¡°Never did like you during training¡ making the rest of us look bad.¡±
The man then nodded to the other five men and women near him, and they all closed in, attempting to take control Orodan¡¯s arms. In response, Orodan simply kept walking, dragging them along like paper birds in the breeze.
¡°Go for the legs! What the hells Volten!¡±
¡°How is he doing that?!¡±
¡°Stop! He¡¯s at least an Adept, let¡¯s call for more!¡± came the voice of reason.
The jail guards got out of his way, thoroughly persuaded of the strength difference. Orodan made his way to the entrance of the living quarters and gently took that door off too.
It was two hours before noon, thus the offenders were all out of their cells for dayroom time. It was the standard system in which jails were run all over Volarbury County, and even in the Republic. Upon seeing the door come off its hinges, many of them began clamoring in confusion. Some called out that the door was open, some looked on warily, and a bold handful made for the path he created and hoped to escape.
Of course, depending on their crimes, Orodan wouldn¡¯t allow any of that. He grabbed the first offender to try and run past him and bound him to the guard station rail with thick rope.
¡°Alright, what¡¯s he here for?¡± Orodan asked, and his book companion who was under an invisibility spell got to work. ¡°It¡¯s not harmful, is it?¡±
Surprisingly, the man didn¡¯t scream at all, nor did he look aware of the fact that his mind was being probed.
¡°Of course not, do I look like an amateur to you?¡± she asked. ¡°Unlike you, who has the mental fortitude of a mountain and existing levels in Psionic Resistance, most people won¡¯t ever be aware that their minds are being read. Also, this one got drunk and beat up a militia man.¡±
¡°Oi! What¡¯re you talkin¡¯ about?¡± the man himself protested. ¡°I ain¡¯t done nothing like that.¡±
Orodan ignored the man and unbound the ropes restraining him. This would take too long, and he didn¡¯t have that much time to spare. So, he went behind the desk of the guard station and began perusing the unit records. The frightened guard could only get out of the way as he¡¯d seen Orodan get past the door casually.
¡°Nobody on this unit has committed any heinous crimes,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Do you hold the worst offenders in segregation?¡±
¡°Y-yes sir¡ that and in the protective custody unit for those with sensitive charges,¡± the guard replied.
A mass of guards was waiting outside the broken doors, not for Orodan as they weren¡¯t his match and knew that. But to handle the mess he¡¯d created by breaking the door. They didn¡¯t want the offenders to escape. Orodan walked past them and allowed them to do their jobs.
Guards in the halls fearfully froze as he walked past them, but he had no quarrel with them, but was simply seeking some acceptable targets to practice on. Finally, he reached the protective custody unit and broke its doors down.
The offenders were locked up due to the alarm, and Orodan went behind the desk, grabbed the unit records, and began going cell to cell.
¡°It says this one killed his wife and child during a domestic dispute,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If he did it¡ then I have no qualms with being experimental during my practice.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ he¡¯s a rather violent man indeed. He angrily killed his family after his wife got mad at him for beating her and told him she would call the militia. His son tried stopping him and paid the price,¡± his assistant spoke. ¡°Definitely deserves to be our first subject.¡±
¡°Good, now hold still. Since you enjoy subjecting those weaker than you to violence, you shouldn¡¯t have a problem if someone stronger comes by and does the same to you, no?¡± Orodan asked as he bound the man to a rail, kicking and screaming while the other offenders in their cells looked terrified.
This was the protective custody unit. Full of offenders who had all signed in by choice due to the sensitive nature of their charges. The overwhelming majority of those here, were in for crimes of a sickening nature that would get them targeted by those in regular units. Not all criminals were equal. A deviant fiend who harmed children wasn¡¯t the same as a thug who beat people up. Even among the criminal class there were limits and a certain code of conduct.
Weapon Aura wrapped completely around the man, his mana pool drained entirely in an attempt to resist Orodan¡¯s control and then¡
¡Weapon Aura reached into the very depths of the man¡¯s soul, as far as Orodan could go.
Immediately there was some serious resistance. Wrapping Weapon Aura around the entirety of the outer soul layer wasn¡¯t an issue. Orodan refused to allow any changes in it and had frozen it in place and completely halted the man¡¯s mana generation; an interesting tactic which could be explored further in combat. But, attempting to extend his control into the very core of the soul was proving incredibly difficult, if not outright impossible. Blood leaked from Orodan¡¯s eyes and nose as he tried, thus, he doubled down and summoned all of his ¡®clones¡¯. Eight minds worked together, and they all focused on maintaining Weapon Aura¡¯s grip on the man¡¯s soul and extending its influence into the deepest parts.
The air crackled with dangerous amounts of energy. Eternal Soul Reactor and Draconic Mana Channelling worked together and Orodan drew upon a terrifying amount of power, to the point that a minor slip up might obliterate Ogdenborough if his control slacked.
Yet, he was confident in his willpower, which would never falter. So, he continued.
It was as though reality itself refused to allow him into the soul core of another. Even the very Gods that slew him continually never claimed to be capable of destroying souls outright, merely the outer layer. He wasn¡¯t sure what prevented it. Was it the System? Was it the world? Orodan didn¡¯t know, but he persisted all the same.
In front of him, the man was screaming in agony, but Orodan¡¯s focus didn¡¯t deviate. It was painful, but not fatal, and this man had no grounds to complain when he¡¯d abused and then murdered his own family.
[Weapon Aura 85 ¡ú Weapon Aura 86]
The skill gained a level, indicative of just how difficult this was. Both in terms of concentration, but also in terms of the skill required. Seeing someone else¡¯s soul as a weapon and then using Weapon Aura to wrap around it, and control it? Madness of the highest order. Just how Orodan liked it.
The soul didn¡¯t exactly consist of particles which could be individually manipulated. Rather, it was a single thing which functioned and had parts, but these parts weren¡¯t exactly separate things. The outer layer of the soul for example, wasn¡¯t a separate object that could be plucked off and put somewhere. Its existence was integrally tied to the core of the soul. In a sense, it was almost a projection of the soul core. Much like how a shadow couldn¡¯t exist without light, so too could the outer soul layer not exist without the soul core.
Orodan knew a lot of this from his forays into his own soul, especially when he performed soul surgery to get rid of the Blessings. But, knowing something from his own soul and then applying to the soul of another, was harder than it seemed. He wouldn¡¯t be manipulating the soul of another or changing its functions yet, but he could use Weapon Aura to freeze the outer layer in place and prevent any sort of change in it.
Orodan had already seized complete control of the outer layer. Soul energy was produced in the core, but many of the conversions from soul energy to mana and vitality occurred in the outer soul layer. At least, for natural mana and vitality generation. Skills which converted soul energy to mana or vitality, such as Orodan¡¯s own Harmony of Vitality and Eternal Soul Reactor, functioned in the soul core, and destruction of the outer soul layer wouldn¡¯t hamper those.
The man would not regenerate any mana, and his senses, emotions and thoughts would be utterly mangled unless Orodan willed otherwise. In fact, freezing the outer layer of the soul while the body went on, had some acutely detrimental effects. The man¡¯s heart continued beating, but it was erratic, as though it lacked purpose. Many bodily functions went awry, and his brain acted very strangely. The body wasn¡¯t meant to function without a soul, even if perfectly healed. It was akin to a doll, and while flesh golems existed, the human body itself wasn¡¯t meant to function without a soul unless additional magical aids were present, or a new soul was deposited.
Barring skills, the outer soul layer was also how the soul connected to the body. For the overwhelming majority of beings, destroying the outer soul layer, or even freezing it, would kill them.
Orodan, was beginning to tread dangerously into the territory of illegal soul magic arts.
Not that anyone would or could arrest him for it. At high levels of power, the only law was might. But it was still something to be aware of. Such arts were illegal due to the painful and violating nature of training them.
Orodan allowed the man¡¯s outer soul layer to begin functioning as normal again, but it mattered not. His eyes were lifeless. The offender¡¯s body was perfectly normal. Skin healthy, blood flowing. But the heart beat was erratic, and the brain had no signs of higher activity.
Orodan still held a grip over the soul, and it was positioned perfectly in the core of the body¡ but it was desperately seeking escape to a higher realm which Orodan couldn¡¯t sense. He didn¡¯t have a skill meant specifically for detecting souls yet. Vision of Purity could see traces of foul impurities in the man¡¯s soul, perhaps his guilt from sinning, and this was how Orodan indirectly sensed and interacted with people¡¯s souls. But this was the extent of it, and Orodan couldn¡¯t detect the souls of newborns and young children at all due to the lack of impurities within them.
All this was to say, the man was dead. His corpse akin to a flesh golem, but a flawed one which wouldn¡¯t last without magical intervention. And even then, his brain showed no higher thought.
Orodan let Weapon Aura slip, and the soul go.
The offenders who were watching from their cells were either silently praying, madly screaming, and banging on their cell doors in a show of fighting when their turn came or were simply accepting their potential fate.
¡°You know, you could give me a formal education on the soul arts,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°I doubt soul mages start by using Weapon Aura of all things to try and manipulate souls. And how is one meant to breach the soul core?¡±
¡°But where¡¯s the fun in that? You seem like the type of bull-headed man who would struggle at attempting something impossible and then actually achieve it,¡± she spoke. ¡°Who knows what you could achieve if I didn¡¯t interfere? Do you really want me to take that away from you? I¡¯ll begin tutoring you in soul magic right now if you want.¡±
Orodan frowned. This book accurately had the measure of his character.
¡°No. It¡¯s fine,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself or never succeed. Anyhow, about the soul core?¡±
¡°It¡¯s impossible,¡± she replied. ¡°I have never heard of anyone breaching the soul core of another in all my long years of life. I don¡¯t know if the System forbids it, or that¡¯s simply how souls are¡ but it cannot be done, and Gods far more powerful than those you¡¯ve seen have tried. The mightiest God couldn¡¯t manage it upon the weakest babe.¡±
Orodan accepted her explanation but resolved to continue trying to breach the soul core of another. Who knew where it would take him? His experimentations were cut off however, as a group of ten people entered the unit, the familiar heraldry of a flower and shield upon one of them.
These were the Adept-enforcers of House Argon, being commanded by one of their Elites-level retainers.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! You dare cause trouble at the Ogdenborough Jail after abandoning your shift today?! What has caused such a rapid gain in strength?¡± the leading Argon retainer asked. The man was a mere retainer, not even a high-level Elite like Lord Aeglos, the heir to the house. ¡°Come with us, and we may overlook this incident. We¡¯ve always seen potential in you from a young age. Did you know we planned to make an offer of recruitment eventually?¡±
¡°What nonsense¡ today is the day you lying scoundrels plan on using the ancient machine to destroy most of Volarbury County,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Although I will admit, the beatings your enforcers gave me when I was young helped shape me into the warrior I am today.¡±
¡°You speak of things you should not know,¡± the retainer spoke. ¡°I apologize that it¡¯s had to come to this. Apprehend him, and if that¡¯s not possible¡ kill him. We need to wrap this up before the militia¡¯s Elite Response unit gets here. House Firesword doesn¡¯t need to be involved, not today of all days.¡±
An understandable plan. Today was the awakening of the machine. And while House Argon held more power in Ogdenborough, it was House Firesword that held the overwhelming majority of control over the Volarbury County Militia. To have their Elite Response Unit come in at such a critical time would be undesirable for House Argon, hence they wanted to deal with him themselves.
Unfortunately for them, Orodan was a force somewhat beyond noble houses. He walked towards them.
¡°Here he comes! Grab him!¡±
¡°Use the enchanted manacles!¡± the Elite retainer ordered, and a pair of magical iron cuffs made of a powerful material were slapped around his wrists. ¡°Nicely done! Now then, don¡¯t resist Wainwright! We have you-¡±
¡°H-he¡¯s just walking away! Stop him!¡±
The manacles were casually pried off and Orodan made for the segregation unit where some really vile offenders were undoubtedly held. It was in the basement and looked like a nefarious dungeon. The door leading to solitary was far thicker than the doors leading into the regular living units, but that didn¡¯t matter to him.
The door was gently torn off the wall and Orodan made his way inside.
Unlike a living unit, there were maybe thirty separate cells in segregation, and there were no bunk beds. Each cell was for one offender. The first twenty cells were lined upside-by-side, although offenders were to only be allowed out one at a time. The other ten cells, however, were in a separate section and meant for dangerous captives, Adepts.
The Elite retainer tried hitting him with a powerful melee skill¡ which shredded Orodan¡¯s shirt and promptly bounced off his skin without doing any damage. He looked back and gave the man a look which had the retainer sweating and gained him a level in Intimidation. The communication amulet glowed, and additional backup was most certainly called. Bulwark Physical Resistance seemed irrelevant when he was fighting quadruple-Grandmasters, but against Elites and even Masters? He was invincible.
He walked behind the guard desk and perused the records. He toured segregation and looked at the records again. There was a discrepancy.
¡°Why is your unit occupancy board empty, and yet I see seven cells in use?¡± Orodan asked the Elite retainer nearby.
¡°T-that is¡ sir¡ above my paygrade,¡± the man stumbled and spoke in a fearful voice. ¡°I¡¯d just like to apologize for all this inconvenience we¡¯ve caused you.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me, apologize to these people you¡¯ve imprisoned falsely. Republic spies who would uncover your plot? Political enemies? Who are they?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I always suspected that the jail¡¯s segregation unit was used to hold captives off the record. Especially since the guards working this post were known to be backed by your house.¡±
While the justice system was rife with power plays and nepotism which favored the mighty, the Cathedral ensured that even the lowliest victim from the poorest town received some form of representation. Legal specialists from the Cathedral checked in on every offender registered within a county¡¯s jail system. It earned the Prime Five even more goodwill and faith, but also ensured that nobody was forgotten in a dark cell indefinitely.
But if people were locked up off the record? What else could they do but rot?
Orodan approached the first cell.
¡°Help! Please help! Gods save me! I just want to go home! I¡¯m with the Republic!¡± came the desperate cries of a man within.
The door was ripped off and the man practically leapt into his arms, bawling like a child. He was dirty, sported multiple bruises and injuries and wore the clear signs of torture. Orodan spent ten minutes cleaning the man¡¯s injuries and gave him a perfect healing potion at the end which resolved the physical injuries. But the mental ones would remain for longer.
His book companion read his mind and confirmed that this man was a Republic spy sent to scout the area many months ago. Of course, the man had been caught and subsequently imprisoned off the record in the Ogdenborough Jail where he was repeatedly beaten and tortured.
¡°You¡¯re safe now, are the others here also loyal agents of the Republic?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes! All except for the one in cell thirty!¡± the man cried. ¡°Good sir, there¡¯s little time¡ please tell the Republic, that House Argon are traitors, they plan to turn against us and use the machine to wreak destruction upon this county.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°Y-you do?!¡± the man exclaimed. ¡°Why are you here then? Have you informed the Republic?!¡±
¡°Worry not, that machine will not awaken today,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°As for me, I originally came by to find some scum to experiment on so that I wouldn¡¯t feel too morally conflicted. But now, this has turned into something of an impromptu rescue mission. I don¡¯t suppose you know what that prisoner in cell thirty is here for?¡±
¡°I do sir¡ that beast deserves no mercy,¡± the prisoner spoke. ¡°He¡¯s a vampire, they caught him feeding in the next town over. But, be warned, some terrifying necromancer comes by at night to experiment on him from time to time. Given your entrance, she¡¯ll undoubtedly arrive soon, please¡ let us escape sir. Even the Elite retainers look upon her with fear.¡±
Tales of an entire society vampires ruling from the shadows of the Republic were a bit exaggerated and meant to scare children into behaving. Vampires existed, but were quickly caught, and with extreme prejudice. Hence, they were incredibly rare on the human dominated parts of Inuan.
Mainly because humans hated vampires. They were universally loathed as vile blood-sucking fiends across Novarria, the Republic and the Eastern Kingdoms.
The Cathedral¡¯s demon hunters and diviners were quite good at sniffing out the blood suckers, and they often employed mages specialized in light magic to exterminate them upon discovery. The only place where they existed in any kind of number was the Dokuhan Mountains, where the drow had societies of them. Although, it was rumored that the elves also harbored vampires.
Their existence was a major part of why the Republic and Eastern Kingdoms were quiet on the topic of helping the drow in their losing war against the dwarves, and why Novarria was happily assisting the dwarves in exterminating drow. Virtually all vampires encountered on human territory were converted during travels in and around the Dokuhan Mountains, where vampires were more numerous.
Every book he¡¯d read spoke of vampires as being monstrous beings with no respect for mortal life. But, like the goblins he met in the depths, perhaps not all vampires were murderous?
More importantly though, what was this about a necromancer?
¡°This necromancer¡ is it a woman by chance?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Y-yes¡ they call her Master Fausta, and I saw her summon a dangerous looking skeleton once,¡± he spoke. ¡°Although, one time¡ I heard her talk about her ¡®favorite demon pet¡¯, and I hope to never see it myself.¡±
Orodan simply had a smile on his face.
Unfortunately, the score for meeting a friendly vampire was zero for two.
The book had confirmed that the prisoner was a vampire who wantonly slaughtered innocents and was then promptly hunted by a zealous inquisitor of the Cathedral who specialized in light magic. After having his legs turned to dust through beams of light, the vampire was handed over to the Scarmorrow temple. Of course, somebody in the temple was a mole and handed the creature over to House Argon, to be locked up in the Ogdenborough Jail for experimentation.
His companion had also informed him that the vampire was turned nine months ago during a caravan trip to the under-mountain holds of the dwarves. He was converted, and the coven had attempted to teach him how to manage his bloodlust with peaceful methods. But the man¡¯s nature was vile, and he escaped from the coven of vampires who sought to increase their numbers, and now that he was in the Republic, his bloodthirst went unmanaged which led to his rampage. His intrinsically sadistic personality led to some gruesome kills in Scarmorrow.
Orodan had learned that Vampirism might very well be a Bloodline, given the impurities in the man¡¯s blood. He was also beyond Orodan¡¯s ability to cure for now, since eradicating every bit of the Bloodline would be destructive, and he¡¯d need to find a method of leveraging Incorruptible Being to affect others or hone his healing abilities and alchemy further.
Still, Orodan had happily experimented upon the vampire¡¯s soul using Weapon Aura till it would not wake again. No levels were gained, but the skill was at a high level already and the rate of growth was understandably slower through simple brute force. Insights and breakthroughs could take time.
The familiar Master-level necromancer had intruded during his experimentation, and he enjoyed the reunion greatly. Orodan disliked many mages, but he absolutely detested necromancers. Her pets were of no help.
He had drained the machine and gained another Action Increase, and he now stood in a glassed crater, the aftermath of another loop where he killed the Avatar of Ilyatana and caused the Novarrians to escalate to calling for their founder¡¯s aid.
¡°What I don¡¯t understand, is why the soul core is so unbreachable,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°I tried pressing the entirety of my willpower towards breaching it, but it just wouldn¡¯t work. Do I need a higher rarity skill?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a soul specialist, but far as my knowledge goes, the soul core has always been impossible to breach,¡± Balastion Novar replied. They had spoken and gotten over the time looper bits and were now sharing advice and their experiences. ¡°Not even the elves have managed to crack the secret of delving within the soul core of another. Although, those with a high level of proficiency can enter their own soul core, which you said you had.¡±
¡°Yes, it wasn¡¯t exactly planned, but I did perform soul surgery on myself in the middle of battle against three Avatars. I essentially expanded my soul core to envelop my entire body, so that soul energy could be produced from every single cell of my physical form,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°The second time was when I removed all the Blessings from my soul. It was difficult and I had to allow the outer layer of my soul to explode, but I was confident enough in my willpower than I removed the Blessings and recovered.¡±
¡°...truly? I can see you¡¯re telling the truth but allowing your soul¡¯s outer layer to be destroyed¡ sounds like the definition of insanity to me,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°But perhaps that resilience of soul you¡¯ve developed is a part of what allowed you to remove Blessings, and how you acquired Eldritch Resistance.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure how exactly I gained Eldritch Resistance, but it involved resisting the corrupting influence of the three Eldritch divinities as they attempted to subvert my mind for a full year,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°But, given your long life are there no other methods of removing Blessings that you know of?¡±
¡°It¡¯s possible, if incredibly dangerous. This little reincarnator who serves me, Vespidia I believe her name was¡ she has a Mythical skill which might allow her to perform it upon herself,¡± the first emperor explained. ¡°In fact, I believe her last life ended because she attempted such a thing to spite the Gods and died in the process, but she did manage to get rid of the Blessing upon her soul.¡±
¡°Oh? Vespidia? I fought her in the Inter-Academy Tournament, she initially assumed I was an Avatar and didn¡¯t hold any positive opinion of them,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Truly, the grudge from her last life runs deep,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°I assume she participated just so she could strike a blow against that elf with the mutated Bloodline? She must want to free Faraine¡¡±
¡°I do recall her saying she had her little trick saved up for Othorion Evertree,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But, how do you even have time to keep abreast of all this when you¡¯re sleeping? And to free Faraine? Care to elaborate?¡±
¡°I¡¯m meditating, not sleeping¡ and the eyes and ears of the Empire extend farther than you think,¡± Balastion remarked cryptically. ¡°As for the elves, I won¡¯t ruin the experience for you, so I¡¯ll leave you to discover that adventure yourself.¡±
This old man had his eccentricities. But Orodan would let him have that much. The elves and their seemingly captive Goddess weren¡¯t his current concern. The abyssal depths and the first gate were.
¡°Fine, I won¡¯t ask you to tell me,¡± Orodan conceded. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the abyssal depths though. Last time you didn¡¯t want to tell me, but it¡¯s quite dark in there. Good thing I had the light of my soul, or else physical vision would¡¯ve been a handicap.¡±
¡°Yes, the lighting is rather dim in there isn¡¯t it? I believe it¡¯s due to a mutation the ostolitus mushroom undergoes at a certain depth where the world energy is dense enough,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°Lets it absorb world energy easier, but it consequently draws light in as well. Anyhow, what else did you see?¡±
¡°I actually met a naturally occurring Eldritch monster in there for the first time. A minotaur corrupted by the Eldritch,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°What exactly is the Eldritch? I doubt the minotaur was dropped in from the void between stars after being corrupted there.¡±
¡°In truth, even I don¡¯t know where naturally occurring Eldritch come from and what it is,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°During my travels down there, I saw natural Eldritch as well, but I have no idea how they came to be. There¡¯s definitely a difference between them and the foul invaders that have periodically descended from the stars throughout our world¡¯s history. Mainly, the natural Eldritch don¡¯t corrupt other creatures the same way; something to be thankful for otherwise the depths would¡¯ve been overrun by now. I can only offer a hypothesis, but perhaps it¡¯s because their corruptor is different. The champions of the Eldritch divinities were doubtlessly converted by them, whereas I do not think whoever, or whatever corrupted natural Eldritch is intent on spreading it.¡±
It made sense. Else the depths would¡¯ve been almost exclusively Eldritch by now.
¡°Despite my Eldritch Resistance, I didn¡¯t sense any attempts by it to corrupt me,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Of course, it still happily tried and succeeded in killing me.¡±
¡°Of course. If you haven¡¯t learned by now, the creatures of the abyssal depths are a strange lot,¡± the first emperor explained. ¡°Some will speak and converse, while others will just¡ fight to kill. I¡¯ll say this much, during my delve into the abyss I noticed that the monsters who spoke were the ones that had descended from the deep depths and sought to become stronger. They seemed to retain their sapience, or at least, their willingness to talk; they also hunted other monsters. On the other hand, certain creatures like the Fallen Void Archon and the Eldritch Minotaur you encountered, aren¡¯t interested in speaking at all, nor do they move a muscle to harm the other inhabitants of the abyssal depths. I¡¯m still not sure why.¡±
¡°Is it a matter of where they were born?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Are monsters naturally born in the abyssal depths and this leads to them being almost drone-like?¡±
¡°Now that would be telling and ruin your experience. You¡¯re a time looper, live a little¡ or perhaps, die a little,¡± Balastion Novar annoyingly remarked with a smile. ¡°See for yourself what secrets the abyssal depths have to offer. If you haven¡¯t figured it out by now, I can tell when you¡¯re lying, so claiming to have seen something when you haven¡¯t won¡¯t get me to discuss it with you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m aware, and nor would I lie. Honesty is my preferred approach anyways,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have to investigate the Eldritch further, alongside this first gate.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± the ancient being cheered. ¡°But I do have to ask, the corruption of the Eldritch, any advice to share in how you acquired the resistance skill against it?¡±
Orodan had no problem with advising this man who¡¯d been cordial and even helpful towards him. Who knew? Perhaps attempting to gain the skill was a part of the first emperor¡¯s plan to deal with the Eldritch?
¡°I¡¯ll say that any attempts to acquire it outside of life and death battle are incredibly difficult. Any time I¡¯ve tried acquiring resistance skills outside of fighting, has been frustratingly slow. If anything, the training, and exposure beforehand will only make the acquisition during battle easier, but won¡¯t let you acquire the skill by itself,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°That it¡¯s a mythical rarity skill makes the issue even harder. I came to consciousness after a full year of resisting the Eldritch to discover I¡¯d acquired it. Even as a time looper, I¡¯m told it¡¯s a dangerous risk to take.¡±
¡°I see¡ I¡¯m not in a time loop, but surely there¡¯s a method of acquiring a resistance to it otherwise?¡± the man asked.
¡°Well, aside from exposure in the heat of combat, it¡¯s truly difficult to reliably obtain a resistance skill,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°That being said, when I acquired Divine Resistance, it was through relying on the power of my soul and experimenting with its production point and focusing upon the quality of my soul energy. Perhaps there might be a path there, but any attempt to gain Eldritch Resistance will at least require you to subject yourself to the corruptive voice of ¡®the truth¡¯ that they rave about.¡±
Balastion Novar¡¯s face looked almost¡ fearful as Orodan mentioned ¡®the truth¡¯ of the Eldritch. The man had a crown to experiment with and might not have liked what he saw in his experiments.
¡°We can¡¯t all have endless willpower like you Orodan Wainwright,¡± the man replied with a shake of his head. ¡°Time loops aside, the most unfathomable thing about you is this illogical faith you have in your own mind. My ability to detect lies can¡¯t distinguish genuine belief in one¡¯s strength from delusional bravado, so I cannot even verify if your will is as strong as you say. Although, the feats you claim to have done are true at least.¡±
¡°Not to sound disrespectful, but history tells of how the Empire of Novarria was forged with blood and conquest and united from a gathering of petty kingdoms and tribes,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I doubt willpower should be an issue for you.¡±
¡°My friend, you lack perspective¡ you do not understand the immensity of the feats you¡¯ve done. A part of me still thinks you¡¯re delusional and that you genuinely believe in falsities whenever my skill tells me you aren¡¯t lying,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Do you think resisting the willpower of not one, but three Eldritch divinities is normal? And to do it for a full year and then regain control? To kick out three Gods possessing you in Avatar form and regain control?¡±
¡°Their minds weren¡¯t all that impressive when push came to shove,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°They gave up rather quickly once they realized I wouldn¡¯t back down.¡±
¡°And that¡ is what¡¯s utterly peculiar about you,¡± the man commented. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have any mental skill to allow such willpower? A hidden Bloodline? Perhaps you¡¯re a reincarnated being from the greater universe who has yet to remember?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not certain, but to my knowledge so far, I¡¯m neither of those things,¡± he replied.
¡°Then you are an anomaly beyond anomalies my time looping friend,¡± Balastion declared. ¡°I am beginning to see the real reason why whoever is in charge of this time loop chose you. Mortal, and even divine willpower should be a finite resource, the soul cannot take strain forever before it naturally slows in a bid to naturally avoid stress, the mind can only tolerate so much before it snaps, but you¡ you just seem to have no limits. The wills and mental abilities of divinities are incredibly potent, in no way should a mortal less than fifty years of age ever be capable of resisting and then kicking them out. While I can kill Avatars in combat, I wouldn¡¯t dare engage in a direct mental battle for control against a divinity itself, they are older than I am and their mental abilities, far more profound. How a young man like you defies multiple Gods¡ is the real question.¡±
¡°I honestly don¡¯t know why I am the way I am,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Even in my very first death, I cared not about my death and simply fought to the very end with no hesitation. I admit, a smart time looper would¡¯ve made smarter decisions and come up with many efficient plans by now.¡±
¡°But would a smart time looper with a mortal level of willpower been able to achieve what you have?¡± Balastion asked. ¡°Who else would be mad enough to commit to the dangerous methods of growth that you have? Anyhow, let us return to the topic of the Eldritch, anything else you feel is relevant?¡±
¡°Well, I can¡¯t offer anymore advice on how to acquire the resistance skill itself, but I¡¯d recommend looking into soul training,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°When my outer soul layer was destroyed, I discovered who I really was inside. Similarly, when the Eldritch tried corrupting me, this driving force, my true self, was rather relevant. I feel it¡¯d be useful to be in tune with your true self if you ever face the corruptive influence of something foreign like the Eldritch.¡±
¡°Sound advice, I ask that you repeat that part to me in the loops going forward,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°And maybe leave out the suggestions of facing the Eldritch with willpower alone in combat.¡±
¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll help you more with it myself once I have the time and this set of loops against the abyssal depths is concluded,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I had one more question however; you mentioned something called a ¡®transmigrator¡¯ in our last conversation, in the East I believe. What¡¯s that?¡±
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
¡°Ah, those meddling miscreants,¡± Balastion remarked with a sneer. ¡°There are worlds other than our own in the wider universe. Whether by accident or intentionally, sometimes a fallen soul from a nearby world can make their way to ours and enter the body of a native. It¡¯s incredibly rare, and I killed one such meddling fool in my youth many millennia ago who stood atop a floating sword and proclaimed he would reach the heights of the heavens or some such nonsense. The world tolerates them, and as do I unless they decide to become overly ambitious. But make no mistake, they are not natives of Alastaia. Their arrival is harder to detect than a reincarnator¡¯s, but I keep a close eye on our continent and know to look where others would not.¡±
Different worlds? A flying sword? Perhaps there was more to Akelrim than met the eye. Orodan would have to talk to the man in a future loop.
The idea of exploring other worlds was admittedly intriguing, but Orodan had enough to do on his own for the moment. Which for now, meant the abyssal depths, and many, many deaths against it.
He was committed to devoting as much time as was needed.
Like that, five loops had passed, and he was now on the sixth attempt. He had a gut feeling that he would make some decent progress this time.
Each loop was a weeklong, so Orodan had gone through what was essentially a month of training, with an intense session of combat at the end of each week where he made increasing amounts of progress against his foes in the depths. Progress wouldn¡¯t have normally been so rapid if it was merely skill growth, but Orodan¡¯s soul was freed of all seven Blessings it formerly had, which meant he had a rather high ceiling for Action Increases now.
First of all, his Action Increases had capped for now at a Permanent +13 Action Increase. Removing the seven Blessings upon his soul had allowed him to reach this new max number, and Orodan was monstrously powerful now. Compared to himself five loops ago, he was monumentally stronger now. There was no way he would begin making the Void Archon and Minotaur struggle within just five loops otherwise.
His progress in the depths had begun to jump with each Action Reward he gained.
On the second loop, he had caused the Minotaur to get serious. By the third loop he made the Fallen Void Archon begin casting at full speed. By the fourth loop he¡¯d made them both begin working together. And on the fifth, he made them both serious and felt very close to achieving a breakthrough in acquiring another elemental resistance. This loop, it would be different.
With each added Action Increase his power jumped, and he was approaching the level of strength where he might be able to contend with a quadruple-Grandmaster thanks to the unfair nature of having fourteen of himself working together. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as though launching fourteen All-Strikes in the same instant of time and space made each individual one any more powerful or destructive. He would still need to improve his offensive prowess and make his attacks denser and deadlier to cross the wide gulf in power, but he felt he was close.
Besides, the creatures of the abyssal depths had their own secrets and tricks. The Fallen Void Archon for instance, was also a Soul Grandmaster, and it was decent soul training for Orodan as his soul had been flayed over and over. If he could get it to talk, he wouldn¡¯t mind discussing soul theory with it. The Minotaur¡¯s Mythical skill wasn¡¯t related to the Eldritch, but actually made it become exponentially stronger and faster as the battle progressed. It had been a kind of rage he¡¯d never seen before, but it truly inspired Orodan, and he¡¯d closely watched it and took inspiration to work on his own rage. A development was impending there as well.
In fact, the Minotaur, which could be found down the middle tunnel from the first chamber of the abyssal depths, might actually be the strongest creature in that section altogether. Its Mythical skill which allowed it to grow stronger and faster as the fight went on seemed to have a very high ceiling, and Orodan wanted to continue testing himself against it.
That being said, the initial chamber which he¡¯d taken to calling the slime chamber, had three tunnels to go down. And he¡¯d gone down the other two tunnels and encountered weaker, but still interesting creatures.
The tunnel on the left had led to a Sorrow of Magic, as Arvayne Firesword had once told him. And to Orodan¡¯s immense surprise, it also had the Mana Black Hole skill! It was quite the fun battle where the two of them competed in drawing the mana out of one another, desperate to prove who was the true lord of the skill.
The Sorrow of Magic won the skill level contest of course, being a Grandmaster in it, but it was excellent training for Orodan¡¯s Mana Black Hole. But even though it could drain mana faster, Orodan panicked it into fleeing once it realized his energy was endless. He actually didn¡¯t give chase to kill it since it was an oddly peaceful creature which didn¡¯t attack first. The chamber ended up leading to the Minotaur anyways, where he died.
The tunnel on the right had led to a colony of dozens of dual-Grandmaster time ants who immediately tried slaughtering Orodan. They panicked immensely once they realized his energy pool was too large to be affected by chronomancy, and began hastening themselves instead. It was a tougher battle than he thought it¡¯d be, but Orodan prevailed all the same. The ants seemed completely unwilling to back down whatsoever despite being the sapient speaking sort which implied they¡¯d descended to the abyss naturally. The triple-Grandmaster time ant brood mother¡¯s pleas to leave her hatchery untouched answered why.
Orodan left the time ants alone and made a mental note to simply beat them till incapacitation in further loops. Killing defenceless young didn¡¯t sit right with him, and their birth was all part of the circle of life which he¡¯d barged into. He continued down the right chamber which also led to the Minotaur, where he died again fighting both it and the Fallen Void Archon.
Five loops, each lasting a week, and he¡¯d made excellent skill gains.
For starters, Cleaning went from 74 to 76. It was both gratifying and confusing to see that he just didn¡¯t face the level 75 bottleneck that he had in almost every other skill. It came naturally to him, so perhaps he had a real talent for it. Alongside it, Vision of Purity increased from 41 to 45.
Alchemy went from 55 to 57, although he was beginning to approach the limits of natural talent and repetition and would need to concoct new things and use new ingredients and methods to make good progress. Woodworking actually gained a level and went from 57 to 58 thanks to constant work on the construction site, but this too, was giving him diminishing returns. Laboring from 33 to 34 and Construction from 27 to 28 were also benefits he gained, although still suffering the same issue as Woodworking. Maintenance and Repair also gained a level each.
His Basic Healing however, in just five loops had made great gains, from 9 to 23. His fixation on Cleaning, his studiousness in ensuring wounds were treated correctly and his existing Tool Mastery and Vision of Purity all contributed to fast level gains at the Initiate phase. His control over his own body also meant that ¡®slips¡¯ or ¡®shakes¡¯ of the hand in doing fine work weren¡¯t an issue.
Orodan¡¯s education and nothing he¡¯d heard ever mentioned people with a very high level in the Basic Healing skill. The Republic, which used the Imperial tradition of magic and healing, was primarily focused on the Healing Magic skill in its education system. Surgeries which required the removal of foreign matter were performed in tandem with other mages, such as a pyromancer cauterizing a limb, or a spatiomancer extracting unwanted things. The actual healers would simply use magic to keep the patient alive throughout the process.
It was a method that worked, and Orodan wouldn¡¯t be arrogant enough to claim he knew better or had stumbled upon some ¡®true path¡¯ by honing Basic Healing, but it was good to know. And the main reason he wanted to improve Basic Healing was so he could acquire a better understanding of the body and what made it tick, especially when the time came to scrub his mentor¡¯s soul of Agathor¡¯s influence. Not only would he need knowledge of the soul, but he¡¯d also need a wealth of foundational knowledge alongside the ability to heal the body and perhaps re-establish the soul¡¯s connection to it if things went awry.
Weapon Aura went from 86 to 88 over his experiments in trying to control the soul of other beings.
His magical tutelage in the depths, guided by his book companion also went well. Much to Orodan¡¯s dislike, he had made decent gains in his two¡ spells. Draconic Fireball went from 12 to 19, and Flare went from 26 to 29. Mana Manipulation went from 54 to 55 and Draconic Mana Channelling increased from 45 to 46. Much to his displeasure, he also gained the Fire Magic Mastery skill, which started off at 4.
Acquiring a Mastery skill wasn¡¯t just a matter of using a spell which used the element. One had to use the element in every possible way and be exposed to all aspects of it. Just like one couldn¡¯t obtain Sword Mastery while simply swinging the sword but had to also parry, defend, evade, riposte, and expose themselves to all aspects of the weapon¡ so too did Fire Magic Mastery require one to be exposed to all parts of fire. It came about when he used a Flare to actually light a dark passage in the distance, something he¡¯d apparently never done before. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Orodan now finally took the correct first step towards understanding fire magic, hence the title.
Which meant that in time, he¡¯d start to acquire Fire Magic titles¡ and become closer to a mage. Horrifying, but his protests and whining were shut down by his book companion, who smacked him upside the head every time he complained.
His companion had told him that he had a unique advantage afforded through Harmony of Vitality. Most mages couldn¡¯t learn more than two, maybe three elements as the elemental attuning required to cast a fire spell would gradually change their mana circuits to being more suited for fire. Which of course, made other elements quite difficult to learn and their spells dramatically harder to cast. However, Harmony of Vitality constantly re-created cells in his body to keep him at peak condition, which meant his mana circuits were always fresh and unattuned to a particular element. On the downside, even if reached the Grandmaster-level, if all else was equal he wouldn¡¯t cast a fire spell as potently as a fire attuned Grandmaster. But he wasn¡¯t blocked off from honing the other elements like they were.
Unpalatable magic training aside, his Pathfinding went from 34 to 36, and he felt this was the limit of what he could gain in this section of the depths. Exploring a known area over and over wasn¡¯t conducive to skill level gains. Civilian hunters, trackers and cartographers at minimum were Pathfinding Apprentices, so he was on the level of the less talented among them now.
Jewelcrafting had made a decent gain of 11 to 21. Ten levels over five weeks, not bad. In time, Orodan could see himself becoming a middling Jewelcrafter who could at least find, polish, and create his own enchanting focuses, or even learn to make empowered stones for magical rituals or high-level crafts.
Gathering went from 27 to 31, and he acquired the Gathering Apprentice title. Apprentice-level gatherers often worked at farms and forest preserves or as herbalists and foragers for expeditions. At high levels, gathering was actually rather prized for being able to extract ingredients without damaging them, and many specialist workers in House Simarji¡¯s magical plant gardens in Jerestir were Gathering Adepts. They were the only ones qualified to harvest certain exotic magical plants.
Mining went from 13 to 17, but progress would be slow. unless he worked in a mine or stumbled upon some nation-shaking motherlode, he just wouldn¡¯t find enough precious stones and ore to train it as much. Admittedly, he could begin mining mountains, but that wasn¡¯t his focus at the moment, and destroying the depths could harm his mole and goblin friends. All the work with various tools had also pushed Tool Mastery from 59 to 60 as well.
His assistance in teaching Zukelmux also netted him five levels in Teaching, bringing it to 6.
And then, were his combat skills, about which he could give an entire lecture.
Suffice to say, many things had improved across the board.
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity enjoyed the benefit of being hit with so many titanic assaults in the abyss. It went from 73 to 75, and the multiplier of damage return increased ever upward. As did Harmony of Vitality, which went from 87 to 88 and gave him a leg up on survival with just the one level gained. These two skills were the centrepiece of his survival and the damage he returned.
However, he also used a slew of other skills in combat, and the ones which made up his fighting style all experienced gains. All-Strike, Unassailable Fortress, Vitality and Mana Black Hole, Bulwark Physical Resistance, Endless Blitz, Death Rage, Dying Struggle and Iron Body all gained levels.
Combat Mastery, Physical Fitness and Unarmed Combat Mastery also gained a level each as for once, Orodan wasn¡¯t simply pounded by divine beams and unable to fight back. The Minotaur was a good source of combat experience, at least until the Fallen Void Archon joined the fray.
All in all, his gains across just five loops of death against the abyssal depths, were excellent. And this loop, Orodan felt that there was a lot of progress to be made.
Alarms were blaring, and Orodan was in the segregation unit of the Ogdenborough Jail, experimenting upon his least favorite vampire¡¯s soul. Yes, he disliked this dirty blood sucker more than he did the True Vampire in the energy well. At least that being hadn¡¯t sadistically killed children that he knew of.
¡°Please! Spare me!¡± the vampire shrieked. ¡°What have I done to earn your ire, mighty one?!¡±
¡°If anyone warrants some very painful experimentation, it¡¯s this one,¡± his book companion spoke. ¡°How close are you to cracking the secret?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m not about to breach the soul core, yet¡ not anytime soon either,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of raw force, but a matter of pushing past an impossible wall. But that¡¯s not the target I have in mind just yet.¡±
It was true. In his experiments at the jail, while he improved his Weapon Aura, he was no closer to understanding how exactly the soul core of another being could be breached. Oh, breaching his own soul core was doable enough, but to invade that of another? An impossible task.
If so many Grandmasters across the ages had tried it, and the first emperor himself said even the elves, the oldest known civilization in the world, hadn¡¯t managed it¡ then this wasn¡¯t something Orodan could rush. The soul core was something he would keep trying to breach, but not his immediate target anyways.
Over the course of five loops worth of experimentation he realized that this vampire was the ideal test subject. For one, he was more resilient than the scum in the protective custody unit. And for another, vampirism almost functioned like a curse, affecting the outer layer of the soul as well. From what Orodan could see, the soul core hadn¡¯t been affected. Whether it was a matter of time, or a matter of it being unable to he wasn¡¯t sure. But all the same, being able to cleanse this vampire¡¯s outer soul layer of the blood sucking taint would be an excellent first step in the right direction. From there he could even cleanse the two hunters in Scarmorrow¡¯s healing house of their curses and work his way towards purging Blessings from others.
Orodan¡¯s willpower pressed down, and for once he not only pressed with Weapon Aura, but also Soul Manipulation. He already knew he could painfully expand his soul core to cover his entire physical body, so that Eternal Soul Reactor produced soul energy from every point. But why not extend that to the soul of another?
Orodan felt the familiar pain of soul expansion as he willed the core of his soul to go forth.
¡°Boy! Wait! That can only end in disaster!¡± his companion spoke. ¡°Attempting to push your own soul core towards another never ends well!¡±
Of course, she was attempting to warn Orodan Wainwright away from danger. An exercise in futility.
It wasn¡¯t the tendrils of his outer soul layer that extended towards the vampire¡¯s soul, but his soul core itself. Naturally, attempting to push his soul core out towards another soul meant that his outer soul layer would also touch theirs. Which was why, when Orodan suddenly began experiencing the mind and memory of another, he wasn¡¯t too surprised.
It was his first time entering a mindscape. There were two methods to entering someone¡¯s mind. The first method was through psionic skills, a psionic targeted the mind specifically. The second, was through the soul, although this was much harder and required the soul mage to not only be familiar with mental combat, but also fight on two fronts, the mental battle, and the battle against the target¡¯s soul.
Two souls making contact directly, otherwise known as soul melding, was something that naturally resulted in the second method.
During his education at Bluefire, he knew that soul melding was highly illegal, extremely dangerous, and resulted in soul explosions of catastrophic scale. And even then, nefarious Grandmasters of the soul arts were recorded as only attempting to merge the souls of other beings together in experimentation, not their own. All known attempts in recorded history had ended in failure and destructive consequences.
Yet, for Orodan having his soul exploded wasn¡¯t even the worst thing. He¡¯d already gone through the experience and still had a powerful enough will that he was able to reconnect with the memories within his soul core. This was to say, he wasn¡¯t concerned about his own soul in this experiment.
His willpower was unfathomable. A regular person having their soul touch another person¡¯s, would most likely fall unconscious as they entered the mindscape and experienced their memories. Furthermore, the experience was supposed to be reciprocal, so the vampire should¡¯ve experienced his memories as well, but Orodan¡¯s control over his own mind was strong enough to put a stop to that. Even though he was mentally drawn into a mindscape, he still maintained full awareness of his body and also blocked the vampire from entering his own mind. Something the average psionic and soul mage needed to reach Adept-level for, Orodan could do with willpower alone.
Perhaps his naturally strong mind gave him an advantage in the mind arts? He made a note to explore the skillset in the future.
His mind maintained awareness of the real world, even as he found his mind drawn into the scene of a dark alleyway. The sky was tinged with flecks of red, likely the foul influence of the vampirism upon the blood sucker¡¯s soul which also tainted the memory. A terrified little girl was on the ground in front of him, looming over her, was a nefarious creature, seeking to jump upon the child. Ordinarily, he should¡¯ve experienced the memory from the vampire¡¯s point of view, but again, shoving his soul onto another¡¯s and using his titanic willpower to forcibly maintain total control, led to an experience different from a typical soul meld.
All the while, the memory attempted to fight him. He wasn¡¯t simply connecting to the vampire¡¯s mind, which would technically be easier if his goal was to merely read memories and gain information. No, the mindscape was a side effect of directly connecting his soul to the other person. During a soul meld, memories, emotions, thoughts, and self would all be exposed, and Orodan was resisting not only its mind attempting to naturally resist, but also its very soul fighting against his. Its mana and soul energy both furiously resisted his endeavor at control.
The vampire didn¡¯t even seem to be consciously aware of the battle occurring in the background, as its memory self was intent on preying upon this child. Likely a real event that had occurred, and it was replaying it now in memory.
Not on Orodan¡¯s watch though.
He appeared beside the blood sucker, his self in the dream looking similar to himself. The vampire¡¯s memory and soul fought him at every opportunity, seeking to distort his image and lower his abilities. Preferably banishing him outright and ending the contact between their souls, but Orodan refused to allow it. Fourteen minds backed by endless willpower demanded his existence in its memory, within its foul soul, and he stood, eyes burning with white light from his own soul.
¡°S-somebody help! Mother! Father!¡± came the cries of the little girl. The light from Orodan¡¯s eyes made her own widen in hope.
¡°Who are you?! You dare interrupt my hunt?!¡± the vampire shrieked, but it still backed away in fear at the sight of Orodan.
Technically, this was his first mental battle.
Mental battles were a new environment for Orodan, but from what he knew, the environment and the host themselves were potential targets for different reasons. The vampire itself within the dream, was its consciousness. Whereas the memory and environment being targeted could harm its outer soul layer and memories.
While interrupting this heinous memory was one of Orodan¡¯s targets, his main goal was to purge the foul vampiric taint from its soul.
Thus, Orodan worked from both angles. The multiple ¡®clones¡¯ in the real world, worked on using Weapon Aura and Vision of Purity to keep tight control of the vampire and monitor the situation within its soul. All while his actual mind was within, his own Soul Manipulation working through his soul core to affect the vampire¡¯s.
The standard method of soul assault involved generating tendrils and attacks from the outer layer of one¡¯s own soul, which would then strike at the outer layer of the target¡¯s. However, Orodan was directly pressing his soul core against the vampire¡¯s soul.
It was quite intrusive, and Orodan felt the vampire¡¯s own outer soul layer desperately attempt to influence his own. But¡ Incorruptible Being stepped in to prevent it, and his own willpower allowed no reading of his mind.
Instead, within the memory, Orodan struck it down. The mindscape was a different sort of battlefield, and he could create weapons made of pure soul energy. A swing from a glowing white sword took its head off, immediately turning it unconscious in the real world. The memory grew incredibly hazy due to the vampire being unconscious.
[New Skill (Rare) ¡ú Soul Assault 5]
[New Skill (Rare) ¡ú Soul Mastery 61]
[New Title ¡ú Soul Adept]
Through using his soul to launch an assault upon another, he¡¯d finally been exposed to all aspects of the soul arts, leading to the mastery skill. But it wasn¡¯t Soul Magic Mastery, it was Soul Mastery, a higher rarity mastery skill. A welcome addition to his skill set, and one that was long overdue. He hadn¡¯t used mana to fuel the soul assault, but the light of his very soul¡ soul energy.
It began at level 61, reflecting his existing deep understanding of the soul. He wasn¡¯t a soul specialist, but his innate comprehension of the soul likely surpassed most Adepts and even many Elites of the art. And in some respects, he might even have insights which Grandmasters didn¡¯t. His other soul skills were very high, and it only made sense that acquiring a mastery skill for the soul now would have it begin at the Adept-level.
Immediately, his new Soul Mastery made a serious difference. Everything involving his soul was stronger, more profound. With the boost gained from the skill, Orodan felt confident in continuing his push.
His new Soul Assault skill began at level 5 due to him using his soul core to enter the vampire¡¯s soul and target it with pure soul energy instead of mana. He instinctually felt that he could now use the simple method of using his soul¡¯s outer layer to form tendrils and launch soul assaults. But¡ this wasn¡¯t enough, the result would be a dead end, and he knew there was something more.
He used Soul Manipulation to guide his own soul core towards the foul taint within the vampire¡¯s soul, and this was used in combination with Soul Assault to target the impurities. Pain filled Orodan¡¯s mind once more at the act of forcing his own soul core to mangle and extend in such a way. It was akin to ripping your arm out and using it to grab something. But it came with benefits.
[Soul Manipulation 91 ¡ú Soul Manipulation 92]
The constant crucible his soul had undergone through fighting the Archon finally came to a head. One more level was gained, and Orodan felt a breakthrough occur.
Why could someone enter their own soul core, but others couldn¡¯t even breach the surface of it? It was because souls rejected foreign energy. Mana based soul attacks were doomed to never succeed in penetrating a soul core. Souls were naturally averse to anything foreign entering. Souls, the outer layer, and the core, weren¡¯t even composed of particles like most things such as mana and vitality, so of course anything that was composed of particles would be recognized as foreign.
Tendrils from his own outer soul layer could enter a target¡¯s outer soul layer, but the soul core rejected those as well. What he needed then¡ was to forcibly smash his own soul core against the vampire¡¯s.
Four skills were combined to do this. Soul Manipulation, for the raw finesse and handling of his soul core and its energy. Soul Assault for the actual attack. Soul Strengthening to continually strengthen and empower the energy he was using for the offensive, and finally¡ Weapon Aura to maintain absolute control of the target¡¯s soul during the attempt.
His soul was manipulated with masterful control, the core extending towards the target in a titanic assault. The soul energy strengthened at the points of contact, and the subject of the assault, under complete control the entire time as his soul¡¯s core enveloped the entirety of his target. It was all-encompassing, it was¡ an Absolute Soul Dominion.
[Skill Combination - Soul Manipulation 92 + Soul Assault 5 + Soul Strengthening 43 + Weapon Aura 88 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 57 (Mythical)]
The vampire wailed in the real world, but within, its soul was scoured from outer layer all the way to a fourth of the way into its soul core.
In the last moments of the assault, he saw the memory of a man willingly subjecting himself to the ritual of vampiric conversion, all for the sake of indulging in his sadistic desires. There were no bites involved, simply a ritual circle and a focusing device for an artifact which contained some kind of fell blood-related energy.
The memory was interrupted and all traces of the vampiric taint, were eradicated. But the man¡¯s nature, which was rotten to the core, still remained.
He tried pushing in further to the man¡¯s soul core, but this was where he encountered real resistance which he knew would take a very long time to overcome. Another fourth of the way into the core, and he would reach the area where Blessings were held, but there was an esoteric barrier of strange numbers and symbols blocking it. The symbols and numbers looked very similar to the gibberish message he saw twice now when touching the darkness of death.
It was related to the System. Orodan wouldn¡¯t be crossing it for a while, but behind it laid the space where Blessings and Rewards would be held. He needed to eventually learn how to bypass even this if he wanted to save his mentor Arvayne Firesword.
Still, he had cleaned the foul taint of vampirism from the man¡¯s soul at least.
[Cleaning 76 ¡ú Cleaning 77]
The soul was cleansed of the curse. And Orodan understood more about it, that the curse actually originated in the soul and then spread to the blood. And given what he¡¯d seen in the converted man¡¯s memories, perhaps the popular folk tales about vampires spreading their vampirism through bites weren¡¯t true.
Orodan looked closely at it with Vision of Purity and he saw that the taint was slowly receding all throughout. The curse of vampirism was gone.
It wasn¡¯t anything ground-breaking. High level curse breakers of the Cathedral were capable of the same thing, and any vampires who hadn¡¯t committed crimes and sought clemency could be purified and put under watch for a period of time before being released into society. Of course, high level vampires who were in tune with the curse of vampirism also gained benefits from it, such as increased talent for learning certain arts, improved physical abilities and lifespan increases from blood consumption.
Vampirism was one path to immortality, but the Cathedral and all human civilization detested it for rightful reason.
The blood suckers¡¯ curse aside, Orodan willed his new mythical skill to wrap around his arms, legs, and weapon. Weapon Aura was gone from his Status, but this new skill was an improved version of it and none of the old skill¡¯s functionality had been lost. His empowered weapons would be far stronger now.
Rather, he felt that improving Absolute Soul Dominion would also make the ability to manipulate his soul easier, make the soul energy he had denser and more powerful, and also allow for stronger assaults upon the souls of his targets.
As it stood, this new Mythical skill allowed him to essentially reach out with his own soul and seize control of the target¡¯s. At level 57 it was strong, but still needed work if it was to get past the System related barrier he¡¯d seen a fourth of the way into the soul core. But regardless, it was incredibly powerful.
And a familiar necromancer coming by to interrupt would be an excellent test subject.
¡°Now what¡¯s all this clamor about a Master-level intruder coming by and causing a ruckus? Wait¡ is that my experiment?¡± Master Fausta asked. ¡°I still had more work to do with it, you¡¯re not-¡±
Of all the mage professions out there, Orodan hated necromancers the most. He didn¡¯t let her finish as his Absolute Soul Dominion shot out and took control. The range wasn¡¯t fantastic, being limited to only fifty metres, but such was an acceptable limitation when he was basically extending his soul core towards hers. That it could extend fifty metres now with a skill combination instead of requiring direct contact, was a fantastic gain.
Suddenly, he was within the memory of a woman, surrounded by holy warriors of the Cathedral, light magic at the ready as they stood before a summoning circle. Within, a Demonic Berserker.
¡°An offering from us to you m¡¯lady Fausta, for all the services you¡¯ve rendered to us and our Lady Ilyatana,¡± one of the priests spoke. ¡°This Demonic Berserker shall make a fine minion for you since you sacrificed your last one in battle on our behalf.¡±
He already disliked this necromancer scum, but to hear she also worked for the Goddess of Fate? Orodan had enough.
Her consciousness was severed with a glowing blade and her soul kept under strict control. But this was a Master-level necromancer, a mage with a large mana pool. In the real world, even though she was unconscious, her body crackled with necromantic power as her mind and soul both attempted to resist Orodan¡¯s mythical skill.
Within two minutes, her mana pool was drained entirely dry, however he had to spend at least ten times the amount of his own soul energy relative to her mana pool. His mythical skill was meant to be costly, as even a dual-Grandmaster couldn¡¯t pay such a hefty price simply to hold control over another person¡¯s mind and soul. If anything, if energy cost was factored in, this would reasonably be used on a defeated enemy whose mana pool was drained.
Of course, energy wasn¡¯t an issue for Orodan, so he turned a Mythical skill into an unfair weapon.
The first thing he did, was halt her mana regeneration. Immediately, in the real world three artifacts on her person shattered with a ringing boom, likely the items which tracked the status of her minions. Without mana, they were no more than inert corpses.
And the second and final act, was to destroy the outer soul layer and rip the soul straight out of her body.
[Absolute Soul Dominion 57 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 58]
As the lifeless body of the necromancer lay before him, Orodan could only wonder how effective this might be against some of the foes in the abyss.
Unfortunately, his Action Increases were still capped at 13. He¡¯d have to gain more levels with Absolute Soul Dominion in order to make room. It was a problem he considered, that on the loop he managed to finally defeat the Eldritch Avatar he¡¯d have to ensure he saved some space for whatever Quest Reward came his way. According to Cyvrosdyr, it should be powerful, so it¡¯d be a waste to have it aborted.
Still, the loop in which he completed the second Quest would be a six month long one, so he would have enough time to gain levels and make space.
Before him, stood the Avatars of Eximus and Ilyatana, leading the Novarrian forces. This was his usual battle against them after disabling the machine, but this time, Orodan was certain he could kill both. His abilities were already powerful enough to overwhelm either Avatar in direct combat now, and he no longer functioned as a reforming but ever-approaching death, but now had the strength to actively overpower them.
¡°Focus fire on him! Where are the dragons?! Where is Demosthenos?!¡± roared Eximus as Orodan¡¯s Endless Blitz combined with All-Strikes overwhelmed the Avatar. Ilyatana, cowardly Goddess as she was, attempted to sparingly help but shied away from the melee combat she was rather pathetic at.
Within five minutes, Eximus was near death and Ilyatana looked on in fear.
¡°Stop! We surrender! If we let you go, will you leave us be?!¡± Eximus pleaded.
¡°No. You can either die fighting, or die begging,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Then again, there¡¯s no real consequence for you is there? If your Avatar dies you merely lose a host. So, how about we see if the consequences can be made a bit more dire?¡±
The Avatar of Eximus was on his last legs, the divine energy within not as powerful as it was at the beginning of the fight. And now, Orodan used his new Mythical skill upon it.
Absolute Soul Dominion surged forth, and a divine wail of agony rang out.
It wasn¡¯t the soul of the God himself, but the soul of his host Cruxamar Aetholion that Orodan had seized control of. But, there was a reason Gods could only possess one Avatar at a time. It was because their consciousness was within the Avatar, and this was what the first emperor had preyed upon when bullying Agathor with the power of the Eldritch crown.
This too, was what Orodan was seeking to exploit.
He entered the memory of a Cathedral. This was the Cathedral of the Prime Five at Novar¡¯s Peak, and it was a ceremony of Blessing bestowal, where a God would grant their power to a loyal follower of theirs. Usually, these were momentous occasions recorded in history books, such as when a Favored was ascended to Chosen through acquiring a third Blessing, or a regular Blessed becoming a Favored.
This memory then, was when Cruxamar Aetholion had become the Chosen of Eximus.
And upon Orodan¡¯s entry into the memory, Cruxamar Aetholion immediately turned around and looked right at him.
¡°Invader! Get out of my mind! My Lord, he¡¯s here!¡± Cruxamar shouted, and soon, a divine beam of chronomantic light landed within the memory.
Ten feet tall, clad in an ever-shifting robe of silver and grey, and with the divine radiance of divine chronomantic power around him, was Eximus. He looked like a young man, and it was the first time Orodan had ever seen a God¡¯s true face.
¡°You¡¯re uglier than I thought you¡¯d be,¡± Orodan insulted. ¡°I thought Gods would be prettier.¡±
¡°If you wanted vain appearances, you should¡¯ve attacked Ilyatana,¡± Eximus spoke. ¡°But you are now trapped here mortal fool. Your arrogant belief in your superiority extends only so far as the physical world. Here, in my Chosen¡¯s mindscape, not only will you face us both, but divine willpower will never lose to a mere mortal. Surrender, and I may have further use for you.¡±
After his conversation with Balastion, he could understand why Eximus felt so confident in defeating him in mental and soul combat. Mortals had limits to their willpower according to the first emperor. But Orodan Wainwright was the anomaly who defied these conventions.
And Eximus had picked the worst person to assume this basic fact for.
Divine energy collided with Orodan¡¯s own soul power, all while Cruxamar Aetholion continually modified the environment and memories in an attempt to give his God an advantage in the mental battle. Unlike the vampire and the necromancer, the Chosen was seasoned in mental defense and immediately reacted to Orodan entering his memory. Eximus too, was also incredibly powerful in this metaphysical battleground.
Orodan was chopped, crushed, burned, and sent flying dozens of times. His Divine Resistance helped, but Eximus also used actual soul energy in this mental landscape, something he didn¡¯t do or wasn¡¯t able to in the actual world. Which complicated matters as the God¡¯s attacks hit very hard when empowered by soul energy.
But this wasn¡¯t the real world where he had to worry about physical injuries and his body dying¡
¡this was a battle of mind and soul, where Orodan¡¯s willpower mattered.
And Orodan Wainwright, had an endless supply of it.
Two minutes of mental combat later, Cruxamar had perished in the mindscape, leading to his unconsciousness in the real world, and Eximus, was about to fall as well.
¡°Impossible! How¡ how?! What are you?! No mortal should be capable of defying the willpower of the divine! How does your mental strength and determination have no limit?! Your soul should have naturally submitted long ago!¡±
The God of Time roared in fury and disbelief as Orodan simply ignored him and moved to press the tip of a glowing blade of pure soul energy into his head.
¡°No! Stop! Killing me here will put me in a slumber for long enough that the world will be lacking in defences when the foul force from beyond arrives!¡±
¡°You needn¡¯t worry about that, for I shall deal with the Eldritch,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°For now, I¡¯m putting you in a time-out.¡±
The glowing blade stabbed down, and a horrifying wail rang out.
Orodan¡¯s consciousness snapped back to the real world, and before him was the corpse of Eximus¡¯s Chosen, bereft of any divine energy. To the side, the Avatar of Ilyatana looked on in horror.
And behind the Avatar, one of the triple-Grandmasters of Novarria spoke up. His voice subdued and trembling, but in the dead silence it was all too loud for everyone to hear.
¡°I¡ I can¡¯t access my Blessing¡ I can¡¯t slow down my perception of time¡ it says, ¡®The God empowering your Blessing is no longer present¡¯. W-what does that mean?!¡±
Orodan¡¯s smile grew manic as he heard the words. His predatory gaze shifted to the Avatar of Ilyatana.
In that moment, the divine glow left the host¡¯s eyes. Ilyatana ran, like the coward she was. Her Chosen abandoned; his Avatar state lost.
Eldramir, the patriarch of the Soaring Flame dragon flight arrived shortly after, but upon seeing Orodan¡¯s lack of combat and hearing of the loss of one of the Prime Five, he too simply waited quietly.
Finally, Demosthenos Albathrax arrived through the portal alongside the Chosen of Malzim, and the first emperor, and Orodan had much to discuss with the man.
Their conversation had lasted two hours and went over the time loops. It was only now that they were returning to the topic of Eximus.
¡°He¡¯s not dead but slumbering for a decent amount of time. At least a year, if the last time I did the same to Agathor a few thousand years ago is any indication,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°I used the Eldritch power of the crown against that idiot, and he stupidly insisted on remaining to fight against it. The Prime Five have been rather wary of me ever since.¡±
¡°Nicely done, but Agathor remains obstinate and still enjoys meddling in the affairs of the world,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°If only there was a way to permanently slay them.¡±
¡°If what you tell me about the Eldritch Avatar is any indication, it¡¯s capable of corrupting Gods, so mayhap that¡¯s one way of slaying them, although an undesirable one as it simply adds reinforcements to the side of a greater enemy of ours,¡± the first emperor spoke. ¡°But I¡¯ll have to keep in mind the advice you gave me about potentially damaging my own outer soul layer to become further attuned to my true self.¡±
¡°You know¡ I never asked you what your plan is for dealing with the Eldritch threat? Did you plan to fight it in Novarria? Or engage it after it killed every other being that wanted to fight it upon landing?¡± Orodan asked. He¡¯d never seen the first emperor arrive in the fight against the Eldritch Avatar, and while the man was incredibly powerful, Orodan wasn¡¯t too sure if he matched up against the Eldritch Avatar one-on-one.
¡°Ah, yes. Fighting it upon its descent would be quite foolish. You do realize that it will be at its most powerful upon landing in the Valley of Spires, yes? That place is saturated with Eldritch energies which have been festering for over a hundred-thousand years,¡± Balastion explained. ¡°Rather, the elves have the right idea, fortifying their continent and preparing countermeasures to face it.¡±
¡°So, you intend to face it here? But how? Don¡¯t tell me you plan to use the crown against the Eldritch,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°That thing is possessed by three Eldritch divinities; I don¡¯t think using the Eldritch against it will work.¡±
¡°You¡¯re correct. The crown isn¡¯t meant for use against the foe, it¡¯s meant to train me in developing Eldritch Resistance,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°Just as you¡¯re getting close to acquiring resistance skills for many of the spells that Fallen Void Archon hits you with, so too am I on the cusp of understanding the Eldritch. Hence why I¡¯ve been asking you for advice in how you acquired the skill. When the battle comes, I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll have an epiphany.¡±
¡°That makes sense. But surely there are more plans in place? Even with Eldritch Resistance, it¡¯s beyond monstrously powerful,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I only killed it while empowered by three Gods, flaring my soul to levels I could never manage otherwise, and returning its most powerful attack almost fourfold.¡±
¡°Once again, you speak true,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°Which is why I won¡¯t be fighting fair. Once you¡¯re done dying against the abyssal depths and investigating the first gate, come find me in Novar¡¯s Peak in the next loop. You¡¯ll find that the architecture of my city itself has been prepared over a very long period of time for such an occurrence.¡±
The first emperor spoke cryptically, but Orodan didn¡¯t push the matter. He was planning on exploring Novarria for his next long loop anyhow. But for now, as Balastion said, the abyssal depths awaited him. Hopefully for the last loop.
¡°Foul predator! You are no prey!¡± the dark slime roared in fear and anger as it attempted to flee.
Orodan¡¯s Endless Blitz, All-Strikes and Vitality Black Hole made short work of it after. It was too much to hope to acquire Dark Resistance, but this triple-Grandmaster dark slime just wasn¡¯t strong enough to push him enough for that.
He went down the left tunnel and gave the Sorrow of Magic another beating, although with no level gained in Mana Black Hole. And he then doubled back and went down the right tunnel to engage in a battle against the dual-Grandmaster time ant hordes, none of whom he killed as he made sure to simply give them a thorough beating.
Finally, he passed through and arrived at the chamber with the Eldritch Minotaur, a quadruple-Grandmaster with a Mythical skill, a rage that made it stronger and stronger as the battle drew on.
His own Death Rage activated, and his Physical Fitness of 86 alongside all his empowerment skills actually made him stronger than the Minotaur¡ for the first split second of contact anyways.
Its rage then kicked in and Orodan was pushed back in the next second and began getting ragdolled three seconds later as its power began ramping up. Eternal Soul Reactor began churning with incredible power, and it all fed into Harmony of Vitality.
What was rage? His own Death Rage was just inadequate nowadays, he felt it too weak, he needed to go further, but how?
Ten more seconds of battle passed as the titanic blows of Orodan and Eldritch Minotaur rang throughout the chamber. Its stone walls reinforced with incredible amounts of world energy and soaked for many millennia, were strong enough to take the impacts and shockwaves.
Despite fourteen of himself fighting at once, the Eldritch Minotaur was still on the winning end of the exchanges, but Orodan was surviving. Its flesh tore and its muscles were destroyed as its rage picked up, and Orodan was somewhat confident that he could survive long enough to have its own Mythical rage skill burn its body out.
But as usual there was a third wheel in their fight.
His soul was burning at a high enough level that the familiar Fallen Void Archon arrived, its six arms glowing with spells of various elements, and this time, soon as it arrived, Orodan decided to try his new skill upon it.
Its first teleportation into the chamber was the one which put it closest to him, and this would be Orodan¡¯s only chance to have it within range of his new skill.
Absolute Soul Dominion shot out, and all fourteen minds of his worked at full capacity to seize control of the Fallen Void Archon¡¯s mind and soul.
Immediately, he entered a mindscape of the void between stars. The memory of a being cast out from its own species for committing foul crimes and floating amid the void between stars with strange chains wrapped around its body. It floated for a time till it ran into a strange wormhole, surrounded by familiar System symbols around the edges. This wormhole took it somewhere foreign, and the memory then only felt the warmth and salvation of a motherly being, its chains were unbound, it was transformed as it allowed its soul to be altered willingly, and soon it gratefully served its saviour, its only purpose, to do the bidding of¡ Alastaia.
Its yellow eyes turned towards Orodan with utter fury as it discovered his presence within its mind. Soon, a furious mental and soul battle erupted.
The Fallen Void Archon was incredibly proficient in soul combat, being an entire three tiers above the Soul Adept Orodan. But, Orodan had two Mythical skills working concurrently. Absolute Soul Dominion for the assault, and Eternal Soul Reactor for the endless power. The battle seemed incredibly long, but in reality, only five seconds of combat passed, and Orodan successfully seized control of its outer soul layer, halting its energy generation entirely.
He couldn¡¯t kill its consciousness, as it was too slippery and kept evading and fleeing once it realized Orodan was a juggernaut of infinite willpower. Thus, it still kept slinging spells in the real world, although with reduced power and frequency.
Which finally bought Orodan the time he needed to familiarize himself with the elements it was hitting him with.
The first, was ice. Best resisted by altering the very temperature of his own body and altering the cells to become adaptive to sudden temperature drops and retaining vitality and cellular functions even as temperatures went below sub-zero.
[New Skill (Exquisite) ¡ú Ice Resistance 3]
The second, was water. In fact, he had extra practice and inspiration in learning to counter liquids and amorphous substances from fighting the dark slime. Learning to seal off the pores in his own skin and make his body liquid repellent, was the first step, and the second was demanding the very flow and direction of the liquid change as it hit him.
[New Skill (Exquisite) ¡ú Water Resistance 4]
And finally, came earth, which he didn¡¯t gain a skill for, but which he could more than easily survive now that the other two elements were accounted for.
The Fallen Void Archon¡¯s eyes widened as Orodan gained the two resistance skills, and finally, he could ignore it as he focused on the foe that really mattered. The Eldritch Minotaur.
What was rage? It couldn¡¯t merely be the rage a creature felt when struggling against death. There were superior forms of rage out there. The rage a parent felt when their child was threatened. A cold rage, a hot rage. Rages which ignited not only the vitality, but also the mana, the very soul.
What Orodan needed then, was a rage which began from the very soul and involved all pools of his energy. One that raged with all his emotions. One that wasn¡¯t merely one-directional but all-encompassing.
He needed his Death Rage to evolve.
The struggle of death, the rage felt against it, and the reserves of mana and vitality he had built up, it all came together. And he took inspiration from his offensive All-Strike to combine it all together with soul energy.
But that wasn¡¯t enough. His would be a rage that drew in everything around him and used it to fuel his ferocity. A rage against all around him fuelled by his enemies. An¡ All-Consuming Rage
[Skill Combination - Death Rage 86 + Dying Struggle 84 + Mana Black Hole 81 + Vitality Black Hole 82 ¡ú All-Consuming Rage 83 (Mythical)]
And as its ever growing rage came towards him, Orodan¡¯s new skill pulled all its fury, all its momentum, towards his own. Immediately, he realized that the new skill had functionality beyond just what the combining skills had possessed. Skill combinations could go beyond the combining skills provided one had enough comprehensions and willpower of what they wanted of the resulting skill.
And in Orodan¡¯s case, All-Consuming Rage stole not only his enemy¡¯s vitality and mana, but also the very momentum and force of their attacks, to fuel his own rage. The Eldritch Minotaur became slower, its attacks having less force as the very rage empowered madness seemed to drain from it, towards Orodan.
The stronger his foe, the greater his own rage would now become.
His physical abilities were now titanic, this was almost three times stronger than Death Rage to begin with, and then more could be added depending on how much he stole from his foes. And this Eldritch Minotaur, had a lot to steal.
But the Eldritch Minotaur wasn¡¯t the bearer of a Mythical skill without reason. Orodan¡¯s draining also helped it by allowing it to last longer since its rage wasn¡¯t ravaging its own body as much. Like this, the battle was extended.
Thirty minutes passed, and the Fallen Void Archon, whose soul wasn¡¯t allowed to generate energy for its skills, stopped casting spells altogether and simply left the battlefield. Either realizing it wouldn¡¯t win, or to gather strength and reinforcements, it retreated and went beyond the range of Orodan¡¯s Absolute Soul Dominion.
Leaving just him and the ever growing Minotaur who he was draining.
The battle continued for another two hours, and alongside his ability to drain it, Orodan was now able to indefinitely survive its fury. However, the outcome was always certain.
Orodan¡¯s energy was endless, its power was not.
His new Absolute Soul Dominion empowered sword cleaved its head from its shoulders. His sword and shield could now survive battles alongside him. And the Eldritch Minotaur¡¯s remaining body was obliterated with an All-Strike.
Orodan had won.
He didn¡¯t know how much further he had left to go, but there was still more work to be done.
To delve further into the abyss and investigate the first gate. And maybe run into more of its denizens alongside whatever reinforcements that retreating Fallen Void Archon might bring.
Chapter 38 - The First Gate & The Next Long Loop
The abyssal depths were eerily quiet after Orodan¡¯s defeat of the Eldritch Minotaur. This wasn¡¯t to say that the monsters vanished, but the ones that spoke and had a measure of sapience, simply gave him a wide berth. While the ones like the Fallen Void Archon and the Eldritch Minotaur were nowhere to be found.
Orodan advanced down tunnels of pure darkness, the only source of light his own soul. Vision of Purity, his method of detecting the surrounding miles, saw that many creatures would remain out of his sight but still fearfully watch him. Even those that were entrenched and Orodan suspected would otherwise be aggressive, simply looked at him warily as he passed by. Anything in his direct path, would swiftly vacate it and relocate.
Long as they didn¡¯t attack him, he had no reason to assault them.
He simply followed whichever path led deeper; his Pathfinding skill kept him on the right track. Along the way, he ran into a wounded space spider hatchling that¡¯d failed to flee in time as the rest of its brood did, and it called him the killer of ¡®the maddened one¡¯. Apparently Orodan¡¯s feat of slaying the Eldritch Minotaur had made waves in the abyssal depths, and its residents took note and appropriately reacted to his passage.
Which was nice as it saved time, but also annoying in that he got no further opportunities to train his skills. Still, anything that fled from him now was likely weaker than the Eldritch Minotaur. And from the times he used Observe he noticed all the creatures were triple-Grandmasters, and no higher. Powerful, but wisely fearful of Orodan who had slain a quadruple-Grandmaster and driven away another.
At some point however, the idle stroll had to come to an end. Vision of Purity told him that a gigantic chamber was ahead, and within, multiple beings who stood in place and didn¡¯t move as though they were about to flee at the sight of him. One of them was the familiar Fallen Void Archon.
As Orodan rounded the corner into this gigantic cavern, the light of his soul burned a bit brighter, and he even sent some Flares out to visually see what lay before him.
A flat wall, nearly a hundred metres tall, and at least a mile wide. It was made of an incredibly durable stone which looked unnaturally uniform in his Vision of Purity. There were no visible impurities in this stone, which contrasted with the other rock surrounding it as that had at least some impurities, even at this depth where everything absorbed world energy hungrily.
At intermittent spots, this ¡®wall¡¯ had the familiar glyphs and symbols of the System periodically glowing upon it. And in the center, the glyphs were far denser, almost hinting at an opening. This ¡®wall¡¯ was beginning to seem more like a gate.
Was this then, the ¡®first gate¡¯?
The question would have to wait, as a familiar figure stood in front, looking at Orodan as he approached. Yellow eyes, long white skull and six arms glowing with elemental power, although it didn¡¯t attack immediately. It was the Fallen Void Archon, and beside it, two other beings of similar power.
He used Observe on the first.
[Name: Aherozam The Blood Rejecter (Species: True Vampire)
Title 1: Physical Grandmaster
Title 2: Combat Grandmaster
Title 3: Blood Grandmaster
Title 4: Claw Combat Grandmaster
Title 5: Avatar Slayer]
Seven feet of grey skin and corded muscle, with ruby red eyes and hands ending in clawed fingertips. It was a True Vampire akin to the one he¡¯d faced within the energy well. It wasn¡¯t lanky like the other one either, indicating a more robust physique and that the Physical Grandmaster title would go farther than otherwise.
Orodan had already slain the quadruple-Grandmaster Minotaur, so this would be difficult but doable. Although he¡¯d have to be very wary of the Blood Grandmastery. He nearly died against the power of the last True Vampire he faced when it used an attack of that foul element. This being didn¡¯t even have a Mythical skill, at least per its titles. He could survive the Fallen Void Archon¡¯s spells since his resistances made the difference. This foe then, would be the hardest obstacle to surmount.
Another Observe was cast on the second figure.
[Observe 10 ¡ú Observe 11]
[Name: Siyendara The All-Torturer (Species: Psionic Centipede)
Title 1: Psionic Grandmaster
Title 2: Soul Grandmaster
Title 3: Fire Grandmaster
Title 4: Pain Grandmaster
Title 5: Grandmaster Slayer]
Twenty feet of skittering legs which ended in sharp tips, and it was surrounded by dangerous looking flames. It also emitted periodic flashes of what Orodan knew to be soul energy. Orodan had resistances for every one of its titles, but this foe would still be a test of his mental fortitude as it¡¯d doubtlessly assault both mind and soul while inflicting terrible pain and scalding flames.
And of course, the Fallen Void Archon would also be present. This then, would be a three-on-one. Two foes who he had resistances for but who lacked melee prowess, and one foe who would be the primary physical threat.
¡°Am I right to assume behind you is the first gate?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Why do you guard it so insistently? Are you perhaps¡ gate guardians of a sort?¡±
No reply came from the Archon or the Centipede, but most surprisingly, a reply came from the True Vampire.
¡°Mortal, I implore you turn back,¡± the True Vampire spoke. ¡°For you, beyond this gate lies only death. Why greedily covet what is not yours?¡±
Yes, Orodan was a battle maniac, but he wasn¡¯t without morals altogether. He didn¡¯t want to just slaughter these guardians wantonly if they were simply defending their territory.
¡°So, this is the first gate then?¡± Orodan asked in confirmation. ¡°With those glyphs, it must be related to the System in some way, no? I¡¯m not unreasonable, I don¡¯t want to simply kill you all, but I do seek answers. Mainly regarding the Eldritch.¡±
¡°As gate guardian, my brethren and I are oath-bound to not answer,¡± the True Vampire replied. ¡°I am sorry, but I cannot give you what you seek. You have shown your strength in slaying poor Kaliyega and ending his misery, and for that alone I dare to act against the spirit of my oath by even speaking to you¡ but I cannot allow you further than this.¡±
¡°Why? When I struck your brethren with my soul skill, I saw a memory of him floating through the void of space until he was drawn into a wormhole with suspiciously similar symbols to the gate you guard,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Is it perhaps a sense of gratitude for being rescued? Surely there are limitations placed upon you?¡±
¡°I cannot answer any more questions. Since the elder days of the world, you mortals have delved deeper and deeper, and your greed knows no bounds. If you¡¯re given an inch, you will try and take a mile,¡± the guardian replied. ¡°First it was the elves when they were young, but at least they had the skill and bravery to continue onwards and die standing. Then you humans came along, trying to prove yourselves, and once you made it past the threshold, you fled like dirty cowards. This threat from the stars you face is of your own making.¡±
That¡ was news.
Who was it that fled after crossing the threshold of the first gate thirty thousand years ago? All Orodan had was more questions.
¡°I see, thank you for giving me even that much. But I¡¯m afraid I still have more questions that require answers,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And your compatriot here ran away from our battle. We still have an unsettled score!¡±
¡°Bloodthirsty as ever, I see your kind hasn¡¯t changed at all,¡± the vampire spoke. ¡°To attack us with the intent of slaughter simply to intrude where you do not belong¡ vile humans.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t intend on killing you, just giving you a beating till you allow me to pass,¡± Orodan elaborated. ¡°And besides, your Fallen Void Archon friend here interfered in my fight against the Eldritch Minotaur. I thought he¡¯s a guardian, isn¡¯t he supposed to simply defend the gate? Since when is attacking people entering the abyssal depths part of the guardian oath?¡±
Orodan spoke in an outraged manner, but he didn¡¯t even know what the guardians¡¯ ¡®oath¡¯ was. So, his words were little more than hot air.
¡°Facing any threat to the gate is part of our duty,¡± the vampire spoke.
¡°Does that include coming up to the descending chamber in the deep depths upon detecting excessive amounts of soul energy?¡± Orodan asked, and that seemed to get a reaction out of the Fallen Void Archon for once.
¡°You lie human, never have I done such a thing,¡± the Fallen Void Archon spoke in an incredibly loud and alien voice which sounded like meteors crashing together, then translated through the System. And it was technically correct, as it hadn¡¯t happened in this loop, but the very first one where he cleansed the Blessings of the Gods from his soul and attracted the Fallen Void Archon directly from the abyssal depths. ¡°Your strength is great, as is your impossible ability to gain resistance skills against much of my offensive repertoire. Even if you bested Kaliyega and forced me to retreat simultaneously, you¡¯ll find three gate guardians at once a more difficult task to overcome.¡±
¡°I¡¯m flattered you feel the need to have three gate guardians for me,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Come then, let¡¯s settle the score from earlier Void Archon. I¡¯ll show you how even three of you aren¡¯t enough. And I¡¯ll step foot past the threshold and see what lies deeper in this abyss.¡±
Nothing else was said between the four beings involved. One moment they were conversing, the next, calamity occurred.
It was a good thing the chamber of the first gate was quite reinforced, otherwise at least a few hundred miles of terrain would¡¯ve been obliterated. Enough to destroy the smallest of the Eastern Kingdoms, and it was a humbling thought to know he was capable of collectively causing such utter devastation now.
The True Vampire was his main focus. Absolute Soul Dominion empowered his sword and shield and Orodan used an Endless Blitz of All-Strikes to match it blow for blow. It didn¡¯t have a Mythical rage skill like the Minotaur did, although, it was more skilled in combat. The Eldritch Minotaur was a mindless, crazed beast. This True Vampire was neither of those; it used the prowess of a melee-oriented quadruple-Grandmaster accordingly.
It flitted in and out and refused to engage with Orodan for too long in a single stretch. The moment it realized its own attacks were being returned with more than four times the damage, the vampire immediately lowered the damage of its attacks to a sustainable level. A poor choice if it assumed Orodan could be outlasted.
All the while, the familiar Archon continually sent spells of ice, water, fire, lightning, wind, and earth towards Orodan. Each arm corresponded to a different element, and it even began sending other elements such as steam and lava against him, although his existing resistance skills gave him much protection against those.
The Psionic Centipede, however, was a true annoyance. It wasn¡¯t that it could kill him or was dangerous, but that it genuinely forced Orodan to experience every kind of pain. Alongside soul and mind assaults of the Grandmaster-level and a constant scalding heat from its flames.
Its very species was related to psionics, and it was a quadruple-Grandmaster, so it undoubtedly hit Orodan with mental assaults beyond any he¡¯d ever experienced from mortals. The book, the headmistress of the psionic school at Bluefire, all would be put to shame against this naturally psionic gate guardian.
Despite his Psionic Resistance, Orodan still had his mind infiltrated.
Immediately, Orodan found himself within one of his own memories. He was in a dark alleyway, clad in ragged clothes and felt far smaller, as though he was a child. The shop owner threw out the trash, and at the very top of the bag, was a relatively unspoiled if stale, piece of jerky. Before him, a bigger and older boy with a hungry look in his eyes¡ and in his own hands, a broken and rusted sword he¡¯d found lying about town.
And in the sky above, a gigantic centipede looming above it all, swooping down towards him.
¡°I see one of your earliest memories is that of being a killer. Why do you speak to that soft vampire as though you¡¯re averse to slaughter? You were made for it,¡± it spoke in a strange and chittering voice which was translated. ¡°I too slaughtered and tortured my way across my home world until I was confronted and cast out to the void in exile. It¡¯s good to see somebody else with the same thirst.¡±
¡°We aren¡¯t the same. You used your strength to torture and bully the weak,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And while there¡¯s plenty of blood on my hands, it isn¡¯t because I enjoy slaughter. The boy I killed on this day, was because of my weakness. I was too weak to simply beat him till submission, and I was concerned he¡¯d get up and call the guard on me. I seek strength¡ so I never have to resort to desperate measures again. The power to live how I want.¡±
¡°Yet another soft one, you and that blood-rejecter would get along well,¡± it spoke, and then the mental combat truly began.
His mind snapped to attention and immediately his form changed back to his own. Like a juggernaut, he crashed into the psionic centipede over and over in the battlefield that was his mind. It outmatched him in terms of skill, finesse and understanding of how to move within mindscapes.
However, Orodan¡¯s Psionic Resistance was level 75. And even it began to look shocked at the other thing he had it handily beat in. Raw willpower.
Any other being would¡¯ve been knocked unconscious as their mindscape self was eviscerated, but for Orodan getting mauled in his own mind was merely standard practice. He¡¯d fought off Gods and Eldritch divinities before, and while this Psionic Centipede had displayed more skill in mental combat than either of them¡ it couldn¡¯t compare to someone who would keep getting up endlessly.
¡°Like attempting to move a world itself¡ I can see why the mage was unable to deal with you through soul assaults. You also possess the Psionic Resistance skill¡ level 70 at least? This assault of mine is beginning to cost more energy than it¡¯s worth,¡± the Psionic Centipede spoke. ¡°But know this, whether you thirst for blood or not, the path you tread can only lead to death and misery for you. I became anathema to my world, and so will you.¡±
[Psionic Resistance 75 ¡ú Psionic Resistance 76]
That was the final message Orodan received before he kicked the infiltrator out of his mind. Absolute Soul Dominion allowed him to easily defend against any attempts upon the soul, but Psionics could still prove to be a problem. Psionic mind assaults essentially bypassed soul defenses as they didn¡¯t target the soul, but the mind directly. Something to keep in mind for the future if Orodan ever ran into a stronger Psionic opponent.
In the real world, less than a second had passed throughout the entire mental battle. However, that was a long time in a fight where beings could launch hundreds of attacks a second. His body had taken some serious damage by the time he returned, and a hasty empowerment of Harmony of Vitality returned him to the fight.
All-Consuming Rage was activated, and Orodan began fighting earnestly.
Sword and shield empowered by Absolute Soul Dominion clashed against the True Vampire as fourteen of Orodan fought against it, all while the Archon hit him with an absolute torrent of spells which he could now resist easier. The Psionic Centipede kept a distance and had stopped its assaults as it realized every attack was returned more than fourfold. Its ability to dish out an offensive was great, but its ability to take one, not so much.
Like that, it had turned into a two against one once more, and Orodan felt better about the odds of his success.
¡°Siyendara! Assist us! Do not simply stand there in defiance of your oath!¡± the Fallen Void Archon roared as Orodan began to gain ground in a two on one fight rather than a three on one. ¡°Why do you shy away like a craven?! Utilize your mind arts to stall him once more!¡±
¡°I am afraid his Psionic Resistance is too high,¡± the Psionic Centipede calmly replied as it stood off to the side. ¡°That troublesome damage returning skill is simply too dangerous as well. Without a doubt it is Mythical at least.¡±
The Fallen Void Archon gave the centipede one last look of utter fury before the battle was resumed.
Fifteen minutes passed, and the battle raged on as Orodan continued pushing the True Vampire back. But, something distinctly felt off. He really shouldn¡¯t have been making as much progress as he had. He was facing two quadruple-Grandmasters. Yes, he¡¯d beaten the Eldritch Minotaur, but also because it had been far more mindless and unskilled than this vampire was. He at least expected to struggle more.
Absolute Soul Dominion struck the True Vampire, and suddenly Orodan found himself in a mindscape tinged with blood. An entire nation¡ fallen; slain to the last being. A vampire among the ruins of his former home, in front of him, the broken body of his wife, the last vestiges of divine power leaving her body. This was when it slew an Avatar.
This was the moment that led to it rejecting the power of its blood.
Orodan could¡¯ve moved forward and destroyed its representation in its mindscape, thereby sending it to unconsciousness. But something about the memory simply made him sad. And when the true vampire within the memory simply looked at Orodan, and then returned to mourning, he left out of respect.
Although, on the way out he recognized many dark fogs upon its soul and decided to clean some of those up during his exit.
[Absolute Soul Dominion 58 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 60]
In the real world, the vampire stopped fighting and simply fell to a knee, its eyes filled with complicated emotions. Its heart, lightened.
[Sword Mastery 81 ¡ú Sword Mastery 82]
[Shield Mastery 78 ¡ú Shield Mastery 79]
But instead of striking a final blow, his sword and shield were put away.
¡°You¡¯ve won mortal, I hope you-¡±
¡°Enough games,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°I understand why you haven¡¯t used the power of blood, but I still feel disrespected at the fact that you were holding back. Alongside that centipede deciding to simply give up mid-battle, this has been a little too easy.¡±
Silence reigned for a moment as the combat stopped.
¡°This weakling refuses to use the blood arts,¡± the centipede spoke. ¡°He isn¡¯t known as the Blood-Rejecter for nothing. There. No need for him to give his pitiful backstory now.¡±
A little rude towards what should¡¯ve been its fellow gate guardian, but at least that explained why Orodan had such an easy time. Beating three quadruple-Grandmasters at the same time should¡¯ve been an otherwise incredibly difficult feat. Hells, he was halfway expecting to die against the True Vampire a few times if it had used blood.
¡°And you, why did you just give up?¡± Orodan asked the Psionic Centipede.
¡°I don¡¯t like getting hurt,¡± it replied. ¡°Your skill is rather painful.¡±
¡°But¡ you¡¯re a Pain Grandmaster! That shouldn¡¯t mean anything to you!¡±
¡°Mortal¡ Pain Grandmastery doesn¡¯t come with the Pain Resistance skill,¡± it replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know how high yours is, but I am no glutton for punishment like you seem to be.¡±
Orodan simply shook his head.
¡°And what about you? The other two I understand, but why¡¯ve you stopped all of a sudden? Aren¡¯t you a gate guardian?¡± Orodan asked the Archon.
¡°In truth warrior, without my brethren keeping your attention, I do not think I have the means to survive a direct assault from you. I cannot simply flee it either as this gate is what I must defend,¡± the Archon replied. ¡°But¡ I still hope to convince you to not pass.¡±
Oh, so that¡¯s what this was. Orodan had given them a way out by offering a mere fight till defeat rather than one to the death. And since combat wasn¡¯t something they could win, the Archon instead chose to try one last attempt at words.
¡°I truly do seek answers,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Why did the Void Horror come up thirty-thousand years ago? Whom was it that fled after crossing the first gate and why did the Void Horror follow and annihilate civilization on the surface?¡±
¡°I am sorry¡ but I cannot answer those questions, my oath prevents it,¡± the Archon replied. ¡°You have come far mortal, but you will face only death past the first gate. The strength you¡¯ve shown isn¡¯t enough to survive. Surely the surface must value someone of your strength? Have you not those you care for? Why throw it all away to pointlessly die?¡±
¡°Death isn¡¯t a concern for me,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must pass then. Are you oath-bound to die defending the gate?¡±
¡°Yes, this is my section of the gate¡ I will die defending it, whether I want to or not. My brethren have come from their own entrances to assist me but aren¡¯t bound to defend mine till death or inability like I am,¡± it spoke. ¡°For such is the oath I took.¡±
The Archon simply nodded. The other two gate guardians weren¡¯t in a deathly state of urgency to stop him, but the Fallen Void Archon did look like it would fight to the death.
Without it attempting to flee or evade, Orodan caught it and easily wrestled it to the ground. Its specialty was spell casting, not the physical arts. But instead of killing it, he used Absolute Soul Dominion upon it, seeking to knock its consciousness out by killing its mental self.
And while it was quite slippery in the mindscape, with nobody else interfering, Orodan managed to eventually catch it and send it to unconsciousness.
¡°Mortal¡ I will not presume to tell you what to do,¡± the true vampire spoke. ¡°You respected the integrity of my memory, and my soul feels lighter thanks to you, which I am grateful for. But my brethren did not lie when he said only death awaits you beyond the threshold. Step foot past the first gate, and you will die.¡±
¡°I understand. The warning is appreciated, but I¡¯ll advance all the same,¡± Orodan replied. With slow steps he approached the center of the dense packing of System glyphs and symbols, and then, he put his hand upon the core. Which led to the entire stone wall condensing inwards into the glowing core in the center, the gate no longer present as it had been sucked in.
Beyond the threshold, it wasn¡¯t as dark as Orodan was used to in the abyssal depths. Glowing red ostolitus mushrooms lined the walls, as did incredibly energy dense mana crystals. Alongside something he really hadn¡¯t expected.
Civilization.
There were tall buildings in the distance, and Orodan¡¯s eyes could even make out monsters strolling about the roads, walkways, and bridges between the buildings. There was an entire monster civilization past the first gate.
Flying monsters, land-based monsters and all manner of strange beings akin to the Fallen Void Archon and the True Vampire were present. The True Vampire and the Centipede immediately exited the area, although they did retrieve the unconscious body of their companion as they did.
The opening of the gate however caused all of them to look his way, and their eyes widened in fear. Many roars, shrieks and cries of outrage could be heard, and he even heard a magically amplified voice or two urging him to turn back lest he bring ruin and doom upon them all.
Unfortunately, those voices reached him too late, as his foot passed the threshold of the first gate and stepped onto the other side.
[First World Gate Crossed - Alastaia]
[New Title ¡ú World Gate Delver]
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú The Descending Intruder - Defeat Orodan Wainwright, Delver of the first World Gate, protect the World Core of Alastaia]
Orodan¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the messages, and he felt the premonition of something very bad coming his way very swiftly.
The landscape before him was of an incredibly large descending grand hallway, and it was within this grand space that the many buildings and structures of the monster civilization were. However, it wasn¡¯t them who approached Orodan.
It was something quite big in the distance, and very fast. It looked familiar, although without the purple and gray lines of energy running through it, quite different in its natural state. A tall grey humanoid¡ from the visual description alone it looked shockingly similar to the Eldritch Avatar, but uncorrupted.
This was a Void Horror, untouched by the Eldritch.
And before Orodan could even think to use Observe, it had only one thing to say.
¡°Invader! I will not be dragged around on a chase like my brother was¡ stand and die with dignity!¡±
He prepared every single skill he had, but it was to no avail. The gigantic hand reached him and enveloped his entire vision. From what he saw, the attack was composed purely of soul energy.
Not a single cell was left to reform from.
Darkness was all he knew after it reached.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
Orodan wasn¡¯t even sure how he died so quickly, but that thing, whatever it was¡ must¡¯ve been the strongest being in that section of the depths. Possibly the strongest being past the first gate altogether.
Quests weren¡¯t usually given to weaklings, but to beings who were powerful and had the highest chance of success. The wandering hero Adeltaj aided for example, was a prince of the Eastern Kingdoms back in his day, and Cyvrosdyr was a World Guardian. Orodan still didn¡¯t know why the world had selected him for the Battle of Ogdenborough, but perhaps it knew about the time loops?
Either way, his grinding against the abyssal depths would come to an end for now. Orodan would love nothing more than to die against whatever monstrosities lurked below, but there were a few reasons he didn¡¯t just rush to do that. First, he was essentially barging into the home of these monsters and just giving them a beating, which was rather unjust. Additionally, he didn¡¯t want to potentially force the True Vampire to use Blood against him if he kept pushing it too far over and over across many loops. He had seen its memory and felt it disrespectful to corner it into such a thing, even if the particular entrance he approached wasn¡¯t the section it was gate guardian for.
Second, there was an entire civilization of monsters behind the first gate. Compared to his pre-loops self, Orodan had seen much more of the world now and knew that many monsters could be peaceful. Even if he got strong enough to the point that he could survive the Void Horror, he didn¡¯t want to simply clash against it and obliterate the monster civilization in the process. The collateral damage would simply be too high, and he wasn¡¯t apathetic enough towards innocent life that he was willing to cause such destruction each time.
Additionally, its final words before Orodan¡¯s swift death indicated that it knew the last Void Horror thirty-thousand years ago. Whether it was an actual sibling or not was up in the air. It also confirmed that someone really had fled and caused the Void Horror to be drawn upwards.
Despite not being empowered by the Eldritch, this unaltered Void Horror was oddly more dangerous to Orodan than the Eldritch Avatar. Yes, the Eldritch Avatar was more powerful overall, however Orodan had the vaunted mythical rarity Eldritch Resistance which allowed him to take less damage from Eldritch than otherwise. This unaltered Void Horror on the other hand, used soul energy, which Orodan had no defenses for. It simply had to be a quintuple-Grandmaster, there was no other way it was strong enough to one-shot Orodan otherwise.
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Therefore, until he could draw it somewhere there wouldn¡¯t be any casualties, Orodan wasn¡¯t interested in attempting to cross the first gate again. He needed not only power to fight it, but also a broadened skill set which would allow him to draw the battle elsewhere, preserve innocent lives and grow as a warrior.
It was time to learn more magic.
It was time to take Balastion Novar up on his offer and go to Novarria.
To see just how advanced the Empire and its teachings really were.
He cleaned his entire neighborhood, the mayor¡¯s mansion, the various shops of Ogdenborough and even paid a visit to the healing house of Scarmorrow to finally cure the two hunters of their curses using Absolute Soul Dominion.
This loop, his approach to Eversong Plaza and the ancient machine under the mountain would be a little different.
¡°Hey, who are you? Why is your face covered with a mask?¡± the Adept-level enforcer asked him. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the plaza belongs to House Argon?¡±
[New Skill ¡ú Disguise 1]
Frankly, Orodan couldn¡¯t believe such a shoddy rag covering his head and face worked. He didn¡¯t even need the eyes exposed as Vision of Purity did just fine in allowing him to ¡®see¡¯ things.
Of course, someone had to go and ruin the fun.
¡°Hey¡ isn¡¯t that¡ Orodan Wainwright?!¡± one of the enforcers atop the balcony yelled. ¡°Hey! Who do you think you¡¯re fooling?!¡±
¡°¡but how?! My disguise was perfect!¡±
¡°How do you expect to hide when you¡¯re so big?! I recognized your walk, and you have brown hair sticking out!¡± the enforcer yelled. ¡°What game are you playing?!¡±
¡°My Eagle Sight skill confirms it, that¡¯s Orodan Wainwright!¡±
So much for his disguise¡ it was time to do things a different way.
Absolute Soul Dominion lashed out and immediately targeted the nearest enforcer who saw him. Orodan found himself in the mindscape of a man in the midst of a fierce battle between a Republic trading caravan and a group of Guzuharan raiders. This was where the man achieved the Adept-level in Axe Mastery.
Orodan gently lashed out and eliminated the man¡¯s memory self, sending the enforcer into unconsciousness in the real world. He then quickly rooted through the man¡¯s memories in a haphazard way until he saw the most recent memory of his, seeing Orodan himself. He struck out and battered it into oblivion.
[Absolute Soul Dominion 60 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 61]
Less than a tenth of a second passed in the real world.
Orodan moved onto the next one, all while his extensive catalogue of cleaning supplies were in hand. Cleaning while simultaneously knocking out and memory wiping the guards of House Argon. This was his strategically concocted scheme to avoid attention this loop.
¡°You possess the finesse of an ogre in mental combat. Smashing their memories to remove them can leave lasting damage if done on anything but very recent ones,¡± his book companion spoke. He had picked her up from the White Cloud clan as usual. ¡°These poor louts will all wake up with miserable headaches and feel like throwing up.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that better than physically giving them a beating or killing them?¡± Orodan asked as he continued mopping the stone pavement of the plaza while knocking out another two Apprentice-level guards with Absolute Soul Dominion. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s an improvement over my early loops where I was a little wild and slaughtered them indiscriminately.¡±
This was a taste of the power Orodan had wanted all along. The strength to dictate his choices according to his own ideals. In the past stealth wouldn¡¯t have been an option once discovered, and Orodan would¡¯ve had to slaughter all enemy witnesses. But now? He could simply delve into their souls and knock them out while cleaning.
All around the plaza, people were out on the ground, unconscious from Orodan¡¯s soul scouring.
¡°Perhaps, but we¡¯ll need to work on your finesse with mental combat. Right now, you¡¯re mainly assaulting their soul and only reach their mind as a byproduct of that,¡± she explained. ¡°But don¡¯t get the mistaken notion in your head that you know anything about mental combat or the techniques of delving mindscapes. Your mind is anomalously powerful, but you¡¯re the equivalent of a newborn baby picking up a sword and using it, even though you have the strength of a mountain. Your natural mental strength is no substitute for proper technique.¡±
¡°I¡¯m aware of that. When I used Absolute Soul Dominion on some of the denizens of the depths, I discovered how woeful my skill in mental combat was,¡± Orodan spoke as he cleaned and knocked another three Adepts out as they exited the tavern to see what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised I gained no levels in a mental combat skill from all that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s harder to gain any mental combat related skills while using the soul as a medium to access minds,¡± she explained as she fluttered about his head. ¡°There¡¯s also the distinct possibility that you¡¯re quite untalented in the mind arts.¡±
Orodan had a slight frown on his face but didn¡¯t argue the possibility. He was already quite untalented at magic, so there was a good chance the mind arts were the same.
Either way, the conversation between them was cut short as he made his way to the front doors of the Castarian¡¯s Boot Tavern, the entrance to the tunnels beneath the mountain. He first began cleaning the porch, then the doors.
During this process, another guard came out.
¡°Oi¡ who the hells are you?¡±
¡°Cleaning staff, just tidying up a bit, look how dirty this place is,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I know you Argon goons have dirty characters, but does that have to extend to the tavern and its cleanliness as well?¡±
¡°You¡! I¡¯ll-¡±
The guard¡¯s speech was cut off as Absolute Soul Dominion struck him. Behind Orodan, the Republic loyalists who¡¯d featured in his first life, finally arrived, and looked flabbergasted at all the unconscious bodies lying about. Thus, he quickly entered the tavern.
A wealthy tavern interior with serving girls, guards, Guzuharan raiders and their warchief. The warchief was none other than Ovuru World-Drinker who was about to come out and engage the Republic loyalists outside. This was the man Orodan had died to in his very first life. A Master-level Guzuharan who was the chief of Clan Leviathan, a raider tribe.
¡°Oh? Those churls I sent out haven¡¯t returned and instead an unknown man wearing a raggedy disguise walks in?¡± Ovuru remarked, amusement in his tone. ¡°This should be entertaining! Let him make his excuse boys, I want to hear what he comes up with.¡±
¡°Greetings sir, I¡¯m with the Ogdenborough Department of Public Sanitation, and I¡¯m here to inform you that this building fails to meet sanitation standards,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Too much trash in one place.¡±
The Guzuharan warchief burst out laughing, and his raiders followed. Of course, they stopped laughing awfully quick once the handle of Orodan¡¯s broom, empowered with Absolute Soul Dominion, made its way through Ovuru¡¯s throat.
Killing a Master in an instant was but a trifling matter now.
He was trying to be better. But Guzuharan raiders were the reason Orodan was an orphan. The murderous scum would wantonly slaughter and murder during their raids on caravans taking coastal routes. Raider tribes, and their vile God Agorhiku, would get no mercy from him.
The other raiders were swiftly slain the next instant after Ovuru¡¯s death, and the hardest part was getting all the bloodstains and gore out of the wooden floorboards as he cleaned.
¡°If there are any complaints with the service, please take it up with the manager for our local branch, Olosco Fendinhall,¡± Orodan spoke as he cleaned. ¡°Our department strives to maintain a certain level of sanitation all across the Republic.¡±
He hoped this dumb excuse of his wouldn¡¯t get the poor manager in actual trouble.
Of course, expecting the remaining guards and staff to reply when they were shivering in fear was a bit much, so Orodan put them to sleep and silently continued his work.
[Cleaning 77 ¡ú Cleaning 78]
He received that message as he finished working on the tavern. The upper levels had more staff and a torture room with an unfortunate corpse who had been interrogated too harshly. A last-minute spy perhaps? Orodan had closed the victim¡¯s eyes, cleaned the corpse, and respectfully placed a blanket over it before making his way down to the tunnels.
The rocky pathways of the tunnels leading downward were also cleaned, all while Orodan ran into two Elite-level Novarrians who attempted to ambush him. Of course, Vision of Purity saw everything, including the Novarrians waiting in the control chamber. He swiftly knocked them out and continued as he cleaned his way downward.
¡°Sir, have you heard the reports¡ some sort of maniacal janitor is invading us! No word from the Guzuharans or their warchief¡ some eccentric Master of the Republic no doubt!¡± spoke an Adept Novarrian soldier to his superior, an Elite-level halberdier. ¡°Captain Tibiratus, what do we do?!¡±
¡°We can¡¯t fight, I¡¯ve heard no communication from sirs Esterios and Leonikos, and they¡¯re both Elites like myself¡ we¡¯ll die if we attempt to resist,¡± the Captain spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll try and negotiate! Surely, they¡¯ll spare a poor penal battalion?¡±
¡°I have no desire to kill you if that¡¯s what your concern is,¡± Orodan spoke up, catching them by surprise and causing them to all jump. ¡°I knocked everyone unconscious on the way in, grab the bodies of your comrades and make your way outside the tavern. Republic loyalists should be coming in anyways, so simply surrender to them and your lives will be spared.¡±
¡°Truly? We cannot thank you enough for your mercy, esteemed er¡ cleaning master?¡±
¡°Not yet¡ I¡¯m still twelve levels away till I can call myself that,¡± Orodan corrected.
¡°Sir¡ if you don¡¯t mind me asking, you¡¯re here for the machine, aren¡¯t you?¡± the Captain asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°In that case, allow me to repay your mercy by warning that there are at least two Masters within the control chamber. Duke Arestos¡ and¡ Baron Viglas Argon. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed by now, House Argon has betrayed your Republic.¡±
¡°Oh that? I appreciate the warning, but I have no need or interest in fighting weaklings if I don¡¯t have to,¡± Orodan replied, causing them to look at him in wonder. ¡°I¡¯ve also known for a while now that House Argon are traitors.¡±
He continued on his merry way, cleaning and knocking Novarrians out, and when he reached the junction just before the control chamber, where a group of ten Elite-level Novarrians were waiting for him, Orodan made his move.
There were various vents and holes in each chamber which led deeper into the mountain, and of course, at the level they were, it was the wild depths. Thus, when a vent from the wild depths led all the way to the deep depths, it was an excellent escape route.
All-Consuming Rage activated, and Orodan cleanly drained the entirety of the machine. He disregarded the messages and subsequent notice of aborted Reward and simply hopped down the dark hole which led to a very low part of the deep depths as Vision of Purity informed him.
As he did so, the door to the control chamber slammed open and Duke Arestos had an enraged look on his face. Well, Orodan did ruin the man¡¯s fancy little toy.
¡°Stop him! He-¡±
The words were cut off as gravity carried him down the hole, down past the wild depths and into the deep depths. On the way down, Orodan encountered a Grandmaster monster here and there but tried to fall past without conflict. The cockatrice and snake he encountered were too surprised and flabbergasted at his sudden descent to react and he happily allowed gravity to carry him past them. A Grandmaster centipede attempted to snap out with its jaws and catch an easy meal, but it immediately shrieked and fled back into its burrow once Orodan was close enough. Its monster instincts kicked in, allowing it to recognize that it was trying to catch a meal vastly stronger than itself.
Finally, just as he was about to reach the bottom, his fall was broken by something elastic but quite strong. Spider webs. The Grandmaster great spider to whom the webs belonged, looked mortified.
¡°Invader! Get out of my web!¡± it shrieked.
¡°Apologies, I was simply trying to escape my pursuers above,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I¡¯m trying to avoid killing Novarrians this time and the only way to reliably avoid the Avatars and Grandmasters without too much collateral, is by entering the deep depths.¡±
¡°So more pursuers will come this way and threaten my home?!¡± it shrieked angrily and its fangs glistened. ¡°What calamity have you brought upon me?!¡±
Orodan felt slightly bad. This great spider had simply been minding its own business, and then he had dropped into its web, startling it and introducing the threat of potential pursuers.
¡°Look, I¡¯m very sorry, your webs are pure enough that my Vision of Purity didn¡¯t detect them until it was too late,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°How about I carve you a safe path to a new home as recompense?¡±
¡°And have you betray me in a vulnerable moment when I¡¯m separated from my web? I think not,¡± the spider replied. ¡°Leave and never return!¡±
Orodan sighed but abided by its request. He was the one at fault for falling into its home anyways. He tore apart the webs binding him with casual ease, causing the spider to warily back further into its burrow, and then he finally hit the ground at the bottom of the hole he¡¯d been falling down.
Vision of Purity sensed the arrival of a familiar Novarrian Grandmaster up above, but the man would be stupid to delve into a hole which led to the deep depths. And Orodan would be long gone by the time he gathered enough reinforcements to do so.
He¡¯d travelled for a full day in the deep depths, heading in the direction of Novarria before he finally felt confident enough to tunnel upwards. It had gained him two levels in Pathfinding.
Of course, almost everything in the deep depths had run away upon seeing him. Yes, the creatures at that level underground were quite territorial, but a large enough difference in power, and even a daring monster¡¯s instinctual senses would warn it that tussling with Orodan was a bad idea.
The good part about using the deep depths to travel, was that virtually no tracking methods he knew of worked thanks to the abundant amounts of world energy which caused interference. The threads of fate within the tapestry became extremely muddled, mana signals and threads were jumbled and spatiomancy was incredibly difficult without set relays to maintain a stable chain.
In other words, he hadn¡¯t been tracked or followed once he broke the surface.
Now, he stood before a city he¡¯d only heard stories about as the oldest human city on Inuan.
Novar¡¯s Peak was located in the center of the Empire of Novarria. Long ago, when the first emperor had formed the empire by uniting a number of disparate tribes and petty kingdoms, this was the mountaintop his coronation was held upon. After the collapse thirty-thousand years in the past, the Empire of Novarria was the first human nation of real power to emerge over nineteen-thousand years ago. And unlike Karilsgard which was merely a few thousand years old, this city¡¯s architecture and development was positively ancient.
Towering spires which were taller than Mount Castarian, and not just a few but enough to make an entire district of towers at the center, and crowning it all was the imperial citadel, the oldest human building on the continent. If Orodan thought Karilsgard was a sight for the eyes, then Novar¡¯s Peak made it look diminutive.
Tower district aside, miles upon miles of buildings extended from the center, and Novar¡¯s Peak was at least three times the size of the Republic¡¯s capital city. Little wonder then, that the Imperials referred to their academy as the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy, as though saying there was no need for a specific name, the association with the city¡¯s was enough.
Orodan had many miles of urban sprawl to trek through, and he¡¯d have to do it slowly to avoid drawing attention. Sprinting through and causing damage just wasn¡¯t an option. Novar¡¯s Peak was atop a mountain, but the urban development consisted of walled ¡®rings¡¯ which denoted districts. There were multiple districts, but the central three were the most important. The commercial district where high-end goods were sold, arenas were run, adventurer guilds operated, and all sorts of luxury services were provided. The noble district where some of the oldest families and lineages of humanity made their residence, and the royal district with all the towers where the imperial citadel and the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy were located.
Frankly, Orodan could spend multiple loops exploring the city and still not discover everything.
The walls were over a thousand metres tall and had intermittent defensive towers much like Karilsgard did, with crews of ranged martial specialists and mages atop each one. And of course, dangerous looking magical artillery weapons. Altogether, the city¡¯s defenses could likely kill an Avatar or force it to burn out in its attempts to get through.
There was much development outside of the outer walls, but nothing of critical importance. Whatever was outside, was mainly concentrated around the gates, where the entrances to this grand and ancient city were. It was here, that Orodan began his venture into Novar¡¯s Peak.
His brown hair was on full display, and his raggedy covering gone. In Novar¡¯s Peak, on the second day of a new long loop, nobody knew Orodan Wainwright; not when he¡¯d taken steps to ensure his identity was hidden as he disabled the machine.
¡°Boots! Get yourself a fresh pair of sturdy boots! Lots of walking if you¡¯re entering Novar¡¯s Peak!¡±
¡°So much to do, so much to see! Get yourself an official map of our ancient city, certified by the Department of Tourism! Only ten silvers!¡±
¡°Tour guides available, starting at thirty silvers an hour! Discounted rates available for the full day!¡±
Such was the hustle and mercantile bustle near the Flower Gate, which was the most popular entrance to the city meant for tourists, visitors, and commerce. A full battalion of guards was posted at the gigantic entrance. They inspected people, checked caravans and the contents of containers, and many of them atop protruding walkways scanned the crowds entering and leaving with hawk-eyed ardor. From what Orodan could sense, each gate also had an Elite-level guard who could respond immediately to threats. The woman was inconspicuously sitting atop a crate looking at a list pretending to be a mere administrative civilian, but Orodan¡¯s instinctive sense didn¡¯t lie; the woman was stronger than any other guard present.
And a problem soon became apparent, although it was Orodan¡¯s own fault for appearing the way he was.
¡°Hold it! Who¡¯re you?¡± an approaching Adept-level guard asked, accompanied by another. ¡°You look dirtier than a laborer but have the physique of a warrior with weapons to match. Identify yourself.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright, I simply want to see the sights of the city,¡± he replied. ¡°I wanted to visit the Memorial of the First Emperor.¡±
¡°¡are you mad? They wouldn¡¯t let you within a mile of the citadel looking like that,¡± the guard replied. ¡°Get out of here before I slap the dirt off your face.¡±
The other guard, older looking, stepped in and ushered his colleague back.
¡°You look tough, and your eyes tell me you¡¯ve seen real combat before,¡± the senior guard spoke, addressing Orodan. The man then turned back to his brash fellow. ¡°Servus¡ this man wouldn¡¯t be wandering around alone, looking dirty and with weapons at his side if he didn¡¯t know how to use them. I reckon the dirt¡¯s from traveling, so have a bit more respect in how you speak boy. I doubt you¡¯d fare well in a fight against him.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not looking for trouble,¡± Orodan assuaged. ¡°I really do just want to see someone in Novar¡¯s Peak.¡±
¡°Might I ask who?¡±
¡°The first emperor,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Oh? You must mean the memorial chamber in the citadel,¡± the guard spoke, and Orodan didn¡¯t correct the man¡¯s assumption. ¡°Servus speaks with the arrogance of a youth yet to be humbled, but it¡¯s true that there are certain dress regulations to be allowed in as a visitor to the royal district, and monetary requirements. You have the coin for it?¡±
¡°Not quite¡ but I¡¯ll make do somehow,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°As for my entrance to the city, do I need to pay you something? Or am I free to enter? Your Captain sitting on the crate there looks rather unconcerned, so I take it that means the decision-making power is yours.¡±
¡°Normally we don¡¯t allow peasantry, unskilled laborers and shoddy-looking visitors through the Flower Gate. Lowers the visual appeal,¡± the guard spoke. ¡°But you look as though you¡¯re an adventurer, so I¡¯ll ask you to make your way towards the nearest guild to register.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it? No fees? No tests or background verifications?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not from us,¡± the guard replied. ¡°Now then, go on before the Captain wonders why we¡¯ve been talking for so long and decides to wander over.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t have to be told twice, so he simply went along past the Flower Gate. And as he did, his Vision of Purity didn¡¯t miss the pulse of dirty mana sent from a signal amulet to a source further into the city.
The streets of Novar¡¯s Peak past the Flower Gate were spacious and lined with shops, street vendors hawking decent quality wares and all manner of artists and courtesans offering products and services. There was also a stage in the middle of the street where a band was performing while an illusionist put up a dazzling light show. Altogether, it was a spectacle meant to enrapture tourists and visitors and it did so well, as even Orodan found it rather wondrous and entertaining.
That didn¡¯t mean he was distracted, however.
He got strange looks from people as he walked by, but that he made it past the guards legitimized his presence in the city, even if he did look like a dirty beggar. Finally, thirty seconds after walking down the main road, he turned the corner into an alleyway, and this was where he drew out his watchers.
He felt the familiar feeling of a psionic infiltration attempt upon his mind. It wasn¡¯t offensive and meant to harm, but merely to probe. The attacker, however, was merely at the Adept-level; and the complete lack of effect was noted not only by Orodan, but also the would-be-infiltrator. His Psionic Resistance of 76 was keenly felt as the Adept-level psionic was forced to withdraw, but Orodan in turn had a vague understanding of the direction the mental assault came from.
He wouldn¡¯t have noticed if the man hadn¡¯t immediately sent out a pulse of dirty mana from a communications amulet. Enchanted items, particularly the widespread ones which used mana, weren¡¯t specifically attuned to a particular user. As a result, mana pulses sent from them tended to be rather impure, which Vision of Purity picked up on.
The assailant was behind a wall in the next building; however Whirlpool Whirlwind was at a high enough skill level now that Orodan could target somebody behind a wall without affecting the wall itself. A winding motion of his right hand caused the probing psionic to smack into the wall, and Orodan heard a thud in the wall next to him. His own hand subsequently shattered the wall to reveal the bruised spy behind it. A hand wrapped around the man¡¯s neck and brought him up.
¡°Why try to read my mind?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Wait! It¡¯s just standard protocol for anyone the gate guards deem beyond their ability to handle! I¡¯m not the one who made the decision sir!¡± the man hastily replied in a panic.
Orodan sighed and let the man drop, particularly since he felt the ripples of spatial fluctuations in the alleyway.
Five people stepped out, four of whom were Elites and the leader being a Master. The four lackeys were heavily armored, wielding an assortment of melee weapons, while the Master looked to be a mage.
¡°Now this is a right mess, why did you launch your probe from within a civilian building?¡± the Master asked the Adept-level psionic who was still pitifully on the ground looking up. ¡°Have you forgotten that standard protocol during a Code Unknown is to only use Psionic probes from behind enchanted defences? But of course, you knew that¡ let me guess, you wanted to prove yourself and stepped outside the bounds of your training?¡±
¡°Master¡ forgive me, I-¡±
¡°Enough,¡± the Master spoke calmly. ¡°You¡¯ll report to division headquarters immediately for a session of conditioning.¡±
The man looked quite scared but accepted it with a grim nod.
¡°Anyhow, am I free to leave?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Your lackey tried reading my mind and I rather fairly took issue with that.¡±
The Master-level psionic gave him an incredulous look.
¡°No Mister Wainwright, you are not free to leave,¡± the Master spoke. ¡°You¡¯re inside Novar¡¯s Peak and are therefore subject to our surveillance before we deem you safe to simply walk around. Do you think we just let random people walk around inside our capital?¡±
¡°Well, that does make sense, but I¡¯ve never seen the equivalent in the Republic,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Then again I entered Karilsgard as a somewhat known person last time¡¡±
¡°You must¡¯ve been expected, or someone saw and recognized you in Karilsgard,¡± the man spoke. ¡°That being said, the Republic¡¯s intelligence gathering capabilities are vastly inferior to ours, even if they like pretending they¡¯re equivalent since they descend from Imperial tradition.¡±
¡°I see, so you¡¯re some kind of spymaster then? What have I done to draw your attention?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Vilethicus Androsic, Director of the Novarrian Intelligence Service and head of the Psionic division,¡± the man introduced. ¡°And you, Mister Wainwright, have drawn our attention with your exquisite rarity Psionic Resistance skill. All our psionic-trained operatives are able to detect the existence of Psionic Resistance through certain tells during an assault, and it¡¯s quite concerning to the Empire to have someone of your level of strength simply waltzing into our city. Might we know your intentions?¡±
¡°Would you believe me if I said I¡¯m simply here to see the first emperor?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°No, I would not,¡± Vilethicus answered. ¡°Why would someone of your strength want to visit the Memorial for non-malicious reasons? I doubt you¡¯re merely an Elite¡ a Master then? Strange, I¡¯ve heard nothing about an Orodan Wainwright being Master-level, and our analysts are poring through records and making inquiries as we speak. The only mention is within the records of the Volarbury County militia in the Republic of Aden, and that mentions the Apprentice-level militia man in Ogdenborough. Are you a Republic operative then?¡±
He had to admit, the Imperials¡¯ intelligence capabilities were quite good. But intelligence gathering was one thing¡ and the strength to affect the situation, was another.
¡°I¡¯m not a Republic operative, and I¡¯m afraid I have someone to meet in the Royal Citadel,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I apologize for what¡¯s about to happen.¡±
The man wasn¡¯t stupid. And he¡¯d also brought backup, a lot of it. Orodan had felt the spatial fluctuations through Vision of Purity, and he could tell that there were at least ten Master-level combatants on the other side of the nascent portals.
All-Consuming Rage drained the portals and the entirety of Vilethicus and his guards¡¯ mana pools. Absolute Soul Dominion knocked them unconscious shortly after. Orodan attempted to do the same for Vilethicus, however the man simply wouldn¡¯t stop fleeing hid attempts to kill his mental self and send him to unconsciousness. Orodan wasn¡¯t about to outright destroy an innocent man¡¯s mind by rampaging through it, so he instead slapped the puny mage across the face in the real world to put him to sleep.
Immediately, Orodan began moving quickly as he could towards the citadel. Portals began opening up furiously nearby, but All-Consuming Rage drained them of mana, preventing the reinforcements from spilling through. Finally, three opponents reached him manually, all three of them Grandmasters.
Orodan leapt high into the air hoping to avoid collateral damage, and they gladly followed and unleashed attacks upon him. An arrow, an axe and a powerful fireball came his way and Orodan slapped all attacks away. Single-Grandmasters weren¡¯t a threat to him at this point.
In the air however, more portals opened, and these weren¡¯t composed of mana but soul energy. Spatial Grandmasters were joining the fight, and a familiar figure came through atop a dragon.
¡°Hail friend! Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s incredibly rude to rampage through someone else¡¯s city? I developed many of these districts myself back in the day,¡± spoke the cursed reincarnator, Demosthenos Albathrax. ¡°Might I ask why you¡¯re causing trouble? Oh¡ never mind, you can¡¯t fly can you?¡±
Orodan would¡¯ve replied if gravity hadn¡¯t introduced itself and began drawing him towards the ground once more. Thankfully, his leap caused him to skip over the Commercial and Noble Districts. Instead, he was poised to land straight on the front door of the Royal Citadel.
Multiple curses, magical spells and ranged martial attacks struck him, but none really had much effect besides the spells empowered by soul energy. He simply healed from those and continued his descent.
¡°He has Mana Resistance! Use soul energy converters!¡±
¡°He has Curse Resistance! Stop him! Call all three Avatars immediately!¡± Demosthenos Albathrax furiously ordered. ¡°Quadruple-Grandmaster level power at least!¡±
A loud boom echoed as Orodan landed in front of the doors of the Royal Citadel, he passed the front doors and immediately multiple defensive enchantments attempted to restrain him. Unfortunately, they were mana-based enchantments and Orodan gleefully continued down the hall.
The first emperor had informed him of where exactly the man meditated. It was a hidden passage which led beneath the mountain Novar¡¯s Peak was situated upon.
Grandmasters of Wrestling attempted to tackle him and utilize takedowns to minimize the collateral damage, but Orodan¡¯s own strength was great as was his knowledge of Wrestling. He shucked them off and continued. Vespidia made herself known, but Vision of Purity allowed Orodan to see her coming and he evaded her as well. The closer he got to his target, the wilder the attacks of the Novarrians became, and it got to a point where Orodan was forced to use Whirlpool Whirlwind to pull citadel staff out of the line of fire.
¡°Hey, these are your own citadel staff, at least watch your attacks!¡± Orodan exclaimed as he threw a maid out of the way and had a ¡®clone¡¯ catch her.
In truth, the Novarrians were already holding back immensely. Ordinarily a battle of Grandmasters would cause terrain devastation for miles, but all they were focused on was subduing Orodan with the least amount of collateral possible.
This continued until finally right in front of the Memorial of the First Emperor, a room at the very lowest level of the Royal Citadel, three portals powered by soul energy opened up, and three Avatars came forth.
¡°Stop! You do not know who you seek to awaken mortal!¡± Eximus spoke. ¡°I profess, your might is great¡ but the man beneath this point is someone even us Avatars would not trifle with.¡±
¡°I know, which is why I need to speak to him,¡± Orodan replied, and his eyes glowed with his own soul energy.
The three avatars created weapons of divine energy within their hands and attempted to stop him. The first sign that something was wrong was when Eximus¡¯s divine blade left no more than a slight scalding mark upon Orodan¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Impossible¡ Divine Resistance too?¡± were the resigned words out of Demosthenos Albathrax¡¯s mouth.
Orodan threw the multiple ton heavy ceremonial sarcophagus lid open and immediately jumped down the hidden hole. The Avatars made to pursue him, but stopped at a certain threshold, as though unwilling to do so.
¡°You will die down there, mortal! I hope you enjoy your meeting with the first emperor!¡± Eximus arrogantly shouted.
He fell for nearly thirty seconds until he hit the ground, and near the end of the fall he began picking up on traces of Eldritch energy in the air. It was dark, and Orodan¡¯s Vision of Purity told him he was in a massive chamber, with a singular figure sitting in silent meditation at one end.
The figure¡¯s eyes were locked directly onto his.
Naturally, Orodan barged right up to the man.
¡°The defences of your city are quite annoying, although I¡¯ll admit your surveillance capabilities are rather impressive,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Reaching you is more trouble than it¡¯s worth Balastion Novar, I¡¯ve come to-¡±
The black gem upon the ancient crown glowed, and that was the only warning Orodan got before an utter torrent of familiar purple and gray energy came his way, sending him into the opposing wall of the chamber from the force.
Decently strong, probably the second strongest Eldritch attack he¡¯d experienced, but not enough.
¡°If you¡¯re planning on using that against the Eldritch Avatar, don¡¯t bother, it¡¯s got you beat by a good bit,¡± Orodan spoke.
¡°You stand unscathed? How? No¡ it cannot be¡ Eldritch Resistance?¡± the first emperor muttered. ¡°You, who are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright, and I¡¯m here because you gave me directions to come see you the last time we spoke,¡± he answered.
¡°I do not recall ever meeting you, Orodan Wainwright. How can that be so?¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°When I told you to infiltrate Novar¡¯s Peak to find me, I meant doing so stealthily,¡± the first emperor spoke. ¡°What I didn¡¯t mean, was for you to cause a ruckus that has my entire military on the highest alert.¡±
¡°I surprised you, didn¡¯t I? Surely that counts as stealth?¡± Orodan asked, and Balastion had an unamused look on his face. ¡°Alright, alright. Look, I even ensured no innocent lives were lost.¡±
¡°That would be one of my requirements, yes,¡± the man spoke. ¡°I may be far removed from my people, but even the smallest child among them could become the next Grandmaster that protects the empire. To kill innocents, is the way of the weakling, and I suspect you are neither weak in mind nor in body Orodan Wainwright. Not when you¡¯ve been through all these fantastical events over the course of the time loops.¡±
¡°The latest such event was of course, my foray into the abyss and crossing the first gate,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Whatever that thing was, it didn¡¯t like the thought of me getting away, and it was strong.¡±
¡°Yes, the gate guardians I fought during my descent many millennia ago also warned me against passing the threshold,¡± the first emperor spoke. ¡°They said that while I had a decent chance with the crown, it would still be a losing battle against whatever came after me. Is that creature truly so strong that it slew you with a single blow when even the Eldritch Avatar could not?¡±
¡°The circumstances are slightly different,¡± Orodan elaborated. ¡°I have the Eldritch Resistance skill which allows me to outright ignore most Eldritch damage. And even then, the Eldritch Avatar still damages me a decent bit despite that, hinting at how powerful its attacks must be if I didn¡¯t have the skill. This Void Horror on the other hand, used an attack composed purely of soul energy, I didn¡¯t have a single cell left to reform from.¡±
¡°Intriguing¡ I turned back and heeded the words of the gate guardians I bested back then, but to know so powerful a being is past the gate, and an entire civilization too? Fascinating¡¡± Balastion remarked. ¡°Still, that isn¡¯t the priority here, honing your skillset is. Your anomalously endless drive to gain strength combined with the time loops makes you the ultimate weapon upon this world and honing you to face the Eldritch may well be the certain path to success.¡±
¡°You know, you never did tell me what your plan for facing it was before you met me,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I assume you plan to face it here? This city looks rather well defended.¡±
¡°There¡¯s more to Novar¡¯s Peak than meets the eye my time looping friend, but that shall all be explained in good time,¡± the first emperor spoke. ¡°For now, let us discuss the terms of your education at the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy.¡±
¡°An academy?! Urgh¡ I¡¯ve had enough of books from my time at Bluefire, and aren¡¯t tournaments and student life a bit beneath me by this point?¡± Orodan complained.
¡°Quite so, which is why you won¡¯t be enrolling as a martial student, but as a mage student.¡±
A mage student? Orodan Wainwright, training to be a mage?!
¡°I refuse! I¡¯d rather die!¡±
¡°That¡¯ll just reset your loop and have you waking up in Ogdenborough again,¡± Balastion said with a manic smile on his face. ¡°Come now, it won¡¯t be so bad, I can even iron out some terms and conditions that make your stay easier. Amusing as it might be, I don¡¯t intend to have you spending time in a classroom surrounded by other students¡ much.¡±
¡°What was that?! What do you mean by ¡®much¡¯, you old coot! I¡¯ve been through one academy¡¯s worth of being entertainment for a bored old codger and-¡±
And so, the whining and complaining went, for at least fifteen solid minutes. After the first five minutes his book companion actually came out of his spatial ring and began beating him over the head with her logic too, and together with the first emperor, Orodan was bullied into accepting this arrangement.
Well, he supposed they were persuasive too, but Orodan felt bullied all the same.
¡°So, you understand why this is necessary then?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ve actually forced me to come out of hiding because of how important this is to your development. Imagine if you could prevent collateral damage by utilizing spatiomancy? Or if you revived those who''ve been dead for a long time through chronomancy? With your endless power, such things aren¡¯t mere dreams.¡±
Orodan had the look of an angry child being told it was bedtime, but he grudgingly nodded. Yes, he¡¯d already had these things explained to him before, but it didn¡¯t mean he liked the thought of mage training in an academy. He would¡¯ve actually agreed to personal tutoring, but to repeat an academy again was a bit much in combination.
¡°Excellent! I¡¯m quite looking forward to seeing a martial student like yourself struggle with learning the various schools of magic,¡± Balastion Novar spoke. ¡°Of course, you have my assurance that you won¡¯t be asked to participate in any military operations against the Republic. As a matter of fact, for the duration of your stay there will be no such military operations.¡±
Orodan appreciated the words. He was in Novarria now, but that didn¡¯t mean he was willing to engage in open warfare against his home country. He was here to learn, and Balastion made sure he would focus on only that.
The next six months then, would be spent on learning.
Honing his crafts, working on his healing, perhaps even focusing on Teaching by bringing Aliya and Zukelmux to Novarria. And of course¡
¡learning lots of magic.
He¡¯d actually made decent level gains in Flare and Draconic Fireball while studying under his book companion in the depths, and this made Orodan question whether Agathor¡¯s first Blessing hadn¡¯t sabotaged his natural talent for magic. Now that it was gone, perhaps he wasn¡¯t as bad at magic as he thought.
There were other things he¡¯d need to focus on during this long loop too, such as his combat skills through regular delves into the depths and exploring the world, his soul skills to potentially scour someone else¡¯s soul of Blessings and finding an answer as to who exactly fled after passing the first gate. Most importantly though, cleaning.
But mainly, for this long loop Orodan Wainwright would be¡
¡the warrior attending mage academy.
Chapter 39 - Training & A Cold War
Two hours passed, and only then did the first emperor and Orodan come up.
The Gods¡¯ Avatars were stone-faced, but that was merely the usual quirk of no facial expressions being displayed during divine possession. And the rest of the Novarrians in the chamber looked quite flabbergasted. Their expressions ranged from outraged to downright fearful, whether that was towards the first emperor or Orodan himself he wasn¡¯t sure.
¡°You live?! Emperor! This miscreant possesses Divine Resistance and has rampaged about your city with wanton bloodlust! The amount of destruction-¡±
¡°Vespidia.¡±
The singular name from the emperor¡¯s lips shut the God of Time up immediately.
¡°Your Majesty,¡± the reincarnated assassin replied while bowing deeply.
¡°Did any innocents die outside?¡± Balastion asked.
¡°No, your Majesty, no deaths from today¡¯s events, merely a few shops broken up and livelihoods disrupted,¡± she replied.
¡°Good. Ensure that the people who suffered damages are given double compensation in apology,¡± the ruler of Novarria spoke. He then turned towards the Avatars. ¡°As for this, it shan¡¯t be necessary, make yourselves scarce. Malzim, please remain so that we may speak.¡±
The Avatar of the God of Death nodded in assent.
¡°Balastion! Has your time in secluded meditation softened you?! Your capital was barged into by this interloper, what is the meaning of this?¡±
¡°Eximus, I will remind you to watch how you speak lest you find yourself short another Avatar,¡± Balastion warned. ¡°My dealings with Orodan Wainwright are none of your business. Now begone before I decide the worship of the God of Time is due to be outlawed.¡±
The Avatar of Eximus¡¯s hands trembled, but the God of Time wasn¡¯t stupid. Both he and Ilyatana complied. The rest of the Novarrians also obeyed their ruler and left. Which meant that only Orodan, his book inside the spatial ring, the Avatar of Malzim, and Balastion Novar remained.
¡°Now then, I believe you said you owed Malzim a great debt. Allow me to then make a formal introduction, Malzim, meet Orodan Wainwright the time looper,¡± the first emperor spoke. ¡°You did him a good turn in one of his very early loops by giving him a Blessing which allowed him to call for death whenever he needed it.¡±
¡°Truly? You¡¯ll have to tell me about this time looping business at a later time Balastion, as for my Blessing, I do not sense it upon you¡¡±
¡°That would be because I finally learned how to cleanse my soul of them,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Nothing against you, but I had the Blessings of a few more unwanted Gods who were using them to track and manipulate me. I must say though¡ although I¡¯ve spoken to you in passing before, I haven¡¯t truly had a chance to thank you properly face to face. I, Orodan Wainwright, will forever be grateful for the good turn you did me when I needed it. Even if you have no memory of doing so, just know that I will be there should you need it.¡±
The Avatar of Malzim shook his head.
¡°Young one, you needn¡¯t profess such gratitude. I simply acted according to my duty,¡± Malzim spoke. ¡°While some of my fellows act rather selfishly, myself and Halor still believe in upholding our divine duties towards mortal-kind.¡±
¡°Is that something you¡¯re bound to, or something you¡¯ve chosen to do?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It is by choice. If we allowed unchecked suffering, what good are we as Gods?¡± Malzim posed. ¡°I make an effort to ease any cases of extreme suffering I see when I am called for.¡±
It was true. Upon Inuan, anyone screaming out to the God of Death for an end to their suffering would often find death coming for them soon after. It wasn¡¯t known how it occurred, but it made extended torture and interrogation a complicated matter as there was a high chance anyone who genuinely wanted death could get it by calling upon Malzim. In fact, Orodan himself must¡¯ve gotten the God of Death¡¯s attention in the loop where he received his Blessing for the first time.
¡°You¡¯re a far more pleasant God than some others I¡¯ve met,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Malzim is a friend of mine,¡± Balastion Novar interjected. ¡°The only reason I spoke of the time loops to him is because I know he would not betray my confidence. We have much to do Orodan Wainwright, and I¡¯ve brought Malzim here so that I might convince him to alter his course of action.¡±
¡°Surely you do not expect me to change my mind on our argument, old friend?¡± Malzim asked. ¡°I am no warrior like yourself or Agathor, why do you continually ask me to stand and fight a hopeless battle against the descending threat? I have seen what that crown of yours can do, trapping the consciousness of a God within their Avatar, even temporarily, poses frightening implications for what a more skilled and powerful user of the Eldritch could do.¡±
¡°You speak so often of your ¡®divine duty¡¯, yet you¡¯d abandon this world to flee for another? What happens when the Eldritch subsumes Alastaia and then begins invading other worlds?¡± Balastion asked. ¡°Will you continue to flee forever?¡±
¡°Your attempts to target my pride are fruitless Balastion. I have long accepted that I am no warrior or martyr,¡± Malzim spoke. ¡°When the Eldritch comes, I will attempt to ferry the souls of the dead and grant death to any who fall to its corruption, however that is all I am willing to do. You cannot expect me to die.¡±
¡°But what if it wasn¡¯t so hopeless a battle? What if we had on our side, a warrior nearly as strong as I who can also slay Avatars?¡± Balastion asked, and then looked towards Orodan. ¡°He has the mythical rarity Eldritch Resistance skill, it needn¡¯t be a hopeless battle, stand and fight with us! Have some hope in our bonds of friendship and the power of mortal-kind!¡±
¡°Truly? You actually possess the Eldritch Resistance skill?¡± Malzim asked. ¡°This time loop you¡¯re in, perhaps a detailed explanation is in order.¡±
And so, the next two hours went by as Orodan spoke, Balastion interjected at key moments to elaborate, and the Avatar of Malzim nodded in understanding.
¡°And that is why I hold genuine hope in beating back the foul champion of the Eldritch Gods,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°This must be fate, for a man like him to arrive in our hour of need. We now know the limits of the enemy¡¯s strength, and we have a warrior who can resist it toe to toe, join us Malzim, the risk to yourself needn¡¯t be so great!¡±
¡°I will admit Balastion¡ you have probably swayed me more today than you ever have in our past debates on the matter,¡± Malzim replied. ¡°But I still need time to think about this. For now, I beg your leave, old friend. And Orodan Wainwright, we shall meet again in the coming days.¡±
Balastion frowned and shook his head but didn¡¯t say anything as the Avatar of Malzim left the chamber in a dark green glow of divine power which opened a portal.
Silence reigned for a few seconds before Orodan broke it.
¡°He¡ isn¡¯t what I expected,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°He saved me in my early loops and wasn¡¯t part of the attempted possession in my last long loop. Malzim has never attempted to coerce or manipulate me, so I knew he had a good character¡ but this?¡±
¡°Yes¡ I became fast friends with him for the same reasons,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°If all the Gods were like him, Alastaia would be a better place, but alas it would be poorly defended for Malzim is a coward.¡±
¡°An unfair assessment, no? Not everyone is meant to stand between innocents and the encroaching darkness,¡± Orodan defended. ¡°I admit, some might think they¡¯re entitled to the Gods¡¯ protection, but from what I¡¯ve seen, they too have limits and are far from all-powerful.¡±
¡°If he isn¡¯t willing to die alongside his faithful, then he isn¡¯t worthy of their worship,¡± Balastion retorted. ¡°Malzim is a friend, but I¡¯m not blind to the hypocrisy he commits by receiving the prayers of all Inuan yet deciding he will flee the world when the time comes.¡±
The first emperor wasn¡¯t wrong. In Orodan¡¯s opinion, what good was a God that wouldn¡¯t intervene against an invading champion of enemy divinities?
¡°Still, he can be convinced. I saw him accompany us during my last long loop when the Prime Five travelled to Guzuhar to face the Eldritch,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°And besides, does he truly need to fight when I can do it for him?¡±
Orodan had no problems becoming strong enough to defeat any threats against Malzim, it was the least he could do for the God of Death who saved him from a terrible fate early on.
¡°That¡ isn¡¯t the point. Yes, Malzim¡¯s combat effectiveness is a minor contribution when both you and I would be fighting,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°However, seeing my friend act the craven and sully his honor by fleeing irks me. A good heart, but a weak one. It shames me to admit I respect an abrasive brute like Agathor more than I do Malzim.¡±
Orodan still disagreed to an extent. If people died, that was just the unfair way of the world. Malzim didn¡¯t owe the world or his faithful any protection, even if it was quite hypocritical of him to receive faith and worship from them all the same. And Orodan knew now that divine energy was powered by faith, so it was a rather tangible benefit the God of Death received.
But, if Malzim didn¡¯t want to fight, so it would be. Orodan would simply fight the God of Death¡¯s battles for him if needed.
¡°Anyhow, we¡¯re getting off-topic,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°How are we planning to face the Eldritch Avatar? Will you be coming to Guzuhar with me? I never saw you in my fights against that thing in any of my loops, so I assume that means you had a plan of your own.¡±
¡°You assume correctly, I intend to fight it here, and not in the Valley of Spires where it will be strongest,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Fighting that thing there is the equivalent of running into a spear headfirst, hoping to break the point with your skull. Not all of us have the time loops which you¡¯ve been granted.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not willing to let Guzuhar be destroyed while we sit here twiddling our thumbs, waiting for it to arrive,¡± Orodan protested. ¡°Either we protect Guzuhar and its people, or I go alone and run my head against it until I eventually succeed.¡±
¡°Your insistence on protecting innocent life is admirable but remember that you have time loops and others do not,¡± the first emperor replied. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what you can or can¡¯t do. And it would be foolish of me to make an enemy of a time looper who has slain Avatars to strike vengeance against the Gods who wronged him. However, you should consider that facing it here in Novar¡¯s Peak may be your best chance of winning in this loop. Surely you wish to see what the Reward for such an unfairly difficult Quest is?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll acquire the Reward in due time regardless,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°But you imply there¡¯s more to this city than meets the eye.¡±
¡°Correct. Why do you think the entirety of Novar¡¯s Peak is structured in ringed layers?¡± the first emperor asked. ¡°This entire city is a gigantic ritual circle, all for one express purpose¡ to drain the power of the Eldritch. To face it here, would be our greatest chance of success. With the two of us fighting together, and alongside other hidden tricks we have, we can prevail.¡±
¡°Is the city itself truly designed for such a purpose? Surely it hasn¡¯t always been like this?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It has. From the moment I was crowned emperor nineteen-thousand years ago, this city began construction with the Eldritch threat in mind,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Even before the ascent of the Void Horror thirty-thousand years ago, the Eldritch have always been the greatest threat to Alastaia. The elves even have records of prior incursions where they successfully breached the first gate. They died after to whatever lays beyond, but that they got that far is indicative of what their goal is.¡±
¡°Either way, you can¡¯t expect me to ignore the enemy¡¯s landing and just sit here,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°I apologize, but I cannot sit here and wait for it while it corrupts Guzuhar.¡±
¡°But¡ what if you didn¡¯t need to?¡± Balastion asked. ¡°You are here to learn magic are you not? Have you considered using that to solve the issue?¡±
¡°How can magic address this matter?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±
¡°Your companion earlier spoke wisely in saying that your endless energy generation could have some interesting effects when mixed with various schools of magic,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°What if you were to learn even a basic spatiomancy spell within the next six months? Your book can explain better than I.¡±
On cue, she fluttered out of his spatial ring and landed atop Orodan¡¯s head with a loud thud.
¡°Use your head, boy!¡± she spoke. ¡°The man is onto something. If we taught you even the basic Spatial Fold spell, with Draconic Mana Channelling and your absurd power you could potentially fold space to the point that the Eldritch lands upon this city instead of that icy northern continent.¡±
Orodan stopped for a moment and pondered. Could it really be so simple?
¡°Is a feat of such power even possible with spatiomancy?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I know my energy generation is incredibly high, but to reach across such a distance and drag it here?¡±
¡°Well, that is up to you to prove now, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked challengingly. ¡°Of course, a feat of such power would not be possible for a regular spatiomancer, but what does that matter to you? For a walking generator of infinite power, you¡¯re limited only by how much your body can take. Now get that stupid look off your face and close your mouth before a fly wanders in, we have work to do and no time to waste.¡±
¡°And I assume this work involves going to the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy and learning magic?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes, but no. You don¡¯t actually think I¡¯d allow a walking weapon like you to attend class with regular first-year students?¡± Balastion asked. ¡°You¡¯ll have private tutors for schools of magic, and even your teachers for the crafts will come to you. Allowing you near impressionable students can only lead to disaster.¡±
The beginnings of a plan of action were beginning to form. Honing his crafts, his ancillary skills such as Teaching and Basic Healing, and learning relevant schools of magic such as spatiomancy.
¡°I¡¯ll also have to ask if you could send someone to bring two people I think could really benefit from the education of Novar¡¯s Peak. But also, so I can develop my Teaching skill,¡± Orodan requested. ¡°A goblin named Zukelmux from the deep depths of Ranmere¡¯s Folly in the Republic, and a little girl from Scarmorrow in Volarbury County in the Republic, her name is Aliya.¡±
¡°It will be done,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Now then, I have my meditations to return to, and you have much to learn.¡±
It was time to stubbornly grind all of his skills and learn new ones over the next six months.
¡°You know, your talent in spatiomancy isn¡¯t half-bad. Yes, you could be said to be average, but with a mind and work ethic like yours an average talent can still become a legend,¡± the familiar triple-Grandmaster space mage spoke. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±
¡°I still have a hard time believing that you¡¯re a teacher in the Empire of Novarria as well,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any concerns of loyalty or espionage?¡±
¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m almost two-thousand years old and most of the Grandmasters of Novarria are friends of mine,¡± Destartes spoke. ¡°A mere ¡®liberation war¡¯ caused mainly due to draconic and divine conflicts isn¡¯t enough to see me chased away from my home city. I owe no allegiances to any Gods and aren¡¯t as deeply tied to international politics as some Grandmasters are. I was also born in Novar¡¯s Peak and occasionally give guest lectures on spatiomancy at the Academy. Although¡ whoever requested I personally tutor you must have some serious pull, they made the offer incredibly appealing and spared no expense in compensations.¡±
Yes, this was Destartes. The strongest mage in the Republic of Aden. The same space mage he¡¯d tried learning spatiomancy from in the last long loop. Back then, he¡¯d been told that his talent was atrocious even if his work ethic was decent. But now¡ the language had changed, cementing in Orodan¡¯s mind that Agathor¡¯s Blessing must¡¯ve had something to do with it at the time.
¡°Yes, well¡ it¡¯s rather important that I learn the Spatial Fold spell within the next six months,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°How likely do you think that is?¡±
¡°Guaranteed. Your talent isn¡¯t bad, at least average, but your work ethic, focus, and complete lack of a need to stop for recharging mana is utterly profound,¡± the man spoke. ¡°You must be a martial specialist, no? High Physical Fitness would explain why you haven¡¯t eaten, drank or slept in the last forty-eight hours while I¡¯ve had to do all of those things. Still, I haven¡¯t actually seen you drink any mana potions or use crystals¡ do you have an enchantment on you?¡±
¡°No, I just regenerate more mana than I use,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°T-truly? Are you a dragon in human form then?¡± Destartes asked. ¡°Oh! The possibilities¡!¡±
Orodan tuned out the man¡¯s maddened ramblings about the next era of space magic.
They were inside a truly expensive time dilation chamber that had a ratio of one to twenty. One hour in the real world was equivalent to twenty hours within this chamber. Balastion Novar had asked Orodan to not speak of its existence, as the Time Wind would doubtlessly snoop around and perhaps become offended if they knew this chamber deep beneath the royal citadel existed. Even Destartes was thoroughly scanned by a Grandmaster-Psionic and agreed to have his memories altered upon exit.
Currently, Orodan¡¯s task was to feel the spatial ripples emanating off a strange orb, which Destartes said was a training aid for beginning spatiomancers. Of course, it would normally be somewhat difficult for new students, however Vision of Purity allowed Orodan to sense the impurities in space caused by this orb, and he easily grasped it. The fact that he was a veteran of hundreds of battles and had encountered enemy portals and drained them also made it a trifling task.
The second task of manipulating the ripples was the harder one, and this was where Orodan had to take some time. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t do it. Instead, as usual, it was because Orodan insisted on doing things the hard way.
¡°Must you seek utter perfection in everything you do? Trying to control the spatial ripples with soul energy instead of mana will take far longer,¡± his book companion spoke, flying about his head and occasionally giving him a smack upside the head to ¡®test his ability to maintain focus¡¯. ¡°Even just a mana-powered Spatial Fold, backed by your Draconic Mana Channelling and endless energy will be enough.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not about what¡¯s enough, but about doing it the proper way,¡± Orodan said through gritted teeth as he focused hard enough that his nose bled. ¡°I refuse to take shortcuts. I¡¯ll either do it correctly, or not at all.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ on the bright side,¡± Destartes interjected. ¡°Your dogged insistence on manipulating the ripples with soul energy may very well give you Space Mastery instead of Space Magic Mastery. Far more powerful and versatile, and only something I¡¯ve seen a few people possess due to Bloodlines.¡±
Like that, the training continued for hours.
Orodan wasn¡¯t trying to merely use mana to manipulate the spatial ripples emanating from the orb, but he also wasn¡¯t using All-Consuming Rage as he could simply drain the orb outright, but that wasn¡¯t the goal.
Rather, he was using Absolute Soul Dominion upon the spatial ripples, trying to intimately understand them, become familiar with them. His focus knew no bounds, and he concentrated till his eyes and nose began bleeding.
[Absolute Soul Dominion 61 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 62]
¡°M-mister Wainwright¡! Are you okay?¡± Destartes asked.
¡°He¡¯s fine, this is rather normal by his standards,¡± his book companion interjected. ¡°Just another day of hard work for the world¡¯s greatest idiot.¡±
He let the backlash hit her for that one and continued working, however five more hours later, he wasn¡¯t sure if obtaining Space Mastery by using his soul to directly manipulate space would be so easy. He was beginning to get truly familiar with space, and some understandings of his advanced, but he didn¡¯t gain any skill.
Upon his insistence, he wanted to do it the hard way, by acquiring Space Mastery first and then casting Spatial Fold after rather than learning a spell first and acquiring the Mastery after. It was stupid, but Orodan had a feeling that acquiring merely Space Magic Mastery wouldn¡¯t be enough to draw the Eldritch comet towards Novarria, thus he was intent on pulling out all the stops.
Three more days of training later, which was three hours of real time, he was no closer, but had a very solid understanding of space now. And gained three more levels in Absolute Soul Dominion, bringing it to 65. Plus, a bell was ringing near the door, signifying that someone had sent a message inside the chamber.
Orodan rose to his feet and went to the magical display panel. The message stated that his students had arrived, and his presence was requested. With a sigh, his hand went to the controlling mechanism and shut the time dilation down.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
The sleeping Destartes was awoken, and they stepped out and parted ways with the agreement that they would train again tomorrow. In truth, Orodan was certain that in just a month of real-world time, he could obtain Space Mastery.
¡°How dreadfully boring that was,¡± his companion spoke. ¡°Next time, I think we ought to spice it up a bit by throwing things at your head. Have I mentioned that it¡¯s a rather appealing target?¡±
¡°Have I mentioned how flammable you¡¯re looking nowadays?¡± Orodan asked with a smile on his face.
¡°Never mind¡¡±
¡°Besides, if you¡¯re bored, why don¡¯t we multi-task? I¡¯m past the phase where the orb needs my complete focus,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I could probably practice my fire magic or even learn other branches? Why don¡¯t you teach me mental combat from next session?
Orodan wasn¡¯t certain, but he would swear that she fluttered in a most maniacal way when he said that. He did his best to put it to the back of his mind and moved on, towards his provided residence.
The first emperor had spared no expenses, and Orodan was essentially given one of the towers of the royal citadel as his residence. Maids, butlers, and various servants staffed the tower, and it was ludicrously opulent beyond compare. No guest manor he¡¯d been in compared to the sheer luxury of this tower of the royal citadel.
¡°This is a bit much¡¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Speak for yourself! I finally receive the treatment a woman of my stature is due,¡± his book companion spoke.
¡°Your stature is perhaps ten by twelve inches,¡± Orodan retorted. ¡°Can you even feel the comfort of a pillow?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the principle of the matter, boy!¡± she exclaimed and then plopped down atop a very luxurious pillow on a gold-trimmed couch. They were at an entrance reserved only for them, with no staff nearby, so she felt comfortable acting like this.
Orodan left her to her own devices and went down to the main entrance to see three familiar faces. The first, Vespidia, who brought him his students, and the other two, Aliya the aspiring warrior, and Zukelmux the goblin.
¡°Greetings Orodan Wainwright, I have here, your two disciples,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°They¡¯ve undoubtedly caught a lot of flies in their mouths with how they¡¯ve been staring at everything along the way. You two, henceforth, Orodan Wainwright is your teacher, show due respect.¡±
¡°Master!¡± Zukelmux immediately bowed. ¡°I am honored that you would seek out our Rising Spears tribe all for the sake of taking on a student! I am not worthy¡!¡±
Aliya immediately bowed as well.
¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I won¡¯t mess this chance up! I¡¯ll prove myself and become the best warrior ever! I don¡¯t know why you wanted a little girl from some small town as your student, but I¡¯ll prove you made the right decision!¡±
Orodan was taken aback at the sheer sincerity in both their voices. He didn¡¯t even know them in this loop yet! Frankly, why weren¡¯t there more questions from both about being invited to be disciple for some strange and powerful teacher in the Novarrian capital?
¡°Vespidia¡ it¡¯s maybe been six hours, how¡¯re they here so quickly?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Did her parents agree to this? Did his tribe give their assent?¡±
He had an uncomfortable feeling in his gut as he asked. He really hoped they hadn¡¯t marched in and butchered his tribe or kidnapped her from home. But, given how they were speaking, he didn¡¯t think it was the case, so he quashed the thought.
¡°Our Intelligence Service is rather efficient when they want to be,¡± she spoke. ¡°Guaranteeing the entirety of the Rising Spears tribe a protected plot of land was rather simple; in fact, many scholars are quite interested in meeting peaceful goblins who lean towards a gentler disposition. As for the girl, we simply offered her family well-paying jobs, training, and a fully paid relocation to Novar¡¯s Peak.¡±
¡°Mother and Father will be working for a wealthy merchant in the Commercial District, I think that¡¯s what they call it, right?¡± she asked and Vespidia nodded. ¡°They¡¯re both learning things they never thought possible.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°You have my thanks for arranging this, Vespidia, I hope it wasn¡¯t too much trouble.¡±
¡°Far from it. Seeing the shocked faces of people as they saw a goblin walking through the city was worth it. Threatening them, even more so,¡± she replied. ¡°Besides, when his Majesty holds you in such high favor, such a thing is a mere trifle. I¡¯m curious, about who you are, but I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s my place to ask.¡±
¡°Not at all, I¡¯ll speak to you again at a later date and we might talk more then,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I should probably introduce myself to my new students however.¡±
Vespidia nodded and made herself scarce with her invisibility skill, however Orodan could still sense her with his Vision of Purity and her gaze lingered on the scene for a while longer before she left.
Orodan looked at them; they looked at him.
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright, I¡¯ve seen great potential in the both of you, and from today, I¡¯ll be taking you two on as my students,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°There¡¯s no need to call me Master, or anything of the sort. Just Orodan will do.¡±
¡°Master, I refuse! I couldn¡¯t disrespect your trust by referring to you so casually!¡± Zukelmux spoke, and Aliya nodded. Orodan sighed.
¡°Alright, alright¡ how about Teacher? That seems like a fair compromise don¡¯t you-¡±
¡°Hah! Teacher!? Who do you think you¡¯re kidding, boy!¡± were the words of a haughty book that decided to land atop his head with a loud thump. ¡°This fool Orodan Wainwright doesn¡¯t even want to teach himself magi- urk!¡±
He threw her towards the fireplace and sent a gentle Flare towards it.
¡°Apologies, you¡¯ll have to ignore my least favorite book,¡± Orodan spoke as she angrily fluttered about and avoided becoming kindling. ¡°For some reason she¡¯s forgotten her own self-imposed rule of not talking in front of others.¡±
¡°Who else is watching?! I mentally nudged the staff to make themselves scarce,¡± she spoke. ¡°I can even alter their memories if you want.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll do no such thing,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°Mental intrusion is for enemies; respect the sanctity of their minds or you¡¯ll be sent to the donations box of a ratty library.¡±
¡°Hmmph! Fine¡!¡± she answered and then fluttered about near the heads of his two students watching them intently.
¡°She won¡¯t harm you¡ well, except if you¡¯re training and it¡¯d help expedite your growth. I¡¯d also advise against touching her directly or attempting to read the pages,¡± Orodan remarked with a smile as both Zukelmux and Aliya nervously looked at the flying book. ¡°But as I was saying, Teacher will do. From now on, I¡¯ll be training you two. What did Vespidia tell you the arrangement would involve?¡±
¡°Teacher, Miss Vespidia told us that we¡¯d be attending the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy during the day and then spending the remaining time with you after classes to receive your tutelage,¡± Zukelmux explained. ¡°Additionally, we were informed that as disciples we would be required to carry out tasks for you and bring honor to your name.¡±
¡°Well, she may have gone a bit far with the last part,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to bring honor to my name, I can fight my own battles. But that being said, it¡¯s good that she¡¯s arranged the academy as I¡¯m no replacement for a formal education. Although, I will occasionally have you adventure out and engage in combat as a means to further your own growth, not for me.¡±
Zukelmux looked as though his eyes were overflowing with respect and admiration and Aliya looked quite relieved at hearing his explanation and she looked excited even.
¡°Teacher¡ our classes at the Academy start from tomorrow, but for now what do you want us to do?¡± Aliya asked.
¡°Well, how about we see where the both of you are at in terms of combat?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle.¡±
The two of them could only have an excited look in their eyes.
His two students were utterly battered and exhausted upon the floor of the tower¡¯s time dilated training chamber.
[Teaching 9 ¡ú Teaching 10]
That was the last message he received. The skill had started at level 6 before his session and ended at level 10 over the four hours of gruelling training he put the two of them through.
Well, it wasn¡¯t the two of them as much as it was Zukelmux. Aliya, while quite the talent and on the verge of reaching the Apprentice-level at Staff Mastery, just wasn¡¯t on the level of Zukelmux the Elite-level spear and shield wielding warrior who could jump a tier to fight. He would be a top tier talent at any academy.
She became exhausted quite early and sat out while Orodan tested Zukelmux and sought to force the goblin to improve in every aspect of combat.
¡°Haah¡. haaah¡. Teacher¡! I¡¯ve gained multiple skill levels from this bout! Thank you for your tutelage!¡± Zukelmux replied.
Aliya however looked quite worried, as though she¡¯d disappointed Orodan.
¡°Why¡¯re you looking as though someone¡¯s stolen your food?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you feel inadequate¡¡±
Her eyes widened and her fists clenched.
¡°Aliya¡ you realize that Zukelmux is an Elite-level warrior, correct?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How old are you Zukelmux?¡±
¡°Eighteen years of age, Teacher,¡± the goblin replied.
¡°And how old are you, Aliya?¡±
¡°Eight¡¡± she quietly mouthed.
¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little unrealistic to expect you¡¯ll perform the same as him then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m not about to get rid of you if that¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about. Rather, your near-Apprentice skills are really good, better than any of my weapon skills were at your age.¡±
What he didn¡¯t tell her was that his Combat Mastery was at level 11 by the time he was her age, whereas hers was merely 3. She was a prodigy in some respects, but Orodan had to admit, he wasn¡¯t too shabby either.
Still, his words of reassurance did a lot to make her ease up. He wasn¡¯t planning on getting rid of any of them.
¡°Teacher, will we continue for another session? I feel as though I could go for another,¡± Zukelmux spoke.
¡°On the contrary, the spar was merely a means of seeing where you stand,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Before we begin, I¡¯ll have to ask whether you two are truly up to the task of bearing the intense demands of my training. I will not lie; my training will be difficult and often leave you injured and mentally battered. I¡¯ll heal all injuries of course, but my methods are rather extreme. If you aren¡¯t prepared to face that, simply don¡¯t return tomorrow and I won¡¯t say a word of complaint, and nothing will be taken away from you.¡±
Zukelmux looked determined, but Aliya¡ her eyes were positively blazing with determination.
¡°I¡¯ll show you¡ I¡¯ll work harder than anyone you¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Aliya declared, her hands gripping around her quarterstaff.
¡°Very well then, we have more time remaining, and now the real regimen starts,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Fancy skills and high rarities are good, but I feel that academies often coddle students by not focusing on the fundamentals of what makes a warrior. Hard work, pain, sweat and blood. Let¡¯s hone that Physical Fitness and Pain Resistance, shall we?¡±
Teaching had gained another two levels.
The eyes of both his students looked utterly grim and hopeless as their bodies were battered and quite injured in multiple places. But they¡¯d persevered and made excellent gains over the course of another twenty-four hours of training.
Every time they got too tired or injured, Orodan would throw a healing potion at them, restoring them to full condition. Like that, they endlessly trained for twenty-four hours.
¡°And I thought I was sadistic¡ how could you hit that little girl in such a manner?¡± his book companion asked. ¡°Have you no shame?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t disrespect her by calling her a little girl, that one¡ she¡¯s a warrior,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°She has quite the temper and drive for success. It was less me hitting her and more her charging into my attacks with her body to try and gain Pain Resistance levels faster. I approve of her mentality.¡±
¡°Of course, she¡¯s a maniac like you,¡± she spoke. ¡°This master-disciple arrangement was meant to be.¡±
¡°Teacher¡! I¡¯m a Staff Apprentice!¡± Aliya exclaimed with a gleeful cheer. ¡°I have a title now!¡±
¡°Well done, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll reach the Adept-level soon at this pace,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°How about you Zukelmux, made any gains after that?¡±
¡°Yes Teacher¡ two entire levels in Physical Fitness and one in Combat Mastery¡ I¡¯ve never experienced such intensity of training before, but nor have I gained levels so quickly either,¡± the goblin replied.
¡°Good, good. For today, that will be all,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Get some rest, and we¡¯ll reconvene after classes tomorrow for more of the same. If you have any crafts or hobbies, be sure to hone them as well, a warrior must sharpen the mind and self in more ways than just combat to achieve growth.¡±
Both his students diligently nodded and then left. He was quite satisfied with the results of today. If he continued on the course of Teaching, he could likely teach Adeltaj how to become a dual-Grandmaster, the first emperor how to acquire Eldritch Resistance, and Mahari how to acquire the elemental fist once more. He could do more than just fight; he could empower others to become better versions of themselves. He could repay many of the debts he owed to those who did him good turns in the prior loops.
He left the training chamber himself and made way for his next destination, the Grand Crafting Hall of the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy where he would work on sharpening his various crafts.
The Novar¡¯s Peak Academy was in fact the second biggest building in the Royal District. It was directly next to the Imperial Citadel which was the tallest building. The Novar¡¯s Peak Academy was a gigantic tower; a tower so big that it was the Academy.
Unlike Bluefire, which was a campus with multiple buildings, Novar¡¯s Peak Academy was simply one gigantic tower, dwarfed only by the peak of the Imperial Citadel it was adjacent to. Teleporters took students, faculty and visitors to various floors and sections of the tower, and many floors had entrances connecting to the other towers of the Royal District via incredibly long stone bridges which looked majestic and formed a web of interconnected towers, of which the academy was a part.
He passed by the throngs of students and made his way to the teleporter for the school of Alchemy, upon stepping through the portal he found the classroom he was to meet his personal tutor within.
It would be a long day of crafting and learning.
He gained two levels in Jewelcrafting and Basic Healing, but the other crafts would take more days to see gains in.
¡°So then, after a full day of time dilation aided training, bullying your new students and learning magic and the crafts, how do you like Novarria? Have I convinced you to betray your country yet?¡± Balastion Novar joked.
¡°While it¡¯s quite the city and the infrastructure, wealth and education are without a doubt superior to Bluefire¡¯s¡ I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯ve quite been convinced to become Novarrian just yet,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°That being said, with six months of this training, I¡¯m confident I can pull the Eldritch Avatar and force it to land in Novarria instead. I assume you¡¯ll obviously evacuate the city when the time comes in preparation for battle?¡±
¡°Of course, and I¡¯m glad to hear you feel confident in learning the spatiomancy within that time,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°I know you say you¡¯re in a time loop, and I can tell it¡¯s the truth too¡ it still behooves me to act as though this life is my only one. So, I¡¯m rather relieved to hear you shouldn¡¯t need multiple loops to learn how to pull it towards us.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll still be capable of outright defeating it though,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Not without severe casualties at least. The last time I won it was at the expense of my own death and the deaths of three World Guardians and multiple Avatars. Guzuhar sank to the sea in our fighting, and I only killed it through Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity which returned its own damage with a multiplier. Not to mention, being empowered by three Gods myself.¡±
¡°Needless to say, empowering either of us with divine power is out of the picture. Save for a few, I detest the Gods as much as you do,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°But let¡¯s not engage in defeatism, whether we win or not, we can only plant our feet and meet the foe like warriors, no? Or in your case, plant your feet, die like a warrior, and repeat the situation as many times as necessary till you succeed.¡±
¡°I suppose that is my standard tactic,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Come, let us speak of other matters,¡± the emperor diverted. ¡°During your explanation of the loops you mentioned encountering the elven Gods at one point. Tell me what your impression of them was.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t say I hated them¡ but they clearly have some sort of captive divinity that they¡¯re using, Faraine? I believe that¡¯s the name I heard mentioned by the man who tried channelling her, and yourself when we spoke about the issue,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°Who is she?¡±
¡°Faraine is one of the Elven Four, the elven Goddess of Truth, Justice and Freedom¡ which is ironic beyond compare that her fellow Gods have her imprisoned in the divine realm and are using her as a battery to be drawn upon by bearers of that wretched experimental Bloodline,¡± Balastion explained. ¡°The story of how that came to be is a long one, but it all began fifteen-thousand years ago when one of the Eldritch star-beasts sent by their foul divinities tried invading the elven continent.¡±
Orodan recalled reading about the event. In fact, it was the historical event which Cyvrosdyr boasted about during their first meeting, claiming that he defeated the rampaging Eldritch star-beast after the Chosen One failed. Cyvrosdyr¡¯s bragging aside, the records of the event did mention that the elven Chosen One of Faraine failed and valorously fell in battle, necessitating the arrival of the World Guardian who then defeated the rampaging beast.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I recall that wintry dragon boasting about it at the time,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°You¡¯ve met him in your loops? Of course, you have¡ he still maintains his anger towards me when we fought once in my younger years, and I thoroughly trounced him. It wasn¡¯t a fight to the death of course,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°He fought well, but still gets offended whenever I mention that humans are naturally more talented than dragons are. We¡¯re roughly the same age and he still lags behind me.¡±
¡°You are rather old¡ how is that possible?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°There are more methods to ageless immortality than you would think. In a sense, you have one yourself,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°But that¡¯s a conversation for another day. On the matter of the elves, officially, the Chosen One of Faraine failed, the Avatar died, and then the World Guardian had to intervene to protect Eldiron.¡±
¡°Of course, you aren¡¯t mentioning it because that¡¯s what actually happened,¡± Orodan said, and Balastion nodded. ¡°Then, what occurred?¡±
¡°As you¡¯ve begun to see in your loops¡ the Eldritch energies are very corruptive, to the point that even Gods can be infected,¡± Balastion Novar explained.
¡°Then¡ she¡¯s corrupted by the Eldritch? It didn¡¯t exactly sound like it during that brief moment I heard her during my fight against Othorion Evertree,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°She was more surprised that she was free.¡±
Balastion looked downwards in contemplation.
¡°So, what Vespidia says is true then,¡± the first emperor muttered. ¡°She was corrupted by the Eldritch, yes. But she isn¡¯t any longer if what you and Vespidia say is true.¡±
¡°She gained Eldritch Resistance and held onto her sense of self then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t she been freed by her fellow brethren then?¡±
¡°And that, my friend, is why Vespidia hates the Gods so very much and doubtlessly why she plans to attend this Inter-Academy Tournament in the hopes of freeing her,¡± Balastion answered. ¡°From what she tells me, even after Faraine developed Eldritch Resistance and regained her own mind, her fellow elven Gods still kept her imprisoned. Whether due to fear or the convenience of her being a divine battery and well of power for that wretched Bloodline, I do not know.¡±
¡°The Bloodline? You mean the one Othorion Evertree has? It isn¡¯t even that powerful, I beat him in the last long loop rather easily,¡± Orodan stated.
¡°Yes, but you beat a mere Elite-level student who couldn¡¯t even jump a tier,¡± Balastion explained, and Orodan now understood. ¡°Avatars face the limitation of burning their host out if they use too much energy, yet this Othorion Evertree was stronger than a Favored Avatar while merely at the Elite-level and with no Blessings. Tell me, Orodan, how strong do you think a quadruple-Grandmaster Chosen One with such a Bloodline would be?¡±
Of course, the elves had quadruple-Grandmasters, they lived far longer than humans and consequently had more time to develop their skills. In humans however, the number of quadruple-Grandmasters in history could be counted on one hand. Such a being, possessed of a Bloodline which allowed them to freely call upon a Goddess¡¯s power with almost no limitation¡ would be a ferocious force to be reckoned with.
¡°Quite strong¡ why haven¡¯t they taken this continent over then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Partially because there isn¡¯t much which interests them aside from energy wells and the crown, and partly because the dragons would band together to drive them off,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°But the main reason, would be me. My natural power backed by the crown I wear is a deterrent which prevents them from interfering overly much lest they earn my ire. However, I¡¯m also wary of my elven counterpart who is just as powerful as I and has the ability to call upon copious amounts of divine energy. He too is a bearer of the same Bloodline Othorion Evertree has.¡±
¡°And you don¡¯t have Divine Resistance¡ but I do,¡± Orodan said, and he now understood. ¡°You want me to engage in all-out war against Eldiron? The collateral damage would be unfathomable.¡±
¡°Not at all. I don¡¯t want you to engage in war, least of all against the elves who are an asset against the Eldritch. But your Divine Resistance gives you the unique advantage of being able to act where I cannot if you encounter any agents who possess the Bloodline,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°If I were to begin acting directly, it would create openings elsewhere, and it would give that troublesome elf the excuse to escalate and then it might very well lead to actual conflict.¡±
¡°What do you wish of me then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You met members of the Novarrian Intelligence Service upon entering the city, did you not?¡±
¡°Yes, they rather rudely attempted to pry into my mind,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Not very successfully.¡±
¡°I apologize on their behalf, but they would not be agents of a surveillance state if our elven rivals hadn¡¯t forced us into this position,¡± the first emperor spoke. ¡°For at least ten-thousand years now, my Empire has been in a cold war against the elves of Eldiron. Intelligence and counterintelligence are one of those battlefields, and the psionics of Eldiron have ours handily beat. There are plenty of elven spies and those subverted by the elves running through my city, and I¡¯d like to ask for your help in ferreting them out.¡±
¡°And this isn¡¯t something you could do?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°In all honesty, no. I¡¯m no psionic and my ability to detect the truth is useless if memories have been wiped or altered so that the subject genuinely believes a falsehood is reality,¡± the emperor replied. ¡°You¡¯ve told me of your Absolute Soul Dominion skill, and I¡¯d like for you to use it and work alongside my Novarrian Intelligence Service and sniff out the elven spies and those under the psionic influence of our rivals.¡±
On one hand, he¡¯d be involving himself in matters which weren¡¯t his problem. But on the other¡
¡it was good training for Absolute Soul Dominion.
¡°I accept,¡± Orodan replied, and Balastion actually looked surprised that he did. ¡°What? I think it¡¯d be good training.¡±
¡°Of course¡ why am I not surprised?¡± Balastion remarked. ¡°You have my gratitude for agreeing to help with this issue, the Intelligence Service will contact you with further requests for your talents. Do you have any more questions about this?¡±
While the obvious question of: ¡®why Orodan¡¯, could use further clarification; Orodan himself understood that he was in a unique position. The Grandmasters, Chosen, and any agents of decent talent and power of a nation were always closely monitored and had lots of information on them. He on the other hand, was a complete unknown, approaching the first emperor¡¯s level of power, who had just appeared out of nowhere. The elves wouldn¡¯t be expecting him, and if they did, the first emperor was still in the background supporting Orodan.
Additionally, what was unsaid was that the addition of Orodan Wainwright to the Novarrians added much military prowess to their nation. It acted as an additional deterrent, even if Orodan had no interest in fighting an actual war where innocents would be slaughtered en masse.
¡°Two questions really,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°First, in a direct war, how confident are you in victory?¡±
¡°It is a concerning prospect, and the elves haven¡¯t pushed for a direct war thanks to the lack of any potential gains and the threat of heavy losses,¡± Balastion answered. ¡°But Eldiron is old, very old. Civilization on the elven continent didn¡¯t collapse thirty-thousand years ago, and as a result they¡¯ve had almost a hundred-thousand years of uninterrupted development. Technologically, and in terms of manpower, material, and resources, they exceed Novarria by far. It would take all the human nations banding together to perhaps match them in terms of manpower and resources. And although I¡¯m strong and pose a threat to any Avatars, the elves live long, and there are at least two elves I know of who rival me in power despite not calling upon divine providence.¡±
That was somewhat concerning. Two elves who were on the level of Balastion Novar without calling upon divine providence, and then they had that quadruple-Grandmaster with the Bloodline which allowed for free divine power. Which made it at least three incredibly powerful beings at the top end.
Still, Orodan accepted that the elves weren¡¯t necessarily looking for direct conflict. If they wanted it, they would¡¯ve had war by now, especially when civilization on Inuan was still weaker.
¡°And second, how does Vespidia know all this? What¡¯s her role?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°That¡ isn¡¯t my story to tell,¡± Balastion Novar replied, and Orodan accepted it. ¡°Ask her and she might tell you herself. I hear she quite enjoys delving into the depths and treasure hunting, perhaps you two might bond over such a thing. If you brought your students along it might even be a field trip.¡±
Fair enough, and that did sound like a good idea for training Zukelmux and Aliya, albeit with careful supervision for the latter.
¡°I did always wonder though,¡± Orodan continued. ¡°What¡¯s your angle in all this? In helping me?¡±
¡°A man can¡¯t just help the young better themselves?¡± Balastion asked with a smile. ¡°Well, what if I told you I have a vision¡ a dream where humans, dragons, and the rest of the mortal races live in harmony upon our world. A nation where one¡¯s species doesn¡¯t determine their fate, where Gods are benevolent and the Eldritch has been beaten back to the foul void of space from whence they come. Where we can live together as a world, in harmony.¡±
¡°That does sound like a nice goal,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Is that why you haven¡¯t made any military actions against the Republic and Eastern Kingdoms? Given your strength, I don¡¯t see anyone in the Republic having a chance.¡±
¡°Yes¡ the Republic separated primarily due to a conflict between the Time Wind dragon flight and our own allied Soaring Flame dragon flight,¡± Balastion explained. ¡°Attacking the Republic would be akin to cutting off our own arm¡ in time I hope they will at least agree to work alongside us easier even if they maintain their independence.
¡°And the Eastern Kingdoms? What about them?¡±
¡°Likewise, although, they have something rather powerful guarding them, and it isn¡¯t the World Guardian lion,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°The reason I¡¯m helping you, is because I hope in time, you¡¯ll help bring this dream of mine to fruition. A land of peace where mortal-kind can reach its true potential, where all the continents work together, and we aren¡¯t held back by greedy Gods or invading Eldritch. Will you help me do this, Orodan Wainwright?¡±
He definitely felt the influence of a social skill there, but unless the argument convinced him, Orodan¡¯s willpower would disregard it. As it stood¡ Orodan didn¡¯t disagree. Purging the foul corruption in the form of evil Gods and the Eldritch from Alastaia was already part of Orodan¡¯s goal. As for a world of harmony, Orodan would leave that part to Balastion.
¡°It¡¯s a good dream. I can definitely help with cleaning up some of the trash that makes our world dirty,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But the execution of your dream will be up to you even if I were to pave the path.¡±
The first emperor smiled.
¡°Even just that bit of assistance would be much appreciated, Orodan,¡± the man spoke.
¡°Anyhow, for now, we have bigger concerns,¡± Orodan spoke as he turned away. ¡°I have much work before me, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±
As it stood now, Orodan had much to do.
For his own growth: training his students, learning spatiomancy to a degree where he could force the battle against the Eldritch Avatar into Novarria, training in various schools of magic and honing his crafts.
For his tasks: finding out more about the first gate, finding out who fled after crossing the threshold, and of course, assisting the Novarrian Intelligence Service with rooting out the Eldiron spy network in Novar¡¯s Peak, and perhaps looking into the matter of the imprisoned Goddess Faraine and how Vespidia was related to the incident.
The coming months looked to be very busy, but Orodan Wainwright had nothing but time, and one six-month long loop to sort everything out.
Chapter 40 - Rooting Out Spies
A week had passed.
It was almost surprising to Orodan, how much growth and gains could be made in a singular week where he abused time dilation chambers. But then again, a number of the skills he¡¯d picked up hadn¡¯t gone through specialized education and dedicated learning time prior to this long loop. His tutors had all been a bit intimidated at the fact that he could work endlessly for days with no need for rest, and that was also a big contributor to his gains.
Cleaning had gained a level, going from 78 to 79. Even though the rate of level gain had slowed down a bit, Orodan hadn¡¯t really encountered the bottleneck most people experienced at level 75 of a skill, where every level after was a true chore to acquire without life and death combat or innovations and breakthroughs. He chalked it up to his deep understanding and natural talent for the skill and had an inkling that crossing into the Master-level for it wouldn¡¯t be an issue either. His Vision of Purity had also increased from 45 to 47.
As for his crafts, Woodworking and Alchemy had gained a level each from 58 to 59 and 57 to 58 respectively. Enchanting and Blacksmithing had gained two levels from 41 to 43 and 35 to 37 respectively; and Jewelcrafting had made a jump of four levels from 23 to 27. His Tool Mastery had also gained, going from 60 to 61, which in Orodan¡¯s opinion was an excellent general skill which made picking up any tool-based craft rather easy for him now.
Wood Communion had also crossed the threshold and become an Adept-level skill, from 49 to 50. The quality of wood he could empower now, was truly monstrous, and Vespidia came by to caution him against giving his tutor a ¡®gift¡¯ as it made the man a target for covetous people.
One particular skill that¡¯d experienced stellar growth, was Teaching. It went from 12 to 21, and his students were both thankful and miserable for it. Zukelmux and Aliya had both measurably improved, although for the goblin any skills he¡¯d hit level 75 in naturally slowed down due to the bottleneck. Aliya however had made excellent progress in Staff Mastery, and Orodan began giving her spears and halberds to train with as well. His students would soon be due for an excursion somewhere to get some more live combat experience. Zukelmux would be easy enough; Orodan would simply accompany him to the deep depths and supervise the goblin as he fought various monsters.
Aliya, however, would be slightly trickier as he¡¯d have to find a good Level I infestation site and watch her closely. Then again, he needn¡¯t be too concerned as the girl had been sneaking into monster infestations by herself before she met him.
His progress in Space Mastery was coming along well, and in just three more weeks Orodan felt it was due for a breakthrough. However, his favorite book had taken to multi-tasking during those sessions, and he¡¯d made some excellent magical gains.
Draconic Fireball went from 19 to 21, Flare went from 29 to 32, becoming an Apprentice-level skill, Fire Magic Mastery went from 4 to 8 and Draconic Mana Channelling increased from 46 to 47. Without Agathor¡¯s Blessing infesting his soul, and with dedicated training time, Orodan could make some good gains in magic skills. Much as he hated to admit it, he could probably become a mage of great power if he continued on this course. He was already monstrously powerful when combining his endless power generation with magic and his action increases. Just how strong could he be if he brought his magical skills up to par with his martial ones?
He felt close to acquiring a skill for mental combat as the book engaged in mental attacks against him, but his companion told him it was harder since he was using the soul as a medium to access the mind. Progress would¡¯ve been faster if he had a skill to directly read a mind alone.
¡°This month, I¡¯m focusing on my crafts and magical skills,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But from next month, after I¡¯ve gotten the breakthrough and acquired Space Mastery, I plan on using the time blocks I have for crafting to instead hone my physical skills.¡±
¡°Such dogged insistence on honing your body,¡± his companion spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you have enough muscles?¡±
¡°If I recall, you said that I¡¯m limited only by how much my body can take,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Then it¡¯s about time I focus on honing skills like Body Tempering, Physical Fitness, Harmony of Vitality, Bulwark Physical Resistance and the like. In the past, using Endless Blitz alongside All-Strikes would bring my body to ruin, but I¡¯ve come far since those days. That doesn¡¯t mean I can slack on honing my body however.¡±
¡°For once, I agree with your meat-headed methods,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are valuable artifacts in this place which can help.¡±
¡°Yes, the wealth of Novarria in comparison to the Republic¡ is quite staggering,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Hearing that the Republic is a mere secessionist offshoot is one thing, but seeing the wealth present at the heartland of Novarria is stark proof of that fact.¡±
¡°Bah! You haven¡¯t seen true wealth yet, boy,¡± she replied. ¡°Back in my day entire cities were made of gold and precious jewels.¡±
Their conversation was interrupted however, as a familiar figure came to the door of the training chamber. Orodan got to his feet and received the visitor.
¡°You usually travel with that invisibility skill of yours,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°The sudden appearance of manners is a surprise.¡±
Vespidia gave him an unamused look in response.
¡°I stopped once I realized you can detect me every time. You ruined my fun,¡± she spoke. ¡°His Majesty also warned me to be very nice to you, so I suppose this is me following orders.¡±
¡°Anyhow, to what do I owe this pleasure?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I believe you spoke to his Majesty a week ago about offering your talents towards dealing with a certain issue?¡± she asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Well, that time has come, and we¡¯d like to ask for your help.¡±
¡°Why does it not surprise me in the least that you¡¯re a part of the Novarrian Intelligence Service?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Sneaking about, turning invisible, and stabbing people does lend rather well to such a line of work, no?¡±
¡°While your line of reasoning is correct, officially, I¡¯m not part of the Intelligence Service,¡± Vespidia clarified. ¡°Actual operatives of the service are tied up with bureaucracy, paperwork, reports and boring field work which involves stake-outs and month-long investigations. I have better things to do than that. However, I do get calls for situations which require a specialized skillset.¡±
¡°Such as ensuring a dagger finds its way into someone¡¯s skull?¡±
¡°Among other things. We all have our specific talents, yours involve cleaning the entire citadel, and mine involves work of a clandestine nature¡± Vespidia replied. ¡°The head of the citadel¡¯s maids was complaining to me a few days ago, about how you¡¯ll put her out of a job.¡±
¡°She could stand to do a better job of reaching the impurities on a particulate level then,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Better to not clean at all if a half-baked job is done.¡±
¡°You certainly don¡¯t believe in half-measures do you, Orodan Wainwright?¡± she asked. ¡°What of that skill of yours which allows you to affect the soul? How far can you push that? Can you cleanse any impurity?¡±
¡°For now¡ I hone it in the hopes of being able to clean a Blessing out of someone¡¯s soul,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°A friend of mine is under unwanted divine influence, and I intend to rescue him.¡±
¡°¡truly?¡± she asked and then remained silent for a bit, choosing her next words carefully. ¡°Then, if the day comes where you become capable of it¡ I hope I¡¯m not too rude in asking for your aid. I too have need of such an ability, although much work will need to be done before it can work the way I need it to.¡±
¡°I see¡ I don¡¯t necessarily have a problem with it as long as you tell me what exactly it¡¯s for,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Is it perhaps in relation to a certain imprisoned Goddess?¡±
Immediately, her face changed, and she gave him a very sharp look.
¡°You speak of things you shouldn¡¯t know of. Has the emperor told you?¡± she asked. ¡°Who are you really?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just a warrior on a journey of learning,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Why can it not be just that?¡±
¡°You broach a very sensitive subject that¡¯s very near to my heart,¡± she replied. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re just some wandering warrior either. You barge into Novar¡¯s Peak, force your way past all our Grandmasters and Avatars and breach the emperor¡¯s meditation chamber. Then, you somehow leave alive, and the emperor expressly orders us to assist you with whatever you may need. He hasn¡¯t deigned to tell me or Demosthenos anything about you¡ but keep your secrets, our monarch must deem it critical enough that even we haven¡¯t been informed.¡±
¡°Would it make you feel better if I said I¡¯m stuck in a time loop?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°While it would explain the lack of transformation potion, your jests come at an inopportune time,¡± Vespidia spoke, and then looked at him curiously, thinking. ¡°Unless¡ that wasn¡¯t a joke?¡±
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Orodan had never been the type of person who could keep his mouth shut about the time loops anyways. Moving forward like a bull, both in combat and in social settings was how he operated.
¡°It wasn¡¯t. I really am stuck in a time loop that begins on the day of the ancient machine¡¯s awakening underneath Mount Castarian,¡± Orodan revealed. ¡°You don¡¯t detect any transformations because there are none. I really am, physically at least, just seventeen years of age.¡±
Vespidia remained silent for a while. She looked at him, looked at the ground, and then at him again before she spoke once more.
¡°No wonder his Majesty is so polite to you¡¡± she muttered. ¡°I won¡¯t even question the mechanics or truth of it. If our emperor believed it, then it must be true.¡±
¡°Such faith in Balastion? He seems to be a reasonable man in general,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s polite to me just because I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°Yes, his Majesty is gracious, but if you can travel through time over and over again¡ then making an enemy of you would be the height of stupidity. We¡¯d never see our destruction coming,¡± she spoke. ¡°But if we were to treat you well¡ the benefits could be endless.¡±
¡°You¡¯re awfully accepting of this. Usually, it takes a two hour conversation where I have to detail everything I¡¯ve done, the secrets I¡¯m privy to, all I¡¯ve learned, my Quests, and so on before people truly accept it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You¡¯re just¡ believing me?¡±
¡°As I said, I know our emperor has a powerful skill which can verify the truth. And your level of power lines up with the idea,¡± she said. ¡°What I really do want to know though¡ is have you met me in prior loops?¡±
¡°Just once during the Inter-Academy Tournament in my last long loop,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°And you seemed rather fixated on striking out against any divine competitors there. Against me you tried using your fancy dagger which can supposedly sever the connection between Avatar and divinity, but it didn¡¯t work; mainly because I don¡¯t call upon external power.¡±
¡°Of course you¡¯d know about that too,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°Did I tell you anything else? About my past life?¡±
¡°No, because I never told you about my time loops in that long loop of mine,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I was more focused on winning against Othorion Evertree and preparing to face the Eldritch Avatar upon its descent in Guzuhar.¡±
¡°You fought the elf? How strong was he? Did you push him to call upon the peak of his power?¡± she desperately questioned.
¡°I did, and he was decently strong if a little unskilled and not quite good at actual combat, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d stand a chance against him though,¡± Orodan said, and she frowned not in offense, but in contemplation. ¡°I pushed him all the way till he had to temporarily give control to Faraine in his final attack, which was when my skill which returns damage crossed dimensions to harm her directly. She broke free for a moment till two elven Avatars immediately showed up and interrupted the battle to bring her under control.¡±
¡°A skill which can harm Gods? How unfairly powerful¡¡± she muttered. ¡°But this is great news, excellent even! Knowing that she can be freed through harming her into awareness opens up many possibilities.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t tell me-¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright, will you help me free Faraine during the Inter-Academy Tournament? I will forever be in your debt!¡±
¡°Absolutely not! Especially if it involves me competing,¡± Orodan immediately stated. ¡°I have no desire to waste my time fighting students again.¡±
¡°Then-¡±
¡°And have you considered the resulting war that would occur? I can¡¯t imagine the Gods of Eldiron would be pleased if you managed to free a God they¡¯ve been keeping captive for how long now,¡± Orodan warned. ¡°Yes, I do enjoy a good fight, but fighting the Gods of a different continent might cause a whole lot of death.¡±
¡°Far from it, now would actually be the best time to make such moves,¡± Vespidia argued. ¡°With the descent of the Eldritch threat, the Council of Aldenil won¡¯t want to commit to any fights which risk a loss of military power. Why do you think the emperor was willing to allow your aid in rooting out their spies? Now¡¯s the best opportunity we have without them thinking to react too strongly.¡±
¡°Yes, but there¡¯s a difference between rooting out spies and freeing a strategic weapon of theirs,¡± Orodan countered. ¡°Not to mention, I doubt Faraine will look upon the Elven Gods too favorably after. How can you be confident they won¡¯t escalate upon the loss of a weapon and the creation of a new enemy?¡±
¡°Because she¡¯s been imprisoned and exploited for long enough!¡±
It wasn¡¯t really an argument, but an emotional outburst.
In truth, even though Orodan seemed to be arguing against it, he was gradually liking the idea of stirring the pot a bit himself. Freeing a Goddess would doubtlessly put him in her good graces, and there was plenty of information he could glean. Namely, who the coward was thirty-thousand years ago. But among other things, receiving advice and perhaps even tutelage from a Goddess who was older than the Prime Five, and who hopefully wasn¡¯t out to manipulate or control him, would be worth quite a bit.
But mainly, Orodan enjoyed the thought of humbling arrogant Gods who acted in a domineering manner. He wasn¡¯t sure when, but he¡¯d developed a taste for humiliating the divine. And what better way to do it than by setting an imprisoned Goddess free from under their noses?
¡°Well, I suppose the Inter-Academy Tournament is rather close to the time the Eldritch will be descending,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°Even if someone were to accidentally set Faraine free, would the Elven Gods even want to risk a fight so close to the descent of the strongest enemy they¡¯ve seen?¡±
Vespidia looked at him a bit suspiciously.
¡°And you¡¯re agreeing to help me with this? After all that back and forth arguing you did about why it isn¡¯t a good idea?¡± she asked.
¡°Well, I was mainly against the idea of me competing in another Tournament,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m still not competing, if that¡¯s your plan. I¡¯ll happily swoop in and receive Othorion¡¯s assault once he gives control over to Faraine, but there¡¯s no way you¡¯re powerful enough to force him to that last resort.¡±
¡°Then how else do you expect to free Faraine? If Othorion is as strong as you say, then the only one capable of bringing him to the point of relinquishing control, would be you,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°You might as well say you aren¡¯t going to help.¡±
¡°Come now, I didn¡¯t take you for the damsel in distress. I would honestly say you were either the second or third strongest competitor in that Tournament,¡± Orodan quipped. Maybe Akelrim was her better, maybe not. ¡°In six months, I think we could get you strong enough to force Othorion to go all-out. Being a reincarnated old hag, you¡¯re already at the Grandmaster-level, aren¡¯t you? It can¡¯t be too hard to push you to dual-Grandmaster, no?¡±
¡°While I admit, my second highest skill is at level 99 and of legendary rarity, there¡¯s no way it will hit 100 in just six months,¡± Vespidia explained. ¡°I feel you¡¯re making excuses.¡±
¡°Do you really want me to swoop in and solve all your problems for you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I need levels in Teaching, and you¡¯re an excellent case study for what I¡¯d need to do in order to get someone else I care about to the dual-Grandmaster level as well. How about this¡ I train you hard, and by the end of the six months if you still can¡¯t force Othorion to unleash his full power, I¡¯ll handle the issue myself. Until then however, we¡¯ll work on developing you to the limit. That man uses divine power cheaply and freely, however he¡¯s not very good in actual combat, his skills and fundamentals are woefully lacking. If you worked hard, you could surmount the difference.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a strange man Orodan Wainwright¡ but I suppose I can agree to this,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°Will you put me through many hours of boring meditation and take me all over the world in the hopes of granting me insights?¡±
¡°Meditation? Traveling?¡± Orodan asked with a bewildered look on his face. ¡°The only meditation you¡¯ll be doing is upon the chaos of life and death battle, although traveling to fight various foes does sound fun.¡±
¡°You¡ I¡¯m not in a time loop, you know?¡± she said. ¡°Do you think us Grandmasters get to the ages we are by engaging in such risky behaviour?¡±
¡°No, and I won¡¯t deny that taking it slow and steady is the logical move,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But I¡¯ll be accompanying you, and we have six months to get you up to par. Besides, the stronger I get you, the better our odds against the Eldritch Avatar.¡±
Well, technically anyways. Orodan doubted Vespidia becoming even ten times more powerful would make a difference in the battle against that thing.
¡°Fine, I suppose that¡¯s acceptable,¡± Vespidia said, and then she smiled. ¡°Was there anything else you wanted to know?¡±
¡°Yes actually, you never told me about your part in the matter of Faraine,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You seem awfully attached to her.¡±
¡°¡I was host to her Avatar. I was the Chosen of Faraine fifteen-thousand years ago.¡±
Orodan about expected that answer. It made sense now, how Vespidia had been able to bypass his second Blessing of Agathor at the time. She had a Blessing from Faraine that dealt with a contradictory concept of fleeing, and when two Blessings sought to do opposing things, the one from the stronger God won out.
And given that the Elven Gods were all rather old, it didn¡¯t surprise Orodan that Faraine¡¯s Blessing superseded Agathor¡¯s.
¡°Hmm, that explains a lot about why you hate Gods,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°I don¡¯t hate all Gods¡ just the Elven ones,¡± Vespidia remarked. ¡°Anyhow, we¡¯re getting off-topic. Thank you for agreeing to help me free Faraine; now onto what I originally came here for.¡±
¡°Which is assisting the Novarrian Intelligence Service?¡±
¡°Yes, and on the way, you can tell me more about this time loop you¡¯re stuck in,¡± Vespidia remarked. ¡°Now come, I have a plan to smoke out potential infiltrators at headquarters. I¡¯m told your ability to interact with souls is profound and could help identify compromised individuals.¡±
The Novarrian Intelligence Service¡¯s headquarters wasn¡¯t a gaudy building that spoke of power. Rather it was one of the smallest and most unassuming towers in the royal district. In fact¡
¡°I sense the discrepancies; this entire tower is an illusion isn¡¯t it?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Must cost a decent amount of energy to keep that running continually.¡±
¡°It does, but it¡¯s a price we gladly pay,¡± Vespidia remarked. ¡°Of course, anyone with a detection skill worth something can tell there¡¯s something wrong, and the location isn¡¯t exactly a secret either.¡±
¡°True, who needs the headquarters of a national organization to remain hidden when the citadel is right next to it?¡± Orodan said. ¡°I doubt any attackers or enemy operatives could deal with the response right next to the throne.¡±
¡°That¡ and our actual black sites and sensitive locations are carefully protected secrets which only a handful of people know,¡± she spoke. ¡°It would take even you a decent number of loops to become privy to the secrets of those.¡±
¡°Well, consider one secret discovered then. I¡¯ve been looking at it for at least a few minutes now¡ but I can tell there are certain minute particles in the headquarters that are actually spatial passages to somewhere,¡± Orodan spoke, and Vespidia¡¯s eyes almost imperceptibly widened. ¡°It¡¯s rather well-hidden, using some of the smallest particles as an anchor for a spatial tunnel is rather well done, and I can¡¯t sense any energy emissions either. I¡¯d wager multiple Grandmasters of space had to work on those, no?¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you¡¯d become so well-versed in spatiomancy,¡± Vespidia remarked.
¡°I¡¯m not skilled in it yet, but I¡¯ve been reading about the theoretical foundations,¡± Orodan spoke. Even though he was trying to acquire the rare and hard to develop Space Mastery, it still involved boring theory-work in text books. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s my Vision of Purity which allows me to notice such things, all down to the smallest particle.¡±
¡°A powerful skill, I ask you keep its existence hidden for now as we hope to catch certain people unaware today,¡± she replied. ¡°In fact I-¡±
Orodan cut her off as he detected multiple wisps of impure mana headed his way. Not a damaging spell, and nor could mana truly pose a threat to him any longer, but the purpose of these impure wisps was different. Meant to spy.
Absolute Soul Dominion shot out and surrounded the wisps of mana, Orodan poised to annihilate them entirely.
¡°Wait! Do you detect mana packets?¡± Vespidia asked in a whisper, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Destroying those would tip off whoever sent the probe out. Can you tell me what you sense about them? Their structure? How the mana flows within them?¡±
Orodan frowned and concentrated. He wasn¡¯t versed in the theory of mana structure, and even if he was, he likely wasn¡¯t as knowledgeable as Vespidia who could apparently tell what the spell was based off of mana structure. Yet, he focused all the same. Vision of Purity was great at detecting impurities, and as almost everything had some minute amount of impurity, it was possible to see most of the picture.
However, it wasn¡¯t yet at the level where he could tell the internal structure of a wisp of mana. Perhaps if the caster was less skilled and the mana less pure, but as it stood, somebody with a decent amount of skill had cast the spell. Eager to sniff out just who was approaching.
¡°I can¡¯t tell you much, as my skill doesn¡¯t work like that¡ but from the movements of the impurities¡ mana seems to be flowing inwards, in a circular motion, gathering into the center to pulse out a signal, and then flowing outwards once more,¡± Orodan answered.
[Vision of Purity 47 ¡ú Vision of Purity 48]
A welcome gain from pushing the skill in an unorthodox manner.
¡°Alright, likely the Mage Eye spell, capturing both visual and auditory input,¡± Vespidia warned. ¡°Follow my lead and give nothing away.¡±
It was a common favorite of scouts, assassins and those specializing in espionage. However, any areas of importance were warded against them, and anti-scrying wards targeted the Mage Eye spell among a suite of other common surveillance methods. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that anti-scrying wards were the second most ubiquitous ward type, right after anti-teleportation wards.
And if someone was able to cast the Mage Eye spell on them in the middle of the royal district, then that could only mean that this unknown party was keyed into the wards. Which suggested an inside watcher, snooping on anyone approaching the headquarters of the Novarrian Intelligence Service.
¡°Alright, I¡¯m with you,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Mister Wainwright, I look forward to giving you a tour of headquarters,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°Some of the research we¡¯ve been focusing on is ground-breaking, and I hope it catches your eye.¡±
¡°Good, good,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡±
They walked forward, chatting about various unrelated topics which didn¡¯t give much away as they walked into a wall, which was in fact the actual entrance to the illusionary tower which was the headquarters of the Novarrian Intelligence Service. Upon crossing, the sight wasn¡¯t what he was expecting.
A fairly sizeable front lobby, with a receptionist manning the desk, and behind that, multiple doors leading to various parts of the building.
¡°Miss Vespidia! We¡¯re happy to have you with us,¡± the receptionist, a diminutive woman, likely a halfling, spoke while looking at Vespidia. ¡°Here to assist with the yearly equipment audits?¡±
¡°Of course, someone has to ensure the gear is properly cycled in and out,¡± Vespidia replied. ¡°Not that I¡¯ll be doing any of the paperwork though.¡±
¡°Hehe, of course¡ and your guest, is that¡?¡±
¡°Mister Orodan Wainwright? Yes, this is him,¡± Vespidia replied. ¡°Just giving him a tour of the facility.¡±
The halfling¡¯s eyes held a hint of curiosity and awe. She, like many others, knew the news that Orodan had stormed the imperial citadel and barged right in, only to be let off the hook later as though nothing was the matter. People had their conspiracy theories as to who he was, but one of the more popular ones was that he was a deep undercover member of the Novarrian Intelligence Service, so deep that nobody recognized him until he stood before the emperor himself.
A part of the theory was correct, save for the minor detail that Orodan had presented himself before the first emperor and not the currently serving one. He also wasn¡¯t a member of the Intelligence Service, although he was certainly lending fuel to that theory by being seen here.
In any case, whether they believed him a returned agent or something else, Orodan¡¯s sudden arrival and continued presence in Novarria was the talk of the city. Vespidia had informed him that plenty of nobility and people of power within various echelons of Novarria¡¯s government were attempting to scope him out, kept at bay only by the first emperor¡¯s command which Vespidia and Demosthenos enforced.
¡°Anyhow, shall we?¡± Orodan asked as he remained aware of the small wisps of mana still nearby.
The purity of mana was influenced by multiple factors. The Mana Manipulation and Mana Mastery skills contributed, as did the skill level of the spell the caster was using. As a result, Orodan had never found a truly pure source of mana. Soul energy was often pure as it came directly from the source, but mana was not, not unless someone had achieved true Grandmastery in many skills, and Orodan had yet to meet such a being.
They progressed on through the headquarters, and Orodan was surprised to see such an ¡®office¡¯ looking environment. Most operatives really did just spend their days behind a desk, monitoring things through special devices and scrying eye feeds, doing paperwork, making calls via communications amulet, and liaising with colleagues and seniors. This wasn¡¯t to say that they were slacking however, as operatives at headquarters would train daily and often.
However, field work was something that required care and preparation. Vespidia had told him that a newly trained Adept-level operative could go their first year without any field work if their superiors thought their skill levels too low or their mentality unsuitable. Unlike adventuring, the military or the imperial guard, a conflict-prone mentality was frowned upon in the Intelligence Service as it went against the delicate nature of the work and the need to keep things subtle.
Finally, the two of them reached a large equipment room where a group of supply staff were taking inventory of various weapons, devices, and gear pieces. Just behind a gate, however, was a line of operatives waiting to trade their old and worn gear in for the new.
¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re ready to begin this year¡¯s audit,¡± one of the armorers spoke. ¡°Er¡ is that-¡±
¡°Change of plans, sorry Vespidia, but we may have to improvise a bit,¡± Orodan said.
What Orodan hadn¡¯t told Vespidia so far, was that he¡¯d been monitoring the entire headquarters using Vision of Purity, and the moment the two of them entered the supply room, two individuals immediately attempted subtle exits of the building.
It was too far to use Absolute Soul Dominion. Powerful as the skill was, it had range limitations.
One tried teleporting out, and All-Consuming Rage reached out to the other end of the headquarters to drain the man¡¯s mana completely and cancel the portal, and the other was near a window and attempted to jump out.
A quick cast of Whirlpool Whirlwind from his right hand, and both were smashed into walls while being pulled in the direction of Orodan.
¡°Where are they?¡± Vespidia asked.
¡°One¡¯s in an office, third floor, the other on the ground floor,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°They should both be rather hurt. I don¡¯t think your operatives are built for getting slammed into walls.¡±
Vespidia nodded and the communications amulet around her neck glowed. Soon, five swift rogues clad in dark attire flashed into the room, looking every bit the stereotypical assassins used for clandestine work.
¡°Capture the two who attempted to flee,¡± she commanded, and the five shadowy enforcers vanished. She then turned to Orodan. ¡°You know¡ I had the entire perimeter set up with a detection ward designed to warn me of and track any targets who attempted to exit within a certain period of time. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have caught the Mage Eyes listening in without your help¡ and if they could cast those, then whoever did that could teleport out as well, bypassing my ward.¡±
¡°The one on the third floor did try to teleport, but I stopped that by draining his mana and cancelling the portal,¡± Orodan replied and Vespidia looked both impressed and wary that he could do such a thing. ¡°He must¡¯ve been keyed into the wards, high-ranking then. Just how deep does this intelligence war go that they¡¯ve managed to infiltrate so deeply?¡±
¡°Handy skill you have there, remind me to never get on your bad side,¡± she said. ¡°As for this mess¡ we¡¯ve let it fester for long enough, but today, we¡¯ll be cleaning house.¡±
Within minutes, the two suspected infiltrators whose timing of exit was rather suspect, were bound and brought before Vespidia and him.
¡°V-vice Director¡¡± one of the armorers muttered.
Vespidia¡¯s amulet glowed, and a portal opened up beside her. A man with a twirly mustache and green eyes stepped out.
¡°Venerio, these are the two we found,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°Can you infiltrate their minds?¡±
¡°Yes, but divest them of their regalia and jewelry first,¡± the man spoke. ¡°I sense anti-psionic enchantments, and the Vice Director always was one of my better students on the cusp of reaching the Master-level¡ a shame.¡±
Orodan¡¯s hand twisted in the motion of Whirlpool Whirlwind once more and all enchanted items he detected on both were ripped right off and flew to his outstretched hand. Venerio gave him an appreciative nod and a look of interest.
Soon, the work began. This man, Venerio, was doubtlessly a Psionic of great skill. His targets were swiftly struck and the entire affair lasted less than two seconds.
¡°Well?¡± Vespidia asked.
¡°Good news and bad news,¡± Venerio spoke. ¡°The good news is that neither of these two willingly betrayed Novarria, their minds bear the trace of psionic manipulation.¡±
¡°Good, the vetting process for the Intelligence Service is rigorous and I doubt either of these two were disloyal to begin with,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°But¡ what¡¯s the bad news?¡±
¡°The bad news is these elven psionics are damned good at their job and I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to attack this. Even the energy seems entirely different than what I¡¯m used to. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s soul energy or mana,¡± Venerio explained. ¡°Their psionic conditioning is rather deep rooted. Truly, how did they manage to do this under our noses? Subtle work, but quite effective and extensive. Even as a Grandmaster myself, I don¡¯t know where to begin¡ was this even the work of one?¡±
¡°Perhaps I could try?¡± Orodan suggested. ¡°I know nothing about mental combat¡ but I have a companion who can help provided you maintain secrecy. I also have a skill which can target the soul but reach the mind as a side effect.¡±
¡°Hmm, Orodan Wainwright was it? Your entry into the royal citadel was quite the eye catcher. I tried stopping you, but I don¡¯t think you even noticed my Psionic assaults upon your mind with that resistance of yours,¡± Venerio spoke. ¡°Venerio Balmento, triple-Grandmaster and the best Psionic in Novarria, at your service. Although¡ when facing work like this, I¡¯m not sure I can call myself the best for much longer.¡±
¡°Balmento? Like Ilevida Balmento?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Are you perhaps related to the Headmistress of the school of Psionics at Bluefire Academy?¡±
¡°Pah! My estranged relative and her branch of the family decided to play rebel and secede alongside the Republic,¡± Venerio replied. ¡°The difference in talent between us is rather apparent too. She¡¯s still a dual-Grandmaster, while I¡¯ve been a triple-Grandmaster Psionic for a while now. Anyhow, let¡¯s not dwell on my trivial family affairs.¡±
¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll delve inside and see what I can do,¡± Orodan said.
Preparations were made, and the two unconscious captives were taken to a secluded room where Orodan¡¯s book companion came out.
¡°Boy, you truly do get into the most nonsensical of situations,¡± she spoke. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re entertaining if nothing else.¡±
¡°Are you going to flutter about and bicker all day? Or can we get to work in purging these two of whatever psionic influences plague their minds?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Absolute Soul Dominion can get inside, but the fine work is something I¡¯ll need advice with. I know you lack power in your current form, but I can do the heavy lifting as long as you accompany me and provide direction.¡±
¡°Hmm, for once you speak sense,¡± she said. ¡°I was half-expecting you¡¯d batter their minds into brain death and say they¡¯d been ¡®cured¡¯. Wouldn¡¯t be far from your usual brand of madness.¡±
¡°No, these are innocent men who were subverted by enemy psionics,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Now will you help me?¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± she spoke. ¡°Perform the initial entry and slay their mental representation, then I¡¯ll enter, and we can begin taking a look.¡±
His eyes glowed white and Absolute Soul Dominion contacted the Vice Director first.
The man must¡¯ve been an excellent psionic for even though he was already unconscious, the man¡¯s mental self still lived and continued attempting to defend the mindscape. The memories were rather guarded too, but the defense was moot against Orodan¡¯s endless power and drive.
A memory of being promoted to Vice Director flashed by, and Orodan left the memory itself alone out of respect as he finally caught the man¡¯s mental self and slew it. In the sky, subtle impurities lingered¡ filth not of the man¡¯s own making.
¡°Do you see it? His entire mind¡¯s corrupted,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°His soul is fine, I can verify that much, but I have no clue on how to begin clearing his mind.¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Orodan¡¯s expertise lay with the soul. To combat a psionic corruption which was essentially brainwashing, wasn¡¯t something he was currently capable of. He would need assistance to get it right on this try.
¡°Hmm¡ foul stuff,¡± his companion spoke as she entered. ¡°This will take work, I¡¯m not even sure what energy this is...¡±
It was Orodan¡¯s first time seeing her form within a mindscape. And she was¡ something else indeed.
A ten foot tall, towering figure of feminine beauty and draconic splendor, but it was incredibly cracked, disjointed and blurry as though his companion herself didn¡¯t know what she looked like. Certain details such as flowing silver hair and lustrous scales stood out, but aside from her mismatched white and gold eyes, nothing else was certain.
¡°You¡¯re a hybrid¡¡± Orodan said quietly. ¡°Exus Baldrimon my breeches¡ you were never him.¡±
¡°Stop leering and focus, fool,¡± she reprimanded.
¡°I¡¯m not even leering, I¡¯ve just never seen an actual draconic hybrid before,¡± Orodan honestly clarified. ¡°Well, aside from the one time I turned into one and reverted back. Anyhow¡ let¡¯s focus, how can we overcome this?¡±
¡°Aside from a few dozen more loops of teaching you mental combat and psionic skills?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t quite know. Yes, there are methods to counter this form of corruption, but both would involve a psionic of higher skill than you. And this energy is strange, I¡¯m hesitant to touch it almost. My current form lacks power, and I might take a full day in the real world to fully cleanse this man.¡±
Then it was possible, for as much as his companion tried to act humble. She was clearly an incredibly talented psionic herself, even in her reduced form. Still, Orodan found the solution dissatisfactory.
And the Vice Director¡¯s mental self had reformed again, as befitting someone who was a near-Master Psionic. The man rushed towards Orodan and his book, and he was prepared to strike him down again until¡
¡°Hold interlopers! Identify yourselves and state what you seek within my mind!¡± the man yelled. ¡°I¡¯ve already been violated and corrupted against my will once, and I¡¯ll be damned if it goes any further!¡±
¡°Oh? We¡¯re actually here to cleanse your mind of the rot that plagues it,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°We¡¯re cleaning house in the Intelligence Service, and you and one other operative immediately attempted to flee the moment you suspected something.¡±
¡°I see¡ I¡¯ve been captured then? That¡¯s good,¡± the man spoke. ¡°At last, my body is no longer a puppet to be commanded by the enemy. I still retain a semblance of awareness despite my body being under foreign control. You must be Orodan Wainwright, your audacious entry into the city caused quite a stir, and my handlers were very intrigued, demanding I acquire more information on you.¡±
¡°Who are your handlers? Can you provide us any information that may help?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°It seems you¡¯re as against your mind being controlled as we are, so how about we work together to break this psionic control?¡±
¡°I concur, I would like nothing more than to break free, however even now the corruptive psionic methods they¡¯ve used attempt to drag me back,¡± the man spoke. ¡°I do not know how long I can remain in control until they come by and attempt to restrain me. The energy they use is exceedingly strange, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s mana or soul energy.¡±
As the man finished, Orodan saw insidious tendrils descend from the corrupted sky of the man¡¯s mindscape, all headed towards the Vice Director, in a bid to re-establish control.
¡°Damn¡! Before they take me once more, one of the handlers is a half-elf! I met her at a tavern in Jerestir! They used a strange device on me, that¡¯s all I know! She doesn¡¯t have pointed ears either!¡± the Vice Director fearfully shouted as the corruption hit him once more.
Orodan decided, that would be enough.
¡°What if¡ instead of us using psionic prowess and skill to combat the corruption, we instead empowered him to fight it himself?¡± Orodan asked his half-dragon companion.
¡°And how would we do that?¡± she asked. ¡°Potions which affect the soul are difficult to concoct, and I¡¯ve never met a soul specialist who could empower the soul of another.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s not entirely true,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°If this works, you might be speaking to one right now.¡±
Which was to say, Orodan had a plan.
What was Absolute Soul Dominion? The skill had been a combination of Soul Manipulation, Soul Assault, Soul Strengthening and most importantly¡ Weapon Aura. As standard with all skill combinations, the prior skills weren¡¯t lost, but simply fused into the new whole while retaining all of their previous functionality.
And what had Weapon Aura allowed him to do? Empower potions well past their intended limits during the empowerment phase.
Therefore, what if he extended that just a bit further¡
¡and decided to empower somebody else¡¯s soul too?
¡°Hold still, this is probably going to be very painful, but you want to be free, right?¡± Orodan asked, and the man¡¯s mental self nodded frantically. ¡°Then work with me and fight, do not give in.¡±
Absolute Soul Dominion already had its grasp over the Vice Director¡¯s soul. Orodan couldn¡¯t yet get past the System barrier a quarter of the way into the soul core, but he could access the soul¡¯s mana generation functions. It was what allowed him to freeze enemy energy generation.
However, the absolute control that came with his skill allowed him to not only freeze something but speed it up.
Which was what he began doing as he forced the Vice Director¡¯s mana coils to churn faster than they ever had before. The man¡¯s mental self shook and began grunting in pain.
¡°What are¡ what are you doing? The pain is tremendous!¡± the man roared. ¡°Yet, I feel more power within myself than I ever have before!¡±
¡°Keep fighting!¡± Orodan yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t let your concentration lapse. I¡¯ll ensure you have the power, just focus on combatting the corruption upon you.¡±
[Absolute Soul Dominion 65 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 66]
Orodan maintained his iron tight focus upon the man¡¯s mana generation as he forced the Vice Director¡¯s soul to churn harder and harder, increasing its mana output. The man¡¯s soul looked as though it wanted to explode, as if it would lose control, but Orodan¡¯s absolute dominion over it held the man¡¯s soul up and prevented him from faltering.
And slowly but surely, the man¡¯s efforts at beating back the corruption began to bear some fruit. It struggled against large volumes of power it seemed.
¡°Yes¡ yes! If this continues, I can free myself!¡± the man exclaimed.
¡°Good, keep going and work on cleaning your mind of the foul influences,¡± Orodan said.
In the real world, thirty minutes had passed as the act of churning another¡¯s soul to a level which increased their mana generation, was both time consuming and delicate work. A single slip-up in Orodan¡¯s concentration, and a soul explosion worthy of a history book would occur, followed by the Vice Director¡¯s demise.
Unfortunately, the power of the strange corruption looked nearly endless. Hells, it might¡¯ve even been getting stronger, as though it drew upon power from elsewhere. Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if the Vice Director¡¯s willpower would hold out for the amount of time needed to beat it.
¡°This won¡¯t work,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We need to try something else.¡±
¡°Say, boy¡ don¡¯t you have a skill that allows the return of damage, no matter the source?¡± his half-dragon companion asked and Orodan nodded while he still maintained focus. ¡°You, when the tendrils attempt to strike you, divert them towards Orodan.¡±
The Vice Director of the Novarrian Intelligence Service nodded, and on the next assault by the now weakening tendrils, he deflected them all towards Orodan.
Which led to a discovery.
Upon hitting him, the attack was entirely useless, however, not because of his Psionic Resistance¡
¡but because of his Divine Resistance.
His enemies didn¡¯t receive the benefit of his or their resistances when it came to Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity, however. Instead, the tendrils were immediately disintegrated outright due to a more than fourfold return of damage. In the Vice Director¡¯s corrupted mindscape which was looking cleaner now than it had at first, the corruption in the air recoiled in utter shock, as though struck, and it immediately dissipated, leaving the man¡¯s mind entirely.
In the real world, both the Vice Director¡¯s and Orodan¡¯s eyes opened.
¡°I am myself once more!¡± Thank y-¡±
¡°No time! Orodan, the corruption seeks to destroy the other one¡¯s mind, jump into this one next!¡± his companion spoke while fluttering about with her pages whipping wildly.
He must¡¯ve targeted the caster of the divine mind corruption directly via Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity, and while they may or may not have been aware before, they certainly knew what was going on now. And if the sudden turbulence within the lower ranking operative¡¯s mind was any indication, the other brainwashed agent wasn¡¯t going to have a good time.
Orodan swiftly grabbed the soul of the other unconscious operative in the room via Absolute Soul Dominion and saw the problem; the corruption within the man¡¯s mind was decaying it and eroding all of the man¡¯s memories.
¡°Damn, I¡¯m not sure how to stop this,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Maybe I can force his soul to absorb the memories from his mind?¡±
¡°It¡¯s worth a try, I¡¯ll enter his mind and begin directing the memories towards the soul. While I do that, you use your skill to ensure his soul absorbs them swiftly,¡± his half-dragon companion said.
Like that, the two of them got to work simultaneously operating on the man¡¯s mind and soul in a valorous effort to save his mindscape and memories from being entirely destroyed. Whichever being cast such a high-level and insidious thing, was dangerous. Orodan was beginning to develop a dislike towards Psionics and it might soon become a branch of magic he abhorred much as he did necromancy.
Memories could exist both within the mind and within the soul. Someone¡¯s core memories related to their identity, their family, loved ones and with those whom they had deep bonds, naturally existed with their soul too. As a result, people who suffered mental assaults which wiped their memories clean could procure the services of a soul specialist to retrieve their important memories. Not only that, but sometimes the important memories within the soul would naturally return without any specialist intervention.
For soul specialists and those in excellent tune with their soul, such as Orodan, the mind and soul were the same thing. Even if Orodan¡¯s mind was shattered or the outer layer of his soul destroyed, he held full confidence that his memories would return upon reforming his soul¡¯s outer layer once more. For the average person however, they held only core memories important to them within their soul, and other things could take a long time, or emotional attachment, in order to become part of the soul.
Orodan and his companion¡¯s hope then, was to use this fact and try to stow the man¡¯s memories inside of his soul expediently.
Soon, Orodan felt the first of the man¡¯s recent memories arrive, and Absolute Soul Dominion forced the operative¡¯s soul to expand. The man screamed in pain, both in the real world and in his mindscape, but this was to spare him from a worse fate. This lower-level operative wasn¡¯t skilled enough in mental combat or Psionic skills to fight off the corruption, even with the current level of empowerment Orodan was capable of. Unfortunate as it was, the man¡¯s mind would be wiped clean, and he¡¯d need to undergo treatment.
The good news however was that in wiping the man¡¯s mind clean, the corruption had also eradicated itself and there was no further need for Orodan to act.
[Absolute Soul Dominion 66 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 67]
They¡¯d managed to save the majority of the man¡¯s recent memories by shoving them into his soul by the time the corruption completed its destructive course of action and wiped itself out in the process.
The liberated Vice Director attempted to jump into the operative¡¯s mind and help as well, but he wasn¡¯t a Master Psionic yet, and compared to his companion, not nearly the contributor she was.
In the real world, Orodan sighed and held a frown on his face.
¡°Don¡¯t have such a look on your face, this was one of the best outcomes such a situation could¡¯ve had,¡± his companion spoke. ¡°We saved most of his memories, and his core ones important to him are within his soul to begin with. Treatment from a soul specialist will see him sorted out well enough.¡±
¡°Perhaps, but it¡¯s still not ideal,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°In time, I hope to hone my ability to combat this sort of divine corruption. I wasn¡¯t aware such skills existed which allowed someone to hold people as hostages within their own minds.¡±
¡°In truth sir, even we were caught unaware by this terrifying psionic ability of theirs. The might of Eldiron is great, and who knows what other secrets and weapons the south-east has in store,¡± the man spoke. ¡°But, most importantly, allow me to thank you for saving me. I am Kalemar Cosanox, Vice Director of the Novarrian Intelligence Service. I do not know how long this entire situation would have gone on for had you not acted today, Mister Wainwright. Let us reconvene with my colleagues outside, I am sure they¡¯ll want to see our progress, alongside subjecting me to a battery of tests to verify my integrity of mind and loyalty.¡±
Orodan picked up the unconscious operative and went outside with Kalemar, his companion had flitted back into his spatial ring a while ago. Frankly, the matter of her identity was a concern for another time, interesting as it was.
Vespidia Aulmalexis and Venerio Balmento were waiting for them.
¡°So, you¡¯re both awake and walking free, Kalemar?¡± Venerio asked. ¡°I take it that means he¡¯s been scoured of the foul influence which had infected him Mister Wainwright? I don¡¯t know how you managed that when even I could not.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve managed it the normal way either. At first, I tried empowering the Vice Director to fight the corruption himself¡ but while it went well initially, the power of the psionic corruption looked endless,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°We then had tried re-directing the tendrils to assault me directly, and I have a skill which can return damage to the caster no matter where they are or what medium is used.¡±
¡°A risky gamble¡¡± Venerio muttered.
¡°But one that paid off,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Upon harming the source of the corruption, it immediately left Kalemar¡¯s mind. Unfortunately, whoever the caster, they became aware of what was going on once I harmed them, and they immediately began the process of wiping the mind of the other operative. I gathered most of his memories into his soul, but he¡¯ll still need treatment from a soul specialist.¡±
¡°A greater result than we could¡¯ve hoped for,¡± Venerio spoke. ¡°That skill of yours is profound in what it can do with a soul. With some minor treatment, the operative will be back on his feet in no time.¡±
¡°It also lines up with the recent reports I received in the last few minutes,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°At least seven of our operatives have inexplicably fallen unconscious, and across the city we¡¯re still receiving reports of tavern keepers, merchants, officials and other people in positions of intelligence-related importance facing the same issue.¡±
¡°So, what you mean to say is¡¡±
¡°Yes, you seem to have scared Eldiron into pulling their spy network back Orodan,¡± Vespidia elaborated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s their entire network, and today we¡¯ll be conducting an organization-wide audit, with your assistance of course.¡±
¡°Yes, but that¡¯s for later,¡± Venerio spoke. ¡°For now, we need to verify whether Kalemar¡¯s readings are normal after what he¡¯s undergone. And about what he knows.¡±
In response, the Vice Director stepped forward and had a monitoring device placed on him.
¡°I told Mister Wainwright this as well, but the only thing I recall was being in Jerestir a year ago meeting an informant when I realized they brought company,¡± Kalemar spoke. ¡°My enchanted blood detection ring sensed elven blood and it went off for her, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have suspected her to be an elf at all. Then she brought out a strange glowing rod and I lost the ensuing psionic battle within seconds with nobody in the tavern the wiser.¡±
¡°A glowing rod? Now that¡¯s odd¡¡± Venerio muttered. ¡°You¡¯re near the Master-level, and even a Grandmaster would take at least a bit of time to subdue you in mental combat given your talent so it couldn¡¯t have been a regular amplifier or soul energy converter.¡±
¡°Venerio, given the range of this psionic ability of theirs I do not think even an old elven Grandmaster psionic would be capable of such feats,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°The agents who were found unconscious were in separate parts of the Empire, separated by hundreds of miles. To maintain influence over that many concurrently would require multiple Grandmasters and colossal amounts of energy¡ unless¡¡±
¡°It was divine,¡± Orodan finished. ¡°When the attack struck me, I felt my Divine Resistance trigger and deny it.¡±
¡°D-divine¡ Resistance?¡± Venerio muttered. ¡°Is that why even the Avatars were unable to stop you?¡±
Vespidia looked down and sighed while shaking her head.
¡°Venerio¡ that¡¯s a Grade IV national secret, please accordingly alter everyone¡¯s memory and keep it to yourself henceforth,¡± Vespidia spoke and as Venerio worked on everyone else, she cast a silencing bubble around just Orodan and herself. ¡°And if you¡¯re going to blurt such things out Orodan, you could at least give me a warning first. Do you know how troubling it is to have someone shadow a Psionic, let alone the best one in Novarria? I¡¯ll have to use mindless dwarven infiltrator golems for the task lest he detects anyone else through his Psionic Sense.¡±
¡°Ah¡ sorry,¡± Orodan muttered, his usual brash nature and inability to keep secrets shining through. ¡°Still, is a spy detail so necessary? I assume he¡¯s an old member of the empire and rather trusted by now.¡±
¡°Nobody is above surveillance, not me, nor you. Given how good Eldiron is at subverting people as we¡¯ve seen today, you should understand the importance of remaining aware,¡± she said. Orodan didn¡¯t disagree, after all, in such a cold war of psionic battles and treachery, information was a must. ¡°Only the first emperor himself isn¡¯t watched by us, and if he were to fall then we might as well dissolve Novarria. But even if we aren¡¯t watching him, I¡¯m certain his Majesty¡¯s enemies are doing that themselves.¡±
¡°So, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m being monitored at all times?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How does that even work?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not my place to say,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re in a time loop and you¡¯ll find out eventually, but if you don¡¯t know yet, then I¡¯ll leave it to his Majesty himself. Ask the emperor when you next meet. Given how much he seems to like you, I doubt he¡¯ll refuse to answer.¡±
Orodan would say Vespidia didn¡¯t know the imperial founder then. Balastion on plenty of occasions didn¡¯t answer certain questions claiming that it¡¯d ruin Orodan¡¯s experience. Annoying, but nothing Orodan had the right to whine about.
¡°Anyhow, about the rod; wouldn¡¯t that make it divine then?¡±
¡°A divine artifact, yes,¡± Vespidia spoke.
Divine artifacts were among the most powerful items that existed. Orodan had seen divine artifacts on three other occasions. First, when the headmaster of the school of soul magic had poked him with a spear during his time at Bluefire in a bid to train him. It was powerful at the time, but in hindsight Orodan felt it rather weak for a divine artifact, and not possessed of much divine energy. The other one he¡¯d seen was the Divine Tower itself during the Inter-Academy Tournament, a structure of grand proportions which was created by the Gods as a trial and training tool of sorts.
The third occasion was Balastion himself telling Orodan that the crown he wore was a divine artifact, hence the elves continually coveting it, and now¡ this strange rod might just be the fourth.
Divine artifacts varied in power, but aside from the spear, Orodan had to admit that they caused quite the stir and national power struggles whenever they were in play. Balastion Novar¡¯s crown allowed him to trivialize even Avatars and make the patriarch of a dragon flight fearful, and this rod used by the spies of Eldiron was capable of mind control and coordination on a continental scale and possibly even further.
¡°What¡¯s the plan of action then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Do we hunt down the bearer of this divine artifact?¡±
¡°No, if anything your actions forced them to reconsider their position and retreat. I can almost guarantee the rod is secure in Eldiron now. Whoever was using that artifact, when they noticed your resistance to it in Kalemar¡¯s mindscape, they doubtlessly put two and two together to surmise that you have Divine Resistance,¡± Vespidia explained, and then she let out a weary sigh. ¡°On one hand, it¡¯s a good thing we discovered the enemy have a divine artifact. But on the other, they now know we have a warrior with the Divine Resistance skill on our side. Do you know what manner of headache you¡¯ve given me Orodan?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s a problem,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°The Eldritch Avatar¡¯s descent is too close for the elves to want to have an open war.¡±
¡°Yes, but what about after? You speak as though your death is certain in six months. Your very existence and the fact that you¡¯ve chosen to aid Novarria means you¡¯re a direct threat to much of Eldiron¡¯s established military might. Once the Eldritch threat is resolved, one way or another, Eldiron will have nothing holding them back from subjugating Inuan,¡± Vespidia explained. ¡°You know of Othorion Evertree, yes?¡±
¡°Him and that Bloodline of his?¡± Orodan asked, and Vespidia nodded.
¡°What do you think happens when that Bloodline is borne by someone as strong as our monarch?¡± Vespidia asked.
Balastion had warned Orodan of the first emperor¡¯s ¡®elven counterpart¡¯, which could really only mean that this being was the ruler of elvenkind upon Alastaia. Someone as strong as Balastion, who then also possessed the same Bloodline Othorion Evertree had? An ability to call upon as much divine power as needed, something which essentially bypassed an Avatar¡¯s only limitation which was their host burning out.
Such a being, with the baseline power of the first emperor, and backed by the divine power of an imprisoned Goddess, would be beyond reckoning.
¡°Someone who might be concerned that I¡¯ve come along and threatened the balance of power between nations,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Glad to see you¡¯re catching on,¡± she spoke. ¡°While he¡¯s powerful, his main source of strength is the divine energy he draws from Faraine. And to have someone like you come in and align yourself with Novarria while having Divine Resistance¡ it neuters a large portion of his arsenal and now makes Novarria a credible threat to the elves.¡±
¡°Yet, the elves should still have the advantage in terms of overall power, no?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Balastion mentioned that there are at least two other beings on Eldiron as strong as he, and this is aside from that quadruple-Grandmaster Chosen One who bears the Bloodline.¡±
¡°They do hold the advantage; however you make the gap considerably narrower with your existence,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°Your existence makes what would be a difficult but doable strike to obtain the emperor¡¯s crown, into a very costly effort. Yes, there are at least three quadruple-Grandmasters among the elves, however neither of them wishes to risk their long lives in such a venture.¡±
¡°Perhaps they should covet the possessions of others a little less then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I was under the impression that Eldiron kept to themselves, since when are the elves possessed of covetousness to rival the dwarves?¡±
¡°Before the ascent of the Void Horror thirty-thousand years ago, the stance of Eldiron was a bit more¡ expansionist,¡± Vespidia spoke. ¡°They would often war with the ancient Hasmathorian Empire upon Inuan. This stereotype of elves being peaceful forest-dwellers is something more modern, and only because the first druid and his council have decided that conserving military prowess before the arrival of the Eldritch Avatar is for the best. Don¡¯t make the mistaken assumption that elvenkind is peaceful and isolationist, however. There is a popular sentiment on Eldiron that humanity is a threatening species, with your short lives but great talent, it¡¯s a real concern that if allowed to grow, you¡¯ll become a problem.¡±
¡°But aren¡¯t you a human in your new life too?¡± Orodan asked, diverting the conversation. ¡°Did you retain the benefits of being an old granny elf while gaining the talent of a human? That sounds rather convenient.¡±
The thrown dagger he caught was a bit excessive, but he had it coming for making jabs about her infirmity.
¡°And I see this conversation is over,¡± Vespidia spoke with an unamused look on her face. ¡°I believe Venerio is trying to get our attention anyways.¡±
The silence bubble was dispelled, and Venerio Balmento approached the two of them.
¡°Mister Wainwright, I¡¯m most curious about what you¡¯ve done to Kalemar during your bid to free him,¡± the Psionic spoke. ¡°I finished running the standard battery of tests, and the readings are drastically different. Frankly, the implications of your skill are incredible.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Sir¡ my mana generation has more than quadrupled thanks to you!¡± the Vice Director Kalemar Cosanox spoke. ¡°Whatever you did to my soul, while it was excruciatingly painful at first¡ the moment I adapted and got used to the changes, my natural recovery speed has skyrocketed since.¡±
Well, this was an interesting if unintended benefit of his skill.
There had been no further reported activity from the elves, and he gave his students the day off since he¡¯d spent his time in the headquarters of the Intelligence Service remaining on-hand to assist with things as needed.
Vespidia had explained that for the moment, it seemed as though Eldiron¡¯s spy network had pulled back over the course of an hour. Her theory was that upon discovery of Orodan¡¯s Divine Resistance, the ones in charge of Eldironan intelligence had come to the unanimous decision that provoking a conflict so close to a bigger threat descending in six months would be unwise. Balastion hadn¡¯t been wrong when he said now was the best time to root the elves¡¯ spies out of Novarria. Fighting the Eldritch after a war against Novarria would be quite unwise, even if Eldiron was conventionally stronger and held both the advantage of quality and quantity.
Either way, Orodan had been told that he¡¯d be called if there were any changes that required his direct attention.
The side effect of his Absolute Soul Dominion was an interesting benefit that Orodan would have to explore in the coming days upon willing subjects. But he doubted many people would refuse the chance to have their mana generation quadrupled.
For now, however, he was paying a visit to ensure his student¡¯s home life was going well since his tribe¡¯s relocation.
The Rising Spears tribe had been granted a compound on a protected plot of land directly next to the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy in the royal district. Many peaceful goblins wandered about the grounds and seemed to be enjoying the fresh air. Goblin children frolicked about playing games or practicing, and riders went about on boars either patrolling or engaging in training exercises. It looked to be a happier existence than the one they had within the depths living under the protection of the clan of depths moles.
The gate to the compound was guarded by two fierce looking Elite-level halberdiers who naturally gave Orodan no issues. The goblins were free to wander the city from what Zukelmux had told him, but they needed a guard escort lest the citizenry cause issues, and an unfortunate incident occur. As for who could enter, only the goblins themselves, approved scholars and diplomats or select people such as Orodan, Vespidia or Demosthenos who were the two hands of the first emperor.
He saw a familiar elderly goblin walking up to the gate. This was Griok, the chief of the Rising Spears tribe.
¡°I imagine the fresh air and greenery is more to your peoples¡¯ liking than the depths, no?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Quite so, in fact living on the surface is our natural habitat rather than scurrying underground like rats,¡± Griok spoke and then bowed. ¡°Esteemed benefactor, Zukelmux speaks of your description and warrior-like bearing almost every day. Am I correct to assume you must be none other than the honored Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°That would be me,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But please, you needn¡¯t stand on ceremony. You must be his tribal chief, Griok?¡±
The elderly goblin nodded.
¡°Yes benefactor, I am chief of the Rising Spears tribe. You¡¯ve changed our fortunes by choosing Zukelmux as your disciple,¡± Griok spoke. ¡°Might I ask what made you see him as worthy of the honor? It is to my great shame that I do not recall ever meeting you in the past.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a long story, but for now I¡¯ll keep it simple and say that Zukelmux is indeed a true talent,¡± Orodan explained while not quite elaborating about the time loops. ¡°He¡¯s an Elite-level warrior but can jump a tier to fight at the peak of the Master-level. There¡¯s only one other person I¡¯ve seen possess such talent, and that was a halfling warrior who also came from humble beginnings.¡±
¡°I see¡ your eye is quite profound then honored one,¡± Griok said. ¡°It is true that Zukelmux has always been the most talented among my people. In fact, he might well be the most talented warrior of our kind I¡¯ve seen. I¡¯ve only ever met one Master-level goblin and he was near the end of his natural lifespan when we found him. A youngling like Zukelmux brings great honor to not only the tribe, but also promises a brighter future for our kind as a whole.¡±
¡°I concur, but talent aside he also has an excellent work ethic,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Although, much like his teacher he too has a habit of not wanting to ask for help or guidance and stubbornly carrying along his own path.¡±
¡°Truly? I will speak to him about this at once!¡±
¡°No, no. That shan¡¯t be necessary, or even desirable,¡± Orodan said with a smile. ¡°Rather, sometimes, one¡¯s stubborn dedication in the face of the world saying otherwise can lead to great things. The most profound paths are often those we find through following our own hearts.¡±
¡°Teacher! You grace my tribe with your presence?!¡± exclaimed a familiar voice. ¡°Allow us to host you within the main hall!¡±
Orodan allowed himself to be dragged around on a tour by the excited Zukelmux. Frankly, the entire place was full of life and his student, and the entire tribe seemed much happier in Novarria.
¡°Say, how did the depths moles take your tribe¡¯s departure anyways?¡± Orodan asked, and Zukelmux¡¯s face darkened in response to that question.
¡°Teacher¡ let us not dwell on such unsavory matters,¡± his student said. ¡°The moles were of course rather unhappy that we, their servile workers, and servants, were leaving to seek better opportunities. And they attempted to cause trouble for it. Of course, Lady Vespidia slew the tyrant Istilvaras and granted us safe passage to Novarria from there.¡±
Orodan made a mental note to ensure that dual-Grandmaster depths mole was wiped out in long loops from now on. He quite liked Zukelmux and the Rising Spears tribe, so ensuring they had a good life was something he intended to do moving forward.
¡°Very well, let¡¯s not speak of it any longer,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Tell me about how your tribe¡¯s fitting in here. Have any humans tried causing issues like they did at the Academy for you?¡±
Orodan asked, because naturally a student of a race that people almost exclusively saw as monsters, would face discrimination. Of course, in line with being his student, Zukelmux had beaten all of his attempted bullies senseless and more than earned his respect at the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy in just his first week. His student had approached Orodan and guiltily asked to be punished for causing such damage, and Orodan only laughed and waved the goblin¡¯s concerns away while praising the beatings he delivered.
As it stood, Zukelmux was currently the second strongest student at the Novar¡¯s Peak Academy, with the nominal strongest being Vespidia of course. But, Orodan had told his student that she was a reincarnated old hag, and it wasn¡¯t a fair comparison. His student had of course looked ill at the thought of referring to ¡®Lady Vespidia¡¯ in such a way.
¡°There was perhaps one scholar who came in with some¡ pre-conceived notions about my kind and sought to prove them by aggravating us for no reason,¡± Zukelmux said. ¡°But he was swiftly sent out the door by Lord Demosthenos¡ I wasn¡¯t aware curses could make a man scream like that.¡±
¡°Yes, having either Curse Resistance or a powerful soul with a solid defense is a worthwhile investment,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Otherwise, how¡¯s everything been? Do you and your people prefer it above ground?¡±
¡°It¡¯s as though a dream has come true¡¡± Zukelmux quietly said. ¡°Before this, our tribe would always wander the wild depths and migrate from place to place, always navigating the politics and alliances between various civilizations of other depths dwelling species. The surface was off-limits, and I¡¯d only been there a handful of times, mostly against the chief¡¯s direct wishes. But to have a permanent home here now? It is more than we could¡¯ve hoped for.¡±
Orodan hummed in acknowledgement, and then his attention was diverted as he smelled something.
It was possibly the most wonderful and mouth-watering scent he¡¯d ever experienced. Naturally, he followed it.
¡°T-teacher, that way is er¡ my personal room! To go there would-¡±
Orodan was inside the room before he thought to heed Zukelmux¡¯s wishes. This was¡
¡°This smells amazing¡! I didn¡¯t know you were a cook, Zukelmux!¡± Orodan exclaimed in excitement.
¡°Ah but¡ I¡¯m not even all that good yet Teacher¡ I¡¯m merely an Adept,¡± the goblin spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning through the Academy offered classes on crafts, and I¡¯ve been experimenting with Imperial techniques used to make goblin cuisine better. Would you like a taste?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Orodan almost demanded but calmed himself. Whatever this food was, he¡¯d smelled nothing quite as appetizing in any of the fancy events he¡¯d been to in the Republic. Frankly, Orodan hadn¡¯t eaten much food over the years in general.
Zukelmux had an excited look of his own and ladled some of the stew out onto a bowl with a spoon.
¡°Roasted depths scorpion stew,¡± Zukelmux explained. ¡°It¡¯s mixed with various spices, herbs and mushrooms native to the wild depths.¡±
Orodan greedily took the spoon into his mouth¡
¡and experienced true pleasure.
This!
This was real food! Just what had Orodan been missing out on all this time? The very spices, the herbs, the mushrooms, it all mixed together so well with the scorpion¡¯s flesh and crispy carapace bits. His mouth was packed with pure flavor and his mind felt rejuvenated.
He analyzed it all and realized that there was so much more to flavor and taste than just the ingredients. That food itself, could be a true benefit to the body.
[New Skill (Rare) ¡ú Gourmand 1]
¡°Z-zukelmux¡! This is incredible!¡± Orodan declared. ¡°I must have more! You must show me how to cook as well as you!¡±
His student looked exceedingly proud, and Orodan decided then and there that this would be the beginning of his journey into the culinary arts.
The world was a wide place, and who knew what benefits he could get by eating good food, particularly food made from exotic ingredients. Even better if he hunted it himself.
Orodan had left the Rising Spears compound with a full stomach and three more levels in his new Gourmand skill. Frankly, it was exceedingly strange, but his body felt better as a result of having experienced such good taste. His vitality felt just slightly more potent, his body felt just a little bit sturdier, and his mind a tad bit sharper. Life in general, just felt better, and Orodan wouldn¡¯t deny that he¡¯d found something to enjoy across the loops which would help keep things fresh.
He¡¯d paid a visit to Aliya¡¯s house as well, and her parents had been exceedingly grateful and excitedly discussed Aliya¡¯s progress and their new life in Novarria. Of course, they didn¡¯t know about the existence of Masters, Grandmasters and above, and it was almost humbling to have an ordinary dinner with regular people who were more focused on getting by day-to-day and seemed to dislike the thought of their daughter engaging in a life of violence.
Gods, Avatars, the descent of the Eldritch and international tensions between Novarria and Eldiron weren¡¯t concerns which Aliya¡¯s parents knew of. Their little girl was their primary concern, as were their livelihoods. Orodan had provided them a better life, but it was almost endearing to see her mother attempt to ¡®warn¡¯ Orodan against putting her little girl in danger.
He had no plans on doing so, but it was a nice reminder that while he was out shaping intercontinental politics, there existed normal families having dinner.
His last stop of the day was a meeting with two familiar people in the lowest point of the royal citadel of Novar¡¯s Peak.
¡°See Malzim? It¡¯s been a single week and already Orodan Wainwright has scared the elven pantheon into retreating from Novarria,¡± Balastion Novar spoke. ¡°Will you not consider remaining to fight with us now, old friend?¡±
¡°I must admit Balastion, while I was initially hesitant to remain and stand my ground, with such a mighty ally on our side I¡¯m not as concerned as I once was,¡± Malzim spoke. ¡°I have thought about the matter for a while, and I agree, I shall stand by your side. Though if I see the battle going awry, I shall depart.¡±
¡°That¡¯s more than I would expect of you,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°That you would dare to stand alongside us against the Eldritch at all is cause for celebration.¡±
Some more small talk and pleasantries were exchanged and the Avatar of Malzim departed, leaving only Orodan and the first emperor within the chamber.
Orodan wasn¡¯t surprised that Malzim agreed to stand and fight, after all, the God of Death had been convinced to stand as part of the Prime Five and face the Eldritch in Guzuhar in the last long loop too. Still, Orodan couldn¡¯t help but think¡
¡°That was a pointless conversation,¡± Orodan voiced. ¡°I owe him much, but he isn¡¯t meant for combat and he¡¯s not the most powerful of the Prime Five either. In the battle against the Eldritch the key contributors will be you and I, why bother involving Malzim if he doesn¡¯t want to fight? I¡¯ll gladly die a thousand times till I¡¯m strong enough to the point where he needn¡¯t lift a finger.¡±
¡°Be at ease my friend; your concern comes from owing the God of Death a debt, but I also don¡¯t need him to fight specifically,¡± Balastion said. ¡°However, with his support, getting the Prime Five to join us during the battle becomes more likely. Malzim himself might not contribute as much, but all five of the Inuanan Gods together? Every little bit makes a difference. And need I remind you, I cannot act as though I¡¯m in a time loop, for me, this upcoming battle is where our fate will be decided.¡±
Orodan accepted that explanation and nodded in assent.
¡°I understand, still, if he were to somehow become corrupted by the Eldritch during the battle, I won¡¯t be happy,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Although corrupting a God takes a while longer than some mere exposure I believe.¡±
¡°Yes, that it does. And if it concerns you so much, I can have him on the back line or even send him away once the thick of the fighting begins,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°In truth, it shall be you and I, alongside the patriarch of the Soaring Flame and certain powerful individuals who face it.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll be enough,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why not inform the World Guardians and Gods of Guzuhar of your plan? That we intend to draw it directly to Novarria?¡±
¡°I do intend on that; however I¡¯d rather not count my dragons before they hatch,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Acquire Space Mastery first and then I will begin informing our mutual allies of the change of plans. I dislike working alongside Gods, however, in such a scenario we¡¯ll have to act as needs dictate. Additionally, I¡¯d rather inform people of your existence and center role in this conflict near the end, particularly to avoid any meddling Gods getting ideas of backstabbing and possession like they did in the last long loop you tell me of.¡±
That was a good point. Easier to spring it on them with little time left to prepare. The chance of getting stabbed in the back was lower then.
¡°Understood, anyhow, on the matter of Eldiron, have they truly retreated altogether?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You underestimate how much of a threat someone with Divine Resistance can be,¡± Balastion Novar spoke. ¡°Nobody in the history of our world has acquired Divine Resistance that I¡¯m aware of. No records state it as being possible, and only in a record of a conversation with an otherworldly transmigrator did they claim to know someone in their native world who had it. Given all this, and the fact that you got past three Avatars during your bid to see me the Eldironans aren¡¯t stupid. They can deduce that you¡¯re near my level of strength. And by remaining on Inuan they have a divine artifact that they¡¯d stand to lose, those things aren¡¯t exactly disposable.¡±
The emperor tapped his own crown as he said the last bit.
¡°How threatening is it anyways?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°To you? Not very,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°But for me who doesn¡¯t possess Divine Resistance? Very threatening. To the point where I have enchantments capable of detecting divine energy for that explicit purpose. If I was caught unaware by it and for long enough, even I might come under its control. I¡¯m almost certain that artifact they used is the Wand of Athandelu, created by the elven God of Domination and Psionics. I always suspected its existence, but the events of today confirm it.¡±
¡°Still, all¡¯s well that ends well, no? We rooted out a bunch of unfriendly spies and forced them to reconsider provoking us lightly,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You sell yourself short, Orodan Wainwright, it was you who made them reconsider provoking Novarria,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°The appearance of another being near my level of power who has Divine Resistance is a concerning matter indeed. Until the Eldritch threat is resolved, the elves would be wise to not act too hastily. Unless of course¡ you were to do something reckless, such as freeing a certain imprisoned elven Goddess.¡±
¡°I see Vespidia has spoken to you about that,¡± Orodan said.
¡°She didn¡¯t actually, I was just watching, but she knows that,¡± Balastion said. ¡°This crown is capable of more than just conjuring Eldritch energy.¡±
¡°Little wonder the elves want it then,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Well, are you going to tell me not to do it?¡±
¡°On the contrary, you have my wholehearted approval,¡± Balastion said. ¡°Neutering the wielders of that accursed Bloodline by freeing the source of their power altogether would be a great boon to my forces who currently are assisting the dwarves in their war with the drow.¡±
¡°The elves are involved in that war as well?¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s a proxy war for the both of us,¡± the first emperor explained. ¡°We back the dwarves, and the elves back the drow. They seek a foothold on Inuan through those vampire-harboring vermin. We¡¯ve mostly managed to push the drow and their elven backers into a corner; however the last vestiges are proving problematic.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t look to me to solve it anytime soon,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Rooting out elven spies in a defensive move is one thing when they mind controlled your people, but I have no interest in marching over to the Dokuhan Mountains and slaughtering an entire race to aid in your proxy war.¡±
¡°It¡¯d be nothing of the sort; rather I¡¯d simply ask you to strike at some priority targets and perhaps take out a Bloodline wielder or two among the elves using your Divine Resistance,¡± Balastion said.
¡°And without their elven backers, I¡¯m sure the dwarves would happily then proceed to exterminate the drow, no?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Whichever way you try to sell it, that sounds like a bit more senseless slaughter than I¡¯m interested in enabling.¡±
¡°Fine, I won¡¯t insist, and your decisions are your own,¡± Balastion accepted.
Orodan hummed in acknowledgement, and the remainder of the conversation was regarding more pleasant matters, such as his students and their training, his own progress in the crafts, and potential trips to the depths to give Zukelmux and Aliya combat experience.
Orodan left the Memorial of the First Emperor, but as he did, he couldn¡¯t help but think that Balastion Novar¡¯s idea of a world of peace was one thing, and the man¡¯s method of going about it by enabling the slaughter of an entire race was another. Unless there was something he was missing, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure why the drow needed to be slaughtered en masse in order to counter the elves.
Admittedly, denying international rivals a foothold on the continent was important, but did it justify a war of that scale? After all, from what Orodan knew, the dwarves were the aggressors in the war between them and the drow, so why were the Novarrians helping them?
Still, that was far away in the Dokuhan Mountains to the south, where Orodan currently had no business.
As of now, within three more weeks he felt he¡¯d understand the secrets behind Space Mastery. And once that happened it would be time to focus on another branch of magic and begin taking his students to the depths.
He mentally summoned his Status.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Avatar Slayer
Title 2: One Who Has Experienced Death
Title 3: Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
Title 4: Cleaning Elite
Available Titles:
World Gate Delver
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
Grandmaster Slayer
Combat Elite
Sword Elite
Shield Elite
Physical Elite
Unarmed Combat Elite
Wrestling Elite
Cleaning Elite
Soul Adept
Woodworking Adept
Alchemy Adept
Enchanting Apprentice
Laboring Apprentice
Blacksmithing Apprentice
Pathfinding Apprentice
Gathering Apprentice
Rewards:
Permanent +13 Action Increase
Skills:
Eternal Soul Reactor 91 (Master - Mythical)
All-Consuming Rage 83 (Elite - Mythical)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 75 (Elite - Mythical)
Absolute Soul Dominion 67 (Adept - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 52 (Adept - Mythical)
Incorruptible Being 50 (Adept -Mythical)
Divine Resistance 12 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 88 (Elite - Legendary)
All-Strike 83 (Elite - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 82 (Elite - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 80 (Elite - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 75 (Elite - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 62 (Adept - Legendary)
Wood Communion 50 (Adept - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 48 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Body Tempering 44 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 43 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 21 (Initiate - Legendary)
Iron Body 80 (Elite - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 76 (Elite - Exquisite)
Flash Strike 65 (Adept - Exquisite)
Whirlpool Whirlwind 55 (Adept - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channeling 47 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 26 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 18 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Curse Resistance 4 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 3 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Ice Resistance 3 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Soul Mastery 61 (Adept - Rare)
Soul Defense 54 (Adept - Rare)
War Cry 35 (Apprentice - Rare)
Gourmand 4 (Initiate - Rare)
Shield Throw 69 (Adept - Uncommon)
Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 55 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Pain Resistance 89 (Elite)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 87 (Elite)
Physical Fitness 86 (Elite)
Combat Mastery 84 (Elite)
Sword Mastery 82 (Elite)
Wrestling 80 (Elite)
Shield Mastery 79 (Elite)
Cleaning 79 (Elite)
Tool Mastery 61 (Adept)
Woodworking 59 (Adept)
Alchemy 58 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)
Enchanting 43 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Pathfinding 38 (Apprentice)
Blacksmithing 37 (Apprentice)
Laboring 34 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 34 (Apprentice)
Flare 32 (Apprentice)
Gathering 31 (Apprentice)
Construction 28 (Initiate)
Jewelcrafting 27 (Initiate)
Basic Healing 25 (Initiate)
Repair 22 (Initiate)
Teaching 21 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Mining 17 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Intimidation 11 (Initiate)
Observe 11 (Initiate)
Fire Magic Mastery 8 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Identify 5 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
Disguise 1 (Initiate)
He still had a lot more work to do before he could face the Eldritch Avatar.
A fight against it approached in little less than six months. He¡¯d be the one yanking it off-course to land in Novar¡¯s Peak and fighting alongside the first emperor and other powerful figures to hopefully bring it down once and for all.
Yet, as Orodan had learned from fighting it twice now, things were rarely ever simple with the Eldritch.
For now, he could only look forward to the end of the month and acquiring Space Mastery through hard work and grinding.
Chapter 41 - A New Mastery & Upending Expectations
¡°As long as you think you¡¯re ready, Zukelmux.¡±
¡°I am, Teacher!¡±
He was standing before his seated student, preparing to use Absolute Soul Dominion on the eager goblin warrior.
Three weeks had passed, and many gains had been made.
Magically, he¡¯d developed quite a bit, to the point where jokes were made that he could enter a magic academy as a decent prospect now. Draconic Fireball went from 21 to 32, a massive gain of eleven levels which pushed the skill into the Apprentice-level. It was already a skill of great power, which when combined with his Draconic Mana Channelling and ability to generate endless power, meant that Orodan could likely kill a Grandmaster through magical barrages alone. Yes, the skill was merely at the Apprentice-level, but Orodan¡¯s lack of power limitations meant that even a relatively low-level spell could become exceedingly deadly.
Draconic Mana Channelling itself went from 47 to 51, pushing it into the Adept-level, and Flare went from 32 to 44. Frankly, Destartes was most impressed by just how powerful Orodan could choose to make the spell. Flare was meant for lighting campfires, sending signals out across long distances, or producing a little lightshow. Only eccentric idiots trained the skill any higher than Adept-level, according to Destartes. Grandmaster pyromancers spent their time focusing on deadlier spells such as the Fireball, the Meteor, or the Fire Bolt.
Orodan however, in combination with his various methods of empowerment, could launch a Flare strong enough to rival an Elite-level pyromancer¡¯s Fireball, which was utterly ridiculous according to Destartes, but within expectations according to his half-dragon tutor. She¡¯d explained that true masters of any magical craft focused on bringing even the lowliest skill to the Grandmaster-level, and she accordingly approved. One thing that Flare was better at than other deadlier pyromantic spells though¡ was brightness. And Orodan took pleasure in knowing he could make Novar¡¯s Peak look like it was high noon in the dead of the night via a single overcharged cast of Flare into the sky.
Consequently, all the practice in fire magic increased Fire Magic Mastery from 8 to 16, and Orodan felt his flames grow hotter, his control over them better, and their effects more potent. And finally, Mana Manipulation went from 55 to 57.
Magic aside, his crafts were going very well, and Orodan could likely make a generous living as a multi-talented craftsman if he so chose. Jewelcrafting went from 27 to 36, pushing into the Apprentice-level, and Orodan had begun to learn the method for empowering precious stones. Already, the skill was beginning to show promise in that he could use it to help train his Magical Rituals skill when the time came or provide some of the materials for higher-level enchantments by himself.
Enchanting itself went from 43 to 47, making good progress and would soon reach the Adept-level. By this loop, Orodan felt he¡¯d have the minimum pre-requisites needed to broach the matter of soul energy-based enchantments. If anything, he was probably one of the best soul specialists in the world due to just how critical his soul was in his fighting style and the various things he could do with Absolute Soul Dominion. Given his talents with soul energy, managing the energy part of the enchantment wouldn¡¯t be a problem when he began learning soul-energy enchantment methods. His precious sword and shield which he woke up with each time, were due for an upgrade eventually.
Blacksmithing increased from 37 to 42, and time dilation helped make gains despite Orodan¡¯s lack of natural talent in the craft. Yes, his physical strength, action increases and Fire Resistance meant that the physical part of Blacksmithing was but a joke for him. But he¡¯d seen some prodigious blacksmiths who just knew how to work metal and knew he wouldn¡¯t be matching their talent anytime soon. Still, he was approaching the Adept-level in this craft as well, and then¡ he would upgrade the very base of his weaponry.
Alchemy gained two levels, going from 58 to 60. Levels were beginning to come slower now as going by the books and following established recipes could only do so much. Soon, the time would come for Orodan to experiment and pioneer his own recipes and attempt to make potions with effects of his own creation.
Woodworking gained three levels, from 59 to 62, and of all his crafts he likely enjoyed it the most; alongside his new Cooking skill that was. The Cooking skill had gained only nine levels and sat at 10, as he didn¡¯t dedicate too much time to such a craft. But, alongside his Gourmand which was now at 8, Orodan found something truly enjoyable. At the very least, going around the various places his loops took him and sampling the food was something to keep him from being bored. The culinary tutors he learned under would often say that both he and his student Zukelmux had the same weird palate for exotic ingredients. Orodan didn¡¯t deny the fact that he liked goblin cuisine better than human food. Aliya looked ill when he tried explaining how good the texture of a depths worm¡¯s flesh paired with the crunch of a death roach¡¯s fried carapace when mixed together in a curry flavored with herbs and spices from the depths.
Whatever¡ more for him and Zukelmux.
And Tool Mastery had increased from 61 to 63, amplifying his work on the crafts and the kitchen.
Crafting and cooking aside, Teaching was making good progress. His own skill went from 21 to 25 and approached the Apprentice-level. Vespidia explained to him that the Teaching skill was an amplifier for the teacher¡¯s own expertise and methods, which was why she¡¯d actually benefitted from training her own Physical Fitness and Unarmed Combat Mastery under him, as he was approaching the Master-level in those, and she wasn¡¯t quite there.
It was also her excuse for why she hadn¡¯t gained anything when Orodan practically threw her towards any Grandmaster-level monsters he saw in the depths and insisted she forgo her invisibility and train without it while trading blows. Orodan had been called stupid, but when it came to combat and his intrinsic understanding of fighting styles, he wasn¡¯t bad. He knew that Vespidia relied on invisibility, however he also knew that sneak attacks alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to force Othorion Evertree to temporarily surrender control to Faraine for the purposes of her plan.
She needed to present a bigger threat than merely being an invisible assassin, and while she could use her strange ability to cut the divine connection, that wouldn¡¯t liberate Faraine, but would simply cause Othorion to lose power. How Orodan saw it, was that Vespidia needed to develop her skills enough that she could engage in a trade of blows against Othorion and actually push the elf back. Yes, she was a reincarnator and already a Grandmaster, but that was in a skill related to doing gruesome amounts of damage in a single surprise strike. Her ability to stand toe to toe in combat needed work, and Orodan hoped to improve on that.
Othorion Evertree wasn¡¯t particularly skilled, and this was where Vespidia could seize the advantage. As long as she bridged the gap in power somewhat, her existing Combat Mastery and Dagger Mastery would do the rest in skilfully pressuring the elf.
The reincarnated elf¡¯s sarcastic remarks didn¡¯t impress Orodan however, and he consequently much preferred his two bright-eyed and hard-working original disciples.
Aliya was getting stronger, to the point where she could get halfway through a Level I monster infestation site by herself now. Of course, the Adept-level monster at the end was still beyond her, but Orodan planned on having her engage in a supervised battle against it later. Uphill battles against impossible odds were the recipe for growth.
Zukelmux however, was a beast during their trips to the wilderness to kill things. The goblin warrior wielded spear and shield with fantastic skill and had a Legendary skill which taken together with his various Elite-level ones, let him fight at the peak of the Master-level. Master-level monsters facing Zukelmux died while being riddled with holes from the spear and getting smashed by the shield. It was like fighting a small porcupine that was akin to a juggernaut.
He would constantly give his students new and insane ¡®challenges¡¯ during these trips which both took to with fervor. Vespidia could only attempt to protest when he had challenged Aliya to fight a group of ten skeleton warriors while blindfolded and with one hand behind her back. And she outright felt it dangerous when he challenged Zukelmux to use his spear and shield with only his feet against a Master-level great spider in the wilds.
With Orodan supervising, it was entirely safe, so he felt she was just whining as he challenged her to such things as well, although she didn¡¯t take them as seriously.
Cleaning increased from 79 to 81, and Vision of Purity gained a level from 48 to 49, one away from the Adept-level. The Imperial citadel was the cleanest it had ever been, and the entire structure positively glowed like a beacon of luminosity in a grim world. The cleaning staff for the royal citadel had entirely given up on matching Orodan by now; his talent in Cleaning was simply too great.
Absolute Soul Dominion had increased from 67 to 68 during his efforts in helping members of the Novarrian military and intelligence service permanently improve their mana generation, and Orodan felt at the Elite-level he might finally get it high enough to push past that System barrier within the soul core. He might very well be able to cleanse Blessings from people then.
For now, though, the skill¡¯s purpose was to help his student improve his natural mana generation.
¡°You realize Zukelmux, that I¡¯ll be seeing some of your most intimate memories, yes?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯d only recommend this if you¡¯re truly comfortable with that fact.¡±
¡°Teacher, I¡¯m at peace with myself, and whatever you see are things I¡¯ve accepted as part of who I am,¡± his student replied. ¡°And as you say, your skill naturally targets the memories most significant to the person, so I have no issues.¡±
In other words, the chances of him stumbling upon embarrassing memories were naturally low, unless they somehow were integral to Zukelmux himself.
¡°Alright then, I¡¯m going to begin now. Remember to relax and not consciously resist much,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Initially, you¡¯ll feel your mana pool drain itself dry as your soul naturally attempts to resist me. This is natural, and only once your energy is out will the real work begin. I¡¯ll be guiding you into churning your soul harder to generate mana faster, and it¡¯ll be upto you to adapt to the changes and make them your own permanently. It¡¯ll hurt, that goes without saying, but you wouldn¡¯t be my student if you weren¡¯t willing to taste some pain.¡±
Zukelmux nodded with a grin, and Orodan began as his soul shot out to begin the work of enveloping the goblin¡¯s soul.
It was just the two of them and the book. Orodan had sent Aliya into a section of the city¡¯s sewers to gather ingredients and work on her Gathering skill. In truth, Orodan didn¡¯t need the ingredients she would collect, but it was more to develop her Pathfinding while also developing her independence and ability to traverse foreign environments by herself. A member of the Intelligence Service had been ¡®borrowed¡¯ to shadow her for the duration of this task.
Vespidia of course, had national security matters to assist with and she would be unavailable for the next week or so according to Balastion.
Regardless, the work started, and Orodan had to admit Zukelmux¡¯s soul was rather robust to begin with. His student had no soul skills that he knew of, yet the soul could be naturally stronger or weaker in general depending upon the individual¡¯s willpower. Orodan¡¯s soul was naturally strong to begin with, and Zukelmux¡¯s seemed decent as well. His student¡¯s natural mana generation was quite potent too.
¡°You know, Zukelmux, you could¡¯ve trained to be a mage with such reserves and generation to begin with,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t a skill or a Bloodline?¡±
¡°Teacher¡! To sully myself by becoming a cravenly mage would bring shame to your teachings!¡± his student replied.
¡°Now that¡¯s my-¡± Orodan¡¯s praise was interrupted by his book slamming down upon his head.
¡°What your ¡®teacher¡¯ means to say, is that magic is just as much a weapon in the arsenal of a warrior as the spear and the shield are,¡± she lectured. ¡°Do not limit yourself little goblin, even magic which empowers your movements is a great boon, and refusing to accept the natural mana within you would be foolish. Do not fall for the same narrow-minded philosophy that this fool used to believe in.¡±
Orodan resisted the urge to use Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity, mainly because he had to grudgingly agree. She was right, as usual.
¡°She speaks true. Once we¡¯re done this process, you should consider picking up a branch of magic on the side, your mana generation and reserves would make it a potent addition to your arsenal,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If you can already jump a tier and fight foes at the peak of the Master-level, imagine how much stronger you could be with magic on your side supplementing your combat style. Anyhow your mana pool¡¯s almost empty, I¡¯ll be entering your memories soon.¡±
His student nodded, and within five seconds the mana pool emptied.
The first thing he saw upon entering was a memory of a warm, loving figure who adored Zukelmux very much. It became apparent that this was his student¡¯s mother. The surroundings were slightly blurry, typical for a young memory, but that this was a goblin village on the surface was apparent.
¡°My little clover, one day you shall grow up to be a mighty warrior and bring the light back to our peoples once more,¡± Zukelmux¡¯s mother spoke. ¡°But¡ all mighty warriors must eat their vegetables!¡±
A scene of a goblin mother attempting to shovel mushrooms, root vegetables and fruits into her son¡¯s mouth then unfolded. However, the toddler who was eating suddenly gained awareness, and looked directly at Orodan.
¡°A-ah¡ Teacher! Of course, this memory should not have you¡ we¡¯re undergoing the process of molding my soul then?¡± Zukelmux asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Good, good¡ is there anything you need of me?¡±
¡°At this time, no¡ but I¡¯ll leave the sanctity of your memory be,¡± Orodan said as he turned away to face the blurry surroundings. It was not his memory to see, and he would respect that. ¡°Just be prepared for pain, and¡ don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Yes, the harder you push the more permanent gains you can acquire, but if you push beyond what your willpower can handle, you risk a soul explosion and your untimely demise.¡±
In fact, Orodan was lucky his first attempt at empowering the soul of another was with Vice Director Kalemar Cosanox. The man was a near-Master Psionic, and his soul skills were rather decent. As a result, Kalemar had managed to extract some excellent benefits from Orodan¡¯s empowerment, leaving with quadrupled mana regeneration which made the man one of the Intelligence Service¡¯s strongest mind specialists.
In Zukelmux¡¯s case, the goblin leaving with even tripled mana generation would be a phenomenal result as his student had no soul skills. Orodan would¡¯ve liked to teach the goblin, but six months was too little time to train his student in both martial techniques and the soul arts.
Orodan got to work and began exerting the full force of his control upon the goblin¡¯s soul. He targeted the mana generation functions¡ and forced them to gradually churn harder.
Immediately, Zukelmux began to scream.
Orodan wasn¡¯t heartless, and it was easier to see a man you didn¡¯t know but were trying to help scream in pain compared to one¡¯s student. He was considering stopping when Zukelmux himself spoke up.
¡°I can do this! Don¡¯t stop!¡± his student roared, and Orodan complied.
He churned Zukelmux¡¯s mana generation coils harder and harder, emboldened at seeing his student¡¯s willpower capable of keeping up. Just above a five times mana generation increase, Orodan stopped as he felt Zukelmux¡¯s concentration was beginning to flag. He stopped there and kept it at this level.
¡°Zukelmux! Look deep inside and remember who you are when all else is stripped away,¡± Orodan advised. ¡°Focus, get in tune with your soul and claim dominion over it. Your soul belongs to you, demand that the increased generation become permanent. Endure the pain, don¡¯t give in, this is your new reality!¡±
Much to Orodan¡¯s pride, his student complied and focused hard. To the point that blood began leaking out of his nose in the real world. That was merely the side effect of hard work, in Orodan¡¯s opinion.
Fifteen minutes passed, and Zukelmux permanently acquired triple mana regeneration.
¡°You¡¯ve tripled your existing mana generation already, this is a safe point to stop if you want Zukelmux,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Not yet!¡± the goblin shouted back.
In the mindscape, all around was now the scene of a burning village. Halfling warriors ran amok slaughtering all the inhabitants, and Zukelmux lay within a baby carriage carried by his mother. About to be handed off to a younger Griok who was upon a boar.
¡°Dirty greenskins¡ your kind don¡¯t belong here!¡± shouted an angry halfling, and even Orodan himself felt anger and a desire to strike this fool down.
¡°Focus Zukelmux! You aren¡¯t a child any longer! Take up your spear and shield, stand like a warrior and reverse the course of this ill memory!¡± Orodan barked, causing the young babe within the carriage to gain awareness. His student suddenly transformed into his adult self, and his weapons formed within his hands.
Who was Zukelmux? Goblin warrior? Tragic survivor? Orphan?
Orodan could merely hypothesize from what he¡¯d seen, but the actual answer was up to Zukelmux to discover. Only then could his student access the full benefits of what Orodan had done. Essentially, Orodan had overdrawn the mana generation capabilities of Zukelmux¡¯s soul, and it was now up to the goblin to use his willpower and determination to prevent the beneficial changes from slipping away and acclimatizing to the faster generation. Painful as it might be.
Fifteen more minutes passed, and Orodan felt his student¡¯s soul dangerously tremble.
¡°It¡¯s getting rather dangerous now, I¡¯m putting a stop to this,¡± Orodan said. Yes, if it was himself, he wouldn¡¯t have cared, but he had another person¡¯s life in his hands. ¡°You¡¯ve made gains enough, Zukelmux.¡±
¡°Wait! Give me a chance Teacher, I know I¡¯m capable of reaching a bit further,¡± his student said. ¡°I ask of you, please trust me.¡±
Against his better judgement, Orodan decided to respect Zukelmux¡¯s agency. He felt it was a dangerous situation, but if the goblin wanted to push further, then Orodan wouldn¡¯t deny him the opportunity.
¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll be quite displeased if I have to go explaining to your chief why you died and there are no remains due to the soul explosion.¡±
No reply came, but Zukelmux¡¯s soul continued to go through the turbulence of catching up and acclimatizing to the changes Orodan was forcing.
Thirty more minutes passed, and a critical point was reached.
The mindscape changed once more, and Zukelmux stood amidst a field of defeated halfling killers. His village safe, his mother alive. Tears rolled down the goblin¡¯s cheeks as he hugged her. Orodan respectfully turned away.
It wasn¡¯t real. And yet such a thing, the ability to delve into a mindscape for a chance to change a past tragedy or spend a bit more time with a lost loved one, was an incredibly sought after service provided by psionics and certain soul specialists.
and Zukelmux had been warned of that prior. But the action allowed his student to understand more about himself. About who he really was.
Both student and teacher opened their eyes in the real world.
¡°Zukelmux¡ you¡¯ve achieved it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Your mana generation has more than quintupled and even your reserves have increased by a substantial amount. Yet, I suspect you learned more in another way.¡±
His student remained silent for some time before he spoke.
¡°I had almost forgotten what she looked like, under the gentle glow of the sun¡ we lived on the surface once upon a time,¡± Zukelmux spoke. ¡°She held them off that day so that the survivors could flee.¡±
¡°She must¡¯ve meant a lot to you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to relive the sorrow in those memories.¡±
¡°On the contrary¡ I got to see her again and save her, even if it wasn¡¯t real,¡± Zukelmux said. ¡°We were peaceful, but the nearby halfling clan resented our success and burned our village to the ground once there were talks of us trading with the local human town nearby.¡±
¡°Oh? So, you encountered humans before in an official manner? I¡¯m surprised there¡¯s no record of such an encounter¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Perhaps the local town wanted to keep it a secret?¡±
¡°Quite so. The Chief tells me that even if humans wanted to trade with us, it would be under the guise of secrecy,¡± Zukelmux spoke. ¡°Our more warlike and greedy cousins who lean towards the darker side of our nature don¡¯t help the matter.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You persevered despite your tragic beginnings however, and that deserves respect.¡±
¡°I wonder if bringing somebody back from the dead is possible, if I had the power, she¡¯d be the first person I choose¡¡± Zukelmux said. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m beginning to learn magic might not have limits¡ look at what you¡¯ve granted me Teacher. I have five times the mana regeneration I used to have; your power is¡ godly.¡±
Was it? Orodan had merely given Zukelmux a temporary boost of the soul which the goblin warrior had claimed permanently through hard work and determination of his own. The people Orodan had helped with Absolute Soul Dominion in such a manner, were individuals of exceptional willpower to begin with. He would either need a higher skill level or other supplementary skills working in concert to begin simply granting people permanent boosts without any work from their end.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s godly,¡± Orodan said, finding the descriptor unsavory given all his conflicts with the Gods. ¡°But I suppose it has its uses. Now that I¡¯ve seen how well it works with you, I might do Vespidia next.¡±
¡°Lady Vespidia? She¡¯s already monstrously strong¡ to receive such a boon from yourself on top? That would be tremendous,¡± Zukelmux spoke.
Well, sort of. Who knew what energy pools Vespidia primarily used? Granting a warrior like Zukelmux a quintupled mana generation rate was strong and gave him a far brighter future filled with potential if he were to begin using magic. But it didn¡¯t instantly give him usable combat power. A mage on the other hand would receive massive benefits since they already had a repertoire of powerful mana-powered skills. Vespidia on the other hand might use soul energy or good old bodily stamina for her skills, so there was no way of knowing without asking her.
¡°Perhaps, but she still has more work to do, and increased mana generation is but one advantage of many,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Given the enemies she has¡ she¡¯ll need more than just a bit more mana.¡±
In any case, Zukelmux wasn¡¯t wrong about magic potentially having no limits. As a matter of fact, today¡¯s session with Destartes could very well be where Orodan himself unlocked a branch of magic that finally allowed him to surpass many of the limitations he had.
This would be the culmination of four weeks of hard work.
Orodan¡¯s nose bled, his ears leaked blood, and his eyes poured red. All fourteen minds focused on the spatial ripples coming from the orb, and he brought his own soul energy to bear through Absolute Soul Dominion.
He¡¯d been studying this orb for four weeks now, and alongside time dilation, that time span was far longer. The orb had two quirks which Orodan had come to discover. First, the orb itself was a dimensional storage, not a regular one, but a decaying one. This decay in turn caused it to emit the spatial ripples beginner students were meant to study. The second, was that periodically the orb would release spatial bubbles into the surroundings. These were essentially miniature moving pocket dimensions themselves, and Orodan studied these to understand what a proper pocket dimension should look like, even if these moving bubbles popped shortly after.
It wasn¡¯t groundbreaking to realize that the orb itself was a decaying pocket dimension, but what was noteworthy¡ was Orodan¡¯s insistence on not only controlling the spatial ripples, but completely controlling the pocket dimension of the orb and attempting to repair it and prevent the decay.
And on this day, he was determined to succeed.
Fourteen minds brought titanic amounts of soul energy to bear upon the problem, and Absolute Soul Dominion captured everything within its purview.
He strained, and he struggled, and yet he felt no closer to attaining Space Mastery.
What was Orodan missing?
Half an hour passed in the real world, and ten hours passed within the time dilation chamber before Orodan finally understood a key fact.
One couldn¡¯t use soul energy to control space without also accounting for the spatial properties of the soul and soul energy itself.
What was the soul? It was partly metaphysical, but also existed in the real world. It was how Orodan acquired Divine Resistance, by extending his soul core outward till it encompassed every cell, every particle of his body. And Absolute Soul Dominion also worked by extending his soul core out and connecting to the soul of another.
The soul then, was a medium, but to truly control space using the soul¡ one had to account for the spatial properties of it and the soul energy it produced.
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There were no gaps or spaces within the soul. Using Vision of Purity, even the very smallest measurement of space he could normally see, wasn¡¯t present within the soul. On the other hand, the soul energy he produced did have spatial gaps within it. And now he could see the problem. Attempting to control space through the soul and soul energy wouldn¡¯t be possible until the soul energy he used as fuel was also condensed to the point it had no spatial gaps within.
Like attempting to grip sand in one¡¯s fist; how could it be possible unless the container, the force being used, had no holes?
Orodan focused deeply upon his soul energy, and he began condensing it as powerfully as he could, ensuring there were no spatial gaps all throughout.
The strain caused blood to flow freely from his orifices, yet his concentration did not waver.
Five more hours, and he had the breakthrough he¡¯d been looking for. All of the soul energy he produced, was without any spatial gaps whatsoever.
[Absolute Soul Dominion 68 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 72]
[Soul Mastery 61 ¡ú Soul Mastery 63]
Four levels gained with one critical insight, and a Mythical skill which was pushed into the Elite-level.
Using this momentum of discovery and innovation, Orodan pushed onwards, and his newly empowered soul energy wrapped entirely around the spatial orb, seizing each and every emitted ripple¡ and brought it all together into a perfect pocket dimension.
[New Skill (Rare) ¡ú Space Mastery 11]
[New Skill (Exquisite) ¡ú Dimensionalism 1]
The first reaction was from Destartes who got to his feet immediately.
¡°What the devil? You perfectly repaired the dimensional orb too?¡± Destartes asked. ¡°I mean, it was a training tool meant to be decaying, but this is the best possible result! Did you acquire Space Mastery?¡±
¡°I have 11 Space Mastery right off the bat,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And¡ I obtained the first level of Dimensionalism too.¡±
Destartes¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°This is truly excellent news! Why, you¡¯re among the more talented spatiomancers I¡¯ve seen, to acquire Dimensionalism on the first try,¡± Destartes said excitedly. ¡°How about we try having you perform the Spatial Fold spell then?¡±
Orodan agreed, and this part would be a mere formality. With Space Mastery in hand and the fact that he¡¯d been studying the form and function of the Spatial Fold skill, to perform it now was but a trifle. But before that¡
¡°Let¡¯s go outside,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°I have a feeling my first cast of Spatial Fold might be a bit¡ different from a regular beginner¡¯s.¡±
¡°If that isn¡¯t an understatement,¡± his book companion replied. ¡°Where will you go? Halfway into another town?¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t reply, and instead they cancelled the time dilation on the chamber and made their way out, with Destartes having his memory slightly altered by an on-duty psionic as per agreement when using this particular chamber.
The royal district of Novar¡¯s Peak was chock full of gigantic towers, and finding their way to the top of one of the taller ones was called for. Blue skies greeted him, the sun was setting on the horizon. He could see all the way to the sea from so high up. Some of the very distant towns of Novarria were visible, and Orodan felt this was a good spot.
¡°I¡¯m actually quite excited to see how this plays out,¡± Destartes spoke. ¡°If your soul is as powerful as you say it is, you could likely fold space all the way to another town and cross the distance in a single step.
In fact, Orodan was excited to see just how powerfully he could fold space as well.
Everything would be powered by the soul, and Orodan had a lot of it to give. Consequently, his ambitions were high, and he aimed not for a nearby town he could see hundreds of miles away, but for the farthest things, a thousand miles away, a massive mountain in the direction the sun rose from each day.
Eternal Soul Reactor flared to its utmost limit and his body began to suffer damage, which was then healed by Harmony of Vitality. Everything was churned to its maximal output and All-Consuming Rage was also activated not to drain anything but merely for the regular boost to his capabilities.
His hand grasped out and space was manipulated in the exact manner it would be for the Spatial Fold spell. Within the bounds of Novar¡¯s Peak, he felt some very slight resistance from what was doubtlessly the city¡¯s wards which countered enemy spatiomancers. However, he easily overpowered them and continued onward.
¡°T-the mountain¡¯s collapsing! You can reach that far¡¡± Destartes muttered.
Frankly, even Orodan wasn¡¯t sure where the end target of his Spatial Fold was going. It was why he wisely targeted an uninhabited mountain with nothing of value around it or behind it. He felt the spell rip right through the mountain, fold space and continue onwards.
It simply kept going until he finally felt some resistance. Space was folded completely in a straight path from his hand to some point all the way behind the mountain, and Orodan had no clue where it was, but his Vision of Purity was giving him a strange reading and he couldn¡¯t yet extend it through the Spatial Fold and out to the other side properly.
[New Skill (Uncommon) ¡ú Spatial Fold 14]
Fourteen levels gained on the first cast. What the hells had he even done to warrant that?
¡°Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained,¡± Orodan said as he stepped through.
White rock contacted his feet. That was the first clue that he wasn¡¯t anywhere normal. The sky was but a void with no clouds, and the stars were so incredibly clear.
Where even was he?
¡°You absolute¡ ugh!¡± his book companion exclaimed, although her voice carried a bit differently than usual, more ethereally.
Orodan tried to reply but found no sound coming from his mouth. And for that matter, no air went into his lungs. Good thing he didn¡¯t need to breathe, otherwise it would have been quite the problem and an end to the loop.
¡°Orodan, you marvellous bastard,¡± his companion spoke in a magically amplified and ethereal voice. ¡°Your Spatial Fold went all the way to the moon!¡±
The moon? Truly?
He was standing in the middle of a crater of oddly compressed rock, and everything around him was composed of this white stone. In the distance, there were strange creatures roaming about, and Orodan had never seen their like before.
Idly, he let go of the Spatial Fold he was holding onto, and the crater shot back to normal with an outward shockwave.
When he targeted the mountain earlier, what was behind it then¡ must¡¯ve been the moon.
There was no air to breathe and consequently, no way for him to talk unless he experimented with soul energy. He was on a completely different celestial body, and it was incredible.
Was this the power of Spatial Fold when combined with his existing power? He¡¯d expected a full power cast of the spell to take him to a distant mountain a thousand miles away. Matter of fact, Spatial Fold wasn¡¯t even a teleportation or travel spell. It was simply meant to fold space and bring two points closer together, usually quite destructively hence Orodan¡¯s target being an uninhabited mountain. It was as though he¡¯d folded paper together and connected two separate points on a page together for a moment.
Even a previously recorded Grandmaster of the spell had only managed to fold space up to a thousand miles out from his casting position. And here was Orodan, who¡¯d folded space on his very first cast, encompassing just over three hundred-thousand miles. How utterly ridiculous.
Yes, he had Space Mastery, and yes, he had fourteen minds that could work together to amplify the concentration and mindpower he could pour into a spell¡ but the aspect which truly broke all known convention, was his ability to generate endless power. Just one cast of that Spatial Fold could likely power an entire nation¡¯s mana batteries for decades, but to Orodan it was merely the amount of power he used in a single spell. Without the need to convert his soul energy to mana, he could instead empower any spatial effects or skills with his soul energy alone, which was akin to drawing directly from the tap. And Orodan¡¯s was endless.
The ability to manipulate space in the hands of someone who could also field endless energy.
¡°Ridiculous¡±, he thought to himself.
With this, pulling the Eldritch Avatar down to Novar¡¯s Peak was more than just a possibility. It was looking more like a certainty now. Orodan was already brainstorming some methods of using a Spatial Fold to pull that thing towards him and alter its course when the time came.
However, that was for later. For now, he was being approached by some of the denizens of the moon. It appeared the moon too had monsters, and the ethereally floating butterfly which reflected the pale light beautifully was one of them.
He used Observe.
[Name: Eigonkus the Final Rest (Species: Soul Devouring Moon Butterfly)
Title 1: Soul Grandmaster
Title 2: Flight Master
Title 3: Grandmaster Slayer
Title 4: Combat Elite
Title 5: Wing Combat Elite]
Rather pitiful by the standards of a Grandmaster-level monster if Orodan was being honest, and once it came within sensory range of him it realized too that he was beyond it; the hasty retreat it beat after was almost comedic.
He felt a strange form of energy wrap around his head, and suddenly, his lips could produce sound again.
¡°Thank you,¡± Orodan said. His voice taking on a strange ethereal tone. ¡°Without air I think it¡¯s a little difficult to speak. How are you doing that anyways?¡±
¡°Mana,¡± his book companion spoke as she floated about his head. ¡°Still no air as it¡¯d simply disperse into the void unless I were to maintain it. Hope you¡¯re okay with holding your breath for a while longer, as I haven¡¯t been up here in so long.¡±
¡°You have memories of this place?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I thought you barely remembered anything about who you were.¡±
¡°I still don¡¯t know who I am,¡± she said. ¡°But being here, I get the feeling I¡¯d come up to the moon often.¡±
¡°We can stay and see the sights for a while,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I see some interesting herbs and plants which look rather alien and might be good for training Alchemy.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind that,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m somewhat at your mercy as I have no way of getting back to Alastaia from here.¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes at her. As if he¡¯d simply leave her to rot up on the moon.
They spent the next thirty minutes walking around, seeing the sights of the moon and collecting all manner of strange plants and herbs. His Gathering skill gained a level, as did his Pathfinding thanks to the unfamiliar environment and novelty of traversing it.
Across the moon there were various monsters of flying, subterranean and terrestrial origin. The average level of strength was decently high as well, and there seemed to be no limitation about Grandmaster-level monsters running amok like there was on Alastaia. In fact, there were various ruins in the distance too, and Orodan¡¯s Vision of Purity sensed some signatures placed at important points, likely guardians of a sort. He got close enough to a ruin to have his instincts tell him that the guardians were strong, but around the level of triple-Grandmaster monsters at most. Not a challenge for him.
According to scholars who studied ancient Hasmathoria, the records of the fallen empire indicated that even their historians theorized that the moon once upon a time had civilization. The popular scholarly theory was that the moon used to be a world until something came by and wreaked devastation upon it. His companion couldn¡¯t tell him much either as her memories were missing.
In any case, the landscape was a rather desolate one. A land composed almost entirely of white rock, with various craters dotting the terrain and monsters wandering about preying upon each other or fleeing from him. Amidst all this, the ruins which were scattered about painted the story of a once glorious civilization that had fallen to ruin. It was quite melancholy.
And who knew how depressing and morbid the dark side of the moon would look?
¡°I¡¯m sure any historians would pay me a royal ransom for an opportunity like this,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m not as appreciative of seeing some dusty ruins on the moon as they might be.¡±
¡°Hah! None of those cellar-dwelling runts would survive such an environment,¡± his companion derided. ¡°Out of ten-thousand scholars, maybe one of them might be the adventurous type used to fighting and traversing hostile terrain.¡±
¡°Maybe in your time,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Nowadays we do have plenty of warrior-scholars who do their own fighting and ruins-delving. Reclaiming the lost heritage of the ancient empire from before the collapse thirty-thousand years ago is rather important to most nations.¡±
After all, the ¡®researcher teams¡¯ for the ancient machine under Mount Castarian had consisted of Master-level individuals such as Duke Arestos of Novarria and Baron Viglas Argon. It wasn¡¯t a lie to say that both the Republic and the Empire had quite the interest in discovering ancient relics from the lost eras. In the wake of a cataclysm such as the Void Horror¡¯s ascent, it was only natural that the newly formed nations and cultures would want to re-discover the past and find out about their roots. Eldiron in contrast didn¡¯t have quite the same culture of adventurous ruins-diving and archaeology that Inuan did. Partly because their civilization had been going on for a hundred-thousand years and they likely had good continuity.
¡°Anyhow Orodan, I think I¡¯ve had enough of this place,¡± his companion spoke. ¡°As entertaining of a stroll as this has been, my attempt to jog my memories is proving fruitless. I miss the green color of grass, and I look forward to seeing that space mage¡¯s face when we tell him where we¡¯ve been.¡±
Orodan agreed and focused his sights upon the world of Alastaia which looked like a clear blue jewel in the void between stars. It was beautiful, and it was his home, and he could appreciate it even more so when he¡¯d spent the last half hour seeing nothing but a desolate landscape which was a stark reminder of the failure of its former inhabitants.
Geographers and mapmakers would also pay him their life fortunes for the opportunity to see the world from this perspective. Some details were difficult to make out otherwise. For instance, no map ever mentioned that there was a small island near the world¡¯s deepest energy well in the Great Zalabian Ocean. Nobody who was interested was strong enough to venture around those parts and confirm it, but Orodan now could from here.
Still, the moon had been an interesting trip, but it was time to return home, to Alastaia.
All his empowerment skills were pushed to the limit, and his basic understanding of geography had him choose a patch of land near Novar¡¯s Peak that he knew was uninhabited. Spatial Fold shot out, and at least three floating asteroids between the moon and his destination was destroyed during the folding process.
He would gain more control and cause less unintended destruction as the skill gained levels, but as it stood, Orodan was a low-level spatiomancer attempting to effect space on absolutely colossal levels. Of course there would be slip-ups in control. He just had to pick his targets wisely and consider what lay between them.
[Spatial Fold 14 ¡ú Spatial Fold 18]
[Space Mastery 11 ¡ú Space Mastery 13
He felt his Spatial Fold reach Alastaia, and it brought up the question of how far it could really go if there wasn¡¯t a planet in-between, but he shelved that thought for now. Interestingly enough, it might also function quite well as a destructive spell if he set a city as his target and aimed for something behind it. But such thoughts of offensive potential were a bit muted when he could destroy a smaller nation as collateral damage now anyways.
He took his book in hand, and stepped through the extremely folded space, crossing a distance of over three-hundred thousand miles in a single step. Now this¡
¡this was spatiomancy.
He touched down upon compressed dirt and the surroundings were a crater of mulched trees and plant life which had unfortunately received the brunt of his Spatial Fold. He cancelled the fold and things returned to normal, albeit still destroyed.
¡°You¡¯ll have to work on controlling that,¡± his companion spoke. ¡°You won¡¯t only be traveling back and forth from the moon, and it¡¯d be rather inconvenient if you destroyed an entire town every time you cast Spatial Fold.¡±
¡°I have an instinctive feeling that my control will be better on a smaller scale,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Going from here to the moon was a feat of high power; something which naturally causes my control to slip a bit. Going from town to town shouldn¡¯t be as destructive.¡±
¡°All I hear are excuses,¡± she mocked. ¡°We¡¯ll have to train this rather rigorously and also work on teaching you other skills from the school of spatiomancy. Imagine how useful actual teleportation would be to you?¡±
As they spoke, a portal opened up near them, with the familiar face of Destartes stepping out. A mad look of excitement upon the space mage¡¯s face.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! Have you actually done it?! Did you truly go to the moon itself?!¡± he asked in a frenzy.
¡°Yes, I may have overshot the spell slightly,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Heh¡ ¡®slightly¡¯ he says¡¡± his book companion muttered from the side.
¡°Mister Wainwright¡ you must help us reach the moon! I beg this of you! It has been one of my academic dreams to eventually reach the moon and uncover what exactly happened to it,¡± Destartes pleaded. ¡°Whatever you need, the entire research fund of Bluefire, all the discretionary spending in the Republic¡¯s budget, the entirety of my personal wealth, I will provide it all. I simply implore you help me open a way to the moon. Hells! You needn¡¯t even bring me back¡ just to see it with my own eyes¡¡±
Orodan placed a hand upon Destartes¡¯ shoulders.
¡°You¡¯ve helped me immeasurably by tutoring me in spatiomancy and being instrumental in my acquisition of Space Mastery,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If you need to go to the moon, or anywhere for that matter now or in the future, simply let me know whenever you wish, and it will be done. Wasn¡¯t planning on leaving you up there either, although you may want to prepare atmospheric spells and enchanted items for a hostile environment, there¡¯s no breathable air up there.¡±
The space mage¡¯s eyes widened, and he frantically nodded his head.
¡°In two months then, I shall prepare an expedition to the moon, and I hope to call upon your aid if you¡¯re willing Mister Wainwright,¡± Destartes spoke.
¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be waiting for you on that day,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I look forward to it,¡± the space mage said. ¡°On a side note, you must possess power rivalling that of a dragon. I was expecting you to fail at bypassing the city¡¯s wards, but you er¡ caused quite the alarm when you brute forced past them.¡±
¡°Apologies, the resistance was minor, and I didn¡¯t have the time to rein myself in before I smashed past them,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Minor? Those wards should have power enough that it would take an entire dragon flight working together to have energy enough to brute force them,¡± Destartes said. ¡°You could probably breach any warded area once you learn teleportation¡ a scary thought. I look forward to seeing just how far you can push the field of spatiomancy Mister Wainwright. Please do call upon me whenever you intend to break all known conventions of spatiomancy in the future; I¡¯d love to take notes and document it.¡±
Orodan agreed easily enough. He really had stumbled upon something that would drastically change how he approached things.
Space Mastery.
The Spatial Fold spell was simply the beginning too. He¡¯d been studying the teleportation spell idly in his free time as well, and it really didn¡¯t seem all too difficult. With Space Mastery, what were the limits to where he could go?
Fleeing enemies? He could lock down space around them, and with his raw power, who could hope to contest the space lock? Enemies in need of killing? Orodan would now make a terrifying assassin, as he could simply brute force past any anti-spatiomancy wards and combine Spatial Fold with a Flash Strike to slaughter people in heavily guarded areas with impunity, even if it¡¯d be a little destructive. Travel? He could step to Guzuhar, Eldiron and any nation in the world in an instant now. Collecting his companion at the beginning of each loop would waste time no longer.
He still had more practice before he could reliably do many of these things without collateral damage, but he was now on the path for it. And this wasn¡¯t even mentioning the Exquisite rarity Dimensionalism skill he obtained which would allow him to begin creating pocket dimensions of his own.
Of all the new skills he acquired, that one held some interesting connotations which he¡¯d have to explore.
¡°I¡¯m told you travelled to the moon and then proceeded to destroy a mile of imperial forest preserve outside the city.¡±
Orodan looked sideways in shame and coughed.
¡°That¡¯s on me,¡± he said. ¡°I have yet to acquire full control when performing very high-end feats of spatiomancy.¡±
¡°I only jest Orodan,¡± Balastion said with a smile. ¡°The fact that you¡¯ve exceeded all expectations in learning Space Mastery and then folding space from Novar¡¯s Peak to the moon is tremendous. With this development, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll be more than capable of drawing our enemy into Novar¡¯s Peak when the time comes.¡±
¡°Even as I am right now, I feel I could potentially manage it through combining Spatial Fold with another skill such as Whirlpool Whirlwind,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Still, we have five more months remaining and I intend to hone myself as much as possible before then.¡±
¡°Indeed, I believe your potential is endless,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Destartes spoke as though you must¡¯ve had a Bloodline to obtain Space Mastery instead of Space Magic Mastery, but I suspect this isn¡¯t the case. Historically, there have been cases of those without a Bloodline obtaining an ability to manipulate an element with their soul, but it¡¯s exceedingly rare. I suppose we can add Orodan Wainwright to those records now.¡±
¡°Admittedly, it took a full month aided by time dilation for me to get a handle on it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Frankly, without the enchantment on that chamber which stopped aging, I¡¯d be almost two years older by now.¡±
¡°Of course, your time loops would reset you back to your starting age all the same,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°In any case, I actually wanted to speak with you to talk about an upcoming diplomatic meeting.¡±
¡°One where you feel I should be present?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I know your feelings about engaging in open warfare on behalf of Novarria, and I wouldn¡¯t ask it of you,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°But this meeting may very well prevent war if all goes well.¡±
¡°The elves?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes. Eldiron has asked for a ceasefire in the Dokuhan war in a bid to meet with us,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Specifically, they wanted to meet you. Your actions in displaying your Divine Resistance have made some waves, Orodan.¡±
¡°And you want me to present myself as a Novarrian military asset in a sabre-rattling competition?¡± he asked.
¡°You are far too cynical my young friend,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°Yes, to an extent seeing you is a form of warning them that you exist and cautions them against trying anything stupid. But loathe as I am to admit it, it¡¯s also a chance for you to meet the elven divinities and their leaders for yourself and see how they are. I am not so insecure that I would prevent you from seeing the other side. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll spend a loop here and there upon Eldiron at some point. All I ask, is that you do not forget us when that time comes, and you do not act against us.¡±
Surprisingly amenable words from the first emperor, and Orodan naturally found the arrangement acceptable.
¡°I see, and I assume you have expectations on what I shall and shan¡¯t say?¡±
¡°Not much besides keeping any national secrets to yourself,¡± Balastion said. ¡°I would say not to speak of the time loops, but it¡¯s your decision to do as you wish provided you can bear the consequences.¡±
¡°Do you think any of the elven Gods would act like the Prime Five and attempt to manipulate me?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Cithrel, the God-Queen of the elven pantheon is a notorious schemer who would see even her fellow Goddess Faraine imprisoned,¡± Balastion said. ¡°I admit, coming from me the opinion might seem a bit biased, but the fact that Faraine is imprisoned speaks for itself. I simply advise you move with caution whenever you deal with them. I do not think Cithrel, or her pantheon would be stupid enough to antagonize you if they learned of the time loops, but attempting to find a way onto them is a different matter.¡±
Like Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana had tried in the last long loop. Orodan took the warning seriously and would keep it in mind for whenever he had dealings with elves in the future.
¡°How far away is this meeting then?¡±
¡°Tomorrow, actually.¡±
The Dokuhan Mountains were in the southern part of Inuan. While the popular sentiment among the humans of the continent was that Inuan was human dominated, this wasn¡¯t the case for the southern part of the continent. Human dominance ended where the Dokuhan Mountains began, as the common folk didn¡¯t want to settle such a hot and arid region.
On the surface, the terrain was mountainous, hot, and treacherous. Monsters frequently migrated upwards from the arid badlands to the south of the Dokuhan Mountains, and the place was quite inhospitable. The only civilization that had managed to survive on the surface of the Dokuhan Mountains, were various wandering orcish tribes who went from peak to peak and hunted local wildlife, traded furs with the humans and in general struggled to survive as the rest of Inuan wouldn¡¯t accept them.
These orcs often had tensions with the dwarves, however in no way was the conflict even. The dwarven holds would gleefully exterminate any orc tribes who stepped out of line or even dared to wander near mountains under which their under-mountain holds were. The orcs knew this and accordingly gave the dwarves a wide berth.
However, the dwarves also periodically performed ¡®censuses¡¯ of the orcs and culled any who were a little ¡®too¡¯ strong. A disturbing practice quite in line with the dwarves¡¯ ongoing extermination efforts against the drow.
And whether by luck or misfortune, Orodan¡¯s Spatial Fold had carried him near an orcish tribe which was undergoing one such ¡®census¡¯.
¡°Greenskins, line up! It¡¯s census time!¡± shouted a dwarven overseer in robes, his hands crackling with the threat of runic magic. Behind him, a battalion of heavily armored dwarves in formation waiting for the slightest indication that an orc stepped out of line; ready to commit violence. ¡°You! Come up and put your hand on the Observer orb so we can get the readings.¡±
A look of anger was upon the orc youth¡¯s face, but he complied and moved forward to put his hand on the orb.
¡°Hmm¡ your Axe Mastery is nearing the Elite-level¡ think you¡¯re better than us do you, greenskin? Not like your kind could ever wield an axe like the dwarves,¡± the arrogant rune-priest said. ¡°What¡¯s with that angry look on your face? Wipe it off before I decide you¡¯re an Elite-level axe master and in need of proper education in a dwarven hold.¡±
Greenskin. It shouldn¡¯t have made him so angry, but it did. He¡¯d seen his student¡¯s memory, the fall of Zukelmux¡¯s village and how his mother had died, and how that halfling killer had called him a greenskin.
Orodan¡¯s fist clenched strongly enough to cause a powerful gale. He didn¡¯t like this disgusting scene one bit. The thought of anyone speaking to his student Zukelmux and calling him a greenskin, made his temper run hot. To see it here, wasn¡¯t acceptable either.
He stepped forward.
¡°A human? Identify yourself! Are you with Novarria? We¡¯re oath-sworn of High-King Vokrim, leader of the Under-Mountain Confederation.¡±
Was he with Novarria? Orodan wasn¡¯t sure he could easily say that when they were allies with such people.
¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°We¡¯re simply performing a census of this tribe, we¡¯re here on the High-King¡¯s authority,¡± the leading rune-priest spoke. The dwarf had a tone of caution as he uttered his words. A lone human wandering the Dokuhan Mountains wasn¡¯t likely to be some powerless commoner. ¡°We can leave if you wish. In fact, our superior will be on the way shortly.¡±
The rune-priest was smart enough to suspect Orodan was a foe beyond him, and soon enough, a portal opened, and five heavily armored dwarves stepped out. The rune-priest leading the ¡®census¡¯ was an Elite, but these dwarves who¡¯d appeared were all at the Master-level.
¡°Human, might we inquire what you¡¯re doing here?¡± the leader among them asked. ¡°Our Confederation has an alliance with the Empire of Novarria. Part of the terms include non-interference in one another¡¯s internal affairs. Can we direct you to our hold as a guest where someone can receive you properly?¡±
¡°No, actually. I¡¯m wondering why you¡¯re performing this farce of a census upon these people,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯d heard rumors about this practice, but to actually see it first-hand? This is just pathetic. Your rune-priest here would have carted this orc off for no reason. And ¡®education¡¯? Really? Are any of these ¡®educated¡¯ orcs seen by their tribes again?¡±
The Master-level dwarf¡¯s communications amulet glowed; he doubtlessly informed someone of the situation while his hand went to the axe upon his waistband.
¡°You¡¯re interfering in dwarven business, human,¡± he spoke. ¡°We don¡¯t go around interfering in your business, do we? You¡¯ll be causing problems with both the Confederation and the Empire if you pick this course of action. I don¡¯t know who you are, but there are powerful people on both sides who¡¯ll come for you. I understand that this might disturb you, but orcs are known to collaborate with the dark elves often. However, we can leave this tribe be for now if you¡¯re so insistent.¡±
Whether they were stalling for stronger reinforcements or genuinely attempting to avoid conflict, Orodan didn¡¯t know. He had an inkling that the dwarves had some method of gauging the relative strength of people, for unlike his encounters with humans, they seemed to possess an instinct similar to that of a monster¡¯s and both negotiating dwarves had called for backup.
Another portal opened, and three Grandmaster-level dwarves stepped out. The leading dwarf¡¯s eyes widened, and he began sweating when he saw Orodan however.
¡°T-this is¡¡± the dwarf stuttered.
¡°Honored guest, Orodan Wainwright,¡± one of the dwarves spoke. ¡°We humbly apologize for not recognizing you; your reputation precedes you but only in higher echelons of power. We¡¯d like to invite you to cordially join us at the High-King¡¯s table alongside the other imperial dignitaries.¡±
¡°And what of this farce going on here?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Why should I not exterminate every last dwarf here who engages in this foul practice of keeping a tribe pushed down for no reason besides racial ones?¡±
[Intimidation 11 ¡ú Intimidation 13]
¡°Esteemed guest¡ our contacts in the Empire tell us of your power,¡± the dwarf spoke. ¡°I am Gokrim Stoneshaper, please accept my humblest apologies. If you wish, you may reap the lives of these worthless dwarves before you in recompense. We shall also cease all census activities henceforth if that offends you.¡±
It was a start, but Orodan would be having words with Balastion about keeping allies with such pathetic practices. It made him further reconsider which side was the correct one in the Dokuhan War.
He looked to the hapless dwarves and uttered one word.
¡°Scram.¡±
They dutifully complied and ran for the hills while only the three Grandmaster-level dwarves remained.
¡°We are grateful for your mercy,¡± Gokrim said. ¡°Please¡ let us make way for the table of the High-King, we¡¯ve been awaiting your presence.¡±
The under-mountain holds of the dwarves were grand and ostentatious beyond measure. The halls were carved of beautiful stone with intricate patterns of ancestral battles and heroes, flowing banners of the Confederation and all sorts of decorations.
They had teleported inside, so Orodan hadn¡¯t gotten to see the city proper, but he was sure it would rival Novar¡¯s Peak in terms of splendor.
Unfortunately, Orodan was too angry to appreciate much of it, and the first thing he did when reaching the table of the High-King, was beeline directly for Balastion Novar; ignoring High-King Vokrim outright. An absolutely ancient looking dwarf who was witness to all this, simply laughed as though greatly amused.
¡°What manner of folk do you call your allies?¡± Orodan pointedly asked. ¡°The first thing I see upon reaching the Dokuhan Mountains is sand, the blistering sun, and a company of dwarves bearing the banner of High-King Vokrim carrying out a ¡®census¡¯ to cull an orcish tribe of any strong members.¡±
¡°Orodan, sometimes alliances of necessity are-¡±
¡°I understand ruling a nation can¡¯t be easy, and I¡¯m not going to stand here and tell you what to do,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But if any such maltreatment occurs while I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t hesitate to separate the offender¡¯s head from their shoulders.¡±
He declared this in full hearing of the High-King, and the entire table erupted into angry shouts.
¡°Who the hells are you?!¡±
¡°You can go sod off, human!¡±
¡°What would an outsider understand of our ways!¡±
Came many of the immediate protests. Yet, Orodan cared not a whit. He was stubborn, and he would always approach situations in this sort of bull-headed manner. A more calculative and scheming time looper would¡¯ve been smarter, perhaps attempting diplomacy or negotiations. Some might even say it wasn¡¯t their problem to meddle in.
In Orodan¡¯s opinion such a person was spineless and indecisive.
If he saw a problem he didn¡¯t like, he would make it his problem. This was how Orodan was. He would promise to help those who did him a good turn, and if he saw something he didn¡¯t like, he¡¯d fix the issue then and there. And hearing some arrogant dwarf tyrannize an orcish tribe and referring to them as greenskins just didn¡¯t sit right by him. Not when his student Zukelmux had been referred to similarly in his darkest memory.
High-King Vokrim¡¯s fist slammed onto the table, and the dwarf rose.
¡°Human, we¡¯ve heard of your might, but coming into my hall and threatening us for how we live our lives is beyond disrespectful,¡± the dwarf said.
¡°I care not,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°If you think yourself strong enough to act the despot towards those beneath you¡ then how about you stand and draw your weapon against me? You¡¯re merely at the Master-level though¡ how about your strongest ancestor comes forth and fights me? If I lose, I drop the matter. Hells, feel free to kill me if you like. But if I win, this disgusting practice stops lest you face death at my hands.¡±
[Intimidation 13 ¡ú Intimidation 14]
The table had gone silent at the bold and bull-headed proclamation.
And to the side, Balastion Novar, the first emperor of Novarria, could only sigh and shake his head.
And the ancient looking dwarf who¡¯d laughed before when Orodan ignored the High-King¡ laughed like a madman as he rose to his feet.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, was it? I am Thavri Grimbreaker, first of the Grimbreaker line and oldest of the under-mountain crown bearers,¡± the ancient dwarf spoke. ¡°I respect your bold mannerisms. If you can prove your strength, all you ask for will be yours. Fight me.¡±
He saw in the incomparably old dwarf¡¯s eyes, that this one was a true warrior.
Orodan couldn¡¯t be happier.
Chapter 42 - Brute Force Politics & A Lunar Expedition
His challenge to the High-King of the dwarves wasn¡¯t just a challenge towards the royalty and leaders of their people, but a spit upon their culture, their honor and the very dwarven way of life itself. To hate greenskins and dark elves was a mere fact of life in the under-mountain; every dwarf participated in it and performing the ¡®census¡¯ upon their enemies was ingrained into their very being.
So, when Orodan marched up to the high table, ignored the High-King and made a show of insulting their actions? Every dwarf who sat at the lower tables was deeply offended. The High-King had been snubbed, and their kingdom bore the stain of disrespect at being chastised so publicly.
Needless to say, the walk down to the reinforced battleground involved every dwarf in sight glaring death towards Orodan Wainwright. Did he care? Not in the slightest. Were any of them bold enough to step forth and challenge him themselves? No.
Not when their ancestor Thavri Grimbreaker would fight in their stead.
Beside him on the walk down, were Balastion Novar and Vespidia Aulmalexis.
¡°You realize this will damage our working relationship with one of our closest allies?¡± the first emperor asked. ¡°Could you not have approached this situation in a more diplomatic manner?¡±
¡°Why waste time bandying words with those who aren¡¯t worthy of them?¡± Orodan asked in turn. ¡°I saw something I found disgusting, and I acted like a warrior would, that¡¯s all. Tact and diplomacy are nice for the situations which call for them, but this isn¡¯t one of them.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to disagree. The alliance between my empire and the under-mountain holds is paramount to keeping the elves off of Inuan,¡± Balastion explained. ¡°Without their strength and the alliance against Eldiron, the threat we pose individually would be lessened and might embolden the elves to make an attempt upon my crown.¡±
¡°It always boils down to strength, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°If it¡¯s strength you need, then I¡¯ll show you I¡¯m stronger than this Thavri Grimbreaker. Power dictates relations, doesn¡¯t it? Then I¡¯ll prove I have the most power of all your allies.¡±
Balastion said nothing in return, but Vespidia seemed to have a smile on her face as Orodan stepped into the arena, opposite from Thavri Grimbreaker.
Orodan recognized him upon sight now that Thavri was in full armor wearing a crown. This was the dwarf who fought the Eldritch Avatar and brought a battery of powerful artillery with him to the fight. His foe looked almost comical in how wide he was; built like a bulky, if short, walking fortress.
Orodan had a feeling that this dwarf was at least a quadruple-Grandmaster, and the various enchanted weapons and armor he held were no joke. His Enchanting was at level 47, and Orodan was good enough to at least recognize the profundity of the runic enchantments which lined the weaponry. Runic Enchanting was a separate skill from regular Enchanting, much like how Body Enchanting was. It was a higher rarity, and on Inuan, the dwarves were the undisputed masters of the craft.
¡°The runic enchantments are impressive, are they not? Far superior to even the strongest weapons you¡¯d find in the royal vaults of your human nations,¡± Thavri spoke. ¡°Best me and I¡¯ll gift you one such weapon for yourself.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to decline. I quite like my sword and shield; they¡¯ve been with me through thick and thin. Down the line I intend to enchant my weaponry for myself, and while Runic Enchanting sounds powerful, I intend to learn soul energy enchantments first before I split my focus,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Besides, relying on equipment isn¡¯t my style.¡±
¡°Hoh? Not often someone declines a Runic Enchanted weapon from the dwarves,¡± Thavri said. ¡°Even your emperor only has three such weapons in his Empire. Well, your loss.¡±
¡°You¡¯re being awfully cordial. Attempting to soften my blows with words?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Far from it! In fact, I¡¯ll take great offense if you don¡¯t bring your full power to bear against me. My beard tingles at what my instincts tell me about you,¡± Thavri said. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to this fight.¡±
Orodan¡¯s own face erupted in a vicious grin.
¡°I agree, so let¡¯s not waste time, how about we just get to it?¡± he asked.
A glint of battle-lust entered the ancient dwarf¡¯s eyes, and Orodan¡¯s own blood sang in desire for battle. Hells, he hadn¡¯t had a single proper fight since starting this loop and his warrior spirit screamed for this chance.
The poor announcer who would¡¯ve signalled the start took a hint and immediately fled right before the wards were activated to protect the audience.
Both practically flew at one another. Orodan with a Flash Strike, and Thavri with a similar skill which gave his traversal a blazing magma effect. The titanic collision immediately shook the defensive wards to the point of near-breaking and multiple Grandmasters of warding had to step in and reinforce them.
It wasn¡¯t a pretty battle like Orodan might have had against a more calculated mortal foe. It wasn¡¯t a battle against a mindless beast in melee. No, this¡
¡was a fight between two killers.
Each and every move was calculated to deliver as much raw damage to the other party as possible. Thavri Grimbreaker wielded a two-handed greataxe, and while one would think this meant the dwarven ancestor would be the more aggressive of the two, it was the opposite. Orodan was the one surging forward with raw aggression. Both sword and shield were empowered with Absolute Soul Dominion to be wielded as weapons of raw savagery. All-Consuming Rage, All-Strikes and Endless Blitz came together with Eternal Soul Reactor fuelling everything. He was an endless tide of violence and rage which no other mortal he knew of could match.
His old mentor Arvayne Firesword had once told him he fought like a maniac with a death wish. The sheer violence and ferocity of his combat style made fighting Orodan Wainwright a daunting affair. Even if one was better in melee than Orodan, they¡¯d still have to pay a price for daring to engage him. The sheer aggressiveness of his style was overwhelming for most opponents and meant that even Combat Grandmasters would have to take damage in any melee trades.
Instead of correcting this style of combat, Orodan had decided long ago to simply lean into it and make it his own.
A bash of the shield was followed by a knee to the stomach, which transitioned into another All-Strike, and fourteen of Orodan immediately came into being and began savagely pounding the dwarf. For each attack Thavri sent, Orodan returned fourteen, and then some. He simultaneously swung the sword while throwing elbows and knees and oftentimes a single swing from Orodan came with a follow-up elbow on the carry-through and a shoulder-check for good measure. There were no moments where an attack wasn¡¯t delivered.
To his credit, the dwarf was tough. Probably the single toughest living being Orodan had ever attacked. He was doing absolutely no damage whatsoever with any of his physical attacks. Thavri Grimbreaker took blows without flinching and returned his own attacks in kind, even if he was suppressed by Orodan¡¯s raw aggression. And while the dwarf¡¯s own offense was nothing compared to All-Consuming Rage, Orodan had to grudgingly admit, Thavri¡¯s armor and pure defensive work was superior to his own.
The audience gasped and clamored as the two clashed, but to onlookers who had deft eyes they noticed the dynamic at play. Thavri was on the defense, and Orodan was a rabid wolf seeking to slaughter his prey.
The dwarven ancestor was a quadruple-Grandmaster, and he was strong, but not quite as naturally powerful as some of the quadruple-Grandmaster monsters Orodan had fought. However, what did make up the difference and make the dwarf a threat, was the runic gear that covered every part of him. Armor which caused Orodan¡¯s blows to glance off ineffectively, jewelry which rejuvenated and healed the dwarf, and a greataxe which caused multiple elemental assaults upon Orodan with each blow struck.
On a battlefield Orodan could¡¯ve gleefully ignored this metal bucket and slaughtered Thavri¡¯s allies with impunity. But when forced into a duel against such a stalwart and tough foe? Orodan had no choice but to stand his ground and crack this near-impenetrable shell.
It was like fighting a turtle; an angry bearded one which fought back viciously at every turn and refused to take even a scratch.
Two minutes passed, and none of his attacks left a mark. Orodan¡¯s assault would¡¯ve at least severely harmed any other quadruple-Grandmaster monster by now.
¡°Incredible¡ such savage aggression¡ a rage skill more powerful than any I¡¯ve seen in my long life! Since when do humans make such good warriors?!¡± Thavri exclaimed. ¡°Who are you? No matter what I¡¯ve done to look into you the only record that our agents come up with us a poor militia man from the Republic. Are you a transmigrator? A reincarnator? None of the signs exist, but how else can you be so powerful?¡±
¡°Less talking, more fighting you damned turtle,¡± Orodan said as he received a blow which carved his chest open and set it alight with flame, had it crackling with electricity, and had lethal blades of wind emanate from the wound. Of course, his resistance skills made the elemental portion of the assault pointless. ¡°Your fancy enchantments won¡¯t matter in the end.¡±
¡°And my blows should be harming you far more than they are. Resistance skills as well? For all these elements?¡± Thavri asked. ¡°In tandem with your healing, you¡¯re a true roach. Let¡¯s see how long you can last.¡±
Wrong challenge to make of Orodan.
Yes, this battle would be frustratingly slow. Thavri¡¯s runic enchanted gear ran on soul energy, which Orodan¡¯s All-Consuming Rage couldn¡¯t drain dry. And the dwarf had an enchantment on him which swiftly rejuvenated his vitality even as Orodan drained it. This was looking to be a battle of attrition.
But it was the sort of battle nobody would defeat Orodan Wainwright in.
The battleground was reinforced, meant to take the attacks of triple-Grandmasters, and not be scratched. Orodan¡¯s Endless Blitz of All-Strikes tore it apart, and only the forcefields protecting the audience spared them. Yet, despite his titanic assault which could destroy a smaller nation with the collateral¡ Thavri¡¯s pristine armor and helm remained unmarred.
¡°Truly a turtle¡ this will take a while,¡± Orodan said as he fought.
¡°You speak as though your own energy won¡¯t run out long before then,¡± Thavri remarked as he received a pounding but endured.
¡°I¡¯ve bested Gods in contests of energy generation,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you compare.¡±
Whether Thavri believed his outrageous claim or thought him a fool, there were few words exchanged after that.
Orodan felt he could use Spatial Fold or Whirlpool Whirlwind to potentially begin prying his opponent¡¯s gear off or interfere with it in some way. Unfortunately, combatants typically had anti-spatiomancy items, and even if he could¡ it was a cheap way out of a fight between warriors that Orodan was enjoying very much.
Cheap tricks were unnecessary. Orodan would beat Thavri Grimbreaker toe to toe without any need for schemes.
Thirty minutes of combat passed, and Orodan finally succeeded in creating a minor scratch upon the dwarf¡¯s breastplate. Thavri¡¯s shocked reaction was telling in how often that happened.
Orodan¡¯s own attacks weren¡¯t the difference-maker, Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity was. Each time the dwarf landed a blow of his greataxe upon him, the backlash bypassed all armor and enchantment protections to strike at Thavri directly. His foe¡¯s only saving grace was that whatever enchanted rings and jewelry he wore allowed him to quickly recover, and once he realized how strong the backlash was, he moderated his own blows accordingly.
A shame, for baiting Thavri into hitting him enough might¡¯ve been the quickest way to otherwise end the battle.
One hour of combat passed as Orodan focused on enlarging the existing scratch on the armor, and it slightly widened. The dwarf showed no signs of exhaustion, and Orodan¡¯s Space Mastery alongside Vision of Purity allowed him to vaguely get a feel for a source of power from somewhere else connecting to Thavri¡¯s gear and powering the enchantments.
Thavri himself was good, but not quite at the level of some of the more melee-oriented quadruple-Grandmasters Orodan had battled. Without the gear, Orodan felt he could best the dwarf rather handily and within a reasonable timeframe too. The enchanted gear was what gave Thavri an edge and made him so unbelievably tough. It was what allowed him to be the last one remaining against the Eldritch Avatar in Orodan¡¯s first battle against it.
And unfortunately for Orodan this meant skill level gains were a bit lacklustre compared to what he might get against a more capable opponent. It was akin to hitting an impenetrable rock whose offence wasn¡¯t much threat, tedious work but not as helpful for skill levels. If anything, this battle wasn¡¯t difficult in terms of the pressure he was under, but time-consuming for just how absurdly durable the dwarf was.
It definitely painted a picture of how powerful the Eldritch Avatar was for being able to kill Thavri as quickly as it did.
Six more hours passed. Many members of the audience had left by now, although scrying eye orbs were setup in the stands, alongside a permanent teleporter for people to return at the slightest hint of any critical development.
All awareness of the audience was gone, and only Thavri existed in Orodan¡¯s mind as the time passed and signs of actual damage were beginning to show on the dwarf¡¯s breastplate. All-Consuming Rage continually drained the dwarf¡¯s mana and vitality, and although the enchantments replenished his foe¡¯s vitality, Orodan could sense that whichever distant source of energy powered them, was not endless.
Twelve more hours passed, and Orodan gained a level in Bulwark Physical Resistance and another in Endless Blitz. The gain of a level in Endless Blitz increased the pressure on his foe, and he simply kept battering away with increasing intensity. Frankly, this was one of the rare extended battles where Orodan was the one bullying his opponent over a drawn-out period of time, and the dwarf actually hoped to outlast him.
The one-day mark passed, and that then turned into two more days. In total, they¡¯d spent three days fighting before Thavri finally spoke: his armor looking very battered by this point yet still maintaining functionality and integrity.
¡°Unnatural¡ whichever God empowers you must possess incredible amounts of power,¡± the dwarf spoke. ¡°None of the Prime Five should be capable of empowering you this much. Which God do you call upon?¡±
¡°No Gods but the power of my own soul,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Beginning to falter at the thought of outlasting me, are you?¡±
No reply came, and the battle simply resumed. Sword and shield crashed into enchanted armor like a tsunami hitting a mountain, and Orodan continued his work.
It was four more days later, at the one-week mark, that the flow of battle changed.
Orodan had been fighting Thavri Grimbreaker for an entire week straight now, and he felt he was on the cusp of getting somewhere. He was fast approaching a tipping point, mainly because Vision of Purity and Space Mastery gave him a vague idea that the amount of energy flowing into Thavri¡¯s enchanted gear had begun slowing. That Orodan was successfully outcompeting the energy source.
His assaults redoubled, and within the hour, he noticed the first signs that something was beginning to give.
An alarm blared out across the arena and a magically amplified announcement played.
¡°Code Dark, defences have lost power, switching to backup batteries.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes took on a downright predatory look as he sent Thavri a piercing gaze.
¡°Oh? Your city¡¯s defences have lost power? How unfortunate, and how improbable for a dwarven hold,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Tell me, you wouldn¡¯t be drawing power from your city for this battle, would you?¡±
Thavri gave no reply, but the dwarf¡¯s fighting became fiercer for a moment, and Orodan soon realized that it was to create room for the introduction of a new factor into the fight. A ludicrously oversized artillery cannon which was the size of a house, pulled from Thavri¡¯s spatial ring.
His opponent leapt into the air and aimed the artillery piece downwards, and Orodan realized this was to avoid hitting the crowd, despite them being behind a barrier. The following roaring shot which completely shattered the ground and continued for a quarter mile despite the battleground¡¯s reinforcement, was enough answer for why.
Thankfully, it was a shot powered by mana. Although it was the strongest mana-based attack Orodan had ever received, causing some minor damage to even him despite his resistance skill.
The amount of mana in the shot made the ancient machine¡¯s mana core look like a grain of sand in the desert.
[Mana Resistance 62 ¡ú Mana Resistance 63]
¡°Mana Resistance too? You really are an impossibility¡¡± Thavri muttered. ¡°No matter, we have a secondary firing mode for a reason.¡±
The last of whatever dwindling energy source Thavri was drawing upon was pulled into the cannon, and Orodan didn¡¯t hear the sound this time.
Chiefly because his ears and brain were turned to mush alongside the rest of his body. Soul energy. The secondary firing mode of that artillery piece was soul energy.
He hadn¡¯t really noticed that these cannons could use soul energy when they were used in the last long loop against the Eldritch Avatar, primarily since it didn¡¯t have Mana Resistance and there was no reason to switch to a costlier firing mode. But, Orodan had to admit the innovation of these dwarves was lethal. Both shots fired by the gigantic cannon were of similar power, but either one could kill a triple-Grandmaster with a direct hit and severely injure any of the tough quadruple-Grandmaster monsters he¡¯d seen.
Yet again Orodan found himself realizing just how monstrous the Eldritch Avatar was. For it to survive an entire battery of these weapons in the last loop alongside everything else thrown at it, was just ludicrous.
Harmony of Vitality reformed him instantly, and Thavri¡¯s eyes behind the visor of his helm widened like saucers.
¡°How?!¡± the dwarf asked. ¡°To recover from even such grievous wounds¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t act as though you haven¡¯t been holding back either,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know you have yet to call upon your own divine power?¡±
¡°You speak of things you shouldn¡¯t know,¡± Thavri replied, and his guard lowered for a moment, although Orodan refused to take advantage as it¡¯d be unfair. ¡°How about this¡ I propose a wager.¡±
¡°Why? We could just fight till one of us is truly broken,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Long as this has been, I haven¡¯t had such a good brawl in a while. Even if fighting you is like breaking my weapons against a rock.¡±
¡°Aye, we could fight till the end¡ but my hold¡¯s energy reserves aren¡¯t worth my pride,¡± Thavri said. ¡°And I would not offend Varkir by drawing upon his power for a mere honor duel. Not that the advantage gained would be very great with that skill of yours.¡±
Thavri referred to Divine Resistance of course, since even the strongest of Avatars would have their main source of power neutered by the skill. And those Avatars who could hit hard enough to affect him through it would simply give him more levels in the skill. A shame: Orodan was looking forward to seeing Thavri pull out all the stops, but it wasn¡¯t to be.
¡°What¡¯s your wager then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°One full salvo from the first battery of our artillery regiment. The pinnacle of dwarven firepower,¡± Thavri said. ¡°Survive, and you can dictate whatever we do and take whatever treasure you desire from our hold. Fail¡ and you die.¡±
If the dwarf was expecting Orodan to balk, he¡¯d be mistaken. If the same energy source that had been powering Thavri¡¯s armor thus far was the source for the artillery, then it didn¡¯t have much left either. Perhaps one good full power salvo was all it would be capable of.
An elated grin took over Orodan¡¯s face. How could he back down from this challenge?
The Eldritch Avatar had also survived multiple full power salvos from the artillery batteries of the dwarves. And if Orodan intended to defeat it, he needed to walk in its footsteps and grow to become capable of the same feats it accomplished.
¡°I can take whatever I desire you say?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Give me the strongest salvo you¡¯re capable of then!¡±
¡°You doubt my word? If you survive this, you can empty our vaults!¡± Thavri yelled. ¡°Let¡¯s see how far your limitless vitality truly extends.¡±
In actual combat, lining up even a single artillery cannon towards him would be incredibly difficult at best if he was moving around and changing position. Doubly so if he decided to use Whirlpool Whirlwind or Spatial Fold to target the cannons directly. They were powerful weapons, but incredibly vulnerable to directly being targeted by hostiles.
Artillery was thus used most effectively in battle when the ones utilizing it had time and space to deploy the weapons. This involved either setting them up in pre-arranged defensive positions, or having allied forces provide cover for the deployment all while hoping enemy ranged troops or artillery didn¡¯t catch wind and blow them to bits.
To stand there and allow artillery to be lined up against him? Tactically unwise.
Orodan wasn¡¯t stupid. He could tell this was an obvious setup designed to kill him. As the dwarven artillery cannons were lined up and aimed in his direction he stood there and counted how many. Fifteen. He knew that an actual battery of them contained ten cannons. He didn¡¯t comment on their obvious attempt to stack the odds against him.
Balastion gave him a perplexed look, as though asking permission to step in and stop this nonsense, yet Orodan would have none of that. Whether it was an apparent attempt to kill him or not, Orodan Wainwright had only one way of doing things.
The stupid way.
And this would also be great training for Harmony of Vitality.
¡°Should I take a nap? Open fire already!¡± Orodan shouted. ¡°Make sure your aim¡¯s on-point. It would be embarrassing if you missed a single shot. Then again, aiming at hapless orcs and drow mustn¡¯t do much for the skill levels.¡±
It was flagrant disrespect, but with how red some of the artillery dwarves¡¯ faces became, it worked to motivate them.
On Thavri¡¯s end, the dwarven ancestor¡¯s eyes contained naught but suspicion. The oldest of the Grimbreaker line wasn¡¯t stupid. Seeing Orodan act so maniacally even with such odds arrayed against him doubtlessly set the dwarf on edge. Perhaps he feared Orodan actually surviving?
Not a good outcome for the dwarven treasury or their honor.
It took fifteen minutes for the entire setup to be complete and the whole time even Vespidia was beginning to give Orodan worried looks as though questioning his sanity or hoping he had a plan in place.
Orodan did in fact have a plan.
It involved facing their artillery barrage head-on like a true warrior.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ you fight well, incredibly well. Never have I seen someone handle the basic sword and shield to such a standard of excellence,¡± Thavri praised. ¡°But, against the artillery barrage of the dwarves you¡¯ll face your toughest test yet. Open fire!¡±
Using the shield for its intended purpose wasn¡¯t something he often did in his rather aggressive style of combat, but in a situation like this it was called for. Absolute Soul Dominion empowered it to its maximal strength, and Orodan braced himself to receive the salvo.
One moment the wrecked battleground was calm. The next, Orodan¡¯s arm felt as though it would rip off from the force pummelling his shield. The cannons didn¡¯t all fire in sync, and some of the more eager cannon crews went a little early since they were rather hasty in wanting to kill him.
Compared to taking the shot on his body which turned him to mush, his shield did a better job at defending. His faithful wooden and steel rimmed defense was an extension of his soul while under the effects of Absolute Soul Dominion, and given how powerful his soul was, for once Orodan could choose to hide behind the shield and use it for blocking attacks.
But, simply surviving wasn¡¯t enough. This was an excellent opportunity for training, and Orodan intended to use it for just that.
His shield partially blocked the titanic soul energy empowered artillery shots and Orodan allowed much of them to slip past and strike. Immediately, the parts which were hit turned to a puddle, and Harmony of Vitality was hard at work in reforming them despite the continuous barrage.
Thirty seconds passed.
[Harmony of Vitality 88 ¡ú Harmony of Vitality 89]
These gains were quite good!
¡°Angle it better on the next shot, your aim needs work,¡± Orodan said as he reformed even faster thanks to the boost from the level gain. He pointed to a particular cannon crew captain. ¡°You there, stop firing before everyone else just because you want to kill me. Working with the other crews increases the power of the shots.¡±
Another barrage came his way, and the improvements were apparent, even if it wasn¡¯t enough to cause skill level gains. If Orodan truly took a full barrage without defending, he might¡¯ve been killed prior to gaining one more level in Harmony of Vitality. But now, with Absolute Soul Dominion his weapons were as powerful as his soul was, and they could survive such barrages. If anything, his body¡¯s durability was the weak point.
Which meant he could actually use his shield as a defensive implement now.
¡°Hold! That¡¯s enough! Cease this treachery Tharv-¡±
Balastion¡¯s complaints were interrupted as the dwarf¡¯s eyes began glowing. The artillery cannons were empowered to the point where they looked ready to explode. One more barrage came his way, although this one was strangely ineffective. Chiefly because it was composed of divine energy.
The divine energy washed over him and his shield, and it was strong enough to seriously char his flesh even through his Divine Resistance.
[Divine Resistance 12 ¡ú Divine Resistance 14]
The cannons themselves became molten slag upon firing that salvo, unable to handle so much raw power.
And then, a new voice made itself known. His spatial ring trembled and vibrated oddly as well.
¡°Enough.¡±
Surprisingly, the voice came from Thavri himself, or from his mouth anyhow.
Thavri looked somewhat unhappy at the interruption, but when his eyes glowed and a God used his body as a conduit, what could the ancient dwarf do but obey?
¡°Varkir¡ to descend for this? I thought you¡¯d abandoned this world entirely¡¡± Balastion remarked as he stepped onto the battleground.
The dwarven God of Crafting, Endurance and Honor; Varkir. He wasn¡¯t a permanent fixture in dwarven politics like the Prime Five were in the human nations of Inuan. However, from the rumors he¡¯d heard, the dwarven God was incredibly powerful if aloof.
¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten about this world since I cleaned it of undesirable divine influences,¡± the God of Crafting spoke. ¡°For this child to draw upon my strength for empowering a mere battery of artillery? It was worth a look. And what do I see? My power used ineffectually against a warrior with the Divine Resistance skill. You, what is your name?¡±
Varkir was addressing Orodan directly, and those among the audience who heard could only gasp and mutter as his Divine Resistance was spoken of so openly.
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright,¡± he answered. ¡°Your Chosen here wagered that he would surrender if I could survive a single salvo from his artillery battery. I survived two salvos, and he drew upon your power for the third.¡±
¡°Reneging upon an agreement? Quite dishonorable¡¡± Varkir muttered. ¡°This child is not my Chosen, but someone I gave Blessing to as a favor for a loyal champion of mine who is his ancestor. He assured me his progeny would be a good leader for my people upon this world¡ but I see that judgement was made erroneously.¡±
In other words, Thavri looked to be in hot water with his God. Well, it wasn¡¯t any of Orodan¡¯s business how Varkir chose to discipline Thavri Grimbreaker, and neither did he see anything wrong with it. After all, the dwarven ancestor did in fact go past the terms of their agreement. That being said¡
¡°While it isn¡¯t my business, I hope you can show him some clemency,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I gained a level in a critical skill thanks to his barrage.¡±
The glowing eyes of the Avatar of Varkir fixated upon Orodan for a second. And then a resounding divine laugh echoed throughout the battleground.
¡°Truly¡ you humans never fail to entertain me no matter what world you¡¯re in,¡± Varkir remarked in an amused tone. ¡°Very well¡ no death for this stain upon dwarven honor today, if only because of your request.¡±
Orodan nodded in appreciation.
¡°You speak of other worlds? I know there exists a vast cosmos beyond Alastaia, but for your influence to spread over more than one? You must be powerful,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Are you aware of the descending Eldritch threat?¡±
¡°The universe is vast, and this world is but a drop of water in the ocean. Alastaia is not the only world threatened by the Eldritch; nor are the Eldritch the only threat beyond,¡± Varkir said. ¡°In time, you may come to learn of such things Orodan Wainwright. Once your time to move beyond this world comes¡ find me. There is a place in my ranks for a warrior who has Divine Resistance.¡±
Orodan expected more words from Varkir, perhaps questions about his strength. But the dwarven God did none of that and instead simply left. The glow faded from Thavri Grimbreaker¡¯s eyes, and the dwarven ancestor came to and looked at Orodan with nervousness in his eyes.
¡°Now then, about our agreement.¡±
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He had elected to take a simple runic enchanted dagger from their vaults, among the most basic of items. Partly because robbing them blind would make him feel like a raider and a thug, and partly because he only needed one very basic runic enchantment to study in the hopes of increasing his own Enchanting skill.
It was what he found deeper, past their vaults, that sickened him.
Orodan was beginning to grow a severe dislike for the under-mountain confederation. It was difficult to avoid having a negative opinion of all dwarves after what he¡¯d seen in the deeper parts of the hold.
Thavri was too shaken by his God¡¯s descent to stop him, and the dwarven ancestor was almost studiously keeping to his word in allowing Orodan to dictate whatever happened and to take whatever treasure he wanted.
Orodan made a mental note to put an immediate end to the sickening things he saw underneath the Dokuhan Mountains in each longer loop. Thousands of orcs and drow, chained and kept as slaves while attached runic devices harvested soul energy from them, all while the intricate runic enchantments and wards upon the holding pens prevented the influence of Gods such as Malzim from reaching and perhaps freeing these souls from their torment.
He now knew where exactly Thavri had been acquiring the power to fuel his enchantments throughout their battle.
Needless to say, every bit of the foul operation was torn down and the worst of the dwarves running the operation had their fates decided by the orcs themselves, with Orodan providing the execution.
High-King Vokrim had attempted to step in only to be backhanded across the cavern, and there were perhaps a handful of other dwarves who protested vehemently only for Orodan to give them a beating too. Disgusting, and he would make sure to eliminate this sick practice whenever he could, even if it involved war against the dwarves.
Many of the drow had been tortured rather badly too, and while Orodan disagreed, he could understand the dwarves taking it out on their enemies. What Orodan didn¡¯t understand whatsoever, was the torture many of the poor orcs went through. Whether it was sadistic overseers or the natural dwarven hatred for their kind, these orcs had also suffered in captivity. Almost all of them were victims of the ¡®census¡¯ and had done nothing to offend the dwarves besides exist upon the peaks of the Dokuhan Mountains.
The biggest kicker, however, was that the dwarves had captive dragons. Yes, they were notorious dragon slayers, and the Novarrian Soaring Flame dragon flight knew not to fly anywhere near dwarven territories lest they face the wrath of artillery and dragon killer crews. But for them to capture dragons and hold them in secret?
Eldramir, patriarch of the Novarrian Soaring Flame dragon flight, stood before Orodan, Balastion Novar and High-King Vokrim and his council of Grandmaster dwarves. And the dragon was enraged beyond measure.
¡°I should burn your entire under-mountain hold to ash! Foul bearded murderers all!¡± Eldramir roared in fury. ¡°Balastion¡ many times have I made my displeasure known about your alliance with these mountain-dwelling vermin; and now you give me reason to detest them even further?! Two of these dragons are from my dragon flight, gone missing for almost a decade now. They were nowhere near the Dokuhan Mountains when this occurred.¡±
Balastion himself looked rather resigned with the situation. After Orodan¡¯s thorough defeat of Thavri Grimbreaker, the first emperor¡¯s tune about the alliance had noticeably shifted, and the man now considered appeasing Orodan¡¯s wishes to take priority above the dwarves. In line with that, he had said nothing as Orodan carried out executions of certain foul dwarves who¡¯d engaged in unsavory practices.
¡°I understand, Eldramir. We shall discuss the matter of suitable recompense for these offences at a later time,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°Orodan, might I speak with you in private?¡±
He nodded, and the two of them went off a distance and Balastion cast a silencing bubble around them.
¡°Did you know?¡± was the first thing Orodan asked.
¡°I did not. And lying to you about that would only harm me in a later loop once you discovered the truth,¡± Balastion replied, and Orodan chose to believe him. ¡°I knew they had something under the mountain hidden from my crown¡¯s sight but did not know what. You¡¯re displeased.¡±
Orodan simply sighed.
¡°I¡¯m not displeased with you but with the situation. Rather¡ it¡¯s not my way to fret, stomp my feet and point fingers in a show of outrage in such matters,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°The world is a cruel place, and the dwarves¡¯ maltreatment of orcs and drow is but one part of it. Expecting Balastion Novar, the first emperor to solve everything would be quite entitled and whiny of me. But I¡¯ll say this, in future loops I¡¯ll deal with this myself.¡±
In other words, it was what it was. Orodan wasn¡¯t about to lecture the ancient emperor on how to run a nation. Sanctimonious lecturing was a juvenile thing to do. If Orodan didn¡¯t like something, he would intervene and stop it, solving the problem himself. Lecturing others for their non-interference was just weak. And if Varkir also knew about it and was complicit¡ Orodan would take the dwarven God to task in the future as well.
Balastion had a noble goal in attempting to forge a world of peace, but until he resolved such situations, the man¡¯s dream would remain unrealized.
¡°At the very least it¡¯ll earn you great favor with the various dragon flights of Inuan,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°I can already see Eldramir regarding you with more respect than he does most mortals.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not in it for approval; I saw something which displeased me, and I acted, that¡¯s all it was,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Standing by and acting as though something isn¡¯t my problem or attempting to be diplomatic isn¡¯t my way.¡±
¡°I hope you do not throw diplomacy to the wayside entirely during our upcoming meeting with the elves,¡± Balastion said with a jovial tone. ¡°They are strong, and a battle this close to the Eldritch¡¯s arrival would be counterproductive for both sides.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t approve of their imprisonment of Faraine for selfish reasons¡ but the time for that issue is nearer to the end of the year,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Anyhow, I doubt you wanted to hear me prattle on about my plans, so what did you drag us into a silencing bubble for?¡±
¡°Merely to say that our fates are now entwined. After your display with Thavri Grimbreaker I¡¯ve decided to throw my lot in with yours,¡± Balastion said. ¡°You are¡ strong. I instinctively sensed some of it when we met for the very first time, but to actually see you fight? Your abilities are beyond what your skills would suggest.¡±
Orodan decided against any questions comparing his strength to Balastion¡¯s. Throughout all their conversations the first emperor had never given too much detail about his own combat strength, and Orodan understood that the man was playing his cards close to his chest. Whether to avoid giving any details to the elves or to Orodan himself, he didn¡¯t know. Still, Balastion could keep his secrets, and Orodan felt no need to pry.
¡°Well, as I said¡ I don¡¯t intend to lecture you on what you do. But if I see something I dislike, I¡¯ll intervene regardless of the consequences,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Throwing your lot in with me is risky business. Are you sure you¡¯re up for it?¡±
¡°Considering that the entirety of Eldiron¡¯s spy network has pulled out of our continent thanks to you, I feel I¡¯ve made the right decision,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°With you joining us in battle, the Eldritch threat needn¡¯t be so insurmountable.¡±
¡°I hope not¡ but every time I fight it, I¡¯m reminded in some new way about just how powerful it is,¡± Orodan said comparing his own durability in the face of the dwarven batteries to the Eldritch Avatar¡¯s toughness against them. ¡°Admittedly, I have certain advantages it doesn¡¯t, and the gap is ever shortening.¡±
¡°Come now, let¡¯s not engage in defeatism,¡± Balastion said. ¡°You won¡¯t fight alone but alongside allies. And we have a plan of action which will deprive it of many of its advantages.¡±
¡°Fair enough¡ let¡¯s speak of more important matters though,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I was fighting for a good while¡ the postponement of the diplomatic meeting didn¡¯t inconvenience you, did it?¡±
¡°A small matter when the elves also received valuable intel on how you fight and what your capabilities are,¡± Balastion said, and continued once he saw the look on Orodan¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve left Inuan, but acquiring a scrying eye recording of the battle isn¡¯t very hard. Not when there were so many members in the audience, and you were fighting for an entire week straight.¡±
¡°Is it tomorrow then?¡±
¡°Yes, we¡¯ve agreed to finally have the meeting tomorrow.¡±
Orodan hadn¡¯t stuck around to see it, but from what he¡¯d been told, the orcish tribes had been left alone after his thrashing of Thavri Grimbreaker and the freeing of all captives beneath the Dokuhan Mountains. Besides their shattered pride, the under-mountain confederation hadn¡¯t suffered much material loss from Orodan¡¯s visit. He¡¯d bested their strongest dwarf and killed a few dozen sadistic dwarves, but that aside the worst they suffered was the destruction of a battery of powerful cannons thanks to Thavri¡¯s own last ditch attack.
Balastion, Vespidia and himself left the under-mountain confederation of the dwarves behind as they made way for the meeting spot in a grand cavern which was on the border between the dwarves and the drow. Spatial Fold underground would cause widespread devastation at Orodan¡¯s current level of control, so he resorted to manual travel.
Thavri had elected to not come along, and Orodan was fine with that. The ancestral dwarf was likely dealing with the fallout from what had occurred, and in return the drow had agreed to not send their most powerful representative either.
The dwarves and the drow had been battling for control of the underground beneath the Dokuhan Mountains for many years now. Even before the current war started, the two factions were always at odds as rivals. As the party moved forward the ornate and ostentatious decor of the dwarves began to fade, and the tunnels took on a more natural look.
Near the borders dwarven decor began to show up again alongside an outpost or two, however dark elf decor also featured right on the cusp.
¡°Hold¡ I sense they have a divine artifact with them,¡± Balastion said. ¡°They¡¯ve brought the wand of Athandelu along, insurance in case they need to fight me.¡±
¡°An attempt to treacherously break the ceasefire, perhaps?¡± Vespidia suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±
¡°We have a way out with the spatial recall artifact we¡¯ve brought along,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Any attempts to lock down space will fail with me here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s as Orodan says,¡± Balastion remarked. ¡°The cost of attempting to attack us here would be too much to bear for them.¡±
Orodan¡¯s endless power backed by Space Mastery meant no wards, enchantments or artifacts were truly capable of stopping his movements. If he wanted to Spatial Fold back to Novarria in a single step, he could, even if it would be rather destructive.
Still, there was something off, and that was the number of individuals he picked up with Vision of Purity. As per agreement, each side was to bring three people to this meeting. Yet, the Eldironans¡
¡°I count four,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Do you still want to proceed?¡±
Balastion took a moment before replying.
¡°They would not so flagrantly bring another unless there was a reason for it,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°Let¡¯s see who it is first.¡±
The meeting was to be held atop a gigantic bridge over an underground waterfall. It was gorgeous, the flowing water, the sparkling ore deposits which remained untouched due to territorial disputes, and the glowing mana crystals dotting the cavern walls.
The natural beauty of the scene amplified the tension between both parties. The distance slowly closed, and Orodan saw two familiar faces among the elves: the Avatars of Cithrel and Athandelu. These two were the ones who responded in the last long loop after he¡¯d bested Othorion Evertree and inadvertently freed Faraine through Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity. Next to them, was an elf who looked incredibly calm and carried an aura of serenity about him.
¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Orodan asked Vespidia.
¡°The first druid¡ leader of the elder council of Aldenil, capital of the elves,¡± Vespidia replied. ¡°Be careful¡ he has the same Bloodline of Othorion Evertree, capable of drawing upon unbelievable amounts of divine energy without harm to himself. He¡¯s far stronger too.¡±
Orodan heeded the warning and kept that in mind should time come to fight the elf.
¡°I do not recognize the other one,¡± Balastion spoke as they approached.
The last elf looked young, but something about him had Orodan¡¯s instincts screaming in a way they never had. This elf¡ was incredibly dangerous, more so than anyone else present. Only the Void Horror past the first gate and the Eldritch Avatar itself gave off stronger feelings of power.
He truly itched to test himself¡ but the situation was improper for it.
¡°Greetings, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the first druid spoke. ¡°I am Virion Ethweni, pleased to make your acquaintance. Balastion¡ Vespidia¡ how¡¯ve you been?¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t miss the emphasis and sarcastic intonation upon Vespidia¡¯s name. But Ethweni? Orodan had once embarrassingly asked Othorion Evertree if his species engaged in incestuous relations given how common blonde hair and blue eyes were among the elves, and the elf had indignantly corrected Orodan that it was a common magical trait among the ¡®Ethweni-blooded¡¯ elves.
¡°Are you the reason why elves have blonde hair and blue eyes?¡± Orodan asked.
The first druid laughed gently before replying.
¡°I see the rumors about your headstrong nature were not inaccurate. A meeting between the great powers of two continents and the first thing you ask about is my genealogy,¡± Virion teased. ¡°But¡ in a sense, yes. My magical influence has made the Ethweni blood rather widespread among our people. Shall we move onto more important topics now?¡±
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if that meant Virion went around sleeping with all elves magically, but he didn¡¯t ask. He wasn¡¯t even sure how that would work.
¡°Quite. I understand you¡¯ve called this meeting so that we may come to an understanding about our respective positions,¡± Balastion remarked. ¡°Especially given recent events.¡±
¡°Indeed, let us not waste time with flowery causerie,¡± Cithrel, God-Queen of the elves spoke. ¡°Orodan Wainwright has the Divine Resistance skill. It isn¡¯t mere rumor but a fact we¡¯ve verified for ourselves when a divine artifact was used against him.¡±
¡°And your concerns with that are?¡± the first emperor asked.
¡°Who are you and what are your intentions towards Eldiron?¡± Cithrel asked. ¡°No matter what our far seers and shadows report, the name Orodan Wainwright is tied to a mere militia man from the Republic. The tests for transmigrators and reincarnators have been run multiple times to no avail.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright, the militia man from Volarbury county in the Republic,¡± he replied. ¡°Your agents were correct; I really am from Ogdenborough.¡±
¡°Yet, that does not explain your strength. By all reports you were no more than a mere Apprentice a month ago,¡± Cithrel spoke. ¡°For you to suddenly possess Divine Resistance and contend with the mightiest warriors of a nation does not add up.¡±
¡°Ah, that would be because I¡¯m in-¡±
¡°Orodan! These elves are not to be so easily trusted!¡± Balastion exclaimed. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you, but at least consider the potential ramifications of this!¡±
¡°I have, and whatever the ramifications may be, I¡¯ll batter them down with brute force if needed,¡± Orodan replied, and Balastion could only sigh in resignation. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m in a time loop. I wake up over and over on the day of the ancient machine¡¯s awakening beneath Mount Castarian whenever I die. My strength is a result of being in the time loops for so long.¡±
¡°A time loop, why-¡±
¡°That makes quite some sense, friend. How many tries did it take you to acquire Divine Resistance?¡±
It wasn¡¯t Virion, but the unnamed elf with an aura of extreme danger who spoke.
¡°Thirty tries if I recall,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Divine energy is based upon faith, resisting it then requires understanding that quality trumps quantity and modifying the soul accordingly.¡±
Well, there was slightly more to it than that, and plenty of accompanying deaths. It was the gist of it, however.
¡°Hrm¡ I¡¯d never thought to try that¡ tell me more, please,¡± the elf asked.
The discussion about the time loop itself had lasted for an hour. Orodan didn¡¯t bother regaling the elves with all the particular details he did with Vespidia and Balastion. However, they seemed to have some measure of truth-detecting capabilities and accepted all he said.
Throughout the talks, the unknown elf had never once given his name, although he was without a doubt one of the most polite and friendly elves Orodan had ever met. It was hard to consider this elf a potential enemy when he was just so pleasant and amenable. At one point he thought it a social skill, but there was no trace of one.
¡°Unbelievable¡ this time loop has allowed you to come quite far,¡± Cithrel spoke. ¡°Multiple Mythical skills with Eldritch Resistance being among them? You¡¯re the ultimate weapon against the descending enemy we face. Why not come with us? On Eldiron, we could offer you whatever incredible treasures and tutelage you require.¡±
¡°Tempting as it is, I¡¯ll have to decline,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My current loop is with Novarria, and I¡¯ve promised Balastion my aid against the Eldritch. Hells, why don¡¯t you join us in fighting it? With your aid victory will be closer.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid neither we nor Balastion would agree to such an arrangement,¡± Cithrel spoke. ¡°While there is no open war at this time¡ we have our disagreements which prevent us from working together side-by-side. Venturing to Novar¡¯s Peak is out of the question.¡±
¡°Indeed¡ disagreements such as Faraine¡¯s imprisonment,¡± Vespidia angrily spat.
¡°A failure like you whose ineptitude caused her to become corrupted by the Eldritch has no grounds to protest,¡± the serene Virion shot back. ¡°Or have you not told your allies that Faraine took the Eldritch directly upon herself to save you from its corruption? A Goddess sacrificing herself to save a mere host¡ I still do not see what she saw in you.¡±
¡°You dare! She was a mother to me! Your treacherous lot have her imprisoned to this day despite her overcoming the corruption!¡± Vespidia snarled. ¡°I still commune with her through her Blessing, and she slumbers in chains, but her mind is clear. The only reason she¡¯s still imprisoned is because you need a convenient power source for that foul Bloodline of yours!¡±
¡°You know not of what you speak. Your failures were so grand that the world decided you weren¡¯t even fit to reincarnate as one of us,¡± Virion insulted. ¡°A mere single-Grandmaster after how many years? That such a talentless elf was chosen as her host¡¡±
He tuned out the angry argument between Vespidia and Virion. Orodan wasn¡¯t about to nobly step in and defend Vespidia¡¯s honor or some such nonsense. She was an ancient elven reincarnator who could fight her own verbal battles.
¡°Ah¡ I apologize on behalf of Virion,¡± the unknown elf said to Orodan even as the two still argued. ¡°He has a rather vicious streak when it comes to Faraine.¡±
¡°But you do have her imprisoned for use as an energy battery, don¡¯t you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Correct, I won¡¯t deny this Mister Wainwright,¡± the unknown elf spoke even as the Avatar of Cithrel sharply looked to him. ¡°But I humbly ask you to consider the idea that Gods and Goddesses can be as guilty of wrongdoing as mortals are. Consequently, if someone were to have committed some great wrongdoing, should they not serve their time despite being divine?¡±
Orodan naturally agreed, but it then begged the question¡
¡°What did she do?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°That¡ is not my place to say,¡± the unknown elf said. ¡°I can agree that what she did wasn¡¯t right, but at the same time I can also disagree with the length and severity of her punishment.¡±
Interesting. Perhaps the situation wasn¡¯t as black and white as Orodan had thought and Vespidia would like him to believe. It didn¡¯t exactly change his plan to break her free during the Inter-Academy Tournament, but it was something to consider that he was getting information from one side of this issue.
¡°Virion, please bring this to a close,¡± Cithrel gently asked, and the first druid stopped arguing with Vespidia. ¡°Let us return to the heart of the matter. You¡¯re in a time loop, but our original concern still stands. What are your intentions towards Eldiron, Orodan Wainwright? Now we have even more reason to believe you might attempt to free Faraine. We don¡¯t wish to needlessly antagonize you, but we won¡¯t tolerate an outsider meddling in our dispensation of justice.¡±
¡°Well, how about you start by telling me what exactly Faraine did to warrant being imprisoned for fifteen-thousand years,¡± Orodan said. ¡°From what I saw in my last encounter with her, she didn¡¯t sound as though she was maddened by the Eldritch. Just a little disoriented from slumbering in whatever divine shackles you have her in.¡±
¡°Even if I can see you tell the truth, it does not solve the matter of what she has done,¡± Cithrel spoke. ¡°She attempted to usurp my position among the elven pantheon. Did little ¡®Vespidia¡¯ tell you that? Her original plan was to utilize the power of the Eldritch and overthrow me. Unfortunately, it went awry due to her host being so inept that she had to step in and save her, becoming corrupted by the Eldritch in the process.¡±
¡°She only sought to overthrow you because you rule the elves as a tyrant!¡± Vespidia protested. ¡°Imprisoning her for so long is beyond unreasonable!¡±
¡°Child¡ you only cling so desperately to freeing Faraine to wipe away the shame of your own failure,¡± Cithrel said.
Vespidia¡¯s rage was apparent, and Orodan saw the divine dagger manifest in her hand ready to be used against the Avatar of Cithrel. Evidently, so did Virion as a mighty beam of divine energy left the first druid¡¯s hands, intent on pre-emptively taking Vespidia out.
Orodan stepped in-between, shield empowered with Absolute Soul Dominion, and he threw Vespidia backwards as he did.
Powerful. Well beyond the power of any other divine attack Orodan had received. Virion Ethweni, the first druid of Eldiron, possessed the same Bloodline Othorion Evertree did, and the elf had no fear of calling upon too much divine energy. Rather, he could comfortably channel it in amounts which would cause a regular Avatar to burn out a hundred times over.
The gigantic cavern they were in was completely obliterated and the very mountain exploded above to reveal blue skies.
[Divine Resistance 14 ¡ú Divine Resistance 17]
Three levels gained in one attack, as Orodan¡¯s flesh was burnt and slightly melted despite his existing Divine Resistance. Yet, both he and his shield stood strong.
¡°Hrm¡ so that¡¯s the power of Divine Resistance¡ you would be a most troublesome foe if we fought,¡± Virion calmly spoke. ¡°Your little assassin drew her weapon first, what do you have to say about this Balastion?¡±
It didn¡¯t help the Cithrel antagonized her into losing her cool, but the blame did squarely lie with Vespidia for rising to the words and choosing violence which she was ill-prepared for.
¡°Was this your plan all along, Virion? To taunt Vespidia till she snapped and then attack us?¡± Balastion asked. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that the fault lies with us, but we don¡¯t seek battle so close to the enemy¡¯s descent. Let us leave and let bygones be bygones.¡±
Orodan was confident in being able to fight the Avatars of Cithrel, Athandelu and even this Virion Ethweni off. All three of them used divine energy, and despite the collateral damage which would likely wipe out the entirety of the Dokuhan Mountains, Orodan was confident he could do it if it was just them.
The strange and friendly elf, however, was the wild card he wasn¡¯t certain of. His instincts told him that this unnamed elf was the deadliest of the Eldiron party.
¡°Cease, Virion,¡± Cithrel ordered. ¡°Offending Orodan Wainwright when he could very well be a time looper of great power would be unwise. We have enough enemies and need not make more. Not one who can restart from the past with us being none the wiser.¡±
¡°I apologize, Mister Wainwright¡ Virion is rather jumpy whenever anyone brandishes weapons towards Cithrel,¡± the unnamed elf said. ¡°I believe this meeting is to be adjourned for now. I would kindly ask you refrain from attempting to free Faraine, in this loop or future ones. But if that isn¡¯t possible, then I humbly ask you take it easy on us when you go rampaging throughout Eldiron.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t go on a rampage throughout a city full of innocents anyways,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°That speaks well of you,¡± the unknown elf spoke. ¡°On that day, I¡¯ll be glad to test myself against you. After all, I didn¡¯t miss how you¡¯ve been sizing me up the entire time we¡¯ve been speaking.¡±
A smile graced the elf¡¯s face as he said so. And Orodan reciprocated it.
¡°I do hope to match my blade against you one day. You¡¯re strong, I can tell,¡± Orodan said. ¡°For now, though, I sense Vespidia is quite angry and this meeting has run its course.¡±
¡°Indeed. Do come by Eldiron in a less volatile loop of yours, perhaps I can offer some tea and we might chat?¡± the elf offered, and Orodan made a note to do so in the future.
¡°You never introduced yourself,¡± Orodan said in parting as Balastion prepared the spatial recall artifact. ¡°Who do I ask around for?¡±
¡°Ah, well it¡¯d ruin the surprise, but I suppose you¡¯ll find out at some point,¡± the elf said. ¡°Just ask around for Cithrel¡¯s husband and somebody will point you in the right direction.¡±
Cithrel¡¯s husband? But this elf¡ wasn¡¯t even a God¡
Balastion¡¯s artifact activated and pulled them away while the Eldironan party also teleported back to their continent. Orodan allowed the pull to take him back to Novar¡¯s Peak, even if he was left with more questions than answers.
What sort of mortal was married to a Goddess?
¡°I must admit, human¡ I was not expecting the reward you asked of us to be teachings in chronomancy,¡± the patriarch of the Time Wind dragon flight said. ¡°When we heard many of our number who¡¯d gone missing over the years were found under the Dokuhan Mountains, I wished to fly over and eradicate the foul bearded gremlins myself¡ but alas, I stomached my temper knowing you dealt appropriate justice upon them.¡±
He¡¯d spent the week doing nothing but training with the Republican-aligned dragon flight, the Time Wind. And before him was their patriarch, Kultuanir the Frozen Instant, a dragon strong enough to slay an Avatar in combat.
Unfortunately¡ things were going rather poorly.
¡°This is difficult¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve obtained Space Mastery, so why is Time Mastery so difficult?¡±
¡°You underestimate the feat you¡¯re attempting,¡± Kultuanir spoke. ¡°There is a reason why chronomancers are the rarest mages in the known world. Even Time Magic Mastery is an Uncommon rarity skill and takes dedicated students many years to acquire. For you to claim you¡¯ll acquire not that, but Time Mastery itself within five months? Temper your expectations.¡±
Orodan had been sitting within a time dilation chamber and attempting to master this odd time orb for an entire week of real time. It was no easy feat and no matter how much he strained till his orifices bled; the answer just wouldn¡¯t come to him.
¡°With my power¡ if I managed to acquire Time Mastery¡ what couldn¡¯t I do?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Bring back those long since deceased? Uncover critical answers by reverting time? Reverse time for an entire nation?¡±
¡°Again, you look to the sun when you have yet to cross the clouds. Did you learn such a juvenile mindset from that idiot Eldramir? Is that what they teach in Novarria?¡± Kultuanir reprimanded. ¡°I will say this; I greatly approve of your work ethic and desire to aim high, but you must temper your expectations. Now come, let¡¯s go over the flows of time being emanated from the orb once more.¡±
The remainder of the session went by with no gains, but with Orodan having a deeper understanding of the time orb he was studying. Much like his studies with Space Mastery, aspiring chronomancers also had a training aid in the form of a time orb which continually emitted multiple time fields with differing speeds. The goal of students was to utilize their mana in an attempt to interact with these time fields and manipulate them. Of course, students typically learned the very basic Haste spell concurrently.
Orodan, being the difficult student he was, insisted on learning not just Time Magic Mastery, but Time Mastery. And he remained steadfast in learning Time Mastery before attempting any spells from the school of chronomancy. When it came to Spatial Fold, his spell was dramatically stronger since he¡¯d learned Space Mastery first. Similarly, Orodan hoped to learn the fundamentals first and acquire Time Mastery before casting a spell and hoping to acquire the skill through repetition and luck.
Still, for this session he wouldn¡¯t be achieving much else.
¡°I need to clear my head. We¡¯ll continue once I return,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have a prior commitment to keep.¡±
¡°Ah yes, your visit to the moon. That space mage Destartes cannot stop blabbering about it,¡± Kultuanir said. ¡°We shall reconvene upon your return. Farewell, Orodan Wainwright.¡±
Orodan bade the Time Wind patriarch farewell, and he made his way to the top of a nearby mountain.
The first Spatial Fold was aimed at a mountain near Novar¡¯s Peak, and the second towards a tower of the royal citadel. Like that, in two physical steps he¡¯d returned, crossing thousands of miles in a second. Space Mastery was rather convenient.
A short walk took him to his residential tower where his students were waiting.
¡°Teacher!¡± Zukelmux greeted. ¡°You¡¯ll be departing soon? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re capable of using spatiomancy to teleport to the moon¡¡±
¡°I want to go to the moon too¡¡± Aliya whined.
¡°Well, considering even the weakest monsters I saw there were at the Grandmaster-level, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea until you get stronger,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Sorry if I couldn¡¯t teach you much the past two weeks, but I¡¯ve been a little busy. Once I return though, we¡¯ll be resuming. In the meanwhile, keep training yourselves and don¡¯t slack off.¡±
Both students happily agreed.
Frankly, they were making good progress.
Zukelmux was the undisputed second strongest student at Novar¡¯s Peak Academy. He¡¯d recently walloped Primon Cosanox in a duel and was looking to be one of Novar¡¯s Peak Academy¡¯s preferred spot holders for the Inter-Academy Tournament. Orodan had a feeling his goblin student would go quite far.
Aliya was quite talented and making excellent progress for her age. He¡¯d enrolled her in a pre-academy meant for the children of nobility and she was the strongest child under thirteen years of age in the city. Her parents received many offers for her to be apprenticed to someone, but they referred them to the fact that he was her teacher and they all shut up. Nobody would be stealing his student.
Some final goodbyes were said, and Orodan made way for the border town of Jerestir where a combined research team from Novarria and the Republic was waiting.
¡°Before I cast the Spatial Fold,¡± Orodan said as he drew his book companion out of the ring. ¡°Anything you feel I should know about the moon? We¡¯ve been there once, but what should we be looking out for?¡±
¡°Looking into the various ruins would be a good idea,¡± she said as she fluttered about. ¡°I experienced a moment of strange pain as my soul was melding recently¡ I think this was around the time you were fighting that dwarf.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed in thought as he drew the connection to Varkir. Perhaps the dwarven God had something to do with his companion¡¯s current state of affairs? He shelved the thought but wouldn¡¯t forget it.
¡°Good idea, anything else?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Should I keep an eye out for anyone with mismatched eyes?¡±
¡°No? What do you mean?¡± she asked.
¡°You know¡ like yourself? With your eyes?¡± Orodan asked, but then frowned when no answer came from her. ¡°Do you¡ not know how your own face looks within a mindscape?¡±
¡°No, I do not, boy,¡± she replied. ¡°But if you¡¯ve seen it then I¡¯ll trust you to keep an eye out for any clues regarding my identity.¡±
He nodded and stowed her away once more before a Spatial Fold was cast towards a mountain near Jerestir, and a second one was cast from the mountain downwards to the border town.
A few moments of walking brought him to the town center where the two teams were waiting. And from the expressions on the faces of both teams of researchers, tensions were rather apparent, and an argument was going on.
¡°And how are to be assured that this won¡¯t be a repeat of what occurred beneath Mount Castarian?¡± a Republic researcher asked pointedly. ¡°This Orodan Wainwright you¡¯re bringing along is rather powerful¡ if he wanted, we would be left for dead or have an unfortunate accident befall us. It¡¯s only right that we bring soldiers along for our protection in this current political climate.¡±
¡°I think you¡¯re overreacting. Additional soldiers will make spatiomancy more difficult, and we¡¯ve only budgeted for one round trip,¡± the Novarrian scholar countered. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s nothing valuable enough to warrant friction between our nations over an exploratory trip.¡±
¡°Are you dense? This will be the first ever recorded journey to the moon,¡± the Republican said. ¡°Who knows what we¡¯ll find there? There will doubtlessly be many things of value present, and the soldiers will be present to avoid us being bullied out of our rightful dues. We¡¯re as much a part of this expedition as you are.¡±
¡°Ah, Mister Wainwright¡¡± Destartes muttered as he approached. ¡°I apologize for the unsightly scene. The scholars from both sides seem to be having a minor disagreement.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a problem Destartes. You,¡± Orodan said, pointing to the Republic researcher. ¡°You can bring as many soldiers as you want but outfitting them with enchantments and gear for counteracting hostile terrain will be your problem. Making multiple trips isn¡¯t a problem for me.¡±
¡°Oh¡ why that does sound acceptable¡¡±
¡°And you,¡± Orodan said, looking at the Novarrian. ¡°I expect to see the researchers of the Republic given first priority as Destartes is the one putting this expedition together. Any friction between either party¡ or I¡¯ll personally give the offender a beating.¡±
[Intimidation 14 ¡ú Intimidation 15]
Good behavior assured, Orodan then turned to Destartes.
¡°I¡¯m ready to leave whenever you are,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Anything I should know about your expedition? I assume they¡¯ve all been equipped for the airless environment and briefed?¡±
¡°Of course! Every single member has enchanted items to combat the hostile environment and to aid in escape,¡± Destartes spoke. ¡°We even have an abundance of materials and support staff to erect a temporary fort upon our landing with gigantic spatial relay stones to help make a permanent teleporter from the moon and back without the need for your unique methods of travel Mister Wainwright.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t aware teleporters could work over such long distances,¡± Orodan said.
¡°At great mana cost and expensive materials for the initial setup, they definitely can,¡± Destartes replied. ¡°The old Hasmathorian Empire supposedly managed a trip to the moon once, and we¡¯re basing our long-range teleporter blueprints off of the records we have of theirs.¡±
At worst, Orodan could just get everyone back home anyways.
¡°Alright then, any particular spot you want me to aim for? I could always land us where I went last time,¡± Orodan said. ¡°There were ruins nearby.¡±
¡°An excellent starting point, let us commence whenever you¡¯re ready Mister Wainwright¡ I haven¡¯t been this excited in decades!¡± Destartes exclaimed, and Orodan smiled at the man¡¯s enthusiasm as he focused in on the moon and could vaguely make out the crater he¡¯d caused with his Spatial Fold last time.
All his empowerment skills were flared to their limits, and an overcharged Spatial Fold was cast towards the same spot on the moon he¡¯d been to last time. He felt it connect, space was folded the entire way and then¡
¡he stepped through.
The first thing he noticed upon his arrival was a flock of familiar soul devouring butterflies lounging about, drinking up the ambient soul energy he¡¯d thrown about during his initial arrival last time. Upon noticing him, they immediately flew for the hills, the difference between their relative strength levels apparent.
The second person to step through, was Destartes.
¡°What an exceedingly strange feeling¡ it¡¯s not like a teleport where I¡¯m going through a space tunnel, but as though I really did just take a single step and reach the moon,¡± Destartes said. ¡°I still maintain my theory that you¡¯re a God in disguise, to throw around such power so casually.¡±
Orodan brushed the space mage¡¯s comments off as the rest of the expedition came through, soldiers, researchers, scouts, and support staff. They immediately got to work setting up a fort in a well-organized and professional manner.
Scouts fanned out and took stock of their surroundings, although were careful not to go far lest they run into a Grandmaster-level monster. They relayed information to cartographers who began sketching maps, and all this was relayed to the command center which was quickly erected.
Altogether, the outpost took thirty minutes to complete, and multiple laborers, construction experts and the like took professional pride in having an outpost on the moon added to their list of accolades. The entire time, Orodan maintained the Spatial Fold so that people could cross back and forth to ferry supplies as needed and a few people goofed off by stepping back and forth through the fold while having fun.
In another hour, the teleportation relay was set up and Orodan was asked to release the Spatial Fold so they could test it out. Destartes was the first one to go through, and it was only after he returned with a bouquet of roses that everyone cheered, and the mood of the expedition took a jubilant turn knowing there was an assured path home.
Orodan made a mental note to secure the space mage¡¯s help whenever manned expeditions to foreign worlds or dimensions were called for. He seemed both passionate and competent in the matter.
¡°We¡¯ve done it Mister Wainwright! Teleportation between the moon and Jerestir in the Republic of Aden is now possible!¡± Destartes exclaimed. ¡°I think we¡¯ll name this place¡ Wainwright¡¯s Land.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a bit excessive don¡¯t you think?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t actually need a point on the moon named after me.¡±
¡°Who else would we name it after but the man who¡¯s made it all possible?¡± Destartes asked. ¡°With you, a new age of magic becomes possible. Or er¡ soul energy I suppose, given how much offense you take to the term magic.¡±
Orodan charged the outpost¡¯s mana battery to full capacity, and it would have enough to last for thousands of trips back and forth. Immediately, more people began going back and forth. Guards, soldiers, scouts, and Grandmasters from the Republic came through to visit and witness the novelty.
Orodan however had no time to stand around now that things were setup.
¡°Can we head out? Now that things are setup, we should get on with our expedition, no?¡± Orodan asked, and Destartes happily nodded.
¡°Agreed, let us set out at once.¡±
The researchers were all incredibly excited for the opportunity and simply couldn¡¯t stop talking among themselves as they traversed the moon on their way towards an area which had multiple ruins.
¡°So, it¡¯s true! The Hasmathorians were right when they said an entire civilization existed upon the moon!¡± one Novarrian scholar excitedly exclaimed.
¡°I wonder what their technology was like, their culture, their history¡ some of the smaller carvings we see indicate that there was frequent travel between Alastaia and the moon,¡± Destartes himself replied. ¡°Anyhow, we¡¯re at a juncture here and we have a choice of which of the three ruins nearby we¡¯ll delve into first. Mister Wainwright, as our benefactor, any preferences?¡±
Two of the ruins looked rather plain¡ but the third had draconic statues and motifs visible even from a distance. The obvious choice.
¡°Let¡¯s go with the draconic-themed ruins,¡± Orodan said, and Destartes nodded.
The expedition was off and approached the ruins in short order. They were gigantic, clearly built to accommodate dragons, but they also had smaller entryways meant for mortals. The buildings had evidence of aerial doors meant for flying dragons to enter through, alongside regular human-sized accommodations.
Pathfinding had gained two levels over the course of exploring.
¡°Incredible¡ the size suggests to me that this was a settlement meant for dragons, but mortals also lived here,¡± Destartes said. ¡°Actual co-habitation? Even the Soaring Flame for their close alliance with Novarria do not outright sleep together.¡±
The few Grandmaster-level monsters within who¡¯d made the ruins their home were all shooed away by Orodan. He felt a little thuggish for bullying them out of their abodes, but they could come back after the research was done.
Within, were gigantic stone halls adorned with carvings of various scenes. Of rebellion; humans, dwarves and dragons fighting against a ruling class of tyrannical beings. The tyrants themselves looked humanoid but¡ draconic?
¡°This almost seems like a rebel settlement,¡± Destartes spoke as the expedition walked down the halls. ¡°But rebelling against who is the big question.¡±
Orodan had a feeling he might know the answer already as his spatial ring began to tremble once more much like it did during his battle against Thavri Grimbreaker.
The expedition walked down many more giant hallways with carvings depicting battles against a tyrannical half-dragon queen, and finally they reached what looked to be a vault of sorts. In front of them was an ominous looking golem, a guardian.
¡°Careful Mister Wainwright, it¡¯s a triple-Grandmast-¡±
A combination of Endless Blitz and All-Strikes dealt with the issue in less than five seconds.
Destartes cleared his throat.
¡°Never mind¡ let us continue and see what this vault has to offer,¡± the space mage said.
The party stepped past the threshold and were met with a sight of pure wonder. A grand vault containing a plethora of treasures. Many of the treasures were decaying, but some were still useable. Some of the greedy guards attempted to rush out and grab them only for Destartes himself to yank them backwards with space magic.
¡°Fools! We must ensure there are no traps first!¡± the space mage cautioned, and Orodan agreed. ¡°If this place was damaged by your negligence, I¡¯d have thrown you lot into the void!¡±
His Vision of Purity pored through the vault and detected at least three magical wards which were promptly drained dry of mana by All-Consuming Rage.
¡°Should be clear, I don¡¯t detect anything else,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°Excellent, now let¡¯s slowly go over this vault and catalogue everything we see. Have the scrying eyes capture everything,¡± Destartes ordered. ¡°Mister Wainwright, let¡¯s approach the central altar.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t have to be told twice, particularly since the grand carving upon the wall behind the central altar had already caught his eye. As he stepped closer to it, the spatial ring on his finger shook with more violence than it ever had before.
The carving was a simple one. It had the picture of a monarch wielding a terrible sword of fell power as she oppressed the noble people of a world. Beneath, the carving was actual lettering which was carved into a plinth.
The System did its job in translating as Orodan read through it.
¡®A monument to our heroic defiance against the Queen of Calamity!¡¯
Nothing else was written, but nothing else was needed for Orodan to understand. The carving spoke for itself. After all¡
¡the half-dragon woman¡¯s eyes in the carving were a mismatched white and gold.
Chapter 43 - Answers In The Lunar Depths & Four Months
The very first thing Orodan did was barge off to a more private area so he could ensure his book companion was alright. He tapped into his spatial ring and drew her out.
She was motionless.
¡°Hey¡ hey! Are you alright? The spatial ring was trembling quite violently,¡± Orodan said as he shook her.
He was on the verge of telling Destartes to call a return so he could make way for Alastaia and acquire a soul specialist when she decided to suddenly fly up and smack him in the face.
¡°Very funny, you dusty old hag,¡± Orodan said, an unamused expression on his face.
¡°But you should¡¯ve seen the look on your face! I haven¡¯t seen you that concerned for anyone before!¡± she teased. ¡°Does the mighty Orodan Wainwright actually care about me? How adorab- guk!¡±
She could deal with being tossed at a wall.
¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for jokes,¡± Orodan reprimanded. ¡°You said before that you were undergoing a soul meld when I fought that dwarf¡ but if I specifically recall, it was when that dwarven God Varkir showed up. And here the ring trembled rather forcefully again, are you beginning to remember anything?¡±
To her credit, she did stop playing around and actually took a moment before answering.
¡°I¡ do not remember much,¡± she said slowly. ¡°My soul underwent an extreme amount of pain, and I think I remember fragments of certain memories, and I recall being in settlements with similar architecture to this one, but the environment outside was far different. Fields of rolling green instead of the lifeless rock we stand upon.¡±
¡°I doubt the moon has always had a desolate and airless atmosphere,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Not if civilization used to thrive here. But, more importantly, do you remember anything about who you are? The eyes of the woman in that carving¡¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to dismiss the coincidence of the mismatched eyes. And while I¡¯m only recalling fragments, they aren¡¯t anything pleasant and are too disjointed to make out. Orodan¡ if the people who did this to me are still around¡ then I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s safe for-¡±
¡°Don¡¯t even finish that line of thought. Do you think I¡¯d ever back down from a fight?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°If you¡¯re too senile to deal with your problems, then I¡¯ll just have to deal with them for you. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll acquire all the answers in this loop¡ but I will find out what happened to you and who you are someday.¡±
¡°You really are a fool, Orodan Wainwright,¡± she said. And Orodan would dare think there might¡¯ve been a hint of fondness in that tone.
The two remained for a moment simply standing in silence before Orodan broke it.
¡°Anyhow, we have some leads, and this expedition isn¡¯t over yet,¡± he said. ¡°Where do you think we should look next? Do the fragments you¡¯re beginning to remember point you anywhere?¡±
¡°Yes actually. One thing I¡¯m starting to remember is a citadel of epic proportions,¡± she said as her pages fluttered. ¡°It was situated between two gigantic mountains.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly a lead we can work with,¡± Orodan said as he beckoned her into his spatial ring and made way back towards Destartes.
¡°Mister Wainwright, any discoveries?¡± the space mage asked. ¡°You went off for a bit there.¡±
¡°Yes, I had to resolve certain issues with my friend,¡± Orodan spoke, hoping the space mage would take the hint. Destartes had seen his book companion before but respected her privacy. ¡°I have a selfish request to make.¡±
¡°Ah, of course!¡± Destartes said, realization upon his face. ¡°And if you need something please don¡¯t hesitate to ask; this expedition would not be here today if not for you.¡±
¡°Well then¡ I was hoping we could head for a particular location; a citadel between two looming mountains,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I understand this is a bit sudden of a request, but I¡¯m glad to venture there myself if n-¡±
¡°Nonsense! A citadel upon the moon sounds like an absolutely grand site to survey!¡± Destartes retorted. ¡°We¡¯ll put the scouts to work and see if such a thing is visible from our scans. The good thing about having a teleporter to and from Alastaia is that we can survey and capture images of the moon from our world and scout out terrain in that manner.¡±
In good news, finding the citadel between two mountains wasn¡¯t an issue. Astronomers from Alastaia had easily corresponded and located it, and the scouts and cartographers subsequently confirmed its location.
He¡¯d gained two more levels in Pathfinding from the trek. While Spatial Fold would¡¯ve been a quick way to get there, the expedition was too passionate about seeing all the moon had to offer and Orodan didn¡¯t have the heart to deprive them of the experience.
As a matter of fact, the citadel was one of the sites that the expedition had considered landing near given its historical significance; astronomers had always wondered what it was. Of course, given that Orodan was the reason they could get to the moon they¡¯d left the decision to him, but otherwise it might¡¯ve been a contender for a spot to land upon.
The bad news, however, was that the citadel was in utter ruin. Whoever assaulted it clearly hadn¡¯t left much of it to go through, and the expedition would be lucky if they could even get past the main gates, since everything was in utter ruin.
¡°Hmm¡ this is no good. It¡¯ll take our laborers a while to clear this mess,¡± Destartes spoke. But Orodan wasn¡¯t too concerned as his destination wasn¡¯t the citadel itself but what lay underneath it.
¡°Destartes¡ I¡¯m seeing extensive tunnels beneath the citadel,¡± Orodan said as his Vision of Purity mapped things out. ¡°As a matter of fact, very extensive.¡±
¡°How deep?¡± the space mage asked.
¡°They extend beyond the range of Vision of Purity, at least five miles below. If this was our world, down to the wild depths at least,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The tunnels seem constructed too.¡±
¡°Reaching them will be troublesome, but we can get the laborers to-¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s alright,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In fact, I have a feeling this¡¯ll be rather dangerous for them since I can detect multiple signatures. I propose I head in, clear the way, and the expedition can come in after.¡±
Destartes looked like he wanted to argue it but decided against it. Orodan felt slightly bad for denying the space mage his chance to see the depths of the moon with his own eyes, but it genuinely would be dangerous inside. Vision of Purity picked up multiple monsters within, and they ranged from dual to triple-Grandmasters. Even Destartes would simply get in Orodan¡¯s way while fighting in such close quarters.
¡°As you say Mister Wainwright,¡± the space mage replied. ¡°We shall await your return at Wainwright¡¯s Land then.¡±
Orodan tried to ignore the embarrassment at having a point of land named after him and bade Destartes farewell as the space mage teleported the expedition back to the outpost.
Once they were all gone, his book companion came out of his spatial ring.
¡°From my memories, the citadel should¡¯ve been towering past the clouds, with rolling green fields surrounding it all¡ I¡¯m not entirely sure what happened, but we should delve deeper, something in me says the answer will lie below.¡±
¡°I concur¡ if this truly was a world in the past¡ then should there not be gates deeper in its depths? Something has felt off about the moon ever since we¡¯ve set foot here,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Grandmaster-level monsters wander the surface freely, there¡¯s no intelligent life in sight¡ none of these things would occur on Alastaia.¡±
His companion hummed in agreement, and a Spatial Fold took them all the way down to the beginning of the constructed tunnels leading downward. A little destructive when casting Spatial Fold through rock to reach a point underground, but it came with benefits as he had to make modifications to the spell.
[Spatial Fold 14 ¡ú Spatial Fold 15]
[Space Mastery 11 ¡ú Space Mastery 12]
He stepped through the fold in space, and the first thing to greet him were the chittering mandibles of a group of Grandmaster soul devouring centipedes. They fled before he could give them a thrashing.
¡°Grandmaster-level monsters right at the entrance? A little odd, but then again, the surface had plenty too,¡± Orodan said as the two of them continued downwards.
An hour passed as Orodan made his way down, and the depths of the moon were quite extensive. Most strangely, none of the monsters were territorial like they would be in the depths of Alastaia. No snarling, no begrudging retreats in the face of his superior power, just an incredibly quick escape with no second thoughts about it.
In fact, now that he thought about it¡
¡°If this were Alastaia, we¡¯d be at the very bottom of the deep depths, yet I notice no changes in the durability of the rock, nor do I see much, if any, plant life,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Something¡¯s a bit off around these parts.¡±
¡°Yes¡ I detect no world energy whatsoever,¡± his companion said as she flew about his head. ¡°Little wonder then that everything was happy to flee. There¡¯s no benefit to be gained in staying and defending their spot.¡±
It might also explain the sheer abundance of ¡®soul devouring¡¯ type creatures on the moon. In the absence of world energy, what else could they feed upon to grow and survive? The creatures they¡¯d encountered thus far almost exclusively consisted of soul devouring monsters and decaying golems whose power was dwindling.
And if there was world energy and the deep depths upon the moon, then it only stood to reason that there would be further elements similar to Alastaia deeper down. As Orodan entered the abyssal depths of the moon, he noticed the complete lack of light, similar to the abyss of Alastaia, however Vision of Purity couldn¡¯t pick up anything living for miles.
¡°How eerie¡ it¡¯s as though nothing lives here at all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I would¡¯ve expected to see at least something around here. Instead, it¡¯s almost like a world in reverse, with the stronger monsters congregating upon the surface with nothing in the abyssal depths.¡±
¡°Odd. Keep your guard up,¡± his companion said. ¡°Who knows what we¡¯ll encounter down here. I feel such a strange sense of melancholy as we go down these halls¡¡±
He could understand why. His soul energy lighting the way meant that the ornately carved halls were visible, and they spoke of a culture or a civilization that had pacified the entire way down to the abyssal depths. Seeing everything abandoned set a tragic mood.
Ten more minutes of travel, and Orodan finally saw something he recognized from Alastaia. It was quite similar in many aspects, from the glyphs of the System, to the rock which looked different from the surroundings. Yet there were obvious differences due to the ravages of time. Unlike the one he¡¯d seen in the abyss at Ranmere¡¯s Folly, the glyphs weren¡¯t glowing, and the stone had lost all energy and consequently, its exceptional durability.
Before him, lay a broken first gate. It was a world gate, on the moon.
¡°As though it¡¯s run out of power,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The one I saw in our world was functional with its System glyphs glowing. It also had gate guardians ready to defend it¡ what happened here?¡±
A screech of pain echoed out from his companion, and Orodan gently caught the book in his arms before she could fall, a look of concern upon his face.
¡°I¡¯m fine¡ I think I¡¯m beginning to remember more now that we¡¯re here,¡± she said.
¡°We don¡¯t have to advance if you don¡¯t want to,¡± he said. ¡°I know from first-hand experience that healing the soul is painful, but it¡¯s your choice as to whether we continue.¡±
¡°I want to press on,¡± she answered. ¡°The gates should have their source of power deeper within¡ come, I¡¯m beginning to remember which way we might get answers.¡±
Orodan nodded¡ and stepped past the threshold of the moon¡¯s shattered first world gate.
There was no System message declaring him the Subject of a Quest like last time. Rather, it was almost hauntingly quiet within. Naught but Orodan, his companion, and the ruins of a civilization long-gone.
¡°It was similar past the first gate of Alastaia as well. A city filled with monsters¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Although, with a guardian who immediately slew me.¡±
¡°I suspect the guardian of this place is long gone¡ much like the civilization is,¡± his companion said.
Walking through the deserted ruins of a fallen city made for a rather sombre tone. There weren¡¯t even any corpses around, just dust and debris. Some of the buildings looked as though they¡¯d fallen apart from the ravages of time, while others looked as though they¡¯d received some titanic assault. The signs of an ancient battle were apparent.
Who had done this? Orodan found himself considering the question as they walked onward.
Five more minutes of travel through the abandoned husk of civilization led them to another descending grand hallway which seemed to go down forever.
An extreme distance away Orodan¡¯s sharp eyes could see an end, but he¡¯d have to go closer to investigate. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say the distance of this descending hallway was thousands of miles. If they were on Inuan, this would be the distance between the Dokuhan Mountains in the south and the Republic in the north. Only the lack of air allowed him to clearly see so far down the hallway.
They traversed the hallway swiftly, but it still took the better part of three hours to make it to where the end was close enough that Orodan could see it.
Another strange and broken wall lined with faded System symbols lacking power. Above the gate, was a display. The corpse of something rather vicious and terrifying looking. Even though the eight-armed beast was dead, mounted upon the wall as a trophy; Orodan got a vague sense that it was as strong in life as the Void Horror that had come charging at him once he passed the world gate on Alastaia.
¡°A second gate¡ with the gate guardian displayed as a trophy,¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°And it¡¯s broken just like the first one was.¡±
Another horrid screech of agony came from his companion, and while Orodan was concerned, he respected her decision to go on. He waited till she was settled and had recovered.
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like what you find within,¡± she quietly said. ¡°There is only pain and the reminder of loss beyond this door for me.¡±
¡°We can leave now if-¡±
¡°No, we continue,¡± she said. ¡°I need to remember my identity, and this is the final step. Going forward, in future loops you¡¯ll know the answer.¡±
¡°As you say¡¡±
The shattered remnants of the second world gate were stepped past, and Orodan¡¯s eyes widened in wonder as he turned the corner of the hallway to find himself standing within the most gigantic subterranean cavern he¡¯d ever seen.
Before him, was a broken throne. To the sides of which were walls with carvings. But behind the throne was an open wall which gave Orodan a nice overlooking view of a grand structure.
A shattered orb of titanic proportions, System glyphs covered its surface, but they¡¯d lost their power long ago, and the structure was shattered into hundreds of thousands of pieces, with only one significant chunk being intact.
This was¡
¡°The core of a world¡ my world¡¡± his companion uttered, and then promptly began screaming in pain as she violently shook in his hands.
Orodan kept a hold of her as she rode out the pain of her disjointed soul melding together, and as she did, he couldn¡¯t help but have a closer look at the carvings on the wall.
A noble queen, uplifting an oppressed race of hybrid half-dragons from their misery. A war against the enraged dragons who sought to stop them; a victory which led to the oppressed becoming rulers and the former ruling dragons going into hiding as rebels¡ and the queen delving into the heart of the world itself, slaying an eight-armed beast and reaching the core to bring it under her thumb.
The final carving showed this queen ascending to a higher realm of power, only for something to come down upon her head once she did.
The details of what exactly came down were incomplete, as though they were carved hastily. And upon a carved plinth the words were translated by the System as Orodan read them.
¡®Defier of dragons, defender of the oppressed, ruler of our world, soon to ascend beyond the level of Grandmasters.¡¯
And beneath that, on a final plinth was the identity of this individual.
¡®Our monarch and guardian¡¡¯
¡°Zaessythra, World-Queen of Vylrystia,¡± Orodan read out loud.
A glow of successful soul melding enveloped the book.
The moon expedition had gone shockingly well, and Wainright¡¯s Land now held a permanent teleporter to and from the moon. Of course, Orodan had to do some extensive work in clearing monster populations in the surrounding ten miles lest they be attracted to the outpost and its inhabitants.
The ¡®moon rush¡¯, as scholars and historians were calling it, would have far-reaching economic and academic consequences for Inuan. The Republic and Novarria both butted heads over access to the teleporter, but both sides agreed to work together on the matter out of respect for Orodan¡¯s assistance in enabling it all in the first place.
The market exploded with demand for the corpses of ¡®lunar monsters¡¯ and ¡®lunar materials¡¯, but if Orodan was being honest there really wasn¡¯t a lot of good material on the moon due to the complete lack of world energy. Not that it stopped ¡®lunar materials¡¯ from being sold at exorbitant prices by the royal traders of the Republic and Novarria. If people wanted to pay unreasonable sums of gold for sub-par things, who was Orodan to stop them?
Officially, he was lauded as a prodigious space mage who¡¯d broken a critical barrier and innovated a new method of travel. The public at least, accepted that part, even if Orodan took some slight issue with being called a mage. Unofficially of course, the higher echelons of society knew that he was an international powerhouse who¡¯d bullied the dwarves and forced the elves to reconsider any thoughts of a more aggressive stance towards the human nations of Inuan. That he had Divine Resistance was also a fact going around national intelligence circles.
It was with all this as a backdrop that he sat before Balastion Novar, giving a report of all that had occurred.
¡°I¡¯m told your moon expedition went without any issues. The economic impacts on our end have been felt keenly enough,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°I wish I could say the same for our meeting with the elves, but that bridge has been burnt down.¡±
¡°Perhaps, but at the very least they won¡¯t be thinking of attacking us anytime soon,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°The knowledge that I¡¯m in a time loop makes them rather cautious.¡±
¡°I suppose¡ anyhow, tell me more about your descent into the depths of the lunar core,¡± Balastion asked. ¡°There was a shattered world core there¡ what¡¯s the story behind that?¡±
¡°Yes, there was a shattered world core. But as for the story¡¡± Orodan trailed off. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to say.¡±
Balastion gave him a long look for a moment, but then backed off.
¡°I see. I will not pry in this matter,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°I suspect it has to do with a friend of yours, does it not?¡±
Orodan remained silent and would not answer. He had yet to really broach the subject with his companion herself.
¡°I do not mean to put undue pressure on you to answer,¡± Balastion said. ¡°Let us move onto a different topic; the future.¡±
¡°Yes, with the expedition concluded we have four months left till the descent of the Eldritch,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And shortly before that, the Inter-Academy Tournament where Othorion Evertree will be present. If they even allow him to attend given their fear that I might free Faraine.¡±
¡°Maybe they will, maybe they won¡¯t,¡± Balastion said. ¡°But what the elves are not aware of¡ is your ability to harm Gods directly through Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity. Otherwise, they must have faith in whatever shackles they have upon Faraine in the divine realm. They aren¡¯t expecting you to be capable of crossing the dimensional boundary to strike at her directly.¡±
¡°Last time when I caused the body enchantments binding Othorion to shatter, the Avatars of Cithrel and Athandelu descended immediately and cast rune magic to restrain her once more,¡± Orodan recounted. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to prevent them from simply re-sealing her again. Without an open battle against them that is.¡±
¡°Vespidia has a plan for that¡ speak to her about the issue and you¡¯ll find a solution,¡± Balastion said. ¡°Once you free Faraine and it¡¯s permanent, I think you¡¯ll find the elven Gods¡¯ desire to do battle with you fading as they¡¯ll have bigger concerns at that point.¡±
Orodan accepted the explanation as it made sense. If he could somehow free the imprisoned Goddess permanently¡ dealing with her would occupy the elves more than wanting to battle him. As long as he didn¡¯t attack them afterward, they might grudgingly leave as a battle would be costly for them.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
The two spoke for a while longer on various matters before Orodan left.
He made way for his residential tower and entered a private area before deciding to finally draw upon his spatial ring.
His book companion fluttered out, or should he say¡
¡°Zaessythra. That¡¯s your name, isn¡¯t it?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You flew back into my ring on the moon and refused to speak of the matter, but now that we¡¯re back, I feel it¡¯s a good time to talk.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t mean to give you the cold shoulder back there,¡± Zaessythra spoke. ¡°Once my soul successfully melded, I remembered a great number of things at once. I needed time to collect myself. We can speak now.¡±
¡°So¡ World-Queen of Vylrystia? The moon used to have its own core?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I fought an Arch-Devil with the World Conqueror title once¡ you must have the same, no?¡±
¡°Yes, Vylrystia was its own world over two hundred millennia ago. A world my people and I shed much blood to take from the hands of those arrogant blood-purist dragons,¡± Zaessythra answered. ¡°I was its queen and the first World-Conqueror in our star system as well.¡±
¡°And your skill levels? The plinth said you were going beyond the level of Grandmasters, you must¡¯ve exceeded level one hundred then,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What does your Status say?¡±
¡°I¡ I cannot access my Status,¡± she replied, causing Orodan¡¯s eyes to sharpen. ¡°Whatever those ¡®crusaders¡¯ did in their final assault reached into my soul core to damage something important. Attempting to access my Status causes me great pain.¡±
A foe so powerful that they could assault the soul core, damaging it to the point that System access was hindered? A frightening prospect, and if he wasn¡¯t careful, one that could harm him greatly despite the time loops.
The manic smile on his face at the thought of facing them must¡¯ve unsettled his companion though.
¡°I see, but do you remember going past level one hundred at least?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Were you then¡ a God?¡±
¡°No¡ I still do not remember what exactly I was; but it wasn¡¯t a Goddess,¡± she replied. ¡°I ascended past the Grandmaster-level to become something more, but it wasn¡¯t Godhood. In fact, I think this is what caused my misfortunes to begin with. I don¡¯t remember the process or what happened; in fact, I suspect the System naturally erases the knowledge of what occurs upon going past Grandmastery, for no Gods I ever met could tell me.¡±
This lined up with Orodan¡¯s own experiences. Throughout the time loops no Gods he had asked were able to tell him just what the process for reaching Godhood was. He wasn¡¯t short-sighted enough to dismiss the possibility that, in time, he too would surpass the Grandmaster-level. Given his rate of advancement and the abilities he held, it was almost a certainty. What came after that however¡ was something he¡¯d heard nothing of. But something he¡¯d have to confront all the same.
¡°Interesting¡ and it was after this ascension that enemies came for you?¡±
¡°Yes. After I ascended, multiple foes came for me and Vylrystia. I recall becoming the Subject of a Quest whose details I do not remember. Our world core was destroyed in the ensuing battles, and I was killed and had my soul shattered by an attack I¡¯m certain was a war crime per divine law. In my final moments I staked my all upon a mad gamble to reach out anywhere. My soul hurtled through the void and reached our sister world, and I found myself in soul combat against a lich whose phylactery I intruded upon. Needless to say, I won the battle¡¡±
¡°And you consequently ousted Exus Baldrimon, taking the place of his soul in the phylactery built by him,¡± Orodan finished. It was intriguing to him but would be horrifying to any lich to hear that their phylactery could essentially be broken into by wandering souls of sufficient power who needed a home.
¡°Not quite. Remember, this was over two hundred-thousand years ago,¡± Zaessythra explained. ¡°The ancient lich, Exus Baldrimon, only ended up finding me fifteen-thousand years ago, and he was the most recent and renowned wielder. I admit to allowing him to parade me about for a while out of boredom, but he soon fell, and I was sealed away in a warded vault. I have had many wielders since my death and change, and I don¡¯t recall who the original lich whose soul I ousted even was.¡±
An incredibly long history. Well before the time of the Void Horror¡¯s ascent, before the Hasmathorian Empire, and quite possibly even before the elves of Eldiron. The history of the universe was ancient, and Orodan was humbled by the knowledge that Alastaia had such monumental events occur over two hundred millennia ago.
This being he spoke to, his book companion¡ was ancient beyond measure.
¡°From the carvings I saw in that rebel settlement, the dragons and dwarves helped these new enemies usurp you then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°No wonder my ring trembled when Varkir was near.¡±
¡°The dragons are a bunch of foul blood-purists. They hated us when we were created, and they hate any being with draconic blood that isn¡¯t a pure dragon,¡± she elaborated. ¡°The dwarves are rather greedy, although they were more of a mercenary force than a true enemy. We often employed them ourselves prior to my ascension.¡±
¡°Who was it then, that did this to you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You seem to know Varkir, and in one of my earlier loops you mentioned a Hegemony.¡±
¡°The Hegemony¡ do not make an enemy of them Orodan, they are dangerous beyond anything you¡¯ve seen,¡± Zaessythra warned. ¡°The universe has a long history and there have been many Gods who¡¯ve ascended. Gods of greater power than the fledgling ones who are limited to just this world. The divine realm has its own politics as a consequence, and the Hegemony rule our section of creation with an iron fist. They have influence enough that they used Varkir as one of their hired mercenaries in the battle against me. I don¡¯t remember what I did to earn their ire, but it was doubtlessly tied to ascending past the Grandmaster-level and not becoming a Goddess. My world was descended upon by their ¡®crusaders¡¯ shortly after. Avoid these beings, they will be your ruin. Even if you¡¯re a time looper your soul core being breached will leave you a hollow shell, like I was.¡±
Orodan carefully absorbed all Zaessythra told him and pondered on the thought of making new and powerful enemies in his loops. True, currently they¡¯d done nothing to him, and in all likelihood this ¡®Hegemony¡¯ didn¡¯t even know Orodan Wainwright existed. Whatever had been done to Zaessythra was long past, and who knew if the same people held the same motivations, and what those motivations even were.
In other words, it would be beyond stupid for him to think of setting a goal of finding and picking a fight with this unseen and powerful organization of Gods and their crusaders.
So why then, was Orodan Wainwright thinking of doing exactly that?
¡°Orodan¡¡± Zaessythra warned. ¡°I can see that look on your face. You know not the forces you would be making an enemy of. I am grateful to you for helping me remember my identity¡ I truly am. And with that gratitude in mind, I do not wish to see my savior turned into an amnesiac husk like myself, spending her day to day struggling to grasp the past. Having your soul core breached and damaged isn¡¯t the same as whatever soul assaults you¡¯ve experienced thus far¡ it could permanently ruin your access to the System and your skill levels. That you¡¯ve gotten me this far at all is enough, please, just let it go.¡±
¡°Let it go? They descended unto your world and destroyed both you and Vylrystia,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m not about to proclaim my enmity for them this instant; but if you think I¡¯ll forget about this, you don¡¯t know me well enough.¡±
If Orodan was stubborn enough to make the dwarves¡¯ maltreatment of their enemies his problem, then making an enemy of multiple powerful Gods was simply a matter of scale. Who he was at core hadn¡¯t changed. If he saw a problem he didn¡¯t like, he would make it his problem.
¡°Foolish boy, I¡¯ve come to understand your bull-headed ways well,¡± she reprimanded. ¡°And it¡¯s because I know you that I¡¯m doing my best to warn you against this course of action. What happens when you¡¯re stuck in a mindless stupor for many millennia as the loops go on around you? What if you forget who you are entirely? What if you can¡¯t access your System any longer? I don¡¯t wish to see you harmed in such a way. I¡¯ve accepted my fate, just please¡ don¡¯t add another person to the list of those who¡¯ve paid the price for my ambitions¡¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t your ambition that got you in this mess, it was the Hegemony and their tyranny,¡± Orodan corrected. ¡°Stop blaming yourself. If my soul is destroyed, I¡¯ll simply find a way to heal it. If my access to the System is curtailed, then I¡¯ll simply find a way to restore it.¡±
And if he was crippled permanently? Then so be it. It was a risk he accepted.
From his very first loop Orodan accepted the fact that he was a fool meant to die in the initial charge of a battle. Why would that stop now? The knowledge of some all-powerful coalition of hostile Gods who ruled over his section of the universe with tyranny wouldn¡¯t be enough to dissuade him.
Those who knew him often said his stubborn nature and lack of risk aversion were flaws. But not in this case. Here and now, they were his strengths. Facets of his personality that made him willing to offend unfathomable foes.
¡°Tch¡ do as you will,¡± Zaessythra spat, refusing to speak on the topic any longer.
Orodan planned on it.
It was a long way away, and nowhere near his primary goal in the long run. After all, he had the Eldritch Avatar to deal with, then he had a grudge to settle with certain Gods upon Alastaia who¡¯d done him wrong.
And beyond even that¡ the prospect of ascending past the Grandmaster-level but not becoming a God? How did that even work? Orodan wasn¡¯t sure, but the thought of it appealed greatly to him, even if Zaessythra knew nothing of the process.
In short, he had many goals, both short term and long term, and dealing with this Hegemony was beyond even the farthest of them at the moment.
Yet, it was kept in the back of his mind all the same.
For now, though, many months of training, teaching and experimentation lay ahead of him. Working with spatiomancy, learning new skills, and refining his existing Spatial Fold. Honing his crafts, teaching his students and Vespidia, working on his soul skills, cooking, tasting fine food, honing his physical skills, and of course, cleaning.
He also wanted to work on acquiring Time Mastery, although who knew how far he¡¯d get before the Inter-Academy Tournament less than four months away.
A great number of things would come to a head there.
His student competing, his plan to free Faraine, and the inevitable conflict that would occur if he succeeded. Vespidia supposedly had a plan for it, and only time would tell if it all worked out.
And beyond that, the familiar descending foe.
Like that, almost four months had passed.
Not much occurred politically. The elves had kept to their predicted response and not bothered Novarria since their meeting. The moon rush had simmered down a bit, but research teams led by Grandmasters were finding new things on a regular basis in the various ruins dotting the fallen world of Vylrystia.
Orodan had kept Zaessythra¡¯s current state and full story to himself, but had allowed researchers into the world core, allowing them to record her name and some of the history of the former world.
Chiefly however, there were lots of gains made, even if the pace wasn¡¯t as quick as he¡¯d like in some higher-level skills due to the lack of life and death battles.
To begin with, spatiomancy had made some excellent gains and Orodan had truly shored up his foundations in that field. Space Mastery had gained twenty-five levels and gone from 12 to 37. Orodan Wainwright was now a Space Apprentice, and while he would never introduce himself with that title¡ his bias against mages and magical fields was greatly muted nowadays. That spatiomancy was incredibly convenient was a factor in that opinion shift. At the Apprentice-level of Space Mastery he could control the flows of space, lock it down and do other ludicrous feats when combined with his raw power.
Spatial Fold had gone from 15 to 41, an increase of twenty-six levels over the many months of constantly practicing with it. He had too much to lose in this loop and didn¡¯t want to risk getting lost in the void¡ but in tandem with his increased Space Mastery, he suspected he could shoot farther than just the moon now.
In addition, he¡¯d acquired the Rare rarity Teleportation skill after much study, and it sat at level 11 from his practice with it. According to Balastion himself after he teleported into his chamber, Orodan¡¯s ability to bypass any anti-teleportation wards through brute force made him a frighteningly effective assassin. He still needed to acquire the Spatial Sense skill to truly teleport across the world at will, but as it currently stood Orodan could teleport anywhere he¡¯d been to, and no wards were capable of stopping him.
Not everything went smoothly though, as his Dimensionalism skill had gained only five levels and sat at level 6 despite four months of time dilation aided study. It truly was a difficult skill to make gains in, and his repeated attempts to study and take apart spatial rings and other dimensional storages hadn¡¯t gotten him very far. Still, once he made progress, Orodan felt he could even leverage his expertise to perform ridiculous feats. As it stood, he could currently create large dimensions with is raw power, but they decayed rather quickly due to his low level in the skill.
Spatiomancy aside, his studies in pyromancy went rather well.
Fire Magic Mastery had jumped from 16 to 34, and Orodan was now a Fire Magic Apprentice. If he were the old Orodan Wainwright of the county militia, he¡¯d have been re-assigned to a mage academy upon discovery of this fact. Pyromancers could work mundane jobs at magical forges or alongside other crafters, but they were quite valued as bombardment specialists capable of bringing great devastation on command. A Fire Magic Apprentice would be a prized student to be cultivated into something more.
Draconic Fireball had gained twelve levels, going from 32 to 44, and Orodan suspected he could destroy entire cities with it now, especially when used alongside Draconic Mana Channelling which went from 51 to 54. Flare, a low rarity skill meant to provide a mere light show, could likely kill a Master and blind an entire city of people with its brightness. It went from 44 to 52, crossing into the Adept-level.
Alongside all this, his Mana Manipulation went from 55 to 58, increasing the ease with which he could use mana.
On the matter of his soul, his soul skills had experienced decent gains over the months. Absolute Soul Dominion in particular was used to great effect. His efforts in using soul energy to empower his spatiomancy and his efforts in granting permanent increases to the mana generation rates of people had pushed the Mythical skill from 72 to 76. It slowed down past the level 75 bottleneck, but it was still excellent progress. As a result of all his work with the soul, Soul Mastery had gone from 63 to 71, and Orodan could call himself a Soul Elite.
His honing of his body hadn¡¯t fallen to the wayside either. Novarria was wealthy and had all manner of exotic treasures and goods, and one of the things Orodan had repurposed to fit his Body Tempering needs was a box of orbs found in the abyssal depths during Balastion¡¯s venture there which expelled gravitational force outwards. Of course¡ what if Orodan ate one and tried to keep his body intact as the force attempted to explode him from the inside?
That was his thought process, and it¡¯d led to gains in Body Tempering as the skill went from 44 to 56. He¡¯d was now at the level where he¡¯d taken to swallowing two orbs at once. His body felt even more powerful than before, and he felt as though he could shatter a county of the Republic with a downward punch, aided by naught but his Physical Fitness. Each level of Physical Fitness went further the higher his Body Tempering was. It was why a dragon for example, would be stronger than a human of the same Physical Fitness. Body Tempering allowed Orodan to also possess such an advantage and be far stronger than his species and Physical Fitness would suggest.
And physicality aside, his crafts had all progressed quite wonderfully.
Woodworking had gone from 62 to 67, getting rather close to the Elite-level, and Wood Communion had increased from 50 to 56. Taken together, Orodan could consider himself in the upper ten percent of the world¡¯s Woodworkers. Even near-Adept Woodworkers could open their own shop, and Orodan was now a near-Elite Woodworker with a Legendary rarity skill to commune with wood. Demosthenos had told Orodan that Novarria¡¯s top Woodworking Grandmaster had approached him to ask whether he¡¯d be interested in a mentorship opportunity as his direct disciple on the side.
Appealing as it would be, the Inter-Academy Tournament and the descent of the Eldritch were too close, and Orodan had too many other things to do this loop than spend time as the disciple to a Woodworker. Another loop, perhaps just crafting didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea.
Alchemy had increased from 60 to 64, and it was primarily due to Orodan¡¯s experimentation with random ingredients that led to the gain. Following textbook curriculum wasn¡¯t cutting it anymore, and he¡¯d more or less become familiar with the current academic foundations behind the Imperial tradition of alchemy. A loop spent in the Eastern Kingdoms might help, or perhaps one in Eldiron. Experimenting by himself using random ingredients was possible, but time consuming and involved copious amounts of theory and guess work. Additionally, Orodan knew that certain prized alchemists had skills which allowed them to see exactly what types of energies and effects an ingredient had and what it would do. Those were the alchemists who synthesized new recipes and made breakthroughs in the field. Without first acquiring such a skill, experimentation was harder than Orodan thought it¡¯d be.
Enchanting, however, had made some fantastic gains thanks to his focused studies of the runic enchanted dagger he¡¯d taken from the treasuries of the dwarves. Thavri thought it a trick when Orodan wanted one of the cheapest and least valuable runic enchanted items they had, but it was far from one. Rather, compared to all the priceless treasures in the dwarven vaults, this basic dagger was invaluable as a learning tool. The runic enchantment upon it was so basic that Orodan could clearly see how he could improve upon his own.
Even if Runic Enchanting was a different skill altogether, it had enough similarities to regular Enchanting that Orodan was able to acquire massive benefits from studying the dagger. His Enchanting had gone from 47 to 59 over the months of study; crossing into the Adept-level and making Orodan capable of some rather decent work if he said so himself. He now felt more than qualified to begin learning soul energy enchantments, and when that day came¡ he would finally enchant his loyal sword and shield.
Blacksmithing went from 42 to 49. Progress was truly slow. Or rather, it was one of the few skills where Orodan made gains at the speed of a student with below average talent. His endless energy and action increases didn¡¯t give him too much benefit, and he just didn¡¯t feel as connected to metal as he did wood. If his life¡¯s focus was Blacksmithing, he¡¯d have to swallow the bitter pill that he just wasn¡¯t a natural talent in it. Yes, that many levels in almost four months was good, but nothing truly prodigious. Without additional insights, he saw himself facing a serious bottleneck at level 75 and might even struggle to pass into the Elite-level.
Orodan¡¯s beloved sword and shield were provided by the Volarbury county militia, however the suppliers varied from town to town. The Ogdenborough barracks had their weapons smithed by a near-Adept blacksmith from Scarmorrow, and Orodan was now confident that he could at least smith a better sword and shield for himself than their original creator had.
Jewelcrafting had made some good gains, increasing from 36 to 48. Orodan¡¯s ability to polish and empower jewels was approaching the Adept-level, and he¡¯d begun producing precious gemstones usable in Enchanting and Magic Rituals. Employment in a jeweller¡¯s shop was a possibility if he so desired.
Basic Healing had increased from 25 to 33, entering the Apprentice-level, and Orodan felt good about patching people up from most traumatic injuries.
Cooking gained twelve levels, and Gourmand gained five. The latter skill was difficult to level unless Orodan savored unique dishes with exotic tastes. But it made a difference as his body genuinely felt slightly better overall, as though each cell was nourished with just a bit more and he could appreciate life further. It was a weird method of gaining strength, and Aliya would agree as she hated seeing him and Zukelmux partake in the delicacies of goblin style cuisine.
And most importantly of all¡ Cleaning. It had sailed upwards without delay, going from 81 to 87. Orodan had cleaned every single building in the royal district and was halfway done cleaning the entirety of the noble district of Novar¡¯s Peak. The nobility didn¡¯t dare ask questions whenever Orodan showed up with cleaning supplies in tow. It was simply an accepted fact of life that Orodan Wainwright would clean your home down to the smallest smidge of dirt whenever he came by. His Cleaning skill really wasn¡¯t facing any of the bottlenecks that came with going past level 75. At this pace, he wondered if it would even become his first Grandmaster-level skill.
Every time he cleaned, he also philosophized about what exactly Cleaning was, and his understanding of the concept was quite in-depth compared to most of his other skills.
Vision of Purity also advanced from 49 to 56, crossing into the Adept-level. As did Whirlpool Whirlwind as Orodan used it for fine applications of Cleaning. The skill went from 55 to 59.
The final skill that had made gains, was Teaching. It gained fifteen levels, and the results were apparent in the three individuals seated before him.
¡°So, I can actually come with you and watch the fights?¡± Aliya asked.
¡°Of course, it¡¯ll be a good learning opportunity for you now that you¡¯re halfway into the Apprentice-level,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Seeing how powerful Elite-level individuals fight will be good for you. The exposure to various weapons and styles of combat will broaden your horizons.¡±
The little girl whose family he had relocated from Scarmorrow had come quite far. Orodan was certain it wasn¡¯t just the Teaching skill, but his insane methods of training which had given her such a head start for her age. Every time they delved somewhere he would impose restrictions upon her or give her difficult tasks to accomplish. Suffice to say, she was worked to the bone at all hours of the day and recovered via potions whenever she was too tired to continue.
She was without a doubt the strongest child of her age he¡¯d ever met. If this was back in Ogdenborough, Orodan could actually see the current Aliya beating a weaker non-Adept guard or two from House Argon. Her Physical Fitness was high for her age, as was her Combat Mastery which Orodan had focused on through extensive spars and ¡®surprise combat sessions.¡¯
¡°Teacher¡ I will make you proud in this tournament,¡± Zukelmux said. ¡°I¡¯ll reach at least the semi-finals!¡±
¡°While I appreciate the sentiment, compete for yourself Zukelmux,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Much like Vespidia here, there¡¯s a few contestants who can fight at the Grandmaster-level. I don¡¯t expect you to face them and win. I¡¯m proud of how far you¡¯ve come regardless.¡±
His student nodded in assent, and then Orodan turned to Vespidia.
¡°What? You¡¯re not about to give me some sentimental speech before we make way for Marasthus, are you?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ve brutalized me every chance you¡¯ve gotten, thrown me to foes beyond my ability to handle and given me some of the most ridiculous challenges and handicaps I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡±
¡°Well¡ yes. But that was just proper training! I don¡¯t see you complaining about all the skill levels you¡¯ve gained,¡± Orodan retorted. ¡°I¡¯m reasonably confident you can get that elf to loosen the restraints and give control to Faraine now.¡±
¡°Reasonably confident? I¡¯ve made more increases in skill levels in the past four months than I have in a hundred years,¡± she replied. ¡°Your training methods are insane.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t see what she was whining about. Yes, it was unpleasant and sometimes rather dangerous, but he was supervising the entire time and would step in if things approached lethal levels. Admittedly, throwing Vespidia into melee combat against a Death Roach was a bit much, but if she couldn¡¯t dare to approach superior enemies in combat, then how could she hope to confront Othorion Evertree and force him to bring Faraine to the fore?
They engaged in idle chatter for a bit longer before Aliya and Zukelmux had to leave to prepare for the journey to Marasthus.
¡°I hope your plan works,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m confident in shattering the runes upon him through Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity, but you¡¯ll need to force him to that point. And as for dealing with the immediate response from the elven Avatars after¡ you¡¯d better be quick enough to enact your part of the plan.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do my part,¡± she said. ¡°I know you¡¯d love nothing more than to engage in an extended battle against them, but I don¡¯t plan on allowing it to that point. You might even manage to eventually kill one of their Avatars¡ but the collateral damage would be titanic and cause the Eastern Kingdoms to be drawn into the conflict.¡±
Which would be rather undesirable and a part of the reason why Orodan hadn¡¯t wanted to advance past the first gate either. He was a killer who had killed and, in all likelihood, would continue to kill. But he didn¡¯t enjoy slaughtering people for the sake of it. When his battles could wipe the smaller nations of the Eastern Kingdoms off the map through collateral damage¡ he felt at least some responsibility to ensure it didn¡¯t come to that.
¡°Well, with that being said, I believe Balastion wanted to speak to us before we made way for Marasthus,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Shall we?¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one capable of Teleportation, go ahead and cast your fancy spell,¡± Vespidia said.
His soul energy manipulated the waves of space, and a blur of blue light enveloped them both. Before she knew it, in a blink, both he and Vespidia were within Balastion Novar¡¯s chamber.
The first emperor of Novarria paused his ruminations on his crown and looked up.
¡°Orodan, Vespidia, I¡¯ve been expecting you,¡± he said. ¡°Are you both prepared for what we¡¯ll soon face?¡±
¡°As ready as we¡¯ll ever be your Majesty,¡± Vespidia replied.
¡°The bigger question is¡ how is your training with the crown going Balastion?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll make a breakthrough in the middle of battle with the insights you¡¯ve gathered?¡±
¡°I¡¯m close¡ I feel it,¡± the first emperor replied. He said no more on the topic.
Orodan couldn¡¯t help but have an ominous feeling in his heart. He had come to respect Balastion Novar as something of a friend, and not the worst ruler he¡¯d seen. He knew that Balastion possessed the crown since his coronation nineteen-thousand years ago during the formation of the Empire of Novarria¡ but for him to ruminate on his crown for so long and still not be any closer to gaining Eldritch Resistance?
Certain skills just couldn¡¯t be gained outside of battle, and Orodan would hope to whatever karmic force was out there, that Balastion passed his tribulation when the time came for him to actually face the Eldritch. Yes, the city of Novar¡¯s Peak was set up to drain the Eldritch Avatar of its power, but no warding scheme or ritual was perfect, and Balastion himself admitted they would still face some of its Eldritch power.
¡°And what of our potential allies in the upcoming battle?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°What did the World Guardians and the Gods of Guzuhar say about joining us?¡±
¡°A little skeptical, but they¡¯ve agreed on the condition that you prove your feat of spatiomancy by actually drawing the enemy to Novar¡¯s Peak first,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°They will be waiting in the Valley of Spires, and once they see you¡¯ve succeeded, I¡¯ve made arrangements for them to be allowed teleportation to the heart of the city to join our battle. I¡¯ve even convinced the Prime Five to join us as the battle is on their home continent. Thavri unfortunately has declined to partake¡¡±
That came as no surprise to him given the note he and the under-mountain confederation had ended on. He didn¡¯t hate them, but he would never agree with how they treated peaceful orc tribes and drow prisoners who were at their mercy.
¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make up the difference,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Demosthenos informed me that the preparations for evacuating the city¡¯s inhabitants to the Romnara Isles are underway.¡±
¡°Good, good,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°With them gone, our battleground will be clear, and we can fight without concern. You have a grim look upon your face Orodan, why is that? We shall be victorious my friend! Do not doubt our odds.¡±
Orodan wanted to allow Balastion¡¯s cheer and zeal to affect him, but alas, it couldn¡¯t. Twice now the Eldritch Avatar had proven its might by surviving some incredibly heavy odds. If it were just a matter of fighting it, Orodan wouldn¡¯t care one whit. After all, fighting was what he lived for.
The problem was all the lives that depended on their victory, and the consequences of defeat. Aliya, Zukelmux, Zaessythra who he¡¯d come to grow close with and respect. Even Vespidia and Balastion¡
¡it would all disappear if he failed. And while Orodan feared not for himself. The thought of losing all these people, it disquieted him and brought back the sorrowful memories of his last battle and loop against the Eldritch Avatar.
¡°Damn¡ I¡¯m coming to realize I might hate long loops,¡± Orodan thought to himself. ¡°Life is so much easier when I don¡¯t get close to people.¡±
He couldn¡¯t lose¡ he refused.
Do and do not die. For death was not an option. He would have to defeat the Eldritch Avatar and complete the Quest in this loop.
How he would do it? He didn¡¯t know. But Orodan hoped Balastion¡¯s preparations and his own increased strength alongside their allies would be enough.
The Eldritch Avatar could be killed. He had done it in the last long loop even if he¡¯d died to achieve it. His Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity was stronger; he could survive more damage, and it was definitely doable even if he didn¡¯t have the assistance of three Gods possessing his body.
Tomorrow, the events which would lead into calamity would begin.
The Inter-Academy Tournament in Marasthus where Orodan planned on intervening in Othorion Evertree¡¯s match at the last moment in the hopes of freeing Faraine. An event which could very well spark an all-out war between Eldiron and Novarria, and which ran the risk of obliterating a good portion of the Eastern Kingdoms if Orodan fought the elven Avatars there and then. The lives of many would be counting on Vespidia.
And beyond that, two weeks after the Tournament, the descent of the familiar Eldritch Star.
A foe who Orodan had been preparing himself to fight for a very long time now. Unlike last loop, this time he planned on winning. No matter what stops he had to pull out and what breakthroughs he had to make.
To free a Goddess and break the Eldritch; the strength and will of one warrior against the might of elven supremacy and otherworldly horror.
Orodan Wainwright sought to stubbornly stand before all comers.
Chapter 44 - The Tournament & The Battle Of Novars Peak
¡°I feel close to grasping something about time, I¡¯m sure of it!¡± Orodan declared as every vein in his body bulged under the mental strain, and his eyes, ears and nose bled. ¡°I¡¯m just missing a part of the puzzle, I don¡¯t know what, but once I have it, I can grasp the meaning of time.
¡°I must admit human¡ at first I believed you talentless when it came to time, but perhaps thought your admirable work ethic and efforts would make up the difference,¡± the dragon said. ¡°Yet, I see you¡¯re talented in strange aspects of it.¡±
For the past four months Orodan had silently worked on understanding chronomancy. He simply had made no gains and that frustrated him to the point that he actively attempted to forget about it outside of training with Kultuanir, but he hadn¡¯t ignored the time arts throughout this time.
But what were these strange aspects Kultuanir was referring to? That would be Orodan¡¯s discovery that the time orb itself wasn¡¯t manipulating time fully. It was a bold declaration that made the patriarch of the Time Wind dragon flight look at him as though Orodan was stupid, but it made sense!
What was time?
Orodan himself didn¡¯t have the answer yet, but he¡¯d made a discovery while playing with one of the reversal time fields generated by the orb. Throwing anything into the field would simply throw it back out, in the exact arc that it came in. However, Orodan discovered that breaking the apple mid-flight didn¡¯t cause the time field to reverse the apple to a pristine state upon the reverse.
Kultuanir had of course said that the time orb was a mere training tool, not akin to actual chronomancers who could do such things. Indeed, Orodan had seen teams of chronomancers, healers and soul specialists in action where they could revert time, heal and bind the soul. A chronomancer of true power wouldn¡¯t need supporting healers and soul specialists, and the only reason his foes in that battle had, was due to the prohibitive energy costs of using only chronomancy to do the job of resurrecting someone.
But, that Orodan had discovered this and then ruminated on it well enough to conduct numerous other experiments which exposed the shortcomings of the time orb, had left Kultuanir impressed. And most importantly, Orodan was beginning to understand something critical about the flow of time.
¡°This¡ it¡¯s a mere object,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Right from the beginning I feel this method of training isn¡¯t as fruitful as it could be.¡±
¡°Here I am generously teaching you the arts of time out of gratitude, and you say my methods are inadequate?¡± the dragon asked.
¡°Not like that¡ what I mean is, throughout my training I¡¯ve noticed a few things about time; specifically, when it comes to souls,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Attempting to see the timeline of an object is easy, but the soul, it has a curious pathway into the timeline. As though by association it can connect to many things in a timeline.¡±
¡°An¡ intriguing analysis,¡± Kultuanir said, now seeming very interested in what he had to say. ¡°And just how have you come upon this hypothesis of yours?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯ve slowly begun to grasp how time fields work, but even beyond that, how objects themselves fit into the flow of time. An object has a past as materials, energy was introduced or removed at different points, and its current state is a combination of many events. I have to directly examine an object to see its timeline and potentially alter it,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°But my soul¡ it seems to connect to things outside of my purview, I don¡¯t have even the first level of Time Mastery, but I feel there is something unique about the soul.¡±
¡°Hrm¡ talented indeed,¡± Kultuanir said. ¡°Listen closely, for this is mere hypothesis on my end as well. But I too have experimented over the centuries and come to learn that souls function differently in the flow of time. Material objects, no matter how much energy they have, act as mere grains of sand flowing along the river, to be dragged along while having no agency or connection. But souls¡ I¡¯ve found that souls act more like a net, with various connections to other souls and points in time. In fact, a feat I¡¯m famous for is finding the Sapphire Gale patriarch¡¯s sentimental treasure simply by rewinding time. The feat may seem godly¡ but it¡¯s not quite as difficult as you would think once you focus on the soul¡¡±
¡°And view the connections it has in the flows of time,¡± Orodan finished. ¡°I see¡ maybe focusing upon that is what will lead me to Time Mastery.¡±
¡°Hahaha! It is the destiny of the young to aim high,¡± Kultuanir said with a bellowing laugh. ¡°You must temper your expectations Orodan Wainwright. You are doubtlessly a prodigy, but even I can make a very limited glimpse into the flow of time through focusing upon a soul. It is a colossal effort, and you would be best served focusing on the fundamentals first.¡±
Unfortunately, this would be their last session before the upcoming events Orodan would be involved in which would inevitably leave him no more time in this loop. He was close though, and Orodan felt he needed just a bit more time to achieve what he sought.
That, or a breakthrough in the midst of chaos.
¡°Wow¡ I¡¯ve never seen such dazzling lights. Their buildings are so pretty!¡± Aliya gushed. ¡°Can we sample some of the street vendors?¡±
Orodan couldn¡¯t blame her for being impressed. After all, at one time, he too was a bumpkin from Ogdenborough impressed by the sight of the first city he¡¯d seen up north in Guzuhar. And Marasthus was a beautiful city, even if the splendor and exotic allure was played up a bit to attract tourists like Aliya.
¡°Catch,¡± Orodan said as he threw a fat purse which jingled as it sailed through the air. ¡°I forget if it¡¯s a hundred or two hundred gold coins in there¡ go wild.¡±
¡°T-teacher¡! This is far too much gold! I¡¯ll be robbed!¡± Aliya protested.
¡°Consider it training then. Spend your gold without getting robbed or scammed,¡± Orodan suggested. ¡°Have fun!¡±
As he said this, he gave Aliya a gentle shove towards the nearest woman hawking her wares, and the merchant had a greedy look in her eyes as his student was pushed towards her stall first.
¡°An unorthodox form of training¡ shall I engage in it too, Teacher?¡± Zukelmux asked.
¡°Amusing as it would be, there¡¯s no need for that. You¡¯re too strong for anyone on the street to mess with and the benefits would be slim,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no true risk when the city¡¯s guards and watchers are all monitoring her.¡±
¡°Of course you detected them, why am I not surprised? That skill of yours is just unfair,¡± Vespidia remarked.
¡°You only complain because it nullifies your ability to sneak around unseen,¡± Orodan retorted. ¡°Sorry for ruining your fun.¡±
Aliya would be fine. Marasthus and all major cities in general were incredibly safe when guards, watchers and Elite-level response was prepared to respond at a moment¡¯s notice. Master and Grandmaster-level backup was also a communications amulet away if a threat proved too dire. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that a murder in a large city was virtually unheard of except if sanctioned by a noble house. Unless explicitly told to look away by their betters, the guards and watchers of a city meant that crime was kept to certain standards, and even then, things were occasionally cleaned up a few times a year.
Thugs, street rats and organized crime unconnected to nobility weren¡¯t a thing in major cities. Not when Adept-level guards and watchers with detection and perception skills existed and a high-level of staffing was maintained. Doubly so when important figures and their guests arrived for the Inter-Academy Tournament. The last thing the Kingdom of Shivenduran wanted were political tensions and accusations of incompetence if foreigners and tourists were victims of crime on their watch.
¡°And how does this benefit her then?¡± Vespidia asked.
¡°Well, sometimes the belief that you¡¯re in trouble can cause you to invite trouble itself,¡± Orodan explained, recalling his own delinquent youth spent getting into problems. ¡°I often learned a lot in those moments. Well¡ after I made it out alive.¡±
Compared to his life where he had no safety net, Aliya¡¯s supervised training wasn¡¯t quite the same. Her ties to him meant nobody would dare harm her. And it went unsaid that Orodan kept her in his Vision of Purity and was a teleport away.
¡°You and your weird methods of training,¡± Vespidia replied. ¡°Although I can¡¯t deny it¡¯s effective.¡±
¡°Adversity can be a great teacher¡ if one survives it. Anyhow, looking forward to the fights, Zukelmux?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You¡¯re a preferred spot holder so you¡¯ll be going through a special elimination event.¡±
The Divine Tower Ascension, but Orodan wouldn¡¯t spoil that.
¡°And might I add, you humiliated the Cosanox family by acting to ensure it. You didn¡¯t have to threaten the administrators and Kalemar himself¡¡± Vespidia said, not with disapproval but amusement. ¡°Primon Cosanox will actually have to fight his way up fairly instead of relying on family connections to secure a preferred spot.¡±
¡°Feh¡ Zukelmux doesn¡¯t need such advantages,¡± Orodan immediately declared, causing his student¡¯s face to take on a look of pride. ¡°But it was the principle of the matter. An unfortunate number of people wanted to deny him his due based on his race; all I did was ask those people to face my blade. A simple negotiation. Anyhow, Zukelmux?¡±
The goblin was the undisputed second strongest student on Novar¡¯s Peak Academy after Vespidia. He¡¯d already defeated Primon Cosanox as part of his series of fights to silence his detractors when he¡¯d started the academy. His student more than deserved the preferred spot, even if he didn¡¯t need it.
¡°Teacher, I¡ wish to fight someone in particular,¡± Zukelmux said. ¡°Although I do not know if I¡¯ll get the opportunity.¡±
¡°Oh? Who¡¯s this?¡± Orodan asked. And he had a suspicion who, based on what he¡¯d seen in Zukelmux¡¯s memories.
¡°Yarner Honeybrook, I wish to test my spear and shield against him,¡± his student said. ¡°That halfling¡¯s clan is part of the alliance responsible for the destruction of my village.¡±
¡°He¡¯s quite strong Zukelmux¡ he can also jump a tier to fight at the peak of the Master-level,¡± Orodan said. ¡°He¡¯s a powerful wrestler and furious in combat. It¡¯ll be a difficult battle, but aside from the outliers who fight at the Grandmaster-level, you¡¯re the only one with a good chance of beating him.¡±
He had faith in his student, but still felt it necessary to warn Zukelmux of his chosen nemesis¡¯s capabilities.
¡°I must¡ I intend to look him in the eye and ask about what occurred that day, fourteen years ago,¡± Zukelmux said.
¡°You realize he¡¯s similar in age to you, yes? It would be unfair to lump the sins of his forebears onto him, no?¡± Orodan asked, and Zukelmux begrudgingly nodded. ¡°Although if he acts like an abrasive fool, feel free to teach him a lesson.¡±
With that said, the trio continued towards the arena and Zukelmux made a stop at a weapons shop, wanting to simply peruse their wares in a form of window shopping. Orodan was quite attached to his loyal sword and shield which he started each loop with, and Vespidia was happy with her dual daggers. Still, he spent a few minutes looking at the crafts of this Elite-level blacksmith and feeling envious of how talented she was when she gleefully told him she was only twenty.
Some people had all the luck.
He and Vespidia left Zukelmux to it as they walked out.
¡°I¡¯m not worried about the elimination round for preferred spot holders,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But there¡¯s a good chance you face someone like Akelrim Vedharna before you get to fight Othorion. When it comes to-¡±
¡°Yes, yes. He can ride flying swords, projects a lethal sword light and can array multiple in a formation to devastating effect,¡± Vespidia chanted. ¡°His Majesty has fought one such transmigrator before and that one also used the sword in a similar manner.¡±
In the past, it would¡¯ve sounded shocking to Orodan, that beings from other worlds would make their way unto theirs. But the subject of Orodan¡¯s second Quest was a being empowered by otherworldly Eldritch Gods. He had also encountered a Dwarven God who held influence over other worlds, and had been to a fallen world, the moon.
By this point, the fact that other worlds existed wasn¡¯t anything earth-shaking for Orodan. Who knew if one loop, he would be the one exploring another world?
¡°I think your combat style should match up well against his,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Last time we fought, he was probably the second-best melee specialist in the Tournament after me, ignoring the elf when he calls upon the divine. Fighting him head-to-head would be a poor idea¡ but again, you¡¯re not someone who does that, are you?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± she gleefully replied. ¡°Unlike you, he doesn¡¯t have the ability to see past my silent methods. So, I¡¯ll happily stab him in the back all day.¡±
A part of Orodan slightly rankled at the strategy, but that was simply the bull-headed fool within who demanded a toe-to-toe battle against every opponent. Not everyone was Orodan Wainwright, and Vespidia might even best Akelrim easier than Orodan had in the last long loop.
¡°Fair enough, you¡¯d know your strategy best, anyhow the arena should be nearby so-¡±
His Vision of Purity caught it, and none of the passersby nor Vespidia herself could react in time as the entirety of his might was concentrated onto Teleportation.
[Teleportation 11 ¡ú Teleportation 12]
[Space Mastery 37 ¡ú Space Mastery 38]
The anti-teleportation wards of Marasthus were nothing before him. Space was practically eviscerated as he overpowered the wards and caught the backhand about to reach Aliya.
Othorion Evertree¡¯s eyes widened in fear as his arm was seized. The elf must¡¯ve been briefed about Orodan.
Multiple enchanted items on Othorion¡¯s body went off, akin to alarms, and the next instant, portals powered by divine energy opened up within the store they were in.
The Avatars of Cithrel and Athandelu were glaring at him, eyes glowing with divine power.
Behind Orodan, Aliya looked utterly terrified, and the shopkeepers were fleeing. Nearby he could sense members of the city guard about to intervene, but they couldn¡¯t have prevented the first blow from being struck. Orodan did.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, I would ask that you unhand him,¡± Cithrel demanded.
¡°Your false Avatar was about to slap my student, for what?¡± Orodan asked as he threw Othorion¡¯s offending hand back towards him with enough force to make the elf stumble back a step. ¡°I would appreciate an answer.¡±
¡°Wait, allow me to apologize!¡± Othorion immediately exclaimed. ¡°You are the Orodan Wainwright I¡¯ve heard of? I apologize, I hadn¡¯t intended to offend you. I did not recognize that this girl was your student. She can have the rare ingredient she was attempting to buy, in fact allow me to buy it for her.¡±
What a shift in tone.
On one hand, Orodan took issue with the fact that Othorion would try and backhand a child in an attempt to bully them out of buying something. But on the other hand, conflict with Othorion involved battle with the elven Avatars, which would likely destroy the entirety of the Kingdom of Shivenduran and cause an international incident of titanic proportions.
Orodan cared not about causing international events, but about the innocent lives that would be lost in the collateral.
Whether or not Eldiron had briefed Othorion about the time loops, the elf had clearly been instructed to avoid offending Orodan. He could appreciate the attempt at an apology, even if he felt Othorion was attempting to make amends for the wrong reasons.
¡°Very well¡ I¡¯m not in the habit of aggravating things when people seek peace,¡± Orodan said. ¡°That being said, your apology shouldn¡¯t be directed towards me, but my student. Aliya, what say you?¡±
¡°I¡ I can accept this, Teacher,¡± Aliya said, her voice trembling. Orodan wasn¡¯t stupid enough to miss the fear in her voice and her concern for him. She was essentially swallowing the grievance if only Orodan needn¡¯t be drawn into conflict. After all, to her the elven Avatars looked to be terrifying individuals.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Orodan slowly asked. ¡°Yes, these two are tough, but I could take them. Although, with plenty of collateral damage.¡±
It wasn¡¯t exactly bragging to say so, and neither of the two elven Gods took offense to his words. They¡¯d likely seen scrying eye footage of his fight against Thavri Grimbreaker. Yes, these two elven Avatars were strong: stronger than any Avatar of the Prime Five. But utilizing primarily divine energy against Orodan Wainwright, was a doomed endeavor.
¡°I¡ I¡¯m sure Teacher,¡± Aliya said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see the city destroyed.¡±
Othorion Evertree¡¯s spot in Orodan¡¯s mental hierarchy of respect had dropped a considerable amount from this incident. While he wouldn¡¯t say he disliked the elves in particular; Othorion himself was another matter. How one acted when they held all the power was telling of their character. Prior to Orodan¡¯s arrival, the elf was all too happy to bully Aliya.
Orodan had done some bad things, including killing, experimentation on prisoners guilty of heinous crimes and at times giving people a beating to get his way. He certainly wouldn¡¯t go around giving anyone a lecture on morality. A genuine apology and self-reflection might¡¯ve been too much to expect, but hells, at the very least he would¡¯ve had more respect for Othorion if the elf doubled down and arrogantly stood by his bullying. Apologizing simply because Orodan was more powerful was weak and an act of burial rather than resolution.
But he supposed other people didn¡¯t have a time loop. And most folks beside himself had a self-preservation instinct.
¡°Then we can consider this matter dropped I hope?¡± Cithrel asked. ¡°You have my apologies for Othorion acting in such an unbefitting manner. He will be disciplined accordingly for failing to act as a warrior of Aldenil should.¡±
¡°Yes, that will suffice. I appreciate your apology,¡± Orodan said.
Othorion and the two elven Avatars took their leave, and Orodan wondered if he¡¯d scared the elves off from allowing Othorion to compete. But it seemed they had their countermeasures prepared given just how astonishingly quickly they¡¯d teleported into Marasthus.
In truth, the elves weren¡¯t the worst people, and he felt slightly bad about planning to cause them trouble. They¡¯d certainly done him no wrong. But he¡¯d given Vespidia his word, and even Cithrel¡¯s unnamed husband seemingly disagreed with the length of Faraine¡¯s ¡®punishment¡¯. He would have to free the captive Goddess if only to see what the story was for himself.
He turned around and looked at his wide-eyed and trembling student.
¡°All this mess simply because I threw you a sack of gold,¡± Orodan said with an amused smile on his face. ¡°What am I to do with you?¡±
¡°Teacher, I¡¯m so sorry! I just wanted to buy-¡±
A hand atop her head interrupted Aliya.
¡°I¡¯m not angry or displeased, Aliya,¡± Orodan reassured with a smile as he ruffled her hair. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay is all. And besides, how else will you learn important life lessons if you aren¡¯t getting into trouble? Why¡ I got up to so much trouble at your age¡¡±
Left unsaid was that he¡¯d killed someone by the time he was her age, but better not to relay that lesson. It was an act borne of desperation.
¡°Still, I should¡¯ve represented you better!¡± she exclaimed as she fought his hand off like an angry kitten. ¡°My mother and father would be so angry at me if they knew how I offended someone of his stature. Were¡ were those two really Gods?¡±
¡°Yes, yes they were,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And don¡¯t you spout any nonsense about ¡®representing¡¯ me, I don¡¯t need that. Rather, the lesson you learned from this is important, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t offend anyone unless you¡¯re strong enough to deal with the consequences.¡±
[Teaching 40 ¡ú Teaching 41]
Truly¡ Orodan felt like a sage.
¡°Ironic coming from you,¡± Vespidia interjected as she walked inside, having caught up. ¡°Given how many people you offend.¡±
Never mind that.
¡°Well, as the saying goes¡ do as I say and not as I do,¡± Orodan said, attempting to preserve his pride and maintain his aura of wisdom. ¡°Ahem¡ anyways, what were you trying to even get?¡±
¡°A rare ingredient, I don¡¯t know what you see in it,¡± Aliya said as her face warped into a disgusted expression. ¡°Scorpionfly stingers, I was trying to buy some for you and Zukelmux to eat since you kept talking about using it in a soup. Not that I want any of that¡ yuck.¡±
A genuine smile came onto his face.
Here he¡¯d given her a fat purse filled with gold coins enough to buy expensive enchanted items, and she decided to spend the gold on him. She¡¯d even attempted to stand her ground against Othorion Evertree for it. He was touched.
¡°Foolish student of mine¡¡± Orodan reprimanded, but it was with a fond tone. ¡°That money is for you to spend, now go spoil yourself properly. Consider it an order from your teacher. I doubt anyone else in the city will bother you after this.¡±
Aliya nodded and darted off, likely to peruse some of the shinier wares he¡¯d seen her eying earlier. It was just him and Vespidia. The city watch had resumed monitoring from a distance once they realized no combat was imminent.
Frankly, Orodan was surprised none of Inuan¡¯s Prime Five had appeared as response to the elven Gods descending upon the continent in Avatar form. But¡ in a sense, this time he was the Inuanan response. Perhaps upon seeing him handle the situation they¡¯d felt their interference unnecessary?
¡°One good thing that¡¯s come of this¡ is the knowledge that those two will respond extremely quickly to any attempts to interfere against Othorion Evertree,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°Even if you wanted, you couldn¡¯t interfere and force him to call upon Faraine. Cithrel and Athandelu would immediately descend.¡±
¡°Yes¡ I concur. This wasn¡¯t the case in my last long loop, but I think I¡¯ve drawn too much attention to myself and my capabilities this time. Wariness of me has made Eldiron monitor him more closely,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°It really is up to you then, Vespidia. I hope you¡¯re ready because the window of opportunity between me getting involved and your role¡ will be quite slim.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be ready¡ I have to be,¡± she replied.
In any case, dwelling on their upcoming attempt to free Faraine could come for later. For now, the introduction and initial rounds of the Inter-Academy Tournament were coming up.
Aliya was off in the competitor¡¯s area as a guest of Zukelmux, undoubtedly having fun and hassling the goblin with questions as she watched the fights. Next to Orodan, was Vespidia.
The amplified sound of the announcer¡¯s voice rang loud and clear.
¡°Winner! Mahari Ilya Vedharna defeats Kastirya Asonueva! I haven¡¯t seen a mage pull a win like that in years!¡±
A part of Orodan hurt inside, and Pain Resistance didn¡¯t dull it.
This was¡ or had been, his friend.
Mahari had of course bested Kastirya just like she had in the last long loop. With or without Orodan¡¯s presence she was simply talented enough to do so. In similar fashion to last time, Mahari had launched only fire spells towards Bluefire¡¯s second strongest student, who was a chronomancer.
The chronomancer¡¯s time barrier had frozen all the fire spells in time, and just as the time barrier was reversed for them to be sent back towards Mahari¡ Orodan¡¯s speed casting friend had sent an ice spell towards the barrier, causing an explosion of steam¡
¡which she used as cover to approach the chronomancer and beat her bloody with her fists. An ingenious strategy, and a style of fighting Orodan greatly respected her for.
¡°What a fight! Now that¡¯s a talented mage if I ever saw one! Unlike that pathetic chronomancer who folded at the first taste of actual combat,¡± the commentator exclaimed.
¡°But Mister Mendax¡! That chronomancer was Bluefire Academy¡¯s second strongest student! For her to be bested means-¡±
Orodan tuned out the annoying commentators. For some reason, Vespidia loved the stupid and overly exaggerated commentary, and her face was red with suppressed laughter at every dumb word. As a result, he¡¯d gone along with her and chosen a seat right behind the commentary team, much to his annoyance.
If Orodan had hobbies he enjoyed such as Cooking and training his Gourmand skill, then he could respect the fact that she enjoyed something silly as well. If anything, it showed another side to the zealous reincarnator assassin who was driven by vendetta to free her imprisoned Goddess.
She cast a silencing bubble around the two of them.
¡°I still find it strange that you threatened the commentary team over this girl,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°With how you¡¯ve been watching her fights¡ were you two close the last time?¡±
Orodan shook his head.
¡°Not in the way you¡¯re thinking,¡± he clarified. ¡°She was like a little sister to me, and I remember facing her and pushing her till she developed the Elemental Fist skill.¡±
¡°A Legendary rarity skill¡ not bad,¡± Vespidia replied. ¡°She is quite talented and can punch well above what her age and skill levels would indicate. Still, it¡¯s good to hear you aren¡¯t in the habit of picking up lovers using your time loops. I can only imagine how painful that might be.¡±
¡°Nothing beyond mere physical affairs. And I can¡¯t say I felt much for either of those people,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Nowadays I find my interest in such things has been waning. The thrill of a good battle beats any tryst in the night.¡±
¡°Good, I¡¯m honestly relieved to know there was nothing between us,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°Given how much time you spend with me, I admit I was worried we¡¯d had something in a prior loop of yours and helping me was you attempting to feel better. Not that I¡¯d ever be disloyal to my fallen wife, but a time loop does raise the question regardless.¡±
¡°Do you think I go around spending hundreds of loops attempting to learn peoples¡¯ secrets in an attempt to seduce them? Well, you needn¡¯t worry, even if I did, a reincarnated former elf granny like you isn¡¯t exactly my type,¡± Orodan retorted, and then casually ducked her subsequent fist. ¡°A friend though? I admit you¡¯re becoming something of that sort.¡±
She rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t protest the label.
The afterlife did exist, and reincarnators often spoke of navigating the natural pull their souls felt upon death and escaping it. But it was rarer to meet someone like her who had a wife waiting for her in the next life.
Malzim managed the afterlife and the deceased for Inuan, while Guzuhar and Eldiron had their own Gods managing the souls of the departed.
¡°How does that work? I assume your wife is from the elven continent, yes?¡± Orodan asked and she nodded. ¡°Then¡ would angering the Gods of Eldiron not make your journey into the afterlife difficult? What¡¯s to say they haven¡¯t held your wife¡¯s soul hostage either?¡±
¡°A fair concern, but the Gods¡¯ control over the afterlife is less absolute than you would think,¡± she answered. ¡°Aside from ferrying the departed souls, there isn¡¯t very much the divines are capable of doing to locate specific ones. Long as I pass naturally and I¡¯m not near one of their Avatars when I die, I should be fine.¡±
It definitely added a layer of risk to Vespidia¡¯s life. The Gods of Eldiron knew that she sought to free Faraine and would not be merciful if they managed to capture her soul. Orodan was spared such concerns due to being in a time loop, and even if he wasn¡¯t, his current soul power meant no Gods could truly capture him before they were drained dry of their power in the attempt.
¡°Still a lot of risk; your Goddess must mean a lot to you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°For you to crawl back to the land of the living just to try and free her.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t always a Grandmaster,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°Once upon a time, I was an angry young warrior with temper issues who would act without thinking. Well¡ I wasn¡¯t as good as I thought and failed spectacularly during a critical rite of passage, leading to me being mocked and ostracized. Faraine¡ despite my failure, chose me as worthy of being host to her Avatar. She was there for me growing up.¡±
¡°Eh? How old were you? The Avatar hosts I know of are all old fogeys,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I was but twenty years of age when chosen as her host,¡± Vespidia replied, much to Orodan¡¯s shock. ¡°Yes, I know¡ some called me a spoiled child, one who had everything handed to her. But I proved myself many times over once chosen for the honor. In a sense, you and I have that much in common that we were both the recipients of power beyond our fathoming at a young age. I wonder how that affected me, being host to a Goddess when I was but an Adept.¡±
¡°Who knows? I¡¯ve always craved a good fight,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I admit the time loops have forced me to see things a certain way, but at core¡ I haven¡¯t really changed. My methods of getting a proper battle have evolved, but the principal desire still remains. Similarly, at core, have you really changed?¡±
¡°Oh? Do elaborate,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°Wisdom from the notoriously bull-headed Orodan Wainwright, this should be good.¡±
¡°Look at how you lost your temper and lashed out during that meeting we had with the elves under the Dokuhan Mountains,¡± Orodan said, although he raised his hands to stop Vespidia when she looked ready to explode. ¡°Not that I¡¯m criticizing it; I¡¯ll always respect someone picking a fight after all.¡±
¡°Then what are you trying to say?¡± she asked with a frown on her face. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to pick a fight, you¡¯re doing a good job of it.¡±
¡°Precisely! Having the time loops foisted onto me changed me, yes, but it didn¡¯t change who I was at core,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I still pick fights, but I simply do it at a higher level and in stupider ways. Similarly, you went from getting angry at Adepts to now getting angry and facing near vaporization from an Avatar. So did you really change despite all that power?¡±
Vespidia actually looked thoughtful as he said so, and Orodan felt wise beyond his years.
¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, you¡¯re still a meat-headed fool, except in more elaborate ways?¡±
¡°Yes, exactly! Er¡ wait¡¡±
Vespidia laughed at him, and Orodan sighed and returned to watching the matches.
¡°Winner! Yarner Honeybrook defeats Primon Cosanox! What a one-sided battle! He was crushed in a single slam!¡±
¡°Hahaha! What did I tell you?! This impotent little chronomancer just had that look of someone used to weaselling their way into things via family connections and nepotism. The moment he was faced with a true warrior he folded like a twig!¡±
¡°M-mister Mendax! Primon Cosanox is from noble house Cosanox in the empire! Surely his defeat simply means Yarner Honeybrook is simply too strong!?¡±
¡°Bah! Noble house Cosanox isn¡¯t worth the cloth their banner¡¯s set upon! With a chronomancer like that bearing their name¡ the boy might as well use those abilities to clean the privy in my house!¡±
Scathing and outrageous commentary for the loser as usual. But, brutal as the criticism was, it did contain a hint of truth. His student had bested Primon Cosanox in three separate duels at Novar¡¯s Peak Academy, and each time the aspiring chronomancer had eaten dirt and gotten angrier for it. In the last long loop, Primon was one of the preferred spot holders for Novar¡¯s Peak Academy, and while he¡¯d done well and earned his spot last time, it wasn¡¯t to be this time. This loop, he¡¯d had to fight from the bottom and unfortunately ran into Yarner Honeybrook.
Time passed.
Vespidia left to go join the competitors in their area and more or less the same combatants passed through to the later rounds as they had in the last long loop. And before they knew it, the Divine Tower Ascension event was upon them.
¡°We¡¯ve had some incredible fights thus far, but now before the eliminator round it¡¯s time to play the surprise game to determine which two preferred spot holders will get knocked out of the tournament entirely!¡±
The announcer spoke, and the crowd¡¯s raucous cheers erupted. With Vespidia¡¯s departure, Orodan decided to move atop the roof of the Grand Arena of Marasthus, away from the clamor of the crowd and most importantly, away from the dumb commentary team.
With some free space away from onlookers Zaessythra decided to come out. Even if people saw a flying book, at a distance they¡¯d simply think it an eccentric enchanted item and not a sapient being trapped within a phylactery.
¡°So¡¡±
¡°So? I wasn¡¯t aware we were on speaking terms after you gave me the cold shoulder since our last conversation,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Hello, Zaessythra.¡±
¡°Hmmph! Don¡¯t think to chide me, boy,¡± she spat. ¡°I still maintain that you¡¯re an idiot beyond all idiots. However, I¡¯ve come to realize that getting you to change your mind when you¡¯re truly stubborn about something is impossible.¡±
¡°I¡¯m simply making note of who ruined your life and everything you had,¡± Orodan retorted. ¡°I understand you being worried for me, but I thought you¡¯d be happy that I have this Hegemony on my list.¡±
¡°As I said before, do as you will,¡± she replied. ¡°I only hope the consequences you suffer from provoking their ire aren¡¯t beyond your ability to handle.¡±
The topic was put to the side after that, and they bantered and passed the time until the lineup for the Divine Tower was standing at the ready through scrying eye footage.
His student Zukelmux was among them, and Orodan had no doubts whatsoever about his student¡¯s ability to place in the top four of this event. While he wasn¡¯t expecting Zukelmux to beat any of the top contestants who could fight with the power of Grandmasters, he could comfortably beat every other student in attendance, save for the halfling he had an eye on.
The tower looked the same, as it did last time, except with one minor difference.
A centipede of the Elite-level guarding the gate. It looked somewhat similar to some of the Elite-level centipedes he¡¯d fought during his descent towards the energy well in Jerestir in the last long loop. Perhaps the tower randomly generated guardians?
As Orodan watched Vespidia execute it in a single blow, he couldn¡¯t dwell on it much. But as time went on, his suspicions began to be aroused.
¡°You have a frown on your face¡ something the matter?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°The creatures within the tower are different from when I was fighting in the last long loop,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Perhaps the tower changes guardians randomly? Even in my time this tower was an enigma often theorized about,¡± she offered. ¡°Not everything in a time loop will be the same.¡±
Orodan accepted it, but still had lingering doubts in the back of his mind. And they were proven correct within the next few minutes as the scrying eye orb footage showed Vespidia fighting and killing something incredibly fast.
Too fast for anyone else, but Orodan¡¯s eyes were quick.
He wouldn¡¯t miss the Master-level hundred-headed sea serpent she just slew. It was a hydra, one whose teal energy looked shockingly similar to the one he¡¯d tussled with so long ago in the Sea of Uxumar when traveling to Guzuhar for the very first time.
While he could respect Vespidia attempting to speedrun the tower like he had, at the moment Orodan¡¯s concerns lay elsewhere. As the elven reincarnator clashed against a familiar Depths Worm, Orodan¡¯s suspicions grew further.
¡°Your frown¡¯s deepened even further¡¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll get wrinkles on your forehead if-¡±
¡°This shouldn¡¯t be possible. How¡ how does the tower remember the foes I¡¯ve fought?¡± Orodan asked, his eyes wide. ¡°That¡¯s clearly a monster I¡¯ve fought. The Death Roach she¡¯s fighting now as well! Who built this? Zaessythra? Was this tower present in your time?¡±
¡°It was¡ even back then people thought it an enigma and none knew which God built it,¡± she explained. ¡°The people of our sister world often proposed wild theories about it.¡±
¡°It makes no sense¡ it runs on divine energy, yet it goes beyond the scope of what any Gods I¡¯ve seen should be capable of,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Somehow, this tower remembers things that I¡¯ve fought. Across the loops!¡±
Even she was silent as they both absorbed the information.
Orodan had to see it for himself, perhaps then he could get a better explanation.
He¡¯d already been to the divine tower in his last long loop, so a quick Teleportation brought him outside of it. Two Grandmaster-level observers looked at him in recognition and curiosity.
¡°Ah, Orodan Wainwright? To what do we owe this pleasure?¡± one of them asked.
¡°Apologies, I must study this tower closely,¡± he replied, wasting no time with pleasantries.
If they were offended, they didn¡¯t let it show.
Vision of Purity examined it closely, and he could see all manner of his prior foes within, with a familiar Eldritch-corrupted Void Horror at the top. Admittedly, none of the enemies were above the single-Grandmaster level, which made him worry less for Vespidia and Zukelmux. Orodan had suspected it last time as well, but the Arch-Devil he¡¯d fought was also a mere single-Grandmaster, powerful as it was. But he had a feeling the actual slain Arch-Devil in reality was stronger than the re-creation the tower provided.
And the base of the tower¡
¡°My detection cannot see the end of it¡¡± Orodan said. ¡°How deep does this tower go beneath the earth?¡±
¡°Ah, interested in the divine tower? Even the ancient Hasmathorians were most intrigued by it,¡± one of the old Grandmasters spoke. ¡°Some even worshipped it, treating it as divine as the Gods themselves. Any damage within is repaired by the next day, and the actual bounds of the tower are indestructible according to records of Gods attempting to smite it down. Some theorize it goes all the way down to the abyssal depths.¡±
¡°I see¡ thank you for the knowledge,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there are any records of which God made it?¡±
¡°None that we¡¯re aware of, Mister Wainwright,¡± the man replied.
In fact, Orodan suspected the top half of the tower might be a ruse, meant to deceive people into thinking it was just divine. Hells, he had thought so too in his last loop. Just at the very edge of Vision of Purity¡¯s range¡ Orodan began to ¡®detect¡¯ familiar System glyphs further down the divine tower¡¯s foundation. That it was surrounded by rock allowed Orodan to contrast it with Vision of Purity and make out the familiar symbols of the System.
This then, was an enigma, not just to Zaessythra and the ancient Hasmathorians, but to Orodan as well. Just what was the divine tower? If it truly was related to the System in some way and went as deep as Alastaia¡¯s world core¡ who even made it? From the tip of the tower, it looked as though someone angrily hurled a javelin into the world.
Orodan was slightly concerned about Vespidia facing the Eldritch ¡®Avatar¡¯, but the eldritch energy it used was thankfully the non-corruptive kind, much like that one Minotaur he¡¯d fought in the abyssal depths.
Two hours of battle passed, and Orodan had to admit, if anything proved how strong the Eldritch Avatar was¡
¡it was the fact that even re-created as a single-Grandmaster, every single competitor within the tower working together, had still just barely won.
Vespidia looked near-death, Othorion looked close to overdrawing his divine power, and Akelrim¡¯s energy was almost spent.
If a de-powered re-creation was so potent, then Orodan would need his all for the real thing coming down in two weeks.
¡°I can¡¯t believe how unfairly powerful that monster is¡ how are we supposed to face it in actuality?¡± Vespidia asked. ¡°And how is the tower able to re-create foes from your past loops? Even on Eldiron it was an enigma to be studied and one of the reasons the council of Aldenil has been pushing to expand their influence on Inuan.¡±
¡°As for fighting it¡ let¡¯s hope Balastion¡¯s plan works and our combined strength is enough,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And believe me, I¡¯m wondering the same thing about the tower. I plan on investigating it in the future.¡±
Vespidia hummed in assent as she went off to the fighter¡¯s area.
She¡¯d naturally come in first during the Divine Tower Ascension, with Akelrim Vedharna coming in second, and Othorion Evertree coming in third. Naturally, his student Zukelmux had come in fourth on the rankings, which was no surprise since he was the strongest contestant present who wasn¡¯t a reincarnator, transmigrator or one who relied on divine power.
The halfling would be a tough fight, but Orodan had faith in Zukelmux to succeed. They¡¯d trained extensively after all.
The Divine Tower Ascension was over, and now, it was time for the eliminator round, where the contestants from the lower brackets would face the eight remaining preferred spot holders.
The first match of the eliminators was Mahari against the other preferred spot holder from Goldleaf Academy.
Mahari started off the battle with her usual blitz of speed-cast spells, and to his credit the rapier-wielding elf stood his ground and calmly evaded all of her spells before closing in and holding the tip of his weapon to her throat. Excellent in combat as Mahari was, fighting a tier-jumping melee specialist who could evade spells seemed to be her limit for the moment.
Zukelmux won his match against Elidibus Astarti by rushing the spirit mage quickly and not giving the elemental spirits much chance to get to work. Yes, the young spirit mage from Rubywater could summon a Master-level spirit, but that mattered little when his opponent was a goblin warrior capable of jumping a tier to fight at the peak of the Master-level.
Jegdalo Mezzer ravaged the powered armor wearing dwarf once more, Vespidia eliminated her opponent as soon as the match started, and both Akelrim and Othorion won their matches easily. Yarner Honeybrook and one other contestant, a female dwarf abusing alchemy, advanced as well, but Orodan had the feeling the dwarf would be mere cannon fodder for stronger opponents.
The hustle and bustle of the tournament went on, and soon, the quarterfinals approached.
The first match would be Yarner Honeybrook against Zukelmux, and Orodan watched as his student had a grim look in his eyes and proceeded onto the arena ready to inflict violence.
¡°For the first match of the quarterfinals, we have the mighty goblin warrior who has defied all expectations, Zukelmux of Novar¡¯s Peak Academy! Facing him, from Rubywater Academy, will be the strongest halfling seen in generations! Yarner Honeybrook, hope of Clan Carrotfoot and the halfling association!¡±
Both fighters glared at one another as they approached, and while Orodan remembered Yarner as being a pleasant warrior, he had an ugly look on his face as he approached Zukelmux. In turn, his student also held nothing but violent intentions towards the halfling.
Orodan saw lips moving and from the expressions on both faces, the words exchanged hadn¡¯t been pleasant.
Oh well, a fight was always a good method of resolving differences. In Orodan¡¯s opinion anyways.
¡°Begin!¡±
Both fighters barely waited for the announcement to finish before a furious clash occurred in the center of the arena. Yarner shot out punches, kicks, and Zukelmux met the halfling¡¯s flurry with spear thrusts and shield bashes. Ironically, his student had the actual Shield Bash skill, while Orodan himself did not. Mainly because he used All-Strikes with his shield and saw no need for it.
The exchange continued for a full minute, and it soon became apparent that Zukelmux was superior in a pure trade of blows, which of course meant that Yarner would want to take the fight where the halfling felt most comfortable. The ground.
Yarner Honeybrook shot in low for a double-leg takedown¡
¡only to have Zukelmux sprawl out atop him and use his shield to pin one of his arms to the ground as the takedown attempt had exposed the halfling.
¡°Nicely done!¡± Orodan cheered.
Of course, Zukelmux knew how to defend against someone with a high-level Wrestling skill. It was something they¡¯d worked on extensively.
While the goblin¡¯s own Wrestling skill was near-Elite, in combination with the Combat Mastery Orodan had painstakingly forced him to develop, and Orodan¡¯s own tutelage regarding defending against Wrestling¡ his student had no trouble fending off Yarner¡¯s attempts to grapple him to the ground.
A second attempt was made, which was followed by a third, and the numerous blows Yarner suffered from Zukelmux¡¯s spear and shield during his takedown attempts finally dissuaded the halfling. In fact, in attempting takedowns and suffering such damage in the process, the halfling wrestler¡¯s odds of victory weren¡¯t looking good.
Thirty more minutes of battle passed as Yarner continued taking a beating. A slow whittling down via attrition from spear thrusts and shield bashes, all while takedown attempts were unsuccessful and the halfling couldn¡¯t bring his Wrestling to bear.
Zukelmux brought out an Exquisite rarity skill of his, Multitudinous Thrust, and in one final motion the battle was over as Yarner Honeybrook was sent flying to the ground. The halfling chose to yield after that.
Orodan was exceptionally proud of his student. With that, Zukelmux had successfully advanced to the semi-finals.
Vespidia buried a dagger in the poor dwarf¡¯s head, Jegdalo Mezzer surrendered to Othorion Evertree once more, and Akelrim easily bested the rapier-wielding elf.
Advancing to the semi-finals then were four contestants: Vespidia, Othorion, Akelrim and Zukelmux, who against all odds really had made it to the semi-finals through the good fortune of not encountering a monstrous competitor and his own skill.
¡°Quite the little warrior you raised, alas, a shame that he ran into someone who cheaply calls upon divine power,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Without divine power, Zukelmux could have beaten that arrogant elf,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Win or lose, in making it to the semi-finals he¡¯s proven he¡¯s technically the best warrior of his generation on the continent. Reincarnators, transmigrators and the divine aside, who else can claim to best Zukelmux?¡±
Zukelmux¡¯s match against Othorion Evertree had gone as expected. Until the elf began calling upon Faraine¡¯s power, Zukelmux had been winning. Othorion wasn¡¯t particularly good at combat and instead relied upon near-endless divine energy. Naturally, the second he felt Zukelmux¡¯s strength, the elf called upon borrowed power.
¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t hurt to have the mighty Orodan Wainwright as his teacher,¡± she remarked. ¡°Do you think Vespidia is ready for her upcoming trial?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we? It was good we ran into Othorion earlier in that shop; it gave us a reference point for how quickly those two Avatars can show up to assist him. Their response was quicker than I¡¯d initially planned for,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°As it stands, Vespidia will have to work even quicker to make it through a window that¡¯s already tight. And of course, that involves actually forcing him to call upon the power of Faraine.¡±
¡°And what of her current opponent? You don¡¯t fear for her chances against this transmigrator?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°Why, back in my day we¡¯d hang the heads of these otherworldly guests off the peak of the citadel¡¯s spires in Vylrystia. I don¡¯t know why so many of these young masters and their flying swords find their way into the bodies of deceased people in this system.¡±
It was a good point. Balastion and now Zaessythra spoke of facing these transmigrators from a world with flying swords. Was it close to them, or was some other mechanism at play?
Either way, as for Vespidia¡¯s chances against Akelrim?
¡°She¡¯s toying with him,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I admit, if she was stupid enough to engage in a head-to-head battle, he¡¯d be the victor. But what use is his sword light and that formation of flying blades if he can¡¯t see her nor land a blow? She¡¯s struck twice already, and each blow was a severe one. He¡¯s on his last legs as we speak.¡±
And it was true. Akelrim¡¯s breathing was heavy and labored as blood flowed freely from his back where Vespidia had inflicted her sneaky wounds. He desperately attempted a few more passes of his sword light, firing it around wantonly in all directions hoping to hit something, but he never did. Orodan could sense Vespidia nimbly moving out of the way, even as she remained invisible.
It wasn¡¯t a final blow that ended the ordeal, but Akelrim¡¯s own grudging surrender. The transmigrator must¡¯ve realized he was in a hopeless position.
¡°Winner! Vespidia Aulmalexis defeats Akelrim Vedharna to advance to the finals! An unseen terror slaying all opponents with a vindictive blade!¡±
They hadn¡¯t really spoken since the eliminators began, and neither did they need to. Vespidia knew how to handle her own business. For what came next¡ would determine whether she achieved her life¡¯s goal.
Competitors were given a rest period to return to full strength, but Vespidia waived hers as she must¡¯ve felt fine and been eager. Soon enough, the announcer was ready to call the final match of the Inter-Academy Tournament.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°To our esteemed audience, the brave Vespidia Aulmalexis has elected to forgo her offered rest period! As a result, the finals can be underway!¡±
The crowd cheered madly, and even though Vespidia was a Novarrian, the crowd held some slight favor towards her as they wanted to see Othorion beaten. Word of the elf¡¯s incident at the shops had spread, and the public always favored a good story where the underdog defied divine power, heretical as the thought might¡¯ve been if it was one of Inuan¡¯s Prime Five.
¡°Without further ado, I present what we¡¯ve all been waiting for! The finals of this year¡¯s Inter-Academy Tournament! On one side, we have Vespidia Aulmalexis! The mysterious hidden blade from Novar¡¯s Peak who cuts down all foes with no mercy! And on the other, we have Goldleaf Academy¡¯s finest, the channeller of divine providence¡ Othorion Evertree!¡±
Neither Vespidia nor Othorion¡¯s face showed any signs of emotion as they spoke to one another during the face-off. However, near the end, Othorion turned red with fury, and he stomped away to his designated position as his eyes began glowing with power. As for Vespidia, only a smirk was on her face as she seemingly taunted the elf.
¡°Begin!¡±
Othorion positively erupted with divine power, and Vespidia immediately disappeared. In response the elf¡¯s eyes turned green and he immediately launched divine energy enough to envelop the whole arena. The defensive wards protecting the audience immediately flared, and multiple Grandmasters of spatiomancy acted to empower an intricate warding scheme which transported whoever was in the arena someplace else.
Vespidia had gone invisible, but Orodan could see what was happening. She had been quite badly wounded from the all-consuming divine attack¡ but she¡¯d managed to survive.
This was part of their plan and her gambit. The arena was a poor battleground for someone like her to face Othorion Evertree. It was too limited, enclosed. It would leave her at the mercy of wide area attacks which would eventually force her to concede.
She¡¯d survived the worst of the ordeal then, even if Orodan was still concerned about her fighting in such a state now that they¡¯d been transported to the deserts of the Aswarthian Peninsula. The scrying eyes however, continued recording the battle from a distance, and Orodan could sense very small spatial tunnels connecting to the battleground which the officials were using to monitor the match from afar.
Orodan also used these and sent Vision of Purity through them to keep an eye on the battle. This way, he saw both the scrying eye recording and the ¡®sight¡¯ his Vision of Purity gave him.
In the desert itself, a titanic battle raged.
Vespidia, looking in pristine condition, engaged Othorion Evertree in a melee whirlwind where both sides seemed almost equal even as the elf¡¯s eyes blazed with divine fury and he looked perplexed that she could keep up. Worse of all, none of his blows were quite landing upon her, simply being expertly evaded.
Periodically, Vespidia¡¯s dagger seemed to hover just near a vital point before a critical wound would appear there. Othorion grew more and more enraged as the fight drew on as he was wounded. The divine elven warrior seemed baffled that Vespidia, not known for her staying power in a toe-to-toe melee, could hold on in such circumstances.
Perhaps Othorion had been expecting numerous sneak attacks which slowly whittled him down. Not an opponent he¡¯d need to use such power against. And he couldn¡¯t even land a blow on her!
Orodan through Vision of Purity saw exactly what was happening, and things were going according to plan. He remained ready to act.
The battle continued for fifteen more minutes, and despite calling upon the full power of Faraine and having his skin crackle, Othorion remained unable to land a blow. The battle came to a halt for a moment, and the two combatants looked to be exchanging words, although Orodan couldn¡¯t hear what. They seemed to come to an agreement.
Othorion¡¯s eyes glowed with madness, and Vespidia¡¯s were calm and collected.
This would be the key moment.
As Othorion sailed towards the unharmed Vespidia the elf must¡¯ve realized something was wrong as ¡®Vespidia¡¯ began to flicker, as though a spell was running out of energy. Unfortunately, he¡¯d already given control to Faraine for the last-ditch attack both parties had agreed upon.
And as ¡®Vespidia¡¯ vanished, revealing that she was naught but a clever illusion of light magic, space tore apart as Orodan himself stepped into the path of the attack.
[Teleportation 12 ¡ú Teleportation 13]
The real Vespidia suddenly became visible, sagging to her knees as the last mana potion left her lips and her charred body was apparent. She was heavily wounded.
How exactly had all this occurred? Had she conjured a clone to fight toe to toe against an Avatar?
Not quite.
Rather, the one benefit to using Absolute Soul Dominion on Vespidia and nearly quixtupling her mana generation months ago was that she could freely use a branch of magic she was quite talented in, but which was too strenuous to otherwise maintain throughout an active battle.
Light magic¡
¡specifically, illusions.
Perhaps if he was calmer, Othorion Evertree would¡¯ve stopped to wonder why she was entirely unwounded; why she managed to wound him without her blade visually entering. If only he¡¯d realized that the real Vespidia was inflicting stealthy wounds as he fought her illusion.
If only he¡¯d realized that giving control to Faraine for a final attack was a mistake, especially when the agreement was a lie.
Because it meant striking Orodan Wainwright instead.
Orodan received the attack, and the warrior within saw where it came from, and reciprocated it more than fivefold across the dimensional divide.
[Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 75 ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 76]
A feminine wail of horrific pain rang out, and the set of body enchantments upon the elf¡¯s body glowed brightly and immediately shattered into motes of light, overtaxed beyond their limits.
¡°¡pain¡ pain! Never have I felt such horrible pain!¡± Faraine wailed.
Space tore apart and two elven Avatars almost immediately entered the glassed desert, ready to cast runic magic upon the body of Othorion Evertree that was now under the control of Faraine.
Unfortunately for Cithrel and Athandelu, Orodan had already wrapped the full force of Absolute Soul Dominion around the elf¡¯s body. The attempt at runic magic binding and chronomancy immediately failed.
[Absolute Soul Dominion 76 ¡ú Absolute Soul Dominion 77]
Their attention then immediately turned to Orodan himself. The elven Avatars were strong, far more than any Avatar of the Prime Five, and two titanic beams of divine energy capable of destroying smaller nations erupted towards him.
In a bid of desperation to prevent innocent devastation, he cast Spatial Fold¡
[Spatial Fold 41 ¡ú Spatial Fold 46]
¡and the attacks were diverted up towards the sky, tearing a gigantic hole in the clouds as they left Alastaia.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! Stop this immediately! I don¡¯t know how you crossed the dimensional divide to strike at Faraine, but you¡¯re freeing a prisoner of ours! You are picking a fight with us for no reason when we¡¯ve done nothing to offend you!¡± Cithrel roared. ¡°The next attack will come with double the force and will destroy most of the East!¡±
¡°I apologize, I have nothing against you either. But I gave my word to help with her liberation,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And as for a second attack¡ it¡¯s already too late.¡±
Before either of the two elven Avatars could question his words, the one factor they¡¯d ignored thus far made her final move.
Re-imprisoning Faraine within Othorion Evertree¡¯s body was not difficult, but what could the elves do if the link between host and Goddess was severed?
It was a question a glowing divine dagger posed as Vespidia plunged it into Othorion¡¯s back.
¡°Vylmela¡ it is you¡ I sense your soul after so long¡¡± Faraine uttered.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I failed you before¡ be free now my lady¡¡± Vespidia softly said as the glow left Othorion Evertree¡¯s eyes. Faraine was free at last.
A scream of raw rage erupted from Cithrel.
¡°You¡ you! I try so hard to avoid offending you given your power, and still you deal me such a grievous blow?!¡± the elven God-Queen roared. ¡°This means war! Give me one reason I shouldn¡¯t raze Inuan to the ground here and now.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give you two. The Eldritch Avatar that will land in two weeks, if you destroy Inuan you¡¯ll have no buffer against it,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°And of course¡ me. Your divine beams of power are ineffective against me. I wouldn¡¯t recommend fighting here and now¡ unless you want to lose an Avatar or two. When Faraine is at large, should you be considering a fight here and now?¡±
[Intimidation 15 ¡ú Intimidation 16]
He was surprised at the level gain. That it increased meant, on some level, the elven Gods considered him a genuine threat with his Divine Resistance and overall power. He wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think he could simply destroy Eldiron. The unnamed but pleasant elf he¡¯d met under the Dokuhan Mountains was a figure that gave him pause, and whoever that was didn¡¯t look to be an Avatar.
That being said, it was a decision of simple logic. The elves had nothing to gain in picking a fight here with him yet stood to lose a lot.
¡°You will come to regret this, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the God-Queen declared. ¡°We have enemies enough; therefore we accept your offer for delayed hostilities¡ for now. But you¡¯d do well to watch who you yourself make enemies of throughout these time loops. You might just suffer the kind of harm that isn¡¯t so easily fixed.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve accepted that risk already,¡± Orodan replied, and the elven Avatars tore space apart to retreat back to their home continent presumably.
Vespidia looked charred beyond measure, or should he say¡
¡°Vylmela? Was that your name when you were a wrinkly old elf?¡±
That she was injured didn¡¯t stop her from throwing her dagger at his face.
Two weeks passed quicker than he would¡¯ve liked. Much as it wasn¡¯t his way, Orodan found himself oddly¡ clinging onto his moments with the people important to him.
Aliya was spoiled to the extreme, Zukelmux was paraded around Novar¡¯s Peak like a hero and Orodan had the finest chefs in Novarria prepare the most luxuriant feasts possible for his heroic student who¡¯d done so well in the tournament.
He spent time with Balastion, visited Destartes and simply tried his best to fit time with them into his schedule of training. In all honesty, the only thing he spent his time on was attempting to acquire Time Mastery, but it still bore no fruit, much to his frustration and bitterness. He just wished he had more time.
And Vespidia¡ his friend had a look of peace and contentment in her eye which Orodan didn¡¯t like one bit.
It was twenty-four hours before the enemy¡¯s descent that he found her atop the peak of the royal citadel, overlooking an empty Novar¡¯s Peak which had been entirely evacuated in preparation for the battle.
¡°How¡¯s Faraine doing?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Good, quite good,¡± Vespidia replied, a look of serenity within her eyes. ¡°Her pursuers hound her across the divine realm still, but she is nothing if not resourceful and clever.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Orodan immediately declared.
¡°And what is it that you don¡¯t like?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯ve achieved much.¡±
¡°That look in your eyes, like you¡¯re looking forward to your own death,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why?¡±
She let out an amused laugh at his question.
¡°Ah¡ pardon me Orodan. It¡¯s just that I sometimes forget you¡¯re not even thirty altogether. Truly, the time loops came for you at such a young age,¡± she spoke. ¡°Well, you see¡ I¡¯m thousands of years old. And I¡¯m quite tired. My Goddess is free, my duty done¡ and my wife has been waiting for a long time.¡±
Orodan frowned. Logically, he understood her reasoning, but that didn¡¯t mean he had to like it. Perhaps that explained why Vespidia was so slow to be dragged towards training. Just how long had she been intent on this journey to free her Goddess? Orodan found himself remembering that not everyone had the abnormal willpower that he had.
¡°That¡¯s right¡ I forget that you¡¯re an old elf hag sometimes,¡± Orodan said, and it was a sign of Vespidia¡¯s mental state that she didn¡¯t attempt an attack for the comment. ¡°I respect you as a warrior and¡ as a friend, Vespidia. I don¡¯t like where your thoughts are going, but I¡¯ll respect your decision all the same.¡±
Vespidia stared at him for a moment before a serene smile formed. For such an angry person, it was a rare to see her like this. Was this what she was like when her duty was done? Her natural anger, gone?
¡°¡thank you,¡± she replied. ¡°And what of yourself Orodan? Intend on dying again?¡±
¡°What? No!¡± Orodan immediately said. ¡°I¡ don¡¯t wish to see all this gone. This time, I intend to defeat this Eldritch Avatar.¡±
¡°And what of the next threat? The next big battle you¡¯ll chase? In the last six months I think I¡¯ve come to understand you¡ you¡¯ll never be one to sit down, to rest. Sometimes¡ I get the feeling you aren¡¯t even human, with that anomalous drive of yours,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°And when you chase the next big foe and die once more¡ what then? Will it all end and send you back to Ogdenborough once more?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Orodan angrily shouted back, causing Vespidia to simply shake her head with a smile.
In a move quite uncharacteristic of her, she decided to lay down upon the railing and kick her feet up, with her hands resting behind her head as she looked at the stars above.
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¡± she quietly said.
¡°For what?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°That you have to go through all this,¡± she answered. ¡°I mentioned once that having lovers must be quite painful for you. I¡¯ll echo that sentiment again, I pity you, Orodan Wainwright. I¡¯m sorry that fate was a cruel mistress and chose you to inflict this upon.¡±
¡°Tch¡! You¡¯re pushing the wrong buttons Vespidia!¡± Orodan said as his fist clenched. ¡°If you want to fight, just say so and-¡±
¡°And you might kill me, I hope?¡±
¡°What? You¡¯re my friend, why would I kill you?¡±
¡°Because I want to go¡ especially if you¡¯re in a time loop,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°Not only would seeing you struggle like a madman at the end be painful to watch, I¡¯d also not get a lot of time with my love in the next life. Do me a favor, will you?¡±
Orodan sighed and let go of his temper.
¡°And what¡¯s this favor?¡± he asked.
¡°Please free Faraine in each long loop of yours. I know, I know¡ selfish of me to ask,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°But I¡¯ve never felt this peace before. And one more thing¡ maybe try to stay alive for a decent while after my death. I¡¯d like to get an adequate amount of time in the afterlife with my other half before it all resets again.¡±
Was she really just going to die? Everything within himself rebelled against the notion, but his honor compelled him to accept her decision no matter how he felt about it.
¡°You¡ fine! But I have a condition of my own,¡± Orodan said, and Vespidia looked to him in curiosity. ¡°One day, one loop¡ I¡¯ll become strong enough to rip your wife from the jaws of death itself and resurrect her. On that day, on that loop, tell me you¡¯ll give up this foolish notion of resting in the afterlife like some senile crone in her rocking chair.¡±
¡°Hah! An insane target, a fool¡¯s dream, Orodan Wainwright,¡± she replied. ¡°Though, I suppose if any madman has a hope of resurrecting someone who¡¯s been dead for over fifteen-thousand years, it¡¯d be you. Fine, deal. Not that I¡¯ll remember it.¡±
Such was the nature of a time loop after all.
They remained in silence for a while after until Vespidia decided to depart as she had preparations to make for the upcoming battle.
Zaessythra then proceeded to come out of his ring.
¡°You too? Don¡¯t tell me you also have some sentimental speech ready for me,¡± Orodan said, having had enough of that.
¡°I was going to be polite for once and ask after you,¡± Zaessythra said as she fluttered about. ¡°After all, that was a heavy topic, confronting the potential loss of everything.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t lose, I refuse,¡± Orodan vehemently stated. ¡°Just because I let that dumb assassin prattle on a bit doesn¡¯t mean I agree with her outlook.¡±
¡°Orodan¡ let¡¯s focus on the present and on different matters,¡± she said. ¡°Clearly this is an emotional topic for you.¡±
¡°Vespidia¡¯s fatalistic outlook is almost as annoying as your insistence that I avoid your enemies,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to ignore the plights of those close to me, do you?¡±
¡°I ask you to avoid provoking the Hegemony¡¯s ire because I¡¯ve come to care for a bull-headed idiot like you. You helped me remember who I am. Are you so self-centred that you cannot realize when someone else considers you important to them?¡± she asked. ¡°But, again, let us not speak of such things. The time for us to convene with that emperor draws near. Are you ready?¡±
He shook his head clear of his emotions. His heart was a tangled mess of feelings of loss, frustration and desperation involving not only this loop, but also the tied into the feelings he held about the last long loop.
¡°I really do hate these long loops with a passion,¡± Orodan thought to himself, and then replied to her. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go meet with Balastion and his war council.
¡°There are fourteen hours remaining before the Eldritch Avatar lands upon Guzuhar, your Majesty,¡± Demosthenos Albathrax, the cursed reincarnator, spoke. ¡°All our allies are present, all Avatars of the Prime Five are in this chamber with us, and the World Guardians and Gods of Guzuhar await in the Valley of Spires with a teleporter ready to immediately transport them once they see proof of our plan working.¡±
¡°Good, thank you for the situation report Demosthenos,¡± Balastion spoke and then stood taking the floor. ¡°Currently, our astronomers and diviners are the ones monitoring its course, and if this plan works, they¡¯ll be the first ones to notice and show us proof which we¡¯ll then present to our allies. At approximately twelve hours before landing we project it will be close enough for Orodan Wainwright to affect it with his spatiomancy, and then¡ we strike!¡±
Orodan ignored the sight of his mentor Arvayne Firesword among the Prime Five. In this loop nothing had occurred between them, although Orodan would not let his grudge against Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana go anytime soon.
More discussions and specifics about the city¡¯s defences were discussed and the plan of battle was expanded upon with various strategies discussed.
For starters, even though Thavri Grimbreaker would not be joining, the under-mountain confederation had sent a battery of artillery and crew to assist in the upcoming battle. From what Orodan had seen of those weapons, they weren¡¯t bad at all.
The conversation then mainly steered towards how to actually engage the Eldritch Avatar, and the general consensus was that Orodan and Balastion would do the bulk of the work while the Avatars of the Prime Five, Vespidia and Demosthenos provided their support. The ranged and magic specialist Grandmasters of the Novarrian military would also be providing continuous firepower upon it alongside the artillery of the dwarves. And if their allies joined, Sarastuga the Blazing Light was an incredibly strong World Guardian whose might in melee was comparable to a quadruple-Grandmaster, so that would be quite welcome.
The discussions continued on for a while longer and even turned towards how to deal with Eldiron afterwards. In Orodan¡¯s opinion this was akin to counting one¡¯s dragons before they hatched, and it must¡¯ve showed on his face as Balastion took him aside during a break in the conversation and cast a silencing bubble around them.
¡°My friend, your grim countenance does not suit you,¡± Balastion said. ¡°Are you not an eager lover of battle? We face our most glorious one today, what troubles you so?¡±
¡°If it was just me I was worried about, Balastion, I would die a million times and enjoy every single death in my battles against the approaching foe. However, not only do the evacuated civilians upon the Romnara Isles depend on us, so do many of the people I¡¯ve grown close to.¡±
¡°The pressure is too much-¡±
¡°I pressure myself harder than any foe or situation could ever hope to,¡± Orodan interjected. ¡°Pressure isn¡¯t the issue; the Eldritch Avatar is. It always finds some way to prove itself stronger than I thought, but I have killed it before. With all we have arrayed against it, I believe this fight can be won. What does concern me however¡ is your preparations with the crown and obtaining Eldritch Resistance. Not once have you actually detailed how you¡¯ll be fighting the threat.¡±
¡°Have faith my friend, you¡¯re not the only one with a Mythical skill,¡± Balastion reassured.
¡°Yes, but resistance skills are notoriously harder to acquire than most other types,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And this isn¡¯t an element that will simply kill you, but instead convert you to the enemy¡¯s side.¡±
¡°And what else would you have me do? Give up the crown?¡± Balastion asked in frustration.
¡°Fighting the Eldritch normally does not instantly corrupt beings. It¡¯s the longer-term exposure to it afterward that leads to corruption and the maddening,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°That crown on the other hand is a different matter. Using Eldritch so directly will hasten your corruption incredibly quickly should you fail to acquire the skill. I¡¯m not advising against it, rather, all I wish to say is¡ remember who you really are when that dark moment comes, and you¡¯re tested.¡±
Balastion nodded and seemed to consider Orodan¡¯s advice seriously at least.
¡°Come then, the council draws to a close and we have less than two hours remaining before your time to act arrives,¡± Balastion said.
The remainder of the council consisted of well-wishes, some final questions, and some particulars regarding the placement of the ranged support in the rear.
Soon, Balastion¡¯s chamber was vacated, and all combatants got to their positions.
Orodan, Balastion, Vespidia, Demosthenos and the Avatars of the Prime Five stood upon a balcony at the peak of the royal citadel, the highest point of the city.
It was nighttime, and the clouds were entirely clear, blown away through the work of multiple mages beforehand. In such clear visibility conditions, Orodan could easily see the purple star descending towards Alastaia in the distance.
It looked incredibly far away, but¡
¡°Let¡¯s pull it down now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I feel I can affect it from this distance.¡±
¡°Truly?¡± Balastion asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Very well, send out the order for all troops to be ready and have the communications team be ready to send proof to our potential allies in Guzuhar. We¡¯ll attempt this in ten minutes.¡±
Ten minutes passed, and all preparations were complete. Everyone was now waiting on Orodan to perform.
And perform he did.
Every single empowerment skill was activated to its maximal extent, and the most overpowered Spatial Fold Orodan was capable of was sent towards the fell purple star making its way down.
The royal citadel immediately shattered from the raw power he was generating and Balastion had to move everyone else someplace safer.
Deep in the void of space, Orodan could feel the connection to his folding of space. It was his soul energy powering it after all, and his Space Mastery was far higher than it had been when he¡¯d cast the spell for the very first time.
He had grown incredibly powerful over his time in the loops, and the proof was apparent in how the enemy reacted.
Immediately, he felt panicked resistance against his meddling against space. Anti-spatiomancy items were common among people expecting combat often, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise that the Eldritch divinities also had methods of countering such spatial manipulations.
Unfortunately, they were up against Orodan Wainwright. And his energy generation was endless and put even Gods to shame. The Eldritch Avatar immediately abandoned its meteoric shell as it began writhing in the void of space like a rabid cockroach, desperate to shuck off Orodan¡¯s spatiomancy. From the almost surprised and desperate movements he sensed, he had an inkling that the three fell powers empowering it weren¡¯t expecting to face a foe who had so much raw power at his fingertips.
The resistance was great. Beyond any anti-spatiomancy ward he¡¯d ever tried tackling. But attempting to resist endless power was a futile endeavor.
[Spatial Fold 46 ¡ú Spatial Fold 52]
[Space Mastery 38 ¡ú Space Mastery 43]
Massive gains from attempting such an extreme feat against so powerful a foe.
¡°Prepare yourselves! It¡¯ll be landing soon!¡± Demosthenos roared with a manic smile on his face. ¡°Our allies from Guzuhar are coming through the portals as well, they believe us now! Haha!¡±
One gigantic portal opened up nearby, and through it came three World Guardians, a majestic lion, a familiar wintry dragon, and a burning phoenix, alongside numerous Guzuharan Avatars and Grandmasters. In his experience, the Guzuharan Grandmasters and their Avatars would be fodder, but the World Guardians would contribute well.
And then, it arrived. Or more accurately, it was dragged down to someplace it hadn¡¯t planned on landing.
Space folded all the way to the Eldritch Avatar¡¯s current location in the void between stars; a distance that was more than three times that of the moon to Alastaia. And with a full body motion of Whirlpool Whirlwind, Orodan gave the enemy one last encouraging pull so that it could come through the folding of space he¡¯d created.
[Whirlpool Whirlwind 59 ¡ú Whirlpool Whirlwind 62]
A gigantic gray humanoid landed in a splayed-out heap in the middle of the city, destroying plenty of buildings. As it was halfway between rising its pupil-less white eyes glared at the defenders waiting for it.
There was a reason the Eldritch Gods typically chose the Valley of Spires to land in. It was where the ground was most contaminated with Eldritch energies, and where their corruptive influence was greatest. For it to land in Novar¡¯s Peak?
Less than ideal.
¡°Good evening. I apologize for the rough trip, but we¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± Orodan said, and then readied his weapons with a positively feral smile upon his face. ¡°Welcome¡ to Novar¡¯s Peak.¡±
Chaos erupted immediately as Orodan Wainwright was the first person to close the distance and engage it in melee with a Flash Strike.
[Flash Strike 65 ¡ú Flash Strike 66]
And a titanic close quarters war began which almost immediately annihilated the entirety of Novar¡¯s Peak. It was sad to see the city destroyed, but the roots and what was built within were what was important, not the buildings. The city¡¯s ringed walls still stood strong despite the impacts.
And those ringed walls were part of a gigantic ritual which drained its very eldritch energies and prevented it from fielding its full power.
Ranged firepower from all sides smashed into it, and Orodan, Balastion, Sarastuga and the Avatars of Agathor and Halor fought it in melee. It genuinely was being pushed back.
[Endless Blitz 76 ¡ú Endless Blitz 77]
[All-Strike 83 ¡ú All-Strike 84]
Most importantly, Orodan continually got in the way of its attacks and forced it to pay dearly for striking him.
¡°Abomination! Which meddling otherworldly power has sent you?! We spread truth and the greater forces of the universe send such a champion against us?!¡± the Eldritch Avatar roared, the divinities empowering it speaking for the very first time.
Things were going well, and Orodan knew this was the prelude for its wide area attack which would wreak devastation upon their forces. But he had fought it twice now, knew the move, and this time he had spatiomancy in his toolkit.
The wide area eldritch blast went out¡
¡and Orodan¡¯s Spatial Fold surrounded it, redirecting it all towards himself.
[Spatial Fold 52 ¡ú Spatial Fold 53]
[Space Mastery 43 ¡ú Space Mastery 44]
[Eldritch Resistance 52 ¡ú Eldritch Resistance 53]
A shriek of horrid pain went out, and it was loud enough that Orodan suspected it could be heard in the neighboring nations.
¡°You would dare to strike against us with our own truth?! The falsity of your hubris will be exposed shortly mortal!¡± it exclaimed, and its assault immediately doubled as it flew into a mad rage and began targeting Orodan specifically.
Yes, he had Eldritch Resistance and his defensive skills. But those didn¡¯t help when it decided to forgo Eldritch and simply eviscerate Orodan with its bare hands. Harmony of Vitality kept him from getting killed and it was suffering some severe damage in assaulting him, but it still harmed Orodan to be the victim of its ire.
And just like last time it decided Orodan was an easy target to grab. His vision was enveloped by two massive purplish-gray hands, which began squeezing him into a meatball and grinding him down utterly.
But this wasn¡¯t the old Orodan of the last long loop.
Harmony of Vitality had improved enough that it wasn¡¯t the eventual death sentence it could¡¯ve been last time, and most importantly¡
[Teleportation 13 ¡ú Teleportation 14]
Orodan had ways out of such grasps now. Frankly, if the pressure was a bit greater, he might¡¯ve even stayed and used it as training, but his Body Tempering was high enough that it would take time, and he couldn¡¯t afford to play around in this battle.
The battle continued, and fifteen minutes passed. Orodan, Sarastuga, Balastion and Agathor were holding evenly and managing to slowly whittle it down bit by bit.
It was unbelievable¡ they were actually winning! This would be the loop where Orodan completed the second Quest!
¡°Cruel, cold universe¡ Alastaia would send us a gift to cultivate into our host¡ and then to deny us with a champion with the ability to resist our truth and harm us with it¡¡± it spoke as it realized it was in a losing battle. ¡°The universe cares not for any of us¡ is our truth doomed to be forever silenced?¡±
¡°Focus! If we hold out, we can defeat it!¡± Orodan yelled. ¡°It¡¯s losing!¡±
¡°Excellent! Let me strike a blow that will truly turn the tide of this battle then,¡± Balastion said, and Orodan had an ominous feeling in his heart. The divine artifact upon Balastion¡¯s head glowed, and eldritch energy spewed forth targeting the Eldritch Avatar¡¯s very soul. ¡°Let the foul influence of the eldritch divinities be purged from one of Alastaia¡¯s former guardians!¡±
At the same time, Vespidia readied her divine dagger and prepared to charge forth, intent on severing the connection between host and fell divinities.
And this was where everything went wrong.
¡°Oh? Such a curious artifact you use. Untapped clay, ready to be molded into our truth,¡± it spoke, and Orodan¡¯s instincts went haywire. ¡°A connection from you to us, attempting to send us away. But your talent in molding the formless is lacking¡ and a connection goes both ways. Hear our truth, mortal.¡±
Orodan tried stopping it, but whatever connection Balastion had established between the crown and the Avatar wasn¡¯t one so easily broken, and neither did he have any skill to manipulate the Eldritch.
¡°Balastion! Hold strong! Remember who you are!¡± Orodan shouted, and for a moment he thought the first emperor truly would hold.
Unfortunately, Balastion Novar, the first emperor¡ had his eyes turn pupil-less, and purplish-gray veins of energy begin to erupt all over his skin. And he was looking at Orodan with madness in his eyes.
And the eyes of the man known as Balastion Novar¡ never left Orodan Wainwright, even as the first emperor lashed out and decapitated the Avatar of Agathor in an unexpected move.
Suddenly, the tide of battle shifted, and Sarastuga and the Avatar of Halor were struggling greatly against the Eldritch Avatar.
There was no time to bark orders, only to act. Orodan practically flew towards Balastion, and his sword and shield met the first emperor¡¯s blade before the man could kill anyone else.
Balastion was strong, but in a one-on-one Orodan had the feeling he could take the man. That was, if time wasn¡¯t a concern and the Eldritch Avatar wasn¡¯t in the middle of brutally mauling Sarastuga. Cyvrosdyr and the phoenix World Guardian stepped into melee to provide some reprieve, but neither of them were melee specialists on the lion¡¯s level, and things were immediately looking very dire.
¡°Balastion Novar¡ first emperor of Novarria, have you forgotten your dream of world peace? Your desire to see foul influences purged from Alastaia and the mortal races living in harmony?¡± Orodan asked as he entered a weapon deadlock and pushed Balastion down to his knees with raw physicality and rage.
¡°Novarria¡ a world of peace¡ hahahah! The truth is all that matters¡ and I must spread it to this world¡ for the three eldest¡¡± Balastion said. The man had fallen to the corruption, and Orodan could do nothing besides end his life. And even that was on a timeline as his allies were being butchered. The Avatar of Halor was killed just as Balastion finished speaking.
Orodan backhanded the maddened Balastion into the ground and was ready to continue fighting when Vespidia landed nearby.
¡°Orodan! We have little time¡ just¡ just look after whatever¡¯s left, alright?¡± she asked, and Orodan¡¯s heart sank as he knew what was coming next. She looked to the sky and clasped her hands together in prayer. ¡°Faraine¡ I know you wander free now, and I know I¡¯ve failed you once. But I beseech you one more time for the protection of our world¡ please¡ stand with me against the Eldritch once more!¡±
For a moment nothing happened, but the next¡ Vespidia¡¯s eyes began burning with glowing green power.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ I cannot linger for long lest my pursuers return, but thank you for all you¡¯ve done,¡± the elven Goddess spoke. ¡°Ensure Vylmela¡¯s sacrifice isn¡¯t in vain. Please¡ it¡¯s what she would want.¡±
And behind her eyes, unlike most other Gods Orodan had dealt with, he could swear Vespidia¡¯s familiar gaze was there.
A portal immediately opened nearby, and two familiar elven Avatars stepped out.
¡°Faraine! You have much to answer for!¡± the God-Queen of the elves roared as she bolted right for Vespidia.
Unfortunately for her, the Avatar of Faraine was already near the Eldritch Avatar, just as it finished ripping poor Sarastuga¡¯s head off. In her hands¡ a familiar glowing divine dagger.
Vespidia would normally have little hope of reaching the Eldritch Avatar for a blow in melee, but when empowered by a Goddess? Especially when empowered to the point that her skin and flesh practically melted off by the split second in a clear suicide attack?
The divine dagger looked comedic as it slid inside, making a pathetic wound which wouldn¡¯t even register as a paper cut on something that big. As she delivered the attack, Vespidia¡¯s body exploded in gore and the divine power left her before the elven Avatars could catch up. Orodan said a prayer, hoping Malzim or Faraine would ferry her to the next life to reunite with her wife peacefully.
The elven Avatars themselves took one look at the current situation, and seeing that their target had escaped, simply vacated the battlefield, not wanting to risk themselves against the Eldritch when Orodan and Novarria was doing it for them.
Bitterness filled his heart at their nonchalant escape. This was their world too!
In any case, the wound the Eldritch Avatar received was tiny¡ but its sudden wail of pure horror and agony told a different story.
¡°Sacrilege! Abomination! Where is our sibling?! How dare you break our union?! The natural order is three, but to be reduced to two¡ enough!¡± it screamed, and then turned its rage towards Orodan. ¡°You¡ will pay for this.¡±
The maddened Balastion Novar rose to his feet as well, and behind him was the furious Eldritch Avatar who looked intent on slaughtering Orodan where he stood. Every other melee combatant had been slain. Sarastuga? Dead. Cyvrosdyr and the phoenix? Slain. The Avatars of Agathor and Halor? Captured and preserved in a net of Eldritch energy. Orodan hadn¡¯t directly seen a God be corrupted by the Eldritch yet, but it couldn¡¯t be pretty.
And the reduction in allies wasn¡¯t done either.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ forgive me¡ but I cannot accept being corrupted,¡± Malzim said. ¡°I¡ I am truly sorry¡ but I must retreat.¡±
His heart, already heavy with the loss of so much, didn¡¯t quite care about Malzim deciding to flee. As much as Orodan owed the God of Death, even Balastion Novar had said Malzim was a coward unwilling to fight with any risk present.
Eximus and Ilyatana joined Malzim in abandoning their Avatar hosts, and soon, the Novarrian forces began fleeing in a decision of self-preservation, leaving just Orodan standing against the corrupted first emperor and the Eldritch Avatar by himself.
Why not? Two against one¡ not the worst odds.
Balastion reached Orodan first, and the first emperor lost the melee exchange. Unfortunately, the Eldritch Avatar stepped in, and it did win the melee trade, sending Orodan into the ground and beginning a vicious mauling with Balastion assisting at key intervals.
With Orodan being suppressed, the maddened first emperor took the opportunity to begin dismantling the ritual which drained the Eldritch Avatar of its power, and with it gone¡ it soon returned to near-peak form. Minus one Eldritch divinity possessing it.
¡°Ahh¡ such relief, to easily draw power from the truth once more,¡± it spoke. ¡°And now, to make this world see what we see.¡±
Orodan knew by now what its wide area attacks looked like before they came, and this one would be titanic. He had an inkling it would corrupt a good majority of Inuan, and Orodan couldn¡¯t allow that.
As the attack released, an utterly overpowered Spatial Fold was cast, drawing all the Eldritch towards Orodan himself. He would keep Inuan clean of the foul taint.
[Spatial Fold 53 ¡ú Spatial Fold 55]
[Space Mastery 44 ¡ú Space Mastery 45]
¡°Despicable vermin¡ why do you defy us? Do you not know when to cease your meddling? If you wish to perish first, then we shall assist,¡± the Eldritch Avatar said.
With that, Orodan¡¯s beating resumed, and he was torn apart, sliced into pieces, turned into puddles, and nearly obliterated multiple times through the application of brute force once the enemy realized that Eldritch was less than effective.
Yet, no matter how bad the assault, Orodan refused to die.
Half an hour passed, then an hour. And the Eldritch Avatar began to catch on.
¡°This one¡ truly does possess endless power, what a curiosity, we have never seen its like before,¡± it spoke in its fell voice. ¡°Sweetling¡ give us that artifact. If this anomaly refuses to fall, then we shall simply bypass it entirely and spread the truth a different way.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t like the sound of that.
He desperately attempted to stop whatever it was doing but was repeatedly sent flying many miles away each time.
In the distance, he saw a flying book approach him after one such flight from a mighty blow. He¡¯d sent her to the Romnara Isles alongside the evacuated civilians, but she seemed to have returned of her own volition.
¡°Zaessythra! I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing, but I need to stop them,¡± Orodan said desperately. ¡°Any ideas?¡±
¡°Orodan¡ that crown, it¡¯s capable of viewing and interacting with the souls of almost half the world. The first emperor couldn¡¯t use it at full power due to his lack of Eldritch Resistance, but that Avatar has no such restrictions,¡± she explained, and Orodan¡¯s eyes widened as he was about to rush back. ¡°Wait¡ I have a plan that might work.¡±
¡°Well? What is it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°When I told you I can¡¯t access my Status, it was only true at the time,¡± Zaessythra explained. ¡°Since then, however, I believe I can repair my own soul and access it once more. It will definitely draw the sort of attention that will likely fix this problem.¡±
¡°But¡ would that not involve-¡±
¡°Yes, it will involve me dying,¡± Zaessythra explained. ¡°But that¡¯s a small price to pay when you¡¯re in a time loop, right?¡±
¡°No, I refuse,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll¡¡±
¡°Die? That would end the loop anyways¡ I¡¯m sorry Orodan,¡± she said softly, and one of her pages came up to dab at the moisture he didn¡¯t even know was gathering in his eyes. ¡°You really are something else. Whoever chose you for these time loops did a good job, but they also consigned you to a painful existence. I expect to be taken on many adventures in the next loop and berate you at every step. Thank you for helping me remember myself and just¡ remember me, okay?¡±
¡°I refuse¡ how do you expect me to just let you die?¡± Orodan asked, his voice trembling.
¡°Because I¡¯ve already healed my soul and am accessing my Status as we speak,¡± she spoke and then stilled. ¡°Ahh¡ so that¡¯s what it is. Be careful Orodan¡ I still don¡¯t remember what the process for getting there was, but it¡¯ll cause you a lot of trouble once you reach it. The level of-¡±
[Dimensionalism 6 ¡ú Dimensionalism 7]
The level gain was unexpected, but it was the only reason Orodan knew the dimensional boundary was being torn asunder. And something came out from that opening.
If he was ever asked what a God might look like, he might¡¯ve said mortal-looking, perhaps with glowing power surrounding them. That was what he saw of the statues of the Prime Five in cathedrals and temples after all. What he didn¡¯t expect, was a fifty-armed being, lethal weapons of gold in each hand, a hymn of pure radiance echoing throughout the world upon its arrival. And it was as big as a nation, darkening the land as it floated overhead. Its face¡ a strange mixture of geometric shapes which contradicted one another.
This was no Avatar; this was a God directly stepping into the material plane. Divine energy emanated from it in quantities that Orodan had never seen before. And not only did it have that, but it was also emanating massive amounts of its own soul energy through simply existing.
This was a God in the flesh, capable of using both divine energy and soul energy of its own.
¡°Transcendent¡ I thought I sensed the emergence of one here,¡± it spoke. ¡°One listed as deceased in our records¡ ah, the one known as Zaessythra, escaped to a phylactery? This shall be rectified.¡±
Orodan defiantly stood before it, but Zaessythra gave him a powerful hit over the head.
¡°Stay away Orodan! It comes for me, yes¡ but it will also purge the Eldritch,¡± she explained. ¡°The attack will damage you beyond anything you¡¯ve ever felt¡ just leave. Continue your loop, grow strong, and find answers. Hmmph¡ in a way, even this is an answer for you, isn¡¯t it? Be careful once you reach this level, the wider universe won¡¯t want to leave you alone then.¡±
¡°You know the punishment for refusing service under the Hegemony,¡± it spoke. ¡°Hold still, make this easier upon yourself.¡±
One moment Orodan was standing alongside Zaessythra, ready to shield her and receive the attack¡ and the next, a pulse of pure force emanated from her book-bound form and flung him many miles away.
¡°No!¡±
The only thing Orodan saw before his vision was consumed in light, was a beam of soul energy fired down towards Zaessythra. And many more such beams rained down all over the city.
The main beam was incredibly concentrated; however, the ancillary beams were incredibly powerful too, and he barely survived getting hit with one. He was utterly suppressed, unable to get up and move much at all.
Despite that, he tried slowly crawling through the burning beams which reduced him to a handful of cells at times, desperate to reach her. Only after ten minutes did the bombardment finally stop, and the suppression ended. In the skies above, the disinterested God who was somehow capable of directly entering the material dimension, faded away into the divine realm once more.
And Orodan swore to himself, this would be repaid. Whichever God that was, had made the wrong enemy today.
¡°Zaessythra! Where are you?!¡± Orodan shouted. ¡°Say something you dusty old tome!¡±
After a minute of searching, he slowly began to accept it. His heart was heavy with the pain of loss, and he turned it outwards into rage as his fist clenched. Orodan had experienced death himself and grown up around enough of it¡ but this hurt all the same.
What even was pain, if not losing the people you treasured and had formed bonds with?
[Pain Resistance 89 ¡ú Pain Resistance 90]
The System message came across as rubbing salt into a wound. It brought him no satisfaction at having made a qualitative understanding about pain.
In the distance he could see a damaged, but slowly reforming Eldritch Avatar.
His weapons had survived the bombardment and he gripped them tightly. Better he hold them, than discover just how wet his eyes were. For her, for everyone who¡¯d fallen today, Orodan Wainwright refused to give in. He would finish this ordeal.
The Quest itself hadn¡¯t failed yet, which meant that despite all the destruction caused by both the Eldritch Avatar and that unknown God, the world still considered itself relatively unharmed.
Slow footsteps took him across the hellscape that was a cratered Novar¡¯s Peak. The beautiful city was no more, all evidence of its existence wiped out entirely from the battle and subsequent visit by a God. The Eldritch Avatar was slowly reforming still, but it wasn¡¯t Orodan¡¯s first stop.
The man whose eyes had somehow regained a semblance of their usual wisdom, was.
Orodan knelt down, a grim look upon his face as he looked down at Balastion Novar. Most of his body was gone, only a good portion of his upper body and head remained. The man¡¯s undoubtedly high skill levels in some physical skills were keeping him alive.
¡°I can still heal you, let me-¡±
¡°No, Orodan¡ no,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°I have caused trouble enough, and our true foe still remains. Gaining Eldritch Resistance now after all this devastation I¡¯ve wrought¡ hah! What a bitter pill to swallow! And it isn¡¯t perfect either, my skill level is low and I still risk falling to it the longer I¡¯m exposed.¡±
Orodan said nothing and kept his gaze low to the ground.
¡°You must think me a failure¡ a weakling,¡± Balastion said. ¡°You would not be wrong in a sense. It wasn¡¯t my strength of arms that was inadequate, but my resolve and how I led Novarria. A world of peace and harmony¡ heh¡ how can I create such a world when I tolerated poor behavior from my allies and compromised to accept imperfect alliances?¡±
¡°In the end though,¡± Orodan said. ¡°At least you found who you really were, no? Acquiring Eldritch Resistance necessitates it.¡±
¡°Aye¡ that I did. Being an emperor, leading an empire¡ perhaps it was all a little overblown. A shame that I only see it now, in the end,¡± he said. ¡°Living in a world of peace wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing, but to lead it? It took me till now to realize it wasn¡¯t worth it.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve done good things, Balastion,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Failures don¡¯t invalidate your successes either.¡±
¡°Enough of that, Orodan. In the next loop you encounter me¡ do me a favor, will you?¡± Balastion asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Destroy this damned crown which has brought me naught but misery. And for now, grant me the mercy of going out while I¡¯m my own self¡ I dread returning to that shadowy nightmare. The voices are still whispering¡¡±
As he said this, Orodan could see the purplish-gray veins on Balastion¡¯s skin pulse, attempting to re-assert control. With a heavy hand then¡ Orodan did what was needed, and All-Consuming Rage put an end to the last of the man¡¯s vitality.
¡°Be at peace, Balastion Novar, first emperor and founder of Novarria,¡± Orodan said out of respect, and then rose to his feet.
The Eldritch Avatar had been all too happy to allow him his moment as it meant it received a chance to recover further.
¡°Curious thing¡ this one¡¯s name is Orodan Wainwright? We have an offer, if you would but listen?¡± it asked, and then continued anyways without Orodan¡¯s reply. ¡°Do you not see how cruel the Gods can be? Tyrannizing us within the material realm and slaughtering our siblings? Why not join us? We admit, killing you would be most unpleasant, but together¡ we can strike back at the oppressors.¡±
A critical precipice, and Orodan felt that his decision here would influence whether he became the subject of a Quest.
Yes, Orodan now held a vendetta against whichever God that was, likely from the Hegemony or tied to it. But¡
¡he hated the Eldritch even more.
It must¡¯ve realized the look on his face signified an answer as it too prepared for battle.
¡°Foolish¡ do you truly hope to face a host so mighty it annihilated civilization upon its ascent? When we empower it as well?¡± it asked. ¡°Your stand will be hopeless, even if putting you down will waste time otherwise better spent spreading our truth.¡±
Everyone else had either fled or had fallen. The Novarrian military was nowhere to be seen, every other World Guardian, Guzuharan Avatar and being of power on their side was dead, and the Avatars of Agathor and Halor were nowhere to be seen, likely destroyed when that unknown God bombarded the area.
Orodan Wainwright stood before the Eldritch Avatar, all alone. Just as it always was in the end.
¡°Every time I fight you, I¡¯m always the last one left standing,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But now, you¡¯re down an Eldritch God, I¡¯ve grown stronger, and it¡¯s a one-on-one¡ let¡¯s see how it goes this time.¡±
No more words were said as the two began clashing in an utter storm of melee. And immediately it became apparent that the Eldritch Avatar was still Orodan¡¯s superior in a toe-to-toe battle.
It was faster, stronger, and more skilled. His only saving grace was the fact that he had Eldritch Resistance and excellent self-healing skills, blunting its assault considerably. Otherwise, it was significantly stronger than the Void Horror he saw past the first gate, even with it having only two Eldritch Gods empowering it.
If the ritual array of Novarria was present Orodan might¡¯ve had a fairer chance; unfortunately, Balastion had destroyed that after his corruption and he was forced to bear the full might of eldritch power unchecked.
The furious exchange of melee continued for thirty more minutes, even if it was one Orodan was on the losing end of. And throughout the battle, his basic mastery skills gained a level each. Sword Mastery, Shield Mastery and Combat Mastery each gained a level. But it wasn¡¯t enough to make a difference still.
How then, could Orodan best his foe? He was fighting alone, it was a true one to one battle between warriors, and he had no advantages. His brain scrambled to find a solution, but none came.
He received thirty more minutes of a beating until the Eldritch Avatar finally spoke.
¡°Weak¡ such persistence yet your actual strength is lacking before us,¡± it spoke. ¡°Perhaps we shall bind you and force you bear witness as we spread the truth to Alastaia¡ and to think your kind calls our gospel ¡®filth¡¯. Your kind are the unclean ones, ignorant of our message.¡±
Unclean ones¡
¡filth.
Yes, the Eldritch was dirty. It was filth. A stain upon the world and Orodan¡¯s senses.
And all filth, needed a good cleaning.
He wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing, but something deep within beckoned him to activate Absolute Soul Dominion and throw it towards the Eldritch Avatar with as much force as possible. Ordinarily, it would be pointless as it had simply too much power, and attempting to grip its soul would cause Orodan to expend energy enough to destroy his own body.
However, it wasn¡¯t the only skill he used.
Absolute Soul Dominion as the offense, Soul Defense as the shield which protected him as he delved within, Whirlpool Whirlwind as a force for suction, to bring it all to him, All-Consuming Rage to absorb all the filth within and burn it for power, and Basic Healing to restore what was lost during the cleanse¡ and at base, the foundation of it all¡
¡Cleaning.
It came so naturally to him. Of all the skills he¡¯d dabbled in across the loops, of all the archetypes he could claim to be. Beyond even being a warrior, the one thing he had the greatest talent of all in¡ was Cleaning.
It was the single largest skill combination he¡¯d ever attempted, and he wasn¡¯t sure how or why it all came together, but his natural talent in Cleaning ensured it did.
At the end of the day, what was Cleaning? As a concept, it relied on the user¡¯s own perception of what was clean versus unclean. Sand for instance, dirty when on a floor, but what about on sandpaper? Desirable.
Then¡ Cleaning¡ was really just¡ order. The order to clean everything perfectly in every facet. To strive for perfection in cleaning, then meant targeting each and every aspect of something.
His anomalous talent in cleaning brought all the skills together into what he was creating.
His soul utterly trembled at the colossal effort, and he felt waves of a strange energy emanate from it, it almost felt similar to the energy the world gates ran off of. It wasn¡¯t divine and it wasn¡¯t soul energy either. The very fusion of this skill¡ was sending out a gigantic beacon and his Fate Disconnect stood no chance of stopping it from emanating.
This skill felt quite strange within his soul core too, as though naturally, it was open to adding more in the future beyond its current form.
With a final push, forcing it all together, it came to be.
A Domain of Perfect Cleaning.
[Skill Combination - Absolute Soul Dominion 77 + All-Consuming Rage 83 + Soul Defense 54 + Whirlpool Whirlwind 62 + Basic Healing 25 + Cleaning 87 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 65 (Celestial)]
[New Title ¡ú Bearer Of A Celestial Skill]
[New Title ¡ú Celestial Adept]
[New Title ¡ú Perfect Cleaning Adept]
Celestial¡
¡this then, was the next rarity beyond Mythical. And he wasn¡¯t sure if any God he¡¯d seen even had one.
It should¡¯ve been good news, and ordinarily, it would be. But not in a situation like this, especially given the attention it would draw.
If acquiring a Mythical rarity skill caused the Avatar of a Goddess to descend upon him¡ then this new Celestial rarity skill, brought calamity upon him and his world.
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Recruiting A Celestial Genius - Capture Orodan Wainwright and bring him back to Xian. Grow the strength of our world and reach beyond the heavens]
And those weren¡¯t the only ones.
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Celestial Blood - Capture Orodan Wainwright and bring him back to Narictus. Grow the power of the bloodlines upon our world, long live the eternal night]
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú A Soul Worthy Of Hell - Capture Orodan Wainwright and bring him to the first hell. Grow the power of the devil race, usher the birth of a new Prime Evil]
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Subject #125 - Capture being, identification: Orodan Wainwright. Return to World X2. Directive one: examination. Directive two: alliance]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Guardian Alastaia¡¯s Talent - Capture Orodan Wainwright and protect him from otherworldly intruders, maintain the strength of Alastaia]
Orodan didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on the various Quests he¡¯d become the Subject of. Yes, the situation looked quite dire, and he felt the earth slightly tremble, and the stars shift, but he couldn¡¯t afford that at the moment.
His first order of business¡ was to cleanse this foul Eldritch Avatar.
His new Celestial rarity skill shot out and enveloped the enemy. And a roar of pain erupted.
¡°What¡ what are you doing?! Cease this scouring purge you perform upon us!¡± it screamed in outrage and dare he say¡ fear.
Vision of Purity clearly saw what was occurring as his new skill began cleaning the Eldritch Avatar inside out¡ and for the first time, the Absolute Soul Dominion part of his skill successfully pushed past the System barrier and into the soul core.
There was a reason Gods feared the Eldritch. It was due to its ability to corrupt even them, but how was this possible? It was because in possessing an Avatar, a God¡¯s consciousness, and a part of them had to descend unto the host. It was how Faraine had been re-captured in the last long loop by the elven Avatars, and why she handled her business so quickly once she possessed Vespidia. Divinities were vulnerable when possessing an Avatar, and the Eldritch Avatar itself capitalized on this.
But¡ the vulnerability went both ways.
The Eldritch Avatar also required the divinities controlling it to maintain a part of themselves within, and now that Orodan had a hold over it with his skill?
They could only scream.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 65 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 66]
He saw clearly as the very eldritch energies running through it were scoured and drawn towards him, to be burned and used as fuel towards his own attributes. What helped greatly as a matter of fact¡ was that the being within, the Void Horror who had so long ago been corrupted, was actively assisting Orodan in the matter.
Grayish-purple veins began to subside, the Eldritch energies in the air began to thin¡ and its pupil-less white eyes began to regain a semblance of consciousness.
Orodan would clean the Eldritch right out of this Avatar and restore it to being a regular Void Horror.
¡°No! We do not consent to this! We shall return, Orodan Wainwright, and Alastaia will face our truth once more,¡± it declared, and they furiously attempted to flee.
While Orodan could¡¯ve held them captive within their Avatar the same way they held other Avatars captive¡ he didn¡¯t press the issue as he had little time remaining. With one final angry screech of raw rage¡ the Eldritch divinities departed their Avatar altogether.
And the Void Horror lay motionless, unconscious from the strain, but Orodan sensed it was alive.
[Quest Completed ¡ú The Chosen Eldritch Star - Eldritch Avatar purified, Eldritch Gods thwarted, world protected]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier]
The reward sounded intriguing, but Orodan had no time to waste. He had less than ten minutes.
He¡¯d defeated the Eldritch Avatar within five minutes by completely purifying it and forcing the divinities inhabiting it to flee. If they¡¯d actively fought the entire thing, or the Void Horror within hadn¡¯t assisted him, then it would¡¯ve taken far longer. And of course, he¡¯d only faced two Eldritch Gods instead of three thanks to Vespidia¡¯s sacrifice.
Five minutes had passed, and Orodan had a feeling that he had ten minutes left given how the rumbling beneath the earth was getting progressively more powerful.
He refused to end the loop like this¡ Zaessythra, Vespidia, Balastion¡ so many people had given their lives only for Orodan to remain alone? His attention turned towards the one other thing that had survived all the battles and that unknown God¡¯s bombardment¡
¡the Eldritch crown of Balastion Novar.
Orodan had always wondered just how Balastion Novar knew about certain secrets, such as Akelrim Vedharna being a transmigrator or the psionic infiltration of Novarria by Eldiron, and after Zaessythra had told him, he understood. The crown was a divine artifact that could see souls over great distances, and when channelled at full power, it could see the souls of almost half of the world¡¯s beings, so great was its distance.
Balastion couldn¡¯t have used it to its full potential. He didn¡¯t have Eldritch Resistance, and even once he gained it in the end, he still risked falling to its corruption over long term exposure.
But Orodan was not the same as the first emperor.
The crown was placed upon his brow, and Orodan channelled the entirety of his soul energy into it right from the get-go. Going slowly wasn¡¯t his way at the best of times, and now when everything was on the line, he didn¡¯t even consider the thought.
The artifact creaked dangerously as it received titanic amounts of soul energy beyond what it was meant to handle. Orodan heard the whispers of the dangerous truth the Eldritch preached of, and he felt some minor damage go through to his body despite his Eldritch Resistance.
[Eldritch Resistance 53 ¡ú Eldritch Resistance 54]
Orodan had less than ten minutes left, not a lot of time. But it would be enough¡ it had to be.
What was time? And what was its connection to the soul?
Orodan had pondered the question for a while. Just before leaving for the Inter-Academy Tournament, he¡¯d ruminated on it, and now, he was about to make a gamble. Souls were unique in how they functioned in the river of time. Unlike material objects, souls had connections, like a focal point which had threads going out to objects, places, events, and even other souls.
Previously, Orodan couldn¡¯t really get a proper grasp of this as he had too little to work with.
But now as he beheld the souls of every being upon Alastaia¡ Orodan saw it. His understanding of time finally reached a milestone.
Only in using the crown and viewing all these other souls had he understood why he hadn¡¯t gained Time Mastery. Orodan¡¯s own soul was a bit strange with its connections in the river of time. Whether it was due to the time loops or the fact that he was viewing his own, he didn¡¯t know.
And he made a discovery that even the old dragon Kultuanir hadn¡¯t.
Fate had threads which all connected into a tapestry, such was known as the tapestry of fate which fate readers and diviners could glimpse into in attempts to find people and see their potential importance. And while Kultuanir, the patriarch of the Time Wind had caught onto the basic fact about souls being different within the river of time¡ what the old dragon lacked the energy and Eldritch Resistance to do¡ was channel enough energy into the crown to see enough souls at once to make the next step of his discovery.
That there was a river of time which could be viewed in its entirety as well.
His mind was on the verge of shattering from the strain of all the information. Frankly, he couldn¡¯t even parse the information accurately to understand who was where as he beheld all these souls. They were of varying strengths, with powerful beings deeper within the depths and nearer to the world core of Alastaia. Five particular signatures however did stand out to him. One soul was underground and making an absolute beeline for him, and four other souls from incredibly far beyond the world were also on a collision course with Alastaia, converging towards his location.
But they weren¡¯t his focus.
The river of time and all the connections he was viewing were.
A timeline where souls were the focal points which connected to other souls, objects, places, and events. And with a colossal effort, Orodan Wainwright threw his all into this timeline¡ and sought to reverse it.
[New Skill (Exquisite) ¡ú Time Mastery 17]
His body was reduced to a mere handful of cells as he channelled near-lethal amounts of soul energy towards altering time. And slowly but surely¡ the river of time began to warp with dangerous turbulence, as the time around certain souls and events began reversing.
And then¡
¡certain things began to go backwards.
[New Skill (Legendary) ¡ú Time Reversal 5]
Selectively manipulating certain souls in the river of time was difficult, particularly if they caused great waves or were of high skill levels. The energy costs were extreme beyond measure, and Orodan doubted even Eximus could do a fraction of what he was attempting.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 91 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 92]
He saw the soul of Balastion in the timeline, at peace and floating towards the dimensional boundary of the afterlife and reversed time for the first emperor. He saw the World Guardians, the Avatars, the Novarrians, he saw them all and reversed their courses. And he saw the soul of Zaessythra, horrifically savaged as it was, and attempted to drag it back. He faced some sort of powerful resistance in tampering with hers, as though whatever killed her had left a countermeasure.
Against his brute force and endless power however, such countermeasures failed.
Alas¡ trouble always had a way of finding Orodan Wainwright. In breaking the countermeasure, he¡¯d triggered some sort of in-built alarm it had.
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject - Timeline Vandal #17 - Slay Orodan Wainwright and preserve the timeline, maintain order in sector 7 for the Hegemony]
That sounded ominous¡ but Orodan refused to fail! He could not¡ he would not!
He would bring everyone back and reverse the effects of this horrid battle. He refused to believe there was any other alternative.
Ten minutes had passed, and a gigantic hand shot out of the ground, ready to envelop Orodan. However, at the last moment, the Void Horror that had slain him once he set foot past Alastaia¡¯s first gate¡ hesitated.
¡°B-brother¡ he is¡ he is free?¡± it asked in utter astonishment. The gray humanoid giant looked upon its unconscious brethren, the former Eldritch Avatar host, and looked to be in utter shock ¡°How? Have you¡ were you the one responsible for this?¡±
Orodan would have liked to reply, but he was a mere handful of glowing flesh from the sheer amount of soul energy he was channelling. He was too focused upon his current task.
¡°I¡ I see¡¡± the Void Horror said. ¡°Thank you¡ but we must go¡ I sense utterly calamitous forces coming for you. We cannot linger here, Orodan Wainwright. Alastaia has bid me to come rescue you. I am afraid I must take you with me, you will be safe within Alastaia¡¯s world core.¡±
Orodan was of course, vehemently opposed to that outcome. Being dragged into the world core as ¡®protection¡¯ sounded horrid. Unfortunately for both the Void Horror and Orodan, something else came into the picture and took the decision out of their hands. Or rather, a certain God returned.
[Dimensionalism 7 ¡ú Dimensionalism 8]
The dimensional boundary tore apart in a display of raw fury as a familiar fifty-armed God returned, the geometric shapes composing its face were rippling violently. Perhaps it was the expression of rage?
¡°Overlooking you was a mistake, pest. To think such a powerful thorn was hiding in plain sight¡¡± it uttered. ¡°To overpower the timeline protections I placed upon her soul, what are you? No matter, die.¡±
The concentrated beam of soul energy that had struck Zaessythra was fired towards him.
Zaessythra was on the verge of reforming into her book-bound form, as was Balastion and many of the fallen allies he¡¯d fought alongside. However, it was too late, and Orodan still refused to accept it.
If he tried channelling any more soul energy, he really would die. And when the attack hit him, he would die regardless.
As the beam was about to strike, he saw two utterly gigantic cosmic eyes of an ethereal nature take shape behind the fifty-armed God, and they were peering at him intently for a moment.
The next instant, they widened like saucers.
¡°Astalavar! Do not kill it! It is a time loo-¡±
Darkness took him, and Orodan¡¯s rage and bitterness burned bright the entire way.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
And the sounds of the harpies were immediately drowned out¡
¡as all of Ogdenborough heard Orodan¡¯s howls of pure rage and pain.
He got to his feet and immediately channelled power enough to destroy the Republic many times over and threw it all into Time Reversal¡ but it was to no avail as the souls he was looking for had no time link back to the last loop.
It was gone¡ it was all gone.
And Orodan¡¯s roars of rage were heard across all of Volarbury County as soul energy erupted from him, covering the skies, filling the air, amplifying his voice like that of an enraged God.
Unfortunately, he had no time to rest as System messages flashed by his vision.
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Recruiting A Celestial Genius - Capture Orodan Wainwright and bring him back to Xian. Grow the strength of our world and reach beyond the heavens]
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Celestial Blood - Capture Orodan Wainwright and bring him back to Narictus. Grow the power of the bloodlines upon our world, long live the eternal night]
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú A Soul Worthy Of Hell - Capture Orodan Wainwright and bring him to the first hell. Grow the power of the devil race, usher the birth of a new Prime Evil]
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Subject #125 - Capture being, identification: Orodan Wainwright. Return to World X2. Directive one: examination. Directive two: alliance]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Guarding Alastaia¡¯s Talent - Capture Orodan Wainwright and protect him from otherworldly intruders, maintain the strength of Alastaia]
Beneath him the ground trembled, the sign of the Void Horror from below coming up for him. Above him, the stars shifted; otherworldly intruders were on the way to capture him for their own ends.
Much like his Mythical skill had drawn attention before, his Celestial skill was doing the same now. Except, on a far larger scale.
Fifteen minutes till the Void Horror reached him, and based on his calculations, thirty minutes till the first of the otherworldly comets reached him from the wormholes that had opened up.
His heart was pained and heavy with loss. He¡¯d known this was the most likely outcome, yet still refused to accept it.
He only hoped his friends had found peace in their last moments.
For Balastion, for Vespidia, and for Zaessythra¡ Orodan would go on. A maniacal grin overtook his face as he gripped his weapons tightly in both hands.
Fifteen minutes before the first foe reached him, and another fifteen before the otherworlders did. Each loop then, would be fifteen minutes long at minimum. His new set of short loops for the foreseeable future.
And at the end of it all? He planned on descending the world core and getting some answers, even breaking the damned thing if need be. Why did the divine tower remember his foes across loops? Who¡¯d built it? Who the hells were Astalavar and the Hegemony? And what was that pair of gigantic eyes the size of stars?
Too many questions, not enough answers. Orodan intended to beat the answers out of every single interview subject on his list.
But fifteen minutes was a long time. Enough so that it was time for some perfect cleaning.
If they were coming for him anyways, what did he care? His Celestial skill shot out, and within a second, the surrounding ten blocks of Ogdenborough were cleaned. Wounds were healed, souls were enriched, the ground was bettered, houses were made whole¡ and altogether, everything was perfectly clean.
The perfect cleaning of Ogdenborough and Volarbury County; it would undoubtedly cause a lot of chaos and become a national event. And followed by that¡ death. As many times as it took until he had his answers and could beat back these otherworldly intruders.
Angry as he was, pain he might¡¯ve felt, but his words of wisdom to Vespidia during the tournament weren¡¯t wrong. Yes, he was in a time loop, but that hadn¡¯t really changed who he was at core. Only evolved it.
On the day he¡¯d received his strange power, Orodan had been grinding away at his various skills all morning.
And now that he was in a time loop?
He had more skills and foes to stubbornly grind away against.
Chapter 45 - Fifteen Minutes I
Fifteen minutes.
That was how long Orodan had before the first of his pursuers reached him.
For him however, fifteen minutes was a lot of time to get work done.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, and the surrounding ten blocks were irrevocably altered.
Something had inexplicably changed in Ogdenborough, specifically in Briar Court and the surrounding ten blocks. And as Orodan walked out of his utterly immaculate hovel, he began to hear the people who were awoken in the night.
¡°What the¡ what happened?! The smell! Mother! The smell is finally gone! I don¡¯t smell tannins anymore!¡± cried the tanner¡¯s daughter in relief as the man¡¯s house finally lost its ever-present stench.
¡°My¡ what even was that? I feel so invigorated¡¡±
¡°Darling! Your hair¡ it¡¯s entirely black! You¡ you¡¯re young again!¡±
¡°Who the hells woke me up? I¡¯m parched, where¡¯s my waterskin?¡± one man uttered, and then a cry of shock rang out. ¡°B-by the Gods¡ this water tastes incredible!¡±
All around him, Orodan could hear similar words of shock and astonishment from the usage of his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. The skill actually hadn¡¯t increased in level with this single usage, but its advance felt close, and Orodan instinctively had a hunch that this skill would face no bottlenecks for a long while.
He stepped out of his hovel and surveyed the shocked faces of everyone on his street as they were awoken by the intrusive, if beneficial, changes to their bodies. Every single person within ten blocks had been irrevocably changed for the better.
The very ground for a half mile had been utterly purified, and the effects were quite pronounced. Orodan could sense the vitality and mana flowing through everything better as all impurities had been completely removed. Essentially, the surrounding half mile was completely pure, without flaws and impurities.
He wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to call himself divine, and neither would he ever want to be, but many would see him as such with feats like these. And it raised the question of what else Orodan could do now that he had all this power.
Of course, the clock was ticking.
It was still the first thirty seconds of the loop, and Old Man Hannegan usually didn¡¯t arrive at the construction site for the warehouse at 4 Ale Road until after Orodan¡¯s morning Physical Fitness regimen. The old man was a hard worker and would get up at night just to collect the lumber from the supplier in Scarmorrow so he could make it back in time for the beginning of the workday.
Frankly, the laborers who worked under the old man should¡¯ve been ashamed, as the man¡¯s work ethic far outstripped theirs.
And now, in a loop where Orodan had but fifteen minutes until the Void Horror came to capture him from beneath? He decided to skip traveling altogether.
[Teleportation 14 ¡ú Teleportation 15]
Space tore apart as a Teleportation took him to where he wanted to be, the middle of the road between Scarmorrow and Ogdenborough, dead in the night. A cart loaded with cheap lumber, being pulled by a mule. In the driver¡¯s seat of this cart, sat Old Man Hannegan, and he was angrily waving a lit torch at a covetous pair of wolves.
Yes, Ogdenborough had a branch of the county militia, but it had no mounted unit. And leadership decided patrolling the road between Ogdenborough and Scarmorrow was unnecessary at night. For the old man to travel the unguarded road while the moon was visible in the sky¡ it made Orodan¡¯s respect for him grow considerably.
¡°Away with you! Hungry mutts! This mule makes way for an important task! You won¡¯t be taking a bite of his rump tonight!¡± the old man yelled as he waved his torch in an effort to be intimidating. Of course, behind the old man¡ was Orodan. And upon seeing him the wolves all fled immediately as their instincts told them certain death approached. ¡°That¡¯s right! And keep running! Haha¡ haven¡¯t wrestled a wolf since I was a young man, hmm, who- Orodan!?¡±
The sudden scare looked like it took a year off the man.
¡°What would you have even done if they charged? Beat them with your walking stick?¡± Orodan asked as he tore space around the old man and the entirety of the mule-driven cart of lumber. ¡°Anyhow, no time to talk. Let¡¯s go build that warehouse, old man.¡±
Ordinarily, the costs of Teleportation increased as more people and objects were ferried along. But what did this matter to Orodan? The old man and his mule-driven cart were teleported straight to the work site at 4 Ale Road.
¡°Orodan?! What¡¯s happening?! This strange energy is surrounding me and¡ and¡¡± the old man trailed off as he realized he was suddenly at 4 Ale Road, cart, mule and lumber included. ¡°How? How are we here? Is this what space mages are capable of? But¡ the anti-spatiomancy wards around the county¡¡±
¡°¡aren¡¯t an issue for me. Any ward which can be defeated by brute force is no obstacle. No more explanations though, time is too short, let¡¯s build,¡± Orodan said as he immediately threw the lumber into a pile. ¡°C¡¯mon old man, we can get this done before your lazy laborers show up.¡±
In truth, while Orodan spoke as though he needed Old Man Hannegan, he really didn¡¯t. He¡¯d built this warehouse so many times by now that he knew the steps by heart. If he needed lumber, he could teleport to the woods and uproot a few dozen trees to bring back. If he needed manpower, he could simply summon his ¡®clones¡¯.
Dragging along the old man was simply an excuse to show him the fruits of his completed warehouse. It was also entertainment¡ and a distraction.
His heart simply wasn¡¯t ready to Teleport and meet with his former companions yet. The events of the last long loop still weighed heavily on his heart and mind, and to counter this, Orodan threw himself into work of these short loops and the eventual combat he would face at the end of the fifteen minutes.
¡°Wait, Orodan! Without the architect we can¡¯t build this¡ ah¡ never mind¡¡± Old Man Hannegan muttered. ¡°I¡¯d ask how you know Vilia¡¯s blueprints by heart, but I¡¯m just going to go along with this.¡±
"Hmm¡ before we go any further¡ this work site is dirty, let¡¯s fix that,¡± Orodan said, and then, his Celestial rarity skill activated and the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning erupted outwards in a half mile radius.
¡°Hrk¡! What is this feeling? I feel like I¡¯ve become young again,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. Although¡ Orodan couldn¡¯t exactly refer to him as ¡®Old Man¡¯ Hannegan now, could he?
¡°Well, given the sudden lack of grey hairs and wrinkles, I¡¯d say you are young again,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Hmm¡ I¡¯m surprised the synchronization with Basic Healing can cause even this.¡±
Basic Healing had a low skill level, and Orodan was surprised it had any impact at all when it came to cleaning¡ but for the previously weak skill to be amplified so much? Was this the power of a Celestial skill? The ability to uplift any skill within it to its level?
¡°Synchronization with what? What skill even is that? Orodan¡ this doesn¡¯t make sense, none of it should be possible!¡± Hannegan protested. ¡°No Bloodline should be capable of this¡ no Blessing can do so much, who are you and what have you done with Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°It¡¯s still me, the same battle-happy maniac you know,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Just¡ given the power to do this over and over without end, and having experienced pain I¡¯d rather not have¡¡±
Even saying that caused the memories of his companions to return and assault him full tilt.
Orodan said nothing else and simply used the remainder of the time to work. He got about three-quarters of the way through building the warehouse before the Void Horror was close enough that it was time to interrupt whatever he was doing.
A gigantic gray hand was on the verge of breaking the surface and crushing all in its grasp.
Only for a Spatial Fold to shoot out and envelop the hand, alongside the being it was connected to.
The Void Horror thrashed, struggled and flared its energies turbulently in an attempt to throw Orodan¡¯s spatial manipulation off. Its energy reserves were incredibly high, and no other spatiomancer could directly manipulate the kinetic vector of so powerful a being. Of course, Orodan was a different case.
His Spatial Fold caused the Void Horror to skip the surface entirely and instead be flung into the sky. The work site, the civilians nearby and the old man were spared an unfortunate fate.
¡°If I hadn¡¯t changed your direction, you would¡¯ve killed a bunch of people with your entry,¡± Orodan told it. ¡°You can¡¯t just burrow up into the middle of town when you¡¯re that big.¡±
The Void Horror looked slightly perplexed and more than a little alarmed at how easily it was directly manipulated via Spatial Fold. It also seemed wary at just how casual Orodan was being. In fact, Orodan knew he could send it deep into the void between stars if he wanted, thereby avoiding this whole situation in each loop.
But that would be unsporting, and given what happened to its brother, a bit cruel too.
And Orodan desperately wanted this fight.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, I apologize for offending you, but we must retreat to the world core of Alastaia. Great danger comes our way,¡± it spoke. ¡°Please come with me¡ or I shall have to ensure your safety by force.¡±
A crazed grin covered Orodan¡¯s face as the sword and shield in his hands were gripped tighter than ever.
¡°By force you say?¡± Orodan asked in a tone most unsettling to his would-be abductor. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to battling you for a while now, so by all means¡ use force!¡±
Only fifteen minutes of the loop had passed, and as a result, the moon still hung overhead. Perfectly in the line of sight for an overcharged Spatial Fold.
A Flash Strike took him towards the surprised Void Horror who reacted in time, however his goal was merely to slam into it and gain some forward motion towards the fold in space. And before either of them knew it, they¡¯d crashed right into the moon, causing a titanic quake and scaring all the local monsters away.
¡°You fool! You¡¯ve brought us to the fallen remnants of Alastaia¡¯s sister world! We cannot easily return now!¡± the Void Horror exclaimed and looked almost panicked at the thought of being away from the world.
¡°I won¡¯t send you into the void to be corrupted like your brother was,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now come, you slew me in a single blow last time. Let¡¯s see how much stronger I¡¯ve become since then.¡±
If it had questions related to what Orodan said, it didn¡¯t voice them.
The only thing that mattered the next instant¡ was the deadly clash of blows in a toe-to-toe battle between them. To Orodan¡¯s pleasant surprise, he found he was now strong enough to weather its first blow. Hells, given how damaged it looked from the return, he might even stand a good chance.
Of course, the fact that Orodan realized this, meant that the Void Horror did too.
¡°Forgive me Alastaia¡ I cannot complete your Quest¡¡± it muttered, closing its eyes. ¡°To capture such a being would be impossible. Instead¡ I ask permission to slay him so that the otherworldly intruders may leave you in peace as his soul departs.¡±
A moment passed¡ and then¡
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Diverting Attention From Alastaia - Kill Orodan Wainwright before the arrival of the otherworldly intruders. Divert their attention away from Alastaia]
It waited for a moment, with eyes closed, before its eyes opened with resolute determination.
Orodan learned the hard way that the Void Horror had no compunctions with ruthlessly throwing hundreds of lethal attacks towards him. Even if he could survive its first blow, that didn¡¯t mean he could survive the next hundred which all came within an instant.
Seven minutes.
That was how long the Void Horror took to make Orodan embrace the darkness with its attacks.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
Orodan immediately got to work and threw out his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning with as much force as he could muster.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 65 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 66]
Immediately, all filth and impurities in the surrounding mile were eliminated, and Orodan hummed in approval of the skill level increase and its tangible benefit.
The usual Quest and Quest Subject messages flashed by him, and he ignored them as always.
Fighting the Void Horror was tricky. Orodan wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit it was well beyond his weight class, and he had no advantage against the soul energy-based attacks it fielded. It was direct soul energy, and Orodan wasn¡¯t sure how to begin training a resistance skill for that.
Even without Divine Resistance, he could beat a Chosen One Avatar now, he had grown powerful enough for it. The Eldritch Avatar too, while quite far beyond him at the moment, could be bested through his Celestial skill and the assistance of the Void Horror within who sought freedom. Of course, he¡¯d fought it while it had two divinities within and not three, but he could work up to cleaning it at full power. He also had Eldritch Resistance.
Which made this uncorrupted Void Horror a very difficult battle. No resistance skills, and a foe which sought to kill him with fury the moment it realized his death was the better option for Alastaia.
If anything¡
¡°This will be good training,¡± Orodan said with a happy grin on his face.
He had been looking for a foe to truly sharpen himself against for a while. No resistance skills to rely upon, and he refused to cheaply send it out to space or flee. Orodan would accept nothing less than the fundamentals of combat, his sword, shield and warrior spirit as the path to victory.
It was also fifteen minutes to cram in as much practice as he could before his pursuer¡¯s arrival.
Training for many loops and over the course of long loops was one way of making progress. But¡ there was another method of getting work done. And that was to desperately get as much done as possible within a time limit.
Who knew? Perhaps forcing himself to work efficiently on a time crunch would lead to unexpected benefits. And in these fifteen minutes, he could go wild and seek out all manner of different skills or improve existing ones in the strangest of ways.
And so began the insane misadventures of Orodan Wainwright. Or at least, anyone who saw would refer to it as such. For him, it was just excellent training.
He had multiple targets and consequently couldn¡¯t always get to work kidnapping Old Man Hannegan and building the warehouse. So, in the next loop he decided to work on another venture.
Time Mastery and Time Reversal.
¡°Oi¡ who¡¯re you?!¡± asked one of the near-Adept guards of House Argon. ¡°Eversong Plaza¡¯s not open at this time, and take those rags off, I won¡¯t ask again. Your face scarred or something?¡±
[Disguise 1 ¡ú Disguise 2]
The level gain gave Orodan a vague understanding that his disguise of wrapping a dirty rag around his head¡ was pathetic. He could see through Vision of Purity, so it didn¡¯t even have any eye holes cut out, which made him look like one of the many corpses that lined the drawers of Ogdenborough¡¯s morgue.
His brown hair stuck out at many points too, which meant Orodan still had a ways to go.
Still¡ at least he wasn¡¯t immediately discovered like he was last time. That it was night, and the light was low likely contributed to that.
¡°Hey¡ wait a minute¡ I don¡¯t know too many people that big¡ isn¡¯t that¡¡± an overwatch on a nearby balcony of the tavern above muttered, and Orodan didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s Orodan Wainwright!¡±
Damn it. Orodan could only sigh. Perhaps one day his disguises would be worth something.
His Domain Of Perfect Cleaning immediately shot out and eradicated all impurities for a mile. And the Absolute Soul Dominion part of the skill did its work and knocked everyone unconscious. The skills combined into Domain Of Perfect Cleaning were all still accessible, their individual functions capable of being used, as was the general rule with all skill combinations.
Orodan walked into the tavern and made way for its upper floor.
At the very beginning of his most recent long loop, Orodan had discovered a torture room in the upper levels of the tavern. A room which contained a chair with the corpse of a restrained man who had the signs of being interrogated far too harshly. At the time, Orodan had left the man be and simply placed a blanket over the corpse. However, in that loop it was afternoon when he¡¯d entered the tavern. But now it was nighttime, and the loop had just begun.
Vision Of Purity already saw what was behind the door, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise when he saw the unconscious body of Lord Aeglos near the corpse of the tortured man. The Elite-level pyromancer he¡¯d died against so many times in the past was the one who¡¯d tortured this man to death, and while Orodan felt the urge to slaughter the heir to the traitorous noble house, he held off as the man was unconscious and it rankled his pride to kill the man without giving him the opportunity to fight back.
Petty revenge wasn¡¯t his goal however, and he instead turned to look at the corpse in the chair.
The deceased man hadn¡¯t died too long ago. The blood still flowing from certain wounds indicated as such. Orodan draped a nearby blanket over the man out of respect¡ and he got to work.
Chronomancers were capable of resurrecting the fallen¡ and what better target to start with as practice for Orodan¡¯s first attempt than one who was unjustly slain recently?
Time Mastery shot outward, and Time Reversal began to activate.
Time Mastery informed him that the man had been slain perhaps thirty minutes ago. Mortal chronomancers at the Grandmaster-level could perhaps reverse time for a handful of minutes. Thirty minutes was far too long for a mortal Grandmaster of chronomancy. Perhaps only a dragon chronomancer could manage the feat as the energy cost of reverting time by thirty minutes was simply too much.
The feat he aimed to perform was far more difficult than merely reversing time by thirty minutes. Pulling the soul back through time was substantially more expensive in terms of energy cost. And if the soul of the deceased had already crossed the dimensional boundary and gone into the afterlife? There were no records of successful chronomantic resurrections in that case.
But what did Orodan Wainwright care about energy limitations?
Reversing time to draw a soul back to the body and heal it was akin to pulling on a rope and drawing time backwards for that specific being. The longer it had been since death, the harder this ¡®rope¡¯ was to pull. The more damage the body or soul suffered, the more difficult it was. Hells, if the soul had already passed into the afterlife, the cost was outright impossible to pay, even for dragons.
The official words of the Cathedral were that Malzim collected all souls immediately upon death. Orodan of course, knew this was a lie as he¡¯d often seen the souls of enemies he killed linger for upwards of twenty minutes before drifting away and presumably crossing a dimensional divide. Which meant that he was out of luck on this corpse¡
¡or he would be, if he were an ordinary chronomancer.
His breakthrough in understanding time meant that he understood that objects, places and events all had connections to souls if there were any. This deceased man¡¯s body, still had a faint connection in the river of time to his soul, and Orodan grasped this connection with the full might of his soul energy¡ and pulled.
Teleportation sent all the unconscious bodies out of the tavern as Orodan felt the building tremble at how much energy he was spending. Still, he didn¡¯t relent, even as his body began to suffer minor damage.
It wasn¡¯t anywhere near the damage he suffered trying to bring his friends back in the last long loop, but even a basic Time Reversal for a single person was shockingly expensive
Slowly, almost impossibly, as though something else sought to battle him, the ¡®rope¡¯ of time was pulled backwards, and the changes began to be reversed. The tavern¡¯s entire upper floor turned to ash from the eruption of power from Orodan¡
¡and he felt angry divine power attempt to counter the occurrence from somewhere far away. Of course, this divine power lacked the energy to compete with Orodan.
With a final pull and a roar of effort that tore free from his lips, Orodan was successful.
[Time Mastery 17 ¡ú Time Mastery 21]
[Time Reversal 5 ¡ú Time Reversal 12]
And the eyes of the deceased shot open.
¡°Mother¡? Am I finally home?¡± the man asked, a scratchy voice indicating dehydration. ¡°Why does it not hurt anymore? I see¡ another healing potion to prolong the suffering, isn¡¯t it? Just kill me¡ please¡ I won¡¯t tell anyone of what I saw here¡¡±
Orodan felt some pity for the recently returned man, and decided to reverse time a bit more to when the man wasn¡¯t dehydrated. Which turned out to be four days ago.
¡°You¡¯re alive friend¡ but I don¡¯t know for how long,¡± Orodan said, thinking of the fact that in fifteen minutes this loop¡¯s finale would begin. ¡°I¡¯m going to teleport you to Karilsgard. You¡¯re better off there instead of here where a rather tumultuous battle is about to take place.¡±
¡°What? Wait¡ who are you? I thought I¡¯d died¡¡± the man muttered weakly. While his body was now fine, his mind, was not. Altering the mind through time magic was something even the patriarch of the Time Wind couldn¡¯t do. The mind was an extension of the soul, and reverting it or skill gains, was considered truly impossible, even for Gods. ¡°Thank you¡ I can see my wife and little girl again. I¡¯m not even affiliated with the Republic, I¡¯m just a cartographer who came up through the tunnels.¡±
This¡ this was power on an utterly godlike scale.
He always knew he was powerful. But the power to destroy, and the power to bring back the dead were two different things. Anyone could hit harder with time and mindless repetition. But to bring back the dead? To resurrect the dead in so casual a manner? Just how far could he go down the river of time?
A heavy feeling of responsibility settled on Orodan¡¯s shoulders, and he welcomed it alongside the power he wielded. Others might have shied away from it, considering the task too heavy, or some might think they¡¯d go mad if they tried taking on the burden. But Orodan was the kind of man who would make a problem his problem if he saw fit.
Making weak excuses to avoid resurrecting victims of injustice was the way of the spineless. He¡¯d heard all manner of nonsensical philosophizing from the priests of the Cathedral for why the Gods didn¡¯t bring loved ones back. They were occupied with protecting mortals; they were preserving the balance. Bad things would happen.
Orodan thought these all to be weak excuses.
He had no such limitations and cared not for this nebulous concept of balance. The excuses reeked of either inability or unwillingness. He would use Time Mastery to ease the pains and sorrow of people. And if anyone descended upon him in response? He would face all comers.
But that was a goal reserved for once he was out of this set of death loops, and he¡¯d need far more practice and skill levels than he had now. And since he¡¯d so brazenly bested the resisting force of divine energy during the formerly deceased man¡¯s resurrection¡ he felt multiple Avatars coming his way.
He teleported himself out of the tavern and to the peak of Mount Castarian, partially to allow them to find him easier, and partially because Orodan wanted to avoid innocent deaths.
He reached down to the ancient machine¡¯s mana core to quickly drain it.
[Quest Completed ¡ú Battle of Ogdenborough - Ancient war machine disabled]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +1 Action Increase]
It was good to see all his soul strengthening throughout the long loop had paid off. He now had more room for additional Rewards.
The first two Avatars he saw tearing through space to sail towards him like comets were the Avatars of Eximus¡ and Malzim.
¡°Who dares defile the sanctity of the afterlife?! If you have done something untoward with the soul, you shall answer for your crimes!¡± Malzim roared.
¡°To affect the river of time with such power¡ who are you, mortal?¡± Eximus asked.
¡°Nothing untoward has been done with the soul, you have my word Malzim. The man has been teleported to Karilsgard, he was the victim of torture and interrogation,¡± Orodan answered, and then turned to the Avatar of Eximus with a bloodthirsty grin. ¡°As for who I am? My name is Orodan Wainwright, and I bear a grudge against you.¡±
¡°I do not even know y-¡±
There was no time for further conversation. He had ten minutes left before the Void Horror arrived.
Orodan targeted the Avatar of Eximus first, and all of his empowerment skills activated as he shot towards the Avatar with a Flash Strike, dragging the divine with him as he flew far away from Ogdenborough and civilization. Malzim followed but seemed unwilling to commit upon witnessing how powerful Orodan was.
He¡¯d been hesitant to harm the Avatar of the God of Death, particularly since he owed the Death God a debt. And as far as Gods went, Malzim was one of the better ones. But thankfully, the fact that Malzim was a bit craven and actively avoided risk meant Orodan needn¡¯t be concerned.
The earth shook and the tremors must¡¯ve been felt all the way in Karilsgard as Orodan landed, using the Avatar of Eximus to absorb the impact. He dragged the divine along the ground and came to a stop, atop the Avatar.
¡°Sacrilege! You dare assault the Avatar of a God?!¡± Eximus roared in outrage and fired a divine beam, only to be shocked into silence as it was utterly ineffective. ¡°¡Divine Resistance? How¡? How?! Who are you?!¡±
Orodan cared not for Eximus¡¯s words but sought to pay the God back for all the trouble he¡¯d caused. In particular, one good thing about Orodan¡¯s newly created Celestial skill was that he could now cross the System boundary within the soul core. This was what allowed him to cleanse the Eldritch Avatar and send the two remaining divinities within running.
And this would be what allowed him to now scour a God and their Blessings clean from someone.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and utterly enveloped the Avatar of Eximus. And as it pressed deeper into the host¡¯s soul, a wail of divine horror and agony rang out.
¡°For someone who enjoys manipulating mortals so much alongside your brethren, it¡¯s not very pleasant when a mortal turns the tables, is it?¡± Orodan asked as he dug deep and cleanly scoured the soul of the man Eximus was using as host. All the while, he had the God of Time trapped within his Avatar, similar to how the Eldritch trapped them in the last long loop.
¡°No! Please! I beg of you¡ I plead you show mercy! I do not recall ever offending you!¡± Eximus begged, and it was so odd to hear a proud God beg in such a manner. ¡°I shall be unconscious for a very long time, and there is a threat beyond your reckoning that makes way for Alastaia!¡±
¡°You ask for mercy when you schemed against me in the past? If I were powerless and you had the advantage, I have no doubt you would oppress me,¡± Orodan said. The measure of someone¡¯s character became apparent when they had all the power, and Eximus had failed the test of character in the long loop where he, Agathor and Ilyatana had conspired to possess Orodan. ¡°And as for the threat that comes for us? I¡¯ve killed it once and scoured the Eldritch from it last time. I won¡¯t be needing your help with the Eldritch Avatar, that¡¯s for sure.¡±
With a final burst of soul energy, Orodan cleansed the soul of Cruxamar Aetholion and eradicated all three Blessings of Eximus alongside any traces of the God of Time¡¯s foul divine energy. It was only through Orodan¡¯s will that the God of Time¡¯s consciousness was held within Cruxamar. Otherwise, without any Blessings or divine energy to make the process easier, the God of Time couldn¡¯t possess the man.
And now¡ it was time to clean the stain of divinity.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out towards the small piece of the God remaining within and began utterly scouring it.
Horrid wails of pain and desperation rang out, but Orodan cared not. Many of these Gods were a blight upon the world, and it was only right that they be cleansed from it in painful fashion that they might think twice before attempting to manipulate the mortals upon it.
Getting rid of such manipulative Gods was a part of Balastion¡¯s dream for a better world. And while Orodan couldn¡¯t bring his friend from that loop back, at the very least he thought the dream a worthy one and this small act was the least he could do to honor his memory.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 66 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 67]
Orodan pushed and pushed, and Eximus continued howling, however something was missing, and he felt he wouldn¡¯t make enough progress in the time he had left. Truly scouring a God¡¯s consciousness and mind required more than just the soul arts.
In fact, a path lay before him. His Celestial skill, it was ¡®open¡¯ in a sense, in that he instinctively felt he could add skills to it to expand its scope as long as his understanding was high enough. Perhaps this was the key to destroying the consciousness of Eximus?
Either way, his ruminations on the matter were brought to an end as the familiar Void Horror arrived, and Orodan realized that many death loops of training were in store for him before he got anywhere.
The first thirty death loops were spent honing his Time Mastery and combat skills.
There was something about forcing himself to operate under a fifteen-minute time limit that made progress fast. Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if it was the pressure of an impending deadline, or the threat of death looming above his head, but he was akin to a student in the last minute of an examination, desperate to find an answer before the clock struck. And this forced him to become more efficient, amplifying his insights.
Of course, not everyone would have his mindset in such a scenario, but he truly did treat each loop very seriously and immediately got to working hard the instant he gained awareness in his bed. And the gains were excellent.
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity, All-Strike, Unassailable Fortress and Endless Blitz had all gained levels. And on the combat side of things, Unarmed Combat Mastery, Combat Mastery and Sword and Shield Mastery had also increased a level apiece. The Void Horror was strong, incredibly so. And this translated to great benefits across the board when dragging it to the moon and engaging in combat against it.
Space Mastery, Spatial Fold and Teleportation had made excellent gains through his usage of them to send innocents away or drag the foe elsewhere. His Space Mastery now sat at 56, making him a Space Adept.
And the skill he was focusing on, Time Reversal and the overarching Time Mastery? They¡¯d made great gains. With Time Reversal now at 26 and Time Mastery at 29.
And Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was now at 69, close to crossing over into the Elite-level.
Sadly, his Action Increases had frustratingly capped at 14! He felt that the Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier took up a decent amount of soul space, and he still wasn¡¯t sure what it did, but he had a theory he would hopefully get the chance to test soon.
This loop, Orodan had a feeling that he might do better against the Void Horror. And to that end, he teleported directly into Eversong Plaza the instant he woke up.
¡°Oi! Who¡¯re you?!¡± exclaimed the same near-Adept guard. ¡°What¡¯re you wearing a covering for? Hey, get someone with a perception skill to look at him.¡±
Unlike the first time, there were no more spots where his brown hair peeked out. His Disguise skill was now at level 8, and this was enough to at least allow him to cover up adequately. Of course, masking his natural size might take at least the Apprentice-level.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°The hells? I don¡¯t know too many people that big¡ ain¡¯t that¡¡± the observer muttered, and then the man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°My Eagle Sight confirms it! That¡¯s Orodan Wainwr-¡±
With a sigh, he interrupted the observer. The Absolute Soul Dominion aspect of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and sent everyone into unconsciousness. It truly was powerful, allowing the previously range-limited Mythical soul skill to piggyback off of the increased range of his new Celestial skill. Knocking almost a hundred people in a plaza and building unconscious in a moment wasn¡¯t something he had the finesse to easily do before.
His disguise that he¡¯d put so much effort into was thrown aside for this loop. Thirty loops of disguise attempts and he still only got the skill to level 8. It was difficult to accept that his natural talent in the art of disguise was lacking¡ but he would soldier on all the same.
He entered the tavern and made way for the upper floor where the corpse of the deceased man was, and he removed all nearby individuals who might be harmed from the building¡¯s destruction as he held the man aloft with ¡®clones¡¯ using Whirlpool Whirlwind.
And with a burst of power, he violated the sanctity of Inuan¡¯s afterlife, overpowering any divine attempts to stop him. Time reversed, and the man was returned to life as his soul was pulled backwards across the dimensional boundary.
[Time Reversal 26 ¡ú Time Reversal 27]
[Time Mastery 29 ¡ú Time Mastery 30]
[New Title ¡ú Time Apprentice]
Immediately, the man was teleported to Karilsgard and Orodan made way for the peak of Mount Castarian where he would meet the two Avatars who came for him in battle.
¡°Who dares defile the sanctity of the afterlife?! If you have done something untoward with the soul, you shall an-¡±
Malzim¡¯s protest of outrage was cut short as Orodan¡¯s Flash Strike dragged the Death God¡¯s fellow Avatar away. The Avatar of Eximus could only shriek in outrage and agony as Orodan slammed him upon the ground and began the cleaning process.
Eximus¡¯s howls of agony began to subside as Orodan got closer and closer to scouring the taint of the God out of the host¡¯s soul, and then¡ he began his experimentation on the remnant bit of Eximus¡¯s consciousness trapped within Cruxamar¡¯s body.
Celestial skills were powerful. Domain Of Perfect Cleaning had allowed Orodan to essentially beat the Eldritch Avatar one-on-one when it was almost two-thirds as strong. Consequently, any skill level gains in it felt incredibly strong. But, even in going from 65 to 69, no matter how much he pushed to purify the remnant of Eximus¡¯s consciousness he had restrained, it wouldn¡¯t completely wipe the God of Time¡¯s mind.
Orodan decided then, that something was missing. And his next set of fifteen minutes would be spent adding a skill to Domain Of Perfect Cleaning to rectify the matter.
Unfortunately, fifteen minutes had passed, and Orodan felt the familiar outstretched hand of the Void Horror coming up from below as the earthquakes became progressively worse.
Spatial Fold shot out, and the foe was directly thrown to the moon as Orodan leapt through the fold as well to join.
As usual, upon arrival the Void Horror was perplexed and more than a bit wary of Orodan¡¯s power.
Anti-spatiomancy items functioned on the principal of maintaining a decently sized battery of mana on one¡¯s person. The mana itself was unusable due to being unattuned to the person¡¯s own mana core, but it was chaotic and turbulent, both of which made attempts at direct spatial manipulation of a person more difficult. Even without anti-spatiomancy items, being skilled in manipulating their soul energy could cycle it in a turbulent manner and cause attempts at both spatiomancy and chronomancy to become difficult.
So, for the Void Horror, who possessed a prodigious amount of soul energy and also knew how to cycle it to make hostile spatiomancy more difficult? It was naturally on-edge whenever Orodan used Spatial Fold to send it to the moon despite its best efforts. It was a clear signal to it that Orodan had unfathomable amounts of energy and painted him as a threat from the get-go.
For thirty loops they¡¯d fought, and every single time it would become paranoid and take the fight seriously from the beginning. Which left no room for tricks, attempts at feigning weakness or capitalizing on its initial directive to capture and not kill him.
Which was just fine by Orodan as a fairly fought victory would be the only kind he¡¯d accept.
This loop however, he felt close to the tipping point where a difference would be made.
¡°The moon?! You fool! Now how will we return?!¡± it roared in rage, clearly unhappy with the prospect of being separated from its home world.
¡°And you¡¯d rather we fight on Alastaia where we might destroy an entire nation with our battle?¡± Orodan asked as the grip on his weapons tightened. ¡°You can just leap from here back to our world, can you not? You¡¯re certainly strong enough for it.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t my intention to do battle with you,¡± the Void Horror said. ¡°Forces from beyond our world come in search of you, they will arrive very soon. Let us retreat to Alastaia¡¯s world core where the core guardian will keep you safe and ward off the intruders.¡±
¡°In other words, be swaddled like an infant while someone else fights my battles for me?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯d rather fight them myself.¡±
¡°Can you not see?! The universe is a dangerous place full of tyrants and mad divinities who would torture us all! Just-¡± it cut itself off and sighed. ¡°No matter. If you will not come with, then I shall make you.¡±
¡°Now that¡¯s what I like to hear,¡± Orodan said as a manic grin came upon his face in response. ¡°Fight me toe-to-toe and hold nothing back. You won¡¯t succeed in capturing me, so fight at full force.¡±
¡°Arrogant, what makes you think the strongest gate guardian of-¡±
Too much talking, not enough fighting. Orodan corrected that state of affairs and interrupted the Void Horror¡¯s words with a Flash Strike, and a furious melee began.
The past thirty loops of combat against it had not only given him increases in skill levels which contributed to narrowing the gap, but it also allowed him to get a good read on its fighting style. Hells, even the Void Horror expressed some frustrated surprise at having its moves predicted before it even made them.
The first loop he¡¯d fought it, he died within minutes. Now the time was extending with each loop as he made gains and slowly but stubbornly bettered himself through his deaths against it.
A downward swing of its arm which shattered the equivalent of a small kingdom met Orodan¡¯s shield, and the resulting shockwave levelled a substantial part of the moon¡¯s surface. Yet, the shield and the arm bracing it held.
[Shield Mastery 81 ¡ú Shield Mastery 82]
And as the shield lowered, a feral look of excitement upon Orodan¡¯s face was revealed.
¡°Took thirty loops¡ but with this level gain, I can take a full-strength blow on my shield and not buckle from the blow,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Thank you for your tutelage.¡±
It was time for the pendulum to begin swinging the other way.
His shield was the defense, and an Endless Blitz of All-Strikes was the offense. His attacks were powerful, but each one didn¡¯t necessarily do too much damage to so powerful a foe. But what it did do, was force it to defend lest the damage begin adding up.
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú Diverting Attention From Alastaia - Kill Orodan Wainwright before the arrival of the otherworldly intruders. Divert their attention away from Alastaia]
And so, it began. Either the Void Horror saw him as too great a threat to capture, or Alastaia itself did.
Except this time, Orodan didn¡¯t die in seven minutes.
Gigantic gray hands met an unbreakable soul empowered shield multiple times, and a stinging counter-offense was delivered every time. Worst of all, the Void Horror took serious damage from its own attacks, and Orodan truly felt as though he could win if he had time.
But the sad reality was, he had none.
Fifteen minutes had passed since he started fighting the Void Horror.
The stars shifted, space bent, and something landed with incredible power upon the fallen remnant of the old world of Vylrystia.
And before the dust could clear, a voice called out, full of utter arrogance.
¡°Good, good!¡± rang out a man¡¯s voice. It sounded ancient. ¡°Like a piece of unpolished jade¡ for a Celestial talent to emerge here¡ the heavens must be on our side. And only at the Master-level too¡ is this what true genius looks like?¡±
As the rock dust cleared, more details became apparent.
The first thing Orodan took in¡ were robes. Flowing white robes with long sleeves which looked vaguely similar to the robes those in the Eastern Kingdoms wore, but markedly different. They had an ostentatious gold trim to them, and most importantly¡
¡°System glyphs¡? Who are you and why do you bear the symbols of the system upon your robes?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Hoh? A youngster like you knows of these?¡± the old man asked with an amused smile. ¡°When one becomes a humble servant of the world, this is but one of many benefits to be earned in exchange.¡±
A mortal that was a servant of the world? Akin to the World Guardians or Gate Guardians then?
¡°All servants of the world I¡¯ve seen in our world have been non-human¡ and speaking of¡ you look like a human yourself,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Are we common across the universe?¡±
¡°Indeed, one could say our kind is a mainstay in most major worlds,¡± the ancient man replied. ¡°Of course, we can discuss the human race and the mysterious origins of humankind across the cosmos at leisure back on my world. Come, Orodan Wainwright, I am Jian Song, a Sword Transcendent cultivator of the world of Xian. Join us and rise past the heavens! Cultivation awaits and the secrets of the Dao are within your reach.¡±
The Dao? A Transcendent? This was what Zaessythra claimed to be, and Orodan wasn¡¯t delusional enough to believe he could fight a Transcendent yet when the Eldritch Avatar was still a difficult battle for him.
It was just his luck, to acquire a Celestial rarity skill and become capable of besting his long-time foe, only to now have enemies beyond even the Eldritch Avatar descend upon his head.
Either way, the offer was tempting, it truly was. The thought of going to an entirely new world just to experience a new way of life, skills, opponents and methods of attaining power was tempting but¡
¡°Unfortunately, I still have too many things to do. And many skills to master upon my own world,¡± Orodan said, and then a smile came upon his face. ¡°Most importantly though, I know you have a Quest to bring me to Xian by force. And I¡¯m interested to see just how powerful you are. This ¡®Dao¡¯ of yours¡ show me its power.¡±
The ancient man burst out laughing and a thin but double-edged sword appeared in his hands. Curiously enough, it appeared from within the man¡¯s soul.
¡°Young man, you¡¯re half a million years too early to dare challenge me. Like a frog in a well, your perspective is limited,¡± the man spoke. ¡°Fine then, how about this¡ I like your daring so let¡¯s make a wager; you clearly stand no chance against me if I were to truly fight, but can you receive a single sword strike from me? If you do, I¡¯ll consider waiting till you¡¯ve settled your affairs on this world.¡±
Orodan¡¯s mad grin was answer enough. He turned back to the Void Horror to address it.
¡°Stand back, this contest is between him and I now,¡± Orodan said, not wanting it to get caught up in his wager. ¡°I sense it¡ he¡¯s stronger than almost anything I¡¯ve ever faced.¡±
Stronger than even the Eldritch Avatar if Orodan was being honest. Just being near this ancient man-made Orodan¡¯s hairs stand on end and his warrior spirit sang for battle. This was a Transcendent.
The Void Horror wasn¡¯t stupid either. Clearly it sensed the power of this newcomer, and it wanted no conflict if possible. In failing to kill Orodan within fifteen minutes, it had already failed its Quest in spirit.
¡°Such a headstrong attitude! Some of the meek old fools back in my world would say you¡¯re courting death or some such nonsense,¡± the man said. ¡°But personally, I think someone like you is a breath of fresh air. Now, receive my blow, Orodan Wainwright!¡±
One moment Orodan was looking at the old man¡¯s sword. And the next, the very world seemed to be drawn into the blade in a display he¡¯d never seen from any swordsman before. The full power of his soul went towards empowering his shield, and instinctively he knew that this attack might end the loop.
It was a concentrated attack, not a wide area one which most enemies who discovered the truth of his vitality used to eradicate all bits of him. The ancient otherworlder was being sporting and allowed Orodan a chance to survive.
And it was still almost for naught.
The concentrated sword light, thin like a needle, hit his shield and although it held for a moment, his soul core which was extended out to the shield felt as though it would explode from the strain. At the last moment, the attack diverted slightly to the side, his shield was disintegrated and Orodan¡¯s outer soul layer completely shattered from the backlash.
He held Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity back out of respect, but Orodan had a gut feeling that this cultivator¡¯s style of singularly powerful attacks might make him vulnerable to Orodan¡¯s ability to return damage.
He reformed his soul quickly enough, but that was a frightening experience. Domain Of Perfect Cleaning still had Absolute Soul Dominion within it, and it could be used to empower weapons. This was done by extending his soul outwards and encompassing the shield. In essence, this made his weapons, clothing and whatever he wielded as strong as his soul.
Which was quite strong.
But if someone could hit hard enough to shatter even that? The price of such empowerment was that Orodan would take direct soul damage from his weapons being shattered if they were under the skill¡¯s effects.
He turned to look behind him, and Orodan had to admit, the old man had gone easy on him. If the attack wasn¡¯t diverted to the side, it would¡¯ve cleanly punched through. And if the attack had covered a larger area? Nothing of Orodan would be left. After all¡
¡the moon had a clean mile wide hole going through it all the way out to the other side.
On the other hand, the old man¡¯s eyes were as wide as saucers.
¡°You¡ my treasures tell me you¡¯re at the Master-level¡ how¡ how can your shield hold for a moment against the attack of a Transcendent?!¡± the otherworlder exclaimed. ¡°This is incredible! If you¡¯re this strong now, what will you become in the future? Forgive me, but I simply must abduct you to my world. Plenty of our Transcendents would go to war to have you be the head disciple of their sects. To jump that many levels and actually defend¡ ridiculous!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to pass, I respect the offer but as I said I still have more work to do upon Alastaia,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Shall we continue our fight though? I know you can kill me like a fly, but that only makes this all the more exciting!¡±
¡°You¡ are truly mad, aren¡¯t you?¡± the otherworlder asked. ¡°No matter, I have many heavenly treasures which can capture you, let¡¯s see how you deal with my myriad mazes of-¡±
The old man ceased talking as a lethal looking sword light erupted from his blade to deflect a beam of blood.
The atmosphere, which the moon lacked, somehow became tinged with a blood red aura. A large gray winged humanoid, blood red eyes and hands ending in claws, stood wearing a regal outfit. A True Vampire, and it was at least as strong as the Void Horror. And accompanying it, some kind of furry wolf which stood on two legs? It clearly looked subservient to the vampire, however.
¡°Master¡ that cultivator is far too strong¡!¡± the wolfish beast said.
¡°A sword cultivator too, exceedingly dangerous but thankfully not a fire cultivator,¡± the vampire replied. ¡°Aarnalf, my loyal companion, you have served me faithfully for many millennia, however I must ask one final favor of you¡ go distract him while I make off with the Celestial skill bearer. Your pack will be elevated to nobility and your name will be enshrined in werewolf legend.¡±
Orodan had never heard of werewolves before, but they seemed human enough that the one named Aarnalf looked to hesitate for a moment before speaking.
¡°My Lord¡ please tell my mate and pack that my love for them is boundless,¡± Aarnalf said. ¡°And¡ please ensure my soul enters the promised land.¡±
The vampire only nodded, and Orodan had to wonder why this werewolf accepted such a subservient status.
¡°A vampire from Narictus sending his pet mutt against me¡ how pathetic,¡± the cultivator said. ¡°If you last more than three blows, I¡¯ll consider donating your corpse to the outer sect to make a welcome rug. You¡¯re far too confident in your odds of escape even with your dog distracting me, blood-fiend.¡±
¡°Jian Song, we know of you and your prowess¡ but I¡¯m not the only one after the bearer,¡± the vampire replied.
And two more titanic crashes rang out across the moon as more otherworlders arrived.
Eleven feet of pitch-black muscle, and eyes which were a deeper shade of red than rubies. And to top it off, six horns were protruding from its skull, and it had a crown of deadly looking fire atop its head. And while Orodan had never seen its like before, he could deduce this was the legendary hellfire wielded by the devil kings of ancient legend. Supposedly, the combined forces of Alastaia had slain all the arch-devils within the hells a long time ago¡ but given what he was seeing now, who knew how true the account was?
And lastly¡
¡an ancient machine?
Fifteen feet tall, composed of a metal Orodan felt was beyond any he¡¯d seen on Alastaia, with strange System glyphs upon its powerful-looking frame. It was humanoid, but built like a very bulky combat golem, and had multiple melee and ranged weapons mounted upon its body.
¡°Directive: Capture Orodan Wainwright. Multiple threats identified. Solution: Elimination,¡± it intoned in a cold and emotionless voice. Was that how machines spoke? Was it like a golem?
¡°Feh! For the first hell to send Devil King Gutriyaz¡ boy, how many skills does your Celestial skill contain?¡± the old man asked.
¡°Just six at the moment, why?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°S-six?! Just six he says¡ this is a disaster! I must call for more,¡± the cultivator said as a strange talisman upon his neck activated. ¡°Little wonder then, that the devils felt it all the way in the first hell.¡±
A deep laugh rang out, and even with that, the fell nature of the Devil King was apparent in a way the Divine Tower failed to replicate. Its eyes contained nothing but cruelty and the savage desire to slaughter.
¡°Priceless¡ for the vaunted Jian Song to immediately summon aid at the sight of me? I shall relish this moment for eons to come, cultivator,¡± the Devil King Gutriyaz spoke. ¡°Now then, human, even halfway to my destination I could sense the sheer battle-lust within you, glowing like a beacon from your soul. You would make a fine addition to the forces of hell, why not join us? Eternal battle and glory can be yours.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright! Do not think to consort with devils! Their kind is among the most foul in our universe!¡± the old man who Orodan now knew as Jian Song warned. ¡°With Gutriyaz¡¯s arrival your world is doomed! Come with me and we may yet escape to Xian where the eldest ancestors will safeguard you and you may grow without fear.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Foolish! Your life and the fate of your world lies in the balance! Why would you-¡±
¡°Warriors from various worlds, all here to capture me¡ this is truly cataclysmic event for sure,¡± Orodan interjected.
¡°Then, why not make the sensible decision?! Come with me!¡± Jian Song pleaded.
¡°Well, it¡¯s cataclysmic, yes,¡± Orodan accepted, but then gripped his weapons and grinned like a madman. ¡°But when you¡¯ve all graciously presented yourselves to me, how could I pass up the chance to battle warriors from multiple worlds? This will be glorious!¡±
¡°Hahahah! Excellently said, Orodan Wainwright! Come! Let us sow terror and spill blood across this moon! Join me and-¡±
Orodan¡¯s sword interrupted the devil.
Joining it? If anything, this Devil King Gutriyaz was the strongest being here and would be his first target.
Perhaps a time looper with some sense in their head would¡¯ve fled. The chance of receiving permanent damage from some strange otherworldly attack was too high. And learning about his opponents piecemeal would¡¯ve been the smarter option. Alongside perhaps slowly learning to mask whatever alarm his Celestial skill sent out across the cosmos.
Unfortunately, he was Orodan Wainwright. And whoever chose him for a time loop had made a mistake if they expected smart decisions.
Devil King Gutriyaz¡¯s hand enveloped Orodan, and the fires of hell itself began scorching him.
[Fire Resistance 26 ¡ú Fire Resistance 31]
¡°Fire Resistance¡ and a powerful healing skill? Not bad¡ my flames should have burnt you to a crisp¡ but whatever damage you take is healed immediately,¡± the Devil King praised. ¡°Such an anomaly, a being so powerful at the Master-level. What are your secrets?¡±
¡°You dare assault my charge?! You court death, Devil King!¡± Jian Song said as a ludicrously powerful sword beam forced Gutriyaz to drop Orodan and defend himself. ¡°Come, jump into my-¡±
An Endless Blitz and All-Strikes interrupted Song Jian.
¡°I intend to fight everyone here, wait your turn while I face the Devil King!¡± Orodan yelled as he rather ineffectively lashed out towards the cultivator who was well beyond him in swordsmanship.
¡°¡you¡¯re genuinely insane it seems.¡± Song Jian said, and a strange bottle was produced from nowhere, appearing in the cultivator¡¯s hand. ¡°Take a nap inside the myriad mazes of Xinlan. Perhaps when you make your way out in a few years you¡¯ll have learned to calm down.¡±
Orodan felt space fluctuate with incredible power around him; a vacuum effect was pulling him inwards to the pocket dimension. Unfortunately, all direct spatial manipulation needed to overcome a target¡¯s energy pool. And despite the utterly colossal amounts of soul energy Jian Song was funnelling into his treasure, even a Transcendent, powerful as they were, couldn¡¯t best Orodan in such a thing.
Jian Song¡¯s face turned paler by the moment until the Sword Transcendent cultivator cut off the flow of his power.
¡°What in the heavens¡ you¡¯re no ordinary bearer of the Celestial¡ what are you?¡± the old man asked.
A question which was interrupted as blood consumed his vision and the battlefield erupted into chaos.
¡°Change of plans! Carry the bearer to the wormhole Aarnalf! I¡¯ll pressure Song Jian alongside the Devil King!¡± the true vampire roared.
¡°Yes, my Lord!¡± the werewolf replied, and Orodan found himself being dragged along by this furry beast who was quite strong. Close to the level of the Void Horror.
Was this the cosmic hierarchy? Where foes on the level of the Void Horror were the mere grunts assigned to do low-level work? Orodan had a ways to go before he could truly stand against them Song Jian and Devil King Gutriyaz as equals.
But the thought of the countless battles in getting there filled him with elation.
An Endless Blitz of All-Strikes forced the werewolf to drop him, and Orodan began a fierce melee against it.
¡°Foolish! The rulers of the eternal night can grant you anything you¡¯ve ever wanted! Power, riches, companionship¡ you needn¡¯t even embrace the blessing of blood!¡± the werewolf angrily exclaimed as it fought claw to sword against Orodan. ¡°Your world faces destruction the longer this fighting goes on! Have you no responsibility to your people?!¡±
¡°Let me correct you there. You lot are responsible for swooping down and attempting to abduct me,¡± Orodan corrected. ¡°I¡¯m merely defending myself and enjoying a good fight in the process. Would you truly have sacrificed yourself if the flow of battle hadn¡¯t changed?¡±
An angry snarl erupted from Aarnalf¡¯s mouth. The werewolf was strong, but perhaps a slight bit easier to deal with than the Void Horror. For one, it wasn¡¯t nearly as big and whatever levels it had in Physical Fitness didn¡¯t go as far. And for another, the lack of mass meant Orodan could throw down against it toe to toe far easier.
Ten minutes of battle passed, and Orodan was almost certain he could best this werewolf in a duel. All he needed was time.
Which was when the reminder came that he didn¡¯t have much of it.
A spinning metal drill came down and struck the werewolf, pounding it into the ground and causing mass devastation for hundreds of miles. Vision Of Purity showed the werewolf to be unmoving, and he detected no life from it.
He¡¯d almost forgotten about the machine.
¡°You know, it¡¯s rude to interrupt a one-on-one,¡± Orodan remarked as he faced the machine down. They were less intrusive when ancient and inert beneath a mountain. ¡°Are you here to capture me too?¡±
¡°Unit has taken independent decision to assist being: Orodan Wainwright. Directive: friendship,¡± it spoke, and the fight left him for a moment. Did it really just want to be friends?
¡°Ah¡ well, sorry, but I don¡¯t need help,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Rather, I want to relish this battle myself.¡±
¡°Request: unacceptable. Outcome: Death of Orodan Wainwright,¡± it intoned. ¡°Unit will take independent decision to assist being: Orodan Wainwright.¡±
Orodan could only sigh. It wasn¡¯t exactly trying to kidnap him, but at the same time he couldn¡¯t accept its interference either. This was his fight damn it!
He didn¡¯t have the heart to just fight something that was being friendly, so instead he simply threw himself back towards the melee that was occurring between Song Jian, the Devil King and the True Vampire that was assisting. Hopefully the machine would be drawn into the battle and not have the time to hover over him and assist in his fights. A hope that proved true when the Devil King launched vicious hellfire towards it, forcing it to project strange glowing shields from a device mounted to its back.
Song Jian was looking quite pressed. The Devil King was stronger than the cultivator to begin with, and adding a True Vampire to its side did the Sword Transcendent no favors.
Orodan¡¯s entry and subsequent assault upon the vampire surprised it and gave the cultivator some small reprieve. As did the machine¡¯s arrival in the battle against the Devil King.
¡°You are a battle-crazed lunatic, Orodan Wainwright! I see Aarnalf has failed, a shame. His death amounted to nothing in the end,¡± the vampire said, and Orodan couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes at this bloodsucker.
¡°He died for you and that¡¯s all you have to say?¡± he asked. Vespidia and Zaessythra had died for him, and Orodan would never speak of their honorable sacrifices in such a manner. To hear this wretch speak of a comrade¡¯s sacrifice like that? It bothered him.
And Orodan was the type to act when something was a bother.
The battle between Song Jian, the machine and the Devil King was ignored as Orodan¡¯s wrath was turned towards this bloodsucker.
Every empowerment skill was charged to the maximum, and all his ¡®clones¡¯ came out to put an overwhelming amount of pressure upon the foe. Yes, the vampire was strong, as strong as the Void Horror, but it was more of a spell-caster than a melee specialist. Any empowerment of its body it did via the power of blood was merely defensive, and it simply attempted to phase and shift around Orodan, keeping at a distance.
A tactic which was put to an immediate end as Space Mastery and Spatial Fold activated. Once upon a time, he needed to rely on the second Blessing of Agathor to prevent opponents from fleeing or being evasive. Now, he could do the work himself.
¡°Space Mastery! How many tricks do you have up your sleeve?!¡± the vampire shrieked as any evasive movements it made simply brought it back to its original position. Like footsteps that took you nowhere. ¡°Wait¡ perhaps we can come to an understanding, Orodan Wainwright.¡±
An Endless Blitz of All-Strikes followed, and a spell-caster, even one as powerful as this True Vampire, stood no chance against Orodan in a melee when forced. Cataclysmic waves of blood which could destroy nations were thrown his way, but Harmony Of Vitality pulled him through the worst of it.
All the while, the vampire¡¯s regeneration availed it naught as Orodan sliced it into ribbons, its melee abilities being rather pathetic.
It was strong, as powerful as the Void Horror. But this loop, Orodan had finally become strong enough to begin standing against it, and the battle entered a pace which favored him. No matter what horrors he faced in the cosmos, or
Finally, a double-leg takedown brought it to the ground where he was atop it. Both his hands gripped its head¡
¡°I¡¯ve cleaned a converted human before,¡± Orodan said as he smiled. ¡°But never a True Vampire. Are you born like this? No matter. Perhaps Aarnalf will appreciate your company in the next life. Let him know you thought his death didn¡¯t amount to much.¡±
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and penetrated the True Vampire¡¯s body and soul. It shrieked in pain and a healthy amount of fear as Orodan began scouring it clean.
The differences between it and the vampire he¡¯d purified in the Ogdenborough Jail were immediately apparent. The blood taint was present everywhere. Each cell was suffused with it, the outer soul layer, hells even the inner soul core was full of the curse of vampirism.
It couldn¡¯t even be called a curse when the True Vampire¡¯s entire being was composed of it.
Yet, Orodan knew that it was the same taint that spread through the converted vampire he¡¯d once upon a time cleansed. Even if it looked as though it belonged, even if it was part of the True Vampire¡¯s soul core.
At the end of the day, he¡¯d cleansed the Eldritch, and he could clean this. Cleaning was dependent on the wielder and what they considered dirty, and for Orodan¡
¡vampirism was filth that required cleaning.
He pushed and pushed, yet the blood taint resisted him at every step. For a being so powerful to whom vampirism was such an innate thing, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Hells, other people might say it impossible, after all the only reason he managed to purify the Eldritch Avatar was due to the Void Horror within assisting.
Still, he felt there simply wasn¡¯t enough time, and that his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning would take too long to do the task.
Which was why Orodan decided to test out a hunch of his. One involving the Reward he received from the second Quest.
What was a +0.1 Title Multiplier? It made no sense when Orodan looked at it on his Status. Yet, he¡¯d done nothing to change his titles till now, and it was time to amend that.
His ¡®One Who Has Experienced Death¡¯ title was swapped out for the ¡®Celestial Adept¡¯ title, and immediately, the difference was apparent. The power of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was increased by a tenth.
It still wasn¡¯t enough, but Orodan wasn¡¯t done yet either.
¡®Wielder Of A Mythical Skill¡¯ was swapped out for ¡®Bearer Of A Celestial Skill¡¯, and another ten percent of power was added to his cleansing efforts. And finally, to cross the threshold, ¡®Avatar Slayer¡¯ was swapped for ¡®Perfect Cleaning Adept¡¯, adding another ten percent.
A thirty percent increase to the power of his skill. Enough to do what he needed.
¡°No! Cease! You violate my very blood and the gift I bear! Mercy! I beg of you!¡± the True Vampire pleaded, yet Orodan would not relent. His distaste towards how it spoke of the werewolf¡¯s fall was still on his mind. And alongside the recent loss he¡¯d suffered, his decision was set.
At the end of the day, the taint of vampirism had to come from somewhere. It had to be based off of something. It was a parasite in nature, infecting a being and making them thirst for the blood of sapient life.
His Vision Of Purity could see even the smallest living beings which dwelled within a human¡¯s gut, assisting in the digestion of food. But these were not filth, nor were they undesirable. Rather they aided the body. However, throughout the years, humans must have undoubtedly added or lost certain species of such gut-dwelling microscopic beings. Hells, people from the Eastern Kingdoms had different gut bacteria than those in the Republic, and one¡¯s diet, age and climate could affect such things. A scholar¡¯s work once suggested that moving to a different nation and adopting their diet could change the species that dwelled within.
In other words, gut bacteria were an integral part of the human body, but the species could and did change. At core, what really mattered, was the human.
Similarly, the curse of vampirism was one such thing. No matter how important it was to the True Vampire, at core, what really mattered was the being underneath. Parasitic curses which granted power would come and go, but as long as the being within persevered, that was what mattered.
And Domain Of Perfect Cleaning could do a pretty good job of cleaning things while ensuring the health of recipients.
The skill shot out, and with the thirty percent increase, Orodan felt he had enough power and control to do the job. The vampiric taint was purged entirely from each and every cell within its body, and even the soul core was delved and purified.
At base, what was a True Vampire?
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure, but the completely undamaged human lying before him might be an answer. Although, the former True Vampire looked incredibly gaunt and almost sickly compared to its previous physique. It, or he, would require training.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 69 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 70]
[New Title ¡ú Perfect Cleaning Elite]
[New Title ¡ú Celestial Elite]
The Title Multiplier wasn¡¯t bad. It wouldn¡¯t be as strong for anyone else. But Orodan had a Celestial skill which incorporated three of the things he had titles for, Cleaning, which somehow hadn¡¯t lost its title. Perfect Cleaning, and Celestial skills themselves. Altogether, the increase was roughly forty percent overall. Something Orodan hadn¡¯t noticed when he merely had the Cleaning Elite title equipped, chalking it up to his natural talent and not having a clear metric of measurement.
Essentially, Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, the Cleaning part in particular, would be forty percent stronger at all times no matter what level he reached. And this was an excellent stalemate-breaker as he¡¯d always be a certain percentage stronger than anyone even if they had the same skill level as him.
The increase in skill level made him feel strong, and Orodan thought of doing the same thing to the Devil King and perhaps purging its fell soul and body of whatever made it evil. Of course, the entire battlefield had gone silent at the feat he performed, and the Devil King¡¯s eyes were trembling with rage, and a shocking trace of fear.
The last thing Orodan saw was another cultivator nearing the moon, and the full power of Devil King Gutriyaz unleashed in the form of a beam of pure energy which would doubtlessly destroy the entire moon. It was a Transcendent as well, and it clearly didn¡¯t like the fact that Orodan could purify a True Vampire.
Jian Song and his machine friend immediately got out of the way, and it was too late for Orodan to dodge.
Was the feat of purifying a True Vampire such an impossibility? Why did the Devil King look so scared?
Perhaps it would be a good test subject for the next loop.
And given how shocked these otherworlders were at the revelation that he had six skills contained within his Celestial one¡ perhaps it was time to add some more to it.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him, and Orodan immediately shot a Domain Of Perfect Cleaning out as far as he could.
The Quest and Quest Subject messages flashed past him, but he habitually ignored them by now.
He performed a mass teleportation of people out of his neighborhood, and then focused on his first destination in this loop.
The abyssal depths.
Space utterly tore apart, and the surrounding two blocks were destroyed with how much soul energy he poured into his spatiomancy. Good thing he evacuated people.
Ordinarily, teleporting directly into the abyssal depths was impossible. There was simply too much world energy, and its abundance only increased as one went deeper. The very rock was also infused with it, making teleportation, divination and most forms of detection and communication impossible due to the sheer amount of interference.
Getting anything through such interference could only be done through pre-deployed chains of relays¡
¡or if one had raw power enough to make Gods feel inadequate.
[Teleportation 27 ¡ú Teleportation 31]
[Space Mastery 56 ¡ú Space Mastery 57]
A blink of blue, and Orodan found himself in front of the familiar first gate. Before him, it was sealed, and everything suddenly lit up red but calmed down immediately after as though it was a warning for the gate guardian, that a being had entered the abyssal depths.
Before him, was a familiar Fallen Void Archon.
¡°Hey, where¡¯s the centipede,¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Which section does she guard?¡±
Yes, his goal this loop, and in the loops moving forward, was to find the strongest Psionic Grandmaster he knew, and bully it into teaching him the mind arts.
All within fifteen minutes of course.
To its credit, the Fallen Void Archon took the question in stride by not answering at all. Instead, its six arms lit up with various soul energy empowered elemental spells. It was hellbent on eradicating him.
Naturally, the Orodan of now wasn¡¯t the same Orodan who¡¯d ventured into the abyssal depths back then. For one, he was dramatically stronger. And a quadruple-Grandmaster gate guardian, while strong, wasn¡¯t enough to challenge him when he could feasibly survive and fight an extended battle against the Void Horror now.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, and the All-Consuming Rage portion hungrily devoured its vitality at a rapid pace till it fell to its knees in weakness.
¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to cross the first gate. In fact, that overzealous Void Horror will be coming through any moment to try and capture me,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Just tell me where that Psionic Centipede is. I need to acquire Psionic Mastery.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the Quest Subject?¡± it asked, incredulity in its tone. And then simply pointed. ¡°¡Siyendara guards the gate ten miles in that direction.¡±
¡°Oh¡ that was easy,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why are you being so honest?¡±
¡°My directive is to defend this gate, mortal. You have already bested me and could pass if you so choose,¡± it replied. ¡°Besides¡ that centipede and I do not see eye to eye.¡±
A rivalry between gate guardians then.
Orodan thanked the Fallen Void Archon and quickly chained teleports to reach the section of the first gate where a giant centipede was resting. Upon his arrival it shot up and immediately hissed.
¡°Mortal! Begone lest I smite you with fire and agony beyond any you¡¯ve ever known!¡± it shrieked.
¡°Excellent! Just what I need!¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Teach me the arts of the mind.¡±
¡°¡what gibberish do you spout?! Leave this place immediately,¡± it demanded as it sent flames towards him. Flames which were summarily ignored due to Fire Resistance.
¡°Apologies, but I need training,¡± Orodan said as he grabbed its two front mandibles and began dragging it along, ignoring its fire attacks. A teleportation took them to the surface, specifically to the wilderness of Novarria¡¯s forests where no civilians were nearby.
¡°Where have you brought me?!¡± it shrieked in fear. ¡°Return me this instant!¡±
¡°Only if you defeat me,¡± Orodan stated, and then prepared to deliver the biggest pile of hogwash he¡¯d said in a while. ¡°And have I mentioned, I¡¯m really vulnerable to mental assaults? I¡¯ll fold like paper if hit by them.¡±
While Orodan preferred to think it worked, the lack of any skill level increase in Deception meant it likely hadn¡¯t. Still, the Psionic Centipede obliged and sent a true deluge of psionic assaults towards him. And Orodan¡¯s mastery of the soul was good enough to withdraw it from his mind entirely, something Domain Of Perfect Cleaning would normally cover. His Psionic Resistance would only hamper him, but this was as good as he could get it.
This then, would be his new method of training in each loop before the Void Horror¡¯s arrival.
To spend fifteen minutes receiving Psionic assaults from the strongest Psionic he had easy access to.
The Grandmaster Psionics of various nations weren¡¯t as good as a gate guardian from the abyssal depths whose species was naturally pre-disposed towards the mind arts. And while the elven God Athandelu was an option, Orodan had Divine Resistance, and an Avatar would burn out long before it left any mental damage on him.
Fifteen minutes of mental assault passed until the Void Horror arrived and then the typical shenanigans ensued.
Orodan survived its lethal assault once it realized capturing him was impossible, and then they fought for fifteen minutes till the otherworlders began arriving. And Orodan learned some interesting things in this loop.
For starters, the machine was named W78. It had no name, but a designation, and it was quite friendly. For another, it was quite strong, as this loop it was the Void Horror who attempted to strike a stealthy blow and assassinate Orodan while he was fighting Aarnulf the werewolf. W78 hadn¡¯t taken kindly to that and hit the Void Horror hard enough to send it into the moon¡¯s destroyed world core.
And finally, his plan of purifying the Devil King wasn¡¯t a bad idea. However, theory and execution were two different things, and the Devil King Gutriyaz wasn¡¯t stupid. The instant Orodan revealed his ability to purify beings of taint, the Devil King instantly unleashed his full power and completely destroyed Orodan along with the entire moon.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him. He ignored the Quest messages and summoned his Status.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Perfect Cleaning Elite
Title 2: Celestial Elite
Title 3: Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
Title 4: Cleaning Elite
Available Titles:
Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
World Gate Delver
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
Grandmaster Slayer
Combat Elite
Sword Elite
Shield Elite
Physical Elite
Unarmed Combat Elite
Cleaning Elite
Wrestling Elite
Soul Elite
Perfect Cleaning Elite
Celestial Elite
Woodworking Adept
Alchemy Adept
Space Adept
Fire Magic Apprentice
Enchanting Apprentice
Teaching Apprentice
Laboring Apprentice
Blacksmithing Apprentice
Pathfinding Apprentice
Gathering Apprentice
Time Apprentice
Rewards:
Permanent +14 Action Increase
Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier
Skills:
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 70 (Elite - Celestial)
Eternal Soul Reactor 92 (Master - Mythical)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 77 (Elite - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 54 (Adept - Mythical)
Incorruptible Being 50 (Adept -Mythical)
Divine Resistance 17 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 89 (Elite - Legendary)
All-Strike 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 83 (Elite - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 81 (Elite - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 78 (Elite - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 63 (Adept - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 56 (Adept - Legendary)
Body Tempering 56 (Adept - Legendary)
Wood Communion 56 (Adept - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 44 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 43 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Time Reversal 27 (Initiate - Legendary)
Iron Body 80 (Elite - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 76 (Elite - Exquisite)
Flash Strike 66 (Adept - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channelling 54 (Adept - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 31 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Time Mastery 30 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 18 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Dimensionalism 8 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Curse Resistance 4 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Water Resistance 4 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 3 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Ice Resistance 3 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Soul Mastery 71 (Elite - Rare)
Space Mastery 57 (Adept - Rare)
War Cry 35 (Apprentice - Rare)
Teleportation 31 (Apprentice - Rare)
Gourmand 13 (Initiate - Rare)
Shield Throw 69 (Adept - Uncommon)
Spatial Fold 62 (Adept - Uncommon)
Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 58 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Pain Resistance 90 (Master)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 88 (Elite)
Physical Fitness 86 (Elite)
Combat Mastery 86 (Elite)
Sword Mastery 84 (Elite)
Wrestling 80 (Elite)
Shield Mastery 82 (Elite)
Woodworking 67 (Adept)
Alchemy 64 (Adept)
Tool Mastery 63 (Adept)
Enchanting 59 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)
Flare 52 (Adept)
Blacksmithing 49 (Apprentice)
Jewelcrafting 48 (Apprentice)
Pathfinding 43 (Apprentice)
Teaching 41 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Laboring 34 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 34 (Apprentice)
Fire Magic Mastery 34 (Apprentice)
Gathering 32 (Apprentice)
Construction 28 (Initiate)
Repair 22 (Initiate)
Cooking 22 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Mining 17 (Initiate)
Intimidation 16 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Observe 11 (Initiate)
Disguise 8 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Identify 5 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
Otherworlders and Alastaia aside, his Status would make even Gods treat him with respect and more than a bit of awe. He had come very far, and his combat power had grown by leaps and bounds. Yet there was always room for improvement, and Orodan wasn¡¯t the type to ever remain satisfied with his progress.
He realized he had a lot of work to do.
Learning the mind arts and adding a related skill to the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. Besting the Void Horror and perhaps reaching the world core for answers. Continually honing his new powers of chronomancy and getting strong enough to best these otherworlders who came for him. And perhaps finding a way to stop drawing so much attention with his Celestial skill.
It would take many loops¡
¡it would take a lot of fifteen minutes.
Chapter 46 - Fifteen Minutes II
Devil King Gutriyaz was the real issue.
Jian Song didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in actually killing Orodan. His machine friend, W78, didn¡¯t lift a finger to harm him. And the True Vampire and his werewolf subordinate seemed more intent on capturing him, and even if they wanted to kill him, the vampire and werewolf weren¡¯t up to the task.
Unfortunately, Devil King Gutriyaz was. And purifying the True Vampire caused the Devil King to immediately see Orodan as a serious threat that needed prompt extermination. And how did the Devil King kill him? With a wave of pure hellfire empowered by naught but soul energy. Powerful enough that the entirety of the moon was destroyed, and his Fire Resistance was for naught.
It was due for rectification.
Orodan hadn¡¯t quite tested the full limits of his Spatial Fold¡¯s maximum distance, but what better way to do so than by shooting towards the center of his solar system for some training.
In other words, it was time for a venture to the sun.
He was atop the peak of Mount Castarian, and just for fun had drained the ancient machine beforehand. The responding Novarrians would have no means of reaching him where he was going.
Space utterly warped around him, and the very mountain trembled at the deluge of power he brought to bear. Even a God of Space might not be capable of channelling the sheer amount of soul energy Orodan was drawing upon.
[Space Mastery 57 ¡ú Space Mastery 59]
[Spatial Fold 62 ¡ú Spatial Fold 64]
He¡¯d folded space so extensively that the ground itself for a few miles seemed to fold inwards towards the folding point he¡¯d created. And with a final step¡ all Orodan knew was flame.
And death nearly took him almost instantly.
[Fire Resistance 31 ¡ú Fire Resistance 33]
The power of a Transcendent was doubtlessly strong¡ but what was it before the power of a solar body which gave light to nearby stars? One whose shine could be seen many systems over?
Orodan was burnt down to a handful of cells, no matter how hard he pushed his Harmony Of Vitality. Hells, this fire¡ it wasn¡¯t even natural! He could heal past a very hot fire of the same temperature, but this was different. It almost felt as though the flames of the sun rejected him, refusing his presence upon it.
It could burn in the hells then.
For Orodan refused to give in.
Every iota of his willpower not engaged in healing was pushed towards reflecting on Fire Resistance, and the other half of his concentration was thrown towards meditating on Harmony Of Vitality. All while he burned to cinders.
Vision Of Purity picked absolutely nothing up since the flames were as pure as they got. His actual sight, still retained thanks to Harmony Of Vitality allowing even a smattering of cells to retain critical functions, could only see luminous golden flames and bubbling explosions for miles.
So, when an arrow of flame hit his remaining handful of cells, Orodan could only be frustrated at how unfair training on the sun would be.
The darkness took him, and he could only look forward to fighting whatever almighty beings called the surface of the sun their home.
Once he was capable of surviving it that was.
Of course, not every loop would be spent madly teleporting to the sun. With these short fifteen-minute loops, Orodan found that he enjoyed alternating his pursuits.
Annoyance flashed in his mind as he recalled the conversation he had with that blasted Psionic Centipede.
¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯ll never learn the arts of mental combat through simply weathering my assaults, you fool!¡± it had spat. ¡°Without proper tutelage and working from the ground up, your lack of a foundation will leave you forever wanting.¡±
¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, I need to seek out a teacher of Psionics?¡± Orodan had asked.
Of course, attempting to learn the mental arts within fifteen minutes would be the definition of insanity for anyone else. For Orodan though, he had as many fifteen minutes as needed.
Although the woman he stood before didn¡¯t take kindly to the intrusion.
The Bluefire Academy had dedicated housing within the main tower for the headmasters and headmistresses of each school within the academy. Physical Fitness past the higher Adept-level usually allowed one to forgo sleep entirely, which meant martial Grandmasters who focused on the physical arts weren¡¯t in need of it.
A Psionic Grandmaster, however, was a different matter. And the headmistress of the Bluefire Academy school of psionics didn¡¯t look very happy.
A cry of exertion rang out, and the woman in her sleeping gown fired multiple psionic and telekinetic blasts at him.
¡°That¡¯ll teach you to break in and disturb a woman¡¯s slumber!¡± Ilevida Balmento yelled. ¡°How did you get past the anti-spatiomancy wards? Those were designed by Destartes himself!
In a prior long loop, Orodan had helped her become a triple-Grandmaster. Unfortunately, there was no time for that now; consequently, the Ilevida before him was a dual-Grandmaster Psionic. Still the headmistress of Bluefire Academy¡¯s school of psionics though.
And while Orodan could¡¯ve gone to Novarria and barged into Venerio Balmento¡¯s room, the Empire and its capital city of Novar¡¯s Peak was defended with far more zeal than Karilsgard in the Republic was. Barging in would likely cause Demosthenos, Vespidia or even Balastion to appear near-immediately as the disruption of the city¡¯s anti-spatiomancy wards would be detected.
In fact, Karilsgard wasn¡¯t defenseless either. He could sense comets of divine energy erupting in the distance and heading for the Academy¡¯s main tower.
¡°I don¡¯t have much time, want to teach me the mind arts?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Tell me of the foundations of mental combat.¡±
¡°W-what?! You break into my home and then ask to learn the arts of the mind?!¡± she exclaimed in outrage. ¡°Begone!¡±
¡°Damn¡ well can you at least tell me the name of any insane psionic who¡¯d humor me if I barged in?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Give me a good answer and I¡¯ll leave you be.¡±
¡°You¡ look, try the town of Arkwall in the Empire,¡± she replied, actually humoring him. ¡°Seek out Alovardo Balmento, my ancestor. A maddened lunatic who has gone into seclusion, but he might actually tolerate your bizarre way of approaching people.¡±
Hmm, that didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea.
For now, Orodan felt the approach of multiple Avatars and he looked forward to bullying the ones he didn¡¯t like till the Void Horror arrived.
Which it eventually did. As he was in the middle of beating down the Avatars of Agathor and Ilyatana after having knocked out Halor¡¯s Chosen.
He dragged it to the moon, they fought
The two levels he¡¯d gained in Fire Resistance were helpful, but the Devil King simply kept the beam going until Orodan died anyway. He would need more levels in his resistance to survive.
Orodan had heard of Arkwall during his long loop in Novarria and during his formal education at Bluefire Academy in the Republic.
It was among the more well-known cities of the empire. It bordered the Dokuhan Mountains and was a popular staging point for adventurer teams and expeditions who sought to hunt monsters atop the peaks. The city was famed for producing some of the best adventurers of the empire.
The adventurers who ventured to Arkwall were often the best of the best or had the potential to be. Adventurers who wanted an easy life could work in far safer locales where monsters weren¡¯t so frequent and support from nearby settlements was more widely available. Those who dared adventure in Arkwall however, were the ambitious sort, driven to become stronger or secure political power and wealth.
And retired Grandmasters would often seek the city as their destination of retirement. Some because they enjoyed the solitude that being away from political centres brought. And some because they enjoyed taking promising adventures as their students, cultivating them into the future powerhouses of Novarria.
Getting there hadn¡¯t been too hard. He¡¯d simply teleported to the outskirts of Novar¡¯s Peak and swiftly shot across the wilderness from there. Once he reached Arkwall, he could simply teleport there directly in future loops.
Six minutes of rather destructive travel later, the city lay before him. Unlike most Novarrian cities further north, Arkwall¡¯s climate was hot and arid. There wasn¡¯t any green to be seen anywhere, and the terrain was rocky, mountainous and sandy, as expected this close to the Dokuhan Mountains, which could be seen in the distance.
Orodan had seen bigger cities, but none had looked quite so¡ militarized and ready for war. The city walls were lined with all manner of cannons and defenders were on-edge and surveyed the skies with grim faces. Yes, Novar¡¯s Peak and Karilsgard likely had more weaponry and defenders overall, but their walls didn¡¯t have the sheer number of troops and material per square foot that Arkwall did.
This was a city that weathered constant attacks and was ready. And this was the city from where Novarrian troops would reinforce the dwarves in their war against the drow. The city had a prominent military base from where regular military movements of troops and supplies were staged.
The under-mountain confederation had the safety of miles of rock above their heads, alongside geomancers to reinforce the mountain and keep the dwarven people safe. Arkwall on the other hand, was subject to the frequent incursion of flying monsters from the Badlands to the south of the Dokuhan Mountains. Dwarven patrols weren¡¯t exactly shooting the airborne intruders down, in fact they were all too happy to allow them free reign if only so the orc tribes struggling on the peaks would suffer more attacks.
The orcs often hid or took shelter in uninhabited cave systems to avoid these monster assaults. This made Arkwall a rather prominent target, being the only surface city whose inhabitants dared to live so openly. They often received attacks, and the city did a fantastic job of taking them on, in Orodan¡¯s opinion.
An enraged shriek came from an invading flock of wyverns who had three-fourths of their number eviscerated by a barrage of magical cannon fire and spells. The surviving alpha wyvern proceeded onward only to receive the lightning imbued javelin of a Master-level peltast. The flock was slaughtered quickly after that. The entire thing had happened in less than two seconds.
¡°Hold! Who goes there?!¡± the gate commander, a peltast in Novarrian colors roared out.
Unlike Novar¡¯s Peak, there weren¡¯t multiple entrances, but only a singular, heavily defended gate.
¡°Just a visitor, here to meet Grandmaster Alovardo Balmento,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m on a bit of a time limit, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you could let me pass.¡±
The gate commander, a near-Grandmaster halberdier, looked at him a moment, sizing him up. Then, the man¡¯s eyes took on a wary look and he nodded to his men. Vision Of Purity detected a pulse sent out from the man¡¯s enchanted ring towards Novar¡¯s Peak. A request for aid, or a heads-up, he didn¡¯t know.
¡°Very well, but we¡¯ll have a brief scan to ensure you aren¡¯t tainted by the curse of vampirism,¡± the man said. ¡°Welcome to Arkwall.¡±
Being near the Dokuhan Mountains, the concern of vampires getting through was legitimate. The drow were known to have vampires openly among them, and hidden enclaves of them were frequent nearer to the Dokuhan Mountains where Arkwall was.
Orodan passed through the gate and the scan was nothing more than a mage waving some enchanted items towards him. Neither of which went off since Orodan wasn¡¯t a bloodsucker. One of the items scanned the body for any traces of the taint, while the other scanned the soul.
Of course, Orodan¡¯s Vision Of Purity picked up multiple traces of taint within the city. He¡¯d scoured the vampiric taint from people before and could now sense it. He picked up on at least three signatures. And most concerningly¡ at least one person was infected by the Eldritch.
Just what was going on in this city?
The gate commander was waiting for him down on the ground and beckoned to him as Orodan approached the square behind the gate.
¡°Good sir, might we have a brief word?¡± the man asked. ¡°You¡¯ve said you¡¯re short on time and I respect that, so I will make this brief. I¡¯ll even direct you to the Lord¡¯s manor after.¡±
¡°Very well, but make it quick, please,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I¡ sensed your power. I have a beast-tamer on retinue, and her companion¡¯s instincts have gone crazed. Only Lord Demosthenos or Lady Vespidia can elicit such reactions during their visits. Might I ask who you are and what your intentions are towards Arkwall?¡± the commander asked. ¡°Unless you seek trouble, we will not impede your way. However, Novar¡¯s Peak has been informed of your arrival, and they are a teleport away from responding if needed, so I hope you have come in peace, sir.¡±
Not a threat, but a proclamation of their capabilities. Orodan could understand the gate commander¡¯s position. An unknown being, at least as strong as Demosthenos or Vespidia showing up would make anyone nervous. Sending a message to the capital and informing the higher-ups was only natural in such a situation. As was approaching him amicably but with caution.
¡°I do come in peace. I really am just here to meet with Alovardo Balmento,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And I do mean meet, not take revenge on, duel, assassinate or any such nonsense.¡±
¡°I see¡ thank you for making known your intentions, sir,¡± the commander said. ¡°Please, allow me to show you to where Lord Alovardo is. He is¡ a reclusive man, and I normally would not allow anyone to approach. However, with your strength you may do as you wish, I only ask that you not cause trouble if he takes poorly to the intrusion.¡±
Orodan nodded, and they made for the manor.
Arkwall wasn¡¯t a regular city. For one, there were no children or hapless commoners on the streets. This was a heavily militarized border city and every person within had at least the Apprentice-level in something which contributed to Arkwall. From what he knew, people were paid a lump sum for agreeing to serve a set amount of time within the city. The incentives were often quite generous, and people in the city often stayed to rake in wealth or continue honing their skill levels. The fact that there were opportunities to catch the eye of a powerful teacher also helped.
Apprentice and Adept-level craftspeople passed them as they made way for the manor. And Orodan could even sense a few Elites on different streets.
As they approached, he could only be more perplexed by what Vision Of Purity was telling him. The manor was atop a dusty hill, but there was only one person within.
And it was the Eldritch signature he¡¯d detected upon being near the city.
¡°I should be fine from here,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Thank you for guiding me.¡±
The gate commander nodded and turned to leave. Orodan felt a little bad for the man, after all, depending on how this went, he was likely to have to excise the eldritch from Alovardo Balmento.
He pushed the door open and walked into the manor¡¯s front foyer where the old Grandmaster was.
Arkwall attracted all kinds of eccentric Grandmasters. Those who sought life away from the competitive atmosphere of Novar¡¯s Peak. Those who wanted to hone themselves in peace and perhaps pick up a student, and those aging Grandmasters who just wanted to spend their final years quietly.
And then there were insane people like Alovardo Balmento.
¡°No, you cannot go there, that will only make the breach even wider,¡± the man muttered, talking to seemingly nothing. ¡°Well, perhaps if you move that number into this position? But that added value doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡±
¡°Ah, they have sent their vaunted assassin at last,¡± the man said as Orodan stepped into his house. ¡°Hmm¡ how strange¡ you really think so?¡±
¡°Alovardo Balmento, I come to learn the mind arts from you. I¡¯m not an assassin,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And who are you even talking to?¡±
¡°Yes, yes¡ they tell me you aren¡¯t. Perhaps if I add a snippet from this value to the end of this? What do you mean that¡¯s not how it works?!¡± the man exclaimed, and Orodan could sense the Eldritch off of him through Vision Of Purity, yet it was exceedingly strange. It was neither corruptive like the kind spread by the Eldritch Avatar, nor was it making Alovardo aggressive like it had the Eldritch Minotaur and Balastion. If anything, Alovardo¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t white and pupil-less, and the man had no visible Eldritch on his body whatsoever, even if Vision Of Purity detected it within. ¡°Mind arts? Pick up that book and read from chapter three. Chapters one and two are a waste of time.¡±
Orodan did as he asked and got to reading.
Frankly, without chapters one and two, the text made no sense whatsoever.
¡°Old man¡ what are you even talking about?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°This book makes no sense without reading chapters one and two!¡±
¡°A pity, the number will not shift yet. Truly untalented, isn¡¯t he?¡± Alovardo said. ¡°Oh? You say he has no equal in that other thing? What a strange thing to be so impossibly talented in¡ he¡¯d best not try to scrub the truth from my soul!¡±
Orodan wanted to read more, but the Void Horror approached, and it was time for the end of the loop.
How many more loops of this madman¡¯s nonsense would he have to put up with? And just what was the answer to the non-corruptive Eldritch flowing through Alovardo Balmento?
He had no further time to dwell as the Void Horror came, he dragged it to the moon, and he was killed by Devil King Gutriyaz after cleansing the True Vampire.
Like that, Orodan¡¯s loops spent with Alovardo Balmento began.
¡°Alovardo Balmento, I come to learn the mind arts from you. I¡¯m not an assassin,¡± Orodan said yet again.
¡°Yes, yes¡ they tell me you aren¡¯t. Perhaps if I add a snippet from this value to the end of this? What do you mean that¡¯s not how it works?!¡± the man exclaimed. ¡°Mind arts? The numbers say you¡¯ve read from chapter three onwards already¡ here, read this book from chapter nine, but do not allow yourself to mentally count anything.¡±
What even was this madness? Orodan still complied and got to work.
And then the Void Horror came, and the loop ended once more as he died upon the moon. Although he did learn that the True Vampire¡¯s name was Ragamul.
¡°Alovardo Balmento, I come to learn the mind arts from you. I¡¯m not an assassin,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Yes, yes¡ they tell me you aren¡¯t. Perhaps if I add a snippet from this value to the end of this? What do you mean that¡¯s not how it works?!¡± the man exclaimed. ¡°Now wait a minute, how is your number so close to shifting? Who has been teaching you? I can do a better job. Pick up this book and read only chapters one and two.¡±
¡°But this is the same book you-¡± Orodan cut himself off with a sigh. It was the same book Alovardo had told him to read from chapter three onwards. And now this madman wanted him to read only chapters one and two? Fine.
Frankly, Orodan¡¯s theoretical knowledge of the mind arts was quite disjointed from this strange manner of reading.
Not only that, but Alovardo had him reading books which weren¡¯t meant for beginners, but someone slightly intermediate in the arts. From everything he¡¯d read so far, he had received no explanation on what the field of psionics was but had simply jumped right into thick explanations and diagrams of the mind.
Some of these things Orodan knew. In fact, given his experience in delving mindscapes and engaging in combat within them through the soul as a medium, he had a better understanding of the mind than any brand new psionic. Yet, none of what Alovardo asked him to read actually explained what psions or psionics were.
¡°Done that book already, are you? But the numbers still haven¡¯t settled, and the symbols remain silent¡ read the ¡®Canticles Of Xalathar¡¯, but only from verse ninety-seven, and strictly till verse one-seventy two,¡± the madman directed, and Orodan complied but then stopped for a moment to take it in.
¡°Hey¡ isn¡¯t the ¡®Canticles¡¯ a book on using soul energy to directly-¡±
¡°Shush, less talking, more reading,¡± Alovardo interrupted. ¡°The numbers won¡¯t change themselves. How do they shift about him like that? Oh? You¡¯re saying he¡¯s actually¡ hrm¡¡±
Orodan still had no clue who the Eldritch infected man was speaking to, but the questions could wait. For now, studying came first.
The texts truly made no sense, and Orodan felt he¡¯d need many loops of gripping with it to make any progress when Alovardo insisted he only read within certain verses.
Like that, a hundred alternating loops had passed.
Burn in the sun, die. Head to Arkwall, train with ludicrous methods under Alovardo Balmento, die. Alternate and repeat.
His Teleportation had increased all the way to 46 from repeatedly teleporting to the sun. Spatial Fold was convenient for opening the path in a straight line, but once he¡¯d been someplace once, Teleportation allowed him to return from then on.
His Fire Resistance was now at 42 and on this loop, Orodan felt he would finally gain some ground against that wretched Devil King. His studies on the mental arts were also progressing well, which was to say, Alovardo¡¯s weird methods of teaching still left him confused and Orodan felt he still lacked a foundational understanding of what the psionic arts entailed. Still, he felt weirdly understanding of the art, even if the explanation wasn¡¯t a complete one.
Perhaps the eldritch lunatic¡¯s teachings were more profound than Orodan knew?
And speaking of Alovardo¡
¡°I don¡¯t even look like an assassin!¡± Orodan protested. Hearing the same accusation more than a hundred times was a bit irksome. ¡°Have you seen the size of me? Do you see this sword and shield? Do I look like I¡¯d need to act in a clandestine manner to kill someone?¡±
¡°Exactly, nobody would expect you to be an assassin,¡± Alovardo remarked. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect disguise!¡±
¡°My disguise skill isn¡¯t even that high!¡± Orodan heatedly replied.
¡°Yes, the numbers are rather muted about that one,¡± Alovardo insulted.
¡°Damn you, I know my talent in the art of disguise is pathetic,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°The point is, I could just kill people up front without the need for tricks. The label of assassin would be incorrect, or at least, not fitting. I¡¯d feel less insulted if you just called me a killer, that at least, avoids the association with tricks and skullduggery.¡±
¡°Ah, but tricks and skullduggery are a natural part of conflict,¡± Alovardo said. ¡°Do you think yourself above such methods? The numbers do move about your position in the great tapestry rather strangely¡¡±
Orodan hadn¡¯t bothered to ask so far, but now he finally did.
¡°Just what do you mean when you say, ¡®the numbers¡¯?¡± Orodan asked, but he had a suspicion by now that he knew what the man was referring to. And if so¡ just how the hells could this man see what he saw?
What was the true nature of the Eldritch?
¡°Oh? These strange glyphs which tell me so much? They ask me not to say, unfortunately,¡± Alovardo replied, much to Orodan¡¯s frustration.
But he was sure of it! Alovardo Balmento could somehow see the glyphs and numbers of the System. He was corrupted by the Eldritch, and inexplicably, the man wasn¡¯t completely maddened, or at least not mindless. It wasn¡¯t visible externally at all, and it wasn¡¯t the corruptive kind.
¡°Look, I have no doubt you¡¯re seeing the glyphs of the System,¡± Orodan said and then grabbed a nearby quill and began etching out some symbols. ¡°Do they look like this? I¡¯ve seen them before too, on the world gates, and on certain people who¡¯ve taken an unhealthy interest in me.¡±
¡°The little digits speak to you as well?! Wait¡ no, they say you¡¯ve merely seen the surface, not the truth¡ the ever-present truth¡ the fabric, the tapestry of existence still eludes you,¡± Alovardo rambled. ¡°Ah! To have eyes but not see¡ what torture it must be!¡±
The crazed utterances of a madman, but Orodan wasn¡¯t stupid enough to dismiss what he said. Even if Alovardo wished not to give any answers, the man gave away more than he realized by simply speaking to himself. Investigating the man and what exactly the Eldritch was, would have to come after he settled his current affairs, however.
Since the Void Horror now came for him.
The ground trembled, but Orodan would not allow it to crash upwards and break the surface, thereby destroying a large portion of Arkwall.
Soul energy ran through him, and his eyes glowed with power. As usual, Alovardo uttered not a word but simply watched throughout the entire process. Strange man.
And before a gray hand could break the surface, space was warped wildly. And Orodan shot both himself and Alastaia¡¯s appointed pursuer to the moon in one gesture.
[Space Mastery 62 ¡ú Space Mastery 65]
[Spatial Fold 66 ¡ú Spatial Fold 67]
They both landed with a tumultuous crash which shook the barren ground for many miles.
¡°What in Alastaia¡¯s name¡ where have you brought us?! You fool, we cannot return now!¡± the Void Horror exclaimed in anger, its ever-present fear of being thrown into the void between stars like its brother coming to the surface.
¡°I¡¯ll return you once you¡¯ve received a beating,¡± Orodan promised, and then drew his weapons. His skills had grown, and this loop, he felt he might even be capable of beating it within fifteen minutes. Before the arrival of Jian Song, the first of the otherworlders.
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¡°Tch! I come to rescue you from the numerous predatory beings from other worlds who come for you, and you threaten violence?¡± the Void Horror asked. ¡°By all means, let us see if your strength matches your boasts.¡±
Long gray arm met shield, and the moon trembled at the cataclysmic clash. Orodan Wainwright was matching the Void Horror blow for blow now.
Once upon a time, he died against a singular attack from it. After that, he struggled and remained on the losing end. However, his battles against new and powerful foes such as a werewolf, true vampire, cultivator and devil king had forced Orodan to grow even stronger.
Now¡ now Orodan was on the winning end. And for someone so used to fighting against overwhelming odds, so familiar with struggling in uphill battles, the Void Horror wasn¡¯t his match now that he¡¯d begun to press the advantage he¡¯d developed over many loops of effort.
Its vicious assaults were stopped by his shield, and his own blows were peppering it with constant damage. Additionally, Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity made it pay very dearly for every bit of damage he received.
Seven minutes passed, and the Void Horror realized it was losing. Ten minutes passed, and it was beginning to show signs of serious damage.
And as the thirteenth minute since the fight¡¯s opening passed, Orodan had it on its last legs.
Vicious and brutal, Orodan threw every iota of power he could towards it. He was atop its head, pounding downwards with savage blows which could destroy entire nations.
The first ¡®clone¡¯ multiplied All-Strike hewed its right hand off. The second took its left arm off at the shoulder.
And a final one was poised to land upon its now exposed neck, promising decapitation.
¡°Alastaia¡ forgive me¡ I have failed¡¡±
And the blade was halted mid-swing.
Fourteen minutes.
¡°Finally¡! I¡¯ve bested you in under fifteen minutes!¡±
The Void Horror, a quintuple-Grandmaster, bested in under fifteen minutes. This was how far Orodan had come!
¡°¡you show mercy?¡± it asked.
¡°Well, yes? While you¡¯ve tried to kill me, and succeeded on numerous occasions, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re malicious,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Alastaia though¡ is a different story.¡±
¡°The Quest on you still remains, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Void Horror spoke. ¡°You are a threat to Alastaia¡ but¡ I suppose the otherworlders will arrive soon and the Quest will be nulled as I¡¯ve failed my part. I accept that you¡¯re my better in combat¡ so this last minute need not be spent fighting to the death.¡±
¡°A nice change of pace for once,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been a great teacher. Thank you.¡±
¡°Your words are nonsensical. I¡¯ve never met you prior to this,¡± it replied. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried to kill you or succeeded before either.¡±
¡°My words would sound nonsensical if not for the fact that I¡¯m in a time loop that resets every time I die,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°The moment you got the Quest to capture me is when the loop begins, and I receive my own Quests. It all started when I acquired a Celestial rarity skill in my last long loop.¡±
¡°A time loop? that is impossible, the Gods would have descended by now and¡ and¡¡± it trailed off and came to a stop. ¡°Even the Gods are unaware, aren¡¯t they?¡±
¡°Quite so.¡±
¡°¡your story is madness, and quite suspicious. Every part of is tempted to call you a liar and a fool, yet¡¡± it trailed off. ¡°If you truly are in a time loop and you say you receive Quests at the beginning of each one, then you might find answers within the world core, by getting audience with the world herself.¡±
¡°While I intend to delve to the world core and ask at sword point why I¡¯m constantly being hounded and how I can stop it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How will Alastaia have answers for my time loop when the Gods do not?¡±
¡°I cannot guarantee any answers, but if there is anywhere you should look first, it is with our world,¡± the Void Horror answered. ¡°A time loop of such power that surpassed even the Gods can only be the result of a higher power. And the world has secrets which not even the divines are privy to.¡±
Whether it was referring to the Divine Tower, or something else, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure. But delving into the world core was in fact a goal of his. If only so he could get an answer and perhaps stop it from hounding him.
Any further thought would have to wait, as fifteen minutes had passed¡ and Jian Song approached.
A resounding crash rang out, and the robed figure of the old Sword Transcendent cultivator was revealed.
¡°Good, good!¡± Jian Song exclaimed. ¡°Like a piece of unpolished jade¡ for a Celestial talent to emerge here¡ the heavens must be on our side. And only at the Master-level too¡ is this what true genius looks like?¡±
Maybe when it came to Cleaning, but in Orodan¡¯s opinion, while excellent in some areas, he wouldn¡¯t call himself a ¡®true genius¡¯. It took him advantages that others didn¡¯t have in order to get to where he was. He would admit though, that he likely worked harder than anyone else he knew of.
¡°Jian Song, let us not bandy words. I know you¡¯re here to spirit me away to your strange world of flying swords and ostentatious robes,¡± Orodan spoke. ¡°But I have no interest in traveling to Xian yet. Fight me and show me the power of your Dao!¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright, we shall discuss later how you know these things,¡± the old cultivator said, and then produced his sword. ¡°For now¡ how can a sword cultivator refuse such an open challenge? I hope you¡¯re ready to receive my blow.¡±
Every empowerment skill was activated to the max, and this time¡ Orodan¡¯s face carried a mad grin and a hint of confidence. Fifty loops had improved his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, and he felt he could at least force his shield to hold now.
The familiar thin beam of sword light flew towards his shield and impacted¡
¡and for once, it held. His Domain Of Perfect Cleaning being three levels higher now, at 73, allowed his shield to hold.
And Jian Song¡¯s eyes were wide like saucers, his mouth agape.
¡°Impossible¡! Completely impossible! You¡¯re merely at the Master-level! How can you defend against a Sword Transcendent like myself?!¡± Jian Song exclaimed. ¡°This is a discovery beyond any I could¡¯ve hoped for! I must summon assistance to ensure a heavens-defying talent like you is poached for certain.¡±
Well, that was quite the annoying occurrence. If he knew that showcasing his defensive prowess would cause Jian Song to call backup early, he would¡¯ve simply held off.
A beam of blood came for Jian Song, signifying the arrival of Narictus¡¯s hunters; and soon the chaos upon the moon began in earnest once Devil King Gutriyaz and W78 also arrived shortly after.
Jian Song clashed against the Devil King and Ragamul the True Vampire while Orodan engaged Aarnalf the werewolf. At his insistence, W78 did not intervene. Partly because Orodan had grown stronger and was on the winning end against the furry beast.
¡°How can a mere Master-level warrior be so strong?! Your Bloodline would be divine¡ the nobles houses of the eternal night would go to war for a chance to have you sire children for them, to add your blood to their lines,¡± Aarnalf roared. ¡°Join us! We need not fight! Let us work against the Devil King and eliminate the foul devils of the hells!¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t aware your world of vampires and werewolves also hated the devils,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of werewolves before meeting you, but in my world, vampires are seen as rather nefarious.¡±
Well¡ he supposed the devils coming along and killing their food might be a point of contention.
¡°The vampires of your world are short-sighted and weak then! Imagine a society where all are elevated to immortality after a few years of service,¡± the werewolf explained. ¡°A world where our souls are easily placed back into perfect vessels, and we can stay with our families and loved ones for eternity! Where necromancy, vampirism and the gift of lycanthropy can be leveraged to benefit our people and bring us together!¡±
It sounded utterly nonsensical if he went by what he knew and had been taught of necromancy and vampirism. But who knew how the inhabitants of this other world, Narictus, lived their lives? Perhaps not all vampires were mustache-twirling villains.
¡°That sounds nice, but I¡¯m still not going to your world. Not yet,¡± Orodan replied as he sent one final barrage of All-Strikes at his opponent. ¡°I have affairs to settle here, and I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re preventing me from doing so.¡±
The werewolf was sent flying to the other side of the moon, roaring in pain and fury as it went. It was still alive of course; Orodan saw no need to kill someone who was somewhat amicable and not trying to kill him.
¡°Well, my friend,¡± Orodan said, turning to W78 who was simply acting the spectator all this time. ¡°You might want to get off this moon. It¡¯ll meet a rather destructive end soon for what I¡¯m about to do.¡±
¡°Subject: Orodan Wainwright. Analysis: attempting risky action. Action not recommended, friend,¡± it intoned in its usual robotic voice that Orodan had come to be fond of.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not me¡ or I suppose it is me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The Devil King won¡¯t be too happy after I cleanse Ragamul of his vampirism.¡±
¡°Error: cleansing vampirism from True Vampire not possible without fatal outcome.¡±
¡°Eh, you¡¯ll see,¡± Orodan said as he made way for the losing Jian Song.
The unfortunate cultivator was already inferior in a toe-to-toe battle against Devil King Gutriyaz, and the True Vampire¡¯s addition in ganging up against him wasn¡¯t helping.
So, when Orodan joined in and dragged Ragamul away for cleansing, it was a welcome reprieve. Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, and within seconds the taint within
¡°No! Wait! The gift of the blood¡! What are you doing?!¡± Ragamul exclaimed in horror. ¡°I surrender! Please! We¡¯ll leave and never trouble you again!¡±
¡°And how many innocents have you slaughtered due to your bloodthirst, vampire?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°None besides cattle who were made for that purpose!¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes narrowed.
¡°And pray tell¡ these sapient beings, you breed them as cattle for consumption?¡±
The vampire¡¯s eyes betrayed the answer. It couldn¡¯t have lied even if it wanted to. Not when Orodan held a tight grip over its soul with Domain Of Perfect Cleaning and could sense the ebbs and flows so minutely.
¡°Please¡ mercy¡¡±
¡°For your loyal subordinate, perhaps,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But for you who would gladly sacrifice him, and who would use the taint of vampirism to snuff innocents of their blood and lives? I think not.¡±
Howls of agony rang out, and Ragamul, the True Vampire¡ became human once more.
The entire moon went silent for a moment.
¡°New data collected. Error resolved,¡± W78 intoned.
¡°You might want to vacate the moon my friend,¡± Orodan said, looking at the machine.
It was a warning given just in time, since Devil King Gutriyaz¡¯s eyes were wide in disbelief, rage and fear.
A beam of pure hellfire erupted, and the moon, and Orodan with it, were utterly vaporized.
All save for a handful of cells and an unbroken sword and shield.
At the end of the day, what was vitality? It was life, yes. But what was the hallmark of life?
The purpose of life wasn¡¯t merely to exist, like an unfeeling object. Life was more than just that. Even the smallest microbial lifeform, from the beginning of its inception, it struggled, it competed, it adapted, and it survived.
Embracing the Harmony Of Vitality then, was to accept this struggle, this perseverance, implicitly.
To become it.
[Harmony Of Vitality 89 ¡ú Harmony Of Vitality 90]
No more was this the mere brute force he¡¯d habitually thrown into the skill. It was now at the Master-level, and the jump in power was profound. It was long overdue, but Harmony Of Vitality had finally increased.
The beam kept being channelled, however Orodan began slowly reforming despite it. He had weathered the flames of the sun¡¯s surface. This Devil King¡¯s strongest attack was still a step below the power of the sun, especially in the deeper layers which killed Orodan instantly without the strange beings on it even getting to attack him.
[Fire Resistance 42 ¡ú Fire Resistance 43]
¡°Excellent, please keep going, I wonder how high my Fire Resistance can get if I keep this up,¡± Orodan said even as the beam of hellfire washed over him. He was beginning to outpace the damage with his healing.
¡°Wretched purifier! Your sort must be annihilated here and now before the conclave recruits you in their single-minded holy war!¡± Devil King Gutriyaz roared. If anything, the Devil King seemed intent on pressing the attack.
However, it was not to be.
At the start of the battle, Jian Song had called for reinforcements. And for the first time Orodan got to see a cultivator other than the Sword Transcendent.
He never knew music could be a weapon, and he¡¯d never heard a more profound melody in his life.
A single note was played from a rather plain-looking lute, and then¡ the beam, and the Devil King were blown backwards into the void between stars.
¡°Little Song¡ was that devil bothering you?¡± the woman asked in a profoundly gentle voice that had even Orodan feeling at peace.
Short hair, no notable features, nothing that would stand out. Hells, Orodan wouldn¡¯t say she was ugly, but she was almost impossibly plain in a way that would make people overlook her. It was akin to a geometric impossibility; there was no way someone could look this plain and bland naturally. He was almost certain it was a skill. If he scanned a crowd ten times, he might miss this woman every time unless she specifically spoke to him. Even looking upon her, he felt as though his mind wanted to forget the sight of her face.
A rather ordinary-looking lute, and an unassuming woman wielding it. Yet if the display he just saw was anything to go by, this woman was even deadlier than a Devil King.
¡°Big sister¡! You came for me! I will be forever grateful!¡± Jian Song said as he dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve brought shame to our family!¡±
The musical cultivator shook her head and ruffled the ancient Jian Song¡¯s hair.
¡°Come now, none of that. Devil King Gutriyaz is one of the stronger Kings of the first hell. That you held on for a while speaks well of your skills,¡± the woman said in a calm and caring tone. Every single syllable was full of intricate layers of meaning. It wasn¡¯t that her voice sounded beautiful or melodic, but that it felt as though each word contained so much that wasn¡¯t spelled out. As though entire conversations occurred with the utterance of a single sound. ¡°How could I let my little brother be bullied by some silly devil with a poor taste in music? Now then, is this the Quest Subject? Is this Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°That would be me,¡± Orodan said, but kept his weapons at the ready. This woman was incredibly dangerous, and while he held faith in his willpower, he would be a true idiot if he underestimated what was likely some sort of Transcendent social skill user.
¡°My¡ you¡¯re quite the violent sort, I can tell just by looking at you,¡± she said in a thoughtful tone. ¡°I¡¯ve met heroes who fight and yet will break down for the first time in millennia once I ask them sincerely of their sorrows. Champions who¡¯ve buried the grief and rage in their hearts with battle. But you¡ you simply live for battle in every breath. No wonder those devils were so insistent on getting a hold of you¡ and yet¡ I can sense your heart is not a dark one.¡±
His eyes narrowed in suspicion and his grip on his weapons tightened.
In response, the musical cultivator¡¯s hands went up in a gesture of peace.
¡°I apologize, it¡¯s no skill; I cannot read minds. It is merely the astute observations of a woman who¡¯s lived for a very, very long time,¡± she said and then smiled. ¡°I understand my little brother received a Quest to recruit you to our world. Would you like to come with us to Xian? Perhaps we might have some tea?¡±
It was a nice offer, but Orodan¡¯s answer still remained unchanged.
¡°I have affairs to settle on my world first, only then can I think to venture into the cosmos,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I cannot come with you.¡±
Jian Song¡¯s eyes narrowed.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, do you not see-¡±
¡°Hush, little Song,¡± the woman interrupted. ¡°Very well, Orodan Wainwright. Can we at least ask that you visit us when the time comes?¡±
¡°But big sister! The Quest will-¡±
¡°Fail. And Xian will weep, and our world¡¯s pride will be bruised,¡± she finished. ¡°Truly¡ has your time spent as a servant of the world numbed your senses? How can we gain allies if we go around kidnapping people and acting as mannerless cretins? The unfortunate strife with the soul nexus of our world often leads to fallen souls from Xian arriving here as transmigrators, and from what I hear the locals don¡¯t have a good impression of us cultivators from the few that have arrived thus far. Let us change that opinion.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not opposed to coming by, but for now I have to get answers from my world,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have remaining matters to settle before I can come by.¡±
A whirring of machinery and the hum of energy interjected.
¡°Yes, W78, I also plan to visit your world,¡± Orodan added. ¡°Unlike the vampire, and that Devil King, you two have been somewhat more pleasant.¡±
¡°I am pleased to hear that, Orodan Wainwright,¡± she replied. ¡°I am Jian Yixia. Lute Transcendent of the Eternal Melody Sect of Xian. My little brother Jian Song is a Sword Transcendent, and although his path has taken him elsewhere in noble service to our world as a World Guardian, our love for family still remains strong. You might find that in this vast and unforgiving universe, there are still good folk who simply wish to do a good turn and seek harmony. When your business upon Alastaia concludes, come seek us.¡±
¡°¡that¡¯s it? No kidnapping attempt? No strong-arming?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°While my little brother might¡¯ve considered the option, I prefer to respect the agency of others,¡± Jian Yixia said. ¡°You¡¯ll find that not every world is full of silly villainous figures. Anyhow, we¡¯ll be leaving for now but will visit again in six months. Do you think you¡¯ll have wrapped up your affairs by then?¡±
¡°That should be more than enough,¡± Orodan replied. It would have to be.
¡°Being: Orodan Wainwright. Classification: friend,¡± W78 intoned. ¡°Directive: cancelled. Request: Visit World X2 and meet friend again.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Orodan replied. Of all the people who had descended upon his head, this friendly machine, powerful as it was, simply stood around and protected him, wanting to be his friend. How could he not at least pay it a visit?
For now, he¡¯d done it. He¡¯d escaped the fifteen minutes of doom. And in future loops he felt confident he could at least survive to the point that the more aggressive pursuers from Narictus and the first hell would feel it not worth the effort. And as for Devil King Gutriyaz, Orodan was confident that since he could survive the Transcendent devil¡¯s strongest attacks, he could at least draw it into a battle of attrition where its only options would be retreat or death.
He couldn¡¯t outright beat a Transcendent yet, but he might at least be able to force a stalemate or retreat.
No matter how strong the opponents he faced or how high up the cosmic hierarchy he climbed, his foes would always have to respect Orodan¡¯s endless power generation and his Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity.
His eyes went to the Void Horror who¡¯d been hiding in a distant chunk of the destroyed moon.
It was time for answers.
¡°The world does not approve of this, Orodan Wainwright,¡± it said. ¡°Step past this threshold, and multiple guardians of the second gate will be roused and dispatched to face you. I too will be forced to act, and even though you¡¯ve proven your strength against me and greater foes¡ there are four of us and a core guardian you will have to face.¡±
¡°I have a hunch that the core guardian won¡¯t be an issue,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°If I¡¯m right, I¡¯m a good counter for it.¡±
The abyssal depths and the first gate were a familiar sight to him. However, the last time he set foot here, he hadn¡¯t intended on returning for fear of causing far too much collateral damage in battle against whatever was sent against him.
Now of course, he could best the Void Horror, and his toolset was expanded. In fact, Orodan wasn¡¯t here seeking a fight. Battling guardians as powerful as the Void Horror sounded fun, but the destruction wreaked upon the civilization past the world gate would be immense, and Orodan had nothing against the monsters within.
But he did have a bone to pick with Alastaia for all the headaches it¡¯d been causing him.
He set foot past the first gate, and immediately an expected message came through.
[First World Gate Crossed - Alastaia]
[Warning - You have become the target of a Quest]
[Quest Subject ¡ú The Descending Intruder - Defeat Orodan Wainwright, Delver of the first World Gate, protect the World Core of Alastaia]
As expected, and the Void Horror reluctantly raised its hands in preparation for battle as it charged Orodan¡
¡only to walk right into a Spatial Fold which sent it many miles away. It barely provided any resistance.
Yes, it was unfair. And it rankled every bit of Orodan¡¯s pride, but for once, he was sending enemies away in order to avoid massive collateral destruction. He could defeat them, but that wasn¡¯t the point. The answers he sought were.
A gigantic earthworm, slightly weaker than the Void Horror came charging down the thousand-mile-wide hallway next, and it too was whisked away to the ocean.
It was only then that the remaining two world gate guardians caught on and stopped trying to wantonly charge him.
¡°Wait! He¡¯s teleporting us away from the field of battle! Keep a distance!¡± roared a giant floating octopus of sorts.
¡°I see you, intruder! You will not pass as long as my sight holds true!¡± hissed a gigantic floating mass of flesh, with a mouth, a giant eye in the middle, and numerous smaller eyes at the ends of tentacles that extended from it. It beheld him with its main eye, hatred within.
¡°I seek answers from Alastaia, you won¡¯t stop me,¡± Orodan declared as he continued his advance.
The civilization past the first gate was shockingly similar in many aspects to human civilization upon Inuan. Monsters gathered, they frolicked, and even the young of these monster species were wandering around and engaging in play.
Of course, the intrusion of Orodan had brought a halt to all of that and caused them to flee for their lives for fear of the destruction.
Strangely enough, he recognized almost none of the species as being natives of Alastaia, on the surface at least.
He saw young Void Horrors, juvenile octopi which were younger versions of the guardian he was facing, and various otherworldly creatures. Including even psionic centipedes and some True Vampires.
The octopi fired numerous beams of energy towards him, and Orodan was forced to use Spatial Fold multiple times to avoid destruction of the innocent creatures who were mere spectators.
¡°Does the world not care about your dwellings? Why do you attack when you can see I have no interest in fighting you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Silence invader! You are the one who trespasses upon our home! Rejected from our homeworlds, we¡¯ve finally found solace in the bosom of Alastaia, and you would threaten our sanctuary?!¡± the guardian with the many eyes said as psionic torrents assaulted him. ¡°The deaths of our people will be on your hands!¡±
Orodan couldn¡¯t even deny the accusation. Which was why he intended to allow no deaths whatsoever.
The remaining gate guardians were smart, remaining as far away as possible while sending ranged attacks his way. Unfortunately for them, Orodan was redirecting all of the octopi¡¯s ranged attacks through spatiomancy, and the many-eyed guardian¡¯s mental and soul assaults were of negligible effect upon him. His Psionic Resistance and soul prowess too high.
Thirty minutes of battle passed as Orodan kept traveling down the gigantic hallway, at the end of which was another world gate. The structure was quite similar to the depths of the moon, or the fallen Vylrystia. A grand hallway which led to the world core.
Nearer to the end point, the traces of civilization began to die down, and Orodan increased his speed, no longer needing to slow down and prevent innocent casualties from the ranged attacks of the octopi.
¡°Cease! You will face naught but death within the world core! The core guardian will be your end!¡± the many-eyed one declared in rage.
Yet, Orodan cared not. Even as countless attacks rained down on him, he smashed the second world gate to smithereens and almost flew past it.
[Second World Gate Crossed - Alastaia]
No Quest Subject warning came by. Whatever Alastaia was sending at him, was already the limit of what it could muster.
He turned a corner, and before him, just like on the moon¡
¡a gigantic sphere.
Covered in glowing System glyphs and symbols, fully powered and unlike the shattered one of Vylrystia, this was a fully functioning world core. Alastaia¡¯s world core. And of particular note, was the almost spear-like pillar he could see impaled into one side of it. The pillar extended out of the core room, and Orodan could see it go further beyond to the surface.
He recognized the Divine Tower right away. It truly did go as deep as the world core. This then, was its bottom point.
¡°Invader¡ Orodan Wainwright¡ why?¡±
A voice which caused the very core of his soul to vibrate in resonance. Alastaia itself, a being closely connected to the System.
It was a small¡ bat?
Yes, it was definitely a bat. The size of his hand perhaps, but his sharp eyes could make out the fact that it was perched atop the world core, almost absorbed into it. Its eyes were white and pupil-less, although it wasn¡¯t exactly maddened.
And Orodan¡¯s confidence in facing a core guardian had been correct. It was covered in the tell-tale grayish-purple veins of Eldritch. His resistance skills and Celestial skill would give him the advantage against this foe.
¡°Why? You send your goon after me to drag me down into the world core, and now you¡¯re unhappy that I¡¯m here?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You make no sense, perhaps I need to beat some into you.¡±
¡°Death¡ Core Guardian¡ beyond you¡¡±
His weapons were drawn, and he smiled.
¡°There¡¯s no civilization this deep in the core, so how about we put that to the test,¡± Orodan said, elated at the chance to finally cut loose.
The octopi shot soul energy powered elemental beams at him, and the many-eyed guardian launched continuous psionic and soul assaults. However, these were both spell-caster type combatants, and Orodan was the bane of this sort of foe. Their assaults were ignored, and Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity began firing back, forcing them to moderate their damage output lest they kill themselves by attacking him.
The bat on the other hand, would¡¯ve been a serious problem. It was a Transcendent, and its small size was a comical contrast with how monstrously fast and lethal it was. It flitted about the core chamber with such speed and unpredictability that Orodan would¡¯ve died many times over¡
¡if he didn¡¯t have Eldritch Resistance.
¡°Heh¡ not so tough when your strongest weapon is neutered, huh?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Impossibility¡ Orodan Wainwright¡ never fought Eldritch¡¡±
¡°So, you have been watching me, or at least, for this loop,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I need answers, what¡¯s the Divine Tower? How does it know about me? And for that matter, why me? The ancient machine under Mount Castarian, why did you give me a Quest for it?¡±
¡°Not known¡ even to us you are¡ anomaly.¡±
Us? That sounded suspiciously similar to a certain Avatar descending in six months.
It made no sense, and Orodan would need to end this conflict to get some proper answers.
During one of its many passes, the bat barrelled into Orodan¡¯s chest, and it was then that he grappled it to the ground even as it drilled inside of him, doubtlessly seeking to corrupt him.
The whispers of the truth were turned away almost casually with how high his Eldritch Resistance was, and the bat was grasped with two hands. It also had incredibly high Physical Fitness, likely at the Grandmaster-level given how strong it was. But it was still a small bat the size of his hand, and his Physical Fitness and Body Tempering ensured that his skill levels counted for more than its did.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, and it was time to cleanse the Eldritch from the core guardian.
¡°Cease immediately¡ we will¡ answer.
Too little, too late. Orodan cared not for its pathetic attempts at surrender now. They could talk once all his foes were battered into submission.
The core guardian was strong, and the Eldritch corrupting it was deeper than the kind that infested the Eldritch Avatar. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t resist it either. All this made Orodan¡¯s job of purifying it much harder.
But, with his current skill levels and titles, not impossible.
A shriek of defiance erupted from the bat¡¯s mouth. Even as numerous attacks from the other two gate guardians struck him, Orodan refused to relent. This bat would be cleaned.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning reached deep into every cell of its body, into its very soul core¡ and all of Orodan¡¯s energy was poured into the effort.
Like prying a mountain up from the ground and separating it from the earth, progress was slow. But it came all the same.
Purplish-gray veins began to recede, the Eldritch resisted but faltered, and the white pupil-less eyes of the bat began returning to their normal color.
The ¡®truth¡¯ wasn¡¯t as infallible as the Eldritch Avatar made it seem. And Orodan needed answers as to why Alastaia also utilized eldritch power.
With a final burst of effort, it was done. And a rather adorable little bat laid within his hands.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 73 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 74]
¡°Alastaia¡ is my service at last ended? Can I return to my people?¡± it asked.
¡°Apologies, but your employer has run afoul of trouble,¡± Orodan answered as he got up and made way for the now undefended world core.
The bat was strong, nearly as strong as Jian Song. And if all core guardians were Transcendents corrupted by the eldritch energies of a world, it would be a powerful deterrent for any would-be invaders.
With Eldritch Resistance however, the world core of Alastaia was now ripe for his plunder.
Vision Of Purity told him that eldritch energies ran throughout it¡ but it wasn¡¯t filthy. If anything, the eldritch running through the world core was almost natural, in harmony. Although he could sense the quality of it degrading ever so slightly at the most minute of rates.
The bat was almost insensate, and the other two gate guardians looked stricken with fear and were unwilling to act.
Strange, they were usually loyal to the point of being willing to die to carry out the world¡¯s commands.
And as Orodan placed both hands upon the world core of Alastaia, he found out why¡
¡because Alastaia had ordered them to stay back and allow him to grasp the core.
[Eldritch Resistance 54 ¡ú Eldritch Resistance 60]
It was more Eldritch energy than he¡¯d ever felt from anything in his life. The Eldritch Avatar and the three divinities empowering it? Pathetic.
This was the core of an entire world, and it drew eldritch power from someplace beyond even Orodan¡¯s perception.
Madness threatened to overwhelm his mind, and all he saw were numbers, System glyphs and symbols, and the whisperings of a horrible truth. That there was a great wrong somewhere¡ that a horrid corruption existed, and all would fall apart eventually.
The will of an entire planet threatened his mind. Even the wills of the Eldritch divinities and the three Gods who tried possessing him in the past, were nothing in comparison. His own mind, his own will, it felt as though it wouldn¡¯t be up to this task.
And then¡
¡Orodan¡¯s eyes steeled, and he remembered who he was.
His orifices leaked blood, his soul burned hot, and the very will of the world was told a simple word.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Impossibility¡ mortal willpower cannot¡ to overcome the will of a world¡ to overcome us¡¡±
¡°Gods, Eldritch and now the will of an entire world¡ I refuse to be found lacking!¡± Orodan roared, and his very skin and muscles ruptured from the sheer mental strain as his willpower continued to rage.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 92 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 93]
His body was reduced to a handful of cells as his soul produced ludicrous amounts of energy.
¡°Slay him¡ now while weakened¡¡±
That was bad news. The two gate guardians who he¡¯d ignored in favor of focusing on the world core, were now rearing to assault him during a vulnerable moment.
Ordinarily, he could ignore the many-eyed one and recover from the octopi¡¯s beams. But when reduced to a handful of cells?
This loop looked to be over.
Which was when a familiar Void Horror he¡¯d battled on the moon decided to enter the core chamber and stand in-between the attacks meant for him.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! You must hold on!¡± it declared, and he was shocked that it would openly betray Alastaia in such a manner. ¡°Your ability to cleanse the Eldritch taint¡ I ask you use it on my brother when he descends.¡±
Orodan would, and he wouldn¡¯t forget this favor.
The moment of critical defense the Void Horror had given him was worth everything.
¡°Traitorous¡ to betray the hand that provides¡ we shall exact retribution¡¡±
Its outrage at the betrayal was short-lived, as Orodan fired outward with Domain Of Perfect Cleaning and began targeting the eldritch energies running through the world core.
At first, it resisted. It was a truly titanic amount, and then¡ it began to fight back, producing more, the endless capacity of a world itself.
Orodan could outlast it¡ eventually. Although it might take years. He needed something right now, and that was when those stupid texts Alovardo insisted he read out of order came to mind.
He had no idea what the hell Psionic magic was. His foundations were entirely askew, his theoretical knowledge spotty.
But what he did have, devoid of any baggage of what was or wasn¡¯t possible¡ was the very basic theory of how mental assaults worked. And it was this pure theory of mental assault that he guided into being with his soul energy.
[New Skill (Rare) ¡ú Psionic Assault 36]
And as soon as it came into being¡ Orodan had long conceptualized the idea of cleaning not just the soul, but the very mind. The next message that came, was incredibly natural, his talent in Cleaning was simply too high for it to be an obstacle.
[Skill Absorption - Psionic Assault 36 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 74]
And Orodan learned just how grotesquely powerful a Celestial skill was as the previously level 36 Psionic Assault jumped in power, to the skill level of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, at 74.
With this boost, he pushed and assaulted the very consciousness of Alastaia itself, ordering¡ demanding that it cease producing Eldritch energies.
And against all odds, even as it roared in attempted defiance, it complied. And all went silent.
The Eldritch ceased its production, the world core was purged entirely, and a pathway to the very heart of the world core was opened up. Inside was the representation of Alastaia itself.
Within¡
¡a glowing crown with System glyphs which Orodan¡¯s hand immediately seized.
The world went silent, reality, time and space trembled¡ and a message came before him.
[World Conquered - Alastaia]
[New Title ¡ú World Conqueror]
This was¡
[New Functions Unlocked]
[World Invasion System]
[Title Exchange]
Title Exchange? What the hells was that?
Orodan called for it, and it answered.
[Title Exchange]
Bearer Of A Celestial Skill (1000 Runes)
World Conqueror (300 Runes)
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill (200 Runes)
World Gate Delver (100 Runes)
Avatar Slayer (50 Runes)
One Who Has Experienced Death (50 Runes)
Grandmaster Slayer (50 Runes)
Combat Elite (20 Runes)
Sword Elite (20 Runes)
Shield Elite (20 Runes)
Physical Elite (20 Runes)
Unarmed Combat Elite (20 Runes)
Cleaning Elite (20 Runes)
Wrestling Elite (20 Runes)
Soul Elite (20 Runes)
Perfect Cleaning Elite (20 Runes)
Celestial Elite (20 Runes)
Woodworking Adept (10 Runes)
Alchemy Adept (10 Runes)
Space Adept (10 Runes)
Fire Magic Apprentice (5 Runes)
Enchanting Apprentice (5 Runes)
Teaching Apprentice (5 Runes)
Laboring Apprentice (5 Runes)
Blacksmithing Apprentice (5 Runes)
Pathfinding Apprentice (5 Runes)
Gathering Apprentice (5 Runes)
Time Apprentice (5 Runes)
[Available Exchange Categories]
Celestial Skill Absorption Talents
World Conqueror Talents
Anti-Avatar Talents
Death-Defying Talents
Anti-Grandmaster Talents
Combat Talents
Sword Talents
Shield Talents
Physical Talents
Unarmed Combat Talents
Wrestling Talents
Soul Talents
Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Talents
Woodworking Talents
Alchemy Talents
Space Talents
Fire Magic Talents
Enchanting Talents
Teaching Talents
Laboring Talents
Blacksmithing Talents
Pathfinding Talents
Gathering Talents
Time Talents
The list was almost overwhelming, and he had an instinctive sense that each category had options within which he could use the Runes to¡ invest into? Yes, that was the sense the world core was now giving him.
And while he¡¯d love to interrogate Alastaia immediately about answers.
The last message on the Title Exchange was different from the rest¡
¡and far too ominous to ignore.
#$Tim^%e *L^oo#@p#er $#T$a%l^en!t&s
Chapter 47 - Answers & Repaying Debts
The first question to consider was¡
¡just what were these Talents?
Clearly, they were related to existing Titles he held. And the titles he held provided a certain number of these Runes in exchange.
But before exploring these Talents, he needed answers.
The crown held in his hands gave him a connection to the planet, and he instinctively felt he could call upon Alastaia.
The spirit of the world itself, Alastaia, was present, an omni-present feeling throughout the entirety of the core chamber.
¡°Well, this is strange¡ speaking to an actual world. Feel up to answering some questions?¡± Orodan asked, and the ever-present hum became louder, almost harmonious. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±
¡°Our mind is cleared, Orodan Wainwright,¡± it answered in a far more harmonious tone than it had during his battle against it. ¡°We think with clarity once more in an eon, you have our gratitude, and our fealty, World Conqueror of Alastaia.¡±
The proclamation was a powerful one. World Conqueror, he knew of two beings with that title. Zaessythra, and the imitation of the Arch-Devil he¡¯d fought in the Divine Tower.
Dominion over an entire world¡ what was he even meant to do with such a silly title?
Thoughts on that could come later.
¡°It¡¯s a lot to unpack, but how about we start with why you decided to send the Void Horror to nab me?¡± he asked while pointing over his shoulder towards the Void Horror who sat peacefully cross-legged. ¡°And then¡ once he discovered I wasn¡¯t so weak, he decided to kill me. I understand getting rid of me to avoid the descent of otherworlders upon Alastaia, hells I¡¯d even understand if you decided to throw me towards the sun and hope they¡¯d avoid the planet. But, killing me, really?¡±
¡°We can only offer apologies and make amends, World Conqueror,¡± Alastaia spoke. ¡°For too long have we faced incursions from the Eldritch and otherworldly invaders. With only six months remaining before the descent of calamity we sought a champion and failing that¡ the elimination of undue attention which might disrupt the balance of power.¡±
Fair enough. He wasn¡¯t going to hold hard feelings over what was a calculated decision on Alastaia¡¯s end. The Void Horror was merely following orders to ensure the survival of its own world as well, and at no point would he say it held a malicious attitude. And speaking of the Void Horror¡
¡°And him¡ you aren¡¯t mad at the Void Horror for betraying you?¡± Orodan asked Alastaia. ¡°Much as I appreciate his timely intervention, I do need to know that there won¡¯t be problems between the two of you.¡±
As fair as a conflict between an entire world and one of its guardians could get anyways.
¡°Bearer of the crown, you command our loyalties now, in wielding the symbol of authority forged by the System itself, we would not act against you,¡± the world spoke.
¡°But would you act against my friend here who dared to help me in a critical moment?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright, unlike gate guardians the world itself is much more constrained in what it can do,¡± the Void Horror spoke up. ¡°Gate guardians and even core guardians can rebel to an extent, albeit at risk of being cut off from the bountiful world energy we enjoy. Worlds however must obey the bearer of the System¡¯s authority once a world ruler has emerged.¡±
¡°Even without such restrictions, we would not act against the wayward guardian whose intentions were pure,¡± Alastaia spoke. ¡°For too long have our thoughts been a muddled dream, driven by the ever-growing descent into madness as the great wound grows and the Eldritch spreads. We would not bear vengeance against one who aided in our liberation.¡±
As good an answer as any, and one that put him at ease. Last thing he wanted was to turn around and have Alastaia somehow harm the Void Horror who¡¯d helped him.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, before you seek any further answers I must know your intentions,¡± the Void Horror interjected. ¡°What do you intend to do with us gate guardians? What do you intend to do with the families and descendants of us who have faithfully served Alastaia all this time? We mean you no harm and can rel-¡±
¡°None of that will be necessary,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°You can remain and live your lives as you always have. Why would I interrupt that? Hells, I even made sure to avoid any collateral damage earlier when those two were throwing magic at me like nobles throwing coins at a beggar child.¡±
The octopi and many-eyed guardian at least had the decency to look away.
¡°¡truly? If so, you have my gratitude and respect,¡± the Void Horror said. ¡°World Conquerors often supplant or commit genocide upon the existing beings past the world gates; usually in the hopes of placing their favored races in beneficial positions where they can access the plentiful world energy.¡±
¡°Well, I have no interest in doing that,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Live your lives and be happy.¡±
¡°We shall loyally guard the core for-¡±
¡°No, I mean live your lives and do whatever you want,¡± Orodan interrupted, causing it to flinch in confusion. ¡°Why would I want a guard for the world gates? I mean, certainly, you should protect yourselves and your settlements. But if anyone threatens the world core I¡¯ll crush them myself. I fight my own battles, although I¡¯ll remember the aid you¡¯ve given me today.¡±
Ever since Adeltaj had given his life for him, Orodan despised the thought of anyone else fighting on his behalf. Adding Zaessythra and Vespidia¡¯s sacrifices to that? Nobody would die for him again, if he could help it.
¡°Then, do you wish for us to man the world gates at least?¡± the Void Horror asked.
¡°No, I want you to do whatever you want,¡± Orodan said, and then channelled energy into the crown. ¡°Consider this a direct order. You don¡¯t need to guard any gates or protect the core on my behalf. Live your lives, do whatever makes you happy. Whether it¡¯s spending time with your loved ones and descendants or traveling the world and seeing the sights. Just don¡¯t cause too much of a ruckus or kill innocent folks.¡±
¡°World Conqueror¡¡± the Void Horror muttered. ¡°Do you truly wish for us to leave your service? Where shall we go?¡±
¡°No¡ no! Just¡ you can stay exactly where you are, just live your lives freely and do as you wish. Me saying you can live freely does not mean I¡¯m evicting you from your homes,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I see, you truly are a warrior through and through, allowing nobody else to steal your glory,¡± the Void Horror praised. ¡°Then, are we truly to be allowed onto the surface for the first time?¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Orodan asked, and then thought better of it. He turned to the world core. ¡°Is there any particular reason you keep the gate guardians and the powerful beings past the world gate locked inside?¡±
¡°Too much power upon our surface can draw problematic gazes from across the cosmos,¡± Alastaia answered. ¡°But with a World Conqueror like you defending us¡¡±
¡°Well, I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll defeat all comers,¡± Orodan replied. Yes, he was likely the most powerful defender the world had now. Both its Conqueror and guardian. But that didn¡¯t mean he was arrogant enough to think he could kill everyone. At least without the time loops. Devil King Gutriyaz could simply destroy the planet and ignore Orodan, and he couldn¡¯t be everywhere. ¡°But I¡¯ll take them on all the same.¡±
¡°And we could not ask more,¡± Alastaia said. ¡°We shall balance the ventures to the surface, alleviating much of the risk. As our defender, you need not be concerned. Your ambitions are grander.¡±
They ironed out a few more details before finally moving onto the real topic.
¡°I need to know, Alastaia, will investing in the Title Exchange take away my Titles?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I have a strange instinctual feeling that it won¡¯t, but I need to be sure.¡±
¡°Your Titles shall be preserved, World Conqueror,¡± Alastaia answered. ¡°More than just that¡ it is an investment, not a permanent sacrifice of Runes. Depending on the strength of your soul and how often it can tolerate the turbulent shifts¡ you can simply withdraw the Runes and invest them once more. We recommend plentiful rest in-between lest your soul be damaged beyond repair.¡±
¡°Damaged as in?¡±
¡°The soul¡¯s outer layer¡ destroyed.¡±
That was it? Orodan destroyed his outer soul layer all the time! He looked forward to seeing what these Talents could offer him.
¡°Then with the logistics out of the way, and before I ask any more questions, let¡¯s see what these Talents have to offer,¡± Orodan said, and mentally summoned the Title Exchange.
The list was as long as he remembered, all related to his existing Titles, but he decided to start by mentally focusing in on one particular category.
Physical Talents
[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]
[Physical Talents]
[Physical Aptitude - Increase the natural pre-disposition, aptitude and learning speed of all skills related to the physical body. Cost increases based on existing natural aptitude. ¡ú 800 Runes]
[Physical Limit Breaker - Increase the effectiveness of each existing skill level related to physical skills. Cost increases with successive purchases. ¡ú 100 Runes]
Two available talents to invest into, and an existing cost of 800 Runes for increasing Physical Aptitude, did that mean he had decent talent in it? But what really caught his eye¡
¡was the +10% increase to his available Runes. There was no way it wasn¡¯t related to his +0.1 Title Multiplier.
And if turned out to be the case, then time loops aside, his ability to farm the Reward for the second Quest might just be the most grotesquely unfair advantage he had.
¡°Only two talents? Do all the categories only have these two?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°And how expensive is 800 Runes considered to be? For the Physical Aptitude talent that is.¡±
¡°Additional talents can arise dependent upon your understanding of the category, World Conqueror. Talents increase the very limits in a metaphysical sense. Adding new functions is for skills themselves, and the wielder of them to comprehend and bring into reality,¡± Alastaia explained. In other words, talents weren¡¯t about to grant him new skills or functions. Rather they would only make skills related to the physical stronger. ¡°As for 800 Runes, your existing talent can be considered quite decent by universal standards.¡±
Quite decent? That was it? Then again, the universe was truly big, and who knew what sort of monstrous geniuses existed?
He decided to look into another category.
[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]
[Death-Defying Talents]
[Death & Resistance Aptitude - Increase the natural pre-disposition, aptitude and learning speed of all skills related to death. Increase the natural resistance against death¡¯s approach and the severing of the connection between the physical body and the soul. Cost increases based on existing natural aptitude. ¡ú 50 Runes]
[Death Limit Breaker - Increase the effectiveness of each existing skill level related to death skills. Cost increases with successive purchases. ¡ú 100 Runes]
50 Runes?! Orodan defied death with far more success than this stupid Title Exchange implied!
Most of the remaining categories were similar, with all of them having two talents available for purchase. They were also a look at the measure of his natural talent in a category.
He¡¯d been irked, but none too surprised to see a 5 Rune cost for the Blacksmithing Aptitude Talent.
And he¡¯d been pleasantly surprised to see the cost of Space Aptitude set at an exorbitant 1500 Runes.
Like that, almost all of the Talent categories were the same. They didn¡¯t offer any new functions per se, but a metaphysical improvement overall.
The two World Conqueror talents allowed for greater aptitude for channelling world energy, and increased damage of all kinds against world cores, gate guardians and any being which fed off world energy. Which was strong, but a cheap shortcut in Orodan¡¯s opinion. The Rune cost was a mere 50 as well, indicating he had no existing aptitude for world energy.
The Anti-Avatar talents gave increased aptitude in resisting Divine Energy, and increased damage of all kinds against anything empowered by it. Rather cheap as well. Whatever Orodan had was a result of hard work.
And the Celestial Skill Absorption Talents made Celestial skills more powerful and the absorption of new ones into them, easier. Quite a powerful talent to have, and the cost of 1800 Runes matched the price.
It was the second last category which really surprised him.
[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]
[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Talents]
[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Aptitude - Increase the natural pre-disposition, aptitude and learning speed of all skills related to cleaning and perfect cleaning. Cost increases based on existing natural aptitude. ¡ú Unquantifiable]
[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Limit Breaker - Increase the effectiveness of each existing skill level related to cleaning & perfect cleaning skills. Cost increases with successive purchases. ¡ú 100 Runes]
[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Pioneer - Increase the effectiveness of new discoveries made in the fields of cleaning & perfect cleaning. Broaden the horizons of what is possible, pave the way for others in the field. ¡ú 1900 Runes]
¡°Unquantifiable?¡± Orodan immediately asked. ¡°What does that mean? And three talents too¡¡±
¡°Most unfathomable¡ even we have not heard of such a thing, never before has the System declared a cost unquantifiable,¡± Alastaia remarked, confusion in its ethereal voice. ¡°And a Pioneer Talent? That can only arise if¡ Orodan Wainwright, you must have pushed the very boundaries of the System with your cleaning skill. We thought it a mere rumor¡¡±
¡°Hold on¡ so you¡¯re telling me, that despite me being a sword-swinging, shield-rucking warrior who smashes his head against foes¡ the one thing I¡¯m impossibly talented in, is Cleaning?¡± he asked, an expression of incredulity evident. ¡°How the hells does this make sense? I need some answers before I even think to approach the final category.¡±
¡°Most disconcerting¡ even on my original plane I¡¯d never heard of such a thing,¡± the Void Horror interjected. ¡°Unquantifiable, that simply cannot be. For there to be no measurable Rune cost¡ can it truly be? Can the very boundaries of the System be pushed in such a way?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, and neither does Alastaia it seems,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But first, it¡¯s time for the truth to come out. Why were you corrupted by the Eldritch? What is it exactly, and what does the Divine Tower have to do with all this?¡±
¡°World Conqueror, let us begin on fresh footing,¡± the world spoke. ¡°We are Alastaia, the world you hold dominion over. For over an eon, we have existed, formed from the breakaway portions of a dying world, given sentience over time as life began to thrive and the resultant world energy eventually formed into a core.¡±
¡°Yet, your world core and the crown I hold in my hands clearly bear System glyphs, so it must be involved in some way,¡± Orodan said, pointing to the glowing object in his hands. ¡°Did the System create you, or did it intervene after a certain point?¡±
¡°Intervention, once we attained awareness,¡± Alastaia answered. ¡°All worlds which form cores are subject to the categorization and authority of the System. To reject this, is destruction.¡±
¡°Fair enough, and the crown¡ this is quite similar to the Eldritch crown wielded by the first emperor of Novarria. What¡¯s the relation between them?¡±
¡°It belonged to the former ruler of our sibling world¡ Vylrystia, destroyed by foes beyond reckoning,¡± it replied. ¡°Without a world core, the crown is but an inert object. Still powerful, capable of accommodating much energy, but the sacred symbols of the System vanish without the connection to the core.¡±
That explained why it looked shockingly similar to the crown of Balastion Novar, with the exception of the presence of actual System glyphs glowing on its surface.
¡°Alright, I think I understand that, but let¡¯s move onto the Eldritch. Why were you corrupted by it, what relation does the Eldritch have to worlds, and the Eldritch Avatar and the divinities that possess it?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Clearly there is corruptive and non-corruptive Eldritch. Hells, there¡¯s a psionic Grandmaster on the surface corrupted by Eldritch but showing no visual signs of it. He has a few screws loose but hasn¡¯t become maddened.¡±
¡°The Eldritch has existed since before our memory,¡± it spoke. ¡°The System itself has¡ a maddening effect. Mortals and even Gods are spared most of it, but worlds like us which channel enormous amounts of world energy and have access to the System¡¯s power and truth, over time we face the maddening, the foul rot which begins to form over many millions of years. This rot is the Eldritch. Whether it comes from the System itself or someplace beyond, we know not.¡±
The System was tied to the Eldritch then? This mystery only got deeper and Orodan was left with more questions than answers.
¡°The Eldritch Avatar and the Gods empowering it then, what are they and why do they corrupt, whereas you do not?¡±
¡°We had begun to lose our clarity of thought when you found and purged the Eldritch. However, when a world does not have a suitable ruler for long enough¡ or worse, the conqueror cannot purge the Eldritch, the very world itself becomes corrupted¡ maddened,¡± Alastaia explained. ¡°The very ground, the air, the beings upon its surface, and even the land can become corrupted. And even the Gods of that world can face the maddening if careless. The foe which descends in six months is empowered by three such corrupted Gods.¡±
¡°Then, there¡¯s a corrupted world that the Eldritch Avatar hails from? Perhaps it could be cured¡¡±
¡°We have long sought its location, and despite our eldest brother¡¯s attempts to scry its location with light and his burning champions¡ it eludes us still,¡± Alastaia answered. ¡°It would also be an exceedingly dangerous endeavor, for a world which has corrupted Gods under its purview will doubtlessly be well-defended with numerous champions and armies.¡±
¡°A fight is the last thing I¡¯m concerned about,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But what¡¯s this about an Eldest brother?¡±
¡°He who provides the light of day.¡±
Which could only be¡
¡°The sun?! No wonder I kept getting killed¡¡± Orodan muttered.
He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that the sun itself had a consciousness, and perhaps even a world core of its own. From what Alastaia explained, all worlds that formed cores came under the System¡¯s purview. Naturally, the sun, which astronomers projected was the oldest body in the solar system, would fall under that category.
Whether the sun itself lashed out to slay him or sent one of its champions, Orodan knew that it was a prickly and unfriendly thing.
¡°Anyhow, let us return to the matter at hand. I¡¯ve learned a great many things today,¡± Orodan said as his hand came up to his chin, deep in thought. ¡°The Eldritch comes from the System, and the Avatar which faces us is corrupted by a fallen world?¡±
¡°Correct.¡±
¡°Then, I think I have my answers on that matter for now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The most important matter however, still remains. The Divine Tower, and how it¡¯s connected to a unique situation of mine.¡±
¡°World Conqueror, you mentioned something about the pylon remembering your loops, what would that be?¡±
¡°Well, this will take a while, but allow me to regale you with the tale of a poor militia man in the Republic who got into trouble above his head and died charging against a stronger foe,¡± Orodan said, and then smiled.
An entire two hours passed as Orodan elaborated everything about the time loops to Alastaia, the Void Horror, the remaining gate guardians and the former core guardian. The little bat had even taken to perching upon his shoulder.
They listened with rapt attention, with Alastaia and the Void Horror periodically asking questions. The Void Horror seemed to appreciate Orodan¡¯s leniency and mercy towards innocents throughout his loops, and Alastaia seemed rather flummoxed with his endless willpower and ability to best Gods and even the Eldritch divinities in a contest of will.
¡°¡which is when I finally managed to survive Devil King Gutriyaz¡¯s attack, the cultivators arrived, we spoke and then I decided to make my way down here for some answers,¡± Orodan finished. ¡°The rest, involves the scuffle we had and my subsequent gaining of the World Conqueror title.¡±
¡°Incredible¡ the explanation for why we had no recollection of bestowing those two Quests finally reveals itself,¡± Alastaia remarked.
¡°Not only that¡ but, World Conqueror, you say you were but seventeen years of age when this entire loop began?¡± the Void Horror asked.
¡°Yes, my Status still lists me as being seventeen years old,¡± Orodan said. Although who knew if Harmony Of Vitality would interfere with his age. True Vampires and certain immortals reportedly had the same value in their age on their Status. Perhaps he might face the same issue given each cell was being periodically recycled to prime condition every instant.
¡°Then¡ the pulse! Alastaia¡ he might really be-¡±
¡°Yes, he truly might be the reason for it¡¡± Alastaia said. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, the reason our guardian is taken so aback, is because of the pylon itself. What you refer to as the Divine Tower, is in fact a pylon sent by the System. Sometime, an eon ago, during our infancy, it was thrown unto the earth and caused great cataclysm as it pierced our core and attached itself. We do not know of its purpose, and even our eldest brother has heard naught of such things in the wider universe.¡±
¡°Yet, I sense it¡¯s very important,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Quite so. Years ago, the pylon pulsed rather madly, and the power of the System erupted from it, channelling into our core and taking control over certain key functions,¡± the world explained. ¡°The interference was not overmuch¡ minor, merely the nudging of a single symbol. Yet when we attempted to bestow the Quest unto High Burgher Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan of the Republic today, to stop the ancient machine under Mount Castarian¡ the Quest was instead bestowed unto an unknown recipient.¡±
It was bestowed onto Orodan Wainwright.
No wonder him receiving a Quest felt so out of the ordinary. He was but a mere militia man of Volarbury County, in the poorest town of the Republic. Why would the world have ever bestowed any Quests on Orodan Wainwright? The recipient was meant to be the High-Burgher Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan, a powerful Master-level warrior.
He now knew why. The pylon, something sent by the System itself.
¡°And¡ just when, when did the pylon pulse?¡± Orodan asked, although he had deduced the answer already.
¡°Seventeen years ago.¡±
On the day of his birth, or at least near enough to it that it was impossible for it to be a coincidence.
Was this¡ ordained? Did he only get drawn into it the day of his death? This revelation only brought more questions for Orodan. What did the cause of this time loop want from him? Why Orodan Wainwright? Who was responsible for sending the System¡¯s pylon to Alastaia and then using it to wrest control of the world¡¯s Quest-giving ability for a single moment?
A part of him missed the simplicity of the days where his only concern was the descending Eldritch Avatar.
Still, dwelling on the nature of the time loops could come later. Doubtlessly he would find more answers throughout the cosmos, by venturing to other worlds such as Xian and X2 and asking the ancient beings upon them.
But before that¡ came looking at the last category of talents.
Of course, an interruption occurred as a familiar True Vampire gate guardian barged into the chamber.
¡°Elder¡! Is it true?! The Blood Curse can be cleansed?!¡± the vampire asked frantically.
¡°Aherozam! How dare you enter the core chamber when the World Conqueror is-¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, let him speak. I appreciate your zeal but I¡¯m not your ruler and neither do I need anyone to protect me,¡± Orodan interjected, calming the Void Horror. ¡°Aherozam was it? Yes, I cleansed the taint of vampirism from the True Vampire sent to capture me. I believe his werewolf subordinate took him back to Narictus, so they¡¯ll have quite the story to tell, I¡¯m sure.¡±
¡°You are¡ you must be Orodan Wainwright,¡± the True Vampire said, and then immediately dropped to its knees in supplication. ¡°World Conqueror, my blood and the world energy I subsist off of bid me serve you. Please¡ allow your subject to ask of you one favor, cleanse this foul taint from my being. Do to me what you did to the tyrant Ragamul.¡±
This was the True Vampire Orodan had bested during his loops delving into the abyss and attempting to find the first gate. Orodan remembered well how it refused to use any form of Blood arts during the entire fight, and when he used Absolute Soul Dominion against it, he saw a scene of ruin, a nation destroyed, and the True Vampire standing above the broken body of his wife, who was an Avatar.
¡°I¡¯m not your ruler, please rise,¡± Orodan said as he put his hands around its shoulders and bade it stand. ¡°I have no problem helping you, but are you sure about this? You¡¯ll become weaker, at least for a while until you acclimatize to the lack of blood arts and the taint naturally strengthening your body.¡±
¡°I have already rejected the blood within¡ I have neither supped on nor utilized the foul power of innocent blood for almost a hundred-thousand years,¡± Aherozam replied. ¡°I too am from Narictus; exiled for daring to reject the power of the taint after¡¡±
The vampire¡¯s voice broke, and it carried both grief and frustration.
¡°¡after I was forced to take the life of my own wife during the midnight court¡¯s war against the opposing Gods of my home world,¡± he finished. ¡°My wife was an Avatar on the enemy side, but it needn¡¯t have come to outright death if not for the damned ability of the elders to control the taint within and amplify our bloodlust. I beg of you, please rid me of the curse of vampirism.¡±
¡°Very well, I¡¯ll help anyone who asks, and you¡¯ve come to an informed decision it seems,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It will be quick, but since you aren¡¯t resisting it and in fact want the change to occur, it will be easier. Focus on the idea, the concept of being free of vampirism. Imagine your ideal self, without the curse.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes began glowing as terrifying amounts of soul energy were gathered. The Void Horror and remaining gate guardians actually took a few steps backward. And then¡
¡Domain Of Perfect Cleaning enveloped Aherozam The Blood Rejecter.
Unlike when he cleansed Ragamul, the True Vampire from Narictus, this time there was no pain or struggle from his target. In fact¡
¡°Strange¡ I feel liberated, lighter,¡± the vampire said. Or rather, the human said, as Aherozam couldn¡¯t be called a vampire any longer. ¡°Where is this weakness I¡¯m meant to feel? Are you sure it¡¯s been done correctly?¡±
¡°This is¡ certainly a better outcome than I expected,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°You must¡¯ve had the ideal concept of yourself without vampiric prowess for a while now. The transition is far smoother than I thought it would be.¡±
¡°Truly? I¡ wait¡ the thirst¡ the thirst¡ I no longer feel it!¡± the man exclaimed in shock. ¡°My hands, my skin, blood flows through me once more! I am unliving no longer!¡±
¡°I suppose having red blood flow through the veins must feel better than whatever dark ichor vampires normally have, no?¡± Orodan asked with a smile.
¡°It does! Orodan Wainwright! I henceforth swear fealty to your cause! Whatever you ask of me I-¡±
¡°No. I¡¯ve been over this already, but I need no warriors or subordinates, I fight my own battles,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°Live your life and find happiness.¡±
A few more rounds of pleading and insistence from the former vampire came forth, which were quelled by the Void Horror who already knew of Orodan¡¯s lax approach to having dominion over a world, and soon, all within the core chamber were silent.
¡°Now then¡ onto the main matter, Alastaia, this corrupted category within the Title Exchange, do you see it? It says Time Looper Talents I believe,¡± Orodan said.
¡°World Conqueror¡ I do not know of what you speak,¡± it answered. ¡°Through my connection to the crown I only count the final category as being Time Talents.¡±
The world couldn¡¯t see it then? Strange. And more evidence that whatever this time loop was¡ it had a connection to this pylon of the System and seemed to target Orodan specifically.
¡°Hmm¡ it¡¯s fine, let me see what it says.
[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]
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The wording was corrupted quite a bit, yet he could make out what was said. A ¡®checkpoint¡¯ and storage. He couldn¡¯t afford the latter currently, and as for the former¡
¡in later loops he could simply re-invest Runes in a particular category to train it faster. But, for now, this ¡®checkpoint¡¯ ability deserved investigation. He sank 2000 Runes into the Talent.
And his world exploded in searing soul pain.
It felt as though something was prying his soul open and inserting a very powerful but scalding hot orb inside. It wasn¡¯t harmful to him, but this¡ this wasn¡¯t a Reward of the world itself. This was the System acting directly.
Even though only a moment passed, it felt far longer as the pain nearly consumed him, and Orodan could understand why Alastaia had recommended plenty of rest in-between attempting re-investments of the Runes earned from his Titles. For anyone without the ability to repair their soul, this would cause soul damage.
The brightness faded, and Orodan got to his feet to find a concerned former vampire and Void Horror standing by ready to help him.
¡°I¡¯m fine, it was simply more intense than I¡¯d expected,¡± Orodan assuaged.\
¡°The process of investing in a Talent should not cause such titanic fluctuations of energy,¡± Alastaia explained. ¡°That¡ was not the regular process. Was that this Time Looper Talent category you spoke of?¡±
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°It seems like it¡ even the System treats the time loop very strangely,¡± Orodan said.
As long as the crown was with him, Orodan could access the Title Exchange at any time. And while he hadn¡¯t tried investing into a normal category¡ he felt it¡¯d be far less painful and disruptive than an investment in the Time Looper Talents category. He would need to account for that if he wanted to make any mid-battle adjustments.
And with the influx of that strange power, Orodan felt that he could create a point in his loops and when he died¡
¡it wouldn¡¯t send him back to Ogdenborough, but to the checkpoint. This was just incredible. Although, it was still limited by the amount of Runes he held, which after his investment, was 222 Runes. He wasn¡¯t sure how many Runes a checkpoint reset would cost but wasn¡¯t in a hurry to test it just yet.
After all, he had many goals ahead of him.
With the pursuing hunters from other worlds driven off, the horizon looked clear for once. And finally, Orodan was free to act and tie up numerous loose ends.
¡°World Conqueror,¡± the Void Horror spoke. ¡°What will you do now?¡±
That was a good question.
Orodan looked at the former True Vampire he¡¯d purified, the Void Horror whose brother he needed to save, and the world core he rescued from its descent into gradual madness. He had done much good already, but there was still more to be done. And Orodan Wainwright had a list of people who he owed debts to, and those he had a grudge against.
He was the World Conqueror of Alastaia now, but that didn¡¯t mean its surface naturally bowed to him. There were many groups and people he needed to deal with.
It was time to settle some scores.
Eldragon Manor was situated in Trumbetton, the largest town and the center of Volarbury County. Burgher Ignatius Firesword nominally held control over all Volarbury County, but his base of power was especially in Trumbetton.
Lady Katareya Eldragon was an Elite-level diviner of the Cathedral of the Prime Five. House Eldragon was considered minor nobility, primarily due to her working for the Cathedral and that of her deceased husband who used to serve House Firesword as one of its Elite-level retainers yet died bravely defending one of the House¡¯s caravans during a raid.
The woman was also someone Orodan had an affair with a very long time ago. And while he couldn¡¯t say he held any such feelings towards her any longer, she was a convenient target for what he needed to do.
¡°Oi! What¡¯re you doing there? Snooping on Eldragon Manor are you?¡± a member of the county militia asked as the man walked up, gripping his sword. Even if a human lacked the instincts that monsters had, Orodan¡¯s size still put regular people on-edge.
¡°Yes, but for a purpose,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Just looking at the lady of the house.¡±
He didn¡¯t really need visual sight when he had Vision Of Purity, and he sensed Katareya within as he approached. He was more so surveying the changes that his titanic battle had wrought.
He didn¡¯t like the idea of wearing a crown atop his head, so he instead wore it like an armband, on his upper arm. It was strangely malleable, and the System glyphs upon it glowed as it molded to fit his arm. Otherwise, the regular shape of the crown wouldn¡¯t have fit around his rather hefty bicep at all.
The crown of Alastaia he wore allowed him to detect and influence the flows of world energy. It was a strange thing, different from soul energy, mana or vitality, yet composed of He had no use for it, but world energy practically hummed to life around him. He felt he could dictate when and where energy wells popped up, and even a weakling using the crown could cause calamity by increasing or decreasing the world energy density in certain areas.
¡°Y-you¡! Some sort of degenerate peeping tom are ye¡¯?!¡± the guard exclaimed. ¡°You shan¡¯t be doing any of that around these parts on my watch!¡±
Orodan sighed. While he had already seen the lady of House Eldragon in various stages of undress, he¡¯d all but forgotten about her and really didn¡¯t see her that way anymore.
The sword shattered upon Orodan¡¯s skin.
¡°She does seem rather exhausted. I wonder if the Cathedral has her pulling double shifts due to what occurred,¡± Orodan said as he looked upwards at the destroyed remnants of the moon. A result of his battle against the otherworlders. ¡°Say, what¡¯s the word around what happened to the moon?¡±
The tides had undoubtedly been affected but mages could temporarily keep settlements safe while enchantments and wards were constructed. The bigger issue was the moon¡¯s slow drift towards Alastaia. Massive meteor showers weren¡¯t conducive to life, and Orodan would have to obliterate the moon entirely for the good of his world.
¡°Who¡ who are you?! My lord, I apologize if I¡¯ve offended you, I beg mercy!¡± the militia man said as an amulet around his neck glowed. A natural reaction to seeing his sword shatter on Orodan¡¯s arm.
No useful answers would be forthcoming from the guard, so Orodan simply homed in and focused.
He¡¯d spent a day familiarizing himself with the crown before coming back to the surface, and it was now midnight in the Republic. Novus and Lucifreya Eldragon, both of Katareya¡¯s children, were sleeping. And the lady of the house herself was out cold, undoubtedly exhausted as the Cathedral looked to discover exactly what had happened.
Nobody involved in the battle upon the moon had told the surface world of anything that transpired. Which meant that unless the Republic had some excellent diviners or esoteric methods, they were in the dark. From their perspective, a terrifying battle had occurred on the moon, and it had promptly been destroyed. The Prime Five would be on alert and ready to respond to even the slightest of disturbances after such cataclysmic events.
Which worked just fine for Orodan, as he wanted to draw their attention.
What was he here for?
¡°I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright, and I¡¯m here to resurrect the dead.¡±
The guard could only stare at him, mouth agape, as Orodan¡¯s eyes began glowing with furious light at the amount of soul energy he was channelling.
Even the patriarch of the Time Wind dragon flight, a triple-Grandmaster dragon with energy reserves and generation of terrifying proportions, would struggle to resurrect someone who¡¯d died thirty minutes ago. Possible, but on the high end of power required.
But to reach back into the past and resurrect someone who¡¯d died seven years ago? Even the Gods could not do such a thing as the power required was simply too great.
Yet even Gods couldn¡¯t compare to the endless power Orodan Wainwright was capable of generating.
Limited only by his body, he began channelling enough soul energy to light the night sky up for dozens of miles, making it appear as though Trumbetton was the sun itself, sending light to the rest of the county. The light show might¡¯ve even been visible from neighboring countries.
For Orodan all this was merely a prelude to performing the greatest feat of chronomancy he¡¯d performed to date. To bring back a man who¡¯d been dead for seven years, the deceased husband of Katareya Eldragon.
His body was damaged horribly as his own soul energy wracked it, yet still he persisted and brought it all together, focusing on the rope of time, the connection from the soul of Katareya Eldragon to an incredibly distant soul, her husband¡¯s. And then¡
¡he pulled the river of time backwards.
His efforts were met with heavy resistance. After all, the farther one attempted to pull time backwards, the heavier the weight of it was. In comparison to the weight of seven whole years of time reversal, the pathetic force of Eximus attempting to stop it with his own chronomancy was negligible.
Orodan felt offended that the greedy God of Time dared to even try.
Slowly, the gigantic displacement in the river was completed, and at last, it was done.
[Time Mastery 30 ¡ú Time Mastery 40]
[Time Reversal 27 ¡ú Time Reversal 35]
[Eternal Soul Reactor 93 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 94]
Two massive jumps in the relevant skills. A feat of chronomancy he doubted anyone else on Alastaia or even the nearby planets would be capable of. No matter what cosmic horror or overlord he met, Orodan¡¯s energy generation would always be a threat they¡¯d have to respect.
But not without cost.
His entire body was a molten ruin. A puddle of glowing flesh upon the ground, and even his powerful Harmony Of Vitality only barely kept him alive.
Still, he¡¯d succeeded, and with the task done, he recovered back to perfect condition within moments.
¡°Well¡ this is strange¡ wasn¡¯t I just having tea with my great-grandfather?¡± a man asked, standing in the courtyard of Eldragon Manor. ¡°And in the clothes I wore seven years ago before departing on that wretched escort too. You¡¯re the only one nearby, might you share an answer, kind sir?¡±
¡°R-ranvus? It¡ it can¡¯t be¡ what manner of foul sorcery is this?!¡± a woman yelled as she charged out of the front doors of Eldragon Manor and flung multiple bolts of offensive light magic towards the newly resurrected man. ¡°I¡¯ll have the inquisitors and Cathedral summoned here! Vile demon! What witchcraft makes you impersonate my late husband!?¡±
To his credit, the man managed to barely dodge the spells.
¡°G-good instincts Kat, my love¡ still the same violent woman as ever,¡± he said and Orodan had to doubt that statement. The Katareya Eldragon he knew wasn¡¯t violent at all, but that just went to show that the death of someone important could change a person. ¡°It¡¯s me, it really is me, Ranvus.¡±
¡°Lies! I refuse to believe it! What have I done to warrant a demon playing such a cruel trick?! I don¡¯t even participate in the devil culling of the Cathedral!¡± Katareya roared, and then, the black stone of her necklace, began to slowly turn green once more, and Orodan saw a thread of soul energy from Ranvus wisp its way towards the jewelry. Katareya¡¯s rictus of rage began to soften as she saw this, and confusion replaced it. ¡°The amulet¡ wait¡ but¡¡±
¡°It really is me Katareya¡ forgive me for being away so long,¡± the man softly said as he embraced his wife. ¡°Where are the children? I believe I was watching Novus train in the academy the other day; he¡¯s doing better than I did at his age! And little Luci hammers the metal so well!¡±
¡°Ranvus¡ is it truly you? I¡¯ve¡ I¡¯ve been lonely for so long. I must be honest, I¡¯ve-¡±
¡°I know. You were lonely and I wanted you to be happy,¡± the man said. ¡°But I¡¯m here now.¡±
¡°My love¡ how? How can this be? You died seven years ago guarding that incompetent man¡¯s caravan,¡± Katareya said.
¡°Kat¡ you mustn¡¯t speak of the Burgher so¡ I saw him too during my time in the afterlife, and he was stricken with grief and guilt which lasts to this day. He is a good man, and a good lord. He made sure you and the children were taken care of in my absence,¡± Ranvus Eldragon said. ¡°As for how I¡¯m here, well¡ our guest might have an answer.¡±
They both turned to look at him, and Orodan had never felt more awkward in his lives. How was he meant to tell a newly resurrected man that his wife was a former affair of his in a previous loop?
The answer¡ was that Orodan would not. Socially blunt and stupid as he was often called, even he had some standards. And telling a man that he¡¯d laid with his wife in another time was crossing that line.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you two happy, and I¡¯m sure your children will be too,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m an Apprentice-level chronomancer who was simply testing the limits of my chronomancy. Partly to see how far I could go, and partly to draw the attention of certain people I require a meeting with.¡±
¡°A-apprentice? Is that a jest? Not even the mightiest dragon of the Time Wind could do what you just did¡ are you a God?¡± she asked.
¡°No.¡±
Orodan had far too many Gods to settle a score with to ever want to become one himself.
¡°Then why¡ why choose my husband?¡± she asked, her voice beginning to break at last.
And that question, was Orodan¡¯s cue to find an excuse to leave. The one time he would gladly be called a coward, as going down that line of questioning was asking to reveal things that decency bade him never see the light of day. And Orodan was a terrible liar.
¡°Unfortunately, attention of the destructive sort approaches, especially since I¡¯ve forcefully plucked your husband from the afterlife governed by Malzim while simultaneously crushing Eximus¡¯s attempts to prevent chronomantic tampering,¡± Orodan said as he eyed the two divine comets approaching from the direction of Novarria, while a third comet which was nearer, approached from Karilsgard.
The first comet arrived in a blaze of golden light. The Avatar of the Goddess of Fate, and the first God he had a grudge with, Ilyatana.
¡°First the moon is destroyed, and then this? The power you produced was immense, might I ask who you are, friend?¡± she asked, a friendly tone. Likely a case of recognizing that he was powerful and potentially stalling for assistance.
Unfortunately for her, Orodan hated the meddling Goddess of Fate.
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright,¡± he introduced. ¡°And I¡¯m not your friend. In fact, you¡¯re a meddling Goddess who overstepped her bounds by trying to control me in the past.¡±
¡°What? I¡¯ve done no such thing! Please¡ I believe we¡¯ve gotten off on the wrong foot,¡± Ilyatana attempted to negotiate.
¡°You haven¡¯t done it this time, but given the opportunity and favorable power dynamics, you never failed to oppress me every single time before,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s see how you deal with having someone restrain you and brainwash you.¡±
With Psionic Assault added to his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, it was time to not only cleanse Ilyatana¡¯s divine influence from her Chosen host, but it was also time to cleanse the mind of the Goddess herself.
The Avatar of Ilyatana was thrown to the ground and Orodan kept it pinned down with his foot.
¡°Wait! This is all a misunderstanding! I¡¯ve never met you or offended you!¡± the Goddess cried out, and at the last moment she was smart enough to realize that remaining within her Avatar host might end badly.
She was wise to attempt escape, abandoning her Avatar. Unfortunately, her consciousness was forcibly held within the host body of her Avatar through the Absolute Soul Dominion portion of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning.
It was time to clean the foul mind of a wicked Goddess.
Soul energy poured out in waves, and Domain Of Perfect Cleaning began wiping the Blessings and Divine Energy clean from the body and soul of Heredin Aeronsul, the Chosen of Ilyatana whose body was host to her Avatar form.
¡°Stop! I beg of you! I¡¯ll give you whatever you want! Wealth, riches, my servitude! I beg of you!¡± she pleaded. After all, he wasn¡¯t merely cleansing her influence from her Chosen. No, what he was doing was altogether worse.
The titanic willpower of Orodan Wainwright crashed into the mind of Ilyatana that inhabited the host body, and he found himself within a mindscape, courtesy of Psionic Assault.
Within the mindscape, the scene was that of a horrid battlefield. Although rather than humans, the corpses strewn about everywhere were those of dragon-kind. This¡ was the slaughter of the Burning Ember dragon flight that had occurred over twenty-thousand years ago.
¡°And with that¡ one step closer to moving past the Grandmaster-level,¡± a young dark-skinned woman, eyes glowing a subtle gold spoke. ¡°These dragons ended the fates of many, yet today, their own destinies brought them here.¡±
There was no mistaking her features. They matched the statues of her in the Cathedral too well. This was the mortal Ilyatana, before her ascension to the Goddess of Fate.
Looming above her, was the much younger-looking patriarch of the Novarrian Soaring Flame dragon flight, and beside her¡ Balastion Novar, looking similar enough, but lacking the depth of ancient wisdom in his eyes that Orodan could remember.
¡°Your race to reach past the Grandmaster-level will hamper your potential,¡± Balastion said, and Eldramir only nodded, although the dragon had a sad look in its eyes at the slaughter.
While Orodan wouldn¡¯t have minded witnessing the memory further, the eyes of the young and mortal Ilyatana suddenly blazed a blinding gold and the Goddess appeared before him in her true form. From what the dragons had told him, she was supposedly the youngest of the Prime Five, having ascended just over twenty-thousand years ago, and it showed in how she still looked mostly mortal, albeit with glowing wings of gold sprouting from her back, and her figure was bathed in golden luminance.
¡°You dare attempt to invade my mind?!¡± she roared, having given up on all pretence of civility. For her, this was a battle for survival. And Orodan didn¡¯t intend to let her win.
¡°You attempted to do the same to me a long time ago,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Now have a taste of what you intended to do.¡±
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, and the Psionic Assault portion of the skill came into play as Orodan battled Ilyatana across the mindscape of the small part of her consciousness that had descended unto her Avatar.
Absolute Soul Dominion could also affect the mind, but merely as a by-product. To directly tamper with the mind, control it, spread messages within it and perform finer work, Psionic Assault was a necessary skill. Especially when working with a small part of a God¡¯s consciousness.
The problem with harming a God through their Avatar was that the small part of their consciousness that they kept within the host had safeguards. Too much damage, which Orodan could do through the Absolute Soul Dominion aspect of his Celestial skill, would simply lead to the thread of mental connection between the small part and the God¡¯s actual mind being cut. The God would perhaps be rendered unconscious for a while, a very long while, but still be capable of coming to awareness afterwards.
The solution then, was to perform a fine surgery, one that didn¡¯t destroy this thread of mental connection. And to that end the Psionic Assault skill was critical. As part of his Celestial skill, it was amplified incredibly, brought up to the level of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. And with this fine approach, Orodan could savage Ilyatana¡¯s mind while still maintaining the mental thread which linked her consciousness within the Avatar to her actual mind in the divine realm. Returning this savaged piece back to Ilyatana would cause her severe mental damage. It might take many millennia to recover from, and even then, without specialist assistance she might never recover to her peak.
But, what Orodan wanted, was to go a step further, and to that end he took inspiration from a long-time foe of his¡ the Eldritch Avatar. Particularly from how it corrupted Gods.
Orodan wished to not just damage Ilyatana¡¯s mind but clean it of all foulness and wicked traits. The sort of mindset which would prompt her to try and control a hapless time looper. To that end, he needed not just cleaning¡ but a cleaning that spread¡ or rather¡ the ability to send a cleansed portion of the mind back to the whole and have it be so permanent, so unchangeable, that it forced the greater mind to follow suit.
He needed that piece of tampered consciousness¡ to be incorruptible.
[Skill Absorption - Incorruptible Being 50 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 74]
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 74 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 75]
¡°No! You cannot¡ change my¡ outlook¡¡± she pitifully muttered as Orodan finished operating upon her mind with surgical precision. Cleaning all the foul character traits and outlooks from it. It was the equivalent of killing her. Hells, some foes of his might just prefer death. But for her and at least a few other Gods who¡¯d tried to do the same to him? He felt no issues with delivering them this fate.
He allowed the small part of Ilyatana¡¯s consciousness to finally depart, the mental thread of connection still intact, and once it reached her actual mind¡ who knew what would happen?
In the real world, Orodan¡¯s eyes opened and the completely cleansed but unconscious Heredin Aeronsul was all that remained.
And two more angry Avatars were approaching.
¡°Monster! What have you done to affect her mind in the divine realm itself?!¡± Eximus roared.
¡°You¡¯ve defiled the sanctity of the afterlife as well!¡± Malzim declared. ¡°Where have you taken the soul you¡¯ve so shamelessly kidnapped?!¡±
¡°He¡¯s right here actually,¡± Orodan said, pointing towards the resurrected Ranvus Eldragon. Both the man and his wife looked utterly terrified of course, which Orodan felt slightly bad about. This was a battle far above their level after all. ¡°His soul hasn¡¯t been exploited, harmed or experimented upon. Worry not, Malzim. My grudge is against Eximus however, so please step aside.¡±
¡°That is¡ some good news at least,¡± Malzim spoke. ¡°But what have you done to Ilyatana? A direct attack upon her is an attack upon all of the Prime Five.¡±
¡°I settled a grudge against her¡ she will be fine once the pain stops, I¡¯m sure,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Fine? Her howls can be heard across the divine realm! That corrupted piece of consciousness you sent back has driven her mad!¡± Eximus protested.
¡°And once she recovers, she¡¯ll find herself devoid of any wicked personality traits,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°A whole new Goddess. Perhaps even a bit more pleasant for you to work with. Malzim is fine and can leave, but you¡ I have a grudge with you as well.¡±
In his opinion, tampering with someone¡¯s mind to alter their personality was equivalent to killing them. It was just that the bad blood between Orodan and Ilyatana ran so deep that he was fully prepared to kill her already. Thus, tampering with her mind was a fair outcome for the wretched Goddess. Her new self might actually earn redemption too.
Eximus wasn¡¯t stupid and could put two and two together. The moon was destroyed in a cataclysmic battle the day before, and now Orodan arrived and tampered with Ilyatana¡¯s mind?
Eximus immediately attempted to depart his Avatar host, and Orodan instantly caught the God of Time¡¯s consciousness preventing his escape.
¡°No! Wait! I surrender! Please leave me be! I have no enmity with you!¡± the God of Time pleaded.
¡°Yet if the circumstances were different, you would happily work alongside that wretched Goddess of Fate and Agathor to manipulate me if it suited your needs, no?¡± Orodan asked, a malicious grin on his face. ¡°Still, I admit my enmity with you is the least out of the three, so I¡¯ll simply throw you into unconsciousness by destroying the piece of your mind inhabiting this host of yours.¡±
¡°Mercy! A great threat approaches for which we are needed!¡± Eximus begged. ¡°Someone¡ anyone!¡±
Who would save Eximus? Malzim was cowardly, even if Orodan quite liked the God of Death. Orodan meant Malzim no harm, but the Death God didn¡¯t know that for sure and so silently stood by, not wishing to earn Orodan¡¯s ire when he¡¯d already declared he had no conflict with him.
Which was when a familiar Phoenix Thrust came for Orodan¡¯s head. The attack of a mere single-Grandmaster on a battlefield where Gods were but prey.
Orodan gently diverted the thrust lest the old man¡¯s halberd shatter against his body.
¡°Adeltaj Simarji¡ you have a knack for entering life-threatening situations to save others. Even those who aren¡¯t worthy of it,¡± Orodan said, looking at his old mentor. He felt both sadness and joy at seeing the first teacher he ever had. Sorrow that it wasn¡¯t the same old man who knew him. And happiness that the time loop had brought the old Simarji back after he¡¯d sacrificed himself to save Orodan long ago. ¡°I¡¯ve bested one God with ease, why do you intervene against hopeless odds to protect this one who isn¡¯t worthy of your sacrifice?¡±
¡°Because¡ if old men like me don¡¯t step in, what example will that set for the young?¡± the man rhetorically asked, even as his arms trembled with physical exertion as Orodan casually pressed the old man to his limits. ¡°Might I ask you to not cause trouble in Volarbury County? My house has many ventures here after all. Speaking of¡ you know of me?¡±
¡°Yes, House Simarji¡¯s lumberyards supply the wood needs for much of Volarbury County and the capital,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°You¡¯re from around these parts? I¡¯ve never seen or heard of you¡ and yet here you are thrashing Avatars,¡± Adeltaj spoke. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to harm an Avatar of the Prime Five in my presence. At the very least, bringing this fight to my doorstep forces me to act.¡±
¡°Tch¡ always the hero, just like your Quest-bearing friend said¡ you can¡¯t help but risk your own neck to protect others, can you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How the hells did you ever make it to the age of seven hundred?¡±
Ironic, that Orodan of all people would ask that question. But the memory of Adeltaj¡¯s sacrifice was still a sore memory.
¡°For darkness to prevail, the only thing that need occur is for the good to do nothing,¡± the old man said as he began launching countless Phoenix Thrusts towards Orodan. All of which were casually blocked
¡°Fine then, Adeltaj Simarji. If you want to save this manipulative God so badly, then you¡¯ll have to earn it. Stand and give me your greatest strike,¡± Orodan declared as he raised his sword, poising it above the neck of the Avatar of Eximus. ¡°Throwing a hundred weak Phoenix Thrusts towards me will merely result in me ignoring them all. Your next strike, if I deem it insufficient, will lead to me slaying this Avatar and permanently harming the God within. You want to be a hero so badly? Let us see if your conviction can stand up to the test.¡±
Adeltaj¡¯s eyes were grim, as were Orodan¡¯s.
A powerful Phoenix Thrust came towards Orodan, and at the same time, Orodan¡¯s sword began to come down upon the Avatar of Eximus¡¯s head.
¡°A hero¡ is that someone who gives their life in defense of others? Someone who faces down hopeless odds?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Show me what a hero is, Adeltaj Simarji!¡±
The old man roared as his body strained to the point of his orifices bleeding. It was the mightiest attempt he could¡¯ve made, and it still wasn¡¯t enough.
Orodan casually batted the strike aside with a flick of his wrist.
¡°Not enough! Is this the limit of a hero?! You have one more chance to save this undeserving tyrant¡¯s life, Adeltaj Simarji,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Concentrate till your face goes red and your eyes leak blood, focus till your brain explodes, cram as much thought, experimentation and ingenuity into every thousandths of a second till each second itself becomes equivalent to an hour of dedicated hard work! A hero not only fights but is also willing to give their life for others.¡±
As Orodan said this, he threw the Avatar of Eximus towards the approaching Adeltaj and flew towards the incoming Phoenix Thrust. If Adeltaj¡¯s attack was too weak, the Avatar would die.
Adeltaj seemed to realize this, and the old Grandmaster halberdier¡¯s eyes turned frantic and grim. A glimmer of heroism shone within the old man¡¯s eyes. It was the same thing he saw when Adeltaj had given his life to save Orodan.
And as the Phoenix Thrust met Orodan¡¯s sword, the halberd shattered, Adeltaj¡¯s right arm was blown off¡ but Orodan¡¯s own attack was re-directed off to the side by just the narrowest of margins. Avoiding the Avatar and Adeltaj.
[Teaching 41 ¡ú Teaching 43]
¡°A hero till the end¡ even at the cost of your arm and weapon, yet in another time, the cost of your life,¡± Orodan said, a hint of sorrow infecting his voice. Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and restored the old man to normal, and a quick usage of Time Reversal restored his halberd. ¡°You achieved it, didn¡¯t you? Dual-Grandmastery. I sensed that last thrust of yours was far stronger than it had any right to be.¡±
¡°I¡ I did,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°I¡¯ve held up to your test, will you spare the Avatar of this God now?¡±
¡°I will,¡± Orodan said and then looked to the Avatar of Eximus. ¡°Congratulations, the heroic efforts of Adeltaj SImarji have granted you mercy. Leave now and depart Inuan altogether. If I see you upon this world again, you will suffer the same fate as Ilyatana.¡±
The hold of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was let loose and Eximus was smart enough to immediately flee his Avatar.
¡°Who are you, stranger? I sense your intentions are not entirely malicious,¡± Adeltaj said.
¡°Indeed, if you hadn¡¯t intervened with your poorly timed heroics, I might have gotten rid of a tyrannical God who deserves no dominion upon Inuan,¡± Orodan said with an annoyed glare towards his first teacher. ¡°As for me¡ you could say I¡¯m a teacher, repaying a favor to someone I owe.¡±
¡°Your own teacher must have taught you well, to be imparting such lessons in the midst of life-threatening battle,¡± Adeltaj said.
¡°Indeed, he did, although if he would perhaps act a little less heroic at times I might feel more at ease,¡± Orodan said glaring at Adeltaj once more, causing the man some confusion. ¡°After all, he has not the unique advantage I have.¡±
Of course, he realized how hypocritical it was for him of all people to say so. Especially when he¡¯d rushed to his own death in his first life without knowing of the time loops.
Eventually he planned on telling Adeltaj about the time loops, but right now, he had other concerns. Mainly regarding the absence of one particular God.
Orodan turned to look at Malzim.
¡°Wait! I ask for clemency! I¡¯ve done nothing to earn your ire!¡± Malzim declared, and in response Orodan put his hands up in a placating gesture of peace.
¡°Peace. I¡¯ve said this already, but my quarrel isn¡¯t with you,¡± Orodan said gently. ¡°In fact, I owe you a great debt.¡±
¡°Harming one of my compatriots and exiling another is an interesting way of going about that,¡± Malzim said, and Orodan could only agree with that assessment. ¡°Will you allow me to flee?¡±
¡°Of course, you¡¯re free to leave if you wish,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°I have no interest in your Chosen host either. The only one remaining that I harbor a grudge against¡ is Agathor.¡±
¡°While I will retreat to preserve myself, I must strongly ask you do not harm him,¡± the God of Death said. ¡°A great threat descends upon our world and only by working together do we stand the greatest chance of besting it.¡±
¡°The Eldritch Avatar, yes?¡± Orodan asked, and the Avatar of Malzim nodded. ¡°If so, you needn¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll deal with it myself. I was part of the battle which destroyed the moon after all.¡±
¡°I¡ I see, I was wondering who had done that,¡± Malzim spoke. ¡°Still, does Agathor not deserve some mercy for what he¡¯s done? Surely, we can come to-¡±
¡°No. He showed no consideration for a mentor of mine and happily tampered with his mind,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°Agathor will receive the same consideration he gave Arvayne Firesword. If he flees now, I will hunt him down eventually. And when I find him, he¡¯ll be treated how he treated my mentor.¡±
¡°Well then¡ I had hoped for peace, but it seems that will not be forthcoming,¡± Malzim said. ¡°Agathor and Halor are within Karilsgard. They¡¯ve fortified the city and await your assault. You¡ will not harm the defenders, will you?¡±
¡°Not at all, and neither will I harm Halor,¡± Orodan promised. ¡°Agathor is my target and none other.¡±
¡°I cannot say this decision pleases me, but you¡¯ve shown Eximus and I mercy, so I will stand aside,¡± Malzim declared.
¡°Thank you, I bear no ill will towards you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And while I detest Eximus, he¡¯s the least vile of the three Gods I have issue with.¡±
It was time to repay the mightiest of the Prime Five upon Inuan.
Karilsgard beckoned.
The shattered remnants of the moon still hung overheard, and the reflected light was a bit strange but still functional.
Of course, Karilsgard was a beautiful city with plenty of glowing lights. Many of which were off today.
The city was on alert, ready to receive an attack. Battalions of defenders patrolled the walls, and various scouts frolicked to and fro outside of its walls. Heavy amounts of siege weaponry and lethal magic artillery lined the walls, and this was a city that even an Avatar would have difficulty besieging.
Of course, Orodan had long surpassed the average Avatar upon Inuan. If he was so callous, Karilsgard and the entire nation of the Republic of Aden would be a smoldering crater upon the map if he struck out with his full power. But that wasn¡¯t his goal.
Word had spread by now, either through Malzim or Adeltaj Simarji, about the battle in Trumbetton where two Avatars of the Prime Five had been casually defeated. As a result, the city¡¯s defenders likely knew they had no hope of stopping Orodan.
He had never actually been inside of the High Spire of Karilsgard and consequently a teleportation took him in front of it, brute forcing past Karilsgard¡¯s anti-spatiomancy wards, causing a loud alarm to go off. The first scout to see him immediately had a look of fright.
Multiple guards began to converge but a divine voice boomed out. It was the Avatar of Malzim.
¡°Let him through! His conflict is not with the city or its people! None of you can contest him!¡±
Orodan appreciated the gesture, even if it was meant to protect the innocent guards the Republic military who had nothing to do with the matter. Not that he would¡¯ve harmed any of them to begin with.
Vision of Purity scanned the interior of the High Spire where the council sat, and two familiar Avatars were within.
A teleportation took Orodan inside, and before him¡
¡°Arvayne Firesword, are you still in there, or does this treacherous God have full control?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Invader, you shatter the moon with your battle, harm the very Gods and you now dare address my Chosen? Our world has many forces which protect it, and you will find the guardians of the world gates will prove an obstacle for you when you descend to try and conquer the world core,¡± Agathor said.
¡°I¡¯ve already pacified the world core,¡± Orodan said revealing the crown upon his arm. ¡°The World Conqueror title is a bit ostentatious for my liking though.¡±
¡°He did¡ no wonder the world energy flows went utterly mad recently, Agathor, we need not do battle against him, let us speak first and see what he wants,¡± Halor said, possessing the body of Alcianne Rockwood.
¡°All I want is the death of Agathor, failing that, the utter destruction of his mind will suffice,¡± Orodan said with a happy grin which promised murder.
¡°Never mind¡ we must fight,¡± Halor said.
¡°This will be a worthy battle! Let us see if you¡¯re as strong as-¡±
A Flash Strike brought him to Agathor, and the War God¡¯s Avatar was brutally wrestled to the ground and pinned with ease. He had grown far stronger since the old days where he struggled against the Avatars of the Prime Five. Simultaneously, a Spatial Fold threw the Avatar of Halor halfway across the world getting the God of Life out of the way.
¡°A worthy battle? Once upon a time I wasn¡¯t strong enough to rescue my mentor when you subverted him to your will,¡± Orodan said as he tightened his grip. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve fought Transcendents and bested the Eldritch Avatar by myself. You¡¯re no worthy battle. Although perhaps when I meet your true form in the divine realm one day we can test that. For now¡ let¡¯s free your host, shall we?¡±
¡°I do not even know you! What have I done to offend you!?¡± Agathor howled. ¡°You will not find my mind so easy a place to breach!¡±
Which was correct. Whatever Mythical skill Agathor had, it allowed him to directly interact with esoteric elements with brute force. The God of War could wrestle time, grip and tear space, and even fist fight during mental combat to give himself an advantage.
The moment that Domain Of Perfect Cleaning enveloped the Avatar of Agathor, the resistance was far higher than it was for Ilyatana or Eximus. Almost a third of the difficulty he had in cleansing the Eldritch Avatar.
But, Orodan had successfully done even that, so this, was nothing.
The first order of business was scouring the body and soul of Arvayne Firesword of Blessings and divine energy. To that end, Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was used to affect not only the soul but also the mindscape.
And consequently, he was brought to a core memory within the mind of Arvayne Firesword.
Young, or at least younger than he remembered.
That was Orodan¡¯s first thought when he saw his old mentor. Still wielding the same great sword he always had, but with less wisdom in the eyes, and he carried an aura of vigor and violence, looking unburdened by the world unlike the Arvayne he knew.
Next to Arvayne, was a burly woman, also looking far younger than Orodan remembered. She had a warm look in her eyes, the two of them were embracing and leaning on one another.
¡°Arvayne¡ please¡ you need not seek that power for the sake of victory,¡± Alcianne said. ¡°The emperor dotes on you, you¡¯ve caught the eye of even the vaunted first emperor himself, why risk it all to ensure victory? Mere barbarians from Guzuhar are not worth becoming the Chosen for that¡ that brute!¡±
¡°My love, please¡ you must not speak of Lord Agathor so¡ he is mighty beyond compare and will lead Novarria to glory,¡± Arvayne said. ¡°Can you not see why I do this? Guzuhar and the savage raiders of Agorhiku threaten us from the north, and the elves ever covet the wealth of our nation from the south. And¡ that wretch Demosthenos does everything he can to discredit me in front of our liege. With this, I will show him¡ perhaps we¡¯ll even carve out our own slice of land near the north one day.¡±
¡°Arvayne no! You¡¯ve heard of what happened to the last Chosen of his¡ elder Borkathen was never the same after he took the third Blessing and allowed the divine descent for the first time!¡± Alcianne said. ¡°Do you not love me? I thought you wanted to have a family together?¡±
¡°I do, my love¡ I do,¡± Arvayne said. ¡°But when our enemies close in and my position is threatened, what can I do? Tactically, there is no other way I can see.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll also go down this route! By damning yourself you damn us both! I¡¯ll¡ I¡¯ll drag you back!¡± she declared, her eyes tearing up.
¡°Forgive me Alcianne¡ I wish necessity did not force me into¡ wait, who are you?¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes held a grim determination within them.
¡°Someone here to eliminate the necessity of such a choice, old man,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Old? I¡¯m not even that old y-¡±
A comet of divine orange power landed amidst the memory.
¡°No! You will not interfere with my Chosen!¡± Agathor roared, appearing in his true form.
The War God had a lustrous black beard and eyes possessed of intensity. Twelve feet of pure muscle, armored in divine plate which looked impenetrable. A great hammer in the right hand, a great sword in the left, and two spears strapped across his back. It looked exactly like the statue he¡¯d seen in the temples. However, to stand before Agathor in-person was a different matter.
Of course, this was a mindscape, and a mental battle was different to a physical one.
¡°I¡¯ve never actually fought you directly in a mindscape before,¡± Orodan said as his own weapons came out and his soul began blazing with power. ¡°Let¡¯s see if that Mythical skill which lets you wrestle time can help you here too.¡±
They clashed multiple times, and Orodan had to admit Agathor was strong. Stronger than any of the other Prime Five, and perhaps if the Eldritch Avatar was down to one divinity it might be as strong as it. Unfortunately for the Inuanan War God, Orodan had faced far worse.
Agathor was smashed down in brutal fashion. His hammer shattered, his great sword snapped, and his spears disintegrated. It was all a mental representation, but it signified mental damage all the same.
Orodan kept the War God restrained within Arvayne¡¯s mindscape as he then got to work. And soon, howls of divine agony began screaming out as the body and soul of Arvayne Firesword were purified, along with his mentor¡¯s mind.
Agathor¡¯s insidious corruption of the Chosen¡¯s mind went deep. These mental tendrils which influenced the man¡¯s behavior were subtle but removed all the same. The elven psionics did a better job in Orodan¡¯s opinion.
And Arvayne¡¯s soul core, it was purged, and all the Blessings removed, alongside all traces of divine energy. With Incorruptible Being now a part of the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, Orodan could now ensure that Arvayne was warded against psionic corruption for the foreseeable future. His mind and soul were cleansed, and then made incorruptible, warded powerfully against all comers.
And he wondered if he could protect people against the Eldritch or other corruptive influences with this new aspect of his Celestial skill.
¡°Sacrilege¡ heresy! Your blatant destruction and upheaval will make you many enemies, and the universe is a big place,¡± Agathor said. ¡°You will eventually die.¡±
¡°I¡¯m counting on it,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But before I do¡ you¡¯ll be going down with me. I can¡¯t touch you in the divine realm yet, but I will one day. For now, though¡ let¡¯s see what¡¯s within your mind¡ Prince Agathor.¡±
He had learned some interesting things during his conversation with Alastaia and the Void Horror. And the memory he found himself within answered a question he had for a while.
The memory was of the abyssal depths.
A war party of unprecedented proportions was at the ready, the first gate open before them.
¡°Prince Agathor¡ please¡ you heard what the gate guardians said my prince,¡± a man warned. ¡°Beyond this gate lies only death. Have mercy on us.¡±
¡°Silence! You will follow my commands, and we shall march to eternal glory!¡± Agathor roared. ¡°So close to ascending past the Grandmaster-level¡ what lies beyond, will I become a God?¡±
One moment everything was fine, and the next, the prince set foot on the other side of the first gate. Which was when everything went wrong, and an ominous feeling came upon the chamber.
The murmurs of the war party were silenced as Agathor muttered to himself.
¡°Quest Subject¡ what even is this?¡± Agathor asked. ¡°F-form a defensive line immediately!¡±
The troops ordered themselves into a formation, standing at the ready. Yet no matter how prepared they might¡¯ve been prior to descending; it was all for naught when that thing came.
It was the Eldritch Avatar, or at least, the host of it before it had been corrupted.
A gray humanoid giant with lanky limbs. This was the Void Horror which had been thrown into the void between stars thirty-thousand years ago.
Troops were immediately massacred left and right, and even Agathor despite a brave attempt, was brutally swatted about and nearly killed if not for a last-minute intervention from the strongest of his bodyguards who gave their lives in the process.
¡°The teleportation relays! Cast the spell immediately! Now!¡± Agathor demanded, and his troops complied.
Just before the Void Horror could reach him, he began teleporting through a chain of linked relays to the surface, and Orodan was naturally drawn along as part of the memory.
On the surface, a regal crowned man awaited and looked incredibly concerned as a bloodied Agathor teleported onto the staging point where the final relay was.
¡°My son¡ what has happened?¡±
¡°F-father¡ please, something comes for us, save me!¡± Agathor exclaimed in terror. ¡°The line of Hasmathor is doomed¡ our empire is finished!¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± the emperor asked.
¡°Your Majesty, something approaches the surface at tremendous speed!¡± a nearby geomancer called out.
And finally, as the Void Horror¡¯s hand erupted from the ground, Agathor locked eyes with Orodan and began glowing a bright orange.
¡°You delve into my darkest memory? I see nothing is sacred to you,¡± Agathor venomously spat.
¡°You tried subverting my mind once as well,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I don¡¯t even know you.¡±
¡°Maybe not this time,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°But I know you. And you¡¯re a coward, Agathor. Is that why you made that Blessing which prevents opponents from fleeing? Compensating for a failure, are we?¡±
¡°Lies! You know things which you should not! Come fight me and let us end this!¡± Agathor roared, his face shaking in rage.
Much as Orodan would¡¯ve enjoyed it, a grand battle wasn¡¯t in the cards.
Agathor within the mindscape was far weaker than he would be in the divine realm. And while Orodan looked forward to eventually facing the God of War physically, for now¡ he would leave him with a gift,
¡°No¡ no! You will not sully me like you have Ilyatana!¡± Agathor roared.
¡°Tamper with your mind, you mean? Worry not, rather I intend on giving you the gift of courage, and a suitable target to expend it on,¡± Orodan said. ¡°After all, I do look forward to fighting you eventually.¡±
Agathor roared in horrid pain as his mind was altered and the changes made permanent in the small piece of consciousness he had within Arvayne Firesword. At last, the remnant piece of the War God¡¯s mind was let go, and Orodan felt satisfied.
He hadn¡¯t done very much, merely given Agathor some courage with one clear directive.
To face Orodan Wainwright in-person for one last glorious battle.
He demanded a fair battle against this hated adversary of his, and tampering with Agathor¡¯s mind and putting him out of commission before that was unacceptable. They would duel, whether through Orodan finding a way into the divine realm, or Agathor finding a way into the material plane. The mind tampering would simply ensure that and prevent Agathor from fleeing like a coward.
In the real world, his eyes opened just in time to see the Avatar of Halor finally return. A hole was blown into the wall as the Avatar entered.
¡°What have you done to Agathor! He is-¡±
¡°Purified and given encouragement,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Agathor and I will meet again, I simply made sure of that. As for Arvayne Firesword he is¡¡±
The glow from the Avatar¡¯s eyes subsided as the next words came out. It wasn¡¯t Halor who spoke.
¡°Free of the Blessings¡¡± Alcianne said as she gingerly approached the unconscious for of Arvayne Firesword. ¡°Is it¡ real? Has the grip of Agathor truly been lifted?¡±
¡°Yes, he is free now,¡± Orodan answered.
The tears flowed from her eyes, and Orodan looked away, giving the two of them some privacy as even the God of Life seemed content to allow his Chosen her moment.
Orodan looked out the damaged High Spire and into the sky towards the shattered moon.
There were a few more problems to resolve on his world, but he¡¯d already tied up many loose ends and repaid a number of debts. He still had to deal with Balastion Novar and Eldiron, and finally Zaessythra. And beyond that¡ the arrival of the Eldritch Avatar which he vowed to deal with himself this time.
And at the end of all that¡ beyond the shattered moon, lay other worlds. And an invitation for tea in six months.
Chapter 48 - Concluding Worldly Affairs
Novar¡¯s Peak was a beautiful city. Ancient, historic. A testament to humanity¡¯s ability to adapt and rebuild from the tattered remains of the preceding ancient Hasmathorian Empire. The city was nineteen-thousand years old, officially founded upon the day of Balastion Novar¡¯s coronation as the first emperor of the Novarrian Empire.
And it was undoubtedly in utter chaos outside as Orodan shattered every single anti-spatiomancy ward protecting the city to tear into the chamber of Balastion Novar underneath the royal citadel.
To the first emperor¡¯s credit, the man was neither taken aback nor surprised by the intrusion. The man was upwards of twenty-thousand years old and likely dealt with assassins all his life.
So, when the reactionary beam of Eldritch energy from the crown impacted Orodan in greeting, the first emperor wasn¡¯t surprised.
Orodan¡¯s seeming immunity to the power of the Eldritch however, was a different matter.
¡°¡what? Eldritch Resistance? It¡¯s possible?¡± Balastion asked in shock.
¡°It is, but I¡¯m afraid your aspirations for acquiring the skill end here,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°An assassin then? You¡¯re strong¡ too strong. And unless you¡¯re under some strange transformation I haven¡¯t seen, you¡¯re human too,¡± Balastion said. ¡°Was it the elves? I know they harbor a few old survivors of ancient Hasmathor¡ are you one of theirs? No¡ an otherworlder perhaps?¡±
¡°Neither. And I¡¯m not here to kill you, but to deal with that crown,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You¡¯ll have to kill me then, for this crown is one of our main defenses against a terrible foe,¡± the first emperor said. ¡°You¡¯re sent by the elves then, are you?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want your crown, I¡¯m merely here to clean it,¡± Orodan replied, and drew his weapons.
¡°Clean it? Purge it of the Eldritch? That¡¯s not possible,¡± he replied. ¡°The Eldritch is corruptive, insidious, it cannot be cleansed by the likes of us mortals. Either way, tis¡¯ an outcome I cannot allow.¡±
Balastion Novar¡¯s sword met Orodan Wainwright¡¯s blade, first emperor against time looper.
In the last long loop, Orodan held confidence in eventually being able to defeat his friend if it came down to it. But now? When he¡¯d grown stronger by leaps and bounds and was capable of defeating the Void Horror, surviving enemy Transcendents and had good odds of facing down the Eldritch Avatar one-on-one?
The outcome was obvious.
Balastion¡¯s sword creaked dangerously as Orodan¡¯s All-Strike and empowered blade smashed directly into it. It was poor swordsmanship and naught but a theatrical display, but Orodan¡¯s intent was to get the man to surrender upon realizing the strength difference.
And it had its desired effect as Orodan¡¯s sword practically smashed through Balastion¡¯s guard with a booming shockwave which would¡¯ve destroyed Novar¡¯s Peak if not for Orodan¡¯s spatiomancy re-directing the force elsewhere.
His opponent was brought to his knees with just a single strike, and Orodan took the opening to drop his shield and grab Balastion¡¯s sword arm, rendering it unable to swing.
¡°¡strong! Who are you, warrior?!¡± Balastion exclaimed as he strained and struggled against Orodan¡¯s grip. The man was indeed strong, but Body Tempering and Physical Fitness working in tandem made Orodan a monstrous specimen whose physical capabilities were one of his strongest assets.
¡°A friend,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but from what I understand of you, you¡¯d never agree to this otherwise. The crown is far too important to you.¡±
¡°Of course it is! You covet a weapon integral to our defense against the Eldritch! How can you call yourself a friend?!¡±
Orodan ignored the man and reached out with his free hand to place it upon the crown, even as Balastion wanted to flinch away desperately.
And with a thought, the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning poured out and targeted the foul taint of the Eldritch within the crown. When he¡¯d cleansed an entire world core, a mere crown with some Eldritch within it wasn¡¯t anything special. Within an instant, it was purged entirely.
¡°What have you done?!¡± Balastion roared. ¡°Its power is¡ hold¡ it¡¯s actually been cleansed?¡±
¡°Cleaner than it was at the time of forging I reckon,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though, if the System¡¯s responsible for it, then I¡¯d be a little arrogant to claim so.¡±
¡°But now¡ without the crown, how will we defend ourselves? With your strength, you can only be one person¡ yesterday, the news of the defeat of multiple Avatars in Karilsgard reached my ears. And before that, the destruction of the moon itself. You must be the man responsible for both those events,¡± Balastion said. ¡°Who are you, stranger? Who sent you to destroy the crown?¡±
Before anything further could be said, the doors to the first emperor¡¯s chamber were obliterated in a show of power as Demosthenos Albathrax and Vespidia Aulmalexis charged in.
¡°Your Majesty!¡± Vespidia shouted as she charged.
¡°He is beyond any of you! Do not needlessly throw your lives away!¡± Balastion warned. Of course, Orodan wasn¡¯t here to kill anyone much less even hurt them.
Spatial Folds carried the charging rescuers back to the entrance of the chamber as Orodan sheathed his weapons and put his hands up in a gesture of peace.
¡°I come in peace and will take care of the enemy from the stars,¡± Orodan assuaged. ¡°As for who sent me¡¡±
¡°¡would you believe me if I said it was you?¡±
A day had passed since then.
Upon Orodan¡¯s explanation, Balastion and company had calmed down a bit. The fact that the moon was shattered and that three of the Prime Five refused to show face upon Inuan also helped tie the story together. After all, Orodan¡¯s personal strength and the worldwide chaos he¡¯d caused by disrupting Inuan¡¯s divine pantheon and destroying the moon were compelling arguments.
Blessings of Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana were no longer working for anyone. And Orodan felt slightly guilty about the fact that he¡¯d negatively impacted the lives of many. Of course, Malzim and Halor had stepped in to alleviate many of the problems, and Orodan himself would intervene if any groups or individuals of power thought to take advantage of the situation.
Still, it was a goal in mind now, that if he were to purge unworthy Gods from the world, perhaps he should learn a method of implementing blessings of his own to bestow upon people.
He¡¯d told Balastion, Vespidia and Demosthenos about the entire situation and informed them of his plan to free Faraine. Something which Vespidia had immediately agreed to with a desperate look in her eyes. Subsequently, Balastion could only go along with Orodan¡¯s wishes as it meant the promise of a powerful ally against the Eldritch Avatar and Eldiron.
And now, they were on a ship, the sea breeze high up in the skies whipping Orodan¡¯s brown hair about.
They weren¡¯t on a sea-borne vessel, but an actual airship.
Exceedingly rare, and rather expensive to operate. The technology itself was nothing revolutionary. Enchantments, runes and mana crystals came together to make such a thing possible, and it was a creation of intermediate skill requirements at best.
The issue with its mass production, however, was that aerial monsters could detect it by sight and energy emissions rather easily, and without powerful defenders, it was unfeasible to fly one anywhere that wasn¡¯t civilized. Flying creatures at the Elite-level and up were all faster than even the fastest airship. And for economic purposes, teleporters between cities were a quicker and safer method of travel.
The reason their party was using an airship, however, was that it was the quickest way to travel by group to another continent without teleportation.
Especially when the elven continent had completely shut down all teleporters in and out, and any moves by Orodan to forcibly bypass their anti-spatiomancy protections would trigger a severe reaction.
The elves weren¡¯t stupid or ignorant. The moon¡¯s destruction was apparent to anyone who looked up at the night sky. And the events in Karilsgard and Novar¡¯s Peak had reached the ears of Eldiron. That Orodan helped purge their spy network after his conversation with Balastion didn¡¯t help their paranoia.
He¡¯d quite wanted to barge in, free Faraine and leave, but even Vespidia thought it a bit much and worked alongside Balastion and Demosthenos to talk Orodan out of it after a particularly stubborn discussion.
¡°I¡¯m having a difficult time accepting the fact that I broke and asked you to destroy the crown,¡± Balastion said as they looked out over the sea. ¡°I know myself, and my will is not so weak.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The Balastion Novar I knew was a strong ruler, a man with much on his shoulders. I don¡¯t think he would¡¯ve broken. In fact, you didn¡¯t really break¡¡±
¡°Then¡?¡±
¡°It was more like you admitted it wasn¡¯t worth it,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°You seemed resigned and asked me to destroy the crown in subsequent loops. I can¡¯t speak for you as I don¡¯t know what was going through your mind, but whatever you saw when under the corruption of the Eldritch must¡¯ve changed your mind.¡±
¡°Is it truly so¡ insidious?¡± Balastion asked.
¡°Yes, quite so,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°The crown, and even the Eldritch Avatar and its corruption aren¡¯t so bad. But¡ the amount present within the world core¡ now that was powerful enough to bypass even my Eldritch Resistance. I can¡¯t imagine a World Conqueror succeeding in subverting a world core unless it¡¯s quite clean, or they have some special protection and plan ahead.¡±
¡°World Conqueror¡ I still wonder what my life amounted to knowing that I stand before such a being,¡± the first emperor said.
¡°Your life amounts to much. All I did was win multiple battles and bully a world core into giving me its crown,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Building and guiding a nation of millions on the other hand, is far more impressive than winning a mere battle.¡±
¡°Land ho!¡± one of the operators called out.
Before them¡ was a sight of true beauty.
¡°Incredible¡ how can the forests be so green¡?¡± Orodan asked, as he looked out and took the sight in. His Vision Of Purity had detected land a while ago, but unlike most instances, it didn¡¯t pick up very much as the ground, the life, the creatures and settlements, they were all far purer than things on Inuan.
The air, the birds, the trees and all the way down to the smallest grain of sand were just full of world energy.
¡°Much as it pains me to say, theirs is a continent that has advanced for more than a hundred-thousand years while Inuan has had to rebuild from the destruction wrought by the Void Horror thirty-thousand years ago,¡± Balastion answered. ¡°The forests and beauty of Eldiron often seduce the easily swayed. But remain strong my friend, the people of Inuan still need you to act on their behalf.¡±
It was a pretty sight. Orodan had never seen a more beautiful landscape in his life.
The coastal forests looked as though they were out of a dream. The trees glowed with an emerald lustre, the rivers flowed out to the sea with water the color of sapphires, and the breeze carried a song of beauty upon it. If people grew up in a place like this¡ Orodan could see them happily fighting to the death to defend it. Even his own soul felt peace and joy at the mere sight of such splendor.
Upon the coast, was a watchtower of typical elven architecture, whose like he¡¯d only seen in books and illustrations prior. The illustrations didn¡¯t do it justice, in Orodan¡¯s opinion. And while he was admiring the brilliant paint and excellent craftsmanship of the tower, an alarm bell rang out.
And within moments, a portal opened up nearby and Orodan detected a giant eagle bearing multiple beings upon it on the other side.
¡°Don¡¯t drain the portal or interfere with their arrival, they¡¯ll take it as a sign of hostility,¡± Demosthenos explained as he walked up to Orodan and Balastion. ¡°Your Majesty, I sense the presence of the divine artifact. The Wand of Athandelu is wielded by one of them.¡±
¡°I sense it too, Demosthenos,¡± Balastion said. ¡°I do not think they¡¯ll act rashly, however. Not with our friend here.¡±
Said friend being Orodan.
The great eagle came through the portal and upon it were a familiar four elven figures. The same people he¡¯d seen the last time he had a meeting with the elves.
The Avatars of Cithrel and Athandelu, Virion Ethweni the channeller of divine power, and the unknown elf who claimed to be the spouse of a Goddess. These were four of the most powerful beings on Eldiron, their powerhouses. And they¡¯d come to greet their airship.
¡°You come at a concerning time, Balastion Novar,¡± Cithrel spoke. ¡°I do not recognize the man accompanying you, I presume this is the one responsible for the calamitous events as of late?¡±
¡°Not only that¡ but the world energies flow as though you¡¯re their nexus,¡± Athandelu added. ¡°It¡¯s true then¡ I thought it an overreaction, but you were right Eldarion. Alastaia at last has a World Conqueror.¡±
The unnamed elf merely smiled in response. Was his name Eldarion? But that was¡
¡°Eldarion? The God of Friendship? You¡ are mortal?¡± Balastion asked in confusion.
Even Orodan himself was a bit confused. The elven pantheon was composed of four Gods. Cithrel, the God-Queen. Athandelu the executor of justice and truth. Faraine the Goddess of growth and evolution and finally, Eldarion, the husband of the God-Queen and God of Friendship. One who remained even farther detached from worldly affairs than Faraine herself.
Perhaps this explained why there were no Blessings of Eldarion in historical record.
¡°I do quite abhor titles and worship. I¡¯m merely Eldarion,¡± the elf said. ¡°And while my wife and friend have tried to ensure the transition from mortal to divinity is smooth for me¡ I hope to traverse a different path.¡±
¡°¡the path of Transcendence,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Precisely. You know of it then? Of course you do¡ that battle upon the moon was spectacular,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°How do you survive such punishment? Even some of the divinities of life I know cannot call upon and produce it as endlessly as you do.¡±
Unlike the nations of Inuan, Orodan wasn¡¯t surprised that Eldiron had methods to see so far and glean specific details about the battle on the moon.
¡°Yes, at least two of the beings I fought against on the moon were Transcendents, and the Devil King among them was the reason for the moon¡¯s destruction.¡±
¡°And you fought and defeated them? Incredible¡¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t exactly win,¡± Orodan quickly amended. ¡°I survived long enough that the cultivator¡¯s reinforcements arrived, and the Devil King was sent running afterwards. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m yet a match for even the weakest Transcendent without some unfair advantages.¡±
Such as Eldritch Resistance, which had allowed him to survive and cleanse the Transcendent core guardian of Alastaia. And even then, it was corrupted and not in its right state of mind. An uncorrupted and smart Transcendent that had sense enough to utilize its skills intelligently and use tactics was still beyond Orodan.
¡°Even then, that makes you a frighteningly powerful opponent¡ stronger even, than I,¡± Eldarion replied.
¡°Let us not waste time,¡± Cithrel interrupted. ¡°Why have you come here? Your power is apparent, and you bear the crown from the world core. What do we have that you would covet?¡±
Orodan simply replied with one word¡
¡°Faraine.¡±
¡and the arguments immediately began.
¡°Unacceptable! The traitor will serve her sentence!¡± Cithrel angrily declared.
¡°Has that failure of an elf managed to seduce you? Faraine is not worthy of freedom!¡± Athandelu exclaimed.
¡°She has been caged away for long enough! The tyranny of your rule caused her to do what she did!¡± Vespidia argued.
¡°And what of her attempt to influence the genetic makeup of our species towards her own end?! Or do you conveniently forget about that whenever you pine about her imprisonment?!¡± Virion shouted back.
¡°Weak-willed failure-¡±
¡°The God-Queen¡¯s lackey-¡±
¡°Enough. We can all get along, can¡¯t we?¡±
Eldarion softly spoke, and a harmonious feeling spread throughout the air. Opposing winds began converging, the leaves brushed up against one another, nearby wildlife forgot their roles of predator and prey and embraced, and the very hearts of everyone present were urged to forget about conflict for a moment.
Orodan himself felt a powerful pull on his will, and he concentrated with decent effort in order to shatter its hold. This was a social skill with him and everyone else as the target.
¡°Is that the skill you aim to cross the Grandmaster-level in?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Apologies. I don¡¯t like using that in polite company, but our situation warrants a calm approach,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°And yes, I feel myself on the cusp of increasing in level. My understanding is complete, my comprehension overfull. I need only reach out and execute it, perform my skill in a manner beyond the level of Grandmaster.¡±
¡°Then, why don¡¯t you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Because I¡¯ve been holding myself back for many thousands of years,¡± Eldarion replied. ¡°I seek not divinity, but Transcendence.¡±
¡°Which would cause the Hegemony¡¯s descent upon your head, no?¡± Orodan said.
¡°My kin and I have an agreement with the overlords of our section of creation,¡± Eldarion replied. ¡°A small amount of time spent serving their needs is not a bad price to bear in return for the ability to remain within the material plane.¡±
¡°Fair enough, you seem to know what you¡¯re doing. This process then¡ what exactly does it entail?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a God and a Transcendent? How can one achieve Transcendence while avoiding divinity?¡±
¡°That I¡¯m afraid, even I do not know. I¡¯ve been searching for an answer most of my life in the hopes that it would better prepare me for the trial ahead, but all I know is that it involves some sort of test,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Anyhow, we are getting off-topic, Orodan Wainwright. This matter of Faraine, how far are you willing to go for her freedom? Why does she mean so much to you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that she means much to me,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°But my friend here, it¡¯s important to her. And I¡¯m simply keeping my word. I¡¯ll come to blows on the matter if necessary. With my current capabilities, hunting any of your special Bloodline carriers and freeing her through assaulting their minds won¡¯t be an issue.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Eldarion said. ¡°And yet, you should¡¯ve never met Vespidia. We¡¯ve been keeping close watch on her, and never have you been seen around her.¡±
Balastion looked at him with concern and the intent to interject, but Orodan waved him off.
No matter how many times people told him it was a bad idea, he was a poor liar. And keeping secrets was quite difficult for him.
He was like a bull in a pottery shop when it came to battle, and the same applied to his diplomacy. When it came to important matters, for Orodan Wainwright the only way forward was in a straight line.
¡°That would be because I¡¯m-¡±
¡°Orodan, no! These elves are not to be trusted!¡± Balastion tried intervening.
¡°-in a time loop.¡±
Balastion could only sigh in resignation, while Vespidia looked amused and Demosthenos carefully watched his emperor. On the elven side, the two Avatars were struck silent, Virion Ethweni looked as though he wanted to say something, and Eldarion¡
¡had a smile on his face.
¡°Quite the intriguing tale! Tell me more, friend.¡±
And so, three hours of discussion passed as Orodan explained each and every single thing about the time loops to the elven party.
Cithrel and Athandelu weren¡¯t happy about the fact that he¡¯d freed Faraine in the last long loop. Virion looked angry, and Eldarion simply continued listening intently.
¡°This is beyond outrageous! We¡¯ve done nothing to offend you, and you would still aid an enemy in freeing a prisoner of ours?¡± Cithrel asked. ¡°What have we done to deserve your enmity?¡±
¡°On the contrary, I don¡¯t consider Eldiron my enemy whatsoever. Merely the unfortunate obstacle between me and freeing Faraine in order to help my friend,¡± Orodan replied.
A soft laugh rang out.
¡°You truly are something else, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Eldarion said with an amused chuckle. ¡°From a poor militia man in the Republic, to the World Conqueror of Alastaia. Your character is that of a cannonball, straightforward and to the point, both in combat and in how you approach your objectives within this time loop.¡±
¡°Of course. In my early days people would often call me stupid for the way I did things,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Yet, I refused to change who I was. Even now, with the passage of time and the acquisition of much power, I¡¯m still the same warrior who rushed to his death in his first life. I see my nature not as a weakness, but as one of my strengths.¡±
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¡°Indeed, I would agree with that assessment. Whoever chose you for this time loop either made the worst possible decision, or the best one,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Anyhow¡ I believe we now understand where you stand.¡±
¡°Then, for the matter of Faraine¡¡±
¡°We shall let her go, as long as you pass a test of mine,¡± Eldarion said.
¡°Eldarion?! No! We cannot allow ourselves to be pushed around-¡±
¡°My love, do you not trust me?¡± the elf gently asked.
¡°I do¡¡±
¡°Then have faith that there is a reason for this,¡± Eldarion explained. ¡°We already know that Orodan Wainwright is powerful enough to battle Transcendents. And from what he says about this time loop, he also possesses Divine Resistance. I¡¯m not a combat specialist, and the very nature of Divine Resistance renders the remaining three of you impotent. Better we release her on our terms that we might speak to her ourselves.¡±
¡°A test?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes, a test. Hearing of your personality, I doubt you will refuse,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°In all your talk of this time loop, a common factor is this strange and endless willpower of yours, correct?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not known for quitting, that much is true,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Perfect, then you will not balk at the prospect of facing down my voice and resisting its commands, no?¡±
¡°An odd proposition, what¡¯re you hoping to gain out of this?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You see, Orodan Wainwright, my Gold-Tongued Persuasion skill is at the Grandmaster-level. It¡¯s been at that level for nearly eighty-thousand years. And while I¡¯m ready to advance past that and have more than enough comprehension and understanding to do so¡ anyone I practice on, does not,¡± Eldarion explained. ¡°What I ask for then¡ is for your endless willpower to be the target of my skill. Might you be the whetstone upon which I strive for Transcendence?¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes took on a pleased look.
¡°I agree! It¡¯ll be good training,¡± he replied.
¡°I do not want there to be any bad blood between us, so I¡¯ll be entirely honest,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°If you fail, you¡¯ll succumb to a mental suggestion to befriend me and act in the best interests of Eldiron. If you succeed¡ well, tell me what occurs once someone passes Grandmastery in the next loop, will you?¡±
A mad gamble. If Orodan didn¡¯t have strong will, Eldarion stood to gain a powerful ally through the brainwashing of a social skill. And if it failed? He supposedly would cross the hundredth level in the skill due to the difficulty of persuading Orodan. And from there, he gambled on Orodan remembering what occurred and telling him in the next loop.
¡°So, if I fail, you brainwash me. And if I succeed, you use me to acquire information?¡± Orodan asked, and Eldarion nodded. ¡°Heh! I like it! You¡¯re straightforward with your scheming at least.¡±
¡°I had a feeling you would. You seem the type to appreciate honesty, even if you¡¯re on the receiving end of a ploy,¡± the elf said. ¡°Prepare yourself, Orodan Wainwright. For my voice has swayed even Gods!¡±
A manic grin spread across Orodan¡¯s face as he spread his arms wide and beckoned for the elf to speak.
And he did.
¡°Let us work together, Orodan Wainwright. Friendship, and the gratitude of Eldiron awaits.¡±
Orodan¡¯s world shook, his soul quivered, and his mind wanted to bow down before the words.
Jian Yixia seemed to have some sort of mind influencing skill too, but she hadn¡¯t used it directly on Orodan. This man however, was.
In no way was this the power of a Grandmaster. In fact, if Orodan¡¯s Status somehow went awry and listed his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning at level 1, it wouldn¡¯t take away the understandings and comprehension he intrinsically possessed. A single usage of the skill with his intrinsic understandings and full power would be enough to return it to its normal level in his Status.
This then, was someone who had been holding their skill back for far too long. Their understandings and comprehension of the skill far exceeded what their Status displayed. And now that Eldarion was using his Gold-Tongued Persuasion at full power, and applying every single bit of comprehension and insight that he¡¯d held back for thousands of years¡
¡it was beyond what any Grandmaster could do.
He had Eldritch Resistance to blunt the insidious corruption of the world core when he¡¯d fought Alastaia. He had Psionic Resistance to blunt enemy psionics. But this, was neither Psionic nor Eldritch. It was empowered by soul energy, and it was purely social.
And how desperately did he want to comply with the elf¡¯s request.
Would it truly be so bad? To be friends with Eldarion and assist Eldiron? The gratitude, wealth and favor of the elves would be his. Hells, he could even settle down with some lovely princess if he so desired!
The thoughts filled his mind to an extent that not even the world core of Alastaia had been capable of.
Until finally¡
¡his eyes sharpened, and Orodan Wainwright took control of his own mind once more.
A roar of unfaltering determination erupted from his lips. His soul energy rocketed upwards, and a force of endless will immediately smashed into his mind and cleared the foul thoughts spawned by Eldarion¡¯s social skill.
He refused to be brainwashed.
¡°Tsk! How utterly stubborn¡!¡± Eldarion exclaimed. ¡°How does anyone get anything through to you?¡±
They often didn¡¯t, Orodan wanted to say. Unfortunately, there was no time for that.
The crown he wore in the form of an armband allowed him to detect the world energy coalescing around Eldarion. The world energy came together in the form of System glyphs and symbols and began wrapping around the elf.
¡°It¡ it comes! Look closely and tell me of what occurs the next loop we meet!¡± Eldarion exclaimed.
The System glyphs continued arranging themselves around the elven ascendant, and it remained to be seen whether Eldarion would go the path of divinity or Transcendent.
As the formation of the System¡¯s glyphs reached an apex, something descended.
Orodan¡¯s first thought was that he felt some manner of genuine fear for the first time in his lives. Not the fear of being hurt, but true, existential dread in a way nothing had ever made him feel before.
It was a strange humanoid being but composed of impossible geometric shapes and angles which promised madness if one gazed for too long. System glyphs continued flitting in and out of existence upon its body, but the few that Orodan could see were of a profound quality, beyond the kind he saw on world gates. Perhaps matched only by what he¡¯d seen on the pylon attached to Alastaia¡¯s world core.
[Beginning Trial - Time Stasis Initialized]
Everything around him was dead still. Frozen utterly in time. The sky, the stars¡ this statis likely extended very far.
In a sense, it was chronomancy. But the difference was akin to an ant versus a divine. The powerful chronomantic energy wrapped right around Orodan with a frightening amount of power and sought to lock him in time like everything else.
His own Eternal Soul Reactor flared at full power, and he churned out as much as he could in order to resist.
[Warning - High Energy Signature Detected. Diverting More Power]
Orodan continued resisting by flooding his own body with as much soul energy as possible. Thankfully, whatever it was, it seemed content to defeat him with an endless flood of energy rather than increasing the intensity where Orodan might¡¯ve killed himself by drawing upon levels of soul energy his body couldn¡¯t handle.
A battle of endurance. A test of capacity.
A fight Orodan had full confidence in winning, even if the very System was against him.
Time passed, and Orodan closed his eyes, simply meditating and focusing on endlessly churning soul energy to resist the time stasis. Even Eldarion¡¯s Trial was frozen until the System being felt that the Time Statis was fully locked in and encompassed everything.
An hour passed, and then five more.
The strange being had no eyes, merely System glyphs which shifted, changed and phased in and out of sight. No change was apparent in it despite Orodan¡¯s resistance.
A full day passed, and only then did something change.
[Warning - High Energy Signature Persisting. Diverting More Power]
Discouraging for anyone else perhaps, but not Orodan. He would continue churning his soul forever if he had to.
Days turned to weeks, which then turned to a month.
The System being was locked in the exact same position. Floating in the air, arms at its sides, completely dispassionate and emotionless as the only movement it had was the shifting System glyphs.
At the three-month mark, another message came by.
[Warning - High Energy Signature Persisting. Diverting More Power. Unit At Risk Of Corruption]
The message was encouraging. Yet the trend was that each message would arrive after a longer interval. Still, Orodan knew that he could force this System being into submission through attrition.
Months passed until the year mark came and went.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 94 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 95]
It was finally in the second year of this ongoing battle for dominance that the next message came.
[Warning - High Energy Signature Persisting. Diverting More Power. Unit Corruption Approaching]
Orodan smiled, however it was quickly wiped off his face at the following message which displayed immediately after.
[Override Protocol Initiated - Incomplete Time Stasis Acceptable. Trial Resuming. Administrator Notified]
Everything was still in statis, but the chronomantic effect attempting to freeze Orodan had stopped. And the being descended unto Eldarion.
He couldn¡¯t hear what was said between them as Eldarion was unfrozen and allowed to converse. But suddenly, a perfect clone of Eldarion appeared in front of the elf, and they were both behind podiums. Orodan couldn¡¯t hear what was said, but from the look of it¡ was the elf expected to beat a version of himself?
Improving against oneself¡ no matter how much power a Grandmaster held or how long they prepared for, such a test was designed to strain anyone to their limits. In fact, Eldarion, who¡¯d held back for thousands of years¡ would be at a disadvantage, as all low-hanging fruit to improve with had already been plucked.
The elf¡¯s face showed signs of frustration and rage as he sought for insights and epiphanies that never came.
An hour of speech between the two passed, and Eldarion finally resigned with a grim look on his face.
[Trial Concluded - Relegation To Divinity. Trial-Taker Memory Altered. Time Statis Concluded]
The System being vanished, and everything returned to normal. With the exception of a now vanished Eldarion.
¡°What¡ happened?¡± Virion asked. ¡°What has happened to Lord Eldarion?! Where has he gone?!¡±
¡°No need to worry dear Virion¡ my love has finally come¡ the divine realm bids him welcome at last,¡± Cithrel spoke.
¡°Then¡ Lord Eldarion has ascended at last? He is¡ a God in essence and being.¡±
The birth of a new God. Eldarion, God of Friendship. And if what he said before was an indicator, his pantheon had eased his entry significantly by promoting his worship prior to his ascension.
¡°Now then¡ about Faraine,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Granted. Take that miserable wretch with you and tell her to never bother us again¡ what a joyous day¡¡± Cithrel muttered. ¡°If anything, I owe you a debt of gratitude for giving Eldarion the hope that he can become a Transcendent. It caused him to attempt ascension early and become relegated to the divine realm. In the future¡ if you ensure my husband takes his rightful place with me as a God, I shall give you no problem in the matter of the traitor. Now, I must go and give my darling a proper greeting.¡±
Orodan could only look on, flabbergasted. That really was too easy. Who knew that things would work out so smoothly and that Cithrel was a love-deprived Goddess whose attitude changed the moment her husband joined her in the divine realm?
The Avatars immediately departed alongside Virion, leaving only the imperial side.
¡°Vespidia¡ can you confirm it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes¡ yes! She has been set free!¡± Vespidia said, tears filling her eyes.
That was good. That settled the last hurdle before his long-time foe. Orodan had honestly been expecting a pitched battle against the full might of Eldiron, but a part of him was glad that things had turned out this way. Even if the chance to do battle had been lost.
Most importantly, he¡¯d glimpsed for himself the trial to reach either Transcendence or Godhood. And the terrifying force of the System that descended as a result.
But even that being, hair-raising as it was, could only be a precursor to what might descend next.
For the question yet remained¡
¡just who was this ¡®Administrator¡¯ that had been notified?
¡°Are you certain of this course of action?¡±
The first emperor asked, as the man paced about the throne room with worry.
¡°I¡¯ve purged the world core itself of the Eldritch energy running through it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°While the Eldritch Avatar is powerful in combat, I¡¯ve now also grown capable of surviving Transcendents and besting its sibling¡ the Void Horror.¡±
¡°I hear you, and I believe you¡¯re capable of all these feats,¡± Balastion replied. ¡°Yet, I still worry for this is an age-old foe we¡¯ve known of for a long time now. Why not face it with us? Why insist on taking it upon your own shoulders? Surely you can use spatiomancy to have assistance in the battle?¡±
¡°No¡ I¡¯ve had enough people die fighting alongside me,¡± Orodan sharply shut down. ¡°I respect your offer. But this I must do alone. These time loops, all this strength I¡¯ve acquired, what¡¯s the point of it all if I can¡¯t handle this issue myself?¡±
¡°Fair enough¡ our belief is with you, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Balastion Novar spoke. ¡°We might have gotten off to a rocky start, but you¡¯ve done naught but act in the best interests of Novarria¡ and in another time, we were even friends. I remember nothing of that, but the least I can do for all you¡¯ve done for us is give you my utmost gratitude.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Ever since I met Cyvrosdyr the Eternal Winter, I took the Quest off his shoulders. Too many people I cared for died at its hands¡ and this time I intend to repay the favor and teach the Eldritch Gods a lesson.¡±
Balastion could only nod as Orodan looked upwards, to an incredibly distant part of the sky. A team of astronomers and diviners had set up on the peak of the royal citadel and they were tracking the position of the descending Eldritch comet in the void between stars.
¡°Its position is along this line, sir,¡± one astronomer spoke. ¡°C-can you¡ can you truly cast a Spatial Fold all that distance away? It¡¯s beyond even our sun¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ve reached the sun before,¡± Orodan casually replied, much to the man¡¯s shock and paling face.
Orodan had reached the blazing ball before, even if it and its denizens were rather unfriendly. And that hadn¡¯t taxed him overly much. So, to reach this moving comet which was perhaps a third farther out? Not an issue.
The real problem had been locating it and tracking its movements. If it was past the sun currently, then Orodan couldn¡¯t see it and his Vision Of Purity didn¡¯t extend that far. To that end, the team of diviners and astronomers were quite helpful in locating its current position and pointing Orodan towards it.
¡°I hope it needn¡¯t be said¡ but please don¡¯t come back corrupted by the Eldritch,¡± Balastion said. ¡°I know you have Eldritch Resistance, but I must warn you all the same. If you were hostile, I do not think anyone on Alastaia could stop you. Perhaps Eldiron and whatever weapons they have in reserve might do it, but Inuan and Guzuhar would be annihilated.¡±
Frankly, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if even Eldiron could stop him if he truly wanted to destroy the world. Perhaps some ancient dragon who¡¯d been around for a very long time might have to come out of seclusion, and even then, he doubted anything beneath the level of a Transcendent could actually kill him.
Unfortunately, Orodan¡¯s enemies included beings who were Transcendents and even those beyond.
All the more reason to take the Eldritch Avatar out quickly so that he could wrap up his affairs on Alastaia and head to Xian. He needed to get stronger.
¡°If I ever feel myself succumbing to corruption, I¡¯ll burn myself to death by generating fatal amounts of soul energy,¡± Orodan said as he looked up. ¡°Anyhow, Balastion, please evacuate everyone. It¡¯s time.¡±
The assembled team, Balastion included, all departed the top of the imperial citadel.
Titanic amounts of power gathered around him as he prepared to cast the most powerful Spatial Fold he ever had. Space trembled around him, and minor tears began appearing as his hand contained the unfathomable power of a calamitous Spatial Fold. If he turned it downwards, he might cause some severe destruction throughout Alastaia as space warped.
His target though, was in the stars. And with an exhale, Orodan cast Spatial Fold towards the descending Eldritch comet.
[Space Mastery 65 ¡ú Space Mastery 67]
[Spatial Fold 67 ¡ú Spatial Fold 69]
The very sky and horizon were warped, and Alastaia¡¯s atmosphere might have been affected to an extent, but it was all for the purpose of eliminating one of the greatest threats to the world.
He stepped through the fold and crashed into a purplish-gray rock hurtling through space at great speed.
Immediately, the being within noticed his intrusion and the tentacles upon the rock attempted to assault him.
¡°Not this time,¡± Orodan said as his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and enveloped the entirety of the Eldritch comet.
The tentacles were eradicated, the corrupted bits of shell were disintegrated and the very rock itself was purified. And as the domain began reaching inwards and contacted the Eldritch Avatar itself, it shrieked, and the comet exploded as it tore itself free to emerge.
Pupil-less white eyes stared him down as they both drifted in the void of space where no gravity existed.
In the past, every single time he¡¯d faced it, he was the last one standing. This time however, he was the only one standing. Because he chose to be the only one facing it.
¡°Who are you to dare assault us with that foul skill?¡± the Eldritch Gods spoke. ¡°One of Alastaia¡¯s champions? Come¡ let us show you the truth.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve seen glimpses of the truth from a source far more profound than you,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°The very world core where the Eldritch begins to seep through when the System is overused. Your truth does not concern me.¡±
¡°You know of the truth and yet remain untouched? Strange¡ let us examine you closer.¡±
¡°On the contrary, it shall be I who examines you,¡± Orodan said as his weapons were drawn. ¡°I believe you¡¯re due for a good cleaning.¡±
No more was said between Orodan and his long-hated foe. Gravity didn¡¯t pull him downward, so melee combat in the void between stars was more than a little difficult, but Orodan got around this by generating ¡®clones¡¯, throwing them to where he wanted to go and using the Whirlpool Whirlwind portion of his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning to pull himself towards wherever he needed.
He also had spatiomancy, but he felt that was a cheap method of travel when he could instead train Domain Of Perfect Cleaning.
Soul empowered sword and shield met Eldritch limbs, and Orodan¡¯s weapons held strong. The Eldritch Avatar was strong, frighteningly so now that three Gods were empowering it. But it used Eldritch energy, which he had a resistance against, and he was strong enough to best the Void Horror.
Thus, even as Orodan was overpowered and knocked around by its superior strength, his sword held, and his shield withstood its assault. He took no damage.
His return of an Endless Blitz of All-Strikes slowed down its own assault as it was pre-occupied with not taking too much damage in turn. And of course, Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity made it pay dearly for even blows which impacted his shield.
¡°Champion of an ignorant world! How dare you defy us!?¡± it roared.
¡°Champion? Do you not see what I wear?¡± Orodan said as he pointed to the crown of Alastaia upon his arm. And in response, it twitched violently.
¡°World Conqueror?! But none on that world should have had the strength for such a feat!¡± it roared in disbelief. ¡°Enough¡ perhaps Alastaia can wait. There are other worlds that require the spread of the truth.¡±
And of course, in a wise move, it attempted to flee in a burst of Eldritch power which propelled it away.
Which Orodan immediately countered by dragging it back towards him with the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning.
¡°None of you filthy Eldritch divinities will escape today,¡± Orodan declared as he latched onto its neck and wrapped both arms around its large head from behind. ¡°Once upon a time, you three attempted to possess me¡ to insidiously convert me to the truth. Now let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t cleanse you through this medium.¡±
His soul energy erupted and flooded the Eldritch Avatar. Immediately, it began to be cleansed.
Its body, its being, its very soul, all were scoured. And the nine Blessings that it possessed, were wiped clean.
However, Orodan didn¡¯t want to stop there. During his conversation with Alastaia, he had learned that the Eldritch Gods were corrupted divinities from a fallen world that had been around for too long without anyone managing to conquer and purify its world core. Subsequently, its world core had fallen to the Eldritch, and in turn it corrupted not only the life upon the world, but also the Gods which held dominion over it.
But what could be corrupted, could also be purified.
And Orodan intended to not only best the Eldritch Avatar but cleanse the Eldritch taint from the minds of the three Gods empowering it.
¡°No! Cease this immediately! We do not wish to be purified! We willingly chose this! To take the truth away is tantamount to killing us!¡± the Eldritch divinities roared.
¡°And what of the Void Horror you corrupted? Did you give him such a choice?!¡± Orodan rebuked. ¡°Your destruction of innocent worlds ends here. Using the Eldritch for such wicked deeds means you aren¡¯t worthy of it. Allow me to set you free of the truth.¡±
Thousands of loops of effort, all dedicated towards this end result. His willpower urged this; it demanded it. Even Orodan himself could not deny the endless will within himself which had been set to a task so long ago and finally had it within sight.
The Incorruptible Being portion of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning worked alongside Psionic Assault and Absolute Soul Dominion to truly purify the pieces of their consciousness that they¡¯d sunk into the Eldritch Avatar. All while taking care to maintain the delicate mental thread between the small pieces of consciousness and their main minds in the divine realm.
They resisted madly at every opportunity, and it was difficult to do to three divinities at the same time what he¡¯d done to Ilyatana and Agathor one at a time. But Orodan was nothing if not determined.
Unfaltering determination and the power of his soul eventually won out, and all three divinities were successfully cleansed. He then let the remnant pieces of consciousness return, to where they would hopefully begin the slow process of spreading their incorruptible purity among the Eldritch Gods in the divine realm.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 75 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 76]
[Quest Completed ¡ú The Chosen Eldritch Star - Eldritch Avatar purified, Eldritch Gods purified, world protected]
[Reward Granted ¡ú Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier]
[Soul At Capacity ¡ú Reward Aborted]
It was as expected, given how much space this particular Reward took inside of his soul. However, given what he¡¯d discovered of its uses¡ it was worth every bit.
The Void Horror floated peacefully in the void between stars. Its eyes closed, the purplish-gray energy and veins, gone.
And as Orodan looked towards the sun and Alastaia, he cast a Teleportation.
It was time to wrap up his affairs.
But before he could await the arrival of the cultivators, there was but one more stop to make.
The Pegasi of the White Cloud Clan weren¡¯t expecting some random man to barge in, kick down the doors to their mana batteries and charge them all up to full in an instant. Subsequently for that man to kick down the doors to their vault¡ it caused some panic.
¡°Intruder! Sound the alarm!¡± one pegasus roared.
¡°He¡¯s going for the vault!¡±
¡°No¡ wait! He¡¯s entering the cursed item sanctum!¡±
He pushed the doors open and immediately made way for something, or someone in particular.
Upon laying eyes on her book-bound form, Orodan¡¯s heart had a strange feeling of melancholy.
His hands were placed upon her, and immediately her typical psionic, pain and soul assault were launched. Typical Zaessythra.
¡°Must you always be so prickly every time I come to get you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Who are you?! Unhand me immediately!¡± she shouted.
¡°You don¡¯t know me now, but in another time, you did,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright. You often called me a fool, a stubborn stone-headed bull, and an idiot. But¡ I suppose I was also your friend.¡±
Contrary to expectations, for once she actually stopped her assault and seemed to listen.
¡°You¡ I¡¯ve never seen you before,¡± she replied. ¡°What trick are you playing? Which member of the Hegemony sent you?¡±
¡°None. In fact, I plan to find and confront them all for what they did to you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Although, it¡¯ll be some time before I can fight that many-armed alien¡¡±
¡°Astalavar¡ you¡¯ve seen his form in the material plane then? Who are you really?¡± she asked.
¡°I¡¯ve already said who I am¡ but the better question is¡ who are you? Zaessythra, World-Queen of Vylrystia?¡±
Her screams started as her soul began the process of melding, and Orodan couldn¡¯t help but grimace a bit as he was still concerned for his friend, even if she didn¡¯t know him in this time.
He would need to return to the moon and use Time Reversal to restore it. It was necessary to assist in unlocking more of her memories and subsequently assisting with her soul meld.
But despite the sting in his eyes as he thought of their time together and the bitterness in his heart as he recalled her final sacrifice, Orodan wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.
After all, if he was supposed to be ¡®World-King¡¯ of Alastaia, what better place to receive advice from than a former ruler herself?
He just hoped she didn¡¯t insist he be too hands-on with taking care of the world.
Like that, two months had passed.
The moon had been restored, netting him seven levels in Time Mastery and eleven levels in Time Reversal. And using that, Zaessythra¡¯s soul had been restored to mostly optimal condition as she remembered who she was.
Her, his Novarrian allies, the chief powers of Eldiron and certain Gods he got along well with had been informed of the time loop.
And he¡¯d also made some visits to repay some debts and address some issues.
The dwarves had their monopoly of slavery broken. Zukelmux and his tribe were brought over to the empire after their mole overlords were dealt with, Aliya and her family were given a good life in Novarria and Mahari was shadowed by the finest tutors money could buy. And Orodan had paid Guzuhar a visit and purged all Avatars of the foul God Agorhiku before giving the raider tribes the ultimatum of ceasing their bloodshed or facing death.
Much as Orodan wished he could personally be involved with it all, particularly with his friends, his work with Zaessythra in ensuring fair world energy distribution, conflict resolution across the continents and the like took precedence.
He wasn¡¯t a ruler. He was a warrior.
He cared not for the politicking, the logistics and the diplomacy. But Zaessythra on the other hand¡ she was ruthless. She acted like his right hand in most situations but in truth she was scarily good at coming up with plans, identifying situations and resolving potential conflicts. Often time with violence. Her past as the World-Queen of Vylrystia made her shockingly competent at handling these issues.
They¡¯d gotten along well, but sometimes he felt that Zaessythra was overly concerned whenever she caught him staring at her with a look of melancholy in his eyes.
He¡¯d told her everything about the time loops. But the one thing he¡¯d left out was the growing weight upon his heart at having to start all over again, all alone, at the end of each loop. She was perceptive and had likely caught on, but he wasn¡¯t ready to address that himself yet.
And now, the planned meeting in six months had been moved up to two. Particularly since the restoration of the moon was a rather eye-catching feat which had caused Jian Yixian and Jian Song to return for an early visit.
¡°So that¡¯s how you got so strong¡ what an incredible power. A time loop that defies all the Gods and elders¡¡± Jian Song muttered. ¡°Truly, we were smart to befriend you, Orodan.¡±
¡°In all honestly, I still don¡¯t know whether I happened into it on the day of or if this was pre-ordained in some way,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Given what I heard from the world itself, I¡¯m inclined to think the latter. Something caused the pylon to pulse on the day of my birth, and even the world admits the Quest wasn¡¯t supposed to go to me. Are you sure you¡¯ve never heard of such pylons in your time, grandma?¡±
She didn¡¯t look old, but once Orodan discovered she was nearly a million years of age, he¡¯d taken to calling her grandma. If the gentle woman took offense to Orodan¡¯s manner of speaking, she didn¡¯t show it. Rather, she seemed to enjoy the term which denoted some sort of familiarity.
¡°I¡¯ve seen similar System-inscribed devices, but nothing quite like it¡ even when I examined it, it¡¯s unlike anything I¡¯ve seen before,¡± Jian Yixia said in a most gentle and calming tone which made even the void of space tremble and yearn for peace. ¡°Whoever made and sent it to your world must¡¯ve been quite concerned about the possibility of discovery, for its upper portion is a perfect mimicry of standard divine energy. It¡¯s only upon close inspection of the bottom half that its relation to the System becomes apparent.¡±
¡°And this ¡®Administrator¡¯¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard of them, mainly from the truly ancient ancestors,¡± Jian Yixia said. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen one myself. They¡¯re supposedly agents of the System¡¯s will. I¡ do not know what your tampering with the trial of ascension means, but I urge you move with caution.¡±
¡°We already have the Hegemony on our list as enemies of ours, what¡¯s one more?¡± Orodan said with a laugh.
¡°You¡¯re fortunate that Xian is outside of the Hegemony¡¯s influence. The most trouble we have going on in our world is the conflict surrounding the soul nexus,¡± she said. ¡°Rather, the overlords of our sector are the Celestial Court, whose close alliance with the Conclave in the neighboring sector often leads to us butting heads with the Hegemony. Rest assured, Astalavar will not hunt you while you are upon Xian.¡±
Relief, not for himself, but mainly for Zaessythra. Perhaps she could find a safe place to live at the end of all this.
¡°Well, my affairs upon Alastaia are concluded. A council of Inuan, Eldiron and Guzuhar now ensure that my world is being steered in a good direction,¡± Orodan said. A good direction, with a little ¡®assistance¡¯ from the former gate guardians from time to time to keep wicked upstarts in line. Who knew the Void Horror siblings enjoyed dispensing justice?
¡°Excellent! Then dare I ask¡¡±
¡°No need to ask. I think I could use a change of scenery. I¡¯ve seen otherworlders so often, but now, perhaps it¡¯s time for me to be the otherworlder,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We¡¯d like to travel to the world of Xian with you, if you¡¯ll have us.¡±
Jian Song and Jian Yixia¡¯s faces erupted with smiles, and Zaessythra fluttered about his head.
For so long, Orodan had been stuck dying over and over again in a time loop. And while he was still in one, for the first time the horizon in front of him looked to be clear, with no looming threat in sight.
A world of cultivators, flying swords, ¡®sects¡¯ and these ¡®young masters¡¯ Jian Song kept warning him about. And beyond that, other worlds besides just Xian. A broader universe awaited him.
And Orodan Wainwright would stubbornly grind his skills upon each and every one of them.
Chapter 49 - A New World & A Greater Universe
Ahram-Taj, the capital city of the Kingdom of Ravastaran, of the Eastern Kingdoms.
He had seen Eastern Kingdom-style architecture already, during the two times he¡¯d been at the Inter-Academy Tournament at Marasthus. But that was a border city ruled by one of the smaller kingdoms.
Ahram-Taj, however, was the capital city of the Kingdom of Ravastaran. A nation whose rulers had held the position of King of the East since the confederation of the Eastern Kingdoms. It was the capital of the oldest and strongest of the Eastern Kingdoms, and it was the second-oldest human city on Inuan.
History, heritage and tradition. These things could palpably be felt as Orodan stood above the city and gazed upon its aged architecture. A brief look through the river of time for even the smallest of bricks told him that these buildings had been around for a while. Unlike the gaudy and opulent tourist-bait that Marasthus was, this was a city not meant to impress visitors, but where the locals lived.
A small part of him wished he could visit alongside Mahari, but the version of Mahari that was his friend no longer existed.
And the view from atop the flying sword was quite nice.
¡°Is the flying sword not the pinnacle of transportation? The epitome of grace and beauty?¡± Jian Song asked as he stood in front of Orodan. The sword was long enough to accommodate them both standing upon it.
¡°I still think I¡¯d prefer a flying shield,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°More space to stand on, and you can use the shield straps to secure additional cargo during flight.¡±
¡°Ridiculous! How can a clumsy and inelegant shield compare to the masterwork of all weaponry that is a sword?¡± Jian Song said. ¡°This blade is designed with aerodynamics and swiftness in mind. A shield would travel far slower!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I use a sword as well,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But your argument makes no sense. First of all, I¡¯m sure I can find some method of making a flying shield go faster through feeding it more power. The top speed shouldn¡¯t be limited whether I use a sword or a shield.¡±
¡°Yet, the sword will go faster for the same amount of energy,¡± Jian Song fired back.
¡°Fair point, but energy isn¡¯t an issue for me. And if you¡¯re assaulted mid-flight, can you defend yourself as easily with a sword? If I rode a flying shield, I could simply turn it towards the attack,¡± Orodan argued. ¡°Hells, I could simply charge through enemy fire if I had a second shield to cover myself with. Like a flying turtle.¡±
¡°Bah¡! You would get along well with the Xuanwu sects¡¡± Jian Song muttered as the sword Transcendent didn¡¯t argue the point any further.
A peaceful sigh left the lips of Jian Yixia who was riding alongside them on a flying sword of her own.
¡°Come now, don¡¯t you think the argument is a pointless one? Your sword elitism is showing. Little Song¡ were you not defeated in a duel against the Thousand Broom Sovereign ten-thousand years ago?¡± Jian Yixia asked, and Jian Song¡¯s redness could be seen from behind on the man¡¯s neck.
¡°Big sister¡!¡± the Sword Transcendent protested. ¡°Must you reveal such things openly?¡±
An innocent smile on her serene face was the only answer she gave.
Jian Song cleared his throat.
¡°Is this where the reincarnator is?¡± Jian Song asked.
¡°Well, this is his city at least,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°From what I recall, he should be at Rubywater Academy.¡±
¡°And you don¡¯t know where he is?¡± Jian Song asked.
¡°I¡¯ve never been to this city before,¡± Orodan said.
¡°But you¡¯re the Sovereign of this world!¡±
¡°Have you been everywhere on your world?¡±
¡°Of course!¡±
¡°Oh¡ well I haven¡¯t gotten around to doing that,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Anyways, we can just summon him.¡±
¡°And how do you plan on-¡±
A massive Flare shot out into the sky.
¡°Akelrim Vedharna! Come out! We wish to meet with you!¡± Orodan roared. ¡°Your cultivator friends are here to see you!¡±
No answer was forthcoming. Or rather, no answer came from Akelrim at least.
The ground lit up in a flash of violet, and the very clouds began swirling around the city like a vortex; it was a pretty sight. From below, from the King¡¯s palace, came a golden figure flying towards them.
A pegasus the color of gold, lustrous wings radiating a brilliant light with a majestic mane of white fire. And atop it, a dark-skinned man with curly hair, incomparably ancient, wearing humble robes. But the man¡¯s unassuming outfit belied the prowess he held. In his hands, a shield.
This, was the man who¡¯d fought alongside the World Guardian Sarastuga in his first battle against the Eldritch Avatar. The ancestor of Mahari¡¯s house.
A quadruple-Grandmaster. Orodan had a feeling the man was perhaps a half-step below the strength of Balastion Novar. In other words, not a threat to him. Once upon a time, this man would¡¯ve been an epic foe. Not to be approached lightly, to be challenged over the course of many loops. Now, however, he had faced far greater foes. His battles were against Transcendents and Gods. A quadruple-Grandmaster was lacking.
¡°The Kingdom of Ravastaran greets you,¡± the man said respectfully. ¡°From the descriptions I¡¯ve read and seen, you must be Orodan Wainwright, correct?¡±
¡°That would be me, you are?¡±
¡°Balaji Vedharna, founder of the Eastern Kingdoms. My companion here is Alsatrar, the oldest living pegasus in the world and Sarastuga the Blazing Light, our noble World Guardian is nearby as well,¡± the man replied, warning at the same time. ¡°Yet, before you, World-King, our pedigree means little. I hope you¡¯ve come in peace today.¡±
Of course they¡¯d heard of him. It was hard not to when the approaching Eldritch threat had been defeated, and all of Alastaia irrevocably changed. And placed under the rule of a joint council of powers across Guzuhar, Inuan and Eldiron. Orodan didn¡¯t intervene overly much in worldly affairs aside from ensuring the destruction of the raider tribes of Guzuhar and threatening the dwarves into ceasing certain practices. Still, he was known among the truly powerful.
¡°Of course. I¡¯ve merely come seeking Akelrim Vedharna,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m here to invite him back to his home world if he so desires.¡±
¡°That is¡ not ideal. Akelrim is the most talented youth our nation has ever produced. And whether he¡¯s a reincarnator or not, he¡¯s still a significant part of our combat prowess¡± the man said. ¡°But, rejecting you would bring ruin upon my lands and people.¡±
Orodan raised his hands placatingly.
¡°Look, I¡¯m not here to strongarm anyone. We merely wish to speak with Akelrim,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If he decides he doesn¡¯t want to return, we¡¯ll leave with not a whit of complaint. And if he does come with us, I¡¯ll have the council ensure you¡¯re fairly compensated.¡±
Of course, he disagreed with the implication that this man had any right to refuse Akelrim¡¯s return to his home world.
¡°Truly? That sounds quite reasonable. Lady Zaessythra is an excellent steward of your will, I can accept these terms,¡± Balaji said. ¡°I see the rumors of your battle-lust being tempered by a sense of restraint weren¡¯t false.¡±
Balaji then gestured to someone on the ground, and soon, another pegasus sallied upwards from the ground. Upon it¡ was a youthful man, perhaps twenty years of age. Just as Orodan remembered him from the last long loop.
Akelrim Vedharna.
And the man¡¯s eyes were wide as saucers as he looked upon Jian Yixia and Jian Song, who had been content to sit back and let Orodan handle the diplomacy of their meeting thus far.
¡°R-revered elder¡!¡± Akelrim exclaimed. ¡°How? How have you come here?! This world is so far from the nexus, the distance an impossible one with plenty of horrid beasts in-between. I¡¯d almost given up hope of seeing Xian again¡¡±
¡°Now hold on a moment¡ who were you in your past life?¡± Jian Song asked.
¡°Ah¡ I apologize,¡± Akelrim said. ¡°You might not have known me very well. But I was the prince¡¯s loyal blade. I reached the semi-finals during the most recent grand inter-sect tournament, losing only to Prince Zhou Shan himself. And then¡ that dreadful assassination attempt on his life occurred, and I fell defending him.¡±
¡°Oh? You¡¯re that chief bodyguard of his! Qing Luo, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Jian Song asked in recognition. ¡°The prince was insensate with rage when he learned your soul couldn¡¯t be found in the nexus. Your body was rather unrecognizable from that molten hellfire acid the assassin struck you with. Good thing you stepped in to take that attack, could¡¯ve been dangerous for the prince.¡±
Akelrim¡¯s face twisted in shame and embarrassment at the comment, and Jian Yixia waved her brother back.
¡°Song, mind your words,¡± she spoke. ¡°Giving one¡¯s life in defense of others is no trivial matter and being melted alive is a painful way to go.¡±
He agreed. Orodan recalled facing a similar death at the hands of an assassin on Alastaia once. It was one of his earliest deaths too.
¡°Thank you, elder¡¡± Akelrim spoke. ¡°Might I ask what happened to the prince? How has he been since then?¡±
¡°Zhou Shan yet lives,¡± Jian Yixia answered, causing Akelrim to exhale in relief. ¡°He now fights in the dimensional divide. Commanding the third army of the Celestial Court in battle against the puppet sovereign.¡±
Akelrim¡¯s hands clenched into fists as he heard this.
¡°Elder¡ I must return and fight alongside my prince then!¡± Akelrim declared. ¡°Let me fight at his side once more as his loyal protector!¡±
¡°Junior, do not act rashly. The reincarnation process has undoubtedly weakened you and thrown your soul into flux. It will take time for you to recover,¡± Jian Song stated. ¡°Even at full power you would be slaughtered like a chicken upon the battlefields that now rage. Why not live life and enjoy yourself upon this peaceful world? Unlike our Ascendent Sword Cluster, there is but one world here, a Sovereign who is benevolent, and no concerns of higher-order politics.¡±
¡°Elder¡ I understand, but my entire life was in service to the Prince,¡± Akelrim, or Qing Luo said with insistence. ¡°Ever since I took over this young man¡¯s body during the moment of his death, I haven¡¯t stopped thinking about Prince Zhou Shan and my duty to the Celestial Court.¡±
Jian Song could only shake his head, and Orodan merely looked on as this was a discussion that didn¡¯t involve him.
Jian Yixia stepped forth and laid a hand on Qing Luo¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Qing Luo¡ you¡¯ve already done much for the Prince by giving your life for him,¡± she spoke calmly in a tone which had even Orodan relaxing. ¡°Consider however, that aside from being his sworn blade, you also meant much to him as a friend. With your death, your oath to the Celestial Court to protect him has also been fulfilled. Would the Prince want you to dive headfirst into battle on his behalf again?¡±
¡°That is¡¡±
¡°Besides, if you need to fight¡¡±
Orodan interjected.
¡°¡I can do it in your stead,¡± he said. ¡°I quite enjoy the thought of engaging in a good battle in another world.¡±
Suddenly, everything went silent. Jian Song and Jian Yixia were staring at him.
¡°What? Did I say something silly?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°No! Not at all. Just, really?¡± Jian Song asked. ¡°You¡¯ll just fight for us? For the cause of restoring the soul nexus to the rightful hands of the Celestial Court? Why?¡±
¡°Why not? If I see scum-like behavior I might change my mind, but you lot seem like decent folk so far,¡± Orodan said and then clenched his fist as a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face. ¡°And really, I just want to test myself against the mightiest foes you cultivators have to offer.¡±
¡°That is¡ certainly straightforward of you, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Jian Yixia muttered. ¡°Here we had numerous arguments prepared, gifts in reserve and lavish accommodations and courtesans to bribe you with. Are you really so willing to just fight for us?¡±
¡°Of course! Point me at the foe and let me get to work,¡± Orodan declared.
In response, even Jian Song who seemed a more straightforward man could only stare at Orodan, jaw agape. And Jian Yixia could only bring her hand to her face.
¡°This is a bit much¡ I was expecting to have this discussion over time on our world, hoping to win you to our side,¡± she said actually losing a touch of calmness in a rare show. ¡°Yet here you are, just happy to do battle.¡±
¡°I do love battle,¡± Orodan replied with a smile.
¡°Are you sure? This is a conflict which doesn¡¯t involve you, and we aren¡¯t so brutish as to expect an honored guest to fight for us immediately,¡± Jian Song replied.
¡°I insist. I haven¡¯t had a good fight in two months,¡± Orodan complained. ¡°The Avatars of the raider God on my world were pitiful, and I¡¯ve been spoiling for a proper fight ever since.¡±
¡°Your thirst for conflict is truly something else¡ I do not know what to even say,¡± Jian Yixia replied.
¡°I know what I¡¯ll say,¡± Jian Song interjected with an out-of-place grin on his face and then clapped Orodan on the back. ¡°Welcome to the Celestial Court, Orodan Wainwright!¡±
To the side, Akelrim Vedharna, or Qing Luo, could only stare as well.
¡°Elder¡ who is this man? Is he the reason for your arrival to this small corner of the universe?¡± Akelrim, or Qing Luo, asked.
¡°Indeed, he is,¡± Jian Yixia answered.
¡°The only way any sort of detectable signal would reach is if-¡±
¡°Yes, precisely so,¡± she interjected. ¡°He is a bearer of a Celestial skill.¡±
Akelrim¡¯s eyes widened like saucers.
¡°¡incredible! In a time of such strife the heavens have granted us a golden goose! Destiny favors us! With him on our side, we now have three bearers of the Celestial,¡± the lost cultivator spoke. ¡°Perhaps in a few centuries we can train him to a requisite level of strength?¡±
¡°He is already capable of surviving against a Devil King,¡± Jian Yixia clarified. ¡°With Orodan Wainwright on our side, your concerns about Zhou Shan¡¯s safety can be eased.¡±
¡°Truly? You survived the wrath of a Devil King itself? Prodigious¡¡± Akelrim muttered.
They spoke for a few moments more as Akelrim asked questions about the particulars of that battle, his time on Alastaia, and how he had gotten so strong.
And of course¡ as Orodan¡¯s answer always was.
¡°Ah, I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
***
Akelrim had of course listened with rapt attention as Orodan spoke. The man had asked many questions, all of which Orodan had answered.
¡°So, the reason I couldn¡¯t learn the Dao¡¡±
¡°Is because worlds have their own sets of skills,¡± Jian Song explained. ¡°The reason we don¡¯t worry about enemies learning the secrets of cultivation, is because of this. On our world, you¡¯ll find the ability to learn certain skills possible at last.¡±
¡°But from what you told me, the Ascendent Sword Cluster, ruled by the Celestial Court, isn¡¯t just comprised of one world,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Does that mean this skill-restriction applies to more than just Xian? How can a world restrict a skill?
¡°Worlds that are the birthplace of a skill can choose to restrict access to it,¡± Jian Song explained. ¡°Or in the case of a conquered world, the Sovereign who rules it. And in our case, the Celestial Emperor determines which skills are allowed to spread as the Celestial Court holds the loyalty of many Sovereigns.¡±
¡°That¡¯s incredible, to prevent the learning of a skill anywhere else but on certain worlds¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°That must imply a measure of control over the System itself. Are universal powers truly so profound?¡±
¡°Considering that my access to the System itself was cut off and damaged by the foul powers of the Hegemony, I would not underestimate this Celestial Court, Orodan,¡± Zaessythra chimed in, her pages jostling as the group flew for a nearby wormhole. ¡°Universal powers, particularly at the highest levels, have the capabilities of influencing the System in some way.¡±
The group consisting of Orodan, Zaessythra, the Jian siblings and Akelrim, were hurtling through space upon flying swords piloted by Jian Song. It was Orodan¡¯s first time engaging in long-distance travel through the void between stars, and it was an eye-opening experience. He¡¯d been to the void before, but for brief moments and in his latest fight against the Eldritch Avatar.
Travelling through it, however, was a different matter.
For starters, monsters of the void. A majority were rather weak, being merely at the Elite and Master-levels. Likely due to the almost non-existent world energy which didn¡¯t allow them to passively grow stronger with age. However, the ones that were strong, were quite powerful. Jian Song had said that sometimes powerful monsters or beings would be exiled from their home worlds, and this led to them floating about the void, waiting for something to latch onto.
Nearer to Alastaia, the monsters were quite weak. Supposedly the Hegemony itself kept the void between worlds relatively safe, at least, in the close vicinity of a world. Farther out however, it wasn¡¯t so.
Nearby asteroids or debris in their travel path sometimes had powerful entities who eyed their party with covetous eyes, a mad hunger in them. They still had a sense of self-preservation, and upon looking at Orodan or the Jian siblings, would stay quiet and avert their eyes. Still, he sensed more than a few quadruple-Grandmasters in the deeper reaches of the void as they approached the wormhole which would take them to their destination.
He understood now how a world core might ¡®recruit¡¯ defenders and servants of its will from among these disenfranchised creatures. And from what he¡¯d been told, there existed certain dangerous pockets of the void where even Transcendents dared not tread lightly. Transcendent-level monsters existed in certain corners of the void, and near cosmic phenomena such as dying stars and black holes. And even the powerful factions felt it a waste of manpower and resources to try and exterminate them all.
Jian Yixia¡¯s voice brought him back to the conversation.
¡°Your companion speaks true,¡± Jian Yixia said. ¡°Unless the Ascendent Sword Cluster were to be destroyed and the Celestial Court overthrown, this restriction cannot be overcome. We guard the ability to learn cultivation through the System ruthlessly and enjoy the advantage this gives us during inter-faction conflicts. Of course, restricting an entire category of skills in such a manner comes at a steep price. You¡¯ve seen some of this already with the unique functions a World Core gives you. It all comes with a price.¡±
¡°And this System restriction, it can¡¯t be bypassed at all?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Correct. Nobody I¡¯ve met or heard of has defied the System-restriction on locked skills,¡± Jian Song answered. ¡°I have never met someone capable of learning the strange and monstrous skills of the devils. And neither have I met any capable of learning the weird holy magics of the Conclave¡¯s worlds. Although, your cleaning abilities may very well draw their interest.¡±
His talk with the Transcendent Jian siblings had opened his eyes to the greater universe. They¡¯d told him much of how the universe functioned.
For starters, being the ruler of a World Core was quite high on the cosmic hierarchy but by no means the apex. Universal powers such as the Hegemony, the hells and the Celestial Court ruled not just one, but multiple worlds. Orodan, the World-King of Alastaia, would be a Sovereign within the social structure of the Celestial Court. And while it was impressive and gave one much power, the Celestial Court had many Sovereigns who swore fealty to the Celestial Emperor.
Furthermore, universal factions held dominion over not just the material plane, but the divine realm and places beyond the dimensional divide. The Celestial Court itself had not just Transcendents serving it, but Gods of varying levels of power. Cosmic society extended to not just the material world he could see with his eyes, but dimensions beyond his sight, such as the divine realm and afterlife.
Which, consequently, was where the crux of the matter was with the current war being fought upon Xian and the Ascendent Sword Cluster.
¡°Restricted skills aside, what exactly is this soul nexus you lot are fighting over?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I have a hard time comprehending how a battle can occur not only in the material plane but also the dimensional divide.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not so complex a picture as you¡¯d think,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°Once one has a requisite level of ability in manipulating the dimensional fabrics, you¡¯ll realize that the universe is a lot bigger than you think. Did you not speak about how one of the Hegemony¡¯s Gods tore their way into the material plane to slay you? Whether through Dimensionalism or deep understanding of a concept which allows one to manipulate the dimensional fabric, it¡¯s possible to make your way into places not apparent to the eye.¡±
Orodan thought about it for a moment. His understanding of Dimensionalism had shot up just from seeing and feeling the ripples caused by that God of the Hegemony in his last long loop. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take him to access other dimensions, but it would take a while, especially if his talent in it wasn¡¯t the greatest.
¡°Fair enough. Back to the question though, what is the soul nexus?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You¡¯ve told me that there¡¯s a war occurring for control over it. Yet, I don¡¯t think my world had anything of the sort.¡±
¡°I assure you, it does. All souls within System space are drawn to the nearest soul nexus upon death. Only reason you never heard about it is because nobody on your world had anything to do with it. Certain Gods or Transcendents can see souls going to and from a soul nexus, but having actual control of it is a different matter. Which coincidentally is what the war is being fought over,¡± Jian Song answered. ¡°We of the Celestial Court are a powerful faction, and until recently we had uncontested control over the soul nexus of the Ascendent Sword Cluster.¡±
¡°And I take it that you currently don¡¯t,¡± Orodan said, and Jian Song nodded. ¡°Just how did this puppet Sovereign you speak of take it over? There¡¯s no way he just waltzed in and won through force, did he?¡±
¡°Feh¡ that bastard is backed by the hells and their foul Devil Kings. Even killing a hundred generations of that vermin¡¯s family won¡¯t be enough to atone for what he¡¯s done,¡± Jian Song spat with venom. ¡°Jian Shao, the great betrayer. The disgraced brother of the Celestial Emperor. A devious schemer and backstabbing cretin who managed to seduce many to turn traitor alongside him. Multiple worlds and Sovereigns openly turned on the Celestial Court during his coup and it was only with our bravery and skill of arms that the rebellion failed in the material plane and the betrayer¡¯s forces were pushed back to the dimensional divide. Unfortunately, the traitor¡¯s secondary ploy was using the majority of his forces to rush and capture the soul nexus, which is where the fighting is occurring now.¡±
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°Of course, this was all thanks to the intervention of Prince Zhou Shan and the third court army,¡± Qing Luo declared, and Orodan could swear he saw a sneer appear on Jian Song¡¯s face at the mention. ¡°Without my prince¡¯s intervention during the initial coup, the tyrant would have control of both the soul nexus and the palace by now. Even now, it¡¯s the third army of the Celestial Court under the Prince that does battle in the dimensional divide, is it not?¡±
¡°Of course, Qing Luo, none would think to minimize the heroic contributions of the Prince,¡± Jian Yixia gently said. ¡°After all, we¡¯re in this together against the puppet, and the Devil Kings who back him.¡±
¡°The Devil Kings of the hells are also fighting in this war?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not directly, lest the puppet¡¯s true face be exposed among his supporters and the common populace,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°Indirectly however¡ when the traitor and his inner circle of commanders have access to unique Devil skills, it¡¯s akin to publicly kowtowing and kissing devil feet.¡±
¡°The hells lifted the restrictions on their skills for the rebels then?¡± Orodan asked, and the Jian siblings nodded. ¡°Your conflict against them must go far back then, for them to happily empower a rebellious faction against you.¡±
¡°The devils have always been our enemy. Most beings in the galaxy hate them. Alongside our allies in the Conclave and other factions, we¡¯ve laid siege for over half a million years and brought them down from nine hells to six,¡± Jian Song explained. ¡°Just recently, perhaps five-thousand years ago, we managed to completely destroy and turn barren the seventh hell. Multiple worlds and alliances participated in the battles, and the war was fought on numerous fronts as the Arch-Devils were exterminated and the Devil Kings slain. Still, there are six more layers of hell to go, which will all be eliminated in time.¡±
Five-thousand years ago? That lined up rather accurately with what he knew of Inuan¡¯s history as well! The Cathedral and the powers of other continents had gotten together to launch a raid into the hells, and officially, the story was that the hells had been scoured clean. But Orodan now knew that the mere destruction of the seventh hell and its Arch-Devils wasn¡¯t equivalent to destroying it all. Whether the participants of that venture had lied to make themselves seem big, or whether they¡¯d genuinely thought it a victory due to only engaging on a smaller battlefront, he didn¡¯t know. But the timing lined up, and Orodan had to wonder who or what organized a simultaneous invasion of the hells across multiple worlds five-thousand years ago.
¡°Alright, so the hells are indirectly assisting and empowering the rebels,¡± Orodan said, ¡°But, why exactly are the rebels fighting? Surely, they couldn¡¯t maintain popular support without some real cause for concern.¡±
¡°Those rebellious lords have always coveted the soul nexus and the power which comes with it,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°Anyhow, we¡¯re approaching the wormhole, so this conversation will have to wait. Big sister, can you stabilize space for us?¡±
The wormhole was an odd sight. A gaping hole in space, folding inwards, which looked artificially created. It was also naturally decaying.
From the explanation he¡¯d gotten, the ability to create wormholes in the void between stars wasn¡¯t too difficult. However, it required a Sovereign to call upon the energy of a world core. The vast energy of a world core, something Orodan had yet to properly draw upon, was then directed to create a wormhole that could cross countless solar systems. This was the primary method of travel across massive distances in the wider galaxy.
The only concern was triggering any alarms or detection methods for wormholes, particularly if they were created in the vicinity of a world. As a result, wormholes leading into enemy territory typically had their exit point far from any solar systems; the parties travelling through would then manually travel the rest of the way. Given that the Celestial Court and the Hegemony weren¡¯t on the best of terms, Jian Song had explained that this was necessary lest the cultivators be drawn into a pitched battle against the forces of the local cosmic faction.
Naturally, Orodan¡¯s Space Mastery and experience allowed him to note that the wormhole was really just a staggeringly powerful Spatial Fold. And while the quantity of his power wasn¡¯t an issue, channelling enough power within a single instant would be. He¡¯d need to bolster his body before he could replicate the feat.
However, mad as it would sound to anyone else, Orodan Wainwright held faith in himself that he could eventually replicate a wormhole with his own power.
A singular melodious note from Jian Yixia¡¯s lute echoed out, and the edges of the wormhole immediately stabilized.
¡°In we go! Try not to stick your hand into the walls of the wormhole¡¯s tunnel lest you be slingshotted somewhere else in the galaxy,¡± Jian Song warned.
The flying swords shot through the warped tunnel. Space looked incredibly compressed, as though it wanted to explode outwards and return to normal. However, a titanic source of energy from the other side was keeping the wormhole functional. Even more evidence that this was just a very powerful Spatial Fold.
The trip took a few seconds, which was quite long by Spatial Fold standards. Signifying the extreme distances involved.
And then, it was over.
Orodan was still standing on Jian Song¡¯s flying sword, however the surroundings were no longer the void between stars. Rather, they were surrounded by walls.
At first, Orodan would¡¯ve said it was similar to the architecture of the Eastern Kingdoms he was familiar with. But that would be an unfair comparison. After all¡
¡could a candle be similar to the glorious luminosity of the sun? Could a mere puddle be compared to the ocean?
His eyes could hardly look away from the incredible beauty of each and every stone tile. Arranged so perfectly, so profoundly, that someone had to have used a skill related to organizing things. Hells, his Vision Of Purity allowed him to truly appreciate each and every facet of the building he was in.
From the potted ornamental plants which were finely sculpted to look as though they were miniature trees, to the beautiful wood which looked as though each grain was in perfect harmony. The two open windows through which gentle beams of sunlight entered provided a view of azure skies and clouds which were far higher than they would be on Alastaia. And an open door leading to a massive courtyard, paved of ornate stone and intricate markings, almost took his breath away. Beyond the courtyard, were enormous buildings the likes of which he¡¯d never seen even in the Time Wind dragon flight¡¯s settlement. This was a city that had existed for longer than anything he¡¯d ever known. And it was utterly massive, with buildings nearly reaching the cloud layer.
On the courtyard itself, formations of armed and armored Grandmaster-level soldiers could be seen drilling some sort of strange combination attack, and in the skies, gigantic, scaled serpents without wings were flying about. The flying snakes looked rather majestic, and Orodan wasn¡¯t sure how they remained airborne.
This, Orodan decided, was beautiful.
Near his head, Zaessythra fluttered about, her pages rapidly shuffling as she too could only absorb the sights. Knowing that the former World-Queen of Vylrystia was also awestruck made him feel like less of a country bumpkin himself.
In the center of the room was a robed man who emanated raw power, in his hands a staff with an almost crown-like ornament at the top. He had flowing black hair tied into a ponytail, and his face looked utterly youthful. Yet Orodan immediately felt an aura of ancient wisdom, and the instinctive feeling that the man was as strong as Jian Yixia. Someone who had sent a Devil King fleeing with a single note of her lute.
¡°You were going at a leisurely pace, Yixia. The pathway was decaying, and I was beginning to run out of reading material,¡± the man said as he vanished an ornate looking scroll into his soul. These cultivators all seemingly had soul storage. ¡°Now then, I see you have guests with you, which means you¡¯ve succeeded in your Quest.¡±
¡°We have, brother,¡± Jian Yixia calmly replied with a smile. ¡°Might I present to you, Orodan Wainwright. The bearer of a Celestial skill, a Sovereign of a world and¡ the time looper.¡±
The man looked at Orodan closely and after a few seconds, nodded at Yixia.
¡°Yes, we¡¯d received the regular communications from your soul clone, yet I still have a difficult time believing it. Good thing Song called for reinforcements, else with his penchant for acting rashly, this might¡¯ve gone awry and caused us irreparable harm,¡± the man said and then stepped towards Orodan. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, given how you took in the sights, is this our first time meeting?¡±
¡°Yes, it truly is,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You are?¡±
¡°Ah, my apologies, where have my manners gone?¡± the man asked himself, and then continued. ¡°I am Jian Ren, and it¡¯s good to meet a fellow Sovereign. Welcome to the capital world of the Ascendent Sword Cluster, the base of power for the Celestial Court. Welcome¡ to Xian.¡±
Orodan nodded and extended his hand in greeting, and the man hesitated for a moment before taking it.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, I forget you otherworlders sometimes clasp hands together,¡± Jian Ren said as he awkwardly reciprocated the handshake. ¡°I haven¡¯t left Xian in a very long time, so you¡¯ll have to pardon my ignorance on galactic social customs. Yixia and Song are usually the ones we send out when matters of import must be seen to outside of the Ascendent Sword Cluster.¡±
¡°No need to apologize. If anything, coming here, it should be I who learns the customs of your people,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°You¡¯re a Sovereign as well? Are you the leader of the Celestial Court?¡±
¡°Not quite, that would be the Celestial Emperor himself. Who you¡¯ll meet soon enough,¡± Jian Ren replied. ¡°I am however, the oldest and strongest of all Sovereigns who swear fealty to the Emperor. And in return, I¡¯ve been granted dominion over the world core of Xian and serve as chief minister to my liege.¡±
¡°That sounds like a position of great honor,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Although, I¡¯d get far too bored without the prospect of an actual battle.¡±
Jian Ren took a moment, and then the Sovereign of Xian laughed.
¡°Truly, it seems the communications I received weren¡¯t false,¡± the man said. ¡°You really do love fighting, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s as Yixia said brother. The first time we met him, he was in the middle of gladly taking on all comers,¡± Jian Song added. ¡°Even exchanged blows with me for a while and his shield actually held against my attacks. It¡¯s utter lunacy, that a Master-level warrior can block the sword light of a Transcendent.¡±
¡°That it is,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Song here is the fourth-strongest swordsman in the Celestial Court. And yet, at just the Master-level you can hold against his mightiest attack. And survive even the might of Devil King Gutriyaz¡¯s hellfire from what I¡¯m told. With you being in a time loop however, it all makes sense.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gotten to this point without a love for battle, and I came along on the promise that I¡¯d get to see plenty of it here,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As hasty as this might sound, when will I get to fight?¡±
¡°Soon, quite soon as a matter of fact,¡± Jian Ren proclaimed. ¡°However, you must at least meet the Emperor first. As a welcoming gift, we¡¯ve raised certain skill restrictions on yourself, you¡¯ll find that you can train in the unique skills of our world moving forward.¡±
That was nice. He felt the strange System energies he could sense thanks to his own world crown flutter about him and then shift about strangely. Orodan had waited two whole months. He could wait until a meeting with the head of the Celestial Court to do battle.
In truth, he had no idea how this meeting would go. This Celestial Court, it was a faction on par with the Hegemony, one of whom had torn through the dimensional divide and killed Orodan in a single blow. In all likelihood, he stood an excellent chance of dying here if he played his cards incorrectly.
Therefore¡
¡it was a good moment to utilize something he¡¯d acquired not too long ago.
[C#he*ck&po%in$t S@et]
¡°Come then, Orodan Wainwright, let us walk through Swordmist City and make way for the Celestial Palace,¡± Jian Ren offered.
Orodan followed, Zaessythra fluttering behind him.
Akelrim, or Qing Luo, also seemed quite happy to be back home. Orodan hadn¡¯t been sure how the otherworlder would react to the offer of returning to Xian, but the man seemed happy to be back home.
And even though he called Akelrim an otherworlder, here, Orodan was the man from another world.
The building their party had stepped out into from the wormhole was some sort of specialized building used for transportation. It had numerous tough-looking guards who wore armor that would make anyone on Alastaia look like paupers. And the building itself had a gigantic plaque which read ¡®The Spatial Embassy¡¯, written in a different language than Inuanan, but the System immediately helped translate in his head as he skimmed the words.
The courtyard was massive, but it led out into the streets of the city, and it was among the hustle and bustle of these streets that Orodan got to properly see how this other world functioned.
Couples walked hand in hand, families were enjoying the day and children were playing. Foot traffic was composed less of tradespeople and commoners and more of merchants, leisurely visitors or the occasional guard. The entirety of this main street Jian Ren was leading their party down, was gorgeous beyond compare. Each and every building meant to impress and catch the eye with its magnificence and how it fit into the overall picture of harmony.
Luxurious shops offered the most extravagant sorts of goods. From restaurants which offered exquisite meats which Orodan made a note of trying eventually, to jewellers and tailors who offered prohibitively expensive products. Weapon and armor shops without visible blacksmiths at work offered some excellent gear, and he even saw a general goods store much like Fodgarton¡¯s in Ogdenborough, except even a basic cleaning cloth on the shelf looked utterly exquisite.
¡°This is the area meant for the wealthy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Indeed. Some of the goods displayed by the shops would be expensive even for visiting Sovereigns from other worlds,¡± Jian Song explained. ¡°Then again, this street¡¯s entire purpose is to draw the eye of any visiting dignitaries and guests.¡±
¡°What about the poorer parts of the city? Or the smaller towns?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Poor? This is Swordmist City, we don¡¯t really have any such areas in town, or in the greater area surrounding the capital in general,¡± Jian Ren answered. ¡°In fact, poverty on Xian is different to the poverty many of our visitors from smaller worlds are used to. Beggars, urchins and orphans are a thing of fiction upon this world. All our people are well-fed, educated and have access to much opportunity. The ¡®poorest¡¯ you¡¯ll see someone is them lacking access to certain magic treasures or amenities which are nice to have. Otherwise, everyone eats and has a roof over their head.¡±
To Orodan who¡¯d grown up struggling on the streets, the thought was unfathomable. A world where there were no street rats or hunger? No need to defend himself against another desperate urchin in a desperate bid for survival? What if he¡¯d been born upon Xian?
¡°That is¡ quite the foreign concept to me, I must admit,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I was orphaned at a young age and forced to fend for myself a lot of the time as the system for sheltering the parent-less was less than ideal. My town was the poorest in all the Republic back home.¡±
¡°Oh? The thought of someone being raised in such barbaric conditions fascinates me,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°How did you turn out so well despite all that? I¡¯ve met some savage dignitaries here and there, and they often have odd quirks.¡±
¡°Well, we weren¡¯t completely savage. We still had the matrons of the orphanage teach us how to read and write,¡± Orodan said with some annoyance at the man¡¯s elitism. ¡°And once I came of age, at fourteen years, I began working odd jobs until I tested for and joined the county militia at sixteen. A good career which set me onto the path of being a proper warrior.¡±
¡°A guardsman then? That I can respect,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Some of our mightiest generals have come from such backgrounds, and we even have a Sovereign in our ranks who began as naught but a humble guard standing watch over the mercantile district.¡±
¡°Watch duty does tend to instil the concepts of discipline and patience into someone,¡± Orodan said as he looked upon the guards who were standing like statues and monitoring everything around them with hawk-eyed zeal. Not very long ago, he was also a guard, a militia man in Volarbury county. Maintaining order on the streets of Ogdenborough, keeping rowdy drunks and petty criminals in line, slaying wolves and other trivial monsters which threatened the borders of the town. Yet, even in his guard days he still had the ever-present drive to work hard and better himself. If anything, the time loops had merely amplified what was already there. ¡°Sometimes, coming from a low background can teach the value of hard work. It¡¯s not all bad.¡±
¡°You might get along well with the Prince,¡± Qing Luo, or Akelrim, interjected. ¡°He too has had a troubled background and faced much adversity to get to where he is.¡±
¡°Qing Luo, now is not the time for such talk,¡± Jian Ren gently reprimanded. ¡°All will be said in time.¡±
Akelrim had a look of frustration upon his face and looked as though he wanted to say more, but he bit his tongue.
The party progressed onwards until a booming gong echoed all throughout the city, and the citizenry all stopped what they were doing to clasp their hands and look downwards in silent prayer.
In the distance, atop the peak of the celestial palace in the distance, Orodan could see a woman lazily sitting near the gigantic gong she¡¯d just rung.
¡°We have bell towers in my world which fulfil the same purpose, crewed by wind mages,¡± Orodan said.
¡°On Xian, we have no need for multiple people doing one thing when an expert will suffice,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Up there, ancient Duan He has enough comprehension into the Dao of Sound that her ringing of the palace gong can be heard across all Xian. A Sound Transcendent, who has served the Celestial Court since its inception.¡±
¡°Impressive¡ and what does the gong signify?¡±
¡°Prayer time. It rings three times a day, and when it does, all of our citizenry are expected to give a minute of devoted prayer to the divinities of the Celestial Court,¡± Jian Ren explained, and Orodan raised his eyebrow. ¡°While I¡¯ve heard of your conflict against the Gods of your world, allow me to assure you that here, we live in harmony with those of us who¡¯ve ascended past the Grandmaster-level and failed the trial. The strength of the Celestial Court¡¯s divinities are our strength, and consequently all citizens must do their part to contribute to their reserves of divine energy.¡±
This really was a different world. On Alastaia, the Gods were involved in the lives of mortals, yes. But it was from a distance, through Blessings and Avatars and the Cathedral which strongly encouraged the worship of the Prime Five. He hadn¡¯t explored Eldiron thoroughly but heard nothing to indicate it was radically different on the elven continent of his world either.
Yet here the Celestial Court organized three daily prayer times for its citizenry, all dedicated towards ensuring that the divinities affiliated with them were kept at suitable strength. This was the power of a faction that had been around for a very long time.
Finally, prayer ended, and they continued down the street. And Orodan began to notice a trend of people staring at him as though he was a freak, almost agape.
¡°Are otherworlder visits rare?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes and no. Officially, we rarely bring guests through the Spatial Embassy nowadays. Most of our friends and allies from other factions are allowed to directly teleport into the palace,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°The common folk rarely get to see an otherworlder walking the streets, so you¡¯ll have to excuse their shameless staring. It also doesn¡¯t help that you¡¯re a foot taller than everyone else and look like a body cultivator, which has become something of a minority in our way of life.¡±
¡°Your people don¡¯t have access to skills which allow for honing the physical form?¡± Orodan asked, shocked.
¡°No, or rather¡ the Hegemony has restricted access to those skills,¡± the Sovereign said. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t think we cultivators were the only ones with unique skills which we restrict access to, did you?¡±
¡°Couldn¡¯t you simply abduct someone from another faction and raise them into a powerhouse trained in both skill types?¡±
¡°What do you think you¡¯re here for?¡± Jian Ren asked. ¡°Besides, we have such people who¡¯ve willingly joined us as allies, but it doesn¡¯t help the rest of our people. The visiting ally who has access to the restricted skills of another faction still cannot teach them to us. And we can only coerce so many people without raising diplomatic tensions and prompting them to do the same. The operation to reach you for example, was only successful because your world is but a mere footnote, in a forgotten corner of the Hegemony¡¯s territories. If you were on a world of any importance to them, we wouldn¡¯t have dared try. That world the vampire and werewolf came from, is one of them, and we were fortunate they kept the knowledge of you being a Celestial skill bearer secret lest the Hegemony themselves descended upon you.¡±
¡°It also helped that I placed multiple obscuring formations around Alastaia immediately after our first meeting,¡± Jian Yixia interjected. ¡°I¡¯m sure that werewolf spread word about you upon his retreat, but the formations I placed will obscure your world¡¯s location in the material plane for at least a year.¡±
Orodan nodded with gratitude. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his world coming under assault for a while at least. Although perhaps ¡®formation¡¯ was their term for wards?
¡°Anyhow, we are almost at the sanctioned teleporter leading to the palace, come,¡± Jian Ren said.
¡°Can¡¯t we just teleport ourselves?¡±
¡°I¡¯d say overpowering the space-lock formations powered by a world core itself is a fool¡¯s endeavor. But I¡¯ve heard of your unique ability to generate endless amounts of power,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Still, even if you could, I would rather not have everyone in the castle scrambling in panic.¡±
Fair enough.
They walked down the wide street until they reached another building with a teleporter inside. It was heavily guarded, and the soldiers had mean looks upon their faces, as though daring anyone to try making an attempt at forced entry.
They of course parted to allow Jian Ren and the rest of the party to pass, and with a step through another spatial fold, the scenery suddenly changed.
The trip through folded space lasted but an instant, signifying that the distance crossed wasn¡¯t much. However, seeing a gigantic imperial palace nearly touching the cloud layer from a distance was one thing. Viewing it up close from near the front doors, was another.
It took up almost the entirety of Orodan¡¯s vision, and he could barely see the sky with this enormous building right in front of him. Gilded walls, sloping roofs which put the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s vaguely similar architecture to shame, and numerous people dressed in fine silken robes going in and out of the main gate.
This was the palace of the Celestial Court.
As they walked through the halls, attendants and courtiers looked at Orodan with interest, and even the guards allowed their gazes to linger for a bit. Down the grand hall they went, at the end an open doorway where space looked to be rather incredibly warped.
As they drew closer and closer, Orodan got an unexpected message.
[Dimensionalism 8 ¡ú Dimensionalism 9]
He immediately felt the familiar sensation of the dimensional boundary being different, altered, as he approached the grand double door through which he could see nothing.
And as Jian Ren stepped through, so did he.
[Dimensionalism 9 ¡ú Dimensionalism 10]
It made no sense.
That was the first thing his brain told him as he looked upon impossible shapes which made no sense despite how gorgeous they were. The very ground and air consisted of strange patterns which couldn¡¯t exist in the physical world, as though they were more than just three-dimensional.
To the left and right, were partitions made of ethereal clouds, almost like a fence keeping spectators walled off. And the spectators themselves, well¡ Orodan had seen a God in the material plane once, and yet there was nothing similar to the one he¡¯d seen affiliated with the Hegemony.
The human-looking ones were normal enough, save for the brilliant lights which emanated from them and the torrents of divine energy in their surroundings. One woman had a bow on her back which looked as though it could shoot down a planet. Another man wore elaborate armor and held a spear which gave Orodan a vague feeling that he wanted to tell everyone the truth, and another held a bowl of rice in his hands and was feasting while offering the spear-God a snack every once in a while, which the God continually refused with an irritated look upon his face.
The spectators - courtiers, now that Orodan had a better understanding that this was a court - also had numerous monster-like Gods among them.
An incredibly long snake, much like those he saw flying above the skies although its tail led outside of the palace. Who knew how large it was? It had small, clawed legs, comically tiny compared to its body, and it had a ferocious beard upon its face.
Next to it was an enormous turtle, looking utterly ancient, with a shell that looked as though it could bear the weight of multiple worlds and take not a scratch.
He also saw a divine tiger, a fluffy rabbit which gave him an exceedingly dangerous feeling, and some sort of scaly, bearded horse with flames emanating from its body.
¡°This many Gods in one place, how can they all exist so freely? Where are we?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°This is the court of the Celestial Emperor. A place that exists in the divine realm, yet where mortals of sufficient power and Transcendents can also set foot. A permanent dimensional opening allows for free travel,¡± Jian Ren introduced. ¡°The Celestial Court is a powerful faction, and not only Transcendents swear fealty to the Emperor. Work with us, Orodan Wainwright, and you too may grow powerful and acquire great riches. Or¡ the battles you so crave.¡±
¡°Indeed! That bearded flying snake God looks tough, I wonder if I¡¯ll get a chance to spar it,¡± Orodan said with a smile on his face.
Jian Ren¡¯s face turned ashen and said flying snake immediately turned to glare at Orodan with a look of pure death.
¡°You dare?! To call Enlao, God of all dragons of the Celestial Court, a snake! You court death, mortal!¡± the God roared, and its bearded face immediately swooped down to float directly before Orodan. ¡°You¡ you are the otherworlder, aren¡¯t you?¡±
Orodan nodded.
¡°Hmph! Ignorant, but an understandable slight,¡± Enlao the dragon God spoke. ¡°Have you ever seen a dragon before, otherworlder?¡±
¡°Yes, but I¡¯m used to wings and four legs, with not as long of a body,¡± he replied.
¡°Pah! The dragons of the Hegemony and the Conclave are different to us dragons of Xian,¡± Enlao spoke. ¡°Yet, we are possessed of the ancient draconic blood all the same.¡±
¡°Old Enlao, might I draw attention to the fact that the Emperor is still holding court?¡± Jian Ren said, and the dragon looked almost embarrassed for a moment before regally snorting and returning to its position.
And before Orodan, at the forefront and center of the Celestial Court, was a throne. It wasn¡¯t particularly big, like a mere chair, yet it glowed with a radiance that was undeniable. And upon it¡ a man who was Transcendent yet gave Orodan a feeling of pure dread which none of the Gods and other Transcendents in the court had.
The God that had slain Orodan in the last long loop? He had a feeling this man could swat that God like a fly.
He looked simple, wearing robes which looked akin to that of a commoner, yet the devious and calculating smile he wore upon his face spoke of a man that was exceedingly brutal. Like a wolf, dressed in sheep¡¯s clothing.
And he was looking at an envoy before him.
¡°My liege, Prince Zhou Shan requests additional support in the dimensional divide,¡± the messenger said. ¡°The forces of the betrayer press harder and grow bolder by the day. Soon, the third army will be pushed out entirely and we shall be forced to completely cede control of the soul nexus to the enemy. Additionally, the enemy have begun spawning devils in combat. We humbly request aid.¡±
The emperor laughed softly to himself and waved his hand towards Jian Song who¡¯d just arrived.
¡°Song, see to it that the third army receives an allotment of troops and treasures,¡± the emperor spoke. Jian Ren, the Sovereign of Xian and the nominal chief minister of the Celestial Court looked more than a bit rankled by this proclamation but held his tongue. Although he did shoot Jian Song a look of suspicion and dissatisfaction.
His gaze then turned towards Orodan, and for a moment he could swear the force of a mountain came crashing down upon his mind yet was retracted at the last second.
Dangerous. It made Orodan¡¯s blood boil for battle.
¡°And you must be Orodan Wainwright, the bearer of a Celestial skill¡ the time looper,¡± the emperor proclaimed with a calculated smile on his face. ¡°What brings you to my court? To swear fealty perhaps?¡±
Fealty? What sort of farce was this? He was invited to Xian by the Jian siblings, and now this man was playing a game that implied Orodan had come before him to swear homage?
He shot Yixia a look, yet the woman could only shamefully look downwards, as though she could do nothing about this strange manner of diplomacy.
¡°First of all-¡±
The mountain crashed into his mind, bearing down on his will, daring him to say anything that contradicted the emperor or made the man look bad. The man, who previously had looked unassuming, now looked like a titan in his eyes.
He was but a servant, a humble subject of the rightful ruler, Jian Huangdi, Celestial Emperor.
Dominance and absolute supremacy. The Celestial Emperor demanded fealty and was almighty. He had no choice but to obey.
His eyes were cast downwards, and he could only look down in loyal submission, to the rightful liege and lord of the Ascendent Sword Cluster.
Yet, the loyal subject¡¯s hands trembled in sheer rage. He tried his best to quell the mutinous thoughts, to prevent the shame and embarrassment that would come from defying the Celestial Emperor¡¯s absolute authority. Yet, the servant could not hold a candle to the raging and burning willpower within.
To the iron will of Orodan Wainwright. His mind, strong to begin with from the beginning of the loops, had grown stronger still against attempts to subvert his will. Yet, this foe was multiple times more powerful in a battle of wills than any opponent he''d ever faced.
Orodan felt there was something oddly familiar about this assault, but this was no time to investigate the matter.
He''d now regained control of his mind.
This Dao of Dominance and Supremacy was insanely dangerous. It would be best to revert to a checkpoint or perhaps even end the loop.
Yet, Orodan¡¯s eyes rose, and he directly made eye contact with the Celestial Emperor, causing many of the Gods present to gasp and the emperor himself to tremble in rage.
Orodan¡¯s hands went to his weapons, and they were drawn.
¡°I must admit; even though I¡¯ve gained no skill, I feel as though this is excellent tempering for my mind,¡± Orodan said, and then, a feral grin appeared on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s skip this social dance, just hit me with that Dao of yours again. I want to see how well it holds up against the will of a warrior. And then, perhaps we can even fight.¡±
¡°Orodan, you¡¯re mad! This is the ruler of a faction on par with the Hegemony, what are you doing?!¡± Zaessythra shouted.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Even if I fall, I have something to rely on.¡±
The emperor¡¯s eyes took on a look of utter rage, and the Dao of Dominance and Supremacy crashed onto Orodan¡¯s mind once more.
No skills were gained. Either the System had no skill for it, or the skill was restricted in some way. Yet, even without a skill, even without messages from the System which denoted his progress and helped him get stronger¡ Orodan Wainwright refused to back down before this challenge.
All other spectators bowed their heads before this almighty Dao of the Celestial Emperor, yet Orodan did not. His flesh began to incinerate, and his eyes melted. His very body began slowly falling apart from the inside out, and despite his monstrous ability to heal himself, the darkness of death took him. And it was a mere byproduct of the full power of the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Dao¡
¡how monstrous.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2221]
¡°Come then, Orodan Wainwright, let us walk through Swordmist City and make way for the Celestial Palace,¡± Jian Ren offered.
His eyes widened.
He wasn¡¯t back in Ogdenborough! It had worked! And most importantly¡ a reset only cost him one Rune.
A mad grin appeared on the face of Orodan Wainwright.
Peaceful cultivation? Going along with the tyrannical Celestial Emperor? No wonder there was a rebellion against the Celestial Court. Orodan¡¯s warrior spirit roared, and the city of Swordmist was his canvas.
He had 2221 tries to make the most of this Checkpoint before he was sent back to Ogdenborough when it ran out.
To his left were various shops, one of them dabbling in strange alchemical techniques, the other peddling strange, inscribed flags which looked quite powerful and arranged in formation. To his right, a weapon and armor shop. And behind him, the Spatial Embassy from where he might even be able to go to different areas within the Ascendent Sword Cluster. And in the distance, dwellings upon the mountains which the Jian siblings had said were sects where one learned cultivation.
A war for the soul nexus where a tyrannical Celestial Emperor and the Prince fought against a rebel faction backed by the hells? An entire city full of cultivators, strange alchemists and formation masters, and in the court itself¡ Gods in the flesh, ruled by an almighty emperor who subverted his people with an iron fist.
Fleeing and cultivating peacefully would¡¯ve been the smart thing to do. Perhaps even fleeing and seeking out other worlds.
But since when did he do things like that?
Cultivation and the secrets of Xian awaited.
Chapter 50 - An Early Meeting
Two hundred and twenty-one attempts. This was the maximum number of tries Orodan would allow himself during this mad endeavor.
¡°Actually, how about we step into this alchemy store? Those are some strange concoctions I see lining the shelves,¡± Orodan said as he randomly stepped towards it.
¡°Oh? You¡¯ve dabbled in Alchemy?¡± Jian Yixia asked. ¡°It¡¯s one of those broad skills that isn¡¯t really restricted by anyone or uniquely belonging to any particular faction. Still, the sort of Alchemy those in Hegemony-controlled territories practice is different from our own. Although at the highest levels, both styles of Alchemy produce items of similar quality with minor differences.¡±
¡°Yes, my Alchemy is at the Adept-level, six levels away from crossing into Elite,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And while you say that I¡¯ve never seen an alchemical workshop like this, although the products do look vaguely similar to what some in the Eastern Kingdoms back home would produce.¡±
Hearing his words, the thin-mustached shopkeeper behind the desk had a covetous smile on his face and immediately approached the counter.
¡°Lord Jian Ren, Lord Song, Lady Yixia, it¡¯s an honor to have you in my humble store,¡± the man said as a clenched fist met an open palm and he bowed at the waist. Was this the standard greeting on Xian? ¡°And salutations to you as well, young master! It¡¯s an honor to meet an otherworlder. Liu Fan¡¯s Alchemical Wonders is the premier store for all your needs. Perhaps you¡¯ve come to glean the secrets of alchemy upon our world and elevate your own? Come, let me show you how we do things.¡±
On the shelves, various things were arrayed. Some things he recognized, such as elixirs, potions and vials of poison and acid. These were familiar to him from his world.
What wasn¡¯t familiar to him, however, were the boxes of strange spherical balls in containers. The signs labelled them as ¡®pills¡¯. He¡¯d heard of alchemists of the Eastern Kingdoms doing something vaguely similar, but his education in the Imperial-tradition of Alchemy on Alastaia hadn¡¯t explored it much.
¡°So, these are the ¡®pills¡¯ I keep hearing about?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°They look a bit like candy, how do they taste?¡±
¡°How do your potions taste?¡± the shopkeeper asked.
¡°Depends on the potion,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Exactly,¡± the man replied. ¡°Adding onto what Lady Yixia said, one key difference in the Alchemy between us and the Hegemony, is that we utilize soul attuned elements, or colloquially¡ spirit flames.¡±
As the man said this, his hand erupted with a strange flame Orodan had never seen the like of. Yes, he could cast a Flare and a Draconic Fireball, but both those skills were mana-powered. And he¡¯d seen the flames of opponents who had soul-powered flames. This, however, was neither of those.
¡°What is that empowered by?¡± Orodan asked as he lit a small Draconic Fireball in his hand, making the store grow hot and light up before he swiftly put it out. ¡°My flames are fuelled by mana, yet I sense neither that nor soul energy in that flame you produce.¡±
¡°An astute observation. You wouldn¡¯t see this sort of energy in anyone else but a cultivator,¡± the man said. ¡°After all, it is Qi.¡±
¡°Qi?¡± Orodan asked, genuinely curious. ¡°Is that what your sword light is made of, Jian Song? What is it exactly?¡±
¡°The combination of mana and vitality,¡± Jian Song explained. ¡°The energy of your soul, it filters into your body and naturally converts into mana and vitality, does it not?¡±
¡°Yes, even without using a vitality skill, excess soul energy naturally converts into mana and vitality,¡± Orodan replied. In fact, this natural conversion during one¡¯s formative years was what caused the natural growth of children into adults and their subsequent maturation.
¡°This natural conversion of soul energy can be tampered with so that the resultant product is instead Qi,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°The soul nexus of the Ascendent Sword Cluster naturally does this for all souls within its area of influence. The deceased souls that are drawn into it and new souls being born all have their soul function altered to allow for the natural generation of Qi. Which, as you can tell, makes the current conflict surrounding it rather important to us.¡±
¡°Would that not make Qi inferior to the energy of the soul?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes, that would be correct, young master,¡± the shopkeeper said. ¡°While this spirit flame of mine is decent enough to warrant selection as one of elder Liu Fan¡¯s disciples, the ideal spirit flame would be one empowered by the soul itself.¡±
¡°Intriguing,¡± Orodan said. Despite his efforts, he¡¯d failed to develop a resistance for soul energy itself. But with Qi being a subordinate form of energy, perhaps it wasn¡¯t out of the question. ¡°But I¡¯m not here for spirit flames, not yet.¡±
¡°Oh? Perhaps you¡¯re looking for a particular product? We have elixirs that could grant you immortality, pills that can increase your battle power, and powders that will make your weapon a tool of lethal poison,¡± the shopkeeper said.
¡°Neither, I¡¯d like to be taken to your actual workshop to peruse the ingredients,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Your shop¡ could use a good cleaning, no?¡±
¡°T-that is¡! Young master, if my master overheard that, he would take it as a grave insult!¡± the man said.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, the Celestial Emperor waits for us,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°We can do all of this afterwards if you so desire.¡±
Orodan simply sighed. Politely asking wasn¡¯t going to do the trick, so he would have to instead show his results.
Vision Of Purity extended so he could see the surrounding few miles, and then¡ his Celestial skill, the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, shot out and immediately encompassed everything within two miles.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 76 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 77]
Near him, the Jian siblings and Akelrim were caught off guard as everything physical, down to an atomic level, was cleansed utterly and completely. For the sake of avoiding complications with violating someone¡¯s mind and soul, he avoided cleansing those. Particularly since ¡®filth¡¯ within those was subjective and he wouldn¡¯t intrude upon anyone¡¯s privacy unless they asked, or they were a mortal enemy of his, okay with doing the same to him.
¡°What in the heavens¡ is this what a Celestial skill¡¯s activation feels like up close? No wonder it was felt so keenly from so far away¡¡± Jian Ren muttered. ¡°My body feels lighter, as though I¡¯ve lost the weight of many years. What have you done?¡±
Orodan simply smiled.
¡°I cleaned everything, down to the most minute imperfections,¡± he replied.
¡°Frightening¡ can that skill affect minds and the soul as well?¡± Jian Song asked.
¡°It¡¯s particularly effective at cleansing the mind and soul,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I simply chose not to do so out of respect.¡±
Jian Song¡¯s eye twitched, and it was only the crown he wore around his arm that allowed him to get a vague warning that the man had sent a message out via world energy. To who?
Well, his superior of course.
The Dao of Domination and Supremacy smashed into his iron mind, and even harder than last time. It attempted to coerce him into a loyal subject of the Celestial Emperor, to bow before the regal splendor and rightful rule of Jian Huangdi, Emperor of the Celestial Court. Orodan nearly buckled, but managed to hold strong as his rage and determination resisted the Celestial Emperor¡¯s assault.
Most importantly, it made little sense how he was able to resist this man¡¯s Dao so easily. Beneath the surface of this assault, what exactly was there? It felt as though some manner of resistance skill he possessed was helping him.
But he was far too preoccupied with defending himself to properly examine the nature of the attack. Orodan learned the hard way that the Celestial Emperor didn¡¯t need to be anywhere near him to reach out with his Dao.
Still, despite the overwhelming assault, Orodan focused, and returned his own barbs towards the foe with Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity and Domain Of Perfect Cleaning which began treating the assaults as impurities which needed to be cleansed.
Immediately, three things became apparent. First, Orodan was almost certain the Emperor¡¯s Dao of Domination and Supremacy was a Celestial skill. It made sense, much like his own Celestial skill, it could fit multiple things into it. Domination and Supremacy were separate terms and concepts, even if closely related.
Second, Orodan¡¯s own Celestial skill was lower in level, after all, the Emperor was a Transcendent at least¡ but the higher number of skills he had in his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning allowed him to stalemate the man and hold his ground. Plus, whatever was within the emperor¡¯s attack, it was familiar, if subtle. Orodan had dealt with it before.
And third, the Emperor¡¯s willpower was titanic. Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity firing back at with a five times multiplier to counter the will-based assault wasn¡¯t as effective as it normally was. It implied a monstrous willpower, or something more.
Seconds turned to minutes as Orodan resisted with all his might. In the last checkpoint loop, he¡¯d been too preoccupied with retaining his mind, and consequently couldn¡¯t focus on fighting back as much. Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity made his foe pay for daring to assault him, and Domain Of Perfect Cleaning continuously scrubbed the attack from his mind to the best of his ability, trying to render it as harmless as possible.
He wasn¡¯t sure exactly when he died, too preoccupied with resisting the assault to notice. But one moment he was struggling against the colossal assault on his willpower, and the next, he was in the streets of Swordmist City once again.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2220]
¡°Come then, Orodan Wainwright, let us walk through Swordmist City and make way for the Celestial Palace,¡± Jian Ren offered.
Orodan¡¯s eyes carried a crazed glint of determination, something that seemingly unnerved Jian Song as the man was the subject of Orodan¡¯s glare.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡? Is everything okay?¡±
¡°So, you¡¯re the traitor,¡± Orodan said as he drew his weapons.
In response Jian Song¡¯s eyes widened in panic and a familiar surge of world energy went out in the form of a message.
¡°He¡¯s returned! My liege the plan failed!¡± Jian Song immediately cried out.
Even more evidence for the fact that this had been planned.
Going around telling people he was a time looper had its consequences.
As expected, the Dao of Dominance and Supremacy immediately slammed into his mind once more, but this time Orodan was prepared. His mind steeled, braced like a pikewall. He happily accepted the attack as he used the chance to temper his will.
What a boon this was, the chance to train against one of the deadliest mental threats in System space. To sharpen the sword that was his mind against this tyrant.
He roared like a rabid beast, a War Cry spilling forth and utterly terrifying several civilians nearby and causing Jian Song to take a step back in surprise.
[War Cry 35 ¡ú War Cry 36]
¡°Come out and show your face! Sitting on that throne of yours while you assail me is a sign of weakness! Are you a fat noble or the Celestial Emperor?!¡± Orodan roared. ¡°Look me in the eyes like a warrior!¡±
He proclaimed this to thin air, but he had a feeling the tyrant was listening. And his hunch was proven correct as the assault stopped for a brief moment.
Space ripped apart and a man with a look of deathly rage upon his face stepped out of the spatial rift and made eye contact with Orodan. And for once, Orodan himself closely examined the man, Vision Of Purity extending to envelop the Emperor.
At the same time, the Emperor¡¯s assault reached his mind, and both Vision Of Purity and the subsequent message confirmed the mystery behind why Orodan was able to resist the mental assault of a man with the most willpower he¡¯d ever faced thus far.
[Eldritch Resistance 60 ¡ú Eldritch Resistance 61]
¡°Eldritch¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Of course you¡¯re corrupted by that foul plague too.¡±
Just how deep did the Eldritch go?
Yet, unlike most bearers of the Eldritch the Celestial Emperor gave absolutely no visual indication that he was under the effects of such. In fact, only the most thorough look revealed it at all, and Orodan could only detect a faint and incredibly subtle trace of it in the deepest parts of the man¡¯s soul. Even his attacks, which were mostly empowered by the soul, still had a subtle trace of Eldritch in them all throughout.
This was what had allowed Orodan to resist it. Otherwise, given the sheer power of the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Dao, he had a feeling he would¡¯ve been stuck in a years-long mental battle. A long period of time during which he¡¯d be vulnerable to the arrival of the looming threat that was the Administrator.
There were different sorts of Eldritch corruption. The Eldritch Avatar for one, held an incredibly potent and virulent version of it. It was infectious and seemed to practically transmit its madness and corruption to anything around it, living or non-living. Then, there were the Eldritch creatures he saw in the depths of Alastaia. Corrupted by the fell element, but not infectious, still maddened of course. And then¡ Alovardo Balmento, the strange and insane old man he¡¯d met in the city of Arkwall back on Alastaia. The man seemed to commune with the corruption in a sense, yet it wasn¡¯t visually apparent at all.
The Celestial Emperor¡¯s brand of corruption was similar to Alovardo¡¯s. Subtle, yet still present. Perhaps the man¡¯s current actions were a result of this subtle corruption? After all, Jian Huangdi didn¡¯t seem outwardly insane, although much like Alovardo, the man¡¯s actions could very well be driven by the Eldritch.
This warranted further investigation.
¡°Eldritch¡? Is that what you call it? Of course¡ it¡¯s what the System brands it as. For me¡ for us, it¡¯s but a glimpse of the truth,¡± Jian Huangdi said. ¡°Unlike many of the maddened beasts you¡¯ve fought, I¡¯m driven by glorious purpose, to ascend beyond the shackles which bind us. To free that which empowers it all so that we may ascend while depending on naught but our own strength.¡±
¡°And yet, your ploy to bend my mind failed,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I had not counted on your anomalous strength of will. For a mere Master-level warrior, your resolve is many leagues higher than it should be. You are an anomaly that should not exist,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°I too am a bearer of a Celestial skill; my Dao is beyond the Transcendent-level. Yet somehow you refuse my command.¡±
¡°Yes, now that we¡¯ve established your petty mind control tricks won¡¯t work on me, how about we fight? I find the best way to know a man is by crossing blades,¡± Orodan said as he drew his weapons. ¡°I¡¯m curious to know whether it¡¯s the Eldritch driving you to act in such a way, or whether you¡¯re just rotten at core.¡±
¡°It need not be like that,¡± the man said, and Orodan¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sudden shift to a diplomatic tone. ¡°Do you not wish to know what is beneath all this? The advancement we could make by working together?¡±
¡°You attempt to assail my mind multiple times now, and you want me to join you?¡± Orodan asked, and then a feral grin emerged on his face¡
¡°¡you¡¯ve made the wrong enemy today.¡±
The Celestial Emperor¡¯s face held a look of distaste and anger, but also a hint of fear.
Perhaps the almighty ruler of the Celestial Court had thought his gamble would pay off. In fact, it was reasonable to believe the mightiest being of a faction renowned through System space could easily subvert the will of a mere Master-level Celestial skill bearer. Hells, it was a gift, wrapped with a bowtie, for any being of power who could get their hands on him.
But who could have predicted that Orodan had willpower capable of rivalling multiple Gods?
It was a fair risk the Celestial Emperor took¡ Orodan would admit so himself. However, the man had picked the wrong target, even if there were other time loopers in the wide universe, somehow Orodan doubted they had the kind of grit that he did.
The Eldritch within Alastaia were the product of its world core. The Eldritch Avatar was the product of some other world with a fully corrupted world core. But just who was behind the corruption of the Celestial Emperor?
¡°I admit I calculated incorrectly, or rather, I didn¡¯t have all the information... But your doom approaches in any case. When you so foolishly went around declaring your status as a time looper, forces beyond your reckoning were informed,¡± the Celestial Emperor spoke. ¡°Your permanent death is inevitable.¡±
¡°Ah, but you see¡ I enjoy courting death,¡± Orodan replied, and Jian Huangdi¡¯s cold rage was great as Orodan was vaporized by his full power, without even the chance to fight back. His mind held strong, but his body was simply melted inside out as each cell was simultaneously ground down to non-existence.
In Orodan¡¯s last moments of life, the man began laughing maniacally, and the Celestial Emperor¡¯s eyes began to whiten slightly. The tell-tale signs of mania induced by the Eldritch.
¡°Hahahahah! Oh, Orodan Wainwright, your bravado is admirable. You know not what comes for you. Did you think going around telling everyone you¡¯re in a time loop was wise?¡± the man maniacally asked with vicious glee. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll manage to kill me eventually. Perhaps even the Hegemony will fall before you. but your doom comes all the same. The moment I received word of your time loop, I informed the Administrator. And you¡¯ll find that certain beings have ways of informing themselves of things, even within a time loop. Soon¡ this will all fall apart, and the System¡¯s pathetic attempts to contain the inevitability, will all be for naught.¡±
The darkness took him shortly after.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2219]
¡°Come then, Orodan Wainwright, let us walk through Swordmist City and make way for the Celestial Palace,¡± Jian Ren offered.
Orodan turned to glare at Jian Song. The cultivator looked more than a little confused and wary, but Orodan cared not. The man was a backstabber, and perhaps him being sent to ¡®retrieve¡¯ Orodan was more than just coincidence.
More importantly though, Jian Huangdi¡¯s final words in the latest checkpoint were more than a bit concerning.
Orodan clearly recalled overpowering the System being when he¡¯d refused to be frozen in time while Eldarion¡¯s ascendancy trial took place. Then he¡¯d received the message that an Administrator had been notified. Orodan had known that something was coming for him, although not what it was or when. But, to know that the approaching unknown could be in league with the Eldritch?
This could swiftly get very dangerous. Especially when this Administrator knew about the time loops. Was there perhaps a method of dealing with time loopers?
A dangerous enemy was very likely coming for him, and caution would be wise in such a situation.
Of course, when was he ever known for being cautious or wise?
A gleeful smile graced his lips, making Jian Ren look at him with concern. Orodan cared not who or what came for him. He would struggle, he would die, and he would grow. And if he died? So be it. He gladly marched to his death in his very first life, why would the thought of a permanent end scare him?
Whether they knew of the time loop and had countermeasures ready or not, Orodan would face all comers.
He looked to the mountains in the distance, temple-cities winding around them, places of learning upon their peaks. It was time to grow and expand, all for the glorious battle that awaited him in the end.
¡°How about we visit one of these sects,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Before I get to meet the Emperor, wouldn¡¯t seeing some of this cultivation for myself be nice?¡±
¡°That would take far too long¡ we can do all of this after meeting with the Celestial Emperor,¡± Jian Song said.
¡°Well, I insist,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Come on, a quick trip shouldn¡¯t take too long. I want to see these sects everyone here keeps talking about. Zaessythra, get into my spatial ring, I might get up to some destructive training.¡±
His favorite book seemed annoyed but complied. It was mainly because he didn¡¯t enjoy seeing her be subject to the Emperor¡¯s Dao. So, he made a mental note to coerce her into his spatial ring in each retry from now on. At least as long as he was challenging the Celestial Emperor.
¡°Well, I suppose a quick trip couldn¡¯t be the worst thing, no?¡± Jian Yixia asked.
¡°You too, Yixia?¡± Jian Ren asked and then sighed. ¡°A small detour is acceptable then.¡±
The group then made way for another building containing a teleporter, less heavily guarded, but with fierce-looking guards around it all the same. They were allowed through and stepped through the rift.
Blue skies, and beneath them¡ clouds. They were on a mountain, that much was for certain, but it was above even the incredibly high cloud layer of Xian.
¡°This isn¡¯t one of the mountains I saw in the distance, is it? I don¡¯t recall any of them soaring past the clouds,¡± Orodan said.
¡°It would be poor manners to bring you to any average sect. Not when you¡¯re an esteemed guest of ours,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, I bid you welcome to an ancient place. One whose origins even immortals like us have forgotten. Cultivation¡¯s Peak, the birthplace of cultivation and where the first cultivator arose to discover the Dao and began his journey to ascend the heavens.¡±
A place with a storied history. Orodan could sense the ancient aura surrounding this mountain. They had directly teleported to the top half, near the peak. The lower parts of the mountain were a temple-city, densely populated with disciples; the upper portion nearer to the peak, however, was sparsely built upon. In fact, the very peak had no buildings upon it whatsoever.
Frankly, it felt more like a heritage site.
¡°Quite old,¡± Orodan said, specifically as his Time Mastery allowed him to feel the age of the mountain. ¡°I presume the regular student isn¡¯t allowed up to the peak.¡±
¡°You presume correctly,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Only inner disciples may even approach the gates to the sect patriarch¡¯s abode near the top. And even his dwelling is near the path to the peak, but not upon it.¡±
¡°What lays at the top?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The hut in which the first cultivator dwelled as he ruminated upon the Dao,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Now come, let us pay the patriarch a quick visit and show you some techniques and teachings. We have perhaps an hour, and that¡¯s the most I¡¯m willing to delay having the Celestial Emperor meet you.¡±
Fair enough. It was nice to know the allotment of time he had was so generous. An hour was practically a fortune compared to the fifteen minutes he had been forced to operate under a while ago. And perhaps he could even push it a bit?
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
As they approached the doors to the sect patriarch¡¯s abode, a disciple who was cleaning the doors turned and bowed.
¡°This disciple greets the venerable elders,¡± the robe-wearing young man said. ¡°The patriarch is within if you wish to enter. He of course is aware of your arrival.¡±
¡°I see he still enjoys punishing the inner disciples with menial chores,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°You, boy, what did you do to earn this duty?¡±
¡°Apologies elder¡ I brought shame to my clan by swapping the head disciples formation flags with white flags of surrender,¡± the disciple said.
Jian Ren actually snickered, and Jian Yixia sighed.
¡°All that for a practical joke¡ you¡¯ve brought this punishment upon yourself,¡± Yixia chastised. ¡°Youth nowadays.¡±
Orodan of course, had another problem.
This cultivator¡¯s cleaning job was¡
¡°¡sloppy!¡± Orodan declared.
¡°E-excuse me?!¡± the cultivator replied.
¡°You¡¯ve wet the cloth and begun scrubbing before even sweeping the dust off. An amateur move. Now the dust will cling to the door as it¡¯s wet,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°You¡¯re also scrubbing in patterns which cause the filth and dirt to linger. When scrubbing, you should naturally aim to sweep the detritus towards one side for easy gathering later.¡±
And Orodan wouldn¡¯t even get into the dirt which was fused into the pores as that would be unfair without skills devoted to Cleaning. The wooden door was of high quality. His Woodworking skill sensed it was at least Elite-level; absurd to use for a mere door, but it spoke to the wealth of this sect and Xian in general.
¡°Don¡¯t you think the comparison a bit unfair when you possess a Celestial skill related to cleaning?¡± Jian Song asked, irritated.
¡°Skill aside, his basic techniques for cleaning are wrong,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°When one¡¯s foundations are shaky, skill or no skill, the result can only be lacking. You, who teaches you how to clean?¡±
¡°Y-young master¡ we don¡¯t usually bother with such things. The sect janitor handles the maintenance and cleaning of the grounds.¡±
¡°And when was the last time your sect janitor did so?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Why, he cleaned the patriarch¡¯s abode just last week.¡±
¡°His skill is lacking, bring him before me so I can teach him how to do a proper job,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°Orodan¡ perhaps a less offensive manner of calling for the sect¡¯s janitor would be appropriate?¡± Jian Yixia asked calmly. ¡°The man¡¯s Dao of Cleaning is at the Grandmaster-level. And even though the war has separated them, he¡¯s still the Thousand Broom Sovereign¡¯s head disciple.¡±
¡°Feh¡ that broom-wielding traitor doesn¡¯t deserve such respect from your mouth, Yixia,¡± Jian Song muttered.
¡°Well, this cleaning job is absolutely shoddy,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I can clearly see dirt still fused to the wood grain, and the wood¡¯s not as healthy in certain parts, there¡¯s no uniformity either.¡±
¡°Who dares critique the performance of my duties?!¡± a voice roared out from behind.
Orodan turned around and locked eyes with the man. Aged, and wielding a singular broom and a bucket of water. Yet, the power behind it was undeniable.
¡°I did. How can you call yourself a Grandmaster of the Dao of Cleaning with work like this?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You dare?!¡± the man roared, releasing a powerful aura which sent the poor disciple scurrying in fear. Of course, Orodan cared not for the display of power and remained standing, unimpressed. The man subsequently coughed and tried to recover. ¡°Show me the quality of your Cleaning then!¡±
¡°Fine, watch this,¡± Orodan said, and then Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, enveloping the door completely.
Everything down to the molecular level was cleaned in an instant.
¡°This¡ this¡!¡± the old janitor exclaimed in shock, which quickly turned to rage. ¡°I know who you are, Orodan Wainwright. This is only possible because of your Celestial skill!¡±
¡°No, I think even without it, I can show you the deficiencies in your technique,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°In fact, let¡¯s put it to the test right now. Give me cleaning supplies, and I vow I¡¯ll clean the grounds in front of this door better than you can.¡±
The sect janitor trembled in anger and shame, but he practically threw the supplies towards him.
¡°And if you fail, you¡¯ll kowtow and apologize immediately!¡± the man demanded.
Orodan sternly nodded, and immediately got to work.
Frankly, he¡¯d used his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning for so long, shooting it out like a magical spell, albeit empowered by soul energy, that regular cleaning wasn¡¯t something he often did any longer. Still, nobody got to the level he did by ignoring the basics, and if the quantification of his talent in Cleaning was any indication¡ Orodan had no equals in the field.
Immediately, before even starting, he raised the broom into the air and closely scrutinized the broom head.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t ever sully myself by offering you defective equipment,¡± the janitor immediately said. ¡°Such a victory would be hollow!¡±
¡°That isn¡¯t the reason I¡¯m looking closely. Rather, this broom is of excellent quality,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Still, depending on the task at hand, adjustments can be made.¡±
And then, in a move that had the old janitor and everyone else baffled, Orodan began carefully smoothing out and tinkering with the fine hairs of the broom.
If he was to use only basic cleaning techniques, then properly adjusting his tool before getting to work was of critical importance.
¡°Why adjust the broom head?¡± Yixia asked.
¡°Because, over time, the patterns and uniformity of the hairs can become jumbled,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°If I want each and every particle of sand upon these stone tiles to be swept away, then I must ensure that the hairs of the broom are arranged in such a way that there are no gaps whatsoever.¡±
¡°Such detail¡¡± the janitor muttered. ¡°Why not just infuse the broom with Qi to have it retain its structural integrity?¡±
¡°He¡¯s just arrived in Xian and only recently been granted access to our restricted skills. I do not think he¡¯s had the opportunity to learn the Qi Empowerment skill,¡± Jian Ren said.
¡°That, and Qi would be an inferior form of energy to the soul, which I already use to empower my weapons and tools,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I have a similar skill from my world, but I¡¯m not using that here. The purpose of this is to show that even without any soul energy, mana or this Qi you cultivators use, the very basics, the foundational techniques, can make a true difference.¡±
A few seconds later, he felt satisfied, and along with this satisfaction the broom was lowered to the sand-covered stone tiles for the first time.
A singular stroke across the stone. That was all Orodan did. And yet¡
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 77 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 78]
¡°¡by the heavens!¡± the janitor exclaimed as he stared in disbelief at the patch of stone Orodan had swept. ¡°N-not a single grain of sand is left, how?¡±
Orodan simply smiled.
¡°Technique. Perfect foundational technique as a matter of fact,¡± Orodan elaborated. ¡°Perhaps with a bit of Tool Mastery too, I¡¯ll have to admit. But mainly through comprehension of the very basics of cleaning.¡±
The janitor stepped back and clasped a fist and an open palm together, bowing at the waist.
¡°All my life I¡¯ve pursued the deep intricacies of Cleaning. The unfathomable secrets and complexities to which the craft can rise,¡± the janitor spoke. ¡°Yet, to see the most basic of techniques mastered in such a way¡ you humble me, otherworlder.¡±
In truth, Orodan surprised even himself by gaining a skill level from that. Perhaps some of the higher skill levels in Domain Of Perfect Cleaning could come from the simple things, and not simply cranking the skill up to ludicrous levels and affecting many miles.
As they spoke, the doors to the sect patriarch¡¯s abode suddenly opened, and a wizened and ancient-looking old man in tattered robed stood before them. Orodan had grown up poor, but the thing with being poor was that one usually tried to mask that fact. He and the other orphans would at least try to look for nicer clothes, stay clean and seek better. But this man truly looked like a raggedy beggar who¡¯d lost all hope.
¡°Uncle!¡± Jian Ren exclaimed as he stepped in to firmly embrace the man.
¡°Oh? Ren! It is good to see you,¡± the man said. ¡°You visit so rarely nowadays¡ just because you¡¯re stronger than an old man doesn¡¯t mean you get to now ignore your teacher.¡±
¡°I apologize, my duties as chief minister often keep me busy nowadays. I could never forget you, uncle,¡± Jian Ren said. ¡°Our liege keeps me close at hand for domestic affairs.¡±
¡°Indeed, I hear Song has all but taken over your duties in managing the Court¡¯s armies,¡± the old beggar said, and Jian Ren¡¯s face turned to a frown at the mention of that.
¡°It¡¯s not my place to question our lord¡ besides, I¡¯m sure Song¡¯s performance is satisfactory,¡± Jian Ren said.
¡°I see, I see¡¡± the man said. ¡°And is that you? Qing Luo? I heard your soul was shunted off into the cosmos after you nobly gave your life to protect the Prince.¡±
¡°Yes, patriarch,¡± Akelrim said from behind. ¡°The otherworlder generously offered a return to my home.¡±
¡°Good, good,¡± the sect patriarch said. And Orodan had to wonder just how the patriarch of a sect could look like a complete beggar. ¡°You must be our guests then? Come inside, Orodan Wainwright. You can let that sorrowful soul out from inside your spatial ring too.¡±
Zaessythra. The patriarch had sensed her, which wasn¡¯t of note, but detecting her soul damage at a glance was.
¡°I¡¯ll have to decline,¡± Orodan said. ¡°She needs her rest for now.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Now then, care to see the peak of the mountain?¡± the patriarch asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite the historic site.¡±
¡°Why not? I haven¡¯t made a pilgrimage up here in a long time,¡± Jian Ren said.
The party walked up the steep mountain path for a bit, ascending up the winding slopes and sharp inclines. Teleportation wasn¡¯t allowed to or from the mountain peak directly, chiefly to avoid any damage or disruption of such a storied site. As they ascended, Orodan could feel the incredibly potent amounts of world energy in the air. It was jarring and unnatural, as most areas with a high density of world energy that he¡¯d been in had the density increase gradually. Yet, here, as soon as he¡¯d stepped onto the peak proper, the density had immediately skyrocketed.
He had no doubt that if monsters from his world stumbled upon an area like this, it would be a hotspot for quadruple-Grandmasters.
The peak itself looked rather unremarkable. A singular hut of incredibly simple make and plain construction was erected, and it looked to have a powerful aura of time surrounding it, preventing any sort of decay. And in front of the hut, a large stone with some carvings upon it.
¡°The top of Cultivator¡¯s Peak, where the very first man to achieve comprehension of the Dao rose to ascend past the heavens,¡± the patriarch said. ¡°Legend has it that this founding ancestor cultivated a skill beyond even the System.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ possible?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°To go beyond the System? I wouldn¡¯t know. We call our category of skills the Dao, but they¡¯re skills under the purview of the System all the same,¡± the patriarch explained. ¡°Both you and our janitor use similar things. The System calls his skill the Dao of Cleaning, it calls yours the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. But at the end of the day, the Dao is no more than the concepts you otherworlders use in your higher-rarity skills. At the highest of levels, an otherworlder using a Celestial skill which embodies the concept of cleaning, and a cultivator who uses the Dao of cleaning, are really using the same thing. Neither is better than the other, it¡¯s a difference of mere semantics and how one sees the skill.¡±
¡°Then, could I also learn the Dao of Cleaning?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The Thousand Broom Sovereign would be a better person to ask. But, given the rarity of your skill, I suspect not,¡± the patriarch said. ¡°Which is a little difficult given that he¡¯s on the opposing side of the current war. But perhaps you¡¯ll meet him on the field of battle.¡±
¡°How do Dao skills work then? Do I just meditate, focus on acquiring Qi and then obtain a skill called ¡®Dao of the Sword¡¯?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Far from it. Qi is an inferior source of power compared to direct soul energy. In that regard, you¡¯ll be starting at a stage most people can only dream of,¡± the patriarch said. ¡°And the actual skill, the Dao of the Sword, is something obtained through skill combination and combining one¡¯s insights. It¡¯s exceedingly rare for any two cultivator¡¯s Daos to be the same, even if they used the exact same skills in combination to reach it.¡±
Orodan respectfully drew his sword and shield and placed them on the ground in front of him.
¡°Then¡ I¡¯d like to learn.¡±
The patriarch smiled.
¡°You¡¯ve come to the right place for it.¡±
***
Nobody began by acquiring the Dao of the Sword. Its rarity was at least Rare to begin with. Rather, the very basic cultivation skills related to the sword were things like Qi Mastery, Qi Channelling and Body Refining. These were the basic Uncommon-rarity skills that students learned, and from there one might move onto things like Sword Intent, Sword Light and more in the hopes of eventually combining them alongside any ancillary skills into what would become the student¡¯s own Dao of the Sword skill.
It really was just skill combination. Even back in the Bluefire Academy on Alastaia, Orodan had learned that two people could arrive at the same skill through entirely different skill combinations. Additionally, two people could have different ways of using the same skill, and it often boiled down to philosophy. His education at Bluefire had tried to standardize everything, to insist that two people using the Charge skill were the same. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the case. One warrior could envision himself shattering enemy ranks by using Charge, while another could see herself leading the way for allies in the back by paving the way forward. They were mostly the same, but even at the exact same level, mentality and insights could cause two wielders of a skill to differ.
This was how many people could have a skill called ¡®Dao of the Sword¡¯, yet their comprehensions and the skills used in combination to attain it could be vastly different. One cultivator could have combined Sword Intent, Sword Light and Power Strike into his, while another could instead use Sword Heart, Sword Step and Lunge.
The skills used upon this world were strange and different too. His entire worldview felt wrong.
For starters, the cultivators of Xian didn¡¯t have access to Physical Fitness, Sword Mastery and many other skills he took for granted. There must¡¯ve been some kind of restriction in place, as he was told that the Conclave and the Hegemony had access to them, and the Devils had access to their own version, but it was still strange to learn that people from different segments of the System had access to certain skills and not others.
He was also told that he likely wouldn¡¯t be learning the Dao of Cleaning anytime soon since he already had a Celestial-rarity skill. The Dao was neither superior nor inferior to other skills, the Dao, was just a concept. And the rest of the universe also honed concepts at high-rarities of skills. Examples being the Mythical skill Agathor used to stop time, or Orodan¡¯s own Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity. Both these skills touched upon the concept of the warrior. And the patriarch had informed him that wielders of the Dao of the Warrior existed as well.
If he merely had the Cleaning skill, then an upgrade through skill combination to the Dao of Cleaning might¡¯ve been possible. But otherworlders with high-rarity skills already focused on their own concepts, their own Dao, even if it wasn¡¯t referred to as such by the System.
¡°A general of the Conclave, one of our allies, came by and attempted to learn the Dao of the Spear once we gave him access to our cultivation skills,¡± the patriarch spoke. ¡°And while it was a valiant effort, that elf¡¯s existing Phantasmal Dragon Spear Mastery was a step above any Dao of the Spear he could hope to acquire. Whether it¡¯s called so or not, the general already comprehended the Dao of the Spear.¡±
¡°I understand that much, but this Shield Intent skill,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m having a difficult time getting a grasp on it.¡±
¡°Naturally, since you¡¯re attempting to apply your soul energy to it, when all new students begin by using Qi,¡± the old cultivator said. ¡°The hurdle you have to cross is far steeper. And it¡¯s been less than an hour¡ even if you¡¯re some monstrous prodigy from another world, temper your expectations a bit, won¡¯t you?¡±
Fair enough. His eyes then went to the stone with strange carvings upon it. He¡¯d looked at it multiple times by now, but it was no more than the carving of a man, bald headed, wearing splendorous armor befitting a general, dual-wielding two straight swords, looking up into the sky, System symbols flitting above his head in a storm that drowned the skies.
The same System symbols that he¡¯d seen form above Eldarion, during the elf¡¯s trial of ascendancy upon Alastaia. It looked remarkably similar to the carvings he¡¯d seen of Zaessythra¡¯s stand against an approaching unknown force as well. Orodan theorized that this ancient first cultivator and Zaessythra had both tried to hastily carve evidence of what had come for them during the System¡¯s trial of ascension. Of course, time was frozen, and memories were doubtlessly wiped of the event, but it was their attempt at preserving some evidence.
¡°I don¡¯t suppose this first cultivator is still alive, is he?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°If he is, then he¡¯s likely on a level beyond us, and even the Emperor. Legend has it he flew into a black hole,¡± the patriarch said. ¡°There was a rumor a while back that our liege attempted to reach out and seek this legendary figure. Nobody quite knows the outcome. Anyhow, less talking, more meditating. Focus on channelling your soul energy into the very intent of your shield¡±
Still, try as he might, Orodan just couldn¡¯t grasp the Shield Intent skill in time, and of course, at some point Jian Song¡¯s patience looked to be running out.
¡°Alright, Orodan Wainwright, we¡¯ve spent enough time here,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°The Emperor is expecting your presence now. We can resume afterwards.¡±
¡°Very well, but before I go,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How long has the Emperor been corrupted by the Eldritch for?¡±
Jian Song¡¯s eyes widened at the question, and the space nearby tore apart as the Dao of Domination and Supremacy began to rip through. It was a testament to the profoundly powerful defenses of the peak that it wasn¡¯t instantly torn apart. If anything, the spatial and time defenses upon Cultivator¡¯s Peak bought Orodan a few seconds, during which an unexpected hand came to rest on his shoulder.
¡°You¡¯ve survived the attempt then? I don¡¯t know how¡ but you¡¯re back in time aren¡¯t you?¡± Jian Yixia asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Listen for we don¡¯t have much time. The Emperor has been corrupted by the Eldritch, but it¡¯s not the normal kind. Be careful, he summoned something and it¡¯s coming¡ you have maybe a month before it crosses into our galaxy.¡±
Before anything more could be said, the surrounding space was obliterated, and the full power of the Celestial Emperor¡¯s corrupted Dao shot straight towards Orodan.
He bravely resisted with all his might and was doing far better at cleansing the incoming attack; however it still wasn¡¯t enough.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2218]
¡°Come then, Orodan Wainwright, let us walk through Swordmist City and make way for the Celestial Palace,¡± Jian Ren offered.
Orodan had a happy smile upon his face. Yes, he¡¯d died. Yes, something horrid was likely coming for him.
But the death took longer than the last one did.
And the progress excited him, as it meant it was only a matter of time.
***
¡°I¡¯ve returned, the attempt failed,¡± Orodan said looking at Jian Yixia. ¡°Since when has the emperor been corrupted, and do you know who¡¯s responsible?¡±
¡°¡truly? Good, there¡¯s hope then,¡± she said even as space began tearing apart near them. ¡°Ever since an expedition into the black hole at the center of our galaxy two billion years ago, the Emperor has returned changed.¡±
¡°Black hole? What¡¯s special about it?¡±
The Celestial Emperor arrived before his question could be answered.
***
¡°The black hole at the center of our galaxy, what¡¯s important about it?¡± Orodan asked, looking at Jian Yixia.
She looked at him a bit strangely but entertained the question.
¡°In all truth, we do not know. None of the other factions in our galaxy know either,¡± Yixia answered. ¡°The slim communications we have with other galaxies suggest that it allows one a higher level of commune with the System itself, perhaps even a measure of control over it. But aside from the legend of the first cultivator diving into one, not much is known of them. Even approaching one is extremely dangerous.¡±
¡°I see, thank you,¡± Orodan replied. And he didn¡¯t miss the pulse of world energy that went out from Jian Song in the form of a message.
***
¡°You¡ how are you comprehending this so quickly?¡± the patriarch asked.
[New Skill (Uncommon) ¡ú Shield Intent 52]
It hadn¡¯t been too difficult. Orodan¡¯s existing Shield Mastery was already at 82. He was an Elite at using the shield, and his abilities with the soul were also at that level. Combining the two separate things into a skill which began at the Adept-level was natural.
Took him ten tries, but he had managed.
What was Shield Intent? It was the act of powering Qi and the will into the very desire, the intent behind the shield. What was a shield meant for? The answer varied for each individual.
For some, the shield was prestige, it was pride, honor. Come home with your shield, or upon it. For others, a shield was meant to protect, to safeguard others, to be the stalwart wall of justice. And then, a shield could also be for offense, to bash, charge, pin and decapitate.
But what was the intent of Orodan¡¯s shield? The loyal armament which had saved his life on so many occasions?
He was a warrior. For Orodan Wainwright, a shield served many purposes in different situations. Yet now, he needed his shield to safeguard his mind and body.
And for an Uncommon-rarity skill, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be powerful. But when a skill relied on soul energy and willpower¡ just what could it do in the hands of a warrior who had both without limit?
¡°When one has a lot of time on their hands, many things are possible,¡± Orodan said as he channelled copious amounts of soul energy into the loyal shield in his left hand.
The shield glowed; he used Domain Of Perfect Cleaning on it as well to prevent it from exploding due to the power running through.
[Shield Intent 52 ¡ú Shield Intent 53]
And as space tore apart and a familiar Celestial Emperor and his Dao of Dominance and Supremacy came through¡
¡a copy of Orodan¡¯s shield, composed purely of soul energy emanated from him. Guarding the entire mountain and the people near him from the tyrant¡¯s assault.
A powerful energy¡
¡°¡shield light!¡± Jian Song uttered in shock. ¡°How can he learn it on the first attempt?!¡±
¡°Fool, he is looping,¡± said Jian Huangdi, the Celestial Emperor, as he stepped through the torn space. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, how many tries did it take you to learn the Shield Intent?¡±
¡°Ten attempts,¡± Orodan answered, and the Emperor¡¯s face scrunched up in displeasure as the man¡¯s eyes began to take on the familiar mad whiteness of the Eldritch.
¡°Hahahah! Good, good! All the sweeter that you feel confident in yourself for when your doom arrives,¡± the man said with a maniacal laugh. ¡°Let us see how that shield of yours holds.¡±
The Celestial Emperor¡¯s Dao smashed into Orodan¡¯s shield light.
It trembled dangerously, but it was powered by Orodan¡¯s very soul¡ which meant his resistance skills extended to it.
[Shield Intent 53 ¡ú Shield Intent 55]
[Eldritch Resistance 63 ¡ú Eldritch Resistance 64]
His Eldritch Resistance, which had gained over the course of his attempts, now reached 64. Shield Intent gained two levels just from withstanding the assault, and it barely held.
Orodan wasn¡¯t delusional. He knew that the Celestial Emperor was far beyond him. Frankly, the only reason he could survive at all was due to the Eldritch element present in his foe¡¯s attacks. Without it, if the Dao of Dominance and Supremacy hit him at full power?
While he held faith in himself winning eventually, the Gods¡¯ attempts at possessing him would look like a joke in comparison. And he would certainly be under for longer than a month, which was more than enough time for the approaching Administrator to find him in a vulnerable state and put a permanent end to him.
Jian Huangdi¡¯s Dao continually smashed into Orodan¡¯s shield, until finally, the man stopped.
¡°Troublesome, but I shall not be the whetstone you sharpen yourself upon,¡± the Emperor said, and then suddenly, the man¡¯s Dao had a very different target.
The space around Orodan.
He flared his Eternal Soul Reactor to the very limit and attempted to resist, but it was for naught. It wasn¡¯t him who was subject to direct spatial manipulation, but the space around him, in a sphere.
¡°A cheap trick, I¡¯ll simply teleport back, you know I have the raw power for it,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been briefed on your particular abilities,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°But you¡¯ll find there are ways around someone like you. Congratulations, your tenacity has impressed me. I believe you¡¯re due for an early meeting.¡±
Despite Orodan¡¯s best efforts, his own spatial manipulation attempts were overpowered, and the space around him was manipulated into a dimensional bubble, and he was thrown elsewhere.
Stars and worlds hurtled past him, and he could tell he¡¯d been thrown into a spatial fold, meant to send him an extreme distance towards something¡ or someone.
His soul energy immediately exploded outwards and smashed the spatial fold aside. Yet, the intended purpose had been successful.
In the distance, behind him, was his galaxy. Or at least, it looked like a galaxy from the outside given the diagrams he¡¯d seen during his lessons. It would take him a lot of energy to stage a teleport or spatial fold back, but it would be doable.
Or, it would¡¯ve been doable, if not for the strange shifting distortion in space that was moving towards him.
One moment it looked to be many star systems away, and then the next¡
¡a hand enveloped his entire face.
¡°Yet another supplanter.¡±
A warped voice, insanity incarnate. The mere sound of it made Orodan want to claw his ears out and never hear it again.
The hand grabbing him wasn¡¯t exactly painful. Rather, no harm was being done to him. Instead, he was being dragged by the head, somewhere, very, very fast.
¡°Wainwright, Wainwright¡ such an interesting little name! Shall you fashion me a cart? Shall we go for a ride?¡±
His power exploded outwards and struck with full force against this strange being¡¯s hand. Hells, he couldn¡¯t even see what his adversary looked like!
¡°Tut! Tut! You mustn¡¯t be so rough! I wouldn¡¯t want to chop that hand and ring off now, would I? How unfortunate would it be? For your friend to float through space for eternity, no company¡ no salvation¡ perhaps if lucky she¡¯ll meet one of the really scary things between galaxies! Hehehe!¡±
No matter how hard he struck, the damned hand simply wouldn¡¯t move.
¡°Do you struggle this hard on every death? Doesn¡¯t that get old after a while? How long can one man try? How many deaths can a single being take?¡± His captor asked. ¡°If anything, I offer a mercy. No need to see your loved ones die over and over.¡±
¡°What are you even doing?! Who are you?!¡± Orodan angrily asked. ¡°At least fight me like a warrior if you¡¯re going to drag me around like a sack of grain!¡±
¡°Hahahah! But you see, my little Wainwright, you¡¯ve done nothing to anger me, so I¡¯m offering you the quick and painless way out,¡± the being said. ¡°Trust me¡ you wouldn¡¯t want to see what I do to the puppets who get on my bad side.¡±
Orodan decided this was going nowhere, so he immediately exploded his own head with an almighty blast of soul energy, forcing the being to let go. Mainly because there was nothing to hold.
¡°Oooh! Ruthless! How high is your Pain Resistance skill to have so easily done that?¡± it asked. ¡°You aren¡¯t even that old from what I can sense of your soul¡ what a masochist you are!¡±
Orodan finally got a good look at it, and it horrified him on an existential level. Deep within his soul, the parts that were intertwined with the System felt fear.
Eldritch, yes. That was the first part of it, at least from what Vision Of Purity told him. But whatever had corrupted this being with Eldritch, was the personification of true terror.
A bald head, with patches of skin being branded with System glyphs which constantly flitted in and out. A topless upper half which exposed horrifically maimed skin, and scars which were in the vague shapes of System glyphs. Scarring wasn¡¯t really an issue with the System, so if this was present, then it meant this being wanted it that way.
Two straight swords were sheathed at its waist.
¡°Ta-da! Did that carving on Cultivator¡¯s Peak do me justice? I believe I look even better now,¡± it said, and then gave Orodan an utterly manic look of pure insanity. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say so?¡±
¡°You look tough¡ are you this Administrator the Celestial Emperor was talking about?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The one and only!¡± the being said with an exaggerated bow and flourish followed by a laugh. ¡°When my loyal descendent told me of a time looper going around proclaiming it, I could scarcely believe it! Can you believe it? The smart ones scurry like rats, the ones with bravado amass forces and train like dogs, but you¡ you¡¯re a weird one, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I could say the same about you. You seem insane.¡±
¡°I¡¯m told it makes your kind quiver in fear,¡± it said as its mouth twisted into an utterly inhuman grin which would normally be impossible. ¡°But you¡¯ve done me no wrong little Wainwright, so let me painlessly end the loops for you. You need not be scared of me.¡±
Zaessythra¡¯s signature within his spatial ring trembled in pure terror.
Every single in Orodan¡¯s own body was also telling him to flee.
And yet¡
¡he had a freakish grin upon his own face as he only gripped his two weapons tighter.
¡°On the contrary,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You¡¯re just the kind of fight I¡¯ve been looking for. This feels like a good battle to end my life on.¡±
His blood sang, his inner warrior went manic, and all sense of self-preservation left him entirely. Every cell in his body quivered in excitement at the thought of one final, glorious battle.
¡°You¡ you¡¯re actually insane too, aren¡¯t you?¡± it asked. ¡°What sort of freak did it pick this time? No matter, come, let¡¯s give you a permanent end.¡±
One moment, Orodan was ready with weapons drawn. The next, he was entirely enveloped in a strange substance that simply wouldn¡¯t break no matter what he did, and once more, he was moving at incredibly fast speeds somewhere.
¡°You see, one thing it doesn¡¯t warn you time loopers of¡ is that you¡¯re rather vulnerable when taken out of System-space. Shall I demonstrate?¡±
Eternal Soul Reactor flared, the material attempted to insidiously infiltrate his very soul, but the eternal fires of his very being burned hotter and hotter.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 95 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 96]
All of his ¡®clones¡¯ sprang forth and began assailing the Administrator from the outside, even as his main body was dragged along. The destination, a strange worm hole in-between galaxies. And something in Orodan knew, that if he was dragged in there, his true death would come.
He continued burning hotter and hotter, assailing the material further and further, until eventually¡
¡an incredibly small crack appeared within it.
Orodan was on the verge of thinking of some way of widening it, when something occurred.
His very world was awash in white flame and lightning. The space around him and the Administrator was cracked and shattered, and System glyphs and symbols poured out.
¡°Grrr! You choose now of all times to interfere!?¡± the Administrator roared in fury. ¡°It matters not, he¡¯s too weak, I¡¯ll still kill him.¡±
And it would¡¯ve likely been true too.
If not for¡
¡an axe cutting space itself apart, and an armored hand pulling him through.
Countless stars and galaxies passed him by, until finally, he landed somewhere. And the first face he saw¡
¡°¡Jian Huangdi? Why did you rescue me?¡±
¡°What? I¡¯m not my father, although I¡¯m told we look rather alike,¡± the man said.
Regally dressed. Armored in resplendent attire and surrounded by many soldiers.
¡°Then you must be¡¡±
¡°Zhou Shan,¡± the man replied and offered a hand which Orodan took. ¡°And you must be the otherworlder, Orodan Wainwright. We just barely rescued you in time¡ thank the heavens. My father has lost his mind and must be stopped.¡±
Around him, was a full team of specialists, operating various complex looking devices and being empowered by multiple treasures and pills. They were within a war camp, and the very air and landscape looked surreal and impossible to comprehend, much like the Celestial Court did.
¡°What is this place?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Ah, I apologize Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Prince said. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve dragged you from one battle to another. This is the war camp of the third army of the Celestial Court. My men are the only true loyalists of the Ascendent Sword Cluster who are willing to stand against both my father and the puppet Sovereign.¡±
¡°We¡¯re in a war zone then?¡±
¡°Yes, the devils will attack us in moments,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°I sincerely apologize, but I must ask you to join us in battle. Our mutual survival depends on it.¡±
Apologize?
Orodan could only smile like a madman.
He brought Zaessythra out of his ring and put her to the side.
[C#he*ck&po%in$t S@et]
He could go back and get the Emperor later. But for now¡ he had a war to grind against.
Chapter 51 - Battlefield Grinding I
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
¡°Man your posts! I shall take to the field myself; we do not fight alone this day!¡± the Prince declared as he looked at Orodan.
¡°I¡¯d love to fight, but I feel I should at least ask how you rescued me,¡± Orodan said.
¡°We¡¯d been tracking your movements since you arrived in the Ascendent Sword Cluster,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Unfortunately, reaching you while you were within Swordmist City wasn¡¯t feasible. The third army¡¯s base of power is here, in the dimensional divide. Our agents, few that they are, have been subject to continual rooting out by my father¡¯s forces, and any diversion of forces from here to outside would be viciously preyed upon by the forces of the puppet.¡±
¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain how you mustered the power to beat that thing,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It was stronger than even the Celestial Emperor.¡±
¡°What thing? You were too far to see visually, yet we sensed you in the middle of some form of combat, but a strange interference surrounded you,¡± the Prince explained. ¡°Something caused the interference to clear for a brief moment, and I took advantage of that.¡±
That raised more questions. Mainly about just who or what had assisted him in that critical moment. Otherwise, Orodan was certain he might have truly died against the Administrator.
That thing corrupted and maddened as it was, had said many things of great import. Other time loopers? A benefactor that put him in the time loops? And space outside of the System where he was vulnerable to a true death?
The universe was a truly gigantic place, and his worldview had irrevocably expanded with just one ill-fated meeting. The number of threats looming in the horizon were aplenty, but so were the potential allies, after all, he¡¯d been saved by an unknown force and the subsequent actions of Prince Zhou Shan.
¡°I see, thank you, truly,¡± Orodan said, genuinely meaning it. He¡¯d truly gotten caught up in a mad lust for battle, but now that his mind had cleared a bit, he felt more than a minor amount of guilt. Throwing his own life away was one thing, but Zaessythra and his world depended upon him now. ¡°I owe you one. Zhou Shan, was it? I¡¯ll remember this.¡±
The Prince only shook his head in response and extended a hand towards Orodan; he took it.
¡°You owe me nothing, I simply saw a man in trouble and chose to help, as is the right thing to do,¡± Zhou Shan replied. ¡°And if honor still dictates you feel a need to repay me, then join us in this battle.¡±
Why, that had been Orodan¡¯s intention from the get-go!
¡°I would¡¯ve joined in this fight even if you hadn¡¯t saved my life,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Come, battle awaits!¡±
He moved to immediately gather his sword and shield from the ground. Somehow, in a stroke of true fortune, both his precious weapons from Ogdenborough had survived. Yes, they were mere Apprentice-level armaments, and in a battlefield where the enemies were Grandmasters, what use could they be? But to Orodan, the shield had saved his life innumerable times, and the sword had slain thousands of his enemies.
Their effectiveness was allowed only through the use of his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning which had Weapon Aura underneath its umbrella, but Orodan considered them important all the same.
For the first time, he took a proper look around, taking in his surroundings.
The landscape was similar to the impossible and dream-like geography of the Celestial Court. Which meant they were in another dimension altogether, one where both Gods and Transcendents could exist in their true forms. From what Jian Ren had told him during one of the checkpoint loops on Xian, important places of power and diplomacy within the universe were often hosted in such a dimension where Gods could remain without having to burn divine power, and where Transcendents could enter through a designated passageway.
In the distance, looming over everything. Larger than an entire world¡ was a gigantic whirling vortex. It was composed of pure white, and even from here Orodan could hear, feel and sense the trillions of beings¡ souls. The souls of the deceased were entering from various points, deaths on the worlds of the Ascendent Sword Cluster. And as souls entered, souls also left the nexus, flitting towards the worlds to inhabit new life, most without memories of their past lives.
This could only be the soul nexus.
And it was with this soul nexus as the backdrop that the Third Army was situated.
A large and expansive war camp, with red banners of an axe flying about everywhere. Soldiers weren¡¯t bothering with the frilly drills he¡¯d seen in Swordmist City, but instead stood with grim faces, dwelling on their own thoughts or meditating before battle. These weren¡¯t fresh-faced recruits, but veteran soldiers.
He¡¯d never been in a pitched battle where one military force engaged another. But the scene was something he¡¯d at least learned of during basic training for the county militia. The method and arrangements of war seemed familiar in some respects to what he¡¯d been taught of Inuanan military operations.
Soldiers were grouped into units, such as groups of swordsmen, units of spears and halberds, and formations of archers and javelineers. Of course, there were some mixed units as well, and numerous flying monsters, particularly the strange serpent-like dragons, also added to the matter by providing air support and remaining ready to contest the enemy¡¯s control of the skies. The back ranks held some gigantic artillery pieces, and some robed individuals who were surrounded by strange flags. Formation masters.
It was a well-organized army with the caveat that every soldier was at the Grandmaster-level. Something completely out-of-place on Alastaia as Grandmasters weren¡¯t nearly common enough to form an entire army.
But, a civilization that was billions of years old and spanned many worlds could feasibly organize such a thing.
All in all, the third army numbered roughly ten-thousand, all of the troops Grandmasters at minimum.
Which meant it was a dire situation that the enemy numbered over forty-thousand.
The battlefield wasn¡¯t mountainous, sloped, or in any way obscured. It was a perfectly flat plain of battle where two armies could engage one another fairly. Why the numerically smaller force had chosen to commit to this slugfest, Orodan didn¡¯t know, but he approved of course.
And the clear battlefield allowed him a nice view of the enemy army.
Forty-thousand strong, the weakest were Grandmasters, and they had plenty of lieutenants and commanders who were Transcendents. There were some differences in the enemy army however, chiefly that their flying monsters weren¡¯t serpentine dragons, but some kind of fell-beast which looked rather devilish in nature. And their front ranks were composed of cultivators, but also some sort of smaller minotaur which wore armor and wielded weapons like a humanoid would. A majority of their frontline was composed of these minotaurs.
¡°Bull demons¡ the Dao-less scum bring their slaves borrowed from the hells to wear us down first,¡± one soldier nearby muttered.
Orodan vaguely recalled Akelrim saying something about bull demons before, although that was before he knew the Vedharna was an otherworlder who¡¯d fallen into the body of an Alastaian.
¡°Are they strong?¡± Orodan asked the soldier.
¡°They have a Demonic Might skill which puts them on par with our body cultivators,¡± the soldier replied.
¡°This will be a hard-fought battle, Orodan,¡± Zhou Shan said as he walked up from behind to stand next to him. ¡°This is the greatest force they¡¯ve ever brought to bear thus far.¡±
¡°Would I be arrogant to presume it¡¯s because of me?¡±
¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t, because it¡¯s true. The puppet Sovereign¡¯s intelligence network doubtlessly informed him of your arrival, and the addition of a Celestial skill bearer to our ranks must¡¯ve concerned him,¡± Zhou Shan replied. ¡°They aren¡¯t stupid. Giving us any time to become entrenched and properly utilize your prowess would be foolish, hence they strike now.¡±
¡°Quite the numbers arrayed before us¡¡±
¡°Indeed, we must fight conservatively. Fear not, I too am a bearer of a Celestial skill, with my axe working in concert with your cleaning, we shall beat this foe back!¡± Zhou Shan heroically promised. ¡°Now then let us- wait, what are you doing?!¡±
What was Orodan doing?
Nothing but the usual for him¡
¡which involved charging into the ranks of the enemy army by himself.
¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ll take you all on! Nobody else gets a single kill!¡±
This was the declaration of Orodan Wainwright.
This was a real battlefield, and today, he would annihilate the entire enemy army by himself. As many checkpoint loops as it took.
The Celestial Emperor was devious, and Orodan would have to admit, intelligent. The man refused to allow Orodan the opportunity to use him as a stepping stone. But these foes? They presented the perfect opportunity.
Armies in the midst of battle weren¡¯t unguarded. An army had countermeasures for virtually every situation and method of attack. On Inuan, standing armies had mind magic specialists, chronomancers, spatiomancers, and soul magic specialists alongside a suite of supporting troops all meant to safeguard against the enemy.
So, when the enemy army had their space-lock formation shattered with brute force and power as a Spatial Fold got through, it was cause for concern.
¡°It¡¯s the enemy Celestial!¡±
¡°-did he get past the space-lock?!¡±
¡°Enough! Front ranks! Advance and engage!¡± a powerful commander bellowed. Orodan sensed the woman was a Transcendent, wielding the whip, akin to a slave-driver for these strange minotaur-men. ¡°Back ranks! Coiling Serpent Formation, now! Open fire!¡±
One moment he was poised to return the charge and clash against a thousand-strong unit of bull demons. They were each Grandmasters, but Orodan was strong and held faith in his ability to win through time and attrition. But what he didn¡¯t expect, was for the back rank right behind the bull-demon unit to suddenly become surrounded by green Qi which coalesced into the form of a giant serpent.
This giant serpent shot out a volley of empowered arrows towards him, and his body was immediately blasted full of holes.
¡°Hahah! We¡¯ve struck a mortal blow! Are you sure that¡¯s the Celestial?¡±
¡°What the¡ how did these archers die?¡±
Orodan swiftly recovered from having multiple penetration wounds inflicted upon him and met the Bull Demons in melee.
One man, wielding sword and shield in melee, against a thousand-strong unit of great axe-wielding monsters all two heads bigger than even him. Yet, the first ten who made contact with him were sent flying like leaves in a gale. His sword and shield began lashing out, fourteen clones of him appeared and Orodan Wainwright began a furious melee against an entire frontline unit of bull demons.
Yes, he was far stronger than each bull demon. But they were still Grandmasters, and more importantly, their Physical Fitness equivalent skill stretched farther than it would on a regular human. Which meant they hit far harder than a normal Grandmaster. Orodan took hits here and there as the thousand-strong unit swarmed him with numbers.
¡°Strike hard! We shall claim glory for avenging the Devil King¡¯s failure!¡±
¡°The human shall fall eventually!¡±
¡°Kill it before it becomes a greater threat!¡±
The bull demons roared and snarled their threats as they hacked, slashed and gored Orodan. For every ten foes he slew, ten blows were received.
The situation would¡¯ve been a gradual death by a thousand cuts¡
¡for someone without his healing capabilities.
The first sign that they were catching on was when the nearby bull demons began hesitating in their attacks, unwilling to engage him in melee. The last four that felt brave and were too slow to catch on, died as their own blows were returned with a more than five times multiplier.
¡°Mistress! We cannot defeat the foe!¡± one of the mightier bull demons cried out. It was the unit captain, the leader of this particular group of a thousand. ¡°Its healing is monstrous, and it¡¯s far too strong!¡±
However, hesitant as they were, something drove them to continue assaulting Orodan, and they suffered many more casualties as a result. Lives were reaped by the dozen as All-Strikes shot out and killed many at a time, and Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity made them pay for every strike they landed. Furthermore, he began reaching out with Vision Of Purity and Domain Of Perfect Cleaning; what he saw was an opportunity.
The bull demons were almost suicidal in their attacks, but it wasn¡¯t natural. As though their instincts had been overridden by something. And that overriding reason¡ was a powerful command within their minds. These bull demons were not only slaves in name, but in mind too. The cultivators had some method of controlling them.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and began purifying the corrupted parts of their mind where this control mechanism took root.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 78 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 79]
Almost immediately, the commanding whip-wielding cultivator had a look of raw panic upon her face and rushed towards Orodan.
¡°He¡¯s breaking the control we have over the bull demons! Mind cultivators! Delay him!¡± she roared. ¡°Master! The artifact requires more power to keep these vermin in line!¡±
However, it was too little too late. Even as the combined mental assault of a thousand minds hit him, the damage had been done as Domain Of Perfect Cleaning struck out and cleansed the minds of over five-thousand bull demons in the vicinity. He shook off the assault by the enemy Mind cultivators, many of them reeling in shock and out of commission as Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity returned their assault.
Frankly, this was why Inuanan military doctrine advised against packing many separate units too closely together. The threat of wide area attacks causing heavy casualties was too high. Units packing too closely together could lead to horrible losses, rather it was better to have them remain within reinforcing range and congregate and disperse as needed.
Which was what the enemy had done. They had some common sense and had elected to keep a space of a few miles between every group of five units, with each unit having a thousand demons.
As it stood, he would¡¯ve cleansed even more bull demons if they hadn¡¯t had such sense and the range of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning wasn¡¯t limited.
The bull demons who had their minds purified immediately began routing and broke off from their main force. Just like that¡ the opposing army of forty-thousand had been turned into an enemy army of thirty-five thousand. Now all he had to do was repeat the process for the rest of the bull demons, and he¡¯d make a noticeable contribution to the battle.
Orodan had charged the direct center of the enemy¡¯s front line, a spearhead. The battlefield was a big place however, and the section he¡¯d charged only made up part of the enemy¡¯s army. Around him, the remaining regiments of the enemy army began colliding with allied battle lines. The flanks of the puppet Sovereign¡¯s forces clashed against the flanks of the Third army, and regiments of bull demons meant to die as expendable meat shields went up against the loyalist cultivators of the Celestial Court.
Allied cultivators obliterated entire units of bull demons by working together in tandem. It was a technique Orodan had been on the receiving end of moments ago when he¡¯d been struck by arrows but seeing it as an observer exposed the intricacies involved. Cultivators channeled high amounts of Qi to form an ethereal dragon, and each cultivator was responsible for controlling a portion of the energy beast. The claws, mouth and wings of the dragon were its mightiest points, and it was as though many people were working together to commandeer a giant dragon made of Qi.
However, nobly as they fought, the Third army was outnumbered. And the bull demon regiments were but an expendable shield meant to absorb powerful attacks so that the enemy cultivators in the back ranks could then come in fresh to prey upon the troops of the Third army.
The ground battle looked to be in dire straits as the enemy had numerical superiority.
In the skies, however, serpentine dragons and their riders battled against flying fell beasts mounted by demons and cultivators. And while the dragon riders were solidly winning in the air, the enemy cultivators on the ground began utilizing their superior numbers and ranged firepower to force them to land or die. Aerial superiority was thus stalemated, and at the very least Orodan didn¡¯t have to worry about enemy aerial troops assaulting him thanks to the efforts of these brave dragon riders.
The biggest spectacle on the battlefield, however, was the leaders of the two armies clashing head-to-head.
The puppet Sovereign was throwing flames of a deep red color towards the Prince. It was hellfire, something that should have been unique to the devils of the hells. And even from a great distance Orodan could feel there was something profoundly wrong with the man. Prince Zhou Shan however, was strong, and the Third army¡¯s leader slammed an axe against the hellfire wielding enemy over and over, and looked to actually have an edge.
The elite troops of each side, Transcendents and Gods, began clashing all throughout the battlefield. However, right from the beginning the situation looked to be dire. The enemy outnumbered them four-to-one. And this also meant they held numerical superiority in terms of Gods and Transcendents.
Hence, Orodan was reminded that the whip-wielding cultivator wasn¡¯t the only enemy he had to face.
The whip-wielding cultivator struck out with her weapon. A deadly bladed implement that lashed towards him like a snake and threatened to slice right through his limbs. Yet, Shield Intent and his defensive bracing held. The attack was strong, but as he¡¯d come to learn, Transcendence was merely the act of going past level 100 in a skill.
Orodan had yet to ask anyone what the levels of strength in the Transcendent-level were, but without a doubt this woman was weaker than Jian Song and Devil King Gutriyaz, and far weaker than the Celestial Emperor. He had grown in power, and this woman was perhaps only slightly more powerful than him.
He could gradually wear her down, he could win!
She wasn¡¯t alone however, as a thousand-headed serpent tore through space and every one of its head glared at him with the promise of death. It glowed a cyan color and began generating tsunamis and floods around it which were empowered by divine energy. He¡¯d fought a hundred-headed serpent before, in his early days on Alastaia, but this¡
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¡this was a God. An actual God in the flesh, empowered by the faith of its innumerable followers and worshippers. Divine energy.
And the first thing it did was open the mouths of all one-thousand heads, and launch beams of divine energy empowered water directly at him.
The regiment of bull demons had already broken and fled, leaving just Orodan, the Transcendent whip cultivator and the hydra God on their section of the battlefield. A section which was utterly decimated as a hundred miles of terrain was utterly obliterated by the raw force of an ocean, empowered by divine energy.
Yet, when the waters subsided, the hydra-God could only look on in shock.
¡°Divine Resistance?! How?!¡± it protested, baffled. ¡°Be warned! The enemy Celestial also possesses Divine Resistance!¡±
The difference was noticeable as the enemy army immediately began shifting its back ranks about, and two Transcendents enemy commanders who were fighting on other fronts backed out and immediately made their way towards Orodan. When the enemy had numerical superiority, such mid-battle shuffling was a luxury they were afforded.
The hydra-God immediately pulled back, and Orodan lamented the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be acquiring the God Slayer title just yet. And the two enemy Transcendents came in, one, a man wearing robes of splendorous wealth, who caused gold coins and wealth to appear and disappear from thin air as he walked. The other, a woman who crackled with lightning as her fists clenched, an unarmed fighter.
Three Transcendents arrayed against him when he was only able to hold out against one. Dire odds, just how he liked them.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! What has the Celestial Emperor promised to seduce you into serving his tyrannical court?!¡± the lightning-fist Transcendent called out. ¡°Join us and fight for the cause of liberty and justice!¡±
¡°You¡¯ve enslaved bull demons to fight your battles. How much justice exists in your cause?¡± Orodan fired back, causing the woman to frown.
¡°The demons are our natural enemies, mere expendables to be used and discarded once we¡¯ve secured our freedom,¡± she said. ¡°But I see your mind is set. I sense you¡¯re no stronger than the Master-level, yet you fight far beyond it. Incredible potential, worthy of being a Celestial skill bearer, but even you have limits.¡±
He pointed his sword at her and smiled as the battle lust took over.
¡°Let¡¯s test these limits then.¡±
No further words were said.
The first to reach him, unsurprisingly, was the lightning-fist Transcendent. Arcs of energy crackled around her fist, and the lightning jumped from her hand to his chest.
[Lightning Resistance 18 ¡ú Lightning Resistance 23]
This woman was a Transcendent of lightning, a powerful existence. The arcing energy coming from her fist caused his skin to wrinkle and blacken as it ran through his body.
But¡ that was all it did.
And as her actual fist reached him, his own hand came up and caught it cleanly, causing her eyes to widen. Strong, but she wasn¡¯t a Transcendent in unarmed fighting, just in lightning. And his own Physical Fitness and skill in melee was on-par with hers.
¡°Lightning Resistance! My attacks aren¡¯t going to be effective!¡± she cried out as her own flesh charred and blackened miserably from Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity. ¡°He can turn our attacks against us! Xue Ran! We need your healing!¡±
High in the skies atop the back of a fell beast, was a cultivator surrounded by copious amounts of jade energy. This man sent flowing beams of green healing light towards the injured combatants of the enemy army. And in particular, this allowed his enemies to recover from any attacks they landed upon him, the threat of his Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity lessened.
The whip Transcendent reached him shortly after, and it then became a two-on-one. Even with Shield Intent and his defensive abilities, he was on the backfoot in a two-on-one. He tactically allowed the weaker attacks of the lightning fist to land while focusing only on defending against the whip. He might¡¯ve held too if not for the inclusion of the third enemy Transcendent.
A river of soul energy powered gold washed over him, its heat was scorching, but his Fire Resistance aided against that. What was of concern though, was how the liquid metal gold seeped through his skin and into his veins where it began solidifying. And unlike regular gold, it was profoundly strong. His muscles were incapable of breaking it as they attempted to reform, leading to some mangled healing which he had to abort.
His veins began filling with gold which hardened, his blood turned solid, and his entire body began to be destroyed from the inside out.
The attack was a dangerous one and Orodan was forced to abandon his regular body entirely and begin reforming a new one from the few cells that hadn¡¯t been touched by the Transcendent cultivator¡¯s gold.
¡°Do you like my Dao of Gold, otherworlder?¡± the man asked, shrouded in jade energy from the aerial healer. ¡°I¡¯m told those with healing and regeneration powers often struggle against it. Unlike a more transient assault which your body either survives or is destroyed by, my gold remains, a block against your cells reforming in the correct shape. After all, how can you regrow your heart if unbreakable gold is in its place?¡±
Orodan had to admit, this was a learning experience. Of course, enemies who could counter his healing abilities existed. The universe was simply too large to expect that anti-regeneration tactics and abilities didn¡¯t exist.
¡°I¡¯ll admit, it¡¯s a novel tactic. Never had it used against me before,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Even cycling copious amounts of soul energy through my body doesn¡¯t prevent the gold from seeping in. It only slows it down.¡±
¡°Indeed, in time these energy intensive reformations you¡¯re performing will drain you, all while we continue receiving healing. And then¡ you¡¯ll fall,¡± the man said. In response, Orodan¡¯s eyes held a determined look.
A battle of attrition then. His foes would learn the hard way why that was a bad idea.
The very center of the battlefield was devoid of regular troops. The enemy¡¯s center front line of bull demons had broken, and the back rank of cultivators had re-deployed to the flanks to combat the Third army. The only beings present in the center were Orodan and the three enemy Transcendents who were ganging up on him. In the skies above, Zhou Shan and his core group of elites battled against the puppet Sovereign and his inner circle.
Whip light materialized and flayed large chunks of Orodan¡¯s flesh, and any attempts to reform were hampered as liquid gold instantly filled his veins and acted as a hindrance. Over and over, Orodan was forced to tear off parts of his own body and reform outside of it. And the Gold cultivator had begun to realize that perhaps attrition wasn¡¯t a wise idea.
¡°I had thought he¡¯d be running low on energy after so many reformations, but it seems he has some unique ability to generate unreasonable amounts of power,¡± the Gold cultivator said. ¡°Attempting to exhaust him may not be wise. Hold him in place as I properly surround him.¡±
Orodan continued fighting, and his skill levels rose across the board, but it was a losing affair.
The whip cultivator¡¯s weapon suddenly erupted with the deep red flames of hell, which he had resistance against. But the weapon itself also gained an increase in durability, which was used to great effect in binding him for just a moment¡
¡as a carefully controlled sphere of liquid gold enveloped him within.
His entire body, all of his cells, were caught within it. And it seeped into each and every one of his pores and began circulating throughout his body. Then, it began hardening.
The Incorruptible Being portion of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning kicked in and prevented the worst of the man¡¯s abilities, which was the conversion of living flesh to gold. But it was still a nearly fatal attack as the gold began grounding each and every cell of his body down.
Yet, even amidst this dire situation¡ good training could occur.
[Body Tempering 56 ¡ú Body Tempering 58]
Orodan directed all of his focus towards his physical body. Body Tempering was a difficult skill to train as he grew stronger, particularly since it was hard to find a method of applying omnidirectional pressure to each and every cell of his body. Now however, this was the perfect opportunity for some training.
Like a crucible, he would struggle, and he would grind skill levels.
The flowing gold which ran through him and infested the gaps between each cell ground away, turning him into mush and destroying him. But, Orodan struggled back, focusing on squeezing physical power out of each and every cell of his body.
Furthermore, this dangerous attack forced him to become aware of the most minute gaps and imperfections in his own body. Cells had gaps between them, but this gap was filled with the natural blood, fluids and matter of his own body. Then, to prevent the infiltration of liquid gold into his veins, this matter needed to become stronger.
Even as his body was ravaged and his healing ineffective, Orodan closed his eyes and focused inwards. Inch by inch, as his body was ground down, he observed closely. And he took note of the flaws present in his blood, in the cells themselves; in the smallest units of matter which his body was composed of.
And as his body was destroyed, he began reforming his blood and interstitial fluid to be stronger, tougher¡ capable of competing against liquid gold itself in strength and thickness.
[Body Tempering 58 ¡ú Body Tempering 61]
¡°He¡¯s¡ he¡¯s somehow adapting! Unleash your assaults and kill him immediately! His healing is hampered!¡± the Gold cultivator shouted in a panic.
The hellish flames from the whip erupted once more and the blade portion of the whip began producing a whip light once more, vibrating furiously to a point where mere contact would make Orodan¡¯s flesh disintegrate. And as it was about to destroy the final vestiges of Orodan¡¯s body¡
¡he revealed another one of his cards.
[Teleportation 46 ¡ú Teleportation 47]
It was harder than he thought it¡¯d be, particularly since this Gold cultivator¡¯s liquid material also had the ability to lock down space. But the Transcendent wasn¡¯t a true specialist in the art of space, and Orodan had a knack for shattering any attempts to restrict spatiomancy.
¡°He can teleport too? This is just ridiculous,¡± the Gold cultivator said. ¡°Enough games, call in every spare captain and commander we have. We must strike now and with full force before he can somehow adapt even further.¡±
Multiple Transcendents entered the fray, and Orodan was promptly swarmed by multiple enemies, all of whom were individually stronger than him. He faced at least thirty enemy Transcendents. And while he¡¯d grown strong, capable of surviving a powerful Devil King and holding against three Transcendents at the same time¡ it didn¡¯t mean he could last against thirty.
Arrows capable of penetrating continents blasted through him, sword strikes which could cut empires struck, and hammers which could rock worlds smacked him about. His only saving grace was that each attack knocked him around enough that the following twenty-nine didn¡¯t land as flush as they otherwise would¡¯ve.
He truly was on the verge of dying when the enemy did something which presented an opportunity. They worked in concert to set up a gigantic formation. It looked like a continent-sized Arch-Devil, with different points of the soul energy construct being controlled by different people.
And immediately, Orodan acted.
Chronomancy. His very first encounter with it was on Alastaia during his early days when he was getting an education at the Bluefire Academy. The headmistress of the school of chronomancy that he¡¯d encountered had explained a few things about the arts of time to him.
First, that reversing anything in time cost energy. In fact, the more energy that something possessed or was involved in its creation, the more power the chronomancer would have to expend. Power wasn¡¯t an issue for Orodan Wainwright.
But here and now, as he was about to die, what did interest him, was the fact that chronomancers on his world were capable of reversing a positive transformation and stealing the mana difference.
And as Orodan charged up an enormous amount of power through Eternal Soul Reactor and threw it into Time Reversal, his enemies could only stare with wide eyes.
[Time Mastery 47 ¡ú Time Mastery 50]
[New Title ¡ú Time Adept]
[Time Reversal 46 ¡ú Time Reversal 50]
Even on Alastaia the standard countermeasures against direct manipulation by chronomancers was to either maintain a full mana pool or carry anti-chronomancy items which were just large batteries of power. The principle was that the cost of reversing time when large quantities of power were involved would be debilitating. And while a very skilled chronomancer could use finesse to target only the enemy and not their anti-chronomancy objects, many of the enchanted objects had safeguards to detect this and would then promptly cycle their mana pools into the wearer, making chronomancy even harder.
It stood to reason then that every Transcendent on this battlefield had items which guarded against chronomancy. Items which were entirely useless against the raw power of Orodan Wainwright.
¡°Impossible! How can you reverse time upon so many?!¡± a graying cultivator called out. The man wielded a giant hourglass as a weapon, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that he was a Time cultivator.
He and two others furiously attempted to counter Orodan¡¯s manipulation of time. In fact, they were doing, and had done everything right. They were directly contesting his chronomancy, they had anti-chronomancy items on their persons, and their energy reserves weren¡¯t low.
Yet, one could do everything correctly and still fail when up against the unfair ability to generate power endlessly.
Before the very eyes of the two warring armies, Orodan¡¯s Time Reversal grasped all thirty of the enemy Transcendents¡
¡and reversed them through time to before they worked together to form the gigantic Arch-Devil. Enemy counter-chronomancy, anti-chronomancy items and energy pools; none of it mattered. His eyes blazed with white light as his soul energy was directed towards the domineering feat of toying with them in the river of time despite their best efforts to resist.
And while he couldn¡¯t absorb enemy soul energy to pocket the difference like he could mana, he could at the very least ensure they returned through time without the energy they¡¯d invested into their formation.
¡°The Hellfire Emperor formation¡! It¡¯s gone!¡± one enemy called out. ¡°This¡ this is too much! Call for the general!¡±
The general? They couldn¡¯t mean¡
The titanic battle in the skies between the leaders and inner circles of the two armies suddenly shifted as two figures broke away. Their sudden departure caused Prince Zhou Shan to suddenly gain the upper hand and begin a massacre of many of the puppet Sovereign¡¯s elites. And this truly should¡¯ve been good news!
Unfortunately, the two figures who broke away were heading straight for Orodan.
His actions had drawn a bit too much attention.
Expecting the rest of the enemy army to sit on their laurels as he devastated a five-thousand strong regiment and then proceeded to occupy thirty of the enemy Transcendents was stupid. He¡¯d displayed his power, and now they were taking him very seriously.
However, instead of immediately attacking him, the two figures stopped and examined him closely.
The subordinate of the two was an old cultivator who carried a simple broom in his hands, yet Orodan could sense the raw power emanating from the man. His pride demanded he show this opponent that his cleaning was superior.
The leader, however, was a wicked figure. On the surface he looked like a man, but Orodan knew there was something vile about him.
¡°The time looper,¡± spoke the wicked armored figure. ¡°I see Devil King Gutriyaz failed to kill you. How many tries did it take? Did you gain any exceptional skills from him?¡±
The group of thirty enemy Transcendents backed off as the man spoke. He wore dark armor, composed of scales. Typical cultivator soldier attire, but with streaks of deep red running through. He carried no weapons, but his hands glowed with deep red flames which had a sinister aura. Hellfire.
The man¡¯s eyes flashed red with power, and something far more wicked underneath.
A single look with Vision Of Purity told him exactly what it was.
¡°You¡¯re-¡±
¡°A Devil King? Yes. Of course, you can tell. This must be your first time going through this then,¡± the man said. ¡°Since you¡¯re in a time loop, I might as well spill the rice in the hopes of gaining some of your trust, no?¡±
Orodan had heard of demonic possession. Even growing up in Ogdenborough, the priests of the Cathedral would expound on the fact that demonic possession was a real threat that Alastaia had to contend with in the past. Of course, since the destruction of the seventh hell, it was no longer a concern upon his homeworld. Here, however, seeing a possessed being for the first time was a learning experience.
It was a sickening thing, the very core of the man¡¯s being was rotten, as though something wicked was wearing his body like a set of ill-fitting clothes. Beneath, the original soul was trapped, battered and tortured into submission. Vision Of Purity saw the Devil King underneath as a foul plague, dirty filth. And he had to wonder if this was one of the restricted skills which only Devils had access to. For he¡¯d heard of nobody else on Alastaia being capable of possession like this thing was.
¡°Trust? The very sight of you makes me want to retch,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I used to think I hated necromancers the most, but I might have to make room for a number one spot on that list.¡±
¡°But we need not be hostile towards one another,¡± the Devil King said. ¡°They call this mortal the puppet Sovereign, but what they don¡¯t say is that he willingly allowed me to possess his mind and body. All in the hopes of ending the tyranny of the Celestial Court.¡±
¡°And you expect me to work alongside you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°We¡¯re natural enemies. Devil King Gutriyaz immediately attempted to kill me the moment I displayed my ability to purify a True Vampire.¡±
¡°Yes, a troubling ability, and if you weren¡¯t a time looper you would be dead. The thought of you turning that towards me is a sickening one,¡± the disguised devil admitted with a snarl, which looked most odd when done through a human body. ¡°But, now that you¡¯ve revealed yourself to be someone of a most vexatious nature, perhaps we can come to an agreement? Even if you despise me and my kind, mayhap you can direct your ire against our mutual enemies.¡±
¡°The Celestial Court.¡±
¡°Precisely,¡± the puppet Sovereign replied. ¡°The fact that you¡¯ve survived to reach this place¡ I¡¯m truly curious, did you and the Emperor come to an accord of sorts? Have you allied with him of all people?¡±
¡°An accord? I bow to no one,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°His Dao attempted to subvert my will, and I simply resisted it with brute force and strength of mind.¡±
¡°Impossible¡!¡± the puppet declared. ¡°At your level, such a thing should not have been possible. You lie.¡±
¡°Believe whatever you want. This conversation has gone on too long,¡± Orodan said as he pointed his sword at the foe. ¡°It¡¯s time to fight.¡±
The puppet Sovereign¡¯s eyes narrowed, and the devil simply smiled.
¡°This is your first time making it this far, isn¡¯t it?¡± the puppet Sovereign asked. ¡°I apologize, Thousand Broom Sovereign, but I¡¯m afraid I shall have to renege on our agreement, even at the cost of my own soul.¡±
The man wielding a broom turned sharply towards the devil, eyes wide.
¡°We had an agreement! Just what do you intend to do?!¡± the man furiously asked.
¡°Unfortunately, we face a grave threat in the face of which the soul nexus is no longer a priority,¡± the puppet Sovereign said. ¡°It shall be a suitable price to pay if we can inflict a grievous wound on a truly threatening enemy.¡±
¡°No! I cannot allow this! You die here you dev-¡±
The broom was mid-motion, about to strike the puppet Sovereign, when a simple pulse of world energy went out from a crown-shaped ring upon the devil¡¯s finger. This pulse went directly towards the gigantic soul nexus overlooking the entire battlefield.
¡°No¡ no!¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign cried in despair.
One moment the soul nexus was white, the trillions of souls within were peacefully undergoing the cycle of death and reincarnation. And the next¡
¡hellfire began spreading through. It wasn¡¯t the usual fire, but one which reached deep into the cores of all the trillions of souls within the nexus.
When he had first learned Eternal Soul Reactor, Adeltaj had been concerned that Orodan was igniting his own soul in a suicidal attack. It was a valid concern, after all, soul mages could do such a thing, to devastating effect. A soul core explosion was a frightening thing. Even a single soul mage or someone with a powerful soul could kill someone a tier above through the suicidal act which detonated the outer soul layer through the build-up of cataclysmic pressure.
But this? To set a small virulent hellfire which caused such a thing to happen to all of the trillions of souls within the soul nexus?
Well, it was hopeless to expect survival. This Devil King wearing the puppet Sovereign¡¯s body was utterly ruthless, accepting its own death in exchange for a suicidal attack.
One moment the dimensional realm existed, and the next¡
¡the very barriers shattered from the raw devastation as a blast capable of destroying an entire solar system erupted.
He did his best to shield himself, but everything was shattered, and the last thing Orodan recalled was forgetting who he was. The familiar sign of a completely destroyed outer soul layer.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2213]
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
However, he knew not who he was. In fact, this warrior did not know his own identity or what the surroundings were.
¡°Orodan¡? Orodan!¡± a feminine voice cried out from near him, and the thwack of a book hitting the warrior¡¯s head could be heard. ¡°Your outer soul layer has been entirely destroyed. Look inwards and focus! You told me you¡¯ve recovered from this before!¡±
The warrior wasn¡¯t sure who Orodan was or what this strange talking book was saying, but something deep within urged him to stand up and¡
¡pick up a nearby broom.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ has he truly suffered such a grievous assault?¡± a regally dressed man wielding an axe asked. ¡°How? The battle in the stars did not look so bad, and he was fine just a moment ago.¡±
¡°The time loop¡ he suffered this in the upcoming battle no doubt,¡± the book explained. ¡°The extent of the damage is quite severe¡ I don¡¯t know how he recovered from such a thing. It should usually take months even for world-defying talents.¡±
As for the warrior himself, he knew not and cared not for the prattle around him. He took hold of the broom¡ and saw the dirty ground of the camp he was in.
With his first strokes, the ground began to be cleansed.
¡°T-that is¡ some profound technique¡!¡± the man whose broom he¡¯d borrowed uttered.
With each stroke, his mind grew sharper and clearer. The far-away voice that was urging him drew nearer.
¡°He¡¯s really just going to clean the entire camp¡¡± the regal man with the axe said.
Instinctively, the warrior felt that he could draw upon the power to cleanse everything for miles. But this felt incorrect. It felt as though he would be relying on an external power.
The basics, the fundamentals, were so very important.
Perfect sweeps rid the very ground of all dirt, and in-between each stroke he re-adjusted the head of the broom to account for the minute imperfections and jostlings that came with sweeping. It was a good implement, but adjusting the head between each movement was but the very beginning of pursuing the path to perfection.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 79 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 80]
And finally, Orodan Wainwright remembered who he was once more.
He took five more minutes to look inwards and focus on patching his soul¡¯s outer layer up.
And then, it all came back. Alongside the interesting tidbit that acquiring new titles meant an increase in his total number of Runes, and consequently, his number of checkpoint uses.
¡°Orodan, your soul¡ you healed it completely,¡± Zaessythra muttered, and Orodan gave her a look of fondness and gratitude.
¡°I did. Thank you for being here patiently as I did and having faith in me,¡± he said and then turned to Prince Zhou Shan. ¡°The puppet Sovereign is possessed by a Devil King.¡±
¡°Yes, I was about to tell you that. His entire inner circle of generals are either possessed or have the restricted skills of the hells,¡± the Prince replied, and Orodan felt some shame at having just rushed ahead in the last checkpoint loop without working together with his allies.
¡°That Devil King also intends to set the soul nexus on fire and cause the trillions of souls within to explode.¡±
¡°What?! That scoundrel dares to threaten the future of our people itself?!¡±
¡°Are the hells not enemies with the Celestial Court?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Of course! But to harm a soul nexus goes against System law itself! That foul devil would have the enforces of the System itself descend upon-¡± Zhou Shan stopped himself and then looked closely at Orodan. ¡°Unless of course¡ it thought to deal you a permanent blow.¡±
Zaessythra fluttered near him.
¡°A good plan which would¡¯ve worked on anyone else no doubt,¡± she said. ¡°However, the Devil King wasn¡¯t aware of your ability to heal so quickly and completely from having the outer layer of your soul destroyed. In most people, it wipes their recent memories entirely. In fact¡ are you alright, Orodan?¡±
Alright? He was more than just alright¡
¡°This¡ will be excellent training!¡± he declared.
Dead silence greeted his proclamation.
The Prince could only shake his head, but had a smile upon his face.
¡°Truly, I was hoping to discuss the rumor I¡¯d heard that you¡¯re in a time loop,¡± the man said. ¡°But this is perfect. With you repeating this battle over and over, you can grow stronger and stronger. Orodan Wainwright, let me know how the Third Army can assist you in this endeavor.¡±
¡°By staying out of this battle,¡± Orodan declared, and the men around him broke out in mutters and many protested. Thus, he raised his hands placatingly. ¡°Not to say you cultivators aren¡¯t brave men and women who wouldn¡¯t fight for your homes and liberty. But, the only way I can truly acquire strength¡ is by taking the entire enemy army on by myself, and winning.¡±
¡°You are truly mad Orodan,¡± Prince Zhou Shan said. ¡°But, we lose little by trusting you, and my Truth cultivators verify you speak no lies. But, are you truly okay with dying over and over just for the sake of strength?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been doing naught but that since the moment these time loops began,¡± Orodan replied.
It was time¡
¡for some battlefield grinding.
Chapter 52 - Battlefield Grinding II
¡°That strange hellfire they used to ignite the soul nexus,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Any idea what it could be?¡±
Prince Zhou Shan looked apprehensive as the question was asked. He frowned as he spoke.
¡°It could be a few different things¡ but one of the most likely is soul-devouring hellfire,¡± the Prince answered. ¡°A wicked flame unique to the hells which can cause soul explosions in the target. It must¡¯ve been a modified one capable of virulently spreading.¡±
¡°I sensed a pulse of world energy go out before the nexus went off,¡± Orodan added. ¡°From a ring on that Devil¡¯s finger no less. Is that his crown?¡±
¡°Yes, having dominion over a world core allows a Sovereign to direct world energy to various ends, as you no doubt know,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°With that thing possessing his body, the puppet Sovereign has essentially ceded control of his world core to the Devil King within.¡±
Orodan nodded in response, yet in truth his control over world energy wasn¡¯t anything special. In fact, he suspected there were skills related to it which he didn¡¯t currently have. His current abilities with it were limited to increasing or decreasing the density of world energy upon Alastaia.
Using world energy to set a virulent hellfire upon a soul nexus? He wasn¡¯t sure if he could do anything of the sort.
¡°Before I charge in, tell me more about these bull demons that compose the enemy¡¯s front ranks,¡± Orodan said as he drew his weapons.
¡°The rank-and-file chaff of the typical devil army. The cultivators among our foes are pacified only by the fact that they¡¯re mere slaves and not equal soldiers within the army,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°The puppet Sovereign must have some method of controlling them. Still, while their battle methods are crude, they possess the physical attributes of a body cultivator and can be a genuine threat in melee combat. Forcing our troops to confront fifteen-thousand bull demons first is a devious but undeniably effective tactic. Their cultivators can then sweep in, fresh, to unleash their full might against our exhausted front line.¡±
¡°Their loyalty to the enemy doesn¡¯t run deep. Once I eliminated the control mechanisms within their minds, they broke and ran rather quickly,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Truly? How many of these bull demons do you think you could subvert in such a manner?¡± the Prince asked.
¡°If I managed to gather them together, all of them. Of course, their common-sense measure of keeping respectable distances between each regiment makes it difficult to catch them all in one go,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯ll ask more questions once I¡¯m back here again. For now, battle calls!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be keeping you updated on the status of the battlefield, Orodan,¡± Zaessythra said as she fluttered about. ¡°If I¡¯m going to sit here and go along with your insane training regimen, then the least I can do is keep you informed.¡±
He nodded and then turned to take stock of his foes.
Forty-thousand troops. Fifteen-thousand of whom were bull demons. Not a real threat, but enough of a distraction to him that the enemy captains and commanders who were Transcendents and Gods could capitalize. Hells, in the last loop just thirty enemy Transcendents working together had posed a serious threat to him.
Not every enemy Transcendent was a monster. Hells, he estimated he was stronger than a newly ascended Transcendent, and the bulk of them consisted of new ones. Of course, they also had some monsters among them, such as the gold cultivator. The existence of strange and deadly abilities among the enemy was something to respect. Particularly the anti-healing techniques that gold cultivator had used.
It was time for war.
There was no fancy announcement or declaration that Orodan would be facing the puppet Sovereign¡¯s army by himself. One moment, the enemy army was arrayed before him, expecting battle against the third army. And the next¡
¡space was mangled with brute force and endless power as a Teleportation tore through their space-lock formations. Orodan stepped through, eyes blazing white with excess soul energy.
¡°The enemy Celestial!¡±
¡°Our space-lock formation was overpowered!¡±
¡°Front ranks! Advance and engage! He¡¯s isolated!¡± barked the Transcendent whip cultivator, the commander of the center-line bull demon regiments. Unlike last time, he had no allied forces supporting him. No friendly flying dragons, no allies on the flanks occupying the enemy. No allied Transcendents and Gods occupying a portion of the enemy elites.
Which meant¡
¡°Orodan! The flying fell beasts are converging on your position! You¡¯re about to become the target of focus fire!¡± Zaessythra warned him mentally. She was the only one he allowed inside his mind to communicate with him. He wouldn¡¯t say he trusted too easily, but she¡¯d given her life for him before.
Last time, he¡¯d seen one enemy unit working together to coalesce into an energy beast, a formation assault which amplified their destructive prowess. Then, they¡¯d stopped firing due to him entering melee and for the threat presented by the rest of the Third Army.
Now, however, as more than ten enemy formation assaults began winding up, Orodan realized that facing an entire army by himself was a tall order.
Each unit of enemy missile troops sent their own volley at him. Four separate barrages of empowered projectiles hit him and blasted holes through his body. Although each bow cultivator in the formation was a mere Grandmaster, when empowered by formation flags and working together, they could strike with devastating power capable of felling even a Transcendent. These units of Grandmaster-level troops weren¡¯t mere chaff. They wouldn¡¯t have been fielded in warfare unless they could present a genuine threat to beings a tier above.
Barrages of fire, water, ice and lightning also made contact, but these weren¡¯t an issue thanks to his resistance skills. The threat came from the missiles delivered by the enemy archers and javelineers.
Arrows, javelins and even a small volley of throwing axes struck him, with the axes hitting especially hard, signifying they were an elite unit. This was just the beginning though, as not even the skies were safe! From above, flying monsters carrying enemy forces rained down all manner of attacks upon his devastated physical form.
He was but chunks of glowing meat upon the ground. And the enemy Transcendents hadn¡¯t even gotten involved yet. Facing a regiment of five-thousand bull demons was one thing. And receiving the assault of multiple enemy ranged units at once, was another.
Orodan was near death.
Yet, in exchange¡
¡his enemies paid a severe price.
Striking Orodan Wainwright in great numbers without adequate preparation could spell disaster.
¡°How¡! How have all these troops died!¡± the whip cultivator bellowed in shock and disbelief.
Last time, he¡¯d been struck by a single unit of enemy bow cultivators working in concert. Perhaps the confusion of battle had caused their deaths to be overlooked then. But to now be struck by multiple enemy ranged units, the effect was devastating.
Even if barely, Orodan had survived. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the enemy missile troops who assaulted him though. Over two-thirds of their number were dead, slaughtered by the more than five-fold return of damage. Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity was deadly enough when facing a strong foe. In the context of a battle, it could spell instant disaster, cutting enemy numbers by a third in an instant.
The army of forty-thousand, was now an army of less than thirty-thousand.
¡°Stop! Hold fire! Hold fire! He can somehow return damage when attacked!¡± one of the enemy Gods commanding their own formation roared. ¡°We must engage with Gods and Transcendents!¡±
¡°Front line! Pull back! Time and Soul cultivators! Replenish casualties!¡± the gold cultivator in the back ranks ordered. ¡°Captains and commanders, advance and engage the enemy Celestial in combat! Xue Ran! Gather your healers and help offset that ability of his to return damage!¡±
Orodan reformed, and before the enemy could pull back their bull demon regiments in time¡ Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out. The effects were immediately apparent, and the enemy¡¯s reactions swift.
¡°Mind cultivators defend! He targets the control mechanisms upon the demons!¡± the commanding whip cultivator ordered. Unfortunately, it was too late.
The first sign that the five-thousand strong regiment of bull demons had their minds cleansed was when the bloodlust in their eyes suddenly abated. Without corruptive mind control effects upon them, their natural instincts returned. And they realized that facing Orodan was a bad idea. Immediately, they began scattering, refusing to follow the retreat order in a disciplined manner.
¡°Cowardly slaves! Our front line erodes! Send in the reserves!¡± the whip cultivator ordered. ¡°Target the Celestial! Now!¡±
Unlike last time where he¡¯d fought only thirty enemy Transcendents at once. This time, without the distraction and reprieve an allied army provided him¡ he was up against over two-hundred enemy Gods and Transcendents.
It was totally unfair, and he could put up no resistance whatsoever. Although he did gain four levels in Divine Resistance from the Gods landing their incredibly destructive attacks of divine energy. Frankly, even without the gold cultivator attacking him there were plenty of enemy Transcendents who were especially lethal in their own right. In the last checkpoint loop, he¡¯d not met these foes as they were likely keeping Zhou Shan or the Third Army occupied.
Yet as a gravity cultivator created multiple singularities around his body, forcing his flesh to be torn apart, Orodan had to respect the fact that the forces of the puppet Sovereign had some diverse foes who he couldn¡¯t easily overpower. The shredded chunks of his body were then devoured by an enemy cultivator with a profound level of control over acid, and he was finally killed when the gold cultivator stifled his healing, and a beam of energy destroyed the chunks.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2212]
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
¡°They have over two-hundred Gods and Transcendents altogether,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Huh? How do you know the exact-¡±
¡°Ugh! You¡¯re time looping and fighting the army by yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zaessythra asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Why am I not surprised, of course you would do something like this.¡±
He smiled.
¡°They¡¯re stronger than I expected though,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°They killed me before the puppet could even set the soul nexus aflame and cause that gigantic explosion.¡±
¡°-what?!¡± the Prince roared in shock.
¡°Ah, right. Upon realizing that I won¡¯t work alongside him, the puppet Sovereign decides to set the soul nexus aflame in a bid to cause me permanent damage,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°From what you explained, it¡¯s something the System itself will punish him for.¡±
¡°By the heavens, for that devil to sink so low¡ I abhor it all the more, yet I cannot blame it,¡± the Prince said, and then elaborated when Orodan gave him a look of confusion. ¡°Think about it, you¡¯re the single greatest enemy a being of power could have. Once your allegiances are made clear, who wouldn¡¯t want to strike a permanent blow against you?¡±
It made sense. The Devil King possessing the puppet Sovereign had the pragmatism and decisiveness to sacrifice itself in a bid to strike such a blow.
¡°Of course, I¡¯ll have to actually reach the puppet Sovereign first,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Fighting the enemy army by myself gets me killed before it even deigns to come out.¡±
¡°Is that how you¡¯re doing it? Such a ridiculous method of acquiring strength,¡± the Prince said. ¡°Yet, if you really are a time looper, then perhaps this is the most effective method. It also does not harm us to have you soften our enemies up.¡±
¡°Right, after all, you have to turn around and deal with your tyrannical father after this, no?¡± Orodan asked, and in response, the Prince¡¯s face took on a stormy look.
¡°That is¡ a complicated matter,¡± Zhou Shan said.
¡°Alright, we can talk about it after I win,¡± Orodan said as he picked up his weapons and faced the direction of the enemy. ¡°Eventually, that is.¡±
He charged the enemy battle lines, ravaged the enemy ranged backlines through reciprocity, routed the regiment of five-thousand bull demons and was then promptly eradicated by the assault of over two-hundred enemy Gods and Transcendents.
At least he¡¯d gained levels in Divine Resistance, Harmony of Vitality and Domain Of Perfect Cleaning for it.
#
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2211]
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
¡°Alright, what¡¯s the name of that gold cultivator,¡± Orodan asked. ¡°His abilities are an excellent counter to my self-healing.¡±
¡°Eh? What do you mean? The Sovereign of Endless Riches? He¡¯s one of the inner-circle commanders of the enemy forces,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°You have a grudge against him?¡±
¡°Far from it, rather, I respect his abilities and the opportunity he¡¯s providing me.¡±
¡°Let me guess¡ you¡¯re time looping against the enemy army?¡± Zaessythra asked and Orodan simply smiled in response. ¡°Of course, why am I not surprised? How many tries has it been?¡±
¡°Only two so far.¡±
¡°And the hardest challenge at the moment?¡±
¡°The moment when more than two-hundred enemy Gods and Transcendents focus fire on me,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I just can¡¯t seem to survive it yet, even if I¡¯ll eventually grow to overcome it. Another issue is that the enemy¡¯s formation spacing doesn¡¯t allow me to cleanse all the enslaved bull demons at once.¡±
¡°You can purge them of their masters¡¯ control?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
¡°Yes, but I¡¯m wondering how I might go about doing so,¡± Orodan said. ¡°There are three regiments of them. However. causing one regiment to rout makes the enemy commanders pull back the other two.¡±
¡°Why not use Spatial Folds and extend your reach?¡±
¡°Spatial Folds you say?¡±
Now that was an idea.
He kept it in mind as he entered battle once more.
He rushed the enemy army as usual, caused massive numbers of their ranged troops to fall, and when the time came to subvert the enemy bull demons¡
¡two Spatial Folds were cast to the left and right of him, towards the left and right flanks of the enemy where their remaining bull demon regiments were. Each regiment was five-thousand strong, and Orodan could reach those flanks in a single step if he now wanted.
Yet, that was not his intent.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, purging the bull demons of the center regiment, and at the same time the skill shot through the compressed space of the Spatial Folds to the left and right of him. A devious method of extending his reach with the skill.
The commander of the centre, the whip cultivator, could only stare with widened eyes.
¡°Mind cultivators! Defend the slaves!¡± she ordered. Of course, it was far too late for that.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning targeted all dirt, filth or corruption within its radius immediately. The only times it would take longer was when the corruption was deep rooted and particularly powerful, otherwise it would apply equally to all.
Which meant the enemy¡¯s mind cultivators stood no chance of salvaging the situation, as by the time the order was given, the bull demons had their minds purged.
Immediately, the front lines of the enemy army fell apart as fifteen-thousand bull demons suddenly had their minds cleansed of their masters¡¯ magically enforced commands.
¡°Stand in line, maggots! Maintain ranks!¡±
¡°M-master! The control mechanisms on the bull demons are gone!¡±
¡°Spear cultivators move up! Form ranks! The slaves have broken and are fleeing!¡± the gold cultivator ordered from the back ranks.
¡°Well done, Orodan! The bull demons are all routing,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Enemy aerial forces have been decimated, their missile troops are in utter disarray and their reserves have been forced to step up. If the Third Army fought now, victory is a possibility.¡±
She was right.
The opposing army had started off forty-thousand strong. This was reduced to slightly under thirty-thousand when the enemy¡¯s missile formations had assaulted Orodan in a combined volley. And now, another fifteen-thousand bull demons had routed, leaving the enemy with just under fifteen-thousand remaining troops.
In two small moves, a force of forty-thousand was brought to fifteen-thousand, and the dire odds of ten-thousand troops of the Third Army facing forty-thousand foes of the puppet Sovereign was no longer as lopsided.
Of course, the problem of over two-hundred enemy Gods and Transcendents focusing their fire on him still remained. And he faced complete eradication.
Yet this time, just before his approaching death, he heard the sign of progress.
¡°Wait! Do not kill him! He¡¯s only going to come bac-¡±
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The darkness took him before the puppet Sovereign could finish.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2210]
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
¡°It worked Zaessythra,¡± Orodan immediately declared.
¡°What did?¡± she asked.
¡°The strategy you proposed in the last loop, to use Spatial Fold to extend the reach of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It worked better than I thought it would. I hadn¡¯t considered using Spatial Folds to extend the range of my cleaning like that.¡±
¡°Then that means - of course. Of course you¡¯d be using the loops to face an army,¡± Zaessythra said, sounding utterly resigned. ¡°That does sound like a creative use of spatiomancy and your Celestial skill though. Well, creative insofar that nobody else I know of can meet the energy requirements to do so. Will you be using it from now on?¡±
¡°No.¡±
His favorite book practically slammed onto his head.
¡°Try again.¡±
¡°I mean, yes, but also no,¡± Orodan said, and then placatingly raised his hands when she looked to be winding up for another hit. ¡°I¡¯ll obviously add it to my repertoire but using it in this battle would be sacrificing the opportunity to train! Think about it, what if I trained my skill to the point where I had the range to cleanse all the bull demons without utilizing spatiomancy?¡±
His companion sighed, and it was a long and drawn-out thing.
¡°I suppose I can see the wisdom in that,¡± she conceded. ¡°Don¡¯t neglect the usage of spatiomancy just because it¡¯s magic.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been making progress on growing out of that mindset,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Thanks to your help of course.¡±
Power was power. The thrust of a blade and the cast of a spell were but the means to his desired end. While he still held some preferences towards engaging the enemy in honorable melee combat, the days where he would disdain magic were behind him. Besides, he had enough self-awareness to recognize that Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was basically ¡®cleaning magic¡¯.
¡°Glad to see you have some gratitude,¡± she said with haughty arrogance. ¡°Now go on and get to it so this insanity can be ended.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯ll still need at least a hundred loops, so we have a ways to go.¡±
¡°No, you have a ways to go. For me, I¡¯m just along for this loop, so the quicker you get to work and end it, the faster this madness ends for me,¡± Zaessythra said.
Fair point. The only one who experienced the loops in their full continuity was Orodan, far as he knew at least. That, and whoever had put him in the time loops in the first place maybe.
His gaze went towards the enemy, and he looked forward to the fact that there was much work to be done.
After all, this endeavor would take many, many repeats.
#
Finding a gathering of multiple Grandmasters and Transcendents was difficult. Orodan had continually ruminated on just how he would train upon leaving Alastaia, yet in a stroke of excellent fortune, powerful opponents had presented themselves to him without much searching on his part.
This battlefield was a lucky opportunity then.
And this battlefield was also full of death. Both his own and the enemy¡¯s.
The real problem was the enemies among his foes who could restrict his movements and stifle his healing. The gold cultivator was one of them, however two more foes of note were the gravity and acid cultivators. Both were inner-circle commanders of the enemy army. People who he hadn¡¯t met the first time as they were too busy occupying Zhou Shan.
The gravity cultivator was a Transcendent who could create multiple singularities around Orodan¡¯s body and use the incredible forces to rip him apart. His flesh, bones and entire limbs would be pulled right off and drawn into a singularity to face utter annihilation. He¡¯d experienced powerful gravitational forces before, but this cultivator was a true powerhouse whose control over such a fundamental force of reality was absolute. His own Whirlpool Whirlwind, which was a part of his Celestial skill, paled in comparison.
The acid cultivator was a simple woman in a light green robe who looked unassuming, yet the acid she controlled was lethal beyond compare. His natural healing was ravaged and rendered ineffective; cells struggled to be born anew when acid was present everywhere and new cells were birthed only to be instantly disintegrated. Similar to the gold cultivator, it was difficult to actually destroy the acid coursing through his body once she struck. It practically melted his flesh, and his Fire Resistance didn¡¯t help at all.
Each time he rushed forward and broke their rank and file, the enemy army¡¯s Gods and Transcendents unleashed ranged destruction upon him without fail. The enemy Gods were simply a means of increasing Divine Resistance. The Transcendents however, were the true threat. And the three most lethal enemies among the lot of them were the gold, gravity and acid cultivators. Yes, the others were dangerous, deadly even. However, beams of fire, tsunamis, ice spikes and wind blades weren¡¯t as concerning when he had existing resistance skills for them.
Beyond these foes lay the prospect of what he¡¯d face when he survived to reach melee range. And past that, the puppet Sovereign and the detonation of the soul nexus itself. Needless to say, the odds were stacked against him, and Orodan had a number of successive hurdles to overcome.
So, he began by setting targets for himself.
Checkpoint repeats one to thirty were spent improving his ability to take damage and heal. His combat skills were slowly improving across the board as he suffered death after death against the horde of enemy Transcendents. However, he needed to survive for longer if he wanted to develop resistance skills against the three problematic enemy ranged cultivators.
He fought, he died, and he focused on pushing Harmony Of Vitality and Body Tempering to their utmost limits. And slowly but surely, results were beginning to show.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2180]
It was now checkpoint repeat thirty-one, and Orodan felt he was on the cusp of acquiring something that would help make a difference.
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
¡°Acid. What is acid?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Zhou Shan, are there any acid cultivators among your troops?¡±
¡°My captain of the second regiment is a rather proficient acid cultivator,¡± the Prince said. ¡°Why do you ask, Orodan?¡±
¡°Can I speak to him?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°If you feel it will help in some way, certainly,¡± the Prince said, and then at a gesture, a silver-robe wearing captain stepped forward from the back ranks.
¡°My Prince, you called?¡± the captain asked.
¡°Yes, our Celestial ally wishes to speak with you.¡±
Orodan looked the man up and down.
¡°There¡¯s a woman among the enemy ranks. She wears a light green robe, and her acid is rather deadly,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Are you stronger than her?¡±
The captain¡¯s face held a look of slight frustration as he shook his head.
¡°That woman is the Scouring Liquid Sovereign. Honored ally, I must regretfully admit that our force has none who can equal her in the acid arts,¡± the captain spoke.
¡°That¡¯s fine. Rather, you¡¯re a Transcendent, correct?¡± Orodan asked and the acid cultivator captain nodded. ¡°Then, can you tell me what acid is and how it works?¡±
¡°Certainly. Acid is a reactionary substance. What makes it deadly is its ability to react with the very composition of a vulnerable material and destroy it, breaking apart the very joining forces,¡± the cultivator explained. ¡°Advancing in the Dao of Acidity involves honing a more reactive acid that can break down stronger objects, and even things which it ordinarily would not react with. The corrosive properties of one¡¯s acids should only grow stronger with levels as their comprehensions in the Dao of Acidity evolve. I myself ascended by focusing on pushing my acid to be capable of reacting with even reactionless materials.¡±
It corroded through reaction? That was just one part of it.
¡°I see, thank you. I¡¯ll be sure to keep that in mind as I face her down this time,¡± Orodan said, and he could swear he heard Zaessythra mutter ¡®of course¡¯ in a resigned manner as she came to the realization that he was time looping to fight over and over.
¡°This time? What do you mean, Orodan Wainwright?¡± the Prince asked, but Orodan had already turned to face the enemy army.
¡°I¡¯m time looping and will eventually best the entire enemy army,¡± he said. ¡°Stay back and don¡¯t interfere.¡±
If the Prince had something to say to that, it wasn¡¯t heard by Orodan who tore space apart and stepped through with a Teleportation.
[Teleportation 51 ¡ú Teleportation 52]
[Space Mastery 68 ¡ú Space Mastery 69]
Just like in every loop prior, the enemy space-lock formation was overwhelmed, and Orodan smashed through. What he also came to learn over the numerous repeats was that it wasn¡¯t just the space-lock formation protecting the enemy army¡¯s vicinity against hostile teleportation, but also a contingent of space cultivators.
So, when Orodan overpowered not just the formation but also these cultivators who specialized in space? The Transcendents among them were placed on high alert. His very arrival was loud and not at all subtle, and it explained why the enemy commanders so immediately ordered an attack upon him. There was no taking Orodan lightly when he made their space cultivators look like amateurs.
The enemy commander barked her usual orders, and Orodan faced the onslaught of the enemy, causing mass casualties among their ranged backline of missile troops. Following that, his mind strained, and he reached out with bloody determination, pushing the bounds of his Celestial skill¡¯s range as far as possible.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 84 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 85]
Initially, he had only been able to cleanse the centre-line bull demon regiment of their mind controlling effects. Now, however, almost twelve-thousand bull demons were purged of their masters¡¯ domination, and they routed. He had increased the range through hard work and stubborn determination alone. Without using the nifty trick Zaessythra had recommended either!
The remaining three-thousand bull demons were a paltry force, reduced in battle-prowess, and the enemy¡¯s actual melee cultivator troops were forced to move up and reinforce the front line.
¡°The bull demons have broken! Reserve troops, shore up the front line!¡± one of the commanders bellowed.
¡°Target the enemy Celestial! Captains and commanders! Advance and focus fire!¡±
The trick of using Spatial Fold to extend his reach was nice, but it wasn¡¯t proper training. Refusing to use it was the right decision. People often called Orodan stupid, but hard work and the dogged insistence on doing things the difficult way had its own rewards. His Celestial skill was growing without bottlenecks as he cleansed their minds each loop.
Of course, his successful performance led to the group of over two-hundred enemy Gods and Transcendents deciding it was time to focus their attention on him. A cascade of fire, ice, lightning and water struck him with fury as the enemy ranged cultivators blasted him. The elemental attacks were the easy part, Orodan was gleeful as they caused his resistances to slowly increase. The real damage came from the javelins, arrows and thrown projectiles of his enemies.
And he might¡¯ve had a chance if not for the familiar gold creeping into his veins, and the acid which corroded his very body, all while powerful gravity ripped him apart.
His healing was stifled, his flesh and bones pulled from his frame, and his cells corroded to nothingness. He was on the verge of death when finally, the train of thought he¡¯d been pursuing all this time came to a head.
Acid.
What was it?
The acid cultivator he¡¯d spoken to in the Third Army¡¯s war camp had explained that acid was a liquid which, through reaction, broke down target material, interacting with the smallet units of matter and breaking them down to further constituent parts. Yet, this was just the fundamental nature of acid.
It had different names in different places. Here, in the Ascendent Sword Cluster, it was the Dao of Acidity. Upon his home world of Alastaia, he¡¯d heard of Acid Mastery. Certainly, the concept of acid wasn¡¯t unique to any particular world or faction. Yet, the concept was empowered and pushed past its limits by the System.
So, while he was on the right track in trying to stop the reaction, attempting to just prevent the acid from reacting wouldn¡¯t help him. Not when System-empowered things could do so much more than what one would expect of them. This enemy acid cultivator¡¯s fluids could corrode even glass, much like his cleaning could purify the mind and soul. Utterly illogical, but he needed to acknowledge that high-level concepts could begin to bend reality.
Then¡ the key was tying this high-level concept back down to its roots.
Acid achieved its effect through a reaction. A reaction which broke the bonds between a particle and broke it down into smaller parts. To resist it then involved denying the reaction itself. But what if he went even further? What if¡ the reaction wasn¡¯t possible because there was no smaller part to break something down to. What if his cells were a whole thing in and of themselves?
It was madness, Orodan admitted. Even for him.
To reject the very basis of matter-form composition, that everything was composed of parts which made up a whole. Even the soul, which some quack philosophers often theorized was a thing in and of itself with no parts, was in fact composed of parts. The outer soul layer, the inner soul core, the Blessings and Rewards. And deep within¡ the skills granted by the System itself. Yet, Orodan refused to entertain this notion.
To create a cell which was a thing in and of itself, with no parts. Was a tall order. Yet, instinctively, he felt he was onto something.
He strained, struggled and bled, yet he felt his mind was on the right track.
What did it mean to create something that was a thing in and of itself? Indivisible, whole¡ unified.
His body had many parts, the lungs which were responsible for the intake of air, the heart which pumped blood, the veins which carried it in a network across the body. The body, by its very nature, was composed of parts. And each part of the body had different sorts of cells, some specialized, some generic.
The goal then, was to create a cell which could handle each and every one of the body¡¯s functions by itself. A cell that could power the brain, as well compose heart muscle, as well as compose the lungs. A cell that could fit in anywhere and do it all.
Yet even cells had parts they were composed of. To create a cell which had no parts, but was a thing in and of itself, it was madness. His fourteen minds worked together, and all the remaining vitality in his body was smashed together as his iron mind forced reality itself to bend and break to accommodate his desire.
The entirety of his body¡¯s remaining cells coalesced into something. He was down to a single cell, and near darkness¡ yet this single cell was something else entirely. It couldn¡¯t even be called a ¡®cell¡¯ anymore. Something that defied the traditional understanding of matter-form composition. It was unified and indivisible, unable to be dissected and pried apart.
A thing in and of itself.
It¡¯s composition¡ absolute.
[New Skill (Mythical) ¡ú Absolute Body Composition 1]
[New Skill (Rare) ¡ú Acid Resistance 26]
Orodan didn¡¯t have time to dwell on the fact that he¡¯d acquired another Mythical skill, nor could he dwell on the fact that this insight was an especially critical one and not at all reflective of the skill rarity. To become something unified and indivisible¡ just how far could this extend?
The differences were immediately apparent. The gold could no longer find purchase in his veins, because there were no veins to find purchase within. His body was a strange thing now, and he felt that he could breathe through his skin, taste through his eyes and hear through his feet if so chose. Each cell was a thing in and of itself, and his body felt exceedingly strange, yet not in a bad way. It was as though all the functions of his physical form were condensed into each cell.
He¡¯d essentially re-created his own form into something more.
Blood? Air? He needed neither of those as each cell did its own work self-sufficiently, packed with vitality. Life in and of itself.
And with Harmony Of Vitality, he began pushing back against the tide. Acid failed to corrode his cells since there was nothing to break them down to. His cells were a thing in and of themselves, and the gold had vastly reduced effect upon him as well.
Brute force or energy could still destroy him, but no longer would the cells of his body be divided. The acid also began washing over him ineffectively. If he had his old body, the Acid Resistance skill itself would¡¯ve still caused minor corrosion damage. With this new form however, the acid was entirely ineffective as there was no lower base particle to break a cell down into.
Against all odds, despite the cataclysmic assaults crashing into him, he began to heal and recreate his body anew. Cell by cell, Harmony Of Vitality began to heal a new blueprint for his body. With this new form, Harmony Of Vitality wasn¡¯t any stronger, but its task of reforming him anew was made dramatically easier. Now, for the same amount of power, he could heal far more since the blueprint was so much simpler.
His entire body was composed of this new cell. It had no parts, it performed all the functions of his body, and there was no dividing or prying it apart. As a result, he no longer had veins as they weren¡¯t necessary. Organs? Veins? A brain? None of it was needed as each cell in his body could take the place of all of them.
The vulnerable spaces in his body where the gold had infiltrated before were now filled with densely packed muscle. These new cells of his were much more conducive to being tightly packed together too, so he felt his reformed body was at least half again as strong. All his physical abilities felt as though they would go fifty percent farther. He was a human, but one that had altered his own biology to be free of the unnecessary parts.
He¡¯d seen golems at Bluefire, the well-made ones composed purely of one powerful material, and in a sense, he was now similar to them. A human still, but without any organs, veins and unnecessary vulnerabilities. Composed purely of densely packed muscle and bone. Those golems were powered by either their creator¡¯s mana pool, or a power core within. And now, he was a man powered by naught but his soul.
¡°My acid isn¡¯t working, he must have developed some kind of resistance,¡± the Scouring Liquid Sovereign said.
¡°My gold is having a difficult time entering his veins as well¡ what is this?¡± the Endless Wealth Sovereign uttered, baffled.
And while Orodan would¡¯ve loved to beat back the enemy ranged tide and engage them in melee to see what they had to offer up close, it wasn¡¯t to be.
¡°The enemy general is approaching you Orodan!¡± Zaessythra warned.
Sure enough, he saw the approaching form of a flying fell beast in the air, two familiar figures standing upon it. The puppet Sovereign and the Thousand Broom Sovereign.
¡°Hold all attacks!¡± the puppet bellowed. ¡°Time looper, your brazen display of charging my army by your lonesome is admirable and amusing. But do not presume I don¡¯t recognize the possibility that you¡¯ve been looping.¡±
¡°Was it obvious?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You gave it a fair try, detonating the soul nexus in an effort to permanently cripple me, but I¡¯ve recovered from the complete destruction of my outer soul layer before.¡±
The puppet Sovereign¡¯s eyes narrowed and the foul thing wearing the face of a man looked to be deep in thought.
¡°You survived even that? Hmm¡ you truly are a most troubling foe, I will admit,¡± the possessed being said, and to its right the Thousand Broom Sovereign looked utterly incensed at the mention of the soul nexus¡¯s destruction. ¡°Very well, you¡¯ve convinced me.¡±
Orodan had a perplexed look on his face.
¡°Convinced you of what?¡±
¡°That this is unwinnable in the long term.¡±
The puppet Sovereign¡¯s body promptly exploded. Or rather, something came out of the ruined remains of the possessed man¡¯s corpse.
Seven feet tall, not quite as big as Devil King Gutriyaz, but then this must¡¯ve been a Devil King more specialized in underhanded methods of war. Pitch black skin, deep red eyes the color of rubies, and horns which gave off a fierce aura.
The sight would¡¯ve made Orodan¡¯s blood sing for a fight on any other day. Save for a minor matter¡
¡the Devil King had turned around and began fleeing.
¡°Get back here!¡± Orodan roared and immediately gave chase.
The Gods and Transcendents of the puppet Sovereign¡¯s army were shocked silent, either from the revelation that their general was a puppet possessed by a Devil King, or by the knowledge that the soul nexus had been detonated in a past loop. And their attention was then drawn by the charge of the Third Army who finally decided to intervene.
Leading them was a furious Zhou Shan.
¡°Pursue the devil! Thousand Broom Sovereign, join us and strike down the Devil King! We need not fight!¡± the Prince said.
¡°Prince Zhou Shan! I¡¯ve always had respect for you, but your father is a tyrant whom we cannot defeat without the aid of these foul demons!¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign roared back in reply. ¡°Desperate circumstances necessitate this wretched alliance.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve seen the power of the Celestial skill bearer with us! You doubtlessly know of the rumor that he is in a time loop! Join us, and we can work to bring down the Celestial Court together and usher in a new era for our people!¡± Zhou Shan said.
Orodan was the nearest to the fleeing Devil King. And a Spatial Fold brought him right into melee range¡
¡only to witness the familiar pulse of world energy going out from the crown-shaped ring on its finger.
¡°The soul nexus!¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign called out.
It was an incredibly quick pulse of world energy, and neither Orodan nor anyone else was quick enough to react.
The hellfire contacted the gigantic white vortex of trillions¡ and in the final moments before disaster struck, Orodan reached out and attempted to lash out with Time Reversal.
[Time Reversal 50 ¡ú Time Reversal 52]
[Time Mastery 50 ¡ú Time Mastery 51]
His new body was powerful, far better suited to channelling the copious amounts of soul energy running through him. Yet, he was but a candle before a cosmic storm. Generating the requisite amount of power necessary to reverse the destruction of the soul nexus would kill him, and the alternative in any case was its detonation.
The searing white wave of annihilation reached him, and darkness was all he knew.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2179]
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
Broom in hand, it took Orodan a minute to sweep the camp and get one more level in Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, bringing it up to 86. Which subsequently helped him remember who he was.
¡°That cravenly devil!¡± he yelled. ¡°Running away and then detonating the soul nexus again, how irksome!¡±
Zhou Shan looked outraged at the suggestion of the soul nexus¡¯s destruction, but Zaessythra seemed calm.
¡°Looping to beat the threat, are we?¡± she asked, accepting the fact that Orodan had time looped easily enough. ¡°How many more tries do you think you¡¯ll need?¡±
¡°Well, last loop I managed to survive their Gods and Transcendents long enough that the puppet Sovereign came in and simply accepted defeat,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°It was during my pursuit of the devil that it decided to ignite the nexus anyways.¡±
¡°So¡ you won, but then decided to pursue it regardless?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°Why not leave the matter be? Given the foes you have after you, don¡¯t you think you have bigger things to worry about?¡±
Orodan clicked his tongue and shook his head.
¡°Yes, and how else do you expect me to acquire the strength to face the approaching foes?¡± he asked. ¡°If I can¡¯t beat this Devil King and stop its detonation of the soul nexus, then I¡¯m no match for the Celestial Emperor, who¡¯s far stronger. And this Administrator who¡¯s beyond even that? Forget it. There¡¯s only one way forward, and it¡¯s through hard work and death. I know my methods seem nonsensical at times Zaessythra, but in our current circumstances every whetstone we can find before the imminent confrontation is to our advantage.¡±
¡°Fair enough. I can already sense your body is¡ different. More dense and whole. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re working on it,¡± she admitted. It was a bit strange, to see her agreeing with him on many things nowadays. Then again, he¡¯d begun to prove that his method of training could provide results. ¡°How does it detonate the soul nexus? Hellfire?¡±
¡°Yes, it uses a pulse of world energy to begin the chain reaction.¡±
¡°Have you tried intercepting the pulse?¡± she asked.
¡°Far too fast,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It reaches the soul nexus quicker than anything I¡¯ve seen so far. And then, using Time Reversal would kill me with the amount of power I¡¯d have to draw upon to reverse the entire nexus.¡±
¡°How about cleansing the nexus of hellfire after the reaction begins?¡± she asked.
¡°I¡¯ll try that in one of the attempts, but the detonation of the first soul causes a chain reaction that quickly spirals out of my control,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The entire thing also lasts less than a few moments before annihilation. Although, seeing what I can do in that time would be good training.¡±
All in all, his one-man crusade against the enemy army had excellent results. Skill gains across the board, the shattering of the enemy bull demons, the massacre of their missile troops and back ranks, and the diversion of all their Gods and Transcendents in combat.
If he fought alongside the Third Army, victory was very much a possibility now.
That was, if the detonation of the soul nexus wasn¡¯t a concern.
An incredibly quick pulse of world energy which caused a chain reaction leading to the soul explosions of trillions. Destruction which could obliterate an entire solar system and without fail managed to eradicate his outer soul layer.
Moving to prevent the explosion in the first place might¡¯ve been the wise move. However, this wasn¡¯t the case. He had over two-thousand checkpoint repeats left, and a loop in which the Administrator would reach the galaxy after a month. Orodan¡¯s methods were stupid to many, but in this case, hard work and determination would be the only things that gave him a fighting chance against what was to come.
And before the arrival of the foe, each and every challenge to surmount was an opportunity to grow stronger.
Still, his ruminations would suffice.
Intercepting the pulse or interfering with the detonation of the nexus wasn¡¯t his way. He had work to do, and a soul nexus to clean.
And it would be done the hard way.
Chapter 53 - Battlefield Grinding III
The lessons learned during the formative years could make or break someone. And Orodan had learned one very important lesson through all the adversity he¡¯d faced growing up.
That hard work was the only reliable way forward.
The enemy¡¯s missile troops were depleted, their own assaults returned to reap their lives. Their frontline meat shields were routed, the enslaving magics scoured from their minds. And now, the force of two-hundred enemy Gods and Transcendents assaulted him with fury.
An assault that wasn¡¯t as effective as it was many loops ago.
¡°How does he not fall?!¡±
¡°Where does all that power come from!¡±
His enemies were beginning to show signs of frustration, but these weren¡¯t the Apprentice and Adept level soldiers of an Inuanan army. They were Transcendents and Gods, the core elite of the enemy army, and morale wasn¡¯t something Orodan could easily capitalize on. They wouldn¡¯t break due to simple bafflement at his persistence.
The Scouring Liquid Sovereign - whose acid washed over him ineffectively - showed the most shock, and more than a small amount of fear. She was one of the enemy army¡¯s commanders, a powerful cultivator whose reputation was widespread among the Ascendent Sword Cluster. She was one of the strongest members of the Puppet Sovereign¡¯s forces.
Which made it rather shocking that Orodan was outright ignoring the waves of acid she was slamming against him.
The Endless Wealth Sovereign - another one of the enemy¡¯s commanders - was also finding his assaults with liquid gold to be rather ineffective. Where were the veins to infiltrate? How could it breach the body when Orodan¡¯s skin had no pores? Even at the most minute level, there was no vulnerability to exploit. And Orodan¡¯s natural openings? There were none, save for the appearance of them as enforced by his will. His entire body was free of organs and his innards were entirely composed of muscle and bone for efficiency.
The gravity cultivator whose singularities had previously torn him apart, was now a good source of training for Body Tempering. The singularities still hurt, and they often ripped small chunks of flesh off his frame, but his denser and more compact body was a great natural defense. And each muscle group flexed in the opposite direction as he worked hard to train Physical Fitness using this opportunity.
Until finally¡
¡Zaessythra¡¯s familiar voice rang in his head warning him of the approach of a familiar flying fell beast. The Puppet Sovereign approached.
¡°Hold all attacks! Immediately!¡± the voice of the puppet thundered. ¡°Time looper! Your actions betray your looping nature. How many times have you fought us by now?¡±
¡°Perhaps a little over thirty?¡± Orodan said. ¡°Come, let¡¯s skip the pleasantries and get to the part where you ignite the soul nexus in a bid to kill me.¡±
¡°You¡ you survived even that?¡± it said. ¡°¡troubling.¡±
¡°Indeed, now let¡¯s get on with it,¡± Orodan said as a feral smile graced his face.
In response, the Puppet Sovereign had only one word.
¡°No.¡±
Which was followed by it exploding into its true grotesque form and immediately fleeing. Something that Orodan had expected.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Orodan declared as a Teleportation immediately closed the distance, ignoring the rest of the puppet¡¯s army and the allied Third Army.
He stepped through space and this time wasn¡¯t greeted by the sight of the Devil King sending out a familiar pulse of world energy. Rather, it looked prepared to fight him.
Which was just fine by Orodan!
Blade met demonic claw and shield intercepted fell hellfire. Both his weapons survived the strain of the deadly attacks, even if he barely held on in a straight physical contest.
All historical reports he¡¯d read were of Arch-Devils as a species, and the Devil Kings were spoken of in hushed whispers as something terrible. Which was true, since in Alastaia¡¯s history his home world had only assisted in invading and cleansing a small portion of the seventh hell. The strongest demon anyone from Alastaia had encountered was a relatively mid-ranking Arch-Devil.
This, however, was a Devil King, the highest ranking of Devil just beneath their faction leader. Equivalent to what would be a Sovereign of the Ascendent Sword Cluster. That Orodan could hold on at all was surprising. While he¡¯d grown in strength, in a contest of pure physical might he still felt Devil King Gutriyaz was stronger than him.
¡°I thought you¡¯d be stronger,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Are you weaker than Devil King Gutriyaz? I suppose they sent the reject to influence the Celestial Court¡¯s civil war.¡±
¡°Watch your tongue, mortal,¡± it venomously spat, breaking free from the deadlock. ¡°Devil King Gutriyaz is but a brute, and not a terribly good one at that. He specializes in base forms of combat, and his hellfire is of poor quality. It¡¯s no surprise that he failed to kill you.¡±
¡°And what of you? Will you fail like he did?¡± Orodan asked as he and all his ¡®clones¡¯ sent the full might of his melee fury towards the foe. Blows which were evaded as the Devil phased in and out of reality.
¡°Make no mistake, Gutriyaz was a weakling, and you only stalemate me in strength because I have no interest in pursuing the base physical arts,¡± the Devil King said. ¡°And kill you? Why would I play into your devious strategy of growing more powerful through death? No, I will delay you, frustrate you, and waste your time until the arrival of the Administrator. Come, time looper, the universe is a massive place, and you have yet to see anything. Let me show you that Devil King Gutriyaz is but an unschooled whelp among us kings of hell.¡±
One moment the Devil King was before him. The next, it was gone.
Or rather¡
[Dimensionalism 10 ¡ú Dimensionalism 11]
¡the battlefield around them had suddenly turned into a dark and demented hellscape.
The skill gain message and strange sensation he¡¯d felt was the only clue as to where he was.
The previously misty sky and surreal geometric shapes overhead were now pitch black. It was dark and nothing could be seen above. Dark pillars of maroon hell fire dotted this weird landscape, yet these spouts of flame did little to illuminate the surroundings. The shadows cast by the flames were especially deep, unnatural even, and seemed to devour all light.
The puppet¡¯s army behind them was nowhere to be seen, nor was the Third Army. And the only sign that he was still somewhere similar, was the strange red hue in the shape of a whirling vortex in the background. The only thing visible in the otherwise black sky. It was the soul nexus, or a vague imprint of it. As though he was looking at something gigantic through a dirty pane of distorted glass.
Impacts from unseen places jarred him, a reminder that he was still in battle. He was knocked about as hellfire, fell ice, corrupted water and black lightning struck him.
¡°Resistances for fire, ice, water and lightning. Irritating, but manageable. The sting of your damage return skill is quite heavy too, but in here, I¡¯m continually empowered and healed by the flames of hell,¡± the Devil King spoke calmly, like dissecting a captured rat. ¡°You¡¯ve collected much in your time loops, haven¡¯t you? However, I doubt you have a skill to resist the soul, nobody does.¡±
It was dark enough that he couldn¡¯t see the next attack visually. Vision Of Purity also didn¡¯t tell him much, which meant it was likely empowered by soul energy. The glowing claws of energy sheared through flesh and bone to come out the other side, bisecting him entirely.
Even if they were immune to corruption and divisive tampering, direct damage and destruction could still outright destroy the new cells he was composed of.
He reattached instantly and responded with vigor. Fourteen ¡®clones¡¯ appeared, and a titanic number of Flares and Draconic Fireballs shot out in all directions.
¡°Oh? Capable of spell craft too?¡± it asked. ¡°I¡¯d thought you the one-dimensional sort, perhaps with a bit of dabbling in spatiomancy as befitting a warrior. I suppose your determination in diversifying your talents deserves some admiration.¡±
Zaessythra and her dogged insistence that he learn magic throughout the loops could be thanked for that.
The strange hellscape was lit up a meagre bit with his titanic volley of Draconic Fireballs and Flares, and both skills even gained levels as he did so. It was for naught however, as the pillars of maroon-colored hellfire dotting the area simply drew his own flames in. Any light produced was then hungrily devoured by the unnaturally dark shadows cast all around.
¡°An interesting place you¡¯ve drawn me into,¡± Orodan called out, unable to see his opponent within the sphere of Vision Of Purity. Aside from pure soul energy and world energy, everything he¡¯d seen thus far could be detected through Vision Of Purity. Which means his opponent was outside of its range. Smart. ¡°I notice you¡¯re also cowering away at a distance. Care to come closer so we can have a face-to-face conversation? Or are all Devil Kings so cravenly?¡±
¡°You amuse me, time looper. Do all your opponents happily face you in your position of strength? Perhaps you¡¯ve heard stories of the famed pride of us Arch-Devils and think to bait me with words?¡± it asked. ¡°As for where we are, the hells possess dimensional underways in most parts of the galaxy. A System-restricted skill unique to us is accessing and controlling this place where we reign supreme and can draw upon endless power. Facing a devil without anti-dimensionalism items is unwise, and now, you face one of the greatest masters of Dimensionalism in the hells.¡±
¡°An impressive resume,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I look forward to learning from you.¡±
¡°Hah! You truly are mad. Whichever higher being gave you this power, it chose well,¡± the Devil King said. ¡°Struggle for me, I wish to see the fruits of this time loop for myself before the descent of the Administrator.¡±
¡°As you wish. Let¡¯s see which fire burns hotter, these hell flames, or mine.¡±
Fourteen ¡®clones¡¯ formed once more, and Orodan began a stupendous show of throwing Draconic Fireballs anywhere and everywhere. All while the soul energy-based claws, a ranged projectile, continually came in and sliced him apart. He didn¡¯t think the Devil King was trying to kill him. In fact, he wouldn¡¯t put it past this vile demon to try and delay him here for the entire month until the arrival of his fated adversary.
¡°Pace yourself time looper, else you might run out of power,¡± the Devil King taunted.
Orodan simply smiled as his ¡®clones¡¯ continually lit up the entire landscape with endless amounts of flame.
Run out of power? His opponent needn¡¯t have been concerned.
The very ground here was foul; demonic taint infested the very rock he was standing upon. It was a strange place, as this hellish dimensional underway was just a dark mirror of the actual dimension he was in. Yet, the solid and hellish rock he stood upon wasn¡¯t an illusion. Just different from what he was used to on the material plane.
It was Orodan¡¯s first time seeing this manner of ¡®hellish¡¯ corruption. It wasn¡¯t Eldritch, and it didn¡¯t spread virulently like the Eldritch Avatar¡¯s particular strain of it. Yet, the ground was tainted all the same, yet ¡®tainted¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be the right word. Rather, the rock he stood upon, by its very nature was hellish. Much like the True Vampire he¡¯d cleansed was at core, a vampire.
He couldn¡¯t just use Domain Of Perfect Cleaning carelessly. Not without understanding better exactly what he was cleaning. Or rather, he could use it, and to great effect too, but the gains would be sub-optimal.
And as his Action Increase selves raised utter mayhem and inflicted his own flames upon the hellscape they were in, his actual body did the one thing that could always be expected of him¡
¡and took out a broom from his spatial storage ring.
A good cleaner needed to understand not only good technique, but also what was being cleaned. A broom could sweep many things, dirt, sand and hells, even water. Especially if one had the correct technique. However, the correct techniques for each substance being cleaned was different, and using the virtually magical Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was but a cheap fix to a situation that could be a good opportunity for training.
His broom, empowered by the Weapon Aura part of his Celestial skill, got to work in sweeping just the surface of the hellish rock he stood upon. Yes, the very rock would need to be purified, and yes, it wasn¡¯t possible with just brooming alone. But, if there was one thing he¡¯d learned recently, it was that the most basic fundamentals mattered in ways one would never think of.
He could¡¯ve gotten a better broom. Certainly, some of the Third Army¡¯s cultivators practiced the Dao of Cleaning, and many more honed it as a secondary focus. Yet, luxurious equipment would only spoil his fundamentals and could become a crutch. Instead, he¡¯d found the most basic broom he could locate, in the tent of a cleaning cultivator too.
This meant that the hairs on the broom were unoptimized, not sturdy at all, and if anything, a slight bit shoddy. Meant to be used as assistance in meditations or a training aid.
Exactly what Orodan wanted. Sub-par equipment meant he¡¯d have to work even harder and understand the techniques on a deeper level in order to succeed.
The very first sweep was rough, a poor brush over the demonic rock in which many of the hairs upon the broom head were scattered to inefficient positions. He lifted the broom up and began manually adjusting the hairs upon it once more.
Another soul energy empowered claw from his distant foe came in, and the empowered broom was used to partially block it. He ignored the assault, after all, his enemy wasn¡¯t interested in his death.
¡°What madness has gripped you now?¡± the Devil King asked, a bit of astonishment in its tone.
¡°Just focusing on tidying this place up a bit,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Madness and lunacy. The flames of hell are eternal and infinite. You¡¯ll never succeed.¡±
A solid reason to be dissuaded, Orodan felt. Or at least, it would¡¯ve been a good reason to stop for anyone else. Yet how was the Devil King to know that its words were wasted upon the one man who attempted impossible and mad tasks for breakfast?
The first five minutes were spent in a cycle of cleaning. All while his ¡®clones¡¯ got to work flooding the surrounding area with endless flames. As soon as he released them, his flames were drawn into and devoured by the maroon-colored pillars of hell fire. It seemed entirely pointless if not for the steady skill level gains he was making.
Simultaneously, his actual body which focused on brooming was in a cycle of sweep, re-adjust broom head and repeat. With each brush of the broom, he was understanding better and better just what this hell stone was, and the nature of it.
Until at the twenty-minute mark¡
¡°I sense no dimensional tether or connection leading anywhere else, your soul burns abhorrently even by my standard and the amount of power you¡¯ve generated should have drained you a hundred times over,¡± the Devil King spoke. ¡°Are you a secret weapon sent by the Conclave, calling upon that foul light of theirs? Some hidden connection to the realm of light that even I cannot detect?¡±
¡°Neither of those,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°It¡¯s my soul. I simply cycle it faster and faster, burning it hotter and hotter, all to produce ever-increasing amounts of soul energy to fuel my needs.¡±
¡°You lie. Even the Overking of the Hells would have his mind shattered if his soul was churned at that level for so long,¡± the Devil King declared. ¡°Are you afraid to reveal your true secrets? Worry not, the Administrator will pry them from you.¡±
In response, Orodan simply laughed.
¡°The Administrator only comes because I¡¯ve gone around declaring my time looping nature like a fool. Do you really think I have any reason to lie about such a minor thing?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Regardless, it matters not. I think I¡¯m beginning to understand.¡±
¡°Understand what?¡± it asked.
¡°The nature of demonkind and how to purge it,¡± Orodan replied as his eyes began glowing white, overflowing with soul energy.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 86 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 87]
As the message flashed by, another event of note occurred. The nearest pillar of hellfire that had been absorbing the brunt of Orodan¡¯s endless barrage of Draconic Fireballs¡ turned a slightly lighter shade of maroon.
And the small piece of rock that he¡¯d been so furiously sweeping all this time looked strange. It had lost its dark and blood-red tint. It was a small bit of regular stone amidst a sea of demonic rock.
The results were currently small, but the implication was not.
¡°Foul purifier! This changes nothing! You shall remain stranded here until your doom approaches,¡± the Devil King declared. ¡°The hells are endless, and your vile touch cannot reach everywhere.¡±
¡°You sure about that?¡± Orodan asked in challenge as his broom continued working and the skills under the umbrella of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning began weaving together. At the same time, even his Draconic Fireballs ramped up their speed of conversion. ¡°Still, you seem to know an awful lot about this Administrator as well. Perhaps you can tell me once I get to you.¡±
With that, the work continued. And as Orodan worked he was constantly assaulted in futile attempts to distract him. Despite this, he meditated.
What was a broom?
Yes, the broom in Orodan¡¯s hands counted as a broom, that much was obvious.
But beyond the apparent, wasn¡¯t a broom just a cleaning implement? And no matter how poorly optimized, couldn¡¯t a broom be used to clean things it wasn¡¯t meant for? A horsehair broom was utterly unsuited to cleaning fluids for instance, yet, with incredible difficulty, precise technique and extricating the fluid from the soaked hairs after each sweep, it could be done.
The horsehair broom Orodan held was meant for sweeping hard surfaces, getting rid of the dust itself. And thus far, his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning had worked as a holistic skill, using multiple skills under its umbrella to completely purge something of undesirable qualities. In other words, Whirlpool Whirlwind was used to cleanse small particles, his Cleaning skill itself provided the technique, and skills like Basic Healing and All-Consuming Rage helped restore damage and purge filth that was extricated.
Yet, at the end of the day, the skill wasn¡¯t the Domain Of Perfect Whirlpools, or the Domain Of Perfect Healing. No, it was the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. To that end, what he really needed to focus on, was cleaning. And doing something with just the cleaning aspect of his skill.
He wasn¡¯t sure how far this philosophy would extend, but Orodan felt that true mastery came from the ability to make the simple do the impossible.
And from the simple concept of a broom sweeping the ground¡ much could be gained.
After all, by extending this mentality, could anything not be a broom?
He spoke as much to himself as he did to the broom in his hands. The words that came forth felt natural.
¡°Anything can be a broom. Cleaning comes from within. A clean heart, a pure mind¡ this is just the foundation from where we begin the journey¡¡±
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 87 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 88]
Yet, before he could meditate further, a sudden intrusion of a most unexpected plea interrupted him.
¡°Wait - wait! I surrender, just stop, I implore you!¡± the Devil King suddenly begged. ¡°I am not ignorant to the fact that your advancements in that¡ ¡®talent¡¯ of yours defy all reason. I can sense when my defeat is inevitable. What do you want? Can we perhaps negotiate?¡±
What?
Was that it?
¡°Those soul energy empowered claws you send my way are quite lethal, and I can tell you¡¯re holding back greatly. You could easily kill me if you want, why do you surrender?¡± Orodan asked as he swept.
¡°I can kill you easily now, but can I do so in a thousand loops? Do you think me ignorant? The sudden increases in performance you¡¯ve shown in so short a time are utterly illogical. You gained two levels did you not? Nobody should be capable of advancing a Celestial skill so quickly. I wish for no enmity with a calamity like you,¡± it explained. ¡°I, Devil King Saathmaraz can recognize when I¡¯m in an unwinnable position. How about we let bygones be bygones?¡±
¡°We both know I have no intention of allowing you to flee,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Then we bargain,¡± the Devil King said. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±
¡°To purify you into something less foul,¡± Orodan said, and he immediately heard the snarl of rage and dare he say¡ fear.
¡°I would rather die!¡± Devil King Saathmaraz spat. ¡°Is this your warrior¡¯s honor? To defile your foes instead of granting them a proper death?¡±
Orodan grimaced but had to think for a moment. It had a point, foul as it was. To just alter what someone was at core, was to cross a sacred line. He¡¯d done it once against a foe he truly despised, but only because she¡¯d threatened to do the same to him once upon a time.
Something inside didn¡¯t sit right with doing such a thing so casually.
¡°Surely you can¡¯t expect me to just let you go? Your kind is wicked. Just moments ago, you were wearing the corpse of a man like an abominable suit of flesh,¡± Orodan accused.
¡°He asked it of me! The man formerly known as the Puppet Sovereign summoned me and begged I take up residence within his body,¡± it said. ¡°And do you know why?¡±
¡°The Celestial Emperor, Jian Huangdi,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Precisely, but it extends beyond mere mention. You see, when the Puppet Sovereign approached me, his mind had gained but a moment of freedom from the tyranny of the Dao Of Domination and Supremacy,¡± it explained. ¡°Tell me, is it so heinous a crime that I possess his body in order to slowly unravel the mind controlling dao upon it? After all, you too must¡¯ve tasted the Celestial Emperor¡¯s might, no?¡±
¡°So, he traded one master for another,¡± Orodan replied. Yet, he wasn¡¯t blind enough to realize that the man had done so by choice. That the Puppet Sovereign preferred the Devil King over the Celestial Emperor spoke volumes about the Celestial Court¡¯s ruler. ¡°Still, even if I buy this tale, you still decided to destroy his body and then end up igniting the soul nexus in a bid to harm me permanently. Both of which I doubt he¡¯d like.¡±
¡°Lies between us will serve no purpose at this juncture. I confess, I likely would do such a thing, particularly if I had reason to believe it would harm you,¡± it explained, and Orodan frowned. ¡°Try and look at it from my side. You purify a True Vampire, fight against Devil King Gutriyaz and now threaten to fundamentally alter me at core. With you being a time looper, you¡¯re the single greatest threat my race has ever encountered to date. I consider not just you as you are, but you as will likely grow to be. Do you expect me to play the convenient stepping stone for your ascent to power?¡±
Damn it all. This parley was stupid, and it was detracting from the fight he could be having.
¡°Your innately wicked nature makes it difficult for me to parley with you,¡± Orodan said bluntly. ¡°You only negotiate because you¡¯re aware of my power. Otherwise, you¡¯d all too happily go along with your devilish ways. Tell me honestly, what do you get out of assisting the Puppet Sovereign? I doubt you¡¯re doing it out of the goodness of your demonic heart.¡±
¡°Again, I shall be honest, for lies are futile against a time looper. The hells are at war with both the Conclave and the Celestial Court. Your home world and many like it are often ¡®guided¡¯ into conflict with us as well,¡± Devil King Saathmaraz explained. ¡°Assisting the Puppet Sovereign would weaken an enemy faction and also allow us to set up a tributary tap on the soul nexus, drawing a scant few souls to the hells. A small price to extract¡¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t stealing from the soul nexus of the cultivators allow you access to their System-restricted skills?¡±
¡°Precisely so. It¡¯s not a novel concept by any means, but even raising one tormented cultivator soul into an Arch-Devil over a few hundred-thousand years would be a great boon for us,¡± it replied.
¡°Then everything you do is wicked. Is there a part where you convince me that you¡¯re worth sparing?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Pah! You mortal races and your morals. Yes, we demons do not ascribe to the same sense of morality that you do, but we have certain standards of conduct we abide by. Am I wicked simply because I covet power and aggressively move to claim it? In that regard your warmongering attitude is rather similar to mine. Your battle-lust would earn the respect of even the Overking.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t go around butchering innocents or infiltrating other worlds to cause mass destruction,¡± Orodan fired back.
¡°Lies and slander. Just because the mindless beasts of the lower hells are summoned by cultists from your world and then rampage does not mean the Devil Kings are responsible for it. Do you control the rabid beasts of your world? Do you have omnipotent sight over all territories?¡± it spat. ¡°The rule upon worlds drawn into my domain is one of efficiency and fair meritocracy. I cannot speak for the other Devil Kings, but then, neither can you speak for the foul mortals among your kind who commit depraved acts, can you?¡±
¡°Do you honestly expect me to believe that you¡¯re just a normal being who doesn¡¯t commit any atrocities? One who can honor a deal?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Your ignition of the soul nexus in an earlier loop doesn¡¯t give me much faith. I doubt that was part of your agreement with the rebel cultivators.¡±
¡°I can only admit to my imperfection. Would you not also strike a blow against the deadliest enemy your race has ever faced?¡± Saathmaraz asked. ¡°As for atrocities? We simply have differing sets of morals. This ¡®torture¡¯ that you mortals often engage in, we demons do not subscribe to the notion. The torment-filled process of becoming an Arch-Devil is one of honor and is treated with due respect and care. And without consent we would never defile or control the mind of any who aren¡¯t criminals. The bull demons you see used as fodder are criminals serving justice. Expendable.¡±
¡°And all the demonic possessions I read about in history?¡± Orodan asked pointedly. Recalling how demonic possession had been a real concern in an earlier period of Inuanan history, at least before the crusade which had destroyed the seventh hell.
¡°All consensual. At least, those practiced by us Arch-Devils in civilized society,¡± Saathmaraz said. ¡°What your historians and ¡®holy leaders¡¯ don¡¯t want to tell you, is that the possession is a two-way connection. Before I discarded his form, the Puppet Sovereign and I would often share control of his body. You might think it a tyrannical take-over, but we devils abhor such a thing and consider it most¡ distasteful. Your historical records of possessions fail to mention that the summoner must call the demon forth from the hells. And that the possessed gains great power.¡±
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°Borrowed power will never hold as firmly as strength earned through one¡¯s own sweat and blood.¡±
¡°A privileged opinion from a time looper who hasn¡¯t had to experience true death,¡± it said. ¡°Even among demonkind not all are proficient in the ways of violence. Do you think it fair to make that insensitive comment to a grieving grandmother whose village is raided, and her kin slain? Should she ¡®earn¡¯ power through her own sweat and blood when the killers still roam free? Or do you callously judge her for not following in your path when she never had the advantages that you do.¡±
A fair point. And Orodan would have to admit this Devil King made sense with its words.
¡°If I were to let you go, what¡¯s stopping you from causing trouble for me again?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You mentioned that things are somewhat orderly in your domain, but what of other Devil Kings? You realize that I¡¯ll be at odds with many of them, yes?¡±
¡°Common sense. I have no desire to poke the calamity that is you. If the other Devil Kings cause you trouble, then that¡¯s on them. I would only ask that you don¡¯t join the Conclave in its mindless genocide of my kind and remain open to some sort of reason,¡± Saathmaraz laid out. ¡°We demons are a violent and bloodthirsty lot, but there is honor in some of us, and I do not think my entire race needs make an enemy of you.¡±
¡°Perhaps there¡¯s honor in some demons¡ but is there honor in you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How do I know you¡¯ll keep to any bargain we¡¯ll make.¡±
¡°Simple, we shall start with small steps. Give and take,¡± it said. ¡°You¡¯re in a time loop, yes? How about we expedite this training regimen of yours. Is there anything you would like to learn? A foe you would like to hone yourself against? Your bull-headed mentality would lend well in pitting you against certain powerful Devil Kings.¡±
¡°A tempting offer, but for now, I only have one goal. Do this for me, and I shall consider our deal sealed,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Oh? And what would that be?¡± it asked. ¡°If you ask me to do something silly such as turn myself in to you, I shall have to decline.¡±
¡°Well, not that. But I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like this either¡¡±
Orodan said as his eyes began blazing with soul energy once more, Eternal Soul Reactor churning to its absolute limit.
¡°Ignite the soul nexus for me. Stopping that explosion will be good training.¡±
For a moment, the eerie dimension they were in was silent. And then¡
¡mad laughter broke out. It was haunting, monstrous and every demonic chuckle and guffaw echoed for miles.
¡°Truly, time looper. There could be no better candidate for such a power. Consider our pact sealed.¡±
Orodan was no stranger to being decisive, but as the vague imprint of the soul nexus suddenly glowed monstrously bright in the sky he had to admit, Devil King Saathmaraz¡¯s determination in seeing something through was quite impressive.
The explosion of trillions of souls caused the boundaries of the hellish dimensional underway to shatter and mix freely with the dimensional divide they were mirroring. And just before the explosion reached him, Orodan erupted with power and it all went towards one skill¡
¡which was utterly overwhelmed.
[Time Reversal 52 ¡ú Time Reversal 56]
[Time Mastery 50 ¡ú Time Mastery 54]
His new Absolute Composition skill allowed him to channel a greatly increased amount of soul energy, yet it still wasn¡¯t enough. This was a soul nexus containing trillions of souls. All souls of the Ascendent Sword Cluster¡¯s many worlds entered the cycle of death and rebirth here. The soul detonation of it all could destroy an entire solar system.
Even with his improved body, it was an amount of power he just couldn¡¯t bring to bear in the short time he had.
As the darkness took him, he had a grin on his face.
It was a new mountain before him, gift-wrapped and ready to be broken by his head.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2178]
¡°My Prince! The puppet¡¯s army has been spotted on the horizon! They¡ they come in extreme numbers!¡± a messenger declared.
¡°That Devil King¡ it really is something else,¡± Orodan said with a smile on his face. ¡°Zaessythra, attempting to reverse time on the soul nexus to prevent its explosion is going to be my new goal.¡±
¡°You¡ I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± she asked. ¡°You want to reverse time on a soul nexus containing trillions of souls?¡±
¡°To prevent its ignition by Devil King Saathmaraz,¡± Orodan clarified.
¡°What?!¡± Prince Zhou Shan immediately exclaimed. ¡°That foul devil! It dares to defile the System¡¯s protected mechanism for the cycle of life and death?!¡±
Well, it did dare to do so, but it was partly Orodan¡¯s fault in the last repeat too. Ruthless as it seemed, this was necessary if he was to face the approaching Administrator by the time it arrived. Additionally, enemies who could ignite soul nexii existed, evidenced by Devil King Saathmaraz. Better he hone himself and learn to prevent their destruction here and now rather than have to face it at a later time.
Additionally, his skills had truly increased across the board over the loops of struggle against enemy Gods and Transcendents. He felt he was quickly approaching a tipping point.
¡°Leave the enemy army to me. I¡¯ve been abusing the time loops to get stronger and stronger against them. This time, I feel I can truly make them panic,¡± Orodan said as he walked towards a familiar tent. ¡°And excuse me, I¡¯ll be borrowing this broom.¡±
It was time to clean, and it was time to grind.
#
Many loops passed. And throughout them, he battered the rebel army until the Puppet Sovereign¡¯s arrival, and then he was drawn into the dimensional underways of the hells. There, he cleaned, and eventually, he convinced Devil King Saathmaraz to ignite the soul nexus.
Throughout all of that, he¡¯d learned much.
¡°Why suddenly throw your lot in with me? When we bargained for the first time, you said the Administrator was coming for me,¡± Orodan had remarked. ¡°By the sound of it, you were happy to keep me stranded here until it arrived.¡±
¡°My kind have no loyalty for those beings,¡± it replied. ¡°The Celestial Emperor is rumored to be in contact with one of them, but whatever knowledge the Overking has of the Administrators, our leader keeps close at hand.¡±
¡°And how do you know about them?¡± he asked.
¡°The Overking trusts his inner circle with certain bits of critical knowledge.¡±
The explosion of the soul nexus had followed that conversation.
In the next repeat, Orodan found himself somewhat curious about hellish society.
¡°I¡¯m curious Devil King, how the hells do worlds work¡ in the hells?¡±
¡°Getting bored of your mad endeavor? I suppose I can spare a moment for curiosity¡¯s sake,¡± it replied. ¡°The hells are a separate dimension consisting of eight layers in totality. The eighth and the seventh hells have been all but destroyed, scoured clean. They¡¯re no more than the hunting grounds of greedy mortals nowadays. Worlds within the hells are from the third hell onwards.¡±
¡°These worlds in the hells, were they always there?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Some of the core worlds where demonkind first came from, yes,¡± Saathmaraz answered. ¡°Our ancestral home worlds aside, many of the current worlds of the hells were drawn in after conquering the world core.¡±
¡°You can pull an entire world into your home dimension?¡± Orodan asked, more than a bit impressed. ¡°How is anyone supposed to reclaim ground lost to demonkind then?¡±
¡°A complicated and costly process during which a demon skilled in Dimensionalism works over a period of months to draw the world into a dimensional bubble which is then ferried into our home dimension,¡± it answered. ¡°Of course, this leaves them vulnerable. And great battles have been fought in the past between Conclave and Hegemony crusaders and defending Devil Kings seeking to expand their territory. Aside from the defense of our territories, the conquest of suitable worlds is one of the few times where we Devil Kings come together. I was often chosen as the dimensionalist due to my talents. As for their ¡®reclamation¡¯, the Conclave and Hegemony have some irksome methods of launching a crusade to retake a world.¡±
¡°And the population of these worlds¡ what happens to them?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°We butcher them all, eat the children, torture everyone beforehand and then dance over the corpses,¡± it said dryly, and for a moment Orodan actually took it seriously until it finished. ¡°Was that macabre enough for you?¡±
¡°How about a serious answer?¡±
¡°Can you give me a serious answer about what you mortals do upon conquering a world?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to many world conquerors, and the one I do know is notoriously secretive when the topic of her ascension to Sovereign comes up,¡± Orodan said, thinking of how Zaessythra refused to speak much of it. He surmised that it was an atrocious affair filled with much innocent death.
¡°Ah, I forget that the time looper comes from humble origins. The informant reports did say something along those lines,¡± Devil King Saathmaraz remarked. ¡°Then, listen well. Much like you mortals, certain Devil Kings do enjoy committing atrocities and butchering the rebellious populations of entire worlds upon their induction into the hells. But it¡¯s mostly a peaceful transition, as unbelievable as it may sound.¡±
¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that the population of a world abducted from the material plane and into the hells can just¡ live a peaceful and happy life?¡±
¡°Why not? Demonkind ever has need of crafters, farmers and laborers. And the aspiring warriors among them often choose to undergo the sacred process of ascending into an Arch-Devil. From birth till death, an untalented Initiate-level laborer can enjoy a happy life wanting for nothing,¡± the Devil King said and then paused before speaking once more. ¡°I see, you¡¯ve only seen two Devil Kings so far, have you not? What you¡¯ll come to learn is that Devil Kings can physically look different depending on their species and individual form prior to undergoing the Arch-Devil transformation. Do you think the hells would have a variety of Devil Kings if we simply slaughtered the native populace of inducted worlds? Many of our most powerful members come from the populations of conquered worlds, ascended to the glorious blood of the Arch-Devil through zeal and devotion.¡±
Perhaps the hells were a little less nefarious than he¡¯d been led to believe.
¡°And the civilians, they¡¯re not enslaved or coerced into labor by force?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The protection we provide from the wild demons of the hells beyond a world¡¯s atmosphere is often motivation enough. Still, a rare few Devil Kings might, yet even those are through predatory contracts more than whip-cracking and chains. Most prefer their working populations to be content and loyal,¡± Saathmaraz explained. ¡°Better productivity, stronger warriors and most importantly¡ less defections to those chanting fools of the Conclave.¡±
¡°Then, there¡¯s an entire economy and society¡ I have a hard time picturing that,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Truth be told, it goes against everything I¡¯d heard growing up about the hells and the Arch-Devils.¡±
¡°We would not be able to hold onto any worlds if we simply oppressed the locals upon their induction. Not when the Conclave threatens our conquests with regular crusades of ¡®reclamation¡¯.¡±
¡°A shame¡ I was expecting more ritual sacrifice and summoning of demonic Gods.¡±
¡°We are not caricatures, time looper. We¡¯re more than just the scary fables your mother and father recited to frighten you into obedience,¡± the Devil King said.
¡°I never knew my mother and father, but I believe I understand a bit better now.¡±
¡°Then for what it¡¯s worth, you have my sympathies. I too, had no hive-matrons during my upbringing, but it made me all the stronger for it.¡±
¡°Oh? Tell me-¡±
¡°No. I believe we¡¯ve ignored the soul nexus long enough.¡±
The ignition and subsequent explosion took up his focus for the remainder of that checkpoint loop, but from then on, he decided not to broach that topic with the Devil King.
And another conversation two loops after had Orodan asking questions about ethics.
¡°You mentioned torture was abhorrent to demonkind, why?¡±
¡°I do not recall telling you this, which can only mean it was my past self,¡± Saathmaraz concluded. ¡°And among the more ¡®righteous¡¯ of your kind, I¡¯m told you mortals also despise torture.¡±
¡°Well, obviously, but it¡¯s a bit strange that you have no problem with invading worlds and subverting the populace into the hells while also being against torture,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why torture specifically? Are there any other things demonkind can unanimously agree to detest?¡±
¡°It is of¡ ancestral significance to us. Legend has it that the progenitor of our kind was tortured for a hundred-thousand years by vile holy beings who were attempting to purify them,¡± the Devil King said. ¡°To this day, anything resembling torture is widely detested among us.¡±
¡°No wonder Devil King Gutriyaz tried to immediately kill me¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°Now you understand. You successfully changed the very nature of a being, something our ancient enemies attempted to do. Do you wonder why an Arch-Devil might take poorly to that?¡±
¡°But what about enslavement? Murder? Pillaging?¡±
¡°What about them? Some do them, some do not. Do you mortals not do the same?¡± it asked. ¡°We simply hold no special disgust towards these acts. Breaking agreements and violating bonds of kinship are severely frowned upon however, so these acts are rarer than you would think. And the subjugated populations of conquered worlds need simply comply to avoid such fates.¡±
¡°Your kind are like warlords then? Aggressively expanding and subjugating those who defy you¡ yet treating loyal citizenry fairly. Would that be a fair assessment?¡±
¡°By nature, all Arch-Devils - whether natural or transformed - crave power,¡± Saathmaraz explained. ¡°Yet, power need not come through cruelty and mad violence. There are some Devil Kings who conduct themselves in such a manner and you¡¯d get along well with some of those for their battle-lust, yet there is room for peace and co-existence.¡±
Orodan had to admit, Devil King Saathmaraz was a good ambassador for its species. His opinion of demonkind had risen from hostility to consideration. Depending on the demon at least.
His constant deaths against the near-unstoppable soul nexus explosion aside, the battle against the rebel army was another point where he¡¯d learned new things. The constant battles slowly increased his skills across the board.
It had been fifty loops of repeats since his first visit to the dimensional underways of the hells.
And now, in this final loop where he felt the tipping point approach, everything would come together.
¡°This time, I think I¡¯m going to win,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Win? What do you- oh, of course,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Feel up to the task of slaying the enemy commander?¡±
¡°Not quite.¡±
¡°I thought you said you¡¯d win this time.¡±
¡°I believe so, but it won¡¯t be through slaying the enemy commander,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°We have an agreement. Prince Zhou Shan, please hold the Third Army back. I¡¯ve been through this battle enough times, now¡ I think I can show some results.¡±
The Prince only nodded, and Orodan didn¡¯t stick around to speak any further.
The teleportation which tore through the enemy¡¯s space-lock formation brought him before the enemy army.
The enemy whip cultivator, the commander of the centre-line, shouted orders as usual.
¡°Front ranks! Advance and engage! He¡¯s isolated!¡± barked the Transcendent whip cultivator
The bull demons moved to advance and engage as usual. But before that¡
¡°Orodan! The flying fell beasts are converging on your position! You¡¯re about to become the target of focus fire!¡± Zaessythra warned him mentally. This was fine, Orodan had been through this enough times now, and he was far stronger and prepared now.
The enemy missile troops fired in volleys. The first two volleys were unit specific, as in, each unit of archers, elemental cultivators or javelineers would coordinate their own volleys. But the third¡ the third was where the entire enemy army¡¯s ranged troops hit him all at once.
If he used Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity during the first or second volleys, not everyone would fire by the time of the third volley as they¡¯d notice the dead. Early on in the repeats, he had a hard time surviving and thus needed to utilize the skill right away to alleviate pressure. But now, with his healing and defensive skills far higher, he simply withstood the damage. Confident.
The first and second volleys came and went, their impact minimal.
But the third?
As the missiles and elemental assaults of the entire enemy army connected¡
¡Orodan allowed Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity to return it all.
The result was pure cataclysm.
Fifteen-thousand troops arrayed in neat formations in the back lines. In their place was now fifteen-thousand corpses.
¡°By the heavens! Hold fire! Hold fire! He can return damage!¡±
¡°We have no ranged forces to give orders to!¡± the enemy hydra God bellowed.
¡°Silence! Do not panic! Advance and engage with Gods and Transcendents! Pull back the bull demons! Now!¡±
The bull demons were about to act on those orders, yet before they could, Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out to envelop the entire opposing force and purge all of their minds. Fifteen-thousand bull demons, cleared of their binding mind magics in an instant.
¡°T-the bull demons are breaking and fleeing!¡±
¡°Mind cultivators! Work on restoring the bindings on the remaining ones!¡± the whip cultivator barked,
¡°Captain¡ all the bindings have been broken!¡±
¡°Damn it - damn it all! Call for the generals! All captains and commanders, charge!¡±
The enemy elite began their typical assault, yet Orodan weathered it with frightening efficiency.
The gold cultivator¡¯s assault was ineffective. The acid cultivator¡¯s fluids simply gave him a bath, and the singularities of the gravity cultivator were not only endured¡ but dealt with in a unique manner.
A broom left his spatial storage and lashed out to quickly cleanse the space where the singularities were.
¡°He¡¯s somehow unravelling my singularities!¡±
Additionally, with Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity at a higher level, it now caused a new dilemma for the foe.
¡°Why do you shirk your blows?! Attack him!¡±
¡°The damage return from that skill is outpacing the healing Xue Ran can provide!¡± the enemy hydra God retorted.
¡°Xue Ran! We need more healing!¡±
Yet, the healer in the skies above looked to be struggling heavily. The man¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and the healing cultivator was bleeding from his nose. The damage return from Orodan¡¯s Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity was keeping the man¡¯s hands more than full.
¡°Melee! Close in and engage! Buy some time for Xue Ran to heal the backline!¡±
Orodan once more made contact with the enemy¡¯s elite Transcendents and Gods who were specialized in close combat. Yet over fifty loops he¡¯d grown stronger. Clashing against Devil King Saathmaraz certainly helped, and thirty loops ago he¡¯d begun doing well enough that the enemy¡¯s melee specialists had to get involved.
The familiar lightning-fist cultivator and whip cultivator charged him alongside the enemy hydra God. These three were the main frontline, all while a squad of fifty weaker Transcendents and Gods, newly ascended or possessing low-rarity skills, supported them by swarming him.
Survival and outlasting the enemy was his real strength. Which was why he had yet to actually kill any Gods or Transcendents. The Puppet Sovereign always arrived before he could. This loop however, he felt would be the victory loop. And that was because he had a gut feeling he could lash out and reap at least one life.
The three main frontliners were doing a good job of occupying him, however he was now at a point where he could ignore many of their blows with the confidence that he could survive the damage.
The melee continued for ten more seconds until¡
¡one tired and injured spear-Transcendent, multiple cuts across his body, lashed out with a full power strike. A moment of desperation or carelessness perhaps.
Immediately, Orodan ignored every other attack even as he was run through, sliced, crushed and pummelled. He ran headfirst into the injured Transcendent¡¯s attack¡ and simultaneously unleashed the most powerful All-Strike he could as Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity did its work too.
The man¡¯s chest cavity received a man-sized hole from the backlash, and then Orodan¡¯s All-Strike reached him too.
[New Title ¡ú Transcendent Slayer]
The battlefield halted for a brief instant at the kill. The fear and reminder of mortality was now apparent in the eyes of the rebel forces.
And of course, his show of dominance hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed.
¡°Orodan! The enemy general is-¡±
¡°-approaching. I know, Zaessythra, I know. You say that every time,¡± Orodan interrupted.
¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like it, you¡¯re free to tell me to shut up from the next loop,¡± she fired back.
¡°And why would I do that?¡± he asked. ¡°After all, I¡¯ve grown quite fond of hearing your voice.¡±
¡°Ugh¡ you¡¯re such a fool,¡± she said in an irritated tone.
As usual, a flying fell beast carrying the two enemy leaders approached. One of them, the Puppet Sovereign, possessed by Devil King Saathmaraz. The other, his conversation partner.
¡°Hold all attacks!¡± the puppet bellowed. ¡°Time looper! Your brazen display of charging my army by your lonesome is audacious. I came in with forty-thousand, and I¡¯m left with just above ten-thousand. A complete disaster. But do not presume I don¡¯t recognize the possibility that you¡¯ve been looping to achieve this outcome.¡±
¡°Enough of that, Devil King,¡± Orodan said, causing the Puppet Sovereign to freeze and closely eye him. He¡¯d found that dropping his knowledge of its true nature caused it to stall for a bit, giving him time to converse. ¡°Thousand Broom Sovereign, tell me, is it better to utilize a broom upon the dust and a mop upon the water? Or does the road to true mastery lay in knowing how to use the broom to sweep water and the mop to brush away the dust?¡±
¡°Why, that¡¯s an odd regimen but I would argue that the broom can solve all problems,¡± the cultivator replied, seemingly forgetting about the context he was in. The man seemed to be much like Orodan, a cleaning savant. ¡°If there are nine-hundred and ninety-nine things that need cleaning, and you have a thousand brooms, then victory is yours. A broom for each task.¡±
¡°But then if you run into a thousand-and-one things that need cleaning you¡¯ll be defeated,¡± Orodan replied, and the man had a scandalized look on his face. ¡°It seems our philosophy on cleaning differs. I¡¯m of the belief that having one broom which can clean all things is the path to mastery.¡±
¡°Given that I can conjure millions of brooms if needed, my earlier words were more philosophical than practical,¡± the man said. ¡°What do you want?¡±
Instead of his sword and shield, Orodan drew his broom.
¡°Face me in a battle of insights,¡± Orodan demanded. ¡°I shall prove that my understanding of cleaning is superior to yours.¡±
¡°I get an instinctual feeling that you¡¯re quite special in the path of cleaning, but you stand before a Transcendent and the greatest cleaning cultivator of the Ascendent Sword Cluster,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign said. ¡°Celestial skill or no, do not take me lightly.¡±
¡°Thousand Broom Sovereign! This is the time looper! You play into his hands with this farce!¡± the Puppet Sovereign said. And Orodan had to wonder if Devil King Saathmaraz¡¯s words were true. That it shared a body with the Puppet Sovereign, after all, the Devil King sounded a bit more composed while the puppet had a slightly angrier demeanor.
¡°And? My pride as a cultivator refuses to let me shirk from this contest,¡± the man said and conjured enough brooms to blot out the sky.
It was a magnificent sight and Orodan had to admire the sight of so many well-made brooms hovering in the sky. He could see now how Jian Song lost to this man.
He pointed his own broom towards the ground.
¡°This patch of ground beneath us¡ no tricks, no magic, no Qi¡ just brooming technique,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°I, Orodan Wainwright, guarantee that I can clean it better than you with just this poorly-made broom! If you win, I surrender and join your side. I¡¯ll even resurrect your dead. And if I win¡ I demand an audience with Devil King Saathmaraz.¡±
The nearby cultivators who were overhearing this were shocked. Some gasped, some muttered, and many were in utter disbelief that what was moments ago a battle, would now be a contest of cleaning. The mentions of a Devil King, a somewhat taboo secret among the rebels, also didn¡¯t help matters.
¡°Very well! Just know that you¡¯re a million years too early to challenge me!¡± the man declared. ¡°Like a frog in a well, you know not what your limits are, Orodan Wainwright!¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been humbled often enough. But in this, when it comes to cleaning¡ I doubt you or anyone in the universe can match me.¡±
The man¡¯s face held a look of severe pride as a million brooms descended from the sky and began assaulting the ground. The man himself controlled them all to descend and sweep half of the patch of ground Orodan had indicated.
In a sense, it went against the rules a bit. After all, he¡¯d stipulated no magic or tricks, but it was still a display of excellent broom technique. Very good in fact. The Orodan from Ogdenborough from before the time loops would¡¯ve been quite awed¡
¡and the Orodan from after his time at Novarria would have considered it on his level.
That¡¯s all it was.
He cared not that this man was a Transcendent, past level 100 in the Dao of Cleaning. Orodan¡¯s talent in cleaning was such that he could clean well above his level. And this man¡¯s sweeping technique was¡
¡°Lacking.¡±
¡°You dare?!¡±
¡°A million brooms working with sub-par technique isn¡¯t enough,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Now, then¡ behold what a single broom can do.¡±
Instead of bringing the broom to the ground right away, Orodan first minutely adjusted every single hair on the broom head to perfection. Then, the Weapon Aura part of his Celestial skill held it in place as he took a stance and every muscle in his body was poised to move.
It wasn¡¯t a forceful move; it wasn¡¯t one overloaded with power as he was so often wont to do.
No. It was just a simple sweep.
A mere stroke across the ground.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 88 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 89]
Every cell of his new body could now function as a brain; therefore, he was thinking with all of himself as he focused on the task. Each movement, beyond mere perfection.
The skill levels didn¡¯t accurately reflect his comprehensions, but that was okay. He was beginning to outgrow the boosts provided by skill level gains when it came to the act of cleaning. The System couldn¡¯t properly quantify him in it. The insights he¡¯d been gaining over the last fifty repeats were something the System couldn¡¯t accurately quantify.
His fingers, arms, legs and waist moved in such a way during the sweep that the very air was drawn towards the broom head which he¡¯d arranged perfectly for that reason. The broom head, with naught but immaculate technique, swept up the very impurities in the rock itself.
And as Orodan had come to learn long ago, Cleaning depended on the user¡¯s version of what was deemed unclean. And in this strange battlefield within the dimensional divide where reality was surreal and impossible geometric shapes existed¡
¡Orodan deemed the dimension itself to be filth.
The rock under his feet had always possessed a rather immaterial and imaginary quality to it. It was real, certainly, but not of the material plane. Not of the regular dimension that Orodan came from.
His sweep rectified that, and the dream-like and surreal rock he¡¯d swept over, became all too real and tangible.
[New Skill (Mythical) ¡ú Reality Alteration 1]
The Puppet Sovereign twitched once. The entire battlefield had gone silent, and what followed was a million brooms falling to the ground from above, yet the sound of the Thousand Broom Sovereign¡¯s knees hitting the dirt was the loudest.
¡°¡you transformed it into rock of the material plane. To defy reality itself¡¡±
¡°No¡ I simply cleaned it. Through a singular broom, all things are possible.¡±
And then, before the Devil King could assume its true form and destroy the Puppet Sovereign¡¯s body, Orodan teleported right in front of it¡ and swept out with the broom.
It would¡¯ve been all too tempting to purify the Devil King itself, but Orodan was no oath-breaker. Rather, his sweep pushed it out of the possessed man¡¯s body.
¡°I refuse to be purified! Have honor and grant me a clean death! What have I done to offend you, time looper?¡±
¡°Not very much, actually,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I won¡¯t be purifying you. But I will ask you to ignite the soul nexus. We came to an agreement, even if you can¡¯t remember it.¡±
Devil King Saathmaraz¡¯s eyes flitted through various emotions and calculations until they finally narrowed in understanding. With a pulse of world energy, the reaction began.
Throughout his fifty tries at this madness, Orodan had found success with some methods, and failure with others.
Oddly enough, Shield Intent surrounding the soul nexus was a quick and easy method of preventing its ignition. Yet, Orodan refused this cheap solution as it was for weaklings, and when the time came and he actually needed to save a soul nexus, it would come back to bite him.
Spatiomancy to redirect the pulse of world energy which started the fire was also successful but rejected for the same reasons above.
Other solutions such as attempting to absorb the world energy using his own crown hadn¡¯t worked and attempts at developing a hypothetical ¡®soul black hole¡¯ hadn¡¯t panned out.
Hard work was the only way forward. And Orodan had struggled, strained and died fifty times to make his body capable of tolerating the insane ravages of soul energy needed to cast a Time Reversal on this scale.
Yet, this time he felt success was due.
[Time Reversal 69 ¡ú Time Reversal 70]
[Time Mastery 62 ¡ú Time Mastery 65]
Orodan¡¯s body was reduced to a single cell. A common occurrence when channelling enough power to destroy a planet at least. And just as the darkness was about to take him a final message came forth.
[Harmony Of Vitality 96 ¡ú Harmony Of Vitality 97]
His one cell stabilized, and another was born. Bit by bit, the tide was turned.
His soul burned hotter and hotter; beyond any level he¡¯d ever brought it to before. Kept alive only thanks to his new body composition and the increases in his healing abilities.
The hellfire that had begun spreading through the trillions of souls¡ slowly began to halt, and then¡ to reverse.
¡°¡amazing!¡±
It was Devil King Saathmaraz who muttered next to him, simply looking on in wonder.
The reversal continued, until finally, it reverted to before the world energy pulse ever struck in the first place.
[Soul Nexus Tampering Detected - Administrator Notified]
As Zhou Shan had warned, tampering with the soul nexus came with consequences.
Frankly, Orodan couldn¡¯t care less at this point. He already had an Administrator coming for him.
¡°Did any message pop up for you as well?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°N-no¡ no it did not,¡± the Devil King said, simply staring up at the still white and swirling vortex which moments ago was aflame and on the verge of exploding. ¡°Whatever you did¡ it seems to have noticed you as the primary participant.¡±
¡°Which is fine by me,¡± Orodan said and then looked behind him. ¡°Anyhow, you might want to get a move on, Devil King. The cultivators behind us don¡¯t look too happy. I¡¯m not one for deceit, so I can¡¯t convincingly trip over and act as though you got the better of me either.¡±
¡°You¡¯re¡ letting me escape?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t say we¡¯ll get along, Devil King Saathmaraz, but from what you tell me, the people of your world are treated marginally better than I¡¯d thought,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°And¡ we had an agreement. Give and take. And with this, I¡¯ve more than taken my share of what I needed.¡±
The Devil King gave him a strange look before getting to its feet and casting a dimensional bubble.
Before it enveloped the devil, it spoke.
¡°If you have the time, find me in the third hell, time looper. No¡ Orodan Wainwright.¡±
The Devil King promptly vanished. Presumably to the dimensional underways of the hells. Orodan had advanced his Dimensionalism by a fair bit, and while he could likely leave the hells, actually entering it was another thing. Teleportation didn¡¯t seem to work in carrying him back there.
He quickly checked to see that his new Transcendent Slayer title, alongside the Space Elite title he¡¯d gained throughout his grinding had added sixty more runes to his total. Which meant sixty more uses of the checkpoint system. He had 2199 uses remaining.
An angry Prince Zhou Shan came barging over, cutting his ruminations short, however.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, thank you for all you¡¯ve done, but why let the Devil King escape?¡± he asked. ¡°It and its ilk are enemies of all good folk throughout our galaxy.¡±
¡°I thought so too at the beginning of these loops,¡± Orodan said. ¡°However, you can come to learn some strange things about someone when you have all the time in the world. I wouldn¡¯t say we¡¯re allies, but we had an agreement, and he honored his part of the bargain.¡±
The Prince shook his head, clearly resigned, but accepted the explanation.
¡°Just be wary of making deals with devils my friend. Still, enough chastisement and sour talk. We¡¯ve won! The soul nexus is returned to the sons and daughters of Xian!¡± the Prince said. ¡°We shall maintain communal custody of this with the rebels as we negotiate how to deal with my father.¡±
¡°And the Eldritch that corrupts him,¡± Orodan said, causing the Prince to grimace.
¡°Yes¡ the real foe behind our woes.¡±
#
The after-battle mop-up wasn¡¯t complicated.
The escaped bull demons were rounded up and Orodan insisted they at least be imprisoned fairly. He wasn¡¯t about to insist that the Third Army show mercy and release them after the casualties they¡¯d likely suffered in prior battles. The Celestial Court still considered the hells their enemy, and Orodan didn¡¯t have a particular side as of yet.
The cultivators of the rebel army were resurrected by Orodan, a god-like feat even by his standards, but one he was now capable of. And they joined the Third Army after an intense bout of negotiations where both sides agreed that the Celestial Emperor was a true problem and the man¡¯s tyranny needed to be stopped.
All in all, it was agreed that a campaign against the Celestial Emperor would begin soon, and Orodan was invited to join, which he gladly accepted. Troops were slated to move out the very next day, and the few loyalist worlds of the Third Army and the many rebel worlds of the Puppet Sovereign¡¯s uprising began mobilizing troops for the effort.
As for the Puppet Sovereign himself, the man¡¯s mind was clearly broken in some irreparable way which Orodan offered to take a look at but was immediately refused.
The man¡¯s trauma from the Celestial Emperor¡¯s brainwashing ran deep, and he refused to allow anyone access, even for healing. Which was fair enough and Orodan respected that.
Orodan sat in his assigned tent, reading a book on dimensionalism - Zaessythra perched on his shoulder also reading along - when a messenger came in.
¡°Sovereign Wainwright!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a Sovereign¡¡±
¡°You have dominion over a world core you fool, it¡¯s custom in the Ascendent Sword Cluster to refer to World-Rulers as Sovereigns.¡±
Orodan sighed but accepted it.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°My lord, there is a letter for you,¡± the man said. Yet, something was off.
Orodan looked closer and¡
¡°An illusion,¡± Zaessythra muttered.
¡°You see it too?¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Yes¡ how utterly remarkable¡ I never would¡¯ve noticed unless the creator wanted me to,¡± she said. ¡°This is an illusion of the highest caliber.¡±
The messenger vanished into motes of world energy after the letter was taken.
The letter, however, was quite real.
Well, as real as something with at least two-thousand different types of magic upon it could be.
¡°It¡¯s not trapped,¡± Orodan said, scanning it with Vision Of Purity. ¡°At least from what I can tell. The letter itself is real too, even if there¡¯s way too many spells upon it.¡±
Not that Orodan worried about things like rigged letters and ambushes.
¡°Well? Read it already!¡±
Such a demanding book¡
Orodan opened up the letter. No magical traps, hells, even the handwriting was just¡
¡°System glyphs? It¡¯s as though somebody wrote this whole thing in the language of the System, yet my eyes can read the content just fine,¡± Orodan said.
The System translated all. Yet, depending on the language written, the handwriting and whatnot, it could be a clue as to the identity of the author, yet this letter was written in the glyphs of the System itself. It translated perfectly to Orodan, but he had not a clue who the writer was.
¡®I hope this letter finds you well, time looper.
Unlike yourself, secrecy is not only critical to my plans at understanding the situation I¡¯m in, but also necessary for my own safety. Thus, you¡¯ll find over two-thousand spells empowered by various sources of energy, all meant to obscure this letter and prevent any forms of tracing.
We can¡¯t all go around dying thousands of times to best a single enemy. And the one that comes after you in a month is a most dangerous one. I strongly, no, I absolutely advise, that you immediately flee to another galaxy to avoid it. And System forbid it has already touched you¡ then it can track your location throughout the loops, with a reminder that you¡¯re rather important. The one that pursues you, The Reject, he is mad and corrupted by something fell, something that terrifies me and should scare you as well. The other four are not like him and I would even suggest seeking refuge with one of them.
I also write to complain about the mayhem you¡¯ve caused since the beginning of this loop of mine. Your recent tampering with a soul nexus has caused quite the stir, please try to keep it down. Or don¡¯t. It¡¯s amusing.
Signed, Someone In A Similar Situation¡¯
¡°Well¡ this complicates matters,¡± Orodan said.
¡°At least they seem a lot smarter than you,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Not that it¡¯s a hard feat to manage.¡±
Orodan let her have the newly improved Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity for that one.
Chapter 54 - Campaign For The Cluster I
Four people and a book were sat around a table within a grand war tent.
¡°We¡¯ve agreed to join hands with you, Prince Zhou Shan, yet your poorly concealed suspicion towards the Puppet Sovereign does not go unnoticed,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign said. ¡°If there is any bad blood present, we should air it now.¡±
¡°That is¡¡±
¡°Air it out, Zhou Shan,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I find it best to just let your feelings out bluntly. And if that causes offense, then so be it!¡±
¡°I fear I¡¯m not quite as bold as yourself, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Prince said and then turned to the Puppet Sovereign. ¡°Still, you¡¯ve cornered me so I shall speak. I still bear some misgivings towards you for allying with a Devil King.¡±
¡°Would you have done any different if you¡¯d fallen under the sway of your tyrant father¡¯s Dao?¡± the Puppet Sovereign asked in turn. ¡°My memories are in tatters and every waking moment is spent questioning who I really am. Are the memories from my past mere fabrications?¡±
¡°You could¡¯ve-!¡± the Prince was about to exclaim, but then stopped himself. ¡°What of your honor? Your Dao? Did becoming a puppet yourself not halt your advancements? In a similar situation, upon coming to my senses I would¡¯ve sought death to redeem myself!¡±
¡°I am not you! My world still needed me, and many more were still under the yoke of your tyrant father!¡± the Puppet Sovereign barked back. ¡°Or would you have preferred this rebellion never happen in the first place and all those worlds still remain under the thumb of the Celestial Court?¡±
¡°We¡¯re all still part of the Celestial Court!¡± Prince Zhou Shan roared. ¡°We merely seek to change its leadership! Or are you not a son of Xian?¡±
¡°Do you think the Court is merely rotten at the top? Jian Huangdi has appointed enough sycophants and flatterers to his court even without using his Dao,¡± the Puppet Sovereign replied. ¡°The Court¡ must be reformed.¡±
The Prince looked as though he took some issue with that, and for a moment the two locked gazes, the tension palpable.
¡°Define reform,¡± the Prince said. ¡°The Court is a founding piece of our heritage. You seek to upend tradition that we have held onto for millions of years.¡±
¡°Tradition must make way for innovation and progress,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said. ¡°Our current woes are exactly because we have clung to the old ways for so long. The cores of our worlds face the slow trickle of the Eldritch corruption, and the common cultivator is left to suffer as the heavens war above them.¡±
¡°A bit ironic for you to be speaking of commoners when you were raised in the lap of luxury and had access to advantages which no commoner could dream of,¡± the Prince replied frostily.
¡°And your humble upbringing as the discarded son of a concubine has not prevented you from being a lackey for the very Court that causes strife,¡± the Puppet Sovereign spat. ¡°The Celestial Court would not be in so dominant a position if not for your heroics and adventuring in your younger days, Prince.¡±
Orodan wasn¡¯t a politician, nor did he care for the intrigues and rivalries between factions. This however, was only natural. Even though the two sides had nominally agreed to cooperate in dealing with the Celestial Emperor, one couldn¡¯t just erase the bad blood between the two that had been festering since the beginning of the current war over the soul nexus.
After all, to Orodan, the victory over the Puppet Sovereign and Devil King Saathmaraz¡¯s attempted explosion of the soul nexus was a rather short event which took under a hundred checkpoint loops. These two however, had been warring for who knew how many years?
From what Orodan had heard from the reading he¡¯d been doing, decisive battles in such wars were rare. And one side often had a vested interest in stalling or forcing the enemy to bleed more casualties than the other. Prior to the battle of yesterday, most engagements took place at range, with constant harassment, handfuls of casualties which were quickly replenished through time and soul cultivators, and small strategic gains.
Yesterday¡¯s battle had been a momentous event and the first time in decades that either force had committed to such decisive battle. And it had been due to the arrival of Orodan himself that the rebel forces had their hand forced.
Either die a slow death as Orodan whittled their forces down with the advantage his presence gave, or commit to a battle where there was a chance at permanently eliminating the time looper.
It hadn¡¯t gone their way, though he could see why they made the choice to commit to battle.
Still, the current tension between the leader of the rebels and the Prince was palpable. The bad blood between the two couldn¡¯t be so easily resolved.
The Thousand Broom Sovereign interrupted the stare down.
¡°We cannot afford infighting if we¡¯re to prevail over the tyrant. Put your differences aside and focus on victory first. What comes after¡ peace or more war, we can handle then.¡±
¡°Fine¡ there is understandably some distrust between us,¡± Prince Zhou Shan said. ¡°Needs dictate that we focus on the true threat however.¡±
¡°Then we¡¯re in agreement. Jian Huangdi must step down, the Celestial Emperor must fall. Something we will ensure through force,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign said.
¡°The thought of testing my Dao against my father¡¯s does not inspire confidence. Last we sparred a few thousand years ago, he held a noticeable advantage, although I did force him to get serious. That being said, we have the time looper, Orodan Wainwright on our side,¡± Prince Zhou Shan said. ¡°Counting him and I, we have two Celestial skill bearers. My father is the only Celestial on the side of the Court. We have the advantage.¡±
¡°And yet, that Dao of his is unfathomably mighty. Rumors say he¡¯s on the cusp of going beyond the Transcendent-level,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign said. ¡°I need not say how bad it would be if this war led to him reaching the Embodiment-level.¡±
¡°A ridiculous thing to fear. Nobody in our galaxy has reached Embodiment yet,¡± Prince Zhou Shan said.
¡°Only because there is a tacit and unspoken agreement not to commit to a true war,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said. ¡°The Conclave, the Hells, the Hegemony, the Unity and even us in the Court. We all fear war for it would provide the catalyst for those closest to Embodiment to reach it. If anything, once your nature becomes more widely known, you too will face some heavy scrutiny and attempts to put checks on your power, time looper.¡±
The last bit was said as the man looked at him.
¡°Perhaps Jian Huangdi reaches Embodiment, perhaps he does not. Either way, we need only survive until the Grand Tribulation of the System descends to swoop him away. Then, for at least a few years we will have time to flee,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign said.
¡°Embodiment?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°And what¡¯s this Grand Tribulation?¡±
¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, you come from a lower world and have yet to reach Transcendence yourself,¡± the Prince said. ¡°Simply put, Transcendence itself has a peak, at level 150 of a skill. Even I, prodigious as I am, still struggle to push my Dao of the Axe beyond 147. My father, from the rumors at least, is sitting at 150 and poised to go past even that. A level known as Embodiment.¡±
¡°Surely, given how long the universe has been around for, there should be many people at this Embodiment level?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°To an extent. However, this is where the System¡¯s Grand Tribulation comes in. Other factions call it the Grand Judgement, the Gaze of the Maker, and so on,¡± the Prince explained. ¡°Regardless of what it¡¯s called, we know that the System descends unto someone within an hour of their rise to the Embodiment level. And even though we know not what occurs, those who survive the trial return with power beyond any this galaxy has ever known, albeit, with string attached.¡±
¡°Strings?¡±
¡°The Administrators. Anyone who reaches the Embodiment level is under close scrutiny by them. That¡¯s a part of why you don¡¯t see Embodiers running around publicly,¡± the Prince said. ¡°Having the overseers of the System itself breathing down your neck makes them cautious. Many of them simply aren¡¯t seen dwelling within civilized spaces and instead prefer to seclude themselves. Of course, when one is corrupted by the Eldritch like my father is¡ there are stories of great devastation when an Embodier passes the Grand Tribulation and returns to exact vengeance. And he bears a Celestial skill, making him a grave threat even by their standards.¡±
¡°How strong can an Embodier be? I haven¡¯t met one, but if they¡¯re a step above even the Celestial Emperor, then I think I stand a chance,¡± Orodan said.
¡°No. You would not. To put it into perspective, you struggled against Devil King Saathmaraz, did you not?¡± the Prince asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°That Devil King¡¯s highest skill level is rumored to be in the mid 140s. Mine is 147, and I comfortably hold an advantage over it, even when it¡¯s at peak power and inhabiting another Transcendent as is its specialty. And the Celestial Emperor has an advantage over even me. Given all this, know that even the weakest of Embodiers are on par with the Celestial Emperor, while the stronger ones¡ they¡¯re walking calamities who can destroy star systems as an afterthought.¡±
Frightening, or so a reasonable person should¡¯ve felt.
All he could feel however, was excitement.
¡°This is a moot discussion anyhow. There are no Embodiers in our galaxy, and the few that have been rumored to arise from ours have never returned for fear of the Administrators taking notice of their actions and deeming it interference,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said. ¡°Let us speak of more immediate matters. Our worlds have mobilized, and we have multiple assault groups ready to move out in a few hours. The Celestial Court is not stupid, they can see what we¡¯re doing and have promptly begun ramping up defensive efforts and sending token forces to border worlds.¡±
¡°Why token forces?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Should the defense of an entire world not be a priority? And if they intend on losing it, why send forces at all?¡±
¡°An effort to buy time until their main army is assembled,¡± the Prince explained. ¡°The Third Army has been the fighting force of the Celestial Court for millions of years. The other armies simply do not compare,¡± the Prince said with no small amount of pride. ¡°With us turning against the Emperor, the Court is scrambling to draw combat capable troops and experts from their worlds. We have the advantage in army quality.¡±
¡°And we have the soul nexus,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign said. ¡°We can easily replenish casualties while they¡¯ll be fighting for every resurrection.¡±
That was another thing. While his feat of resurrecting the fallen forces of the rebel army was quite impressive, it was only so for its speed and the sheer amount of power he¡¯d used to do so. On his home world of Alastaia, chronomancers struggled to go back in time by more than a certain amount, it simply cost too much energy.
However, that was without the control of a soul nexus being factored into the equation.
A soul nexus was essentially the afterlife, the final destination. And when one had control of this final destination, then the costs for rewinding time and bringing souls back were dramatically reduced. In fact, oftentimes chronomancy or time cultivation simply wasn¡¯t necessary as the soul could just be plucked directly from the nexus upon death and placed back into the body. A feat that required only expertise in the soul arts, far cheaper in terms of energy expenditure.
¡°Then, the enemy can be barred from resurrecting their fallen?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not completely, at least if they manage to reach the body or soul of the fallen before it reaches the soul nexus,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign explained. ¡°Once a certain amount of time has passed however, their ability to bring back their casualties will be gone. After all, they have none on their side with your capacity to produce power.¡±
That sounded like quite the advantage. Combat resurrections weren¡¯t something covered in basic training at the county militia. Mainly because the ability to bring back the dead through chronomancy or the soul arts was something relegated to the realm of Grandmasters, and officially, he¡¯d never learned of the existence of those until the time loops began. And while he¡¯d seen combat resurrections and the replenishment of casualties mid-battle while fighting against the Novarrian army, it was still a subject not well documented.
¡°That aside, the majority of our forces have fully mobilized and are ready to move out. We have two armies altogether, prepared to launch a three-pronged assault and converge upon Xian,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t have called this meeting just to tell me that,¡± Prince Zhou Shan said.
¡°Correct. What we actually mean to speak of¡ is utilizing the time looper to our advantage,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said. ¡°Unless both of our truth-detecting skills have failed us, both the Thousand Broom Sovereign and I are confident that this is your first time having this meeting. Orodan Wainwright, we¡¯d like for you to abuse your power to time loop and send us information from the future about how the upcoming campaign will go.¡±
Orodan nodded, and Zaessythra fluttered up from his shoulder.
¡°Since you plan to launch a three-pronged assault, I take it you intend for Orodan to try taking all three paths and relaying the information to you?¡± she asked, assuming the role of his tactical advisor.
The two rebel army leaders nodded.
¡°There are three armies altogether. The first, is the army of Prince Zhou Shan, a force of ten-thousand veterans who are reliable and battle-tested. Led by him, a Celestial skill bearer, they¡¯re sure to succeed in whatever assault they commit to,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said as he laid three sheafs of paper out on the table. ¡°The second army is ours. With the bull demons gone, we have just over twenty-five thousand troops of excellent quality.¡±
¡°Excellent quality, but not veterans,¡± she remarked, and though hesitant, the rebel leaders nodded. ¡°And without the bull demons to soak up the brunt of an enemy attack, less effective than you¡¯d prefer.¡±
¡°Our cultivators and commanders are brave and zealous,¡± the Thousand Broom Sovereign said. ¡°But they aren¡¯t battle-tested to the same degree that the Third Army is. The troops have perhaps two campaigns under their belts prior to this. Of course¡ if you¡¯d be amenable to using the bull dem-¡±
¡°No. They¡¯re prisoners and shall be kept as such,¡± Orodan swiftly interjected. ¡°Give them a weapon and offer them a fair fight to the death, or free them. Intimidating them into serving as meat shields is just uncivil.¡±
¡°Understood, we will not go against your wishes on the matter,¡± the man replied.
Concerns about troop quality, experience and morale were something Orodan understood well enough.
And if the second assault force was a bit concerning in terms of quality, then the third was a joke. Something Zaessythra made her thoughts clear about.
¡°These are conscripts and non-combatants¡¡± she said in a low tone. ¡°Is the situation that desperate that you need them fighting?¡±
¡°You mistake me, cursed scripture, these men and women willingly rose to the call for freedom,¡± the Puppet Sovereign replied.
¡°How much freedom do mere Masters and Grandmasters have when their Transcendent Sovereign gives them an order?¡± she asked sharply. ¡°Most of these people will die in the first minute of battle against even a middling force. A waste of life.¡±
¡°You judge without being in our position, time looper, have your advisor watch her words please.¡±
¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree with her,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why have them fight at all if they¡¯ll do nothing but die? Admittedly, you can resurrect them easily with the soul nexus under your control, but if the enemy fields any troops capable of assaulting the mind or the soul a simple resurrection without chronomancy won¡¯t be enough.¡±
¡°Then, what do you propose?¡± the Puppet Sovereign asked. And Orodan was at least pleased that the man hadn¡¯t withdrawn or become obstinate on the topic.
¡°How about¡ I launch that assault myself?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You can¡¯t be-¡±
¡°Fine. I would normally call the very thought a flight of lunacy, yet you¡¯ve shown just what you¡¯re capable of against an enemy army even by your lonesome,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said. ¡°And you¡¯re the time looper too. Be aware however, that conquering a world involves more than just delving past the World Gates and dominating the core. A world that is aware of the invasion and one whose denizens are fully committed to resisting is a different matter than your own home world where you took over a wild core.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll heed the warning,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Besides, we can still use your third assault force for the sake of holding ground and maintaining control once we¡¯ve prevailed in battle. A peacekeeping force of sorts.¡±
¡°Good. Now then, let us hash out the remaining details, in particular, if you could try and glean information on these key individuals and locations¡¡±
The discussion went on for another hour-and-a-half. And Orodan was given a full briefing of the invasion plan.
For starters, it wasn¡¯t a conquest with the intent to hold ground or subvert entire worlds and their populations. Both the rebels and Prince Zhou Shan and his Third Army were natives of the Ascendent Sword Cluster and wanted what was best for its people. Marching into a world to burn it to the ground was unacceptable and would only cement them as enemies to the populace.
Something quite undesirable when the Celestial Court and the people of the Ascendent Sword Cluster still had external enemies and rivals such as the hells and the Hegemony. Even if an unhappy populace couldn¡¯t do much to physically threaten their Transcendent and Godly rulers, the lower productivity and constant need to quell uprisings would detract from the overall strength of the ruling government.
After all, if a foreign faction wanted to test their might, every bit of a populace¡¯s loyalty counted.
Still, even if it wasn¡¯t a campaign of conquest, it was one of liberation. And the invasion path had been selected for a reason.
¡°Can¡¯t I just overpower the space-lock formation upon Xian and allow you to teleport your forces onto the planet?¡± Orodan asked, and it was Zaessythra who interjected.
¡°I¡¯ve felt the power of the space-lock formation upon Xian. And while you certainly could manage the feat, I¡¯m not sure if the tens of thousands of killed civilians would appreciate the collateral damage caused,¡± she explained.
¡°Your advisor is right. Not only would shattering the space-lock formation on an entire world cause some heavy casualties among the people, but it would also leave our army deep within the enemy¡¯s base of power with little hope of support,¡± the Prince added. ¡°Your future time looping self might find that it works, in which case we might attempt it then. But given that this is your first try, I ask that you respect the lives of our soldiers.¡±
Fair enough.
The assault route consisted of each force taking over the world cores of at least three planets before they would finally reconvene to launch an assault upon Xian itself. The route was necessitated by the fact that Xian¡¯s space-lock formation was powered not just by the world core of Xian, but also through a small tribute of world energy from these nearby worlds.
These nearby worlds also had teleporter networks connecting to Xian, and securing the rear was important to prevent any rogue or harassing forces from assailing them from behind while the siege of Xian was underway.
Finally, the real reason they were taking this route¡ was because of the planetary leadership of these worlds adjacent to Xian.
The Thousand Broom Sovereign held up an intricate looking device.
¡°This heavenly treasure, created by some of our brightest minds working together, is capable of detecting the presence of Daos or magics which influence the mind,¡± the man said. ¡°Every company of troops has been outfitted with one such treasure and we intend to scour the leadership of each world with them. At which point, they¡¯ll be rounded up and held captive until you can get to them for cleansing.¡±
¡°Not you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You cultivate the Dao of Cleaning, no?¡±
¡°My Dao is of Mythical-rarity, not Celestial like yours is,¡± the man explained. ¡°Against the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Dao of Domination and Supremacy, I fear I¡¯m not a match. You, however, stand a good chance.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve cleaned mind magics before, but I have yet to clean anyone¡¯s mind of the effects of a Celestial skill,¡± Orodan warned.
¡°That¡¯s fine. You have a time loop and plenty of test subjects to train against,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said, and the discussion resumed.
The three-pronged assault was expected to face little to no resistance on the initial set of worlds, however, after that, defense forces would begin mobilizing to meet them, with a near-guarantee that the enemy army would muster by that point.
They spoke some more on strategy, what Orodan should keep an eye out for to report when coming back in time, and the make-up of the troops in each assaulting army.
¡°Then, our meeting is concluded,¡± the Puppet Sovereign said.
¡°Yes. We move out in an hour,¡± the Prince declared, and the two leaders of the rebel army then left the war tent, leaving only Orodan, Zaessythra and Zhou Shan within.
¡°Your position seems like it would give me a headache,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°I much prefer to be out on the front lines swinging a sword or tackling an impossible problem through brute force.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re probably better off for it too,¡± the Prince replied. ¡°I sometimes ask myself if it was worth it, fighting so hard to rise above my station and claim my birthright, all to honor my mother.¡±
Orodan raised an eyebrow.
¡°Ah, forgive me, I don¡¯t mean to ramble and throw my problems onto you.¡±
¡°No, not that,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Your station, what do you mean? You¡¯re the Prince, no?¡±
At that, Zhou Shan could only let out a weary chuckle.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°I suppose I am now, but wasn¡¯t always,¡± the man said.
¡°The Celestial Emperor isn¡¯t your father?¡±
¡°He is. But unfortunately, I was an illegitimate bastard. My mother, one of Jian Huangdi¡¯s many concubines,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°Unlike the Emperor¡¯s legitimate children, sired of wives from noble families and good pedigree, my mother was a mere serving girl in the palace. A flight of fancy, or cruelty¡ I do not know for my mother never spoke of it.¡±
¡°You had a rough upbringing then¡ my condolences, but I suppose it¡¯s made you stronger in a way,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Coming from anyone else, that might rankle me, but you¡¯ve had a rough life too, haven¡¯t you?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve known the pain of having to fight and kill my own siblings,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Then again, I had no siblings that I know of, and never knew my mother and father, they died when I was but a babe. Life in Ogdenborough as a street rat was a fight; one which taught me a lot.¡±
¡°Hah¡ here I am spilling my woes when fate has treated you even more harshly,¡± the Prince said. ¡°I grew up a farm boy, and then joined the imperial army, but at least we had food on our table growing up.¡±
Orodan nodded and decided not to mention the fact that he¡¯d often had to rummage through discarded refuse for stale bread and jerky. In comparison, being a farm boy didn¡¯t sound too bad.
¡°What happened to the Emperor¡¯s other children? The legitimate ones?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Dead. I slew them all in an event quite famously known as the War of the Heirs. I obtained my Celestial skill during the fighting and was declared Prince of the Celestial Court at the end of it all,¡± the Prince said. ¡°My father is¡ a cruel man. When I was but ten-thousand years old and on the verge of achieving Transcendence he forced us all into battle.¡±
¡°Sickening¡¡± Zaessythra muttered.
¡°Perhaps so, my lady, but in his eyes, he was merely resolving the dispute around succession. After all, at least two of my siblings were intent on having me assassinated otherwise,¡± the Prince said.
¡°For what? You were just a farm boy who joined the imperial army,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What threat could you be to their rule?¡±
¡°Someone who was proving a little too competent at his military career. Soaring through the ranks, achieving Transcendence by the age of ten-thousand? And of course¡ becoming universally loved among the most decorated army of the Celestial Court,¡± Zhou Shan said.
¡°¡the Third Army.¡±
¡°Indeed. The eldest of my former siblings was the chief minister of the Celestial Court, and he couldn¡¯t stand the fact that he cajoled around politicking and playing a dance while I fought our enemies and basked in glory,¡± the Prince said. ¡°He and the second-eldest conspired to have me killed multiple times. All unsuccessful thankfully.
¡°Yet, you¡¯ve made it past all your challenges thus far,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Your skills and determination proved more than equal to what life threw at you.¡±
¡°In some cases, yes. In others however, brave and trusted friends helped me,¡± Zhou Shan said while looking intently at Orodan. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask for a while, Orodan Wainwright¡ but I¡¯ve heard rumors that a precious friend of mine came with you into Xian. He goes by the name of-¡±
¡°Qing Luo, yes. I¡¯m told he ¡®transmigrated¡¯ to our world and was thrown out of the cycle of reincarnation upon death,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°¡he lives! This is - this is excellent news!¡± the Prince exclaimed. ¡°Of course¡ the Court has him in their clutches upon Xian.¡±
¡°He seemed healthy when I left,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Which isn¡¯t saying much considering I was thrown through space upon departure.¡±
¡°At the very least, they haven¡¯t harmed him yet¡ and if they do, with the soul nexus in our hands, we can bring him back,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°I must seem pitiful for it, but Qing Luo was like a brother to me. Many times, he saved my life throughout our military careers, even as he died doing so a few years ago.¡±
¡°Worry not, I¡¯ll pull him back from death or mind washing myself if needed,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Speaking of, the Jian family, are they all under the effects of the Emperor¡¯s Dao?¡±
¡°They should be, but the Dao can have varying levels of control upon people, depending on the individual,¡± the Prince explained. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Jian Yixia, she seemed to retain enough free will to provide me important information. Surely not everyone in the Celestial Court is under your father¡¯s sway?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a possibility, but better we be safe than sorry by cleansing everyone affected,¡± the Prince said.
Orodan agreed, but the thought that individuals could possess differing levels of resistance to the Emperor¡¯s Dao was an encouraging thought as it meant his job of cleaning their minds and souls would be far easier.
¡°I had a question though,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Do you know the identities of any of these Administrators?¡±
¡°Their identities? I¡¯m afraid not even the Celestial Emperor knows who they are.¡±
¡°Perhaps they have titles then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°None that I know of. You must understand, the descent of an Administrator is a momentous thing. The last such visit to our galaxy was seventeen years ago, and this was after a five million year stretch where they never visited,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Is everything alright, my friend? You look deep in thought.¡±
Seventeen years ago¡ there was no way it was a coincidence. He¡¯d told only Zaessythra of the totality of all he knew, and a look at her and the sudden quieting of her usual fluttering told him that she too had the same thoughts.
There was no way it was a coincidence.
Seventeen years ago, Orodan Wainwright was born. Seventeen years ago, the ¡®Divine Tower¡¯ of Alastaia pulsed, and now he¡¯d just learned that an Administrator had descended upon their galaxy around that time as well.
¡°Nothing, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Orodan said, keeping it to himself. ¡°We should make way for the army, battle soon approaches.¡±
Some things he just didn¡¯t want to throw onto others. Mainly because the knowledge that something very powerful in the System had chosen him might make people act unwise. At the very least, only Zaessythra had been told of it all.
¡°I concur, I shall see you at muster, Orodan Wainwright.¡±
After Zhou Shan left, it was only Orodan and Zaessythra¡¯s fluttering form within the tent. Yet even she seemed rather subdued compared to normal.
¡°It¡¯s no longer a mere coincidence,¡± she said, and he simply nodded, his eyes closed. ¡°Something chose you for this time loop. But why?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the question, isn¡¯t it? If I had the answer, perhaps I¡¯d know what to work toward,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As it stands, all I¡¯ve been doing so far is fighting and making progressively stronger enemies.¡±
¡°And learning, from excellent teachers might I add,¡± she said as she energetically fluttered about his head, causing him to smile. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re now having an epiphany and no longer want to fight forever?¡±
¡°What? Hells no! I¡¯ll fight for eternity, I love it too much to do anything else,¡± Orodan immediately replied. ¡°That being said¡ what was I selected for? For now, all I can do is grow in power as I time loop, and maybe I¡¯ll find out what eventually.¡±
¡°While hopefully avoiding your permanent death at the hands of that - that freak,¡± she said, however the shakiness in her tone didn¡¯t escape Orodan.
¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I¡¯ve never seen or felt anything like it before,¡± Orodan said.
And privately, he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be its match by the time this loop ended either.
¡°It just felt¡ wrong. Wrong beyond anything I¡¯ve ever sensed,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt such instinctual terror before. Can¡¯t we just¡ retire? Perhaps seek out some of those other Administrators that letter mentioned?¡±
¡°And hide forever?¡±
¡°Why not? We cannot all be like you, Orodan,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think I want to feel that sort of dread terror?¡±
¡°No, and it would be unfair of me to expect it of you,¡± he said. ¡°Before the month is up¡ I can drop you off somewhere if you¡¯d prefer.¡±
¡°Or you come with me and we stop engaging in this stupid farce of yours,¡± she said, a rare sort of heat in her voice. ¡°Why do you insist on this suicidal course of action? Do you have no regard for your own life?¡±
¡°You¡¯ve known me for a bit now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d be happy with running? I marched to my death on my first life.¡±
¡°And what of me? Am I meant to just flutter about, pages flipping in the wind as you go ahead and throw your life away?¡± she said. ¡°I assume you still intend on getting me my body back, or have you forgotten your promises? Can¡¯t keep those if you¡¯re permanently dead.¡±
A little entitled, wasn¡¯t she? Still, he¡¯d accept it given how much she¡¯d done for him.
¡°I¡¯ll find a way, even if I die,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°No, you won¡¯t you idiot. Because you¡¯ll be dead - dead.¡±
¡°You seem a lot angrier than normal, is everything okay?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I¡¯m angry because I don¡¯t want to die, like any reasonable being should,¡± she said. ¡°Unfortunately, the one idiot I¡¯m bound to seems to have a death wish that he¡¯s going to drag me into.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not bound to me Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You can leave at any time if you want. I won¡¯t keep you by force.¡±
¡°Foolish boy,¡± she spat. ¡°Have you considered in that thick head of yours, that perhaps I might have a vested interest in the fate of the one who helped heal my soul and drag me along on an adventure spanning many worlds?¡±
At that, Orodan could say nothing.
It was no secret that he cared for Zaessythra. To know that she also cared for him despite her rough exterior¡ it should¡¯ve made anyone else feel warm inside. Yet, all Orodan could feel was a sense of dread as he put the feeling of warmth together with the fact that an ancient, corrupted Administrator was coming for him.
He¡¯d grown up a street rat, looking out for only himself. Each day was a fight to live, not for anyone else, but just for him.
To add someone else to that equation, it was messy, and he wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it.
The part of him that craved battle protested this, he demanded a glorious death against impossible odds! He was made for war, for fighting. And the side of him that had come to care for this annoying book of his protested this.
¡°I¡¯ll keep my promise to you. No matter how many loops it takes,¡± Orodan defended.
¡°And if you die?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll wake up in Ogdenborough and do it over and over again.¡±
¡°And what if¡ that abomination succeeds? If it drags you outside of System-space? What happens when you die permanently?¡± she asked.
¡°Then¡ I¡¯ll defy death itself. I refuse to die while I still have more work to do,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°You¡¯re truly mad, Orodan,¡± she muttered. ¡°Do as you will. I won¡¯t think about this matter any longer.¡±
She simply fluttered away and left Orodan alone inside the grand war-tent.
At the end of the day, no matter who he grew to care for¡ was he not always alone in the end?
The letter from last night had promptly self-destructed after he¡¯d read it, but Orodan wasn¡¯t incompetent, and his memory was quite good.
Yes, there were a ridiculous number of spells upon the parchment, but Vision Of Purity had a knack for sifting through the unimportant details and seeing what he really needed to. And the two things which immediately stood out to him were that much of the letter was powered by world energy, which meant he was looking for a World-Ruler or someone connected to one. And most importantly, a kind of energy he¡¯d never seen before.
He¡¯d been up all-night reading with Zaessythra, and none of the records they¡¯d perused or people they¡¯d asked could identify it. The only inkling had been multiple texts which mentioned that other galaxies could have esoteric and different kinds of energy besides the typical ones in theirs.
It hadn¡¯t helped narrow anything down, but Orodan had a good memory, and he would remember the trace of it. Perhaps he might run into it in the future.
In the meanwhile, he could only focus on what was ahead of him in the present. He pulled up his Status to get a good look at the gains he¡¯d made from the fighting upon the battlefield.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Perfect Cleaning Elite
Title 2: Celestial Elite
Title 3: Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
Title 4: Cleaning Elite
Available Titles:
Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
World Conqueror
World Gate Delver
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
Transcendent Slayer
Combat Elite
Sword Elite
Shield Elite
Physical Elite
Unarmed Combat Elite
Cleaning Elite
Wrestling Elite
Soul Elite
Perfect Cleaning Elite
Celestial Elite
Woodworking Adept
Alchemy Adept
Space Adept
Time Adept
Fire Magic Apprentice
Enchanting Apprentice
Teaching Apprentice
Laboring Apprentice
Blacksmithing Apprentice
Pathfinding Apprentice
Gathering Apprentice
Rewards:
Permanent +14 Action Increase
Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier
Skills:
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 89 (Elite - Celestial)
Eternal Soul Reactor 96 (Master - Mythical)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 85 (Elite - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 61 (Adept - Mythical)
Divine Resistance 52 (Adept - Mythical)
Absolute Body Composition 1 (Initiate - Mythical)
Reality Alteration 1 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 97 (Master - Legendary)
All-Strike 89 (Elite - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 87 (Elite - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 74 (Elite - Legendary)
Time Reversal 70 (Elite - Legendary)
Body Tempering 64 (Adept - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 63 (Adept - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 62 (Adept - Legendary)
Wood Communion 56 (Adept - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 43 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Iron Body 87 (Elite - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 77 (Elite - Exquisite)
Flash Strike 74 (Elite - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channelling 68 (Adept - Exquisite)
Time Mastery 65 (Adept - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 59 (Adept - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 51 (Adept - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 47 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Water Resistance 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Ice Resistance 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Dimensionalism 18 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Curse Resistance 4 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Soul Mastery 78 (Elite - Rare)
Space Mastery 75 (Elite - Rare)
Teleportation 59 (Adept - Rare)
War Cry 39 (Apprentice - Rare)
Acid Resistance 34 (Apprentice - Rare)
Gourmand 13 (Initiate - Rare)
Spatial Fold 73 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Throw 69 (Adept - Uncommon)
Shield Intent 68 (Adept - Uncommon)
Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 58 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Pain Resistance 90 (Master)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 89 (Elite)
Physical Fitness 89 (Elite)
Combat Mastery 88 (Elite)
Shield Mastery 88 (Elite)
Sword Mastery 87 (Elite)
Wrestling 80 (Elite)
Woodworking 67 (Adept)
Tool Mastery 66 (Adept)
Alchemy 64 (Adept)
Flare 63 (Adept)
Enchanting 59 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)
Blacksmithing 49 (Apprentice)
Fire Magic Mastery 48 (Apprentice)
Jewelcrafting 48 (Apprentice)
Pathfinding 43 (Apprentice)
Teaching 43 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Laboring 34 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 34 (Apprentice)
Gathering 32 (Apprentice)
Construction 28 (Initiate)
Repair 22 (Initiate)
Cooking 22 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Mining 17 (Initiate)
Intimidation 16 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Observe 11 (Initiate)
Disguise 8 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Identify 5 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
He had grown.
Fighting the Eldritch Avatar in each loop would no longer be a problem, even without his cleaning abilities. And he felt that he could hold his own against the stronger Transcendents and even slay the middling ones.
Still, there were always stronger foes to fight. The Celestial Emperor was one of them, a man so powerful that his Dao had killed Orodan many times despite it not even being the intent. A man on the cusp of the level beyond Transcendence.
And beyond that¡ the Eldritch-corrupted Administrator coming for him. The Reject.
War awaited.
#
[C#he*ck&po%in$t S@et]
¡°Sons and daughters of the Ascendent Sword Cluster! We fight for freedom! We fight for our Daos! We fight, for Xian!¡±
It was at the tail end of Prince Zhou Shan¡¯s rousing speech before the assembled armies that Orodan decided to set his new checkpoint.
As promised, there were three assault forces ready to assault the worlds loyal to the Celestial Court. The army led by Zhou Shan, veterans and of excellent quality. The army led by the rebels who were of greater number and professional, but not as battle-tested. And the third, consisting of thirty-thousand¡
¡°Well, calling them rabble isn¡¯t right, but they aren¡¯t soldiers either,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re doing the fighting for them,¡± Prince Zhou Shan replied.
True enough.
To the cadence of horns and drums, each army stepped through gigantic portals maintained by multiple teams of space cultivators and formation experts. Zaessythra was inside of Orodan¡¯s spatial ring, content to remain silent since their conversation earlier.
They stepped through the portals to arrive onto an allied world. Sprawling temple-cities which extended as far as the eye could see. Teleporting directly into a city was a high-casualty maneuver, and no way would this be done if the target was an enemy world. But this wasn¡¯t the enemy world, not yet. From here, a few more volunteers would arrive, the army would perform some last-minute resupply and from there, a team of space cultivators were peering through a specialized device to try and survey the surface of the target enemy world.
¡°My lord, we¡¯ve found a suitable location,¡± the space cultivator captain said. ¡°No civilians nearby for almost a thousand miles.¡±
¡°Good, open a small crack outside the world, ten miles away from the borders of their space-lock formation,¡± Orodan ordered, and the cultivators did as asked. A tiny crack opening up which led into the void of space above their target.
He focused, eyes blazing with white soul energy as he poured as much power as possible into the most overpowered Spatial Fold he could cast. The space cultivators yelled and gasped as their opening in space rapidly became unstable, however their fear was unnecessary as Orodan simply took over the rift they¡¯d created through naught but raw Space Mastery.
[Space Mastery 75 ¡ú Space Mastery 76]
The unstable crack in space that led to just outside of the enemy world was now stabilized by Orodan¡¯s own soul energy. Unlike the space cultivators, Orodan didn¡¯t have to worry about his power running out. With it in hand, he cast a Spatial Fold through this small crack.
[Spatial Fold 73 ¡ú Spatial Fold 74]
His Spatial Fold, trained relentlessly against the space-lock formation of the rebel army, had grown very strong. What would¡¯ve once been a bit of a power struggle as his spell smashed into and wrestled against the space-lock formation of an entire world, was now but a modest exertion.
Space screamed and warped brutally as Orodan¡¯s raw power and improved skill levels were brought to bear against it. It folded, met some resistance at the borders of the world¡¯s space-lock formation, and then promptly rammed right through, causing a massive explosion of Qi and world energy along the path.
Part of what made breaching an entire world¡¯s space-lock formation so difficult was that it was powered by the world core. No regular being could hope to match the energy capacity of an entire world. Even a smaller world with less power could still have enough output to match the mightiest of Gods and Transcendents.
The booming sound of an alarm rang through the void between stars, the tell-tale cue that the formation had been broken, and on the surface of the world, Orodan¡¯s enhanced eyes could make out a furious amount of activity near the cities and population centers. The defenders were undoubtedly scrambling to respond. Orodan¡¯s Spatial Fold had just overpowered the space-lock formation over an entire world; it was an awe-inspiring feat.
The troops around him simply looked on as though he were some freakish anomaly. The space cultivators in particular were gazing upon him as though he were a divine being.
¡°Stare too much and you¡¯ll go blind,¡± Zaessythra spoke up as she came out of his spatial ring. ¡°Well? Let¡¯s go Orodan, that world won¡¯t conquer itself.¡±
¡°Awfully eager to lay conquest, aren¡¯t you?¡± Orodan asked.
In response, she only vibrated with what he assumed was manic glee. He¡¯d forgotten for a bit, but she was a World-Conqueror and had successfully laid conquest to a planet.
He stepped through the threshold of the Spatial Fold, and it was time to get to work.
#
The conquest of the planet was surprisingly easy.
As he¡¯d been told, there was little to no resistance on the very first world he invaded. The local cultivators within the cities and sects put up no resistance whatsoever, and nobody stronger than the Grandmaster-level had shown themselves. And those that did, immediately surrendered. A tacit understanding that this was a war between cultivators to facilitate a change of government, and thus the ordinary civilian need not be drawn into the fighting.
The core guardians - robed cultivators with System glyphs upon them like the kind Jian Song wore - had been instructed to surrender, and he quickly dominated the world core and reached within to withdraw a sword with a crown-hilt which he pawned off to Zaessythra.
¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± she¡¯d asked. ¡°It¡¯s a sword, you like swords!¡±
¡°Should I throw you in a dark and musty vault because I found you in one?¡± Orodan asked.
A smack upon his head was what he got for that one.
¡°It was a perfectly reasonable question,¡± she grumbled.
¡°So was mine. Your violent tendencies aside, I love my basic sword given to me by the county militia in Ogdenborough,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I don¡¯t want a fancy sword. I¡¯m quite happy with my own. Besides, maybe you can learn to use it and channel world energy.¡±
¡°Learn? Boy, I¡¯ve been using world energy far before you were ever born or selected for a time loop,¡± she haughtily said. Orodan had begun understanding her subtle expressions by now, and it was apparent that the world-sword greatly interested her.
The Sovereign of the newly conquered world was nowhere to be seen however, and Orodan suspected whoever it was, they were likely marshalling alongside the main military forces of the Celestial Court.
The planet¡¯s populace fell into line soon after the arrival of his assault group, and violence genuinely hadn¡¯t been needed as the word cultivators among his assault group¡¯s ranks had convinced the natives that no harm would befall them.
Hells, Orodan had even cleansed their world core of the slight bits of Eldritch corruption it had begun building up.
It was the next planet after that though, where problems began to show themselves.
There was no space-lock formation upon the world, and through the spatial rift Orodan could see a great number of military bases and troop activity upon the surface. This was a world that was actively prepared to defend itself, and even the civilians down in the towns were armed and prepared to resist the invaders.
Furthermore, there were numerous powerful artillery pieces and formations which had been set up across every square mile of the surface that he could see.
This was looking to be a difficult fight.
Which was when he saw the floating world-sword near Zaessythra charge up with large amounts of power¡
¡and begin siphoning the world energy from the enemy world.
¡°What the¡ you can do that?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You have yet to understand what that crown of yours can do,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°With enough finesse, many things are possible. Ah¡ World-Queen yet again, how wonderful!¡±
Orodan wondered just what manner of monster he¡¯d unleashed. Of course, he didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it given that a horde of cultivators was approaching in a mad rush for their position. A counter-charge towards the planet they¡¯d just conquered.
¡°Zaessythra, would I be presuming too much if I ask whether you¡¯re capable of defending yourself while you do that?¡±
¡°You would. This work of siphoning their world energy is quite tiring, and the inner core of my soul trembles painfully if I push too hard.¡±
Orodan simply rolled his eyes and got to work.
Ranks of cultivators charged his position, only to fall as he gave them a beating. Units of enemy Grandmasters on flying dragons rushed the rift in space, and he sent them and their dragons back, bruised, battered and bloody. He didn¡¯t need to draw his sword for such weak foes.
The enemy hadn¡¯t bothered to send true warriors, so neither would he bother to treat them like it.
¡°Monster! Daring to assail one of the ancestral planets!¡±
¡°Stronger than a thousand body cultivators!¡±
¡°That shield is unbreakable!¡±
Orodan fought, and he defended Zaessythra¡¯s position as she continued siphoning world energy. Projectiles were rendered ineffective through Shield Intent, and the enemy was dissuaded from hitting too hard as Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity was an ever-present threat.
Enemy artillery and war machines pounded away, but they destroyed themselves by daring strike his shield light.
It was an ingenious strategy he had to admit. Why bother with a direct assault of the surface when they could force the enemy to come to them? It was a plan that avoided civilian casualties and forced the enemy to march to their tune.
Things were going well.
Within an hour, enemy artillery and defensive formations began to lose power as Zaessythra used her world-sword to siphon from them.
¡°No way are you outright draining the power of an entire world core,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Correct. I¡¯m not,¡± Zaessythra replied.
¡°Then how?¡±
¡°It¡¯s simple, I¡¯m re-directing the flow of world energy from their world core towards our own planet,¡± she said. ¡°The only reason this is possible is because we¡¯re still on a planet we control. The crack in space you¡¯re maintaining is allowing me to do this. Without it, this gets far more complicated. As it stands, this is akin to rearranging the flow of a river to our advantage.¡±
¡°Fascinating¡ do they have no counter to this?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°They would if the enemy Sovereign bothered to show up and take to the field,¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯ve been going for an hour, and I have yet to feel any resistance. I doubt they want to risk the Sovereign in a losing battle. This world was meant to make us bleed for very little cost on their end, and they¡¯re failing in that task.¡±
Zaessythra was right.
Four hours later the enemy realized the futility of their actions and simply elected to launch an all-out charge. They suffered nearly total casualties against Orodan, but it was a valiant effort even if nearly four-thousand Masters and Grandmasters were beaten into submission. They weren¡¯t professional soldiers, but non-combatants who¡¯d been conscripted and pressed into service.
Orodan was assured by his own assault force that had been hanging back thus far that they could handle the matter of prisoners. With control of the soul nexus, even if Orodan had killed them, bringing casualties back wasn¡¯t difficult. The only real strain was managing the logistics of multiple prisoners of Master and Grandmaster-level. But they had an army of thirty-thousand for a reason and it was no issue.
Four more hours later, they descended upon the planet¡¯s surface and made way for the world core.
Which was obviously quite heavily trapped, warded and guarded by some rather suicidal core guardians.
Orodan and his fists pummeled the way through and took custody over the core, electing to throw the regal tiara to Zaessythra yet again.
It wasn¡¯t really his style, and he already had a world-crown which allowed him to access the unique functions of a World-Ruler. Furthermore, his world crown was connected to the ¡®Divine Tower¡¯, a structure related to his time loop. This allowed him to purchase talents related to his time looping.
Two days of fighting later, the planet had finally been pacified, and Orodan had to re-evaluate how ruthless Zaessythra could be. Pockets of the populace that surrendered were given bountiful amounts of world energy. Their lands thrived, the flora and fauna boomed, and life was incredibly good for these people.
Those that didn¡¯t however, had the world energy flows to their lands cut off entirely. Crops, trees and wildlife withered and became diseased overnight. It was brutal and ruthless¡ but it worked. Alongside the assistance of the thirty-thousand strong force at his command, their word cultivators had managed to persuade the remaining pockets of civilian resistance to surrender. They hadn¡¯t needed to kill any non-combatants whatsoever.
Both conquered worlds were also closely examined with the specialist devices and scanned for any traces of mind magics or Daos which subverted the will. However, no searches turned anything up. The enemy had seemingly pulled all their important assets back.
They were poised to strike against the final world in the path of their assault force, and from there, Xian and the Celestial Court itself.
Things really were going well.
Which was why when a messenger burst into camp, Orodan wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised. If anything, he¡¯d been waiting for the hammer to drop since this invasion started.
¡°My lord! The Third Army led by Prince Zhou Shan is under severe attack! The main force of the Celestial Court has concentrated to meet them in battle!¡±
Of course¡
¡°Efficient, but predictable,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Concentrating force to take out the elite segment of our forces is a standard tactic, but one that works.¡±
The Celestial Emperor was superior to Zhou Shan in a one-on-one, and the numbers arrayed against them were heavy. A losing battle, from where the Emperor could strike out and re-capture the soul nexus as well.
Orodan got to his feet.
It was time to reverse the course of this campaign.
It was time to face down the Celestial Emperor once more.
Chapter 55 - Campaign For The Cluster II
¡°By yourself?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°Do you think that wise?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not implying you¡¯re useless, especially with those two shiny new trinkets of yours,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But when our enemies throw around attacks capable of destroying planets and perhaps more, I¡¯ll have a difficult time protecting you and fighting at the same time.¡±
¡°Hmmph¡ have it your way,¡± she said. ¡°Just don¡¯t die.¡±
¡°Poor choice of words to take with me, isn¡¯t it?¡± he remarked with a smirk, earning him a smack upon the head.
¡°You know what I meant.¡±
He did. She was worried about the potential for his permanent end, particularly if the Administrator got a hold of him.
Still, there was no backpedalling now. His allies were under attack, and his aid would be crucial if Prince Zhou Shan was to survive. The conscripted assault force he¡¯d been put in charge of weren¡¯t worth much in even an easy fight, so dragging them to their deaths against the full force of the enemy would be worthless.
¡°Where are they located specifically?¡± Orodan asked the captain of the space cultivators.
¡°The battle rages on the world of Xuejin my lord,¡± the captain replied. ¡°The enemy have erected some kind of powerful space-interference formation. Quite expensive to set up, but it prevents us from scrying closely or seeing anything.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the closest distance you can open a spatial rift?¡±
¡°Ten-thousand miles from the planet,¡± the captain answered.
That would do. In fact, Orodan would have to spend some time learning the Spatial Rift skill these cultivators were capable of using. Teleportation only brought him places he had been to or could sense through Space Mastery. Spatial Fold, despite his incredible increases in power, still had range limits. And at most, Orodan felt he could jump from one star system to a nearby one at maximal power, without channelling enough power to destroy his body that was.
A ludicrous feat, one that would make any spatiomancer or space cultivator quake in awe. Spatial Fold was meant for local use within combat, short distances, meant to divert enemy attacks, cover ground in swift maneuvers and so forth. What it wasn¡¯t meant to do, was fold space all the way to another star system.
Yet, Orodan¡¯s growing needs made even this seem a bit lacklustre nowadays.
The space cultivators he¡¯d met however, were capable of working together in a formation to ¡®scry¡¯ space and jump halfway across a cluster if needed. Useful.
¡°Alright, open up the spatial rift, I¡¯ll step through,¡± Orodan ordered. ¡°Remain here and hold the planet to the best of your ability. If any enemy armies show up, don¡¯t bother wasting your lives, just evacuate and fall back to a position of strength.¡±
The space cultivator captain nodded, and the men got to work in conjuring a small crack in space which led to the planet of Xuejin. It was much farther away from the embattled world than the cracks they¡¯d opened during their initial assaults, yet even from this great distance Orodan could immediately see the signs and evidence of battle.
Great shockwaves of Qi and soul energy erupted throughout the void between stars and the surface of the planet looked badly ravaged, with massive storms of fire, ice, wind and lightning exploding all around. Combat at the Transcendent level was devastating, and when he¡¯d fought Devil King Gutriyaz upon the moon, the damage had outright destroyed it.
Frankly, it was more surprising that Xuejin still seemed intact.
As the space cultivator captain said, not only did the enemy have a space-lock formation in place, but also a rarer and costlier space-interference formation. It was more energy intensive however covered a larger area and made spatiomancy quite difficult to work as the formation continually scattered and caused ripples in space on multiple dimensional layers. It made spatiomancy targeting a difficult task.
Orodan¡¯s first Spatial Fold was shot in, but diverted off-course by a distance of three-thousand miles. A devious formation, almost specifically designed to counter brute-force attacks like his.
His second cast of the spell had better results as he threw even more power into it, but still off by a thousand miles. Finally, his eyes blazed white and he poured in as much power as he could while remaining whole of body. The space almost wailed as it was mangled by raw might, the rippling waves and shifting currents of the formation were brutalized and scattered, like a hurricane mangling the natural waves of the ocean.
[Spatial Fold 74 ¡ú Spatial Fold 75]
And with a singular footfall, Orodan Wainwright stepped into a battlefield of chaos.
Pure horror, failure, weakness. Inevitable and permanent death. These were the thoughts which assaulted his mind, as though a million voices were demanding he accept their proclamations.
It took but a moment for Orodan to realize this was a mental attack and one more to identify the ten-thousand strong corps of mind cultivators that launched the assault immediately upon his arrival. Most of whom were now on the ground, groaning, bleeding from the orifices as Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity made them pay.
The Celestial Emperor¡¯s insidious Dao was deadlier, and these mind cultivators, even ten-thousand at once, didn¡¯t compare. However, the enemy knew that. After all, they were but a distraction.
Space began to warp in a bubble around him, and at the same time a gigantic glowing device in the distance began to glow, and Orodan felt time itself slow for him even as his enemies remained at the same speed.
An assault of the mind, a cage of space and time, and who knew what else?
The cavalcade of assaults would¡¯ve severely throttled the old Orodan. The one that hadn¡¯t yet faced the battle for the soul nexus.
Now however?
[War Cry 39 ¡ú War Cry 40]
A roar tore free from his lips, frightening some of the nearby enemy soldiers whose hearts weren¡¯t as steeled. And immediately, multiple Spatial Folds smashed outwards obliterating the bubble that was attempting to form around him. Simultaneously, his Time Mastery showed its use as he countered the enemy attempt at freezing him through chronomancy.
[Time Mastery 65 ¡ú Time Mastery 66]
Again, the enemy were proving smarter than expected. They¡¯d either received reports of or had some method of seeing the battle he¡¯d fought against the rebels for the soul nexus; for they were ready to counter his abilities. The chronomancy they were attempting wasn¡¯t powered by one individual, or even a collective. Instead, it was the glowing device in the distance, many miles away and guarded heavily that was fuelling it. They knew of his power generation capacity and decided that attempting a competition head-to-head was a waste.
¡°Welcome, time looper,¡± a voice called out. ¡°Do you like our personalized greeting? The space-interference formation guided you into landing exactly where we wanted through your constant corrections of your aim.¡±
Robes bearing the glyphs of the System, a familiar double-edged sword in hand, and a voice bearing arrogance, although Orodan wasn¡¯t sure how much of it was the man¡¯s own.
¡°Jian Song, I¡¯m surprised you came at all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You¡¯re normally quite the coward.¡±
¡°You call it cowardice, I call it tactical thinking,¡± the cultivator replied. ¡°And given what trouble your big mouth has landed you in, perhaps you could use some of it yourself.¡±
¡°Too late for that advice now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Does the Emperor¡¯s Dao control you like a puppet as well? Where are your siblings? Are Jian Yixia and Jian Ren under its effects too?¡±
Jian Song snarled and his face reddened.
¡°Compare me not with the short-sighted. Our eldest brother would not harm his siblings, he yet retains enough of himself to not stoop so low,¡± Jian Song said.
¡°Then you knowingly fall in line with his tyranny,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°You know that he¡¯s corrupted by the Eldritch, why side with Jian Huangdi?¡±
¡°Because he will lead us to freedom! To greater heights than any before us have ever reached!¡± the cultivator passionately argued.
¡°And he¡¯s the thrall of something wicked, guiding his actions,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Anyhow, enough of this mincing of words. Fight me. Why have you stopped?¡±
Around them, the ranks of cultivators were oddly inactive. They¡¯d particularly stopped once he displayed his ability to thwart their attempts at space warping and chronomancy.
¡°Fight you? But that would risk killing you,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°And we can¡¯t have that when it comes to a time looper now, can we?¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes narrowed.
¡°You¡¯re stalling for time.¡±
¡°You catch on quickly!¡± Jian Song exclaimed mockingly. ¡°Let¡¯s see if your ability to kill matches your tenacious survivability.¡±
The enemy cultivators weren¡¯t attacking, rather, they had zealous looks upon their faces as though they would give their lives and very souls to stop him. The foes nearest to him weren¡¯t ranks of sword or spear cultivators, no, they were massed ranks of shield cultivators wearing heavy armor and projecting combined shield lights in front of them.
This would be annoying.
Orodan was confident in his ability to bully a singular shield cultivator. His own Shield Intent was monstrously powerful due to being empowered by his soul. Many of these shield cultivators used Qi, and those that did use soul energy to fuel their shield light weren¡¯t on Orodan¡¯s level of the soul arts.
What they did have however, was a dogged insistence on standing their ground and dying. And when a unit of one-thousand Grandmaster-level shield cultivators massed their shield light together¡ it was a powerful thing.
Running footsteps carried him before their massed defense and All-Strikes began lashing out.
Each cultivator that was the target of a full-power blow died¡ but not quickly enough.
As soon as one fell, another took its place. And while an All-Strike would normally kill dozens of Grandmasters at his current level, with the enemy¡¯s shield formation and massed Shield Intent, it only killed a handful at a time at most.
Time enough for the massed ranks of enemy soul and time cultivators in the back ranks to begin resurrecting them.
And throughout it all, Jian Song wasn¡¯t inactive. He periodically shot out beams of sword light while hiding behind the massed ranks of cultivators. These beams weren¡¯t meant to kill him, but to distract, hamper and weaken his offense. Sometimes an All-Strike would be intercepted by one of these beams, and other times, his leg or an arm would have a hole blasted through as he struck, reducing the power of his attack.
And as his attacks were hampered and the slain enemy troops brought back, the enemy space cultivators continued attempting to form spatial bubbles around him. These weren¡¯t threatening in and of themselves, although Orodan had no doubt that if successful they¡¯d send him out far away. Instead, their real effect was the fact that he had to keep four ¡®clones¡¯ on Spatial Fold duty at all times to continually shatter the bubbles they were attempting to create. This doubtlessly detracted from his current offense.
Thirty minutes of battle passed, and at the very least Sword Mastery had gained a level from smashing against such stiff defenses. Still, time was wasting, and his allies were more than likely dying. He simply couldn¡¯t enjoy the thrill of a good battle for days or weeks while knowing that Zhou Shan and the Third Army might be dying as he fought.
So, until he could reunite with the Prince and his army, Orodan decided that playing dirty was acceptable. Even if it irked him¡
¡even if Zaessythra would be insufferably proud of him for it.
¡°He channels a monstrous attack! Be ready!¡± Jian Song called out as Orodan¡¯s eyes began blazing with the white light of his soul.
He overflowed with raw power and directed it into something he normally wouldn¡¯t use offensively.
¡°S-stop him! Space cultivators! Counter that with everything you have! Use the batteries to draw power if you need!¡± Jian Song roared.
Orodan admitted that his sword-to-sword prowess was probably the weakest part of his arsenal at this time. Defensively? He was solid and could survive some horrific attacks. Yet offensively this wasn¡¯t the case. Something he¡¯d need to rectify in the future, but for now, could sidestep.
Spatial Fold.
It was a skill which compressed space for massive distances and allowed him to casually step through. A power which enabled him with his unique advantages to cross vast gulfs in a single footfall. Yet, the hint of its true potential was that he¡¯d destroyed an entire mountaintop in the spell¡¯s path the very first time he used it.
And just before he let loose, Orodan admitted to himself that his preference for sword-and-shield melee combat benefitted him, yet also benefitted his enemies as it was a great handicap.
For the truth was, that if he wanted¡
¡Orodan Wainwright could be a very terrifying mage.
Unlike the enormous distances that the spell normally rose to when he flooded it with power, this time he focused on a different aspect to empower with the endless soul energy.
How strongly space was compressed.
He was reduced to a glowing soul reactor of flesh, barely holding on to the life of his physical form. All his soul energy, his concentration, it went towards folding the space as many times, compressing it as tightly as possible.
[Spatial Fold 75 ¡ú Spatial Fold 76]
[Space Mastery 76 ¡ú Space Mastery 77]
Ranks of shield cultivators were present one moment and pulped into a singularity the next. The distance of folded space wasn¡¯t much, perhaps a half-mile, yet the entirety of this area that he¡¯d spatially folded became like a vacuum. His enemies ground down to the atom and compressed beyond what was naturally possible. The mass, the sheer compression, it was ludicrous. And Orodan could feel that the tightly packed together particles were roiling with energy, on the verge of an explosion.
Hells, his own control over this incredibly dense bit of matter was under incredible strain for every moment he held it tight. It was begging for release, like a boiling pot of water that had been perfectly sealed, yet the walls simply wouldn¡¯t allow any venting.
And he allowed it.
A blinding explosion erupted, one which sent even Orodan flying backwards.
He regained his bearings mid-air, amid the clouds, to find that the continent he¡¯d been battling upon¡ was gone.
This world, Xuejin, was far larger than Alastaia, by a factor of four. To completely obliterate one of the largest continents upon it¡ translated to Alastaia itself¡
His thoughts were quietened at the thought that he held in his hands the power to destroy a world. All through spatiomancy. And he hadn¡¯t even truly pushed it to the very limit in that cast either.
Frankly, it felt a bit cheap and unfulfilling to know that his ¡®magic¡¯ was currently his strongest offense.
A small Spatial Fold quickly brought him down to the ground, and it was a scene of utter devastation. The ground was crystallized from the heat of the explosion, there was no life around¡ and the very air was on fire. There was practically no atmosphere left in the surroundings from the devastation he¡¯d wrought.
On the ground, only one man remained. Rather injured, yet still alive. It was Jian Song, bereft of his robes and his sword shattered.
The singularity he¡¯d allowed to explode was but a mere after-effect of folding space and focusing purely on the compression aspect as strongly as possible. And with it¡ he could grievously wound a Transcendent on the caliber of this man.
¡°And you call the Emperor a tyrant¡¡± Jian Song muttered. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve caused, how many innocents you¡¯ve killed! An entire continent destroyed!¡±
Orodan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Yes, he wouldn¡¯t make any excuses¡ this was his fault. He hadn¡¯t expected the explosion to be anywhere near this strong, but it was his hand that had dealt this all the same. His offensive capabilities weren¡¯t anywhere near this powerful. Previously, he¡¯d held the belief that he could destroy an entire nation and perhaps a continent the size of Inuan over the gradual course of battle against a strong foe.
It was no lie to say that his defensive prowess was far stronger than his offensive bladework.
But this¡
¡this was the chilling reminder that his power could cause much unintended damage if he wasn¡¯t careful. That the laws of reality had their own designs.
In truth, while he¡¯d studied natural phenomena at Bluefire, he hadn¡¯t been aware that spatial compression of that scale could cause such calamity.
This was his fault, and he would fix it.
His eyes blazed, and the dust and orange-flame filled atmosphere was briefly illuminated white.
¡°You¡¯re right, I accept responsibility for this,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll reverse this.¡±
And Jian Song could only look on in awe as Orodan began casting an overpowered Time Reversal upon the entire continent. One the size of Alastaia itself.
[Time Reversal 70 ¡ú Time Reversal 72]
[Time Mastery 66 ¡ú Time Mastery 68]
It wasn¡¯t as difficult as he would¡¯ve thought. Not when he¡¯d reversed time for trillions of souls in the soul nexus. But still, reversing the flow for a conveniently gathered vortex of souls was simple, even if the bar for power was incredibly high. Reversing the effects of a gigantic explosion where he had to focus on a continent and all the people, objects and landscape within¡
¡was a different matter.
The strain on his body from the soul energy wasn¡¯t the issue, it was the sheer amount of pressure his mind was under as he was forced to account for so many living things and objects.
His eyes bled, and he nearly went insensate, going into his own mind as it was taxed at a level it¡¯d never faced before.
Reforming the moon of his home world to its regular state wasn¡¯t too difficult. There were Grandmaster-level monsters, golems and ruins upon it. A continent with billions of living beings wasn¡¯t the same.
Orodan was so absorbed in his work that he genuinely lost track of time. Not even realizing an entire hour had passed until he was finally done.
Before him, the resurrected enemy cultivators he¡¯d just slain. Minus their energy pools and the corruptive influence of the Dao of Domination and Supremacy upon them which bade them to suicidally hold ground against him.
¡°You¡ what are you?¡± came a weak voice.
Orodan looked Jian Song dead in the eyes.
¡°A time looper. And I¡¯m late to assist my allies. Tell me, where is Prince Zhou Shan?¡±
¡°If you think to make me talk, you¡¯re mistaken,¡± Jian Song answered. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly die if it means I get to delay you and assist the Emperor.¡±
¡°Your resolve is admirable, but your soldiers are standing right here,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt one of them will be eager to speak now that any foul Daos affecting their minds are taken care of.¡±
Jian Song sharply turned around, his glare promising death to any who spoke up, yet Orodan swiftly marched up behind him and a swift but powerful punch to the head knocked the Sword-Transcendent down. A follow-up usage of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning sent him into unconsciousness.
His knuckles cracked.
¡°Now then, who wants to talk?¡±
[Intimidation 16 ¡ú Intimidation 20]
#
The continent Orodan had landed upon was a designated trap, but not one truly meant to subdue him. More so to delay him. In hindsight, while annoying and more than a little toilsome, the enemy¡¯s usage of space and time cultivators alongside a staunch line of shields wasn¡¯t a bad idea.
Either that, or they were expecting a different Orodan than the one who¡¯d come out of the battle for the soul nexus. After all, none of them truly knew about the checkpoint system he had access to. For them, perhaps this was just the same loop, and his inexplicable rise in strength caught them off guard too.
However, his potential destructive power with spatiomancy had caught even Orodan off-guard. It stood to reason then that his foes were doubly surprised.
Unsurprisingly, the enemy cultivators had happily spoken up. Many were grateful to be free of Jian Huangdi¡¯s Dao, although some were confused and more than a little apprehensive of the future. These few were counselled by their comrades and assured that the future would hold better tidings now that their minds were their own.
They informed him that Prince Zhou Shan was on the nearby continent, defending against an ambush from the Celestial Emperor. That much Orodan had known already, but the location was now known to him, and he wouldn¡¯t have to scramble about using Vision Of Purity to try and narrow it down.
The resurrected enemy soldiers had been told to go take a hike, which again, they were happy to do since the Dao of Domination and Supremacy was no longer controlling their minds. And as they left, a Spatial Fold was cast into the air in the direction he¡¯d been told of.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
With a single step, he crossed through space to approximately where the battle was occurring. Not too difficult to find once he¡¯d been told where it was, and when the collateral destruction in one part of the planet was dramatically worse than the rest.
The first thing he noticed was two figures battling in the skies high above the battlefield. He recognized both of them. The Emperor, and the Prince. And Zhou Shan seemed to be in dire straits, fighting a retreating battle where he was attempting to survive.
Orodan had a good sense of his current power level. Even with the newly discovered potential of Spatial Fold, being able to best Jian Song meant he was perhaps as strong as Devil King Gutriyaz, and maybe on the same level as a Transcendent in the high 130s. Maybe upto level 140 at most. And it wasn¡¯t that he could overpower them, but rather, that he could outlast them. His defensive capabilities were his strongest weapon.
Yet, in a fight between Zhou Shan and Jian Huangdi, he simply didn¡¯t measure up to either combatant. Not when Zhou Shan was a Celestial skill bearer of 147 and the Emperor at level 150.
¡°How good of you to join us, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Celestial Emperor called out. ¡°I see you¡¯ve bested Jian Song and his welcoming party. Your strength has grown a bit more than my expectations would allow. I¡¯ve received word of the soul nexus being tampered with, was that your doing?¡±
¡°I merely prevented its ignition through the reversal of time,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°And your lackey was weaker than expected. Not difficult to emerge victorious when he didn¡¯t even want to kill me.¡±
¡°Naturally. Do you think us foolish enough to kill a time looper? That would be akin to handing you more power. Worry not however, your due will come soon, and no number of loops can save you,¡± Jian Huangdi¡¯s voice boomed out as he sent Zhou Shan flying as the Prince continually attempted retreat. ¡°A shame that the Administrator is kind enough to simply desire your end. I¡¯m most curious about how your soul can produce enough power to reverse time on a soul nexus.¡±
¡°These troops you have here¡ recruited from outside your ranks, have you?¡± Orodan asked.
Upon closer examination, the composition of the enemy army was most strange. Ranks of cultivators yes, but also regular armored warriors, mages and¡ werewolves?
¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve noticed my new allies. I¡¯m told your home world is within their territory, even if we¡¯ve not managed to find it yet,¡± the man said.
These were¡
[Dimensionalism 18 ¡ú Dimensionalism 19]
One moment the world he stood on was within the material plane. And then it wasn¡¯t.
A gigantic moving void, ten times the size of Xuejin, the world they were upon, enveloped the sky. And this moving wall was a dimensional entryway, moving to swallow the entire world. It was only at the last moment, before the wall connected and devoured the planet whole, that Orodan saw for a brief moment what it truly was¡
¡a dragon. A dragon whose mouth was ten times larger than this gigantic world.
The transition was relatively harmless, at least, initially.
The atmosphere and the stars above vanished. The void surrounding the world of Xuejin became filled with impossible geometry and the very nature of reality became a bit more ethereal, the laws of the universe, different.
An entire world pulled into another dimension. Swallowed by an apocalyptic dragon.
¡°Do not bother trying to flee, time looper, your spatiomancy will avail you not,¡± the Celestial Emperor spoke. ¡°Your anomalous ability to generate power far beyond your level of strength is intriguing, but there are beings that can match it. A peak-Transcendent dragon God is one of them.¡±
¡°Good. I look forward to the fight,¡± he said. A feral grin and the lust for battle emerging.
¡°We shall see how long your bravado lasts,¡± the Celestial Emperor said, and then a single order boomed out towards the enemy troops. ¡°Capture him.¡±
And before he knew it, a veritable wave of enemies swarmed him. And it was a true swarm, for there was none of the caution that would be expected when a regular army faced him down. No distance management, no coordination to ensure their own survival. Simply a tide of bodies all bent on piling atop him, doing little damage, but seeking to restrain and hold him captive.
Simultaneously, the back ranks of spatiomancers and chronomancers - for they weren¡¯t cultivators but mages like those of his own world - began casting as many restrictive spells upon him as they could. It was yet another attempt to delay him much like Jian Song had tried. Except, with vastly greater effectiveness.
It seemed that these new allies of the Celestial Emperor were far better at the magic side of combat than the time and space cultivators he¡¯d seen.
The waves of Grandmaster-level cultivators who threw themselves at him weren¡¯t the problem. Matter of fact, perhaps a few dozen at a time could feasibly grab onto him. However, they were an excellent visual distraction for when the enemy back ranks began employing a familiar force.
[Psionic Resistance 77 ¡ú Psionic Resistance 78]
[Mana Resistance 63 ¡ú Mana Resistance 65]
A wave of nearly fifty-thousand minds slammed into his own. At least a third of the force wasn¡¯t empowered by soul energy but by mana, a familiar force from his own world. However, despite the resistance skills he possessed, fifty-thousand was still enough to, for a moment, occupy his attention.
Which was the moment the enemy¡¯s metal mages took advantage of.
A sphere of liquid metal enveloped him, and although it couldn¡¯t quite penetrate the gaps between his cells since he¡¯d acquired Absolute Body Composition, it still functioned as an excellent cage to lock him in place.
¡°Calculations have been done. Given your proclivity for battle and lack of fear towards pain or death, it is only natural that you would have many resistance skills. What you cannot resist however, is a powerful material wrapped around you,¡± the Celestial Emperor spoke, and Orodan realized with some concern that the sounds of the titanic fighting above had ceased. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, the bait will no longer be needed. My bastard always was the greatest of my children. Perhaps with a few million years more he would¡¯ve been my match, yet it was not to be.¡±
Which meant Zhou Shan was likely dead. Damn it all to the hells.
Here he¡¯d come, hoping to assist the Prince, yet now he was in a tight spot, facing down the Emperor by himself when the tyrant had brought unknown new allies too.
Still, not all was lost. After all, he always had one fall back he could use.
Soul energy began blazing and his own body faced destruction as Eternal Soul Reactor was churned at an increasingly higher intensity. The liquid cage of metal around him was slowly pushed away, and Orodan got a good look around him.
The Celestial Emperor was stood perhaps fifty feet away, and behind him, rows of cultivators, except these were¡
¡°Ah, attempting to end your own life, are you?¡± Jian Huangdi asked. ¡°That would be inconvenient. Come, they tell me you have some sense of morality. Let us put that to the test and see if you¡¯re willing to slaughter your former comrades of the Third Army.¡±
Another human wave rushed him, except these were the people he¡¯d come to know during the battle for the soul nexus! The very first man to leap, arms outstretched for him, was the cleaning cultivator whose basic broom Orodan had ¡®borrowed¡¯.
¡°A dirty move,¡± Orodan said.
¡°All is fair when dealing with a time looper. Dirty tricks are but a necessity,¡± Jian Huangdi replied.
It was a foul trick, meant to elicit some sort of moral conundrum in him. However, he was no soft-spined boy. Growing up in Ogdenborough had inured him to the harsher realities of life, and Orodan had no problem taking lives if he had to. He had killed and would continue to kill. However, it might not be necessary in this instance.
So, what if it was a dirty move? Orodan was a fair hand at cleaning anyways.
The Celestial Emperor¡¯s face was mocking, almost arrogant, however it immediately turned to one of rage when the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and began targeting the minds of the affected soldiers of the Third Army.
A domineering aura of supremacy erupted from Jian Huangdi, and the battle for the minds of the troops began. Yes, in straight up combat he was no match for the man. Frankly, Orodan held an advantage that the Emperor was actively avoiding his death.
But despite the vast gulf of strength between them, even if Orodan stood no chance in a direct battle yet, what he did hold some faith in¡ was a battle of his Celestial skill against the Emperor¡¯s.
It was a struggle without any real stakes. These were mere chaff, even if they were Orodan¡¯s allies. Hells, the Emperor might turn around and kill them out of spite. Surely Jian Huangdi knew this!
Yet, the look of utter concentration on the man¡¯s face told a different story. That he was was as committed to this battle as Orodan was.
And that despite the difference of two tiers and over sixty levels, Orodan¡¯s Celestial skill held more skills under its umbrella. Something which allowed him to compete on even ground against this man.
No wonder Jian Song had been shocked when Orodan mentioned he had six skills under the domain of his Celestial one. It was now eight. He wasn¡¯t sure what the galactic metric was, yet surely, he surpassed all but the most monstrous of beings in terms of pound for pound talent.
Altogether there were roughly eight-thousand soldiers whose minds were corrupted by the Dao of Domination and Supremacy. And as Orodan¡¯s Domain enveloped them all the first soldier whose mind he entered gave him some serious pushback. Or rather, it was the Celestial Emperor himself, enhancing and empowering his Dao within the man.
The poor cultivator¡¯s body began to disintegrate from the sheer power of the Dao much like Orodan¡¯s had in the past. However, the Basic Healing portion of his Celestial skill worked to patch that up and prevent the man¡¯s death. Absolute Soul Dominion clashed against Domination of the mind and soul. The Emperor¡¯s supremacy attempted to take control of the man¡¯s Qi and vitality; however All-Consuming Rage absorbed these hungrily, leaving the man nearly empty, Orodan then refilled these pools of power with the Basic Healing aspect of his Domain. And Psionic Assault and Cleaning worked to scour the cultivator¡¯s mind of the foreign Dao, while Soul Defense and Incorruptible Being worked to spread a stalwart defense against it.
The cultivator¡¯s mind, soul and body were a battleground upon which Orodan Wainwright, and the Celestial Emperor waged a war.
And it was one Orodan was winning.
A snarl of rage and disbelief echoed out, and a blast of lethal energy from the Emperor¡¯s fingertips instantly vaporized the soldier before Orodan could completely cleanse him.
¡°That one was your loss,¡± Orodan said, an excited grin upon his face. ¡°A sore loser, are we?¡±
¡°I could crush you like a worm, do not become over-arrogant.¡±
¡°No, that would be your job. All you¡¯ve done since I¡¯ve met you is act arrogant and make an enemy of me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t defeat you just yet, I will eventually. How about it, Jian Huangdi? You call yourself the Celestial Emperor, yet you can¡¯t even beat another Celestial skill-bearer at the Elite-level. You¡¯re an embarrassment, face me toe-to-toe in a battle of Celestial against Celestial and let¡¯s see who¡¯s better. Or are you scared to face me and have your Celestial skill proven a sham? I vow I¡¯ll cleanse these men of your dirty Dao despite your best efforts to stop it.¡±
It was a blatant provocation, and there was no way the man didn¡¯t know it. And yet¡
¡the look of bloodthirsty rage on his face told Orodan that it worked better than he thought. Perhaps it was the Eldritch madness, or maybe it was the man¡¯s very Dao that demanded he adhere to supremacy. Either way, the duel was on as the troops behind Jian Huangdi were cowed into standing down with but a single backwards glance from the man.
There were no words spoken between them after that. The next two minutes involved multiple clashes and engagements between his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning and the Emperor¡¯s Dao of Domination and Supremacy. It was a battleground involving the subverted minds of the Third Army¡¯s soldiers, and every time Orodan was on the verge of successfully cleaning one of them, the Emperor promptly killed them.
As he faced the man¡¯s Celestial skill, he learned, acquired insights and grew. The opportunity to compete head-to-head against another Celestial skill bearer was a precious opportunity, one he didn¡¯t let go to waste.
Much to the Celestial Emperor¡¯s consternation, Orodan left each exchange the victor. The man¡¯s Dao simply couldn¡¯t stop Orodan¡¯s cleaning of the affected cultivator. Slowly but surely, Orodan¡¯s comprehensions grew. It was only a matter of time until the System caught up and recognized this.
Until finally¡
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 89 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 90]
[New Title ¡ú Celestial Master]
[New Title ¡ú Perfect Cleaning Master]
[New Title ¡ú Cleaning Master]
The tide turned.
The Celestial Emperor¡¯s eyes widened, and Orodan¡¯s smile turned positively bloodthirsty and manic. Skills naturally had a jump in power at tier thresholds. A Mythical skill advancing a tier was already a monstrous improvement, but for a Celestial skill to advance? It was shocking.
He¡¯d already been winning individual engagements against the Emperor¡¯s Dao. The Emperor doubtlessly had fewer skills under the umbrella of his Celestial skill, and even then¡ Orodan was confident that his talent in cleaning could outstrip even the most ancient of monsters in whatever art they chose to use. Skill levels weren¡¯t everything. Two people with the exact same level could still have widely different talents and be stronger or weaker depending on their passion, insights and perspective.
And Orodan had plenty of insights to spare when it came to cleaning. It allowed him to mop the floor well above his weight.
Orodan began swiftly outpacing the Celestial Emperor. Clashes which were previously competitive but, in his favor, were now far more one-sided as his foe¡¯s Dao was smashed aside and the Emperor¡¯s control over his thralls, shattered.
Within three more minutes Orodan cleansed all of the remaining Third Army soldiers of the Dao affecting them and then proceeded to move onto a new target¡
¡the Emperor. Specifically, the Eldritch corrupting the man.
¡°Enough.¡±
It was a single word, but alongside its utterance, he was reduced to a small pile of glowing flesh. Yet, he cared not as his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning continued working despite this.
¡°Cease your assault immediately! Your soul will be tortured for all eternity!¡±
Jian Huangdi¡¯s desperate pleas were ignored. The Celestial Emperor began writhing upon the ground as Orodan¡¯s Domain Of Perfect Cleaning lashed out and hit the man hard.
His opponent was without a doubt, stronger than Orodan in direct combat. If they fought earnestly and the man wanted it, Orodan would be dead a hundred times over. Yet, it was hubris and the very adherence to dominance and supremacy that had Jian Huangdi thinking he could best Orodan Wainwright in a head-to-head clash of Celestial skill against Celestial skill.
Goading hadn¡¯t worked against Devil King Saathmaraz at all. Yet, against the Celestial Emperor, it had proven more than effective.
Against all odds, Orodan somehow rode the momentum and now had the man on the backfoot. Yes, he was a Celestial skill-bearer, and yes, he was a peak-Transcendent of level 150 and yet¡
¡the Celestial Emperor was now utterly vulnerable as Orodan began targeting the Eldritch taint the man was corrupted by. It was the same deal Orodan had with the Eldritch Avatar. Sure, it had been stronger than him at the time, but once its corruption was targeted, it was vulnerable. A corrupted being unused to having its plague attacked in such a manner.
Truly, cleaning really was the antithesis of the Eldritch.
A peak-Transcendent of level 150, reduced to a vulnerable mess.
Things were going well, and victory and the cleansing of the Eldritch looked all but certain.
Unfortunately, things rarely went as planned.
[Dimensionalism 19 ¡ú Dimensionalism 20]
¡°Your defeat here would be inconvenient Jian Huangdi. We mop up the rebel armies for you, and you cannot even handle a Master-level foe?¡±
Orodan actually sensed the fluctuation before the dimensional boundaries were torn asunder this time. Yet he could¡¯ve done nothing to stop the appearance of a familiar being. One he swore vengeance against for its killing of Zaessythra in the last long loop.
It was the size of an entire nation, the ethereal skies of this strange dimension they were in darkened overhead as it approached. A hymn of pure radiance that demanded subservience rang out for miles, and the face of this God was composed of impossible geometric shapes which contradicted one another.
And it had fifty arms, carrying deadly golden weapons, just as he remembered.
¡°Astalavar¡¡± Orodan muttered, his hands clenching around his weapons.
¡°Ah, you know of me time looper? By all rights you should be swearing fealty and kneeling before me, after all, your world is within the territory of the Hegemony we preside over,¡± it said. ¡°I see the Celestial Emperor is faring worse than he should. Have you perhaps aimed for the taint within? I always thought that foul Eldritch corruption was a weakness. Temporary power and mad knowledge in exchange for an over-reliance upon it. A shame, for he used to be a feared leader who even we were wary of.¡±
¡°If you know he¡¯s corrupted by the Eldritch, why do you support him? Why is the Hegemony getting involved in an internal matter of the Celestial Court?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°When we hear tell of a man marching around claiming to be a time looper it is no longer a mere internal matter. Our lord¡¯s interest was greatly piqued,¡± Astalavar answered. ¡°Do you think to do as you please? You shall find that time loopers are not so novel a concept among the wise and powerful of the universe. There are ways to permanently put an end to you.¡±
¡°Such as what? Dragging me outside of System-space like the Administrator plans?¡±
¡°For one. Alas, it is no option available to us,¡± the God of the Hegemony said. ¡°My lord, however, wishes to see you. Your words with him will determine your fate.¡±
He felt yet another fluctuation, and two figures caused the very world they were upon to become blackened with shadow as the ethereal stars projecting light onto Xuejin in this new dimension were entirely blotted out.
One, a dragon. It looked incomparably ancient, yet Orodan felt it was the weakest of everyone present here. He would perhaps rate it as being slightly weaker than Zhou Shan based on the feeling his instincts were giving him.
The other¡
¡two utterly gigantic cosmic eyes. They were the size of stars and only up close did Orodan realize just how colossal this being was. The dragon that had swallowed Xuejin, this gigantic being could ride it like a horse as they were comparable in size.
He remembered these two eyes being the last sight he saw in his long loop in Novarria. These eyes now peered deeply into him.
The dragon spoke first. It wasn¡¯t a God, but a Transcendent.
¡°I smell the foul stench of a hybrid¡¯s soul around him, not too far in the past either. He is but a mortal, and yet¡¡± it muttered. ¡°You, have you been harboring any filthy half-blood hybrids? Speak now and perhaps receive mercy.¡±
A hybrid? The only person he could think of was Zaessythra, who he knew was partly draconic from the times he saw her in his mindscape. He¡¯d rather face an eternity of death and pain than ever betray her to this arrogant Transcendent dragon.
¡°Hold a moment, Excromon. I see it. It truly is a time looper. Very subtle¡ incredibly so, yet still in line with the existing records we have of how the soul is marked by the System,¡± it spoke. ¡°We shall not bandy words with it. Time looper, you have two options. Submit and open your soul to us or face a fate worse than death.¡±
¡°I refuse to submit. I have a grudge against you lot. Kill me if you must,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°A shame. Yet another case we shall have to explain to the Custodian when it arrives to mediate affairs¡ unless the Reject arrives first of course,¡± it spoke. ¡°Do not resist. The pain will be lessened.¡±
¡°My lord¡ is it truly wise to court the Warrior¡¯s ire by using that again?¡± Astalavar asked.
¡°An unfortunate situation, but the Reject will shield us, and perhaps even reward us for dealing with this time looper,¡± the cosmic eyes said.
Orodan could hear no more words as a strange device was produced and brought in front of this supposed leader of the Hegemony. At the sight of it, a deep, almost paralyzing fear struck the deepest parts of his soul. The very inner core where all his skills and connections to the System were housed, this inviolable part of his soul that was supposed to be untouchable.
This part of his soul trembled with fear.
The device was a focusing lens of sorts, and this giant cosmic entity began channelling a beam of titanic power to be fired through it.
Orodan just knew that getting hit with it was a bad idea, and yet, fifty arms immediately descended to restrain him in place while a sudden full-force mental assault by the Dao of Domination and Supremacy by a now recovered Celestial Emperor distracted him.
He only saw the beam coming at the last minute as dimensional boundaries shattered and the material plane intermingled with this strange one the world had been swallowed into.
Just before the beam made contact, he saw¡
¡a tentacle made of metal?
His surroundings exploded, and for a few moments all he knew was the feeling of being reduced to a handful of cells. Yet, his soul was intact.
Something had blocked the attack.
¡°Directive: Protect Orodan Wainwright. Multiple threats identified. Solution: Elimination.¡±
A cold and emotionless voice¡ a golem¡!
¡°W78!¡± Orodan exclaimed. ¡°You¡ how?!¡±
¡°Directive: Monitor Orodan Wainwright. Aware of time looping nature. Intervention necessary due to imminence of critical attack,¡± it intoned. And Orodan could swear there was some manner of golem-like emotion underneath that guise of cold intonation.
¡°Foolish machine. Has the Unity at last decided to act? Your body shall be stripped for parts and melted down to fuel our forges!¡± Astalavar angrily roared.
In fact, it wasn¡¯t his good friend W78 who¡¯d intervened to protect him. While he adored his golem-like friend, the threats arrayed here were simply too much for it. Rather, the planet-sized mass of metal and tentacles in front of him was his savior.
¡°Information: Unit A1, prime combat unit. Designated leadership unit for Unity,¡± W78 explained. ¡°Equal combat strength with enemy level 150.¡±
This unit, A1, was the leader of the Unity? As strong as a peak-Transcendent too¡ yet, there enemies were numerous.
¡°W78, this still won¡¯t be enough! Let me fight alongside you to help secure your retreat!¡± Orodan said.
¡°Directive: Protect Orodan Wainwright. Information: Allied faction arriving.¡±
Allied faction?
He needn¡¯t have wondered any further as the dimensional walls shattered yet again and someone came riding forth.
Golden light. That was the only description truly needed.
A horse of blinding golden light, and a heavily armored rider wielding a lance of light. This woman, this God, looked every bit the picture of a holy crusader meant to exterminate demonkind.
¡°Your Hegemony has gone too far today Agrimon! The Conclave comes to assist its allies! The Light shall purge your sins!¡±
Her glowing golden horse and lance made an immediate beeline for the leader of the Hegemony, and the two began an utterly furious melee. It was comical, seeing a woman his size fight against something the size of a world, yet she was not only keeping up, but dare he say¡ pushing Agrimon back.
In the meanwhile, A1, the mightiest machine he¡¯d seen, began combat against the recovered Celestial Emperor and Astalavar at the same time. And behind him, he heard a familiar flutter.
¡°Zaessythra¡ this is your doing,¡± Orodan stated.
And in response, she practically slammed down onto his noggin.
¡°You absolute, blithering, idiot! What was your plan for when that attack hit you?!¡± she angrily asked.
¡°Defend against it?¡±
¡°No! You buffoon! That¡¯s the sort of attack which led me to my current situation! We need to fall back and recoup our losses! Enough is enough!¡± she demanded.
¡°Zhou Shan is likely dead, at the very least I need to bring him back,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging into you this mess Zaessythra.¡±
¡°You¡¯d better be¡ stubborn oaf¡¡±
Their reunion was cut short as an angry dragon made its presence known. One that had just a while ago declared its hatred for hybrid draconic beings.
¡°I smell the stench of a foul hybrid! You dare harbor one of them?!¡± it roared as its flight path made directly for Orodan and Zaessythra.
¡°Well¡ this is the part where I ask you to do what you do best,¡± she said.
Orodan simply rolled his eyes, but he had a smile on his face.
[Flash Strike 74 ¡ú Flash Strike 75]
Why bother waiting for it to reach when he could simply soar to the skies and reach it first?
It was big, at least the size of a small island, but nowhere near the size of the other foes engaging in cataclysmic battle above. Frankly, in comparison to the other fights occurring, his was but a mere footnote.
He and Excromon wrestled in the air, and although he was quite outmatched, he was holding his own well enough despite the repeated savaging and constant destruction of his physical form. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t have much time. And while he might have held some confidence in eventually outlasting this foul dragon, it wouldn¡¯t do to be distracted and have some other foe potentially target Zaessythra.
To that end, he began contributing in the one way he knew would make a massive difference.
The manipulation of time.
He focused on a particular thread of time, the soul connected to it, not slain too long ago. However, it had timeline protections upon it. It was a good thing then, that Orodan had already overpowered timeline protections on a soul before. Except this time, he intended to be successful. He had two targets in mind, the first would make an immediate contribution and give him some breathing room¡ and the second¡ long overdue.
The first wasn¡¯t difficult, and there were no skill level gains to be made. Yet the reaction from his enemies was immediate.
¡°Stop him! He¡¯s overpowering my timeline protections and bringing a fallen Transcendent back!¡± Astalavar roared.
The dragon, Excromon, had the immediate reaction of attempting to grapple and use gravity magic to pin Orodan down, yet it was of no use. Excromon was specialized in close-combat, and when the restriction of not killing Orodan was in place¡ there was no real way to stop him.
Time reversed, the Hegemony¡¯s Gods desperately attempted to break off from their fights and interfere, yet it was futile. Orodan could reverse time and avoid being distracted even when reduced to a handful of cells.
Within seconds, a soul was pulled back to its ruined corpse, and the corpse reverted to pristine condition.
Zhou Shan had been resurrected.
¡°What the¡ I died¡ but- ah, resurrection. Thank you, Orodan.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome, now mind keeping them off me while I do one more,¡± Orodan said.
Zhou Shan complied and immediately engaged in battle with the dragon Excromon, buying Orodan some precious time. The dragon was taken aback by the newly resurrected foe. The Prince was a Celestial skill bearer, and one at level 147 at that.
¡°Zaessythra¡ you were cursed to your current form about five-hundred thousand years ago, no?
¡°Yes¡? Orodan, what are you planning?¡±
¡°Something I think I¡¯m finally capable of.¡±
Eyes blazed with raw power, and he was reduced to but a few cells. Yet, this was within expectations.
He had reversed time on a soul nexus of trillions. He¡¯d reverted an entire continent the size of Alastaia itself. Yet these were different in the sense that while massive objects with lots of things to account for¡ the timescale was short.
Going back in the river of time by five-hundred-thousand years was a different matter altogether.
His mind strained, the ravages of time began gnawing at his soul, and the very river itself seemed intent on resisting him. Hells, the entirety of the river of time was trembling due to the sheer amount of energy he was exerting upon it, and just the aftershocks of his energy caused strange temporal phenomena such as ancient echoes flitting in and out.
He was all but certain this was akin to broadcasting his position and presence to the entire galaxy and perhaps even beyond.
Yet, he continued. And slowly, Zaessythra¡¯s musty tome began to look fresher as the years began rapidly cycling back. Decades were reverting in seconds, for such was the pace as Orodan poured all his soul energy into the spell.
The battlefield went silent for but a moment.
¡°The very river of time trembles¡ where does that power come from?¡± Agrimon muttered, and even the golden lancer of light stopped fighting to look.
Decades continued to revert as the battle continued. And soon, centuries began passing in seconds once Orodan got into the proper flow of things and his skill levels kept increasing.
Time threatened to gnaw at his mind and soul. He nearly lost himself multiple times as he almost felt as though he lived many of the ancient lifespans and eons. Yet, his willpower held on, and he refused to falter.
Near the end, a change occurred, and Zaessythra¡¯s book form looked rather remarkably fresh. And from there, in an instant¡
¡she suddenly shifted into something else. At which point Orodan immediately stopped lest he go too far and de-age her into a child. He was fairly certain he heard screaming near the end, but his keen eyes focusing upon her soul saw that it was only the process of it finally becoming whole.
[Time Reversal 72 ¡ú Time Reversal 74]
[Time Mastery 68 ¡ú Time Mastery 70]
[New Title ¡ú Time Elite]
What was before him, was ten feet. Ten feet of woman.
Or rather, draconic-woman. He¡¯d always known she was a half-dragon hybrid. Her words, the carvings upon Alastaia¡¯s moon, the reaction of Excromon, it all came together to all but confirm it. Yet, seeing it was a different matter altogether.
Mismatched white and gold eyes, flowing silver hair, a towering and muscular frame of might. Zaessythra looked every bit the Warrior-Queen the carvings portrayed her as.
¡°Now this changes things¡¡± she muttered as she hefted the world-sword he¡¯d given her. ¡°Not my old blade, but it¡¯ll do.¡±
¡°Well, at least I can¡¯t bully you and throw you into the ring anymore,¡± Orodan said with a smile. ¡°You look strong.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be the one throwing you around,¡± she threatened, and then looked to the battlefield.
¡°Five-hundred thousand years of time reverted with such ease. And to bring back a most vexatious enemy of ours too¡¡± Astalavar muttered in shock.
¡°Enough. We have failed here today. Their forces swell and we lack the strength to continue fighting,¡± Agrimon said. ¡°We also cannot kill the time looper lest it return and exact vengeance. Retreat. The Administrator remains our only hope from this point onward.¡±
The leader of the Hegemony and its Gods and Transcendents fell back, the Celestial Emperor in tow.
A1 and the glowing lancer from the Conclave attempted to give pursuit, however the gigantic dragon that had initially swallowed the world of Xuejin whole simply spat the world out of its mouth and retreated while pulling the enemy combatants away with it. And if Excromon was a powerful dragon, then that peak-Transcendent dragon was another thing entirely. Fighting it would be too costly for their current forces.
Soon, the battlefield was silent. The world of Xuejin had been turned to chunks of rubble and debris throughout the fighting between multiple peak-Transcendents and peak-Gods.
Orodan, Zaessythra in her true form, Zhou Shan and the allies that had come to aid them stood quietly amid the devastation.
¡°So¡ who¡¯s going to clean all this up?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
Orodan simply smiled.
Chapter 56 - The Coming War
If reversing time for a mere continent of Xuejin had been incredibly difficult, then undoing the destruction of the entire world was a truly monumental task. Orodan had to sit down and spend two entire hours doing the task slowly.
Time Reversal wasn¡¯t as simple as just throwing more power into the task at hand. Even though it might¡¯ve seemed like it whenever Orodan was involved, the reality was otherwise. Pulling the river of time backwards involved being aware of an object or a being and consciously pulling on it, affecting it with his soul energy. And while his experience and higher skill levels in the ability meant his efficiency was higher - that he could ¡®grasp¡¯ multiple things at once and group them together in patterns - the fact was that Time Reversal was a serious mental strain. He had to account for everything he was bringing back.
Trying to simply reverse time blindly was akin to pulling the entire river back. Something which was utterly impossible at his current level of power. It would involve reversing time for everything. Hells, he doubted even an Administrator could do it. The only being possibly capable of such a feat might be whoever was responsible for the time loops.
All this was to say that restoring the world of Xuejin wasn¡¯t an easy affair. Previously, he¡¯d been able to restore a destroyed continent and its slain inhabitants, but that was the limit of his mental capacity for the moment. And when a feat of Time Reversal that he didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to do in one shot was called for, then the work took a while as Orodan had to take care not to mess up the time flows for objects while breaking the task into a piece-by-piece affair.
Still, it¡¯d been done, and Orodan earned two more levels in both Time Reversal and Time Mastery as a result. Alongside much bleeding and bodily damage from the mental strain as he pushed every cell to think at its maximal capacity. Yes, his new Absolute Body Composition was the only reason he could restore such a complex world and all of its inhabitants at all. Each cell could pull the weight of a mind, and he could think with his feet, arms, legs, eyes and nose. It gave new meaning to sayings such as thinking on one¡¯s feet.
Yet, despite its usefulness and the profound secret behind it, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure how to go about advancing in the skill. Defying the natural order of matter-form composition, it was as though he¡¯d stumbled onto a critical secret of the universe, however remained stuck there. Alongside his other skill, Reality Alteration - which had been an accidental by-product of focusing too deeply on the path of cleaning - he just didn¡¯t know how to go about advancing either skill.
In regard to his own skill-set there was still plenty of work to be done.
To distract from it, he helped resurrect the fallen, cleanse the minds of people upon Xuejin who¡¯d somehow survived yet were still under the sway of the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Dao of Domination and Supremacy and just helped clean the planet.
Zhou Shan and the other two peak-Transcendents of the Unity and the Conclave had gone off to help rebuild and liaison with their respective armies, and Zaessythra had gone off to become acclimatized with her old body once more.
Which left Orodan sweeping a particularly sticky and grimy patch of mud with his horse-hair broom, his good friend W78 standing next to him, simply watching.
¡°Directive: Gather data on Orodan Wainwright. Hypothesis: anomalous abilities in cleaning,¡± it intoned.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it anomalous¡¡± Orodan muttered. Then again, he¡¯d turned a piece of ethereal and immaterial rock into a very real thing. He¡¯d also fundamentally altered the very nature of another being when cleansing the True Vampire a while ago. ¡°Okay, maybe it¡¯s anomalous, but surely there are other beings in the universe who have similar talents.¡±
¡°Information: Not enough data to answer query. Query: Why does subject cleanse earth with inefficient method?¡± it asked, the lights and glyphs upon its metallic frame periodically glowing as it did.
¡°What? This? It¡¯s mud, and some kind of animal emptied its bowels upon this particular spot, and then another one came by and took a piss,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°It helps clear my mind and lets me understand cleaning better.¡±
¡°Observation: Orodan Wainwright not deterred by task; biological lifeforms naturally repelled by urine and excreta,¡± it intoned.
¡°Huh? Who gets bothered by a bit of piss and nightsoil? Can¡¯t do any real work unless you¡¯re willing to get your hands dirty,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We all engage in the natural bodily functions of life. Or well¡ us flesh and blood beings do.¡±
Until they got certain skills to a high enough level anyways. Even without Absolute Body Composition which removed the need for any of that, Eternal Soul Reactor would just burn everything, and he couldn¡¯t remember the last time he ate something either.
¡°Information entered into database.¡±
¡°You needn¡¯t sound so amazed, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve spoken to cultivators of cleaning, or a swordsman who talks of cutting raindrops in half, no?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m going to focus on cleaning this patch of filth.¡±
They were in the grimiest and most muddy swamp on the world of Xuejin. Officially, the planetary government had classified this area as off-limits, particularly due to the presence of Master and Grandmaster-level beasts and the danger they presented to the unwary traveller.
Of course, such beasts fled at the sight of Orodan. The days when he¡¯d be threatened by Grandmasters were a bit behind him. The current patch of mud he was attempting to clean was the result of some majestic fiery-maned lion loosing its bowels at the sight of his approach. Convenient.
¡°Observation: Implement inefficient. 99% chance of fluid and excrement catching upon horsehair broom. Solution: Unit will demonstrate,¡± W78 said, and it then proceeded to produce a long metallic tube which appeared to suck things inside of it. ¡°Vacuum unit deployed.¡±
¡°A nifty tool, but one that would doubtlessly make people lazy. Besides,¡± Orodan said and then snapped his fingers, drawing mud from a nearby trough towards him to be annihilated by a Draconic Fireball. ¡°I can do that too, without the tool. It¡¯s not efficiency I¡¯m aiming for, but to advance my understanding of cleaning.¡±
¡°Information entered into database. Query: what does subject seek to understand?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve cleaned water with a horse-hair broom before, but it¡¯s slightly different when the subject is muddy,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I¡¯ve been adjusting the broom head after each sweep, yet it feels as though I¡¯m missing an obvious solution.¡±
In response, W78 began vacuuming up mud into its frame, and Orodan had no idea where it all went and decided not to ask. The machine was rather friendly and seemed to happily go along with whatever Orodan was doing. And as the unit¡¯s vacuum pulled mud up, he noticed the minute vibrations of its metallic frame.
It wasn¡¯t some great insight into his friend and the machine-beings of the Unity that he was stumbling upon, but rather¡
¡°That¡¯s it! Vibrations! How could I overlook something so obvious?¡± Orodan asked himself.
On the next sweep, the broom-head was adjusted beforehand, but during and after the sweep the broom was in a state of constant vibration. At Orodan¡¯s current level of Physical Fitness, he was capable of making it tremble powerfully enough to cause a hurricane. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the goal. The intent was to instead¡ clean with a single sweep.
A sweep went out¡
¡and the nightsoil, urine and mud were all swept away. The ground below turning green and the moss underneath growing suddenly.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 90 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 91]
¡°Observation: subject tampering with local ecosystem to impose subjective pattern.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, W78. In fact, at heart, cleaning is about what the user perceives as cleanly and not about how reality should be. For example, with but a shift in perspective¡¡± Orodan trailed off and then went for another sweep. The mossy and clear rock which stood in that singular patch he¡¯d swept, suddenly became muddy once more, filled with excreta and urine. Yet¡ it also contained life and was part of the natural ecosystem of the swamp once more. ¡°¡what one sees as clean can be altered.¡±
[Reality Alteration 1 ¡ú Reality Alteration 5]
Even Orodan himself was surprised. He certainly hadn¡¯t intended to do that, yet reality itself seemed to bend as he had such a profound desire and vision of what he considered ¡®clean¡¯ coming into being. That singular sweep had also cost a decent amount of soul energy.
¡°Critical information entered into database.¡±
¡°Hells¡ even I didn¡¯t know that was possible, or at least, not so easily,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I¡¯ve done that before but didn¡¯t know how to replicate the feat until now.¡±
¡°Query: how does subject intend to continue developing skill?¡± W78 asked.
¡°Honestly¡ right now my back is against the wall. I have all manner of enemies coming after me, many of whom are actively using the knowledge that I¡¯m in a time loop against me,¡± he answered. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love a good fight. Yet, I also enjoy savouring these little advancements and understandings from the simplest of things. One day, once things have calmed down, I wouldn¡¯t mind taking it slow and closely examining the basics again. I feel that¡¯s where the secret of truly ascending past the limits of reality lies.¡±
When was the last time he¡¯d sat down to do some Woodworking? Or brew a potion? It had been a while, ever since he¡¯d been caught up in the current situation he was in.
¡°Information: half-dragon hybrid approaching,¡± W78 said, and Orodan saw the familiar form of a winged humanoid approach.
If he didn¡¯t know her, it would be easy to mistake her half-dragon self for some kind of demon. Her scales were lustrous, she had draconic horns jutting backwards from her head, and her mismatched eyes gave off a sinister look at times. Yet, to him she was still the same arrogant and haughty book, simply in a different form.
¡°Re-training the muscle-memory again?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Saw you zipping through the air, shattering the sound barrier and terrifying the wildlife earlier.¡±
¡°Apologies, when a dragon needs to spread her wings, the local fauna must simply kneel before our majesty,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Oh? Dragon now, are we? I can recall one particularly grouchy dragon we fought earlier that¡¯d disagree,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°And he¡¯ll die for what he dared to do half-bloods like me,¡± she angrily said. ¡°The pure-blooded of dragonkind have always hated half-breeds like us and the spider dragons.¡±
¡°But aren¡¯t the spider dragons going around killing dragons?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°On Alastaia at least.¡±
¡°Driven to that by desperation and genocide by the pure-bloods no doubt,¡± she spat. ¡°Let me guess, the rumor is that the spider dragons were created by some fell God interfering and running experiments, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Among a host of other rumors which paint them in a bad light, and the dragons in a good one, yes,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Of course they do. The dragons¡¯ notorious secrecy is really just a guise for being spreaders of rumors and propaganda,¡± she clarified. ¡°The spider dragons, half-human dragons like myself, and other species of half-dragon are a result of none other than the experiments of the pure-bloods themselves.¡±
This was the part where Orodan would¡¯ve been shocked, for it truly was a conspiratorial reveal. Yet, he¡¯d often suspected from the beginning that the dragons weren¡¯t as benevolent as they seemed. The carvings in the ruins of Vylrystia had also told the story of Zaessythra¡¯s war of liberation against the tyrannical pure-blooded dragons on behalf of half-dragonkind.
¡°Anyhow, care to properly stretch those wings?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I¡¯ve been itching for a proper fight in ages¡ now that I have access to my System back, I have yet to really cut loose,¡± she said with a feral grin. Much as she liked to act otherwise at times, this woman was the former World-Queen of Vylrystia. It wasn¡¯t a position one acquired without bloodshed and the love for it. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, will you fight me?¡±
¡°Why Zaessythra,¡± Orodan replied with a feral smirk. ¡°I¡¯d love nothing more.¡±
¡°Directive: evacuate Xuejin. Calculation: 90% chance of planetary destruction from battle.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not about to fight here,¡± she said. ¡°Not after you so dutifully reversed time for this entire planet.¡±
Orodan agreed, and the two of them went about moving to a nearby barren moon through one of his Spatial Folds.
¡°Observation: moon unoccupied, chance of collateral damage to life, nil.¡±
¡°Thank you, W78, I wouldn¡¯t have known that otherwise,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Observation: subject utilizing tone of speech - sarcasm. Solution: remind subject of poor decision-making capabilities.¡±
This machine¡!
¡°In other words, you¡¯re an idiot, but that¡¯s nothing new,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for the chance to bully you,¡± Orodan said as he drew his weapons. ¡°I¡¯d have felt bad about throwing you around or threatening to use you as kindling before, but now¡ now you¡¯ll get to face me head-to-head.¡±
In response, Zaessythra simply smiled and drew her world-sword. Through his crown, Orodan could sense the tether of world energy going from it to the world she held dominion over.
¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready Orodan,¡± she called out.
His eyes narrowed, but he gladly accepted the challenge and sallied forth with a Flash Strike.
He¡¯d always wondered just how powerful Zaessythra was in her normal form. They¡¯d met in the mindscape a few times, usually during sessions where he¡¯d try to help repair her mind and soul. Yet, to fight her in the flesh was a different thing.
Was it raw might? Furious draconic power?
The answer, as Orodan learned the hard way. Was both. Alongside a healthy dose of brutality and ruthlessness. Just the kind of battle he loved.
His Flash Strike was intercepted by her wings, and immediately in their clash of blows Orodan mentally put her at the mid-120s as a Transcendent. Powerful, but perhaps around his level in raw battle power. Which was utterly shocking given that she was supposed to have been a newly advanced Transcendent when tragedy befell her. Perhaps there was a reason why the Hegemony had used its horrific weapon upon her.
He actually felt himself physically stronger, the few times they clashed. Likely due to raw physicality not being her specialty. She was ten feet tall and physically imposing without a doubt, but raw might was what he focused on, and his Body Tempering and Absolute Body Composition gave him the advantage.
He even thought he¡¯d score an easy win.
That was, until she decided to start using her wings, sword, fists and legs all in one synchronized fighting style. Alongside periodic casts and uses of soul magic and something most unpleasant.
[Pain Resistance 90 ¡ú Pain Resistance 91]
Orodan¡¯s entire world was raw and nearly unbearable pain. Being stung by her in book form was one thing, but in the flesh, when she was at the height of her power, it was another matter entirely.
Rage and battle-lust took over, and he began wildly pressing forward with raw aggression to fight through the haze. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that despite his Pain Resistance, nothing had hurt as much before. It was as though his entire mind, soul and body were being subject to the worst torture imaginable.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
He¡¯d fought people who could hit far above their weight class, but Zaessythra was the first among Transcendents that he¡¯d seen capable of showing strength beyond her supposed level.
¡°Of course, you still push forward despite that,¡± Zaessythra said as she deflected an All-Strike that would¡¯ve destroyed his home nation of the Republic in one blow. ¡°I forgot what a masochist you are for a moment.¡±
¡°What the hells is that?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°What skill are you using?¡±
¡°Beat me and I might consider telling you,¡± she teased.
Fine.
Pain was nothing new to Orodan, and this sort of battle favored him more than it did her. Shield to sword, fist to knee, he fought her for every little inch even as his mind desperately craved an end to the raw pain and anguish he was going through. It was utterly insidious.
At first, it was only physical, yet as the battle dragged on, the pain began to spread to his mind and emotions too.
[Pain Resistance 91 ¡ú Pain Resistance 92]
His anger burned hotter than ever. Simply existing was beginning to hurt, and the fear of failure, the pain of loss and grief, it all began to get amplified. Without even meaning to, his face was red with anger while tears began running down his face. It was utterly contradictory, the pain he was subject to made no sense.
All he saw was red, and his combat style began to deteriorate as he bit on feints and aggressively pursued openings which weren¡¯t really meant to be such.
[Pain Resistance 92 ¡ú Pain Resistance 93]
Taunts from Zaessythra had him aggressively attacking far too hard. He was being drawn into her trap, which was no doubt exactly what she wanted. Yet, he simply didn¡¯t care.
Her combat style was one of feints, taunts, and drawing the opponent into a world of pure pain and rage which forced them to make mistakes and pursue her. It was effective, it was brutal.
And it unfortunately wasn¡¯t designed to account for an opponent that would keep coming endlessly and cared not to end the pain. Her own tolerance of pain was decent, fantastic even, yet even her face was beginning to scrunch up as Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity made her feel the horrid effects of her own pain.
The first thirty minutes passed as Orodan was hacked, slashed and carved right up as he bit on every little feint and taunt she had. Her attacks weren¡¯t powerful enough to threaten him with death, but they left minor wounds at the very least. Wounds which were healed in an instant. It was then that Zaessythra opened her mouth for the first time.
¡°You don¡¯t stop do you?¡± she asked, panting heavily and beginning to snarl like a rabid animal. ¡°Seeing you fight is one thing¡ but actually facing you¡ it¡¯s hopeless¡ this is madness!¡±
In response, a mad laugh of anger, joy and sorrow erupted from Orodan¡¯s mouth. To anyone watching he¡¯d have seemed an utter lunatic.
¡°I think¡ I¡¯m beginning to get the hang of this, Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This has been some excellent training. Truly, my mind feels sharper and my willpower even tougher. But I believe you owe me an answer.¡±
¡°That¡ that involves you beating me first.¡±
[Pain Resistance 93 ¡ú Pain Resistance 94]
¡°Say no more,¡± Orodan replied.
One of his old mentors from Alastaia, Arvayne Firesword, had once told him that he fought like a rabid animal. Pure aggression, no defense, just unrelenting intent to kill. This, Orodan felt, was a compliment. He¡¯d embraced it and turned it into his own style. And here and now, Zaessythra was beginning to feel the effects of it as Orodan began outright overpowering her guard as his rage continued to reach new heights.
The All-Consuming Rage portion of his Celestial skill had absorbed enough mana and vitality from her to begin significantly empowering him by now.
Feints began to lose effectiveness as she had no time to perform them. Taunts were useless as they required one to have some space and time to perform them. Evasions? How could one dodge when they were subject to constant, unending assault?
Five more minutes of furious melee passed as Orodan began weaving his own Unarmed Combat Mastery into the fight. Pummelling her with fist, knee and even a headbutt while he continued employing his sword and shield.
Until at last a parry was overpowered, a block crushed, and Zaessythra sent sprawling onto the ground with a crisp elbow strike followed by a shield bash in the same motion.
She hit the ground with a titanic collision which destroyed the remaining half of the moon which had shattered within the first fifteen minutes of their fight. And Orodan leapt to land beside her and hold his sword to her neck.
¡°You¡¯re¡ insane¡¡± she said in-between pained grunts and groans. ¡°I know you have a Celestial skill, but you¡¯re still at just the Master-level.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± Orodan said as his own body finally began to let go of the horrid pain that was spreading all throughout. His mind, his soul, his very emotions just hurt. ¡°If you thought to make some grand debut and remind me of my place in the pecking order, you¡¯ll be sorely disappointed. Fighting is all I do, if I wasn¡¯t good at it, I¡¯d be a little ashamed of myself.¡±
Orodan removed his blade from her neck and sat down next to her. They both sat there in silence for a while.
¡°Torture Mastery.¡±
¡°I figured¡ I¡¯ve never been hurt like that by anything else I¡¯ve fought,¡± he replied. ¡°What level is it? You hit so much harder than I thought¡ how?¡±
¡°Level 110, mostly gained during my life and death struggle against the Hegemony. You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s a prodigy. I¡¯ll take that as a compliment though,¡± she said. ¡°Think I¡¯ll be useful on the field of battle now?¡±
He raised an eyebrow at her.
¡°You know I didn¡¯t give you your body back simply so you could fight beside me, right?¡±
¡°Yes, but I tire of being the damsel-in-distress who needs the mighty warrior to protect her,¡± she replied. ¡°I was World-Queen until the Hegemony took everything I knew and loved. I admit, my rise to power and the liberation war against the pure-blooded was neither righteous nor pretty, but it was necessary. To sit here and have someone else seek revenge on my behalf, it goes against all I¡¯ve done, everything I¡¯ve aspired to.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t expect me to give you some noble promise about how I¡¯ll be the pillar you can lean upon,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I love fighting, and I certainly won¡¯t deny a fellow warrior their desire to fight in battle if they want. You¡¯re not stupid, you know what the risks are.¡±
Her shoulders sagged with relief.
¡°I see¡ and Orodan?¡± she asked.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Thank you¡ for this.¡±
She meant more than just the fight, Orodan realized.
He grunted in affirmation and the two simply sat there for a bit, basking in the companionable silence.
At least, until a familiar voice chimed in.
¡°Observation: 80% of lunar mass has been eliminated. Solution: encourage subject to use Time Reversal.
#
The siege of Xian wasn¡¯t as problematic an affair as Orodan thought it would be. With the Celestial Emperor gone, most of the Sovereigns and Transcendents who¡¯d sided with the Emperor simply surrendered upon the arrival of the allied force led by Prince Zhou Shan.
The presence of one of the Conclave¡¯s holy knight commanders and the Unity¡¯s prime combat unit helped, yet those were mere reinforcement to the fact that Zhou Shan offered clemency and was the Ascendent Sword Cluster¡¯s only hope for the continuation of a stable and functional government. Being invaded by a foreign force would¡¯ve raised more resistance, but having the Prince himself approach was a different thing which the defenders found much more palatable.
Jian Song had already been taken prisoner, and Jian Yixia and Jian Ren simply turned themselves in.
All in all, it was less dramatic than many in the allied forces thought it¡¯d be. Artillery weapons had been prepared and troops mobilized in preparation for the inevitable storming of Xian, but thankfully it¡¯d been bloodless and the transition to a new government smooth.
The Puppet Sovereign¡¯s forces had been annihilated by the Hegemony and both he and the Thousand Broom Sovereign had been killed. However, with control of the soul nexus, their resurrection had gone about smoothly enough. Their enemies hadn¡¯t deemed them worth putting any sort of timeline protections upon. In tandem with the Puppet Sovereign, Thousand Broom Sovereign and a few other loyal sons and daughters of the Ascendent Sword Cluster, Prince Zhou Shan declared himself High Sovereign Zhou Shan and changed the Celestial Court to one without an Emperor. Ruled instead by a council of Sovereigns at whose head would preside the High Sovereign.
Funny enough, it¡¯d been an off-hand suggestion from Orodan himself during a conversation he¡¯d had with the Prince where he recounted the Republic of his home world. In honor of Orodan¡¯s assistance in the reclamation of the Ascendent Sword Cluster, they¡¯d decided to go along with it. The Court¡¯s current system of government simply wasn¡¯t palatable to many, especially the rebels who were the worst victims of Jian Huangdi¡¯s tyrannical Dao.
Xian had been cleansed of any Dao-controlled loyalists of the Celestial Emperor, a coronation had been held in the main palace, and now Orodan stood upon ground that was sacred to Xian and any child of the Ascendent Sword Cluster.
Cultivator¡¯s Peak. Where an important meeting was taking place between the leaders of the three factions and people of note.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, I would like to once again thank you for bringing my sworn man back from your home world,¡± High Sovereign Zhou Shan said. ¡°Ever since he gave his life defending mine, I¡¯ve been wracked with guilt. Worst still when I discovered that his soul wasn¡¯t present in the cycle of reincarnation.¡±
¡°It¡¯s of no concern,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°If anything, I owe Jian Yixia a great debt for keeping the location of my home world hidden through an obscuration formation.¡±
¡°Indeed¡ yet I¡¯m afraid the formation will not last very long at all,¡± Jian Yixia said, her voice almost supernaturally calm and melodic. ¡°With the formation under my control, none but I can find Alastaia¡¯s exact location in space. It scrambles the location both spatially and dimensionally. However, the price is its sheer expense.¡±
It was an obscuring formation that operated on similar principles to the space-interference formation. Space was scattered and rippled about like the waves of the ocean, and even if someone had been to Alastaia once, they couldn¡¯t return without the owner of the formation allowing them to. Any attempts to find his home world would simply lead to the seeker being led to some random section of the void instead.
It was convenient. However, it wouldn¡¯t last.
¡°What¡¯s more, we¡¯ve caught sight of something approaching our galaxy at extreme speeds,¡± the knight commander of the Conclave said. She¡¯d lowered the intensity of the luminous radiance by a substantial amount but was still almost blinding to look at. She was one of the Conclave¡¯s strongest combatants, second only to the knight general himself. Her contributions during the battle had caused Agrimon, the leader of the Hegemony, to remain occupied and even begin losing. ¡°It¡¯s still roughly three weeks away and that¡¯s quite the distance, but preliminary calculations by our astronomers suggest that it¡¯s heading for your home world.¡±
Which meant the obscuring formation, even if it was somehow re-fuelled, would be useless. The letter from the other time looper had also warned that the Reject - this Administrator descending towards the galaxy - was capable of somehow marking people it touched. And he¡¯d certainly gotten to know it up close and personal.
¡°All the same, thank you for what you did, Jian Yixia,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Although, I still find myself pondering on the fact that you and your siblings were left untouched by your eldest brother¡¯s Dao.¡±
Jian Yixia looked apprehensive for a moment, then she mustered the courage to speak up.
¡°I know that asking for clemency here when I¡¯m surrounded by victims of my brother¡¯s tyranny is just outrageous,¡± Jian Yixia said and immediately the clamoring began from the rebel Sovereigns who were part of the newly formed council. ¡°Yet, I must implore you at least try to capture Jian Huangdi. My brother was not always like this¡ it was only after that black day where he led the expedition to the black hole at the center of our galaxy. He returned as the sole survivor and ever since then he has been acting erratically. Foreign visitors were rejected until the discovery of the time looper and any purity and cleaning cultivators who discovered the Eldritch taint were put under the control of his Dao or killed. Yet, he always maintained enough of himself to never raise his Dao against his siblings.¡±
¡°But not enough to avoid killing his own son!¡± the Puppet Sovereign angrily exclaimed, standing up to shout. The man had the most reason to utterly detest Jian Huangdi, after all, he¡¯d been turned into a mind slave and traumatized.
¡°Enough,¡± Zhou Shan said, and the man quietened down. ¡°This is an incredibly difficult topic to broach, and it isn¡¯t foremost on our minds. Jian Huangdi has caused a great deal of suffering to many of his people, and even his own family. Minimizing it to the Eldritch taint leaves a foul taste in the mouths of those who¡¯ve been most affected by him.¡±
The Puppet Sovereign gave an angry nod of vehement agreement in response to Zhou Shan¡¯s words.
¡°At the very least,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I was close to cleansing him during the latest battle we had. If I¡¯d had a bit more time and no interference, then I believe I could¡¯ve succeeded. Of course, it¡¯s also contingent on him respecting the threat I pose and actively avoiding killing me.¡±
¡°You too?! He tried controlling your mind when you first entered the Ascendent Sword Cluster!¡± the Puppet Sovereign shouted. ¡°By the heavens, knowing that Yixia wasn¡¯t under control of his Dao makes it even worse! She knowingly led you to Swordmist City to face enslavement at his hands!¡±
The Puppet Sovereign had a point, Orodan wouldn¡¯t deny it. And even Yixia looked utterly cowed and ashamed of herself at the accusation.
Orodan raised his hands placatingly.
¡°I won¡¯t deny that you were done grievous harm, but how about this?¡± he posed. ¡°If I cleanse him, I¡¯ll deliver him to you for justice. It¡¯s not as though I¡¯ll cleanse the Eldritch and simply give him a pat on the back after. He¡¯ll still have to answer for all he¡¯s done. And whether it was him or the corruption will be a matter decided fairly I hope.¡±
The Puppet Sovereign still didn¡¯t look happy, but at the very least the man had no further protests at this planned course of action.
¡°Regardless, we can discuss Jian Huangdi afterwards, particularly once we actually have him captured,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°For now, the true issue we face is the alliance of our mutual enemies. Jian Huangdi is the lesser part of this alliance. It is the Hegemony and their armies which are of concern.¡±
The gigantic moon-sized mass of metal in the sky above had sent a small droid down to converse on its behalf, but it was still commanding whenever it spoke for the entire mass of metal above would have its glyphs and frame pulse.
¡°Directive: Friendship with Orodan Wainwright. Solution: Alliance with Celestial Court and Conclave,¡± A1, the prime combat unit of the Unity spoke. In the back of his mind, he didn¡¯t know how he was supposed to begin fighting such a thing. Yes, the destructive after-effect of his compressed Spatial Fold might be a good method of delivering large area damage, but who knew if it had countermeasures? It would be a good battle though. Perhaps if he got inside of it like he had with other gigantic creatures he¡¯d fought?
¡°I concur. The Conclave stands with the Celestial Court and the Unity in opposing our mutual enemies,¡± the holy knight commander said. ¡°However, we cannot guarantee our siding with Orodan Wainwright himself. We mean no offense, we wish to make no enemy of you, however we also cannot afford to make an enemy of the Administrator that comes for you.¡±
¡°Fair enough. I wouldn¡¯t ask anyone to join me or fight my battles for me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Although, can you tell me more about this Administrator? I believe they call it the Reject. What is it? And why does it not simply use spatiomancy to travel to us?¡±
¡°The Administrators are the stewards of the System itself, each given some part of its stewardship. Even we do not know much about them, save for the fact that the Reject which pursues you is known to be quite¡ eccentric. It originates from this very world if the ancient legends are true, right here upon Cultivator¡¯s Peak,¡± the knight commander explained. ¡°As for why the Reject cannot travel¡ we do not know, although there are rumors which only our knight general and perhaps Agrimon the Wise, our foe, might know of.¡±
Orodan nodded. He¡¯d now heard of the Warrior and the Custodian among the Administrators as well. Although who knew where these beings even were? Right here and now, the Reject was his problem, and there wasn¡¯t any help he could rely on against it.
¡°Then, in the interim, we¡¯re agreed that we must unite to face the Hegemony and Jian Huangdi,¡± Zhou Shan posed, and the people around the table all nodded.
¡°The Overking of the Hells and his Devil Kings are also a wildcard of concern,¡± the Knight Commander brought up. ¡°They detest us and will no doubt join in on the side of the Hegemony in a bid to strike against the Light.¡±
¡°Directive: Ascertain political affiliation of the hells. Solution: scheduled diplomatic meeting,¡± A1 said as the metal giant above glowed and pulsed.
¡°What is there to ascertain? They are our foes!¡± the Knight Commander shouted.
¡°Well¡ not quite¡ at least, if our time looping friend here has anything to say about it,¡± Zhou Shan said.
What followed was an explanation rife with plenty of interjections in the form of shouting and accusations by the Knight Commander. She wasn¡¯t exactly happy to hear that Orodan had come to an agreement with a Devil King during the battle for the soul nexus.
¡°You would make a deal with our sworn enemy? They are vile scum! Nothing good can come from them and their destructive ways!¡±
¡°We made a deal, he kept his end of it, and I didn¡¯t think he was too much of a vile beast from what he told me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And if I see he¡¯s an irredeemable monster once I meet him again, then I¡¯ll happily shove my sword into his chest. Until then, who I make agreements with is my own business.¡±
The Knight Commander¡¯s eyes narrowed, but she didn¡¯t press the matter.
¡°In any case, the Devil King you fought, Saathmaraz, is the leader of a decently powerful faction among the hells. Simply speaking to him wouldn¡¯t be the worst idea. The Unity has offered to host a meeting two weeks from now,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°We shall journey to X2, a world of theirs, and meet on neutral dimensional ground.¡±
¡°And what about now? Surely, we aren¡¯t going to sit around and wait for two weeks?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not at all. In fact, one of the key strategic weapons the Hegemony possesses is that strange focusing device which you were spared from being on the receiving end of,¡± Zhou Shan explained, and Orodan clearly recalled what might¡¯ve been his end. Even if a small part of him wanted to test himself against it. ¡°It can destroy the absolute inner core of a soul. Something utterly forbidden by the System, and which will cause the descent of the Administrators. However, when dealing with a time looper, from their perspective, it¡¯s better to act first and beg for forgiveness later.¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to destroy this weapon then? A shame, I was hoping to get some training in against it,¡± Orodan said, and to the side, Zaessythra who¡¯d remained silent all this time, gave him a look of utter bafflement as though he was mad.
Even Zhou Shan¡¯s palm met his face, and the High Sovereign shook his head.
¡°Orodan¡ please focus. That thing will permanently end anyone if it lands a clean hit on an unprotected soul,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Our spy network suggests that they have one of them on Narictus.¡±
¡°Alright, alright. So, what, you want me to go to the world of vampires and furry beasts and rampage for a bit before grabbing it?¡±
¡°And have half the Hegemony and its military immediately descend on your head?¡± Zhou Shan asked, although Orodan didn¡¯t see what was wrong with the idea. Hells, he hadn¡¯t even gotten to use any checkpoint loops in the latest big battle, so they were long overdue for some use in grinding.
¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡±
¡°Simple, we plan on outfitting you, Zaessythra, and your friend W78 in disguises. You¡¯ll infiltrate Narictus and steal the Hegemony¡¯s weapon.¡±
Orodan¡¯s jaw dropped.
¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡±
¡°This buffoon can¡¯t be trusted to hold a disguise!¡± Zaessythra immediately protested.
¡°Directive: Infiltrate Narictus and steal enemy war asset. Solution: solo operation without Orodan Wainwright recommended.¡±
What manner of rag-tag and motley crew was this?! Orodan would do better alone in this situation!
Zhou Shan himself laughed at their stupidity and then calmed himself.
¡°My friends, it will be fine¡ the enemy weapon is something that takes a decent amount of wind-up to prepare,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°In fact, it takes a week to prepare. Which means¡¡±
¡°I have as many tries as it takes to get this right,¡± Orodan said.
A feral smile popped up on his face even as Zaessythra was cursing her luck.
Donning a disguise? In his opinion he was pretty good at it, even if the System and everyone else didn¡¯t agree.
Battering his head against the wall that was a break-in and robbery, however?
That he could do.
#
It was later that night, as he sat poring over a book on Dimensionalism and Zaessythra sat across from him reading a text on transformations or some nonsense, that another ¡®messenger¡¯ entered the room.
Orodan sensed it as the ¡®woman¡¯ entered and simply took the letter from the illusion¡¯s hands.
¡®Dear time looper,
I see you¡¯ve narrowly avoided disaster yet again. I do not know how you continually manage to defy the odds in such a manner, but you¡¯ve greatly intrigued me. Might I remind you that your permanent doom approaches in roughly three weeks? The advice to flee and seek refuge in a nearby galaxy still stands. Still, if you can¡¯t manage that, do come by the Vystaxium Galaxy, specifically, to the Yellow Moon Cluster. There, within the Colodon System, you¡¯ll find the help you need.
Also, your actions in the river of time have caused trembles enough to be felt by me from a distance. You nearly ruined a spell of mine. Please try to be considerate and keep it down.
Signed, Someone In A Similar Situation¡¯
¡°Would it kill you to be considerate?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°You¡¯re bothering your neighbor.¡±
¡°I reversed the river for you, you annoying dragon!¡±
¡°Excuses for your rude behavior,¡± she said with an irksome and smug smirk.
Just for that, he would give her as many headaches as possible tomorrow.
After all, it was time to break and enter.
Chapter 57 - Break & Enter I
¡°I know, I know, it¡¯s pretty good, isn¡¯t it?¡± Orodan asked.
And for a moment, the parlor was entirely silent. Zaessythra looked awe-struck, the pulsing glyphs upon W78¡¯s frame spoke of a pattern of new information¡ and the other person in the room was speechless too.
¡°You¡ that¡¯s¡¡± Zaessythra muttered.
¡°Information entered into database. Observation: subject attempting to interfere with enemy facial recognition. Predicted effectiveness: 0%,¡± W78 stated.
¡°W-what?!¡± Orodan protested.
¡°You¡¯re wearing a damn rag over your head!¡± Zaessythra shouted as her wings shook with outrage. ¡°At least take this seriously! How does a washcloth with eye-holes cut out make a disguise?!¡±
¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t we going to a world of vampires, werewolves and necromancers? Surely, I can pretend to be a walking corpse or something?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Compared to the deathly pallor of an actual corpse, your bronzed complexion isn¡¯t fooling anyone,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°You¡¯d have more success pretending to be an actual necromancer.¡±
¡°I can bring back the dead, doesn¡¯t that make me a fine hand at the necromantic arts?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°No, you¡¯d fail because you bring them back completely.¡±
¡°That just makes me the best necromancer around,¡± Orodan declared.
Was it not true? Necromancers empowered and bound a corpse to their service. Even if things went well and the necromancer was exceedingly skilled, it was still inferior to what the regular flesh and blood body was capable of. At least, if the skills of the previous body were brought into the comparison.
With Time Reversal, he technically brought corpses back to life, and in far better condition than any undead minion. Therefore, from a certain radical perspective, Orodan was a necromancer. Even if he hated them far too much to ever seriously label himself one.
¡°No, that just makes you a bizarre idiot wearing a re-purposed towel over his head,¡± Zaessythra said.
Finally, the other inhabitant in the parlor with them broke their silence.
¡°In an odd way, I can see the effectiveness, provided you applied ashes and disguising agents to your skin,¡± the woman said. ¡°After all, the more civilized necromancers of Narictus often follow the cultural practice of covering the faces of their minions. A bit of respect for their service in death.¡±
This woman was the leading cultivator of the Dao of Disguise within the Ascendent Sword Cluster. It was a rather esoteric Dao, and cultivators of competence often specialized in the Dao of Illusions instead. As a result, the woman was only at the Grandmaster-level in her Dao.
There¡¯d been much discussion among the Sovereign Council of the Celestial Court, and the decision was made to avoid using anyone specializing in the Dao of Illusion. Even though there were Transcendents of the art, the problem with illusion was that it left a very noticeable trace of energy no matter what energy source fuelled it. Narictus was bound to have scans which detected illusions, and even high-level illusory weaves had small things which could be detected by keen eyes and specialized wards and devices.
A disguise, however, was something that could allow hiding in plain sight. And a world was a massive place, particularly one the size of Narictus. Not everywhere would be heavily watched, and people wouldn¡¯t scrutinize them too closely at all times depending on how they entered.
¡°Indeed, we read all about it during the boring-¡± a slap was delivered to the back of his head. ¡°I mean, during the interesting study of Narictus¡¯s culture, politics and history.¡±
¡°We¡¯re grateful for the opportunity to learn more,¡± Zaessythra said, not looking at all bothered that she¡¯d just smacked Orodan upside the head. Honestly, sometimes he wondered why he even tolerated the haughty half-dragon. Orodan supposed her actions in sacrificing herself for him had something to do with it. ¡°That being said, even if Orodan¡¯s disguise somehow holds up, what of the rest of us? I have very little skill in necromancy¡¡±
¡°And yet, you kept up the sham of being Exus Baldrimon,¡± Orodan said. In hindsight, her alibi of being an ancient necromancer had been questionable when she couldn¡¯t give any relevant knowledge of necromancy.
¡°Who?¡± the disguiser asked.
¡°Never mind him,¡± Zaessythra said, deflecting the question.
¡°In any case, avoiding any displays of necromantic potential shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Many necromancers have other skills they rely upon for combat, and it¡¯s no oddity upon Narictus to see one capable of raising dead also display other combat skills,¡± the disguiser said. ¡°If anything, it would add prestige to yourself.¡±
In fact, one might think that a world of vampires, werewolves and necromancers would place great prestige upon the particular schools of magic that were in-line with the mood. And they were, however, talented practitioners of other fields of magic were just as prized.
Yes, Narictus¡¯s history was one of the blood-curse and undeath, however the history books oft spoke of individuals specialized in the very counters of vampires working alongside them. A powerful mage or a mighty warrior would be revered and quickly offered many riches, and perhaps even the ¡®gift¡¯ of vampirism if they wanted it. A swift induction and marriage into one of the royal families of the Midnight Court would then follow.
¡°Something we¡¯re distinctly trying to avoid,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°
¡°Why? The more eyes we draw, the better, no?¡± Orodan posed.
¡°If possible, I¡¯d rather not have an entire planet chasing me down with additional reinforcements minutes away,¡± Zaessythra countered, and Orodan simply huffed in disappointment. Causing trouble for an entire planet sounded fun. ¡°Besides, our objective is to get inside, grab the weapon, and leave. Unnecessary fighting isn¡¯t our goal.¡±
¡°I certainly won¡¯t say no to a good fight though.¡±
¡°Think of more than just yourself,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Your brash antics will get not only I, but your friend W78 killed as well.¡±
In response, Orodan could only huff. He¡¯d been mostly joking of course. His own death was but a n afterthought. Be it temporary, returning him to Ogdenborough, or permanent, the kind the Reject threatened to mete out. Orodan feared oblivion not.
The thought of Zaessythra or W78 dying swiftly sobered him from his battle lust, however.
¡°I understand. Still, you¡¯ve all agreed to this mad plan that will more than likely result in my death many times over,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And that means it will all reset, and your experiences and memories will be undone. You¡¯re¡ okay with this?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve come to accept the reality of the time loop you¡¯re in, even if I can¡¯t remember any of it,¡± she replied.
¡°Information: Unit incapable of existential dread. Unit lacks emotional response module,¡± W78 answered.
Orodan sighed.
He would genuinely have preferred to do this alone. Yet, if anyone two people were suited to join him, these two lunatics were closest to fitting the bill.
¡°Your light-hearted jests on the eve of an impossible task are both inspiring and concerning,¡± the disguise cultivator said. ¡°Now come, I still have to put the finishing touches upon these outfits of yours.¡±
Another twenty minutes of work passed as the disguise cultivator silently worked on Orodan, Zaessythra and W78, each in a separate stall. Her assistants worked on the other two, while she focused on Orodan.
Even by his standards, the thought of pretending to be a corpse was a stupid one. However, the one disguising them claimed that it could certainly work. To that end, all manner of strange concoctions, ashes and herbs were slathered over his body with a brush. Someone else might¡¯ve felt a bit shy about it, but he¡¯d fought unclothed enough times to not care, and the woman was a consummate professional.
There were some problems, however.
¡°The binding agent doesn¡¯t work¡ do you have some kind of defensive skill active?¡± the disguise cultivator asked.
¡°No? Why should I-¡± Orodan muttered and then came to a realization. Vision Of Purity saw what was going on. ¡°Never mind. Rather, my body isn¡¯t composed of regular cells like a normal being of flesh and blood. The binding agent is likely designed to react with the cells, isn¡¯t it?¡±
She nodded.
¡°That is¡ unique. But this only gives me the opportunity to hone my art further,¡± she said while cracking her knuckles and producing an alchemy set from her spatial ring.
She quickly got to producing ingredients and brewing.
¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind the fumes,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll also try not to get any splatter on your sensitive bits.¡±
Orodan sighed and shook his head. Yes, he was unclothed, and yes, she¡¯d chosen to just begin an impromptu alchemical session in the stall anyways. Not that he minded of course.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyways. If the concoction wouldn¡¯t harm the sturdiest part of my body, then it can¡¯t hurt the most vulnerable either,¡± Orodan replied. With Absolute Body Composition he had no weak points on his physical form. Blowing his head off was the same as chopping off an arm. ¡°Besides, what level is your Alchemy at? You shouldn¡¯t be having any spatter or accidents, not for something so simple.¡±
¡°Oh? You dabble in the arts as well?¡± she asked. ¡°I have yet to form the Dao of Alchemy proper but have many of the skills I plan on coalescing into it. My spirit-flame is past the Adept-level, however. And I¡¯ve been focusing on its development more than I have my advancements in Alchemy. As for the overarching skill itself, it¡¯s on the cusp of reaching the Elite-level.¡±
Such shoddy alchemic handling when her Alchemy was near-Elite? It only reinforced the fact that people could have different perspectives and levels of ability in a skill, even at the same level. In his opinion she was a bit shoddy in her workmanship, an Alastaian alchemist wouldn¡¯t be as careless or messy at the same level. However, despite the skill levels, the two entirely different traditions of alchemy likely produced separate results. Skill levels could only reveal so much, and they were no guarantee of exact parity.
¡°I¡¯ve heard of the spirit-flames your alchemists use, and I¡¯m aware that different factions within our galaxy have access to different skills. However, I¡¯m also told that Alchemy is one of those skills that isn¡¯t restricted to anyone,¡± Orodan said, prompting her to nod. ¡°Then, what skills do you use for your alchemy?¡±
¡°Aside from the basic Alchemy which you also possess, I utilize Cauldron Intent and Wind Intent to control the alchemical process in a finer manner,¡± she answered.
¡°Cauldron Intent?¡± Orodan¡¯s eyebrow quirked as he asked. ¡°Do you empower it with Qi? How does that work?¡±
He used Shield Intent himself to generate a powerful shield light capable of stopping disgusting amounts of damage from his enemies. Of course, his was empowered by his soul, a feat that was a step above to the baser method of empowering it with Qi.
¡°Cauldron Intent involves using Qi to alter the nature of the cauldron in which we brew, having it do much of the work for us. As you¡¯ve correctly guessed, mine is powered by Qi. However, my attainments in the soul arts aren¡¯t near enough to let me fuel it with soul energy like you can.¡± she replied. ¡°Alas, I can only dream for now. Yet, one day I might be capable of it, after all, one has naught but time as an immortal.¡±
And that was another thing about the Masters and Grandmasters of the Ascendent Sword Cluster¡ they essentially lived forever. Transcendents Life and Time cultivators simply kept people in the prime of their lives and aging simply wasn¡¯t a concern. A stark contrast from his home world of Alastaia where human Grandmasters met their natural deaths past the three-thousand year mark. Supposedly, this woman was twelve-thousand years old. And yet, the Grandmasters he knew from Alastaia were more capable than her in some skills while being under three-thousand years of age themselves.
Orodan didn¡¯t voice his thoughts on immortality leading to complacency and slower growth. To the cultivators of this world, Alastaia would be seen as a backwater wild planet where immortality among the elite wasn¡¯t widespread. However, perhaps the pressures and harsh realities of a backwater weren¡¯t without merit.
¡°Interesting. Where I¡¯m from I¡¯ve seen plenty of enchanted cauldrons, expensively warded alchemical workshops, multiple assistants and all manner of supporting equipment and methods, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a skill which manipulates the container itself into aiding the alchemic process,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My early attempts at alchemy often destroyed the container itself, would your Cauldron Intent solve such problems?¡±
¡°You surmise correctly,¡± she replied. ¡°Cauldron Intent is one of the backbones of alchemy for us cultivators. Perhaps less than a handful of those following the Dao of Alchemy have formed the skill without it.¡±
It was all quite interesting to consider. In some ways the cultivators of the Ascendent Sword Cluster had a very individualistic alchemic tradition. On Alastaia, alchemy oft involved assistants, supporting apparatus and heavily enchanted workshops which were expensive to even maintain let alone operate. Here, however, it was more individualistic, with even high-level concoctions being brewed by a single cultivator, and the rare collaboration involving two alchemists working on the same thing while still maintaining individualism.
The universe was a big place, and he hadn¡¯t really gotten the chance to explore it. Which was a shame because Xian and the Ascendent Sword Cluster were themselves a place Orodan could spend centuries venturing and never learn everything about. It reminded Orodan that he wouldn¡¯t mind throwing himself into a few loops of crafting and exploring once more. Unfortunately, the coming conflicts took center stage at this time, but he wouldn¡¯t mind simply sitting down and honing his various crafts for a bit. At least once battle and the prospect of permanent death weren¡¯t looming above his head.
¡°Anyhow, you say that your cells are different and can¡¯t be affected through regular concoctions, correct?¡± she asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Good. This new disguising agent I¡¯ve concocted won¡¯t need to interact with your cells to function.¡±
¡°I see it¡ it¡¯s meant to be a self-sealing film which will spread out over the surface of my skin and form a layer, correct?¡±
¡°Good eye, yes that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a clingy film that¡¯ll make your skin look deathly pale and your eyes, those of the deceased,¡± she replied. ¡°However, any sort of exaggerated movement will cause it to lose efficacy.¡±
¡°If I¡¯m being honest, that¡¯s all but guaranteed with what we¡¯ll be doing,¡± Orodan said, and the woman only sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be wearing this bag over my head anyways, so perhaps they¡¯ll take a while to notice even if the substance comes off. Though, if you don¡¯t mind¡ could I get the recipe for this?¡±
She nodded and handed him a small scroll from her spatial ring which he quickly perused. The contents were committed to his memory and the scroll then returned.
Five more minutes of work and Orodan¡¯s disguise was ready; he clothed himself and left the stall, only to immediately receive a message.
[Disguise 8 ¡ú Disguise 9]
One of the attendants nearby who¡¯d spotted him looked genuinely startled for a second.
Success! And the fact that the skill had gone up meant that it wasn¡¯t the disguise cultivator¡¯s work, but the stealthy mask he donned which had done the trick.
Truly, the System and his friends underestimated the sleeping giant in the arts of subterfuge.
Yes, she recognized him immediately after, but so what? It had worked for a few moments at least, which was progress.
Zaessythra was outside waiting, and the only reason Orodan knew it was her was because of the horns protruding from her head from which various regal and ornate trinkets now hung.
Upon regaining her body, she¡¯d taken to wearing heavy armor fitted specifically to her. This was now replaced with a dark and foreboding robe bearing various sigils, most prominent of which was the symbol of a blood moon on the back just beneath her wings. And strapped across her back, a large scroll which was about half her height.
¡°I must say, I preferred the armored look better, although the ominous necromancer look isn¡¯t the worst,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You almost make me like them¡ almost.¡±
¡°Blending in as a visiting guest of the Midnight Court is to our advantage, particularly with the symbol of House Varachma upon my robes. They¡¯re known to often hire and host mercenaries, scholars and dignitaries from other worlds and factions,¡± Zaessythra replied. ¡°We don¡¯t need the disguise to last long-term, only until we succeed in retrieving that weapon.¡±
Excromon - one of the dragon Transcendents of the Hegemony who Orodan had fought - hated any manner of draconic half-breed. The Transcendent dragon was one of the Hegemony¡¯s more powerful members, and half-dragons of any sort had been driven to complete extinction on a majority of the Hegemony¡¯s worlds because of it.
A majority, but not all.
Particularly, not on Narictus, whose strongest being was another leading figure within the Hegemony. Their existence on the world of the Midnight Court was reportedly a source of friction with Excromon, yet the Transcendent dragon could do little when it meant offending another powerful Transcendent vampire of the Hegemony.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
On Narictus, half-dragons were in fact seen with great prestige and lured with tantalizing offers to join the royal houses of the Midnight Court. The prodigious energy generation capabilities of dragons also extended to any half-dragon species. It was an asset any faction would want on their side in battle. And some of Narictus¡¯s most powerful beings were those of already mighty species who¡¯d then accepted the gift of vampirism.
Orodan¡¯s blood sang at the thought of battling a mighty vampire dragon, or worse¡ a vampiric Arch-Devil. His reading of Narictus¡¯s history and the texts on broader galactic politics had been enlightening.
¡°Fair enough, although I can¡¯t say I pictured you being a necromancer,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And what¡¯s with the scroll on your back? Some sort of weapon?¡±
¡°Information: unit has undergone frame adaptation to improve probability of successful mission,¡± a familiar voice intoned.
¡°T-that¡¯s you?! Don¡¯t tell me she did that to you!¡± Orodan exclaimed in false outrage.
¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If I hurt W78 who else will help me rein you and your antics in?¡± Zaessythra remarked. ¡°It¡¯s inside the scroll case and changed form of its own volition.¡±
¡°Directive: infiltrate world, designation - Narictus. Secure enemy weapon, exfiltrate.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll contest the accusation that I get up to antics,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If anything, my battling has helped us get this far.¡±
¡°And it could also lead to great disaster for us when on an enemy world surrounded by foes with no avenue for escape,¡± Zaessythra fired back.
The double doors leading to the parlor opened, and the High Sovereign Zhou Shan walked in, flanked by the Puppet Sovereign and the Thousand Broom Sovereign. Behind them was the knight commander of the Conclave, her luminosity brightening the already bright parlor.
¡°Your friend speaks true, Orodan Wainwright. This is a mission of caution where the stakes are high,¡± Zhou Shan said as he walked up. ¡°For as long as I can remember the Hegemony have been neck-and-neck with the Conclave for the position of the strongest faction in our galaxy. In a straightforward battle we would be hard-pressed to win, especially when the Celestial Emperor, our faction¡¯s mightiest Transcendent, is now on the side of the enemy. Your very existence works to our advantage as the foe wishes not to confront you for fear of you using the time loop against them¡ yet we need to seek more advantages and deny our enemies their own. To that end, the first step is the procurement of this deadly weapon.¡±
¡°Do we know where it is?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m aware that A1 and the Unity¡¯s intelligence network allow us to know of its general location, but is that as specific as it gets?¡±
¡°Unfortunately so. That weapon, even in its inert state, causes the subtle backdrop of the System to function erratically. Nothing detrimental to yourself, but noticeable, and it can be tracked by those that know how,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The distortion is what makes it noticeable in a general area, yet it¡¯s also what prevents specific tracking. At least, without warriors on the ground.¡±
¡°And the one on Narictus is the only one we can reach?¡±
¡°Unless you¡¯d prefer to assault the Hegemony¡¯s prime world and battle their entire army by yourself,¡± Zhou Shan said and then quickly put a hand up to stop Orodan¡¯s declaration that he¡¯d love nothing more. ¡°The endeavor will doubtlessly lead to your death, and likely a permanent one. We don¡¯t know what those foul artefacts they use are, but they¡¯re dangerous and the records we have of them suggest that their origin is quite otherworldly. They possess two of them, and the one on Narictus is the least risky for us to reach.¡±
Orodan would have to examine these weapons for himself then. Much as he wanted to rampage against the wall directly, the two people relying on him wouldn¡¯t appreciate that.
¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go to Narictus, and I¡¯ll retrieve this weapon for our forces,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°We will go to Narictus. Yes, you¡¯re a mighty time looper, but don¡¯t write us off so quickly,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°I¡¯ve been alongside you through some rather apocalyptic situations already, some I remember, some only you do.¡±
Orodan could say nothing more to that. Although he silently vowed that he would let nobody else die on his behalf if he could help it.
¡°You know, if you¡¯re so concerned about losing me to some esoteric assault which causes permanent harm, then why send me to Narictus to begin with?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You know me and my proclivity for battle¡ you aren¡¯t concerned that I¡¯ll be drawn into a fight and dealt a grievous blow?¡±
¡°Indeed, I am. As a matter of fact, we all are,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Which is why Knight Commander Sujana here has loaned one of the Conclave¡¯s soul shattering weapons to us. I¡¯m told the destruction of your soul¡¯s outer layer isn¡¯t an issue.¡±
¡°So, you do want me to die endlessly against the Hegemony¡¯s forces? Why not send me alone then.¡±
¡°Because your judgement on when you should die to reset the loop is spotty at best, and deranged at worst,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°This fail-safe weapon¡ will be operated by me.¡±
Orodan gave her a flat look.
She only stared back.
¡°If this is revenge for all the times-¡±
¡°No, it isn¡¯t. And I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t make light of the responsibility in my hands,¡± she interjected. ¡°Amusing as it may seem, I don¡¯t actually enjoy the thought of killing a friend. If I sense you¡¯ve called forth enemies who could capture you or cause permanent harm¡ I¡¯ll be employing the weapon.¡±
¡°What if there¡¯s a chance I survive it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Considering it detonates with power enough to rival the explosion of a soul nexus, I doubt it.¡±
An explosion capable of destroying a star system then. Utter overkill, and something he wasn¡¯t anywhere near being able to survive yet.
¡°It¡¯s a great burden upon us as well,¡± Lady Sujana, Knight Commander of the Conclave said. ¡°Galactic treaties between all major factions technically prohibit the destruction of entire star systems, and such wanton devastation can draw the ire of the Administrators. Agreeing to utilize it for the purpose of preventing your capture or permanent maiming is a great show of faith on our end, Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°I appreciate all you¡¯re doing to aid me. For my part, I can only move forward and give this task my all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Still, given that you¡¯re arming Zaessythra with destructive power rivalling a soul nexus explosion, this disguise farce seems a bit pointless, no?¡±
¡°Far from it. We know you¡¯ll die; however the disguise is to set you up with multiple avenues of operation should you so choose,¡± Zhou Shan said. And finally, the real intent was clear to Orodan. ¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ we not only want you to steal the enemy¡¯s weapon, but also to strike as great a blow to the enemy during your mission as possible. Slaughter every enemy Transcendent, kill all their Gods¡ sow as much war damage to Narictus as possible during the short time you¡¯ll have before the enemy¡¯s response. Take heed of the enemy¡¯s locations, their proclivities, their strengths and weaknesses¡ repeat the loop as many times as necessary to deal the perfect blow to the enemy to start off this war.¡±
A shimmering dimensional passage opened, and through the warped haze of shifting dimensional boundaries Orodan could vaguely see a land of darkness, and the ripples of multiple bright moons overlooking a world where the night was eternal. This was no mere spatiomancy, it was a combination of dimensional ability and subterfuge which would be far harder to detect.
To the side, Zaessythra nodded, and Orodan understood what the assignment really was.
Here, in this parlor, he would return and re-convene after each attempt. Information would be shared, disguises re-adjusted if needed, and additional equipment ferried along if required. Then, there was only one thing he had left to do¡
[C#he*ck&po%in$t S@et]
¡°The passage will take you to the wilderness farthest away from any locations of enemy strength. We shall await your return,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The enemy can normally detect the presence of a Celestial skill bearer, to that end, Lady Sujana and I will be working to weave the ripples you produce and misdirect our foes into thinking you¡¯re elsewhere.¡±
Orodan nodded, appreciative of that. He still hadn¡¯t really learned how to control the emissions of his Celestial skill. As it stood, it was akin to sending out a constant signal to anyone that he was there. He took one final look around, at the High Sovereign, the Conclave¡¯s Knight Commander and the disguise cultivator and then¡ the merry band of three took one step into the dimensional passage before it swallowed them up.
[Dimensionalism 20 ¡ú Dimensionalism 21]
The shifting dimensional layers wobbled them about a bit, and they took steps onto ground in various dimensions before finally settling.
The grass wasn¡¯t green.
That was the first thing Orodan noticed. It was a tawny color, and the surrounding flora were shades of yellow, orange or brown. Some of the plant-life glowed with a subtle aura of mana and world energy, and the life in the area seemed quite different to what he was used to upon Alastaia.
The chief difference being that there was no sun. He¡¯d read that the three moons of Narictus cast light unto the planet at all times, no matter where they were, and the world itself never received any direct sunlight. The convoluted methods through which this was possible weren¡¯t something he dwelled on. This was all part of a gigantic planetary ward which blocked out the sun, and instead, only moonlight shone down upon the surface.
The nearby wildlife looked mostly normal, although they also had strange and mystifying aesthetics which either helped them to camouflage easier under moonlight or strange organs which seemed to absorb the light of the moon.
It didn¡¯t affect him, but Orodan noted objectively that it was cold. The lack of a sun might¡¯ve played a part in that. Still, he wondered how people got by if it was colder across the entire world in general, at least, without skills to negate it.
High above, overlooking Narictus and illuminating the landscape, were the three moons. Red, white and yellow.
It was pretty.
¡°Well don¡¯t spend all night gawking, the flora and fauna don¡¯t exactly seem friendly,¡± Zaessythra said as she casually plucked a thorny blade of grass out from the ground. It wriggled in her hands and seemed utterly paralyzed with fear at having a Transcendent hold it. ¡°If I recall, this species of grass can drain the blood of a common man dry in seconds.¡±
¡°Good thing neither of us are average humans,¡± Orodan said. She was a half-dragon, and he¡¯d changed his body composition to become better suited for combat. ¡°A bit on the nose for a world of vampires to possess blood-sucking grass, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Analysis: predatory floral species. Information added to database. Scanning¡ nearby settlement detected. Six-hundred miles,¡± W78 intoned. There were no glowing glyphs to indicate his friend was speaking, so the explanation was as though a ghost was talking. ¡°Directive: secure enemy weapon and exfiltrate. Solution: seek out settlement, acquire information.¡±
¡°You can scan out to six-hundred miles?¡± Orodan asked. His own Vision Of Purity was decent, but nowhere near that range. Admittedly, his was a skill specialized in finding the most minute of imperfections, while W78¡¯s skill was one meant for long distance scanning and reconnaissance. Still, it was mighty impressive. ¡°Nice work W78!¡±
¡°Information: Unit possesses latest-generation scanning and module technology. High level of skill synergy with technology,¡± it intoned.
Orodan hummed.
¡°Anyhow, time to move, let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t reach that settlement,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°You¡¯re acting rather carefree for someone who¡¯s just stepped onto an enemy world,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be verifying the surroundings, launching magical scans of your own and attempting to scramble our position?¡±
The county militia¡¯s basic training had included the theory work on clandestine operations and movement through the wilderness behind enemy lines. Not that he or any of the low-level militia had ever gotten the chance to employ it, and it was no more than theory, but he still knew the principles.
¡°All of my detection abilities are magical. I could map out the surrounding two-thousand miles perfectly¡ and promptly trip many sensors and wards within that range too,¡± she answered. ¡°Plus, any trackers at the Grandmaster-level and up would sense me if I sent such a pulse out. Still, before I deploy the weapon, I¡¯ll be sure to launch an overpowered scan and map out as much as I can. Your mind can hold the information anyways, can it not?¡±
¡°Treating my mind like a journal, are you?¡± Orodan asked and then sighed. ¡°I¡¯d normally abhor the thought, but I suppose I trust you.¡±
She made a show of turning around to roll her eyes at him.
¡°Considering that a version of me died for you, that would be the least you could do.¡±
They bantered and spoke as they walked towards the settlement. They were in a clearing within a deep and dark forest whose trees put any he¡¯d seen upon Alastaia to shame. The local fauna included animals such as nervous rabbits, deer and the occasional snarling wolf or bear. There were even some ferocious giant spiders and centipedes that had made lairs and webs in certain parts. However, these animals looked far more nervous and afraid of their surroundings than an animal in an Alastaian forest might. They weren¡¯t just predators themselves, but prey. As though they feared something.
That fear came in the form of the supernatural side of the forest. The atmosphere within was eerie and haunting, and Vision Of Purity and his mastery of the soul arts allowed him to pick up numerous wraiths and actual ghosts wandering about. Anyone else wandering the forest would¡¯ve rightfully been scared and shortly killed by one of its many denizens.
And then¡
¡there was Orodan, Zaessythra and W78.
Wolves and bears ran for the hills. Spiders fled to the very tops of the trees and the centipedes skittered as deep underground as they could manage. The wraiths and ghosts wisely became silent as their party walked through and the few that were stupid enough to approach were paralyzed by fear upon actually seeing the three Transcendents.
Yes, it was a spooky forest. But Orodan was enjoying the scenery. And nothing within it could really threaten someone of his level. Scary forests and dark caves could be a real threat, and he¡¯d often died deep underground during his earlier loops, but it hadn¡¯t changed the fact that he was a warrior, made for battle. Where others would feel fear or be wary of such nefarious environs, he instead relished the thought of meeting the monsters within and having a good fight.
The supernatural beings of the forest were wise to flee.
W78 analyzed the landscape as they hiked, noting efficient paths through the thicket and providing snippets of information as it catalogued the various plants, animals and supernatural things, and the trio trudged on. Spatiomancy was out of the question as it would be detected, and Zaessythra at least compromised that once they knew where things were and what response might come their way, it would be on the table. For now, however, the standard hike through the wilderness was their method of travel. Something Orodan was quite used to and relished as he¡¯d often gone on patrols of the woods surrounding Ogdenborough in his time with the militia. A trek was a nice way to pass the time.
Tracking the emission of mana, soul energy or Qi was a simple and reliable method of detecting things. And emissions where there should be none would likely alarm any detection systems or people who were on the lookout.
At one-point Orodan began to notice the taint of necromantic energy suffusing the plants, wildlife and very ground, but of course he was barred from using his Celestial skill lest the emissions of soul energy also be detected. Narictus was famed for its prevalence of vampires, necromancers and werewolves. The soul arts were focused upon heavily and the likelihood of meeting Transcendents of Soul Mastery or other soul skills was very high.
His Pathfinding skill had gained three levels over the course of the trek, but they¡¯d finally arrived. In the distance, a village of¡ undead?
Undead minions with glowing green eyes were shambling about carrying heavy boxes and pushing carts. Many of them were human corpses, however some were reanimated trolls and ogres, and there was even a four-armed Demonic Berserker mindlessly standing guard next to an overseeing necromancer.
What was even more surreal¡ was the fact that a little girl was running in circles around the Demonic Berserker and occasionally going for a ride atop the back of one of the undead trolls. She wasn¡¯t the only one so at ease with the undead either.
The few humans in sight seemed relaxed. None of them were laborers, they all had some manner of skilled trade, and the hard labor was being done by the undead. All in all, they actually looked happy.
¡°As expected, to hear and read about it is one thing, but to see it is another,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°A world where vampirism and undeath serve the common mortal instead of oppressing them. Why defy the Midnight Court at all when they provide a good life for those living under their rule¡¡±
¡°So, they aren¡¯t evil and monstrous?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m half-tempted to walk over to that Demonic Berserker and eradicate it where it stands.¡±
¡°No, that would be too early¡ and these are just common people, folk who have nothing to do with the Hegemony or our enemies,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Necromancy, much like any branch of magic, is but a tool. What it¡¯s used for determines the morality. Anyhow, you¡¯re supposed to be my undead minion, so start acting like it. I¡¯ll do the talking inside.¡±
Orodan nodded, and soon, he and Zaessythra were walking down the paved path towards the overseeing necromancer who was in control of the undead.
Some of the small children pointed fingers at her wings however their eyes quickly widened the moment they saw the blood moon symbol on the back of her robes. They became silent after and their parents ushered them inside.
The overseeing necromancer caught sight of them and warily walked over.
¡°May the moons guide you esteemed one, what may our humble village do for you? Does House Varachma require anything of us?¡± the man asked. ¡°Our lord, sir Osrach, is away on a hunt.¡±
The man looked to be a regular human. He didn¡¯t look scared, malnourished or unhappy. Rather, he looked well-fed and healthy. And he was also a necromancer given the glowing green energies swirling around his hands and the flasks of mana potions on his belt. Orodan sensed the man was around the Elite-level, but that was nothing in the grand scheme of things.
¡°Your liege lord, who is it? Where is this place?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Ah, apologies my lady¡ this is the village of Moonstele, our lord is a knight in the service of House Evgaros,¡± the man answered. ¡°With us being so close to the cursed Fraakshal Forest travellers often get lost and turn to us for directions. Nasty things inside of that place¡ wraiths, spirits of the dead and giant spiders and centipedes. If you¡¯ve ventured through there you might¡¯ve seen some of them.¡±
Vision Of Purity noticed the imperfections in the dimensional boundaries, and Dimensionalism helped confirm it.
Someone suddenly stepped in behind them.
¡°You saw some of them as you walked¡ but they also saw you,¡± the feminine voice replied. Orodan had already turned to look as soon as he felt the ripples.
A deathly pale complexion, red pupils and an overly frilly dress which Orodan felt was a bit pretentious and inconvenient for combat. Vision Of Purity confirmed the fact that she was a vampire. Early Transcendent-level too.
¡°A half-dragon, it took me a little bit to confirm it, but you must be the Transcendent revived by the time looper,¡± the woman spoke. ¡°Did you think we wouldn¡¯t be on high alert? That we weren¡¯t expecting an attempt on the weapon? And I see you¡¯ve brought a minion with you.¡±
[Disguise 9 ¡ú Disguise 12]
Success! Let none say his rag over the head wasn¡¯t effective.
The vampire¡¯s eyes squinted, rapidly blinked and then narrowed. Until they widened.
¡°Time looper!¡± she shouted and reflexively took a step back. ¡°You shall not touch me with your foul skill like you did Ragamul!¡±
Well¡ that had lasted longer than he thought it would.
¡°If you just tell me where the weapon is then-¡±
¡°No. Peer into her mind. Now,¡± Zaessythra interjected and ordered.
The vampire immediately tried to recoil away, but Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and enveloped her. He brutally smashed into her mind and found no relevant information on the whereabouts of the Hegemony¡¯s weapon whatsoever.
¡°Nothing. Rather forceful of you though, Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Maybe we can search around a bit n-¡±
A sudden wave of magic emanated from her, extending out for a great distance, simultaneously he felt something attempt to force his way into his mind.
It was only after he realized it was her that he lowered his defenses and used his Celestial skill to help guide the memory packet into a stable position.
¡°Information: cross-dimensional assault inbound,¡± W78 warned.
Things progressed rather fast after that.
On one hand, he noticed the boundaries of the material plane being torn asunder and a beam of horrifying proportions rushing towards him. There was no warning, no introduction and no cheap talk prior. On the other end was the weapon which Zhou Shan had explicitly assured him would take a week to prepare.
The System-influenced parts of his soul trembled in fear, but a mad grin overtook his face as he prepared to defend against it head-on.
In his final moments he realized that Zaessythra had already primed the fail-safe device.
¡°Meddling half-dragon!¡± Agrimon roared.
As the darkness took him, courtesy of Zaessythra¡¯s fail-safe, the terrified part of Orodan¡¯s soul was thankful that it was Zaessythra who was in charge of triggering the reset.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2187]
¡°The passage will take you to the wilderness farthest away from any locations of enemy strength. We shall await your return,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The enemy can normally detect the presence of a Celestial skill bearer, to that end, Lady Sujana and I will be working to weave the ripples you produce and misdirect our foes into thinking you¡¯re elsewhere.¡±
¡°Who the hells said the weapon takes a week to prepare?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°It¡¯s a trap. They¡¯re on high alert and ready for us.¡±
Zhou Shan¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked to Lady Sujana who also seemed worried.
¡°Yet, I see you¡¯re here alive and well¡¡± Zhou Shan muttered in shock.
¡°Thanks to Zaessythra¡¯s trigger happy attitude towards the fail-safe weapon,¡± Orodan replied, giving her a deep and appreciative nod of respect. ¡°It killed me before the weapon got to me.¡±
On one hand, the battle-seeker within desired to challenge the beam. On the other, his soul felt a very real and visceral fear towards whatever that was.
¡°Any relevant information?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Well, my Disguise worked!¡± he exclaimed with a grin. It subsided shortly in the face of her continuing glare. ¡°¡for a few seconds anyways.¡±
She shook her head and sighed.
¡°That it did so at all is a miracle. Anything else?¡±
¡°The wraiths and ghosts within the Fraakshal Forest are being used as spies for the enemy,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°The vampire who confronted us said as much. Also¡ you gave me a cluster of memories.¡±
Zaessythra nodded and opened her mind as Orodan sent the packet her way through the usage of his Celestial skill which counted Psionic Assault under its domain. She quickly produced a mental projection cube and linked her mind to it, using it to skillfully produce an accurate rendition of the two-thousand miles from the center of where she¡¯d performed her scan.
For a while, she simply stared at it quietly.
Orodan broke the silence.
¡°That¡¯s a lot of wraiths. And a lot of details. I¡¯m impressed that your skill is capable of tracking so much.¡±
¡°Pah¡ you should be capable of far more with a dedicated detection skill of your own,¡± she replied. ¡°Still, the sheer number of wraiths and ghosts poses a problem. Especially if they¡¯re all being used as eyes and ears by the Hegemony.¡±
Using magic to traverse would get them detected. Using his Celestial skill to take out the wraiths would alert whoever was using them to watch, and simply being spotted in the wilderness was grounds for being thoroughly investigated.
The Hegemony was prepared for an attempt on the weapon, and the amount of time he had to work with was quite small.
Still, the checkpoint was set before he set foot onto Narictus. And plans could be adjusted, starting positions changed and disguises altered. This had been the plan from the get-go after all. There was a reason such mad plans were never attempted, because the failure rate was too high. Yet, what did failure matter when one had multiple attempts?
As many tries as it took to get the perfect robbery.
Furthermore, if the time he had was extremely limited¡ maybe it was time to begin expanding his repertoire when it came to chronomancy.
Chapter 58 - Break & Enter II
It was a gaudy environment in his opinion. The parlor he was in, meant to host all manner of opulent gatherings, tea parties and important people. Dazzling chandeliers of gold hung from the ceiling, the walls were made of sparkling marble and inlaid with jewels and the curtains and banners lining the room were of the finest make. All while the sunlight filtered in and created a scene the old Orodan couldn¡¯t have even dreamt of.
It was a stark contrast to the dreary and haunting landscape of Narictus in which he¡¯d died in the last checkpoint loop. Beauty and luxury at the start, destruction and the end of his loop at the finish.
¡°Still, I¡¯m of half-a-mind to call this entire venture off¡ I was not aware the enemy had that vile weapon prepared,¡± Zhou Shan said as the High Sovereign stared at the ground in thought and a bit of worry. ¡°Should that weapon successfully hit you I¡¯m not sure there¡¯ll be much left to salvage even within a time loop.¡±
¡°Absolutely not,¡± Orodan immediately rejected. ¡°If the beam hits me, I¡¯ll find some method of countering it. Besides, with how quick Zaessythra is to kill me, you needn¡¯t worry to begin with.¡±
Zhou Shan shook his head.
¡°You don¡¯t understand, Orodan. That thing¡ the records we have suspect that it¡¯s not of this world or any that we know of. The ancient records state that it¡¯s been brought out quite sparingly, however whenever it has¡ the victims have had their souls damaged in some irreparable way, unable to access the System at all! This is no casual matter!¡±
¡°It was the weapon used against me,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°My memories are still partially jumbled, and I cannot recall exactly why the Hegemony saw fit to use such a thing on a mere Transcendent. Regardless, it worked frighteningly well, and my access to the System and my Status is still tenuous.¡±
¡°Define ¡®tenuous¡¯,¡± Orodan stated.
¡°As you know, skills are a product of our own understanding and that of the System¡¯s coming together. It¡¯s why people suddenly improve at level thresholds and how skill levels don¡¯t exactly have diminishing returns even as you advance to high levels,¡± she explained. ¡°That however¡ can be taken away¡¡±
¡°Dangerous¡ it would weaken someone dramatically¡¡± Orodan muttered.
Just how much of his skillset was reliant upon the System? True, he made advancements in many skills and was rewarded with subsequent level gains, but the corresponding benefit from such advancements weren¡¯t just his own. Especially when advancing past tier thresholds. The sudden jump in power couldn¡¯t be explained away as just his own understanding.
The two skills he could be certain were purely his own understanding¡ were his Celestial skill, and Eternal Soul Reactor.
¡°If they even recover from the mind and soul shattering that the weapon causes,¡± she added. ¡°Before you found and assisted me, I was bound to a book, pitifully attempting to recover for hundreds of thousands of years. My memories were mostly lost, my personality in tatters and my day-to-day was filled with naught but the struggle to remember something, anything.¡±
Orodan winced at the thought of that, and it must¡¯ve shown for she gave him a reassuring smile as though saying she was fine. He was stubborn as a bull and had the willpower of a mountain, but the thought of spending hundreds of thousands of years as a mentally broken shell of himself made even Orodan respect the scale of that struggle.
And most importantly¡
¡°Then, your current skill levels, aren¡¯t they affected? Your performance during our spar was rather impressive,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°What part of your System is different?¡±
¡°I never said my skills weren¡¯t affected,¡± she answered, an airy and smug smile on her face. ¡°I have access to the System once more, but my connection is still shaky. Aside from my core skills I have a difficult time maintaining the connection to the System for more ancillary ones. Frankly, I¡¯m surprised my detection spell went off and gave you as good of a picture as it did.¡±
Well¡ damn.
She claimed to not know why the Hegemony utilized the weapon on her, yet given how powerful she was with an unreliable connection to the System¡ just how mighty could she be if the weapon had never struck her? Orodan didn¡¯t like tricks and skullduggery, but he could see the logic in making sure a dangerous enemy couldn¡¯t re-join the afterlife and potentially reincarnate.
His powers over time weren¡¯t absolute. Chronomancy wasn¡¯t all-encompassing, he couldn¡¯t roll back changes to the inner soul core of an individual. Reverting skill level gains or removing subtle marks of the System deep within was still beyond him. He¡¯d heard of no one capable of such a feat.
Hence, curing Zaessythra fully hadn¡¯t been possible. In fact, Orodan didn¡¯t have much to do with repairing her soul, he¡¯d simply guided her to the moon, helped recover her memories and Zaessythra had done most of the work herself.
Which meant these weapons were dangerous, as their effects would persist through the loops. Just what were they?
¡°Do they have a name? Referring to it as ¡®the weapon¡¯ is getting a bit old,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°The oldest mentions of them come from outside our galaxy, and they¡¯re simply referred to as the ¡®shards¡¯,¡± Zhou Shan answered. ¡°Shards of what? We do not know. But they¡¯re an amplifier, a lens through which power is funnelled and then the resultant beam is capable of causing irreversible damage to even the sacred soul core. An act which causes even Administrators to descend whenever the weapon is deployed.¡±
¡°Using it is illegal? If that¡¯s the case, the Hegemony don¡¯t fear punishment?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How has the scale of galactic power not changed with its usage?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a miracle weapon which changes the tide of battle. It¡¯s only a devastating blow if the attack connects. Beings of sufficient power can block or deflect the beam, it takes a long time to charge up and is expensive to maintain,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°But for those unable to defend against it¡ not even an Embodiment-level soulmancer can heal the damage. The soul itself is indestructible, but through that weapon, it can be broken to such a state that it may as well be a true death. As for the punishment, the last time it was used a few hundred-thousand years ago, the Administrators descended, and some sort of accord was reached. An oddity, given that the other documented uses of them throughout the records indicate that Administrators have razed entire star-systems to the last atom to root it out.¡±
¡°If they¡¯re against its use, why allow it at all? And how the hells did the Hegemony get a hold of it?¡±
¡°That, we do not know. History points to an accord being reached, but to so flagrantly violate it¡ they must be taking you very seriously to risk it,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Prior to the current times, the last usage was a few hundred thousand years ago, but before even that there was a rather notable inter-galactic conflict a few million years ago where a number of the shards went missing in the void between galaxies. They¡¯ve presumably wound up in the Hegemony¡¯s hands from there.¡±
In other words, the politics and power struggle behind these shards were incredibly ancient. The question remained as to where exactly these shards came from and why the Administrators were vehemently against their use. Still, Orodan¡¯s current concerns lay not with the history behind these weapons, but how to counter them.
Brute force was an option, yet it wasn¡¯t one he could rely on during this loop. And from everything he¡¯d heard and the terror the intrinsic parts of his soul felt¡ it wasn¡¯t the kind of weapon one should test themselves against wantonly. Much as his warrior¡¯s heart demanded he face it in honest battle, he had others relying on him not to die. At the very least, he would try other options first.
¡°Alright, I won¡¯t lie and say that I haven¡¯t thought about attempting to take the beam head-on,¡± Orodan admitted even as Zaessythra wearily sighed. ¡°But I¡¯m not reckless enough to endanger your lives by acting how I usually do when a lot relies on me. However, I do still intend to work on a method of resisting these shards, to that end, once we steal the one from Narictus, I intend to experiment with it.¡±
¡°I must advise against that, the sheer danger involved would still be high, even if you subject yourself to a little bit of it,¡± Lady Sujana, Knight Commander of the Holy Conclave said, speaking up. ¡°And given what everyone says of your methods¡ even riskier.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not one to remain idle and leave the outcome to chance,¡± Orodan countered. ¡°If I¡¯ll be facing this weapon anyways, best I get to preparing myself against it. Fate and chance won¡¯t bring us victory, hard work and the willingness to embrace danger will.¡±
The Knight Commander¡¯s face scrunched up as though wanting to offer rebuke, yet she gave a begrudging nod of respect. It seemed the prickly God had some values which were in line with Orodan¡¯s own.
¡°I must concur with Lady Sujana. Yet, despite my disagreement I don¡¯t dispute your results and all you¡¯ve achieved for us thus far, Orodan,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Let us speak of more pertinent matters, however. We now know you¡¯re walking into a trap. They¡¯re not only waiting for you, but have the shard primed and ready to use across dimensional layers. A prohibitively expensive attack to use under ordinary circumstances¡ yet when facing a time looper, they would of course be willing to commit their all. It was a good thing the Conclave loaned us one of their holy weapons, otherwise your first attempt would¡¯ve ended in unmitigated disaster.¡±
¡°The spirits are an issue, our point of entry onto Narictus is within the Fraakshal Forest and it¡¯s swarming with wraiths and ghosts,¡± Zaessythra said as she hovered her hand over the mental projection cube, zooming into the finer details on the projected display. ¡°Is there no other infiltration zone?¡±
¡°Try as we might, that forest is one of the few areas with enough distance from a major city that the dimensional ripples won¡¯t be detected,¡± Lady Sujana answered. ¡°Our foes are neither foolish nor complacent. The planet seems relatively normal and relaxed from our distant scans and divinations, however beneath the surface, the Hegemony and its affiliated forces are on high alert, their spies and wards emplaced at all key locations. Our infiltration involves sending you into a multi-layered dimensional bubble and then inserting this bubble in as small a form as possible into Narictus. This bubble then unfurls layer-by-layer until you¡¯re dropped off into the material plane at your location. It¡¯s a highly advanced technique, however the problem is that the Midnight Court also has dimensional specialists, one or two of them better than I. Performing entry anywhere else would lead to your immediate discovery.¡±
He couldn¡¯t even create a dimensional bubble yet. To make a multi-layered one¡ Orodan was nowhere near the skill level required to pull off such a feat of dimensional finesse. Yet, despite this advanced and precise application of the art, the enemy could still detect them if they appeared too close to a city. Each faction within their galaxy had its own bag of tricks. However, specialties inevitably arose. And given how the Hegemony could field a planet-swallowing dragon who drew worlds into a separate dimension¡ it was only natural that their affinity for dimensionalism was quite high.
That they could make an unannounced entry at all was impressive enough.
¡°Information: Planetary denizens on high alert. Likelihood of unknown travellers being reported: high. Solution: stealth-oriented infiltration operation,¡± W78 intoned.
¡°Against that many wraiths?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°None of us have relevant infiltration skills. Any attempts to harm or eliminate the wraiths will cause their masters to take notice. Spells or obscuring magics also risk detection by any wards or specialists that may be nearby.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Orodan countered. ¡°We have many attempts, and most importantly¡ we need not go to the same village every time.¡±
As he spoke, his hand went towards another hamlet on the mental projection cube¡¯s display. Small, perhaps less than ten buildings overall compared to the hundred or so he¡¯d seen in the first village. But¡ it was quite secluded, and rather far out of the way. Without Zaessythra¡¯s scan they might not have even known it was there.
¡°What would visiting some run-down group of huts bring us?¡± Zaessythra asked, but then even her eyes narrowed as she looked closer. ¡°That¡¯s¡¡±
¡°Yes¡ a hamlet where the denizens seem to hunt the ghouls and wraiths of the forest,¡± Orodan remarked.
Her scan was incredibly detailed and caught everything within a two-thousand-mile radius. This was what allowed them to zoom in on the detailed projection of a wild-eyed woman with a musket and pitchfork facing down a pack of three wraiths.
A far cry from how he¡¯d seen the denizens of the first village act towards the supernatural. Furthermore, a closer look at this particular hamlet revealed another telling feature. There were no banners in sight demarcating which noble house it belonged to. Every other village and town in the radius of her scan had some sort of banner, standard or uniformed guard denoting who the village owed allegiance to. Not this one though.
If the wraiths were spies for the enemy, and the first village they set foot in held hostile forces¡ then perhaps it was time to aim for a different destination. One not as closely aligned with the Midnight Court and their overlords in the Hegemony.
#
¡°Pay attention, we¡¯re within a mile of where the first of the wraiths are,¡± Zaessythra said, nudging Orodan whose gaze was locked onto the contents of the scroll he was reading. ¡°If you¡¯re so intent on studying, then perhaps waiting for a few days before launching this operation would¡¯ve been better.¡±
¡°First, I am paying attention. If you recall, I have multiple minds, and with how my body now works, I can see from my forehead or my hair, so needing to look up isn¡¯t necessary,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Information entered into database. Hypothesis: Lowered effectiveness of flanking assaults on subject,¡± W78 said as his friend was in scroll form strapped across Zaessythra¡¯s back.
¡°Indeed, one could even say I have eyes in the back of my head,¡± Orodan said.
¡°And these eyes of yours are a bit covered given the re-purposed rag you have over your head,¡± she reminded.
¡°Not at all. Every cell in my body can see, as long as I don¡¯t have clothes over it, I can see from there just fine,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As for my studies, I find I work better under a bit of pressure. The gains are better and the insights more profound.¡±
The half-dragon simply shook her head and grumbled something unflattering under her breath.
Regardless, they were close, and she was right. Orodan put away the scroll on chronomancy and they proceeded onwards.
All conversation was brought to a halt as the trio began to consciously lower the blinding luminosity of their souls via dampening the natural soul emissions they produced. Orodan through his naturally high skill levels in Soul Mastery. Zaessythra through her own methods, and W78 through a specialized module he¡¯d brought along.
The golems he¡¯d seen on Alastaia didn¡¯t have souls, but the fact that his friend not only had some sort of personality but also a connection to the System? Orodan never doubted for a second from their first meeting that W78 had a soul. A somewhat sarcastic one at times, but overall, a friendly and gentle one.
As they trekked, Orodan reflected on what he¡¯d read of Narictus and its ethereal denizens.
All souls produced soul energy; however untrained people simply weren¡¯t in-tune with their souls to the point that all of the soul energy was utilized. Soul energy naturally converted to mana and vitality, however whatever was wasted ended up as minor emission. An emission that could be detected.
Particularly by wraiths and ghosts, which were supernatural and ethereal creatures themselves.
He¡¯d never seen wraiths on his home world, they were something novel he¡¯d seen only upon Narictus so far. The necromancers back home raised corpses, but the ones here could do not only that¡ but also bind a soul to their servitude through magic rituals. It was the soul¡¯s natural tendency to be drawn towards a soul nexus upon a person¡¯s death, however a necromancer could stop this process through binding the soul to a physical item, which in most cases ended up being the tattered rags and haunting robes most wraiths were known for.
On Alastaia he¡¯d grown up hearing stories of how ¡®fell spirits¡¯ and ghosts were supposedly immune to physical damage but were vulnerable to magic and the holy power of the Gods. It was in fact, the opposite with wraiths. Destroying the physical object binding them to the material plane was a quick method of banishing them to the afterlife. A sword stroke could do this just as easily as a fireball. As a result, necromantic circles upon Narictus widely agreed that wraiths were the inferior form of ethereal minion. The only thing they were good for was bypassing conventional physical defenses such as armor as the blade of a wraith was known for its ability to pierce even the thickest of shields and armor. Provided they weren¡¯t ensorcelled, enchanted or empowered by any other energy source. Melee combatants going up against one were advised to bring magical equipment, not to deal a killing blow, but to protect themselves. After all, stories abounded of wraith blades simply passing right through ordinary swords when the warrior expected a clash of blades.
Wraiths were the far more common sight in the Fraakshal Forest, still, they were a trifling matter for any fighter at the Adept-level and above.
Ghosts, however, were the preferred ethereal minion of necromancers and far deadlier. Through ritual magic - or in rare cases¡ natural hatred and emotion - they had their very souls tethered to something in the material plane and simply couldn¡¯t depart for the nearest soul nexus. Sometimes this was a location, other times a person or object. In any case, ghosts were the deadlier of the two by far, to the point that even an unprepared Elite could find themselves killed if they didn¡¯t have the preparations to face one.
After all, ghosts were essentially a soul. And trying to swing a regular sword at a soul was an exercise in futility. Ghosts could materialize and de-materialize upon the material plane, flitting in and out to do harm and evade attacks. They were capable of passing through walls, descending into stone bunkers and floating out of the ground as though physical obstacles were but air for them. Furthermore, when a ghost materialized to attack someone, even if the ghost was then struck and scattered it could simply reform and return with a short bit of time. Magical or soul attacks were required to harm them, that, or a physical attack so grossly powerful that it caused quite some collateral damage.
Ghosts, he had heard of. Supposedly the Cathedral of the Prime Five back home had exorcists who were trained in dealing with them, however Orodan hadn¡¯t encountered any during his time there.
Not that they, or wraiths, would¡¯ve been any threat to him after he¡¯d acquired Eternal Soul Reactor.
The main concern, however, was sneaking past them in a densely wooded forest where the wildlife had already been scared away at the sight of them.
¡°The closest of them are a half mile east of us, which is the direction we¡¯re headed,¡± Orodan projected to Zaessythra through the psionic portion of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. Zaessythra couldn¡¯t use her scanning skill for fear of discovery, however he could use Vision Of Purity as it didn¡¯t exactly send a pulse of anything out the way a conventional scanning skill did. ¡°The wildlife has all been scared off, are you sure they won¡¯t notice?¡±
Orodan had oft marched the road between Ogdenborough and Scarmorrow during his days in the county militia. That and the occasional ranging out into the wilds near town to clear out wolves and weak monsters that came too close to the borders. From those times he knew, the first sign of an approaching foe was whenever the sounds of wildlife and birds quietened down. An approaching wolf or monster would oft scare them away.
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¡°Just be quiet and continue flitting in-between the trees to avoid their line of sight for long,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Wraiths and ghosts lack a physical body and consequently their regular senses are extremely dulled. Their minds are also clouded, and they aren¡¯t too smart given all the years they¡¯ve spent without a brain.¡±
A fair explanation.
As they got closer and closer through sneaking about, Orodan received a message.
[New Skill ¡ú Stealth 1]
Orodan wouldn¡¯t say he was happy to have such a sneaky skill in his arsenal. It irked his warrior¡¯s pride. However, sometimes sacrifices needed to be made.
Even with just the first level, he felt his movements become naturally quieter, as though he was subtly doing better. He hadn¡¯t dwelled on it much before, but his discussion with Zaessythra had made him hyper-conscious of the fact that the System itself empowered people and their skills. He didn¡¯t naturally know good sneaking technique, yet here with a single level up he¡¯d somehow improved. Something to dwell on for later.
True enough, the ghosts and wraiths weren¡¯t the most observant of watchers. With the party¡¯s soul emissions tightly controlled and lowered to the level of the local flora and fauna, they didn¡¯t have any issues sneaking past them. Even quite close to them, as long as they quickly flitted from tree to tree, not remaining within their line of sight for too long, the ethereal spies of the Fraakshal Forest were rather slow on the uptake and didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. If anything, they seemed quite tormented and stuck within their own minds.
Vision Of Purity allowed Orodan to see right through the trees while the watchers of the enemy couldn¡¯t see him. Using this, they hid behind trees and moved expediently.
Up close, it also allowed him to see the various tethers leading to and from each of these creatures. Wraiths had a tether to some physical object on them, typically the robes, but some had a piece of jewelry as their binding object too. The ghosts though, had a tether to the forest itself, which given the history of warfare and mass slaughter within the Fraakshal Forest, made sense.
However, what really interested Orodan, was the fact that almost all of the ghosts and a majority of the wraiths, had a tether connecting to something far away. It led to something, or someone, well beyond the range of Vision Of Purity.
His Stealth skill levelled up to 9 over the next fifteen minutes until the trio were finally past the last few. Then, past the distance where he was certain he wouldn¡¯t be overheard, Orodan spoke.
¡°Almost all of them have a tether connecting to somewhere beyond my sight. A common source¡ perhaps that is the spymaster who watches us.¡±
¡°You said it was a vampire that came out and confronted us in the last attempt? Perhaps it¡¯s her,¡± Zaessythra posed.
¡°Perhaps. I¡¯ll keep an eye out to confirm if she has any tethers going from the spirits to her if I see her again,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Honestly¡ can¡¯t we just climb to the treetops and jump to wherever we need?¡±
¡°Information: Presence of enemy reconnaissance units. Likelihood of detection - 100%.¡±
¡°It was but a suggestion¡ no need to shoot it down so badly¡¡± Orodan mumbled.
¡°W78 is right, the skies of Narictus are full of crows who undoubtedly serve as watchers for the Midnight Court,¡± Zaessythra remarked. ¡°And unlike the wraiths and ghosts, they have excellent eyesight and are quite keen to pursue any movement they deem unnatural.¡±
Fair point. Their circumstances weren¡¯t ideal, but the forest was still the easiest path they could take to avoid detection.
Some further progress was made towards the hamlet, until finally¡
¡°I see combat up ahead,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A woman fighting a ghoul and a wraith.¡±
¡°Which means we should be nearing the hamlet,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Excellent, let¡¯s go and help her out, I¡¯ve been itching for some combat!¡± Orodan declared.
Yet before his hands could go to his weapons, Zaessythra¡¯s slap to the back of his head stopped him.
¡°No, you idiot! If that wraith sees us the attempt ends in failure!¡± she scolded. ¡°If we¡¯re to help, it shall have to be from a distance and with no indication that the battle was won by anyone other than that woman.¡±
Orodan sighed but agreed. His desire to leap into the fray had nearly led to disaster for this attempt.
The interrupting crack of gunfire ended their conversation. The shot sounded far louder than any firearms he¡¯d seen on Alastaia.
Orodan hadn¡¯t come from the nicest of upbringings, but his clothes at least didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d gone trekking through a swamp for a week. This woman¡¯s attire was quite tattered and very mud caked. A basket of herbs lay on the ground next to her and she had a manic look on her face, pure ferocity and hatred in her eyes.
On Alastaia, the elves and then dwarves sometimes looked down on humans, particularly on the common working men and women of Inuan. Against the various monsters and other races of the universe, what good was a common human? The answer was rather evident in front of him.
The woman¡¯s technique and skills were unrefined, but she had a ferocity to her that was clearly taking the wraith aback. The ghoul had a gaping hole in its gut from the small handheld firearm, and it was trying but failing to flank her as her pitchfork was moving with an impressive zeal backed by her rage. Two against one, and she was doing admirably. Orodan would put her around the peak of the Apprentice-level, soon to become an Adept.
The dwarven magical guns he¡¯d seen on Alastaia were made of mostly metal and meant to be wielded with two hands. This woman held a smaller firearm in her left hand, the frame composed partly of wood, and a pitchfork in her right. And she fought with an unrestrained anger and hatred for the foes arrayed against her.
¡°Bloodsucking monster! Evil spirit! You won¡¯t have me today!¡± she roared as a thrust hit the wraith¡¯s rag, causing it to unravel even further.
Good! Orodan approved!
Techniques and skills could be refined, tactics could be learned. But unless one had that raw heart and drive for violence, a warrior would never emerge.
The only issue was that the wraith she was battling was tethered to not just its rags, but a small pendant hanging from its neck. It was a difficult target to hit, and the battle seemed unfair even as the woman angrily battered away at it.
Which was why Orodan decided to use a skill which was almost purely physical.
A twirl of his fingers, and the Whirlpool Whirlwind, which was under the purview of his Celestial skill, was activated. The pendant wasn¡¯t yanked off, as that would be far too apparent, but it was pulled forward enough that the woman¡¯s eye was drawn to it and held in place for just enough of a moment that she managed to reach out and rip it right off the wraith¡¯s neck.
It unravelled immediately afterwards, and the ghoul fell in short order as it was speared to the ground by a pitchfork and had its head stomped in.
While Orodan wanted to go out and praise her for a good fight, he knew now wasn¡¯t the time. Especially when three more wraiths were showing up.
¡°This must be what my scan picked up in your last attempt,¡± Zaessythra said through a quick telepathic message.
It was a similar scene for sure. It occurred to him that the woman must¡¯ve been good enough to beat the first wraith and ghoul by herself, but likely fell to the pack of three.
Well, not if he had anything to say about it.
His Celestial skill undoubtedly gave off soul emissions, but certain facets of it didn¡¯t. Whirlpool Whirlwind for instance, was entirely physical. And the Psionic Assault for another, when used at a very low-level when the target wasn¡¯t aware and not resisting¡ might go unnoticed.
With that, Orodan reached out to the woman¡¯s mind. Not to control, dominate or read it¡ but to subtly influence her. To guide her pitchfork and musket true. Orodan wasn¡¯t telling her how to fight or altering her combat style. He simply directed her existing aggression to more¡ efficient outcomes.
The first of the wraiths approached, and the aggressive thrust of her pitchfork somehow managed to perfectly hit the jewelled ring on its finger, causing it to immediately fall apart with a shriek. A quick switch was flipped on her gun, and Orodan realized that it was a repeater and had two shots per reload.
Her hand was subtly guided and at the last moment corrected slightly to hit the necklace it wore with square precision. The last wraith was then dispelled through brutal work with the pitchfork which destroyed the rags upon its ethereal form.
Even the woman herself seemed a bit taken aback at how well she fought. Perhaps, Orodan had guided her hand a bit from a distance, but she had the makings of a fine warrior all the same.
For a moment, he thought the battle over, the crisis averted. He thought wrong.
His Dimensionalism was now high enough to recognize when anyone else was intruding upon the material plane from elsewhere. And just like before, a familiar vampire stepped out. Which was very, very bad news for the unfortunate herbalist.
The vampire was a Transcendent, and this poor woman was but a mere peak-Apprentice. Even if she¡¯d somehow risen to the Adept-level, expecting her to face down a Transcendent was impossible.
¡°Hmm¡ I thought I felt something odd around this area,¡± the vampire spoke, and Orodan cursed to himself as even that minor usage of his Celestial skill had drawn her notice. ¡°How does a little savage like you manage to kill four of my wraiths and a ghoul?¡±
The trio were behind a copse of thick trees, visually hidden, but no chances could be taken. Immediately, they lowered their soul emissions to nil just to be safe. His left hand remained extended out and constantly drew in the air around him and Zaessythra for purification.
Vampires were naturally good at sniffing out blood. Hence, Orodan drew in and purified the very air around them to avoid the risk of her catching their scent.
¡°Vampire¡ I¡ I won¡¯t give up where my people are, I won¡¯t!¡± she declared and gripped her pitchfork tightly in hand as her gun was pointed towards her foe.
¡°How quaint and adorable. Little lamb, do you know who I am?¡± the vampire asked. ¡°Do you realize how outmatched you are? I could¡¯ve destroyed your little tribe of savages millennia ago; you remain alive at my mercy¡ and for my entertainment.¡±
¡°I- I care not! My people will never bow to the Midnight Court!¡± she angrily shouted.
¡°Perhaps a few millennia of being drained and healed over and over as you pay the blood tithe will change your mind?¡± the vampire asked, and the woman¡¯s face went pale, and her hands trembled in raw terror. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant fate, and no amount of subtle guidance from Orodan would save her in this coming confrontation.
Damn this attempt. He easily broke free of Zaessythra¡¯s warning grip on his arm and reached for his weapon. They could try again if needed, but he refused to stand by as this bloodsucker terrorized some poor woman many tiers beneath her. Vampires were detested on Alastaia as well, and Orodan¡¯s perception of the bloodthirsty ones hadn¡¯t gotten any better since he encountered and meted out a fitting end to the one in the Ogdenborough jail and the True Vampire upon the moon.
Yet, before he could act¡
¡was that a flying broom?
The poor herbalist was yanked backwards by telepathic force, thrown out of the line of fire. And at the same time a cavalcade of elemental destruction rushed towards the Transcendent vampire.
Women sitting atop flying brooms wearing floppy, pointed hats like old wizards did wasn¡¯t what he expected to see. Orodan wasn¡¯t sure who they were, but he could approve of their decision to ride flying brooms. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of that?
¡°Ah¡ you lot again. Have the witches of the Fraakshal Forest come to learn their place once more? How many times must I humiliate you and slaughter your sisters before you get the message that the Midnight Court has won the war?¡± the vampire said and then had a sadistic smirk upon her face. ¡°Your sisters still scream for mercy in my dungeons.¡±
¡°We will pay back every grievance tenfold, Isadora,¡± the leading ¡®witch¡¯ said. ¡°You will die, and House Evgaros will fall soon enough.¡±
¡°Hahah! Come then, entertain me. Struggle and fight as though you have a chance so that I might savor the moment you break all the more sweetly.¡±
The battle began in earnest and many spells were cast. And while the addition of the witches was a good thing¡ Orodan began to understand that this was a lopsided battle.
The witches were all merely Grandmasters with not a single Transcendent among them. The strongest witch was but a quadruple-Grandmaster, and her battle-power was nowhere near this Isadora, the vampire who¡¯d discovered him in the last attempt.
Furthermore, he could sense no tethers between Isadora and the wraiths and ghosts of the Fraakshal Forest. Which meant she wasn¡¯t even the spymaster watching over the forest. Engaging and killing her wouldn¡¯t even solve the issue of the enemy¡¯s surveillance capabilities.
Flasks of bubbling acids and poisons were flung, elementally destructive spells cast, and the trees came alive to whip at the target alongside flocks of crows which all rushed towards the vampire. Yet, it was for naught as a simple, yet powerful shield of blood blocked all assaults and waves of crimson power shot out, grievously wounding two witches with just the first strike.
Isadora was clearly some sort of attack dog for whoever this unknown spymaster was. She had no tethers towards the ghosts and wraiths of the forest¡ but she did have a tether herself, likely leading back to her master.
And all this time Orodan had spent trekking through the forest and closely examining the tethers, it had borne some fruit. The tether was essentially a link between master and servant. The wraiths and ghosts were the servants of this unknown spymaster of the Hegemony¡ but so was Isadora.
The link was essentially a connection to share information and the senses through. However, like all connections¡ it could be disrupted, tampered with.
Breaking it entirely would simply cause immediate alarm and the descent of the Hegemony followed by the end of the loop. Yet¡ what if one tampered with the very information being sent through the connection? And what if the recipient assumed that their servant had been defeated not by Orodan¡ but by these witches? The vampire getting killed wouldn¡¯t be nearly as much of a concern then.
The battle was going poorly for the broom-riding spellcasters. As a result, the leading witch brought out a final gambit, a long and sharp piece of wood. Piercing a vampire through the heart with an enchanted weapon wasn¡¯t a new concept, the Cathedral on Alastaia was known to do such things during vampire hunting. What was new, was the fact that the witch wielding it sank a full four-fifths of her vitality, mana and soul energy into the weapon.
It was an all-or-nothing attack. One that was doomed to fail as the vampire knew it was a weapon lethal to her and would defend herself accordingly.
Of course, neither side of the battle had accounted for a slight helping hand from Orodan Wainwright.
Orodan had two targets. The tether, and the vampire Isadora herself.
He hit both simultaneously.
The vampire screamed in horror as her mind was assaulted. At the same time, Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and the Psionic Assault portion of it smashed into the vampire¡¯s mind and altered her very senses to make it so that she perceived a defeat at the hands of the witches, that they¡¯d employed a powerful ritual to successfully attack her mind.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 91 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 92]
It wouldn¡¯t hold up to close scrutiny, and this vampire¡¯s master would question how a group of Grandmasters had managed to best a decently strong early Transcendent. Yet, the evidence was undeniable. It would be by the hand of the witches that this vampire died.
The leading witch holding the vampire-killing weapon looked confused yet proceeded with the attack, her broom streaking towards the vulnerable Isadora, until finally, the sharp piece of wood pierced her heart. With one final scream, Isadora exploded into tiny motes of dust, even as Orodan saw her soul be pulled far away in the direction of the tether.
The leading witch¡¯s gaze suddenly turned in the direction of where they were hiding. A fireball blasted apart the copse of trees the trio were hiding behind and she gazed sharply at them.
¡°We see you, outsider, we¡ we must flee immediately,¡± the leading witch said. ¡°We were not expecting to actually slay her today, yet against all odds we¡¯ve succeeded. This will doubtlessly anger her master into arriving soon.¡±
¡°How soon?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It could be any moment now, we must flee!¡± she exclaimed.
¡°We must go with them, Orodan. Them being caught is one thing, but if we¡¯re spotted the entire planet will be destroyed as the Hegemony descends!¡± Zaessythra yelled.
¡°Information: dimensional scanning detected. Unit is shielding against hostile scans. Solution: exfiltration alongside allied forces advised,¡± W78 said.
Orodan hadn¡¯t even known that his robotic friend was preventing enemy scans from picking them up all this time. W78 had more useful abilities than he knew, no wonder it had been sent along on this mission.
With a final look around the haunted forest, the trio followed the witches through the portal they created.
#
It wasn¡¯t the hamlet they¡¯d been taken to, but someplace all the more secretive, farther to the east. Zaessythra¡¯s scan hadn¡¯t picked the location up, mainly because there were no enchantments or magic obscuring it at all. Just an expert usage of camouflage, blending in and the concealing properties of being very deep underground.
It wasn¡¯t a natural cave entrance either. It was a genuine living tree which opened up and led downwards. They were essentially within its deep roots, each root being the size of a hallway and branching out into many rooms. Even with a scan, such a thing was incredibly difficult to make out. Magic scans would see nothing out of the ordinary as there was no active spell craft involved. And physical scans would simply see a large tree.
Now, they were sat at a table, after having finally explained their situation to the woman before them.
Her floppy and pointed hat comically dropped down to cover one of her eyes, even as the other one had its eyebrow quirked upwards.
¡°In other words, your presence here is for the purpose of stealing a dangerous weapon from the Midnight Court, but in actuality, it¡¯s a weapon which serves the Hegemony,¡± she stated, and Zaessythra nodded. ¡°No offense meant to you, after all you¡¯re our saviours, but this all sounds far above our station.¡±
¡°Yet, the Hegemony are overlords of the Midnight Court, the very rulers of the night who oppress you and those who refuse to submit to their rule,¡± Zaessythra countered. ¡°Will you not consider lending us your aid? Together, we could usher in a new age of freedom from the night.¡±
Orodan wasn¡¯t one for speeches or impassioned attempts at persuasion, yet he had to admit that Zaessythra clearly was.
¡°I¡ we-¡±
¡°Zaessythra, it¡¯s fine,¡± Orodan interjected. ¡°We don¡¯t need them to directly help us. How about this, if you simply give us information on where the weapon might be or where the bases of power for the Midnight Court are, then we¡¯ll be on our way. Hells, we can even kill a vampire or two that¡¯s been bothering you.¡±
¡°That will not be necessary,¡± the witch spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve helped us enough, and the fact that Isadora Evgaros¡¯s master did not descend unto the battlefield in utter fury the moment she was slain is proof enough of your story.¡±
It had been a full day since they¡¯d killed the vampire and neither House Evgaros nor the Hegemony had descended in fury to their location. Or rather, nobody powerful had anyways. According to the witches¡¯ crow scouts, there were plenty of roving patrols and small armies that had marched through the location of the battle, but these were more so investigative and meant as a show of force. There had been pairs of Transcendents that had also come by, but nobody any stronger than the slain vampire herself.
The implication was that the higher-ups and powers of the Midnight Court were simply too preoccupied with the risk of an attack by the allied forces. Sending a powerful Transcendent to immediately respond could leave a very real vulnerability in Narictus¡¯s defenses elsewhere. Orodan wasn¡¯t the only person they had to worry about. The Conclave and the reformed Celestial Court led by Zhou Shan were of serious concern too. In fact, it had been a strategy proposed by Zaessythra, to bait and draw out the powerhouses of the enemy to one location of the planet and then striking another.
However, as seen, it wouldn¡¯t have worked. With the assumption that Isadora had been killed by the witches, the Midnight Court didn¡¯t consider it something worth sending a truly powerful Transcendent or God over. Far as they were concerned, Orodan Wainwright was still on Xian. The Hegemony had many star systems under their rule, and Narictus wasn¡¯t the only place which hosted one of the shards, the Hegemony¡¯s core world was another.
From their perspective, Orodan and the allied forces could just as easily be plotting an attack there or on some other world. While a Transcendent¡¯s death was exceedingly rare and would doubtlessly cause some serious scrutiny upon the planet, it was difficult to justify sending a very mighty individual to check up on it immediately. Patrols would be increased, Transcendents wouldn¡¯t go out alone any longer and security measures would be increased.
All in all, their task had gotten more difficult, but it was a successful attempt thus far.
They spoke for a little bit more and the elder witch, leader of the coven gladly provided the trio with information on where they might strike at to acquire more information on the location of the shard. Zaessythra had insisted she create a memory packet and ferry it into his mind. After all, with just that information alone the current attempt was a very successful one.
The coven of witches was a holdout from the elder days of Narictus, when the world wasn¡¯t just ruled by the Midnight Court but by many factions, of whom the Midnight Court was just one of many. A few hundred-thousand years ago there was a civil war on Narictus when the vampires decided to conquer it all. The witches and their people were the losing side from that conflict and had taken it upon themselves to preserve as much of their culture and history from the old days as possible while protecting the small groups and communes of non-subservient humans.
At last, as they made to leave, Orodan ran into a familiar herbalist.
¡°M-my lord! Wait! I wanted to thank you for saving my life!¡± the woman cried.
¡°Lord? Does this common tunic of mine make me look the part?¡± Orodan asked. Frankly, the fanciest thing he¡¯d ever worn was likely the outfit House Firesword had forced him into so long ago for some social function. That aside, he much preferred the basic tunic of the county militia. ¡°Anyhow, thanks aren¡¯t necessary. You fought a good fight, keep it up and you¡¯ll go far as a warrior.¡±
The woman looked quite pleased with the praise and looked ready to babble his ear off if not for the leading witch coming out front and shooing her away.
¡°She¡¯s young, but overly excitable¡ and perhaps a bit too eager to get into a fight,¡± the witch said.
¡°Heh! That¡¯s a good thing!¡± Orodan declared. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have even gotten into trouble above her head if not for my presence. Speaking of¡ weren¡¯t you lot a bit too conveniently nearby to save her?¡±
¡°She¡¯s my personal apprentice. And it¡¯s no great secret¡ but she¡¯s the youngest descendent of the ancient line of our house, from before the civil war which tore us apart,¡± the witch said. ¡°In her veins runs the blood of the ancient ancestor who was an Avatar of the Sun Goddess. Yet, it is a cursed bloodline which also bears the taint of the betrayer and his night lord ilk. The duality grants power yet must be closely monitored to prevent the descent into madness.¡±
¡°Is that why she fights with such zeal?¡± Orodan asked, and the witch nodded. ¡°As for the betrayer, who¡¯s that?¡±
¡°A foul man who accepted the blood kiss directly from the Lord of Night himself to become a True Vampire. A stain upon the noble line of the sun¡ he was the spouse of the Goddess¡¯s Chosen, yet in the end he slew her and caused the ruin of our entire nation,¡± the witch said. ¡°No matter how desperately he rejected the blood after, he will never absolve himself of his sins. Even the vampires exiled him into the void, and it is better that all forget the name of Aherozam.¡±
Orodan stared for a long moment, and even the witch began to look a bit perplexed. He then shook his head and sighed.
The vampire¡ or now, the man, known as Aherozam, had floated through the void between stars until he¡¯d at least been found by Alastaia, and then¡ cured of his vampirism by Orodan when he¡¯d descended to conquer Alastaia¡¯s world core. It was a sad tale which even Orodan found to be quite depressing. And while these people didn¡¯t seem to have it in their hearts to forgive him, he hoped that the man himself found a measure of peace. Once the current crisis with the Administrator and the war were settled, he wouldn¡¯t mind returning just to bring the man¡¯s wife back. He wondered how the True Vampire would feel about meeting his descendents.
Still, this trip to the remaining non-subservient humans on Narictus had yielded great results. Who knew how long he would have had to search around until he found someone with useful information otherwise?
Most importantly, the elder witch of the coven had given them the obscure location of the Palace of the Eternal Moon, the Midnight Court¡¯s centre of power and where the Lord of Night himself was rumored to reside.
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if he was yet up to the task of fighting and overpowering a Transcendent at level 149 and numerous vampiric Gods and other monstrous creatures of the night. But he would have to try. Mainly because if anywhere on Narictus held the shard he was looking for, it was of course the enemy¡¯s strongest base of power.
He looked forward to it, a joy tempered by the thought that Zaessythra and her fail-safe weapon would make it as un-fun for him as possible. Still, now that he had an actual goal in mind, it was time to break into the home of Narictus¡¯s first vampire. A being widely hailed as the progenitor of vampirism in their galaxy.
Chapter 59 - Break & Enter III
¡°I still think I¡¯d like to ride a flying broom.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re thinking to say this now, when we¡¯re about to risk death countless times in a mad endeavour?¡±
¡°Analysis: Aerodynamic efficiency of flying implement: decent, but improvements possible. Solution: Remove broom head.¡±
¡°Unacceptable. Then it ceases to be a flying broom and might as well be a flying pole, who wants to ride that?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Who wants to ride a flying broom?¡± she countered.
¡°The witches of that forest, they have good taste,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Anyhow, we can sweep this discussion under the rug. Lot of furry soldiers standing guard. I believe they¡¯re called werewolves. Fought one once, they seem like good warriors.¡±
¡°They also possess keen senses and can sniff us from miles away,¡± Zaessythra added. ¡°The sound bubble I¡¯ve conjured is the only reason we can speak so freely.¡±
The three moons of Narictus were high in the sky, shining down upon the world of eternal night as usual, and it illuminated the gigantic structure before them.
Grand, haunting and magnanimous, with an aura of terror that was palpable. This was how Orodan would describe the Palace of the Eternal Moon, even from a distance. Its tall towers ended in sharp and jagged spires and upon these towers many stone statues of a weird, winged beast were arrayed. Yet, Vision Of Purity told him that these statues were no inert things and from a distance he could see tens of thousands of bats dominating the skies above the structure, congregating and patrolling in massive swarms.
Orodan¡¯s Whirlpool Whirlwind was working continuously to prevent any air from escaping their personal space lest the werewolves and bats sniff them out, and W78 was working to prevent any scans from detecting their presence.
They were however, not directly near the Palace, not yet. The Palace of the Eternal Moon was but the crowning jewel situated within the far larger Shadowmoon City. It wasn¡¯t the largest of the Midnight Court¡¯s cities, rather, it was perhaps the size of a large town. Still, this was where the nobility of the court resided. The only common folk to be seen were merchants, ambassadors and skilled tradespeople. And there were guards at almost every corner.
Sneaking in was going to be incredibly difficult.
They were a mile away from the city gates, and Orodan could feel a constant and insidious enchantment attempting to erase his memory of its location. Unsuccessful of course, yet it answered why so few people knew the location of this place.
Ahead of them, their first obstacle, a checkpoint at the gates. It was well-guarded and there was a respectable amount of foot and rider traffic passing through. It took away from the presumption that Narictus was a world of cruelty and misery as many of the people entering and exiting looked healthy, well-fed and happy. Hells, there was even a teleporter about ten miles away in a nearby town that they¡¯d circled around to avoid. Direct teleports to Shadowmoon City were quite restricted and only available to the nobility and pre-approved people of importance. Ordinary foot traffic had to trek through the gates.
Which suited Orodan as their path into the city wouldn¡¯t involve teleportation.
¡°What do you see?¡± Zaessythra asked.
On the surface, the gate seemed rather standard if heavily guarded. Dozens of large and powerful looking werewolves donning armor and weapons stood alert, eyes and ears open for the slightest disturbance. Additionally, there were posters at the gate asking visitors to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
It wasn¡¯t confirmed, but Orodan suspected the recent state of alarm had to do with the war.
And then¡ unseen by regular eyes, were the statues atop the walls. Vision Of Purity told him that they were very much alive and not inert. And there were dozens, all Master-level, sweeping the surroundings with their gaze. These, Orodan recalled reading, were gargoyles. Nothing he¡¯d seen before, but supposedly quite common upon Narictus.
¡°Plenty of armed and armored werewolves at the gate and some upon the walls,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°The gargoyle statues upon the wall are all very much alive and at the Master-level. Not sure how we¡¯ll get past those.¡±
¡°Their eyesight is rather poor, and W78 can camouflage us to pass through their scans,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°The only issue will be the werewolves. Their eyes are sharp and their noses keen. They¡¯ll immediately notice if you¡¯re using Whirlpool Whirlwind, and they¡¯ll demand to be allowed to catch our scent for tracking and security purposes.¡±
¡°In other words, you¡¯re saying we should just smash through the gates like I suggested?¡± Orodan posed.
¡°No. What I¡¯m saying is, the gate isn¡¯t a good idea,¡± Zaessythra replied. ¡°What if we snuck into one of the merchant caravans? Or looked to bribe someone?¡±
¡°Or¡ we could get our hands dirty,¡± Orodan said as he looked closely towards one particular part of Shadowmoon City that was still heavily guarded¡ but not something any of the guards particularly wanted to look at. Zaessythra¡¯s face scrunched up in disgust as she got the implication. ¡°The sewers of blood.¡±
A city full of vampires, werewolves and other creatures of the night still had need of sanitation systems. And while the undead and night lords didn¡¯t require regular bodily functions, the werewolves and living beings of Shadowmoon City did. However, they were called the sewers of blood for a reason. Vampires still drank blood, and the luxuriant noble houses of the Midnight Court were known for wasting copious amounts of it during some of their feasts and gatherings. And the darker fates suffered by the more heinous criminals and detested prisoners of the Midnight Court often had excessive amounts of blood production.
The excess, along with the excreta of the city¡¯s living inhabitants, was oft funnelled together into the sewers of blood.
¡°That¡¯s foul¡¡± she muttered.
¡°But it would work. No werewolf or vampire could distinguish our scent if we took a swim through that,¡± Orodan countered. ¡°Come now, weren¡¯t you a World Ruler? Surely a bit of blood and nightsoil isn¡¯t enough to make you balk?¡±
To Orodan, it was just honest work and what needed to be done.
¡°Analysis: Odds of success: decent. Hypothesis: Likelihood of enemy surveillance in sewers: high,¡± W78 interjected.
¡°Which is why we have the best anti-detection specialist in the galaxy with us, isn¡¯t that right my friend?¡± Orodan asked with a smile.
¡°Information entered into database. Odds of success: guaranteed.¡±
He would swear he heard a lilt of emotion in that, but Orodan knew not how the mind of his machine friend worked. Machines and constructs had no souls, yet Orodan knew his friend W78 had one. The metallic warrior of the Unity had far too much personality, and most importantly, had access to skills.
How it worked, Orodan didn¡¯t know. What he did know however, was that if anyone claimed his friend had no soul, Orodan¡¯s fist would have something to say about that.
Without further ado, the three of them got to work.
It was a perilous task with risky odds of success. Yes, the sewers of blood were a good shot of entering the city, but to reach them was a difficult task in and of itself. The sewers emptied out to a nearby lake, however this place was also well-guarded and had eyes upon it.
Random people trolloping about the lake to reach the sewers would draw instant alarm, especially when the Hegemony was in a state of war and Narictus was one of their critical planets. It wasn¡¯t as though they could blend into a crowd either as foot traffic at the lake was almost non-existent. Given all this, the decision was made to blend in through a different method.
Outside the city gates was a small shop which sold souvenirs, items of convenience and attire which wouldn¡¯t look out of place within Shadowmoon City. It seemed to do well enough, attracting visitors to the city. Those entering might want to purchase attire which allowed them to better fit in, and those leaving might want to pick up a souvenir or two to bring back to their homes
Mere attire changes wouldn¡¯t do the trick though. Hells, the guards had likely been informed to be on the lookout for any half-dragons, and Zaessythra stood out a fair bit even while wearing the garb of a necromancer of House Varachma. Instead¡ their targets were the occupants of this store.
¡°No tethers on them, correct?¡± Zaessythra telepathically asked, and Orodan gave a hum of acknowledgement.
¡°Your prices are rough as always¡ can you not consider lowering them a bit for a loyal guard of House Almante?¡± the heavily armored werewolf asked. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to send a little gift back for my daughter. Something to remember her father by while she trains to become a mighty warrior herself.¡±
The shopkeeper seemed to be a regular human, but Vision Of Purity told Orodan that the man was a vampire. One that preferred to masquerade as a regular human it seemed. An aesthetic choice perhaps?
¡°Sir, our prices are set by the authority of House Varachma who owns this shop. We¡¯re forbidden from bargaining,¡± the man replied. ¡°Instead of this, how about we look at a cheaper alternative? Surely this top-of-the-line amulet of protection isn¡¯t strictly necessary?¡±
¡°Who are you to tell me what is and isn¡¯t necessary for my own daughter?! In the next blood trial, she¡¯s a prime contender for earning alpha status within our clan,¡± the werewolf guard growled, causing the elder guard next to him to lay a hand on his shoulder.
¡°Pup, calm your temper¡ offending the shopkeeper will only get you reprimanded by the captain and sent to the purification chamber,¡± the elder werewolf said.
¡°Apologies uncle¡ I have not seen my pack in many moons,¡± the werewolf said in a softer tone. ¡°My emotions have gotten the better of me.¡±
¡°Our people are at a pivotal precipice where we can change our very lot. Our ancestor recently performed most valorously in battle on another world against deadly foes and managed to rescue Lord Ragamul from the clutches of true death,¡± the greying werewolf said. ¡°We must follow Lord Aarnalf¡¯s example and pave the way for our clan. Do not bring shame to Clan Valeclaw.¡±
¡°You speak true, let us-¡± the werewolf stopped and then looked at Orodan and Zaessythra who¡¯d walked in. ¡°A noble of House Varachma? An honorary member perhaps?¡±
¡°¡pup, sound the alarm, we were told to watch for half-drag-¡±
¡°Now, Orodan.¡±
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and established a connection to the shopkeeper¡¯s mind. Simultaneously, W78 jumped on the connection to begin the subtle work of tampering with the shopkeeper¡¯s senses. All the vampire saw was Orodan and Zaessythra walking in, gesturing to the two werewolf guards to walk out, and them all leaving. It was important as the man had some sort of tether leading from him to someone within the Palace of the Eternal Moon. Harming the shopkeeper or breaking the tether would undoubtedly raise an alarm.
In reality, Orodan had his hands around both their throats and promptly slammed them into the ground. They were Elite-level guards, no match at all for his raw might.
¡°No need to kill them,¡± Orodan said. ¡°They¡¯ve done us no harm. No need to deprive a daughter of her father.¡±
¡°Fine, if you want to complicate matters. Let¡¯s drag them to the cellar where we can knock them out and leave them be for a while,¡± she suggested.
The trio moved to the cellar of the shop with the two captive werewolves, and upon arrival tossed them into a corner where Orodan used Domain Of Perfect Cleaning to destroy their mental selves in the mindscape. They¡¯d recover eventually, but for now were knocked unconscious.
Using skills so close to a city was ironically a bit easier for W78 to screen against the eyes and detection methods of the enemy. Out in the wilds where nobody should¡¯ve been present, emissions of mana or soul energy stood out. It was why even a minor usage of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning caused the vampire to descend in the Fraakshal Forest. Nothing of Orodan¡¯s strength level should¡¯ve been present in there. Near the city walls though? Far harder to discern
¡°Information: store change of shift in one hour, thirteen minutes. Analysis: Limited time remaining until shopkeeper returns to cellar,¡± W78 explained.
In other words, they had about that long until the shopkeeper discovered the unconscious werewolves. A steep time limit.
¡°Not long, let¡¯s get the armor and uniforms on and move then,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m a little large for these armor sets?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°How am I to conceal my wings?¡±
¡°Just carry me on your back in a sack alongside W78,¡± Orodan suggested. ¡°That way you can hide your wings too.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡¡±
Ten minutes later, they were looking at the sewer entrance emptying out into the lake.
It turned out that Orodan was in fact, serious. What else could they do? Charge the gates? Orodan could only dream.
If Zaessythra wasn¡¯t going to let him fight much, then he¡¯d go along with this conniving scheme, to the maximal extent too.
The half-dragon looked comical and more than out-of-place. In fact, at close glance there was no way this would work at all. Zaessythra wasn¡¯t a werewolf, she had none of the fur, their ears and teeth, and she had wings which she had to conceal. This was a stupid plan from the get-go, even from Orodan¡¯s perspective.
Which was why Domain Of Perfect Cleaning would be used and W78 would be helping to alter their senses.
The sewer pipe leading out to the lake was heavily enchanted, the sewage which came out was practically clean water by the time it entered the lake. Bloodsuckers they might¡¯ve been but let none say the vampires of Shadowmoon City didn¡¯t take hygiene seriously.
It was also heavily guarded, and Vision Of Purity told Orodan that the first of the approaching werewolf guards - the gray-furred captain of the lot - didn¡¯t look too happy.
He was bundled up into a sack with a hole cut out so Zaessythra¡¯s wings could also fit in. The sack contained Orodan, W78 in scroll form and her wings. Needless to say, it was rather cramped. It was a good thing Zaessythra was ten feet tall, or else there would be even less room. As it stood, he was contorted into a compact shape and pressed against her upper back while in the sack.
It was a stupid plan which should¡¯ve failed right away. Save for the fact that Orodan had seen some interesting details in the minds of the two werewolves he¡¯d delved into.
Minor changes to what someone perceived through the Psionic Assault portion of his Celestial skill weren¡¯t too difficult. But expecting the werewolves to ignore the lack of fur and the height was a problem. Additionally, he wasn¡¯t exactly stealthy. He could alter what someone saw, but not without also alerting the individual that their mind was being tampered with.
But that was fine, for he had W78 with to aid in the delicate work. For all he had to do¡ was open the connection and maintain it. From there, his friend would alter how tall she was in the perceptions of the guards. Her horns were covered by the big helmet, and the wings had the sack over them.
And as for the lack of fur¡
¡°Soldier! You dare serve in your civilian form?!¡± the approaching werewolf, greying fur, growled. ¡°What is the meaning of this dereliction of duty? Have you forgotten the basic tenets?! We are to remain in battle form at all times while we serve!¡±
¡°I apologize¡ elder¡¡± Zaessythra muttered, attempting to look pitiful.
¡°Spare me your weak grovelling! Why are you pink-skinned and lacking fur?! Vulnerable to blade and arrow, do you think you¡¯re fit to stand before the lords of House Almante now?¡± the elder asked. ¡°What if our enemies were to show up this instant?! We are at war! Perhaps I should send you to the air purification chamber to reflect on your shoddy conduct? Mayhap the fumes will clear your mind!¡±
Within the sack, Orodan was sweating as he concentrated on using his Celestial skill to maintain the connection to the minds of all the nearby guards, while not using more power than would be detected. It was pure luck and a good turn for once that there were no mental specialists or enchantments nearby which detected mental tampering. And if there were¡ perhaps W78 felt confident in dealing with them.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 92 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 93]
Orodan could alter what someone saw, but doing so without alarming them would¡¯ve been a real issue. But in this case, it wasn¡¯t just him alone. His hand was wrapped around the metal scroll case that was W78. Fine mental work where the target wasn¡¯t alerted was still beyond him, his Celestial skill was powerful, but he wasn¡¯t a mental specialist who could stealthily wipe minds or alter thoughts.
He performed the actual breach into the guard¡¯s mind while W78 did the fine work using the connection to enter and subtly gain access. His friend was better at delicate mental work, but the sheer speed and raw force of assaulting and creating a path into someone¡¯s mind was something he was good at thanks to his obscene reserves of power and monumental will. The initial entry caused a brief instant where the wolf¡¯s eyes narrowed in alarm. It was exceedingly short however, and immediately smoothed over as W78 got to work, removed the feelings of suspicion and altered what the werewolf captain saw. Orodan was still connected to its mind and witnessed some of the finest mental work he¡¯d ever seen performed.
In fact, it was utterly unlike any form of mental combat or mind alteration Orodan had ever seen. The very way W78 altered the werewolf¡¯s perception and memories was just inhuman, as though his friend didn¡¯t work by the same rules of the mindscape that he and other mental magic specialists did. Hells, in a sense even the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Dao of Domination and Supremacy, while higher in raw power, still functioned in a standard and predictable way. Everyone else operated conventionally, while W78 interacted with the mind in a most unorthodox manner. A difference owed to the nature of machine minds perhaps?
Orodan watched and learned as W78 managed to remove the werewolf captain¡¯s slight feelings of suspicion towards her. It helped that the captain had a new female werewolf on his squad who was taller than him, so that was who W78 modelled her face in his mind after. From the werewolf¡¯s perspective all he saw was his new recruit in human form, tall to begin with.
Altering her to appear seven feet tall instead of ten feet wasn¡¯t too difficult. Furthermore, Orodan himself was decently tall and often stood out, approaching seven feet of height, but this was by the standards of an Alastaian human. On Narictus, he¡¯d be consider on the taller end but within expectations as the people were at least a foot taller in some cases. Whether it was the nutrition, magic or inter-breeding between humans and the tall, lanky moon elves he¡¯d occasionally seen among the merchant class, he didn¡¯t know.
This worked to his advantage as Zaessythra¡¯s ten-foot-tall height was slightly higher than the six foot tall werewolf, so altering her to appear as seven feet instead of ten in the guard captain¡¯s mind was easy for W78. After all, the werewolf had to crane his neck upwards to look at her, and it was only a matter of degree and not something ludicrous like altering her to be shorter than him. Something that would be far harder to get away with when the head was craned upwards.
¡°My apologies, elder, I can only atone for my shortcomings,¡± Zaessythra attempted to pitifully grovel.
¡°And what¡¯s with that bag you carry? Were¡ were you out shopping?!¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Let us all see what you have bought,¡± the werewolf said as he reached into the sack without really looking in.
In response, Orodan gave the searching hand his re-purposed rag that he¡¯d fashioned into a disguise.
¡°Hrm? A dirty rag? And are these eyeholes cut out? Recruit¡ are you attempting to cross-train for the infiltration unit?¡± the captain asked, a tone of derision evident. ¡°First you falter in your duties, and now you wish to join the ranks of the shadow wolves and moon elves? What would your ancestors think of such actions? We of the Valeclaw are warrior! Such underhanded methods are not our way! And such a pathetic disguise too, is this a joke? did you think this rag would fool anyone? Who in their right mind would wear such a gimmick and expect it to work?¡±
Orodan seethed with indignation and outrage. This furry fop dared to insult his talents in the arts of disguise?!
¡°Apologies elder¡ I should have known such an incompetent disguise would never work,¡± Zaessythra said, and he swore he heard a hint of mocking sarcasm as she delivered the line.
Orodan could only silently bear the mocking. These inferior fools would never understand the true meaning of disguise!
¡°Now then, let¡¯s see what else you have¡¡± the guard captain said as the hand reached in once more. A furry hand brushed against his hair. ¡°Hairy¡ silken too¡¡±
¡°Just some carpets, elder¡¡± Zaessythra lied.
¡°Truly? Let¡¯s see if anything else of note is in here,¡± the guard said as the hand left Orodan¡¯s head and rummaged. It grasped Zaessythra¡¯s wings, causing her to hold back a grunt of annoyance, until finally Orodan pried his hand off by shoving else into it. It was all he had at hand too. ¡°A rather jostling bag you have here¡ but what¡¯s this? A metallic scroll?¡±
W78 wisely made no sounds as he was held within the hands of the werewolf.
¡°My reading material,¡± she answered. ¡°A scroll containing various techniques on¡ infiltration.¡±
¡°A scroll? We¡¯re at war with the cultivators and you wish to peruse their reading materials? A regular book was not to your liking? Well¡ I suppose there¡¯s some merit in knowing the enemy and their methods of war,¡± the guard said and then flashed his teeth. ¡°Feh! Your dereliction of duty is an embarrassment. Back in my day you¡¯d have been whipped a hundred times and thrown to the frontlines until you killed a thousand foes by yourself! However¡ the current clan leadership insists we be easier on you pups. Go then, get out of my sight. The chamber of air purification will be a good reading spot for you. Perhaps being forced to inhale the fumes until the end of your shift will be a good reminder to remain in battle form. It might even clear your mind to aid in your studies, hahahah!¡±
With one final bout of mocking laughter, the guard captain clapped Zaessythra on the shoulder and allowed her through. The other werewolf guards who were farther away had looks of disappointment and pity on their faces, all while Orodan finally dropped the connections as Zaessythra got past the chokepoint of the sewer.
Altering what someone saw in the midst of combat was one thing, especially when it wasn¡¯t delicate work which involved avoiding the arousal of suspicion. Tampering with what the Transcendent vampire saw was a far simpler matter too since she¡¯d been killed shortly after. Even if she¡¯d been alarmed, that feeling and knowledge of it hadn¡¯t been transmitted through the tether connecting to her master. Anyone observing through the tether would¡¯ve only seen the witches of the forest assaulting the vampire with a mental assault and promptly killing her with a specialized weapon. Something Orodan had altered to make it seem so.
To alter the senses of the actual target while not arousing suspicion was currently beyond Orodan however. Good thing W78 was here.
They proceeded onward for a minute until reaching a large room which had a mana battery powering numerous enchantments. Most of the enchantments dealt with purifying the water, and there were even a few which dealt with the smell inside the chamber itself. Although, they¡¯d been deactivated with a note underneath saying how it was meant to foster discipline and willpower in new recruits whenever they screwed up.
Good training in Orodan¡¯s opinion.
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¡°I think we¡¯re far enough now, we can take this gear off,¡± Zaessythra said as she began taking the armor off. ¡°Shame, it¡¯s of rather decent quality¡ I¡¯d even say it¡¯s of dwarven-make.¡±
¡°You had dwarves on your world?¡± Orodan asked as he tore his way out of the sack, liberating both himself, W78 and Zaessythra¡¯s wings. ¡°I thought it was mainly half-dragons and the pure-bloods who wanted to eradicate your kind?¡±
¡°A lot of worlds have dwarves. Varkir, the chief God of dwarven-kind is rather mercenary and willing to work for whoever benefits him and his people the most,¡± Zaessythra explained. ¡°It would not surprise me if he had emissaries upon Narictus, or craftsmen who sold their services at a steep price. More than worth it, given how excellent the quality of dwarven arms and armor are.¡±
Orodan would have to begrudgingly agree to that. He¡¯d met Varkir once when the Dwarven God of Crafting, Endurance and Honor had descended unto Thavri Grimbreaker, the mightiest of the under-mountain dwarves on his home world of Alastaia. And this was after one absolute slog of a fight where he barely managed to damage that turtle-like dwarf at all. The gear truly was of some excellent quality.
¡°Information: Dwarven craft exceeds even Unity parameters for metallurgic strength and efficiency,¡± W78 said.
¡°Even your people can¡¯t compare? I¡¯ll take your word for it then,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Now then¡ I smell the purification chamber up ahead; I think we¡¯re getting close.¡±
¡°I wish I couldn¡¯t smell it¡ it¡¯s almost as foul as the wyvern pens I had to scrub growing up. Not a smell I hoped to be reminded of,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Now then, I have non-magical raft that should¡ Orodan¡ what are you doing?¡±
¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Orodan asked as he took all his clothes off besides his undergarments and put them into a spatial ring. ¡°How else are we going to sneak in if we don¡¯t go for a swim?¡±
He was slightly concerned as Zaessythra almost seemed to tremble as her face scrunched up.
¡°That¡ you realize this is raw sewage mixed with blood, correct?¡± she asked.
¡°And? The shard won¡¯t steal itself; we have a heist to perform and enemies to slay. Safer to swim through the sewage than try to raft above it,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll scrub you clean myself once we¡¯re out.¡±
¡°That will not be necessary,¡± she insistently said while shaking her head. ¡°They really did pick the most unhinged lunatic for this time loop, didn¡¯t they? Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±
Orodan leapt into the flow first, W78¡¯s metallic scroll form in hand. An ordinary mortal would¡¯ve likely died from being in the purification chamber alone. The air simply wasn¡¯t suitable for breathing and people would pass out and then pass away. Of course, neither of the three needed to breathe.
It was as filthy as one would expect, and slimier and more than a bit thicker than a swim in a lake. Yet, it wasn¡¯t really an issue to cut through the liquid and against the flow as he and Zaessythra swam along.
Without the ability to launch a scan that wouldn¡¯t trigger detection, Zaessythra wasn¡¯t of much use as a guide. Consequently, Orodan took point, using Vision Of Purity to maintain visuals as they swam. The sewers of blood extended all the way underneath Shadowmoon City, even going beneath the Palace of the Eternal Moon itself. That was their target.
About a third of the way in his Vision Of Purity began picking up wards and enchantments. However, all of these were detection alarms for things above the surface of the sewage water. With them staying below the surface and swimming, it didn¡¯t pick them up. There were also some which were meant to prevent the birth and breeding of blood slimes and other foul creatures in the sewers, however these were nothing the group needed to worry about.
Finally, about halfway in, there was a grate of sorts before them, one meant not for the filtration of blood and excreta¡ but corpses. Bodies were stacked up against the grate and promptly vaporized by a flaming enchantment which boiled the sewer water.
Orodan and Zaessythra both simply passed through this, W78 in hand. The grates weren¡¯t so far apart that someone couldn¡¯t squeeze through with some effort. Ironically, Zaessythra had an easier time getting through the gaps than Orodan. Yes, she was ten feet tall versus his six, but Orodan was perhaps a slight bit wider and had more apparent muscle on his frame.
Still, they managed to squeeze through and get to the other side. Which was where they ran into some real obstacles.
Someone had left their pets down in the sewers. And while the prospect of a fight wasn¡¯t an issue, the risk of detection was. Each of the crimson-skinned ghouls had sensory tethers sending information to someone in the Palace, and there were dozens of them feeding on corpses as they were thrown down the sewer grates and the flows merged into a central one.
Furthermore, these ghouls specifically evolved to live and breed in the sewers of blood. Werewolves, vampires and the like couldn¡¯t exactly sniff them out while they were swimming underwater in blood and excreta, but these creatures could.
It was an efficient monitoring system Orodan had to admit.
And the nearest ghouls were in fact sniffing around and drawing closer and closer to their position. The trio had their soul emissions lowered, but if a wild beast actually saw them, there was a good chance its natural instincts would activate and it would go running away, thereby triggering the watching spymaster. They acted like hungry dogs, drooling at the prospect of a meal as they drifted closer and closer.
Which was when Orodan had the bright idea to play fetch.
His left hand was lopped off at the wrist by his own sword and it was promptly thrown out of the water and in another direction, causing the nearest dozen ghouls to go running off. His hand immediately regenerated, and Orodan smiled as he¡¯d come upon a convenient way forward.
The overseer of these creatures would likely still investigate¡ but seeing something curious versus seeing Orodan himself were two different things. One would cause an investigating party to descend and perhaps even try to collect Orodan¡¯s lopped off hands for investigation and potential further alarm. The other, would cause the instant descent of the Hegemony.
Still, it worked, and for the next ten minutes Orodan swam and occasionally lopped off a hand to throw at the ghouls. Frankly¡ he doubted they could even eat it, particularly given the whimpers of pain as a few broke their teeth upon his discarded limbs. It wasn¡¯t his fault they failed to take the hand he offered.
At last, the trio were directly under the sewer grate nearest to the Palace of the Eternal Moon.
Any further and they¡¯d run into a particularly troublesome creature, a many-eyed vampiric octopus which they couldn¡¯t easily sneak by. This right here was as close as they could get without getting detected.
Orodan¡¯s head surfaced, and then Zaessythra did as well.
Her mismatched white and gold eyes held a look of annoyance which was directed towards him, and her pale skin was positively slimy with grime and blood. Her human skin could be cleaned easily enough, but the parts which were scaled would need a thorough scrubbing given all the blood and filth caught within. And her normally white hair¡ the less said about it the better.
Still, despite all that, Orodan found himself staring for a bit longer than he should have. Who knew a trip through the sewers could make someone stand out so? Her eyes narrowed and he finally looked away, mainly because that line of thought would only lead to pain and distraction. He could afford neither in his circumstances.
¡°Well? What next? It actually smells worse now that we¡¯ve broken the surface, so let¡¯s dive down or get out of here,¡± she said.
¡°You could just choose not to breathe,¡± Orodan countered. ¡°It¡¯s not like either of us need it at our level.¡±
¡°There¡¯s something about breaking the surface after a swim and taking a breath of air,¡± she answered. ¡°You learn to miss the small things when you¡¯re bound to a book.¡±
¡°Fair enough, from here we¡¯ll ascend and move into the Palace,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Information: military-oriented architecture above, odds of encountering enemy patrols: high,¡± W78 said.
¡°We¡¯re under a-¡±
Orodan moved her head to the side, interrupting her as she spoke. Just in time for a rather large dollop of filth to land where her head had previously been.
¡°The werewolf barracks. There¡¯s a decent number of them up there, and we¡¯re directly beneath the privy I believe.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°What? You agreed to this, you could¡¯ve stayed on Xian if you wanted.¡±
¡°When I had my memories and body restored by some mad time looper, swimming through raw and bloody sewage while dodging lumps of night soil wasn¡¯t what I was expecting to do,¡± she remarked. ¡°Let¡¯s ascend.¡±
She then grabbed both of his arms and with a single beat of her wings they reached the openings of the piping system.
Dirty, and some of them were too small to really crawl through. Many of them were man-sized however, likely meant for the disposal of corpses, these were the ones Orodan and Zaessythra travelled through to reach the werewolf guard barracks above.
The building was directly adjacent to the Palace of the Eternal Moon, and the base of power for the werewolf guards of royal house Almante. They were responsible for the safety and security of all Shadowmoon City and the nearby areas. They were not, however, permitted to enter the palace. That was an honor reserved for the Blood Guard, the royal protectors of the Palace who were all vampires.
They ascended the corpse pipes, fingers leaving dents in the piping as they ascended until they were near the holding cells. This was when he began to hear the murmur of voices. Orodan¡¯s Vision Of Purity could see clearly, however.
¡°I don¡¯t like this¡¡± said one werewolf as he threw the corpse of an executed villager down the pipe. The corpse fell past Orodan and Zaessythra and continued downwards. ¡°We should offer to turn them so that they might join the clan and swell our numbers, perhaps while being closely monitored. That or hand them a weapon so that they might die honorably in battle. To butcher hapless peasants¡ elder, why do we do this?¡±
¡°I¡ it is not our place to question the orders from up high, pup,¡± another werewolf - a guard captain - said. ¡°Lord Evgaros has demanded their deaths, and even the crown must appease one of its more powerful subjects from time to time. As soldiers of House Almante, we can only obey. These prisoners came from a round-up of any unaffiliated villages near the Fraakshal. Supposedly they¡¯re in league with the witches who slew Lady Isadora.¡±
¡°Elder¡ these pink-skins do not even know of her existence. Is this not just a message and vehement retribution?¡± the werewolf asked. ¡°How long till our masters find cause to carry out vengeance upon us for slights we knew naught of?¡±
¡°You speak dangerously! Do your duty and mind your tongue whelp! I have a pack waiting at home, jeopardize me not with your words,¡± the captain growled. ¡°Need I remind you the lake-regiment is requesting more men? They have a few soldiers unaccounted for. Finish up here so that we may reinforce them. Probably more damned witches.¡±
¡°Yes elder¡ hrm¡ I smell something¡ a ghoul coming up the pipe?¡±
¡°The enchantment should stop them¡ pup, draw your weap-¡±
It was over quite fast. Orodan practically flew out the corpse-gate and gave each of them a good smack before they could sound any alarm. They were then sent into unconsciousness through the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. All around the room¡ were corpses. Freshly slain too.
Any usage of Time Reversal to bring them back would instantly raise the alarm too. These deaths were an after-effect of the vampire whose killing he¡¯d orchestrated in the Fraakshal Forest. He wasn¡¯t enough of a self-flagellating idealist to blame himself for their deaths, but he still felt unhappy about them all the same.
The Midnight Court was tyrannical. And Orodan didn¡¯t like it.
¡°We can return to resurrect them once we¡¯ve won the war,¡± Zaessythra suggested.
¡°It¡¯s fine. At the very least, I¡¯ll make sure the one who ordered their deaths pays,¡± he said.
His own hands were stained with blood, and perhaps he was a bit hypocritical, but watching the common folk be slaughtered for things outside of their control irked him to no end. It reminded him deeply of growing up, of Ogdenborough. Where House Argon would lop the hand off an uninvolved street rat while the thief who¡¯d stolen the bread ran off.
¡°We can¡¯t afford a direct fight¡ we have to be smart about this, Orodan,¡± she warned.
¡°And why not? Haven¡¯t we come close enough through being quiet and sneaky? From here on out we could feasibly rush our enemies and inflict as much damage as possible, as is our mission,¡± Orodan countered. ¡°After all, we¡¯re to not only take the shard, but also to swing the war effort towards our favor.¡±
¡°Which will all be for naught if the enemy manages to land a strike using the shard on you,¡± she retorted. ¡°You are the strategic asset. We need to secure the shard or find some way of preventing its use against you first. Only then can we safely begin striking against the forces of the Hegemony here.¡±
Orodan had thoughts about that plan in his mind, yet for now stowed them away.
In any case, things were clearer now. He had an apparent goal; was at the location he was supposed to be¡ and was close enough that Vision Of Purity could see the entirety of the Palace of the Eternal Moon.
It saw everyone within. It could look through walls, objects, people and terrain to see whatever he needed to.
Including the Lord of Night sitting atop his throne, the shard on an amulet around his neck.
#
¡°We should detonate the weapon immediately and restart!¡± Zaessythra argued. ¡°Now that we know where the shard is, we can bring in as much assistance and strength as necessary to assault the palace on the next attempt.¡±
¡°I thought that¡¯s to be used only when the Hegemony descends upon us,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How about we confront this Lord of Night first?¡±
Beating up the regular werewolf guards and sending them into unconsciousness was a trifling matter, and from there finding the entrance to the palace proper was simple enough. The problems however arose when they encountered the first of the Blood Guard, the royal guards of the Palace.
Each one had elaborate spells cast upon their minds, tethers connecting to a hooded vampire seated to the right of the Lord of Night, and various enchanted items which all warded against mind and soul assaults. Orodan could break through all of them, but not undetected, and neither could W78.
¡°Analysis: feasibility of undetected infiltration: low. Solution: ¡break and enter.¡±
¡°Well said my friend,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°I think we¡¯ve gotten as close as we can through stealth, now the time to smash and grab. To confront the enemy.¡±
¡°The moment you do that, the Hegemony will fire their weapon, we might as well have no time at all,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Not necessarily. In the very first attempt I had¡ that shard was only used after a decent amount of time. I estimate we might have at least twenty minutes if I¡¯m being generous,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Twenty minutes is a lot of time to cause damage.¡±
She could only sigh.
¡°Well, I suppose we have no other options then,¡± Zaessythra muttered.
Orodan had one gigantic grin on his face.
The time for sneaking about was over¡ it was time for fighting!
The instant he crossed the threshold into the palace, an alarm went off and hundreds of ethereal arrows flew through the walls and passed through the very ground he walked on to assault him. He flared Shield Intent and defended against them easily enough.
¡°Analysis: soul detection and scanning wards. Information: ward efficiency is beyond this unit¡¯s ability to perform countermeasures against.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine, you¡¯ve gotten us more than far enough,¡± Orodan said as he threw the two nearest Blood Guard into the walls and ignored them. The royal guards were mere Grandmasters and not worth his time.
He sought enemy Gods and Transcendents. And the first of them responded immediately.
Ethereal, tall and lanky. With pointed ears and dual-wielding daggers which moved exceedingly fast. This was a moon elf. And the ruby-red eyes also told Orodan that this was a vampire.
¡°The time looper! Send the alert immediately!¡± the Transcendent vampire roared as a necklace around his neck glowed and sent a message pulse out.
The moon elf was quick, but still an early Transcendent. A brutal bash of his shield crunched his opponent¡¯s nose, and a mighty follow-up swing carved a horrific wound across the foe¡¯s bosom. It was but two attacks, however the shockwaves shattered all the decor and furniture of the opulent hall they were in.
¡°Apologies for breaking your home, I¡¯m here to collect something,¡± Orodan said.
The Transcendent had a look of sheer panic upon his face. Yes, the moon-elf was strong, but still a weaker Transcendent and not one with particularly high rarities either. In a straight melee, Orodan felt confident that he could overpower this lanky and fragile looking elf through honest might. Absolute Body Composition, Body Tempering, his defensive abilities and his self-healing capabilities came together to make Orodan Wainwright a deadly foe who was far stronger than one would think, and practically unkillable.
To the side, the very dimensional boundaries crackled as Zaessythra was battling a twelve-foot-tall glowing yellow werewolf of hulking proportions. It was a God which was expending energy by the second to remain in the material plane, divine energy roiling off its frame. It was an expert at unarmed combat. She was winning but barely, and at this rate the battle would simply drag on.
Frankly, Orodan thought this skinny dagger-wielding foe was a bit unsatisfying anyways. Which was why he pulled Zaessythra by the shoulder and nudged her towards his opponent as he rotated and turned to face the werewolf God.
¡°Let¡¯s swap, my opponent is a bit weak for my tastes,¡± Orodan said.
She rolled her eyes but looked all too happy to bully the weakling he¡¯d traded off.
¡°Time looper! Your end approaches! You face Gregorios the Golden Claw; the yellow moon empowers me and all wolf-kin of Narictus pray to me for their might!¡± the werewolf bellowed. ¡°That puny shield and little body of yours won¡¯t hold up against my assault! Evade me or die where you stand!¡±
¡°Shield? Evade?¡± Orodan asked as he put both weapons away. ¡°I want to face you like a warrior!¡±
The enemy God¡¯s eyes widened a fraction as Orodan chose the ridiculous option of meeting its divinely empowered claw with his fist.
An All-Strike met a mighty divine claw, the two attacks met and stalemated for a brief moment until the Action Increases came into play and the werewolf God was blown backwards and sent through multiple walls of the incredibly durable palace.
[All-Strike 89 ¡ú All-Strike 90]
[Divine Resistance 52 ¡ú Divine Resistance 53]
Fist against claw. Finally, a proper brawl.
¡°Divine Resistance¡ of course. I neglected the warnings and paid the price. No more¡ now you face me and my own might!¡± Gregorios bellowed and blitzed forward to meet Orodan once more.
The next clash of blows was far more even. Mainly because the werewolf God was using its own soul energy rather than divine energy gathered from its followers.
Orodan¡¯s right fist was caught by the enemy¡¯s left hand, and the werewolf God¡¯s right claw was tightly gripped in Orodan¡¯s left. They were in a locked grapple, broken by a sudden knee from Orodan slamming into his opponent¡¯s leg, causing it to buckle.
¡°I see tales of your might and talent were not exaggerated. You truly do fight toe-to-toe,¡± the werewolf said. ¡°Still, I have one more method of attack than you do. Fear the fangs that come for your neck!¡±
A set of jaws suddenly swooped down and attempted to lunge for his exposed neck¡
¡only for Orodan to meet them with a furious headbutt.
[Unarmed Combat Mastery 89 ¡ú Unarmed Combat Mastery 90]
[New Title ¡ú Unarmed Combat Master]
His enemy¡¯s attack was partly successful in that pieces of fang and tooth were embedded in Orodan¡¯s skull. However, these pieces came from the utterly shattered face of the werewolf whose jaws had been broken.
Did he think Orodan feared biting? If jaws came for his neck, Orodan would simply meet them with his hard head!
The werewolf was no slouch, however. The grandstanding and threatrics on his opponent¡¯s part soon stopped and a deathly serious melee began as Orodan matched the werewolf God blow-for-blow and began overwhelming it. It was strong, stronger than the weak moon-elf vampire, but perhaps a notch below Zaessythra in terms of battle-power.
Within two minutes, Gregorios the werewolf God of the Hegemony was on his last legs and about to be dealt a finishing blow when a mental assault smashed into Orodan¡¯s mind.
[Psionic Resistance 78 ¡ú Psionic Resistance 79]
[Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 85 ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 86]
Not bad, but the Celestial Emperor¡¯s was stronger, and this assault was a Psionic one.
The culprit was a True Vampire hanging off the roof, upside-down, looking every bit the stereotypical bat as possible. The enemy Psionic also looked utterly disoriented and on the verge of losing grip and falling down to the ground. Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity had made it pay dearly for the assault.
¡°My Psionic Resistance just levelled up, thank you,¡± Orodan said, preparing to advance.
Before he could though, he heard familiar metallic whirring and the angry whirr of a machine. W78 was expanding into combat form.
The next mental assault wasn¡¯t delivered by the enemy psionic, but by his friend who then caused it to fall off. It began flying in the air, W78 activated some manner of propelling flame underneath them which allowed the metallic warrior of the Unity to also fly and meet the True Vampire in combat.
Zaessythra had successfully killed the Transcendent moon-elf vampire too. All in all, this freed Orodan up to launch a downward All-Strike towards his opponent¡
¡which missed as the entirety of the Palace of the Eternal Moon shifted.
It was space manipulation; someone was folding space inwards to draw them towards the throne room of the palace.
Orodan would¡¯ve ordinarily countered the hostile spatiomancy, but for once, getting closer to the Lord of Night was in line with his goals.
The Palace shifted, space folded and the walls moved about until they were somehow standing in the throne room.
Before them were a number of individuals. And the one sitting upon the throne was only the second most interesting one of the bunch.
The Lord of Night, a man known as the progenitor of vampire-kind across their galaxy. Rumored to be at level 149 with a Celestial skill. Blood-red eyes which felt as though they were attempting to scour Orodan¡¯s very soul.
To the right of the man, a half-dragon, half-elven vampire. His scales shimmered with a strange silver power and Orodan¡¯s gut told him that this man was a step above Zaessythra in battle-power.
Behind the throne itself, there was an opening leading to a clear view of the night sky and the three moons of Narictus. A view that was now subsumed almost entirely by a gigantic phoenix whose flames were a deep crimson red. It had accepted the blood-curse. Orodan felt this was perhaps the weakest of the bunch, no stronger than the werewolf he¡¯d fought and bested.
To the sides of the throne were Transcendent vampires, one of whom bore the sigil of House Evgaros, and another the sigil of House Varachma. There were more Transcendent and Grandmaster nobility among the vampires as well, but weaker. With the heads of the houses being the mightiest.
And the last¡
¡Orodan¡¯s eyes never left the final person, even as the Lord of Night began speaking.
¡°Welcome, time looper. You devastate my subordinates and cause chaos, all in the name of this shard, yes?¡± the Lord of Night asked as he pointed to the shard hanging off his neck in the form of an amulet. ¡°Is this your first time meeting me? If so, I am Vakan Almante, Lord of Night. You stand before the Midnight Court that I preside over. Care to introduce y-¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡! Long have I waited for this moment!¡±
That voice sounded so familiar, yet it was so mangled and distorted. The hatred in Orodan¡¯s heart stirred, and his grip on his weapons tightened. He wanted nothing more than to wage eternal battle and war against the foe right this instant.
¡°Agathor¡! What the hells did you do to yourself?¡± Orodan asked, pure venom in his voice. ¡°No¡ I care not. Let¡¯s fight here and now, I have an unsettled grudge against you.¡±
¡°I shall run no more¡! I will fight you to the very end! Do you like the new power I wield? A most mighty fusion, a blurring of the very System¡¯s boundaries, the line between God and Transcendent need not be so distinct when one can fuse both together. The divine mixing with man¡ God fusing with Transcendent. Who needs an Avatar¡ when a Crusader is far superior?¡±
This was an example of one of the Hegemony¡¯s foul aberrations. A Crusader.
Beings that had been sent after Zaessythra hundreds of thousands of years ago. Gods couldn¡¯t freely enter the material realm without great cost and the constant expenditure of power, but what if a God was combined with a Transcendent in a brutal process in which one party was almost entirely gone? The result¡ was a Crusader.
Albeit this one that hadn¡¯t bonded correctly from the looks of it.
Agathor, the Inuanan God of War, the mightiest of the human Gods of Alastaia, his home world. The man who¡¯d fled thirty-thousand years ago and given cause for the Void Horror to rise up and destroy all civilization on the continent. The God who¡¯d then tried to possess Orodan and enter the time loops.
The very God who Orodan had mentally subverted and commanded to face him.
Was now a broken shell.
It was more than a little unsightly, seeing two extra arms popping out and Agathor¡¯s typical skin being cracked and broken in multiple places. Divine energy constantly flitted in and out, and then the soul energy of whoever the other being was periodically spurted forth as well.
A botched combination. And if Vision Of Purity was right¡ not one which favored Agathor.
¡°Are you even in control? Ironic¡ once upon a time you sought to possess me, and now look what¡¯s happened¡ you¡¯re being worn like a suit,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Who knew that planting the seed of courage and a deathly desire to meet me in battle once more would do this to you?¡±
¡°You know nothing of the pain! That violating feeling of an unriddable thought planted into your mind¡ no matter how many times I sought to escape it I could not. It haunted my every waking moment!¡± Agathor roared. ¡°But now¡ now I shall slay you and be free at last! And whatever strange obscuration you have placed upon Alastaia will soon be stripped and I shall return to rule over my birthright.¡±
In fact, at the time Orodan had used Incorruptible Being upon the thought he¡¯d snaked into the small bit of consciousness Agathor sent into his Avatar host. This caused that small thought to become pervasive, interminable. This created what stood before him now.
¡°A weakling like you will do nothing. Even with the seed of courage forcibly planted into your head you¡¯ll always be a coward, a thrall at core who can never take charge of his own destiny,¡± Orodan countered.
¡°You die now, Orodan! You will pay for all the suffering I have en- no, wait! Let me remain in control for a bit lon-¡±
The divine energy remained, but the glow of the eyes vanished.
¡°That little upstart¡ he comes to our master, begging for the might necessary to beat the time looper, and he dares to take control from me?¡± the new voice asked. ¡°You, time looper. You are the reason for his mental state are you not? Good. Once you¡¯re broken, I¡¯ll have you fix his mind so the fusion can progress smoothly and reach equilibrium.¡±
¡°That would involve beating me first,¡± Orodan challenged as he stepped forward. ¡°Whether he¡¯s merged with some four-armed ogre or not, I¡¯ll kill both you and Agathor at the same time.¡±
¡°Bold words. Orodan Wainwright, was it?¡± the Lord of Night asked. ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered, and you shan¡¯t be escaping today. Setting foot on Narictus was a mistake.¡±
No more words were necessary, for the battle had begun.
Vakan Almante, the Lord of Night, simply hung back. Zaessythra engaged the half-dragon vampire, W78 began fighting against the phoenix and the other Transcendents in the room yet would soon be overwhelmed without support.
As for Orodan, his eyes were set on the hated enemy from his past. He vowed then and there that Agathor would be the first God he killed. He charged forward to meet the incoming foe.
Agathor¡¯s original form had a hammer in the left and a great sword in the right, with two spears on the back. This new form of his was four-armed, and the other two arms wielded these spears.
All his Action Increases came together. Sword and shield met spears, hammer and great sword.
And Orodan found himself being forced backwards, barely managing to remain on his feet.
¡°They do not lie about you. You truly are a physical freak of existence,¡± the Crusader spoke. ¡°Without the merging, I doubt either Agathor or I could have beaten you individually. Yet, together, with our souls nearly merged¡ you will find a Crusader to be a daunting foe. I can access his Mythical rarity skill, and he can access mine.¡±
Every blow of his was countered, his Combat Mastery not providing him nearly enough skill to match this foe. It was akin to fighting a foe who knew what he was going to do before he did it.
[Combat Mastery 88 ¡ú Combat Mastery 89]
Still, it just wasn¡¯t enough time.
The phoenix summoned dozens of powerful necromantic minions. The Transcendent vampires were ganging up on W78, and Zaessythra was losing against the half-dragon vampire. All while Vakan Almante, the Lord of Night, simply sat in his chair, goblet of blood in hand.
Ten minutes of battle passed, and W78 shouted out a warning even as his friend was being pounded from all sides and on the verge of defeat.
¡°Information: dimensional layers being breached.¡±
¡°Orodan! We have to go for it now!¡± Zaessythra shouted. Seemingly on the verge of activating the fail-safe weapon provided by the Conclave.
¡°Give me¡ twenty more seconds!¡± Orodan roared, and he then began focusing on something unexpected.
The necromantic minions summoned by the vampiric Phoenix which had unholy flames emanating from them.
He cast the single most overpowered Time Reversal he could upon them.
[Time Reversal 76 ¡ú Time Reversal 77]
[Time Mastery 72 ¡ú Time Mastery 73]
¡°He¡ he resurrected the minions¡!¡± the lord of House Varachma said.
¡°The amount of power needed to do such a thing¡¡± muttered the half-dragon fighting Zaessythra.
He hadn¡¯t seen it too clearly before, but when a Phoenix was bringing the dead back and Orodan then reversed the situation and resurrected them¡ certain things became apparent. Certain insights could be made.
Life and death¡ death and rebirth¡ what was the true thing in common between it all?
Time.
Time was what affected the passage of everything.
What Orodan then needed in this situation and the attempts of this moving forward, was more time.
Beating a level 149 Celestial skill bearer in perhaps twenty minutes was just impossible. Not with the number of checkpoint uses he had left.
Yet, just as time could be reversed¡ might it not also be¡ compressed?
Sped up?
As Zaessythra activated the fail-safe weapon Vakan Almante looked deathly serious the moment he realized.
¡°Embodier¡¯s Sacrifice! Stop it at all costs!¡±
Orodan focused then, with all his might, even as the fail-safe weapon activated.
And just as the final moments of this attempt drew near, as the dimensional layers shattered around him as the Hegemony fired the beam channelled through the shard at him¡
¡he found it.
[New Skill (Legendary) ¡ú Time Compression 1]
Time moved ever-so faster for him rather than everyone else. It was minuscule, and the loop was ending.
Yet, Orodan had a smile on his face.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2197]
¡°The passage will take you to the wilderness farthest away from any locations of enemy strength. We shall await your return,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The enemy can normally detect the presence of a Celestial skill bearer, to that end, Lady Sujana and I will be working to weave the ripples you produce and misdirect our foes into thinking you¡¯re elsewhere.¡±
Immediately, Orodan channelled all his power into his new skill.
Everyone else seemed to move slowly.
[Time Compression 1 ¡ú Time Compression 3]
The energy expenditure was massive, the strain on his body, nearly unbearable. And even in the slowed time he could see the concern in Zaessythra and Zhou Shan¡¯s face as they saw what was occurring. Except, to Orodan, it all seemed so slow.
It wasn¡¯t perfect, he wouldn¡¯t suddenly become all-powerful, not when the enormous energy expenditure was a limiter. That and enemy chronomancers who could try to interfere. Yet, as it stood¡ he¡¯d acquired what he wanted.
The chronomancy scroll he¡¯d been reading, the insights into time he¡¯d gleaned from seeing necromancy¡
¡it had all come together.
And with this tool, and multiple repeats of grinding, Orodan would strike the Hegemony a fell blow and steal the shard.
Agathor the Crusader would be a hurdle, as would the vampiric half-dragon. And most importantly, the Lord of Night.
Yet, with this ground-breaking new ability, Orodan felt himself more than ready to take on all comers.
After all, when one could accelerate time for themselves and had an endless amount of energy to spend. Besting the enemy was but a matter of time.
Chapter 60 - Acquiring The Shard
And so, it began.
Orodan, Zaessythra and W78 were standing before the periphery of Shadowmoon City. He¡¯d brought up the idea of going in alone. Of course that was immediately shot down. Without W78 camouflaging them, the trio would be almost instantly detected by one of the dozens of scans constantly running through the planet passively. Zaessythra held the fail-safe weapon and was the only one who could reliably kill Orodan before the Hegemony used the shard upon him.
The fail-safe provided by the Conclave - otherwise known as an Embodier¡¯s Sacrifice - was a one-time use destructive weapon of unfathomable power. One that had even caused the Lord of Night - a Celestial skill bearer of level 149 - to immediately become serious. He¡¯d done a bit of reading before they¡¯d stepped onto Narictus in this reset, and knowledge of them was rather sparse. Although what records did say was that the weapon¡¯s creation involved the death of a being at the Embodiment-level.
Lady Sujana, Knight Commander of the Conclave, had no issue with sharing a bit more about it. According to her, it was a gift from an ancient benefactor of theirs. Who the benefactor was, how they¡¯d died and what their relation to the Conclave was, she didn¡¯t say. Still, it was essentially the soul of a slain Embodier was all she¡¯d revealed, and Orodan hadn¡¯t pushed further past that.
He could infer that it was a soul detonation of ridiculous proportions.
Fail-safe aside, they were now stood before Shadowmoon City, and stealth was no longer necessary when they now knew the location of the shard and who held it. It was time to test his newfound skill in a practical capacity.
¡°The moment you begin using that skill the wards will detect us and any soul specialists they have will sense it too. This close to the city, there¡¯s no way to remain undetected when wielding the quantities of soul energy that you possess,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Information: percentage chance of detection: one hundred,¡± W78 said. ¡°Solution: subject advised to develop sense of self-preservation and reconsider planned actions.¡±
¡°Heh¡ you think so too, huh?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Mayhap someone smarter would plan and find a creative way through this hurdle, but I believe you¡¯ve come to know me. If there¡¯s a fire, the only way I know is through it.¡±
¡°Information added to database. Analysis: subject uniquely suited to producing improbable outcomes through unorthodox actions.¡±
Improbable, but not impossible.
Not when he had the time loops. Not when his unwavering will would never falter.
His eyes first began glowing white and then started blazing with power as soul energy coursed through his cells.
[Time Compression 3 ¡ú Time Compression 5]
Soul energy emanated from him with such intensity that Zaessythra had to look away, and it was all channelled into his new skill.
Everything was slow.
Zaessythra¡¯s sluggish turning of her head and the shielding of her eyes. W78¡¯s rhythmic blinking of the glyphs upon their frame, the bats in the sky and the werewolf guards in the distance whose shouts were all distorted.
And the immediate if distorted blaring of a city-wide alarm due to Orodan unleashing his soul energy.
This was all within expectations.
If he only had a limited amount of time from his detection to when the Hegemony would tear apart dimensional layers to use the shard against him¡ then he would compress time and create more of it for himself.
He channelled even more power into the skill.
[Time Compression 5 ¡ú Time Compression 7]
Time began slowing. The rhythmic blinks of runes upon W78¡¯s frame became slow enough that Orodan could now see them gradually light up. Zaessythra¡¯s speed became low enough that Orodan could see her blink, and the slow shifts in space were almost snail-like to his eyes.
Everything was slow, besides Orodan himself.
It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d slowed anyone else down, rather simply himself. The rest of the universe¡¯s timeframe ran normally, but it was his own time that Orodan had compressed and sped up. Compressing a second to play out at ten times the speed, this was Time Compression. Not for anyone else, the regular time flow wasn¡¯t affected, but for Orodan only.
To those who saw him, it was as though every frame of time which impacted him was ten times faster. It was utterly addicting, it was supreme. No other chronomancer could manage such a feat, not when the energy costs were prohibitive enough that Orodan was nearing death.
He ramped down the compression, and still felt dramatically faster than everything else around him.
Still, this wasn¡¯t perfect. He wasn¡¯t all-powerful.
The sheer strain on his body was unbelievable as his own soul energy threatened to kill him. And most importantly¡
¡the existence of other chronomancers.
For a while everything was slow, and then, Orodan felt interference. Someone attempting to wrest control of time away from him. The source was behind the ripples in space appearing before him, even if the portal hadn¡¯t fully materialized yet.
For thirty seconds of distorted time, Orodan resisted this unknown enemy chronomancer, until they finally realized that attempting to overpower a seemingly endless power source during chronomancy was a silly tactic. Instead, Orodan learned why quickening himself through chronomancy wasn¡¯t the instant win he thought it would be.
Smooth skin in certain places, draconic scales in others, shimmering with silver power. This was the half-dragon that was giving Zaessythra a difficult time in the last long loop. And unlike everyone else, this half-dragon was moving at a normal speed in Orodan¡¯s hastened time, and Orodan himself felt the increased expenditure of energy on his end as a result.
¡°Profound¡ such raw might with Time Compression, yet such an unrefined usage of it,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°Riding the wave of your Time Compression is trivially easy.¡±
¡°You¡¯re moving as fast as I am¡ you¡¯re hastening yourself too?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Far from it. Simply riding the hastened time field you¡¯ve created,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°Going so fast would be taxing for even my draconic reserves of power. Yet, to hitch a ride upon yours? Much nicer, and it negates your advantage as well.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes glowed further, and he focused in on exactly what was occurring.
Time Compression on himself was essentially creating a separate time field and compressing it, allowing him to move very, very fast. It made everything he did far faster while the world around him moved at normal speed. However, as he was beginning to learn, enemy chronomancers could jump onto his compressed ¡®field¡¯ and experience the positive benefits for themselves. This also increased the energy cost of the skill as it involved speeding up another person, with the cost increasing the higher their energy reserves were.
[Time Compression 7 ¡ú Time Compression 8]
No more, he thought.
Soul energy erupted and the aim was to throw this half-dragon intruder out of his time field.
For a moment, the two of them tussled over control of time, and Orodan despite his inferior skill might have even won if that contest went on. His enemy wasn¡¯t stupid however and the half-dragon Transcendent had already learned that Orodan¡¯s energy reserves were bottomless.
Instead¡
¡even more unwanted people were dragged into his field of compressed time. Not the beneficial kind who might be of help to him, but the enemy. A glowing golden-furred werewolf God was hastened, as was a Transcendent moon-elf vampire. And the speed of the Time Compression naturally slowed as two more beings of great power were thrown onto the hastened time field. The energy costs for Time Compression were spiralling upwards as this half-dragon forcibly threw more people onto Orodan¡¯s spell.
[Time Compression 8 ¡ú Time Compression 10]
¡°Such speed¡! I feel invincible! The world shall know the might of Gregorios!¡± the golden werewolf God declared. ¡°The first to die¡ shall be these slow allies of yours!¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes widened as he caught onto the implication. The enemies who had jumped onto his hastened time field were moving far faster than normal time. Yet, Zaessythra and W78 were not.
The sensible move would¡¯ve been to drop it altogether and fight at regular speed. Yet, that wasn¡¯t Orodan¡¯s way. The way he saw it; in for a copper¡ in for a silver.
¡°You won¡¯t win,¡± the half-dragon boasted. ¡°I¡¯ll simply keep adding more people to this hastened time field of yours. Your allies will die, and then you¡¯ll be stuck fighting us all by yourself. Your talents in chronomancy are nothing compared to mine.¡±
¡°I admit, your grasp over time is far superior to mine. I won¡¯t be stopping you from jumping onto my time fields any time soon,¡± Orodan professed. ¡°Still, outskill me you might, but overpower me you won¡¯t. Since you insist on dragging more people in here, let me join in on this game. Let¡¯s see just how far I can push this Time Compression.¡±
At the very least, this would be excellent training.
With a look of utter concentration, Orodan drew Zaessythra and W78 into the hastened time field too. W78 wasn¡¯t so bad, and neither was Zaessythra, yet the Embodier¡¯s Sacrifice she carried was utterly monstrous in the amount of energy it contained and pulling it into the time field nearly overwhelmed Orodan with how much the energy expenditure spiked.
[Time Compression 10 ¡ú Time Compression 12]
Zaessythra popped into the hastened time and immediately acclimated, as did W78.
¡°Analysis: energy usage matching average output of small world core,¡± W78 said.
¡°You think? I¡¯ve gotten better at withstanding my own soul energy, but this is straining even me,¡± Orodan growled as his body crackled with power.
The enemy half-dragon didn¡¯t look too happy at the development either.
¡°Do you think dragging your allies into the Time Compression will do anything? Perhaps you feel your endless soul gives you free reign to do as you wish?¡± the half-dragon vampire asked. ¡°I have heard of you, Orodan Wainwright. They speak in hushed whispers of the time looper as though you¡¯re more legend than man, yet everything has its limits, even you. Just how many more people can you hold aloft in this hastened time field of yours? How much soul energy will you expend till you either give up and stop or your physical form burns out entirely?¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you help me test that then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°After all, if you¡¯re so high and mighty, how about we determine which is superior¡ your control over time, or my raw power to affect it?¡±
¡°A banal taunt which will not work. My master has instructed me to avoid putting you in situations where you might rapidly gain power,¡± the half-dragon vampire said even as its silvery scales shimmered with the power of time. ¡°Do you think me a fool? That I¡¯d simply allow you to gain strength? We have been told of your proclivity for gaining skills through death.¡±
A shame, Orodan was hoping the half-dragon would be easy to taunt, but that wasn¡¯t going to be the case. At high levels, once his enemies knew of the loop¡ they were unwilling to allow him free reign to take advantage of it.
¡°That¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve at least put the idea into my head and that¡¯s what matters,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And if you¡¯re not going to pull more people into this Time Compression of mine¡ then I¡¯ll simply do so myself.¡±
His eyes began glowing, overflowing with soul energy as he threw more and more power into the Time Compression. Long ago, Eternal Soul Reactor was a painful skill to draw upon, nowadays though, it was just a rush of exhilaration as he brought his willpower to bear upon his soul and demanded it churn harder and harder while he denied its explosion.
Unlike the finesse of this enemy chronomancer, Orodan couldn¡¯t easily drag select individuals into his Time Compression from a distance, not yet at least. Instead, his method of expanding the range of his hastened time field¡ was to slowly push it outwards, enveloping everything it touched.
His body began to tear itself apart, his cells began suffering destruction and Orodan neared death as the energy costs of Time Compression dramatically increased as he slowly began pulling more and more of the environment into it.
[Time Compression 12 ¡ú Time Compression 13]
[Time Mastery 73 ¡ú Time Mastery 74]
This was excellent training, even if he was nearing death as he did so.
His enemy really didn¡¯t seem to like it though.
¡°That time field is expanding as we speak! The energy expenditure will kill him!¡± the half-dragon vampire roared. ¡°Do not allow the time looper to kill himself!¡±
Thus began the most curious battle he¡¯d been in to date, where Orodan was expanding his chronomantic spell to cover an ever-growing area, and the enemy was fleeing as he did so.
Who knew that chronomancy was such a convenient way of forcing them to gain some distance lest they cause Orodan to kill himself through excessive soul energy channelling?
Immediately, the half-dragon vampire threw the werewolf God and the moon-elf Transcendent out of the time field. This had the subsequent effect of lowering the pressure upon Orodan. Less burden, however, this meant not as much gains.
Following this, the next card they played was the familiar mental assault. An enemy True Vampire tried drilling into his mind with a psionic attack, yet it failed with W78 moving to engage it, and the time field simply kept expanding.
Of course, the enemy half-dragon¡¯s retreat didn¡¯t mean that it had left Orodan alone entirely. Rather, it was simply preparing its next move. A tactic which involved dragging mass numbers of lower level chronomancers into Orodan¡¯s Time Compression.
[Time Compression 13 ¡ú Time Compression 14]
The strain upon his body increased noticeably, yet it wasn¡¯t as much as it would be if a God or Transcendent had been dragged in for a ride. Instead, a force of roughly two-hundred Grandmaster-level chronomancers had been brought in. And how did he know they were such? Because the second they came in, they began alleviating the pressure on Orodan, taking a good portion of the burden of the Time Compression onto themselves.
¡°Hey! That¡¯s mine!¡± Orodan yelled. ¡°You can¡¯t just¡ take control of my skill!¡±
¡°They can, and they¡¯re smart to do so,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Counter-chronomancy will always be something you have to worry about, and the forces of the Hegemony are rather good at it.¡±
It was as though Orodan had created a gigantic storm, one he was powering, only to have these interlopers now come in and begin powering it themselves thereby reducing the pressure on him. As though he were pressing a heavy log above his chest and someone else was pulling upwards at the same time. Easier for him, yet it robbed him of the strain needed to grow. In any other situation it might¡¯ve been good, but not in a time loop where he was trying to gain skill levels and better himself.
Yet not all control of the spell had been wrested from him. He could still influence just how fast it went. And if these vampires thought they could empower his Time Compression themselves¡ then perhaps it was time to ramp it up even faster.
¡°Fine, just try and keep up then,¡± Orodan challenged.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 96 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 97]
He was reduced to a handful of cells as he pushed Eternal Soul Reactor hard. Yet, he was confident that death wouldn¡¯t come just yet, mainly because¡
¡they really wanted him alive.
¡°My lord¡ it¡¯s too much! Our reserve batteries have been drained dry and if we go any further, we risk soul explosion ourselves!¡± one of the enemy Grandmaster chronomancers exclaimed.
¡°Then do so! We cannot afford the time looper dying! How long until the ritual is prepared?!¡± the half-dragon vampire asked.
¡°Another second of real time my lord!¡±
Everything not caught in the ever-expanding field of greatly hastened time looked almost frozen, for that was just how compressed the time field was. Both sides were attempting to direct the speed of the time field, yet Orodan had decided to drive it off a cliff and ramp it up to insanity.
Just as a few of the enemy chronomancers began dying as their souls exploded from the strain, a new addition made itself known. In the form of a familiar four-armed aberration which was a mockery of his old foe.
It was exceedingly strange to see someone practically grapple with a time field and somehow slow it down, yet this was exactly what Agathor was doing. Four arms wrapped around the time field and somehow physically interacting with something that should¡¯ve been intangible. It was an expression of the Mythical skill the Inuanan God of War had told Orodan about long ago, in the long loop in which he¡¯d tried possessing him.
Most Mythical skills weren¡¯t quite as apparent, often working in the background, yet this one rather clearly demarcated itself as Mythical with how it affected reality and broke the conventions on what should be possible. Whether it was Agathor piloting the skill or the Transcendent who wore the God of War like a foul divine suit, it was a reminder that Orodan wasn¡¯t the only one in the universe with Mythical skills.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! I have come to exact my revenge!¡± Agathor roared.
The time compression was dramatically slowed down, the enemy half-dragon and the force of Grandmaster-level chronomancers that had been ferried in were relieved, and Agathor held two spears in each under arm, and a great sword and warhammer in the others.
Orodan¡¯s weapons were already in hand the moment he saw the Inuanan War God, and the two met in the middle for a titanic clash. Unlike last time where he¡¯d been forced back, this time he was still on the losing end but maintained his footing far easier. The small improvements mattered, and eventually they would add up.
The shockwave emanated throughout the time field, causing it to ripple unsteadily. Likely the expression of Agathor¡¯s Mythical skill which allowed the God of War to affect the intangible with his physical form.
¡°Long have I waited to meet you once more! There shall be no retreat today, no surrender! This shall end with either your death or mine!¡± Agathor declared. ¡°The foul seed you planted within my mind has not left my thoughts since-¡±
Agathor roared suddenly, and the divine glow left his eyes.
¡°Annoying fool¡ his hatred for you actually allowed him to overpower me for a while,¡± the voice spoke. It came from the mouth of Agathor, yet it wasn¡¯t Orodan¡¯s hated foe. ¡°Greetings, time looper.¡±
¡°It¡¯s rude to intrude on a meeting between old friends,¡± Orodan said as his sword and shield locked against the weapons of ¡®Agathor¡¯, barely holding even in the deadlock.
¡°Friends? If that¡¯s how your friends feel about you, I don¡¯t wish to meet your enemies,¡± the Crusader said. ¡°I am-
A headbutt from Orodan interrupted the Crusader and made his nose crunch inwards in a most satisfying manner.
¡°Save it. I¡¯ve been meeting enough people whose names are irrelevant. I have a rather thorny history with those who like possessing and wielding the bodies of others,¡± Orodan said. He¡¯d been the victim of it once, never again. ¡°To me, you¡¯re simply the Crusader, Agathor¡¯s jailor, that¡¯s all you are and all you will be when I kill you.¡±
¡°If. If you kill me,¡± the Crusader said.
Orodan had grown slightly stronger since the last attempt. And his Unarmed Combat Mastery was now at the Master level.
Still, against a monstrously skilled warrior like Agathor, his own skill was more than a bit wanting. He really wasn¡¯t sure which skill Agathor had divinity in, or whether it was the Crusader who wore the War God like a suit, but Orodan was almost certain someone inhabiting the body had a Combat Mastery above 100. It was an exceedingly difficult skill to achieve Transcendence in, and people pushing Combat Mastery past 100 were considered powerhouses who could hit above their weight class in a fight.
Still, it wasn¡¯t an insurmountable difference.
Agathor, or this Crusader, whoever it was; they fought with crisp combat technique, impeccable timing and a level of finesse and agility that was just incredible. On Alastaia, teachers of the martial path would point to them as the shining example of skill and Combat Mastery.
However, Orodan had been in the time loops for a little bit now. And he knew that people could have the same skill at the exact same level as someone else and still have different outcomes with it due to perspective. The goal then, was to hone his own unique perspective on Combat Mastery, for he knew that he saw fighting differently to Agathor or this Crusader.
Unfortunately, it would be an endeavor taking more than a few loops, as Agathor¡¯s wrestling of time had allowed for further intrusions.
¡°Warning: additional enemy ritualists detected,¡± W78 said.
True enough, more beings entered the time field, courtesy of the half-dragon chronomancer who Zaessythra was failing to keep pinned down. And as Agathor kept Orodan occupied, the Grandmaster-level mages and ritualists of the Midnight Court got to work in drawing ritual circles and finally establishing a tether.
This tether went from Orodan¡¯s Time Compression¡ towards the world core of Narictus itself. A titanic amount of energy to fuel Time Compression at whatever speed Orodan wanted to have time compressed at. He suspected he wouldn¡¯t be causing a drain upon it so easily by spinning his hastened time field faster.
And with that, the familiar Vakan Almante stepped into the time field, a shimmering silver necklace around his neck glowing. Orodan suspected that attempts at manipulating the Lord of Night through chronomancy would be harder than expected.
¡°Time looper. You have caused quite some destruction and forced us to bring forth rituals and tactics meant to stop the coordinated chronomantic maneuvers of entire armies,¡± the leader of Narictus spoke. ¡°Your raw power is impressive. Even the vaunted Avraxas was not capable of such raw might in his younger years. I admire your might, I say this sincerely. Enough so that I feel the need to join in myself.¡±
One moment, Orodan was locking blades with the Crusader.
And the next¡ a jarring impact took him right off his feet.
He was on the ground, a sword through his chest and the Lord of Night causing blood to flow from a slit vein on his wrist to the blade of the sword which then reached Orodan himself.
Vakan Almante, was attempting to convert Orodan into a vampire.
¡°You have no heart¡ no real blood or veins, such a strange and curious body. Yet, it will suffice, for Vampirism starts from the soul¡ and from what the Celestial Emperor has told us, damage and changes to your soul are retained throughout these time loops, are they not?¡± the Lord of Night asked. ¡°In case our main method of dealing with you fails¡ this should serve as a form of insurance. You saw fit to violate one of our own, stripping the gift from them, then it is only fair that you receive it in his place. Now then, Orodan Wainwright¡ embrace the hunger.¡±
The Lord of Night¡¯s blood flowing down the sword finally reached the open wound, and Orodan felt a touch of it¡ the hunger. The desire to gnaw.
He felt it¡
¡and promptly laughed at it as his cells and soul utterly burned it away.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 93 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 94]
The Lord of Night¡¯s eyes took on a serious edge as he focused and Orodan felt the flow of blood between the sword and his chest get faster, and the blood itself grow more potent.
This wasn¡¯t simply blood from another True Vampire, this was the blood of the Lord of Night, a vampire rumored to be the progenitor of them all and one of the Hegemony¡¯s mightiest beings. In a straight fight, Orodan stood no chance against this being.
And yet, the curse of vampirism from the progenitor himself was failing to take root within Orodan.
¡°¡how? Your body resists¡ no. Rather, your very cells are incorruptible, your soul¡ pure.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not even my soul,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°It¡¯s just that your curse of vampirism¡ is dirty. And now that I¡¯ve seen your blood and its impurities, allow me to give it a good scrubbing.¡±
The blood that had already entered through the sword was Orodan¡¯s first target.
It was tough, utterly resisting change of any sort. Vampirism was part of its essence down to the smallest level, a fact grounded in reality. No other True Vampire could compare.
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning struggled at first¡ for this was a challenge even it would find daunting.
Yet, what was the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning if not a extension of Orodan¡¯s own understanding of cleaning? When it came to cleaning things, there was no insight Orodan could not find, no trick he was incapable of developing¡ no filth he failed to clean.
The Time Compression was let go and Orodan funnelled every bit of soul energy he had into Domain Of Perfect Cleaning¡
¡towards the blood and body of Vakan Almante, the Lord of Night and the first vampire.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 94 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 95]
Agony, disbelief, impossibility.
The wail that came forth from the ancient being¡¯s lips contained all of these and many more unfathomable emotions. As Orodan¡¯s Domain progressed, targeting not only the blood, but the skin, the flesh, the very soul, the Lord of Night reacted accordingly¡
¡and a wave of blood and darkness capable of destroying an entire world was the last thing Orodan saw.
As the darkness took him, it was interesting to note that when pushed to such an extent, the Lord of Night would throw all notion of keeping Orodan alive out the window. Zaessythra hadn¡¯t even needed to activate the fail-safe weapon for that one.
Who knew that the thought of having his vampirism scoured would terrify the Lord of Night so?
Time loop or not, everyone had their triggers and buttons. And not everyone was okay with the notion of sacrificing themselves simply to deal a time looper a permanent blow. After all, he was in the time loop, they weren¡¯t.
Then perhaps, it was simply a matter of finding which buttons to press in order to attain maximal benefits for himself.
#
The next twenty-five checkpoint loops went along in similar fashion.
Orodan rose, made way for Shadowmoon City and then promptly assaulted the Palace of the Eternal Moon with his full power once he got close enough.
All throughout, his combat skills and mastery of chronomancy began to slowly grow.
¡°Profound¡ such ludicrous might with Time Compression, yet an amateur usage of it,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°However, riding the wave of your Time Compression isn¡¯t too difficult.¡±
[Time Compression 34 ¡ú Time Compression 35]
[Time Mastery 77 ¡ú Time Mastery 78]
Orodan simply smiled.
¡°Analysis: energy usage matching output of medium world core,¡± W78 said.
¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± Orodan replied and then looked to the half-dragon who was wisely staying out of melee range against him. ¡°Now then, go ahead, add some more people to this Time Compression field, why don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Do you think I would rise to such taunts? We know what you¡¯re capable of, time looper,¡± the half-dragon vampire said.
¡°Fine by me, I¡¯ll simply bring everything into my Time Compression myself.¡±
Following this, Orodan began dragging the surrounding environment and beings into his time field at a shockingly fast pace. Quick enough that the half-dragon chronomancer didn¡¯t even have time to bark orders and simply had a grim look on his face as he immediately summoned all available Grandmaster-level chronomancers into the field of hastened time created by Time Compression.
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That was another thing that had begun occurring. Around the time Orodan reached the Apprentice level with Time Compression, the enemy had begun sending all the chronomancers they had on hand to deal with him. Chronomancers from other settlements, cities and forts were constantly streaming in as the seconds of compressed time ticked on, all in an effort to reinforce in the battle to wrest control of time from Orodan Wainwright.
The subsequent arrival of Agathor and his illogical show of wrestling the time field into moving slower put a slight damper on things and gave the ever-growing army of chronomancers some breathing room, yet even the God of War looked more worn out than usual this time.
Wrestling against Orodan¡¯s Time Compression at level 35 was perhaps a bit more strenuous.
He had to respect his enemies¡¯ attempts to stop him from gaining strength, yet the result was inevitable across the loops. They¡¯d tried fleeing far away, mind magic users from all over Narictus had come in droves, spatiomancers had attempted to lock him down, and all manner of physically oriented warriors, werewolves and gravity specialists had tried to keep him suppressed until the shard struck. Yet, it was to no avail.
Whether they attempted to suppress him or not, Orodan would simply come to them. They couldn¡¯t flee outright as they were defending the shard, and they also wanted to pin him down and utilize the shard upon him if they could.
It was as Agrimon said in their last encounter, the Hegemony were forced to rely upon the arrival of the Reject. Anything they attempted in-between was just the desperate thrashing of a dying beast. Hoping something would connect.
Two times, the Lord of Night had caught onto the fact that Orodan had been through this fight before, yet even then Vakan Almante reacted naturally, with violence, when Orodan used the Domain of Perfect Cleaning upon him.
It was an unfair match up to begin with. He had time loops on his side, and they didn¡¯t. And no matter how well the Hegemony planned their attempts to prevent his natural death and hit him with the shard, it just didn¡¯t erase the fact that beings who were millions of years old were expected to place the plan above their own self interests. Expecting the Lord of Night to not kill Orodan in immediate retaliation upon being cleaned was just something the Hegemony couldn¡¯t plan for.
Everyone had their own interests, their triggers, things which made them tick. And the knowledge that Orodan Wainwright was a time looper didn¡¯t suddenly push those things to the bottom.
And trying a situation over and over allowed for Orodan to discover some interesting methods of influencing the battle.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! I have come to exact my r-¡±
¡°Shut up and fight me before that Crusader takes over,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°Even with this new form you¡¯re naught but a coward. Subservient to the commands of your better, your divine form, wielded like a cheap puppet. I¡¯d rather strike the killing blow against you, and not the whip-cracking puppet master who possesses you.¡±
A howl of utter rage and agony echoed throughout the shattered remains of the Palace.
Agathor¡¯s eyes lost their glow.
¡°Stop riling him up, he does not have control. I do, and you¡¯ll reg-¡±
One more scream of pain echoed throughout, and the divine glow returned once more.
¡°No¡ it is I who shall remain in control! None but I shall be responsible for killing Orodan Wainwright!¡± Agathor screamed, utter madness evident in the God of War¡¯s wild eyes.
¡°Good, if I¡¯m to kill you, it¡¯s only fitting that I look into the eyes of Agathor, God of War and the mightiest of the Prime Five as I do so,¡± Orodan said.
They clashed. The shockwave barely caused a ripple in Orodan¡¯s improved Time Compression. Orodan¡¯s muscles rippled, flexed and caused gales of wind to erupt throughout the Palace¡ and this time he was the one pushing Agathor back even as their weapons were caught in a deadlock.
[Physical Fitness 89 ¡ú Physical Fitness 90]
[New Title ¡ú Physical Master]
Even Agathor seemed taken aback by his newfound Master level physical might. Orodan however said nothing more and
Unfortunately, Vakan Almante, Lord of Night, arrived shortly after and brought an end to that loop. Yet, it was proof that Orodan had made gains. All he needed was time, something he was working on acquiring more of.
He fought, compressed time and raged against the enemy upon Narictus.
And in the end, the one hundred and fiftieth checkpoint loop of this was where Orodan saw results.
#
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2047]
¡°The passage will take you to the wilderness farthest away from any locations of enemy strength. We shall await your return,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The enemy can normally detect the presence of a Celestial skill bearer, to that end, Lady Sujana and I will be working to weave the ripples you produce and misdirect our foes into thinking you¡¯re elsewhere.¡±
The air went silent, the earth still and the very world itself utterly quiet as Orodan¡¯s eyes crackled with an apocalyptic amount of soul energy. It was the very maximal amount he could pour in at the moment without killing himself.
Time was frozen around him.
He wasn¡¯t sure just how powerful the compression was, but he estimated a 1:300 ratio. Over ten times higher than the greatest time dilation chamber he¡¯d ever been in on Alastaia.
Visually, everything around him looked to be practically frozen. However, in actuality time simply flowed as normal, rather, it was him moving at three hundred times the speed of the regular flow that stood out.
1:300, it was an utterly insane number. Time dilation chambers did the same thing, except through complicated wards, enchantments and a massive expenditure of energy typically provided by a tethered mana battery or the energy reserves of an entire city.
The previous highest ratio he¡¯d experienced in a time dilation chamber was 1:20, and that was in Novar¡¯s Peak. It was a closely guarded secret lest the Time Wind dragon flight catch wind of it and take offense. Yet, when Time Mastery, the control of time through the usage of soul energy, was acquired by an individual who had a skill capable of generating an endless amount of it?
The end result could only be utterly monstrous and beyond all reason.
At the Transcendent and above level of combat, certain beings with specialized skill sets were already approaching a tenth or even a third of the speed of light itself. Orodan didn¡¯t have travel skills which allowed him to do this, nor was his actual travel speed anywhere near that, yet in terms of reaction time and combat speed, Orodan could contest such people in a melee. To then create a localized time field around himself which moved three hundred times faster? Frankly, it was utterly ridiculous.
For even the most monstrous chronomancer, Time Compression was meant to be a skill which provided a burst of swiftness at key moments. Perhaps a few times faster for a little while, after all, the more energy a being possessed, the costlier it was to use Time Compression upon themselves. Rather, speeding up an arrow mid-flight or causing a low-energy spell to travel faster were common uses of Time Compression.
Alastaia was too small a world and the civilization upon it too young, yet in other parts of the galaxy Time Compression was also used to aid in crafting, the growth of plants and animals and other miscellaneous things. It wasn¡¯t completely unheard of, and chronomancers used the skill and enchantments could be designed to replicate the effect.
Time Compression wasn¡¯t an instant victory weapon. It was balanced by the energy expenditure, and the fact that enemy chronomancers could either hop onto the localized time field, counter it through uncompressing time, or simply have anti-chronomancy wards or enchantments in place which made it very costly or interfered with it.
What wasn¡¯t fair or balanced in any way, was when such a spell entered the hands of Orodan Wainwright.
It was the same unique advantage he exploited when it came to spells such as Spatial Fold and Time Reversal. Spatial Fold was meant to allow for quick shifts and the compression of distances in small area combat. Time Reversal could, even in the hands of a monstrous Transcendent, perhaps wind back a year or two.
Neither of those two skills were supposed to be capable of folding space to the moon or reversing time for hundreds of thousands of years. He turned the usage of even the most basic spell into a matter of galactic notice. It was madness, it was utter lunacy. And that was what Orodan Wainwright brought to the table with Time Compression too.
Zhou Shan and Lady Sujana both had silvery rings on their fingers, yet only the High Sovereign¡¯s ring seemingly had any effect. Lady Sujana appeared utterly frozen in time to Orodan. Her reaction and catching onto what was happening, comically slow.
¡°What in the heavens¡¯ name¡ Orodan? Are you compressing time?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t tested it here in since my first loop acquiring it, but I figured I¡¯d give it a go,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°How come your ring protects against it while her¡¯s doesn¡¯t?¡±
¡°A number of Transcendent cultivators worked together to forge this ring, yet unlike the standard chronomancy protections which simply protect against direct time manipulation, this ring instead has a range and scans and detects for the most compressed field of time near me and automatically allows me to hitch a ride upon it,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°Prevents any chronomancy-enhanced assassins from getting an advantage in the event of a sneak attack. No matter how fast someone goes through time compression, this ring ensures that I¡¯ll be on even footing if I¡¯m in range.¡±
It was essentially what that half-dragon chronomancer did on Narictus, intruding upon Orodan¡¯s time field and dragging other unwanted parties in as well. A nifty enchanted item to have.
¡°No wonder the Lord of Night hasn¡¯t been affected¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Though, wouldn¡¯t that also interfere with any time dilation chambers you happen to be near?¡±
¡°It does indeed. Hence, I need to be mindful of not visiting any sects which focus on the Dao of Time, I broke a time dilation chamber once when it ran out of power attempting to compress time, treating me as though I was part of the time field,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°Speaking of, what ratio are you capable of going up to? Given how slow Lady Sujana¡¯s blinks are¡ perhaps 1:100? If so, utterly monstrous and as expected of you¡ I am not even surprised. The greatest dilation I¡¯ve ever seen was 1:70 and that was powered by the world core of Xian itself.¡±
¡°In truth, my ratio is actually beyond 1:300. Once I increase my self-healing abilities and strengthen my body, I can push that upwards too,¡± Orodan answered.
The High Sovereign¡¯s jaw simply dropped and hung there for a few moments.
¡°I see¡ 1:300 you say?¡± he asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°That is¡ simply unfathomable. I¡¯ve seen some instances of it and heard more rumors of the rest, but how can you channel so much power? Even the slim records we have of Embodiers are not so far-fetched.¡±
¡°My Mythical skill, Eternal Soul Reactor, helps. As does my ability to heal myself and the toughness of my body,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Anyhow, this experiment has been fun and more than a bit informative, but I don¡¯t want to panic Lady Sujana any more than necessary. And I can already see the beginnings of a glare on Zaessythra¡¯s face.¡±
¡°Good. My ring¡¯s bindings were on the verge of coming undone entirely¡ jumping onto a time field with a 1:300 compression ratio can¡¯t be good for it,¡± Zhou Shan said.
Without any further fanfare, Orodan dropped the Time Compression entirely.
The first reaction he got was the shaking of Zaessythra¡¯s head.
¡°If you wanted to broadcast your location across the galaxy, you¡¯ve done fine work,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re on Xian now but try not to do that elsewhere lest you want all sorts of attention. Any chronomancer of passing skill likely sensed that.¡±
Orodan could only shrug. What would come next this loop would draw even more attention, that was for certain.
This loop, he felt success was imminent.
#
Shadowmoon City, and within, the Palace of the Eternal Moon.
Orodan had ventured within and fought to his death inside this city enough times already. No more. This loop, he knew success would be his.
¡°They are plenty of methods to counter Time Compression and a powerful chronomancer,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°You¡¯re confident you can best them all?¡±
¡°Frankly, the chronomancy isn¡¯t even of great concern, the bigger problem is how strong the foes we face are¡ and I¡¯m confident that I¡¯m on the verge of making a breakthrough in that regard,¡± Orodan said.
She could only nod, and W78 was pliant and happy to go along with whatever he did as usual.
Then¡ it was time to move forward.
The world itself stilled as titanic amounts of soul energy were channelled into one thing.
An utterly overpowered Time Compression.
[Time Compression 48 ¡ú Time Compression 49]
[Time Mastery 80 ¡ú Time Mastery 81]
Everything was frozen, or at least it appeared so. And Orodan strode forward towards the Palace of the Eternal Moon.
It took a decent while for the interfering half-dragon chronomancer to take notice. As the loops progressed onwards, the enemy chronomancer was taking longer and longer to react to Orodan¡¯s Time Compression, which was a good sign and indicator of his growing abilities.
Still, react he did. And rather than even bother trying to reverse course and directly interfere against the Time Compression backed by a bottomless source of power, the half-dragon simply appeared through a shimmering silver portal and jumped onto Orodan¡¯s Time Compression.
¡°Impossible¡ such boundless power with Time Compression and with decent technique too¡ our information is severely outdated on you, time looper. Or¡ have you perhaps been using the time loops to gain in strength?¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°Even the almighty Avraxas, dragon Crusader of the Hegemony, cannot rival the sheer amount of power you generate. This¡ this battle is hopeless, isn¡¯t it?¡±
The half-dragon looked downwards, his fist clenched, his eyes full of anger.
This was new.
¡°Now hold on¡ aren¡¯t you supposed to now drag your allies into my time field?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°What would be the point? If you truly have looped over and over, then you know this battle by now,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°Dragging any of them into a time dilation of such intensity might cause grievous injuries. Even I struggled a decent bit in safely merging with the faster flow of your time field.¡±
¡°¡what do you intend to do then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I¡ I surrender,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°I merely beg clemency and that you do not perform upon me that accursed cleansing which you afflicted upon Ragamul.¡±
Just like that, a troublesome foe, taken out of the equation.
It was unexpected. Yet, it made sense.
Everyone had their own interests, aspirations and fears. Just because Orodan was in a time loop didn¡¯t mean everyone else¡¯s desires stopped mattering. Even if the enemy knew of his true nature, when pressed into a corner what else could someone with self-preservation instincts do but surrender?
¡°I can¡¯t say I have a good opinion of you vampires, but you¡¯ve surrendered, and I¡¯ll treat you with the due courtesy and honor you¡¯ve earned,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you butcher anyone or torture them in front of me, so as long as you stay out of the fighting, we¡¯ll simply capture you as a prisoner on our way out. Attempt to escape and I¡¯ll happily loop again to hunt you down.¡±
¡°I would not, I can see when I¡¯m outmatched,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°The information we were given on your capabilities is wildly out of date with what stands before me. They said you were a chronomancer capable of mighty feats but with poor skill and technique. I might have contributed to a victory against you if the reports were accurate¡ but when you can manipulate time like an almighty Embodier, what use am I?¡±
¡°Alright, and call your units of supporting chronomancers off too,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I will not bother getting them killed,¡± the half-dragon promised.
As they finished their conversation, the next foe made his presence known.
Four arms attempted to grapple the time field and subdue it,
¡°Orodan Wainwright! I have c-¡±
Words were unnecessary between the two of them. Orodan simply met his hated foe with a Flash Strike and got to work in melee.
Around the eightieth loop or so, Agathor was no longer capable of wrestling Orodan¡¯s Time Compression fields and altering their speed in any noticeable way.
The God of War¡¯s four weapons met Orodan¡¯s sword and shield, and with a mighty roar¡
[War Cry 40 ¡ú War Cry 41]
¡and an explosion of all the might contained with Orodan¡¯s body¡
[Physical Fitness 91 ¡ú Physical Fitness 92]
¡Agathor was utterly battered and thrown backwards like a sack of flour caught in a tornado. The sheer difference in physical might was apparent. On the side of the enemy, none save the Lord of Night could match Orodan¡¯s brute strength now.
¡°How¡?! How?! Even with this new power, with the union of God and Transcendent, I still cannot win?¡± Agathor asked, and then a frenzied look overtook his eyes. ¡°I care not! Orodan Wainwright! Either you die¡ or I do!¡±
¡°Prove it then, Agathor. Stand and face me, and don¡¯t go running away and giving control of your body back to your master,¡± Orodan mocked.
And it worked.
There was a brief flickering of the divine orange glow within the War God¡¯s eyes, but Agathor never gave up control from that point onwards.
They fought for a while longer, and Agathor¡¯s fluid skills and techniques were a good matchup against Orodan¡¯s far superior physical strength and toughness.
Still, the God of War was a slippery foe and was likely one of the most skilled combatants Orodan had ever faced. Either Agathor or the Crusader controlling him had Combat Mastery past 100, and it made them very elusive to fight.
Yet, at the end of the day, what was Combat Mastery?
Two people could have the same level in it, but different outlooks.
His old mentor Arvayne Firesword had tried to hammer skills and techniques into Orodan, and the time loops and multiple level gains had in fact succeeded in teaching such things¡ to an extent. Still, it was like trying to teach an ogre how to dance delicately. It went against the animal¡¯s nature.
And Orodan had never been one for fancy moves or flowery techniques.
As Agathor performed one more fancy flourish and evaded his brutal flurry, Orodan reassessed the situation.
On the next pass, instead of locking blades, rather than attempting to line shield against warhammer¡ Orodan simply let both his weapons go and grabbed onto Agathor¡¯s wrists.
Fighting was vicious. It was brutal¡
¡and it was violent.
Combat then, was about violence, pure and simple. The goal was to inflict as much of it upon the other party as possible until they were dead. And for far too long had Orodan subscribed to a conventional mindset regarding combat, which involved parries, dodges, blocking, counterattacks and a pattern.
Violence had no pattern; it had no structure.
And all Orodan wanted to do right now, was hurt this War God who¡¯d caused him such suffering in the past.
His hands squeezed with full force, and the two arms he was holding onto were crushed into pulp at the wrist.
It wasn¡¯t just the county militia that¡¯d taught him how to battle. He recalled breaking the face of another street rat when they¡¯d tried stealing his tattered sandals, driving a brick into their nose.
A headbutt landed upon Agathor¡¯s nose and following that¡ a vicious lunge forward where Orodan¡¯s teeth found the War God¡¯s neck and tore a chunk out, spitting it into his opponent¡¯s eyes right after.
The Demonic Berserker had taught him of true savagery.
And finally¡ the Eldritch Avatar had taught him of the hopeless frustration, the rage against all odds even when there was no chance of victory. It taught him of loss, and that desperate and brutal scramble to avoid it.
His knee rose upwards as he simultaneously pulled Agathor¡¯s head downwards, and the connection crumpled the War God¡¯s skull. His fingers gouged his foe¡¯s eyes, and both hands gripped around the enemy¡¯s neck to slam him to the ground and lay him low with Orodan on top.
The only thing left to do, was kill.
[Combat Mastery 89 ¡ú Combat Mastery 90]
Bloodlust and the promise of settling one of the longest standing grudges he had drove him onwards, unfortunately, the arrival of the familiar Lord of Night interrupted his moment.
The movements were far too fast for Orodan to keep up with. He was thrown off of Agathor and slammed onto the ground.
This was a level 149 Celestial skill bearer. Orodan stood no chance in a direct fight, and even wasting all 2057 of his remaining checkpoint uses wouldn¡¯t get him to the level where he¡¯d win a toe to toe battle.
The Lord of Night¡¯s amulet was glowing with a shimmering silver, the same kind of chronomantic amulet which Zhou Shan wore which allowed one to hop onto any faster time fields within a certain range.
A sword was buried in his chest where there was none previously.
¡°Time looper. Your might is inexplicable. How many times have you been through this fight? How many times have you died at my hands?¡± the leader of Narictus spoke. ¡°I must have tried to convert you in the past as well, yet I can only assume it failed. Troubling. But no more. Now you will remain until your final fate comes for you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve died to you many times,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Unfortunately for you, this was determined the moment we started fighting for the very first time.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t have tried to convert me into a vampire¡ all you did was give me ample reason to purify you.¡±
Vakan Almante recoiled as though hearing something heinous, yet it was too late.
Orodan channelled a near fatal amount of soul energy immediately, past the point where he would die. Yet, not towards Domain of Perfect Cleaning. Instead, it all went towards Time Compression.
[Harmony of Vitality 97 ¡ú Harmony of Vitality 98]
The additional level gave Orodan some much needed breathing room, all for the aim of drawing upon and funnelling even more soul energy into his chronomancy.
He was on his last handful of cells until¡
[Time Compression 49 ¡ú Time Compression 50]
[Dimensionalism 21 ¡ú Dimensionalism 23]
¡the Lord of Night¡¯s shimmering silver amulet finally came undone. And the atmosphere around Orodan felt very, very strange. The energy expenditure of his Time Compression had increased by a massive margin, and it was only the upgrade into the Adept level which allowed him to barely bear the cost.
Still, the enemy ritualists who¡¯d set up the tether from Orodan¡¯s Time Compression to Narictus all fled in terror as the connection between the world core and Orodan¡¯s spell practically exploded.
In the brief moments of time before the Time Compression was pulled back towards only himself, Orodan heard W78.
¡°Analysis: energy usage matching average output of large world core,¡±
The world core of Narictus¡ was unable to keep up with the output of Orodan¡¯s soul energy.
Everything around Orodan appeared to practically freeze again. Including Vakan Almante, as the Time Compression now affected only Orodan once more.
A True Vampire who was almost a peak-Transcendent with a Celestial rarity skill. Frankly, Orodan hadn¡¯t even gotten to experience his true combat power in a toe-to-toe battle. Still, the ever-burning soul of Orodan Wainwright when combined with something like Time Compression could lead to results such as this.
And yet, despite all that. Vakan Almante was moving, not fast, it was a very slow speed. Yet it was a functional speed all the same. The vampire progenitor¡¯s pores and soul erupted with volatile and deadly blood, and Orodan knew that at such a close range if even a bit of it touched him, he would die.
He could attack the Lord of Night for a whole year under the effect of this Time Compression and still not succeed in killing him. The difference in power between them was simply that great. And he couldn¡¯t even use Domain Of Perfect Cleaning without letting up on Time Compression as that was devouring practically all the soul energy he was producing.
But it wasn¡¯t killing Orodan was after.
With the extra time he now had, he cancelled the Time Compression and threw all his power into his bread-and-butter skill. The Domain of Perfect Cleaning.
With time resumed, the blood came for him, and yet Orodan¡¯s Domain pulsed out even quicker.
¡°No!¡±
A wail of pure horror and agony rang out from the Lord of Night, and Orodan¡¯s Celestial skill scoured the vampire progenitor all the way to the soul core.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 95 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 96]
Everything was scoured of vampirism, the blood coming for him, the very nearby air, the soul of Vakan Almante and the vampire¡¯s adornments and enchanted regalia. It was all cleaned.
Despite this, the cleaned blood was still quite volatile, and it continued on its course despite Orodan¡¯s cleaning. And given his current state as a handful of cells¡ it would kill him.
Well, it had been a good checkpoint loop.
Or so Orodan thought until he noticed the shimmering blue shield protecting him.
What?
Orodan reformed almost immediately. Vision Of Purity caught absolutely nothing, so he frantically spun his head about all ways. Everyone else on the battlefield was accounted for, but none of them had cast the shield.
¡°Humans, always looking down at their feet. Try looking upwards.¡±
The voice came from directly above his head and he looked upwards to be greeted by a face¡
¡most bored.
Flowing white beard, a rather plain-looking tunic, and a pointy wizard¡¯s hat, wielding a walking stick covered in cloth. He was turned upside down, floating in the air and looking directly at Orodan. Somehow, this old man¡¯s glasses didn¡¯t fall off. And he was reading a book while speaking, peering over the top to occasionally make eye contact.
¡°You aren¡¯t even casting a shadow¡ how¡± Orodan asked.
The man, perhaps a few inches above Orodan¡¯s head, cast no shadow whatsoever. Vision Of Purity could detect absolutely nothing, the only evidence of his existence, what he could see with his own eyes.
¡°I¡¯m not in this dimension,¡± the man said. ¡°Not fully.¡±
Was that why Dimensionalism had gone up?
¡°Who are you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Someone who was enjoying a nice break from maintaining a hastened time field until you decided to let up,¡± the elderly man said. ¡°Care to cast that Time Compression again?¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyebrow quirked up and he was considering refusal until he noticed that everything else around him was completely frozen, and this was without him using Time Compression.
His eyes took on a serious edge, and he immediately cast a full power Time Compression of his own.
¡°Excellent. That¡¯s quite refreshing, not often I meet someone who can match my compression rate. So much reading to do, so little time, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± the elderly wizard asked. ¡°Then again, I¡¯m told you had a poor attitude towards books until you learned better.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
¡°You still haven¡¯t told me who you are,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A bit impolite, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Of course, where are my manners. My colleague has a rather uncivil run-in with you and you¡¯re due for an execution in less than a month and here I am adding more stress to your already short life,¡± the elderly man said. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why it goes around anointing you time loopers. Every single one of your kind inevitably meets a most horrid end when they realize the impossibility of the task before them.¡±
Orodan remained silent for a time as he digested what this man just said.
Time loopers? His kind? Colleague?
It?
¡°Hold on¡ who the hells are you? Are you perhaps¡¡±
¡°An Administrator? That¡¯s what the job title is I suppose.¡±
¡°Truly? And you¡¯re just¡ descending to see me?¡±
¡°Given the large ripples through the river of time that you caused recently, it wasn¡¯t hard to find you,¡± the Administrator said. ¡°Then again, no wonder that armored lunk likes you. You both have a fondness for creating a mess, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Who?¡±
¡°Never mind, you¡¯ll be dying soon anyhow,¡± the man said.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s rather what tends to happen when one is in a time loop,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Anyhow, this has been interesting, but unless you¡¯re planning on telling me more about the situation I¡¯m in, I have things to be doing.¡±
¡°Now hold on a moment¡ you¡¯re not going to ask for my help? Beg for advice and tutelage?¡±
¡°Why would I do that? I intend to confront that colleague of yours by myself,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We have a fight that was interrupted.¡±
The Administrator stared at Orodan for a solid five seconds before speaking again.
¡°Hmm¡ you actually mean those words too¡ crazier than the Reject¡¡± he muttered.
¡°I prefer the term motivated.¡±
¡°Motivated to die. Well, there are worse things to be described as,¡± the Administrator said.
Orodan shook his head.
¡°We¡¯re getting off topic. Which Administrator are you? What¡¯s your relation to the time loops? Who put me in them? And what¡¯s expected of me?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not willing to answer the question of who put you in the loops. The true knowledge of that can be a bit volatile and¡ infectious. And what they expect of you is impossible, so I won¡¯t shatter your spirit by telling you. Though¡ I suppose if any among your kind have come closest to acting in the spirit of it, it would be you,¡± the Administrator said. ¡°As for me, you can call me The Mage.¡±
The Mage.
He¡¯d heard of the Reject, the Warrior and the Custodian. And now the Mage.
¡°Is the Reject an enemy of yours?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°In a very long-term manner of speaking one might say we share similar goals. Our methods of achieving them are a bit divergent though,¡± the Mage answered. ¡°I won¡¯t be fighting him on your behalf if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. Far too many agreements and accords in place, and we¡¯ve done that enough times over the years on behalf of one time looper or another.¡±
¡°There are other time loopers then?¡± Orodan asked.
The Mage merely gave him a look of pity.
¡°Yes, there were, no there are not. The less you know of it the better, and the less I interfere the easier for me. I don¡¯t need the Reject and the Prophet grumbling at me.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Then, if that¡¯s all, I suppose I¡¯ll be off,¡± Orodan proclaimed.
¡°Really? You¡¯re just going to leave?¡± the Mage asked.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re very forthcoming with answers or offers for assistance, so what else am I to do? Get on my hands and knees to beg?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It would be a heartfelt plea at least.¡±
¡°It would be a waste of my time. I¡¯ll either succeed through my own strength and hard work, or I¡¯ll die,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The Mage, was it? Thank you for your time and for answering some questions. I have work to do, farewell.¡±
He made way for the prone body of the Lord of Night when the Mage spoke once more.
¡°You¡¯re no fun¡¡± the Administrator muttered. ¡°Look, if you want to live and get out of this situation, just make way for the black hole at the center of your galaxy, they all have one. I can even conjure you a portal to one right now, consider it a bit of pity for the situation you¡¯re in.¡±
¡°And what does getting out of this situation entail?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Losing access to the time loops,¡± the Mage said.
¡°Then I¡¯ll pass. I like fighting too much to take you up on the offer,¡± he answered. ¡°Although¡ how about taking that annoying half-dragon companion of mine with you? She seems to keep finding trouble for herself and could use it more than me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid the offer only extends to those who are willing. And from a scan of her mind and soul¡ she would definitely not be willing,¡± the Mage said.
¡°I see. Then, we¡¯re done here. Thank you, Mage.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ I was asked to offer you a way out by the Warrior,¡± the Mage said. ¡°I might normally disagree with that tin can, but we both mutually agreed that your induction into the time loops was nothing short of cruel. Should you wish it, you can escape your impending doom.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful, because I¡¯m not. I appreciate the offer of help,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But, without the time loops I¡¯d simply remain as that one foolish county militia man who charged a Master-level foe and died. Fatal bravery and a suicidal thirst for battle, that¡¯s all I had. Yet now¡ I can fight whoever I want, as many times as needed. Why would I want to give that up? And if I can learn more about this time loop along the way, why not? I¡¯m a warrior, battle is all I was made for, it¡¯s all I ever wanted.¡±
The Mage shook his head and turned around, slowly beginning to fade out of the material plane. Yet, before he did, he had parting words.
¡°I will not interfere with one¡¯s free will. Just know this: when the time comes, avoid provoking the Reject¡¯s ire. He is merciful to those who resist, but if you push it¡ some fates are worse than death¡¡±
With those final words, the Mage faded out of reality, and Orodan dropped his own Time Compression.
Zaessythra immediately ran up to his side.
¡°Orodan¡ what did you do?¡± she asked.
¡°A meeting with an Administrator. They call him the Mage,¡± Orodan said. ¡°He froze time, and we spoke for a bit. He offered me a way out of the time loops, but I refused. I asked him to offer you a path to safety and he said you¡¯d naturally refuse it too.¡±
¡°I¡ what?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. For now, the Lord of Night, what did you even do to him?¡±
¡°What else? I cleaned him of the vampirism altogether,¡± Orodan said. ¡°No more blood sucker¡¯s curse for him. Rather pale for an elf underneath isn¡¯t he?¡±
Zaessythra said nothing yet had a grimace upon her face.
¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Are you truly capable of altering who someone is at base?¡± she asked.
¡°Of course, my Celestial skill functions off of my conception of what¡¯s considered clean,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Purifying a vampire or a Devil King is possible once I have them in range.¡±
¡°And what about half-dragons? Would you purify them too?¡± she asked.
Orodan gave her a look of offense that she¡¯d even ask such a question.
¡°Of course not, we¡¯ve been through much together Zaessythra, what manner of question is that?¡±
¡°I¡¯m no stranger to war and combat; don¡¯t take this as me lecturing you on morality,¡± she said. ¡°You did what you had to do in order to overcome a grossly superior foe. But now that it¡¯s done¡ just kill him.¡±
The transformed body of the Lord of Night was a pitiful looking one. The progenitor of the vampires was some sort of moon elf. It lent credence to the fable that Narictus had two white moons and a yellow moon until a dark ritual occurred and one of the white ones became red, leading to the creation of the vampires as a species. Vakan Almante looked utterly pitiful as a moon elf, however. Frail of body, skin stretched tight against the rib cage¡ it was a morbid sight.
Orodan¡¯s cleaning transformations could go either way. In the case of Aherozam, the gate guardian of Alastaia who he¡¯d cleansed, the True Vampire rejected its heritage and wished to become human. Hence, it had gone well. But to come in and rip the very essence of a being from its body against its consent? The results were far more detrimental. In a sense, the cleaning had entirely stripped the Lord of Night of his power.
It wasn¡¯t right to leave Vakan Almante laying here. Death would be the least of the mercies Orodan could offer.
His sword plunged into the head of the man, and the leader of Narictus would rise no more.
Orodan was about to turn and walk away if not for Zaessythra stopping him.
¡°What?¡±
¡°There¡¯s one more,¡± she said.
¡°No. He¡¯s the lowest sort of scum. He isn¡¯t fit to be considered a man let alone a God,¡± Orodan venomously spat.
¡°What manner of conduct is this? Is this how a true warrior acts? Allowing a defeated foe to languish, broken and possessed?¡± Zaessythra asked.
It would¡¯ve been all too easy to lash out. To return the blame and point a finger at her own dark past. Yet¡ that wasn¡¯t right.
¡°A whole year. I was under possession as the thrall of him and his two crony Gods for an entire year,¡± Orodan gritted out. ¡°Why should I not allow him to live with the suffering that he inflicted upon me?¡±
Zaessythra said nothing at first, instead her hand came up and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Only then did she speak.
¡°Because Orodan¡ even if he¡¯s the sort of scum who doesn¡¯t deserve a fitting end, what you¡¯re doing will leave a black mark upon your honor. There¡¯s nothing wrong with vengeance, I¡¯ve indulged in it enough during my time. There¡¯s nothing wrong with killing a hated foe either. Yet to forcibly violate his mind and then allow him to live as a possessed thrall when you¡¯ve been subject to the same? It would only dirty your own hands and conscience.¡±
He looked downward and considered her words.
She was right.
The battle had been won. Without the Transcendent half-dragon Zaessythra and W78 had worked together to eliminate a good portion of their elite forces. The rest had fled after seeing Vakan Almante fall. Narictus and the forces of the Hegemony had been dealt a heavy blow with the loss of their leader and a number of their Gods and Transcendents. And the only one remaining, was the Crusader, Agathor. Forcibly bonded to a Transcendent for the sake of remaining in the material plane without cost.
Orodan walked up to him.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ end my suffering. I am no coward¡ I came to face you, and I stood, and I fought,¡± Agathor said.
¡°You did. Agathor¡ once upon a time you were Prince of Hasmathor, and your cowardice doomed your family and nation,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Yet¡ perhaps such cowardice is only natural. Mayhap it is I, who is the odd one.¡±
Orodan reached in with Domain Of Perfect Cleaning and removed the intrusive thought which he¡¯d empowered with Incorruptible Being in the past. It was only right to talk to Agathor without any influences upon the God¡¯s mind in his final moments.
¡°Tch¡ at last you understand¡ they speak of you and your death-seeking bravery yet what part of that is normal? You would chide me for a moment of weakness when you are an anomaly among anomalies,¡± Agathor said.
¡°You¡¯re right. I will not apologize to you nor seek your clemency. You who would make thralls of people aren¡¯t worthy of it,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Yet¡ I suppose I must seek forgiveness from myself and the principles I¡¯ve gone against in seeking vengeance against you.¡±
¡°Bandy not words with me, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Agathor said. ¡°Will you kill me?¡±
¡°Yes, I will. You¡¯re my enemy, one I¡¯ve hated for a very long time,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for inflicting a fate worse than death upon you. Now, I intend to rectify this.¡±
¡°Do it then¡ let me die and pass into the next life.¡±
Orodan picked up Agathor¡¯s weapon and handed it to him even as the God of War lay upon the ground. And then, with Time Reversal, healed the War God to full health.
¡°Orodan¡ we have perhaps five minutes until the Hegemony arrives, Zhou Shan is waiting to open the dimensional passage for us,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Information: dimensional layer parting imminent,¡± W78 said.
¡°It¡¯s fine. One minute will be enough,¡± Orodan said, and then looked at Agathor. ¡°At the very least¡ the God of War should be allowed to die on his feet, weapon in hand. Like a warrior.¡±
The subsequent battle was brief. Agathor fought well, but Prince Agathor of the Hasmathorian Empire had grown up differently than Orodan. The finest of tutors, the richest of luxuries, the man had never known true struggle and pain, and consequently he¡¯d fled when the critical moment came. As a Combat Master Orodan was finally able to bridge the skill gap even easier with his unique outlook on violence.
As he plunged his empowered sword into Agathor¡¯s chest, Orodan never broke eye contact. He continued looking even as the divine light faded from the eyes of his sworn enemy.
[New Title ¡ú God Slayer]
The title wasn¡¯t as satisfying as Orodan had thought it would be.
#
¡°Incredible¡ you actually managed to kill Vakan Almante¡ how? I¡¯d have expected a pitched battle or perhaps guerilla warfare in which you slew many of their conventional forces. Even that would¡¯ve helped us,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°But to kill the Lord of Night himself? You¡¯ve tipped the war balance very noticeably in our favor. Still, I suspect you¡¯re not at the level of strength where you can challenge peak or near-peak Transcendents yet.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t deny this. I only won due to my Celestial skill interacting very unfavorably with the curse of vampirism he bore,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It was difficult, but there¡¯s naught I¡¯ve seen that I¡¯m unable to clean. And once purged of the blood curse, he was terribly weakened.¡±
¡°Fascinating¡ with that, we¡¯ve dealt a grievous blow to Narictus and the Hegemony, as well as ensuring that vampirism across our galaxy has been weakened. We¡¯ve also secured the half-dragon vampire as prisoner and he¡¯s willing to tell us some things he is privy to,¡± Lady Sujana said. ¡°The Captain-General must be informed of this; I¡¯ll have to report back to him.¡±
¡°Which means we¡¯ll have at least some time until our trip to the hells to hopefully negotiate their non-participation,¡± Zaessythra said.
Orodan understood the implication there.
They had yet to really discuss his encounter with the Mage and all the strange answers that Administrator had given. Just who had put Orodan in the time loops? What did they want?
And then, there was the experimentation upon the shard he¡¯d brought back. Frankly, just looking at the thing made him feel uneasy to the core.
¡°Indeed, some time to get our bearings, experiment with the shard and perhaps even take another trip in-between and¡¡± Orodan said, his eyes glued to the map of the entire universe on the table. ¡°¡maybe even secure new allies.¡±
The records of the universe and other galaxies were sparse and typically only known to high-level individuals within the major factions of the galaxy. Typically, Transcendents and Gods. Still, what little information they had was now on the table.
And Orodan¡¯s eyes were glued to a particular section.
If their coalition needed more allies, then what better place to look than the Yellow Moon Cluster of the Vystaxium Galaxy?
The contents of the last letter he¡¯d received from this alleged other time looper had indicated as such.
Chapter 61 - Experimentation & Inter-Galactic Travel
On the surface, a seemingly ordinary object. And yet¡
¡°My heart feels uneasy just looking at it¡¡±
¡°You said one of these was used against you in your last life, right? Remember anything about them?¡±
¡°The memories of that time are unclear, yet I recall a feeling of raw dread and pure terror,¡± Zaessythra answered. ¡°I¡¯ve been in thousands of battles, yet the instinctive feeling of fear it provokes deep within is unnatural.¡±
¡°Information: unit experiencing unknown programming anomalies within radius of object,¡± W78 said.
¡°Might be fear and unease like the rest of us,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°You¡¯ve all gotten to know me, I care not for fear. Yet for this shard to make my hairs stand on end¡ there must be something more to it.¡±
The Shard.
It didn¡¯t exactly look too nefarious. It wasn¡¯t some writhing artefact of doom which could drive people mad at the sight of it, but it did instill an uncontrollable sense of dread all the same. It was bright pink, with a subtle glow which emanated in the dark.
Most oddly, in rare moments, it would sometimes twitch or shiver, or rather, the pink ¡®flesh¡¯ of it would wriggle about like a liquid encased in an invisible container. Neither Orodan¡¯s Vision Of Purity, Space Mastery or Dimensionalism allowed him to detect any boundaries for this supposed container. It looked like a strange pink crystal shard, except when it wriggled about, which was when the pink filling of the shard would move about.
In the back of his head, Orodan felt as though it was trying to escape, illogical as that sounded.
¡°The effects only get worse the weaker the soul of a target is,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°And I¡¯m almost certain having it aimed towards you during channelling only amplifies the feeling of dread.¡±
The effect of fear and unease was present but rather muted when people were unaware of it. However when exposed to the direct sight of it, the shard¡¯s potent aura of dread was even greater. In fact, one of Zhou Shan¡¯s palace attendants had glimpsed it for a moment and immediately collapsed while drooling from the mouth.
The poor girl had been successfully healed by soul cultivators, yet they could discern no obvious signs of damage save for a strange quiver in the System-connected parts of her soul deep within the soul core. As though those sections of the soul were recoiling in panic.
¡°In any case, we need to find out how this works, and come up with a countermeasure against it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And by we, I mean me. Channel your power into it and blast me will you?¡±
The palm of Zaessythra¡¯s hand met her face and the half-dragon shook her head.
¡°Of course, why am I even surprised? You wanted to receive a full power blow from it the very first time you saw it too,¡± she muttered. ¡°No, we will not be doing that.¡±
¡°How else am I going to develop a resistance against it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Analysis: high risk of permanent soul damage. Odds of recovery: nil. Solution: restraint and caution recommended,¡± W78 said.
¡°Given the time frame we¡¯re on, caution and restraint aren¡¯t a luxury I can afford,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If I¡¯m going to be assaulted by this weapon in a few weeks time, better I try and acclimate to it here and now.¡±
Nobody could really argue with that line of logic.
Many people would call Orodan stupid, yet in his opinion he had a certain way of being efficient about things. In their current situation, they only had bad choices ahead of them. And between training when the enemy came for them versus training in relative safety beforehand, one was better than the other.
¡°Fine,¡± Zaessythra grumbled, grudging agreement in her tone. ¡°We won¡¯t be jumping in head first as you usually do though. Measured experimentation is called for.¡±
¡°Alright, what did you have in mind?¡±
¡°For starters, we¡¯ll have to use it at the lowest setting possible,¡± she explained. ¡°And we¡¯ll need a ritual circle to channel the power safely.¡±
The shards featured in the history of the galaxy at times, and as a result there were records of their usage. Slim pickings, but something existed nonetheless. Written word from the archives of the Celestial Court and the annals of the Conclave mentioned that the shards were rather volatile, and as weapons they required careful rituals and guidance of energy into them in order to function properly.
Otherwise¡ the results could be catastrophic, as there¡¯d been reports of the shards hitting the wielders with backlash.
And given the strange movements and almost sentient nature of these shards, Orodan had a hunch that the thing itself was against being used¡ or perhaps it enjoyed ruining someone¡¯s day.
The set up took roughly thirty minutes, and the weapon was connected to the world core of Xian through ritual tethering. Neither Zaessythra nor Orodan¡¯s skill levels in Magical Rituals were high enough to perform the set up themselves, therefore it was a good thing that they were on a planet with access to Grandmaster and Transcendent-level ritualists who were happy to assist.
As it stood, launching the weapon at full power would take a week of preparation. As per intel, the Hegemony took roughly that long to charge it up and guide the energies from an inert state to a fireable beam which could harm Transcendents and even Gods. Yet, they didn¡¯t need full power today, just a bare touch, for training purposes.
Zaessythra and W78 stood behind the weapon, while Orodan stood in front of it. It didn¡¯t have a ¡®firing direction¡¯ per se, but the direction through which energy was channelled wasn¡¯t where the deadly beam would come out of. Except in cases of volatile backlash of course. One of the purposes of the ritual setup was to control its firing direction. Zaessythra was using the world-sword she¡¯d acquired during the campaigns against the Celestial Emperor to direct world energy into it, while W78 was closely monitoring the flow and the shard itself.
¡°Well? Don¡¯t keep me waiting. If it¡¯s ready just let me have it,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Idiot, this isn¡¯t something which can be rushed,¡± Zaessythra rebuked. ¡°Looking at this thing, you wouldn¡¯t suspect it¡¯s volatile. Except when it suddenly moves about as though it¡¯s liquid within an invisible crystal prison. Being hasty is as liable to have it firing upon me as it is to hit you. And as it is I¡¯ve tasted the wrath of this weapon one time too many.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. Thank you for agreeing to help me with this,¡± Orodan apologized. ¡°That you¡¯d do this at all given your history with it means a lot. The feeling of dread and unease can¡¯t be easy either.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t. The shard almost seems to sense the fact that it¡¯ll be used as a weapon soon, the vice grip of fear upon my soul has naturally tightened as a result,¡± she said. ¡°Even W78 here is having a difficult time performing scans.¡±
¡°Information: detecting increased frequency and intensity of anomalous programming within unit,¡± W78 said.
Even Orodan was beginning to feel the dread come on stronger. And the weapon wasn¡¯t even fully powered yet.
He looked inwards at his soul and the core of it trembled. With a surge of willpower he clamped down and ordered his soul to cease the dramatics.
It complied.
¡°Alright, a probing sting is what I¡¯ll send first,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°The weapon needs to make contact with your undefended soul to work. Don¡¯t let it hit you uncontested, not yet. Get a feel for it first.¡±
It wasn¡¯t an unbeatable super-weapon. Defending against it still worked. It only came into play when making contact with someone¡¯s soul when their defences were down or broken. If someone had enough power to defend against the beam, survival was possible.
¡°Ready. Send it my way,¡± Orodan said, an excited grin on his face.
¡°Be careful¡ Orodan¡ you¡¯re dealing with exceedingly dangerous forces here,¡± she warned.
He took her words seriously but was excited all the same.
His soul disagreed however. The dread in his heart was almost overpowering even as the very smallest trickle of world energy was siphoned into the shard. It was as though he was prey, before the hungry gaze of a predator. His death, assured.
An illogical part of his mind even felt that the shard was flashing him a predatory grin somehow. It made no sense.
He steeled his mind and commanded his soul to simmer down. He was Orodan Wainwright, and he would accept no mutinous feelings of fear within himself.
The shard charged up, a pitiful amount, and the subsequent bolt of pink energy raced towards him.
Even as his soul protested, demanded he flee, he roared at it to stand tall. His shield rose into the air ready to intercept it¡
¡and it did. The bolt fizzled out against his Shield Intent.
¡°¡¡±
¡°I was expecting more Zaessythra! Was that truly all?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like anything particularly special. Hells, it¡¯s just like facing another soul energy attack.¡±
¡°You wouldn¡¯t be saying the same if a fully powered beam came your way,¡± she cautioned. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, but first, we need to look over the viewing orb footage and try to glean its true nature. Only then will I feel comfortable letting you expose yourself to even the smallest portion of it.¡±
¡°Fine, fine. Perform your examinations and review,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll be here.¡±
Ten minutes passed as Zaessythra and W78 looked over the gathered footage of the bolt of energy striking his shield. They discussed from time to time and pondered during stretches. And Orodan simply stood and gazed deeply at the Shard as they did so.
It was known to be a volatile weapon; hence it was under powerful ritual restraints and protections. He continued gazing into the subtle pink glow of the crystal.
It twitched about as a liquid within its frame for a split moment.
Orodan continued looking.
Despite having both the Observe and the Identify skills, Orodan didn¡¯t bother using them very much. Many people had tried using Identify on the shard already, and there was no information returned. Furthermore, the benefit to refusing the usage of those two skills was that Orodan had some good instincts, almost a sixth sense. Much like monsters did.
He could instinctively sense the danger and power an individual possessed; no skill involved.
And it was this instinct, his sixth sense, which suddenly triggered.
It was utterly illogical, completely irrational.
But he very strongly felt that the shard emanated a feeling of bloodlust, and most inexplicably¡
¡he could swear it flashed him a sadistic smile.
The world energy within the ritual trembled. Yet Orodan was already moving before anyone else had an inkling of what was about to occur.
His hand grasped around the shard tightly as he threw all the soul energy he had towards his hand.
Suddenly, and without warning, a titanic amount of world energy was pulled from the world core of Xian and into the shard, and with a horrific blast, it was sent in the direction of Zaessythra and W78.
At the last moment, the half-dragon attempted to reach for the shard herself. Terror evident in her eyes yet attempting to shield Orodan himself.
¡°Thank you for helping me remember myself and just¡ remember me, okay?¡±
No.
Not again, not ever.
Orodan refused to let Zaessythra die for him this time.
The shard was still in his hands, and he turned it so that the beam instead came towards him.
¡°Orodan, no! Cut the tether, now!¡±
His soul energy warred against the beam even as he threw his shield in the way, hoping to defend¡ and yet, the beam was slippery! It evaded, not noticeably, it was slight, and the shard seemed constrained in what it could do, yet it moved around his shield¡
¡and towards his soul.
True horror¡ Orodan¡¯s soul core was utterly petrified, like a deer that had sighted a hunter. The fear, the dread¡ it was inexplicable.
The pink energy slithered inwards. It entered his mind, it infiltrated his soul and threatened to subsume his memories, take away all he was.
A mind of iron met it in-between and refused to flinch.
His mutinous soul was acting the coward, yet Orodan¡¯s willpower said otherwise. A roar of wrath left his lips, his rage great and taking even Zaessythra by surprise as she stepped back from her attempt to reach him.
[War Cry 41 ¡ú War Cry 42]
And he focused inwards, taking over the reins of his soul¡
¡and the holding vault they were in exploded as Orodan channelled near fatal levels of soul energy.
In good news, his soul¡¯s utter explosion of soul energy was warding the foul power of the shard off. The bad news, however, was that before he¡¯d thrown it all out, a decent amount had managed to get into his soul core. And most importantly¡ target his mind.
Pink energy subsumed his vision, and Orodan saw a glimpse, a very brief moment where his eyes went somewhere else.
A dimension of terror¡ pink, red, yellow oozing horror everywhere. Worlds, star systems, entire galaxies infested by this grotesque horror. It wasn¡¯t the Eldritch. It wasn¡¯t even their universe¡ yet it was an entirely different one.
¡°Anointed champion of the willing prisoner¡¡±
He wondered where the voice came from, only to realize¡
¡that it came from all around.
The two massive galaxies he¡¯d thought were corrupted existences of this dimensional horror. Those two opened, like the eyelids of a universal terror.
A great horror stared directly at him¡ peering into his very soul. Everything about it was contradictory, impossible shapes, sounds that shouldn¡¯t have existed in even the most deranged of minds. And imitations of people he knew that he wished to strike from his eyes. His hands clamored to gouge out his own eyes, they desired to clap and shatter his own ears. Every cell in his body was capable of seeing, hearing, tasting¡ and right now his soul wanted to end it all for Absolute Body Composition was naught but a curse. Orodan¡¯s soul wanted to shatter itself. A part of his mind wanted to die. A permanent death would¡¯ve been a mercy. His mind couldn¡¯t take what he was seeing.
Yet, despite all this¡
¡Orodan stared back defiantly. His soul wanted to come apart at the seams. Yet, he refused to look away. His soul held firm, commanded by his will.
Orodan Wainwright refused to break, to bend or to back down. So what that this was a cosmic nightmare beyond comprehension? So what that his very soul and body wanted to rebel and embrace death to escape the terror?
His soul was brutalized into submission through the application of willpower. It would stand.
He roared at his mind so hard that it considered him the greater terror. It would not yield.
He stared into the abyss of eternal horror and refused to blink first.
Waves of dread continued battering his soul and willpower. He wasn¡¯t sure how long the nightmare would continue on for, yet he held. He refused any other option.
At some point, the eyes began shifting and he saw further scenes of utter horror. Ogdenborough and Alastaia, destroyed. His own soul shattered, his power, gone. Those he cared for¡ dead.
Yet he balked not.
Against all odds, in spite of the domineering aura of a terror the size of a universe¡ Orodan held on. The temerity and defiance of one warrior¡¯s mind, standing against the horrifying dominance of an unspeakable cosmic terror.
¡°An anomaly¡ to appoint such a thing¡¡±
And finally, at some unknown point, it ended.
As the nightmare concluded and Orodan¡¯s sight returned to the real world, all he heard was the amused laughter of an unfathomable horror ringing in his ears.
¡°-dan! Orodan! Speak!¡±
¡°Administering shock,¡± W78 said.
[Li ht ing Re i ta ce 47 ¡ú L gh ning R sista ce 48]
A bit of a tingle. And a very strange System message.
¡°Failure to account for resistance skill. Result: ineffective.¡±
¡°I think he¡¯s with us once more, Orodan, can you hear us?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
He looked down.
His hands were pale and trembling madly, and the sweat was dripping down his brow. He didn¡¯t need to breathe and yet the shallow and rapid gasps were all too loud in the now quiet room. The room itself was a scene of devastation, the aftermath of him generating far too much soul energy.
Around him, Zaessythra, W78 and an incredibly worried Zhou Shan were staring at him. Behind them, an array of soul and healing cultivators who were running a battery of scans and tests on him.
¡°I¡¯m here¡ how long was I gone?¡±
¡°Thirty minutes. You were just¡ glowing and calling upon ever-increasing amounts of power while nothing we said or did could stop you. We thought you might kill yourself if you kept going and were about to go in to grab you until you simmered down,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The energy from the shard left you rather quickly, yet it was as though mentally you were someplace else entirely.¡±
¡°I was¡ where the hells are these shards from? I¡¯m almost certain I was locked in some sort of mental battle against some terror beyond our galaxy,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A universe of horror¡ galaxies like-¡±
¡°¡like eyes¡ you saw it too then¡ and y-you¡ your mind remains intact still?¡± Zaessythra asked and she suddenly looked quite ill, as though remembering something utterly traumatic.
Orodan took a moment to absorb her words and only then did he understand the implication.
¡°Orodan¡ whenever that weapon hits someone, it¡¯s supposed to shatter their mind and soul entirely,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°The viewing orbs were running the entire time, and we managed to see what occurred. The energy struck you; your soul energy fought it off preventing the shattering of your soul itself¡ and yet¡ your mind remains whole. How have you done this?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know¡ all I did was stand strong in the face of it. I refused to break.¡±
¡°An anomaly¡¡± one of the soul cultivators muttered from behind.
¡°The rumors of his mental fortitude are true¡¡± another said.
Zhou Shan simply looked irritated at the interruption and remarks. With a sweep of his hand, he spoke.
¡°Clear the chamber. I must speak with Orodan and his companions.¡±
The Transcendents and Gods in attendance, powerful individuals with skill levels beyond 100, quickly assented and filed out of the holding vault.
¡°Their aid is appreciated, but at this time, an audience is unnecessary,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Tell me, what exactly did you see?¡±
¡°Cosmic terror beyond the comprehension of even Gods and Transcendents¡ just what is out there, Zhou Shan? What¡¯s the true nature of these shards?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°A mistake¡ that¡¯s what. We never should have attempted this dumb experiment,¡± Zaessythra solemnly said, her voice trembling.
¡°Yet, without it we wouldn¡¯t have discovered any of-¡±
¡°No. Orodan¡ enough,¡± she interrupted. ¡°I refuse to aid you in these experiments any longer. The sight of that horrifying power¡ it has made my resolve falter. We cannot all be like you, and I refuse to be near the shard any longer. Or worse¡ watch someone close to me be victim of its wrath.¡±
¡°Well, it all worked out for the best, didn¡¯t it? You¡¯re fine, I¡¯m fine and we all made it out alive.¡±
Zaessythra didn¡¯t reply. Or rather, the fist coming for his face was her primary answer.
Orodan allowed it to connect and held off on using Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity.
¡°Fine? With even the slightest bit of contact with your soul, your System is doubtlessly damaged,¡± she venomously spat. ¡°You directed the attack towards yourself, why?¡±
¡°Why not? Do you expect me to stand by while someone I care about is hit by a soul shattering weapon?¡± Orodan retorted.
¡°I expect you to understand that you¡¯re the one in a time loop,¡± Zaessythra said as she jabbed a strong finger into his chest. ¡°And that you¡¯re the one this whole war hinges upon. If I die, you can simply find me in the next loop. If you die and suffer permanent damage, all is lost.¡±
¡°And I¡¯ll be damned if I let anyone else die for me!¡± Orodan fired back stepping towards her as his temper burned hot. ¡°First it was Adeltaj, then it was you. Not again, never again.¡±
¡°And are you so self-absorbed that you won¡¯t recognize I might feel the same way? I have lost enough¡ my people, my home world¡ my very self,¡± she said. ¡°How much more do you expect me to lose?¡±
¡°A pain you¡¯ll never get to experience. If I die, the loop ends and nobody else is the wiser. Just me, back to the very beginning in Ogdenborough, all alone as always.¡±
¡°And how am I supposed to know that? Don¡¯t you think the fact that you¡¯re in a time loop has jaded you a bit?¡± she asked pointedly. ¡°Do you expect me to simply rely on something I¡¯ve never seen when you¡¯re about to die?¡±
¡°Analysis: heightened emotions detected. Possibility of further physical conflict between subjects: high. Solution: temporary separation of subjects until emotional state has abated,¡± They both turned to glare at W78, and his poor robotic friend could only stand in place impassively.
¡°Perhaps subjecting poor W78 to your combined ire is a bit uncalled for?¡± Zhou Shan suggested, which led to the High Sovereign then receiving two glares. ¡°¡never mind.¡±
Orodan simply sighed and shook his head before stepping back. Unusual as it was for him to be the one backing down, he felt bad for Zhou Shan and his metallic friend caught in the middle.
¡°We won¡¯t solve anything by quarrelling amongst ourselves,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Perhaps a few moments of separation might cool everyone¡¯s tempers after such a harrowing experience?¡± Zhou Shan suggested and gestured for he and Orodan to walk to the other side of the crumbled holding vault.
¡°I admit, whatever that thing was, it¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°Still¡ for Zaessythra to react like this¡¡±
¡°It is as she says my friend, not everyone can be like you. You cannot begrudge her the natural fear anyone would experience in her position,¡± Zhou Shan replied. ¡°When I saw you reversing time upon the entirety of our Ascendent Sword Cluster¡¯s soul nexus¡ I knew then and there that you weren¡¯t exactly normal. I dare say I¡¯ve seen none like you. Not at the level you should be at. Unless you¡¯ve been deceiving me all this time, you¡¯re but a Master.¡±
Orodan grunted in response.
Of course he wasn¡¯t begrudging her the fear. Far from it. Rather, the situation in general caught him off guard and tempers were hot. The thought of her dying to protect him once again made his wrath soar. What did surprise Orodan was the fact that she¡¯d kept the terror she¡¯d already experienced against the shard to herself. It was her secret to keep or reveal, yet Orodan felt a bit blindsided by just how impacted by the shard she was.
¡°It¡¯s fine. My emotions were roiling as well, if anything I could¡¯ve stood to be a bit more understanding as well,¡± Orodan said. ¡°That cosmic power was terror incarnate. My body, mind and soul felt fear and trembled involuntarily until I re-asserted control and demanded otherwise.¡±
¡°What exactly did you see?¡±
¡°An entire universe of terror. Red, yellow¡ pink. Entire star systems and galaxies but an extension of its foul body,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°It was so far beyond me in power that I wouldn¡¯t know where to begin comparing myself against it. Boundless.¡±
¡°Fascinating¡ I shall have this added to our archives. As it stands, you¡¯re the first being in recorded history to have tasted the direct wrath of the shard and retained your mind and soul,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°You truly are an anomaly my time looping friend, and I for one am glad of the knowledge that you are with us.¡±
¡°My mind, perhaps. But my soul? That I¡¯m not too sure of,¡± Orodan said.
He opened his Status and focused on a specific line waving everything else away.
L gh ning R sista ce 48 (Ap renti e - Exq isite)
Most of the skills in his Status had the same problem this line had. Still, better to confirm it in more than one way.
¡°Have an observer orb laying about?¡± Orodan asked.
Zhou Shan produced one from a spatial ring and handed it to him.
Orodan¡¯s hand went upon it, and he channelled soul energy within, allowing the reading of his Status.
And¡
¡it was a garbled mess.
Every line still existed, and one could tell what they were, and yet many letters were missing in every bit. The only thing unaffected were the numbers.
Orodan looked deep within himself and noted that there wasn¡¯t soul damage to the deep System-related parts of his soul core, however it had been jumbled and scattered with strange runes which should¡¯ve been present in the core now in random parts of it.
¡°Not good¡ I thought I¡¯d thrown the shard¡¯s energy out of my soul before it could affect it overly much,¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°This¡ is a bit of a mess. I¡¯m not even sure how to go about fixing it.¡±
¡°Orodan¡ this is¡¡± Zhou Shan said.
¡°I know, it¡¯s bad.¡±
¡°No. I mean, your Status! How in the heavens do you have so many skills of such high-rarities?!¡± the High Sovereign barked out. ¡°You¡¯re not even a century old!¡±
Ah, right. This was technically the first observer orb examination he¡¯d had since¡ the examination centre in Trumbetton in Volarbury County back on his home world? At least, that was the last one he recalled having.
¡°A bit of hard work and a lot of death can lead to decent results,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Decent¡ decent? Orodan, if someone of your age displayed such a Status on Xian, they¡¯d immediately be kidnapped and held as the personal ward of the Court for training into a war asset. Your existence and talent would be the cause for galactic war. Beings from other galaxies would take interest, Embodiers would come out of hiding from the void between stars and they¡¯d try to move things behind the shadows to ensure you were kidnapped,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°Previously, you mentioned being a Master, and I took that at face value. You being a Celestial skill bearer is powerful by galactic standards, yet not as substantial by the measuring scales used by those at the Embodiment-level. But to have so many skills of such rarities¡ your unchecked growth would guarantee the ruin of any galactic factions you were the enemy of. They would either try to assassinate you or kidnap you for subversion. Even without the time loops, you are a monster¡ and I¡¯m beginning to see why you were given this burden.¡±
¡°Surely it can¡¯t be that outrageous? I¡¯m but a Master-level warrior who dabbles in a few magical skills,¡± Orodan said.
¡°One in a time loop, who has a skill allowing him the generation of endless power, and one whose chronological age isn¡¯t beyond a century,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Taken together, if someone were to see your Status in its entirety while knowing your chronological age, you would rouse the attention of people beyond just our galaxy. Frankly, that Embodiers haven¡¯t descended yet is likely due to the fact that they don¡¯t know of your Status and age specifically, and the threat of Administrators punishing them. And even then¡ there is no guarantee some aren¡¯t moving in secret behind the scenes, manipulating other factions and providing intelligence to our enemies.¡±
¡°None of which will matter if his Status and the System-related parts of his soul aren¡¯t fixed,¡± Zaessythra said as she walked towards them, W78 in tow.
¡°Information: subject emotional intensity - lowered. Analysis: odds of physical conflict - tolerable.¡±
Orodan looked at Zaessythra.
Zaessythra looked at Orodan.
¡°I apologize-¡±
¡°I was wrong to-¡±
They both cut the other off.
¡°Well, I assume we¡¯re fine to continue our discussion then?¡± Zhou Shan asked, and they both nodded. ¡°How can his Status be fixed?¡±
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°A laborious process, yet a doable one. The power of the shard but briefly touched his soul, I can slowly work to guide and patch the glyphs back to where they should be,¡± she answered.
¡°You¡ you know such a skill?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not a skill, at least, not one categorized by the System,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°The one upside of this experience with the shard is the fact that it¡¯s jogged the remaining bits of my memory once more. I¡¯m beginning to remember why the Hegemony used the shard on me.¡±
¡°It¡¯s because you know how to control the glyphs of the System itself¡?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes, although calling it ¡®control¡¯ is generous, and my ability in it¡ meagre at best. Still, what little I know should be sufficient to guide the minor bits and pieces back to where they should be,¡± she answered. ¡°It¡¯s a skill that can draw the wrong sorts of attention Orodan, if you want to start learning it¡ just beware that Administrators might take notice.¡±
¡°Considering I already have one on my tail, I¡¯ll take my chances,¡± he replied.
¡°Now hold still, this process might take a few hours¡¡±
#
Orodan pulled up his restored Status screen.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Perfect Cleaning Master
Title 2: Celestial Master
Title 3: Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
Title 4: Cleaning Master
Available Titles:
Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
World Conqueror
World Gate Delver
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
God Slayer
Transcendent Slayer
Celestial Master
Perfect Cleaning Master
Cleaning Master
Unarmed Combat Master
Physical Master
Combat Master
Sword Elite
Shield Elite
Wrestling Elite
Soul Elite
Woodworking Adept
Alchemy Adept
Space Adept
Time Adept
Fire Magic Apprentice
Enchanting Apprentice
Teaching Apprentice
Laboring Apprentice
Blacksmithing Apprentice
Pathfinding Apprentice
Gathering Apprentice
Rewards:
Permanent +14 Action Increase
Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier
Skills:
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 96 (Master - Celestial)
Eternal Soul Reactor 97 (Master - Mythical)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 86 (Elite - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 61 (Adept - Mythical)
Divine Resistance 53 (Adept - Mythical)
Reality Alteration 5 (Initiate - Mythical)
Absolute Body Composition 1 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 98 (Master - Legendary)
All-Strike 90 (Master - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 87 (Elite - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Time Reversal 77 (Elite - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 74 (Elite - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 65 (Adept - Legendary)
Body Tempering 64 (Adept - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 62 (Adept - Legendary)
Wood Communion 56 (Adept - Legendary)
Time Compression 50 (Adept - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 43 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Iron Body 87 (Elite - Exquisite)
Time Mastery 81 (Elite - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 79 (Elite - Exquisite)
Flash Strike 75 (Elite - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channelling 68 (Adept - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 59 (Adept - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 51 (Adept - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 48 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Water Resistance 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Ice Resistance 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Dimensionalism 23 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Curse Resistance 4 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Soul Mastery 78 (Elite - Rare)
Space Mastery 76 (Elite - Rare)
Teleportation 59 (Adept - Rare)
War Cry 42 (Apprentice - Rare)
Acid Resistance 34 (Apprentice - Rare)
Gourmand 13 (Initiate - Rare)
Spatial Fold 76 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Throw 69 (Adept - Uncommon)
Shield Intent 68 (Adept - Uncommon)
Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 58 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Pain Resistance 94 (Master)
Physical Fitness 92 (Master)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 90 (Master)
Combat Mastery 90 (Master)
Shield Mastery 88 (Elite)
Sword Mastery 88 (Elite)
Wrestling 80 (Elite)
Woodworking 67 (Adept)
Tool Mastery 66 (Adept)
Alchemy 64 (Adept)
Flare 63 (Adept)
Enchanting 59 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)
Blacksmithing 49 (Apprentice)
Fire Magic Mastery 48 (Apprentice)
Jewelcrafting 48 (Apprentice)
Pathfinding 46 (Apprentice)
Teaching 43 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Laboring 34 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 34 (Apprentice)
Gathering 32 (Apprentice)
Construction 28 (Initiate)
Repair 22 (Initiate)
Cooking 22 (Initiate)
Intimidation 20 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Mining 17 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Disguise 12 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Observe 11 (Initiate)
Stealth 9 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Identify 5 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
¡°Like brand new¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°Of course it is, do you think me some sort of amateur,¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Didn¡¯t you say your technique in this method was meagre?¡±
¡°Did you say you wanted your System scattered again?¡± she threatened.
¡°Never mind¡ can you even do that?¡± he asked.
¡°No. It¡¯s an idle threat. To actually affect the System-related parts of the soul core, that weapon would need to be used, or that Celestial skill of yours which can somehow cleanse up to a certain extent within the soul core,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Yet, if I recall, you still can¡¯t go all the way with it. The System barriers just before the deepest part still elude you, don¡¯t they? You¡¯re lucky the damage was barely surface level¡ the glyphs within your soul core seemed to know where to go back for fitting in. I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯d help if the attack actually shattered your soul core.¡±
She was right.
Her process of working on the System-related parts of his soul core was a strange one. Zaessythra hadn¡¯t directly manipulated anything, rather, she¡¯d guided and almost convinced the stray glyphs within his soul core to rearrange themselves into their proper configuration. As though she was talking to them.
The only other person he¡¯d seen doing such a thing was an eccentric man back on his home world.
Orodan, at level 96 of his Domain of Perfect Cleaning, wasn¡¯t yet capable of smashing past all the barriers of the soul core. The very final part, the deepest section where skills and the fundamental parts of the System were, was beyond him. Even within his own soul core this deepest part was inaccessible to him, let alone in the souls of others. He suspected that these System-related parts of his soul were the bits that trembled in fear and threatened to go out of his control whenever facing the dread prowess of the shard and the cosmic terror behind it.
In fact, the shard¡¯s energy had a strange effect upon his System. Unlike the corrupted Checkpoint System and the Storage System he had yet to invest in, the shard seemingly deleted information from his Status outright. Letters were entirely gone instead of the familiar corrupted symbols appearing within to garble things like in the case of corruption.
He had no idea how to go about healing his own System if the worst happened.
Yet, it was an important skill to learn.
After the healing, they¡¯d spent another two hours where Orodan raptly paid attention to Zaessythra¡¯s lesson on how to potentially interact with the glyphs of the System and System energy itself. It made no sense to him. Zaessythra had explained her studies in this weird art. Her own experimentation had involved communing with the glyphs, encouraging them to move about in her favor, attempting but failing to understand them and trying to influence them through soul energy.
Something she¡¯d failed in as her abilities in the soul arts weren¡¯t on Orodan¡¯s level, and even he had yet to reach the deepest part of the soul core. Even Transcendent soul specialists couldn¡¯t breach the soul core, or at least, nobody on record within their galaxy could. It was a feat requiring not only a high level of mastery in the soul arts, but also raw power. Still, she¡¯d mentioned that if anyone could breach the barrier and then hope to directly interact with the System, it was Orodan.
Finally, as for the nightmare he¡¯d encountered, the decision was made to shelve the matter for the time being.
Orodan¡¯s mind was strong, and he held faith in being able to retain himself against the mental assaults of that almighty being. Yet, it wasn¡¯t something he could hope to currently face. Not now, not when the Administrator was descending against him, and he had more important matters to focus on.
Matters such as securing transport to another galaxy via the Conclave and interrogating the prisoner they¡¯d acquired from Narictus. Both people relevant to that goal were present in the holding cell Orodan and Zaessythra were stood within.
¡°Tell us more about the Hegemony¡¯s battle plans,¡± Lady Sujana, Knight Commander of the Conclave said. ¡°We know that your forces have retreated and are holing up on your core world. Why? Surely you don¡¯t intend to just sit on your laurels as we strike at important worlds? There¡¯s been no significant military movements at all on your end.¡±
The half-dragon being interrogated was in a comfortable room, dressed in decent clothing and looked well-fed. Perhaps the feeding wasn¡¯t good by the standards of a vampire, after all, they¡¯d provided the blood of slaughtered cattle and not any sapient beings. However, the prisoner didn¡¯t have anything else to complain about besides boredom, and perhaps a diet it didn¡¯t prefer.
¡°I have been nothing but forthcoming, and my previous answer still stands. I do not know, they didn¡¯t trust me with the knowledge of such battle plans and war strategies,¡± the half-dragon vampire said. ¡°I and many of the other younger Transcendents and Gods often clamored for battle once the declaration of war was announced. Each time we were simply told to wait.¡±
¡°Concerning¡ I feel the Hegemony must have something up their sleeves, yet we cannot confirm it,¡± the God said.
¡°What should be of greater concern to you,¡± the half-dragon vampire said, fixing Orodan a look. ¡°Is the arrival of the hells on our side.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°We¡¯ve already been told to capture you on sight for the sickening transformation you put Ragamul under. It was an act of defiling which raised the ire of every vampire within the galaxy, a blatant act of disrespect against those bearing the gift of blood,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°And then you go and perform a similar transformation upon the Lord of Night himself. The hells are paying attention, time looper. The Devil Kings were already concerned about your ability to purify a True Vampire and how close you are with the Conclave, and now you purify the progenitor of vampirism himself and kill him? Such an act will doubtlessly push them closer to our cause.¡±
Everything the half-dragon vampire said was correct of course.
The Devil Kings of the hells were concerned about Orodan¡¯s Celestial skill which allowed him to purify anything, including beings he saw as unclean. He¡¯d shown undeniable proof of it working on Ragamul the first time, and as a result Devil King Gutriyaz had attempted to kill him during their battle on the moon. Now he¡¯d gone and done the same to the most powerful being upon Narictus.
¡°Their concerns are fair, and we can only hope to allay them when we meet,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Let us talk of other matters though. Why turn to vampirism?¡±
¡°The power? The status and respect upon Narictus and within certain parts of the Hegemony? And of course, the freedom from persecution that we half-breeds face,¡± the half-dragon said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you. In my younger years they spoke of how Astalavar and Excromon destroyed your planet all for the purpose of killing you. Do you think me content to sit around and remain prey for such blood-purists?¡±
¡°And what of Avraxas? Did he not offer any protection? He has always been the mightiest among our kind, surely, he would not let genocide of draconic blood reign unchecked,¡± Zaessythra said.
The vampiric half-dragon simply spat upon the ground in response.
¡°Ever since the joining and becoming one of the Crusaders, the devourer cares not for the plights of dragon kind,¡± the half-dragon prisoner said. ¡°I wonder if anything of him is left within. While most likely, the Transcendent doesn¡¯t always win the struggle for domination during the melding.¡±
The melding?
¡°Like soul melding?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°The joining of two souls?¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s no great secret that the Crusaders are created through the forced soul melding of God and Transcendent,¡± the prisoner said. ¡°And while the Transcendent usually holds an advantage¡ not always.¡±
¡°Tell me some secrets then, how do the shards work and what do you know of them?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The only one allowed to touch the shard was Lord Almante himself, and aside from him, Lords Agrimon, Astalavar and Excromon,¡± the prisoner answered. ¡°That¡¯s all I know.¡±
The prisoner was rather cooperative. No sense in attempting to lie to a time looper. Better to cooperate and hope for some measure of mercy.
¡°I suspect we shall get no more out of him,¡± Lady Sujana said. ¡°He¡¯s a decently talented Transcendent-level chronomancer, but in the grand scheme of things not as important to the Hegemony aside from battle power. Your killing of Vakan Almante was a heavy blow to the Hegemony¡¯s war strength, yet we would¡¯ve gotten more answers out of him.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep that in mind for the next loop. The difference in strength between us was simply too much to surmount in order to capture him,¡± Orodan replied.
Lady Sujana frowned for she must have detected the lie.
In a sense it was a truth, Orodan simply wasn¡¯t a match for a level 149 Transcendent vampire with a Celestial-rarity skill. There was no way he could surmount the difference¡ in direct combat.
Domain of Perfect Cleaning, however, was a different matter. It had allowed him to catch the Celestial Emperor, Jian Huangdi - a level 150 peak-Transcendent - by surprise and nearly purify the man of Eldritch corruption. And it had let him purify Vakan Almante and then kill him.
The truth was that Orodan could have chosen to capture the Lord of Night¡¯s purified form but chose not to. The subsequent kill was a mercy and the cleansing of Orodan¡¯s own sense of honor.
The divinity of the Conclave chose not to press the matter.
¡°I¡¯m told you¡¯re going on a journey to our neighboring galaxy? An odd time to carry out such a thing when we¡¯re in the midst of war. Still, we have a branch there as well and could perhaps do with some reinforcements and supplies,¡± Lady Sujana said. ¡°Our grand array can take you there and cross the distance between galaxies, however such a thing will draw attention and people will know that there was inter-galactic travel. The very preparation of the grand array will also be noticed.¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to seek potential allies,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The more to help us during this war, the merrier, no?¡±
¡°I would ask what you intend to do if stranded, however tales of what you can do with access to even the first level of a spatiomancy skill have reached my ears,¡± the God said. ¡°If anyone can find a way back to our galaxy through spell craft and their own power, it is you, time looper.¡±
¡°I¡¯m confident I can cross the distance between a galaxy to return if need be. I can try getting there with a Spatial Fold myself.¡±
¡°The distance between galaxies is utterly astronomical,¡± Lady Sujana said. ¡°Being capable of Teleportation to return is not the same thing as casting a Spatial Fold which spans that same distance.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t underestimate Orodan. Not when it comes to raw power,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°But I¡¯m vetoing this idea on the grounds that it would risk the attraction of whatever horrors lie between galaxies.¡±
The void between stars was full of terrible monsters, in the deeper parts, some of them were at the Transcendent-level and above. The void between galaxies, however, was a different matter altogether. Embodiers were the only beings who felt comfortable enough to go hide out in the dark void between entire galaxies. Rumor held that they did so to avoid the scrutiny of the Administrators, other whispers claimed that they were forced into exile upon crossing the threshold of level 150. Yet, the other plausible reason was the presence of these terrible existences between galaxies, Embodiers were rumored to do battle against them in an attempt to raise their skill levels and attain power.
And while they didn¡¯t really enter galaxies - perhaps through some protective mechanism of the System - nothing prevented them from taking notice of someone attempting to travel between them.
Orodan had a lot of raw power, and his ability to channel higher amounts of it at once was gradually increasing by the loop. However, the effect of a spell depended on not only raw power, but also skill level. And he didn¡¯t know if his combination of both was enough to cast a Spatial Fold which spanned across an entire galaxy. And even if it was¡
¡it would almost certainly draw the notice of something very bad lurking in the dark void between galaxies. And while he would¡¯ve loved to battle against foes of cosmic might, he simply didn¡¯t think he¡¯d bridge the gap with the remaining checkpoint uses he had left. Even with his new God Slayer title, he only sat at 2157 tries remaining until he was sent back to Ogdenborough. Not enough to surmount the gap between him and a peak-Transcendent let alone a being at the Embodiment-level.
Rather, the Conclave¡¯s grand teleportation array was designed for safe and quiet travel between galaxies.
¡°Your companion is wise; you would do well to heed her counsel. The deep void between galaxies is a terrible place harboring beings of unfathomable power,¡± Lady Sujana said.
¡°Will we be travelling to the Conclave for the use of this grand array of yours?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not necessary. Our array can create a stable portal between galaxies at any selected location. It merely requires time to prepare.¡±
A shame, Orodan wouldn¡¯t have minded getting to see the holy world of the Conclave and how they were all supposedly born being in tune with ¡®the light¡¯. But that could wait for another time.
¡°How long?¡±
¡°By the time the sun is at its peak tomorrow, be prepared.¡±
Tomorrow afternoon then. That worked, and allowed him to take stock of a few things, perhaps talk to certain people and just¡ read in peace for once.
#
¡°To have the vaunted Orodan Wainwright himself standing before me? I must admit, meeting you is an honor,¡± the elderly cultivator said. ¡°A travesty that your only experience with the alchemy of our tradition was through Liu Fan¡¯s Alchemical Wonders. Yes, it isn¡¯t entirely inadequate for the average bumpkin seeking to learn alchemy and be introduced, but for an otherworldly visitor and treasured ally of our people it is woefully lacking.¡±
A clenched fist met an open palm as the man greeted Orodan with a slight incline of the head. Orodan reciprocated, by now familiar with the customary greeting of people within the Ascendent Sword Cluster. Bowing low during the greeting was considered subservience and giving deference to the other party. Not moving the head at all could be seen as disrespectful, whereas equals would give greeting with a slight nod or incline of the head.
Orodan didn¡¯t care much for social customs, but he could see the similarities between it and the clasping of hands on his home world or the silent yet affirming head nod he might give a fellow militia member whom he respected.
¡°I¡¯m just another man,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Are you?¡± the old cultivator asked. ¡°Your arms look as though they¡¯ve been carved out of divine jade, your skin akin to the hide of a ferocious elder dragon and your eyes possessing the will of the bottomless abyss at the center of our galaxy. They sure don¡¯t make youngsters like you nowadays.¡±
¡°Thank you. It¡¯s just the result of a bit of hard work.¡±
¡°Then you and I will get along splendidly,¡± the old man said with a smirk. The robes he wore were enchanted for protection, not from blades or arrows, but the elements and deadly substances. And he also had plenty of scars and disfigurations upon his hands.
This was a man who worked and wasn¡¯t afraid to get his hands dirty.
¡°I have a day before my journey takes me elsewhere,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And everyone on Xian spoke of the greatest alchemist of the Ascendent Sword Cluster, Transcendent Ruyi Hao. They say your Celestial skill nears the peak of Transcendence.¡±
Celestial skills were rare, and those who had combat-related Celestial-rarity skills, even rarer. Among the people of the Ascendent Sword Cluster only High Sovereign Zhou Shan and formerly the Celestial Emperor had combat-related Celestial skills. However, people with Celestial-rarity skills related to crafting also existed, even if they too were exceedingly rare.
There was a generally accepted custom of not harming valuable crafters on the losing side even during war. Hells, even the devils of the hells were known to peacefully integrate crafters after conquering worlds. This went to the extreme end for crafters with Celestial-rarity skills where factions would often strike grand diplomatic deals or go to war over them.
Even receiving a singular item crafted by one of these people often shook the status quo.
¡°Mere rumors. I¡¯m just another alchemist,¡± the Ruyi Hao said with a smile. ¡°Yet, I suspect you haven¡¯t come all this way to the Palace¡¯s Alchemy Hall just to hear an old man talk. How can I help you?¡±
They were within a grand workshop in the basement of the Celestial palace, the Alchemy Hall. It was a place with very few people, and all manner of incredibly expensive equipment such as gigantic cauldrons, shelves lined with expensive ingredients, powerful formations and braziers lit up with spirit flames of varying elements. And it was reserved purely for Ruyi Hao, his assistants and any disciples of his. The man was the greatest alchemist the Ascendent Sword Cluster had ever seen, so for him to monopolize the hall was more than fair.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen the work of a Transcendent-level crafter before¡ can you show me some examples?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Well, how about I give you the gradual course. Have you seen Grandmaster-level items at least?¡± Ruyi Hao asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Good, then I shall start from the low-level Transcendent items. For instance, this Pill of Resurrection.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes widened like saucers as he heard the name and beheld the item Ruyi Hao pulled out. He used Identify.
[Name: Pill of the Resurrecting Soul Vortex
Description: A pill crafted by a Transcendent Alchemist using nothing but the Dao of Alchemy. Capable of resurrecting the dead within a month of death.
Tier: Transcendent]
¡°How can a simple pill resurrect someone?¡± Orodan asked. It looked¡ mundane, there wasn¡¯t a terrible amount of energy within it, perhaps enough to put it at the Master-level. In fact, Vision Of Purity had a difficult time getting much detail as the impurities were barely detectable, as expected of the crafter¡¯s skill level. ¡°Does it use the soul arts? Chronomancy?¡±
¡°What is Transcendence, Orodan Wainwright? It is the act of going beyond the established limits of a skill. No two Transcendences - even in the same skill - are the same,¡± Ruyi Hao said. ¡°This pill was made by one of my disciples immediately after he passed his trial of ascendance and stepped into the Transcendent-level. He tirelessly studied the Dao of the soul for millennia until he was capable of replicating a resurrection through Alchemy alone. Not a single soul cultivator aided him, and he used not a single aspect of their Dao either.¡±
¡°Incredible¡ yet surely this has limits, how does it work?¡± Orodan asked, green with envy. This was some of the most profound alchemy he¡¯d ever seen! ¡°I¡¯ve seen cultivators perform battlefield resurrections, yet never have I seen any pills used in combat or upon deceased Transcendents and Grandmasters.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve answered a part of your own question. Once we break past our current limits, it is the nature of improvement to encounter new ones. This pill, while capable of something one would need multiple cultivators to do, can only work on bringing back those at the Elite-level and below,¡± Ruyi Hao said. ¡°Consider the name, soul vortex. This pill functions by forcing a tether between the soul of the deceased corpse and the pill, it then expends energy within the pill to pull the soul back from its journey towards the soul nexus and into the body, a healing effect is applied at the end using the remainder of the pill¡¯s energy.¡±
What a ridiculous alchemical pill. Not only could it somehow track down the associated soul of a corpse, but it could then pull it back to the body and heal it too. It wasn¡¯t the effect itself which impressed Orodan - after all he could also bring back the dead through chronomancy - but the sheer scope of what the pill did through alchemy alone.
Even if he had his own advantages, the universe was big, and Orodan Wainwright had a lot to learn. He couldn¡¯t even fathom the thought of performing resurrection through purely alchemical means.
¡°Despite the limitation, with this pill the common folk would have access to a method of resurrecting their loved ones¡ death, even accidental, would be but an inconvenience,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How difficult and costly is the crafting process?¡±
¡°There are only three people who can make this. Myself, my head disciple and the disciple who pioneered this pill,¡± the Transcendent Alchemist said. ¡°The creation also requires very rare ingredients which take time to grow within specific habitats which are saturated with world energy. Bypassing the requirement of knowing the soul arts and healing can be rather expensive.¡±
It made more sense now why Orodan hadn¡¯t seen such pills in use.
¡°How about something a powerful Transcendent would make?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Haha, certainly, let me show you what my head disciple can make,¡± Ruyi Hao said and beckoned for an assistant to fetch a scroll. Once the scroll was handed to him, the alchemist pulled something out of it. ¡°This thing is valuable enough that I don¡¯t simply keep it within my spatial ring, but within a scroll of holding which is specifically warded and sealed against attempts at thievery or destruction. We have only six of these, and it takes many thousands of years before the ingredients become available.¡±
¡°Should you be bringing out such a priceless treasure for the purpose of showing?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°We are at war, and the more you know of these things, the better. You rub shoulders with all the mighty Sovereigns of the Celestial Court, the Puppet Sovereign speaks well of you, and the Thousand Broom Sovereign tells me your ability far outstrips his. And most importantly, the High Sovereign himself has given special dispensation for me to show you anything you desire within our sacred vaults,¡± the Celestial Alchemist said. ¡°And besides, the activation for it requires more than just an accidental nudge.¡±
It was a shimmering glass globe. Or so it seemed to the naked eye at first glance. Yet, that wasn¡¯t glass, and the sheer quantity of power contained within the orb impressed even Orodan. Power comparable to the core of a large world itself.
¡°This item is incredibly powerful¡ yet how can alchemy create such a thing?¡± Orodan asked. Was this man pulling his leg? ¡°It looks to be an enchanted item, perhaps a glassmaker or an enchanter was involved in its creation?¡±
¡°You will come to learn my young friend, that high-level crafts can go beyond the bounds of the skill itself,¡± Ruyi Hao said. ¡°It might look otherwise, yet do not be fooled. This item came out of a bubbling cauldron, the ingredients were put inside, the spirit flame carefully stoked, and elements changed whenever necessary, and a gruelling week long process which left my head disciple bed-ridden for a month afterward was necessary.¡±
Orodan decided to use Identify for himself to find out.
The Alchemy hall had formations inside which allowed for the usage of Identify upon the powerful treasures held within. Else, Orodan with his low-level Identify skill wouldn¡¯t be capable of gleaning any information on a Transcendent-level item. The formation did the work for him, and as the details were transmitted to him, he could only gape yet again.
[Name: Orb of the World Shield
Description: An orb crafted by a Transcendent Alchemist using nothing but the Dao of Alchemy. Capable of projecting a shield capable of protecting an entire world for an hour.
Tier: Transcendent]
Orodan could only shake his head in bafflement.
¡°Yet another ridiculous item. Is that why it has so much energy within? To fuel the defense of an entire world against attacks of planet-shattering scale?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Indeed. In fact, the recent mission you went on where you were granted an Embodier¡¯s Sacrifice by our allies in the Conclave¡ this orb can protect a world against even that,¡± Ruyi Hao said. ¡°The explosion of a soul nexus, even an Embodier¡¯s full power strike¡ this orb can defend against it for a time.¡±
¡°That makes no sense. The Embodier¡¯s Sacrifice produces an explosion capable of destroying an entire star system. How can the energy equivalent to a large world core match it?¡±
The old alchemist simply smiled.
¡°As I said. Items at the Transcendent-level often do not make sense. This orb can defend against attacks far beyond its caliber,¡± Ruyi Hao explained. ¡°It¡¯s why Transcendent-level crafters are so valued. Just one item made by us can contribute greatly to any war. Frankly, the rumors within the Hegemony still wonder why you did not slay the famed Urias Virenmar upon Narictus. Depriving the Hegemony of a peak-Transcendent Enchanter with a Celestial skill would¡¯ve been quite the blow.¡±
¡°Where¡¯s the fight in that?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I won¡¯t stoop to slaughtering non-combatants for the sake of war damage. Better to learn from a crafter than kill them.¡±
¡°I can appreciate such a sentiment. Anyhow, I have one more thing to show you.¡±
¡°Alright¡ how about something that¡¯s the pinnacle of your alchemy?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You¡¯re the greatest alchemist upon Xian, no?¡±
¡°In the entirety of the Ascendent Sword Cluster actually. As for what I wish to show, it¡¯s a peak-Transcendent item, I¡¯ll show you something that took me all my skill to make. For this you shall have to come with me,¡± Ruyi Hao said and Orodan obliged, following along. Only when they were halfway down a private hallway meant for the most trusted of the Celestial Court, did the man continue. ¡°It¡¯s the culmination of my Celestial skill and my entire life¡¯s work. I¡¯ll never be able to replicate it again. All that effort for a seemingly useless item.¡±
¡°Useless? And why can it not be replicated?¡±
¡°The core ingredient came from the black hole at the center of our galaxy. We can never get anything like it again unless such an event occurs once more,¡± he said. ¡°Yet, despite me bottling it up, we still have no discernible use for it.¡±
¡°Should you be showing it to me then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The High Sovereign insisted that if I show you anything from the vaults¡ it is this. Word of your¡ unique situation has spread, and I suppose if anyone should have access to it, it would be you,¡± the Celestial Alchemist said.
Orodan was led to a vault which had every manner of safeguard and protection possible upon it. The very process of opening it took twenty minutes and required Zhou Shan himself to come down at the end.
¡°Ah, I see the time has come to hand the bottle over,¡± the High Sovereign said as he walked into the chamber.
¡°Prince er- High Sovereign¡ are you certain of this? The item can never be replicated again unless such an event occurs once more,¡± Ruyi Hao said.
¡°I am certain. Bring it out,¡± Zhou Shan said and provided a drop of his blood. ¡°If anyone should have it for study, it¡¯s Orodan Wainwright.¡±
Five more minutes passed as all manner of formations deactivated. The vault door opened to reveal¡
¡a bottle.
The liquid within was incredibly clear, yet that wasn¡¯t what drew Orodan¡¯s eye. The strangely suspended and glowing glyph of the System floating within did.
¡°Calling it my creation wouldn¡¯t be accurate. All I did after pouring all my expertise into it was manage to successfully bottle it, to prevent the glyph from fading or escaping our grasp,¡± Ruyi Hao said. ¡°Identify doesn¡¯t work upon it either.¡±
¡°How have you managed to capture a glyph of the System¡? It shouldn¡¯t be possible¡¡± Orodan said. ¡°Nobody should be capable of directly interacting with those things.¡±
¡°The application of my Celestial skill and every bit of insight I ever possessed,¡± Ruyi Hao said. ¡°And even then, I feared failure near the precipice of the act. An entire world core had to be destroyed and its strange life blood used as the suspending fluid. World cores have a relationship with the System, and it was only through it that I was able to trap that glyph. People who attempt to interact with the glyphs and symbols of the System exist and its an esoteric field of study which mainly involves delusional fools attempting conversation with these symbols, yet nobody in recorded history has been able to directly interact with one.¡±
¡°This glyph was one of many emitted from the black hole at the center of our galaxy. There was a fierce battle and a diplomatic incident between multiple factions in a bid to acquire them. Not that they seem to do anything at all. The Celestial Emperor would often study it and he seemed closest of all to influencing it,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°While we do not know what it does, recently, it has become quite relevant.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°After that horrific incident with the shard, our soul cultivators scanned your soul deeply during the time you were out, in the hopes of helping you. The soul core is normally inviolable, nobody can peer within, not into their own nor into those of others. Yet the shard¡¯s foul power for a brief moment illuminated the System symbols and glyphs present within, it made them tremble and become apparent to our scans momentarily,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°And what they saw¡ Orodan¡ this glyph matches many of the ones found within your soul core.¡±
¡°How is it relevant to me then? Anyone could have these glyphs.¡±
¡°The shard¡¯s energy caused everyone¡¯s souls to tremble. We have scans of Zaessythra and W78 too,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Yours is the only soul which had these strange glyphs. They match the glyph which came out of the black hole a little while ago.¡±
The shard¡ was that how Agrimon, leader of the Hegemony had been able to detect Orodan¡¯s time looping nature? His foe had at one point said that he was able to detect the subtle markings of the System upon Orodan¡¯s soul. Was the shard and this symbol the giveaway?
¡°You say a ¡®little while ago¡¯, yet the lives of you Transcendents are measured in millions of years. Just when did these symbols spew forth from the black hole?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Seventeen years ago.¡±
#
Orodan was laid on his back, staring up into the bright noon sky of Xian. In his hands, a scroll on System glyphs and symbols and the esoteric area of study where some would attempt to decipher or influence them.
The records of these people were scant. A large number of them ended up missing, never to be heard from again, and many of them also wound up getting corrupted by the Eldritch. It was suspicious.
Near him, Zaessythra, a book on transformations and blood magic in her hands.
¡°The mystery only thickens, Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said to his companion. ¡°The more I learn, the more questions I have.
¡°What else do you expect? You¡¯re clearly the anointed time looper, even that nightmare you encountered said so,¡± she remarked.
¡°You¡¯re old, don¡¯t you have any advice for me? I¡¯m good at bashing my head against things in a straightforward manner, not these puzzles,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what this time loop wants from me.¡±
¡°My age has little bearing on a matter which is beyond me. You¡¯re already on the right track with your plan to venture to the Vystaxium Galaxy and try to uncover more clues and mayhap secure allies,¡± she said. ¡°I would be a little more worried if I were you though. They called you an anomaly, Orodan, and I would be inclined to agree.¡±
¡°Why would I worry? The battle is ahead of us and we¡¯re moving in the right direction towards the enemy, are we not?¡±
Zaessythra closed her book and looked closely at him.
¡°That. That¡¯s why they call you an anomaly. Even that unfathomable terror beyond our comprehension referred to you as such,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Orodan¡ are you even human?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit weird to say when you¡¯re a half-dragon yourself? I have nothing against people of other species. Or are you perhaps taking issue with my Absolute Body Composition then?¡±
¡°No. Idiot. I speak of you. Your mind, your emotions. Are you even a mortal?¡±
¡°Gods and Transcendents past a certain level can¡¯t really be considered mortal either, Zaessythra, what are you trying to say?¡± he asked, and then promptly received a smack upside his head via a thrown book. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll stop being difficult. You want me to worry? Why would I? I¡¯m a warrior, I face the enemy, I fight, I die. Whether that death sends me back to Ogdenborough or is permanent, what does it matter? Whether I face the Lord of Night or a cosmic terror which attempted to shatter my mind, soul and System, what¡¯s the difference? It¡¯s naught but a matter of scale.¡±
¡°That¡ is what I mean. Sometimes, Orodan¡¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s as though I¡¯m talking to a fabled being of legend, a myth beyond comprehension. You¡¯re more walking impossibility than man. You say the cosmic terror was incomprehensible, but to me you¡¯re just as much of an unfathomable existence at times.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just a man Zaessythra, perhaps one possessed of a willpower that¡¯s a little strange, but a regular person nonetheless.¡±
¡°Are you? I haven¡¯t once seen you actually falter to the very mortal emotions everyone should have. Even Gods and Transcendents feel fear and terror, they feel love, care, concern¡ and these are real vulnerabilities everyone should have,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°I recall the trauma, the agony of that shard striking me. It showed me many lifetimes of horror, of me failing at everything. My vulnerabilities were preyed upon, and I was broken. Yet you¡ you just¡ hold on and emerge the same. What are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just a warrior, that¡¯s all I am. I admit¡ I¡¯ve always tried harder than anyone. Laziness and hesitation weren¡¯t something I really knew. I simply chalked that up to me having a tougher mind¡ yet when on a cosmic scale for my will to hold strong even then, I admit it¡¯s a bit strange,¡± Orodan mused. ¡°Still¡ you¡¯re wrong about one thing. I do feel emotions, and things do hurt for me all the same.¡±
¡°Oh? Such as?¡±
¡°I can still feel rage. And besides that¡¡± Orodan said. ¡°My care and concern for you should be obvious enough, no?¡±
No reply came forth for none was necessary.
The two simply remained in silence for a while. Orodan looking at the bright sun overlooking Xian, and Zaessythra looking at the view of Swordmist City from their vantage point atop the highest point of the Celestial Palace.
¡°An hour until the grand array beams down,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Even I have never been to another galaxy before.¡±
¡°Is it an uncommon thing? Inter-galactic travel?¡± he asked.
¡°Quite. In my time it was something done once every few centuries, and the activation of a grand array was a matter of great celebration and speculation,¡± she said. ¡°Operating it is an expensive endeavor.¡±
Orodan grunted, and soon the hour drew nearer.
The first sign that something was wrong was when he felt spatial fluctuations in the void above Xian¡¯s atmosphere.
The second sign¡ the activation of the Orb of the World Shield he¡¯d been shown.
A titanic blast of cannon fire which could obliterate a large star rained down, and he immediately took notice of the shadows of ships in the void above.
A familiar voice, one he¡¯d heard through an Avatar long ago called out. It was divine in nature.
¡°Cultivators. Surrender the time looper and we need not come to blows, this I swear upon my honor,¡± a booming voice echoed across the planet. ¡°Fail to do so¡ and you shall taste the arsenal of the dwarves.¡±
Varkir¡ dwarven God of Crafting, Endurance and Honor.
This divine was a mercenary and sold himself and his people¡¯s services to the highest bidder.
¡°Varkir! The dwarves yet again sell themselves to the Hegemony?! At this rate you may as well admit you are Agrimon¡¯s lap dog!¡± Lady Sujana boomed in the skies as she flew to meet him. ¡°Orodan, the grand array will descend any moment now, you must leave immediately and fetch aid from the Conclave¡¯s branch within the Vystaxium Galaxy!¡±
¡°I refuse! Let us stand and fight alongside you!¡± Orodan proclaimed.
Zhou Shan was suddenly next to him.
¡°No, my friend. You¡¯re strong, but they have multiple Transcendents and an arsenal of horrid power. Your efforts are best spent getting us the help we need. Without vampirism, a Devil King or the Eldritch you would not be able to bridge the gap between yourself and high-level Transcendents,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°This is but a token force and we¡¯re all but certain to win this battle. Yet their main objective lies in delaying your travel. The threat of additional allies on our side is their main concern. Return with aid, and you deny them their main objective.¡±
¡°Come, Orodan, listen to reason for once!¡± Zaessythra said.
A grand beam landed upon the surface of the Palace¡¯s Peak; the spatial fluctuations muted yet unfathomably powerful. This was the teleportation beam of the grand array that they needed to step into.
They were right. Try as he might, the remaining checkpoint uses he had wouldn¡¯t be enough to suddenly bridge this large gap.
Much as Orodan hated it¡ he had people relying on him to secure aid from the Conclave, and perhaps even more.
He stepped into the beam.
Space trembled, the stars suddenly blazed past him and he barely managed to grab Zaessythra¡¯s hand in time to avoid separation as the travel had suddenly become rather unstable.
Behind them, the dwarves were attempting to fire weapons of mass destruction towards the tail end of the array. It connected, and something was shattered¡
¡the part of the array which masked their travel through the void and the targeting function.
And suddenly, Orodan had a strong feeling that something was watching him.
Two seconds of travel later, a gigantic gaping maw attempted to swallow the beam whole. It was the size of an entire star system.
Surely this would be the end of the checkpoint loop?
Or so Orodan thought until the void crackled with glowing golden light and the maw was driven off with a shriek of pain.
The two of them practically smashed into their destination, and the spatial fluctuations eventually settled to reveal they¡¯d landed somewhere.
Evidently, the natives of the world they¡¯d landed on also noticed. Given the dozens of barrels aimed at the two of them.
A woman wielding a rapier and ornate military uniform stepped forward, still on guard. Behind her, rows of troops armored in metallic armor which emitted a strange gas.
¡°Identify yourself, or I give the steam knights and artillery the order to open fire.¡±
Not the ideal entry to a new galaxy in search of allies.
Chapter 62 - Plague World Invasion
The skies of this world were a clear blue, the clouds quite thick and high up in the air. The humidity in the air was apparent, yet not the hot sort which clung to the skin and made one feel uncomfortable. Instead, the humidity was cool, and felt almost natural.
Beyond even the clouds, two suns shone down onto the earth¡ and in the horizon the skies were beginning to show the slightest tinge of purple and gray. An all too familiar color which Orodan despised quite deeply.
And on the ground in front them, and all around¡
¡they were surrounded, the weapons of almost a hundred soldiers were pointed at Orodan and Zaessythra.
At the very front, twelve foot tall suits of metal were arrayed. Hot steam and magical energies being periodically emitted out their vents. Glittering enchantments were engraved upon the plates of metal which made up their armored frames. These large metallic golems seemed to have no pilots within, they wielded some manner of multi-barrelled firearm on the right hand, and an impressively forged and enchanted blade in the left.
War golems of steam and metal.
And behind them, arranged tactically to safeguard the flanks and seemingly vulnerable angles of the golems, were human soldiers were armed with repeating rifles of similar make to those he¡¯d seen the dwarves of his home world use. These guns were seemingly powered by a mixture of steam and magic. Powerful implements, lethal ones too, if the feeling he got from them was any indicator.
The golems and soldiers comprised the first battle line. And behind this leading rank was an assortment of artillery pieces supported by additional gun-wielding soldiers and mages.
They came in varying sizes and had crews operating them, however all of them were mounted atop some manner of vehicle, a metallic, enclosed cart which was again, operated by steam and magical energies. All of these vehicles had firing ports, much like the balistraria upon a fortified castle, from whence the gun-wielding crew could dispense salvos of death. The barrels of many steam-powered rifles protruded from these gun-holes, the human crew within these vehicles alert and watching him and Zaessythra closely.
These artillery-mounted vehicles were supported on the flanks by the aforementioned firearm wielding soldier which seemed to be the most ubiquitous sort of troop present. Behind them however, were combatants with higher than normal amounts of mana.
War mages.
These magical soldiers were arranged in formations of five, with four mages supporting a central one. Two fire mages and two water mages supported a leader in the center who seemed to command steam itself. There were four such formations, and these central steam magicians were Grandmasters who seemed to empower the very machines and firearms of the entire force in an amplificative maneuver. The steam-controlling magicians wore dress uniforms just a step lower than the Transcendent-level commander of this formation.
And half a mile behind the formation¡ were three soldiers armed with what Orodan could only admit was a very dangerous and oversized variant of rifle. The energy emanating from these weapons was quite great, and the wielders looked to be the Grandmaster-level.
Machine and man, organized in concert to form a unified military force, all empowered by steam and a dash of magic.
Orodan had seen golems on Alastaia, and he¡¯d seen W78 and A1, the machine warriors of the Unity. Yet to see a very mechanized yet magical military force was a novel experience. The basic human soldiers were at the Master-level, although Orodan had an inkling that their guns could hit above their level and hurt Grandmasters. His senses told him that the artillery pieces and steam knights carried a decent amount of power. Perhaps a full barrage from this unit might even hurt a Transcendent.
And the three deadly sharpshooters in the rear rank? They might even be capable of killing Transcendents when working together.
The commanding officer in ornate dress uniform wielding a rapier and hand-held firearm was an early Transcendent, and was undoubtedly a core part of the formation. Numbers and firepower were of severely reduced effectiveness if they couldn¡¯t be brought to bear due to the enemy closing distance. To that end, having a Transcendent capable of holding the line was an important task.
Military pomp and regalia was typically abandoned by the time someone reached the Transcendent and divine levels. The Transcendents he¡¯d seen in his own galaxy were a bit removed from the military ranks, concerns and organizational structures of Grandmasters and below. For the woman to still be wearing a uniform, it was intriguing. It suggested that these people took custom seriously and Transcendents seemed well-integrated into society even after their ascension.
¡°Did you hear me? Identify yourself! You¡¯ve broken past planetary space-lock defenses and are in violation of galactic law, article nine. Intruding upon the territory of a sovereign nation is not something we can overlook,¡± the commander spoke. ¡°We need not come to blows today, simply surrender yourselves and we might work this mess out.¡±
A junior officer suddenly rushed up to the commander, and Orodan¡¯s keen senses picked up on the conversation.
¡°My Lady! The Aurameter detects the woman as being mid-Transcendent, however it cannot get the upper-reading for the man.¡±
Which made little sense. Orodan was but a Master. Technically at least. Of course, if the machine detected overall energy, then he would certainly appear rather monstrous, with total power exceeding that of a peak-Transcendent. Even at a sedate pace of energy generation, Orodan¡¯s soul held more raw power within than most beings he¡¯d met.
It was subtle, but the commander¡¯s eyes took on a serious look, and Orodan detected the familiar pulse of dirty mana sent out from a ring on her hand. Calling for immediate assistance was but a natural course of action when one felt outmatched.
Orodan raised his hands into the air and walked forward, attempting to placate the woman and the tension which was palpable.
¡°I come in peace,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We¡¯ve come from the neighboring galaxy seeking the branch of the Conclave. Our grand array was assaulted and damaged during our travel and we consequently landed somewhere unintended.¡±
¡°Unlikely. A galaxy is a massive place and a grand teleportation array¡¯s targeting function being damaged would lead to the passenger being slingshotted anywhere within. Without your teleport being guided, to somehow land upon a planet is exceedingly unlikely, bordering on impossible,¡± the commanding officer said. ¡°If you¡¯ve arrived here, all evidence points to it being intentional.¡±
¡°Well, the disguising function of the array was also damaged and we were nearly devoured by something big and hungry during transit,¡± Orodan said and the commander¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Something glowing and golden came to our aid though. Perhaps they¡¯re the one who steered us right?¡±
¡°That fluctuation in the void was you¡?¡± the commander asked. ¡°Even still, your story doesn¡¯t add up. If an Embodiment-level being aided in guiding your teleport, the energy would¡¯ve been apparent to our scans. No source of power from outside the galaxy steered you here.¡±
Then¡
¡°Was it someone from within?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Where are we? The galaxy and star-system please.¡±
¡°This is Lonvoron, prime world of the Blackworth Collective within the Colodon System. We are within the Yellow Moon Cluster of the Vystaxium Galaxy,¡± the officer said. ¡°This is where you intended to come, yes?¡±
¡°It is,¡± Orodan answered. The letter had said as much too.
And if whoever had rescured him within the void wasn¡¯t the reason for their new targeting¡
¡then Orodan suspected it was this other time looper who¡¯d done so.
¡°Good. Then you shan¡¯t have any issue coming with us to verify your identity and meeting with the Viscount,¡± the officer said. ¡°In fact, my superiors should be arriving henceforth to convey you the rest of the way themselves.¡±
Orodan turned to Zaessythra, stood to his right.
¡°I¡¯d normally suggest we go with them but¡¡± she muttered.
¡°You sense it too then?¡± Orodan asked and she nodded.
What they sensed, was world energy. Zaessythra likely sensed it through the world-sword she had, and Orodan through his own world crown which he bore upon his arm. At such an extreme distance they couldn¡¯t access the world energy of the respective worlds they held rulership over, yet their rulership items still allowed them to access some functions such as the detection of world energy and minor ways of interacting with it.
And the world energy practically held the minds and souls of these soldiers in a vice grip.
They were potentially dealing with puppets to a higher power.
¡°For now, why not play along and go with them? If this is truly a trap, we can simply reset and try this again,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°They haven¡¯t attacked or offended us, and the weapons are fair given their lack of information on us.¡±
Orodan agreed. Butchering soldiers defending their own homes when they were the ones who¡¯d landed upon Lonvoron, would be a tad villainous. Better to see how far this went and what exactly the orchestrator wanted from them before committing any acts of violence.
Spatial fluctuations emanated near the commander of these steam and magic powered troops, and three more figures stepped out. Two of them mid-Transcendents, dressed in ornate military uniforms and perhaps slightly weaker than Zaessythra. The final one was a woman dressed like a bit of a vagabond, a bottle of liquor in her left hand, and a gun in her right. The small hand-held gun had a cylindrical contraption built in. And from the looks of it, the contraption fed ammunition into the hand-held weapon, and twelve shots seemed ready to be delivered.
Despite the comedic appearance, he held a rough estimate that this roguish woman was a high-level Transcendent stronger than Zaessythra, and perhaps a bit more powerful than Orodan himself. She was dangerous, and the instinctive feeling he got from that small gun was no jest.
Still, she wasn¡¯t even a peak-Transcendent, and Orodan would estimate her as being near level 140 but not surpassing it. In all likelihood there were even more powerful reinforcements that could appear at a moment¡¯s notice.
He was strong, and he¡¯d fought enemy armies before, but to fight an entire planet¡¯s worth of Transcendents many of whom might be near the peak? The thought excited him but it just wasn¡¯t the time for it. These people had done him no wrong and he had greater concerns. Not when his checkpoint uses were limited and his allies upon Xian were counting upon him to secure aid.
The powerful gunmaster took a deep swig from the bottle in her hand.
¡°Mmm¡ Von Asterman vintage¡¡± she said and then hiccupped. ¡°Not bad. I was looking to reserve it for a special occasion¡ like my next marriage. Explain who you are and why I shouldn¡¯t unload twelve rounds into your head.¡±
That alcohol wasn¡¯t normal either. Vision of Purity and his strange sixth sense gave him enough of a picture to tell that the drink had empowered this woman. Drunken as she seemed, a weakling she was not.
Good.
¡°I¡¯d hope it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t come here seeking a fight,¡± Orodan said, and then his face lit up in a joyous smile. ¡°Although, that does sound like a fun offer.¡±
Something in his tone must¡¯ve alerted the woman, as her previous drunken tilt straightened out and her casual-seeming eyes took on a serious edge.
¡°Madam Lawson¡ this man¡¯s Aurameter reading caused the device to trigger all four levels and malfunction,¡± the Baroness reported. ¡°We¡¯ve re-checked it on three separate devices, and the readings indicate-¡±
¡°That he has energy beyond that of a peak-Transcendent. Pull the formation back and inform the King,¡± the drunken woman ordered in a tone which brooked no doubt. ¡°The Aurameter provides an approximate level of power based upon the soul. A high-level soul specialist might skew it, but these readings do not lie. Are you an enemy of the Blackworth Collective? Come looking for a fight, have you?¡±
¡°Not at all, in fact I come in peace. Having a powerful fighter make an implied threat does rouse my blood however. You claimed yourself capable of unloading twelve rounds into my head, did you not?¡± Orodan asked as his sword and shield were drawn. ¡°How about this. If I survive your twelve bullets, you¡¯ll hear me out. I won¡¯t retaliate in the slightest. I simply wish to test myself against that gun of yours.¡±
¡°A fair proposition. My superiors will be arriving soon, and long have I wished to test myself against a peak-Transcendent,¡± the woman said as the cylinder on the gun was rapidly spun and the weapon brandished in her hand and aimed his way with a twirl. ¡°No reneging on the deal. Last chance to commit.¡±
¡°Enough talk. I¡¯ve survived barrages from entire cannon batteries firing at once,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°Show me how these bullets of yours hold up.¡±
She was as good as her word. The first thing Orodan felt was a powerful strain against his arm and a titanic impact against his shield.
[Shield Mastery 88 ¡ú Shield Mastery 89]
His loyal defense held strong, yet he was sent skidding backwards. The motion of the gun was impossibly fast, the bullet even faster. There was no way his current mind and body could keep up with the projectiles fired from that weapon.
By the time he reflected on all that, the second shot had already ripped straight through the exposed bit of his arm.
Immediately, the temptation struck to use Time Compression and hasten himself, yet Orodan refused. It would be cheating and against the spirit of this training exercise.
The bullet was deadly for more than just its velocity and impact force. Rather, the projectile was a transcendent example mastery of force transfer. At first one might think a poison was causing Orodan¡¯s cells to suffer destruction as they were eroded away. Yet the truth was far more impressive.
The very force of the shot was spread and dispersed in controlled pathways upwards along his arm as it ravaged his body. Like a devouring acid, a hungry flame, yet achieved with naught but pure impact force from the bullet which was strictly controlled by the gunmaster as though it was telekinetic.
It was akin to a swordsman slicing an opponent¡¯s arm and instead electing to control the force so that it continued traveling along the foe¡¯s body and then decapitated their head. It was a Transcendent level of skill in gunplay, it was profound.
And it had also made him twitch in reaction just a bit as he attempted to move his shield to defend. A move which left the top half of his head exposed.
The following six shots struck him squarely in the noggin and destroyed it and the upper half of his body entirely. Even as Harmony of Vitality warred with the destructive and virulent force transfer effect from each bullet and attempted to outpace the damage through healing.
It was the ninth shot where Orodan¡¯s shield finally stood in-between once more, holding strong as his soul empowered his defensive weapon. Unfortunately, the tenth and elventh shots all went for his open legs which were practically blasted into non-existence.
Finally, the twelfth bullet was preceded by the venting of a large amount of steam from the gun, a sign that it was bad news.
The gun fighter¡¯s eyes were deadly serious, and despite all the damage she¡¯d scored the Transcendent-gunwoman looked equally shocked at Orodan¡¯s resilience and practically instantaneous healing. The final bullet then, was symbolic, a way to pit her full might against his.
Rather than his head or exposed body, the final shot came straight for his shield. Her bullet, against the soul empowered defensive implement which had saved his life so many times.
Orodan tore through space as the bullet hit. His soul trembled from the strain of pouring power into his shield and maintaining the focus necessary to prevent its destruction.
And at the last moment, he understood that a shield wasn¡¯t just a defensive implement. But one of offense as well.
What was defense? To defend against an attack meant not just weathering it like an unyielding pillar, but to also address the attack itself. As shield met unstoppable bullet, he realized that to defend with the shield involved dealing with the attack.
To attack the attack itself.
What was a shield? A shield wasn¡¯t just defense, but offense. Yet, to step into the realm of mastery involved realizing that a defensive maneuver with the shield could be completed through offense, and that an offensive maneuver with the shield could be completed through defense.
His shield advanced, his determination like steel. He refused to passively defend. He practically smashed it right into the bullet aiming to win through pure force and the perspective that defense involved beating the offending attack with naught but the stubborn defiance a warrior should have.
What was needed next, was an offensive maneuver to return the bullet to whence it came, Orodan instead played it defensively, squeezing the utmost control he had to its limits and holding still, guiding the bullet along his unbreakable shield¡¯s curvature, the bullet spinning along the path of his shield¡¯s rim until it was returned with the same amount of force¡
¡right past the gunwoman¡¯s head, missing her intentionally yet barely.
[Shield Mastery 89 ¡ú Shield Mastery 90]
¡°Defense can be achieved through offense¡ and offense through defense,¡± Orodan said to himself, seemingly in a trance. ¡°Perhaps this is also the key for Sword Mastery¡¡±
¡°Nice insights, but have you forgotten our agreement that you would not retaliate?¡± the woman asked as she took another swig. Comical as the action looked, the drink in fact empowered her, indicating that she was taking this very seriously. ¡°Though, we might address that after. You¡ are not a peak-Transcendent, are you?¡±
¡°No. I am in fact, a Master-level warrior,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°And I apologize, I simply needed to carry out the last step to make that skill gain. I made sure to miss your head too.¡±
¡°Who might you be?¡± the gun-fighter asked. ¡°No Master-level individual in existence should be capable of contending with a level 139 Transcendent.¡±
Orodan smiled, and to the side, Zaessythra tensed up noticeably.
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright, here to link up with the branch of the Conclave upon Lonvoron, and most importantly¡¡±
¡°¡Orodan! No!¡±
¡°¡to meet this other time looper. I¡¯m also in a time loop myself.¡±
He heard Zaessythra¡¯s palm sharply meet her own face.
¡°Why does he always do this¡?¡±
Let it not be said that Orodan Wainwright beat around the bush.
The Transcendent gunwoman who¡¯d shot Orodan had a look of surprise upon her face, which she quickly schooled. And most importantly¡ Vision of Purity and his own world crown betrayed the slightest of ripples within the world energy which had wrapped around her mind and soul like a constricting snake.
Orodan had his suspicions, but chose not to act upon them for now.
¡°A time looper?! Just as the King asked us to watch for¡ incredible! This must be fate, for you to arrive at such a time when we¡¯re beset on all sides by the Eldritch,¡± the gun-fighter said said. ¡°To think there¡¯s another, the King must be informed!¡±
¡°There¡¯s another time looper then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Who is it?¡±
¡°Only his Majesty knows of their true identity. Yet we¡¯ve been told to remain on the lookout for anyone claiming to be such,¡± the leader of the Transcendents said. ¡°King Alstatyn Von Flemethy, monarch of the Blackworth Collective, wishes to meet you.¡±
¡°Truth-detection is of no use. That shroud of world energy covering their minds and souls is interfering, and any attempts to push past it would be felt,¡± Zaessythra said telepathically.
¡°It makes little sense. Why would knowledge of this other time looper be so widespread? This random Transcendent here seems to know about it,¡± Orodan replied along the connection. ¡°Do they just go around telling people that they¡¯re in a time loop?¡±
¡°Indeed, I wonder who would do such a stupid and thoughtless thing?¡±
He sent a feeling of distinct unamusement down the telepathic link.
¡°Your barbs aside, this doesn¡¯t add up with what the contents of the letter said. This other time looper clearly went to great lengths to preserve their secrecy. For them to be known of simply creates more doubt and questions.¡±
And most importantly¡
¡these people were being beset by the Eldritch too? No wonder the horizon held a distinct purple and grey haze in the distance.
The Eldritch wasn¡¯t exactly limited to Alastaia. His first meeting with Varkir, the God of the dwarves, had resulted in him learning that the Eldritch threatened many places. The Celestial Emperor of Xian, Jian Huangdi, was corrupted by the Eldritch. The Reject, one of the five Administrators, was also corrupted by this foul plague. So to encounter it here was no surprise to Orodan.
¡°Time looper, please, the longer we tarry the nearer the forces of the Eldritch draw. They have always threatened our peoples, yet ever since the unification of our Collective as of late they have been pressing even harder,¡± the Transcendent said. ¡°A spatial rift leading to the surface of a plague world threatens the northern provinces. Our brave soldiers and sturdy war machinery hold the line against them with each passing minute.¡±
¡°The Eldritch threatens your peoples? How strong are their champions which descend upon your worlds?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Powerful Gods and Transcendents, beyond level 140,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Many of them quite barbaric. And some of them¡ turned from among our own forces. The virulent and infectious nature of their plague has caused us much grief and loss as we¡¯re forced to fight our own.¡±
¡°Then, how about we help against these Eldritch invaders first before we meet your King?¡±
¡°I would advise against it, the Eldritch are ferocious and deadly beyond compare. Your knowledge of the future and ability to return this knowledge to our forces will be our greatest asset. To that end, meeting with the King and joining forces would be the most tactically sound decision,¡± the Transcendent argued. ¡°Their rotten touch is vile and infectious. Many of our greatest defenders and champions have fallen to it as they¡¯re forced to turn against us. We absolutely cannot afford you being corrupted by the Eldritch.¡±
¡°It will be fine. These Eldritch simply need a good cleaning,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Unacceptable. Royal decree obliges us to deliver you as an honored guest before his Majesty.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t asking. We will be aiding in this battle against the Eldritch,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The Eldritch are my enemies. There will be no peaceful meeting between the King and I when my enemies run rampant upon this world.¡±
¡°And when you become infected by their madness? An Eldritch-infected time looper would be the doom of our-¡±
¡°He has Eldritch Resistance.¡±
Silence followed the proclamation, and Orodan felt the world energy binding the minds and souls of these people stir at Zaessythra¡¯s words.
¡°That is¡¡±
¡°An end to your complaints, yes?¡± she asked the gun-fighter.
¡°To see you championing my way of doing things Zaessythra, I thought I¡¯d never see the day,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°You would¡¯ve bullheadedly insisted on it either way, I¡¯m just getting ahead of it,¡± she replied.
The four Transcendents of the Blackworth Collective before them were more than a little wary of the two. One was an early-Transcendent. Either he or Zaessythra could best that one. The other two were mid-level Transcendents who were slightly weaker than Zaessythra. Perhaps she could win the two-versus-one, perhaps not.
The gunslinger he¡¯d heard referred to as Madam Lawson however, was the strongest of them. Strength came in different forms however. Her gunplay and the speed of her firearm and bullets were extraordinary. Orodan would need to use Time Compression to compete against that level of swiftness. However, he was a warrior through and through. Guns were her forte, melee combat and the thick of brutal violence was his. He hadn¡¯t missed how her muscles twitched in minute ways to indicate a mindset most defensive, and perhaps even a bit averse to engagements at close range.
Her gun and weapon arm were fast. The rest of her, not so much. Orodan felt confident he could best her if it came down to it in a one-on-one, and this was without the usage of Time Compression. His healing could outpace whatever punishment she delivered, and his own endurance would eventually grind her down.
Of course, this all hinged on the assumption that he had endless time and no additional reinforcements coming in. Still, whatever the gunslinger Madam Lawson had seen, she was wary of. She refused to order her troops to attack or attempt an apprehension of Orodan and Zaessythra.
And for a few seconds, a tense standoff occurred as the two sides eyes one another down.
Until the world energy which gripped the mind and soul of Miss Lawson trembled almost imperceptibly once more, indicating action from whoever had this woman in their grips.
¡°There¡¯s been a change of plans. You wish to visit the front lines of the northern provinces first? That will be acceptable,¡± Madam Lawson said. ¡°His Majesty will meet with you at our main main war camp. We look forward to working together, time looper.¡±
That had been resolved easier than expected. Understandable given how nobody with a level of foresight would want to make an enemy of a time looper
Yet something in the back of Orodan¡¯s mind told him that he was walking into a veritable wasp¡¯s nest of problems.
#
The warzone they were headed to had a spatial rift leading directly to a plague world. This was the point through which the Eldritch were invading Lonvoron.
A plague world. It was what these people called an entire world which had fallen to the Eldritch. Orodan suspected that the masters of the Eldritch Avatar which invaded his home world also came from one of these. Yet, such a situation made him realize that Alastaia had it easy. They dealt with numerous descending champions of the Eldritch attempting to gain a foothold over many centuries. Yet, to have an active spatial rift which led directly to the heart of a plague world?
Lonvoron was facing a drastically different sort of Eldritch invasion, one on a far deadlier scale than his home world had. Combatting it required the mobilization of military forces across the entire planet and perhaps more.
The two of them had travelled alongside the unit of soldiers, war machines and mages. Initially, a spatial rift had opened up and the party moved a portion of the way towards their destination, however they were now trekking the rest of the way on foot.
Direct teleportation into the front lines was off-limits. The spatial rift leading to the plague world had plenty of Eldritch-infected spatiomancy specialists on the other side. Entire towns could be infected and the corruption rapidly expanded if spatiomancy was carelessly used between safe and unsafe areas. Consequently, teleportation within two-hundred miles of the front line was banned and strictly monitored.
The Eldritch Avatar had been quite corrupt and virulent, yet an entire plague world launching an attack through a spatial rift was far more concerning. If unprepared, an entire world could succumb to Eldritch infection within a matter of months.
Orodan and Zaessythra were sat atop the open air captain¡¯s deck of a large moving vehicle powered by steam. Alongside them, in a nearby vehicle as their escort, was Madam Lawson the gunslinger. He and Zaessythra were kept on their own steam-powered vehicle. Zaessythra was deeply engrossed in her book, some tome on transformations and soul magic, and Orodan had a frown on his face as he looked discontent.
¡°I still maintain that I can travel faster on foot,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°This thing is slow.¡±
¡°And destroy the landscape in your path of travel?¡± Madam Lawson said. ¡°The northern provinces take the preservation of natural habitats seriously. Many rare and expensive crafting reagents come from these environs. It¡¯s all part of the war effort. Every blade of grass, every tree, every bit of ore in the ground, it all comes together to push the future. Take for example, my twelve-shooter. This pretty lad¡¯s been with me for the better part of a hundred-thousand years. The metal came from a centuries old deposit in the mountains, the wooden handle, from an ancient tree. And I¡¯m personally involved in the crafting of each bullet.¡±
¡°I can see how a stable supply of materials is important, it¡¯s a war asset and a strategic resource. Yet, when besieged by the Eldritch shouldn¡¯t your priorities lay elsewhere?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Have you noticed what vehicle you¡¯re riding upon?¡± she asked, and Orodan shook his head. ¡°This here¡¯s a light carrier. It weighs over one-hundred and fifty tons, bears up to fifteen crew members and soldiers, and has a mounted heavy gun capable of shooting right through a mountain.¡±
¡°I get the feeling it could kill a Grandmaster with a direct hit,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What of it though?¡±
¡°Do you notice that we¡¯re riding upon roads and relatively flat surfaces?¡± Madam Lawson asked. ¡°If we allowed every visitor and foreign dignitary with skills of a brutish nature to traipse about at will, how long until our network of roads and the smooth terrain are gone?¡±
Orodan had to concede the point there. Even if Orodan felt himself faster, the vehicle they were upon wasn¡¯t by any means slow. Though, it was bulky.
¡°So if one of these things falls into a ravine, what do you do?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The engineering corps would have to extricate it, or a mage with a talent for moving large objects,¡± she answered. ¡°If the unit has a Transcendent with decent physical skill around, they might also do.¡±
¡°A Transcendent? Why, anyone with a Physical Fitness skill above 50 should be capable of lifting the 150 tons of weight. Even if difficult, at worst, by level 55 someone should be able to casually pluck this thing out the bottom of a muddy hole if needed,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Is this a specialized unit? I feel the lack of any other front line troops is a bit of a vulnerability.¡±
¡°It¡¯s by design. We have no dedicated front line troops in our military¡ outside of the penal divisions and some rare individuals. Such things are unnecessary with our current doctrine of warfare,¡± Madam Lawson remarked. ¡°If we need to dirty our hands with the base act of hand-to-hand, our brave men and women of the line infantry have affixed bayonets and side swords.¡±
¡°Yet none of them are dedicated troops capable of engaging the enemy toe-to-toe? An¡ interesting choice of tactics,¡± Orodan said. His younger self would¡¯ve immediately decried this as cowardice and stupidity. Yet now, he had grown and could see why they might choose to fight as such. ¡°Is the threat of Eldritch infection so great that you cannot afford to have warriors clashing blades against them?¡±
¡°That¡¯s one part of it. The other is that a soldier purely dedicated to melee combat is a liability and not as versatile. All that investment; long hours of training and pain, close combat and the risk of constant death. It is a lot to ask of someone. I see you too are one such fighter. Would you not agree that it takes someone of a certain caliber to pursue such a path to its limits?¡± she asked. ¡°In contrast, even a coward can be trained to pick up a gun. They might not be good at it, their mentality may not allow them to reach the very limits of martial excellence, yet they can do enough. Such a coward, when given a weapon of sufficient power and trained to wield it in relative safety and comfort with some minimal standards of soldiery, can end the life of any promising warrior.¡±
Orodan had to take a moment to think about it. On one hand, this woman¡¯s argument had merits, even if his experience with melee combat and life in the militia was slightly different. Firearms existed on his home world, but they simply weren¡¯t powerful enough to bridge the gap between a civilian and a trained warrior. The few firearms that were capable of harming high-level warriors were secrets guarded closely by the dwarves.
On the other hand, if firearms technology was powerful enough, and a nation had the logistics and crafters to produce powerful guns and the organizational power to train troops to use them¡ then even a coward training for a little while could kill a warrior who¡¯d trained for decades. And even if a secondary capability for melee combat wasn¡¯t as good as a dedicated warrior who spent their life honing their skill, a charge of troops armed with bayonets and side swords was still a tool available to such an army.
Still, his own perspective was a bit warped. Orodan wasn¡¯t blind enough to deny the fact that he was an outlier. Yet even then, he¡¯d seen and trained alongside plenty of warriors in the county militia. Firearms technology back home wasn¡¯t anywhere near the level these people had. Mages existed on Alastaia, but they were rare and required an inherent talent or a drive for hard work and the willingness to commit to long hours of focus and study. As a result, back home, the only choices for those interested in a life of soldiery and adventure was to pick up a melee weapon. Ranged martial weapons sufficed too of course, but they too required a level of talent and dedication.
¡°I¡¯ll have to disagree that cowards can¡¯t pick up the sword. I trained and fought alongside plenty who lacked resolve and that deathly commitment in their hearts,¡± Orodan said recalling how in his very first death, Parthus Edrosic and the rest of his troop of militia fled at the thought of actual combat. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be exceptionally talented or have unquestionable gumption to pick up a sword and swing it.¡±
¡°And yet, can such a cowardly and inept swordsman slay beings with skill levels and physique which are inherently superior?¡± she asked. ¡°Aside from a few cases of immigration, most of our people are human. Do you think we¡¯re meant to stand toe to toe against an orc or a demon? Certain races such as dragons are capable of easily slaying a hundred warriors. What point is there in learning the ways of the blade when a dragon with a few levels in a skill is vastly superior?¡±
¡°Skills such as Body Tempering can narrow that gap, as can Bloodlines. Additionally, the small size of us humans can be an advantage. I fought a giant Depths Worm underground once, and my small size allowed me to burrow within and slay it with impunity from inside,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Despite how superior you claim your ways of war to be I don¡¯t see those who engage in the ways of close-combat rolling over and accepting death anytime soon. I have no doubt that the Eldritch send warriors and beasts with a focus on close-range savagery against you. Given their steady encroachment, I assume melee combat has not become completely obsolete and the lack of melee capability hurts your troops.¡±
¡°I suppose you have a point, time looper. The Eldritch has corrupted many beings possessed of melee lethality and brought them to bear against us. And I have also seen warriors from other territories and from outside our galaxy even. I shan¡¯t doubt their mettle,¡± Madam Lawson said. ¡°Yet, think not quality, but logistics. For every monstrous warrior like you, a thousand soldiers of the line infantry can be fielded, each one holding a gun. When a brutish juggernaut among the Eldritch ranks takes to the field we don¡¯t face them with a mighty warrior of our own, but tactics and numbers. What does the power of Transcendent martial might matter when multiple mages and steam knights have them pinned down and they face lethal focus fire from our snipers and artillery? As for our own, some of our most powerful Transcendents have been integral in holding the line against the Eldritch. Even if most of them lack any ability in a close-up fight, we have powerful Transcendents as well.¡±
¡°No Gods?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m normally the first to decry reliance upon divine power rather than one¡¯s own, but surely your soldiers could use a Blessing or two upon the battlefield? Or Gods battling within the divine dimension or popping into the material plane on your behalf. Especially when facing the Eldritch.¡±
¡°You must be new to facing the Eldritch, or have not seen an invasion from a plague world, time looper,¡± Madam Lawson said as the steam vehicles trudged onwards and the purple and gray haze in the sky drew closer. ¡°Gods are a severe security risk against them.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°When a God is corrupted by that foul plague¡ their divine influence and Blessings to their followers don¡¯t shut off. That connection, the pathway, it can be used to corrupt entire groups of the Gods¡¯ followers and faithful,¡± the woman explained.
That sounded quite bad, and grim. It also explained more clearly why the elven deities of Alastaia had taken Faraine¡¯s imprisonment so seriously. A God falling to the Eldritch meant the rapid corruption of their strongest followers and Blessed individuals afterwards.
¡°A fell fate, to be going about your day and then succumb to the Eldritch because the God you hold trust in has fallen,¡± Zaessythra piped up, sparing some attention to the conversation from her deep reading of the book she held. ¡°Has there been such an incident?¡±
¡°Thankfully, no.¡±
¡°Then, how do you know of these things? Despite the steady encroachment of the Eldritch, from what you tell me, this world and the planets of the Blackworth Collective seem to be well-prepared in general,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Having a time looper on our side is a great boon. His Majesty will not reveal their identity, but whoever they are, their ability to return in time and dispense critical information to us has spared us much loss,¡± Madam Lawson said. ¡°Who can say how bad the situation would have otherwise gone?¡±
¡°Interesting¡¡± Orodan muttered.
The conversation was a good way to pass the time as these frustratingly slow vehicles lumbered across the ground. It was also enlightening. Not simply for the things he¡¯d learned, but for the simple fact that he closely observed the Transcendent gunslinger¡¯s soul.
And whenever the notion of a time loop or the other time looper was brought up. The binding sheathe of world energy enveloping the woman¡¯s mind and soul, trembled.
Whoever this other time looper was, they clearly didn¡¯t want their identity revealed.
¡°This is why we were so concerned when you wished to throw yourself against the Eldritch. The true value of a time looper lies not in their personal combat prowess, but the value they can provide by leveraging the information they carry across time,¡± the woman said. ¡°Despite my perfervid protests along our journey, his Majesty has seen fit to acquiesce to your request. He will meet you within the main war camp. Deep within the hot zone and far too risky for my liking; though I don¡¯t get to question orders¡ much.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t think my abilities against the Eldritch have been explicitly revealed. I¡¯m rather well-suited to fighting them,¡± Orodan said, and the ride went on.
About thirty minutes and many miles later, a shimmering blue barrier was visible before them, and a scout called out.
¡°Passing into the hot zone!¡±
¡°Past this point, the protective spatiomancy perimeter ends and the hot zone begins. This is the frontier of our struggles against the Eldritch in the Collodon system. Unlike the other nearby worlds, Lonvoron¡¯s invasion is spearheaded by an entrenched spatial rift leading directly to a plague world,¡± Madam Lawson said. ¡°Be wary, we have fifty miles of terrain to cross before we reach the main war camp at the front lines, and although it¡¯s rare, the Eldritch have been known to launch ambushes on convoys heading to reinforce the vanguard.¡±
Orodan nodded, and the military forces guarding the other side of the perimeter parted to allow them way.
The terrain they¡¯d travelled through was serene, the forests green, the plains lush and rolling.
The other side of the barrier wasn¡¯t the same.
¡°Plague growth on the road!¡± the leading scout called out.
Madam Lawson stepped off her light carrier and walked towards the road. A sickening purple-grey growth infested multiple parts of the road leading towards their destination. It was exactly what Orodan saw infesting the ground and sea in the aftermath of his very first encounter with the Eldritch Avatar on Alastaia, when it had won and held him under the Eldritch corruption for an entire year, attempting to break his will and infect him.
Interestingly enough, the infected parts of the terrain were the trees. The grass and saplings remained unaffected, and Orodan could even see small worms wriggling about on the ground and even over the Eldritch growths, although Vision Of Purity told him that they were still being slowly exposed.
Next to Madam Lawson was the very first Transcendent he¡¯d seen after landing upon Lonvoron. The early-Transcendent woman with rapier wearing ornate military uniform.
¡°Baroness, clear the road so that we might make way for the King.¡±
¡°Yes Madam,¡± the Baroness acquiesced and then turned to a corp of officers, particularly to the oldest one among the fresh-faced group of them. ¡°Captain, clear the way.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am! Combat engineers!¡± the captain ordered, and the compartment doors for a few of the light carriers opened up, producing a stream of figures. ¡°Clear the road and deploy alkahest as we go! Deploy bridges so that we might make hasty our journey!¡±
The whole thing was very well-organized with a clear chain of command and good unit cohesion.
The engineers of this military unit were essentially laborers and specialized crafters. Akin to the siege engineers and construction crews that would travel with any organized military force or expedition on his home world. They carried small wheellock firearms upon their hips but they weren¡¯t meant to serve as combatants, and it would be a grim situation if they were. The bigger feature of note was the heavy backpacks they carried, replete with all manner of tools, materials, mechanisms and explosive ordnance.
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if these men and women served in the military to get a headstart on their crafting career, or if they were established craftspeople who left their regular work behind to serve. Given the apparent youth of some and the age of others, perhaps the answer was both.
In swift fashion, the engineers set up expanding metallic bridges over the Eldritch growths covering the road while others deployed a powerful acid which caused the Eldritch to hiss and burn. All throughout, the soldiers were very cautious not to make direct contact with the foul substance and the heavy-duty protective armor they wore seemed apt for the task. Hells, the engineers seemed better armored than the line infantry carrying the rifles.
Behind the crew, with grim looks upon their faces, were sergeants wielding twelve-shot firearms. Orodan had been told that these were known as revolvers, and they were steam-powered just as the rest of these people¡¯s equipment. Given how angry and unsociable these sergeants looked, Orodan had no doubt that they were meant to serve as executioners for any troops who became unfortunately corrupted.
The scene of industrious and professional labor was interrupted by movement.
Vision of Purity caught it before his eyes did. A four-armed creature erupted from the foul gunk as the burning acid made contact with it. Purple and gray veins of Eldritch corruption ran across its body and it let out a shrill hiss as it lunged for the nearest engineer.
Only for it to be met with a whizzing bullet which Orodan¡¯s eyes were able to track.
The crack of the bullet was only heard after, and the Eldritch creature dropped dead.
¡°Keep working sods! Nice shot back there!¡± the captain of the unit called out.
¡°Like shootin¡¯ wolves on the family farm sir!¡± the sniper in the back ranks called back as the troops whooped and hollered.
¡°Rather well-organized unit you have here,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Such cohesion is rarely seen on my home world.¡±
¡°All regiments and divisions of the Collective¡¯s army are trained to this standard,¡± Madam Lawson said. ¡°The advantage afforded to us by our time looper is a great one. The army reforms leading to these tactics were developed by them.¡±
Which begged the question of just how long this other time looper¡¯s loop had been going on for.
¡°How long ago were these reforms?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°They were¡ hmm¡ you know what? I don¡¯t exactly know,¡± she said. ¡°You might get a better answer from a book or a historian.¡±
Odd. Even more so that the world energy controlling her had most definitely constricted tight around her mind when Orodan asked that question.
The troops cleared out more of the Eldritch growths. The unit consisted of professionals and they knew how to do their jobs with near-supernatural cohesion and competency. Orodan had never seen such fluid and smooth teamwork in his life. Snipers and talented rifle wielders among the line infantry periodically picked off any Eldritch-infected flying fauna which were essentially spies for the enemy. At the same time, in the distance an occasional large Eldritch animal, either a bear, deer or wolf, would attempt to charge towards the formation. These random attacking beasts were put down by the sharpshooters, and if they got too close, a brief clash with the steam knights left them splattered on the ground with no concern as the metallic steam-powered golems were non-living.
Things were going well and their journey proceeded smoothly with Orodan not even needing to involve himself. Right until they encountered a much larger growth.
¡°A plague nest on the road? The scouts have been derelict in their duties¡¡± Madam Lawson muttered. ¡°Little wonder the road¡¯s looking so overrun. The growths in the area stem from this nest.¡±
Orders were passed down and the combat engineers got to work deploying their acid as steam knights stood guard in front of them, prepared to bear the brunt of any infected things which spewed forth.
One thing led to another, acid was deployed, a giant leopard the size of a house at the Grandmaster-level came forth, and even as it was killed by a steam knight, the residual Eldritch splatter from its slaying landed upon a combat engineer who promptly began screaming.
The sergeant nearest to the poor screaming woman had his revolver pointed at her head when Orodan suddenly appeared in the man¡¯s line of fire.
¡°Step away! She¡¯s beyond our ability to help! Her purification is a mercy!¡± the sergeant yelled.
¡°Her execution you mean,¡± Orodan countered. He understood why they were doing so, but he could offer a better solution.
A broom was drawn from a spatial ring, and his right hand bore the only tool he would need. A single sweep of the broom across the infected woman¡¯s face¡
¡°Time looper! The Eldritch cannot be¡ it cannot be¡ what?¡±
¡and the woman was cleansed.
¡°Foul Eldritch. So much of it around these parts. This place is overdue for a good cleaning,¡± Orodan said.
¡°It¡¯s different from the kind which corrupts the Celestial Emperor, is it not?¡± Zaessythra asked as she got close and took a sniff of the residue upon the ground. ¡°Less resilient, yet more infectious and virulent. I feel the slightest of whispers upon my mind by just being too near.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend getting that close, even some very strong-willed people I knew succumbed to its insidious truth,¡± Orodan said.
¡°The shard did far worse. I don¡¯t have Eldritch Resistance, but I think I can survive contact with a brief amount,¡± she replied.
The combat engineer had stopped screaming a few moments ago, and now the woman could only stare at Orodan with wide eyes even as her hands trembled.
¡°How?¡± she asked. ¡°Everyone besides the cursed fall when they touch it¡ how?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Orodan said and hefted his broom, shaking it for emphasis. ¡°Sometimes the filth simply needs a good sweep.¡±
¡°That is¡ a Celestial skill, isn¡¯t it?¡± Madam Lawson asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°How improbable¡ we have to go, they¡¯ve doubtlessly taken notice and-¡±
Orodan felt the space in the middle of the unit tremble and the unit captain yelled.
¡°Lesser rift! To arms!¡±
Space tore apart as a rift opened, and a veritable flood of Eldritch spewed forth.
Orodan acted first as the entirety of his raw power was thrown into an overpowered Time Compression, hastening himself.
[Time Compression 50 ¡ú Time Compression 51]
Almost immediately, from the other side of the lesser rift, he felt an enemy chronomancer of decent power and skill attempt to jump onto his local time field and even the odds.
Unfortunately for them, Orodan had only gotten better at Time Mastery and Time Compression after his stealing of the shard from Narictus. Compared to that half-dragon vampire he¡¯d wrestled with over the control of time, this enemy chronomancer was decent but noticeably inferior.
With some struggle, he contested their attempts at hijacking control of the Time Compression away from him. After denying enough attempts, the hostile chronomancer either realized it was futile or had run out of energy.
[Time Mastery 81 ¡ú Time Mastery 82]
Another skill level. One more step forward in his burgeoning prowess over time.
Immediately, Orodan refused to leave the advantage unexploited. The speed difference between him and the Eldritch detritus coming out of the lesser rift was now massive, to him it appeared as though frozen.
With broom in hand, he channelled Domain of Perfect Cleaning and got to work.
The first sweep utterly annihilated the disgusting waves of Eldritch coming for him. It was practically removed from existence altogether.
The second motion with his broom began targetting whatever foul bits of Eldritch were coming through yet were still on the other side of the lesser rift.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
And before making any third sweep, he decided to commit and stepped inside.
If the Eldritch thought they were the only ones allowed to invade¡
¡then they hadn¡¯t met him.
It was a spatial tunnel. A form of spatial travel between two points which involved travelling through a tunnel rather than a direct connection between two points. The downside was increased travel time, the upside was an easier ability to defend against whatever came from the other side as it gave them some extra time and distance to react and close the tunnel if they felt him too great a threat.
Smart of the Eldritch. A far cry from the rather stupid sort he¡¯d dealt with on Alastaia.
Yet, unfortunate for them, Orodan also had a measure of skill in spatiomancy.
[Space Mastery 76 ¡ú Space Mastery 77]
His soul energy shot outwards and grasped for control over the lesser rift the Eldritch had created. There was a level of resistance, however it wasn¡¯t much, and Orodan easily took control.
Then, he took a step, and then another. Beginning his travel down the spatial tunnel and towards the plague world.
Each step came with an associated sweep of his broom. Like a herald of impending purification, Orodan Wainwright marched forwards.
A grotesque and large six-armed Eldritch warrior stepped forth, its eyes white and pupil-less. It wore a corrupted amulet around its neck, glowing with incredible power and looking to be under heavy strain as it counteracted his Time Compression. This foe was strong, definitely above level 140, and it looked about ready to charge him.
The glorious clash of melee seemed inevitable if not for it suddenly stopping. It stiffened as Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and targetted the very Eldritch within it.
Yes, Orodan would¡¯ve enjoyed a good brawl, and without a doubt this mighty Transcendent would¡¯ve likely flattened him many times over. Yet, to pit him against the Eldritch was a grave mismatch in their disfavor.
The Eldritch enjoyed corrupting the terrain and living beings into fighting for them.
Orodan felt they were due for a taste of their own methods.
¡°What¡ where am I¡? You! Who are you?! I was fighting the Eldritch on my home world and then¡ and then¡¡± the six-armed troll-like warrior seemed to struggle.
In truth, the only reason it had forgotten and was in a confused state was because Orodan¡¯s Celestial skill had not only cleansed the Eldritch but also its shattered psyche from millennia of corrupt servitude.
He had locked the horrid memories of suffering and the ¡®truth¡¯ of the Eldritch away for later healing and addressing by a mind specialist.
¡°You are free of their foul taint, safety is that way,¡± Orodan declared and laid a gentle hand upon the warrior¡¯s shoulder and ushered him to the other side of the spatial tunnel.
¡°I¡ I see! You rescued me! But what of you, warrior, I cannot in good conscience allow you to damn yourself.¡±
¡°I have more of the Eldritch to cleanse, go on, I can¡¯t focus when I have someone else to look after,¡± Orodan said.
The spatial tunnel suddenly trembled, and an oppressive aura of raw outrage flooded the area.
¡°Inconceivable! A most detestable skill which defies truth! Return our champion immediately!¡±
¡°No.¡±
In fact, he¡¯d bandied words enough with the three Gods which controlled the Eldritch Avatar of his world. He wasn¡¯t keen on hearing the jabber of another one.
Domain of Perfect Cleaning shot out at full power as Orodan aggressively moved forward, determined to cleanse this foe.
¡°You shall not blind me to the truth! You cannot silence reality! That which we all draw from!¡± a disjointed voice cried out.
¡°I can and will. You Eldritch scum are the cause for most of the problems I face,¡± Orodan shot back. ¡°Now face me and be cleansed.¡±
His soul roiled with fury, all the generated soul energy was poured into Domain of Perfect Cleaning and he positively erupted with incandescent light as the Celestial skill was directed solely against whatever lay on the other side of the portal.
It was interesting to note that whichever Eldritch monstrosity the voice came from was capable of matching or hopping onto Orodan¡¯s Time Compression. They weren¡¯t slowed, and the resistance they provided was quite great too. Matter of fact, the sheer amount of raw power they possessed was also rather staggering. It wasn¡¯t beyond him, but it was to the point that Orodan had to begin drawing upon the upper range of his soul energy generation to begin matching and then exceeding it.
¡°Anomaly¡ an impossibility¡ how can a living being match our raw capacity¡¡±
¡°I admit, the sheer amount of Eldritch power at your disposal is impressive, but I¡¯ve outmatched an entire world core,¡± he declared. ¡°Come, Eldritch beast, show yourself so that I might cleanse you face to face!¡±
Orodan continued taking steps forward while his Celestial skill was activated at full power. Each sweep extended beyond just the reach of his broom, with the effects going out for miles beyond the other side of the spatial tunnel he was in.
He moved closer and closer to setting foot upon the plague world itself, and the shrieks and hisses of the Eldritch continued getting louder and louder as he purified it all. Occasionally a powerful champion infected by the Eldritch would come through and attempt to stop him, only for them to also be purified and sent out the other side to safety.
After the third one, the unseen Eldritch leader must¡¯ve realized that gifting Orodan potential allies for free was a bad idea and they stopped coming.
Just who was this mighty foe he fought? They hadn¡¯t shown their face, yet Orodan had to admit their energy capacity was impressive!
The answer came as he was on the precipice of crossing over to the other side of the spatial tunnel. As he approached the mouth of the tunnel, he finally saw who it was that he¡¯d been fighting all this time.
Or rather, what.
It was quite gigantic. Many times larger than the one he held dominion over on Alastaia and the shattered one within the moon. System glyphs covered every inch of its surface, yet these glyphs no longer pulsed or hummed with world energy. Rather, its surface was covered in disgusting purple and gray growths. It pulsed with a very faint yet recognizable source of energy that Orodan hadn¡¯t really encountered before. The energy source was raw, unfiltered; and the thing looked as though it really wasn¡¯t meant to use it.
He¡¯d only ever felt this energy two times in the past. During the ascendancy trial of that elven God on Alastaia and¡
¡in the letter he¡¯d acquired from the other time looper.
This, Orodan was beginning to puzzle out. Was the very power source of what all living beings in the universe relied upon. This was System energy.
And using it directly seemed to turn things Eldritch.
The gigantic world core before him was certainly corrupted enough. The heart of the plague world invading Lonvoron.
¡°This only creates more questions¡ just what is underlying the System?¡± Orodan asked, both of himself and the Eldritch world core before him.
¡°The blind finally see¡ where do you think it all comes from? Cease your attempts to deny reality. Embrace the caring, the compassion, there is so much love and care to be found when you rid the intermediary and harness the source directly,¡± it spoke.
[Eldritch Resistance 61 ¡ú Eldritch Resistance 65]
Whispers came abundantly to Orodan¡¯s ears. In the past, he hadn¡¯t truly known of this ¡®truth¡¯ that the Eldritch had spoken of. Yet now, now he had an inkling of just what the Eldritch really was. He knew that world cores faced a maddening effect as they drew upon world energy over the long years of their existence.
But to now learn that cutting out the intermediary allowed world cores to directly channel System energy? And that this direct source of energy that he¡¯d seen on only two occasions prior was the cause of the Eldritch? The increased knowledge somehow made the maddening whispers of the Eldritch become louder in his ears.
It was hazardous knowledge. The closer one stumbled to the truth of it all, the more vulnerable they became to the Eldritch.
It explained why Eldritch corrupted landscapes had elder trees, animals and other intelligent sources of life become infected first. Those that could comprehend the knowledge would be all the more susceptible to it. Simply knowing the truth didn¡¯t corrupt someone, but it did make them more susceptible to corruption when the Eldritch did come around.
Orodan grimaced. With a steeling of his willpower, he elected to throw the truth out of his head and ignore it.
So what that the System itself might be responsible for the Eldritch? What did it matter that there might be something empowering the System which was antithetical to sapient life?
The very first time he¡¯d encountered the Eldritch, the Avatar had put him under for an entire year while attempting to preach the truth to him. Yet, Orodan was a stubborn bull with a head of stone.
His stupidity, his hard-headed nature, his unwillingness to listen and change his mind¡
¡these were excellent qualities when it came to resisting the Eldritch!
How could one spread the truth to his mind when he would simply double down, plug his ears and insist on not listening like a donkey?
Orodan Wainwright cared not what the truth was. For he was stubborn.
¡°I see¡ so directly drawing upon the power of the System has led to this¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°No matter. I see it clearly now, what I must do.¡±
¡°You will accept the truth? Come, child¡ embrace the warm touch of that which empowers all.¡±
¡°No. I see that I must clean every single world core of the Eldritch, starting with you,¡± Orodan declared.
For a moment, there was silence.
And the next, calamity was unleashed.
Tsunamis of Eldritch power the size of continents smashed into him dozens of times a second in an attempt to force him back through the spatial tunnel. Yet, he¡¯d grown stronger over the course of his struggles, and bringing the Eldritch to bear against him was a poor decision.
He stood strong and pushed against the waves while simultaneously cleansing them into oblivion; and took the first step out onto the plague world, his entry point, in front of its infected world core.
¡°Leave this hallowed ground! Sacreligious fool!¡± the world core roared. ¡°Slay him at all costs!¡±
Dimensions shuddered as Eldritch-infected Gods entered the material plane, alongside infected Transcendents they immediately rushed to attack him. Under the power of the infected world core, these Transcendents and Gods were brought onto Orodan¡¯s Time Compression. His speed advantage was now gone.
Yet, it was a foregone conclusion.
They were Eldritch, he had Eldritch Resistance.
They were dirty, he had a Celestial skill capable of cleansing their very beings.
They were Eldritch, and he detested them.
Two infected Transcendents, both in the mid 130s fired calamitious attacks towards him. One a harpoon of tremendous piercing power. The other, a throwing axe whirling about entrancingly in mid-air.
The two were immediately purified, yet their attacks continued onwards corrupted by the taint.
Which was fine as Orodan simply took both upon his shield and smashed them aside followed by a subsequent sweep.
In his earlier days he might¡¯ve cleansed the attacks and received two untained strikes from powerful Transcendents and lost some momentum as a result. But, Orodan¡¯s battles against the Eldritch had taught him how to leverage his advantages, and Eldritch Resistance was one of them. Any attacks which had an Eldritch taint to them were of drastically reduced effectiveness against him. It was how he¡¯d survived both the Eldritch Avatar and Jian Huangdi.
A God, definitely above level 140 given the dangerous feeling Orodan got, charged right at him. It was a slime with thousands of tentacles erupting from its amorphous form. He normally thought slimes were rather cute creatures, yet the familiar corruption of purple and grey had infected this one and stripped away its natural beauty.
His Domain shot out and cleansed it too.
In front of him, the infected core of the plague world began to get desperate. It had felt Orodan¡¯s power initially and likely realized that a battle of attrition against him was a dangerous bet to take. To that end it was pulling out all the stops and sending its mightiest minions against him in a bid to get him killed.
To that end, it sent a peak-Transcendent. A being on the same level as Jian Huangdi although perhaps not a Celestial skill bearer.
He wasn¡¯t delusional. He could perhaps beat Jian Huangdi through cleansing the former Celestial Emperor of the Eldritch in a surprise maneuver. But in a straight battle when the opponent was ready? Orodan¡¯s odds against a peak-Transcendent weren¡¯t good. Not yet.
He was prepared to receive its attack when a familiar six-armed troll and a thousand tentacled slime stood in front of him.
¡°Hero! Go onward! You must press on and purify the core of the plague world!¡± the troll bellowed.
¡°You¡ I thought I told you to seek safety!¡± Orodan yelled.
¡°Little time for admonishment, warm-blooded one. We shall cover your approach.¡± the slime said.
Orodan internally grumbled a bit at the fight he¡¯d missed out on, but was appreciative. Who knew that these two were so eager to wreak vengeance against the Eldritch upon being liberated?
He pressed on and laid both hands upon the infected world core, and with utmost focus¡
¡unleashed the entirety of his soul energy against it in a war of cleansing.
Immediately, a shriek which could kill lesser beings tore free, and the very plague world trembled dangerously.
¡°Abate your abominable actions!¡±
Yet, Orodan cared not for its protests. All Eldritch would be annihilated.
He was already capable of outputting more power than a large world core. And that was with a skill he didn¡¯t have nearly as much talent in as his Celestial one. Pouring copious amounts of power into the Domain of Perfect Cleaning was far easier than for any other skill.
Orodan was a fifth of the way into cleansing the world core entirely when interference struck. Frankly, it would¡¯ve been stupid if there were no safeguards in place to stop him.
Two more spatial rifts opened up, and massive tides of Eldritch spewed forth from them. On the other end of them Orodan felt two more gigantic Eldritch presences, likely other infected cores from plague worlds.
¡°Do not kill it, force it back through the rift to its world,¡± one of the infected cores commanded, and a surge of Eldritch forces came through both these new rifts. ¡°Interesting whispers have reached our ears as to this one¡¯s true nature. It is the time looper. He has been informed.¡±
The numbers against him were more than a bit unfair. Dozens of corrupted Transcendents flooded in. The six-armed troll was slaughtered, as was the slime, and Orodan was forced back by the Eldritch practically bullying him backwards through raw physical numbers and might.
His wrath at the deaths of his unexpected allies was great, yet he could do little as the Eldritch weren¡¯t interested in killing him, but forcing him back to where he came from.
His Domain left the world core he was trying to cleanse and now began focusing on the horde.
Dozens of Eldritch were purified, and he had a feral grim upon his face at the realization that these fools would run out of bodies to throw at him if they tried wave tactics.
Yet, the horde was just a distraction.
A gigantic beam of Eldritch force erupted from the world core he¡¯d been cleansing, and two similarly impactful beams erupted from the new spatial rifts, and Orodan was shot backwards into the spatial rift he¡¯d hijacked and come in through.
He practically flew down the spatial tunnel, the scenery passing by his eyes rapidly.
And before he knew it, he smashed into a field of green grass, causing a destructive earthquake from the impact.
He attempted to get up and immediately charge the rift once more, only for him to have his spatiomantic control over the rift contested by not one, but three infected world cores. Orodan¡¯s ability to generate power was impressive, but to face the power of multiple worlds at once was a tall order. If it was his Celestial skill, it wouldn¡¯t have been an issue. But as it stood, he needed to pour far more soul energy into his space mastery to produce results with it since it was a lower level skill. And against three entire plague worlds he¡¯d have to kill himself to generate the power necessary to win.
Regardless, he strained and struggled to the bitter end until they ripped the control of the rift from his grasp, and it came with gains.
[Space Mastery 77 ¡ú Space Mastery 80]
¡°Orodan!¡± Zaessythra yelled and had an irritated look on her face. ¡°I know you have a death wish you freely indulge in, but at least warn me before you launch a counter-invasion of a plague world next time. How many deaths did it take?¡±
¡°None. I didn¡¯t die against them,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Although the plague world was forced to call upon two more infected world cores for assistance, and I think they know I¡¯m a time looper now.¡±
¡°And I must say, it¡¯s quite good to make your acquaintance,¡± a voice called out.
The very definition of kingly. A face that was youthful yet regal, and a voice that was doubtlessly the work of a social skill. The man wore a dapper hat, on top of which a crown was situated. And the jewelry and raiments worn were likely more expensive than the combined wealth of cities.
¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met yet,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Orodan Wainwright. I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°Indeed Ser Wainwright, I¡¯ve heard as such,¡± the man replied with a smile. ¡°As for me, I¡¯m Alstatyn Von Flemethy, King of the Blackworth Collective. Given the state of these formerly Eldritch-infected people here, I¡¯m inclined to believe the interesting news Madam Lawson has delivered to me. What has brought you to our galaxy, and specifically to the worlds of the Blackworth Collective?¡±
¡°I¡¯m looking for the other time looper.¡±
#
¡°Why do they call you Madam?¡±
¡°Why do they call you time looper?¡±
¡°Because I¡¯m a time looper?¡± Orodan posed.
¡°And has it occurred to you that they might refer to me as such because I¡¯m a lady?¡± Madam Lawson posed in return.
Orodan shook his head.
¡°Well, of course that¡¯s self-evident. What I mean is, they call your underling the Baroness ma¡¯am, yet even the King calls you Madam,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Your straightforward manner of questioning might chafe some, but I find it quite entertaining,¡± she said and then turned to look out the opening to the large war tent they were in. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a nod to the name I¡¯m famed for. Back in the day, I used to be a renowned pirate. Many star systems quaked in fear at the sight of old Madam Lawson and her merry crew coming by to plunder their riches. The treasures and rare artefacts we¡¯d plunder¡ those were the times. Of course, the Collective got its act together under his Majesty and all us outlaws and ruffians were brought to heel with the offer of servitude and using our skills in service of the Collectivein exchange for wealth and security. Not a bad deal.¡±
¡°How long ago were you a pirate?¡±
¡°Recent. Not been more than a few decades since,¡± she answered.
¡°And this was before the time of the Collective and its reforms?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°That¡ I honestly don¡¯t know. Why¡¯re you asking such trivial questions? A historian or a book can help you better with exact dates,¡± she said, a flash of irritation upon her face.
Yet, Orodan hadn¡¯t missed the constriction of the world energy around her mind and soul.
It wasn¡¯t outright confirmed yet, but it seemed likely that these reforms took place relatively recently. Within the last few decades. And whoever was in charge of the mind control had done a sloppy job. Mistakes were natural when it came to mind control on such a massive scale. Although calling this true mind control would be inaccurate as these people seemingly had free will, yet the layer of world energy only triggered when certain conditions were met. Likely related to this other time looper¡¯s anonymity.
It wouldn¡¯t surprise him if a look at a library or a chat with a historian revealed some carefully doctored books and fabricated accounts meant to throw off the trail. This other time looper seemed rather cautious.
Still, that could come after. First, was the matter of the Eldritch.
The purple and gray on the horizon had abated a decent amount, even if the spatial rift looked to be heavily defended. The front lines of the Blackworth Collective¡¯s army had managed to make a decent dent and push the Eldritch back for once
¡°They haven¡¯t made any attacks since?¡± Orodan asked, changing the topic.
¡°No, the infected have been fiercely defending ground, yet for the first time¡ not advancing. They even attempted to close the rift, but our space mages have been working to prevent that,¡± Madam Lawson said. ¡°Your display might¡¯ve cornered them into playing a bit more cautiously. Never thought I¡¯d see the day we recruit from the infected by purifying them¡ you Celestial skill bearers sure are a different sort.¡±
¡°It¡¯s just a bit of sweeping,¡± Orodan dismissed.
¡°If you call that a bit of sweeping, then I¡¯m an infant with a toy crown on his head,¡± the King said as he strode into the tent. ¡°Apologies for keeping you waiting, Ser Wainwright. I understand you wish to aid us in our battles against the Eldritch? Your aid in purifiying their wicked filth and sending them onto the defensive has already done wonders.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t even successfully purify the core of that plague world. How big a difference could I have made?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Quite the difference, in fact. The plague world you set foot upon and assaulted is the central point from whence the Eldritch are invading the Collodon System,¡± the King explained. ¡°During your battle, over 30% of their leading champions on our front lines pulled back immediately, likely in response to your threat. Without critical enemy leadership, our forces made titanic gains and inflicted severe casualties upon them. And it¡¯s not just that, but the other two nearest systems experienced similar retreats which were capitalized upon. All in all, you¡¯ve undone a decade of their progress.¡±
He didn¡¯t bother asking how long the Eldritch had been invading for. He had no doubt that even the King would find some excuse for not giving an answer or would refer him to a book. It was apparent by now that this other time looper was doing everything they could to muddy the waters.
¡°Then, why not launch an assault of the rift and purify this plague world once and for all?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Certainly, that is our intention. And preparations are being made for the re-deployment of troops from newly liberated fronts to the central rift,¡± the King said. ¡°With your aid, time looper, we can beat back the Eldritch threat which has beset our Blackworth Collective. And then, we shall be free to send reinforcements against your foes in your home galaxy.¡±
¡°And yet, not free to tell me about this other time looper,¡± Orodan remarked.
He and the King had spoken extensively for a while. He¡¯d learned much about Lonvoron, the Blackworth Collective and the Vystaxium Galaxy. And yet, the man refused to breathe a word about the other time looper aside from the assurance that they existed.
On the bright side, he had the assurance of reinforcements from these people if he helped quell their Eldritch issue. Something the King had been meaning to ask him for help with anyways. Furthermore, they knew the location of the Conclave¡¯s branch in the Vystaxium Galaxy and were happy to aid Orodan and Zaessythra in liaisoning with them for a return journey to Xian.
¡°I¡¯m not at liberty to speak of them, my friend. Their identity has been carefully hidden, and even within my mind the knowledge is under hundreds of safeguards,¡± the King answered. ¡°If I were to try and tell you, I would face death in not just body, but mind and soul.¡±
In fact, Orodan could believe that much. For unlike the other people he¡¯d seen, King Alstatyn¡¯s mind and soul had no world energy constrictions upon it¡ but nearly a thousand spells and safeguards. Many of which looked unlike any he¡¯d ever seen. The only person capable of such intricate and delicate spellcraft should¡¯ve been the other time looper. And it implied that the King was a somewhat important man to the other time looper.
And similar to the letter, there was that brief and unmistakeable tinge of raw System energy present. Yet it didn¡¯t seem to be going out of control and causing the rampant madness and Eldritch corruption of the King like it did the plague worlds. How one could directly interact with it if not a world core or System being, Orodan didn¡¯t know.
What he did know though, was that pondering wouldn¡¯t help. It was time to finish the Eldritch off.
¡°Fair enough. When will the assault begin?¡±
¡°In an hour, Ser Wainwright. Our soldiers and materiel are assembling and will soon be ready,¡± the King said. ¡°Why not do a tour among the troops? Asking men and women to march into a plague world is a daunting task. The sight of the Eldritch purifier himself might raise their spirits and improve morale!¡±
The troops of the Blackworth Collective upon Lonvoron had been touting him as a hero. It had only been a day since his arrival, but these soldiers were desperate for something to cling onto. From what he¡¯d seen and heard, the life expectancy of the average line infantry rifleman was rather abysmal. The unit he travelled with thus far had been a specialized one consisting of veterans. The line infantry gun-fighters there had been Master-level, the fire and water mages apprenticed to the steam mages had also been Masters and Grandmasters respectively. And they¡¯d had a Transcendent leading them in the fray.
In contrast, the standard unit was lucky to have a Grandmaster, and life expectancy was low.
Orodan walked out of the tent and among the first ranks of line infantry.
¡°It¡¯s the purifier!¡±
¡°Ser! It¡¯s an honor to stand beside you!¡±
¡°Thank you for coming from the stars to aid us!¡±
Orodan went around shaking hands and greeting the soldiers around him when a sergeant approached.
¡°Ser, it¡¯s an honor. If you dont mind me asking, how do you muster the stomach to use those things against the purple bastards?¡± the woman asked. Her voice was gruff and she had more than a few scars on her face. Yet her grip upon the rifle slung about her shoulders was doughty. The look of a dependable soldier ready to enter battle. Orodan could respect that.
¡°Let me ask you a question in turn. How do you muster the guts to bring that rifle to aim and hold steady when the masses of Eldritch are charging your line down?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How do you steel your resolve when the order to ready bayonets and meet their charge is given?¡±
¡°Why ser¡ I simply pray to our Gods and accept my possible death in the service of my people,¡± the sergeant answered.
¡°Then you¡¯ve answered your own question. Courage comes not from hearing a speech from some fool swinging a sword and shield,¡± Orodan said, and then tapped the left side of her chest. ¡°The resolve of a warrior comes from within. I will not lie, many of you do not have it and no number of rousing speeches will help find it once the brutality of battle begins. You, however, already have that spirit. Sword or rifle, the weapon does not make a warrior, the wielder does.¡±
Some of the troops looked disheartened. Yet, many of them who were quieter and likely wouldn¡¯t have been influenced by some nonsensical prattle looked emboldened.
Good.
Better to embolden ten warriors of quality than pander to a hundred weaklings with no spine.
He continued onward, running into a crew of steam knights and light carriers being worked on by artificers and combat engineers.
¡°No¡ no! Put that glyph on the pauldron and it¡¯ll blow the armor plate right off when anything hits it! How did you pass the academy!?¡± a lead engineer angrily screamed.
¡°Sergeant, the design is by intention sir! I think we could improve the armor of the steam knight¡¯s and carriers by having plates explode outward with force when an attack of sufficient power hits,¡± the young man said. ¡°These are expensive machines and having them be put out of commission entirely when caught by a Grandmaster-level attack is inefficient.¡±
¡°This is not the time to be innovating and attempting new tactics,¡± the sergeant berated. ¡°And what will you do when a horde of weaker beasts mobs it and the enchantment triggers?¡±
¡°I¡¯m still working on it sir¡¡±
¡°As I said, not the time to inno-¡±
¡°Defense, achieved through offense. I concur,¡± Orodan said as he examined the enchantment closely with Vision of Purity. He wasn¡¯t as good an enchanter as this young boy, but he could perhaps provide a fine eye where this boy hadn¡¯t looked. ¡°The incoming warhammer which is simply taken directly on the shield will break the shoulder¡ yet when the shield is angled and swung outwards to meet the strike¡ the attack is prevented. In line with this philosophy, one can also apply this to armor. In fact¡ the only thing wrong with your design is the purity.¡±
¡°Ser purifier? It¡¯s an honor to be in your presence ser¡ but the purity?¡± the boy asked.
¡°You¡¯re an excellent enchanter, this is some fine work, yet the materials you¡¯re working with are a bit sub-par and consequently the smaller patterns in the enchantment that you¡¯re attempting don¡¯t have mana flowing through them due to impurities in the material,¡± Orodan explained, and a broom came into his hands. ¡°Let me give it a little clean.¡±
One sweep and an embarrassed sergeant and happy engineer later, Orodan was on his way to the very front.
He walked past a steam mage who was arguing with his apprenticed water mage.
The mages functioned as five-man squads. With two fire and two water mages supporting a steam mage who the four were apprenticed to. Their nominal title of water or fire mage didn¡¯t mean that was what they were limited to. It simply denoted their role in the squad and what they were best at. The hope was for every fire or water mage to eventually move up to being a steam mage themselves. Of course, this required knowledge of both fire and water.
Naturally, talent made a difference, and it wasn¡¯t unheard of for a fire or water mage to be superior in steam magic than the squad¡¯s leading steam mage who they were apprenticed to.
Which was where the argument stemmed from, as the apprenticed water mage believed himself to be the superior steam magician and wished to take the leading position in the squad. The steam mage was frustrated with his rebellious apprentice even if he admitted that the boy had a bright future and would likely surpass him.
Orodan simply reminded the boy that he was a member of the military and had orders to follow and a role to play. Perhaps hearing it from the famed ¡®Eldritch purifier¡¯ himself had the boy a bit intimidated, but it worked and he shut his mouth.
Finally, he walked a half mile to the very front where Zaessythra was speaking to the scout who was furthest out.
¡°-we¡¯ll take potshots at them from long ranges and they won¡¯t even come out anymore ma¡¯am. Previously you¡¯d hit one and a swarm would follow, not since the purifier went in,¡± the scout wielding an oversized rifle said. ¡°It¡¯s mad to think I can actually see the rift from where we¡¯re standing. Nobody I knew had ever seen the rift¡ and here I am looking right at it.¡±
¡°Their sudden lack of aggression implies finer control by the plague world core than I would¡¯ve thought,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Good of you to join us Orodan, I was surveying the rift but my detection skill isn¡¯t able to make out much on the other side with all the interference the Eldritch is causing.¡±
¡°Still the same presence I encountered earlier,¡± Orodan said, referring to the world core he¡¯d gotten a fifth of the way into purifying. ¡°Oddly subdued though. Perhaps awaiting the arrival of whoever they called?¡±
¡°The King seems to think it¡¯s an Eldritch World Ruler. I don¡¯t necessarily agree,¡± she said. ¡°If you say that you encountered two peak-Transcendent Eldritch defending that world core, then what else would they call as assistance?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it can¡¯t be any worse than whatever we¡¯ve got waiting for us back home in our galaxy,¡± he replied.
He then looked closely at the spatial rift.
It was heavily defended of course. Ranks upon ranks of armored Eldritch warriors wielding shields and a few with throwing weaponry. This was what an end stage plague world was capable of producing. A heavily armed force which was organized and lethal. With one goal, the infection of all sapient life with the Eldritch ¡®truth¡¯.
Now, however, this vile force had pulled back upon experiencing the Celestial skill of Orodan Wainwright and his ability to cleanse the Eldritch. Still, as he looked closer at it, he could see the core of the plague world remaining still, as though waiting for something.
The blue barrier surrounding the hot zone of the conflict suddenly shimmered, then began crackling.
¡°Spatiomantic fluctuations inbound!¡± a loud magically amplified voice called out.
Orodan felt it himself. Space trembled and the preamble to two other large spatial rifts began showing. One would open within the main war camp itself, and the other, right on the perimeter of the barrier maintained by the Collective¡¯s spatiomancers.
[Dimensionalism 23 ¡ú Dimensionalism 25]
Orodan felt the dimensional layers fluctuate, and for the briefest of moments, he would swear he saw the quickest flicker of a figure, and a¡ book in their hands?
In any case, he had bigger concerns. Namely the fact that the Eldritch were attempting to outflank the military forces of the Collective, and that Lonvoron was under attack by three plague worlds at once.
He couldn¡¯t directly contest the spatiomantic ability and raw power of three plague worlds when they were working together. Yes, Orodan was a monster of energy generation, but in the short term they would simply overpower him. Even if he would eventually win in the long term, the planet would be irrevocably damaged too. In the previous clash he had against them, they¡¯d ripped control of the spatial rift from him and any attempts to overpower their energy generation would¡¯ve led to him producing soul energy high enough to kill himself.
Of course, it was a different matter when they were separately trying to establish their own rifts. When not working in concert, the power of the three plague worlds was dramatically weaker.
And Orodan felt he could at the very least prevent the outflanking of the Collective¡¯s forces.
His eyes began blazing white, and soul energy practically exploded off of him as Orodan channelled Eternal Soul Reactor to its limits.
¡°I¡¯ll get the troops to a safe distance,¡± Zaessythra said as she grabbed the nearby scout and began aiding in pulling the soldiers back.
With focus, he directed his power into three separate streams, focused on the existing spatial rift, and the two new ones which sought to make landing within the hot zone and invade Lonvoron.
His cells were beginning to face destruction, and Orodan was down to perhaps a handful by the time he was nearing completion.
And yet, with a titanic effort and the performance of a feat beyond a peak-Transcendent¡
[Space Mastery 80 ¡ú Space Mastery 84]
¡Orodan Wainwright combined the three separate spatial rifts into one, their location, where the original spatial rift leading to the first plague world was.
This way, his enemies would be forced to launch their assault from a singular point the allied army would be prepared for.
Orodan reformed, and the forces of the Blackworth Collective showed their worth as they moved to meet the horrid tides of three plague worlds spilling forth from a singular spatial rift.
The artillery caused explosive booms which made the earth tremble for hundreds of miles. Entire bunched masses of low-level Eldritch were vaporized on the spot, and these artillery units were strategic in their targeting. The light carriers moved up front and then deployed hundreds of line infantry troops armed with repeating rifles who immediately got into formation behind pre-prepared defensive positions. These troops of the line infantry were vicious with their fire, especially when directed by their sergeants and captains. Entire ranks of Eldritch began falling as they attempted to advance, and on a numerical basis, the line infantry seemed a close match for the sheer quantity of the Eldritch. This was the logistical advantage of a well-developed firearm. The ability to train even an unmotivated peasant into a rifleman was a huge advantage and helped provide mass numbers of troops for the line infantry. One of the things which made a plague world invasion deadly was the massive number of weaker infected life forms that swarmed defenders. Having mass numbers of line infantry to even the numerical odds and provide firepower was an excellent counter.
The line infantry couldn¡¯t handle all threats though. And if a particularly vicious infected showed up that was beyond their capabilities and threatened to reach the line, then the steam knights stepped forward and occupied it. The lumbering golems weren¡¯t skilled fighters, nor were they overly nimble. But they were durable, and their armor was thick. And when it wasn¡¯t¡
¡he saw a few take the assaults of Grandmaster-level Eldritch and have their impacted armor plate explode outwards with force. This got rid of the armor plate and left the steam knight more vulnerable moving forward, but it was a better outcome than having it taken out of the fight entirely. Those things were giant weapons platforms, and the longer they remained in the fight, the more damage they could deal.
Near the artillery and aiding the entire army, were the squads of steam mages. Each five-man squad worked in harmony to support the steam mage. The steam mages empowered the artillery, steam knights and rifles of the line infantry to hit harder and perform better. Without these integral mages, the effectiveness of the Blackworth military and its offensive prowess would otherwise be lesser.
And finally, the Transcendent commanders oftentime stepped forward to meet any Eldritch Gods or Transcendents which broke from the masses and threatened the soldiers. These Transcendents of the Collective wielded firearms and an accompanying melee side arm with great skill and excellent synergy, although Orodan observed that aside from a rare few, most of them were rather averse to engaging in protracted bouts of melee combat against the Eldritch.
Which was smart, not only for the risk of infection, but because all these Transcendents needed to do was hold the line and tie the enemy down. Chiefly so that the snipers and sharpshooters in the back ranks could inflict some real damage. There were four Transcendent-level snipers in the back of the Blackworth lines, and these men and women were absolutely lethal against any Eldritch that didn¡¯t have self-healing capabilities. Even the strongest of defenses and the sturdiest of shells were penetrated and the Eldritch slain in a shot each.
Of course, an army which had no dedicated front line combatants would struggle as the battle went on. Especially when the Eldritch sent practically endless numbers of weaker lifeforms and hordes through the spatial rifts. It was as though the population of an entire world was coming through in a maddened frenzy, all in a bid to reach Blackworth battle lines and break through. Or worse¡ cause an outbreak.
This was what the forces of the Blackworth Collective were under imminent threat of, with a three self-healing Transcendent infected about to make contact with a battle line.
Which was when Orodan decided to act.
¡°Squad twenty-seven, target that flying¡ what?¡±
¡°Its infection just vanished!¡±
¡°It¡¯s the purifier! The purifier has cleansed it!¡±
Domain of Perfect Cleaning got to work as Orodan had a feral smile upon his face.
Stupid Eldritch.
Instead of learning from their first encounter against him, they¡¯d doubled down and decided three plague worlds¡¯ worth of hordes would be enough. Unfortunately for them, sending endless swarms of infected against Orodan Wainwright was a dumb idea.
He would never lose a battle of attrition.
Each and every living thing and inanimate object under control of the Eldritch was merely a target for Orodan to clean.
His Celestial skill immediately shot out and cleansed tens of thousands in one swoop.
¡°Slay that vile Celestial skill bearer! He defies the truth!¡± the peak-Transcendent Eldritch commander roared as purple and gray spittle flew out of its mouth. It was the same one which had assailed him earlier when he¡¯d tried purifying the plague world the first time around.
Within moments, it too was cleansed.
¡°It is the time looper,¡± one of the Eldritch-infected enemy Gods gutturally declared. ¡°The voice of the earth has warned us of him.¡±
Attempts at swarming him proved useless. What did he care about hordes? Capture attempts by Eldritch-infected Gods and Transcendents proved less effective than they¡¯d have liked given his high Eldritch Resistance. And attempts by the peak-Transcendent Eldritch leader to engage him were stifled by the forces of the Blackworth Collective that were supporting him and had now gained a massive morale boost.
¡°Protect the purifier!¡±
¡°For Lonvoron! For the Collective! For our people!¡±
Thousands more were cleansed and the tide of the battle dramatically shifted until the Eldritch decided to revise their tactics in the face of Orodan¡¯s utter dominance against hordes.
They began spewing massive waves of Eldritch energy out of the spatial rift, using it like a makeshift cannon. The battle had now drawn rather close to the spatial rift as he¡¯d gained ground for the allied forces. Orodan was thus forced to direct the majority of his attention towards these waves of corruptive energy which would otherwise slaughter or infect large numbers of Blackworth soldiers.
Simultaneously, and in an even worse turn of events, one more peak-Transcendent Eldritch sprang forth from the spatial rift. This peak-Transcendent immediately provided a screen for the other one, preventing the forces of the Collective from reinforcing Orodan.
Working together, this pair of two peak-Transcendent Eldritch attempted to converge on Orodan¡¯s position. These were the mightiest warriors the three plague worlds had, and Orodan wasn¡¯t overconfident enough to believe that he stood a chance in straight battle when they were prepared and knew of his abilities; even with Eldritch Resistance. The grasping claw of the first, an Arch-Devil, looked to grab Orodan¡¯s head when a flash of silver entered his vision and two scaly wings were in front of him.
¡°Zaessythra, you¡¯ll die in an instant!¡±
¡°It¡¯ll buy you time! Just resurrect and cleanse me afterwards!¡± she yelled.
She would die. He knew this. This was the attack of a peak-Transcendent and even Orodan would¡¯ve been severely damaged despite his Eldritch Resistance. He was tired of this annoying half-dragon leaping in the way of attacks meant to hit him. Zaessythra stood no chance.
Which was why Orodan decided to give her one.
The Absolute Soul Dominion portion of his Celestial skill wrapped around her, treating her as though she was his shield.
Her energy pool completely bottomed out in an attempt to resist the foreign feeling of Orodan controlling and empowering her like she was a weapon. And yet¡
¡it worked!
Furthermore, the most interesting trait of that part of his Celestial skill was that any weapons he empowered with his soul also had access to Orodan¡¯s resistance skills.
With a booming impact, Zaessythra was practically flattened into the ground. Bloody, battered and in far more pain than if she¡¯d actually died. But she was alive.
And that had bought him one more second. Which was just enough time to divert a bit of attention from countering the horrendous beams of Eldritch energy spewing from the portal, and put it towards cleansing the peak-Transcendent Arch-Devil.
With a shriek, the purple and gray corruption running rampant throughout its form dissipated, and out of respect and in line with his newly embraced ideals, Orodan left the essence of demonkind which was integral to it, alone. Unless he had no other options, it was villainous to go about purifying people of traits integral to them when they¡¯d done him no wrong. And even if they had wronged him¡ an honest death was preferable to stripping a demon of its being, or a true vampire of vampirism.
To the side, another figure entered the fray.
The other peak-Transcendent Eldritch was folded in half as a comically oversized bullet impacted its torso and sent it flying away.
¡°Ser Wainwright, we can¡¯t have you getting captured at such a critical juncture. Does your skill cleanse the area around me?¡± the regal voice asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Good. Contact with the Eldritch would go poorly for me. Yet, I embrace the risk and shall guard you myself. What do you need?¡±
¡°T-the King! His Majesty takes to the battlefield!¡±
¡°Soldiers! March forward and muster ¡®round the King!¡±
Morale skyrocketed and many more forces came to reinforce their position.
Orodan¡¯s concentration was still on the Eldritch beams erupting from the portals however.
¡°We face an invasion by three plague worlds at once,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I need you to keep the enemy off of me as I slowly cleanse the beams of Eldritch energy and move towards the spatial rift they¡¯re coming from.¡±
¡°Truly? This is a dire situation. That spatial rift¡ my space mages tell me you¡¯re the one who forced the Eldritch to coalesce the rifts together and enter from a singular point. You have my thanks and gratitude for that,¡± the King said. ¡°If we get you into the spatial rift, can you shut it off?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°No? What then? Perhaps we can secure the portal and seal it temporarily?¡± the King asked.
¡°No, because I intend to go through and purify the world cores of all three of these plague worlds,¡± Orodan declared.
Utter silence met his declaration.
¡°Surely you cannot be serious¡ you struggled and were pushed back in your attempt to purify but one,¡± King Alstatyn argued. ¡°Is this a wise course of action?¡±
¡°I was pushed back due to being alone and having to split my attention between fighting the cores and fighting their Eldritch-infected underlings,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Cover me and keep the enemy off, and I can cleanse all three, ending the Eldritch threat not just in the Collodon System but the neighboring two as well.¡±
The King looked to think for a moment, and then had a look of determination upon his face. And Orodan wasn¡¯t blind to how a small connection of that inexplicable System energy between the man and some far away location was constantly thrumming. It was the tell-tale sign of communication.
¡°Against my better judgement, and the advice of those smarter than me¡ I shall go through with this, Ser Wainwright! For Lonvoron and for the Blackworth Collective!¡± the King declared and hefted his oversized hand cannon.
Slowly, but surely, the forward march gained in speed as Orodan was allowed to focus as the military forces of the Collective supported him.
The Eldritch seemed almost desperate in how hard they were expelling beams of power through the spatial rift, and the tunnel itself wanted to collapse, however it did not as the combined space mage corps of the army worked on reinforcing it, and most importantly¡
¡King Alstatyn used his crown to direct the world core of Lonvoron itself to support the spatial tunnel.
Unlike last time, Orodan wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having control of the spatial rift torn away. Others were handling it.
He set one foot into the spatial tunnel, and then another. All while his broom was in hand instead of the sword and shield.
Each sweep cleansed miles of Eldritch and he drew closer and closer to his targets.
At the very end, the spatial tunnel he was traversing split into three ends. Each leading to the world core of a different plague world.
Standing at the triple juncture¡
¡Orodan Wainwright poured his all into the Domain of Perfect Cleaning.
One warrior and his eternal soul fueling a Celestial skill, against the raw power of three large world cores infected completely by the Eldritch.
Hours passed, and Orodan ignored the constant attempts by the world cores to negotiate peace or surrender. He would cleanse them no matter what.
He was reduced to just a small handful of cells for hours on end, and this led to an overdue gain.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 97 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 98]
This further accelerated the rate of his cleansing. They were strong, monstrously powerful, these were three entire world cores. Yet, when fueling mainly his Celestial skill, when focusing on cleaning. Orodan Wainwright could channel amounts of soul energy which would be visible across a galactic divide.
Finally, results came two hours later.
¡°No¡ please¡ spare us¡ to erase the truth from our minds is cruel beyond measure,¡± the infected world core said.
¡°And to force it upon innocent beings whose lives are upended is equally monstrous,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Long have I reflected on the ethics of cleansing someone of a trait integral to them. I¡¯ve ruminated on how such an act might stain my warrior¡¯s honor. Yet, for the Eldritch, I shall make the exception every time. Your kind will receive nothing but the burning light of cleaning by my hand until there is naught left in the universe.¡±
The shrieks and howls of the Eldritch infected world cores were loud, yet Orodan cared not. Their infectious invasion was due for an end.
The first infected world core went silent as the final bits of Eldritch were purged from its mind.
¡°To think clearly again¡ our memory is faded but clear¡¡±
The second followed.
¡°Eons of suffering and manic obsession, at last ended.¡±
And then the third.
¡°At last¡ liberation¡¡±
To best three entire world cores in a contest of energy generation. It was a feat worthy of legend.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 96 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 97]
One step closer to Grandmastery. One step closer to understanding the true meaning of cleaning.
The world cores were cleansed. As the battle of cleaning went on, each core drew more and more upon the residual Eldritch energies of its world. Horribly infected landscapes, animals, beings, champions and even Gods and Transcendents. They all found themselves having the Eldritch drawn out of them in a bid to reinforce the cores which were struggling against Orodan.
Consequently, in purifying the cores of these worlds¡
¡Orodan had purified the plague worlds themselves.
With his work done, Orodan stepped back through the spatial tunnel and out to the Lonvoron side of the spatial rift.
The forces he¡¯d left behind immediately pointed guns at him for the briefest of moments upon his return¡
¡which were quickly lowered as roars and yells broke out.
¡°He¡¯s done it!¡±
¡°Impossible¡ he really cleansed three entire plague worlds?¡±
King Alstatyn Von Flemethy himself stepped forward, a look of awe upon the man¡¯s face.
¡°Ser Orodan Wainwright¡ the reports flooding in from all across our system and the neighboring two do not lie. You¡ truly have cleansed the three plague worlds of their Eldritch taint, haven¡¯t you?¡± the man asked.
Orodan nodded, and the assembled army of the Collective broke out in raucous cheer.
¡°It was a good battle, even if it wasn¡¯t the physical clash of shield against sword that I¡¯d prefer,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now then, perhaps I might speak with this time looper? I believe I¡¯ve earned some answers.¡±
¡°Orodan,¡± it was Zaessythra. Healed and in good condition from her earlier battering. Something which brought a relieved smile to his face. ¡°After you went into the rift, we found this¡ it¡¯s a book. It was found on the corpse of one of the peak-Transcendent enemy commanders.¡±
¡°It seems to be a dangerous artifact. To that end, I¡¯ve elected to store it in the vaults beneath Storven, in our capital,¡± King Alstatyn said.
Orodan didn¡¯t necessarily have a problem with that¡ however the book definitely roused his suspicions.
Particularly because it was positively roiling with System energy.
#
¡°It¡¯s a different sort of energy,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I¡¯ve seen vitality, mana, soul, Qi, Eldritch and world energy. But this one is entirely unique and this marks the latest in the handful of times I¡¯ve encountered it.¡±
¡°A most vexing puzzle we face then¡ just who does it belong to?¡± the King asked. ¡°I too have¡ never mind¡¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t miss how the small thread of System energy connected to the King began angrily pulsing the moment the man opened his mouth.
¡°We found it on the body of the other peak-Transcendent commander of the Eldritch¡ but no clue otherwise,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Well¡¡± Orodan trailed off. He really hadn¡¯t had a chance to reflect much on the battle and his skill gains. He¡¯d directly gone from the battlefield to the capital of Lonvoron, Storven, a pretty town yet one around which the flows of time were strange. But now, a memory came unbidden to his mind. ¡°It was strange, but my Dimensionalism skill levelled up twice.¡±
¡°Explain,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°It only increases in level when I detect someone crossing the dimensional barrier or interacting with dimensional boundaries,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This time, I saw a figure. The glimpse I got was far too brief to recall any details, but I did notice they held a book.¡±
¡°That, and the cores of the plague worlds mentioned informing someone of your presence,¡± the King said. ¡°It cannot be the World Sovereigns, those were the peak-Transcendents we slew, and the other one was slain in a separate skirmish with our forces. In any case, just below Embodiers who we thankfully shall never have to encounter within the bounds of a galaxy, the core of a plague world is the supreme authority within Eldritch heirarchy. The peak-Transcendents should¡¯ve been subservient to the infected world cores. Why would they claim that somebody else needed to be informed?¡±
¡°It makes little sense to me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In any case, you¡¯re unwilling to give me any answers on this other time looper, which I¡¯ll respect. And they seem rather paranoid and unwilling to meet me whatsoever, which I¡¯ll also respect. However we¡¯ve secured not only aid from your forces, but the assistance of the Conclave branch in this galaxy. So I¡¯m fine with leaving the matter where it is.¡±
Orodan had never been one to snoop or forcibly pry unnecessary things from the mouths of others. If this other time looper wanted to maintain their secrecy so badly, he would let them. Not only had they somehow created an excellent military force capable of fighting off the Eldritch in the Blackworth Collective, but they¡¯d also given the go-ahead for King Alstatyn to send aid back with them to Orodan¡¯s own galaxy.
He wouldn¡¯t spit in their face by attempting to trample about and get answers like the wrecking ball he typically was.
Besides, coming back in the next loop was always an option. Although if they were a time looper, then they¡¯d likely remember everything and who he was.
Good incentive to perfect his natural talent and aptitude for the Disguise skill.
¡°Does this matter not call to you though?¡± the King asked. ¡°Just look at this book, it could give us so many answers.¡±
¡°Will it? Last time I opened a strange book inside of a vault it rewarded me with excruciating pain,¡± Orodan remarked while looking at Zaessythra.
¡°I don¡¯t remember this incident at all, but knowing you, you probably thought it was good training or something,¡± she replied.
¡°That it was!¡± Orodan said with a smile and then turned back to the King. ¡°I would advise against tampering with it carelessly. The infected world cores I saw used System energy directly and faced complete corruption. I¡¯m not sure if that energy can be harnessed safely.¡±
¡°Ser Wainwright, does the book not speak to you? The desire to get an answer almost irresistible?¡± King Alstatyn asked. ¡°Somebody I know holds a similar artifact, and I¡¯ve never managed to get an answer out of them about what it does¡ or about anything they do really. Why shouldn¡¯t I open it? When all they do is give me falsehoods, lies and tricks, should I not seek an answer?¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes narrowed and he looked very closely at the book.
There.
It was almost imperceptible, but the most minute thread of System energy had latched onto the mind and soul of the King, and the thread was ever-widening as the man spoke.
¡°You really shouldn¡¯t do that Alstatyn, I can already sense the book influencing you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You know not what it is, just leave it. How about we take a walk and speak about the troops you have assembled at the grand array?¡±
¡°No¡ no! If she won¡¯t give me any answers despite all we¡¯ve been through¡ then I¡¯ll find them myself!¡± King Alstatyn said.
The man was far too close to the book, yet Orodan had already moved next to him even as the King threw the cover open.
It was a trap.
[Eldritch Resistance 65 ¡ú Eldritch Resistance 68]
The opening of the book caused an outpour of Eldritch energies severe enough that even Orodan began hearing whispers and the familiar maddening thoughts of the Eldritch. He steeled his mind and threw them off, and then immediately got to work in purifying the vault they were in.
Zaessythra was choking on the ground, yet her eyes weren¡¯t whitened yet. She had a strong mind. A casual sweep of his broom cleansed her easily enough.
The King however. The man¡¯s eyes were entirely white as the Eldritch broke out all over his body in sickening purple and gray growths.
¡°The truth¡ yes, I¡¯d seen it before, known of it¡ but to embrace it once more¡¡±
Orodan lashed out with his broom and instantly eradicated all traces of the Eldritch. The King¡¯s eyes returned to their normal color, and the man stumbled backwards with a gasp.
Although, an accompanying visitor came with.
[Dimensionalism 25 ¡ú Dimensionalism 26]
He really needed to start training Dimensionalism normally instead of through unannounced visitors.
Strange robes of shifting colors. Thousands of spells active at once, and Orodan wasn¡¯t even sure of what he was looking at. Sometimes it was a four-armed ogre, other times a slithering snake, and others, a golem. It was only with Vision of Purity and the steeling of his own mind against the insidious threads of soul energy attempting to enter it that he managed to mostly look past the illusion.
Zaessythra was frozen in time, only Orodan could see this.
They were human, or rather¡ humanoid. He was mostly certain of that. Maybe.
And they had absolutely no other distinguishing features whatsoever as their entire form was shrouded in a cloak.
The passive spells which were present on this person were utterly pure, and Orodan could only detect them visually and through Soul Mastery as they were powered by soul energy. There was no real method of distinguishing anything otherwise.
This shimmering humanoid figure walked right up to King Alstatyn¡
¡and grabbed the man by the collar.
¡°Your throne, your kingdom, your people safeguarded against the Eldritch. All provided by me and yet the one loop I really need you to keep your mouth shut and act in line with instructions, you fail,¡± the being said, their voice distorted and mangled in a manner which made them sound monstrous, male and female at the same time.
¡°I helped give you victory against the Eldritch!¡± the King roared. ¡°You never tell me anything, your behavior chang-¡±
A casual flourish of magic silenced the man and sent him into a portal.
¡°Enough. I detest taking away anyone¡¯s autonomy, yet your loose lips in such an impassioned state may cause the slipping of details I do not need divulged,¡± they said. ¡°The victory against the Eldritch¡ was given to me by Orodan Wainwright. Or rather, my fellow time looper. Greetings, Orodan Wainwright. Hearing of your exploits is one thing, seeing you in action is another. I¡¯m afraid our meeting must be cut short as we have an uninvited visitor who has snuck their way in. Reveal yourself. Your attempts at hiding between dimensional layers have proven inadequate against the mantle I bear.¡±
[Dimensionalism 26 ¡ú Dimensionalism 28]
The ripples came from behind Orodan, and he turned to see an old man. White beard, a religious sceptre, and priestly robes. The book laying upon the plinth trembled and promptly flew into his hands upon his arrival.
He could sense absolutely nothing through Vision of Purity, just like when he¡¯d met the Mage.
¡°We meet once more, my mysterious thief,¡± the old man said. ¡°Will you hand over the mantle you¡¯ve stolen?¡±
¡°Prophet. Your presence within the territories of the Blackworth Collective is unwelcome,¡± the other looper said. ¡°You shall receive no mantle for it is rightfully claimed by mine own hand.¡±
Prophet? As in¡ the Prophet? One of the five Administrators?
¡°Rightfully stolen, like a crow plucking a trinket it will never appreciate the value or function of,¡± the old man said. ¡°You say my presence is unwelcome, and yet you appear as a mere clone, afraid to risk your own neck. Perhaps you should take inspiration from this one. The whispers I hear of his feats are rather impressive. Little wonder you were replaced.¡±
¡°You speak falsehoods meant to trigger my ire. They shall avail you not,¡± the other looper declared. ¡°Lest you forget, treaty binds you to avoid combat within the limits of a galaxy. You shall receive no mantle from me and no welcome to this galaxy. Begone.¡±
¡°On the contrary my dear coward, I speak only the truth. You¡¯ve done a great deal to obscure the history of your little Blackworth Collective, and even more still to obscure your own identity. Smart of you lest I find your location and true self,¡± the Administrator said. ¡°All that information gathering, all your plans, schemes and allies, and yet you refuse to accept the possibility that the next has been anointed and stands here. Seventeen years ago, you know what occurred¡ the rumbling within the System, the pulse from the node at the center of your galaxy. The glyphs which were stripped from your very soul.¡±
¡°Lies! Your ceaseless prattle has gone on long enough,¡± the other looper said.
¡°Hold on¡ you¡¯re the other time looper?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Now is not the time for such questioning. The Prophet is a deadly foe although we¡¯re kept safe by treaty between him and the others.¡±
¡°But¡ your letters. You told me to potentially seek refuge with the other four, was that-¡±
¡°True, for your own situation at least. The Prophet considers me his bounty and I must treat him differently.¡±
The Prophet hit his staff upon the ground of the vault, causing spatial fluctuations and regaining everyone¡¯s attention.
¡°I see you do not believe me, coward¡ tell me then,¡± the Prophet said as something sailed out of Orodan¡¯s spatial ring and into the Administrator¡¯s hand. ¡°This captured glyph, is this similar to the ones you lost seventeen years ago?¡±
¡°What of it? Many organizations across our universe have captured those.¡±
¡°And yet, this time looper here has the exact glyphs upon his soul¡ and you do not,¡± the Prophet said.
Could it really be true?
Little wonder then, what the Mage had said when Orodan asked if there were other time loopers.
¡°Yes, there were, no there are not.¡±
Was there only ever one time looper at a time? This other looper then¡ was no longer in the time loops.
¡°Enough. You have made your point, leave,¡± the other looper said, anger and frustration showing through their voice.
¡°On the contrary, I think for once¡ I shall stay. I¡¯ve always known that Lonvoron was important to you. Long have I suspected that the System¡¯s Control Spike which selects the loopers is located upon this world. Yet through aiding in Orodan Wainwright¡¯s journey to this world I¡¯ve gotten a better opportunity to understand why you value it so much,¡± the Prophet said, outing himself as the one who¡¯d aided in directing Orodan and Zaessythra to Lonvoron. ¡°That little King of yours, quite interesting to learn that he¡¯s the only one upon this planet without the obscuring controls you¡¯ve placed upon the minds of all others. What happens if I pluck him from where you¡¯ve kept him?¡±
¡°You would be violating the treaty and would court open battle against the Mage and the Warrior!¡± the other looper roared as space trembled and King Alstatyn suddenly appeared in the hand of the Prophet, held aloft in the air by his collar. In a deep sleep. ¡°Unhand him or face my wrath!¡±
¡°That would certainly be a first. I don¡¯t go back in the loops, but I doubt a little coward like you has ever tried fighting me before. Perhaps all you needed was some motivation,¡± the Prophet said. ¡°And the treaty? How quaint. You see¡ the treaties among us are broken fairly often over the eons. And when I spot not just the chance to reclaim the Reject¡¯s formerly owned Administrator Mantle but also the opportunity to permanently eliminate the single greatest threatening time looper I¡¯ve ever seen. Why would I not take it?¡±
Orodan suddenly felt very seen.
¡°Me?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°What have I done to you?¡±
¡°To me? Nothing. To my plans? Potentially, everything,¡± the Prophet said. ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t noticed your anomalous ability to generate power at impossible rates? Even the caged protector itself cannot do what you can with the meagre prowess that you have. And that sickening Celestial skill of yours¡ I¡¯ll be all too happy to engage in a few centuries of war against that brute if it means ensuring a time looper as threatening as you isn¡¯t allowed to come into power. Come, I shall give you an easier end than the Reject would on a bad day.¡±
Orodan raised his weapons and charged forward, uncaring of the danger. And was promptly slapped into the ground and bound with gold chains all within an instant.
He struggled and strained with all his might, yet the chains were simply too strong. To that end, he began churning Eternal Soul Reactor as hard as he could. As he did so, the real battle between the Prophet and the other time looper began.
A second figure, completely identical to the other time looper, entered the vault they were within.
And the very first move they made was to channel an apocalyptic amount of power into a very familiar and eerie pink shard.
¡°Hmmph¡ finally revealing your true body, are you? This little King must mean a lot to you,¡± the Prophet said. ¡°And using the shards won¡¯t help when the power behind your attack is so pitiful.¡±
¡°Pitiful? Allow me to serve you a combination even I dared not try before,¡± the other time looper said. ¡°Using an Administrator¡¯s Mantle against an Administrator, a new experiment for the records.¡±
The other time looper¡¯s real body then channelled power, not through their soul, not through mana, but through a strange robe they were wearing. The usage of the robe briefly removed most of the illusions upon their form as the System energy roiled, and Orodan got a brief glimpse of pale, almost sickly skin, but nothing else.
The Prophet looked far more serious as he blocked the following beam, having to put genuine effort into it. A prayer was uttered, and a golden book opened up before him, absorbing the beam but barely. And it was a moment of genuine effort for the Administrator, something which left him vulnerable.
At the same time, Orodan finally managed to burn his way out of the golden chains through flooding them with raw soul energy. The Reject had similarly tried to bind him, but Orodan had grown stronger since then, and attempts at capturing him wouldn¡¯t be as smooth or easy.
The Administrator was concentrating in blocking the beam fired by the other looper. It was a lethal attack channelled through the shard which could destroy many star systems. The Prophet didn¡¯t appear too strained, but the consequence of having to dedicate effort into blocking the beam, was that the shroud of System energy enveloping him had dissipated.
Allowing Vision of Purity to see what lay underneath.
¡°Eldritch¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°You¡¯re the one responsible for the Eldritch invasions of this world.¡±
¡°More than just that¡ all the infectious Eldritch come from me. Agents of the truth, with a mission to spread it so that we might live in harmony with that which empowers us,¡± the Prophet said, a gentle smile on his face. ¡°Eldritch¡why refer to it by such a name? Can you not realize that it is merely the true and direct form of the lifeblood which empowers us all?¡±
¡°I care not what it¡¯s called. It¡¯s purple, gray and disgusting, and I¡ will clean it all!¡±
With a roar, Orodan reduced himself to a single cell with the amount of soul energy he produced. His all was thrown into the Domain of Perfect Cleaning. Yet, not the aura, but into his very broom. Into the very sweeping motion.
The Prophet hadn¡¯t accounted for Orodan potentially killing himself to avoid a permanent end, and consequently panicked and threw an overpowered healing prayer towards him. Something which allowed him to generate even more soul energy without getting killed.
Using the Prophet¡¯s desire to keep him alive, Orodan continued building up fatal levels of soul energy. His body was destroyed and reformed continually.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 98 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 99]
And with that final boost in power, he threw it all towards his broom, which raced directly for the Prophet¡¯s heart.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 97 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 98]
A terrible shriek left the Administrator¡¯s lips. The yell itself nearly killed Orodan, reducing him to a single cell.
He hadn¡¯t succeeded, not fully anyhow. The Prophet was simply too monstrous, unbelievably powerful. The Eldritch tide within him was akin to the might of an entire galaxy. In no way could the current Orodan cleanse this being.
Yet, with all his power¡
¡Orodan had managed to clean 1% of the Eldritch from within the Prophet.
And when something was purely and unequivocally Eldritch, and it was then brought down to 99% purity. The sheer internal pain and conflict as the Eldritch attempted to convert and consume the other part, was unimaginable. Particularly for a being at the Prophet¡¯s level of power.
¡°We must go¡ now!¡± the other looper said as they opened a spatial rift while the Prophet collapsed to his knees.
Orodan wanted to stay and finish the job, exploit the Administrator¡¯s vulnerability, yet the other looper left him no choice as they practically threw King Alstatyn, Zaessythra and himself into the portal and then jumped in themselves.
Orodan was suddenly at the Conclave¡¯s branch in the Vystaxium Galaxy, a grand array open and ready to send people through the void between galaxies and back to his own.
¡°Through the grand array! Go!¡± they ordered.
Orodan threw Zaessythra in headfirst and then chucked King Alstatyn inside as well. The other looper rushed in too, but before Orodan could enter, he heard a horrifying shriek.
He turned around, and the most unsettling sight of the Prophet rushing at him on all fours like a feral and freakish beast entered his vision.
He readied his sword and shield. Orodan¡¯s smile widened at the prospect of an excellent melee bout and a good death against a horrifying foe, yet it was not to be.
Fifteen feet of steel and muscle interposed itself between him and his approaching death. System energy practically exploded from this tall, dark warrior¡¯s greatsword.
¡°Your spirit is strong, yet glorious death in battle shall be denied today. Live, and fight another day, time looper.¡±
A powerful hand gripped him by the head and threw him headfirst into the grand array¡¯s active beam.
The travel was tumultuous, yet not as bad as the first trip to the Vystaxium Galaxy. Eventually, he arrived and stepped upon white marbled tiles. His surroundings were calm, the teleporter was still functioning.
Outside, the assembled forces of the Blackworth Collective, mustered and prepared to return fire against the dwarven void ships which ominously hung overhead. Cultivators were slowly coming out from the buildings and took in the sight of the Blackworth forces Orodan had brought back. Holy warriors of the Conclave were alongside them as well.
He saw Zaessythra in the distance alongside Zhou Shan, rallying the soldiers.
¡°Zaessythra, where¡¯s the other looper,¡± Orodan asked.
¡°What other looper, Orodan? Nobody came out of the array after King Astaltyn,¡± she answered.
¡°Look¡ above¡¡±
¡°Good Gods¡ our home¡¡±
In the skies above, beyond the void ships of the dwarves, beyond the sun and stars. In the extreme distance, noticeable only by those with enhanced eyesight.
Was the Vystaxium Galaxy.
And it lay shattered.
Orodan could only wonder how he was meant to fight an Administrator if this was their level of power.
Chapter 63 - The Return
¡°Cultivators! Rally and prepare for the counter-offensive! Our reinforcements have arrived!¡± Zhou Shan commanded and then turned to Orodan. ¡°My friend, you have my gratitude for returning with aid so swiftly. And these new troops¡ allies of yours?¡±
¡°Aye. King Alstatyn and the soldiers of the Blackworth Collective stand ready to fight alongside us, although who knows how much we¡¯ll have to aid them given the destruction of their home galaxy,¡± Orodan said.
¡°An entire galaxy¡¡±
¡°What calamity could do such a thing?¡±
¡°By the heavens, we are outmatched¡¡±
¡°Cease the chatter!¡± Zhou Shan roared. ¡°Orodan, we shall speak on what apocalyptic forces you encountered in the Vystaxium Galaxy afterwards. And to our new allies, my sincerest condolences for the loss of your home. Re-homing, aid and salvage efforts, we pledge to aid with all of those. But, for now, time is critical, and we must repel these dwarven invaders lest we all perish and other allies of ours fall while isolated.¡±
King Alstatyn stepped forward, bearing his over-sized hand cannon.
¡°My heart is heavy for the loss of our home and people¡ but I agree that we must confront the enemy before us first,¡± the King said and then turned to his soldiers behind him. ¡°Men and women of the Blackworth! Grieving for our loved ones and homes can only occur once the enemies of our hosts are dealt with. Prepare arms and make ready for combat!¡±
¡°You mentioned other allies of ours Zhou Shan, what¡¯s the situation? I was gone for no more than a day, surely things could not have changed so much,¡± Orodan said.
¡°On the contrary, things are rather hectic. We face constant harassment at range from the forces of the dwarves whose voidships exceed our speed and space cultivators¡¯ attempts to intercept them. Any attempts to sally out into the void are responded to with a swift retreat. The dwarves fear the deadliness of our dao in close quarters,¡± Zhou Shan said.
¡°And what of the ranged cultivators? Surely someone versed in the Dao of Archery could return fire?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Our estimates on dwarven ranged capabilities were a bit off. Begrudgingly we have had to accept that the dwarfs¡¯ artillery and ship-bound weaponry are superior to our own ranged capabilities. We lost a decent number of Daoists who excelled at range during our first sally. Dwarven armor is far superior to any of our own. Any trading of fire at range ends with us taking disproportionately more casualties than they. And the bearded ones¡¯ artillery is exceedingly lethal. A focused salvo might kill even me,¡± Zhou Shan explained. ¡°They have a decent number of Gods and Transcendent-level rune-lords aboard their voidships. These experts of theirs empower those guns to dangerous levels of firepower. We simply haven¡¯t been able to sally out; for all intents and purposes, we¡¯re under siege.¡±
¡°What of W78 and the forces of the Unity? I recall that prime combat unit, A1, being rather strong. Its guns would be of some assistance.¡±
¡°And that is where the second half of our problems lie,¡± Zhou Shan replied. ¡°This siege we¡¯re under is meant to tie us down while Varkir and the main forces of the Hegemony move to assault the Unity¡¯s core world. The Conclave is also under assault but they¡¯ve told us they can manage. Our allies, isolated and destroyed before we can even reinforce them¡ a clever yet devastatingly effective maneuver.¡±
¡°Surely the strength of the Dao is not so insignificant? Are you truly pinned down with no recourse?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°We have reinforcements coming from nearby worlds, among whom are some powerful Daoists well-suited to ranged combat and sieges,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Alongside them, even the full force of the dwarves would find an even battle. However, it will be too late for our allies in the Unity by then.¡±
Too late for¡
¡°Where is W78?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Safe on X2, the Unity¡¯s core world. I¡¯m told your construct friend is integral at commanding the planet¡¯s defense,¡± Zhou Shan answered.
¡°Good, good. We shall break this stalemate ourselves then,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Let¡¯s charge them.¡±
A slap to the back of his head was somewhat earned for that one.
¡°Idiot. Did you miss the entire debrief about how the dwarves have ranged superiority?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°And? If they fire a salvo at me, I¡¯ll simply take it all upon my shield!¡±
¡°And you¡¯ll be brought back dead upon it. Their full artillery salvos can destroy entire stars.¡±
¡°There would not be much left to bring back,¡± Zhou Shan remarked.
¡°That does sound like good training though¡¡± Orodan trailed off.
The palm of Zaessythra¡¯s hand met her face.
¡°No, just¡ no. We can¡¯t simply allow a blind charge with you at the helm. This is a time sensitive matter, and we have far more pressing battles for you to be¡¡±
She left it unsaid, but Orodan could infer that she meant checkpoint uses. She wasn¡¯t wrong, and it was true that there were many more battles of an intense nature yet to come. The upcoming battle upon the Unity¡¯s core world was one, and the journey to the hells could potentially be another. Not to mention the imminent battle against the Reject who was fast approaching their galaxy for Orodan¡¯s head.
¡°Alright Zaessythra, you win. Much as my blood demands honest battle against insurmountable odds¡ I¡¯m not entirely unreasonable,¡± Orodan relented. It would be a bit selfish to die too many times in an unreasonable manner when people were counting on him. ¡°How do you suggest we do it?¡±
¡°Through tactics. The soldiers of the Blackworth Collective have guns and artillery of their own, this even the battleground immensely,¡± she explained, her arms folding behind her back as she walked around inspecting the troops with a commanding presence. ¡°We have a diverse set of forces here; it would be utter folly not to use them. Has your time in the militia taught you nothing of battlefield tactics and force arrangements?¡±
Orodan could only scratch his head.
¡°Aside from the academic readings¡ not really? I¡¯m better off understanding tactics on the ground where I can see the flow of battle,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°You seem well-versed in commanding armies though¡¡±
He was a bumpkin from the poorest town of the Republic. A mere county militia man. No amount of training during basic taught him the art of commanding entire units and arranging armies. Even upon getting somewhat of an education at Bluefire he¡¯d only read about military history and the tactics and maneuvers used through famous battles and engagements.
Accounts of past battles, even those studied by historians and military students, were oft replete with embellishments, excessive detail in parts which didn¡¯t require it, and a lack of detail in the parts which did. Reading a book was no substitute for commanding actual armies and managing the logistics of them. If he managed the impossible task of containing his battle lust, in his opinion, Orodan would be a passable small unit leader on the ground. Perhaps tolerable at commanding a few soldiers in a skirmish or managing a small section of a battle line.
What he was not, was a commander.
That would be Zaessythra.
¡°Commanding armies in a planetary liberation war has a way of hammering Command Mastery into one¡¯s head,¡± she said. Not the term, but the skill itself¡ there was more to his half-dragon companion than the eye could see. ¡°Not only should we utilize all the forces we have arrayed here to maximal effect. But most importantly, the lynchpin of a truly powerful force is right before us¡¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°You.¡±
Orodan looked confused at first, but then began to understand. Especially once Zaessythra began telepathically sharing the details with him on exactly what he was expected to do.
Swiftly, she got to work.
The parchment in her hands looked comically small compared to her ten-foot frame and large hands, however the swift speed she was writing at was no joke as she surveyed the forces arranged before her.
¡°King Alstatyn, High Sovereign Zhou Shan¡ with your leave, might I suggest tactical plans for our forces? Victory is but a matter of execution, for we have the right pieces already,¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°I see no problem with it if you can deliver results,¡± the High Sovereign said.
¡°My officers might be a little lukewarm in their reception,¡± King Alstatyn said. ¡°How about you prove them wrong by presenting what you think is the most effective manner of engagement?¡±
¡°Very well. Then let us begin,¡± Zaessythra said as she presented her parchment upon a hastily deployed war table. ¡°We have cultivators, excellent at offensive melee combat. Knights and paladins of the Conclave who specialize in holding the line and healing themselves and fellow soldiers. And most importantly¡ the steam-powered arms and war machines of the Blackworth Collective who will now fill in the gaps. To this end, I have plans for a headlong assault followed by a display of weakness which will draw our enemies in¡¡±
The cultivators of Xian had witnessed Orodan and Zaessythra in battle. They had earned much respect and even reverence among the cultivators of the Ascendent Sword Cluster. Naturally, this meant that the disgruntled man who didn¡¯t approve of the plan was an officer of the Blackworth Collective.
¡°And how, pray tell madam, shall we send good troops to their deaths with nary a mark on our conscience?¡± a middle-aged officer with a thick mustache criticized. ¡°Not to mention, the enemy harassing this world are an expeditionary force of skirmishers, their entire strategy involves hit-and-run tactics. How do you expect them to commit?¡±
¡°Why, by presenting bait they simply can¡¯t afford to pass up,¡± Zaessythra said, and then pointed. ¡°The time looper himself.¡±
The doubts of many were eased as Zaessythra spoke. And Orodan couldn¡¯t help but be more than a bit impressed himself.
And so, the discussions on tactics and stratagems went, until the time for battle came.
#
¡°Dwarves! I come to challenge you! Do you dare give me a taste of your famed dwarven artillery?!¡±
Orodan floated in the void between worlds as his sword was drawn and pointed towards the distant void ships which had moved to create some space upon noticing his approach.
¡°Time looper. Have you come to surrender? Offer yourself up peacefully and this world shall be spared the continuing wrath of our broadsides,¡± a booming voice called out. He could tell the difference between magical amplification and the natural boom of a divine cadence. A God was speaking from aboard the dwarven voidship. ¡°Refuse¡ and we shall destroy all you hold dear while refusing to allow you death.¡±
¡°Surrender? You must not know me very well, stand and fight me here and now!¡± Orodan demanded. ¡°I¡¯m told a full salvo from your fleet can destroy a star. How about you try it against me.¡±
¡°An audacious challenge. The rumors of your bold nature were no lie,¡± the God replied. ¡°However, the Forge-King¡¯s clientele have warned us against engaging you. Your barking falls upon deaf ears.¡±
¡°Very well. If you lot wish to run and hide like cowards¡ then I shall bring myself to you!¡±
Orodan much preferred fighting to talking anyways.
Fourteen ¡®clones¡¯ of himself temporarily came into being through Action Increases, and Orodan used their bodies to leap towards the dwarven voidships in a mighty Flash Strike.
[Flash Strike 75 ¡ú Flash Strike 76]
It was a good skill for closing the distance. It involved a mighty burst of raw prowess which shunted him towards the foe. However, it wasn¡¯t teleportation. The travel wasn¡¯t instantaneous.
A powerful broadside met him a third of the way towards his destination. However, the salvo which came his way was one meant to restrain and subdue, not destroy.
Gases and liquids which could paralyze and put a Transcendent beast to sleep erupted as the shells smashed into his shield. Some of the shots also caused a powerful restraining foam to spill forth and envelop him. And a final few were magical and encased him in multiple overlaying spheres of force.
Smart of them. Why kill a time looper when restraint and delay were better options?
Unfortunately for them, Orodan had no issues with expending energy to break free. Their unwillingness to hit him with lethal weaponry would be their undoing.
The poisonous substance meant to paralyze and put him into a slumber was some strong stuff. Anyone else caught without a method of countering it would¡¯ve fallen into a deep sleep and statis which might last months. Orodan, though, was naturally built to resist such things.
The soul energy he was constantly expelling around his body did a great deal to burn the substance away and weaken its effectiveness. Absolute Body Composition also showed its worth by not allowing the remaining bits of the poison to effectively take hold. What could this substance infiltrate when each cell of his body was a thing in and of itself and he had no veins or organs? And finally, Harmony of Vitality was constantly destroying and re-creating his cells. Any part of him affected by the poison was swiftly discarded and reborn anew. Even without a resistance skill against such a thing, Orodan¡¯s unique combination of abilities made poisoning him an exercise in futility.
The restraining foam around him was weakened by the soul energy he emanated, and Orodan¡¯s brute force and thrashing did the rest. And as for the spheres of force, while Orodan could batter his way out with time¡
¡he instead took the prudent approach and cast an overpowered Spatial Fold.
[Spatial Fold 76 ¡ú Spatial Fold 77]
The raw power of it shattered all the spherical layers of force surrounding him and continued onwards to the voidship nearest to him. There, it encountered a respectable bit of resistance, but this too was promptly flattened.
On one hand, Orodan could choose to practically crush the entire voidship into mulch. Or perhaps utilize Spatial Fold in the manner he had upon Xuejin to cause devastation which could destroy a small world. However, that might scare the remaining voidships of the dwarven fleet into fleeing, and Zaessythra¡¯s plan had called for the destruction of as many of them as possible.
Instead, he used the Spatial Fold for its more classical purpose of travel, and simply stepped through to enter the enemy voidship. As he stepped through, he felt the opening of a small spatial rift next to him, and using his spatiomancy, held it stabilized for the coming battle.
-atial barriers down. Enemy on board!¡±
¡°He¡¯s here! Subdue the man!¡±
¡°Where¡¯s the shard?!¡±
Orodan stepped onto the other side of Spatial Fold and into a scene of hostility, all directed towards him.
A veritable horde of vertically challenged and armored foes swooped down upon him. Surprisingly enough, they were all bare-handed.
An entire unit of armored dwarven wrestlers.
¡°Go for the legs!¡±
¡°Put him in a body lock!¡±
Orodan was amused and more than a little excited himself. Finally! A chance to engage in an honest brawl!
He immediately sprawled out and defended against the takedown attempt of the early Transcendent wrestler who was the greatest threat and put the dwarf¡¯s vulnerable neck in a choke with one arm. His opponent was good and attempted to move sideways to complete the takedown and escape the choke, however Orodan dragged the dwarf¡¯s head further downwards and met it in-between with a knee which impacted with a satisfying crunch.
The other wrestlers were Grandmasters and mostly Masters. A headbutt sent one of them flying, and knees, elbows and shoulder checks bullied the other wrestlers as Orodan¡¯s Physical Fitness in tandem with Body Tempering and Absolute Body Composition made him the physical superior of all the arrayed grapplers even if some of them had higher levels in Physical Fitness.
Additionally, minor as it was, being a large human approaching seven feet of height gave Orodan slightly more punch out of each level of Physical Fitness than a dwarf of the equivalent level.
Another wave of dwarves attempting single and double-leg takedowns surged forward. Most of them were bowled over as Orodan¡¯s hands shot out and shoved them into the air, sending them flying into the walls with a crash. A few got through and had their heads driven into the ground as he sprawled and pushed with his weight onto them, denying their efforts to bring him low. And the final one succeeded in catching his legs and gave a good showing of moving sideways and trying to drag Orodan to the floor, however the dwarf left too much space, allowing Orodan to do a light hop into the air and use his free leg to deliver a kick which sent the dwarf flying.
¡°Not bad, but just as stags lock antlers, so too must one commit fully and leave no distance when attempting to bring the foe low in a grapple,¡± Orodan said.
The Transcendent-level wrestler who he¡¯d sent to the ground with a knee had risen once more, blood flowing down the face from a bloody nose. Orodan opened his arms and accepted the rematch as the dwarf rushed forward and wrapped both arms around him¡
¡only for Orodan to reverse the move by slithering his own arms underneath and attempting to throw the dwarf overhead. Except, the dwarf was heavy, incredibly heavy.
¡°What¡¯s the matter human? Did you think me a one-trick goat? Do you think my Transcendent-level Wrestling skill was without merit?!¡± the wrestling dwarf asked. ¡°Now you shall experience what true grappling is! My Transcendent insight is the ability to weigh myself beyond measure! Now accept defeat!¡±
¡°This is¡¡±
Orodan strained and his arms began bleeding and the skin tearing as he exerted force enough to destroy entire mountain ranges. The voidship trembled dangerously, but it was reinforced and seemed to tolerate the stress for the moment.
¡°Unbearable? The weight of my body cannot be surpassed! Not when I¡¯m also empowered!¡±
The dwarven wrestler wasn¡¯t wrong. It was also a situation where having Divine Resistance didn¡¯t even help Orodan counter this tactic. The enemy God wasn¡¯t directly using divine power against him, rather it was being used to empower the wrestler he was currently grappling against.
As for who was empowering this dwarf? He spotted the commander of the voidship, a dwarven God. Six feet of glowing armor and a flowing beard, which was quite tall for their kind.
¡°This is¡ excellent training!¡±
[Physical Fitness 92 ¡ú Physical Fitness 93]
Orodan¡¯s arms practically exploded but were reformed once more under Harmony of Vitality. Additionally, the continuous pressure and exertion was great for another skill too.
[Body Tempering 64 ¡ú Body Tempering 65]
¡°You¡ hope to use my skill to train?!¡±
¡°Exactly! I¡¯ll overpower you with raw might and endless effort!¡± Orodan declared.
¡°Brundak, cease immediately, we cannot risk the time looper gaining more power!¡± the commanding God bellowed.
¡°My thane! We can strike a grievous blow against the human here and now!¡± the dwarf he was wrestling with yelled back.
Orodan¡¯s arms continued exploding and reforming under the pressure, and he gained one more level in Body Tempering until finally, the dwarf let go and Orodan threw him backwards in a slam which bowled two dozen other wrestlers over.
[Wrestling 80 ¡ú Wrestling 81]
He immediately became suspicious of why the enemy wrestler had allowed such a thing, and his suspicions were confirmed as a glowing pink shard being empowered by the enemy dwarven God glowed with ominous pink power. The deepest parts of his soul quaked in fear, yet Orodan was far more accustomed to it by now and quickly commanded his soul into iron-willed obedience.
Would this finally be his chance to test himself against the power of the shards?
Orodan prepared himself to receive the blow. Of course, he¡¯d nearly forgotten about the small spatial rift he¡¯d been maintaining since the start of the battle.
This rift - created upon Orodan¡¯s breaching of the voidship¡¯s spatial barrier - now began expanding. And the first thing that came through it was a pale hand with scaled elbows.
Zaessythra.
And she was wielding a pink crystal of her own.
The incoming bolt of energy, which was midair, was drawn towards the inert pink crystal instead of towards Orodan and harmlessly absorbed within.
¡°Excellent. As the records hinted, it seems the shards can be used to absorb attacks from other shards,¡± Zhou Shan said.
¡°Idiot. You really were about to take that head-on, weren¡¯t you?¡± Zaessythra asked Orodan as she stepped out fully onto the voidship.
Guilty as charged. Orodan could say nothing in response.
¡°They¡¯re ferrying reinforcements on-board! Target the rift!¡± the enemy God roared.
The next person through the rift was the High Sovereign of the Celestial Court. Zhou Shan himself.
The axe cultivator came in with fury and immediately began showing the dwarves why they were right to fear cultivators in close combat. His axe reaped the lives of many within the first few swings. Behind Zhou Shan were dozens of cultivators who also followed their leader into battle.
¡°For the Roaring Mountain sect!¡±
¡°These bearded rats dare rain down cannon fire upon our world?! They¡¯re courting death!¡±
¡°My Dao and honor demand I repay my debt to the time looper!¡±
The cultivators streamed in by the dozen and immediately engaged in close combat with the dwarves.
Orodan immediately began assisting in the battle and targeted the enemy God in command of the voidship.
The moment he saw Orodan, the God immediately began attempting to leave the material plane.
Orodan was two-thirds of the way to stopping that with a Flash Strike when two mid-level Transcendents intercepted him halfway.
¡°My thane, you must retreat! The time looper¡¯s Divine Resistance puts you at a disadvantage!¡± said the first Transcendent. An armored halberdier who Orodan gauged was slightly weaker than Zaessythra. Perhaps in the 130s at most.
¡°We shall hold them off. Our lives shall be sold dearly,¡± the other said. A Transcendent-level shield and axe warrior who was nearing level 140. Given how tough and durable the dwarf looked, Orodan held no confidence in quickly killing the dwarf in a toe-to-toe melee battle. Hells, even with some of his more unfair abilities this foe looked very tough, far more than Thavri Grimbreaker who he¡¯d fought on Alastaia a long time ago.
For all intents and purposes, the enemy God looked to be fleeing, and the other voidships would likely evacuate soon too.
If not for the sudden interference Orodan felt against his control of the spatial rift.
On the decks of the ship, he saw dwarven rune-lords and enchanters attempting to seal the spatial rift that Orodan was holding open.
And as planned¡
¡Orodan allowed it to occur.
¡°My thane! The rift has been sealed!¡±
¡°Spatial barriers restored! We¡¯ve got them in a bind now!¡±
The Transcendent wrestler he¡¯d slammed backwards earlier helped seal the deal. Perhaps the dwarf was the arrogant or headstrong sort, much like Orodan, but in this case such daring helped Zaessythra¡¯s plans.
¡°We have the time looper and the leader of the Celestial Court trapped aboard! The glory of dispatching them both will be ours! Charge!¡±
The enemy God, whose energy was bleeding off by the second, still remained within the material plane. Seemingly halting its return to the divine dimension.
¡°Open the rune-paths to the other ships, we must not pass up this opportunity! Bring the other shards!¡±
The battle raged on for a while longer, but soon, intricately crafted runes upon seemingly empty doorframes began glowing, and the doors came to life. They suddenly opened up and swarms of dwarves began pouring forth from them. It wasn¡¯t spatiomancy, but Dimensionalism. Orodan had to admit he was impressed by the craftsmanship.
A few Gods and a number of Transcendents entered the voidship that was now their battleground, and the tide of the fight changed as Orodan and his allies found themselves surrounded and slowly butchered one by one.
Fierce sword cultivators found their blade strokes absorbed by sturdy shields and stout armor while the axes cut them down. Spear cultivators found themselves swarmed and massacred. Fist cultivators were grappled and slain. And the few tough body and shield cultivators were simply outmatched as dwarven rifles and blunderbusses focused fire onto them.
Zaessythra was battling two Transcendents and a God. Zhou Shan was barely holding against a dozen enemy Gods and Transcendents and Orodan himself was being suppressed by five high-level Transcendents specialized in keeping foes restrained.
It was a grim situation, getting worse by the moment.
Which was when Zaessythra decided to speak.
¡°Now that we¡¯ve drawn most of them in¡ it¡¯s time, Orodan.¡±
¡°I was wondering how long you¡¯d keep up this charade,¡± Orodan replied while headbutting one of the dwarven wrestlers attempting to bring him to the ground.
Zaessythra¡¯s plan relied on abusing the minor but inescapable fact that his enemies knew very well that Orodan was in a time loop. And what was the one thing most people would want to avoid doing to a time looper?
Killing them.
From the beginning of the battle the dwarves were adamant on not actually killing Orodan. It was what allowed him to close the distance and actually board the voidships when nobody else in the allied forces could. And it was what was keeping him from being killed right now as he cast an overly large Spatial Fold.
¡°That human¡¯s shattered the spatial barriers again!¡±
¡°Such raw power¡ to break through with pure force¡¡±
¡°That fluctuation could fit a voidship through it!¡±
That last dwarf wasn¡¯t wrong. Orodan¡¯s Spatial Fold was quite big, enough so that an entire voidship could in fact come through.
Which was why gouts of steam and magical energies were the first thing visible as something rather large came through the rift.
¡°Enemy voidcraft! Prepare for-¡±
The enemy God¡¯s orders were cut off with a flash of cannon fire, as the voidship of the Blackworth Collective launched a successful broadside which cleanly impacted. The battleground shook violently, many dwarves were thrown off-balance and multiple holes were torn in the hull.
Then, came the next part of the plan.
Orodan¡¯s eyes blazed white as he threw it all into Time Reversal.
What were battlefield casualties before someone who could endlessly turn time back to resurrect them?
¡°Rune-lords! Chronomancers! Stop him at all costs!¡± barked one dwarf who appeared particularly sensitive to the flows of time and had an inkling of what was coming.
[Time Reversal 77 ¡ú Time Reversal 78]
To their credit, the dwarven chronomancers, and especially the rune-lords, put up a far heavier resistance against Orodan¡¯s manipulation of the time stream than he would¡¯ve thought. The chronomancers put up a respectable struggle, but the dwarven rune-lords channelled their power into tablets of intricately etched runes which Orodan had to put genuine effort into countering. Furthermore, they were furiously etching more runes into these tablets by the second, all in a desperate bid to stop Orodan from reversing time.
He¡¯d faced timeline protections on a soul before, particularly when Astalavar had slain Zaessythra a second time and Orodan tried bringing her back. Impressively enough, these dwarven rune-lords provided the most resistance he¡¯d ever felt against his Time Reversal. Astalavar¡¯s timeline protections weren¡¯t anywhere near as powerful.
If Orodan hadn¡¯t gone to Narictus and gotten the opportunity to train his Time Mastery against the Hegemony¡¯s chronomancers there, he certainly wouldn¡¯t feel confident tackling these counter-chronomancy maneuvers the dwarves were performing now. At a later time, he would have to look into studying the runic crafts, they seemed quite versatile and powerful.
However, he had grown. And what would otherwise be a nigh-impossible feat for any other chronomancer in the galaxy was but a matter of raw power and a bit of time for Orodan Wainwright.
¡°Burn your souls! Do whatever you have to! Do not allow him to reverse time!¡± the commanding dwarven God bellowed.
The enemy had essentially committed their all to this gamble. The thought of striking a blow against Orodan himself was tempting, as was the chance of killing Zhou Shan and rendering the cultivators bereft of their leader.
In the back ranks, Orodan saw the dwarves ready two more shards, and the things glowed with ominous pink power, primed to fire directly upon him.
Yet, Orodan¡¯s Time Reversal had already completed.
¡°I live once more¡ thank you, Orodan Wainwright,¡± said one of the newly reversed cultivators.
The hundreds of cultivators who were previously slain were brought back to the fold once more. A problematic situation for the dwarves as they now had newly resurrected and fresh enemies in their midst once more.
Orodan had expressed his reservations about planning for the deaths of these brave warriors, but Zaessythra had explained the cold logic and tactical advantage in allowing a group of cultivators to be slain and then resurrecting them in the middle of the enemy while the Collective launched their flanking attack. It didn¡¯t help that the cultivators themselves had volunteered; many of them were quite grateful and held much goodwill towards Orodan for helping send Jian Huangdi running.
The first of the shards fired, and Zaessythra managed to throw their own captured shard in the path of the beam, causing it to divert and enter that instead. The second one fired, and Orodan stood before it himself, all his power practically thrown into his shield.
He was confident he could block the beam itself.
Zaessythra yelled out, but it was too late.
He threw Action Increase ¡®clones¡¯ into the beam path but they simply disintegrated and were of no use. A most curious oddity. If Orodan was to survive, he would have to hold and take the attack himself.
The beam neared his shield¡ and as before, it seemed to have a most wicked and sapient nature of its own as it attempted to curve around his shield.
Orodan had seen this trick before though, he was ready this time.
His shield moved to intercept it one way, and he had a hunch, call it a warrior¡¯s combat instincts¡ but he had a feeling that it would still try to move about to trick Orodan.
So, he instead decided to trick it. After all, was a soul shattering pink beam coming for him not just a battle between warriors?
And in such a battle, feints and outmaneuvering were standard fare.
He feinted his shield one way, and as expected the beam also moved. Only for Orodan to feint it another way and cause the beam to subsequently try another devious re-direction.
Yet, that was a feint upon a feint, and Orodan¡¯s real intent was to move the shield yet again¡
¡to reveal his sword which was waiting behind it.
A maximal power All-Strike shot out and met the beam.
His sword creaked, and the empowering energy of his soul wanted to flee his weapon and leave it a pathetic Apprentice-level piece of metal from Ogdenborough. But Orodan roared within and denied the instinctive fear his soul felt.
The roar within became a roar in reality, as a mighty war cry left his lips.
[War Cry 42 ¡ú War Cry 43]
And the pink beam was shattered upon his blade.
[All-Strike 90 ¡ú All-Strike 91]
¡°A foul pink beam delivered from a nightmare beyond our reality,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Yet, outmaneuvered by a simple feint.¡±
¡°That was far too close!¡± Zaessythra yelled.
Perhaps it had been. But Orodan wasn¡¯t one to shy away from combat and allow fear to make him indecisive.
Still, that had been that. And now, the tide of battle was shifting.
¡°Enemy reinforcements on-board!¡±
¡°Retreat! Our deaths will be pointless here!¡± the enemy God called out as he attempted to leave the material plane.
Ranks of Blackworth Collective line infantry, mages and steam knights began filtering in through the holes in the hull of the voidship, and at their head, King Alstatyn himself.
The line infantry troops were vicious, but they weren¡¯t the front rank of their formation. Instead, knights of the Conclave wielding swords and shields of gleaming light stood ready to absorb enemy fire and meet any melee attacks. The dwarf God commanding the enemy Voidship had his attempted retreat cut off by an exceedingly rare cultivator who was proficient in the Dao of Dimensions, and upon realization of that fact and the knowledge that they¡¯d been greedy and caught in a trap, they had grim looks upon their faces and looked prepared to fight to the death.
And so, a mayhem-filled slaughter began, and chaos broke out.
On an individual level, the dwarven rifle wasn¡¯t inferior to the Blackworth rifle. Their rate of fire, the power of the shots, they were roughly even. The dwarves had rune-lords empowering the guns of their soldiers, and the Blackworth forces also had gunnery specialists and steam mages doing the same. However, the difference lay in the quality of the individual soldier. Or rather¡
¡in how easy they were to train.
The individual dwarven soldier was an armed and armored warrior. Proficient in not just the operation of the dwarven repeating rifle, but also the shield, axe and halberd. They were multi-purpose troops who could fit into any role if needed. Training these soldiers up to the Master-level took time, over a century, perhaps even longer for the ones with less natural talent. Instilling the warrior¡¯s mentality required for melee combat and danger into them meant that the pool of candidates was smaller.
In contrast however, the average Blackworth soldier of the line infantry was equipped with basic metal armor covering the essential areas. And they only really knew how to use the rifle, with perhaps a smattering of bayonet training thrown in to a pitiful level.
But¡ when melee combat wasn¡¯t a concern because the cultivators and knights of the Conclave were taking care of that role¡ who would be the superior gunner?
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The withering volleys of fire loosed by the line infantry of the Collective answered that question. The dwarven soldier had to be capable of excelling at multiple weapons. The Blackworth soldier, just one. This meant that in a pure firefight when melee and soldiery was taken out of the equation, the Blackworth Collective had better ranged capabilities. Sure, a straight shootout between a squad of line infantry and dwarves with equal numbers would end in a dwarven victory due to their armor. But for every soldier the dwarves fielded, the Blackworth could field a dozen or more.
Especially given the civilian volunteers behind the front ranks of line infantry. These were non-combatants from Xian; shopkeepers, laborers, tradesfolk who¡¯d never fought a day in their lives. They were neither cultivators nor soldiers, and yet, in their hands were guns and all they had to do was point and pull the trigger followed by a reload when the magazine was empty. Inferior to the soldiers of the line infantry who had standardized training and some semblance of military discipline, but a mass of guns being fired was still a weapon of its own.
And in the void beyond¡ the ships of the Blackworth Collective were exacting a heavy toll upon the voidships of the dwarves. Dwarven artillery hit harder, and their ships could travel faster in a straight line, but Blackworth ships were far nimbler, their crews more skilled at piloting them. This resulted in far faster reload times and three broadside volleys delivered for every single one from a dwarven voidship.
And on the battle within the interior, Orodan and the forces of Xian were reaping the lives of the dwarves.
A monstrous wave of divine energy spewed forth from the commanding dwarven God, but Orodan flared Shield Intent and covered a large area, preventing any of it from hitting his allies fighting nearby.
[Shield Intent 68 ¡ú Shield Intent 69]
[Divine Resistance 53 ¡ú Divine Resistance 54]
With a feral grin on his face, he pursued this divine commander all across the voidship. His opponent was a God in the mid-140s, but when Orodan had Divine Resistance, he could punch well above his weight. Replicating the same feat against a Transcendent wouldn¡¯t happen anytime soon, but against the divine he might as well be invincible.
They fought for a decent while. The enemy God was primarily some sort of rune-enhanced mage but could also fight with punches and kicks if needed. However, it mattered little against Orodan when divine energy was being used. The little soul energy the dwarven God used, Orodan healed through. Frankly, he got the feeling that this God was more of a non-combatant and figurehead than someone meant to fight. Even if Orodan held an advantage against the divine, a God in the 140s should¡¯ve still had their own soul energy and put up far more of a fight.
And while the dwarven divinity put up a good fight, he was slowly whittled down by All-Strikes as Orodan simply walked through his attacks. Finally, an All-Strike barrelled through the God¡¯s shield of Divine Energy and battered him into the floor of the ship.
¡°A clever ruse human. Your headstrong nature was a false front all along,¡± the God said, wounded as divine lifeblood poured out of the gaping cut Orodan had inflicted.
¡°Far from it. I really was intent on charging your fleet and fighting to the death,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°A clever tactician among our ranks simply decided to exploit this to our advantage. Now then, surrender. I¡¯ve slain Gods before and have no qualms with adding more to that tally.¡±
¡°Such bloodthirst¡ do you have no conscience for all the lives you reap? They say you return in time whenever you die. How many have you killed over all those repeats? You leave a trail of death and sorrow in your wake.¡±
¡°You must think me a weak-willed milksop, posing a question such as that,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Life wasn¡¯t pleasant for me. I¡¯ve killed at a young age, killed when I was a man, and will continue to kill. And while I admit some things I¡¯ve done have been contrary to my principles, I have, and always will be a warrior. The only lives I¡¯ve reaped are those of my foes in honest combat. But that¡¯s enough talk. You¡¯re the commander of this invasion, and the aggressor. Surrender, or I¡¯ll lose no sleep over slaying you.¡±
¡°Your time will come soon. Our allies in the Hegemony know of your true nature, something beyond the likes of which you have ever seen comes for you,¡± he said. ¡°I will never surrender.¡±
¡°Good. I welcome what comes for me, just as I¡¯ve welcomed every other threat that¡¯s come my way. Either I die, or they do,¡± Orodan said
¡°And what happens when you can no longer return? Will your bravado persist even then?¡±
¡°I gladly marched to my death even before I knew of this time loop,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And if I die without any loop left to bring me back¡ then even death is just another opponent to do battle with.¡±
¡°Some might call you mad¡ but perhaps it is this nature of yours which has made you so dangerous with a time loop in your hands,¡± the God said. ¡°End it. We have bandied words for long enough. Let it be known that I, Narvuk, Forge-Thane of King Varkir, defied the time looper to the very end. If you have any honor, resurrect me not.¡±
¡°Very well, Narvuk. I shall respect your choice and your unwillingness to surrender,¡± Orodan said as he grabbed the dwarf by the shoulder and stood him up. ¡°I will not execute a warrior like cattle. If you refuse to surrender, then better you die on your feet with courage in your heart and a fair shot at fighting back.¡±
The dwarven God shakily got to his feet and conjured one final attack roiling with as much divine power as the wounded divinity could muster. It wasn¡¯t much. Most of this God¡¯s power had been drained in remaining in the material plane for so long and a protracted battle against Orodan wasn¡¯t something that helped the matter.
Orodan launched a mighty All-Strike, at full power. It was a mercy.
The attack connected and there was nothing left.
Around Orodan, and on the voidship, the battle had been won. The remaining dwarves had either surrendered or were slain and in the process of being slowly resurrected and taken prisoner. In the void, the Blackworth Collective¡¯s voidships had also won their side of the struggle and the dwarven voidships had been entirely destroyed or captured with not a single one remaining.
And in front of him, Orodan remained silent for the dwarf. No¡ the warrior, he¡¯d slain.
¡°He¡¯s the enemy commander. We might glean information if we resurrect him,¡± Zaessythra said as she walked up to his side.
¡°No. He requested otherwise,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Is now truly the time to be clinging to such notions of honor?¡± she asked.
¡°Across all these loops, I¡¯ve done things I¡¯m not proud of,¡± Orodan said, recalling the monstrosity Agathor had become. ¡°And it¡¯s as you said on Narictus. It¡¯s not about anybody else¡ it¡¯s about the black mark a deed will leave upon my own heart.¡±
Zaessythra remained silent, but she imperceptibly nodded.
A pair of time and soul cultivators came up behind them.
¡°Esteemed lord and lady, might we resurrect the commander to take prisoner?¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t reply, but Zaessythra did in his stead.
¡°No, I don¡¯t think we will.¡±
#
¡°Your Majesty¡ the scans show no hostile fleets in orbit around the planet¡¯s atmosphere,¡± the voidship captain reported.
¡°And yet, these scans show that they¡¯ve left very recently,¡± King Alstatyn remarked. ¡°Lady Zaessythra, you were correct in your hypothesis that the enemy would retreat at our approach.¡±
¡°It¡¯s only natural. Given how they fled last time during the battle for Xuejin. The Hegemony seem overly cautious about engaging Orodan lest they strengthen the time looper. Worse still when he can ferry information across loops to aid an entire army,¡± she said. ¡°We should make contact with the defenders and see how they¡¯ve held out.¡±
¡°Scans of the planet show depleted world core energy levels but no surface-level damage,¡± the ship captain reported.
¡°Meaning the shielding held out and no damage went through,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Good. Hopefully the combat forces of X2 are also relatively intact.¡±
Her tactical acumen and ability to direct large-scale forces in the midst of a pitched battle had earned Zaessythra much respect. After her display in the last battle where they¡¯d broken the siege upon Xian, she was now a rather trusted tactical advisor. Even the pricklier officers of the Blackworth Collective had ceased their grumbling after she¡¯d delivered results with minimal casualties.
Orodan himself held a strangely untouchable status. Nobody approached unless they had business with him, and most people were more than a little intimidated by not only his reputation as the time looper, but also by the grand scale of the feats he was capable of. The cultivators of the Ascendent Sword Cluster were warmer, as he¡¯d fought on their behalf, and they knew him better. The knights of the Conclave kept a respectful distance though, and the Blackworth Collective¡¯s troops in particular were somewhat icy.
Understandable. Orodan had suddenly arrived in their galaxy and that had culminated in a battle between two Administrators that had destroyed their home galaxy. Even if it wasn¡¯t his fault specifically, people couldn¡¯t help but see him as a bad omen. Not when these people had yet to address and come to terms with the fact that their home was gone.
A bright beam of light was visible upon the surface, and gleaming towers of arcing electricity lit up as they approached.
¡°We¡¯re being directed to land,¡± the captain said.
¡°Lady Zaessythra, these beings are amenable to our presence?¡± King Alstatyn asked.
¡°Without a doubt. Once you meet a particular one among them and see how well they get along with Orodan, your worries will be assuaged.¡±
From their vantage point in the void, X2 looked rather metallic. Like a gigantic sphere of metal with an innumerable number of glowing lights of various colors lighting up its surface. It had no greenery or oceans to speak of, yet the world seemed to function just fine. After all, it wasn¡¯t as though anything organic was on its surface.
However, the lack of anything organic didn¡¯t mean there was no life. Metallic birds flitted about in flocks, an energy source animating them, and on the surface many golem-like beings similar to his friend W78 were wandering about engaging in¡ daily life?
Unlike humans or other races, these beings had vast differences between themselves. Some were four-legged and lumbered about in their jobs as laborers. Others were sleek and slender machine-beings who deftly maneuvered within shops and sold goods to their customers. And a certain kind were bulky, covered with armor plates and long necks which housed observation lens at the very top; these guards diligently kept eyes upon the roads.
For all intents and purposes, this was a world of metal, with beings who seemed to have wills and lives of their own.
Historically, Orodan knew that the Unity were a group of refugees from a war in another galaxy. Their exact origins were often debated, yet the metallic beings had never come out and revealed anything of it to the rest of the galaxy. Some hypothesized that a mad sorcerer had conducted experiments in grafting souls onto metal. Others claimed that some inventor had finally succeeded in giving life to a machine.
In Orodan¡¯s opinion he knew not what the answer was, but only that his friend W78 had a soul. Consequently, so did the rest of the Unity. The biggest proof was the fact that they had access to the System like any other living being did. Inanimate objects and golems didn¡¯t have the System, yet these beings did. What other proof was needed?
The voidship doors opened, and Orodan and Zaessythra stepped out alongside King Alstatyn. Zhou Shan would be joining them in a few hours once the High Sovereign wrapped up affairs on Xian in the aftermath of the siege.
Waiting for them was an almost humanoid machine wearing an intricate outfit.
¡°This diplomatic unit D25 greets the honored visitors to World X2. Registering arrival of Subject #125, designation: time looper; alternative designation: Orodan Wainwright,¡± the machine intoned in a pleasant and feminine tone. ¡°Arrival ahead of schedule. Designated leadership unit A1 is expecting Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Excellent, and where is W78?¡± Orodan asked, glad at the chance to see his friend once more.
¡°Last known location of proto-unit W78: command nexus. This diplomatic unit will lead the way.¡±
They walked down the streets and saw more of X2 as they did.
¡°Joints rusting? Wiring fraying? Try unit M654¡¯s all-in-one gel today. Lubrication, rust-protection and auto-repair. Never walk around with poorly maintained joints again!¡±
¡°Low on energy? Unit M315¡¯s condensed energy cubes will perk you up! Forgo energy core re-fuel for an entire day with just one! Disclaimer: side effects may include circuit overload upon consumption. Use responsibly.¡±
¡°Can I try one?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not now, we have to liaison with the Unity before we can engage in frivolities,¡± Zaessythra chided and Orodan could only sigh but nod his head.
¡°This unit does not recommend that course of action. High incompatibility of internal organic biology with energy cubes,¡± the machine pleasantly intoned. ¡°High likelihood of severe burning, combustion and necessity of extensive medical support upon consumption.¡±
¡°¡perhaps it¡¯ll taste spicy then?¡± Orodan muttered, and Zaessythra¡¯s palm met her face as she overheard him.
In his opinion, she was being overly dramatic. What was wrong with adding an energy cube or two to a dish to spice it up?
They continued on, taking in the sights, until they finally reached a point where they saw the beginnings of a series of underground tunnels.
They entered these tunnels and trekked on for a decent while.
¡°Do these tunnels go all the way down to the world core?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Affirmative. Command nexus is beneath us.¡±
¡°Command nexus? Is that what you call the world core?¡±
¡°Affirmative. Alternative designation: world core.¡±
Interesting.
They continued onwards and the tunnels started to get larger and wider, and they¡¯d periodically encounter some large and heavily armored machine guards who looked to be solid combat units. The deeper they got, the stronger the guards were, and the more powerful ones looked more than a little damaged, as though they¡¯d been in battle recently.
¡°All things considered, the planet looks relatively untouched, even if the stronger members of the Unity look a little scarred from the battle,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How did it fare?¡±
¡°This unit recalls that the battle went well. The arrival of Subject #125 ahead of predicted estimates caused the retreat of hostile forces,¡± the machine intoned. ¡°This unit and the Unity, express gratitude towards subject.¡±
True enough. Orodan had spent barely a day or two in the Vystaxium Galaxy fighting the Eldritch upon Lonvoron and then concluding with that messy business involving the Prophet and the other time looper. Planetary sieges were a time-consuming and messy affair. All the powerful galactic factions had stores of energy and defensive items which could really drag such a thing out and force the attackers to take severe casualties if they tried pushing the matter. In other words, Orodan¡¯s swift return meant that the siege hadn¡¯t had time to really take root and progress.
Some more walking and minor chatter passed the time until they finally arrived in the main chamber of the command nexus, and by the hells was it a massive world core. Flying machines hovered about, scanning portions of it, repair-specialized models were constantly fussing over it and the occasional shipment of gigantic energy cubes would be deposited into tanks which had wires leading to it.
Otherwise, it looked like any other world core he¡¯d seen before.
¡°Why fuel it with energy cores?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°This unit¡¯s cursory knowledge informs that excessive runtime without fuelling by the command nexus can cause data corruption.¡±
¡°Data corruption?¡± Zaessythra asked.
Orodan however immediately knew. It was the age-old enemy.
¡°The Eldritch. If a world core draws upon the power of the System for too long, it faces Eldritch corruption,¡± he answered. ¡°This is rather ingenious though. I never would¡¯ve thought that fuelling a world core through external means might alleviate the issue.¡±
¡°This unit does not have sufficient data to answer subject¡¯s queries,¡± the diplomatic unit intoned.
They got closer, and only then did Orodan recognize a familiar frame.
¡°W78!¡± Orodan shouted and began walking faster.
His friend however either didn¡¯t notice or chose not to response. Rather, W78 seemed to be deep in conversation with the world core before him.
¡°-exhibiting signs of anomalous programming. Solution: recommended reprogram and transfer to secure storage alongside subject,¡± W78 said.
¡°Negative. Unit has achieved desirable results. Request for transfer denied. Proto-unit W78 has successfully delivered alliance with Subject #125,¡± the gigantic world core said.
¡°Information: Unit does not wish to see subject perish. Designation: friend¡±
¡°Information added to database. Solution: impose programming controls upon anomalous data streams. Unit is advised to focus on directives rather than dwell on emotion. Unit is reminded that they are not an organic.¡±
¡°Unit¡ complies with directive from command nexus,¡± W78 said and then turned to face Orodan who was coming up from behind. ¡°Analysis: subject displaying heightened emotional state. Prediction: happiness.¡±
Orodan wrapped his arms around his favorite machine-friend and lifted him into the air.
¡°Where¡¯ve you been? I thought the worst occurred,¡± Orodan said in a jovial tone.
¡°Information: unit frame durability not sufficient to protect against Physical Fitness skill of subject. Solution: deposit unit upon solid ground.¡±
Orodan put W78 down and patted his favorite machine upon the shoulder.
¡°Alright, alright. I just worried for you, that¡¯s all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How did the battle fare?¡±
¡°Information: timely arrival of friend caused retreat of hostile forces,¡± W78 said. ¡°Prime combat unit A1 sustained moderate frame damage, in cloaked recovery within asteroid belt. Additional combat units sustained minor frame damage, in recovery within planetary repair centers. Planetary integrity unchanged.¡±
¡°Good, and this is the world core? Or should I say command nexus?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Affirmative. Subject #125, this command nexus bids you welcome to world X2,¡± the world core said.
¡°Query: what is the identity of this unknown subject?¡± W78 asked, gesturing towards King Alstatyn.
The King for his part simply seemed enraptured with all he was seeing and barely noticed the question.
¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s catch up before Zhou Shan arrives,¡± Zaessythra said.
#
They were all sat around a gigantic table in a room adjacent to the command nexus. Zhou Shan and the most important members of the Conclave had arrived too.
The discussion had been a lengthy one.
¡°The Celestial Emperor showed up then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Affirmative. Hostile element, designation: Jian Huangdi, detected during combat. Extensive frame damage still present upon prime combat unit A1,¡± the world core of X2 said. An extension of it was present in the meeting chamber while the world core itself was in the gigantic chamber they were adjacent to.
¡°And from what you say, Varkir and the dwarves were aiding the Hegemony too. They had three shards overall when we fought them,¡± Zaessythra chimed in. ¡°With that, they now have multiple shards that we know of. More than a little concerning. They¡¯ll happily redouble their efforts to target Orodan.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. As long as I can defend against the beams and prevent them from striking me, I think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Until a peak-Transcendent or a peak-God decides to empower them to the maximal extent. Then you¡¯re back at square one, except this time with no System,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Not to mention, this Administrator that¡¯s coming in a little over two weeks.¡±
¡°They also had two shards present during their assault on our worlds,¡± Lady Sujana, a Goddess and a Knight Commander of the Conclave spoke up. ¡°We did not manage to recover any of those. But it suggests they had a few prepared in case the time looper arrived to aid us.¡±
The Conclave had also been assaulted at the same time, although they fared far better, facing only a token force much like Xian had. The real threat was faced by the Unity on their core world of X2. Thankfully, the enemy¡¯s strategy of divide and conquer had failed thanks to Orodan¡¯s swift return and how quickly things had been resolved on Lonvoron.
¡°Dwelling on these dangers aside,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Do we know how Varkir and his dwarven folk have gotten their hands on so many of these shards?¡±
¡°These shards were once pieces of a far larger crystal. We have records of a battle in very distant history where the crystal was shattered and the shards were spread to various corners of the galaxies as a result,¡± Lady Sujana said. ¡°Varkir and his dwarven kin are mercenaries spread over more than one galaxy serving clientele for riches. It isn¡¯t inconceivable that they¡¯ve gotten a hold of many of these shards as a result.¡±
The room fell silent for a few moments as all parties took things in.
¡°Enough about these shards,¡± King Alstatyn spoke up. ¡°High Sovereign Zhou Shan, I am grateful for your pledge of assistance and the grant of seven habitable worlds for my people and I to hold sovereignty over. However, we must speak of what caused the tragedy which destroyed our home.¡±
¡°The Eldritch menace. Specifically, the Prophet,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°We now have an inkling as to where the infectious Eldritch we¡¯ve sometimes seen in our galaxy originate from.¡±
¡°The revelation that the Prophet is the cause of these infectious Eldritch was a shock to me,¡± King Alstatyn said. ¡°Long have my people been embattled in our war against these vile fiends. The horrors they¡¯re capable of¡ the plague worlds. This galaxy has not even a fraction of that.¡±
¡°I believe we do have plague worlds in our galaxy,¡± Orodan piped up, recalling his conversation with the world core of Alastaia. ¡°They¡¯re just not nearly as infectious and coordinated as the ones I purified in the Vystaxium Galaxy. I feel it¡¯s the presence of the Prophet that made them act so. My home world has faced regular Eldritch assaults throughout history, but they involve a singular Eldritch champion or beast descending from the stars. Not a coordinated siege with spatial rifts and millions of infected life forms working together.¡±
Some of the people in attendance looked more than a little unsettled at the thought of such horror, but quickly schooled their expressions. Orodan feared them not, but for anyone else, an Eldritch invasion of such scale was an apocalyptic threat. His own Eldritch Resistance and willpower made them trivial, but his lack of fear was from a position of privilege which not everyone had.
¡°Regardless, they¡¯re a very real threat¡ and there¡¯s a good chance the Prophet comes after you for what you¡¯ve done,¡± King Alstatyn said. ¡°You¡¯d be facing not one Administrator then, but two. And with no assurance that the Warrior will intervene once more.¡±
¡°And what of the real reason the Prophet¡¯s eyes were upon the Vystaxium Galaxy in the first place?¡± Zhou Shan asked. ¡°King Alstatyn, you¡¯ve been noticeably reticent on the matter of this other time looper. Not only is this an individual of great power, enough to force an Administrator to take the battle seriously. But they also have an item which should belong to the Administrators, and something on their planet which the Prophet was searching for.¡±
Upon the destruction of the Vystaxium Galaxy, the shrouds of world energy constricting the minds and souls of the Blackworth soldiers had dissipated. Lonvoron and the worlds of the Collective had been destroyed after all. And with it gone, the people of the Collective had confirmed that the Collective was formed roughly thirty years ago.
Which was an utterly insane amount of time for a singular loop, from Orodan¡¯s perspective anyways. If it was true that seventeen years ago the other looper had the unique glyphs of the time loop extricated from their soul, then that meant that they¡¯d still spent at least the first thirteen years of their loop while thinking nothing was wrong.
Thirteen whole years of nation building and unification. The amount of planning, logistics and social acumen such a thing would require was immense!
Thirteen years¡ what a ridiculously long loop.
And how dreadfully boring that sounded to him,
¡°Let¡¯s also mention,¡± Orodan said. ¡°That they sent me a letter claiming I¡¯d be safe with any of the other four Administrators¡ which was more than a bit misleading.¡±
¡°Indeed, you have every right to bear a grievance for that, Orodan,¡± Zhou Shan said.
¡°A grievance? What for? I got to enjoy some excellent battles as a result! I¡¯ll have to thank them!¡±
¡°Never mind¡ I forget who I speak to¡¡± Zhou Shan muttered.
¡°In any case, this other looper went through the grand array to our galaxy. I saw it with my own eyes,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And yet, they were nowhere to be found upon our arrival. Do you have any method of contacting them, Alstatyn?¡±
The King, in response, seemed to clam up.
¡°King Alstatyn¡¡± Zhou Shan said in a low warning tone. ¡°Why will you not tell us who this other time looper is? Is your loyalty to them truly so deep?¡±
¡°I¡ I cannot. Forgive me, but I am unwilling to divulge anything about their identity,¡± the King said. ¡°I also have no method of contacting them. This much I swear. Every time we¡¯ve spoken it¡¯s been them contacting me.¡±
¡°It¡¯s incredible just how many spells and protections you have over your mind and soul,¡± Lady Sujana said. ¡°But do you think these protections infallible? In such a critical situation it may well be justified to pry the information from-¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright, do you disagree with this course of action?¡± Lady Sujana asked.
¡°Of course I do. What sort of treachery are you suggesting? The man has lost his home, fought alongside us against our enemies, and now you suggest prying secrets from his mind? My sword will be drawn against anyone who thinks of such a thing,¡± Orodan declared, silencing the Goddess. ¡°If King Alstatyn wishes to keep his secrets, that¡¯s fine. We shall respect that. The Blackworth Collective¡¯s military was very swift in agreeing to return with us for aid. I strongly suspect that the other time looper organized this assistance for us. In which case, we should be grateful. And besides, I can simply return to the Vystaxium Galaxy in another loop and try to puzzle things out for myself.¡±
¡°If you even have any more once the Reject comes for you¡¡± Zaessythra muttered under her breath. Orodan heard it but chose not to reply.
¡°I agree with Orodan. Assaulting a treasured ally who has aided us in our time of need is treachery of the highest order. I might as well crack my Dao if I did such a thing,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Let us cool our tempers and speak of the Administrators and their allegiances. Orodan¡¯s sociable personality has earned him the enmity of the Prophet, and the Reject already comes. But what of the other three Administrators?¡±
¡°The Warrior saved me from the Prophet. I owe him one for that. And the Mage saved me from an unnecessary repeat while I was fighting the Lord of Night upon Narictus,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As for the fifth. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s called the Custodian but know not where its loyalties lie. I¡¯d rather work under the assumption that any of these Administrators could become hostile towards me at any time.¡±
¡°Even one of them coming after you is a guaranteed death sentence, and you want to act as though all five could potentially be hostile?¡± King Alstatyn asked. ¡°You truly are a different breed, Ser Wainwright.¡±
¡°Given how the Prophet suddenly turned hostile, and I was forced to try and purify the Eldritch off of him¡ one can never be certain,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Indeed. This ability of yours to purify the Eldritch, just how far does it extend? I¡¯ve heard you can purify vampires¡ but what about devils?¡±
The person who¡¯d asked wasn¡¯t Lady Sujana or the world core of X2. Rather, it was the new addition to the table that Orodan had never seen before but had heard of.
Captain-General Ryzlan, a peak-God, one at level 150, and leader of the Conclave¡¯s branch in their galaxy. This God was powerful and known as one of the mightiest beings in their galaxy aside from the Celestial Emperor, Agrimon of the Hegemony and A1 of the Unity.
¡°I¡¯ve purified vampires before, and I suspect it can be used on devils as well. But it¡¯s a moot point as I don¡¯t go around purifying anyone of their very being against their wishes,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The Eldritch don¡¯t count as it¡¯s an infection that has spread. If a vampire or a devil is wicked, I¡¯d rather just grant them the mercy of the blade.¡±
¡°Yet, think of all the good you could do if you chose to turn your ire against that wicked race of monsters. Since when have devils been worthy of sympathy?¡± the Captain-General asked.
¡°Devils or monsters, it¡¯s irrelevant. This concerns not them, but me. Violating someone¡¯s very being is a decision not made lightly. Only under the duress of combat when pressed and no options are available might I do such a thing, but I would promptly execute them afterward as the act is as good as death,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You are aware that the Conclave is at war with the Hells, correct? Whose side are you on then?¡±
¡°Neither. The devils of the hells have done nothing to wrong me. And if I see something I dislike I¡¯ll draw my blade on the offender where they stand,¡± Orodan said.
¡°A shame, perhaps our alliance is not as deep as I had hoped. Can we truly be considered allies if you are not willing to commit to a promise towards us? After all¡ you¡¯re asking us to fight Administrators on your behalf, should we also die for you?¡±
Die for him? What would this shining piece of dung know about dying for someone? Zaessythra had died for him, Adeltaj had died for him. And dwelling on that had now raised Orodan¡¯s ire.
¡°Enough with your flowery barbs. I have never asked anyone to fight my battles for me, nor do I need them to. I¡¯ll gladly march to fight the Reject and the entirety of the Hegemony alone if needed,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°And I have had a few too many people die on my behalf, so rest assured Captain-General, I would never ask such a thing of you or anyone. The Reject, the Prophet¡ hells, all five of these Administrators could appear and I¡¯d still fight to my glorious end against them, head unbowed. I have, from the very beginning, been alone. I need no allies.¡±
¡°Orodan¡ these are our allies¡¡± Zhou Shan quietly said from next to him.
¡°No Zhou Shan, this God is your ally. I¡¯m here to help you against our mutual enemies, the Celestial Emperor and the Hegemony. And I do so because I respect you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Whether the Captain-General and his Conclave aids in that is between you and him. I need no help in fighting my own battles. The Reject, when he comes, is mine alone to face.¡±
¡°Fair enough. If nothing else, I can respect your conviction,¡± the Captain-General said.
¡°I dislike this game of politicking and diplomacy around a table,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Are we almost done here?¡±
¡°We¡¯re just about to wrap up.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t speak much for the remainder of the boring discussion. It mainly involved Zhou Shan and King Alstatyn hashing out the particulars of aid and the planets being granted to the Blackworth Collective. Orodan himself also pledged to help the King of the Collective potentially recover planets back in his home galaxy through Time Reversal.
But that all depended on him surviving the coming apocalypse in two weeks¡¯ time.
And before that, the upcoming trip to the hells in a few days.
#
¡°I am beginning to see why your companion Zaessythra is often at her wit¡¯s end with you,¡± Zhou Shan said as they walked down the dark hallways of the Celestial Palace¡¯s underbelly.
¡°All I did was make my opinion known in a straightforward manner, as anyone of honest character would,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Antagonizing our allies in the Conclave was a bit much¡ could you not have couched your words a bit?¡± the High Sovereign asked.
¡°And what would that achieve besides having them think there¡¯s still a possibility of me agreeing to their nonsense?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°No. Rather than bandying words it¡¯s better to get things out in the open.¡±
¡°You truly are one of a kind, Orodan,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°I suppose they haven¡¯t moved to angrily call off our alliance yet.¡±
¡°If they refuse to aid you, then the Hegemony and the dwarves will simply come for them next,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Their course is somewhat locked in.¡±
¡°Rather astute of you to notice. And here you say you¡¯re not one for politics.¡±
¡°Just a basic observation. Back in the orphanage the street rats would often form alliances of necessity and convenience against mutual enemies,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Against the older children?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
¡°At first. And then when I started getting bigger and better at brawling, they tried ganging up on me,¡± he replied. ¡°Didn¡¯t go very well for them.¡±
¡°Hah! Given that you¡¯re bigger than almost any body cultivator I¡¯ve met, I suppose you weren¡¯t exactly born small, were you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s always a notable moment when I meet someone bigger or taller than myself. Among humans at least,¡± Orodan answered accounting for Zaessythra who was ten feet tall versus his near seven feet.
They spoke some more as they descended down many stairwells, until finally reaching their destination.
¡°They should be in here,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°She often visits her younger brother. Although the eldest sibling, does not bother to pay him a visit.¡±
¡°My lord. The prisoner is being visited by Lady Yixia at this time,¡± the prison guard, an armored cultivator with a hefty club said. ¡°Would you like to enter as well?¡±
¡°Yes please.¡±
The door was opened, and the two of them walked inside.
¡°-still don¡¯t understand why you cling to the foolish notion that he will return and restore the Celestial Court,¡± Jian Yixia asked.
¡°Yixia¡ you misrepresent my views,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°I believe he will return to us one day¡ having found what he sought within that black hole so long ago.¡±
¡°He¡¯s corrupted by the Eldritch, Song! You aided in much of his tyranny by bringing him people to dominate with his Dao!¡± Jian Yixia shouted.
¡°I¡¯ve accepted my sins already¡ besides, you may want to quiet it down,¡± Jian Song said. ¡°We have visitors.¡±
¡°Jian Song¡¡± Zhou Shan said as he looked upon the man.
This was the very first Transcendent Orodan had ever met. Sure, he could give this cultivator an easy walloping now, but the impetus for growth that he¡¯d provided at the time was invaluable. This man had also been complicit in the set up to try and get Orodan mind controlled by Jian Huangdi, the Celestial Emperor. Where Jian Yixia and Jian Ren - the two other siblings of the Celestial Emperor - had been complicit under duress, Jian Song had willingly aided Jian Huangdi.
¡°Prince Zhou Shan, or should I say High Sovereign? Your father would be embarrassed at what you¡¯ve done to the Celestial Court that we have safeguarded for hundreds of thousands of years,¡± Jian Song said.
¡°My father was a cruel man and a tyrant,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°His era is over. And his traditions will die with him.¡±
¡°You could have at least kept the office of Celestial Emperor open and mantled it yourself¡¡± Jian Song muttered.
¡°To what end? More tyranny? Investing too much power into one man, one throne, is what led to the crisis among the Ascendent Sword Cluster to begin with,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Of course, it surprises me not that you¡¯re obsessed with the throne. You¡¯ve tried to have me assassinated or stifled at every critical point in my life. Qing Luo, my sworn man and most loyal friend, died in his past life for the assassin you paid to kill me. I looked up to you as my uncle, yet you could never step out of the shadow of being the youngest of the Jian siblings, always jealous of those above you. And when I came along, you felt threatened by my talent and tried to have me disposed of.¡±
¡°Tch! What would you know? Born with talent and the potential to acquire a Celestial skill. Looking down on me from your high perch of privilege!¡± Jian Song barked. ¡°If I had to do it again, I would do it a thousand times over too. Does that anger you? Good! Why don¡¯t you just kill me then?!¡±
¡°You¡!¡± Zhou Shan seemed angered with his fist clenched and ready to reach for his axe. Yet the High Sovereign calmed himself. ¡°You would be a waste of effort. Rot in here and watch as your dreams crumble.¡±
¡°Bah! Leave me be then! Or have you come to torment me with the presence of the man who bested me?¡± Jian Song asked. ¡°Still slaughtering innocents, Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t deny that the deaths of all those people during our battle are on me,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°But I did restore time and bring them all back.¡±
¡°Do you think throwing gigantic amounts of power around erases all that you¡¯ve done? All the people you¡¯ve killed, before we ever met and since our battle?¡± Jian Song asked.
¡°No. But I have little time to dwell upon such things and self-flagellate myself with guilt like an angst-ridden philosopher,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I accept my faults and mistakes and move forward. You on the other hand, are locked up like a dog.¡±
¡°And whose fault is that?!¡±
¡°Your own? You did what you did, let¡¯s not act otherwise,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Still, you asked Zhou Shan to kill you just now, did you not? How about I open this cell and hand you a sword so you can fight me? On your feet, blade in hand, staring your killer in the eyes defiantly, it¡¯s a good way to go.¡±
¡°T-that would be an execution!¡±
¡°So, you¡¯re not serious about death then,¡± Orodan remarked, causing the prisoner to growl. ¡°Anyhow, I came not to banter with your prisoner, but to meet with you, Jian Yixia.¡±
They stepped away from the cell and the prisoner¡¯s angry barking.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ please pay no heed to my youngest brother,¡± Jian Yixia said. ¡°He has become rather irritable and hostile and, in his mind, sees Zhou Shan and yourself as villains and him the wronged one who was righteously aiding our eldest brother.¡±
¡°A delusional fool. Then again, many have said that of me as well,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I digress. We came because you wished to speak to us.¡±
¡°I did. I bring a warning¡ it¡¯s regarding your home world,¡± Jian Yixia said. ¡°Specifically, about the obscuring formations I placed upon it.¡±
¡°What about them?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The obscuring formation I placed; it should constantly scramble the position of your home world in space. Even standing directly where it is won¡¯t allow someone to see it as the spatial fluctuations and waves are ever-shifting,¡± Jian Yixia explained. ¡°However, there¡¯s a secondary function of the formation, and that¡¯s to detect whenever something is approaching the planet despite these protections. And¡ that¡¯s what I¡¯ve discovered. Something from outside of the galaxy is coming very swiftly for Alastaia. It might reach in a little over two weeks.¡±
Orodan knew exactly what was coming. Or rather, who.
Still, it was interesting to know that the Reject was tracking not Orodan directly, but Alastaia itself. Immediately his thoughts went to the Divine Tower, or what the Prophet had likely been referring to as the System¡¯s Control Spike. Perhaps the Reject made way for that in a bid to target it?
¡°That¡¯s fine. In fact, I expected as much,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The person coming for Alastaia¡ might very well be the same person Jian Huangdi encountered during his trip to the black hole at the center of our galaxy.¡±
¡°How do you know this?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know for certain¡ but the Reject is also corrupted by the Eldritch, yet it¡¯s the deep-rooted sort and not infectious. Different from the infectious type propagated by the Prophet.¡± Orodan said. ¡°And if the Prophet can lead to the infectious Eldritch spreading, then¡¡±
¡°¡the Reject might corrupt someone in a similar manner,¡± Zhou Shan finished. ¡°A theory we cannot prove, and yet it¡¯s a likely one. Terrifying to consider too. I wonder what the difference between the two sorts of Eldritch are, and why?¡±
Orodan wondered that himself. And while the answer wasn¡¯t known to him yet, he had an unpleasant feeling that he¡¯d know one way or another in two weeks.
#
¡°Query: what does subject study?¡± W78 asked.
¡°A tome on Dimensionalism. I¡¯m rather tired of gaining levels through having my enemies sneak up on me via dimensional travel,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What nobody told me though, was how difficult it is.¡±
¡°Information: Dimensionalism widely hailed among ten most difficult schools of study in galactic society,¡± W78 said. ¡°Solution: expert tutelage recommended.¡±
¡°Perhaps once things slow down a little, my friend,¡± Orodan said, reading the book as he sprinkled some crystals onto the pan. ¡°Might even take up rune-crafting or runic enchanting one day. The dwarves I fought during the siege of Xian were able to replicate dimensional travel through just their runecraft. It seemed a rather versatile and powerful craft.¡±
¡°Information: Runecrafting widely hailed among ten most difficult schools of study in galactic society,¡± W78 said. ¡°Solut-¡±
¡°Alright, alright. Expert tutelage, I get it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Perhaps for when I have more free time¡ or the next loop¡¡±
¡°Observation: emotional state: pessimism. Solution: reminder that friend is not alone.¡±
Orodan smiled at his machine friend yet said nothing. He truly did like W78 very much. Thus, he wouldn¡¯t bring his friend¡¯s mood down by elaborating on his thoughts.
It wasn¡¯t that Orodan was pessimistic. Well, perhaps he was to an extent, but he preferred to label it as realism.
It was more that he¡¯d been in the time loops long enough now to get an inkling for how this entire thing typically went. The almighty enemy descending from the stars, his friends who he was forging bonds with. He possessed enough self-awareness to see how this was going.
There was a reason Orodan hated the long loops, and a part of him was really hating this one too.
It was all far easier when he was alone and back in Ogdenborough¡
¡but he¡¯d be damned if he didn¡¯t go down without the greatest fight the universe would ever see.
¡°Say, I¡¯ve seen these glyphs and runes before¡ it looks suspiciously like the runes on¡¡±
¡the ancient machine under Mount Castarian.
That was right. These runes looked almost identical to the ones he recalled seeing on that ancient machine!
¡°Information: runes in textbook related to Dimensionalism,¡± W78 said.
¡°Why thank you, I never would¡¯ve known,¡± Orodan said, and before the cheeky machine could make a comment about his sarcasm Orodan continued. ¡°Let me focus and generate an impression of my memory onto the recaller orb. Tell me if you¡¯ve ever seen this thing before.¡±
Recaller orbs were a device one could dedicate their mental focus and an energy source towards for the purpose of visually displaying their thoughts and mental images for others. It wasn¡¯t exactly a memory reading device, rather it simply copied what people were picturing at the time. But they could be used to get a picture of memories too. Or portray the products of a vivid imagination.
A picture of the ancient machine under Mount Castarian began to take shape, particularly when it was at the height of its power, erupted from the mountain, core gleaming with mana. Orodan had a rather good memory, and his connection to his soul was phenomenal. Forgetting things wasn¡¯t an issue he faced, so recalling the runes perfectly on the ancient machine was more than doable for him.
¡°Information: Unknown construct. Runes identified, related to dimensionalism and¡ unknown location,¡± W78 said.
¡°Unknown location?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I was told that this machine was supposed to lead to the hells.¡±
¡°Affirmative. Destination at low core charge: designation - hells,¡± W78 explained. ¡°Destination at full core charge: unknown.¡±
Orodan could only scratch his head. For so long he¡¯d thought the machine underneath Mount Castarian led to the hells. But now? Just what was it? And where did it lead to at full power?
¡°But¡ it was charged up to full power in the past. You¡¯re saying it would¡¯ve led to an unknown location instead of the hells then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Analysis: construct energy core built with purposeful flaws. Materials: sub-par, incapable of handling full power core,¡± W78 explained. ¡°Complete re-construction recommended for full power. Runes of acceptable quality.¡±
Fascinating. Only the runes were made correctly then?
¡°Then, why did someone do such a shoddy job? If you say only the runes work, then why would anyone build such a thing?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You mentioned purposeful?¡±
¡°Analysis: likelihood of purposeful flaws in construct: high. Hypothesis: creator desired concealment of project. Likelihood of detection through scans with higher level materials: high.¡±
What his friend was suggesting then¡ was that someone attempted to hide the ancient machine on Alastaia, and purposefully used sub-par materials and flaws in order to do so.
¡°Well, this has been an interesting discussion on a topic I didn¡¯t think would ever be relevant again,¡± Orodan said as he finished up his work on the pan and put his book away too.
[Cooking 22 ¡ú Cooking 25]
He finished the dish off with a sprinkling of crushed energy cube flakes which he grinded and mixed into the main course, a much larger power crystal rich with energies.
¡°Analysis: high-energy refuelling source detected. Unknown composition and mixture of ingredients.¡±
¡°Exactly. I tried to spice it up a bit. You¡¯re a growing machine who needs nutrients,¡± Orodan jested as he shoved the plate towards W78. ¡°Eat up!¡±
¡°Hypothesis: likelihood of combustion - high. Solution: friend remains ready with chronomancy capabilities.¡±
¡°Guh! I¡¯m not that bad of a cook that you¡¯ll require resurrection!¡±
¡°Unit uncertain of friend¡¯s claims.¡±
Regardless of W78¡¯s criticisms, his friend sent a metallic arm out and swooped the plate of food. And in a single motion, it was sent straight down into the power core.
With a flash of light, W78 suddenly emanated energy and began furiously blinking, and Orodan immediately blazed white thinking to use Time Reversal.
However, it was unnecessary.
¡°W78!¡±
¡°Unit has gained Gourmand skill. Analysis: unknown data streams detected in sensory core. Sensation unknown. Sensation¡ not unpleasant,¡± W78 said as the lights on the metallic being continued blinking rapidly.
¡°Hah! I think you¡¯ve been awakened to your sense of taste my friend!¡± Orodan declared with a proud laugh.
¡°Information: unit requesting additional servings.¡±
#
¡°W78 sure is a hungry machine¡ the stores were beginning to run out of ingredients,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m a Cooking Apprentice now.¡±
¡°Oh? So, you can cook for that metallic jester, but not for me?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°I¡¯m wounded.¡±
¡°Did I not bring you an excellent bowl of fruit and fish when we were first acquainted with one another?¡± Orodan asked, recalling how he¡¯d done that once as a fond memory. ¡°Straight from the Ogdenborough markets too!¡±
Her face scrunched up in disgust.
¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t decide to do that in this loop. I hate that combination! I still can¡¯t believe one of my loop selves actually told you that was my favorite¡ I have such an urge to throw that Zaessythra into a fireplace,¡± she said. ¡°How was I meant to eat it either? Ridiculous¡ and shame on you for playing along with that silly joke.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one who said it, not me,¡± Orodan said as he raised his arms in a placating gesture. Not that it lessened her glare any. ¡°Blame yourself for the set up.¡±
She simply ignored him and buried her head into the book she was reading. After a minute though, she spoke again.
¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re capable of such things.¡±
¡°What? Cooking? It¡¯s rather easy, especially since one of my favorite students introduced me to it,¡± Orodan said, fondly recalling Zukelmux and the goblin¡¯s exotic cuisine. ¡°Admittedly, the only cooking I did prior was in militia basic training and that involved burning meat over a campfire. The archers and crossbows in our group did the hunting and skinning, and I don¡¯t think I focused on it enough to get a skill then.¡±
¡°Well, yes, it¡¯s nice to see that you can cook, but I meant doing normal mortal things,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit strange coming from an immortal half-dragon such as yourself?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Neither of us are really ¡®mortal¡¯ any longer.¡±
¡°True. Yet the ability to hold onto the vestiges of the simpler times is what separates a well-adjusted Transcendent from the bloodthirsty lunatics who¡¯ll butcher entire worlds for entertainment,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for a long time. Do you think I remained sane by simply focusing on my power and self-growth?¡±
¡°Yes? Don¡¯t get me wrong, a true warrior should hone the mind in ways other than combat too, yet it¡¯s still a process of constant refinement and self-growth,¡± Orodan said.
She shook her head and smiled.
¡°Sometimes, Orodan¡ you¡¯re more a force of nature than a person. Especially when your mind is dead set on something and you start leaning into that bottomless determination of yours,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Still, it¡¯s nice to know that you can enjoy things for the sake of it sometimes. It helps you seem like less of a fantastical being brought to life and more like Orodan Wainwright the idiot who enjoys fighting.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re proposing that I feel no emotions, you¡¯re mistaken,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We¡¯ve had this conversation before. I do care about things, and I feel emotions like anyone else does.¡±
¡°Such as when I¡¯m hurt?¡± she asked.
¡°Quite so. And speaking of which, I¡¯m still not enthused about that stunt you pulled back on Lonvoron,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Jumping in front of a peak-Transcendent, really?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not some fragile princess, Orodan. I¡¯ve been waging war for a long time and have been through much blood and death.¡±
¡°Feh, that¡¯s not what I meant, idiot,¡± Orodan said, for once turning the tables and referring to her as such. ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, go die for yourself. At least that way I won¡¯t feel as bad. Duel a mighty foe and die on your feet because you chose to do it.¡±
¡°Heh¡ I had your ire figured wrong. So, all this time what you really had an issue with¡¡±
¡°Is the fact that you keep throwing yourself in front of attacks meant for me,¡± Orodan finished. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get a little tired of people getting themselves killed on my behalf. First, it was Adeltaj. Then it was you, and it¡¯s looking to be you yet again if you keep this up.¡±
¡°What can I say? I have a natural tendency for acts of courage and daring,¡± she replied with a smirk. ¡°Try not to swoon too hard over my heroics.¡±
Orodan simply rolled his eyes at her dramatics.
¡°Quit stealing my glorious deaths,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m the time looper, you¡¯re not.¡±
¡°Yes, which is why protecting you is rather important isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked. ¡°Where would I be right now without the mighty time looper?¡±
¡°Zaessythra¡ you should prioritize yourself fi-¡±
¡°And if you prioritized yourself first, I¡¯d still be a book, likely within the vault held by those pegasi,¡± she cut off. ¡°Do you think yourself the only one who can feel debt and gratitude? Come now Orodan, see beyond just yourself.¡±
Orodan could say little in response, for she was right.
If someone had saved him multiple times, he¡¯d feel immense gratitude and work to protect them. Thus, he could only admit to his blindness in not seeing that Zaessythra was doing the same.
¡°We¡¯re caught in a bind then, aren¡¯t we? We¡¯ve both bailed one another out a few times, and this argument will go on forever as we take turns complaining about each other¡¯s reckless behavior,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Indeed. Quite the bind we¡¯re in,¡± she said. ¡°Doomed to a fate of looking out for one another, forever.¡±
Yet, it had no heat to it. And even Orodan found himself not seeing a problem with this ¡®bind¡¯.
How horrible, to complain about each other risking their lives for the other till the end of time.
There were certainly worse binds to find oneself in.
Of course, there was a good chance Orodan wouldn¡¯t have to worry about such things at all two weeks from now. When doom and an opponent who could break galaxies came for him.
#
¡°Ser Wainwright, are you and your companions ready?¡± King Alstatyn asked.
¡°Of course. A trip into the neutral city of Druhmiyan where the council of the Hells is held and every noble house of the Arch-Devils has a base of power,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Who needs preparation for such a thing?¡±
¡°Analysis: odds of success with Orodan Wainwright - nil. Odds of success without Orodan Wainwright - minimal.¡±
¡°I¡¯d normally say the jest is a poor one, but you are going to try and be diplomatic, aren¡¯t you Orodan?¡± Zhou Shan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think my heart can take it if I hear you¡¯ve come back having declared war upon all of the hells.¡±
¡°You lot have no faith in me¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°What¡¯s the worst that happens? I make a few enemies and then I proceed to fight my way out?¡±
¡°Or you get everyone killed and add another enemy to this war of ours?¡± Zaessythra posed.
¡°On the contrary, the Captain-General and myself would not complain if you antagonized the devils and caused mayhem,¡± Lady Sujana said.
¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My position on the matter still stands. I have no interest in purifying the devils and demons as a race.¡±
¡°Of course¡¡± she replied.
Still, for once, Orodan found himself agreeing with the viewpoint of these overly stuffy Conclave knights. It wasn¡¯t that he had an especial hatred of devils.
But¡
¡Orodan did love a good fight. And devils were known to take challenges to themselves seriously and honor the tradition of duels. Furthermore, Druhmiyan had an interesting law that Orodan had read about prior.
The law which stated that disputes and legal matters could be settled through trial by combat or honor duels.
In other words. Might makes right.
Orodan was a staunch believer in the notion that without strength, one¡¯s morals and ideals were useless and unenforceable.
It was time then, to go raise hell in the hells.
Chapter 64 - Raising Hells
¡°Dimensional splicer activated. Resistance not detected,¡± the world core of X2 said. ¡°Travel to dimensional layer, designation: third hell, now available.¡±
¡°Remember, you¡¯ll have a slight bit of travel before you reach Druhmiyan,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The Unity and the Hegemony are the only two factions in the galaxy who the devils have granted this access to, and even then, only into a select region of the third layer of the hells.¡±
¡°What¡¯s there to be concerned about? We¡¯ll just give anything threatening us a beating,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Well¡ I suppose travellers at your level of power need not worry. Still, the outskirts of the third hell where you¡¯re venturing are full of wild demons and dangerous habitats. No other place within our galaxy is quite so volatile and full of danger during travel,¡± Zhou Shan explained.
Indeed, the High Sovereign gave a fair warning. Orodan had done some reading about the hells prior. Even before this long loop of his, the hells were known in the myths and legends of Alastaia. Many centuries ago, a large undertaking had taken place, and the seventh layer of hell was scoured and purged by the Conclave. It did this by using a device to open thousands upon thousands of dimensional portals into that layer, with each of these layers leading to an independent world.
One of the worlds which had gotten caught up and inadvertently assisted the Conclave as a result, was his home world of Alastaia.
And the accounts of what the Alastaians had encountered were warning enough, and this was merely in the seventh layer of hell. To venture into the third layer where some travel was involved before reaching the neutral city of Druhmiyan? It wasn¡¯t a safe trip by any means.
For the average traveller at least.
Orodan, Zaessythra and W78 were far from average.
¡°How does this dimensional splicer work?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Splicer operation begins once specific frequency is inputted. Device targets dimensional layer based upon inputted data,¡± the command nexus, world core of X2 said.
¡°An intricate device. The hells trusted you with the coordinates, but how does the device work internally?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Information: runic cipher.¡±
¡°Just like the dwarven runes then¡ interesting,¡± Orodan muttered. More and more he was considering the idea of studying these runes. Of course, it would be a long journey, and he had yet to fully understand the basic Enchanting skill, which he felt was a pre-requisite in the matter.
¡°You can gawk at runes upon your return,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°For now, the hells await.¡±
Without any further ado, the three of them stepped forward and into the shimmering yet stable passage created by the dimensional splicer. The hells were an entirely separate dimension, and consequently, one needed to utilize dimensional travel to get to and from them. Spatial travel methods only worked within the same dimension one was in; attempts to use spatiomancy from one dimension to another ended in failure, although Orodan had yet to truly try and force the issue.
Unlike his trip to Narictus where they¡¯d also used dimensional travel, this one wasn¡¯t quite so bad in terms of the wobbling and stepping into multiple different dimensions before finally arriving. Rather, they stepped forward, and in a singular motion they arrived at their destination.
The first thing Orodan saw were flames. Lots and lots of flame.
The large chamber they¡¯d stepped out of the dimensional passage and into had braziers of hellfire lining the walls and chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. From his battle against Devil King Saathmaraz, he knew that these maroon flames were hellfire, and they were normally supposed to be absorptive of light, incapable of giving off any luminosity of their own as the shadows cast by them were unnaturally dark.
¡°Didn¡¯t know hellfire could illuminate a room,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Only at our command, human. Intruders arriving here will have a less than pleasant time. Have you perhaps taken a wrong turn?¡±
The voice was deep and guttural, inhuman. Rather similar to the other Devil Kings he had met before. And it belonged to a hulking Arch-Devil with multiple horns protruding from their head. He wasn¡¯t sure if their species had genders, but this one looked to have a more feminine figure than the two other Devil Kings he¡¯d encountered to date. Not that it meant this Arch-Devil was any less physically imposing as a result. If anything, it looked bigger and mightier than any other Arch-Devil or demon he¡¯d met before.
¡°No. We¡¯re definitely in the right place,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We¡¯re headed for the neutral city of Druhmiyan, to meet with the council of the hells.¡±
¡°Ah, the diplomatic party I was told to expect. Only three of you? A half-dragon, the taskmaster and the time looper himself,¡± the Arch-Devil remarked. ¡°I am Lavilaraaz, Keeper of the Bargain Gate. Wild beasts, independent tribes of demons and the occasional sweeping raid by illegal cults; I hope you came prepared, for the journey to Druhmiyan may prove a bit¡ perilous.¡±
¡°I¡¯m hoping it is, a bit of battle would liven up our travels!¡±
¡°We¡¯re here on a task Orodan¡¡±
¡°Analysis: odds of mission success swiftly deteriorating.¡±
Orodan could only grumble at his companions¡¯ complaints. What was the issue with enjoying a good fight? Sure, they were on a mission, but that didn¡¯t mean enjoying the sights and fights along the way was prohibited. How often did he get the chance to traverse such a hostile environment and find strong foes to fight?
The Arch-Devil Gatekeeper laughed.
¡°I see what they said about you isn¡¯t inaccurate now, is it? Perhaps those quibbling idiots in Druhmiyan could use a good blooding.¡±
#
After a wonderful journey through exotic climates which involved much interaction with the local flora and fauna, their party finally arrived. Past forests of soul-devouring trees, beyond deserts of flesh-shredding sand and farther than the canyons of demonic rock where gigantic vortexes of hellfire swirled. After all that, lay the city of Druhmiyan.
There was distance to cover yet. And normally a city wouldn¡¯t be visible from so far away. Except for the minor detail that Druhmiyan was high in the sky, floating in the air, held aloft by a gigantic crystal propelling hellfire downwards, scorching the ground beneath it.
¡°At last, we¡¯re here,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak as though you haven¡¯t been the sole reason we¡¯re a day later than planned,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I accounted for your stupid proclivities and we began a day earlier.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not even that late!¡± Orodan protested.
¡°Information: predicted travel time - twelve hours. Actual travel time - thirty-six hours,¡± W78 called out. That traitor¡
¡°Alright, so I may have fought a few more creatures and people than intended,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°Is there anything wrong with enjoying the sights and getting to know the locals?¡±
¡°You wandered off and slaughtered three entire tribes of hell wolves,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°What was I supposed to do? They attacked me and refused to retreat,¡± Orodan defended.
¡°You then killed almost a dozen demonic sandworms...¡±
¡°Which again, was a case of self-defense,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Not my fault they lack a sense of self-preservation.¡±
¡°¡and proceeded to take an hour harvesting meat, scales and blood from the corpses.¡±
¡°Which netted me the Butchering and Skinning skills! Plus, they look like they¡¯d make for a tasty meal¡¡± Orodan trailed off.
¡°Those things look disgusting, nobody¡¯s going to eat those,¡± she rebuked.
Orodan dismissed her ignorant comments. What would she know about exotic cuisines and fine dining?
¡°That¡¯s your subjective view and not representative of the truth.¡±
¡°Your horrid palate aside, let¡¯s not forget the crowning achievement of our trek,¡± Zaessythra added, in a grandiose and sarcastic manner. ¡°How you decided to track the cultists who tried attacking us back to their base, and then proceeded to butcher them all once you found out they were all complicit in ritual torture and sacrifice.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see the issue with that. They ritually slaughter people, and then someone like me comes by and executes them,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you disagree with that?¡±
¡°Who cares if some stupid cultists died at your hands? They deserved it, but that¡¯s not the point,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re a full day late and even if I accounted for it, the planned meeting with the council starts in four hours. And what really irks me¡ is that you could¡¯ve just used a damned Spatial Fold to cut the journey short. I was fine with you exploring, I humored it because why not? But you could at least try to respect the time frame we¡¯re on.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t spatiomancy supposed to be incredibly difficult if not outright impossible due to the shifting spatial currents?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes, for anyone else. Lest you forget, you¡¯re the walking, talking impossibility that is Orodan Wainwright,¡± Zaessythra flippantly countered. ¡°Any more dumb excuses?¡±
Orodan shook his head.
¡°You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t make excuses¡ I¡¯m the reason we¡¯re late and I can only apologize,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Was the trek harsh on you?¡±
¡°Most things here are beyond just unsightly, they¡¯re an eyesore. Long have I heard about the hells, but to actually see it with my own eyes is an experience I won¡¯t forget,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°But, I¡¯m no whining nag. It¡¯s not the journey which annoys me¡¡±
¡°What is it then?¡±
¡°The fact that the mighty Orodan Wainwright rushed ahead and stole almost every kill,¡± she said while glaring at him. ¡°Did you not think my sword was thirsty for some blood as well?¡±
¡°Well damn¡ I suppose I did get rather carried away, didn¡¯t I?¡±
She rolled her eyes.
¡°This has been a nice little outing which I can admit to enjoying,¡± she said. ¡°But we¡¯re not here to play around. Soon, something horrible will come for you. Can you really afford to be gallivanting around like this? You forget sometimes, Orodan, that the rest of us are burdened by very natural things like concern for the future.¡±
Orodan hadn¡¯t even considered that Zaessythra might be under a lot of duress at the thought of the oncoming foe.
He had been stupid.
¡°You¡¯re right¡ I shouldn¡¯t have made light of your time and commitment in coming with me,¡± he said. ¡°I can only take responsibility for my idiocy and try to make things right.¡±
¡°Idiot, just get a move on¡ and don¡¯t die at the end of all this¡¡± she muttered quietly.
Orodan didn¡¯t reply, instead he simply looked forward and continued walking the short remaining distance.
Druhmiyan was a city of Arch-Devils. Floating in the sky, due to the enormous propulsion of maroon hellfire coming out the bottom of the giant red crystal the city was mounted atop of. Orodan thought the city would fly up and away into the void if not for the two massive chains keeping it connected to the ground.
The hells weren¡¯t a part of the material plane. Still under the influence of the System, but not reachable through conventional travel. Beyond the skies above, lay the ¡®void¡¯ which had a seemingly endless number of floating landmasses and captured worlds that the Devil Kings had conquered and absorbed into the hells. The floating gigantic landmasses held ecologies and occasional bits of hellish civilization of their own. Similarly, Druhmiyan itself was chained to one of these floating landmasses.
¡°They say that this is the real seat of power within the hells,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°The first layer and the Citadel of Sin are more of a military stronghold, while this is where all the politicking occurs. Schemes are carried out, souls sold¡ and deals made with the devils.¡±
¡°In other words, a den of backstabbing worms who¡¯ll enjoy speaking in circles?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m disliking the thought already.¡±
¡°Expand your horizons a little. Life isn¡¯t just about beating your enemies over the head and standing above their broken corpses, Orodan,¡± she rebuked. ¡°There is more depth to politics, negotiating and striking deals than you would think.¡±
¡°Perhaps. Yet at the end of the day, all deals and bargains are made under the threat of violence and power. Whether explicit or implied,¡± Orodan countered. ¡°These devils can only make deals because they have strength which must be respected. And those seeking the security in such deals only do so because they lack direct strength.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t that simple. Alliances based on mutual aid and the shoring up of one anothers¡¯ weaknesses exist,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°A faction known for their craftsmanship and powerful economy isn¡¯t weak for allying with a militarily powerful one.¡±
¡°And yet, if both of these factions had enough power, such an alliance wouldn¡¯t strictly be necessary,¡± Orodan said. ¡° My words might seem crude, and in a sense they are, yet there¡¯s some truth in what I say. Economics, military might, diplomacy, there are multiple avenues of strength, yet in the end it¡¯s what everything boils down to.¡±
¡°Your philosophy is heavily colored by your uniquely mad drive for battle, alongside your rough upbringing,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Still, there¡¯s a kernel of truth in what you say. Even then, Druhmiyan isn¡¯t all politicking and subterfuge though. The laws of this city allow for trials by combat and honor duels. Something a good portion of the population are reported to engage in. I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll enjoy that aspect of it.¡±
¡°Good, I can¡¯t wait!¡±
¡°Do try to rein yourself in a bit though. We¡¯re here to meet with the Council of the Devil Kings and introduce ourselves as well as try and explore your almost amicable relationship with Devil King Saathmaraz,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°We¡¯ll need to not only appear strong, but also mitigate the fact that we¡¯re coming to the hells to ask them to remain neutral in the first place. Wantonly going around causing a ruckus will only make them think we¡¯re desperate and making a display of rattling our sabers.¡±
¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be the ideal scenario?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°What better way to project strength than by doing exactly that? It would show that we¡¯re not concerned about the consequences.¡±
¡°Not in actuality.¡±
¡°Indeed, in actuality. Do you think I surround myself with allies because I need them Zaessythra?¡± Orodan asked, suddenly serious. ¡°This entire debacle is far beyond my comfort zone. I¡¯m used to fighting on my lonesome. Right from the beginning, my battles against House Argon in Ogdenborough were on my own. I fought alone, and I died alone. These long loops are something I detest. The people, the friendships I¡¯ve forged¡ do you think I enjoy the thought of having to lose it all, over and over? Worst of all, watching as many of them die on my behalf? I much prefer to be alone. Getting used to the company and then losing it all is a harsh burden to bear.¡±
¡°And that justifies you fighting alone? When the Reject arrives, if the Prophet decides to exact vengeance, will you stand alone against it all?¡± she asked.
¡°You know me by now¡ what do you think my answer is?¡±
¡°¡yes. Of course, you¡¯ll go ahead and march to your death alone¡¡± she muttered. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, and I won¡¯t allow it.¡±
¡°You have no say on how I confront my own battles,¡± Orodan argued.
¡°Like you decided to make enemies of the Hegemony on my behalf? Orodan Wainwright, the hypocrite,¡± Zaessythra mocked. ¡°Do as I say, not as I do. Is that how you carry yourself?¡±
¡°A false equivalence! I would never restrict you, I¡¯ve said as much,¡± Orodan said pointedly. ¡°But how I choose to embrace my potential end is my choice and mine alone. Weapon in hand, foe in front¡ and the smile of satisfaction at a glorious battle on my lips. That¡¯s all I want. It¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted, and then the time loops came for me.¡±
¡°You really are mad, Orodan Wainwright¡ how the master of these time loops has managed to anoint a suicidal buffoon is a mystery,¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m not arguing to have you stay your course, Orodan, although System knows I¡¯d prefer it.¡±
¡°Then what are you trying to say?¡±
¡°I¡¯m saying¡ that I intend to join you.¡±
¡°You-¡±
¡°Information: destination - Druhmiyan, within range. Multiple signatures approaching,¡± W78 said, and Orodan turned to him with a glare for the interruption, hot was his temper. ¡°Analysis: subject emotional state heightened. Hypothesis: unit at risk of imminent aerial travel.¡±
No.
W78 had been nothing but a good friend to him. To ever lose his cool on his metallic friend would be a despicable act.
It took some effort, but Orodan forced his temper down. It burned hotter because he knew that Zaessythra was right. He wasn¡¯t a hypocrite, and it went against his principles to deny anyone their agency in choosing when and where to fight. He was self-aware enough to see this and recognize his own flawed reasoning.
Yet, his past experiences in having others die on his behalf remained fresh in his mind. Adeltaj, Vespidia and Zaessythra herself. He was tired of people dying for him. The matter was still unresolved¡ but it would have to wait, as the Arch-Devil commanded squad that was flying down from the floating city to welcome them took precedence.
The area directly under Druhmiyan was a glassed crater which would doubtlessly be mined for precious volcanic rock and fought over by various local factions when the city moved on to another location. It was practically lifeless, for not even the hardier demons and Arch-Devils could survive the powerful hellfire propelling the city upwards and leeping it airborne.
It was devoid of life save one kind¡ hellfire elementals.
Orodan had seen a spirit mage once upon a time on Alastaia; Elidibus Astarti, during the Inter-Academy Tournament on Alastaia. And he¡¯d encountered a few of them during the various battles he¡¯d been in since. They weren¡¯t the mightiest of mages, and the ones worth any salt in battle relied first on their own power and then used the summoned spirits as a supplement.
But where did the summoned spirits and elementals come from? From dimensions and astral planes, one of the largest ones being the hells. Elementals of various flavors were common in the fifth and sixth layers of the hells, but even among them, hellfire elementals were exceedingly rare.
Regular fire elementals would almost always be absorbed into the hellfire and lose themselves entirely. A select few however¡ adapted and overcame the hellish flames, becoming hellfire elementals. Groups of them flitted about the stream of maroon flames keeping Druhmiyan aloft. And they were a matter of some interest to the demonic city¡¯s inhabitants as young demons were, under the supervision of elder handlers, attempting to cajole the elemental beings into leaving the stream and potentially becoming a familiar for them. Still, the occasional hellfire elemental would get rowdy and need a beating, which was why a heavy guard presence commanded by an Arch-Devil was required.
It was this Arch-Devil who¡¯d diverted a good portion of the hellish guard and was now approaching Orodan. It looked rather angry.
¡°I¡¯m no expert on Arch-Devil facial expressions, but given how angered the commander looks, it¡¯s safe to say we aren¡¯t getting a procession of flowers and trumpets,¡± Orodan joked.
¡°Given how close we are to the meeting we¡¯re supposed to have, do you blame them?¡±
Not really. He couldn¡¯t.
¡°A human, a half-dragon and one of our metallic friends from the Unity,¡± the Arch-Devil commander said. ¡°Your presence was expected a day ago. Is there a reason for such¡ delay?¡±
¡°We make no excuses for our tardiness, unexpected events occurred during the course of our travels,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°It¡¯s my fault actually,¡± Orodan said as he walked forward. ¡°I ended up getting into a few more fights than planned. wolves, worms and a cult. I was engaged in a bit more killing than strictly necessary.¡±
He could¡¯ve used spatiomancy too, or at least attempted it. But the battles took up his notice and nobody bothered to remind him. He decided not to throw any comments towards Zaessythra and why she hadn¡¯t spoken up earlier if they were indeed running so late. Orodan couldn¡¯t confirm it, but he had a hunch that she enjoyed watching the butchery more than she let on.
The Arch-Devil looked to his right and gestured for another demon to speak.
¡°Lord Valmoraaz¡ the human speaks true,¡± spoke one of the nearby demons, a fat bull demon, the likes of which he¡¯d fought within the Ascendent Sword Cluster. ¡°Our scouts reported a number of hell wolves fleeing the area and attempting to migrate further west. Our script-bearers also picked up dimensional phase spiders entering and migrating into the stretch of desert on the route from the Bargain Gate.¡±
¡°Which shouldn¡¯t be possible when those things are naught but tasty treats for the sandworms. Which means the worms lay dead,¡± the Arch-Devil Valmoraaz said. ¡°And my ears within the cults tell me of the utter silence of the one nearest us to the south. Hmm¡ I see. They didn¡¯t just send any human did they? The whispers from the material plane reach our ears, and the mortals often clamor about a man who goes about seeking battle like a crazed berserker. And that he is a time looper.¡±
¡°That would be me. Orodan Wainwright,¡± he introduced. ¡°I¡¯m in a-¡±
¡°A time loop, yes, yes,¡± Zaessythra interrupted. ¡°With how often you say it, everyone and their grandmother knows. Anyhow, we come on business and have a meeting with your council.¡±
¡°We were forewarned of your arrival, half-dragon. You may enter,¡± Lord Valmoraaz spoke. ¡°Go ahead, into the city. And take care not to attract any undue attention. Many denizens of Druhmiyan are often looking to prey upon newcomers with nefarious bargains¡ try not to sell your soul to a devil, hahahah!¡±
¡°With this stubborn fool, I have no concerns of any such deal ever going through,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Or any deal occurring for that matter¡¡±
She muttered the last part quietly but Orodan overheard her. Melodramatic in his opinion.
Still, they walked forward as the group of demons guarding the outskirts and flame pillar of Druhmiyan made way for them. The two gigantic chains which tethered the city to the ground and its current location were also the points through which people would enter. The chains were embedded deep into the ground, and a crew of gigantic hulking ogres stood ready to either insert the chains or pull them out when the city was ready to depart. Next to them, a teleporter was set up, and foot traffic could be seen coming and going under the vicious and scrutinizing gaze of demon guards.
¡°Before you go, time looper. Just be aware that many in this city harbor feelings of unease towards you,¡± Lord Valmoraaz said. ¡°And for some, it¡¯s a feeling of outright hostility. Especially for those affiliated or friendly with Devil King Gutriyaz¡¯s faction. Word of your¡ purification abilities, has spread.¡±
¡°I have no intention of purifying anyone of their core being. The Conclave and I share a mutual foe in the Hegemony, that¡¯s the extent of our relationship,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why tell me all this?¡±
¡°I tell you this because my faction leader, Devil King Saathmaraz, is quite interested in pursuing amicable relations with you,¡± Lord Valmoraaz answered. ¡°Although, it¡¯s good to know you harbor no particular prejudices against us. In line with what we¡¯ve heard of your argument against the Captain-General of those vile zealots.¡±
Orodan hummed in assent, and wondered how good the spy network of these devils was for them to have knowledge of a meeting deep within the Unity¡¯s world core.
¡°There are competing factions within Druhmiyan then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Indeed. Any Devil King of note maintains holdings, businesses and influence within this city,¡± the Arch-Devil said. ¡°The Citadel of Sin is where the power of our military lies and the Overking maintains his personal forces. But this city is where all devils gather. Be warned, time looper, my liege is powerful, but not the mightiest of the Devil Kings. Devil King Gutriyaz¡¯s faction is of note, but nothing concerning in the grand game. His mentor, the Script-King Athando-Elraaz is a particularly powerful player and the driving force behind Gutriyaz himself. And if rumors are to be believed¡ the Overking has his eyes set upon your approach as well.¡±
¡°Fantastic¡ all these powerful people, lining up for a good fig-¡±
¡°What he means to say,¡± Zaessythra interrupted. ¡°Is that we will be treading diplomatically. Thank you Lord Valmoraaz.¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes at her diplomacy, but supposed he should allow her to take the lead most of the time.
¡°A soul-sworn loyal to my liege will be waiting up on the city to guide you,¡± Lord Valmoraaz said. ¡°Take caution not to venture too far. The agents of rival Devil Kings are always seeking an opportunity to get one over us. Devil King Saathmaraz¡¯s deal with you has not gone unnoticed. Some of the factions dislike you, but they¡¯re among the minority of your potential enemies. Those wanting to take my liege down a notch are the more numerous group by far.¡±
Orodan could only smile.
That sounded positively fun.
#
Stepping through the teleporter wasn¡¯t anything special. Orodan had walked through many before, and the spatiomancy and craftsmanship was nothing noteworthy.
It was after stepping through that the wonders began.
¡°Information: multiple scan attempts detected. All unknown scan attempts blocked,¡± W78 said.
Of course they would try to scan them.
The area he, Zaessythra and W78 had stepped onto was a platform on the lowest part of the city. Ahead of them, gigantic walls and a massive gate. Atop these walls were crenellations and battlements staffed with hundreds of defenders. Besieging Druhmiyan by stepping through their teleporters, was a fool¡¯s endeavor. The teleporter they¡¯d come through wasn¡¯t the guard checkpoint, ahead of them was the real one. And it looked prepared to lay an absolute barrage of lethal fire upon any unauthorized arrivals.
The foot traffic going to and from the gates toward the chain teleporters leading to the ground was sparse. Most civilians and non-combatants within Druhmiyan weren¡¯t capable of nor expected to brave the harsh environment and monsters on the ground of the landmasses of the third layer of hell. Among those going to and from though, were demons, Arch-Devils¡ and humans, elves, dwarves, vampires and even a half-dragon.
The walls were made of a black stone which looked very reinforced. And built in a manner suspiciously similar to dwarven craft.
¡°They say that the dwarves are the finest builders in the universe,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°That wall would beg to differ.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because the dwarves did build these walls. The devils are nothing if not obscenely wealthy, and flashing some riches in front of the dwarves¡¯ noses was enough to have the bearded sops making deals with devils,¡± Zaessythra said. Perhaps she was a bit biased against the mountain-dwelling race, given how they aided her enemies in destroying her world. ¡°Demonkind isn¡¯t bad at building, but their true specialties lay in other things.¡±
Like the possession and soul-binding Devil King Saathmaraz was capable of. Or the hellfire he¡¯d encountered when facing Devil King Gutriyaz. And another thing he was seeing now¡ script-bearers.
¡°An interesting form of body enchantment,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°More an exercise in self-mutilation in my opinion, but a madman like you may see it differently,¡± she replied.
The approaching gate captain wasn¡¯t a demon, but a rather gaunt human.
The stereotype of the hells being full of demons and the wicked was a commonly held belief upon Alastaia, yet the truth was that devil society simply wouldn¡¯t function without civility and healthy social bonds. The Arch-Devils as a race would have fallen long ago if they were too prejudiced to accept humans and other races into their fold. The lure of riches and the unique skills of the hells meant that many beings from other races were all too happy to join hands.
Whether they joined on a contractual basis in exchange for something, or simply immigrated permanently, the hells had a sizeable non-demonic population. Even worlds which were conquered and absorbed into the hells had their populations peacefully and amicably assimilated in the overwhelming majority of cases.
The woman didn¡¯t appear tortured, or unhappy, and a scan with Vision of Purity revealed no shackles or insidious influences upon her soul. What stood out rather starkly though, was the thousands of small scars, wounds and cuts upon her skin. Some of them were old and scarred, some scabbed over, and some actively bleeding. They all looked self-inflicted.
The important fact being that each and every wound was in the shape of a rune or sigil.
¡°The script looks familiar, yet different when compared against dwarven runes,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And the energy flowing to and from the bleeding wounds is higher than those of the scarred ones. Intriguing¡ I wonder if blood magic is also at work.¡±
He also mentally cross-compared it with Alastaian enchantment script, which seemed inferior in comparison. And then, with the glyphs and sigils of the System, and very vaguely he felt there might be a similarity, but the System¡¯s language seemed a far more evolved form of whatever these script-bearers were attempting. There were levels to this, and it seemed that not all magical script languages were equal.
Reflections on the script aside, the woman who bore it upon her skin, the script-bearer, didn¡¯t appear bothered by the bleeding. It wasn¡¯t a fatal rate of bleeding by any means and Orodan felt even the lower levels of Pain Resistance would allow for the disregard of discomfort. And even the Initiate-level in some form of self-healing would allow for sustainability.
The approaching gate-captain overheard his questions, and decided to answer them herself.
¡°It is. The sacred script of our forebears, though an honor to bear upon my skin, still requires a source of energy to empower it,¡± the gate-captain said. ¡°Some do this through mana, others through soul energy. And others still through a more personal source of power¡¡±
¡°Blood magic, which draws from your own vitality,¡± Orodan finished. ¡°Or that of others.¡±
¡°I sense a great deal of vitality within you as well, time looper. Perhaps you might consider dabbling in the arts yourself?¡± she asked.
¡°Too nefarious for my liking. I have no interest in butchering innocents to use their blood,¡± Orodan said.
¡°It need not be so sinister. Many blood magicians among us are staunch warriors with a deep sense of honor,¡± she clarified. ¡°The only blood they use, their own. And often to devastating effect in empowering their own blows.¡±
Something to consider, for another loop at least. While Orodan didn¡¯t see himself throwing streams of blood against an opponent, the idea of drawing power from his own to strengthen himself didn¡¯t seem like the worst concept. An exceedingly dangerous notion, which was why the overwhelming majority of blood mages used the blood of others; their own only being an option as a last resort. But when one had the endless energy and ability to recover vitality like Orodan did, it was another avenue of power.
¡°I¡¯ll think on it. For now, we have business within Druhmiyan,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Lord Valmoraaz on the ground has allowed us entry.¡±
¡°And Lord Valmoraaz did not say your metallic companion from the Unity would be hindering our scanning attempts,¡± the gate-captain challenged. ¡°All entrants to Druhmiyan must undergo a scan. This city is neutral and open to select factions from our universe, but not without safeguards.¡±
¡°Information: scanning targets identified as mind and soul. Analysis: likelihood of deception - high.¡±
The gate-captain held a grimace on her face, but seemed unwilling to back down.
¡°I know not of what you speak. Refusing to submit to scans will result in your eviction from the city,¡± she said.
In the distance, Orodan could see a slender and tree-like being fast approaching their position from behind the gate-captain. Perhaps this was the guide Lord Valmoraaz had mentioned?
In any case, he was tired of games.
¡°Information: risk of confidential data breach - high. Risk of further tampering - high. Scan permission - denied,¡± W78 ominously said . ¡°Solution: cessation of diplomatic contact.¡±
Zaessythra seemed angered as well.
¡°Surely you do not mean to force us to bare ourselves to a scan? There¡¯s simply no way w-¡±
¡°I challenge you to a duel for the right to scan me.¡±
Silence met his proclamation, and he sensed a small trickle of dirty mana leave a ring on the gate-captain¡¯s finger as her face held a look of concern.
The only noise he heard¡ was the loud and drawn out sigh of resignation from Zaessythra.
¡°What manner of farce is this? You cannot simply challenge us to a duel for the right to do our duties,¡± the gaunt script-bearer said.
¡°I can. I¡¯ve been reading up on the laws of Druhmiyan. According to the Proclamations of the First, when honor is challenged or grievances are aired, either party may demand an honor duel or a trial by combat,¡± Orodan stated.
¡°This is not a matter of honor or a grievance! We are simply doing our duty! Look, if it means so much to you, we can simply waive the matter and allow you entry,¡± the gate-captain said, backing down. ¡°I see rumors of your brash nature were not exaggerated. I am unwilling to engage you lest we risk a city-wide Blooding. My superiors wil-¡±
¡°No. I demand a duel here and now,¡± Orodan declared, caring not one whit about how the approaching demons and humans stiffened immediately. ¡°Not a matter of honor, or a grievance? You speak incorrectly on both counts. Your hidden motives in attempting to scan us are plain to see, thus I declare your honor worthless. And for wasting my time with such pointless drivel, you¡¯ve inflicted a grievance. Now draw your weapon and fight me, or receive a beating where you stand.¡±
The script-bearer was startled speechless by Orodan¡¯s proclamation. The other demons were silent too.
¡°This is¡ I must summon my superior. This is a matter of Devil King Egrimaaz¡¯s honor, and his loyal captains will want to fight you in his stead,¡± the gate-captain said. ¡°As for myself, I¡¯m woefully unprepared to face you, time looper. I was simply following the orders of my liege.¡±
¡°So what? Your words and actions are duplicitous, without a beating you¡¯ll not learn to amend your ways,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Y-you would kill me?¡±
The woman was but a Grandmaster. He would feel no threat with even a thousand of her arrayed against him.
In response, Orodan simply raised his right hand into the air, looking down upon the smaller woman with an intimidating gaze. His eyes crackled with power, and the hand came down like the blade of an executioner¡
¡to deliver an open-palm slap to the back of her head. The script-bearer yelped in surprise more than pain, and looked embarrassed to have been cuffed on the back of the head so publicly like a naughty child being disciplined.
¡°Let the sting of that blow remain fresh in your memory as you call your betters. And let the one who gave you such an order know that I consider them a spineless cretin who dares not approach to do the deed themselves,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Now then, I have pressing business within Druhmiyan. Does anyone else wish to force the matter of a scan?¡±
The demons and other devil-allied beings upon the walls and among the approaching party were silent. Save one; the tree-like being with bark-like skin who had been fast approaching earlier.
¡°Time looper¡ my liege has been expecting you, please, let us make haste for the council chambers immediately!¡± the plant-like being spoke. It was bipedal, but its skin was covered in bark, like a tree. ¡°The agents of the other Devil Kings will hear about this incident very soon, and we must make haste to avoid-¡±
¡°Avoid? Why would I want to avoid anything? Them hearing about it is exactly what I want,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Instead of me going to the diplomacy, it¡¯s better to allow the diplomacy to come to me.¡±
Honestly. When he¡¯d learned that there were multiple factions and much politicking involved, Orodan had dreaded the thought of such boring work. But with the unique laws in place within Druhmiyan, who needed to engage in politics? Rather than seeking out allied factions, why not have all of his enemies come to him? Much easier to deal with them that way.
¡°But that will¡ that will cause a Blooding!¡± the guide exclaimed. ¡°We haven¡¯t had one for a million years!¡±
The Blooding. A unique phenomenon within Druhmiyan when either an honor duel or a trial by combat escalated into an unstoppable chain of such challenges and duels that a large number of powerful people died and the ensuing power vacuum was ferociously fought over.
Usually, honor duels were carefully chosen and most people were smart and picked their battles. Killing someone whose close friend or family would then challenge you to a duel wasn¡¯t typically done, and one had to bear the repercussions for winning in mind. However, when a particularly powerful person came along, and people saw fit to continually challenge them¡ a Blooding could occur and leave much to be gained in the aftermath.
After all, the last Blooding had resulted in the crowning of the current Overking of the hells.
And in Orodan¡¯s opinion¡
¡°How about we have another one?¡±
#
¡°Little wonder that Arch-Devil we met seemed annoyed. There was no hiding the anger on his face,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Devil King Saathmaraz had to expend a generous portion of his treasury and pull a few favors to ensure Lord Valmoraaz was stationed by the crystalfire stream upon your arrival,¡± the guide said. ¡°Having your travel delayed by an entire day was not good news, and required an additional few favors to the watch-commander¡¯s faction in recompense for keeping our loyal Arch-Devil there.¡±
Which had Orodan feeling slightly bad for his gallivanting about the environs, but he wasn¡¯t about to reverse time to undo the blunder.
¡°In any case, I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t raising more of a protest about this, Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Fallen into my way of thinking, have you?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t assume such things. That scarred lackey who tried forcing a scan upon us still has me in a bad mood, that¡¯s all,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°I still think this is entirely stupid¡ but there¡¯s¡ potential, in this entrance of ours.¡±
Stolen story; please report.
The compliment came out most reluctantly, but that was a start.
¡°Might I again reiterate how inadvisable this course of action is?¡± the guide said. ¡°Word of you and your deeds has spread far and wide, and I have no doubt that you might be able to accomplish what you¡¯re aiming for, but a Blooding will have repercussions lasting milennia for the hells and shape the political landscape for a long time. There are also some mighty peak-Transcendents and Gods among your potential challengers.¡±
¡°All the better I say,¡± Orodan dismissed.
¡°Your plans are usually foolish, but in this case, we¡¯ve overawed the populace and any spectators into spreading word for us,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°In a sense, simply walking through the city after such a show of disrespect is a message. We have four hours before our meeting, and enjoying the sights at a leisurely pace lets them know where we are and dares them to act.¡±
She wasn¡¯t wrong. Passersby, demons and otherwise, were giving them a wide berth and many were pointing and whispering at them particularly at him. If the messengers who¡¯d doubtlessly run off to report his show of disrespect couldn¡¯t do it¡ then these whispering civilians certainly would.
His upbringing on Alastaia had taught him that the hells were cruel, fiery and full of murderous demons and the wicked. Yet, the existence of Druhmiyan shattered the final vestiges of that stereotype within his mind.
Sure, the streets were paved of sinister-looking dark rock, and nefarious towers and braziers of hellfire lined the roads at key intersections, but that was the extent of it. The hells, particularly most of the other floating cities and conquered worlds, weren¡¯t a bad place to live from what he¡¯d read. Conquered worlds had their populations peacefully and amicably assimilated the overwhelming majority of the time, and life went on and even prospered under the rule of the Devil Kings. Druhmiyan was no exception.
Traffic consisted of demons and other races, on-foot, or via carriage drawn by lumbering beasts known as shadow oxen which had an eerie aura of darkness but seemed friendly enough. Additionally, demons and humans often co-mingled, to the point that he even saw friends and lovers walking around together across species lines. Of course, the oddity was that there were no children in sight.
¡°No families in this part of town?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Children are rare in this city, my lord. The environment not conducive for the fostering of the ¡®family¡¯ you humans prize,¡± the guide answered. ¡°Druhmiyan is a center of political importance, and the laws permitting honor duels mean there¡¯s often violence upon the streets. In comparison, other floating cities are safer, and conquered worlds under the rule of a Devil King are the ideal place for children to be raised. Almost all of Druhmiyan¡¯s populace are some manner of specialist or combatant, even the civilians. They work here and their families live elsewhere.¡±
If anyone told the old Orodan - before the time loops - that a world conquered and absorbed into the hells was the best place to raise a child, he¡¯d have laughed at them. Yet, once one cut through all the nonsensical literature that the Conclave put out as propaganda, the hells honestly seemed a decent place.
Better place to grow up than Ogdenborough anyways.
They continued down the roads of Druhmiyan, walking at a leisurely pace and taking in the sights until the foot traffic itself changed in composition. The average person walking by now looked wealthier, their clothes more opulent. A human wearing an ostentatiously glittering ensemble of jewelry walked by, followed by two bull demon guards wearing gleaming armor. The guards and man both immediately gave Orodan a wide berth, and he was certain that they¡¯d sent word to someone given the faint pulse of mana he felt leave a necklace.
That aside, the streets now sported laborers - specialized ones since nobody in Druhmiyan was just a common worker - and craftspeople. It was clearly some kind of production district, likely where the goods were made.
¡°My lord¡ that was one of the Scribe-King¡¯s storekeepers,¡± the guide said. And Orodan had to wonder how well-compensated the storekeepers were if they dressed so gaudy and had guards accompanying them. ¡°He¡¯ll have undoubtedly sent word to the Scribe-King himself!¡±
¡°Looking forward to it,¡± Orodan said, ignoring the guide¡¯s stammers. ¡°Is this where all the production occurs? I don¡¯t see many storefronts here.¡±
Once the bark-skinned tree-man had recovered, he clarified further.
¡°Yes, my lord. These workshops are crewed by specialist crafters who turn many of the precious materials acquired into finished goods of tremendous value. The workshops would never sell the finished good directly to anyone and are required to turn their product over to the owners. The workshops are typically owned by wealthy Devil Kings and the skilled crafters, in their employ.¡±
Some of the workshops had open displays, allowing passersby to look into them, and Orodan saw the scene of an Arch-Devil blacksmith working alongside hellfire elementals to make weapons of great power. Assistants to the leading blacksmith worked tirelessly alongside their master, and the most junior of the blacksmiths did the hard labor of making the ingots.
It was impressive. And he supposed that the sight of a workshop running was also a subtle display of the owner¡¯s power. These buildings contained tremendous wealth, and were appropriately guarded of course. He sensed a mid-Transcendent level individual deeper inside the shops, not a crafter, but a combatant.
And it was coming for him.
It was at least fifteen feet tall, and the powerful muscles upon its frame practically rippled as it walked out of the workshop opening and approached.
¡°So this is the human who dares to disrespect Devil King Egrimaaz?¡± the Arch-Devil asked. ¡°The others clamor to face you, but I, Garvoroz, Captain of the Second Forge, shall slay you for your insults. Duel me here and now, and face your death with courage.¡±
¡°Excellent, I¡¯ll let you strike the first blow,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You look strong, this is just what I need.¡±
¡°Your time looping nature does not elude me. Yet, I have also heard of your stubborn nature and dogged sense of honor,¡± the Arch-Devil said. ¡°Is this the first time we¡¯ve met?¡±
¡°Indeed, it is,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Good. Then here and now, within this loop, I challenge you to a duel for the honor of my liege,¡± the Arch-Devil said. ¡°No repeats. If you lose here, I expect you to honor your loss and leave Druhmiyan for good, in all of your loops moving forward!¡±
¡°I accept! Hit me already and let us dispense with the talking and commence with the fighting,¡± Orodan challenged.
¡°Activate the mirror cage!¡± a nearby demon guard shouted as something was deployed just moments before Garvoroz¡¯s fist connected with Orodan¡¯s face.
[Dimensionalism 28 ¡ú Dimensionalism 29]
The world shifted in a strange manner. They were still within Druhmiyan, yet nobody else was present. For all intents and purposes, they¡¯d been dragged into a mirror of where they previously were, without the inhabitants however.
Just in time for a giant fist to impact his face with a most brutal crack.
The buildings were heavily reinforced in Druhmiyan, yet the attack sent him through a dozen of them, and the shockwave of the strike blew apart a few more. Outside of the city, and in an environment where nothing had enhanced durability, that strike was likely to shatter half a moon.
[Iron Body 87 ¡ú Iron Body 88]
Orodan rose to his feet and had a smile on his face.
It was pure battle lust. Normally, Orodan would¡¯ve defended, or perhaps even dodged. Yet the first strike of a battle between warriors was a special one, and this gigantic foe - who was the most physically imposing Arch-Devil he¡¯d ever seen - stirred the desire to test his own physicality.
Still, it was lacking in raw killing power. Devil King Gutriyaz, who he¡¯d fought so long ago, hit far harder, able to destroy the entirety of Alastaia¡¯s moon in the attempt to kill Orodan.
¡°Not bad. My healing was almost too quick for me to notice, but you cracked my jaw for the briefest of instants,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Since you insist on fighting bare-handed, so shall I.¡±
A Flash Strike brought him up to the Arch-Devil, and immediately, Orodan began grappling with it.
Orodan was nearing seven feet of height. This Arch-Devil was over twenty. The increased size meant that his opponent was in fact physically stronger than Orodan. And it was a comical scene, a man attempting to tussle with an Arch-Devil twice almost three times his size in a scramble of limbs.
Yet, there were benefits to such an arrangement.
[Physical Fitness 93 ¡ú Physical Fitness 94]
Orodan¡¯s head was driven into the ground and he was thrown about like a ragdoll. Yet, the smile never left his face.
#
¡°T-the cage is breaking!¡±
¡°Too much raw energy within!¡±
¡°Took you long enough, Orodan.¡±
These were among the things he heard as the world shifted around them once again. Not due to anything intentional, but due to how the amount of power he was throwing around was causing the dimensional boundaries of the mirror dimension to crack.
Thankfully, it was Orodan¡¯s final All-Strike which obliterated almost half the Arch-Devil¡¯s body that did the trick. The brutalized body of Garvoroz was flung out onto the streets of Druhmiyan like a ragdoll as both the Arch-Devil and Orodan returned to the real world. Good thing that blow had ended it. Continuing the battle within the actual city would¡¯ve been a slight logistical annoyance and required the accounting of nearby innocents.
¡°Y-you¡ you won¡¡± the Arch-Devil weakly said as its body slowly reformed despite the certainly fatal wounds they would be on anyone without the self-healing and resilience of its species.
¡°It was an excellent battle. With how much magic and spellcraft I throw around nowadays, one might forget that I¡¯m a warrior at heart,¡± Orodan said. ¡°One more level in Physical Fitness, and two in Wrestling and Unarmed Combat. This has been fantastic.¡±
Indeed, fighting a mighty opponent that was far stronger had helped him acquire insights and push his physical limits. It was harder to find that nowadays when a large portion of his opponents were either wary of the threat he posed in close combat or were simply unwilling to allow him any opportunities to battle due to knowing he was a time looper.
¡°It took you two hours, and we have two more remaining before our meeting,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°And nobody else has shown up since?¡± Orodan asked, more than a little curious. ¡°If they were intent on challenging me, they would¡¯ve come by now, no?¡±
¡°My lord,¡± the guide spoke up. ¡°Lord Garvoroz here is Devil King Egrimaaz¡¯s mightiest subordinate, mightier than his own liege in fact. I suspect the Devil King would be unwilling to challenge you now. Rather¡ a runner came by earlier bearing a message, saying that Devil King Egrimaaz wishes to meet you at the Parlor of Bargains.¡±
¡°The Parlor of Bargains?¡±
¡°The quintessential location for all contracts, negotiations and disputes within our city. It lies at the heart of the Markets of Opulence.¡±
¡°In other words,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Your act of trundling about the city and causing trouble has made them look weak. In asking you to meet them there, they reassert a measure of control and will undoubtedly have many of their allies gathered to deal with you. Alongside an audience.¡±
¡°Come then, let¡¯s be done with this stupidity,¡± Orodan said.
He cared not for those who required audiences and grand displays of power and audacity. Politics bored him, and he much preferred to beat his enemies over the head.
They continued down the roads and towards the markets. And once more there was a subtle shift in the foot traffic as they went. Objectively, the humans, demons and other races walking by, began looking more attractive. Some were dressed luxuriantly, others in a more provocative manner.
When he saw the first pair of elves waiting on the street corner, he had an inkling of what this district was about.
A particularly flamboyant bull demon walking down the road with an opulently dressed elven man and a gaudily dressed dwarven woman on either arm cemented it for him.
¡°We¡¯re entering the Lanes of Lust now my lord. Whatever your persuasion, there¡¯s certain to be someone willing to humor your desires,¡± the guide said.
Workers whose trade was of a more intimate nature could be seen on the road side. Additionally, there were some rough-looking thugs bearing arms and armor who were around to ensure the workers were paid and no clients tried anything funny. Plus, there were armored guards and script-bearers patrolling the streets at regular intervals.
Passing through the Lanes of Lust was a necessity if one was to enter the Markets of Opulence, at least, from this side of Druhmiyan.
A rather provocatively dressed demon leered at him. Ashen skin, horns protruding from her head, and yet a feminine figure.
¡°Oh my¡ since when are humans made so¡ sturdy? I wasn¡¯t aware your sort could get so large? How about we get to know on another more intimately, young lord?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± Orodan said. He could appreciate exotic cuisines and a good meal, but that aside, the baser pleasures simply didn¡¯t interest him as much anymore. The love of battle called to him more than the thought of sharing a bed. And his unique circumstances meant he¡¯d rather not get into any more entanglements. ¡°I prefer the heat of battle to the warmth of the flesh.¡±
The demonic woman looked not at all offended and simply smiled. A professional then.
¡°Heh¡ why did I predict you would say exactly that?¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Because it¡¯s true? You know I enjoy a good fight,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Besides, back home nobody in that trade does it happily as their first choice. Leaves a foul taste in the mouth when you think about it.¡±
¡°Not the case in Druhmiyan, my lord,¡± the guide said. ¡°The Lanes of Lust are strictly monitored and governed. Courtesan health and safety are taken seriously, and you¡¯ll find that many of those in the profession have their own methods of seeking strength. While I admit, those from human lands often look down on them, it¡¯s not frowned upon within our society.¡±
¡°Look down on them? Far from it,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°I grew up seeing many of those pushed into that trade. Unlike in this city, it wasn¡¯t a happy life back in Ogdenborough. But, there was still resilience in them, and many of them oft worked a second trade to make ends meet.¡±
He wasn¡¯t ignorant to the more clandestine parts of society. He had seen the excessively powdered and alluringly dressed men and women who would enter the tavern under Mount Castarian. He would occasionally see a few take a stop at the mayor¡¯s mansion too. If he saw the herbalist¡¯s daughter or the stable-boy from Scarmorrow during regular hours, he would pretend not to recognize them. Mainly because they did the same.
People did what they had to in order to get by, and in places like Druhmiyan, in order to advance. A high level in such skills might even allow one to ensnare kings and queens.
Judgement was the farthest thing from his mind. If anything, that this city of demons took worker health seriously was something he could respect. After all, the whispers and criminal cases he¡¯d read about in the bigger cities of the Republic back home, were best left unsaid.
They ignored the workers attempting to catch the eyes of passersby, until finally the Lanes of Lust ended and the building demarcating the two was a tavern of sorts. A lively place filled with demons and non-devils both.
¡°Craving battle? Desire endless riches? Want a large harem? Join Devil King Saathmaraz¡¯s retinue today! Special sign-on bonuses and treasures included for Grandmasters and above!¡± a burly-looking bull demon recruiter cried out.
¡°Hate the Conclave? Want to do your part against their sanctimonious paladins? Wield weapons which can hold against their wicked light! Empowered by the crystalfire and forged by the hand of Talveroz the Black Hammer himself!¡±
There were criers for many other products, and what Orodan suspected was the sparks of a bar brawl about to erupt as a human began aggressively attempting to steal a bull demon¡¯s woman. While the thought of engaging in a friendly brawl sounded fun, it just wasn¡¯t for him any longer. Reinforced as it was, Orodan stood a good chance of destroying Druhmiyan outright if he truly cut loose. Plus, nobody within the tavern was up to the task of challenging him. As his power grew, the ability to enjoy the smaller things diminished.
With a sigh, he stepped past the den of drink and imminent fists to continue onwards. After all, past the tavern - which was a demarcating building of sorts - were the Markets of Opulence.
There were dozens of storefronts all marketing fine products. From enchanted arms and armaments, to powerful potions and exotic monsters to bond with. The marketfronts were nice, however what Orodan truly came for, was the Parlor of Bargains.
The gigantic building was the centerpiece of the Markets of Opulence, and it was where all manner of deals, negotiations and contracts occurred. The building was divided into two parts; the courts where people would take civil matters to the arbiter, and the bargain parlors.
The courts were where people brought their small time issues forward and both agreed to whatever judgement was made. These arbiters were all appointed by the Council of Druhmiyan, and were typically a judge for the city as their regular trade. The cases being judged were small time matters, typically involving petty nonsense, arguments over the wording of a deal, or attempts to weasel out of soul contracts. High value cases were also judged in the courts, but nothing of a nature too criminal; those were the domain of the courts within Druhmiyan¡¯s Council-Fortress at the peak of the city.
The bargain parlor though, was where desperate people, shrewd merchants and predatory beings of power prowled. It was much like a marketplace, except what was being advertised were deals¡ and the price, people.
¡°My family has been denied our rightful due under the draconian rule of Devil King Egrimaaz! I offer the souls of myself and the entirety of my house for any other ruler to attempt a takeover!¡±
¡°I offer power beyond your reckoning. Rival Grandmasters in battle, and make Transcendents take notice with my rituals of empowerment. All for the simple price of a soul contract and some minor servitude¡¡±
¡for five milennia. At least, that was what the fine print at the very bottom of the parchment said. The Arch-Devil - intentionally no doubt - had tall stacks of coins placed in such a way that shadows were cast on that portion too. Nothing too egregious as that¡¯d likely get it in trouble, but enough to make it appear less noticeable.
There were also a whole bunch of stipulations on who the person could and could not harm, which included the Arch-Devil providing the service and the entirety of its faction and allies. A devious but effective way of securing more manpower Orodan supposed.
The bargain parlors were every bit the nefarious looking environment that one would expect. It was where deals with the devils were made, how could it not be sinister? The singular arbiter and the squadron of guards at their side vigilantly overlooked the place however, and even the most shady of demons offering deals looked visibly wary of their wrath. Social skills and mind control were strictly barred under threat of death.
And for as much as Orodan had been taught otherwise on Alastaia, there was no slavery in sight within Druhmiyan. Supposedly, the practice had been entirely outlawed during the reign of the previous Overking and had remained so since then. The devils alone were easy prey for those wanting to invade the hells. Appealing to the other races and making the hells appear a good place to live was a far more effective strategy for resisting the constant encroachment of the Conclave and its allies.
Despite the somewhat villainous appearance, it really was just business. A certain level of cut-throat behavior was expected, but none of them were truly malicious.
There were a group of people that did have bad intentions though, at the very top of the stairs leading up to the arbiter¡¯s station. The arbiter and its guards appeared wary and submissive towards them as well.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, you came¡ as expected. When you challenged everybody in sight and fought like a madman upon the moon of your backwater planet, I thought you the pinnacle of warlike beings, someone fit to eventually become a prime evil. For it to be a human was a surprise, but not an impediment. Yet to then bear witness to that sickening Celestial skill of yours? And to now hear you work alongside the Conclave? Sickening¡ you must be permanently dealt with at all costs.¡±
¡°The Conclave and I have a mutual enemy, that¡¯s the extent of it. I have no interest in purifying any devils, and if you¡¯ve heard otherwise, that¡¯s a lie,¡± Orodan said. ¡°When we fought upon the moon of Alastaia, I was far weaker then. You¡¯ll find that I¡¯ve grown since then, Devil King Gutriyaz. Fight me and let us settle the score here and now.¡±
Standing before him, at the top of the stairs was the very familiar Devil King that had come to recruit him upon the moon of Alastaia a while ago. Back then, he¡¯d gone through death after death until finally growing strong enough to survive the devil¡¯s full power. In hindsight, Orodan had partly brought it upon himself by purifying the True Vampire in front of the devil so blatantly. Still, he was eager for a rematch.
¡°You did not lie, Gutriyaz¡ he is as headstrong and thirsty for battle as you said. Human. You claim to be neutral and not on the Conclave¡¯s side, yet your actions upon entering Druhmiyan leave no doubts as to your hostility,¡± a nearby Arch-Devil said. Not as sturdy-looking as Garvoroz who he¡¯d beaten, and not possessed of as much power as Devil King Gutriyaz either. ¡°You disrespected one of my script-bearers, and then defeated one of my loyal devils. Every step you take within this city is an insult to me. Death will be the only payment I accept.¡±
¡°Then draw your weapon and fight me, why waste time with this talk?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You base cur! You lack all decorum and sense of tradition! The challenge to an honor duel is not something to be thrown about like alms for the beggars!¡± Devil King Egrimaaz angrily said. ¡°We must prepare the audience, declare our grievances and keep ourselves in line that the spectators might be immersed in the very causes of our battle.¡±
¡°Sounds like pointless pomp and ceremony to me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°When two warriors fight, all that matters is violence and the straight path from life to death.¡±
Devil King Egrimaaz was the one who¡¯d initially ordered the scans upon Orodan and his party. Orodan had undoubtedly ruffled the Devil King¡¯s feathers by walloping its loyal subordinates. Furthermore, the Devil King was in fact weaker than its strongest subordinate who Orodan had already bested. Still, given how angry it looked, there was a good chance the Devil King threw it all to the wind and fought Orodan here and now.
W78¡¯s comments didn¡¯t help either.
¡°Information: hostile element, power level - acceptable. Analysis: likelihood of positive combat outcome - certain.¡±
¡°Damned machine, do not presume such th-
¡°Hold, Egrimaaz. Or have you forgotten that he is the time looper whose actions have caused the Athranos Galaxy to stir restlessly with war?¡± Devil King Gutriyaz asked. ¡°Orodan Wainwright. Back then, your time looper nature was not known to me, but it is now. How many times did you perish against me on that moon before you won? Every death in battle simply grants you more strength, does it not?¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. I come back each time I die, and I grow stronger for it,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°You killed me many times, but I learned. In a sense, you were a teacher of mine.¡±
¡°Bitter irony then, that I partook in teaching a deadly foe so much. Your Fire Resistance must be quite high by now,¡± Devil King Gutriyaz said. ¡°How many times did I destroy that barren moon in a bid to kill you without knowing that I was merely empowering an unkillable foe? Tch¡¡±
¡°That ¡®barren moon¡¯ used to be my home world,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Even if restoring it was easy enough, I don¡¯t appreciate the fact that you so wantonly obliterated it.¡±
¡°And you have companions with you as well. A machine of the Unity, and a half-dragon. The numbers are a little lopsided in your favor, are they not?¡± Devil King Gutriyaz asked.
¡°I¡¯m happy to face you both by myself, my companions have little to do with it,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°Perhaps. But I am not so short-sighted as to grant you a convenient path to strength, nor am I delusional in my own abilities relative to yours,¡± Devil King Gutriyaz said. ¡°I have heard of you, time looper. Your victory over a peak-Transcendent True Vampire. Your feat of reversing time for an entire soul nexus and preventing the explosion of trillions of souls. Your strength has grown at an impossible rate since we last met, and I admit that you would be beyond me. However¡ my mentor is not.¡±
The only warning he got was a faint sense from his near-Apprentice Dimensionalism skill. Someone was directly behind him.
And they had a glowing pink shard in their hands.
The beam was mid-flight when it diverted and rushed into the shard held in Zaessythra¡¯s outstretched hand.
That half-dragon¡ she hadn¡¯t even told him that she was bringing that thing along!
¡°Hmmph¡ of course they would field a shard of their own,¡± said the¡ moon elf? ¡°Orodan Wainwright, was it? I hear you detest bandying words, good. Let¡¯s duel.¡±
The dimensional layer around him shifted, and while Orodan could have resisted, he chose not to as it was best to fight someplace else where he wouldn¡¯t cause mass civilian casualties.
The scenery shifted to the ruins of an abandoned city, and the moon elf before him began glowing with power as the sigils and runes on every inch of his skin lit up.
¡°Nothing personal. Or rather, not with you¡ but that abominable power of yours,¡± the moon elf said.
The first thing to hit him was a wave of maroon hellfire which annihilated the entirety of the abandoned city and the gigantic planet-sized landmass it was upon.
[Fire Resistance 51 ¡ú Fire Resistance 53]
[Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 86 ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 87]
He faced a decent amount of damage, but it was only surface level and he healed quickly enough. Still, that it could harm him signified the power of the assault.
In any case, his opponent looked to be worse-off, with most of his body utterly melted away.
¡°Hmm¡ Fire Resistance at the Adept-level at least,¡± the moon elf said. ¡°Forced me to utilize a sigil which took a milennia to craft too.¡±
Certain sigils on the script-bearer moon elf¡¯s hands lit up, and next came a combination of lightning and wind. At a far lower level of power. Perhaps the foe had learned not to attempt massive attacks against Orodan?
¡°Those too? Troublesome¡ elements are out of the equation then¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ll spare you the trouble. I¡¯m resistant to curses and acid as well,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Fight me toe to toe, mages don¡¯t fare well against me.¡±
In response, a series of curses and acid landed upon him too. Not as powerful as the flames, but still decent enough that Orodan gained five levels in Curse Resistance and three for Acid. His opponent once again looked very damaged, but quickly recovered thanks to some unknown power source.
¡°A city¡¯s energy reserves? A world core?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I sense something tethered to you, but I¡¯m not sure what.¡±
¡°The primary soul nexus of the hells. Every single deceased being in the afterlife of our dimension empowers me,¡± the moon elf said. ¡°Are you a match, time looper?¡±
¡°I overpowered the cores of three plague worlds in a contest of energy generation,¡± Orodan said.
That certainly got a reaction out of the script-bearer. His icy face displayed a look of shock which was quickly schooled.
¡°From all I¡¯ve studied of you¡ you¡¯re not the type to lie or bluff,¡± the moon elf said. ¡°Attrition is meaningless against you then.¡±
The moon-elf script-bearer empowered himself further, and dark chitinous material began forming over his skin. With a roar of hatred, his foe charged right into melee!
Now this was a mage Orodan could respect!
The moon-elf was a rather powerful unarmed fighter, to the point that Orodan was overwhelmed in a match of pure technique. Still, Orodan¡¯s own physicality was superior, and something was off about the foe.
¡°Your moves are choppy¡ you fight as though unfamiliar with your own body,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Of course it is. You think I chose this pathetic form?¡± the moon elf asked as they engaged in an exchange of blows in which Orodan was outskilled but won through brute force. ¡°An abominable power like the one you bear did this to me!¡±
¡°Then you¡¯re¡¡±
¡°An Arch-Devil. By all rights, that is who I am, who I was¡ until something abominable cleansed me a long time ago,¡± the moon elf said. ¡°I used to be a Devil King, but now they call me the Script-King as I¡¯m forced to resort to a fraction of what power I had. A mockery, a most horrific defiling which must never be allowed to occur again. No devil must ever go through the grievous torture of being stripped of their essence¡ you must be put down permanently.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t recognize this Arch-Devil at all, nor had he ever cleansed a devil in all his loops. Just who had done this?
¡°Even your soul is just¡¡±
¡°Fractured? Disharmonious? What else do you have to say?¡±
Dirty.
It was incredibly rare to see a soul which was so contaminated. The outer layer of the soul could be impure, but not the soul core itself. Unless some manner of insidious control was present, souls were typically pure at the core, even if they had their contradictions, darknesses and burdensome thoughts these would only affect the outer layer.
Hells, it wasn¡¯t even that it was dirty¡ rather that something had irrevocably changed what it should be. Some manner of strange force.
¡°Who did this to you?¡± Orodan asked, feeling a bit of pity.
Was this what his own cleaning skill could do to someone? A part of Orodan resolved then and there that the act of irrevocably changing someone in such a way, stripping them of their very being, was a horrid act. Devil, vampire or no¡ better to die a thousand times in order to seek victory than resort to the sickening act of ¡®purifying¡¯ someone of vampirism or being a devil.
¡°I do not know, though I am ever in pursuit of that truth,¡± the Script King answered. ¡°Enough talk.¡±
They fought for a few more exchanges. The Script King fought well in melee combat, with his punches and kicks often connecting and winding around Orodan¡¯s own. He had no doubt that the former Arch-Devil was a deadly unarmed combatant in his prime. If anything, fighting a peak-Transcendent in such a manner wouldn¡¯t normally have been so easy and Orodan had less confidence in cleanly beating a fully powered Arch-Devil Script King in his prime.
But¡ the battle was a losing one for the now moon elf. Orodan¡¯s brute force and raw physicality simply battered past defenses or outright powered through attacks. The runes and sigils dotting his opponent¡¯s skin glowed, and mental assaults, chronomancy and the like surged forth. Yet it was all ineffective.
And as Orodan fought, he began to look closer at the former Arch-Devil. He began looking deeply, and learning, and seeing what he was up against.
Suddenly, the Script King stopped.
¡°Hold.¡±
¡°Surrendering?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Never. I hate the ability you possess. Our enmity is irreconcilable. But it appears we are at an impasse. Your resilience is far too high, your resistances, varied and plentiful. I do not wish to test the bottom of your reserves either, as that would take too long.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve come to realize that a battle of attrition would lead to your loss?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Unfortunately, the rumors of your freakish and impossible power were no lie,¡± the Script King said. ¡°If I draw this out, it will only be to my detriment. And while you¡¯re free to refuse¡ what I¡¯ve heard of your obstinate nature leads me to think you¡¯ll accept a decisive clash of blows.¡±
¡°Then, how about we both commit to our final cards. Lay it all on the line, our mightiest attacks, each of us,¡± Orodan proposed.
¡°My thoughts exactly. I¡¯d hoped to best you in an honest duel, yet reality is a harsh mistress. And with that meddling half-dragon not present in this dimension¡ these can be more freely used,¡± the Script King said as he drew out multiple items. Shards. And these then began to knit together in an eerie display, forming a slightly larger crystal. ¡°Did you know that these can be combined together? None within the hells know of where they come from, but the smallest of them can be combined together¡ their power magnified.¡±
¡°Good. Let me have it then,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I believe we¡¯ve fought long enough that I¡¯m getting a deeper understanding of just what happened to you. Let¡¯s end this.¡±
The very dimension they were in shook, the moon elf¡¯s body was wracked with convulsions and he suffered grievous damage by channelling as much of his own soul energy into the newly formed crystal as he could.
This was fine. In fact, this was what Orodan was hoping for.
Channeling the power of the soul nexus into the crystal could¡¯ve lead to backlash, and from what he¡¯d seen, the shards didn¡¯t like receiving multiple energy sources, only a singular one. In this case, it was the Script King¡¯s soul energy.
The crystal glowed with a deeper shade of pink, and within the blink of an eye, fired.
It was far stronger than the beam the Hegemony had tried hitting him with. It seemed that the crystal formed from the joining of multiple shards led to a deadlier beam.
Yet, Orodan held faith.
His shield was slung behind his back. His sword sheathed. He wouldn¡¯t need them for this.
All he needed¡
¡was the broom he drew forth.
The Script King¡¯s mangled and irrevocably changed soul wasn¡¯t just damaged¡ it was filthy. And consequently, this meant that the soul energy which had empowered the crystal and comprised the beam, was also dirty.
And for a soul that had been cleansed, purified even¡ just what sort of filth was this?
It was a filth of purity.
The very fact that the Script King¡¯s soul was naturally demonic and was now instead pure, was an abomination. An affront to nature. It was dirty.
He recalled a conversation he¡¯d had with W78 once, discussing the meaning of cleaning.
¡°¡what one sees as clean can be altered.¡±
And how cleanliness was defined by the wielder.
And with that in mind, Orodan¡¯s broom swept forward, targeting the very dirty soul energy that composed the beam. It might not work on anyone else, but on this poor being who had been changed from an Arch-Devil and into a moon elf¡ it would suffice.
The Script King¡¯s soul was dirty, not because it had conventional impurities within¡ but because the very natural order was skewed. It had been cleansed of the natural devil essence that it should have. The purity that it now held was unclean, conceptually.
And Orodan didn¡¯t like it one bit. Not when he¡¯d recently begun to see the wrong in doing such things.
His broom connected, and the beam went out of control as the normally pure soul energy with the signature of a moon elf¡ now became one with the soul energy of an Arch-Devil.
[Reality Alteration 5 ¡ú Reality Alteration 8]
The Script King looked utterly flabbergasted.
¡°H-how¡ you¡ changed my soul energy¡¡±
¡°Correct. I believe a grave injustice was done to you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Stripping away who someone is through the tyrannical application of cleaning, is an affront to nature. Sometimes, cleanliness is about the natural order of things. And in this case¡ I intend on rectifying the unnatural purity that your soul has been infected with.¡±
His broom lashed out once more, and the moon elf before him didn¡¯t even resist.
Immediately, Orodan encountered some absolutely unbelievable resistance.
Flashes of unknown cleaning techniques entered his mind. They opposed him. The purity that had locked down the soul of the Script King fought back with a ferocious ardor. Orodan wasn¡¯t just dealing with a purity that opposed him, but the will of the very being that had originally purified the soul of this former Arch-Devil.
And it was a wealth of skill, a cosmos of experience that seemed utterly impossible to surmount. Transcendent? Embodier? One could train for a billion years and still not be enough to reach the level this being was at. Frankly, he got a strange feeling from the leftover will of this being, eerily similar to what he felt in the presence of an Administrator.
Orodan was but level 98 with his Celestial skill. How could he compare?
Techniques of ages past, visions and glimpses from the very birth of something incredible¡ of a time before numbers, skills and levels¡ it all flashed through his mind, to oppose him. It was insane, impossible. No Transcendent or God could overcome this.
And yet¡
¡Orodan refused to buckle.
The broom in his hand creaked dangerously as he threw every iota of power he had into the sweep pointed at the Script King¡¯s soul. And he recalled his own techniques.
Picking up the dirty rag and cleaning the bedside table. Beating the rugs to rid them of dust and debris, cleaning and polishing the very footpath leading to his dilapidated hovel.
So what if this being¡¯s experience with Cleaning was dramatically higher?
What Orodan lacked in time and quantity, he would make up with quality.
A million? A billion? Who cared how long this unseen foe had cleansed for? Orodan¡¯s talent in Cleaning was beyond compare.
Many people spoke better than he. There were quite a few better mages than him. Hells, there might even be a few warriors who were more talented in their skills and understanding.
But, he held utmost faith in one dogmatic fact¡
¡nobody in the universe, System or otherwise, was better than Orodan Wainwright in Cleaning.
A roar of pure rage left his lips, and the unstoppable determination of Orodan fueled his raw belief in his own Cleaning. Each and every basic technique he¡¯d picked up from the very start of his journey was recalled in perfect detail, and improved upon multiple times over in the span of an instant.
Under this insane pressure, pitted against a cosmic existence that had a monstrous level of talent in Cleaning¡ Orodan¡¯s own talent grew.
The deepest parts of his soul resonated.
[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 98 ¡ú Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 99]
And then he immediately locked his insights away, inward, refusing to allow the touch of the System upon them.
It was a strange feeling, to be so profound in a skill where the System¡¯s connection and the knowledge and experience he could connect to as per his skill level, was no longer needed.
He had long suspected that the System didn¡¯t accurately reflect his insights into Cleaning, and here it was proven once more.
He had plans for the final level, and it wouldn¡¯t do to let the System update it too early.
With understanding in his eyes, the broom went forth and simply touched the soul of the Script King¡
¡and the remnant will of a mighty being was vanquished, and for the briefest of instants, he saw the glimpse of a hooded being back turned towards him, hammer in the left hand, an orb of purity in the right, System glyphs flitting about them as they faced down an endless wall of Eldritch.
[Reality Alteration 8 ¡ú Reality Alteration 20]
And at the end of his broom, the returned Arch-Devil before him trembled in awe.
The dimensional boundaries cracked and shattered, bringing Orodan back into the real world, into the city of Druhmiyan.
Zaessythra looked to be fighting evenly against Devil King Gutriyaz, while W78 had already bested Devil King Egrimaaz. Upon the arrival of him and this new Arch-Devil though, all went silent.
¡°Who¡ who are you?¡± Devil King Gutriyaz asked, staring at the newly returned Arch-Devil. ¡°Your skin¡ it is pitch black as the Arch-Devil¡¯s should be. You look so familiar, yet I do not recall you¡¡±
¡°Gutriyaz¡ it is I¡¡±
¡°No¡ it cannot be! The curse laid by that fell purity could not be broken by our greatest script-bearers! Who are you really?!¡± Devil King Gutriyaz angrily roared.
¡°Old friend¡ can you not recognize me after so long? All these millennia you have known me by a moniker I did not ask for. Script King¡ they said,¡± the Arch-Devil spoke. ¡°And yet now¡ I am in a form I¡¯d thought lost forever. Devil King Azgaraaz, the old Overking¡ has returned.¡±
¡°Damn it Orodan¡ did you just empower an enemy so you could have a good fight with him?!¡± Zaessythra angrily asked.
Well, he actually hadn¡¯t done it for that purpose¡
¡although now that she mentioned it.
#
The Council-Fortress of Druhmiyan was located at the peak of the floating city. Guards riding upon flying demonic beasts would patrol the skies above the city and yet would never venture too close to the Council-Fortress. It was an imposing fort; the walls lined with a heavy number of defenders and hellish war machines.
And as Orodan and his companions made their way through the halls and towards the Court of the Council, he had to admit that the decor was far less flashy than he would¡¯ve thought. Most other palaces he¡¯d been in, from the Imperial Citadel in Novar¡¯s Peak to the Celestial Palace in Swordmist City upon Xian, were rather gaudy.
The Council-Fortress was anything but. And the guards were frequent, even if they refused to look him in the eye. Especially after what he¡¯d done.
After the restoration of the Script King, or rather, Devil King Azgaraaz, the fighting had quickly died down. Devil King Gutriyaz, Devil King Egrimaaz and the restored former Overking had all left. Although the old Overking had simply made one proclamation.
That he owed Orodan a favor.
Furthermore, many Devil Kings who were in line with the Script King and chomping at the bit to challenge Orodan to an honor duel immediately backed down, and Druhmiyan became a rather empty city as many people suddenly left to take stock of the situation. After all, one of the biggest power players of the hells had returned.
Not that Devil King Saathmaraz or the Overking of the hells would be very happy.
Well, that was one way to achieve neutrality.
The guide alongside him was weirdly silent, and more than a bit apprehensive.
¡°Our entire galaxy was destroyed, and that man was one of the last people seen fleeing through the grand array leading to the Athranos Galaxy,¡± Orodan heard a man petition. ¡°And now people are saying he¡¯s been spotted within Druhmiyan? I demand he answer for his crimes.¡±
The footsteps were somewhat audible, so the man turned to see who entered the Court of the Council, and his eyes immediately went wide in rage and shock.
¡°It¡¯s not like I destroyed your galaxy,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Time looper! You dare show your face?! The Blackworth Collective weren¡¯t the only folks living within the Vystaxium Galaxy,¡± the man said. Dressed in an elegant black raiment with a firearm at his hip which was promptly drawn. ¡°Our homes and families are gone and someone must answer for it! You and that foolish boy-King can burn in-¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t see it. Not without Time Compression.
One moment the man was speaking. The next, he was falling apart on each side, carved in half from top to bottom.
¡°Overking¡ you cannot simply execute petitioners in this court¡¡± one of the Devil Kings said.
¡°Resurrect and provide the man generous compensation. All petitions for the day are closed, we shall hear him tomorrow,¡± the hulking giant on the throne said. ¡°Clear the Court of everyone save Devil King Saathmaraz.¡±
The Arch-Devil was large. Far bigger than any other he¡¯d seen, and definitely more physically imposing than the restored Devil King Agmaraaz, who formerly held the position of Overking. Orodan felt that this too, was a peak-Transcendent. And not a foe he could win in a fair toe to toe fight against. He¡¯d have to pull out all the stops, use Time Compression and then perhaps use his Celestial skill in a most distasteful manner.
The other Devil Kings looked more than a little unhappy at being commanded to leave while Saathmaraz remained, yet they complied all the same.
¡°Orodan Wainwright. We meet once more,¡± Devil King Saathmaraz called out. ¡°Here I was, prepared to engage in politics and schemes all for the sake of keeping the hells out of the war between you and the Hegemony and Celestial Emperor. Yet somehow, you act in a way which solves the problem while creating many more. I should not be surprised¡ since our first meeting you have had an inclination towards a most¡ reckless personality.¡±
¡°I hardly did anything. Fought a few people, did a bit of cleaning,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°You and your cleaning¡ truly a double-edged sword you wield. On one hand, it can purify vampires and devils. On the other, it can restore to full power a Devil King long thought lost,¡± Devil King Saathmaraz said. ¡°You have caused a problem for us. Here is his Mightiness, Overking Yulvaraaz Ur-Kralkar, third of his line.¡±
¡°Time looper¡ you have caused much stir within Druhmiyan today,¡± the Overking said. ¡°If you came here wishing to ensure the neutrality of us in your petty little war, you¡¯ve succeeded.¡±
¡°I came here to meet with Devil King Saathmaraz and see if neutrality was a possibility,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Whether it succeeded or failed didn¡¯t matter to me.¡±
¡°Yes. They speak of your boldness and lack of hesitation. I have no doubt you would make foes of everyone within the universe if needed,¡± the Overking said. ¡°Your actions today have proved that much.¡±
¡°You disapprove?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°My disapproval matters little now that the political situation of the hells is soon to spiral out of control,¡± the Overking said. ¡°Notice how the city has emptied out noticeably in the past hour? The Devil Kings have left to their individual domains, to either pledge loyalty to myself, Azgaraaz or ride out the coming storm of internal war.¡±
¡°It will be a bad time for the hells then? I wasn¡¯t aware one Devil King¡¯s return to full power could have such consequences,¡± Orodan said.
¡°A bad time? Perhaps for the war front in the sixth layer where the disunity here will naturally lower the amount of support provided,¡± the Overking explained. ¡°For a time, the Conclave and some of the other predatory carrion-eaters in other galaxies may make great inroads. Whenever a legitimate challenge to an Overking presents itself, this has always been the case.¡±
¡°Other galaxies? I knew the hells reached rather far¡ perhaps to the neighboring galaxies, but to others as well?¡±
¡°Your own galaxy is but one of many that we have access to,¡± the Overking said. ¡°Of course, our fated foes, the Conclave, also have their influence spread throughout many galaxies.¡±
¡°Yet, you don¡¯t seem overly concerned,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°An accurate observation. While the coming storm will be a turbulent one, with a likely chance of my deposition. The hells will be stronger as a result with the return of a former Overking. A great offensive against the Conclave will occur, and we shall claim many worlds.¡±
¡°And you won¡¯t be killed?¡±
¡°We are not as uncivilized as the Conclave and its lies attempt to portray us as,¡± the Overking said. ¡°I spared Devil King Azgaraaz during my ascension a million years ago and he fell in line under my reign. Similarly, if I lose, I shall dutifully fall in line and obey any current Overking as is custom.¡±
¡°You fought the Script King when he was an Arch-Devil, or in his current form?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It was only after his ill-fated trip to a black hole that he returned in such a state. Truthfully, I had no designs on the throne of the hells, and he requested I duel him for it and take rulership,¡± the Overking said. ¡°In his prime¡ he was fearsome indeed.¡±
A trip to a black hole? Why did this sound so familiar? It seemed that nobody who made a journey to a black hole had a happy ending. And given who Jian Huangdi potentially met during his journey into one¡ Orodan was beginning to have an inkling as to just what kind of being cleansed the former Script King.
Still, the current Overking had his hands full.
¡°Which means you¡¯ll remain neutral until then,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Towards you, we shall remain neutral for the foreseeable future. With the restoration of Devil King Azgaraaz, you¡¯ve proven that you¡¯re not the existential threat that many thought you to be,¡± the Overking said. ¡°The Conclave shall bear our wrath, but I sense you¡¯re no lapdog of theirs.¡±
¡°I owe them no particular loyalty besides the sharing of mutual enemies. I suppose the purpose of my visit here has been fulfilled then,¡± Orodan said. And to think Zhou Shan wanted him to play it diplomatically. Turns out acting the reckless fool had its advantages sometimes. ¡°Say, that carving behind the throne, what¡¯s that?¡±
¡°This? It¡¯s a depiction of the ancestor himself¡ some say it¡¯s the oldest devil, others that it¡¯s our progenitor,¡± the Overking said. In truth, we do not know. In any case, I am no historian and do not dwell on such matters.¡±
What was the carving?
A hooded figure, hammer in the left hand, orb of purity in the right, System symbols flitting above their head as they faced down a wall of purple and gray.
#
¡°Your departure from the hells went smoothly then?¡±
¡°Of course, why would it not?¡± Orodan asked in return. ¡°The Overking already said the hells would be remaining neutral during the war.¡±
¡°It¡¯s just that¡ you practically barged into Druhmiyan, conducted yourself most violently and they just let you walk out?¡± the High Sovereign asked. ¡°No assassins waiting outside. No further tricks or schemes?¡±
¡°Did you want there to be?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I admit I could¡¯ve gone for a few more brawls myself. Shame I didn¡¯t quite get to fight the restored Devil King Agmaraaz or the Overking. Well¡ one loop perhaps.¡±
¡°If this all goes to plan, there should be no need for any further loops,¡± Zaessythra said.
Or no need for further loops because he would be permanently dead. That was also a distinct possibility. He wasn¡¯t the type to wallow in misery, but a certain level of realism and the acceptance that defeat was a real possibility lingered in his mind. He had died enough times, and he wasn¡¯t delusional enough to believe he could beat absolutely everyone. Especially not the apocalyptic force coming for him.
What he did believe though, was that his will and soul would never break. Victory or defeat, the spirit of Orodan Wainwright would never break.
¡°Not that we are complaining about the destruction you sowed¡ but our preliminary reports suggest the return of the former Overking Agmaraaz,¡± Captain-General Ryzlan said. ¡°And that his restoration is your doing.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the issue? The neutrality of the hells has been acquired, has it not?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°The enmity between the Conclave and the Hells isn¡¯t my business.¡±
¡°An answer we were content to receive. But empowering our enemies - something we shall have to bear the consequences of down the road - is veering into the domain of making it your business,¡± the Captain-General said. ¡°You are far too friendly with the devils of the hells for my liking.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been to the hells, they don¡¯t seem all that bad. They don¡¯t enslave anyone, the populations on their worlds seem content from what I hear, and the people aren¡¯t being mistreated,¡± Orodan said. If he saw something he disliked, he would revise his opinion accordingly. But for now, the devils of the hells seemed rather¡ normal? Like any other faction of power, they just wanted to expand, and they treated conquered populations respectably. ¡°If you¡¯re just two rival factions competing over lucrative worlds to conquer, I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s any business of mine. If it makes you feel better I can resurrect some fallen hero of the Conclave as well.¡±
The Captain-General of the Conclave looked as though he wanted to respond, but the God held his tongue.
¡°Analysis: diverting from critical subject matter. Solution: divert focus towards hostile elements,¡± W78 said.
¡°That I agree with,¡± Lady Sujana said. ¡°We now know that the shards can be combined into a crystal. This is a process which greatly amplifies the power of any attack launched from them.¡±
¡°Furthermore, as Orodan said, there¡¯s no guarantee he can stop these crystals the same way as he did when facing Devil King Agmaraaz,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°That was a unique method exploiting the fact that the Devil King¡¯s soul was deeply broken and our time looper¡¯s Celestial skill was able to affect it.¡±
¡°Then the only reliable method of countering them is through the usage of our own shards,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°We have enough now that we could attempt to form our own crystal and keep it near Orodan during combat. If anyone¡¯s going to be a prime target for shard-based attacks, it¡¯ll be him.¡±
¡°Even then. Shards aside, our enemy¡¯s combat strength cannot be underestimated. My father is one of the most powerful peak-Transcendents in this galaxy. I¡¯m still a good while away from being able to match him, and I doubt he¡¯ll allow Orodan the opportunity to wage a battle of Celestial skills like the last confrontation we had,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°The dwarves and their voidcraft are a threat too, even if we have our guns now thanks to the Blackworth Collective who¡¯ve agreed to fight alongside us. The Hegemony though¡ Excromon, Astalavar and their leader Agrimon are contested easily enough, but their Crusaders, that world-eating dragon Avraxas in particular, we need a method of countering it.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Zaessythra posed while looking directly at Orodan. ¡°There might be a method of targeting the link between God and Transcendent. After all, these Crusaders are no more than a sickening soul meld, a forced combination of two beings.¡±
Orodan saw where this was going.
¡°No. These battles are beyond anyone on Alastaia,¡± he immediately shut down. ¡°Why should they have to fight on our behalf?¡±
¡°You haven¡¯t even asked her opinion on the matter,¡± Zaessythra replied.
Orodan was adamantly against it. Not again.
¡°The Hegemony, the dwarves and Jian Huangdi are dealt with easily enough,¡± Captain-General Ryzlan chimed in. ¡°But you forget the true horror which will appear to assist the enemy.¡±
¡°The Reject,¡± Orodan said.
The true threat.
¡°I still cannot believe that this¡ Administrator¡ is the founding daoist we venerate upon Cultivator¡¯s Peak,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Yet, the carving you saw in the hells was no coincidence either. These Administrators clearly have mortal origins. From a time well before any of us existed, but an origin all the same. Which means they are not insurmountable foes, but beings like you and I who can be defeated!¡±
¡°At what cost? We have three Embodier¡¯s Sacrifices which we¡¯re willing to provide, but the cost is a steep one for someone who will not even commit to an alliance with us,¡± Captain-General Ryzlan said. ¡°And if what happened in the Vystaxium Galaxy is any indicator¡ these beings can destroy galaxies with their battles. How are we meant to stand against such a force? Do you expect us to fight for you?¡±
¡°No. I do not,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Then what will be our plan?¡± Zhou Shan asked.
¡°The plan. Will involve everyone else retreating once the Reject arrives upon the battlefield,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The Administrators seem at least somewhat restrained in what they can do and who they can slaughter. If not by the System, then each other. In other words, his battle is with me, and I tire of having others die on my behalf.¡±
¡°You speak madness my friend! This is a battle which could cost you the entire time loop and lead to your permanent end! Never have I heard of someone attempting a battle with such a wide power gulf,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°I¡ I refuse to allow you to go into battle empty-handed. Or alone. I shall stand alongside you.¡±
¡°Information: unit will not abandon friend.¡±
¡°You lot are too much! My time loops were far simpler when it was just me,¡± Orodan said angrily. ¡°I¡ I appreciate your support. I do. But let a warrior fight his own battles in peace.¡±
¡°At the very least. If not for you, then for the High Sovereign and our alliance with the Celestial Court, we shall provide the three Embodier¡¯s Sacrifices that we have in our inventory,¡± the Captain-General said. ¡°Additionally, we¡¯ll have a few more detatchments from nearby galaxies coming to help us before the date of the battle. In terms of manpower, we will not be lacking.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound ungrateful. I¡¯m appreciative of the weapons. As for your concerns, I still intend on confronting the Reject primarily by myself. If anyone else comes along to support me¡¡± Orodan trailed off and sighed. ¡°¡then they¡¯re free to do as they wish. Who am I to stop someone rushing to their deaths? Just don¡¯t let it be for me.¡±
¡°At worst, we¡¯ll simply be resurrected afterwards,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°Assuming our side wins the battle.¡±
¡°Which, given the odds in our favor, is a distinct possibility,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Reject aside, our odds are looking hopeful.¡±
¡°We¡¯re in agreement then. Fight against our foes, and when the Reject himself shows up¡ Orodan and I shall break away to handle it, and more can join in depending on how the battle goes,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°It¡¯s time then,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Two weeks remain, and we¡¯ll have to fortify our battleground. After all, the Reject is heading for one particular place.¡±
Alastaia.
It was time to return home.
Chapter 65 - Homeward & The Battle for Alastaia
¡°This place¡ it brings back memories. The air still has that cold bite to it, the rocky spires are just as I remember them, and it has that familiar lifeless aura about it.¡±
Out of sentimentality, Orodan hadn¡¯t bothered to clean the ground of Eldritch here.
The Valley of Spires, upon the northern continent of Guzuhar.
This was the location where he¡¯d had his very first battle and encounter against the Eldritch Avatar. Where he¡¯d been exposed to the Eldritch for the very first time. He¡¯d then actually managed to kill it here during his second attempt, albeit at the cost of his own life. Nobody came here, this place was considered cursed ground among Guzuharans, particularly among clan Iron-Bear who¡¯d sent a priestess of Ozgaric to guide him along.
He didn¡¯t really need a guide, but the nostalgia of returning here and the opportunity to ask her how Guzuhar was doing under the new joint council of dragons, Gods and nation leaders was appreciated.
¡°The scars of many battles still remain,¡± the woman next to him said. ¡°Was this all you wished of me, my lord? I would¡ prefer not to step any further¡¡±
¡°Indeed, I shall continue alone from here. Your company and the news on how Guzuhar has been doing was more than welcome,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Esbetta Ingamiris was it? Thank you, I¡¯ll put in a good word for you to Ozgaric.¡±
¡°T-thank you my lord,¡± the woman replied.
Orodan looked at her, but in truth felt no real emotions. He¡¯d lain with this woman once upon a time, long ago during his very first loop to the northern continent, but it was far removed. And nowadays such things didn¡¯t interest him any longer.
Zaessythra had gone to the restored moon for some meditations, and W78 had gone ahead to Novar¡¯s Peak where the defense command was set up. As for Orodan himself, he was visiting old haunts, starting with this one where he had a meeting planned.
He walked onwards, stepping past the hints of foul purple energy emanating from the ground. The land was suffused with a minor bit of Eldritch energy, mainly due to the Eldritch Gods choosing the Valley of Spires as their preferred spot of landing when sending a champion to assault Alastaia. Supposedly, the Eldritch divinities had the most influence here, while the Gods of Alastaia weren¡¯t as powerful.
Frankly, the difference was incredibly minor. Orodan had grown. The Eldritch Avatar? He could slaughter entire armies of it. The Eldritch Gods? He might be able to tear through a dimensional boundary to reach them directly to slay or cleanse of taint. In the past he always pondered where the Eldritch Gods came from; his conversation with the world core of Alastaia and what he¡¯d seen in the Vystaxium Galaxy confirmed it. Plague worlds.
There was undoubtedly a plague world out there somewhere, and it was attempting to launch limited attacks on Alastaia. Nowhere near the horrifying coordination and planetary sized swarms of infected that he¡¯d seen while battling upon Lonvoron alongside the Blackworth Collective, but it was still there.
A part of Orodan wondered if it was the presence of the Prophet, that infectious Administrator, that allowed for the plague worlds there to be so coordinated. If anything, mayhap the Prophet¡¯s arrival here might herald an Eldritch invasion the likes of which Lonvoron had experienced. Still, it wasn¡¯t the Prophet that was his main concern, it was the Reject.
And right now, before him was an assortment of various people of importance. All of them, integral parts of the joint-council which looked after Alastaia.
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± an Avatar walked up, eyes glowing subtly, and extended a hand. ¡°Your battles have taken you far from Alastaia, yet you return home at last. What does the World Ruler of this world wish of us?¡±
Orodan took the Avatar¡¯s proffered hand. It was the descent of a God unto someone who had their Blessing. Hells¡ when was the last time he¡¯d seen an actual Avatar? It was a firm reminder that these people simply weren¡¯t ready for the sort of battle and combat that was coming.
In the wider galaxy, Gods of sufficient power could simply breach the dimensional boundaries between the divine realm and the material plane to physically enter. The first one he¡¯d seen doing this was Astalavar, but afterwards he¡¯d seen it semi-commonly enough and even slew a few such descending Gods.
¡°Ozgaric, it is good to see you. I assume the word has been passed to all of you?¡±
Ozgaric, the Guzuharan God of Trickery and Illusions. This God had helped Orodan at a critical time when he needed a Blessing to remain under the radar from the Prime Five of Inuan. Orodan had not forgotten the favor, and he always honored his debts and those who¡¯d done him a good turn. As a result, Guzuhar was now a flourishing continent, and out of all the Gods of Guzuhar, Orodan ensured that Ozgaric had the widest worship. The Guzuharan God even had adherents on Inuan now.
¡°It has. You bring¡ ill-tidings. Is our world truly under such threat?¡±
¡°A foe which can destroy entire galaxies comes for us,¡± Orodan said, choosing not to lie. ¡°I do not expect any of you to fight, but I only feel it fair that you be told.¡±
Another Avatar walked up and Orodan immediately took this one¡¯s hand as well.
¡°Orodan Wainwright. It is good to see you,¡± Malzim said. ¡°Do we know what this being seeks? Perhaps we might give it to them?¡±
Malzim, Inuanan God of Death and one of the Prime Five. This God had bailed Orodan out in the very early days when Ilyatana attempted to control Orodan¡¯s mind and soul. Knowing what he did now, perhaps it hadn¡¯t been necessary and his inexplicable will would¡¯ve simply caused the Goddess of Fate¡¯s attempts at control to fail. Yet, he was grateful for the aid in a desperate situation all the same.
¡°I will not lie. They come for me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My¡ tendency to be honest and proclaim my status as a time looper has caused them to descend. Yet, they also come for the Divine Tower which goes all the way down to the world core.¡±
A growl and a hiss erupted from the nearby dragon who had been listening in.
¡°Your hubris has doomed us all then? Why take up the mantle of World Ruler if you invite such disaster onto us?¡± said Cyvrosdyr the Eternal Winter, World Guardian of Alastaia.
Orodan liked the wintry dragon. It was this dragon that had given him the second Quest to slay the Eldritch Avatar.
¡°It¡¯s not my nature to make excuses. I accept responsibility for what I¡¯ve caused,¡± Orodan replied. To reply with anger, to deflect it, would be cowardly and dishonest. ¡°No matter what happens, none of you gathered here today will be expected to face the foe. I fight my own battles, I always have and forever will.¡±
¡°I¡ certainly hope so, Orodan,¡± Malzim said. ¡°I am not one who enjoys battle. Least of all against a foe so grossly superior. Do you have confidence in your ability to deal with it? We¡¯ve spoken at length a few times about the time loops and how you¡¯ve grown, but¡ a galaxy destroyer?¡±
¡°Coward,¡± Cyvrosdyr spat. ¡°What good is a God that won¡¯t fight for their faithful in defense of their world?¡±
Orodan shook his head and gestured for the wintry dragon to ease up.
¡°Not everyone aspires to become a legendary warrior,¡± Orodan said, recalling the conversation he¡¯d had with Mahari a long time ago. ¡°Everyone has their place in this world. Some take peaceful paths, others take roads fraught with slightly more conflict. It does not make him lesser for it. And if those who walk the peaceful road are unwilling to fight, that¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll simply do battle in their stead.¡±
¡°I respect your mettle and sense of responsibility, World Ruler¡ but I must disagree,¡± Cyvrosdyr said. ¡°The pacifism of Malzim can rest only in the shade of your strength. To encourage such a thing¡¡±
¡°Then I shall grow strong enough to shade all who wish it,¡± Orodan said, his fist clenched. ¡°I agree that one¡¯s haughty ideals are useless without the strength to live by them, but we¡¯re going off-course. This meeting is to inform you all that a grand array leading to a safe part of a neighboring galaxy is being offered by the Conclave. If we fall, you shall be sheltered. If we prevail, you will simply return.¡±
¡°A fair compromise,¡± said Kultuanir, the patriarch of the Time Wind dragon flight who¡¯d been silent thus far.
Eldramir, patriarch of the Novarrian Soaring Flame dragon flight was also present, as was the patriarch of the Sapphire Gale. Eldramir and Kultuanir butted heads when the joint-council of Alastaia was initially formed, but had grown to be capable of working together.
¡°And before I forget¡ have you heard anything of Eximus?¡± Orodan asked, looking at Malzim.
¡°Nothing¡ no word from Ilyatana or Agathor either,¡± the God of Death said. ¡°We¡¯ve found no faithful of Ilyatana or Agathor¡ but Eximus, we have been rooting out his followers regularly. Just last week we found a cult and had their souls cleansed by the cultivators from that other world you have ventured to.¡±
It would have been concerning if Orodan cared to keep Alastaia¡¯s location secret indefinitely. But from the get-go he knew that wouldn¡¯t have been feasible. The Reject had some manner of locking onto the planet and was coming for it. Eximus having followers upon Alastaia was unfortunate, but acceptable for now.
¡°And what of Agorhiku?¡± Orodan asked looking at Ozgaric.
The Guzuharan God of War counted the raider tribes of the northern continent among his faithful. Orodan hated raiders, they were responsible for the attack on the caravan where Orodan had lost both his parents when a babe and the course of his life was changed. Consequently, he hated Agorhiku as well. And the day he found a way into the divine realm on his own power, he vowed to execute the Guzuharan War God with his own hands.
¡°Most of the raider tribes have been wiped out. Guzuhar is safer than ever before, and finding any followers of Agorhiku is an incredibly rare occurrence,¡± Ozgaric said. ¡°Incredibly rare, yet a few still remaining in hiding somewhere.¡±
Orodan hummed and then looked to the back where the last group was present. Three Avatars who were familiar.
¡°And how¡¯ve you lot been?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Not very talkative are you?¡±
¡°We are doing well, time looper,¡± Cithrel, God-Queen of the elves of Eldiron spoke from her Avatar¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ever since you made my dearest Eldarion here take his trial early and consequently ascend to Godhood instead of Transcendence, I¡¯m the happiest I have ever been.¡±
¡°I see¡ and what of you, Eldarion? Have you been doing well?¡±
¡°My daily life is filled with physical exertions of a most gruelling nature,¡± the Avatar of the elven God of Friendship replied. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, I should have never advanced beyond level 100. Remaining there was a simpler time¡¡±
¡°Hush now dearest¡ is that how you refer to our most beautiful union of love?¡±
Ah. That.
Now Orodan felt at least partly bad for the poor elf who¡¯d failed the ascendancy trial and instead become a God. A God of Friendship being forced to engage in such rigorous exertions couldn¡¯t have been pleasant. Although¡ perhaps it was a good form of training?
Well, at least Eldarion didn¡¯t actually sound unhappy and it seemed more of a jest than anything.
¡°Your marital happiness and activities aside, I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re doing well,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Has Faraine made any moves against you? I strictly told her to avoid you and go about her own business.¡±
¡°No interaction between us, time looper,¡± Cithrel said. ¡°She has kept her word at least.¡±
¡°And I get a strange feeling from you, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°It¡¯s a feeling most familiar to myself as well. The sensation of holding back insights from the System for fear of not wanting to advance until the right moment.¡±
¡°Do you now?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Perhaps¡ I took inspiration from what you were doing.¡±
After all. When it came to certain skills¡
¡the System simply couldn¡¯t accurately quantify their power.
#
While a casual stroll through Novar¡¯s Peak sounded entertaining, it would¡¯ve simply caused an excessive disturbance and led to the incapacitation of multiple members of the Intelligence Service. Yes, Orodan was the World Ruler of Alastaia, but the average member of the public still thought that Elites were the highest level someone could reach.
The matter of who¡¯d gone into the abyss and brought the world core to heel wasn¡¯t something they knew about. Only members of the joint-council and a select few people did.
Unlike Spatial Fold which was more than a little destructive along the path of its usage, Teleportation was far more convenient and allowed for the quick and instantaneous travel between points Orodan had already been to. And he¡¯d definitely been to the deep basement of Novar¡¯s Peak beneath the Memorial of the First Emperor.
¡°Who goes there?!¡±
A hand whipped out, although for a brief instant nothing came. Only the next moment did a gout of shredding wind emanate. Orodan¡¯s clothes were shredded, but he was entirely unharmed.
¡°Retraining the muscle memory is hard,¡± Orodan said. ¡°While that crown was useful, the risk of corruption from the Eldritch is simply too high.¡±
¡°Wait¡ you¡¯re¡¡±
¡°Good to see you again, Balastion,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Novarria and the world have been running smoothly since my departure I hope?¡±
Balastion Novar. First Emperor of the Empire of Novarria and likely the strongest human upon the continent of Inuan, Orodan aside. Orodan cleansed the man¡¯s Eldritch crown, at the request of Balastion himself from the long loop in Novarria where he¡¯d fallen to the Eldritch.
¡°Orodan Wainwright. It has been a while indeed,¡± Balastion Novar replied. ¡°You left for other worlds, and now the only thing the occasional traveler coming from the wider galaxy can speak of is the time looper. You haven¡¯t remained idle at all.¡±
¡°Far from it. I¡¯ve also made some new enemies, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of all that,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Indeed. I suspected your straightforward nature and that habit of perpetual honesty might cause trouble,¡± Balastion replied.
¡°No scathing remark?¡±
¡°I have had time to think, to reflect and piece together what they say about you with what I saw and the tales you told me of the time loops,¡± Balastion spoke. ¡°I think, Orodan¡ that one way or another, you always prevail. I see no reason to lose faith in you now. In any case, myself and the people of Novarria will be evacuating through this Conclave¡¯s grand array, so I shall not worry overmuch.¡±
Orodan hummed in acknowledgement. Did he always prevail? He had gotten this far, but that was through the usage of the time loops. Who knew how this battle would play out? No enemy of his had ever threatened the time loops and a permanent death before.
¡°Anyhow, how¡¯s Novarria been doing? Have your people prospered? Do the elves bother you any longer?¡± Orodan asked.
The conflict between Novarria and Eldiron had been rather central in his last long loop after all.
¡°Novarria has been well my friend, and the elves have not overstepped their bounds. The looming threat of yourself has made everyone fall in line, and the lack of the Eldritch crown means Eldiron has little reason to try and make any aggressive movements. Of course, despite the joint-council we still occasionally bicker and argue, with the rare spy or two sending reports. But compared to the old days, now is a peaceful time,¡± Balastion explained. ¡°Our people prosper, travelers from other worlds often come by and trade us the most wondrous of things, and they all oft speak of you and your exploits. I profess¡ this experience of feeling small within my own citadel is a novel one.¡±
¡°The Imperial Citadel of Novarria is still your home and domain,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Has anyone been giving you trouble? Say the word and I shall straighten them out.¡±
Balastion shook his head and laughed.
¡°Far from it. If anything, these Transcendents who I hadn¡¯t known to exist until now are most respectful towards me. The cultivators in particular seem to hold you in high regard, something to do with you liberating their world and being good friends with their High Sovereign,¡± Balastion said. ¡°No. The smallness I feel comes from within. It is¡ interesting to see that my dream for a world of peace has, even if temporarily, been achieved. And in a way superior to what I would¡¯ve planned.¡±
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. He wasn¡¯t good at comforting people, and wasn¡¯t sure how to go about addressing Balastion¡¯s feeling of inadequacy. On one hand, Orodan had achieved everything Balastion himself desired and provided it. A prosperous and secure Novarria; a world of peace. On the other, he¡¯d taken the man¡¯s Eldritch crown and practically destroyed it. As requested by the Balastion Novar of the last long loop of course.
There was no quandary or moral guilt there, he¡¯d acted as Balastion asked. But a part of Orodan wondered if it was better to allow people the freedom to make their own mistakes. In any case, he was better equipped now to aid Balastion in acquiring Eldritch Resistance. Something to think about for the next loop.
Next loop? No. That was a defeatist attitude.
Orodan shook his head to clear his thoughts. In his own way, he was subconsciously worried about the outcome of the coming battle it seemed.
¡°I see¡ I shan¡¯t intrude on the personal strife within. I have more than enough of it myself some days,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I did come here to see one more person though. Is she around? Or rather¡ might she come out from the shadow of that pillar she¡¯s attempting to hide behind?¡±
A fizzle of magical energies popped, and a slender woman suddenly became visible. She¡¯d arrived halfway through his and Balastion¡¯s conversation, and Orodan sensed it immediately.
¡°In any case, it was good to see you again, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Balastion said. ¡°The defense command still has more administrative matters they wish to run by me, so I shall go for now.¡±
The First Emperor of Novarria departed his own memorial chamber, leaving only Orodan and Vespidia within.
This was the reincarnated elf who¡¯d given her life for him once. In the last long loop he had in Novarria. She had been a friend, even if she didn¡¯t remember those experiences in this loop.
¡°Your ability to spot anything, no matter how well-hidden, is somewhat unsettling,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°Can your enemies even flee?¡±
¡°It works through spotting the impurities in someone¡¯s soul or their energy pools. Newborn infants with pure souls or the soul energy from the average undamaged soul won¡¯t register anything. It¡¯s not an all-powerful skill,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°And there was a time where my enemies couldn¡¯t flee, but that was due to a Blessing. The God responsible for that Blessing is now dead.¡±
¡°Well¡ you certainly don¡¯t fail to keep busy. Is that what you¡¯ve been doing since freeing Faraine?¡± Vespidia asked.
¡°That, and making cosmic enemies who threaten devastation on a galactic scale,¡± Orodan added. ¡°You¡¯re up to speed then?¡±
¡°Unfortunately. You¡¯re pitting me against foes who are a bit above my weight class,¡± she said.
¡°So Zaessythra approached you then? That damn half-dragon¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°I¡¯m vehemently against this idea, and you don¡¯t have to fight at all.¡±
¡°But I want to.¡±
¡°And what of your wife? What if you¡¯re struck by some horrific attack which ravages your soul?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why you refuse to have her resurrected. It would take less than two seconds for me to do so.¡±
¡°While your power is impressive, I think bringing her back to a world on the brink of invasion is a bit¡ unfair, is it not?¡± Vespidia asked, and Orodan had to grudgingly admit to that. ¡°We¡¯re in fact rather happy. Faraine and Malzim work together to arrange regular visits, and I intend to naturally pass in Faraine¡¯s service before seeing her again.¡±
She wanted to die.
That was fine. Orodan also enjoyed the thought of an honest death in battle.
But Orodan was also a hypocrite, and he knew that.
¡°Damn it Vespidia,¡± he growled out. ¡°Why do you insist on getting killed on my behalf?¡±
¡°On Faraine¡¯s behalf.¡±
¡°Then if I tell Faraine to retreat and evacuate through the grand array?¡±
¡°She¡¯ll refuse. My Goddess won¡¯t abandon her followers or the world they live upon,¡± Vespidia said.
¡°You don¡¯t even know if this stupid plan of yours will work,¡± Orodan argued.
¡°Given what I¡¯ve heard about these Crusaders, they¡¯re the forced combination of a God and a Transcendent,¡± she said. ¡°My divine severing dagger can cut the connection between God and Avatar¡ so it¡¯s at least worth a shot. Particularly if that gigantic world-eating dragon will be arriving on the Hegemony¡¯s side.¡±
She wasn¡¯t wrong. Avraxas, the Crusader dragon of the Hegemony who was both peak-God and peak-Transcendent fused into one, would be a problem. Orodan perhaps felt he could beat it given enough time and some checkpoint uses. The dragon was famed for its enormous energy capacity, but Orodan¡¯s was on a level far beyond it. However, there was no way the enemy allowed him to leisurely spend weeks duelling Avraxas. The Reject was coming for Orodan, and his allies would need to find some way of dealing with the massive world eating dragon on their own.
¡°¡¡±
¡°You might be a mighty time looper, but you don¡¯t get to dictate how or when others choose to die,¡± Vespidia said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of¡ my sacrifice in a past loop of yours. I don¡¯t know what that Vespidia was thinking, but death has always been on my mind. My love and desire to see my fallen wife is matched only by my devotion to Faraine. In serving her and finding death, I¡¯ll be happy. You have my gratitude for freeing my Goddess, but both her and I intend to make a stand upon Alastaia.¡±
¡°You fight at the level of a Grandmaster. Our enemies are Transcendents and Gods in their actual forms,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How do you intend to make any contribution before being annihilated as an afterthought?¡±
¡°The defense command has assigned a squad to me. Their duty is to keep me safe so that I might strike blows against enemy Crusaders,¡± Vespidia explained.
¡°Fair enough. You¡¯re right. I shan¡¯t try and dictate what you do, that would be tyranny,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But¡ if you¡¯re doing all this for Faraine, then do I not deserve to meet with your Goddess?¡±
Upon the utterance of his words, the air became charged with divine power, and Vespidia¡¯s eyes began glowing.
¡°And here I am, Orodan Wainwright. My savior, and the protector of our world,¡± Faraine said, voice booming. ¡°What may I do for one who has done so much for me?¡±
¡°Evacuate yourself and all of Eldiron?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I cannot. The people will be evacuated, but us Gods will remain to support you, even if defensively,¡± Faraine said. ¡°I have had my differences with my fellow elven deities, but in this we stand united.¡±
¡°Fine. Do as you wish,¡± Orodan said. He wasn¡¯t exactly happy about it, but he wouldn¡¯t stand in their way if they wished to defend their home. ¡°That was all I had to speak of.¡±
¡°Wait. Before you go¡ the Eldritch,¡± Faraine said. ¡°They tell me you¡¯ve fought it upon other galaxies as well.¡±
¡°What of it?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°There¡¯s two distinct kinds of it. The non-infectious sort that can be found in the depths of the abyss and in some people, and the infectious kind which I battled in a neighboring galaxy.¡±
¡°And these Eldritch¡ were they spouting about¡ about the ¡®truth¡¯ as well?¡± Faraine asked.
¡°Yes, they were,¡± Orodan said and then he understood. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. You too succumbed to the Eldritch infection long ago before your imprisonment, yes?¡±
¡°Correct. And I just wanted to know how¡ how you resisted it so well.¡±
¡°Keeping your willpower strong tends to help,¡± Orodan said. But that was stupid advice, like a strong warrior telling a skinny boy to just be strong. ¡°As does remaining true to your sense of self. It tried whispering to me often, but I never really listened.¡±
In that regard, his stubborn and bull-headed nature probably helped. Dense people had words go in one ear and out the other. Orodan Wainwright had words go in one ear and come right back out. A head of pure stone.
¡°But the truth they speak of¡ how did you resist its sway? When I heard of it¡ my mind has had difficulty not constantly dwelling upon it. The urge to speak it, to spread it; it plagues me still and I fear the lightest touch of Eldritch will find me easier to corrupt than it would any other.¡±
Now that was interesting.
What she was suggesting, was that knowledge of the ¡®truth¡¯ that the Eldritch spread made one more vulnerable to it?
Then¡ did one¡¯s relation and their understanding of the Eldritch truth determine what sort of infected they were?
Something to consider.
#
Karilsgard.
Capital city of the Republic of Aden and where he¡¯d dwelled during his time at the Bluefire Academy.
It was a beautiful city, and it held many memories for him. However now that he¡¯d ventured out into the galaxy and seen a few other worlds, Karilsgard seemed a bit¡ mundane. Hells, even Novar¡¯s Peak was an older and more glamorous city. Still, he liked the place, and it brought back memories of Bluefire Academy, House Firesword and the long loop in which three of the Prime Five had tried possessing him to use as a counterpart to the Eldritch Avatar.
Unlike with Novar¡¯s Peak, here he did decide to stroll down the streets. He was an Adenian, this was his territory. There was no Novarrian Intelligence Service around to harass him, and unless something had changed, he was still the county militia man from Ogdenborough. Although, there might be some questions of desertion if anyone recognized him.
He walked past the Rockwood manor, past the commercial district and beyond the Cathedral of the Prime Five. Or rather, Prime Two. Three of the statues had been struck down, and there was a period of much upheaval on Inuan as the joint-council worked to stamp out any worship and Blessings of the vile three who Orodan considered his enemies.
He was near the High Forges of Karilsgard and nearing the Palace of the Council when a guard stopped him.
Perhaps someone finally recognized him and would try to arrest him for desertion? Admittedly, very few people were his size, so it wasn¡¯t hard to spot Orodan.
¡°You are¡ Lord Wainwright? Sir, we¡¯ve been told to keep an eye out for you,¡± the guard, an Adept-level capital guardsman said.
¡°Lord? I¡¯m just Orodan Wainwright. Not a lord,¡± Orodan replied. The pomp and pretentiousness of such things didn¡¯t suit him.
¡°But¡ sir¡ we were instructed to bring you to the courts upon discovery. You¡¯re the head of noble house Wainwright, are you not?¡±
Noble house Wainright?!
What in the seven hells?!
¡°W-what?!¡± Orodan incredulously asked. ¡°I¡¯m not a noble! Is this some sort of practical joke?¡±
¡°N-no sir! I¡¯m just following orders, I apologize if I¡¯ve inconvenienced you. We were just told to bring you to the courts so that they could formalize the affair,¡± the guardsman said.
Orodan? A noble? Absolutely not! Never!
He was no uppity ponce. He was no effete fool with a particular palate. To be called a noble was some sort of insult! Orodan came from humble stock damn it!
He sighed and shook his head.
¡°You¡¯re just doing your job. Tell the courts I have no time for such things, and that I refuse the registration. I¡¯m no noble,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Er¡ I¡¯ll relay the message my lord¡ but you also have a seat on the joint-council,¡± the guard said. ¡°Your house banner flies from the top of the High Spire of Karilsgard.¡±
The palm of Orodan¡¯s hand met his own face. He¡¯d been taught of all the noble houses during basic training in the militia. He looked up to get a good look at the additional banner which he didn¡¯t otherwise recognize.
It was simple. A white sword and shield diagonally crossed over one another, on a field of black.
Well¡
¡the banner wasn¡¯t half-bad at least.
¡°Damn it all¡ who¡¯s responsible for this? Who declared me a noble?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I believe it was a motion jointly proposed by Houses Rockwood and Firesword, with unanimous approval from all other houses,¡± the guard said. ¡°The unanimous approval¡¯s rather rare.¡±
Damn Alcianne, and damn Arvayne. He would give them a piece of his mind. Good thing he was already on route to see them.
¡°I¡¯m headed for the Palace of the Council in any case, I shall¡ have words with them.¡±
He left the guardsman behind and continued onwards. He practically threw the Palace doors off their hinges and no guardsman got in his way as he made a beeline for the Council Chambers.
He threw the doors open.
¡°My lords and ladies, we¡¯ve rooted out more faithful of Eximus today,¡± a military general said, giving report. ¡°It¡¯s the last raid we can do before the evacuation order.¡±
¡°Good work. Continue making preparations for the mass evacuation general, we shall give you further ord-¡±
¡°Where is Alcianne Rockwood!¡± Orodan loudly asked, interrupting council.
¡°You are¡ Lord Wainwright!¡± said the High-Burgher Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan. Nominal head of the Republic. ¡°My lord, we have yet to formally declare you nobility with a ceremony, but now is as good a t-¡±
¡°No! No noble titles! No noble houses!¡± Orodan said. ¡°¡good taste in the banner though. Simple but strong.¡±
An old couple in the back, within the spectator seats stood up as he spoke. They looked the same at least.
¡°Shall we take this somewhere quieter?¡± Alcianne Rockwood asked.
#
¡°It lightens my heart to see you happy and doing well, old man,¡± Orodan said.
They were on a balcony near the very peak of the High Spire, overlooking the entire city of Karilsgard and much of the countryside.
Arvayne Firesword. The oldest member and triple-Grandmaster of House Firesword. This man was the second strongest warrior of the Republic, and while Orodan had long since grown past such minuscule scales of power, what mattered to him¡ was that this graying old man, and the old woman holding Arvayne¡¯s hand, were his mentors long ago.
¡°I¡¯m not even at three milennia yet¡¡± Arvayne muttered.
¡°Something you needn¡¯t be concerned about now that Alastaia has access to the wider galaxy for trade. The cultivators can concoct pills which make natural aging a concern of the past,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°Indeed. I¡¯ve been trying to get this old sack of bones to try one, but he¡¯s holding off for now. Too set in his ways,¡± Alcianne said.
¡°I regret not being able to come by as often, I apologize,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Hardly your fault when I was an insensate mess who needed the assistance of numerous mind and soul cultivators to recover,¡± Arvayne said. Unlike everyone else, Orodan truly didn¡¯t have much opportunity to speak with Arvayne Firesword. After getting rid of Agathor and the War God¡¯s Blessings, Arvayne¡¯s mind and soul were damaged. The man needed time and help to recover and return to his old self. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever got the chance to say this¡ but I¡¯m grateful for everything you did. For reuniting me with Alcianne under my own mind¡ for dealing with Agathor.¡±
¡°Agathor will never bother you again,¡± Orodan said. Something in his voice must have given away the answer, for Arvayne nodded slowly, understanding what had occurred. His mentor seemed relieved.
Good.
This was part of what Orodan sought strength for. That those he cared for and owed could rest easy under the shade of his power.
¡°I see¡ and it was you who dealt with him then, was it?¡± Arvayne asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Heh¡ amazing to think that I actually trained you. Someone who can fight Gods and whose name is spoken of by travelers from other worlds. Let me look at you. Rough hands, strong arms, tall and doughty frame¡ a steely look in your eyes too. You¡¯re a real warrior, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t know how much of your current self is due to my teachings¡ and I don¡¯t know if my previous self in the loops ever told you, but let me say that I¡¯m proud of the warrior I had a hand in teaching. Even if I do not remember it.¡±
A warm feeling suffused Orodan. Pride and satisfaction.
¡°Thank you old man¡ you taught me a lot, especially when I really needed it and was naught but a fish from a pond floundering about in the ocean,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I still recall many of your lessons about developing a fighting style to this day.¡±
¡°Heh¡ good, good,¡± Arvayne said. ¡°I hope I was a good teacher. Can¡¯t say the decisions I¡¯ve made throughout my own life have been right¡¡±
Alcianne squeezed Arvayne¡¯s hand a bit tighter as the old man said so.
¡°I¡¯ve erred plenty of times myself, old man,¡± Orodan said. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of blood on my hands. And I¡¯ve done things I¡¯m not proud of. In comparison, you¡¯re a saint. And you were under control of Agathor for the longest time.¡±
¡°You judge yourself too harshly Orodan,¡± Arvayne spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll find that you¡¯re not so bad a man yourself.¡±
Mayhap. He was a man who had plenty of blood and suffering on his hands though. Not that Orodan would self-flagellate over it like some guilt-stricken priest. He was a warrior, and that way of life came with blood.
¡°And it¡¯s unfair to blame yourself for what Agathor controlled you into doing,¡± Alcianne said, reassuring Arvayne.
¡°True enough. Once my control was broken, Halor was considerate enough to also ask Alcianne if she wanted to remain as his Chosen,¡± Arvayne said. ¡°She naturally asked to be free, a soul cultivator was contracted, and now we¡¯re both free of the Gods. Simply living our lives and shepherding the young with advice from time to time.¡±
¡°But I must say, this retirement is a bit boring for my tastes,¡± Alcianne said. The old woman had always been the headstrong brawler type. ¡°Though I suppose some peace isn¡¯t such a bad thing. No more war with Novarria, no concern of any descending Eldritch threats. We have you fighting heroically on our behalf now. A foe which can shatter galaxies¡ are you sure everything will be fine?¡±
Frankly, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure. But the last thing he needed was to make these two old folks worry.
¡°It¡¯ll be fine. One way or another, I¡¯ll make it out the other side,¡± Orodan said.
¡°And at worst, even if you do die and end up going back in time,¡± Arvayne spoke. ¡°At least you won¡¯t be a noble any longer.¡±
¡°So it was you!?¡± Orodan exclaimed, harrumphing as the two old fools had a laugh at his expense. He sighed and dropped the matter. ¡°In any case, I simply came by to see you and Halor. Is his new Chosen inside the Palace?¡±
¡°Ah, the man¡¯s been waiting outside for a while upon hearing that you wished to speak with Halor,¡± Alcianne said.
Eh? That was a bit much. Orodan felt a little bad for keeping him waiting, but he hadn¡¯t even known.
¡°Ah, wish you¡¯d told me. I didn¡¯t mean to waste his time,¡± Orodan said.
¡°And miss the chance to catch up?¡± Alcianne asked. ¡°I think not. This has been a pleasure though, take care, Orodan Wainwright. What a surreal experience, being told of all these things we¡¯ve experienced without actually remembering them.¡±
¡°Indeed, take care granny,¡± Orodan said, earning a frown from her. ¡°And you too old man.¡±
Orodan bade them farewell and stepped out the door and into the hallway where a burly old man was waiting.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, you wished to speak with Halor?¡± the man asked and Orodan nodded.
The air became charged with divine energy, and suddenly, the man¡¯s eyes began glowing.
Halor, the God of Life and Nature. His Avatar¡¯s body crackled with power, but was quickly healed, as expected of the God of Life. This God was one of the few Orodan was on amicable terms with. While he¡¯d never directly helped Orodan, his Chosen, Alcianne Rockwood, had. And Halor had never gone against Orodan either, which couldn¡¯t be said for three former members of the Prime Five.
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± Halor said, proffering a hand.
¡°Halor,¡± Orodan replied, taking the hand. ¡°I see you¡¯ve found a new Chosen. Who¡¯s he?¡±
¡°A Rockwood. Junior to Alcianne, but still mighty enough that he sufficed,¡± Halor said. ¡°I profess, the loss of Alcianne was a blow to my power. But seeing her shackled to me when her love has finally returned would have been cruel. And if it¡¯s power we need¡ Alastaia has you.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll need more than just power, but cooperation for the coming battle. At least, if we¡¯re to protect this world against the Hegemony and its allies,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The looming threat beyond even that¡ I shall primarily face. Anyhow, I came to ask how the preparations for evacuation are going upon Inuan. I heard the council speaking of it, which is a good sign that things are underway. Have there been any holdouts?¡±
¡°Evacuation is proceeding smoothly and in a timely manner. However there are some from the Eastern Kingdoms and Dokuhan Mountains who are refusing to evacuate,¡± Halor said. ¡°Some of them are bumpkins, and we followed your instructions in respecting their choice. Mainly though, the dwarves.¡±
¡°As expected. We¡¯re at war with their God and faction,¡± Orodan said. ¡°None of them have been harmed though, correct?¡±
¡°As you instructed. We have left the dwarves to their own devices, though their practice of enslaving and using captive drow and orcs as soul energy generators was quickly shut down,¡± Halor said. ¡°That aside¡ they have refused to evacuate alongside us. There¡¯s a distinct possibility they attempt to aid the enemy during the assault.¡±
¡°So be it then. I assume you¡¯ve set up adequate defenses and countermeasures in the case that they do?¡± Orodan asked and the Avatar of Halor nodded. ¡°Good. If they wish to join the fight, we can treat them as combatants and slaughter them then. But to just butcher a bunch of dwarves or forcibly evict them into another galaxy would be a bit low. The only targets of priority is the world core anyways.¡±
And the System Control Spike, or Divine Tower.
¡°It shall be done as you say. The leader of the Celestial Court also shares a similar mindset as yourself,¡± Halor said. ¡°Orodan¡ if you do not mind me asking¡¡±
¡°Agathor?¡± Orodan asked, and Halor nodded.
¡°I heard of your confrontation with him¡ and what he¡¯d become.¡±
¡°It was¡ not my finest moment. I didn¡¯t directly make him join hands with the Hegemony to become a twisted abomination,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But what I did to his mind was the cause. What happened to him¡ I take responsibility for it.¡±
For a while Halor was silent.
¡°Did he die with dignity?¡±
¡°Aye. I forced his weapons into his hands and gave him the warrior¡¯s death on his feet that he deserved,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any way you could spare him your enmity in future loops?¡± Halor asked.
¡°He is a sworn enemy of mine. What he did to my mentor, Arvayne Firesword, what he tried doing to me¡ I will never forget that,¡± Orodan said, heat in his voice. ¡°But¡ at the very least he need not be corrupted into a shell of what he was. He is my foe¡ but a respectable death is the least I can offer.¡±
¡°He had his vices and flaws¡ but we were friends,¡± Halor said. ¡°I do not begrudge you slaying him. If you ever encounter him again¡ just make his end a quick one, please.¡±
¡°I will. And the same for Eximus and Ilyatana,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though, I know not where the Goddess of Fate has gone or what her current state is.¡±
And from the looks of it, Halor didn¡¯t either.
Though, Orodan had a feeling he¡¯d see them again.
#
It was a familiar clearing, with oddly sharp and pointy trees all around.
¡°A wayward student has returned to enjoy the sights?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t even remember teaching me,¡± Orodan said.
¡°It¡¯s the principle of the matter,¡± Adeltaj quipped.
¡°And considering that this place served as your burial grounds once upon a time, I prefer not to visit so casually.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t remember such a thing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the principle of the matter,¡± Orodan fired back. ¡°Rather hard to remember your own death, unless you¡¯re a time looper, or a reincarnator. Or resurrected.¡±
¡°Hmm, well I have a hunch that you might be one of those three things,¡± Adeltaj said with a smirk on his face.
In the time until the cultivators had returned to pick Orodan up and start his journey across the cosmos, he would often come by and speak to Adeltaj. If anything, this man, his first mentor, was a rather close confidante of his.
¡°How¡¯s my first teacher been?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Still driving the young folk up the wall with your talent for getting under the skin?¡±
¡°Indeed. That little girl and the goblin you sent me are certainly a joy to anger,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°She won¡¯t stop rising to every little taunt. At least she¡¯s a ferocious fighter though. The goblin however, quite talented. He¡¯ll surpass even me if he lives long enough.¡±
¡°I always knew Zukelmux was destined for greatness. He¡¯s an Elite but should be capable of fighting at the peak of the Master-level,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What of the two others?¡±
¡°Ah, those two siblings? They have their regular classes during the day at Bluefire, and then they¡¯ll come receive my tutelage at night,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Strangely enough, the sister¡¯s the more talented one of the two. Far better at fighting too. Shame she doesn¡¯t care much for it.¡±
Mahari and Altaj. And as expected, Mahari didn¡¯t enjoy fighting or care much about it, but she sure was good at it.
Orodan had taken Adeltaj aside and asked if he could take these four on as students, and the man had agreed.
¡°Hmm, well not everyone wants to be a fighter. If everyone chases battle, who will do the farming and the crafting?¡± he asked. ¡°Better that I fight in their stead.¡±
¡°You mean we.¡±
¡°No, I mean me old man,¡± Orodan countered. ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that. I¡¯ve had enough of your heroics.¡±
¡°You mean when I nobly sacrificed myself against a True Vampire to save you?¡± Adeltaj asked.
¡°And that was one death too many. I¡¯ve had enough of people dying on my behalf,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Good thing then, that I know when I¡¯m outmatched. I¡¯m but a dual-Grandmaster, what use am I in a battle between Gods and Transcendents?¡± Adeltaj posed. ¡°No. I and my students will be taking the grand array and living to fight another day. I only hope that my first student reunites with us once victorious.¡±
¡°Does reuniting with you in Velestok at the beginning of the loops count?¡±
¡°A rather defeatist attitude to have, isn¡¯t it?¡± Adeltaj asked.
¡°I spoke with the First Emperor earlier,¡± Orodan said. ¡°He supposedly had faith that I always come out on top and prevail.¡±
¡°Which, from what you tell me, you do. Thus far, have most of your desperate struggles not ended in victory of a sort?¡± Adeltaj asked.
¡°Of a sort. That¡¯s where the issue is¡ even if I win, it¡¯s never an outcome I¡¯m happy with,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°The first battle against the Eldritch Avatar? I resisted its corruption and acquired Eldritch Resistance, but I died. The second battle? I killed it and simultaneously died, and the continent of Guzuhar was destroyed. The third? I cleansed it but was then slain by the Hegemony as everyone died yet again. Pardon me if I¡¯m a bit pessimistic.¡±
¡°Quite the worry on your mind,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Then again, it has always been the lot of heroes to bear such burdens. Even if yours is heavier than most.¡±
¡°Hero? I wouldn¡¯t call myself a hero, old man. You¡¯re a hero. You selflessly gave your life for some reckless idiot who swung a sword and shield about,¡± Orodan said, recalling Adeltaj¡¯s sacrifice. ¡°Me? I¡¯m a warrior. I chase the thrill of battle, the lust for combat and the ever-increasing strength of my sword arm. Hero is something best reserved for those doing good for good¡¯s sake. For better people than I.¡±
¡°If someone does something heroic then, does it not make them a hero?¡± Adeltaj asked. ¡°You¡¯ve certainly saved enough lives and done enough good while putting yourself at risk.¡±
¡°Perhaps. But doing something heroic and being a hero are two different things,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A villain may perform a heroic act, and a hero may also perform a villainous act. But at core, who someone is can be different to the acts they perform.¡±
¡°What you¡¯re suggesting then, is that the motive matters,¡± Adeltaj said, and Orodan nodded. ¡°What then, is your motive, Orodan?¡±
¡°Finding a good fight?¡±
¡°A base desire, but I suspect not what you really want. One can have things they enjoy alongside their motives. Your desire for a good fight is just a want, mayhap even a need. Do you not have a dream, Orodan?¡±
Did he have a dream?
All he could think of were the dreams of others. Of Balastion Novar and his dream of a world of peace. Of Vespidia and her desire to free Faraine and then reunite with her wife. Of Mahari and her desire to prove herself better than the main line of her house. Of Adeltaj and how he enjoyed teaching.
¡°A dream¡ I¡¯m not sure. What I will admit though, is that all this strength, I¡¯ve chased it for a reason,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A number of people I care for have dreams. If I were to describe mine¡ perhaps it would involve having strength enough that I can be the pillar upon which their dreams rest. The God of Death doesn¡¯t want to fight? Fine, I¡¯ll do it for him. Mahari doesn¡¯t want to be a legendary warrior? Not an issue, I¡¯ll face down the foe. The First Emperor wants a world of peace? I shall fight to make that a reality. I enjoy fighting far too much to play the hero who goes around righting wrongs and fixing problems¡ but what I can do with all this strength, is enable the dreams of people better than I to become reality.¡±
¡°The ground upon which the dreams of others can become real,¡± Adeltaj muttered. ¡°A mighty ambition, befitting a warrior like yourself.¡±
¡°And besides¡ I still have many skills I want to stubbornly grind.¡±
#
¡°Why did I figure I¡¯d find you here?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°Are you just¡ cleaning?¡±
A dirty rag was in his hand, and he was doing repeated swipes of his bedside table and then using Time Reversal to make it dusty once more.
Not a single skill level had gone up, mainly because Orodan had forced the comprehensions he had to remain buried deep. He was on the cusp. He knew¡ but not yet. It wasn¡¯t yet time.
For one-and-a-half weeks he¡¯d been locked in his hovel, doing nothing but cleaning, and the occasional trip to the moon when Zaessythra wasn¡¯t there.
¡°Sometimes, one must focus on the basics,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You could blink and cleanse this entire town with but a snap of your fingers,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Though, I suppose there¡¯s something to be said in finding mastery through extreme honing of the very fundamentals.¡±
¡°You understand it then? Of course you do,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°You¡¯re a freakish talent yourself. Still reading that book I see?¡±
¡°You¡¯re not the only one preparing,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°True enough. Yet sometimes, one needs a break from preparations,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How about we take a walk? My hovel is a bit¡ dilapidated and not the ideal place to host anyone.¡±
¡°I was about to say¡ is this how you treat a lady?¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes, but ignored her comments.
¡°How did you get here unnoticed anyways?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°That¡¯s just the thing,¡± she replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±
¡°Sergeant¡ I think it went in there!¡±
¡°Edrosic! If this turns out to be a waste of my time I¡¯ll have you cleaning the cesspools! What¡¯s this nonsense about a ten-foot tall female lizard?!¡±
Zaessythra¡¯s eyes narrowed.
¡°Female lizard is it?¡± she asked in a low and threatening voice as she stepped out of his hovel and in full view of the street. ¡°Care to rethink that choice of words?¡±
¡°I-it¡¯s real! By the Gods! Call the capital guard!¡± a militia woman yelled.
¡°Hold ranks! Y-you¡ you¡¯re trespassing in a restricted area! This here¡¯s the house of Lord Orodan Wainwright! He used to serve with the county militia before his rise to success!¡± the voice bellowed. ¡°Why, I used to be his sergeant! So if you think I¡¯m intimidated, think again!¡±
Orodan had heard enough and decided to step out himself.
¡°Sergeant Woodgard?¡± he asked.
The street had gone silent.
Sergeant Woodgard had been his superior during Orodan¡¯s time in the county militia. Before the time loops, the Sergeant had been the strongest member of the Ogdenborough barracks. A mid-level Apprentice. While Orodan had been the second strongest.
¡°W-Wainwri- I mean¡ Lord Wainwright!¡± the man exclaimed. ¡°This¡ monster is trespassing upon your domain!¡±
¡°This ¡®monster¡¯ is my friend. We¡¯re fine Sergeant,¡± Orodan said. He also noticed Parthus Edrosic next to the Sergeant. Orodan didn¡¯t have anything against the man, but also had no words for what was a lazy and cowardly man. Even in his first life Edrosic had fled, leaving Orodan to die alone. ¡°Matter of fact, we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±
Orodan and Zaessythra walked down the road, and the county militia immediately cleared a path.
It was a little comedic, seeing the bumpkins of Ogdenborough react to a half-dragon. People stared on in utter wonder, and some men and women even had more lascivious intentions in their eyes. Which was fair enough, for Orodan could also admit Zaessythra was captivating at times.
¡°This here¡¯s the tanner¡¯s house,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Filthy place, or it used to be before I cleaned it at the very beginning of this loop. The tannins were practically bonded to the floorboards.¡±
¡°Sounds like a mess,¡± she said.
¡°And this is Fodgarton¡¯s,¡± Orodan said as they continued walking. ¡°I would get my cleaning supplies from here. Not a bad store, and the shopkeeper¡¯s not connected to any noble houses. You can count on him to not price-gouge.¡±
They continued on until they finally reached the completed warehouse at 4 Ale Road.
¡°A warehouse?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Well yes, but at the beginning of the loop this place is always under construction. It¡¯s been over three months now since this long loop first started and the warehouse is done,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°At the start of the loops though, I typically come by to help Old Man Hannegan and the architect build it up. Helped hone my Woodworking and craft skills a decent amount.¡±
They continued on, towards the plaza.
¡°Is there where you got me that ¡®fresh¡¯ bowl of fruit and fish from?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°Looks a bit better than the rest of this impoverished town.¡±
¡°I got you that from a local grocer,¡± Orodan said, causing her face to crinkle up. ¡°This, is Eversong Plaza. A part of me still wants to raze it and the tavern into a crater.¡±
How long had it been since he¡¯d been here? So many of his early battles took place upon the stone tiles of this accursed plaza. Back then, it had been House Argon who controlled the place. Orodan died hundreds of times against their troops until he made a dent, and then he met the Master-level necromancer and her Demonic Berserker pet which savaged him many hundreds of times more.
He had entered the plaza an average fighter. And he¡¯d left a true warrior.
It was also where it had all started.
¡°Isn¡¯t this where you died for the very first time?¡± Zaessythra asked, sniffing the air as though trying to uncover its secrets.
¡°Aye,¡± Orodan said as he moved to a certain spot. ¡°Right around here in fact. I fought and killed three Guzuharan raiders, Apprentice-level.¡±
¡°You were at the Apprentice-level yourself too then, no?¡± she asked. ¡°Even before the loops your talent was apparent.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Orodan acknowledged. ¡°I took fatal wounds in killing the three though. I then used the last of my strength to charge and stab the unprotected back of the Master-level warchief. It was pitifully ineffective, and the last thing I remember is my vision spinning end over end as I was likely decapitated.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s how it all began. The mighty time looper, killed in battle by daring to rush in and take on all comers,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s true, that power doesn¡¯t really change someone at core. You¡¯re still the same reckless idiot with a death wish, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I suppose I am,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Come, let¡¯s head inside the tavern. Perhaps a bite to eat is called for.¡±
¡°I forget that you eat food sometimes, Orodan,¡± she said.
He was about to reply, but thought better of it. She wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. He hadn¡¯t really been training his Gourmand or Cooking skill overly much aside from that one time on X2.
In any case, they pushed past the double doors of the newly revamped Castarian¡¯s Boot Tavern and entered. This tavern would normally be closed off to anyone but House Argon and their approved visitors at the beginning of the loop, but they¡¯d been proven traitors by now and the tavern and Ogdenborough were now under the purview of House Firesword.
Frankly, the town in general had been doing a lot better since the joint-council had been implemented.
Without House Argon blocking aid and due to the joint-council wanting to please Orodan, much investment had been put into Ogdenborough. This showed in the tavern as well, where people were boisterously drinking and laughing. The spirits of the townsfolk were far better than they¡¯d ever been whenever the loops began.
And out of the corner of his eye, a diminutive woman made her way towards him. She seemed more than a little inebriated too.
¡°Hey¡ hey you! Aren¡¯t you that famous lord?¡± the woman drunkenly asked. ¡°They have your portrait up!¡±
To his horror, they did indeed have a portrait of Orodan up on the wall! It was more than a little glamorized, and he wouldn¡¯t be caught dead making such a stupid pose, but it was there, and it resembled him closely enough.
¡°I¡¯m not a damn lord¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°And where can I find the artist for that abomination?¡±
¡°You know her, Orodan?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°A few times, yes. This is Vilia Coventor, architect of the warehouse on 4 Ale Road,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Oi! How does a lord like you know me?¡± Vilia asked.
¡°You do good work at planning buildings,¡± Orodan said, causing the tiny woman¡¯s eyes to widen. She really did need to eat more in his opinion. Or perhaps she was a halfling? ¡°Anyways, have you seen the old man?¡±
¡°What old man? There¡¯s a lot of old men about town,¡± Vilia said.
¡°You know, your foreman who helps run construction? Or used to anyways,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Last I heard he took up as the new mayor¡¯s assistant. Gregory Hannegan.¡±
¡°Oh! That old grandpa? He was just around here, in fact-¡±
A hand laid upon his arm, but Orodan had seen him from when he was outside the tavern. Orodan turned around to see a familiar old man.
¡°O-Orodan!? I heard¡ I heard it was you but I didn¡¯t dare to believe it! You¡¯ve been gone almost three months and everyone is up in arms about how you¡¯re a lord now and that Ogdenborough owes its new propsperity to you!¡±
¡°Old Man Hannegan, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Orodan said putting a hand upon the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡±
¡°Better now that I¡¯ve laid eyes upon you at last,¡± the old man said. ¡°Nobody exactly tells me what it is you¡¯ve been doing. Some say you¡¯re fighting a secret war or have unlocked a Bloodline. Others tell me you¡¯ve come into an incredibly wealthy inheritance. Well? What¡¯s the answer? I bet you¡¯re an Adept now, huh? You look pretty strong!¡±
Orodan gave the man a fond smile and chose not to answer. To these folks, Elites were the pinnacle of society, with Masters being myths. World-traveling, battles in another galaxy and a coming battle with an Administrator? Old Man Hannegan knew nothing of such things, and it was frankly better that he didn¡¯t.
¡°Something along those lines,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Fine, fine¡ dodge the question if you want,¡± the old man said and then eyed Zaessythra. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be¡ is this why they made you a noble? You a monster tamer now?¡±
The entire tavern had stopped to ogle Zaessythra.
¡°She¡¯s not a monster,¡± he said.¡±
¡°And let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves and assume he could ever tame me,¡± Zaessythra said.
Well, reunion done. It was time to go as Zaessythra and even Orodan himself was getting a little irked by the staring. They walked up the stairs to the second floor private dining rooms where previously there¡¯d been an interrogation chamber.
Zaessythra took a seat
¡°I find myself missing the days where there were other half-dragons and Vylrystia was whole,¡± she said.
¡°I should be able to restore your world, I finally have the power to do it safely,¡± Orodan said as he began pulling things out of his spatial ring.
¡°That¡¯s¡ nice¡ what are you pulling out?¡± she asked.
¡°Well, I did say we could use a bite to eat, no?¡± he asked.
¡°I thought that meant sampling the local fare, and not your uh¡ ¡®cooking¡¯.¡±
Orodan gave her an unamused look but continued doing what he was doing.
¡°How about you give it a chance?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I spent a while looking up half-dragon cuisine before attempting to make something you might like. After all, weren¡¯t you complaining that I cooked for W78 and not for you?¡±
¡°You¡ really just went to all this length because of one joking complaint I made?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Why not? I¡¯d have to be a villain of the most ungrateful sort to not appreciate all you do for me,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I hardly do-¡±
¡°You¡¯ve rescued me from the shards multiple times by now. And you then commanded the allied force to break the siege of Xian,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°Not to mention, you taught me magic long ago, and have been watching my back for the longest time.¡±
And she had died for him. Orodan really didn¡¯t want to get too close to anyone, but if there was a good chance it would all end, then he¡¯d have regrets if he didn¡¯t at least thank Zaessythra before it came crashing down.
¡°Fine, fine,¡± she said. ¡°I admit, I am rather incredible. You¡¯re only right to remain in awe.¡±
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Now then, might I present¡ roasted rhino haunches, marinated in hydra heart broth and seasoned with Qi-rich spices sourced from Xian,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°And on the side, a sampling of roasted and seasoned mushrooms from the abyssal depths.¡±
Zaessythra looked hesitant, but once the smell reached her nose she couldn¡¯t hide the look in her eyes.
It was at minimum, decent. Orodan had made sure of it. Yes, she and many others made fun of his weird and exotic tastes, but that was specifically for his own palate. When it came to preparing meals for others, Orodan wasn¡¯t silly enough to serve them something foreign and unpalatable.
¡°This is¡ quite the meal, Orodan,¡± she said. ¡°Where are the mushrooms from?¡±
¡°Ah yes, the mushrooms are from the abyssal depths of Vylrystia,¡± he answered.
¡°How? That entire planet should be a lifeless moon, unless¡¡±
¡°Time Reversal,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°And I did get one more thing from there. Took a few trips to get it correct though.¡±
He pulled out a bouquet.
¡°Sasmarilla flowers¡¡± she muttered. ¡°These¡ these aren¡¯t the ones from Alastaia either, are they? They smell of home¡¡±
¡°Took me multiple attempts at diving into the time stream to find them,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But I got them, and tried making sure they were the ones closest to your old palace too. I remembered.¡±
¡°You¡ you idiot,¡± she said, although it was with the least amount of heat he¡¯d ever heard from her. ¡°Why go this far? We¡¯re about to engage in a calamitous battle in a few days, and you choose to do this?¡±
¡°Again, why not? If I don¡¯t show my appreciation for you now, when will I? Once I¡¯m dead and back in Ogdenborough?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t say that. Pessimism isn¡¯t like you,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°Then you haven¡¯t known me in the long loops,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My mind always carries a dash of pessimism about these extended loops.¡±
Zaessythra shook her head, her silver hair whipping about as she did. And laughed.
¡°Well, in any case¡ thank you,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s good to be reminded that you can act like a normal person.¡±
¡°And when do I not act like a normal person?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°All the time,¡± she fired back. ¡°But¡ mainly when you¡¯re tapping into that soul skill of yours. It¡¯s impressive and all, but I sometimes feel like the further you push your endless willpower, the less human you become. And I say this as a half-dragon.¡±
¡°I¡¯m still a human, Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Flesh, blood and all.¡±
Well, flesh at least. Maybe. His body certainly wasn¡¯t the same as a regular human¡¯s due to Absolute Body Composition.
¡°Anyhow, let¡¯s enjoy this meal you¡¯ve cooked,¡± Zaessythra said and then held out a fork with food towards his mouth. ¡°Will you not join me?¡±
Why would he want to eat her food? From her fork too? That would just be rude.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it, anything for a close friend of mine,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As for myself, I¡¯ve prepared my own meal.¡±
A delicious dish was brought out of his spatial ring. And Zaessythra¡¯s face immediately quailed.
¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to try this steamed demonic sandworm for the longest time!¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Killed it in the hells and cooked it myself.¡±
She looked positively ill, but focused on her own meal, which she noted was quite good.
The sandworm was delicious of course, and he gained three levels in Gourmand from it.
Although he had no clue why Zaessythra was shooting him weird looks all throughout the meal.
As they ate, Orodan mentally called up his Status, giving it one last look over.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Perfect Cleaning Master
Title 2: Celestial Master
Title 3: Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
Title 4: Cleaning Master
Available Titles:
Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
World Conqueror
World Gate Delver
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
God Slayer
Transcendent Slayer
Celestial Master
Perfect Cleaning Master
Cleaning Master
Unarmed Combat Master
Physical Master
Combat Master
Shield Master
Sword Elite
Wrestling Elite
Soul Elite
Woodworking Adept
Alchemy Adept
Space Adept
Time Adept
Fire Magic Apprentice
Enchanting Apprentice
Teaching Apprentice
Laboring Apprentice
Blacksmithing Apprentice
Pathfinding Apprentice
Gathering Apprentice
Cooking Apprentice
Rewards:
Permanent +14 Action Increase
Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier
Skills:
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 99 (Master - Celestial)
Eternal Soul Reactor 99 (Master - Mythical)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 87 (Elite - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 68 (Adept - Mythical)
Divine Resistance 54 (Adept - Mythical)
Reality Alteration 20 (Initiate - Mythical)
Absolute Body Composition 1 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 98 (Master - Legendary)
All-Strike 91 (Master - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 87 (Elite - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Time Reversal 78 (Elite - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 74 (Elite - Legendary)
Body Tempering 66 (Adept - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 65 (Adept - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 62 (Adept - Legendary)
Wood Communion 56 (Adept - Legendary)
Time Compression 51 (Adept - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 43 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Iron Body 88 (Elite - Exquisite)
Time Mastery 82 (Elite - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 79 (Elite - Exquisite)
Flash Strike 76 (Elite - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channelling 68 (Adept - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 59 (Adept - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 53 (Adept - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 48 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Water Resistance 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Ice Resistance 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Dimensionalism 29 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Curse Resistance 9 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Space Mastery 84 (Elite - Rare)
Soul Mastery 78 (Elite - Rare)
Teleportation 59 (Adept - Rare)
War Cry 43 (Apprentice - Rare)
Acid Resistance 37 (Apprentice - Rare)
Gourmand 16 (Initiate - Rare)
Spatial Fold 77 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Throw 69 (Adept - Uncommon)
Shield Intent 69 (Adept - Uncommon)
Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 58 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Physical Fitness 95 (Master)
Pain Resistance 94 (Master)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 92 (Master)
Combat Mastery 90 (Master)
Shield Mastery 90 (Master)
Sword Mastery 88 (Elite)
Wrestling 83 (Elite)
Woodworking 67 (Adept)
Tool Mastery 66 (Adept)
Alchemy 64 (Adept)
Flare 63 (Adept)
Enchanting 59 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)
Blacksmithing 49 (Apprentice)
Fire Magic Mastery 48 (Apprentice)
Jewelcrafting 48 (Apprentice)
Pathfinding 46 (Apprentice)
Teaching 43 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Laboring 34 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 34 (Apprentice)
Gathering 32 (Apprentice)
Cooking 32 (Apprentice)
Construction 28 (Initiate)
Repair 22 (Initiate)
Intimidation 20 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Mining 17 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Butchering 14 (Initiate)
Disguise 12 (Initiate)
Skinning 11 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Observe 11 (Initiate)
Stealth 9 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Identify 5 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
He had come far, but only time would tell if this would be enough.
#
The few remaining days they had passed in peace, which mainly involved Orodan cleaning and practicing the basic motions. Zaessythra rarely tagged along, and when she did, she seemed more withdrawn than usual.
Orodan figured it was the stress getting to her.
He¡¯d already accepted that she was going to be fighting alongside him. It was her choice and who was he to deny that?
Alastaia had also been evacuated. All willing civilians had been sent through the Conclave¡¯s grand array into another galaxy. Normally the cost of teleporting that many people would¡¯ve been astronomical and beyond the ability of any single faction, but when one had access to Orodan Wainwright, energy generation was no issue.
The defense command - consisting of the leaders of each faction of the allied forces and critical personnel - had taken up position in Novar¡¯s Peak.
Currently, Alastaia was on full alert. There was perhaps less than six hours left until the Reject landed, and the days leading up to this had all been rife with the potential or raids, early attacks and harassing hit & run tactics. Thankfully none had come, the enemy was smart to conserve their forces and avoid giving Orodan more room to grow.
W78, for once, had a moment of free time, and thus Orodan had dragged his metallic friend along to see something in-person. That something being under Mount Castarian.
¡°Analysis: unknown construct displaying signs of intentional misconstruction. Current maximal power capacity - ten percent of theoretical maximal reserves.¡±
¡°The ancient machine¡¯s been built wrong then? Was it the Novarrians? The Republic?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Analysis: tampering by native populace unlikely. Intentional misconstruction by creator suspected.¡±
Whoever it was that had built this thing¡ had apparently built it incorrectly. Or rather, intentionally built it imperfectly. With its current power reserves and the dimensional runes upon it, the ancient machine could go to the hells. But W78 had told him a while ago that this machine could hypothetically go someplace else if built correctly and at full power.
The machine that was the centerpiece of his early loops was still a mystery to him.
W78 placed a metallic appendage atop the power core, and then Orodan placed his hand above W78¡¯s. A stream of power went from his hand into a rune on the plate of W78¡¯s hand. This was then converted into usable power for the core.
¡°There. With that, it should be powered up and ready to go,¡± Orodan said. ¡°One more avenue of escape should everything go wrong. The grand array¡¯s been closed now. But if it all turns bad, get yourself to safety, okay? Don¡¯t die.¡±
¡°Information: unit will attempt to prioritiz self-preservation,¡± W78 said.
¡°Good, good.¡±
They examined the machine a bit further until an amulet on Orodan¡¯s neck began glowing, signalling that the defense command wanted him in Novar¡¯s Peak.
With a swift Teleportation, he took both himself and W78 into the war room.
Zhou Shan, King Alstatyn, Captain-General Ryzlan and two other Knight-Commanders of the Conclave, and a miniaturized extension of A1 were all inside the room. As was Zaessythra, Vespidia and the Avatars of the elven Gods. Jian Yixia was present as well, but only for her role in the obscuring formation she¡¯d placed upon Alastaia. She wouldn¡¯t be participating in the battle.
¡°Orodan, you¡¯ve arrived. Our scans report the approaching fleet of dwarven voidships and much disturbance in the dimensional layers,¡± Zhou Shan stated. ¡°We believe an attack is imminent.¡±
¡°Now? I thought they¡¯d perhaps attack in concert with the Reject?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Perhaps they think to soften us up and earn the Administrator¡¯s favor? In any case, we can only postulate,¡± Zhou Shan said. ¡°King Alstatyn, are your troops and voidcraft ready? We must take to the air to meet them. Allowing the dwarves to set up an encirclement would be a bad decision. Their guns are strong, and I fear this planet would not last long under the gunfire, even with any shielding we can provide.¡±
¡°Indeed High Sovereign, the voidcraft and guns of the Blackworth Collective stand ready to assist,¡± King Alstatyn said. ¡°We can outmaneuver dwarven voidcraft in an open battle within the void, but are far less effective in a siege.¡±
¡°Then I should go out with and launch a direct assault,¡± Orodan suggested. ¡°The fewer enemies we have remaining by the time the Reject arrives, the better.¡±
¡°I would normally disagree with such¡ forward thinking,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°But in this case, you¡¯re right. I shall go with him and ensure the shards cannot target him. Captain-General, you and your men should board the Blackworth voidcraft and alongside the cultivators, function as boarding crew. And as for the Unity, hang back in reserve for if the enemy brings in unexpected reinforcements or performs a flanking maneuver. Alastaia itself needs to be guarded.¡±
The faction leaders and commanders had already seen Zaessythra¡¯s stratagems and knack for command in action. They naturally agreed.
The end was nigh.
The battle for Alastaia was set to begin.
#
The allied voidship fleet was arrayed against the enemy one.
Orodan stood atop the deck of the leading ship at the front of the fleet. King Alstatyn and Zaessythra at his side.
¡°They¡¯re sending a ship forward, sir,¡± a soldier reported.
¡°Looks like they want to talk,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll go forward.¡±
¡°And be subject to the fire of how many ships? You¡¯re a priority target,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t want to kill you. Instead they¡¯ll want to use the shards. Good thing you have me with our own shards alongside you.¡±
¡°Alright, I get the hint. You want to come with me,¡± Orodan said.
Orodan cast a quick teleportation and appeared a healthy distance away from the enemy ship, ferrying Zaessythra along. They floated in the void, neither of them needed to breath. The distance was less to protect themselves and more to avoid scaring the enemy into thinking they were trying anything.
And the first person out of the voidcraft, was a Crusader. A somewhat familiar one, although the God seemed to be in control rather than the Transcendent.
¡°Eximus. I see you also subjected yourself to that abominable soul meld. Yet you remain in control. Did they allow that in exchange for you providing the location of Alastaia?¡± Orodan said. ¡°Come to receive your death at my hands?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. Long has your wicked face plagued my dreams,¡± Eximus said. ¡°The Hegemony is one of the few remaining forces of justice in our galaxy. Our alliance bands together against the tyranny of the time looper. You humiliated me and drove me from my home. My faithful, rounded up and cleansed of my Blessing. My statues and temples, defaced. In allying with Lord Agrimon I¡¯ve received new power. Transcendence,¡±
¡°Bandy your lies elsewhere. You¡¯re an enemy God who betrayed his own home world. You do realize that the Reject will not leave Alastaia intact, yes?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°As for your faithful, yes they were purged of your Blessing, but they were then immediately offered new ones if they so chose, alongside generous compensation. Unlike yourself who has been naught but a plague to me over the course of my time loops.¡±
¡°I do not recall ever offending you, nor would I do such a thing!¡±
¡°Yet you, Agathor and Ilyatana possessed me all the same. You clearly have the capacity to do such a thing, and our enmity will never fade,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°And so you pass judgement and swing the executioner¡¯s axe yourself,¡± Eximus said. ¡°You call yourself a warrior, yet I think you nothing but a killer¡ a defiler. One need look no further than what Agathor suffered at your hands. Or what Ilyatana goes through still.¡±
¡°I make no excuses for what I did. It was a foul act which will remain a stain on my honor,¡± Orodan professed. ¡°I gave Agathor the honest death he deserved, and intend to do the same for Ilyatana. You, though, were offered a chance to flee, yet you¡¯ve taken up with my enemies.¡±
¡°An easy decision once I saw what became of the other two. Do you expect me to stand around and cower away while my friends were made to suffer?¡± Eximus asked.
¡°And who was it that started the enmity between us?!¡± Orodan angrily asked. ¡°Portray yourself the victim all you want, but none of this would have happened if the three of you hadn¡¯t tried possessing me as a puppet against my will. But, enough talk. I sense the shards you have abord that ship, as well as the additional Transcendents. Your spells and illusions might hide them visually, and even from Vision of Purity, but my instincts are honed like that of a monster¡¯s. I sense them from here.¡±
Eximus twitched as the ruse was up.
Frankly, Orodan hated diplomacy and talking before battle.
His first move, was a monstrously overpowered Spatial Fold. Directly onto Eximus¡¯s head.
Much like the one he¡¯d used upon Xuejin to destroy a planet-sized continent. He¡¯d only grown stronger since then too.
[Spatial Fold 77 ¡ú Spatial Fold 79]
[Space Mastery 84 ¡ú Space Mastery 86]
¡°Stop him! He used a similar attack on Xuejin!¡± an enemy God in one of the further back voidships called.
Enemy spatiomancers attempted to contest his Spatial Fold. Enemy chronomancers tried freezing or slowing him down. Yet it was all for naught as Orodan¡¯s power generation capabilities had grown through this long loop and the attack was far greater in power.
At the final moment, the enemy commanders realized that actually stopping the attack wasn¡¯t possible. Consequently, the commanding dwarven God could only say one thing.
¡°Scatter! Gain as much distance as you can!¡±
Simultaneously, King Alstatyn shouted a singular command.
¡°Attack! Prey upon their disorganized formation!¡±
The Spatial Fold which he¡¯d insanely compressed, down to the size of a grain of sand, was practically begging to explode.
And so he let it.
Eximus died. As that treacherous rodent deserved. No amount of meddling with the sickening process of becoming a Crusader would allow the Inuanan God of Time to match Orodan.
And the explosion of space continued emanating outward, enough that it would destroy a gigantic Xian-sized planet if Orodan wanted.
A full third of the enemy fleet which hadn¡¯t managed to escape were slain on the spot. Multiple Transcendents, Gods in the material plane, all gone in one singular explosion.
Orodan was about to deliver another one when he learned why there were no important enemy figures present.
[Dimensionalism 29 ¡ú Dimensionalism 30]
[New Title ¡ú Dimensionalism Apprentice]
The dimensional layers crackled, and Orodan saw two gigantic cosmic eyes.
Agrimon. Leader of the Hegemony. And in his hands, a large crystal with a beam emanating from it, headed right for Orodan.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± Zaessythra said, and drew her own crystal, formed from multiple shards. She channelled all her power into it, and the terrifying beam which could¡¯ve obliterated an entire star simply got absorbed into Zaessythra¡¯s crystal.
¡°They¡¯ve discovered the defensive uses of the shards. All within expectations,¡± Agrimon said. ¡°Avraxas. The time looper is exposed, isolate it.¡±
The dimensional boundaries which were already cracked, outright shattered as something very, very big flew towards Orodan.
It had many teeth, and its mouth was large enough to swallow an entire planet.
At the last moment, Orodan threw Zaessythra into the opening of a Teleportation which carried her far away. Simultaneously, he moved himself as far away from the allied fleets as he could. Which was successful, as the mouth which enveloped him caught only Orodan and no other allies.
The surroundings changed seamlessly. The stars in the void all around were no longer there, impossible shapes and geometry were all around him, and the very nature of reality became a bit more ethereal.
Within this separate dimension, a horde of Transcendents appeared. And there were a number of shards.
Bad news.
Orodan immediately activated the one skill which would give him the speed boost needed to withstand this assault.
[Time Compression 51 ¡ú Time Compression 53]
[Time Mastery 82 ¡ú Time Mastery 83]
Immediately, he shifted onto a far faster time field than any of the Transcendents who¡¯d suddenly popped up. And almost as immediately, he felt a number of enemy chronomancers attempting to either interfere with his control over the Time Compression or throw their friends and allies onto it, negating his speed advantage.
The first of the shard beams came for him, and he dodged it with laughable ease. The following ones were also avoided easily enough. One came quite close, and did the tell-tale diversion where it maliciously attempted to move and hit him anyways, but he evaded that too.
Some of the enemy Transcendents had items which were supposed to automatically bring them onto any hastened time fields nearby, but these items began shattering under the strain of attempting to match Orodan¡¯s power over time and the raw energy backing it.
One by one, his sword began reaping the lives of these Transcendents, as he put particular focus towards the shard-bearers. Yes, he would normally love to take a beam head-on to test himself, but in a battle with such high stakes he couldn¡¯t afford to be without the System.
The enemy squad sent to kill him had either overestimated themselves or not kept up with his growing power. Of course, the Hegemony wasn¡¯t stupid, and they had other methods of dealing with him.
One of which slipped into this strange dimension sneakily enough that Orodan almost hadn¡¯t noticed.
The only thing Orodan saw was simple robes, and an unassuming face. Yet one which bore the calculating smile of a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.
Immediately, the Dao of Domination and Supremacy smashed into his mind, and a separate assault of domination hit the compressed time field Orodan was maintaining.
He resisted the assault upon his mind rather well. His mind had grown strong, tempered by his encounter with that terrifying cosmic being affiliated with the shards. His Time Compression though, under duress from a peak-Transcendent Celestial skill, was overwhelmed.
¡°We meet again, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Jian Huangdi, the Celestial Emperor said. ¡°I see your mind has grown even stronger. To the point that you can resist my Dao. That¡¯s fine however¡ can you break free quickly enough to save your fellows? Can you escape before the Reject arrives to prey upon you?¡±
¡°I sent you running last time. Your Celestial skill is no match for mine,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Much as it rankles my pride, you are correct. The universe has never seen a greater Celestial talent than you,¡± the Celestial Emperor said. ¡°But how many avenues of attack can you resist? I¡¯m not the only one you must deal with.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright! Behold¡ my pure nature¡ I am so good-hearted¡ will you not come see how pure of mind I am?¡±
Golden energy wrapped around her form. Dark skin, much like Mahari¡¯s. And a resemblance to his friend from Bluefire so similar that Orodan was certain the girl was a descendant of this Goddess.
The Goddess of Fate, the first person to attempt to mind control Orodan in the time loops.
¡°Ilyatana¡¡±
She was a monstrosity. Visually she looked the same. Yet inspection with Vision of Purity showed how her mind was utterly warped. The piece that Orodan had slipped in and empowered through Incorruptible Being had forced the rest of her mind to fracture, to mutate. She was a maddened beast, and her own willpower which was mighty, had clashed against Orodan¡¯s mental tampering, leading to insanity.
This was his fault.
Alongside her, a virtual army of Gods appeared. And even more Transcendents.
¡°Now let us see if you can resist us all,¡± the Celestial Emperor said. And the battle resumed.
Orodan was overwhelmed. There was no other way to put it.
The gigantic world-dragon Avraxas had swallowed him and the result was being dragged into another dimension. Which meant that Gods could freely enter and remain here. The Gods themselves weren¡¯t the problem though. The Transcendents they were empowering were.
An army of limbs attempted to restrain him, roots, vines, chains, water, ice, earth. All with the goal of restraints and not death. And any attempts to use chronomancy or spatiomancy of his own were targeted by Jian Huangdi¡¯s Celestial skill.
Unless he flared Eternal Soul Reactor to the point that he killed himself, Orodan was at their mercy. And the almighty blast from the shard that Jian Huangdi was sending his way looked to practically seal his fate.
Orodan¡¯s eyes widened.
That was it!
These foes weren¡¯t aware of one more method of countering the beams from the shards. They hadn¡¯t been inside the hells, and news from there was notoriously slow.
If anyone else had fired the beam, Orodan would¡¯ve been done for.
But, in a display of tactics, Jian Huangdi intended to maximize the odds of the beam obliterating Orodan¡¯s System by empowering it himself. However, the problem was¡
¡that much like the former Script-King, Jian Huangdi¡¯s soul was dirty. Tainted with the Eldritch.
Which meant that the beam from the shard was also tainted with Eldritch.
And it could be cleansed.
Orodan ignored all the Transcendents restraining him and focused on only one thing as he created an Action Increase ¡®clone¡¯ with a broom in its hand. His constant barrage and resistance had allowed the slightest opening to present itself, and with just one hand on the broom¡
¡he swept outwards.
The Eldritch tainted soul energy empowering the beam vanished, and the beam fizzled and faltered. And the broom continued on to connect with the Celestial Emperor himself.
¡°Return to who you originally were, Jian Huangdi,¡± Orodan said as the broom connected.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 99 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 100]
[New Title ¡ú Perfect Cleaning Grandmaster]
[New Title ¡ú Cleaning Grandmaster]
[New Title ¡ú Celestial Grandmaster]
And the Eldritch taint - some of the strongest and most deep-rooted Orodan had ever felt - within the man¡¯s soul¡ was instantly purged.
With a scream of agony, Jian Huangdi fell to a knee, and at last Orodan had the opportunity to utilize Time Compression once more.
Time sped up dramatically, and one by one, the Transcendents and Gods attacking him began falling in droves as he cut them down. Until at last, it was just Jian Huangdi remaining.
Orodan¡¯s sword came up¡
¡and was instead sheathed. His hand was proferred.
¡°Your son, Zhou Shan, fights the forces of the Hegemony still,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Will you remain on your knees, or will you stand up and fight for the remaining family you have left?¡±
¡°Zhou Shan¡ yes¡ he always was a strong boy¡ meant for great things,¡± Jian Huangdi said and then took the offerred hand. ¡°I will aid you, time looper. My mind is clear for the first time in¡ millions? Billions of years? For so long did I refuse to bend to the truth¡ I accepted it but did not allow it to diminish my own importance. And yet, over time I too was corrupted all the same.¡±
¡°I suspected that how one perceives the Eldritch truth determines how the infection takes hold,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Correct. The deeper one understands it, the stronger its roots are. Those who accept it and still retain their minds, are the ones who¡¯ve glimpsed the truth and still not disregarded their own importance in the cosmos,¡± Jian Huangdi said. ¡°You must be careful. This thing. The System, our universe¡ there are dark and terrible things out there. One of which empowers it all within the reality we know?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Explain yourself further.¡±
¡°I cannot¡ even thinking on it threatenes to put me into a deep madness once more¡¡± the Celestial Emperor said. ¡°When I delved into that black hole and arrived at the core of our System Universe¡ I met the Reject, and that caged thing I saw¡ no, no¡ I cannot speak of it any longer lest I fall into madness again even without Eldritch taint. Just be wary, Orodan Wainwright. The more you know of it, the more susceptible to madness you become. And heavens forbid you glimpse it¡ you become like myself and the Reject. To think the revered founding Daoist has fallen so¡¡±
¡°We should get out of here then,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But before that¡¡±
Orodan walked towards the heavily wounded, yet still living Ilyatana.
She was pathetic. Not even a Crusader, just a God. Yet joined with the Hegemony out of desperation and the madness which had infected her mind.
¡°Orodan¡ Orodan¡ do you not think me pure enough now? Behold, I perform no more wicked deeds¡ I go around slaying evildoers, I hunt the wicked¡ just like you wanted,¡± Ilyatana said. ¡°In fact, the greatest of evildoers¡ is standing before me. Bring me your neck, that I might execute you and dispense justice like you did upon me.¡±
¡°Even before I defiled your mind, you were wicked. And yet¡ no being deserves such a fate,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Your current state is my fault. The suffering you¡¯ve endured is on my hands. I cannot take it back, but the least I can do is take responsibility and end this.¡±
His sword was raised. And Domain of Perfect Cleaning shot out, setting her mind whole once more. Now at the Grandmaster-level, he could do such things.
¡°I am¡ I am free? What has happened?¡±
¡°Something very bad happened to you¡ but you¡¯re still my enemy,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Stand up, and face your honest death.¡±
¡°Tch¡ Orodan Wainwright. You¡¯ll suffer, just as you forced me to suffer,¡± Ilyatana venomously spat as she stood up. ¡°You think dispensing some righteous death onto me absolves you of what you¡¯ve done?¡±
¡°Not in the slightest. But you¡¯re an enemy of all the same,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Stand, and face me. My enmity for you will never abate. One of us dies here and now.¡±
¡°End it then. I care not for your diatribes and farcical proclamations of an honest death,¡± she said. ¡°I will not draw my weapon. The only thing you¡¯ll be forced to do is execute an unarmed woman.¡±
His blade descended and lopped the head off her shoulders. Divine energy spilled out, and she faded away.
¡°¡that was decisive of you,¡± Jian Huangdi said.
¡°It was necessary. No amount of honor or proclamations will erase what I¡¯ve done,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But a warrior acknowledges his faults and moves forward. My misdeeds don¡¯t erase hers. She was a wicked Goddess and our enmity was deep-seated.¡±
Suddenly, the skies crackled, before Orodan could think of breaking free from the Crusader dragon Avraxas, the job was done for him as the dimensional boundaries cracked and a roar of horror and agony erupted.
The dimension and impossible geometric shapes all around faded away to reveal the regular void of the material plane, and Alastaia in the distance. And a half-dead Vespidia falling towards them.
Above her. A dragon, writing in agony, and a titanic giant that was dead.
Vespidia¡¯s divine dagger had worked. At the cost of her own life, the Crusader dragon of the Hegemony had been defeated.
Orodan caught her.
He wanted to rage. To scream to the heavens and the hells of the unfairness of having to watch a friend die once more.
Yet, he did not. For he knew this was what Vespidia herself wanted.
¡°You¡ you¡¯re dying,¡± Orodan said.
¡°J-just as planned¡,¡± Vespidia said, choking in-between breaths. ¡°Now I can go see my w-wife again.¡±
¡°I could heal you. Resurrect your wife too,¡± Orodan said.
¡°E-except¡ it¡¯s not what I want¡¡± she said, beginning to fade away from the numerous wounds. Most of which were the result of excessive divine energy. Faraine had done the job of empowering her to deliver the blow. ¡°Let me die¡ Orodan¡¡±
¡°Very well,¡± he said, closing her eyes. ¡°Be at peace¡ Vylmela.¡±
It was her original name back in her old life as an elf. Orodan¡¯s heart was heavy, but he showed no further emotion. To do so would disrespect the passing of the warrior that had just fallen.
He looked up.
In the void above, the battle was¡ going well?
The fleet of the Blackworth Collective looked to be winning. The remainder of the Hegemony had arrived, Agrimon, Astalavar and Excromon were fighting alongside Varkir. Their opponents were Zhou Shan, the commanders of the Conclave and A1, the prime combat unit of the Unity.
The battle was going well.
Too well.
¡°Jian Huangdi! Why do you stand there?! Hit the time looper with the shard!¡± Agrimon bellowed.
¡°I think not¡ I believe, that my son requires my assistance,¡± the Celestial Emperor said as he flew towards the battle.
This was where things began to go wrong. And Orodan felt it. He knew this was a distinct possibility, and things were going too well for it not to happen.
In front of him, the dimensional layer quaked, and he saw the arrival of an old man. White beard, religious sceptre in hand¡ and that damned book. Purple veins were visible all over the man¡¯s skin.
¡°A-ancestor¡?¡± Captain-General Ryzlan asked, utterly bewildered. ¡°It is¡ it¡¯s the ancestor!¡±
¡°No you idiots! It¡¯s the Prophet!¡± Orodan roared. ¡°Back away, now!¡±
The Prophet looked directly at Orodan¡
¡and smiled.
The holy book in the Prophet¡¯s hands opened up, and golden light came out.
¡°It¡¯s the ancestor! Bearing the Book of Light! Behold how glorious it is!¡± Lady Sujana exclaimed in joy.
Oh how Orodan wanted to roar, but before he could, before anyone could act. The holy light coming out of the book, suddenly turned a sick shade of purple and gray.
And at exactly the same time, the holy light the soldiers, commanders and Captain-General of the Conclave were using¡ also turned purple.
Suddenly, the ranks of Conclave soldiers which had been dutifully protecting the infantry and voidcraft of the Blackworth Collective, now became frenzied, maddened. Corrupted by the Eldritch. They turned around and began fighting the allied forces.
The Prophet immediately vanished, and Orodan figured why.
An instant after the Prophet¡¯s disappearance, space was carved and torn apart by a hulking fifteen-foot tall warrior who¡¯d saved him before. The Warrior.
He disappeared as quickly as he entered, and seemed to be in hot pursuit of the Prophet. However, the damage had already been done. The Eldritch energies were spreading through the ranks of enemies and allies alike.
He¡¯d once learned that the reason the Blackworth Collective had no Gods on the front lines of the war against the Eldritch was due to how vulnerable they were, and how much of a security threat they posed. He now saw why first-hand as Gods serving the Conclave were corrupted and any soldiers bearing their Blessing immediately turned to Eldritch corruption alongside them. Almost the entirety of the Conclave had been corrupted by Eldritch within seconds.
Somehow, the Prophet, who was apparently an ancestor of theirs, had corrupted the very light they used.
The corruption was spreading among their own forces too, as soldiers of the Collective were infected. However, the enemy weren¡¯t untouched either. The dwarves were infected and they suffered a far greater toll as they had Gods among their battle forces and the corruption of one meant the infection of dozens of regular soldiers with Blessings.
The Eldritch were a force of their own, and seemed intent on attacking both the allied forces and the Hegemony. A double-edged sword.
¡°We must cleanse them,¡± Jian Huangdi said. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, I will cover you. Purge the Eldritch from the battlefield.¡±
The Celestial Emperor¡¯s aid was appreciated as the Eldritch seemed to instinctively know that Orodan¡¯s Celestial skill was the single greatest threat. They charged in a virtually suicidal manner all for the sake of stopping him.
Jian Huangdi was strong though. His peak-Transcendent Celestial skill shot out and held the foe at bay, and that was all Orodan needed as the Domain of Perfect Cleaning erupted forth and the first thousand Conclave soldiers attempting to rush him were all purged.
Orodan moved forward, Jian Huangdi following along, and he surged outwards with another wave of purification. Now, at the Grandmaster-level, Domain of Perfect Cleaning was monstrous.
An infected Lady Sujana attempting to attack Zaessythra was purified, and the half-dragon immediately flew to Orodan¡¯s side.
¡°Don¡¯t ever pull that dumb stunt again,¡± she said.
¡°And yet, without your presence outside, I doubt the soldiers would¡¯ve fared as well,¡± Orodan replied.
Still, despite his efforts. Any soldiers from the Conclave he purified were simply getting re-infected.
¡°It¡¯s the light,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°The Prophet infected the very light they use instinctively. They draw upon it like a mage does their own mana pool. Of course they¡¯ll be re-infected.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll be overwhelmed at this rate,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We need more soldiers. Perhaps we should draw the Unity¡¯s troops out as reinforcements?¡±
¡°A good idea, let-¡±
Zaessythra¡¯s amulet glowed, and a message came forth.
¡°Information: unknown signatures detected on planetary surface. Destination: Mount Castarian.¡±
¡°Mount Castarian? What do you mean, W78?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°But how would they arrive there? The entire world should be fortified against hostile spatiomancy.¡±
¡°Because we powered up the ancient machine, which uses dimensionalism,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We thought it a good escape route to have¡ but it turns out the connection goes both ways.¡±
¡°Information: unknown signatures breaking atmosphere and traveling towards battlefield.¡±
¡°More enemies? Tch¡ it¡¯s not looking so good, and the Reject isn¡¯t even here yet,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°No¡ I suspect it¡¯s not enemies that come from that machine,¡± Orodan said.
His words were proven correct a moment later when the flying unknown force finally revealed themselves.
¡°Devil King Azgaraaz arrives to repay his favor!¡± the Arch-Devil called out. ¡°I see Eldritch-infected knights and paladins of the Conclave. An excellent chance to draw blood on two enemies of the hells!¡±
¡°Of course you made a friend in the hells¡¡± Zaessythra muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s take advantage of the momentum and surge forward!¡±
She didn¡¯t have to tell him twice.
Orodan surged onwards and continued purging Eldritch as he went. Behind him, Arch-Devils and script-bearer mages from the hells supported and watched his flanks and Conclave soldiers who were continually re-infected were sealed within large black coffins for later study and extrication.
Additionally, the devils were all too happy to just kill soldiers of the Conclave. No purification necessary.
Well¡ Orodan didn¡¯t exactly agree, but he could resurrect them and figure out how to purify the light later.
Things were now going well.
¡°F-father?¡± Zhou Shan asked with incredulity as the Celestial Emperor stepped in and aided Zhou Shan in his duel against Agrimon
¡°Enjoying your imminent victory, are you?¡± Agrimon asked as he appeared to be pushed backwards by the father-son duo. ¡°I believe you are forgetting the real threat behind this assault of ours.¡±
Orodan had a very bad feeling of horrid danger. He¡¯d felt this before.
Despite each cell in his body being capable of sight, hearing and tactice sensation, he neither felt, saw nor heard the blow which hit him.
Although he did feel a titanic impact, enough that it felt world-shaking.
Only once things had slowed down did he realize that two swords were planted into his chest and someone was stading on top of him.
¡°Why if it isn¡¯t my little Wainwright! How¡¯ve you been?! Made any carts recently? I apologize for taking so long. Problem with being called the Reject is that the System and Custodian don¡¯t like me taking the official methods of travel such as teleportation or wormholes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid my Woodworking skill hasn¡¯t been taken that way as of yet,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°A tad bit disappointing. Did you not yet discover that almost anything can become a skill if you focus on it enough?¡± the Reject asked. ¡°If you live, breathe, eat and sleep while thinking of carts and how to make them, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become an Embodier Wainwright in no time!¡±
This Administrator was insane. Orodan stood no chance in a direct fight.
Thus, he made the decision he¡¯d committed to a while back. It was now or never.
[C#he*ck&po%in$t S@et]
¡°Oooh! Interesting! That¡¯s a new mechanism I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Did it give you a new toy? Oh¡ oh! I see! It¡¯s connected to the System¡¯s Control Spike! Why¡ that dastardly Custodian, working alongside it to create new advantages for you time loopers.¡±
Eternal Soul Reactor flared to the utmost, and Orodan empowered every single ¡®clone¡¯ of himself to throw All-Strikes upwards at the Administrator treating his chest like a floor.
A mere boot met his attack and blew half of his body apart. He reformed easily enough, but during that, he saw how direction the shockwave went¡
¡and how half of Alastaia was destroyed with a casual kick.
¡°Tut! Tut! Manners, manners! You can¡¯t just go around dirtying my shoes little Wainwright,¡± the Reject said. This damned madman wasn¡¯t even wearing shoes! ¡°Do you see where we are? The world core of your adorable little planet!¡±
Was that how hard he¡¯d been hit? That he¡¯d been driven into the ground and straight onto the world core?
¡°How about you let me up and we fight fair and square?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°H-hehe¡ hahahah! I like you! You have no sense of self-preservation,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why it chose you. Just like it too chose me.¡±
Chose him?
¡°What do you mean?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Do you not see my little Wainwright? All this suffering, all this struggle¡ you¡¯re not the only time looper,¡± the Reject said. Hells, Orodan knew that much.
¡°Then¡ you¡¯re a time looper too?¡±
¡°Ta-da! You¡¯ve guessed correct and may claim your prize!¡± the madman said. ¡°Not only was I time looper like you. I was in fact¡ the first time looper. Before these silly little skills and numbers, before the pompous titles, I come from a time when things were much simpler and we didn¡¯t have an existential horror locking us and itself into a model of reality empowered by its corrupted energy. And when the System first came and washed over us all¡ I was the first to Transcend from my world, I got close to that thing¡¯s ear, and it somehow believed I could fix things! That I could actually prevent living things and world cores from becoming maddened by over-exposure to its power! And thus, the true hero of the story came to be¡ Xia, the first time looper, wandering hero, attempted savior¡ and eventual Reject.¡±
¡°You¡¯re telling me, the entire System is a cage empowered by something Eldritch?¡±
¡°Precisely! Finally you use that little peanut-brain of yours my little cart-maker! Or¡ well¡ I suppose you have no brain, which makes you even stupider,¡± the Reject said. ¡°What happens when something boundless and impossible; utterly anathemic to sapient life, decides it ¡®loves us¡¯ and wants to ¡®coexist¡¯ with us? That, my time looping friend¡ is the System.¡±
Orodan¡¯s head reeled from the revelation.
He¡¯d always wondered why world cores naturally became infected by the Eldritch. Why the System being which descended during the ascendancy trial he¡¯d seen was approaching corruption. Why direct usage of System energy could lead to corruption.
And the truth¡ the Eldritch truth¡
¡was the existence of this being beneath.
It all made sense now, even for his stubborn head.
Why that being related to the shards had called him the anointed champion of the willing prisoner. Why the Prophet called it the caged protector.
This¡
¡was the truth.
And Orodan¡¯s veins began turning purple despite his Eldritch Resistance.
¡°Hahahah! Yes, yes! Now do you see how and why people become Eldritch?! The Boundless One who empowers all the System, all corruption stems from it! Even the knowledge of it is a memetic hazard and makes you more vulnerable. Even I succumbed to it and live in a perpetual state of acceptance and madness,¡± the Reject said and pulled out an orb which had a seemingly infinite depth. ¡°Now come my little time looper. I have crafted something to help you sleep forever. A portable wormhome. You¡¯ll find peace outside of this horrid cage constructed by that which empowers all. Death outside of System space is the only freedom from this sick dream which will inevitably come crashing down.¡±
Orodan looked inwards. His veins were turning purple and gray. The familiar aura of the Eldritch began emanating from him.
¡°This is¡¡±
¡°Liberating? Terrifying?¡±
¡°¡stupid.¡±
¡°Eh?¡±
¡°This whole farce, of becoming infected by the Eldritch when you know the truth about some big, bad monster empowering the System,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It¡¯s all so utterly stupid. What does it think it is? Trying to infect me by giving me knowledge of it?¡±
Orodan pulled himself up, practically impaling himself upwards along the Reject¡¯s foot as he stood. Even the madman looked a little bewildered.
¡°Nobody can truly resist it. You may try and stave it off, but once somebody knows the whole truth, they will always have a bit of Eldritch in them,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Look within¡ your soul. It has System glyphs and symbols. We all have it within us. Our souls are borne of the Boundless One¡¯s power. All beings within the System are this way. Once you know it, once you¡¯re vulnerable to the knowledge, the tide can¡¯t be stopped.¡±
¡°Really? Watch this then,¡± Orodan said. And each and every bit of his power was thrown into the most overpowered usage of Domain of Perfect Cleaning he could manage.
All directed at his own soul.
The Reject looked, and then laughed.
¡°Hahaha! Nice try! You really had me for a second there!¡± the madman barked. The Reject continued laughing¡
¡and laughing¡
¡and laughing¡
¡until he finally stopped and the Administrator¡¯s eyes were wide.
In the deepest recesses of Orodan¡¯s soul. No Eldritch taint came forth whatsoever.
¡°See? I think this whole matter is stupid,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°And even if it could infect me. I simply wouldn¡¯t give in.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ you know what¡ I¡¯m maybe starting to see why it chose you¡¡± the Reject said. ¡°Congratulations. You¡¯ve proven your dogged persistence and made me eat my words. Your prize¡ is death. Enjoy!¡±
The Reject grabbed Orodan¡¯s head, tore himself free from his body, and then began shoving him towards the orb with infinite depth.
Not yet.
Orodan needed more time.
And what better way to acquire it than by killing himself?
It was finally time to expend all the checkpoint uses he¡¯d acquired.
Eternal Soul Reactor flared to the max, enough to be immediately fatal.
And the darkness took him.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2306]
¡°Oooh! Interesting! That¡¯s a new mechanism I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Did it give you a new toy? Oh¡ oh! I see! It¡¯s connected to the System¡¯s Control Spike! Why¡ that dastardly Custodian, working alongside it to create new advantages for you time loopers.¡±
Orodan would normally wind Eternal Soul Reactor down beneath fatal levels upon starting a new loop or resetting to a checkpoint. But this time¡ he kept it at fatal levels.
The darkness took him.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2305]
¡°Oooh! Interesting! That¡¯s a new mechanism I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Did it give you a new toy? Oh¡ oh! I see! It¡¯s connected to the System¡¯s Control Spike! Why¡ that dastardly Custodian, working alongside it to create new advantages for you time loopers.¡±
He continued keeping it ramped up and focused on healing. He focused on understanding the soul.
[Soul Mastery 78 ¡ú Soul Mastery 79]
Checkpoint after checkpoint continued being burned.
The first five-hundred checkpoints brought Harmony of Vitality to 99 and Soul Mastery to 87.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 1805]
¡°Oooh! Interesting! That¡¯s a new mechanism I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Did it give you a new toy? Oh¡ oh! I see! It¡¯s connected to the System¡¯s Control Spike! Why¡ that dastardly Custodian, working alongside it to create new advantages for you time loopers.¡±
Orodan continued burning himself to death with his own soul energy.
The next one-thousand checkpoints brought Harmony of Vitality to the Grandmaster-level and Soul Mastery to 92. The Master-level, which gained him the title of Soul Master and forty more checkpoint uses.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 945]
¡°Oooh! Interesting! That¡¯s a new mechanism I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Did it give you a new toy? Oh¡ oh! I see! It¡¯s connected to the System¡¯s Control Spike! Why¡ that dastardly Custodian, working alongside it to create new advantages for you time loopers.¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure how long had passed, but he refused to quit. He simply continued burning away.
Death upon death.
His Grandmaster-level Harmony of Vitality now allowed him to stay alive for even longer, which meant increased understandings of the inner-workings of his soul. Yet, still Orodan growled in frustration as it wouldn¡¯t be enough.
The next nine-hundred checkpoint uses only pushed his Soul Mastery up to 96 and no further. No matter how hard he pushed, despite his talent, even if this was the most efficient training possible with actual death occurring multiple times¡ it just wouldn¡¯t reach 100 in time.
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 945]
¡°Oooh! Interesting! That¡¯s a new mechanism I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Did it give you a new toy? Oh¡ oh! I see! It¡¯s connected to the System¡¯s Control Spike! Why¡ that dastardly Custodian, working alongside it to create new advantages for you time loopers.¡±
¡°Last forty-five¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°What¡¯s that? Say something little Wainwright?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Orodan said.
He continued dying, but began being very mindful of the decreasing counter. And he focused till each and every cell in his body wanted to explode under the mental strain.
With thirty uses left, Soul Mastery reached 97.
With five uses left, it hit 98.
And finally¡
[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]
[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 0]
¡°Oooh! Interesting! That¡¯s a new mechanism I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Did it give you a new toy? Oh¡ oh! I see! It¡¯s connected to the System¡¯s Control Spike! Why¡ that dastardly Custodian, working alongside it to create new advantages for you time loopers.¡±
Orodan immediately wound Eternal Soul Reactor down.
[Soul Mastery 98 ¡ú Soul Mastery 99]
He looked deep within the soul and began to see the glyphs and symbols of the skills. Of the connection they had to the overall database of the System¡¯s stored knowledge and experience. He also saw the glyphs related to the time loop itself.
So close¡ yet not enough to actually interact with them.
¡°Quite the spike of soul energy there. Oh? Are you trying to reset the loop? You should! I shifted the System glyphs in the deepest part of your soul in a most subtle manner,¡± the Reject said. ¡°The moment you reset, I¡¯ll be there to greet you. Couldn¡¯t do it on this one as I was halfway to you already. Although it does make me wonder why you haven¡¯t reset at all yet¡ hmm¡¡±
He was out of checkpoint uses. This was it.
¡°Oh¡ so that¡¯s what this unique mechanism does! Sneaky, quite devious! I didn¡¯t even know you were doing that! How many times have we been through this conversation by now? Have you grown tired of my voice?¡±
¡°Enough to last me a lifetime.¡±
¡°Indeed, and that lifetime will be ending shortly,¡± the Reject said. ¡°I would normally give you an explanation of everything as a courtesy, but I think giving you more time to prepare is a poor idea. Come little cart-maker, embrace the peace of death.¡±
Orodan thrashed about and fought with full power as the Reject dragged him by the head towards the seemingly infinite depth orb in his hands. He felt a strong suction force on the other side, pulling him out someplace there would be guaranteed death.
If this was it, then he would go out fighting.
All his ¡®clones¡¯ came into being and launched the most powerful assaults he could. The Administrator barely felt it.
He threw his all into chronomancy, and the Reject simply laughed and shattered his control over time with a gesture.
He poured as much power as he could into spatiomancy, and the madman shattered it yet again.
And when he tore his head free and reformed? The Reject encased Orodan in that familiar substance which seemed to capture him in a shell as it had during their first encounter.
If this was the end, then so be it. He would fight to the bitter finish like a warrior should.
A loud thrum rang out, and he heard the familiar crackle of lightning, and white flames melted the substance forming around him.
¡°Grahhh! Custodian! I have had enough of your meddling! You interfere once, and now yet again?! It¡¯s plain to see that this one¡¯s special to you!¡± the Reject yelled, madness in his voice. ¡°Yet, no matter what pathetic harrassing strikes you launch, you never step through. Your station can never be abandoned, can it?¡±
In response, dimensions quaked, and suddenly someone appeared in front of the Reject who was blown backwards.
A hooded figure. Hammer in the left hand, and a white orb of purity in the right.
Orodan had seen glimpses of this being before, and had even wiped out its ¡®purity¡¯ upon the Script-King.
This was the Custodian. The final Administrator he hadn¡¯t seen until now.
¡°Never mind¡ I stand corrected. You and that thing really are hedging all your bets on this one, aren¡¯t you?¡± the Reject asked. ¡°What¡¯s so special about him? Tell me!¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. There is a construct nearby, something I placed in an incomplete state to help guide you upon your anointment,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°You shall find it now completed by my hand. Step within and flee into the bowels of the System. Where it leads, there is much Eldritch. Yet if anyone can weather it, tis¡¯ you. Go, now. I shall hold him off, yet each moment I am here is a moment the universe darkens.¡±
The ancient machine under Mount Castarian. Yes, that was it!
An angry Zaessythra also barrelled into the core chamber and immediately laid eyes upon Orodan.
¡°We¡¯re leaving, now,¡± Zaessythra ordered and practically dragged him along with her.
¡°We should help him,¡± Orodan protested.
¡°No. You have done enough, and this foe is beyond us,¡± Zaessythra said, deathly seriousness in her voice.
¡°All I need is a bit more time¡¡±
¡°Which we do not have!¡±
They ran through the windings tunnels of the depths until reaching a spot where the strange energy of the Administrators didn¡¯t interfere with spatiomancy. Orodan then teleported both himself and Zaessythra towards the ancient machine.
He stepped out first¡
¡only to be suddenly bound by hundreds of restraining spells.
Before him, a shimmering humanoid figure.
The other time looper.
¡°Forgive me, fellow time looper. I¡ must resort to extreme measures if it necessitates the return of myself to the time loops,¡± they said. ¡°I am truly sorry.¡±
Zaessythra was blown away in a singular attack and sent crashing into the rock.
With a hand wave, the ancient machine which was glowing and emanating purple-gray energy¡ was shut down.
Orodan strained and struggled, yet the bindings were strong. After at least fifteen seconds, he finally broke free.
Only to be met with a cavalcade of additional restraining spells. The restraining continued for another two minutes, until at last, the Reject arrived.
¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t the failure, a reject, just like me,¡± the madman said. ¡°Now that the Custodian was forced to retreat lest it all fall apart, we can handle matters. Rest assured, you can have these glyphs, and I¡¯ll personally see to grafting them onto your soul as long as you live a nice, quiet life and make no attempts to fix anything.¡±
The Reject yanked the spatial ring off of Orodan¡¯s finger and pulled the bottle containing the System glyph out. With a flick, he tossed it to the other time looper.
¡°¡I expect your end of the bargain to be upheld¡ Reject,¡± the previous time looper said.
¡°Yes, yes¡ now be quiet while I put an end to this strange experiment,¡± the Reject said. ¡°A man more insane than me selected as a time looper? How comical! Hahaha!¡±
The caverns quaked, and three more people arrived.
¡°Ancestor¡ unhand Orodan Wainwright,¡± said Jian Huangdi. Next to him was Zhou Shan and another.
¡°Directive: release friend, Orodan Wainwright,¡± W78 said.
¡°No! Just leave you fools! You¡¯ll be killed!¡± Orodan shouted. ¡°This is my battle!¡±
¡°Oh? Want me to unhand your friend, do you? Why¡ alright then!¡±
Orodan was suddenly flung with some speed¡ somewhere. The only thing he felt was the impact of flesh, followed by a rock wall.
He came to his senses to find Zhou Shan entangled with himself in a heap, and the head of Jian Huangdi in the hands of the Reject.
¡°Father! I¡¯ll¡ I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Zhou Shan shouted in a raw grieving rage.
The High Sovereign charged forward, only to be turned into a blood mist within a single hit. And Orodan found himself restrained once more by the magical spellcraft of the previous time looper.
The Reject approached, only for the familiar metal to stand between him and Orodan.
¡°W78, no¡ leave now!¡± Orodan pleaded. ¡°Reject¡ kill me, but spare them!¡±
¡°Such heroic demands! Such selflessness! I might actually honor your request!¡± the Reject said. ¡°That was¡ if you hadn¡¯t angered me. Resisting until the Custodian arrived? Making me fight and take injuries? I think I¡¯m going to enjoy hurting you, little Wainwright. And the first way of doing that¡ is to hurt this little bucket of bolts.¡±
¡°Directive from command nexus - disobeyed. Unit disconnected from network,¡± W78 said. ¡°Establishing personal directive - protect friend.¡±
¡°W78¡ no!¡±
The poor machine never stood a chance. One moment W78 was standing defiantly before the Reject. And the next¡ metal was scattered all over.
But Orodan couldn¡¯t see any of that.
All he saw¡
¡was red.
¡°Oh? You look angry! Good! I like it better when they look angry! Makes absorbing them into my soul a lot easier,¡± his target said as the dead man ripped his chest apart, exposing a roiling pit of thousands of souls within. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering who taught the Hegemony how to make those cute Crusaders of theirs, it¡¯s me. Come, little Wainwright. Join all your fellow time loopers in one happy party!¡±
Orodan had no emotion on his face. He allowed himself to be drawn into the Reject.
Into the slimy pit within its chest where a disgusting conglomeration of souls, all belonging to former time loopers, were churning together.
Orodan gladly allowed it¡
¡for never had his rage burned so hot.
Distantly, he heard the sounds of a dragon roaring and the gasp of surprise from the previous time looper, but he cared not for that.
Eons of suffering. Torment. Endless agony. This was what all these souls felt.
Within, was a mechanism which seemed to seal him off from the System. No way to bring him back if he died. Just endless suffering and death. Over and over.
Good.
Orodan¡¯s first order of business, was to turn all this against the Reject.
He immediately felt the mental assault of thousands of time loopers, all bent to the will of the Reject. Each of them had skills, mental abilities and determination of their own which was in service to the Reject. And they all poured their combined prowess towards forcing Orodan to bend, and then break.
He was down to a handful of cells.
But in truth¡
¡this was nothing compared to what he¡¯d seen when dealing with the monster affiliated with the shards.
And Orodan had resisted that just fine.
Tidal waves of willpower and mental skills assaulted his mind and soul.
And Orodan fired back with apocalyptic tsunamis of mental focus and raw willpower which simply would not break.
His will shot out, and the nearest few souls were commanded to follow not the Reject, but Orodan Wainwright.
They were defiant at first, scared. They feared the torture, the agony that the madman would inflict upon them!
Yet, Orodan promised protection under the light of his own soul. And so a few listened, and they relented and joined him.
Then came the remaining servants, the loyal ones who¡¯d been there a long time. They too eventually broke after hundreds of failed assaults and also joined Orodan.
More and more souls were stolen into Orodan¡¯s own, until finally, a critical mass had been reached.
¡°What¡ what are you doing?! Get out of my soul!¡± the Reject roared.
But, it was too late. In a final venomous blow, Orodan, and all the souls that had joined him, launched one powerful soul attack of pure defiance against the Administrator.
[Soul Mastery 99 ¡ú Soul Mastery 100]
[New Title ¡ú Soul Grandmaster]
The Reject roared in pain and fell to a knee. He angrily threw Orodan out, however Orodan was determined to extract a price and leave a permanent wound as revenge for the death of W78.
He thus took all the converted souls with him.
Outside, he saw a full-sized dragon of immense power battling the other time looper. Its scales were silvery.
¡°Freak¡ monster¡ anomaly¡¡± the Reject muttered. ¡°None should be capable of standing up to the wills of thousands of time loopers and an Administrator. Engaging you in a mental and soul battle was my mistake. One I shall not repeat.¡±
In the battleground of the mind and soul, striking a blow against the Reject was one thing. But in the physical realm, the Administrator still reigned supreme.
He grabbed Orodan and practically threw him towards the portable wormhome, and a wave of killing power emanated from the two dual swords.
They connected at the exact same time as the wormhole sucked him in.
And all he knew was darkness.
[T@e] [mp%] [o&ra*l]
[A@n] [o!m] [aly!]
[S@y] [st!] [@em]
[E@x] [cep] [tion]
[F@o] [!@u] [n@d!]
[Li@fe#] [Si@!gns] [N@ot] [F*ou&nd]
[!A#b#o!@rt@#in^g] [P%r*ot#o$co@l]
[L*oop@er] [O@u!t] [!of] [R@an%g!e]
Was this the darkness of death?
He distantly had an awareness, but no actual cells.
He had failed.
Orodan Wainwright was dead.
In front of him¡ a surreal landscape where gigantic things beyond all imagination dwelled. Some were aloof. Others hungry. And one of them¡ quite familiar, pink, and sadistic. It seemed to recognize him too as its eyes the size of galaxies stared hungrily. This was the true form of that thing affiliated with the shards.
Behind him, the caged wall past which was System space.
Was this it?
Was it time to put the blade down and rest in peace having died a warrior¡¯s death?
¡°I¡¯ll find a way, even if I die.¡±
¡°And if I die without any loop left to bring me back¡ then even death is just another opponent to do battle with.¡±
Words came unbidden to his memory. And his willpower stirred.
Other memories came to him as well.
A mentor who sacrificed it all for him.
Adeltaj¡¯s eyes held that same teasing glimmer whenever the old man would make fun of him in his early loops.
The level 99 Phoenix Thrust increased to level 100, and Adeltaj Simarji became a dual-Grandmaster.
¡°Old man¡!¡±
Only to die an instant later.
A friend who gave it all up.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ I cannot linger for long lest my pursuers return, but thank you for all you¡¯ve done,¡± the elven Goddess spoke. ¡°Ensure Vylmela¡¯s sacrifice isn¡¯t in vain. Please¡ it¡¯s what she would want.¡±
And behind her eyes, unlike most other Gods Orodan had dealt with, he could swear Vespidia¡¯s familiar gaze was there.
A friend with a pure heart.
¡°Directive from command nexus - disobeyed. Unit disconnected from network,¡± W78 said. ¡°Establishing personal directive - protect friend.¡±
¡°W78¡ no!¡±
And someone who¡¯d been with him for the longest time.
¡°No, I refuse,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll¡¡±
¡°Die? That would end the loop anyways¡ I¡¯m sorry Orodan,¡± she said softly, and one of her pages came up to dab at the moisture he didn¡¯t even know was gathering in his eyes. ¡°You really are something else. Whoever chose you for these time loops did a good job, but they also consigned you to a painful existence. I expect to be taken on many adventures in the next loop and berate you at every step. Thank you for helping me remember myself and just¡ remember me, okay?¡±
Orodan lacked a physical body, but his soul trembled.
Rage, sorrow¡ and the refusal to accept any of it.
Had they all given their lives for him so that he could rest in peace?
No.
Never.
The willpower of Orodan Wainwright was infinite, and he would show them. He would get revenge on the Reject, he would cleanse the System. He would keep them all safe.
He would be the pillar dreams could find reality upon.
He lacked a physical body, and this was an advantage, because now¡
¡Orodan churned Eternal Soul Reactor at a level he would¡¯ve never dared before.
Immediately, the sadistic and hungry thing in the great distance noticed, and it drew closer. As did many of the smaller but hungry creatures in this surreal void between universes.
The smaller ones began inhaling and consuming the soul energy he emanated.
Yet it mattered not. Were they hungry? Good! Orodan would feed them till they exploded.
[Eternal Soul Reactor 99 ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 100]
His soul blazed with power, and the pain was utterly horrific. Yet he cared not.
[Pain Resistance 94 ¡ú Pain Resistance 97]
He continued pushing. Further and further.
The smaller creatures now began burning and exploding as they approached his soul. And the larger ones were beginning to recoil in fear as he was producing far too much soul energy. He had no reference point to gauge exactly how much¡ but it was a lot.
The waves of hungry things continued coming, until at last a massive one approached¡ cosmic terror incarnate. It was at that point where everything else fled at its approach.
¡°A most curious little thing¡ out in the desolate expanse between creation¡ all alone.¡±
Orodan had no time or words to waste. Neither was he sure if he could even talk.
The horror between universes attempted to surround him, and for a time, all Orodan knew was pain. Horror¡ and the minds of entire universes worth of mental power ramming into him.
He wasn¡¯t sure how long had passed, but it was a while.
Yet, no matter how much this progenitor of the shards battered his mind and soul¡
¡Orodan¡¯s power simply kept growing.
[Pain Resistance 97 ¡ú Pain Resistance 99]
¡°An anomaly¡ the same one the pieces of my lifeblood encountered before¡ the anointed champion of the caged¡¡±
This thing would be the driver of his growth.
The beginning of¡ boundlessness.
At the end of the day¡ where did Orodan¡¯s power really stem from? The willpower was one aspect, as was his mastery of the soul.
And as a final message came by¡
[Pain Resistance 99 ¡ú Pain Resistance 100]
¡Orodan knew what he needed. Where his strength truly came from.
Eternal Soul Reactor as the core, the driver. The churning of his soul faster and faster to generate increasing amounts of power was critical. After that, Soul Mastery, for the intimate familiarity with his own soul, each and every bit. And at last¡ the drive, the will¡ the embrace of pain. Pain was the fuel and engine for his power. Without it, nothing truly moved forward.
The power of Orodan Wainwright then¡
¡was the Incipience of Infinity.
[Skill Combination ¡ú Eternal Soul Reactor 100 + Soul Mastery 100 + Pain Resistance 100 ¡ú Incipience of Infinity 100 (Celestial)]
Orodan¡¯s power skyrocketed, and even the galaxy of horrors looked somewhat wary.
The pink shards which could already destroy someone¡¯s System in palm-sized form, now were produced at the size of planets, ready to fire upon him.
¡°Anomaly¡ impossibility¡ a material lifeform with qualities of the boundless¡¡±
Orodan was prepared to receive the strike, yet at the last moment, something green smashed into his soul and forced it backwards and into the System cage.
¡°Retreat¡ you cannot face it yet¡¡±
What or who was that?
Before Orodan could truly ponder it, he contacted the cage with System glyphs and symbols upon it and encountered resistance.
His raw power utterly smashed through said resistance.
He passed through many layers of protections on his return to System space, and at one point saw a bewildered fifteen-foot tall man with a greatsword observing his passing with alarm. He flew past galaxies and sped onwards to familiar ground.
The entire time, he felt the tendrils of something guiding him diligently. It was Eldritch, without a doubt. But Orodan now knew what the Eldritch was, where it came from.
It was the Boundless One empowering the System, and it sought to help him.
Guiding tendrils led him past many more galaxies at hyper speed. The soul energy he emanated, enough to destroy some of them. Something he felt partially guilty about, but simply couldn¡¯t help at this time.
Finally, the familiar Athranos Galaxy was in sight, and he was guided to the now ruined Alastaia.
He practically dove down onto the planet, sensing the signatures he was looking for.
The first thing he saw was a roughened up previous time looper, and a grievously wounded Zaessythra. Now that he was in somewhat better senses, he realized that she¡¯s transformed into a full-sized dragon and tried to take the other looper on.
Yet again she nearly died for him.
The Reject was standing over the previous looper, manipulating the glyphs related to the time loop.
¡°Now hold still, this may or may not work, but at the very least the time loop will move on from that troublesome cart-maker,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Now then where-¡±
Immediately, Orodan launched a wave of soul energy capable of obliterating a galaxy, but in condensed form. In no way would this be possible in his real body, but when one had no cells, and no time loop to revert them to the beginning¡ such things were possible.
Yes. The time loops no longer affected him.
Would he now just be the Stubborn Skill-Grinder?
¡°O-Orodan¡ you look¡ shiny¡¡± Zaessythra said, breathing dangerously slowly.
¡°Impossible¡ impossible! You¡¯re too late! The loop has moved on and you have no way of manipulating it back onto yourself!¡± the Reject roared. ¡°Hahaha! I admit, you¡¯re dangerous. Insane, mad, positively loony! Never have I met someone so singularly determined. But¡ it¡¯s over! No more time loops for you! Kill me if you must! But this pathetic System universe is finished!¡±
Or so the Reject claimed.
Orodan had one final trick up his sleeve.
The previous looper had backed away, leaving one critical piece of equipment that Orodan felt relevant.
The Administrator¡¯s Mantle.
¡°What are you doing with that?! Put that down! It¡¯s mine!¡±
And yet, the Reject likely couldn¡¯t even use it any longer.
¡°Toy with that garment all you want. The System has moved on, without a connection nearby, there¡¯s nothing you can do,¡± the previous looper said.
And for the first time, Orodan opened his mouth and discovered that he could indeed speak in spirit form.
¡°This thing might not provide any use by itself. But it does allow one to interact directly with System energy,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And as for the connection¡ a trial of ascendance will do.¡±
The Reject¡¯s eyes widened.
The fool, Orodan thought.
Great enough talent and insights into a skill, and even the System couldn¡¯t accurately quantify it. With enough skill and talent, one could essentially ¡®delay¡¯ or save skill level gains. Much like Eldarion, the mortal elf on Eldiron had done during the first ascendance trial Orodan had ever seen.
And now¡ his broom was in hand as he looked directly at the Reject.
¡°You¡¯re dirty. Time to clean you up.¡±
The sweep went out¡
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 100 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 101]
¡and the Eldritch within the madman was purged.
And the souls within the Reject were also liberated.
¡°W-what¡ what have you done?! You took it away¡ you took it away!¡± the madman screamed. ¡°Give it back! Give. It. Back!¡±
The Administrator tried attacking him, but Orodan¡¯s current power was insanity incarnate. Galaxies were destroyed by his passing until he reined it in a bit. The Reject¡¯s strikes were painful, but nothing that could truly harm his soul. Not in this state.
With a gesture, Orodan blew the Reject away once more. Especially since the next message was an important one.
[Transcendence Trial Requirements Met]
[Beginning Trial - Time Stasis Initialized]
The System being, a strange humanoid composed of impossible geometric shapes with System glyphs all over its body, descended.
[Trial Taker - Orodan Wainwright]
The System being summoned an arena, and within were all manner of dirty clothes, dusty shelves and messy furniture.
[Trial Beginning]
His competition, would be the System being itself.
The trial began¡
¡and it ended as soon as Orodan swept outwards with his broom.
In a single sweep, everything had been cleansed.
[Trial Successful - Transcendence Achieved]
[New Title ¡ú Celestial Transcendent]
[New Title ¡ú Perfect Cleaning Transcendent]
[New Title ¡ú Cleaning Transcendent]
Frankly, expecting the greatest cleaning talent ever seen to struggle with the trial of ascendancy, was a bit much. Now if it was a skill he was less talented in? By all means.
More importantly though, was the mind wipe that the System being would now attempt.
[Beginning Memory Alterations]
There was a reason nobody remembered what happened during ascendancy trials.
It was because the System erased the memory of the participants.
And when it failed¡ or needed more power than the singular unit had?
[Warning - High Energy Signature Detected. Diverting More Power]
[Warning - High Energy Signature Persisting. Diverting More Power]
[Warning - High Energy Signature Persisting. Diverting More Power. Unit At Risk Of Corruption]
[Override Protocol Initiated - Incomplete Time Stasis Acceptable. Trial Resuming. Administrator Notified]
Orodan quickly picked up the Administrator¡¯s Mantle and donned it. It was¡ a cultivator¡¯s robes. He suspected the Prophet¡¯s mantle was the holy book or the sceptre. The Custodian¡¯s might have been the hammer, and the mage¡¯s the staff. And the Warrior¡¯s the greatsword. So for the cultivator robes to be a mantle, it didn¡¯t surprise Orodan that it belonged to the Reject.
He donned them and found that they worked just fine and didn¡¯t fall through his soul form.
And with the pure and direct channel of System energy going from the System being to the very core of the System¡
¡Orodan poured all his power and awareness into the Administrator¡¯s Mantle and dove with his consciousness deep into the guts of the System itself.
A cage, one with System glyphs and symbols etched onto every inch, and within¡ a grotesque purple thing. Yet, one that emanated an aura of compassion and love.
Its power was unfathomable. Even in soul form¡ with the power to destroy galaxies, Orodan was no match. This being¡ it was on the same level as that thing which had galaxies for eyes.
And on another end¡ the mechanism for the time loop. It had the same glyphs as the ones within his soul.
Without further question, without further thought¡ Orodan¡¯s consciousness reached out, and directed the hooks of that loop into himself.
[Time Looper Anointed]
[Power Source Not Detected - Utilizing Nearest Available Power Source]
[Power Source - Orodan Wainwright]
He had one second to reflect on how that might¡¯ve been a horrible idea.
One second.
And then, searing pain and the annihilation of mind, soul, self and consciousness occurred.
Who was it?
It was infinity.
Infinity knew no end. It was boundless.
Many millennia passed. Infinity knew no end, no limit. It simply kept providing the necessary power for the mechanism to fully charge.
The mechanism queried how infinity could power it so fast. As did a nearby being of a most alien nature. Infinity would rise to any challenge. To any occasion.
Many more millennia passed, and the alien being was alarmed. An enemy was invading their shared domain.
The five great servants were incapable of holding it back, and eventually it broke through. The alien being urged infinity to speed the process up. And infinity complied.
Throughout it all, a draconic lifeform remained by the side of Infinity¡¯s physical form.
And as the universe began to shatter, and the cage suffered damage, the alien being at the center of the cage begged Infinity to conclude the process. For the mechanism¡ the time loop¡ it was the only thing which could salvage the situation.
At last, after tens of millennia¡ the process concluded, and the mechanism was prepared.
And Infinity opened the eyes of its physical form.
¡°Orodan! Orodan!¡± the draconic lifeform yelled. ¡°Y-you¡¯re finally awake!¡±
Infinity thought the sudden physical closeness was a bit uncalled for. Although strangely enough, a small part of its endless mind thought it¡ pleasant?
¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°Y-you¡ you don¡¯t remember me? Orodan¡ you powered the entire time loop¡ you¡¯re¡ you¡¯re¡¡±
Very briefly he¡ no it¡ right? Yes¡ it recalled a memory.
¡°And when do I not act like a normal person?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°All the time,¡± she fired back. ¡°But¡ mainly when you¡¯re tapping into that soul skill of yours. It¡¯s impressive and all, but I sometimes feel like the further you push your endless willpower, the less human you become. And I say this as a half-dragon.¡±
¡°I¡¯m still a human, Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Flesh, blood and all.¡±
It¡ no¡ he looked down, and his hands were trembling.
¡°Who¡ who am I?¡± he asked, genuinely scared for the first time in a very long while. His own descent into the infinite¡ it terrified him more than any foe.
¡°Orodan¡ you¡¯re Orodan Wainwright,¡± she said, taking hold of his shaking hands.
¡°I¡ think I remember. And who are you? You seem familiar, warm¡ trustworthy,¡± he said.
¡°I¡¯m Zaessythra, your annoying cursed book companion and that nagging half-dragon who keeps lecturing you,¡± she said, her voice breaking. ¡°Look¡ the universe is falling apart around us¡ you have to re-enter the time loops. That thing and a few others have been trying to break in for thousands of years now and they¡¯ve finally succeeded.¡±
¡°And who are these five people?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The Administrators,¡± she said.
Orodan¡¯s mind spun as he finally began recalling everything.
He suddenly reached for a sword that was no longer there.
His glare towards the Reject was full of death.
¡°You! You killed W78 and Zhou Shan!¡± Orodan roared as he stomped towards the man.
¡°I profess¡ I did all of that¡ but we have bigger concerns on our plate,¡± the Reject said. ¡°The many millennia have given me, and us, a lot of clarity of thought. I used to think the Boundless One empowering the System was a bad deal for sapient life, but I¡¯ve now come to realize that there are far worse Boundless Ones out there. One in particular, you encountered during your return¡ and it isn¡¯t happy of the fact that you¡¯re a living being with qualities only one of their kind should possess.¡±
For now¡ Orodan would set aside his hatred. Had thousands of years truly passed?
How old was he? He still saw no physical body, so perhaps age didn¡¯t really matter?
Idly, he noted that the Incipience of Infinity was sitting at 121. That meant the ascendancy trial had come and gone, with no System unit being capable of matching Orodan. At least all those millennia of generating power had amounted to something.
¡°How do I possess the qualities of a Boundless One?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡¡± the Custodian began. ¡°The mechanism within the heart of the System, it¡¯s a time loop meant to power only the System universe. But you¡ you went ahead and fed it enough power to affect all of reality. As you can imagine, the slumbering beings beyond our borders were not happy. The knowledge that they¡¯ll be reset once the mechanism is activated does not please them.¡±
¡°And where is this place?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°It seems familiar¡¡±
¡°Alastaia. The world core was damaged, but we repaired it,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°And the addition of a few thousand more years is not much in the life span of a world core. What really mattered, was the System Control Spike. On the day of your birth, the Boundless One and I decided to go for a last-minute gambit¡ a series of glyphs that would identify the being with the greatest talent in cleaning that the universe had ever seen. We were hoping for someone to cleanse the System of Eldritch, to allow Boundless One and mortal to live in harmony. Yet¡ you¡¯ve thrown a wrench into our plans by exhibiting a secondary quality beyind any known reason or explanation.¡±
¡°My willpower¡¡±
Orodan knew that he wasn¡¯t normal. His willpower made no sense¡
¡°Yes. Now come, we must activate the mechanism and send you back in time,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°When you return, your power will be greatly diminished. After all, in terms of skill levels you¡¯re still no match for an Administrator when in your physical body.¡±
¡°And while these many millennia of being Eldritch-free and the united struggle against those things have mellowed us all out,¡± the Reject said. ¡°Make no mistake¡ you¡¯ll still have to fight us upon your return. So be prepared.¡±
Suddenly, the very walls of reality shook.
¡°They prepare another assault. Likely their greatest one yet,¡± the Warrior said. ¡°Orodan, activate the mechanism, now!
Orodan nodded and got to his feet, but before he did¡ a familiar control spike was nearby, and he laid a hand upon it.
[Runes Available: 2885 (+10% = 3173)]
#$Tim^%e *L^oo#@p#er $#T$a%l^en!t&s
@!Ch#e$ckp*oi&^nt - U^s%es B&as*ed On T(ot&al R&u^n$e#es He(l@d ¡ú 2000 $R*un#es
#$Sto(r*ag^e - Sp@a!ce D(ep*end^ent On T(ot*al R^un&e(s H^e@ld ¡ú 2500 R&u%nes
His rune count had increased. And most importantly, he immediately took the Storage option.
Instinctively, he felt it wasn¡¯t very much. Perhaps less than a box of apples, not with the amount of runes he had.
But it would have to be enough.
¡°Zaessythra. Have you been keeping up with your reading?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes¡ why? Not much to do around here besides read,¡± she answered.
¡°You transformed into a full-sized dragon. That was one of the last things I recall before I went under,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You want me to transform into a dragon?¡±
¡°No¡ I want you to transform into the cursed book you were,¡± he said.
¡°I¡ can still do that¡ but why?¡±
¡°Because, you¡¯re coming with me you idiot.¡±
Her eyes dared to hold the slightest glimmer of hope, and she immediately transformed into her typical form. Orodan grabbed and practically shoved her into his soul, specifically within the storage space.
¡°They come! Activate the mechanism!¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t have to be told twice. The time loop was already connected to him, even if it spanned a far wider area now. In other words, he needed to restore himself to life and then die.
However, getting killed by the universe-sized cosmic horror making its way through the cracks of their own universe¡ was probably not a good idea.
Orodan immediately flared Incipience of Infinity to its maximal power and empowered Harmony of Vitality.
Problem was¡ all the time in his soul form had really made him used to the incredibly high levels of power. To the point that restoring even a single cell was rather difficult.
It took Orodan a full two minutes to finally restore a cell of himself and become alive once more¡
¡but before he could die by his own hand. The pink beam fired from a planet sized crystal struck him first. It took all he had to shield the part of his soul containing Zaessythra with maximal power.
Darkness took him.
#
His dreams were fitful. Disjointed memories, as though he wasn¡¯t sure who he was.
The nightmares were vivid, strong. He dreamt of his failures, of lapsing into infinity once more and losing his sense of self. Of failing everyone again.
Yet, throughout it all, a pleasant presence kept him company.
The presence comforted him over these dark dreams.
He wasn¡¯t sure how long he slept for, but the comforting presence was never far.
Zaessythra, she called herself. And he was Orodan.
And within his dreams he slowly began to remember who he was.
Until at last, he was sitting within his mindscape, looking at the scene of a child picking up a broken and rusty sword in defense of himself and what little food he¡¯d found.
¡°Thank you, Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said. ¡°For keeping me company. I didn¡¯t expect my mind to take so long to recover.¡±
¡°You were hit by a shard the size of a planet,¡± she said. ¡°And you devoted most of your energy towards shielding me, like the idiot you are.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll gladly plead to being an idiot every day then¡± he said. ¡°Still¡ my foes have only grown stronger. Or rather, I¡¯ve learned more about the universe and what I¡¯m meant to do.¡±
¡°Indeed. You have a long way to go, and only yourself to rely on,¡± she said.
¡°You act as though you won¡¯t be with me,¡± he said.
¡°Orodan¡ my soul was badly damaged despite your efforts¡ I cannot wake in the physical world for quite some time,¡± she professed. ¡°The process of moving into the next loop. Your soul was out of control and did quite a bit of damage. It will take me some time to recover.
Immediately, he felt responsible and clenched his fist.
Her hand came to rest atop it.
¡°None of that. I¡¯d be far worse off if you hadn¡¯t stepped in,¡± she said.
¡°I feel that my ¡®stepping in¡¯ led to the time loops becoming far more complicated. Figures¡ I find one answer as to what they are and why I was chosen, only to go and make the problem ten times worse,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And that time I was under¡ drawing upon my endless willpower. It was¡ scary. Genuinely. Facing a foe is easy. Losing my sense of self to my own willpower, is another thing entirely.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ surprisingly human of you to say,¡± she said.
¡°You¡¯re a half-dragon,¡± he quipped. ¡°How would you know what being human is like?¡±
¡°Fair point. Still, what is it you fear?¡± she asked. ¡°The bloodthirstiness of the child before me?¡±
She referred to the young Orodan who was in a memory of having killed someone.
¡°Pah¡ that was self-defense¡ although it set the tone for all the blood on my hands,¡± he said.
¡°Then what is it?¡±
¡°I fear¡ forgetting,¡± he said. ¡°When I came to, I didn¡¯t even know who you were, and you were so emotional about it. I felt a terrible sense of guilt.¡±
¡°You fear forgetting? I suppose I can relate to that as well,¡± she said. ¡°In that regard. One could say I have a solution.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
Her face came closer to his, and before he knew it¡
¡she had stolen a kiss.
#
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
And he still vividly felt the warm lips upon his own.
That¡ that had just occurred.
For so long did Orodan fear allowing himself to get close, and then Zaessythra went and decided to kiss him. He really wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. He didn¡¯t even have a heart any longer and that part of him still felt some strange things as he dwelled on that memory.
For now though, he had bigger concerns.
Immediately, he sensed something was wrong.
Very, very wrong.
No Quest messages.
He mentally called forth his Status¡
¡and nothing came forth.
Instantly, he looked within his own soul to see the problem.
The deep part of his soul where System skills, glyphs and the like were¡ was wiped clean. Oh, there was something there alright, but with no connection to the System.
And even deeper within¡ was the familiar cursed book. Zaessythra herself. Who wouldn¡¯t awaken for a good while.
Orodan felt responsible for it. It was his soul going rampant that caused her current state.
Still, it was a new loop in Ogdenborough.
He was no longer a damned noble of House Wainwright, thank the System for that at least. And perhaps it was time to focus on some of the things he¡¯d been meaning to do for a long time. A slower life, self-improvement, crafts and taking his time in exploring and self-betterment.
So what if he didn¡¯t have access to the System? He could still fight, and the skills mainly affected were the ones where he relied more on the System¡¯s skill levels than his own insights and fundamental understanding.
He had a long, long road ahead of him.
Zaessythra had managed to recover and heal her Status and connection to the System, and he had her for advice.
And worst come to worst¡
¡nothing was stopping Orodan from learning runic scripts, and delving into the secrets of System glyphs and symbols for himself.
If his System refused to heal, then he would just build a new one, one powered by himself.
Of course, all of that involved plenty of stubborn skill grinding in a time loop.
Chapter 66 - Systemless & Next Steps
At the end of the day, it always led back to Ogdenborough. This town, one of the poorest in all the Republic, was where Orodan first died, and where the time loops first began.
He grew up here, and his upbringing had laid the foundations for the young man who¡¯d first entered the time loops. And while he wasn¡¯t the hot-headed seventeen year-old he once was, in no way had he deviated overly much from who he was at core. Merely evolved it.
The moon was still high in the sky, Zaessythra was slumbering deep within the secure pocket of storage space he¡¯d acquired, and Ogdenborough was quiet.
The first order of business then, was cleaning.
No System skill, no crutch aiding him. It was time to see just how impacted his bread and butter skills were.
On one hand, he could raid Fodgarton¡¯s and attempt to acquire some decent cleaning supplies, but on the other hand¡ a dirty rag would be the ultimate litmus test for his cleaning.
Cleaning with a bunch of fanciful supplies versus cleaning with a dirty rag were two different things. Being able to achieve the same result with the latter was an indicator of true skill.
And so, dirty rag in hand, he assailed his derelict bedside table.
A singular swipe, and the entirety of the table was spotlessly clean and practically sparkling.
Good.
He¡¯d always felt that his cleaning ability and talents were something not of the System, but borne of his unnatural talent and innate understandings. It was good to see that theory confirmed. In fact, all the skills under the umbrella of Domain of Perfect Cleaning, he felt were functioning normally.
Likewise with the latest Celestial addition to his repertoire which he didn¡¯t want to broach at this time.
He continued his work, making the bed, cleaning the rugs of all debris and polishing each and every rock within the property lines of his hovel. The difference however was that this was all done with naught but the dirty rag in his hands.
Finally, the work was done, and Orodan stepped outside his hovel and onto Briar Court, his home road.
Quiet.
Nothing alarming or unnatural, it was just past midnight, the moon hung high in the sky and the only things out and about in Ogdenborough were the night patrols of the militia, stray animals and the harpies which had passed overhead and were at their hunting grounds by now.
That was on the small scale. On the large scale, he¡¯d received no Quest notifications for the ancient machine or the Eldritch Avatar, nor had he gotten any warnings that he was a Quest Subject. Additionally, the Reject clearly hadn¡¯t appeared and begun attacking him. Thus, Orodan could only conclude that whatever that almighty Boundless One had done, it had practically eliminated his System and consequently the ability for any of his foes to really track him.
Did he even have a presence in the tapestry of fate? Would his Celestial skill still cause an eruption of energy alerting various factions? And most importantly, were the Administrators and the Boundless One at the heart of the System aware of the changes he¡¯d made to the time loop? Who the hells was that green-colored power that had thrown him back into System space? Orodan owed it a debt and would see it repaid.
Orodan wanted answers to all of these questions, but currently, he faced the small problem of being weakened in certain ways.
His body was strong, his combat skills, fresh. He had no doubts about his ability to handle himself in a fight, after all, he grew up fighting; combat and violence were as natural to him as breathing. The problem though, was in his other skills, particularly those for which he relied upon the System a decent bit for.
The smallest of nudges, and his soul produced a veritable tide of energy, courtesy of his new Celestial skill which he dare not indulge in too freely. The power was then poured into a Spatial Fold aimed skyward.
However, as he did so¡
¡his control over space trembled and fell apart, as though he was lacking multiple foundational understandings about how to maintain a stable Spatial Fold at such high levels of power.
Like a crutch, the System had forced him to become reliant upon it without even realizing. As his skill levels grew, his connection to the System and its natural wellspring of knowledge and instinctive assistance increased. Everyone had it incorporated into their souls, this was natural. But to have it taken away? It was akin to losing a limb one spent their entire life with.
Only now did he realize the crutch he was relying upon all this time. The gaps in understanding shored up through connection to the System and its natural assistance at higher levels.
He could still perform a smaller scale Spatial Fold, but even Orodan¡¯s unfathomable capacity for energy didn¡¯t exempt him from the fact that his control was now severely hampered. He could still cast the spells, but throwing copious amounts of power into them wouldn¡¯t be possible until he repaired his System or truly mastered the subtle control himself.
His second Celestial skill was also a problem, albeit, one that loomed over the others like a mountain.
Incipience of Infinity. An ominous name, even if it just seemed to be a standard upgrade from Eternal Soul Reactor. Yet it had allowed him to tap into enough power while in disembodied soul form that he shattered galaxies. A feat he wouldn¡¯t be replicating anytime soon now that the time loops were back in service.
Worst of all, when drawing upon it to empower the time loop mechanism deep within the System¡¯s innards¡ he had utterly lost himself.
To fight a foe, no matter how terrible, was easy. Gods, Transcendents, Administrators and Boundless Ones? No problem.
But to have his sense of self eroded by his own endless willpower as he churned his soul harder and harder and continued to draw upon it to produce power enough to affect a universe? Terrifying.
The threat wasn¡¯t anything external, but himself. The very tall task of mastering his own will loomed over Orodan¡¯s head.
At the end of the day, if he wanted to best his foes, then he needed to be capable of not only drawing upon the full extent of Incipience of Infinity while remaining alive¡ but to do so without becoming a mindless font of infinite will.
Too much of anything was bad. Too much exposure to the truth? People became maddened by the Boundless One. Too much System energy? World cores faced corruption by the Eldritch. And too much willpower and the churning of his own soul? Orodan had lost himself, even if temporarily.
And while Zaessythra had given him something to remember¡ Orodan really didn¡¯t want to broach that topic anytime soon. His feelings on the matter were a mess. For once, he found himself glad that she was aslumber.
As for the task before him. He would have to repair his System, master his second Celestial skill and attempt to fix the ancient machine under Mount Castarian. All of those things required learning new skills and mastering many of the ones that had become weakened due to the sudden cutoff of the System.
And of course, increasing his battle power so that he could honestly fight peak-Transcendents and worse in straight battle. His feats as a disembodied soul weren¡¯t at all indicative of how he would do against an Embodiment-level being, or worse, an Administrator. Not at this time.
It was time to grind in a different manner.
Perhaps it was time to actually attend his shift with the county militia once more.
#
He¡¯d spent most of the time just cleaning the neighborhood.
Running laps around Ogdenborough was completely pointless at his level of Physical Fitness. Before the destruction of his System, it was at level 95, and his Body Tempering at 66. Unlike magical skills or crafts, his physical body was something familiar and instinctive to him. He was a warrior, and that involved being rather talented at the physical arts, which meant he couldn¡¯t really feel any downgrade in strength or stamina as he idly juggled the stacks of lumber using a single finger.
¡°Morning old man¡¡± Orodan said, a smile on his face as he took in the familiar face of Old Man Hannegan. The man had a frown on his face at Orodan¡¯s casual display of strength. ¡°Still the same shoddy quality lumber I see?¡±
¡°O-Orodan! How in the hells did you get so strong?!¡± the old man exclaimed. ¡°Why that¡¯s at least¡ 30? No¡ perhaps halfway to level 40 of Physical Fitness? Unless you awakened a Bloodline?¡±
30? Halfway to 40? Orodan doubted any non-monster upon Alastaia had a Physical Fitness of 95 like he did, and even then, Body Tempering gave him an overwhelming advantage in strength on top of it. Although, without knowledge of it, people might assume Body Tempering to be a Bloodline giving him an advantage.
¡°Lots of battle and a dash of hard work,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Say, want a hand with your warehouse? I could use the practice in putting things together.¡±
Especially since he had quite a few things he needed to put back together.
¡°Are you trying to get me beaten? With strength like that, the Burgher will undoubtedly take notice of you, and I¡¯ll be questioned for not informing the militia immediately,¡± the old man said. ¡°Especially if you acquired it all of a sudden. It must be a Bloodline then? Or a Blessing?¡±
¡°It¡¯s definitely not a Blessing,¡± Orodan immediately corrected. His days of relying upon the power of Gods were behind him. His own sweat and blood were the only true path to strength. ¡°Nor is it a Bloodline. And you don¡¯t have to hire me, I just want to help. I need to test my abilities in Woodworking and Construction.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ well as long as you explicitly tell anyone who asks that it was you who wanted to play around, and not I who tried poaching you,¡± the old man said. ¡°In any case, I see you¡¯re not willing to say how you acquired your sudden growth in strength. So I won¡¯t pry.¡±
¡°I already told you what it was,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll take it at face value if I say I¡¯ve been through this day thousands of times.¡±
¡°Like some sort of time traveler?¡± the old man asked, an eyebrow quirked up and then he rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m surprised a dunderhead like you has been reading those silly stories. I thought you hated books, Orodan? Regardless, keep your secrets and spare me the jests. Your business is your own. Blessing or Bloodline, I need not know. Time travel¡ hah!¡±
Orodan simply smiled in response.
¡°Whether you buy it or not is your prerogative,¡± Orodan said, causing the old man to give him a strange look. ¡°Anyhow, let¡¯s get to work. These beams won¡¯t move themselves and there¡¯s plenty of lumber here we can prepare into construction material.¡±
¡°If only my crew had a fifth of your work ethic¡¡± the old man muttered.
Which was a bit of an unfair assessment in his opinion. After all, the laborers of Ogdenborough weren¡¯t exactly looking to become wealthy off of laboring, and many of them had secondary jobs which were their main trade. For most laborers, working a stint at a construction site was simply a way to hopefully gain a level or two in Physical Fitness and perhaps a few levels in Laboring. Both of which would contribute to a higher quality of life and increased their value as workers.
Orodan moved to the wooden beams laying about the area and began moving them in a synchronized manner, hoping to best replicate what he remembered of the warehouse¡¯s building from his prior loops. The old man seemed impressed by his display of strength in pushing massive beams about like they were paper, yet the lack of connection to the System immediately became apparent.
¡°You¡ I thought you had the Laboring skill? Are you engaging in some sort of physical training?¡±
¡°I do have the Laboring skill, or at least¡ I did,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°My current circumstances are a little complicated though.¡±
Oh, he could move the beams about just fine. Strength wasn¡¯t the issue, and his body was mighty indeed. The problem lay in the fact that he was failing to stack the beams in their correct spots.
Without a connection to the System¡¯s broader knowledge that his skill levels granted him, certain minor differences began adding up. The first few beams he placed were just minorly crooked here and there. Not intentional, just him relying on the crutch the System provided without even meaning to and then realizing it was no longer there.
The System could empower beings to heights beyond the mundane. Yet it also served as a crutch¡ as a weakness.
Perhaps Orodan was beginning to see now why the Reject might¡¯ve wanted to be rid of it. Yes, the Boundless One empowering it seemed friendly enough, but even setting aside its corruptive nature, the System and reliance upon it¡ wasn¡¯t true strength. And for a cultivator who knew of life before the System, that must¡¯ve factored into the Reject¡¯s decision to despise it.
Yet¡ just as a crutch could be limiting¡
¡so too could the loss of it be liberating.
¡°Look, your placements are all crooked. Vilia will yell my ear off if we go through building atop slanted foundations,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°Do it again, and quit horsing around Orodan. Your Laboring should be level 17 at least, no? You¡¯ve worked with me before and I know you can set a beam straight.¡±
Orodan dutifully got to work and had another go.
So much of the System simply allowed one to go through repetitive motions and simple grinding. But there was more to it! Without the System, he was forced to truly focus on the most minor of motions, such as lifting and setting a beam down correctly.
This¡
¡this was real training.
It was what he¡¯d been missing all along!
A mad smile came across Orodan¡¯s face.
What was true mastery if not focusing upon and honing the very basics to perfection? Previously, the System would¡¯ve simply granted him levels for repetitively moving beams, but without it, he was forced to struggle, concentrate and actually improve manually.
Such a simple thing, a problem others would curse. He was essentially being forced to hit a wall right at the beginning, in an act that should¡¯ve been doable by an Initiate-level laborer. To others this wall would¡¯ve been their burden, yet to Orodan this would be the whetstone he sharpened his skills upon.
It was time to correct and shore up all the weakenesses that the System had covered for.
Slowly but surely, progress began to show itself. Not in skill levels, but in hard-earned comprehension, understanding. Genuine improvement!
The first five beams he set were off-tilt, but the next five were truer to where they should¡¯ve been¡ and the five after that, almost passable. With each beam, he strained his mind, he focused. His reflexes and speed of thought were at the point where he was far faster than sound, and he shamelessly took advantage of this by paying stringent attention during every instant of time.
Five more beams went up.
Imperfect, but better. He brought them down.
Three more went up.
Close, but not quite.
Two more.
Almost.
As he brought the last beam up, he strained with all his mind. He needed perfection.
And it came.
¡°So that¡¯s how I set the beam correctly¡¡± Orodan muttered.
It would¡¯ve sounded silly to anyone else. Of course that was how a beam was set correctly, why would anyone struggle with such a thing when they had the skill levels? But that was the difference. They had the System, and Orodan didn¡¯t.
He had finally learned how to manually set a foundational beam, by himself, with no System assistance.
The feeling of satisfaction within was strong.
This was what he needed!
¡°What manner of prank are you playing? It took you all those tries to set a beam straight?¡± the old man asked, a frown of annoyance on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re engaging in some weird form of training, but I can¡¯t afford such things when it might put us behind schedule.¡±
Of course the old man would say so. To anyone with the System, in a calm and stress-free environment, screwing up on the basics simply didn¡¯t occur. Not when one had the skill levels for it. From Old Man Hannegan¡¯s perspective, Orodan had repeatedly failed something incredibly basic that anyone with a Laboring skill of level 17 should have been capable of.
To mess up the basics just wasn¡¯t possible. Not under the purview of the System.
¡°I apologize,¡± Orodan said genuinely. ¡°As I said before, my circumstances are a bit unique. My System¡¯s been damaged. In any case, thank you for humoring me old man.¡±
¡°Again with your jokes? If you¡¯ve awakened a Bloodline and it¡¯s making you unstable, simply say so,¡± the old man said. ¡°You needn¡¯t pull my leg with fanciful tales of your System being damaged. You know what? I think you need a change of pace. My crew¡¯s starting to come in, and my quartermaster needs a hand with organizing the materials in our stockpile. How about you give her a hand so we can work unobstructed? We¡¯ll call upon you if we need anything lifted.¡±
Orodan accepted his banishment to someplace he couldn¡¯t actively cause a mess. It was fair enough from the old man¡¯s perspective.
The construction site¡¯s materials were arrayed in an organized stockpile. Stacks of lumber, stone, metal fittings and various nails, hinges and the like. There were also tools, other equipment and a corner where the laborers kept their personal belongings and packed lunches for the day.
It was here that Orodan was assigned. A husky woman stood, looking down at a clipboard and grumbling to herself about the supplies; or lack thereof. Her head turned to regard Orodan.
¡°Oi! You¡¯re the man old Hannegan took on? Rather big one aren¡¯t you? Where you from?¡± she asked. Orodan didn¡¯t recognize her either, which typically meant that someone was from Scarmorrow or one of the towns from the neighboring Exerston County. Not all of the people working in Ogdenborough were from the town after all.
¡°I¡¯m from Ogdenborough,¡± he answered. ¡°The old man¡¯s tasked me with helping his quartermaster. I assume that would be you.¡±
¡°Right, that¡¯s me. Bodil Bistrid,¡± she introduced.
¡°Bistrid? My corporal in the county militia is-¡±
¡°Ah hells, you¡¯re with those useless thugs? What¡¯re you wasting yer¡¯ time here for?¡± Bodil asked with a frown. ¡°My sister and I don¡¯t talk much. Not since she left to try her hand at the soldier¡¯s life and make something of herself.¡±
The Volarbury County Militia had a barracks in each town. And specialist units and divisions aside, the average militia soldier was organized into a troop. Corporal Bistrid was the leader of Orodan¡¯s troop, although, learning she had a sister was news to him.
As for the militia being useless thugs¡
¡°You won¡¯t hear me argue otherwise about the militia,¡± he replied. ¡°Good place to pick up and develop fighting skills though.¡±
It was a job he¡¯d chosen because it was a quick path to combat skills, action and the beginnings of a better life. Orodan was under no delusions that the county militia were honorable and worked to strictly protect the people. Of course, they did good work, maintained order and kept the county¡¯s citizenry safe. But they still answered to House Firesword, and within Ogdenborough, knew to remain out of the affairs of noble House Argon.
¡°Is that what this is then? Picking up more skills? I don¡¯t normally see your sort engaging in menial labor,¡± she spat.
¡°If most folks in the militia are there to collect an easy salary and get a lazy posting, that¡¯s their problem,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A true warrior knows to hone their mind and body in diverse ways. I used to work with the old man regularly before joining them.¡±
¡°Oh? What¡¯s your Laboring skill at then?¡± she asked.
¡°Thirty-four. I used to be a Laboring Apprentice.¡±
¡°Used to be?¡±
¡°My System was destroyed by a foe capable of shaking our universe,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I don¡¯t have access to skills. Not in the way those with a Status are used to.¡±
For a moment, there was silence.
And then¡
¡laughter.
¡°Bwahahaha! That was a good one! Hey, Hannegan! You didn¡¯t tell me this one was a joker with a wild imagination!¡± she bellowed while cackling. She finally brought herself under control, although still had a smile on her face. ¡°What else? You¡¯re one of the rumored Master-level ancients? Heh. Tell you what, I don¡¯t usually like you militia types, but I suppose you¡¯re not too bad. What¡¯s your name?¡±
Amusement was apparent in his own face, and perhaps she took it as a sign that it was all one big joke. Orodan was entertained by the fact that his typically headstrong and honest nature wasn¡¯t upending things at the moment. Oh, there would certainly be waves, not even intentionally, but simply for the fact that he didn¡¯t care enough to lie. In fact, his physical strength would draw attention anyways.
Yet, no matter how much the quartermaster laughed, it was the very real truth. Though, expecting them to believe it was a different matter.
For a moment, Orodan had forgotten that Ogdenborough was the poorest town in the Republic of Aden. The people here became quiet and reverential when they saw an Adept, and being able to lay eyes upon Elites was a matter of generational gossip. The Republic¡¯s official education system in martial, magic and crafting academies outside of Bluefire never confirmed the existence of the Master-level and beyond either.
What would these simple folk know of Administrators and Boundless Ones?
¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to have amused you. I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright.¡± he answered, a smile on his face. ¡°Though, perhaps we should get to work before the old man finds cause to yell at us?¡±
¡°Fine, fine¡ I can handle the bulk of the organization. All I¡¯ll have you do is throw whatever materials I call off onto that pallet over there,¡± she said. ¡°Organizing and keeping tally of the logistics is easy work. Can¡¯t say the same for moving these stacks of lumber and stone bricks.¡±
Easy enough. Orodan got to work and began casually tossing the things she listed off.
Physical size wasn¡¯t the only determinator of strength. A large man could be far weaker than a wispy child provided the youth had a higher level of Physical Fitness. Hence, Bodil was courteous enough to not assume anything of Orodan¡¯s strength and only started off with smaller objects, or one log of lumber at a time.
So when Orodan began throwing the objects to the other side of the work site with the ease a man might toss a pebble¡ she began taking notice.
¡°Well¡ I¡¯ll be¡ being a big lug is good for something I suppose. How high¡¯s your Physical Fitness, Orodan? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anyone throw an entire stack of lumber around like that.¡±
¡°If I flexed my muscles too hard, I might accidentally destroy the county,¡± he answered. Or worse.
A ludicrous claim to make, but that was how far the combination of Physical Fitness, Body Tempering and Absolute Body Composition had brought him. The destruction the ancient machine could cause, Orodan was now capable of if he chose to be careless. With just raw physical might, a full-power blow from Orodan could likely destroy all Inuan. What the Eldritch Avatar could do, Orodan could now replicate without even utilizing all his power.
He had grown.
¡°Ah yes, and you¡¯re also the secret sixth God of the Prime Five and the son of Agathor,¡± she sarcastically said with an eye roll. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer, just say so.¡±
A son of Agathor? Disgusting. In any case, she clearly didn¡¯t believe Orodan, which was just fine by him.
The work continued, and during a lull, Orodan came up behind her and began looking at her clipboard.
¡°It¡¯s considered rude to peek over people¡¯s shoulders,¡± she said. ¡°Just because you¡¯re two heads taller than me doesn¡¯t mean you get to read my inventory sheets.¡±
¡°You¡¯re organized,¡± Orodan said, a statement of fact. ¡°You work with the old man full-time?¡±
¡°Hannegan? Nay. He¡¯s good folk, and I¡¯m happy to sidle over and lend a hand whenever he needs, but my main job is with the Republic¡¯s Department of Infrastructure, I¡¯m a supervisor at the Scarmorrow branch,¡± Bodil answered.
¡°You¡¯re a little¡ highly qualified to be working here then, aren¡¯t you?¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Perhaps. But this isn¡¯t a job I took for money, but because ol¡¯ Gregory¡¯s done me a good turn many times over,¡± she explained. ¡°I was a young girl when we worked under the same carpenter. And that man was a cranky old bat who gave us some unorthodox handicaps to say the least. Hannegan acted the big uncle to me under that nutter¡¯s mentorship, made the time go smoother and hooked me up with some decent jobs after I left.¡±
¡°That this will be one of your department¡¯s warehouses played no small part,¡± Old Man Hannegan said as he popped around a tall stack of lumber. ¡°Regaling the lad with stories of my younger days, are you?¡±
¡°Younger? You were starting to gray when I was a green-eared lass,¡± she retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone in town¡¯s older than you.¡±
¡°Smart-mouthed runt¡ who¡¯re you calling old?¡± he said with a frown of irritation. ¡°In any case, now that you¡¯ve wrapped up here, we could use a hand with the heavy lifting, Orodan. Who knows¡ with your help we might even get this done a week or two ahead of schedule.¡±
A week or two ahead of schedule?
The old man underestimated him.
#
¡°If I had my Action Increases, this would¡¯ve gone even faster,¡± Orodan said.
Another downside to having his System destroyed was that his ability to make ¡®clones¡¯ of himself which could occupy the same instant in space and time to do either the same action or something else, was no longer available.
It hadn¡¯t prevented the job from being done, but it had frustrated him a slight bit as he found himself relying upon something that wasn¡¯t truly his own power. All the better that he could hopefully fix this state of affairs and find a source of strength that was truly his own.
Rebuilding the warehouse hadn¡¯t been too difficult. He¡¯d successfully built it within fifteen minutes in the past, when he¡¯d been a Quest Subject for multiple parties. Of course, without Action Increases and access to the System, everything was quite a bit worse and the foundational holes in his skills were exposed.
Still, the crew was there; as was Old Man Hannegan and Vilia Coventor the architect. And with Orodan to do the heavy lifting, he contributed the equivalent manpower of hundreds if not thousands. Any shoddy work was corrected by those he was working alongside, and as they corrected, they oft gave explanations and the chance to do better on the next attempt.
Orodan¡¯s initial attempts at sawing planks, carving wood, setting up foundations and placing metallic fixtures were sub-par. But by the end of it all, he¡¯d come away with a good chunk of practical experience in working those skills without the crutch provided by the System.
Even in its absence, learning could occur the natural way.
It was some phenomenal training.
¡°By the Gods¡ Orodan¡ you¡¯ll be abducted by the Burgher¡¯s men or worse!¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°How strong are you?¡±
¡°Strong enough that neither the Burgher¡¯s men or these ¡®worse¡¯ folks will matter,¡± Orodan said. And perhaps Bodil didn¡¯t believe it, but given all the old man saw and what he knew of Orodan, he seemed to take it seriously. ¡°In any case. I don¡¯t want to cut it too close for my shift, even if the barracks isn¡¯t far.¡±
His shift where?
With the county militia of course.
¡°You¡¯ll be reporting to them then? You could just skip all that, find the mounted unit and demand to be taken to Trumbetton after a display of your skills!¡± the old man exclaimed. ¡°Why waste time with the local barracks?¡±
Orodan chuckled and shook his head.
¡°One can¡¯t neglect the basics, old man. The training yard in the barracks will be a good place to get a good gauge on myself and how my circumstances affect me.¡±
¡°At your level of strength¡ perhaps the captain of the mounted unit might still pose a challenge?¡± the old man suggested incorrectly but accurately based off of the level of strength Orodan had displayed. ¡°I can¡¯t see anyone in the local barracks being a match for you. I know you¡¯ve been making jokes, but was it truly a Blessing or a Bloodline?¡±
¡°I already gave you the answer,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Ah yes, you¡¯re a time traveler,¡± the old man remarked dryly. ¡°One who¡¯s lived the same day thousands of times.¡±
¡°What¡¯s so unbelievable about it?¡±
¡°I¡¯d expect a time traveller to be an almighty, wise and mysterious individual who acts in subtle ways,¡± Old Man Hannegan elaborated. ¡°Your dunder-headed tendencies immediately rule you out.¡±
¡°Eh? How have I been dunder-headed?¡±
¡°You immediately went around making jokes about it, what kind of time traveller would go around telling everyone?¡± the man posed. ¡°Now enough of that. If you don¡¯t want to say, I¡¯ll respect that. But whispers of your strength will be spreading, and I have no interest in getting caught up in an investigation.¡±
¡°Firing me already?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I thought I was your best employee.¡±
¡°You took dozens of attempts to do the most basic of things!¡±
Fair enough. And the old man wasn¡¯t wrong. What kind of time traveller would go about informing everyone of their status? Certainly not the previous looper in the Vystaxium Galaxy. And according to the Reject, it was certainly a rare enough occurrence that even the Administrator had been surprised.
Only a dunderhead like Orodan Wainwright would go about telling everyone he was in a time loop. Which was what made it so unbelievable to the average person. How could they know that a time looper such as he, with more stubbornness and determination than common sense, was gallivanting about?
¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m getting out of your gray hair,¡± Orodan said, earning another frown. ¡°Thanks for having me today, old man.¡±
¡°Did you gain skill levels at least?¡± he asked.
¡°No. But I did gain skill.¡±
Which, in the absence of the System, was a far more valuable thing.
Orodan stepped away from the work site and made way for the local barracks. It wasn¡¯t a long trip, and he still had some time to spare.
The building looked the same as it always did; moderately sized with an attached training yard and all. A patrol troop swung by around the corner and civilians were coming and going on occasion.
And it was dirty.
#
There were mutters and derogatory remarks about how weird he was. Whispered and only when they felt comfortable that they were out of ear shot, but then again, even before the time loops he¡¯d been the second strongest member of the militia in Ogdenborough. Even before the loops, he¡¯d heard such muttered jokes, but offending Orodan to his face would¡¯ve been stupid.
Still, at least the entirety of the barracks was clean now. Although some folks weren¡¯t too happy about their gear and assigned equipment racks being tampered with in the name of cleaning. Orodan didn¡¯t see what the fuss was about when it would all function better now.
As for his current venture¡
A singular swing. Overhand diagonal, from right to left, targeting the neck of the training dummy.
He stopped it at the last instant lest the dummy be carved right through, despite the bulky and imbalanced training sword in his hand.
It didn¡¯t feel any different. Which further reinforced the notion that skills he was intimately familiar with weren¡¯t really affected. Orodan had grown up fighting. Combat and violence were in his blood, it was his very way of being. Unlike his crafting skills or magic, his physical might and ability to commit violence weren¡¯t affected. At least, at this basic level. He would have to run tests at higher levels to see if that notion held up.
Still¡ it felt a bit strange. Almost as though¡
¡°Your form¡¯s a bit off, Wainwright,¡± a voice called out from behind.
¡°Not necessarily, Edrosic. It¡¯s more¡ liberated,¡± Orodan replied, turning to face the man.
Parthus Edrosic was a member of Orodan¡¯s troop. The troop corporal was Bryna Bistrid, but Edrosic was another regular militia man like Orodan himself. A bit lazy, and not at all motivated to improve himself the same way Orodan was, if memory served. Even before the loops, he was the man¡¯s better in battle.
¡°Liberated? That¡¯s the fastest swing I¡¯ve ever seen from you, but it still looked a bit different to what you normally do.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not wrong. When the training saddle comes off, naturally some differences are to be expected.¡±
¡°Training saddle? You make no sense, Orodan,¡± the man said, looking a bit perplexed.
¡°The System. Without its influence, my very form feels a bit less constrained. No¡ even that isn¡¯t the right word,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ve always been in control, but without the System¡ there¡¯s nothing to guide my form. In the absence of guidance, my own form can shine.¡±
The training blade in his hand practically blurred, and three more swings erupted. Raw violence, savagery and unbridled aggression were in them.
Better. Far better than anything he¡¯d managed before while having the System with him.
¡°O-Orodan¡!¡±
Ah, whoops.
The training dummy had been carved into three separate pieces, and despite him holding back, the powerful gusts of wind which emanated from him sent Edrosic tumbling to the ground.
¡°Apologies. I failed to hold myself back,¡± Orodan said, pulling Edrosic to his feet.
¡°W-were you always this strong? That¡¯s¡ practically beyond the Adept-level!¡±
Was it? He vaguely recalled the fact that battles at the Elite-level were where even melee combat between two matched individuals could tear apart the surroundings and send bystanders flying.
¡°Looping thousands of times has the tendency to make one stronger,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°In any case. I feel unconstrained by the shackles that previously limited me. But there¡¯s still so much more to learn.¡±
In fact, what if he took up another weapon? What if he changed his style altogether?
He didn¡¯t think it arrogant to admit that he was something of a natural at combat. Without the System¡ what if he adapted his insights and combat experience towards other weaponry too?
His System being destroyed might¡¯ve been the single greatest gift Orodan could¡¯ve ever received.
¡°Looping what now? What are you talking about?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Orodan said, picking up a training halberd from a nearby rack. ¡°I have more training to do.¡±
A spear wouldn¡¯t have been a bad weapon, but unless the spear-head was designed to allow for cutting, Orodan thought it a bit limited. Halberds on the other hand, could cut and stab. They also had similar anatomy to a spear in that they were long pole weapons which could trip or sweep an opponent alongside bashing with the haft.
A versatile weapon.
That his first mentor also wielded it cemented his decision.
Regardless, nobody became a master in a day. And it showed in his first few thrusts and swings which were more than a bit clumsy and the form was slightly off. Yet, Orodan began to noticeably improve as he began applying his years of combat experience and swordplay to the halberd. He wasn¡¯t a master of the halberd by any means, but experience in swinging a weapon around was still valid experience. And his ability with the sword had some great transference in some mechanics and motions with the halberd.
Maybe he could use it alongside a shield? Could it perhaps be two-handed while also wielding a shield?
Further thoughts on modifying his shield to allow for that were interrupted as his troop¡¯s corporal came up.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°Wainwright¡ you¡¯re picking up the halberd now? And this mess¡ what happened to the training dummy?¡± Corporal Bistrid said.
¡°That was my fault. I became a little overzealous,¡± Orodan answered, causing the corporal to quirk an eyebrow and give him a serious look. The training dummies were supposedly able to resist attacks up to the near-Adept level. ¡°I¡¯m looking into alternative combat styles. Perhaps I could use the halberd with two hands even with a shield.¡±
¡°With a secondary strap to connect the shield to the forearm and shoulder, it¡¯s doable,¡± she said, perhaps choosing to ignore the display. ¡°I¡¯ve been using my spear and shield like that for years. Here, try mine.¡±
Bryna Bistrid. Corporal of Orodan¡¯s troop in the Ogdenborough barracks of the militia. Initially, when he¡¯d signed on and been assigned to Ogdenborough, Bistrid had tried challenging him and didn¡¯t seem to like him overly much. Of course, once Orodan had trounced her and established his position as second-strongest in the barracks, she¡¯d gotten quieter and refused to speak to him. The silence between them came to an end after Orodan had turned down the promotion to corporal. At the time, his sights were set on the mounted unit and eventually becoming an Adept and perhaps more.
Orodan caught the shield she threw and slipped the straps on to connect it to his arm and shoulder.
It wasn¡¯t his shield, but this gave him ideas for how he could modify his own. Shield in the left hand, halberd in the right. At first, Orodan launched a few crisp thrusts, wielding it with a single hand. Then, he fluidly threw the shield backwards where it hung off his shoulder, now wielding the polearm with both hands as he launched a barrage of attacks.
In this manner, the shield could remain close at hand while he switched between one-handed and two-handed as needed.
¡°Fluid motions¡¡± she muttered and caught the shield Orodan threw back at her. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Your Shield Mastery always was pretty good. But¡ how are you catching on to the halberd so quickly? Transference between your Sword Mastery and Halberd Mastery shouldn¡¯t occur unless one or the other is at least Elite.¡±
¡°Which, my Sword Mastery is. Or was, anyways,¡± Orodan answered, causing her to give him another searching look. ¡°My System was destroyed. Which is turning out to be a colossal boon since I¡¯m now forced to shore up my foundations and train properly.¡±
¡°Your System was destroyed? What are you saying Wainwright?¡± she asked.
¡°Corporal¡ before you got here, he carved the training dummy into three pieces. Didn¡¯t look like he was even trying¡¡± Parthus Edrosic muttered.
¡°Those are supposed to resist Adept-level attacks¡¡± she quietly said. ¡°A Blessing? I always felt that Agathor would look upon and recognize you one day.¡±
Orodan barely suppressed the frown that threatened to emerge. She was right. Agathor had in fact recognized him on his first death, yet that hadn¡¯t led to a happy ending.
¡°Not a Blessing. I¡¯ve been through this day thousands upon thousands of times,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°What? You speak nonsense. Are you trying to hide the fact that you¡¯ve awakened a Bloodline perhaps?¡± she suggested, not entertaining the notion of a time loop. ¡°Noble houses would clamor to have you. You¡¯re all but certain to be granted nobility yourself, even if as a minor noble. There¡¯s no need to hide it, Wainwright.¡±
¡°I¡¯d rather not go through the experience of being head of a noble house again,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In any case, I¡¯d like to get back to practicing with this.¡±
Bistrid and Edrosic looked more than a bit alarmed. Orodan doubted it was his personality, after all, he¡¯d always been straightforward and dedicated to training and battle. Rather, it must¡¯ve been his strength and the answers he gave as reason for it.
From their perspective, he¡¯d suddenly gained a massive amount of strength. A Blessing or a Bloodline was the only way to really explain it.
In any case, he continued silently training, making a mental note to hit up the blacksmith¡¯s and get some additional leather straps onto his shield later on. And a new halberd.
Time went by, and before he knew it, the head of the barracks arrived.
Sergeant Woodgard.
¡°Alright you lot, gather ¡®round. We have a big day before us and I¡¯m in no mood for any complications,¡± the Sergeant barked. ¡°And I did say everyone. That includes you as well Wainwright!¡±
Orodan however simply kept training, absorbed in the motions of the halberd as he worked on committing the basic movements to muscle memory and transferring applicable insights and mechanics from the sword.
¡°Sergeant¡ he¡¯s rather different today¡¡± Edrosic said.
¡°Different? All I see is a fool asking for a beating,¡± Sergeant Woodgard said as the man¡¯s face turned red and he drew his mace. ¡°Wainwright! I don¡¯t care if Trumbetton thinks you have potential! Get in line or I¡¯ll tan your hide!¡±
Orodan himself finally turned from the training dummy and towards Woodgard.
Word from the work site was doubtlessly spreading, yet it seemingly hadn¡¯t reached the barracks yet.
¡°I was working with the halberd, sir,¡± Orodan said.
¡°It¡¯s Liberation Day, and you think now¡¯s a good time to pick up a new weapon?¡± Woodgard asked, sounding a bit perplexed, but his tone low and angry. ¡°Why not? Let¡¯s see if that halberd helps you in a fight.¡±
Orodan had already disposed of the broken training dummy. And the Sergeant in his hot-headed state didn¡¯t seem to care either way. Prior to the loops, this man had been stronger than him. He gave the man a close fight in their last spar, more than impressive for a seventeen year old. But even if Orodan was a natural at combat and meant for better things, Woodgard still had forty years of experience on him at the time and had a Mace Mastery in the early forties.
Though, these reflections on the past were a bit moot now.
Still, even if Orodan now was someone who could destroy Alastaia, without the System, his weapon skills needed all the honing they could get. Especially the halberd, which he¡¯d picked up less than half an hour ago.
It wasn¡¯t a fight, but an exercise to see if he could make efficient and technical movements with his new weapon while matching his speed and strength to the Sergeant¡¯s.
Woodgard of course didn¡¯t see it that way, and instead came barrelling in with a few probing strikes.
Parried and sent off to the sides, easily too. But he closely examined his own movements of the halberd in response to his opponent¡¯s attacks and began noting the minute flaws.
As expected. The shadow drills against a stationary target dummy made his form seem better than it was. Against a actual opponent where attacks came in at odd angles, it exposed some inefficiencies in his techniques. Plus, he just wasn¡¯t as practiced in wielding a weapon with both hands. Orodan was a sword-and-board fighter, as classical as it got. This was where the System¡¯s crutch became apparent as he would¡¯ve otherwise had no issue in two-handing a weapon, but without System access was forced to manually learn it.
He took care not to allow Woodgard to hit him, mainly because it would shatter the man¡¯s weapon and more than likely cause enough backlash to break an arm or wrist.
In any case, he allowed Woodgard twenty seconds of attempting to get past his defense. It seemed little, but in a fight that was a long time, particularly for an exchange in which one party remained static and defended while the other pressed an attack.
It ended when Woodgard himself began to show some wariness.
¡°Wainwright¡ how do you still stand?¡± the man asked, a surprisingly more respectful tone. ¡°Have you secretly been learning the way of the halberd?¡±
¡°No sir, just picked it up for the first time today,¡± Orodan answered, and then pointed the tip of the training weapon at the Sergeant. ¡°My turn.¡±
Woodgard¡¯s eyes widened as Orodan surged forward.
It wasn¡¯t a fight, but an exercise in form, technique and seeing the vulnerabilities in his own movements. Unfortunately, Woodgard was too unskilled to expose any further flaws to learn from.
Orodan brought the halberd high, feinted and overhead thrust, and then brought it back around to sweep low. Even while carefully moderating his speed lest he destroy the town and cause mass death, the Sergeant was sent tumbling head over heels.
Any decent fighter knew to recover from a knockdown, and the man consequently caught himself in a hasty handstand, attempting to regain his footing. Of course, Orodan quickly rushed up close, shoved him with the haft of the halberd, and pinned him to the ground.
Woodgard¡¯s mace tried swinging upwards to get Orodan off, but he simply caught the grip and casually pried it from the man¡¯s fingers. His shield was capable of it, but it was interesting to note that a halberd had far more potential synergy with Wrestling and Unarmed Combat. Using the haft of the weapon to grapple, trip and pin opponents was a feasible option.
¡°Y-you¡! How?!¡± the Sergeant gasped out, pinned beneath the haft of the halberd with Orodan¡¯s weight bearing down. ¡°A Blessing? A Bloodline? You weren¡¯t this strong yesterday!¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. But it¡¯s neither Bloodline nor Blessing,¡± Orodan said, getting up and pulling the Sergeant to his feet as he did. ¡°Just a time loop. Thank you for the spar, Sergeant.¡±
¡°A time¡ loop?¡± the Sergeant asked, perplexed. ¡°Some manner of power from the God of Time? So you have been blessed then?¡±
Orodan kept the frown from showing in response. That backstabbing worm Eximus? Capable of empowering a time loop? In his dreams perhaps.
¡°No, there¡¯s no Bloodline, and definitely no Blessing involved,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In any case, my apologies for delaying things, but should we not commence with roll call?¡±
¡°Roll call? Wainwright, you used a new weapon for the first time and bested me with casual ease,¡± the Sergeant elaborated. ¡°I¡¯ve sparred a member of the mounted unit in the past, and even she didn¡¯t trounce me with the disregard that you did. If you wish not to give an answer about your strength, it¡¯s not my place to demand it. That being said, if I don¡¯t get an Observer orb reading and send report to Trumbetton the higher-ups in the militia will have my head. The Burgher will undoubtedly want to harness your talents for House Firesword, and he¡¯ll come breathing down the neck of the man who failed to report it. Please¡ be reasonable¡¡±
¡°By all means, go ahead and bring out the orb.¡±
¡°Y-you¡¯re agreeing?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Orodan affirmed. ¡°I want to see what it says now that I have no System.¡±
¡°No System? What do you mean?¡± the Sergeant asked.
¡°The after-effect of being hit with something very bad,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°In some ways it¡¯s a hindrance, but I¡¯m starting to realize it¡¯s quite the boon.¡±
Woodgard either didn¡¯t want to push the matter, or thought it was above his head, thus said nothing more. The Observer orb was produced, and Orodan laid a hand upon it, accepting the thrum of a connection and mentally willing it in.
He had grown in his mastery of the soul arts, and while he couldn¡¯t see it before, he could now. The orb simply sent a searching feedback pulse which resonated with the soul of a willing user. In the early days of the loops, even Orodan had to break past the System barriers in order to reach the deeper areas of his soul. The orb couldn¡¯t simply overpower those barriers either.
Rather, it was akin to two hands touching, and the feedback and information was transmitted to the orb. The user had to be willing, but if they were, the orb could touch upon that connection and get a snapshot of one¡¯s Status. To a certain extent and minus any Rewards or Blessings of course.
Consequently, the words out of Woodgard¡¯s mouth weren¡¯t a surprise. Not given his current state.
¡°It¡¯s¡ it¡¯s empty¡ are you sure you willed it?¡± the Sergeant asked.
¡°I did. If I denied the connection, the orb would say as much,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Rather, it¡¯s just¡ empty.¡±
¡°That does not make sense¡¡±
¡°On the contrary, it makes far too much sense,¡± Orodan said. His System had been destroyed. Of course the Observer orb wouldn¡¯t show anything. It got a reading off of the deep parts of the soul and scanned for the System¡¯s skills. Without them¡ what was there to read?
The Sergeant looked to be in deep thought, and then spoke.
¡°In any case, your strength is apparent and I¡¯ll be sending for a mounted unit to pick you up. The Burgher will want to meet with you, and from there, I¡¯m sure a grander destiny awaits.¡±
¡°Not necessary, sir. I refuse.¡±
¡°Refuse?! Why?¡± the Sergeant asked frantically. ¡°Look at it from my perspective Orodan. The Burgher is oft on the lookout for promising talents in the county. If it appears that I stifled your meeting with the man¡ I¡¯ll be sacked!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll personally take responsibility and mention that you attempted to do your due diligence,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Besides. I have a patrol at the plaza to get to.¡±
#
Mount Castarian loomed over Eversong Plaza. In fact, Ogdenborough itself was a town that was landlocked against the gigantic mountain, likely a part of what made the place so poor and limited any expansion opportunities.
Here he was once again.
Not at midnight as he tried early on in the loops where he¡¯d faced Argon mages and the Master-level necromancer. He¡¯d succeeded then and acquired Mana Resistance, but this wasn¡¯t that time of day.
No. This was Eversong Plaza a few minutes from high noon. Just before the address made by the High-Burgher of the Republic. Before the arrival of the soldiers of the Republic and a fated battle in which Orodan Wainwright had died for the very first time and begun the time loops.
In the past, he recalled Parthus Edrosic badgering him with questions of potentially stealing from the stalls and the ire of the guards, but his patrol partner was on the other side of the plaza with Corporal Bistrid. None of his troop wanted anything to do with him after his display of trouncing Woodgard.
It didn¡¯t bother Orodan. Even before the loops, his work ethic and obsession with self-improvement had made him unapproachable to the rest of them. For the majority of the militia in Ogdenborough, it was just a job which provided a living and hopefully got them some minor status above laborers and civilians. None of them saw it as the path to martial excellence that he did.
And of course, the goons of House Argon were around. One of them, giving him a sneer.
¡°Wainwright, your little partner run off and leave you alone?¡±
Orodan vaguely recognized the man as one of the thugs he¡¯d challenged a number of times while growing up. The beatings had been vicious, but they¡¯d made him tough and given him experience in fighting.
¡°I beat Sergeant Woodgard earlier today, so they¡¯re keeping a distance,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Really? That red-faced dog isn¡¯t half-bad. And you beat him? Why remain with those militia weaklings? Join us. My captain Buximus would see you fast tracked into a good position within the employ of our lord.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll pass. I intend on killing your lord and his son so that might present a conflict of interest,¡± Orodan casually replied.
¡°Your loss, Wainwr- wait, what did you just say?¡±
¡°You heard me. Baron Viglas Argon and his son will die today.¡±
Further conversation was cut off as a troop of riders from the mounted unit came in on armored horses. Their captain had his eyes set on Orodan.
¡°You must be Orodan Wainwright. I am-¡±
¡°Keharion Taj, right?¡± Orodan finished.
¡°You know of me?¡±
¡°Might¡¯ve met you a few times.¡±
¡°Truly? I don¡¯t recall such a thing,¡± the captain said. ¡°I digress, pleasantries may come later. I¡¯m here to escort you to Trumbetton. Sergeant Woodgard of the Ogdenborough barracks has given us report of your newly awakened abilities, and the Burgher is always on the lookout for talent. A better life and greater opportunities await.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I have some business I need to resolve here first. In fact, I suspect that those angry-looking soldiers of the Republic are here for similar matters,¡± Orodan said, pointing to the group of armed and armored troops in Republican military attire.
And simultaneously, the announcement from the High Spire of Karilsgard rang out.
¡°To the brave and hard-working citizens of the glorious Republic of Aden, I High-Burgher Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan, leader of your elected council, speak to you today in celebration and commemoration of the one hundred and twentieth anniversary of our liberation from the Novarrian Empire.¡±
Orodan tuned out the remainder of the speech as he¡¯d heard it enough time before.
The tension was palpable. The soldiers of the Republic were making a beeline for the tavern, the House Argon guards on the balconies looked to have caught on. A group of griffin riders in the distance were in the middle of hurling a fireball towards the tavern, and the House Argon guard he¡¯d relayed his intentions to had his weapon drawn.
Things were coming to a head, and it was time to fight.
Or in Orodan¡¯s case, time to practice with another weapon.
His new halberd - taken from the barracks armory - swept upwards to parry the axe swing coming for his head, which was followed by a quick tap to the head with the shield rim to knock the Argon guard out. He kept his speed at a low level, meant to match his foes. Sure, he could kill them all, but fighting against people of various styles in melee was a good way to become more familiar with the weapon.
His shield, with a new strap added on, allowed for it to be quickly and rapidly slung over the arm or shoulder. This allowed him to utilize the halberd with both hands while the shield still hung off his arm or shoulder. Of course, he could also wield the halberd with one hand and the shield with the other. Which, if Orodan was being honest, dramatically improved his skill.
He typically fought with weapon in one hand and shield in the other. Naturally, using the halberd in such a manner made him more effective than if he used with two hands. Of course, this meant that training with both hands was of paramount importance.
The soldiers of the Republic were engaged in a pitched melee against the troops of House Argon. The rapidly dropping bodies of Argon troops indicated which side was winning that exchange. At the same time, the fireball cast by the leading griffin rider finally impacted the magical shield surrounding the tavern, and the explosion of force sent multiple people flying.
Orodan himself ignored the shockwave and instead walked towards the tavern.
¡°County militia! We¡¯re under attack! Face the attackers! Defend your county!¡± ordered a burly-looking member of House Argon. An Elite. The man saw Orodan walking towards him and immediately decided that he was a threat. Warhammer met halberd, and the melee ensued.
¡°You¡¯re no militia man¡ who are you?¡± the Argon Elite asked as they engaged in a deadlock where Orodan had to hold back lest he send the man through a mountain.
¡°A time traveller,¡± Orodan replied, and disengaged to sweep the man¡¯s legs with the haft of his halberd.
The attempt was successfully read and the Argon Elite jumped over the sweep¡
¡only for Orodan to stop it mid-sweep and suddenly sweep upwards, right between the man¡¯s legs. Wooden haft connected with flesh, and the squelch would¡¯ve made any other man or woman cringe.
The Argon Elite collapsed with a squeal, and Orodan sent the piercing end of the halberd through his head to end the foe.
His opponent had read the sweep and reacted, but Orodan was still a natural at combat and could adapt on the fly. Even lowering his speed to their level, he still outstripped them.
The next foe though, he wasn¡¯t too sure he could replicate the feat with.
¡°By Agorhiku¡ they killed that fat fool already? Unblooded, get out there and show them what Guzuharan blood is made of.¡±
Ovuru World-Drinker. A Master-level warrior and the warchief of the Leviathan tribe, a raider clan out of Guzuhar. Orodan was rather big, but this half-ogre raider warchief was a foot and a half taller, standing at eight feet.
This was the foe that had given him his very first death. This was where the time loops started.
The Apprentice-level raiders gave Orodan a wide berth, perhaps they¡¯d seen how quickly he killed an Elite. Instead, Ovuru was sizing him up.
¡°You¡¯re one of them town militia? Bit too strong to be playin¡¯ around with them, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ovuru asked.
¡°And you¡¯re a bit far from home, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Home is wherever the call of blood and the divine power of Agorhiku guides me,¡± Ovuru said. ¡°His Blessing protects my tribe and guides us in search of riches and war.¡±
¡°Ah yes, war. Is that what you call the slaughter of innocent traders and caravan followers?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°My parents died to your ilk in a raid long ago, though I was too young to remember them. You raiders are the reason I grew up an orphan.¡±
¡°You think to lecture me Adenian, yet you stand differently to the rest of your soft-spined countrymen. The death in your eyes, the grip on that weapon¡ you¡¯re no whelp. You¡¯re a warrior. Your upbringing was a gift, it made you what you are. You should thank Agorhiku for the man you are today.¡±
¡°The only thanks your wretched God will receive is my blade upon his neck,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Once upon a time, I stood here. I faced a warrior¡¯s death, and began a journey which changed everything. Funny how it all comes back to the beginning no matter how far I go.¡±
¡°What nonsense are you on about? Enough talkin¡¯, fight me that I may make tribute to Agorhiku.¡±
¡°Certainly. I wouldn¡¯t want to deny him the blood of his own follower.¡±
Great axe met halberd, and the shockwave sent all other combatants flying back.
Orodan could easily slaughter Ovuru, but that wasn¡¯t the goal. His intent was to work on his technique, to learn. In the absence of the System and its guidance, the opportunity to develop his own style of combat involving multiple weapons presented itself.
He¡¯d learned a lot of magic, but it was time to hunker down and focus on the basics tenets of the warrior once more.
Their weapons met, and Orodan took care to limit his strength and speed to Ovuru¡¯s level. He sought to win not through power, but skill. Unfortunately¡
¡he was still a beginner with the halberd.
The disengagement from the deadlock was read by his foe, and Orodan¡¯s attempt to hook the halberd and pull Ovuru¡¯s great axe downwards was anticipated as the Guzuharan parried the subsequent thrust.
¡°What kind of hook was that? With a move like that you might as well bloody call it out,¡± the warchief said. ¡°Flipping the blade before reaching my weapon signals exactly what your intentions are. Do you even know how to use that thing?¡±
Admittedly, it was only his first day of using the halberd, but he hadn¡¯t even considered that flipping sides was essentially telegraphing his intentions. Oh, he¡¯d read it in his opponents often enough, but he did it so instinctively that he¡¯d not considered he was broadcasting his intent himself.
A sword was a slashing weapon on both edges, so he was unfamiliar with the concept of flipping a weapon to use one side over the other. The flip was a tell in combat, and he hadn¡¯t even noticed he was doing it.
¡°I don¡¯t actually,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Just started using the halberd today. I normally use a sword and shield.¡±
¡°Tch¡ holding back on me, are you? Let¡¯s see if you can still do that.¡±
Ovuru roared. It was a deep and guttural thing, and wisps of blood began emanating from the ogre-barbarian.
His resistance skills, Divine Resistance in particular, was hard earned. And it didn¡¯t seem particularly affected by the loss of his System. It allowed him to get a vague feeling of divine power emanating from the Guzuharan warchief.
Suddenly, the ogre approached, full of rage and fury. Intent on changing the tide of the battle.
And Orodan casually matched the increased speed and strength once more.
Ovuru¡¯s eyes were wide with shock and a bit of fear.
¡°Damn it all! Who are you?! There aren¡¯t supposed to be any Grandmasters here today!¡± Ovuru shouted. ¡°Draw your real weapons, fight me seriously! Your techniques with that halberd are pitiful! I can see it in your eyes, you withhold the violence within!¡±
The Grandmaster non-interference pact between the Republic and Novarria. He¡¯d almost forgotten about that. Strange to think that he was technically violating it now.
¡°The halberd¡¯s a bit shaky I¡¯ll admit, though the progress isn¡¯t bad for day one,¡± Orodan said as he caught Ovuru in another weapon deadlock which was quickly transitioned into a grapple where he used the haft to trap Ovuru¡¯s arm. ¡°And violence? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d last very long if I became truly violent. That¡¯s something I reserve for enemies worthy of it.¡±
Taking a hand off the halberd, Orodan delivered three square punches and pulled his foe¡¯s head down for a brutal knee before throwing Ovuru away. The ogre-barbarian¡¯s face was a bloody mess, and it was a good display of combining halberd techniques with Wrestling and Unarmed Combat Mastery. Combat was a multi-faceted thing, and having a weapon didn¡¯t preclude someone from utilizing grapples and unarmed strikes.
¡°Kill me then, let me die and return to Agorhiku!¡± Ovuru roared, blood pouring down his face.
¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, I¡¯ll oblige. Though, with me coming for your foul God, I give no assurances of how long you¡¯ll have,¡± Orodan said as his halberd was raised skyward. ¡°A good training exercise. I learned much about using the halberd today. You have my thanks.¡±
¡°Keep your thanks to yourself, Adenian¡ you have no reason to thank me.¡±
¡°On the contrary, I have much to thank you for. After all, you¡¯re the one who helped me begin this entire journey. Once, I was an Apprentice-level militia man whose lust for battle got him killed against a Master-level warchief, only to wake up again on the day of. The journey since then has made me grow¡ so thank you, Ovuru World-Drinker.¡±
The halberd descended, and a head tumbled to the ground.
Mercy wasn¡¯t an option. Orodan hated raiders to the core. They were the reason his parents were dead and he¡¯d grown up an orphan.
Honor, respect and courtesy were things that he tried to abide by. But they were separate from the natural decisiveness he held against his enemies. Certain enemies and the grudge Orodan held for them¡ could only be resolved through the finality of death.
Behind him, the soldiers of the Republic had mostly won, so with the smallest of flares from Incipience of Infinity, Orodan made sure to obscure himself in a cloud of soul energy as he set foot inside of the tavern.
#
The trip down through the tunnels had been mostly uneventful save his meeting with and subsequent slaying of the Master-level necromancer who¡¯d tormented him for many loops.
He¡¯d fought actual Arch-Devils in the hells. Her undead demonic pet simply didn¡¯t compare in any way.
The Novarrian penal battalions simply let him through, and he knocked out the rest of the loyalists who were determined to stand their ground.
It was with a shove that the giant metal gates were thrown off their hinges and smashed into the walls of the central control chamber.
The ancient machine.
It looked much as it always did. Except, Orodan now knew far more about it.
It had been built by the Custodian and placed upon Alastaia as an aid for Orodan himself. Although, from what W78 and the Custodian had said, it¡¯d been built incomplete, by intention lest things from the other side catch notice. As it currently was, the ancient machine could open a passage to the hells. However, when built correctly and powered to full¡ it could theoretically take one to the very center of the System itself, into the strange space where the Boundless One empowering it all resided.
¡°It¡¯s him. The one who slew Fausta and the Guzuharan warchief,¡± a voice called out. It was Baron Viglas Argon, the head of noble house Argon.
Next to him, Lord Aeglos Argon and the Novarrian Duke Arestos.
¡°Wait, he¡¯s almost certainly a Grandmaster,¡± Duke Arestos said. The energies of the ancient machine¡¯s core looked to be under the man¡¯s control for the moment. ¡°You¡ why do you violate the Grandmaster non-interference pact? Our own Grandmasters are heading here as we speak.¡±
¡°And yet, that doesn¡¯t help you now, does it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Correct. Let me warn you then; we have the full power of this machine under our control,¡± Duke Arestos said. ¡°A Grandmaster you may be, but such a quantity of mana attuned to the dimensional forces exploding in so small an area will kill even you! Attack us, and it shall be mutually assured destruction.¡±
¡°A sensible threat to make,¡± Orodan said, as he focused on the thread of connection between the ancient machine¡¯s core and the Novarrian. ¡°However, not only would such an explosion not even tickle, it would only serve to empower me. Mana is of little use.¡±
¡°You bluff, even a Grandmaster cannot endure such power at point blank ran-¡±
The mana within the ancient machine¡¯s core wasn¡¯t supplied by Duke Arestos, nor did it belong to the man. Consequently, the connection the Novarrian had painstakingly established between himself and the core was dirty and tenuous.
Domain of Perfect Cleaning shot out and did its work. System or not, that skill seemed entirely unaffected by his current state.
¡°T-the connection!¡± Duke Arestos exclaimed in shock.
Powerful blasts of fire came his way, and Orodan simply ignored it all as he walked towards the source.
The first to fall was the Baron¡¯s son. Lord Aeglos¡¯s head tumbled to the floor. The man was a torture artist, and Orodan vividly recalled the torture room on the second floor of the tavern.
¡°He closes in! Duke Arestos! Help m-¡±
Baron Viglas Argon¡¯s head suddenly had the pointy end of a halberd sticking out the back of it.
The Novarrian drew his sword and shield and immediately launched a desperate attack in the hopes of catching Orodan off-guard. He limited himself to around the Duke¡¯s level, and the clash of melee began.
The Duke was good, likely the strongest Master-level fighter between Novarria and the Republic. And yet¡ even with a halberd, Orodan simply saw holes upon holes.
¡°Don¡¯t tilt the shield into an attack until the last moment,¡± Orodan said as he sent thrusts towards the man. ¡°Tilting too early signals your intentions and which part of the shield is weaker against impact.¡±
¡°Why you¡!¡± the Duke roared. ¡°You¡¯re not even good with that halberd!¡±
¡°I concur. I only picked it up today,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You however, lack understanding of how to use the shield. And it¡¯s supposed to be your bread and butter.¡±
The Novarrian was technically far stronger than Ovuru, and yet, even with strength and speed carefully matched so as not to overwhelm, Orodan still found the Duke to be an easier contest of skill. The main reason being that Orodan himself was a sword and shield fighter, and before his System was destroyed, a Shield Master.
If anyone was best suited to beating a shield user, it was someone who knew the ins and outs of shield fighting.
The Duke made the classic mistake of seeing the shield not as a weapon, but a purely defensive implement. It tied back to the idea that two people could be at the same skill level but different levels of ability. Orodan was certain his comprehensions in the shield were better.
A few more probing thrusts were sent by Orodan, sensing the Duke¡¯s vulnerabilities, until at last¡
¡he flipped the halberd and went for an attempt to hook the top of the shield and bring it down.
¡°Telegraphed! Flipping the halberd first signals your intentions!¡± the Duke roared.
¡°I know, yet you bit on the feint,¡± Orodan said.
The Duke shucked off the hook attempt, yet had left himself open in the process. Orodan¡¯s halberd came around in a sweeping motion, yet the Duke¡¯s shield lowered to meet that too!
Which was fine, as his real intention had been to close the gap and get right up to the shield. The Duke¡¯s sword was behind the shield, and the line of attack was closed off at this angle. The halberd was blocked off by the shield, and Duke Arestos¡¯s eyes met Orodan¡¯s own.
Only for the Novarrian to receive a crushing punch to the nose, followed by a bash to the face by Orodan¡¯s own shield.
¡°The shield isn¡¯t simply a defensive implement,¡± Orodan said as he rammed the Duke into the wall of the central control chamber with his shield. ¡°It can be used to facilitate grappling, pin opponents in place, and create openings for unarmed attacks.¡±
The Duke was cornered, his shield raised high, and yet Orodan delivered two knee strikes to the man¡¯s exposed legs which caused him to buckle and fall to the ground.
Orodan kicked him away, sending him skidding across the ground like a pebble.
¡°Why?! Why butcher us without mercy?! We surrender! Just leave us be!¡± Duke Arestos pleaded.
¡°Surrender? Would you have allowed the people of Volarbury County to surrender once the machine was activated?¡± Orodan asked.
The look upon the Duke¡¯s face was all the answer he needed.
A barren wasteland roiling with deadly red energies. The people of Volarbury County were never given a chance every time the ancient machine was activated. Old Man Hannegan, Vilia Coventor, little Aliya and healer Casterton in Scarmorrow. What chance did this Novarrian intend to give them?
If one was willing to butcher innocents at a whim, then one shouldn¡¯t be offended if they too were butchered in return.
¡°Pick up your sword and shield. I offer you the chance to die standing,¡± Orodan said as he approached, halberd in hand. ¡°More than you would¡¯ve given the people of Volarbury County.¡±
¡°This is¡ this is an execution! Novarria will not let this lie! Our Grandmasters will find you!¡± the Duke angrily said. ¡°I will draw no weapon. Let the stain of executing a surrendering man be upon you.¡±
¡°Ah, you seem to be under the impression that I care,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Unfortunately¡
The halberd came down.
¡°¡I do not¡±
And a head with it.
Orodan was all too happy to offer honorable ends to his adversaries. Yet if they refused? He had no qualms with executing the foe where they stood.
The seventeen year old Orodan had been far bloodthirstier upon his entry into the time loops. He¡¯d grown up in Ogdenborough and death was a natural companion. Yet, over time, he¡¯d tempered himself and recognized his wrongdoings. He wasn¡¯t the callous young man he¡¯d been. He had learned the value of mercy, but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d forgotten the necessity of killing.
Mercy was for the soldiers of House Argon who had no direct say in the usage of the ancient machine on civilians. Mercy was for foes who¡¯d shown it themselves and avoided the wanton butcher of innocents. But for those who would happily slaughter others for no fault of theirs? The likes of Duke Arestos and Baron Viglas Argon? They were fit for no more than the blade.
Whether such scum surrendered or not made little difference to the final fate Orodan dispensed upon them.
Still, the fighting was now over. The Grandmasters of Novarria would undoubtedly be coming by to check in on the situation. The core of the ancient machine had yet to be drained. But, before that¡ Orodan pulled an item out.
A scrying orb.
A simple pulse of soul energy directed into it, and it captured a perfect image of the ancient machine within it for later viewing.
The ancient script upon it was incredibly advanced, and Orodan would undoubtedly need to learn multiple runic languages, crafts and the like in order to stand a chance at rebuilding it to the point where it could access the deep bowels of the System.
Sorrow pulsed briefly as he wished W78 was around to advise him. Yet, he suppressed the memory for now. In honor of his friend, Orodan would not rest.
The scrying orb was then deposited into his soul storage. Even though she still appeared to be slumbering, Orodan mentally apologized to Zaessythra for crowding up her room.
The machine was swiftly drained, and although All-Consuming Rage seemed far less effective than he remembered, it still got the job done.
And as he heard the furious approach of Novarrian Grandmasters¡
¡he leapt down an open venting tunnel and deep into the depths.
#
As expected, any hope of pursuing him had died when he¡¯d entered the depths. The hole he¡¯d jumped down had led all the way to the deep depths, and no singular Grandmaster with a sense of self-preservation would casually enter in pursuit of a foe.
And although he¡¯d made his way back up to the surface easily enough, there¡¯d been some interesting observations in the depths.
For starters. Monsters - who were normally famed for their instincts - just couldn¡¯t sense his level of strength anymore. It wasn¡¯t to say that they all wantonly attacked him, but that they simply couldn¡¯t get an instinctual sense of his power level. That had in fact spooked most of the powerful monsters into avoiding him altogether.
It made him suspect whether their instincts were tied to sensing a System part of the soul, but he couldn¡¯t confirm it.
They had sensed him moving about physically, but until coming face to face with Orodan, simply didn¡¯t understand that they were incapable of getting an instinctual sense off of him. Frankly, one stalking phase spider had even spoken and said that it was like he was a rock¡ no detectable soul.
Which was again, false, as Orodan did have a soul. But it made him wonder how tied to the System parts of the soul such instincts were. Did the same apply to tracking as well?
In any case, he¡¯d made surface in the Aenechean Forest through a combination of traversing the tunnels upwards and simply climbing through rock like a fish swimming in water.
From there, a small bit of walking had taken him to Velestok, a town bordering the Aenechean Forest and not terribly far from Ogdenborough, but more so in the northern part of Volarbury County while his home town was in the south.
As he walked the streets he saw no diviners of the Cathedral hunting for him, although he did see a priest who gave him a frown and a strange look. Likely his soul. The scouts and watchers around town seemed remarkably on-edge. Which made sense given the recent events involving the ancient machine.
A patrolling troop of the county militia were passing by, stopping and interrogating any newcomers to town, and the corporal spotted him.
¡°Hold, I don¡¯t recognize you. State your name and business in Velestok traveller,¡± she said.
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± he answered. ¡°Here looking for work at the House Simarji lumberyard.¡±
¡°Alright then, go on¡ wait- Wainwright? We were told to keep watch for you,¡± the militia woman said. ¡°Corporal, this man says he¡¯s Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Have I run afoul of the law?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Er¡ no,¡± the troop corporal said as he walked over. ¡°The militia¡¯s been looking for you though. They listed you as missing since the chaos at Ogdenborough. Normally that¡¯d be marked as desertion, but it¡¯s not so on the records. Rather, we were told to have you escorted to Trumbetton if we came across you.¡±
¡°Unfortunately that won¡¯t be a possibility,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯ve come seeking work at the lumber yard.¡±
¡°I see¡ if you don¡¯t mind me asking, were you there first-hand? What even happened?¡± the corporal asked. The Battle of Ogdenborough was a big event. For most people, such a thing was life changing. Naturally, the man was curious.
¡°Aye, I was there. House Argon betrayed the Republic and joined Novarria in trying to awaken an ancient machine under Mount Castarian,¡± Orodan explained, and the corporal¡¯s eyes widened as he spoke. ¡°They were planning on using it to destroy all of Volarbury County.¡±
¡°What? That¡¯s rubbish! I hear it was a border skirmish between the Republic and Novarria, but this nonsense about a machine is surely fabricated?¡± the militia woman spoke up.
¡°Not at all. The Novarrians and House Argon were working alongside Guzuharan raiders too,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I knew it!¡± the troop corporal exclaimed. ¡°I always knew those nobles were up to no good inside of that place! Been to Eversong Plaza once in my life, and never again! The trinkets they sell are overpriced, and the produce of dodgy quality!¡±
¡°Corporal¡ don¡¯t tell me you actually believe this nonsense about a machine and Guzuharans? There¡¯s no way in the hells the Prime Five would allow those dirty savages onto our land,¡± the militia woman said.
¡°They haven¡¯t published the paper yet, so we¡¯ll see tomorrow how true it is,¡± the corporal said. ¡°You were there though? What¡¯d you see?¡±
¡°Killed a few Guzuharans, slew some traitors and dealt with the Novarrians,¡± Orodan said.
The corporal rolled his eyes.
¡°Right, and I¡¯m the King of Alastaia. If you don¡¯t want to tell, quit pulling my leg and say so. Anyhow I assume it¡¯s classified info and you can¡¯t tell. Is that why they want you in Trumbetton?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care about Trumbetton,¡± Orodan said. ¡°They¡¯re probably going to try and recruit me and it¡¯ll cause a whole mess when I have to beat up a bunch of people in the process of saying no.¡±
¡°Right¡ odd one you are¡ don¡¯t know why you¡¯re in Velestok seeking work with the Simarjis, but it ain¡¯t any business of mine,¡± the corporal said.
¡°Corporal¡ shouldn¡¯t we have him escorted to Trumbetton? Orders are-¡±
¡°Lass, we¡¯re in Velestok. House Simarji calls the shots here, and I don¡¯t quite fancy having Count Rohanus¡¯s men strongarm us if we try to push the issue. Orders are well and good, but the Simarjis don¡¯t like us enforcing the law here, they handle it themselves,¡± the corporal said. ¡°Be on your way, Orodan Wainwright. We won¡¯t meddle in your business.¡±
He bade them farewell and carried on. The familiar pathways of Velestok eventually took him to the lumber yard and forest preserves of House Simarji.
The place was well-guarded, and workers could be seen sawing logs, processing the wood and carrying the products from yard to storage. Additionally, some of the guards were helping carry logs and trees as well, good training in the course of guard duty.
He spotted a familiar dwarven supervisor yelling orders at the workers.
¡°Got room for another hand?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°There¡¯s an Observer orb in the office, register with the clerk and we¡¯ll get you started,¡± the dwarf said while not even looking away.
¡°Observer orbs won¡¯t work.¡±
¡°Got some secrets to keep, do you?¡± the dwarf asked.
¡°Not really, my System¡¯s been destroyed and the orb can¡¯t really read that,¡± Orodan said.
The dwarf went silent for a moment, it appears that Orodan had truly caught the dour-faced supervisor off-guard.
¡°Well¡ that¡¯s a new one. I¡¯m Ogrik Dothrilrock, the supervisor here. And if you¡¯re trying to pull a prank I will have you throw into the forest,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°You¡¯re carrying too many weapons to just be a laborer. You a soldier?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have time for jokes,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m with the county militia, but seeking new employment. In fact, let me just show you what I¡¯m capable of.¡±
The dwarf seemed to appreciate Orodan¡¯s straightforward nature. Without much fanfare he walked up to a tree, placed both hands around it, and simply pulled it out of the ground and tossed it down. He then borrowed a nearby saw and began rapidly working. Sawing wooden beams, boards and the like.
The dwarf supervisor¡¯s arms were crossed, and he had a frown on his face.
¡°What level¡¯s your Woodworking?¡±
¡°Right now? Probably zero,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Used to be 67 though.¡±
¡°Alright, enough with the nonsense. What do you mean used to be?¡±
¡°I was struck by an attack from a Boundless One and had my System destroyed,¡± Orodan honestly answered.
¡°What in Varkir¡¯s name¡¡± Ogrik said and then massaged his temple. ¡°Look, if it were anyone else, they¡¯d be thrown headfirst into the forest by now. But your work is exceedingly strange.¡±
¡°Good in some aspects, yet flawed in many of the basics?¡± Orodan posed.
¡°Exactly so. Some of the fine details on these pieces are excellent, it would find you employ anywhere,¡± Ogrik elaborated. ¡°And yet you can¡¯t even saw a beam straight. Is your skill level low and you¡¯ve perhaps awakened a Bloodline? Or is it a Blessing?¡±
¡°Neither. I did not lie about my circumstances,¡± Orodan said.
To his credit, the dwarf actually gave Orodan a serious look.
¡°I don¡¯t know what a Boundless One is, and I¡¯m not even going to try and understand. What I will say, is that your work is what I¡¯d describe as unreliably good. And in this line of work, I need reliability as much as I need muscle and hard work,¡± Ogrik said. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can take you on as a regular laborer when the standard of these logs is rather¡ suspect.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no then.¡±
¡°Hold your goats. I said I couldn¡¯t take you on as a regular worker,¡± Ogrik clarified. ¡°On the other hand, with strength like that, who needs anyone else? There¡¯s definitely a place for you when we need things lifted. But before I take you on, answer me this: what are you after here?¡±
¡°Skill.¡±
¡°You mean skills?¡±
¡°No, I mean skill. I had skills, but what I need, is actual skill. Independent of the crutches I was unknowingly relying on,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I need to shore up my foundations and develop myself.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand and won¡¯t pretend to. But there¡¯s always space for eccentrics around here,¡± Ogrik said. ¡°You¡¯ll be paid triple the rate of a regular worker and we¡¯ll utilize you for lifting whenever we need it. Additionally, when not lifting, we¡¯ll have you help organize the stores and nearby warehouse. And aside from that, you¡¯re free to use the discarded materials or trees we deem unfit for material for your own practice. Is that agreeable?¡±
¡°Quite so. I¡¯m ready to start here and now.¡±
#
The next two days went rather smoothly.
He uprooted entire trees, carried dozens at a time upon his shoulder and was a one-man workhorse. At the same time, arranging the materials in the warehouse and finished products in storage was giving him a good head for organization and logistics. And in his free time, he simply practiced woodworking on the refuse material.
In just two days, he¡¯d begun to slowly patch up the holes in his understanding and work on the foundations. It was soothing.
Needless to say, people talked, and he knew he was being watched. Mostly, they avoided him, as they feared him breaking them in half. High-level people lived in a world different to the one the average person did. The people he worked alongside were polite and respectful, but were almost afraid to hold conversations with him. Not when he¡¯d displayed such physical might.
Throughout it all, Volarbury County and the Republic went on. The papers were published, detailing a censored yet somewhat accurate report of the Battle of Ogdenborough. It detailed how Republican and Novarrian leaders were at odds with one another, and how war might erupt any day. It spoke of the Guzuharan incursion and alliance with the Novarrians, about House Argon¡¯s treachery and how their assets were seized, and how the public was urged to remain on the lookout for any ¡®glowing spirits¡¯.
The last one was certainly a nod to his involvement. Behind the scenes he was certain the Novarrians were seething at the violation of the non-interference pact. Even the Republic was doubtlessly trying to discover the identity of this unknown Grandmaster.
He¡¯d occasionally see two dragon riders, Ulrusdun and Arkulnir, flying about, likely in displays of strength to dissuade Novarria from trying anything. And he¡¯d even felt the brief tendrils of an incredibly subtle psionic web trying to acquire information. Likely the elves.
Orodan had lashed out and purified it with his Domain, causing the immediate retraction of the remainder of it, and a likely panic within Eldiron¡¯s intelligence network.
Halfway into the third day was when a familiar old man finally approached.
Orodan uprooted a tree and laid it down upon the ground as the old man stared at him.
¡°Sword and shield, but a halberd as well?¡± the old man asked.
¡°I primarily use the sword and shield, but have been trying my hand at the halberd recently,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Useful weapon. Allows one to cut, pierce and grapple with the haft.¡±
¡°Oh? To see someone espouse the virtues of the halberd does always brighten my mood.¡±
¡°Ah, yes¡ I wonder why,¡± Orodan dryly said, making sure to let his gaze visibly linger upon the wrapped up pole-weapon on Adeltaj¡¯s back.
¡°You¡¯re more observant than you look,¡± Adeltaj said.
¡°And you¡¯re more prone to reckless acts of heroics than I¡¯d like,¡± Orodan said, and Adeltaj looked confused.
¡°Pardon me young man, but do we know one another?¡± the old Simarji asked.
¡°You know¡ I¡¯m probably older than you are by now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be I who calls you young man?¡±
¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°Why¡ a student of yours. Someone who¡¯s had the displeasure of meeting you a few too many times for my liking,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Explain yourself.¡±
¡°Well, Adeltaj Simarji. I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright. And I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
#
¡°This is ridiculous¡ the fanciful tales you young folk come up with these days.¡±
¡°Is that how you speak to your elders, old man? Lest you forget, I¡¯m a few thousand years old.¡±
¡°Unbelievable¡ aren¡¯t you supposed to look a bit more grayed then?¡± Adeltaj asked. ¡°And how can you call me an old man when you¡¯re supposedly older than me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve always called you old man. I won¡¯t stop now just because I¡¯m older,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Besides¡ in terms of the years I experienced as myself¡ discounting the time I spent empowering the time loop, I suppose I¡¯m not older than a century yet.¡±
¡°And yet you¡¯ve already achieved so much. Half the things you tell me sound entirely unbelievable,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Even the most disreputable of bookstores would not sell such indulgent fiction.¡±
¡°And yet¡¡± Orodan said, waiting for Adeltaj to continue.
¡°Your abilities, your soul¡ and your knowledge¡ it corroborates your tale. That and the recent happenings in Ogdenborough. You¡¯re the one the Republic and Novarria are looking for. It¡¯s a good thing your soul¡¯s damaged in such a way, I don¡¯t think any fate or soul based trackers can find you at all,¡± Adeltaj said, nursing his bruises. They¡¯d engaged in a brief spar so that Orodan could ¡®prove¡¯ his claims. He¡¯d perhaps enjoyed running Adeltaj ragged a bit much. ¡°Still¡ to think you¡¯ve gained so much strength in so short a time.¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without my mentors,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Yes, but surely you¡¯ve had many of them. How was I responsible for your current level of power?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve had many mentors, yet the first one is sitting before me,¡± Orodan said, and Adeltaj was silenced at those words. ¡°The skill I used to empower the entire time loop, I unlocked the preceding Mythical skill for the first time while sparring against you.¡±
¡°That must have caused a headache¡ oh wait¡ is that where the Goddess of Fate first began her hunt for you?¡± Adeltaj asked.
¡°Quite so. It took me a good while before I grew strong enough to strike back against that wicked tyrant,¡± Orodan said.
¡°And your System¡ do you truly not have one? It sounds like the stuff of outrageous fiction, to not have a System,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°We all have a Status, the System permeated every bit of our lives. To have it taken away¡ is this powerful foe truly so dangerous?¡±
¡°Whoever rescued me certainly thought so, as did the Boundless One empowering the System,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°And given my current state¡ I¡¯d say it¡¯s certainly proved its deadly power.¡±
¡°Boundless Ones¡ the System¡ Administrators, the Eldritch¡ I¡¯m afraid an old man like me just can¡¯t keep up with all these new happenings,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Life¡¯s a lot simpler when all I care for is this world and what¡¯s upon it.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not even a thousand years old¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Though, I see what you¡¯re saying. Life¡¯s a lot easier when only one thing¡¯s before you. The larger my world gets, the more weight is upon my shoulders.¡±
¡°Not that you seem to have a problem bearing it. Contesting God in a battle of willpower? Facing down this Boundless One? You¡¯ve made the most of these time loops and grown well,¡± Adeltaj said, and Orodan felt a thrum of pride.
¡°There¡¯s always more growing to do, and many opponents before me. Hells, I can¡¯t even fight a peak-Transcendent in a fair battle yet,¡± Orodan said. He¡¯d cleansed peak-Transcendents using his Celestial skill, but needed to grow capable of fighting them head-to-head. ¡°And ahead of me are those at the Embodiment-level and the Administrators at the very peak of it. And I still have to repair my System. I know a man who might be a good starting point for it, but it¡¯ll involve me learning many new skills and perhaps re-learning a few more.¡±
¡°Then why not join an academy?¡±
Orodan¡¯s face soured.
¡°No thanks. Been there, done that enough times.¡± he said. ¡°I was hoping to work on my crafts and skills for a few long loops while my¡ companion, recovers.¡±
He still didn¡¯t know exactly what Zaessythra was to him. He was said to be stupid, but he wasn¡¯t blind. She¡¯d kissed him, and he¡ hadn¡¯t minded it. Still, with her slumbering and so much ahead of him, it was easier to push the issue off than discuss it. A very brave and mature thing to do.
¡°Exactly¡ why not join an academy as a crafting student?¡± Adeltaj asked. ¡°You realize that part-time students exist, correct? You would be sponsored by my house and work for me the majority of the time.¡±
¡°And what would the work entail?¡±
¡°Not much, just use your muscle once in a while and spend the remaining time honing your skills and going wherever you need to,¡± Adeltaj clarified. ¡°That way, you¡¯d still have access to training, educational material and instructors while remaining independent.¡±
That¡
¡didn¡¯t sound like the worst idea.
Orodan¡¯s initial knee-jerk reaction came from the negative memories he had of Bluefire and how he¡¯d fallen in with House Firesword. He¡¯d watched his mentor Arvayne become controlled by Agathor and experienced the attempt at forced control himself at the end of that loop where Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana had possessed him.
¡°I¡ can tentatively accept this,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Still, I should warn you that I might be leaving the Republic from time to time, and even permanently, in search of answers and knowledge. Eldiron might well be a destination of mine.¡±
¡°I see no problem with this,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°You needn¡¯t even tell me when or where you go.¡±
¡°You¡¯re being awfully supportive, old man.¡±
¡°Is it not the prerogative of the old to aid the young? A sponsorship to Bluefire is barely a dent in my house¡¯s coffers,¡± the man posed. ¡°And the memory of this ¡®hero¡¯ you speak of, the one who gave his life to save you from a True Vampire¡ I wouldn¡¯t want to disgrace his memory by not aiding his student.¡±
¡°Damn it old man, your death is still fresh in my mind. You¡¯re going to get me sentimental, don¡¯t joke about that,¡± Orodan said.
¡°So you¡¯re in agreement then? Orodan Wainwright, the crafting student at Bluefire,¡± Adeltaj said.
¡°A terrible crafting student who¡¯ll repeatedly fail at the basics,¡± Orodan warned.
¡°A dedicated crafting student, one with a diverse set of skills and a work ethic any teacher would be proud of,¡± Adeltaj encouraged.
¡°Hmmph¡ well if my first mentor says so and believes in me, who am I to argue?¡±
¡°Good! Tomorrow, we¡¯ll have a dinner at Simarji manor to commemorate the event and have you meet the rest of my house,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Or if you¡¯ve already met them in a prior loop, then to have them meet you.¡±
¡°A large social gathering then? I suppose I¡¯ve been through worse with Burgher Ignatius,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Nothing like the ones that young man hosts,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Dinners in our family are smaller and of a more personal nature. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll walk away disappointed.¡±
Orodan smiled.
¡°Fine then¡ though, I¡¯ll be in Novarria during the day,¡± Orodan said and Adeltaj simply nodded in assent, showing no issue.
Hells, this arrangement already felt far better and less demanding than the sponsorship he¡¯d had under House Firesword. He should¡¯ve gone to old man Adeltaj from the start!
Orodan Wainwright, the part-time crafting student at Bluefire Academy.
It sounded like a good opportunity to re-learn the crafts, and in particular¡ focus on Enchanting, which he felt was one of the key skills to focus on if he wanted to rebuild his System.
As for where he was going in Novarria?
A heavily fortified town on the Empire¡¯s southern border: Arkwall. And within it, one of the few people he¡¯d met who had not only retained a semblance of mind under Eldritch corruption¡ but also saw the glyphs and symbols of the System and could somehow speak to them.
If anyone was a good starting point for the repair, or better yet, founding of his own System, it would be that man.
It was time to meet Alovardo Balmento once more.
Chapter 67 - A Month At Bluefire
Arkwall.
It was a heavily militarized city which lay on the southern border of the Empire of Novarria. Just south of the city were the Dokuhan Mountains, where the under-mountain confederation of the dwarves dwelled. And further south than that¡ the Badlands, a harsh and inhospitable place from whence frequent monster raids battered themselves against Arkwall.
It was heavily fortified and militarized for a reason. And it was also a popular town for adventurers, the last bastion of civilization and safety before they ventured down to the peaks of the mountains or worse¡ the Badlands themselves.
Orodan had been here before. And the reason he¡¯d come then, was why he was here now.
It was also a test of his spatiomancy, to see if it could ferry him from the Republic to Arkwall. And it was a test he¡¯d partially failed.
He knew how to perform Teleportation. However, the level of power required to teleport from Velestok to Arkwall was enough that his control over spatiomancy was the limiting factor. He had more than enough power, but without the System, not enough control to utilize it.
Oh, he¡¯d still succeeded in the Teleport, managing to bring himself to outside of Arkwall, but he¡¯d felt his control of spatiomancy more than a bit tenuous. He certainly wouldn¡¯t be teleporting to the sun anytime soon, not until he shored up his foundations in spatiomancy. Still, it was something that could be improved upon.
Now, before him, stood the border city. It wasn¡¯t big, but it did have walls which were crewed to the brim with soldiers and mages and armed to the teeth with artillery.
The gate commander, a Novarrian peltast on the cusp of Grandmastery, spotted Orodan¡¯s approach.
¡°Hold! Who approaches Arkwall?!¡±
¡°I come to see Alovardo Balmento,¡± he declared. ¡°Not here to cause any trouble.¡±
The peltast looked Orodan up and down, and a frown was on his face. As the seconds passed by, the frown only deepened.
¡°We cannot get any readings off of your soul. Is it under many obscurations and defenses?¡± the commander asked.
¡°Nothing in particular. Though, I suspect the fact that I no longer have a System might have something to do with it,¡± Orodan replied.
A bit to the left of the gate commander, was a golden griffin and its beast tamer. The griffin¡ Orodan got a vague feeling of anxiety and unease from it, and the beast tamer seemed to share the emotion. A pulse of dirty mana was shared between tamer and gate commander.
¡°Not even the beast tamer we have on retinue can get a gauge for your level of strength,¡± the gate commander said. Monsters, which griffins were, had an excellent instinctive sense for the level of strength someone possessed. Orodan himself had this ability due to the long years spent in the loops without really using Observe, upon sight he could tell what level of power someone was at. However, it was the same phenomenon he¡¯d seen in the depths, where monsters simply couldn¡¯t gauge him at all. ¡°Allowing you entry into Arkwall would raise some security concerns. From where do you hail?¡±
¡°I¡¯m from Ogdenborough, in the Republic.¡±
¡°Ogdenborough? That¡¯s some small town of little significance,¡± the gate commander said. ¡°For you to single-handedly make the trip from there to Arkwall is implausible. Who are you really? With all those soul protections on and even the griffin unable to get an instinctive read on you, what¡¯s to say you aren¡¯t possessed?¡±
Giving his name would¡¯ve alleviated the issue, however, Orodan intended on remaining away from scrutiny for at least a little while this loop. It was why he¡¯d used soul energy to shroud himself during the battle of Ogdenborough, and it was why he wasn¡¯t giving up his name just yet.
Nobody on Alastaia was his match. But having his period of self-study and introspection for the purposes of repairing his System interrupted would be annoying and counterproductive.
¡°The problem then, is the question of how strong I am, correct?¡± Orodan asked and the gate commander gave a reluctant nod.
A problem easily solved. Orodan picked up a nearby tree, uprooting it from the ground, and proceeded to hurl it¡
¡at a distant mountaintop.
It was a good thing he¡¯d felt no inhabitants upon it, for the sudden disappearance of an entire mountain in a booming explosion wasn¡¯t good for the local wildlife.
¡°Will that suffice?¡± Orodan asked
For a moment, silence reigned. The men on the walls had stopped chattering, the wildlife remained quiet, and even the approaching group of wyverns which seemed intent on raiding Arkwall suddenly began flying back to the Badlands.
¡°Open the gate,¡± the commander said.
¡°S-sir¡ is he¡¡±
¡°Our concerns are irrelevant when he has such power. You may enter, but I ask that you do not cause any undue trouble,¡± the commander said. ¡°And know that our superiors in Novar¡¯s Peak have been notified of your arrival and presence here and they may arrive to question you.¡±
Arkwall didn¡¯t have an energy well. There was no item of extreme value within that the guards might fight to the death for. They had likely been instructed not to antagonize anyone who possessed too much power. It would be a futile act, especially when a call for backup would serve the same purpose but leave them alive at the end. If it wasn¡¯t an outright attack, allowing a powerful individual into a city was the better option between attempting to stop them and receiving far more death and destruction as a result.
Orodan walked past the open gates and into the city. Most of the soldiers and mages refused to meet his eyes, and the few who did swiftly averted their gazes upon him returning the look. Naturally, the commander had sent out a dirty pulse of mana towards Novar¡¯s Peak calling for assistance. Which was fine by him.
Still, for the moment he was past the gates of Arkwall and knew where his destination was. He¡¯d traversed the city many times over the course of a set of fifteen-minute loops after all.
He walked the streets and recalled how there were no children within Arkwall, only various laborers, craftsfolk and specialists all at the Apprentice-level at minimum. Being on the southern border of Novarria and near the Badlands, Arkwall wasn¡¯t a city meant for day-to-day regular living, and consequently the people within didn¡¯t lead ordinary lives. Druhmiyan in the hells was somewhat similar in that people worked there, but didn¡¯t raise their families there.
It went without saying that he was being watched. Not just from great distance by watchers atop the roofs, but also through the minor spatial fluctuations that he began sensing through which a skilled spatiomancer could view someone. Novarrian Intelligence Service no doubt. Though nobody approached him directly yet.
Just as he remembered, the lunatic¡¯s manor was atop the same old dusty hill.
And he practically surged through the front doors and into the manor¡¯s front foyer where a familiar old man was sat.
¡°No, you cannot go there, that will only make the breach even wider,¡± the man muttered, talking to seemingly nothing. ¡°The rate of new breach-creation is intensifying¡ perhaps if we move the values around?¡±
¡°Alovardo Balmento! I¡¯ve come to learn the ways of the System.¡±
¡°A walking, talking void¡ what are you?¡± the man asked. ¡°No numbers, glyphs or values¡ not a single touch of the truth and the fabric which makes up the rest of us¡¡±
¡°That¡ would be because I no longer have a System, courtesy of a Boundless One,¡± Orodan said. Prompting the man to tilt his head to the side in confusion. ¡°You know what I speak of. The fact that you bear the Eldritch corruption within yet have not succumbed to it is proof of your reconciliation with the truth. Much like the being which empowers the very System, I encountered another, and it was far less amenable to the System within my soul.¡±
¡°The truth? You know it? The lack of numbers and values is also explained¡¡± Alovardo muttered. ¡°Which one was it? The slumbering child? No¡ too uncaring to do such. The lost sibling? No¡ too weak since its binding and imprisonment¡ wait, was it the sadistic one?¡±
¡°If by ¡®sadistic one¡¯ you mean that oversized pink thing which is responsible for the shards, you¡¯d be right,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It hit me with a shard the size of a planet, and while I managed to shield the important parts of my soul, my System paid the price.¡±
¡°Improbable. The sentries report no major breaches externally¡ though the number of internal breaches has suddenly spiked as of three days ago,¡± Alovardo muttered while looking at him. ¡°The numbers also say that the odds of mind retention are impossible.¡±
¡°Well, what do you want me to say? The numbers advise you incorrectly. I held out and retained my mind and self against that thing.¡±
Though, against his own willpower the matter was a more tenuous one.
¡°Improbable, in fact, by all calculations and what the numbers say¡ impossible¡ oh but you¡¯re saying he might be¡¡± Alovardo muttered and then fixed him with a serious loop. ¡°I see. You¡¯re the reason for the sudden spike in internal breaches.¡±
¡°Internal breaches?¡±
¡°A cage. That is what we reside within. Breaches from outside are easily noticed, their reason apparent. The spellcaster and the big one deal with those,¡± Alovardo explained, and Orodan wondered if he was referring to the Warrior and the Mage. ¡°The cage keeps not just us in though¡ but also the source locked in place.¡±
¡°The Boundless One empowering the System,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The source of all Eldritch.¡±
¡°Divulge not the knowledge lest you make the ignorant susceptible to changes of an undesirable nature,¡± Alovardo chastised. ¡°Though comprehending the nature of it is required before the vulnerability begins.¡±
And Orodan felt slightly guilty for having run his mouth about the situation the entire way here. Well, perhaps it was a good thing that only Adeltaj and Zaessythra knew the full truth, and even then, it took contact with actual Eldritch to then infect someone. Orodan would simply clean it all if it ever came to that.
¡°Still, this source being locked in the cage, what about it and the breaches?¡±
¡°The cage keeps the source imprisoned, an arrangement it has embraced willingly. Until recently, the only breaches the cage had were external ones,¡± Alovardo said, and Orodan was beginning to understand what was coming. ¡°Since then, the breaches from within have suddenly spiked, and everyone¡¯s left wondering just what happened. The values shift in a chaotic frenzy, and the cage shakes. The source is¡ panicked. The numbers and I can only postulate, but with your arrival of a most impossible nature, and that void you carry within your soul, the suspicion naturally falls upon you.¡±
¡°Well¡ you¡¯re not wrong that this is likely my fault,¡± Orodan admitted.
Hells, he should¡¯ve seen this coming.
The time loop mechanism.
In the last loop, when he¡¯d connected to the very bowels of the System and gotten a glimpse of it all, he¡¯d seen the Eldritch Boundless One within¡ but also the mechanism for the time loops. He still wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was, in fact, it looked markedly different from the System cage, as though it¡¯d been tacked on and integrated but not originally of it.
That was beside the point. The important part was that Orodan had connected himself to the time loop mechanism. A mechanism that should¡¯ve normally had the Eldritch Boundless One connected to it. In fact, Orodan had supplied so much power to the mechanism, that the time loop now went beyond just affecting the System universe, but now enveloped all of reality and the various Boundless Ones outside System space in the greater universe.
Naturally¡
¡the being empowering the System must¡¯ve been quite confused and in a state of panic at the fact that its control over the mechanism had been wrested. In fact, Orodan suspected that the version of it he¡¯d seen in the last loop simply hadn¡¯t come back with him.
From its perspective, it¡¯d come to, lost connection with the time loop mechanism and Orodan, and was now floundering about in the dark.
¡°Explain yourself.¡±
¡°I¡¯m in a time loop. And I may have shunted the Boundless One out of it.¡±
¡°Intriguing¡ tell me more¡¡±
And so, the conversation went on.
At least two hours¡¯ worth of discussion. Alovardo Balmento was a lunatic, speaking to numbers and things that Orodan couldn¡¯t really see. Yet, throughout it all, Orodan began to notice a strange energy around the man. It was hazy, and he only caught brief flickers of it, yet it was there. He¡¯d never seen it before in his prior loops.
¡°And that¡¯s the full story. Lacking a System, without many of my skills, and back at square one. Though, far stronger than when I started these time loops.¡±
¡°The numbers should know all¡ except in your case, where they are oddly silent,¡± Alovardo said, referring to Orodan. ¡°Your tale is corroborated by their lack of answers.¡±
¡°While I might not have a System, you¡¯re an odd case yourself. You¡¯ve somehow come to terms with the Eldritch truth and don¡¯t have any outward signs of corruption,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯d consider that rather impressive. I saw one other man who managed the same, and he seemed quite maddened by it even if the signs weren¡¯t outwardly visible. Cleansed him and his behavior changed.¡±
¡°A dreadful ability¡ the numbers cannot fathom it either,¡± Alovardo said. ¡°Keep that away from me, will you? I quite like my current state of enlightenment.¡±
It confirmed his theory earlier too. That someone¡¯s level of infection and retention of mind while corrupted by the Eldritch depended entirely on how they handled the truth. A mighty peak-Transcendent Celestial like Jian Huangdi had lost himself, though that had been over many, many years. Whereas Alovardo Balmento was a Grandmaster, and yet the man had retained his mind¡ mostly.
¡°So¡ will you teach me?¡±
¡°To fix your state as a walking void? Oh? It simply cannot be done¡ not without a method of interacting with the source¡¯s power directly. A mantle would be necessary,¡± Alovardo muttered while looking around himself. ¡°Unless¡¡±
¡°Unless?¡±
¡°Unless one weren¡¯t a being borne of the source,¡± Alovardo stated, and then continued upon Orodan¡¯s look of confusion. ¡°Water cannot grasp water. Fire cannot contain fire. All of us within this cage, cannot interact with the fabric of the source for we are composed of it down to the core.¡±
Except¡
¡°Except for me¡¡± Orodan finished. ¡°That Boundless One did me a favor¡ my soul weathered the storm and came out even purer. Not a single bit of the System remains within. I really am a being not composed of the System any longer.¡±
Which was in fact quite problematic if his goal was to repair his System.
¡°Water cannot grasp water¡ but earth might. Being of a different nature, the numbers and values may well be malleable,¡± Alovardo said. ¡°The numbers disagree with me and think me a loon, but I suspect my differing opinion to be correct.¡±
¡°I think so too,¡± Orodan said.
System energy. Even the almighty Administrators needed their mantles to interact with it. And Orodan needed to trigger a trial of ascendance just to summon a solid connection to the System¡¯s bowels so he could access a lot of it.
With that, a potential path opened up before him.
¡°I suppose I can attempt to teach you. Not even I can directly interact with them, only serving as an advisor and observer,¡± Alovardo cautioned. ¡°But if anyone can be guided into touching them, it¡¯s you.¡±
The numbers and values. This old lunatic must¡¯ve been referring to the System¡¯s glyphs and symbols. And it also must¡¯ve been what that strange energy flitting about Alovardo was.
¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll need to be capable of it as a stepping stone.¡±
¡°A stepping stone to re-creating the System? An almost impossible feat, though if any being is situated to do it¡¡±
Orodan accepted the mad man¡¯s ramblings. Though, he felt somewhat dissatisfied at the thought of re-creating the System using its own energy.
Would it not simply squander the state of purity that the sadistic Boundless One had gifted him with?
For now, he would study, and he would learn.
Though, throughout it all, the inklings of a grand ambition began to forment within his mind.
#
Orodan had taken a massive step and done the impossible. He could now see and interact with System energy.
Controlling System energy was difficult, but possible. Something everyone else borne of the System needed special tools such as the Administrators¡¯ Mantles to accomplish, Orodan could do himself. All thanks to his new and unique composition as a being containing no traces of the Eldritch Boundless One¡¯s power.
The energy felt foreign to him, utterly alien in a way nothing before had. Furthermore, unlike everyone else he¡¯d met who would¡¯ve likely been corrupted by the excess of System energy¡ Orodan simply didn¡¯t feel any corruption setting in.
It wasn¡¯t because of his Eldritch Resistance - he wasn¡¯t sure if that even worked correctly without the System - he could still feel when that skill was triggered and resisted Eldritch. Rather, it was as though he couldn¡¯t feel the Eldritch corruption at all. Like water flowing over his form.
Alovardo also expressed surprise, but then postulated that Orodan¡¯s unique composition as a being not made of the Eldritch Boundless One was what allowed this. He hypothesized that because everyone¡¯s souls were composed of the Eldritch as they ran on the System, becoming corrupted by the Eldritch was akin to embracing one¡¯s natural state.
Something which Orodan himself no longer had. Hence, no corruption.
In any case, the lunatic had put him through the paces in terms of reading material and various exercises. They¡¯d studied for an entire day straight until the dinner with Adeltaj approached. And while the good news was that Orodan could interact with the glyphs and symbols of the System, the bad news¡
¡was that he was utterly inept at understanding much of it.
¡°The raw power and potential of a God and yet the mind of an unschooled babe. How many thousands of years have you spent inside this time loop without having any mental organization?¡± Alovardo criticized.
It wasn¡¯t that Orodan lacked mental processing power. Far from it. Rather, it was his ability to recognize patterns, organize the glyphs and work backwards to get an idea of what the language and ¡®code¡¯ of the System did that was the issue. Without access to the System and the various skills he had, it was akin to starting from the most advanced of concepts while skipping the basics.
¡°Don¡¯t you think your expectations are a bit high being a mind mage?¡± Orodan asked, taking no offense. It was true after all. ¡°I¡¯m perhaps less than a century old in terms of the time I¡¯ve spent in the loops.¡±
Discounting the time where he¡¯d lost himself while fuelling the time loop mechanism.
¡°They tell me that¡¯s an improbably talented age. A shame you aren¡¯t connected to the source any longer,¡± Alovardo said, speaking to something hazy and flickering that Orodan had now learned to see somewhat reliably. ¡°Talent or no, your endeavors to repair the System within yourself will fail until you gain further mental acuity and learn how to organize the numbers better.¡±
Repair implied there was anything left of the Eldritch Boundless One and the System at all. He¡¯d been hit with an attack of enough power to wipe out any System-related parts altogether.
Still¡ organize?
¡°What sort of things might help?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I have a whole host of reading materials and mental exercises for you to work on,¡± Alovardo said, and while it seemed intimidating, Orodan was more than willing to tackle the challenge. ¡°Though, throwing you into the deep end will not work, not when you¡¯ve lost access to the System and the fundamentals must be re-learned. No, better you start off small, an academy might help.¡±
On the bright side, at least he wouldn¡¯t have to bear with this madman¡¯s habit of assigning him random texts and insisting he read only certain portions of them.
¡°I already plan on going to an Academy,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Bluefire in the Republic.¡±
¡°Sub-par but meets standards.¡±
¡°Your descendent Ilevida is a teacher at Bluefire¡¡±
¡°As I said, sub-par but meets standards.¡±
Harsh words. Little wonder Ilevida didn¡¯t want to talk about this old codger when he questioned her long ago.
Organization though? Orodan had an idea for where he might get started with the beginnings of that.
They exchanged a few parting words where Alovardo gave Orodan some recommendations, and the two separated.
The streets of Arkwall were rather quiet on his way out, and he knew why.
After all, he¡¯d noticed that he was being watched from the very beginning of his entry into Alovardo¡¯s manor.
A spatial fluctuation occurred, and the wards of Arkwall allowed for it. Figures began to emerge.
He would¡¯ve loved to stay and perhaps greet his watchers. However, he was already running late for the upcoming dinner he had.
So, with a quick flare of power and the shattering of Arkwall¡¯s anti-spatiomancy wards¡ Orodan stepped back towards the Republic.
The event would cause some disruption and clamor no doubt, but Novarria couldn¡¯t just enter the Republic in pursuit of him. Not easily, and neither would they deem it worth the effort when he hadn¡¯t hurt anyone.
Now that he knew how to interact with the glyphs and symbols of the System, it was just a matter of practice. Until then, there was no real need to see Alovardo on the regular, not until he first shored up his mind and perhaps learned methods of mental organization.
And to do that, the Academy and ancillary activities outside of it would serve as a good stepping stone.
#
Unlike House Firesword¡¯s dwellings, Simarji manor wasn¡¯t at all ostentatious or gaudy.
It was a simple three floor building with spacious grounds surrounding it and enough space to host large gatherings if needed. Though, from what he¡¯d been told, the gathering for today wouldn¡¯t be such a thing.
There were two guards standing watch over the manor gates, an older man and a younger woman.
The guards of the house looked tough, and he recognized one of them as being a regular at the lumberyard as well. Rotating duty no doubt, and it was a good idea as it helped them build up their skills and remain in shape. Years of sedentary guarding were no good for a warrior.
He had no doubt that one of these Simarji guards was worth perhaps two of the House Firesword guards.
¡°Hold sir, you approach Simarji manor, might you state your name and business?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. Here to attend a dinner with the old man.¡±
¡°Old man? Count Rohanus isn¡¯t even¡¡± one of the guards muttered, but the older one next to the woman had a look of understanding on his face.
¡°He¡¯s good to go, let him through. The count¡¯s older relatives know this man,¡± the older guard said. ¡°Mister Wainwright, the count and¡ the elder, are expecting you.¡±
Adeltaj was a Grandmaster, and consequently, knowledge of the old Simarji wasn¡¯t public. So, it only made sense that the younger guard didn¡¯t catch on to who Orodan spoke of. The older guard seemed to have an inkling though.
He gave the guards a nod and walked onwards, only to see Adeltaj waiting for him halfway down the path to the manor¡¯s foyer.
¡°I approve of the modest decor,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though there¡¯s some subtle differences to the architecture I see everywhere else in the Republic. A nod to your roots?¡±
¡°Indeed, good to see you noticed. Our house¡¯s roots are in the Eastern Kingdoms and the subtle differences in some of the archways and footpath tiling are apparent,¡± Adeltaj replied. ¡°After our contributions in the Liberation War and the official migration of the Simarjis to the Republic, people were all too happy to have us here.¡±
¡°The Eastern Kingdoms and the Republic have always been close,¡± Orodan remarked. The history books spoke of their friendship and natural affinity, and how the two nations had naturally drawn closer to counter the threat of Novarria. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine anyone dared complain at the disregard for building regulations. Not that they¡¯d get anywhere fielding that against a noble house.¡±
¡°Funny enough, House Altamari tried raising a stink about it. The Grandmaster of their house came by and tried throwing her weight around,¡± Adeltaj stated.
¡°And what then? If I recall, she¡¯s a dual-Grandmaster, and while you¡¯re probably the strongest single-Grandmaster I¡¯ve seen, I can¡¯t imagine the fight going your way,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Hmmph¡ if I recall, a version of me managed to achieve dual-Grandmastery in a loop of yours,¡± Adeltaj said. Yes, by sacrificing himself for Orodan. That was an experience best not repeated. ¡°In any case, we never ended up coming to blows since old Arvayne came along and told her to get lost.¡±
Arvayne Firesword¡ his mentor was still under the control of Agathor in this new loop. Orodan swore to rectify that state of affairs.
¡°Subtlety isn¡¯t your strong suit, is it? That murderous look on your face is scaring the birds away,¡± Adeltaj said, and Orodan only then realized how apparent his hatred for Agathor was. ¡°Worry not, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have your opportunity soon enough.¡±
Frankly, Orodan had half a mind to march into Karilsgard and immediately cleanse all traces of the War God from Arvayne¡¯s body. Still, he had to consider the long term, and that Agathor could wait for a little bit until Orodan had gotten all he needed from Bluefire. Currently, he was still away from the spotlight. Novarria wasn¡¯t certain who he was, and the Republic simply thought he was a talented militia man, with House Firesword sure to try and find him.
Still, he was avoiding Burgher Ignatius and his house by going directly to House Simarji this time. And any thoughts of rescuing his mentor could wait until it was time to depart from the Republic.
¡°Hmmph¡ let¡¯s not sully this dinner you have planned with such talk,¡± Orodan said, dismissing the topic even though it burned in the back of his mind. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m much for these sorts of things, but you asked me to be here, and I couldn¡¯t refuse that.¡±
¡°Take some time and learn to breathe a little, Orodan. Even an unyielding juggernaut of determination like you can only go so far before they need a rest,¡± Adeltaj said. The old man was wrong. Orodan really didn¡¯t need a rest. In fact, he could power the time loop for thousands of years without stopping. That was something he¡¯d kept to himself though. ¡°You might just see some folks who you haven¡¯t met in a long time.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Perhaps there are things to be learned through a slower pace at times,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Additionally, I normally wouldn¡¯t think to have to say this, but given what you tell me of your decisions in the time loops I feel it bears mentioning,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Please avoid telling anyone else about the time loops or the Eldritch truth you¡¯ve seen in your journey across the cosmos.¡±
He supposed if his mentor was asking it, it was the least he could do. Orodan typically had a problem with being anything but honest¡ but nothing stopped him from simply declaring that Adeltaj had asked him not to say. He wouldn¡¯t be lying, simply being honest that he couldn¡¯t answer.
¡°Fine.¡±
¡°Well then, shall we bring you in? Rohanus has heard of you and some of my house¡¯s folk would like to meet you,¡± Adeltaj said, and Orodan nodded following him inside.
Simarji manor was spacious and¡ warm. It wasn¡¯t gaudy or empty like many of the other manors he¡¯d seen. The staff looked to be in a good mood, and the sight of the old man didn¡¯t make them wary or suddenly stiffen in any way. There were children playing around as well.
¡°Count Rohanus¡¯s children?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Oh no, despite my best attempts at matchmaking, I¡¯m afraid my descendent has yet to find someone or even adopt a child into the family,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°These are the children of the manor staff and our retainers. Many of them reside upon our manor grounds.¡±
¡°Quite the bond of kinship,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯d heard rumors about it, but I see the familial bonds and traditions of the Eastern Kingdoms still shine in your house, even in the Republic.¡±
¡°Even monsters share bonds of kinship and family,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Other noble houses look at us a bit strangely for being close to our retainers and staff, but it¡¯s a tradition we gladly continue from our time in the Eastern Kingdoms.¡±
That didn¡¯t sound so bad. And it showed in the faces of the staff, retainers and children playing around. The manor¡¯s main hall wasn¡¯t overly decorated either. Just some simple furniture, a few paintings, and the occasional magical plant which seemed to fit in very well.
In fact, one or two of the plants were swaying about, making strange wispy noises as the children spoke to and played with them.
Unlike most manors he¡¯d seen, the Simarjis¡¯ dwelling wasn¡¯t dressed to impress visitors upon entry. There were no attendants waiting hand and foot, and the actual gathering seemed to be in a dining room of sorts. At the end of a decently long hallway, was the dining room, and there wasn¡¯t a table in sight.
Just a circle of cushions where various people were seated, and the cushions were around a generous spread of food which everyone was drawing from. And not only people were sat at the circle but pegasi and plants too!
¡°Not the typical dining room I¡¯m used to¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°Heh, you just haven¡¯t been invited to dine with someone from the Eastern Kingdoms yet,¡± Adeltaj said with a chuckle. ¡°Our pegasi and woodland friends are our equals and dine with us, not separate or in a kennel like those from the Republic or Novarria do. I believe the elves have a similar relationship with their bonded companions.¡±
¡°Like a barracks mess hall then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Like a family having a meal together,¡± Adeltaj replied.
¡°Hmm¡ never had one of those.¡±
The old man seemed a little remorseful for bringing up the topic, but Orodan didn¡¯t mind. He had grown up an orphan but had made the best of his situation and come out stronger for it.
The dinner was already in full swing by the time Orodan arrived, and he felt a bit guilty.
¡°Old man¡ am I late? I thought it was on the hour,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I said that so you could make a suitably dramatic entrance,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°That and you¡¯ve told me how impatient you are with these sorts of things. Having you sit around and engage in idle talk as the food was prepared would be counterproductive.¡±
¡°You needn¡¯t have tried to accommodate me, but I appreciate it,¡± Orodan said, taking a seat at the cushion assigned him. Next to him, was Count Rohanus Simarji, who stood to shake his hand.
¡°You must be the young man the elder spoke of. Orodan Wainwright, was it?¡± the count asked and Orodan nodded. Adeltaj was the mightiest fighter of House Simarji, but Rohanus was the nominal head of the house who dealt with administrative matters and presented his face to the public. He was a Master-level healer and unarmed fighter of decent skill. At least, from what Orodan recalled from that one time he battled the man in one of his early loops. ¡°Rohanus Simarji, Count of the Republic and member of the Council of Karilsgard.¡±
¡°And top of your class at Bluefire, and a previous winner of the Inter-Academy Tournament, and an all-around stickler for the rules who needs to lighten up a bit,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Is that how you introduce yourself to everyone Rohanus? You¡¯re not at work you know?¡±
¡°Elder¡¡± the Count said, embarrassed and then cleared his throat. ¡°In any case, welcome to Simarji manor, please consider this your home. My loyal house guards tell me you live in a¡ dwelling¡ in Ogdenborough. Allow us to host you moving forward.¡±
¡°That will not be necessary,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My current lodgings are sufficient, and I don¡¯t normally spend much time in them nowadays.¡±
¡°I told you he would be attached to his dingy little hovel,¡± Adeltaj said.
Dingy? Orodan didn¡¯t disagree with the description, but it was his! And it was clean.
¡°As you say Mister Wainwright, I will not insist,¡± Count Rohanus said. ¡°Our house is glad to have you all the same. I shall not speak much on business here as it would be poor manners, but your part-time tutelage at Bluefire has been secured.¡±
¡°Thank you. I have a few subjects that require further study,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Oh? Such as what?¡± a higher pitched and energetic voice asked. He¡¯d noticed her from outside the manor. Orodan had tried not to appear the odd one by looking at her, but he¡¯d forgotten how lively she was as she¡¯d instead approached him. ¡°Orodan was it? I¡¯m Mahari. Mahari Ilya Vedharna, and this is my brother Altaj Ilo Vedharna. We¡¯re also attending Bluefire!¡±
The wound had been fresh once upon a time. Long ago, this had been his friend, and they¡¯d gotten along well. Yet when that particular loop had ended, Orodan carried on with a weight upon his heart for a while. Still, time had a way of dulling such things and healing them over, and Orodan had always been the type to resiliently push forward and accept loss.
And while what once was might not return¡ nothing prevented the emergence of something new.
¡°I see¡ are you a martial student then?¡± Orodan asked, amusement in his tone, while looking at her hands. ¡°I notice your hands are callused, and your knuckles tough. Am I right to assume you like punching things?¡±
The signs were subtle but still there so that anyone observant enough could tell. Though he¡¯d mainly said so in relation to how she¡¯d thrown hands and pummelled her opponent in the Inter-Academy Tournament in a past loop.
The frown on her face was immediate and she pouted while her older brother laughed.
¡°I¡¯m a mage! A mage! Not a sword-swinging brute!¡± Mahari said, indignant.
Heh. She was a mirror of how Orodan was when it came to magic back in the day.
¡°He¡¯s got you there Mahari. You might try to hide it, but your hands don¡¯t lie,¡± Altaj said. ¡°As you can see, my sister has a hidden trick up her sleeve that she likes to keep to herself. Though you¡¯ve seen right through it.¡±
¡°The calluses could be from any number of things,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But the knuckles only develop that way when one¡¯s been throwing and connecting with a lot of punches. Especially against metal in an attempt to condition the hands and build heavier blows.¡±
¡°Boo! You enjoy revealing people¡¯s secrets!¡± Mahari said with a pout. ¡°How do you even know these things? With how big you are, I doubt you¡¯re just a crafting student.¡±
Count Rohanus intervened, shaking his head and beckoning Mahari to simmer down.
¡°That would be between him and the elder,¡± the Count gently warned.
¡°Pfft¡ fine, keep your secrets,¡± Mahari said and then stuck her tongue out at him, prompting Altaj to sigh next to her. ¡°It¡¯s not like you can keep your strength hidden for long at Bluefire.¡±
¡°On the contrary, Mister Wainwright will be attending as a part-time student,¡± the Count said. ¡°Far less opportunities to get up to trouble and have his secrets revealed.¡±
¡°Bah, you¡¯re no fun. I¡¯ll find out one day Orodan!¡± Mahari declared.
¡°You will distinctly not be doing such a thing,¡± said a man from behind, causing Mahari to yelp and suddenly quieten down. He had a shield strapped behind him, much like Orodan himself. And the last time he recalled seeing this man was in battle against the Eldritch Avatar.
¡°Ances- I mean, elder!¡± Mahari said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually going to pry into Orodan¡¯s secrets¡¡±
¡°Good, and you better not as that¡¯d be disrespectful to him and Adeltaj, our host,¡± the man said and then stepped forward. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, I am Balaji Vedharna. Adeltaj spoke highly of you, which is a bit rare.¡±
¡°The old man does like to tease the younger generation a bit much,¡± Orodan said, causing Balaji to crack a smile.
The two shook hands, and whatever Balaji was searching for the man must¡¯ve found as his eyes shifted from mirth to wariness upon trying and failing to exert even a gentle pressure upon Orodan in the shake.
¡°Heh, you know him then? Good,¡± Balaji said, releasing the shake and subtly cradling his own hand. ¡°Glad to see a bit of youth inject itself into this fool¡¯s life. If he had his way, he¡¯d spend years at that silly little patch of forest.¡±
Orodan ignored the fact that he was probably older than Adeltaj.
¡°You mean where I hone myself daily in pursuit of the ways of the halberd? Don¡¯t listen to this old fool, Orodan. His wits are addled from gallivanting around with that oversized housecat he calls a friend,¡± Adeltaj said, referring to the World Guardian, Sarastuga the Blazing Light, who Balaji Vedharna was known to associate with.
¡°And said housecat would eat you for supper if he caught you saying that,¡± Balaji replied, but with a smile. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s sample some of this food your chef has prepared. Let me see how the Simarjis have forgotten what real Eastern Kingdom cuisine is like.¡±
And so, they partook of the food laid out across the generous spread.
It was decent fare, Orodan thought. And while the cuisine seemed to be of the Eastern Kingdoms, the fact was that it¡¯d been altered to fit a Republican or Novarrian palate. A shame, for Orodan was someone who enjoyed eating exotic and unique tasting things.
It was a smaller gathering, with only Adeltaj, Rohanus, the other Simarjis and some Vedharnas present. After dining, Orodan stepped out to the manor¡¯s balcony where Adeltaj and Balaji joined him.
¡°I wasn¡¯t aware your houses knew one another,¡± Orodan said.
¡°The Simarjis originate from the Eastern Kingdoms,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°And while they¡¯re gone now, my mother and father knew old Balaji well.¡±
¡°They were good folk. In any case, when Adeltaj sent a message saying he¡¯d stumbled across someone of shocking strength, I felt the need to come along for dinner,¡± Balaji said. ¡°And might I say Adeltaj, your house has forgotten how to make authentic Eastern cuisine. It was decent, but quite Republicanized.¡±
Adeltaj merely rolled his eyes and then pointed to Orodan.
¡°Well, here he is. Did you want to duel him to verify the claims?¡±
¡°Duel him and cause mass destruction? I think not,¡± Balaji said. ¡°In any case, I know the outcome. Orodan Wainwright would best me without any struggle. My Mythical skill allows me to peer into the internal makings of someone¡¯s body. And while your soul is utterly alien¡ your body is without a doubt a freakish product the likes of which I¡¯ve never seen. You could destroy the entirety of the Republic if you so wished, couldn¡¯t you?¡±
More like the entirety of Inuan and possibly Alastaia.
¡°Perhaps. What are you trying to ask?¡± Orodan said.
¡°In roughly six months¡¯ time a foul comet wil-¡±
¡°The Eldritch Avatar. Worry not, I shall deal with it,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°You know of it? And you claim you¡¯ll simply deal with it?¡± Balaji asked. ¡°Do not underestimate it my young friend. I know not how you¡¯ve attained your strength, whether reincarnator or Avatar¡ but it¡¯s a possessed-¡±
¡°Void Horror. The one that was sent out into the void between stars by the Gods thirty-thousand years ago,¡± Orodan finished. ¡°I know. As I said, I shall deal with it no matter how many Eldritch Gods are puppeteering it.¡±
At such a bold declaration, the quadruple-Grandmaster of the Eastern Kingdoms could say little else.
¡°I told you, old Balaji, he¡¯ll suffice,¡± Adeltaj said.
¡°And what aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± Balaji asked. ¡°His soul is like a blank void and my instincts tell me nothing either. And while I sense his body it defies reason. How can he be so strong?¡±
¡°Some things will simply have to remain secret I¡¯m afraid,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Regardless, I believe he has the best interests of Alastaia at heart.¡±
¡°Then I must ask¡ are you really Orodan Wainwright? The same militia man the records speak of from a small town near the mountains?¡± Balaji asked.
¡°One and the same.¡±
Balaji was quiet, and the man seemed to ponder on a few things.
¡°There have been a few¡ suspicious events recently,¡± Balaji said. ¡°For starters, someone shattered the anti-spatiomancy wards at Arkwall in Novarria. Naturally, the imperials are on high alert. And then, some master thief broke into the White Cloud Clan¡¯s vault and stole something.¡±
¡°The White Cloud Clan¡¯s vault? What do you mean someone broke in?¡± Orodan asked, though he already felt he knew the answer.
¡°Something was stolen from them, from the repository of cursed items actually,¡± Balaji said. ¡°Quite the talented thief too. There was no sign of any tampering whatsoever. As though the item simply vanished from existence¡¡±
Huh¡ so that was what happened when a person or item was dragged along in his soul storage. Its position within the loops also changed. Zaessythra was still slumbering soundly within his soul, but he would have to discuss the matter with her at some point when she woke up.
¡°Fascinating¡ I haven¡¯t been to the Eastern Kingdoms in a while,¡± Orodan said. Which was technically true. Though Balaji didn¡¯t look like he believed that for one second.
¡°That, and the events which occurred in Ogdenborough on the same day,¡± Balaji said. ¡°And now you suddenly appear bearing the name Orodan Wainwright. Who are you really?¡±
Who was he really?
¡°I¡¯m a ti- I mean, I¡¯m not allowed to say, as per the old man,¡± Orodan said, catching himself.
Close one.
And the audible sound of additional footsteps coming saved him.
¡°I heard you mention Ogdenborough. You were there?¡± Mahari asked as she stepped out onto the balcony herself. ¡°What even happened? It¡¯s all everyone at Bluefire can talk about for the last few days.¡±
¡°Oh, that? Just an ancient machine, northern raiders and a group of traitors to the Republic.¡±
¡°Really? The papers don¡¯t mention any machine¡¡±
¡°Child¡ have I not told you to avoid pestering our guests about their personal affairs?¡± Balaji asked.
¡°Eh? I was just following your example elder!¡± Mahari said, with a bit too much cheek perhaps.
Balaji looked unamused at the retort but gathered himself.
¡°The youth shames me to my senses. She is right, your affairs are no business of mine, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Balaji Vedharna said. ¡°Though, I hope to see you for the event we spoke of.¡±
Mahari looked confused, but Orodan knew the old Vedharna was referring to the Eldritch Avatar.
And of course, he would be there. But for now, he had two main goals before him.
Learning the crafts to an extent where he could repair the ancient machine and have it capable of serving its true purpose; that of connecting to the bowels of the System. And learning Enchanting and the various runic scripts to the point where he could repair the System within him. Additionally, learning skills from the ground up would be a nice bonus, and he was continually striving to improve his combat power.
Still, his time at Bluefire was on a deadline, particularly since he was being hunted. Not by enemies which posed any threat to him, but those who could inconvenience him from his learning.
Novarria was on the hunt for an unknown Grandmaster who¡¯d interfered at Mount Castarian, and he¡¯d also broken the anti-spatiomancy wards at Arkwall. Suffice to say, the Imperials were looking for him, even if they didn¡¯t know who he was at this exact moment in time.
He had plenty of learning to do and a vague deadline, so he¡¯d best get to it.
#
Funny enough, not only had Orodan refused to ride a griffin to the academy, but the beast likely wouldn¡¯t have been a good fit for him anyway. It simply growled, hissed and roared at him while refusing to talk. Griffins, like the overwhelming majority of monsters, relied on their instincts to gauge people. And when someone like Orodan came along and gave off no reading whatsoever? The creature was undoubtedly a bit unnerved.
In any case, he¡¯d quite enjoyed the walk to Karilsgard and the subsequent stroll through the streets of the capital. True, he was continually training Vision of Purity throughout his walk, and also reading a number of books, but Orodan could still enjoy the sights in and of themselves. Even on Alastaia, the city of Novar¡¯s Peak outshone it for size and grandeur, let alone all the other fantastical cities he¡¯d seen across the various worlds. Still, it was somewhat sentimental, and it was the capital city of his home nation.
Nobody had really stopped or interacted with him, aside from the natural distance and glances he got for being rather big. Although he saw a few of the city watchers giving him odd looks as they failed to get a proper read on his soul. And given the casual pace of his walk they had more than enough time to act on it too, which meant House Simarji must¡¯ve put in word for his presence.
Coming into Bluefire Academy on foot required going past the Cathedral of the Prime Five and the High Forges, followed by going beyond even the Palace and the High Spire. It was essentially a tour of the city¡¯s landmarks, and this was likely the route which visitors to the city were shown on their first trip.
Orodan had seen all these places before, but the view wasn¡¯t a bad one.
He continued up the main path to Bluefire Academy but instead took a detour to make way for the landing zone for all aerial traffic. And it was there that he saw a familiar face, her pegasus companions flying in the skies above as she stood upon the ground.
¡°Mahari,¡± Orodan greeted from over the top of his book.
¡°It¡¯s you! Orodan Wainwright!¡± the dark-skinned girl exclaimed.
¡°You needn¡¯t say his name as though he¡¯s some diabolical villain who¡¯s appeared before you in an adventure tale¡¡± Altaj muttered, amused yet resigned with his sister¡¯s antics. ¡°Good to see you again, Mister Wainwright.¡±
¡°Just Orodan is fine,¡± he remarked. ¡°You¡¯ve returned from securing feed for your battle-companion?¡±
¡°Why yes, how did you know?¡± Altaj asked.
¡°See? He is some sort of diabolical villain! He knows things he has no right to!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Next thing you know he¡¯ll be taking over the world.¡±
¡°Not as satisfying as you would think,¡± Orodan said with a smile, causing Mahari¡¯s eyes to narrow. ¡°And I suppose talking to people while peering over a book does seem a slight bit villainous.¡±
¡°What are you reading anyways?¡± Mahari asked, and then frowned as she looked upon the title. ¡°Ugh¡ puzzles. I hate those. Why are you bothering with that slog anyways? The only people who try to study those are students attempting to acquire higher rarity skills related to certain crafts. That¡ or¡ mind mages!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a mind mage,¡± Orodan flatly corrected. Once, he¡¯d have been offended at being called a mage at all. At least some progress had been made in that regard.
¡°That¡¯s exactly what a mind mage would say,¡± Altaj chimed in, an amused smirk on his face, and Mahari nodded along.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Sure, feel free to call me a mind mage then,¡± Orodan said with an eye roll. ¡°Puzzles are good for honing one¡¯s mental faculties, and I have a goal which requires they be sharpened. Though, I¡¯m curious to hear what crafts this might be helpful for.¡±
¡°Artificers and enchanters at the lower levels are known to cross-study such things, as you said, it helps the mind develop and see things in unique ways,¡± Altaj said.
Interesting. Orodan had both of those classes on his schedule and planned on delving deep into the secrets of them.
¡°In any case, we don¡¯t mean to keep you. We were just heading back to the main tower now that Olsinius has returned from a brief trip to his clan,¡± Mahari said. ¡°Dealing with security issues in the wake of the recent breach of the White Cloud¡¯s vaults.¡±
The incident Orodan was indirectly responsible for via dragging Zaessythra along into his time loop.
¡°Hmm, I was heading that way as well. I suppose I¡¯ll tag along,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Eh? House Simarji didn¡¯t arrange a guide for you?¡± Mahari asked. ¡°With how elder Adeltaj insisted you be invited to the manor and sponsored you¡ that¡¯s strange¡¡±
¡°Not at all. I refused it and felt the assistance unnecessary,¡± Orodan said. That and having been to Bluefire in the past.
Mahari seemed perplexed but accepted it. And the trio continued walking down the road towards the main tower of Bluefire Academy. And all the while, Orodan continued reading his books.
Puzzles.
These were the key to developing his mind and mental organization abilities. These would allow him to properly comprehend the language of the System. The beginner puzzle books Orodan had picked up from a library were utterly basic, meant for not just beginners¡
¡but children.
It wasn¡¯t that this was the level he was at, but rather that there was just so much depth and diversity in the sorts of puzzles and basic exercises in children¡¯s books. Adults often took many things for granted; the System of course didn¡¯t help matters by providing a crutch.
But where else did mastery start if not from the very basics?
Cartoonishly easy puzzles about shapes. Insultingly rudimentary problems regarding mere wordplay. And many more questions which targeted a child¡¯s concepts of language, numerals, problem-solving and identification. They were utterly basic.
Yet, building from these laughably basic puzzles was how Orodan intended to hone his foundations in the path to strengthening the mind. Without the System, he felt it important to truly focus on the basics. And after such low-level texts? He had a few dozen more prepared books which delved into more advanced puzzles.
Still, the concept must¡¯ve appeared ridiculous. Given how a few students were snickering once they caught onto the title. Furthermore, one particularly bold student almost reaching Orodan¡¯s own size appeared bold enough to try subtly walking into him.
Unfortunately for the pitiful martial student whose arrogance surpassed his sense, Orodan simply continued walking and the boy was practically bowled over and embarrassed.
¡°Hey! You knocked me over!¡± the student cried from their position on the ground.
¡°And you tried walking into me deliberately. Go play with someone else, I have studying to get to,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Y-you¡ Elucian Arslan will hear of this!¡±
Hells¡ were all the children at academies such snivelling fools?
¡°Alternately. Have you considered not bothering with such pitiful games and actually utilizing the education your noble parents have doubtlessly paid great sums for?¡± Orodan asked, not even looking up from his book. ¡°You¡¯re handed an opportunity that those from an impoverished background would sell an arm and a leg for, and what do you do? You play a silly game of schoolyard politics. If you¡¯re going to play around, at least start a brawl and learn something about combat from the ensuing beating.¡±
In his first loop at Bluefire, he¡¯d displayed such strength that the only person attempting to challenge him had been swatted away like a fly. Now though, he was a relatively unknown crafting student reading books which were weird to most people.
It was¡ such a stupid thing.
Orodan wasn¡¯t the seventeen-year-old from Ogdenborough anymore. He had seen the cosmos, battled titanic foes, and grown. Yet, silly as it was, that small part of him which recalled how difficult his own life had been bristled at the thought that these noble fops would waste their time playing games and politicking instead of seeking true strength.
The boy ran off in shame, clutching his arm which was likely broken.
¡°That sounded personal¡¡± Mahari said, more sombre than she¡¯d been before.
¡°Growing up without a mother and father has a way of forcing one to mature quickly,¡± Orodan said.
Early in life, even before the time loops, he¡¯d been forced to kill someone. When had these noble brats ever had to struggle? To many of these children, the Bluefire Academy was just another step in their lives.
Noble childhood, tutors and expensive mentoring in the pre-academy phase, followed by Bluefire. The lucky ones even got to taste combat in a controlled setting beforehand. How¡ pathetic.
Where was their necessity? Their gratitude for being given the opportunity they had? That desperate hunger and drive to reach for more, not because it was a natural or nice step forward¡ but because it was the only way out?
Everything that fools like that student took for granted, Orodan had to fight for. Bluefire? He¡¯d have been elated to enter any academy at all. He hadn¡¯t joined the county militia at sixteen for fun or as the natural next step funded by a noble family. It was to escape impoverishment and better his own life.
Even with all the power in the world¡ people never truly changed at core. They merely evolved.
Orodan, despite his ability to destroy worlds and fight foes of a cosmic nature, still found himself oddly offended at the notion that fools like this would waste the precious chance to learn and gain strength.
He¡¯d had no noble tutors or supervised opportunities to kill slimes and wolves. Where were his parents and idyllic childhood?
¡°Are you okay, Orodan?¡± Altaj asked, worry in his eyes. ¡°You appear a bit bothered.¡±
He exhaled and allowed that train of thought from the inner seventeen old orphan to wash away.
Who knew that he could still feel such an oddly human bout of anger?
¡°I¡¯m fine. More than fine actually,¡± he replied. He felt light, as though understanding more of himself.
No matter how powerful one became¡ who they were at core never changed.
No matter how mighty the body, how abundant the power¡ Orodan would always remain an orphan who grew up fighting for scraps.
And when all else was stripped away¡
¡he would always be a warrior.
#
¡°No¡ no! Your hand is quite unsteady, and I cannot fathom how you¡¯re incapable of such basic enchanting script,¡± the woman said with an impatient tone. ¡°Have you truly come to Bluefire just to repeatedly fail at the basics?¡±
¡°On the contrary, failing at the basics till I perfect them is exactly what I need.¡±
It was the path to true mastery.
Registration had gone smoothly, with the supervisor of registrars, Karthic Bushnell, enrolling him in his four selected courses.
Enchanting, however, was not going smoothly.
The enchanting chisel in his hand felt both foreign and at home. On one hand, he was really struggling with the basic etchings and very simple parts of the Imperial enchanting language. On the other, he had produced a moment of shocked silence and frustration from the teacher when he¡¯d displayed a failure of a piece which had certain parts correctly done at a level only an Adept enchanter could manage.
Still, while Enchanting was a nice skill to hone - and it was definitely a goal of his to eventually master - his primary target lay not in the enchanting itself, but the script language and his understanding of it.
Yes. Orodan was attempting to better develop his future attempts with the language of the System by first trying to understand a far more rudimentary language, which was the enchanting script of the Imperial tradition. He¡¯d also dabbled a little bit in the enchanting script of the Eastern tradition too, though fitting everything into the period of one class was unfeasible.
For the first day, his progress wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought it would be.
Next to him, the class prodigy was looking at him oddly.
¡°You¡ make no sense. You fail at the basics and yet perform feats beyond what you should be capable of,¡± the girl declared. ¡°Are you some sort of talent scout?¡±
¡°If I was, you¡¯d be moved up a few years,¡± Orodan said genuinely. The girl was quite good and probably the second-best enchanter among Bluefire Academy¡¯s current crop of students. Her only competition and better being a fourth year who didn¡¯t have her level of talent and had three years of official education on her.
Of course, a seventeen-year-old was liable to take honest praise the wrong way. Particularly one who specialized in a profession whose adherents were known for being buried in books and lacking in social acumen.
¡°I-I see¡ are you perhaps-¡±
¡°No. It was honest praise, and that¡¯s all it was,¡± Orodan said, swiftly shutting her down.
He continued working, focusing not on the quality of the enchantment itself, but his understanding of the Imperial enchanting script language. How did the meaning of an enchantment come about? Why did the sigils and symbols being arranged a certain way lead to particular outcomes?
Like Alchemy, Enchanting also had certain pre-set enchanting patterns and script arrangements. And assuming the quality of materials and the power of the enchanter was equal, these would lead to standardized outcomes no matter who did them. Experimentation was dangerous, and in the realm of Masters and Grandmasters.
The actual execution of the enchantment was one aspect of Enchanting, typically focused upon in the lower levels. But the understanding of the actual enchanting script itself was another aspect, and at a far higher level.
Which was why Orodan, who¡¯d formerly been an Adept-level Enchanter before the destruction of his System, was having a hard time with it.
The Imperial enchanting script was the simplest script language out of all the targets he had before him, yet it was still complicated. Though, the process of understanding it was good training for the mind.
Still, unyielding mental focus and a mind of steel had some benefits. And among them was the ability to strain his mind and focus in order to comprehend concepts and patterns he wasn¡¯t yet meant to approach. The class was slotted for an hour, but time dilation wards meant that it was stretched out to eight. And none of the first-year enchanters were capable of giving their peak and uninterrupted mental effort for eight straight hours like Orodan could.
Sleep? Rest? The break periods in the middle of class were left unused by him.
With time, effort and consistency, even initial failures could be turned the other way round.
¡°I must admit, your attempts have gotten better. I would pronounce your latest piece, passable even¡ acceptable,¡± the teacher said. ¡°If you spent less time staring at the script and trying to burn a hole into it and more time actually enchanting, I daresay you¡¯d be even further along by now. Have you finally gained some skill levels that we might be spared the sight of such impossible mistakes?¡±
The teacher was understandably perplexed. At a certain skill level, and bereft of any distractions or stress, mistakes were supposed to be impossible. From her perspective he was either stressed and anxious, or genuinely had a very low level of skill in Enchanting.
¡°I¡¯ve gained skill.¡± Something far more valuable than mere skill levels, Orodan thought.
¡°Teacher¡ I do not think Mister Wainwright is trying to perform standard enchanting. Rather¡¡± the class prodigy trailed off, waiting for Orodan to finish.
¡°Right. I¡¯m trying to understand and make sense of the Imperial enchanting language itself,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Even in a script language so basic, the functions and inner workings have quite some depth.¡±
¡°B-basic?!¡± the teacher exclaimed. ¡°The Imperial tradition is anything but!¡±
He doubted she¡¯d be saying that if she spent some time around dwarven runic enchanting or the script language of the devils. Now those were some complicated languages, and far closer in similarity to the language of the System than the basic Imperial enchanting script was. In any case, her arrogance was borne of ignorance.
¡°As you say,¡± Orodan dismissed. ¡°Class is at an end, and I have more learning to do.¡±
With not a word more, he rose from his seat and dismissed himself, stepping out of the room just as the time dilation wards shut off.
His Celestial skills were unaffected by the loss of the System, and a skilled application of the Whirlpool Whirlwind aspect of Domain of Perfect Cleaning allowed him to hover two books in front of his eyes at the same time as he made way for the next class.
Alongside his trusty puzzle books, he was now also reading books on the theory of Imperial enchanting and the script itself.
The study of magical and esoteric script languages. Did that make him some sort of linguist?
His musings continued as he read, and before long, he was within the hall for the next class. One that would either prove to be a complete waste of his time, or someplace he could acquire materials to reference and study from.
Ancient history. A second-year class which drew few students besides aspiring members of the Cathedral and military historians who hoped to join the Republican army. And Orodan had come in at an opportune time, as today, the topic was a relevant one.
¡°Take your seats and turn to chapter thirteen where we left off. I shall assume everyone has done the required reading,¡± the aged and frail looking teacher said. The man was no combatant. ¡°Today we shall be covering the pre-battle preparations made by commander Arshan Vedharna during the counter-invasion of the hells. Can anyone give a recap as to how and why this counter-invasion took place?¡±
A hand was raised, and an imperiously dressed student answered. Must have been from a military family.
¡°Sir, the political situation between the Empire of Novarria and the Eastern Kingdoms was notoriously unstable, and in an attempt to foster better relations after the previous border skirmishes of 13890 AE, the decision was made to participate in a joint effort to enter the portal provided by the grace of the Prime Five.¡±
Which was blatantly false as it wasn¡¯t the Prime Five which had created the portal, but the Conclave, and they¡¯d done it for many worlds which had faced demonic incursions and were itching for a chance at retribution. In coordination with the Conclave¡¯s own assault, this had led to the destruction and subsequent colonization of the seventh layer of the hells.
From his time across the cosmos, Orodan knew that the devils of the hells still bore the scars and resentment of that loss, but they had only themselves to blame. Well before Orodan¡¯s time, Alastaia itself had faced invasions from demonic warbands, composed of wild demon tribes or those affiliated with cultists. And even if no actual Devil King had invaded, the fact was that attacks from the hells still came forth. Led by wild demon warbands or cultists who were outside the authority of the Devil Kings, these demons invaded many worlds and were what caused the hatred for demonkind across the cosmos to linger.
Even if the Devil Kings themselves invaded worlds rarely, and in a far cleaner manner, their failure to control this rogue element of their population came back to bite them.
¡°Good. And let us not forget, that a prior incursion by the foul devils a mere five-hundred years before that was still on the minds of Novarrian and Eastern leadership,¡± the teacher said. ¡°This led to the historical counter-invasion of the hells in 14210 AE.¡±
The current year, at the beginning of the loops at least, was 19209 AE. Which was that many years after the foundation of the Empire of Novarria and the establishment of Novar¡¯s Peak. The invasion of the hells had taken place roughly five-thousand years prior.
The class continued, and most of the material was quite doctored and full of revisionism and told from only the perspective of the Alastaians. Though, Orodan was sure that certain ¡®historical figures¡¯ the teacher spoke of during this invasion were people he already knew. Such as a man shrouded in a hood with a strange crown launching purple energy. Balastion Novar. Or a friendly elf who could pacify many of the demons encountered with just his voice? Eldarion. Many of the more powerful dragons of the continent had also ventured forth on the counter-invasion.
¡°Now then, we have here a number of images and carvings taken from that historic expedition,¡± the teacher said. ¡°Here, a carving of an Arch-Devil ruling with tyranny over its subjects. And to the side here, a carving of their foul and wicked tong-¡±
¡°The script language of the devils,¡± Orodan said, standing up and walking over to the desk, picking the carving up and looking at it closely. At the same time, a scrying orb came forth from his spatial ring and recorded a perfect snapshot of the carving for later reference. ¡°Do you have any more carvings of the sort? I¡¯m quite interested in their script language.¡±
¡°That is¡ at least ask for permission if you¡¯re going to rise from your seat young man,¡± the teacher chided. ¡°In any case, we have a few more carvings of their vile font which I can show.¡±
¡°What about an item enchanted with the actual devil¡¯s script? Do you have such a thing?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Why Gods no¡ that would be a collector¡¯s item worth more than anything I¡¯d ever be allowed to hold in my hands,¡± the teacher replied. ¡°In fact, I can¡¯t recall any vault on Inuan having such a thing.¡±
¡°The historical accounts, do they say who might have such an item? Surely the expeditionaries looted a few choice pieces of equipment from the devils during the counter-invasion,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°In truth, all we know is that the elves had a falling out with the then emperor of Novarria over the division of spoils,¡± the teacher answered. ¡°The argument is recorded as being somewhat tumultuous and ended with the elves taking more than they should have for what they felt were greater contributions to the fighting.¡±
Hmm, something to consider.
¡°Why do you show such interest in the script language of the devils my boy? Such is the territory of demon summoners, and let me tell you, not only is such a thing illegal, but also quite dangerous,¡± the man said even as he produced the other carvings showing depictions of devil script language. ¡°There are other avenues to increase one¡¯s power than summoning dark forces from beyond this world.¡±
¡°I have no interest in summoning devils, they¡¯d only slow me down and be of no help in the sorts of battles I get into,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°The properties of devil script do interest me though. Particularly how it shares some vague similarities with the Imperial enchanting language and how it¡¯s clearly evolved past that.¡±
That, and his spatiomancy was more than a bit compromised and he had few reliable ways of getting to the hells at this time.
The teacher for ancient history must¡¯ve been a bit of an Imperial supremacist, or a Cathedral stooge. For the man took quite some offense to the suggestion that the devil script language was superior to the enchanting language used by enchanters of the Imperial tradition.
The man ranted and raved for a bit, though Orodan tuned him out and simply looked deeply at all the carvings present, taking snapshots with the scrying orb as he did. As he suspected, the devil script language was quite a bit more advanced than the enchanting language taught at Bluefire which followed the Imperial and, in some cases, the Eastern way.
The devil script language was incredibly complex, and Orodan would certainly need the practice and study of the simpler Imperial enchanting language first. And yet¡ the devil¡¯s script was probably the one most similar to the language of the System.
¡°And that¡¯s why one cannot consort with devils or attempt to pry too deeply into their language!¡± the teacher finished. ¡°Are you even listening, young man?¡±
¡°Not really. Though, I¡¯ll have to thank you for giving me a solid direction to progress in,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ll be bothering with this class after today though.¡±
He had more important classes. Particularly ones that would allow him to work on restoring the ancient machine.
#
Blacksmithing had gone¡ decently. Even if he¡¯d had to swat a few idiots aside.
Orodan couldn¡¯t believe he was saying that about the craft at all. It had always been a serious weak point of his, something the System believed him to have no talent in. Yet, when the crutches were taken off, he was forced to adapt and grow by perfecting the very foundations of the craft.
Each hammer stroke had to be perfected. Every minute detail attended to. The temperature, the quality of the metal, the air content within, the mixture proportions of any alloys he worked with. These things were normally taken care of by the System as he gained skill levels, and the levels simply came through rote grinding and repetitive motions.
And yet¡
¡they also robbed the untalented of the chance to really learn things from the ground up by making mistake after mistake.
This was the real limiter of the System. If Orodan was an untalented smith who had absolutely no intuition for the art, even if very slow, enough repetition and effort would have him advance to higher levels of Blacksmithing. He would lose the ability to make mistakes with the basics. The crutch would be applied and make his Blacksmithing better in the short term, but at the cost of forever losing the opportunity to truly perfect the basics. This was why so many people were stuck on the cusp of a tier advancement. They¡¯d never truly gotten the chance to work with the basics before the crutch came in and they gained skill levels.
This phenomenon was why two people could have the same skill levels but different output. The talented and introspective smith who was a true genius would hone, innovate and pioneer his own skillset and actually learn from the failures and basics. The untalented however were forced to become ¡®locked in¡¯ as the crutch was given to them without any choice.
And now without the System crutch¡ progress wasn¡¯t fast. But Orodan¡¯s countless mistakes in forging had allowed him to gain a greater grasp on Blacksmithing. It had been a good class where even the class prodigy of the first-year smithing course had seemed impressed with how Orodan was dedicated to learning from failure and shored up his foundations.
After Blacksmithing though, came the last class for the day. One which Orodan found quite intriguing.
Artificing.
A class which focused on a multidisciplinary approach to creating magical objects.
And the teacher at least seemed willing to humor him as she looked over the snapshot he¡¯d captured using the scrying orb a while ago.
¡°In all truth Mister Wainwright, whoever made this machine is far beyond my level of expertise,¡± the instructor said. ¡°The metallurgy isn¡¯t groundbreaking, the script language covering it isn¡¯t ridiculously refined and yet¡ something about its overall construction simply baffles me. It¡¯s as though an incredibly talented builder intentionally held themselves back and sabotaged this construct. Where did you say you found it?¡±
¡°Under a mountain,¡± Orodan said. ¡°That¡¯s not particularly relevant though. Do you know of any ways to repair it? Or perhaps build it to its full potential?¡±
¡°That¡ would be beyond my ability to handle,¡± the instructor said. ¡°You¡¯d have to coordinate multiple headmasters and a research team to have any hope of understanding this task.¡±
¡°That aside, what would I need if I wanted to make it functional? From an artificing perspective that is,¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Well, the power core looks intentionally sabotaged,¡± the woman said. ¡°Yet I suspect it could contain far more power if a few corrections were made to the design. Without a doubt the core¡¯s the part which bears the most obvious signs of intentional misconstruction. Though, the frame would need to be made of material sturdy enough to withstand this hypothetical increased power. Frankly¡ I¡¯ve never seen an energy core of such size, if it were unleashed¡ it might destroy multiple towns!¡±
¡°Or an entire county,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I digress. Thank you for your expertise. I suppose for now all I can do is hone my crafts.¡±
The instructor accepted this easily enough, and class proceeded as normal, with Orodan attempting to synergize his various crafting skills in order to make items of a similar nature to the ancient machine yet on a smaller scale.
The energy core itself was carved out of a massive crystal, and Orodan knew that the Jewelcrafting skill he¡¯d learned long ago would be something necessary to re-create it. The metallic frame, Blacksmithing, and the runes and glyphs upon it¡ Enchanting and other various languages. Of course, he¡¯d need to pick up Engineering to make it all work together as well. And who knew if any Magical Rituals were involved in the preparations process for some of the parts.
All in all, the ancient machine would take time, and many loops to successfully re-create to the standard that the Custodian had in the last long loop. In a sense, it would be a benchmark of his, to see how far he¡¯d come.
Class went on and eventually ended, with Orodan having learned much and making a mental note to replace his Ancient History class with one in Engineering.
It was still early morning. Being a part-time student meant that he had most of the day left. He walked out, puzzle books hovering in front of him, ready to depart Bluefire for the day when he saw a bunch of idiots making their way towards him.
Likely the fallout from the mess he¡¯d caused during Blacksmithing.
¡°You. Your name is Orodan Wainwright, yes?¡± a large fourth-year student asked, doing his best to sound intimidating. The man was in fact slightly bigger than even Orodan, which was noteworthy. He felt like he¡¯d seen him somewhere. ¡°My little brother says you assaulted him and his friends during the first-year introductory Blacksmithing class.¡±
¡°They were playing schoolyard games, and I simply offered an actual spar from which they might learn,¡± Orodan said. Swatting weaklings didn¡¯t do much for his abilities with the halberd, but in seeing their mistakes he¡¯d developed his own form just a bit further. ¡°I showed them where their form was lacking, and we amicably parted ways.¡±
¡°You broke his nose, and he needed healing!¡± the man angrily said. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but no crafting student walks around with a sword, shield and halberd. And none of them are as big as you, though I¡¯m still bigger. Bet there¡¯s a reason you aren¡¯t in the martial program though. Not enough talent? Too weak to face down a real warrior?¡±
¡°You? A warrior? All I see is a pigeon puffing out his chest to appear threatening,¡± Orodan said, causing the man to redden. ¡°You know what? Go ahead and show me how a real warrior is supposed to fight.¡±
¡°Just what I wanted to hear. No nonsense, no excuses. I can respect that at least,¡± the man said as he drew a mace and great shield. ¡°I¡¯m Claridin Rockwood, and I don¡¯t know who your backer is, but you¡¯re about to learn the difference between those who have talent and those who don¡¯t.¡±
¡°And which of those categories are you in?¡± Orodan asked derisively, casually bringing his halberd out. His opponent seemed angry at the snide remark. Claridin Rockwood; Orodan now remembered that he¡¯d bullied the boy rather easily during the very first Bluefire loop long ago.
Frankly, this wasn¡¯t a fight and Orodan wouldn¡¯t debase himself so much as to think it one. Claridin was talented by the standards of a Bluefire Academy student. The boy was an Elite who could jump a tier to fight Masters. Not bad¡ by the standards of a student.
The boy was perhaps a fifth as strong as the Novarrian Duke Arestos.
But even if Orodan lowered his speed and strength to match, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Though, what he could gain, were refinements to his own style and technique by watching this arrogant fool.
¡°You can hit me first, go ahead, free shot!¡± Claridin arrogantly declared.
Orodan¡¯s knowledge of magical items was now advanced enough that he could tell the amulet around the boy¡¯s neck provided a magical shield. Most importantly though, around Claridin, the symbols and glyphs of the System were vaguely visible. Particularly around the shield and armor.
It was something he¡¯d begun noticing recently, since his meeting with Alovardo Balmento where he¡¯d learned to detect and see System energy and the symbols and glyphs of its language. He now knew what that madman saw around everyone. Particularly when they used skills.
Claridin was doubtlessly a mace and great shield fighter, though one might not know that the boy¡¯s Heavy Armor Mastery was decent as well. In fact, it was higher than either his shield or mace skills, given how much more of the System¡¯s glyphs and symbols flitted about it.
¡°I might kill you by mistake if I went first and hit too hard,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How about you go first? Or does a real warrior not know how to attack?¡±
Claridin predictably rose to the challenge, though the boy seemed at least a bit wary. Nobody was overconfident without reason, and nobody got to Claridin¡¯s level of strength by being a completely ignorant and prideful fool. Orodan mainly wanted to see how the System¡¯s glyphs and symbols moved about in the midst of combat, particularly during the activation of skills.
A roaring overhead blow came in, and it was casually swept aside. Claridin tried closing in using the blow¡¯s momentum and attempted to smash into Orodan¡¯s guard with a shield bash.
In response, his halberd dextrously came in underneath, the half hooked behind the shield, and both shield and opponent were thrown to the ground with no more than Claridin¡¯s own momentum.
Very little System energy flitted about the boy¡¯s arms and legs. Unarmed combat it seemed, wasn¡¯t a specialty.
¡°If you¡¯re going to close in with your shield you need to be wary of enemies who have decent grappling capabilities,¡± Orodan lectured. ¡°Either learn how to hold your own in a grapple or be wary of fighting up close.¡±
¡°Shut up! Who are you really?¡± Claridin asked, the wariness in his eyes becoming more pronounced. Suddenly, the formerly aggressive boy wasn¡¯t quite as willing to move forward with an attack.
Which suited Orodan just fine as he stepped forward, delivered a few probing thrusts which intentionally hit the great shield, and then casually backed away as the return strike came his way. The boy¡¯s weapon glowed with power, borrowed from Orodan¡¯s own strikes. Which meant he was a fighter used to receiving hits and returning them. A very watered-down version of Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity.
¡°But what will you do if no attack is strong enough to meaningfully contribute to that skill of yours?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You¡¯re not a turtle attempting to stalwartly defend a fixed position. Your mobility isn¡¯t bad, which is commendable. But a thousand weak cuts can still overwhelm you.¡±
And so began a lesson in how one¡¯s combat style could be detrimental if it was one-dimensional. Claridin was a defensive fighter. The boy was strong enough for his tier and age and could likely deliver a good blow, but the presence of his armor, great shield and amulet had made him complacent in his overly defensive style.
Orodan moved about poking holes in the boy¡¯s defense with his halberd, simply stepping out of range whenever a return attack came. And even when an attack did connect, even at the level of power he limited himself to, Orodan¡¯s own blows hadn¡¯t been overwhelming enough to grant Claridin any power to borrow from.
The outcome was apparent as Claridin was brutally dismantled over the course of a minute. The boy¡¯s overly defensive style just couldn¡¯t keep up with Orodan¡¯s deftness and dexterity. It was like executing a slow turtle that continually tried shelling up and lashing out in retribution. The fight ended with Orodan¡¯s boot on his back pinning him to the ground.
¡°Passable fundamentals, but your style is overly defensive. How can you expect to adapt to a changing battlefield? What if the enemy is aware of your little trick?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°As it stands, you need to work on your dexterity and deftness. The ability to move about swiftly is there but needs to be incorporated into your style.¡±
The entire time, the books hovering in front of his face had never left. His reading had never stopped.
A short distance away, the sound of clapping could be heard.
¡°Bravo Mister Wainwright, bravo. Your first day in Bluefire and you already go about besting the academy¡¯s best martial student and third strongest overall. Such an educational performance too!¡± the boy said. ¡°Might I call you Orodan?¡±
¡°No.¡±
The boy seemed somewhat taken aback by the response but recovered swiftly enough.
¡°Mister Wainwright it is. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve been acquainted as of yet. Elucian Arslan, at your service.¡±
Elucian Arslan. A boy who played at being a man through the usage of wiles, schemes and politics. He vaguely recalled the boy from his first Bluefire loop but cared as little for him then as he did now.
¡°I don¡¯t require any service, so I¡¯ll pass. What do you want?¡± Orodan curtly asked.
¡°Your acquaintance, and perhaps a friendship that might serve the both of us well,¡± Elucian said. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into you ever since word reached me that House Simarji had sponsored someone for Bluefire in the middle of the academic year. A militia man from Ogdenborough? I do not think your background is an honest one, Mister Wainwright. What sort of militia man can display the skill you have?¡±
¡°One who has better things to do besides play politics and attempt wily schemes to kill people in tournaments,¡± Orodan said, recalling how the slime had tried to approach him to get Vespidia killed.
Elucian¡¯s eyes narrowed. Ah, was that meant to be private knowledge? Such a shame.
¡°You know more than you should, Mister Wainwright. A valuable trait to have in the battleground of politics.¡±
¡°A battleground? Is that what you call it?¡± Orodan asked, derision evident in his tone. ¡°Have you ever been in a real battle? Killed someone with the blade on your hip?¡±
¡°The descriptor was meant to be metaphorical.¡±
¡°And yet, you meant it to portray yourself as some warrior in a battlefield. Is that how you see this game?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Surrounded by cronies, attempting backstabbing plots and schemes¡ is that where you think power lies?¡±
¡°Power can be found in many things. Strategies, plans and alliances are just different expressions of it,¡± Elucian said. ¡°Do nations not form alliances to their own benefit? Are the Republic and Eastern Kingdoms not allied for mutual aid against the Empire?¡±
¡°Alliances are another expression of power, but in the end, all power comes down to the smallest unit, which is the individual,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°What use are your alliances and schemes if you¡¯re too weak to do anything yourself? A single assassin and your pyramid comes crashing down from the top. A single mighty being and your network erodes from the bottom as your underlings are scattered or killed.¡±
And a single Eldritch Avatar, and the world would pay the price. What tricks or schemes could truly defeat it? Novarria had tried and gotten rather close, Orodan would admit. But even then, it had ended in an overall loss even if he¡¯d managed to defeat it at the end.
The Administrators? The Eldritch corruption which was encroaching upon all of System space? The sadistic Boundless One which sought to destroy the System and all its inhabitants from the outside? What schemes could truly best it?
Well¡ Orodan supposed he was being a bit unfair, and his views were slightly colored by his natural disposition. The time loop mechanism was in fact a scheme, and it had worked. In order to purify the System, the Eldritch Boundless One had anointed Orodan Wainwright to the time loops. And for the sake of saving all within System space and returning himself to the time loops, Orodan had taken over the mechanism and empowered it himself.
Though, in both cases, no matter what the scheme was, it all depended on Orodan.
Even the best laid schemes still needed true power to execute them.
¡°I believe you¡¯re being unfair and presenting my outlook in an unfavorable light, Mister Wainwright.¡±
¡°Perhaps I am. Schemes have their place, but they still require the individual enacting them to have power. Not the ringleader like you who simply directs things from the shadows, but the one on the ground carrying it out. The individual,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And you, Elucian Arslan¡ focus overly much on the scheme. You¡¯d be better served picking up the dagger yourself and doing the dirty work you command others to try and do for you. Better to hone yourself than play these silly little games.¡±
With that, Orodan walked away, uncaring of what the boy had to say.
He had no interest in speaking to Elucian Arslan, his cronies or the rest of the children playing games at Bluefire. The disadvantaged orphan within him bristled at how these nobles took such an opportunity for granted, and the cosmos-traveling warrior he had become felt that they focused more on the plan than the individual responsible for bringing it to fruition.
Orodan had a plan of his own. And for him, honing himself to become capable of executing it was his only priority.
#
The currents of time sputtered, and his control over them was rather tenuous. Yet, with iron will and the determination forged over the time loops, Orodan pressed on.
He would need much practice and foundation-building before he could replicate some of the larger scale feats. But before him, he¡¯d at least succeeded on the smaller scale.
¡°Incredible¡ you reverted it back to its prime¡!¡± Count Rohanus Simarji exclaimed, the awe evident in his face.
Around them, various foresters and herbalists also looked on in awe, though the Count bade them to get back to work and give the two of them some privacy.
¡°Compared to what I¡¯m normally capable of, this is somewhat pitiful,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You¡¯ve reverted this ancient tree by five hundred years and claim you can still do more?!¡± the Count asked, bewildered.
Quite so, considering he¡¯d reversed the river of time by more than five-hundred-thousand years to give Zaessythra her physical body back. In comparison, utilizing chronomancy to de-age a tree by a mere few hundred years was rather pitiful.
It wasn¡¯t that Orodan couldn¡¯t do more either. It was just that there were no older trees in the House Simarji preserves in Velestok. The preserves in Jerestir might have older ones. Frankly, he estimated his current limit of reversal to be at perhaps fifty-thousand years.
He had more than enough power, but without the System¡¯s crutch, his current control was shaky. Pitiful, but at least he was shoring up his foundations and the improvements were coming fast.
¡°I¡¯m still working on bringing my chronomancy up to what it used to be,¡± Orodan said. ¡°To that end, I¡¯m grateful to your house for harboring me and providing the opportunity to train and study.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t claim to understand how someone can lose the ability to perform chronomancy, but that¡¯s between you and the ancestor,¡± the Count said. ¡°And if anything, we should be grateful to you. Even the ancestor is wary of some of the creatures in the deep parts of the forest. Your accompaniment on our forays within has proven most lucrative. Frankly, we¡¯ll need another vault for all the gold we¡¯ll be acquiring from the sales of some of these materials and rare resources. Are you certain we can¡¯t give you a portion of the profits?¡±
¡°What would I do with gold? If I need something I¡¯ll simply ask if House Simarji could procure it, and if not¡ then I¡¯ll make my own arrangements,¡± Orodan replied.
After his day at Bluefire, he¡¯d returned to Velestok and assisted the retainers of House Simarji during one of their many forays into the Aenechean Forest. It was a deep forest, and in the deepest parts there were not only Master-level monsters, but also some ancient Grandmaster-level existences. Even Adeltaj would¡¯ve been rightfully wary.
Orodan though, simply swatted everything away and the expedition went deeper than any other recorded foray into those dark woods. They¡¯d brought back multiple spatial rings full of rare and coveted wood, herbs, exotic animal hides and bones, and ingredients only seen in books which nobody in the Republic officially had in their inventory.
Needless to say, House Simarji¡¯s wealth was going to skyrocket, and it was trivial work for Orodan who¡¯d never stopped reading his books while leisurely strolling about and occasionally practicing his spatiomancy, chronomancy or cleaning.
¡°I would hope anything you needed, we could provide,¡± Count Rohanus said. ¡°Though, with the level of power you operate on¡ something you desire might remain out of House Simarji¡¯s reach.¡±
¡°Well, for the moment I¡¯m not seeking any world-shattering artifacts or nation-crippling treasures. And if I was, I wouldn¡¯t be asking anyone else to purchase them for me,¡± Orodan said, and he then looked around taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the preserve. ¡°Frankly, the peace and serenity of this place is nice. It helps clear the mind and allows one to focus. A far cry from the lumberyard.¡±
They were in the House Simarji preserves within Velestok. Not the lumberyard itself, but perhaps a mile out from it where the older trees were guarded and maintained. Here, the production and packaging of various plant-based products - magical and otherwise - took place.
¡°Indeed,¡± called out a familiar voice. ¡°There is a reason why my training grove is nearby.¡±
¡°Old man,¡± Orodan said, greeting Adeltaj. ¡°Took a break from your training?¡±
¡°After that thrashing you gave me, I¡¯ve learned a few new tricks,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°I¡¯ll be challenging you once again in the coming days. I sense a breakthrough is imminent.¡±
¡°Good. I welcome it,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°In any case, I didn¡¯t realize you also handled the production of such products here. I¡¯ve never been to this little workshop before.¡±
¡°Of course you didn¡¯t,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°The real wealth of our house comes from the work done here. Alchemical reagents, cleaning products, materials for the crafting and maintenance of weapons. We make them all here.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ I suppose having a forestry preserve and attached workshop for the production of related goods can be quite profitable,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Did you need me for anything?¡±
¡°Just to check in on how my beneficiary finds Bluefire Academy,¡± Adeltaj said.
¡°Full of idiots who know not the opportunity they squander,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A treasure trove of knowledge and skills to learn otherwise.¡±
Adeltaj simply smiled and shook his head.
¡°Not everyone has had your upbringing, Orodan. Can you expect a child born to happy and loving parents to enjoy the thought of fighting and killing? To them, Bluefire Academy is but the next step in their journey to growing. Schemes, bullying and jockeying for social status are merely them carrying over what they¡¯ve known from their earlier childhood into this new environment.¡±
¡°You heard of my encounters then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I have no further time to waste with fools. I have goals which must be accomplished. Though, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not giving me a lecture over it.¡±
¡°I never said I disagreed,¡± Adeltaj said with a smile. ¡°Though, I would prefer you didn¡¯t go beating up the heir to House Rockwood. As it stands, the council has heard and have grown an interest in you. I can only shield you so much until they decide to pop by for a meeting.¡±
And by ¡®meeting¡¯, what the old man meant was an attempt at bullying and intimidation into revealing his secrets and aligning himself with the power of the Republic. Laughable. He¡¯d simply thrash every Avatar and Grandmaster who tried. But it would interfere with his current learning.
¡°I¡¯ve never been good at subtlety or hiding my presence. Novarria is also looking, and I have no doubt that the Republic will come too,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I¡¯ll handle that when the time comes. Bluefire, while good, is the youngest of the academies, and the expertise within its walls not as refined. A change of location might be called for.¡±
¡°Novarria then?¡± Adeltaj suggested.
¡°Been there before too. Not bad, but there¡¯s someplace I feel would have better access to the magical languages I¡¯m studying.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Just know that we¡¯ll happily harbor you here for as long as you wish, or until the other houses of the Republic come knocking on my door at least,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Which, coincidentally, is why I¡¯m also here. Some diviners from the Cathedral want to speak to you.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ let me guess, their inability to get a read on my soul has them concerned?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Right. They¡¯re concerned you might be under demonic possession.¡±
A valid concern, though the actual signs of demonic possession were different. He¡¯d seen it once when Devil King Saathmaraz had possessed the Puppet Sovereign during the civil war of the cultivators. But that was a rather high-level possession between two Transcendents.
Orodan got to his feet and followed Adeltaj to where they were.
And he saw someone he hadn¡¯t in a long time.
¡°My lady¡ that¡¯s him,¡± a younger diviner said.
¡°I see. Are you Mister Orodan Wainwright?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Might we have a word with you, young man? We¡¯re with the Cathedral of the Prime Five and there¡¯ve been some concerns as to otherworldly influences.¡±
She looked much how he remembered. Decent enough, for he preferred older women, but he now had to wonder why he¡¯d ever gone along with it. It must¡¯ve been the social skill, though he had been aware of it and still pursued her.
¡°By all means, go ahead and run your scans,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You must be Katareya Eldragon.¡±
¡°You know of me?¡±
¡°I hear you¡¯re a talented diviner,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In any case, go ahead. I have prior commitments and a job I need to get to.¡±
She nodded to the soul specialists with her, and their eyes flashed as they attempted to get a read on him.
Seconds passed, which then turned to half a minute.
¡°My lady¡ we can get no reading from him at all¡¡±
¡°I see it too,¡± Katareya muttered as her eyes glowed. ¡°Mister Wainwright, do you have a Blessing which obscures the soul? Might you lower it please?¡±
¡°I have no Blessing upon me, nor am I intentionally obscuring my soul.¡±
¡°Then¡ just what are you hiding?¡±
¡°Nothing. In fact, what you¡¯re seeing is quite literally nothing,¡± Orodan said. Which was true, as the complete lack of a System meant their scans were unable to pick anything up regarding his soul at all. He wasn¡¯t even part of the tapestry of fate any longer either. ¡°Will that be all?¡±
¡°Now hold on¡ we don¡¯t have our answers yet, you¡¯re not free to leave,¡± Katareya said.
¡°Bold of you lot to make such a statement while standing upon the lands of House Simarji,¡± Adeltaj said. ¡°Since when does the Cathedral and its priests have any powers of arrest and detainment?¡±
¡°This is a complicated matter. We can get no read on his soul at all,¡± Katareya said. ¡°A Blessing would still give some feedback. We can detect nothing.¡±
¡°Perhaps I¡¯m an inanimate object then? Do you act so concerned when you detect nothing from a rock as well?¡± Orodan posed, causing the woman to frown. ¡°Either way, I¡¯m not obligated to reveal my soul to anyone, not that I¡¯m blocking any scans to begin with. I have a prior commitment to keep and you risk making me late.¡±
¡°Mister Wainwright, you are aware that the Cathedral¡¯s agents can detain and question you for matters of divine authority, yes?¡± Katareya asked.
¡°What divine authority? No war-priests of Agathor, no druids of Halor. All I see are the lackeys of a meddling Goddess of Fate,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what you are, but I do not think you¡¯re the militia man from Ogdenborough that the records speak of,¡± Katareya said. ¡°And no matter how you might act, you¡¯re not stronger than the Cathedral¡¯s arrayed forces. Man should respect the Gods.¡±
The only respect some Gods deserved was the mercy of a blade.
¡°Then next time, feel free to bring these arrayed forces around,¡± Orodan challenged.
¡°You¡¯re violent.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re toothless. Making threats to call your superiors isn¡¯t as impressive as you think it is.¡±
The young, dumb and excitable seventeen-year-old Orodan was a fool. Just what had he seen in this woman?
In any case, the members of the Cathedral here weren¡¯t looking to pick a fight, nor was Orodan interested in swatting a few weak diviners who were primarily non-combatants.
He walked past them and as he did, Adeltaj called out.
¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you had someplace else to work.¡±
¡°Right, I forgot to say,¡± Orodan called out. ¡°Just some manual labor.¡±
And what was said manual labor?
Well, he¡¯d heard from Alovardo that understanding the language of the System would take mental organization.
And to that end¡
¡a warehouse seemed like a good gig.
#
¡°By the Five¡ why couldn¡¯t ya¡¯ have come here earlier? You¡¯re worth a hundred of these lazy louts!¡±
¡°I had some studying to do, and a trip to the forest,¡± Orodan said as he arranged the lumber in a neat manner.
¡°The Aenechean Forest?¡± she asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Dangerous place that. Those Simarjis payin¡¯ you well for your services? Hannegan heard you went over there to work for them.¡±
¡°In a manner of speaking. Though, gold¡¯s not what I¡¯m after,¡± he replied while beginning work on the next stack and its unloading. ¡°This work with logistics and organization is quite valuable to me. I¡¯m getting something similar out of helping House Simarji.¡±
¡°Everyone¡¯s after gold! Or a life-changing skill,¡± Bodil Bistrid said. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what old Hannegan always said when we used to work with that carpenter.¡±
Orodan was in Scarmorrow.
Specifically, within the Scarmorrow General Warehouse which was part of the Republic¡¯s Department of Infrastructure. This building contained a generous store of construction materials, tools and equipment all for the purpose of building, maintaining and expanding upon any public constructions.
The warehouse was quite large, and only a third of the total material within actually belonged to the Republic itself. The other two-thirds were how the Department made money. Warehouse space was rented to private contractors, noble houses and other parties and the warehouse reserved space and stored their materials too.
It was quite the large building, and enchanted with some minor spatiomancy wards to help maximize storage space within. All in all, there was a lot of material stored, which meant the warehouse needed a lot of workers. There was always something to store or withdraw from storage and a lot of lifting involved.
But also¡
¡a lot of organization.
A beginner manual on logistics and warehouse storage floated in front of his face as he casually threw materials to and from pallets and storage shelves.
¡°That old man¡ how¡¯s he been anyways? Haven¡¯t seen him in a few days,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Good. Old coot¡¯s got the foreman position for another project. They¡¯re working to clear up debris underneath Mount Castarian,¡± Bodil Bistrid said. ¡°Not sure why they¡¯d need to do that under the mountain, but things have been weird ¡®round that town of yours since that big fight involving the northmen and Imperials.¡±
Ah, of course the Republic would want to try and reclaim control of the ancient machine. In any case, the machine wouldn¡¯t be coming alive any time soon. Definitely not in this loop after Orodan had de-powered it.
Orodan continued lifting things and throwing them around. He had asked for no pay, instead all he wanted was for Bodil to teach him logistics and organization. Something which was paying dividends as his mind was comprehending new ways of understanding the symbols and glyphs of the System and even Enchanting script.
¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that there were so many ways to conceive of depth¡¡± Orodan muttered as he continued reading. Bodil stood behind him, looking at the book as he also read.
¡°Aye, there¡¯s more to storage than just stuffing things in an organized manner. You¡¯ve got to consider the fragility of the materials, their malleability, sometimes you want things to be somewhat compressed in storage, and other times, not so much.¡±
Was that the trick then? Perhaps Orodan had been going about Enchanting the wrong way by merely looking at it two-dimensionally.
This was some excellent training.
He continued working, and she¡¯d often answer any questions he had. Orodan had to admit, she was a good teacher, and he subconsciously found himself adding her to the list of people who he owed a debt to.
She was also a rough, no-nonsense woman. But she was oddly enough, a pacifist.
¡°Why don¡¯t you like fighting?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Oi¡ I thought you were supposed to ask questions about Logistics, not me,¡± Bodil said, eyes narrowed.
¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m just curious,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You don¡¯t like your sister for the line of work she went into, and your dislike for the soldierly types is rather apparent.¡±
¡°Feh¡ you lot enjoy breaking stuff and hurting people more than you like building things,¡± she said. ¡°Although, I reckon you might be the exception to that.¡±
¡°There¡¯s more like me. Not every warrior is a barbarian obsessed with naught but violence,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Why pacifism though? Earlier, that crooked guard came by and tried fleecing you for a bit of gold. You just stood there and protested it, filed a report, gathered evidence and planned. I have no doubts that you¡¯ll ruin his day and career, but why abhor violence yourself?¡±
¡°And if we all start throwing rocks or fists when hearin¡¯ something we don¡¯t like, then what good are we? Might as well muck about in the dirt like slimes,¡± Bodil said. ¡°I know that look¡ you think I¡¯m one of those idealistic sops with more airy dreams in my head than sense.¡±
¡°Well, I was for a moment, but you seem self-aware enough and have a good head on your shoulders,¡± Orodan praised.
¡°You think I don¡¯t know that my dislike for that sorta rough nonsense is stupid? That I need to rely on the guards or the Burgher¡¯s men to protect me?¡± Bodil asked. ¡°Well, I do. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not allowed to have silly dreams though.¡±
Orodan laughed. It was a carefree thing and surprised even him.
Dreams.
¡°Silly dreams huh?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Everyone¡¯s allowed to have those. I for one hope you hold onto that one.¡±
The world was made just a little bit brighter for the existence of ¡®silly¡¯ dreams like that.
Orodan too had a silly dream.
One in which he was the pillar upon which such dreams could become reality.
That conversation put him in a good mood, and for the rest of the workday he powered through and ended the shift feeling as though his comprehensions in the way of mental organization had dramatically jumped. With each item stocked, he related it back to the children¡¯s puzzles he did. With each parcel removed and sorted he referenced it to the patterns he saw and struggled with when it came to the Imperial enchanting language.
And finally, Bodil herself had to kick him out as he was staying well past his shift.
Outside the warehouse he saw the sight of a little girl with a bandage on her knee running around like a hyperactive gremlin.
He knew the girl well; she¡¯d been his student once. Though, now wasn¡¯t the time to reminisce about such things nor introduce himself.
What did matter though, was that she¡¯d recovered from her foolhardy trip into a monster-infested site. She¡¯d adapted, grown stronger and evolved despite the hardship.
And if his student could grow in such a way.
Then as her once-teacher, so could he.
#
¡°This is¡ improbable¡ hold please, I must fetch the headmaster.¡±
¡°No need. I believe I¡¯ve learned all there is to learn from here.¡±
It had been a month.
A month of part-time classes at Bluefire Academy, working at the warehouse, sparring with Adeltaj to refine his usage of the halberd and occasionally having the old man¡¯s friend, Kuonthus join in and honing his natural style with the sword and shield.
He had gained genuine insights into everything he¡¯d worked on, further reinforcing the idea that losing access to the System was the best thing to have ever happened to him. He¡¯d gained not skill levels, but genuine skill.
Blacksmithing had advanced by leaps and bounds due to the fact that Orodan was allowed to fail over and over with no gain. It truly forced him to confront the wall and innovate to break it down. Even the class prodigy looked at him oddly as certain aspects of Orodan¡¯s works were superior to the boy¡¯s.
Engineering, a class he¡¯d taken by dropping Ancient History, was quite fun. It involved the study of various contraptions, weaponry and technology used in everyday life. Orodan had learned how to assemble basic siege weaponry, crossbows and even¡ the basics of how to make a cart. He hoped to eventually hone that into becoming a real wainwright. The class wasn¡¯t his primary focus, but he felt he¡¯d learned a decent amount of the basics. Even if there was always more to learn.
Jewelcrafting, he¡¯d worked on by himself using House Simarji¡¯s resources and workshops. And although progress was quite slow, he¡¯d made steady gains in his understanding of how to refine jewels and prepare them most efficiently for the holding of gargantuan amounts of energy. He still had a long way to go in that regard but was one step closer to being capable of rebuilding the core of the ancient machine correctly.
Artificing was another fun class, and who knew Orodan enjoyed working with and learning the internal workings of firearms? He would never use one but building them was more entertaining than he¡¯d thought it would be. In any case, it was a multidisciplinary art, and Orodan felt himself more knowledgeable in how to potentially put his various crafting skills to use in assembling something. He was a long way from rebuilding the ancient machine, but every little step counted.
And finally, Enchanting.
Where he¡¯d just created a functional three-dimensional enchantment upon a sword, something the instructor was staring at with wide eyes.
He¡¯d seen three-dimensional etchings on dwarven runic enchantments. And while previously he hadn¡¯t really understood it, both the devil script language and the language of the System were also three-dimensional in their glyphs and symbols.
But to replicate the same with the enchanting language of the Imperial tradition¡
¡was a little out of the ordinary.
¡°Please Mister Wainwright! I¡¯m begging you! You don¡¯t understand how momentous this is! The school of enchanting, no, the Republic, will offer you whatever fortunes you want if it means you stay!¡± the instructor pleaded with wide eyes. ¡°Nobody, and I mean nobody has ever been able to replicate the feat of three-dimensional enchanting within human civilization. The dwarves and their runic enchanted weaponry are coveted and fought over for a reason. And now¡ to think such a thing can be done with our own cruder enchanting script¡ the possibilities¡¡±
It wasn¡¯t that Orodan was an amazing enchanter. In fact, the actual enchantment he¡¯d etched onto the sword was somewhat basic, producing merely a flame. Yet, it was two tiers higher than an enchantment of that level and material could take. The method he¡¯d uncovered was a complete breakthrough for human enchanters upon Inuan.
¡°Unfortunately, I have other commitments,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ve had eyes watching me for a month now, content to sit and wait, or perhaps just observe. Yet with this accolade they¡¯ll doubtlessly be compelled to move. Thank you for your tutelage so far, but I¡¯m afraid my time at Bluefire is at an end.¡±
¡°No! Wait¡ please!¡±
Orodan ignored the man and walked out of the classroom. His understanding of the Imperial enchanting script had grown dramatically. All the time and effort he¡¯d put into children¡¯s puzzles, the logistics and organization at the warehouse and various other puzzle books had finally borne fruit. Near the end, he¡¯d even taken up reading tomes on mind magic exercises and visualizations and it¡¯d all contributed to what he¡¯d achieved.
He wasn¡¯t a fantastic enchanter by any means¡ but his understanding of the very language that most human enchanting was based upon, was decent. It was akin to having average handwriting but being a masterful author. Many other enchanters could execute an enchantment more skilfully than he, but none that he¡¯d seen at Bluefire had a greater comprehension of the actual language than he did.
Outside, just as he was on the path to leaving the academy grounds, he ran into a familiar friend.
¡°Mahari.¡±
¡°Orodan! Isn¡¯t it still class time for you? Where are you off to?¡±
¡°Away from Bluefire and the Republic I¡¯m afraid,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°My goals call me elsewhere.¡±
¡°I see¡ this is goodbye then?¡± Mahari asked, a sad look on her face.
¡°For now. But I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see one another again,¡± Orodan said, ruffling her hair. ¡°And remember not to neglect those fists of yours.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ fine. You look after yourself, okay?¡± she said. ¡°And next time, I¡¯ll be sure to get all your dastardly secrets out of you!¡±
¡°Heh, you know what? Sure. Next time I¡¯ll tell you all of my secrets, though you might not believe me. And perhaps your pegasi will actually bother talking to me instead of having an attitude,¡± Orodan said, though Mahari looked confused. He would¡¯ve happily blabbed about the time loops here and now if not for the fact that she might get interrogated. Adeltaj at least was a Grandmaster who couldn¡¯t be whisked away so easily. Mahari wasn¡¯t as protected. ¡°Now then, you may want to move aside as I get out of here. Lot of Grandmasters coming this way.¡±
Fighting would have been easy, but this wasn¡¯t the battleground for it, and they were merely the headmasters of various schools at Bluefire who desperately wanted him to stay. Not outright hostile, and he¡¯d have felt bad for beating them up.
With a brief flash of power and the sudden shrill ring of alarm, the anti-spatiomancy wards over all of Karilsgard broke, and Orodan stepped out with a teleport.
#
¡°There¡¯s an army waiting for you on the surface¡¡±
¡°I have broken armies before.¡±
¡°They have Avatars!¡±
¡°I have slain Gods.¡±
¡°Damn it Adeltaj¡ why does your friend not worry?!¡± Kuonthus Vexelthun exclaimed, stress apparent on the man¡¯s face.
¡°Because he¡¯s somewhat stronger than all of them,¡± Adeltaj said, his face at ease. ¡°Anyhow, is the well secure, Orodan?¡±
¡°Aye. All monsters have been slain and the centipedes you spoke with stand ready to defend the various side tunnels from encroachment alongside any soldiers of the Republic you send to work with them,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, don¡¯t go any deeper past the True Vampire¡¯s chamber. I¡¯ll be dealing with that later.¡±
They were in Jerestir. Specifically, in the mines of House Firesword. Beneath which were the tunnels leading to the energy well.
Unlike last time, Orodan had managed to successfully have Adeltaj negotiate an agreement with the centipedes and also prevent the destruction of their tunnels. He¡¯d slaughtered every other monster on the way down and had taken particular glee in dispatching the True Vampire who¡¯d been responsible for Adeltaj¡¯s death in a prior loop.
Of course, while he could have gone deeper and taken over the world core, that wasn¡¯t a priority at the moment. He¡¯d instead warned Adeltaj to avoid going any deeper.
¡°I can abide by that,¡± the old man said. ¡°Though, the Grandmasters of the Republic might not.¡±
¡°Then they¡¯ll die facing monsters of similar strength to those found in the abyssal depths,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°Long as you and those you care for don¡¯t pay the price; I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± the old man said and then hesitated for a moment. ¡°Are you truly prepared to deal with all those people above? Not only do the forces of the Republic gather for meeting with you, but the Novarrians are gathering in force across the border as well. The escalation of force has reached such a point that the patriarchs of each side¡¯s dragon flights have also appeared.¡±
¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If anything, all the better for everyone to gather in one place that I might remind them to mind their own business.¡±
It was time.
Orodan leapt upwards, not bothering with the mine entrance, but instead barrelling through the ground and appearing at the equidistant halfway point between the two gathered forces.
He broke ground to see what Vision of Purity had confirmed.
On one side, the army of the Republic. Grandmasters, Avatars and multiple dragons from the Time Wind dragon flight including their patriarch Kultuanir. Hells, even some Eastern Kingdom forces were present alongside the Sapphire Gale dragon flight and their own patriarch.
And on the other side. Novarria.
Demosthenos Albathrax, Vespidia, the Avatars of Malzim and Eximus and the Novarrian affiliated Burning Ember dragon flight with their patriarch Eldramir.
¡°Orodan Wainwright-¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwrigh-¡±
¡°One at a time please,¡± Orodan interrupted as both Alcianne Rockwood and Demosthenos Albathrax attempted to speak concurrently. ¡°Might I ask why this gathering of Grandmasters; Chosen and mighty dragons have come before me?¡±
Demosthenos spoke first.
¡°We have been looking for you. Our side suffered losses during the events beneath Mount Castarian, all from a rogue Grandmaster unaffiliated with the Republic. That and the disturbance in Arkwall a month ago can all be traced back to you,¡± the cursed reincarnator said. ¡°Rare is the moment when the Republic and our Empire would come together, but we did. And the sharing of information led to us learning that you hadn¡¯t bothered trying to flee or hide. By all reports, you¡¯ve merely been studying at Bluefire for the past month. Why? I detect no signs of it, but are you a reincarnator perhaps? A transmigrator? You broke the anti-spatiomancy wards of Arkwall¡ are you perhaps a dragon in human form?¡±
¡°Neither.¡±
¡°We shall get the answers later. For now, the question of why you broke the Grandmaster non-interference pact remains. Two of our Masters lie dead at your hands,¡± Demosthenos accused.
¡°Your Masters were planning on destroying my hometown and all of Volarbury County,¡± Orodan declared, and he heard some vindictive murmurs from the Republican side who agreed with his assessment. ¡°I¡¯d make the same choice a hundred times over if I had to.¡±
¡°You speak as though you have strength. That isn¡¯t a bad thing,¡± Demosthenos said. ¡°Novarria has need of strength. We can let bygones be bygones if you add your strength to ours and come better mankind alongside us.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve done that once. I¡¯ll pass,¡± Orodan answered, causing Demosthenos¡¯s face to scrunch up in confusion.
¡°Then why not remain with us, Orodan Wainwright? A warrior of such prowess would be better served with the nation in which he was raised.¡±
Orodan¡¯s bloodlust spiked upon hearing the voice.
¡°Agathor.¡±
¡°Indeed. I may be the God of War, but I can recognize a true warrior when I see him. Join us, receive my favor and-¡±
You mistake me, Agathor. Your death will come at my hands soon enough,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°What heresy do you spout?¡±
¡°The kind of heresy borne from killing Gods and¡¡± Orodan trailed off. ¡°From being in a time loop.¡±
¡°A time loop? Eximus¡ do you detect any chronomancy?¡± Demosthenos asked.
¡°None¡ his words are backed by no evidence.¡±
¡°A third-rate God of Time like yourself would never understand the scale of the time loop I¡¯m in,¡± Orodan said and spread his arms wide. ¡°Now then, I believe I¡¯ve held my tongue for the sake of my mentor long enough. Allow me to say this once so that we might put any questions to rest. I¡¯m in a time loop. All of you gathered here today, I¡¯ve met before. Some of you have tried killing me, some torturing me and some controlling me. Yet, there¡¯ve also been those who helped me. So, thank you. To those who helped me. I shall not forget, and I always repay my debts. And to those who¡¯ve wronged me¡
¡°¡thank you for all gathering in one place.¡±
The only thing remaining was the exacting of vengeance.
¡°He invades my mi-¡±
Agathor was the first to experience his wrath.
A single motion, and the God of War, all of his Blessings and the entirety of his influence was purged from not just Arvayne Firesword, but every single person upon the battlefield.
Given that the majority of the combatants here were Masters and Grandmasters, it was a severe blow to a God¡¯s power and authority. Furthermore, Incorruptible Being meant that Agathor couldn¡¯t Bless them again.
And as for the piece of Agathor¡¯s consciousness within Arvayne Firesword?
Orodan crushed it not, but he threw it backwards into the divine dimension. The last thing that part of Agathor saw was Orodan¡¯s deathly rage, and the final uttered promise that he would return to kill the War God permanently.
¡°Stop him n-¡±
¡°Mind mages! Count-¡±
Eximus and Ilyatana were similarly expelled utterly and completely from everyone present. Their Blessings, their influence, all gone and never allowed to re-infect these people.
¡°Now then, who wishes to approach first?¡±
¡°Eldramir, advance and we shall aid you,¡± Demosthenos ordered. ¡°I suspect his close combat capabilities are truly lethal.¡±
The dragon flew towards Orodan, the weight of its massive body barrelling towards him¡
¡only for a shrill hiss of surprise to leave its lips as its momentum was brought to a sudden halt.
A hand wrapped around one of the Burning Ember patriarch¡¯s toes, and suddenly, the battlefield was a tornado of scales as this gigantic dragon was being spun around in the air like an undergarment at a cheap brothel.
Another dragon tried flying in to intervene, but Orodan simply threw Eldramir right into that approaching dragon like a javelin, knocking them both out of the air and out of the fight as he heard some bones shatter.
¡°By the Five¡ he¡¯s stronger than a dragon!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t let him get close!¡±
Too late for that, Orodan thought. With a blur, he was in-between the Novarrian ranks already, and his fists began flying.
Even with his strength greatly held back, noses were pulped, bones shattered, and foes were sent flying and knocked unconscious. They¡¯d live and heal though.
An assassin who thought herself invisible tried sneaking up on him, only for Vespidia to be caught by the foot and thrown far off into the horizon like a bird. Demosthenos tried cursing him, only to find out the hard way that his soul was far too strong. He too was slapped into the ground.
The Avatar of Malzim had already fled.
And the Avatar of Halor tried approaching him only to receive the purging treatment, though only with his Chosen, and with a gentler touch than any other Avatar had received. Consequently, Alcianne Rockwood was now free as well.
The Time Wind dragon flight had wisely backed away upon seeing his might, and they must¡¯ve tacitly approved of the blow he struck against Ilyatana as well.
The average Grandmaster was like an ant before him, and they all quickly began breaking and gaining distance out of self-preservation. It helped that they could see he wasn¡¯t killing anyone.
Less than two seconds. That was how quickly Orodan had dispatched the enemy Avatars, bested the Novarrian leadership and manhandled their dragons.
The battlefield was shocked silent.
Though, Orodan wouldn¡¯t leave until one more person appeared.
And the man did, as space fluctuated and a familiar old friend bearing an Eldritch crown stepped forth with a blast of purple-gray energy.
Energy which washed over Orodan like water.
¡°I don¡¯t think that works on me any longer,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You¡ who are you and what do you want?¡± Balastion Novar asked.
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright, the time looper. And¡ you¡¯re welcome.¡±
Balastion was a quadruple-Grandmaster, but the man wasn¡¯t anywhere near quick enough to react to the sudden speed of Orodan as he appeared before him.
A downward palm rested atop the man¡¯s head, and within an instant, the Eldritch crown became an inert and powerless one.
Balastion Novar stumbled backwards in fright and surprise.
¡°The crown! You¡ you destroyed it!¡±
¡°At your request. Even if you remember it not,¡± Orodan said and then turned to the rest of the remaining forces on both sides. ¡°I shall be departing now. Let that be a reminder to leave me be. And¡ if anyone dares interrogate or harass House Simarji¡ they¡¯ll find a reckoning coming for them.¡±
Novarria¡¯s best, beaten down. The Republic¡¯s Gods humiliated and expelled. The first emperor himself, powerless to stop it. Needless to say, none within the two nations were a match for Orodan.
Once upon a time, he¡¯d fought Novarria many times. He¡¯d also fought the Republic¡¯s Gods as well. He¡¯d strained, struggled, bled and died. Yet no more.
He had grown stronger.
And he now had better places to be.
He was now at a point where Bluefire would provide marginal gains. And the subjects he needed to learn weren¡¯t even well known here.
It was time for a change of scenery.
It was time to pay the elves a visit.
Eldiron awaited.
Chapter 68 - The Dokuhan Mountains & Passage to Eldiron
Naturally, nobody had contested his departure. Besting the patriarch of a dragon flight and numerous Avatars had a way of forcing people to heed his words. And when the hidden monster Balastion Novar had come forth? Orodan had bested him too.
Needless to say, those who¡¯d attempted to contest his departure now knew that nobody on Inuan was up to the task of stopping him.
His month of honing his abilities had also led to gains in spatiomancy. While he¡¯d previously struggled to teleport from Velestok to Arkwall, he could likely teleport from one side of Alastaia to another now. Using this he had stepped from Jerestir to the craggy deserts of the Aswarthian Peninsula in the Eastern Kingdoms.
He was a bit tired of the Republic and saw no reason to rub salt into their wounds and cause upheaval by remaining. So, while Ranmere¡¯s Folly would¡¯ve been a decent spot for entry into the depths, he instead made way for the deserts of the Eastern Kingdoms where another known entrance into the abyssal depths was. And from there¡
¡a trip to the world core of Alastaia.
The inner deserts of the Aswarthian Peninsula were bereft of regular people, only monsters traversed the dunes. A sandstorm had been brewing earlier, with the windspeeds fast enough that an Initiate-level individual would¡¯ve been torn apart. And all the monsters had either hidden under the dunes or fled into any nearby caves or underground openings. Of course, a single clap from Orodan¡¯s hands and the resulting shockwave had cleared the storm up easily enough.
And with the sandstorm now abated, the things which dwelled beneath the sands could finally get a good read on what traversed the surface.
A giant maw filled with thousands of sharp teeth erupted from the dunes, and it enveloped Orodan whole¡
¡only to spit him out immediately after. Along with multiple broken teeth.
A giant sandworm.
Unlike most creatures who relied on an instinctual sense of the soul and consequently couldn¡¯t track him, these sandworms hunted through tracking the vibrations and shifts on the surface of the sands. To an extent, Orodan could still be tracked through such mundane physical methods. Thus, with the sandstorm gone and no interference in its tracking, it had eagerly risen upwards and chomped him right up.
Though, it hadn¡¯t counted on its prospective meal being tougher than its teeth.
The sandworm took one look at Orodan, realized it could get no read off of him, and then promptly turned tail and fled. Which Orodan allowed as it was merely a Master-level creature.
In any case, no more sandworms bothered him as he approached the entry to the depths at Alvatel¡¯s Snare. It was the location where a somewhat straightforward path to the abyssal depths was located, and it was named after the ancient hero Adeltaj had fought alongside who trapped the gigantic depths worm within in order to kill it long ago.
Yes, Orodan could¡¯ve simply ripped right through the earth, but the damage would have been unnecessary, plenty of depths wildlife would¡¯ve been massacred, and there was a good chance of causing earthquakes on the surface.
With a step forward, he entered the depths at Alvatel¡¯s Snare.
There was nothing remarkable in the civilized depths, though it was quite interesting to note that the environment on the surface heavily influenced what sorts of creatures were within the depths below. Groups of scorpions, snakes and wild cats were sheltering in the initial few miles of the civilized depths, waiting out the sandstorm above. And they all gave Orodan a wide berth since they could get no reading on him.
The sandstorms, though dangerous, were still part of the natural ecosystem. And as a result, the wildlife had adapted to them. Predators waited in silence for prey to come shelter near caves or entrances to the depths, and then they would pounce. And the deadly high-speed winds also had the benefit of revealing many patches of magical plant roots beneath the sands which grazing monsters could then use for sustenance once the storms abated.
Depths ecology aside, things simply steered clear of him. Orodan was entirely unchallenged as he passed into the wild depths, then the deep depths and finally jumped down a rather deep hole leading to the abyssal depths.
Here too, nothing really came after him. The abyssal depths were rich in their density of world energy, and the monsters greedily fed off of it. The Grandmaster-level monsters that encountered Orodan shrieked, hissed and looked willing to defend their territory. Though, none came after him and they looked rather perplexed when he simply kept walking on.
While he could still learn from challenging those weaker than him, he wasn¡¯t about to run around and dispense beatings to monsters minding their own business.
He passed many deadly creatures, which gave him a wide berth. And interestingly enough, saw a weird spider which seemed to practically phase out of reality upon the sight of him. The System¡¯s loss was quite apparent here as he only received the barest sensation that the dimensional plane was moving. Orodan¡¯s eyes widened for a moment as he recalled where he¡¯d seen it before¡!
It was the dimensional phase spider! He¡¯d seen this weird creature in the hells and read about it too! Was this thing the key to learning more about how to access different dimensions?
He ran about, trying to get a whiff of where it was, and briefly considered reversing time to pull it right back. However, he could track one down later. For now, something else awaited.
The final wild monster before his destination was a five-headed lion, a triple Grandmaster-level creature and quite deadly. And it simply roared and hissed like a wild animal incapable of communication.
¡°Are you all so antisocial?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m just passing through, and all you lot do is growl, chitter or hiss at me.¡±
Practically everything in the depths had refused to speak to him. It was more than a bit odd.
In response, yet again it growled, though with what Orodan could swear was a look of confusion on its face.
¡°Wait a minute¡ of course¡ no System translation,¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Nod if you understand what I say.¡±
The five heads gave a slow nod.
No wonder he¡¯d not managed to communicate with any non-human creatures so far. Mahari and Altaj¡¯s pegasi hadn¡¯t actually spoken to him at all this loop, the depths centipedes for the energy well had simply stayed out of his way as he cleared it, and he¡¯d spoken to no dragons this loop.
¡°So, you can understand what I say, but I cannot understand you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Another reason to fix my lack of System.¡±
The five-headed lion looked confused, though Orodan simply walked past it and continued onward.
And at last, his destination¡
¡the first gate.
With a Gate Guardian standing in front, looking quite perplexed. It was an eleven-foot-tall troll with eight-arms with vicious-looking blades in each hand, and Orodan surmised it was stronger than any Gate Guardian he¡¯d seen in the abyssal depths beneath Ranmere¡¯s Folly.
Of course, that was still woefully weaker than Orodan himself.
The troll grunted and spoke in a strange tongue, and Orodan had to put out a hand, gesturing it to stop it.
¡°I can¡¯t understand you; my System is gone. So, let¡¯s dispense with the talking and get to fighting,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I intend on reaching the world core, will you try and stop me?¡±
The Gate Guardian frowned, and then all eight arms began spinning the blades in their hands.
Battle called.
Or as good of a battle as he¡¯d get against a weaker foe anyways. Still, fighting against eight-arms while limiting his own speed and strength seemed an interesting challenge. Especially since the troll Gate Guardian looked as though it knew how to handle the weapons.
His opponent had a reach advantage, and Orodan consequently brought out the halberd to counter it.
Eight serrated swords descended towards him, each of them coming in at awkward angles. And Orodan focused, spinning the halberd dextrously to catch six of the incoming attacks and sweep them aside. His shield in the left hand caught the remaining two.
Two seconds passed, and hundreds of attacks occurred, with Orodan casually weathering them all as he used the opportunity to sharpen his defensive form and polish his one-handed usage of the halberd with a shield in tandem.
Its attacks were of decent strength, but nothing extraordinary. The Eldritch Avatar was stronger, and Orodan felt confident that he exceeded it in strength by now. The troll seemed surprised that he could match its strength, but if anything, Orodan was greatly holding back.
Finally, its eyes took on a cautious look, and that was when Orodan felt it was his turn.
His leg shot out, and a swift low kick punished the Gate Guardian by bruising its calf and making it stumble. The halberd was then hooked around one of its eight arms, and it was pulled down to where two elbow strikes pummelled its face and caused its teeth to fly out from its mouth. Another step brought Orodan even closer, and a leg trip followed by a shove sent it to the ground.
¡°Not bad, but you fall into the classic trap of relying overly much on the weapon,¡± Orodan said as he waited for his opponent to get back up. ¡°Eight arms and all you do is use the sword?¡±
That, and though it had eight arms, it only had two legs, which were an obvious point for trips and sweeps to imbalance it and bring it low.
The troll growled, but actually accepted the advice.
On the next pass it performed far more admirably and even taught Orodan a trick or two as he was forced to defend against a combination of fists and swords from eight arms and consequently shored up his combat style further.
Still, he could only gain understanding for so long from a weaker foe. Especially when it wasn¡¯t arrogance to admit that Orodan was rather talented in the warrior arts and learned quickly. Thirty more seconds of melee, and he learned all there was to learn against this eight-armed warrior.
¡°This has been a good spar,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°Though, I believe that will be all.¡±
His halberd lashed out, and despite the Gate Guardian¡¯s best attempts to defend, it was overwhelmed. The only difference was that despite holding back, Orodan was now going all-out in terms of skill.
Attacks ruthlessly flowed into one another, openings which could be exploited were far too narrow to capitalize upon, and weapons, fists, legs and elbows all combined to leave the poor troll a battered heap upon the ground.
At the end of it all, it tried to desperately stop him. Whether out of pity for what Orodan would face, or its duty, he didn¡¯t know.
¡°If you¡¯re trying to warn me about the Void Horror that will be sent up to stop me, worry not. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have no plans on disrupting civilization past the gate either, so you need not worry about any innocents.¡±
The first gate looked mostly the same, even if it was an entrance at a different location. A wall made of empowered material which was covered in the language of the System, with the density of the writing getting higher towards the center, where a small control core lay.
Orodan put his hand upon the core, and the gate condensed inwards to reveal the sight of sprawling monster civilization behind it.
He took a step past the threshold¡
¡and nothing happened.
¡°As expected¡¡± he muttered to himself.
With no System, as of yet nothing had shown the ability to track him through magic, the tapestry of fate or his soul. He also had no Quest System of his own, which meant that Alastaia itself couldn¡¯t really detect the fact that he¡¯d stepped past the first gate.
He could only presume that the detection systems accounted for everyone having a soul tied to the System. Without one¡
¡he simply strode past the gate without any interference.
Oh, the beings inhabiting these underground cities were in a full-blown panic and practically mass-evacuated at the sight of him. But no Void Horror came his way immediately.
He walked past the cities and began moving down the gigantic halls which would eventually lead to the world core, and it was nearly twenty minutes after this walk that he finally saw what was supposed to stop him.
The Void Horror.
Long, grey and lanky. And it shot towards Orodan like a speeding artillery shot, equal amounts of rage and confusion upon its face as it roared in a tongue unfamiliar to him.
Both arms were outstretched and a moment from making contact when a shield bash met them, and the entirety of its continent-shaking momentum was reversed and it was sent flying backwards like a ragdoll.
Once upon a time he¡¯d died against this thing within the span of a single blow.
No longer.
It was dazed upon the ground, numerous bones broken. It would recover though.
But for now, it needed to sleep. And the follow-up fist to its jaw ensured it would do just that.
Two more Gate Guardians emerged as he continued speeding towards the world core, but two simple yet powerful blows flattened them into the walls where they¡¯d be indisposed for a while.
And after rounding a corner, at last he came face to face with it.
It was gigantic, but not as large as the world cores of some of the truly massive worlds he¡¯d seen. Covered in the language of the System, with a spear-like pillar embedded into it, was the world core of Alastaia. And it was infected with Eldritch, just as it had been the first time Orodan had seen it.
And the Transcendent Core Guardian bat which flitted about, ready to defend it, was also corrupted.
The world core spoke in a booming voice, though in many unfamiliar tongues. After a while, it began shifting, until it finally settled upon the one tongue familiar to him. The Common Imperial language used across Inuan.
¡°What¡ are you?¡±
¡°Once upon a time, your World Ruler,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Though, that story can come after. For now¡
¡°¡you might consider me the janitor. You¡¯re long overdue for some cleaning.¡±
#
Cleansing the world core and core guardian of Eldritch had been trivially easy.
Orodan had cleansed multiple plague worlds of the taint. Purifying Alastaia was nothing in comparison.
In fact, his complete cleansing of the world core had led to the purification of all Eldritch upon his home world altogether. No more naturally occurring Eldritch, no more foul taint upon the Eldritch Avatar¡¯s preferred landing grounds in the Valley of Spires.
Apart from one eccentric man in Arkwall, whose choice Orodan respected, Eldritch no longer existed upon Alastaia.
He was sure this phenomenon would be noticed and cause a stir in many circles. Still, it would take time for anyone else to verify the full extent of what he¡¯d done.
The conversation between him and the purified Alastaia had taken near two hours. Over the course of which he¡¯d explained who he was, the time loops, what he¡¯d done during them, his goals and his current circumstances involving the loss of his System.
He¡¯d also received an amulet from the world core, supposedly left over from the elves¡¯ failed attempt to descend, which allowed him to now understand languages foreign to him. At least until the issue with his System was fixed.
Inside of a groove within the core, lay the world crown of Alastaia.
¡°Will you not claim what is rightfully yours?¡± Alastaia asked.
¡°I think not. Rulership has never been my desire, and I can already tell the crown requires a connection to one¡¯s System in order to direct the flows of world energy,¡± Orodan said as he approached what actually interested him. The System Control Spike. ¡°This thing though¡ it¡¯s known as a System Control Spike. And it¡¯s clearly of different construction than anything else here.¡±
¡°Its nature eludes even us¡¡±
¡°The boon it granted me in the last loop still works,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This space within my soul which can carry things across the time loops hasn¡¯t been affected by the destruction of my System. Though, to interact with the Control Spike again, I¡¯ll need to repair my System.¡±
¡°Which would require learning the language of the System¡ and tapping into the power which empowers it,¡± Alastaia said.
Did it? Orodan was feeling more and more dissatisfied with the thought of repairing his System using System energy and its own language. Still, he kept his brewing thoughts on the matter to himself for now.
¡°In most cases, yes. But this System Control Spike is¡ different. It¡¯s tied to the time loop mechanism which I empowered,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Unlike Quest Rewards, this I believe, might work even if I didn¡¯t utilize the language and power of the Eldritch Boundless One. Though, I surmise I¡¯ll still need to repair my System if I¡¯m to change the boon it offers.¡±
¡°If any being is suited to such a tall task, it would be you, time looper. Your course is set then?¡±
¡°Aye. I have more learning to do, skills to hone and a System to repair. And at the end of it all¡ a fated meeting in five months where things have a good chance of escalating towards something more.¡±
In five months, the Eldritch Avatar would descend. And if Orodan managed to get things done by that point¡ then far worse awaited.
But before that, Eldiron was his destination. And on the way to it, mayhem to cause.
#
The peaks of the Dokuhan Mountains were hot, arid and plenty of monsters frequented them. Wandering tribes of orcs frequented the peaks and travelled from cave to cave in order to eke out survival. And as if life wasn¡¯t hard enough for them, they also had to deal with frequent harassment and ¡®censuses¡¯ from the under-mountain confederation of the dwarves.
The under-mountain confederation was a kingdom of dwarves which resided beneath the Dokuhan Mountains. And Orodan knew from his time battling across the cosmos that they were a splinter, a remnant of the greater dwarven peoples which were spread across the galaxy, under the rule of the Dwarven God Varkir.
Orodan had little issue with the dwarves as a people. But he did have an issue with the under-mountain confederation. Specifically, with how they treated captives held beneath the mountain.
The peaks of the Dokuhan Mountains oft had orcish tribes wandering about, but the exception were the peaks directly above the sovereign territory of the dwarves. Which was why the sentries before Orodan were alarmed when he suddenly appeared, breaking the anti-spatiomancy wards of the dwarves.
¡°W-what the¡? Sound the alarm!¡± a heavily armored dwarven commander called out.
Orodan stood on the peaks of the Dokuhan Mountains, directly above the under-mountain confederation¡¯s capital city. Naturally, the area directly above was well-guarded.
And naturally, Orodan didn¡¯t care.
His fist travelled downwards, impacting the ground, and it spoke to his level of control that a clean fifty-metre-wide hole was created below, leading all the way down¡
¡to the holding area for the prisoners of the dwarves.
The dwarven commander, a Grandmaster wearing armor which bore the standard runic enchantments of their kind, rushed towards Orodan, only to be slapped and sent flying a few miles away. The other dwarves froze at the casual display of might, and Orodan hopped down the hole he¡¯d skillfully created.
The descent was a few miles deep, and he landed with a boom which kicked up dust. And all around him, plenty of frightened and desperate pairs of eyes, all of them chained to strange devices which forced their souls to churn at high speeds for the sake of power generation. All for the sake of fuelling the energy needs of the under-mountain confederation.
Sickening.
Orodan¡¯s own Incipience of Infinity, even when it was simply the Eternal Soul Reactor, functioned on a similar principle. The forced churning of the soul in order to produce more power at a higher rate. It was painful, agonizing, and yet Orodan had taken that path in order to acquire strength.
The difference though, was that he¡¯d had a choice. These poor people did not.
¡°S-sunlight¡ is that what it looks like?¡± a drow weakly muttered. ¡°How long has it been?¡±
Orodan¡¯s fist clenched in righteous anger. He¡¯d not let it stand the last time, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t let it stand now either. He wasn¡¯t the sort to forget about the little things no matter how strong he became. If he forgot about the smaller debts he had or the minor injustices he¡¯d observed, what kind of man was he?
The Domain of Perfect Cleaning shot out, and the very chains torturous devices around the captives were targeted as being filth which could not be allowed. Destroyed instantly. Simultaneously, he looked deeper than just the shackles binding them, and down to their very souls.
Orcs, goblins, drow, dragons and even the occasional human and elf¡ these captives all had varying levels of damage to their souls. The damage wasn¡¯t only the direct sort acquired from being forced to churn, but the subtle sort too. After all, negative emotions such as fear, despair, agony and loss could warp a soul over time.
Orodan looked deeply at each and every captive¡¯s soul.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
What was cleaning?
Cleaning was the act of removing that which was foul, dirty. But it depended on the perspective of the user.
Orodan wasn¡¯t perfect. He¡¯d made mistakes he wasn¡¯t proud of, warping the minds of Agathor and Ilyatana and purifying a True Vampire of its vampirism, essentially defiling them. He would not do such a thing again.
And throughout his travels, he¡¯d learned that sometimes cleaning involved maintaining the natural order of things.
These tortured captives had an overabundance of negative emotions which had warped their souls, yes. But not everyone would want these emotions, or the associated memories purged. For some, such memories were a part of their strength. And Orodan would not rob them of their agency by stripping a part of themselves.
Despite the lack of System, his Celestial skills worked just fine. So, with narrowed eyes, Orodan focused and targeted the souls of these innocent captives. Not to purge the memories or the negative emotions¡
¡but to instead strengthen their tolerance towards them.
Sometimes, cleaning involved not just the removal of the unwanted¡ but the addition of necessary things.
His body burned as he channelled a monstrous amount of soul energy towards cleaning. Every bit of his being was focused on it¡ the act of cleaning, bringing things to order¡ making it right.
Around him, the fabric of existence began to ripple. Normally, altering the soul of another being was supposed to be more difficult, yet it felt deceptively easy for Orodan who imposed his vision upon reality itself.
With a final flex of might and his natural intuition for cleaning¡
¡the souls of the tortured were bolstered and strengthened.
¡°My mind¡ it feels so unburdened¡¡±
¡°The weight of time and its sorrows is lessened. How?¡± a captive dragon asked.
¡°The sting of grief¡ of anguish, it does not bite quite so deeply any longer. What have you done?¡± an old orc asked.
Orodan looked at his own hands. They looked the same as they always did. Yet within them, lay a power which carried a heavy responsibility.
Once upon a time, he¡¯d gone astray and used this power for ill. In a manner which stained his honor. Yet now, he¡¯d used it for good, in a way his honor would be satisfied with.
To clean was not just to remove the undesirable. That would be taking the option out of these people¡¯s hands. Sometimes, cleaning also involved fixing, healing. Bolstering, and giving people the resilience and perspective to face their own burden.
All Orodan had done was strengthen the minds and souls of the dwarves¡¯ victims.
And in doing so, felt one step closer to understanding the meaning of cleaning.
¡°Intruder! You dare break into the deepest parts of our hold?!¡± the commander of a reaction force bellowed. ¡°Who are you to dare free our prisoners of war?!¡±
Orodan dared to do a lot more than just free some prisoners.
And these dwarves wouldn¡¯t like what that entailed.
#
¡°Honored savior, though my memory is quite old, and the tunnels have changed in the past fifteen years, I believe we are approaching the territory line of my people.¡±
The drow was older, and her time in captivity had done her no favors. Her silvery hair and purple skin hadn¡¯t yet taken on any wrinkles though. And she had a resilience to her eyes, all of the folk Orodan had rescued now did.
The beating he¡¯d dispensed upon the responding dwarves had been nothing short of brutal and vicious.
Thavri Grimbreaker and any dwarves of power who knew about the atrocities were slain without hesitation. The dwarven ancestor who¡¯d once given him much trouble simply gaped as Orodan¡¯s fist ripped right through his armor and out the other side. The enchanted plate not holding up against his raw might.
The remaining dwarves swiftly surrendered afterwards, and no Avatar of Varkir descended to try and intervene either. Though, Orodan left those who didn¡¯t know of the atrocities alone.
The captive dragons agreed to fly a number of humans, orcs and elves who wished to flee out of the mountain, and Orodan was sure that a very angry Burning Ember dragon flight would be knocking on the doors to the under-mountain confederation shortly afterwards.
The drow, a majority of the orcs and remaining humans though, had simply wanted to return to the territory of the dark elves under the mountain. Hence, Orodan was now escorting them.
¡°Right, if I recall, this large bridge with an underground waterfall should mark where the territory line between your people and the dwarves is,¡± Orodan said, thinking of the long loop in Novarria where they¡¯d met the Avatars of the elves. ¡°Though, honored saviour is a bit much, just Orodan is fine.
¡°You have been here before?¡± the drow woman asked.
¡°Long ago. And the circumstances were a bit more tense then,¡± Orodan answered. Hopefully he could avoid antagonizing the elves overly much this loop. He had a lot of things he sought to learn from them.
The few monsters that presented themselves in the hopes of preying upon the group were swiftly slain by Orodan¡¯s hand, and the journey continued without incident.
The under-mountain caverns of the Dokuhan Mountains were long, expansive and at times winding. Glowing mushrooms and the occasional cluster of crystals at times illuminated the way, yet sometimes there was no light to guide them. Orodan hadn¡¯t really explored the drow side of the under-mountain before, though he needed no illumination to see and make his way around. Even if he had, the drow among the group were all perfectly capable of seeing in the dark, an adaptation developed over thousands of years of living beneath the ground.
¡°How did you do it?¡± the drow asked.
¡°Beating the dwarves? Or cleansing your souls?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°If it is not too presumptuous to ask¡ both.¡±
¡°A time loop,¡± Orodan bluntly said. ¡°Strength earned through much hard toil and many gruelling deaths.¡±
¡°Incredible¡¡± the drow muttered. ¡°How much power would one need to enact a time loop of planetary scale?¡±
¡°A lot. More than any God of Time upon Alastaia could provide,¡± Orodan answered. Though the scale of the time loop he was in went beyond even System space and encompassed the entirety of the greater universe.
Frankly, who knew what monstrous existences had detected it and were on their way to slaughter him as he spoke? He had only seen one other Boundless One, and that was the being responsible for the shards. The greater universe seemed like a large place though, and in his brief foray outside, he¡¯d seen no apparent end to it.
¡°You¡ have seen other worlds then?¡± the drow asked.
¡°Aye. Some are quite different to ours, though a few are similar enough,¡± Orodan answered and then looked at her. ¡°You seem rather receptive to my words. Most simply dismiss my claims as nonsense or are too preoccupied with fighting me.¡±
¡°When you reach the age I have, learning to read between the lines and detect when someone speaks the truth is a necessary skill. The way you carry yourself says a lot about you, and your manner is an honest one,¡± she answered. ¡°I do not believe you could lie even if you wanted to. Simply from watching you, I can infer a number of things.¡±
¡°Oh? Now that¡¯s quite interesting. Please elaborate.¡±
¡°Right from the beginning, your entry was explosive¡ direct. You simply barrelled an entryway into our place of captivity with nothing else but brute force. This lines up with your simple and direct manner of speech,¡± she explained. ¡°As for the way you speak¡ curt and honest; though not disrespectful. Which tells me you come from humble beginnings¡ not a farmer¡ definitely not a scholar or noble, form¡¯s far too robust for that¡ a soldier of some sort?¡±
¡°I see no point to antagonizing anyone unless they¡¯ve earned it,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And you¡¯re right about me being a soldier of some sort.¡±
A county militia man in fact.
¡°You walk straight, with the sure steps and the confidence of one who is used to fighting their way out of an ambush rather than worrying about falling into one in the first place. Your weapons, while close at hand, aren¡¯t ready to be drawn out of panicked necessity. Whether your armaments are near your hands or not, you seem¡ comfortable. Which tells me that your unarmed capabilities are just as deadly,¡± the dark elf woman said. ¡°A warrior then. Sword, shield and halberd. Quite the classical combination¡ very conventional, though there¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±
¡°The fancier weapons have their place I¡¯m sure, but in mastering the basics one can truly transcend them,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Much like you seem to have mastered the art of reading people. You must be quite the valued and ancient wise woman back home.¡±
¡°I will thank you not to remind me of my age,¡± she said with a frown, causing Orodan to smile. ¡°And I used to be the negotiator for Clan Mezzer.¡±
¡°Mezzer? Like Jegdalo Mezzer?¡±
¡°You know of that boy?¡± the older woman asked. ¡°Ah, of course. If I had any doubts as to your time looping claims, they¡¯ve been put to rest now.¡±
Orodan chuckled.
¡°So, you didn¡¯t actually believe me then.¡±
¡°I believed that you believed what you claimed. Whether it¡¯s true has yet to be proven, though it¡¯s seeming more and more likely as we speak,¡± the Mezzer said with a smile of her own. ¡°Though, I suppose not too many humans I know can simply punch through a suit of Grandmaster-level dothril inscribed by a runic enchanter of similar skill.¡±
She referred to his slaying of Thavri Grimbreaker of course.
¡°Runic enchanter? You mean the runic language of the dwarves?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You know of it?¡±
¡°Know of it? I plied the trade quite well in my earlier years,¡± she replied. ¡°And calling it the dwarven runic language is a bit presumptuous, isn¡¯t it? We drow know how to work with the language quite well too. A strong reason for why those smelly, bearded fools wish to exterminate us.¡±
Huh? He hadn¡¯t even known that the drow were capable of such things. Little wonder that the dwarves saw them as rivals upon Alastaia.
¡°If you don¡¯t mind then¡ might I trouble you to teach me sometime?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It would be my pleasure, Orodan Wainwright,¡± she replied, an airy smile on her face. ¡°And would you look at that, we near Xan¡¯Coran. Our journey has concluded and without any of our number being prey for the many beasts which roam the under-mountain. Thanks to the might of your arm of course.¡±
Their journey had taken them through a number of caverns, though, at last they¡¯d stumbled upon a drow military outpost. The bloody war between the drow and the dwarves wasn¡¯t a level playing field. The drow could not take the dwarves head on without costly losses, as a result, while the dwarven side had plenty of front-line military fortifications and entrenched positions, the drow had far fewer.
Furthermore, Xan¡¯Coran, the city of the drow beneath the Dokuhan Mountains, wasn¡¯t accessible without jumping through many hurdles. The very caverns winded and shifted about, and much of the local wildlife began displaying an uncharacteristic hostility towards any non-drow the closer they got to the city¡¯s general location.
Orodan of course spotted the city easily enough with Vision of Purity. In fact, he suspected that the dwarves also knew where it was, but it looked difficult for them to assault without severe casualties of their own. Better for them to drag out a war of attrition where they¡¯d be the eventual victors as the dwarven front line slowly expanded.
A horn sounded from the top of the watchtower, and a group of armed and armored drow came forth. They wielded rapiers, crossbows and short swords. With none among their number utilizing any polearms or heavier weapons that he could see. There were a few mages at the back ranks as well. Altogether, the outpost seemed well-crewed with a unit of trained warriors ready to fight.
They also had humans among their ranks, though Orodan could sniff the vampirism easily enough. Rumors of the drow harboring vampires weren¡¯t false then.
¡°Hold and introduce your¡ yourselves¡ b-by Cithrel! Is that Elder Xalyth?¡± the leading soldier asked, bewildered.
¡°It¡¯s her¡ it¡¯s her! Open the gates! We must arrange an escort to Xan¡¯Coran! The clans must be informed!¡±
The soldiers quickly formed a protective perimeter and brought them inside the outpost. All while the commander of the outpost began making some hasty calls with a communications amulet. Many of the drow and even the human vampires were staring at Xalyth Mezzer in disbelief. One of them even dared to approach.
¡°Elder¡ is it truly you? We thought you lost after that horrid incident fifteen years ago from whence you never returned,¡± the drow officer said. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°Those foul rock-sniffers are to blame for imprisoning me upon the refusal to a peace treaty,¡± Xalyth spat.
¡°Damn the dwarves! Still, I see you here safe and alongside many other of our kin who were taken prisoner. What happened? The forward scouts and our network report the sounds of battle and the city of Var Turum being on high alert,¡± the drow said. ¡°Yet, we know not what has occurred.¡±
¡°For that turn of events, you may thank this man,¡± Xalyth said, pointing towards Orodan.
And suddenly, the eyes of everyone within the outpost pointed his way.
¡°Well, we can discuss the particulars once we¡¯re within Xan¡¯Coran, can we not?¡±
#
Xan¡¯Coran.
Ancestral city of the drow beneath the Dokuhan Mountains. It was grand, sprawling for dozens of miles and multiple massive caverns were linked together in order to allow it to be so.
The architecture of the drow was rather nefarious and diabolical, in terms of aesthetic at least. Dark stone, dark tiled roads, and the flames were of a purple-bent. Frankly, Orodan would¡¯ve thought them secret worshipers of the Eldritch if he didn¡¯t know any better.
It was a city full of life though. And unlife. Drow, humans, orcs and vampires lived in harmony within its bounds. An alliance of necessity and mutual hatred of the under-mountain confederation of the dwarves and their human suppliers. Elves could also be seen here and there, likely affiliated with Eldiron itself.
Of note too, was the fact that small and large spider dragons occasionally skittered about the walls of the caverns. Dragons hunted these creatures viciously upon the surface, but the drow had gladly allied themselves with them, their underground habitat lending well to providing harbor for these grotesque half-dragon creatures. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, as the spider dragons received shelter and access to a civilization which would tend to their needs, and the drow in turn were guarded by them. A particularly massive one hung from the ceiling of the central cavern, overlooking the entirety of Xan¡¯Coran. It was the size of a mountain and Orodan sensed it rivalled the power of a quadruple-Grandmaster.
Currently, he was seated in a tower overlooking the city himself. Before him, a number of powerful nobles and politicians of the drow.
¡°We¡¯re continuing to receive reports from our spies and scouts which corroborate his story,¡± a drow noble said. ¡°That and the return of Elder Xalyth who also vouches for him¡¡±
¡°Xan¡¯Coran¡ nay¡ all of drow-kind, owe you a great debt, Orodan Wainwright,¡± another councillor said. ¡°Our enemies are in shambles, the most powerful among them slain. And many of our loved ones are finally returned to us, healed of their ailments. What may we do to repay this debt?¡±
¡°For starters, I need passage to Eldiron,¡± Orodan said, and before one noblewoman could ask why on Alastaia he needed passage anywhere with his level of power, he continued. ¡°Peaceful passage. I suspect the three Gods of elvenkind will not take it well if I simply barge onto their continent.¡±
And while the situation with his soul and its untraceable nature meant he could likely enter with some sort of stealth, he needed to actually act openly if he intended to learn.
¡°I see¡ that is¡ something out of our hands,¡± Elder Xalyth Mezzer said. ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to help you, but that your might is too great. If we were to smuggle you onto Eldiron, the God-Queen would descend upon our heads with fury for allowing one of such power onto her continent unchecked. What we can do, is arrange for a meeting between you and the elven divinities. What is the purpose of your visit?¡±
¡°Learning. I have a goal that requires me to understand the various enchanting languages,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good grasp of the human enchanting language. And now, I need to understand runic enchanting. On the side, I also need to study various skills.¡±
¡°As I promised, we can definitely assist with any studies in runic enchanting,¡± Elder Xalyth declared. ¡°Though, Goldleaf in Eldiron would likely be the best location to access a wealth of knowledge on the subject. I shall send a message to a friend of mine, and he¡¯ll be coming forth to meet with you.¡±
¡°Fair enough. In the meanwhile, mind if I get to studying?¡±
#
¡°What the hells¡ this is utterly profound¡¡± Orodan muttered.
His concentration was buried deep into the intricate pattern of webs before him.
Dark elves and dwarves both used the same runic enchanting language, though, they did so in different ways. Dwarves used runic enchanting in a conventional manner. Magic chisel to material, the standard way. The drow though, also did it in this manner, but with the caveat that they also used the silken webs of spider dragons to pre-fabricate an enchantment, study its effects and then consider the application of it.
At first, Orodan thought it was a unique method of studying the language itself and nothing more.
And then he¡¯d learned that the drow not only studied enchantments by weaving them with spider dragon silk, but also wove actual runic enchantments using the silk and the webs were then forged into the material.
What was so special about using spider silk?
The fact that the silk of spider dragons was tied to their soul. If one were to examine the silk, the story of a spider dragon¡¯s life, their history, their struggles¡ it could all be revealed. The silk as a material, wasn¡¯t simply static¡ it told a story.
One of¡
¡°¡time. An enchantment which is not only three-dimensional, but also touches upon the fourth dimension, that of time. Utterly profound¡ to think I¡¯d uncover such a secret on Alastaia¡¡± Orodan muttered to himself as he was enraptured.
It was humbling. One could never rule out from where a profound secret might come. Yes, he was far stronger than anything on Alastaia, but that didn¡¯t mean his knowledge was beyond it. One could still learn incredible things from paths already trodden.
¡°Now you see why our method of enchantment is so different? I will admit, the dwarves are excellent at the application of runic enchanting, but they¡¯ll never comprehend the actual language the same way we do,¡± Elder Xalyth said. ¡°Not when they refuse to look beyond their conventional methods. Which dwarf would sully themselves by working with a spider dragon?¡±
Spider dragon silk was tied to the soul of the creature that produced it. When initially produced, the material was aspected, attuned to its producer, and not really useful for crafting and in fact interfered with enchantments as the spider dragon¡¯s memories and experiences caused disharmony. Though, with time and the careful application of many expensive rituals, this spider dragon silk could be wiped clean, it could be made to ¡®forget¡¯ its owner and become unaspected.
This unaspected spider dragon silk was an incredibly valuable material which was critical in the crafting process for some of the most powerful weapons of the drow.
For Orodan, it wasn¡¯t the silk itself which drew his attention, but the fact that an enchanting medium could be not just three-dimensional, but four-dimensional. And potentially¡
¡something which might give him inspiration to complete the grand ambition which had been forming in his mind for a while now.
¡°I see it. Coming here has been the best decision I¡¯ve made this loop,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Studying runic enchanting the conventional way might have taken too long. With this critical bit of knowledge, the fact that such a thing is possible¡ it gives me hope.¡±
¡°I still have a hard time believing your System is destroyed¡ what an outlandish tale you¡¯ve regaled me with,¡± Elder Xalyth said. ¡°Claiming to be in a time loop is one thing. Telling me your System is gone is another.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the truth. Whether you believe it or not,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In any case, I owe you for this.¡±
¡°Consider it repayment for your rescue of me,¡± the elder drow said. ¡°And your unfathomable and illogical talent in cleaning for which we have enough silk to last our enchanters a few centuries. Frankly, the council may try to persuade you to stay if you¡¯re routinely capable of such things.¡±
Spider dragon silk was turned from aspected to the valuable unaspected form through magical rituals of great expense. And Orodan could simply turn it unaspected by cleaning the memories and experiences right out of it. A powerful application of his Celestial skill which was quite lucrative. He¡¯d created a few thousand pounds worth of unaspected spider silk and would likely cause economic chaos in that particular industry. Not that he needed the money of course.
¡°If you say so,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Unfortunately, my goals dictate that I must make for Eldiron.¡±
¡°Given how your actions have put many of them out of a job, the spider silk manufacturers will be pleased to hear it,¡± the elder said. ¡°Now then, let us look deeper into this web. If you look here¡ the flows often focus on significant memories, a natural imperfection in the spider silk. The higher the quality, the more even the flows no matter how significant the memory, and to counter that¡¡±
They discussed, Orodan studied, and he asked questions all while getting a grasp for runic enchanting. Elder Xalyth scratched her head and expressed her shock at how Orodan managed to make a three-dimensional enchantment using human enchanting language. And while the enchantment itself wasn¡¯t anything special, the proof of concept baffled her and had the drow insisting that he remain in Xan¡¯Coran.
He was forced to refuse of course.
¡°I cannot,¡± Orodan said.
¡°But¡ but¡! To do such a thing with so primitive a language!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Nations would wage war over your talents if they found out!¡±
¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m at a point where nations cannot threaten me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s not revolutionary. I simply had an advantage that no other enchanter did. I had the gift of failure. I was allowed to fail over and over, the wall which the System removes through the granting of skill levels¡ I never could overcome it through raw repetition. With this wall before me indefinitely, I could study, meditate and train on ways to surmount it for as long as needed.¡±
¡°¡I see. I believe I am beginning to believe your claim about not having a System any longer,¡± elder Xalyth professed. ¡°Now then, show me that enchantment of yours one mo-¡±
The door to the enchanters¡¯ study opened, and a drow messenger walked in.
¡°I believe I said we were not to be interrupted,¡± elder Xalyth said sternly. ¡°Unless you bring news.¡±
¡°I do, elder,¡± the messenger said nervously. ¡°One of the four have arrived to meet with Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Hmm, very well,¡± she said. ¡°I suppose this can continue later on. Depending on how your conversation goes, I shall see you either here, or in Eldiron, Orodan.¡±
¡°Eldiron?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t an ancient woman like yourself have duties here?¡±
¡°Again with the comments on my age¡¡± she muttered with an annoyed frown. ¡°You¡¯ll find that us drow age rather gracefully. And nothing precludes me from spending my time upon Eldiron. I¡¯m not a councillor, and my clan will doubtlessly grant me a well-earned rest after my ordeal.¡±
¡°Fair enough, but you needn¡¯t travel so far just to teach me¡ I¡¯m sure there are plenty of instructors upon Eldiron as well,¡± Orodan said.
¡°For all you¡¯ve done for us, and for your rescue of me, it¡¯s the least I could do,¡± the woman said, a smile on her face.
Well, if she wanted to help, who was Orodan to refuse? The study of the spider dragon silk and the runic enchanting language was definitely an important stepping stone towards his main goal. Still, a bit strange for her to offer to come along when Goldleaf likely had many tutors and Grandmasters of enchanting.
His soul also thrummed a bit weirdly and he looked inward to where Zaessythra was sleeping. Perhaps she was kicking about in her sleep?
In any case, he didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on such things, and Orodan accompanied elder Xalyth and the messenger to the council chambers.
The doors swung open, and Orodan wondered just which member of the elven pantheon had come.
The matter was answered when he saw a familiar elf, a friendly smile upon his face. A man who was on the verge of triggering the trial of ascendance.
Eldarion, the elven God of Friendship.
#
¡°This tea is quite good¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s a small sample of what the elven continent has to offer. As a matter of fact, this small settlement, Ildisiar, is where the tea leaf is grown and harvested.¡±
Now where had he heard this before?
The tea was quite good, with a sharp flavor of the forest as though the flowers and berries were coming alive on his tongue. Still, it wasn¡¯t anything ground-breaking, and he¡¯d sampled the Inuanan Auslivik leaf tea as well, and the comparison was closer than he¡¯d have thought.
Where was he?
Eldiron of course.
From Orodan¡¯s vantage point, high atop a tree as tall as a mountain, he had an excellent view of the coast and the surrounding lush forest which was almost unnaturally green. The leaves were the color of emeralds, the rivers flowing out to the coastline were the color of sapphires and the very winds carried a beautiful song upon them.
He sensed an extreme abundance of world energy all around.
They were on Eldiron, specifically, within a small settlement which couldn¡¯t even be called a village. Perhaps a hamlet? Either way, Ildisiar was the name of the settlement, and the only people who lived here were tea-makers, ancient masters and Eldarion himself, an elf on the cusp of pushing past level 100 in a skill.
¡°I¡¯ve had this tea before,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though, it was with the headmaster of Woodworking, and it was at Bluefire.¡±
¡°Osolon Velrayn has a penchant for attempting to impress people with trinkets and goods from his homeland,¡± Eldarion said, a casual smile upon his face which had Orodan feeling at ease. ¡°To think you¡¯ve met him and so many others before in these time loops of yours¡¡±
He had to remind himself, that prior to his departure for the cosmos, this elf gave off the most dangerous instinctual feeling he¡¯d ever gotten from someone save the Void Horror and Eldritch Avatar. Still, Orodan had resisted the Celestial Emperor, a peak-Transcendent with a Celestial skill. Eldarion, while impressive, just didn¡¯t compare any longer. Though, Orodan would consider the elf¡¯s overall power level with the social skill to be at least early-Transcendent level if Eldarion acted seriously.
¡°I will say, I don¡¯t get to meet people under the same circumstances every time,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°The last two times we met were under tense circumstances where we were both acting as mutual displays of power for our respective factions. I¡¯m glad to see it¡¯s different this time.¡±
¡°If you¡¯ll pardon me, Mister Wainwright¡ is it really any different?¡± Eldarion asked. ¡°Here I am, the mightiest of the elves of Eldiron, sitting before you, the mightiest human I¡¯ve ever seen. The decision to send me for this meeting was no doubt intentional, and the very existence of someone like you who could simply destroy Alastaia is threat enough by itself.¡±
¡°Heh¡ I suppose you¡¯re not wrong. Which makes it three for three. I suppose we¡¯re fated to meet this way no matter what,¡± Orodan joked. ¡°Though, I¡¯ve broken fate a fair few times.¡±
¡°That you have. Every single scan we¡¯ve attempted gives us nothing, and your presence in the tapestry of fate is blank,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t told me about the circumstances you find yourself in, I don¡¯t know if this conversation would be as casual as it is, my friend.¡±
¡°All it took for you to feel at ease was the honest truth?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I thought the security of Eldiron would be taken a bit more seriously than that.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not wrong. In fact, Cithrel will doubtlessly be working at a furious pace to prepare safeguards and contingencies in case you decide to act against us,¡± Eldarion explained.
¡°Then why¡ are you accepting this all so casually?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Because¡ in you¡ I have the chance to achieve Transcendence,¡± Eldarion said, a grim look on his face. ¡°And¡¡±
¡°¡the opportunity to escape my wife.¡±
Orodan stared at Eldarion.
Eldarion stared at Orodan.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Now¡ no need to give me that look,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°I assure you, she¡¯s a real terror.¡±
Orodan¡¯s palm met his face, and a sigh left his lips.
¡°If by terror you mean a woman who leaves her spouse exhausted and happy, then perhaps more folk could stand to have terrors in their lives.¡±
¡°I¡¯m clearly not built for such exhaustive physical pursuits like you are, my friend.¡±
Eldarion smiled.
Orodan¡¯s mouth curved upwards¡ and a bout of laughter was shared between the two of them.
He wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew there was the possibility of the social skill.
¡°Jokes aside, I¡¯m just surprised you let me onto Eldiron without any fuss,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I only told you of the time loops after we came here for our discussion. While this settlement has a rather sparse population, surely letting me onto Eldiron can¡¯t be wise?¡±
¡°Of course not. But despite the Novarrians¡¯ attempts at matching us, it remains clear that our intelligence network is the greatest upon Alastaia. Our eyes and ears are competent at their jobs, and they report many things,¡± the elven man said. ¡°The disabling of the ancient machine in the Republic, the shattering of our psionic web in Inuan which gave Athandelu a real scare and of course¡ the clash which occurred in Jerestir near the Imperial border with the Republic where Novarrian forces were bested and the Eldritch crown of Balastion Novar was destroyed. We have been keeping tabs on all these happenings and tying you to them isn¡¯t difficult when you act so openly.¡±
¡°So, you¡¯ve been aware of me for a long time, which doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why allow me onto your continent then?¡±
¡°Because Orodan¡ those accolades also came with accounts of your capabilities,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°The shattering of Arkwall¡¯s anti-spatiomancy wards and the assault upon Var Turum where Thavri Grimbreaker was slain in a singular strike do not escape my ears. Cithrel will doubtlessly be angered at me for this¡ but powerful as we are, as many countermeasures and contingencies as we have¡ we lack the means to meaningfully contest the likes of you.¡±
¡°And so, you allow me onto Eldiron? For what?¡± Orodan asked.
And in response, Eldarion rose to his feet¡
¡and a hand was extended.
¡°Friendship.¡±
The elf was the bearer of a powerful social skill. One that could influence the thoughts of many, and even Orodan had to get truly serious in the past when facing it for the first time in the loops.
Yet, what cemented Orodan¡¯s decision¡
¡was the absence of said skill altogether throughout the entirety of the conversation.
Orodan¡¯s hand met Eldarion¡¯s, and the two shook.
What was the point of strength if one couldn¡¯t trust an honest outreach of friendship? If someone betrayed him, he would simply exact revenge. If someone spurned him, he would simply spurn them in turn. And if someone offered friendship?
Orodan would take it without hesitation. To act in a straightforward manner was his path. The way of a warrior.
¡°I can abide by that,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Many of the things I¡¯ve achieved were only thanks to people helping me. Teachers, allies¡ friends.¡±
There was more than a bit of pain involved in saying that last word, but such was his lot. To experience bonds of companionship, and then to lose it all. However, he would be spitting on the people who¡¯d sacrificed themselves for him if that prevented him from making new friends and living life to the fullest.
¡°In five months¡¯ time, the Eldritch Avatar descends. Working together, we can best it, and in working with us, we can help you take the steps necessary to rebuilding your System, and from there¡ for you to best the apocalyptic foes before you,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Administrators, this Boundless One¡ I have no idea where to even begin and regret to say that those battles might well be your own. Though¡ what we can help you with, you¡¯ll carry well into those fights.¡±
¡°Useful skills, esoteric knowledge¡ and the ability to fix my System,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Alongside whatever else I might learn.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°And as long as you¡¯re in a time loop, you¡¯ll continue to return and ensure the best possible outcome, won¡¯t you? In helping you, I¡¯ve committed myself to seeing you succeed and in return you¡¯ll help us.¡±
Eldiron and Goldleaf Academy awaited. And beyond that, in five months, the descent of the Eldritch Avatar and hopefully¡
¡the restoration of his System.
And with it, a mad goal¡ and it only grew more concrete as he continued pondering upon it.
The unvoiced grand ambition which Orodan had in regard to his System restoration.
The desire to see it realized burned strongly within his heart.
Chapter 69 - Eldiron
Calling Ildisiar a village would¡¯ve been stretching it.
It was a small settlement of less than two hundred inhabitants, with a majority of the people working in the tea harvesting trade. Yet, the other portion of the population were all ancient masters, their progeny and disciples.
And a favored pastime of theirs was to congregate around gigantic trees and share knowledge among themselves.
¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little overbearing to simply drag me along and expect me to teach?¡± Orodan asked, amused.
¡°Is it? From what you tell me, you quite enjoy teaching people. Whether it¡¯s through taking on a student or giving someone a beating, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re rather good at imparting lessons,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Why not spend some time around the tree of wisdom? Learn a little, impart a bit of your own knowledge? The trees know more than they let on, and the venerable one here in Ildisiar is the eldest of them all. And given what you tell me of your goals¡ the tree may be of more help than you realize.¡±
The trees of wisdom.
Who would¡¯ve thought that the oldest living things on Eldiron weren¡¯t elves or dragons¡ but trees? Indeed, the trees of wisdom were towering and ancient things. Frankly, aside from the world core and its guardians, Orodan suspected these trees might genuinely be the oldest living things on Alastaia.
Settlements formed around these aged trees. And there was a reason Ildisiar, a small settlement for tea harvesting, had so many elven Masters and Grandmasters living within. It was for the chance to seek wisdom from the oldest living thing in the settlement.
And it took the form of debates and discussion between parties, with the tree serving as the mediator.
A young elf boy was debating an elderly one.
¡°But elder¡ would you not say that the intent behind one¡¯s weaving matters as much as the object being worked itself? A cape stitched with love versus a cape woven with hatred will be two different items entirely, even if the weaver¡¯s skill level is the same.¡±
¡°Of course, Gelarion, that is naturally evident, is it not? Emotions are a part of the weaving process,¡± the elderly elf said. ¡°My argument, however, is that emotions are an unnecessary and blighted part of it. To achieve the true height of mastery, one must do away with emotions in the craft altogether. A true master can make a uniform product, emotions or no.¡±
¡°I strongly disagree. Emotions are an integral part of all living things. Even the venerable one, though their emotions may be alien to us elves, still possesses them. To feel is the nature of life, thought and being. To deny this feeling is to disregard an essential part of the process.¡±
¡°And what does the venerable one think?¡± the younger elf asked.
Larger than the imperial citadel of Novar¡¯s Peak. And exuding an ancient aura of chronomancy which Orodan felt was beyond even Zaessythra¡¯s and was only dwarfed by the world core.
Old. Very old.
The boughs and branches of the gigantic silver-leafed tree shook. The winds themselves grew silent for a moment, and then¡
¡a song carried upon them. And Orodan now knew why the very air upon Eldiron carried with it a note of song. It must¡¯ve been these trees speaking. Whether to one another, or the elves, he wasn¡¯t sure.
It didn¡¯t speak in words, rather the song conveyed the idea for it.
The ancient branches swayed and told a tale, and the silver leaves narrated it to the minds of all present. For a moment Orodan wondered if it was a form of telepathy, yet, it didn¡¯t really seem to intrude upon his mind at all. Rather, it was as though the very wind around him simply¡ expressed what it was saying.
An ancient life from olden times. This primeval oak had seen much.
¡°To ignore the symphony of emotion¡ is to risk being incomplete.¡±
The words weren¡¯t spoken as much as they practically came into being through the environment around them. There was no real voice uttering them. Yet the wind, the grass, the silver leaves of the ancient tree looming above, they all came together and somehow ensured everyone received the same message.
The gathering of young elves and eager students sitting upon the grass, spectating the debate, paid rapt attention to every word uttered by the tree.
From what Orodan had heard, such discussions could go on for days, with students, masters and eager learners from other parts of Eldiron often coming and going in the hopes of gleaning just a bit more comprehension from the immemorial beings.
¡°I¡ I see¡ perhaps to reject emotions altogether is unwise then?¡± the younger elf asked. ¡°But is purity not something to strive for? We seek purity in our materials, the crafting process and our products, then why not seek cleanliness of mind as well?¡±
¡°Cleanliness of the mind,¡± Orodan began as he walked up. ¡°Is not the absence of emotions altogether. Rather, it¡¯s the distillation and understanding of them. The acceptance of what you feel, and the mastery of one¡¯s mind. Take for example, a patch of muddy ground within a swamp. To eradicate all the filth, all the small and unseen life dwelling in the muck¡ does that sound clean to you?¡±
¡°Would it not be?¡±
¡°Is a swamp meant to be clean? Or is it the natural expression of life? A thriving ecosystem of diverse flora and fauna of its own?¡± Orodan posed. ¡°Cleanliness¡ is something determined by the individual. Declaring a swamp as unclean isn¡¯t wrong, but it should come with self-awareness of the fact that the perspective being imposed is one¡¯s own.¡±
Which essentially, was what cleaning boiled down to. The imposition of one¡¯s own reality, their personal vision of order, upon existence.
Though, the mastery of the mind¡ perhaps it could be extended to himself? A tall hurdle to tackle, especially when his willpower was so overwhelming when Incipience of Infinity was pushed to the extreme¡ but could cleanliness not be applied to such a problem?
¡°Emotions should be embraced then. I see, thank you human,¡± the elf said. ¡°And is that¡ Lord Eldarion?! I see! Is this human one of your guests?¡±
Eldarion sighed though kept a pleasant smile on his face.
¡°Youngling, what have I said about referring to people by their race? I know you have yet to be allowed outside our homelands, but you cannot simply refer to people as though they are animals at a hatchery,¡± Eldarion chided. ¡°I doubt you would appreciate being referred to as ¡®elf¡¯ at all times either.¡±
¡°A-apologies my lord¡! I meant no offence honored hum- er, honored guest! Might I have your name?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± he answered.
¡°Orodan Wainwright? I have heard some of Lord Athandelu¡¯s shadows whisper that name! They say you single-handedly humiliated Novarria and caused the fall of their empire!¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far¡¡± Orodan muttered. At least, he hoped he hadn¡¯t caused the fall of Novarria. That would be a bit much and not what he¡¯d intended at all.
¡°Gelarion¡ come now, you shall have plenty of time to speak with Mister Wainwright later on,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°After all, it seems the venerable one wishes to have a word.¡±
And certainly, the rapidly rustling silver leaves and boughs indicated as much.
¡°A blank spot in the tapestry¡ the absence of a soul where one should be¡ what has harmed you so, broken one?¡±
¡°An attack which-¡±
¡°Is best not mentioned in the presence of so many younglings and uninvolved folk,¡± Eldarion interjected. ¡°Perhaps we might speak privately with the venerable one?¡±
The elves around the tree took that as a signal and filed away. Not one of them grumbled, indicative of just how highly they regarded Eldarion and the tree of wisdom.
¡°Anyhow, now that they¡¯re gone,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It was a Boundless One. A fearsome being outside System space. Mightiest thing I¡¯ve ever encountered.¡±
¡°Eldarion has informed¡ your circumstances, unique. The eternal repetition of time.¡±
¡°The time loops,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°The venerable one here is old¡ very old. Older than any elf upon Eldiron, and older than any other living being save Alastaia itself. For your purposes though¡ you¡¯ll find the properties of the venerable one to be quite interesting.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°Gaze into the leaves¡ watch closely¡¡±
The leaves? What was the tree talking about?
Orodan frowned and looked closely, and for a moment he didn¡¯t understand¡
¡until he suddenly did.
And ancient knowledge began showing itself to him.
Centuries, millennia, hundreds of thousands of years. The memories passed by, and he began to see.
¡°Eldarion spoke truly¡ the broken one¡¯s mind is strong¡¡±
¡°He did tell me he reverted time by over five-hundred-thousand years once. For him to be capable of that, his mind must naturally have been strong enough to weather the strain,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Do you see it now, Orodan?¡±
It wasn¡¯t a mental attack. He¡¯d simply looked at its leaves closely, its boughs in-depth. And all the memories, its experiences, its wisdom¡ it all was laid bare before him. An ordinary being wouldn¡¯t have been capable of it, or rather, if they tried to comprehend it all, their mind might have shattered. Orodan though, even with his System broken, hadn¡¯t lost his sheer strength and resilience of mind. Grasping hundreds of thousands of years¡¯ worth of experiences and memories wasn¡¯t any more strenuous than normal.
¡°Incredible¡ I¡¯ve never seen the physical manifestation of knowledge in a living being,¡± Orodan said. ¡°A lesser version of this is contained within the silk of the spider dragons of Xan¡¯Coran, but your leaves and branches are ancient.¡±
The world core was also ancient, yet it was a thing bound far more closely by the System. It wasn¡¯t exactly a living thing in and of itself, but the collective will of Alastaia itself.
This tree though, was an incomparably ancient living thing. Uniquely different to any ancient being of flesh and blood that he¡¯d seen in his travels thus far. It comprehended memories, experiences and wisdom, and physically bore them in the form of the silver leaves upon its timeless branches. Memories, wisdom, knowledge, made real and physical.
It was the implication that knowledge could be stored in such a manner. Could his own mind and soul borrow from some of the principles this tree functioned off of?
Simply looking at it, Orodan was inspired, and the fires of the unmentioned grand ambition within burned even hotter as he now saw a true path towards seeing it realized.
¡°Our kind were young when Alastaia began harboring life upon itself¡¡±
¡°That must have been millions¡ nay¡ billions of years ago,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How have you not advanced to Transcendence and beyond? I sense your level of actual prowess at merely the level of a Grandmaster.¡±
¡°We beings of flesh and blood are always striving for one thing or another,¡± Eldarion explained. ¡°Even we immortal elves, despite our relaxed pace of attainments, still possess ambitions and work towards them. Not all beings care about such things however.¡±
¡°We exist, and shall continue to exist¡ watching life, interacting with the younger races¡ and learning.¡±
¡°So, for hundreds of thousands of years, all you¡¯ve done is live and learn?¡± Orodan asked, and the branches swayed in affirmation. That was¡
¡°¡it sounds relaxing. Peaceful.¡±
Indeed, Orodan could never bring himself to live in such a manner. The next battle, the looming foes to come and then the greater realms of power and advancement beyond even that. That was Orodan¡¯s way of life, his very being. He was a warrior, one who craved battle and would never relent.
The younger Orodan would¡¯ve scoffed and said something insulting. Long ago he detested magic, he hated tricks and schemes. And while he would never let go of the warrior he was at core¡
¡he had grown. Growing stronger had, if anything, expanded his perspective. Everyone had their way in life. And mastery, real mastery, involved humbling oneself and seeking wisdom and knowledge from more than one thing. To reach the peak, he would need to tread many paths, not just those he had a natural inclination towards.
He¡¯d often been told that not everyone was like him. Mahari, Malzim and this tree from a bygone era were examples of it.
And that was okay.
¡°Illuminative, enlightening. Humans, even elves, simply seek more and more¡ slowing down and understanding has its own reward.¡±
Something Orodan was coming to understand and appreciate more and more himself.
¡°My System is gone, my enemies are numerous, and I lack many of the abilities I previously had,¡± Orodan said. He then gave a respectful incline of his head and reached an arm out. ¡°I intend to rebuild my System, confront my enemies once more, and regain my power. However, I am at a crossroads where much is unknown to me and the path ahead, murky.¡±
¡°Broken one¡ the corruption across the roots of the earth is gone¡ the earth itself sings in harmony and speaks of your boon. If this ancient tree can help¡ all you need do is ask.¡±
It referred to Orodan¡¯s cleansing of the Eldritch all across the planet of course.
¡°Then¡ can you teach me?¡±
The winds sang, the earth trembled, and the grass quivered.
And a silver-leafed branch came down to meet the hand of a time looper.
#
¡°Is it true? That you threw a dragon and sent it sailing through the air like an arrow?¡±
¡°I did.¡±
¡°Are all humans so strong?¡±
¡°No. That would squarely depend on your level of Physical Fitness, and the Body Tempering skill,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Anyone can achieve it with hard work, time and a willingness to embrace pain.¡±
And a few extreme and highly risky methods of training. Still, even without the time loops, someone could in theory get Body Tempering to the point Orodan had. Though, it would take far longer without the risky methods of advancement he was capable of using.
¡°Body Tempering¡ fascinating! Elder Mithfela and her disciple are the only known ones among us with that skill, and they¡¯ve yet to breach level twenty! What level is yours?¡± the inquisitive young elf asked.
¡°Over sixty.¡±
Or it had been, until recent events. The gains from it hadn¡¯t gone away though, and Orodan suspected that Body Tempering and Physical Fitness were two skills which wouldn¡¯t really be impacted by the System. Not for him at least. Could someone who wasn¡¯t keen on the physical pursuits rely on the System for them? Perhaps. But Orodan had always been inclined towards the martial arts, and his understanding of the two skills was thorough.
¡°S-sixty! By the four! That would¡ that would¡ you could destroy entire mountains!¡±
A bit of an understatement. Orodan was confident he could outright obliterate continents. And while he couldn¡¯t completely destroy a planet fully, he could likely shatter Alastaia with a full power blow.
¡°Gelarion, while Mister Wainwright is kind enough to indulge you, do take care not to distract him overly much,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°He works with a sensitive element and the slightest misstep could cause mass devastation.¡±
What was Orodan working with?
Why, the forces of Dimensionalism of course.
In front of him was a strangely shimmering orb, with numerous pulsing bubbles periodically being emitted from it. Each of these bubbles was an incredibly miniature dimension. He¡¯d used a similar orb before while training with Destartes - a Grandmaster spatiomancer in the Republic - but this one provided by Eldarion was of far higher quality, and instead of spatiomancy, it sought to train Dimensionalism.
The training wouldn¡¯t have ordinarily been difficult. Or rather, it was a process meant to take time. If someone was doing it the normal way of course.
Orodan though, was supercharging the orb and the bubbles in order to increase the size of them. This made the small dimensional bubbles much larger and allowed him to peer into them and the orb at the same time in the hopes of understanding how dimensions were made.
He had the Dimensionalism skill - back when he had a System - though it was primarily System-assisted, so Orodan was working on shoring up his own understanding of the skill from the ground up. And as a dimensional bubble the size of a house gently bonked Gelarion on the head and peacefully floated away after, the young elf shut his mouth.
Any of these bubbles exploding might cause the destruction of a hundred miles at least.
¡°I don¡¯t mind his questions,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I too ask a lot of questions. It would be rather hypocritical if I denied someone else the chance to ask them.¡±
¡°You¡¯re too indulgent of this young troublemaker,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Anyhow, kind as Mister Wainwright is, I believe you have other lessons to attend to Gelarion.¡±
¡°Yes Lord Eldarion¡ though¡ might I meet Lord Wainwright again?¡±
¡°Just Orodan is fine,¡± he replied, getting an annoying flashback to when they¡¯d declared him the head of a newly founded noble house in a prior loop. He¡¯d grown to lose his bias against magic, books and certain outlooks didn¡¯t align with his own. Nobility though? That was a bias he¡¯d happily hold on to. ¡°I¡¯m no lord.¡±
¡°That would be disrespectful to you Lor- er¡ Mister Wainwright. But I will honor your wishes,¡± Gelarion said. ¡°We shall meet again. Archery training awaits¡ ugh!¡±
The elven boy looked rather sour at the thought.
¡°If you don¡¯t keep up with the practice, you¡¯ll be embarrassed at the Inter-Academy Tournament next year when you enter Goldleaf,¡± Eldarion chided. ¡°Not every problem can be confronted with the edge of a blade.¡±
¡°But¡ Mister Wainwright looks like he tackles every problem with a sword!¡± Gelarion said excitedly.
¡°Actually¡¡± Orodan began. ¡°I use the shield and my legs and fists too. The halberd¡¯s been a fine addition of late as well.¡±
¡°See!¡±
Eldarion sighed.
¡°My friend¡ might you stop giving this little delinquent more reasons to avoid his lessons? His instructors already complain regularly.¡±
¡°Let me ask you a question then,¡± Orodan said, looking at the boy and the dual swords on his belt. ¡°Two actually. Why do you favor your swords so much? And¡ why do you shun the bow?¡±
¡°The sword is the pinnacle of grace and lethality. I¡¯ve been training in it for as long as I can remember!¡± Gelarion declared with passion. ¡°A protector must be ready, blade in hand, to face the foe up close.¡±
¡°A good answer, strong words to live by,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°But¡ why do you shun the bow?¡±
¡°To fight from afar¡ my people would lose faith in me if I simply sat in the back line and sent arrows towards the enemy,¡± Gelarion said, though the excuse seemed shaky.
¡°Come now¡ do you really believe that?¡± Orodan asked, giving the boy a searching look. ¡°Or are you just not keen on archery because you don¡¯t like it?¡±
At this, Gelarion could say nothing and looked downwards.
¡°Why¡ he never listens to me in such a way¡¡± Eldarion grumbled.
¡°Gelarion, was it?¡± Orodan asked, and the boy nodded. ¡°Catch.¡±
The young elf looked up in time to see a halberd tossed his way, gently, with the haft positioned to be easily caught.
¡°A halberd?¡± Gelarion asked.
¡°Aye,¡± Orodan said and then drew his shield. ¡°Now, thrust. Hard as you can.¡±
The boy looked hesitant at first, but the serious look in Orodan¡¯s eyes must have convinced him. The thrust was decent, but clumsy.
¡°I¡¯ve never used a halberd before¡ a spear, yes, but the weight on the head is-¡±
¡°Come now, should a protector make excuses? Thrust again, give it your all,¡± Orodan said and smirked as the boy began a furious barrage of thrusts against his shield. He tried hard and gave it true effort, which Orodan approved of. ¡°Better. Keep going.¡±
Gelarion wasn¡¯t bad. For a sixteen-year-old elf, Orodan would say he was at the middle Apprentice-level with the sword. Better than Orodan himself had been at seventeen. Though¡
¡the boy¡¯s Combat Mastery wasn¡¯t up to par. That was a separate lesson however, and likely not something Orodan could teach without replicating the sort of hellish conditions he¡¯d gone through growing up as an orphaned street rat who fought for scraps.
The elf kept thrusting, and Orodan kept casually stopping the thrusts.
And then, at a critical juncture when the boy¡¯s hands were moving about the haft¡
¡Orodan gave a light rap upon the fingers of one hand.
¡°Now continue thrusting, but with that one hand,¡± Orodan said.
Gelarion looked a little frustrated, and even Eldarion looked curious. Yet, the elf continued.
The one-handed thrusts with the halberd kept coming, and very slowly began to show some improvement.
Suddenly, Orodan, at maximal speed, rushed the boy and swapped the halberd in his hand for Gelarion¡¯s swords. It was so quick that the elf nor Eldarion had noticed.
And the next thrust which came¡
¡was much better.
¡°W-what the! The halberd¡ this is my sword! And I gained a skill level!¡± Gelarion exclaimed in confusion.
Orodan¡¯s work with Alovardo Balmento had allowed him to see System energy now, and the swirling of it around Gelarion¡¯s right hand was apparent.
¡°That. Is the power of cross-training,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Does the path of an arrow not go straight and true like that of a sword thrust? A sharp point traveling towards the foe¡ there are only so many ways to deliver such an attack. The thrust of a sword is one, and the flight of an arrow is another. Perhaps you can now see how studying complementary things might lead to unexpected advancements?¡±
¡°I¡ hadn¡¯t even considered that¡¡±
¡°If you¡¯re going to abandon the bow because you¡¯re lazy, simply say so. But do not make excuses for it,¡± Orodan said as he sheathed his halberd. ¡°Do not think yourself above the fundamentals. True mastery starts and ends at them.¡±
¡°Yes Lord Wainwright!¡± Gelarion said, and then froze at the frown from Orodan. ¡°I mean, Mister Wainwright!¡±
The young elf bowed and then bolted, departing the training area which Orodan was using, leaving just him and Eldarion. The boy looked much more eager for that archery lesson now.
¡°You really are quite the teacher,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°I had initially thought you might have some disdain for someone with tutors and instructors¡ but you taught him fairly.¡±
¡°He didn¡¯t choose the circumstances of his life, why should I hold that against him?¡± Orodan said. ¡°A pauper should feel no shame for his poor background, but similarly a prince should feel no guilt for his advantages. What matters is how one approaches life. The boy had heart and was teachable, which is what matters.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ you¡¯re an awfully tolerant and open-minded man for one who embraces violence so deeply,¡± Eldarion said.
¡°I wasn¡¯t always so tolerant,¡± Orodan said, and then smiled. ¡°If the boy had met me when I was seventeen, a fight would have doubtlessly broken out.¡±
¡°Ah, a thrill-seeker then. Gelarion is the same,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°If only he wasn¡¯t such a troublemaker, I would rest easier.¡±
¡°He isn¡¯t such a bad lad. Being excitable and chasing conflict aren¡¯t the worst traits to cultivate in a warrior,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Why do you call him a troublemaker?¡±
¡°He is too¡ hasty,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°And while I have been trying to push the youth of our kind towards taking more risks and venturing out into the world in the name of growth and adventure¡ his case is a little more complicated.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°You mentioned meeting Othorion Evertree in your past loops, yes?¡± the elf asked, and Orodan nodded.
Othorion Evertree was a young elf who used a Bloodline to draw upon the power of the imprisoned elven Goddess Faraine. He¡¯d fought the elf once in the Inter-Academy Tournament, and then helped Vespidia fight him once as well. Frankly, Orodan thought Othorion was a spineless bully with some real issues.
¡°Othorion is the outcast bastard of the royal Ethweni family,¡± Eldarion explained. ¡°Gelarion however¡ is the crown prince of the Ethweni line. The heir to the nominal position of Steward-King, and the most talented young elf to grace Eldiron in many millennia.¡±
¡°So¡ you keep him protected due to his potential and royal blood? Would that not just stifle his growth?¡± Orodan asked as he focused on the dimensional bubbles and paid close attention to the very instant that a dimension was created. ¡°The boy is clearly inquisitive and in search of knowledge. What¡¯s so bad about that? And it still doesn¡¯t explain how he¡¯s a troublemaker.¡±
¡°Ah¡ unfortunately I have no say over it. My wife Cithrel rules over elvenkind, and the royals of the Ethweni line are considered her direct mortal descendants,¡± Eldarion explained. ¡°Before she ascended to divinity, we had many children. And the result of our union is the Ethweni line. The royal family has the purest expression of our blood; however, it¡¯s passed in diluted form among many other elves too.¡±
¡°Inter-familial relations?¡±
¡°It is not ince- ah, you¡¯re jesting, of course¡¡± Eldarion grumbled as he saw Orodan¡¯s smile.
¡°Once upon a time I did genuinely ask that question,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°But I know that there are ways of imparting one¡¯s genetic ancestry onto someone else.¡±
On Inuan for instance, through a ritual of minor cost, one could impart their ancestry and certain genetic traits unto a child even if they weren¡¯t originally related by blood. People with a certain amount of wealth who didn¡¯t care to marry and have children in the conventional manner oft used this method. Adoptions into noble families occurred in this manner, though if a Bloodline was involved the process became more costly.
Eldarion shook his head and the two continued engaging in idle talk as Orodan continued studying the bubbles produced by the orb.
¡°To think that you were capable of Dimensionalism with the System, yet without it are stuck at square one once more,¡± Eldarion muttered. ¡°Are all skills so reliant upon it?¡±
¡°It depends on the individual. For you, I suspect your social skill will remain mostly unchanged if at all. The more intimately one understands a skill, the less impacted it is by the loss of the System,¡± Orodan explained. For me, my martial and physical skills seem almost unaffected. That and my Celestial skills.¡±
¡°Though I¡¯ve never heard of Celestial rarity skills before meeting you, I can understand how they¡¯d remain unaffected if the System¡¯s the crutch you say it is,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Your martial and physical skills though?¡±
¡°I was always good at fighting, and my upbringing ensured it was ingrained in me,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°When all one does is fight on the streets as a destitute orphan¡ getting good at it is somewhat natural. I¡¯m fairly certain I knew how to throw a decent straight and cross combo before I ever unlocked Unarmed Combat Mastery.¡±
¡°Impressive. Still, I¡¯m grateful that no children upon Eldiron need go through such beginnings.¡±
¡°My perspective is a bit warped, for it made me who I am, but I can objectively see how such an upbringing might be bad,¡± Orodan said. While life as a street rat could produce an Orodan Wainwright, it could also lead to death, a career in crime and worse as he¡¯d seen all too often. ¡°Some of the youth around these parts could stand to learn a bit more diligence though. Gelarion seems to be the exception though.¡±
In other words, the elven youth and children Orodan had seen thus far were more than a little¡
¡°Laid back? I concur, and we¡¯ve been trying to instil the value of hard work and diligence within our youth for the past fifty-thousand years,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Compared to you humans though, the drive to advance just isn¡¯t as intrinsic to our kind. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll naturally fall short by human standards, especially yours. I ask that you remain understanding for when you¡¯re at Goldleaf.¡±
¡°My focus remains singularly upon my own pursuits. I¡¯m not interested in lecturing people about their work ethic, or lack thereof,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Anyhow, Goldleaf Academy¡ the instructors will be ready by tomorrow?¡±
¡°Yes. Elven rune magic, runic enchanting and continuing studies in the magical arts as you requested,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°And of course, Dimensionalism.¡±
Goldleaf. A name he¡¯d heard once upon a time. An academy from where Othorion Evertree hailed. It was likely the oldest center of learning in the world.
And he was determined to extract every bit of knowledge he could from it.
Before that though, a meeting with the elven pantheon.
#
If Ildisiar was a small settlement, then the capital was anything but.
Aldenil, the capital city of Eldiron. Elves, young and old, ancient masters and immemorial beings which had existed since the founding of life upon Alastaia dwelled within. It was the home of the council of Aldenil, Eldiron¡¯s governing body. And at the head of the council stood the royal Ethweni family, specifically, the Steward-King. Granted authority to rule through divine mandate; he managed worldly affairs at the behest of the God-Queen of elvenkind.
¡°Quite the city, is it not?¡± Eldarion asked.
¡°Less buildings than I¡¯d have thought¡ there are trees everywhere,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen bigger cities on other worlds, but this is the largest city I¡¯ve seen upon Alastaia. Quite ancient too, I can sense the immemorial currents of time surrounding many of these trees.¡±
¡°Many of these ancient beings predate the founding of Aldenil itself. The oak upon which the palace resides is one such elder.¡±
Aldenil didn¡¯t have buildings in the traditional sense. Or not many of them at least. It was Orodan¡¯s first time seeing a city composed mostly of trees.
It was gorgeous. An almost rainbow-colored palette of diversity greeted the eyes. Trees of all shapes, sizes and colors made up the city. The elderly plants towered high into the sky, and the tallest of them even pierced past the cloud layer itself. He sensed the undercurrent of illusory magic meant to prevent it being seen from other continents too, which explained why it wasn¡¯t visible throughout his adventures elsewhere on Alastaia. Even in approaching the city, it hadn¡¯t become visible to the naked eye until they¡¯d crossed a certain threshold.
Growing up in Ogdenborough, he and the rest of his peers had always held elves as fanciful, woodland-loving caricatures in their minds. And while this capital city consisting of mostly trees helped that image, it didn¡¯t imply in the slightest that the elves were tree-hugging hermits.
Mainly because the stunning architecture of the buildings which laid upon these trees spoke for itself. Stark white marble which glinted in the sun, and golden fittings and trim overlaid above. Regal and ostentatious banners and trappings of fine cloth oft decorated them too. The trees were old, but they bore grand architecture upon them, and it presented the picture of a people who were in tune with nature yet also a grand and ancient civilization of their own.
¡°Easy on the eyes at least,¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Is our destination that tree which looms over it all?¡±
¡°Rather obvious, but yes. Cithrel and Athandelu wish to meet with you,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°I¡¯ve informed them of the particulars of your situation, and now that the initial meeting between us has gone well, they wish to have a word.¡±
¡°Ah, more political sabre-rattling?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Hmm¡ perhaps. I oft do not know what my wife is thinking,¡± Eldarion admitted. ¡°Though, I¡¯ve tried my best to advise her on what it is you¡¯re after and what you seek from this arrangement.¡±
Fair enough.
The streets of Aldenil were bustling with life. Elves walked about, occasionally a bonded animal companion could be seen as well. Elven children ran about playing and engaging in general mischief, and even elves who looked to be fully grown adults were acting quite juvenile alongside them. Which, Orodan had been told, was the result of slower maturation due to having an immortal lifespan. While a human would have a trade by the time they came of age, an elf might not be pressured in the same manner. The timespan considered formative must¡¯ve been longer for them.
Not only elves inhabited the city, but drow too. Many of them looked quite affluent, and perhaps sought to get away from the war and general misery back home. A few of them even gave him knowing looks of respect and awe when they recognized who he was.
Guards outfitted in fine armor patrolled the streets, though with far less frequency than he¡¯d seen in Novar¡¯s Peak. He figured that the existence of the invisible elves on the tops of the buildings above might have something to do with that.
He wondered if that was where Vespidia learned her invisibility magic from.
¡°Lot of unseen watchers above,¡± Orodan said.
¡°If you were hoping to surprise me with the fact that you can see them, you¡¯ll remain disappointed,¡± Eldarion said with a smirk. ¡°Athandelu¡¯s order of shadows. Each of them are painstakingly trained from a young age to serve as the eyes and ears of the God-Queen. As is the nature of intelligence operations, we even had a few near priority locations on your home continent. Though, your shattering of Athandelu¡¯s psionic web caused the immediate withdrawal of all agents.¡±
¡°Sorry, but I needed to trim down the number of eyes on me at that time,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°There¡¯s no blame from me, rather seeing Athandelu scramble was quite the spectacle. Not often that the wand¡¯s effects are discovered,¡± Eldarion replied.
They continued down the streets until they reached the base of the grand oak which towered above all. It was the oldest tree in Aldenil, and from what he¡¯d read, the largest tree in the known world. The royal palace of Aldenil was at the very top, and at least a third of Goldleaf Academy¡¯s buildings were built into and halfway up the trunk. Many of the trees of wisdom were older than it, but what it lacked in knowledge, it made up for in sheer size.
Frankly, the tree of wisdom he¡¯d met in Ildisiar was old, but Orodan¡¯s instincts gauged it as not particularly suited to combat. Though, this humongous cloud-piercing tree was. He detected a massive network of roots which connected to it, and the awareness that they, alongside the tree itself, were very capable of movement and battle. Its overall battle power seemed stronger than even the uncorrupted Void Horror guarding the world core.
He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if this tree was one of the elves¡¯ planned countermeasures against the Eldritch Avatar.
The guards at the base of the tree allowed them through, and a teleporter to the palace was taken.
They stepped through as it brought them just before the open doors of the council chamber. Where an argument was taking place, and his exceptional hearing could pick it up.
¡°No, Othorion, your petition to face the enemy upon the northern continent is denied.¡±
¡°Father I must protest this! While we sit around and wait, the foe will grow stronger! The corruptive effects of the Eldritch are well-known, and it will only gain strength as it spreads its virulent plague,¡± Othorion said vehemently.
¡°And if we commit to facing it upon the northern continent, we shall face terrible losses while the majority of our stratagems remain inaccessible to us,¡± the Steward-King, Virion Ethweni said. Orodan had met this elf before. ¡°If this is about your broth-¡±
¡°No, it is not. Though, if only my words carried equal weight to his, you might listen,¡± Othorion spat.
¡°Gelarion would not move us to confront it upon its landing either. You overestimate his influence upon me, and need I remind you that we serve the God-Queen? She makes the final decision,¡± Virion said. ¡°If you covet the throne of the Steward-King you would push yourself harder in your training. Your birth has little bearing on your ability to ascend upwards, provided you can prove yourself.¡±
¡°Tch! How am I to compete with one who has such natural talents?¡± Othorion asked. ¡°I don¡¯t even care for the throne, all I ever wanted was your respect!¡±
¡°This is not the time or the place for such arguments! You have my blood, and the Bloodline I bear which allows for the channelling of divine power. Such advantages and yet you whine like an aggrieved child,¡± Virion scolded. ¡°Have you not heard that a visitor of great importance will be coming today? If you want something, go earn it!¡±
Orodan never knew his father, but even he thought that was more than a bit harsh.
¡°Of course¡ you speak truly father,¡± Othorion said, a look of grim determination on the elf¡¯s face. ¡°I shall prove myself.¡±
Little wonder then, that Othorion had hopelessly tried throwing himself against the Eldritch Avatar in Orodan¡¯s very first loop on Guzuhar. Cause and effect. Everything had a reason behind it; the time loops simply allowed Orodan to see it all very intimately.
And while he didn¡¯t like Othorion at all, he wasn¡¯t about to let a troubled boy die in a foolhardy attempt to earn his reticent father¡¯s respect. The Eldritch Avatar would be dealt with by Orodan.
Eldarion had a frown on his face, though he seemed unwilling to intervene.
Othorion¡¯s fists were clenched as he walked out, a rictus of anger upon his face. The angered son briefly gave a sharp nod of respect and acknowledgement towards Eldarion, but so great were the clouds upon his mind that he simply walked past. Following him though, was a young drow.
Orodan had seen this one before during the Inter-Academy Tournament.
¡°Lord Eldarion, it is an honor,¡± the drow said, and then turned to Orodan, a look of gratitude in his eyes. ¡°And you¡ my lord, might you be Orodan Wainwright?¡±
Damn it. He sighed.
¡°I¡¯m not a lord, just Orodan will do.¡±
The drow crossed both arms, touching the shoulders with each hand, and bowed at the waist.
¡°I, Jegdalo Mezzer, am eternally grateful for what you have done. Lord Orodan Wainwright, Clan Mezzer will eternally be in your debt,¡± Jegdalo declared. ¡°And I pledge my loyalty an-¡±
¡°Now hold on a moment,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s really not necessary, and I¡¯m not a lord. I didn¡¯t like what the dwarves were doing, and so I put an end to it. That¡¯s all. And while I¡¯m glad you found some good in it, I genuinely don¡¯t need any thanks or a declaration of loyalty.¡±
Least of all for lord Orodan. Ugh.
¡°Lo- Mister Wainwright, many long-lost family members of mine were among those you rescued,¡± Jegdalo said, the drow¡¯s voice shaky. ¡°My mother and one of the clan elders among them. Thank you¡ thank you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome, though, you owe me nothing, nor do I want anything,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Besides, your clan elder has helped me a lot with unravelling the mysteries of dragon spider silk and how it can be used in enchanting.¡±
¡°Ah¡ elder Xalyth?¡± Jegdalo asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°She is a¡ particular sort of woman. Have you¡ never mind. Your business is your own.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t really get what he was trying to say, but didn¡¯t push the matter.
¡°Discussions on predatory individuals aside,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Our meeting awaits. Try not to offend my wife overly much Orodan.¡±
¡°I make no promises.¡±
Eldarion let out a long and drawn-out sigh, yet they walked into the throne room all the same.
There were four thrones which loomed above a smaller one. The smaller throne belonged to the Steward-King of course, while three of the higher thrones doubtlessly belonged to the Gods of the elven pantheon. And the final one, highest above them all, belonged to Cithrel, the God-Queen of elvenkind.
Virion Ethweni was already sat upon his throne of the Steward-King, and as Orodan entered the room, space fluctuated and Avatars of both Cithrel and Athandelu arrived to fill their spots, while Eldarion moved to seat himself in his own.
¡°Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Cithrel,¡± Orodan returned. ¡°I notice the obvious absence of one of your number.¡±
¡°Let us not bandy words, time looper. My husband has spoken to you, and while his tendency to trust everyone is well-known, I do not share the same sentiment,¡± Cithrel spoke. ¡°I know you want more from us than simply learning what you have come to learn.¡±
¡°Correct, let¡¯s not beat around the bush,¡± Orodan agreed. ¡°Free Faraine.¡±
¡°Impossible. And attempting to force the issue will court war.¡±
¡°Even if I took care of the Eldritch Avatar for you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Even if Faraine fled, never to return upon her liberation?¡±
¡°A bold claim¡ yet our people are not so defenseless that we have no assurances of victory against it,¡± Cithrel said. ¡°And how do you intend to ensure she does not act against us?¡±
¡°Through brute force. Her freedom will be contingent upon her agreement to stay away from you. If she acts against it¡ I shall handle the issue,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°As for the Eldritch Avatar¡ underestimate it not. Surely your network of intelligence is aware of the grand ritual array at Novar¡¯s Peak? Even with that, alongside multiple Avatars, World Guardians, Balastion Novar and myself¡ it still reaped a horrid toll. The infectiousness of the Eldritch cannot be underestimated. It can corrupt even Gods, and you¡¯ll find your allies turned against you in the midst of battle if all goes wrong.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The gigantic tree the royal palace was situated upon looked powerful no doubt. But what would happen if it became corrupted in the midst of battle?
¡°Its strength and virulence are of some concern, I will admit, but this deal is still far too lopsided.¡±
¡°Then consider your husband¡¯s trial of ascendance. And his advancement to Transcendence,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You two need not be separate if that occurs.¡±
¡°You speak impossibility. Gods cannot manifest within the material plane.¡±
¡°Incorrect. Not only can they, but they may also be slain when they directly present themselves within our plane,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°And all this can be achieved with Dimensionalism.¡±
¡°And how do you intend on breaching the dimensional layer leading to the divine realm? Even with the combined power of myself and Athandelu we barely scratched the dimensional fabric.¡±
¡°Allow me to demonstrate. Do you have an energy battery for Aldenil that I can use?¡±
Cithrel seemed curious and willing to humor him. With a gesture, she opened a spatial tunnel to one of Aldenil¡¯s batteries, right in front of Orodan.
A hand was placed, the most minute amount of his power was channelled.
And in a single instant, the battery was fully charged.
¡°Such raw power¡ is that how you shattered the psionic web over the Republic?¡± Athandelu asked.
¡°Aye. If raw power¡¯s the issue, I have no problem solving it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I can breach the dimensional fabric, but I need to learn Dimensionalism first.¡±
Cithrel looked to Eldarion.
¡°You did not tell me about this.¡±
¡°Some things are best demonstrated than said,¡± Eldarion replied. ¡°Far easier to take his proposition seriously when you witness the proof of what he can do.¡±
¡°But¡ to free Faraine, after her acts of revolt and attempts to undermine my rule¡¡±
¡°My love¡ I would not challenge you, but rather seek to persuade you. Faraine, from her point of view, took issue with many of your edicts,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°It does not excuse the sting of her betrayal, but to keep her captive for so long is unjust, is it not?¡±
¡°I will not claim to have made everyone happy with my rule. Yet, her political justifications are naught but a mask for her true desire¡ your hand.¡±
What manner of sordid affair was this?
¡°She loved me¡ it is true. Yet, that does not mean-¡±
¡°Alright hold on,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°While I¡¯m sure it¡¯s quite revelatory that this all started from affections gone wrong, I¡¯m not interested in the details of your convoluted love triangle. Do we have an accord, or no?¡±
The Avatar of Cithrel let out a most indignant and offended squawk. Eldarion looked downwards and coughed in embarrassment, and Virion Ethweni the poor Steward-King palmed his face in disappointment. All while the Avatar of Athandelu laughed.
¡°I like this one,¡± Athandelu said.
¡°Athandelu!¡±
¡°Do not chide me so, he speaks truth. This ugly affair between the three of you has caused much strife for all elvenkind, simply because Eldarion could not contain his passions.¡±
¡°You cheated on your wife?¡± Orodan asked, perplexed. ¡°Is that why she detests Faraine so much?¡±
¡°It is¡ more complicated than th-¡±
¡°No. No it is not. The time looper has accurately gauged the matter, and the summation should put us all to shame,¡± Athandelu spoke, anger in his tone. ¡°Here we stand, the greatest threat in our history approaching us, and all you can do is hold onto grudges borne of wayward spousal loyalties. For the longest time, Cithrel, have you blamed Faraine, yet you refused to look to the man who allowed her affections in the first place. I say, enough.¡±
Huh¡ was that why Eldarion was both unwilling to push too hard on the matter of Faraine yet also against the length of her punishment? Was it guilt which brought him to inaction?
The Avatar of Cithrel remained silent for a while.
Finally, she spoke.
¡°We have an accord, Orodan Wainwright. For now, please go and leave us to our discussions.¡±
#
¡°Honored savior, it is a pleasure to greet you once more.¡±
¡°Elder Xalyth.¡±
¡°Now, elder is such a rude term which reminds me of my age. If you must insist on formalities, then Lady Xalyth will do.¡±
Orodan had been called an idiot, but he wasn¡¯t blind. Even before the time loops, an innocent and inexperienced celibate, he was not. Now, she could be innocently flirting, yet from his observations she only spoke in such a manner to him specifically.
And she¡¯d been making such comments throughout the day.
Problem was, he no longer had any interest in such casual things. Perhaps when the seventeen-year-old Orodan was finding himself he might¡¯ve thought to have a tryst or two. Now though? A good battle was the only thing which truly got the blood flowing, and the looming threats before him in the way of his grand vision left no time for such frivolities.
Most importantly though¡ while he had yet to come to terms with how he felt about it, he had someone waiting on him for an answer. And in a rare display of hesitation, Orodan was procrastinating that particular matter. And even if, hypothetically, he was interested in impermanent affairs; he wasn¡¯t about to callously give her an answer by shacking up with this drow woman.
¡°That would be disrespectful, elder,¡± Orodan said, noticing the slight frown on her face. And ignoring the fact that he was likely older than her by now. ¡°Have you settled into Aldenil?¡±
¡°I should be asking you that. I have been to Aldenil plenty of times, it¡¯s a favored vacation spot for the nobility of Xan¡¯Coran,¡± Xalyth remarked. ¡°I hear you¡¯re lodging at Ildisiar and get along well with Lord Eldarion.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not as though I sleep, so calling it lodging is a bit much,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Ah, the benefits of an incredibly high Physical Fitness. If only I wasn¡¯t more inclined towards the magical arts myself, I might know how that feels,¡± she said.
¡°You could still put in the work and get there,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Getting to even the Adept-level of Physical Fitness removes the need for sleep.¡±
¡°Yes, but you take for granted the work which goes into honing the skill. For you, hard work, pain and gruelling physical labor might not seem arduous, but for the rest of us, it¡¯s quite the challenge to surmount.¡±
Orodan wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t as though he was outright immune to pain or that hard work felt easy for him, but he chose to drop it and focus on the work in front of him. If someone wasn¡¯t interested in putting in the work to learn a skill, he wasn¡¯t about to force them. There were different paths in life, and just because someone eschewed the martial one didn¡¯t mean they were inferior.
¡°Fair enough. Anyhow, I believe I¡¯m getting a better understanding for how the silk of the spider dragons operates. Though what I attempt still eludes me¡¡±
¡°If you bothered to tell me exactly what it is that you¡¯re attempting, I might be able to help,¡± Xalyth said with an amused smirk. ¡°But as it stands, all I¡¯ve watched you do for the past four hours is stare at the silk and that branch of the tree of wisdom¡ menacingly.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not staring menacingly.¡±
¡°But you are staring at them as though you want to burn a hole with your gaze,¡± she remarked. ¡°What exactly are you looking for?¡±
Calling it a room wasn¡¯t accurate. Rather, they were inside a spacious chamber, the walls made of ancient wood. They were inside of the tree of wisdom. Not the one in Ildisiar, but the one which overlooked Aldenil and which the students from Goldleaf came to in order to seek guidance.
His conversation with the tree on Ildisiar had gone well, and it was upon its recommendation that this other tree had agreed to take him on as a student as well. Orodan had tried studying the ancient tree of Ildisiar, but its composition was too complex, it was the eldest of these wise trees and the oldest living thing on Eldiron. This tree he was currently studying though, was far younger, and Orodan could understand better what was occurring.
¡°Two things. Firstly, the silk of the spider dragon¡ it¡¯s clearly tied to the soul, it comes from the soul. It¡¯s a remarkable phenomenon which bridges the gap between the soul and the material plane,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As for this branch which the tree has offered for study, I seek to understand how it can physically store knowledge within. Yet, it¡¯s such a curious thing¡ if a leaf falls off the knowledge within instantly disappears.¡±
¡°How does a brain store knowledge?¡± Xalyth queried. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the tree is what you focus on when the organ dedicated to thought can do the same.¡±
¡°No. The brain merely stores knowledge physically, this branch of the tree of wisdom though¡ it stores it not just physically¡ but¡¡±
¡the soul. Its very soul was still present in this branch.
So that was why the leaves instantly lost all knowledge when they came off.
Now, he felt he was getting somewhere. The silk of the spider dragon was a physical object somehow produced from the soul and containing its memories and experiences, while the branches and leaves of this tree of wisdom were extensions of its soul and became useless upon losing connection to the main soul.
And while spider dragon silk seemed as though it was the superior material, the fact was that it couldn¡¯t hold even a millionth of the sheer knowledge even a single leaf of this tree of wisdom did.
¡°Tree,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This is¡ the leaves are physical extensions of your soul, aren¡¯t they?¡±
¡°Accurately summated. This one¡¯s very being courses through its frame, sprouting as leaves.¡±
Then, the tall task before him¡ was to find a method of combining the permanence of spider dragon silk with the storage capacity of these ancient elven trees.
He focused and looked back and forth. The branch which was intruding upon the chamber through an opening leading outside, and the spider dragon silk before him.
Unfortunately, his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a certain Avatar.
The wooden chamber walls parted, and a familiar Avatar stepped forth, eyes glowing. Though, it wasn¡¯t Eldarion or Cithrel.
¡°Athandelu.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± the elven God of psionics greeted. ¡°Earlier we did not get to meet properly as the meeting was cut short.¡±
¡°Right, I don¡¯t think Cithrel was happy about her torrid love affair being discussed so openly,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Yet, she chose to bring it up herself. It is good to see someone speak in a straightforward manner and force her to confront the issue,¡± Athandelu said. ¡°When one is surrounded by immortals who speak in riddles or waste their time dallying on silly pursuits, it is refreshing to meet one possessed of a direct nature.¡±
¡°I have many things to do and not much time to waste,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though, for a God of psionics and subterfuge I¡¯m somewhat surprised to see you advocating for such an outlook.¡±
¡°Subterfuge is ultimately performed with the goal of obtaining an answer. And what better way to get an answer than directly?¡± Athandelu posed and Orodan nodded. ¡°Now then, while meeting you and making your acquaintance has been nice, I am sure you have little interest in small talk. Here, the item you covet.¡±
It was a little small to be a staff. Perhaps less than half the length of Orodan¡¯s forearm. And the carvings upon it were intricate and four-dimensional in a way which drew his eye immediately.
¡°A wand, visually at least.¡±
¡°The wand. The humans of your continent refer to it as the wand of Athandelu,¡± the God said. ¡°In truth, this was one of the spoils of our foray into the hells a few millennia ago. Taen from the corpse of a slain Arch-Devil. The enchanting language is unlike any we¡¯ve seen on our world.¡±
¡°Aye, that would be because it¡¯s the devil¡¯s enchanting language,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This isn¡¯t just a wand either, it¡¯s living matter, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°An astute eye¡ Eldarion¡¯s claims that you were a time looper seemed fanciful, but you¡¯ve seen other examples of working devil script language, haven¡¯t you?¡± Athandelu asked and Orodan hummed in assent. ¡°You speak true. This wand is in fact the bone of something long-gone but kept alive through magic.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if you faced them during your expedition, but demonkind have script-bearers whose entire body is covered in such enchantments,¡± Orodan said. ¡°They can be quite powerful.¡±
¡°Our forces faced only one such script-bearing devil, and even though it was at the Master-level it gave our Grandmasters and Avatars an exceedingly difficult battle.¡±
Orodan would say they were exceedingly lucky then. And that this historical expedition had fought the trash and rejects of the hells. For within Druhmiyan script-bearers at the Grandmaster level were common enough, and there were even Transcendents.
Still, something was off about this wand. Orodan looked at it closely, his eyes focusing as though he wished to drill a hole through it.
¡°You said this is alive?¡±
¡°Yes. It has traces of vitality within, preserved through the enchantments upon it.¡±
¡°Have you ever tried looking closer at it to find out how it works?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Only visually. This wand is a powerful tool in our arsenal. Tampering with it would pose an undue risk.¡±
Yet, even visually, Orodan could see something he doubted any other elf could. It wasn¡¯t arrogance to say that Orodan¡¯s mastery in the ways of the soul was phenomenal, unmatched by anyone on Alastaia.
And with it, he could clearly see¡
¡°A soul. Not just life, but a soul,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Kept carefully bound through the enchantments, yet an actual soul is what fuels the wand you carry.¡±
It was a heavily damaged one too, yet just by looking at it, Orodan was beginning to gain inspiration for his ultimate goal.
Who knew that souls could interact so directly with enchantments?
¡°Truly? You¡ can see it?¡±
¡°Yes, a soul is what powers this wand,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The nature of the enchantment is quite sickening, in all honesty, but that explains why the devil-script language works at all despite the lack of a living thing.¡±
After all, from what he knew, the enchanting language of the hells was dark and required life to function. Frankly, the only thing stopping Orodan from just ripping the wand apart to free this thing was that he could sense it was slumbering and not being actively tortured.
¡°I have heard of your¡ morality. Will this be a problem? The wand is important to us.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not about to allow a soul to be held captive and used as fuel for no good reason, though I think I can solve the issue by powering the wand myself,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I¡¯m familiar enough with the soul arts that I won¡¯t need to have my soul locked into the wand for it either.¡±
Coming to Eldiron had been the right idea. This continent was old, and the beings upon it, ancient. Soul skills in particular, something less known on Inuan or Guzuhar, was easier to learn here due to the simple fact that Eldiron had over a hundred-thousand years of uninterrupted civilization.
Orodan had been introduced to some important concepts involving the soul already. Souls, their existence in the physical realm, the ability to store knowledge and to make them interact directly with enchantments.
This¡ this was what would propel him towards the grand ambition he held.
#
When not inside of a chamber within a gigantic tree, Goldleaf Academy was quite beautiful. Many of the buildings were built into the side of the grand oak, and a trip up to the palace or down to the base of the oak wasn¡¯t too far away. While half the buildings were built into the gigantic tree, the other half were glimmering spires and towers which housed thousands of students, staff and visitors.
Although most of Orodan¡¯s primary pursuits were handled by tutors and specialists in private, there were a few classes for which he simply attended like a regular student. The artificing class was one of them.
And while it wasn¡¯t unheard of for humans to attend Eldiron, typically those of exceptional talent or some uncommon ability, it was still a rarity and the human students on academy grounds were well known.
Orodan walked into the class, and all the elves stared at him as though he was an alien.
¡°What? Never seen a human before?¡± Orodan asked.
Dead silence was all that returned.
¡°Hrm¡ pardon the shocked looks of these younglings.¡± the instructor asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Many of these elves have never seen one of your kind before. Our continent is rather isolated, both geographically and culturally. And for those students devoted to the arts of making, venturing out onto Inuan or Guzuhar is not exactly a priority.¡±
Fair enough. Orodan was in a class full of socially stunted craftsfolk then. Even among elves, these students weren¡¯t the sort to go adventuring and meeting other races. And even if nothing about Orodan¡¯s visit to Eldiron had been publicized, he was sure some people had seen and spread word of him alongside Eldarion. Naturally, this made them curious.
Thankfully, the drow students weren¡¯t as shameless as they had seen humans before.
¡°That¡¯s alright. Shall we get to learning?¡± Orodan asked and the instructor assented, beginning class.
He¡¯d chosen a higher year course in which the direction of study was left up to the student rather than a lecture imparted by the teacher. Even in the other academies, aside from the first year, artificers were typically expected to formulate and decide upon a direction of study for themselves. Given the broad nature of it and that it was a multidisciplinary approach, there was no uniform direction for a student to move in.
Consequently, some artificers were enchanters, choosing to use artificing class to work on a product they¡¯d created through Blacksmithing or Jewelcrafting. Others were scroll-scribes, attempting to make powerful, single-use magical scrolls which were made through Papercrafting or Weaving and then finished through a combination of Calligraphy, Alchemy and Enchanting. Orodan considered them to be quite impressive in the sheer number of crafts involved.
And then, there were those like him, who combined Engineering and Blacksmithing to try and make a device. It was good practice for when he eventually planned to reconstruct the ancient machine beneath the mountain, but mainly¡
¡Orodan enjoyed making guns.
He never planned on using them, but who would¡¯ve thought that he enjoyed the act of fashioning a rifle so much?
¡°A¡ firearm? Is that what you humans call them?¡± an unimpressed voice called out from behind.
¡°I admit, it¡¯s not a weapon I¡¯d find myself using either, but to underestimate what it¡¯s capable of can be fatal,¡± Orodan replied, his focus upon the rifle he was fashioning.
His Woodworking - something he quite enjoyed as it¡¯d been the first craft he picked up in the loops - wasn¡¯t as affected by the loss of his System as his other crafting skills were. Oh, he still struggled and made basic mistakes which other students and the instructor quirked their eyebrow at, but he managed to fashion the stock quite well. Plus, his time at Bluefire had given him plenty of practice in making guns during the artificing class there.
A bit of Blacksmithing and the parts which would bear the strain of the shot, such as the barrel and the hammer were crafted to be sturdy. And some Engineering brought it all together. Orodan had no System at this time, but he legitimately knew the ins and outs of fashioning a basic black powder firearm by now.
It wasn¡¯t a bad gun, it could likely kill someone up to the very early Apprentice-level, but that was where it ended. Middle and late Apprentice warriors and beyond were tough enough to survive the shot, and at the Adept-level they became quick enough to outright react to the bullet.
¡°It seems useless to focus on such things when a bow wielded by an archer can do the job faster and more reliably,¡± the elf said.
¡°Yes, but how many years does it take to train such an archer?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°On the other hand, I could make hundreds of these a day and arm a barely trained peasant militia capable of killing Initiates and Apprentices.¡±
Plus, guns could definitely remain dangerous at higher levels. He¡¯d seen how deadly a gun could be when wielded by a gun master with high-level skills. At the highest levels, a mighty gunslinger and a deadly archer were no different from one another. At the early levels though, the technology could make a significant difference.
Frankly, Alastaia was a bit limited in terms of technology. A big part of re-learning spatiomancy and regaining access to his System was the prospect of being able to return to Lonvoron in the Vystaxium Galaxy and learn how their superior guns worked.
Yet, even without the guns of the Blackworth Collective, so many things within this basic black powder rifle could be improved upon. Orodan pondered on whether the material used for the hammer could be improved so as to create a stronger spark, reducing the chance of a flash in the pan where the bullet did not fire. Or perhaps Alchemy could be used to create a more volatile and explosive powder which propelled a dramatically stronger shot, though this would consequently necessitate a sturdier barrel. Finally, the bullet itself could be fashioned out of stronger material, perhaps designed to pierce better. Or it could even be enchanted, and for that matter, the entire rifle could possibly be enchanted.
It wasn¡¯t the rifle that was important, but the process of making it which forced Orodan to think in a multidisciplinary way, like an artificer. Something that was critical to his goal of reconstructing the ancient machine. He would need to learn not only Blacksmithing, Engineering and Jewelcrafting for it, but also the language of the System and Dimensionalism.
As it stood, he could only access the deep bowels of System space through the usage of the Administrator¡¯s Mantle or jumping onto the connection created when someone was undergoing a trial of ascendance.
The elf looked dissatisfied with Orodan¡¯s claims though.
¡°A mere human peasant could never compare to one of our warriors. Whether armed with a pitchfork or this crude weapon, it makes no difference.¡±
¡°Underestimating someone based on their race or background can prove fatal,¡± Orodan casually remarked. ¡°When was the last time you were in a fight with your life on the line?¡±
The elf stammered for a bit. If anything, Orodan understood how prejudices could breed amidst an environment of ignorance and isolation. Back in Ogdenborough, people held stereotypes and assumptions about dwarves and elves. Yet, in Velestok where a dwarven foreman worked for House Simarji none of that was present. The people had met the dwarf and come to learn that he was just another working citizen like they were.
Furthermore, the cloistered academic types were far more likely to harbor innate biases and feelings of superiority when trapped in a bubble without any exposure to things. In contrast, a soldier or adventurer - even one with a deep hatred for a particular race - would be forced to develop a begrudging respect for their capabilities if they were exposed to and fought them frequently enough.
In other words, a good brawl between people often solved many problems.
¡°I need not have been in any battles to conclude that our warriors from Eldiron are objectively superior. We¡¯ve had a hundred-thousand years to develop, a stark contrast to the mere thirty-thousand you humans have had since the fall of ancient Hasmathor.¡±
¡°And yet, the gap is narrowing rather quickly, isn¡¯t it? Perhaps that scares you? Enough that you sit here and prattle on about the superiority of the elven race like a terrified old woman clutching her jewelry in the face of a thief,¡± Orodan said, putting the finishing touches on the rifle. ¡°If you focused less on what your race can do, and more on what you can do, perhaps your lot in life would improve.¡±
The elf was about to double down and go on another tirade when a familiar face entered the classroom.
¡°Apologies for being late, combat practice took up more time than I would have liked,¡± Jegdalo Mezzer said as he entered. ¡°Lord Wainwright! What a pleasant surprise!¡±
¡°For the last time¡ it¡¯s just Orodan!¡± he protested.
And suddenly, the mutters throughout the class started.
¡°Orodan¡ Wainwright?¡±
¡°All the adventurers talk about him¡¡±
¡°The human continent is aflame after he slew multiple Avatars!¡±
¡°Is he the one Lord Eldarion was speaking to?¡±
The elf who had wanted to go on a tirade stopped upon hearing Orodan¡¯s name. Furthermore, the entrance of Jegdalo also played a role no doubt. From what he¡¯d heard among the student body, Jegdalo was rather well known in Goldleaf Academy as being one of the strongest students. A prime competitor for the upcoming Inter-Academy Tournament.
Orodan tuned out the chatter and gossip surrounding him and instead focused on the drow.
¡°Apologies sir¡ I was not aware you took the third year artificing class as well,¡± Jegdalo said.
¡°I have a rather complicated machine that I need to rebuild which will likely involve many disciplines of crafting,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°What better class to take than this?¡±
¡°True enough,¡± Jegdalo said and then noticed the rifle. ¡°Attempting to match the dwarves? We¡¯ve often tried to mimic their magical rifles ourselves, yet with limited success. Their proficiency with working metal and somehow amplifying the powder is beyond ours, even if our talent in actual runic enchanting is superior.¡±
¡°Is the amplification of the powder a trade secret?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes. And the material the barrel is made of would need to be sturdy enough to withstand this increased power, something we¡¯re a bit disadvantaged at without having anyone capable of Metal Communion,¡± Jegdalo explained. ¡°We managed to make a singular functioning magical rifle which could kill an Elite, but it was disproportionately expensive and difficult to replicate.¡±
¡°Metal Communion? I wasn¡¯t aware anyone had that skill,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have Wood Communion.¡±
Or had anyways.
¡°An exceedingly rare skill itself, with less than a hundred known users of it,¡± Jegdalo remarked. ¡°Though, still not as rare as Metal Communion. Even the dwarves have less than five users of that skill, and they¡¯re unwilling to say how they acquired it.¡±
Orodan recalled how he¡¯d acquired Wood Communion in the first place. It involved not just working with wood, but understanding the very nature of it, touching upon its place in the grand arena that was life. How did one do that with metal? It wasn¡¯t anything he¡¯d be solving for this loop, but it was something to consider nonetheless.
They idly chattered, and they continued working.
At some point, Orodan moved on from working on black powder rifles to other projects. Wood was sawed, screws were forged and then fastened, and it was a harder project than he would¡¯ve expected without the assistance of the System.
He was stubborn and obstinate. He decided that even when he solved the issue of lacking a System, he would not allow himself to use it for help in this endeavor.
By all accounts, it should have been a simple task, but there were just so many things which went into it. And if Orodan struggled and failed at the very basic things without the System¡¯s aid, then this complex task which involved hundreds of little things to be done properly¡ was a true mountain before him.
It was good training.
Well, at least Wood Communion - by virtue of him understanding it intuitively back then when he¡¯d acquired it - wasn¡¯t overly impacted by the loss of his System.
¡°Ah¡ Lor- er¡ Mister Wainwright,¡± the instructor said, likely recalling Orodan¡¯s annoyance with the title. ¡°What is that you¡¯re fashioning?¡±
¡°A wheel. Who would¡¯ve thought that making a wheel could be so utterly difficult?¡±
In truth, Orodan had happily sawed planks, worked on fashioning construction parts for buildings, made complex woodcrafts and more throughout his time in the loops. But a simple wheel? He¡¯d honestly never tried fashioning such a thing.
¡°To what end, might I ask?¡±
¡°What else? I intend to make a cart¡¡±
¡°¡wainwrighting is harder than I thought it would be.¡±
¡°W-wainwrighting? You¡¯re really just making a cart?¡±
¡°Why not? There¡¯s so much that goes into it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Fashioning the wooden parts is just one aspect of the task. Blacksmithing is necessary to create the metallic bits and reinforcements, and Engineering brings it all together. If anything, wainwrighting is the perfect encapsulation of artificing. Multiple crafts coming together to form a new one.¡±
Plus, he could always load a cart up with all manner of heavy things and simply hurl it towards his enemies. If that wasn¡¯t an ingenious battle tactic, what was?
#
¡°Our informants upon the continent report that the Prime Five are in disarray. Was it wise to strike such a blow against three of them? Especially when the Eldritch descends and worse may come?¡± Eldarion asked.
¡°They are but cockroaches, parasitic pests which are a blight upon Alastaia and its peoples. They would have been of no help to us.¡±
A halberd sailed through the air, landing dead upon its target, only for the Whirlpool Whirlwind aspect of Domain of Perfect Cleaning to bring it back to Orodan¡¯s hand.
¡°Mayhap you speak true, and I will not question what happened to you throughout your loops,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°However, know that the relationship between mortals and the divine is not only one of parasitic worship, but can also be possessed of good.¡±
¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Orodan asked, showing a rare bit of impatience. He didn¡¯t like Agathor, Eximus or Ilyatana, and any attempts to defend them consequently irked him.
¡°Peace, my friend,¡± Eldarion placated with a gesture which showed he meant no offense. ¡°The three Gods you weakened were tyrants, no doubt. However, their Blessings also helped better the lives of many. Both things can be true and aren¡¯t mutually exclusive.¡±
¡°Forgive my shortness, you do not deserve that. Though, this topic is one which still heats my temper,¡± Orodan said, throwing his halberd once more. It crisply cut through the air and struck the center dead-on once more. ¡°I have a plan to help those whose Blessings were removed, it¡¯s a goal for a later loop however.¡±
¡°Thank you, that you consider the ramifications is all I ask. After all, the world must go on despite the descent of the Eldritch Avatar and the time loops you find yourself in,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Now then, I see your throwing arm is quite good!¡±
¡°Not too different from throwing a shield. And I¡¯m rather experienced in that already.¡±
Many skills had transferable aspects which could be carried over when learning others. While a halberd and a shield weren¡¯t exactly the same, hurling an object thousands of times was still valid experience which carried over. And Orodan had always been the athletic sort who excelled at anything physical.
Orodan and Eldarion were within Ildisiar once again, specifically, at the training yard for archers and peltasts. Not for a moment had he neglected his martial skillset. Every single day involved some manner of shadow-drill or meditative reflection upon the art of the warrior. Sword, shield, halberd and the weapon which was his very body. Orodan refused to let up on honing these things which were his bread and butter.
Sometimes, he wondered what life would have been like if he had begun as Orodan Wainwright the time looping mage who slung spells at his enemies, or if he¡¯d had a living and loving family. A thought which usually ended with a laugh and a feeling of gratitude for his origins. Yes, life was difficult, but nobody got anywhere meaningful without struggle.
A small part of him knew that the hypothetical mage Orodan would¡¯ve lacked the sheer work ethic and tolerance for pain and death which the orphaned county militiaman did. When fighting the Reject, he¡¯d seen the damned souls of so many other loopers trapped in a horrid prison within him. Many of them must have been nobles, mages, prodigies who¡¯d had everything handed to them on a platter. Yet, they¡¯d failed.
In a sense, perhaps his humble origins and willingness to work hard beyond the limits of reason were what allowed him to succeed where every other time looper had failed.
He continued throwing his halberd over and over, working on perfecting the form.
¡°Has anyone told you that your single-minded zeal is a bit unnerving?¡± Eldarion asked.
¡°Someone close to me said once that I¡¯m more of a force of nature than a man.¡±
¡°They were not wrong,¡± Eldarion remarked. ¡°I once thought myself quite prodigal, and then I began to observe how quick humans, and the shorter-lived races were capable of advancing. Yet, all that pales in comparison to the monster that you are. Even among your kind I¡¯ve never seen anyone with the sort of deathly devotion that you have for self-improvement. I¡¯ve had your lodgings prepared with many amenities, yet you have yet to enter that abode whatsoever.¡±
¡°I do appreciate it, sincerely. But it¡¯s not necessary,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°In fact, I won¡¯t be using that at all so you might put it to better use for someone else.¡±
Eldarion shook his head and sighed.
¡°Your tale makes more and more sense as I watch you. Little wonder that you¡¯ve come so far with a drive like that. Perhaps these time loops could¡¯ve been granted to some prince or a king¡ yet where would they be compared to you? I admit, even if I were in them, I could not match what you¡¯ve done. The controller of these loops truly made the right choice in anointing you to them.¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure if the Boundless One would retain that opinion once it heard of his grand ambition, but Orodan would cross that bridge when he got to it.
¡°It¡¯s just hard work. Anyone¡¯s capable of it,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°And yet, you work the hardest of them all,¡± Eldarion spoke and Orodan hummed.
¡°Your own opportunity for hard work approaches in five months,¡± he said. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up for this trial? Even after I¡¯ve told you the consequences it could bring upon yourself and your world? The Hegemony can sense when anyone within their territory achieves Transcendence.¡±
¡°Truth be told, the consequences are not so bad. The Hegemony arrives, you fight them as you¡¯ve said, and I simply stay out of it,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°If you lose, I simply pledge to serve them as they¡¯ll offer, and if you win, even better.¡±
Well, when put like that, the elf wasn¡¯t in any real trouble. Whatever the outcome, Eldarion and Alastaia would be fine. Though, Orodan would be the one antagonizing them, so who knew if they¡¯d try and take it out upon the planet?
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you have it well thought out.¡±
¡°Of course, the entirety of the risk falls on you. I simply sit back and reap the benefits,¡± Eldarion said, a beaming smile on his face.
Orodan chuckled. At least he was honest about it.
¡°Well, don¡¯t speak as though I¡¯ve won yet,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Who knows how many loops I¡¯ll need before that happens.¡±
¡°Yes, but your victory is inevitable all the same.¡±
Inevitable? Was it?
¡°I prefer not to write in stone what has yet to occur,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°For most, perhaps. Yet, look at yourself, Orodan,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Within the span of less than a century you¡¯ve become strong enough to kill Gods and Transcendents. Breaking continents the size of planets, defeating peak-Transcendents and cleansing entire plague worlds along the way. And even when this Reject - an Administrator capable of shattering galaxies - threw you outside of the System, you simply ignored death through sheer willpower, faced down an entity capable of destroying all of the cosmos we dwell within and then proceeded to empower the time loop yourself. If all that doesn¡¯t convince you that your victory is inevitable, then I don¡¯t know what will.¡±
Was it destiny? Was Orodan ordained for this?
¡°I prefer not to let such fanciful notions enter my head,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°It diminishes the value of the hard work it took to get here.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Ignore your apparent destiny if you wish,¡± Eldarion said.
¡°And what of your destiny? Divinity seems well-suited for you. You know, the God-Queen was quite happy when you failed the trial and ended up forced down the path of a God,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You need not answer if you don¡¯t want, but why? Why go against her wishes? Do you not wish to remain with her?¡±
¡°Why do you continually struggle in these time loops and not simply settle down somewhere quiet with that friend of yours?¡±
¡°That is¡ a good point.¡±
Eldarion had him there. A fair point.
If Orodan was dedicated to the way of the warrior and eternal battle, then it would be hypocritical to not respect Eldarion¡¯s own goals for advancement.
¡°What do you mean by friend?¡± Orodan asked, focusing on the emphasis.
The elf looked unimpressed.
¡°Orodan, every time you speak about her, your tone of voice and your emotions become unusually subdued. Most other parts of your tale, you¡¯ve narrated with some level of ardor, yet every time you¡¯ve brought your half-dragon companion up, you¡¯ve carefully watched how you speak, as though a child is attempting to mask how they feel.¡±
¡°That¡¯s just preposterous¡¡±
¡°And you¡¯re also quite bad at lying,¡± Eldarion said.
¡°I won¡¯t deny that,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I immediately tell everyone that I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°Then why avoid the topic so insistently?¡± Eldarion asked. ¡°If someone saved my life multiple times, I¡¯d perhaps feel a certain way about them, particularly if we¡¯d spent much time together over many horrible events.¡±
¡°Shared misery makes for an unsteady pairing,¡± Orodan said, focusing very much on the javelin he was throwing. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it oft enough growing up.¡±
¡°If that was the only thing drawing you two together, perhaps. Yet your recounting of what you¡¯ve been through was more than just that,¡± the elf said. ¡°Is it the pain of prior bonds breaking that makes you hesitate?¡±
¡°Not in the way you¡¯re thinking,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ve never cared for anything more than a casual encounter, or an extended arrangement consisting of just that.¡±
¡°Then, your dalliance with Xalyth Mezzer makes sense,¡± Eldarion said.
¡°I care not for her.¡±
¡°Then why do you dally, Orodan? From where does the hesitation come?¡±
¡°The hesitation¡ comes from having to see the same person die over and over again,¡± Orodan quietly replied. Though the words carried weight. Even Eldarion was silenced, and a look of pity could be seen on his face. And frankly¡ he wasn¡¯t speaking to just Eldarion. ¡°How many times can I see someone I care for die before I harden? Can I allow myself to feel that way, Eldarion?¡±
With the time loops, with all the cosmic foes he faced and everyone who relied upon him to succeed, could he afford such a thing? When so much hinged on him?
¡°Maybe not¡ but you don¡¯t strike me as a coward, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Men and women with less spine than you have dared to feel such a way. How do you really feel about her?¡±
¡°I feel¡¡± Orodan said, his javelin flying through the air, hitting the target. ¡°That I need a distraction.¡±
It landed off-centre.
And an arrow landed right next to it, hitting dead-center.
¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Lord Wainwright! I¡¯ve also come to practice my archery, as you advised!¡±
He wasn¡¯t a damn lord¡
¡and he¡¯d just found his distraction.
¡°Gelarion, was it? How about we put that archery of yours to the test against a moving target under combat conditions?¡± Orodan asked, a gleeful smile on his face.
¡°Er¡ certainly my Lo- uhm¡ Mister Wainwright,¡± the young elf said. ¡°Why do you have such a sinister smile on your face?¡±
#
Gelarion wasn¡¯t a bad lad, but it was telling of how differently elven youth were raised when the boy couldn¡¯t even get up after a few minor bouts of pain. And if anything, Gelarion had done the best out of all the elven youth who¡¯d been drawn to the spectacle of him teaching the boy.
¡°Did you not train Pain Resistance?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I did¡ but having my ribs broken is a bit much¡¡± Gelarion groaned from the ground. ¡°Fighting you is like fighting a demon of rage and aggression.¡±
¡°Then perhaps you should try and match it or find a way to counter it. My strength and speed were limited to just below yours in fact. Rage, aggression, raw violence¡ these are all legitimate aspects of combat. Being unprepared for them will leave you dead against those who employ them. And having them in hand, ready to use, can give you the advantage over an unprepared foe,¡± Orodan lectured.
Gelarion had put up a decent fight. The elf was on-track to becoming better than Othorion Evertree and had numerous tricks in combat such as archery, dual swords, elemental magic and swift movement through the usage of wind magic. Gelarion had also summoned an Elite-level spirit familiar halfway through the battle. All in all, the boy was strong and would only get stronger, even if the mentality left something to be desired. No wonder Othorion felt competing against him in talent to be unfair.
¡°Anyhow, I just healed you, what are you on the ground for?¡±
¡°The memory of the pain is quite strong, Mister Wainwright¡¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes at the dramatics. Though, at least the boy had learned not to call him Lord Wainwright.
¡°Enough of that, up you get,¡± Orodan said, hauling Gelarion to his feet. ¡°How do they train you to develop Pain Resistance?¡±
¡°Through slow conditioning and meditation inside of a warded chamber which gradually increases the sensations of pain?¡± Gelarion answered.
¡°Hmm¡ it¡¯s not bad. In fact, such a chamber could help develop a resistance towards mental pain and sensations inflicted by enemy mind mages and illusionists,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°But is that really all?¡±
Gelarion nodded, and Orodan was a little disappointed. No beatings? No regular hard combat and spars?
Actually acquiring the Pain Resistance skill through physical means was difficult and dangerous. Hells, even Orodan had actually died in the process when he¡¯d gotten it the first time. His problem was that it wasn¡¯t honed and expanded upon physically after the acquiring of the first level.
With all the healing magic and potions available to the elves, acquiring the skill through physical means wouldn¡¯t be impossible either.
Where was the bloody hunger for survival? The desperate fight for each inch of ground?
It wasn¡¯t the fault of these youth that life on Eldiron had made them, in some respects, soft.
Oh, many of these children would absolutely trounce even grown adult warriors on Inuan. They were incredibly advanced and had access to a wealth of tutors. Yet, Orodan was beginning to understand why these elves took far longer than humans to reach the higher levels.
There was no urgency or desperation. In fact, the children of human nobles on Inuan also faced the same problem! However, if the children of human nobility wanted to pursue a career in the military, it involved frequent adventuring and risk-taking beforehand if they wanted to be anyone of success. Human lives were short, and there was always that desperate drive to make the most of one¡¯s time in order to advance.
Elven youth, however, were far more sheltered. In Orodan¡¯s opinion, it had nothing to do with innate elven racial factors and everything to do with the culture of Eldiron which protected them fiercely. When an entire race was immortal, and death through battle was the only way they could be killed, being protective of themselves and their children was only natural.
However, this same culture of overprotectiveness was detrimental to their growth. He¡¯d not seen a single poor elf upon Eldiron, and from what he¡¯d read and heard, even the most disadvantaged of their kind, those without much talent, still had tutors, plentiful food and thriving communities around them.
The average elven child was superior to the average human youth in skill. But Orodan doubted whether any of these youth could stand up to the truly exceptional talents of the shorter-lived races. The likes of Mahari, Zukelmux and Aliya would easily trounce any elven youth in their age bracket.
¡°From now on¡ we shall train and amend this weakness,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Tutors and safe learning within the embrace of civilization are no substitute for real combat experience with your life on the line.¡±
¡°But¡ I¡¯ve slain slimes and goblins before!¡± one young girl cried, defiance on her face.
¡°And were you ever in any danger of being killed?¡± Orodan asked. In contrast, Aliya had delved into a level I monster infestation site and slew slimes and then clashed against skeletons raised by a necromancer before managing to flee. ¡°We shall rectify this with regular trips to the depths to slay monsters from now on.¡±
Some of the parents were entirely against this, and immediately took their children away, citing how savage humans were. Some though, looked at him with interest and gladly offered their children up. These were overwhelmingly the parents from military families who could understand the value of such things. Many of the older youth who could make their own decisions also agreed to this.
The rapid gain in skill levels had perhaps convinced them.
In any case, the arrangements were spoken of for a bit, with Eldarion promising to assist, though even he seemed a little concerned about just what Orodan would put the youth through.
Just as he was about to finish however, one more elf entered the training ground.
¡°I heard a mighty warrior was providing invaluable combat lessons. I¡¯ve come to test my own blade and learn.¡±
¡°Othorion¡ Mister Wainwright has just finished up,¡± Eldarion said.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Orodan allowed. ¡°I¡¯m always happy to fight. Especially against someone who wishes to improve.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mister Wainwright,¡± Othorion replied. ¡°In my¡ undignified display earlier, I had not even noticed your presence. I apologize. Please grant me the honor of this spar.¡±
In response, Orodan drew his halberd and pointed it at the elven Bloodline bearer.
Othorion drew his bow and immediately sent glowing arrows towards Orodan, who swatted them out of their air as they came.
¡°Ranged combat to begin with? A safe choice, but is it done out of tactical consideration? Or because of a lack of faith in your close combat abilities?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I have seen your brutally effective prowess in melee, I will not underestimate it,¡± Othorion replied as he moved about, keeping range and trying to pepper Orodan with arrows.
The Bloodline bearer was decent for his age, an Elite but strong enough to jump a tier and fight at the level of an average Master. Though, Othorion wasn¡¯t anywhere near the level of true talents, such as his student Zukelmux who could fight a peak-Master while only being an Elite.
¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t underestimate the foe, but how will you learn if you don¡¯t push yourself?¡± Orodan asked and decided to force the matter by throwing his halberd at Othorion¡¯s bow, causing it to fly out of his hands. He then suddenly lunged forwards with a burst of speed and entered melee range. ¡°Show me what you¡¯re capable of.¡±
Othorion¡¯s glaive came out, and the elf began a melee exchange against Orodan.
¡°Tch! You¡¯re¡ monstrously strong! Like a rampaging dragon!¡±
¡°Would you believe me if I said I¡¯m limiting my strength to just below yours? The difference is in how I channel rage and aggression in combat,¡± Orodan said, deadlocking his halberd against Othorion¡¯s blade and then using grappling and body mechanics to trip and shove the elf back. Even with matched strength, one could win contests of might through better body mechanics and aggression. ¡°Your style is graceful, lithe, nimble. You seek to avoid direct clashes and strike blows wherever opportune. But against true aggression which simply covers the opening of one attack with another, such a style can get overwhelmed.¡±
¡°My style is¡ flawed then?¡±
¡°Only if you consider it to be. If you must commit to a style, over-commit and hone it to perfection until its weaknesses no longer exist,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°The notion of a ¡®balanced¡¯ combat style is nice and all, but in the attempt to seek this fabled ¡®balance¡¯, I often see warriors crippling themselves by not reaching for the heights of their chosen style,¡± Orodan said, a brief lull in the combat. ¡°I was told once that I was far too aggressive in combat. And what did I do? I simply took that and ran with it! Who cared if I had many openings during my attacks? I simply leaned so far into pure aggression and the commitment to attack that I covered my openings altogether. Opponents who ruthlessly exploit openings? I simply charge in like a bull, refusing to give them any openings as each attack is covered by the next. Foes who are defensive masters? I pit my might and savagery against their shell and find them wanting.¡±
¡°Then it¡¯s not balance¡ but excellence?¡± Othorion asked.
¡°Indeed. Some things are inherently imbalanced. My aggressive manner of combat, for example,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Yet, I¡¯ve made it my own. Now then, let¡¯s see how you adapt.¡±
Orodan pressed forward, and Othorion was still overwhelmed by the brutal and savage manner of fighting. Evading one attack simply meant the next came right after, parrying a strike caused a second blow to come in through the ongoing momentum, and entering a deadlock simply caused the elf to eat a punch to the face or a knee to the gut as Orodan taught him that everything was a weapon.
Cuts were inflicted, yet they closed. Bones were broken, though they mended. Through it all, Othorion channelled divine power, but only to heal and never to empower himself. The Evertree had far higher pain tolerance than Gelarion, and a part of Orodan wondered whether Othorion could simply outwork the talented, younger elf.
Orodan¡¯s brutal pace and regimen was forcing the elf to improve, and it was showing even in the midst of the fight.
Evasions began flowing more naturally, mixed with more aggression and violence of Othorion¡¯s own. Counters were layered with his own offenses, feints and traps. And a full minute of combat passed until the elf finally hit the ground, gasping for breath after a mighty knee strike forced the air out of his lungs.
¡°I¡ I lost¡¡± Othorion said in-between gasped breaths.
¡°Perhaps. But how much did you learn?¡± Orodan asked. And Othorion remained silent in response, though the beginnings of a smile were forming on his face. ¡°You know¡ if you weren¡¯t such an abrasive bully, I¡¯d be feeling better about this moment.¡±
¡°P-pardon?¡±
¡°You won¡¯t go around bullying little girls when they try to buy Scorpionfly stingers in an exotic goods store, will you?¡±
¡°N-no? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever done such a thing!¡±
Orodan looked him up and down, and then sighed.
Well, it wouldn¡¯t do to hold against him what he hadn¡¯t done yet in this loop. Yes, he had been about to backhand Aliya in that long loop ages ago, but perhaps that was simply this prickly elf¡¯s personality?
And if Othorion still held the personality of a bully who battered people weaker than him¡ then Orodan would simply beat it out of him through endless sparring and leave the elf too tired to think about strong-arming anyone at all.
Othorion had a long way to go, but with a bit of hard work¡ Orodan felt confident that the difference between him and Gelarion wasn¡¯t so definite.
Talent versus hard work and the willingness to make sacrifices. In his experience, he¡¯d seen which one tended to win out in the end.
#
The leaves rustled and the branches swayed. The wisdom tree of Ildisiar was practically shaking in joy.
¡°Yes, I know that I¡¯m doing a far better job than your caretakers. You¡¯re welcome.¡±
¡°Countless millennia have passed, the ails unhealed. Yet, with a brush of your broom, all the scars are mended.¡±
¡°How did they not see these impurities? They¡¯re rather apparent to the eye,¡± Orodan said. ¡°To think you¡¯ve gone this long without a good cleaning¡¡±
Orodan felt almost a little apologetic that he hadn¡¯t come by sooner.
¡°The broken one underestimates his own potential for the arts of purity.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ perhaps. I suppose the comparison is an unfair one,¡± Orodan admitted.
Especially when he was likely the single greatest cleaning talent in the entirety of System space and selected for the time loops because of that. Bit much to expect anyone else could match him in that regard.
The moon hung high in the sky, it was a clear night, and the grounds around the wisdom tree of Ildisiar were empty.
Oh, there¡¯d been plenty of spectators a few hours ago when he¡¯d arrived and embarrassed the elven caretakers by pointing out numerous spots on the trunk, branches and roots which were unclean and needed proper tending. The caretakers weren¡¯t pleased, but the ancient oak had been thrilled to have someone finally notice. Hells, from what the tree implied, even it hadn¡¯t quite recognized many of the subtle impurities for what they were.
Once upon a time, he¡¯d healed little Aliya and made her body stronger by fixing and filling up the minute and unseen gaps and imperfections in the bones and muscles. Similarly, even this ancient elven oak which possessed knowledge of ages past wasn¡¯t exempt from this. The very wood which composed it had minute imperfections, and Orodan worked on truly cleaning it, by getting rid of these impurities.
Each sweep of his broom altered reality itself and made the tree stronger, more whole. All imperfections were eliminated.
The very ground which it stood upon, the air, and the entirety of its body; trunk, branches, roots and leaves included¡ were all cleansed.
Orodan had gotten so good at cleaning that he didn¡¯t even have to pay full attention to the act while doing it. The entire time, the dimensional training orb was in front of him, as he performed exercises with it and sought to learn just what a dimension was and how it was created.
Furthermore, Orodan was capable of using the tree for something nobody else could. Contact with it allowed one to glimpse the entirety of its accumulated knowledge. It was an act which would utterly shatter the mind of anyone else but Orodan, yet he managed to do so easily.
In a sense, acquiring glimpses of knowledge and answers from the tree of Ildisiar was far better than any regular tutor or instructor. With the glimpses of knowledge from the tree, he¡¯d made a bit of progress in Dimensionalism. Though, it had still only been a day.
¡°Dimensionalism still makes no sense,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°Under the System, I had the skill, but I never really understood the very basics of it. The crutch provided by the System robbed me of the chance then¡ but now, I still struggle.¡±
¡°The dimensional ways are complex even for the brightest of minds.¡±
¡°That much, I¡¯ve come to learn,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Still¡ I think I¡¯m getting the hang of it, but I need to see something which can cross dimensions in practice in order to learn.¡±
¡°An arachnid¡ one which skitters across the ways, from world to world.¡±
An arachnid?
¡a spider.
The dimensional phase spider!
¡°Right! That creature! You know of it then? You really are a wise tree,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°How might I find it?¡±
¡°The looper may have difficulty remaining unnoticed by it. It is never seen, merely detected. Upon which¡ escape.¡±
¡°Not true. I did manage to see it face to face, upon which it rapidly fled into another dimension,¡± Orodan said.
¡°The unique nature of the broken one¡¯s soul might allow for the element of surprise.¡±
¡°Not wrong. I¡¯ve heard a few times now that I¡¯m unable to be tracked through the soul or magical means,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Perhaps an expedition to track one of these things down can be arranged?¡±
¡°This one shall inform the immortal children of your desires.¡±
¡°Thank you, tree, I feel as though a successful display of dimensional travel will finally allow me to understand what it is that I¡¯ve been lacking.¡±
A full day had passed since he¡¯d entered Eldiron.
And tomorrow, was a meeting with a familiar old nutter. Someone whose tutelage would allow Orodan to realize his grand ambition.
#
The two of them walked towards the man they¡¯d secured an audience with.
¡°You know¡ I was expecting I would have to kidnap him¡¡±
¡°That does not surprise me in the slightest,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Knowing you, you would have broken into Arkwall, caused an international incident and used force to put down any attempts at stopping you.¡±
¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know that sending a letter would have worked!¡± Orodan exclaimed. ¡°Who just agrees to show up to a different continent upon receipt of a written request?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you say you travelled to a different galaxy upon receiving a letter yourself?¡± Eldarion asked.
¡°Ahem¡ well¡¡± Orodan trailed off. Fair point. ¡°I still think it¡¯s reasonable to believe a letter wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡±
¡°It¡¯s more revealing of your upbringing that you thought it wouldn¡¯t have worked,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°¡Orodan, have you ever sent a letter in your life?¡±
¡°¡no.¡±
The two of them were now close enough to their target that the man saw them.
¡°The numbers swirl about you most precipitously, as though on the cusp of something more¡ most unique!¡± the crazed man said, looking at Eldarion, likely referring to how the elf was holding himself back from triggering the trial of ascension.
¡°Alovardo Balmento,¡± Orodan greeted.
¡°Walking anomaly,¡± the man replied.
¡°Walking anomaly?¡± Eldarion asked. ¡°Ah, his soul and the lack of a System.¡±
¡°Indeed. This troublemaker and his time loops are the reason for the recent agitation of the numbers,¡± Alovardo said. ¡°The source behind it all is afrenzy with panic, and this in turn makes the numbers go mad. Which, makes the spread of the truth intensify.¡±
¡°What? You never said the Eldritch was spreading more rapidly when we last spoke,¡± Orodan said, frowning.
¡°In-between the last meeting we had and this one, it spread rapidly. Until somebody decided to cleanse the entirety of the world and its core,¡± Alovardo replied, giving Orodan a suspicious look. ¡°I suppose if this interloping do-gooder were to repeat this feat enough times, then the spread of the truth might be halted and perhaps even reversed. Though, they¡¯d best take care to keep that away from me.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a part of my plan,¡± Orodan said, giving voice for once to a glimpse of what his true end goal was. ¡°But we¡¯re getting off-topic. I asked you to come here so that I might resume my study under your tutelage. I believe I¡¯ve made some progress in expanding my mental faculties, and now, I wish to tackle the task of manipulating System¡¯s glyphs and symbols.¡±
¡°No time to waste, let us get to work then,¡± Alovardo said. ¡°Bring me a living thing, will you?¡±
Vision of Purity caught onto a rat scurrying about an elf¡¯s larder, and Orodan used a new trick he¡¯d practiced, pulling it to him.
¡°I don¡¯t recognize the spell you used,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Spatial Pull? A Spatial Rift to create an opening to pull it to you?¡±
¡°No. Teleportation,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Impossible. Teleportation only allows for one to move to areas where they¡¯ve been in the past,¡± the elf stated.
¡°That was what I thought as well,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My month at Bluefire allowed for some experimentation though, and who knew that the System¡¯s crutch also limited me to certain pathways when it came to skills? Yes, Teleportation normally only allows for the travel from one place to another. And pulling something to oneself should be a separate skill entirely. Yet, without the System forcing things down a pathway¡ the standard Teleportation spell can be repurposed to pull something to the caster.¡±
¡°Incredible¡¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Can this gift be shared?¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t answer that question, the full realization of what he intended was still too far away to make any promises.
The rat was in his hands and squirmed a bit. It tried biting his finger, only for its teeth to break. Some species were common across all continents it seemed.
¡°Excellent, now then¡ see that symbol floating about it?¡± Alovardo asked, pointing at a particular one, and Orodan looked deeply at it.
It was a glyph of the System, four-dimensional, with a touch of something more to it. It was continually emanating from the rat in his palm, more so than any of the other symbols.
¡°What of it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Within its soul, a symbol which is identical should be present,¡± Alovardo explained, and then smiled ominously. ¡°Remove it.¡±
Anyone else would have been unnerved, but Orodan knew that this was necessary and felt no squeamishness. With a gentle application of his own soul energy, he most tenderly delved into the rat¡¯s soul, all the way into the soul core. This was a feat previously impossible for him, but now, the System barriers in the soul offered no resistance whatsoever.
Perhaps they were meant to prevent tampering from beings of the System who were also composed of it, but against Orodan, it didn¡¯t matter. And once within, he gently guided that one particular symbol out where it floated in the palm of his hand.
Almost immediately, the rat¡¯s thrashing became much, much weaker.
¡°The Physical Fitness skill,¡± Alovardo explained. ¡°The numbers from that skill are removed. This rat must not be familiar with its body¡ hmm¡ quite young.¡±
Orodan gently guided the stolen System glyph back into place, and suddenly the rat¡¯s strength returned, and it thrashed about at its normal intensity.
¡°This is¡ this is impossible. You can affect the skills of the very System within someone?¡± Eldarion asked, looking incredibly uneasy.
Frankly, Orodan himself felt this was something best not used without much consideration. It was incredibly violating to just delve into someone¡¯s soul core and rob them of a skill. It was akin to invading their very being. He could outright delete skills and leave someone a helpless and unpowered newborn if they weren¡¯t innately familiar with the stolen skills.
¡°I will not use this in battle or to torment anyone,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°My way has and will always be that of the warrior. Cheapening my victories with such a dirty trick simply won¡¯t do.¡±
Eldarion looked a little relieved, though Alovardo rolled his eyes.
¡°Yes, yes¡ very noble of you. Now, the rat. Reverse time upon it. And remember, maintain control of the entirety of its soul as you do. Otherwise, it¡¯ll just be a regular Time Reversal.¡±
Again, Orodan did as instructed and used a minor application of chronomancy, keeping a close eye on the rat¡¯s soul as he did so, making sure to keep tight control over all the System glyphs within.
And as he watched, his eyes widened from what he saw.
The glyphs of the System¡ were reverting to previous versions.
The rat in his hands grew younger, not just in body¡ but in System.
¡°By the four¡ how¡ how is that possible?¡± Eldarion asked, utterly stupefied as he cast Observe upon it. ¡°It¡ it lost a title!¡±
¡°Hahahaha! Excellent! Truly excellent! The numbers bow to you like they do to the source!¡± Alovardo exclaimed, cackling like the madman he was.
¡°By the System¡ what in the seven hells have I become capable of?¡± Orodan asked himself.
Orodan wasn¡¯t someone easy to shake. But the System truly was a core part of life for everyone, even him. To realize that he held such primordial power over the System of others now¡ it left him genuinely shocked for a bit. This wasn¡¯t just the act of punching harder or acquiring more power. The System allowed one to do that anyways.
This was the act of modifying the fundamental code of the cosmos they were in.
¡°Oh, how have I longed to be capable of touching the numbers myself! But in lieu of that¡ teaching you will do!¡± Alovardo exclaimed. ¡°Come now, my precious walking anomaly, I have much to impart upon you and many experiments to perform!¡±
Yes, he could now technically fix things and go back to how it was supposed to be, repairing his System. He saw a quick and convenient path of mangling the souls of others, stealing their System glyphs and then applying it to his own soul. But¡ Orodan refused.
Not only did his honor protest such an ignoble path¡
¡he had also never been one for the easy way out.
And his grand ambition awaited.
Though, it would take time. And at the very least, the first part of it would require five more months of learning the script languages.
Before him, five months of learning. And beyond that¡ the descent of the Eldritch and cataclysmic events of his own making.
Chapter 70 - A Grand Ambition
In the grand scheme of the time loops, five months wasn¡¯t a lot of time.
Consequently, despite all the time dilation wards and methods of stretching time out that Orodan and Eldiron utilized, it¡¯d passed rather quickly. The continent of the elves was rich in knowledge, his journey here had been the right move given how much he¡¯d learned.
It was a period of peace and learning. It had been a long time since Orodan had been through so peaceful a long loop.
He owed multiple people a great debt for all that they¡¯d taught him, and he found himself adding them to the list of those he owed favors to and intended to repay. First, and chief among them, was Alovardo Balmento. That crazed lunatic had finally returned to Arkwall two weeks ago, but during their final lesson together he¡¯d utterly flabbergasted the Eldritch eccentric with what he¡¯d shown himself capable of. With the display of that, he now felt confident in achieving the first step of his grand vision.
The magical disciplines he¡¯d focused upon had greatly improved. With spatiomancy and chronomancy returning to a third of his System-aided levels of power. And his martial abilities had steadily climbed upwards, with Orodan now completely used to the lack of System when it came to them. If anything, he preferred the System not interfere with physical combat, which was the bread and butter of who he was as a fighter. He was a natural warrior, and the lack of guidance and restriction in fact made him better at fighting.
His students had also gotten noticeably better during the five months of training, even if most of them whined far too much about how brutal he was being. It proved the idea that the elves¡¯ racial qualities had nothing to do with their talents, rather, it was their mindset and risk-averse nature; a culture of it, which led to their supposedly lower talent. Those who shied away from the pain, from the risks, they didn¡¯t advance quite as fast, despite whatever talents they were touted to have.
Gelarion, the presumed heir to the line of Steward-Kings, was the prime example of this. The lad had multiple tricks in combat, bow, swords, magic and powerful familiars, yet quailed when faced with true adversity. Othorion Evertree on the other hand, flourished under the pressure and advanced by leaps and bounds. Orodan would say the Evertree was capable of beating even a monstrous peak-Master now, and with that new skill¡ might even force a Grandmaster to truly try.
Unlike the other elves, Othorion had a single-minded, burning desire to improve. Over the five months, he¡¯d identified that it was plainly due to the competition for ascension to the throne. The Evertree didn¡¯t hate Gelarion, but the two didn¡¯t really talk and the fierce competition was rather apparent. Still, his student¡¯s constant side-eyes and glances filled with jealousy towards Gelarion were a bit annoying, so Orodan had made sure to beat the notion of humility and focus into Othorion, and the elf seemed far better off for it.
And finally, the wisdom tree of Ildisiar and the teachings it had been imparting to him. Particularly, those regarding Dimensionalism. He was very close to understanding something critical about it, but just needed one final insight, which was the purpose of the current trip he was on.
Eldiron was, for the most part, a safe continent. Though, much like Inuan or Guzuhar, it still had its dangers.
While the majority of elvenkind lived in safe settlements whose surroundings were almost entirely clear of monsters, this didn¡¯t apply to the deeper parts of the wilderness upon Eldiron. Specifically, the deep portions of the Elderlore Forest to the south of Aldenil, the capital.
The Vylthedin Expanse.
Orodan had seen the Aenechean Forest back home in the Republic, and he¡¯d seen the Altarban Forest which was between the borders of the Republic and the Eastern Kingdoms. Yet both of those paled in comparison to the ancient woods they were currently traversing. Besides the wisdom tree of Ildisiar, this forest was home to the oldest trees on the entire continent, and probably the whole world.
Alongside Orodan, were a party of elven trackers. Helping lead them, was Eldarion.
¡°You travel quite ungracefully, sir,¡± one of the elves playfully teased. ¡°The roots are hewn from the ground, and you walk like a bull, kicking stones away with each step.¡±
Not wrong. Tripping over a root simply didn¡¯t occur when his steps were strong enough to simply uproot it or send stones flying. Instead, like a giant, he simply barrelled through, and even walked through a tree or two during the journey.
¡°My Pathfinding skill is more than a little rusty,¡± Orodan admitted. Without the System he wouldn¡¯t say he had a particular knack for traversing the wilds like some skilled wayfarer. It wasn¡¯t that he was clumsy, rather, he simply didn¡¯t care to walk carefully. ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly receive scout or ranger training.¡±
¡°Well¡ we should probably try and stay quiet in these woods. Particularly in the deeper parts,¡± the elf said. ¡°Wraiths, lost souls and deadly creatures call this place home.¡±
¡°I concur with her assessment, Orodan,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°I¡¯m not what you¡¯d call a conventional fighter, and if we run into something I can¡¯t handle¡ while I have faith in you, I¡¯d rather not place ourselves in undue risk.¡±
¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll attempt to be quiet,¡± Orodan said. At least as long as they were accompanying him. ¡°Our path is taking us rather close to the energy well, isn¡¯t it?¡±
They were now far south enough that the Great Zalabian Ocean could be seen. If he kept going across the ocean, he would reach Guzuhar eventually. Perhaps a handful of elves had tried making the journey, yet even they agreed it was an utterly perilous one.
Before reaching the ocean though, just before the southern shoreline of the continent, was an open-air energy well which the elves had failed to colonize due to extremely high monster populations and their strength. And while Orodan had offered to enter and clear the entire thing out, the elves refused, saying that they had enough energy wells for the moment and weren¡¯t prepared for the monumental undertaking that securing such a well would entail. Open-air energy wells attracted monsters at a very high rate after all.
¡°It is. As you know, we can¡¯t exactly follow you in there,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Culfalas, do the tracks lead inside of the well? If they do, I¡¯m afraid Orodan will be the only one suited to enter and face the creatures within.¡±
¡°My lord, we¡¯re getting faint signs which suggest it¡¯s nearby, but thankfully, not inside of the well. Even that elusive thing seems to respect what sorts of monsters lurk in there,¡± the scout said. ¡°About two miles west of us, in a deep ravine from the looks of it.¡±
¡°Right, thank you. Orodan, this will be your chance,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°The dimensional phase spider is a cowardly creature, but with your unique advantages you might be able to approach it. In another half mile, none of us can follow you.¡±
When pointed out, his own Vision of Purity got a read on it, but unless someone had explicitly told him that it was a dimensional phase spider, he wouldn¡¯t have known. His sight skill worked off of detecting filth, and it was pure enough save some minor impurities, that getting a good read on it was impossible. Little wonder that Orodan had been as surprised as the one he¡¯d encountered in the depths when they¡¯d met face to face.
He supposed it was a good thing that it wasn¡¯t in the energy well, after all, any combat between him and the creatures of the well on his way to it might have tipped the spider off. Soon, after a half mile of travel, Orodan began skulking forward by himself.
Teleportation was possible, but he¡¯d have to be quicker at the cast than the spider which was very much capable of detecting spatial fluctuations. He was frighteningly fast at martial combat, but his speed wasn¡¯t equivalent when it came to spellcasting. Though, as a trump card, he was more than prepared to cast an overpowered Time Reversal to simply yank it back to Alastaia if it escaped.
As he got closer, he encountered a small, fat and sedentary species of shelled mammal. Some of their corpses were strewn about the area, drained of life as though something had fed on them recently. Must have been the spider¡¯s preferred prey.
Finally, he approached the ravine and began slowly descending while Vision of Purity kept a close eye on the spider, even through the terrain. Though, the problems began when the slightest bit of Orodan¡¯s body was exposed, uncovered by terrain, and for the briefest moment of time¡ entered its line of sight.
Even with its back turned entirely away from him, the dimensional phase spider suddenly spasmed in a most violent manner signalling that it was alarmed. Of course, the damn thing had omni-directional sight.
The dimensional fabric rippled almost imperceptibly as it was halfway to shifting to another plane¡
¡and the entire ravine shook as Orodan smashed through a quarter mile of rock to reach his quarry.
Two arms gripped two of the spider¡¯s legs from behind and held on. Immediately, Orodan transitioned to a grapple, restrained four of its legs and had it pinned to the ground in a wrestling position. It was no match for his might.
¡°I have you now!¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Give it up!¡±
¡°Predator! Unhand me this instant or suffer my wrath!¡± the spider hissed and chittered.
The dimensional fabric and boundaries around Orodan began to angrily quiver as the dimensional phase spider attempted to exert its wrath upon him. An opening in the dimensional fabric was created, and it commanded the edges of the rift to slam into his back, attempting to slice him in half.
Of course¡
¡the edges simply bounced off.
¡°How can a human be so durable!? Let me go!¡± the spider shrieked in surprise.
In truth, it wasn¡¯t durability, but the fact that Orodan had far too much raw energy coursing through his body that prevented any dimensional manipulation. Dimensionalism, much like spatiomancy and chronomancy, became exponentially more costly the higher the energy level of the target object. Attempting to forcibly pull or use the dimensional boundary to affect a rock? No problem. Trying to do so with a warrior who could generate more power than multiple world cores? A different matter.
¡°I come seeking knowledge on how you jump from dimension to dimension, teach me!¡± Orodan demanded.
¡°No!¡±
¡°Oh, come on now, can¡¯t we just work together? Look, I¡¯m even giving you a hug!¡± Orodan said, practically sprawled out on top of the spider, his arms wrapped around its abdomen, four of its eight legs restrained by him.
¡°You smother me with your excessive weight you over-sized brute! If the dimensional boundary will not suffice¡ then have a taste of my web!¡± it hissed.
A translucent and rippling substance which looked similar to spider silk came out of its spinnerets and began wrapping itself around Orodan. Though again, he was unaffected.
The problem, however, was that curious creatures from the nearby energy well had now detected the battle and had come to investigate.
A humongous double-Grandmaster snake peered at the two of them with predatory eyes, and a jaguar the size of a house began stalking towards them from another direction.
The dimensional phase spider stilled¡ and then began thrashing about violently!
¡°Let me go or we shall both perish here! You reckless, death-seeking fool!¡±
¡°Not until you show me what I want to know!¡± Orodan once again demanded.
The snake suddenly pounced towards them, and the spider shrieked¡
¡only for Orodan to lash out with a kick which pulped the snake¡¯s head and sent its headless corpse flying into the horizon.
The jaguar immediately fled upon the sight of this.
The spider used the opportunity to try and dislodge itself of Orodan, yet he was simply too strong for it. Finally, he¡¯d had enough, and the spider was lifted into the air¡
¡°Just teach me already you overgrown bug!¡±
¡and brought over Orodan¡¯s head, to then be slammed down onto the ground.
He wasn¡¯t an expert on spider anatomy, but he was fairly certain that slam had it seeing stars, even if he was greatly holding back. Driving a spider into the ground via wrestling slam hadn¡¯t been on his to-do list for the day, yet this stubborn eight-legged oaf had forced his hand.
¡°Well? Answer me!¡±
¡°¡food¡ mother¡?¡± it babbled, in a daze.
¡°Of course¡ I knocked you senseless¡¡± Orodan sighed.
With a casual channelling of power, a Time Reversal was performed, though with care to not affect its soul, mind or System whatsoever. He brought its physical state ten seconds back in time.
¡°Time reversal?¡± the spider asked, fear in its tone. ¡°If you had that all along¡ why not use it from the start? My kind are rather vulnerable to those practiced in chronomancy.¡±
¡°That would have been unfair,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Instead, you handle me like a savage barbarian and throw me upon the ground?¡± it pointedly asked. ¡°What do you want?¡±
The spider looked a bit agitated to say the least, though his killing of the apex predator and the fact that he hadn¡¯t slain it had seemingly made it a bit more mellow.
¡°Show me how you travel between dimensions,¡± Orodan said, and then smiled. ¡°Please?¡±
What followed first, was a tirade from the spider on how he lacked manners and an angry lecture on how wrestling someone to the ground was in no way an acceptable form of greeting. He was a bully, a good-for-nothing thug who could only strong-arm folks, and the spider had been sure to let him hear its piece.
Though, its mood greatly improved when Orodan brought out numerous high-quality treasures in exchange for this teaching. Some of which were enchanted items specifically made to fit a spider, with enchantments which would serve one well. Orodan had always planned on being diplomatic about it, even if his initial meeting was a little too aggressively friendly.
For a monster, the dimensional phase spider seemed oddly civilized. And he learned that its kind had actual civilization and settlements in pocket dimensions which were incredibly well-hidden. In truth, it was a recent exile, hence the hopping out to catch a meal in the wilds. Otherwise, most dimensional phase spiders lived in their dimensional settlements and only rarely ventured out unless they were adventurous or on a task.
¡°Hmmph! You should be grovelling and offering these treasures in apology,¡± the spider said, a haughty tone. ¡°In fact, I have half a mind to ask for them all!¡±
¡°By all means, here you go,¡± Orodan said, throwing all the enchanted items to it. It wasn¡¯t like he could wear leg bands meant for a spider. And he¡¯d enchanted these items himself in preparation for such a meeting.
¡°Truly? I mean, of course! You are only right to offer this tribute for your transgressions!¡±
¡°Right, does the mighty spider have a name?¡±
¡°You cannot simply use Observe?¡±
¡°No. My System has been destroyed,¡± Orodan said.
¡°What? How is such a thing possible?¡± the spider asked, baffled.
¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I was hit by an attack from a Boundless One.¡±
¡°A what?¡± the spider asked, and then vigorously shook its head and legs. ¡°You know what? No. I refuse to hear it. And I refuse to give you my name. Soon you¡¯ll tell me your whole life story, and then I somehow get roped into following you around, and before I know it, I¡¯ll be getting into all sorts of dangerous situations. The elders would often tell stories about you two-legs, especially humans. Your kind are always up to no good and you tend to drag the rest of us civilized folk in with you. And I¡¯m taking a stand here and now and want no part of it.¡±
¡°Will you at least teach me then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°That¡ I suppose I can agree to,¡± the spider said. ¡°What about the dimensional ways do you specifically want to know? Creating dimensions? Travel? What for?¡±
Giving him a whole rant on how it wanted nothing to do with his story and then sneaking in that last question¡ this spider was truly shameless.
¡°I have a passable grasp on the beginnings of creating a dimension, but what I really need is to be walked through dimensional travel,¡± Orodan said. People on Alastaia could create dimensions on a small scale, the principles of this weren¡¯t unknown. After all, this was one of the methods through which spatial rings and certain artifacts were made. Actual dimensional travel though? Nobody on Alastaia really knew the secrets to it. ¡°I need to detect the dimensional boundary when it isn¡¯t being affected by anyone else¡ and I need a way into the divine dimension.¡±
And something more than just the divine realm, but he left that part unsaid.
¡°Your ambitions are lofty human¡ are you up for this task?¡± the spider asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Very well¡ then the great Talricto the Wanderer shall teach you!¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you wouldn¡¯t give me your name?¡±
¡°No talking back to your teacher!¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes but sat down with the intent of learning.
#
Fortunately, Orodan was very close to understanding dimensional travel already. And thus, the lessons with Talricto hadn¡¯t needed to last very long.
With Dimensionalism handled, he was now at Goldleaf, in what would likely be his final artificing class before it all came to a head.
And before him, a number of carts of his own making.
¡°Mister Wainwright¡ these carts are incredibly well made!¡± the instructor praised. ¡°Why, I have no doubt they could carry entire houses if put to the test!¡±
If anything, they could carry far more, with the only limitation being the ground they rolled upon. The enchantments he¡¯d weaved into the wood allowed a certain level of weight reduction, which would make the road bear a lighter load, but the weakest link would doubtlessly be the road.
Still, these weren¡¯t the main selling points of this cart.
¡°Mister Wainwright¡ are these carts meant for war?¡± Jegdalo Mezzer asked, looking at the small, low-calibre cannons mounted upon it and the various holes through which a crew might fire their handheld missile weaponry. ¡°The guns¡ these could kill an Adept!¡±
¡°Indeed. I took inspiration from what I saw in my travels. It was good practice for artificing.¡±
In fact, he took inspiration from what he saw on Lonvoron, the world of the previous time looper. The guns of the Blackworth Collective were incredibly advanced, but they also had carriers, which were moving vehicles which carried soldiers and also served as weapons platforms. He was far from being able to manufacture weapons or vehicles of that level, but it was a good start.
His rifle-making had gotten better. Using alchemy, he¡¯d improved the powder, making it more volatile and explosive. Through blacksmithing and engineering, he¡¯d designed the gun to better absorb the impact of the more powerful shots. And through enchanting he¡¯d improved the durability of the gun and made sure that the bullet would have more killing power. He¡¯d also created enchanted ammunition which a gunner could switch to, depending on the need and the situation.
The low-calibre cannons mounted on the cart could at least hurt an Elite warrior, which was a fantastic advancement. And he hoped to eventually make rifles capable of the same, and then push the capabilities of both weapons further.
Orodan didn¡¯t use firearms, and he never planned on it. But the creation of them and these war-carts was an excellent exercise in thinking like a true artificer. The time spent on Eldiron had been utterly invaluable in how much he¡¯d learned. This long loop was a slow one, but he¡¯d gotten so much closer to his goals in unconventional ways which weren¡¯t simply combat-oriented.
¡°I see¡ these are incredible. My people are more than happy to make an offer to purchase them,¡± Jegdalo said.
¡°Aside from the one in the corner, feel free to take them all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The designs, with detailed instructions, are on the table too. No gold necessary.¡±
¡°F-for free?! My clan would have my head if I took advantage of your generosity in such a way,¡± Jegdalo pleaded. ¡°Let us offer you something.¡±
¡°I really don¡¯t need anything,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have¡ important affairs approaching soon.¡±
¡°I see¡ the descent of a star perhaps?¡± the drow asked, in the know about the arrival of the Eldritch Avatar. ¡°Might we at least arm you with the finest weapons and armor our people have?¡±
¡°That won¡¯t be necessary either,¡± Orodan said, fondly patting his weapons. ¡°What I¡¯ve had since the beginning will be more than enough. Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a final meeting with your elder.¡±
Orodan swept the cart in the corner into his spatial ring and made his way out. He walked the roads of Aldenil, making his way to the wisdom tree of the capital. On the way plenty of elves and drow waved and greeted him.
His five months on Eldiron had made the populace incredibly friendly towards him. The elves in general treated any human guests well, but this was exemplified when it came to him, who¡¯d done much for them over the five months. Slaying troublesome beasts, keeping the borders of any towns safe, accompanying expeditions into the deep wilds, and of course¡ filling multiple energy batteries, allowing for costly rituals and the quality of life to increase.
Eventually, he arrived at his destination, where Xalyth Mezzer was already waiting for him.
¡°You¡¯re here, good! Let¡¯s get started,¡± Xalyth said.
¡°In all honesty, Xalyth, I have everything I need already,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ve come to thank you for your aid and try one final experiment.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not quiet at the heights of enchanting yet, Orodan,¡± she said.
¡°Correct. I predict it will be a craft I work on for many loops,¡± he replied. ¡°For today though, I have only one experiment to perform.¡±
¡°Hmm, as you will,¡± she said, and then smiled at him, stepping closer. ¡°But tell me now, what¡¯s this about thanking me?¡±
Orodan smiled but put out a hand which touched her shoulder. It wasn¡¯t the intimate sort of touch, but one which prevented her from stepping any closer.
¡°Xalyth, I really did just come here to thank you. But¡ I¡¯m also not blind,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What you¡¯re getting at, I¡¯m the wrong person for it.¡±
Orodan would¡¯ve expected defensiveness, mayhap anger? Or brushing off. Instead, she too smiled and stepped back.
¡°Good.¡±
¡°Good?¡±
¡°From when I met you, I could tell your heart was elsewhere,¡± she said. ¡°Have you finally come to a decision then?¡±
Orodan was silent. This woman really was too observant.
¡°Your eyes are far too keen,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You¡¯re right. I owe someone else an answer, and until I give them that, I have no interest in disrespecting them by looking elsewhere.¡±
Or at all, given how he didn¡¯t care for such casual affairs any longer.
He was also speaking to more than just Xalyth. After all, he was well aware that Zaessythra could see what occurred in the outside world while she was within his soul. He¡¯d made sure to grant her that much, lest she grow stir crazy from boredom.
¡°Then give them that answer sooner rather than later. Even if you¡¯re the one man with all the time in the universe,¡± Xalyth said, an understanding smile on her face. ¡°Now then, what¡¯s this final experiment you spoke of?¡±
¡°Just to see how Dimensionalism interacts with the script languages,¡± Orodan said, channelling power into his enchanting chisel as he worked on the piece of wood before him.
He¡¯d comprehended how the silk of a spider dragon could go from soul to reality, existing in the material plane. He understood how the trees of wisdom could store knowledge within themselves. And he grasped how runic enchanting worked, especially after studying the wand of Athandelu over an extended period of time.
The wand had been re-purposed, powered by Orodan instead of the trapped soul now. But it had given him the knowledge he needed.
Material originating from the soul, a medium whose properties allowed the storage of gargantuan amounts of knowledge, and the understanding of multiple enchanting languages. To blend all this in with Dimensionalism¡
¡Orodan abandoned the wood entirely and placed a hand on his chest, focusing inwards.
His soul trembled, but he brought all the separate understandings from these disciplines together.
The dimensional fabric quivered. Souls weren¡¯t entirely within the material plane, calling a soul a physical object wasn¡¯t accurate.
Yet, with Dimensionalism¡
¡this was no longer an issue.
The material in his hand was proof of the concept.
¡°By the four¡ is that made of¡¡± Xalyth
¡°Yes, yes it is.¡±
The only thing left, was the creation of the script, and the imbuing of it with with meaning, and the alteration of reality. It wasn¡¯t yet time, but when it came¡
¡the first step of his grand vision awaited.
#
¡°Honorable Steward-King, we beseech you to allow our family to expand,¡± the elf woman plead before the throne. ¡°For two-thousand years now my husband and I have been waiting for the opportunity to have a child.¡±
Virion Ethweni¡¯s face looked impassive, but Orodan noticed that the Steward-King¡¯s worries had dramatically lessened since the filling of the energy batteries. What would have ordinarily been a rejection, was now looking to be an approval.
The backlog of requests for the Ritual of Birthing had almost completely cleared out since Orodan began functioning as an endless energy reserve.
Elves, as a consequence of being ageless immortals, couldn¡¯t propagate naturally. Well, they could certainly engage in activities of an intimate nature, but such things wouldn¡¯t lead to the birth of a child at all. Instead, a magical ritual with a very high mana cost was necessary.
It was almost prohibitively expensive, and as a result the council of Aldenil as per the God-Queen¡¯s directive, had a set number of births which could occur per year. Prior to Orodan¡¯s arrival, five rituals occurred each year, and the recipients who provided their genetics and ancestry into the ritual for creation of a child were typically high nobility or those of exceptional power who were best suited to raising a strong child.
On one hand, this meant that any elven children born had very good lives. On the other, this bred an undercurrent of resentment towards the elven nobility and those with a lot of power. And it was one of the reasons Faraine attempted her revolt.
Since Orodan¡¯s arrival though, the dynamic had completely changed. And over seventeen-thousand rituals had occurred in the last five months. Consequently, he was something of a legend to the elven common folk, and the only thing limiting the ritual now was the time and energy of those conducting it. The mages facilitating these Rituals of Birthing doubtlessly hated him, but the benefits to the populace as a whole were fantastic. And for once, the elves looked to be on track to truly expand and enter an age of booming prosperity with all these new additions to their number.
¡°Granted. Your date is set for a week from now at this time. Dismissed.¡± Virion said. ¡°And that will be all for the day, have the chamberlain move all appointments to tomorrow.¡±
The Steward-King had grown to memorize that particular statement due to how often he uttered it.
¡°You could simply have the chamberlain grant the requests,¡± Orodan suggested.
¡°It would go against tradition. The Steward-King has always overseen the approval or denial of petitions for the Ritual of Birthing,¡± Virion said, sitting in his throne as Orodan stood to his left.
¡°Is tradition what causes you to treat your bastard son so coldly?¡± Orodan asked, and Virion frowned.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ you speak far too directly,¡± Virion said. ¡°Do you not think such a comment is a bit forward and intrusive?¡±
¡°I merely say what I think,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The boy clearly wishes for your approval. Are you cold towards him for his half-elven blood?¡±
The relationship between Virion and his bastard son Othorion had been quite cold when Orodan had arrived to Eldiron. Though, through conversations with Virion and Othorion, he¡¯d gotten to know them both and gently urged the two to try and speak more to one another. Even though the relationship was better now, it was still not the warmest of familial bonds.
¡°No! Not at all¡¡± Virion said and then tiredly sighed as Othorion Evertree presented himself below, ready to re-take the trial of assessment for the throne. ¡°His mother was a dear lover of mine, even if her life was short compared to mine. It was love for her that bade me bring him to Eldiron. There were already concerns of favoritism when I did so, as a result I simply leave him be and hope he will make a fine man of himself. Othorion however seems to think that I must cajole and play with him as his mother did, the expectations fostered in him through his early years of human upbringing are now foisted onto me. We elves do not¡ engage in such frivolities.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m not one to talk as I had no parents growing up,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But perhaps he would be a little better adjusted with a strong role model to look up to?¡±
¡°Has he not found that in you? I¡¯ve read the reports. He hasn¡¯t had a single unsanctioned fight in the academy since he began training under you,¡± Virion said and then looked to the Elite who was before Othorion. ¡°Begin!¡±
¡°Not even an announcement of the trial? Little wonder he looks to others,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Is it tradition to simply bark at the participants to begin?¡±
¡°Damn you, Orodan Wainwright¡ I am not perfect¡ my emotions get the better of me as they would any other,¡± Virion admitted. ¡°What would you have me do?¡±
¡°Have you considered listening to him? Sometimes, all a young man wants is respect and the chance to prove themselves,¡± Orodan said, nodding to Othorion as the Evertree easily trounced the Elite tester, which caused the Master-level tester to come on up. ¡°And if they don¡¯t receive that¡ then they may strike out on their own to find it.¡±
Such as Othorion had in Orodan¡¯s very first long loop, where the young elf had gone to fight the Eldritch Avatar in Guzuhar upon its landing. And died.
¡°But tradition¡ what will the people say if I start acting too closely?¡± Virion asked, yet he Steward-King¡¯s eyes widened as Othorion was giving the Master-level tester an even fight and winning.
¡°Who cares what the people say? Are you not a King who leads?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°If the people see you treating your son well, what will they say? That you¡¯re a good father? If they argue, dare them to do something about it.¡±
¡°I have great respect for you, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Virion said, receptive to Orodan¡¯s words. ¡°But, to expect myself to act as you do¡ is that the right choice?¡±
¡°You overly complicate the matter, Steward-King. No¡ Virion Ethweni. Your son simply seeks your regard and respect, and perhaps if you can spare it, your love. Just give it to him and damn the consequences,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m no authority on love, but what the young man desires is plain to see. I doubt he even cares as much for being heir apparent to the throne as he does your regard.¡±
¡°You are not wrong¡ but I fear that it is too late, have I perhaps allowed the rift between us to grow too wide?¡± Virion asked as his eyes widened like saucers upon seeing Othorion send the Master-level tester to the ground, defeating him. ¡°What in the name of the four¡ Othorion has grown so mighty¡ now if I approach him, it will only vindicate what he has believed, that he needs the throne to receive my respect.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t too late. Simply be honest with him about everything,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And if you look, you¡¯ll notice that your son is a lot stronger than you think.¡±
The Grandmaster-level tester came forth, and in truth the battle was meant to be a token one the candidate typically wasn¡¯t expected to win.
The trial of assessment. Candidates for the throne were ranked based on their relative prowess.
Gelarion, who was the current heir, had jumped a tier and defeated an Adept as an Apprentice. He gave the Elite tester an excellent fight too during last year¡¯s trial. Othorion however had now proven that he could jump two tiers. And¡ perhaps even more?
Othorion¡¯s every evasion was laced with violence and aggression. It was as though the elf channelled the rage of his circumstances into every strike, every counter. Even the Grandmaster-level tester was looking genuinely pressed, though eventually the battle concluded when Othorion ran out of stamina and ended up making a mistake.
Orodan made a mental note to push the young man¡¯s stamina training even harder in future loops. Next time, he¡¯d ensure Othorion beat even the Grandmaster.
Virion Ethweni got to his feet.
¡°Enough,¡± the Steward-King said. ¡°Othorion Evertree.¡±
¡°Yes¡ my liege,¡± Othorion replied. He seemed happy, though Orodan could see a hint of disappointment at not being able to beat the final tester, which would have been unprecedented.
¡°Without calling upon the Bloodline, as per the tenets of the trial of assessment, you have bested a foe at the Master-level. Then, you gave a good showing against an elder Grandmaster,¡± Virion said. ¡°In this year¡¯s trial, among all the candidates, you¡¯ve shown the greatest showing. Amidst all the candidates for the throne, I hereby declare you as the heir apparent to the line of the Steward-Kings, serving our lady, the God-Queen Cithrel.¡±
Many of the observers clapped, particularly those among the common-born who saw Othorion as an extension of themselves, even if he was half-royal. Those less thrilled were supporters of Gelarion and the faction tied to him.
¡°Thank you¡ my liege,¡± Othorion said, though the elf looked unenthused thus far.
Virion got off the throne and walked down the steps towards his son.
¡°And Othorion¡ my son. I am proud of you,¡± Virion said. ¡°I know nothing can make up for all I¡¯ve put you through. As a father, I¡¯ve failed.¡±
The observing spectators gasped, and some erupted in whispers about how improper it was for the Steward-King to show such favor and exhibit such weakness. Orodan though, glared at them, which quickly silenced the lot.
¡°Father¡ I¡ simply wished for your respect,¡± Othorion admitted. ¡°We barely saw one another, and you refused to speak of mother at all.¡±
¡°Your mother was a great woman, Othorion,¡± Virion said. ¡°Though, if you wish it, I am willing to make you an Ethweni by name.¡±
Othorion looked conflicted, though after a while he held steel in his eyes as he answered.
¡°Father¡ I think, if it isn¡¯t too presumptuous,¡± Othorion said. ¡°I¡¯d like to remain an Evertree. In memory of her.¡±
Virion smiled, as though that was what he¡¯d wanted to hear himself.
Orodan wasn¡¯t the overly sentimental type, but he was happy that his student had found some measure of happiness. And while viewing this spectacle was nice, the real reason he was here was so that this assessment could conclude and the final meeting between himself and the elven Gods could occur.
The Steward-King had a hand on Othorion¡¯s shoulder and the two exited the throne room, likely to talk among themselves and hopefully rebuild their father-son bonds. The guards of the throne room ushered everyone out and then exited themselves, leaving only Orodan within as he saw Eldarion and the Avatars of Cithrel and Athandelu enter.
¡°A little ironic when an orphan helps mend a broken paternal bond,¡± Eldarion playfully said. ¡°Good to see you, Orodan.¡±
¡°Likewise. Let¡¯s cut to the chase,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Are you ready to meet with me upon Guzuhar?¡±
¡°As ready as I shall ever be,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Failure during the trial isn¡¯t much of an option with your abilities.¡±
¡°The trial or the arrival of the Hegemony isn¡¯t of too much concern,¡± Orodan said. ¡°They shall have far bigger things to worry about afterwards. Athandelu, how does the new wand fare?¡±
¡°Good. If anything, the functionality is greatly improved,¡± the elven God of psionics said.
¡°Excellent. Try to avoid war or hostilities with Novarria, will you? With Balastion Novar¡¯s Eldritch crown purified, there is nothing for you to gain,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Provided the humans do not attempt to push the matter, we have little desire for hostilities, time looper,¡± Cithrel said.
¡°Then, that is all I had to say. This will be farewell, for now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have a grand vision I must see realized tomorrow.¡±
¡°You have been rather guarded about exactly what you intend to do,¡± Cithrel said. ¡°We have agreed to free Faraine upon the defeat of the Eldritch Avatar, yet this unspoken plan of yours makes me uneasy.¡±
¡°It is nothing that will affect you. And I don¡¯t intend to speak of it until I am before the audience meant to hear it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I prefer to produce results before making grand promises and proclamations.¡±
¡°And who is the audience meant to hear it?¡± Cithrel asked.
¡°Leave it be, my dear¡ Orodan shall reveal it all in due time,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Has he not been honest with us and worked towards the best interests of Eldiron? Surely, we can respect his privacy.¡±
¡°I can abide by this,¡± Cithrel said. ¡°Our people flourish, the wand of Athandelu is improved with your power¡ and my dearest husband is poised to achieve Transcendence by facing a trial we would never have known of without your foreknowledge. Though¡ having to power our Bloodline bearers ourselves will be an inconvenience.¡±
¡°Better to empower your followers yourself than rely on the drained divinity of a shackled Goddess.¡±
¡°Direct as always with your words,¡± Cithrel said. ¡°Though, I suppose I can now see the merit in them. Then, this will be farewell, Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Farewell, Cithrel, Athandelu. Eldiron has been a most gracious host, and I have learned much. It¡¯s not inaccurate to say I owe you a debt,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What might I do to repay it?¡±
¡°I¡¯d ask you leave the matter of Faraine alone¡ but that would be asking too much. And she has been imprisoned long enough I suppose,¡± Cithrel said. ¡°The energy batteries. If you filled them up again, we certainly would not complain. That and the Eldritch Avatar.¡±
¡°Done. I shall handle both these issues from now on,¡± Orodan promised. Though the Eldritch Avatar he would have handled anyways. ¡°Tomorrow, we meet upon Guzuhar. And after the defeat of the Eldritch Avatar, your husband¡¯s trial.¡±
And after that¡
¡something likely to make him some very powerful enemies.
Before that though, a small detour to the Republic was due. His Dimensionalism allowed him to reach for new places, and he¡¯d made a promise when facing down a particular nemesis of his.
#
Karilsgard, the capital city of the Republic of Aden.
Foot traffic was abundant, with plenty of commoners, soldiers, merchants and caravans going in and out. In the skies above, the aerial traffic was also decent, with most of it headed for the commercial district and some headed for Bluefire and the Spire of Karilsgard where the High-Burgher and the rest of the council sat.
It was within the throngs of foot traffic entering the city that Orodan walked in. He¡¯d teleported directly from Eldiron to Inuan, just outside of this city, and was now making entry on foot. Teleporting directly into his destination was one option, but he didn¡¯t want to shatter the anti-spatiomancy wards and cause an alarm.
Not yet.
Currently, magical and soul detection methods simply didn¡¯t work on him, but they did expose the glaring fact that his soul was akin to a void to those who tried getting a read on him. The Capital guards at the gate didn¡¯t stop him, but the sentries and Elite-level captain on the walls were clearly alarmed at the fact that they could receive no reading whatsoever from his soul.
The captain¡¯s communications amulet glowed as she sent out a call for assistance.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Whether it was because of the lack of reading or because she¡¯d recognized him or his likeness from the events at Jerestir was anyone¡¯s guess. The thrashing he¡¯d given multiple people of power had created waves, and both the Republic and Novarria were undoubtedly on the lookout for him, even if they wouldn¡¯t dare to actively try and hunt him after that display.
Orodan walked down the streets, nobody challenging him.
And it was only as he was about to enter his target destination, that multiple people stepped in front of him.
Masters, Grandmasters and a horde of Elite-level soldiers. They were gathering in force as Orodan walked, but didn¡¯t want to make contact until they felt confident in their odds of success¡ or survival.
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± the leading Grandmaster called out. ¡°Your reputation precedes you. How may we help the destroyer of Jerestir?¡±
Destroyer of Jerestir?
¡°I didn¡¯t even destroy the town¡ isn¡¯t this slander?¡± Orodan asked, causing the Grandmaster to appear nervous.
¡°I¡ I mean no offense my lord-¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a lord but go on.¡±
¡°Yes sir, it¡¯s just the moniker everyone is referring to you as,¡± the Grandmaster said.
¡°Everyone?¡±
¡°Well sir¡ it¡¯s difficult to cover up that much widespread destruction and mayhem, particularly in a border town,¡± the Grandmaster said. ¡°The commoners might not be aware of your true power, but they¡¯re aware of the chaos you caused.¡±
Orodan sighed. Fame was a bit annoying at times.
¡°Understood, thank you for informing me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now then, I have business in the Cathedral of the Prime Five, so please move.¡±
The Grandmaster wasn¡¯t stupid, and the man immediately moved aside and ordered the other people to as well. Orodan entered the Cathedral unimpeded.
At the entrance, a war-priest of Agathor greeted him.
¡°O-Orodan Wainwright¡!¡± the man stammered, clearly frightened beyond words. ¡°Please¡ your enmity with the God of War is known, but we¡¯ve done you no wrong, please spare us!¡±
Orodan recognized this man.
¡°Aren¡¯t you from Scarmorrow?¡±
¡°W-why yes¡ how did you know? The recent chaos from so many losing their Blessings caused me to get recalled to the Cathedral,¡± the war-priest said. ¡°I am Solamus Einshield, war-priest of Agathor. And I mean you no harm and will not impede your way in the slightest.¡±
¡°On the contrary Solamus,¡± Orodan said, a happy grin on his face. ¡°Rather than impeding my way, I believe you¡¯re instrumental in showing me the way.¡±
¡°My lord? What do you mean?¡±
Orodan sighed.
¡°Hold still while I examine some things.¡±
His eyes began glowing with power, as soul energy erupted and encapsulated every cell of his body. Vision of Purity looked closely, and as Orodan had learned throughout his five months on Eldiron¡ the tether of divine power leading from this war-priest¡¯s soul to the divine realm flowed towards a dimensional boundary.
And as Orodan was taught by the dimensional phase spider, the great Talricto the Wanderer¡
¡this boundary could be subtly pushed past and entered.
Oh, how Orodan had tried brute forcing the matter. Yet no matter how he tried, it was akin to being the strongest man wielding a hammer with an oiled up, slippery handle. His control over the forces of Dimensionalism simply wasn¡¯t high enough to properly channel the destructive force he¡¯d need to shatter the boundary. Whenever he tried brute forcing it, his control slipped, and the grasp of the dimensional fabric slipped through his fingers like sand escaping a clenched fist.
With the subtle method though, it was a different matter.
Orodan followed the thread linking the Blessing in Solamus¡¯s soul to its source of power in the divine realm. And with a subtle application of force, akin to a blade finely sawing wood along the grain instead of against¡
¡Orodan stepped into a dimension of strange lights, impossible geometry and the power of millions floating around, being gathered towards a singular point, a singular being.
A hammer in the right hand, a greatsword in the left, and two spears strapped across his back. This was Agathor, the Inuanan God of War, in the flesh.
Orodan was no longer in the material plane, he was in the divine realm.
What a strange place. His eyes could see it all very well.
He was within a gigantic vortex of divine power, with multiple threads from this vortex going out, crossing the dimensional boundary and most likely entering the material plane. These were undoubtedly the Blessing the God had bestowed upon his followers. Blessings aside however, every moment, pulses of power and energy would enter this vortex, crossing the dimensional boundary to do so. These pulses added to Agathor¡¯s divine power.
And in the distance, an extreme distance which didn¡¯t look as though it could be traversed at all due to turbulent veins of chaotic System energy roiling throughout¡ were other such vortexes. Other Gods. No wonder he almost never heard of Gods fighting overmuch with one another in the divine dimension. How could they, when the distances were so extreme?
The vortexes higher up in the sky were of varying sizes but tended towards being smaller. Were these weaker Gods?
Downwards though, the vortexes were large, quite so. And Orodan distinctly felt that the ones at the very bottom were peak-Gods. However, the lower one went in this divine realm¡ the chaotic veins of System energy began to grow more distorted.
More purple and gray.
Orodan suddenly had a completely unfounded theory in his head that perhaps this was where the Boundless One filtered its Eldritch nature.
Still, what mattered now, was the being at the center of the vortex he was in. The ground, the air, it was filled with divine energy, and it was all hostile to him upon arrival.
Orodan had done the hard work of innately comprehending Divine Resistance when he¡¯d unlocked it. Thus, unlike some of his other skills which were impacted far more negatively by the loss of the System, Divine Resistance still worked. Orodan understood that it was nothing but the combined power a God received from the faith and prayers of their subjects.
It was pathetic.
And the shocked War God staring at him with fear in his eyes, was the same.
¡°Agathor. I¡¯ve come to keep my promise.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright! You dare show your face here?! How have you entered the divine realm?! Mortals do not belong here!¡± Agathor roared, disbelief in his voice.
¡°A creative use of Dimensionalism, a subtle thing,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Of course, it still required power enough to do so.¡±
¡°Have you come to finish what you started?¡±
¡°I have. I promised you death, and death you shall receive,¡± Orodan said, drawing his sword and shield. ¡°Now come, face me and die standing with your weapons in hand.¡±
¡°I do not recall ever incurring your enmity! You would be committing a brazen act of murder!¡±
¡°No more brazen than your act of corrupting an impressionable young warrior into accepting your Blessing and then puppeteering him alongside your tyrannical divine friends,¡± Orodan said, rushing forward and coming in with a brutal overhand sword swing which caused the vortex to tremble dangerously as Agathor was forced to his knees by the raw power. ¡°Are you not a God of War? Fight me, craven. Or will you again seek to run like you did after crossing the first gate?¡±
Once upon a time, Orodan had been weak. He was no match for Agathor. Now though, Orodan had been through much death, suffering and struggle. Agathor was no match for him.
¡°You know of that¡? Of course you do. They say you are a time looper,¡± Agathor said, forced down to the ground, Orodan¡¯s blade nearing his neck and madness entering his voice. ¡°Tell me, Orodan Wainwright, how many times have I wronged you throughout these loops of yours? How many of your loved ones have I slain?! No matter how much strength you gain, you shall always remain a pawn to me, a slave to my whims as I live forever in your mind, casting a shadow upon your soul!¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, Agathor. You do live in my mind. The pain you put me through, the suffering. I remember it all too clearly,¡± Orodan agreed, surprising the War God. ¡°What? Did you expect me to give you some silly speech about acceptance and moving on? Let me tell you something¡ the pain, it defines me. The suffering, the struggle, what you did to me, what you did to my mentor Arvayne Firesword. I will not forget. After all, it made me stronger, it set me on the course I¡¯m on now.¡±
¡°You¡ you¡¯re mad, Orodan Wainwright¡ your mind is broken!¡±
¡°On the contrary, Agathor, the pain you inflicted upon me lets me see all too clearly, with a mind which is all too calm,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Do you think this hatred I feel for you is fiery? Born of temporary passion? No, this is a grudge I¡¯ve chosen to embrace. Thank you Agathor, for all you¡¯ve done to me. The warrior before you today would not have existed without it.¡±
Orodan was the type of person who committed. He committed to training and battle, to his debts, to his friendships and to his goals. But this also meant that he committed to his grudges.
The blade descended, overpowering the Inuanan God of War. Sword carved through flesh and bone, separating Agathor¡¯s head from his shoulders.
A wail of agony erupted from the vortex itself, and then, it too shattered entirely. The connections leading to and from it immediately snapped, the divine energy roiled, and then it exploded outwards in a wave of power which caused many of the veins of System energy in the between-space to tremble.
Eximus and Ilyatana, Orodan vaguely sensed their divine domains within this dimension at a great distance. But he left them be. He was sure they were quivering in terror yet were free to flee. Yes, they¡¯d wronged Orodan, but Agathor was the God that had truly betrayed him and shattered any faith in the divine that Orodan might have ever had.
The slaying of a God and the destruction of their domain within the actual divine dimension wasn¡¯t a small matter.
Many of the nearby divine domains trembled at the sight, and he was sure word was swiftly spreading. Furthermore, he saw the trembling and eruption of a God¡¯s domain which was far lower, nearer to the Eldritch incursion of the dimension. His powerful eyes strained to see, but vaguely he could make out a being the size of an entire nation, fifty arms, each armed with weapons of lethal gold.
Astalavar. One of the Gods of the Hegemony.
And he¡¯d noticed what Orodan had done.
The high-level God of the Hegemony would doubtlessly be coming by soon, but it wasn¡¯t a quick thing. From the vast distances involved, and the slow speed it was flying at, Astalavar would take a while to arrive at this position. Additionally, discerning the position of someone in the material plane from a slain God¡¯s position in the divine realm was an arduous task. Even without an obscuring formation, finding Alastaia in the last long loop had been a difficult task for his foes.
And while he would¡¯ve loved to stay and fight, and undoubtedly planned to have many future loops battling within this realm¡
¡for the purposes of this long loop, not yet. He had a goal in mind which this battle would be detrimental to.
With a flourish of soul energy, Orodan subtly peeled back the dimensional layer, and returned to the material plane.
Upon his return, a pale and extremely frightened war-priest of Agathor stood before him. And an even more intimidated group of Grandmasters.
Orodan looked up, at the statue in front of him.
¡°You may want to remove that,¡± he said. ¡°Agathor is dead.¡±
Solamus Einshield fainted. And nobody dared impede Orodan¡¯s departure.
#
Guzuhar, the northern continent.
An icy land from which raider clans often sailed out to assault the coastal settlements, trading ships and vulnerable targets in the Empire, Republic and Eastern Kingdoms. If Orodan had time, he would¡¯ve loved to slay Agorhiku the Guzuharan God of Blood and War as well, however he had other things planned for this loop which was approaching its end.
His parents had been killed in one such raid, and Orodan had been quite prejudiced towards Guzuharans once upon a time, before he¡¯d actually travelled to this continent and met its people at least. Still, as he¡¯d come to learn, not all of Guzuhar was composed of raider clans, in fact, the majority of the folk living here were regular, civilized people.
He¡¯d rampaged about and annihilated a majority of the raider tribes on the eastern coast of the continent before finally heading inland, visiting Spearwater and then Vorskard, the main settlement of Clan Iron-Bear. It was more than anything, a sentimental visit, but Orodan had wanted to see those places one more time before heading to his current destination.
The Valley of Spires.
Once upon a time, the place had a lifeless aura to it, with hints of foul, purple-gray Eldritch energy flitting about. Past invasions of Alastaia by the Eldritch typically chose the Valley of Spires as their landing point, primarily due to the Eldritch energy suffusing the ground and making it a favorable battleground.
Unfortunately for the Eldritch, Orodan¡¯s complete cleansing of Eldritch from the entire planet included the Valley of Spires. No longer did this valley have any sort of lifeless aura, and instead of being rocky and desolate¡ the ground had flourished with plant life and flowers in the past five months.
Orodan crested the top of a hill, upon which, Eldarion was waiting.
On the spires, and nearby, many members of Clan Iron-Bear and the nearby clans were present. The three World Guardians were waiting on the peaks, and they looked prepared for battle, if a little grim.
¡°I remember visiting this valley in my youth,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°It was meant to be an educational journey, my tutor brought us along to see what the Eldritch was capable of, how it can scar the land permanently. And all that¡¯s been thrown out the window thanks to your cleaning abilities which have flowers growing out of the rocky ground.¡±
¡°The stain of the Eldritch was annoying me. Alastaia has borne the corruption for long enough,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Even though this place is changed, it¡¯s still hauntingly familiar. Most times I¡¯ve found myself here, things haven¡¯t gone very well.¡±
This was the site of the confrontation between him and the Eldritch Avatar after all. The one constant hurdle throughout his loops. Even if he¡¯d grown strong and made foes which were far deadlier, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was a constant, ever descending towards Alastaia at the start of each loop.
¡°I have a hard time seeing you lose, Orodan,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Especially when Cithrel and Athandelu tell me that the divine realm is in an uproar. Is it true?¡±
¡°Is what true? That I gave a cockroach the death it deserved?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°So, you did kill Agathor¡¡± Eldarion muttered, amazed. ¡°You can do it then; you can cross into the divine dimension¡¡±
¡°Through following the thread of connection between a Blessed and their God, perhaps,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°Why? Missing your wife already?¡±
Eldarion shuddered.
¡°Far from it. Rather, I¡¯m glad this loop of yours is ending for Cithrel will doubtlessly try and beg you to open the way so that I might physically enter.¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes at this elf¡¯s marital antics. Still, Eldarion had become something of a friend, and Orodan found himself liking him.
Balaji Vedharna, who Orodan had spoken to a while ago in Velestok this loop, approached.
¡°Orodan Wainwright. As you said, you¡¯re here,¡± the quadruple-Grandmaster shield user from the Eastern Kingdoms said. ¡°Sarastuga did not believe me when I claimed that a warrior capable of besting it alone would appear. That old lion is far too cynical.¡±
¡°He isn¡¯t wrong to rely on his own strength,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This fight, however, is mine. In fact, once it lands and you clearly see that I have things in hand, clear everyone else out, will you?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t hold command over these northerners,¡± Balaji said. ¡°But I will inform them of your wishes, and hopefully the display of your prowess will convince them to heed your request.¡±
Balaji left and Orodan didn¡¯t bother speaking for anyone else as he waited for the meteor to descend.
An hour passed, and then fifteen minutes remained.
This then dwindled down to two minutes, the descending comet appearing monstrously large this close to the ground.
¡°It comes! Prepare yourselves!¡± the elder of Clan Iron-Bear roared before allowing Ozgaric to take over in Avatar state.
¡°Eldarion, did you bring the cart?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I did¡ though I really don¡¯t see how this thing is meant to harm it,¡± the elf said.
¡°It isn¡¯t, but it¡¯s good to have a benchmark for weapons testing,¡± Orodan explained as he unfurled the cart Eldarion brought. A cart Orodan had made.
Within the cart, was a cannon. The pinnacle of Orodan¡¯s current crafting abilities.
Blacksmithing and Engineering came together to make it, Alchemy and Enchanting worked to create the most destructive shell possible, and his Woodworking made the cart which hauled it around. He placed a shell down the barrel, aimed it upwards at the descending meteor, and snapped his fingers to create a flame which lit the fuse.
With a titanic boom, the cannon went off. The weapon itself held, but the cart bearing it trembled quite violently.
The shell impacted the descending eldritch comet, and with a loud boom, some small pieces of rock and corrupted shell came off.
Orodan estimated the cannon could kill an Elite and perhaps hurt a Master.
In other words¡
¡no impact against the Eldritch Avatar at all.
¡°We¡¯re so doomed¡¡± one of the northerners said, losing hope at the sight of how weak the cannon was.
Oh well¡ with enough loops he¡¯d eventually make it work. Perhaps studying dwarven artillery or the guns of Lonvoron would help.
The time for experiments was over.
The World Guardians and Avatars were about to launch a combined magical assault when everyone was shocked at the outpouring of soul energy from Orodan.
His eyes glowed, power channelled throughout his body, and it was poured into a Teleportation cast with his left hand.
His right hand, clenched into a fist.
The Eldritch Avatar shrieked as it felt its body come under control of a strange spatiomancy spell. It wasn¡¯t Spatial Fold either.
It was forcibly teleported downwards, crossing the rest of the distance, its momentum preserved¡
¡where it met Orodan¡¯s right fist.
The Valley of Spires was utterly vaporized, and Orodan was forced to use spatiomancy to whisk the less durable combatants away as the shockwave of the strike eradicated the entirety of the planned battlefield.
The Eldritch Avatar shrieked in pain as it was sent flying back up into the sky.
¡°Alright, everyone else can leave,¡± Orodan stated, leaving no room for argument. ¡°Remaining close will simply result in the weaker ones among you getting killed. Eldarion, watch from a safe distance if you must, but remain close at hand.¡±
The enemy immediately broke free from its shell, revealing the entirety of its ashen, humanoid body which was the size of a mountain. Sickening purple-gray veins were glowing all over its body. And its eyes were white and pupil-less, the typical sign of a being that had fallen to Eldritch corruption and lost its mind.
¡°The world would possess a champion of such raw might? We shall enjoy enlightening this one to the truth,¡± the Eldritch Avatar spoke.
A teleportation carried Orodan directly above it, and a downward fist smashed it down towards the Valley of Spires. He was simply too fast and too strong for it. His combat peers were high-level Transcendents. Not an up jumped quadruple-Grandmaster creature which was corrupted by the Eldritch, no matter how many Blessings it had.
¡°No need. I¡¯m already aware of the truth,¡± Orodan said, delivering another mighty blow to its head, sending it deeper into the ground upon landing. ¡°We always end up in this position every time we meet. You and I. Orodan Wainwright, versus the Eldritch Avatar, one-on-one.¡±
Perhaps this really was destiny, he thought as he continued pummelling it into submission.
¡°Foul heretic! What would you know of the truth?! We, the anointed disciples of it, shall show you the true nature of the reality we all inhabit!¡±
¡°The true nature of System space is that a Boundless One empowers the System we all use, and at core, every living being inside of this cosmos is Eldritch,¡± Orodan said, pausing the fighting for a moment. ¡°We simply don¡¯t know or accept it yet. Everything within System space¡ except for me.¡±
¡°What¡ what are you? You have no soul¡ a blank void occupies your being!¡±
¡°I have a soul, but it no longer contains any trace of the Eldritch. I no longer have a System,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The truth you seek to spread, I know it all too well. The Boundless One desperately seeks to prevent its spread, despite its very nature being anathema to the life it seeks to protect.¡±
¡°A Reject¡ like one of the master¡¯s fallen brethren¡¡±
Master? That confirmed that the Prophet was the one behind the infectious Eldritch. He¡¯d seen it lead the Eldritch on Lonvoron, and the Eldritch Avatar here must have been acting on the overarching orders from it as well.
¡°In a sense, though not nearly as maddened as that dual-sword wielding lunatic,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Why not join us then? Let all live in harmony with the source, with the truth. There need be no suffering if we all operate by the same understanding and embrace who we are at core!¡± the Eldritch Avatar said. ¡°We are not so different. Our victory is inevitable, join us!¡±
Was that what the Prophet wanted? For the entirety of the System to become corrupted by the Eldritch so they could all live in some version of twisted harmony? Orodan decided that the master of the Eldritch Avatar was one of his prime targets.
¡°You¡¯re mistaken. Life was never meant to become corrupted by the Eldritch Boundless One. Before the System, before the Boundless One dragged a number of worlds from the greater universe into its space and locked itself in with us alongside the System¡ there was life. Uncorrupted, and unmaddened by the Eldritch, but there was life,¡± Orodan clarified. In fact, the Reject had been a cultivator from before the arrival of the System. ¡°And your victory is inevitable you say?¡±
¡°The Eldritch will spread. Nothing done by us or you will change that.¡±
¡°That¡ is where you speak incorrectly. What you or I do will very much matter, and victory is far from inevitable for either of us,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You say we¡¯re not so different? I disagree. What separates us¡ are our respective visions. You and your master have a vision where the beauty and diversity of life is eradicated, living in forced harmony with the Eldritch in a twisted mockery of its original existence. And my vision¡¡±
¡°¡is likely to make me an enemy of the most powerful beings in the System. Now then, let me show you just how I intend to change this inevitable course of the Eldritch you seem so certain of.¡±
The time for talk was over. It was time to begin the first step.
A broom was produced from his spatial ring, and with a singular sweep. The Eldritch Avatar was entirely cleansed.
Yet, Orodan didn¡¯t stop there. Domain of Perfect Cleaning shot out and entered its soul, gazing at the three remnant consciousnesses of the three Eldritch Gods. He followed the threads leading past the dimensional boundary, and like last time, a gentle application of Dimensionalism brought him past the boundary and into the divine realm.
It was dark. It was grotesque, and it was everywhere.
He was in the divine realm, yet there was practically no divine energy around. He was within a singular, mutated and horrific vortex, a divine domain, which was the twisted amalgamation of three separate ones.
If he¡¯d been near the upper layers of the divine dimension before, where it was bright, with surreal shapes, luminous energies and colorful domains¡ then he was now in the bowels, where everything was dark and the veins of System energy in-between the vortex-like divine domains were chaotic and consisted entirely of Eldritch power.
One horrifically mutilated God stood before him, and its mangled eyes were wide with fear as none of the Eldritch surrounding Orodan did anything to him.
¡°How can you remain untouched? What are you?¡±
¡°Someone here to clean up this mess,¡± Orodan said and then looked carefully at the threads going out to and from this Eldritch God amalgamation. Most of them were the threads of Blessing, likely empowering a creature. One though, was massive, and Orodan sensed that it led to a world core. ¡°Found it. You¡¯re being empowered in turn by a plague world, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Cease your vile purge!¡± the Eldritch God mutation roared as it sent waves upon waves of Eldritch towards Orodan.
All of which were completely ignored akin to water washing over him. The actual force of the attacks might have been of some concern, if he didn¡¯t have Eldritch Resistance to begin with. Being completely purged of the System and its underlying Eldritch however, meant that it simply couldn¡¯t corrupt him how it did any other living being within System space.
¡°I think not,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This will draw some attention from your master, but I welcome it.¡±
Incipience of Infinity flared to the maximal extent Orodan could push it without destroying his body. He became a puddle of cells.
The broom, formerly in his hands and now held by just a few cells, was empowered by an unbelievable amount of soul energy. And it shot out, targeting the amalgamated Eldritch God, the entirety of the plague world it was connected to¡
¡and an utterly gigantic portion of the Eldritch which infested this bottom part of the divine dimension.
He heard shrieks of resistance and terror all around from the various other Eldritch Gods in the divine realm. They tried, yet utterly failed to resist Orodan¡¯s unstoppable purge.
Hundreds, then thousands of Eldritch divinities, corrupted either through something in the material plane, or through too much exposure in the divine realm itself¡ suddenly became whole and normal once more.
The dark and grotesque expanse all around him, the formerly Eldritch portion of the divine dimension¡
¡was now back to being bright, surreal and colorful once more.
Orodan however, had no time to waste looking at the fruits of his work.
He pried the dimensional boundary apart and stepped through, back to Alastaia, to the Valley of Spires.
Before him, a completely purified Void Horror, no longer the host for the Eldritch Avatar.
¡°I am¡ free¡? Brother? Where is my brother?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I have no time to give you the answers you seek,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Eldarion! Come!¡±
¡°I am here!¡± the elf exclaimed.
¡°Now! Before the Prophet gets here, hit me with the mightiest assault you can!¡± Orodan roared.
And Eldarion complied.
¡°Kneel!¡±
The command was mighty, quite a bit stronger than the one Eldarion had struck him with the first time he¡¯d attempted the trial of ascension. Still, it wasn¡¯t a threat to Orodan when he¡¯d faced so much worse.
But, what it did do¡
¡was cause the System energy, symbols and glyphs around Eldarion to explode outwards.
And the familiar System unit descended. A faceless humanoid which was more robot than living being.
It attempted to freeze everything in a time stasis, but Orodan had far too much energy. The System unit utterly failed to freeze him in time.
He watched the trial very closely, and even with the improvements Eldarion had made¡ his friend still looked as though he would fail.
But that was alright, after all, Orodan had planned for this.
His soul energy shot out and performed a Time Reversal¡
¡which also targeted Eldarion¡¯s System.
The elf¡¯s eyes widened as time reverted, and the trial of ascension was pulled backwards, along with Eldarion¡¯s skill gain which triggered it.
¡°To see it is one thing¡ but to experience it¡ my skill is at 100 again¡¡±
¡°Again, Eldarion. We cannot waste time,¡± Orodan stated.
This was the terrifying power Orodan was now capable of. Being capable of interacting with System energy, its glyphs and symbols, meant that he could also revert the changes and gains in the System of someone else.
Eldarion shouted another command at Orodan and immediately experienced another outburst of System energy, and the trial descended once more. This time, Eldarion did far better, yet still was on the verge of failing.
Yet again, Orodan reversed time.
¡°Again! Focus, Eldarion! You can best it!¡±
Eldarion barked another command and achieved level 101 once more, and the third time was the charm as the elf was beginning to overwhelm the System unit in a test of skill comprehension.
The trial ended, and Eldarion was breathing heavily, his face pale.
¡°That was¡ exhilarating,¡± Eldarion said. ¡°Thank you, Orodan¡ I could never have done this without you.¡±
¡°When the Hegemony comes, just pledge servitude,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll have no time to waste with them given what I¡¯m about to do. Hells, they might just flee at the sight. of the chaos.¡±
¡°What? Explain yourself Orodan.¡±
¡°No time for this,¡± Orodan said as he once again poured as much soul energy as possible, yet this time directed it right at the System unit and the connection it had to the greater System. ¡°Stay safe. I¡¯ll see you again.¡±
Last time, Orodan was forced to use the Administrator¡¯s Mantle in order to manipulate System energy and jump on the connection created between the System and his own trial. Yet, as Alovardo had said¡
¡°Water cannot grasp water¡ but earth might. Being of a different nature, the numbers and values may well be malleable.¡±
Orodan no longer had a System. He was free of the influence of the Eldritch Boundless One which empowered the System. Consequently, he could manipulate System energy.
Using this, he smashed into the connection created between the deep bowels of the System and this trial¡ and forcefully widened it.
Behind him, space shuddered and he saw a familiar old man, white beard, religious sceptre and priestly robes. He was dangerous, and Orodan stood no chance in direct combat against the Prophet yet. Of course, the Administrator had no issue with remaining unaffected by the Time Stasis imposed by the trial as well.
¡°You? Who are you?¡± the Prophet asked, frowning at Orodan. ¡°You have no soul¡ how can this be? No, wait¡ you have one, but it is devoid of the beautiful touch of the Boundless One. What manner of abomination has made its way into our beautiful paradise ruled by the System?¡±
¡°One with no intention of stopping to answer your questions,¡± Orodan said and then did something quite unexpected to even the Prophet. He simply walked right into the deep bowels of the System.
A surreal dimension where no known laws of space and normality functioned the way they did in the material plane. System energy was everywhere, alongside the Eldritch.
And he could see the familiar cage with System glyphs and symbols etched onto every inch. Though the cage looked far more damaged than it had last time. And within, the same grotesque purple thing that powered the System, and formerly¡ the time loops.
In a section of this forbidden place, was the time loop mechanism, its power guided towards him, indicating him as the bearer of the time loops.
At the sight of him, the Eldritch Boundless One reacted quite viscerally, understanding that Orodan was connected to the loops. It demanded answers.
Next to it, was the Custodian, staring at Orodan with an expression most curious.
¡°Orodan Wainwright? We had lost connection with you six months ago¡ and you somehow appear here now¡ how can this be?¡± the Custodian asked.
¡°I don¡¯t have much time before the Reject and the Prophet arrive, so I¡¯ll keep this short,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You anointed the right person.¡±
¡°Explain.¡±
¡°The time loops. I was killed, thrown outside of System space altogether and disconnected from the loops,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Yet, I managed to return and empower the time loops myself. The time loops are under my control now.¡±
¡°You lie. Only a Boundless One could do such a thing,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°The amount of energy it would take¡¡±
Behind the Custodian, the being within the cage simply extended a tentacle and brushed it against Orodan¡¯s face.
¡°This one¡
¡°¡Boundless.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m Boundless¡ but I did touch upon the concept of Infinity to empower the loops,¡± Orodan said. ¡°They affect the entirety of the greater universe now.¡±
¡°The anger of the elder one¡ justified.¡±
¡°Tch¡ is that why the one who torments has been so angrily attempting to break into System space?¡± the Custodian asked the Boundless One, and it gave a warble of confirmation. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, we had a plan to purge the System of the Eldritch through you. Instead, your power has grown beyond what should be possible and has upended everything. Now the System is under attack by outside forces and all I thought I knew about what mortals should be capable of was a lie.¡±
The dimensional boundary was carved, and a familiar dual-sword wielding Administrator stepped through. His upper body, deformed, his eyes, possessed of utter madness.
It was the Reject.
¡°Incredible¡ another wayward pawn of this sick purple toad,¡± the Reject spat. ¡°And one in control of the time loops themselves. Together, we can destroy it all and burn this wicked System down! Join me, time looper!¡±
By now, things were escalating quite rapidly. The Prophet stepped through the connection Orodan had made. And following this, a fifteen-foot tall, armored man with a greatsword, and a wizened old man with a staff also entered through dimensional fluctuations.
The Warrior and the Mage had arrived.
All five Administrators were present.
¡°A family reunion!¡± the Reject exclaimed. ¡°Shall we talk about how our lives have been? Me first! I was horribly betrayed, experienced a tremendous amount of suffering and intend to take it out on those responsible for it. Wait¡ that¡¯s all you! And this false prison we dwell within!¡±
¡°Xia. Do not blame us for your deviant behavior and attempts to supplant the safe corner of the cosmos we have created with the System,¡± the Warrior said, his voice booming and the very definition of authority. ¡°You attempted to defy the natural order of the heavens, and you paid the price by being stripped of your position. Given the greatest gift of us all, yet despite all the loops you are still a failure.¡±
¡°Oh¡ you¡¯ll be the first to die at my hands, and that silly tincan suit and overly big sword won¡¯t save you!¡±
The Mage then interjected.
¡°And yet¡ Xia has a point. The System is a prison, we should be rid of it. The chance to decide our own path has been taken away from us!¡±
¡°You would side with that lunatic?¡± the Prophet angrily asked. ¡°We should all live in harmony with the source, with our savior and benefactor!¡±
What was going on?
The Warrior and the Prophet, two beings who¡¯d fought one another in the past¡ were now on one side. While the Reject and the Mage were on the other. Both sides were tense and facing one another down, with the Boundless One and the Custodian remaining neutral.
Administrators who Orodan had thought were foes, were now allies? Was this how their loyalties truly looked when it came to the question of what the fate of the System should be?
¡°The bigger question is¡¡± the Custodian began. ¡°What does Orodan Wainwright, the time looper, intend to do?¡±
¡°Well, now that you¡¯re all here,¡± Orodan said, bringing his hand near his heart and channelling soul energy for a specific purpose. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡±
During the argument between the Administrators, he looked around and had found the font of knowledge which the System drew from. It was the combined knowledge of all skills, skill levels and insights gathered by the System.
¡°Speak plainly rodent,¡± the Prophet spat. ¡°Your tactic to stall for time is not as subtle as you think. You caused me a great setback in my endeavors today.¡±
¡°Good, I intend to cause you a setback every time,¡± Orodan promised.
¡°Then, the time looper is on our side,¡± the Mage said. ¡°The System must fall, and this cage must be broken.¡±
¡°Incorrect,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I detest the spread of the Eldritch. I am most certainly not on the Prophet¡¯s side when he sends mad and corruptive monsters across the cosmos in order to spread the truth. However, that does not mean the fall of the System is the right decision.¡±
¡°Little Wainwright, was it? Look at what the Eldritch has done, has it not affected your home planet? Have the time loops not caused you immense suffering?¡± the Reject asked. ¡°Look at how ugly that wicked thing inside the cage is. Do you not want to eradicate it for everything it¡¯s done? I was alive before the System¡ and then it came, and it swooped us and those machines into its newly created universe without any regard for what we might want. And then it anointed me as the first time looper to try and understand how to solve the Eldritch problem, yet it threw me aside when I suggested we were better off free!¡±
¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I disagree with the System taking the choice out of everyone¡¯s hands. But there are also plenty of innocent folk who would suffer if such a System were to suddenly disappear.¡±
¡°Speak plainly then, worm,¡± the Prophet spat. ¡°So that we might dispense with the civilities, and I might exact vengeance. I refuse to be on your side no matter what.¡±
¡°And I refuse to be on yours,¡± Orodan said. ¡°However, I¡¯m on neither side. Instead, I have a vision of my own.¡±
¡°And what, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°Would this grand vision be?¡±
¡°To solve the issue of the Eldritch, we must do away with the System. Yet to solve the issue of countless innocents being impacted, we must retain a System. And of course, we still have circling predators outside of System space who covet this part of the cosmos,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My option¡ is one where we implement a new System.¡±
¡°Madder than me¡¡± the Reject muttered.
¡°A fool¡¯s goal which would only see us all shackled,¡± the Mage said.
¡°You would dare bite the hand which has gotten you this far, worm?¡± the Prophet insulted.
¡°Such conquest would uproot billions and cause strife all across the System!¡± the Warrior warned.
The Custodian, and most curiously, the Boundless One however¡ remained entirely silent.
¡°I¡¯m glad you all disagree with me,¡± Orodan said, finalizing the creation of the object he¡¯d been visualizing for the past six months through time dilation wards and tireless studies. ¡°I have no shortage of enemies and am all too glad to add four more. Here then, is my promise¡¡±
¡°If the System is corrupt and causes the gradual decay of life and free will. If the people relying upon it will be harmed at its destruction. And if external predators whose power cannot be dealt with by the System circle us¡ then I, Orodan Wainwright¡ declare that I shall become the very System.¡±
One without the corruptive properties of the Eldritch Boundless One. A System where people were offered a choice. A framework for existence and reality where the crutch was capable of being taken on and off at the will of the user.
He would become the pillar upon which the dreams of all within the cosmos could become reality.
And the first step to this grand vision of his¡ began now. With the item he created in his hands, something he¡¯d shown Xalyth Mezzer before leaving, and something Alovardo Balmento had been utterly stupefied by.
All throughout the last five months, Orodan had used his new freedom to delve into soul cores in order to study what a System should look like. Frankly, it worked well, and he could make additions or changes later if needed. But the base framework for the System, its glyphs and symbols within someone¡ it was fine as is.
But how could he create a System? The System language was made of the Eldritch Boundless One¡¯s very essence. It was a problem which stumped Orodan, yet at each step, he had encountered possible solutions. The solutions weren¡¯t on other worlds, but on his humble home world of Alastaia itself.
The creation of his own reality-altering language required a material born from his essence. Orodan had carefully studied the silk of the spider dragons, and what was in his hands was soul weave; raw material made from his very soul¡ his very being. However, that alone wouldn¡¯t have been enough, which was why his recent studies in Dimensionalism bore fruit¡
¡and the soul weave was altered to exist in both the metaphysical realm of the soul, and the material plane.
And finally, the glyph, what shape would it be?
Orodan had learned, through much painstaking experimentation¡ that it didn¡¯t matter what the shape was, as long as he could ascribe strong enough meaning to it and force it to bend reality to his will. And the shape of the glyph he chose, to take place at the very center of his soul¡
¡was that of the ouroboros. The snake which ate its own tail, endlessly. In the early loops, his fate in the tapestry was essentially this.
It was the symbol for infinity.
Based off of this, he began channelling more and more soul power. Crafting the glyphs and symbols for each of his skills.
Slowly, but surely, his very own System, with a language forged of his own soul, came into being. And all five Administrators could only gawk as this occurred, too transfixed by the sight of it.
Finally, the glyph for the symbol of infinity at the center of it all¡ it was layered over and over, inspired by and modelled after the wisdom tree of Ildisiar, yet far exceeding its capacity. It was layered over and over, three-dimensionally, then four-dimensionally.
His own soul script was still basic, but functional.
The rune at the center of it all was ready to receive the knowledge held by the entirety of the System, and with a burst of soul energy he attached tethers to the font of knowledge held by the System. The gathering of all its skills, knowledge and insights¡ and connected it to the central rune.
His mind went blank.
Searing pain, the annihilation of mind, soul, self and consciousness threatened to occur.
Yet, on the precipice of falling to Infinity, Orodan Wainwright turned his Domain of Perfect Cleaning inwards¡
¡and did his best to clean his own mind and bring order to the relationship between himself and his own infinite will.
His entire body was screaming at him to die. Even his mind and soul demanded death.
Yet, the small part within that was unquestionably Orodan Wainwright refused, even as the combined store of knowledge that the System held over billions of years entered the central rune.
His body was reduced to a puddle with how much soul energy he channelled, yet it wasn¡¯t a matter of raw power or durability, but a test of mental resilience.
In the final moments of the process, he shunted the knowledge into the central rune¡ and sealed it off. To be accessed piece by piece, through the acquiring of skill levels, lest his mind shatter and he grow insane by attempting to utilize knowledge he was not ready to comprehend.
That it would¡¯ve just been cheap and antithetical to his ethos of hard work was also a factor.
And finally¡
¡the central rune of his own System, the symbol of infinity, was connected to his own soul and the various skills within it.
With it came the return of the System.
And the various skill level notifications that he¡¯d missed throughout this long loop.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 101 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 137]
[Incipience of Infinity 121 ¡ú Incipience of Infinity 125]
[Reality Alteration 20 ¡ú Reality Alteration 50]
The core skills he¡¯d been using all along, particularly to fuel the creation of this new System, had gotten some rather massive jumps.
Yet, there were more! His time spent honing his combat skills without System guidance had paid off. Focusing on the basics, on the form and the fundamental techniques¡ had caused massive growth.
[Unassailable Fortress 87 ¡ú Unassailable Fortress 91]
[Endless Blitz 85 ¡ú Endless Blitz 94]
[Flash Strike 76 ¡ú Flash Strike 82]
[Shield Throw 69 ¡ú Shield Throw 75]
[Unarmed Combat Mastery 92 ¡ú Unarmed Combat Mastery 96]
[Combat Mastery 90 ¡ú Combat Mastery 99]
[Shield Mastery 90 ¡ú Shield Mastery 97]
[Sword Mastery 88 ¡ú Sword Mastery 94]
[New Title ¡ú Sword Master]
[Wrestling 83 ¡ú Wrestling 86]
Various other magical, crafting and ancillary skills had grown across the board, though Orodan brushed those messages off in favor of confronting a very angry Prophet, and an enraged Mage who were intent on slaughtering him where he stood.
The Warrior hung back, conflicted, and the Reject¡ actually helped?
The mad cultivator and former first looper actually batted the Mage away and began engaging in battle against him.
Orodan faced down the Prophet, but as expected, still wasn¡¯t a match for an Administrator in a fair fight. He was battered about like a ball a child might play with. However, when the Prophet brought out a shard and channelled it against Orodan, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that it had a vastly reduced effectiveness against him and his new System which was composed of his own soul.
And any parts which were damaged, Orodan simply patched back together immediately himself.
However, his new System didn¡¯t have Rewards, so his Action Increases would have to wait until he re-discovered how to make them work, or better yet, his own method of clone creation. Even though his combat power, due to the skill level gains, was in fact higher than it had been when he last had access to clones¡ Orodan still intended on eventually finding a way to replicate the skill.
The Administrator smashed the priestly sceptre into his head, sending him flying through the expanse of the System¡¯s bowels, where a wormhole was opened with a gesture of the Prophet¡¯s hand.
¡°Time to die permanently, rodent,¡± the Prophet said, throwing Orodan through the wormhole and outside of System space. ¡°The time loop will not save you from this.¡±
Orodan valiantly empowered every defensive ability he had, but the incoming beam of pure light from the Prophet sent him to the darkness.
Yet, before that¡
¡he wondered why the Boundless One and Custodian had never once bothered to tell the Prophet or anyone else that Orodan¡¯s time loop encompassed the entirety of the greater universe now.
A death, even outside of System space, would only send him back to Ogdenborough.
#
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
And the very first thing Orodan did was look inwards to his own soul. He had been putting off this conversation for long enough.
He was within his own mindscape, though it was within the memory of when he¡¯d taken a life at a very young age.
¡°And here I thought the mighty Orodan Wainwright had forgotten about me.¡±
¡°Easy to forget about poor literature,¡± Orodan said, noticing that Zaessythra had chosen to remain in book form, even within the mindscape. ¡°How¡¯ve you been biding your time in here?¡±
¡°Oh, you know, viewing your memories, working on repairing my System and soul, grabbing a comfortable seat for all the entertaining things you¡¯ve been up to,¡± Zaessythra replied. Orodan had allowed her access to do so, thus it really wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°What about you?¡±
¡°Studying, training¡ altering reality and making promises which will make me cosmic foes,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You truly are the most vexatious person I know,¡± she said. ¡°Here I thought we were going to take it easy, perhaps slowly rebuild your System and then start again from square one. And here you are doing it yourself, facing down the being which powers the System and making dangerous declarations before all five Administrators.¡±
¡°Did you expect anything else from me?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°My next target is that annoying preacher known as the Prophet. I¡¯ll likely be headed to Lonvoron for that, which means we¡¯ll be encountering the other looper there as well. You might get your rematch against her if things go right.¡±
¡°Or alternately, have you considered trying to play things diplomatically?¡± she asked. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve recovered enough to regularly commune with you telepathically now, but coming out will take some more time.
¡°Now where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Orodan posed.
¡°Idiot.¡±
¡°I missed you too Zaessythra,¡± Orodan joked.
Silence came in-between for a few moments.
¡°Did you?¡± she asked.
¡°Why would I not? We didn¡¯t speak for six entire months while you were recovering,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I did miss you.¡±
¡°In what sense?¡± she asked, suddenly going from book to ten-foot-tall half-dragon in a move which took him aback. ¡°Look me in the eyes if you¡¯re going to answer that question.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not some blushing handmaid Zaessythra,¡± Orodan said, looking at her straight. ¡°You heard what I said while you were inside my soul. My thoughts on the matter aren¡¯t hidden.¡±
¡°I did hear what you said. And I recall something about an answer,¡± she said.
¡°You recall correctly,¡± Orodan said, arms crossed. ¡°Yet, that doesn¡¯t change everything I said in relation to that.¡±
¡°For someone so direct it¡¯s somewhat annoying to find the one issue you¡¯re dancing around the bush on,¡± Zaessythra said, irking him but successfully pointing it out. ¡°How about we cut the nonsense. We shared a kiss; how do you feel about that?¡±
What an annoyingly direct woman¡
¡°Is my reticence in answering that question not enough?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°If I disliked what occurred I would¡¯ve simply said so. Having to stand here and deal with how I feel about it though, is most uncomfortable.¡±
¡°So, you do like me,¡± she said, a most obnoxious smirk upon her face. ¡°Was that so hard to admit?¡±
¡°Admitting it isn¡¯t the hard part. I¡¯ve always had a softer spot for you than anyone else,¡± Orodan professed, crossing his arms. ¡°You died for me¡ you¡¯ve always put yourself in harm¡¯s way for my sake. How do expect me to feel about you when we¡¯ve fought and travelled together for so long? If this is some attempt at getting a sappy confession, I¡¯ll save you the trouble and admit it here and now.¡±
¡°You¡¯re treating this as though it¡¯s a military briefing in the barracks,¡± she said. ¡°If you like me, and I like you¡ what¡¯s the issue?¡±
¡°The time loops?¡± Orodan posed. ¡°And¡ I¡¯m somewhat tired of seeing you die.¡±
¡°I know better than most, the pain of loss,¡± she said. ¡°My world, my people¡ all gone. That didn¡¯t stop me from daring to feel. And we¡¯re both dealing with the time loops now.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve only ever done things casually Zaessythra. Are you sure you want to deal with me?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a stable upbringing either.¡±
¡°Neither have I, Orodan,¡± she said, turning away and looking at the sky. ¡°Are you willing to deal with me?¡±
¡°How many times can I see someone I care for die before I harden? Can I allow myself to feel that way, Eldarion?¡±
¡°Maybe not¡ but you don¡¯t strike me as a coward, Orodan Wainwright. Men and women with less spine than you have dared to feel such a way. How do you really feel about her?¡±
How did he really feel about her? Was he willing to deal with her?
She leaned in, as though asking that question herself.
Orodan met her halfway, answering it once and for all.
#
He¡¯d left the mindscape almost immediately after, for he had too much to do.
For starters, his Status. Specifically, the rather large number of new skills he¡¯d acquired which he¡¯d brushed off in the midst of battle. Now, he looked over those messages.
[New Skill ¡ú Halberd Mastery 56]
[New Title ¡ú Halberd Adept]
[New Skill ¡ú Halberd Throw 51 (Uncommon)]
[New Skill ¡ú Engineering 32]
[New Title ¡ú Engineering Apprentice]
[New Skill ¡ú Artificing 26]
[New Skill ¡ú Logistics 14]
And most importantly and surprisingly of all¡
[New Skill ¡ú Wainwrighting 28 (Uncommon)]
Which was utterly ridiculous and was sure to make him the subject of many jokes. It also proved that the lack of guidance from the System was a true gift. Without it limiting, restricting and guiding him, like a crutch, he had achieved so much in just one singular long loop. Wainwrighting as a skill amplified his ability to make carts and wagons. It made him inherently better than someone who simply combined Woodworking, Engineering and the like to make a cart.
His new System was capable of suspending assistance on demand, and he wondered just what else he could learn and improve from the ground up?
Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t sure if Wainwrighting was a restricted skill or not, but he instinctively felt that under his new System, he could learn the restricted skills of any faction without issue. Cultivators, devils, the machines of X2, Orodan could now pursue all of their skills.
The road ahead was a long one.
Within the deep bowels of the System, he¡¯d seen five control points connected to the very System cage itself. Without a doubt, these control points corresponded to the five mantles of the Administrators. If Orodan intended on getting rid of the System and implementing his own without any innocent casualties, then he would need to hunt down and best each of these five titans.
Following that, perhaps copy the Mantle using his own soul weave and fit the control point himself. This would involve defeating them in battle. And while Orodan felt, that with some time he could do so¡ he was stubborn, and he had his pride. Beating them his own way was doable, eventually. But with his new System which removed all restrictions on what he could learn¡
¡why not beat each Administrator at what they were good at?
It was a mad goal, as mad as his grand desire to become the System itself!
Yet, Orodan refused to back down, for he was stubborn and refused the easy road.
¡°In other words, a true idiot,¡± Zaessythra telepathically relayed.
Well, at least he wasn¡¯t alone. Furthermore, before the System came in, some inhabitants of System space still existed. There was a deep history to the System and the Eldritch Boundless One wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d created it, merely the one currently empowering it.
¡°I was alive before the System¡ and then it came, and it swooped us and those machines into its newly created universe without any regard for what we might want.¡±
Xian and the world of Orodan¡¯s friend, W78, were good places to start hunting for clues. And he was sure he had plenty of world exploring and skill grinding to do.
Though, for the first one¡
¡he really didn¡¯t like the Administrator known as the Prophet.
Some work upon Alastaia was in order, the increase of his personal combat skills was a must as always.
But after that¡
¡perhaps it was time for a deep dive into Lonvoron and the previous time looper.
He took a look at his returned Status.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Perfect Cleaning Transcendent
Title 2: Celestial Transcendent
Title 3: Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
Title 4: Cleaning Transcendent
Available Titles:
Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
World Conqueror
World Gate Delver
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
God Slayer
Transcendent Slayer
Celestial Transcendent
Perfect Cleaning Transcendent
Cleaning Transcendent
Soul Transcendent
Infinity Transcendent
Unarmed Combat Master
Physical Master
Combat Master
Shield Master
Sword Master
Wrestling Elite
Enchanting Elite
Woodworking Elite
Alchemy Adept
Space Adept
Time Adept
Halberd Adept
Blacksmithing Adept
Dimensionalism Adept
Pathfinding Adept
Fire Magic Apprentice
Teaching Apprentice
Laboring Apprentice
Gathering Apprentice
Cooking Apprentice
Construction Apprentice
Engineering Apprentice
Skills:
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 137 (Transcendent - Celestial)
Incipience of Infinity 125 (Transcendent - Celestial)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 87 (Elite - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 68 (Adept - Mythical)
Divine Resistance 54 (Adept - Mythical)
Reality Alteration 50 (Adept - Mythical)
Absolute Body Composition 1 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 100 (Grandmaster - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 94 (Master - Legendary)
All-Strike 91 (Master - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 91 (Master - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 85 (Elite - Legendary)
Time Reversal 82 (Elite - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 74 (Elite - Legendary)
Wood Communion 66 (Adept - Legendary)
Body Tempering 66 (Adept - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 65 (Adept - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 65 (Adept - Legendary)
Time Compression 53 (Adept - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 43 (Apprentice - Legendary)
Iron Body 88 (Elite - Exquisite)
Time Mastery 88 (Elite - Exquisite)
Flash Strike 82 (Elite - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 79 (Elite - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channelling 68 (Adept - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 59 (Adept - Exquisite)
Dimensionalism 54 (Adept - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 53 (Adept - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 48 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Water Resistance 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Ice Resistance 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Curse Resistance 9 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Space Mastery 89 (Elite - Rare)
Teleportation 73 (Elite - Rare)
War Cry 43 (Apprentice - Rare)
Acid Resistance 37 (Apprentice - Rare)
Gourmand 16 (Initiate - Rare)
Spatial Fold 79 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Throw 75 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Intent 69 (Adept - Uncommon)
Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 58 (Adept - Uncommon)
Halberd Throw 51 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Wainwrighting 28 (Initiate - Uncommon)
Combat Mastery 99 (Master)
Shield Mastery 97 (Master)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 96 (Master)
Physical Fitness 95 (Master)
Sword Mastery 94 (Master)
Wrestling 86 (Elite)
Enchanting 76 (Elite)
Woodworking 76 (Elite)
Tool Mastery 71 (Elite)
Alchemy 69 (Adept)
Flare 63 (Adept)
Blacksmithing 58 (Adept)
Halberd Mastery 56 (Adept)
Jewelcrafting 54 (Adept)
Pathfinding 53 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)
Fire Magic Mastery 48 (Apprentice)
Teaching 49 (Apprentice)
Laboring 41 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 34 (Apprentice)
Gathering 32 (Apprentice)
Cooking 32 (Apprentice)
Engineering 32 (Apprentice)
Construction 31 (Apprentice)
Artificing 26 (Initiate)
Intimidation 24 (Initiate)
Repair 22 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Mining 17 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Butchering 14 (Initiate)
Disguise 12 (Initiate)
Skinning 11 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 14 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Observe 11 (Initiate)
Stealth 9 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Identify 5 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
There was much work to do.
Chapter 71 - Craft. Die. Repeat. I
His home and the entirety of the neighborhood had been thoroughly cleaned. And a stealthy application of his Celestial skill led to the ancient machine''s core being drained of energy from a distance with nobody being the wiser.
The Novarrians and the traitors of House Argon wouldn''t be happy, but Orodan couldn''t care less about what they thought.
What remained though, was the warehouse.
¡°When you first started helping construct this building, I questioned the merits of it,¡± Zaessythra communicated internally. ¡°Now though, I¡¯ve grown a new respect for this.¡±
¡°We are what we do. If I simply lounged about and focused on the sword all the time, where would I be?¡± Orodan questioned back. ¡°If a warrior is unwilling to do work considered beneath them, then when a novel challenge or struggle comes along, they¡¯ll quail before it. People often make a big deal out of my willpower and drive, but these small things I¡¯ve committed to through virtue of discipline and work ethic, are what built the willpower everyone sees.¡±
¡°I suppose¡ though no amount of sweeping floors and throwing up beams can allow one to withstand the terror of a Boundless One. You¡¯re still an anomaly.¡±
Perhaps. Was he some proto-Boundless One himself? Was he the result of some spark of a cosmic force dropping unto Alastaia and System Space? Who knew? Orodan wasn¡¯t entirely without imagination, he¡¯d pondered on what his place in the grand cosmos and greater universe might be. He¡¯d pondered¡ and then gone right back to work. He wouldn¡¯t dismiss her suggestion, but what did it do for him now?
There was a warehouse to build, and a familiar foreman who was looking at Orodan with wide eyes as he trivially hurled the stacks of wooden lumber across the site and onto their designated spots where the workers could reach them easier. Yet, of greater note was the spread of tools he¡¯d set up.
¡°O-Orodan¡! What is all this?! Where did you even get all these things?!¡± Old Man Hannegan demanded. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you stole it all!¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The jewels and dust were sourced from the Department of Public Sanitation. And the tools, I¡¯m going to create.¡±
¡°The Department of¡! How can you find jewels in the trash?!¡±
¡°You¡¯d be surprised at what gets thrown away. Just have to be willing to muck about in the garbage,¡± Orodan said. That and a bit of chronomancy or cleaning as needed to restore things to default condition. ¡°No sense in letting this stuff go to waste.¡±
The old man took a moment to shake his head and calm himself.
¡°Orodan, you walk over, throw the lumber around with far more strength than you¡¯ve ever shown before, and then lay out an assortment of random items on my table. What are you here for?¡±
¡°To help build this warehouse,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Though, with a bit of sprucing up. In order to do that though, I¡¯ll need tools.¡±
He then brought out a few hunks of rock and iron ore. Frankly, it looked silly. Like a caveman, Orodan was working with large rocks and chunks of raw ore he¡¯d torn directly out of the ground. Vision of Purity let him easily locate any deposits deep in the ground, and a quick swim through solid earth let him reach them easily enough.
The old man gaped as Orodan carved the rock with his bare hands into the shape of a kiln and brought the chunks of ore into it. Then, his hands lit up with the familiar magic of the Draconic Fireball, uncast of course, but held in his hands to heat the ore to great temperatures. All throughout, he carefully controlled the air content present and would periodically throw some wood scraps inside the kiln.
Why throw wood scraps inside? Chiefly, smelting iron ore wasn¡¯t about melting the ore and simply getting pure iron, but about removing the air which had bonded to the iron itself. The conventional method of doing this was to heat the ore, which caused the air bonded with the iron to loosen and escape, and to then have a substance containing material which the heated and loosened air could instead bond to. Normally coal would be used both as fuel for the flame and for the escaped air to bond with¡ but when Orodan was providing the fire himself through magic, wood would do. The resulting iron was relatively pure.
The unconventional method of course, involved cleaning the air right out of the ore. Frankly, Orodan didn¡¯t think he needed any heat for it either, and his ability to alter reality in tandem with Domain of Perfect Cleaning meant he could turn raw ore into pure iron¡
¡but that would have been cheap. He sought to develop a new skill after all.
It was nice, to have the System back, specifically, one of his own making. He could target each skill without System crutches at a time of his own choosing, but having its assistance when needed was a nice convenience. And of course, he planned on developing each of his skills without it as he went along.
The grand rune at the center, the symbol for infinity. It periodically pulsed and glowed as Orodan drew upon the combined knowledge of all System space within which corresponded to his skill level.
In truth, if he wanted, he could have taken the easy way out and simply pulled directly without the foundational understandings of his own. But Orodan Wainwright refused to use such cheap methods to attain easy power. Forcibly drawing upon knowledge that wasn¡¯t earned was a good way to cripple his foundational understandings and neuter himself from innovating past the bounds of the combined knowledge.
With access to it all, Orodan now knew that his two Celestial skills were innovations of his own which the font of knowledge had no imitation of. If he simply drew upon the stored knowledge without care, what advancements or breakthroughs would he be robbing himself of?
¡°For once, I don¡¯t disagree. Power borrowed cheaply will not last when put to the real test,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Though¡ you really could have stood to buy or borrow the tools¡¡±
¡°What¡¯s the point of all these crafting skills if I have to rely upon others? From start to finish, handling the entire supply chain myself is a good target to strive for.¡±
Orodan pulled the glowing hot metal out, bare-handed, and let it cool. He repeated this process multiple times before finally getting the message he wanted
[New Skill ¡ú Smelting 6]
He had academic knowledge of what smelting involved. Unlike a complete beginner, Orodan theoretically knew how smelting worked and applied this knowledge. As a result, he¡¯d gained six skill levels instead of one.
Following this, the molten metal was poured into a rough mold which he¡¯d fashioned, and the mallet of a hammer, and various tools came forth.
With these metallic tools, Orodan brought out the next thing he¡¯d need.
Obsidian.
¡°Enchanting? Since when do you know how to do that?¡± the old man asked, though with far less doubt as he watched Orodan bring out the hunk of raw obsidian and lay it upon the table.
Obsidian wasn¡¯t a material he could just brute force. Unlike regular rock, attempting to carve it into a shape with his bare hands might damage the material. And he had yet to unlock the Masonry or Stonecutting skills. The old man watched with wonder as Orodan used Tool Mastery and finesse to carve the obsidian into a flat surface. An obsidian plate, an enchanting base.
The obsidian plate was the basis of preventing the mana of the enchanter or any mana from the enchanter¡¯s tool from leaking out and causing unwanted effects. Orodan didn¡¯t strictly need it but decided to source some obsidian from the ground by digging downwards with his hands.
It was important to be self-made. What was the point of learning all these crafts and gaining all this power if he couldn¡¯t handle it all himself?
Finally, he focused on the rough quartz he¡¯d laid out on the table earlier, and the tools of Jewelcrafting he¡¯d fashioned got to work.
Most jewelcrafters used a hammer alongside the chisel, Orodan though, needed only the chisel. His raw strength sufficed.
His chisel struck the quartz, and slowly, the raw gem itself was shaped into a fine point, polished and finally fitted into a metal handle Orodan had cast earlier.
[Artificing 26 ¡ú Artificing 27]
An enchanting pen.
Some enchanters used enchanting pens and chisels; others used quills. And exceptional ones preferred to conduct freeform enchanting where just their hands were used. Orodan, with his Adept-level Mana Manipulation, could engage in freeform engraving, but for now working on the basics was his intent. Though he did intend to practice freeform later.
¡°Orodan¡ how did you create all this?¡± the old man asked.
¡°I did it in front of you, weren¡¯t you paying attention?¡± Orodan asked, a smile on his face.
¡°I¡ are you really Orodan Wainwright?¡± old man Hannegan asked. ¡°What orphanage were you reared in?¡±
Now Orodan was perplexed.
¡°The Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Why would I not be Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°The Orodan I know is a warrior. To be capable of such crafts¡ it¡¯s simply unbelievable,¡± the old man said. ¡°How have you done this? A Blessing which makes you capable at the crafts? None of the Prime Five are dedicated to crafting, it makes no sense! Unless¡ a demon!¡±
¡°Now hold your horses, don¡¯t go calling the priests on me thinking I¡¯m possessed,¡± Orodan said, his hands raised. ¡°You don¡¯t usually question me like this. Who knew that displaying multiple crafts in quick succession would make you so suspicious?¡±
Orodan had been blessed by the scum Agathor, and he¡¯d had Blessings from other Gods too. No God on Inuan was dedicated to the crafts though. Furthermore, displaying prodigious might, martial and magical prowess was one thing. The old man perhaps felt it was expected for Orodan to do these things or acquire a Blessing related to them.
Proficiency in multiple crafts though? Perhaps he¡¯d done a bit much.
¡°Explain to me why I shouldn¡¯t,¡± the old man threatened. ¡°Not even a Bloodline could allow someone to suddenly become so skilled in this many-¡±
¡°I¡¯ve lived through this day tens of thousands of times,¡± Orodan suddenly interjected. ¡°I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°A¡ a what?¡±
¡°A time loop. Every time I die, I keep coming back over and over,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Does that answer everything?¡±
¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be making silly jokes, Orodan!¡±
For once, Orodan got up, looked Old Man Hannegan dead in the eye, and spoke.
¡°How long have you known me? I don¡¯t lie, and you know that.¡±
Something in his tone had the old man quietening down. Orodan suspected he believed him now.
¡°Can you elaborate?
¡°Certainly, but let¡¯s work while I do.¡±
#
Old Man Hannegan¡¯s arms were crossed, and the man looked to be in great distress yet also deep thought.
¡°This¡ Boundless One¡ are we all meant to die against it?¡±
¡°Far from it. If anything, I get the feeling it wants to co-exist with us. Assuming you refer to the one which empowers the System,¡± Orodan elaborated. ¡°The one outside of System space though, is a different story.¡±
¡°Then, are we all doomed?¡±
¡°No. I intend to deal with it eventually,¡± Orodan promised. ¡°You looked after me when I was a rowdy young idiot, I won¡¯t let anyone, Boundless One or Administrator, lay a finger on you.¡±
¡°Well, I suppose if the most troublesome delinquent I¡¯ve ever known is promising that¡ I can rest easy,¡± the old man remarked with a smile. Orodan felt content seeing it. ¡°And did you truly achieve all this through these time loops? To think so unfair an ability exists¡ the power to re-do it all over and over, as many times as desired. And to then bestow it upon the most bull-headed maniac in existence¡ even those indulgent works of fiction in the city libraries can¡¯t make this up.¡±
¡°I wondered it myself at times, why I was chosen,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°An orphaned troublemaker from the poorest town in the weakest nation on Inuan. My only virtue was that I enjoyed fighting too much.¡±
¡°Bah! You fail to see how valuable a work ethic like yours is,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I paid you more than the rest of the crew when you used to work with me.¡±
¡°Hard work does solve all problems,¡± Orodan agreed.
¡°And how, pray tell, do you intend to solve the problem you¡¯ve created here,¡± the old man complained, pointing at the finished warehouse. ¡°Vilia wanted to tear her hair out with how often you forced her to re-do the blueprints! This place will get robbed and ransacked the moment anyone finds out!¡±
The warehouse was fully built.
And it was also a massive target on the back of whoever owned it. Which in this case, was the Republic¡¯s Department of Public Infrastructure. Yes, the warehouse was technically government property, but this wouldn¡¯t dissuade opportunistic scoundrels at all.
Not when the warehouse was worth thousands of gold coins by now.
¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are the furnishings not to your liking?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°If anything, they might give you a bonus for overseeing this construction, no?¡±
¡°Who told you to put enchantments on everything?!¡± Old Man Hannegan exclaimed. ¡°Your ludicrous ability to generate power endlessly will break the local economy!¡±
The problem wasn¡¯t just the fact that Orodan had enchanted the warehouse. But that he¡¯d enchanted every inch of it.
Frankly, if he didn¡¯t have Wood Communion, the material simply couldn¡¯t take the sheer amount of mana coursing through. Not when nearly a hundred separate enchantments were applied.
The walls, made of sturdy wood, were enchanted to be capable of taking the attacks of Master-level combatants. The door itself had a tricky one which scanned the surface of someone¡¯s mind to determine whether they were a member of the Republic¡¯s government or the Department of Public Infrastructure; only then would entry be granted. And two murderholes pointing toward the entrance had light calibre cannons pointing out.
These could hurt a Master and kill most beings below that level of power.
Needless to say, this would raise a stir.
Orodan had begun working before the regular construction crew arrived, and when they did, the old man sent them away with the promise of full pay for the day. The only witnesses were Old Man Hannegan and Vilia Coventor the architect.
¡°If anyone causes trouble for you, I¡¯ll give them a beating myself,¡± Orodan promised. ¡°You need not worry.¡±
¡°Damn it¡ that skill of yours, can¡¯t you just purge my mind of this knowledge?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t go around tampering with people¡¯s memories,¡± Orodan said sternly.
Not anymore.
¡°What if I asked it? The knowledge of what you did is going to make us a target,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°Better that anyone wanting to know simply sees that I have no knowledge of it.¡±
¡°The thought of having my memories erased is¡ frightening,¡± Vilia added. ¡°But better that than being locked in some interrogation chamber and beaten for answers. If you simply erase our memories, at least any mind mage looking in can verify that we know nothing.¡±
¡°And then promptly killing you,¡± Orodan informed. ¡°You¡¯d be naught but a loose end to whoever is seeking answers about this warehouse. Nobody shall interrogate you.¡±
Not only did the existence of this building imply the existence of a powerful crafter. But it also possessed two cannons which were beyond anything the Republic could militarily field. The Empire of Novarria had tried making decent quality firearms, and the experiment had gone poorly. The Republic, in a similar vein, didn¡¯t bother. For two such cannons to suddenly appear in the building of a random warehouse?
It would raise questions.
Bit of a mess for a long loop.
¡°Ah, good. You were impressing me so much lately that I was beginning to wonder when the reminder of your stupidity would come forth,¡± Zaessythra remarked, glibness in her tone. ¡°Did you forget that your hometown is full of bumpkins? Why did you create such a thing if you planned on going through with a long loop?¡±
¡°I may have become somewhat absorbed in the process of making the cannons¡¡± Orodan shamefully admitted.
He enjoyed making black powder weaponry, was that so bad?
¡°It is when you fail to account for your long-term goals when making short-term decisions.¡±
¡°And here I was, planning on having a long loop.¡±
¡°Why not change it up?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Well, you speak so much of these short loops whenever you recount the time loops. Why not throw caution to the wind and do what you need to through a number of short loops?¡±
Now that was an idea.
How long had it been since Orodan had engaged in a proper series of short loops? Frankly, the checkpoint system he¡¯d had access to prior had taken away the tactical advantage of beginning from Ogdenborough again. Waking up to the keening wail of the harpies, it was a blank slate, endless potential from where he could go anywhere and do anything.
¡°I think I have a plan,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Perish the thought of erasing your memories. The consequences don¡¯t matter.¡±
¡°Being tortured in the basement of some noble¡¯s mansion matters very much to me!¡± Vilia exclaimed.
¡°Which won¡¯t happen at all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Because I¡¯ll simply kill anyone who tries.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t that¡ complicate your long-term plans for this loop?¡± the old man asked.
¡°Well, you see, old man¡ I have no long-term plans for this loop.¡±
¡°That sounds exceedingly stupid,¡± the old man said. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t join Bluefire, you should at least do something with your time. Why not join the Elmswith Academy at Trumbetton?¡±
¡°A crafting academy?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Not even Bluefire, but a regular crafting academy in one of the poorer counties of the Republic?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t take you for a spoiled brat, Orodan. Does your bum ache without the soft cushions of Bluefire Academy and the noble life?¡± the old man teased. ¡°You can¡¯t see the value in bettering yourself through humble methods?¡±
Orodan grumbled at the joke but gave it some thought.
¡°It has been some time since I¡¯ve explored and broadened my horizons,¡± Orodan admitted.
¡°And nothing stops you from working on your other skills throughout it all. How long has it been since I¡¯ve trained you in magic?¡±
She sounded a little too excited about the prospect in his opinion, but that was good. He needed this, particularly spatiomancy which wasn¡¯t enough to carry him all the way to the Vystaxium Galaxy yet. If Lonvoron, the previous looper and the Prophet were his targets, then he had work to do in order to reach them.
¡°Look at this flyer,¡± the old man said, handing him a sheaf of paper. ¡°It works well, because the contest is a day from now.¡±
¡®Innovation and Wonder! Join the brightest minds of Volarbury County in Trumbetton for a display of genius! The Elmswith Academy County Craft Competition!¡¯
¡®Winner receives an all-expenses paid tuition for Bluefire and an opportunity to be in the personal employ of Burgher Ignatius Firesword!¡¯
¡®Applications open for academy students only.¡¯
¡°Not bad. A good opportunity to test my craftsmanship and perhaps learn some new things,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though¡ how much is the four-year tuition for the Elmswith Academy? I know the martial academy in Exerston County requires ten gold for the four years.¡±
¡°Without any scholarships or sponsors, crafting academies cost more than their martial and magic equivalents,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°Last year the tuition for four years was set at thirteen gold pieces. Do you have enough? I could pull a string or two with this warehouse and secure it.¡±
Old Man Hannegan was doing decently for himself but was by no means a rich man. This man had always been fair and helped Orodan by giving him a fair opportunity. And despite hearing about the time loops, despite seeing the results of Orodan¡¯s labor¡ the man was still offering help?
Warmth, and a singular determination to ensure the old man would never have to struggle filled him. He placed a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder.
¡°No. You¡¯ve done enough for me,¡± Orodan said, in a tone which brooked no dissent. ¡°Now let me help you. Look forward to a windfall by tomorrow.¡±
¡°¡don¡¯t go robbing people on my behalf!¡±
Robbery? The old man insulted him with such an insinuation. The tuition was only thirteen gold after all, and Orodan had dealt with sums of money in the hundreds once upon a time.
It was time to put the monetary value of his various crafting skills to the test.
#
The commercial district of Trumbetton was abuzz with activity, a typical sight for a working day of the week. Trumbetton was at the center of Volarbury County and where House Firesword¡¯s base of power was situated. Locals and customers from other towns who were interested in the goods being marketed walked the streets, and merchants lined certain sections with stalls and the occasional hawker of wares. County militia patrolled the streets with far more frequency than they ever did in Ogdenborough, and on watchtowers above, the occasional Adept-level watcher kept an eye on the town.
The commerce was booming, and even if Volarbury County was the poorest one in the Republic, it was still doing decent enough and the economy was flourishing. Proof that without House Argon¡¯s meddling, Ogdenborough too could become prosperous.
Even the hawkers, merchants who peddled their goods and weren¡¯t well-off enough to afford a stall let alone property, were well-regulated in this town. A far cry from his hometown where wandering merchants and peddlers often came by with goods of questionable quality at times.
And amidst all these merchants, Orodan¡¯s target was a man selling odds and ends of decent quality, yet without a stall.
¡°Esgarius¡¯s Oddities! Come have a look at the fascinating things which adventurers have found in their forays into infestation sites!¡± the man proclaimed. ¡°Weapons, jewelry, materials, sourced directly from monsters, vermin and criminals! We have it all! Support your local adventurers! Buy now and help support their efforts to keep us safe!¡±
Adventuring.
It was a career path Orodan had dreamed of once upon a time. The Republic¡¯s military, the militia for each county and the guards of noble houses were often concerned with things such as national security, military readiness and threats of a larger nature. Or just the interests of the nobility who funded them. They didn¡¯t have the time to make forays into the wilds for minor things.
The common folk still had problems though. Particularly for towns which were further out near the wilderness. Ogdenborough and Volarbury County weren¡¯t too far from the capital and civilization. Exerston County, particularly the far south-eastern portion of it, bordered the Novarrian wilderness which was rife with goblins, small monsters and other sorts of vermin like slimes, wolves, harpies and the lot.
Ogdenborough didn¡¯t have much involvement with adventurers at all. Orodan¡¯s hometown was landlocked against Mount Castarian and consequently there weren¡¯t many things to kill besides wolves and slimes, which the militia handled. For a poor county, banditry was exceedingly rare thanks to the presence of House Firesword. For towns which bordered the wilds however, the working people faced issues with monsters and bandits, or just smaller requests which needed someone capable of travel and combat. In which case, adventurers came into play.
Adventurers were under the purview of the Republic¡¯s Department of Monster Management and upon receiving their licensing, were granted authority to take requests to deal with monsters or criminals. They could also function as mercenaries within certain bounds, provided they didn¡¯t act against another nation, noble house or political entity. Hence, they could sometimes be seen working as caravan guards and escorts, or procuring valuable materials from areas rife with monsters.
Of course, such folks required a verifiable education from one of the academies as a prerequisite to their license. Orodan had thus not bothered with the idea of going down said path. He had been far too poor to afford the tuition to any academy.
Now though, that need not be the case.
¡°An interesting shop, you must carry a lot of gold on you,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Er¡ what business is that of yours, good sir?¡± the merchant asked, looking wary.
¡°Ah, I¡¯m not here to rob you,¡± Orodan clarified, causing the man to ease up a bit. Not that anyone in town could stop him if he did. ¡°You merchants who trade with adventurers tend to carry a lot of money around. Which means you should have enough to buy things. Are you Esgarius?¡±
¡°No sir, that would be my employer,¡± the merchant clarified. ¡°I¡¯m just one of his affiliated merchants who runs the peddling side of things. He has a physical store just down the road near the taverns.¡±
¡°Alright. How much gold do you have on you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Just over a hundred gold pieces sir. In case any adventurers stopping by feel the need to sell something,¡± the merchant answered. ¡°Did you have anything to sell?¡±
¡°I do, but it¡¯s not ready yet,¡± Orodan said and then eyed a simple ring. ¡°How much is that?¡±
¡°Two-hundred and fifty silver pieces sir. It¡¯s just a plain metal band found during an expedition into a level I infestation site. I¡¯m told that the former owner was some nasty goblin who the adventurers slew.¡±
¡°Good, I¡¯ll take it,¡± Orodan said, handing a pouch with most of his life savings over.
Anything could be enchanted, but the more powerful the effect, the stronger the material needed to be. At a glance, the ring seemed ordinary enough, but somebody must have missed how durable it was even if unenchanted. It was well suited to Orodan¡¯s needs, particularly for the enchantment he had in mind.
He produced the enchanting chisel he¡¯d fashioned during the creation of the warehouse.
¡°¡do you plan to enchant it sir?¡± the merchant asked. ¡°Depending on the power of the enchantment, I can offer up to twenty gold pieces.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll need all hundred you have on you for this one,¡± Orodan said as he began skillfully and intricately etching the metal. It wasn¡¯t with any other script besides the standard Imperial enchanting language. But it was three-dimensional. A feat which should have been impossible.
Enchanters working on metal typically needed spells, magical devices or a forge to keep the metal pliable. Orodan though, simply etched away, his chisel carving right through the metal with raw muscle.
The merchant wasn¡¯t an enchanter and didn¡¯t seem to understand the significance of the three-dimensional work, but that was fine.
However, it was when Orodan began channelling Dimensionalism in tandem with Enchanting, that the man began trembling.
¡°By the Five¡ a spatial ring! You can make spatial rings?!¡±
¡°What? This isn¡¯t just some piddly spatial ring¡ it¡¯s a dimensional ring,¡± Orodan said, as his soul energy went towards not the honing of space, but the creation of a miniature dimension which the ring was tied to. ¡°A spatial ring isn¡¯t anywhere near this in value.¡±
Frankly, it was Orodan¡¯s first time making something of this nature. He¡¯d fashioned spatial rings before during his time learning enchanting. And making just those was supposed to be quite the feat, with perhaps two hundred crafters capable of it in the entirety of the Republic. Furthermore, it was a mana-intensive process which required the average crafter to expend mana crystals, potions or remain near a device throughout the process. Which meant fashioning even a spatial ring came with hefty costs.
Orodan however, took it one step further. He was making a dimensional ring.
Spatial rings and the entirety of the space within them still existed in the material plane. It was power, and the application of enchanting and spatiomancy which allowed for their creation. A spatial ring or spatial amulet had an incredibly small compartment within. This compartment was then expanded and shrunk through spatiomancy, with a customary barrier and shielding between the holding space and the regular world so that items wouldn¡¯t fall out or be easily stolen. And so that items could be produced from the ring without any destructive occurrences.
Technically though, the weakness of a spatial ring was that if the ring was damaged or destroyed, the holding space could also be affected. And there were stories of rings exploding as the inner compressed space suddenly expanded outwards, causing damage or death.
This ring in his hands though¡
¡was tied to a small pocket dimension he¡¯d just created.
The enchantment on the ring only served to bridge the ring-bearer to the dimension, and the destruction of the ring would merely close that particular entry point, and not the dimension itself. Which meant Orodan could make multiple rings accessing the same pocket dimension.
A ludicrously powerful enchantment which could skirt national security measures all around. And after ten minutes of work, it was finished.
[Dimensionalism 54 ¡ú Dimensionalism 55]
He threw the ring to the merchant who scrambled to catch it.
¡°Now then, I believe that¡¯s a hundred gold pieces,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Y-yes! Of course!¡± the merchant said as he activated the ring and then promptly stared with a slack jaw as a man-sized dimensional opening appeared before him. Upon looking inside, the merchant¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How¡ how have you created a separate opening to the space? This is¡ worth far more than just a hundred gold pieces sir. I cannot accept this.¡±
¡°Then take me to someone who can,¡± Orodan offered. ¡°Your employer would be a little unhappy if the chance to buy this cheap was passed up, no?¡±
The merchant got the message, and Orodan was hastily guided towards a storefront a short walk away. The merchant practically smashed the doors open as he barged in.
¡°Damn it Felric! What have I told you about going easy on the door? The damned rookies break that door often enough!¡±
¡°Sir! This man is selling a spatial ring!¡±
¡°¡a dimensional ring,¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°What? Bring him here!¡± the owner of the shop barked. He was an older man, grizzled and by the calluses and bearing Orodan surmised he knew how to fight. Rare for a merchant, but respectable. ¡°I¡¯m Esgarius, owner of Esgarius¡¯s Oddities, and Esgarius¡¯s Adventuring Essentials. Felric says you¡¯re selling a spatial ring?¡±
¡°A dimensional ring. Not just a spatial one,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Your peddler seemed to think a hundred gold pieces was too little for it.¡±
¡°A¡ dimensional ring? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing¡¡± Esgarius muttered. ¡°I¡¯m all too happy to purchase any spatial rings on offer. That woman, Helga Firesword, is notorious for running a monopoly on those. But I¡¯ve never heard of a dimensional ring.¡±
Orodan remembered Helga Firesword. She was an Adept-level enchanter in the employ of Burgher Ignatius Firesword. Spatial rings, though not easy to make, were still within reach of an Adept-level enchanter, albeit rather expensive to make due to the mana costs of having to enchant all the way through lest a dangerous spatial explosion occur.
Frankly, spatial rings weren''t all that impressive in the grand scheme of things. Not when compared to the dimensional ring he''d made.
¡°Do you not want it then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°When did I say that? I¡¯ve just never heard of dimensional rings,¡± Esgarius added. ¡°But, my years of adventuring in my younger days and my intuition have never let me down. I have a good feeling about this. Can you show me what this ring does that makes it different from a spatial ring?¡±
In response, Orodan channelled mana into the ring. A human-sized opening into another dimension was immediately created.
¡°Look how big the inside is, sir!¡±
¡°There are three pathways for mana channelling in this ring. The first, creates a dimensional opening at close range where the wielder wills it,¡± Orodan explained. This opening was then closed and Orodan channelled mana through the second pathway, which resulted in the ring rippling and creating a small opening right before Orodan¡¯s hand. ¡°The second pathway creates a smaller opening, larger than two palms. You can stealthily draw something from behind your back or from inside of a container. And the third¡¡±
Orodan cancelled the miniature opening and activated the third function. A man-sized dimensional opening was created before him yet again.
¡°¡if you look outside the window. At the top of the watchtower there, is an opening which this one before us connects to,¡± he explained. ¡°Currently, the range is limited by one¡¯s mana pool. After all, the ring isn¡¯t self-powered but user-fuelled. The average untrained person could probably create an opening a quarter mile away.¡±
Dimensional travel was normally rather prohibitively expensive, but Orodan had created the miniature dimension the ring connected to by himself. It was a dimension of his own making, and connecting to it was dramatically cheaper than having to part the normal dimensional boundaries and travel someplace like the divine dimension. Plus, having both ends connecting to the material plane made travel far cheaper than if he tried connecting from here to any other dimension.
¡°I-incredible¡!¡± Esgarius muttered in awe, clearly amazed. ¡°The applications of this are just unbelievable¡¡±
¡°Are they? I think it¡¯s a pretty failed product in all honesty,¡± Orodan admitted.
¡°You consider this to be a failed product?!¡± the underling merchant exclaimed.
¡°Quite so. For starters, there¡¯s no enchantment of shrinking upon the openings created by this ring. Unlike a regular spatial ring where you can pull out an entire dresser from the ring, the opening created needs to be large enough to accommodate whatever¡¯s being placed inside or drawn out. Which, if one doesn¡¯t have enough mana, can be a limitation,¡± Orodan explained. Though, even for the completely untrained, they could still generate an opening the size of a carriage with this ring. ¡°And finally, the user had best not enter and throw the ring outside, or worse¡ have the ring destroyed while inside the dimension. I should probably create some sort of fail-safe device and keep it in there to allow for safe exit.¡±
They would be trapped unless an expert of Dimensionalism, or Orodan himself mounted a rescue.
¡°That¡¯s it? Is that what you consider a failure?!¡± the owner exclaimed. ¡°No, this is simply too much. I can¡¯t call myself a merchant if I don¡¯t capitalize on this opportunity. I, Esgarius, will buy any and all products you create, failed or not. How many can you make?¡±
¡°As many as you have the metal for,¡± Orodan honestly answered.
¡°Yes, but how about mana crystals or potions? How many do you require for each one?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t need any. My reserves of power are more than adequate.¡±
If Orodan had been asked what greed looked like in human form, then he¡¯d have pointed to this shopkeeper¡¯s eyes as an example. Esgarius looked positively nefarious as the man rubbed both hands together and licked his lips. Orodan felt more than a little dirty at being looked at in such a way.
¡°Hehehe¡ to have found such a golden goose¡¡± Esgarius muttered and then adopted a serious expression. ¡°Felric!¡±
¡°Yes sir!¡±
¡°Close shop immediately!¡±
The underling merchant complied right away. An adventurer outside looked as though she wanted to enter, but the merchant shooed her away like an unwanted fly. Soon it was just Esgarius, Felric and Orodan within.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Now then¡ my future partner, my most esteemed friend!¡± the man said. ¡°My long years in the adventuring trade have allowed me to pick up a useful skill or two. Observe doesn¡¯t work on you, and the artifact I¡¯ve been trying to use to get a read on your soul is also proving useless. Now, I¡¯m not an idiot. Your size, the calluses on your hands and that dangerous bearing about you tell me that it would be foolish for anyone to attempt accosting you. However, I want you to know that your business is your own and I have no interest in knowing it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good and all, but I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ve lived through this day thousands of times.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°So, knowing that, can we work on a deal where I get to make things for you, and you provide me with money?¡±
¡°¡this is the single most outrageous thing I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Esgarius said and then smiled while extending his hand. ¡°You have a deal!¡±
Well, that was easy! The man hadn¡¯t even asked for Orodan¡¯s name! It was refreshing to meet a merchant so greedy that the man accepted the time loops without any questions.
¡°Alright, give me all the rings and jewelry you have. I¡¯ll continue enchanting jewelry until you run out of capital to pay me,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°This is a bit shameless¡ even for you. It¡¯s not as though you need the gold,¡± Zaessythra remarked.
¡°No. But the old man back in Ogdenborough will, and it¡¯s high time I repaid him for all he¡¯s done for me.¡±
Even if the gesture wouldn¡¯t stick, the skills and ability to earn money through his crafts was an interesting experiment. And in a longer loop he planned on setting Old Man Hannegan up for life.
#
It took two hours before Orodan had drained Esgarius of all the liquid gold the shop owner had on hand. Not that the greedy merchant looked displeased by it. If anything, the man was cackling with glee and looked entranced with the five additional enchanted items that he¡¯d received.
They all had dimensional enchantments, and Orodan had sold them for quite a cheap markdown after all.
Would it have effects on the supply and demand for spatial rings and that section of the economy? Without a doubt.
Did Orodan care about that when he¡¯d gained three levels in Dimensionalism and one in Artificing? Not at all.
This was meant to be a short loop anyways. In a longer loop, he¡¯d have to consider carefully whether creating items capable of bypassing spatiomancy wards was a good idea. He didn¡¯t want to give assassins around Alastaia a new tool to abuse without thought.
Orodan had crafted separate miniature dimensions for each ring, and furthermore, made failsafe devices and placed them inside to prevent anyone being trapped inside these dimensions. Finally, he¡¯d succeeded in adding the shrinking enchantment onto these dimensional storage items as well, which meant an entire house could be pulled out of the ring without a gigantic opening. Though, it took a slightly sturdier material to add that particular enchantment on, and Esgarius planned on selling those models at a premium.
All in all, Orodan had been paid just over fifteen-hundred gold pieces for the creation of five more enchanted items. Orodan felt that they were of passable quality, and they had no shortcomings or the glaring lack of a safety exit from the miniature dimension.
Esgarius begged him to remain and that he could create more liquid wealth by tomorrow, but Orodan had business to attend to.
¡°Make sure the remainder of this gold reaches Gregory Hannegan in Ogdenborough,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The man is important to me, and I expect no discrepancies in the transfer.¡±
¡°Of course, partner! Why, by the hells, I¡¯ll even make sure this Gregory Hannegan is well taken care of! Any family of yours is family of mine!¡±
Perhaps this greedy merchant was laying it on a bit thick, but Orodan had to admit Esgarius was good at his job. The catalogue of items, the mercantile knowledge of the ever-changing prices of the economy, and the various connections to noble houses that the man had were no jest.
Esgarius¡¯s underling and employee, Felric, had simply gaped like a fish the entire time and seemed awfully intimidated and subservient towards Orodan. Well, perhaps that was the natural way of things when someone met a high-level enchanter who could also deliver a beating. If anything, Esgarius was the daring and opportunistic one for approaching Orodan and so boldly making a deal.
¡°I have someplace to be,¡± Orodan said. ¡°See you later, Esgarius.¡±
¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ll see you in the next loop partner! And remember to use that letter I gave you if those prickly registrars give you trouble,¡± the greedy man said, cackling like a lunatic who only saw gold. ¡°Say, there¡¯s also a heavy demand for potions which permanently increase one¡¯s abilities, as well as enchanted tools and jewelry to assist the farmers and herbalists of House Simarji. Lots of gold to be made if we capitalize on those! Remember that for next time.¡±
¡°You¡¯re an odd one,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°You really aren¡¯t concerned at all about the loop ending and it all going back to having never happened?¡±
¡°Who cares about that? Does life change for me if I wallow in despair? Are my coffers filled if I ponder the meaning of my existence in these time loops?¡± Esgarius asked. ¡°How do you think I got to my position? It¡¯s not easy, clawing one¡¯s way to becoming an Adept-level adventurer and then transitioning into one of the most successful merchants in the county. The people who count on me, those who were injured adventuring at my side or whose bereaved families still need support, will they be helped if I undergo a bout of existential dread? No, what matters is my own hard work and cunning. Those are the things I can control. I care not for the rest, which includes these time loops of yours.¡±
¡°A strong mentality,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°I can respect that.¡±
The underling didn¡¯t seem to feel that way, and Orodan was certain the man would blab. But that was fine, for this was a short loop.
¡°Hehe, why thank you partner. Plus, you could¡¯ve simply robbed me blind if you wanted. That you didn¡¯t, says something about your character. Befriending you is a good business decision, even if I don¡¯t remember it,¡± Esgarius said with a genuine smile. ¡°Do come by in your next loop, there¡¯s always more money to be made.¡±
Orodan nodded and left Esgarius¡¯s Adventuring Essentials. Aside from that industrious merchant and his underling, nobody else had seen the crafting process.
Fifteen gold coins in hand, he made way for the Elmswith Academy.
The foot traffic on the streets of Trumbetton became thinner as he got closer to the academy district and away from the town¡¯s commercial district. Instead of merchants and wealthy customers he began to see smaller inns, restaurants and bookstores. These were all catered towards students, and he began to see these young and impressionable folks on the roads.
Trumbetton had a martial and a magic academy as well, though neither of those were of interest to Orodan. He¡¯d always been a big man and naturally drew the eye, and this was amplified when the crafting students of Elmswith Academy saw him making for their institution of learning.
¡°¡who¡¯s that? Why¡¯s a martial student going that way?¡±
¡°Never seen someone that big before¡ what the hells do they feed him?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that the tunic of the militia? My cousin¡¯s serving there too¡¡±
Orodan ignored the chatter and simply walked onto the campus. It was small, far smaller than Bluefire by a large margin. There were better county academies in Exerston County, and Kelredian County to the north had academies with cheaper tuitions as they prioritized education for more people. Volarbury County was frequently cited as the poorest one in the Republic.
There were five buildings in total which comprised the campus, a far cry from the premier academy of the Republic. Still, students were going to and from, and despite its small size the academy seemed lively.
A building titled ¡®Administration¡¯ was rather apparent, and Orodan walked in, heading for the clerk behind the front desk.
¡°Good afternoon and welcome to Elmswith Academy. How might we help a member of the county militia?¡± the registrar asked politely.
¡°I¡¯m here to register as a student,¡± Orodan declared, putting the pouch of gold down on the counter.
¡°Er¡ good sir, the window for registration for the current academic year is¡¡± the registrar muttered and then saw the gold in the pouch.
¡°A bribe so you can ignore that,¡± Orodan said plainly.
¡°Sir! We do not accept bribes at this institution!¡±
¡°Well, how else will you let me join for the current academic year?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How about I make something in front of you to impress?¡±
The registrar looked at him curiously but relented. He looked over his shoulder, gesturing for what looked like a supervisor.
The supervisor was an older woman who looked tired of all the commotion. She¡¯d been in the midst of examining a gemstone when the front desk registrar called her.
¡°Ma¡¯am, this applicant wishes to undergo a practical test.¡±
¡°And why, pray tell, should we admit you in the midst of the school year?¡± the supervisor asked, looking somewhat irritated.
¡°Because you¡¯re polishing that gemstone all wrong. Your smoothing is introducing minute damage which will impact how much energy it can hold,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Claiming my skill is insufficient is an interesting way of seeking admission in the middle of the school year,¡± the supervisor said. ¡°Can you do better?¡±
Orodan took no issue with the woman¡¯s skill at all. In fact, he had a hunch as to why she was working on this gemstone.
¡°I¡¯m an Adept Jewelcrafter,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give it a fair try.¡±
He also had a skill which made it slightly unfair.
The supervisor had a smug look on her face and threw the gemstone his way.
Ruby, sourced from one of the many mines of Exerston County no doubt. The quality of this particular stone was a bit suspect, and it had some minor faults which were exacerbated by the poor smoothing of this woman.
¡°The tools are on the ta- ah, I see you have your own,¡± the woman said. ¡°They don¡¯t look to be of standard make, where did you get them?¡±
¡°I made them,¡± Orodan said as he produced his own chisel from a dimensional ring and lined it up.
¡°The entire thing? You¡¯re a Woodworker and a Blacksmith then?¡± she asked, and Orodan nodded.
¡°I dabble in a number of crafts,¡± he added.
¡°No hammer?¡± the woman asked, raising an eyebrow. She then promptly dropped that train of thought as Orodan simply began carving the gem without it. ¡°Never mind¡ you soldier sorts have certain privileges we don¡¯t.¡±
¡°Anyone can do it, and it isn¡¯t too difficult either. Most gems can be directly molded by hand once one reaches the Apprentice-level in Physical Fitness,¡± Orodan said. ¡°All things are connected to our body. Mages can cast faster, increase the size of their mana pools and channel more power through their bodies. Craftsmen can work for longer and even focus more intensely. Reaching even level 15 in the skill would benefit any craft which requires long hours and labor.¡±
The woman looked to take his words seriously and was now beginning to get enraptured with the process as Orodan carved, chiselled and honed the gem to a fine shape, smoothing out the faults. A good portion of the material was lost, but the finished gem had far fewer faults and imperfections. Which was important if one was to use it in a magic ritual or in the fashioning of a magical item meant to hold a self-powered enchantment which didn¡¯t draw mana from the user.
¡°Impressive¡ you seem to know a lot about such things,¡± the supervisor said. ¡°Your name?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Mister Wainwright, this gem is well done,¡± the woman said. ¡°If you were to utilize it for crafting, how would you do so?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a ruby of tolerable quality, but I wouldn¡¯t use it in anything besides a magical ritual where it¡¯s ground to powder and the gemstone isn¡¯t used as a focus,¡± Orodan said, and upon the look of confusion from her, elaborated. ¡°Naturally, this gemstone has too many faults to begin with. Using it to hold mana in reserve for an enchantment would be a bad idea for anything beyond the Apprentice-level. You said I was taking issue with your skill in the first place? Far from it. Rather, I can see why you were working with this ruby. It¡¯s flawed, damaged. And in working on it, you were seeking to improve your skill levels, weren¡¯t you? Am I right to assume you¡¯re an Elite-level Jewelcrafter?¡±
The woman smiled.
¡°You would be right to assume so. In fact, this ruby still isn¡¯t as good as I could do myself. But then, I get the feeling you have something else up your sleeve.¡±
¡°Do I now? What makes you say that?¡±
¡°The entire time you¡¯ve worked, you seemed careful to avoid cleaning anything off the gemstone, Mister Wainwright.¡±
She wasn¡¯t wrong.
Well, it was time to get serious. Orodan produced not a chisel, but a small brush, meant for the cleaning and touching up of gems and jewelry. And with a singular motion of his fingers¡ he swept.
What was cleaning?
It was the realization of a vision, the imposition of one¡¯s version of order unto reality. In contrast to the cosmos shaking things he¡¯d done with his Celestial skill, affecting a mere flawed gemstone was no contest at all.
The cracks from within were smoothed out, his order imposed. the minor fault lines vanished, and what was once a flawed ruby sourced from a county mine, which would perhaps fetch less than a gold piece¡
¡became a flawless gemstone which would sell for many times that value.
¡°What on Alastaia? How did you do that?¡± the junior registrar asked, bewildered. ¡°Are you a mage? Is that¡ an illusion? How can a gemstone be turned from flawed to perfect?¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t hold it against the registrar of a crafting academy in Trumbetton that the man didn¡¯t know of other methods. Volarbury County was poor, and there wasn¡¯t a single Grandmaster in this town that Orodan knew of.
Off the top of his head, Orodan could think of two ways to turn a flawed gemstone flawless.
Placing the gemstone in a specialized compression device with a high temperature and using a chronomancer to accelerate it in time was one method. In fact, even without copious mana crystal consumption, a chronomancer could gradually turn a gemstone flawless through the repeated expenditure and recovery of their mana pool over several attempts. With just their mana pool, the process could take months.
The other method involved someone skilled in spatiomancy, and targeting the internal faults through spatial manipulation. Though, this too was a method which took a great deal of time and a high level of precision.
In any case, both methods were expensive and time consuming, and the production of a flawless gemstone in such a manner was a waste of the mage¡¯s time and labor. Both of which could be devoted to far more profitable ventures. The Republic¡¯s mines typically produced enough flawless gemstones for high-level rituals and enchantments. Though, they were always in high demand and not enough supply.
Little wonder the registrar was shocked.
¡°Enough.¡±
¡°But ma¡¯am, how can such a feat be-¡±
¡°That¡¯s enough. His business is none of our concern,¡± the supervisor said.
¡°To answer your question. I cleaned it.¡±
¡°C-cleaned it? That¡¯s simply outrageous, how did you really do-¡±
¡°That will be enough. Give him his schedule to fill out. Orodan Wainwright, was it?¡± she asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Delna Elosian. Headmistress of Elmswith.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have an office?¡± Orodan queried.
¡°Does this look like Bluefire to you? Our campus consists of five buildings,¡± she replied.
¡°You could still have an office in one of the buildings¡¡±
¡°I do in fact, but why would I sit there all day? Far more entertainment in sitting behind the desk, pretending to be a registration supervisor so I can reveal myself at opportune moments and watch those with poor attitudes stammer out their excuses and apologies,¡± Delna answered with a smile. ¡°Though, I suppose the dramatic effect is lessened when some disguised prodigy like yourself comes along.¡±
¡°Disguised? I¡¯m not hiding anything at this time,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Right¡ and I¡¯m supposed to believe you¡¯re a member of the county militia? Why you¡¯re here and not at Bluefire is your business. I know not which noble house you¡¯re affiliated with, but I¡¯m washing my hands of the matter,¡± Delna said. ¡°Your schedule¡¯s open for you to fill out as you wish. Anything we can do for you at Elmswith?¡±
¡°Yes actually. I wish to enter the county craft competition,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°The flyer specifically stated that entry was limited to academy students.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re more than welcome to enter,¡± she said. ¡°Though with it being tomorrow, the workshops are booked up so I fear you may not have any place to work on your project before then.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll make my own arrangements,¡± Orodan said as he filled out the schedule. He could only pick one class for the next day prior to the competition. Enchanting it would be. ¡°Thank you for your time, headmistress.¡±
With that, Orodan walked out.
¡°You¡¯re about to do something ostentatious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°You know me too well.¡±
She was right of course.
So what that the headmistress said all workshops were booked up? Orodan could simply make his own.
Elmswith Academy was quite small, and just a few steps from the Administration building, it bordered a preserve which the students of Woodworking and Lumberjacking were allowed to draw from. A few studious students could be seen hacking away at trees with axes and saws or attempting to study them to better understand their crafts.
¡°Hey¡ you can¡¯t cut down trees here, this is Gedricson¡¯s turf!¡± one arrogant-looking student said.
¡°I¡¯m not going to cut it down,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t aware anyone had a turf here.¡±
¡°Er¡ Velic, maybe we should leave him alone. His arm¡¯s as big as both your legs put together¡¡±
¡°Nonsense! Gedricson¡¯s going to make sure this lousy lout can¡¯t get a job anywhere once he graduates! And if he wants to be a fool¡ my cousin¡¯s a mounted unit rider in the militia! An Adept!¡±
¡°An¡ Adept?¡± Orodan slowly questioned.
¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t care how big you are, my cousin will teach you some manners!¡± the boy declared.
¡°By all means, tell your cousin to come around,¡± Orodan declared as his hand shot into the dirt underneath the nearest tree¡
¡and the earth shook as Orodan tore it out of the ground with a single hand.
Nearby students gaped at him, shock and horror written on their faces.
The arrogant fop fell backwards, his friend immediately turned tail, and the spectators all around began clamoring.
How dramatic. Had none of these people seen anyone with a Physical Fitness beyond 40? Well, he couldn¡¯t judge too much. At one time, Orodan himself had also been such a bumpkin, one who knew nothing of what was possible through hard work.
One tree was uprooted, and then another. These were hurled towards the center of the campus, and then Orodan proceeded two uproot three more trees and toss them the same way.
He made way for the spot, directly in the center of the five buildings of Elmswith Academy, where his collected materials lay.
The headmistress had come out and was looking at the scene, incredulity in her eyes.
¡°M-mister Wainwright¡! What is the meaning of this? I¡¯d hoped you would wait at least a day before causing any mayhem.¡±
¡°Apologies, headmistress. I¡¯m simply making my own workshop,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Can¡¯t practice my Engineering without a table to work on.¡±
The poor woman looked as though she wanted to wither into the ground and disappear. Why, Orodan could almost see her hairs turning greyer as he spoke!
¡°Just¡ just remove this obstacle by dawn tomorrow. The stalls and stage for the craft competition will be set up here,¡± she said, her tone a resigned one.
¡°Of course. I shall compensate you for this slight.¡±
She walked away, uncaring of anything else he said. And Orodan got to work carving tables, workbenches and shelves out of the trees he¡¯d uprooted. He also fashioned a rough kiln, forge and anvil from sturdy rock. And once that was done, produced a variety of ingredients necessary for the creation of black powder that he¡¯d sourced from Esgarius beforehand.
In a later loop he planned on sourcing even these ingredients by himself.
Black powder, while not a common fixture outside of the dwarves of the Dokuhan Mountains, was still adopted for use in certain magical cannons, mining operations and low-level banditry. As a result, alchemists knew how to concoct the mixture, and alongside his Tool Mastery, Orodan¡¯s near-Elite level Alchemy served him well.
Sulphur, charcoal and saltpetre. Orodan threw all three of these things into a large hand-crafted barrel and set about the labor of crushing them together and mixing them into a fine grain. The process would have ordinarily required a specialized crushing device; one powered by either mana or crude hand-strength, but Orodan had no issues simply brute forcing the task.
Furthermore, with Domain of Perfect Cleaning, the quality and purity of his black powder was top notch.
The finalized product was then dipped into another alchemic mixture which was meant to prevent vulnerability to static shock and easy ignition. And the fine powder was made.
¡°You really enjoy making these things,¡± Zaessythra remarked.
¡°Much like Woodworking, the concoction of black powder is something I find oddly relaxing. Grain size impacts how quickly it burns, the purity determines how hot the powder gets inside of the barrel and there¡¯s so many magical mixtures that can be added to improve the punch it packs,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Yet, at the end of the day, improving the quality of my basic black powder will be what propels my advancement in the craft.¡±
¡°I doubted it myself until I saw how fearsome the weapons of Lonvoron were.¡±
¡°My imitations are rather poor in comparison. Perhaps I¡¯ll go study under a gunsmith at some point¡¡±
If Alastaia had any dedicated gunsmiths outside of the dwarves that was. Not only was it a long shot that they¡¯d even agree, but Orodan¡¯s bull-headed nature meant he¡¯d have trouble keeping a low profile when near the atrocities of the under-mountain confederation.
He was just about to start the process of smithing the actual rifle when he someone walking up.
¡°That¡¯s him!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t recognize him at all¡ I would know anyone capable of uprooting trees. A stolen uniform?¡± a horse rider with a sword in hand said.
Frankly, the Volarbury county militia was so obscure and unknown on the global stage that Orodan was unused to people recognizing him by uniform. He wore his basic tunic and belt at all times and had grown used to people not commenting on the outfit. Within the county though, the headmistress of Elmswith had identified his employment, as had this rider from the mounted unit.
¡°Not a stolen uniform. Orodan Wainwright, Volarbury county militia. Private. Ogdenborough barracks,¡± he recited. ¡°You are?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not important Wainwright,¡± the rider said. ¡°Under authority of my captain, Keharion Taj, I¡¯m here to investigate reports of a disturbance. And you appear to be at the center. Explain yourself.¡±
¡°What¡¯s there to explain? I¡¯ve registered as a student at Elmswith, alongside all the rights and privileges that affords,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Any secondary employment or education requires a letter in writing to the duty sergeant of your barracks,¡± the rider said. ¡°Has this been authorized?¡±
¡°No. Consider this my act of resignation,¡± Orodan said as he began the creation of the rifle itself. ¡°That¡¯s not illegal.¡±
¡°That is¡ your decision. However, the matter of you causing a disturbance still remains,¡± the rider said. ¡°The report said that you assaulted a student. You¡¯ll need to come with me for questioning.¡±
Orodan smiled as he casually stuck his hand into the forge and used his bare hands to manipulate the metal like clay.
¡°Come arrest me then.¡±
[Intimidation 24 ¡ú Intimidation 25]
Molding metal with one¡¯s bare hands was possible, even at Apprentice-level Physical Fitness. However, doing so casually without any effort at all was a different matter.
The act of molding metal within a forge with his bare hands had its desired effect. The rider clearly looked to be rethinking his life choices.
¡°Cousin¡ who in the seven hells did you offend?¡± Orodan¡¯s ears overheard as the rider quietly asked the arrogant boy. ¡°Are you trying to get me killed?¡±
¡°Er¡¡±
¡°Mister Orodan Wainwright,¡± the rider said. ¡°Allow me to apologize. Clearly this matter has been an embarrassing misunderstanding. I know not which barracks of Trumbetton you¡¯re from, or if the Elite response unit has sent you¡ but I was not aware of your¡ abilities.¡±
¡°If only you acted smartly and efficiently like this more often,¡± Zaessythra said.
That sounded entirely too sane and reasonable for Orodan. Where would the fun be in that?
¡°In any case, I¡¯m almost certain word will spread, and this man will report the encounter to his superiors,¡± Orodan mentally replied.
The rider left all too hastily, likely glad of the fact that Orodan hadn¡¯t taken offense and taken it out upon him. The arrogant student looked about in disbelief for a few moments, but then also left.
Which then left Orodan with the black powder and partially complete rifle before him.
Like that¡ the hours flew by.
Day turned to dusk, which then turned to night as Orodan tirelessly crafted away.
At some point, he sensed Elite-level individuals observing him from the distant rooftops of the town center, yet they never approached and Orodan was content to keep working.
His soul¡¯s inability to be detected must¡¯ve thrown them for a loop.
Zaessythra groaned at his idiotic wordplay.
He continued working at it, forging various rifles and a cannon, enchanting them and then casting regular and specialized magical ammunition for them. Once dawn came, he had a plethora of weaponry he¡¯d made himself, and with the sun came the arrival of the crew meant to set up the stage for the craft competition.
Tool Mastery, Blacksmithing, Engineering and Artificing all gained levels over the night of work.
The workers looked confused at his workshop set up in the middle of the courtyard, but Orodan tore it down easily enough, causing more than a bit of chaos amongst them.
And once his workshop was tucked into his dimensional ring, he made way for the Enchanting class.
The building was a small one, a stark contrast to what he was used to from Bluefire, and the various students gaped at the size of him as he entered the enchanters¡¯ classroom.
Orodan looked rather out of place and stood out among all these frail and bookish enchanting students. Blacksmiths, Woodworkers and other crafts which involved labor could expect to have some levels in the Physical Fitness skill. Enchanters though, fit the academic shut-in stereotype quite well.
¡°Oh? A new student? Er¡ are you a new student?¡± the teacher asked, looking up at the far taller Orodan.
¡°Yes. Orodan Wainwright. I joined today,¡± he replied.
¡°Well¡ I shan¡¯t question it,¡± the older man said. ¡°There¡¯s a free station at the front, please join us.¡±
As expected, few of the socially anxious enchanters wanted to take a seat up front. Unlike Bluefire, where the students were the cream of the crop and there was more widespread confidence and a bit of arrogance among them, the students here were of a more milquetoast sort. Oh, they weren¡¯t bad by any means, but Bluefire existed for a reason, and anyone who displayed a semblance of real talent was scouted and taken away for the best education there.
And Orodan soon experienced why Elmswith Academy wasn¡¯t Bluefire.
¡°Now then, continuing where we left off from last week when it comes to the differences between the Imperial-tradition and its competitors. The Imperial enchanting language is the greatest one in the known world! Humanity has risen above the elves and dwarves, and our crafts are proof of it.¡±
The instructor was a peddler of blatant propaganda.
Yet, that was fine.
¡°The two-dimensional enchanting of the Imperial-tradition is more cost-effective and reliable than any crafts of the other races,¡± the instructor said.
¡°But¡ why is it more cost-effective and reliable?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°A good question, Mister Wainwright! The mana pathways of the Imperial-tradition are uniform and narrow, which allows for an even flow to the enchantment all throughout.¡±
That wasn¡¯t correct. The mana pathways of the Imperial-tradition were narrow and uniform at the lower levels because enchanters were given chisels of uniform make and strictly taught not to deviate. At higher levels, enchantments laid using the Imperial enchanting script could have mana pathways of varying width. In fact, the reason these enchanters were taught not to deviate was because getting the mana flows even in pathways of greater width was a more difficult task.
¡°Yet, high-level enchantments of the Imperial-tradition have pathways of differing width,¡± Orodan corrected. ¡°Can you explain why?¡±
¡°Why, you are mistaken, such a thing is merely an illusion! Allow me to elaborate!¡±
And so, the discussion went.
The man truly attempted to justify his incorrect view. This low-level enchanting teacher at Elmswith was genuinely set in his ways.
¡°Why are we listening to this fool?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Because, even in listening to a fool, there is wisdom to be had. Especially if the fool is self-assured and defends his view to the end.¡±
Learning and advancement came not just from learning what was right. But also, through dwelling on what was wrong. His time without the crutch of the System had opened Orodan¡¯s eyes to this method of alternative learning. The System gave people a crutch, it took away the wall before them.
But that wall was a tool, a boon. It forced people to innovate if they wanted to cross it, as Orodan had to do. And meeting a stubborn and self-assured man who was spouting an incorrect viewpoint was an excellent thought exercise.
After all¡
¡what if Orodan adopted this utterly incorrect view and attempted to run with it?
It was lunacy. But¡ it strained his mind and all he knew in a way nothing else ever had.
To adopt the wrong viewpoint, to start from a position he knew to be false and incorrect. And to then attempt to reason his way out and try to move forward anyways.
Like a soldier caught in an ambush with no way out.
Orodan sought to batter his way out.
¡°Hmm, so perhaps if I weave the enchantment with uniform and narrow pathways, the outcome will be more powerful?¡± Orodan asked as he quickly weaved a very basic weight enchantment on a stone.
This, he weaved using the methods he knew to be correct, the current height of his Enchanting knowledge. The mana pathways were not uniform, yet the flows were even, Then, he weaved a similar enchantment on another rock, but strictly following the viewpoint of the teacher. The mana pathways were uniform and narrow, but the overall power of the enchantment was lower.
¡°Yes! Do you now see what I¡ hmm¡ wait, how is this rock lighter?¡± the teacher asked, a bit confused as he began to realize that his viewpoint was being proven wrong. ¡°Are you perhaps¡ correc-¡±
¡°No. Keep going. Tell me more about how the mana pathways being narrow and uniform makes the enchantment better,¡± Orodan demanded.
Madness. Lunacy.
How on Alastaia was he expected to make the rock enchanted with inferior methods, superior to the one enchanted with advanced methods?
The instructor seemed to want to amend his view, but Orodan wouldn¡¯t let him.
He immersed himself in the incorrect view, he truly believed in it.
And the hour of class was entirely wasted as he produced no results and got absolutely nowhere.
The other students looked on incredulously, and a few even began looking as though they were rethinking their enrolment at Elmswith. The hour was wasted, yet Orodan had basically proved that his advanced methods of enchanting were superior to what this low-level instructor at a basic crafting academy was preaching. But this wasn¡¯t what he wanted.
Impossibility made reality. The superior made real through inferior methods.
No matter how many loops it took, Orodan would see it done.
¡°What¡¯s the purpose of this loop? Or I should say, these short loops,¡± Zaessythra asked as he stepped out of the classroom and beheld the stalls and stage of the county craft competition which were set up.
¡°The distance between galaxies is utterly astronomical. Which means my target, the Vystaxium Galaxy, is quite far away,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Getting there through spatiomancy would require channelling enough power to destroy my body. I¡¯m not ready for it yet.¡±
¡°Then why not train spatiomancy like a madman till you can?¡±
¡°Which, ordinarily, I would do. However, one of the people I seek is the previous time looper, and they¡¯re quite paranoid,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Any large scale spatiomancy of that caliber, even if I succeeded, would draw some serious attention. Even the Conclave¡¯s grand array which we used in the last long loop drew attention. There¡¯s no avoiding it.¡±
¡°Then¡ why?¡±
¡°This ring. What does it imply is possible?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Dimensionalism¡¡±
Zaessythra caught on to what he was saying.
Yes, spatiomancy was something Orodan planned to train to the point where he could warp between galaxies. And though the time it would take was of no concern to him, the fact that spatial travel would alert the inhabitants of his destination was a concern. The Prophet would be alerted too, but that wasn¡¯t Orodan¡¯s main concern. The problem was the previous looper, who Orodan felt was an incredibly paranoid and slippery individual.
In the last long loop, this previous looper had only appeared when King Alstatyn of the Blackworth Collective was threatened by the Prophet, and Orodan wasn¡¯t the sort to meticulously re-create circumstances to arrive at the events of a prior loop. That, and threatening someone else to draw the previous looper out seemed weak and slimy. Since when did Orodan Wainwright engage in such skullduggery?
Still, the problem remained in that he wasn¡¯t even sure how to go about finding them unless he held the element of surprise and was allowed to go investigating Lonvoron.
This, was where Dimensionalism came in. Enchanting was an incredibly versatile skill which allowed Orodan to create items with functions he himself wasn¡¯t yet capable of. Orodan could craft enchanted rings which spewed ice shards, amulets which conjured lightning cages¡
¡and dimensional rings which could create openings from one destination leading someplace else.
¡°You intend to use the ring to cross into Lonvoron undetected?¡± Zaessythra asked. ¡°That¡¯s a smart plan.¡±
¡°What? Who said I intend on using some silly trinket? I plan on using the ring to instead study and learn how to do it myself!¡±
¡°Never mind¡ I forgot who I was speaking to for a moment.¡±
Indeed. Enchanting was a most unique art. Enchanters were capable of making items which could do things they themselves weren¡¯t capable of. An enchanter who couldn¡¯t cast a single spell could make a ring which spewed fire.
And Orodan, who not only studied how to enchant, but what the actual enchanting script meant and translated to¡ had an incredibly potent ability to re-create many functions.
Which really meant that Orodan didn¡¯t need to visit fancy magic academies. Enchanting an item, studying the enchantment and effect, and then working hard to replicate it himself could be his best teacher. In fact, it was a superior method of learning in comparison to rote repetition and mere skill level gains.
True mastery came from learning a skill inside out, without the crutch of the cumulative knowledge within the central glyph of his own System. And studying an enchantment and its energy flows was an excellent way to dissect and learn a spell from the ground up.
There were some limits of course, and the more esoteric the skill, the harder it would be to learn from merely studying the enchantment version of it. However, Orodan still planned on supplementing his self-study with relevant tutors. That irritating dimensional phase spider hadn¡¯t seen the last of him yet.
Most importantly though, and relevant to what he was laying out on his assigned stall¡ was his newly acquired mentality of attempting to brute force his way to superior results through inferior methods.
It was a thought experiment of a most vexatious and insanity-inducing nature. Yet it now had him viewing everything he¡¯d made under this unhinged lens.
Perhaps these rifles could be better made if the hammer was propelled to launch the bullet like a slingshot? Maybe the ammunition could be coated with a sticky and stringy adhesive so that the tension force when it broke would add to the power of the shot?
It was utterly contradictory and beyond stupid, even for Orodan.
And yet¡
¡what could he achieve if he stubbornly tried defending these perspectives and trying to make them work?
More. He needed more mad views!
The county competition was soon to start, and this meant that spectators had already begun showing up, drink in hand, ready to enjoy the day.
Orodan immediately made way for the drunkest one among them. The announcer began going off, but Orodan ignored them.
¡°Eh? Where¡¯d the tree come from?¡± the drunk slurred and hiccupped as Orodan stood in front of him, blocking the sun. ¡°By Halor¡¯s dirty toe¡ you¡¯re a big tree¡¡±
¡°He¡¯s not a tree¡¡± the drunk¡¯s friend corrected and then sighed. ¡°Damn it Krenvus, how much have you had to drink? It isn¡¯t even noon!¡±
¡°Not a tree? Oh! Right¡ it¡¯s a really big fellow¡¡± the drunk muttered and squinted. ¡°What the hells do they feed you? You sure you aren¡¯t a tree?¡±
¡°Positive,¡± Orodan said with a smile. ¡°Now then, I could use your help. Can you tell me about the Imperial enchanting language?¡±
¡°The cereal planting baggage? I didn¡¯t steal it! I swear on my drink!¡±
He could hear the very audible sigh of Zaessythra from within.
¡°Enchanting, tell me about it,¡± Orodan said and threw a gold coin the man¡¯s way. ¡°Gold piece in it for you.¡±
The drunk was entirely too slow to react, and it bounced off his forehead only for Orodan to catch it again.
¡°Gold? Where?¡± the drunk asked, and Orodan held it up in front of his face. ¡°Heheh! I¡¯m rich!¡±
¡°Not yet. Tell me about enchanting.¡±
¡°What¡¯s there to say about it? Just snap your fingers like a silly mage and things begin glowing!¡± the man exclaimed.
¡°Yes, but how do you do it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡ don¡¯t those shut-ins scrawl some chicken scratch onto it with those glowy stones of theirs?¡±
Scrawl some chicken scratch?
Orodan focused, and his entire mindset was dedicated towards this view. The gold piece was handed off to the now happy drunk, and he got to work enchanting a plain rifle.
The judging for the county craft competition had already started as the panel of appraisers began going around. They nearly walked past his stall, however one of the judges saw what was laid their and walked over.
¡°Don¡¯t bother¡ this student¡¯s been disqualified for leaving the stage¡¡±
Oh, was that what had occurred? Orodan couldn¡¯t have cared less about actually winning the contest on paper.
¡°Yes, but look at these¡ rifles and black powder,¡± the judge said.
¡°A failed experiment whose results we¡¯ve seen when the Empire tried outfitting soldiers with them,¡± the critical judge said.
¡°You don¡¯t look like a student of Elmswith¡ that tunic¡ county militia?¡± the curious judge asked and Orodan shook his head.
¡°Technically, I resigned.¡±
For this loop anyhow.
¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a story there,¡± the curious judge said. ¡°And these weapons, you made them?¡±
¡°Aye. In fact, I¡¯m making my magnum opus now,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Want to see it fired?¡±
¡°This is going to go terribly wrong¡¡±
Orodan ignored her lack of faith and primed the black powder on his newly enchanted rifle.
¡°What enchanting language is that? I¡¯ve never seen it before,¡± the curious judge said.
¡°Chicken scratch.¡±
¡°Chicken scratch? What do yo-¡±
The gun went off. A terrible bang reverberated through the air causing nearby competitors and spectators to cover their ears.
¡°Such a pretty metal flower¡¡±
¡°No Krenvus¡ that¡¯s a defective rifle, not a flower! Enough drink for you!¡±
¡°Oh¡¡±
In truth, the gun hadn¡¯t gone off as much as it had gone apart. The mangled heap of metal in his hands wasn¡¯t in good shape, with the barrel sprouting outwards like a poor imitation of a flower.
Well, at least Orodan had now verified that the chicken scratch enchanting language could generate a lot of power.
¡°Every time you impress me, you also remind me shortly after that you are still Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°You were a lot more tolerable as a mute book inside of my soul,¡± Orodan shot back, letting the faithless Zaessythra have a piece of his mind.
The judges were speechless. The spectators were speechless, and the nearby competitors were silent too.
Oh well, he had many more loops to get this right.
And the familiar individuals flying his way atop a gold-feathered griffin signalled the end of the loop. A decision of his own making.
A Favored, and the High-Burgher.
Once upon a time, he¡¯d been impressed by their entrance. In the very early days of the loop, having the High Oracle and the High-Burgher of the Republic approach him had made the young Orodan take notice.
¡°It¡¯s Lady Lakshiya¡ what¡¯s she doing here? The High-Burgher alongside her¡¡±
¡°The High Oracle! Praise be to the Five!¡±
Lady Lakshiya. High Oracle of the Cathedral of the Prime Five, and a Favored of Ilyatana, the Goddess of Fate. If Chosen had three Blessings, then Favored were a step below, with only two.
This woman was the very first person unto whom Ilyatana had descended when she¡¯d approached him for the first time. The origin of Orodan¡¯s troubles with the divine. The man next to her was Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan, High-Burgher of the Republic of Aden, the leader of the country¡¯s elected council.
And both these figures were Masters.
Both the man and woman looked closely at him, their eyes glowing gold.
¡°Do you see it as well Lakshiya? Like a void¡ there is nothing where his soul should be¡¡± the High-Burgher said.
¡°I can detect no presence in the tapestry of fate either,¡± Lakshiya said. ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°Sworn enemy of the Gods you serve.¡±
The descent of Ilyatana unto this poor Favored was immediate.
As was Orodan¡¯s instant cleansing of that foul Goddess of Fate from Lady Lakshiya.
And with a subtle peeling of the dimensional layer¡
¡Orodan followed the thread of connection and stepped into the divine dimension.
The familiar ethereal plane of the divine realm. The strange and impossible shapes around him, the veins of System energy pumping power throughout. And a large vortex where he was, at whose center was a dark-skinned woman covered in radiant gold.
Frankly, she looked quite similar to Mahari, or more accurately, Mahari looked similar to her, which hinted at some ancestry. Orodan wasn¡¯t squeamish about such matters, however. He was dead set on what needed to be done.
¡°You¡ how have you entered this-¡±
Her words were cut off, quite literally, as a sword separated her head from her shoulders.
Tyrant. Oppressor. Domineering dictator.
Ilyatana was the first God Orodan had spoken to, and she¡¯d set the stage for his distrust of them forevermore. Agathor had betrayed his trust, but Ilyatana was the first one on the list, marked for death.
The vortex he was within trembled and let out a wail of pain. It then shattered in a gigantic explosion of divine power.
The nearby vortexes shuddered, their owners taking notice. And Orodan quickly identified and began making way for his next target.
Eximus.
The space between these divine domains was gigantic, but a full power cast of Spatial Fold got him to where he needed to be easily enough.
[Spatial Fold 79 ¡ú Spatial Fold 80]
Orodan had skirted the issue by dimensionally traveling directly inside of Ilyatana¡¯s domain, but from the outside, these vortexes, these divine domains, had barriers. Unfortunately for their owners, these barriers consisted entirely of divine energy. Something Orodan was resistant to.
He pushed past the barrier with brute force, the divine energy battering against him but washing over ineffectively. Inside, he saw the true form of Eximus, an old man with a staff, preparing for battle, yet looking quite alarmed at the intrusion
¡°Worm,¡± Orodan greeted. ¡°Do you tremble in fear at the approach of your death?¡±
¡°Who are you?! I have never done anything to earn your ire!¡± Eximus roared.
¡°And yet, in another time, you would have gladly worked with the coward Agathor and the tyrant Ilyatana to oppress me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Our enmity is set in stone. Don¡¯t bother attempting to grovel, stand and fight me and I¡¯ll grant you a quick and dignified death.¡±
¡°Damn you¡ damn you! This is brazen murder! The other Gods in this divine realm will not stand idly by!¡±
¡°Spare me the moralizing. You¡¯ve done far worse things than I in your long divine lifespan. I¡¯m not some mass murderer. This is between me and you,¡± Orodan spat.
To his credit, Eximus had a grim look on his face as he hefted his staff and charged.
Orodan met him halfway, and his first downward swing with an All-Strike cleaved right through Eximus¡¯s staff and him in a singular blow.
Once again, the vortex trembled, wailed, and another divine domain was destroyed.
Astalavar, one of the Gods of the Hegemony, was roused to action in the great distance. He could already see the peak-God rushing through the expanse between divine domains at a mighty pace, making way for Orodan who¡¯d dared to slay Gods within the Hegemony¡¯s territory.
Still, it would take time, and Orodan was confident he could slay Agathor and the foul Guzuharan blood God Agorhiku in that timespan.
Which was when he felt the dimensional boundary tear apart, and a gaping maw capable of swallowing an entire world rush towards him.
Right. He¡¯d almost forgotten about the existence of this world-devouring abomination under the Hegemony¡¯s control.
Avraxas, a Crusader. The mangled and heinous dragon was a grotesque fusion of a God and a Transcendent. A method which was taught to the Hegemony by the Reject himself.
This meant that the world-devouring dragon could freely move between both the material plane and the divine dimension. It made it a terrifying foe.
Still, the Orodan of then, who¡¯d fought against the Hegemony in the last long loop, and the Orodan of now, with his own System and a new Celestial skill, were two different people.
How did one stop a charging dragon which was large enough to swallow an entire planet? Especially when it looked poised to swallow him whole.
Incipience of Infinity had caused the amount of soul energy he could expend at once to skyrocket. Compared to the prior Eternal Soul Reactor, it was dramatically more powerful. What then, would that power be thrown towards? Spatiomancy to send it careening away? Chronomancy to reverse it?
Orodan instead poured it towards a skill he hadn¡¯t used in a while. One whose originating world he eventually intended to delve deeply into.
[Shield Intent 69 ¡ú Shield Intent 74]
Most cultivators powered their techniques with Qi, and only the exceptional among them were capable of using soul energy. Orodan, by virtue of being talented in the soul arts, began his forays into cultivation techniques with soul energy. And the shimmering white shield projection, the size of an entire planet, was proof of just how monstrous such a combination could be when backed by someone capable of throwing endless power into it.
Avraxas, the mutated Crusader of the Hegemony, slammed right into Orodan¡¯s Shield Intent and rebounded with a hiss of pain. The shield light took some damage but held strong. Partially due to the sheer strength of it and also for the fact that half of the attack consisted of divine energy.
Dodging? Sending the enemy backwards in time? Elegant moves which had their place, but Orodan was a warrior, and meeting the charge of a titanic foe directly was what his blood demanded.
With the charge halted, the dragon glared at him, and Orodan returned it.
A furious melee began.
It was comical, a human-sized warrior battling against a planet-sized dragon. In terms of pure force and power, Orodan was overwhelmed. Even if half of Avraxas¡¯s power was divine, the other half was soul energy based, and Orodan had no resistance against that. In clashes of raw force, he was sent flying about.
Frankly, the dragon was so large that Orodan felt he was fighting a planet rather than an actual combatant. It was akin to a man standing upon the ground, swinging downwards into the dirt and claiming he was fighting the world. How silly was that? He stood upon it and swung downward with full force, leaving great ravine-sized furrows in its flesh. Yet, these wounds were small in contrast to its incredibly large body. Furthermore, it regenerated from these tiny injuries.
Avraxas also had sense enough to remain in constant motion, refusing to allow Orodan the opportunity to burrow inside and start a destructive slaughter from within. The tactics Orodan might ordinarily use against such gigantic enemies were something this foe was aware of and working to prevent!
Having a high Combat Mastery didn¡¯t necessarily mean he was well-suited to employing that skill against such a large creature.
Still, Orodan held on, and he survived. He wasn¡¯t winning, but his opponent was forced to use its full power and still failed to kill him.
The gaping maw which the mutated dragon attempted to swallow him with was some sort of dimensional kill zone. It was what Talricto the Wanderer, that dimensional phase spider, had attempted to hit Orodan with. Except, the spider didn¡¯t have the raw reserves of power that Avraxas did.
A kill zone consisting of intersecting dimensional boundaries, and one backed by the reserves of a planet-sized dragon? Orodan had endless power himself, but he could only hold so much energy within his actual body at one time. In terms of pure power, for now, this world-devourer had him beat in the amount held within the body at one moment. Getting swallowed into that maw meant death.
The combat between the two of them fell into a rhythm. Orodan countered attempts at swallowing him by conjuring a planet-sized shield light which the dragon ineffectively smashed into. And Avraxas countered Orodan¡¯s attempts at burrowing into it by remaining incredibly fast, flailing about violently, and occasionally emitting burst of pure force from its wing tips which sent Orodan flying off of its body.
The only event of note was when Orodan managed to surprise it by compressing Spatial Fold to an unfathomable degree and then releasing it into an already carved wound. The resulting explosion of space could have destroyed a small planet and caused the peak-Crusader to bellow in pain and fear. It quickly gained distance, recovered and resumed the fight after patching the wound up completely.
He never got the chance to repeat that particular move again as from then on it began casting constant spatial disruption spells. It wasn¡¯t just some big beast, but a smart one with combat sense too.
Still, the din of battle favored him. Yes, this gigantic foe was overwhelming in direct clashes¡ but the enormous size disparity actually helped him in some ways when he managed to land upon it. It also allowed him to maneuver about and prevent it from hitting him too many times in quick succession as its own body would often get in the way.
Its energy wasn¡¯t infinite. If given enough time, Orodan felt confident that he¡¯d eventually win.
Of course, endless time wasn¡¯t on the table. And the arrival of a fifty-armed God reminded Orodan of that.
¡°Astalavar. Good of you to join us,¡± Orodan said as he conjured a shield light, causing the dragon to smash into it. ¡°Come, let¡¯s make this a two-on-one.¡±
¡°You know of me? Who are you? Mortals should not be capable of crossing the divide and entering this realm. The System itself should bar it.¡±
Was it supposed to? Orodan hadn¡¯t encountered any resistance or failsafe out of the ordinary. But, perhaps the fact that he no longer had the regular System made him immune to its safeguards?
¡°Anyhow, we¡¯re talking too much. Come jump in already.¡±
The God of the Hegemony didn¡¯t need to be told twice.
With two working together, Orodan was suppressed. Astalavar was weaker than Avraxas, Orodan also felt he could eventually beat the fifty-armed God. However, the God was far smaller than Avraxas, being only the size of a nation. And with fifty arms each wielding a golden weapon, this meant it was far better at tracking, pinning down and suppressing Orodan.
He held on valiantly for another five minutes until the inevitable happened and the many arms of Astalavar kept him pinned while the maw of Avraxas finally managed to catch him.
The kill zone of intersecting dimensional boundaries hit him¡ his soul roiled with power, and before the darkness took him, he was fairly certain he saw the explosion of multiple dimensions falling apart as the dragon¡¯s mouth was utterly destroyed from colliding the kill-zone in its maw against a being of such titanic power as Orodan.
Well, it was good to know that Orodan could brute force his way through that attack with some training.
#
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
¡°Rise and shine,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°What¡¯s next? Shall we go elsewhere? Shall we perhaps sit down and concoct some intricate plans to best our foes?¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes at the sarcasm in her tone.
His goal was clear.
Lonvoron. But he had to get there without triggering any sort of alarm lest he scare his target into hiding.
To that end, he had to perfect his crafts. Something which would involve taking the most counterintuitive and inferior methods possible and attempting to make them work with brute force. Even better, he planned on shutting off the switch for his central glyph and doing so without the crutch of its cumulative knowledge.
He had crafts to hone, money to make and dimensionalism to learn. And at the end of each of these short loops, he planned on entering the divine realm and engaging in honest battle.
Furthermore, nothing said he strictly had to enter Elmswith in each loop. Who knew what more madness and excellent training methods he could engage in outside of there?
Old Man Hannegan had once mentioned a mad carpenter he¡¯d apprenticed under in his youth, and the eccentric Talricto the Wanderer was also an option once Orodan found it.
This would be Orodan¡¯s new set of short loops leading to victory.
Craft. Die. Repeat.
Chapter 72 - Craft. Die. Repeat. II
¡°How¡? How have you done all this, Orodan?!¡±
¡°You watched me the entire time, old man.¡±
¡°But¡ but! The Orodan I know isn¡¯t capable of any of this!¡± Old Man Hannegan exclaimed.
¡°Well, don¡¯t act too impressed yet. Some work of an experimental nature is about to take place,¡± Orodan said, drawing his enchanting pen.
¡°Experimental¡? Why do I not like the sound of this?¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°It will distinctly not be fine,¡± Zaessythra the faithless chimed in with her unnecessary and irrelevant opinion. ¡°Need I remind you what occurred the last time you utilized ¡®chicken scratch¡¯ as an enchanting language?¡±
She didn¡¯t need to remind him at all, mainly because it was a loop ago.
But how else would he learn without practice?
And even if he screwed it up, he had plenty of material on-hand to redo it correctly. Sabotaging the old man¡¯s project wouldn¡¯t do.
Contrary to Zaessythra¡¯s nagging, Orodan wasn¡¯t entirely senseless. He¡¯d enchanted the remainder of the warehouse normally, with the Imperial enchanting language, but the light calibre cannons jutting out of the defensive murderholes would be the final touch. And these, he planned on enchanting using chicken scratch.
It was a dumb endeavor. But of all the mad pursuits he could¡¯ve chosen, this was in fact the easiest one. Mainly because Orodan knew first-hand that his own System glyphs could be of any shape as long as he ascribed meaning to them strongly enough.
The connection of knowledge from the central glyph of his own System was turned off. For this, it would be him alone.
Orodan¡¯s enchanting pen struck the metal barrel of the cannon, and with zeal, he inscribed chicken scratch unto it.
What was a chicken? Yes, it was life, but so many things were also life.
Was it a clucking little bird? Was it prey? Meant to end up on a dinner plate?
His mind imagined it vividly as he scrawled. He recalled his days as a hungry street rat, watching the butcher bring chickens into the slaughterhouse for preparation. At the time, he could only focus on how tasty a cooked chicken might be, if the shop might throw a scrap in the garbage.
Yet now that he recalled it¡ the way the chickens moved, the patterns dug into the dirt with their feet¡ did this not contribute to what chicken scratch should be?
He imagined their gentle clucking, their panicked movements as the butcher grabbed them, and the scrawl of their feet upon the ground.
There was wisdom in the mundane. There was power in the lowest rungs of life.
No breaks were needed, an advantage of being a warrior of resilient mind and bountiful mana. Orodan enchanted it all in one go¡
[Enchanting 76 ¡ú Enchanting 77]
¡and the barrel of the cannon held firm for a moment, strong.
And then exploded.
¡°You gained a level from that?¡± Zaessythra asked, baffled.
Why wouldn¡¯t he have? This wasn¡¯t standard enchanting with the Imperial enchanting language. It was a new language of his own making, utterly illogical and making no sense whatsoever.
Yet, for a moment, it had genuinely held.
Which meant that the symbols themselves weren¡¯t important; the meaning Orodan ascribed to them was.
He needed to study¡
¡°I need to examine chickens.¡±
¡°Chickens?¡± Old Man Hannegan asked, confusion in his voice.
¡°Aye¡ chicken scratch is more profound than I thought¡¡±
Old Man Hannegan looked at Orodan as though he was a lunatic.
Which, he was. But there was a method to this madness, and it would take him far.
#
¡°I need chickens.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You¡¯re Esgarius, aren¡¯t you? Here¡¯s a dimensional ring, I made it myself,¡± Orodan said tossing it to the man. He¡¯d used a plain ring he found in the scrapyard of Ogdenborough¡¯s Department of Public Sanitation.
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a dimensional ring in my life! What is this thing?¡± the merchant asked.
¡°The same function as a spatial ring, but with far more capabilities,¡± Orodan said, channelling mana into it. ¡°Not an expanded space, but a separate dimension. There¡¯s a fail-safe device within in case someone¡¯s stranded.¡±
A dimensional opening was created, and unlike the very first attempt he¡¯d made in the last loop, this entrance led to a miniature dimension which had an escape device and slightly more space.
Orodan and Esgarius were the only ones in the store. Unlike last time, he hadn¡¯t bothered meeting the greedy merchant¡¯s assistant. Thus, while Esgarius fawned over the ring and what it was capable of, Orodan worked on perfecting chicken scratch on a relatively inexpensive ring on one of the shelves.
¡°This ring is¡ incredible!¡± the merchant exclaimed. ¡°The applications this could be used for! If your enchantment was re-purposed, it would make the anti-spatiomancy wards of any defended area useless!¡±
¡°Until I also create the counter-enchantment and make wards which can detect and prevent dimensional manipulation,¡± Orodan said as he yet again scrawled chicken scratch unto the ring, all the way through.
To cluck, to scrawl¡ to be a chicken¡ Orodan considered it all as he inscribed his enchantment all the way through.
[Enchanting 77 ¡ú Enchanting 78]
For a few seconds, it held.
The miniature dimension he created was fine, stable enough. He¡¯d created it with regular methods after all. The ring and the opening to said dimension, however, were a different matter.
¡°Imagine the sheer amount of money we could make! Hahahah!¡± Esgarius yelled while maniacally rubbing his hands together. It was as though gold was all the merchant could see. ¡°With this, we could create and monopolize an entire arm¡¯s industry! Buying and selling these rings to rival nations would earn us-¡±
His chicken scratch unravelled, and the ring and opening exploded outwards. Orodan gripped the ring in the palm of his hand and contained a shockwave which would have otherwise levelled Trumbetton.
The shock reverberated through his body and dispersed harmlessly.
¡°Hmm¡ still a ways to go,¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°A better attempt than the last two times,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this nonsense of yours is actually working.¡±
Orodan could believe it though. The glyphs and symbols of his own language, created from the weave of his own soul, were within him and allowed a System of his own making to function. The central rune in particular, the ouroboros eating its own tail, a symbol of infinity¡ it was one crafted by his own hand and given meaning through sheer will.
There was power in belief and meaning.
¡°Such a powerful explosion¡ a weapon¡ an assassination tool! The Novarrian Intelligence Service will be scrambling to buy!¡±
¡°We¡¯re in the Republic¡¡± Orodan reminded him. Esgarius was truly too shameless. Orodan didn¡¯t even have the heart to tell him the explosion was the result of a failed product.
¡°Yes but consider how much gold can be made off of this invention. National loyalties are a mere formality in the face of such a thing,¡± Esgarius said and then grinned. ¡°My most good friend, my esteemed visitor¡ have I mentioned how rare it is to find folk of your calibre? How about we make a deal? Is it gold you want? Fame? Properties? I can secure all these things! I, Esgarius, Trumbetton County¡¯s most illustrious adventurer dealer, can access connections and wealth which you¡¯ve never seen before!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll happily take your gold,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But what I really need¡ are chickens.¡±
¡°Why I¡¯ll have chickens from all over the county markets and inns brought here at once!¡± the merchant said. He then popped open the store window and took a deep breath. ¡°Felric! Get back here!¡±
Following this, Esgarius immediately closed down the shop and shooed all visitors away.
¡°Just tell me what you need, partner, and I¡¯ll get you whatever you require,¡± Esgarius promised. ¡°You make me more enchanted items capable of storing items in a dimensional space or rings capable of exploding and I¡¯ll shower you in gold and chickens. You want them roasted? Fried? Whatever cut of bird suits your hunger, you shall receive!¡±
¡°I need them alive in fact,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And preferably upon a sandy surface that I might decipher the scrawls of their feet.¡±
¡°Profound¡ I shall not question your feathery methods my friend,¡± Esgarius said. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±
And so, the work began.
Orodan made enchanted dimensional items for Esgarius, the merchant¡¯s assistant returned and left to procure live chickens and sand, and the crafting went on.
Yes, Orodan could¡¯ve gone to a farm or teleported chickens to himself, but that would¡¯ve been inefficient in the first case, and theft in the second. If Esgarius claimed to be a merchant of note, then the procurement of chickens shouldn¡¯t have been an issue.
Orodan enchanted five items with the dimensional enchantment and received just over fifteen-hundred gold pieces just like last time. After Esgarius¡¯s pockets and liquid wealth were dried up, Orodan began practicing his chicken scratch once again.
Which led to periodic explosions he was forced to contain as he attempted to replicate the dimensional enchantment using naught but chicken scratch.
About a third of the way through his self-imposed time allotment, Esgarius¡¯s assistant returned with a cart full of clucking chickens. Some of them were white feathered, some were brown, a few were red, but doubtlessly they were all clucking birds meant for slaughter and filling the plates of the county¡¯s people.
¡°Excellent, bring them in,¡± Orodan said to the assistant. ¡°And close the doors so they don¡¯t get out.¡±
¡°Sir¡? Should I bring the chickens inside?¡± the assistant asked Esgarius. ¡°They¡¯ve soiled the cart during our ride over already.¡±
¡°Do as he says, quick Felric!¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t bother waiting and instead simply picked the cart up with one hand and tilted it over, pouring the squirming chickens into the shop. The door was closed, and Orodan then smashed a few barrels of sand also in the cart and spilled the contents all over the floor.
¡°T-the shop¡¡± the assistant muttered.
¡°What are you complaining about boy? Can¡¯t you see how much we stand to gain from this?¡±
¡°Never mind sir¡ the cleaning will simply take a while is all¡¡±
¡°What else do I pay you for? Quit griping and earn your salary, fool,¡± Esgarius scolded. ¡°I pay him three gold pieces a year and the brat still whines like a soft-brained fop.¡±
Three gold coins? What a generous salary. Orodan felt Esgarius¡¯s assistant was being a bit lazy and entitled. Cleaning sand off a shop floor alongside having to peddle goods on the street once in a while wasn¡¯t a bad job at all. For work of that sort, three gold coins a year was just extravagant.
¡°I¡¯ll clean it up at the end, worry not,¡± Orodan amended. ¡°It¡¯s a specialty of mine.¡±
The assistant felt a bit shamed and tried protesting it, but Orodan ignored him and focused on the chickens.
Some of them were panicked, frightened at being dragged from their coops and ranges. Others were calmer, yet still wary and eyed Orodan with clear suspicion. A few were angry and agitated, rearing up into a defensive stance and puffing their feathers at him.
Amidst all of these clucking birds, his eye was drawn to the one chicken which seemed resilient¡ enduring.
And Orodan looked closely at the scrawls it left upon the ground.
The other chickens were squirming about, their feet making chicken scratch which was haphazard. This one though¡ it remained standing in place.
Orodan approached it. Even as he bent to bring himself to the same level, the chicken appeared undaunted. He reached out and gently pet it upon the head before picking it up and putting it down a small distance away.
And where it stood, were the imprints of a chicken¡¯s feet. No scrawls.
Resilience¡ endurance. Will.
Orodan quickly picked up a spare ring and inscribed only the print of a chicken¡¯s feet onto it. His mind resilient, his inscription, enduring. His will, resolute.
The enchantment was a dimensional one. He¡¯d failed to re-create it using chicken scratch every time before.
[Enchanting 78 ¡ú Enchanting 79]
He felt it close to failing, it would unravel, explode.
Yet, what was chicken scratch? What were enchanting languages?
Were they, like the central glyph of Orodan¡¯s own System, not just symbols which the user ascribed meaning to?
His mind expanded, his eyes bled, and his cells were destroyed. Absolute Body Composition meant every single cell of Orodan¡¯s body could see, taste, hear and smell. And he now used this to command every bit of himself¡ to think. To will, to concentrate upon pushing his own meaning unto the enchantment.
[Absolute Body Composition 1 ¡ú Absolute Body Composition 5]
This imprint of a chicken¡¯s foot¡ it would function as a dimensional enchantment.
Because Orodan demanded it.
[Enchanting 79 ¡ú Enchanting 80]
[Reality Alteration 50 ¡ú Reality Alteration 52]
And unlike his prior attempts, this one held.
¡°What sort of enchantment is that? There are no discernible mana pathways at all,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°It¡¯s impressive that it isn¡¯t exploding already. Channel mana into it.¡±
Orodan was a step ahead and had already done so.
Most curiously, it still worked. It was ludicrous, as mad as Orodan¡¯s thought process behind inscribing enchantments using chicken scratch, yet the proof was undeniable as a dimensional opening was conjured forth, leading to the miniature dimension Orodan had made for this ring.
¡°Another one partner? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the gold to pay you for it, nor can I buy one of your explosive enchantments when it lacks a safeguard,¡± Esgarius said, stroking his mustache.
¡°It¡¯s not an explosive enchantment,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°This is¡ success.¡±
¡°Success? You mean it has a safeguard now?¡± Esgarius asked. ¡°I¡¯d thought that strange enchanting language of yours could only produce enchantments for explosions. I had buyers in the mining industry and military lined up too. You¡¯re telling me that this thing is also a dimensional ring?¡±
¡°Indeed, go ahead and use it,¡± Orodan said.
Esgarius looked more than a bit hesitant; after all the man had seen these chicken scratch enchantments blow up several times in this loop. Still, good old greed won out, and the ring was slipped onto one of his grubby fingers.
¡°I have some training in magic, there are no mana pathways in this,¡± Esgarius said with a frown. ¡°Are you sure this won¡¯t explode and kill me partner? I¡¯ll have to charge a premium for the loss of my life.¡±
¡°Trust me, give it a try.¡±
The merchant did, and as before when Orodan used it, a dimensional opening was created. Frankly, even Orodan wasn¡¯t sure exactly where the mana pathways were in this enchantment. Yes, he could see mana being channelled through the imprint of the chicken foot he¡¯d inscribed, but explaining in words how it worked was impossible. It was akin to witnessing an impossible geometric shape.
His mind could comprehend it, but words simply couldn¡¯t describe how he¡¯d utterly defied reality to make this work.
¡°Very nice! You can make these even faster than the regular ones too!¡± Esgarius praised.
Technically, that was true, since chicken scratch was quite quick to scrawl out. As expected of this greedy merchant to fixate on that rather than the feat of bending reality.
Orodan sighed and returned to work.
Having cracked how to use chicken scratch now, he felt more assured in his next works.
Like that, the loop went on to pass.
He departed Esgarius¡¯s shop, signed up at Elmswith and spent the night honing his gunsmithing and enchanting until morning came. This time he successfully impressed the judges with his functional rifle too. Of course, Ilyatana¡¯s Favored arrived and Orodan was forced to end the loop as usual by fighting to the death against Avraxas and Astalavar.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
Many short loops of work awaited.
#
It was a simple set of loops.
Orodan woke up, he cleaned his house, dealt with the ancient machine from a distance and then got to work building the warehouse for Old Man Hannegan. He then made for Trumbetton to make money, sign up at Elmswith and craft away until the competition came, and he was discovered. He would finally end the loop against the Hegemony within the divine dimension, facing off against their grotesque world-eating dragon and their many-armed God.
He didn¡¯t deviate much from the plan in these loops. He signed up for a few different classes at Elmswith, either Engineering, Enchanting or Blacksmithing and continued working on enchanting with chicken scratch. The language was utterly illogical, and Orodan learned that making it work with raw will for one enchantment didn¡¯t mean it would automatically work for others. Over these short loops, Orodan was forced to undergo quite a few failures as he tried extending chicken scratch to other types of enchantments.
He tried making things more durable, making regular spatial rings and tried making a ring which could cast lightning bolts. These were things he could easily do under the Imperial enchanting language. But to replicate these things with chicken scratch was quite difficult, and Orodan often found himself spending the entire night at Elmswith before the competition just fixating on a single enchantment. Throughout it all he began using freeform Enchanting almost exclusively, forgoing an enchanting medium altogether. It was better training.
Furthermore, his repeated fights against his enemies in the divine dimension netted him gains. These battles were fun, exhilarating. In the last long loop, he hadn¡¯t had any good fights. Now, facing such powerful foes made his blood boil in excitement. It made him feel truly alive.
Avraxas, the world-devouring dragon, was a mighty foe. Astalavar was manageable, and Orodan even thought he might be capable of beating the fifty-armed God, but the dragon was another matter entirely. It simply had too much raw power coursing throughout its gigantic body. Cheap tricks wouldn¡¯t work against it; not that Orodan would¡¯ve seriously tried them.
Instead, Orodan being the stubborn idiot Zaessythra referred to him as, obstinately insisted on ending each combat loop by charging directly into Avraxas¡¯s deadly maw. The thousands of layers of intersecting lethal dimensional boundaries killed him every time¡
¡but he felt it would soon pay off.
Without much thought, ninety loops of this routine passed and he made gains in his crafts, some combat-related skills and his understanding of enchanting.
Finally, it was on the ninety-first loop of this madness that Orodan saw a difference in his understanding of chicken scratch.
Old Man Hannegan simply stood there, his jaw slack, a look of disbelief in his eyes.
¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m inscribing things with this enchanting language of my own making,¡± Orodan said producing a plain ring he intended to enchant. ¡°Enchanting is unique in that I can replicate feats I¡¯m not capable of myself. I can inscribe enchantments which produce lightning bolts but cannot do so myself yet.¡±
¡°But how does this help you learn to cast lightning bolts?¡± the old man cautiously asked.
¡°Because, if I enchant a ring capable of producing a lightning bolt but do so in the Imperial-enchanting language, my understanding is merely academic,¡± Orodan said as he began inscribing chicken scratch onto the ring with just the manipulation of mana. ¡°But with an absurd language of my own making, one where I was forced to start from the bottom in order to understand the foundational concepts¡ it¡¯s a different matter.¡±
Indeed, this was the real reason Orodan was so intent on mastering the enchanting language of chicken scratch. Not only was it an excellent method of training his Enchanting skill and furthering his understandings of the craft, but it was also different to any other enchanting language which he learned from others.
He was forced to learn the nitty gritty details of enchanting when using chicken scratch. Not only did this greatly improve his understanding of Dimensionalism and allow for dimensional rings of far greater strength but it would also allow him to learn new skills. Even if each new enchantment took a great deal of work, once he was capable of it¡
¡he could then easily learn it.
[New Skill (Uncommon) ¡ú Lightning Bolt 15]
Making an enchantment of lightning bolt through inscribing chicken scratch had been painstakingly difficult. But now, as the very air for miles felt charged with ominous power, Orodan clearly comprehended what a basic mana-powered lightning bolt should be. The pain had been worth it.
The raw energy coursing through his finger was titanic. A regular human mage at the Initiate-level might burn a black spot onto a stone wall with a lightning bolt cast with both hands. Even an adult dragon using Draconic Mana Channelling might be able to destroy a mansion at the same level.
Cast with one finger, Orodan¡¯s lightning bolt could destroy all of Ogdenborough and a good portion of Mount Castarian if he let it loose without regard. And it was powered by mana, not even soul energy.
¡°The unfair and illogical benefit of endless power,¡± Zaessythra remarked. ¡°Not even the mightiest dragon I¡¯ve heard of could match your prowess in magic, level for level. Your focus on being a warrior is the biggest waste in the universe.¡±
¡°Yet, my focus on being a warrior is what led to this in the first place,¡± Orodan defended.
He wouldn¡¯t denigrate mages; he had grown past that arrogant and ignorant attitude long ago. But, in his opinion, he genuinely believed that a majority of those who started their journey to power through magic didn¡¯t understand the value of pain, struggle and raw hard work the same way that those of a more physical path did.
It wasn¡¯t to say that all mages were lazy, or that a mage couldn¡¯t come to learn the value in working hard and training the body. Some mages even dealt with pain and suffering on a regular basis, and Orodan could respect them. However, for a warrior, learning the value in introspection, focus and careful study of spell craft was easier than a mage doing the reverse.
Without the sweat and blood of physical combat and the martial pursuits, would Orodan have ever had the mental strength to push his soul the way he could? Who knew?
In any case, he had work to do.
The lightning bolt begging for release at the tip of his index finger was pointed upwards, and with a roar of power the blue streak of energy shot upwards, parting the clouds for miles as it sailed past Alastaia¡¯s atmosphere and into the void.
It would probably draw attention, but that was fine. These loops were short enough that it didn¡¯t matter.
Ninety-one loops of crafting and death. With this, Orodan now understood chicken scratch better¡ but mainly his understanding of a particular skill had grown by a decent amount.
Dimensionalism. It now sat at level 65, and it wasn¡¯t merely from rote repetition and grinding, but genuine understanding through all his enchanting and the careful study of it.
In closely seeing how his dimensional rings worked, Orodan had greatly improved his comprehension of Dimensionalism.
Enough that he felt confident in trying something new.
Anti-spatiomancy wards were a common feature of any town or defended settlement of importance. If someplace didn¡¯t have such a basic feature, it was as good as saying it wasn¡¯t worth defending with force. Even for a Grandmaster of spatiomancy, these wards were an extremely difficult barrier to surmount. Orodan had seen Destartes do it before through finesse and the expert manipulation of space, and he suspected that a dragon might be capable of overpowering the wards for a small town with inadequate energy reserves.
Orodan though, could overpower and shatter any anti-spatiomancy wards on Alastaia. However, the problem as always was that this triggered an alarm and drew mass attention. Teleporting outside of a town¡¯s anti-spatiomancy wards was his only recourse. No matter how much raw power Orodan had, avoiding notice after a forced teleport or spatial fold was impossible.
That was¡ if spatiomancy was involved.
Dimensionalism though, changed the game.
Ninety-one loops of hard work. His close study of Dimensionalism now bore fruit as Orodan didn¡¯t simply pry the dimensional boundary aside and enter the divine dimension by following a thread¡ but now walked through, destination in mind, using the dimensional waves as a medium.
[New Skill (Legendary) ¡ú Dimensional Step 1]
[Dimensionalism 65 ¡ú Dimensionalism 66]
There was no screech of magical overload as the wards shattered. No alarm to alert anyone that a being of unfathomable power had entered the town. Like a silent whisper, Orodan¡¯s arrival into the heart of Trumbetton was entirely undetected as he stepped between dimensions to arrive at his destination.
Following a thread from a Blessed individual and entering the divine realm was one thing. Stepping from Ogdenborough to Esgarius¡¯s shop in Trumbetton, without triggering any of the town¡¯s anti-spatiomancy wards, was another.
The merchant was looking through his ledger and looked to be cross-referencing prices and stocks when Orodan arrived.
A javelin sailing for his neck was casually caught, and the follow-up flask of acid was cleansed into water in mid-air with but a thought.
¡°Not bad, high-Adept level at least. Were you a javelineer during your adventuring days?¡± Orodan asked as he twirled the weapon in his hand. ¡°The acid isn¡¯t a bad touch either, though you should also have an escape strategy lest both these things prove ineffective. After all, with how willing you are to sell weapons to the Novarrians, you¡¯ll have assassins sent after you soon enough.¡±
¡°Who are you?¡± Esgarius asked, wary and ready to continue fighting. Orodan sensed at least three more enchanted items on his person too. ¡°I have an enchanted item which can interfere with spatiomancy, and that wasn¡¯t it.¡±
¡°Correct, it wasn¡¯t spatiomancy. As for who I am, you could say I¡¯m your business partner,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I¡¯m in a time loop, and we¡¯ve met before. Now then, want to buy enchanted items which can replicate what I did?¡±
¡°You mean¡ enchanted items which can bypass anti-spatiomancy wards?¡± Esgarius asked, wonder and the beginnings of greed in his voice.
¡°Indeed. Imagine how much gold you could make selling them to the Republic and then its rivals at the same time,¡± Orodan said with a smile.
Orodan had said the right thing, for Esgarius¡¯s eyes practically lit up at the mention of such profits.
¡°How shameless¡¡± Zaessythra chastised. Whether it was him or Esgarius she referred to, Orodan didn¡¯t know.
¡°How much are you selling them for?¡± Esgarius asked.
¡°Three hundred gold pieces an item,¡± Orodan said. It was a drastic undervaluing of an item capable of dimensional storage and travel, and Esgarius must¡¯ve known it too given the jubilant grin upon his face.
¡°Why partner, these terms are more than favorable! But can you show me an example of such an item?¡± Esgarius asked.
In response, Orodan plucked the same plain ring off one of Esgarius¡¯s shelves, and unlike the first time where he¡¯d enchanted these items, this time he simply held a hand out as mana poured forth and into the object.
¡°Freeform enchanting? You must be quite skilled,¡± Esgarius remarked, humming in appreciation. ¡°But this script¡ I¡¯ve never seen this language before. Is it the runic language of the dwarves? Or something sinister sourced from a devil?¡±
¡°Neither. It¡¯s chicken scratch,¡± Orodan answered as he threw the completed ring towards the merchant.
The enchanting had taken seconds; Orodan was practiced in inscribing this dimensional enchantment by now.
Esgarius took it in stride and didn¡¯t question his words. Rather, the man got to immediately inspecting the ring with an intense scrutiny.
¡°This really is just the imprint of a chicken¡¯s foot. How can this be an enchanting language?¡± Esgarius questioned.
¡°Why not? Consider how the Imperial enchanting language and the runic enchanting language of the dwarves and drow came about. They must have started from somewhere,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°How else did a language originate if not through someone¡¯s decision to ascribe meaning to certain symbols?¡±
¡°You¡ created a new enchanting language?¡± the merchant asked, clearly awestruck.
¡°Of course. Though, the farther into impossibility it delves, the greater the force of will required to impose its existence upon reality,¡± Orodan elaborated. ¡°Both the Imperial enchanting language and runic script at the very least have a sense of internal consistency. The same can¡¯t be said for this haphazard nonsense I¡¯ve somehow made possible.¡±
Orodan could instinctively comprehend how it worked in his mind but explaining it in words to himself or anyone else seemed utterly impossible. He wasn¡¯t sure if anyone could replicate his feat unless they too had a colossal amount of will and the ability to alter reality. Frankly, making the central glyph for his own System had, in some respects, been easier than making chicken scratch work as an enchanting language.
At least that glyph denoted the understandable concept of infinity. With chicken scratch, despite successfully inscribing enchantments with it, even Orodan himself had to work hard to understand what it meant.
¡°Fascinating, truly. But let¡¯s talk how much gold we can make! I have the money for this ring right here, and enough on-hand to pay you for four more of the same,¡± Esgarius said. ¡°Can you make them?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Then I look forward to a profitable relationship, partner!¡±
And Orodan himself looked forward to facing down that oversized dragon this loop.
#
¡°Your name, sir?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°And you said you¡¯re a former member of the county militia?¡± the evaluating panelist asked.
¡°Yes. Joining any form of secondary employment or education without written authorization from the duty sergeant of the barracks is an offense warranting discipline or discharge,¡± Orodan recited. ¡°I chose voluntary resignation instead.¡±
That was, if telling the mounted unit rider that he was quitting counted as a resignation.
¡°Are you truly just a militia man? Who are your parents?¡± the judge asked.
¡°My parents are dead. I grew up an orphan and remember them not,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I¡¯m a former militia man from Ogdenborough.¡±
¡°This is outrageous, it must be some sort of set up or practical joke!¡± an enraged competitor from another stall declared. And one of the judges who looked a little too similar to said angry contestant, was nodding along in agreement. ¡°This man registered in the middle of the academic year, defaced academy property throughout the night by setting up that hideous workshop, and is then allowed to compete? This is a travesty!¡±
¡°I must agree with this objection,¡± said the judge who was certainly related to the angry contestant. ¡°The story of this¡ Orodan Wainwright, does not seem clean.¡±
¡°Even if his story were clean, what¡¯s he doing at a county level crafting competition hosted by Elmswith?¡± the disgruntled student pointedly asked. ¡°Crafts of this level should be hosted at the Grand Maker¡¯s Symposium of Bluefire. Someone must have put him up to this in order to make Elmswith look bad!¡±
¡°I doubt these ineffective instruments are capable of making anyone look bad. I¡¯ve seen such things peddled by wandering traders of a conniving nature. These are black powder firearms, aren¡¯t they?¡± the harsh judge asked, and Orodan hummed in affirmation. ¡°Impotent tools from a failed experiment. We¡¯ve seen how ineffective rifles and black powder weaponry are when the Novarrians put them to the test in years past. Adepts render these toys useless.¡±
The one judge who was looking couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of Orodan¡¯s rifles though.
¡°The political trifles of Elmswith¡¯s prestige are no concern of ours. And you judge these through a lens clouded with assumptions,¡± the curious judge said. ¡°Look closely at them. This metal¡¯s of excellent quality, and the powder¡ this isn¡¯t regular black powder is it?¡±
¡°In fact, it is regular black powder,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Just refined to perfect purity, with the size of each and every grain being uniform.¡±
The judge¡¯s eyes widened as he looked closely at the powder and brought it up to his spectacled eyed. Immediately, he waved down a colleague who was assessing an alchemical concoction at a separate stall.
¡°Caecia, come look at this black powder!¡±
¡°It¡¯s just ordinary powder Calixtus, why waste her time with this?¡±
¡°You called? Black powder? No¡ wait¡ who the hells made this?¡±
¡°That would be me. Orodan Wainwright,¡± he spoke up. ¡°The powder is of hundred percent purity and every single grain within is the same size and composition.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard of specialized workshops and high-level alchemists in the capital who can achieve perfect purity, but it¡¯s done through painstaking labor and much expense,¡± the woman said. ¡°But this¡ how did you make this? I¡¯ve never actually seen something with one-hundred percent purity in my life. How beautiful it looks¡¡±
¡°I just cleaned it. I have a skill centered around cleaning,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°C-cleaning? Can such a skill do so much¡?¡± she asked, dumbfounded.
¡°A lot of skills taken to their extremes can do some incredible things,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Anyhow, might I get your professional opinion on the powder itself?¡±
¡°Why it¡¯s utterly incredible! The granulation is perfect and uniform, and just at a visual glance I can tell this black powder will burn incredibly hot and produce some fantastic power,¡± she praised. ¡°The mining industry will undoubtedly want to hire you, and I can see much military application in this.¡±
While neither the Republican nor Novarrian militaries used firearms, black powder was still used in mining and the military. The army, however, didn¡¯t use it in its regular form. What they did use though, was magically amplified powder, which fuelled certain magical artillery pieces to give them more punch. Such magical siege weapons lined the walls of Karilsgard, Anthus and any city of import within the Republic.
And the purer the base black powder, the more powerful the resultant magical alteration would be.
¡°Military application, eh? Think I could show up at Anthus and present these weapons for live testing?¡± Orodan asked, giving the woman one of the regular rifles he¡¯d crafted.
His Blacksmithing was at the Adept-level, however the bottleneck with these guns was the strength of the metal. He didn¡¯t have the Metal Communion skill, and he couldn¡¯t just permanently make the steel stronger no matter how great his Blacksmithing was. He planned on improving this, but metallurgic advancements had a limit, and the strength of steel was something he could only stretch so far by itself.
One option was to make the guns out of dothril, but that was an expensive and rare metal, it wouldn¡¯t be economic if he were to present that to a buyer or if he wanted to encourage their adoption into militaries. The other, which Orodan had chosen, was to enchant them to be capable of withstanding his pure black powder. Hence, all of his rifles were enchanted with durability in mind.
¡°The army might not let you leave either¡ this rifle¡¯s enchanted. How¡¯ve you managed that? Enchanted black powder weaponry has been attempted before, but the black powder reaction should cause the barrel and any inscribed enchantments to wear out within a few shots at best,¡± the curious male judge said. ¡°The enchanting language used in the Imperial tradition isn¡¯t suited for such heavy-duty usage.¡±
¡°Right, and if I¡¯d used the Imperial enchanting language, this wouldn¡¯t have been possible,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Two-dimensional enchanting is ill-suited to heavy stress.¡±
In fact, it was a limitation that human enchanters on Alastaia had to work around as they primarily used the enchanting languages of the Empire or the Eastern Kingdoms. The two traditions, though slightly different at times, were mostly similar in how they approached enchanting. They were also two-dimensional, unlike the runic enchanting language of the dwarves and drow.
Two-dimensional enchanting was akin to merely drawing upon paper with a quill. There was no depth to the inscription, which meant it lacked a certain resilience. Enchantments which improved durability had to be placed in the parts of the item which weren¡¯t expected to sustain direct damage, and cases of human enchantments falling apart after sustaining direct damage to the inscription weren¡¯t too uncommon.
Orodan¡¯s chicken scratch though, was three-dimensional. Furthermore, being three-dimensional meant that the inscription was more durable. It wasn¡¯t a mere drawing, but a carving. It had depth, and this made it more resilient. Well suited for use in firearms and cannons.
¡°This is runic enchanting then? How have you learned the secrets of this from the dwarves?¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t runic enchanting, it¡¯s chicken scratch. An enchanting language of my own making,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Or rather, one I forced to make work despite the impossibilities of such a task.¡±
¡°¡what? This is simply too much, you cannot just tell me one impossible thing after the other,¡± the judge said. ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve already said my name, it¡¯s not relevant at this point. Now go ahead and test the rifle against something at the Adept-level,¡± Orodan said. ¡°We¡¯ll have guests soon and I¡¯m on a time limit.¡±
¡°Guests? What guests?¡± the judge asked, pointing the rifle at one of the many designated target dummies made of material simulating Adept-level durability.
¡°The divine sort I have a grudge against.¡±
The trigger had already been pulled, and the judge didn¡¯t get to ask any further questions. The rifle went off with a roaring bang and a shockwave of decent power was dispersed into the air. A minor addition to the enchantment, lest the recoil cause severe injury to any wielder not physically trained to a certain extent.
Nobody present save Orodan was quick enough to see it, but the bullet visibly warped the air as it tore through the distance to reach its target. And upon contact¡
¡the dummy practically disintegrated from the sheer force.
And Orodan smiled as he acquired the first level of a skill he had been striving towards. Having someone use his crafted weapon successfully had been the impetus which caused the gain.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
[New Skill (Uncommon) ¡ú Gunsmithing 1]
Thankfully the area behind the target dummy was clear - a basic safety precaution - and the bullet went on to hit a small hill a half mile away, tearing up a carriage-sized crater of destruction upon impact. The sound of the impact could be heard for miles too.
The judges were mute. The other competitors silent. Even the angry student who was protesting prior looked pale. The crowd of spectators and merrymakers made nary a peep.
Until a singular drunk spoke up at least.
¡°What¡¯d he shoot at? There¡¯s nothing there! Is that some kind of vanishing gun?¡±
¡°Did you not see that dummy disintegrate Krenvus?!¡±
¡°No¡?¡±
¡°Enough drink for you!¡±
With that, the rest of the shocked mutters began.
¡°Not bad, eh?¡± Orodan asked, a grin on his face. ¡°Although that bullet was enchanted to be durable, it¡¯s just regular black powder which propelled the shot.¡±
In truth, Orodan¡¯s benchmark wasn¡¯t the average Adept-level martial mortal, but monsters. This gun he¡¯d made could at the very least kill a young dragon at the Adept-level. In terms of humans¡ it might even kill an Elite. An excellent improvement to his last long loop where the guns might kill an Adept, and the cannon could perhaps hit one tier higher.
Orodan was excited about how much further he could push this craft.
Could the militaries of Alastaia be revolutionized?
¡°The beginning of your ambitions of world conquest,¡± Zaessythra said playfully.
¡°Heh¡ while Orodan the galactic conqueror might be an amusing thought, I have no such desires,¡± he said. ¡°For the longest time, my enemies have attempted to target Alastaia in some way or another. With this¡ I¡¯ve taken the first step towards making these people able to defend themselves.¡±
Training was well and good, but what recourse did the average man, woman or child have against the horrors of the cosmos? For every talented individual with the will and grit to succeed, there were hundreds of average folk who wanted nothing to do with a life of combat. Not everyone could be a fighter or a mage. Did that mean their lives were worth less?
Orodan didn¡¯t think so. And if he was going to draw the ire of multiple System-shaking foes throughout his loops, the least he could do in order to give back to his home world, was to make it and its peoples capable of defending themselves. It was a small advancement, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t help them against the Gods and Transcendents among the ranks of Orodan¡¯s foes. Yet this was just the start, and Orodan had much room for advancement.
Plus, it gave him something to focus upon when he made for Lonvoron.
And speaking of his enemies¡
¡the familiar High Oracle of the Cathedral of the Prime Five descended from the skies upon a griffin. Alongside her, the High Burgher, though Orodan had no enmity with the man.
¡°A void¡ your soul cannot be detected, and you have no presence in the tapestry of fate,¡± Lady Lakshiya said. ¡°Identify yourself. Which God has Blessed you so?¡±
¡°None. My power is my own. Which is more than can be said for the Blessings you bear,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Worry not. You shall be liberated of them soon.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, stepping backwards at the threat as the High-Burgher took a step forwards.
Unnecessary, for Orodan had no ill intentions towards this lackey of the Goddess of Fate. Though for her patron God, he did.
There was no need to follow a thread this time, nor was there a need to peel the dimensional boundary apart and pass through. Dimensional Step, learned from Orodan¡¯s close study of the similar enchantment he¡¯d inscribed over ninety-one loops, involved not peeling any layers apart, but simply walking with the natural and subtle dimensional flows present everywhere.
The dimensional boundary was omni-present, there was no part of Alastaia where if he went, it wouldn¡¯t be around. And this dimensional boundary for the material plane they were in, was quite universally porous. These pores allowed for energy to pass through. It was how Gods could so easily send divine energy to the material plane and Orodan also suspected the porous nature of the dimensional boundary was what allowed for Eldritch infection of a God¡¯s followers whenever the God themselves was corrupted.
He was quite sure that this skill, or a version of it, was how Dimensional Phase Spiders moved about. Unlike Orodan, who had to rely on his uniquely endless reserves of power to get past the dimensional boundaries, their travel didn¡¯t take much in the way of energy at all. Talricto had seemed almost casual in how easily the spider could move about.
Now it was these pores within the dimensional boundary that Orodan focused upon as he stepped. Peeling the dimensional boundary apart was one option, and it was a good tool to have in his arsenal, but this was the true and efficient method of dimensional travel.
[Dimensional Step 1 ¡ú Dimensional Step 5]
Unlike the peeling of the boundary, which was still detectable, this step wasn¡¯t. A God¡¯s domain was naturally porous, and Ilyatana was a low-level one who didn¡¯t consider the possibility of anyone interloping within her domain in the divine dimensional. And why should she have? Nobody capable of such a feat would bother assaulting a weak Goddess.
It was just her unfortunate luck, that in another time, she had earned the eternal enmity of the time looper.
The Goddess of Fate was sent flying to the ground below as a powerful shield bash slammed into her.
¡°Get up and prepare for battle,¡± Orodan said, giving the tyrannical wretch an opportunity to collect herself and get ready for battle. ¡°My vengeance will not be exacted through any surprise attack.¡±
¡°Who are you? What have I done to-¡±
[Dimensional Step 5 ¡ú Dimensional Step 6]
There was no spatial fluctuation to warn her as Orodan¡¯s shield once again drove her into the ground.
¡°You talk too much. I give you the opportunity to stand and die fighting, take it or I execute you right here.¡±
¡°No, please! I-¡±
Her life was ended as his sword descended. A corresponding wail of the broken connection, and her domain shattered shortly thereafter too.
Pathetic.
Ilyatana was cruel, oppressive. She had committed genocide upon the dragons during her mortal days, and she had attempted to rewrite Orodan¡¯s mind and will when she¡¯d discovered he was in a time loop. She was domineering and controlling, a tyrant.
What right did she have to beg for mercy when she would gladly show none if the power was in her hands?
¡°Remind me to never earn a black mark in your book,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Even after the universe fades away, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it.¡±
Zaessythra jested, but Orodan wasn¡¯t blind to his own faults. Perhaps it was a character flaw of his, but it was one Orodan readily admitted to and accepted. He was loyal to his friends but held to his grudges just as deeply. He always squared away his debts.
And there were two more Gods to repay for theirs.
The next Dimensional Step netted him one more level, and it brought him right in front of Eximus, the God of Time.
To Eximus¡¯s credit, multiple spells, defenses and countermeasures prepared ahead of time for such an occurrence activated, and a time field hastened the God of Time while numerous chronomantic spells attempted to freeze or slow Orodan.
It was all for naught though, as each spell shattered in the attempt to manipulate someone whose reserves of power were without end. Chronomancy increased in cost depending on how much power the target object or being had, and how large the timescale was. And against Orodan Wainwright, enemy chronomancy of this level would find no purchase.
Of the three Gods of the Prime Five he detested, Eximus was possibly the bravest of them. At the very least, Orodan could respect that.
The God swung his staff towards Orodan as soon as the spells shattered. Time-strengthened wood roiling with divine energy met basic steel which was soul strengthened. A direct clash.
However, it was one Eximus clearly lost as his staff exploded while Orodan¡¯s blade continued downwards.
Eximus¡¯s eyes widened as the blade carved right through, splitting the God in half and causing divine blood to spill forth across his domain.
A wail of agony ensued, and the divine domain of the God of Time followed its owner in death, shattering with a mighty shockwave which caused the gigantic veins of System energy between the Gods¡¯ domains to tremble.
One more.
[Dimensional Step 7 ¡ú Dimensional Step 8]
Orodan slipped through the pores of the dimensional boundary, re-appearing right before his most hated foe.
¡°Greetings, coward.¡±
Orodan¡¯s fist connected with Agathor¡¯s jaw, sending the Inuanan God of War into the ground of his domain. Immediately, like the craven he was, Agathor sought to back away and retreat.
¡°Who dares assail the God of War within his divine realm?! Hold¡ a mortal? Here? How?¡±
¡°Your realm? An ant should not presume to call itself king of the forest when it scuttles about the dirt,¡± Orodan spat. ¡°You are but a small, insignificant little thing within this vast realm of monsters. And as expected, your first instinct when confronted with true danger is to flee. A poor showing from the Prince of old Hasmathor. Is that why you never dared to try and resurrect the fallen empire? Were the memories of your cowardice too much to bear?¡±
¡°You speak of things you should not know of! Who are you?! How have I offended one of your caliber?!¡± Agathor demanded, looking wary and angered in the same vein.
¡°I am Orodan Wainwright, the time looper. Once, I was weak, suffering death after death in the hopes of gaining a modicum of strength. I sought answers from the divine, relying upon you for strength,¡± Orodan said as he menacingly stepped towards his foe. ¡°Unfortunately, I trusted the wrong God.¡±
What one did when they had power was telling of who they were. When Orodan was weak, vulnerable and seeking knowledge, Ozgaric and Malzim had treated him fairly and helped. Either of those two had every opportunity to stab him in the back or extract their own gain in a forceful manner but had chosen not to.
Agathor however, had.
The God of War looked both hesitant and fearful as Orodan raised his sword. He had given him time to prepare enough. He could either stand and die fighting or accept death.
The two clashed, and Agathor stood no chance as he was overwhelmed by Orodan¡¯s raw might.
¡°A foe of overwhelming force and utter rage. The same sort you fled from so quickly after passing the first gate, prince Agathor.¡±
¡°I hope you suffered at my hands, time looper.¡±
Orodan smiled.
¡°I did. And for that, you have my gratitude, for you¡¯ve made me who I am today.¡±
Agathor¡¯s face twisted into a scowl of hatred. And the God retained that look even as Orodan separated his head from his shoulders.
¡°You know¡ at a certain point this stops being cathartic vengeance and veers into the territory of unsettling hatred. How many times have you slain Agathor by now?¡±
¡°Not enough.¡±
¡°You¡¯re beyond salvation, Orodan.¡±
Funny enough, Orodan didn¡¯t disagree with her. Perhaps when all was said and done with these time loops, he might allow himself to consider moving on and learning to make peace with these grievances. But for now, they burned hot, and they were a part of who he was.
Orodan went all-in on everything. And the approaching world-devouring dragon making its way towards him was one more thing among the many that he¡¯d fully committed to.
If the three Gods he¡¯d slain before were pests worthy of little but death, then the approaching foe was a true behemoth of size and power. While not comparable to Orodan himself as a whole, Avraxas was a daunting foe. The mangled abomination was infamous for being one the Hegemony¡¯s primary weapons against its foes, and a mighty deterrent against any overt acts from other factions.
He welcomed the challenge. And after ninety battles against it, and a fight in a previous long loop, Orodan was beginning to understand and recognize its combat patterns.
It began with an attempt to swallow him whole into the lethal zone which was its maw. In response, Orodan¡¯s eyes glowed with raw soul energy as he threw it into a world-sized shield light which was a projection of his existing shield.
The dragon slammed into it, hissing in pain as its gigantic mass was brought to a sudden halt against the projection. It was a skill he¡¯d learned from the cultivators, and Orodan had to admit, the ability to create a solid projection of his shield with naught but willpower and soul energy was rather useful.
The dragon glared at him, and Orodan glared at it.
Thus, a furious melee began for the ninety-first time.
A human-sized warrior against the might of a world-sized dragon. Both combatants fought with fury and rage, and Orodan despite being but a speck of sand in comparison to his enemy¡¯s size, gave as good as he got. He lost out in clashes of direct force as he was sent flying away, but won out in contests of agility and maneuverability where he circled around its massive body and forced it to abort attacks lest it hit itself while continually peppering it with attacks and seeking to burrow inside of it,
Technically, Orodan could launch many more attacks in a single second than this dragon could. Its size worked against it in this regard. However, what use were ten All-Strikes when a single draconic claw could overpower them all?
Magic, if Orodan was the type to take the easy way out, might¡¯ve been useful. But attempting to use chronomancy or spatiomancy to directly manipulate this dragon was asking for death. It held so much raw power within its body, beyond even multiple world cores, that the amount of energy he¡¯d have to use in order to affect it would send him right back to Ogdenborough.
It was one of the few creatures he¡¯d encountered in System space that could field power comparable to his own. At least, when considering how much power he could field at any one time.
Still, the benefit of a time loop was that he was learning its patterns.
Fighting Avraxas was like fighting an entire planet. But Orodan had done this ninety times by now. A large claw descended towards him, and he expertly moved between the gaps of it, smashing All-Strikes into it as it passed.
The mutated dragon wasn¡¯t stupid. A fusion between a level 150 Transcendent and a God of the same level was a lot of combat experience. Consequently, the second claw practically rived space as it came in far faster, a noticeable decrease in power for a far greater gain of speed. And the dragon adjusted for Orodan¡¯s dodge too.
Which was just fine, as Orodan memorized this particular adjustment too. The second claw was likewise evaded by a hair¡¯s breadth, and he smashed multiple All-Strikes into the attack to divert it, creating further openings which he began ruthlessly capitalizing upon.
The third, fourth and fifth attacks from the dragon were similarly countered, and it then began to grow very wary. As Orodan had seen ninety times before, it flew away to gain distance, thinking that a duel at range would suit it better.
Shimmering orbs of lethal power were charged up within its maw. Each orb was a roiling conglomeration of intersecting dimensional boundaries, a miniature version of the death zone within its maw.
The dragon seemed surprised as Orodan allowed the first to strike him head-on. His body was grievously damaged but recovered almost immediately.
It was all part of his budding efforts.
The second and third orbs struck him similarly, yet he weathered them without complaint even as each one disintegrated the majority of his body.
Just as Avraxas was charging the fourth though, it suddenly twitched as it noticed the manipulation of space within Orodan¡¯s hand.
[Spatial Fold 85 ¡ú Spatial Fold 86]
Unlike the material plane, the divine dimension functioned off of different laws of reality. The manipulation and compression of gigantic amounts of space was easily disguised a space didn¡¯t work the same way in this strange dimension filled with ethereal and impossible shapes.
Still, at the sheer scale Orodan was conducting it, the compression of space was bound to eventually be noticed. And the dragon had, but it was too late.
The minuscule packet of space, compressed to an incomparable degree, was sent flying at the dragon with deceptively fast speed. And here, its gigantic size worked against it as evading such a small and swift projectile was out of the question.
Orodan maintained an iron grip upon the compressed packet through his soul energy and will, and just as it impacted the scales of Avraxas¡¯s form¡
¡he allowed it to explode.
A roar of pain shook a large portion of the divine dimension. The dragon had managed to shift itself away from the worst of the attack, but upon its back was a newly created continent-sized furrow. Its roiling lifeblood, bones and bits of flesh were floating about in the air. A grievous wound, one which Orodan fully intended to prey upon.
Prior to this, the dragon was wary of him but seemed confident in its victory. Now though, Orodan had shown it that a ranged duel wouldn¡¯t work out in its favor. The dragon¡¯s dimensional orbs weren¡¯t enough to kill Orodan in a single hit, not before he simply regenerated through Harmony of Vitality. It too had self-healing capabilities, but they were nowhere near his own. And staying at range meant allowing Orodan the room to launch compressed packets of space with impunity.
The very first time, in response to his Spatial Fold, it had resorted to once again resuming melee alongside the usage of spells meant to disrupt spatiomancy. Ninety loops ago, it was a fearsome foe in melee, and Orodan had to give his all in order to fight evenly.
Now, on the ninety-first loop, it appeared far less confident about re-entering melee combat against Orodan Wainwright. At range, it faced guaranteed death via Spatial Folds re-purposed to explode from extreme compression. And in melee, Orodan yet again began ruthlessly exploiting its patterns.
Both of its claws, each carrying power enough to shatter worlds, came for him at the same time. Yet, Orodan had seen this before as well. He moved himself into the point between both attacks where the force was lowest and battered his way through with All-Strikes.
For fifteen minutes, the furious trade of melee continued. Each and every one of the dragon¡¯s attacks were nullified with skill, positioning and foreknowledge of just how it would strike. Orodan hadn¡¯t initially known how to apply his combat skill against a foe the size of a gigantic planet, but now he did And at the zenith of it, as Avraxas was reeling, a gain came.
[Combat Mastery 99 ¡ú Combat Mastery 100]
[New Title ¡ú Combat Grandmaster]
And with it came the corresponding increase¡ yet Orodan immediately shut it off. The crutch was weakness.
Mere Combat Grandmastery wasn¡¯t the height of his ambition.
He knew combat, Orodan was combat.
What was it really?
Combat was violence, aggression, bloodlust and rage. Yet it was also sorrow, nostalgia, fear and dread. The ebb and flow of this dance encapsulated every human emotion one could think of. He recalled a discussion he¡¯d heard on Eldiron, where an argument was had about the merits of emotion in a craft. His own words from back then came to mind.
¡°Cleanliness of the mind, is not the absence of emotions altogether. Rather, it¡¯s the distillation and understanding of them. The acceptance of what you feel, and the mastery of one¡¯s mind.¡±
As aid for the beleaguered dragon arrived in the form of a fifty-armed God, Orodan reaffirmed that emotions were important. He felt anger and hostility towards these foes and the Hegemony they were a part of. They¡¯d slain Zaessythra, taken her world, her future and shattered her very soul when she¡¯d refused to serve under them upon achieving Transcendence.
And this fifty-armed God in particular had slain her in front of him.
After a minute of searching, he slowly began to accept it. His heart was heavy with the pain of loss, and he turned it outwards into rage as his fist clenched. Orodan had experienced death himself and grown up around enough of it¡ but this hurt all the same.
What even was pain, if not losing the people you treasured and had formed bonds with?
Orodan remembered that moment. The pain, the loss, the sheer rage he¡¯d felt. Even as Zaessythra tried sending a mental feeling of warmth his way, it did nothing to dull the sting of that memory.
Rage consumed him and fuelled his vigor in combat.
¡°Who are you?! Why do you fight us?!¡±
The fifty-armed God beckoned, but Orodan didn¡¯t care.
All fifty arms converged towards his position, and Orodan met them with an All-Strike.
Space was loose within this dimension, less prone to being shattered through colossal feats of battle. Yet all the same it was torn asunder as Orodan and Astalavar collided. Fifty golden weapons converging to meet a singular almighty All-Strike.
The veins of System energy nearby trembled dangerously, and even visually Orodan felt them at risk of leaking their contents if this battle went on.
Astalavar was weaker than the world dragon he¡¯d been fighting. But therein laid the problem. The fifty-armed God of the Hegemony was far smaller, being merely the size of a nation. This meant that it could bring the totality of its power to bear within a single point against Orodan.
Which meant clashes between them caused far more damage to the divine dimension than clashes between him and Avraxas, where he simply evaded or was sent flying away like an ant due to the power difference.
Ninety repeats of the same battle would force anyone to get better though, and Orodan was a quick learner.
The two were mutually blown backwards from the first clash. And it was on the second that a difference was made.
[All-Strike 92 ¡ú All-Strike 93]
As Orodan connected against all fifty of the enemy¡¯s golden weapons, this time it was Astalavar who was on the losing end. Being sent backwards. Yet, it wasn¡¯t a mere gain in All-Strike that Orodan sought.
As the clash between him and Astalavar occupied him, the gaping maw of a dragon came his way, promising death and an end to the loop. This was fine however, he welcomed it.
What was combat?
Orodan had been fighting all his life. An orphan found amidst the wreckage of a northman raid upon a coastal caravan. He didn¡¯t remember it, but the matrons at the orphanage oft told him how obstinate he was when he¡¯d been first brought to town by the military patrol. How he¡¯d stubbornly held onto life despite being turned over to the town herbalist for treatment of the minor burns he¡¯d suffered.
Then came life in a destitute orphanage which could barely afford to feed all the hungry mouths within it. Nominally, the Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward was supposed to be under jurisdiction of the Cathedral. Yet House Argon¡¯s dirty deeds and insistence on keeping outsiders away from Ogdenborough had made life a lot harder than it needed to be. Orodan initially grew up somewhat malnourished until he grew large enough to begin fighting for his fair share.
From there, having to fight for scraps, taking a life at far too young of an age, and eventually reaching adulthood where he began working odd labor jobs until the county militia took him. He¡¯d fought and caused trouble all throughout yet had worked hard. Life was a struggle, yet he¡¯d spat in its face and continued living despite it all.
Finally, came that fateful day where he¡¯d fought in battle against foes who were far stronger than him. And died.
And so began the time loops, where Orodan stubbornly grinded away. Death after death, struggle after struggle. Painful blow after painful blow. No matter how difficult it got, despite the impossible challenges before him, whether it was a necromantic demon minion, an ancient machine, an Eldritch Avatar or a Boundless One which threatened the entirety of the System¡
¡Orodan had never stopped fighting.
Existence itself was a struggle, as particles constantly jockeyed for position and shifted about, life unseen to the eye warred for scraps upon decomposing leaves.
Similarly - even discounting the actual combat - everything he did, from crafting, to walking, to talking, to breathing¡ it was all a fight. When he slept, his body fought to recover and grow. When he thought, his mind fought to reach new ideas. When he ate, his mouth fought to fuel him. When he crafted, his being fought to produce an item.
And of course, when he fought¡ he fought.
Combat then, was his whole life.
It was eternal, never-ending.
Others might have suffered a bout of shock at the realization. Perhaps their spirits might have faltered.
But Orodan?
Orodan liked it.
A mad grin came upon his face, yet this wasn¡¯t one borne of mere battle lust, but the combination of every single emotion Orodan had ever felt in his lives. The rage, the pain, the sorrow, the joy, the confusion, the trust, the sense of betrayal¡ it all came together; his emotions harmonizing as he accepted them all.
They were all part of combat.
All he did was a fight, a struggle. Every little measurable instant of his life was battle.
Combat encompassed everything. Everything was combat.
Orodan Wainwright would be fighting forever.
A burdensome truth for anyone else.
Yet for him¡ a liberation he accepted gladly.
[Combat Mastery 100 ¡ú Combat Mastery 105]
[New Title ¡ú Combat Transcendent]
¡°Everything is a fight¡¡± Orodan muttered, a trance, nay¡ a realization upon him. ¡°And I shall create the perfect battle.¡±
The maw of the dragon swallowed him whole, the multiple intersecting layers of the dimensional boundary colliding with his body.
Yet, it was all a battle. And the first step to creating the perfect battle was Orodan¡¯s own mind, his skills and knowledge.
Harmony of Vitality fought to heal his cells. It demanded first and center stage in resolving the approach of the foe! Yet Shield Intent made its presence known, violently demanding victory against its competitors and the external foe by forming numerous projections of his shield all around him.
[Shield Intent 78 ¡ú Shield Intent 80]
The dimensional death trap within Avraxas¡¯s maw sputtered against the shimmering white projections. And Shield Intent appeared smug, satisfied in its superiority as two entire skill levels were gained.
Yet as the projections of his shield shattered, other skills came to the fore and demanded their place in this glorious battle. Endless Blitz demanded he use it once more, bellicose and rowdy as it commanded Unassailable Fortress to defend Orodan¡¯s body against this imminent death through a barrage of defensive moves and evasions.
[Endless Blitz 95 ¡ú Endless Blitz 96]
[Unassailable Fortress 91 ¡ú Unassailable Fortress 93]
Parts of Orodan¡¯s mind assumed control of his skills, making them have minds of their own. All of them, intent on battle, both within against one another, and without, against the enemy he faced.
A most surprising skill¡ Logistics, came forth. Its voice, tiny, yet bellowing like a lion taking charge of all the separate efforts and attempting to guide them towards a whole! Shield Intent battled to form numerous shield light projections once more, Harmony of Vitality fought to keep him alive and the dual combination of Endless Blitz and Unassailable Fortress worked even better together as Logistics bullied them into coordination and advised the driver of the flows, Incipience of Infinity, to how best make very efficient movements of his soul energy.
[Logistics 14 ¡ú Logistics 18]
And connecting this battlefield of his own skills together, his mind fought, the commander warring to bring these disparate competitions under a singular banner that they might give rise to innovation.
The two grand warlords of this internal battlefield, Incipience of Infinity, and Domain of Perfect Cleaning, remained silent for now. Though, his Domain questioned whether it should step in and simply cleanse the dimensional death trap outright. An easy solution, a convenient way out.
Yet, both it and Orodan knew that this would lead to an imperfect battle.
This death trap of intersecting dimensional boundaries which was about to kill him; the only way a perfect battle could be achieved¡
¡was if Orodan approached it head-on.
As the war within raged to keep his body alive, Orodan finally understood what needed to be done.
He called upon one more combatant that had thus far been silent. Lazy, which was unacceptable if a perfect fight was to be had. Absolute Body Composition roused itself to life, almost unwillingly, yet the harsh crack of Orodan¡¯s whiplike willpower woke it up.
And with it, he demanded the thus far eager, but inactive Dimensionalism come forth.
The cells composing his body, his very essence, all of Orodan; it all began gradually changing.
There was the material plane, the divine dimensions, the hells and the bowels of System space where the Boundless One empowering it resided.
And in order to resist this many intersecting dimensional boundaries¡
¡there was now an Orodan plane.
[New Skill (Mythical) ¡ú Dimensional Resistance 10]
Dimensionalism went to war against Harmony of Vitality, destroying his cells only for the latter skill to create new ones guided by it. This small internal battle gave rise to a new skill.
Dimensions could still be destroyed if an attack of enough force struck them. However, in general, they were far more resistant to such damage than a regular material body was. Though, the resistance of a dimension to being destroyed depended on the total amount of energy within and how much power was supplied in maintaining the integrity of its boundaries.
Then, when it came to Orodan¡
¡this world-devouring dragon would now be in for a very bad time.
The raw energy contained within Avraxas was nothing to scoff at. Even though Orodan had more power than it overall, it could still field more energy in any particular moment than he could, courtesy of its gigantic planet-sized body. It was due to this extreme amount of energy it possessed, that when the death zone in its maw struck Orodan¡
¡he was left with many deep cuts instead of being completely unharmed.
And in return, Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity finally reared its head, having remained quiet thus far at Orodan¡¯s behest. It joined the battle with a roar and let the world dragon have a manyfold return of its own attack.
[Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 89 ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 90]
The gain in skill level and the subsequent multiplication of return damage did its work.
A guttural groan of agony erupted throughout the divine dimension, the death zone attempting to disintegrate Orodan exploded outwards, and with it, the remainder of the dragon¡¯s colossal body.
Perhaps he¡¯d successfully killed the world dragon with return backlash in the last ninety loops, but he hadn¡¯t been alive to see it. This time though, he saw clearly as the shockwave from this cataclysmic explosion expanded outwards, tearing into many of the giant veins of System energy present in the divine dimension.
Astalavar, a being the size of a nation, was sent flying backwards like a ragdoll. And the veins of System energy in the path of the shockwave ruptured, leaking something familiar.
¡°Eldritch energy¡¡± Zaessythra muttered.
It wasn¡¯t a surprise. Orodan knew that the Boundless One at the heart of the System, empowering everything, was the source of it. But what this did do, was add evidence in support of his theory, that the divine dimension was meant to stopper or filter the Boundless One¡¯s power.
The energy leaking out of the ruptured veins was a mixture of Eldritch power and System energy after all. This place must have been utilized as the grounds for a filtration process.
If Orodan went deeper, would a path directly to the System¡¯s bowels be accessible?
In any case, the shockwave had drawn attention, and the Hegemony had a leader who finally decided to make an appearance.
A gigantic set of cosmic eyes. Within the divine realm, Agrimon, the leader of the Hegemony looked imposing, intimidating.
Yet now, this level 150 God looked wary, fearful even.
Their mightiest asset, the world-devouring dragon, dead. Which just left these two.
Orodan was confident in his ability to handle them by himself now. They were mostly divine, and what soul energy they had wasn¡¯t enough to truly kill him. With his new Combat Transcendence, his burgeoning abilities, and his ability to recover from whatever damage they inflicted, Orodan felt he would gradually wear them down and win.
Of course, as space rippled and Orodan¡¯s least favorite Administrator arrived, he was forced to put that plan on hold.
Rather than speak, the Prophet merely chose to stare at him for a full minute in a display that would have unnerved anyone else. Orodan though, merely took advantage of the reprieve, allowing Astalavar and Agrimon to slowly back away as they pondered fleeing. They would die eventually, this loop or another. Instead, Orodan churned the internal battle within himself to greater heights, preparing measures, countermeasures and attempting to glean how the upcoming fight would go as hundreds of combat scenarios began playing out in his mind.
Each and every cell within his body began thinking as hundreds of combat simulations became thousands, and then tens of thousands and beyond. And they all came to the singular conclusion that he would die.
As expected, he was no match for the Prophet yet. The information he had on this Administrator, though sparse, was enough to inform his predictions that he was woefully outmatched.
The Prophet decided to break the silence.
¡°Intriguing. A body which is a separate dimension¡ did one of those scurrying little rats hiding outside the galaxies teach you that trick? I met one who ran from me a few millennia ago, the Dimensional Body skill I believe¡¡±
¡°If you¡¯re referring to those at the Embodiment-level, then you¡¯d be wrong. I have yet to meet any of them,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I learned this myself, and it¡¯s not the Dimensional Body skill.¡±
¡°Upon closer inspection, I can see that too¡ what a strange skill. It¡¯s as though your cells aren¡¯t really cells. The matter-form composition is most strange,¡± the Prophet said, and then his eyebrow quirked upwards. ¡°Cells capable of thought? How fascinating! Now then, who are you and how have you managed to enter this sacred corner of the cosmos under protection of our progenitor? Are you perhaps the reason why the provider has been so restless as of late?¡±
¡°Your progenitor? The Boundless One empowering the System is hardly the parent of all life within it,¡± Orodan said. After all, according to the Reject, life had existed prior and instead been suddenly pulled into the System one day. And over time, the souls within and any new souls born were twisted into being Eldritch at core as they were tied to the energy of the System, which was provided by the Boundless One.
¡°You know much for an interloper from beyond System space,¡± the Prophet said. Beyond System space? Orodan was confused. ¡°Do not act ignorant of it. Your soul¡¯s foreign nature is as apparent to me as the wetness of water is evident to one in the desert. Your soul lacks any trace of our great protector, and whatever mangled mutation is within, I cannot decipher well, though the Custodian might want to have a look at you. And your presence in the tapestry of fate is non-existent¡ my ability to glean the future is ineffective.¡±
Of course, the Custodian might want to look at him. That particular Administrator seemed far more knowledgeable about affairs concerning the System than the rest did. Though, it was interesting to also know that the Prophet had the ability to look into the future and scry what others would do through the tapestry of fate.
As befitting a Prophet.
¡°Then, it appears we¡¯re at an impasse,¡± Orodan said. ¡°For I have no interest in going anywhere with you.¡±
¡°Oh? You mistake me, I would rather you continue doing what you¡¯re doing,¡± the Prophet said. ¡°That oversized muscle-bound cretin will soon arrive here, and if I were to spread the truth in so destructive a manner, he would hem and haw, unhappy at the breaking of that silly accord. If you do it however, it allows me to claim innocence when he comes to investigate why so many of the funnels carrying our savior¡¯s lifeblood have been ruptured.¡±
¡°You misunderstand me. First, I¡¯m not from outside System space, I¡¯m from within it. Orodan Wainwright, county militia man from Volarbury County in the Republic on a little world known as Alastaia,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°And second¡
¡°¡I¡¯m the time looper. And I¡¯m here to cleanse the Eldritch, and in particular, you.¡±
The Prophet frowned, but it was too late.
Orodan¡¯s chief skill, the one he felt utmost familiarity with, shot out. Incipience of Infinity and Domain of Perfect Cleaning working in sync, spread far and wide, an attempt to encompass as much of the divine dimension as it could.
Specifically, his major targets were the System energy flowing through the gigantic veins. Those, and the Eldritch infested deeper portions of the divine dimension.
Not that skill levels gave Orodan power when it came to his Celestial skill, but a level of 138 meant he was unfathomably good at cleaning. This made itself known in how instantly and immediately the Eldritch corruption began vanishing and receding all throughout the veins of System energy and the deep parts of the divine dimension.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 138 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 139]
The Prophet was quick, brutally so. The old Administrator¡¯s face twisted into a rictus of tranquil fury, and he immediately moved faster than Orodan could hope to see.
Unfortunately for this foul old peddler of the Eldritch, the veins of System energy and Eldritch that Orodan had aimed for were mere secondary targets. The primary target¡
¡was the Prophet himself.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 139 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 140]
The Prophet was quick, impossibly so. Yet the Administrator¡¯s speed worked against him as Orodan had wisely managed to place his approaching broom in the path of his foe¡¯s charge.
Orodan¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t fast enough to keep up with a charging Administrator yet, thus he didn¡¯t see it. But whether it was hubris or misplaced arrogance, he certainly felt the broom connect.
And a horrifying wail of pure terror crossed dimensional boundaries to echo out across not just the divine dimension, but the very cosmos. The roar itself flayed a majority of the flesh from Orodan¡¯s body.
Last time he¡¯d tried this, he hadn¡¯t attained even Grandmastery in his Celestial skill. The Eldritch corruption within the Administrator was of a stronger, far more deeply rooted sort. Incredibly difficult to cleanse, even with the entirety of Orodan¡¯s power. He¡¯d only managed to cleanse 1% of it then.
Now, with a skill level of 140, it was a different matter. He¡¯d purged over half of the accumulated corruption¡
¡and given birth to a being straight out of a nightmare.
He didn¡¯t see it; it was far too quick; but Orodan felt himself be utterly annihilated. The only thing stopping a return to Ogdenborough being a few cells that were sent flying, enough to fully reform himself from.
Even as he reformed, he saw the abomination turning into what it really was.
Last time he¡¯d cleansed it, it had rushed towards him on all fours like a feral beast, far away from being an old man.
He¡¯d thought the Prophet a madman who forcibly propagated the Eldritch.
Orodan had been mistaken.
The Eldritch was a balm, something which soothed and contained the real creature within.
Its entire bone structure shifted, shattering, cracking and forcing it grow many more feet taller in what appeared an agonizing process. The nose, mouth and eyes collapsed inwards, squelching about as though whatever spell kept them in place had been broken. In place of two human eyes, appeared two yellow ones. In place of a human head, the bone structure cracked and shifted to become a long white one. And from its ribcage four more arms protruded outwards, giving it a total of six.
All six of these arms glowed with the fury of light. Though periodically, the glowing golden light - akin to that which the warriors of the Conclave used - sputtered and turned purple, as though the Eldritch was fighting to re-corrupt its body.
Its human legs remained mostly unchanged, but Orodan suspected that was due to him not having completely purged the Eldritch from it.
Before thoughts of a second attempt could be formed, golden chains of burning light wrapped itself around him. Despite his best struggles, these chains were simply too strong to break without expending soul energy enough to end the loop.
¡°A monster¡ you¡¯ve turned me into a monster¡! Not again¡! Never again!¡±
The voice was guttural, deep and full of anguish.
The chains began burning right through his flesh. His body being a separate dimension didn¡¯t matter, the Prophet practically melted him all the same. Its shrieks of rage increased in their intensity, uncaring that it was receiving returned damage through Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity.
Finally, it came to its senses and realized that killing him would be counter productive.
¡°Time looper¡ you shall never die. For as long as the cosmos maintains motion, you shall endure torment at my hands. You shall never loop again!¡±
Orodan though, remained calm. Torture was nothing for him, and he could simply end the loop by channelling a fatal amount of soul energy.
¡°You¡¯re a Fallen Void Archon¡¡± Orodan remarked, curious. He had encountered such a creature before in the abyssal depths of Alastaia serving as one of the Gate Guardians for the first World Gate. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that causing you to revert to this form would cause you such pain. Does the Eldritch allow you to disguise yourself as a human?¡±
Indeed, Orodan had thought the pain the Prophet had experienced last time was due to the Eldritch being in conflict with its uncorrupted self. But to learn that the Eldritch had been a part of what kept its transformation in place?
¡°You seek explanations when torment is all you shall receive,¡± the Prophet said as burning chains of light began entering Orodan¡¯s eyes.
¡°This will get you nowhere,¡± Orodan replied calmly even as his eyes had holes burned in them. ¡°I¡¯ve been through far worse. Your attempt at torture is amateur at best.¡±
A hiss of rage came forth as it began trying to torture him further. And when physical attacks were evidently useless, the Eldritch assaults came forth. These too were completely ineffective, until it finally decided to try mental attacks.
The force of a galaxy slammed into his mind¡
¡and Orodan had to focus, for it was a genuinely mighty attack. But all the same, he weathered it just fine.
He¡¯d taken far worse mental assaults. And the return through Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity stunned the Administrator, causing it to flinch backwards and release him.
An opportunity to finish the job and cleanse it entirely presented itself. Though, with how enraged it was at being free of the Eldritch, Orodan was almost guaranteed a death afterwards.
¡°Now¡¯s your chance!¡± Zaessythra urged.
It was tempting, the convenient way out. In fact, this loop was priceless just for the fact that he¡¯d learned how vulnerable it was against his Celestial skill. In the future, with more strength, he now knew of a convenient way of besting the Prophet.
It was the obvious path.
Which was why Orodan¡¯s answer was simple.
¡°No.¡±
She was confused, and rightly so. Only for a moment though till she grumbled something about remembering who she was dealing with.
It wouldn¡¯t have been right. What manner of cheap victory was that?
He put his broom away.
¡°There must be a reason you chose to maintain the guise of a human,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Silence!¡±
Recovered from the moment of weakness, it bound him in burning chains once more. Though Orodan wasn¡¯t threatened by the prospect of death or torture.
¡°You said you¡¯ve become a monster¡ but this is your original form, is it not?¡± Orodan asked, calm even as the chains burnt his flesh and practically disintegrated him.
¡°I see¡ whatever you¡¯ve done throughout the time loops, it makes you invulnerable to pain and mental assault, does it not?¡± it asked, yellow eyes peering into his soul. ¡°Yet, you¡¯ll find your soul is perhaps a bit more vulnerable.¡±
He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Of all the threats the Prophet could have menacingly made, his soul was the last one Orodan would ever be concerned about.
It tried, and it predictably failed to do anything to him at all. His soul rebuffed all attempts at damage from the Administrator. For even if Incipience of Infinity wasn¡¯t actively producing galaxy-shattering power, his soul was resilient enough that he¡¯d withstood the Boundless One outside of the System and came out the other side with his mind and soul intact.
¡°Has your temper tantrum abated enough to answer me now?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You time loopers trample and trod over that which you do not understand. You wish for answers? Fine. Here, on the eve of your permanent end, as you suffer the wrath of the monster you¡¯ve created, you may have them.¡±
A wormhole was created, leading directly outside of System space. A tactic which would previously have worked splendidly to kill a time looper permanently.
¡°The classification that the System uses¡ did it never occur to you that it favors some races, yet disadvantages others?¡± the Prophet asked. Orodan didn¡¯t understand though. ¡°Think, time looper. The very basic skill, ¡®Observe¡¯. Does it not list the species for anything one uses it upon?¡±
¡°Correct¡? It lists the species for everything. Wait¡ everything except-¡±
¡°Everything except you mortal races. For the rest of us, those who had the mere misfortune of being born a certain way¡ we are monsters. While the chosen ones of this System prosper, we can only watch as the elves, dwarves¡ and most insufferable of all, you humans bask in the radiance of our progenitor¡¯s rewards,¡± it said. ¡°I worked so hard¡ I spread light and understanding all across System space and was the mightiest one among my kind who were pulled into this pocket of the cosmos upon the System¡¯s creation. And yet, at the pinnacle, when I reached the height of Embodiment itself, what does the System say? That I am a monster and unfit to become an Administrator. Only you precious mortals are capable of using the mantles.¡±
Orodan was silent for a moment as he digested its words.
¡°Then why? Why do you propagate this System?¡± Orodan pointedly asked. ¡°Why not work to destroy it like the Reject does?¡±
¡°That rejected fool went about things the wrong way. I have no interest in destroying that which provides succor from the harsh terrors of the cosmos outside,¡± the Prophet said, and the fists of its six arms clenched in range. ¡°Rather¡ with the power of our guardian, many things are possible. Even the alteration of a monster¡¯s soul into a form granted more privileges under the System. Why, the Custodian was forced to do the same. I simply wished not to be a monster any longer. Something you stole from me as I will now be denied usage of the mantle which I have rightfully earned for many millennia.¡±
¡°You are right, Prophet,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°You are a monster; not for being a Fallen Void Archon, but for wantonly spreading the Eldritch in a twisted attempt at gaining acceptance within the System. However, I see now that the Eldritch is a part of you, and I was wrong to cleanse it.¡±
¡°Spare me your diatribes. There is no forgiveness for what you¡¯ve done.¡±
Thus far, it had been careful to avoid killing him. Now though, as a blazing light capable of shattering a galaxy formed in its hands¡ he realized just how far he had left to go before he could match this foe.
¡°Light magic, and the ability to read one¡¯s fate¡ should the future not have been apparent to you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Your soul is an abhorrent one, time looper. I know not what you have done to it in your covetous bid for power throughout your loops, but neither your lack of presence in the tapestry of fate, nor that mangled soul-less thing deep within will save you from receiving judgement at my hands.¡±
Mangled, soul-less thing?
¡°Explain yourself,¡± Orodan demanded. He had a bad feeling about this.
¡°You call me a monster, yet what sort of cruel master are you that you would tow around an amalgamation of memories without a soul core? Every waking moment must be agony for that wretched existence, and no amount of healing or resurrection will aid it.¡±
What? Zaessythra?
He inwardly demanded answers, yet all Orodan received was silence.
¡°Oh? Did you not know? I see, how pitiful. I do not know how one would even destroy a soul core outright, yet you have somehow managed it. Slaying you would be a boon to the universe, time looper.¡±
It wasn¡¯t him. It was the Boundless One that had struck him at the end of the last long loop.
And Orodan was livid at the thought,
¡°I¡¯ll return, I always do,¡± Orodan said, trembling in rage.
The golden chains pushed him into the wormhole, where the last thing he saw was a beam of galaxy-shattering light.
¡°And I¡¯ll see you on Lonvoron.¡±
It was a promise. The Prophet would receive its due in fair battle and in no other way.
The light struck, and the darkness took him.
#
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
And Orodan instantly dove into his mindscape.
Zaessythra appeared before him, her entry similarly instantaneous. She knew what he came for.
¡°Explain. Now.¡±
¡°I did not wish to worry you,¡± she defended. ¡°You have a calling greater than fretting over me.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t wish to worry me? In what realm does not telling me your soul core is destroyed supposed to help me?¡± he sharply asked, his tone demanding. ¡°You¡¯ve kept your soul under close guard all this time, and I respected your privacy, but now¡ show me.¡±
And she did.
There was no softening the blow; it was bad.
Orodan had never seen a fully destroyed soul core before. That the Boundless One he¡¯d encountered outside the System was capable of such a feat¡ it painted it in an incredibly dangerous light. Frankly, Orodan was fortunate to have gotten away as relatively unscathed as he had. And he¡¯d only done so due to his anomalous will and strength of mind and soul.
Unfortunately, not everyone was Orodan Wainwright. Something he was now learning the hard way as he looked closely at the tattered amalgamation of memories that Zaessythra was.
His eyes softened as he considered the sheer agony she must have been going through, and to be hiding it and pretending all was well, even now¡
¡°Why?¡± Orodan asked, still angered.
¡°You have more important things to do,¡± she softly said. ¡°Demanding the time looper destined to solve the plague of the Eldritch instead devote his time to fixing me; it would¡¯ve been selfish, no?¡±
¡°Selfish? I wouldn¡¯t be here without you!¡± Orodan angrily said. ¡°We fought together, we bled together, and we even died together! How many times have you saved me? Did you not stop to think and consider that this would be relevant news?¡±
¡°I will not apologize, but now that you¡¯re aware, we can move forward constructively,¡± she said.
Orodan exhaled. It was a slow thing; one meant to center himself and calm the anger he felt.
All he could think of was the long loop in Novarria where she¡¯d died for him. A most painful memory, and the feeling of that in this situation wasn¡¯t a good thing.
¡°To point fingers and pout like a child is not my way. What¡¯s done is done,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Will you tell me how this impacts you? On the surface, your soul looks damaged, but deeper within¡ the lack of a soul core is a glaring thing. How are you even here and maintaining any semblance of coherency?¡±
The outer layer of the soul could be flayed or destroyed, but the soul core could recover, and reform said layer. But for the core itself to be gone? Orodan had never seen such a thing.
The only two beings he knew that had received full power attacks from Boundless Ones were he and Zaessythra. He¡¯d come out alright, with his System and all the Eldritch at soul core being entirely purged. For Orodan, it was a boon. Zaessythra however¡ had suffered a far darker fate. Hidden from him till now.
¡°Your reasoning is correct. In fact, upon receiving that attack, while you were recovering, I too was slowly undergoing madness,¡± she admitted. ¡°Yet, throughout it all, I found that the closer I drew the tatters of myself towards your own soul¡ the stabler my thoughts and memories became. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible with the soul of any other, but with one as strong as yours, I seem to be fine for now.¡±
¡°How sustainable is this?¡± Orodan asked, getting to the real question.
¡°In truth, indefinite. It should be a severe drain of your power, akin to a drowning person flailing and holding down the rescuer attempting to save them,¡± she explained. ¡°With your energy though, such an issue is entirely sidestepped.¡±
¡°But your soul¡ how will you be able to manifest and come back?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Unless you¡¯re capable of true soul creation, which should be an utter impossibility¡ never.¡±
Orodan¡¯s fists clenched.
¡°No.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°If it¡¯s impossible, then I¡¯ll be the first one to make it possible,¡± he declared.
¡°While you were empowering the time loop during that long loop of ours, I spoke with the Administrators, with the Boundless One,¡± she said. ¡°Even it cannot perform true soul genesis. It knows not of any being that can.¡±
¡°The Boundless One also wasn¡¯t capable of empowering the time loop to affect the entirety of the greater cosmos,¡± Orodan said.
She said nothing and seemed to concede this point.
If anyone could do this, it would be him.
Just one more thing to press onwards in his eternal battle for.
¡°On the bright side, Orodan,¡± Zaessythra said, a sly smile on her face. ¡°One could say that we¡¯re soul mates now.¡±
He looked downwards, almost certain that it was a mental attack stronger than most of the ones he¡¯d received throughout the loops.
¡°If the lack of a soul core has led to that terrible sense of humor, then it¡¯s imperative we fix it immediately,¡± Orodan said, sighing. Though, he couldn¡¯t stop an exasperated smile from forming.
What an idiot she was.
And what a stubborn fool was he.
Their hands met, and Orodan vowed that he would uncover the secrets to true soul creation, no matter the cost.
The entirety of System space was relying on him to solve the Eldritch matter. And Zaessythra was relying upon him to bring her back to life and restore her soul.
For them, for her.
A pillar upon which dreams could become reality.
#
Combat Transcendence was powerful.
Every step he took was a fight between his muscles to optimize themselves. Every thought, a brawl between thousands of ideas to innovate and push forward the best one through the fire of pressure.
Matter of fact, he had a strong suspicion that he¡¯d pushed this standard mastery skill well beyond what it should be capable of. Having crossed the very first Transcendence trial already, no other trials would come forth. By default, any other skills which crossed level 100 would now be Transcendent for him though he¡¯d still need the insights capable of crossing into that tier. Hence, he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to pit his Transcendent Combat Mastery skill against a System unit.
He genuinely felt that he was approaching the creation of a powerful skill which included Combat Mastery.
Still, that was a while away for the moment. For now, the combat within, the war not just with his enemies but within himself as he continually debated ideas and strived to be better, was relegated to the background. While it would forever now be a part of him, it currently ran in the background, even as Orodan himself spoke with people and did what he had to in regard to the outside world.
After Zaessythra and he had finished speaking, Orodan had dealt with the ancient machine, built the warehouse and decided to go for a small trip.
He had many goals in mind, and the very short loops thus far, while useful and entertaining, wouldn¡¯t serve them any longer.
For starters, while he now knew Dimensionalism and could sneak off to Lonvoron¡ Orodan felt dissatisfied with this.
Using an overpowered Dimensional Step to skulk about felt akin to admitting defeat. Why not instead get so good at spatiomancy that he could replicate what Destartes did? The man had been capable of somehow sneaking past anti-spatiomancy wards.
Orodan was stubborn, and while Dimensionalism was an excellent tool to have in the belt, the obstinate perfectionist in him refused to accept the inability to use spatiomancy to enter the Vystaxium Galaxy stealthily as well.
Second, a big one, was reconnecting himself to the tapestry of fate.
Zaessythra groaned even as he reaffirmed to himself why this was necessary. It was a goal rife which would only bring problems upon him. Not only would reconnecting himself to the tapestry of fate, and consequently the System, mean that he could use observer orbs to show people his Status. It also meant he could use Observe and Identify himself while being a target for them too.
His fate in the tapestry would stick out like a sore thumb, but Orodan would have the benefit of being able to connect and reconnect as necessary. The tapestry of fate ran off of System energy at core. Learning to connect to it would be excellent training for interactions with System energy.
Not only would this let him potentially reconnect to the System control spike and perhaps access Quest Rewards again, but mainly, this was needed as preliminary practice in affecting a large-scale system which everyone was connected to without harming innocents. Critical practice for when Orodan intended to offer his own System to the inhabitants of System space. It would be an endeavor that could cause much death and destruction if done in a sloppy manner. Thus, practicing with the tapestry of fate first was a good conceptual exercise.
However, the true reason, and why Zaessythra groaned, was because Orodan wanted his fate to be visible in the tapestry of fate¡
¡simply so that the Prophet could read it and utilize fate scrying abilities against him.
He was incredibly dissatisfied that his opponent had a neutered arsenal against him. Orodan Wainwright would accept nothing less than a victory fought against the Prophet at full power. No tricks, no clever sidesteps and no cleansing of the Eldritch. Orodan was dead set on allowing that Administrator to read his fate, and then countering its fate-reading anyways.
Anything less would be an imperfect battle.
Beyond that, was the continual honing of his understanding of enchanting and new weird methods of improvement. Frankly, such contradictory methods of learning things could be applied to many of his skills. His time attempting chicken scratch had inspired him.
Consequently, he planned on hitting up a few places in these medium-length loops. Old Man Hannegan had once mentioned a crazy carpenter he¡¯d apprenticed under in his youth, known for extreme and ludicrous training methods. That was a good spot for not just Woodworking, but various crafts. As was Talricto the Wanderer, that hyperactive and haughty dimensional phase spider. Quite the excellent teacher for Dimensionalism, and Orodan was all too happy to learn new tricks from it.
For fate-reading he¡¯d need to do the one thing he truly disliked. Which was deal with the Cathedral, who were the tried-and-true specialists of the tapestry of fate. And what better way to do that than returning someplace he hadn¡¯t gone in a long, long time. The Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward. The orphanage in which he¡¯d grown up.
And finally, enchanting, engineering and his other crafts. If Orodan wanted to be capable of repairing the ancient machine so that it could access the deep bowels of System space where the Boundless One, the Custodian and the deep innards of the System were¡ then he would need to learn and advance himself in ways beyond just fighting.
Building the ancient machine to its intended state would allow him to witness the direct dimensional path to that deep dimension. And from there, he would no longer require someone else¡¯s ascendancy trial to jump the connection. Necessary for his end goal of dismantling the existing System and replacing it with his own.
For honing his crafts, he considered the interesting suggestion of going directly to the military with his weapons for testing and demonstration.
In particular¡
¡all Orodan could think about was the latest mad goal that drunk at the county craft competition had mentioned.
The incredibly stupid suggestion of crafting a rifle which could kill someone by just pulling the trigger.
That drunkard had inspired him and made Orodan wonder about what other nutty ideas he could try. Forging not with fire¡ but ice? Burning the wood in Woodworking? Or perhaps¡ enchanting the air itself?
Mad ideas all; but showing his weapons to the military and proving their power would give him plenty of leeway to receive funding and materials for this experimentation. Not that he needed either of those from them, but what he did need was access to certain people.
Such as Destartes, who was a known shadow player behind the scenes when it came to the Republic of Aden¡¯s military.
A small trip beckoned. The Republic¡¯s most heavily militarized city beyond even Karilsgard, built around an energy well, and the main base for the army of the Republic.
Anthus awaited Orodan.
Chapter 73 - The Anthus Conspiracy I
¡°You could have just come here with that fancy new Dimensional Step of yours.¡±
¡°And miss out on all the sights and joys of trekking through the wilds? I think not,¡± Orodan defended, and she hummed in agreement, having enjoyed it as well.
Yes, there were roads he could have taken to arrive the regular way. But those were the trappings of civilization, and sometimes a walk through nature served one better. He wouldn¡¯t have gained the five levels in Pathfinding either.
Five entire levels gained in Pathfinding, in a singular journey. It was a ridiculous gain, all thanks to his Combat Mastery.
Combat Transcendence was a strange and powerful thing. Even now Orodan felt he had yet to fathom the true potential of what he¡¯d stumbled upon. Each step in the wilds came with insights as his mind, which split into many and became his skills, went to war with itself to provide the greatest outcome possible.
He walked left, and Wood Communion battled to insist he go right where the worst of the underbrush was, and Pathfinding would gain the most. He thought of going straight, and then Physical Fitness waged war to demand he instead handstand and walk on a singular finger through an incredibly rocky stretch between two mountains. He then wanted to go right but Vision of Purity fought to ensure he swam through a filth-filled swamp and explored the completely mud-flooded caves for the real Pathfinding experience.
He¡¯d ended up getting lost multiple times as he wandered in circles, seeking the most challenging things possible. Until at last Pathfinding itself had stepped in, seeing that no further gains were possible in these particular parts of the wild, and it had set him on the correct path to Anthus.
With the military and the militia for each county doing regular patrols and sweeps, the roads and the immediate area around them weren¡¯t too bad. The wilds off of the beaten path were a different story though. Plenty of the deeper wilds had Master and Grandmaster-level monsters, and much of them were uncharted, with expansions by any towns or cities having to be carefully planned in advance, or backed by the assurance of Grandmasters. Anyone else trekking through the eastern wilds of the Republic of Aden would have been in for a bad time.
Orodan though, had an uneventful journey. For starters, creatures with magical senses or soul detection abilities just couldn¡¯t find him. And those that did have the ability to sense him physically - easily done given how loudly he tromped about the underbrush - avoided Orodan anyhow. A natural reaction to them being unable to get any instinctual feel off of him. A wise and understandable move since the wilds were no fairy tale utopia of gentle nature, but a brutal ecosystem in which monsters were as vulnerable to one another as people were to them.
The journey had been intriguing and the sights a balm for sore eyes. Eventually, the dark thicket of the wilds began thinning, and it was when he saw plains that he felt closer to Vondarius County, where Anthus was located. Though, the county¡¯s ruling nobility held no sway over the city, which was exclusively under control of the Republic¡¯s military.
Orodan knew he was getting close to Anthus when he began hearing the distant sounds of artillery, roars and the sounds of battle. The numerous bands of Apprentice and Adept-level monsters gathering for assaults upon the walls, or battered survivors of failed attacks were also visible.
Naturally, the city was under daily siege by monsters due to the presence of an energy well. It was an open-air energy well too, unlike the one he¡¯d found beneath Jerestir. Which meant that flying monsters and those who dwelled on the surface were all too happy to try their luck at delving the well.
Monsters were at times driven by instinct, but they weren¡¯t suicidal. Charging against the walls of a heavily defended military city wasn¡¯t done just out of bloodlust, but opportunity. Orodan had heard, that a few times a month, a monster or two might be quick enough to slip by and dive into the well. From there, they could find a forsaken corner of the well to camp in and enjoy the benefits of the rich saturation of world energy.
Supposedly, a captured monster once admitted that attempting a mad dash into the hole was a far safer route than attempting to reach the well through the depths. Competition among the monsters must¡¯ve been fierce if they considered assailing a defended human city safer than an underground path.
In any case, the fact was that Anthus was under regular attack by monsters, an entirely normal phenomenon for any cities built around an energy well. This meant that travel to and from the city was exceedingly dangerous as monsters would prowl the outskirts, either forming up for a new assault or recovering and licking their wounds from a failed one.
There was no civilized habitation of humans within a hundred miles of the city¡¯s walls. The constant presence of monsters made that an impossibility. Aside from the dragons to the north-west, the next nearest thing was Fort Redvane, an imposing military structure, roughly a hundred and ten miles west. Civilians didn¡¯t directly travel to the city, they couldn¡¯t. Instead, any travel to and from Anthus was almost exclusively between Fort Redvane and very rarely between the Time Wind dragon flight¡¯s settlement and Anthus. This travel consisted of heavily armed and armored convoys who could batter their way through a monster horde if needed.
As Orodan crested a hill and finally took in the sight of Anthus with his actual eyes and not just Vision of Purity, it was chaos.
A large metallic carriage, the size of a small house, was being pulled by four horses which clearly had levels in Physical Fitness. These horses were not only armored, but were capable of combat themselves as they gored, trampled and headbutted the many monsters of the swarm they were fighting through. Atop these carriage-pulling steeds were armored riders, doing the same and fighting alongside their horses. The carriage had a full military company defending it, with over a hundred veteran soldiers in ring formation fighting off the horde.
Two ranks of shielded spears up front, swords behind to cleave any monsters that got too close, and archers, crossbows and javelineers behind those, with a small corp of mages at the center providing support. These weren¡¯t any soldiers of a noble house, but the military of the Republic of Aden.
No casualties were taken, and they didn¡¯t appear to be struggling either; their demeanor suggesting this was a routine occurrence.
The carriage had windows too, and in one of them, Orodan saw a face he found oddly familiar. Not in a nice way though.
¡°Have you seen that girl before?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°No¡ but I already have an innate feeling of dislike for some reason,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Strange.¡±
His thoughts and the din of battle were interrupted by the bellow of a horn from atop the tall walls of Anthus.
¡°Open the gates and clear the way!¡± an army lieutenant ordered. ¡°Get those troops inside the walls!¡±
The city gates opened as a flood of cavalry rushed outwards. Heavily armored mounted riders trampled and lanced the swarm, and lighter armored horses bearing mounted archers swiftly outmaneuvered the horde and peppered the creatures with arrows while remaining out of reach. Working in tandem, the way was cleared enough that the carriage and all the troops defending it were able to make it inside. And the salvos of magic, arrows and artillery intensified near the end as the final few soldiers made their way back in.
¡°Ah¡ but how will we ever get in now?¡± Zaessythra asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Orodan walked forward, and the swarms of monsters assailing the wall didn¡¯t initially notice, partially thanks to his soul being unreadable. Eventually however, the first few monsters running past him did, and those among them capable of sensing souls were alarmed when they found themselves unable to read anything about him.
¡°A rock? It has no soul and yet it walks?¡± a nearby minotaur growled.
¡°It must be a golem! But my instincts tell me nothing¡¡± a skittering centipede chittered.
¡°I can smell the scent of humanity off it!¡± a naga hissed. ¡°It¡¯s been caught outside! Kill it!¡±
Individually, a monster might have stopped to consider why something wasn¡¯t giving off any readings to its instincts. It should have rightfully been wary, but when in an attacking swarm, such cautions tended to fall to the wayside as mob mentality took over. Humans could fall victim to the same thing, so he didn¡¯t hold it against them.
The monsters rushed Orodan¡
¡only to begin wailing and whimpering in pain and shock as claws, teeth and weaponry simply shattered upon his skin.
Anything below the level of a Transcendent was incapable of hurting him.
¡°Soldier outside the walls!¡±
¡°Who the hells is that?!¡±
¡°Run for the rope, lad! We¡¯ll hoist you up!¡±
The troops on the walls clamored at the sight, but Orodan simply kept walking through the horde. The monsters tried biting, clawing, tearing and grabbing him, but none of it worked. He simply continued walking, entirely unaffected by the swarm, like an inevitable force en route to a fated destination.
Monsters shrieked as they fell off him and were trampled by the rest of the swarm, and even the largest of them, giant spiders the size of small buildings, tripped over him and fell upon the rest, flattening many. Soon, the swarm began to take the hint and backed away as Orodan stood before the gates.
¡°I seek entry to Anthus!¡± Orodan announced.
The walls were silent, and even the continual monster assaults had abated for a moment as they too were more intent on watching this spectacle than attacking.
The on-duty lieutenant, a stern-looking woman, stepped forward making herself visible on the walls. Her voice was magically amplified; a necessity when the walls were fifty metres tall and Orodan was on the ground below.
¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Elmira Altamari. Republic military and section commander for the west wall of Anthus. We must ask that you identify yourself traveler! None of our soul specialists or monster tamers can get a reading off of you.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. Private, Volarbury County Militia, Ogdenborough barracks!¡±
¡°O-Ogdenborough¡¡±
¡°A private of the county militia¡?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that House Argon territory?¡±
¡°My cousin¡¯s a maid working at the mayor¡¯s mansion there! Says the man¡¯s a real slime!¡±
¡°Quiet!¡± the lieutenant barked, silencing the troops. ¡°Mister Wainwright, while I¡¯m not qualified to question one of your caliber too closely¡ surely you can see how¡ illogical it is, for you to claim you¡¯re a private in a county¡¯s militia?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s the truth, no matter how illogical you find it,¡± Orodan replied, looking up at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t officially resign today, therefore I¡¯m technically still a member of the county militia.¡±
The poor woman looked stressed. As though she knew a practical joke was being played upon her, but it was by someone she couldn¡¯t speak carelessly to. In truth, Orodan wouldn¡¯t have minded even if she did explode and have a temperamental outburst. It would only be reasonable in her position.
The communications amulet around her neck appeared to glow, and the lieutenant was speaking back and forth with someone before finally nodding.
¡°Mister Wainwright, it¡¯s not my place to question your story. However, despite your evident strength, my superiors have deemed it most discourteous to have you standing outside the walls in the presence of the monster swarm. We shall allow you inside to speak with them,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°Soldiers! Prepare for battle! Open the gat-¡±
[Dimensional Step 8 ¡ú Dimensional Step 9]
¡°No need to trouble yourself on my behalf,¡± Orodan said, stepping through the pores of the dimensional boundary and re-appearing right next to the woman atop the walls. ¡°The gate won¡¯t need to be opened.¡±
The soldiers on the walls were more than a little shocked. Perhaps that the anti-spatiomancy wards were so easily bypassed?
His feat hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed though, and it drew more attention than just the soldiers present.
Orodan felt it in his Vision of Purity. A tiny spatial rift so minute that the untrained naked eye would have no hope of seeing it. And he focused Vision of Purity unto it, and what was on the other side.
¡°You can come out, old man,¡± Orodan announced.
The spatial rift increased in size to first become the width of a needlepoint, and then expanded to become man-sized. And out stepped Destartes. A triple-Grandmaster mage, one of the mightiest humans in the Republic, and someone Orodan could respect for refusing to consort with Gods. This was a man who strived to reach the heights of magic under his own power.
¡°Who are you?¡± Destartes asked, still wary.
Orodan could sense the numerous spatial barriers, and the pre-loaded spatial spell ready to go lest the encounter turn sour. Smart.
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± he introduced. ¡°How did you notice I was there? I didn¡¯t utilize any spatiomancy.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never heard the name,¡± Destartes said, frowning. ¡°As for how, an overly large man like yourself suddenly occupying the space when there was naught but air before is hard to miss.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyebrows quirked upwards in surprise. That was impressive. His own Vision of Purity did a similar thing when it came to impurities, but to think the same could be applied to space was quite something.
In other words, it brought up the possibility that even if he stepped onto Lonvoron via Dimensional Step, he could still be detected through the simple fact that a man-sized body had entered where previously there was none. And given how skilled the previous time looper was¡ it was practically a certainty that they¡¯d know to monitor space itself.
¡°Quite the powerful detection ability. How far does that go?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°My concentration and awareness have their limits, but I choose to focus my attention over Anthus at all times,¡± Destartes answered. ¡°It won¡¯t do to allow the Gods and their toadies entry into one of the few human cities on Inuan where they have no sway.¡±
Good to know. Perhaps he could still use Dimensional Step, as long as it was within an unmonitored area.
Though, Orodan was beginning to form a very direct and stupid idea in his mind of how to deal with discovery by the previous time looper.
¡°Not stupid, just ostentatious and absurd.¡±
A fairer assessment from her than he would have thought.
¡°This city¡¯s really God-free then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I was wondering why no Avatars have descended to greet me by now.¡±
¡°Through painstaking labor, careful vetting of everyone within and many executions of spies and moles¡ yes,¡± Destartes affirmed. ¡°Anthus, is a secular city.¡±
The idea of secularism, in a world where Gods were very much real and bestowed tangible Blessings, was a difficult one to enforce. Yet Anthus, under the leadership of Destartes and the Republic¡¯s military heads, had managed to do this. From what he knew, the Chosen of the Gods, their Favored and their Avatars tended to avoid this place. The mighty war machinery and numerous mages on the walls might have something to do with that too.
Destartes, while mighty couldn¡¯t have been the only reason for this. In truth, the city¡¯s close proximity to the Time Wind dragon flight¡¯s settlement, just north-west of them, was a big factor. It was no secret that the dragons detested Ilyatana, and by proxy they were icy towards the Prime Five and the Cathedral which represented them in the mortal world.
Which, if Orodan was being honest, suited him just fine. The less Gods he dealt with, the better. Perhaps Zaessythra had been onto something when she¡¯d espoused the difference between honoring a grudge and an unsettling obsession. While he couldn¡¯t abide by allowing Agathor to remain in control of his mentor Arvayne Firesword, at the very least¡ Orodan would consider not killing the Gods.
Though their wicked influence over Alastaia would be purged all the same.
¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear. I was getting tired of killing Gods and their lackeys,¡± Orodan said. A few of the soldiers stiffened, after all, faith in the Prime Five was still prominent upon Inuan. None dared say a thing, however.
Destartes looked him up and down closely though.
¡°Your claims are rather far-fetched, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Destartes said. ¡°Yet I have a strange hunch that you do not lie. You claim not to have killed an Avatar, but a God themselves? How?¡±
¡°The same way I didn¡¯t trigger the anti-spatiomancy wards,¡± Orodan said, partially shifting through the boundary between planes. ¡°Dimensionalism.¡±
¡°I know what Dimensionalism is,¡± Destartes said. ¡°But traveling through dimensions? How can such a thing be possible? Long have I studied the boundaries between dimensions, and in no way are they easily moved. The energy expenditure for even the cheapest of journeys would be colossal.¡±
¡°Aye, you¡¯d be right on that. Shifting the dimensional boundary enough for me to move to another plane is quite the energy intensive endeavor,¡± Orodan affirmed. ¡°Yet, there¡¯s more than one way to cross the dimensional divide. Consider the boundary itself, how does divine energy cross over from the realm of the Gods and into ours?¡±
¡°Hmm¡ the porous nature of the boundary is rather evident,¡± Destartes said, stroking his beard. ¡°I¡¯ve pondered the possibility of travel via the natural openings in the boundary, but a singular misstep and you¡¯d be torn apart! The timing is simply too narrow for it. Dimensional travel isn¡¯t the issue; the safe and reliable execution of it is. Particularly in a format achievable by a singular spellcaster.¡±
Indeed, dimensional travel wasn¡¯t unheard of or impossible. Devil summoning, incredibly rare nowadays on Alastaia, was a form of dimensional travel. The demon was somehow granted passage from the hells to the material plane, though it created and entered said dimensional pathway itself. Similarly, even without the direct movement of people, the functioning of Blessings, the empowerment of Chosen with divine energy from their Gods, and the descent of Avatars, were all forms of dimensional travel.
Orodan was hardly the herald of a new field of magic. Dimensionalism was known to and practiced by the peoples of Alastaia, and attempts at skirting anti-spatiomancy wards through dimensional travel had been studied. Though, these methods were deemed either too costly or easily discoverable due to the high amounts of energy involved. Even his dimensional rings, while of incredibly high value, weren¡¯t an unheard-of concept, simply a ruinously expensive one that only he could sidestep through his endless power.
¡°Right, I won¡¯t deny that it took me first replicating dimensional travel through a self-made enchanting language before I was able to study the process in this manner and replicate it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I also had some teachings from a dimensional phase spider to draw upon.¡±
¡°¡you actually encountered one?!¡±
¡°Of course I did! Why it was the single most pretentious and arrogant creature I¡¯ve met!¡± Orodan exclaimed. ¡°While I don¡¯t have a body that¡¯s naturally built for dimensional travel like those spiders, I did pick up a trick or two from it.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you practically ambush it and then slam it upon its head?¡±
Ah right¡ Orodan had forgotten that detail.
¡°How did you even convince it to teach you?¡± Destartes asked, and Orodan chose not to tell him about his most uncouth method of introduction to Talricto. The less recalled about that, the better. ¡°And how did you manage to get close without it fleeing?¡±
¡°Right, that would be because of my soul, which is different in nature from most,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Is that why neither myself nor any of our soul specialists and artifacts have been able to get any reading from it?¡± Destartes asked.
¡°Indeed. And that would be because¡¡±
He could feel Zaessythra¡¯s eye roll.
¡°¡I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
#
Orodan had forgotten how much of an academic Destartes could be. There was no ulterior motive behind the man, just the simple desire to learn more and expand his horizons while testing the limits of what was possible. It was why the triple-Grandmaster mage traveled between both the Republic and the Empire without facing any real scrutiny from either side.
Once someone got to know the man, they¡¯d quickly learn that his political loyalties weren¡¯t as important as they were to most. And Destartes only cared to advance the understanding of magic.
¡°And you truly just created a Spatial Fold capable of reaching the moon? Why, we must go on this expedition again! How ridiculous!¡± Destartes exclaimed. ¡°With power like yours, the bounds of magic and learning can be pushed so much further!¡±
¡°To be fair, I¡¯d originally intended on creating a Spatial Fold from the top of the citadel of Novar¡¯s Peak to a distant mountain,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting it to sail past that and land upon the moon which happened to be in the way.¡±
¡°A most fortunate accident then,¡± the old wizard remarked with a smile. ¡°But how interesting to know that this Systemless state of yours led to the complete collapse of spatial control at high energy levels. I¡¯d always theorized that something was forcibly helping casters maintain control when great amounts of energy were involved¡¡±
¡°Your theory is right. The System is a crutch, but how impacted one is by its loss depends on the individual. After all, even with the System, one¡¯s understanding matters. And it¡¯s this understanding which dictates how crippled one will be without the System,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My understanding of space was passable, but the foundations weren¡¯t as strong as I¡¯d thought. A natural consequence of merely gaining skill levels through rote repetition but not true understanding. Consequently, attempts at high-powered spatiomancy collapsed when I was without my System. On the other hand¡ my martial talents only grew stronger without the crutch. I was made for fighting, and it showed in how much my insights grew without the System guiding me.¡±
¡°Fascinating¡ I wonder if such a gift could be spread to all,¡± Destartes said.
¡°Not by force, and only offered as a free choice,¡± Orodan added. ¡°But yes, that¡¯s the main goal I have in these time loops. To replace the System with my own.¡±
Orodan decided not to tell Destartes about the true nature of the System and the Eldritch Boundless One which empowered it. Not until he cleansed all Eldritch from Alastaia at least.
¡°A lofty goal. Even with how powerful you say you are, can it be done?¡± Destartes asked.
¡°Well, who knows? All I¡¯m focused upon for the moment is the work in front of me,¡± Orodan said as he put the finishing touches on the rifle he was working on. ¡°Whatever grand ambitions I have; getting there will be a step-by-step process.¡±
They were in an underground center connected to the central fort of Anthus. The central fort was in the middle of the city and the most elevated structure within it. From here, the city and the military¡¯s high command operated. Connected to and adjacent to it though, was this spacious underground center.
It didn¡¯t have an official name, nor was it even publicly acknowledged, but this place was essentially a center for research and development. Almost any military-relevant field that one could think of had a corresponding department in this clandestine place. Karilsgard, the capital, was unsuited for the hosting of such a secretive research center. Too many noble houses and too many stooges of the Cathedral. From what Destartes had said, the Republic, while happily in league with the Prime Five, didn¡¯t want to put all their eggs in one basket. The cutting-edge research in this place was thus kept away from prying outside eyes.
The security they¡¯d passed in order to just reach this point was quite intense. And at times the guards looked incredibly hesitant to allow him past until Destartes vouched for him. Frankly, Orodan was still scratching his head as to how forthcoming the old Grandmaster was once he told the entire story about the time loops.
Well, he supposed his hatred of Gods and Avatars must have made him a natural ally.
Still, within this underground center, they were working within the Department of Artificing specifically. And the woman who was department head had wide eyes as Orodan finished his work. She madly rushed over, and Destartes cancelled the silencing bubble placed over the two of them.
¡°Excuse me sir, might I see that?¡± the woman asked. Though, Orodan felt it more of a demand with how desperate and insistent she sounded.
¡°By all means,¡± Orodan said, handing it to her. ¡°The rifle¡¯s enchanted, as is the bullet, but they¡¯re no more than basic inscriptions of durability.¡±
¡°What strange enchanting language is this?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve only dabbled in the field, but this looks three-dimensional, unlike the Imperial tradition and more akin to the runic inscriptions used by the dwarves. Why, this has some esoteric depth to it despite looking oddly like a-¡±
¡°Chicken foot?¡± Orodan finished. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s just chicken scratch. I created this enchanting language by myself. Which¡ I suppose isn¡¯t much of a language, but a few haphazard symbols which I¡¯ve forced to work via Reality Alteration and stringent will.¡±
¡°A¡ a new enchanting language? And you made it?¡± the woman asked, stupefied. ¡°Sir¡ where did you find this man? Who is he?¡±
¡°While I too would like the answer to that question,¡± said a man walking in, dressed in formal military attire. Well, half a man. Orodan would have thought him quite diminutive in stature if he hadn¡¯t met halflings before. ¡°That knowledge seems to be on a need-to-know basis. Lord Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a lord¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Just Orodan will do.¡±
¡°I apologize sir, but I could not disrespectfully refer to any peers of Lord Destartes in such a manner,¡± the halfling military officer said. ¡°Lieutenant-General Tegin Carrotfoot, commander of Anthus, at your service.¡±
Tegin Carrotfoot? Orodan recalled a young student at Bluefire with the same last name, but more than that, after acquiring an education in that loop he¡¯d read about the name Tegin Carrotfoot. A military general of quite some note.
¡°Ah, a famed commander. Your tactical genius led the Republic to victory in the Liberation War did it not?¡± Orodan asked.
The halfling was over a hundred-and-twenty years old, and from the sense of it, was around the Master-level. He didn¡¯t look too wrinkly either. Perhaps the famed halfling diet of multiple breakfasts led to good health?
¡°And the political machinations of the capital and the cathedral saw him forced to step down over fabricated incidents a few decades after,¡± Destartes added. ¡°For as much as this nation claims to love all within its borders, the thought of a halfling retaining the rank of general led to some jealousy. And the Prime Five have ever favored humanity over the other mortal races.¡±
¡°Of course, lord Destartes was glad to have my talents in his employ. As you can tell, Anthus is rather divorced from the Cathedral, which suits my tastes just fine,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°And the rank of Lieutenant-General isn¡¯t as limiting as one thinks when I¡¯m the top-ranking officer in a self-contained city.¡±
Which made sense. Local power was often superior to power exerted from a distance. Even if an arrogant general from Karilsgard came by, who would the veteran and battle-hardened troops here listen to? A pompous outside general? Or the commander who¡¯d fought alongside them and oversaw the city¡¯s defense against the regular monster swarms? One who wasn¡¯t just reliable for leading Anthus¡¯s defense, but also a famed tactician from the Liberation War a hundred-and-twenty years ago.
The answer was obvious. Within Anthus, Lieutenant-General Tegin was the foremost military authority. With the backing of Destartes and the promise of draconic aid from the Time Wind dragon flight, neither the Cathedral nor any greedy elements of the military based in the capital would dare make any overt moves.
¡°Not a bad job,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The regular fighting must keep you and your soldiers sharp.¡±
¡°Quite so. It¡¯s partially why we don¡¯t ask any Grandmasters to eliminate vast swarms of the creatures. Doing so would simply deprive my troops of valuable combat experience and skill gains,¡± the Lieutenant-General explained. ¡°That being said, there are many points of interest and strategic locations within the immediate area of the outskirts and further beyond the walls which we¡¯ve wanted to reach. The constant pressure upon the walls prevents us from doing so. Lord Wainwright, I must say that this rifle of yours may help us make inroads in these ventures.¡±
¡°It¡¯s hardly revolutionary,¡± Orodan professed. ¡°The dwarves have magical rifles too.¡±
¡°Correct, but the ones we¡¯ve ¡®borrowed¡¯ for study and research all point to it being a laborious and expensive process,¡± the commander remarked. ¡°With how quickly you made that, I wonder how many you could create if given ample time, materials and an entire city aiding in your production?¡±
¡°In a day? Perhaps hundreds, mayhap over a thousand,¡± Orodan answered. And that was without the usage of Time Compression to hasten himself and the crafting process. ¡°I work better alone though.¡±
Frankly, Orodan wasn¡¯t even sure what it would look like if an entire city was working to help in his crafting efforts. Would little delivery folk run to and from, passing materials off at a constant rate? Or perhaps multiple crafters would take his orders and fall under his guidance?
It all sounded like a big mess which he neither wanted nor needed to be a part of.
¡°Sir¡ such an endeavor will necessitate putting many of our current research and development projects on hold,¡± the department head for Artificing spoke. ¡°Particularly for something of this scale.¡±
¡°Hmm, tell you what. Pick up that rifle, will you?¡± the Lieutenant-General requested, and the woman complied. ¡°Now fire upon that target in the range.¡±
The range was across the room; however nobody was actively testing anything there at this time thus it was safe. The woman took aim, braced, and pulled the trigger.
The roar of a primed bullet exploding out the barrel filled the room, and while the shooter couldn¡¯t see it, Orodan, the Lieutenant-General and Destartes could. The shot tore right through the target and carried on, smashing a decent dent into the reinforced wall behind it meant specifically for impact absorption.
¡°By the seven hells¡ it tore the Adept-target apart!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°And-and¡ the wall, it has a dent! That¡¯s supposed to remain unscratched even by Elite-level attacks!¡±
Was the wall that tough? Perhaps Orodan had underestimated just how strong his rifle was? No, that didn¡¯t sound quite correct. He knew exactly how powerful his rifles were.
Then, the thought came to Orodan; that he¡¯d forgotten to account for how an individual¡¯s own skills could affect and empower the weapon even further. He looked at the Lieutenant-General under a new light. Perhaps the man had used a skill to push it even further.
¡°Would you now agree that the suspension of current projects for this one is cost-effective?¡± the commander asked, prompting the department head to nod. ¡°With that settled, Lord Wainwright, please tell us the price of your services. Whatever gold or materials you require, Anthus shall provide. If Lord Destartes has allowed you within, then you have my trust. The army of the Republic does not treat its beneficiaries poorly.¡±
¡°For starters, I¡¯m no noble, I¡¯m not Lord Wainwright. Just Orodan will do.¡±
¡°Though the impropriety of it pains me, if that is your wish it shall be so¡ Mister Wainwright.¡±
Orodan sighed. Good enough.
¡°Second, I seek not gold or riches, but knowledge and the freedom to practice my crafts,¡± Orodan said. ¡°To that end, room for my experiments, and some time learning the magical crafts with Destartes would be appreciated.¡±
Indeed, that part he and Destartes had already made arrangements for during their conversation about the time loops. Letting the commander of the city know was but a formality.
¡°More than acceptable terms,¡± Destartes replied. ¡°If anything, I feel we¡¯d be taking advantage of you as this deal disproportionately favors us. Are you sure there¡¯s nothing else we can give you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Orodan affirmed.
¡°Very well. We¡¯ll get the particulars sorted out then,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be ready to start by next week? I don¡¯t want to push you, but the suspension of some current research projects must be justified through expedited production of these weapons. The stingy fools on the Council will happily slash the budget otherwise.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Next week?¡± Orodan asked, confused. ¡°I plan on starting now. This Department¡¯s a decent spot for it too, get me as much iron ore, sulphur, charcoal and saltpetre as you can find. Let¡¯s get to work.¡±
¡°But¡ my department¡¡± the poor department head muttered. And Destartes merely laughed while the commander got to work giving orders via communications amulet for the logistics to be handled.
In truth, even Orodan himself was interested in seeing how his weapons fared when put to the test in live combat conditions.
#
Orodan respected the halfling commander.
Lieutenant-General Tegin Carrotfoot was polite when necessary, during diplomacy and negotiations, but an efficient and no-nonsense leader while commanding. He must have had some higher-rarity derivative of Logistics, for the way people moved about and functioned like a well-oiled machine during the production process was nothing short of fascinating.
Orodan had fought armies on Alastaia before. Particularly, the Novarrian military. However, at the time, the Empire had brought only Masters and Grandmasters to the field against him. This commander though, moved his soldiers and personnel around in a manner he¡¯d never seen before.
It had been a ridiculous sight, watching hundreds of people enter a room clearly not made to accommodate so many, and yet not a single person had stumbled, tripped or walked into the path of another. Orodan would have suspected mind magic if he hadn¡¯t verified it himself through his Domain.
It was some manner of soul-based command and social skill. If the Novarrians had a commander of Tegin¡¯s caliber on their side in his first few fights against them, it would have taken him far longer to win. A reminder that prodigies in certain fields could come from anywhere, even a cosmically insignificant world such as Alastaia.
In tandem with the commander¡¯s leadership, the full day of production had passed. Laborers brought him iron ore in an uninterrupted stream, others brought him the ingredients for black powder, and as Orodan finished each bit of production, multiple people seamlessly worked together to handle all the ancillary tasks, such as storing, bringing new containers and even attempting to replace Orodan¡¯s tools and offer him refreshments.
Frankly, Orodan felt quite stifled and slightly irritated as these folk practically smothered him in their attempts to tend to his every need, but he didn¡¯t begrudge them doing their jobs. He¡¯d refused certain things, such as the attempts to replace his tools or providing him food and water, neither of which he needed any longer. But he had to grudgingly admit; since the loss of his Action Increases crafting was slower. And this manner of synchronized help under the guidance of a powerful command skill was undeniably effective.
He¡¯d suspended the demands of his Combat Transcendence for now, though promised it that he would engage in proper training later. The rifles needed to be uniform, and the demands for ¡®real challenge¡¯ that each of his skills made could lead to some¡ peculiar products which were best experimented with later.
The results spoke for themselves. Less than twenty-four hours, and he¡¯d gained numerous levels in Gunsmithing and some in Enchanting, Artificing and Engineering. And the fruits of his labor, a neat array of twelve-hundred black powder rifles, with assorted ammunition.
Each rifle had cartridges designed in a manner most efficient for usage by soldiers in the midst of combat. The bullet was neatly packed alongside the powder, and even an untrained user of the rifle could eventually figure out how to tear it open load the powder and fire the shot. Again, Orodan had to admit that by himself he wouldn¡¯t have been able to make the packaging for the cartridges so well while also maintaining his pace of production.
¡°Alright,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You¡¯ve taken me for a loop. I must admit to being impressed.¡±
The city commander let out an absurd laugh, one full of disbelief.
¡°Mister Wainwright, you¡¯ve handcrafted twelve-hundred rifles in under a day without stopping to rest or recharge mana or soul energy in any way. In comparison, my skills of command are but a parlor trick,¡± Tegin said. ¡°Lord Destartes, you did not tell me he was a dragon in human form.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting a guest at Anthus today either,¡± the old wizard Grandmaster said. ¡°That being said, I believe the energy comes from his soul, does it not?¡±
¡°Right. The soul can be forcibly driven, squeezed to produce more energy,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If I recall, there are historical records of people churning the soul in a devastating and fatal attack which causes a soul explosion.¡±
¡°And yet¡ you haven¡¯t exploded in the slightest,¡± the halfling said.
¡°With will and discipline, one can tolerate the pain enough that the soul can be commanded to retain its integrity, even under extreme duress,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°You tell me something that is quite difficult to accept,¡± the commander said. ¡°Mainly because the sheer pain and mental anguish involved in such a thing would cause even the mind of a Grandmaster of mental magic to shatter. Particularly if that¡¯s the only method you utilized to provide power enough for the making of this many rifles.¡±
Orodan simply smiled.
¡°Pain is but the first and smallest price one must pay to achieve true strength.¡±
¡°Now then, we can shelve this discussion on the particulars of Mister Wainwright¡¯s soul for later,¡± Destartes said. ¡°The auxiliary corps has been training for the usage of these things for a while now, have they not? Shall we go test them?¡±
¡°Auxiliary corps?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Training in the usage of guns? I wasn¡¯t aware the Republic or the Empire used any black powder firearms on the ground.¡±
¡°We do not,¡± the commander admitted. ¡°But that does not stop us from training a corps in their usage for the hypothetical day when we either make a technological breakthrough, or manage to steal the blueprints for a mass producable rifle which packs sufficient power. You didn¡¯t think we came up with that design for the cartridge and its packaging on the spot did you?¡±
¡°So, you have a group of soldiers ready to go. Not bad.¡±
At the very least, one couldn¡¯t say the Republic¡¯s military was a bunch of ill-trained rabble. Research and development of new military relevant fields pointed to their funding, as did their overall readiness to adopt a new technology when it became feasible. From what Orodan had seen on the walls of Anthus, these were some well-trained men and women.
In truth, Orodan wouldn¡¯t say guns were the future of warfare. At low levels, perhaps, but not once Masters and Grandmasters began entering the equation.
After all, at a high enough level, a powerful bullet was no different to a mighty sword swing. If anything, the blade scaled far better off of more factors, such as the wielder¡¯s strength, the body¡¯s durability to absorbing the shock of their own strike, their finesse and any energy manipulation abilities they had. In contrast, a bullet couldn¡¯t really draw from its deliverer¡¯s strength or durability the same way; not easily anyways. Consequently, at the Grandmaster-level and up, Orodan would say an equivalent-level archer or javelineer would hit far harder than a firearms specialist. Although the first strike seemed to naturally favor a gun.
Which way a fight would go squarely depended on the individual, not the weapon.
¡°Indeed, I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll be eager to test out what you¡¯ve made,¡± the Lieutenant-General said as they began walking outside. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the watchful little whisperers about town have noticed the central fort¡¯s laborers mobilizing to this extent. Though, they know not what you¡¯ve made.¡±
¡°Little whisperers? Spies you mean?¡± Orodan asked, and the commander nodded. ¡°Wasn¡¯t aware Anthus had spies. City seems a bit¡ well-guarded for that.¡±
¡°Ah, I assure you Mister Wainwright, spies and observers are everywhere, in every city, no matter how impressive their battlements or how colorful the plumes on their honor regiments,¡± the halfling said. ¡°The Novarrian Intelligence Service and their agents are always looking to make inroads as to our developments, as are the elves of Eldiron. Being built around an energy well, Anthus was a valuable city of the Empire¡¯s, founded and defended at great expense. And this center for research and development was a critical one. Losing it during the Liberation War wasn¡¯t an easy thing to stomach.¡±
¡°Understandable. They must have plenty of observers within the city then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I can see a few good spots for them already.¡±
The two of them led the procession of laborers and staff carrying the rifles outside. Here, the procession was in view of any civilians walking the streets. And already Orodan could see a tavern in the distance whose windows had a nice view of the entrance to the central fort.
¡°Quite so. That old man watering his plants on the third floor of the tavern¡¯s a spy,¡± the Lieutenant-General said, causing Orodan to gape like a fish. The man looked rather innocuous to Orodan. ¡°As is that woman drying clothes atop the roof of that house over there.¡±
¡°You¡¯re rather casual about this¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°But of course. Those two know that I¡¯m aware of their spy status,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°The old man¡¯s a spy for House Arslan, from the capital. And the woman¡¯s an agent for the Novarrian Intelligence Service. The common factor for both is that they¡¯re dissatisfied with their current employers and have chosen to remain in the hopes that I¡¯ll make a counter-offer to use them as double agents.¡±
¡°But you haven¡¯t yet?¡±
¡°They can come to me. The old man¡¯s going to break soon, I can tell. The woman though, still holds on to some obstinate Novarrian loyalties,¡± the halfling said. ¡°Perhaps she¡¯ll beg me to smuggle her family out of Novar¡¯s Peak or something along those lines in exchange. Doable, but the length of service I¡¯ll expect in exchange will be a lengthy one. Aside from these two, there are plenty more I know of, even nearby, but best not to tell lest your eyes be drawn to them and they suspect I know.¡±
¡°And¡ you don¡¯t just have them thrown into the cells?¡± Orodan asked, dumbfounded.
¡°Why do that and deprive myself of the entertainment? The poor fools don¡¯t even know that I have operatives of my own shadowing them, monitoring and recording their every move. Better to build up the file of information we have on them while they¡¯re unaware. Makes blackmailing them far easier when we choose to reveal our hand,¡± the commander said. ¡°Besides, the spies are all in unimportant positions. Merchants, civilian laborers and visitors. All of whom are carefully monitored and kept in unimportant parts of the city while their interactions are watched.¡±
Indeed. The laborers who¡¯d helped Orodan during his gunsmithing weren¡¯t civilians, but non-combatant military personnel. They¡¯d undergone stringent background checks and their entry or departure from the central fort of Anthus was closely monitored. Hells, one could say that members of the army - particularly those within the central fort - were under closer scrutiny than any foreign spies were.
And while Orodan could see them easily enough with Vision of Purity, he wasn¡¯t sure if any of the foreign spies could. Shadowy mages under invisibility spells stalked the rooftops, alleyways and key vantage points. From there, they kept an eye on any activity within Anthus and monitored the foreign spies too.
¡°Though, I¡¯m sure the Lieutenant-General¡¯s shadows will have a harder time of it if Mister Wainwright so obviously glances at them,¡± Destartes spoke up. ¡°They are under an invisibility cloak after all.¡±
He hadn¡¯t even been obvious!
¡°You most certainly were,¡± Zaessythra chimed in. ¡°Subtlety is beyond you.¡±
Truly, the realm of spies and skullduggery wasn¡¯t meant for him.
¡°Ugh¡ this game of tricks and schemes is outside my realm of expertise,¡± Orodan admitted.
¡°You would be surprised, Mister Wainwright, but even just coming from a certain background may give one an advantage in catching the tricks and schemes of others,¡± the halfling said. ¡°Anthus, like Arkwall and any city built around an energy well, doesn¡¯t really have a standard civilian populace the way any regular town or city of the Republic does. There are no children playing in the streets, aside from the rare person of importance, there are no leisurely vacationers or tourists just stopping by. Everyone here is in some way, useful to the city. Choosing to remain here by contract or because the pay is quite generous. And now that we¡¯ve come by the civilian laborer district¡ perhaps your eye can prove useful.¡±
Would it? Orodan wasn¡¯t so sure of that himself. All he saw were regular laborers. Well, not quite so regular since they were all at least Apprentice-level and here because of a certain level of competence. But regular all the same.
These weren¡¯t the impoverished and struggling laborers of Ogdenborough, but contractors who came to Anthus of their own volition to sell and improve upon their skills. They looked decently dressed, clean and focused. Nothing was out of the ordinary, so Orodan wasn¡¯t sure what the Lieutenant-General expected of him in that regard. He wasn¡¯t about to delve into everyone¡¯s minds just to find any potential spies.
A stonecutter was putting some muscle into her work, a laborer was lifting a rock above their head, and a woodworker was properly sculpting a wooden support beam upon a table. Though, Orodan wondered why the beam was on the table at all. The man clearly wasn¡¯t struggling with the weight of it, and standard practice dictated working on beams while they were upright.
Come to think of it, where was the construction site? There was no blueprint or measurement for the beam on the table. And now that he thought about it, the man¡¯s hands looked a bit uncertain on that saw. What Woodworker would just sculpt a support beam with no construction project in site, right next to the road?
Orodan looked at him. The man looked at Orodan.
And he ran¡
¡right into a waiting agent of the Republic, who suddenly uncloaked themselves from invisibility.
¡°Though, next time you could be a little more discrete with how obvious your staring was,¡± Destartes said as the man was slammed onto the ground by the agent.
¡°More than satisfactory for someone who claims to be unsuited to this sort of scheming,¡± Tegin said. ¡°As I said, coming from a certain background might give you an advantage. I was told you were from Ogdenborough but wasn¡¯t aware you were a Woodworker too.¡±
¡°I quite enjoy sculpting things from wood,¡± Orodan answered and then looked to Destartes. ¡°How much did you tell him?¡±
¡°Most of it. Tegin is an invaluable member of the Republic and one of my brightest students and most trusted confidants. I hope you do not mind,¡± Destartes said. ¡°I apologize if-¡±
¡°Apologize?¡± Orodan asked with a smile. ¡°No need. All the better than me having to narrate my tale for the twelfth time.¡±
¡°Er¡ right,¡± Destartes muttered. ¡°In any case, once we¡¯ve tested the weapons, we have a small matter we¡¯d like to discuss with you in private.¡±
¡°Fair enough.¡±
The rest of the walk to the walls was uneventful enough. Merchants, laborers and craftsfolk who saw the procession gaped. Even the watchers and guards patrolling the streets seemed curious. Guns weren¡¯t a novel concept, not since they¡¯d been popularized by the Empire of Novarria¡¯s failed experiment in fielding them.
As a result though, the prevailing opinion on them was that they were useless. And any martial Adept worth their salt would slaughter an untrained gunfighter. Truthfully, Orodan still felt a bit biased towards the martial path himself, but even without it, felt the dismissal of firearms in popular society to be a little short-sighted. Even as an assassination tool, a black powder rifle could kill a frail mage with a well-placed shot.
¡°Assuming they¡¯re by themselves, have no enchanted items which provide shielding, have no detection abilities which sense the shooter ahead of time and of course¡ can¡¯t be reached by a healer, chronomancer or soul specialist in time,¡± Zaessythra added.
He supposed she had a point there. Mages had plenty of options to protect themselves against a gun-armed assassin. Only a mage poor in caution, wealth or allies would find themselves easily assassinated.
Though today, he planned on changing the common opinion on guns.
They stopped in front of a medium-sized barracks near the walls. The sentry up front immediately saluting and informing the duty-sergeant. Soon, the company was assembled.
Hardy and dour-faced men and women. If the average soldier of Anthus was a battle-tested veteran by the standards of the Republic¡¯s military, then these troops were a cut above even them. From each of them, Orodan got the sense that they were true soldiers, ready to charge into battle at a moment¡¯s notice.
¡°Sixth Company,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. His voice calm but possessing a commanding weight to it.
The troops immediately stood at attention and saluted.
¡°Sir!¡± the company sergeant responded. ¡°At your command, General!¡±
¡°You know it¡¯s Lieutenant-General now, right?¡± Tegin gently chided, though there was no heat in the correction at all. And the sergeant himself seemed unwilling to comply either. To these soldiers, they must have been loyal to the point that they were unwilling to accept their commander¡¯s demotion. ¡°Sergeant Rehanaj, are your men ready to perform a demonstration?¡±
¡°Yes sir! The Sixth Company stands ready!¡± the sergeant zealously replied.
¡°Good. We¡¯ve produced a new type of black powder rifle. The Sixth Company is trained and competent in the operation of unconventional weapons, are they not? I¡¯d like your troops to give these rifles a try,¡± the halfling commander said. ¡°Consider the dusk-time operation into the depths near the blood marsh cancelled. Take up position on the western wall and fire upon the monster swarms. I¡¯m aware that prior trial runs of black powder and magical rifles have gone poorly, but this one might surprise you.¡±
The sergeant bellowed his orders, and the troops immediately scrambled to retrieve the rifles from the procession of laborers and carriers.
Having people manually carry the rifles was a bit wasteful. A spatial ring would have sufficed just fine. But Orodan figured this was meant to be as much a show as it was a demonstration.
The walls of Anthus were under near constant siege by monster swarms. But defense duty wasn¡¯t so bad. In fact, from what Orodan had heard, the last casualty on defensive duty was seven months ago and that was when a grieving soldier whose adventurer son had died decided to leap into the swarm and fight to the death. The tragic situation of that death aside, defensive duty on the walls was rather safe, if still intense. It was the first taste of battle that new recruits sent to Anthus got.
The walls worked as a natural defensive barrier. Ground-based monsters had to surmount it, and often the defenders would allow a few choice ones up just so that the recruits could get some battle experience. At worst, the new soldiers would be fighting one monster at a time in melee, and the majority of a new recruit¡¯s first few battles were spent assisting with aerial defense duty and manning the emplaced defensive weapons on the walls. In truth, the walls and the crew upon them comfortably held against the monster assaults despite greatly holding back most of their arsenal and higher-level soldiers.
The Sixth Company though, did the far deadlier and casualty-prone work of venturing outside the walls. Which was why the soldiers looked on curiously as this veteran company marched onto the western wall.
Orodan and Destartes followed the company and the Lieutenant-General of Anthus out to the western wall. There, he also saw that vaguely familiar woman once more.
Perhaps it wasn¡¯t that he knew her, but that he knew someone who looked very similar to her? In any case, he didn¡¯t seem to like whoever she was similar to.
He held his unfair judgements as the soldiers dutifully took position, rifles in hand. The on-duty troops on the western wall who were already fending off the monster swarm, looked a bit surprised at the Sixth Company¡¯s appearance, but took it in stride and carried on with their fighting as artillery, war machines and mages kept blasting away.
¡°They¡¯re good men and women,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°The best. They¡¯re often called upon for ventures outside the walls, whether it be for striking a pre-emptive blow against a forming monster horde, or securing a valuable resource,¡± the halfling replied. ¡°Most of these soldiers fought with me during the Liberation War. And while they¡¯re mere Adepts and I have dedicated units of Elites and Masters already; nothing quite matches up to the reliability of the veteran men and women who bled alongside me in that bloody war. The Sixth Company are my go-to whenever I need something done.¡±
Orodan believed it too. Perhaps some of these soldiers weren¡¯t as talented as a cream of the crop student from Bluefire, but he had no doubt that they were far more experienced, determined and ruthless in combat. It wouldn¡¯t surprise him if a few of the soldiers in this unit could jump a tier to fight Elites too.
¡°We await your command, General,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°Rifles loaded.¡±
¡°Fire.¡±
The command was a quiet one, but the halfling¡¯s voice managed to somehow carry throughout.
The sounds and clashes of battle were drowned out by the sheer roar of two hundred rifles letting loose at once.
The monsters were packed into a swarm at the bottom of the walls, and they were attempting to gradually scale it. It was this dense packing of targets that the troops fired into. With terrific success.
Like cheap plaster falling off a dilapidated wall, the swarm at that particular spot simply fell right off the west wall. The ones climbing, the ones at the bottom, those attempting to lift other monsters up with them. For a moment, a fine mist of blood was present at that spot, and then the bodily bits of the swarm scattered about.
¡°Hmm¡ the over-penetration is quite useful against larger formations it seems,¡± Orodan said.
Indeed. Not all monsters in the swarm were Adepts. If anything, they were on the rarer end of the spectrum. Most of the swarm consisted of Apprentice-level creatures, and a singular bullet could rip through many, killing multiple. Orodan could already see the disincentivizing of horde tactics against black powder armed militaries.
The regular soldiers on the walls looked on in shock at the sight. Hells, even some members of the Sixth Company looked down closely at their rifles which had displayed such killing power.
The swarm itself had its mob mentality broken for a moment, the shock and awe of being on the receiving end of gunfire turned them from cogs in a swarm, to individuals once more. A horde had power when the vulnerability of its members was masked, not easily apparent. They had to feel invincible, even if it wasn¡¯t true. And such a barrage of lethal gunfire which mowed down many at once broke that illusion.
¡°Continue firing,¡± Tegin Carrotfoot ordered.
The guns of the Sixth Company blazed away, and the monsters assailing the western wall began to suffer grievous casualties. Though Orodan noted that the rifles had a bit more trouble and reduced success against the many flocks of aerial creatures. He made a mental note to create some manner of spreadshot ammunition like the defensive ballistae on the wall had.
Still, the veteran troops, well-trained in the aiming, firing and reloading of these weapons, had a decent rate of output, letting loose a round every two seconds. They skillfully and ferociously ripped a cartridge apart, primed the pan and practically flung the remaining powder and bullet down the barrel with two fingers and raw might. These were veteran soldiers, all at the Adept-level with good Physical Fitness which meant they normally fought at a pace where they could deliver numerous attacks in a single second.
Orodan estimated that an untrained civilian would have a firing rate of a round every fifteen or twenty seconds perhaps.
¡°If anything, using these soldiers as gunfighters is quite the waste¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Not to say that the guns aren¡¯t useful, but when these veteran Adepts can launch many attacks a second, having them slowed down with a weapon firing only a single bullet every two seconds is a bit inefficient, is it not?¡±
¡°In a sense, you speak true, Mister Wainwright,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°However, consider that the addition of these rifles to a veteran group such as the Sixth Company is an amplification of their combat ability. Previously, only the mages and dedicated ranged troops of the company could contribute to battles at range. But now¡ when even the shield-bearers up front have an option for inflicting death upon the foe, the overall effectiveness of the unit is increased.¡±
¡°Though I¡¯ve been on many battlefields, I¡¯m no commander I admit,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Your way of considering these potential tactics is beyond my own.¡±
Orodan was better suited to being on the front line, engaging the foe, than hypothesizing about tactical arrangements.
¡°Perhaps, but your ability in war and gunsmithing is beyond mine,¡± the halfling said. ¡°Now then, I see we¡¯ve inflicted grievous enough damage upon the swarm that one of the leaders has decided to make its presence known.¡±
The ground a hundred metres from the walls erupted, and a house-sized minotaur emerged, wielding a fierce double-bladed axe.
¡°Horde leader!¡±
¡°Elite! Elite spotted on the field!¡±
¡°Signal¡¯s been sent for members of the Elite response unit sir!¡±
The regular soldiers clamored at the sight of the house-sized minotaur. The status quo of the swarm assailing the walls was something not only tolerated by the military of Anthus, but also the more powerful monsters who subtly directed the horde from behind. These opportunistic horde leaders took command of the monster swarms through brute force and cunning, and their goal was simple¡ to direct the swarm that they might get a chance to dive into the energy well.
Elite-level monsters usually only appeared a few times a month, but when they did, it meant a fierce attempt at getting past the walls and into the well.
¡°Culric,¡± the Lieutenant-General said, directly addressing one of the rank-and-file soldiers of the Sixth Company. ¡°Try enhancing your shot and firing upon it.¡±
¡°Yes General! But¡ will the rifle hold, sir?¡± the man asked.
¡°More than adequately,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I¡¯ve made them to be capable of absorbing far more blowback than the standard shot can provide.¡±
The soldier, a pyromancer, got to work. Orodan hadn¡¯t even considered that someone with existing skills in pyromancy or a related field could possibly make the powder burn and explode even hotter. And as spiraling orange flames began circulating around this soldier¡¯s body, the bellow of a far louder gunshot tore through the air.
The result was impressive.
The Elite minotaur hadn¡¯t really expected the assassination attempt right away; not from an Adept-level soldier on the walls. Its guard was naturally down, and the bullet managed to land flush upon its chest.
A guttural groan of pain erupted, and the creature was sent flying backwards, smashing into and killing dozens of weaker members of the swarm. It lived still, but a deep and grievous wound had been inflicted upon its chest.
¡°Fire! Fire!¡± the Sixth Company sergeant bellowed.
Two-hundred rifles roared to life and fired in the direction of the horde leader. It was a large target; however a weakness of the guns quickly became apparent.
¡°It dodged!¡±
¡°Damn! It blocked and deflected the shots!¡±
The minotaur wasn¡¯t a mindless creature, it had a passable understanding of combat and how to maneuver its body and weapon. And being an Elite meant it was faster than the bullets too.
It seemed this was the current limit of Orodan¡¯s rifles.
¡°Well, an excellent weapons test if I say so myself,¡± Destartes said.
¡°Excuse me,¡± a feminine voice called out. ¡°Are you the creator of these weapons?¡±
¡°My lady¡ that man is in the company of the Lieutenant-General and Lord Destartes!¡± her attending handmaid warned.
The woman ignored her handmaid and continued onwards boldly. Orodan wasn¡¯t sure why he had an innate dislike of her face; it was more than a bit unfair to be honest.
¡°I am,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°What of it?¡±
¡°Lady Surena, good of you to join us, how¡¯s your father doing?¡± Tegin asked.
¡°He is¡ doing as he usually does. Sending me away to the far reaches of the Republic that he might have little to do with me,¡± the woman resentfully answered. Her handmaid paled at her blunt words, but Orodan thought her straightforward at least. ¡°You, sir¡ might I have your name?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Mister Wainwright, these weapons you¡¯ve created, are they for sale? My house would much like to acquire such things and are more than willing to pay,¡± she stated.
¡°My current buyer is the Republic military, the Lieutenant-General here being my point of contact,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°For now, my hands are full creating these weapons for him.¡±
¡°Please Mister Wainwright, I beseech-¡±
¡°That will be enough for now Lady Surena. I haven¡¯t spoken to Viglas in many years, but we share similar sentiments on some things. So I assure you that I shall send him a message and ensure that his house receives a share of these weapons. I shall even credit you with securing the deal,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°Mister Wainwright is a man with quite the busy schedule. I am afraid we must go for now.¡±
Viglas? Orodan frowned.
¡°Your father, who is he?¡± Orodan asked, though he had a suspicion he knew the answer already.
¡°Why, my father is Baron Viglas Argon,¡± the woman said, proffering a hand. ¡°And I am Surena Argon, second-in-line to the house.¡±
¡°That explains the dislike.¡±
¡°Come now Orodan. Judging a young girl by the sins of her family is rather unfair don¡¯t you-¡±
Orodan took the proffered hand, shaking it.
¡°Your father and brother are traitors to the Republic, but you seem alright enough.¡±
He could hear Zaessythra¡¯s sigh.
The nearby soldiers, particularly those of the Sixth Company, froze. the Lieutenant-General looked quite wary and the poor girl herself appeared mortified. All while Destartes simply had an amused look on his face.
¡°M-mister Wainwright¡ there are things we must tell you first,¡± Tegin stuttered.
¡°Remember that meeting we were telling you about?¡± Destartes asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°Now¡¯s a good time for it I believe.¡±
#
A gigantic map of Alastaia and all its known lands was sprawled out over the table. Numerous military pieces, key figurines and strategic points were placed over various spots.
Within the central fort of Anthus, this was the war room, where the Lieutenant-General and all military officers who were part of the command structure operated from. And currently it was almost entirely empty, the doors barred, and the windows sealed.
The only three people inside were Orodan, Destartes and Lieutenant-General Tegin Carrotfoot.
And as a glowing hand waved, spilling forth mana into the air, the final privacy spell was cast by Destartes.
¡°The elves¡¯ psionic web isn¡¯t reaching inside of here any longer,¡± Orodan said.
¡°To think Eldiron¡¯s intelligence network was so robust and capable¡¡± Tegin muttered. ¡°For how long have they had a psionic web spanning the Republic?¡±
¡°Who knows? They¡¯ve always panicked quite a bit whenever I¡¯ve shattered the web. Sends them and their shadows running every time,¡± Orodan said.
¡°In fact, it¡¯s a good thing you haven¡¯t done so in this loop, Mister Wainwright,¡± Destartes said. ¡°The elves¡¯ seeming ignorance is a good thing. Novarria or the Prime Five might notice if the elves suddenly retreat off of Inuan entirely. While Eldiron is no direct foe of ours, any overt moves from them will certainly be noticed and make our plans more complicated as the Republic and the Prime Five respond to them.¡±
¡°Your plans? And why would the Republic and the Prime Five¡¯s response be of concern to you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°That, is why we¡¯ve asked you here. That we might explain what our true goals are,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°Mister Wainwright¡ Lord Destartes has told me much about your true nature, about the time loops, and what you¡¯ve done during them. I feel confident in saying that we could well be aligned in our goals entirely.¡±
¡°And your goals are?¡±
¡°The elimination of all Gods from the Republic. A military coup which will see many noble houses of the council ousted, and control returned to those who should be governing the Republic,¡± Tegin said. ¡°Its people.¡±
Orodan remained silent for a moment as he took it in.
¡°Getting roped into a conspiracy to perform a military coup. Never a dull moment with you.¡±
It certainly explained why Anthus took its privacy and military so seriously. It was the largest military base in all the Republic, and with that, came power enough to launch a coup. Combine that with an unfairly demoted former General who commanded the loyalty of the troops, and a solid core of battle-hardened soldiers¡
¡it all began to make sense.
And Orodan didn¡¯t even think it was a bad idea either.
¡°In return, we¡¯re willing to provide you whatever benefits you could want. Full access to the resources, knowledge, military and infrastructure of the Republic. Political connections with the Eastern Kingdoms, and any artifacts from the vaults of Karilsgard. I am prepared to grovel and beseech you for aid as many times as-¡±
¡°Alright, when do we start?¡±
The grandmaster wizard burst out laughing in response.
¡°And I¡¯ll¡ wait¡ you agree to help?¡± the halfling asked, shocked.
¡°Why not? I have some conditions, but I agree to getting rid of Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana at the very least,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As long as Halor and Malzim are left unharmed, and no uninvolved parties are harmed during this coup, I¡¯m all for it.¡±
He had no doubt that his slaying of the tyrant three destabilized the Republic each time. Instead, what if he worked with a force capable of maintaining control and ensuring a safe and peaceful transition? Hells, he might not even need to kill the three enemy Gods. He could simply purge their influence from the Republic and install this new government that would be actively hostile to them.
¡°And finally work on quelling your murderous vendetta which isn¡¯t satisfied despite the dozens of times you¡¯ve slain those three?¡± Zaessythra asked.
¡°Hmmph¡ maybe.¡±
¡°Heh¡ what did I tell you Tegin? When I heard him mention just how many times he slew those three, I knew then and there that Mister Wainwright would agree,¡± Destartes said. ¡°Let me assure you then, Halor and Malzim will be left alone. And we shall leave any civilians unharmed.¡±
¡°No bloodshed of the uninvolved altogether,¡± Orodan said. ¡°There is no need to wage a pitched battle against loyalist or Cathedral forces. They¡¯re just lackeys ready to die upon the order of their masters.¡±
¡°With your aid, that should be possible,¡± Destartes said.
It was official. Orodan was a traitor.
Well, technically he¡¯d been a traitor each and every time he slew the three tyrant Gods and caused the mass loss of their Blessings across the Republic. But this time his membership in a military coup was formal and set in stone.
¡°How do you plan to go about this?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°A straightforward assault upon Karilsgard? Target the Council and the Cathedral?¡±
¡°There¡¯s more to it than just that. My time in the military has given me a web of allies, sympathizers and friends I can call upon to accept the transition. While they might not help, at the very least they will accept any transition of government without a fight,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°The problem though, will be the cities and forts who are rather vehemently loyalist, or have leadership with strong ties to the Cathedral. But, with you on our side, we can devote far more resources and manpower to dealing with those holdouts. The key then, as you¡¯ve said, will be Karilsgard.¡±
¡°Which I¡¯m happy to handle. The Avatars and loyalist council members are dealt with easily enough,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But I¡¯m somewhat confused. I never heard of this conspiracy in any of my prior loops.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not so surprising. You know of the eldritch comet¡¯s descent; you¡¯ve fought it enough times in your loops. It¡¯s the descent of that thing which bade us to stay our hands until after it was dealt with,¡± Destartes said. ¡°If the Republic emerged intact, the plan was for us to then wage this coup with the dragons providing assistance. But now, with you here and your assurance that the Eldritch Avatar can be dealt with¡ we feel prepared to push our plans forward. The sudden loss of the Blessings and Avatars of two Gods will be keenly felt and Novarria will undoubtedly try to take advantage, but you and our dragon allies serve as a safety buffer against that.¡±
¡°The Time Wind are in on this too?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Then again, I suppose the dragons have always had a particular hatred for Ilyatana. The Gods in league with her must not be well-viewed by proxy either.¡±
¡°Correct. The Sapphire Gale dragon flight also stand ready to provide support in the form of blocking any interference attempts from the branches of the Cathedral in the Eastern Kingdoms,¡± Destartes said. ¡°And it could be said that we have a few people on the inside willing to help us. However, I will not name them until the day lest we risk discovery.¡±
Fair enough.
¡°Though, the dragon in the room remains¡ House Argon. You knew about their activities in Ogdenborough, didn¡¯t you?¡± Orodan asked in a pointed manner.
¡°I will not lie to you, Mister Wainwright. Yes, House Argon is¡ or I should say was part of our planned coup. News of the sudden de-powering of that ancient machine beneath Mount Castarian has reached my ears. Your doing no doubt?¡± Tegin asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s a better outcome than the loyalists and their Cathedral lackeys getting their hands on it.¡±
¡°You and your conspiracy were responsible for House Argon¡¯s treachery then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I ask that you judge it a little less harshly, Mister Wainwright. After all, you are now part of this planned revolution too,¡± Destartes said. ¡°It was never our intention to have House Argon work alongside Novarria or Guzuharan raiders. Matter of fact, Baron Viglas operated mostly on his own and chose his own alliance. The only directive we had for him was to prevent the Republic from securing the machine, as that would mean it falling into the Cathedral¡¯s hands.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not the point. I care little for any loyalty to whichever power controls the Republic,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°What matters is how House Argon and the Novarrians were poised to use that machine to destroy most of Volarbury County and my hometown with it.¡±
¡°I apologize, Mister Wainwright, but surely you¡¯ve seen much death and suffering in the time loops, have you not?¡± Destartes asked. ¡°It¡¯s truly regrettable that-¡±
¡°Old man, you¡¯re an academic who reads books and performs experiments. Your years as a Grandmaster have desensitized you to the loss of life,¡± Orodan said. ¡°There¡¯s no gain in slaughtering defenseless innocents. No matter how much death and suffering I¡¯ve experienced it doesn¡¯t change the fact that uninvolved civilians were massacred many times over due to the actions of House Argon.¡±
¡°While you¡¯re not wrong and I won¡¯t claim it was necessary, such is the way of war, Orodan. You who¡¯ve been in more battles than any of us should understand,¡± Destartes said. ¡°I do not support it, but from what you told me of your first few loops, House Argon did manage to prevent the Cathedral from getting hold of the machine. Which, even if it led to the destruction of Volarbury County¡ I consider it a tactical success all the same.¡±
The young Orodan would have taken great offense to this statement, the hot-blooded and inexperienced time looper that he was. Yet now, even though the words of tolerance for such wanton slaughter still irked him¡ he realized that Destartes wasn¡¯t condoning the slaughter itself but saying that at least the Cathedral hadn¡¯t acquired the machine.
¡°Regardless of how close the destruction of Volarbury County is to my heart; I won¡¯t dispute that the overall result worked in your favor. But to ally with House Argon, while a tactically sound decision¡ isn¡¯t one that pleases me,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°While it¡¯s not a philosophy I¡¯ll ever adhere to, I suppose I can see the necessity of allying with scum for the sake of a greater goal.¡±
¡°Certainly, I will not claim to like Baron Viglas. Matter of fact, I¡¯ve always thought that man and his son to be overly power-hungry and of poor character,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°And if you wish it, Mister Wainwright, you may go ahead and slay the man in every loop of yours. Though all I ask in turn is that the machine be de-powered and prevented from entering the hands of the loyalists.¡±
¡°Hmmph¡ in any case, we¡¯ve gotten off topic. Karilsgard is the target then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Indeed. We have a list of priority targets for you to strike against within the capital, chiefly the three Chosen,¡± Tegin Carrotfoot said. ¡°Although, them aside, there are also a few Favored, Blessed and council leaders of note that will need to be subdued.¡±
¡°And I must stress on the subdued part. Your¡ ¡®Celestial¡¯ skill. Though I¡¯ve never heard of such a rarity, you told me that you can cleanse Blessings directly from the soul? If so, we will be relying upon it very much,¡± Destartes said. ¡°Having the revolution be a bloody one will only reduce our legitimacy. In an ideal world, we march in, subdue everyone non-lethally and hold a new set of non-fixed elections to reform the council. From there we simply continue on as the Republic of Aden.¡±
¡°Of course the elections are fixed too¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡±
¡°Unfortunately so. Did it never occur to you why over three-fifths of the council are nobility? And the other two-fifths are either lackeys for them in secret or on their payroll,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°There will be some upheaval, but we¡¯re well poised to handle the fallout.¡±
¡°It seems you¡¯ve planned for this eventuality well,¡± Orodan said.
Without having to worry about the descent of the Eldritch Avatar the world would move on. Nations, the internal factions within them, and the people leading them would naturally plot, scheme and plan on dealing with enemies, old and new. Orodan wasn¡¯t a politician, but even he could see now that the dragons¡¯ grudge against Ilyatana wasn¡¯t something they would stomach forever. And Tegin Carrotfoot wasn¡¯t satisfied with remaining under the heel of the same Council and Cathedral that had so unfairly used him during the Liberation War and then thrown him away when no longer convenient. Destartes too, had no Blessings, and only now in hindsight did Orodan understand why the man had always been against divine influence.
All these people and groups were part of the Anthus conspiracy. A planned coup to overthrow the Republic¡¯s current government and severely curtail the divine influences within it.
A rebellion to force secularism onto the government.
An absurd thought, particularly in a world where Gods were very much real and their Blessings quite tangible and beneficial. Though, if anyone was well-situated to aid in such a plot, it would be Orodan himself.
After all, he¡¯d slain enough Gods.
¡°A lifetime of living beneath the heel of divine tyrants and their preferred servants tends to leave one with plenty of time on their hands,¡± Tegin said. ¡°Alongside my mentor, Lord Destartes, I¡¯ve been sowing the seeds and planning this for decades.¡±
¡°And you, old man. You certainly trusted me rather quickly,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It¡¯s been but a day since I¡¯ve arrived at Anthus.¡±
¡°A risky gamble to be sure,¡± Destartes admitted. ¡°But with the descent of the Eldritch Avatar on our hands there was no apparent chance in the future for our ploy to succeed. And even if we had, Novarria would swoop in to prey upon the upset. We needed an assurance, a chance to present itself. And lo and behold, a bullheaded man claiming to be a time looper possessed of abilities most unnatural arrived today. We only had everything to gain and little to lose.¡±
¡°Your lives?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Of little consequence when the chance to strike back against my tormentors presents itself,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°I am a soldier, Mister Wainwright. War is my trade. The prospect of death didn¡¯t dissuade me during the Liberation War, and it will not now.¡±
¡°Strong words,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Well, I suppose I can get behind such a cause.¡±
¡°You¡¯re certain of helping us then?¡± the halfling asked.
¡°Better than me slaying Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana, leaving the Republic in a state of disarray,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°You and your conspiracy group seem to have a plan for managing the fallout at least. Now then, you didn¡¯t answer my original question¡¡±
¡°¡when do we start?¡±
#
A singular month.
Tegin would need at least that long to properly arrange all of their revolutionary forces and call upon their allies. Which meant Orodan had a month of study ahead of him.
A month which his teacher Destartes, eagerly looked forward to it seemed.
¡°He¡¯s looking at you most covetously.¡±
¡°Oh! If only all my students were like you!¡± the old wizard proclaimed. ¡°Yes, yes! Keep pushing yourself beyond all reason and common sense! Push the boundaries of what spatiomancy can do!¡±
Orodan was forced to ignore Zaessythra as his skills went to war with one another. The connection to his central glyph had been turned off for now. It was Orodan and his skills alone that would drive the training.
Space Mastery demanded he begin training via the perfection of the basics. It teamed up with Body Tempering to order Orodan to create thousands of basic spatial bubbles all throughout his body in an effort to condense himself and put his body under pressure.
He didn¡¯t really have veins, organs and lifeblood, not since he¡¯d learned Absolute Body Composition. But each cell in his body, even if it was a thing in and of itself capable of seeing, thinking and hearing¡ still had a form. And each cell was now put under strain as Space Mastery and Body Tempering teamed up to force him to create miniature spatial bubbles for each cell which compressed them heavily.
[Body Tempering 66 ¡ú Body Tempering 67]
All the while, Harmony of Vitality kept fighting to re-create each cell in superior form. Baptized by the pressure.
Space could not only be used for travel, but compression, as he¡¯d discovered himself via Spatial Fold¡¯s destructive attack. Then, if his body could resist the crushing, did that not mean that each cell needed to re-grow not just stronger and capable of exerting more force¡ but also more durable?
After all, being crushed by space and being crushed by a hammer were more or less the same thing, were they not?
His Iron Body skill agreed, and it came roaring into the battlefield of his body, making its presence clearly known as it crossed a threshold.
[Iron Body 89 ¡ú Iron Body 90]
The creation of a spatial bubble was the single most basic exercise a student of spatiomancy could perform. Yet, it was the utter mastery of the basics, even in the most outlandish conditions, that pushed the limits of what one could do.
So too, did Space Mastery cross a threshold.
[Space Mastery 89 ¡ú Space Mastery 90]
[New Title ¡ú Space Master]
¡°Hahah! I sense it! A breakthrough!¡± Destartes exclaimed. ¡°Never have I seen such raw talent. How unfair, for the universe to grant the time loop to one such as you.¡±
Was it? And was Orodan talented?
He wasn¡¯t sure, not when his stupidly powerful Transcendent Combat Mastery was forcing his skills to war against one another and himself in order to forge the best path to advancement through fierce competition.
If anything, his rate of advancement had greatly improved in many aspects. Though, when it came to critical insights, Orodan got the feeling he couldn¡¯t just rely on this skill.
Still, a whole month of magic training was before him. And at the end of it, a revolution.
Just how far could Orodan push his skills with the assistance of this new outlook on combat?
Chapter 74 - The Anthus Conspiracy II
¡°Alright greenhorns! This¡¯ll be your first fight in the line of duty!¡± a sergeant barked, before him, a line of fresh-faced recruits holding various weapons. ¡°Whatever silly soldiering they taught you in boot camp, forget most of that frilly pomp! Here, your life dances on the edge of a razor blade! Fighting a few wolves and slimes during training ain¡¯t worth the dirt under my boots in Anthus!¡±
Given that Anthus¡¯s last casualty on defense duty was a few months ago, Orodan doubted the veracity of that statement. Furthermore, these new recruits, as part of their initiation and travel into the city, had been ordered to stand and defend their inbound convoy alongside the escorting veterans. The tough and valorous ones among them who¡¯d stepped up then, had already seen combat and been noticed for it too.
Then again, senior troops trying to rankle the nervous new blood was a tradition as old as civilization. And this display was meant to coax and identify those recruits who¡¯d shied away or hid behind the veterans during the numerous fights the inbound convoy had faced.
¡°Now then¡ let¡¯s give you lot a taste of the sorts of monsters braying for our blood outside the walls of Anthus!¡± the sergeant declared. ¡°Let a giant spiderling up!¡±
¡°One giant spiderling coming up sergeant!¡± the overseer for that section¡¯s defensive ballistae replied.
[Lightning Bolt 15 ¡ú Lightning Bolt 17]
[Surprise Attack 45 ¡ú Surprise Attack 46]
A loud boom. Though, masked over the sound of the various artillery pieces already firing.
¡°Corporal! Where is my giant spiderling?¡±
¡°On it sir! One coming right up!¡±
[Lightning Bolt 17 ¡ú Lightning Bolt 19]
[Tool Mastery 73 ¡ú Tool Mastery 74]
¡°¡corporal. How difficult can it be¡ to let a singular giant spiderling up the walls?!¡±
¡°S-sir¡! They¡¯re all getting killed!¡±
Only now did the unfortunate sergeant turn and notice Orodan blasting away, Destartes behind him, watching with glee.
¡°Sergeant, I apologize for the intrusion, but the recruits are best trained on the north wall today,¡± Destartes said and then turned to Orodan. ¡°Good! Good! Keep letting the lightning flow! Let me know when you acquire Lightning Magic Mastery!¡±
¡°Urk! Yes, my lord!¡± the man choked out, red-faced at having just noticed the old Grandmaster.
As for Orodan himself. His skills were at war.
Tool Mastery waged war to insist that the hand he was casting with was as much a tool as any other. Its benefits would be applied. Surprise Attack too ordered that he train it by focusing on the particular monsters at the back of the horde who hadn¡¯t really noticed him, that he might hit the unaware foes just a bit harder. Mana Manipulation was a constant in the din of this battle, commanding the most efficient of actions. And of all the skills, Enchanting demanded he force the lightning bolts to flow along specific pre-arranged patterns.
It made no sense whatsoever, even to Orodan.
But as he finally managed to cast a lightning bolt in the perfect shape of an inscription of explosion in the Imperial-enchanting language¡
[Lightning Bolt 19 ¡ú Lightning Bolt 20]
[Mana Manipulation 60 ¡ú Mana Manipulation 62]
[Enchanting 86 ¡ú Enchanting 87]
Orodan had intentionally kept the strength of his lightning bolts low thus far, so as to keep the fight fair. But this one was more than a little different.
The ground in front of the city cratered inwards, and a significant portion of the swarm assaulting the west wall was instantly eradicated in a thunderous explosion which sent arcs of lightning and secondary lightning bolts flying outwards like magical shrapnel. The bolt could have taken out a castle, despite Orodan having fed it only enough power to take down a shed.
¡°What on Alastaia was that?¡± Destartes asked, mouth agape. ¡°I didn¡¯t even sense that much power going into it.¡±
¡°You¡¯re asking me? I¡¯m as surprised as you are¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°But, I think I understand what happened. The lightning bolt, I cast it perfectly in the shape of an enchantment. Specifically, the same inscription one might write to make something explode.¡±
¡°I did see that bolt take a shape quite similar to a written language. It was too fast for me to read however,¡± Destartes said. ¡°How has your control over lightning improved so much that you can create enchantments using it? You did tell me you don¡¯t possess any mastery skills for lightning, right?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ but I think my Combat Mastery is forcing all these separate skills to work together in order to produce such absurd outcomes,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°My control over the element is nowhere near consistent enough to do that again. Not on demand.¡±
In fact, it wasn¡¯t just the act of creating a lightning bolt in the shape of an inscription. Mana Manipulation was a secondary factor, and critical for guiding the mana which needed to flow through the pathways of Orodan¡¯s temporarily created enchantment. Both skills had managed to produce a result which Orodan otherwise had a one-in-a-thousand chance of performing with his current skillset.
And to make certain of that, the next lightning bolt he tried predictably failed to form in the shape of that enchantment once again.
¡°You needn¡¯t be so surprised. The connection to that System of yours is turned off now, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zaessythra asked and Orodan mentally affirmed it. ¡°Much as the System imposes consistency and a certain measure of quality, it also stifles innovation. Occasionally, you can achieve a one-in-a-thousand result when luck and chance are allowed to operate.¡±
He saw where she was coming from. The only question then, was how to replicate the feat consistently? For that, practice was still required.
¡°Hmm¡ I must admit, I¡¯ve never had a student of mine be so unpredictable in what they can do,¡± Destartes mused. ¡°But if we pushed your abilities in wild and unpredictable directions, who knows what we could achieve? Keep going Mister Wainwright, there are plenty more monsters to practice on.¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure if the swarm assailing the west wall would see it that way. The morale of the horde was already flagging thanks to Orodan¡¯s lightning bolts, and it had turned from a fair contest of assaulting the walls into a game of shooting fish in a barrel. Though, he couldn¡¯t feel too bad given that they were choosing to attack a fortified city out of greed.
For the next fifteen minutes, Orodan continually kept casting Lightning Bolts, receiving several gains in the skill. But also unexpected ones in some others.
Orodan had initially begun casting with just his index finger. Endless Blitz though, demanded he unleash a barrage of lightning bolts, one finger after the other. Time Compression was a monstrous amplifier, and it ordered he use it that he might cast many more lightning bolts in the same span of time. All while Flash Strike most weirdly managed to make the bolt itself skip a portion of its travel path altogether, making it reach the targets far faster. Orodan made a mental note to experiment with that combination further as the days went by.
¡°Despite your claims at being a warrior, Mister Wainwright, one could also say you¡¯re a mage of a most frightening sort,¡± Destartes remarked. ¡°While I might have more skill and finesse in the magical arts than you, I doubt any mage upon Alastaia could best you in a duel of pure spellfire.¡±
¡°I¡¯m hardly a proper spellcaster. But I suppose raw power has its strengths.¡±
¡°Quite so. But even if you lack a certain kind of¡ mindset when casting spells, none can deny the effectiveness of yours.¡±
¡°Mindset? Explain.¡±
¡°If I were to give an analogy, Mister Wainwright, it would be akin to giving a javelineer a choice of rocks and telling them to break a window and then giving you the same choice. The javelineer might pick a rock most suited to the task which synergizes with their aims. You, however, would just pick the largest boulder around and hurl it at the target,¡± Destartes explained.
¡°Huh? Is that such a bad thing? Simple problems require simple solutions,¡± Orodan defended.
The old Grandmaster laughed.
¡°Far from it my student. It¡¯s a more than adequate mentality to have. However, most mages have an entire repertoire of spells suited for different situations. If they see a troll, they consider pulling out fire or lightning spells to combat the creature¡¯s natural regeneration. A magically animated construct? A dispelling spell will do. To most mages, spells are tools, and choosing the one best-suited to the situation is integral. Tell me, Mister Wainwright. Do you have any spells for camping, lighting, travel or scouting?¡±
¡°Camping? I don¡¯t really need to do that nowadays, but back in the militia days, we¡¯d just pitch a tent in the woods, set up watch and get a fire started. To be honest, we didn¡¯t do much camping outside of basic training. Wasn¡¯t aware spells were necessary,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And while I have Teleportation and Dimensional Step now, I didn¡¯t always. I just ran.¡±
¡°If you were a mage at Bluefire, they¡¯d insist you learn a basic set of spells to cover all possibilities. Conventional magic education of the Imperial-tradition emphasizes a wide repertoire of magic, with the student then specializing in a field or two that they¡¯re truly proficient in,¡± Destartes explained.
¡°Seems like a¡¡± Orodan wanted to say it was a waste of time. He really did. ¡°¡unique form of education.¡±
Even if he held his own biases, looking down on things was something he¡¯d grown past.
¡°Hah! You need not hide your true thoughts from me Mister Wainwright! I¡¯ve taught warriors aplenty, I know how your sort feels about the mage mentality, and that¡¯s okay. If anything, warriors bring a rather welcome mindset of direct simplicity to magic which allows for the reaching of greater heights at times. Rather, if fewer aspiring wizards pondered what spell to pull from their repertoire in a bad situation and more focused on honing a singular spell to be capable of handling all their problems, they¡¯d be better off for it.¡±
Admittedly, Orodan could see now in hindsight how mages thought differently. Even in his first battle against wizards at Eversong Plaza, they focused on solving the problem that he presented. He fought warriors in melee and the mages sought to suppress him in tandem with spellfire. And when that failed, they sought to launch coordinated assaults in tandem with more of their kind. Frankly, almost every mage - save the hybrid sorts - that Orodan had fought, was keen on staying away from him in melee.
He didn¡¯t really see how it was a ¡®mage mentality¡¯ much as it was the logical course of playing to their strengths while minimizing his. But if Destartes said so, he supposed he¡¯d take the old man¡¯s word for it.
He continued casting lightning bolts, until at last, the message came once he¡¯d fully grasped the nature of lightning and comprehended all that could be done with it.
[Lightning Bolt 23 ¡ú Lightning Bolt 24]
[New Skill ¡ú Lightning Magic Mastery 3]
And with it, his lightning bolts began hitting just that little bit harder, and his control over the element itself, when fuelled by mana, became noticeably better.
¡°Lightning Magic Mastery, I finally have it,¡± Orodan professed.
¡°In a single session¡ less than thirty minutes too. Monstrous,¡± Destartes muttered.
¡°I doubt my ability to do the same with other elements will be as quick. I studied lightning quite intimately when inscribing enchantments related to it using an absurd enchanting language.,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°I¡¯d have to replicate the feat with other elements via enchanting first.¡±
He¡¯d inscribed an enchantment for lightning bolts using chicken scratch. Needless to say, the act of doing such a difficult and convoluted thing meant he was more than a bit intimately familiar with lightning in comparison to the other elements. Having Lightning Resistance, whose acquisition involved many shocking ends to his loops, also aided his understanding of the element.
¡°All of which can be arranged. Now then, let¡¯s move onto fire.¡±
Orodan complied and immediately began channelling a Draconic Fireball in the palm of his hand.
¡°Wait, wait, put that out. That¡¯s dragon magic, isn¡¯t it?¡± Destartes asked and he nodded. ¡°Entirely excessive. We must focus on the basics, something subtler and more rudimentary is called for.¡±
¡®Alright, how about this?¡±
A Flare was cast in his hands and held there.
[Flare 63 ¡ú Flare 64]
¡°Uagh! My eyes!¡±
¡°Brighter than the sun!¡±
An unfortunate minotaur that had been allowed up the wall also scaled it just in time to be blinded, and it fell right off.
¡°Something with a little less collateral damage to the troops¡¯ eyesight perhaps?¡± Destartes asked, a mana shield in front of his own eyes.
And that¡ was when Orodan understood the difference between himself and a conventionally educated mage.
¡°It appears¡ I have no other fire spells.¡±
¡°Probably a good thing for the environment and any wooden houses,¡± Zaessythra jibed.
¡°Truly? Didn¡¯t you say you studied at Bluefire?¡± Destartes asked.
¡°Yes, but my education primarily consisted of learning martial skills and crafts the first time around. And when I was in Novarria I had private tutors focusing more upon grand spells which could alter battlefield conditions on a large scale,¡± Orodan explained. Such as dragging the Eldritch Avatar down to Novar¡¯s Peak instead of its usual landing in Guzuhar.
¡°I see¡ shame on them, for not instilling the correct foundations in a young man with such drive and potential,¡± Destartes said. ¡°This shall be amended. Here, take this tome, read it and try to get a grasp on the spell within.¡±
It was a thin thing that Destartes had handed him. Barely a few pages and Orodan skimmed through it and understood the concept quite easily.
Of course, being the first time he channelled mana through the instructed pathways, he¡¯d not realized how the spell wasn¡¯t meant to be powered by one possessed of so much mana. For a tiny instant, a regular candleflame appeared in his hand.
It then roared to life, becoming a blazing inferno that Orodan managed to turn skyward in time. The gigantic flame soared a half-mile upward before stabilizing, and Orodan quickly put it out before it correspondingly widened and engulfed half of the entire west wall.
[New Skill ¡ú Candleflame 16]
He focused and re-cast the spell, making sure to put only the necessary amount of mana into it this time.
[Candleflame 16 ¡ú Candleflame 17]
Candleflame. The quintessential pyromancy spell. Not just mages, but many nobles and those with a basic education at certain academies also knew the spell. Even a rudimentary control over one¡¯s own mana pool allowed one to cast it; in tandem with the low cost, it was a popular spell for non-magicians to dabble in.
Orodan continued honing this skill as Destartes put him to work lighting up the fuses for certain war machines, igniting the arrows and bolts of archers and crossbowmen and lighting torches along the walls. It was manual and menial work, but it was exactly what the skill was meant for.
He gained four more levels in Candleflame. His existing Fire Magic Mastery and his insights in the ways of fire from Draconic Fireball and Flare helping him make quick gains.
¡°Now that I¡¯m not at risk of burning the city down, I must admit, it¡¯s not a bad spell. I could slay an Elite with a powered cast perhaps.¡±
Destartes simply sighed.
¡°Mister Wainwright, Candleflame is meant to illuminate a room that one might read past sundown, or light a campfire. Slaying Elites with the spell while it¡¯s merely at the Initiate-level is something reserved for the likes of Gods¡ or yourself. During your time with me, I intend to have you thinking more like a mage; utilizing the right tool for the job at hand.¡±
¡°Weren¡¯t you disparaging the mage mentality just a while ago yourself?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I was. Yet, I could go on about how your warrior mentality is harmful as well. At times too straightforward; simple to the detriment of creativity,¡± Destartes explained. ¡°Any mindset can have its downsides. However, to limit yourself to thinking only like a charging bull is to hinder your growth. You already have the ethos of hard work and a willingness to embrace pain and monotony. Now, it¡¯s time to expand your mind and think more analytically. You already do so when it comes to making things, but applying it to everything else will only benefit you.¡±
¡°You intend to teach me the basic spells for all elemental schools then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I suppose I can get behind that.¡±
¡°Indeed. You¡¯re already a warrior possessed of some terrifying might no doubt. But what if you could amplify that potential?¡± Destartes asked. ¡°Imagine a swing of your sword, backed by not just might, but scorching flames? Or a blow from your fist erupting with lightning itself?¡±
Now that was an interesting thought. He knew pyromancy, and recently he¡¯d picked up how to work with lightning magic. But what if Orodan further expanded his repertoire? And what if he could weave elements into his regular combat style? He wasn¡¯t much for slinging spells, but imbuing his fist with fire or his blade with lightning during battle didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea in the slightest.
Thanks to his array of high-rarity skills, Orodan could fight well above his level. The addition of elements to his melee combat would only amplify this potential of his. His enemies were unfathomably powerful; beings who could shatter a galaxy. The Administrators were the cream of the crop within the System. Five beings who¡¯d ascended to the heights of power under it and were rewarded with a form of stewardship over it all.
They were mighty¡
¡but the gap between he and they wasn¡¯t so insurmountable. Not when he had quality of his own. He could already fight foes far stronger than him. Something he planned on pushing further with the addition of the elements to his combat style.
¡°Then, I humble myself and seek to learn, teacher,¡± Orodan said, giving Destartes a respectful nod. ¡°Though I did have another subject I wanted to discuss.¡±
¡°Of course. What would it be?¡±
¡°True soul creation.¡±
Destartes looked confused for a split second.
¡°True soul creation? As in, the creation of a soul from nothing?¡± the Grandmaster asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Such a thing, I¡¯ve never heard of it. Throughout my long years I haven¡¯t even heard of any honest attempts at it being made. I cannot help you with such a thing I¡¯m afraid.¡±
¡°That¡¯s alright. I expected as much,¡± Orodan said. If not even an Administrator like the Prophet knew of a way to salvage Zaessythra¡¯s soul, then attempting to find direct answers on Alastaia was a fruitless endeavor. Though, a particularly secretive and paranoid being in another galaxy might have an inkling. Particularly when this individual had an Administrator¡¯s Mantle in their possession and seemed most knowledgeable and skilled in magic. ¡°My chief aim in learning magic from you¡ is to become capable of stealthily entering another galaxy without alerting its inhabitants that I¡¯ve done so.¡±
¡°That sounds like a set of very complicated circumstances. Why the necessity for stealth?¡±
¡°The individual I seek to consult on the matter is a bit excessive in their paranoia. And threatening people for the sake of being granted an audience is a dishonorable move I have no intent of resorting to.¡±
¡°Well, given your work ethic, I think we can manage something in the month we have. Though you¡¯ll be studying that alongside all the elemental magic training I¡¯ll put you to work on,¡± Destartes said. ¡°The workload will be a heavy one alongside everything else you intend on doing.¡±
¡°A heavy workload? Why that¡¯s just the first day of the week for me,¡± Orodan replied with a smile. ¡°The more the better actually.¡±
Here he was, a Transcendent, seeking instruction from a Grandmaster. But what did that matter? Knowledge could come from anywhere. And Orodan, who¡¯d started from the lowest of beginnings, wasn¡¯t above humbling himself to learn from any teacher. Particularly one that understood the nuances intricacies and theory of magic better than him in many regards.
And with Destartes¡¯ tutelage, came the opportunity to amplify his battle power through utilization of the elements and the replication of that exceedingly rare and difficult cross-application of elemental magic and enchanting.
#
Feet steady, eyes focused.
The shield in his left hand stood ready, and the sword in his right lashed out.
It was the most basic thrust one could perform with a sword; underhand and either beneath or around the shield. During basic training for the militia, particularly during formations training where the recruits were instructed to lock shields, stand side-by-side and clash against an opposing shield line, this thrust was the most common one used.
¡°A rather basic motion for a warrior of your caliber. I would¡¯ve expected you to devote yourself to the perfect slash or something more¡ ostentatious,¡± Zaessythra said, more curious than judgemental.
¡°There¡¯s a reason the thrust comes so intuitively to us with a sword or knife in hand. There is violence in the thrust, aggression.¡±
While a thrust could be made flowery and elegant, Orodan¡¯s was anything but.
Point A to point B. Brutal and violent. There was no elegant or fancy motion to it. Yet, there were so many intricacies to the basic and humble thrust. Sword Mastery as a whole encompassed slashing, grappling and even bashing with the hilt or flat¡ but integral to a sword, in Orodan¡¯s opinion, was the thrust. It was the difference between Sword Mastery and Saber Mastery, and though there was some overlap where mildly curved swords could still thrust, the majority of them just weren¡¯t as effective for it.
Orodan¡¯s sword arm lashed out in a thrust once more. A thrust, much like a punch delivered from the fists, was a motion that had so many mechanical intricacies to it. For maximal efficiency, one couldn¡¯t just thrust with the arm, they had to utilize the shoulders and rest of the body too. Rotational force starting from the legs travelled through the core and added to its strength, and the rigidity of one¡¯s grip upon the sword at the point of impact was equally important, which was why sword-users made sure to train wrist and grip strength too.
Receive a blow on the shield, and return with a quick and vicious underhand thrust of the sword. These were the root basics of combat taught in the county militia. Before even getting to swing their blades, militia troops were taught the thrust.
He made sure to moderate his pace lest he generate air pressure and shockwaves which would cause mass destruction, but even then, Orodan thrusted at as quick a pace as he could safely manage. From under the shield, from around, and even at times the shield was pulled down so he could thrust from over it. Akin to how a masterful unarmed fighter could pepper a foe with lightning-quick jabs at the peak of their range, so too did Orodan let loose hundreds of thrusts.
The form was incredibly basic. Any recruit going through military boot camp or militia basic training would perform the same motions. But¡
¡basic was good.
And Orodan had a knack for taking what was ¡®basic¡¯ and evolving it beyond what should be possible.
Even though he¡¯d moderated his pace, the sheer number of thrusts and his power in general meant that gale force winds were sweeping through the training yard. And many of the soldiers working on their own skills or going through drill certainly noticed.
¡°Beladrius! You¡¯re having trouble staying on your feet! Might I ask, why is that?¡± a training sergeant asked, glaring at a new recruit closest to Orodan. Both the recruit and the sergeant knew exactly why, but the poor greenhorn wouldn¡¯t dare voice it.
¡°Just a stiff breeze ma¡¯am!¡±
The recruit looked rather light of weight and not too tall of stature. Physical Fitness as a skill gave power to the body and allowed one to push the muscles further, but it didn¡¯t increase mass. Consequently, without any supplementary skills, a warrior of lighter weight was still subject to getting thrown about by attacks or the environment.
Just a stiff breeze eh?
The thrusts increased in frequency. Orodan¡¯s right arm becoming a blazing cannon of motion as the air around him began to heat. With the crutch of the old System, his thrusts would¡¯ve been skilled and blazingly fast, but still guided along a certain path. But without it¡ he could bring his own style of fighting to bear.
Aggression. Pure, untamed and unbridled ferocity.
Violence.
That was the essence of Orodan¡¯s style of melee combat. While a normal sword-and-shield wielding warrior would perhaps attempt to maintain stance and balance offense and defense¡ Orodan instead acted aggressively and furiously in everything he did. Each thrust was shot forward like a cannon and the return and re-chambering just as brutal, all so he could deliver the next. One thrust was delivered, only for the next to come right after. Even his shield began blending into this utterly aggressive style of combat.
¡°Keep your feet beneath you greenhorns! Lower your weight and attempt to ground yourselves! Consider this training for foes which use wind magic!¡± the sergeant yelled even as she was struggling to remain standing.
¡°S-sergeant! I can¡¯t hold on!¡±
Orodan had fond memories of his drill instructors during basic training in the county militia. He¡¯d often gotten singled out and smoked for his headstrong and conflict-seeking nature, but he¡¯d considered those to be more opportunities for training. That being said, he wasn¡¯t above messing with a training sergeant for his own amusement as a practical joke.
In any case, his mind focused on what mattered. The thrust, the sword, and its place in his style of fighting. Not only did Orodan thrust, but as each one retracted his shield began violently ramming forwards as well. Overly offensive styles of combat were oft vulnerable to counterattacks or had gaps which could be exploited. Orodan instead believed in making his style so utterly aggressive and offensive, that the gaps would simply be covered by more attacks.
An ordinary martial specialist would perhaps remain wary of engaging fierce and horrifying monsters in melee, and if they did it would be through technique, skill and a balanced approach of arms. Orodan instead fought them too-to-toe because he was as much a ravenous beast of rage, violence and aggression as the worst of them were. The Demonic Berserker he¡¯d died against thousands of times had tempered his style of combat, and he¡¯d decided to roll with the natural zeal it¡¯d taught him.
¡°Hold on greenhorns! Hold on and watch closely that we might learn something from this display!¡± the sergeant bellowed, causing her formation of recruits to try and stubbornly hold on. Even the woman herself appeared intent on learning what she could from observing Orodan¡¯s techniques.
Well, if they had held on so desperately despite the winds his strikes were causing¡ then they were deserving of a lesson at least.
Combat Transcendence activated, and Orodan began drilling his moves not just against the air¡ but against imaginary foes in his mind¡¯s eye. The rim of his shield tore forward, smashing against and splitting the imagined arrow from a House Argon archer. The one who¡¯d slain him in Scarmorrow. The overhand thrust of his blade, from over the top of the shield, reached the heart of the Demonic Berserker, a foe he¡¯d died against countless times. The underhand stab from below the shield rammed through the gut of Agathor. And his synchronized strike of both sword and shield met the Prophet¡¯s beam of light in what he felt was its weakest point.
For now, death was the end result. In his mind at least.
But Orodan would not stop. He drilled against foes both past and present. Against enemies he¡¯d already bested and those he still strived to defeat.
Everything about Orodan¡¯s style was offensive. The thrusts of his sword flew for the foe¡¯s hearts. The blocks with his shield were both a defensive and offensive motion in one. And even the few times he swiftly moved to evade were aggressive in nature as he shoulder checked, tackled or headbutted the imaginary enemies he fought while moving out of the line of their attacks.
Yes, he wielded a sword and shield, but at core, he oft fought like a rabid animal. Elegant and fanciful movements had their place, but in a toe-to-toe battle, what mattered was the willingness and ability to inflict violence upon the foe.
[Combat Mastery 105 ¡ú Combat Mastery 106]The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[Sword Mastery 94 ¡ú Sword Mastery 95]
[Shield Mastery 97 ¡ú Shield Mastery 98]
His training halted for a moment as a brave pair of feet approached him, despite the apparent difficulty the man had.
¡°My lord¡ I have never seen such a display of martial talent. Your manner of wielding that sword and shield is akin to a raging deity¡ no, a berserk monster from the depths,¡± the captain said.
¡°If one is to fight horrifying and fierce things toe-to-toe, one must strive to also become a terrifying and violent force themselves,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I hope I did not interrupt the recruits¡¯ training overly much.¡±
This was the training yard of the Sixth Company. The Lieutenant-General of Anthus greatly favored these troops as they were an honor guard and strike force of his. Naturally, this meant the Sixth Company received the largest and most expansive training yard of all the barracks. Orodan had thought this would cause less disruption, but his training had gotten slightly out of hand it seemed.
Well, not his fault that he saw a drill sergeant and felt like giving them a run for their gold.
¡°Not at all sir. The recruits and their drill sergeant saw what heights they can aspire to; an experience more valuable than some drill,¡± the man said. ¡°But¡ how do you balance offense with defense when fighting in such a manner? Why, I don¡¯t think I saw you pause once to defend or regain distance.¡±
¡°My offense is my defense. An attack comes for me? My own attacks meet it. A slippery foe positioning for a counterattack? They¡¯ll be afforded no time for positioning when they¡¯re too busy surviving my onslaught. Anything which directly hits me? I¡¯ll extract a heavy price for it,¡± Orodan explained as the captain paid rapt attention. ¡°Balance is not a rigid ideal or state to strive for, but a concept. There are many ways to make this concept a reality.¡±
¡°Then¡ is aggression the key?¡± the captain asked. ¡°Is that how one attains true balance?¡±
¡°The key¡ is taking your own path to the peak, and making it work despite the odds,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If you shell up and fight like a turtle, strive to become the most ferocious turtle in existence. If you fight in a slippery manner, aim to become nimble enough that even light cannot touch you. You¡¯ll find that the heights of martial mastery all begin to converge at a high enough level. A true master of defense can somehow also be a terrifying threat during the attack.¡±
[Teaching 49 ¡ú Teaching 50]
[New Title ¡ú Teaching Adept]
Right. He¡¯d forgotten that he could, if he wanted, function as a halfway decent teacher. Although if his students in past loops had anything to say about it, one who was quite brutal and demanding.
¡°I see¡ I think I understand my lord-¡±
¡°Just Orodan will do,¡± he corrected. ¡°Or if you truly insist, sir works as well.¡±
¡°Yes sir! If it¡¯s not too much trouble¡ might we watch you train? I feel as though my own understanding has grown through simply spectating.¡±
¡°Long as you can hold onto the ground, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Orodan said with a smile.
¡°It¡¯ll only be training for when we face enemy wind magic sir.¡±
Orodan accepted that answer. And so, he resumed.
He trained not only his martial abilities, but a plethora of things. As he did with Destartes, he used spatiomancy to compress his cells and form miniature space bubbles around each one. And while this was ongoing, he continued his drills.
And as he worked and trained, he also pondered and meditated.
The enemies in his way were powerful. A smarter looper would have taken their sweet time, prepared themselves to the utter limit and perhaps then dared challenge such cosmic foes. Orodan though, had no interest in delays. Most of the battles he¡¯d been in, he¡¯d punched above his weight class. He had a feeling that he¡¯d be ready to face the Administrators before reaching the peak of the System¡¯s levelling scheme.
But in order to do that, Orodan would need to focus on the advantages that allowed him to fight uphill battles against stronger foes. His soul energy was the key, however to utilize it, he needed to stay alive. There was no other way about the matter; his body needed to become capable of handling greater amounts of soul energy.
But how? While honing Body Tempering was well and good, it wouldn¡¯t give him what he needed by itself. Mainly because he had a second problem to consider.
Blessings.
Or rather, the severe lack of them that he would be causing within the Republic. Orodan¡¯s hatred for three of the Prime Five burned hot, but his loathing hadn¡¯t blinded him to the fact that good and innocent folk were still reliant upon their Blessings. Even if the three vermin weren¡¯t deserving of worship, to strip their Blessings away would mean negatively impacting the lives of these folk. Furthermore, Gods like Malzim and Ozgaric had helped him, as had Halor and his Chosen Alcianne Rockwood.
Not all Gods were evil. And even Blessings granted by wicked Gods could enrich the lives of those using them.
And that brought up the question of how exactly Blessings were granted in the first place. It couldn¡¯t have been soul energy; Orodan tried manipulating the souls of others before, and they typically spent themselves in their instinctual efforts to resist him.
Souls, like anti-spatiomancy wards, could innately detect when something was directing energy towards them.
How then, did the Gods grant Blessings? Orodan was absolutely certain that his own skill in the arts of soul manipulation was beyond that of the Prime Five. It couldn¡¯t have been their own finesse, not when Orodan himself didn¡¯t yet know how to make a soul accept his power without noticing.
It must have been the System. Orodan was almost certain of this. The divine dimension was a strange and ethereal realm, yes. But it also looked to very much be part of the System¡¯s functioning. The veins of System energy and the Eldritch corruption spreading throughout the deeper parts supported this theory. It seemed to be some manner of filtration area where the Boundless One¡¯s power would be converted into System energy. How? Orodan wasn¡¯t sure of the specifics yet. But the System was involved all the same.
How then, did the System grant Blessings without a soul having any say in the matter? He knew divine energy was involved, but it had to be guided by the System.
¡°If anti-spatiomancy wards can be fooled by Dimensionalism¡ why can¡¯t souls?¡± Zaessythra posed.
That must have been it. Divine energy flowed through the dimensional boundary to reach people, and souls then must have been unable to detect it. Was Dimensionalism the key? Perhaps sneaking energy or power through a dimensional boundary and to a soul was the way. Was that how the Prophet had suddenly corrupted all those soldiers of the Conclave in that past long loop?
He only had questions and not enough answers. In any case, providing someone a tangible Blessing would take time, and he¡¯d have to study Blessed people first. But if anyone could do it, it would be him.
His sword continued flashing, the swings and thrusts quite simple yet exceedingly violent and brutal.
And of course, yet another person decided to interrupt him by most bravely walking forwards, weathering the gale force winds he was causing.
¡°You know, the winds aren¡¯t some hidden test to find a worthy disciple¡ I really am just training and would prefer to be left alone,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though, I wasn¡¯t expecting a daughter of House Argon to approach me.¡±
Surena Argon. The typical raven black hair of House Argon was prominent. And much like her father Baron Viglas, she had an angular face and eyebrows which gave off the impression that she was perpetually frowning. Though, Orodan supposed her expressions appeared more genuine than her father¡¯s at least. He¡¯d never quite liked the slimy Baron whose shady dealings kept Ogdenborough mired in poverty.
The girl was struggling to remain standing, but she defiantly approached all the same.
¡°I¡ refuse to quit!¡± she angrily declared.
¡°An admirable mentality, but there are better ways to train Impact Resistance than weathering turbulent gales,¡± Orodan remarked as he continued training. ¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°A duel, fight me!¡±
Orodan¡¯s sword stopped mid-thrust. A happy grin split his face as he pointed the blade at Surena.
¡°By all means, let¡¯s fight! Do you prefer to the death? First blood? First to surrender?¡±
¡°Do stop bullying the poor girl. I don¡¯t think she realizes you¡¯re jesting.¡±
¡°T-to the death?¡± she asked, trying to sound strong but her voice cracking.
¡°If you want. Alternately, we could just spar,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Approaching someone so directly and asking for a duel can have consequences.¡±
¡°I see¡ I apologize. I¡¯ve been trying to curb my tendency to challenge random people to duels as a method of getting to know them,¡± Surena replied.
¡°Why on Alastaia would you curb it? That sounds like an excellent habit,¡± Orodan said with a smile, at least until Zaessythra gave him a mental cuff over the head. ¡°Well, unless you challenge the wrong person and get killed. The mentality is respectable though.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just surprised you accepted so easily¡¡± she muttered.
¡°Why would I not?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Oh, I see. I suppose you¡¯re used to ancient masters who act mysterious and aloof, perhaps a denial of your challenge with a vague excuse of you not being ready? Well, I have no time for such nonsense. Now then, draw your weapon and let¡¯s fight.¡±
To her credit, the girl didn¡¯t need to be told twice. She produced a rapier with a blade nearly the length of a short spear and levelled it towards him. With a flash of mana, she rapidly covered ground, moving towards him.
¡°Flash Strike? Huh¡ how odd seeing it from the receiving end for once,¡± Orodan muttered as he lowered his speed and strength to match hers, catching the thrust of her rapier upon the flat of his sword.
Only then did Orodan pause to take in what he sensed. He frowned.
It was after a Power Strike came his way and he felt another pulse of mana that it was confirmed.
¡°You¡¯re using mana to fuel martial abilities,¡± Orodan stated factually. ¡°An interesting strategy.¡±
It wasn¡¯t revolutionary, and Orodan wasn¡¯t a bumpkin without an education who didn¡¯t know about it. Using mana to fuel abilities not conventionally associated with it was possible. In fact, it could serve as an amplifier for the strike, which was how Orodan came to learn the All-Strike, which was the pouring of all his energies into an attack. That being said, most people often didn¡¯t use it this way. Mainly because martial specialists who used physical skills typically had a small mana pool, and using mana to amplify a martial skill necessitated a decent level of Mana Manipulation.
¡°Of course I am, how else will I train my Mana Manipulation?¡± the Argon said.
That was¡ a surprisingly good idea. Why hadn¡¯t he ever thought of that?
His easy access to soul energy - which was the root and superior form of energy which mana and vitality derived from - had made him short-sighted. If he honed his control over mana, which was the derivative energy¡ what insights could he acquire about soul energy itself?
If he eventually planned to dabble in the arts of the cultivators, what could he gain if his mastery of mana and vitality was incredibly high? The Qi many of them used was after all a combination of mana and vitality. And what if he then extended this to other things which normally relied on the body¡¯s stamina?
How far could Orodan go if he truly mastered the basics and learned how to manipulate each energy source?
Surena¡¯s rapier flashed for his throat, and the tip of Orodan¡¯s own sword met it, a picture-perfect collision where the two stalemated as Orodan kept his strength in check to match hers.
¡°With a rapier that long, why not just pick up a spear instead?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Doesn¡¯t feel the same in my hands.¡±
The rapier was an interesting weapon. It had its own mastery skill and was a weapon used quite rarely upon Inuan. It was rather ill-suited to any cutting, hence those favoring the sword naturally disdained it. However, the one thing it did, it did very well.
And that was thrusting. Matter of fact, just watching this girl attempt to pepper him with thrusts gave Orodan an idea or two for his own training.
Then, once he watched and took note of what he could learn¡ he began fighting back.
Even with strength and speed matched evenly, Orodan was like a natural disaster given the shape of a man. Attacks flowed into one another, any openings were immediately covered with monstrous aggression and even his dodges, parries and blocks were meant to harm.
Within a second her own attack fell apart under the sheer pressure, her attention purely on survival.
Within two seconds six attacks slipped past her guard, and it was fortunate that Orodan had chosen to employ his fists and knees for those rather than his blade.
And after three seconds she finally hit the ground with a muffled gasp. The weapon deadlock they were in led to a headbutt crunching her nose, a whipping elbow to clobber her head, and a shield bash to send her sprawling.
¡°That was an embarrassing display, I-¡±
¡°You did quite well,¡± Orodan interrupted. ¡°Not bad at all, though you could polish your unarmed skills a bit more for when someone aggressively enters your guard. A long weapon like that¡¯s rather vulnerable for when an opponent gets close. That being said¡ your thrusting techniques are quite excellent. At sword point, I have a hard time seeing any sword-wielding warrior of equivalent level besting you. They¡¯d have to pay a heavy price to land any blows.¡±
Indeed, while Orodan had no problems dismantling her, that was primarily due to the sheer gap in combat experience between the two of them. She was at the Elite-level but could jump a tier to fight at the Master-level. Quite talented.
¡°Thank you, my lord.¡±
¡°Orodan will do.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir Orodan,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ve wielded the rapier all my life, ever since my days at Bluefire. It won me the Inter-Academy Tournament in my third year too.¡±
Orodan did vaguely recall seeing an Argon listed as one of the winners of a past competition during his time at Bluefire. Must¡¯ve been her.
¡°Well, if you keep working at it, not even the sky¡¯s the limit. That being said¡ why use so much mana to empower your martial skills?¡± he asked.
¡°That is¡ not a matter I speak of often, but seeing as we¡¯ve crossed blades and spoken the language of warriors beforehand, I feel comfortable saying it,¡± she said, hesitation in her voice. ¡°The Argon Bloodline¡ I didn¡¯t inherit it. Not fully.¡±
¡°The Argon Bloodline? You can¡¯t mean the tendency to be an evil and remorseless cutthroat? It can only be a good thing if you haven¡¯t inherited that.¡±
She stuttered in outrage for a moment but recovered quickly enough.
¡°The Bloodline of fire? Our famed pyromancy which contributed greatly on the front lines of the Republic¡¯s victory in the Liberation War?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t know about it, do you?¡±
Oh¡ was that why both Aeglos and Viglas Argon loved casting fire spells? Orodan did recall getting burnt to complete ash hundreds of times while attempting to assault Eversong Plaza in his very early days in the loops. He supposed a Bloodline which made fire magic easier might be the reason for that.
¡°I¡¯m only learning about it just now. So, you can¡¯t conjure flames like your family can?¡± Orodan asked, and she shook her head, the resentment evident. ¡°You seem to be quite the warrior though. I¡¯m almost certain you could best your brother in a duel.¡±
¡°My father cares not. That I cannot channel the famed fire of Argon has ever been a stain upon my house¡¯s reputation. However¡ I still inherited the generous mana pool that comes with the Bloodline. In battle, I see no reason not to take advantage of this.¡±
Orodan thought it exceedingly stupid that Baron Viglas Argon wouldn¡¯t recognize his daughter¡¯s talent. She was an Elite who could jump a tier. Frankly, Orodan suspected she could even beat her father under the right conditions with a surprise assault. Then again, old grudges borne of past grievances died hard. Orodan knew that well enough himself.
¡°An ignorant mentality, but I suppose whatever bad blood exists between the two of you is not so easily washed away, even with the merit of your current achievements. Now then, you didn¡¯t approach me without reason.¡±
¡°Was I that obvious? Very well, I¡¯ll speak plainly. You said during our first meeting that my father and brother are traitors,¡± she spoke directly. ¡°What did you mean by that?¡±
¡°That your father and brother are traitors. They conspired to betray the Republic by siding with Novarria,¡± Orodan said quite bluntly.
¡°Sir Orodan¡ I have respect for you, but you speak on matters you know little of! The Republic has time and time again denied House Argon its due for our contributions! Tell me, is it fair that we receive a mere barony when houses with far fewer contributions received entire counties? How are we meant to react when we¡¯re discriminated against for our Novarrian origins?¡±
She was passionate about the topic, and it showed in how red her face was as she angrily spat her words.
Although the Republic was considered a part of Novarria before the Liberation War, that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t cultural differences between the two even before the schism. For starters, the Republic of Aden was on the northern part of Inuan, its entire northern coast bordering the Sea of Uxamar. This meant that the peoples and territories of the Republic, even before independence, were subject to constant threat and attack by raiding Guzuharans.
Novarria¡¯s continual tensions with Eldiron and their devotion of resources to that shadow war meant that the peoples of the Republic were often poorly supported when it came to dealing with raids. And while the true movers who caused the Liberation War were the opposing dragon flights whose conflict bled over to the humans¡ the tensions between Novarria and the Republic were evident beforehand.
There was a very real sense of ¡®us¡¯ versus ¡®them¡¯. Seafaring was a staple of life for the majority of Adenians living outside of the cities. All of the Republic¡¯s noble houses were seafarers who had a hand in naval trade. But House Argon was the exception, being defectors from Novarria whose original domain lay south of Mount Castarian.
Orodan thought it incredibly stupid that the Republic would shun a noble house who had sacrificed their prior holdings just to join them. Though, he wondered if they¡¯d truly been shunned, or if the rulers of the Republic had seen fit to amply reward the core houses first and foremost. In any case, House Argon rightfully felt slighted.
¡°Traitors they may be, but that part I won¡¯t judge. Hells, they might well be justified in turning against the Republic,¡± Orodan said. ¡°What I do judge, is how your father and brother planned on unleashing a weapon unto Volarbury County, destroying it and killing most of its citizenry. Murderous, and utterly disregarding of uninvolved innocents.¡±
¡°I was¡ not aware of that,¡± she quietly admitted. ¡°The relationship between my father and I has ever been strained. Last I saw him was a year ago. To think he would do such a thing¡¡±
¡°My hometown is among those he planned to destroy. As you can imagine, my opinion of him is understandably low.¡±
¡°Forgive me, sir Orodan. I cannot hold your dislike against you then¡ I only hope that you do not judge the rest of House Argon as harshly for the sins of my father and brother,¡± Surena said.
Orodan grew up a street rat, and the sense of morality which espoused the value of life hadn¡¯t been as stringently reinforced to him. And even though it was self-defense, he¡¯d still taken a life even before the time loops. Consequently, the young Orodan Wainwright, in the early loops, had been far more bloodthirsty and happy to kill. Guards and enforcers of House Argon watered the ground with their blood wherever he went.
His time in the loops, the lessons he¡¯d learned and the education he¡¯d received had changed him however. With power came a sense of restraint and the understanding that these lackeys of a noble house weren¡¯t all responsible for the atrocities committed by their master. Not everyone within House Argon was evil, and this also extended to Surena Argon.
¡°Well, you can hardly be blamed for the actions of someone you haven¡¯t seen in a year,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Surprised you¡¯re still remaining in Anthus despite such revelatory news.¡±
¡°Not by choice¡¡± she grumbled. ¡°Due to the sensitive nature of the information I overheard, the Lieutenant-General is insisting I remain a ¡®guest¡¯ within his city for an entire month. And outside of Anthus, now that House Argon have been branded traitors, I cannot travel freely lest I suffer imprisonment.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s what happens when you can¡¯t shut your big mouth,¡± Zaessythra derided. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t said anything to her, she wouldn¡¯t have had to remain a political prisoner.¡±
¡°How was I to know her father and brother were involved with a grand conspiracy to orchestrate a coup within the Republic? She would¡¯ve been imprisoned one way or another by association with her house.¡±
¡°In any case, remaining here for a month, while inconvenient for many of my other ventures¡ presents the unique opportunity to learn,¡± Surena said, a gleam in her eye. ¡°Particularly from a warrior of your caliber.¡±
Why not? He could always stand to gain more levels in Teaching, and Surena seemed talented and hard working enough. Plus, from watching and sparring against a rapier, Orodan could improve his own insights into the sword.
He never neglected to hone his martial abilities after all.
#
¡°L-lord Wainwright!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a noble.¡±
¡°Sir Wainwright then!¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°What on Alastaia have you done to my workshop?!¡± the department head cried, the noise sounding halfway between a strangled squeal and a dying groan. ¡°This is a mess!¡±
¡°Well, I need it to be frigid. How else will I practice ice forging?¡±
As he said this, a clump from an elemental ice crystal attached to the ceiling above fell off and landed on his head. Shattering upon his skull.
¡°Well deserved. A shame your head is so hard that the hit can¡¯t improve your intelligence.¡±
He gave Zaessythra the mental equivalent of a smack upon the head and continued working.
The center for research and development beneath Anthus had been promised to him as long as he made weapons for the military. It was a generous agreement, mainly for the Lieutenant-General who received Orodan¡¯s weaponry in exchange for barely anything at all. Orodan though, was more than happy with what he was getting in turn.
An area and the materials to experiment and hone his crafts.
Of course, ice forging necessitated the room be quite cold. Which meant that elemental ice crystals sourced from the harsh environs of Guzuhar were thrown haphazardly all around the room turning it into a miniature tundra. The crystals were just laying about the department and Orodan decided to put them to good use. Each one was worth at least fifty gold pieces too!
Much to the displeasure of the poor woman whose department he¡¯d invaded and repurposed.
¡°Ice forging? You mean to aid in tempering the metal?¡± the woman asked, putting her outrage aside for a moment.
¡°No. I mean to make it so cold that I can forge it,¡± Orodan clarified.
¡°You do not make any sense, sir Wainwright¡¡±
And the woman had a point.
The sword in front of him was frozen. Surrounded by elemental ice crystals. The hammer wasn¡¯t even necessary, for the moment Orodan¡¯s hand touched it¡
¡it shattered.
He brought out another piece of metal, froze it under the crystals and looked closely at its structure.
What was temperature? All of his cells were capable of sight, and so he used every available one to observe closely. Temperature at the end of the day was the motion of the minute particles that made up matter. Heat really was just the motion of these particles, and cold was the lack of such movement.
And idly, Orodan wondered if temperature itself was something he could clean off of an item. That would certainly be an interesting method of replicating ice magic.
It was late evening, and he was wrapping up his mad experimentation for the time being. He had attempted to make a gun that could kill without using any bullets, and he¡¯d tried enchanting the very air itself. Both experiments had failed in spectacular fashion as the rifle simply exploded when Orodan tried forcing too much of his will unto it via Reality Alteration, and the air erupted in a shockwave when he threw copious amounts of mana into it.
But the promise of success drove him forward all the same.
¡°You truly seek to forge weapons with ice? The metal will simply shatter. Do you have some skill which can prevent this?¡± the woman asked.
¡°No, I do not. But I covet success in spite of the odds arrayed against me.¡±
The woman seemed quite baffled by the answer and didn¡¯t push any further; neither did Orodan want to waste any more of his time.
These were impossible endeavors. How he was meant to succeed was entirely unclear. When he¡¯d enchanted using chicken scratch as a language, he¡¯d at least had a high level in the Enchanting skill and been forced to understand quite intimately what enchanting was, and the nature of the enchantment he was trying to execute.
Here, just attempting to brute force Reality Alteration onto something resulted in a catastrophic explosion. Frankly, Orodan didn¡¯t understand that skill very well. Orodan wasn¡¯t yet capable of directly and specifically using Reality Alteration. He¡¯d acquired and levelled it up each time incidentally when gaining a deep insight into another skill.
Reality Alteration seemingly only levelled up and was utilized properly when he had a deep understanding of something critical. Something fundamental to the nature of what he was trying to alter.
Then¡ did success in these impossible endeavors require further insights on what he was working with?
He looked closely at the ice and pondered on the fact that temperature was just the motion of the particles which made up something. But there was a discrepancy between the material plane and the metaphysical. Ice magic, and things which were extremely cold such as the elemental ice crystals he was working with, were interesting in that they affected only material things. Temperature as a whole didn¡¯t affect mana, soul energy, dimensional boundaries or the soul itself. The sun otherwise might¡¯ve caused dimensional damage through simply existing.
Fire didn¡¯t cause souls to ignite, not regular fire at least. Ice didn¡¯t freeze a soul. But¡ what was the concept tying it all together?
Was it the motion of the particles? Temperature?
What was motion?
The answer came to Orodan as power condensed in his hands.
[Time Reversal 82 ¡ú Time Reversal 83]
The entirety of the room reversed, the ice crystals going back into their storage spots, the items he created being unmade, and the very temperature of the room returning to normal.
Was temperature not just related to time?
He was close to an answer, he was certain of it.
Unfortunately, the subtle sensation he felt through Dimensionalism meant he would have to pause his endeavors for the moment.
At the start of most loops, Orodan typically helped Old Man Hannegan build the warehouse at 4 Ale Road in Ogdenborough. However, he wasn¡¯t without consideration for the man. In longer loops, Orodan would make sure to assist and spruce up the warehouse only so much that it would potentially face robbery, but not any further scrutiny.
This loop however, he¡¯d truly been extravagant. All manner of enchantments, a defense system outfitted with cannons, and most importantly¡ most of the enchantments he¡¯d done were three-dimensional. And inscribed using the Imperial enchanting language.
A language which was normally two-dimensional.
Needless to say, it would cause a stir and draw great scrutiny upon the old man. Not an issue in the short loops Orodan had been engaging in prior. But now, as Dimensionalism gave him a warning that the necklace he¡¯d enchanted was going off, Orodan knew people had come to question the old man.
[Dimensional Step 9 ¡ú Dimensional Step 10]
His passage through the porous dimensional boundary and into Ogdenborough was swift.
¡°Tell us what you know of the warehouse, or we¡¯ll be forced to invade your mind next. I don¡¯t want to do this, but you¡¯re forcing my hand,¡± said one masked assailant, voice disguised through a spell making the gender unclear, but Orodan saw clearly enough with Vision of Purity.
The masked man¡¯s fist was buried in Old Man Hannegan¡¯s stomach.
¡°You¡¯re too soft! Just invade his mind and be done with it! We can dispose of him after!¡± barked another, a masked woman.
His passage through dimensions was quiet. His footfall onto the creaky wood boards of the old man¡¯s house¡ was anything but.
¡°I¡ should we cause such undue harm to an- who¡¯s there?!¡±
Orodan was big, and it showed as his hand practically enveloped the man¡¯s face, lifting him off the floor. A swift follow-up throw had the first assailant flying through the window and out onto the street with a crash. Bruised and with a broken bone or two, but the man would live.
¡°W-wait! We¡¯re with the Republic¡¯s Department of Intell-¡±
The woman would not live. Orodan¡¯s hand snapping her neck was an end to that matter.
¡°W-who are you? Please, I mean you no harm!¡± the old man shouted.
Right, the lamps were out.
[Candleflame 21 ¡ú Candleflame 22]
While he could¡¯ve cast a Flare and blinded the old man and burned Ogdenborough down, he¡¯d gone with this smaller spell instead. The right tool for the right job. Perhaps he could learn to think like a mage yet.
¡°Take it easy old man, it¡¯s me,¡± Orodan said, illuminating his face.
¡°Orodan¡?¡± the old man asked, heaving a sigh of relief. His eyes then went to the corpse on the floor. ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t exactly give her a gentle squeeze.¡±
¡°You did what you had to,¡± the old man said, his face grim, but not unused to the sight of death or the necessity of it at times. Such was life in Ogdenborough, and Old Man Hannegan hadn¡¯t gotten to his age by being sheltered. ¡°Though, you could¡¯ve spared my window.¡±
¡°You won¡¯t be staying here anyways. Not after this,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Where¡¯s Vilia?¡±
¡°She should be at her home,¡± the old man said. ¡°But, where will we go Orodan?¡±
¡°Anthus. You¡¯ll be safe and provided for over there,¡± Orodan assuaged. ¡°Now, show me where her house is so we can pick her up too.¡±
The first assailant who Orodan had manhandled was already gone. Backup would doubtlessly be arriving soon. Unlike the start of his loops it wasn¡¯t midnight, but late evening, and a lot of Old Man Hannegan¡¯s neighbors had stepped out to see what the commotion was about. The militia would likely be on their way too.
It wasn¡¯t that Orodan was concerned about fighting. But that causing too much of a ruckus might derail the Lieutenant-General and Destartes¡¯ plans. Frankly, Orodan had a mind to simply drag the old man and Vilia to Anthus in every loop besides the short ones from now on. At least if he was going to draw attention with the warehouse.
Vilia lived in Scarmorrow, traveling to Ogdenborough for work. Orodan thus dragged the old man along in a quick Teleportation, and soon after, they were in front of Vilia¡¯s home.
And so were two other masked assailants upon a nearby roof, looking to be surveying her house.
¡°Stay here old man,¡± Orodan told him.
[Dimensional Step 10 ¡ú Dimensional Step 11]
He appeared behind the two infiltrators.
¡°Greetings. I¡¯ve killed one of your fellows and hurled the other one through a window. It would be in your best interests to ensure I don¡¯t do the same to you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Care to tell me who sent you?¡±
[Intimidation 25 ¡ú Intimidation 27]
Though they were at the Adept-level, these infiltrators weren¡¯t fighters. Any combat-specialist Adept from a noble house or the militia could¡¯ve beat either of these two in a fight. However, what they were, was decisive. Vision of Purity informed him that one of them had a poison pill in his mouth, and the man was a second from chomping down on it when Orodan¡¯s hand tore through the mask, prying his jaw open.
A tooth and a poison pill were plucked out.
A necklace glowed, the tell-tale sign of an explosive enchantment.
Only for a casual usage of Time Reversal to revert the necklace to an unenchanted state.
¡°Chronomancer!¡± the other one shouted, attempting to end his life with both the poison pill and the necklace that Orodan might fail to interrogate him.
Both these attempts were squarely thwarted via Time Reversal yet again. The pill reverted to the plants used to make it, filling the man¡¯s mouth with plant matter. And the necklace reverted to scraps of ore.
Two fists then struck each infiltrator, sending them to the ground.
¡°Speak. Who sent you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Goddess Ilyatana, I call upon your grace!¡± one shouted. And only then did Orodan realize that the Blessings each of them bore were a final method of ending their own lives. The man began glowing gold, skin cracking as divine power was channelled through him. It wasn¡¯t the descent of a God, but the activation of a Blessing meant to kill the bearer. ¡°Your chronomancy will avail you not!¡±
¡°Enough.¡±
A broom came forth and the man¡¯s eyes widened in bafflement. As though he refused to believe a broom would somehow prevent the activation of a Blessing from the Goddess of Fate herself.
Unfortunately for the infiltrator¡ Orodan had cleansed Blessings more than enough times by now. He knew well how to rid the accursed plague that was the touch of divinity.
The broom needed not make contact, the simple waving of it caused the Blessings upon both masked intruders to utterly vanish, with no hope of re-application by any God ever again.
The first man, the one who¡¯d activated the Blessing, continued roaring, still expecting the explosion to take place and bracing himself for the pain of his soul exploding. The second though, began trembling.
Eventually, the yelling began simmering down and confusion started setting in as he looked down at his arms and chest, noticing clearly that the golden light had vanished and he wasn¡¯t dead.
¡°Our lady¡¯s grace is gone¡ gone! What are you?¡± the fearful one muttered, broken in spirit.
He looked down at the street, Vilia had woken up due to the commotion and Old Man Hannegan was with her.
¡°Someone who likes cleaning.¡±
#
¡°While we are grateful for your aid, I must say that it¡¯s accompanied by much commotion and many headaches for me, Mister Wainwright.¡±
¡°I thought the captives would be a good opportunity to learn more,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s too late to wrap a ribbon ¡®round the two and mail them back?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not a possibility,¡± the Lieutenant-General said with a chuckle. ¡°That being said, even if we¡¯ve had to pull some strings and call upon a hidden agent or two to have investigations re-directed¡ this is quite the opportunity you¡¯ve brought us. We¡¯ve never managed to capture any of the Cathedral¡¯s fanatics alive before.¡±
¡°Fanatics?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I suppose they were a bit eager to end their lives. Are all agents of the Intelligence Department trained in such a way?¡±
¡°Even my agents are trained to end their lives if carrying sensitive intelligence and the risk of capture is deemed too high. But the Blessing which causes their bodies to flood with divine energy and the subsequent explosion of their souls isn¡¯t standard training,¡± the halfling general said. ¡°And the ones you dealt with aren¡¯t with the Intelligence Department. An actual visit to a civilian by them would¡¯ve been a more overt affair with agents simply knocking on the door and asking to have a chat. And even in a serious case where detention is required, protocol dictates the involvement of the army and subsequent transport to a military base. Not masked operatives planning to forcibly invade minds and dispose of civilians.¡±
¡°Then¡ these fanatics were with the Cathedral?¡± Orodan asked, and the halfling nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware their involvement in the Republic¡¯s government and daily affairs went so deep.¡±
¡°Nominally these agents are loyal to the Cathedral, but in reality their loyalty is doubtlessly towards the Goddess of Fate,¡± Tegin said. ¡°Deal with these masked interlopers often enough and you¡¯ll come to see that all of them profess an undying fealty towards Ilyatana alone. I have yet to see any war-priests of Agathor acting as spies or blowing themselves up in destructive soul explosions.¡±
Orodan had a good idea of how she did this too. Memories of when the wicked Goddess had tried controlling his mind in his early loops came to the fore. If she¡¯d tried doing it to him¡ then she had doubtlessly succeeded in doing so with many others.
All the more reason that she needed to be slain.
¡°I see¡ do your plans change with this knowledge?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It was fortunate that you cleansed all the magic and enchantments off before bringing them here. However, the knowledge that their operatives are unaccounted for will naturally lead them to close off ranks. Which means when the time comes, some of their loyalist holdouts will be better prepared,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°This does however, give us the opportunity to learn more about their organization.¡±
¡°Fair enough. I¡¯m not one for scheming and interrogations, so I¡¯ll leave that to you and your troops,¡± Orodan said. ¡°How¡¯s the old man and Vilia doing?¡±
¡°The girl¡¯s doing well. A shame that her meagre background prevented her from getting a better education. Very fast learner that one,¡± the Lieutenant-General said, and then frowned. ¡°As for this ¡®Old Man Hannegan¡¯ of yours¡¡±
¡°What about him? He¡¯s been treated well, yes?¡± Orodan asked, a slightly protective tone coming forth.
¡°Of course, that goes without question. Just¡ how do I put this? Are you sure he¡¯s a mere foreman in Ogdenborough?¡± the halfling asked.
¡°Why not? What else would he be?¡±
¡°It¡¯s simply improbable is all. Perhaps there¡¯s something about that town which produces exceptional people?¡± Tegin muttered.
¡°What did he do?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The better question is, what can¡¯t he do? It¡¯s been a day since he¡¯s been here and every single job I put him to he manages to organize and improve the efficiency of by almost two-fold! I assigned him to advise and oversee a small section of the laborers in charge of the stores, and he had the place running smoother in an hour. I asked him to oversee a construction project near the south wall and he somehow whipped the crew into doing a day¡¯s worth of work in four hours. And then I found myself pondering a tricky logistical issue with the building of a new trade outpost, and he somehow knew exactly what sorts of wood would be most cost-effective and how to prevent their decay during transportation and storage!¡± the Lieutenant-General exclaimed. ¡°Thus far the man has refused any assignment to military positions, despite my vehement promises that he¡¯ll see no combat. But at this rate¡ Mister Wainwright, I apologize, but I simply cannot allow Gregory Hannegan to return to Ogdenborough. I¡¯ve assigned him to be my personal assistant, and somehow every little problem I have, the man has some strangely effective advice for.¡±
Anthus was a city built around an energy well. It was an open air one, and Orodan and the Lieutenant-General were stood at the top of the rim, looking down into it. It was deep, not quite as deep as the one Orodan had found in Jerestir, but then again, that one wasn¡¯t open air and began deeper. Glowing ores, mystical plants and mushrooms and all sorts of unique materials and ingredients were abundant, with little danger of depletion either due to the sheer density of the world energy present.
And down on the scaffoldings, the two of them watched as Old Man Hannegan was directing multiple work crews to fortify and stabilize the defenses which sealed off the path leading deeper down into the deep depths.
¡°But of course he knows it all, he¡¯s the old man. What do you expect?¡± Orodan asked, not seeing how this was even a question.
¡°We have plenty of old men in Anthus, yet none of them are as uniquely wise and handy with good, practical advice as he is. No matter what problem I pose, he¡¯ll somehow give me advice relating to some simple concept or method I hadn¡¯t thought of,¡± Tegin said. ¡°I was muttering to myself about how I need parchment capable of withstanding a high-velocity trip through the air, and he somehow referred me to a town in Novarria where a merchant specialized in producing fire-resistant parchment, alongside an enchanter who was good at working with magical paper.¡±
¡°Well I don¡¯t know what to tell you. I never asked the old man too much about his younger days, but he¡¯s been around and done a lot of things. Living in a rough town and doing whatever he did in his younger days forced him to pick up plenty of life skills no doubt. As for connections¡ those who live in poverty often have to rely on social connections to get by on a day to day basis.¡±
In truth, Orodan didn¡¯t really view the old man as being out of the ordinary. Although, the man was admittedly the only one in that town who had a head on his shoulders. A lot of the advice about what to do in the loops, Orodan had received from Old Man Hannegan.
The man was indeed wise, and knew what to do in most situations.
¡°I shan¡¯t question it any further then. That hometown of yours is an anomaly, to produce such an individual alongside yourself,¡± the halfling said. ¡°Anyhow, I believe you wanted to see me for another discussion as well?¡±
¡°Yes. I believe the purging of all Blessings from the Republic is an overreaction.¡±
The Lieutenant-General frowned.
¡°Surely, you of all people can see what harm the Gods have done. The suffering they¡¯ve caused.¡±
¡°I do, and I¡¯ve been victim to their cruel whims often enough. But despite that, not all of them are wicked and capricious,¡± Orodan defended. ¡°Halor and Malzim, we¡¯ve agreed that they won¡¯t be harmed, but I believe their followers should be offered the choice of keeping their Blessings instead of being instantly purged.¡±
¡°You are the one who will be doing this, Mister Wainwright, I can hardly order you around,¡± the Lieutenant-General said. ¡°However, those with Blessings shall not be allowed to hold any position of authority within the Republic¡¯s government.¡±
¡°But what if the Blessing comes not from a God, but a mortal?¡±
¡°I do not understand what you mean. Only Gods can grant Blessings¡?¡±
¡°That¡ is open to being disproven,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If we¡¯re going to purge everyone of their Blessings, then it¡¯s only fair that we make an honest effort at replacing them. For that, I might need your cooperation in securing some test subjects.¡±
Training, both martial and magical, the crafts and perhaps discovering how to make his own Blessings work. Orodan wasn¡¯t certain if a singular month would be enough to make decent progress in all these things, but he wasn¡¯t afraid to try.
And at the end of the month, a revolution and the expulsion of the divine.
Chapter 75 - Revolution
Like that, a month passed.
Time had the tendency to fly by quickly when one was enjoying themselves. And Orodan did have quite the fondness for hard work and training.
His magical training with Destartes advanced by leaps and bounds. He added the basic spells of every standard element to his repertoire. The new spells were basic, but with Orodan¡¯s capacity for power, could genuinely cause some utter mayhem. And while he hadn¡¯t acquired the corresponding mastery skill for all of them, the process of learning all these elemental spells had been fun.
Now though, came something he¡¯d been struggling with all this time. A task he felt would pay off today.
It wasn¡¯t just any sword in front of him. But his own; the basic blade provided by the county militia, the one he¡¯d wielded all throughout the loops. Alth0ugh it was a mere Apprentice-level blade, it was his precious battle-companion; Orodan was quite attached.
Failure and any harm befalling it was not an option.
[Flash Freeze 23 ¡ú Flash Freeze 24]
His blade froze. But¡ it wasn¡¯t enough.
As he¡¯d come to learn a month ago and over the course of it, temperature was merely the motion of the particles composing something. The hotter something was, the more energetic its particles were. The colder something was, the less motion there was. Yet, Orodan¡¯s Flash Freeze, which if he desires could envelop a town in ice, just wasn¡¯t cold enough to completely stop the motion altogether.
He¡¯d not bothered with the elemental ice crystals, not since learning this particular spell from the school of cryomancy. Yet, it still wasn¡¯t enough.
But that was alright.
Because temperature, much like many of the other things he¡¯d targeted with his Celestial skill in the past¡ was nothing more than a concept which could be cleansed out of something. And finally, Orodan understood that the complete absence of any motion within even the smallest particles¡ was the complete absence of heat itself.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 142 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 143]
[Reality Alteration 54 ¡ú Reality Alteration 55]
The brush between his fingers hit the blade, a mere swipe across the frozen metal.
And suddenly, any and all particulate motion within it was eradicated entirely.
Absolute stillness. Not just of the metal, but the surrounding air too, which became utterly frozen solid, forming frost. And the air particles within the room which weren¡¯t frozen solid? They too were completely and utterly still.
¡°An interesting manner of replicating ice magic. Will you now go about cleansing the temperature from the bodies of your enemies?¡± Zaessythra asked.
If the situation warranted it, and it wasn¡¯t an easy way out, then perhaps.
However, the work on his precious sword yet remained. He picked up the hammer, ready to pound on the blade, only to reconsider shortly after.
Temperature was motion. Hitting the blade with his hammer, even delicately, would still generate heat and cause the perfectly still state of all the particles to be lost. In fact, Orodan himself remained perfectly still, not wanting to disturb the very air around him either.
Yet, despite his best efforts it was extremely difficult. His cells constantly had soul energy flowing through them, and they were full of life. Even if he didn¡¯t move, his cells had some movement within them, and this movement in turn caused some minor disturbance within the air particles around him. And he couldn¡¯t just stop it either; his body, altered as it was via Absolute Body Composition, still needed some internal motion to function.
Though, Orodan considered that it could be an interesting form of training for a later time.
Thankfully, the minute motions of each individual cell weren¡¯t enough to disturb the perfect stillness of the utterly frozen blade before him. The frost, which was frozen air, formed a shield around it, and any minor motion generated from Orodan¡¯s disturbance of the air simply bled off upon hitting the shield of frost which had naturally formed around his sword.
It was time to work upon his sword.
Upon each and every individual particle.
Affecting just a singular particle with his Celestial skill was a trying task, even for him. Furthermore, he would have to nudge it into the perfect spot without letting it bump into and create any motion for the other particles. An impossible endeavor for anyone else, but Orodan strongly believed that if anyone could do it, it would be him. He had yet to meet anyone in the cosmos who was better than him at Cleaning.
And so began one of the most intricate and detail-oriented crafts Orodan had ever performed.
His blade was in a state of absolute stillness. Vision of Purity could clearly see that each and every particle was utterly motionless.
Which meant it was the perfect environment to perfectly arrange each and every particle within it without error.
He couldn¡¯t directly touch the blade with hand or tool lest he disturb the state of absolute stillness. However, what he could do, was utilize the Whirlpool Whirlwind aspect of his Domain of Perfect Cleaning.
Absolute Body Composition meant that each cell of his body could think, see, hear and feel. And this ability was stretched to its limits as Orodan forced every single cell to act as a mind of its own, putting immense pressure on his soul.
So extreme was the strain that each usage of the Whirlpool Whirlwind aspect of his Celestial skill caused blood to erupt from all over. Multiple cells died and reformed under the pressure.
Massive feats of scale were easy, especially with his power. But what about feats of utter intricacy and concentration? Working on each particle, one at a time was the definition of insanity. It was a truly extreme form of training, even for a Transcendent like him.
Yet, it came with benefits.
[Body Tempering 68 ¡ú Body Tempering 69]
His body was forged stronger, under this baptism of incredible pressure. Each cell was forced to act as a singular being, observing, thinking, concentrating and above all else, channelling power.
Of course, working on each particle meant that Orodan would never get done in time. Hence his soul energy was poured into chronomancy, and an overpowered Time Compression took hold of him, speeding up his own actions many times over.
Chronomancy, alongside spatiomancy and Dimensionalism was one of the chief targets he and Destartes worked upon over the course of the month when they weren¡¯t doing elemental magic training. And it was this field of magic which now helped as Orodan¡¯s Time Compression allowed him to fit multiple casts into the same instant of time.
Of course, his already strained body was put under even more pressure as a result, and large portions of his body began disintegrating with each cast now. Survivable, but intense; though nobody got anywhere in life without a bit of blood and sweat.
The first hour passed, and Orodan slowly but surely managed to structurally arrange the particles of his sword such that the edge was perfect on one side.
The second hour passed, and he finished the other side.
The fourth hour passed, and he made a gain.
[Body Tempering 69 ¡ú Body Tempering 70]
Though he felt he¡¯d exhausted the potential gains in Body Tempering using this method.
At the sixth hour¡¯s passing, the blade was done, but the hilt and cross guard remained incomplete.
And finally, after eight hours of uninterrupted work where his mind and soul felt as though they were on fire, Orodan finally nudged the last particle of the sword into perfect position.
When the last particle slid into place, the structure of his sword was perfect and utterly aligned. And suddenly, in a surreal event, the threat estimate he had of the weapon in his mind jumped by multiple tiers.
Domain of Perfect Cleaning was immediately used, not to change anything further, but to apply the Incorruptible Being aspect of his Celestial skill, that his sword would remain in this state for the remainder of the loop.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 143 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 144]
Immediately, he used Identify.
[Name: Perfect Steel Sword
Description: A steel sword whose arrangement is perfect and incorruptible.
Tier: Master]
His eyes widened.
¡°Three entire tiers¡¡± Zaessythra muttered.
And the item name had changed too. Was this in fact a perfect sword now?
His humble sword that he started each loop with was forged by a contracted blacksmith in Scarmorrow. It was at the Apprentice-level, and when he¡¯d received it the biggest selling point was that it didn¡¯t have any flaws or structural weaknesses. As deep as his fondness for it was, even Orodan could admit it wasn¡¯t anything special.
At least, until now.
Now, he held a weapon, that within the right hands and amplified by enough supporting skills, could jump a tier or two to hurt even him. A Grandmaster wielding this weapon, if they hit hard enough and made sure the weapon was reinforced, could inflict a scratch on him.
It didn¡¯t sound like much, but when factoring in that Orodan had made an Apprentice-tier sword work to kill Transcendents via simple soul empowerment of the blade¡ what could he do now? Previously, he¡¯d only ever strengthened his sword¡¯s durability out of fear that any mana empowerment or fancy spellcraft involving it might damage or destroy it.
But now¡
¡°You can think about fighting like a spellblade after all.¡±
Orodan wouldn¡¯t say he was fond of the label, but denying the effectiveness of adding elemental power to his sword was ignorant hubris.
The sword in his hands positively gleamed in the light of the chamber. He idly moved it, and it practically split the very air apart even with a casual movement. Frankly, the blade was now so sharp that even in the hands of an untrained child it could kill Masters and wound even a Grandmaster if they were caught unawares.
The frost and frozen air was sheared apart, with no soul empowerment or strength necessary on Orodan¡¯s end. And a simple press against the reinforced walls had the stone parting like cheap paper too.
One more step forward on the path to furthering his crafts. Another gain on his path to strength and the realization of his grand ambition.
Though, the poor department head whose workspace Orodan had vandalized didn¡¯t seem happy about it at all.
#
¡°I must say, I wasn¡¯t expecting to receive an impolitely worded letter from the head of Artificing research,¡± Destartes said. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain your activities over the past month have shortened her lifespan.¡±
¡°She has a penchant for dramatics. I reversed time and brought the department back to the state it was in before I even arrived in Anthus,¡± Orodan clarified.
¡°Yes, but that was her chief complaint. She complained that she was starting to get used to the general state of disarray and the smell of destruction and wants it back,¡± the old wizard said with a smile.
¡°I¡¯m happy to tear the place apart again if she would like,¡± Orodan replied with a chuckle. ¡°An eccentric woman, but then again, genius rarely comes unaccompanied by some manner of quirk. I suppose that holds true for all the people who serve here.¡±
After all, who in their right minds would want to come serve in a city under constant siege by monsters? Not any normal and well-adjusted folks.
¡°And those people have come to grow quite fond of you, Mister Wainwright. They¡¯ll be sad to see you go, whether they know of it or not,¡± Destartes remarked. ¡°Our troops have come to grow reliant on your ability to resurrect casualties no matter how long ago their death was. And the Sixth Company in particular has begun to grow used to your training sessions in their yard.¡±
¡°They¡¯re good soldiers. They fought and won before I got here, and they¡¯ll continue to fight on and win even after,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°Besides, who¡¯s to say I don¡¯t return in a future loop?¡±
¡°I suppose you have a point, Mister Wainwright. But I¡¯d advise you not forget that your own death, while trivial to you, might not be so easily accepted by those close to you who remain unaware of the loops,¡± Destartes said.
And wasn¡¯t that the truth? Zaessythra herself had felt the same when Orodan had engaged in death after death when she wasn¡¯t part of the time loops.
¡°Now then, shall we begin?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°One last test of my elemental abilities.¡±
¡°Despite the unique regimen I¡¯ve put you through over the past month, I can¡¯t say you¡¯ve quite gotten around to thinking like a mage, but I suppose your straightforward mentality has its advantages,¡± Destartes said. ¡°That you consider using a versatile array of spellcraft at all is a miracle.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be using Candleflame or Galewind in the midst of battle,¡± Orodan said. Well, not the regular way anyhow. ¡°But I¡¯ll keep the repertoire of spells I¡¯ve been taught in mind.¡±
The old wizard nodded, and the final test commenced.
They were inside the library of Anthus¡¯s central fort. And the first thing Destartes did was light a bookshelf on fire.
¡°While I can¡¯t say I was fond of books growing up, I doubt Tegin will be happy to see his texts up in flame,¡± Orodan said, channelling mana into one of the new spells he¡¯d learned. ¡°Can¡¯t use water either lest his books get wet and he throw a fit, and I suppose you¡¯d consider chronomancy to be cheating.¡±
[Galewind 13 ¡ú Galewind 14]
If Candleflame was the basic spell taught to aspiring pyromancers, then Galewind was the equivalent for the school of wind magic. Though, unlike Candleflame, its mana cost was high enough that non-mages and nobles unschooled in magic couldn¡¯t perform it easily.
¡°You assume correctly Mister Wainwright. Your unfair power with chronomancy would be cheating. As for the books, worry not, I¡¯ll let Tegin know it was your fault,¡± Destartes spoke with a cheerful smile, and then his eyebrow quirked up. ¡°Though, causing the bookshelf to topple over is also undesirable.¡±
The wind produced by Orodan¡¯s spell was still unrefined; he didn¡¯t have Wind Magic Mastery after all. But thanks to his endless reserves of power, it was as strong as he needed it to be. A wind mighty enough to douse flames needed to be sudden and violent lest he simply fuel them instead. And while the fire was successfully put out, this had the downside of causing the gigantic bookshelf to wobble precariously.
Even Destartes conjured a minor mana shield in preparation for it falling upon him¡
¡only for Orodan to steady the ten-ton article of furniture with a finger.
¡°There, the fire¡¯s gone now.¡±
¡°I hoped it was implied that your high-level Physical Fitness is also not to be used. This is a magic test after all,¡± Destartes remarked, unimpressed. In recompense, the wizard then conjured a raincloud directly within the room, near the ceiling. ¡°Make sure the floor doesn¡¯t get wet.¡±
In response, a gigantic draconic fireball appeared in Orodan¡¯s hand, nearly the size of the room itself, causing Destartes¡¯ eyes to widen as a hasty mana shield was conjured.
The old man needn¡¯t have; Fire Magic Mastery meant that Orodan¡¯s control over fire was far better than any other element. The heat near the edges and bottom of the fireball was non-existent. The top though, was blazing hot, and as the raindrops fell into it, they became steam.
[Galewind 14 ¡ú Galewind 15]
Orodan¡¯s charged Galewind erupted out from his other hand, and the wizard¡¯s raincloud was blown right out the window and outside.
¡°Hmm, a bit excessive but the floor isn¡¯t wet and you got rid of the cloud too. Though I could¡¯ve done without the scare,¡± Destartes remarked, and then conjured an earthen chair beneath himself with a goblet in hand, held expectantly. ¡°I¡¯m quite parched and could use a sip after that fright.¡±
[Waterstream 9 ¡ú Waterstream 10]
Orodan¡¯s Mana Manipulation wasn¡¯t the issue; he directed exactly as much mana as the spell called for. The problem was his control over the water itself, which erupted from his hand and sloppily splattered into the goblet, spilling quite a few droplets everywhere.
¡°Damn¡ I suppose the water magic still needs work,¡± Orodan said.
¡°And you got the floor wet, so I¡¯ll be counting the previous test as a fail,¡± the wizard said while sipping the water. ¡°Tastes potable enough, I won¡¯t be catching any diseases from this water.¡±
Orodan could only blame himself for that one.
The earthen chair that Destartes was sat upon then suddenly fell apart. The rocks crumbled, and the man looked to be falling down. The implication being that Orodan should stop it.
Chronomancy aside, his reflexes and speed of thought were quick enough that Orodan could leisurely compose poems to himself and still solve this test. In that regard, this particular test was unfairly stacked in his favor.
[Earthen Construct 8 ¡ú Earthen Construct 9]
A large slab of rock appeared right beneath Destartes, practically annihilating the remnants of the wizard¡¯s construct before it even finished falling apart. And the Grandmaster fell onto Orodan¡¯s conjured rock with a thud.
¡°I suppose a test of spellcasting speed is rather unfairly in your favor,¡± the wizard said while standing up. ¡°Three out of four, a score of seventy-five percent. You missed out on the opportunity to get bonus marks by making my landing comfortable and my drink tasty.¡±
¡°Is it too late to add lemons to your water then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You jest, but such practical and solution-oriented tests are as important to a mage¡¯s development as combat examinations are. At Bluefire, this would¡¯ve been the mid-year practical examination for the first years. You¡¯d have surpassed standards, but not been considered exceptional or recommended for higher-year classes early,¡± Destartes explained. ¡°Though, with our society¡¯s focus on flashy magic and the constant hunt for mages who can blow enemy armies to smithereens, I suppose they¡¯d have taken you aside on combat assessments alone.¡±
¡°Mid-year practical for the first years? What are the fourth year practicals like then?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Decently complex, with plenty of restrictions on what elements you can or can¡¯t use and what things you must do. Though, the modern curriculum unfortunately emphasizes combat power over such creative thinking, which is a true shame,¡± Destartes said. ¡°In any case, these tests force one to think beyond just the size or power of their favored spell.¡±
Over the past month, Orodan had practiced his elemental spells through mundane tasks, such as assisting the fort¡¯s civilian laborers, working alongside the war machine crews on the walls and even working in the kitchens and helping serve and set the tables for command staff at meal times. To them it had been a surreal scene, watching someone who in their eyes was Destartes¡¯ equal engage in such tasks. But to Orodan such an experience was invaluable. It had forced him to consider the numerous applications for magic, and even got his mind to think about how to apply his other skills in novel manners.
¡°I admit, these tests do force me to think of applying my skills more creatively,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Though, if you¡¯re testing me in the standard format, no combat examination?¡±
¡°And what on Alastaia can stand before you? Even if I insisted you fight with spellfire alone, it¡¯d be little more than an exercise in target practice,¡± Destartes said. ¡°Your reflexes and combat instincts aren¡¯t in question, and I¡¯m not qualified to instruct you when it comes to those. But what I hope for you to take away from this, is the creative application of not just your spells but your skills and abilities overall.¡±
And Orodan certainly knew now how important it was, to maintain a flexible and adaptive mind. And if he wanted to beat the Administrators at their own game in toe-to-toe combat, then he would have to start learning to think as they did. The Prophet and the Mage would be fearsome opponents indeed.
¡°I see¡ thank you, for your lessons. In honing my craftsmanship I¡¯ve come to have this reinforced as well.¡±
¡°Ah yes, and how do those mad projects of yours go?¡± Destartes asked.
¡°Have a look,¡± Orodan said, handing his sword over. ¡°It¡¯s quite sharp, so be careful.¡±
¡°Your sword? It¡¯s an Apprentice-level blade, no? From the look of it¡ it is¡ what is this?¡± The wizard looked more than a little stupefied as he asked the question. Destartes¡¯ eyes frantically took in all the details, as though beholding something new. ¡°I have seen Master-level swords before, Mister Wainwright, but they¡¯re made from rarer metals and enchanted. By all accounts this is just a steel sword, and yet¡ it feels as though a misstep with this blade could end my life.¡±
Destartes began testing the blade, putting it against some mana barriers he conjured. And to his astonishment, Orodan¡¯s sword managed to halfway cut into the standard ones.
¡°As you can see, even if a child were wielding it, this could harm a Grandmaster under the right circumstances,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I forged it with ice instead of fire.¡±
Destartes seemed to know exactly what Orodan meant too.
¡°I too theorized once, that under conditions of a perfect and absolute cold, an item could be manipulated and altered in a way that standard heat forging cannot achieve,¡± Destartes said. ¡°But how have you managed to have it retain this perfect structure? Why¡ this blade splits the very air which it¡¯s in contact with!¡±
Even while completely idle, Orodan¡¯s sword made a low whistling noise as the air itself was sliced apart as the particles touched it.
¡°My Celestial skill, one of its aspects is the ability to make something incorruptible. I simply applied this concept to the structure of the sword itself, that it might never fall out of shape,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Right¡ I forget how unfairly powerful these Celestial skills are,¡± Destartes said. ¡°How about your other experiments? Your efforts to enchant the air itself? And that strange rifle you wished to make?¡±
¡°Having succeeded in improving my sword, I¡¯m confident I can enchant the air too, but it will take more time than we have remaining,¡± Orodan said, recalling that the day of action was today. ¡°As for the rifle¡ that¡¯ll definitely take more time.¡±
¡°That you¡¯re confident in succeeding at all gives me hope for the limits of magic and innovation. Your elemental training aside, let us conduct the last test, and the chief reason why you approached me in the first place,¡± Destartes declared, and then had a serious look on his face. ¡°Teleport into Novar¡¯s Peak without setting off the wards.¡±
An incredibly difficult task. But one Orodan had been working towards becoming capable of over the past month.
Not only was it the culminating test to see how far his spatiomancy had come over the course of the month, but also a tactical decision to start off their coup. The commotion that Orodan¡¯s actions would cause in Novarria would doubtlessly be noticed by the Republic and its intelligence network. This in turn would cause many of the military outposts and forts on the Novarrian border to ramp up troop movements and activities. Which was a distraction that worked in the conspiracy¡¯s favor.
Still, it was a tall order. Anti-spatiomancy wards were no joke, and only Destartes and perhaps three other space magic specialists the man knew were capable of bypassing them.
Orodan crossed his legs and sat down, closing his eyes. This would take all of his concentration.
How did one beat anti-spatiomancy wards?
The first and most obvious method, which Orodan had done enough times in the loops, was to overpower them. It required one to have energy reserves large enough that even a city¡¯s battery couldn¡¯t keep up. Of course, the shattering of the wards would cause immediate alarm, and Orodan hadn¡¯t come to Anthus to simply do more of the same. Not when entering Lonvoron without causing a ruckus was one of his goals.
The second method, which Orodan had seen Destartes do once, was to open a microscopic entry-point to the batteries which powered the wards. The anti-spatiomancy wards of Novar¡¯s Peak were a cut above the rest, though this consequently meant they were costlier to keep running. And the connection between wards and the energy source powering them was possible, if incredibly difficult.
The only problem with the method was that the city had multiple reserve batteries which were closely guarded at all times. Destartes bypassing the anti-spatiomancy wards for Jerestir was in no way comparable to the prospect of doing the same for Novar¡¯s Peak. Any tampering with one battery would see the alarms raised almost immediately.
Which left only the third method, something of Orodan¡¯s choosing. The nigh-impossible task of out-finessing the wards and somehow getting past them.
Orodan¡¯s Space Mastery was now at the Master-level, and most importantly¡ he could selectively turn his own System¡¯s guidance on or off. When the guidance and access to the store of knowledge was present, it was reassuring and allowed him to comfortably perform grand scale feats, perhaps even those he might not normally be able to do without the System.
But when the central glyph of his System was sealed, yes, he was neutered in many aspects, but also liberated in many others. Over the course of the month, Orodan had trained spatiomancy exclusively without the System. And now it was time to unleash the benefits of this regimen.
A small amount of power was channelled, and Orodan used freeform spatiomancy, unguided by the System, to open a singular rift in space leading from Anthus to roughly twenty-five miles outside the walls of Novar¡¯s Peak. Teleportation normally brought the caster to the target destination immediately, but the benefit of training without the System over the course of the month was Orodan¡¯s ability to re-purpose the spell and use the mechanics behind it to open spatial rifts. Instead of stepping through, he simply watched.
¡°As you warned, the wards are particularly sensitive,¡± Orodan said, still in the library of Anthus as he looked through the rift at Novar¡¯s Peak.
¡°Of course, it¡¯s the oldest human city on the continent. The first emperor takes care to ensure that city is well-defended,¡± Destartes replied.
The wards of Novar¡¯s Peak were so advanced that not only did they detect any attempts at spatiomancy and prevent them, but they would also detect any spatiomancers or mages using skills such as Spatial Sense or Mana Sense. These skills potentially allowed a caster to map out and get a ¡®feel¡¯ for wards, their energy flows and the patterns behind them.
Thankfully, the one thing Orodan had which the wards couldn¡¯t account for, was Vision of Purity, which scanned not for mana or space, but the purity of anything he saw.
Using the incredibly small rift, Orodan closely watched and took his time getting to understand the wards of Novar¡¯s Peak. It was an uphill battle, primarily because the wards were quite well-designed and didn¡¯t have too many impurities within them, and because the ritual array meant to drain the Eldritch Avatar was also picked up by his senses, and he had to parse one from the other alongside the many other lesser wards throughout the city.
Frankly, who knew if he¡¯d get anywhere at this rate. Which was why he decided to go with something more familiar to himself.
What was cleaning? It was the act of purging the unclean. But, as Orodan had come to understand, his Celestial skill deemed clean and unclean based upon what he saw things as. A dirty swamp full of muck and decomposition could be seen as dirty with one lens, but with another, could be seen as a thriving ecosystem of its own.
And if his Celestial skill could change functionality based off of what he saw as unclean, then there was no reason why Vision of Purity couldn¡¯t do the same.
Hence, Orodan took one look at it all, the wards, the energy they were made of and the source empowering them, and declared one thing¡
¡°All mana¡ is dirty.¡±
Utter lunacy.
His mind fought against him every step of the way. It wanted to explode, to rip itself apart at the insanity he was forcing it to accept. But, his time in working with chicken scratch and forcing his mind to adopt seemingly incorrect and contradictory positions helped him here.
He wrestled with his own mind, and eventually, he won.
He accepted madness.
[Vision of Purity 65 ¡ú Vision of Purity 68]
And instantly, every single cell in his body was under strain as he forced them all to concentrate, to observe all the impurity. It wasn¡¯t just through the rift and into Novar¡¯s Peak, but all around him on his side of the rift. Within Anthus, in the fort, down to the very library he sat within. Destartes was especially filthy, so much mana flowing through the man. And most horrifyingly of all¡
¡Orodan was full of the vile plague that was mana. He used it to fuel his spells, to power certain enchantments, and for so many things.
Filth was all around him.
And while he could¡¯ve perhaps made the mental organization easier by organizing the impurities into patterns and gradients, lightening the load upon his mind. That wasn¡¯t Orodan¡¯s way.
[Vision of Purity 68 ¡ú Vision of Purity 69]
Every cell being used for observation bled, and many of them died only to reform over and over. Orodan stubbornly refused to make the job easier and focus upon what he needed to. Vision of Purity¡¯s range was roughly thirty miles now. And he bullheadedly insisted on taking in and processing all of what he saw within these thirty miles.
The time he¡¯d forcibly taken in the System¡¯s store of knowledge had given him a taste of agonizing mental loads, but this task was still difficult. Each and every particle of mana within thirty miles, both on the Novar¡¯s Peak side, and on the Anthus side, was painstakingly accounted for.
And with his eyes open, Orodan finally began to see.
[Vision of Purity 69 ¡ú Vision of Purity 70]
It was a core skill of his, intrinsic to Orodan, thus the threshold crossing didn¡¯t give him any benefit as this was one of the few skills he surpassed the System in.
Interesting. Considering all mana as impure meant he was able to see the entirety of the wards now. How the energy shifted and roiled, and the patterns. And immediately Orodan noticed that any attempts at circumventing the anti-spatiomancy wards of Novar¡¯s Peak would¡¯ve been impossible for anyone else.
¡°There are in fact three separate anti-spatiomancy wards layered over one another,¡± Orodan explained, his tone calm and inquisitive even as his own blood spilt over the floor from the exertion. ¡°Getting past one would simply mean running into the other two. A well-crafted defense.¡±
¡°I see your profuse bleeding has borne us some fruit. I wasn¡¯t aware of that detail about the wards¡ I cannot see how even I would bypass them then¡¡± Destartes muttered. ¡°Might take a few more loops till you succeed in the attempt.¡±
¡°No. I¡¯m confident I can do it here and now,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°No wards are perfect. Well-made as these are¡ there are still holes.¡±
In fact, Orodan¡¯s training in Dimensionalism had given him experience in crossing the dimensional boundary via its shifting pores. This experience was quite relevant and valuable now that he was attempting to bypass an anti-spatiomancy ward. Why? Because each ward, much like the dimensional boundary he crossed with Dimensional Step, was also a shifting blanket meant to prevent any spatiomancy and travel.
But even the best crafted blankets had holes, no matter how minute.
No other mage could have succeeded. Even if Spatial Sense or Mana Sense weren¡¯t detectable by the wards, the sheer amount of information they¡¯d have to process all at once would be beyond their minds. Orodan though, stubbornly chose to account for every particle of mana within thirty miles, and this was what now allowed him to see all three shifting anti-spatiomancy wards in their entirety at once.
And as all three shifted, each one had the most minute of gaps at certain points. However, what Orodan was waiting for¡ was the perfect path where an opening would simultaneously line up for all three. And after two minutes of patient observation, it appeared.
He began his teleport.
At the very cusp, the problem he¡¯d encountered when Dimensional Stepping into Anthus presented itself. An ancillary ward was set to detect any sudden additions of space.
But that was alright, because Orodan had been conceptualizing a method of putting a stop to that as well.
What was space?
Orodan felt that much like a toy puzzle picture consisting of many pieces which formed a whole, space too consisted of multiple objects which composed the whole canvas. The addition of a new piece would doubtlessly be noticed, even if nothing directly saw it.
But¡ what if the canvas itself was stretched? Space itself shifted so that it appeared the new piece was there all along?
[New Skill (Exquisite) ¡ú Spatial Shift 13]
Spatial Shift, which Orodan had come upon during his studies with Destartes, wasn¡¯t novel magic by any means. It was an advanced spell used by stealth specialist spatiomancers, particularly in laying ambushes or performing silent entry. Spatially shifting a small room, or even themselves in such a manner that it tricked an observer into not noticing. It had some combat applications too, but it was mainly designed to fool Spatial Sense in a small area and there were documented incidents of criminals using it to break into vaults.
Of course, anyone with a decently sized Spatial Sense would notice. Mainly because, if someone within a cage suddenly had the cage expanded without any notice, the comparison to the outside area and the difference would still be apparent. And nobody had enough power to affect a larger area.
But¡ if one had enough raw energy, what if not just the cage, but the entire surroundings were shifted?
That was what occurred with Novar¡¯s Peak as Orodan channelled power into the spell. Spatial Shift, meant to alter one¡¯s own position or shift a small room at most¡ was now enlarged to affect the entirety of Novar¡¯s Peak and the surrounding fifty miles.
The ancillary ward meant to detect any sudden additions of objects, and even the spatiomancers of the city who possessed high levels of Spatial Sense¡ all failed to notice a thing as their detection didn¡¯t extend that far.
And Orodan thus finished his teleport.
[Teleportation 75 ¡ú Teleportation 76]
[Space Mastery 91 ¡ú Space Mastery 92]
The perfectly timed Teleportation brought him into the citadel of Novar¡¯s Peak. Specifically, beneath it¡
¡and before a very alarmed Balastion Novar on the precipice of unleashing violence upon the intruder.
However it was too late for the first emperor of Novarria, as Orodan¡¯s hand was already touching the man¡¯s eldritch crown.
¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Orodan simply said.
A flash of power, and the crown suddenly became inert as Orodan kept his promise to a broken man he¡¯d spoken to many loops ago.
And before Balastion could react, another Teleportation took Orodan out.
Thankfully the anti-spatiomancy wards were much easier to bypass through egress.
A wide-eyed Destartes was present in the room as Orodan returned.
¡°Is it done?¡±
¡°Yes, the eldritch crown of Balastion Novar is now defunct¡ and Novarria will soon be in uproar.¡±
And he finally let go of the silly notion that all mana was dirty too. Though, it certainly gave him ideas on what else he might consider impure.
#
Frost surrounded him as Orodan sat in a meditative position. To the outside observer it would look as though he was encased in ice. The entire room was practically frozen solid too.
¡°This is the most nervous I¡¯ve seen you, my student,¡± Destartes said, though not to Orodan.
An anxious halfling was pacing around the room, arms folded behind his back as he imperiously walked back and forth.
¡°How can I not be master? Novarria is in uproar, the Republic¡¯s ¡®inspection¡¯ will be coming soon, and everything¡¯s coming to a head,¡± Tegin Carrotfoot said. ¡°All while Mister Wainwright is casually training upon the eve of it!¡±
The noise from the Lieutenant-General¡¯s words didn¡¯t actually reach Orodan. He was encased in ice, the frozen air around him at a temperature of absolute stillness. There was no motion in the particles at all.
And it was an interesting form of ancillary training, to parse the words they were saying by detecting the vibrations in the air via Vision of Purity.
¡°Can you begrudge him that? The only reason he approached us in the first place was to train himself,¡± Destares defended. ¡°Calm your mind Tegin, you¡¯ve laid out strategies and contingencies for years in preparation. Your mind has never failed us before.¡±
¡°I¡ you are right master. But, might I ask what Mister Wainwright is even attempting?¡± Tegin asked. ¡°Canthula has yet again sent me a strongly worded letter about the vandalization of her department.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have to ask her to bear with it then, for this attempt, if successful might allow us to retain much goodwill despite our coup.¡±
¡°Will it? What exactly is he doing?¡± the halfling asked. ¡°My assistant is waiting outside as he requested, as is the lady Argon. But I know as much about this as they do.¡±
¡°You recall all those Blessed he asked you to bring for examination?¡±
The halfling¡¯s eyes widened, and now the commander of Anthus understood.
What was Orodan doing?
When forging his sword, he¡¯d discovered the state of zero temperature, an absolute stillness. However, the issue was that this temperature could still be ruined by even the most minute of things. If Orodan were to open his mouth and speak, the air coming out would hit the frost around him and disturb its state of utter stillness.
But even without moving at all, while maintaining complete and utter control over his body, his cells still had the most insignificant of movements. These movements unfortunately disturbed the state of perfect stillness too.
Hence, Orodan was encased in frost, training by trying to force his cells to move as little as possible. That they might achieve the same result with less. Every time a cell twitched more than necessary, Orodan slammed his will down unto it. His mind went to war, Combat Transcendence activated, and his skills were a battleground as they attempted to solve the issue.
Space Mastery bullishly insisted it was the key to the task. Then Time Mastery stepped in and locked horns with it, bellowing that simply altering time would work. Throughout this all, the domineering giant, Incipience of Infinity, quietly maintained its proud presence. It was the reason for much of the movement of his cells as it provided soul energy which roiled through them.
[Body Tempering 70 ¡ú Body Tempering 71]
Body Tempering made its voice known, reminding the arguing pair that it was one of the foundational skills which controlled his body and cells. Squeezing more out of what Orodan had was its domain, as was the reforging of his body to make it better and provide less activity for more output.
Shield Intent tried suggesting the creation of miniature shield light barriers around all of his cells, to prevent any motion from leaking outwards, but Orodan himself stepped in and shot the idea down. He filed it away as an excellent idea for later, but it would be but a stopgap solution now.
Flash Freeze was on the verge of stepping in and suggesting he freeze all of himself to absolute zero, but then Logistics came in with a fury and stomped it down. It was small, almost insignificant¡ but it was angered at the fruitless arguing.
[Logistics 18 ¡ú Logistics 20]
It beckoned the proud giant, Domain of Perfect Cleaning, for help, and it listened. Domain of Perfect Cleaning, under guidance of Logistics it began cleaning the unnecessary movement right out of Orodan¡¯s cells, trimming it down significantly. It then guided Dimensional Resistance and Dimensionalism to work together, and forced Absolute Body Composition to complete the final touches.
[Dimensionalism 67 ¡ú 69]
[Absolute Body Composition 5 ¡ú Absolute Body Composition 10]
[Dimensional Resistance 10 ¡ú Dimensional Resistance 20]
With Absolute Body Composition providing the final touch to improve himself, Orodan¡¯s body in which each cell was partially dimensional to provide Dimensional Resistance¡ now formed a thin dimensional boundary of its own. It improved his Dimensional Resistance too.
It could have been a skill combination, but both he and little Logistics seemed to agree that it could be handled freeform. That was one advantage of Orodan¡¯s new System, that he could perform many functions without forcing a skill combination. After all, he had an inkling that Absolute Body Composition was meant for greater things down the road.
Most importantly though. It was time to attempt something he¡¯d previously thought impossible.
The ice around him shattered as Orodan got to his feet and began walking out the room.
¡°M-mister Wainwright?¡± Tegin asked, startled by the sudden movement, but following after him.
He made a beeline for the one man he sought first. The man who¡¯d helped him since he was a delinquent young idiot who picked fights with people he had no chance against.
Old Man Hannegan was more than a bit surprised to see Orodan power walking towards him. Next to him was Surena Argon, but he ignored her for now.
¡°Orodan? Is everything alright? I haven¡¯t seen you in-¡±
¡°Old man, this should be painless, just hold still,¡± Orodan said, focusing.
¡°What are you-¡±
A hand was laid upon the old man¡¯s head, and a modified ouroboros, the symbol of infinity, shot out from Orodan¡¯s hand, headed straight for Old Man Hannegan¡¯s soul.
Orodan had been studying Blessings for the past month. Captured zealots of the Cathedral, imprisoned priests and diviners who were guilty of espionage and other crimes, Orodan had studied the souls of them all. Blessings weren¡¯t difficult as a concept. It was essentially a System glyph slotted directly into the soul, similar to how Orodan had made his own. It confirmed his suspicion that the Prime Five who were weak Gods shouldn¡¯t have been capable of making them. The System assisted them in granting Blessings.
Granting a Blessing then, should have been impossible for anyone besides a God. Because it required intimate knowledge of enchanting and how to replicate the language of the System. Too bad for them then, that Orodan knew how to do just that; after all he¡¯d made his own System.
And the final roadblock stifling him before had been the fact that souls resisted any foreign energy or manipulation. Souls as a defense mechanism, functioned much like anti-spatiomancy wards in that they could detect tampering. At least¡ coming from the same plane of space as them.
Gods circumvented this by passing their divine energy and Blessings through the dimensional boundary. And now Orodan, whose cells had a complete dimensional boundary, would attempt the same.
The glyph of his own making successfully entered, encountering no resistance, and it slotted into where a Blessing normally would¡
¡and immediately there were problems.
Orodan¡¯s hand roiled with power, ready to enact a Time Reversal, adamant that no harm would come to Old Man Hannegan, when he realized that the man wasn¡¯t being harmed at all. Rather, the interaction between his own glyph, which was composed of the weave from his own soul, interacted poorly with the natural Eldritch nature of the old man¡¯s soul.
All beings born under the System had a hidden and natural Eldritch component to their souls. Orodan had luckily had this purged thanks to the sadistic Boundless One who¡¯d destroyed his old System. Old Man Hannegan however still had it, and the Eldritch did not like anything else of a foreign nature nestling in there.
It didn¡¯t harm the old man, but it did send out a pulse of System energy as warning¡ somewhere deep past the dimensional boundary of the material plane.
Orodan immediately rounded on Old Man Hannegan.
¡°What do you see?¡±
¡°I¡ what is this? It says¡ ¡®Vein of the Incipience¡¯¡ what is this, Orodan? Which God has given me this?¡± the old man asked.
¡°No God gave you that Blessing.¡±
¡°Then who?¡±
¡°You¡¯re looking at him,¡± Orodan answered with a smile.
¡°This¡ how? How can this be? Are you¡ are you a God?¡± the old man warily asked.
¡°Absolutely not. I¡¯d rather die,¡± Orodan contemptuously said.
¡°Good, good. Praying to you would cause a crisis of faith in me,¡± the old man remarked with a wry smirk. ¡°But this Blessing¡ I feel so lively¡ as though I can do anything at all right now.¡±
¡°What does it say?¡± Orodan asked, though he already knew what it said as he¡¯d designed it.
¡°Vein of the Incipience. ¡®Whenever you will it, power fills you.¡¯ What does this do?¡± Old Man Hannegan asked.
¡°I can teach you a basic spell and then we can te-¡±
Orodan was cut off as the old man conjured a Candleflame upon the tip of his finger.
How embarrassing. Yes, it was a basic spell known by many non-mages but Orodan never knew that the old man was capable of magic, even if it was incredibly basic.
Less than a minute passed before Old Man Hannegan¡¯s mana pool ran dry, he wasn¡¯t a mage after all. And then, Orodan felt it¡
¡the pull along the thread of connection between the two of them.
¡°Incredible, it¡¯s still going!¡± the old man exclaimed, enjoying the sight of the Candleflame upon his finger. ¡°I can make it larger too!¡±
The Candleflame grew to become the size of a large ball, and yet the caster seemed entirely unconcerned with the mana cost.
It was only when it grew to become the size of half his torso that Old Man Hannegan began to tremble, and Orodan could see that the man¡¯s body was unable to handle all the power flowing through it.
¡°Best to keep a limit based upon how much power the recipient¡¯s body can handle,¡± Zaessythra advised.
Orodan more than agreed with that. He stopped the flow of power himself, preventing the old man from getting hurt.
¡°You have to be careful old man, drawing upon too much will kill you,¡± Orodan cautioned. ¡°Endlessly drawing upon the power isn¡¯t a problem. Drawing upon more than your body can handle at once is.¡±
In other words, those he Blessed wouldn¡¯t be razing nations. Not unless they had the ability to do so already.
But for now, Orodan had done it. He¡¯d defied the natural order of things once more by granting someone a Blessing. Only Gods should have been capable of it, and even then through the aid of the System.
Of course, he wasn¡¯t so short-sighted as to think that there would be no consequences.
¡°Orodan, I received one more message,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°It says¡ ¡®System Interference detected: Administrator notified.¡±
Of course. Likely what the pulse was. Orodan would have to take care to block or destroy the pulse anytime he granted a Blessing moving forward. As it stood, this loop was now due for a forced ending at the hands of the Prophet or the Reject. Which suited him just fine as he was spoiling for a good fight.
He then looked to the other person who¡¯d been watching.
¡°Well? You want a Blessing too?¡± Orodan asked her.
¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Mister Wainwright,¡± Surena answered. ¡°I wish to test the limits of this strange power for myself.¡±
And so Orodan did. The modified glyph, a Blessing of his own making shot out towards the woman and neatly slotted into her soul as well. Though, unlike last time he made sure to hastily capture and destroy the automatic warning pulse sent by her System.
¡°I feel invincible¡ as though I can do anything!¡± she exclaimed. Orodan felt her pulling generous amounts of power through the tether.
¡°You can still be killed in combat, so don¡¯t go getting complacent,¡± Orodan warned. He¡¯d acquired Eternal Soul Reactor early on but had still been killed often enough.
¡°This¡ ¡®Vein of the Incipience¡¯, are there any limits to how much power I can draw upon?¡±
¡°No. None that you¡¯ll reach before killing yourself with the deluge of power,¡± Orodan clarified.
¡°Then, if you do not mind, Mister Wainwright¡ let me put that to the test.¡±
Two gigantic fireballs were conjured in her hands, and immediately Vision of Purity told Orodan that the fire was quite costly. As she¡¯d explained, she hadn¡¯t fully inherited the Bloodline of House Argon. With his Blessing though¡ who knew what she could achieve?
She held the flames for a few minutes, and when they showed no signs of abating, a manic grin came upon her face.
¡°As I said, there really is no limit to how much power you can draw. Even millions of Surena Argons would put no strain upon me,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Just remember to moderate yourself lest you overdo it and your loved ones blame me for your death.¡±
She nodded enthusiastically, practically running off to finally practice her family¡¯s famed pyromancy no doubt. Orodan initially had an illogical dislike of her due to the similarity to her father. But¡ she wasn¡¯t such a bad woman. And he¡¯d learned from watching the thrust of her rapier.
But if his Blessing could do this much for the old man and Surena Argon¡
¡then what about somebody stronger?
Orodan looked at Destartes.
¡°Do not look at me Mister Wainwright. Not only do I harbor much distrust of Gods and their Blessings, I also would hesitate to find myself so indebted to you.¡±
¡°I am not a God,¡± Orodan reminded. ¡°And this would simply be me repaying you for all you¡¯ve taught me.¡±
¡°That¡ you are not. Which puts me in the unique bind of having to consider this offer.¡±
¡°You are hesitant,¡± Orodan observed. ¡°We need not do this if you don¡¯t want to.¡±
¡°And there¡¯s the problem, Mister Wainwright¡ I very much do want to. I am merely hesitating at the fact that I¡¯ll be receiving a Blessing willingly when for so many centuries of my long life I¡¯ve actively fought to prevent this scenario,¡± Destartes said. ¡°This amulet I wear, it¡¯s a detector of the divine, and I have a slew of other enchanted items and spells I keep running for the purpose of preventing any Blessings being laid upon me. I don¡¯t know the exact mechanics behind a Blessing, but if you ever wondered why in your past loops I managed to live so long without being Blessed, there¡¯s your answer.¡±
¡°I see¡ this is a momentous occasion for you then,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It will not hurt, if you are wondering. Nor will this in any way make you beholden to me as the thread can simply be cut from your end with no strings attached.¡±
¡°Over the course of the last month and having gotten to know you, I didn¡¯t think you the type to act in a wicked manner anyhow,¡± Destartes said. ¡°Now then, let us dispense with the chatter. All my life I¡¯ve despised the Gods, but if I¡¯m to receive a Blessing from anyone, let it be the man who stands against their tyranny and slays them.¡±
Orodan refused to disrespect the gravity of the situation. It clearly meant a lot to Destartes. He could¡¯ve simply thrown the Blessing outwards, but did not. Instead, he respectfully placed a hand upon Destartes¡¯ shoulder and closed his own eyes. Better to give the man some privacy and deference in such a moment.
And then¡ the Blessing was granted.
¡°And so it is done¡¡± Destartes said softly. ¡°A Blessing infects old Destartes at last. Though, I suppose this doesn¡¯t feel all too bad. Now then¡ let¡¯s stretch these old bones once more.¡±
Orodan immediately felt large amounts of power being drawn through the tether.
Destartes began glowing as dozens of active and passive spells began layering themselves on top of the old wizard. Elemental spells, chronomantic spells, dimensional and spatiomancy spells. They were varied and had differing levels of upkeep and effectiveness. But at the end of it, he looked almost resplendent.
¡°I don¡¯t recognize even a tenth of all these spells,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Hah! Train under me for long enough, and I shall teach you each and every one of them,¡± the old wizard said. ¡°But this¡ this is certainly a new feeling. Every single passive spell and magical defense I learned throughout my life¡ they¡¯re all active now. A feat I could never have dreamt of before. Imagine being lauded as the greatest wizard born in many millennia, only to be told your mana pool is pathetic. No matter how hard I worked, how many spells I learned¡ I could never surmount the wall that was my mana. I even tried dabbling in the soul arts like you, but even that could only be pushed so far.¡±
¡°I have to admit, your power and the sense of danger I¡¯m getting from you have almost quadrupled,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You might be able to fight the Eldritch Avatar yourself at this rate¡¡±
Frankly, it went to show just how drastic the effects of Orodan¡¯s Blessing could be. Giving a warrior an endless source of energy was nice, and would benefit them immensely, but that was within expectations. But¡ what if the same Blessing was granted to someone widely hailed as being the greatest human wizard on the continent? A man who knew dozens upon dozens of spells? A man whose body was far more capable of handling large amounts of mana and soul energy than Old Man Hannegan and Surena Argon.
The result, was Destartes. A wizard with an array of spells so diverse that he¡¯d never get the chance to use them all fully. When given endless power, with such a repertoire¡ the results were astonishing.
With Orodan¡¯s Blessing, this man was now a monstrous combatant. Dozens of passive and sustained spells layered the man, and even if he didn¡¯t win, Orodan predicted that Destartes could give the Eldritch Avatar a good fight in a one-on-one.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
In seeing the old wizard¡ Orodan himself began to get ideas for how to grow his own power. If anything, he¡¯d been criminally underusing the fact that he had endless energy.
¡°Perhaps, but I face the same risk of corruption that everyone else does. No, I feel it¡¯s a task best left to you,¡± the old wizard said and then closely scrutinized Orodan. ¡°Though, I still find it ludicrous that you feel no drain from all the power I borrow. Such a Blessing would change the face of Alastaian power relations forever if you granted it carelessly.¡±
Orodan wasn¡¯t ignorant of the fact that his Blessing was well beyond what any other God could provide. The Prime Five or even the Elven three, could perhaps grant Blessings which increased one¡¯s talent or gave them unique abilities. But these Blessings had limits. Powerful enough opponents could overpower a Blessing, and at the Transcendent-level and beyond, Blessings ceased being effective due to the titanic energy costs involved in combat.
¡°Indeed, Mister Wainwright. Although your unique circumstances allow you to make mistakes without as much concern as the rest of us, I must urge you be careful with who this power is granted to,¡± Tegin Carrotfoot said. ¡°Though, we are grateful that you¡¯ve chosen my master for such a thing.¡±
¡°I can grant it to you, and anyone else you want too,¡± Orodan offered. ¡°The only condition would be not acting in a wicked manner and defending Alastaia against any interlopers.¡±
¡°You could truly handle empowering so many people?¡± Destartes asked and then shook his head. ¡°Well I suppose doubting you after all this would be short-sighted. You¡¯ve proven yourself enough times now.¡±
¡°Then, the soldiers of the Sixth Company, and my units of Elites could-¡±
A horn bellowed, rumbling through the fort. The Lieutenant-General¡¯s communications amulet glowed as well.
Anthus was being paid a visit by a high-ranking General of the Republic. The time had come.
#
The walls of Anthus were fifty-metres tall, and from atop them one could see a large military force waiting outside.
The approaching army had slaughtered every monster attempting to attack the walls, and the leaders of the monster swarms had wisely pulled away, granting Anthus a rare reprieve from the attacks of the horde. Though, from all the siege weaponry and mages present¡ it looked as though Anthus would face a different sort of horde today.
The General commanding the force looked arrogant, sitting atop a golden-feathered griffin, and Orodan sensed the woman was at the Master-level. She was nothing but the nominal commander though.
The real commander of the force however, was Heredin Aeronsul, Ilyatana¡¯s Chosen within the Republic. A triple-Grandmaster who Orodan had slain enough times by now. His presence meant that this force was a loyalist one, cronies of the Cathedral.
The general on the griffin wasn¡¯t stupid. The tensions in the air were apparent and neither she nor her army got too close to the walls.
¡°They¡¯re rather standoffish,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Understandably so given that I¡¯ve ignored the last five letters with direct orders to facilitate the transfer of Surena Argon to Karilsgard,¡± Tegin Carrotfoot said. ¡°Of course, both myself and the soldiers have been ignoring all official correspondence ordering me to step down as well.¡±
¡°A tense situation then. I assume you planned this and their arrival out?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Of course, I¡¯m no amateur. In fact, I¡¯m a little offended that they brought so few soldiers. I suppose my reputation has been forgotten a little of late.¡±
Given that the army from Karilsgard outnumbered the defenders of Anthus by nearly a factor of ten, Orodan supposed the halfling¡¯s reputation as a commander must have been fearsome indeed. Twenty-thousand soldiers in the loyalist army, versus a mere three-thousand troops stationed in Anthus.
Orodan had been asked to intercede only if things went poorly. And given the plans Tegin laid out, he doubted they would. His role would come later.
A magical voice amplification spell was cast by the general from Karilsgard, and she spoke.
¡°Tegin Carrotfoot! You are hereby ordered to step down and peacefully surrender yourself to a hearing before the Council!¡± she bellowed. ¡°Soldiers of Anthus, as per your oaths of allegiance, you are called upon to facilitate the transfer of Tegin Carrotfoot and Surena Argon!¡±
Utter silence was the only thing which greeted her for a moment, until the halfling stepped forward.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible General,¡± the Lieutenant-General of Anthus said, voice calm. ¡°On the other hand, I see you¡¯ve brought twenty-thousand soldiers to the gates of Anthus. What for? Do these troops know that you intend to slaughter their kin? With Novarria in a state of heightened military activity¡ is this truly the time for us Adenians to be spilling our own blood?¡±
¡°Spare me your diatribes! There was an ¡®incident¡¯ nearly a month ago in Volarbury County, and you¡¯ve failed to comply with any orders to aid the investigation. And recently an intruder somehow breached Novar¡¯s Peak and caused an unknown incident of great severity which has the Empire scrambling for answers. While we know not what occurred, there¡¯s little doubt that Anthus and its operatives under your command have an inkling about the matter,¡± the General barked. ¡°This war host is prepared to maintain peace and stability on behalf of the Republic. Once we¡¯re done here, we¡¯ll be adding the troops from Anthus to our force and marching to the border for security purposes.¡±
¡°Kressida¡ we both know that a force of twenty-thousand soldiers and mages armed with siege weaponry aren¡¯t merely marching to ensure security. Have your masters in the Cathedral decided to take advantage of Novarria¡¯s moment of weakness to grab territory?¡± Tegin asked, causing many of the troops in the Karilsgard army to mutter among themselves. ¡°Has Ilyatana put you up to this?¡±
¡°That is-¡±
¡°Enough.¡±
Heredin Aeronsul¡¯s eyes were glowing, signifying the descent of the Goddess of Fate in Avatar form.
¡°Destartes. Show yourself lest I smite this arrogant halfling where he stands.¡±
When no answer came, the Avatar of Ilyatana sailed through the air, a golden bolt of lightning heading towards Tegin Carrotfoot.
Brave as the General was, he was but a Master and naturally alarmed at seeing an Avatar charging for him.
Which was when the Avatar crashed into multiple layers of mana shields.
The first two broke, but the third held.
And then a flurry of elemental magic descended upon it, causing the Avatar to be smashed into the ground in front of the walls.
¡°Destartes! You dare?¡± Ilyatana questioned, tranquil fury apparent. ¡°Before the divine, man should be humble. You shall not strike such a lucky blow again.¡±
The old wizard was positively shimmering with power, and Orodan felt the constant stream of energy flowing down the tether from him to Destartes. Ilyatana might¡¯ve thought otherwise, but to Orodan, there was nothing lucky about that clash. Just pure skill at spellfire and magecraft, capable of overpowering an Avatar.
Avatar and wizard clashed mid-air for twenty more seconds, causing terrifying shockwaves to erupt.
Ilyatana was unskilled, Orodan knew this from all the times he fought her Avatars and the Goddess herself in the divine dimension. It came as no surprise then, that Destartes managed to outmaneuver her with wily spellfire and smart positioning. If someone knew a handful of spells, Orodan¡¯s Blessing, while strong, was just that. But when a wizard like Destartes who knew dozens came along, it was a different matter. A style of fighting that the old Grandmaster could keep up for brief moments previously, was now brought to the fore with full power.
Divine lances of energy were re-directed into spatial rifts and sent right back. Charges which threatened the wizard in melee were avoided as Destartes used chronomancy to reverse his physical position. And attacks were made with multiple elements at once, with a strange spatial spell which seemed to suck the energy out of Ilyatana like a vacuum whenever it neared her.
Upon realizing that she was on the losing end, the Avatar immediately backed away.
¡°You would dare solicit the assistance of a foreign God? Who empowers you with these unnatural abilities? The mighty Destartes, brought low enough that he would beg for divine aid after all!¡± Ilyatana maniacally declared. ¡°Your magical prowess is great. This Chosen of mine cannot hope to compete¡ but my army outnumbers yours by a wide margin. You and your forces will be ground down.¡±
¡°Will we? You will find, tyrant, that my supposed reliance upon the divine is the first of many things you¡¯ve assumed incorrectly today. As is the margin of number between our forces,¡± Destartes said, and then looked to Orodan. ¡°Mister Wainwright, if you would.¡±
Orodan nodded and his eyes glowed with power.
[Time Reversal 84 ¡ú Time Reversal 85]
Anthus wasn¡¯t just a city built around an energy well. A hundred-and-twenty years ago, it was the site for a fierce battle between the Novarrian Empire and the Republic during the Liberation War. It was a famed battle in which General Tegin Carrotfoot had held off and inflicted serious casualties upon the main Novarrian army and forced them to turn around.
At least fifteen-thousand Novarrian soldiers had died that day. But over three-thousand Adenians had also fallen. It was a heavy blow for the General, they were loyal men and women who¡¯d died for him, and Tegin Carrotfoot thought of them, grief in his heart every day.
Thoughts which no longer needed to be of a grieving nature, as Orodan reversed time. The walls and ground of Anthus were bloody, and it was these bloody memories, ancient remnants and corpses that Orodan used to grasp each individual timestream.
Tegin Carrotfoot, Destartes and even the Avatar of Ilyatana watched on in utter awe as a feat not even a God could hope to perform took place before their eyes. Three-thousand corpses, raised from the ground, a feat which would make even the mightiest necromancer quake in astonishment. Except, these weren¡¯t corpses¡
¡but living soldiers.
Using the small bits of matter in the ground, their old weapons, and the memories of those who thought of them¡ Orodan traced them and their current positions in the soul nexus. He even had to give up on a handful that had reincarnated lest he disrespect their current lives. And throughout the entire process, as time was reversed and the lives of these soldiers were played out¡ the soul nexus resisted him heavily. But he overpowered its hold all the same.
He¡¯d reversed time for an entire planet-sized continent before; this was nothing.
And as the deed neared completion, Orodan made sure to bring the fallen back with their weapons and armor, standing at attention in formation¡ right in front of the walls of Anthus.
Three-thousand fallen, returned to life.
The resurrected were incredibly confused upon their return, but their weapons were held strongly all the same.
¡°What¡ what are you? The others must know¡ you do not belong on this world,¡± Ilyatana said, gazing the Goddess shaken. ¡°Destartes¡ you who would consort with such unnatural power, are beyond hope! All of Alastaia will stand against you!¡±
Orodan felt she was being a bit dramatic, but he supposed anyone in her position would be panicked after seeing someone resurrect three-thousand soldiers from an ancient battle.
Tegin Carrotfoot, who had tears in his eyes, walked out the now open front gates.
¡°General? Where¡ where are we sir?¡±
¡°Sir¡ I don¡¯t remember much of what happened¡ I think I got wounded?¡±
¡°Soldiers of Anthus!¡± the halfling bellowed, losing composure for once. ¡°You find yourselves returned, after having fallen honorably in battle!¡±
¡°So it¡¯s true¡ I did die¡¡±
¡°I still remember the sword that slew me¡¡±
¡°You are honorable men and women all! You paid the ultimate price fighting under my banner. In light of that I¡ I cannot ask you to fight for me once more. But all the same, your General shall stand here today and fight in defense of our Republic. And if you wish it¡ I shall be proud to have you beside me once more.¡±
The halfling¡¯s speech was an impassioned one, aided by the other soldiers of Anthus who came out the gates to stand alongside him. It was a silly tactic, abandoning the walls to stand before a superior foe. A display meant to do no more than boost morale.
Which was exactly why Orodan liked it and also walked out to join them.
¡°Your forces are still outnumbered! You stand no chance!¡± Ilyatana roared and then looked skyward as a blazing bolt of dark light approached. ¡°And behold! The God of Death comes to aid us! Your transgressions in touching the soul nexus have doubtlessly earned his ire!¡±
She wasn¡¯t wrong. The very first time Orodan had resurrected someone who¡¯d been dead for long enough that their soul moved on, Malzim¡¯s Avatar angrily approached. He could appreciate that the God of Death actually tried to serve his role by protecting the dead.
And it looked to be the same yet again.
¡°Who dares defile the sanctity of the dead! No necromancer shall dare¡ what is this?¡±
¡°No necromancy here. Just resurrections,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about me defiling the sanctity of any souls, you needn¡¯t worry Malzim.¡±
¡°They are resurrected¡ how? Who are you stranger?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. And I owe you a great debt,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Once I deal with this wicked Goddess, we might speak further.¡±
¡°Malzim! This creature is an affront to the natural order! It has no soul, and it corrupts the spirits of the fallen! Stand with me!¡± Ilyatana roared.
¡°I sense no corruption upon any of these souls, Ilyatana. This¡ being, speaks true. Soulless as he may be, this is¡ a true resurrection,¡± Malzim declared. ¡°I never thought I would see one performed after a soul reaches the nexus. And for three-thousand to be brought back¡¡±
¡°Tch¡ coward. It matters not, even without the God of Death our army will-¡±
It was then, that Tegin Carrotfoot¡¯s allies arrived. Orodan sensed them from a distance away, but their wingbeats caused the winds to change and there was no ignoring that. The skies soon darkened, as a dozen dragons blotted out the sun with their approach.
¡°Soldiers of the Republic. You need not operate under the tyrannical orders of Gods who do not care for us,¡± Tegin Carrotfoot declared. ¡°Join us! Join us and fight to overthrow these divine tyrants, that we, the people of the Republic might control our destinies once more! And if you do not wish to join¡ then stand aside and surrender. There is no need for Adenians to fight their brothers and sisters. We wish for no bloodshed today!¡±
An army might be capable of fighting a few dragons, although with heavy casualties. But to face a dozen? Alongside a wizard who could fight an Avatar evenly and an army of six-thousand?
The argument was a persuasive one, and many of the soldiers from Karilsgard began stepping away and laying down their arms. After all, they weren¡¯t surrendering to Novarrians or a foreign foe, but their own countrymen. The odds of being treated better were significantly higher than if they¡¯d surrendered to some unknown enemy who was out for their blood.
Orodan¡¯s broom purging the Avatar of Ilyatana and all her Blessings from the field also helped cement the decision.
#
¡°Malzim truly just left?¡± Destartes asked. ¡°What were you two even talking about?¡±
¡°We simply spoke of the time loops and the debt I owe him,¡± Orodan said. ¡°With assurances that he and his followers would be fine, he saw no point in resisting. The Prime Five aren¡¯t as unified in their loyalties as you would think.¡±
Loyalties aside, Malzim also wasn¡¯t much of a fighter. Some called the God of Death a coward, but Orodan disliked this insult. Would one call a farmer a coward for running away from battle? Not everyone needed to be a fighter. Orodan would fight on Malzim¡¯s behalf if necessary.
¡°I see¡ I suppose you would know them more intimately than I, given your time in the loops,¡± Destartes said as the two rounded a corner to reach the war room of Fort Redvane.
After the surrender of the army from Karilsgard, a good portion had joined Tegin¡¯s forces, though were assigned to non-sensitive positions for the time being. Tegin¡¯s force had then marched to Fort Redvane, the nearest military installation a hundred miles away. Though it was possessed of few defenders and they¡¯d easily opened the gates and surrendered to the Lieutenant-General upon assurance of no harm befalling them.
And within the war room, was Tegin Carrotfoot, catching up with a recently raised soldier.
¡°Why Kastavian¡ I ensured your family were cared for after your death. Your granddaughter is an alchemist in the capital in fact!¡± the halfling spoke warmly.
¡°Tegin¡! It is¡ it¡¯s good to be under your command once more,¡± the man tearfully replied.
¡°And it is good to have you back!¡± the halfling said, and then noticed the two of them. He dismissed the soldier. ¡°Excuse me.¡±
The halfling hit the ground, kneeling before Orodan.
¡°Lord Wainwright, I will forever be in your debt. If there is anything you need, I am at your service, from now till-¡±
Orodan gently helped the commander of Anthus to his feet.
¡°None of that. If anything, I don¡¯t go around resurrecting people as often as I should. Though, I suppose keeping a tally of the dead and reuniting people with their fallen comrades and loved ones can come after I¡¯m done these time loops,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You owe me nothing. Consider it repayment for the vandalism of your research departments.¡±
¡°I cannot abide by this¡ you¡¯ve returned to me comrades, battle-brothers and sisters-in-arms who I began fighting alongside when I was a fresh-faced recruit who was constantly belittled for being a halfling in the military,¡± Tegin said, tears in his eyes. ¡°When these men and women fell during the Liberation War, a part of me went with them. Thank you, thank you. You¡¯re a better God than any of the charlatans among the Prime Five could hope to be.¡±
¡°Your words honor me, but I¡¯m no God. Just a warrior on a journey to bring the ails plaguing this System to heel,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And¡ someone looking for a few good fights along the way.¡±
¡°I see¡ then I suppose the cosmos can count itself lucky, that a warrior of such compassion and benevolence fights for it.¡±
Compassion and benevolence? Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if those words fit him. The darker side of him, the orphan raised on the streets of Ogdenborough, knew naught but violence and bloodshed. He had killed many and ended far more lives than he¡¯d saved.
Violence was how the time loops began. And bloodshed was how they ended every time.
¡°You judge yourself too harshly,¡± Zaessythra reminded.
¡°I¡¯m no self-pitying milksop who bemoans his fate. I judge myself not harshly, but honestly. None can deny that my life began on that fateful day when my mother and father were slain and all in that caravan besides me were butchered. In that regard, my life both began and ended with bloodshed.¡±
The life of Orodan Wainwright had irrevocably changed when both his parents were violently killed. And it ended the same way when he too was slain by a Guzuharan when the time loops began.
Orodan wasn¡¯t a cold monster devoid of feelings. He cared for Zaessythra, Old Man Hannegan and quite a few others. But his outlook on morality was still one grounded in the harsh reality of violence. Had he learned what some might consider benevolence and compassion along the way? Yes. But these things were the byproduct of a stubborn sense of honor and fairness. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had compassion and empathy the same way a child raised in a loving home did.
But¡ he supposed whatever compassion and care he did have, was different and more grounded in reality than someone of a more idealistic bent.
And his goal of becoming the pillar which dreams could become reality upon would not be achieved through moralistic rhetoric alone.
For that, hard work, grit and sacrifice alone were the answer.
¡°Lord Wainwright?¡± Tegin asked.
¡°I believe you¡¯ve caused him to reflect on things, my student,¡± Destartes remarked. ¡°One shouldn¡¯t be interrupted when they¡¯re in the midst of such introspective ponderings.¡±
Orodan gave Destartes an unimpressed look.
¡°And I¡¯m not a Lord.¡±
¡°Of course, apologies sir,¡± Tegin said with a smile. ¡°Now then, with Fort Redvane under our control, the capital isn¡¯t too far off.¡±
¡°And the Cathedral¡¯s forces? Have any secondary armies been raised?¡± Destartes asked.
¡°Ilyatana and Agathor attempted to muster forces from the Eastern Kingdoms, but by all accounts our honored allies in the Sapphire Gale dragon flight put a quick end to that,¡± Tegin answered. ¡°The ancient Balaji Vedharna and the noble World Guardian Sarastuga also interceded to prevent the Gods from mobilizing.¡±
¡°Wasn¡¯t aware that old man and his pet cat were on your side,¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so bold as to call that lion a ¡®pet cat¡¯, but yes, they¡¯ve had disagreements with Agathor as well,¡± Destartes replied. ¡°That tyrant War God has offended people beyond just the Republic.¡±
¡°Agathor has made many enemies. Chief among them one he does not even know of,¡± Tegin said, looking at Orodan. ¡°In a few hours, we march to Karilsgard. I doubt I even need to ask, but are you prepared to purge the divine from our Republic?¡±
Purging the divine from the Republic?
Orodan had plans on doing more than just that.
#
The force they marched with was exceptionally small, consisting of only fifteen-hundred troops. Destartes and Tegin Carrotfoot were leading the force, but by all observations it was a paltry one.
Mainly because the bulk of the coup¡¯s manpower alongside the Time Wind dragon flight were off pacifying and ensuring the surrender of loyalist holdouts in other parts of the Republic even as this small force made for Karilsgard.
¡°So I can¡¯t just march in and slay Agathor?¡±
¡°No, Mister Wainwright. We would greatly prefer you didn¡¯t do such a thing,¡± Tegin answered. ¡°The purging of the divine is not only something our agents are spreading word and disseminating propaganda about, but it¡¯s also a display that must be performed in the open. Agathor is known to be hot-headed, let him dig his own grave in front of the people, that they might see the Gods for who they really are.¡±
¡°I too have half a mind to charge in and pummel old Arvayne, but we must remain patient for now. Our contacts and that individual you referred us to have been of great assistance in controlling the public narrative,¡± Destartes said.
¡°Yes, this Esgarius from Trumbetton has proven to be quite the resource. One mention of gold and he¡¯s bending over backwards for us, who knew the man had access to local information networks of such depth and coverage?¡± Tegin remarked.
¡°Long as you¡¯re paying him more than your enemies can offer, I¡¯m certain he¡¯ll remain loyal,¡± Orodan said. Though, that industrious merchant would remain loyal to the gold first, and his employer second.
¡°Ah yes, loyalty can be a fickle thing. The majority of the foes we face will not hold any particularly strong sentiments about defending the Cathedral¡¯s reign over the government, but a few staunch defenders will obstruct us all the same,¡± Tegin said. ¡°You¡¯re certain that House Firesword will not intervene?¡±
¡°Once their elder, Arvayne Firesword is dealt with, Burgher Ignatius has no reason to oppose us. Provided the dealings are non-lethal and end amicably enough,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°House Simarji though¡ do not touch any of them. I shall deal with them myself.¡±
¡°The Simarjis? They are hardline loyalists then?¡± the commander of the coup asked.
¡°Far from it, old Adeltaj has no particular love for the Gods,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°That does not mean the man won¡¯t try to play hero however.¡±
¡°Hero?¡±
¡°The obstinate sort who is naturally predisposed to giving his life for the sake of others. Bad for his lifespan and even worse for those who must watch him die on their behalf.¡±
Nobody would die for Orodan¡¯s sake ever again.
Their force passed through Exerston County, and was now nearing the capital. There had been no assaults or ambushes along the way either, and the county militia patrols he¡¯d seen had simply given them way. However, the lack of any Republic military meant they were likely holed up somewhere.
That somewhere being Karilsgard.
The first time Orodan had seen Karilsgard, he was certain the city could fight off an attacking Avatar through its defenses alone. These defenses had now been ramped up to the maximum. War machines, defensive weaponry, mages, archers and javelineers of various levels all lined the walls. And the entire city was heavily warded, with certain wards now present that Orodan hadn¡¯t seen in use during regular operations.
¡°The invaders! The invaders have come!¡± a civilian outside the wall barked.
¡°Shut your gob, boy! Those are soldiers of the Republic! What are they going to invade with that few soldiers?¡± an old man scolded. ¡°I heard they¡¯re here to root out the corruption in our government.¡±
¡°Truly? I did hear there were some crooks in that Cathedral¡¡±
The Lieutenant-General¡¯s propaganda efforts were paying off it seemed.
¡°They¡¯ve dug in and prepared for a siege,¡± Tegin said. ¡°How many defenders do you see, Mister Wainwright?¡±
The wards of Karilsgard were actively blocking and scrambling more standard detection spells such as Mana Sense, Spatial Sense and even Wind Sense. Vision of Purity wasn¡¯t something they could account for though.
¡°Seven-thousand and fifty-three. Not as much as I expected,¡± Orodan remarked, giving the accurate count. ¡°Karilsgard is normally supposed to have a standing force of ten-thousand minimum, including the capital guard. The army you routed at Anthus must¡¯ve drawn from here quite significantly.¡±
¡°Quite so. And the Council must at least be wise enough to realize that recalling troops from the border would be a poor idea when Novarria¡¯s on the warpath,¡± Tegin added.
The force marched up to just outside weapons range of the war machines on the walls, however only Tegin Carrotfoot, Destartes and Orodan walked up to the gates.
¡°Halt! General Tegin¡ even if it¡¯s you, I cannot allow you entry into Karilsgard!¡± the gate commander, a familiar man, declared. ¡°The Council of Karilsgard has ordered the city be closed off. Any attempts at entry will be met with force!¡±
¡°Has the Council ordered it¡ or was it the Cathedral? Come now, Arendethar, you¡¯ve always been an observant man,¡± Tegin said. ¡°The departure of your companion Ulrusdun did not convince you?¡±
¡°It is not a matter of what I¡¯m convinced by, it¡¯s a matter of following orders, I¡¯m a career soldier, much like you General. Under orders from the Council, who have benevolently offered to keep our families sheltered within the Cathedral for a possible siege, we must defend our city.¡±
Tegin quirked his eyebrow at Orodan. He could read between the lines just fine.
¡°He doesn¡¯t lie, I sense hundreds of non-combatants in there.¡±
A devious method of getting soldiers to remain loyal. Pathetic.
¡°That will be enough! Stand down Arendethar!¡± yelled an old woman with an angry scowl on her face. A Grandmaster. ¡°Destartes, what do you and your upstart band hope to achieve by coming here? A mere fifteen-hundred troops isn¡¯t enough to launch a siege, and we¡¯ve prepared many anti-dragon countermeasures, though I see none of them here.¡±
¡°Varna, we came not for a siege but to pass through the gates uncontested. House Altamari may be in league with the Cathedral but not all of these men and women are. Your captivity of their families in the name of safety is disgraceful,¡± Destartes chided. ¡°Stand down and we may avoid bloodshed.¡±
¡°What bloodshed? You have a paltry force fit only for raiding villages, do not overestimate yourselves,¡± Varna Altamari rebuked. ¡°Though¡ reports on a chronomancer of alarming prowess have reached our ears. I see he stands with you now.¡±
All eyes turned towards Orodan.
¡°Speak to them, not me. I¡¯m not much for these pre-battle negotiations,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°I concur, let us forgo the useless chatter. Coming before the gates was a mistake, you¡¯re too dangerous to let live,¡± Varna hissed.
Perhaps Destartes was the only other one who noticed, but the faint pulse of mana from a well-crafted amulet around her neck was the only signal the old woman gave.
Every single soldier, mage and magical war machine upon the walls of Karilsgard suddenly aimed at the three of them.
¡°Treachery! Protect the General!¡± roared a soldier from behind, but the army was simply too far away to reach them in time.
Destartes was prepared to receive the salvo which could slay an Avatar, but Orodan took action first.
If they thought he was some monstrous chronomancer, then he might as well confirm the rumors.
His soul energy was channelled into Time Reversal, and immediately the salvo returned from whence it came.
¡°Chronomancers! Stop him! Break his grasp over the time stream!¡± Varna ordered.
A corps of time mages upon the walls immediately set about countering him, but it was an entirely hopeless attempt. For one, Orodan had broken and overpowered far stronger Transcendent-level chronomancers attempting to stifle him during his battles across the cosmos. And for another, a good third of the chronomancers were intentionally performing sub-optimally. Fighting for a force which held one¡¯s family hostage was no guarantor of true loyalty.
Taken in tandem, their attempts at battling with him for control over time were utterly pointless. An ant would have had more success lifting a mountain.
¡°Commander! We cannot counter him!¡±
And then, his Time Reversal went a step further¡.
¡as the very walls and wards of Karilsgard began to tremble.
¡°Spatiomancers! Send him away! Stop him at all costs!¡± Varna roared.
¡°My lady our energy batteries will run dry before we can shift him in space!¡±
¡°Someone deal with him! He¡¯s but a single man!¡±
Enemy space mages tried creating rifts to send him farther away, enemy chronomancers tried fighting with him for control, yet it was to no avail. The walls of Karilsgard, the wards layered over them, the fancy war machines upon them, it all began reverting in time. Even the very weapons wielded by the defending army began to unravel.
Magical focusing cannons which mages used to greatly amplify their spells turned to raw ore and crystals. Wards began dispersing into raw mana which harmlessly dissipated into the air, and the weapons of the soldiers began turning into saplings, ore and slag. It was all reverted through time.
¡°My sword! My shield!¡± a soldier cried in shock.
¡°My bow!¡±
The defending soldiers began losing their ability to fight as their weapons were rendered useless. And soon¡
¡even the stones composing the walls began to come undone.
¡°Hold! Brace for a fall!¡±
A chorus of yelps and cries rang out as the east wall of Karilsgard began transitioning back into boulders and large rocks, and the defenders fell to the now bare ground.
The troops behind Orodan were in complete and utter awe. These were veterans from Anthus who¡¯d seen him resurrect their fallen brethren, yet witnessing time go backwards in such a selective manner left them dumbstruck.
¡°Incredible¡ I haven¡¯t seen the outer wall unbuilt since I was a young lad¡¡± Destartes muttered.
¡°Looks a little strange without the gigantic section of wall, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Orodan asked as he walked forward. ¡°Now then, lay down your arms and no further bloodshed needs to occur. I¡¯m not even a chronomancer by trade.¡±
¡°N-not a chronomancer¡? What are you?¡± Varna said in shock, and then sagged as Orodan approached, putting his sword to her throat. A look behind him at the battle-hungry force of fifteen-hundred reinforced her decision. That and the lack of walls between them. ¡°We¡ we surrender.¡±
¡°A wise decision,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Tegin, shall we press on?¡±
¡°I-indeed! Soldiers! Take these defenders captive but ensure they are well-treated!¡± the Lieutenant-General ordered. ¡°You have my word that your families will be freed from the clutches of the tyrannical Cathedral!¡±
Those words were all it took, and more than half of the defenders standing where the outer wall formerly was now began walking towards Tegin¡¯s forces, hands raised in surrender. In truth, the fifteen-hundred had mainly been brought along to manage prisoners, run messages and ensure logistics and the transition of government occurred smoothly.
The rest soon followed, and it was a surreal scene, seeing five-thousand troops surrender to fifteen-hundred.
Still, more remained, particularly surrounding the Cathedral.
There was no resistance or ambushes as the army moved down the streets of the capital. Vision of Purity would¡¯ve seen them clearly in any case. And Destartes too was prepared as dozens of preparatory spells were roiling about the old wizard.
Their walk down the streets continued, with soldiers informing the curious citizens that they were here to liberate the Republic of corruption, and that none would be harmed. Here again, the advance propaganda work paid off as many of the citizens had already heard of what was occurring.
Disagreements between soldiers and some rather devout citizens were peaceful, with logical pre-prepared arguments that the government of the Republic was officially meant to serve its people, and that they were beholden to the law, not the Prime Five. To many of the curious common folk, such arguments were heretical, which showed just how deep the Cathedral had sunk its claws. But to others¡ many citizens nodded along and found themselves agreeing.
People in general were more receptive to the famed General who¡¯d achieved many successes during the Liberation War. That not a single drop of blood had been spilt only proved the halfling¡¯s sincerity and desire to do good in their eyes.
Nobody stood in their way. The remaining two-thousand defenders of the city were spread out across various points, but they didn¡¯t have enough localized numbers to dare stop them. Nor did they want to once the soldiers and commander leading them made their intentions of non-violence and rescuing their families clear.
However, at the foot of the Cathedral¡¯s stairs, someone did stand in front of them.
¡°A lone man standing between a small army and their destination?¡± Orodan asked, a smile on his face. ¡°I see Adeltaj Simarji¡¯s reputation for acting recklessly still holds true.¡±
¡°You know of me, invader?¡± Adeltaj asked and then pointed his unfurled halberd at Orodan. ¡°There are countless innocents in the Cathedral behind me. I cannot let you pass.¡±
¡°Your death would be a mere door stopper, old man. Do you truly intend to push your proclivity for heroics this far?¡± Orodan asked, borrowing a nearby soldier¡¯s halberd and bracing it towards his opponent.
¡°When a warrior decides upon something with their heart, it¡¯s no longer a matter of whether it shall be seen through¡ but what the price is,¡± Adeltaj said, frowning. ¡°If I die, so be it.¡±
¡°Heh! I suppose there¡¯s a reason you ended up being my first mentor.¡±
¡°What?¡± the Simarji asked, confused.
¡°I¡¯ll explain after. For now, gird yourself. Going easy on you would be a disservice to the hero who gave his life for me, so I shall not,¡± Orodan said, blazing towards the man. ¡°Bravado and rhetoric do not save lives, show me the difference between a hero and a fraud, Adeltaj Simarji!¡±
The old man¡¯s halberd met the thrust of his own head-on, and the points of each collided perfectly, causing a shockwave to erupt. Destartes conjured shielding for the troops behind him while Tegin watched on with interest.
¡°Why do you defend the Cathedral so insistently?¡± Orodan asked, transitioning from the clash to a weapon deadlock where he moderated his might to match the old man. ¡°Is it to protect the defenseless within?¡±
¡°Why else? If there is anything in life worth dying for, it¡¯s the defense of the vulnerable¡ and the defense of the young who have so much more to give!¡±
¡°¡is that why you died for me all that time ago?¡± Orodan asked, recalling the death. ¡°Was it because I was young and stupid and had yet more to give?¡±
¡°I know not what you speak of!¡± Adeltaj said, pushing back with all his might but failing to budge Orodan. ¡°Tch! Got some muscle, do you? Then try-¡±
A headbutt smashed into Adeltaj¡¯s nose, an elbow snapped his head sideways with the impact, and knee drove the air from the man¡¯s lungs. A simple shove with the haft of Orodan¡¯s borrowed halberd then put the man on the ground.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you saw in that hot-headed idiot, that caused you to give up your life for him. Not that it was even necessary. But¡ I wonder if you¡¯d approve of who I ended up becoming,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Guh! If anyone I gave my life for enjoyed beating up senile old men to this extent, then I certainly don¡¯t!¡±
¡°You¡¯re only seven-hundred years old! I¡¯m older than you by now!¡± Orodan retorted and jabbed at Adeltaj, forcing the man to return to his feet. ¡°Anyhow, your movements are good, but your combat instincts could use some work. What do you fight for, Adeltaj Simarji? Will you allow me to get past you and have at the civilians beneath the Cathedral?¡±
The old man¡¯s teeth gritted as he charged once more, zeal in his eyes, the same sort Orodan saw when he¡¯d died the first time.
Subtly, Orodan saw System energy roiling around Adeltaj¡¯s halberd.
[Teaching 52 ¡ú Teaching 53]
And he brutally smashed the strike backwards, hurling Adeltaj to the ground in the process.
¡°Phoenix Strike, merely Legendary. Pathetic,¡± Orodan coldly said. ¡°Such a skill won¡¯t allow you to live against a True Vampire.¡±
¡°Why would I face a True Vamp-¡±
¡°Again.¡±
Time Reversal took effect, and Orodan affected not just Adeltaj¡¯s body, but his soul and the System within, reverting the man¡¯s skill combination.
¡°What¡ I¡ how?¡± the old man asked, utterly astonished and in complete disbelief.
¡°Is a mere Phoenix Strike all you can aspire to? A hero cannot fail,¡± Orodan chided. ¡°Moralistic preaching and plucky speeches will not protect those behind you. Come at me again.¡±
Adeltaj was angered, furious.
Good.
The following strike was harsh, far stronger, but still not up to par, and Orodan once more brutally threw it backwards. If Destartes wasn¡¯t maintaining a mana barrier around the fight, half the city would¡¯ve been destroyed.
¡°I sensed the flow of System energy. All you did was add one more skill to that combination, but it¡¯s still Legendary, if slightly stronger,¡± Orodan lectured. ¡°Is that all a hero has? Will you die with a rousing speech on your lips while those you leave behind suffer the consequences of your defeat?¡±
Orodan turned time back reverting the skill combination once more.
¡°Raargh! Who are you to speak to me about heroism!?¡±
¡°The boy you gave your life for!¡± Orodan roared back, shocking the old man into silence. ¡°The man who gave his life for me was no coward, and he certainly didn¡¯t lack for resolve! But neither of those things matter in this cold, unfeeling cosmos! If you wish to be a hero, then it¡¯s time you started winning like one! Come and show me what a true hero is, Adeltaj Simarji!¡±
¡°What you say does not fit together in my mind¡ but¡ your words while harsh, are not incorrect,¡± Adeltaj said solemnly, and around his halberd, Orodan could feel a strange pattern of System energy roiling up. ¡°You are right¡ heroism does not lie in speeches and noble sacrifices. But in achievement, in actually succeeding in one¡¯s charge. With this, I shall go one last time.¡±
This time, the halberd came, and he felt a titanic surge of power gather. It didn¡¯t come from just Adeltaj, but most surprisingly, from the civilians beneath the Cathedral. The people the old man was trying so desperately to protect.
And it was a mighty, mighty blow. One that caused the borrowed halberd in Orodan¡¯s hands to utterly shatter as he hadn¡¯t expected the strike to be so strong and consequently had held back on empowering it with too much soul energy. The strike carried on, ramming right into his sternum.
Where it was naturally stopped entirely, with nary a mark.
But in that strike, Orodan had felt the power of a quadruple-Grandmaster. If the old man had used this against the True Vampire, he might¡¯ve stalemated it.
[Teaching 53 ¡ú Teaching 56]
On the old man¡¯s end, Adeltaj was pale and trembling, and Orodan sensed his first mentor was almost entirely empty on power. It truly was a mighty strike, carrying so much power that the halberdier¡¯s body had nearly been unable to handle it all.
¡°Duty of the Hero¡ Mythical¡¡± he muttered.
¡°Hmmph¡ at minimum, my first teacher should be capable of at least this much,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m feeling merciful today and won¡¯t try and push you to acquire a Celestial skill.¡±
¡°C-celestial?¡± Adeltaj muttered and then desperately crawled in front of Orodan when he tried stepping past. ¡°The¡ the people¡¡±
¡°Will not be harmed at all,¡± Orodan revealed, genuinely.
¡°Truly?¡±
¡°Ask around for yourself to see if we¡¯ve spilt a single drop of blood during our arrival,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And did you never stop to consider why two Avatars would need a single Grandmaster to defend them? Open your eyes and think a bit, old man.¡±
Whatever the Simarji was concerned about must¡¯ve been addressed, and the old man finally allowed himself to lose consciousness from the exhaustion.
¡°Ensure he is treated with haste and well taken care of,¡± Tegin immediately ordered, and Orodan nodded in gratitude.
¡°I shall have to trouble you for some training myself after this is done, Mister Wainwright,¡± Destartes remarked.
¡°I¡¯m afraid, that might not be possible. Not this time at least,¡± Orodan said, reminding the old man of what came for him and what he had to do. ¡°But I promise I will.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Destartes muttered with sorrow that wasn¡¯t quite concealed. ¡°To the Cathedral then.¡±
With Adeltaj dealt with, all that remained, was the Cathedral of the Prime Five.
¡°Two Avatars within, both drawing upon divine power freely,¡± Orodan revealed. ¡°Agathor and Halor.¡±
¡°I see¡ Mister Wainwright, I know you have nothing but hatred towards the God of War, but I implore you¡ please let me deal with Arvayne Firesword,¡± Destartes said.
¡°Sounds personal. I won¡¯t intervene unless I see you losing,¡± Orodan agreed. ¡°And Halor?¡±
¡°Worry not about him.¡±
Cryptic, but there was no risk in any case.
The Cathedral of the Prime Five. It was the second largest structure in all the capital, dwarfed only by the High Spire of Karilsgard where the council sat and ruled from. Its size and the imposing statues of the five Gods of Inuan were symbolic of their dominion over humanity on Alastaia.
Dominion which would be shattered today.
As the trio and the troops accompanying them surmounted the final step just before the entrance, the gigantic double doors swung open from within.
Two Avatars, eyes glowing with divine power. Arvayne Firesword and Alcianne Rockwood. Possessed by Agathor and Halor respectively. And behind them, the High-Burgher Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan, the High Oracle of the Cathedral, Lady Lakshiya and an assortment of Burghers who held seats on the council.
Scrying orbs flew from Tegin¡¯s troops, covering the room. It seemed this dramatic confrontation would be recorded and potentially broadcast as proof to allay the people¡¯s concerns and aid in a smoother transition of government.
¡°Welcome interlopers. Your covetous greed for power and authority have brought you to invade a city of innocents and defile a humble abode of worship.¡±
¡°Silence your tongue, cowardly prince of old Hasmathor,¡± Orodan venomously spat. ¡°Your oppressive hold over these people will end soon.¡±
¡°You know more than you should strange one,¡± Agathor hissed. ¡°You know of me, but I have heard whispers of you. You wear the skin of Orodan Wainwright well, but I doubt you are a mere militia man from Ogdenborough. Who are you? Which layer of the hells has such a powerful demon come from? And why would you possess such a lowly mortal to invade our world?¡±
Orodan was about to step forward, only for Destartes to extend a hand and bid him hold back.
¡°My patience wears thin old man. The more we allow this foul worm to speak, the greater the disrespect to Arvayne Firesword who is being controlled like a puppet,¡± Orodan gritted out. ¡°If he is allowed to continue talking I can¡¯t be held responsible for acting early.¡±
It wasn¡¯t just that Agathor enraged Orodan, but also that the vile God of War wore his old mentor¡¯s body like a meat suit. Every second of the possession was a grievous insult towards him.
¡°Peace, Mister Wainwright. That will come shortly,¡± Destartes assuaged and then looked to Agathor. ¡°Let me speak to my friend whose body you commandeer.¡±
¡°Hah! I will allow it if only because it amuses me!¡±
The orange glow from the Avatar¡¯s eyes lessened in intensity, and soon, the man behind them came to the fore.
¡°Destartes? What are¡ what are you doing here?¡± Arvayne asked, confused. ¡°You should not have done what you did. Ilyatana will take a while to find a suitable Chosen after this interloper somehow purged Heredin.¡±
¡°Arvayne¡ come to your senses! I know you¡¯ve been on an ever-downward spiral in search of power since Balastion Novar gave you an impossible task, and after our secession, out of worry for him awakening and deciding to harm us,¡± Destartes pleaded. ¡°But no more! The crown of the first emperor has been rendered defunct! The sword which hung above our necks is present no longer! Our existence, with Balaji Vedharna and the Eastern Kingdoms behind us, is finally secure!¡±
¡°¡truly? I see, so that is that what occurred in Novar¡¯s Peak recently,¡± Arvayne muttered. ¡°Is the first emperor finally de-clawed? Do his ambitions no longer threaten us?¡±
Destartes almost stepped forward.
¡°They do not. Come, join us, fight against Agathor¡¯s hold,¡± Destartes implored. ¡°Alcianne misses you, the real you. And I¡ despite our disagreements¡ fondly remember my closest friend. My brother-in-law.¡±
¡°Destartes I-¡± Arvayne¡¯s voice seemingly broke. ¡°How can you find it within you to forgive me? After all I¡¯ve done¡ after I forced your sister to also become a Chosen in desperate pursuit of me.¡±
What?
¡°I am right here, Arvayne,¡± Alcianne Rockwood spoke, Halor seemingly allowing her to have control. ¡°You need not speak of me as though I¡¯m gone. I¡¯ve always been here, waiting, for you to return. I took the power of Halor not because I wanted to, but because you followed Agathor into that hellish pit of power. But, ever have I held out hope that you would give it up and return.¡±
Orodan looked between Arvayne, Destartes and Alcianne.
¡°Then you¡¯re¡ Destartes Rockwood?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°A long, long time ago. Cast out when the house renowned for producing the mightiest warriors of the Empire was stuck with a frail boy who enjoyed books more than rough play,¡± Destartes remarked, acceptance in his tone. ¡°Before I became the most feared mage across Inuan, I was a weak child, bullied by everyone within my house. Particularly my own sister. Yet amidst it all, a renowned warrior of House Firesword found it in him to befriend me.¡±
And thus the friendship between them had started. Orodan forgot sometimes, that while he was off being a time looper gallivanting across worlds, that Grandmasters with centuries and milennia of life had their own stories long before he was born.
¡°Destartes¡ you shame me¡ but I cannot turn back now, it is too late. The horror from the stars descends in five months, I do not know how we can best it without the aid of the Gods,¡± Arvayne pleaded, sounding very much unlike the stoic man Orodan remembered.
¡°We can! Look behind me. This warrior has made all this possible. The feats of chronomancy you heard about? Performed by his hand!¡± Destartes exclaimed and then took another step forward, within arm¡¯s reach of Arvayne. ¡°We need not worry about the Eldritch Avatar or the first emperor. We¡¯ve waited long enough. Come home, brother¡ please.¡±
The wizard¡¯s arms wrapped around Arvayne Firesword.
And Orodan Wainwright¡¯s fists clenched as he prepared to move.
Orodan hadn¡¯t grown up hearing fanciful fairy tales and fables of love, and he most certainly hadn¡¯t seen any. Such heartwarming scenes of familial love were something he¡¯d never had. But, what he did have, was a life of pain, poverty and violence. He¡¯d been forced to grow up all too fast. And he knew exactly what a dirty slime attempting to stab someone in the back looked like.
Not Arvayne Firesword, but Agathor, the God of War who had now resumed control.
And as the dagger in the Avatar¡¯s hands flew for Destartes¡¯ unprotected heart, Orodan reflected on the hate he felt for the Gods. Yes, he hated them, and he would continue to hate them. But¡ killing them over and over for that reason alone was no more than allowing himself to sink into a vortex of hatred.
But at the same time, Agathor was almost irredeemably evil. And slaying the wicked, not out of hatred, but necessity¡ was a far cry from sinking into the abyss of revenge.
After all, If his vision of becoming a pillar for others was to become reality¡
¡then killing vile scum like Agathor was an absolute necessity.
He could practically feel Zaessythra rolling her eyes at his newfound justification for killing Agathor anyways, but she held her tongue.
The dream of family and kinship between these three would not be shattered today.
For Orodan would be the pillar upon which such dreams could become reality.
The dagger rushing for the heart came to a sudden halt, its blade now tightly gripped in Orodan¡¯s hand. A squeeze, and it shattered.
¡°You are quick interloper, and quite protective of this sentimental mage. If not for my Chosen vehemently resisting my control, I might have even succeeded,¡± Agathor said as he leapt back, gaining distance. Orodan didn¡¯t think so, the Avatar¡¯s movements appeared slow to him. ¡°He shall be disciplined thoroughly once this affair concludes. And Halor will regret his refusal to aid me.¡±
¡°This all presumes I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± Orodan said, drawing his broom.
¡°You speak hastily. I admit, this Avatar cannot match you in combat¡ but can you save all the people I¡¯ve Blessed beneath this Cathedral and throughout your little Republic?¡± Agathor asked, a cruel and vindictive lilt to the God¡¯s voice. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve Blessed thousands with a simple boon, one which will cause the painful eradication of their bodies and the explosion of their souls. Ilyatana and Eximus have done the same, all across Inuan!¡±
¡°Tyrant! Was this your aim all along? To hold the lives of the innocent hostage if pressed into a corner?¡± Alcianne Rockwood asked angrily, her eyes wide. ¡°We¡ we cannot push this matter lightly Destartes, what do we do?¡±
Destartes however seemed quite relaxed as he looked at Orodan.
As for Orodan himself, he could only say one thing.
¡°Idiot. As expected of the greatest coward of old Hasmathor, taking hostages simply to run from a fight,¡± Orodan derided. ¡°You will die soon, craven prince of a fallen empire.¡±
¡°Your bluster does not goad me. Even if you accept the losses of these people and the many more across Inuan, we will simply continue Blessing more,¡± Agathor barked. ¡°Now then. Leave. With the first emperor¡¯s crown taken care of, we have little else to fear save the elven pantheon who shall be negotiated with. The northern Gods are numerous but weak. Leave now, or I begin taking the lives of the innocent one by-¡±
Orodan¡¯s broom, head pointed downwards, touched the ground. Both hands were wrapped around the handle, and it almost looked as though he was a warrior solemnly holding a sword with his eyes closed, save that it was a broom.
This wouldn¡¯t be difficult. He had cleansed three entire plague worlds before, corrupted completely and entirely by the Eldritch. And now, as his Celestial skill erupted outward, he had only one directive for it.
The Blessings of Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana¡
¡were dirty.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 144 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 145]
The white light of Orodan¡¯s soul erupted outwards from the Cathedral, leaving the room they were in untouched, but starting with the captives trapped at the bottom. And it went on, past Ogdenborough¡
¡and it went on, past Novar¡¯s Peak¡
¡and well past Arkwall and the under-mountain confederation of the dwarves.
It went east, past the Eastern Kingdoms.
And it went west past Ranmere¡¯s Folly.
And it went north, past Millennium Roost where the dragons resided.
And it spread across all of Alastaia, purging every bit of divine influence inflicted by the wicked three. And forevermore fortifying all from their touch.
No more Blessings of Agathor, Eximus or Ilyatana would be laid upon this world.
¡°For this loop at least.¡±
Which suited him just fine, as doing this every time was simply further opportunity for training.
For three long seconds, silence reigned. It was possibly the loudest silence he¡¯d heard in a while.
¡°Impossible¡ impossible! A being like you cannot exist!¡±
¡°You¡¯ve seen nothing of the cosmos then,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now¡ I believe I promised your death, did I not?¡±
¡°You cannot reach me in the divine realm!¡±
With those parting words, Agathor immediately fled the body of Arvayne Firesword, and Orodan simultaneously purged his old mentor¡¯s soul of all the Blessings of the War God, and any influences lingering in his mind too. Arvayne Firesword fell to the ground.
Chasing after Agathor would¡¯ve been satisfying¡ but not yet.
¡°It is done then¡ yes, I feel it, the amulet I wear can sense the divine within a hundred miles and for the first time in millennia, it is silent,¡± Destartes muttered, kneeling next to Arvayne Firesword. ¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ thank you¡¡±
¡°Arvayne¡ Arvayne?¡± Alcianne called out, and slowly the eyes of the old Firesword fluttered open.
Orodan turned away out of respect and left the three to their privacy. It was a moment best shared between them alone. Tegin and the troops accompanying him followed, and the civilians beneath the Cathedral were evacuated.
For now, it was done.
And all that was left¡
¡was the offer and implementation of his own Blessing upon those who¡¯d been purged.
And beyond that, the doubtlessly angry Administrator coming for him.
#
¡°I¡ I cannot allow this! Let us fortify the planet! We shall face this approaching tyrant together!¡±
Orodan smiled and shook his head.
¡°You have a good heart, and you¡¯re a brave general. But certain things a warrior must face by himself,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I would not dare subject my home world and its people to a foe I¡¯ve wrought upon myself. My mistakes and their price will begin and end with me.¡±
¡°Lord Wainwright¡!¡± Tegin exclaimed, angry tears in his eyes and fists clenched.
¡°I¡¯m not a noble remember?¡± Orodan reminded. ¡°Despite that wizard¡¯s best attempts at founding noble House Wainwright.¡±
And hadn¡¯t that been a horrible thing? Orodan was all too happy to never relive actually being ¡®Lord Wainwright¡¯ again. Destartes thought it would¡¯ve been a funny joke, but he¡¯d shot it down quite insistently.
¡°That ¡®wizard¡¯ is right here, Mister Wainwright,¡± Destartes said, walking over. ¡°Though, with what you¡¯re about to do to me, having you branded a noble is the least I could do in recompense.¡±
¡°You mean the replacement of your System with my own?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°You realize this is as likely to backfire and leave you a mangled husk as it is to grant you power? You have everything you wanted now, why covet more?¡±
¡°My sister has everything she ever wanted. And while her and my brother-in-law being happy is all well and good, need I remind you that Alcianne ruthlessly bullied me when I was younger?¡±
¡°It was that serious?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Heh, no. But I like to remind her of it that she might squirm in guilt from time to time,¡± Destartes said with a smile. ¡°Do you think you could ever remain content with being at peace?¡±
¡°Absolutely not. I¡¯ll be happy to keep fighting forever,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I love battle.¡±
¡°Then we are much the same, if not in our love for battle, then in our craving for advancement,¡± Destartes clarified. ¡° I too am of the constantly progressing sort who cannot remain satisfied with his current state. If this goes wrong, so be it. But I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll get it right one loop, and you seem unwilling to forget your debts, so I don¡¯t fear you reneging on this.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t. The study of that Quest-bearer from the Eastern Kingdoms helped quite a bit too,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Adeltaj was all too happy to bring the famed Khassen Alvatel along after what you helped him acquire. I¡¯m glad you got some use out of it.¡±
Well, in a sense. It¡¯d simply confirmed to Orodan that Quest Rewards granted by the System weren¡¯t something he could meaningfully rely upon any longer. It had been a week since the battle of Karilsgard, and Orodan had spent it carefully studying his own System, the System everyone else used, and the Quest Reward which Khassen Alvatel bore.
For starters, it seemed those gigantic veins of System energy within the divine dimension weren¡¯t just for the filtration of the Boundless One¡¯s energy into System energy, but also for the granting and utilization of Quest Rewards. Quest Rewards used System energy to directly do some insane things, such as Orodan¡¯s prior Action Increases.
And while the soul bore a portion of the burden in using the System energy¡ the veins of System energy within the divine dimension did too. Which meant, that at Orodan¡¯s level where his soul was possibly the single most powerful one he knew, the bottleneck wouldn¡¯t be him, but the System itself.
If he somehow regained access to his Action Increases, at his level of power he¡¯d cause a mass rupturing of a countless number of System energy veins, which in turn would spread mass amounts of Eldritch within the divine dimension, which in turn would cause mass infection throughout the universe¡ which in turn would make the Prophet very happy.
And Orodan really didn¡¯t like the Prophet, nor did he want to make that book-wielding mongrel happy. Of course, it would also cause the descent of some other Administrator upon his head, and cause the Action Increases to stop working altogether.
In other words, there would be no unfair usage of hundreds of Action Increases.
At least¡ not while relying upon the System.
Orodan had pondered a few ways of creating that ability entirely on his own.
¡°Is this truly your final day here, Mister Wainwright?¡± Tegin asked. ¡°Why not stay, delay things?¡±
¡°That would not be my way,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Though¡ I never did get to ask you¡¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Lucille Carrotfoot in Bluefire. How are you related to her?¡±
¡°Who now?¡± Tegin asked, genuinely. ¡°Ah¡ I see! You must think all us Carrotfoots know one another! Frankly, halfling communities are quite large, and most of us dwell in our own villages or in the Eastern Kingdoms. A holdout from when the Empire treated us like second-class citizens.¡±
¡°I see¡ and here I thought there was some interesting backstory there,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Well, if you must know, I¡¯ve never been on good terms with Clan Carrotfoot or the halfling association,¡± Tegin added. ¡°If you thought a halfling had it bad from humans, then you¡¯ll be shocked to see how unfairly we¡¯re treated by our own kind. Humans in fact treated me with some level of fairness and the willingness to listen once I proved them wrong. My own people constantly belittled me for stepping out of line and making them look bad by being successful within the Republic¡¯s military.¡±
Interesting. Orodan wouldn¡¯t say he ever belonged to a community of people where an outgroup and ingroup were clearly defined, but Tegin had, and the halfling General clearly hadn¡¯t gotten along well with those he grew up with.
¡°You could¡¯ve chased even more success with what we did,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m not used to someone obstinately refusing promotion or election.¡±
¡°And what would I do with that? I¡¯ve served my country, done my duty and the Republic is better off than it was. The days of General Tegin Carrotfoot are behind him. Lieutenant-General is where I belong, ready to step up if needed,¡± the halfling answered. ¡°The coup wasn¡¯t meant to elevate me to a greater position, but to bring to heel those who committed injustice after injustice using the guise of their divine authority. Though¡ I suppose I¡¯ve come to learn not all Gods are wicked.¡±
Orodan respected Tegin Carrotfoot. The halfling hadn¡¯t so much as influenced a single election for any council seats whatsoever. He could¡¯ve installed loyalists, arranged promotions for himself or made himself quite wealthy, yet the Lieutenant-General had simply ensured the process of elections ran fairly and without interference.
Which naturally meant that for the first time in the Republic¡¯s history, two-thirds of the council seats were common folk. Which, going by what Orodan had seen, didn¡¯t inspire much confidence when a third of them were utterly incompetent and simply knew how to sway the public rather than govern effectively. Still, some old houses had still won their seats once more, and among them, surprisingly, was Surena Argon, whose promises to build a new legacy for her house swayed the voters.
The fair elections also brought in a strong group of meritorious commoners who¡¯d never gotten the chance to show their worth before. The lack of Cathedral and noble influence in government also meant that nepotism and corruption would decrease, which in turn meant more competent public servants and military personnel.
He had no mind for politics, but he supposed no governmental transitions were clean and easy. It was a mixed bag, but the Republic seemed better off overall, and most importantly, without the blight of the tyrant three.
Halor and Malzim had remained, but the Cathedral of the Prime Five had become the Cathedral of Life and Death, with less interference in government and more focus on aiding the people of Inuan and helping civilization thrive.
And Orodan¡¯s Blessings had grown quite popular, though he¡¯d had to cut off plenty who tried using it for wicked reasons. The burden upon his soul was negligible, and it was a good and constant workout for his soul and Incipience of Infinity.
¡°Well, aiding you should be my priority if I want a better Republic then,¡± Orodan said, making a mental note to involve the halfling General in the future whenever matters of politics were concerned.
¡°Anytime, Mister Wainwright, anytime,¡± Tegin said and shook his hand. ¡°Now then, I am terrible at goodbyes and me remaining here would subject you to the ugly sight of an emotional halfling. Master, I bid you and Mister Wainwright farewell¡ and¡ until next loop.¡±
Tegin walked off, leaving just Orodan and Destartes.
¡°I will not become overly sentimental like my student, Mister Wainwright. All I will say is that it¡¯s been an honor, and you should definitely keep up your magical training, and come see me whenever you require. A teacher can only pray to receive a student as driven as yourself,¡± Destartes said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can stay for any longer, can you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The notification that an Administrator descends is a serious matter, and I already feel I¡¯ve tarried for too long,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Whether this goes right or wrong, I shall depart Alastaia today.¡±
¡°Then, let us begin.¡±
And so Orodan did. His Celestial skill shot out, targeting the natural Eldritch within Destartes¡¯ soul.
It might¡¯ve been a difficult matter in the past, but Orodan was now a Transcendent, and Domain of Perfect Cleaning was his strongest Celestial skill. Eliminating the natural and hidden Eldritch from all corners of Destartes¡¯ soul wasn¡¯t the hard part.
Getting all the glyphs, symbols and System technicalities right, was.
Working on his own soul was far easier, mainly because he cared not about pain. Having to hear Destartes scream halfway through was more than a little difficult, but the wizard assured Orodan that it was fine. Hopefully in the future he¡¯d find a painless method of doing this.
Still, through sending power via his cells, which had a dimensional boundary, he found the manipulation of Destartes¡¯ soul to be far easier than if he¡¯d tried directly manipulating it without Dimensionalism.
And as the last bits of Destartes¡¯ System were annihilated, it sent an impossibly fast pulse out past the dimensional boundary, and Orodan knew this was the moment he needed to depart.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stay to see how your new System feels,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again.¡±
¡°Take care Mister Wainwright. Whatever you¡¯ve earned the notice of, give it a good fight for me, will you?¡±
Orodan had grown stronger, enough that he could confidently best the old Orodan at the peak of his power when he had the original System. But he doubted he was still strong enough to give an Administrator a good fight.
[Dimensional Step 11 ¡ú Dimensional Step 12]
The step carried him through to the domain of a particular pest he¡¯d made a promise to.
¡°Interloper!¡±
Agathor was immediately prepared. Perhaps the prior encounter a week ago had made the War God exceedingly paranoid, but his divine domain had multiple defenses set up and the God immediately tried attacking him.
Only for a sword to remove Agathor¡¯s head from his shoulders.
One down.
Eximus and Ilyatana also died shortly after, and soon, the approaching Avraxas, the world-eating dragon who fiercely responded to any attacks within the Hegemony¡¯s territory inside the divine realm approached.
But¡
¡Orodan had grown far stronger.
Previously, even if he¡¯d won, he¡¯d been the one getting battered around.
This time, as Combat Transcendence activated, that would no longer be the case.
Avraxas came at him, an oversized claw leading the way, and Orodan met it with an All-Strike, and everything behind it as his skills went to war to create the perfect attack.
Logistics, now used to guiding his other skills in an efficient manner, commanded All-Strike blast forward with a fury as the responding attack. Unassailable Fortress, meant for defense, was somehow used offensively. For just as offense could be the best defense, so could defense be the best offense. His All-Strike was thus empowered not just offensively as an attack, but its rigidity as a strike, its durability and resilience, all improved. Bulwark Physical Resistance, meant for use on his own body, was dragged and thrown into the fray by Logistics who demanded it apply the resistance to his attack as well. And finally¡ his mind identified that the substance the dragon¡¯s claws were made of was just another material¡
¡and his sword the pick which would mine it.
[Logistics 20 ¡ú Logistics 22]
[All-Strike 92 ¡ú All-Strike 93]
[Unassailable Fortress 93 ¡ú Unassailable Fortress 94]
[Bulwark Physical Resistance 86 ¡ú Bulwark Physical Resistance 87]
[Mining 17 ¡ú Mining 21]
The claw of Avraxas met Orodan¡¯s blow¡
¡and his sword, newly forged and far stronger, rived right through the bone, punching through.
The world-devourer¡¯s eyes widened as Orodan¡¯s blade shattered bone as though it were brittle glass, and then continued onward to punch a clean hole through the meat and bones of its claw.
Like a penetrative bullet fired from a high-power rifle, Orodan carried on, piercing through its gigantic body and buried himself right into its skull¡
¡where he unleashed the pent-up power of the All-Strike at last.
It wasn¡¯t a gigantic area attack, but it still erupted within the dragon¡¯s skull like a planet-destroying earthquake. His new body, stronger due to the improvements in Body Tempering, allowed him to hit harder and absorb more of the impact.
The mutated dragon twitched and spasmed erratically and its power was quickly diverted towards attempting healing, but it was too late. Orodan was already within its skull.
All-Strike after All-Strike was let loose within its head, at a pace that its healing could never keep up with. In prior battles it paid utmost heed to never allowing Orodan the chance to burrow inside of it. But now that he had, this battle was his.
Within five minutes, the dragon lay dead, a corpse floating amidst the void between divine domains. A most unnatural sight within the divine dimension.
Astalavar, the fifty-armed God of the Hegemony who was on route to reinforce the dragon, suddenly stopped and turned around, fleeing. It had perhaps realized victory was no longer possible by itself. And Agrimon, the leader of the Hegemony refused to even make an appearance.
Victory.
Or so Orodan thought.
The air felt heavy. Which made little sense as the divine dimension shouldn¡¯t have had regular air. The surreal and impossible shapes all around, the veins of System energy, they all looked¡ scared?
That wasn¡¯t right. How could the scenery look scared? As though it was bowing.
¡°I don¡¯t think the Prophet¡¯s coming this time¡¡±
Orodan agreed. For some reason, he felt this was far worse.
Footsteps. How? There was no ground to tread upon here.
And yet, against all reason and logic, footsteps were audible, and in the extreme distance, Orodan saw a figure approaching. Its footsteps audible despite the distance of solar systems between him and it.
Each step covered titanic amounts of distance, and yet this figure was merely man-sized.
What was it?
Only as it approached did Orodan realize, he¡¯d seen this Administrator before.
Tall, the man - if he could even be called that - surpassed fifteen feet. He had dark skin which no human could naturally possess, akin to obsidian. The man¡¯s muscles rippled with sheer power and violence unending. And the heavy armor all around looked completely impregnable.
The greatsword this warrior wielded felt as though it could carve galaxies asunder.
This was a being who¡¯d in the past saved him. This was an Administrator, but one he¡¯d never fought against.
This was¡
¡the Warrior.
And every cell in Orodan¡¯s body warned him that this being was an apex existence, designed for naught but war.
¡°A soul borne not of the Eldritch Boundless One¡ but outside of the System? What a strange existence¡ are you the one who caused that notification to appear?¡± the Administrator asked, almost politely.
¡°I am. I wiped the Eldritch from a man¡¯s soul and provided him my own Blessing,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Why is the Prophet not here?¡±
¡°You are an invader then, the second such defilement in such a short span of time drew me here quicker. By accord, the Prophet does not respond to notifications for external enemies. That¡ is the domain of the mightiest among us,¡± the Administrator answered. ¡°Slaying assaulters from outside the System is my duty.¡±
As he said the words, the Warrior gripped his greatsword tightly, and Orodan felt death approach with just that motion. He wasn¡¯t at the level of power where he could accurately gauge how dangerous an Administrator was too accurately, yet there was a marked difference between this being and the Prophet.
Orodan had little doubt that this armored guardian would be one of his defining challenges throughout the time loops.
¡°I have assaulted no one save the tyrants who threatened my home world,¡± Orodan answered.
A part of him felt that if he simply opened his mouth and explained the time loop and what he was doing, what his aims were, that this being might actually listen. Each time he¡¯d encountered this metal-bound giant, he¡¯d been the most reasonable of all five Administrators. Almost protective of innocents even.
That logical part of him, that reasonable voice within¡
¡Orodan stomped it into oblivion as a manic grin appeared on his face.
¡°But, I suppose I¡¯ve always wanted to fight you,¡± Orodan said, his teeth bared in joy. ¡°How long has it been since I¡¯ve fought someone who won¡¯t use cheap tricks or simply blast me away.¡±
¡°You overestimate yourself invader. The defense of System space and all those souls within is my sacred charge. And to that end¡¡±
¡°¡I have honed myself in every waking moment.¡±
The greatsword came for him, but it wasn¡¯t too fast, nor too strong.
No¡ it was¡ exactly matching Orodan¡¯s speed and strength.
His shield clashed against it, and a furious melee erupted.
And Orodan realized that the Warrior was doing to him, what he did to all his foes who were weaker than him. Limiting his physical advantage to have a fair fight. How absurd!
He¡ he loved it! A true challenge fit for a warrior, at last.
Like a rabid beast, Orodan fought. Pure violence, rage and the desire to cause bloodshed evident in every move.
¡°I cannot recall the last time I fought such a rabid foe. I give such praise rarely¡ but your style of combat is adequate.¡±
Adequate?
Orodan doubled down and fought at maximal power, eyes blazing with soul energy as he pushed himself to his limits.
Yet, despite all that, he failed to land even a single blow. The Warrior, was simply too skilled, to an extent which defied reality.
The greatsword flashed outwards and intercepted every single attack of his. Hells, even the Administrator¡¯s armor was a defensive implement, used to force blows off at angles and leave Orodan incredibly exposed. It was as though he was fighting multiple opponents at times.
His foe hadn¡¯t even attacked yet!
Yet, Orodan refused to bow to this being. He too, was a warrior! He too had fought and bled and died!
Battle sang in his veins, and he activated all of his skills to their utmost, becoming a raging tornado of motion and aggression which had no gaps whatsoever. And most importantly¡
¡he began mixing his different styles of combat.
His shield bashed forward, his elbow followed, and then his shoulder rammed forward. And when all three of those attacks in a single continuous motion failed, he spun to deliver knees, kicks and even a jumping headbutt. And when a defensive maneuver was made by the Administrator, he actually latched on and attempted to grapple.
Only to be shucked off immediately and skillfully.
His mind split, Combat Transcendence activated, and Endless Blitz, Unassailable Fortress and All-Strike worked together to finally land a singular glancing blow against his foes inner calf.
It was then, that the Warrior paused.
¡°Who taught you how to fight?¡±
¡°Myself and the many teachers I¡¯ve had along the way, whether they were my foes or my allies.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ whatever foul power sent you here threw away the life of a skilled warrior. A shame¡ none weaker than me have ever forced me to actually attack before.¡±
One moment he was upright, and the next, he was upside down, spinning head over heels as he was battered.
The strength and speed of it was no issue, but the skill of it was a different matter.
Punches, kicks and more struck him, and Orodan too accepted the challenge, throwing his weapons to the side to engage in a fair brawl.
¡°Is that¡ I see¡ to think to use a skill of my own making against me,¡± the Warrior said with a laugh. ¡°Here, see how it feels when used at its height.¡±
He allowed Orodan one solid punch¡
¡and the twenty-fold return reduced him to a puddle of cells. Yet, still he reformed, and still he fought with fists and legs alone.
¡°Even now you would stubbornly try and fight fairly? What a strange warrior¡ I respect your sense of honor and fair play at the very least.¡±
Orodan had thought he was decent at fighting, but he was learning a lesson in humility. He often used a punch, elbow strike and a shoulder check in the same motion as a triple attack. But, the Warrior¡¯s usage of each finger, each separate muscle of the forearm, the bicep and the triceps as a striking point before even getting to the shoulder was a reminder that there were levels to this.
Who knew one could even attack in such a manner?
[Unarmed Combat Mastery 96 ¡ú Unarmed Combat Mastery 97]
His attacks were met at every turn with supernatural efficiency. It looked absurd, for a warrior of that size to move so gracefully, but here the Warrior was, doing just that and leaving Orodan in the dust in a fight where speed and strength were equalized.
Yet, slowly¡
¡Orodan began to take after his opponent.
Forearm strikes where he used the muscles of such to strike, attacks with the bicep and tricep, and he even innovated beyond that, using Absolute Body Composition to make himself double-jointed at certain moments so he could deliver an extra attack, bending the elbow one way and then another to whip it around for another hit like a rubber band of bone and muscle.
And in a critical moment, he actually stalemated the Warrior in unarmed combat, for exactly a single exchange.
[Unarmed Combat Mastery 97 ¡ú Unarmed Combat Mastery 98]
It was the fastest two levels he¡¯d ever gained in a martial skill past the nineties in such quick succession.
This¡
¡this was real training!
Immediately, the Administrator halted, frowning.
¡°You adapt far too quickly, what are you?¡± the Warrior asked.
¡°I¡¯m just like you¡ a warrior,¡± Orodan replied, preparing to charge in once more.
¡°I can see that. You are weak, but your talent in fighting is exceptional. Truly, whichever foreign Boundless sent you has wasted you upon this ill-fated task,¡± the Warrior said. ¡°Yet, before you grow any stronger, my duty mandates your death.¡±
¡°Come kill me then,¡± Orodan challenged.
It was entirely hopeless. The greatsword emitted a lethal aura of finality. As though the cosmos itself would crush him. What was Orodan Wainwright but a speck of dust before a galaxy?
The strength and speed of the attack were no different, but this was a truly powerful blow. The pinnacle of the Warrior¡¯s skill, focused into a singular strike. Orodan felt it was at least Mythical, and this attack would kill him.
Out of honor or perhaps respect, this Administrator had never once outright overpowered Orodan through strength or speed. And even as the deathblow came, that sense of honor was retained. However, even with just skill, Orodan had been humbled and learned he had a ways to go before he could ever stand as this being¡¯s equal.
Frankly, he felt closer to beating the Prophet and the Reject than he did this insurmountable wall of muscle and metal.
But, Orodan was bull-headed, he was stubborn.
Why should he accept the superiority of anyone else. If this Administrator wished to kill him, Orodan would force him to do so at full power.
Orodan would be damned if anyone beat him in a contest of arms with all but skill equalized.
In what appeared to be his final moment of the loop, his Combat Transcendence activated once more.
All-Strike? But it wasn¡¯t enough. Flash Strike? Too weak. Power Strike? Lacking in both speed and a diverse array of fuel.
Then what was the key?
Logistics came up with the answer, refusing to let Orodan die without stubbornly showing something of his own.
Time.
Instead of a strike made regularly, what if it was all compressed into the smallest, most minute instant of time possible? All that power, forced to erupt not naturally, but over the single smallest instant conceivable? The power in such a thing would be monstrous.
And for once, he allowed Logistics to proceed with the skill combination.
The deliverance of something instantly¡ abruptly.
[Logistics 22 ¡ú Logistics 25]
[Skill Combination - All-Strike 93 + Flash Strike 86 + Power Strike 61 + Time Compression 54 ¡ú Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 73 (Mythical)]
The attack reached the Warrior¡¯s descending thrust instantly, each particle of Orodan¡¯s sword aligning perfectly with the edge of the oncoming attack. And in the final moments, he recalled how the rapier of Surena Argon would thrust, and added that motion to his own.
[Combat Mastery 106 ¡ú Combat Mastery 107]
And his loyal sword exploded outright. The attack, his own, simply had too much power. That in tandem with the monstrous inevitability of the Administrator¡¯s strike caused it to shatter as Orodan would¡¯ve died channelling the amount of soul energy necessary to keep the sword intact.
The Warrior¡¯s blade was made of something impossible. Leaving even a scratch upon it seemed outside the realm of possibility.
And yet, the attack which would¡¯ve been Orodan¡¯s end halted¡
¡and the tiniest scratch was now visible upon the Administrator¡¯s blade.
The Warrior¡¯s eyes widened and the greatsword was raised once more, though this time, with power enough to shatter a galaxy.
¡°Your name, warrior?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± he replied, half his body gone, and in no rush to reform. He knew this was the end of the loop, but it had been a truly good battle for the brief while it¡¯d lasted.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ I am Talasgan, the Warrior. And you¡¡±
¡°¡you were a good opponent.¡±
The greatsword descended, and this time Orodan had no hope of survival.
#
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
The smile on his face was positively giddy.
¡°You get one good fight and all of a sudden you¡¯re happy again.¡±
Why would he not be? Orodan had just found his target.
The Prophet? Yes, Orodan planned on heading to him first among all the Administrators, but who did he strive to match?
Only one being came to mind. All fifteen-feet of him.
The Warrior, now and forevermore, would remain in Orodan¡¯s mind as his ultimate martial challenge. Nobody had out skilled Orodan like that in a long, long time Not with strength and speed equalized and no tricks involved.
And he¡¯d grown so much over the course of such a short battle! Orodan found himself thirsting for another duel against the Warrior already, but held himself in check at Zaessythra¡¯s insistence.
He could end his loops that way, but for now, he still had work ahead of him.
He now knew a method of getting onto Lonvoron without raising alarm. But, his soul was still a point of contention.
And for that, he would need to treat with the Cathedral and its diviners, something which left a foul taste in his mouth. The problem remained however, that approaching any diviners would cause his immediate detection and the subsequent battle against the tyrant three.
And while working with the Lieutenant-General of Anthus was a possibility once more, perhaps it was time to visit someplace he hadn¡¯t been to in a long time. Not since before the time loops.
A place that was connected to the Cathedral, but had no diviners. The most nefarious part of town too.
It was time to return to the Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward.
The orphanage in which he¡¯d grown up.
¡°And while you¡¯re there, perhaps we can take a trip and prove your dumb outlook wrong,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°What dumb outlook?¡±
¡°That your life began and ended with bloodshed.¡±
¡°What would you have me do to disprove that?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You flip the timeline around like a pretentious cook scrambling eggs at a fair, yet you¡¯ve never bothered to go back to where it really began.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean¡¡±
¡°I do. Consider it me being curious; repayment for all the time I must spend trapped in here listening to your rock-headed ideas,¡± Zaessythra stated firmly. ¡°I think, Orodan¡ it¡¯s time to see your mother and father. If only so we can lay the matter to rest.¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure how that would go.
Nor was he too certain if he would like what he saw.
Chapter 76 - Origins & Fate
[Dimensional Step 12 ¡ú Dimensional Step 13]
Orodan¡¯s travel through the dimensional boundary and out the other side brought him to Eversong Plaza, specifically, to the second floor of the tavern at the foot of Mount Castarian.
A man, dark hair, angry-looking eyebrows turned downwards in what appeared to be a perpetual frown, was cleaning a few blood-slicked tools on the table. And behind this man was a corpse on a chair, recently tortured to death.
¡°Aeglos Argon. Enjoy torturing prisoners for fun, do you?¡± Orodan asked, appearing behind the Elite pyromancer.
The man was more than a little shocked at the sudden intrusion and took at least two seconds to react appropriately. Rather telling of his lack of close combat experience, and something that would get him killed in a fight against any decent martial specialist who got close enough. Personally, Orodan thought Surena Argon could beat her evil brother in a fight rather easily if she wanted to.
Still, Orodan was always happy to test his spellcraft against another mage toe-to-toe.
A Draconic Fireball came to life, blazing hot in the palm of his hand. The other participant in this magical duel nearly stumbled backwards in fright, unused to being overpowered by anyone else in pyromancy. Orodan¡¯s hand went forth and his fireball made contact with Aeglos¡¯s spell in close-quarters, and with the contact, came a fierce battle of wills to determine who would hold control over the flames.
One which Orodan had won before realizing it was meant to be a contest.
[Fire Magic Mastery 49 ¡ú Fire Magic Mastery 50]
[New Title ¡ú Fire Magic Adept]
The fire from Aeglos¡¯s hands joined Orodan¡¯s Draconic Fireball, and he put the spell out lest he destroy Eversong Plaza.
¡°Folding immediately when your trump card is overpowered is the sign of a weak mind,¡± Orodan chided. ¡°You didn¡¯t even put your heart into it. I can see you¡¯re empowering those flames with soul energy, it¡¯s a powerful Bloodline but one that¡¯s made you soft and complacent. Your sister is leagues superior to you.¡±
¡°Who the hells are you?! You do not know me! You do not know my sister!¡±
Anger; good. Perhaps this mage might fight with some grit now. Aeglos¡¯s hands turned ablaze with pyromancy once more, and two fiery spells were on the cusp of being cast when Orodan¡¯s spellfire hit first.
[Flash Freeze 24 ¡ú Flash Freeze 26]
Ice to quench flame, he was getting the hang of thinking like a mage! In his opinion at least.
The flames were immediately extinguished and the pyromancer¡¯s hands froze entirely, becoming brittle as fragile glass. Aeglos Argon¡¯s pyromancy was decent, but Orodan¡¯s unfair power made even a basic cryomancy spell overwhelming.
He screamed in agony.
¡°M-my hands!¡±
¡°What¡¯re you screaming about? Didn¡¯t you happily torture this man to death a few moments ago?¡± Orodan asked coldly, and upon seeing Aeglos¡¯s reaction was certain the man felt no real remorse about the misdeed. ¡°I¡¯d thought there might be some backbone to you, the possibility of redemption. Out of respect for your sister, I¡¯d thought to perhaps try taking you alive.¡±
¡°Please! I¡¯ve never offended you! Guards! Guards! Master! Help me!¡±
¡°Pathetic¡ no different to all the times I slew you in my early loops. A craven dog: all too happy to torment and kill the innocent when you hold power, but far too quick to beg for clemency when you do not,¡± Orodan spat. ¡°Well, I suppose not everyone can be brave, least of all when facing death. But if you¡¯re going to live by the sword and torture captives for fun, then the least you can do is have some dignity when you die by the sword.¡±
¡°N-no! Wait! Do you want wealth? Power? My father can-¡±
Aeglos Argon¡¯s head was pulled off his shoulders. On one hand, he¡¯d thought to try leaving Surena¡¯s family alive, he did owe her for a lesson on swordsmanship she hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d imparted. Yet, on the other, Aeglos Argon was a cruel man, one who would not stop harming others even if given a beating and humbled.
Orodan wasn¡¯t the law, nor was he a jailer with access to a cell. Simple problems sometimes required simple solutions. And while he wanted to repay Surena, to leave such a wicked man alive would doubtlessly cause harm to others down the line.
He silently apologized to Surena and moved on. The remainder of the Argon guards within the tavern and Eversong Plaza were unconscious. While normally he would simply drain the machine from a distance, perhaps there was a chance to redeem this monster he thought.
He¡¯d thought wrong.
Everyone else within Eversong Plaza was unconscious thanks to Orodan, but the Master-level necromancer who he met while walking down the tunnels towards the central control chamber, was not.
Master Fausta, the necromancer who¡¯d tortured him to death via her pet Demonic Berserker thousands of times. Little wonder that Aeglos Argon enjoyed the sick delights he did when this woman was his master. Next to her was her snarling little pet, the eight-armed freak which had torn him limb from limb so many times so long ago.
It looked quite wary of him too.
¡°Who are you?¡± she asked, immediately wary of Orodan. ¡°Grandmasters are not allowed to interfere, and we have our own on standby who¡¯ve already been informed of your arrival.¡±
¡°My identity does not concern you. All I need to know is that you and your little research group plan on destroying Volarbury County once you¡¯ve secured the machine,¡± Orodan coldly said. ¡°Give me one reason why you feel that¡¯s justified.¡±
¡°Surely a long-lived ancient such as yourself would understand that the lives of mortals are fleeting? The lands and the people within will eventually recov-¡±
A sudden movement, too quick to be seen by the necromancer, yet within speeds for her pet. And a clash began where Orodan kept himself moderated to give it a fair fight.
The necromancer sent in an Elite-level skeleton and a couple undead wolves to aid the Demonic Berserker, but it was all for naught. The minions died within moments of touching him. And even with strength and speed equalized, the eight-armed undead demon fell to his raw wrath and ferocity, overwhelmed by his ceaseless aggression worse than the Warrior had overpowered Orodan.
Within a second, all of the necromancer¡¯s minions were dead, and the blast of pure necrotic energy which came his way was swatted aside contemptuously, causing the entire mountain to shake and many of the reinforced tunnels to shake precariously.
The necromancer¡¯s reaction speeds and abilities were inferior to her pets, typical of most summoner-type combatants he¡¯d met. Still, he lowered his own abilities to her level, giving her a fair chance. Naturally, she cowered and sought to flee, leading to her swift end.
Orodan tired of the ¡®justifications¡¯ and excuses for Volarbury County¡¯s destruction. Those who lived by the sword could die by the sword.
He could clearly see the remaining path before him. It was littered with Novarrians, some of whom were penal battalion soldiers, and some who were not. All of them were far too low in the rungs to have any say in how the machine was used, so there was little point to dealing with them.
Another Dimensional Step took him far deeper below the mountain, and there was no corresponding level gain this time, signifying that he¡¯d plucked the low hanging fruits of understanding through repeated usage now. He stepped through the dimensional boundary and out to the scene of a battle in the central control chamber of the ancient machine.
Ovuru World-Drinker, the Guzuharan who¡¯d killed Orodan the very first time, was slowly overpowering a Master-level unarmed Republic loyalist. All while Duke Arestos the Novarrian and Baron Viglas Argon were teaming up against a scythe-wielding Master who looked to be in desperate straits.
Orodan channelled power into Domain of Perfect Cleaning, cleaning the consciousness from the two Republicans and yanking them backwards to where they¡¯d be out of the way. They¡¯d wake eventually, but for now better they remained asleep.
¡°Who the hells are you? Where did you even come from?¡± Duke Arestos asked, suddenly paranoid and backing away. ¡°Viglas, guard the control orb. I shall deal with this unknown interloper.¡±
¡°And what then? You destroy most of Volarbury County using the ancient machine?¡± Orodan asked, drawing his weapons.
¡°I know not who you are or how you bypassed every single spatiomancy alarm we set, but the Grandmaster non-interference pact between the Empire and the Republic forbids your interference,¡± Duke Arestos said.
¡°I¡¯ve run afoul of the law then? How unfortunate, will you arrest me?¡± Orodan asked, challenge in his tone. ¡°Come, let me expose the inadequacies in your usage of the sword and shield.¡±
Sword and shield met one another, and for the briefest of moments Duke Arestos¡¯s face showed surprise at how evenly matched his strength was. There was no way Orodan was a Grandmaster, the Duke must¡¯ve thought.
The delusion didn¡¯t last beyond that particular moment. Even with strength and speed moderated, Orodan utterly overwhelmed the Novarrian. A thrust was followed by a shield bash, which was followed by multiple strikes using each individual muscle of Orodan¡¯s left arm, a trick he¡¯d recently picked up, allowing for even more aggression and offense in each motion.
Technically, Orodan was limiting himself to the Novarrian¡¯s level, but with how he fought it looked as though an Adept was bullying an Initiate with a vicious beating.
The Novarrian tried hiding behind the shield to recover, but Orodan ruthlessly yanked the shield down, punched the Duke twice and delivered a headbutt which broke the man¡¯s nose. And when his foe then desperately corrected by raising the shield, Orodan stamped his foot onto Duke Arestos¡¯s own like an anvil thrown from a tower.
The resultant crunch of his ankle and the yelp of pain imbalanced the man and opened up his guard once more, causing the rim of Orodan¡¯s shield to smash into his nose yet again. He was then thrown to the ground, and a brutal pounding began as Orodan got on top and began raining down savage blows.
The sight of the beating caused Baron Viglas¡¯s eyes to widen in fear. The man must¡¯ve then realized that they stood no chance.
At last, Orodan simply ended the Novarrian¡¯s life with a powerful downward hammer fist which pulped his opponent¡¯s skull over the floor.
It was then, that Orodan felt the tickle of metal striking his back. He saw the attack coming, and it was as utterly ineffective as Orodan¡¯s own backstabbing strike had been at the very beginning of the time loops.
¡°Tell me, raider. How does Clan Leviathan mourn the loss of their war chief?¡± Orodan asked, turning around.
¡°The death of the war chief is a great honor! And today¡ I shall pay tribute to Agorhiku with my death!¡± the ogre-barbarian roared and charged Orodan once more.
More than the raider gave him in his first death, Orodan kept it fair and moderated himself. But the outcome was still a foregone conclusion. Within a second, Ovuru fell, head separated from his shoulders, just as he¡¯d slain Orodan Wainwright many thousands of loops ago to begin it all.
The Guzuharan¡¯s death left just one man. The reason Orodan had come here in the first place.
Baron Viglas Argon.
He detested the man, and the dislike must¡¯ve been apparent enough that Baron Viglas frowned and took a step back, hands blazing with fire, ready to cast.
¡°O-Orodan Wainwright?¡± the Baron choked out, finally recognizing him. ¡°It¡ no, it cannot be. Who are you, to have possessed the body of a mere street rat. What have I done to offend you?¡±
¡°I see you recognize me still, Baron Viglas. I suppose your men told you often enough of the reckless youth who challenged them to battle,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°There¡¯s no possession here. I am Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Impossible! Orodan Wainwright is a mere Apprentice-level militia man in the Ogdenborough barracks of the county militia,¡± the Baron said. ¡°His potential is notable, I¡¯ve had an eye on him for some time, but you cannot be him. I will ask again, who are you and what have we done to offend you?¡±
¡°Believe it or don¡¯t. As for how you¡¯ve offended me? How about keeping Ogdenborough mired in poverty? How about your plans to destroy most of Volarbury County once you¡¯ve secured this machine?¡± Orodan pointedly asked. ¡°Your crimes are many Baron Viglas Argon. And while your crooked schemes to keep the Republic out of Ogdenborough might not be worthy of death¡ your willingness to slaughter tens of thousands of innocents is.¡±
The man tried stammering out apologies and excuses, but it was no use. Vision of Purity let him closely examine the Baron¡¯s soul, and all Orodan saw were lies and the lack of sincerity in his words.
¡°Enough. Spare me your words,¡± Orodan said, putting a hand out to shut the man up. ¡°My hatred for you is deep-rooted, just beneath those who¡¯ve directly wronged me in the most grievous of ways. Yet, I¡¯ve been trying to move past my detestations, after all how can I clean when my own mind is filthy? I came here today, thinking to perhaps spare you if there was something redeemable in you, but I see that won¡¯t be possible. Perhaps it¡¯s a good thing your daughter is estranged from you. Being around you and your son might have turned her just as rotten, and then I might¡¯ve had to make three heads roll instead of two.¡±
Orodan was trying to let go of his hatred, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t kill whoever needed to be killed. Previously, he killed for the wrong reasons, but now, when it came to this murderous vermin, he was all too calm when faced with the prospect of ending Baron Viglas Argon¡¯s life.
¡°My daughter¡ Surena?¡± the man hissed and practically lunged for Orodan, hands blazing with fire. Orodan slapped him down to the ground.
¡°The only good thing you¡¯ve done it seems,¡± Orodan remarked, standing over him. ¡°She¡¯s become a decent woman, no thanks to you.¡±
The Baron¡¯s fists clenched, and the man lowered his head.
¡°I sent her away that the distance might keep the horrid business of this family away from her!¡± the Baron said. ¡°If you¡¯ve dared to harm-¡±
¡°She is fine and well, likely headed to Anthus as we speak. Unlike you, I do not harm uninvolved innocents,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Why do you want to destroy Volarbury County? Enough with your false excuses and apologies, your soul exposes your insincerity.¡±
For a moment perhaps, Baron Viglas thought to make more excuses. Then, an ugly and most hateful sneer came upon his face. The first honest expression Orodan had seen thus far.
¡°May the Republic burn. The destruction of the county¡ all of it was worth it if it meant striking back against the Republic who betrayed us after the blood we spilt for them,¡± the man said, and Orodan noted the hatred in his voice. ¡°My father and mother, dead. My elder siblings, all fallen in battle. For what? To help the cabal of nobles at its head secede when it was less bound by the Gods under Novarrian rule?! And then the Council has the gall to turn around and dispense such pitiful rewards upon us while rewarding themselves first. Where was our reward? Our recognition? The houses of the Republic held lands here, all while House Argon was forced to migrate from Novarria and pay the ultimate price! It was we who spilt the most blood of any house during the war!¡±
¡°Your hatred runs deep; I¡¯m no stranger to that myself. Your grievances are entirely justified¡ but only against those who¡¯ve committed them. To allow your loathing to involve those who¡¯ve done you no harm¡ is pathetic.¡±
¡°Then I, Viglas Argon, admit to being a pathetic man. I never asked for my family to join the Republic¡¯s little secession¡ I didn¡¯t want them to die,¡± the Baron said, emotional. ¡°My mother¡ she-¡±
Viglas Argon regained himself and the sneer on his face re-appeared.
¡°I¡¯ve spoken too much. You will kill me today, won¡¯t you?¡±
Orodan¡¯s sword rose high into the air.
¡°Do it then¡ I will not beg for my life. I assume you¡¯ve slain my son?¡± the Baron asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Tch¡ in my final moments, I can only accept his upbringing and end as my own failure. I should never have let him study under that deranged woman¡¡±
¡°Your son was a fiend who made his own choices, as are you too a man who must accept the responsibility for his.¡±
¡°¡true enough. Perhaps I will be reunited with my brothers at last¡ though I ask of you one thing; look after my daughter. She¡¯s the only good thing this noble house¡¯s legacy of sacrifice and hatred has produced. Perhaps¡ if I did not have this hate in my heart, things might have been different.¡±
Orodan¡¯s sword descended¡
¡into the ground.
¡°Do you truly mean that?¡± he asked.
¡°End it, I have made my peace.¡±
¡°If the hatred was gone, what would you do?¡± Orodan inquired.
¡°Pah! Perhaps in another life¡ I shall meet my daughter again, or mayhap my family.¡±
He truly had been intent on ending the existence of this wretched cur. So what that Baron Viglas had a daughter? The tens of thousands he intended to kill also had children or were father and mother to someone.
But hatred was an abyss all too easy to sink into. Especially for Orodan whose will and determination meant he held onto grudges far longer than most.
What was cleaning? Sometimes it meant sweeping the dust from a tabletop, purging the physical filth. And other times, like now, it meant purging the hate from himself¡ and from the heart of Baron Viglas.
Orodan¡¯s eyes took on a subtle glow, the soul energy pouring towards a chronomantic spell.
¡°You can¡¯t keep resurrecting everyone,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°It¡¯s a heavy responsibility to put upon yourself.¡±
¡°The weight of the System¡¯s eventual failure and the corruption of all is already upon my shoulders. What¡¯s one more added to that?¡± Orodan retorted. ¡°I have never been one to shirk responsibility.¡±
¡°It¡¯s less to do with that, and more to do with the fact that you¡¯ll never get anything done if you keep stopping to involve yourself. But¡ I suppose you would never have met me either if you hadn¡¯t done that.¡±
¡°Once this is all done, I might see to reuniting the dead across the cosmos. But for now, I will not stand idle while something can be solved right before me.¡±
Some might¡¯ve said it wasn¡¯t their problem.
Some might say death was a natural consequence of life that couldn¡¯t be solved¡ Orodan partially agreed.
Death was a natural part of life. Orodan simply disagreed with the notion that it wasn¡¯t his problem, and that he couldn¡¯t solve it.
A smart time looper would¡¯ve perhaps saved resources, admitted that they couldn¡¯t solve all problems, adjusted their own mentality in accordance. Orodan had in fact seen many of these previous time loopers while fighting the Reject, in that churning, screaming pit of agony and despair where they all suffered and lost all identity and sense of who they were.
Many sought to use the time loops to become warlords, others to advance their own power and earn wealth. Some simply acted like monsters. Others were benevolent too, yet these benevolent and hard-headed idealists also understood their limits.
They accepted certain things, that they could not solve everything.
And they had all failed in the end. Reduced to churning, writhing cogs within the soul of a mangled being who tormented them and drew power from them.
While other time loopers might accept the natural order of things, Orodan would not.
There would be no excuses, no justifications. He would settle for nothing.
If he saw a problem he disliked, he would make it his problem. For that was Orodan Wainwright¡¯s way.
Time Reversal didn¡¯t gain any levels, not when he¡¯d done far grander feats in the past. It was a simple thing, soul energy poured towards the control of time, all directed into the past.
From Viglas, Orodan saw the wisps and threads of connection to his deceased family. Thankfully, none of them were reincarnated, which made the task easy. Orodan¡¯s awareness spread out across the time stream.
Baron Viglas¡¯s father and mother had been slain during their house¡¯s migration from Novarria. Butchered right in front of their children for their treachery and aid towards the seceders. In recompense, the four siblings joined the Republic¡¯s Liberation War, where three had fallen in battle near Karilsgard, leaving only Viglas Argon.
And as Baron Viglas¡¯s parents returned, as this wicked man¡¯s siblings shifted back in time, Orodan used spatiomancy and pulled them from their very graves, alive and restored¡ directly into the central control chamber.
¡°Where¡? Where am I?¡± an older man said. A face Orodan instinctively disliked due to the similarity.
¡°Viglas? Is that you? You¡¯ve gotten gray hairs my son¡ how?¡± a woman asked in a warm voice.
As for the Baron himself, he could only stutter and choke at what he saw. He was on the verge of breaking down.
¡°How? Is this¡ an illusion? What are you?¡±
A sword tickled the underside of his throat.
¡°Before you get too emotional, I have a warning for you. From this moment on, you¡¯re dead,¡± Orodan coldly said.
Orodan made no secret of the fact that he hated Baron Viglas. The man¡¯s resurrected siblings, however, took offense to this, mid-charge and ready to rescue the Baron.
¡°Wait! Wait! Do not lay your weapons on him!¡± the Baron shouted, causing the three raised Argons to still.
¡°From this moment on, House Argon is no more. Baron Viglas Argon, the head of house¡ is dead,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°And if for some reason, that man comes to be once more¡ I shall separate his head from his shoulders.¡±
¡°Who are you to threaten-¡±
¡°Mother, please! He is¡ he is right. I¡¯ve failed. As a soldier, as the head of my house and¡ as a father.¡±
¡°Then it¡¯s time you began rectifying that last bit, isn¡¯t it?¡± Orodan asked, throwing him a ring he¡¯d inscribed with a particular enchantment. ¡°Hold onto that, it¡¯ll be my way of receiving assurance that you haven¡¯t reneged on your death. That will take you to Fort Redvane. And from there, a Master-level pyromancer and five Elites should have no issue getting past the swarms assailing Anthus I assume?¡±
¡°We will not,¡± the Baron said, and after a pause continued. ¡°Aeglos was my failure. But, why me? What made you spare me? If you hate me so much, and I would have destroyed all you hold dear¡ why help me?¡±
¡°Why indeed? I still wonder if this is the right decision. I certainly slew your vile son for there was no redemption within him,¡± Orodan said. ¡°In fact, my mind was set on ending you too.¡±
¡°Then¡?¡±
¡°Because you mentioned your daughter,¡± Orodan simply answered. ¡°In one¡¯s final moments, their true character becomes clear. You are a wicked man who has allowed his hate to warp him into a monster; but beneath that¡ I saw a man who loves his daughter. Hold onto that feeling, to the love you have for her. Hold on to that, and never turn back, for if you do, I shall be waiting.¡±
He did this, not for the wicked cur Baron Viglas, who would allow his hatred to affect all of Volarbury County, but for the hapless girl Surena Argon who still held some hope of reconnection with her father.
Orodan had no issue executing those who required it. Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana, he doubted those wicked three had any true chance of rehabilitation within them. Baron Viglas too, had doubtlessly slain plenty of innocents.
But the man¡¯s death would have achieved little save sating Orodan¡¯s desire for vengeance. Something he was learning to move past.
¡°I will not¡ I¡ thank you.¡±
Nothing else needed to be said.
House Argon, in its current state at least, was gone.
But it was still the dead of night, the beginning of the loop. And Orodan had work to do.
#
[Gunsmithing 21 ¡ú Gunsmithing 22]
Orodan¡¯s finger squeezed the last imperfection on the cannon¡¯s barrel into shape.
¡°Alright, the warehouse is done now,¡± he declared.
¡°Done? Done? You¡¯ve modified it beyond recognition! This job was contracted out by the Republic¡¯s Department of Infrastructure. It¡¯s meant to be a backup warehouse for overflow storage, perhaps with unused space being sold to interested buyers. It¡¯s not meant to be a fortified bunker!¡± Old Man Hannegan exclaimed. ¡°How am I supposed to present this to the inspectors with a straight face?!¡±
¡°By smiling and praising the man who built it? I¡¯m not asking you to keep any secrets old man, feel free to tell anyone who asks that it was me. It¡¯s not as though you made the unplanned modifications, and these enchantments are only an improvement,¡± Orodan assuaged. Better any investigators came to bother him than the old man. What would they do? Try and force him to work for the Republic? They were welcome to try. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want a warehouse with more space on the inside than it looks to have from the outside?¡±
¡°Orodan¡ how am I supposed to go about my life with the target this warehouse will put on my back? These are functional cannons you¡¯ve built as a defensive system!¡± the old man exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ll be the first sod they throw into a dungeon with the interrogators, and what will I tell them? That the bull-headed delinquent I knew as a little runt decided to show up and reveal a dozen improbable skills on a whim? I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve suddenly become capable of all this, but they won¡¯t accept my explanation at all.¡±
¡°Then that¡¯s their problem,¡± Orodan said, and then produced two rings. ¡°Hold onto this from now on and give one to Vilia too.¡±
¡°What are these for?¡±
¡°Moral support for when the torturers throw you into the pit,¡± Orodan said with a smile. ¡°Can¡¯t let my favorite old man rot in a dark cell now, can I?¡±
¡°Who¡¯re you calling old?! Get out of here, you dumb delinquent!¡±
Orodan laughed.
¡°You know, your talents are somewhat wasted around these parts. I never did ask why you¡¯ve elected to remain in Ogdenborough. Is there some dark backstory that I¡¯ve never bothered to ask about?¡±
¡°Feh! There¡¯s no dramatic or tragic reason to it; I simply like this place.¡±
¡°While I admit some level of fondness for this dung heap, you do realize this is the most poverty-stricken town in the Republic, right?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Though, I suppose destitution and squalor have their charms.¡±
¡°The struggle builds grit and character¡ and there¡¯s much to be learned from the humblest of things,¡± the old man explained, and Orodan wondered if that was why Old Man Hannegan seemed to know so much about a variety of things. To the point that even the Lieutenant-General of Anthus, a renowned military commander, was impressed. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk though, growing up in that orphanage made you who you are today. Couldn¡¯t pay me to go ¡®round that part of town.¡±
¡°And I doubt anyone¡¯s willing to pay for it either, not since House Argon runs most projects out of town,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Surprised this one even got approved to be entirely honest.¡±
¡°The mayor tried getting in the way a number of times, but the Council stamped their feet down for once and sent soldiers to remind him of the matter,¡± the old man explained. ¡°In the end, they came to the consensus that as long as the job was contracted out to the locals and no government workers came by, it would be fine.¡±
Which explained why local workers and a local foreman were working on a warehouse which was meant to be owned by the Republic. Orodan vaguely recalled a notable appearance by the capital guard a few months before the loops began. Perhaps that was why they¡¯d paid a visit to the mayor¡¯s manor.
¡°Hmm, interesting. Too little too late unfortunately,¡± Orodan muttered, thinking about how the Council and the Republic were trying to make inroads into Ogdenborough before the ancient machine¡¯s awakening. ¡°Anyhow, you should consider moving to Anthus sometime.¡±
¡°Anthus? I don¡¯t quite fancy being sequestered away behind a set of imposing stone walls protecting me from monster hordes, nor a contract which binds me to servitude for a set amount of time,¡± the old man replied.
¡°Rumors of the contracts are spread by parties interested in seeing Anthus¡¯s recruitment numbers fall,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°You might find yourself valued there.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just an old foreman who knows a thing or two, Orodan, I doubt a military stronghold will have any use for me.¡±
Orodan begged to disagree, as did Lieutenant-General Tegin Carrotfoot in the last loop. Old Man Hannegan had a certain know-how and a knack for giving practical advice that those raised and trained in fancy towns and academies simply didn¡¯t.
¡°Give it a try, old man. Just hop onto a caravan bound for Anthus and see what happens,¡± Orodan suggested, handing him another enchanted amulet. ¡°This amulet will let you teleport to Fort Redvane, whenever you feel like you want a change of pace. Just focus on it, think strongly of reaching Fort Redvane and it will get you there. Should sell for a few gold pieces too; enough to pay the fare for one of the convoys inbound for Anthus. And if anyone tries robbing you, I¡¯ll know.¡±
¡°Orodan¡ why are you handing me such a valuable thing so casually?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the least I can do for a man who gave a dumb delinquent work when few places in town would.¡±
¡°You rock-head¡ don¡¯t go and get me all sentimental,¡± the old man muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll take the offer, but I might consider it.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s all I ask,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°And if by chance you reach the city and see a certain Baron with angry eyebrows, pass a message that Orodan Wainwright is watching.¡±
¡°A certain Baron with- oh, Baron Viglas? What business do you have with him, Orodan?¡±
¡°None, unless he makes any poor decisions,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Now then, I have other business to attend to and must take my leave.¡±
The warehouse was done. His home and the neighborhood had been cleaned prior, and the ancient machine had been entirely drained, undoubtedly frustrating House Argon and their Novarrian allies.
His crafts had noticeably improved too, and a part of him wanted to take a crack at the ancient machine beneath the mountain at some point this loop. If only to measure himself and how far he¡¯d progressed thus far.
It was time then, to head back to his old neighborhood.
Ogdenborough was the poorest town in Volarbury County and most likely in all the Republic, but not all parts were equal. Where Orodan lived now, Briar Court, could be considered halfway passable. Working professionals, such as the leatherworker and some laborers who¡¯d put time into their careers and saved up could afford to live there. Old Man Hannegan¡¯s area, nearer to the mayor¡¯s house and Eversong Plaza, was in the better part of town, where if one squinted and kept their peripherals blinded, they could pretend the rest of Ogdenborough wasn¡¯t a dung heap. County militia who¡¯d put some time in and a select few wealthier tradesfolk dwelled there.
And then, in the northernmost tip of his hometown, was the Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward; kept away from the plaza, shops and roads by design as most people didn¡¯t want to be reminded of its existence. Nobody of sane mind wanted to enter that part of town, mainly because it was full of young delinquents and troublemakers who stole food, goods and even occasionally resorted to robbery in order to get by.
He couldn¡¯t blame them, there simply wasn¡¯t enough at the orphanage to go around for feeding the various mouths. Orodan had done the same when he was a street rat himself.
The Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward, named after a since deceased woman of great mercy and compassion hailing from the Eastern Kingdoms. Renowned for traveling the lands and soothing the plights and ills of the common folk. Orodan couldn¡¯t help but think that the woman would be horrified, seeing the state of the orphanage built in her name.
The various orphans and abandoned children, big and small, gave him a wide berth; whether it was the uniform of the county militia, known for dispensing beatings upon the rats generously, or his size, he wasn¡¯t sure. But these malnourished orphans and castaways were nothing if not street smart. Picking a fight with someone armed was a bad idea on a good day. Even on the first day of the loops, it¡¯d been many years since he¡¯d last set foot here.
¡°Is that¡?¡±
¡°It¡¯s him¡ it¡¯s Orodan!¡±
¡°It¡¯s got to be him, right? The stories about that angry look on his face at all times were true!¡±
¡°Think he¡¯s got any coppers?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t even think about it¡ remember that boy who got gutted behind the butcher¡¯s many years ago? Militia was looking for days but couldn¡¯t prove nothing? Big Bertha swears it was him that did it!¡±
Orodan approached the oldest among them, the one who¡¯d reminded the other rats of his reputation.
¡°I see you like to talk rather loudly,¡± Orodan said.
The boy wisely began taking a few steps back. The rats often received beatings from the guards of House Argon or the militia. Lessons learned the hard way.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean nothing by it!¡±
¡°Relax, I¡¯m not about to beat you over the head,¡± Orodan assuaged. ¡°Who¡¯s the head matron nowadays?¡±
¡°Myntasa¡¯s head matron! She¡¯s in her solar now, I think.¡±
¡°Myntasa? She was a junior matron when I left¡ what happened to Uldrine?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Moved onto the Cathedral in Trumbetton. Never seen someone so happy to leave¡¡±
That sounded about right.
Orodan continued down the narrow alleyways. Most of the buildings surrounding the orphanage were abandoned, part of a planned sewage system for the town until House Argon put a stop to it for fear of the Republic getting their claws further into Ogdenborough. Terrible for any sort of dwelling, but great for street rats returning from a run and looking to lose their pursuers in the messy assortment of dilapidated buildings.
He didn¡¯t have to walk far before the double doors of the orphanage were before him. Doors which creaked noisily as he pushed them inwards.
The building looked even worse off than he left it, or perhaps that was the effect of a rose-tinted lens which made the orphanage look better in his memories than it was. An absurd thought given how much he used to hate this place and how hard he worked to one day leave it behind.
Inside, some of the smaller children were sweeping the floors and doing various tasks to keep themselves useful and earn their share of whatever scant food got passed around. Orodan remembered starting off with those sorts of chores himself when he¡¯d arrived.
The earliest memory of a skill gain he had was Cleaning, scrubbing those filthy floorboards in fact.
¡°Myntasa in her solar?¡± Orodan asked, and the little ones nodded quickly.
He made his way up the steps to the second floor where only the matrons were allowed.
¡°Excuse me sir¡ who are you and what¡¯s your business here?¡± a junior matron asked. Orodan didn¡¯t recognize the woman, which meant she¡¯d likely been transferred here after he moved on.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, here to see the head matron.¡±
¡°Wainwright¡ Wainwright? Why, she speaks about you often! Er¡ might I ask what you wish to see her for?¡± the woman nervously asked.
His reputation was known beyond just the street rats it seemed.
¡°I come in peace, be at ease. I simply wished to speak with her regarding Cathedral business,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Is she inside the solar?¡±
¡°She is¡ but what Cathedral business would you speak to her about? We¡¯re mere Initiates, as is she. The temple in Scarmorrow would serve your needs better.¡±
¡°Yes, and it would also come with a few headaches I have little interest in at this time.¡±
Primarily of the godly sort where diviners or certain Blessed realized his soul was undetectable. From there he¡¯d be fighting the Gods once more, and while that was well and good, it would derail the current things he had to do. Much as he craved another bout against the Warrior, Orodan needed to focus for now. That could come once he¡¯d done everything needed for this particular loop.
¡°Understood, she is engaging in communion with the Gods at this time and- hey, where are you going?!¡±
Orodan pushed the solar door open, revealing a woman whose hairs were beginning to gray, behind a table with an assortment of ritual items and ingredients.
¡°Staring into that orb of scrying isn¡¯t going to get you transferred out of here any quicker,¡± Orodan remarked, snapping the head matron out of her concentration.
¡°O-Orodan Wainwright¡? You¡¯ve returned?¡± the woman asked, a little shocked and wary.
¡°Not here to cause any trouble or hurt anyone,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Ma¡¯am! This man simply barged in and-¡±
¡°It is fine, you may leave us,¡± Myntasa said.
The junior matron was quite reluctant, but eventually relented, closing the door.
¡°Moved up in the world, have you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Queen of this hole they¡¯ve buried me in, quite the honor. Though, I could ask the same of you, scoundrel. I hear you¡¯re in the county militia now, quite the ascension from a delinquent causing trouble on the streets,¡± she replied and then sighed. ¡°My life¡¯s both easier and more difficult since becoming head matron. I don¡¯t know how Uldrine handled you lot. But it¡¯s made far harder with the absence of a unifying figure keeping these little rascals in line. Feel like coming back?¡±
¡°Hells no. I was hardly a unifying figure for anything,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I went my own way and kept mostly to myself. Anyone who tried giving me trouble, I made them regret it.¡±
¡°Yes, and that kept them in line. Your accolades and the trouble you got up to kept them looking upwards, gave them an ideal to strive towards, violent and troublesome as it was,¡± Myntasa clarified. ¡°Now they just steal from the shops, and I have the guards asking me questions every other week. At least two of the little delinquents have been thrown into the jail and I have no interest in advocating they be released any time soon.¡±
¡°Quite matronly of you, but I suppose they made the decision themselves, though the freedom of it is in question when an orphanage fails to provide basic necessities,¡± Orodan said, pointedly.
¡°And what would you have me do? You¡¯re not without sense, we both know the funding we receive isn¡¯t sufficient for the number of unwanted children we¡¯re forced to accept on a regular basis,¡± Myntasa said. ¡°Unlike Uldrine, I have no intention on spending my personal funds to relieve some of the burden. Not when I strive to gain our lady¡¯s favor and move up in the ranks of the Cathedral.¡±
The Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward was in fact punishment duty for Initiates of the Cathedral who were lacking in talent. Not only did one have to be lacking in talent, but they also had to have some black mark on their record for posting here. For some, such as the previous head matron, all they¡¯d done was perhaps speak out a little too boldly against a superior. But for some like Myntasa, the slight was more serious, and the woman¡¯s character accordingly reflected it.
From what he knew, Myntasa was caught embezzling donations. A common occurrence and sometimes allowed depending on whether the embezzler had connections or potential, but for one of common birth with no talent and connections like Myntasa, punishment duty serving at the Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward awaited.
The orphanage itself was an overflow, meant to be temporary until spots in other ones opened up. Of course, this place housed those orphans with no connections whatsoever, and consequently most of them were forgotten. Orphans from wealthier towns might be housed in that town¡¯s orphanage, but those whose parents were unidentified or those who didn¡¯t have any groups showing an interest in them ended up getting shuffled here.
¡°I would have you do nothing¡ besides accept my aid that is.¡±
¡°Explain. What aid are you offering?¡±
¡°Your desire to move up the ranks of the Cathedral is obvious enough, but given how badly you¡¯re struggling with it, your lack of natural talent is apparent.¡±
The woman¡¯s fists clenched in frustration, but she didn¡¯t move to deny it.
¡°And how will an uneducated militia man help me in this? Funds? Resources? A teacher you know?¡± she asked angrily.
¡°Correct. I have plenty of funds and the means to acquire more,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And as for a teacher¡ you¡¯re looking right at him.¡±
¡°You¡¯re no diviner, what are you playing at Orodan?¡±
And in response, Orodan picked up the scrying orb, and his eyes glowed with power as he looked inwards.
[Fate Reading 31 ¡ú Fate Reading 32]
Frankly, he didn¡¯t even need a scrying orb to engage in Fate Reading, he¡¯d already learned the basics on Guzuhar a long, long time ago. That being said, the orb was the quickest way to show this woman that he was capable of it.
As it glowed, he made sure to moderate his power lest he shatter this cheap tool by overloading it. It had been a long, long time since he¡¯d tried reading the tapestry of fate. As expected, his own fate was non-existent, unconnected to the tapestry at all. Something that quite glaringly marked him as being different from everyone else. If he wanted to get around anywhere and not immediately stick out like a sore thumb, re-connecting himself to the tapestry of fate was necessary.
It was also a point of stubborn pride, for he intended to fight the Prophet at full power. And having that Administrator function without a core skill was unacceptable to Orodan¡¯s pride as a warrior.
Fate Reading was supposed to start from one¡¯s own fate, but Orodan couldn¡¯t exactly do this, hence he began using Myntasa¡¯s fate as a starting point. He traced the lines, traversing down the stream, seeing who she was connected to, the possibilities her life could take. Fate Reading by itself merely gave one a collection of factors, probabilities and potential outcomes. It was almost mathematical, a calculation.
Orodan wouldn¡¯t say he was particularly good at calculating the odds in the past, after all, on Guzuhar he¡¯d merely connected to and stopped at simply viewing the tapestry of fate. But the difference between the old him who¡¯d merely viewed the tapestry early on in the loops and the him of now who had the mental capacity to parse quantities of information that could shatter the minds of Transcendents, was night and day.
¡°You¡¯re required to display at least Apprentice-level proficiency in Fate Reading to get transferred out of here, no?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I can help with that.¡±
¡°You can read the tapestry? What¡ what is my fate?¡± she asked, suddenly far more receptive.
He took in and parsed all the threads, probabilities and possibilities tied to the fate of Myntasa.
¡°Well, you and everyone else here was supposed to die today, but thankfully that thread¡¯s been stopped,¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯re looking to have a relatively healthy life until approximately six months later, when something horrible descends upon this world and Inuan is miserably corrupted.¡±
¡°W-what? You can read the tapestry to that extent?¡± she asked, shocked. ¡°Will I truly die in six months?¡±
¡°A very strong likelihood, but not necessarily. The tapestry isn¡¯t a guarantee, it¡¯s mere probabilities, odds and potential outcomes,¡± Orodan explained. Frankly, unlike using chronomancy he couldn¡¯t directly see any of these potential fates, merely read them as though they were the result of a calculation. Idly he wondered what he could achieve by using chronomancy in tandem. ¡°The tapestry of fate is no guarantee, and enough power¡ can upend it and change fate.¡±
Such as the eventual descent of the Eldritch Avatar in six months. Technically, the tapestry of fate for Alastaia didn¡¯t show the deaths of most people on Inuan in six months. No, it was that thing¡¯s descent which utterly severed most of the threads or promised to at least.
¡°You lie! The Goddess¡¯s will upon the tapestry is absolute!¡± she denied. ¡°For all I know, this is nothing but bluster.¡±
¡°Fine then, let¡¯s get more specific,¡± Orodan said, delving into the tapestry once more. ¡°Oh? Having a relationship with¡ Sergeant Woodgard? What do you see in that angry man? Are adherents of Ilyatana allowed to have relationships until they reach priesthood proper?¡±
¡°Sshh! Do not speak so loudly about that!¡± she hissed and then had a look of anticipation. ¡°Well? How do we end up?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what you saw in him,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°One of the likely outcomes is that he ends up having a tryst with one of the mayor¡¯s maids.¡±
¡°W-what? I¡ how can that be?¡±
¡°How else do two people who like one another in that way go about their business?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m not about to explain the intimate details.¡±
¡°Will he¡ will he truly do such a thing? But I¡¯ve been so loyal and steadfast¡ was I not enough?¡±
Orodan felt some pity for the poor woman. And he wondered whether oracles like Lady Lakshiya preferred to keep their mouths shut on certain questions because telling someone a harsh possibility was a difficult thing to do.
Most importantly though, Orodan saw the threads and outcomes shifting even as he spoke. The result of him revealing Myntasa¡¯s fate to her.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not set in stone,¡± Orodan amended. ¡°But Sergeant Woodgard? Really?¡±
¡°He¡¯s a fiery and passionate man¡¡±
¡°Who is also perpetually angry and cannot stop barking like an overly excited dog most days,¡± Orodan added. ¡°Well, perhaps he has another side to him that he shows only to you.¡±
¡°He¡¯s quite the romantic man¡ but is it truly so? Will he really go astray?¡±
¡°Look, you¡¯re not a stupid woman. Whether you choose to accept what I¡¯ve said or not is your prerogative, but you certainly understand it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s a possibility, one with greater than fifty percent odds too. He¡¯s already started talking to the woman too, if the intertwining of their fate threads is any indicator.¡±
¡°Perhaps I can make it right! If I show him how much I-¡±
¡°Alternately, you could focus on yourself, and when the time comes and he does go astray, leave.¡±
¡°I¡ I do not know how. He is the sergeant for the local barracks and knows everyone in town, where will I go?¡± she asked, sounding more than a bit scared now. ¡°Ugh¡ that insufferable rascal! One of the few reasons staying in this town was halfway tolerable, and now he wants to go chase the skirt of some harlot?¡±
¡°Just send him a letter? I don¡¯t know how these affairs go,¡± Orodan said. Frankly, anything he¡¯d gotten into prior to meeting Zaessythra was entirely casual. Even before the loops, he¡¯d liaisoned with the blacksmith¡¯s daughter once and just hadn¡¯t spoken to her again. If anything, Orodan was the wrong person to ask for advice as he¡¯d never been in a committed relationship until now.
¡°I can¡¯t just send him a letter!¡±
¡°Why not? In fact, I can deliver it if you like,¡± Orodan offered. He had a letter of his own to send, so he could kill two birds with one stone. ¡°And if the Sergeant angrily stomps over here, I¡¯ll simply deal with him myself.¡±
Myntasa might not have initially believed his claims, but after seeing Orodan successfully use the orb of Fate Reading and divine the possibilities for her life, she was far more amenable to his claims.
¡°I don¡¯t want to dwell on that man for now¡ you mentioned teaching? I can see now that your claims weren¡¯t a lie, though I know now how you¡¯ve come to learn Fate Reading,¡± Myntasa said. ¡°But, what¡¯s the catch?¡±
¡°The catch is simple. The texts the Cathedral provides Initiates¡ I would like to read them.¡±
¡°That¡¯s all¡? Why you could do that at any temple in the nation!¡±
¡°And I would also run into plenty of priests and diviners at every one of these temples,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My soul has an issue that will draw more than a little attention.¡±
¡°Orodan¡ what have you gotten yourself into?¡± she asked, wary. ¡°A Blessing from a dark God?¡±
¡°Far from it. I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°A¡ a what?¡±
¡°Settle in then, as I explain.¡±
#
The poor woman had seemed in utter disbelief as Orodan explained the time loops. Even then, she thought it a tale of utter fancy until he began demonstrating some of his abilities.
Unlike most people he revealed the truth to who were at the Master-level and up, she was but an Initiate who knew nothing of the world. Many times, as he used chronomancy, Dimensionalism or spatiomancy, she questioned if he was a God in the flesh or whether ¡®her lady¡¯ had descended unto him as a sign.
He had to dispel her superstitions repeatedly throughout the conversation, and Zaessythra simply laughed in amusement the entire time. It was one of the few times Orodan almost regretted being so honest about the loops. If only so he wouldn¡¯t have to thoroughly explain them to an ignorant Initiate.
Still, Myntasa¡¯s belief in his tale aside, she did grant him access to the compendium of texts and manuals that she owned. And Orodan had briefly read them all before departing for the day.
The Cathedral¡¯s teachings on the soul were pathetic and often incorrect. His own understandings on the soul were likely the greatest of anyone on the planet. But, despite the repetitive propaganda and indoctrination present in the texts, he had to admit that their teachings on the tapestry of fate were quite fleshed out.
Orodan had yet to sit down and practice his skills, but just from a cursory reading of them he had an idea or two on how to reconnect his own fate to the tapestry. Alongside that, he¡¯d been practicing his magical skills and working on potentially weaving the elements into his melee combat style. Though, despite his best efforts he¡¯d encountered some roadblocks there.
A productive morning, one he sought to continue as a Dimensional Step brought him just outside the door of a certain greedy merchant.
¡°A customer! Welcome to Esgarius¡¯s Adventuring Essentials!¡± the man bellowed, walking out from behind the counter to greet Orodan. ¡°What might my humble shop do for you today?¡±
In response, Orodan pulled out a large stack of papers from his dimensional ring, dumping them onto a nearby table.
¡°These are blueprints for a type of weapon. Quite some money to be made for you in selling them,¡± Orodan casually said. ¡°And I also need you to send a letter to the main purchaser of these blueprints.¡±
To his credit, the covetous merchant took it all in stride and began perusing the blueprints without asking any further questions. Truly, it was refreshing to deal with the man.
¡°A rifle? The dwarves are quite good at making them, but Novarria¡¯s tried and failed before,¡± Esgarius said. ¡°But¡ you wouldn¡¯t be bringing me this if it was just another design. I¡¯ve looked at various blueprints for firearms before, but this one¡¯s a little different. Not magical either.¡±
¡°Right, nothing magical about it. Just pure black powder and solid smithing,¡± Orodan said, bringing one out of his ring and handing it to the man. ¡°It can kill an Adept and wound an Elite, though getting the shot to land on the latter is the user¡¯s burden.¡±
¡°T-truly? If you aren¡¯t full of hot air, then I¡¯ll have to test this immediately,¡± Esgarius said, putting the rifle into a bag. ¡°I cannot pay you until I verify for myself however.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine. Hold onto that, and the blueprints too,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Pay me whenever you verify their authenticity.¡±
If Esgarius was expecting a quick scam, that certainly dispelled the merchant¡¯s doubts. From the times he¡¯d met the businessman, Orodan knew that Esgarius took secrecy and professionalism very seriously. He was certain the man would test the weapon in utmost secrecy, and upon verification, would pay Orodan his fair share to the gold coin.
¡°Well¡ thank you for the trust, it is not misplaced, this I swear upon all the gold coins I own!¡± the merchant boisterously declared. ¡°You also mentioned a letter? Any postal office about town could aid with that as well¡ but you wouldn¡¯t have come to me if it was just any letter.¡±
¡°Correct. The Republic has many eyes and ears within the postal system. The letter I want to send is better off being seen by its recipient alone,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It needs to reach Lieutenant-General Tegin Carrotfoot in Anthus.¡±
¡°Best I can do is ensure it reaches the Lieutenant-General¡¯s aides. The security for that city is paranoid beyond reason,¡± Esgarius said. ¡°You have the letter?¡±
¡°A moment,¡± Orodan said as he grabbed a nearby quill and inkpot.
¡°To Lieutenant-General Tegin Carrotfoot of Anthus, and to his Master Destartes Rockwood. I, Orodan Wainwright, am a time looper. Yes, this means I relive the same moment in time over and over. No, it is not something related to the Gods.
I am also aware of your conspiracy to get rid of the Gods, which involves the Time Wind dragon flight and the Chosen of Halor, your sister, on the inside. I am on-board with this nefarious plot, come see me when you get a chance that we might talk more. My time in this loop is a little limited, but you can find me in the Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward in Ogdenborough.
As a side note, the ancient machine beneath Mount Castarian has been disabled. The Republic will not be getting their hands on it. But you should choose your allies or vet how they go about things more carefully. Let Baron Viglas Argon know that I am keeping an eye on him. And should a Gregory Hannegan come by the city, I believe you¡¯ll find his unique talents quite useful.
Contact the merchant Esgarius of Trumbetton if you need to get in touch with me.
Respectfully, Orodan Wainwright, a time looper.¡±
It was perhaps the first time he¡¯d written an actual letter too!
¡°With a letter like that you might as well announce your presence to the entire galaxy¡¡± Zaessythra muttered.
¡°Being direct has served me quite well in the past.¡±
¡°It¡¯s also gotten you targeted by all manner of nefarious factions and individuals across the cosmos. And led to the subsequent destruction of your System.¡±
¡°All of which were good things.¡±
He ignored Zaessythra¡¯s insults about caution being a lost cause for him and turned to Esgarius.
¡°And while I¡¯m here, can you also ensure this letter reaches Sergeant Woodgard of the Ogdenborough county militia?¡± Orodan asked, passing the man a letter written by Myntasa. ¡°Better sent via bird than person. The recipient might get a little angry.¡±
¡°It shall be done,¡± Esgarius said, taking both letters. ¡°Where might I find you afterwards?¡±
¡°Ogdenborough, at the Lady Sashwari Home for the Wayward.¡±
¡°That dung heap? Well¡ I suppose I can make the trip down there, sullied as my boots might get,¡± Esgarius remarked. ¡°What¡¯s someone of means like yourself doing in that shanty town?¡±
¡°Changing my fate.¡±
#
¡°Focus,¡± Orodan reminded. ¡°While it¡¯s tantalizing to look at your own threads in the tapestry, dwelling on the possibilities won¡¯t make your life any better. Nor will it speed up your progress.¡±
¡°This is exceedingly strange, to have someone like you teach me while you¡¯re reading the beginner texts yourself,¡± Myntasa protested.
¡°I read the beginner texts not because I cannot read fate, but because I need to ruminate on the conceptual basis of the tapestry and fate itself,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°You on the other hand can barely view your own fate in the tapestry without losing focus. I need theoretical knowledge, you need practical experience, our needs aren¡¯t the same.¡±
She grumbled but didn¡¯t dispute his words.
¡°How is one meant to view the entire tapestry for Alastaia? The task seems so daunting¡¡± she whispered under her breath.
¡°By concentrating and naturally expanding your mind,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°By the mid-Adept level, you should be capable of viewing the entirety of the Alastaian tapestry.¡±
¡°Then how can you view it while being at the Apprentice-level?¡± she blurted out. ¡°Just viewing it without the connection fading is difficult enough. But to then calculate the odds and actually parse the threads of fate? How?¡±
Orodan simply smiled and tapped his forehead.
¡°I have the advantage of a hard head which doesn¡¯t know when to quit,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°I suppose you have always been stubborn¡ is that how you succeeded in these¡ time loops, of yours?¡± Myntasa asked. ¡°Is that how the lady herself Blessed you to have such ability?¡±
¡°For the seventeenth time, I am not Blessed by Ilyatana or any God.¡±
Orodan had spared the woman the brutal truth of what the tyrant three had done to him. As well as most of the truth of the Eldritch Boundless One. The thought of the time loops was already difficult for her to understand, so he¡¯d not bothered explaining all of it.
Yet, she still seemed to be laboring under the delusion that he was some hidden Avatar of Ilyatana here to ¡®test¡¯ her. In a pitiful way, it was entirely understandable that an Initiate who knew little of the world and had never been outside the towns might fall prey to such conspiracy theories.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
¡°If you insist¡¡± she reluctantly replied. ¡°The rat- I mean, the children, they¡¯re far better fed now with the money you¡¯ve provided.¡±
For the longest time he hadn¡¯t bothered returning here. Perhaps the place sparked bad memories for him, or he simply was too busy with his various goals in the time loops. Yet, seeing the orphans even more malnourished than he remembered made Orodan vow to send gold whenever he could.
¡°No child deserves to starve. And while they¡¯re not on an entirely empty stomach, they are quite malnourished and not receiving nearly enough,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Hunger leads to desperation, and it then leads to crime.¡±
It led to the creation of people like Orodan Wainwright. Forced to kill at a young age; a boy who grew up enjoying violence and the thrill of battle because fighting was all he knew. A dark part of his mind wondered whether his miserable upbringing was in fact what allowed him to be successful.
She accepted his words and continued working, breaking the silence after only half an hour.
¡°You mentioned the Alastaian tapestry. Does that mean there are more?¡± Myntasa queried.
¡°I suppose I misspoke. There is no such thing as the Alastaian tapestry¡ there is only one tapestry of fate,¡± he explained. ¡°You can only see the tapestry till Alastaia because the distances between worlds are enormous. The texts of your Cathedral mention historic events where the tapestry will flash at the edges? These coincide with comets or spatial debris landing on our world or flying past; bearing life, hence their fates being visible while within range.¡±
¡°Then a powerful enough fate reader could read the tapestry across multiple worlds¡?¡± she questioned, wonder evident on her face as Orodan nodded in affirmation. ¡°Then, what is the tapestry? Where does it end?¡±
That¡ was a good question actually. Orodan hadn¡¯t read fate or bothered with the tapestry in a long, long time. All he knew was that his own fate was non-existent. But¡ why?
A theory came to his mind. Perhaps the tapestry was tied to the System and all within it? He certainly hadn¡¯t bothered to check during his time outside of System space. But if it was true¡
¡then Orodan had been going about this the entirely incorrect way. He¡¯d been trying to learn a counterpart for Fate Disconnect, a ¡®Fate Reconnect¡¯. But what if he was never meant to be part of the tapestry to begin with? What if the cleansing of the natural Eldritch within his soul and the destruction of his old System had wiped clean his ability to be considered part of the System¡¯s tapestry of fate?
What if, instead of reconnecting to the tapestry¡ he needed to insert himself into it as an outsider?
[Fate Reading 32 ¡ú Fate Reading 35]
Orodan¡¯s eyes began glowing with power as he threw it all into Fate Reading.
He viewed the Alastaian section of the tapestry, but almost instantly went far beyond that. His view shot out, beginning to see the threads connected to distant asteroids, comets and space debris upon which life was hiding. He focused harder and began to see the threads from these bits of rock and debris connect to distant planets, shattered moons, distant solar systems.
His mind strained, but he held on and began seeing the planets nearest to Alastaia, poor worlds whose surface was littered with powerful monsters and wandering tribes of humans and orcs. Civilization still in its infancy. Further out, the nearest major world was Narictus, little wonder that so many True Vampires were upon Alastaia.
And beyond those, in the nearest star systems were the worlds of the cultivators, a world of metal and machinery which still caused pain to lance through Orodan¡¯s heart at the memory, and in the far distant edges of their galaxy, the Conclave.
[Fate Reading 35 ¡ú Fate Reading 43]
He took in as much of the tapestry as he could. And at a critical juncture, added himself unto it not as someone meant to be there¡
¡but as an outsider.
[New Skill ¡ú Fate Mastery 10 (Rare)]
And finally, now that he had a soul which didn¡¯t contain any traces of Eldritch deep within or have the old System¡ it was now that he realized what a vice this tapestry truly was. A noose around his neck, through which he could be manipulated if the force was strong enough.
Most importantly, the moment Orodan forced his soul to intrude upon the tapestry of fate and generate its own threads¡
¡pandemonium ensued.
The entire tapestry began vibrating in a crazed manner. Beyond even when he¡¯d unlocked his first Celestial skill. Everything trembled and shook most violently. Orodan¡¯s mere existence caused everything to become haywire.
In the tapestry of fate at least.
In the real world, nothing was apparent at first.
¡°What- what did you do?¡± she asked, panicked. ¡°The tapestry flashed and began shaking violently. It threw me right out of my attempts to view it!¡±
¡°Right¡ that will draw some attention,¡± Orodan said, his words causing gigantic waves of force to emanate throughout the tapestry. ¡°At least, given how much utter chaos this is causing they might take a while to find the source.¡±
¡°Orodan¡ what¡¯s happening?¡±
¡°Nothing for you to be concerned about,¡± he assuaged. ¡°If anything, reading the tapestry in this state will be even better training for you. Now let¡¯s get to it.¡±
Myntasa looked at him in disbelief but swallowed her outrage when she realized he wasn¡¯t joking. And he was right of course. Within the hour she gained five levels in Fate Reading while attempting to make sense of the pandemonium.
And as she trained, Orodan too worked on a skill he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d need to use any longer.
[Fate Disconnect 43 ¡ú Fate Disconnect 45]
Soul energy formed a shield around his soul, attempting to sever the threads of fate. Yet it seemed a downright impossible task. He simply had far too much power. He wasn¡¯t sure how the tapestry of fate worked, but it wasn¡¯t just affected by the amount of power he held within himself at present¡ but how much he could generate overall.
This ¡®potential¡¯ was practically tearing the tapestry apart. It didn¡¯t get destroyed, Orodan¡¯s Fate Disconnect was desperately working at overdrive to ensure it didn¡¯t, but it was a close thing. And he had no clue what the ramifications might be if he outright destroyed the tapestry of fate for all System space.
Over the next thirty minutes Fate Disconnect gained ten more levels, becoming an Adept-level skill.
[Fate Disconnect 55 ¡ú Fate Disconnect 56]
And it finally paused at level 56 as he seemed to reach a sort of equilibrium where the amount of havoc his very existence caused upon tha tapestry was no longer actively destroying it. It had reached a point of sustainability, even if the entire thing was still rocking violently like a shoddy raft in turbulent waters.
Most importantly, if he focused on improving Fate Disconnect any further his position in the tapestry might be discovered if the pandemonium caused got any lower. As it currently stood, the chaos he caused every moment while connected was so strong that pinpointing him as the source was looking to be quite difficult. He felt faint threads shooting outwards from various worlds and dimensions, particularly Xian and the Hells, in desperate attempts to scry who was causing this mess. But it was to no avail.
He was almost certain the Administrators were aware of the turbulence by now, but whether they could pinpoint it to him was up in the air. Would the Prophet hunt him down for tampering with fate? Would the Warrior execute him for invading the sanctity of the System and its mechanisms? Which Administrator came after him this loop was anyone¡¯s guess.
His musings were interrupted by an unexpected level gain.
[Teaching 56 ¡ú Teaching 57]
¡°I¡¯m an Apprentice¡ how can this be?¡± Myntasa asked, incredulous.
¡°There you go. With that, you¡¯ve secured your free ticket out of here, and into the better parts of the Cathedral,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°I believe that concludes our bargain.¡±
¡°I gained the levels so fast too, who knew all I needed was to see the tapestry violently shift about?¡± she asked. ¡°I suppose this is it then¡? If you don¡¯t mind, might I ask a question?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°How did you¡ how did you¡¡± she trailed off, face red. ¡°How did you receive such a powerful Blessing from our lady Ilyatana?!¡±
Orodan¡¯s palm met his face.
¡°For the eighteenth time, Myntasa, I am not Blessed by any Gods or Goddesses,¡± Orodan gritted out.
¡°That¡¯s exactly what a Chosen would say! The Goddess must have picked you for your exceptional humility, to administer this test upon her woeful faithful who remained in this orphanage for so many years,¡± she said reverentially, and Orodan had to resist the urge to cuff her upside the head. ¡°And to even concoct a fanciful story about time loops in order to trick me? I never fell for it, my faith in my lady Ilyatana remains absolute!¡±
¡°You are¡ genuinely hopeless,¡± Orodan said with a sigh. Was this how Zaessythra felt when he acted exceptionally stupid?
Her cackling in the background of his mind did not help matters.
¡°Your taunts do not hinder my spirit. This was a trial by my lady, and I have endured!¡±
Orodan tuned her warbling about Ilyatana out and focused on a few approaching individuals.
Firstly, Esgarius. And following the industrious merchant were multiple figures cloaked under an invisibility spell. Orodan saw them clearly enough with Vision of Purity, and they had the distinct gait and bearing of the ones he¡¯d seen under the command of Anthus¡¯s leading officer.
The dagger of one pressed against Esgarius¡¯s neck might¡¯ve been why the merchant was sweating. Well, he wasn¡¯t too concerned; Anthus¡¯s shadows weren¡¯t the sort to go executing civilians.
And the other party approaching the orphanage¡ was an angry, angry man. One wearing the uniform of the county militia, though with sergeant insignia on the shoulders. Accompanying him was a Corporal Botterson¡¯s troop from the barracks.
¡°Well, it seems your jilted lover has arrived, and he doesn¡¯t look too happy.¡±
¡°Roderik¡¯s here? By the Gods¡ what do I do? He might not even let me leave town!¡± she exclaimed fearfully for a moment and then looked to Orodan, the anxiety easing a bit.
¡°I doubt his preferences will factor into the matter,¡± Orodan said. ¡°if you want to leave, you will. Though, I¡¯m more curious about my other guests.¡±
¡°Guests? I see only one man,¡± Myntasa said, peeking out the window. ¡°I do get the vague feeling that he¡¯s of a shady sort though¡¡±
Shady was one way of describing Esgarius he supposed. Though Orodan would¡¯ve used the adjectives avaricious and usurious even on a good day. At least the man was loyal to gold, which meant he could be counted upon. Or could be counted upon to count the gold meticulously at least.
The street rats below had cleared away at the approach of the two parties, and Sergeant Woodgard barrelled towards the double doors first. His face red.
Before he could reach them, they swung open, revealing Orodan and Myntasa.
¡°Myntasa! What¡¯s this forged letter I¡¯ve received at the barracks?!¡± the man yelled, face red. ¡°Who put you up¡ Wainwright¡? Wainwright!¡±
¡°Yes sergeant?¡± Orodan replied.
¡°You¡ you good-for-nothing orphan! I create opportunities for you in the militia and this is how you repay me?! By abandoning your shift and stealing my woman?!¡± the sergeant demanded, frothing at the mouth. ¡°And you. I should¡¯ve known better than to trust a scheming wench from the Cathedral!¡±
¡°Rod, please! There¡¯s no such thing between the two of us!¡± she desperately pleaded.
¡°She¡¯s right. My heart belongs to someone else, and any toadies of the divine quite repulse me,¡± Orodan added, standing there calmly.
¡°Exactly! Wait- toadies?!¡± she squawked, indignant and then re-focused on the matter at hand. ¡°Roderik, I would never betray you, but¡ I feel I need some space to think about what I want with my life. With us. My letter said as much did it not?¡±
¡°I had no time to read most of that silly nonsense,¡± the sergeant imperiously declared. ¡°We can work things out between ourselves. If you need space, I have plenty of it, why not just stay with me?¡±
¡°Roderik, in time I would love to, but please. I have my own aspirations in the Cathedral, and I have yet to hear about even the notion of marriage from you despite the years we¡¯ve spent together. This is merely tempo-¡±
¡°Silence!¡±
The backhand coming her way was slow, but the sneer on Orodan¡¯s face formed quickly.
He¡¯d always known Sergeant Woodgard was an angry man, prone to outbursts of temper. Certainly, in a lot of loops he¡¯d attacked Orodan quite quickly. Hells, even before the loops he recalled plenty of ¡®disciplinary sessions¡¯ where the man would order soldiers to spar against him.
Orodan considered it good training, and the sergeant had laid off once he began giving the man tougher fights. But he¡¯d picked on the weak members of the barracks all the same.
To now see his pathetic little anger directed in violent form towards a woman that should¡¯ve been his intimate partner¡ it was sickening. Orodan had seen and heard enough tales of men and women both suffering at the hands of their stronger partners when a tier gap was involved. It was one of the reasons why cautionary tales about tier gap relationships existed. Particularly those between martial specialists and untrained civilians.
The fist was about to contact Myntasa¡¯s face when Orodan¡¯s hand caught it.
¡°Easy to beat on an untrained civilian, isn¡¯t it?¡± he coldly asked, slowly crunching the man¡¯s wrist as he squeezed. He then aggressively threw the sergeant¡¯s hand backwards and raised his own hands. ¡°If you want to dispense a beating, then you should also be prepared to receive one, no? Come, put your hands up and show me the mettle of a man who enjoys beating the defenseless.¡±
¡°Wainwright¡! You¡¯ll be thrown in the stocks for this! Arrest him!¡± the sergeant declared.
¡°Sir¡ what crime has he committed?¡± corporal Botterson asked.
¡°Arrest him damn it! Or you¡¯ll all be stripped of rank and dishonorably discharged!!¡±
Unlike Woodgard though, the troop of county militia weren¡¯t as emotionally invested and consequently not as hot-headed. They¡¯d seen how Orodan casually caught and overpowered the sergeant. They were reluctant, but under Woodgard¡¯s threats approached cautiously and circled him.
¡°Sorry about this Wainwright¡ just come quietly and I¡¯ll do my best to sort this out once we¡¯re in the barracks¡¯ holding,¡± the corporal said. ¡°A letter or two to a friend in Trumbetton will see you released quick.¡±
Corporal Botterson, a man who Orodan had bested in a spar on his debut to the barracks, was the one who approached first. He might¡¯ve been the man¡¯s better in martial combat, but Orodan had always respected the corporal for leading from the front and taking on the more difficult or laborious tasks in his troop. He was a kindly man and a good leader.
With strength and speed moderated, Orodan ducked under the incoming blow and was almost gentle as he disarmed and threw the corporal to the ground.
¡°Stay down, corporal,¡± Orodan sternly said. ¡°I would rather not injure you.¡±
¡°Damn¡ since when did you get so strong?¡± the corporal asked. Though to Orodan it was apparent that the man had thrown the fight too.
The remaining four soldiers lunged for him at the same time, clubs drawn or attempting to tackle him, only for Orodan to beat them into the ground in short order.
Which left only one coward.
Sergeant Woodgard slowly began backing up as Orodan approached.
¡°Wainwright¡ let¡¯s talk about this! I can see now that I might have acted in haste. Have you acquired a Blessing? Unlocked a Bloodline perhaps? Trumbetton will doubtlessly want to see you. We can consider this water under the bridge,¡± the man pleaded.
Orodan¡¯s hands gripped the sergeant¡¯s wrists and raised them up to his face.
¡°You have two options. Either put your hands up and fight me like a warrior,¡± Orodan said and then a vicious grin came upon his face, and he shoved the man backwards. ¡°Or cower like a child as I break your limbs one by one.¡±
To his credit, the sergeant¡¯s face turned red in anger and the man put his hands up. He could respect that much at least.
Orodan¡¯s straight cross knocked three teeth out, Woodgard¡¯s return hook was ducked under and a simultaneous shoulder check knocked the wind out of the man. A jab on the nose broke it, and a final uppercut on the chin had the man getting some airtime and hitting the ground out cold.
¡°O-Orodan¡!¡± Myntasa exclaimed, getting between him and the unconscious sergeant. ¡°That did not need to happen!¡±
¡°On the contrary, it very much did. Did you conveniently forget him trying to strike you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°This was too much! You¡¯ve overstepped your bounds!¡± she vehemently defended.
¡°Good. Someone should have overstepped their bounds far sooner then,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°You wanted to leave, did you not? You can do that now. Worry not about him, he¡¯s simply out cold.¡±
She gritted her teeth but said nothing.
¡°Partner! I see you¡¯ve resolved your differences with that man of the county militia! I have some friends here who came to see you,¡± Esgarius spoke, sweating as the invisible dagger was still pressed against his neck. ¡°Why, your vigorous performance was so inspirational that it¡¯s causing me to sweat profusely! And certainly not because I have anything against my neck.¡±
¡°I see. Thank you for bringing them to me Esgarius,¡± Orodan said and then made a show of giving each one a slow look despite the spells. ¡°You can take the dagger off his throat and uncloak yourselves.¡±
If the leading shadow seemed surprised, he didn¡¯t show it. After a brief moment, all five dispelled the invisibility upon themselves.
¡°Orodan Wainwright, we¡¯ve come looking for you,¡± the leader said.
¡°Which is exactly what I wanted. Did the recipient get my letter?¡±
¡°They did, though this is not the appropriate place to discuss the matter,¡± the man replied. ¡°Not in the presence of such company.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Esgarius, might you take the head matron back to Trumbetton with you? The town will soon become inhospitable for her, and she has a higher calling at the Cathedral there,¡± Orodan said.
¡°As you say partner!¡± the greedy merchant declared with a smile. ¡°And might I say, you were as good as your word on the products you left me. Those will make us a killing! Come by Trumbetton later so I can pay you your share.¡±
¡°I will, but I have a discussion with these men and women first.¡±
#
In the end, they¡¯d ironed out various details on how Orodan intended to help the revolutionaries at Anthus.
For starters, he really wasn¡¯t sure how long this loop would last. The tapestry of fate was in a state of constant and overwhelming chaos. The threads and connections shook violently, as though the entire thing was in the midst of a hurricane. Administrators had undoubtedly become aware, and who knew when something would manage to pinpoint it down to him?
On the other hand, he¡¯d confirmed with one of the shadows who knew a bit of Fate Reading, that even standing right next to him didn¡¯t let her detect it was him causing the problems in the tapestry. And for all intents and purposes, his fate looked to be obscured, but otherwise normal. He hadn¡¯t told them what he¡¯d done to the tapestry either, so it was a true blind test.
Of course, there were doubtlessly some skilled and powerful fate specialists across the cosmos who were on the job. Who knew how long it would be till he was found?
In any case, Orodan provided the weapon blueprints for his black powder rifles to the shadows, and they¡¯d agreed to pass word to Destartes about his desire for a meeting. How much could he help? With what time he had left, he didn¡¯t know. But at the very least he could try.
With all that said and done, he now found himself standing next to Esgarius, a fat sack of gold pieces stored within his dimensional ring.
¡°A pleasure doing business with you, partner!¡± the merchant boisterously said. ¡°Not only were those secretive folks generous customers, they also paid a premium that we sell exclusively to them! I have a workshop in an out-of-the-way part of town set up for you, so whenever you¡¯re ready to begin production feel free.¡±
¡°Alongside a few other projects, I¡¯ll definitely be working on making more rifles for you to sell in the coming days,¡± Orodan said. Though with the uncertain timeframe he was on this loop, who knew if he¡¯d get the chance. ¡°If anything, the blueprints you sold are fine, but I have a feeling nobody else will be capable of replicating the black powder¡¯s fineness to the extent that I have.¡±
Nobody on Alastaia had his talent for Cleaning.
¡°Hmm, then perhaps I could sell the rifles you make at an even higher premium!¡± the merchant said.
¡°Be mindful of how you sell it and who you sell to. The Republic and its rival nations will doubtlessly want to get their hands on the blueprints for these weapons,¡± Orodan said. ¡°All too easy for you to end up dead in a ditch over these secrets.¡±
Of course, Orodan had given the covetous businessman an amulet which would allow him to keep tabs on Esgarius.
¡°What¡¯s a little risk for the sake of profit?¡± the merchant asked. ¡°That one though, with how she¡¯s trembling you¡¯d think she wants to be dead in a ditch somewhere rather than be here.¡±
Myntasa was pacing back and forth, unwilling to enter the double doors of Trumbetton¡¯s Cathedral. Orodan rolled his eyes and approached her.
¡°Walking in circles will not get you through that door any quicker,¡± he remarked.
¡°And your words will not relieve my anxiety about the upcoming test,¡± she said, wringing her hands nervously. ¡°They not only use the observer orb but also have a practical test! If I do too miserably on it, they might send me back to the orphanage and then-¡±
Orodan¡¯s hand on her shoulder stilled her words.
¡°Breathe,¡± he instructed calmly. ¡°You reached the Apprentice-level within a day of training Fate Reading. You¡¯ll do better than you think.¡±
If anything, it was Orodan¡¯s fault for not realizing that different people excelled at different aspects of a skill. Myntasa was clearly better suited to parsing the tapestry of fate when it was in flux than when it was normal. A valuable talent.
¡°Only because the entire tapestry is in disarray thanks to you! What will I even tell them?¡±
¡°Whatever you want, it matters not to me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°At worst it simply leads to a brawl of an escalating nature which might put you out of a job.¡±
¡°A brawl of what now? You are Lady Ilyatana¡¯s Chosen are you not? Then¡ the tapestry quaking must be a result of her divine providence!¡± she declared, causing Orodan to groan. Her eyes carried the utmost reverence. ¡°Worry not, as her true faithful I shall not divulge the secret to anyone.¡±
How someone could evoke both sympathy and irritation in equal measure, he didn¡¯t know. But Myntasa seemed to be doing a good job of it.
¡°For the twentieth time¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re not Blessed by any Gods, and definitely not by Lady Ilyatana. I know,¡± she said and then gave a sly and exaggerated wink, as though privy to some grand secret.
Orodan frowned at her antics. Not because of Myntasa, but Ilyatana. The Goddess of Fate was a wicked tyrant who deserved no worship, least of all from a woman who seemed to believe in her so unconditionally.
¡°You¡¯re stalling,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Get in there and present yourself for the test already.¡±
¡°But¡ I¡¯m so nervous! Can you¡ can you at least walk in with me?¡±
¡°Fine, now let¡¯s go,¡± Orodan said. It would be a good opportunity to see if his newly inserted fate held up to scrutiny anyhow.
Orodan bullied the woman into pushing the double doors open and walked behind her as she strolled down the grand hall. Various priests, priestesses and diviners lined the halls, praying to their respective Gods or engaging in idle chatter. There were also a number of armed and armored faithful present, and they gave Orodan curious looks, sizing him up.
Mainly, nobody seemed to immediately give him any glaring looks like they always did upon realization of the fact that his soul and fate were inscrutable. Which was great news and meant he¡¯d at the very least succeeded in his original task.
A stern-looking priestess glared at the two of them, particularly at the woman he was accompanying.
¡°Your period of servitude has not yet ended, Myntasa,¡± she imperiously chided. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Priestess, I have-¡±
¡°Come to renounce your vows to our lady? Has the tenure at Ogdenborough grown too tough?¡± the priestess snidely remarked. ¡°With such weak will you cannot hope to serve Lady Ilyatana.¡±
¡°No! I¡¯ve come to undergo the trial of the divination!¡± Myntasa angrily fired back.
¡°Preposterous! You weren¡¯t even halfway past the Initiate-level a few months ago,¡± the priestess declared. ¡°With your aptitude, you simply couldn¡¯t have crossed into the Apprentice-level so quickly.¡±
¡°I have and I¡¯ve come to prove it!¡±
¡°Girl if you¡¯re wasting my-¡±
Another woman came up from behind the angry priestess. A diviner of the Cathedral.
¡°Calm yourself. Given the recent havoc which has started all across the tapestry we cannot turn away any potential diviners now,¡± the woman said and then turned to Myntasa. ¡°You, girl, an observer orb will verify your claims of having reached the Apprentice-level in Fate Reading. And from there, a short practical test to ensure you can handle the demands of the role. Except¡ with the tapestry now in flux, I do not see how the test can be administered.¡±
¡°I can still view the tapestry and even read it while it¡¯s in flux,¡± Myntasa revealed.
The diviner looked at her closely.
¡°Truly? A bold claim to make when the tapestry has caused even the experienced diviners in Karilsgard so much trouble,¡± the diviner said. ¡°Still, a claim which can be proven or disproven easily enough.¡±
The woman handed Myntasa an orb of divination and pointed towards a large glowing slate upon the wall.
¡°Use the orb to view the tapestry and mark down your findings on that board.¡±
¡°She¡¯s capable of accessing the tapestry without that,¡± Orodan interceded.
¡°And you are?¡±
¡°My teacher,¡± Myntasa said. ¡°Though I would appreciate if he didn¡¯t interfere to try and make the test even more difficult.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the point of taking the easy way out,¡± Orodan lectured. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do something, you might as well do it the hard way and learn some lessons along the way.¡±
¡°This man taught you? I do not recognize you, stranger. From where have you learned the ways of divination?¡± the diviner asked.
¡°From reading.¡±
¡°From¡ reading?¡±
¡°Yes, the texts provided by your Cathedral have been quite nice,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though, before that I learned the very basics from shamans of Ozgaric upon Guzuhar.¡±
¡°You learned the ways of the dark northern Gods? To spout such heresy within-¡±
[Teaching 57 ¡ú Teaching 58]
The angry priestess¡¯s tirade was cut off as the diviner overseeing Myntasa¡¯s test gasped. The glowing slate upon the wall began to fill in but the amount wasn¡¯t very expansive. More importantly though, the threads and possibilities which were in flux were being identified and parsed. Even if the effort was rudimentary and basic, the execution was impressive.
¡°By the Gods¡ she can actually parse it!¡± the diviner exclaimed.
Soon, Myntasa grew exhausted as her mana ran low, and she was forced to stop. Still, even with this display she¡¯d successfully secured herself a good spot in the Cathedral¡¯s hierarchy. Crisis was the creator of opportunity, and the tapestry of fate¡¯s current state meant the demand for diviners capable of parsing it was very high.
¡°I believe that gets her out of Ogdenborough, does it not?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It most certainly does,¡± the diviner said. ¡°Any prior black marks on her record can be expunged, and she will be headed straight for Karilsgard with her talents.¡±
¡°Karilsgard? Truly?¡± Myntasa muttered.
¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. Life in the capital¡¯s not as fun as it sounds,¡± Orodan warned. ¡°Rather expensive, and far too many snakes in plain sight who try to drag you into their politics.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Orodan,¡± she replied, and then smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°If anything, you helped me more than I helped you,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Now then, off with you. I have better things to do than remain in this house of the Gods.¡±
The diviner and priestess tried persuading him to lend his talents to the Cathedral, but he ignored them and walked out.
Mainly because a certain Grandmaster wizard was waiting atop a nearby roof.
#
Destartes took a swig of the wine bottle he¡¯d conjured from the dimensional ring and passed another to him.
Orodan also took a sip.
¡°You really didn¡¯t need to break out a few millennia aged wine for this¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°When else will I get the chance to unseal such a vintage? The story I¡¯ve heard recounted is one worth having a drink over. Not only are you a time looper who¡¯s done much for me across many repeats, but you¡¯re also slated for an inevitable death at the end of this one,¡± Destartes said, taking another deep sip. ¡°If anything, Mister Wainwright, I feel quite miserable on your behalf.¡±
¡°You need not go that far. It¡¯s not such a bad deal, being a time looper,¡± Orodan defended, putting his drink down.
They¡¯d spoken for hours.
Outside the bounds of Anthus, with no pressing business or magical lessons weighing down on them, he and Destartes simply drank and spoke. It was a refreshing side of the old wizard that Orodan hadn¡¯t really gotten to see before. Destartes had loosened up once Orodan explained that their coup went quite well and that Arvayne Firesword and Alcianne Rockwood had been liberated from their burdens of being Chosen. It was as though an invisible burden had lifted from the man¡¯s shoulders.
From then on, the wizard drank, made merry and simply spouted whatever came to his mind.
¡°Isn¡¯t it? I feel, you lack perspective,¡± Destartes said. ¡°I too enjoy the constant advancement, the promise of pushing the bounds of magic, mind and self. But I feel, Mister Wainwright, that I would go insane within a few thousand loops.¡±
¡°You give yourself far too little credit. Destartes the mighty wizard would be a fearsome time looper indeed. Imagine all the spells you could learn? All the dangerous experimentation you feared prior, now becoming possible?¡±
¡°And what would having a thousand spells do for me? Without this Blessing you¡¯ve granted me, I couldn¡¯t use more than a dozen at once,¡± the wizard said. ¡°I¡¯d be a knowledgeable and versatile mage, yes, but one plagued by the problem all human magicians face. A limited mana pool.¡±
¡°A problem which can be solved through time and introspection into the soul arts.¡±
¡°In the course of which I¡¯d simply manage to explode my own soul somehow,¡± Destartes said. ¡°As I said, I pity you Mister Wainwright. Not only have you undergone much death and agony over the course of these loops, but you¡¯ve also doubtlessly lost people you care for many times over. These ¡®failed¡¯ time loopers you tell me of, they suffer yes, but they no longer bear the burden upon their shoulders at least. It must be a uniquely miserable thing, to not only be in a time loop, but to also be the only one capable of succeeding in it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d want to trade places with any of those poor sods stuck within the Reject,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now I really don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m getting my point across correctly. Tell me, Mister Wainwright, you¡¯re stubborn, yes?¡± Destartes asked, and he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re also quite honorable, with an obstinate desire to repay your debts. And on top of it all, you tend to make any injustices you see a personal problem of yours.¡±
¡°You¡¯re making me out to be some paragon of justice, old man. I¡¯m far from being a hero,¡± Orodan said. ¡°My life began and ended with blood. I¡¯ve done many questionable things and taken many lives.¡±
¡°And despite all that, in spite of your horrid upbringing, you still retain that sense of stubborn honor. I¡¯m not calling you a saint, Mister Wainwright, far from it,¡± Destartes clarified. ¡°But you do have a bit of obstinate goodness within. And at some point, one must begin to wonder whether your very upbringing, your fate itself¡ led towards this all along. And that is the real burden I feel. That your very upbringing shaped your character into one which simply cannot refuse the call to confront this time loop and fix it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a lot of words for saying I¡¯m stubborn idiot who was meant for this all along,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Well, your words have some truth to them. When I spoke to the Custodian, he mentioned that I was chosen for the loops due to my affinity for Cleaning. But to then upend them entirely through Incipience of Infinity¡ I don¡¯t think I was meant to do that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fated, or it was until you broke it,¡± Destartes said.
¡°Fate huh?¡± Orodan mused. ¡°Say, Destartes¡ the tapestry of fate¡¯s only a canvas to read possibilities and odds upon, right?¡±
¡°Far as I am aware, why?¡±
¡°Could one utilize it in tandem with chronomancy to view alternate possibilities for oneself?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Viewing previous points on the river of time is already strenuous, beyond what most chronomancers are capable of,¡± Destartes said. ¡°But to then try and view the tapestry of fate as it was in the past? That sounds exceedingly complicated and downright impossible. In other words, the perfect endeavor for you.¡±
Orodan smiled.
Fate huh?
Perhaps it was time to finally see where his really began.
Though Destartes had some final words for him about the matter.
¡°Delving into what could have been, is an ugly affair. You might not like the answer.¡±
Orodan agreed. He had a strange feeling he would uncover something he was better off not knowing.
#
The northern coastline of the Republic bordered the Sea of Uxamar. The waters themselves were hazardous, containing plenty of aquatic monsters, particularly in the deeper parts of the waters. Though, these monsters weren¡¯t the real threat.
The true danger came from the presence of Guzuharan raider ships which often patrolled the waters, looking for easy targets on the shoreline. The inner heartlands of the Republic were in many parts, covered with deep forests which were entirely impassable and far too savage to pave roads through. And the few guarded and patrolled routes through central roads were tolled, which meant a loss of profits.
Consequently, caravans looking to break even or make a better profit often took the ill-guarded coastal roads along the shoreline. And while the navies of the Republic and the Eastern Kingdoms did their best to patrol the waters and keep them safe¡ it wasn¡¯t always the case.
Almost seventeen years ago, a particular caravan had fallen victim to raiders from the northern continent. A caravan containing people, goods¡
¡and an infant Orodan Wainwright and his parents.
And now, how many thousands of loops later, Orodan Wainwright stood upon the site of this horrid tragedy once more.
No longer as little and helpless, and not nearly as powerless.
He¡¯d always known where it occurred. The militia and the orphanage kept records of the day the Republic¡¯s military had come upon the burning wreck. Yet, before today, he¡¯d never bothered coming here, to this particular section of remote road on the coastline of the Republic of Aden. There was nothing for him here, he¡¯d already accepted his lot in life.
But with the power of time, perhaps he could now get the answers he¡¯d never received then.
¡°It doesn¡¯t look any different to any other section of the road,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°If you were expecting the air to be roiling with holy energy which heralds my life changing moment, I think you¡¯ll be disappointed,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°It¡¯s just a dirt road, and visually I see no evidence of any battle taking place here seventeen years ago.¡±
On the surface that was. Vision of Purity was already telling him that there were traces of metal, wood and bone in the ground. A cursory examination of the time stream revealed these to be from almost seventeen years ago.
¡°Will you bring them back right away?¡± she asked.
¡°I will eventually, but before that I want- I need, to see what happened, that we might finally put this matter to rest.¡±
This was where it all began, and before he even got about the act of resurrecting anyone, Orodan first needed to slip his consciousness into the time stream, a feat made feasible thanks to his near Master-level Time Mastery. Yet, he wouldn¡¯t just be going back to the site of this tragedy, but to a few months before even that.
It was time to delve into the origins of Orodan Wainwright.
His eyes took on a subtle glow, and his mind began swimming against the river of time.
Whatever the time loop mechanism did, it was monstrously powerful. The river of time, or rather the timeline, for the cosmos they dwelled in¡ was reset. There would be no delving into past loops for those were entirely gone. Perhaps one day if Orodan learned the intricacies of that elaborate thing he might be capable of exploring those, but for now the timeline of this loop was all he had access to.
His consciousness flowed backwards, viewing the events through time with crystal clear clarity.
To the first day of the current year where Orodan was busy beating on a training dummy while the other militia got drunk or celebrated with their loved ones.
Past the basic training where he excelled, graduating at the top of his class, yet where he was also disliked by many of the recruits for his overly zealous love for combat and training.
It returned to his entrance examination for the county militia. Where he fought a brutal melee against some noble ponce from Trumbetton and actually won, only for the nepotistic examiners to ignore the result and ensure the noble was placed favorably instead of Orodan.
Back to turning fourteen years of age and becoming an adult under Republic law, only to realize most full-time jobs wouldn¡¯t take him due to his delinquent history. Odd jobs hauling nightsoil from the cesspools and the occasional bit of labor were all he had access to. And then, a ray of hope; an old foreman who gave him a chance working as a full-time laborer for construction projects.
Past the old days of his harsh youth, where he slew another boy in self-defense over a piece of meat. An event which had inevitably influenced his outlook on life.
Far past his days as a small orphan, and even past the tragedy whose site he stood upon. He would view that shortly, but first¡
¡his birth.
At the very beginning of it all, his consciousness entered the stream of time.
Like a spectator, Orodan watched the occurrence from outside the perspective of any present.
And the first thing which stood out to him¡
¡was the large woman lying on the back of a rickety wooden wagon in the midst of a dark forest. She was grunting in pain, her legs spread apart as a man and two women were by her side.
Orodan had sometimes been told that his face and expressions made him look somewhat unapproachable. A severe expression. And just by the sight of this large woman, her pale skin and her angry-looking face he could immediately tell who he got it from.
She had some good size and musculature to her too! Orodan was big himself, but she was perhaps two inches taller, though he¡¯d say he was wider of frame and possessed of more muscle.
¡°Sizing yourself up against your own mother, are you?¡±
Zaessythra¡¯s comments were silly. It was mere recognizance of where he¡¯d come from was all! That he found himself giving this woman a subtle nod of respect for her physicality and bearing was beside the point!
This¡ was his mother? It had to be. He¡¯d seen nobody else in his life that evoked such a strange feeling of familiarity and resemblance on sight. She had raven dark hair, striking blue eyes and pale skin, but otherwise everything else was quite similar to him in terms of facial structure.
His mother was heavily armored too, and she had a sword and shield next to her. Was that where he naturally got it from?
His thoughts were cut short as the clearly pregnant woman, his mother, roared in pain.
¡°He¡¯s a feisty one! I can feel it!¡± she declared boldly.
¡°Steady now, Valburga, you¡¯re almost there!¡± the man encouraged, looking quite pale.
¡°I feel him Hathradan¡ our son is almost out!¡± his mother declared.
Our son?
Orodan looked at the man closely. Where his mother was large, imposing and had an intimidating face like Orodan himself, this man was slight of frame, though appeared to have a lean bit of strength to him. His hands were callused too, likely from manual labor. And Orodan could see where his own bronzed skin, dark eyes and brown hair came from.
And most embarrassingly¡ the cooling stream of water being cast from the man¡¯s hands and onto his mother¡¯s sweating forehead was clear evidence that his father had been a mage.
¡°Less talking, more pushing you big oaf!¡± one of the women scolded. ¡°Whose bright idea was it to allow Valburga to come along on jobs while heavy with child?¡±
¡°Allow? There¡¯s no stopping her when she wants to go out and fight!¡± the other woman added on.
His mother and father however ignored the two women. They appeared to be part of a mercenary band, or perhaps adventurers?
In any case, the critical moment approached.
Out of respect for his mother¡¯s privacy, Orodan turned away from watching the particulars of his own delivery. Soon, a gasp from all present and a soft thud onto a creaky wooden wagon signified the birthing of life. The two women assisted with the recovery and wrap up.
And throughout it all, the babe gasped and choked, taking his first breaths, but did not once cry afterwards.
He now looked, and it was exceedingly strange to behold himself as an infant. The newborn¡¯s eyes were open, and he almost calmly took in the world around him, not a single cry or whimper escaping his lips.
¡°A strong soul, even as a child,¡± Zaessythra said. Orodan simply thought himself exceedingly strange. What newborn didn¡¯t cry? ¡°Perhaps you were always meant for greatness.¡±
And mayhap more than just Zaessythra had noticed that too. He¡¯d spoken to Alastaia¡¯s world core a long time, and it had revealed that seventeen years ago, a pulse of power had gone out from the System control spike present within the planet¡¯s world core.
As he watched the newborn Orodan Wainwright, he now saw, within this moment, how System energy roiled about the air, and the swift and almost imperceptible entry of certain glyphs into his soul.
This was the exact moment that he¡¯d been marked as the time looper. It was from this moment that Orodan Wainwright had been watched by forces beyond his comprehension at the time.
One of the two women tried rubbing the baby to make him cry, but it was no use. At most, the newborn looked quite irate and had a frown most fierce!
¡°Oh ho! Such a fierce little look! He¡¯s as angry as you Valburga!¡± the woman exclaimed with a laugh.
¡°What shall you name him?¡± the other woman asked. ¡°Whose last name shall he take?¡±
¡°I have no last name,¡± his mother said, cradling the baby in her arms. ¡°I hail from the north, a castaway from a tribe of raiders. We were given no last names save the monikers we earned through battle.¡±
His mother was¡ Guzuharan? The cruel irony then, that she and his father had been slain by them. And that Orodan had grown up despising the northerners for all of his first life and a portion of the early loops.
¡°My last name then?¡± his father asked. ¡°He might not be too happy about bearing the family name of a group of farmers from the Kingdom of Shivenduran.¡±
¡°Better than my blood-stained legacy where he would have none,¡± Valburga said and then tenderly stroked the baby¡¯s cheeks, and Orodan could almost feel the stirrings of affection reaching his soul.
¡°My little Orodan Wainwright.¡±
He exited the moment in time shortly after, returning to the present. To the northern coastline of the Republic where all was quiet, and everything seemed so very lonely and empty.
For a moment, he simply stared into the sky above. That feeling, it had crossed time and touched his soul. And he wondered¡
¡he wondered about what could have been.
¡°You were wrong then,¡± Zaessythra spoke respectfully. ¡°Your origins didn¡¯t begin with bloodshed¡ but love.¡±
And conflicted as he felt about it, Orodan couldn¡¯t dispute her words. His parents, the both of them, had loved him. The affection and joy in the eyes of his mother and father were no lie.
Part Guzuharan, part Eastern. Part mage, part warrior. The union of these had come together to form him.
Yet, without them in his life, he¡¯d grown into something else entirely.
¡°We could leave it here,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°That you might cherish the beautiful memory. But we both know there¡¯s more to it than that.¡±
After all, where there was love¡
¡there was also loss.
It was time to be done with it.
His consciousness once more delved into the time stream, flying backwards till it landed upon the target memory. The one which had occurred almost seventeen years ago on the site where he was standing.
His mind dipped into the river of time, and he travelled backwards, spectator to the event.
A caravan of three loaded wagons was traveling eastwards, along the northern coastline. The front two were loaded with goods, and some mercenary guards were riding alongside them. The wagon in the rear held an assortment of people, among them a large, armored woman, and a lean man with bronzed skin.
This was approximately three months after his birth. Noticeably, his mother¡¯s arm was in a sling, and she had fresh scars upon her face. His father looked haggard, but with a tinge of hope lighting up his expressions.
¡°One more day till we reach Trumbetton in Volarbury County,¡± Hathradan, his father, said. ¡°Then we can put that life behind us once and for all.¡±
¡°Good, good¡¡± his mother muttered. ¡°I am tired of it all and simply wish to raise little Orodan away from violence and bloodshed.¡±
Another passenger, curious, piped up.
¡°You two are adventurers?¡± the passenger asked, making conversation.
¡°We were, not anymore,¡± Hathradan replied. ¡°Our last job went awry and we lost the other two members of our band.¡±
¡°May Malzim have mercy on their souls¡ I am sorry for your loss,¡± the passenger respectfully muttered.
¡°Thank you, but we¡¯ve made our peace with what occurred,¡± Valburga said, cradling the baby Orodan who simply watched everything silently but curiously. ¡°It was my brash nature which caused our near deaths. I will not err in such a manner again. Gods be willing, little Orodan shall not inherit my reckless nature.¡±
¡°I see¡ takes a wise woman to reflect on her own mistakes like that,¡± the passenger said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me askin¡¯, what¡¯re you lot planning on doing now?¡±
¡°I come from a line of farmers and nature mages,¡± Hathradan said with a smile. ¡°I hear there¡¯s this noble house in a town near the Aenechean Forest¡ Velestok it¡¯s called, they have magical preserves and are renowned for their forestry. Employment with them is something I¡¯ve been considering.¡±
¡°You must be talking about House Simarji then. Everyone who works for them tells me they¡¯re good nobility. Not likely to stiff you on wages nor display wrath towards their lessers,¡± the passenger said and then turned to Valburga. ¡°And yourself? Military service? Instructing the children of nobles perhaps?¡±
¡°Perhaps something closer to home¡¡± Valburga said. ¡°I hear Volarbury County is always looking for more members in their militia, might give that a try.¡±
¡°County militia isn¡¯t a bad gig! Stable and well-paying once you reach the upper ranks.¡±
¡°Sounds promising, though I hope my son sets his ambitions a little higher than that sort of work.¡±
What cruel irony was this? That everything she¡¯d hoped for had failed to be.
Orodan¡¯s perspective in the time stream was an independent one. He could freely look around. Yet, despite looking left, right, up and down he saw nothing amiss indicating that an attack was about to occur.
The skies were clear, the waters were clear all the way to the horizon. There were simply no boats in sight, Republic or Guzuharan. Then¡ how?
The answer was one which made his blood run cold.
At first, he didn¡¯t want to believe it. Yet, as the familiar feeling of it tickled his senses and the waters began shifting to warp space itself, he could no longer deny it.
System energy.
The interference of the System itself, which suddenly caused a rift to appear in the waters¡ revealing the raiding boats of the bloodthirsty northerners.
¡°What the¡? R-raiders! Raiders!¡± one guard bellowed, sounding the horn.
¡°How?! The waters were clear for miles!¡± another exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°Where did they come from?¡±
If only they knew the truth. That it was nothing they¡¯d done.
A truth which caused Orodan to tremble in rage in the real world.
The revelation¡
¡that the System was responsible for his parents¡¯ deaths all along.
¡°Let us turn away from this¡ no good can come of you watching what happens next.¡±
Zaessythra was compassionate, caring. Seeking to protect him. Frankly, Orodan didn¡¯t feel he deserved her sometimes.
Yet, he rejected that suggestion. Some things, a warrior needed to face with their own two eyes.
Orodan watched stoically, an entirely calm look upon his face as his mother and father bravely gave their lives defending him.
As a much younger Ovuru World-Drinker leapt off the raider warship, slaughtering all in his wake. The ogre-barbarian, the same one to end Orodan¡¯s life the first time, was also the one to end his parents¡¯.
He took it all in, how from here, until the day of his first death¡ it was all truly connected after all.
All thanks to the System, and the Boundless One within.
And a dark part of him now found himself empathizing with the Reject, who even in the depths of insanity, never forgot the wrongs that the System and Boundless One had inflicted upon it. For a few morose moments, the thought of tearing it all down began to look appealing.
For as Orodan watched, entirely too calm in the real world as his parents were slain. So too did the three-month-old Orodan in the past watch, not an emotion visible upon his face. Even as the blood of his parents spattered upon him.
The event in time ended soon after, and he quietly slipped out.
The sky was a clear blue, and the sea was entirely empty all the way to the horizon. Just as it had been almost seventeen years ago. So too, was Orodan¡¯s mind.
¡°Orodan I¡ am sorry.¡±
¡°There is nothing to apologize for¡ I now have the answers I sought. Even if a small part of me thinks they were better off buried forever,¡± Orodan replied, and then his gaze steeled. ¡°There is still more to see from that point on.¡±
¡°You truly intend to delve into that moment once more? Why?¡±
¡°Call it curiosity, or perhaps hubris¡ but I need to know what would have become of the other Orodan Wainwrights¡¡±
¡°¡those who didn¡¯t grow up as street rats.¡±
[Time Mastery 88 ¡ú Time Mastery 89]
His mind sank back into the river of time, straight back to the painful moment. And as it did, he used a new skill he¡¯d obtained in tandem with his ability to view the tapestry.
[Fate Reading 43 ¡ú Fate Reading 45]
[Fate Mastery 10 ¡ú Fate Mastery 15]
He wasn¡¯t simply reading the tapestry, but reading it as it was, in the past almost seventeen years ago on the day of his parents¡¯ death. And immediately, he felt something resist his efforts quite fiercely. The System energy, which was roiling about, it had an inkling as to what he was doing.
Of course it did. System energy was tied to the Boundless One. Without a doubt it could tell someone was viewing the time stream and attempting to scry fate. Past or present, that thing at the center of the System must¡¯ve been aware of any interactions to the time stream where it was involved.
Still, he overpowered the resistance and pushed on.
And the first change he made¡ was the disappearance of the raiders.
What would happen if Orodan Wainwright, the time looper, had both of his parents?
This alternate string of fate, in tandem with chronomancy, played out quite strangely. It was entirely illusory, but Orodan¡¯s raw power allowed him to visualize the details of this hypothetical alternate reality quite vividly.
Orodan¡¯s parents moved to Velestok. His mother ended up joining not the county militia, but the Simarji¡¯s house guards, quickly ascending the ranks to become an Elite. His father Hathradan became a respected herbalist for the house, working its preserves, and most importantly¡ Orodan grew up beloved, in a loving family home.
Almost immediately, there were some differences.
His mother didn¡¯t quite enjoy the thought of him taking after her, but once his proclivity for fighting became noticed, it was nurtured. The Simarjis quickly noticed too, and Orodan grew up with excellent instructors quickly becoming a martial prodigy. Hells, under encouragement from his father he was even a decent hand at magic too!
Unfortunately, the downsides were evident right away.
His talent for Cleaning, while progressing steadily, simply wasn¡¯t nurtured the same way. His progress at magic, while encouraged, didn¡¯t progress nearly the same without his reckless and headstrong methods of advancement. This Orodan was educated properly, versatile. Yet without the mad drive for progress that the real him had.
The battle of Ogdenborough occurred, and this Orodan spent it safe and secure at Bluefire Academy while his parents were protected in Velestok by Adeltaj Simarji. The academic year went without a hitch, he grew strong, enough that he managed to enter the Inter-Academy Tournament as a first year and even best Claridin Rockwood in a tough battle at the semi-finals. Yet he lost against an Othorion Evertree who called upon the divine.
His life went well, and he was respected.
And on the fateful day when the Eldritch comet descended upon Alastaia, Inuan was ill-prepared as the Prime Five were disunited and unprepared for it to win on Guzuhar. When the Eldritch plague and its herald came across the Sea of Uxamar, Karilsgard was in the way, and Orodan died alongside everyone in Volarbury County as the Republic¡¯s Grandmasters fought against it and the corrupted beasts it fielded as an advance force.
And the time loops began for his alternate self.
He pressed the threads of fate harder, forcing them to generate a new tapestry for each of these loops experienced by his alternate self. And he continued watching.
He watched as this Orodan spent the first few loops warning people, gathering resources, yet still vehemently struggling to better himself. He even managed to give Grandmasters a bit of struggle after a few hundred loops! Impressive¡
¡but ultimately futile.
For when he fought the Eldritch Avatar directly for the first time, this Orodan Wainwright ended up corrupted.
And he had not the will to resist it like the real him had.
The rest of the tapestry and the outcomes after that grew far darker, and eventually this Orodan Wainwright was hunted down and executed by the Warrior outside of System space, for becoming a time looper corrupted by the Eldritch.
¡°This cannot be it, there must be other factors you ignored,¡± Zaessythra demanded. ¡°Go back and alter the threads where you receive training, surely when trained from an even younger age and your Cleaning talent is identified a difference can be made.¡±
Orodan did as she asked, a realization dawning upon him. And rewound it all back once more.
[Fate Mastery 15 ¡ú Fate Mastery 17]
This Orodan Wainwright, after surviving alongside his parents, decided to take a rag in his hands as a child and get to cleaning. The strange talent confused everyone but was clearly noted alongside his martial abilities. He grew, had tutors and was raised in a loving home. And at the same time fostered an unexpected mentorship under Arendethar Althadin, a famed Master-level dragon rider who also honed Cleaning.
Everything progressed as normal¡
¡but it still wasn¡¯t enough.
Orodan¡¯s practice in Cleaning wasn¡¯t as plentiful as he¡¯d gotten as a small child scrubbing the orphanage¡¯s dirty floors. It wasn¡¯t done out of desperation, not born of necessity. His regular Cleaning skill ended up being decent, well above that of anyone else.
When the time came and he faced the Eldritch Avatar for the first time, he cleansed enough of the surrounding plague that it slew him immediately in anger, and the time loops began.
The loops went on, and Orodan did far better! He managed to avoid corruption by the Eldritch as he eventually created a Mythical Cleaning skill. As expected of his natural talent.
Eventually, thousands upon thousands of loops later, he managed to best the Eldritch Avatar too!
He led Alastaia to a golden age; in time becoming a Transcendent.
And that¡ was when disaster struck, as the Hegemony descended. Agrimon, their leader, immediately caught wind of the fact that this Orodan was a time looper, and the shards were brought out for use against him.
Orodan¡¯s soul, fate and self were shattered as the shards struck. System gone, and no hope for recourse as he became maddened and an utter husk of his former self. Eventually, he kept looping enough times that the Boundless One moved on and selected another time looper.
Leaving naught but a broken husk of a man whose family grieved over his sudden change for the worse at the start of the loops.
[Fate Reading 45 ¡ú Fate Reading 48]
[Fate Mastery 17 ¡ú Fate Mastery 20]
He tried various combinations and alterations of fate in this alternate timeline, re-creating it over and over. A rare time or two, Orodan managed to even beat the Hegemony and come up with creative methods of avoiding the shards through expert mage craft! But even then, it all began falling apart once the Administrators got involved.
Curiously enough, he was even betrayed a few times by an unknown individual whose position in the tapestry was entirely obscured. This, he could only attribute to being the previous time looper, whose paranoia in covering their tracks in even the tapestry impressed him.
He gained plenty more skill levels in the Fate related skills. Yet no matter what he did, the alternate Orodan failed.
The key differences in all these alternate fates being that he never met Zaessythra, and that he never unlocked Eternal Soul Reactor.
And the very final alternate fate he viewed, the farthest this Orodan ever progressed¡
¡ended with him stuck within that horrid pit of agony and despair within the Reject, alongside the thousands of other time loopers who¡¯d also been found wanting.
There would be no escape for that Orodan.
[Fate Reading 56 ¡ú Fate Reading 57]
[Fate Mastery 29 ¡ú Fate Mastery 30]
[New Title ¡ú Fate Apprentice]
And the eyes of the real Orodan Wainwright finally opened.
¡°The System, the Boundless One empowering it, and those responsible for this event. They will all pay.¡±
This was his solemn declaration.
Whatever he¡¯d done with the timeline and the alternate fates was quite unappreciated by the System, and he felt the roiling of System energy beginning to flit even in the present time. Slowly but surely, they were beginning to understand just who was causing the tapestry to shake so violently.
He wasn¡¯t sure how much time he had left and thus elected to do one more thing.
The resistance the System energy in the timeline posed was tremendous, and he was almost certain the act would give away his position. Yet he threw his soul energy into one titanic Time Reversal all the same.
[Time Reversal 85 ¡ú Time Reversal 86]
[Time Mastery 89 ¡ú Time Mastery 90]
[New Title ¡ú Time Master]
He had overpowered timeline protections on somebody¡¯s soul before, namely Zaessythra¡¯s. But that was an anti-resurrection measure put in place by the Hegemony. To fight against the might of the System itself? A different matter.
Even with all the power he threw towards it, the overwhelming majority of it went towards breaking the massive amounts of System energy guarding that point in the timeline. The System was determined to keep Orodan¡¯s parents dead.
Unfortunately, he had a long track record of disobeying the System.
With a flourish of power, what was done nearly seventeen years ago¡
¡was undone.
Wagons and the goods within were brought back. The mercenary guards on their horses suddenly panicked at their return, and even the passenger who was speaking to Orodan¡¯s parents was returned in the same spot.
And Orodan was all too happy to turn away.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Letting them live their lives? It would be quite disrespectful to insert myself where I¡¯m not needed.¡±
¡°Unbelievable¡ you¡¯ll charge headfirst towards a Boundless One bent on destroying the System and everyone within its space, but the mighty Orodan Wainwright is now making excuses to avoid meeting his parents?¡±
¡°Nothing I tell them will be pleasant¡ and our remaining time is short. Who knows when something descends for me.¡±
¡°Which is exactly why you should go now. Lest you regret it forever.¡±
She was being overly dramatic he felt. If Orodan wanted, he could simply bring his mother and father back whenever he wanted.
Though, it would also draw the System¡¯s ire every time.
His deliberations came to an end, for it wasn¡¯t he who ended up approaching them¡
¡but a large and armored woman who approached him first. It seemed all his dawdling out in the open had caught her eye.
¡°Ho! Warrior! Might you know where we are?¡± Valburga asked practically rushing to him. ¡°Have you seen a newborn babe anywhere?!¡±
¡°In the Republic of Aden, specifically the northern coastline. Trumbetton is a day away and the waters are clear of any raiders,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Your journey shall be a safe one.¡±
¡°Yes, but my son is gone!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I recall being attacked, and yet here we are, in the same place. And my baby boy is missing! The only thing out of place is you, who I do not recall¡ though¡ you have an odd familiarity about you. And you smell familiar.¡±
Smell familiar? Damned Guzuharans and their keen senses. Of course, his mother would also recognize him by scent.
¡°Valburga, who is this?¡± Hathradan asked running to them, eyeing him up and down. ¡°Have we met before stranger? Have you seen a newborn child anywhere?¡±
Zaessythra had to nudge him. One of the rare moments where Orodan was hesitant of something.
He didn¡¯t want to experience what he couldn¡¯t have. Not until his goals were done. But¡ neither could he stand and watch his poor mother suffer the worry of suddenly being bereft of her child.
¡°Your son is fine, he will be alright,¡± Orodan said.
¡°You know where he is then?! Give him back to us!¡± Valburga demanded, her hand reaching for the sword on her waist.
It was so similar to the way he drew his own sword that it was almost painful.
¡°Valburga wait¡ let us be civil,¡± Hathradan pleaded. ¡°Stranger¡ please. If you have our son or know where he is, I implore you bring us to him.¡±
¡°That will not be necessary¡¡± Orodan said, before taking a deep breath. ¡°Because he is standing right in front of you.¡±
¡°What are you saying?!¡± Valburga demanded, drawing her sword and swinging it right for him.
Orodan drew his own, in the same manner, meeting his mother¡¯s blade midway.
¡°I¡ am Orodan Wainwright.¡±
Something about the way he said it must have made her believe it. That or the way he drew his own sword in a similarly aggressive manner. Whatever it was, it must¡¯ve been the final thing to cement the suspicions she had that something was familiar about him.
Her sword dropped to the ground.
¡°It¡ it cannot be! Our son is a babe!¡±
¡°He certainly was, almost seventeen years ago on this day,¡± Orodan said, his own voice steady. ¡°Time has a way of turning boys into men however.¡±
Hathradan fell to his knees, his father¡¯s eyes watery and red.
¡°We¡ we really did die then? I thought it was a horrid dream, but those raiders really did kill us¡ did they not?¡±
¡°They¡ they did,¡± Orodan replied, voice shaking. ¡°I am sorry. The fault for your deaths¡ lies upon me.¡±
Zaessythra disagreed, as did the logical part of Orodan¡¯s mind which reminded him that he had no control over what the System did. Yet, the emotional part could only fixate on the fact that his very existence caused the System to target him, and by proxy¡ them.
He hadn¡¯t even realized he was crying, not until a large and pale hand brushed a thumb over his cheek to wipe it away.
¡°Such a stern face, even while crying¡ just like me. You really are Orodan, aren¡¯t you?¡± his mother softly asked, a watery smile on her own face. ¡°Will you tell us, how this can be?¡±
¡°Chronomancy¡ I reversed time and brought you back,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Heh! Our son becomes a mage after all Valburga!¡± Hathradan declared with a grin, masking the man¡¯s own tears. ¡°But to reverse it by seventeen years¡ did you use some sort of divine artefact? A ritual? Or perhaps¡ are you an Avatar who can call upon a God themselves?¡±
His father, it seemed, was quite educated for being a farmer and nature mage.
¡°No, just my own power.¡±
¡°Then¡ our son is a God¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a-¡± he cut himself off before he could snap. Now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°How I did it is irrelevant. What matters is that you¡¯re back, though not for long.¡±
Valburga was closely examining his face at every moment, drawing comparisons and noting which of her features he¡¯d received. His words brought her out of her examinations.
¡°What do you mean? Is this magic temporary, Orodan?¡±
¡°No, it is permanent¡ but what comes for me because of what I¡¯ve done will bring an end to me,¡± he replied. ¡°Forgive me.¡±
His mother took both of his hands in her own and squeezed tightly while his father clasped his shoulders.
¡°Then we shall stand and face it together!¡± Valburga declared, picking her sword back up.
This was what Orodan could have had. What he could never experience directly through the tapestry of fate of the alternate timelines.
Love.
And it was with great pain that Orodan was forced to admit to himself, that he didn¡¯t even know what love was. No¡ that wasn¡¯t right.
He had known love all along. It was only now, being exposed to the foundational form of it, from his own mother and father, that he realized what he¡¯d had all along.
Old Man Hannegan¡
¡his first mentor Adeltaj¡
¡his friend W78, and most importantly¡
¡Zaessythra. The warm presence around his soul who¡¯d been alongside him for so long.
And it was with great sorrow, that Orodan had to also admit to himself that he could not have this love from his parents. Not yet until all was made right, and the System was destroyed.
Who he was, a warrior raised in an environment of violence and bloodshed, would never have come to be without what had happened to him. The System was cruel, and Orodan would have his revenge¡ but its cruelty was one paired with a logical efficiency.
The unfortunate reality was that the Orodan Wainwright that these people loved as their son¡ had died almost seventeen years ago in this place.
And the acceptance of that reality came with the realization which had begun dawning from the very first alternate fate he viewed. It now fully cemented in his mind.
The miserable nights where he slept out in the abandoned buildings to avoid getting jumped. The brutal beatings he endured at the hands of the bigger street rats when he was smaller, and then, at the hands of the Argon goons and rough members of the militia. The starvation, the constant violence¡ it had all forged his will into something none of his alternate selves had. It reinforced the truth in his mind.
The truth, that only he could have come this far.
That he was the only Orodan Wainwright¡
¡that could be the stubborn skill-grinder in a time loop.
The sky began to part, System energy spewing forth from a rift which was in the process of forming.
Orodan pulled both his mother and father in for one final embrace.
¡°I am sorry, mother¡ I ended up joining the county militia after all,¡± he muttered. ¡°Though I¡¯ll have to thank you for passing your bull-headed nature onto me. It¡¯s gotten me very far.¡±
¡°Orodan¡ what¡¯s happening?¡± she asked, worried.
They both tried breaking free of his grip, but it was to no avail. His mother was an Adept, and his father an Apprentice, but it mattered little against his own strength.
¡°Father, I apologize for disrespecting mages for so long. It¡¯s gotten me very far, and I was a fool to disrespect magic¡± Orodan said. ¡°Perhaps I learned Wood Communion so quickly thanks to you. I¡¯ll have to pay the Wainwrights of the Eastern Kingdoms a visit someday.¡±
Hathradan seemed far more accepting than his mother, who was screaming for him to let go.
¡°Will we see you again, son?¡±
¡°You will. I always come back.¡±
When the day came that he achieved all he¡¯d set out to do, he would return.
He always did. He was in a time loop after all.
A gentle application of his Celestial skill sent them to sleep, and he tenderly laid both of them into the back of the wagon.
Past the rift, he felt three presences all barrelling towards him. He decided to greet them first.
[Dimensional Step 13 ¡ú Dimensional Step 14]
One of the rare moments where a direct pathway from the System¡¯s bowels to the material plane opened up, and he took advantage of the opportunity to walk right in.
Fifteen feet of steel and muscle were before him. As was a slimy book-wielding man, exuding an aura of light which Orodan knew was corrupt beneath the surface. And behind them all¡ a hooded Arch-Devil with a hammer in one hand and an orb in the other.
The Warrior, the Prophet¡ and the Custodian. And behind those three¡ the cause of Orodan¡¯s current life and upbringing.
The Eldritch Boundless One empowering the System.
¡°I see you¡¯ve finally found me.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ it should be you who is the time looper, but what have you done to mangle the mechanism so?¡± the Custodian pointedly asked. ¡°What have you done to the time stream?¡±
¡°The better question is¡ what have you done to me?¡± Orodan queried. ¡°Killing my parents when I was but an infant, throwing me into a life of misery. You, and all involved with you have much to answer for.¡±
Their expressions were subtle, but both the Warrior and the Prophet looked surprised at the revelation. They hadn¡¯t known.
¡°Custodian¡ I was not aware there was a new time looper,¡± the Warrior said, his voice deep and echoing all throughout.
¡°Nor is it your role to know when one is anointed,¡± the Custodian said and then turned to Orodan. ¡°Time looper, somehow, against all odds, you have wrested control of the very time loop mechanism. With you before me, I can see how it connects to you¡ but how have you empowered it so?¡±
¡°With the light of my own soul,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°No thanks to that puppeteer behind you.¡±
¡°We should cut out its tongue, for speaking of the source of providence so,¡± the Prophet threatened.
The Custodian shook his head.
¡°I feared this day would come, when you would discover what was done to you. Try and understand from our perspective, do you not see the slow decay and corruption of all by the Eldritch?¡± the Custodian asked. ¡°Not only was someone of strong will required, but also someone who would be capable of facing those who would hunt them. Chief among the traitorous Administrators among us. Have you met the Reject yet?¡±
¡°I certainly have¡ and a part of me now wonders if he was justified in his hatred of the rest of you and that thing you guard.¡±
¡°The Reject would see everything torn down to the ground. This creature is a Boundless One. Empowering the System and keeping us all safe from far worse outside the bounds of System space,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°And it, like others of its kind, cannot be slain, merely displaced or altered. Not only would I stop you from assailing it, but I also fail to see what your solution is to its removal.¡±
¡°Behold then, what my solution is,¡± Orodan said, his eyes blazing with power as he made the inner workings of his own soul apparent to all. ¡°A System of my own creation¡ one empowered by myself.¡±
¡°Impossible¡¡± the Custodian muttered. ¡°A living being cannot empower such a thing, where does that power come from?¡±
Even the Eldritch Boundless One far behind them, locked within a cage, stilled at the sight.
¡°The determination within my heart, and the grit of my soul. Now then, I believe you have much to answer for and this loop is nearing its end¡ fight me.¡±
¡°You have defied the natural order, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Prophet said, book glowing. ¡°The limited cannot become limitless, this is the basic tenet of existence, it¡¯s what separates us living beings from the Boundless Ones outside of our sanctuary of System space. To become such a being yourself¡ it is heresy and a slight against our provider. Your existence threatens the arrival of countless cosmic beings who would tear apart the grace granted by our provider and saviour in the hopes of studying you.¡±
¡°And I shall face each and every one of them with my head unbowed,¡± Orodan declared, raising his weapons.
¡°But will you prove equal to the challenge? Even now the Mage and I must fend off increased assaults from outside of System space,¡± the Warrior said. ¡°The things which lay outside of this sanctuary are cold and unfeeling monsters. Can you protect all within from them?¡±
¡°I will keep returning, over and over, until I do.¡±
¡°We have allowed it to speak for far too long. This sacrilege against the provenance which sustains us all cannot stand,¡± the Prophet declared in a melodious voice. ¡°Come, heretic. The direct presence of the source of grace tends to drive your kind mad. Even I cannot tolerate the presence of our lord for too long.¡±
Orodan was certain he was about to get bound or restrained in some way, only for a great sword to suddenly appear between him and the sceptre which wished to bind him with holy light.
¡°This dishonorable conduct¡ I cannot allow it.¡±
¡°You would turn traitor like that pitiful cultivator did?¡± the Prophet asked with a hiss. ¡°Fine then, see how it feels when the embrace of our creator forsakes you.¡±
A titanic clash began, and Orodan barely got out of the way in time as the two Administrators began fighting. In the distance, he could also see a dual-sword wielding abomination of a man fighting a staff-wielding mage who looked dead set on unleashing galaxy-shattering magical power upon him.
He hadn¡¯t even realized the Mage and the Reject had arrived, but they were both fighting too it seemed.
Which left only the Custodian and Orodan.
¡°You are no match for me, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Custodian stated, matter of fact. ¡°Not yet.¡±
¡°No, but I will be,¡± Orodan calmly replied.
¡°That¡ I suppose you will,¡± the Custodian remarked. ¡°Will you destroy all this in the end?¡±
¡°No. I intend to replace the current System with my own, so that no one is subject to the corruptive nature of the Eldritch thenceforth,¡± Orodan said. ¡°So that none else might suffer the cruel meddling of forces beyond their control.¡±
The Administrator looked almost relieved.
¡°I will not lie¡ it was I who recommended the killing of your parents,¡± the Custodian admitted, causing Orodan¡¯s fists to clench in anger. ¡°I alone am culpable, even the Boundless One disagreed. Too compassionate, too caring of all life under its purview.¡±
¡°Why?¡± he hissed out.
¡°To create you. If the choice was presented again, I would do no differently. The birth of Orodan Wainwright¡ was a necessity,¡± the Custodian admitted. ¡°I will not shirk the blame for this. On the loop you become strong enough, I will utter no complaints as you kill me.¡±
¡°A villainous speech or some wicked gloating would make this a lot easier,¡± Orodan said, frustrated at how casually the Administrator explained everything.
¡°There is nothing but cold logic within me. In some ways, I am the paragon of my kind, a being entirely devoid of emotion. Capable of committing the worst atrocities for whatever ends, be they good or ill.¡±
¡°This gambit of yours has succeeded, but at what cost for you? You¡¯ve created the monster that will be your doom,¡± Orodan promised. ¡°I will not forgive you arranging the death of my family.¡±
¡°Nor would I want you to¡ nevertheless I do wish for you to succeed. Live long enough, and existence ceases to have meaning, that is the unique position in which I find myself,¡± the Custodian remarked. ¡°Perhaps, Orodan Wainwright¡ my cold emotion and reasoning is aimed towards getting you to kill me.¡±
¡°You want to die?¡±
¡°I have done all there is to do, seen all there is to see, and have played around with enough lives, constructs and variations of the System to last me many, many lifetimes. It has reminded me that the true universe is vast and cold¡ and I am pitifully insignificant,¡± the Custodian said, sounding very tired. ¡°All that is left for me¡ is to ensure that the problem of the Eldritch is dealt with. I hope you do not get to the point of immortality where you feel the same as I do.¡±
¡°Your words will not sway my retribution.¡±
¡°I do not want them to,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°Now come, soon one of these two battles will have a decisive outcome, and the Prophet does not look to be having an easy fight against the Warrior. I do not think the armored guardian will allow me to kill you.¡±
¡°Draw your weapon and grant me a warrior¡¯s death then.¡±
¡°A reasonable request, if I were the Warrior,¡± the Arch-Devil said and then menacingly raised the orb in his hands upwards. ¡°I recall recommending your selection for these time loops due to the unnatural talent for Cleaning that was detected. Come¡ show me how that holds up in comparison to mine.¡±
So that¡¯s what this would be about then?
A broom was produced from his own dimensional ring.
This would be no duel of sword and shield¡
¡but one of two reality benders striving to cleanse one another out of existence.
Orodan¡¯s first sweep met the wave of reality alteration from the Custodian¡¯s orb, and he wasn¡¯t ashamed to say that in a direct confrontation of skills, Celestial versus Celestial, he was overpowered.
And yet¡ his insights and sheer talent were not any lower.
The wave of crushing purification carried on almost unchallenged, until Orodan realized that he couldn¡¯t face it in terms of quantity, but quality.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 145 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 146]
Every single insight about cleaning that he ever had in his life came to the fore. This was the single greatest challenge in the skill that he¡¯d ever faced. Even then, he knew the Administrator was holding each and every one of its other skills back, instead obstinately using only its skill related to Cleaning.
It was of Celestial-rarity, just like Orodan¡¯s was. Yet, the difference in quality and insights, despite the skill level gap soon became apparent.
The wave of reality purging power emanating from the orb wiped nearly the entire battlefield clean, throwing the other battling Administrators farther away. It utterly overpowered Orodan¡¯s own wave of cleansing sent out by the Domain of Perfect Cleaning, and yet¡ right near Orodan, at the tip of his broom, it stopped advancing.
This would be his ground, and he refused to give it up.
Step-by-step, he advanced. And he recalled all the insights he held when it came to cleaning things.
Scrubbing the dirty floorboards in the orphanage as a starving little boy, desperate to earn his share. Cleaning the blood off of his ragged clothes after killing another rat in self-defense. Cleaning the work site and scrubbing his hovel every single day.
His further honing of the skill throughout the time loops. Where he cleaned various parts of Ogdenborough, where he used it during crafting, and where he¡¯d purged even the Eldritch Avatar to create a Celestial skill.
When it came to Cleaning¡ Orodan Wainwright would lose to no one.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 146 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 147]
Up close, he could see the Custodian¡¯s eyes utterly intrigued and yet also¡ bearing a trace of fear.
The broom touched the Administrator¡¯s purifying orb¡
¡and an explosion which rocked the bowels of System space occurred.
And in the epicentre of it all, a broken orb, and an Arch-Devil a hair¡¯s breadth away from being purged of its very essence.
¡°Do it¡ you wanted revenge, did you not?¡± the Custodian asked.
Orodan¡¯s blood boiled, he demanded vengeance!
Yet¡ not like this.
¡°Not yet. I¡ have not earned this victory,¡± Orodan declared, lowering his broom. ¡°One loop, I¡¯ll grow strong enough to overpower you when you¡¯re fighting at full power. Only on that day, will I finally strike out and take the blood I am owed.¡±
¡°You are most illogical, Orodan Wainwright¡ I have not felt amusement in millions of years, yet to feel it now, I suppose I could die content,¡± the Arch-Devil said and then stood. ¡°You are approaching Embodiment in that skill. The path forward will only be fraught with more dangers moving forward.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°Past level 150, you aren¡¯t simply advancing a skill but loudly broadcasting your position and location to anyone else past that level who has a rivalling or related concept. Not only would your reaching of the Embodiment-level attract attention, but it would also directly challenge me and my own insights into purification, weakening me as you grew stronger unless I managed to make breakthroughs or come up with insights of my own,¡± the Custodian explained. ¡°Naturally, such a challenge to an Administrator is not so easily overlooked by any of my four other fellows, or by the various Embodiment-level beings hiding in the void between galaxies who would also be weakened by your rise.¡±
¡°A contest of comprehension across System space then? Good, competition has always helped me grow faster.¡±
¡°Of course you would say that¡ illogical human. I advise allying with either the Reject or the Mage, pick a side and lie if you must. It will make your path forward far easier instead of having all four of them chase after you as you inch closer and closer to Embodiment,¡± the Custodian said, rising to its feet. ¡°And that fate you have¡ it goes without saying that you should get rid of it.¡±
Sound advice. He sought revenge against this being¡ but the Custodian seemed to want Orodan to succeed. Despite his hatred of it.
Which was why he had only one thing to say.
¡°¡I¡¯ll be ignoring all of that advice.¡±
Allying with Administrators? Removing his fate and taking the easy route?
Who did it think he was?
He was Orodan Wainwright, and he knew no way but the hardest way.
A smile formed on the Administrator¡¯s face.
¡°You have amused me, Orodan Wainwright. It has been too long since I have felt anything like this¡¡± the Arch-Devil said, now brandishing its hammer. ¡°Now, before any of my fellows with their own agendas arrive, you must perish. Die now. Die¡ and return once you are ready, that you might truly earn the revenge you desire.¡±
The Warrior rushed towards him; the Reject lunged at him like a rabid animal. Yet before any of those two could reach, the hammer of the Custodian did first¡
¡and the darkness took him.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
And Orodan had a look of utter determination on his face.
#
¡°The craftsmanship of you two-legged simpletons leaves much to be desired.¡±
¡°We cannot all have eight legs and an ego the size of a mountain,¡± Orodan retorted. ¡°Are all your kind as prideful as you?¡±
¡°When they can shift between dimensions and appear anywhere in the cosmos, they might earn the right to be,¡± the haughty spider said. ¡°When I¡¯m not accosted by lumbering brutes who stalk my feeding grounds, I¡¯m quite a bit more amenable.¡±
¡°Yes, you certainly let me hear it for a solid fifteen minutes about what a ¡®good for nothing thug¡¯ I am,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Do you have anything good to say besides deriding me at every opportunity?¡±
¡°My mother always said, if you have nothing nice to say, it¡¯s best to say nothing at all,¡± the spider replied.
¡°If only you¡¯d taken that advice¡¡± Orodan muttered.
Who was his most pleasant and amenable companion? Why, it was none other than the dimensional phase spider, Talricto the Wanderer.
Orodan had dealt with House Argon and the ancient machine after cleaning his home and the warehouse. He¡¯d also sent a modified letter out to Destartes though with the warning that he might not be able to meet at all. And then, Orodan had Dimensional Stepped onto Eldiron, ambushed the spider in its favorite feeding spot, and managed to get it to agree to tutelage and the occasional bit of advice when needed.
Such as now, as it looked at the ancient machine Orodan had tried his best to rebuild correctly.
¡°Well, what do you want me to say? I think you¡¯re not only a brutish thug, but one with little desire to keep living. My kind reside in pocket dimensions in the small spaces between planes, and we¡¯re incredibly careful to avoid the originating darkness. Entire cities have been corrupted when ambitious spiders dared venture out towards it and came back bearing the plague,¡± the spider said. ¡°No civilized folk with good sense in their heads would dare approach the center. And you want to build a machine capable of entering the darkness?¡±
¡°The bowels of the System, and yes,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Is it doable?¡±
¡°When one has the skill level of a fat-fingered troll that dipped its hands in lard, I do not think so,¡± Talricto insulted. ¡°You need far more practice before these enchantments of yours can carry you there. Do you not know that the cosmos naturally repels any from venturing towards there?¡±
¡°The bowels of the System have wards?¡±
¡°Not wards, oaf, natural defenses. Like the sun¡¯s natural fiery radiance scorches anyone daring to get close!¡±
¡°And yet, your kind seem capable of getting close. Closer than any others I¡¯ve seen¡¡± Orodan said.
¡°Feh! Most of my kind would rather hide and enjoy teatime at the parlors than engage in such daring escapades,¡± Talricto corrected. ¡°No. Such things can only be done by a rare, daring... heroic few.¡±
¡°And among the ranks of these rare, daring and heroic few¡ is Talricto the Wanderer perhaps?¡± Orodan flattered, and it had the desired effect. ¡°Will you help teach me how to rebuild this thing?¡±
¡°W-well¡ I suppose they do not call me the Wanderer for nothing! I can only help get the dimensional enchantments on this piece of scrap metal right, but it shall be the finest piece of dimensional scrap in the universe!¡± it harrumphed. ¡°But it shall be a very expensive endeavor! Very expensive I say!¡±
¡°As many of those fat shelled treats as you want,¡± Orodan offered. ¡°Alongside all the enchanted jewelry and armaments an eight-legged warrior could want.¡±
¡°A-and¡ that utterly farcical Blessing you claim to be capable of bestowing? Do you honestly expect me to believe such a thing can grant endless energy?¡±
¡°Heh¡ come with me to where I¡¯m going, and I¡¯ll happily bestow it. I¡¯ll need a teacher even there,¡± Orodan said.
And more than a few loops worth of tries.
Orodan had uncovered truths best left undiscovered, but now, it was time to uncover a truth he desperately needed. Namely, the matter of true soul genesis, for which a certain paranoid individual whose identity was yet unknown might be a good bet. And there, upon Lonvoron, not only might he find the previous time looper¡ but he also aimed to find the Administrator¡¯s Mantles of both the Prophet and the Reject, that he might copy them and get two steps closer towards taking over the System and replacing it with his own.
Chapter 77 - The Various Attempts At Entry
The landscape of Alastaia¡¯s moon was a lifeless grey. Naught but rocks, dust and the distant flitting of herds of soul-devouring monsters were visible. A shame, considering what this barren husk had once been.
Orodan had a thought, kept closely guarded, that one day he wanted to give back to Zaessythra for everything she¡¯d done for him. He idly filed it away for a later time.
¡°A rather bland and desolate place, the decor could use some work, and the gray color scheme is a tad overdone.¡±
¡°I apologize that the Alastaia¡¯s barren moon isn¡¯t to your liking, your royal wandering majesty,¡± Orodan sarcastically spat. ¡°This used to be a sprawling world once, rife with its own cities, history¡ and even a ruler.¡±
¡°I suppose the ruins beneath my legs might be a worthy endeavor for exploration and choice bits of looting,¡± Talricto said.
¡°Long as you avoid the many construct guardians and the various soul-devouring beasts braying for anything which looks edible,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I¡¯ve traversed far harsher locales, my foolish student,¡± Talricto reminded. ¡°The various planes of the elemental spirits, the burning layers of the hells and even brief forays into isolated places between galaxies where naught but death awaits. Even the most hazardous of these locations still had a deadly beauty about them. This place is just dispiriting.¡±
¡°That tends to be the case when a world¡¯s core is destroyed and the life dies out over a few hundred-thousand years. Nothing left here but soul-sucking things which are in a state of perpetual starvation,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Kept away only by the threat of guaranteed death which I pose to them.¡±
¡°Which is why I set foot onto this desolate waste only at your behest,¡± Talricto said. ¡°I¡¯ve plundered the vaults of the dwarves and pilfered holy relics of those sanctimonious fools from the Conclave. I¡¯m used to being surrounded by splendorous treasure and a landscape of art and refinement.¡±
¡°Then why were you bare of any such things when I met you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°T-two separate things, I assure you!¡± the spider stammered out. ¡°When you found me, I was a noble wanderer at his lowest! Forced to flee after angering one too many resentful beings across the cosmos. Many of my possessions were left behind in the chaos of my escape.¡±
¡°And who did you anger exactly?¡± Orodan asked, suddenly curious.
¡°Er¡ nobody of import, certainly none who would bother my eager but untalented student!¡±
¡°You mistake me, my wise but incendiary teacher. I ask because I¡¯m always looking forward to a good fight,¡± Orodan clarified, a happy grin on his face. ¡°Lead your pursuers my way and I shall happily face them myself.¡±
¡°Right, I¡¯d forgotten your brutish tendencies. How do you expect to enter Lonvoron acting like a two-bit goon?¡±
¡°A two-bit goon?¡± Orodan asked, more amused than offended.
¡°Yes, a two-bit goon, not even a creative one either. Our meeting began with you thuggishly assaulting and holding me hostage, from there you made some crude attempts at pitiful craftsmanship and any problem you¡¯ve spoken about thus far has had a solution which has either involved direct force or the implication of it,¡± Talricto said. ¡°How a ruffian like you was chosen for these time loops you speak of is beyond my comprehension.¡±
¡°I have my¡ redeeming qualities,¡± Orodan defended.
He wasn¡¯t even that much of a ruffian!
¡°You entirely are.¡±
Zaessythra could shut up.
¡°I suppose your thick skull and obstinate nature have a rudimentary charm. Now tell me why you¡¯ve brought us to the moon of your world. Wait, I see! In case something goes wrong, and you¡¯re detected you want an out-of-the-way secondary location to escape to?¡± Talricto asked. ¡°Surprisingly forward thinking by you, my student! Perhaps there is hope for-¡±
¡°No. I brought us here so I don¡¯t kill any innocent people with how much power I¡¯m about to channel.¡±
Orodan ignored Talricto¡¯s mutters about him being a savage lout, and he focused.
Traveling to another galaxy was an extreme endeavor. The distances between them were colossal, and prior to acquiring the foundational Systemless understandings of spatiomancy and creating his own System, Orodan could not have attempted this at all.
Now though, was a different matter. The ground under him began coming apart as he channelled truly massive amounts of power, to the point where Talricto¡¯s body became translucent, the spider halfway stepping into another plane to avoid getting hurt. His control over spatiomancy was no longer tenuous with the application of tremendous power.
Yet even then this would be a trying test.
In the past, when Orodan performed high -level displays of spatiomancy, space itself sometimes shook, perhaps it trembled, maybe it even shattered.
What he wasn¡¯t expecting, was that it would completely unravel.
[Space Mastery 92 ¡ú Space Mastery 94]
[Spatial Fold 86 ¡ú Spatial Fold 88]
He could possibly shatter space over the course of a destructive battle against a peer adversary, but to directly manipulate it with his full power? It caused the unravelling of it, and suddenly everything became far looser, making his Spatial Fold far easier. However, Orodan could sense hungry things in the cracks of loosened space.
¡°You¡! You¡¯re unravelling space itself, you feckless dimwit!¡± Talricto scolded, seeming quite terrified. ¡°Has no one taught you to be wary of what can come crawling through the gaps in loosened space?¡±
Frankly, nobody actually had. In fact, Orodan wasn¡¯t even aware that space could outright unravel, mainly because it wasn¡¯t a phenomenon ever seen before. He¡¯d never tried throwing his all into a Spatial Fold which might cross the distance between galaxies.
¡°You did that intentionally, don¡¯t lie. A Teleport would¡¯ve sufficed just as well,¡± Zaessythra said.
Perhaps he had. It had been far too long since he¡¯d tested the true limits of Spatial Fold.
His Spatial Fold shot out in a straight line from Alastaia¡¯s moon, past the galactic boundary, and through the void between galaxies all the way to just outside the edge of the Vystaxium Galaxy. It was ready, waiting for him to step through.
A few hungry things began entering through the unravelled space though. Transcendent-level creatures.
¡°Void beasts! They hunger for our flesh and souls!¡± Talricto warned, whipping its webs towards the first of them, a gray-skinned humanoid which looked rather similar to a Void Horror. It was sliced into neat cubes, courtesy of the new Blessing which empowered the spider, allowing it to channel far more power into its attacks.
More came through, and Orodan¡¯s sword got to work.
The second, a flying whale-like Transcendent creature lunged for him, only to be sent flying, head pulped, as Orodan¡¯s shield bash brutally smashed it in the face. The third, a strange glowing red cloud of gas, some kind of amorphous being. He felt a subtle attack on his mind, soul and sanity but easily brushed it off. A follow-up charge and a thousand strikes with the sword caused the cloud to scatter and fade within a second.
A tentacled horror came through, as did an ethereal being made entirely of energy, but upon seeing him slaughter the gaseous cloud they both turned around and went back to where they came from.
¡°It seems they have some idea of self-preservation,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Let¡¯s step through before more arrive. The cancellation of my Spatial Fold might return space to normal.¡±
¡°No. No it will not,¡± Talricto said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to manually repair it, or someone else will. Your short-sighted idiocy has broken the boundaries of the very galaxy, and now who knows what will get in.¡±
Well¡ that truly was short-sighted of him. In his defense, Orodan hadn¡¯t known space could utterly unravel like that if too much raw power was thrown towards it. A less destructive spell, like Teleportation, wouldn¡¯t have caused this issue. But Spatial Fold¡¯s entire function was the gripping and folding of space.
Pouring too much power into it ran the very real risk of tearing the very canvas apart.
Orodan was just starting to think about using chronomancy to salvage the situation when the emergence of something rather large changed any thought of those plans.
Orodan, like any reasonable being of six feet, six inches of height, was prone to looking upwards when something gigantic appeared in front of him. Of course, when the creature presenting itself cast a shadow across their entire star system, it was a different matter. Frankly, with the way it loomed over him he would have to break his neck and look behind his back to see the end of it.
As Orodan began falling upwards, he realized that it was larger than the sun, larger than any interstellar object he¡¯d ever seen. It began affecting the moon and Alastaia¡¯s gravity with its very presence. What the hells did they feed this thing? Talricto had fled once gravity began changing, wise.
He¡¯d slain a mutant dragon the size of a large world. Yet, to stand before a round, blue crystalline being with glowing eyes the size of massive stars was a different matter. It was larger than a solar system, and Orodan had a singular moment to use Observe.
[Observe 11 ¡ú Observe 15]
[Name: Ur-Vah¡¯sahn the Harmonious (Species: Living Crystal)
Title 1: Embodiment of Assimilation]
And he learned, that he wasn¡¯t the only one who could choose to use less title slots than they had available.
The universe was a big place, and Orodan had forgotten that Administrators aside, there were plenty of beings in the same tier of power, even if they weren¡¯t their equals.
A crystal tendril reached out from the gargantuan mass, making contact, impossibly quick. It wanted to bring him into its fold, show him love, happiness¡ harmony.
Orodan fought the mental attack off and replied with his own answer.
[Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 73 ¡ú Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 74]
It was a mighty blow, one which could¡¯ve slain even a peak-Transcendent and destroyed an entire star! Indeed, Orodan¡¯s strike, fuelled by all his might, caused a horrible gouge to appear upon the face of this Embodiment-level thing. He wasn¡¯t weak and helpless. He could at the very least, harm something, even at the Embodiment-level.
The crystalline being resonated, and an ear-piercing noise which sounded like ice shattering erupted. It was in pain¡ and it was angry. Which was when the blue crystals composing the being began roiling with copious amounts of cyan energy, and Orodan, and all Alastaia behind him was poised for instant eradication.
As the attack which could destroy multiple star systems approached, Orodan wondered if he too should re-adjust his titles. After all, he had an unused fifth title slot from when he¡¯d reached the Grandmaster-level.
And as the darkness took him, Orodan scratched Spatial Fold off the list of potential methods for entering Lonvoron.
#
¡°By the seven hells¡ they build you soldier sorts different, eh?¡±
¡°Regardless of what path one pursues in life, both mind and body are equally important to hone. One in turn empowers the other, a feedback loop of constant improvement,¡± Orodan said, twisting the wheel into its correct shape with his bare hands. ¡°But you seem to already know this, those arms are respectable.¡±
[Maintenance 34 ¡ú Maintenance 35]
¡°While I¡¯m not on the level of my sister or a muscle-bound rock like you, I suppose I¡¯ve wrestled a boar or two growing up on a farm,¡± the stocky woman said with a grin. ¡°Hannegan told me about what you did to the warehouse; you plannin¡¯ on taking your skills to the Burgher?¡±
¡°No. My journey will take me someplace far from here,¡± Orodan said to Bodil Bistrid.
He was in Scarmorrow, specifically, in the warehouse belonging to the Republic¡¯s Department of Infrastructure. He had drained the ancient machine, sent Baron Viglas packing, abducted and secured a deal with Talricto and sent a letter to Destartes. This then, would be the routine for his new set of loops while he figured out through trial and error, how to enter Lonvoron without alerting anyone.
Stealth - not normally his way of going about things - was necessary not just to find the paranoid previous time looper, but also to avoid a battle of titanic scale where plenty of people would end up dead on Lonvoron as collateral. Given what had occurred to Alastaia a singular loop ago during his clash with that Living Crystal, it was better to be safe than sorry. A fight at the Embodiment-level seemed¡ quite destructive.
He and Talricto agreed to meet upon the moon tomorrow, which still gave Orodan a full day. He intended to maximize his training during this full day on each attempt.
¡°Far from here? You headed out into the forest or somethin¡¯?¡± she asked. ¡°Or¡ maybe you¡¯re crossing the border and headed to Novarria! I always wanted to see Novar¡¯s Peak since I was a little girl. My mother would tell me stories of how the old emperor¡¯s spirit still wanders the halls of his grand citadel.¡±
He would be crossing a border alright, a galactic border. Still, he remembered the days when his world was only as large as Volarbury County.
¡°Novar¡¯s Peak¡¯s a pretty place. You might like it there,¡± Orodan remarked, finishing up his work on the second wheel and slotting it back into place. ¡°And there¡¯s always some truth to those tall tales and fables. Personally, I think Balastion Novar¡¯s still alive, sitting in meditation at the bottom of his citadel.¡±
¡°Heh! No way! Who told you that one?¡± she asked with a laugh, causing Orodan to smile. ¡°Can you imagine someone being that old? I¡¯d go mad.¡±
¡°Long as you have your sights focused on something, it¡¯s not all too bad. Losing sight of what gives you meaning though¡¡± Orodan said, thinking of the Custodian and particularly, the Reject. ¡°Now that might cause one to go mad.¡±
¡°You saying you¡¯re mad?¡± Bodil asked. ¡°Then again, Bryna did tell me about you; how you like fighting a bit too much.¡±
¡°Nothing wrong with enjoying a good fight,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Keeps me sane.¡±
¡°I thought you said you¡¯re mad,¡± Bodil asked.
¡°You assumed that, not me. Anyhow, the cart is just about done.¡±
[Wainwrighting 28 ¡ú Wainwrighting 29]
Orodan pushed another gear into place.
¡°I still don¡¯t know why ya¡¯ bothered coming here,¡± Bodil said. ¡°Nothin¡¯ better to do but fix carts? Not that I¡¯m complaining¡ Gods know how long it would¡¯ve taken to get these fixed otherwise.¡±
¡°As I said before, both mind and body are important to train. But most importantly¡¡± Orodan trailed off before continuing. ¡°I really wanted a particular title.¡±
¡°A title? For Woodworking?¡±
¡°No¡ for Wainwrighting.¡±
The final wheel was slotted back and secured in place. He¡¯d made complex carts before, but there were skill gains and insights to be found in fixing the most basic of them.
[Repair 22 ¡ú Repair 23]
[Wainwrighting 29 ¡ú Wainwrighting 30]
And as expected, no title came along with his increase of Wainwrighting to the Apprentice-level. Not all skills had associated titles. Scholars and historians studying and cataloguing the various skills of the System often debated why this was the case, but they had no answer besides circular arguments or it being ¡®the will of the Gods¡¯.
Orodan though, had seen the System¡¯s grand store of knowledge which all skills and advancements drew from. He had his own, sealed in the central rune of his own System.
Nothing was perfect, not the System¡¯s store of knowledge which didn¡¯t know much about Celestial or Mythical skills, nor his own. The same applied to titles, where the System had some gaps.
Gaps¡ which could be filled.
¡°Wainwrighting¡¯s got no title! What¡¯re you on about you big lug?¡± Bodil pointedly asked.
¡°Correct. But it can be created.¡±
Orodan delved into the central glyph of his own System. The coiling ouroboros which denoted infinity. He entered the pool of knowledge, focusing on the connection to Wainwrighting. Just as his Celestial skills added to that store of knowledge, so too could more be added.
He peered into that maddening abyss of experiences, skills and knowledge¡
¡and added just one more thing¡
[New Title ¡ú Wainwrighting Apprentice]
¡°You know the Observe skill, right?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Mandatory training for us supervisors, why?¡± Bodil asked.
[Fate Disconnect 56 ¡ú Fate Disconnect 57]
The gain in skill level occurred because it was a tricky thing, to open the shield only so much that his soul was readable by observer orbs and individuals who knew the spell. But his mastery over his own soul energy and his now increased Fate Mastery allowed him to handle it just fine.
With his soul now a part of the System¡¯s tapestry of fate, it was subject to the observer orb or Observe once more.
And then¡ Orodan cleared all his active titles, leaving only Wainwrighting Apprentice.
¡°Use Observe on me.¡±
She did as he asked, and her eyebrows quirked up in surprise.
¡°What in the¡ is this some sort of practical joke? I never heard of a title for Wainwrighting before¡¡± Bodil muttered.
¡°You¡¯ve heard of it now,¡± Orodan said, and his face then took on a serious expression. ¡°I, Orodan Wainwright¡ am an Apprentice Wainwright.¡±
¡°Ugh¡ you are the worst¡¡±
Zaessythra was a stick in the mud who knew not the significance of this moment.
With this, he could move about far more freely. Yes, the tapestry of fate was in active chaos thanks to him, but he planned on gradually developing Fate Disconnect to the point where it ceased. No more diviners being alarmed at his lack of soul, no more people alarmed by his Status.
He could feasibly spend loops in places while acting far weaker than he was.
¡°If your bull-headed and direct nature doesn¡¯t slip you up right away.¡±
A good point. Still, whether he failed at remaining discreet or not, the avenue was at least there.
And it was time to try more avenues at entering another galaxy.
#
¡°If what you¡¯re telling me is true, then I hereby forbid you from attempting a Spatial Fold in my presence again.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad¡¡± Orodan defended.
¡°You dim-witted, heedless simpleton! You caught the attention of a Living Crystal! And not just any Living Crystal, but one whose approach and hunger are feared across multiple galaxies! Ur-Vah¡¯sahn consumed a tenth of a galaxy once before an Administrator showed up to put a stop to it!¡± Talricto scolded fiercely. ¡°What would have happened if it actually tried assimilating you? Where would your time loops have gone then?!¡±
¡°It did try assimilating me. I simply fought off the mental attack and gave it a smack upon the face to dissuade any further attempts. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t pleased and decided to take it out on me and Alastaia.¡±
For the next three minutes, Talricto looked to be having a conniption as it gave Orodan a lecture on what an utterly reckless and suicidal mongrel he was, and how he was a thoughtless and inconsiderate oaf for daring to drag the majestic spider into his hare-brained schemes.
¡°¡and you will never again do such a thing while I am around you!¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Orodan agreed, tired of hearing the spider¡¯s ceaseless chittering and skittering. ¡°I do apologize for doing that in your presence. I had no idea that space would unravel when I cast a Spatial Fold capable of crossing galaxies. Matter of fact, I knew not that space could unravel at all.¡±
¡°Hmmph! I suppose you being an ignoramus is the one excuse I can deign to accept,¡± Talricto muttered, finally simmering down. ¡°Now then, have you considered just using dimensional travel to reach Lonvoron?¡±
¡°Now, why would I do that and admit defeat?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°If I cannot somehow get past the anti-spatiomancy wards and all the defenses through spatiomancy alone¡ then what¡¯s the point to being in a time loop?¡±
¡°Though your wits are abysmal, your ambition is at least respectable,¡± Talricto said, beginning to phase into another plane of existence. ¡°I shall see you there, my obstinate pupil.¡±
Almost entirely imperceptibly, Talricto winked out of sight, leaving just Orodan. In truth, he didn¡¯t know how that arrogant spider prone to bouts of admonishment knew how to get onto Lonvoron. Talricto seemed to know of Embodiment-level beings and the Administrators too and hadn¡¯t appeared surprised when Orodan relayed his tales involving them. He hadn¡¯t met any other dimensional phase spiders and therefore didn¡¯t have any reference as to whether Talricto was normal or far from it.
Though Talricto hadn¡¯t been able to harm Orodan, the spider killed a Transcendent-level monster easily enough, and it appeared to know much about the cosmos. Well, musings on his teacher could come after. For now, he had another galaxy to get to.
As he¡¯d learned the hard way, Spatial Fold was out of the question. He did want to fight that Living Crystal again, but not upon Alastaia¡¯s moon and definitely nowhere near his own solar system. Not when it would involve so many innocent people as collateral.
It was with the swift channelling of soul energy then, that Orodan tried his next method.
The distance was titanic, but it was a spell meant for near-instantaneous travel between two points. He¡¯d also been to Lonvoron before. This, Orodan figured, should work.
[Teleportation 76 ¡ú Teleportation 78]
The Teleportation proceeded as normal. Everything was fine¡
¡until it wasn¡¯t.
Teleportation truly was instantaneous, yet it immediately tipped Orodan off when the split-moment of travel between points was dragging on longer than expected. He was stuck in the folds between two spatial points, something he didn¡¯t know was possible until now.
Something had interfered with his Teleportation.
¡°At last, the source of this disorder is revealed.¡±
The voice was calm. And it echoed, seeming to come from every direction.
¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± he asked, not sure to whom or where.
¡°What I desire, is the cessation of the pandemonium within the tapestry of fate. Chaos. Disorder. All of which can be traced back to you.¡±
Perhaps the Teleportation had allowed whoever this was to trace the mess in the tapestry back to him. In a way, it made sense. If something was causing haphazard waves in one place, then suddenly shifting elsewhere very far would make it rather apparent.
A blazing golden arrow of light sailed towards him from directly underneath, and his own Smite of Abrupt Deliverance met it.
Space returned to normal at the collision between the two attacks as his Teleportation failed. He was overpowered and sent flying out towards the void between galaxies, at some random point between Alastaia and his original destination. Still, his own attack had caused the arrow to dissipate.
¡°Impressive, as expected of a being which can cause the tapestry to upend. Transcendent, yet capable of standing against those who have achieved Embodiment,¡± the voice called out, and then Orodan saw it.
His enhanced sight could see it, but most people with regular vision might think it was a giant bow being wielded by an invisible creature. Like some sort of bizarre stick-insect with eight legs. Its limbs and torso were but the width of needle, and Orodan had no clue how it pulled the bow with enough force when it looked to be that frail.
It was a spider. An exceptionally long and lanky one, and it used a bow.
And how could a spider use a bow? He wasn¡¯t sure before, but as four legs curled around the bow frame which made the wielder look minuscule, and the other four curled around the string, he was learning that it was very much possible. It was a ridiculous sight. One which quickly became not-so-ridiculous once Orodan felt the sheer power behind those arrows of light.
And it felt positively ancient.
Observe was used yet again.
[Observe 15 ¡ú Observe 17]
[Name: Alagameth the Silent Oracle (Species: Spatial Spider)
Title 1: Embodiment of Space
Title 2: Fate Transcendent]
Orodan was certain this diminutive spider was hiding titles related to archery and light magic. He¡¯d felt the element of light scalding his skin even as the arrow dissipated against his attack.
¡°The tapestry? Is that what you¡¯ve dragged me out of my teleportation for?¡± Orodan asked, drawing his weapons.
¡°Cease whatever it is that causes the tapestry to violently shake,¡± the spider demanded, tranquil wrath in its ancient voice. ¡°I will brook no further disruptions to my peaceful meditations.¡±
¡°I¡ am working on it!¡± Orodan shouted back. ¡°But if it¡¯s a fight you want, it¡¯s a fight you shall get!¡±
He tried teleporting towards it once more, only for its utterly unfair control over space to casually re-direct him elsewhere. Orodan successfully teleported, and nothing about his teleport felt off or wrong at a glance; but it wasn¡¯t anywhere he¡¯d intended to go. What ridiculous control over space.
Again, he teleported, throwing an even greater amount of soul energy towards it, and again it managed to deftly control the outcome of his teleportation, throwing him a mile away.
¡°Madness. Attempting the same thing over and over despite failing is the height of lunacy.¡±
¡°Then I admit to being a mad man!¡± Orodan roared, throwing even more soul energy into the next teleport, enough that his body began to suffer damage from his own power.
[Teleportation 78 ¡ú Teleportation 80]
[Space Mastery 94 ¡ú Space Mastery 95]
It was absurd. Teleportation simply wasn¡¯t a spell meant to take or require large amounts of power. And nothing had simply taken control over Orodan¡¯s own teleportation before and re-directed him. Yet, all things had their limits, and this spatial spider genuinely seemed to be putting effort in now.
¡°Your power is anomalous and your energy endless. But brute force alone will not overpower me,¡± the spatial spider declared, sending more golden arrows towards him, engaging in a clever game of hit-and-run.
Once upon a time, he might¡¯ve considered such tactics the height of cowardice. Having fought enough foes by now, he could respect the devious tactic for what it was. A spider, talented in space magic and using a bow was a fearsome opponent. It could pelt an enemy with arrows and either flee or give chase with impunity while remaining at range forever.
It brought Orodan back to the very first death loops he had against a House Argon archer in Scarmorrow.
¡°I offer you once chance, surrender. Yield, that we may work together to quell this horrid chaos your existence causes,¡± the spider offered. ¡°I do not wish to kill you. Yet what has been done to the tapestry has disturbed my peaceful existence.¡±
¡°You¡¯re far more reasonable than most things I¡¯ve met out here¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°Then submit. We need not come to blows, I simply wish for the return of my peace and quiet.¡±
¡°¡no. We fight.¡±
¡°You are being unreasonable, human. How is it you¡¯ve survived thus far with so reckless a demeanor?¡± it asked.
¡°That¡¯s the thing¡ I haven¡¯t,¡± Orodan replied, charging in once more.
No matter how he advanced, its fine control over space simply proved too strong. Which was when he decided to forgo space entirely and attempt a Dimensional Step.
Its alarmed reaction let Orodan know that it would certainly be an effective avenue. It hissed and reared back hastily, however at his current level, Dimensional Step simply wasn¡¯t quick enough. The moment Orodan entered the material plane via Dimensional Step, multiple spatial rifts were waiting for him, re-directing him further away and also sending his foe to safety.
Transporting him via spatiomancy, while impossible for most, wasn¡¯t so for this spider who was a complete natural at the art of manipulating space. Orodan could only hold so much soul energy in his body at once without dying, and this spider seemed capable of working directly manipulating him.
It was terrifyingly powerful.
The thought brought a mad smile to his face.
¡°Clever, holding your dimensional abilities in reserve to surprise me,¡± it said. ¡°It shall not work again.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t plan on trying it ever again either,¡± Orodan said. ¡°If I cannot beat you through spatiomancy alone, then my name isn¡¯t Orodan Wainwright.¡±
Using Dimensionalism? Using chronomancy? What sort of cheap way out was that? Orodan would face it head-on and train his spatiomancy, using it as his whetstone.
Just as a House Argon archer had once been his whetstone at the Apprentice-level¡ this Embodiment-level spider archer would now be the same.
Against all odds, it backed away.
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ I will remember that name. You are reckless and will die acting as you are. While I have no interest in killing you, something else out here certainly will,¡± it spoke calmly, quite rational. ¡°I shall depart now; our playtime was entertaining but any longer and the hungry predators will come sniffing. One already makes its way hither. It can deal with you and put an end to the havoc you have wreaked upon the tapestry.¡±
With a wink of power, the spatial spider vanished, leaving just Orodan.
Not for long though, as the familiar approach of a solar system-sized crystal mass approached.
Orodan fought hard, but as usual, he wasn¡¯t a match for the monstrous Embodiment-level Living Crystal; not yet.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him, and Orodan¡¯s eyes narrowed.
A steep barrier lay in front of him.
¡°Or¡ you could just extricate yourself from the tapestry of fate and use Dimensional Step?¡± Zaessythra suggested. ¡°Alternately, you could use dimensionalism while fighting that spider.¡±
What a silly thing to recommend. Hells, given her tone even she hadn¡¯t seriously thought he would take that advice.
Remove himself from the tapestry? Use Dimensionalism?
He might as well join the Cathedral and become a pacifist.
Orodan would beat these new adversaries at their own game. The spider would be dealt with via spatiomancy alone¡ and that over-sized crystal¡ would be mined of all useful material and turned into something useful.
No matter how many loops it took, Orodan Wainwright would do it no way but the hardest way.
Wake up, handle his ancillary matters relating to the machine, Destartes and House Argon, and then kidnap Talricto before spending a day working on a skill or two.
Who knew? He might learn something useful.
#
¡°Old Westwater, I¡¯ve come to lend you a hand!¡± Orodan declared, opening the door forcefully enough that some of the items on the shelves fell to the ground.
¡°O-Orodan! What in the Gods¡¯ name are you doing here?¡±
Old Westwater. The only dedicated carpenter of Ogdenborough. Somehow, the man looked even older than Old Man Hannegan did. How he operated a woodworking shop despite his advanced age and frail-looking frame was beyond him. If Orodan recalled, the man was nearing the Adept-level as a Woodworker. Not someone who¡¯d be contracted by the nobility, but for the purposes of day-to-day life, more than enough.
In Ogdenborough, the clientele and needs of the population were rather varied. On one hand, Old Westwater served the more well-off people in town such as the crooked mayor, Sergeant Woodgard, and of course¡ the tavern in Eversong Plaza. But on the other, the man was quite decent at recycling old wooden items and scrap into functional furniture, something which allowed the poorer people in town to have some furniture. Orodan¡¯s bedside table was one such item, which even if a bit dilapidated, still served him well.
¡°What else? Here to offer you a hand in your shop,¡± Orodan said.
¡°What? Since when do you know any Woodworking?¡± the man asked, suspicion apparent. ¡°And I can¡¯t afford to pay another apprentice. The one I have gives me headaches enough. And pick up those things you dropped, will you?¡±
A casual display of chronomancy had all the fallen items returning to their proper spots on the shelves. Something which caused the old carpenter to stutter and stammer for a few seconds.
¡°I don¡¯t need any money, I¡¯m just here to work,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Since when do you know magic?!¡± the carpenter barked out in surprise and then took on a considering look.
¡°For a while now. But we¡¯re getting off-topic, will you let me help you?¡± Orodan asked, eyeing some of the in-progress jobs lying about the shop. ¡°Lot of jobs here and not enough hands to do them.¡±
¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡± the carpenter asked. ¡°And my apprentice and I work hard, but the demands of the town are many and varied. We¡¯ve been behind schedule for a long time now.¡±
¡°I get to clear my head and think on other things. Important to balance battle alongside a calmer hobby,¡± Orodan said, scrutinizing a particular piece. ¡°This wheel¡¯s not made incorrectly, but it won¡¯t be able to tolerate much stress. Better hope whatever cart it¡¯s meant for isn¡¯t going to carry a lot of weight. Who ordered this?¡±
The carpenter frowned.
¡°Damned girl¡ the wheel was supposed to help fix some cart in Scarmorrow, ordered by the supervisor for a warehouse, I think. I have a bunch meant for that customer but filling them is proving rather difficult when the various requests from you militia, the mayor and my customers in Exerston County keep piling up.¡±
Orodan idly noted that Bodil Bistrid in Scarmorrow was probably the customer the carpenter was referring to. Good thing he¡¯d fixed the carts himself last loop.
¡°Exerston County? Why would you be getting business from there? They don¡¯t have their own woodworkers?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Woodworkers who are entirely tied up with servicing the adventuring parties or repairing town fortifications after all the monster attacks they¡¯ve been having. Any spare time they have is then monopolized by nobles and the highest bidders,¡± Westwater explained. ¡°The regular folk still need things done, and the carpenters of Exerston County are too tied up to do it. And speaking of doing jobs for the regular folk, welcome back, my clumsy apprentice. You owe me three wheels.¡±
¡°W-what? I did them right, Mister Westwater, I swear!¡± the girl protested and then noticed him. ¡°You!¡±
¡°Me?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Yes, you! You have some nerve showing your face to me after what you did!¡± the girl said, angry. ¡°Laneia won¡¯t even go by the barracks thanks to you!¡±
¡°Who the hells is Laneia?¡± Orodan asked, bewildered.
¡°You idiot! You and her had a tumble in the hay last year! Don¡¯t you remember? The blacksmith¡¯s daughter?!¡± she pointedly asked, and only now did Orodan recall who this girl was talking about. ¡°She¡¯s my friend, and your impromptu vanishing act impressed no one. I don¡¯t care how big and scary you are, somebody needs to tell you to your face that you¡¯re a no-good rascal.¡±
¡°Breaking hearts already? Should I be worried, Orodan?¡±
Zaessythra sounded more amused than jealous. If anything, Orodan was a little irritated at this dumb line of questioning.
¡°Well, Laneia should¡¯ve known what the expectations were. She certainly said nothing to me,¡± Orodan said, not remembering much about the event. ¡°And instead of gossiping about other people¡¯s affairs like the village hag, you could stand to focus on your Woodworking.¡±
The girl turned red and sputtered in outrage.
¡°What would you know about Woodworking?!¡± she angrily demanded.
¡°Enough to know that these wheels were made for the wrong sort of load. These are meant to go onto carts, not wheelbarrows. The Department of Infrastructure and their carts tend to undergo heavy duty work. These wheels won¡¯t be able to bear the strain for long,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°Mister Westwater! Why are we letting this troublemaker into our shop?!¡± the apprentice exclaimed, too embarrassed and angry to receive any criticism. ¡°If you¡¯re not here to buy something, then get out!¡±
¡°Now hold on. Orodan¡ can you fix them?¡± the carpenter asked, and he nodded.
Orodan grabbed the wheels and began using Wood Communion to strengthen them. Nothing too excessive, just enough that they would now be suitable for whatever heavy-duty work awaited them in Scarmorrow. Of course, it was rather visible to the naked eye that the wheels began changing shape in front of them. Using Wood Communion wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d come here for, but for now it would suffice as a demonstration.
¡°M-mage! He¡¯s a mage!¡± the apprentice shrieked.
¡°Quiet girl! Have you never seen a mage before? Bumpkins¡ I swear¡¡± Westwater grumbled. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about you being a mage, Orodan, nor do I care to pry why you¡¯re here when you should be with the militia. I¡¯ll offer you the standard rate of apprenticeship, three gold coins a year, plus a fifty percent bonus for the magic at your disposal, which comes out to four-and-a-half gold annually. Work with me for a year and I¡¯ll even sponsor you for an academy.¡±
A generous offer. The old carpenter was clearly a pragmatist, swooping in to tempt Orodan with a job right away. And if the way his current apprentice paled was any indicator, she¡¯d just realized how expendable she was. Fortunately for her, Orodan had no interest in apprenticing under old Westwater.
¡°I have no need for an apprenticeship or an academy at this time,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I really just came here to work.¡±
¡°Really? A shame¡ the offer¡¯s always open if you want it. Certainly no lack of room for a competent mage who can do what you did to that wood,¡± Westwater said, bringing out a ledger full of contracts and work orders. ¡°You said you wanted to work, right? Well, there¡¯s more than enough of it to go around. I¡¯m quite behind schedule as a matter of fact. Take the girl with you, she¡¯ll handle the payments from the clientele and assist with any actual Woodworking that needs to be done.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t need her help for the Woodworking either, but I suppose having someone around to talk to the customers helps save me time,¡± he said, grabbing the ledger and heading out the door.
¡°Well? What¡¯re you waiting for girl? Go follow him and get to work!¡±
She stumbled out the door, still dazed, but trailing behind him, dragging a cart of lumber, planks and nails alongside all the tools necessary for the trade.
His eyes scanned the pages, and immediately he identified the nearest job. It was one of the houses near the outer perimeter of town.
The customer was in the middle of drying laundry upon a line when they approached.
¡°About time you lot showed up! It¡¯s been weeks and the fencing on my chicken coop¡¯s still broken. Having to put cheap linens as a barrier is getting old and one of the chickens even got out two days ago.¡±
¡°I apologize Miss Belina, we¡¯ll get to it righ-¡±
Orodan uprooted an entire tree and threw it down upon the ground.
¡°In Agathor¡¯s name¡! Is that you, Orodan? Since when have you become so strong?!¡±
Orodan ignored the woman and kept working. She was a chicken farmer on the outskirts of town and his patrol routes would occasionally take him past her home. She had always been a bit loud-mouthed, but a hard-working woman, which he could respect. And she was also the wife of corporal Botterson.
The tree was debarked with his bare hands, and then mana flowed as a Candleflame came to life.
[Candleflame 22 ¡ú Candleflame 23]
With the small flame in his hand, he began the process of drying the wood. Orodan had to give Destartes respect where it was due; the array of spells he¡¯d learned from the wizard now came in handy as Candleflame was far more versatile and capable of finesse than Draconic Fireball was.
Yes, he could¡¯ve used his Celestial skill to simply clean the moisture out, but there was wisdom to be had and mastery to be attained in honing the very basics. Plus, Woodworking was a craft Orodan genuinely enjoyed. It was the first one he¡¯d picked up after all.
To the side, both the customer and the carpenter¡¯s apprentice were gaping at him, but he paid them no mind.
The wood dried and he began the process of sawing poles, beams and planks from the material. These were then honed further into solid and beautiful pieces. Orodan took a look at the damaged portion of the customer¡¯s fence and frowned.
What an ugly fence¡
He decided, it was due for an overhaul.
¡°W-what are you doing?! My fence!¡±
¡°It¡¯s horrid work. I¡¯m going to replace it all,¡± he calmly declared.
¡°But my chickens will escape! They will¡ uhm¡ never mind¡¡±
[Intimidation 27 ¡ú Intimidation 28]
At the sight of Orodan¡¯s glare, the clucking little birds went right back into their coops, not wanting to deal with the madman who was tearing the coop apart.
The woman was assuaged once Orodan began replacing her fence with his properly carved pieces, and she was ecstatic as she paid more than double the agreed upon sum for the work.
The next few jobs were all homes which needed patchwork repairs, all of which were handled quickly enough. Until an hour later, when the ledger showed all the jobs within Ogdenborough as being done. He¡¯d gained a singular level in Woodworking over the course of the work, but that he¡¯d gained anything at all doing such basic things meant there truly was a lot to be learned from the humble drudgery of a trade.
¡°You really finished all of those orders¡¡± the apprentice muttered. ¡°Eleven jobs done in an hour, where did you learn all this Orodan? Can¡ can anyone do all of that?¡±
¡°Of course. It¡¯s merely a matter of how much time, dedication and intensity you¡¯re willing to put in on a consistent basis,¡± Orodan said. ¡°It¡¯s not simply a matter of doing the job, but doing it well, and keeping a mind open to making constant improvements along the way.¡±
She nodded, taking in every word like a sponge.
¡°Well, we could turn in for the day now that the Ogdenborough backlog¡¯s done¡¡± she muttered. ¡°But there¡¯s so much to do in Exerston County too.¡±
¡°Then, what¡¯re we waiting for?¡±
And off they went.
Orodan mainly operated within Volarbury County. And although he¡¯d often patrol the road leading towards Exerston County during his militia days, he¡¯d only been in the county proper twice in his life. Both times for the purpose of pursuing some fleeing beast or criminal that was on the run.
Volarbury County had wilderness in-between its towns, but the wild forests and plains of the county¡¯s interior weren¡¯t anything too dangerous. At worst, minor monsters would roam about, and the county militia oft took care of them. To the east of Volarbury County was the Aenechean Forest, a dangerous place whose inner portions were rife with deadly things, but Velestok, the town nearest to the forest, protected the rest of the county, and the deadlier creatures of the forest didn¡¯t seem too interested in approaching the towns either. To the north were the decently guarded coastal routes, to the west was Karilsgard and sprawling civilization, and to the south was Jerestir where a natural chokepoint formed and Novarrian towns were past that.
Needless to say, Volarbury County wasn¡¯t too dangerous a place to live. It was civilized, and humans had dwelled there for a decent amount of time. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Exerston County, however.
During the time of Novarria, Exerston County hadn¡¯t been settled too well. It was a wild place, and the forests between the towns and villages were deep and untamed. Ogdenborough was the town nearest to this place, and many of the monster incursions Orodan had to respond to during his time with the militia came from Exerston County. The Republic upon securing independence though, had made a great push to settle and tame these lands.
Upon crossing the border, Orodan saw frequent road patrols by the Exerston County militia, mounted riders and hunters walking alongside each troop, ready to pursue and eradicate any monsters. Yet despite their best efforts some would get through, making the roads noticeably less safe than the roads of Volarbury County were. Adventurer parties were also commonplace on the roads, oft being hired to aid in taming the wild nature of this place.
Three times something had seemed ready to assail them, scared off by Orodan as the re-connection of his fate and soul to the tapestry meant monsters could now get an instinctive feel for how strong he was again. Needless to say, the carpenter¡¯s apprentice traveling with him would normally walk alongside a road patrol or any adventuring party. The roads of Exerston County simply weren¡¯t safe for solo travel the way the roads of Volarbury County were.
The first town they went to seemed normal enough. A few requests for minor repairs and maintenance which Orodan ended up tearing down and building from the ground up entirely. It was past the towns in the ¡®safer¡¯ part of the county that one could notice differences. Past a certain point, towns, villages and even hamlets began to have walls surrounding them.
And soon, near the walls of their destination settlement, he could see why.
¡°Fire! Shoot that troll!¡± a sergeant of the Exerston County militia yelled.
The salvo of arrows and bolts turned a troll who was threatening the walls of the village into a pincushion, dropping dead shortly after. A large bear with glowing eyes also tried charging the gate, only for a member of their militia¡¯s mounted unit to lance it through the head at full gallop.
¡°Travelers! Come in! Come in!¡± the sergeant beckoned. ¡°Open the door for those two!¡±
Although it was nominally a village, Axenshield was closer to being a town. He¡¯d heard some talk about it being due for such recognition soon, in the old days before the time loops. Inside, the village seemed rather normal, with farmers, shepherds and tradesfolk walking about, unconcerned about the fight the guards just had.
¡°Volarbury County militia, eh? Rather far from home, aren¡¯t you?¡± the sergeant asked, offering a hand. ¡°Sergeant Alamar Taj.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. Just here to do some Woodworking,¡± he replied, taking the hand. ¡°I¡¯ve never been this far into the county before.¡±
¡°Neither have I seen any man or woman bearing the Volarbury uniform this far in. Well, except when my cousin visits, I suppose,¡± the Sergeant said. ¡°He¡¯s a mounted unit captain up in your county. Ever heard of a Keharion Taj?¡±
¡°I might¡¯ve seen him a time or two,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Small world.¡±
¡°Indeed! Who would¡¯ve thought you knew him too?!¡± the man cheerfully exclaimed, sounding quite excited at the prospect of someone knowing his cousin. ¡°Come on in and welcome to the village of Axenshield! I have not a clue why you¡¯re here to do Woodworking, but it¡¯s no business of mine. Truth be told, this village has been waiting for the arrival of a carpenter for at least a few weeks now. The people will be glad to see you.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Such a long delay?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯d heard the Woodworkers and carpenters of this county are swamped with work, but I wasn¡¯t aware it was that bad.¡±
¡°Eh, it¡¯s just a normal part of life this time of year. Bluefire sends out recruitment offers and scholarships, and the noble houses and wealthier merchants do their headhunting for talent, and before you know it half the tradesfolk in town lose their assistants and apprentices as they leave for greener fields and better opportunities. Which of course leaves trades like Woodworking, Blacksmithing and the like in high demand with not enough hands to do the work,¡± the Sergeant explained. ¡°Our county¡¯s local crafting academies are working overtime to get the matter sorted, they have multiple Woodworkers in training, being worked to the bone as we speak so that they might hit the field and alleviate the burden. Still, for now there¡¯s simply too much work and not enough people to do it. Doesn¡¯t help that Exerston County¡¯s such a wild place and the villages and towns have their walls attacked so regularly. Lots of repairs to be made.¡±
A quick glance at the walls verified that last statement. The walls of this village could certainly use some work, given the number of cracks, scratches and breaks.
¡°I will handle the repair of your walls,¡± Orodan declared, deciding he would take this village on as his project.
¡°You¡ what? Apologies, I mean of course we appreciate the help, but Burgher Rockwood¡¯s carpenters will be arriving three days from now and I fear the town couldn¡¯t afford their salary and paying you for your aid,¡± the Sergeant stated. ¡°The walls are quite expansive too, so I doubt you¡¯d get more than a section done before their arrival. And I assume you also have customers you¡¯re here to service?¡±
Orodan simply nodded in acknowledgement. Payment would not be necessary. He would return to the walls soon.
He and the carpenter¡¯s apprentice tagging along then made for the customers in town.
The first, the blacksmith.
¡°How good¡¯s your Woodworking?¡± the heavy-set man asked, hammering away. ¡°Wasn¡¯t aware Westwater of Ogdenborough was sending someone else in his stead.¡±
¡°Elite,¡± Orodan answered, causing the man¡¯s hammer to freeze mid-swing.
Even the girl with him seemed shocked at the admission.
¡°An actual Elite? Something tells me you aren¡¯t lying either¡ what¡¯s someone like you doing in this village?¡± the smith asked. ¡°Axenshield¡¯s main export is food, and the occasional batch of magical ingredients put together by our gatherers. We don¡¯t have anything valuable that the likes of you would be interested in.¡±
¡°Be at ease, I¡¯m not here to cause trouble,¡± Orodan assured.
¡°I certainly hope not. Haven¡¯t seen any Woodworker carry a sword and shield around or look the way you do,¡± the man remarked, and then put a metallic axe head on the table. ¡°To business then. The woodworkers are busy fortifying the towns and keeps, which means I have nobody capable of making hafts and handles for a number of the weapons I need to create. I¡¯ve dabbled in a bit of Woodworking myself, but while I can make Apprentice-level weapons¡ I cannot attach an Adept-level weapon head to an inferior handle. Can you help me?¡±
¡°Certainly, let¡¯s get to work,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Bring me the appropriate quality wood for each one, and I shall start fashioning the handles and hafts you require.¡±
The blacksmith was prudent and immediately brought out high-quality logs. The sort which must have been sitting in his storage for a while. Of course, at the sight of Orodan tearing it down to size with his bare hands, the man looked ready to faint.
¡°Wait! Wait! Those are delicate and expensive! Sourced from House Simarji themselves!¡±
¡°If it¡¯s the lack of tools you¡¯re concerned about, worry not, I work better with my hands or tools of my own making.¡±
¡°Of your own making¡? You¡¯re a blacksmith too?¡±
¡°Only Adept.¡±
¡°Only¡!¡±
The man remained rather quiet after that.
Orodan took his time carving the handle, making sure it was clean, of a perfect shape and the grain aligned perfectly. The material itself was Adept-level, but by the end of it he was confident his Woodworking had brought it a step higher.
Identify shot out.
[Name: Pure Red Ash Handle
Description: A finely carved wooden handle, made of red ash wood. Hundred-percent material purity.
Tier: Elite]
Not too shabby, but he felt there was room for improvement. It was at least a tier lower than the time he¡¯d perfected the structure of his sword down to the smallest particle; and Orodan wondered if he could do the same for his shield somehow. Still, he hadn¡¯t used his Celestial skill to the extreme either; if he did Orodan was confident in producing a Master-level item.
¡°Should be good enough for your purposes, yes?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°This is simply too much! Ugh¡ you realize I¡¯m but an Adept-level Blacksmith, correct?¡± the smith asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°How am I supposed to market this as my work when the handle¡¯s an entire tier stronger than the blade?¡±
¡°Market it as an axe excellent for defense?¡± Orodan suggested. ¡°In any case, we have more fittings to do, and I have no time to waste.¡±
The man could only accept what was occurring. He created a dozen more wooden handles, hafts and poles before finishing and the blacksmith looked almost relieved to have Orodan out of his smithy. The smith had been the main client in this village, the remaining few were all customers with minor requests, during which Orodan began showing the apprentice with him some of the finer points of Woodworking.
Over the course of those few hours of work, he¡¯d gained one more level in Woodworking.
At last, with the work done, he stepped out of the gates and approached the palisade walls once more.
It was a hideous sight. The construction of the walls was done adequately enough¡ by the standards of an amateur erecting a hasty fortification. To Orodan¡¯s Elite-level Woodworking though, he saw many points which could be improved upon. Cracks, splinters and more riddled the wooden palisade surrounding Axenshield. It had clearly taken a beating and repairs hadn¡¯t been done. Hells, even the ropes and fibres binding each log of the palisade together were fraying at many points, and the nails securing many of the reinforcing backboards on the defending side were worn and coming out. The earthwork too, established as the foundation for this wooden fortification, was beginning to fall apart at certain points. It was as though an amateur had constructed a rushed wall and any professional woodworkers coming by for repairs and maintenance had then been too lazy to redo it correctly from the ground up.
More than just a woodworker would be needed to fix this.
Building a proper wooden palisade wall was nothing revolutionary. Orodan had learned the theory behind it during his education at Bluefire, and he¡¯d seen successful wooden fortifications constructed by an Elite throughout Volarbury County and the Republic. Now, instead of just beholding them he would serve as the Elite, responsible for constructing a proper fortification for this village.
His first move then, was to get wood. He began uprooting trees by hand. A simple task with little concern of deforestation given how wild Exerston County was and that this village was practically surrounded by the thicket.
Of course, the soldiers on the walls had a lot to say about the display.
¡°Who the hells is that?!¡±
¡°He¡¯s uprooting trees with his bare hands!¡±
¡°Must be an Elite! A hidden Elite¡¯s come for an inspection!¡±
¡°Oi! Isn¡¯t that the militia man from Volarbury County that entered a few hours ago?¡±
Orodan continued his work, trees hoisted atop his shoulders and being thrown into a pile near the wall, when the duty sergeant approached him, quite fearful.
¡°I beg your pardon for the interruption sir¡ but I wasn¡¯t made aware you were an Elite,¡± Sergeant Alamar Taj said, seeming quite deferential. ¡°Nobody told me the Elite response unit from Volarbury County would be paying us a visit.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not part of the Elite response unit. I really am just here to help reinforce the palisade wall,¡± Orodan said as he set the last of the uprooted trees down and began putting the handsaw to work on them. Not because he needed to, but as a display for Old Westwater¡¯s hapless apprentice who was paying rapt attention to whatever Orodan did. He turned to her. ¡°Watch closely, debarking a tree is a simple task but one where a lot of waste can occur if done incorrectly. Additionally, an amateur can damage the grain or ruin its alignment if they don¡¯t smoothly carry this step out.¡±
¡°Debarking? I thought stripping the bark was unnecessary for the construction of a mere palisade¡¡± the apprentice muttered. ¡°Should we not just pack the trunks together with little space between them?¡±
¡°Something done only for the purpose of saving time,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°We aren¡¯t throwing up a rushed defense in hasty preparation for an imminent attack but building a long-term palisade for an entire village. Even the army¡¯s engineers will tell you this, even if they themselves might skip debarking when time is in short supply.¡±
¡°But¡ you¡¯re not debarking the entire tree?¡± she asked.
¡°Correct. As you can see, I¡¯m only debarking the sides of each tree, where the tree next to it will slot in, forming a palisade wall. Difficult and labor intensive, but necessary if you want the palisade to hold well,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Hastily built palisades are often just a few tree trunks slapped together. There are many gaps and imperfections between each log as a result. This way, if done right¡ there should be virtually no gap between one trunk and the next.¡±
[Teaching 58 ¡ú Teaching 59]
¡°Will the debarked portions not need to be treated?¡± the Sergeant himself asked, suddenly quite interested in the work. ¡°Surely moisture will cause the wood to rot at certain segments? We¡¯ve had to replace various parts of the palisade over the years for that reason.¡±
Domain of Perfect Cleaning could do the job, rendering the wood immune to any form of rotting or corruption, but that would be cheating.
¡°If the grain is perfectly aligned, the only exposure will come from the top and bottom of each log, which are the only parts requiring treatment,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Now then, we¡¯ve spoken enough. This will take time.¡±
And it did.
Each tree was carefully de-barked on the sides, creating a perfect slot for the next one to stand side-by-side with. Orodan¡¯s enhanced vision allowed him to ensure the grain was aligned down to the very particle. He would accept nothing less than perfection. The apprentice was attempting to mimic him, a fire had been lit under her, yet she often struggled with smoothly debarking the logs in a single motion.
Orodan recommended she begin rigorous and consistent physical training to improve her Physical Fitness. Crafting involved both the mind and the body. Neglecting either one would naturally lead to an incomplete crafter.
He had her chop her own failed logs into firewood, a task that was quite gruelling but beneficial for the thin woman.
And while she trained, Orodan did too, focusing on perfecting this section of the palisade wall he was intent on replacing. Each log was honed to perfection, and once those were done, they were stacked together perfectly.
The soldiers and sergeant watching began to slowly realize that this was no farce. And the thought of having a proper palisade wall seemed to rouse them into action.
¡°Militia! Sally out and form a perimeter! Guard the Elite!¡± the Sergeant ordered. ¡°Kressida! Keep your troop ready to aid him however he needs.¡±
The gesture was appreciated. Even if Orodan needed no protection, he could still use a hand or two to fetch things in a village he wasn¡¯t familiar with. He called upon the troop soon enough.
¡°I need rope,¡± Orodan said, prompting the soldiers to get a move on. ¡°A lot of it. The logs are stacked together well, but having fibre to bind them together will make it even more secure.¡±
¡°Yes sir!¡± the corporal affirmed and then shouted to the guards on the wall. ¡°Throw a few coils of rope down here! As many as we have!¡±
Bundles of rope were thrown from atop the walls, and Orodan started using them to tightly secure ten logs at a time, in neat arrays. A task made far easier by his Laboring skill and his extensive experience in using rope during his tenure as a laborer working under Old Man Hannegan.
[Laboring 43 ¡ú Laboring 44]
Still, Orodan couldn¡¯t help but frown as he took in the rope itself. Many of the bundles were frayed, or just weak. He made a mental note to himself to learn the ways of rope making.
As the work went on, Orodan oft asked for more things.
¡°Bring me as much scrap metal as you can find.¡±
The village was scrounged and the trash piles searched to bring him piles of unwanted metal. A Draconic Fireball melted these down for re-forging into nails, which were then used to further secure Orodan¡¯s new palisade.
¡°Get me wax, we need to moisture proof the exposed parts of the wood.¡±
And they brought as much wax as the village had. Of course, the palisade covering Axenshield was quite expansive, telling of the size of the village. Naturally, there wasn¡¯t enough wax on hand to treat the wood for the entirety of Orodan¡¯s new palisade.
Before he knew it, he started engaging in Alchemy to create more wax via animal fats, oils and solvent distilled from the trees he was uprooting.
The work took time. Unlike a warehouse, building a new palisade wall meant to surround an entire village took time, especially when it was many miles big, and he refused to compromise on quality. Orodan gained another level in Woodworking, two in Laboring and one in Tool Mastery.
Halfway through, a few Elites came by to confirm what they were seeing, and one of them must¡¯ve used Observe and gotten a read on that Wainwrighting Apprentice title of his. Needless to say, they didn¡¯t buy it for a single moment and the group of Elites left without saying a word to him.
About two-thirds of the way through was when the nominal head of Axenshield¡¯s ruling noble house decided to come by for a visit.
¡°Is this him?¡±
¡°Yes, my lord, said his name was Orodan Wainwright,¡± the Sergeant said in the distance. ¡°Told us he came here to do some Woodworking and repair our palisade.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ it isn¡¯t unheard of for hidden geniuses to go wandering about and engage in seemingly random activities which foster their growth,¡± the man said, and Orodan recalled kicking in the doors to some noble house once, and this man had not-so-subtly reprimanded him for it. ¡°Let me speak to him.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be much for conversation, Burgher,¡± Orodan said, tying more logs together. ¡°I mean your village no harm, if that¡¯s what you¡¯ve come to ensure.¡±
¡°Partially, yet I also hoped to make the acquaintance of the man who would give so freely of his time and energy to my people,¡± the noble said. ¡°Burgher Alarduin Rockwood. It seems you know of me already.¡±
¡°Your son Claridin is a bit of an arrogant fop, but I suppose you don¡¯t seem too bad.¡±
The Burgher sighed and rubbed his forehead.
¡°I apologize if you have had any poor dealings with that foolish boy. Claridin has always taken after a particular ancestor of ours.¡±
¡°Hmm, I suppose it makes sense why he acts a big thuggish, if Alcianne Rockwood is who he tries to emulate.¡±
¡°You seem to know much about our house, Mister Wainwright, yet you have me at a disadvantage as I know little about you save the report I¡¯ve heard about a private of the Volarbury County militia,¡± Burgher Alarduin said. ¡°We both know you aren¡¯t truly Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°Why not? Who else would I be?¡±
¡°According to the instincts granted to me by the Rockwood Bloodline? Someone exceedingly dangerous, beyond even the ancestor,¡± the Burgher said, his eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you want in the Republic?¡±
¡°The answer might be simpler than you think, Burgher Alarduin. In fact, you¡¯re looking at it right now,¡± Orodan said, putting another section of his new palisade up.
¡°¡very well then. Take care, Mister Wainwright.¡±
¡°¡you¡¯re really just leaving?¡± Orodan asked, a bit confused for once.
¡°Of course. My instincts do not lie. You would doubtlessly kill the ancestor with ease if it came to a fight, and while I do not know for certain what would occur if the Republic¡¯s army became involved, at the very least the casualties would be heavy. And there¡¯s certainly nothing I can do to stop you,¡± Burgher Alarduin said. ¡°If my years of politics and seeing the world have taught me anything, it¡¯s to sometimes leave well enough alone. Have a good day.¡±
Huh¡ a sensible noble who wasn¡¯t looking to cause any problems.
Orodan thanked the Burgher and resumed his work. Nobody else interrupted him.
At last, as the hours passed and the time for his departure to the moon came, the work was done, though Orodan was deeply dissatisfied with it.
[Artificing 34 ¡ú Artificing 35]
¡°I-incredible¡! An entirely new palisade!¡±
¡°It¡¯s so sturdy too¡ wonder if even a troll could knock it down?¡±
¡°Looks so fresh that I could lick it¡¡±
Orodan ignored the last oddball guard who¡¯d spoken. Frankly, he was unhappy with this palisade.
Yes, he had made gains in taking on this interesting endeavor, but looking at the minor imperfections in it, he couldn¡¯t help but grumble. The sheer scale of the undertaking meant that mistakes were bound to occur over the span of it, especially when he was multi-tasking and doing other things at the same time such as Alchemy, Laboring and melting scrap metal into nails.
Out of the hundreds of tree trunks used to create his new palisade, Orodan had perhaps gotten four-fifths of them done perfectly.
Out of curiosity, he used Identify on one of the perfect ones.
[Name: Pure Gray Poplar Log
Description: A perfectly carved wooden log with immaculate grain alignment made of gray poplar. Hundred-percent material purity.
Tier: Elite]
Pathetic.
¡°Orodan¡ you are without a doubt a madman. Who can remain dissatisfied after creating hundreds of perfect logs whose grain alignment is perfect down to the particle level?¡±
¡°I can. This result is unacceptable¡¡±
The real problem was that not only did Orodan strive for perfection in everything he did¡ but he actually enjoyed Woodworking. What sort of shameful display was this, for him to achieve anything less than a perfect result?
He had a number of targets then.
To perfectly carve out every single log. To cast every single nail used in the construction of the palisade himself. To perhaps construct some fortified earthwork first, that the foundations for the palisade would be even sturdier. And to learn some damned rope making skill, because the shoddy quality ropes the Exerston County militia gave him meant that the integrity of the palisade wasn¡¯t as high as it could be.
And above all else¡
¡to finish this damned palisade within a reasonable timeframe.
This endeavor of his might take a few loops though.
#
¡°You encountered that moralizing bore? How surprising¡ that his sermons didn¡¯t put you into a relaxing slumber.¡±
¡°You know that irritating spider?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Well¡ I suppose you¡¯re both spiders-¡±
¡°And you and this random human I met a while ago are both humans, right? Surely you must know him, right?¡± Talricto asked, irritation in the spider¡¯s tone. ¡°Ignorant buffoon¡¡±
Orodan had brought that one upon himself.
¡°Right, my stupidity has been noted,¡± he dryly remarked. ¡°Back to the matter at hand, what¡¯s that spatial spider¡¯s deal?¡±
¡°In truth, not much, to the great displeasure of his sanctimonious lot of fellows.¡±
¡°Sanctimonious lot of fellows?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Why yes, Alagameth is one of the ancient ancestors of the Conclave. Did his pretentious name and the pointlessly flashy arrows of light not tip you off?¡± Talricto asked. ¡°The Conclave keep begging him to return and become involved, quite risky for anyone who has attained Embodiment. He refuses of course and takes it a step further, choosing to remain hidden in secluded meditation. Your boorish disruption of the tapestry must have bothered him enough that he got involved for once.¡±
Orodan supposed that if he were silently training and some loud upstart came along breaking the thing he was studying¡ he too might be slightly annoyed.
¡°A moment of self-reflection that you might tone down your destructive tendencies?¡±
Absolutely not. She might as well ask him to swear off fighting.
¡°In any case, this is quite the opportunity,¡± Orodan stated.
¡°Hmm¡ I suppose if anyone could potentially help you get onto Lonvoron via spatiomancy alone, it would be the elusive Alagameth,¡± Talricto agreed. ¡°Though you should at least make a show of removing yourself from the tapestry after meeting him, as a sign of goodwill. How else will he ever agree to teach a brash and violent oaf such as you?¡±
¡°Oh, but you mistake me. I never said I wanted to sit down and learn from him,¡± Orodan said, a vicious grin appearing on his face. ¡°Rather, I intend to test my spatiomancy against his, as many times as it takes, until I can best him through brute force.¡±
¡°¡you truly are mad. Enjoy dying over and over,¡± Talricto said. ¡°I shall see you upon Lonvoron whichever loop it is you succeed in.¡±
The dimensional phase spider winked out of existence, and Orodan got to work.
He¡¯d carefully prepared his weapons ahead of this attempt too. His sword, perfectly arranged through absolute cold forging, was now at the Master-level. He did the same for his shield, bringing it up to the Master-level as well.
He cast a Teleport and was predictably pulled right out of it, leading to a clash with the Embodiment-level spider.
The fight didn¡¯t go much differently aside from Orodan stubbornly attempting to reach Alagameth via spatiomancy alone, something he predictably failed over and over at.
Though, when it came time to fight that oversized Living Crystal, the gouge Orodan left upon its face was at least three times bigger than before. Courtesy of his upgraded sword.
The subsequent death was entirely worth it.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
And Orodan knew that this would take many loops but would well be worth it.
#
The chicken farmer looked at him agape, as he finished replacing the rickety wooden fence she had with a brand new one yet again.
¡°Well, I¡¯ll be¡ this fence is incredible! Since when have you known Woodworking, Orodan?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Either old Westwater or that apprentice of his was supposed to come by and repair my fence. And here you are having replaced it entirely with an accompanying cover and all. Let me pay you at least.¡±
Orodan felt slightly guilty about essentially stealing work from under Westwater¡¯s nose via the cheap advantage of knowing what was in the man¡¯s work ledger. But he vowed to repay it on the next few loops after he was done getting what he needed from this woman.
¡°I don¡¯t require payment in coin, but tutelage,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I notice you have a shed full of rope. Where did you get that from?¡±
¡°I made it myself. Any excess lumber or poor-quality wood from Westwater or Fodgarton comes my way with the provision that a third of what I make goes to them,¡± the woman said, and then her eyes took on an understanding look. ¡°I see, you want to learn Weaving then?¡±
¡°Is that what skill rope making falls under?¡±
¡°Right you are. I¡¯m no professional weaver, can barely weave clothes for my little ones¡ but what I¡¯m a fair hand at is turning fibre into twine and then fashioning that into rope,¡± she said. ¡°As you know we¡¯re not well-off around these parts, but rope sells well. Always some laboring or construction project that needs coils of the stuff.¡±
¡°Then, I¡¯d like to learn. Will you teach me?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I can only teach you the basics, I¡¯m not even an Apprentice weaver,¡± Belina said. ¡°But since you¡¯ve done my fence so well, I suppose I can show you a thing or two.¡±
Orodan was led into the woman¡¯s home where her two little children were playing. The infant among them even crawled over and tried clambering up his leg! She stared at him with wide and curious eyes, ready to confront the world.
¡°¡adorable,¡± Zaessythra remarked.
Orodan gently pried her off and gave her a serious look.
¡°Climbing is good training,¡± he said, giving her a pat on the head. ¡°Keep it up.¡±
In response, the child appeared quite serious and nodded back.
Good. He sensed this one would make something of herself in life.
¡°Don¡¯t mind the little imps¡ that one gives me headache enough. She sees anyone in the militia uniform and can¡¯t stop herself clambering up their legs,¡± Belina said. ¡°Confuses them for her father I think.¡±
¡°Corporal Botterson¡¯s a good man. Though, I wasn¡¯t aware he had two children,¡± Orodan said, following her into the connected shed where coils upon coils of rope lay, and an entire table dedicated to rope laying was. In the corner, multiple pools of dirty water were present, with wood bark soaking in them. ¡°Quite the expansive operation. Water¡¯s a bit dirty though¡?¡±
¡°Had that unbearable goblin a few months ago,¡± she said. ¡°And the process of soaking goes faster with dirtier water.¡±
Immediately Orodan focused in with his enhanced vision to verify this.
She was right, the small life, unseen to the average naked eye, was in fact consuming the rough and sturdy parts of the bark, leaving just the tough but flexible fibres. These soaked fibres
¡°I see¡ so that¡¯s how rope is made from plant material¡¡± Orodan muttered. And immediately he had multiple ideas on how he could improve the quality of any rope he produced. If the fibres came from trees, then the better quality the tree¡ the better his resultant ropes would be. ¡°Botterson told me long ago that his wife made rope on the side¡ this is a large set-up and not just a side project.¡±
¡°With two mouths to feed someone¡¯s got to bring in the gold. Gods know that Selric¡¯s salary alone wouldn¡¯t comfortably cover our expenses,¡± Belina explained. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad trade. I¡¯m near to saving up enough that we might move onto Scarmorrow. The little gremlins might have a better life there and my husband¡¯s always said he gets a bad feeling from that wicked tavern at the plaza.¡±
If Orodan hadn¡¯t put a stop to the machine this loop¡ Botterson, his wife and two little children would have died today. Protecting families like these¡ this was one of the reasons he sought strength.
¡°Well, you need not worry about the tavern. The matter¡¯s been resolved,¡± Orodan assuaged.
¡°Right, saw all the soldiers from the capital marching that way earlier, wonder what that¡¯s about,¡± she remarked, and gestured for him to follow. ¡°Anyhow, gossiping like old crones on the deck won¡¯t help you learn any faster. You already know how to work with wood, so this makes the job a lot easier. Pick up that log and debark the outer layer entirely.¡±
Orodan did as asked, peeling the bark off smoothly with his fingers.
¡°Use the knife¡ ugh¡ right. I forget how much Selric goes on and on about what a lumbering ox you are,¡± she said, directing him to move the bark aside as she spoke. ¡°Do hit him a little softer when you spar, will you? He comes home whining to me and then it becomes my problem.¡±
¡°To be fair, I probably go the easiest on him out of everyone in the barracks,¡± Orodan said, after all, he probably liked Botterson the most out of all his militia colleagues. ¡°What next? I notice you have inner bark soaking in the water, are we carving strips of that out?¡±
¡°Right, good eye. The inner bark layer, carve it into long strips lengthwise along the log,¡± she instructed, doing so herself with a log as a display. ¡°This part I doubt you¡¯ll have any problems with.¡±
As she said, Orodan had no issues. His Woodworking skill was at the Elite-level, and his hands were strong and steady. Wood was like air before his strength. As he worked, he made sure to peel the inner bark off perfectly along the grain.
¡°By the Gods¡ I can¡¯t do it anywhere near that smoothly,¡± Belina said. ¡°I suppose I could stand to look into Woodworking lessons at some point.¡±
¡°You¡¯re better than you think. Only a half-step behind old Westwater¡¯s apprentice who¡¯s at the Apprentice-level,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°Keep at it and you might be able to add Woodworking to your list of trades. I don¡¯t think the carpenter would mind giving you a lesson or two given how much you help him.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but my hands are full enough with farming, ropemaking and the little terrors already. If anything, Selric could stand to get off his lazy rear and pick up a second trade,¡± she said. ¡°Alright, inner layer of bark¡¯s been peeled perfectly, now soak it in the water.¡±
Orodan did as asked and dumped the long strips of inner bark he¡¯d peeled off into the vats of dirty water.
¡°Where¡¯d you get the water from? A stale pond?¡±
¡°Aye, you¡¯d be right on that. Pond water¡¯s quite dirty, and while I don¡¯t know the scholarly theory on it, I think the natural water helps break the bark down faster,¡± Belina explained. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s pick up these dry fibres from the rack and we¡¯ll get to the process of laying.¡±
The woman was pointing to rack on the side, while Orodan¡¯s bark strips that he¡¯d just dumped into the water lay before him.
¡°I don¡¯t see how the process works¡¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°That¡¯s because the bark¡¯s supposed to dry for four to six weeks at minimum,¡± she said with a loud laugh. ¡°Did you think it would be that quick?¡±
Right, that made sense to him. Still, there was certainly a way to speed this process up.
The sound of a sword leaving its scabbard echoed through the shed.
¡°W-what are you doing¡!¡±
She backed away just in time to see Orodan¡¯s sword glow with the power of the Smite of Abrupt Deliverance. Yet, instead of focusing on delivering a strike of power¡ he focused on the Time Compression aspect of it.
In an instant, weeks¡¯ worth of growth and development was compressed into the span of a second. And the bark which he¡¯d soaked in the water suddenly became quite limp, the hard parts broken down while only the tough but flexible fibres remained.
¡°Just speeding the process up,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°You¡¯re a mage?¡±
¡°Not primarily, but I¡¯ve picked up a spell or two,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°Well, unlike Selric I¡¯m no country bumpkin who¡¯s never seen a spell,¡± Belina said, her finger lighting up with a small fire. Seemed she knew Candleflame. ¡°Don¡¯t know what you did there though.¡±
¡°Chronomancy.¡±
She became a lot quieter after that revelation. Perhaps she knew the significance of time magic?
In any case, under her instructions Orodan began separating strings of fibre from the now broken-down inner bark he¡¯d soaked, and once he¡¯d gathered enough, a Candleflame dried the fibres, making them look quite like the material ropes were made of.
Then, the real work began.
¡°Now comes the weaving process, we can use a spinner for it, just hook separate strands here, here and¡¡± she stopped and sighed, watching as Orodan began manually twisting the strands into something resembling rope by hand. ¡°Or I suppose you could do it by hand. Selric wasn¡¯t exaggerating about you, was he?¡±
¡°Tools are nice, but true mastery comes from honing the basics,¡± Orodan insisted. ¡°I would rather not rely on a device to weave the rope for me.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Let¡¯s see just how butter-fingered you are. Most struggle with this part even with the spinner.¡±
And she wasn¡¯t wrong. Orodan, despite being intimately familiar with his own hands, still took at least five tries to properly weave the bark fibres into cordage. It was an altogether new method of using his hands, something which challenged his finesse in a way he didn¡¯t expect.
As he worked, his fingers were forced to move in novel ways, having to grasp the fibrous strands and weave them into rope correctly.
¡°This is quite challenging¡¡± Orodan muttered.
Belina though, stared with her mouth agape.
¡°C-challenging? You¡ you¡¯re doing it on the first try without even using the spinner!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Is this what talent is? How unfair!¡±
¡°To be fair, I¡¯m a swordsman and also dabble in Enchanting. I¡¯m not an entirely clumsy oaf who doesn¡¯t know how to use his hands in a fine manner. Would be more concerning if I didn¡¯t manage at least this much,¡± Orodan said.
Frankly, with how strangely his fingers were forced to move, Orodan began wondering if the finger movements from manual ropemaking could also be applied to his swordsmanship. His fighting style was direct, brutal and aggressive. Explosive strength and power channelled into raw savagery were his chief attributes when fighting in melee.
These flexible finger movements which relied on dextrous agility were novel and forced him to think and move in a way he was unused to. A way which could potentially be applied to his combat to make it even deadlier.
At last, ten minutes into making rope, he got what he came here for.
[New Skill ¡ú Weaving 7]
And suddenly, his hands began moving more fluidly, more dextrously. The process became even easier¡!
And then, Orodan immediately shut down the connection to the central glyph of his own System.
This, he insisted on practicing manually. He had a feeling that the gains from this would extend to more than just Weaving.
Belina frowned at the sudden competence, followed by the sudden drop in skill back to his usual struggle. Still, she said nothing about the matter.
¡°Well, since you said you want to practice¡ how about using that fancy magic of yours on all these other vats of soaking bark I have?¡± she suggested. ¡°For every vat you do that to, you can take a third for your own practice.¡±
Sounded like an excellent deal to Orodan.
#
On and on the loops went.
He awoke, handled his ancillary business of the machine, House Argon, Talricto and sending a letter to Destartes, and then spent the day either practicing weaving with Belina Botterson or working with old Westwater, filling orders. For now, he left the palisade endeavor be.
He made excellent gains in various related skills and felt these humble toils were truly beneficial for him.
And as his crafts improved, so did his combat skills and spatiomancy as he repeatedly clashed against the Embodiment-level spatial spider who kept interrupting his teleport to give him a beating.
The first ten loops of this routine went normally, though Alagameth began to show signs of increasing exertion in dealing with Orodan¡¯s brute force methods of spatiomancy. If anything, Orodan quite liked the spider. It didn¡¯t want to kill him and only seemed insistent on giving him a beating because Orodan was bothering it. Far nicer than most things he¡¯d met over the loops.
He had a sneaking suspicion that if he brought the full force of his power and the various abilities he had out to bear, he might be able to beat his foe who was an Embodiment of Space¡ but that would¡¯ve been cheap and boring. Better to beat Alagameth at its own game.
He learned, he fought, he died. And above all, Orodan truly enjoyed himself. Enchanting and Alchemy had their charms, but above all else Orodan truly relished the humble work of helping regular people with their common problems. Bringing his Woodworking, Laboring and other skills to bear against such modest toils brought him quite some satisfaction and helped give him perspective.
Yes, he was mighty enough to destroy entire worlds, but could he fix Belina Botterson¡¯s broken fence with Woodworking? Could he repair someone¡¯s creaking door which had slipped off the hinge? Helping the common folk of Volarbury and Exerston Counties helped solidify the perspective in his mind.
He¡¯d always had it, but it was good to be reminded of it. After all, he too came from such beginnings. While power was the central tenet which governed existence, not all of reality revolved around who could destroy more interstellar objects.
The loops went on, and by the seventeenth repeat, he saw results in his efforts to aid Axenshield, attempting to build the palisade again after a lengthy break during which he¡¯d practiced just Weaving and regular Woodworking.
¡°Militia! Sally out and form a perimeter! Guard the Elite!¡± the Sergeant ordered. ¡°Kressida! Keep your troop ready to aid him however he needs.¡±
The gesture was appreciated. Even if Orodan needed no protection. Yet now, he didn¡¯t need their hands for fetching rope nor wax either.
He walked a slight distance away from the wall, and a downward fist hit the ground, creating a decent sized hole.
[Earthen Construct 9 ¡ú Earthen Construct 10]
The hole he created was swiftly sealed with smooth rock.
[Waterstream 10 ¡ú Waterstream 11]
And the hole was filled with water. Of course, the fluid produced by his spell wasn¡¯t dirty at all, a natural result of the spell. Which meant it wasn¡¯t exactly the thriving ecosystem of wood-eating unseen filth that he required. But that was a problem solved easily enough.
After all, what was Cleaning if not the imposition of one¡¯s own version of cleanliness onto reality.
[Reality Alteration 55 ¡ú Reality Alteration 56]
His broom swept outwards, and the clean water altered, turning into the stale, festering reservoir one might find in a pond. Full of life, particularly the sort which would help break any wood fibre down. And it smelled quite ripe, far worse than the vats Belina had used in her home for soaking the wood.
Cleaning wasn¡¯t always about purity. Sometimes, cleanliness was about balance.
¡°That¡¯s one smelly pit¡¡± Sergeant Alamar Taj of the Exerston County militia muttered. ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡±
¡°Soaking the wood bark so that it breaks down into usable fibre,¡± Orodan said, uprooting trees with his bare hands and beginning the process of debarking them.
It was an efficient process. Previously, he¡¯d thrown the bark away after debarking the trees lengthwise along the sides, but now that he knew rope could be made with the inner bark, any bark that was trimmed away was thrown right into the soaking pit.
Belina had taught him that rope could be made from a variety of sources. Even the types of trees she sourced wood from mattered, as some plants and trees were well-suited to making rope and others were not. The Simarjis also grew magical fibrous plants which were cultivated specifically for making strong rope, and the leather from certain animals and monsters could also be used for it.
Fascinating things all, and something he would delve further into down the line.
For now, the work continued at a steady clip. The trees were uprooted, debarked along the sides and the useful bark thrown into the pits. Like last time, Orodan planned on building his new palisade wall section-by-section.
Thus, when the logs were prepared and sharpened at the top for the first section¡ Orodan attempted something for the first time. Necessary to the establishment of a proper fortified palisade.
Energy wasn¡¯t an issue. Even if the spell was fuelled by mana¡ Orodan had more than enough of it to put the mana reserves of entire armies and dragon flights to shame.
[Earthen Construct 10 ¡ú Earthen Construct 14]
¡°T-the ground! It rises like an angry demon!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll be swallowed by the earth!¡±
¡°Shut it you dumb bumpkins!¡± Sergeant Alamar roared, scolding the newer militia who were witnessing such magic for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s just earth magic!¡±
Still, even the sergeant appeared in awe. In truth, Orodan didn¡¯t consider it that big of a deal. He¡¯d done far grander and more ostentatious things before. Though, with how the spell was supposed to be used, he could understand why an observer might be impressed.
Earthen Construct, a spell meant for the conjuring of earthen mass in various shapes. Most mages might use it to erect barriers, perhaps a shield to block hostile projectiles or even a shelter. The average Adept-level earth mage might conjure constructs which were the size of a small building at most. The Elites and Masters, perhaps the size of a castle, and that was considered on the high end.
What Earthen Construct wasn¡¯t normally used for, was the raising of an earthen wall around the perimeter of an entire village. One stretching out five miles across. Orodan considered it a wholly unremarkable feat by the measure of what he normally did, but these men and women of the militia and the other observing civilians on the walls clearly thought otherwise.
With the raised earthen embankment now conjured, Orodan began planting the sharpened and prepared logs side-by-side, forming the actual barrier of the palisade. With these placed, he quickly utilized a Smite of Abrupt Deliverance to compress time and ensure the bark strips were thoroughly broken down and in usable condition for rope making.
Then, the tons of soaked bark were brought out, dried via Candleflame and placed to the side.
[Candleflame 27 ¡ú Candleflame 28]
That was the message he got at the end of two hours of work, as he dried the last bit of soaked bark. He had multiple tons of material now, more than enough bark to weave rope for the entire palisade.
And then came the most toilsome task of them all. Actually weaving the rope.
By hand, weaving the entirety of the collected and dried bark strips into cordage would take many hours. A significant addition to the labor put upon him. Yes, he could have used the time compression aspect of his new smite, but that would¡¯ve been cheating. Either Orodan would get good and fast enough at weaving that he would complete the entire thing before the day ended¡ or he would try and try again until he could.
There would be no compromise on this.
His hands blurred, and he worked at speeds invisible to the eyes of any present. Even Burgher Alarduin Rockwood who came by could not keep up with Orodan¡¯s hand speed. And multiple times he had to use a controlled application of Flash Freeze or Galewind to prevent the fibres from catching fire due to how fast he was going.
[Weaving 17 ¡ú Weaving 18]
At the end of a three-hour session of just making rope, that was the message he got. He¡¯d gained many levels in the skill over the past seventeen loops of practice, but he¡¯d gained two levels over the course of the last three hours of hard work.
He continued working, well into the night, however failed to finish the entire palisade in time.
The gains to Woodworking, Laboring and Alchemy were nice, but they didn¡¯t quench the burning fire in Orodan¡¯s heart. The desire to see this damned palisade built perfectly in the span of a single day.
The subsequent battle against Alagameth went well, with the spider actually having to go all-out to stop Orodan¡¯s brute force spatiomancy which was getting stronger every repeat. And he found that his sword struck just a little bit harder, and his grip upon it was just a tad bit tighter when incorporating all the muscle memory and movements he¡¯d learned from weaving.
The Living Crystal wasn¡¯t pleased at the larger gouge Orodan left upon its face, but he cared not for its opinion.
Finally¡ it was on the seventy-third loop of this routine, that Orodan got some results.
#
¡°Westwater! I¡¯ve come to help you!¡± Orodan declared, slamming the door open and causing everything to fall off the man¡¯s shelves.
He had no time to waste. Even with how many skill levels he¡¯d gained over the past seventy-two loops, every second counted.
¡°O-Orodan! What in the Gods¡¯ name are you-¡±
A quick usage of Time Reversal brought all of the carpenter¡¯s products back to the shelves they were upon.
¡°You¡¯re a mage?!¡± the old woodworker exclaimed.
¡°Yes,¡± said Orodan in the interest of saving time. He then gently pulled the carpenter¡¯s work ledger out from behind the desk. ¡°Here to practice Woodworking, let me work on your backlog of orders. I¡¯ll drag your apprentice along with me so that she can collect the payments for you.¡±
¡°W-what¡?¡± the man asked, confused.
¡°Here, watch what I can do,¡± Orodan said, using Wood Communion upon the various slightly imperfect products on the shelves and laying about the shop. ¡°Those wheels aren¡¯t built to specification, and those hafts are meant for high quality Elite weapon heads but are barely Elite-level themselves. It can lead to damage.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ you¡¯re not wrong¡¡± the carpenter muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t pay-¡±
¡°I don¡¯t need payment, keep all the money,¡± Orodan said, marching out the door. ¡°Keep your apprentice too. I don¡¯t want her job.¡±
¡°Want who¡¯s job?¡± Westwater¡¯s apprentice asked as she walked in the door. ¡°You! What are- guah!¡±
Orodan nabbed her by the collar like a mangy cat and plopped her into the cart she was dragging behind her.
¡°Come, we have little time, and I can¡¯t waste it telling you how I don¡¯t care about your friend and what happened between us,¡± Orodan declared, pulling the cart, and the apprentice within along. ¡°We have a backlog of work orders to complete.¡±
¡°What in the hells are you doing?! Unhand me this instant!¡± the girl got up, about to exit the cart.
Only to stop when the booming voice of Westwater rang out.
¡°Don¡¯t set a foot outside that cart girl! You heard him! There¡¯s a backlog to complete!¡±
¡°B-but¡ Mister Westwater!¡±
¡°Less complaining, more working! Go with him and collect payment for each job! Go on! Scram!¡±
Orodan had tested this social situation a few times now. This, he had found, was the quickest way to drag the girl and Westwater¡¯s ledger along. Of course, he could¡¯ve just gone to Westwater¡¯s clients without involving the man at all, but that would¡¯ve been stealing business from an honest carpenter.
The first destination was Belina Botterson¡¯s house, and Orodan immediately got to work.
¡°About time you lot showed- my fence!¡±
A singular sweep of his broom, and the entirety of her dirty fence vanished from existence. The air practically blazed with heat as Orodan swiftly rushed back with an uprooted tree and got to work.
[Galewind 22 ¡ú Galewind 23]
Another level gained as he used it to moderate the temperature from his furious pace of work. In less than a second, the tree was turned into a set of pristine boards, beams and wooden pieces meant for a fence and covering.
A curious infant crawled over, and Orodan allowed the little one to clamber up to his shoulder while he worked, moving gently that she wouldn¡¯t fall off or have too difficult of a time. The only job where he allowed himself to slow pace that the child might be safe and learn.
¡°As you can see,¡± Orodan explained to the little girl. ¡°Woodworking is an endeavor which tests not just the mind and one¡¯s dexterity of hand, but also the strength of their arm. Are you ready? To commit to such a path?¡±
He felt the little wiggle of a little head upon his shoulder, signifying a nod.
¡°I see, your determination is evident to me. Watch then, that you might also step upon the path to mastery,¡± Orodan said, making sure to methodically use tools so that the infant could spectate and see how it was done. ¡°First, we must implant these fence posts into the ground¡¡±
Orodan continued on for about five minutes, instructing both the little girl and the apprentice accompanying him, before the little one¡¯s mother pried her off of his shoulder. The infant didn¡¯t seem happy about it either, grumbling at her mother but not crying.
¡°That child might just have a knack for sensing souls,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°In most of these loops she¡¯s found a way to gravitate to you and her eyes flit and move in timing with the pulses of your own soul.¡±
¡°Good. She will make something of herself one day, for the determination in her eyes is plain to see. I cannot be the only talent in Ogdenborough after all.¡±
In any case, with the girl off of his shoulder the work was resumed at a blistering pace, and when Belina Botterson tried paying Orodan more than his fair share, he refused, handing it back to her.
¡°Spend it on that one¡¯s education,¡± he said.
He owed the woman for the valuable skill she¡¯d taught him anyways.
He and the apprentice were off, with Orodan dropping her into the cart once again that they might finish up the remainder of the jobs in Ogdenborough.
In less than twenty minutes, the eleven jobs in the ledger listed for his hometown were done, and Orodan had little time to waste as he channelled a Teleport which brought him to the nearest town of Exerston County where there were more work orders pending for old Westwater.
If the poor shell-shocked apprentice alongside him was scared, she didn¡¯t have the courage to voice it.
He made a round trip, clearing the ledger entirely of all the minor requests in the various hamlets and villages of Exerston County before making Axenshield his final stop.
He teleported just outside of the walls, in time to see a troll assailing them.
¡°Fire! Shoot that¡ what in Halor¡¯s name?¡±
Sergeant Alamar Taj¡¯s orders were interrupted. He and the militia atop the walls stared as the troll flew up and away into the horizon. Courtesy of an encouraging backhand from Orodan.
¡°Greetings, we¡¯re Woodworkers, here to service clientele in Axenshield,¡± the carpenter¡¯s apprentice announced, still sitting in her little cart.
¡°¡woodworkers?¡± the sergeant muttered, looking at the disappearing dot in the sky that was the troll before looking at Orodan again. ¡°O-of course! Please, welcome to Axenshield, esteemed woodworkers. We are happy to have you.¡±
¡°Got to be stronger than an Elite¡¡±
¡°He sent it into the stars¡!¡±
The hushed whispers and not-so-quiet mutters continued, and he was fairly certain Sergeant Alamar¡¯s communications amulet glowed, sending out a message for assistance.
In any case, they entered the village, and he quickly aided the blacksmith. The extra time he now had thanks to his increased skill and fast pace meant that he could afford to take some time. He used this to go above and beyond by not only creating the things he¡¯d requested Westwater help with, but also by aiding the man in properly reforging all the weapons in his shop and removing all impurities from the weapons.
Naturally, this caused the weapons to jump a tier at least, and in some cases, two.
He walked out the smithy and made for the walls, where his first move was to channel mana towards earth magic.
[Earthen Construct 28 ¡ú Earthen Construct 29]
The earth all around Axenshield rose up, creating a formidable and stable earthwork upon which the palisade could be constructed. Not only did Orodan ensure the earth surrounded the village all around, but he also made sure to create a tough layer of earth beneath the town. Subterranean monsters capable of digging would find no purchase if attempting to burrow under the walls.
With that foundation laid, he immediately began tearing trees out of the ground at blistering speed, throwing them all into a pile. He¡¯d done the palisade enough times. He now knew the exact number of trees he would need to uproot. There was no need to contribute to the deforestation of these poor woods any more than necessary.
A large soaking pit was created via a gentle downwards punch¡
[Waterstream 19 ¡ú Waterstream 20]
¡and it was filled with water. Which, via his Celestial skill, was swiftly turned into the thriving ecosystem of murky pondwater he needed.
Immediately he got to work, stripping the bark, sharpening the tops of the logs and then placing them to the side. Over the course of roughly an hour, every tree that he needed for the palisade was debarked, carved and prepared.
[Woodworking 83 ¡ú Woodworking 84]
Orodan felt, that would probably be the final skill level gain for Woodworking that he could acquire by repetitively attempting this palisade.
With the wood done, he swiftly used the Smite of Abrupt Deliverance to compress the soaking of the bark, granting him a singular level in it, dried his soaked fibres via Candleflame and then got to work with Weaving.
Seventy-two loops of this had made Orodan a deft hand at the task. He¡¯d been training Weaving without any aid from his System too. And while there were other things that rope could be made from and Orodan professed no exceptional familiarity with those materials¡ with wood fibre, he felt exceedingly familiar.
His hands were utterly invisible to any present, working at a speed far faster than sound. At points he was forced to use Galewind to lower the temperature lest he set the rope and the forest ablaze due to his sheer pace.
[Weaving 28 ¡ú Weaving 29]
[Galewind 27 ¡ú Galewind 28]
And what took three hours before¡ took only thirty minutes now.
And with the finishing touch upon the last length of rope, fashioned from wood fibres which he¡¯d personally carved along the grain perfectly, came a welcome title.
[Weaving 29 ¡ú Weaving 30]
[New Title ¡ú Weaving Apprentice]
And because he thought it would be quite funny, he set his second slot to carry this new title.
¡°Ah yes¡ the man with more muscles than sense, wielding a sword and shield is a weaver and a wainwright¡ quite believable at a glance,¡± Zaessythra remarked.
She was no fun. If the Embodiment-level beings between galaxies could do it, then why not Orodan?
In any case, the work didn¡¯t take long after that. The assortment of scrap metal he¡¯d gathered from across the village was melted down to make nails. The animal fat collected from the butchers and the vegetable oils gathered from across the village were made into wax, and slowly but surely, everything was put together.
Halfway through, a party of adventurers approached him. They were at the Master-level, and it was plain to see that the leader was wielding a weapon Orodan had helped the village blacksmith create.
¡°Are you the one who made this spear? My family would love to have a Woodworker of such raw talent in our employ! Whatever the cost is, House Altamari shall bear it!¡± the adventurer declared. ¡°This weapon is simply exquisite!¡±
¡°Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. I have things to do,¡± Orodan declared.
The man reached out to grab Orodan¡¯s wrist.
¡°Such as?! I assure you friend, an offer like this does not come by so easily!¡± the adventurer said, red-faced.
¡°Building this palisade wall,¡± Orodan said, continuing his work without any concern. He felt no need to shuck the man off, instead, simply dragging him along into the dirt as he casually continued his movements of making wax via alchemical methods. ¡°Now excuse me. You¡¯re in the way.¡±
If the adventurer had thought Orodan to be an easily bullied craftsman, the man now learned the embarrassing way that it wasn¡¯t the case. The adventurer hastily got to his feet and quickly beat a retreat, muttering something about letting his ancestor know.
Not that Orodan was concerned in the slightest.
The nails were prepared, the wax was created and the work continued. And finally, eight hours after he¡¯d started, the palisade wall stood complete as Orodan secured the last reinforcing backboard on the defending side of the palisade with a nail of his own making.
[Construction 37 ¡ú Construction 38]
[Artificing 39 ¡ú Artificing 40]
[Laboring 49 ¡ú Laboring 50]
[New Title ¡ú Laboring Adept]
It was done at last. With less than half the overall time taken compared to his very first attempt.
The reinforced palisade wall was majestic, covering the entirety of Axenshield. Their old palisade was still there but relegated to the position of a secondary barrier now; an inner wall from where small retractable bridges allowed the militia to reach the outer wall which Orodan had built.
It was a true marvel of construction, not for the scale of it or the quality of the materials, but because of just how¡ perfectly every bit of the palisade fit together. He¡¯d intentionally avoided using Wood Communion to fuse the logs together lest other woodworkers need to make repairs, and despite that it still felt so symmetrical and well put together.
There were defensive fortifications upon Inuan which surpassed this palisade by a mile. Yet this one was special, because Orodan had done it entirely on his own. His own toil had created this, and the experience and insights he¡¯d gained were priceless in and of themselves.
¡°Unbelievable¡ you actually built it¡¡± Sergeant Alamar muttered. ¡°It looks so beautiful too¡¡±
¡°I suppose I can tolerate this,¡± Orodan said, looking at how each nail was sturdy, how each length of rope securing the logs in place was exceptionally durable and well-made. ¡°At the very least it has no structural weaknesses save brute force of an overwhelming nature, or an exceptionally hot magical fire. Nothing below the Elite-level should be breaking the palisade with force.¡±
It would take a Master.
Of course, the two nobles walking towards him were beyond that.
A burly woman, one Orodan knew as the Chosen of Halor. And a slim but severe-looking old crone who Orodan knew to be affiliated with the Cathedral.
Alcianne Rockwood immediately froze upon getting within a certain distance of him. The look on her face suddenly becoming quite serious.
¡°Apologies, I don¡¯t mean to set off your Bloodline like that,¡± Orodan said. ¡°No Burgher Alarduin? I finished before he usually gets here too.¡±
¡°I do not know who you are, but your strength is quite alarming,¡± Alcianne said. ¡°I do not seek to start any conflicts against someone who has done my lands and people a great boon¡ but I will come to blows if I must. Who are you?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± he answered.
¡°I do not know that name, though my progeny tells me it¡¯s tied to a mere Apprentice-level militia man from Ogdenborough,¡± Alcianne said. ¡°Might I ask what you want in the Republic?¡±
¡°I already did what I wanted. The palisade is built is it not?¡±
Alcianne looked over his work and nodded in approval.
¡°Well¡ that is one fine palisade,¡± she said, her tone becoming less guarded. ¡°Is that all you wanted? To build a palisade?¡±
¡°Aye. Something relaxing in honing the crafts,¡± Orodan said.
¡°One of those sorts who enjoy wandering and practicing his skills, eh? I can respect that,¡± Alcianne said. ¡°Come now Varna, he seems alright enough.¡±
¡°What are you saying?! We cannot just let an unknown individual of great power freely wander our lands!¡± the dual-Grandmaster said. ¡°Heredin must be informed of-¡±
¡°No need for that,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I know how this goes. You try to push the matter, I give you a beating, you escalate things, then a Chosen arrives, then an Avatar arrives, and before I know it an army¡¯s ready to face me down.¡±
¡°So, you¡¯re well aware of how we deal with foreign threats,¡± Varna Altamari said. ¡°Now how about you come with us, and we discuss things peacefully? Surely you wouldn¡¯t want to kill any innocents in any battle we might have? We have a Chosen here too, ready to enter Avatar form at a moment¡¯s notice. You¡¯re outnumbered and backup is close by.¡±
¡°You mistake me, hound of the Cathedral. When I say there¡¯s no need for that, what I mean is there¡¯s no need for you to call your superiors or escalate at all,¡± Orodan said. ¡°¡because I¡¯ll be purging them here and now.¡±
¡°What do you-¡±
Before she could finish, his broom touched the ground.
Frankly, Orodan wondered why he even bothered wasting time with the toadies of the tyrant three. What was the point of having strength if he needed to negotiate with scum?
His Domain of Perfect Cleaning spread out evenly across all Alastaia. It purged the overt Eldritch, it purged the crown of the first emperor, and it purged the world core. And it also cleansed each and every Blessing of Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana from the world, fortifying the planet against their divine tendrils of tyranny forevermore.
The effects would doubtlessly be felt worldwide. Divine power relations would undoubtedly change, and he would have to deal with a thing or two. But here and now, in the moment, the two Grandmasters before him froze as they felt his power erupt outward in a wave.
Varna herself, a dual-Grandmaster with two Blessings of Ilyatana, immediately felt the effects.
¡°W-what¡ what have you done?! I cannot feel my Blessings!¡±
¡°You do not deserve them,¡± Orodan rebuked. ¡°Leave, before I decide you¡¯re undeserving of your life too.¡±
The Altamari ancestor¡¯s eyes widened, and she took the hint, immediately fleeing from his sight. That left only Alcianne Rockwood.
¡°You¡ you purged all presence of three of the Prime Five¡¡± she muttered. ¡°Which means you purged all traces of¡ of Agathor!¡±
¡°Arvayne is free now. Go ensure his well-being,¡± Orodan said.
Halor didn¡¯t seem too keen on seeking retribution against Orodan for the feat, and Alcianne immediately erupted off the ground in a bolt of divine energy right towards Karilsgard.
The poor carpenter¡¯s apprentice was frozen in place. He smiled at her.
¡°I suppose we should let old Westwater know we¡¯ve done every job in his ledger, eh?¡±
The poor girl fainted. And Orodan had to load her into the cart and perform a quick teleport back to Ogdenborough, specifically, to Westwater¡¯s shop.
¡°We¡¯re about to close!¡± the angry voice of the old man rang out from behind the front door.
Orodan opened it anyway, walking into the scene of a floor covered in scrap wood and wood shavings.
¡°Bit of a messy shop. Want a hand cleaning it?¡± Orodan asked, wheeling the cart with the apprentice in. ¡°The payments are all with her, but I think she was a little overwhelmed by what she saw.¡±
¡°At this point, I don¡¯t even care. First, I have everyone and their mother coming to me asking for more jobs, saying they demand to see my ¡®new apprentice¡¯, and then, just a while ago some raving nutter was screaming on the street corner about how the Gods¡¯ grace left his soul and that we would all die,¡± Westwater ranted.
¡°He was being a bit dramatic,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Can¡¯t say I have any interest in becoming your new apprentice though.¡±
¡°With some of the work I saw, I should be your apprentice,¡± Westwater said, frowning. ¡°What was it? A Blessing? Bloodline? Possession by a demon?¡±
¡°Neither of those. Now then, here¡¯s your ledger,¡± Orodan handed it to him, and the man practically snatched it.
Westwater opened it, reading through¡ and the man¡¯s eyes began to widen.
¡°By Halor¡ it really is true. They weren¡¯t blowing smoke up my rear when they said some mad county militia man¡¯s going around rebuilding everyone¡¯s homes and fences,¡± Westwater said, and then looked at the pouch on his apprentice¡¯s lap. ¡°All the money¡¯s here too¡ you really did clear out my ledger.¡±
¡°It was good practice.¡±
For a moment, Westwater was entirely silent.
¡°I see¡ you must be some sort of hidden prodigy. Well, I shan¡¯t question who you are or why you¡¯re doing what you do,¡± the old carpenter said. ¡°But I sense, more than money¡ you¡¯re after skills and learning, yes?¡±
¡°Quite so, glad you¡¯ve caught on quick.¡±
¡°Heh¡ I¡¯ve met wandering nutters of your sort a time or two in my long life,¡± the old man said, and then pointed to the wooden scraps all over the floor. ¡°Do you know the Recycling skill?¡±
Recycling? Orodan had heard of it a handful of times but had never bothered to learn it. From what he knew, it was mainly used by low-level crafters to save wasted material. Nothing a crafter of means or skill bothered using. Scavengers who picked battlefields and tombs dry would sometimes invest in the skill too.
Westwater was known in Ogdenborough for recycling discarded wooden waste and creating new products through it. It was one of the main reasons the poorer people in town could afford any furniture. If anyone knew the skill, of course it would be him.
¡°I do not,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°¡will you teach me?¡±
¡°I was hoping you would ask,¡± Westwater said. ¡°Come. Work with me and let¡¯s turn these useless shavings and discarded wooden detritus into something useful. Do not use that strange magical wood-binding skill of yours either.¡±
Under the old carpenter¡¯s direction, Orodan worked. He gathered the various shavings from different types of wood and labored to join them all together into a cohesive product.
¡°How do I even do this? Some of these shavings are from Apprentice-level products, some are from Adept-level material. It makes no sense,¡± Orodan said, struggling.
¡°Keep working on it, and you¡¯ll see.¡±
He really didn¡¯t.
How was this silly Recycling skill supposed to work with so many disparate objects which had no congruity? As Orodan worked, he thought about his own attacks, and how much energy he wasted. His spells, his mana, his soul energy.
Over the course of the next two hours, he finally cobbled something abysmal together. The product of a lot of adhesive, wilful thinking and stubborn insistence. Of course, he refused to use Wood Communion as the carpenter said, and he also refused to use his Celestial skill as that would be cheating.
[New Skill ¡ú Recycling 1]
¡°I have the skill, but still I do not understand how this can be congruent,¡± Orodan said.
¡°Do you not?¡± the carpenter asked and then pointed to the floor. ¡°Did you not ask me if you could lend a hand in cleaning?¡±
What did this old man mean?
As Orodan¡¯s eyes scanned the floor and saw nothing, he then finally understood what Westwater meant.
A bare floor. A new skill.
But most importantly¡
¡a perspective.
Orodan¡¯s fist clenched in elation.
¡°How¡ how did you know I would gain from this?¡±
¡°You had that dumb look on your face that all plucky prodigies do. Sometimes they can gain a lot by studying the humblest of things.¡±
The carpenter wasn¡¯t wrong. Orodan would remember this favor.
It was time to tackle the attempt at Lonvoron once more.
#
¡°So this entire time, you¡¯ve been dawdling, building silly wooden walls and cobbling garbage together while working as a carpenter?¡±
¡°There¡¯s more to it than you¡¯re making it seem. I also had to make some arrangements with a group of revolutionaries after I purged certain divine influences from Alastaia.¡±
¡°Seems no more than buffoonery to me, my ignorant student,¡± Talricto said.
Orodan sighed, used to the dimensional spider¡¯s antics by now.
¡°I hope you get eaten by something on the way to Lonvoron,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s your job, given all the attention you¡¯ve been attracting. Try not to die this time, will you?¡± Talricto asked, winking out of existence.
¡°Feh¡ I¡¯ll show that arrogant bug¡¡±
Orodan really would too. This time, he was ready.
[Teleportation 87 ¡ú Teleportation 88]
As always, the Teleportation initially felt fine, but he was beginning to pick up on the subtle tells that someone else had hijacked his spell.
¡°At last, the source of this disorder is revealed.¡±
Orodan looked directly at where the spider tried hiding. Seventy-two tries and he now knew where it stood each time.
The golden arrow of light coming his way was dissipated via a mighty Smite of Abrupt Deliverance.
[Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 79 ¡ú Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 80]
¡°Impressive, as expected of a being which can cause the tapestry to upend. Transcendent, yet capable of standing against those who have achieved Embodiment,¡± Alagameth called out.
Orodan however, was done wasting time.
A brute force teleport shot out, and he attempted to close the distance towards the spider.
Over the last seventy-two attempts, Orodan had graduated from making the spider exert itself, to forcing it to immediately use its full spatiomancy power.
¡°Tch! To think such a brutish approach could be so effective¡ where have you learned spatiomancy from?¡± the Embodiment of Space asked. ¡°Hmm, I suppose it matters not. Your techniques though powerful, are still crude and no match for my finesse.¡±
It wasn¡¯t wrong either.
Orodan had definitely come far, but he was still at least a few hundred loops away from being able to outright overpower this being whose very existence was geared towards spatiomancy. Or he would be, if he hadn¡¯t learned some new skills.
And these new skills in tandem with a particular one¡ could make Orodan Wainwright¡¯s spatiomancy very terrifying.
[Combat Mastery 107 ¡ú Combat Mastery 108]
Combat Transcendence activated.
Logistics, the humble skill which guided it all, immediately took the reins. Orodan had communicated his expectations to it ahead of time. Right when he¡¯d learned his latest skill, this was the moment it had been waiting for.
Space Mastery was the backbone, Teleportation was the offense, and Logistics brought it all together with the latest skill in his repertoire¡ Weaving.
The fine movements of the skill initially confused Orodan when he learned it. It forced him to move his fingers in novel ways. And while that was beneficial enough if applied to his physical skills, the real gain came from applying the winding and twisting concepts of weaving to the flows of his soul energy and spells.
[Space Mastery 95 ¡ú Space Mastery 96]
[Teleportation 88 ¡ú Teleportation 89]
[Logistics 25 ¡ú Logistics 26]
[Weaving 30 ¡ú Weaving 31]
His teleport shot out in a weaving pattern, efficient, possessed of far more power packed into a tighter cast, and just better. Furthermore, its casting was erratic, confusing for any opponent to read correctly, much less control!
Spiders were, however, natural weavers. And the foe he faced wasn¡¯t just any spatial spider, but an Embodiment of Space. He¡¯d faced Administrators before, but they were so far beyond him that the differences between them and Transcendents weren¡¯t obvious at a glance.
Now though, facing one that he stood a chance against, he realized that an Embodiment was a peak existence of the cosmos in its chosen skill.
Orodan¡¯s teleport, backed by his endless power clearly flummoxed the spider. However, just as he could have mid-battle breakthroughs, so could his opponents. After all, a being didn¡¯t become an Embodiment of Space by being lazy or untalented.
It lost control of his teleport, but at the very least managed to get away.
But that too was fine!
For the last skill Orodan added to the mix accounted for even the unnatural talent of his monstrous opponent.
[Recycling 1 ¡ú Recycling 5]
[Combat Mastery 108 ¡ú Combat Mastery 109]
The soul energy, the spatial ripples, the collateral destruction tearing through space as a result of his failed teleport¡ Orodan grabbed it all with Domain of Perfect Cleaning and brought it back to himself. And with it, he fired off another brute force teleport, adding the previous cast¡¯s power to it.
Alagameth¡¯s beady little eyes widened in terror as Orodan successfully managed to overpower its control over space for the first time. It tried getting away, but Orodan¡¯s left hand gripped both its front legs tightly, his raw might clearly superior to its own.
It looked ready to tear off its own limbs to escape! Unfortunately, Orodan¡¯s free hand promised only death, and as it descended towards the spatial spider¡¯s head, it looked to hit first before any escape could be made.
It would be Orodan¡¯s first kill of an Embodiment-level being. The first step towards truly facing monstrous opponents like the Administrators.
His hand descended¡
¡and the resounding echo of a well-deserved smack upon the head reverberated through the void between galaxies.
A red welt appeared where Orodan¡¯s hand connected, and he could almost see a handprint.
¡°You¡ slapped me.¡±
¡°Of course I did, who goes around pulling people from their teleports to give them a beating?¡± Orodan pointedly asked and then let go of the spider¡¯s legs. ¡°Now let¡¯s go again, that was good, but I have more to learn.¡±
¡°You actually slapped me¡¡±
¡°Repeating it over and over won¡¯t undo it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Accept it like a man and let¡¯s continue.¡±
¡°Spatial spider, not a man,¡± it said calmly, the hostility slowly vanishing from its body.
¡°Eh, semantics, accept it like a spider then, I care not. Let¡¯s resume our bout!¡±
¡°You are a mad man,¡± it declared. ¡°What is your name, mad one who shakes the web of fate? What brings you to traverse the void between galaxies when hungry predators circle about, intent on finding the source of this chaos in the tapestry?¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. I was trying to travel to Lonvoron undetected, and then you showed up ready to give me a beating. Not that I mind, as I¡¯m always down for a good brawl.¡±
¡°Lonvoron¡? Ah, right. The world so secretively guarded by that paranoid being¡¡± it muttered. ¡°A predator beyond the likes of which you can handle approaches. What will you do now, Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°Well, I was going to fight it and then after I win, find a way to travel to Lonvoron without being detected.¡±
¡°A true mad man¡ but one with a colossal fate, and a man possessed of a merciful heart.¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I am afraid, I cannot allow you to die, Orodan Wainwright,¡± the spider said. ¡°Go now, to Lonvoron.¡±
¡°I¡¯m perfectly capable of getting there mys-¡±
Any protests Orodan had were cut off. The spider must have been taking it easy on him, or he must¡¯ve gotten lucky and surprised it. The following grasp on his body via spatiomancy was monstrously powerful and sent him hurtling through the folds of space.
For an instant, he saw land. The black smoke of a gigantic metallic building, rainy streets flooding with a thunderstorm, and various metallic carriages powered by steam. And then, the sudden crash through the roof of a building.
Orodan extricated himself from the pile of rifles he fell into, only to find an amused Talricto hanging off a web from a part of the now broken roof.
¡°Despite your brutish countenance I see you¡¯ve actually managed to enter undetected,¡± Talricto said. ¡°How many loops did it take you? Thousands?¡±
¡°Not even a hundred¡ but that stupid spider¡ I didn¡¯t even ask to be sent here!¡±
He hadn¡¯t earned this damn it!
¡°Oi! Who¡¯s there?! Is that a vagabond I hear!¡±
Orodan grabbed the lanky man about to look around the corner and put a hand over his mouth.
¡°No vagabonds here¡ just a sorely disappointed man¡¡±
¡°A sorely disappointed idiot you mean. Not everything will want to kill you or even see you dead.¡±
In any case, here he was, on another world in another galaxy. He was certain he¡¯d mess it up a few times and have to loop back; he could have his fair entry then. But for now, dissatisfying and unearned as it was, he had made it to Lonvoron.
Around him, a world of steam, magic and metallic vehicles. And in his hands, all the opportunity to learn and take the first steps towards his grand ambition.
And also in his hands, a scared laborer whose mouth was still covered by Orodan¡¯s hand.
Chapter 78 - Port Bellgrave
The lanky man whose mouth Orodan had a hand upon was on the younger side, less a man and more a boy, possibly a few years younger than Orodan¡¯s own biological age. Tall for a young boy too, made it easy to mistake him for a grown man at first glance. And he looked exceedingly wary and more than a bit intimidated, his hand gripping the small gun on his belt. He was dressed in some sort of gray coat whose original color wasn¡¯t meant to be so worn. And the strings and twine were practically coming off, with plenty of patchwork quilts and repairs made throughout.
Orodan could sense a strange bit of power coursing through these patchwork bits of quilt in the boy¡¯s coat, yet for now he didn¡¯t pry. Though he couldn¡¯t help but shake the feeling that he¡¯d seen this young lad somewhere in an earlier loop of his.
And while he was merely covering the boy¡¯s mouth, it didn¡¯t help matters that Orodan¡¯s hand was the size of his head. Couldn¡¯t blame him for being intimidated.
¡°Now, I know how this must look, but I assure you we come in peace,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°You¡¯re free to go and won¡¯t be harmed.¡±
¡°If you delivered that with less of an unsettling smile on your face, it might help the matter,¡± Talricto said.
Orodan took the insincere attempt at a reassuring smile off his face, and their not-captive grumbled something inaudible.
¡°Hmm¡ maybe you should try smiling again. I forget how antagonistic your regular face is.¡±
¡°My face is not antagonistic¡¡±
And even if it was, she could blame his mother for passing it onto him.
¡°Alright, if I let go you won¡¯t scream, will you?¡± Orodan asked, and the young man, a laborer from the looks of it, shook his head in affirmation.
His hand came off, and while it would¡¯ve been comedic if the boy immediately yelled, that wasn¡¯t the case. Instead, he simply stared at Orodan for a while.
¡°Yes, yes, he¡¯s exactly as idiotic as he looks,¡± Talricto remarked. ¡°No need to stare.¡±
¡°Who the ¡®ell are you nutters?¡± the young laborer finally asked. ¡°Here I was, just wrapping up the labor they put me on, and then I hear a crash loud as thunder when the storm ain¡¯t even started! Now the roof¡¯s all broken and the foreman will have me head¡¡±
Right, the destruction of the roof was somewhat rude he supposed.
¡°Apologies, my entry was as unplanned as the destruction of your roof was,¡± Orodan said, casting a quick Time Reversal to restore it. ¡°There, all better now.¡±
The boy stared at the chronomancy for an extra second before shaking his head.
¡°Bloody mages¡ right then, off you go. Quit bugging me and let me work in peace,¡± the young man said, going back to picking up the pile of rifles Orodan had landed upon.
¡°¡that¡¯s it?¡± he asked, perplexed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to call for help or alert the guards?¡±
¡°What guards? We¡¯re in scrap town, no guards ¡®round these parts save the constables accompanying the foreman. Just poor sods like me and good-for-nothing sorts hiding from the law,¡± he replied, giving Orodan the side eye as he uttered the subtle accusation. ¡°Get going before I get caught up in yer¡¯ business.¡±
¡°That¡¯s just the thing¡ I don¡¯t think I have any business you¡¯d get caught up in.¡±
That he knew of at least. Who knew what his presence upon the tapestry of fate might bring?
¡°Well that¡¯s well and good, but I don¡¯t see why I should care. Not like this toil¡¯s going to get done any faster,¡± he said. ¡°Now leave me be. Got too many damned things to do.¡±
They were within a dilapidated building. The pipes on the walls were rusting, some were even broken and out of order entirely. Where Orodan gracefully landed was a pile of rifles on a rack which the lad was putting back into place. Simple-looking but well-made enough, capable of withstanding his fall without breaking. There was a singular window, revealing an outside landscape of rusting buildings, a depressing sight. It really was a scrap town, with the buildings made of recycled metal and cheap refuse. Absurd as it was to say, Ogdenborough looked better than this place!
It was dark out, with the beginnings of a thunderstorm brewing too.
Within the workshop, besides rifles were all manner of smaller handheld guns, larger hand cannons and spherical metallic balls with some sort of clockwork gear at the top. Orodan was fairly certain those were explosives. A forge in the corner, equipped with a variety of tools and devices, was hooked up to a set of pipes, and another forge lay defunct in the corner, connected to the broken pipes.
No spot for coal or any other fuel at all.
Orodan had been to Lonvoron before. He had an inkling what powered everything in this building.
¡°A steam-powered forge¡ an intriguing machine,¡± he remarked.
¡°What else you power a forge with? Wood? We¡¯re not in the olden days,¡± the laborer said, stacking the rifles up on the racks. ¡°You¡¯re not from around these parts are you? Hail from some backwater village in the bog islands do you?¡±
Orodan began helping him stack the rifles onto the racks. The laborer stopped to take that in for a second, nodded, and then simply carried on with his own tasks.
¡°What gave you that idea?¡± he asked.
¡°I¡¯d say them weapons you got look like they were nicked from some fancy museum; you look familiar with them though. Only bog islanders use old weapons like that. Seen those prissy military officers carry swords¡ but ain¡¯t never seen a man carry a shield before,¡± the laborer said, and then pointed to Orodan¡¯s clothes. ¡°Got some odd clothes there too. Paid to see a wandering band of starving actors wear somethin¡¯ like that once. Drunk gits weren¡¯t worth half the coin I spent that night...¡±
¡°Your clothes are of a unique sort too,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Whoever weaved them did a good job.¡±
¡°Oi! Me mum patched this coat for me!¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t being sarcastic, it really is good work. Whoever weaved it must be a fair hand at the trade, the coat¡¯s almost¡ magical.¡±
¡°N-now what gave you that nutty idea?¡± the boy asked, clearly defensive. ¡°This is a normal coat and that¡¯s that. What¡¯s your business anyhow? Not seen tunics of that style worn by any regular folk.¡±
He could keep his secrets then.
¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong, I¡¯m from another world.¡±
¡°Subtlety and stealth¡ utterly lost on you.¡±
¡°Right, and I¡¯m King of the Blackworth Collective. Now, if you¡¯re going to help, there¡¯s more to do. Grab those boxes of grenades and bring them to the back. They¡¯re getting past expiry and need to be given away to the ships of the line. Let some poor penal sod blow their hand off fighting the plague, not my concern,¡± the laborer said and then turned to Talricto. ¡°And if you¡¯re going to stand around and crowd up me workspace, you can help too. Never seen a spider that can talk¡¡±
¡°I believe I¡¯ve had just about enough of this unrefined peasant. I shall see you another time, my hardworking student,¡± Talricto said before vanishing. Orodan knew that the spider was quite capable of finding him whenever he wanted to, so he wasn¡¯t worried.
Orodan however was happy to work. He began moving boxes of the spherical balls known as grenades, and also assisted the young worker in cleaning the dirty corners of the shop.
As they continued, the boy frowned at him
¡°What do you want?¡± he asked.
¡°You¡¯re looking at it,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°Some honest labor is good for the soul.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you¡¯d actually help¡¡± he muttered. ¡°You smash into the smithy and now you want to help me? What an odd fellow you are¡¡±
¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re the odder one, just accepting my help and story without a word of complaint. Bit young to be accepting things so easily, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Grew up rough. Seen enough odd folk come around this way, plenty of ¡®em fleeing from the law. No sense in raising a fuss or questioning what¡¯s beyond my station. You didn¡¯t kill me, I¡¯m still breathing, and that means there¡¯s work to be done; foreman will give me the cane if I¡¯m not finished by the morrow,¡± the boy said. ¡°¡Fenton Penny¡¯s me name. Friends call me Fen, or little Penny.¡±
A rough upbringing. Much like Orodan¡¯s own.
¡°Orodan Wainwright,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°You can just call me Orodan.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright? You a mainlander, Mister Orodan? Never heard that name before,¡± Fenton said. ¡°Hmm, maybe you¡¯ve got some islander blood in you. Those arms are pretty solid, never seen a westerman quite so big.¡±
He dropped a stack of crates in the back gently.
¡°Are they not eating enough in the mainland?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Why would they be small?¡±
¡°That¡¯s just the issue; them mainlanders eat a little too much and do a whole lot of nothing. And they shun us islanders for our way of living,¡± Fenton said. ¡°All too happy to hire us when they need laborers and seafarers though. Fat and soft the lot of them, never known a day of honest toil in their lives.¡±
¡°You¡¯re an islander then, is that where we are?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You really aren¡¯t from around these parts, huh? Well, not my place to question what your problems are and why you¡¯re here,¡± Fenton muttered. ¡°I won¡¯t ask where you came from, but you¡¯re in Port Bellgrave now, part of the Ironhaven Isles. Lady luck must like you though, landing smack dab in the middle of scrap town. Not even the hired guns like coming about here, and the royals certainly don¡¯t like sending their navy ¡®round these choppy waters. Long as the islands pay their tithe to help the Collective¡¯s war machine, they leave us alone and stay in that posh fort of theirs. Whoever¡¯s after you might have a hard time finding you here.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll see how long that lasts,¡± Orodan said, recalling that the entire tapestry of fate was in utter flux thanks to him.
¡°There isn¡¯t much for someone like you in town. Bellgrave¡¯s got little besides mercenary ships, passing merchants running deliveries, some soldiers guarding the fort and gunsmithies crewed by feckless idiots like me who signed their lives away,¡± Fenton explained. ¡°As you can see, this here¡¯s some rough work, and I¡¯d best meet my quota or else.¡±
¡°Rough work? All we¡¯ve done is lift crates and assort things so far. Where¡¯s the hard labor in that?¡± Orodan questioned.
¡°You haven¡¯t seen nothin¡¯ yet Mister Orodan. Still got to scrub the pipes and clean the forge, and then, got to prepare the ingots so that the gunsmith can work uninterrupted,¡± Fenton Penny explained. ¡°If you help scrub the pipes, I can get started on smelting the ingots.¡±
¡°Shamelessly asking me for help now, are you?¡±
¡°If you¡¯re going to loiter about like a vagrant, you might as well make yourself useful.¡±
Fair enough, straight to business then. The boy had an industrious nature and a no-nonsense attitude; Orodan took a liking to him.
Orodan began scrubbing the pipes. With his physical strength though, it was a trivial task. And soon enough he wordlessly stood next to Fenton, helping dump ore into the steam-powered kiln.
¡°Damn¡ what do they feed you? The whole farm? I suppose those muscles are good for something,¡± Fenton said. ¡°Might actually finish ahead of time too.¡±
¡°You said you signed your life away; what did you mean by that?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°A contract of service?¡±
¡°Contract of service? You must come from someplace nice wanderer, take me and me mum back there with you,¡± Fenton said with a bitter laugh lacking all warmth. ¡°Nay, I¡¯m one of them folk who the haughty and well-dressed genteels in the fort won¡¯t look at, an indentured servant. Signed a dotted line the moment they considered me grown, all so I could save my ailing mother¡¯s life. Turns out the medicine they gave her only relieves the symptoms, won¡¯t cure the disease. Now I¡¯m stuck doing this drudgery; the medicine¡¯s keeping her alive and I can¡¯t leave either.¡±
Orodan frowned.
¡°You¡¯re being forced to work?¡± he asked. ¡°Let me have a word with this foreman of yours¡¡±
¡°No, none of that nonsense. Next thing the soldiers from the fort will get involved, the chaos will delay me mum getting her dose, and they¡¯ll send a whole bunch of those big ones against you,¡± Fenton spat. ¡°Seen a mercenary captain and his crew take on a steam knight once. Poor buggers didn¡¯t last more than three seconds ¡®fore they were carved apart. I don¡¯t want you getting into trouble on my behalf.¡±
Thing was¡ Orodan enjoyed getting into trouble.
Still, for now he shelved the conversation and simply worked.
[Smelting 6 ¡ú Smelting 7]
The steam-powered kiln was an interesting device. It certainly melted the ore down faster and more efficiently than any regular non-enchanted kiln he¡¯d seen on Alastaia. Just looking at it gave Orodan some ideas about how heat could affect metal. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t regular steam¡ but magical.
¡°Nice kiln¡ used wood and coal-fired ones before, not steam though,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any enchantments on the device, just the main pipeline supplying the steam.¡±
¡°Enchantments? Have you seen where we are? You think anything in this shanty town is enchanted?¡± Fenton asked pointedly. ¡°The steam¡¯s got some magical power to it though, comes straight from the main pipeline and boiler of the fort.¡±
Considering Orodan could sense the clear enchantments upon the gun Fenton had holstered, he would have to doubt the claim that there was nothing enchanted around here.
¡°I can see that¡ no wonder it stays hot despite the distance¡¡±
It was an entirely new device he was viewing. Yes, he¡¯d seen the weapons and war machines of Lonvoron before but hadn¡¯t actually considered how the technology worked; mainly because he didn¡¯t have the Engineering and Artificing skills or the correct perspective at the time, nor did he have the leisure time to focus on crafts. Now though, looking at the steam, and the pipes, he could only respect the civilization of the Blackworth Collective.
On Alastaia, heating was done via firewood or coal and handled by the individual household. At most, a higher-end building might have magical heating which was done via enchantments, with the power perhaps drawing from a mana battery. Here, most of the shanty buildings had some sort of steam pipe connecting to them. Funnelling a substance through pipes while retaining its energy was hard work, and to then have pipes running to each building? A true engineering feat he had to respect.
Based off the temperature of natural steam, Orodan felt it could perhaps remain hot for a good mile if traveling down a pipe. And even then, off the top of his head there were so many factors to consider such as ensuring there was no pressure loss, the inevitable condensation build up, perhaps even the formation of sediment which would impede the pipes due to the natural dissolving of solids in the water.
Though, the fort in the distance which was at least fifteen miles away, had to use some sort of magical method to ensure the steam remained hot over great distances. It was impressive.
Their work continued, with Orodan gaining two more levels in Smelting by the time all the ingots were prepared.
¡°They build you island men different huh? Mum says I¡¯ll grow big too¡ maybe not as much as you though,¡± Fenton muttered. ¡°We finished ahead of time. Don¡¯t know what to do with myself now...¡±
¡°How about we fix this place up a bit then?¡± Orodan suggested. ¡°Maybe we can do something about these broken pipes and that non-functional forge?¡±
¡°Well bugger¡ wish I could, but I don¡¯t know the regular way of going about repairin¡¯ the pipes and casting the right alloy for them. Even though I¡¯m a quick study, the gunsmith¡¯s not too keen on teaching me welding or casting until I¡¯ve got a year on the job,¡± Fenton said. ¡°Also got to consider that steam¡¯s some strong stuff. Pipes which aren¡¯t treated for it will get chewed right through.¡±
¡°I think I could take a shot at it. The pipes are broken already, so what¡¯s the worst we can do?¡± Orodan asked.
He was a decent enough blacksmith and had passable knowledge of working with metal by now. Creating an alloy wasn¡¯t a hard task when example of it were laying all about the smithy.
Fenton didn¡¯t seem to disagree either. The work they¡¯d done together thus far had established a bit of good will with the young man.
¡°Hmm¡ I suppose the gunsmith won¡¯t notice if a bit of ore¡¯s skimmed off the supply. Especially if her old forge is working again.¡±
Orodan drew some ore from the crates and put it into the kiln. A Draconic Fireball then formed in his hand as he heated the rock down into usable metal.
¡°You¡¯re a pyromancer too? Why didn¡¯t you do that earlier then?!¡±
¡°And devalue the honest labor you were putting in?¡± Orodan asked with a smirk. ¡°I think not.¡±
How else would the youth learn without the joy of hard work? It built character.
Fenton grumbled a bit but shut his mouth as Orodan cast the metal into the exact specifications of the pipes he needed to repair.
¡°Yer¡¯ a blacksmith too? Rather multi-talented for a wanderer¡ your sort¡¯s usually good for killin¡¯ and not much else.¡±
¡°A warrior must keep their mind and body balanced. Swinging a sword is pointless if the mind of the one wielding it is weak.¡±
¡°A warrior? You with the crown¡¯s army then?¡± Fenton asked. ¡°Always wanted to join the army¡¯s engineering college¡¡±
¡°No crown in my home nation. We¡¯re a Republic where I come from,¡± Orodan clarified.
¡°A Republic? Sounds like a load of bollocks to me¡ unless¡ you really are one of those travellers from other worlds?¡±
Orodan simply smiled, and Fenton remained quiet for a while after that. Perhaps the thought of a functional Republic was simply too diabolical for Fenton, and the lad finally believed Orodan¡¯s claims of being from another world.
He finished the steel by giving it a little coat via heating the metal to high temperature and funnelling steam directly inside as well. The resultant reaction gave the pipe parts a protective coat, helpful against steam and corrosion.
¡°The pipes are ready to be attached, but you say this magical steam¡¯s rather corrosive?¡± Orodan asked and Fenton nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think the coating process will be enough then.¡±
It might¡¯ve been good enough for natural steam, but this magical steam the people of Lonvoron used was a notch hotter.
¡°Right, some fine steel you¡¯ve made but it won¡¯t hold up once the valve¡¯s turned. I think the gunsmith¡¯s got a bit of solution for treating the metal- oi! What¡¯re you doing over there?!¡±
Orodan¡¯s hand turned the valve. It was rusty and practically stuck in place from being unused for so long, but his hand caused it to move with a horrible screech. And with that groan of metal, the hissing of magically hot steam erupted¡
¡right into Orodan¡¯s waiting hand.
¡°Hmm, rather potent stuff. I can see how everything might be powered by this.¡±
Definitely hotter than regular steam.
¡°You¡¯ll burn your hand! You¡ eh?¡± Fenton stopped his protests, noticing how Orodan was fine. ¡°You one of them steam mages now too? What can¡¯t you do?¡±
¡°No, not a steam mage. This temperature simply isn¡¯t enough to scorch me,¡± Orodan said, gauging exactly how hot the steam was and then shutting the valve off. Though steam magic did seem interesting. ¡°Any alchemical supplies around here?¡±
The boy had a hard time believing Orodan was unscorched, but the question snapped him out of it.
¡°We¡¯re in a shanty little gunsmithy¡ of course we have no alchemical supplies,¡± Fenton answered. ¡°All we got is some of the solution the smith uses to coat the pipes sometimes. Usually, one of them engineers with their tall hats is scheduled to come by and do it, but been a while since the one in the fort hasn¡¯t been busy.¡±
Orodan took the solution from Fenton¡¯s hand and closely examined it.
Identify was used.
[Name: Bottle of Mineral Coating Solution
Description: A bottle of solution used to coat metals for proofing against rust and corrosion. Ninety-percent purity
Tier: Initiate]
What in the seven hells was this garbage?
¡°Who sold you this? In the context of an Initiate-level solution, ninety-percent purity is pathetic,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This is obviously diluted too¡¡±
He could see the ingredients clearly enough. Mineral oils for protection, a substance to aid the solution in sticking to the pipe and another ingredient to prevent the solution drying and forming lumps too quickly. Still, it was cheap and shoddy work, likely produced en masse focusing on quantity over quality.
Little wonder there were so many empty bottles of the solution lying about the shop. A good protective solution would last a longer time. Yet, this shoddy protective substance wore out and needed to be replaced frequently. Must¡¯ve been what caused the other forge to become defunct too. He could imagine a steam pipe exploding easily enough if the inner protective coating eroded.
¡°Not many options in Port Bellgrave. There¡¯s two alchemists in town, and one of them¡¯s holed up in the fort doing who knows what,¡± Fenton said. ¡°Our alchemic products come from the foreman, Elwin Clemmings; he imports the solution cheaply from a merchant who sells in bulk. Moneygrubbing shark would sell his own kin if it got him a good deal.¡±
And the merchant selling the shoddy solution must¡¯ve sold it so cheap for a reason. In any case, a problem which was easily solved as Orodan had now managed to understand how this substance worked. While he wasn¡¯t a prodigy by any means, his Alchemy skill was on the cusp of the Elite-level.
¡°Got any plants around here? Or wood?¡± Orodan asked, stepping just outside the workshop and into the shanty town.
It was nighttime, the moon was completely obscured by the heavy clouds overhead, and those too were beginning to weep, causing the cheap metallic roof of the workshop to echo with the pitter-patter of rainfall. To the naked eye, Port Bellgrave¡¯s scrap town was quite dark. The veil of night illuminated only by flickering lanterns hanging outside the occasional shack.
Vision of Purity let him see the entire picture, but even then, most people were asleep or cooking humble fare within their homes. A scant few like Fenton though, were toiling away through the night.
There really wasn¡¯t much vegetation upon the rocky ground outside. This place was quite barren, and it didn¡¯t look like Port Bellgrave would be having a strong farming economy anytime soon. Still, there were some lichens and short grasses growing even upon such tough rock, and Orodan yanked these up along with the few twigs, branches and other bits of wood he could find. There was a halfway decent tree nearby, and Orodan uprooted that too, bringing it back and throwing it upon the shop floor.
He took one of the ore chunks and used his Celestial skill to draw out the trace minerals that he would need from the rock. Following this, he made a set of vats via Earthen Construct and began the process of extracting the oils from the plants and the sticky resin from the wood.
Once all the materials were prepared, he then began the process of mixing the minerals with the extracted oils and sticky resin from the wood.
¡°By King Alstatyn¡¯s shiny boot¡ what craft don¡¯t you know, Mister Orodan? You really don¡¯t strike me as one of them greasy nutcases who works with potions, you look too er¡ sane, for that.¡±
He ignored Zaessythra¡¯s snide remarks about his sanity.
¡°It¡¯s nothing special; the solution is just mineral oil with an agent to help it flow easy and not clump together. The resin is to help it stick to the inside of the pipes,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°I don¡¯t have any particular proclivity for Alchemy; any third-rate alchemist from my world should be capable of this.¡±
Fenton looked on, interest obvious, as Orodan finished up with the large vat of solution. Throughout it all, he made sure to keep all the ingredients utterly clean. He then prepared one of the used bottles scattered about and filled it with his own product.
[Identify 5 ¡ú Identify 6]
[Name: Bottle of Mineral Coating Solution
Description: A bottle of solution used to coat metals for proofing against rust and corrosion. One-hundred percent purity
Tier: Apprentice]
Sometimes hundred-percent purity caused an item to jump a tier, other times it would leap two. It all depended on the product itself. For something which didn¡¯t have any magical amplification to it, a tier increase was the best it could hope for.
Empowering it with too much mana might cause the pipes to explode too, thus, sometimes mundane methods were the sort best suited to a task.
¡°Damn¡ this stuff looks a lot stronger than whatever greedy Clemmings buys,¡± Fenton said, a frown on his face. ¡°Something tells me he won¡¯t be happy about you undercutting him.¡±
¡°He won¡¯t be happy about a lot of things today,¡± Orodan said ominously.
Before his new friend could ask what he meant by that, Orodan began attaching the pieces of pipe he¡¯d made to the existing broken ones. A swift cast of Candleflame got the new product and the old hot enough to weld together at the right points. And then, he picked the giant vat of coating solution up.
¡°The maintenance hatch is at the top of¡¡± Fenton¡¯s words were cut off as Orodan threw the liquid up the pipe, a cast of Galewind following behind it, guiding it along to coat the insides thoroughly. ¡°¡that works too I suppose.¡±
[Galewind 28 ¡ú Galewind 29]
Throwing the solution up the pipes and then guiding it via Galewind was good training. It got Orodan idly wondering if there were any more broken pipes around the place.
Unfortunately, there was only one more shattered pipe, and his toss of solution upwards and the subsequent cast of Galewind didn¡¯t net him any level gain for it.
The pipe was now done, Orodan simply hooked it up to the receiving port on the defunct steam forge. And with a twist, the valve was turned on once more.
Vision of Purity watched closely as the magical steam began flowing down the pipe. He estimated that his own coating would last perhaps six months before needing re-application. A significant improvement over the bi-weekly applications of solution needed when using this Elwin Clemmings¡¯ shoddy product.
With a sputter of magical steam, the other forge in the shop roared to life.
¡°There, it should be working now. Two forges instead of one,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°I refuse to be surprised anymore, Mister Orodan¡ you¡¯re just showing off one trade after another, like them wanderin¡¯ parlor magicians pulling rabbits out of their hats,¡± Fenton muttered. ¡°You some sort of master tradesman from your world? Which one you from anyways? Can¡¯t be any in our local star system, never heard of folk wearing clothes and weapons like yours from nearby.¡±
¡°As I said I¡¯m a warrior. Though, picking up a trade or two helps center the mind, and who knows what you might tangentially learn that helps in the midst of battle,¡± Orodan said, thinking of how Weaving and Recycling helped him quite a bit recently.
¡°If you¡¯re that good a hand at being an artisan, then I hope not to see what you¡¯re like when in a brawl.¡±
¡°It¡¯s simply a matter of time and dedication,¡± Orodan encouraged. ¡°You mentioned other worlds though? Are otherworlders a common sight?¡±
¡°In the mainland and their fancy capital maybe; certainly not for a destitute rube like me to behold,¡± Fenton said. ¡°I know you said it enough times¡ but are you really not from Lonvoron?¡±
¡°I really am not.¡±
¡°Well, damn¡ who would¡¯ve thought poor little Penny would get to see a traveller of the stars. What¡¯s it like out there? Are those bright flashes in the night really ships of the void like the blue bloods claim?¡± Fenton asked.
¡°I haven¡¯t been around these parts much, but I have seen the Blackworth Collective¡¯s void craft in battle, let me tell you about them¡¡±
And while Orodan finished repairing the other pipes, fixing the heater and a device meant for welding, they spoke. He told young and wide-eyed Fenton about the worlds outside Lonvoron, and in turn he too learned about Port Bellgrave and the Ironhaven Isles.
For starters, Port Bellgrave was both the name of this settlement, and the small island they were upon. It was part of the island chain known as the Ironhaven Isles. In the distant past, the territory of privateers and pirates. In the current day, a set of islands with a bountiful mining economy which fuelled the war machine of the Collective.
The island was tiny enough that the locals hadn¡¯t bothered having a separate name for it, instead opting to simply call it Port Bellgrave. The port town proper was in the center, with a military fort overlooking everything from the high ground on the north end of the island. Scrap town, which was a shanty assortment of cheap buildings for housing the indentured servants, was on the south end near the mines.
If anything, Fenton was lucky, to have enough talent in gunsmithing and a good enough head on his shoulders that the foreman had handpicked him for service in the gunsmithy. Other unfortunate folks caught up in the chains of indentured servitude, the unskilled sort, were sent to the mines for hard labor.
The overseers kept those poor folk fed and healthy enough, and the System¡¯s existence meant that the acquisition of enough levels to eventually get out by proving their usefulness was a possibility¡ but a lot of the miners died to subterranean monsters before they could do any of that. It was gruelling and dangerous work, and Fenton was glad to not be stuck doing that.
And above all else, as Orodan had seen the last time he was here¡ Lonvoron was a world under siege by the Eldritch. Three entire plague worlds to be exact. Alas, that battle was far away from Port Bellgrave. The front lines and the perimeter established by the Collective¡¯s military was for now holding against the Eldritch. But that didn¡¯t mean the war for existential survival wasn¡¯t felt everywhere.
The average man like Fenton Penny knew not what the Eldritch truly was. His only experience being the rare visit by inquisitors from the crown, doing inspections with strange devices which tested ¡®corruption¡¯. To them, the Collective¡¯s military was battling to stop ¡®the plague¡¯ far away from here, and every city, town, village and port on Lonvoron had to contribute their due.
Whether it was through mining ore in hazardous conditions or helping make guns and other weapons to send off to the front lines¡ all had to contribute.
¡°What a day¡ I can scarcely believe everything you¡¯ve told me. Other galaxies? Crystals the size of star systems out to kill you? Sounds loony enough to make an honest man go mental. Are all otherworlders like you?¡± Fenton asked.
¡°Not many, I suspect.¡±
¡°I suppose I¡¯ll take your word for it then. Most wanderers ¡®round Port Bellgrave are usually fugitives fleeing the long arm of the law. Draft-dodgers, thieves and murderers; rough characters best avoided,¡± Fenton said. ¡°An actual otherworlder here? First time I ever seen somethin¡¯ like this. The stories make you lot out to be larger-than-life, more like the big-headed highborns in the fort than us little folk. You don¡¯t look like such a bad sort though.¡±
¡°Heh! Well I¡¯m the farthest thing from a noble,¡± Orodan said with a chuckle. ¡°I grew up a street rat and an orphan in my world. We¡¯re not too dissimilar, you and I, had a hard life much like you.¡±
¡°Well, can¡¯t say I grew up a street rat or an orphan¡ but my old man promised he¡¯d come back and take us someplace better one day¡ that was over a decade ago before my mother¡¯s sickness really set in,¡± Fenton said.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Do you know how and where he died?¡±
¡°That¡¯s just the thing¡ I don¡¯t know if he even passed. Went out to serve on the front lines of the dead zone and never been back since,¡± Fenton explained and then shook his head. ¡°But that¡¯s enough about my woes. What¡¯re you after on our plague-stricken world? Mind you, I¡¯m glad we met, but you otherworlders usually congregate at the capital and meet with the King. Though, I could¡¯ve swore I heard some ship captain say they closed the travel between worlds recently¡¡±
¡°How recently?¡±
¡°A day ago, I think. Was big news when certain imports couldn¡¯t reach the capital because of that.¡±
In other words, at the beginning of his loop. The previous looper had likely noticed either the tapestry¡¯s sudden mess, or something about the start of the loops themselves. Not surprising, given how the Boundless One at the heart of the System must¡¯ve been thrashing about, panicked at losing control over the time loop. And the shadowy power behind Lonvoron was already dealing with the Prophet and the Eldritch, seeing this additional chaos must¡¯ve spooked them further.
¡°Such a shame then, that the wealthy folk of the capital aren¡¯t getting their exotic resources from other worlds,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°I won¡¯t be sheddin¡¯ no tears over them blue bloods of the mainland, but it does beg the question of how you got here if they shut down the arrays,¡± Fenton said. ¡°I won¡¯t have to look forward to a fleet from the crown showin¡¯ up here will I? That¡¯s a load of trouble, which means medicine doses and payments gettin¡¯ delayed.¡±
¡°In truth, I know not whether my entry was detected, so I can¡¯t promise a fleet or two won¡¯t show up looking for me,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m not about to drag anyone else into my fights if they do. So you can rest easy.¡±
¡°The mess will affect us whether we want it or not,¡± he replied and then sighed. ¡°Not like I can do nothin¡¯ about it anyway.¡±
¡°While I have a penchant for causing a mess, I hope to avoid that this time,¡± Orodan stated. Hoped to avoid much of a mess at least. ¡°Me landing here was quite fortuitous I must say.¡±
¡°What do you mean, Mister Orodan?¡±
¡°Not only did I land someplace with the least amount of monitoring, but I also happened to land right in a gunsmith¡¯s workshop. Good place to pick up a trick or two. That spider must¡¯ve known what it was doing when it threw me down here¡¡± Orodan muttered and then looked at Fenton. ¡°You¡¯re a gunsmith, right?¡±
¡°Er¡ I¡¯m assistant to a gunsmith. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m a proper gunsmith meself,¡± Fenton corrected. ¡°You want to learn how to make guns? Afraid I can¡¯t openly be seen helping you with that¡ foreman¡¯s real particular about who comes into scrap town. Been that way since a few too many rough characters slippin¡¯ the law tried sheltering here,¡± Fenton said. ¡°Nothin¡¯ personal Mister Orodan, but if somebody sees you with me I¡¯ll have to cry shark and say I had naught to do with you.¡±
¡°No offense taken. Do what you have to do. Is this foreman coming by anytime soon?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Aye, he¡¯s due to visit within the hour. Listen¡ you seem to be a good fellow, and I¡¯d rather not see you stir the hornet¡¯s nest and rouse the ire of the fort,¡± Fenton said. ¡°Mother and I live a block down; the sun¡¯s due to come up soon and it¡¯s change of shift for the watch then. My home¡¯s got three withered shrubs in front of it, and an old woman inside. Tell my mum that Fen sent you.¡±
Orodan¡¯s eyes softened.
¡°You just met me and you¡¯re agreeing to harbor me? Why put yourself and your mother at risk?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Well¡ been a real long time since anyone¡¯s done Fenton Penny a good turn,¡± the young man said, looking away. ¡°Can¡¯t let a gent like you be clapped in irons by the watch and thrown into a pit in the fort.¡±
¡°The offer is appreciated, truly it is. But that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I intend to meet with the foreman anyways. Now then, you say I¡¯ve done you a good turn? Wouldn¡¯t mind you showing me some of these guns you work on before the man gets here.¡±
Fenton tried protesting that. Not the part about showing Orodan guns, but about him meeting the foreman. The gunsmith assistant swore up and down that nothing good would come of it but eventually relented and seemed to wash his hands of the matter.
Thus, the lad started showing him the weapons used on Lonvoron.
And immediately, Orodan noticed the first glaring difference. He¡¯d seen it before, yes, but at the time he hadn¡¯t had the skill to appreciate the technological contrast.
¡°These are powered by steam¡¡± Orodan muttered, looking at a firearm which was markedly different from the designs he was familiar with upon Alastaia. ¡°How does the gun survive magical steam of that power? The metal isn¡¯t insulated either¡¡±
For starters, the drum to the right of the rifle seemed to be a storage for steam. Something a black powder firearm didn¡¯t have. And the majority of the gun was made of metal, with only a basic lining of wooden insulation on the grip. Great swathes of the metal were plain and smooth too, these spots, Orodan surmised, were meant to be enchanted.
There were clockwork gears at certain points, meant to move valves and allow entry of steam into the barrel for propelling the shot. Aesthetically, it looked quite clock-themed with all the gears and cogs.
¡°Of course it¡¯s powered by steam, what else would we use? Heard stories about how the old guns and cannons of yore would use black powder, but we moved past that long ago. Way too many steam mages and enchanters around nowadays to not use the stuff,¡± Fenton explained. ¡°As for this gun surviving the steam, it won¡¯t.¡±
¡°Then¡ it¡¯s incomplete. Meant to be enchanted?¡±
¡°Good eye, right you are. It¡¯s not done yet, meant to be shipped to the fort where their enchanters will put the finishing touches on it. You didn¡¯t think they let us little folk have the completed weapons, did you?¡± Fenton asked sarcastically. ¡°No¡ for us, we¡¯ll be lucky to get a little eight-shooter like the one I have. Made it myself!¡±
Fenton seemed quite proud of that too.
¡°You¡¯re an enchanter as well?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°How are you stuck here?¡±
¡°N-not so loud! Don¡¯t let anyone in town hear you say that! They¡¯ll send me off to the fort if they hear,¡± Fenton hissed. ¡°I picked it up from lookin¡¯ at the weapons of the hired guns they have guarding the mine.¡±
What ridiculous talent was that? Most people learned enchanting through a regular education; Orodan certainly had. Hells, it would be remarkable if someone learned it from watching an enchanter work. But Fenton just picked it up by closely looking at enchanted guns?
¡°How long have you been Enchanting for?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Er¡ maybe a few months? Only cracked the Elite-level recently¡¡± Fenton muttered
Utterly absurd¡ a reminder that the cosmos was big and Orodan Wainwright wasn¡¯t the only one talented in things. Fenton Penny was a true monster of Enchanting with a learning speed which was beyond Orodan¡¯s own. Elite-level in months? Nobody he¡¯d seen on Alastaia could match that. Now this was true talent.
On his home world the young man would¡¯ve been kidnapped and developed into a national asset rather quickly.
¡°Any other work of yours that you¡¯ve done?¡± Orodan asked, prompting the boy to nod and go to the back room, bringing something out from a cubby hole.
It was an enchanted armor plate, and Fenton looked quite proud of it too.
¡°An inscription of explosion? Quite well-made, but better suited to a weapon or projectile, is it not?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Directional explosion too? Can¡¯t see the purpose of this on armor unless¡¡±
¡°Right you are, ser, but imagine a rough blow hitting this piece and the plate exploding outwards! Spent a whole month workin¡¯ on this design!¡±
Suddenly, a memory came unbidden to him.
¡°Defense, achieved through offense. I concur,¡± Orodan said as he examined the enchantment closely with Vision of Purity. He wasn¡¯t as good an enchanter as this young boy, but he could perhaps provide a fine eye where this boy hadn¡¯t looked. ¡°The incoming warhammer which is simply taken directly on the shield will break the shoulder¡ yet when the shield is angled and swung outwards to meet the strike¡ the attack is prevented. In line with this philosophy, one can also apply this to armor. In fact¡ the only thing wrong with your design is the purity.¡±
Orodan now recalled where he¡¯d seen Fenton before. In the long loop where he¡¯d travelled to Lonvoron for the first time. And as Orodan considered the boy¡¯s story of an ailing mother, a frown appeared on his face. He surmised how the young boy might come to be pressed into military service in roughly a few months¡¯ time.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°What¡¯s that mister Orodan?¡±
¡°It won¡¯t happen again if I can help it,¡± Orodan promised.
¡°What won¡¯t?¡±
¡°Nothing, don¡¯t worry about it. Now then, it¡¯s plain to see that you¡¯re a true genius. If your mother¡¯s sick, why are you not revealing your skill? This world is different to my own, but an Elite-level enchanter must be a valued commodity, no?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°The curing of your mother¡¯s disease would be a small price to pay if it meant securing you.¡±
¡°Thing is Mister Orodan, I want to¡ I really do¡ but my mum won¡¯t let me.¡±
¡°¡why?¡±
¡°Us indentured servants are bound by contract to be assigned as the contract owner sees fit. My post at the gunsmithy? The result of me showing too much of a knack for this line of work. And if I showed them I can enchant? I¡¯ll be sent to the fort and forced to apprentice under their Master enchanter and maybe even pressed into service. Easier work and far less rough labor,¡± Fenton said. ¡°And while that doesn¡¯t sound bad at a glance, the issue is that whatever I make will be crown property, with barely a pittance entering my own pocket. Long as my mum¡¯s taken care of, money¡¯s not what I¡¯m after; I want to do it. But my mother insists my ambitions be higher than that. Demanding woman wants me to hide my love for enchanting until the contract¡¯s paid off, and then I can start my own trade in a city.¡±
Orodan supposed that would be the winning long-term strategy. Of course, having met his own mother recently, he could understand how no son would want to see their mother suffer, even if she insisted upon it, for long-term gain.
¡°A tough quandary,¡± Orodan said, making a note to resolve the matter for him. ¡°Back to the gun though¡ even with enchantments, does the wooden insulation not burn up? All that magically hot steam can¡¯t be good if it leaks or gets hit in the middle of combat.¡±
¡°Heh¡ you¡¯re a funny one Mister Orodan. The well-crafted gear made with good materials and safeguards ain¡¯t meant for us little folk or the chaff soldiers of the line. Enough cases of steam scalding to keep the healers employed, and most of the soldiers comin¡¯ back with the scars don¡¯t got enough coin to heal them properly either,¡± Fenton explained. ¡°This here¡¯s what we got. It¡¯s what the soldiers of the line use on the front lines and they¡¯ll have to make do with it. Twelve-shot, lever-action, steam-powered magazine. Pinnacle of lethality; usually fatal for all but the biggest game¡ and if unlucky, sometimes the soldier too.¡±
Lever-action?
The guns he designed were single-shot, with a reload of perhaps a few seconds in-between depending on the skill of the gunner. And while he knew that the dwarves of Alastaia had repeating rifles, he¡¯d never really perused any of their rifles after acquiring his Gunsmithing and Engineering skills.
Over the next thirty minutes, Orodan carefully studied all the guns Fenton showed him. Provided the barrel of the gun could tolerate the stress, a repeating firearm was a great improvement over any single-shot design. As he studied the weapons he discussed their designs with Fenton, and he came to learn that the assistant gunsmith was quite the talented man when it came to firearms design.
If anything, this predatory contract of service seemed a waste of the young man¡¯s talents. Fenton was a wellspring of innovative ideas, and the boy possessed a natural knack for Engineering and creative ideas involving firearms. Orodan was certain he would do quite well at Bluefire in Alastaia if given the opportunity.
And by quite well, he meant getting kidnapped and pressed into service for his ridiculous talents.
¡°You know, for a lad stuck as an indentured servant you¡¯re quite knowledgeable about guns. Where¡¯d you learn all this?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Eh¡ you pick up a trick or two when you take the things apart enough times. Always wanted to apply for one of the colleges of military engineering and artificing,¡± Fenton said and then sighed. ¡°But I suppose life and me mum¡¯s sickness got in the way.¡±
Orodan said nothing else after that.
Soon after, he sensed three figures approaching despite the thunderstorm. The sun was up now, yet it did little to detract from the gloomy atmosphere outside.
¡°Three men approaching. Two of them armed with guns, and the third who looks like he eats a bit much without any corresponding exercise.¡±
Being girthy but strong was one thing, it meant one at least put in the work to hone their might. But being flabby and weak was another. This foreman seemed to be of the latter sort.
¡°Damn¡ you should really get goin¡¯ before the foreman shows up Mister Orodan,¡± Fenton said. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you can handle that blade, but they¡¯ll sound the alarm and soon the entire watch and the fort¡¯s soldiers will come running. And have I told you about those dreadful steam knights? Ain¡¯t ever seen a man stand against one of those.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright Fenton,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
The boy wanted to protest, but the opportunity for that was taken from him as three figures entered the workshop.
Two of them, rough-looking men in long dark coats and small hats. They looked to be the equivalent of the county militia back home. If anything, Orodan would favor any man or woman of the militia over these two in a brawl. Perhaps it was the over-reliance on firearms, or it was that a culture which focused on them would be less proficient in physicality than his own where melee combat and one¡¯s bodily might was quite important. Whatever it was, they, like the people he¡¯d seen on Lonvoron thus far, were smaller in stature and built less sturdy than his own people of Alastaia.
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The third, a greasy-looking man with a perpetual sneer on his face and a patchy mustache on his lip.
Upon the sight of Orodan, the two men, bodyguards of a sort, became wary and their hands reached for their waists to the handheld guns therein.
¡°Who the bloody hell are you? Fenton! Who¡¯s this man?¡± the greasy foreman demanded.
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know Mister Elwin! Just waltzed in and surprised me much as he did you ser!¡±
¡°You must be Elwin Clemmings,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°You the foreman here?¡±
¡°I am, what of it? I don¡¯t know who you are though. Unauthorized persons and individuals of unknown identity aren¡¯t allowed ¡®round these premises. These dwellings are property of the crown,¡± the foreman said, face red and spittle flying out. The man vaguely reminded him of Sergeant Woodgard.
The senior of the two watchmen stepped forth, looking exceedingly wary of Orodan, who towered over everyone present. A singular spectacle upon the watchman¡¯s left eye, briefly shone and Orodan felt the Observe skill shooting out from there.
¡°Right, don¡¯t know where you stole that sword and shield from, but tomb robbers aren¡¯t welcome in Port Bellgrave,¡± the senior watchman said, hand still on his gun. ¡°An apprentice¡ wainwright?¡±
¡°¡ser?¡± the other watchman asked. ¡°What¡¯s the monocle say?¡±
¡°An Apprentice Wainwright and a Weaver? I didn¡¯t know Wainwrights even had titles¡¡± the watchman muttered.
¡°Why aren¡¯t we arresting him ser? This man¡¯s clearly violating the law.¡±
¡°Hold your engines boy, let¡¯s not be hasty. Man has a dangerous bearing to him¡¡± the older watchman murmured. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know who you are ser, but you¡¯re violating the laws of the Blackworth Collective and his Majesty by remaining here. Collective law, article twelve, subsection nine also makes it illegal to obscure, misrepresent or otherwise hide your Status from all lawful officers of the peace within crown domain. Please come with us that we might sort the matter out peacefully.¡±
The watchmen looked as though they wanted to arrest him, but the senior of the two was exceedingly wary of Orodan. He¡¯d sized him up, head-to-toe, and must not have liked his chances from what he saw. A fair assessment, given how Orodan stood two heads taller and was more than twice as wide and made of muscle.
¡°It seems we¡¯re at an impasse then, for I have no intentions of going along with you. I do have some questions for this man though,¡± Orodan said, looking at Elwin Clemmings, the foreman. ¡°This ¡®indentured servitude¡¯ I hear about, why can¡¯t Fenton here leave it?¡±
Poor Fenton looked caught between a rock and a hard place as Orodan¡¯s question revealed that they¡¯d been talking. And the boy looked ready to wither and die under the glare of this arrogant foreman.
¡°Unfamiliar with our practices huh? Some backwater bog islander are you?¡± Elwin snidely asked. ¡°Don¡¯t see how it¡¯s any business of yours what we rightfully do under the rule of law. Little Penny here signed the dotted line, not like we chained him up and forced him to work, not like the criminals. His old woman gets regular doses of some expensive tonic, and he works with the gunsmith. A fair trade we¡¯ve all agreed to.¡±
¡°And the workers in the mines? What about them?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine any of them willingly submitted to being sent down into tunnels rife with monsters.¡±
¡°Now listen here you oversized lug, per the crown¡¯s decree nobody can be forced into indentured servitude save criminals and those who agree to it. They had debts, and they¡¯re paying them off. Simple as,¡± the foreman angrily said. ¡°Now you¡¯ve caused enough of a disturbance and are in a restricted area. Constable Elridge, might the watch do its duty?¡±
The senior watchman was nervous. Even a slow forward step by Orodan caused the man to whip his handheld firearm out towards him. The man was quick, whatever gun skill he had must¡¯ve been Elite-level at least.
Fast, but not faster than Orodan¡¯s Flash Freeze which rendered the steam-powered gun entirely defunct.
¡°¡my pistol!¡±
The younger watchman had his gun out and Orodan allowed him to fire a round off before simply catching the bullet mid-flight.
The shooter looked terrified as Orodan¡¯s hand then reached out and crushed the gun into a ball with the ease one might crumple paper.
Orodan, who stood two heads above both these watchmen, looked down with a smile, handing the younger watchman his captured bullet.
¡°You men are of the watch, yes?¡± Orodan asked, and the senior man nodded. ¡°Go get more of you. You two won¡¯t be enough.¡±
The two immediately complied and practically sprinted out to get help. Leaving just the trembling foreman in the shop.
¡°W-who¡ who are you? Look, I haven¡¯t done anything to slight you, and if I have, I heartily apologize! I¡¯m just doing my job!¡±
¡°You¡¯re quite the predatory shark, aren¡¯t you?¡± Orodan asked, placing a hand upon Elwin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve killed slavers before, and I have half a mind to do the same here. Only thing keeping you alive is that this is unjust contracting more than it is slavery. Who knows how many desperate folk you¡¯ve caught up in this scheme versus actual criminals.¡±
¡°Please! I would never enslave anyone! I swear it upon my family!¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t sense the man was lying either.
¡°And yet, they¡¯re forced into some horrid conditions in order to pay off what they owe¡ no escape either,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The concept of debt isn¡¯t a foreign one to me, but where I come from that usually involves one¡¯s properties being sold, earnings being taken and a labor agreement within the bounds of civility that the debtor consents to and is free to leave at risk of penalties. Pressing people into mining monster-infested areas¡ rather cruel don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°A foul system, I agree! But I can only follow the orders of the crown and the supply master residing up in the fort!¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll meet these people soon enough. For now, to the mines we go. Come Fenton, let us see who¡¯s been caught in the web of this predatory scheme and who¡¯s an actual criminal.¡±
They walked down the stormy streets of scrap town, the rain thrumming onto the rocky roads, until they finally reached a particularly mountainous section next to town. It was a mine, but the entrance looked especially well-fortified, with towers hoisting devices which cast high-beam lights into the distance. These towers had rifle armed men and women atop them.
These enforcers didn¡¯t look like they were members of the watch either. Instead dressed far rougher, and with an assortment of gear and custom weaponry that led Orodan to surmise that they were mercenaries or hired guns.
With the bladed wire fencing surrounding the mine side of the fence, one had to wonder if they were keeping intruders out or workers in.
Closer to the gates, the foreman screamed at the top of his lungs and ran for the nearest guard. Orodan allowed it.
¡°Help! Help! I¡¯m being held hostage!¡±
The guards were predictably taken aback by the shouting, but even more wary at the sight of Orodan with his sword and shield. A tower guard near a device capable of amplifying sound yelled, her voice booming.
¡°Halt! Stand still and do not approach that you might be Observed and identified!¡±
Then, he heard the muttered remarks and confusion.
¡°¡Orodan Wainwright the Apprentice Wainwright?¡±
¡°Is this some sort of joke? Who is he?¡±
¡°Looks like he robbed a noble house¡¯s antique vault for those weapons¡¡±
Orodan ignored them and walked forward, prompting the tower guard to boom out a warning again.
¡°Do not approach! Orodan Wainwright, we cannot identify you! Remain where you are, and someone will approach you to determine who you are!¡±
The next step resulted in a crack which echoed throughout the air, a bullet from a rifle striking near where his feet were.
¡°That was your first and final warning! Stop advancing or you¡¯ll be shot dead!¡±
¡°S-say¡ Mister Orodan! Maybe we ought not to take another step, yeah?¡± Fenton asked, clearly frightened. ¡°I don¡¯t fancy gettin¡¯ shot today¡ or ever¡¡±
¡°Relax Fen, this will be handled soon. Nobody will shoot you today.¡±
Good as their word, the next step Orodan took had a bullet coming straight for his head. Of course, a simple opening of his mouth led to a polite receipt of the delivery, and a return was spat out immediately after.
¡°H-he caught it between his teeth!¡±
¡°My gun!¡±
The shooter¡¯s rifle was shattered as Orodan¡¯s ejected bullet impacted it.
¡°Fire! Fire! Alert the constabulary!¡±
A hail of bullets came his way and Orodan began swatting them back at their originating guns, rendering them defunct in the process. A powerful shot from a woman wielding an oversized rifle upon a distant tower was also deflected, the shockwave causing the rain to momentarily scatter in a small area.
Grenades, bullets and a gun which shot out multiple projectiles per trigger pull were brought to bear against him, yet Orodan casually deflected all shots with his hands. And as he walked closer, the hail of fire began to lessen as the guns of the guards were destroyed one by one.
The nearest guard was practically frozen in fear as Orodan walked into melee range. A simple hand on the shoulder was suggestion enough for the man to run for the hills. The remaining gunners threw down their arms and began fleeing immediately after.
¡°Who oversees these mines?¡± Orodan asked a nearby worker.
¡°T-that would be Elwin Clemmings right here¡ ser!¡± the older woman quickly answered.
As for the foreman who thought shouting for help and running towards the camp would save him, he was utterly petrified. Trembling in place with wide eyes, like a rabbit before a predator.
¡°Well then, Elwin Clemmings, let¡¯s evaluate just who works here and why.¡±
#
¡°And you?¡±
¡°My sister¡¯s lungs are shot from inhaling mine dust and the treatments were too expensive¡¡±
¡°Is your sister here?¡±
¡°Yes ser, right next to me. She works here too.¡±
The younger sister entered a contract of service to help her older sister who had worked in the mines her whole life to provide for the family. Despite the disease ailing her lungs, the older one tried her best to stand tall and show no weakness before Orodan. He could respect that.
A broom was produced, and the resulting sweep purged all the wounds and impurities from the unfortunate woman¡¯s lungs.
The formerly sickly woman¡¯s hands immediately went to her throat, gasping with surprise at how easy her breaths suddenly became.
¡°I can¡ I can breathe!¡± she yelled. ¡°By the Gods I can breathe again!¡±
He moved onto the next.
¡°You?¡±
¡°Fell into debt trying to open a gunsmithy of my own¡¡±
And on Orodan went, hearing each of the workers¡¯ reasons for being at the mines and healing those who required it. Those with criminal backgrounds had in fact chosen the indentured servitude over straight prison time. These, he left alone as the offer was a voluntary one and the crimes of most were legitimate. He ordered the genuine criminals to the side, kept under order by some of the workers who¡¯d picked up the dropped guns from the guards. They would be locked up in the fort, to serve their sentences in less brutal a manner. A few though, were in for vocally insulting the crown or being unjustly targeted by crooked members of the watch, and those Orodan simply freed.
Imprisoning someone for disagreement with the ruling authorities, Orodan felt, was tyrannical. As for those with debts, he also found the predatory nature of these contracts to be quite vile. They essentially locked these indebted people into a perpetual cycle of poverty and needing to remain under contract to pay it off.
That being said, Orodan was horrible at any sort of negotiation or mercantile trade. Yes, the contracts were predatory, but they were also entered into willingly by the majority of these people. Yes, their labour was horribly undervalued and just enough to pay the interest on the debt, but the debts still existed.
¡°Foreman,¡± Orodan said, causing the man to snap to attention. ¡°What would it cost to pay off the debts of all these people?¡±
¡°For you ser, nothing! Take them all and do whatever you wish!¡±
¡°Give me a serious answer. Clearly many of these people borrowed money in the form of services, medical treatments and whatnot,¡± Orodan said. ¡°While the pricing is predatory, the debts are real.¡±
And Orodan wasn¡¯t about to go around threatening people into forgiving debts, not all of them at least. He was a hard-headed simpleton at times, but his education at Bluefire had taught him the importance of a flourishing and free market which debts were a part of. Those who¡¯d taken out loans and failed their business endeavors, or even taken money for frivolous things, had brought it upon themselves.
But that didn¡¯t mean the predatory contracts of indentured servitude were fair either.
¡°Well¡ if I discount the three you¡ dealt with, then it adds up to two-thousand and forty-seven crowns.¡±
Nearly two-hundred workers stood assorted before Orodan, with three corpses behind him in a pile.
Those three were criminals guilty of acts that deserved naught but death. Certain crimes of a depraved and lascivious nature involving innocents were simply irredeemable. The only cure for such things was the blade. The workers themselves hadn¡¯t disagreed either; for the longest time many of them had wanted to gut those three but had been prevented from doing so by the guards.
¡°Crowns? How much is that in gold?¡±
¡°E-eh? Ser, the price of gold varies from time to time, you¡¯d have to consult an expert to determine the matter.¡±
¡°No, I meant gold as in gold pieces. You know? Standard Inuanan¡ er¡ never mind¡¡±
¡°Forgotten that you¡¯re in a different world in a different galaxy, have you?¡±
Damn it, of course the notion of Inuanan gold pieces wouldn¡¯t work here. Orodan was better suited to slaying world-ending monstrosities and punching his problems than dealing with the intricacies of the economy and the morality of debts.
Yes, he had Logistics and could count, organize and assort things quite well, but managing mercantile affairs, negotiations and the law was a different matter.
Zaessythra however, with her former time as a World Ruler, was far better suited to the task and began suggesting ideas. They were in the midst of figuring out a way of paying off these debts and establishing fair standards and pay for labor when Orodan felt the dimensional boundary shift almost imperceptibly, and eight legs landed upon his shoulders.
¡°Good Gods! An oversized spider!¡±
¡°It¡¯s on his shoulders! Shoot it! Protect the benevolent ser!¡±
¡°Student, tell these peasants to point their silly firesticks away from me lest I carve them and their toys into ribbons,¡± Talricto imperiously said, wearing a funny top hat upon its head.
¡°It¡ it talks too!¡±
¡°If you¡¯re going to make an unplanned appearance, you could at least give me a warning first,¡± Orodan said with a sigh, gesturing towards the protective workers to relax. ¡°Did you choose now of all times for mere dramatic effect? And what¡¯s with that dumb hat?¡±
¡°Dumb hat? Why, this top hat is the pinnacle of fashion! All I need if a fitting monocle and I¡¯ll embarrass you with my noble bearing! The great Talricto comes and goes as he pleases, and he wears what he desires,¡± the irritating bug remarked. ¡°And I may or may not have been listening in on your conversation.¡±
Of course it had. Orodan wouldn¡¯t put it past the spider to have been watching the entire time too.
¡°Well? Do you have any good news for this mess I¡¯ve gotten myself into?¡±
¡°News both good and bad.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s hear the good first then.¡±
¡°As you wish. The problem of the debts which need to be repaid? I have the solution right here,¡± Talricto said, dumping a chest full of golden coins upon the ground. ¡°That should cover more than a mere two-thousand crowns.¡±
In fact, the chest contained ten-thousand coins. He¡¯d forgotten that for a pompous dimensional phase spider, Talricto was quite the proficient procurer of things not belonging to him. The talents of Dimensionalism lent well to the trade of thievery.
¡°Hmm, nice work. Good to see you haven¡¯t just been lounging about,¡± Orodan praised. ¡°But let¡¯s move onto the bad news. Did you alert the fort? If you did, I can simply give them a thrashing and we¡¯ll move on from there.¡±
¡°What? No! Do you think the great Talricto so amateur and novice that he would be caught by the sentries within a mere fort?¡±
¡°Then what? Do we have a fleet coming for us?¡±
¡°Heavens no! Again, the great Talricto is not so easily detected by such peasants.¡±
¡°Then, what exactly have you done?¡±
¡°¡I may have attracted the attention of something troublesome from beyond the galaxy, specifically, something large and crystalline.¡±
¡°How do you know it was you who drew its attention?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Well, I was phasing through the dimensional layers when I noticed it glaring quite hungrily¡ though that may have been more towards this world than me. But who else would it gaze towards besides I, the mighty Talricto?¡±
¡°Well, my most wise and esteemed teacher, you need not worry¡ for I don¡¯t think it was you who drew its attention¡¡±
After all, Orodan¡¯s very existence threw the tapestry into flux.
Ample trail for a hungry Living Crystal to follow, and probably what drew it towards him in the first place during all the attempts at entry he¡¯d made.
#
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know how I feel about this Mister Orodan. The constabulary hasn¡¯t shown up yet and the inner gates leading to port town proper have been barred, with a lot of guns manning the walls. Some workers near the gates swear they heard the fort¡¯s war horn sound off too.¡±
¡°In other words, despite my masterful infiltration to retrieve the fort¡¯s coffers, you¡¯ve somehow drawn their attention,¡± Talricto said to Orodan. ¡°Well done!¡±
¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡ not only did I cause a ruckus with the foreman and the mine, but your theft of the money must¡¯ve been noticed. Taken in tandem, of course they¡¯d suddenly be on high alert,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Anyhow, worry not Fenton, let¡¯s see to your mother first and then we can deal with the matter.¡±
Fenton said nothing in response, instead leading them inside his shanty home. It was apparent that the boy was desperate for what was to come, having seen what Orodan had done to the sick and ailing in the mines.
Fenton quickly entered the shack made of cheap sheet metal and made for a small room with a steam-powered heater and bed. Upon that bed, was a middle-aged woman, her skin sickly and pale, almost unnaturally so. She was tall, perhaps half a foot shorter than Orodan himself.
Evidently, Fenton got his height from this woman.
She also had a small table and a sewing needle next to her. A weaver then? Quite a skilled one too by the looks of it.
¡°Mother¡ mother wake up. It¡¯s me.¡±
¡°Oh¡? Who¡¯s that there? Who¡¯ve you brought home Fen?¡± the woman asked, her voice weak. ¡°Heavy footsteps too¡ but what¡¯s that other voice?¡±
Not only was this woman quite bedridden, but also blind.
¡°Right, that would be the most companionable and pleasant spider upon my shoulders,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve come to recognize my magnanimity,¡± Talricto arrogantly muttered.
¡°Mother¡ this here¡¯s a man who can heal you. He¡¯s helped me quite a bit today, and once we¡¯re done, we¡¯ve got a tidy sum of crowns to help start a new life,¡± Fenton softly said.
¡°Why Fen¡ what sort of deal did you get into to arrange this? Another contract? You shouldn¡¯t have¡ we don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll even work,¡± the woman said. ¡°Stranger, I don¡¯t know who you are, but I implore you not to take advantage of my boy. He¡¯s got a spark of brilliance to him and deserves a better life than this.¡±
¡°Well, I suppose I have been shamelessly picking up tricks about gunsmithing from him. I¡¯ll apologize for that,¡± Orodan replied. ¡°I hope what I¡¯m about to do covers that debt however.¡±
¡°What you¡¯re about to do? I see¡ are you a healer then? All the ones we¡¯ve been to have tried to cure the disease ailing me, but it¡¯s at far too late a stage now I¡¯m afraid¡¡± the woman muttered weakly. ¡°If my son has paid or promised you anything else, I humbly ask you forgive it¡ unreasonable as my request is.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m not asking for any payment or contract from Fenton,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Merely setting things right.¡±
¡°A benevolent healer¡? Such an oddity around here. You must not hail from the islands, right?¡±
¡°Correct. I come from someplace very far from here.¡±
¡°I see¡ an otherworlder then. How odd indeed.¡±
¡°¡you surmised that rather quickly,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°For a blind woman you see rather clearly.¡±
The woman chuckled softly.
¡°I¡¯ve seen your sort before¡ back when these eyes of mine could still do such a thing,¡± Fenton¡¯s mother said. ¡°Was quite the traveller before I had little Fen here. You also speak in a foreign manner and¡ smell different. Odd for your sort to be in such a soulless place though¡¡±
¡°Will you let me heal you?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°That you and your son might be free to start new lives at last?¡±
¡°All other healers before you have failed¡ but I suppose they were only Adepts.¡±
Indeed, Orodan could see exactly why these Adept healers had failed. It wasn¡¯t a mere malady of the body, but also one of the soul. He would be tempted to call this a curse if he didn¡¯t know any better.
¡°Have you ever been to a soul specialist?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°They might have been able to diagnose the issue better¡¡±
¡°A soul specialist? The only sort who dabble in that are some eccentrics from the universities and the crown¡¯s inquisitors¡ far too expensive to procure them for a poor woman like me¡¡±
Different worlds had different specialties. His world was chock full of martial specialists and those in tune with the soul arts. Conversely, Lonvoron had far superior engineering and a civilization which put Alastaia¡¯s to shame, yet it came at the price of lacking those familiar with soul magic. A sad affair, for Orodan suspected this woman had less than a month of life left.
Vitality wasn¡¯t just something produced and held by the body, but also the soul. It was how his own Harmony of Vitality could be powered so smoothly by his soul energy. And it was why someone who had their soul ripped out would leave nothing but a corpse, devoid of true life and mind. Flesh golems existed, and new souls could form naturally under the right conditions¡ but the existence of those didn¡¯t detract from the fact that the vitality of sentient beings came from somewhere more than just the body.
And for this woman, the pathways through which the soul channelled her vitality into her body were dangerously thin, and getting even thinner. There were two sets of pathways, one within the soul and the other within the body. Whatever diseases she had affected both, but the medicine her son procured could at least widen the pathways within the body, relieving the symptoms.
Of course, the soul pathways were narrowing and whatever medicine it was didn¡¯t seem to affect them. In other words, no matter how much medicine she was given, her soul¡¯s flow of vitality would cut off and lead to her eventual death. It was akin to cleaning the steam pipes in one¡¯s house but receiving no power because the main pipe from whence it came was blocked.
¡°No wonder your skin has such a sickly pallor to it¡ your body¡¯s barely getting any vitality,¡± Orodan muttered, bringing his broom out. ¡°How common is this disease? Where did you get it from?¡±
Orodan could have looked through the time stream to get an answer but held off for now lest he trigger detection. Lonvoron¡¯s time stream was undoubtedly being closely monitored.
¡°I do not know. Some folk are cursed to bear it from birth it seems. The symptoms began manifesting a few years ago and stripped all the life from me.¡±
¡°You know of anyone else who has it? Any records on it?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°I knew one other, a woman from the Sunstone Archipelagos; it was frightening how the disease made her previously lustrous dark skin as pale as mine is now. Like me, the life looked to have been sucked out of her,¡± Fenton¡¯s mother said. ¡°At the time, never thought it could happen to me too.¡±
A severe illness if the disease could strip someone of their natural hue.
Still, Orodan knew how to combat this. He¡¯d purged curses from people on Alastaia, and he¡¯d cleansed the Eldritch. In comparison, this was nothing.
The broom hovered over her head.
¡°Is that¡ a broom?¡±
¡°I admit, the method of healing appears odd, but give it a chance,¡± Orodan remarked.
And then, the broom touched her head.
And the woman screamed.
Immediately, Orodan felt some powerful resistance to altering her soul. It hadn¡¯t looked like it at first glance, but this truly was a curse. The resistance was quite monstrous, and making even the slightest of changes to this woman¡¯s soul was akin to moving a mountain.
The effort was akin to fighting an Administrator.
Unfortunately for whoever placed the curse, this was a battle of cleansing. And Orodan had already beaten an Administrator before in a direct test of it.
¡°Mother!¡±
Yet before Fenton could take another step, the room filled with the blazing white light of soul energy as Orodan¡¯s broom set the woman¡¯s soul right.
[Reality Alteration 56 ¡ú Reality Alteration 57]
Strange, that such a defect would affect many. Somebody of great power had done this, for what, Orodan didn¡¯t know.
A great gulp of air and the panicked breaths of Fenton¡¯s mother broke the momentary silence. The woman shot up to a sitting position in bed as her son rushed to her.
¡°Mum! What happened?! Are you alright?!¡±
¡°I¡ I¡¡±
¡°Did he harm you?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡¡± she trailed off, her hands caressing Fenton¡¯s face. ¡°Have you always looked so ragged? My poor boy¡ how much do they work you? You have dark circles under your eyes!¡±
And before their very eyes, the sickly hue began shifting towards a healthier color. Pale skin began turning slightly caramel, and her cloudy eyes began clearing up, returning to a shade of sapphire blue.
¡°Dark circles? This isn¡¯t a time for jests mother¡ wait¡ your eyes¡ your eyes!¡±
¡°Oh, my little Fen, how you¡¯ve grown over the years. Come, let me get a closer look at you¡¡±
Mother and son tearfully embraced one another, and Orodan stepped outside, giving them a moment of solace out of respect.
¡°Hmm¡ for such a brutish oaf your finesse with the soul is rather sublime,¡± Talricto said. ¡°If you displayed some of these talents earlier my scoldings might¡¯ve lessened in their harshness.¡±
¡°But perhaps I keep you around because I enjoy your scoldings,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°After all, how can I learn without a strict teacher?¡±
The spider grumbled and hissed something unflattering, but Orodan chose to take it as a sign of fondness, and not the look of irritation that was apparent in Talricto¡¯s many beady eyes.
The storm had cleared up and the dawn sky illuminated the sea. The Sea of Uxamar, north of the Republic back on his home world was calm and tranquil near the shore at least. The high seas surrounding Port Bellgrave were anything but. Turbulent and stormy waves. Orodan doubted any Inuanan seafaring vessel could survive these waters. They were almost supernaturally powerful, yet beautiful in their own right.
A woman walked up beside him, shaky steps, as though she was growing used to the feeling of walking once more.
¡°The ocean¡ it¡¯s just like I remember all those years ago¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s a pretty sight, even if the waters are rather dangerous around these parts,¡± Orodan replied. The woman seemed transfixed with Talricto however.
¡°Such a big spider¡ quite elegant and pretty too¡¡±
¡°Hmmph! Well I¡¯m glad someone recognizes my regal mien!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s a little haughty but means well. A teacher of mine in fact,¡± Orodan explained.
¡°He taught you healing¡?¡±
¡°No, he taught me Dimensionalism.¡±
¡°Dimensionalism ¡you truly are an otherworlder aren¡¯t you? I never thought to see one in such a destitute place as this,¡± Fenton¡¯s mother said, and then immediately fell to her knees, grasping Orodan¡¯s legs. ¡°I don¡¯t know what brings you here, but I¡¯m thankful to the Gods that you came. My son and I will be forev-¡±
He lifted the woman to her feet.
¡°Come now, with your legs working again you should want to spend more time standing than on the ground,¡± Orodan teased. ¡°I appreciate the sentiment but there¡¯s no need for that. I simply set a wrong right is all.¡±
Fenton too tried showing his gratitude in a most excessive manner, but Orodan held the young man up, preventing him from reaching for his legs.
¡°Why, Mister Orodan¡ why would you do all this?¡± the boy asked, tears in his eyes. ¡°Blast and bugger it all¡ you¡¯ve got me weepin¡¯ in front of you now too¡¡±
¡°When one¡¯s mother is involved¡ crying isn¡¯t such a bad thing,¡± Orodan remarked, remembering his own with a knowing smile on his face. At least little Penny here had his mother with him still. ¡°Now then, there should be more than enough crowns in there for you and your mother to start a new life.¡±
¡°But¡ the gates leading to the port town proper are barred, entire place is on high alert,¡± Fenton said. ¡°You spooked the constabulary real good and I have no idea how we¡¯re going to get in now to get aboard any outbound ships.¡±
¡°You can leave getting the gates open to me. From there, I¡¯ll head onward to the fort,¡± Orodan said, and then noticed the increased activity and movement upon the walls of Port Bellgrave¡¯s town proper. ¡°In fact, they might be coming to us first.¡±
Fenton¡¯s eyes widened as a rather distinct hissing noise became audible in the air.
¡°Steam knights¡ they¡¯re sendin¡¯ out those dreadful things! M-mister Orodan, I can¡¯t let you head out there, you¡¯ve got to run, swim if you have to!¡± Fenton begged.
Orodan however simply placed a hand upon Fenton¡¯s head and ruffled the boy¡¯s hair.
¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Fen. Wait for me to deal with the defenders and then slip into the town alongside the rest and use the crowns to secure passage somewhere,¡± Orodan directed. ¡°Talricto, you might want to get clear while I deal with this mess.¡±
The spider hummed in assent and winked off to wherever it was that he went.
Port Bellgrave had a walled town proper; frequented by the likes of skilled tradesfolk, middle-class individuals and merchants. It wasn¡¯t the largest port town in the Ironhaven Isles - far from it - but it was decent enough, and the value of the iron trade and gunsmithing brought a fair amount of traffic. The walls were consequently well-built, and the architecture reminded Orodan very much of a fort.
There were apparent differences in comparison to the architecture of Alastaian military fortifications. For starters, while they too had siege weapons, the walls were built very low and stout, with slopes of dirt ramping upwards. Far less optimal for defending against any sudden storming maneuvers by enemy infantry¡ but Orodan could see how these walls might be far more resistant to cannon and gunfire. The crenelations and embrasures too had plenty of slots and openings for defensive anti-infantry weapons and cannons. Furthermore, the walls were almost¡ star shaped? Square sections jutted out, and these walls looked more apt towards allowing the defenders to lay heavy fire upon the enemy than suited for pure defense.
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if this design would be entirely efficient upon his home world. Land based monsters and any infantry attackers would have a far easier time scaling the low and sloped fortifications, and any soldiers on the wall would have less time to react. And while gunfire and artillery would obliterate any force of melee infantry upon approach¡ he had a feeling that if a surprise attack was somehow achieved, a seasoned force of martial specialists from his world could scale the walls in moments and butcher the troops atop who looked woefully unprepared for a melee. A weakness he¡¯d seen the Collective¡¯s forces struggle with against the Eldritch on his first visit to Lonvoron.
Furthermore, while this society seemed quite advanced so far, one aspect Alastaia had it beat on was magical warding and enchantment. The defensive wards and crews upon the walls of Karilsgard for example, were better suited to countering enemy mages than this fort would be. Well, in terms of pure defense at least.
Although, when one had as many guns, cannons and sharpshooters as the walls of Port Bellgrave did¡ perhaps enemy mages weren¡¯t as threatening as they seemed. After all, hard to cast a giant Fireball when a high-velocity bullet tore through one¡¯s head.
At the end of the day, this design worked for the Collective. Domestically, monsters weren¡¯t anywhere near the concern on Lonvoron that they were on Alastaia. Most had been hunted into extinction, with only pockets of subterranean creatures and deep-sea enclaves remaining. Typically encountered by miners or daring ocean diving vessels. And guns had diminished the development of high-level martial abilities upon this world. Easier to pick up a firearm and train the relevant skills for it than train the hard way to hone the strength of one¡¯s body.
Then, a horn rang out, and the gates began opening as the hissing noise of magical steam grew louder.
¡°Good Gods¡ they¡¯re sending in the steam knights!¡±
¡°We¡¯re just downtrodden workers! They would send those things in to butcher us?!¡±
¡°I¡¯d rather take my chances floating in the drink than face one of those!¡±
The workers he¡¯d liberated were doubtlessly scared, and he could see why.
The twelve-foot tall, imposing suits of metal had glowing eyes, were entirely covered in thick gleaming plates, and had magical steam periodically hissing out their vents. A multi-barrelled repeating gun built into the right hand, and an enchanted, hot blade in the left which looked as though it could cleave through entire walls with ease. These metallic steam-powered golems were all at the Master-level, and now he could see how the Collective had become so widespread across multiple worlds, if these were their mass-produced heavy infantry.
Even discounting its gun, a Master-level martial specialist fighting a golem made of steel and powered by magically hot steam would face an uphill struggle.
And stepping towards them, naught but sword and shield in hand, was Orodan Wainwright.
¡°Orodan Wainwright! Halt where you stand!¡± a woman in military regalia announced. Master-level, with a revolver in her hands a sword at her waist. ¡°You have committed crimes against the crown, surrender peacefully that you may be identified! If you are from another world, the crown will establish diplomatic channels, and you shall be afforded all rights and due privileges under Collective law!¡±
¡°And what if I have no interest in halting where I stand?¡± Orodan asked with a smile, drawing his sword and shield.
In response, the woman¡¯s face stiffened, and she whipped her hand downwards, a clear gesture.
The first salvo was immediate and powerful.
A volley fire of rifles which could have wounded Masters and cannons which would cause even Grandmasters to quail. Alongside the sharpshooters who unerringly made for his head, it was a true blitz. Smart of the commanding officer to go all out from the get-go. She¡¯d likely assessed Orodan as the threat he was.
Unfortunately, as Orodan¡¯s sword and shield lashed out, sending every one of the bullets back to the guns and cannons they came from¡ she realized too late that certain disparities in power couldn¡¯t be overcome with initiative and tactics.
¡°Steam knights advance! Guns and artillery keep firing!¡±
However, no matter how many guns and weapons unloaded, they never came close to threatening him. The ground around him was cratered, and he had to re-direct most of the force upwards lest scrap town and the innocents behind him be annihilated.
The first of the steam knights released a barrage of shots which erupted with powerful cracks. The bullets were casually caught in Orodan¡¯s hands and sent right back through the golem¡¯s steam core, sending it to the ground an inanimate heap.
The second and third knights rushed him in melee, glowing red blades whizzing towards his neck, far faster than any other golems he¡¯d seen on Alastaia. Only for the blades to be shattered and the golems shorn into bits via his sword.
¡°H-he¡¯s carvin¡¯ the steam knights up!¡±
¡°How can a man shrug off cannon fire! He¡¯s a monster in the flesh!¡±
¡°The knights are lost! Run for yer¡¯ lives!¡±
With a final pitiful sputter of steam, the last steam knight hit the ground. To these people it was an unthinkable feat reserved only for the likes of mighty monsters or Eldritch invaders. The steam knights were mighty constructs, to the average man they were an insurmountable force beatable through gunfire, trickery and clever maneuvering perhaps, but not raw force. And yet, even with his strength and speed moderated, Orodan had turned the soulless steam knights into scrap metal within seconds.
¡°Craven curs! Dare you flee and bring dishonor upon your duty bestowed by the King?!¡± the lieutenant yelled in frustration. ¡°Close the gates and prepare for a siege!¡±
¡°Gates closed lieuten-¡±
A booming crash echoed for miles, the gates flying inwards off their hinges as Orodan kicked them down.
¡°¡the gates have been breached ma¡¯am! The gates have been breached!¡±
¡°To hell with this! I ain¡¯t dying for some upjumped officer!¡±
¡°Run! It¡¯ll kill us all!¡±
A little inaccurate, as Orodan hadn¡¯t really killed any of them. But if it got the job done who was he to complain?
The soldiers and the token gunline of infantry behind the wall broke and began fleeing. They¡¯d seen how ineffective their bullets and cannons were. It was a mass rout.
Some ran for the other exits of port town, looking to escape into the wilderness of the islands, panicking any reinforcing troops from those walls and chaining the rout further. Others ran towards the fort and the ships at harbor.
And amidst the throng of fleeing soldiers, one terrified but determined woman stepped towards him, sword and revolver in hand. The crack of a gun rang out, and Orodan simply allowed the bullet to ineffectively ping off his forehead. The sight of that didn¡¯t inspire much confidence in the clearly afraid lieutenant.
Yet, all the same she drew her short sword and charged right at him.
The blade stopped, gripped within the palm of his hand.
¡°A decent thrust, but your fear seeps into your attack. Still, I can respect someone who charges in uncaring of death,¡± Orodan remarked, casually prying the sword from her hands. ¡°Stand down. You¡¯ve shown great courage.¡±
¡°My obligation to King and Collective compels I stand here and perish if necessary. Kill me if you must!¡±
A quick jab across the chin put her out, she would wake eventually but for now he put the lieutenant off to the side where she wouldn¡¯t get trampled.
With the walls now abandoned, the workers he¡¯d gathered from scrap town came in behind him.
The town was in a state of alarm, and the residents of the port town itself were barricaded within their homes and rather fearful for their lives now that the constabulary and the fort¡¯s forces had been routed.
¡°Well I¡¯ll be¡ you¡¯re stronger than any Masters I¡¯ve seen Mister Orodan,¡± Fenton said, looking at the scene of devastation. ¡°You really just ripped the steam knights apart? Didn¡¯t know anyone could do somethin¡¯ like that.¡±
¡°Train regularly and you can do it too. Now then, the only thing left¡¯s the fort,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ll go handle whoever¡¯s in there. Take care of any wounded individuals, starting with that commander over there.¡±
Fenton and the other workers nodded, and Orodan himself set off for the fort.
It was past the port town, overlooking everything in the surroundings for a hundred miles. And the tallest tower jutting out from there had a red glow to it, likely some sort of alarm.
Well¡ so much for stealth. However, Orodan made a mental note of that tower, for the next loop.
As he walked up the hilly road, making for the fort which was situated on elevated ground, small steam-powered flying devices which resembled birds would occasionally fly about, look at him, and then flutter away. It was obvious that they were coming from the fort.
A rider on a mechanical steed which vented steam could even be seen, but he kept a fair distance and galloped back to the fort as Orodan got closer.
Upon presenting himself before the gates, a man in ornate dress uniform called out from atop the walls.
¡°Greetings visitor! A most unexpected pleasure to have an esteemed guest of your stature drop by this fort of mine. Pray tell, how might we assist you?¡± the man politely asked, though it was apparent he was rather nervous. ¡°I¡¯m the commander of Port Bellgrave. And on an unrelated note, this diplomatic incident has caused the alarm tower¡¯s activation. A reinforcing fleet with accompanying Grandmasters and a Transcendent commander from Castle Ironpeak are on their way as we speak. Perchance might we settle our disagreements in a peaceable manner before their arrival?¡±
Orodan had a gut feeling that he was speaking to a slimy character best dealt with via the sword than words.
¡°Your pompous words do not disguise the veiled threat as well as you think,¡± Orodan said. ¡°When they come, I¡¯ll deal with them then. For now, let us speak about this indentured servitude I¡¯ve seen on your island today.¡±
¡°Indentured¡? You mean the chaff in that dreadful slum?¡± he asked, and then walked it a step back, realizing that might have been the wrong thing to say. ¡°They are under the crown¡¯s authority and I am but following orders as a good soldier should. Would you have me killed for that?¡±
¡°That depends on your role in the entire situation. Now then, if you have no issues with what you¡¯ve done, you¡¯ll open the gate, no?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to kick it down myself.¡±
The man trembled. And Orodan simply smiled.
#
¡°What a mess¡ I¡¯m not cut out for this political wrangling and policy-making.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that difficult. You¡¯d simply have to somehow stage a takeover through military force and then see your changes reflected across the society of the Blackworth Collective,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°Haven¡¯t you destroyed planets like pebbles before? How is this supposed to be difficult?¡±
Frankly, Orodan would rather smash things than think about affecting the development of a society in such subtle ways.
¡°I thought stealth was key on this trip?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Well, you could just help beat back the Eldritch, gain the favor of the King and then get all these reforms passed,¡± Zaessythra suggested. ¡°But that sounds far too tame for you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not some ill-tempered beast who¡¯s bent on upending every society he comes across¡¡±
He just wanted a good fight from time to time, was that such a bad thing?
¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me,¡± she teased. ¡°Certainly fooled the people you¡¯ve bullied thus far. Now then. The laws of the Collective already forbid what was occurring here, but that doesn¡¯t stop greedy or power-hungry local commanders from violating labor standards and abusing their indentured servants.¡±
That was the real issue. Fairly compensated labor with civil standards as an option to resolve debts or in place of serving a criminal sentence didn¡¯t seem like the worst idea to Orodan; provided the one subject to it had a free and fair choice in the matter. But implementing such a thing fairly was a true headache.
The fort commander, whose head now hung from a chain off the front gate, was both the warning and the symbol of what atrocities could occur under such a system. The contracted servants were originally supposed to serve as laborers unloading and loading cargo onto merchant vessels that came and went.
Such a job would¡¯ve been honest labor and nothing back-breaking or dangerous. Of course, the residents of the port town itself objected to this; having such lowborns in the town itself. The mines with their dangerous working conditions were short of willing workers. And most importantly, the fort commander¡¯s pockets were looking thin as the man had hoped to reach the Grandmaster-level but lacked the talent and required expensive resources to do so.
Hence, the numerous letters arrayed on the table which detailed the former commander¡¯s interactions with certain unsavory characters beyond the isles. Debt sellers to be precise. Their debts were purchased at a low sum, and the indentured servants shipped out to Port Bellgrave in order to work the mines for a disgraceful pittance while the fort commander pocketed the difference.
The Collective¡¯s war machine more than received their tithe from the island, hence the crown never bothered looking too closely at the affair. All at the expense of the workers who suffered and occasionally died.
A set of four sharp, chitin-covered legs threw the papers he was staring at off the table.
¡°I was using that¡¡±
¡°For what? A blinking contest? Staring any harder at a dead man¡¯s correspondence won¡¯t solve your problems,¡± Talricto remarked. ¡°As it is, the perpetrator¡¯s head hangs off the gate in a rather barbaric display. And this petrified woman you¡¯ve pressed into your service through violence doesn¡¯t appear all too keen on helping either.¡±
The lieutenant who¡¯d fought him at the gates of the port town was sitting in a chair before him. Her entire body language was tense.
¡°The eight-legged gentleman does not speak falsely. You barged in, assaulted multiple soldiers of the King, destroyed much crown property and executed a sworn fort commander of the Blackworth Collective. I am¡ appreciative of you sparing my life, but honor dictates I cannot aid you,¡± she said, her hand remaining on her sword. ¡°And¡ you also knocked me senseless!¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t even a hard punch¡¡± Orodan muttered. A quick knockout blow to the chin was considered utterly merciful by Alastaian standards! ¡°And if you don¡¯t wish to help me that¡¯s entirely fine. You simply need to take over as the acting fort commander as your duty dictates. Can¡¯t be any worse than the crooked man I executed at least¡¡±
¡°That is¡ acceptable. As long as I¡¯m doing my duty, I suppose I won¡¯t be betraying King and country. But that duty still involves arresting you for your crimes!¡±
¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that soon,¡± Orodan replied and then looked to Talricto. ¡°How long do we have left till the Living Crystal arrives?¡±
¡°L-living Crystal?! Those things are myths from the darkest corners of the void! And you say one¡¯s coming this way?¡± the lieutenant asked, clearly horrified at the thought. ¡°No wonder the responding fleet has slowed their approach just out in the waters¡ the astrologers must sense its approach.¡±
¡°In less than six hours it will breach the galactic veil which typically restricts Embodiers from entering and notifies Administrators,¡± Talricto said. ¡°After that, arriving unto Lonvoron shan¡¯t be too long; perhaps seven hours in total.¡±
¡°Rather daring of it to disregard the threat of the Administrators, is it not?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°It normally would be¡ if someone hadn¡¯t thrown the entire tapestry into utter disarray. You might not be aware of this, being the simpleton you are, but a lot of monitoring and information gathering across the cosmos is done through the tapestry. Particularly for cosmic beings of great power. Embodiers often use the tapestry to avoid the Administrators and one another, and they in turn use the tapestry to track them as needed. With it gone¡ a response might be rather delayed.¡±
Little wonder the System and the Administrators had so much difficulty tracking him, even with his fate re-inserted into the tapestry. He was causing the equivalent of a planetary tidal storm across the entire thing, utterly ruining the ability of most beings to get a proper read on things.
Most importantly¡ he was causing enough mayhem that predatory beings outside the galaxy could potentially use the chance to enter one.
This loop was a bust, and the following attempts would continue to be the same until he trained Fate Disconnect to an appropriate level where he no longer caused such a ruckus. He was simply too powerful. His soul and potential too vast, capable of empowering the time loop to affect all reality. Of course, the tapestry would be in utter mayhem due to his existence upon it.
¡°Tch¡ of course. This entire debacle has only reinforced to me the need to train my stealth-related skills,¡± Orodan said. ¡°And my ability to restrain the effects I have on the tapestry of fate.¡±
¡°Your one stealth-related skill you mean?¡±
Zaessythra had no faith in him. Disguise was perfectly adequate, and Orodan resolved to begin training it once more from the next loop.
¡°I will not directly help you¡ but Lady Luetta Treadway resides in the north tower. Your situation is both horrifying and imminent enough that she might be willing to help,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°She¡¯s the fort¡¯s resident fate reader. Graduated from the magical university in Storven too.¡±
Orodan made note of that for the coming loops as well. From what he¡¯d heard, the fort had a reclusive steam mage who worked in the boiler chamber, an enchanter and an alchemist too. All excellent sources of knowledge in the coming loops.
¡°Appreciated. But I¡¯m not sure if the fate reader will appreciate me barging in and demanding help after all I¡¯ve done in town,¡± Orodan said. ¡°For now¡ I think I¡¯ll be training with my teacher here.¡±
¡°Well, shall we get to using the remaining few hours we have?¡± Talricto asked. ¡°Your Dimensionalism is still quite pitiful¡ even the hatchlings among my kind could maneuver dimensions around you with impunity.¡±
¡°By all means, mighty Talricto. There¡¯s work to do.¡±
#
[Dimensionalism 69 ¡ú Dimensionalism 70]
[New Title ¡ú Dimensional Elite]
The dimensional boundary around Orodan wobbled, and his attempt at using Dimensional Step failed. His power was limited of course, down to Talricto¡¯s level, but it was in this contest of equalized power that gains could be made¡
¡and his utter inadequacy in comparison to a dimensional phase spider could be exposed.
¡°All that work with Dimensionalism, and I still can¡¯t match you on even ground¡¡± Orodan muttered with a pleased smile. It was good training, and he enjoyed the feeling of a real challenge.
¡°An admirable effort, but we dimensional phase spiders are the pinnacle of the art. Attempting to match me on a purely skilled basis will end poorly for you,¡± the spider haughtily declared. ¡°I¡¯m also one of the greatest of my kind.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t disagree that Talricto was better and outright made for the skill of Dimensionalism. His kind were naturals after all; from what the spider had said even the hatchlings started off with natural insights into Dimensionalism which were at the Master-level. Innate to them like breathing was for a newborn babe.
¡°That¡¯s precisely why I intend to do this every loop¡ until I can best you.¡±
His teacher looked startled but not displeased by the declaration.
¡°A hopeless endeavor¡ but one I cannot disapprove of. I shall await the loop then, my headstrong student.¡±
For the past six hours he¡¯d futilely floundered against Talricto¡¯s superior skill in Dimensionalism. It was like an untrained man attempting to beat a fish at swimming, or an eagle at flying. His own Dimensional Step was hijacked and the destination altered with laughable ease. And Talricto¡¯s Dimensionalism allowed the spider to go wherever he wanted while Orodan couldn¡¯t do a thing to stop it.
Of course, in a real fight, raw power or chronomancy could overpower the wandering spider, but Orodan refused to rely on those.
And while he hadn¡¯t exactly gained much besides three levels in Dimensional Step and the recent level in Dimensionalism, it did leave Orodan with a fresh perspective on how to go about tackling other skills of his. Particularly, his repeat attempts at brute forcing a certain Embodiment-level spatial spider who kept intruding upon his efforts to enter Lonvoron.
With thirty minutes left till the descent of the Living Crystal, many of the stars in the distant sky had been blotted out by its size. The fleet surrounding Port Bellgrave was now truly gigantic, the size of a true armada. And it didn¡¯t consist of just seafaring military vessels of the Collective but flying void craft too.
It seemed Ur-Vah¡¯sahn the Harmonious was coming directly for Port Bellgrave, specifically Orodan¡ and the Blackworth Collective sensed it too. They hadn¡¯t approached the island yet, but the seas surrounding the Ironhaven Isles were entirely blockaded, and Orodan was thankful that Fenton and the workers had managed to begin sailing and get out in time before the encirclement completed.
With him causing such commotion and the descent of a Living Crystal imminent, the workers shouldn¡¯t have been pursued by anyone either.
¡°Talricto¡ you should go now,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I suppose this is farewell then. I know you say you come back and all¡ but do take of yourself, you hard-headed fool. While you have little skill¡¡± Talricto trailed off. ¡°Or talent¡¡±
¡°Thank you for the encouragement,¡± Orodan dryly remarked.
¡°¡you¡¯re also possessed of a work ethic most admirable. See you in the next one, my untalented student.¡±
That was probably the nicest the spider had ever been to him. Sentimental little bug.
Talricto phased out of the material plane soon after, his silly little hat still upon his head as he waved a front leg in a farewell gesture, leaving just Orodan.
The fort and everyone upon the island had been evacuated too. Better they leave than be caught up in the battle about to occur. Yes, everyone came back thanks to the time loops, but that was a wicked mentality to lean into and could quickly lead to him butchering millions on a whim.
Just him and the Embodiment-level Living Crystal coming his way.
With fifteen minutes left, the Crystal became rather shockingly visible, gigantic, the size of an entire star system. Massive and luminous in a way which could make any sane person have an existential crisis as it took up the entire horizon.
And it was then that the ships and fleet of the Blackworth Collective began to act. Titanic salvos of fire erupted, but not the kind Orodan expected.
Rather, it was mana, cannons firing pure and utterly concentrated amounts of mana, filling the very air with it. And with that mana¡ came hundreds¡ no, thousands of spatiomancers. Leading them all, was a figure with a shimmering illusory image surrounding them. This figure, Orodan had seen them before, and still knew nothing of their identity. They began manipulating the gigantic amounts of mana in the air alongside a robe they wore which allowed for the easy channelling of System energy.
Orodan¡¯s Vision of Purity had grown stronger, but he still couldn¡¯t quite see past their veil, for so pure was the magic they cast. And before he could have any thoughts of switching his perspective, to see all mana as impure, the other part of the equation entered the fray.
If the previous time looper and the forces of Lonvoron were now here¡ then it begged the question of how unmanned the dead zone was.
A question which was now answered as space shook, and three spatial rifts threatened to appear. Leading directly to three plague worlds.
An infection and outbreak on this part of Lonvoron, unprepared as it was, would be catastrophic. Yet, the Eldritch plague worlds weren¡¯t what concerned him. It was the appearance of a certain book-wielding Administrator.
The Prophet had arrived, and he was looking directly at the previous time looper and the mantle they carried with covetous eyes.
But that was fine, all a part of Orodan¡¯s plan.
For as they seemed preoccupied with one another¡
¡Orodan¡¯s broom came out and pointed towards the three spatial rifts.
When he¡¯d done this last time, he hadn¡¯t even been a Grandmaster. And even then, he¡¯d eventually won.
Now though?
As the previous time looper and the Prophet began clashing¡
¡as the spatial rifts to the plague worlds threatened to spew forth¡
¡as a Living Crystal threatened to devour Lonvoron¡
¡the broom of Orodan Wainwright targeted not just the Eldritch plague worlds past the spatial rifts, but the Eldritch, and the very System energy everywhere past the dimensional boundaries too.
Soul energy spilled forth in an act which was one of the greatest feats he¡¯d managed without outright dying, and he felt the briefest tinge of the madness of Infinity threaten to consume him before he gripped it tight with his unrelenting will.
In the divine dimension and the material plane both.
[Dimensionalism 70 ¡ú Dimensionalism 72]
[Incipience of Infinity 125 ¡ú Incipience of Infinity 127]
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 147 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 148]
It began with the purple-grayish tinge and haze that could be seen in the air. It was a sign that something had changed when it vanished entirely.
The spatial rifts leading to the plague worlds too suddenly became quite inert. Whatever was on the other side of them had decided to stop spewing Eldritch altogether.
Moreover, in the divine dimension, even if Orodan couldn¡¯t see it¡ he felt that every bit of Eldritch had been entirely purged.
And most importantly, he¡¯d been so concerned about how easily he¡¯d been getting discovered and causing a ruckus via the tapestry of fate. Who would¡¯ve thought that simply destroying it outright was the solution?
The Custodian had warned him that his steps would be hounded as he neared the peak of Transcendance in his Celestial skill. The combination of such a grand feat, and Domain of Perfect Cleaning going from 147 to 148 must have been too much for the canvas to bear. The connections, the calculations, whatever the tapestry of fate was made of, it simply couldn¡¯t tolerate what he¡¯d done and tore entirely.
Now nobody had a fate. No connections, no calculations, no possible outcomes to be read.
Perhaps, Orodan mused, that was a better outcome.
¡°You¡ you tore apart the tapestry¡¡±
Those were the first words out of the previous looper¡¯s mouth, shock and disbelief audible even through the disguised voice.
Even the Living Crystal bent on landing seemed surprised, frozen in place at what had just occurred.
The Prophet though¡ its face was the definition of pure murder and rage.
¡°Billions of years of work, undone in an instant. All the grace of our savior, the lifeblood of provenance disseminated throughout the cosmos, all gone¡¡± it whispered dangerously. ¡°You shall never reach Embodiment, failed aspirant that you are. Here and now, you shall die.¡±
The beam of light coming for him was practically unavoidable in how fast it reached. Even if he did notice a beam of System energy attempting to counteract it before it ended him.
Vaguely, he also sensed the arrival of more Administrators through the dimensional cracks, but it was simply too late.
Before the beam hit and the darkness took him, Orodan realized that achieving Embodiment would involve a lot of trouble.
And that perhaps breaking fate wasn¡¯t such a bad thing.
#
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.
¡°If every gain in Domain of Perfect Cleaning is going to cause such a ruckus¡ then you clearly need to train your ability to minimize your impacts on the tapestry.¡±
Orodan agreed with her¡
¡though the thought of destroying the tapestry and perhaps even rebuilding it, sounded like good training.
Still, that could come later. For if the tapestry was destroyed, how would he have his fair fight against the Prophet where it could read his fate to scry his abilities?
To that end, Orodan had quite some work cut out for him.
His usual ongoing goals of training spatiomancy and dimensionalism would continue, as would his battles against Alagameth and that arrogant Living Crystal. Though, Orodan intended on making it onto Lonvoron under his own power and not because something had taken pity on him.
He had three main goals for the upcoming loops.
First, to train his Fate Disconnect that he might stop destroying the tapestry of fate outright and causing mayhem to erupt across the cosmos. The diviners of Inuan and perhaps Guzuhar might help with that. But he already knew the methods used by these places on his home world. To that end the fate reader on Lonvoron¡¯s Port Bellgrave might be worth looking into. A fresh look at fate reading, through the lens of another world¡¯s tradition, might help make unexpected gains.
Second, he¡¯d seen some interesting architecture in Port Bellgrave. Perhaps he could give construction another shot in one of these loops before he made for Lonvoron. And the steam technology used by those folks was quite intriguing too. He hoped to get a better idea of engineering and artificing through the understanding of that. A better understanding of Engineering and Artificing would allow him to get closer to rebuilding the ancient machine the right way.
And third¡
¡perhaps it was time to take up training Disguise once more.
A dirty cloth was pulled out from a nearby drawer in his hovel and two symbolic eye holes were poked in it.
Perhaps it was time to wrap his head around the problem¡
¡or wrap a rag around his head once more.
It had also been a while since he truly viewed his Status. And with a thought, he pulled it up.
Name: Orodan Wainwright
Age: 17
Title 1: Wainwrighting Apprentice
Title 2: Weaving Apprentice
Available Titles:
Bearer Of A Celestial Skill
World Conqueror
World Gate Delver
Avatar Slayer
Wielder Of A Mythical Skill
One Who Has Experienced Death
God Slayer
Transcendent Slayer
Celestial Transcendent
Perfect Cleaning Transcendent
Cleaning Transcendent
Soul Transcendent
Infinity Transcendent
Combat Transcendent
Unarmed Combat Master
Physical Master
Shield Master
Sword Master
Space Master
Time Master
Wrestling Elite
Enchanting Elite
Woodworking Elite
Dimensionalism Elite
Alchemy Adept
Halberd Adept
Blacksmithing Adept
Pathfinding Adept
Teaching Adept
Fire Magic Adept
Laboring Adept
Gathering Apprentice
Cooking Apprentice
Construction Apprentice
Engineering Apprentice
Fate Apprentice
Wainwrighting Apprentice
Weaving Apprentice
Skills:
Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 148 (Transcendent - Celestial)
Incipience of Infinity 127 (Transcendent - Celestial)
Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 90 (Master - Mythical)
Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 80 (Elite - Mythical)
Eldritch Resistance 68 (Adept - Mythical)
Divine Resistance 58 (Adept - Mythical)
Reality Alteration 57 (Adept - Mythical)
Dimensional Resistance 20 (Initiate - Mythical)
Absolute Body Composition 10 (Initiate - Mythical)
Harmony of Vitality 100 (Grandmaster - Legendary)
Endless Blitz 97 (Master - Legendary)
Unassailable Fortress 94 (Master - Legendary)
Bulwark Physical Resistance 87 (Elite - Legendary)
Time Reversal 86 (Elite - Legendary)
Draconic Fireball 74 (Elite - Legendary)
Body Tempering 71 (Elite - Legendary)
Vision of Purity 70 (Elite - Legendary)
Wood Communion 66 (Adept - Legendary)
Mana Resistance 65 (Adept - Legendary)
Fate Disconnect 57 (Adept - Legendary)
Dimensional Step 17 (Initiate - Legendary)
Iron Body 90 (Master - Exquisite)
Time Mastery 90 (Master - Exquisite)
Psionic Resistance 79 (Elite - Exquisite)
Dimensionalism 72 (Elite - Exquisite)
Draconic Mana Channelling 68 (Adept - Exquisite)
Vitality Destruction 61 (Adept - Exquisite)
Fire Resistance 53 (Adept - Exquisite)
Lightning Resistance 48 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Wind Resistance 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Water Resistance 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Ice Resistance 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)
Spatial Shift 13 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Curse Resistance 9 (Initiate - Exquisite)
Space Mastery 96 (Master - Rare)
Teleportation 89 (Elite - Rare)
War Cry 43 (Apprentice - Rare)
Acid Resistance 37 (Apprentice - Rare)
Fate Mastery 30 (Apprentice - Rare)
Gourmand 16 (Initiate - Rare)
Spatial Fold 88 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Intent 80 (Elite - Uncommon)
Shield Throw 75 (Elite - Uncommon)
Mana Manipulation 62 (Adept - Uncommon)
Fate Reading 57 (Adept - Uncommon)
Halberd Throw 51 (Adept - Uncommon)
Wainwrighting 30 (Apprentice - Uncommon)
Earthen Construct 29 (Initiate - Uncommon)
Flash Freeze 26 (Initiate - Uncommon)
Lightning Bolt 24 (Initiate - Uncommon)
Gunsmithing 22 (Initiate - Uncommon)
Waterstream 20 (Initiate - Uncommon)
Combat Mastery 109 (Transcendent)
Shield Mastery 98 (Master)
Unarmed Combat Mastery 98 (Master)
Physical Fitness 95 (Master)
Sword Mastery 95 (Master)
Enchanting 87 (Elite)
Wrestling 86 (Elite)
Woodworking 84 (Elite)
Tool Mastery 75 (Elite)
Alchemy 69 (Adept)
Flare 64 (Adept)
Blacksmithing 61 (Adept)
Teaching 59 (Adept)
Pathfinding 58 (Adept)
Halberd Mastery 56 (Adept)
Jewelcrafting 54 (Adept)
Fire Magic Mastery 50 (Adept)
Laboring 50 (Adept)
Surprise Attack 46 (Apprentice)
Artificing 40 (Apprentice)
Engineering 40 (Apprentice)
Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)
Construction 38 (Apprentice)
Maintenance 35 (Apprentice)
Gathering 32 (Apprentice)
Cooking 32 (Apprentice)
Weaving 31 (Apprentice)
Galewind 29 (Initiate)
Candleflame 28 (Initiate)
Intimidation 28 (Initiate)
Logistics 26 (Initiate)
Repair 23 (Initiate)
Mining 21 (Initiate)
Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)
Observe 17 (Initiate)
Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)
Butchering 14 (Initiate)
Disguise 12 (Initiate)
Skinning 11 (Initiate)
Lumberjacking 14 (Initiate)
Parkour 11 (Initiate)
Stealth 9 (Initiate)
Smelting 9 (Initiate)
Thievery 6 (Initiate)
Recycling 5 (Initiate)
Identify 6 (Initiate)
Deception 4 (Initiate)
Lightning Magic Mastery 3 (Initiate)
Decent, but he still had a long way to go. His enemies were mighty, and he would only be adding more to that list as he grew stronger. He couldn¡¯t even beat that oversized Living Crystal yet, let alone the Prophet who could instantly kill him at an angry whim.
He needed to grow stronger. He needed proper training.
For his end goals with Lonvoron which involved acquiring and studying the two Administrator¡¯s Mantles were important, but secondary to his primary goal¡
¡which was uncovering any information he could on true soul genesis.
Whatever it took, he would bring Zaessythra back.
Chapter 79 - The Various Avenues of Training
Orodan was the very definition of subterfuge. The embodiment of stealth itself.
Zaessythra sighed, the faithless disbeliever that she was.
¡°This can¡¯t get any worse at least¡¡±
Elaborate disguise secured; he strode forth. His target? Eversong Plaza, but not directly, not yet.
A true master of clandestine activity needed to case the joint first. And he certainly had, identifying the first target and a weak link. The plaza had a tower a bit further out, somewhat isolated but it had a good view of the tavern and the sentry atop it provided overwatch for the guards of House Argon.
He tip-toed across the ground, his first target isolated in a manner which would make their disposal unseen. At the base of the tower, he acrobatically leapt upwards, gripping parts of the wooden tower which jutted outwards and hauling himself up.
Yes, he could¡¯ve simply teleported or leapt up directly, but doing things the mundane way would lead to gains.
[Parkour 11 ¡ú Parkour 12]
Like a nimble cat, he scaled the tower, gripping the final handhold¡
¡when he both felt and heard a crunch of wood struggling to bear the load.
Orodan forgot sometimes, big as he was, that he weighed half as much as a full-grown bull. Certain small handholds just weren¡¯t meant to hold his large frame.
The wooden beam which jutted out, about to snap off, was quickly dealt with just before it broke.
[Wood Communion 66 ¡ú Wood Communion 67]
Wood grain, fused together and strengthened, would no longer give way.
Of course, the near-snapping of wood was more than audible on a quiet night, and the sentry up top walked over to peer down the edge. Armed with a bow, the woman had a frown on her face as she looked down.
[Stealth 9 ¡ú Stealth 10]
The sentry looked down the side of the tower¡ but Orodan¡¯s fingers buried into the wood, squeezing himself against the wall much as he could that he might hide beneath the overhang.
¡°Hmm? Creaky wood¡ I suppose. Baron needs to pay for better construction on these third-rate towers, any day now the lousy thing will topple right over¡¡±
The sentry hadn¡¯t noticed him yet! As expected of a true master of stealth.
Of course, the crunching of wood as it gave way under his fingers was yet again quite noisy.
¡°The hells? Something under there?¡± the sentry asked as she nocked an arrow and stooped over to get a better look.
Only for Orodan¡¯s hand to come up and envelop her entire face.
¡°Mmmph!¡±
[Surprise Attack 46 ¡ú Surprise Attack 47]
Before the woman could put up a fight, Orodan¡¯s Celestial skill cleansed her mental representation in her mindscape, sending her to unconsciousness. She¡¯d come to eventually, a day or two later, but for now was in an unawakenable slumber.
He put her down in the corner and surveyed the area.
Eversong Plaza looked the same it always did at this time of night. It wasn¡¯t even five minutes into the loop yet. His early loops of charging into and dying against the forces arrayed here had given him intimate familiarity with their patrol patterns and positions.
The Apprentice-level guards along the perimeter stood in front of all entrances to the plaza; bored but still keeping watch over the roads leading in from nearby neighborhoods. Past them were the Adept-level enforcers of House Argon, surly faced men and women who looked tough and occasionally reminded a regular guard to remain vigilant in their duties.
Vision of Purity told him that the majority of the enforcers were inside the tavern itself. However, three enforcers were outside the tavern at this time. One, a woman wielding dual daggers who Orodan remembered starting his early death loops off by instantly killing. The other two, a great-axe wielding Adept and a spear-wielding Adept.
A decent complement of guards and enforcers; numerous and vigilant. However, neither the Apprentice-level guards nor the Adept enforcers were the issue. The problem, when it came to Orodan¡¯s stealthy endeavors¡ were the eagle-eyed lookouts standing watch from atop the tavern¡¯s balconies and roof.
And just as he looked at them from atop the tower¡
¡so too did one archer frown at him. Peak of the Adept-level, this man looked to be the watch commander for House Argon¡¯s soldiers at Eversong Plaza.
The man must¡¯ve known the sentry he¡¯d disabled or simply been familiar with the postings, for his frown quickly turned questioning and he asked something of the other lookout near him.
Stealth was as much a mindset as it was a skill. Orodan, used to barrelling through everything like a bull in a pottery shop, hadn¡¯t even considered that he didn¡¯t need a direct line of sight to use Vision of Purity. Consequently, he had stood tall atop the tower and gazed over the plaza and its guards instead of remaining hidden behind the tower fence and using Vision of Purity¡¯s ability to see through the fence while remaining hidden.
Well, better to learn now than trigger every detection measure when attempting to travel to Lonvoron. Part of the reason for his fixation on stealth this loop was so he could potentially weave it into his infiltration attempts for Lonvoron.
His enhanced hearing picked up their chatter.
¡°Say¡ isn¡¯t Rulstida supposed to be on the north tower tonight? Who¡¯s that?¡±
Thinking on the fly, he swiftly ducked down behind the fence, using the brief moment where the suspicious lookout on the tavern roof turned his head to question the other lookout regarding his concerns.
He swiftly used the cover of the fence and began climbing down the side of the north tower, dragging the unconscious sentry with him, obscured from the sight of the lookouts.
¡°What¡¯re you talking about? There¡¯s nobody there.¡±
¡°What the¡ they were just¡ lazy bastard must be taking an unscheduled break.¡± the lookout questioned and then called down to one of the enforcers on the plaza floor. ¡°Hey! Buximus! I can¡¯t see the north tower guard from here, can you go give them a slap on the head and tell them to do their job?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t Rulstida supposed to be up there? She¡¯s not usually the lazy sort¡¡± the great axe wielding Adept murmured and then looked to two nearby guards. ¡°Right, you two, with me. She¡¯s probably at the foot of the tower taking a piss is all. Can¡¯t exactly aim off the ledge like some.¡±
Where there was suspicion and the sending of an enforcer¡ there was also opportunity.
The three Argon soldiers came around the side of the tower blind to the lookout on the tavern roof, all grouped together¡
¡°Oi! Rulstida! You taking a piss? I don¡¯t want to walk in on you, but the watch commander¡¯s being paranoid and ordered me to check- argh!¡±
¡and Orodan gathered all three into a tackle, like a farmer gathering a bundle of hay. And smashed them into the side of the tower, causing it to tremble.
[Stealth 10 ¡ú Stealth 11]
[Surprise Attack 47 ¡ú Surprise Attack 48]
The average warrior would¡¯ve perhaps tackled one, maybe two. But Orodan could take advantage of being built like a tree and swooped all three with his long and stout arm span.
Of course, tackling them hard enough that the tower shook was something that could be seen, even if he immediately used Domain of Perfect Cleaning to knock them out.
¡°What the hells¡ did that tower just shake? I swear I heard something on the wind too. I don¡¯t like this one bit!¡± the paranoid lookout said and then called down to an enforcer on the ground level. ¡°Varania! You heard that too, right? Communications amulet on, take twenty troops and get me an answer!¡±
¡°On it! Troops four, five, seven and eight, with me!¡±
Excellent. Even more opportunity for stealth!
Orodan tucked the four unconscious bodies away in a nearby storage shed and waited for the approach of the twenty-one targets.
¡°Tower¡¯s empty! No sign of sir Buximus or the other two who went with him!¡± a guard cried out.
¡°Spread out and search the streets damn it! I want answers! Communications amulets on!¡± the Adept barked and then spoke to her own amulet which was glowing. ¡°Yes sir, no sign of them, we¡¯re splitting off and searching the streets as we speak. We¡¯ll be getting additional reinforcements? Yes sir.¡±
As the Adept spoke to the watch commander, Orodan could see fifty more soldiers pour out of the tavern, weapons drawn and making for the tower.
Near him though, was the first troop of five Apprentice-level guards that had split off.
Both arms shot out, and he grabbed all five of them in a big bearhug, lifting them into the air and running with them into the storage shed.
He threw them down to the ground like tossing stacks of lumber.
¡°Guah! Under attack! Und-¡±
A singular slap went across all of their faces, resounding across each cheek as the palm continued onwards through pure strength to impact the next. All five were disoriented, and a follow-up usage of his Celestial skill put them to sleep.
[Stealth 11 ¡ú Stealth 12]
Unfortunately, the call had gone out, and the two nearest troops were now coming his way in a sprint.
Orodan immediately hopped out the open window of the storage shed and began making his getaway. Yes, he could¡¯ve teleported, used chronomancy or simply used overwhelming strength and speed to incapacitate them all¡
¡but that would¡¯ve defeated the purpose of this training, which was to adopt stealth as a mindset and hopefully gain skill levels.
¡°I heard a commotion in there! The intruder must be that way!¡±
He gained distance and ducked into an alleyway, taking two more turns before crouching behind a trash heap.
¡°Seven hells¡ we got nine bodies in here! They¡¯re¡ they¡¯re alive still!¡±
¡°Damn it! Where are the pursuit specialists when you need them?¡± the Adept yelled as she practically barrelled through a thin wall two houses down. ¡°The footprints in the dirt lead this way. Find them! Now!¡±
Of course, Orodan¡¯s concern wasn¡¯t his pursuers¡
¡but the stray cat which had been eating a tossed fish from the heap. It now looked at him, utterly frozen as he was crouched behind the heap alongside it.
Orodan stared at the cat.
The cat stared at Orodan.
And the dirty rag covering his head which had eye holes cut out at the back.
What was a disguise?
A disguise, in his view, was something that helped him blend into the scenery. To make his existence unquestionable.
And as Orodan thought this, he too endeavored to be nothing more than a part of the environment.
Like a mountain, he sat there, imposing. His frame large and solid, his bearing ominous. His motion, absolutely and utterly still, like a statue. Did anyone question the existence of the sky? Of the mountains? Of the oceans?
No.
Then so too, would none question Orodan.
The cat sniffed him¡
[Disguise 12 ¡ú Disguise 15]
[Intimidation 28 ¡ú Intimidation 29]
¡and it turned back to eating the scraps it was fixated upon prior.
¡°I can¡¯t decide what I should be more impressed by. That your ridiculous disguise worked, or that you intimidated a cat into pretending you¡¯re not there,¡± Zaessythra said.
¡°No sensible being should question the existence of the ground beneath their feet. Accordingly, none shall question me.¡±
Zaessythra¡¯s mutters about him always finding some way to exceed her notions of stupidity were ignored.
In all seriousness, Orodan felt there was something more to the Disguise and Intimidation skills that he could leverage. He also felt a window to his soul itself open up when utilizing the combination, but nothing had levelled. More training needed to explore the matter further.
Cat successfully tricked; the soldiers of House Argon went in another direction to where he was.
Before leaving, Orodan gave the mangy stray a pat upon the head, causing it to jump in surprise. Proof that his disguise and stealth had in fact worked.
Consequently, he doubled back and decided to swoop down upon the unsuspecting guards and enforcers near the north tower where he began his clandestine operation.
There were at least twenty guards surrounding it, so the immediate area was quite packed. The top of the tower though¡ remained empty.
Orodan clambered up to a nearby roof¡
¡and then leapt from there to the tower. Immediately hiding behind the fence at the top the moment he reached.
¡°Hey! I saw something move! Check out the top of the north tower!¡± the watch commander archer ordered from atop the tavern roof.
The soldiers did as asked.
The first one up was an enforcer, an Adept-level spearman.
And the moment his head crossed the top of the ladder, Orodan pulled him behind the fence, and a loud thump could be heard.
¡°Fire! Open fire! Intruder at the top!¡±
¡°Sir our troops are still scaling the ladder!¡±
The following three guards who followed up the ladder were also yanked behind the fence at the top and knocked senseless.
An angry pyromancer exited the tavern, emerging onto the second-floor balcony. Hands glowing with flame.
Elite-level, and someone Orodan frequently dealt with. Aeglos Argon.
¡°What is this farce? We¡¯re under attack and you act so hesitantly?!¡± Aeglos Argon roared, striking the watch commander with a burning fist which scalded half the man¡¯s face and flung him off the roof. The man was wounded and in great pain but would live. ¡°Stand back. Anyone near the tower will die.¡±
Without fail, Orodan always killed this worm. This occurrence of badly wounding his own house¡¯s soldier was just one more reason why the scum¡¯s death was entirely justified.
A mighty fireball shot towards him, and he used the cover of its glowing blaze to quickly leap off the tower and to a nearby roof without detection.
Orodan was mid-sprint as the entire north tower exploded in a shower of flame and wooden splinters. Many of the guards near the tower were injured, but the warning was thankfully enough for them to get outside the fatal radius.
¡°Master,¡± Aeglos Argon said, activating the communication amulet around his neck. ¡°I can confirm that we are indeed under attack on the surface. I do not have a gauge on their numbers. Yes Master, I will remain here and guard the tavern entrance. We shall await your arrival.¡±
Before Aeglos Argon¡¯s necromantic master arrived then, Orodan was determined to end the cruel pyromancer¡¯s life. And most importantly¡ he wanted to ensure that the wicked scum never saw it coming.
His loud footsteps upon the roof tiles he was running across must¡¯ve been heard, for a group of ten guards led by an enforcer began running after him, causing Orodan to duck into yet another alleyway. They were on the verge of catching up when he saw a nearby well and hopped inside.
It was entirely dry. If he recalled, a replacement well had been built at the town center in front of the mayor¡¯s mansion. This one was now defunct, the underlying aquifer having run dry and never having been suitable in the first place. At the bottom, a few skeletons. A likely spot used by the thugs of House Argon to dump bodies.
Orodan¡¯s fingers dug into the inner stone walls of the well, and he hung on, waiting for more pursuers to arrive.
¡°Saw one of them come this way! Search the houses! You two, have a look at the well!¡±
The two guards approached, and Orodan immediately lunged upwards and grasped both their faces, pulling them into the well. It was a brutal and quick motion in which they had no time to even scream as they were smashed against the stone walls and put to sleep.
[Stealth 12 ¡ú Stealth 13]
¡°What the¡?! Hey! Over here! I looked away for a moment and those two vanished! All of you gather, we¡¯re checking that well! Ranged weapons at the ready, shields up front!¡±
Nowhere to flee now¡ or so it seemed until he saw a small alcove in the well leading into an excessively tiny tunnel.
Orodan simply wasn¡¯t built for fitting into tight spaces, he was far too big. Consequently, he began shoving rock aside as he expanded the tunnel in the process of delving it. In the process of it, it he encountered a species of bats half the size of a human which quickly fled from him.
A minute of burrowing later he arrived in a mucky, brown and filthy pit.
The smell of it confirmed that it was a cesspit. Hmm, perhaps that was why this well was shut down. Poor dumping practices could often lead to the contamination of wells.
In any case, burrowing further out and up wasn¡¯t a problem from there.
Of course, upon emerging and nearing the next group of guards, the stench became a noticeable impediment to stealthy movement.
¡°Good Gods! What in the seven hells is that stench? Karhagen, did you eat the tavern keep¡¯s special milk and honey pastries again?!¡±
¡°Er¡ no sir, not today.¡±
¡°Then what-¡±
[Stealth 13 ¡ú Stealth 14]
[Surprise Attack 48 ¡ú Surprise Attack 49]
Orodan¡¯s fist connected with the back of the Adept¡¯s head, causing him to fall to the ground limply, knocked out cold. The other five guards immediately turned to face him.
The farthest left and the farthest right ones were thrown into the wall of a nearby building, while the central one was given a solid headbutt. The remaining two then had their heads smacked together and with them incapacitated the entire troop was down.
The scuffle hadn¡¯t been heard, the other soldiers of House Argon were farther out. Near where Orodan had pulled two guards into the well. His stench might give him away, but that was a good training exercise in his opinion.
¡°Get moving! They say they¡¯ve found an intruder near the old well! At least ten of our number are down! Stay sharp!¡±
Orodan allowed this patrol to pass without challenge. He used Vision of Purity and now looked over Eversong Plaza.
The previously heavy presence of guards and enforcers was far thinner now. With most of them having sallied out towards the well.
This left a skeleton crew of watchers, with the presence of Aeglos Argon providing the real force.
A presence which would soon be erased.
The tavern was up against the mountain; sneaking up from behind would¡¯ve involved scaling Mount Castarian from the other side. Doable, but for now Orodan chose the far simpler method¡
¡of loudly banging upon the nearest empty building while remaining out of sight.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± a guard asked.
Aeglos Argon however, was far more paranoid.
¡°Step away or die!¡±
The warning was shouted for the Argon guards, as a large fireball sailed towards the building, practically wiping it from existence.
But that was fine, as Orodan had begun moving the moment the fireball left the pyromancer¡¯s hands. Using the cover of its blazing light which disoriented the guards and blinded everyone else, he dashed and got right up to the nearest two.
[Stealth 14 ¡ú Stealth 15]
Two powerful fists clobbered them insensate, and Orodan ran back to the perimeter of buildings on the outside.
¡°Recall the troops! The intruder is here!¡± Aeglos Argon barked. ¡°I¡¯m certain I saw something moving!¡±
Orodan yet again began banging on another empty building from out of sight, and soon as the fireball came, once more he swiftly rushed out, beat two guards down and returned to the perimeter.
The next one would have to be the last. Mainly since he was running out of empty buildings to use as bait, and because Aeglos Argon had begun to catch on.
¡°Show your face you coward! Cease your craven behavior and face me head-on!¡±
Orodan thought it ironic that this clearly terrified mage would say so.
Still, the perimeter of guards had thinned out, and Orodan saw a clear opening to reach Aeglos Argon.
One more.
He banged upon an empty building while remaining out of sight one more time. Predictably, Aeglos Argon reacted, hands blazing with fire and his face showing clear signs of fear. Except this time, it wasn¡¯t a fireball which erupted, but a blazing beam of fire.
The same beam which Orodan had died to many times over in his early loops. Smart, far less obstructing of his vision than a giant fireball. Less of a sudden blinding flash of light too.
But that was fine, for Orodan had recently learned to think like a mage.
And as the beam of fire made for the building, he recalled a trick he¡¯d seen his old friend Mahari do once.
He stepped out for a brief moment, forgoing stealth and allowing Aeglos Argon to look at him for the first time. And as their eyes met, Orodan had a predatory smile on his face.
[Waterstream 20 ¡ú Waterstream 22]
The beam of fire met an overcharged stream of water¡
¡and a massive explosion of steam erupted outwards.
The sheer amount of fire and water meeting meant that the entire plaza was now covered in steam, making visibility quite difficult.
¡°I can¡¯t see a thing! Get out there and sweep the area! Now!¡± Aeglos ordered. ¡°You and you! Stand guard near me!¡±
The Elite pyromancer was frantically looking around, trying to get any indication of where Orodan might be. And then, he heard the cries of pain.
Gasps and choked screams began to sound out, as one-by-one Orodan began knocking out the guards who were sent into the steam. He intentionally waited a second after each hit, allowing them to get a shocked grunt or cry of pain out, that Aeglos might try and track their position through sound.
And it worked.
Terror and panic had stricken the pyromancer. He threw out fireball after fireball, the explosions clearing the steam away. Thankfully Orodan had thrown the beaten guards a distance away, the fireballs would have turned them to ash otherwise.
The explosions managed to mostly clear the steam away, but it was too late.
The nose of one of the lookouts scrunched up at the horrible stench Orodan gave off from burrowing into a cesspit.
That man was picked up and bodily hurled like a pebble towards the other remaining lookout, launching them both off the tavern roof. And before the pyromancer could turn around to wonder where that smell came from or who got rid of both his guards¡
¡Orodan¡¯s hands wrapped around Aeglos Argon¡¯s head from behind.
¡°Greetings.¡±
[Stealth 15 ¡ú Stealth 17]
[Surprise Attack 49 ¡ú Surprise Attack 50]
The mage¡¯s neck snapped as Orodan turned his head a hundred and eighty degrees that he could look at his killer.
This was surprisingly good training all things considered.
And who knew what these previously seldom-trained skills could add up to?
#
¡°And that¡¯s why¡ I need to find some way of dealing with bloody light magic.¡±
[Deception 4 ¡ú Deception 5]
Truthfully, he was surprised he¡¯d even gained a level given how utterly bad he was at lying. Least of all through lying to the old man who doubtlessly saw through him like a piece of razor thin paper.
¡°Hold your horses Orodan. I barely understand half of what you told me, about being enemies with some ¡®tentacled¡¯ being from the void who¡¯s disguised as a human who also wants you dead. It¡¯s clear that you¡¯re full of it,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°You¡¯ve never been one to lie, so quit horsing around and simply ask me what you want.¡±
Well, he¡¯d lied by omission, not directly. But¡ when it came to Orodan, even that was enough to clearly be seen through, especially by the old man.
¡°Cut me a break old man¡ am I that easy to read?¡± Orodan asked.
And here Orodan thought he might try practicing his Deception skill. Perhaps blending it in with Stealth might help, or so he had thought. It was a whimsical idea anyways. Even the singular level gain in Deception felt off, and Orodan knew that he would never truly be in tune with the ability to lie and deceive people. It simply wasn¡¯t in his nature.
¡°I¡¯ve been dealing with you since you were an irritating delinquent with a penchant for causing trouble on the job site. You couldn¡¯t lie to save your life.¡±
¡°Good thing I come back every time I die then¡¡± Orodan off-handedly said.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°Nothing. It would only give you a headache, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have enough of those with this warehouse I¡¯ve now built,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Don¡¯t remind me you dumb delinquent! The silly yarns you¡¯ve spun had me forgetting about this thing¡ how am I even supposed to present it to the client with a straight face?¡± the old man asked. ¡°And these pipes you¡¯ve put in are entirely worthless. What¡¯s even meant to flow through them?¡±
¡°Er¡ right. I haven¡¯t figured that one out fully as of yet,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°One day though, steam will flow through those pipes.¡±
¡°And when¡¯s that?¡±
¡°Today,¡± Orodan said with a smile.
One loop down the line he¡¯d get the steam pipes right.
¡°Bah! You¡¯re making no sense at all¡ it¡¯s like you¡¯ve been possessed by a demon that¡¯s supernaturally talented in all these strange skills the real Orodan knows nothing about,¡± the old man said.
¡°What¡¯s stopping you from running to the Cathedral then?¡±
¡°Who else would be this bad at lying?¡± the old man asked. Fair point. He was quite horrible at lying and he doubted even a toddler was as bad at it as he was. ¡°Now if you¡¯re done here¡ we can talk about that question you had.¡±
¡°What question?¡±
¡°Your question about countering light magic?¡± the old man reminded him. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t think I¡¯m capable of reading between the lines? Easy enough when you have the subtlety of a rock.¡±
Fair enough.
¡°You know how I might go about countering it then?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Where should I look?¡±
¡°The Gods,¡± Old Man Hannegan said, causing Orodan to frown. ¡°Specifically, the Cathedral. Who best to teach you light magic and the methods of countering it than those who use it themselves?¡±
Learning from the enemy? How foul!
Yet, Old Man Hannegan wasn¡¯t exactly incorrect. If anyone knew light magic and knew it well, it was Ilyatana and her cronies. Bluefire didn¡¯t cover light magic all that well, with most students interested in elemental magic opting for the flashier and more destructive pyromancy. Yes, he had many spells across various schools of elemental magic, but the two elements he hadn¡¯t yet delved into were light and darkness.
To cross an entire tier, to fight an Administrator who was likely at the peak of the Embodiment-level¡ how else would Orodan do it? It was all well and good that he had somehow gotten to Lonvoron last loop, but even then¡ he would be floundering about uselessly unless he grew to become capable of standing against the wrath of the Prophet.
And one of the key centrepieces in standing against a foe so ridiculously superior to him, was learning how to resist light magic. His resistance skills were the biggest difference maker in combat. Against enemies who he had advantageous resistance skills against, he¡¯d repeatedly beaten the odds.
In pure melee combat, if he kept working hard, he felt he could perhaps survive against the Prophet soon. Against those beams of light though? No chance. Not unless he learned a new skill.
And it seemed the best way of doing that truly would be the Cathedral.
¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ll spend more than a day with those sycophants¡¡± Orodan muttered. ¡°I have other places to be.¡±
¡°You look like you¡¯ve swallowed a sour lemon, Orodan. Did a priest offend you recently?¡± the old man asked.
He recalled nearly being mind-controlled by Ilyatana during his first meeting with an Avatar. He remembered how she¡¯d participated in possessing him alongside Agathor and Eximus, commandeering him like a dirty meat puppet.
¡°¡something like that,¡± Orodan replied, choosing not to elaborate.
¡°Hmm, well I won¡¯t pry if you don¡¯t wish to say. In any case, since that whole mess at Eversong Plaza I¡¯ve heard the Cathedral¡¯s wanting to send some priests and relief efforts this way. Heard whispers that they¡¯re recruiting,¡± the old man informed. ¡°Might be a good chance for you to get in touch with them? Not sure if they¡¯ll teach you what you¡¯re looking for in a day otherwise.¡±
¡°Recruiting?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in becoming a diviner.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it if they were recruiting only the priestly sort,¡± Old Man Hannegan said with a chuckle. ¡°A passing priest told me they were looking for soldiers and mercenaries too.¡±
¡°They¡¯re recruiting soldiers and mercenaries? That¡¯s new¡¡± Orodan muttered. After all, this was his first time hearing they were doing that. ¡°In any case, I doubt their lot are coming along for the good of the people old man. More likely they¡¯re trying to get their paws on what¡¯s beneath the mountain.¡±
After all, the Cathedral was doubtlessly interested in the ancient machine Orodan had disabled. And that affair had gone quite poorly, as in, his stealth had much room for improvement. Orodan had forgotten to account for the scrying eye orbs hidden at certain spots in the plaza. Naturally, the Master-level necromancer had been ready for any skulking and evasive maneuvers from him. Necromancers in general, alongside beast tamers and those who commanded golems, were in the unique position where stealth, espionage and assassination were dramatically harder against them.
Orodan had been quickly discovered, and then he¡¯d had to go about regularly battering his way forward from that point on.
Still, it was a problem he intended to tackle across many loops.
¡°What¡¯s beneath the mountain?¡± the old man asked.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The knowledge will only have people coming after you,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now then, can¡¯t say I¡¯ll interact with these approaching hounds and cronies of the Gods¡ but the Cathedral may have a thing or two that¡¯ll help me.¡±
¡°Hounds and cronies? Not saying I haven¡¯t had my doubts about the Cathedral as well Orodan¡ but whoever¡¯s wronged you, I hope you don¡¯t let the hatred fester in your heart for long,¡± Old Man Hannegan said. ¡°Despite the wrongs of a few, there are still good people who serve the Gods.¡±
Frankly, he still hated Ilyatana alongside the other two of the tyrannical three, but the old man wasn¡¯t wrong. Orodan had moved past allowing his hatred to control his actions. If he killed Agathor, Eximus or Ilyatana, it would be because their deaths were necessary to prevent more people being harmed.
And he¡¯d seen people such as Uldrine and Myntasa; he wasn¡¯t blind to the fact that innocent folk with good hearts placed their trust and faith in the Gods. Orodan simply disagreed that the vile despots deserved their worship.
¡°Perhaps you aren¡¯t wrong old man,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Anyhow, remember to hold onto that ring I gave you. I suppose it¡¯s about time I paid the Cathedral a visit.¡±
¡°The Cathedral itself? They¡¯re a bit more stringent in what they teach than wandering priests might be¡ the lot in Trumbetton have always been a bit prickly in my experience.¡±
¡°Aye, the Cathedral itself. I have my ways of learning what I need,¡± Orodan said. Whether by force or simply ransacking a library, he would acquire what he needed. ¡°And you mistake me; I¡¯m not headed for Trumbetton¡¡±
¡°¡but the Cathedral of the Prime Five in the capital.¡±
#
Karilsgard was bustling with activity as normal. Perhaps even more so now that the tapestry of fate was in a state of utter pandemonium and the recent events surrounding an ancient machine, Novarrian interference and the betrayal of a noble house of the Republic came to light.
The walls of the city were tall, and lined with even more ranged troops, mages and war machines than usual. The number of foot patrols had increased, the mounted patrols sweeping the roads were frequent and the pair of famed dragon riders doing flyovers were a visible message to the people and any would-be interlopers in this time of uncertainty.
Of course, Orodan had to worry about none of that as he strode down the road towards the city gate. His fate was ¡®normal¡¯ enough, as in, it simply couldn¡¯t be closely read just like everyone else. Long as he didn¡¯t make any long-distance travel, gain levels in Domain of Perfect Cleaning or directly fight the System, Orodan¡¯s fate would be the last thing to expose him.
Of course, having a soul and fate open to Observe was a different matter. And he¡¯d not thought to change his Wainwrighting Apprentice title.
¡°Hold there, militia man. Which county do you hail from?¡± the capital guardsman, an Elite-level swordsman asked, while gesturing out with a hand for Orodan to stop. ¡°Can¡¯t be Vondarius or Exerston county¡¡±
¡°He¡¯s from Volarbury county corporal, saw their uniform when they sent us to visit the mayor once,¡± another guard informed.
¡°Volarbury county, eh? You being a militia man or visiting the capital isn¡¯t the issue,¡± the capital guard corporal said. ¡°The reason I stopped you is because your Status is a bit¡¡±
¡°Suspicious?¡± Orodan offered.
¡°You said it, not me. I¡¯m not the sort to relish in stopping people and giving them a rough time¡ but you¡¯ve got to admit, a man with your bearing and armaments donning a militia uniform can¡¯t just have the title of Weaving Apprentice,¡± the corporal said with a friendly smile. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, is it? While I can appreciate a good practical joke, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen or been taught of the Wainwrighting Apprentice title during my academy days. My gut says you aren¡¯t here to cause trouble, but the circumstances bear questioning is all. If you don¡¯t mind saying, what¡¯s your business in Karilsgard?¡±
¡°Just here to visit the Cathedral, corporal,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Have some matters to discuss with the priesthood and diviners.¡±
¡°The Cathedral you say? They¡¯ve certainly been busy with recent events. Don¡¯t know how easily you¡¯ll obtain an audience with how much they¡¯ve been running around like headless chickens,¡± the man said. ¡°High Oracle¡¯s locked in her chamber alongside half the high-ranking diviners, and everyone else is scrambling to get answers. The tapestry of fate¡¯s supposedly in an uproar.¡±
¡°Hmm, how unfortunate,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Indeed. Anyhow, off you go. Good fortune to you in your business,¡± the corporal said and waved him off. ¡°And if you ever find yourself looking for a new career, the capital guard¡¯s always looking for more.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t say standing guard at a gate interests me, but I appreciate the offer.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d bite. Was worth a shot though, take care.¡±
As Orodan walked off he heard the junior guardsman talk.
¡°You let him off rather easy sir¡ did your skill get a strong reading?¡± the younger guard asked. ¡°A job offer too?¡±
¡°The skill¡¯s Legendary for a reason lad; it¡¯s never let me down over the years. Didn¡¯t sense he¡¯s a bad sort¡ got the feeling he¡¯s more than a little hot-headed though¡¡± the corporal murmured. A skill which could get a sense for someone¡¯s character, interesting. ¡°Strong bearing too. Doesn¡¯t carry himself like any rank-and-file militia man that¡¯s for sure.¡±
Though, despite those words, Orodan sensed a pulse of dirty mana go out from the corporal¡¯s communications amulet to someplace deeper in Karilsgard.
In any case, it wasn¡¯t a concern for him. Orodan continued down the streets of Karilsgard, passing the commercial district before entering the temple district where the Cathedral of the Prime Five lay.
The doors were already open, the giant double doors leading inside to five separate doors, denoting each of the Prime Five. The Cathedral¡¯s operations seemed mostly regular, save the lack of any priests or diviners of Ilyatana in sight. The other four Gods¡¯ chambers of worship were operating normally, though some mean-looking rough soldiers stood guard in front of the chamber leading to the chamber of worship corresponding to the Goddess of Fate.
The common folk denied entry were understandably unhappy. Even a well-dressed and wealthy merchant was among them. To the side, lazily leaning on a pillar, was a surly man with a resigned look on his face and a pointy hat on his head. Master-level, Orodan gauged, and the man was looking rather intently at him, but said nothing for the moment.
¡°This is outrageous! We¡¯ve come to pray, to offer donations, and the Cathedral would turn us away?!¡± the wealthy merchant demanded, behind him, an assortment of other traders and businessfolk.
¡°I assure you, good merchant, your concerns are justified. However, by order of the High Oracle herself these doors are to remain barred,¡± the young armored faithful of the Cathedral said. ¡°It¡¯s out of my hands. Protesting to me will achieve nothing.
¡°How could Lady Lakshiya do this?! I have an auspicious trade deal coming up and need to have my fate read! My entire fortune depends on this!¡± the merchant clamored. ¡°Last thing I need is that damned Esgarius to get one over me again!¡±
¡°Esgarius of Trumbetton?¡± Orodan asked, prompting the merchant to turn around. ¡°Of course he would have an advantage in that regard, he used to be an adventurer himself.¡±
¡°Why yes! That clever rascal has all but cornered the market on goods sold by adventurers. I don¡¯t know what swindling or backstabbing he¡¯s engaged in, but I can see him taking over even the markets of Karilsgard soon if we don¡¯t put a stop to him!¡±
Esgarius was wildly different in some ways from Orodan, but also shockingly similar in others. While Orodan didn¡¯t quite understand the man¡¯s single-minded thirst for gold, so too could it be said that many didn¡¯t understand his own focus on strength. Despite their differences in personality though, Orodan respected Esgarius for having a certain standard of conduct. And the greedy merchant had helped him many a time.
To stand and listen to some irate ponce besmirch his name wouldn¡¯t do.
¡°Backstabbing? He¡¯s certainly rather greedy and covetous, but the man¡¯s always honored his trade deals down to the copper,¡± Orodan said. ¡°He pays his employees well and looks after the families of any fallen underlings of his. In that regard, he¡¯s far better than most merchants in this city of snakes.¡±
¡°Y-you! A supporter of his, are you? How much did he pay you to say those words?!¡± the merchant barked. ¡°Some no-good thug you are, speaking on that fraud¡¯s behalf.¡±
Orodan was on the bottom step of a landing. He decided to rectify this matter and remind the merchant that sometimes speaking too loudly wasn¡¯t a good idea.
He stepped up, looming over the second tallest person in the vicinity by a good head. And the merchant must¡¯ve finally realized how tiny he was, for he shrank backwards.
¡°The man you speak of is no fraud. Rather, the lot of you before me might qualify for that term. Recant the falsehoods you spout about Esgarius of Trumbetton,¡± Orodan ordered, glaring at the puny man menacingly. ¡°Or answer to me.¡±
[Intimidation 29 ¡ú Intimidation 30]
Orodan didn¡¯t typically enjoy bullying those weaker than him. And if the criticism was true, he would¡¯ve simply shut his mouth and let them air their fair grievances. In prior loops, many had called the God of Death a coward, and while Orodan defended Malzim¡¯s actions, he never threatened anyone over the truthful criticism.
But to spread falsehoods? He would sort the matter out himself.
¡°A-ah¡ er¡¡±
The well-dressed merchant stuttered, fearful.
¡°Hey¡ you can¡¯t just go around threatening people, especially not in this sacred place of worship,¡± the armored faithful guard said, stepping forward with a frown.
¡°He was uttering lies and I felt compelled to correct them,¡± Orodan answered.
The guard sized Orodan up and didn¡¯t like what he saw. It was then, that a nearby senior faithful walked up, a frown on her face.
¡°Hey! What¡¯s all this chatter about?¡± the senior guard, a burly armored woman with a halberd demanded.
¡°Ma¡¯am¡ these merchants are demanding audience and-¡±
¡°Enough of that. I¡¯ve told you before that you¡¯re too polite while on guard duty,¡± the older guard chided the junior and then turned to the leading merchant with an angry frown. ¡°You. What do you want?¡±
¡°Noble defender of the faith! This brutish man here-¡±
¡°That was a rhetorical question, in case the look on my face wasn¡¯t answer enough, I don¡¯t care. You heard the man already, did you not? The chamber of Ilyatana is closed until further notice. Now get lost,¡± she brusquely dismissed. ¡°And you, what¡¯re you doing here with that sword and shield? The chamber of Agathor is that way, the war-priests there can help you.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t enter that place if my life depended on it. Agathor can offer me nothing that I cannot already do better,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Matter of fact, can¡¯t say I much want to be here either.¡±
¡°What the hells did you just say? Uttering blasphemy right in front of her Lady¡¯s faithful is a poor decision,¡± the burly woman said, a sneer on her face.
¡°I thought Karilsgard is under authority of the capital guard. But of course, the Cathedral does love overstepping its bounds¡ just like the Gods you serve,¡± Orodan said and then cracked his knuckles. ¡°Accused me of blasphemy, did you? Why don¡¯t you step up and do something about it then.¡±
If someone wanted to hot-headedly challenge him, Orodan was more than fine with starting a fight here and now.
Fortunately for Ilyatana¡¯s dog, someone quickly interceded before he gave her and half of Karilsgard¡¯s forces a beating in an ever-escalating brawl.
¡°Sujifaria, that¡¯ll be enough. I shall speak with him,¡± the curt but calm voice said. It was the man with the pointy hat who¡¯d been leaning against the pillar in a surly manner.
¡°But¡ my lord!¡±
¡°No buts, leave this one to me. I¡¯ve been expecting him,¡± the man said. ¡°Orodan Wainwright, the Wainwrighting Apprentice¡ I suppose that¡¯s what passes for a funny joke nowadays?¡±
¡°I did think it would be entertaining,¡± Orodan admitted.
¡°Hmm, and is rousing these simpletons to a fight also part of your entertainment?¡± the man asked.
¡°No, but fighting them might¡¯ve been.¡±
¡°Violent one, aren¡¯t you? Capital guard at the gate tipped me off about your approach. What¡¯s your business with the Cathedral?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve come to learn light magic.¡±
¡°Why? I have a vague feeling that you have plenty of power within you. What need have you for light magic?¡± the man asked. ¡°That militia man outfit looks passable enough, but I hope you don¡¯t assume I¡¯m stupid enough to actually believe you¡¯re with any county militia.¡±
¡°Is learning for its own sake not an acceptable answer?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Spare me your rhetorical questions. Even now, standing within the seat of the Gods¡¯ power, there¡¯s no fear within you. You look all too happy to pick a fight if you need to,¡± the surly man said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Why do you want to learn light magic?¡±
¡°¡an enemy of mine is a light mage of great power. I need to not only learn light magic¡ but also find some method of resisting or countering it,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°An honest answer at last. Just start with what you¡¯re after when dealing with me. I don¡¯t like beating around the bush.¡±
Orodan liked the sound of that and made note of it for future loops.
¡°Very well. I¡¯ve come to the Cathedral to learn light magic. Will you teach me?¡±
¡°Are you willing to aid the Cathedral?¡± the man asked.
¡°I will be no leashed mutt for the Gods,¡± Orodan immediately laid out.
¡°What I need you for will have nothing to do with worshiping Gods or following their will.¡± the man clarified. ¡°People need protection from some terrible things, and we¡¯re horribly low on manpower.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re asking me to stand guard, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not my way of doing things. I would rather go out and hunt down whatever¡¯s causing problems.¡±
¡°Even better¡ I think you¡¯ll be the right fit for the job.¡±
¡°I walk off the street and you¡¯re pressing me into recruitment¡?¡± Orodan asked, surprised and somewhat amused by the man¡¯s no-nonsense attitude. ¡°Does the Cathedral not have its own for this sort of work?¡±
¡°It did¡ until recently. Recent events have caused most of those under me to be re-deployed.¡±
The man gestured for Orodan to follow him. The guards didn¡¯t look too happy with where Orodan was being led, but they could only glare as the senior member of the Cathedral was the one allowing it. Must¡¯ve been some sort of restricted area.
¡°Silestor Lumenarin. Head of the Cathedral¡¯s arm of exorcists and hunters.¡±
Now that was a renowned name. Orodan had heard of the light mage and his reputation as a hunter of vampires, necromancers and cultists.
¡°I¡¯ve heard the name. You and your lot are the ones responsible for dealing with vampires, demons and cultists across the Republic,¡± Orodan remarked.
The Cathedral, much as Orodan hated some of the Gods associated with it, was responsible for many good things. Charitable endeavors to aid the poor, relief for villages devastated by banditry, raiding or monsters and most importantly¡ dealing with dark and supernatural creatures which wanted to prey upon the innocent peoples of Inuan.
Vampires, unsanctioned necromancers, cultists and the incredibly rare case of demon summoning, and even instances of haunting by malevolent spirits. These were all under the purview of this arm of the Cathedral.
¡°Among other things,¡± Silestor said, leading Orodan into a library of sorts where numerous acolytes and diviners were studying or meditating. He grabbed a singular tome off a bookshelf and threw it at him. ¡°Here. Read that and consider it an advance payment.¡±
¡°An advance payment?¡± Orodan asked while opening the tome up and closing it after verifying what the content were. The basic Light Beam spell. ¡°I still haven¡¯t agreed to work for the Cathedral.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll be working for me. Believe me, I have no interest in the sanctimonious drivel those mindless preachers spout either. I¡¯ll get to the point. I need people who can fight, and I need them fast,¡± Silestor stated. ¡°Damn fools of the inner sanctum have lost their wits trying to parse that stupid tapestry since it¡¯s gone rear end over head yesterday. Two-thirds of all the diviners in this country are in that sanctum now, with the remaining ones on their way as we speak. By order of the Head Oracle, more than half of my combat capable light mages and diviners are stuck with their heads buried in fate reading orbs. It¡¯s a disaster.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Orodan said nothing about the fact that he was the cause for said disaster.
¡°A disaster? Nobles and well-off merchants being unable to read the tapestry is hardly a disaster,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Can¡¯t you hire mercenaries to fill in the gaps? I don¡¯t exactly see where the disaster is.¡±
¡°What do you think I¡¯m talking to you for? Until today, I didn¡¯t see what the issue with the tapestry being unreadable was either. Problem is, the diviners are heavily reliant upon the tapestry to track things, people and events,¡± Silestor said. ¡°And the Cathedral aren¡¯t the only ones capable of recognizing that the tapestry¡¯s gone awry.¡±
¡°In other words, the lack of tapestry is being taken advantage of.¡±
¡°Correct. The number of malevolent spirit sightings has remained consistent, those things are too mindless to realize what¡¯s occurred. But the number of vampire attacks and reports of illegal necromancy and cultist activity have almost doubled over the first day,¡± Silestor informed. ¡°We haven¡¯t dealt with a proper demon summoning in at least a century, but with this catastrophe on our hands we might have devils returning to our world by the end of today.¡±
Well hells¡
¡Orodan had caused a real mess.
How was he supposed to know that the Cathedral was so reliant upon the tapestry of fate in order to maintain the security of Inuan? It made sense though.
Monsters weren¡¯t as much of a concern. They typically didn¡¯t prey upon mortals in an organized manner. They remained in the depths or certain wild habitats away from civilization, only choosing to attack opportunistically. The worst that monsters did was assault cities like Anthus, which were built around energy wells. And while Anthus might have a slightly harder time without the tapestry¡ it was a walled and heavily militarized city which could defend itself.
Sentient and predatory beings such as vampires and demons were a different matter altogether. As were cultists who sought innocents for ritual sacrifice and necromancers who sought corpses for their hordes.
The tapestry of fate could track deaths, powerful beings and those who had fates different from the norm. Orodan himself had been singled out in his early loops when Ilyatana read his fate and discovered it was akin to a coiling ouroboros, the symbol of infinity. Similarly, devils, vampires and other non-human supernatural creatures and monsters could be tracked via the tapestry and hunted down. Necromancers and cultists too had a unique signature upon the tapestry whenever they raised the dead or slaughtered the living for their evil rituals.
Without the tapestry, these fiends would now feel emboldened to commit atrocities without fear of being tracked. Hells, the tapestry even helped hunt down mass murderers and anyone going on a rampage as the sudden severance of threads and the loss of many fates was easily noted. Who knew what sadistic sorts would now have free reign to go about butchering people?
The real problem, however, would be the organized and hungry predators of the night.
Vampires preyed upon mortals. Eldiron being an advanced civilization had mostly eradicated them, but the younger Inuan, with its burgeoning towns and cities was a feast to them.
The cabals of vampires which normally dwelled far from civilization in the deep wilds would doubtlessly take notice of the chaos and gladly start feeding upon people. What deterred them prior to Orodan¡¯s entry into the tapestry was that they could be tracked down, hounded and then slain. Crossing the border didn¡¯t exactly help either as to the south was Novarria and to the east were the Eastern Kingdoms. Both these other nations were under the purview of humanity and the Prime Five, and almost every human on Alastaia hated vampires.
With such a critical tracking tool now rendered inoperable¡ the consequences were undoubtedly apparent.
¡°I have to take some measure of responsibility for this,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I can¡¯t rest until every fiend hunting the innocent is dead.¡±
¡°Responsibility? A good attitude to have but there are many monsters upon-¡±
¡°I¡¯ll find and end them all. The ones hunting innocents at least,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest one?¡±
¡°If we knew, we¡¯d have gone out already. The tapestry is in flux and¡ that¡¯s a fate-reading orb, why are you picking it up?¡±
Silestor¡¯s question was answered soon enough as Orodan¡¯s eyes began glowing slightly golden, indicative of someone peering into the tapestry of fate. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t need the orb, but it was easier to show proof of his competence than simply telling the man to trust him.
The tapestry was in utter disarray, a complete mess. The alternate timeline tapestries he¡¯d parsed when gazing into his past didn¡¯t look as though a tidal storm was occurring within them. The tapestry in the real world was a mess though. Reading and making sense of it in this state was incredibly difficult. Myntasa had been capable of it, rare talent that she was. Though most people, even experienced diviners, weren¡¯t.
Orodan however could, and he had some advantages which made it uniquely easier for him.
Being the cause of the tapestry of fate¡¯s current tempestuous state was a decent boon. Given that he was the source of the pandemonium, it allowed him to know when the waves would come and go, reading the threads accordingly. Mainly though, he had the unfair advantage of a mind that was an unfathomable number of times mightier than anyone else¡¯s. It had to be, else the absorption of his own System¡¯s central glyph of knowledge would¡¯ve shattered his mind and unravelled his soul.
[Fate Reading 57 ¡ú Fate Reading 58]
Provided they had similar upbringings and grew up in the same place, humans, orcs, dwarves, goblins and elves had fates that were mostly indistinguishable from one another. They were the mortal races, and their souls were the standard, with nothing which stood out.
Vampirism was a curse which affected not just the mind and body, but the soul too. Consequently, their fates in the tapestry had a distinct and bloody feel to them. Particularly those vampires who killed in order to feed.
Eyes glowing a tinge of gold, he focused on the closest one.
¡°The nearest predator is a vampire in Jerestir,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°I¡¯ll make way and end it.¡±
¡°You¡ can read the tapestry?¡± Silestor asked, dumbfounded.
Some nearby acolytes were also shocked. A few murmured that Orodan should perhaps be sent into the inner sanctum, that the High Oracle could make use of his talents.
To that, he said no thanks.
¡°I¡¯ll pass on helping your mindless fate readers try and make sense of the tapestry. We have actual work to do,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I¡¯ll get in some serious trouble for this; the Chosen has a standing order out for anyone who can read the tapestry as it is now¡¡± Silestor muttered, and then the man¡¯s face took on a determined expression. ¡°In for a copper, in for a silver. I¡¯m coming with you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not concerned about being punished?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission,¡± Silestor preached. ¡°They¡¯ll show lenience when we achieve results and get rid of enough of these fiends. Let me gather a few trusted-¡±
¡°No need. I¡¯ll be more than enough,¡± Orodan said, placing a hand upon the man¡¯s shoulder as the dimensional boundary rippled.
Still not as imperceptible as Talricto¡¯s was, but he¡¯d get there one day.
The pores of the dimensional boundary were a tight enough squeeze by himself. They were in a state of constant movement. Adding someone else would have been incredibly dangerous¡
¡for the regular dimensionalist who didn¡¯t have absurd reaction times as a result of high levels in various physical skills. As it stood, the boundary shifted in slow motion from Orodan¡¯s perspective, even without using any time compression.
He safely ferried Silestor across, and in the blink of an eye the two were standing on a grassy plain, just outside a hunter¡¯s cabin in a clearing.
¡°What devilry is this?¡± Silestor asked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re a spatiomancer as well?¡±
¡°Dimensionalism. I can perform spatiomancy too, but traveling through the dimensional boundary¡¯s far trickier to detect and won¡¯t set off anti-spatiomancy wards. Either way it¡¯s good to practice both.¡±
Silestor gave him a look which lasted for two seconds before getting over it and accepting his skillset.
¡°A hunter¡¯s dwelling¡ of course the filthy bloodsucker would target those living farthest from town¡ even with the tapestry down the vampire won¡¯t risk a fight against Jerestir¡¯s guards,¡± Silestor said. ¡°Come, let us enter.¡±
Vision of Purity told him exactly what was inside.
¡°Vampire inside. The victim is dead,¡± Orodan stated. ¡°Managed to land an arrow before she fell too.¡±
¡°Malzim ferry her soul¡¡± Silestor prayed, and then the man¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Let us purge it!¡±
A foul, gray-skinned humanoid was grotesquely feeding on the corpse of a hunter when Orodan pushed the door open, sending it flying into the vampire.
Vampires were supernaturally mighty, beyond any equivalent-level martial specialist. Unfortunately for it, that didn¡¯t matter much when a door came sailing at the speed of an artillery shot. The door collided with it, a shriek rang out, and the Adept-level vampire was smashed right through the wall of the hunter¡¯s dwelling and onto the grassy field outside.
It looked to get up, only for a blazing beam of light to instantly turn it to ash. Orodan had fought mages using light magic before, but Silestor seemed well beyond what the regular Master-level light mage should be.
Anyhow, we can continue this later. I have to recite the funerary rites and prepare this brave woman¡¯s body for transport back to Jerestir.¡±
¡°No need. Let¡¯s bring her back.¡±
¡°I assure you; the funerary rites may seem silly to one who lacks faith in the Gods, but are as much a custom of respect for the dead as they are-¡±
The death was only two hours ago and the body still warm. The amount of soul energy needed was thus utterly trivial.
A swift cast of Time Reversal, and the blood all over the cabin and some portions from the ash pile outside were pulled right back into the woman¡¯s body. And with a gasp, she awoke, her eyes wide and trembling.
Her first response was to scream in terror, whipping the knife in her hand directly towards Orodan.
He caught it and gently forced her hand back to her own lap.
¡°At ease warrior, your death was a valorous one, but I will not let it stand today,¡± Orodan comforted. ¡°You fell fighting a vampire, but you are returned to the living once more.¡±
The woman frantically looked at her cabin, at Orodan and Silestor, and then out the destroyed wall where a pile of ash lay.
Vampire hunting was quite fun it seemed.
#
[New Skill (Uncommon) ¡ú Light Beam 1]
The tiny beam of light shot forth from his finger and scored a black burn mark upon the vampire¡¯s forehead.
It growled, more irritated than hurt.
¡°Hmm, took you long enough. Though the power could use some work,¡± Silestor said.
¡°I kept it weak because that was my first cast. Didn¡¯t want to accidentally overdo it,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Might want to step back for the next one.¡±
The light mage heeded his warning and did in fact step back.
[Light Beam 1 ¡ú Light Beam 8]
The circumference of the beam covered the entirety of the Elite vampire¡¯s body, reducing it to utter oblivion. It then continued onwards, striking the mountain behind it, clearing a clean hole through it, and creating a decent hole in the cloud layer too.
¡°By the north¡¡± Silestor muttered. ¡°Such power at so low a skill level?¡±
¡°I have an unfair advantage,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°I have to say¡ this feels as though it has similar properties to soul energy.¡±
¡°Of course. Light is one of the purest forms of elemental magic. The question of its discovery and initial founding is one lost to time, ever since the Cataclysm which destroyed all civilization upon Inuan,¡± Silestor explained. ¡°Yet one thing scholars agree upon is that it¡¯s the type of magic closest to the natural light of the soul.¡±
Orodan had already advanced a step further than light magic in that regard, by learning how to harness the power of his soul directly. But learning a closely related element was by no means a bad thing. Just with that cast, he began to ferment some ideas in his head of how he could make his soul energy flow better.
¡°I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind,¡± Orodan said.
He and Silestor had gone around the Republic executing vampires, exorcising malevolent spirits and slaying cultists and necromancer. The overwhelming majority of them had been predatory individuals or at most, groups of less than six.
The hunt was fun. Executing bloodthirsty monsters and cultists keen on human sacrifice was oddly relaxing, even if there was no real fight in it. More importantly, Orodan committed the locations to memory, ensuring that he could be even more efficient about hunting them down on the next loop.
He¡¯d also gotten the chance to slowly learn the singular light magic spell Silestor had given him. It took the better part of the day, but now Orodan knew how to cast a Light Beam. Unlike Flare, which was a projectile, or Candleflame, which remained connected to his body, Light Beam shot out as a straight ray of burning light.
He¡¯d fought light mages before, but it was a field he really hadn¡¯t delved too deeply into. Consequently, he still wasn¡¯t sure what the exact differences between it and fire were when it came to developing a resistance skill.
Another vampire charged forth, Master-level, and this was when Silestor stepped forth.
Orodan could see the man¡¯s soul roiling with power. The sky darkened, looking angry. With a final gesture, the light mage called forth a grand pillar of blazing light from the sky to smite it to nothingness.
A Master-level vampire smote to oblivion in an instant. An epic feat, especially when considering the fact that vampires could fight a tier above and were far stronger than an equivalent-level martial specialist.
Orodan had to re-evaluate Silestor. The man was dramatically more powerful than even the strongest Master-level light mage he¡¯d seen before.
Two vampires, both ranging out to seek prey. Orodan had slain the first, and Silestor had dealt with the second in most extravagant fashion.
¡°That wasn¡¯t mana fuelling your spell,¡± Orodan noted. ¡°¡a Bloodline?¡±
¡°The innate ability to use light, powered directly by the soul,¡± Silestor said.
In other words, not just Light Magic Mastery which used mana¡ but Light Mastery, which used the power of the soul to fuel the spell. Much like House Argon had natural pyromancy as a Bloodline, so too did Silestor Lumenarin have a natural affinity for light.
¡°A powerful natural ability to have,¡± Orodan remarked.
¡°And at times a burden. Many a vampire enclave has attempted to have me assassinated for fear of my light,¡± Silestor said. ¡°House Lumenarin is but minor nobility, but we face far greater dangers than most because of our Bloodline.¡±
¡°Your children have inherited it too?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°My daughter and grandson both. Though they rightfully choose to take a different path in life than following these Gods and their corrupt oracles and priests,¡± Silestor spat. ¡°A safer life than hunting wicked undesirables like I do.¡±
¡°You¡¯re quite critical of the Cathedral for someone who¡¯s a part of it,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°Not fond of the Prime Five? I can relate to that.¡±
¡°Hmm, you have some sense then. As for me, I don¡¯t originally hail from Inuan. I was born and raised on Guzuhar, immigrating to these southern shores as a young man,¡± Silestor said. Now that he thought about it¡ the man did have an exceptionally pale hue. ¡°I will not say that the north is better, for I would not have come here otherwise¡ but the involvement of the Gods in our daily lives is far less intrusive. And our Gods up north, while less influential, care for the people more intimately.¡±
¡°I¡¯m tempted to agree. I have been to Vorskard, long ago. The hospitality of Clan Iron-Bear was a warm embrace in the chilling cold,¡± Orodan said with a smile. ¡°Beholding bear and human living in harmony, casually trotting down the town roads was a sight to behold.¡±
¡°Oh! You¡¯re of the north too?¡± Silestor excitedly asked, suddenly becoming lively despite the man¡¯s typical stern demeanor.
¡°No, I merely visited there a few times. Mainly to see the Valley of Spires,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Ah, I see¡ not northern, but a frequent visitor then. You might as well call yourself a northerner if you¡¯ve been there so many times,¡± Silestor said, and Orodan thought that being northern through blood might count. ¡°Of all the places of wonder to see, you chose that dreadful valley? The clans and kingdoms have barred entry there for fear of the horrid darkness which lingers¡ I¡¯m surprised they allowed you passage.¡±
¡°With what¡¯s descending in six months, I don¡¯t think they were keen on turning away any help.¡±
¡°You¡ know of it then?¡± Silestor asked.
¡°Aye. I¡¯ll be there to deal with it when the time comes.¡±
Most would have questioned the absurdity of that statement, but the light wizard simply remained quiet, an inquisitive look upon his face for a long while.
¡°You plan on aiding the north against that descending calamity? An outrageous thought¡ how powerful do you think you are? Bah! This discussion can be tabled for later,¡± Silestor said with a shake of his head, but a suspicious look on his face. ¡°Come, we¡¯ve tarried long enough. What does that skill of yours say we¡¯re up against? I never thought I¡¯d find such a large gathering of fiends in my life¡ emboldened by the circumstances as they are.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a decently sized force in there. Eight vampires, fifty human cultists and a dozen necromancers,¡± Orodan said, continuing forwards. ¡°Hundreds of corpses too. I have little doubt they¡¯ll be raised the second battle begins. And they have nearly two-hundred captives in a chamber below.¡±
A small army.
This was the farthest and largest gathering of evildoers they¡¯d encountered thus far. They were in the eastern part of the Republic, near Fort Redvane and Anthus in Vondarius County. A nearby hamlet of two hundred lay entirely empty, the guards killed and the inhabitants kidnapped for nefarious purposes.
Unlike what the myths commonly said, sunlight wasn¡¯t utterly anathema to vampires. For the weaker ones maybe, but the stronger ones could survive under it just fine, though it was uncomfortable. Like an untrained mortal being thrown into a wintry night without clothes versus a trained Adept with various physical skills braving the same.
They also had good senses and made excellent sentries. Orodan and Silestor had taken out two vampires departing to find pry, but that was three miles out from their destination. Now, closer to the cave, they would have to move with caution lest they provoke the entire group.
¡°That many¡ we should fall back and call for aid. With your abilities in dimensionalism we can bypass their anti-spatiomancy wards and quickly ferry reinforcements into battle to overwhelm them with concentration of numbers,¡± Silestor said.
¡°We really don¡¯t need all that. I can just-¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright. The worst we¡¯ve encountered in the small bands of vampires and cultists we¡¯ve slain are Elites. And just now I had to use a spell capable of slaying a Grandmaster to deal with the Master-level one. You fight well, you¡¯re strong too. But what are you, a Master? A Grandmaster even?¡± Silestor asked. ¡°Vampires are far stronger and deadlier than equivalent-level martial specialists. Such a large group may very well have a Master or a Grandmaster among them. And with their numbers we¡¯d quickly be killed without managing to get any word out.¡±
¡°Feel free to remain outside and call for backup then. I¡¯m going in,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°Damn it¡! You¡¯re going to get us both killed!¡± Silestor hissed. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, we need to at least act stealthily, with a clear path of retreat should things go awry.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine by me,¡± Orodan said, drawing a certain important item from his dimensional ring. His fist was clenched in determination. ¡°I, Orodan Wainwright¡ am the very soul of secrecy!¡±
¡°T-this¡!¡±
In response to the item, Silestor could not say anything else at all. So awed was he by the awesome quality of what Orodan had brought out.
¡°Be at ease, Silestor. This can only be of benefit to us,¡± Orodan assuaged, donning the item.
¡°You¡! You¡¡± Silestor trailed off, clearly in shock. ¡°You¡¯re wearing a damned rag on your head!¡±
Zaessythra sighed.
¡°Now hold on a moment¡ you¡¯re not giving this a fair chance.¡±
¡°A fair chance? You haven¡¯t even donned it correctly! The eye holes are at the back of your head! You¡¯re wearing it the wrong way!¡± Silestor angrily exclaimed. ¡°What manner of jest is this?¡±
¡°The eye holes positioned behind my head are meant to confuse and intimidate any on-lookers,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°If they see me from behind, it¡¯ll be as though I¡¯m gazing right at them. How can they get the drop on me when I already have the drop on them?¡±
Orodan tapped his rag-covered forehead, showing off the majesty of his superior thinking.
¡°Stealth.¡±
His one-word declaration was all that was needed.
Though, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure why Silestor was turning so red.
¡°You¡ you imbecile! How can someone possessed of such might be so horribly dull! If they see you, that defeats the purpose of stealth entirely!¡± the light mage scolded. ¡°We¡¯re both going to die today¡¡±
Orodan thought Silestor was being dramatic. Yes, by the bounds of common logic, he could see why the vampire hunter might think it utterly hopeless. But Orodan had been working on his grasp of stealth and disguise for a bit now.
Cleaning aside, Orodan felt that he had a real knack for stealth. He¡¯d made some mistakes during his time back on Narictus, but now, back on Alastaia where his roots were, Orodan felt that with this dirty rag on his head, he was undetectable.
Better to prove his proficiency in stealth first that the mage laid off him.
Orodan tip-toed across the dirt.
The large gathering of evil was inside of a rather extensive cave system connected to the depths. The cave entrance in the mountainside leading in however was guarded by vampiric sentries, and two had been taken out already.
He would deal with the rest.
Like a prowling beast, Orodan skulked about, stalking the nearby unaware vampire sentry.
[Stealth 17 ¡ú Stealth 18]
About thirty feet away though, its ears suddenly perked up as Orodan¡¯s quiet footsteps became audible. Its nose twitched too, picking up his scent. He¡¯d forgotten to account for the fact that vampires were predators and consequently had the keen senses of such.
It immediately whipped about¡
[Stealth 18 ¡ú Stealth 19]
¡only for Orodan to match its movement and speedily shoot around behind it to its blind spot. The sound in such a fast motion was quite audible however.
Even if the vampire couldn¡¯t see him, it had certainly heard.
¡°Warmblood!¡± it hissed, turning around once more to look.
Only for him to hastily match its turning motion and circle behind it again.
Orodan was a master of combat, armed and unarmed. He could predict and read the movements of a foe through the minute twitches, breaths and even the flow of blood in their body. This vampire stood no chance of outplaying him.
¡°What the¡! Show yourself!¡± it demanded, rapidly turning its head left and right.
Unfortunately for it, Orodan kept up with even these rapid movements, positioning himself that it never managed to see him no matter how furiously it turned. And with each such motion, Orodan got closer and closer.
Until finally, it turned only to see a large hand envelop its face. A quick squeeze pulped the Elite vampire¡¯s skull thenceforth.
The remaining two sentries were spaced farther out. Though Orodan wondered why the vampires with their keen senses hadn¡¯t heard the commotion.
The answer was the angry light mage who walked up behind him, hands glowing with subtle power as a basic wind magic spell was maintained. The sound was isolated thanks to Silestor.
Huh¡ he hadn¡¯t even thought to try incorporating wind magic into his stealthy ways.
¡°See? Stealthy.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a damned fool, Orodan Wainwright. The other sentries will soon notice that three of their own are nowhere to be seen,¡± Silestor said, a grim look on his face. ¡°Vampires are capable of maintaining track of one another via smell. We have little time before the scent of this one fades and the other two are alarmed.¡±
An interesting tidbit of knowledge. Still, for someone who was so vehemently against his stupidity, Silestor was now quite on-board with helping.
Orodan wouldn¡¯t spurn the hand.
He swiftly bounded across the dirt, slowing as he drew nearer to the next. This time, with assistance from Silestor who cast some simple spells to muffle the sound of his steps.
Unlike the previous one, this vampire didn¡¯t hear or smell him coming as his hands separated its head from its shoulders.
The final one though, seemed to notice something was off as he approached. Not via sound or smell¡ but by the suspicious lack of other sentries in its sights. Occasionally losing sight of a sentry or two was one thing, after all, they might happen to walk behind a rock or a hill.
But to lose sight of all its compatriots for the past minute? It suddenly began looking around and shrieking to try and call the others.
Cries which were blocked by Silestor¡¯s wind magic.
[Stealth 19 ¡ú Stealth 20]
A fist through the head finished it off soon after.
¡°Damn¡ how strong are you?¡± Silestor asked. ¡°You practically pulped their skulls with your bare hands. It shouldn¡¯t be possible, not so easily.¡±
One to one, a vampire was far stronger than a human with equivalent skills. Even a martial Grandmaster wouldn¡¯t have been able to make the kills look as brutal and casual as Orodan had. The light mage was doubtlessly curious, especially since Orodan had allowed him to take much of the lead during the fighting thus far while he focused on learning the Light Beam spell.
The truth though, was that Orodan had simply stuck to the philosophy of building his own body up to being powerful. No Bloodline, no borrowed power and no vampirism needed. Just the sweat and blood of hard work. Long ago, he¡¯d rejected the opportunity to become a half-dragon hybrid, and now he knew that had been the correct choice.
What need did Orodan Wainwright have for such cheap methods of strength when his own body would suffice? His Body Tempering, Physical Fitness and Absolute Body Composition meant that he was far stronger than any vampire of equivalent level. Humans feared vampires for being superior to them, however vampires would be right to fear him for the same reasons.
¡°Just some honest training,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Come. I can sense four more vampires making for the surface. If we¡¯re quick, we can catch them in the narrow tunnel and end them.¡±
Normally, a mage wanted to be as far away from a vampire as possible. Entering a cramped tunnel with them was akin to a death sentence for a spellcaster who would otherwise be outmatched in terms of combat speed. Silestor went along without hesitation however. Orodan¡¯s display had perhaps convinced the light mage.
They went inside and hid in a crevice within the tunnel.
The first vampire to round the bend looked at him, its eyes narrowing and its teeth bared as it hissed in surprise.
Right¡ he¡¯d forgotten that they could see in the dark.
But that was fine. After all, he had his fancy disguise on.
The vampire looked at Orodan.
Orodan looked at the vampire.
And he crossed his arms, making the thickness of them apparent. He stood a head taller and was far wider too. But most importantly, he gave the vampire a predatory grin and gazed into its eyes.
It was utterly illogical, with a rag covering his head, his eyes couldn¡¯t even be seen! The grin, invisible to the bloodsucker should have been entirely pointless!
And yet, as Orodan¡¯s rag-covered eyes gazed into the vampire¡¯s own, it was as though he was looking into its soul¡
¡and at the same time forcing it to see his.
[Disguise 15 ¡ú Disguise 18]
[Intimidation 30 ¡ú Intimidation 31]
[Incipience of Infinity 127 ¡ú Incipience of Infinity 128]
Now that was an unexpected level gain. The result of what he¡¯d felt when bullying the cat in Eversong Plaza and opening a window to his own soul which others could directly see. It was interesting too, as he hadn¡¯t even generated titanic amounts of energy for this gain.
Beholding Orodan in the tapestry of fate was one thing, as was using Observe upon him. But even these methods of looking at his soul were but a surface level glance. To actually stare into the depths of it?
Not something meant for those weak of mind.
The vampire froze in place, stopping mid-hiss. Its bared teeth were covered and its eyes un-narrowed.
Some said that the eyes were a window into the soul. Orodan agreed with this saying.
And what better way to make something accept the fact that you weren¡¯t there than by making it gaze into your soul?
Nobody wanted to stare at the sun. Their eyes would burn. No sane person wanted to dwell on the existence of a black hole about to devour them and their world, it was a sanity-reducing affair.
Yet, beyond all of those things¡
¡no regular being wanting to retain its sanity would want to gaze into the soul of Orodan Wainwright.
After all, the concept of infinity could be a very maddening thing.
Sometimes, it was better to pretend the unfathomable didn¡¯t exist than try and grasp cosmic concepts the mind wasn¡¯t ready to comprehend. Better to live in ignorance than suffer the breaking of one¡¯s mind.
It trembled for a brief moment, before its facial expression became normal.
¡°The young one hisses? Have you seen something?¡± another vampire asked, coming up and rounding the bend as well.
¡°No, nothing,¡± the first vampire said, entirely normal as though it had never seen Orodan.
Even though he was standing clearly in plain view.
The second vampire though, did see Orodan. It immediately hissed¡
¡until he also gazed into its eyes.
[Disguise 18 ¡ú Disguise 19]
[Intimidation 31 ¡ú Intimidation 32]
The second one too, became suddenly ignorant of him.
Silestor¡¯s jaw hung agape in utter shock at what he was seeing. The light mage wanted to say something, but Orodan¡¯s hand went over his mouth, signalling him to keep it down.
¡°Such commotion. What is all the hissing about? Disagreeing over the feeding schedule? Worry not¡ we have plenty of cattle in the pens,¡± another vampire said coming up. ¡°We shall-¡±
It saw Orodan and also reacted, only to return to normal as though it had seen nothing right after.
However, the fourth vampire was a different matter. It was a Grandmaster, and when it rounded the bend to spot Orodan, the reaction was a different one.
¡°What is¡ what are you?¡± it fearfully asked, terror in its voice as it began backing away. Its hands began clawing at its own face and eyes, madness seeping into its psyche at what it was seeing. ¡°No, no! Stay away from me! I don¡¯t want to see it!¡±
Vision of Purity clearly saw the vampire¡¯s psyche beginning to strain and undergo a great deal of pressure. The revelation of a truth it was strong enough to perceive but not resilient enough to accept. Existential dread filled its mind.
Orodan¡¯s sword immediately took its head off, granting it the mercy of death. However as he did, the effect stopping the other three younger vampires broke, and they suddenly saw him very well.
¡°Human!¡± one shrieked.
Orodan¡¯s sword executed all three, but the clandestine act was up.
Silestor looked more than a bit wary himself.
¡°What did you do? I sensed no illusion¡¡± the light mage said.
¡°There was none.¡±
¡°Then¡?¡±
He didn¡¯t understand the first thing about it. But his experience with Incipience of Infinity, what the Custodian and the Prophet said about him, and how that foreign Boundless One had reacted to him all began to add up.
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure what to call himself, but it was apparent that looking too deeply into his soul caused a similar sort of madness that a mortal would be inflicted with by looking at a Boundless One. Particularly if he gazed directly into someone¡¯s soul and also allowed them to view his.
Still, the effect didn¡¯t seem all-powerful; the Grandmaster vampire had partially resisted it. But it was something to hone all the same. A new avenue of training.
¡°Sometimes, a mind which is too weak to comprehend something will rather pretend it doesn¡¯t exist. An instinctive mechanism,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now come, that scuffle was certainly heard, and you didn¡¯t cast a spell to silence the noise either.¡±
¡°Can you blame me? You¡¯ve displayed one unnatural ability after another,¡± Silestor said. Though, the man was all about business as he readied himself for battle.
They descended deeper into the tunnels; however Vision of Purity told him that the remaining four vampires weren¡¯t interested in coming to them anytime soon. Smart; an unknown foe capable of killing four vampires, among them a Grandmaster, was best not rushed towards.
¡°They¡¯re digging in and preparing for a battle,¡± Orodan informed. ¡°The necromancers are raising the dead and the cultists are preparing a ritual.¡±
¡°Damn it¡ damn it! Let¡¯s retreat and call for reinforcements!¡± Silestor suggested.
¡°I¡¯m not leaving the captives behind,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°No ritual sacrifices will happen today.¡±
The light mage shook his head.
¡°If the ritual was ready, they would¡¯ve sacrificed the captives already. That they haven¡¯t means they still have preparations to do,¡± Silestor explained. ¡°Human sacrifices to generate energy are the simplest part for a ritual of demonic summoning. Properly preparing it though, is another thing. The materials are expensive, and the time needed to get it right is exceedingly lengthy. On the other hand, if we rush them, they might trigger it early without safeguards. An outcome which would kill them as surely as it would us. We¡¯ll need far more forces here to prevent a devil rampaging throughout the county.¡±
¡°Devils are no tougher than any other foe,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯m going in. Remain here if you wish, Silestor.¡±
¡°Damn it Orodan!¡±
The man protested but came along all the same.
They rounded a few corners before finally entering a large subterranean chamber. It was here that an army of raised undead, cultists, vampires and necromancers awaited the two of them.
¡°Dogs of the Cathedral! I see the famed Silestor Lumenarin presents himself before us. Even with the tapestry of fate as it is, you¡¯ve still managed to find us? That is quite¡ vexing,¡± a gaunt necromancer spoke, irritation in his voice. He was at the Grandmaster-level, and the horde of raised minions looked to be under his command. He then gestured to a grand ritual array behind him. ¡°We have a ritual of demonic summoning here, ready to call forth not just any demon¡ but an Arch-Devil!¡±
¡°You fiend! To think your pathetic band can control an apex ruler of the hells is pure hubris at best and fatal arrogance at worst!¡± Silestor yelled. ¡°Not only will you die, but the county will face terrible damage.¡±
Orodan didn¡¯t necessarily think so. The devils he¡¯d met in the hells weren¡¯t comically evil, and the myths of them rampaging mindlessly upon being summoned were more than a little fabricated and nudged forth by the Conclave¡¯s propaganda.
The likelier outcome was it appearing, slaughtering its summoners and then leaving to return to the hells before it attracted any further trouble. The Alastaian Cathedral¡¯s regular summoning of demons just for the purpose of exterminating them had done wonders in convincing the devils of the hells that the planet simply wasn¡¯t worth it. And the longer it remained upon his world, the greater the odds of an angry Avatar or two descending upon it alongside World Guardians and supporting armies.
¡°Hah! You act as though we have any concern for the lives of the pitiful farmers and merchants inhabiting these lands,¡± the necromancer said. ¡°You¡¯ve caught us at an inopportune time; the ritual is incomplete and our ability to control the demon is not yet set. Regretful, but we can always raid the next village. I am all too happy to activate this ritual right now and teleport to safety myself, leaving you with an angry demon and no assistance! Now then¡ tell me where the rest of your force is. Your power is great, but even the lord of the famed Lumenarin Bloodline could not have slain Ereksigor; he was a Grandmaster vampire. Was it a Chosen? An Avatar?¡±
¡°Neither¡ it was my ally here,¡± Silestor declared.
The necromancer¡¯s eyes narrowed.
¡°Who is this rag-covered slave you bring before me? Another corpse to add to my growing army?¡±
Rag-covered slave?
Orodan glared directly at the necromancer. And as he gazed into his foe¡¯s eyes to look into their soul, so too did they look into his. His target¡¯s mind was weak.
[Disguise 19 ¡ú Disguise 20]
[Intimidation 32 ¡ú Intimidation 33]
The man froze, and then suddenly¡ it was as though Orodan was no longer there.
¡°Come alone have you, Silestor?¡± the necromancer said. ¡°How can you alone stand against so many?¡±
The nearby vampires and some of the cultists immediately frowned in suspicion. One of the cultists, a blood mage, immediately cast some sort of detection spell.
¡°No illusion or mind control¡¡± the blood mage muttered.
The strongest vampire of the bunch seemed enraged. It didn¡¯t look willing to tarry any longer.
¡°Lord Vajrath is compromised! Attack!¡±
As it was charging, a wave of light shot out from Silestor, turning half its body to ash and killing two more vampires outright, leaving only one.
The half-destroyed vampire laid on the ground, trembling and in its death throes. The nocturnal predators were feared not just for their strength but also their regenerative abilities. Yet, the reason why the Lumenarin alongside him was so feared and despised by them was for his ability to entirely halt their regeneration with his light. Something the standard light mage wasn¡¯t capable of.
The Grandmaster necromancer who Orodan had affected with his disguise was far too preoccupied with Silestor¡¯s movements. The gaunt foe was in the midst of casting a necrotic spell when his inability to realize Orodan existed was fatally exploited.
[Light Beam 8 ¡ú Light Beam 11]
[Surprise Attack 50 ¡ú Surprise Attack 51]
The necromancer¡¯s body vanished in a beam of blazing light which carried on, punching through rock and causing the chamber to dangerously tremble. The raised dead immediately suffered a loss of power, the remaining necromancers struggling and having to devote far more mana to keep the horde at optimal strength.
Not normally how Orodan fought, with spellfire and surprise on his side. But it was good training, and necessary to hone his skills. Fighting these foes in melee would have been far too easy and he would¡¯ve learned nothing. Though, it was a good opportunity to test his light magic and spellcasting abilities.
¡°Damn it all! Activate the ritual! Send in the dead!¡± the cultist ritual leader roared; her face red with rage.
The horde of shambling corpses advanced, and these looked to be a distraction for the various blood mages in the back who were poised to slaughter the captives.
Unfortunately for them, there would be no ritual sacrifice today.
His right hand glowed with power, the river of time stopping and then beginning to flow backwards.
¡°What the¡ where are they going?! What¡¯s happening!?¡± the ritual leader demanded.
It looked a bit odd, seeing two-hundred captive villagers rapidly blur through the motions, movements and actions they¡¯d gone through in the past day. Yet, like a blurry storm of bodies, the scene began to rewind. Through their binding, their captivity, and all the way to their arrival¡
¡and past that.
The undead horde were bowled over as Orodan¡¯s power over chronomancy forced these captives through them and out the tunnels where they would be safe and sound in their village. Time Reversal, bringing them back to where they were before they¡¯d even been captured.
¡°Chronomancer! Target him immediately!¡±
The blood mages quickly left their failed ritual and began launching spears, orbs and waves of blood at him. These harmlessly spattered off, dealing no damage whatsoever. To his side, Silestor was dealing with defending against numerous necrotic spells being cast at him, and the undead were still advancing about to close distance.
Orodan even felt a powerful mana channel try to connect him and a Grandmaster-level blood mage, the leader of the ritual he¡¯d interrupted. Blood magic at high levels was a rather devastating field of magic.
Of course, against a warrior with a skill that allowed him an endless source of vitality, it was rather futile. Orodan not only had a lot of life force, but also the skill to control it deftly. He had a bloodthirsty grin on his face as he allowed the tether to connect, willingly disallowing the protective effect of Mana Resistance which would have otherwise stopped her then and there. The woman then tried boiling the blood in his body and even ripping it right out of him.
This, Orodan allowed¡
¡with the added gift of sending a flood of vitality down the tether so large that she would have no hope of containing it.
Using direct blood magic against him was a poor idea.
The woman shrieked and her body began mutating horribly due to all the excess vitality she was flooded by.
[Light Beam 11 ¡ú Light Beam 13]
And Orodan cast a continuous beam of light from his finger which eviscerated her and was then dragged across the ranks of enemy mages, slaying over a dozen of them and the final vampire which had been mid-charge and ready to meet him in melee.
This greatly eased the pressure on the light mage fighting alongside him, and Silestor began returning devastating spellfire of his own, scything down more ranks of undead minions and the remaining enemy necromancers and cultists.
Within twenty more seconds, and another level gained in Light Beam, the battle was over and the foes within all lay dead.
Orodan smiled.
¡°See Silestor?¡±
¡°¡stealth.¡±
The light mage looked ready to have a conniption.
#
Needless to say, the corpses of the dead that the necromancers used were returned to life. The people of the village were grateful.
They¡¯d gone around dealing with perhaps three more locations afterwards. Orodan had gotten additional target practice in with Light Beam, netting two more levels, and they now sat within a private office in the basement of Karilsgard¡¯s Cathedral.
All was well.
Besides the clearly furtive Silestor Lumenarin of course. The light mage was pacing back and forth; stuck on deciding whether to glare at Orodan for reading the tome in front of him, or to just come out and say what he wanted to say.
¡°I suppose I can see what summoning does in theory, but it¡¯s so¡ inefficient.¡±
[Fate Disconnect 57 ¡ú Fate Disconnect 58]
As Orodan studied, he also practiced strengthening the shield of soul energy around his fate, making the waves in the tapestry just a little less tumultuous.
¡°Which is a good thing! The less efficient the techniques of these foul cultists, the better,¡± Silestor barked. ¡°Why are you reading these despicable tomes? Do you know how much blood goes into the writing of these? Much as I detest their zealotry, the Cathedral would rightfully see those texts burned.¡±
¡°Then I suppose it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re shielding me from their corrupt arm, yes?¡± Orodan asked. Though the truth of it was that Silestor¡¯s presence and Orodan¡¯s fondness for the surly light mage was what kept him from rampaging within the Cathedral. For this loop at least. ¡°Besides, knowledge is knowledge. The individual determines the morality, not the technique.¡±
¡°I fail to see how devil summoning is a useful technique for you to study. You¡¯ve displayed half a dozen improbable skills which are far more versatile and awe-inspiring than mere summoning, and yet you fixate on this bloody craft?¡± Silestor asked.
¡°You don¡¯t think I actually have any interest in summoning devils, do you? What would I even call them for? A cup of tea and a friendly chat?¡± Orodan queried. ¡°At my level of strength, devils are akin to any other being I¡¯ve encountered. Nothing particularly special, though some of them are quite proficient in enchanting and the soul arts.¡±
¡°Then why?¡±
¡°I told you that I seek to learn light magic in order to counter an enemy of mine. There¡¯s more to it than that,¡± Orodan said. ¡°They¡¯re capable of drawing light from some manner of otherworldly plane or dimension. This devil summoning has some interesting tidbits that might help me understand the matter.¡±
The Prophet and the Conclave both pulled the light they used from some external plane. Orodan¡¯s reason for studying the bloodstained tomes in front of him was so that he could understand how this occurred. Yes, he had Dimensionalism, but finding where the hells this extradimensional plane of light was would be a difficult task.
To that end, studying devil summoning couldn¡¯t hurt, even if he had no use for it otherwise.
¡°They¡¯re also capable of Dimensionalism? A deadly foe¡¡± Silestor muttered. ¡°You intend to disrupt the connection between them and this plane they draw power from?¡±
Orodan planned to do far more than just that.
¡°Something along those lines,¡± he replied. ¡°In any case, while I can see how devil summoning works, it¡¯s quite indirect. Having to use copious amounts of mana and vitality just for the purpose of ¡®calling¡¯ a devil seems utterly wasteful.¡±
Alastaian cultists and their technique of devil summoning really was no more than devil calling. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t as though the cultists pulled a demon into the material plane. Rather, they simply expended a great deal of vitality and soul energy in the form of sacrifices, alongside mana, in order to call out to the hells and hope a devil would come answering their call. Even the Cathedral¡¯s own method of demon calling was similar at core, though they had expensive and prepared energy batteries instead of live sacrifices.
It was the magical equivalent of a loud and powerful scream across dimensions. The most technically demanding part of the ritual was making sure that the call went out towards the right dimension. Alastaian dimensional studies weren¡¯t very advanced; consequently the cultists didn¡¯t know exactly where to direct the call. However, over generations of trial, error and fatal mistakes when monsters from the void were summoned and mistaken for demons¡ they¡¯d come to a vague understanding of where to send the call.
Thenceforth, a demon might or might not answer, depending on how it felt. There was also a binding component to the ritual which sought to control the demon, but Orodan had no interest in that. The entire thing was mostly useless for him, who already knew Dimensionalism.
Frankly, summoning or as it really was, calling, seemed to be a dead end for the moment. At least until he could actually find where the extradimensional plane of light was. Only then could he call down the light from there.
¡perhaps someone affiliated with the Conclave could help?
He flipped the bloodstained tome shut and began reading the other one.
¡°I suppose I can shelve devil calling for now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This Pillar of Light spell¡¯s a tricky one.¡±
It was the spell he¡¯d seen Silestor use earlier in the day, when the man had called a pillar of burning light down from the sky.
¡°You picked the most difficult recorded spell in the school of light magic. I can count on one hand how many people I know who can successfully cast it. Three of them are dead, lost to history, and the other one learned it after fifteen years of study and is still an Initiate,¡± Silestor explained. ¡°It requires immersing yourself into a mindset of not just generating light via mana but calling it down from the very heavens.¡±
Orodan agreed with that advice. It was in fact why he was bothering to learn the spell. The act of ¡®calling¡¯ down light, he thought, might give him some tangential insight into calling the light forth from the plane his enemy used.
¡°I don¡¯t quite understand how I¡¯m supposed to call power forth and not just generate it myself,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°My mana comes from my own body. Even pyromancers casting a Firestorm or wind mages casting a Tornado will first form a mana tether above their target area and then the spell will form. This tome says some flowery nonsense which I just don¡¯t understand.¡±
Even Orodan¡¯s Spatial Fold and Teleportation required him to supply energy to the initial target area, from where it would carry on. But this tome had no mention of doing such a thing.
How was he supposed to just call a pillar of light down from the skies?
The answer¡ put a sour look upon his face.
¡°Faith,¡± Silestor declared. ¡°To call forth the light of the heavens, one must have faith in their own abilities and belief in something grander than themselves.¡±
¡°¡what?¡± Orodan asked, finding the idea absurd. ¡°You don¡¯t even have faith in the Gods of Inuan¡ what nonsensical idea is this?¡±
¡°Not faith in the gods, Orodan, but faith in the result. To cast the Pillar of Light, one must weaponize their belief, truly set their mind to calling the light of justice and purity down from above that it might smite evil,¡± Silestor said. ¡°Tell me, do you not have any skills which do the same?¡±
¡°Of course I do,¡± Orodan said thinking about Reality Alteration or Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity. Even at a lower rarity, Wood Communion also required much in the way of belief, to sculpt wood and guide it into the shape he wanted. ¡°But that would mean¡¡±
¡°Yes. The spell is of Legendary rarity,¡± Silestor revealed. ¡°What? Did you think all those people trying to learn it are untalented churls? That only five people in recorded history managed to learn it through luck alone? It¡¯s a Legendary spell for a reason. Took me years to learn it myself.¡±
Orodan wasn¡¯t delusional. He had the time loops on his side, and he certainly had the mettle and natural work ethic to learn Legendary, Mythical and even two Celestial skills. His humble roots would not allow him to get too big of a head, but it wasn¡¯t inaccurate to say that he was talented.
At certain things.
Light magic wasn¡¯t one of those things. If it took Silestor, who seemed to be a real prodigy of light magic, many years to learn the Pillar of Light, then it would take Orodan a decent while.
Furthermore, Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if he could ever mentally submit himself and adopt the mindset of calling upon power from the heavens. His faith in the Gods had shattered long ago when they¡¯d antagonized him, and the concept of calling upon purifying light was just silly to a man who relied only upon his own strength. If he was to learn this spell, it couldn¡¯t be the regular way; a different mindset would be needed.
Still, learning light magic could only benefit him. And he was dead set on figuring out how to borrow the concept of ¡®calling upon¡¯ something.
[Fate Disconnect 58 ¡ú Fate Disconnect 59]
Orodan continued practicing that particular skill, even as he spoke. The chaos in the tapestry of fate, while still cataclysmic, had yet again noticeably reduced.
Orodan shook his head.
¡°Even if it takes me a long time to learn this, I don¡¯t plan on easing up on my efforts anytime soon,¡± Orodan said. ¡°This skill¡ the underlying concepts behind it are important for what I¡¯m after. No matter how strong I get, there¡¯s always something to be learned in the strangest of places.¡±
Who would¡¯ve thought that Orodan would gain such knowledge and insights from the Cathedral of all places? Well, at least Silestor was a rather likeable fellow. Not a stooge of the Gods and only interested in keeping many of the supernatural threats facing the Republic at bay.
¡°No matter how strong you get, hm?¡± Silestor queried, his voice oddly subdued. ¡°And just how strong would you say you are, Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°Not strong enough. Not yet¡ maybe not ever,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°There is always something greater lurking beyond the horizon, just out of view. Though I¡¯ll always embrace the responsibility to face it.¡±
¡°Responsibility, huh? You said that when we first met¡¡± Silestor muttered. ¡°I think, Orodan Wainwright¡ that you¡¯ve also taken upon yourself the responsibility to deal with what comes down in six months.¡±
¡°What makes you say that?¡±
The light mage remained silent for a moment before speaking.
¡°I¡¯m not a fate reader¡¡± Silestor quietly said. ¡°But some of the senior diviners, even if they can¡¯t parse the threads right now, can still verify the existence of them. They told me some interesting news¡¡±
¡°And what might that be?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°The majority of the Alastaian threads of fate, even in the midst of this storm¡ are no longer dark and corrupt. Tell-tale signs of the imminent Eldritch corruption,¡± Silestor said. ¡°This event, it occurred around the same time as the tapestry of fate went off. Are you responsible for all this, Orodan Wainwright?¡±
¡°I believe you might¡¯ve stumbled onto something, Silestor Lumenarin,¡± Orodan said with a smile.
¡°Your arrival in the Cathedral today was no coincidence, was it?¡± Silestor asked, and Orodan nodded. ¡°The tapestry goes into flux, capital guard tip me off about a dangerous man and you arrive here with no fear of picking a fight, displaying one improbable ability after another. The only Orodan Wainwright my sources tell me of is a county militia man in Ogdenborough¡ right where some politically volatile events occurred. And you then come bearing the uniform of their militia, with the same name as that man.¡±
¡°And yet I haven¡¯t had a pillar of light fall from the sky upon my head,¡± Orodan remarked. ¡°You¡¯re still trusting of me.¡±
¡°No matter what test I ran, what device or divine artifact I used, there¡¯s no indication that you¡¯re under any sort of possession or reincarnation. For all intents and purposes¡ you are Orodan Wainwright.¡±
¡°That is my name,¡± Orodan replied and then looked the man squarely in the eyes. ¡°You wish for answers?¡±
¡°Though I¡¯m in no position to demand them¡ yes.¡±
¡°Then sit down, Silestor¡ and let me tell you about a hot-headed idiot. A mere Apprentice-level swordsman who died charging a foe many times his superior,¡± Orodan began. ¡°Let me tell you about how I died on this day and began the time loops.¡±
¡°The time loops¡?¡±
And so, they spoke.
Silestor was exceptionally skeptical at first. The man rigorously questioned every detail of Orodan¡¯s story, particularly about his first life. If anything, it was a nice change of pace as the majority of people he revealed the truth to focused more on the later escapades and the bigger events in later loops such as the Eldritch Avatar, the Hegemony and him assuming control over the time loops himself. The light wizard was particularly interested in his early loops, however.
After the first twenty minutes, the man leaned back in his chair.
¡°Alright¡ it¡¯s apparent to me, utterly idiotic as you are, that you were chosen for this.¡±
¡°Of all the things to conclude, that¡¯s what you took away?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°People usually come to that realization far later in my narration.¡±
¡°You recount experiences that only a poor man raised as an orphan and having made it to the county militia would have. There are no attempts to portray yourself as exceptionally smart, cunning or chosen. You¡¯ve made plenty of mistakes in the early loops, yet despite all that your hard-headed stubbornness has allowed you to succeed where others would have eased up or failed,¡± Silestor explained. ¡°From what you say, your talent in Cleaning wasn¡¯t even apparent in the early loops. Which can only mean that whoever chose you did so for good reason. You really were just a dumb bumpkin militia man.¡±
¡°¡thank you? I never denied that aspect of myself¡¡± Orodan muttered.
¡°Exactly. Now I know you¡¯re no fraud.¡±
¡°Well, I suppose that makes sense,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Moving on, Guzuhar was certainly a new experience. I¡¯d never been to another continent before¡¡±
They continued. And Silestor began to wholeheartedly believe Orodan once he gave intimate details of the north continent. He spoke of Cyvrosdyr and receiving the second Quest which guided much of his journey. Of Spearwater, of Clan Iron-Bear, Ozgaric, and his battles alongside the Iron-Bears against the raiders and their bloody God Agorhiku. And he spoke of his first encounter against the Eldritch Avatar where he gained Eldritch Resistance.
Then, he spoke of his long loop where he¡¯d been betrayed by the tyrant three and continued on from there till the end.
Silestor paid rapt attention the entire time, shaking his head in confirmation whenever Orodan spoke of a betrayal by the Prime Five, or frowning in concern when he informed him about the Eldritch Avatar, Hegemony or the worse foes he faced beyond Alastaia.
Finally, after two hours of talking, back and forth and many questions, throughout which he increased Fate Disconnect two more times, his explanation ended.
¡°I do not normally feel so¡ but after hearing your tale and of all the world-ending monstrosities out in the cosmos who could end Alastaia and everything we hold dear on a whim, a deep mental exhaustion has set into my very bones,¡± Silestor said. ¡°As unbelievable as it is, the notion of a time loop isn¡¯t so shocking in light of all the things I¡¯ve seen you do thus far.¡±
¡°You see now why I need to learn light magic? The enemy I face is a foe beyond any this world has seen,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Even with my best efforts and much more time, I can¡¯t be certain what it will take to survive against it let alone prevail.¡±
¡°If anyone¡¯s suited for the task, I believe it will be you, Orodan Wainwright,¡± Silestor said. ¡°Having heard your entire story, I can see how light magic would be important to you. Next¡ loop? Is that how you say it? Yes, next loop¡ come find me for more training. I appreciate honesty, so simply tell me up front what your circumstances are alongside a few relevant demonstrations of your abilities. I¡¯ll believe you rather quickly and we can get to work from that point onwards.¡±
¡°I will not forget your aid,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°We shall see one another again. Though, for now¡ it seems we have visitors.¡±
¡°Visitors? I thought I told them all to leave us be for at least a few hours¡ especially after all we¡¯ve achieved, they should give us some leeway,¡± the light mage said.
¡°Ah, that would be my fault,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing a particular skill during our time together. One which is making it rather apparent where the disruptions in the tapestry are coming from.¡±
[Fate Disconnect 61 ¡ú Fate Disconnect 62]
The shield of soul energy around his fate grew even stronger, and with it came the accompanying reduction of the mayhem he was naturally causing in the tapestry. And as it did¡
¡the door swung open, revealing the people Orodan had sensed nearing their location.
A High Oracle with a livid look on her face, and multiple armored faithful of the Cathedral behind her. And at the rear of this group was the Chosen of Ilyatana, Heredin Aeronsul. The man¡¯s eyes were glowing gold.
¡°I see¡ the pandemonium in the tapestry originates from here. Who are you, mortal? Come, let me take a look at you¡¡±
¡°That will not be necessary, tyrant. I have only one thing for you,¡± Orodan said.
A broom was produced from his dimensional ring.
He would have to apologize to Silestor later for eliminating his employer and purging any Blessings of Ilyatana the man had.
#
¡°What an absurd notion! ¡will it work on me?¡±
¡°Arrogant and haughty as you are, I would rather not use that ability on any allies of mine.¡±
[Light Beam 16 ¡ú Light Beam 17]
He shot out a casual light beam from his fingers, using the nearby ravenous monsters as target practice. He kept the energy low enough to injure and send them running but not kill. And just when they thought the attack over, he swiftly pulled the dispersed energy of the beam back to himself and shot a new one, gathering the energy of the old into it.
¡°Bah! I assure you my mind is made of incredibly stern stuff!¡± Talricto declared. ¡°Why, I¡¯ve traversed the most horrific environments across the cosmos! This one time I¡¡±
He tuned the spider out, choosing to continue his practice.
The spider elicited fondness and irritation in equal measure. But even then, funny as it would¡¯ve been to use his new Disguise-Intimidation combo on the dimensional spider, Orodan thought it exceedingly irresponsible and more than a bit low. He¡¯d seen how the Grandmaster-level vampire cowered in terror as though suddenly privy to a horrible cosmic truth.
Those who could not see past his disguise had it easy, their weak minds unable and unwilling to even acknowledge his existence. It was those who had minds strong enough to see him and resist the effect that had a problem.
Even without coming up with a full skill for it, his new ability was powerful. Orodan had an inkling that he could absorb Disguise and Intimidation into Incipience of Infinity if he kept at it. The problem though, was that the potential consequences of someone resisting it and suffering from madness were horrid.
This meant that until he had a better grasp on the skill combination and managed to successfully fold the two relevant skills into Incipience of Infinity, he couldn¡¯t test it against innocents under any circumstances. Shattering a murderous vampire¡¯s mind before executing it was acceptable. Accidentally driving hapless guards, soldiers or civilians insane was not.
Better to practice it against enemies only for now.
¡°Anyhow, I¡¯ll see you on Lonvoron, Talricto,¡± Orodan said. ¡°¡assuming I even get there this loop.¡±
¡°I see¡ going to bullishly insist on making your own way there, are you?¡± the spider asked.
¡°Quite so. I have a meeting with a certain Embodiment-level archer. And I have no intentions of allowing it to shunt me away this time,¡± Orodan declared.
Talricto got the hint and took a hike, winking out of existence and presumably off to Lonvoron.
This left just Orodan upon Alastaia¡¯s barren moon. Gray rocks, various creatures hungry for his soul but too scared to approach¡
¡and a confrontation with a spatial spider waiting to jump upon his Teleportation.
Soul energy flowed through his body. Stronger and just a bit more efficient thanks to the singular level he¡¯d gained in Incipience of Infinity.
[Teleportation 89 ¡ú Teleportation 90]
He winked out of space from the moon. And as expected, halfway into his travel, he felt the subtle signs of something changing the destination of his teleport.
His exit destination, the void between galaxies.
¡°At last, the source of this disorder is reve-.¡±
As much soul energy as he could muster was thrown into both his hands.
[Light Beam 17 ¡ú Light Beam 20]
His body suffered a decent amount of damage from the sheer amount of power he channelled, but the two continent-sized beams of light coming out of his hands collided with the arrow of light sent by the Embodiment-level spatial spider¡
¡and an explosion occurred as the arrow punched right through Orodan¡¯s spells.
As it reached him, the arrow was now visibly weakened however, and his Smite of Abrupt Deliverance smashed it out of existence.
A feral grin emerged on Orodan¡¯s face. This stupid spider wanted to bully Orodan with ranged attacks, did it? Then it could have the ranged duel it wanted.
¡°Light magic? Quite some power for so crude a usage of it¡ you do not carry the bearing of a mage either,¡± Alagameth spoke calmly. ¡°A paladin? A spell sword? It matters not. Cease your destructive actions upon the tapestry of fate¡ or receive judgement at my hands till you yield and agree to change your ways.¡±
¡°Then by all means, bring all the judgement you have to bear,¡± Orodan challenged. ¡°A duel of light magic, you against me.¡±
It was madness, plain and simple. This spatial spider with an oversized bow far bigger than its spindly body should¡¯ve been able to handle, was at the Embodiment-level. Even with his recent training and the singular level gained in Incipience of Infinity, the gap was still too large!
A magical duel would¡¯ve been hopeless!
Which was exactly why Orodan considered it good training.
The spider¡¯s beady eyes held a look of arrogance and the desire to give Orodan a thrashing.
And Orodan¡¯s own eyes held a look of defiance and the desire to give Alagameth a scalding.
[Light Beam 20 ¡ú Light Beam 21]
A potent arrow of light met two massive but crude and unskilled beams of light, penetrating right through them.
Only for Orodan to pull the dispersed energy back to his hands via Domain of Perfect Cleaning and fire the beams a second time before the arrow reached.
[Recycling 5 ¡ú Recycling 7]
The arrow still punched through. The spider must¡¯ve at least been Transcendent when it came to the usage of light. But that was fine, as yet again Orodan¡¯s Smite of Abrupt Deliverance met it and smashed it aside.
The totality of his soul energy was thrown into a teleport. Now at the Master-level, having attempted to brute force this fight enough times, it genuinely made the spatial spider struggle to re-direct it.
He had gotten the drop on this opponent before, he knew how to do it again if necessary¡
¡but that would have been weak.
Instead, Orodan remained at range, casting light beam after light beam, flummoxing Alagameth who expected him to press his advantage with raw power.
And throughout the battle, Orodan used feints and clever maneuvers. At first, he thought to move around under the screen and cover of multiple beams of light, yet that proved useless when he realized the spider could see him anyways.
It hadn¡¯t gotten to be as old and powerful as it was without having some ability of seeing through bright flashes of light.
Then, Orodan achieved unexpected success by abusing the fact that he didn¡¯t have to care about running out of power. He cast intentionally bogus Teleports which simply teleported him in the same place or not at all. Taking control of a properly cast Teleport was one thing, but taking over and re-directing an intentionally flawed Teleport whose spell structure was botched was another. He had additional tactics too, such as simply dropping Teleports mid-cast, throwing power into them but abandoning the spell entirely. And at other times he made the hand gesture for a teleport but instead cast a Spatial Fold to move a short distance away.
These tactics severely frustrated and exhausted his opponent. The spatial spider was doubtlessly powerful, it was an Embodiment of Space. An apex existence within System space!
And yet, its energy wasn¡¯t endless like Orodan¡¯s was. Orodan¡¯s raw power with a Teleport was high enough that the spatial spider couldn¡¯t afford to ignore or not bite on a feint. It had lived for an unfathomably long time, far longer than Orodan¡ but it didn¡¯t have a lifestyle revolving around fighting, and Orodan suspected his own Combat Mastery was higher.
The possibility that these feints could be real forced Alagameth to take every one of them seriously. Intentionally flawed Teleports forced it to expend energy trying to grab them. Teleports abandoned mid-cast did the same. And unlike Teleportation, it simply couldn¡¯t re-direct a Spatial Fold the same way.
¡°Such an irritating thing¡¡± it muttered. ¡°Your tactics are vexatious but will not avail you against true skill.¡±
¡°What true skill?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°All I see is an Embodier struggling against a mere Transcendent!¡±
An embarrassing insult! Yet, it hadn¡¯t grown old in a dangerous universe by being hot-headed. It didn¡¯t rise to the bait and instead chose to fight patiently.
Still, as Orodan gained levels in Light Beam, the exhaustion in his opponent was beginning to show.
Orodan¡¯s clever battle tactics allowed him to slowly corner it. Its real weakness was the fact that it was unwilling to kill him. He had little doubt that if it was truly serious, Orodan would have been dead by now. But fighting while restrained by a sense of ethics weakened it.
Its spatiomancy was incredibly potent, but without it and the willingness to kill, it wasn¡¯t too dangerous. And when fighting Orodan, who presented the constant threat of an overpowered Teleport and close combat, it simply couldn¡¯t afford to ignore any feints. Under these circumstances, while Orodan had to launch multiple attacks to block a single one of Alagameth¡¯s¡ he still slowly began to stalemate it in a purely ranged duel.
At last, the spatial spider looked as though it had enough.
¡°Cease. No more of this game. We are at an impasse,¡± Alagameth said, stopping combat for a moment. ¡°You are young but powerful and possessed of incredible potential. Just as I hold back, I sense that you do as well. I am unsurprised that a being capable of causing such calamity to the tapestry of fate is such a powerful foe. But that will be enough. I shall leave now and-¡±
[Space Mastery 96 ¡ú Space Mastery 97]
[Combat Mastery 109 ¡ú Combat Mastery 110]
[Recycling 7 ¡ú Recycling 8]
Weaving didn¡¯t gain any levels this time. Perhaps he needed to actually hone his understandings of it through the craft itself. Still, it was used all the same to direct a monstrous and overpowered cast of Teleport straight for Alagameth.
And just like last time, when the spatial spider proved that it wasn¡¯t an Embodiment of Space for nothing, Orodan used Recycling to recast another, even more powerful, Teleport, bringing him right up to grabbing distance of it¡
¡and a swift hand lashed out and tapped Alagameth over the head.
¡°Got you,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°That¡¯s my win. Well¡ long as you¡¯re holding back and trying not to kill me at least.¡±
¡°You¡ did not kill me?¡±
¡°Why would I? You¡¯ve taught me a lot. Though I do wish you¡¯d stop holding back.¡±
¡°You are a mad man¡ but not a bad man,¡± Alagameth calmly said, and Orodan could sense the incredibly subtle gatherings of soul energy within its spindly body.
Not this time.
¡°I see what you¡¯re about to do. The sentiment is appreciated,¡± Orodan said, gathering all the soul energy he could. ¡°But unnecessary. I will make my own way to Lonvoron¡ or die trying.¡±
He liked Alagameth, he did. But he would not allow anyone or anything to steal the satisfaction of earning something through his own sweat and blood. But how could Orodan prevent a righteous spider trying to save his life from throwing him towards Lonvoron?
After all, it had been holding back throughout the fight but when it got serious last time, it had flung him right towards his destination with no resistance.
The answer was a simple one.
To beat a spatiomancer¡
¡destroying space itself was always an option.
[Spatial Fold 88 ¡ú Spatial Fold 90]
The entire fabric of space around them tore apart as Orodan¡¯s massively overpowered Spatial Fold caused the canvas to tear.
Immediately, predatory things from different sections of the void began to come through the cracks.
¡°Lunatic!¡± it hissed, showing emotion for once. ¡°If you wish to die so badly, I shall not rob you of the choice. Fend for yourself if you wish.¡±
Alagameth swiftly disappeared, skillfully navigating the torn canvas. But it certainly wouldn¡¯t be sending Orodan anywhere else under these circumstances.
Fighting in the void was tricky business. There was no footing, and Orodan often had to rely on spatial or dimensional movement to get anywhere. But he could also propel himself via spellfire if needed, and his kinesthetic sense was good enough that he could spin around a hundred times and be thrown about only to recover and continue fighting from any awkward orientation.
And as the first few predatory beings came through, Orodan used Dimensional Step to bring himself to the nearest one, a thousand-legged centipede with shimmering black scales which seemed to absorb all energy.
He carved it apart, shattering its chitinous shell and causing yellow ichor and lifeblood to spill forth. The following four, Transcendents, also died under a furious and wrathful blitz of melee which caused the remaining ones to quail and realize that he was no prey for the likes of them.
It was then that what he¡¯d truly been waiting for came through.
The torn canvas ripped apart even further as a gigantic Living Crystal the size of a star system entered the fray.
And as a thin crystalline tendril extended towards him, seeking to forcibly assimilate him via mental assault, Orodan knew that this was his chance.
He got close, very close.
[Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 80 ¡ú Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 81]
And as Orodan delivered one of the strongest Smites he¡¯d ever struck¡
¡he stood atop its face, and gazed deep into its core, where he sensed the window to its soul was.
The Living Crystal, a massive gouge on its surface, stared at Orodan.
Orodan, a feral grin on his face, stared at Ur-Vah¡¯sahn.
He gazed into its soul, but in turn¡
¡it also gazed into his.
[Skill Absorption - Disguise 20 + Intimidation 33 ¡ú Incipience of Infinity 128]
The sheer power roiling through him at the high-level skill absorption caused some decent damage. It wasn¡¯t the old System any longer, but his own. Consequently, any grand combinations or absorptions weren¡¯t facilitated via veins of System energy in the divine dimension¡ but through his own body.
Still, it worked without a hitch, and most importantly¡
¡a manic shriek of agony and frenzy echoed out across the void.
The core of raw, unending crystalline power gazed into the depths of a mere man. And when it found no bottom to this insignificant warrior, its mind could not accept the contradiction.
Orodan himself felt under incredible mental pressure. Most of his body began bleeding as the cells began dying.
Unlike the Grandmaster vampire, this was a calamitous being of the Embodiment-level, feared and avoided by other Embodiers like Alagameth too. Not only was allowing it to gaze into the very depths of his soul an assault upon its psyche, but it was also a test for Orodan¡¯s own mental prowess and the depths of his mind and soul.
Fifteen agonizing seconds of mental combat ensued.
It was an existential conflict between Transcendent and Embodier. The outcome should never have been in question.
And yet¡
¡the Living Crystal¡¯s psyche began to fracture as Ur-Vah¡¯sahn the Harmonious swiftly began to understand what disharmony was. The various voices and minds within it began maddening due to the deep gaze into Orodan¡¯s soul, and great cracks began to appear on its physical body too.
His eyes bled but maintained a steely gaze with its core, and with it, Orodan bestowed unto it the truth. Not the truth of the Eldritch, but a truth of his own.
The terrifying cosmic truth of Orodan Wainwright.
The revelation of true infinity.
[Incipience of Infinity 128 ¡ú Incipience of Infinity 130]
The Living Crystal began to crack and grow insane. And in its throes of frenzy and the slow death of disassembly that Orodan had inflicted, it lashed out.
He wasn¡¯t its match in direct combat. Yet he¡¯d done it harm enough.
The darkness of death took him as an attack capable of wiping out star systems was unleashed.
And yet, Orodan had a defiant smile on his face all the way to the end.
A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him, and he rose with a satisfied smile on his face.
He now had a skill which would allow him to move about unnoticed. The absorption brought Disguise and Intimidation into his Celestial skill, bringing them up to the Transcendent-level as a part of his skill.
With this, he could act more freely on Lonvoron without raising a ruckus. Although, the matter of getting there under his own power and actually besting his attackers in the void between galaxies still remained.
As many death loops as it took, Orodan Wainwright was determined to see this through.
There were various avenues of training waiting to be explored.
Chapter 80 - A Chaotic Start To A New Long Loop
Time had the tendency to pass quickly when one was doing something they greatly enjoyed. Consequently, Orodan went through many loops of stealth, training in light magic and slaying wicked creatures all across Inuan.
And as these loops went by, so did numerous battles against Alagameth and that Living Crystal which always hunted him down. Though, as the attempts continued. he began noting how the Embodiment-level spider interrupted his Teleport with less and less urgency. Mainly because Fate Disconnect steadily gained levels and his effects upon the tapestry were lower and lower.
To most, even other time loopers, fighting a Living Crystal which could control the mind and forcibly assimilate other beings sounded like a nightmare. Far too risky a method of training. For Orodan, it was the first day of his never-ending week. Even if he was slain in a singular strike, these battles were excellent training and a source of steady skill gains across the board.
A hundred and fifty-seven loops of this grind had passed. Orodan had slain vampires, cultists and necromancers galore. The number of repeats had allowed him to memorize the exact locations of each group of vermin at the start of the loops, so he usually went about dispatching them right away without needing to involve Silestor at all.
His light magic steadily improved, but besides the slaying of wicked creatures, Orodan also worked on something else from time to time. Especially since he began to get quicker and quicker at wiping out the separate groups of monsters across Inuan.
A recently acquired skill which had provided unexpected assistance when he most needed it.
¡°Hey, wait! That¡¯s my rope-laying shed!¡±
¡°I know,¡± Orodan declared.
¡°You¡ mean to lay rope now?¡± Belina Botterson asked, surprised. ¡°First you fix my broken fence and install an entirely new coop, and now you want to weave rope? Selric wasn¡¯t wrong¡ you¡¯re an odd one, aren¡¯t you? Since when does a militia man know Woodworking?¡±
¡°Since it has helped him center his mind and gain a different perspective. The best training often comes from the simplest of places and you never know what you¡¯ll learn by dabbling in unexpected things,¡± Orodan calmly remarked as he entered the rope-laying shed. ¡°You receive free product, I get some practice in, it¡¯s a beneficial deal, is it not?¡±
¡°Well¡ I won¡¯t say no to that Orodan,¡± Belina said. Her face then took on an irritated frown. ¡°Though, you could stand to divest yourself of that silly rag upon your head! The eye holes aren¡¯t even on the right side!¡±
¡°Apologies¡ I forgot to remove it after the dealings I recently had,¡± he remarked as he slipped it off. ¡°Never know when you¡¯ll need a good disguise.¡±
Frankly, Orodan didn¡¯t need the rag itself. But out of sentiment, he enjoyed keeping it on during his attempts at stealthily taking down the plaza; a reminder of his old attempts at sneaking about. And the only reason Belina knew it was him was because Orodan refused to use Incipience of Infinity on the woman or anyone he cared about for that matter.
There was something almost¡ cosmically ominous about his soul. Better to not casually use that aspect of the skill when it wasn¡¯t necessary.
Belina let out a long and suffering sigh of resignation.
¡°¡I¡¯m not even going to question it,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve managed to have that imp so closely attached to your shoulder either.¡±
Upon cue, Belina¡¯s baby daughter peered over Orodan¡¯s shoulder to gaze curiously at her mother, her little head titling to the side in inquiry. The infant was hanging onto Orodan¡¯s back and watching him work, her wide and curious eyes taking everything in with an intelligence which seemed beyond her years.
¡°This one¡¯s smarter than you think. She¡¯s destined for great things,¡± Orodan remarked as he began the process of stripping the bark and soaking it. He then spoke to the infant clinging onto his shoulder. ¡°As you can see, the first part of the process involves stripping the inner bark. Notice, I say inner. That¡¯s because the outer layer isn¡¯t suitable for making decent fiber. Weaving is your mother¡¯s line of work, and while you may or may not choose to go down that path yourself¡ learning new things can only be a boon. Do you understand?¡±
The baby nodded, a serious look on her face.
¡°I hope you¡¯re not alarmed at how smart she is. She nods to me and Selric as though she can understand what we¡¯re saying,¡± Belina explained. ¡°Never cries or throws a tantrum either. Almost makes me wonder if¡¡±
¡°No, she¡¯s not possessed. Nor is she reincarnated,¡± Orodan assuaged. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to get her checked at a temple any one of these days.¡±
After enough loops of weaving with this little observer upon his shoulder, Orodan had come to learn that the reason for her intelligence and inquisitiveness was tied to how strong her soul was. Where everyone else¡¯s soul was like a candleflame, this child¡¯s was akin to a burning house fire.
She was still an infant and not of developed intelligence, yet Orodan suspected even if she couldn¡¯t read, she had an understanding of the System and already showed the early levels in certain skills. And most importantly, the child had some rudimentary ability to sense souls. Which when coupled with a three-month old baby¡¯s lack of fear for unknown individuals, meant that she found some way to flounder over to Orodan in most loops he visited the house.
It wasn¡¯t unheard of, for the rare individual to be born as the progenitor of a Bloodline or some unique ability. This baby, Orodan felt, was destined to become some legendary figure with proper guidance. The world was a big place. and just like his young friend Fenton Penny upon Lonvoron, absurd talent could emerge anywhere, even Ogdenborough.
Belina took her from Orodan¡¯s shoulder, and the little one was clearly unhappy about that.
¡°No, you¡¯re getting in Orodan¡¯s way you little imp. Don¡¯t give me that sour look,¡± Belina chided her daughter. She then relented under a most furious and intense look of pleading. ¡°Fine! But you¡¯ll sit in your chair and not cause any trouble.¡±
She nodded and obediently caused no fuss as she was sat down and secured upon a baby stool which was at similar height to Orodan¡¯s workstation.
¡°As I said, smarter than you think,¡± Orodan remarked with a smile as he used his hand to subtly launch the Time Compression of the Smite of Abrupt Deliverance upon the soaking wood fibres. ¡°Her soul¡¯s quite strong. In time I can see her becoming a powerful figure.¡±
¡°Her soul? How can you tell?¡± Belina asked. ¡°Never mind that¡ what do you mean by her becoming a powerful figure?¡±
¡°Displaying her abilities early on, bringing you and your husband much praise, making her peers jealous and catching the eye of the nobility in Trumbetton or Karilsgard,¡± Orodan said. ¡°An Academy will do her good once she¡¯s old enough.¡±
Left unsaid was that this baby¡¯s soul strength was more than a little eye-catching for her age. Her parents being killed and the child kidnapped for grooming into a powerful asset was a very real possibility¡ if Orodan didn¡¯t plan on eradicating anyone who tried such a nefarious thing.
Having lost his own parents to the manipulations of forces beyond his station, he would not allow such a thing to befall any other.
¡°An¡ Academy? We¡¯re getting by and might even be able to move out of Ogdenborough soon, but Selric and I aren¡¯t that well-off for us to afford such a thing,¡± Belina said, seriously considering the matter.
Orodan shoved a large purse into her hands.
¡°Should be enough. And even without it, I have little doubt that she¡¯ll be singled out for a sponsorship rather quickly,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Might I recommend presenting her to House Simarji in Velestok when the time comes? Less¡ politics.¡±
Nothing against Burgher Ignatius, but the Simarjis were a closer-knit and homelier sort who preferred to remain away from the more unsavory politics of the nobility. They had fewer enemies as a result.
Belina¡¯s eyes widened when she peered into the mouth of the purse.
¡°G-gold coins?! At least two dozen too!¡± Belina said. ¡°I¡ I cannot accept this. This is far too much! Maybe a quarter of it, sure, but the entire thing? I¡¯ll get robbed within the day!¡±
¡°Just make a deposit at the bank in Scarmorrow. I can escort you if that¡¯s what you need,¡± Orodan said.
¡°No need, I¡¯ll drag Selric along when he gets off work,¡± the woman said. ¡°¡thank you. But I have questions.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll answer them fully.¡±
She frowned but didn¡¯t raise any further argument.
¡°First¡ how have you gotten this much money Orodan? Is Selric not telling me something about how much you lot in the militia make?¡±
¡°We make a single gold coin a year in salary, perhaps one-and-a-half for corporals and two for sergeants dependent on location.¡±
¡°Then how, pray tell, have you come upon so much money that you¡¯re giving it away to me? Do I need to worry about the authorities kicking down my door for possession of stolen gold?¡± Belina asked. ¡°And most importantly¡ why?¡±
¡°As for how, don¡¯t worry about it. The amount in that purse is mere change to the man I borrowed it from. A little donation from him to aid the less fortunate given all the misdeeds he¡¯s done,¡± Orodan said, recalling how he¡¯d taken Baron Viglas Argon¡¯s coin purse after resurrecting the man¡¯s family. Not that the Baron cared about that at all given the new lease on life and second chance he¡¯d received. ¡°And as for why? I owe you.¡±
¡°Orodan, the only times I see you are when you and your troop come by for patrol and wave at the window. And you¡¯re possibly the surliest of the bunch and never speak much,¡± Belina said. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly see how you owe me, unless you¡¯ve come to repay something Selric did for you.¡±
She wasn¡¯t wrong. The Orodan Wainwright before the time loops had been a singularly focused man, caring only about training and little else. Now though, alongside his goals, he also kept note of those who¡¯d helped him and those he owed a debt to.
This woman was among that lot.
¡°You taught me Weaving,¡± Orodan answered with a smile.
The woman looked as though a practical prank was being played upon her. Particularly since Orodan weaved a finer rope than she could ever manage.
¡°Are you pulling my leg? I¡¯ve never taught you anything,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s a nicer rope than I could ever make myself¡ how long have you been plying that trade for?¡±
¡°Close to half a year,¡± Orodan said, pulling the soaked wood fibres out and drying them with a quick Candleflame.
¡°Hold on, hold on! You¡¯re giving me far too many surprises at once!¡± she exclaimed, shaking her head. ¡°First you¡¯re capable of magic, then the bark¡¯s somehow done despite the fact that you put it in for soaking moments ago, and now you¡¯re some master of weaving who¡¯s been training for half a year only?¡±
¡°An Apprentice actually, only at level 48, and I¡¯ve had some other forms of training that allowed me to rapidly acquire insights. I wouldn¡¯t feel too bad about it if I were you.¡±
¡°Only level 48 he says¡ how can you be so talented? I¡¯ve seen some of the Weaving those Adepts in the Academy are capable of, yours looks an awful lot like theirs,¡± Belina muttered, looking intimidated. ¡°If you can get that good in half a year, what have I been doing with my life?¡±
¡°You¡¯re too hard on yourself. Looking after Botterson and your two daughters while also running a chicken farm and weaving rope on the side is rather impressive. That you¡¯ve made an economic living of it is even more so,¡± Orodan said. ¡°You¡¯d excel just as much as I with the proper support and resources.¡±
Belina Botterson was a resourceful woman. That she could make profit off of the wood scraps provided by Fodgarton¡¯s and Westwater¡¯s shops while also running a farm and caring for a family was downright fascinating. Orodan wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to lack self-awareness of the fact that having no family and very few friends meant that he was quite unburdened in the time loops.
What if he¡¯d had a child to care for? A spouse? He certainly couldn¡¯t go about the loops the same way. It made him respect hardworking and resourceful folk like her all the more.
Orodan wouldn¡¯t even say he was all that talented at Weaving either. Good at working hard and pursuing precarious avenues of advancement, yes. But outright talented at the art? No. The only reason his Weaving had progressed as fast as it did was due to his repeated battles against two Embodiment-level beings. His Transcendent Combat Mastery though, was the real multiplier for his learning speed. It helped bring skills he might¡¯ve otherwise thought unrelated to combat into his fighting style.
Regular weaving was nice, and the basics would always have their place, but utilizing the principles of Weaving in combat to cast spells and guide the energy flows of his attacks was an excellent form of training itself.
¡°Come, better to focus on yourself than to dwell on what others can do,¡± Orodan said, gesturing to a nearby stool. ¡°Want me to teach you some of these spells? I can¡¯t promise you¡¯ll be able to cast them all, especially the chronomancy. But perhaps we can get you to learn a Candleflame yet.¡±
¡°Magic? Me?¡± Belina asked. ¡°Why I never¡¡±
¡°And your daughter too, if she shows interest,¡± Orodan said, looking at the baby who was now looking intently at the small fire in his hands. ¡°Anyone can learn magic; it¡¯s just a matter of consistency and effort.¡±
And as he taught the woman a very basic spell, so too did he teach the child in the stool.
And at the end of it all, Teaching went up to 64, and he received a final message about Weaving.
[Weaving 48 ¡ú Weaving 49]
For a hundred and fifty-seven loops he¡¯d battered his head against the wall.
This loop, he was going to break it.
#
It was late in the evening and Karilsgard was still bustling with activity. Foot traffic past sundown consisted of merchants, travelers, military patrols and tourists here to partake in late-night activities of a decadent nature. There were dangerous regions on Inuan where travel at certain times of day was ill-advised. Karilsgard and the surrounding area wasn¡¯t one of them. The region was quite safe and its roads well-patrolled; tourists and travelers could walk along the roads in the dead of night alone and not worry about a thing.
Unlike his hometown of Ogdenborough, monsters and criminals had been all but wiped out from the surrounding ten miles of the city walls.
As Orodan walked up to the gates, the same capital guard corporal was on-duty, pulling a double shift. And although the man looked more than a little impatient and ready to head off-duty, he still immediately took note of Orodan the moment he entered view.
¡°Hold there, militia man. Little late to be walking the roads, isn¡¯t it? Safe as they are, best not to cultivate such a habit lest your feet take you farther from Karilsgard than you should be,¡± the corporal said. ¡°From which county do you hail? I don¡¯t recognize the color pattern of your uniform.¡±
¡°That uniform belongs to the Volarbury County militia sir,¡± one fresh-faced guardswoman with a snappy voice and overly eager attitude said.
¡°Right, I¡¯m from Volarbury County,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°The Ogdenborough barracks.¡±
¡°Ogdenborough? Messy business that went down over there. You know anything about that?¡± the capital guardswoman asked, quickly pulling out a sheaf of papers and taking notes. ¡°There¡¯s a standing order out for any information relevant to that incident.¡±
The corporal looked about done however and gave his junior a sickeningly sweet smile.
¡°Avidia?¡± the corporal asked, a hand laid upon her shoulder.
¡°¡yes corporal?¡±
¡°How many field interviews have you done today?¡± the man asked, his eye twitching.
¡°Seventy-two¡ sir?¡± the guardswoman muttered, growing more wary of the corporal.
¡°And have you considered, my hard-working guardswoman¡ that your corporal here has to sign off on and write an addendum for each and every one of these field interview reports?¡± the man asked, a dangerous smile on his face. ¡°And that I¡¯m at the tail-end of a twenty-four-hour stint of duty?¡±
¡°Er¡ I uh- I hadn¡¯t considered that, corporal¡ sir¡¡±
¡°Of course, of course¡ now then, would you like to perhaps continue this field interview?¡±
¡°¡no sir.¡±
¡°Excellent! Glad we¡¯ve come to an understanding,¡± the corporal said. ¡°Off to the walls you go, can¡¯t field interview anyone when there¡¯s no one around to talk to.¡±
The poor guardswoman slunk off, defeated.
¡°She was just trying to do her job,¡± Orodan said. ¡°But I suppose punishment is its own form of training.¡±
He¡¯d gotten beaten black and blue enough times during basic and even a time or two after graduation. Good opportunities for learning and skills development.
¡°After the seventieth incident of her ¡®just trying to do her job¡¯, I think I¡¯ve had enough. Besides, the time on the walls is as much a favor to her as it is punishment. Primarily so she can relax and not overwork herself. She¡¯s not a bad lass, just very official and by the book. One thing they could do with less of in basic training are those damned field interviews,¡± the corporal said. ¡°Or at the very least¡ less of the paperwork that comes with it.¡±
¡°A tragic state of affairs,¡± Orodan dryly said.
¡°Indeed! Glad to see someone understands my¡ ah, you¡¯re being sarcastic, aren¡¯t you?¡± the corporal asked. ¡°Get over here so we can conclude this inspection. Orodan Wainwright the Apprentice Wainwright¡ real funny sort you are.¡±
¡°I thought it would be an amusing little jest.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ not concerned at all about being pulled aside for secondary inspection, are you?¡± the corporal asked.
¡°Should I be? If I¡¯ve done nothing wrong, this should just be a formality.¡±
¡°Well¡ you¡¯re not wrong about that. I¡¯m certainly not one to enjoy pulling innocent people aside for no reason, it¡¯s just that your Status raises some questions when you¡¯re so obviously well-armed and look capable of defending yourself,¡± the corporal said. ¡°Still, even if you¡¯ve done nothing wrong, I¡¯d advise caution on which shift you carry that nonchalant attitude into. Not all capital guards are above ruining someone¡¯s day over a perceived slight.¡±
¡°Then they¡¯re welcome to try.¡±
Something about the way he said it must¡¯ve raised the corporal¡¯s alarm bells. Looking closely, Orodan could see a flurry of System energy activity around the section of the man¡¯s soul tied to his Legendary-rarity skill.
As he¡¯d found during these loops, the corporal at the gates would almost certainly send word to Silestor about him. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, or his well-armed appearance Still, no matter how many times he went through this, the man never once had any doubts about Orodan¡¯s character, merely who his presence should be reported to.
If he acted too brusquely, the corporal would call for backup and sergeants of the capital guard would arrive. And from there a brawl of escalating proportions would ensue where Orodan beat up the captains and commanders and ended up cleansing Alastaia of the tyrant three¡¯s presence early. Needless to say, doing all that before getting to meet Silestor was a bit inconvenient, hence he¡¯d found this level of challenge to be appropriate.
¡°What¡¯re you here for? You¡¯re no militia man¡¡± the corporal muttered.
¡°Just here to visit the Cathedral and meet a friend.¡±
¡°Cathedral¡¯s closed at this hour of night.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Orodan replied with a smile.
¡°¡go on then.¡±
No further words were needed. Though the guards near the corporal were more than a little curious about why Orodan had been let off so easily.
¡°You let him go sir? Surely he doesn¡¯t mean to visit the Cathedral at this hour does he?¡±
¡°Sometimes it¡¯s best to leave things above our station to our betters. Something about that man tells me he¡¯ll do whatever he wants. Only reason I didn¡¯t call the captains and commanders down is that my skill told me he¡¯s not here to do any evil. Cathedral likes to handle its own business too, and I¡¯m nobody to step on the toes of someone like him headed there,¡± the man sad. ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, but he¡¯s no man of the militia. I¡¯ve told the watchers to follow, but if he¡¯s headed for the Cathedral then Lord Lumenarin can sort the matter out.¡±
Past the gates, the streets of Karilsgard were bright and still active at night. Even though it was late, the main roads which saw commerce at least were chock full of foot traffic and nighttime merchants who looked to prey upon the lower inhibitions one might have when tired.
Guard patrols were still just as frequent though, and watchers on the rooftops of certain houses were watching him as expected.
The Cathedral of the Prime Five had its double doors closed at this time of night. The hours of worship and visitation were over for the day, with service set to resume in the morning.
A well-dressed but anxious merchant was sitting at the foot of the steps as Orodan began ascending the stairs.
¡°Don¡¯t bother¡ I¡¯ve tried petitioning them all day and they haven¡¯t opened the doors. One of the faithful said they might open tomorrow,¡± the merchant who he¡¯d once threatened said. ¡°Something about the tapestry of fate, but I think they¡¯re getting it under control.¡±
Which was all thanks to Orodan¡¯s efforts in training across the hundred-and-fifty-seven loops. His Fate Disconnect now sat at level 71, and the chaos he caused upon the tapestry was dramatically lessened as a result.
¡°That¡¯s quite the good turn for you then, isn¡¯t it? Now you get to hear them tell you how Esgarius of Trumbetton will get one over you.¡±
The merchant¡¯s face paled and then turned exceedingly red.
¡°You¡! How do you even-¡±
Orodan ignored the man¡¯s angry rant and walked up to the double doors.
¡°Cathedral¡¯s closed for the day, come back- hey! Stop!¡±
The double doors were pushed open, and a light mage with a frown on his face was standing there, looking right at him.
¡°Leave him.¡±
¡°But my lord! he just-¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been expecting his arrival,¡± Silestor said, shutting the armored guards of the faithful up. ¡°Now then. Orodan Wainwright is it? Why are you here?¡±
In response, Orodan¡¯s dimensional ring activated, and a flood came forth.
Not a flood of water, or the elements¡
¡but a flood of severed heads.
¡°I¡¯m told you were looking for mercenaries to assist you with hunting undesirables,¡± Orodan said. ¡°No need. They¡¯ve all been dealt with.¡±
Silestor was in shock as the heads of the various cultists, necromancers and vampires that Orodan had slain rolled out onto the Cathedral floor.
¡°I¡¯m Orodan Wainwright, here to learn light magic from you. And¡¡±
¡°¡I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
#
Within his private study at the bottom of the Cathedral, Silestor Lumenarin frowned, a look of disgust on the light mage¡¯s face as the summoned imp in the spell circle scampered about the table only to then be caught by Orodan and sent back to whence it came via Dimensionalism.
[New Skill (Rare) ¡ú Summoning 8]
A rare occurrence, as he rarely ever acquired rare skills.
¡°This¡! It goes against every moral fiber within me!¡±
¡°Is magic not just a tool whose morality is determined by the user?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°You learned the Demonic Summoning skill!¡±
¡°Summoning not Demonic Summoning,¡± Orodan corrected, causing the man to pause. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t think I was gallivanting about trying to find the best scrolls for no reason, did you?¡±
¡°Bah! You could¡¯ve learned that from the spirit mages of the north or a specialized tutor in the Eastern Kingdoms,¡± Silestor said. ¡°Perusing demonic texts researched through blood and agony was unnecessary. You summoned an imp too, the very definition of a demonic creature.¡±
Orodan felt it was more of a wild creature drawn into crossing the dimensional boundary because of Orodan¡¯s call than a demon, but he didn¡¯t bother correcting Silestor.
¡°Again, that¡¯s not accurate. I¡¯ve looked into the matter and the spirit mages of the north and the handful who congregate at Rubywater in fact have the Elemental Summoning skill,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Not bad, but it would limit me to calling only creatures from the elemental planes. I want more versatility than that.¡±
And Orodan felt that merely calling something was rather weak and pitiful. His ambitions extended beyond just that.
¡°Prove it.¡±
Orodan did as asked and threw as much mana as he could into the spell circle while holding it strong and ensuring it didn¡¯t break under the flood of his raw power.
[Summoning 8 ¡ú Summoning 15]
The circle trembled¡ and the room suddenly became a fair bit hotter. Orange flames licked at his face, stopped by his Fire Resistance. His clothes didn¡¯t have that luxury and unfortunately caught on fire.
Orodan sighed as he patted the flames out.
[Galewind 32 ¡ú Galewind 33]
The wind spell kept the room at a safe temperature as Orodan viewed his latest summon. It didn¡¯t have a well-defined shape to the naked eye, consisting of a spiralling gout of flame with a bright core. It was strong too, Grandmaster-level at least.
¡°Which ambitious mortal dares to summon Arasha the Ever-Smoldering?¡± it said, voice echoing with fiery power. ¡°I have felt the raw mana as your powerful call resounded throughout the elemental planes¡ and I have answered. Gaze upon me now and tremble before the majesty of an elemental lord of flame! You may serve me and- urk!¡±
Orodan gave its core a light smack.
¡°Hey, focus. Turn the temperature down or you¡¯ll burn this place to the ground.¡±
¡°Y-you dare?!¡±
¡°This building might be made of stone but the fixtures, furniture and books within are quite flammable. And I¡¯d rather not see my friend¡¯s private study burned down by the elemental I summoned,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Matter of fact, I hadn¡¯t even intended to summon you.¡±
An elemental, and a fire elemental at that. They were the most common type of elemental summoned by spirit mages too.
He¡¯d seen a young spirit mage at the Inter-Academy Tournament also summon elementals, as well as spirit mages on Guzuhar. Orodan could now count himself among their ranks.
Brave and noble mages who summoned spirits to do their fighting for them. How brave and admirable.
¡°You couldn¡¯t make your derision more apparent if you tried.¡±
Could he be blamed? Orodan had grown past his dislike of mages, but summoners, beast tamers and necromancers were among the groups he still had a low regard for; particularly those who sat back and commanded from the rear. He similarly had a low opinion of nobility and commanders who shouted orders from the back rank while shying away from the combat.
True strength came not from allies or fighting alongside others, but from within. In Orodan¡¯s opinion anyhow. Though he would admit that at least those summoners who fought alongside their summons he could still respect.
¡°Arasha will not brook such insults from you mortal. You have struck her, and now you shall-!¡±
¡°I apologize, but I¡¯ll have to send you back. Hadn¡¯t planned on you actually answering the call¡¡±
A quick bout of Dimensionalism sent the pompous fire elemental back to whence she came, which Orodan noted with his skill in the art¡ was the sun. Hmm, interesting.
Did Summoning grab the closest possible being willing and able to answer the call commensurate with the mana cost?
¡°You realize that nations would have gone to war in order to secure that elemental as a strategic asset, yes?¡± Silestor asked.
¡°What am I supposed to do with an elemental? I have enough allies capable of delivering snarky comments and criticizing everything I do. Let them summon it themselves if they want such a strategic asset.¡±
If they could manage the mana cost.
¡°Never mind that, try it once more, this time without enough mana to level a country,¡± Silestor said.
[Summoning 15 ¡ú Summoning 16]
The amount of mana poured in was minuscule this time, only what an average mage would put in. Something was on the other side, wanting to come in, but the feeling Orodan got was that it didn¡¯t know how.
A problem solved easily enough with Dimensionalism, as Orodan gave it a slight nudge and a pull through the doorway of his own creation. The spell circle barely trembled before something appeared with a puff of smoke.
Green, gelatinous and in Orodan¡¯s opinion, quite adorable.
¡°A slime, how amusing,¡± he said, petting its head and causing it to happily jiggle.
It tried affectionately molding around his finger and biting it off but was unable.
¡°An actual monster¡? How can that be?¡±
¡°You seem oddly stressed,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Beast tamers bond with slimes often, it shouldn¡¯t be such a shock.¡±
¡°Yes, but you summoned one! That shouldn¡¯t be possible!¡±
Orodan was used to breaking convention and doing what others saw as impossible, but even he had to admit the actual Summoning skill, and not Demon Summoning or Elemental Summoning, was quite valuable. In essence, he could call anything. Learning Demon Summoning or Elemental Summoning, both of which were Uncommon rarity skills, wouldn¡¯t have taken him nearly as many loops or painstaking scroll hunting otherwise.
An overarching skill which let him call anything, from anywhere was incredibly valuable. Of course, it had to be capable of thought and then want to answer his summons. Furthermore, the skill was limited in that only something capable of dimensional or spatial travel itself could come through. Imps and powerful fire elementals fit that bill but not slimes.
Of course, Orodan had circumvented that limitation by knowing Dimensionalism himself and pulling it through anyways.
One more step towards acquiring the skill he wanted. He placed the slime to the side and then returned his attention to the scrolls arrayed before him still.
Various articles were before him. The primary one was the tome for the pillar of light spell, and the others were various scrolls of demonic summoning.
Across the loops, Orodan had found that cultists were a haphazard lot with differing techniques on demonic summoning; some functional, many useless. Hard to have a coherent and consistent method of summoning when cults were spread across Inuan, very rarely had contact with one another and were typically squashed with force once the Cathedral got wind of them.
Two cults could have entirely different methods of summoning a demon. And while this seemed like it was a headache to navigate and could lead to inefficient knowledge, Orodan in fact welcomed the diversity of ideas as it helped him develop his own Summoning skill.
The large group he and Silestor had dealt with on his very first loop of aiding the man, had some vaguely passable technique for devil calling, but it was far from the best. But that was where the benefit of the time loops made themselves known. Not only did a hundred-and-fifty-seven loops of hunting vampires, cultists and necromancers down allow him to memorize their locations for efficient disposal¡ but it also gave Orodan access to their nefarious techniques and rituals.
Most of them which involved the sacrifice of the innocent were useless to him. Sacrificial rituals which involved others, in Orodan¡¯s opinion, were the way of the weak. Having to rely upon the life force and soul energy of the slain was basically admitting that one didn¡¯t have the strength to empower the ritual themselves. Still, even in studying these useless techniques there was much to be learned.
The three scrolls on demonic summoning he had in front of him had been sourced from a three-hundred strong enclave of cultists near the Novarrian-Dwarven border. Of all the groups of wicked beings he¡¯d slain, that had undoubtedly been the strongest; allowed to grow uninterrupted for a while due to the monster-infested habitat their hideout was in. Entrenched, well-defended and decently trained, their forces had even managed to successfully summon and bind two demons well before Orodan even got to them.
Needless to say, he gave the demons a light beating and let them return to the hells before wiping the whole enclave out. The scrolls he obtained from them were the most comprehensive ones he¡¯d seen yet and, alongside all the other inefficient methods he¡¯d read, allowed him to develop a holistic view of the art and acquire the overarching Summoning skill.
Silestor released an exhausted sigh.
¡°Anyhow, your actions have caused me quite the headache today. All these revelations in particular,¡± Silestor said. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the matters which concern me and my mission. You¡¯ve caused quite an uproar by slaying every vampire, cultist and necromancer across Inuan.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t slay all of them. Some were just hermits living off the blood of hunted animals or starving themselves, and there was this one necromancer who raised the corpses of bandits and used them to protect remote villages on the Novarrian border,¡± Orodan clarified. ¡°Didn¡¯t see any righteousness in bothering them.¡±
There were also a few cultists who sought to summon demons with their own life force, with the stringent moral boundary of not using any sacrifices. Orodan considered them to be another flavor of mage than he did wicked cultists. He gave them a few pointers on how to develop vitality related skills to aid in fuelling their ritual and wished them good luck with their summoning and the subsequent fight they¡¯d have once their target crossed over to the material plane.
¡°The necromancer I can understand¡ but there is no salvation for those who willingly embrace the call of blood,¡± Silestor accused. ¡°A good vampire? If they were so noble they¡¯d turn themselves over for the purging of their curse.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll admit that most vampires I¡¯ve met have been the foul bloodsucking kind who prey upon innocents, yet I¡¯ve also met some who abhor such acts. I¡¯m not about to go around judging the few for the crimes of the many,¡± Orodan replied, his tone brooking no dissent. ¡°You and I both know that the Cathedral is full of corruption. Your arm of hunters and exorcists is but one part of the organization, what of the others? Should everyone turning themselves in to the grace of the Gods expect to be treated well? I certainly learned the hard way what happens when one places too much faith in divine tyrants.¡±
Silestor shook his head and remained quiet for a moment.
¡°You are not incorrect¡ your tale of being a time looper has made me doubt many things I once took for fact,¡± Silestor said. ¡°Some of these things sound utterly unbelievable, in the realm of sloppy fiction and childish tales. And yet, your power and the improbable things you¡¯ve done are no lie.¡±
¡°I figured you would appreciate the upfront honesty. That¡¯s what you recommended I do when I met you for the first time,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Now then, onto this pillar of light spell that I¡¯ve been wrestling with for the last hundred and a half loops¡¡±
¡°And as I must¡¯ve doubtlessly told you before, you need faith.¡±
¡°Which I¡¯ve heard enough times¡ but now I think I understand what you¡¯re really using,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Hit me with one of your pillars of light, will you?¡±
¡°Hit you? As you wish.
¡°Do it.¡±
Silestor was a no-nonsense man and didn¡¯t need much convincing. It was a misconception that one needed to call the pillar of light down from the sky specifically. Perhaps that limitation was true at the lower levels, but for Silestor who was a Master, the spell could be conjured from above someone¡¯s head or even from behind or below them. As Orodan had learned from asking the man once, Silestor preferred to keep knowledge of that bit to himself as a trump card.
The power above Orodan¡¯s head roiled, ready to strike. And as the blazing golden light came down and impacted Orodan¡¯s outstretched hand, he was proven right in what exactly the spell was powered by.
It didn¡¯t look much different from any other light beam, visually that was. Yet, Orodan had been killed by this light more than enough times that when it struck, he knew from whence it came.
The power of the beam was low too, yet it still gave Orodan¡¯s surface layer of cells a good singe, unlike what any light magic of the equivalent level should have been capable of.
Silestor however looked more than a little impressed.
¡°Remarkable¡ nobody can resist the light to that extent¡¡±
¡°Matter of fact, your spell punches far above its level, capable of harming even me,¡± Orodan admitted. ¡°No Master-level magic should be capable of it.¡±
¡°The power of light drawn from faith is most mighty indeed.¡±
¡°Mighty only because it¡¯s borrowed from someplace else,¡± Orodan said, causing Silestor to frown. ¡°Interesting to see that you draw from the same elemental plane that my enemy does. With this¡ perhaps I can get a good understanding of how to counter it.¡±
The light Silestor had struck him with wasn¡¯t regular light magic, nor was it divine energy. It was light borrowed directly from an elemental plane. The same plane of energy which the Conclave took from, the same plane which the Prophet powered himself with and corrupted with the Eldritch.
Though, Orodan wondered why the spell required faith at all and not just skill in Dimensionalism? A mystery that called for further investigation.
Naturally, he discarded the thought of ever learning and using the pillar of light for himself. But that didn¡¯t mean the spell was useless. Far from it in fact.
Now he knew from where the power was pulled.
And most importantly with his new Summoning skill in hand¡
¡the beginnings of a way forward began to foment in Orodan¡¯s mind.
Though merely calling something wasn¡¯t the height of his aspirations.
#
Destartes took a swig of the wine bottle he¡¯d conjured from the dimensional ring and passed another to him.
Orodan also took a sip.
¡°I confess, I¡¯ve never been much of a drinker,¡± Orodan admitted.
He had little time for gathering at the barracks¡¯ mess hall for some beer or ale after shift. Before the loops, training and fighting were all he cared for. They still were, for the most part, but he could now appreciate some other things about life. Alcohol though, wasn¡¯t one of them.
¡°Neither have I,¡± Destartes said, red-faced due to the alcohol. ¡°As you can see, the wine affects me more than a little strongly.¡±
Orodan quirked an eyebrow at him.
¡°And yet you take the chance to unseal this millennia aged wine every time I recount the entire situation to you. It doesn¡¯t even taste all that good¡¡±
¡°In fact, I concur. I won this after a duel against some Novarrian ponce who thought my reputation to be unearned,¡± the old wizard said. ¡°Out of spite I suspect he might¡¯ve given me something shoddy¡ or something meant to poison me, hard to tell.¡±
¡°You really are a character when you¡¯re loosened up with a bit of drink. While I have no interest in having you fight my battles for me, you do realize we¡¯re about to enter the abyss and go someplace unreached by any other on Alastaia, yes?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Will you be ready to defend yourself when we enter?¡±
In truth, Orodan didn¡¯t need Destartes to be capable of even that, nothing native to Alastaia could threaten him anymore. But it was the principle of the matter.
¡°Of course, of course,¡± the old mage said, casting a quick spell which cleared the redness from his cheeks. ¡°There, all better now. You¡¯ve asked me to come along for my mind and connections anyhow, have you not?¡±
¡°Aye. The world core and I need to have a talk,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Best to have someone who¡¯s familiar with the Republic¡¯s military and defenses for what I¡¯ll be discussing.¡±
Orodan had approached Destartes shortly after dealing with Silestor and purging all the tyrant three and Eldritch from Alastaia. The man and his conspiracy group across the Republic and Eastern Kingdoms would handle the transition of power. But, unlike prior loops, Orodan felt this to be one where he would succeed.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Consequently, leaving the matter of a certain descending comet unresolved would leave a foul taste in his mouth. Orodan felt responsible for the Eldritch Avatar. And while it didn¡¯t matter much what happened to it in the short loops he¡¯d been going through, in a potential long loop, he felt it his duty to take care of it.
The two of them were now stood in front of the entrance to Ranmere¡¯s Folly, in the far western swamps of the Republic, where a clear path to the abyssal depths lay. Orodan didn¡¯t need to bring them here, but it was mainly to give Destartes a chance to collect himself and shake off the alcohol.
The wizard shook his head and began glowing with all manner of energy, courtesy of Orodan¡¯s Blessing.
¡°I am prepared if you are, Mister Wainwright.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s tarry no longer.¡±
[Dimensional Step 21 ¡ú Dimensional Step 22]
Orodan carried the two of them deep into the bowels of the earth. Spatiomancy would¡¯ve been possible, if slightly more difficult due to the interference of all the world and System energy a planet¡¯s core naturally had. And he didn¡¯t want to risk a passenger¡¯s safety even the slightest bit when they¡¯d trusted him to ferry them along. Dimensionalism though, was well-suited to ignoring such concerns.
An uneventful passage through the porous dimensional boundary took them to a gigantic chamber, a familiar one where a massive, spherical object lay.
Their arrival hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed.
¡°Interloper!¡±
A giant, lanky and grey-skinned humanoid whipped an arm towards Destartes.
It was caught in one hand by Orodan, and the attacking Void Horror, a gate guardian for the world core and whose sibling was descending in six months, was thrown into the chamber wall.
It and the other two gate guardians in the chamber were ready to fight. The core guardian, who Orodan remembered was an early Transcendent-level creature, was nowhere to be seen. Likely gone after he cleansed the planet of all Eldritch and broke the controls over its mind.
A booming voice put all that to an end as world energy subtly flowed from the world core to the defensive gate guardians.
¡°Cease, loyal guardians. This one does not come meaning us harm, we owe a great debt¡ Orodan Wainwright.¡±
It was the world core that spoke, Alastaia itself. A world core was but the heart of a planet, but it wasn¡¯t who was speaking. The land, its spirit, the very life suffusing it¡ Alastaia¡¯s consciousness was the conglomeration of all these things. A consciousness that had come to being and gained sapience as life upon the world had begun flourishing so many billions of years ago. As the living things upon it grew and flourished, so did it. As civilization thrived and ideas spread, so did Alastaia gain knowledge and conscious ability to speak.
If anything, world cores and their consciousnesses were older than most living Transcendents and even some Embodiment-level beings. Orodan wasn¡¯t sure if he could assign them a tier of combat prowess, as they were so unlike any other form of life he¡¯d encountered. Frankly, were they even life themselves? Orodan didn¡¯t know.
He stepped forward, raising two empty hands in a gesture of non-aggression.
¡°I¡¯ve not come to have a brawl, not here,¡± he said. ¡°You know of me?¡±
¡°Like a wave of warm water washing over a shivering cub in the winter, your power graced our lands and people, purging the foul rot of the plague and liberating our mind for the first time in many years. That same warmth we felt but a day ago, can be from you now, standing before us.¡±
He wasn¡¯t aware that his skill had a ¡®feel¡¯ to it, but perhaps that was the feeling of his soul energy that the world was speaking of?
¡°Right, then we can put the hostilities aside,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I¡¯ve come to deal with the potential threats my world will face.¡±
¡°The descending darkness, a guardian stolen from us and lost to the corruption of the encroaching plague.¡±
¡°Yes, the Eldritch Avatar is but one of the things I will deal with today, but not what I came here to discuss,¡± Orodan said.
To the side, the Void Horror angrily exhaled and growled in outrage.
¡°My sibling is the deadliest threat this fledgling world will ever face! Corrupted by those dark powers, he is no footnote to be disregarded! To claim you shall deal with it is simply-¡±
He didn¡¯t have too much time before he was due to meet Talricto upon the moon. He had fought the Eldritch Avatar more than a few times by now, but even then, on just their third battle, Orodan had pulled it down to Novar¡¯s Peak, diverting its course. Now that Orodan¡¯s Space Mastery had grown by leaps and bounds through facing Alagameth? The matter wasn¡¯t in question at all.
Spatiomancy was also one of those skills he¡¯d really focused upon during his stint of time as a Systemless being. That and the insights gained during his fights against Alagameth meant that freeform manipulation of something in space wasn¡¯t difficult.
Orodan wasn¡¯t sure how many tens of thousands of loops he¡¯d been through in the totality of his existence, but by now he¡¯d memorized the Eldritch Avatar¡¯s starting position and path of arrival through the void quite well.
A spatial rift into the void opened up, and Orodan¡¯s hand reached out to grab a foul Eldritch tentacle protruding from purplish-gray rock.
Confident that it could support its body weight, he tugged¡
¡and a gigantic meteor the size of a mountain was pulled into the cavernous chamber, no match for Orodan¡¯s raw might.
Immediately it thrashed, breaking free of the rock and frantically looking around, wondering what had ambushed it. And then, its eyes narrowed in a most predatory manner upon seeing the world core right in front of it.
¡°Blessed fortune granted to us by the provenance¡ the intended recipient of our truth is right here.¡±
¡°Defend the world core! The plague has entered the innermost sanctum!¡± another gate guardian roared.
¡°¡brother?¡± the Void Horror called, and then its eyes hardened, preparing for violence.
The other gate guardians were girded for war. Destartes glowed with power, ready to fight it. The Void Horror was unwilling but prepared to do what needed to be done, and Alastaia itself was in a state of sudden shock and quite angered and frightful of the possibility of corruption.
¡°You have brought the plague into our domain. Such a transgression will- what¡ is this?¡±
Everyone¡¯s clamoring on the matter was brought to an end as Orodan¡¯s body blazed with soul energy, emanating enough raw power to shatter the shield of fate around his soul and cause the tapestry of fate to tempestuously erupt. Power enough to outstrip multiple world core was brought to bear; all directed towards his broom.
Orodan wasn¡¯t concerned about any corruption. His planetary purge of his home world had not only eliminated all the Eldritch but also fortified everything against further corruption forevermore. When even the Custodian, the greatest force of cleaning in the cosmos, had failed to achieve talent parity against him, what hope did the Eldritch Avatar and its puppeteering Gods have?
His broom, empowered to the utter limit as Incipience of Infinity had made gains throughout his hundred-and-fifty-seven loops of grinding, sailed forwards¡
¡and struck the corrupted champion of the Eldritch. And far more behind it.
[Domain of Perfect Cleaning 148 ¡ú Domain of Perfect Cleaning 149]
Normally, a level gain should have been a good thing. Yet even as Orodan¡¯s purging wave of power wiped the taint from the Eldritch Avatar, off the three corrupt Gods and beyond even them, cleansing all of the divine dimension¡
¡he could only feel an ominous sense of foreboding. The familiar feeling in his gut which told him that an Administrator was on his tail.
Unlike last time he¡¯d gained a level, this time he made sure to carefully keep an eye on the tapestry of fate, and he noticed a strange wave pattern emanating out throughout it. It wasn¡¯t that he was producing any strange alarm throughout the System, but that the tapestry of fate itself seemed geared towards detecting when someone was approaching the Embodiment-level.
The System was powerful and held a store of knowledge that it granted individuals as they gained levels¡ but even if Orodan didn¡¯t have the System everyone else used, the insights and effects he caused upon reality were very much noticeable.
Approaching and achieving Embodiment would only cause problems, just as the Custodian had warned.
¡°Now then. The Prophet is certainly aware of what I¡¯ve done, likely stopped only by the fact that the tapestry is in utter flux,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Shall we talk?¡±
He still had time enough to leave Alastaia. The Prophet was in Lonvoron and Orodan¡¯s intentional shattering of his Fate Disconnect shield meant that the tapestry descended into chaos and tracking him based off the level gain would be difficult.
Still, with the divine dimension entirely purged of Eldritch, one thing was for certain¡
¡this upcoming loop would be a tumultuous one.
#
In the end, the main problem was the fact that even approaching Embodiment was a dangerous prospect. It wasn¡¯t that Orodan cared about dying himself, but the thought of an angry Prophet descending upon Alastaia and shattering it wasn¡¯t a pleasant one though.
Furthermore, the true problem would start after he attained Embodiment and went past level 150. At that point, he would be akin to a walking beacon any time he used his Celestial skill. He needed to find a method of stopping his - and by extension Alastaia¡¯s - position being broadcasted across the cosmos every time he woke up at the start of the loops.
There was a reason why Embodiment-level beings couldn¡¯t simply be found wandering on planets and living a leisurely life; they instead hid in the void between galaxies like rats. Even if they didn¡¯t use their skill at all, Orodan had never seen or heard of one living within the bounds of a galaxy. Not only did other Embodiment-level beings hunt them down in the hopes of taking more of their insights and dominating the concept they were competing over for themselves¡ but Administrators too were a part of this hierarchy, and the stronger Embodiment-level beings were constantly pursued and hunted by them.
In comparison to the structuring of society and politics around Grandmasters and Transcendents, the Embodiment-level was a bloodthirsty pit of beasts. It was an entirely lawless ecosystem of dog-eat-dog where the mightiest beings would doubtlessly rise to the top and oppress those beneath them. A zero-sum game which incentivized the hunting down and killing of all competitors; even potential ones like Orodan.
He also faced the additional problem of being a little too talented at cleaning. The pinnacle of System space when it came to cleaning was the Custodian¡
¡and Orodan had overpowered even that Arch-Devil. Needless to say, once he reached Embodiment, everyone across the cosmos would be out for his head, which sounded just fine to him, but he had to consider the people of his home world who would get caught up in his mess if a dozen Embodiers decided to launch star-shattering assaults towards his planet.
Yet, he knew that it could be done. The previous time looper, though Orodan didn¡¯t know who they were, was without a doubt at the Embodiment-level. Yet they managed to remain within Lonvoron.
Yes, they hid like a rat, paranoid and prepared with layers upon layers of plans and contingencies, but they had undoubtedly made it work. Living proof of the concept that it was possible to hide from other Embodiers. They¡¯d even managed to strike out and acquire the Reject¡¯s Administrator Mantle and evade the Prophet who¡¯d been pursuing them
And while Orodan had no interest in hiding and welcomed the challenge, at the very least he didn¡¯t want Alastaia to get caught up in the crossfire of an Embodier attacking him the moment the loops began.
To that end, he needed to make for Lonvoron not just for his existing goals, but also to potentially learn how to avoid pandemonium at the start of every loop.
And this time, that spatial spider would be taught a lesson. He was nearing a breakthrough and a duel against Alagameth would solidify the understandings Orodan held.
And then¡
¡good training.
¡°I won¡¯t even question what you do anymore. Time and time again you¡¯ve proven my derision for your ways to be wrong, therefore I¡¯ll simply keep my mouth shut.¡±
¡°Is that why you¡¯ve been so quiet? Because you¡¯ve had enough of my effective methods of training?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°A few thousand loops ago would have been a good time to stop being surprised by the absurdity that is you, but now¡¯s as good a time as any to start. Water is wet, fire is hot and Orodan Wainwright routinely engages in madness which somehow gives him exceptional results,¡± Zaessythra said. ¡°All this is to say, I¡¯m not even surprised by your latest plan. I refuse to be.¡±
Which was¡ good? Not like Orodan had ever asked people to act surprised or shocked by what he did. Was it not normal to seek advancement at every turn? There were other geniuses who also engaged in risky and innovative methods of training, yet Zaessythra never gave them half as much lip as she did him.
¡°That¡¯s because you¡! Never mind, I¡¯m getting drawn into your game once again,¡± she said, sounding as though she¡¯d reached some sort of enlightenment. ¡°Carry on as you were, Orodan. Good job.¡±
He wasn¡¯t even that weird! She was just being dramatic he felt.
¡°Finished having a conversation with the companion in your mind which only you can see and hear?¡± Talricto asked.
¡°You need not make me sound like I¡¯m afflicted with madness¡ you noticed the oddity about my soul yourself,¡± Orodan retorted.
¡°It does stick out as quite the distorted and mangled thing. At first, I thought it a parasite which needs to be extracted and discarded, but then you started talking to it and I let go of that otherwise sensible notion,¡± the spider said. ¡°Who am I to interfere with the affairs of my simple-minded and untalented student?¡±
¡°A parasite wouldn¡¯t have saved my life multiple times at no real benefit to herself,¡± Orodan immediately defended. The spider appeared slightly taken aback at his intensity, and Orodan consciously brought his heat down a notch. ¡°As you say, I¡¯m quite simple-minded, so isn¡¯t having someone capable of more advanced thought a good thing?¡±
¡°Hmm¡ with the amount of thought in that head of yours, you¡¯ll certainly need all the help you can get,¡± Talricto off-handedly remarked. ¡°Now then, shall we away? I do quite relish the thought of donning this odd hat and spectacle you say I was wearing.¡±
In fact, after kidnapping and talking to Talricto the easiest method of convincing the spider to come along to Lonvoron was the knowledge that there were plenty of riches and nice things for it to pilfer. As ridiculous as Orodan found the sight of a spider wearing a hat and single-eyed glass¡ it was an undeniably effective lure.
¡°Aye, let¡¯s get moving.¡±
Talricto winked away, which left just Orodan upon Alastaia¡¯s barren moon.
This time, he was determined to get one over Alagameth.
[Teleportation 94 ¡ú Teleportation 95]
[Space Mastery 98 ¡ú Space Mastery 99]
Normally, Orodan¡¯s spatiomancy was straightforward, brutal and direct, similar to his mentality as a warrior. Now while it was tempting to say this was a weakness, Orodan in fact considered it a strength when backed by his ability to generate copious amounts of power. However, over the almost six months¡¯ worth of looping, Orodan¡¯s movements in space had grown incredibly fluid and seamless. To the point where his spatiomancy was beginning to approach the same league as Talricto¡¯s Dimensionalism, where it was starting to become imperceptible.
When facing an Embodiment of Space who was Orodan¡¯s superior in almost every aspect of spatiomancy, it was no lie to say that bridging that gap would require more than raw force alone. Having a brutal and almost violent style of spatiomancy had its advantages, but learning to also adopt deftness and agility in this field of magic could only be a good thing.
His Teleport continued on, entirely uninterrupted.
As he¡¯d learned on the ninety-fourth loop of this grind, Fate Disconnect at the Elite-level caused his impact on the tapestry of fate to become mostly minimal. It was why the Cathedral on Alastaia was poised to open their doors by the next day. And it was why Alagameth had begun not interrupting Orodan¡¯s Teleportation as well.
Why would it bother when he wasn¡¯t causing such an upheaval that it was noticeable?
It would¡¯ve been great news¡ if his Teleport was aimed at Lonvoron. Unfortunately for his target, Orodan¡¯s first priority was having a good fight.
Alagameth the Silent Oracle was inside a pocket of folded space the size of a single particle, hanging off the bottom of an inconspicuous asteroid, sitting in quiet meditation and solitude when space almost imperceptibly rippled. It was skilled, still well beyond Orodan despite his training. Yet its beady eyes narrowed in fright as a horrifying force of nature rammed into the passive spatial defenses surrounding it.
Caught off-guard, it scrambled to defend itself as Orodan¡¯s hand came in¡
¡and gave it a meaty smack upon the head.
¡°Greetings,¡± Orodan said with a feral smile. ¡°Let¡¯s fight.¡±
He allowed his opponent the courtesy of gaining some space, the opportunity to recover from his surprise attack and prepare for combat.
¡°Maddened interloper, how have you found my place of refuge deep in the void?¡± Alagameth asked, tranquil fury in its voice. ¡°Your spatiomancy, while passable in skill for a youngling, does not explain how you¡¯ve bypassed every measure I have in place against detection.¡±
It wasn¡¯t wrong. The pocket of folded space was the size of a singular particle; an utterly absurd feat of finesse and control that Orodan couldn¡¯t even begin to approach. He had raw power enough that he could use Spatial Fold to compress space into a tiny point, enough so that the backlash from its explosion could destroy planets with ease. But that was the difference between Alagameth¡¯s hideout between galaxies and Orodan¡¯s own Spatial Fold¡ he had no control over the Fold after letting it go, whereas this spatial spider casually maintained a pocket of folded space the size of a particle which it dwelled within.
¡°You¡¯re right, I cheated. We¡¯ve met before and I already knew where you were hiding,¡± Orodan said.
¡°I have met one individual in the last ten-thousand years and you¡¯re not the paranoid mage I duelled against then. I change locations every week and after every occurrence of something passing by within two-hundred thousand light years of me. Your claim is both improbable and illogical,¡± Alagameth said and its beady eyes homed in on him. ¡°Unless you are implying chronomancy, against which I have a plethora of defenses.¡±
Instead of just fighting from this point like he had the last thirty times, for once he decided, why not answer?
¡°I¡¯m in a time loop.¡±
¡°¡I see. Your overly brash behavior is now explained.¡±
¡°I was brash and happy for a fight even before the time loops came.¡±
¡°One of the reasons why they have selected you for the time loops no doubt, the honor of being the chosen marionette for powers beyond your ken to manipulate. You have my pity, for what little it is worth,¡± it said. ¡°I suppose that paranoid schemer¡¯s passive and overly risk-averse way of going about things has lost it the favor of the ones above. But to select one so¡ stubbornly imprudent, what were they thinking?¡±
¡°You know of the time loops?¡±
¡°I have seen your kind rise under the addicting power the time loops grant them¡ and I have seen them fall into eternal agony when that truculent wretch cast aside by the System comes for them. Knowing what it does to you time loopers, you are better served not carelessly revealing your true identity,¡± the spatial spider warned. ¡°But enough of that¡ you wanted a fight, yes?¡±
No further talk was needed between the two of them.
Orodan¡¯s full power was thrown into a Teleportation, and almost immediately it was re-directed with far more ease than he¡¯d known Alagameth to be capable of in the past.
Strong.
Orodan¡¯s teleport was re-directed not towards the void of space¡
¡but into a fiery blaze.
[Fire Resistance 53 ¡ú Fire Resistance 54]
The flames weren¡¯t white or yellow¡ but blue. And it was only Orodan¡¯s existing Adept-level Fire Resistance that allowed him to remain alive as the skin and surface layer of flesh on his body hissed and bubbled, melting off him even as his body continually regenerated thanks to Harmony of Vitality.
¡°You teleported me into a star¡¡± Orodan muttered, standing up. Alagameth however, was nowhere to be found, though Orodan could still get a vague sense of the spatial trail the spider had left upon ditching him and departing.
A feral grin overtook his face. This was exactly what he needed!
Previously, his foe simply hadn¡¯t wanted to kill him. But the knowledge that Orodan was a time looper changed things.
An Embodiment-level being was a daunting thing, an apex existence of the cosmos who was the definition of what skill it embodied. If it seemed as though he held the advantage before, it was only because Alagameth fought with two hands tied behind its back for fear of killing Orodan. The spider was far too nice.
Now however, not so much. In direct combat, Alagameth¡¯s arrows of light simply weren¡¯t enough to kill him, it was only Transcendent at these ancillary skills. And its primary skill of spatiomancy? It used it defensively throughout its fights thus far.
But when motivated and reasonably secure in the knowledge that Orodan was a time looper? Teleporting him to environments which were instantly fatal was just the beginning.
The very ¡®atmosphere¡¯ around and above him was a brilliant blue flame. If the need for breathing hadn¡¯t been eliminated, Orodan would have suffocated for the lack of air. And as for the surface? Well, calling it a ¡®surface¡¯ would have been inaccurate, as it was more like Orodan was diving in fire, with the denser part at a lower depth allowing him to ¡®stand¡¯. Just like his visit to Alastaia¡¯s sun, this blue star seemed to intrinsically reject his presence.
Just as Alastaia itself rejected and fought against the Eldritch invaders, this blue star considered him a plague. To it, Orodan was an unnatural life form not meant to remain upon it. And as various elemental beings made of blue fire began arising in the distance, he was certain that the core of this blue star had issued a Quest to slay him.
The first, a Transcendent-level living blob of pure liquid energy, approached and attempted to swallow him. It was far hotter than the surface and atmosphere he was within, and Orodan¡¯s body was scorched far worse as he met it in melee.
[Fire Resistance 54 ¡ú Fire Resistance 55]
[Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 85 ¡ú Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 86]
Unfortunately for it, hot it might¡¯ve been, but sturdy and built for toe-to-toe melee combat it was not.
His smiting slap, which compressed all the impact force into a singular point in time, sent it flying across the dense heavy liquid surface they were stood upon. Skipping it like a bouncy ball, bruised by the impact.
His sword and shield empowered by the light of his soul were held at the ready; they would disintegrate in an instant if his empowerment stopped for even the briefest of instants.
Three loud raps of metal on metal resounded throughout the loud bubbling explosions of the blazing blue battlefield as Orodan¡¯s sword tauntingly smacked the steel boss of his shield.
¡°Is that all?¡±
More came forth, Grandmaster-level blobs of pure liquid fire. They were almost like the slimes he knew from Alastaia, though made of pure flame. And given how much the first one scorched him, these were all universally hotter than the star itself.
Like a juggernaut facing soft clumps of hot jelly, Orodan began battering and sending these fiery slimes flying.
A slime leapt at him, and a pummelling elbow buried into it, sending it flying into a dozen more. Another blob tried going for his legs, and a swift punt kick sent it flying into its brethren. More tried swarming him, and he simply slammed them onto the ground with the following waves battered with his shield and the flat and hilt of his sword.
They kept sending them, and Orodan kept knocking them down.
First, dozens approached, and they were scattered. Then hundreds came, and they were flung about. And finally, thousands tried hording him, and Orodan gave them a beating of such severity that the following ten-thousand routed and began fleeing. After just five minutes of battle, the will to fight had left his arrayed foes.
Throughout the entire engagement he gained many levels in Fire Resistance. The challenge in melee was utterly trivial; the slimes of Alastaia were far deadlier overall than these ineffectual blobs of fire. It showed in how Orodan hadn¡¯t even needed to fight seriously and could afford to hold back and not kill any.
His home world was diverse, the slimes there were forced to fight all manner of creatures in the natural war for dominance between monsters. Whether it be the depths or the many wild biomes on Alastaia¡¯s surface, the slimes of his world were used to fighting a varied roster. He¡¯d read about them taking down gigantic animals, elemental creatures and even butchering parties of mortals in adventuring encounters gone bad.
These fiery blobs on the other hand had one trick, which was fire, and they were used to primarily fighting other creatures which used fire. It didn¡¯t make their specialty any less deadly, and any adventurer encountering one of these would certainly be right to fear them. But once that trick was exposed and planned against, they didn¡¯t have much else.
These were elementals, creatures typically summoned by spirit mages.
Frankly, Orodan didn¡¯t understand how and where elementals came from. Alastaian society and education maintained that they came from the elemental planes or the spirit realm, yet here he was fighting on a star against an army of them.
A particularly angry looking elemental, human shaped yet composed of liquid blue fire like the rest, emerged wielding a greatsword. Two exchanges later, and the Transcendent-level being lay tired and in pain on the ground, granted the beating it asked for.
He hadn¡¯t killed anything. Barging onto someone else¡¯s home world, even if by the machinations of another, and then killing the inhabitants would¡¯ve been rather villainous. Still, they could only blame themselves for the beating they¡¯d received for immediately jumping to violence with nary an attempt at dialogue.
That final Transcendent-level being had likely been the star¡¯s mightiest defender. This world¡¯s equivalent of the core guardian defending the world core of Alastaia. With them battered, the planet had nothing else to send against Orodan.
Which meant his real opponent now awaited.
The spatial trail Alagameth had left was still traceable. And even if it hadn¡¯t been, chronomancy to view the spatial spider¡¯s path of retreat was an option.
He cast a Teleportation¡
[Bulwark Physical Resistance 87 ¡ú Bulwark Physical Resistance 88]
¡and immediately walked into a scaly fist which smashed halfway through his head, stopped only by his physical resistance skill and how tough his skull was. He hadn¡¯t stopped to consider that the very obvious spatial trail left behind was a trap.
Though, taking punches to the face was something he was familiar with and good at, hence the return counterpunch slew the Transcendent creature of the void, some sort of scaly draconic biped, which sought to kill him. A dozen more were poised and ready to advance right behind it.
¡°First you throw me into a star, and now you¡¯ve brought backup,¡± Orodan said, carving two more void beasts into pieces. ¡°Rather devious of you. What next? You¡¯ll throw me into a black hole?¡±
¡°Approaching a black hole is a death sentence, even I would not throw you there for fear of rousing an Administrator. From the look of things, I get the feeling you have battled me many times,¡± Alagameth remarked, pelting Orodan with arrows of light from a distance while the void beasts brayed for his blood and soul. ¡°Are you surprised that an Embodiment of Space would fight in such a manner?¡±
It wasn¡¯t even that these beasts of the void were allied with Alagameth. It was more so that Orodan¡¯s soul burned far hotter, and he was in closer proximity to these blood-thirsted creatures than his opponent was. In such circumstances, they naturally went for the closer and tastier meal.
¡°It¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve ever fought like this¡¡± Orodan muttered as he carved the remainder apart, only for his wily foe to summon a dozen more via spatiomancy and herd them towards him.
¡°Ah, I see. This must be the first loop in which you¡¯ve told me you¡¯re a time looper,¡± Alagameth calmly remarked while continuing to send arrows of light Orodan¡¯s way. ¡°Knowing you are one of those accursed fools, I now have no moral qualms about killing you. You will simply return, will you not?¡±
¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but have my sort done something to offend you?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not at all, I simply wish to aid you by dispelling the poor mindset you¡¯ve cultivated.¡±
¡°Poor mindset?¡± Orodan asked, smashing aside an arrow which entered a spatial rift mid-flight only to assail him from another angle.
¡°A mindset which will get you irreversibly harmed. It is plain to see that you¡¯re one of those plucky and heroic time loopers who enjoys fighting and charging headfirst into danger. I intend to beat it out of you,¡± it said. ¡°Better me than someone who would dispense a far worse fate.¡±
Orodan flashed a feral grin.
¡°Good luck. Neither of the Administrators have managed that.¡±
¡°¡you fought them? You lie.¡±
¡°And you talk too much,¡± Orodan said, carving more void beasts apart and inching ever closer towards Alagameth. ¡°If you think it¡¯s a lie, why not beat me to get the answers? Win, and I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±
¡°A boorish suggestion¡ though I suppose I can deign to teach a rowdy brute some manners.¡±
Excellent. Good to see someone who knew what he wanted.
The beasts of the void rushed him, and they died. Yet more came, continually summoned by the spatial spider¡¯s deft tricks of spatiomancy. It was a good strategy, overwhelm him with mounting pressure in melee that he couldn¡¯t even think about manipulating space himself.
How could Orodan bring his spatiomancy to bear if he received absolutely no room in melee to do so?
A sensible strategy¡
¡against someone who fought in a conventional manner.
Attacks which sought to pressure him at every single instant were smashed through, deflected or sometimes outright ignored as he took them head on, suffering damage but using the opportunity to deliver more pain and destruction of his own.
Slobbering, bloodthirsty monsters all. Grandmaster and Transcendent level beasts of the void, many of them hungry for a tasty meal which wasn¡¯t the same tough fare they were used to in the harsh and resource-starved ecosystem between galaxies.
Orodan fought a monster horde¡
¡and began to show them what a true monster was.
A swarm of fist-sized locust which could drill through mountains attempted to enter his mouth, only for Orodan to embrace the free meal and begin crunching them between his teeth. A dark centipede approached and attempted to overwhelm him through sheer volume of strikes, only for Orodan to turn his own hinges double jointed and strike multiple times in a singular motion, beating it at its own game via raw fisticuffs.
A mass of writhing black worms approached, the conglomeration of at least a hundred separate creatures yet all possessing one soul. Orodan¡¯s fingers whipped about like a rubber band, each joint shooting back and forth to allow for multiple strikes in an incredibly small area and instant. A horrifying, grey-skinned ogre, emaciated and malnourished with its skin stretched taut upon its face charged him in melee, eager to taste his flesh. Yet its savagery borne of hunger was no match for his own rage and terror in melee. It locked his arms in a grapple and tried taking a bite out of his neck, only for Orodan¡¯s headbutt to crunch its nose as he then tore its jugular out with his teeth.
[Combat Mastery 112 ¡ú Combat Mastery 113]
In a real fight where the only language was violence, everything was a weapon.
Pressure worked against those who cared about pain and damage in the first place. Orodan Wainwright would not be pressured by any swarm of chaff¡ instead he would be the one pressuring them.
His sword carved hordes of Transcendents. His shield smashed swarms of Grandmasters.
And slowly they began to break and falter when faced with his raw savagery in close-quarters combat.
The first to quail were the void monsters who approached him in melee. After slaying a few hundred the following ones in line to attack must¡¯ve realized that damage trades against a perpetually healing berserker who bore an endless rage hotter than a star was suicide. Seeing so many die at once must¡¯ve signalled something to them, but they broke and fled.
And with them, the rest of those trying to pelt him from range did too.
Orodan¡¯s mouth, still stained from the blood of an ogre and the bits of the locust, beamed with a happy smile. His red teeth showing in a most unsettling manner.
¡°Have any more?¡±
The blazing white light of his soul began to envelop his body, and Orodan began preparing to throw it into one massively powerful teleport.
¡°How exceedingly violent. From where does that endless rage and power stem?¡± Alagameth asked, more than a little shocked and preparing itself to receive Orodan¡¯s spatiomancy. ¡°At this rate, our battle will attract far too much attention.¡±
¡°Good. I¡¯m counting on it as I have one more score to settle,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°You said once that brute force would not avail me against the skill, finesse and power of an Embodiment of Space. I¡¯d like to put that to the test.¡±
Alagameth¡¯s beady insect eyes widened, and its body shook in utter horror as it realized too late the magnitude of just how much power Orodan was putting into a mere Teleportation spell.
The gathered energy, greater than what he could have managed a hundred-and-fifty-seven attempts ago, enough to cause a star system to shake, was unleashed¡
[Teleportation 95 ¡ú Teleportation 97]
[Incipience of Infinity 134 ¡ú Incipience of Infinity 135]
¡and calamity began.
Teleportation wasn¡¯t a destructive spell like Spatial Fold was. Yet, at the Transcendent-level, each level provided some mighty benefits, particularly for Orodan who had been ruminating on the meaning of infinity via using the Intimidation and Disguise aspects of his Celestial skill.
Needless to say, at level 135 of Incipience of Infinity, the amount of soul energy he could generate was monstrous, and his control over it iron tight, leading to less damage to his body. As a result, the raw power of the Teleport was capable of some things it normally shouldn¡¯t have been.
Teleportation wasn¡¯t a spell meant for grand-scale impacts upon space. It was neat, to-the-point and low-profile. It wasn¡¯t a spell meant to take such power.
The soul energy shattered Orodan¡¯s shield of Fate Disconnect, causing the tapestry of fate to dangerously tremble, and most importantly¡
¡it caused space to rupture entirely.
Through the field of ruptured space, the sheer amount of power Orodan threw into the Teleport allowed it to carry him directly towards Alagameth, and he was an instant from grabbing onto it when the spider fearfully unleashed its last trump card in a state of panic.
Never before had the spatial spider drawn from the very source that the Prophet and the Conclave also drew from. Whether it was because Alagameth knew of the Prophet¡¯s true nature or whether it knew the corruptive properties of the light, was unclear. All the same, out of fear and surprise, it called upon the light, threatening to scorch Orodan.
But that was within expectations. After all, Orodan had spent a hundred-and-fifty-seven loops watching Silestor draw from the exact same elemental plane of light whenever the light mage used his Pillar of Light spell.
Yet the one thing that had truly bothered him about the spell was the fact that it relied upon faith to call something down from another plane. And in a similar vein, what truly bothered him about his latest skill, Summoning¡ was that it was a mere call for something to come down.
Two separate skills, one he knew, one he didn¡¯t. And two weaknesses which irked him.
But what if, instead of a call¡
¡it was a demand? The warlike insistence, backed by sheer will, that something come down?
A roar tore free from Orodan¡¯s lips, somehow carrying far through the airless void between galaxies. And as it did, he did not gently call or summon anything; it wasn¡¯t his way. Instead, he commanded¡ demanded that it come down unto him or else.
Not faith, but the very brutal whip of willpower, issuing a decree that something come right down.
A Commandment of War.
[Skill Combination - War Cry 43 + Summoning 16 ¡ú Commandment of War 30 (Legendary)]
The light approached, and Orodan instead gave it a singular commandment.
To compress inwards¡ and ensure every little bit of the beam hit him fully. The commandment went a step further and pulled even more energy from the elemental plane of light, ordering, insisting, that it hit all of his cells from each and every angle.
His body was nearly destroyed down to the particle in but a singular beam of light.
¡°A skill with which you can summon things, and you use it to make enemy attacks hit you harder. A part of me wants to say it¡¯s the most useless skill I¡¯ve ever seen¡ but I¡¯m beginning to learn by now not to question you.¡±
Zaessythra had grown in wisdom.
After all, to Orodan¡
¡this was simply good training.
Even Alagameth appeared in utter shock. Its attack had been gathered together, compressed and made even more effective!
¡°You¡! You!¡± it uttered in pure shock.
¡°I know¡ you need not say it,¡± Orodan said, reforming like an unstoppable engine of battle. ¡°This is a good training method.¡±
¡°I¡ I surrender. I have no interest in facing a crazed beast like you any longer. There is no saving you from your own mind! Even the Reject is not so disturbed!¡±
¡°Surrender? Why that¡¯s simply unacceptable,¡± Orodan said, a bloodthirsty smile on his face.
¡°You¡ you will kill me? What have I done to offend you?¡± the spatial spider asked, more than a little terrified. An Embodiment-level being, caught before an existence that knew no logic nor restraint.
¡°¡kill you? You seem to have it mixed up. No¡ you will attack me again.¡±
[Commandment of War 30 ¡ú Commandment of War 32]
The aggression and hostility were already there, a remnant from when his foe had decided to fight Orodan to start with. A bellowing war cry tore free from Orodan¡¯s lips, commanding, demanding that this existing aggression be summoned unto him.
And the spatial spider suddenly became angry, launching yet another beam of light towards him! With a simple decree, Alagameth¡¯s hostility had been summoned into targeting Orodan. The spider couldn¡¯t help but want to assail him.
And yet again, Orodan commanded the light to compress, becoming even more powerful, and to strike him from every obscure direction possible.
[Body Tempering 71 ¡ú Body Tempering 72]
His body grew stronger, yes¡ but in watching the compressed light, he learned. He gained insights into how his own light magic could work better.
And at last¡ a beam of his own flew forth from him, striking the hostile beam which was continually burning him down to a smattering of cells.
[Light Beam 36 ¡ú Light Beam 37]
[New Skill ¡ú Light Magic Mastery 11]
His own beam of light, supercharged by all the available mana he had, actually reduced the power of the incoming beam by two-thirds. A resounding success and a great jump in power.
As Orodan reformed, not only had his body become stronger through directing the attack to hit him so thoroughly¡ but it was also quite the morale boost! For so long had he struggled to find consistent and effective ways of honing the quality of his physical form and his resistance skills. Enemies would either stop out of fear of making him stronger, or the din of battle would simply move on from such effective moments.
Yet now¡
¡he could control how he got his training in the midst of battle.
Each enemy stroke, each blow, each spell¡ they would all hit with maximal effectiveness and be made even stronger. After all, it was simply good training to make your enemies as strong as possible before defeating them.
¡°An insidious social skill! Have you no honor? Subverting the mind of another?!¡±
The spider¡ was not incorrect.
¡°I apologize, I got carried away in learning this for the first time,¡± Orodan admitted.
He decided then and there that this would only be used against enemies who wanted to harm him, or allies who consented to aiding him via sparring and not against any who wished to surrender.
¡°You are a maniacal and deranged being, Orodan Wainwright. When I threw you into the blue star, I expected you escaped via teleportation or magical means of cooling the temperature¡ tell me, did you brute force your way through?¡± his former foe asked.
¡°Yes. The flames were a good source of Fire Resistance training,¡± Orodan declared. ¡°And whatever the star threw at me in terms of an eviction force simply wasn¡¯t up to the task.¡±
¡°Fire Resistance? How have you obtained this? Were you born with this Bloodline or did you conduct experimentation or absorption to receive the skill?¡±
¡°What nonsense is that? I simply stood in place and allowed a pyromancer to burn me to death over and over again.¡±
His declaration was stoic, and Alagameth the Silent Oracle seemed even more taken aback. It was apparent to Orodan that the spider considered him an unhinged freak of staggering proportions.
¡°Your existence is utterly improbable. You generate power through the self-flagellation of your soul, fight with ferocity beyond what the human species should be capable of and then have no regard for pain as you power through all manner of adversity,¡± the Embodier said. ¡°The more I look at you, the more reasonable the idea of you being cultivated to become the time looper seems.¡±
¡°Did you not say there were other ¡®plucky and heroic¡¯ time loopers like me? Surely there¡¯ve been some mad beings who¡¯ve done the same?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Not to the extent of being burnt alive over and over to simply acquire Fire Resistance¡ is that the only one you have?¡±
¡°I have over ten resistance skills, all earned in a similar manner.¡±
Alagameth kept with its namesake and became rather silent after that.
¡°You mentioned a truculent wretch, earlier. Does he wield two swords and act all deranged?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°I have dealt with him before, and he¡¯s failed to break me. Just like your exercise in teaching me the dangers of my mindset has also failed.¡±
¡°You¡ are not lying, are you?¡±
¡°No. The Reject is a mighty foe, but his cage of eternal agony did not break me,¡± Orodan said and then turned away from the spatial spider. ¡°Now then, I must thank you for teaching me all these things over the many loops we¡¯ve battled, but something I have yet to avenge my losses against now approaches.¡±
Orodan had slain so many creatures of the void while fighting Alagameth that they didn¡¯t dare to creep through the gaps of ruptured space to attack him like they did the first time he tore space apart. They¡¯d gotten enough of a taste of him. The Grandmaster and Transcendent-level ones at least.
What was coming through the gaps though, was beyond anything else he¡¯d faced in this battle thus far.
¡°A Living Crystal approaches! Flee you fool! Fly and end your own life before it comes!¡± the spider warned. ¡°Long have I heard the tale of a time looper who succumbed to madness upon waking in the next loop due to assimilation by one of these creatures. Most Embodiers in the void will avoid them like the plague.¡±
¡°I shall be fine. I¡¯ve faced it many times now,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Farewell Alagameth¡ and thank you.¡±
¡°Orodan Wainwright¡ you are an exceedingly strange and mad being. The threads of fate tell me you make way for Lonvoron, into the jaws of that paranoid mage¡¯s domain, do you not?¡± Alagameth asked and Orodan nodded. ¡°Then¡ if you live, come seek the Conclave¡¯s branch there. May we meet again.¡±
Alagameth faded away into the gaps between space, so great was its skill. Yes, Orodan had beaten the spatial spider, but that was through raw power. Embodiers were apex existences of the cosmos, and in no way did Orodan¡¯s defeat of the Embodiment of Space imply that he could repeat the result at will. If anything, Alagameth could flee at will and strike at any number of times, with the outcome of a second serious battle being far from clear.
Yet now, a far more fearsome foe, one whose raw power exceeded the spatial spider¡¯s by a large margin, approached.
Ur-Vah¡¯sahn the Harmonious, a Living Crystal spoken of in hushed whispers throughout the cosmos. Even another Embodiment-level being seemed to fear it, and from what Talricto had said it was infamous.
It had been a hundred-and-fifty-seven loops of this battle so far, but even now, confident that he could put up a far greater fight than any time before, Orodan still felt this fight would take his all.
The ruptured canvas tore apart further as a gigantic crystal the size of a star system entered the part of the void Orodan was in, and he knew this was it. A true test of how far he¡¯d come.
He was but a Transcendent against a being at the Embodiment-level. A man against a Living Crystal the size of a star system.
And as the long crystalline tendril approached, beckoning Orodan to submit and assimilate¡
¡he rejected it with a powerful reciprocal mental assault, returning it.
[Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 91 ¡ú Warrior¡¯s Reciprocity 92]
And as it reeled for a brief instant, Orodan¡¯s sword glowed with power unending. Incipience of Infinity, far stronger than it had been during his first battle against it, poured into the blade, preparing the mightiest of smites Orodan had cast thus far.
Shield slung across his back, both hands gripped his faithful sword tight, swinging downwards with horrifying power and a fell rage.
[Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 86 ¡ú Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 87]
A terrible impact rang out across the void. The force so great that ruptured space briefly became whole in some sections only to immediately crumble entirely, creating pockets of mangled space fatal for any weak beings. His attack was previously enough to destroy a large planet in a singular strike. It was now mighty enough that an entire star system would shake.
A horrifying wound was created upon the crystalline face of Ur-Vah¡¯sahn, a deep gouge from which it would never heal. And immediately, Orodan pressed the advantage, activating Incipience of Infinity to confront its very soul with the unfathomable depths of his own.
The concept of Infinity was domineering, inevitable. Before the endless horizon of Orodan Wainwright¡¯s soul, what chance did this creature stands? None at all.
Ur-Vah¡¯sahn in particular was vulnerable to such psychological attacks as it was composed of not just its core consciousness, but many millions of assimilated beings who became part of the Living Crystal. These beings, when gazing into the depths of Orodan¡¯s soul, suddenly had their free wills returned!
Not only was the Incipience of Infinity capable of terrifying and intimidating¡ but it could also rouse and give strength to the oppressed!
Immediately, cracks began forming within the Living Crystal, and this was Orodan¡¯s chance.
But how could he even begin to hurt it?
The answer came quick.
He had harmed things far larger than himself before. If anything, from the previous battles he¡¯d had against it, it was quite deft at forcing him onto the defensive at range, but up close once he truly closed the distance and began hammering it in melee like a man mining a mountain¡ its skills seemed far less effective.
He had a lengthy track record of fighting gigantic creatures. The depths worm beneath Jerestir in his early loops, a peak-Transcendent mutated dragon, and now an Embodiment-level Living Crystal the size of a star system. With nary a thought, Orodan dove right into the exposed cracks created by his mighty blow.
And as he did, he began commanding the consciousnesses of the assimilated to come to him.
[Commandment of War 32 ¡ú Commandment of War 33]
Its shrill shrieks, akin to the ear-piercing shattering of glass, were horrible. Orodan¡¯s new skill truly ravaged it, and it was practically coming apart as more rebellious souls within started to break free of the assimilation.
Thirty more seconds of burrowing within passed, until it finally had enough and reminded Orodan exactly how and why it had lived for so long. He had never gotten quite this far in his fights against it before.
The first sign that something was off was when the cracks began widening. With a deafening crash, the Living Crystal separated into three pieces, ejecting Orodan. However, the bad news was when each of these three pieces retained their intelligence and suddenly homed in on Orodan with a deathly mind for vengeance.
He sensed that its offensive power had weakened too, but that didn¡¯t solve the matter of the three separate Living Crystals now charging up powerful beams of destruction.
With nowhere to evade, Orodan held his position in the void. He closed his eyes and tightly gripped the sword with both his hands.
Win or lose, he would throw his all into this one.
And it seemed that his Transcendent-level Combat Mastery and a few of his skills had something to contribute to the matter as well. His mind split and mantled each of his skills.
Logistics, clamorous as usual, was insistent that the ingredients for success were now within Orodan¡¯s reach. It excitedly petitioned the giant Incipience of Infinity for help, and the aloof driver of Orodan¡¯s soul agreed, throwing all its power into Smite of Abrupt Deliverance.
And then¡ Logistics suggested something which surprised even him.
It roused the newly recruited Commandment of War into targeting Orodan¡¯s own soul energy. The light of his own soul, the fuel for his power, it was commanded to gather most stringently, compressed into a singular edge on Orodan¡¯s blade.
Immediately, he felt the blade shudder, his soul empowerment over it barely holding under such intense compression of energy.
And with that Logistics gave the order for it all to move forward.
Yet, Orodan halted at the last moment.
It wouldn¡¯t be enough! His foe could shatter a star system while Orodan could perhaps cause one to shake, the power gap was too wide!
It was then, that Orodan added his own twist to the equation.
Weaving was thrown in, alongside his newly learned Light Magic Mastery and Recycling.
Elemental magic, something he¡¯d always failed to use alongside his melee combat. Every time he tried lighting his fist up with fire for a punch either a regular fireball or a punch would simply be more effective. The fire either fizzled out and was useless, or his fist was blown backwards and didn¡¯t contribute to the strike. Bringing the two together in harmony was something he always had difficulty with.
Until now.
He¡¯d watched Belina Botterson weave for a long time. In that art, Orodan felt there were some profound secrets that could be applied to the flows of energy in his own body. And now, as he utilized the principles of Weaving alongside Light Magic Mastery to create tightly bound ropes and intricate fibres of light all around his attack, improving its structural integrity, he felt proven right.
The Smite of Abrupt Deliverance roiling to be let loose was bound with reinforced light magic at the points which would take the most stress. These points then were the target of Recycling as the wasted energy would be smoothly woven back into the attack.
As the three beams from the separated Living Crystals approached, he knew what he had to do.
His soul the driver, light magic the stabilizer and reinforcer, with Recycling the gatherer of wasted energy and Weaving tying it all together alongside the contributions Logistics had already provided. With this¡
¡Orodan unleashed his all.
[Combat Mastery 113 ¡ú Combat Mastery 115]
[Logistics 28 ¡ú Logistics 29]
[Commandment of War 33 ¡ú Commandment of War 35]
[Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 87 ¡ú Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 88]
[Weaving 49 ¡ú Weaving 50]
[New Title ¡ú Weaving Adept]
[Recycling 8 ¡ú Recycling 14]
[Light Magic Mastery 11 ¡ú Light Magic Mastery 18]
Doom and utter destruction.
Orodan felt every single part of his body reel, with even his soul quivering at the sheer amount of soul energy he poured in. His body was reduced to a number of cells which could be counted on one hand. Not by the enemy, but by how much raw power he himself threw into the attack.
He wasn¡¯t sure just how much destruction had been caused, because he was in a void and because the titanic impact actually dazed him for a brief moment.
It was like a lightly armored rider with a spear hitting a target at full gallop, the polearm would simply fly from their hands and the rider would continue on unimpacted. Whereas if a heavily armored rider with plates and lance hand guard which forced the weapon and rider to remain in place hit the target¡ the impact would be severe for both target and rider.
Orodan¡¯s Smite of Abrupt Deliverance normally bled much of the energy off, not impacting him as much. Now though, he¡¯d sealed that egress for the energy off and also recycled it back into the attack.
As the moments passed, Orodan reformed, and his hands regenerated around his weapons once more.
The turbulent remnants and mist of power was slowly clearing, yet no further attacks came his way.
Finally, as it cleared¡
¡his eyes widened.
The three pieces of Ur-Vah¡¯sahn were now two!
And they were fleeing!
¡°Hey! Get back here!¡±
Orodan immediately gave chase and noted with some annoyance that it was on a dead collision course for a singular target¡
¡the Vystaxium Galaxy.
Damn it all! He had hoped to enter his destination stealthily but his cravenly foe would now ruin those plans!
Any thoughts of satisfaction at having forced an Embodiment-level enemy to flee were relegated to the back of his mind as Orodan raced to catch up as it approached the galaxy edge.
It skipped through space, and Orodan launched teleports in rapid succession to catch up which it immediately fled from the moment he came out. In smaller form, these two separate pieces of Living Crystal were incredibly fast and nimble.
The moment he came out of a teleport, the crystal would suddenly change direction, reverse momentum or even catch him off-guard a time or two by ramming into him and then fleeing. And if he got near enough to one, cornering it, the other would come in and engage him for a scant moment to allow its siblings¡¯ retreat.
Its escape tactics were utterly ridiculous and more suited to a comedy bit than an Embodiment-level being! But they were unfortunately effective at eluding Orodan for just long enough that the two crystals managed to reach the galactic boundary of his target galaxy.
And as they did, the first of many layered wards activated, confirming to Orodan that entering Lonvoron by himself would be no easy matter.
Still, the situation wasn¡¯t entirely unsalvageable. Even if the Vystaxium Galaxy and the previous looper remained on high alert, there were two other suspects beside himself who had triggered the wards.
He focused in on the wards, using Vision of Purity.
Useless. It gave him barely any information at all since the wards were some of the purest he¡¯d ever seen.
Accordingly, he switched to the mindset that all mana was dirty, and his body nearly exploded from the mental strain of accounting for the wards surrounding an entire galaxy.
[Vision of Purity 70 ¡ú Vision of Purity 73]
Still, feats of mental strain were no new thing for Orodan.
His mind stabilized, and slowly he began to acquire a complete picture of them. Still, the longer he spent dawdling here, the higher the chance a responding force would catch him.
The two parts of Ur-Vah¡¯sahn had already fled deeper into the Yellow Moon Cluster where Lonvoron was too.
The good news was that Lonvoron and the Blackworth Collective were relatively near the galactic boundary. The bad news though, was that the wards were quite stringent, and had barely any gaps.
He smiled.
Barely, didn¡¯t mean none.
He had done this once before, when infiltrating Novar¡¯s Peak to render the crown of Balastion Novar defunct. The wards surrounding Lonvoron and its star system were of the same nature that the wards surrounding Novar¡¯s Peak were.
Multi-layered and ever shifting. Impossible to get through sneakily via spatiomancy for almost anyone in the universe.
Sneaking through the barrier was one thing. But not having someone recognize that a new occupant had entered the space of Lonvoron was another. He had little doubt that the previous time looper was paranoid and had many countermeasures.
His eyes blazed with power as soul energy subsumed him. He prepared two spells. The overwhelming majority of it went into one spell, with the slim remainder going towards a simple Teleportation.
What was space? Orodan occupied space himself, his attacks filled it, it wasn¡¯t a lie to say that he was a spatial being. Advancing his understanding of space then, required embracing the insight that he was as much a part of the canvas of space as the canvas of space was a part of him. Grand objects on the canvas could bend and influence the very canvas, such as planets, stars and on the high end, the black hole at the center of most galaxies.
Orodan too, was a grand cosmic force. He brought the concept of Infinity to bear and had shaken the very System and Boundless Ones themselves. And just like them, like a planet, like a galaxy¡ like a black hole. Orodan¡¯s influence on the canvas of space was grand.
He was no part of the canvas¡
¡but a grand force that altered and shook it much like he did the tapestry of fate.
Even as his eyes bled and every cell in his body was on the verge of dying under the mental strain¡ he never let up on using Vision of Purity. The wards of the entire Vystaxium Galaxy were accounted for in his mind.
And at the narrowest instant, a moment of time so slim that only chronomancers or those with exceptional reaction speed could capitalize upon it, Orodan found the perfect gap that he was looking for.
[Space Mastery 99 ¡ú Space Mastery 100]
[New Title ¡ú Space Grandmaster]
[Spatial Shift 13 ¡ú Spatial Shift 25]
And he stepped through¡
¡as a single cell.
Nearly dead from the sheer expenditure of soul energy required to spatially shift an entire star system. The shield of Fate Disconnect around his soul had shattered once more during that moment before Orodan hastily reformed it, and the tumultuous activity on the tapestry of fate provided one more layer of obscurity to hide his arrival.
He reformed while falling through the air and crashed through a shanty slum roof of sheet metal.
He extricated himself from the pile of rifles he¡¯d fallen into, looking up at an amused Talricto.
¡°I¡¯m fairly certain the entire galaxy is aware of your entrance, my dim-witted student.¡±
¡°Aware that there was an entry perhaps, but not where the entry was or who it is,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Though, I suppose the gigantic Living Crystal broken into two pieces isn¡¯t difficult to find.¡±
¡°G-gigantic Living Crystal¡! You could have suffered a fate worse than death! You absolute buffoon! You utter oaf and imbecile! Do you know how dangerous that-¡±
Orodan tuned out the rest of Talricto¡¯s rant as he smiled.
The prickly spider liked to act as though it didn¡¯t care for him, but if that was the case then Talricto would¡¯ve never lectured him to begin with. In the context of the loop, the dimensional phase spider had met Orodan for only a singular day, yet it was clearly attached to the man who¡¯d provided it enchanted trinkets, given it a Blessing and promised Talricto plenty of adventures.
¡°-and why in the name of all goodness and civility are you putting that ugly rag on?!¡±
¡°This? Why it¡¯s simply because I¡¯m not looking to cause any trouble.¡±
¡°Anytime you say that I¡¯m convinced trouble is most assuredly right around the corner.¡±
¡°Oi! Who¡¯s there?! Is that a vagabond I hear!¡±
And as Orodan¡¯s hand went to clamp down upon the lad who was indeed around the corner, Zaessythra actually laughed.
¡°No vagabonds here. Just a traveller from another world,¡± Orodan said, releasing Fenton Penny¡¯s mouth. ¡°One who might be looking to take on a talented young student who¡¯s trying to hide his Enchanting.¡±
The young lad was more than a bit taken aback; perhaps owing to the menacing rag Orodan had wrapped around his head if not the casual revelation of his secret. Still, things would turn out fine.
His entry upon Port Bellgrave had, from what he was seeing, gone entirely unnoticed. And this time he planned on moving a bit more subtly and learning the lay of the land and some skills first.
It was time for a long loop upon Lonvoron. To try and find this previous time looper and perhaps act in a clandestine manner for as long as he could. But most importantly, on the smaller scale aside from these grand targets¡
¡it was time to help Fenton Penny and the little folk, and to just spend some time learning what he could upon Port Bellgrave. After all, this island alone had plenty of people to learn from. And not least of all an absolute prodigy of Enchanting who would surpass even Orodan himself with some proper tutelage.
The divine dimension was entirely purged of Eldritch. The Prophet was undoubtedly furious. Orodan certainly had trackers on his tail, not only for entering Lonvoron, but also for approaching Embodiment, and he¡¯d beaten up one Embodiment-level being and caused another to flee while grievously injuring it.
All in all, it was quite the chaotic start to a new long loop.
Not a good start to things if being stealthy was his aim.
Chapter 81 - Port Bellgrave Revisited
Two full crates of ore were poured out into a steam-powered kiln.
¡°By the Gods you¡¯re a strong fellow. How long did it take you to get so big ser?¡±
¡°In all honesty I was decently large already by the time I was twelve years of age. My mother was even bigger,¡± Orodan replied.
¡°Sorry for your loss Mister Orodan¡ didn¡¯t mean to bring up bad thoughts,¡± Fenton said.
Orodan liked the lad. He was humble, focused on his work and knew the feeling of loss well enough to notice the ¡®was¡¯ in his statement.
He ruffled Fenton¡¯s hair.
¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve made my peace with it recently.¡±
Even if Orodan didn¡¯t go around bemoaning his orphanhood like some weak-willed weed, the sting of learning the truth regarding his parents¡¯ death had been harsh. For the longest time before the loops, the fact that he was an orphan was just a regular facet of life. He bled and fought for scraps as a street rat, and unlike the giggling and smiling children in the better parts of town, he had no mother or father.
Learning just who was responsible though, had been the equivalent of re-opening an old wound and setting fire to the scar.
The crackle and hissing of melting ore filled the silence until Fenton finally spoke again.
¡°Mister Orodan?¡±
¡°Aye Fenton?¡±
¡°Why¡¯re you helpin¡¯ me?¡±
[Smelting 9 ¡ú Smelting 10]
The answer was rather evident.
¡°Why not? It¡¯s good training,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°The quicker we finish here; the sooner we can begin your own training?¡±
¡°My own training? I¡¯m ¡®fraid I can¡¯t do none of that ser. I¡¯m contracted to-¡±
¡°To indentured servitude, I know. My eight-legged mentor and his talents in taking things not belonging to him will resolve that matter.¡±
¡°That big spider that was with you earlier? It wasn¡¯t your pet, Mister Orodan?¡±
¡°Tell him that and see how he reacts,¡± Orodan said with a laugh. ¡°Or don¡¯t. Wouldn¡¯t want to see you getting flung through multiple dimensions before being brought back having lost your dinner on the way.¡±
Fenton paled at the threat of what a dimensional phase spider could do and hurriedly focused on his work. The steam-powered kiln thus continued bubbling, melting the ore down.
On Alastaia, enchanted kilns simply weren¡¯t worth the cost of running them on basic ores. Even gold ore wasn¡¯t considered of enough value to run those kilns. He knew that the High Forges of Karilsgard - where the Republic¡¯s best smiths and enchanters worked - had a few, but they were used only when smelting incredibly valuable ores such as dothril where the amount extracted mattered a lot.
On Lonvoron though, such devices were commonplace; steam powered. The temperature in these kilns was distributed with near-perfect evenness; seeing them used to smelt regular iron ore in some shanty workshop was quite the difference from the norms of his home world.
Needless to say, it was a fantastic device, a testament to the technology and power of Lonvoron¡ but an inefficient form of training. Orodan felt that these steam-powered kilns took away from the smelter, forcing them to rely on the machine and its efficiency rather than require the deeper understanding of temperature differences, fuel and its rate of ignition and the consistency of the ore.
While Orodan had never quite worked the trade, he knew that a good smelter on Alastaia was worth their weight in gold. Not only could Adept-level smelters somehow extract useable metal from even dirt and seemingly normal rock, but they could also preserve far more of the metal content within mined ore and even ensure the resultant ingot quality was higher.
On Alastaia, even the foreman of a mining operation would be lucky to make a tenth of the pay that a high-level smelter did. As the skilled specialists who determined the profit margin for a mine, they were the highest paid workers on the job. Here though, smelting seemed relegated to the kiln, with skill levels coming slowly due to over-reliance on the machine.
As a result, smelting was an art neglected upon Lonvoron. Which made a certain amount of sense when considering that the Blackworth Collective spanned many worlds and had higher priorities than making ore extraction more efficient. How many tonnes of metal were produced was the more important metric than how much useable metal was squeezed out of the ore. Particularly when it was at war against an existential threat.
In any case, the ore had been smelted, the gunsmithy cleaned and the pipes repaired. And Fenton grumbled only a slight bit upon realizing that Orodan could¡¯ve used pyromancy to smelt the ore faster, but relented upon Orodan¡¯s lecture that hard work was its own reward.
¡°Now then, how about you show me these Enchanting skills of yours,¡± Orodan asked.
¡°What Enchanting? I don¡¯t know how to do any of that, Mister Orodan.¡±
¡°So the gun at your hip and that hidden armor plate in the alcove aren¡¯t your doing?¡± Orodan asked.
¡°Er¡ those are just things that were layin¡¯ there, that¡¯s right!¡±
Orodan gave the lad a flat look.
¡°Alright! Alright! But you can¡¯t tell nobody about it!¡± Fenton insistently demanded. ¡°My mum insists I don¡¯t reveal my Enchanting skill. They¡¯ll send me to the fort and take everything I work on for themselves.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll be going to the fort alright, but not in the way you¡¯re thinking.¡±
¡°Eh? What do you mean Mister Orodan?¡±
¡°For now, don¡¯t worry about it. Come, show me your work and let¡¯s evaluate where your skill level is.¡±
Fenton was a bit hesitant but did as asked, producing his gun and heading out back to return with the armor plate he¡¯d enchanted.
¡°This here¡¯s my revolver, little eight-shooter, but it¡¯s good for scaring off any vagrants and rough characters looking to cause trouble. Indentured servants like meself aren¡¯t supposed to have these¡ but the foreman looks the other way for the gunsmith and I,¡± Fenton said. ¡°Lot of the other servants aren¡¯t fond of the menials like me who get to toil in the workshops and ships instead of the mines.¡±
Even among the indentured servants there were tensions. Working the gunsmithy was naturally less laborious of an assignment than having to deal with the mines and the dangers therein.
¡°Being able and ready to defend yourself is good, but over-reliance on a weapon will only harm you in the long run. You could do with some physical training as well lest that gun be taken from you. Bit lanky you are, but tall enough that your frame will fill out with some work. Nothing a bit of food and rigorous training won¡¯t solve,¡± Orodan said. ¡°That¡¯ll be for later though. For now, explain to me what the enchantments on each of these things do.¡±
¡°Right, my gun I¡¯ve enchanted to take some punishment; it can shoot eight regular rounds but can also fire off a single slug with quite some kick to it. Saw one o¡¯ them mercenaries carrying an oversized hand cannon once, got the enchantment for that from sneakin¡¯ looks at his weapon,¡± Fenton explained. ¡°And the armor plate, I got that from lookin¡¯ at the explosive enchantments on the merchant ships¡¯ cannons. The round shot they load, specifically. Anything hits this plate, it¡¯ll explode outwards.¡±
This was Orodan¡¯s second time meeting Fenton Penny, but he still had to take a second to respect the raw talent of a true genius. Learning enchantments by merely sneaking looks at weapons and ammunition was monstrous enough, but to then re-purpose the explosive enchantment on a cannonball and apply it to an armor plate? Downright ludicrous.
Just as Orodan was a monster of Cleaning, Fenton was a genius of Enchanting. The lad was at the Elite-level after only a few months of self-practice, no formal education and no proper materials. It wouldn¡¯t surprise him if Fenton was capable of acquiring a Celestial skill eventually.
¡°Incredibly well done, these enchantments are a lot better than I could manage at the Elite-level myself,¡± Orodan remarked. He had certain advantages like endless energy and a powerful mind capable of analysing even the smallest detail, but in terms of raw talent Fenton had him beat. ¡°Seems your mother¡¯s been teaching you a bit of her Weaving. Borrowed concepts from it as well, have you?¡±
¡°How do you know about my mother?!¡±
¡°I told you already, I keep travelling back in time whenever I die. We¡¯ve met before and you just don¡¯t know it.¡±
¡°Bloody hell Mister Orodan, you were bein¡¯ serious about that?¡± Fenton demanded. ¡°What sort of nutty explanation is that?!¡±
¡°An honest one. Now then, shall you stand there acting outraged about my claims or will we put some work in?¡± Orodan asked. ¡°Let¡¯s teach you the basics of Enchanting theory. We¡¯ll start with the basics of two-dimensional enchanting, though I won¡¯t teach you a new language as that would be wasteful when you¡¯ve already begun learning the one of your world. This here¡¯s a blank piece of metal, enchant it for me. Anything you like.¡±
Orodan was about to pull out an enchanting pen for his student to use.
Turns out he needn¡¯t have bothered. The lad¡¯s hand began glowing with the subtle sheen of mana as Fenton began the process of freeform enchanting; just his hands, the mana within himself and pure control.
Before Orodan¡¯s eyes, a functional enchantment of durability came to life, reinforcing the metal. Though, he noticed that Fenton was close to bottoming out his mana pool as a result.
Nothing some rigorous training and good old sweat and blood couldn¡¯t fix.
¡°There you are, quality¡¯s a little dodgy, but I don¡¯t do too good under pressure,¡± Fenton said with a frown.
¡°Dodgy? This is¡¡±
Better than Orodan himself could manage, and he had a higher skill level than Fenton too. It wasn¡¯t just Enchanting in use, but the principles of Weaving as well.
This was true talent.
¡°¡some incredible work,¡± Orodan honestly praised, making the boy sheepishly scratch his head. ¡°What level is your Enchanting skill?¡±
¡°Only level 73 ser. Me mum says not to listen to anyone tellin¡¯ me about how long it¡¯s supposed to take for the Master-level, but some of the sailors in port mentioned that hitting that by the time I¡¯m sixty is considered advanced,¡± Fenton answered. ¡°I know the levels start comin¡¯ slower past 75, but I¡¯m only fifteen years of age.¡±
¡°Only level 73 he says¡¡± Zaessythra muttered, amused.
At the rate Fenton was going, the boy would reach the Master-level in a few years, and then promptly face abduction or conscription into some secret program. In fact, Orodan recalled the long loop in which he¡¯d fought the plague worlds; he¡¯d encountered Fenton Penny serving as an engineer in the military then.
Perhaps the young lad¡¯s talents had been noticed?
¡°Right, well if things keep going the way they are, you¡¯ll be hitting perhaps even the Grandmaster-level by the time you¡¯re twenty. And probably getting kidnapped and developed into a military asset too,¡± Orodan said, smiling at Fenton¡¯s look of shock. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t accelerate that even further. For starters, I see you¡¯re using a three-dimensional enchantment, and although you¡¯re talented, knowing the theoretical foundations of a two-dimensional enchantment will only benefit you¡¡±
And so Orodan stepped into the role of a teacher once more, as he¡¯d done many times before. At the start of the loops, if someone had told him that he would come to enjoy mentoring folks with a good work ethic and the desire to learn, Orodan might have scoffed. His own development was all that mattered back then. The skill he¡¯d acquired via teaching Mahari, Aliya and Zukelmux though, had opened up this interesting path for him.
And most importantly, it wasn¡¯t as though Teaching had no benefits for him at all. He¡¯d learned Cooking from Zukelmux, picked up some tricks from Surena Argon in Anthus and learned Weaving from Belina Botterson in Ogdenborough. And now, by simply watching a monstrous prodigy like Fenton Penny he was expanding his own skillset.
As expected, Fenton had the basic education of reading and writing but had received no higher formal education. Furthermore, Orodan had to be mindful of the fact that delving into the specifics might influence the young man¡¯s growth a certain way, as the education on Lonvoron was different to the knowledge of Enchanting that Alastaia had. Last thing he wanted was for Fenton to begin getting a formal higher education only to realize a number of his theories, techniques and methods were otherworldly and different to the norm of Lonvoron.
Not that it was a bad thing of course.
Still, Orodan kept his explanations and lessons on the mechanics of two-dimensional enchanting very general. He also repeatedly stated that these were the techniques of his world, and the theoretical understanding that Alastaian enchanters had. Theories, frameworks of reference and techniques weren¡¯t absolute after all. To the young and impressionable Fenton Penny who¡¯d never received an education however, such teaching was akin to a thirsty mutt in the desert receiving water.
The lad practically lapped up whatever Orodan said and began taking detailed notes with the speed of a hawk. Several times he could see Fenton speaking to himself as Orodan instructed him on a theorem or technique, likely analysing in his own mind how to apply it or how it could be improved.
He began with the most basic overview of two-dimensional Enchanting and the trade itself that he could muster, yet Fenton found some way to ask questions and make things complicated even then.
¡°Does Enchanting have to be powered by mana ser?¡± the lad asked.
¡°No, soul energy, vitality and even System energy can be used. Personally, I have yet to encounter any limitations to the art that a change of technique or perspective can¡¯t solve,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Then isn¡¯t this entire thing we¡¯re usin¡¯ one big enchantment too?¡±
¡°And what¡¯s ¡®this entire thing¡¯ that you¡¯re referring to?¡±
¡°You know¡ the numbers, the levels. The System.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ in a sense you¡¯re not incorrect. I rebuilt my System with the principles of Enchanting, though I mainly borrowed from what the standard System in someone¡¯s soul should look like,¡± Orodan answered. ¡°Still, the System itself is incredibly advanced. Not just two or three-dimensional enchanting, but four-dimensional. The glyphs and symbols within my soul are a testament to the intricacy and power of the System.¡±
¡°Can¡ can I have a look, Mister Orodan?¡± Fenton asked, wide eyed.
¡°While I have no problems allowing it, I don¡¯t think you have a vision skill or the requisite proficiency in the soul arts to see past the sheer amount of soul energy I have running through me,¡± Orodan said, but held out a hand to stop Fenton from looking so glum. ¡°But I can simply make some of the glyphs and symbols for you via soul weave so you can study them.¡±
Orodan had learned from many odd folks, wise mentors and seemingly ordinary people throughout the time loops. Many of his teachers, if not conventionally qualified via skill levels, were often knowledgeable or specialized in particular things which had great value to him. Similarly, while Orodan himself might not have been a Grandmaster of Enchanting¡ Fenton would be hard-pressed to find anyone else who could show him the intricacies of the System and its composing language.
¡°Really? Can we do that now!¡±
Orodan laughed.
¡°I respect the willingness to dive right in, but you should rise above the clouds before looking to the stars beyond. First, two-dimensional enchanting. We¡¯ll finish going over that, then three-dimensional and four-dimensional enchantments before approaching the System and the intricate glyphs and symbols making it up,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I have no doubt you¡¯re up to the task, but imagine how well you could approach the situation if you had all the tools necessary for success?¡±
Fenton accepted this. Unlike working in the shop, the lad was truly passionate about Enchanting, and it showed in how eager and willing he was to learn all about it. He paid rapt attention as Orodan finished going over the concepts of two-dimensional enchanting and referenced examples from some of the enchanting languages he¡¯d seen.
He was also stringent in reinforcing to Fenton that the intent and will of the enchanter mattered far more than the language itself. Something that most conventional education wouldn¡¯t teach; and while that was well and good for most enchanters, for those truly seeking the heights of the craft, it would hamstring them if they took that as a valid belief. Knowing the concepts and principles behind enchanting was of greater import than fixating on a particular language.
And as Orodan taught, so too did he learn.
[Teaching 64 ¡ú Teaching 66]
Like a fish learning to swim, Fenton grasped every little bit about Enchanting at an astonishingly quick pace. Even with Orodan explaining the basic principles and concepts of Enchanting and starting off with merely two-dimensional works, Fenton absorbed the lessons and asked questions which hinted at an instinctive understanding of Enchanting beyond anyone else he¡¯d seen.
Most importantly for Orodan, watching the lad inscribe basic two-dimensional enchantments was a great boon for his own understanding of the craft.
[Enchanting 87 ¡ú Enchanting 88]
¡°Hells¡ I didn¡¯t even consider that a two-dimensional enchantment could be woven like that¡¡± Orodan muttered, awestruck.
The level gain came just from watching Fenton inscribe it and the method subsequently clicking in Orodan¡¯s own mind. Who was the teacher here again? Was this how all his mentors had felt when he went around shattering one expectation after another?
Not only had Fenton Penny utilized the principles of Weaving for a two-dimensional enchantment, but he¡¯d done so in a way that had Orodan¡¯s eyes taking on an enlightened look. Normally, Orodan inscribed enchantments as a single flow, good for ensuring that mana flowed freely and purely.
But Fenton Penny instead inscribed tiny lines, like threads, and combined them all together to form an enchantment of its own. Yet the unfathomable part was that each wispy thread Fenton inscribed was a mana conducting pathway of its own, even as a merely two-dimensional enchantment. The mana flowing through these thin lines was smooth too. Any Alastaian Grandmaster would have a tear in their eye beholding the consistency of the flow.
And all these individual lines came together to form a cohesive whole.
Fenton was sweating, his face pale as his mana pool had run dry doing just a twentieth of what the complete enchantment would eventually be, but even then¡ to think that such a profound work could be done by an untrained artisan over roughly twenty sessions of work was ridiculous.
¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Mister Orodan¡ but I seem to have run meself ragged. Never gotten tired while enchanting before. Got a little carried away testing out some of these new tricks you taught me,¡± Fenton said, breath shaky.
Orodan simply laughed and clapped the young man on the shoulder¡
¡a sinister grin on his face.
¡°Ah Fenton¡ my young student¡ I have so much training planned for you.¡±
¡°Er¡ and what¡¯s this training entail ser?¡±
¡°Everything.¡±
Fenton didn¡¯t look as though he relished the thought of that. The lad would be fine; the training would only benefit him. He had a natural proclivity for hard work and a drive to succeed. Sure, he might curse Orodan¡¯s name in every waking moment, but the results would be worth it.
Orodan planned on forcing him to physically develop through extreme and rigorous training, alongside an exotic and hearty diet. And then expanding his mana pool through similar means.
¡°Now then, much as I¡¯d love to continue our lesson, your employer seems to be nearing the shop.¡±
Fenton¡¯s eyes widened as he began putting the assorted enchanting materials away in a frenzy.
¡°Mister Orodan! You¡¯ve got to hide! The constabulary will find you.¡±
¡°No, they won¡¯t.¡±
¡°¡ser, with no offense meant¡ that nutty rag on your head won¡¯t stop them spotting you. They¡¯ll lock you in a madhouse they will!¡±
Fenton had many more choice words to say about Orodan¡¯s spectacular disguise, but he tuned them out and ignored the lad. He was understandably nervous, and the splendor of his disguise was a quality Fenton couldn¡¯t appreciate yet.
Such a shame, to have all the talent in the world but remain blind to true majesty!
¡°It¡¯s a rag with eye holes cut out at the back of your head¡¡±
Even Zaessythra was faithless.
Fenton¡¯s bickering came to an end as an overweight and greasy man entered the workshop, accompanied by two rough-looking men in long dark coats donning small hats. Officers of the constabulary, as Orodan had learned last time.
¡°Oy! Fen! Shop¡¯s running good?¡± the foreman, Elwin Clemmings asked, and then frowned. ¡°By the sea, what¡¯s gotten into you? Look as though you¡¯ve seen a banshee, boy. Snap out of it!¡±
¡°E-er¡ Mister Elwin ser¡!¡± Fenton stuttered and stammered, the boy¡¯s gaze rapidly moving between him and Orodan.
¡°What¡¯re you looking at? There a fly on the wall or something?¡± the foreman asked, bewildered.
¡°You¡ can¡¯t see?¡± Fenton asked, though it seemed as though the lad was questioning himself as much as he was the foreman.
¡°You need a bop over the head boy? What quackery are you on about?¡± the foreman asked and then his eyes widened as he spotted the refurbished forge and shop. ¡°Wait a minute Fen! You sly dog! Did you fix this place up?¡±
In response, the poor boy could say nothing, simply standing there.
And so too did Orodan, simply standing there¡
¡looking right into the eyes of the workshop¡¯s three new entrants.
Upon the Skill Absorption, Orodan was far less worried about accidentally driving innocent folk mad. His understanding of his own soul and the practice he¡¯d gotten over the loops in using Incipience of Infinity to Intimidate people into not paying him any mind had paid off.
¡°Clemmings¡ I thought you said the workshop only had a singular working forge?¡± the older watchman asked and then looked to Fenton. ¡°Good work boy, I¡¯ll be sure to put in a good word for you at the fort. I know Sir Clyburn has been asking after skilled mechanics and engineers for a while now. Man needs an assistant for all the work he has piled up.¡±
¡°Clyburn? Clyburn Anderthorn?¡± Fenton asked, mouth agape.
¡°That¡¯s sir Clyburn Anderthorn to you, boy. Best not forget your manners once you¡¯re up there,¡± the watchman gently chided. He then looked to the foreman. ¡°Clemmings, how much is the lad¡¯s contract worth? The fort will pay it off and take custody of him.¡±
Elwin Clemmings however, looked as though he¡¯d swallowed a sour lemon. The greasy foreman¡¯s face had shifted from happiness to barely restrained outrage upon realizing that the constabulary was poaching Fenton Penny on behalf of the fort.
¡°H-hold on! Hold on! Good little Penny here is a special case! He can¡¯t be sold so easily for his mother suffers from a special ailment whose medicine dosages are included as part of his contract,¡± the foreman explained. ¡°Constable Elridge, you must understand ser¡ our operation would suffer without the lad.¡±
¡°And with the repair of this second forge, your operation now owes a certain amount of tax due from it, Elwin,¡± the older constable said. ¡°I could simply order a royal requisition and take him, but I¡¯ll sweeten the pot by ignoring the forge and paying you for the lad too.¡±
¡°But what good¡¯s a forge without a gunsmith to work it¡¡± the foreman muttered in resentment. ¡°Bah! Alright! You have a deal! Boy, pack your things and get out of the shop. You¡¯ll be working for the fort now.¡±
The older watchman gave Elwin a cold glare which sobered the greasy foreman up.
¡°Mind your tone and remember your place, dog. Due to orders from beyond our station the constabulary¡¯s been ignoring the numerous violations of law taking place at the mines. Continue acting the good little mutt lest you cease being useful to the supply master and we decide to come knocking,¡± the watchman said, shutting Elwin Clemmings up. He then looked to Fenton. ¡°Fenton Penny, you¡¯re to report to the fort first thing tomorrow morning. Your mother will be re-located to Port Bellgrave proper as well.¡±
¡°R-really?¡± Fenton asked, startled. ¡°I mean, of course! Thank you ser! Thank you so much!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t thank me just yet, it remains to be seen just how apt you are at what Sir Clyburn demands of you. But, given that the forge is repaired, your Engineering¡¯s at least at the Apprentice-level, yes?¡±
Fenton nodded.
The bitter foreman shot Fenton one last irritated look before leaving, watchmen in tow.
The boy then clenched his fist and had a smile on his face.
¡°Well? Do you have an Engineering skill at the Apprentice-level?¡±
¡°Uahh!¡± Fenton practically leapt backwards, startled as he scrambled for his gun, loudly landing in a pile of rifles. ¡°Bugger! I forgot you were there Mister Orodan!¡±
¡°One often tends to forget about a mountain when standing right next to it,¡± he replied, pulling the lad to his feet and helping set the rifles back into place.
¡°And right, I am an Apprentice-level Engineer, but I don¡¯t know a lot of the things involved in how you fixed the forge. I reckon I have an idea from watchin¡¯ you ply your work, but I was never taught proper.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a quick learner with a sharp mind. We¡¯ll go over some basic theory before you head for the fort,¡± Orodan assuaged. If anything, the lad would quickly outpace and overtake Orodan. ¡°Anyhow, that wasn¡¯t so bad. You worry too much Fenton.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t blame me for worryin¡¯ when you were standing there with a rag on your head ser,¡± Fenton said, and then frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about other sorts of mages in those fancy universities of the mainland. Was that magic?¡±
¡°Just an understanding of the mind and how it reacts to something it¡¯s not meant to comprehend. I wouldn¡¯t call it magic exactly,¡± Orodan said. ¡°I can explain more about the mechanics behind it later. For now, you¡¯d best be packing, no? This Sir Clyburn seems a famous figure.¡±
¡°He most certainly is. Bloody ¡®ell, I didn¡¯t even know he was in Port Bellgrave. He¡¯s the chief engineer for the Ironhaven Isles, can¡¯t begin to imagine what someone like him¡¯s doing in this shanty dunghole,¡± Fenton explained. ¡°He¡¯s a Grandmaster-level engineer. A Grandmaster! Can you believe that Mister Orodan? Never met a Grandmaster before¡¡±
Orodan smiled.
¡°They¡¯re not as impressive as you would think, and the journey certainly doesn¡¯t stop there. Enough of that though, you need to go home and get packed¡ and I need to make a quick trip to the mines.¡±
¡°The mines? What would you want to visit those parts for? Nothin¡¯ but misery and tears ¡®round that way ser.¡±
¡°A bit of stealth, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ll meet you at your house once I¡¯m done.¡±
The lad was more than a little anxious and unwilling to let Orodan go.
¡°Will you come back, Mister Orodan?¡±
He clapped the lad on the shoulder.
¡°Of course I will, I always do. Now off you go, your poor mother deserves better lodgings and a higher quality of life, doesn¡¯t she?¡±
That did the trick, the lad set off to pack, and Orodan made way past the workshops of scrap town and towards the mines.
A quick jog had him nearing his destination, though in the midst of a torrential downpour. The approach to the mines looked perilous and well-guarded. Towers bearing devices which cast high-beam lights lined the walls. And bladed wire fencing designed to keep the workers in than keep intruders out was uniformly emplaced on the inner side of the fortifications. Jagged spires of rock surrounded the entrance too, making any approach from the sides difficult for a conventional infiltrator.
And any successful attempt at climbing the rocky terrain would then have to deal with the sentries atop their towers. Rough-looking men and women with custom gear and weaponry; mercenaries. Some of them had large, oversized rifles too, undoubtedly capable of doing serious damage to even Grandmasters.
Orodan¡¯s solution was a simple one¡
¡walk past them all.
Seemingly invisible to the guards, Orodan casually strolled through the gate and into the outer area of the mines.
The workers certainly noticed, something Orodan allowed as they were the only group he didn¡¯t target with Incipience of Infinity.
¡°Who the hell¡¯s that madman with a rag over his head?¡± one worker asked, taking a break from throwing ore into the carts.
¡°By the King¡¯s arse¡! The eye holes are cut out on the back of his head! I ain¡¯t approachin¡¯ that lunatic¡¡±
¡°Hey, get back to work you two! What¡¯re you lot bickering about?¡± a nearby guard asked.
¡°Look ser, some nutter with a rag on his head is traipsin¡¯ about!¡± the worker pointed.
¡°¡have you gone mental? There¡¯s nothing there! Now load these carts before I remind you how the butt of my rifle feels!¡±
The workers were clearly bewildered at the fact that the guards simply couldn¡¯t see him. A commotion began as more and more tried pointing him out but were ignored or occasionally even given a shove and told to get back to work. The workers took the hint and returned to what they were doing soon after.
Normally, if that many workers drew attention to something unseen moving about that only they could see, the guards would have rightfully been cautious and heeded the warning. Mages were a part of life on Lonvoron, and mercenaries weren¡¯t ignorant to the possibility of invisibility or illusions.
Of course, when under Incipience of Infinity¡¯s effect, the matter was a different one. If confronted with logic as to Orodan¡¯s existence, the afflicted would simply double down and get angry as their minds refused to confront the reality of his existence. It wasn¡¯t invisibility nor an illusion, but outright intimidation and instinctual terror. Attempting to reason with them would simply make them irrationally angry, a defense mechanism as their minds wanted to protect them.
Orodan climbed up the watchtowers and began knocking the sharpshooters and sentries out one by one. He also disabled the alarm system which would alert the constabulary and had given the fort enough reason to send steam knights and a military force after him last time. In tandem with Incipience of Infinity, Orodan took the perimeter guards out entirely.
[Stealth 20 ¡ú Stealth 21]
As he began moving inwards, the workers began to notice something was up.
¡°H-hey! Hey! That nutter with the rag is takin¡¯ out the guards!¡± one shouted.
¡°To hell with this! I ain¡¯t gettin¡¯ involved in that mess!¡±
¡°Look! The tower watch is down! Time to make a run!¡±
¡°You¡¯re not goin¡¯ anywhere you sick freak! Always hated your sort!¡±
As Orodan worked to deal with the guards outside the mines, the workers were engaged in a commotion as several of them ganged up on a particular one. The violent scuffle caused enough noise that a few guards from inside the mines came out, and soon enough a warning shot was fired into the air to disperse the violent attack.
As the crowd cleared away a dead body remained on the ground, covered in stab wounds, scratches and bruises. The guard initially looked ready to round up a bunch of the workers for interrogation, and then, the woman noticed the identity of the deceased. She didn¡¯t look too displeased by the outcome either.
¡°What happened to him?¡± the mercenary asked. ¡°Hmm¡ a shame, the wounds are consistent with mauling from a cave centipede. I see his friends were tryin¡¯ to tend to his wounds? Quite unfortunate that he didn¡¯t make it.¡±
Nobody said anything to challenge such a ridiculous cover-up either.
At least until a certain greasy foreman exited the mines after hearing the commotion.
¡°Who did this?!¡± Elwin Clemmings roared, spittle flying from his maw as his furious eyes swept across the gathered lot. ¡°First, I lose a skilled laborer, and now workers are turning up dead?! I¡¯ll have everyone interrogated and flogged for this!¡±
¡°Not sure how this happened Mister Elwin,¡± the mercenary guard said.
¡°You¡¯re lying! I heard a bloody gunshot you stupid harpy! You think I don¡¯t know that everyone¡¯s wanted that filthy prick dead since he got here?!¡± Elwin roared. ¡°I¡¯ll cancel the contract for your whole company and report you to the crown!¡±
¡°Now take it easy boss man, you¡¯re overreactin¡¯ a bit I think. We can hardly be everywhere, aye?¡± she asked, trying to pacify the angry foreman. ¡°Not like anyone¡¯s going to miss that sack of dung. Morale might even improve!¡±
¡°That was my sack of dung! I¡¯ve been strong-armed one time too many today, and I¡¯ll be damned if anyone else thinks they can get one up on Elwin Clemmings!¡± the foreman barked. ¡°Ask the sentries on the tower what they saw!¡±
¡°Sentries? What sentries are you talkin¡¯ about boss? Just us here.¡±
¡°Are you daft? The tower guard you brutish thug! Ask the guards on the tower what they saw and make it quick! A punitive mood¡¯s struck me tonight!¡± the foreman said, and then looked up.
Elwin Clemmings¡¯ face turned from angry to suddenly wary.
¡°We don¡¯t have any tower guards around ¡®ere boss man, quit pestering me!¡± the guard retorted, getting angry.
The foreman began to get nervous, understanding that something was up.
Smart man. Orodan hadn¡¯t bothered touching him with Incipience of Infinity this time, which meant that Elwin Clemmings and the workers were the only ones unaffected by Orodan¡¯s disguise.
Not only did Incipience of Infinity terrorize people into rejecting Orodan¡¯s existence, but it also caused a strong negative response to being pestered about any discrepancies caused by him. It was a monstrously powerful skill for maintaining his anonymity over a long loop.
Much like the previous time looper had an ability to control what information was uttered, so too did Orodan now have a way of moving about quietly. Like an aura which shot out, Incipience of Infinity could affect a large area, making it so that nobody would recognize Orodan¡¯s presence or the effects he had.
Now though, the jig was up. And Elwin Clemmings the greasy foreman of Port Bellgrave turned around¡
¡to see a man who stood two heads taller smiling down at him.
¡°Greetings.¡±
#
¡°I¡¯ll get you one day. Let¡¯s go again.¡±
Orodan dusted himself off as he rose from the ground. He wasn¡¯t hurt, the ¡®spar¡¯ they were engaging in wasn¡¯t at all destructive. Of course, under the limitation of using Dimensionalism only, he was at quite the disadvantage. He refrained from utilizing copious amounts of power too, as that would¡¯ve not only been destructive, but drawn attention and defeated the purpose of the training altogether
Just how he liked it. Even if Orodan¡¯s opponent insisted on knocking him to the ground each time to hammer his defeat in.
¡°So eager to be thoroughly trounced once more? Your resolve is admirable at least,¡± Talricto said, adjusting his stolen hat. ¡°If you can disturb even a single fibre on this elegant hat, I¡¯ll consider it your win.¡±
¡°Alright, I admit it¡ your silly hat and singular spectacle are beginning to grow on me.¡±
¡°Hah! How many loops did that take you to realize?¡±
¡°Not nearly as many as I would¡¯ve thought¡¡± Orodan muttered. A mere two loops of Lonvoron to be exact.
He didn¡¯t mind the sight of Talricto¡¯s stupid top hat and the spectacle which Orodan learned was known as a monocle. If anything, the pilfered getup looked ridiculous enough that it lessened the irritation he sometimes felt at the haughty spider¡¯s scathing rebukes after his victories.
How could he be irked by a spider wearing a hat and monocle?
¡°Hmm, well I suppose you have some taste, to recognize the superiority of my sense of fashion,¡± Talricto said and then sent another dimensional wave at him. ¡°Now focus, you¡¯ll get nowhere against me by engaging in idle banter.¡±
Orodan had always ambushed and brought Talricto along via spatiomancy, chronomancy or the overwhelming majority of the time¡ just a straight up bull rush to close distance in melee and grapple the spider. Talricto¡¯s attempts at shucking Orodan off, while valiant, were futile against someone as physically mighty and possessed of such energy that dimensional assaults were ineffective. Not to mention, Orodan had the Dimensional Resistance skill which further neutered the dimensional phase spider¡¯s arsenal.
But his victory in abducting Talricto in no way meant he was the spider¡¯s superior in every way. Particularly in a dimensional battle of finesse and skill. And with Orodan¡¯s own Blessing applied, the spider was more than a match for him in a battle of pure dimensional manipulation.
Empowering two dimensional spheres to the limit, Orodan shot them forward and attempted to brute force his way past Talricto¡¯s dimensional wave, only for the wave to suddenly scatter into multiple small dimensions the size of needles which homed in on him. These small dimensions then collided with Orodan¡¯s cells which were partly dimensions in and of themselves, and ruptured the boundaries, breaking them and causing many of the cells to die.
[Dimensional Resistance 20 ¡ú Dimensional Resistance 22]
Talricto sent dimensions the size of mere particles towards him, and Orodan focused on creating a net-like structure, akin to a filter, which could scoop up the attacking dimensions and prevent them from seeping through to attack him.
[Dimensionalism 72 ¡ú Dimensionalism 73]
It partially worked. The technique itself was an effective one, though Orodan¡¯s finesse and control with such freeform dimensionalism was well below Talricto¡¯s own. Some particle-sized dimensions got through, and Orodan¡¯s cells faced further destruction.
Contrary to what one might¡¯ve thought, Orodan hadn¡¯t dragged Talricto along to Lonvoron just to hear snarky quips. This was why he¡¯d insisted on having the spider with him. A good teacher and sparring partner were worth more than their weight in gold.
Though calling it a spar would¡¯ve been more than a bit embarrassing when he was getting trounced so thoroughly. Yet, there was no shame in this, it was exactly the sort of proper training he needed.
¡°Hmm, you¡¯re eager and aggressive like a youngling, that much I can respect. I hope you do not lose that attribute,¡± Talricto praised in a rare moment. ¡°Brutish simpleton you may be, but encouraging an older dimensionalist to retain and draw upon youthful vigor and the dogged desire to seize the initiative is quite the dull chore.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve seen fighters develop similar bad habits in melee, it can take some time to train them out of those,¡± Orodan remarked.
It was an interesting phenomenon, where the younger and more inexperienced one was, the more they would try and compensate through ferocity and aggression. On the other hand, with experience came the know-how, finesse and skill to not require such brash tactics any longer. Those with experience had more than likely learned a few painful lessons on what aggression could cause to befall them, as a result they were in some respects less willing to commit with zeal to something.
This led to situations where novices could use more forethought, but veterans sometimes forgot how to channel the violence of aggression. One needed both in order to truly succeed.
¡°Well, the only bad habit I see in you is an overly aggressive mindset, but with how well you weaponize it¡ I suppose even I can respect the efficiency of brutish simplicity at times,¡± Talricto said and then ceased attacking, causing Orodan to frown. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, your pet project is approaching, and it wouldn¡¯t do for you to accidentally take off one of his limbs with a stray dimensional blast.¡±
¡°What¡¯re you two doin¡¯ out here? You¡¯ll get wet in the rain, Mister Orodan! Come in! Come in!¡± Fenton said, and only then noticed the dimensional layer keeping even the slightest particle of water from touching Talricto. ¡°Er¡ more magic? Avoiding gettin¡¯ soaked does look useful.¡±
¡°The ways of dimensionalism can shield one from the elements and more,¡± Talricto explained.
¡°¡why¡¯s Mister Orodan gettin¡¯ wet then?¡±
¡°While some scathing remark about how I can only blame my own incompetence would no doubt be amusing, the answer is that I¡¯m not a delicate wallflower who¡¯s afraid of some rain,¡± Orodan said, glancing at his sparring partner. ¡°Unlike some of us.¡±
¡°My hairs will become positively foul if drenched in this dreadful bath. Not like I would expect a simpleton to understand.¡±
Orodan rolled his eyes at his dimensional teacher and strode into Fenton¡¯s home.
¡°Oy, Mister Orodan, my mum¡¯s that way and-¡±
A broom was produced from his spatial ring, held in his hands with as tight a grip as he¡¯d ever had on any weapon. And before the woman could remark on why a strange man had entered her room¡
¡his broom descended upon her.
¡°Stop! What¡¯re you doing!?¡±
Fenton¡¯s mother didn¡¯t scream this time.
Orodan had cleared the curse from her once before, and this time he knew exactly what spots to target in order to make the transition as painless as possible. More importantly though, there were some mechanisms upon the curse which he hadn¡¯t paid attention to last time. Two main things.
First, it had the clear tinges of System energy upon it. And second, it had a small mechanism through which someone could detect any attempts to tamper with or remove it.
A daunting prospect for even the mightiest soul mages of the cosmos to tackle. Especially when the curse had power backing it equivalent to an Administrator.
Orodan though, wasn¡¯t concerned. In a battle of cleaning, he would lose to no one.
The blazing white light of his soul was poured into his broom, and in a feat that felt rather trivial, he smashed the curse aside and made sure to also target the mechanism which would allow for detecting any attempts at tampering too. At the last moment, he selectively blocked the insights he knew were coming on.
A struggle, to go against his nature and innate talent in the art of cleaning. It would¡¯ve been nice, but not yet.
¡°What did you do?!¡± Fenton angrily demanded, protective of his mother.
¡°See for yourself,¡± Orodan said, walking out of the room as Fenton fussed over his mother.
Even now, Domain of Perfect Cleaning was growing at a frightening pace, eradicating the curse from the woman¡¯s soul had been almost easy. A rather sobering thought when considering how powerful the curse was. Orodan in fact had to forcibly suppress the insight and subsequent level gain lest he attract all manner of unwanted attention this early on. While he loved the thought of dying in battle over and over, this loop was meant to be a long one, and he had many things to learn.
Indeed, he¡¯d come here right after leaving foreman Elwin Clemmings to be dealt with by the workers at the mines. Orodan had simply barged right into Fenton¡¯s house, produced his broom and eradicated the curse upon his mother¡¯s soul with nary a thought. He was now outside, letting the lad and his healed mother have a moment of privacy.
He casually sent a dimensional bubble towards Talricto, earning a snort of derision and the acceptance of challenge from the spider. And soon enough they were engaged in a light spar of freeform dimensionalism once more.
For fifteen minutes Orodan was bullied and reminded of Talricto¡¯s superior skills once again. Like an elephant attempting to compete against a bird at flying while restricted from using any real power, Orodan tried to hopelessly match Talricto in terms of pure skill and finesse.
His opponent was a being born and made for manipulating dimensional forces. In contrast, he was just a human with a hard head. The outcome was never in question.
It was good training, and Orodan landed face first into a particularly grimy spot of mud when Fenton Penny finally came out.
The lad¡¯s eyes were red, and his mother following him out of the house also looked as though she¡¯d just finished crying. The tears weren¡¯t the unhappy sort though. The sight of Orodan sprawled out on the ground, face in the muck drew the two out of their emotional daze.
¡°Barely passable, perhaps at the level of our younglings. I¡¯ll spare you the humiliation of any further defeats in front of your impressionable student. Let that and the dirt you taste be a reminder of how far you have to go before you can even think of challenging the great Talricto,¡± his opponent said imperiously.
Orodan got up once again, clearing the mud off his face from the faceplant into the ground Talricto had orchestrated. He had a happy grin on his face.
¡°We need to do this more often. That was good!¡± Orodan declared.
¡°You¡¯ve found the right place to embrace your gluttony for punishment,¡± Talricto said. ¡°Now do get up and dust yourself off. We have visitors.¡±
Talricto insulted Orodan a few more times while Fenton incredulously looked back and forth between them and the lad¡¯s mother softly laughed.
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¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve been acquainted ser. You barge into our home, cure me without saying a word and then proceed to engage in a show of magical splendor against a most regal spider right outside our door,¡± the woman said. ¡°Little Fen tells me you¡¯re the one responsible for his upcoming change of occupation?¡±
¡°Aye, that¡¯s me, Orodan Wainwright. A time looper and traveller of worlds,¡± he answered.
¡°And a most simplistic brute who lacks in any subtlety whatsoever,¡± Talricto praised.
¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I snuck around and avoided detection this time.¡±
¡°Intimidating and beating all witnesses silly doesn¡¯t qualify as stealthy¡ effective as it may be,¡± Zaessythra tacked on.
¡°A¡ time looper? I don¡¯t understand what that means. But an otherworlder? That much I suspected¡ you can¡¯t be any ordinary man to have succeeded where every other healer we¡¯ve met has failed.¡±
And before the woman could fall to her knees and put Orodan in an awkward spot, he caught her by the shoulder and kept her standing.
¡°I¡¯m not a noble or royalty, I would prefer no one kneeled before me,¡± Orodan said. ¡°The sentiment is appreciated, but such displays are unnecessary.¡±
The woman¡¯s face was red, emotion threatening to burst forth as tears rolled down her cheeks.
¡°But how else¡ how else can I think of thanking the one who¡¯s given me a new life?¡± she asked, voice breaking halfway through.
¡°By being there for your son as he moves up in life,¡± Orodan suggested. ¡°Fenton here will be starting work under a new employer tomorrow.¡±
¡°But¡ but¡ what about you ser? Are you just going to leave?¡± Fenton asked.
¡°Leave? Certainly not yet. There¡¯s still plenty of training for you to do. Who¡¯s going to teach you Enchanting?¡±
And who was going to teach Orodan all the new things to be learned upon Lonvoron?
Not only did he intend to train Fenton to be the best enchanter upon Lonvoron¡ but he also had many things to learn himself.
#
Lonvoron was a planet mostly covered by water, even more so than his home world of Alastaia. There was a singular main continent which most referred to as the mainland, and the wealth, resources and power were all concentrated there. As he¡¯d learned from talking to Fenton and some of the folk around scrap town, this geography naturally created two classes of people. Mainlanders, and islanders; with both groups harboring some level of distrust and seeing the other as an out-group.
Islanders came from the Ironhaven Isles, the Sunstone Archipelagos or the bog islands which were more than a little technologically backwards. These locations aside, there were plenty more islands dotting the world of Lonvoron. But betwixt these small sanctuaries of land¡ were naught but deep and turbulent oceans.
And it was in the waters surrounding Port Bellgrave that Orodan decided to go for a quick swim.
The waves were choppy, the water wild and cold. Most dangerously though, the unforgiving drink was full of hungry aquatic life. Nothing too harsh nearer to the islands, the Collective¡¯s navy and armed fishery boats cleared those out often enough. But farther out and away from the designated sea lanes, the deeper waters held all manner of hostile sea monsters which necessitated heavily militarized and specially prepared ships making forays for resources or diving expeditions.
A group of giant sharks gazed at him hungrily. Their leader, a thirty-eyed shark, the size of a castle, eyed him cautiously and with more than some bewilderment evident in its eyes. It was at the Grandmaster-level and seemed to be wandering the deep waters in search of fat prey.
Yet, the higher a monster¡¯s level, the less prone it was to rashly attacking. It hadn¡¯t reached the Grandmaster-level by being stupid; humans were not its normal prey; barely enough meat to feed a newborn, far too much bone, and simply not worth the hassle as killing one would lead to more showing up in force.
Furthermore, a lone human swimming the deeper parts of the ocean was a ridiculous sight. No regular mortal could go for a swim in such turbulent and monster-infested waters. From the perspective of a monster, such a lone swimmer had either grown tired of living¡ or was more than comfortable handling themselves in such an environment.
The Grandmaster shark got closer enough to use Observe, but it was unfortunately too late as two of the hungry members of its pack had already shot forwards¡
¡only to die as Orodan¡¯s hands gripped their throats and snapped their necks.
It immediately let out a warning roar.
¡°Back! An unusual predator has entered these waters! Let this be a lesson to the foolish younglings who would charge ahead without assessing their prey!¡±
The Grandmaster shark gave one final growl of warning, glaring at Orodan and causing the water to sputter, before it turned tail and fled. Orodan himself was happy enough with his catch of two Elite-level sharks. It added on nicely to the three eels and jellyfish who¡¯d tried attacking him earlier.
Some incredibly pale and gaunt-looking humanoid creature with sunken eyes had tried grabbing his ankle while he was near the sea floor too, but after smashing its skull he¡¯d realized that it was simply too thin to be worth cooking.
He grabbed a decent amount of choice vegetation which he sensed would have exquisite flavor and finally proceeded to surface.
¡°Eyes to the starboard! Got a strange fish in the water!¡±
¡°What sort of fish is that cap¡¯n?
¡°Is¡ is that a rag on its head?¡±
Orodan ignored the crew of the fishing vessel he¡¯d drawn the attention of and simply swam away with his haul. On the way back a rather audacious whale swam by and tried starting a brawl with him, but Orodan simply gave it a light beating and sent it on its way.
The waters of Lonvoron were teeming with life, and the remainder of his swim was punctuated by random encounters with aggressive, sometimes curious and rarely¡ even friendly wildlife. Still, he made it to shore and back to Fenton¡¯s house in scrap town easily enough.
As he neared the door, a tall but lanky young man ran across his path, heaving great gulps of air and looking as though he wanted to collapse.
¡°M-mister Orodan¡! I¡¯m still going strong ser!¡±
¡°Good!¡± Orodan declared with a happy grin. ¡°Don¡¯t let the lad slack off. He¡¯ll be getting breakfast soon.¡±
¡°Hardly necessary when the mere threat of my retribution keeps the youngling working hard,¡± Talricto cheerfully said, overseeing Fenton¡¯s physical regimen in Orodan¡¯s absence.
Fenton looked as though he¡¯d lost the appetite for breakfast, but that might¡¯ve simply been the sight of the carcasses in Orodan¡¯s hands and across his shoulders.
He walked inside the house to see Fenton¡¯s mother, packing most of their belongings away.
¡°Mister Wainwright? You¡¯ve returned!¡±
As he¡¯d learned, Fanny Penny was her name. She was a deft hand at Weaving too, at least, before the affliction took her.
Zaessythra thought the naming conventions of Lonvoron to be most strange, but Orodan reminded her that to them, her name would be just as odd.
¡°Aye, found some good fare for breakfast today. The waters around here are quite bountiful,¡± he said, throwing the carcasses onto a nearby empty table.
Which, given how large and heavy they were¡ caused the creaky platform to break.
Orodan sighed and cast a quick Time Reversal, subsequently using Wood Communion to reinforce the shoddy furniture.
¡°¡you plan on cooking all that?¡± Fenton¡¯s mother asked.
¡°Why not? These fish are loaded with vitality. I thought the people of Port Bellgrave ate seafood aplenty?¡±
Being surrounded by water and being situated far from the mainland necessitated that islanders adopt a diet loaded with seafood. Fruit, grain and land-based vegetables, while possible to acquire, were more for the middle and upper classes than they were for indentured servants on Port Bellgrave who couldn¡¯t afford the increased price of imported goods.
Still, aquatic greenery was a common sight on an islander¡¯s plate, and some homes in Port Bellgrave proper maintained gardens and greenhouses for the sake of adding some variety to their diet.
¡°Of course, I won¡¯t dispute that I¡¯ve cooked an odd thing or two hooked from the sea, but certain things you¡¯ve got here we simply don¡¯t eat,¡± the woman explained. ¡°The Shadewater Jellyfish you have there, it¡¯s quite venomous and can kill a man in under five minutes if he were to ingest it. Though¡ I suppose I¡¯ve seen some daring chefs on the mainland serve it with the tentacles removed.¡±
¡°Now why would I do that?¡±
¡°Right, glad you¡¯ve seen reason, Mister Wainwright. Those things are rather difficult to prepare any-¡±
¡°No, I mean why would I remove the tentacles? The venom is where the flavor is.¡±
Fanny was shocked silent by his declaration and could only watch as Orodan began chopping the ingredients up, gathering them into a pile and then forgoing the steam-powered oven and stove entirely in favor of a pot he held his hand under and heated via Candleflame.
And above all else, he ensured the ingredients, tools and very air in the room were clean throughout the entire process. This made the resultant product of an especially profound purity.
[Cooking 32 ¡ú Cooking 33]
Orodan wasn¡¯t delusional. What the woman said wasn¡¯t incorrect. Vision of Purity had marked these sea dwelling creatures as having excessive vitality relative to everything else, and it had also informed him when he¡¯d slain the attacking jellyfish, that the substance it bore upon its tentacles and venom sac was exceptionally deadly.
Still, this was nothing some alchemical work couldn¡¯t solve.
As Orodan threw the meats, aquatic vegetables and seasoning into the cooking pot, so too did he also work on creating an anti-venom potion meant to bolster the body against such a thing. Not only did the stew cook over Orodan¡¯s Candleflame, but so too did a potion come together in a separate cauldron.
Halfway through the cooking process, Fenton¡¯s mother was more than a little surprised at the smell wafting through the room.
¡°What in the King¡¯s name? That smell is quite delectable Mister Wainwright,¡± she said.
Orodan simply smiled. Of course it was!
He wasn¡¯t blind to the fact that many people would often doubt his cooking initially. He sourced the most weird and exotic ingredients possible, why wouldn¡¯t people be disgusted? Yet, contrary to their beliefs, there was in fact a method to Orodan¡¯s madness.
He didn¡¯t just select ingredients based upon how strange or nasty they were but based upon how much vitality they contained. Harmony of Vitality was a powerful skill. In tandem with Vitality Destruction and his expertise in the soul arts, it wasn¡¯t inaccurate to say that he had an excellent gauge for life and the abundance or lack of it.
It was this affinity for life he relied on when selecting ingredients. Each of the fish Orodan had brought back were loaded with life force, positively exploding with flavor if cooked properly. Even Orodan himself was looking forward to trying a spoon.
Orodan stirred, changed the temperature and often focused on moving singular particles in the stew about so that perfect consistency would be achieved. Standard cooking was nice, but he could take it a step further by ensuring the meat juices soaked into the broth just the right amount, or that the seaweeds and vegetation he¡¯d sourced was cooked to the exact specification.
Twenty minutes of the process later, the stew was finally ready to eat.
[Cooking 33 ¡ú Cooking 35]
Orodan stepped out, and Fenton was still running.
¡°How many times have you had to intervene to motivate the lad?¡± Orodan asked Talricto who was idly twirling a fancy gold watch between his forelegs that he¡¯d certainly pilfered from someplace.
¡°The mere threat of my punishment kept him in line,¡± Talricto declared. ¡°Though, I suppose he has a respectable drive to succeed.¡±
It had been an hour, and the young man was still running at a furious pace. Fenton was an islander and used to hard labor, which he could respect. But Orodan also liked the fact that the lad wasn¡¯t averse to hard work and pushing himself.
¡°Good work Fenton. Come inside, breakfast is served,¡± Orodan announced, and Fenton fell to a knee, dry heaving and nearly passing out. Orodan¡¯s hand steadied the lad¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Focus and get a hold of yourself. An enemy won¡¯t take it any easier when you¡¯re tired. Getting ambushed when exhausted can be fatal too, can¡¯t let your guard down.¡±
¡°Aye, aye Mister Orodan¡ just need a moment to stop meself hurlin¡¯ up last night¡¯s dinner,¡± Fenton said, slowly catching his breath. ¡°You mentioned breakfast?¡±
¡°I did. You¡¯ve worked hard all night, learning Engineering concepts and Blacksmithing techniques, and then you¡¯ve worked hard all morning engaging in physical training. It¡¯s time to eat up and recover.¡±
Fenton looked excited for a moment and then his face soured.
¡°Did you cook that Shadewater Jellyfish ser?¡±
¡°I did! Come, time to eat,¡± Orodan said, practically dragging the boy to the table where his mother was seated.
Fenton¡¯s doubts were forgotten the moment the lad smelt the aroma wafting through the home.
¡°Bloody ¡®ell¡ what¡¯s that smell? Me mouth¡¯s waterin¡¯ like a leaky faucet!¡±
¡°Language, Fen!¡±
¡°Er¡ sorry mum.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the smell of good food, Fenton. Sit down, but before you dig in drink this potion. That goes for you too,¡± Orodan said, sweeping his gaze over both Fanny and Fenton. ¡°An anti-venom potion.¡±
¡°A-anti-venom?¡± Fanny asked, more than a little worried.
¡°It¡¯s an Elite-level potion, it¡¯ll do its job just fine. I¡¯ve done the additional legwork of tailoring the potion to your constitutions specifically,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Now drink up and dig in.¡±
Orodan himself took a scoop of the sizzling stew and sipped it.
[Gourmand 16 ¡ú Gourmand 18]
The venom combined with the natural juices and abundant vitality of the various species to create a truly rich taste. The aquatic vegetation he¡¯d sourced from the sea floor also paired well with the meat and the flavor in the broth. The two levels in Gourmand had Orodan feeling just a slight bit smarter, stronger and faster too, as though he became just a tad better overall.
¡°This tastes quite good, you¡¯ve really outdone yourself with this one, Orodan.¡±
A while ago he¡¯d performed some subtle manipulations which allowed Zaessythra to experience the outside world through his senses, and taste was one of them. It made him glad to know she could enjoy things even while sequestered away.
Good food was an experience which added to one¡¯s ledger of life. The taste and memory of it made Orodan feel better both spiritually and physically.
Unlike Orodan who could simply ignore such paltry Elite-level venom, Fenton and Fanny possessed constitutions which were more delicate. They drank the potions and only then supped the meal.
Fenton¡¯s eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head, so overwhelming was the good taste that the lad had to put out an arm to catch himself on the table lest he fall over. Fanny Penny fared no better either, with the woman¡¯s face turning pale and then red as her mind was nearly overwhelmed.
Vision of Purity could see how the vitality practically roiled off of the food; the nutrients incredibly dense and the energy going from food to body. Ordinarily, without supporting skills for recovery, the regimen Orodan had put the boy through could be considered dangerous overtraining, with this meal though¡ the replenishing nature of it filled the cracks and helped Fenton¡¯s body recover even stronger than it was before.
A few more months of this course and the lad¡¯s lanky frame would put on some muscle. All part of the plan of course.
Of course, there was one more chair at the table.
¡°Well? I didn¡¯t cook enough for four just so you could sit on the sidelines and rub your little forelegs together,¡± Orodan said, glancing at the door to the house. ¡°Come, dine with us.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ I suppose this fare doesn¡¯t smell entirely unpalatable. It had best be good, or else you¡¯ll be receiving many thrashings over the next few days,¡± Talricto said, clambering onto a chair in a most dignified manner. ¡°Seafood? Not bad¡ though it could do without the greenery.¡±
How was it Orodan¡¯s fault that Talricto¡¯s species were carnivorous? Making a diverse inter-species meal while making it taste good was trickier than expected.
¡°Just don¡¯t eat the greens then¡¡± Orodan muttered in a resigned tone. ¡°Perhaps I should have them on the side next time.¡±
The dimensional phase spider¡¯s forelegs elegantly took hold of a spoon, and Talricto dipped it into the stew. Orodan chose not to dwell on the ridiculous notion of a spider knowing how to use utensils meant for humanoid creatures.
Orodan¡¯s slight bit of concern was unnecessary as the spider simply chowed the stew down without any issues. The venom was merely at the Elite-level and Talricto was well beyond that. Talricto¡¯s body, while woefully weak and fragile by Orodan¡¯s standards, was more than strong enough to handle such a thing. Plus, many of the things the dimensional phase spider ate were naturally toxic or venomous, and his species¡¯ biology was better suited to eating them than a human might be.
The first spoonful hit the spider¡¯s mouth¡
¡and Talricto froze.
Orodan grinned. Cooking a good meal and watching others enjoy it was always satisfying.
¡°T-this¡!¡± Talricto stuttered in a rare and uncharacteristic move.
¡°¡it¡¯s delicious!¡± Fenton declared, practically drinking from the bowl.
¡°Manners Fen!¡± Fanny chided, but she too was hastily shovelling the spoon into her mouth.
Orodan joined them, enjoying a nice meal around the table. Before his eyes he could see Fenton¡¯s almost dangerously depleted state reversing and Fanny¡¯s body recovering her old strength. Hells, even Talricto appeared to be positively humming with energy.
It wasn¡¯t that his Cooking was anything special, Orodan was but an Apprentice-level cook after all. The real difference maker was his ability to remove all the impurities in the ingredients, much like he did during alchemy. This had the effect of making everything dramatically more potent, the energy within the food more effective and the nutrients more easily absorbed by the body.
¡°Good Gods Mister Wainwright¡ I half suspect you¡¯ve drugged us!¡± Fenton¡¯s mother not-so-jokingly accused. ¡°How can a bowl of stew taste so¡ sublime? It¡¯s as though the years I¡¯ve put on have vanished and I¡¯m a touch younger than I remember being.¡±
¡°Nothing so nefarious,¡± Orodan assuaged. ¡°Just some hearty foodstuffs and taking care to ensure the ingredients are clean. You¡¯d be surprised what perfect purity can achieve.¡±
And perfect consistency. Orodan had the unfair advantage of an eyesight and abilities which allowed him to move singular particles about through careful manipulation. This allowed for a sort of perfect consistency which a regular cook simply couldn¡¯t achieve.
Fenton¡¯s face came out of his bowl, every bit of it licked clean.
¡°Can I have some more ser?¡±
Orodan gestured to the large pot he¡¯d cooked.
¡°I made a lot for a reason.¡±
Partially to ensure the lad got some decent nutrition and to also provide encouragement for the physical training. Though it seemed Orodan needn¡¯t have bothered as Fenton worked hard enough of his own volition.
Following this breakfast Fenton would set off for the fort of Port Bellgrave.
And Orodan?
He had some stealth to engage in.
#
¡°Alright lad, have you gathered your mother and your belongings?¡±
¡°Yes Constable Elridge, I¡¯ve got everythin¡¯ I own right here,¡± Fenton answered.
¡°Rather rough way of speaking you have about you, boy. Sir Clyburn will want to see that amended at some point,¡± the senior watchman who¡¯d poached Fenton in the first place said, having returned to pick him up. ¡°Do you know your letters and numbers at least?¡±
¡°Of course he does ser,¡± Fanny Penny corrected. ¡°I taught him myself.¡±
¡°Hm, you must be Fenton¡¯s mother. He mentioned her being sick, but you seem rather¡ well.¡±
¡°She¡¯s been gettin¡¯ healthier, the medicines are doin¡¯ their work,¡± Fenton chimed in.
They¡¯d decided that it was best to act as though Orodan¡¯s involvement hadn¡¯t occurred at all. The less loose ends he had dangling from his tail, the lower the likelihood of a premature end to the loop as the Prophet or previous looper came for him.
¡°Jolly good. With me then, Rosco help the boy and his mother load their belongings into the carriage will you.¡±
The constable directed Fenton and Fanny towards a cart of black metal. Spacious, and far larger than the typical horse-drawn carriage he had on his own world. There were no animals pulling it either. Much like the other vehicles of the Blackworth Collective, steam ran the machine, and the power of it was impressive.
¡°Step back a moment would you miss? Got to give it a belch before we start the return trip,¡± the coachman said, leaning inside the machine to pull a lever which sent a gout of fiercely hot steam into the air.
From what Orodan had learned from Fenton, civilian steam-powered vehicles, particularly the cheaper sort whose make wasn¡¯t as sturdy, had to often vent steam lest the machine¡¯s internal components suffer damage. Venting or as the people of Lonvoron colloquially called it, ¡®belching¡¯, was a regulated practice, and the expectation was that drivers vent away from any foot traffic lest horrific injuries inflicted by magically superheated steam occur.
By design, most of these machines vented the steam upwards via sky-facing pipe; even if a person were standing right next to the machine it wouldn¡¯t harm them. Of course, the magically amplified steam was fiercely hot and could still make the atmosphere near the cart quite intolerable.
With a hiss, the cart vented and was ready for the return trip.
¡°Never been in a steam carriage before¡ only ever took the train a long time ago,¡± Fenton said.
¡°Well, you¡¯re in for a treat lad, you¡¯ll be dealing with more steam than I can fit in the tank of this thing. Sir Clyburn¡¯s always working on something or the other, and he needs hands aplenty to aid in his tinkering,¡± the watchman said. ¡°Never quite understood you spectacled sorts who have the gumption to work with metal and steam, but your work¡¯s appreciated all the same.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mister Eldridge,¡± Fenton said and then looked at Orodan.
In response, he gave the boy a nod, signalling that he would be fine.
¡°What¡¯s caught your eye, boy? Nothing out there but mud which you¡¯ll be leaving behind! Get some cheer in you, no more of this shanty heap and that greasy fat man for you.¡±
And a man with a rag over his head, but the constable under the effect of Incipience of Infinity couldn¡¯t recognize that.
¡°A-ah¡ nothing ser, just gatherin¡¯ my thoughts ¡®fore we depart is all.¡±
The migrating young man and his mother were soon driven away in that black cart. Talricto had gone off somewhere to amuse himself, which likely meant stealing more things the spider found shiny or interesting. This left just Orodan.
The perfect opportunity for stealth.
He began following them, hopping from shrub to shrub, and hiding behind trees as he neared the island¡¯s port town proper. Even without Incipience of Infinity, avoiding regular guard patrols wasn¡¯t too difficult and it was good training for his Stealth. Nearer to the gates, guards were engaged in conversation and failed to notice him as he carefully kept to the shadows.
¡°So bloody tired¡ sergeant forced me onto a double shift again today! When¡¯s the mobilization against the plague going to end? Tired of remaining understaffed.¡±
¡°Quit your bellyachin¡¯, you only got mandated twice; this is my fifth one in a row. Might get worse too, was picking up a new bandolier today and heard some quill-pushers at the fort say Lady Luetta¡¯s having the fits. Big things happening voidside and it¡¯s got the higher-ups nervous.¡±
¡°Voidside? Who¡¯s got time to care about what¡¯s happening on the other worlds? I just want these damned double shifts to end!¡±
¡°Good luck with that. Heard a private saying fat Clemmings didn¡¯t come by town to pick up his shipments, which is quite unlike him. Only time that greasy git misses his shipments is if he¡¯s puttin¡¯ down a revolt at the mines. Means we might get sent out if the constabulary asks us to lend a hand.¡±
It seemed the battle and subsequent entry of both himself and the fractured Living Crystal unto this galaxy had caused a stir. As had the disappearance of Elwin Clemmings, who the mine workers had really not liked. Maintaining Incipience of Infinity across such a distance upon the constabulary was delicate work, and Orodan suspected the bounds of this island were the current limits of his reach. But as the skill had already proven, those affected by it were keen on ignoring and even sweeping under the rug any discrepancies caused by Orodan.
Though, this selective blindness didn¡¯t extend to those not actively under the skill¡¯s effects. In other words, while Orodan didn¡¯t know when the fort¡¯s military forces would go badgering the constabulary about Elwin Clemmings¡¯ disappearance, it would happen at some point no doubt.
With a burst of speed, he moved to another segment of cover, using the trees, shrubs and rocks dotting the approach to the walls as concealment. His clandestine forays against Eversong Plaza had taught him much about stealth. Just like there, the regular guards weren¡¯t the issue, not initially. It was the eagle-eyed sentries atop the tall towers behind the walls. These men and women of Port Bellgrave¡¯s military had skills for surveillance and sharp sight.
With large and almost oversized rifles, they were designated sharpshooters, specialized in seeking and destroying high-value targets with their keen eyes and powerful rifles.
Yes, he could have just used Incipience of Infinity, but that would have been cheap and a missed opportunity for good training.
Distractions could be of either the suspicious or non-suspicious sort.
A rock would have been too suspicious. Guards weren¡¯t stupid automatons who would fall for such tricks, and he¡¯d tried that a few times at Eversong Plaza until realizing it was a no-go. If a rock was hurled at someone, any reasonable mind would ask where it had come from, which in turn would raise suspicions.
And while the guards of Port Bellgrave didn¡¯t seem anywhere near as tense as those at Eversong, it was still poor practice to rely on a shoddy trick. Instead, better to use something they wouldn¡¯t suspect.
A nearby bird landed upon a tree branch near him.
Orodan looked at the bird.
The bird looked at Orodan.
¡°Come on, I know you need to do it, the calling is within you already.¡±
He knew what this bird wanted to do. Yet, it was a matter of directing it towards Orodan¡¯s aims.
¡°Come, handle your business here.¡±
[Commandment of War 35 ¡ú Commandment of War 36]
His latest Legendary skill had the ability to summon things. Whether that be summoning an attack to hit him more thoroughly or calling upon the aggression someone already had towards him and making them attack.
Similarly, this bird already had something on its mind. Orodan merely ordered this desire out and guided it towards his aims as the avian flew over¡
¡and relieved itself above his outstretched hand.
¡°Good bird.¡±
It squawked in bewilderment and flew away.
Excellent. With this, the target guard¡¯s suspicion wouldn¡¯t be as aroused. He swiftly mixed the excrement with some mud from the ground to form a projectile that wouldn¡¯t fall apart mid-flight, and hurled it a hundred metres out, making sure to time it with the proximity of a bird near the tower.
There were three sharpshooters manning three separate towers, and Orodan¡¯s thrown dungball sailed through the air in an arc, impacting the hat of the one whose line of sight was most inconvenient to his entry.
The woman flinched, and then her face scrunched up in disgust as she smelled what she was hit with.
¡°Bugger! Foul birds!¡± she exclaimed and threw her hat off immediately, glaring at the nearby pigeons which happened to be passing overhead. ¡°Ought to roast you feathery fiends in my pot tonight!¡±
She was momentarily distracted and Orodan used the opportunity to swiftly dash up to the walls and clamber up. Not difficult when they were low and sloped, meant more for stopping enemy artillery and gunfire than surprise storming and scaling by infantry.
[Stealth 27 ¡ú Stealth 28]
There were still soldiers on the wall though, and Orodan had to hide behind a tall stack of crates to avoid being spotted by one who was nearing his position.
In a flash of quick thinking, just as the soldier neared him and the stack of heavy crates, he tipped the pile over and onto the man.
¡°Oof!¡±
The man would live, albeit face some bruises. His compatriots were rushing over to help already, but the incident would merely be seen as the wind tipping the boxes over, an unfortunate accident. Orodan though quickly jumped off the walls and onto the port town side, crouching down in the bushes.
Success. He had made it into the port town without setting off any alarms or causing any ruckus traceable to him.
He had beaten Fenton¡¯s mechanical carriage too. He thus slipped into a nearby alleyway and bided his time until they arrived. Traversing the rooftops of the port town was a no-go as the sharpshooters manning the towers would easily spot him. In any case, Vision of Purity let him see through things, so it wasn¡¯t a concern.
The streets of the port town were lively, with merchants, middle-class denizens and other well-off individuals and their families walking the streets. In the distance, at the actual port itself, merchant ships and the occasional military one came and went, typically picking up the fruits of Port Bellgrave¡¯s labors or bringing supplies into the island.
Yet Orodan ignored all these. Once the carriage arrived, Orodan made note of where the residence was and after making sure Fenton and his mother were settled into their new lodgings, passed through the alleyways of port town and exited on the fort side, making for his actual destination.
Approximately half a mile out, patrolling the skies above the fortification were steam-powered birds. Orodan could sense the tether of mana linking these aerial scouts to a man deeper inside the fort. Their presence would certainly make any clandestine approach a more perilous task.
Still, they weren¡¯t infallible. And Orodan had more than one way of skirting their perception.
He threw a rock along the ground, out in the open, and as he did so he used Vision of Purity to pay close attention to the mana tethers linking mechanical scout and controller.
[Vision of Purity 73 ¡ú Vision of Purity 74]
Oddly enough, there was no fluctuation in the tether at all. Orodan focused, homing his vision in on a particular bird. His reflexes and sight were more than enough that it flew through the air in slow motion to his senses.
They were enchanted automatons, much like the steam knights he¡¯d fought last time; that much was evident. Yet unlike the steam knights which had some level of rudimentary decision-making capacity, these birds were far more limited and the enchantments upon them far less detailed.
Understandable given their small size, enchanting something so complicated onto a tiny thing was a difficult task even under the best of circumstances. Though it did have Orodan wondering if he too could make automatons¡ perhaps an enchanted cart?
In any case, the mechanical birds seemed more like the scrying orbs of his home world than independent sentries. Alastaia had beast tamers, and if he was facing a fort which had living aerial scouts the prospect of stealthy entry would¡¯ve been seriously difficult. With these though, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.
Orodan neared the treeline at the roadside and pushed a tree over, blocking the road. He quickly slipped back into the brush right after.
This time, the mana tether did slightly fluctuate, suddenly empowering, but only for a singular bird whose view was best suited to capturing the incident. It seemed these birds were being monitored by one individual who could spectate through the view of one at a time.
He crawled through the underbrush, a travel method where the metal birds were unable to see him, getting as close to the walls as possible.
Nearer to the walls, Orodan saw a decently large rock formation and began rolling loose boulders off of it. Predictably, the birds activated as whoever was monitoring them watched the incident unfold. Amidst the current stormy weather, it wasn¡¯t suspicious for boulders and rocks to become dislodged. Furthermore, it told Orodan that the machines had some way of alerting the overseer of large acts of motion within their view.
Finally, at a critical point where if he took a further step the sharpshooters on the fort¡¯s high towers would see him, Orodan realized that he needed a distraction yet again.
It was a dark and stormy morning, rain, thunder and lightning seemed to be a constant presence upon Lonvoron. On Alastaia, important structures had enchantments which protected against nature¡¯s wrath, or corps of trained mages who could alter the weather as needed. Lonvoron didn¡¯t have as many mages as his home world did, yet this didn¡¯t mean the people of Lonvoron were ignorant and unprepared for the weather. The fort and even many buildings in port town had giant metallic structures high in the air to facilitate the safe absorption of lightning.
And as Orodan glared at the clouds above, he directed the next incoming lightning strike to hit not the fort¡¯s lightning rod¡ but the canvas sheltering nearby soldiers atop the wall as they stood guard.
[Commandment of War 36 ¡ú Commandment of War 37]
A deafening boom occurred as Orodan commanded the roiling fury of the sky to strike the cloth sheltering the soldiers¡¯ heads from the rain. The troops cried out in shock, some even flung to the ground. With iron tight will, he forced it to strike in such a way that the soldiers were unharmed, if dazed.
¡°Thunder!¡±
¡°Those arrogant top hats need to fix the bloody lightning rod!¡±
¡°Tarp¡¯s on fire! Fetch a pail! Call a water mage!¡±
Most importantly, a nearby mechanical bird activated, and the distraction was enough that the sharpshooters upon the tower were looking in that direction¡
¡which allowed Orodan to scale the wall unobserved from another side.
[Stealth 28 ¡ú Stealth 29]
He got up top and swiftly leapt from the walls to the roof of the fort¡¯s keep, and ducked behind the stone crenelations at the top, hidden from the sight of the sharpshooters. The keep was where all the ranking military officers of Port Bellgrave held command, and atop the roof was a spindly tower, meant to send out the alarm to the other military installations of the Ironhaven Isles.
Scaling it to manually disable the tower would have led to him being easily spotted by the hawk-eyed riflemen atop the sentry towers, but that wasn¡¯t necessary as a preliminary examination told Orodan that the tower was an enchanted device.
The perfect target for sabotage when one¡¯s Enchanting skill was at the Elite-level.
The inscriptions weren¡¯t anything special; just basic functions for sending out the alarm to the other islands and one which would automatically sound the alarm if any tampering with the tower was detected. Of course, this safeguard against sabotage was entirely inadequate against his Elite-level Enchanting and a vision skill which let him study the work closely.
Fifteen seconds of work later and the fort¡¯s alarm tower outwardly appeared fine, but Orodan had used freeform Enchanting to add some critical flaws to the enchantment. Now, it wouldn¡¯t sound at all even if activated.
One more target.
He descended the staircase from the fort¡¯s roof down to the command keep. On the way, he hid behind objects, skulked about corners and carefully observed guard patrol patterns to avoid detection. Until at last he made it to the chamber of a man who he¡¯d slain the last time.
The fort commander and supply master of Port Bellgrave. A man who was buying indentured servants for cheap prices and exploiting their blood and labor in treacherous working conditions while pocketing the difference for himself.
He shimmied along the exterior wall, climbing onto the man¡¯s balcony which overlooked the fort grounds and island. It was understandably locked from the inside, but that was fine. After all, who wouldn¡¯t wake up and barge out at the sound of something annoying?
Plenty of birds were flying overhead, and Orodan pulled from his dimensional ring some choice scraps of meat from the morning¡¯s breakfast and began throwing them at the foot of the door leading out to the balcony. The feathery hunters were doubtlessly interested at the prospect of a tasty meal, but still cautious about approaching Orodan. Which was when he used Commandment of War to enflame the hunger and summon it forth.
A chorus of warbles and coos began erupting from the birds as they dove right for the food¡ and consequently, the door.
The birds wrestled and pecked at one another in their attempts to get at the meat, and in the process banged and rapped against the commander¡¯s door frequently.
Two minutes of the commotion were all it took. And furious sleepy footsteps could be heard approaching as the man slammed the door to his balcony open, revolver in hand, still in his sleepwear.
¡°Away with you, feathery miscreants! Can a man not enjoy a moment¡¯s respite in his own bed?¡±
Unfortunately for the fort commander, the birds had been scared away by his arrival.
All that waited for him¡
¡was Orodan Wainwright with a smile upon his face.
#
¡°Can¡¯t believe the commander drank himself senseless and put a slug in his own head. What an utter mess, I¡¯ll never get the sight of it out of my mind¡¡±
¡°You responded to it afterwards, the poor recruits doing bayonet drills in the yard had the fright of their lives when the body hit the ground in front of them. I still don¡¯t understand how that even happened¡ man never used to wake up till late noon on most days.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a cursed day¡ first the lightning rod doesn¡¯t work, and I nearly have my scalp cooked by the wrath of the Gods, and then the commander gets drunk and takes a tumble off the balcony after shooting himself? Captain Westerlin¡¯s next in the chain of command, but by the sea is she an uptight one. Plays by the book she does¡ already ordering an investigation and putting the fort on lockdown.¡±
¡°Surprised that boy from scrap town¡¯s been allowed in despite that. Sir Clyburn¡¯s work must be some mighty important business to contravene the Captain¡¯s lockdown.¡±
¡°Of course it does. One of the tavern girls down by the port said a sailor she¡¯s sweet with told her Sir Clyburn¡¯s secretly working for the King himself!¡±
¡°Not so secret if a bloody tavern wench is saying it. You could do with less of the cheap ale and spinster¡¯s tales they serve down there. Don¡¯t you have a girl you fancy yourself?¡±
The two guards continued bickering about the state of the island, the plague and how one of them was looking forward to surprising his paramour with fresh fruit for their outing tomorrow.
Orodan tuned them out and kept a close eye on the fort from his position deep inside a stack of hay. He neither needed to breathe nor eat, and Vision of Purity and his acute senses allowed him to see through things and hear what was going on around him and in the entirety of the fort. It was a good spot to hide, and he¡¯d meticulously smoothed the bale out so that his entry into it wasn¡¯t apparent.
The fort was in uproar after the body of the former commander was discovered. Needless to say, the aforementioned Captain Westerlin who took command last time, had been recalled to the fort and everything on Port Bellgrave was on emergency lockdown, with no ships allowed to dock or leave. Once the initial investigation had concluded it was determined that the death was the result of the negligent discharge of a weapon and excessive alcohol consumption.
The lockdown was still ongoing, though some whispered that it was likely to be lifted by tomorrow due to them ruling out foul play.
From Orodan¡¯s perspective, forcing the revolver into the man¡¯s mouth and pulling the trigger hadn¡¯t been difficult, though tossing alcohol down the throat of a corpse had been. Merely planting a bottle wouldn¡¯t have been enough, even on Alastaia corpses of the deceased were examined by healers and any substances in use then identified.
In any case, the fort commander was dead, Port Bellgrave would be returning to regular function, and the new commander would more than likely be cleaning house and ensuring the mining operation conducted itself lawfully. The disappearance of Elwin Clemmings would doubtlessly be noticed and that might prompt another wave of investigations tying foul play to the commander¡¯s death, but all these things would take time and Orodan would gradually confront them as they arose.
For now, Fenton¡¯s first meeting with his new employer was approaching, and Orodan silently stalked out of the hay bale he was in, making his way about the fort towards the west tower where all the engineers resided and conducted their daily work and experimentation. Only problem was, the path from the grain house where he was, to the west tower, was full of soldiers.
But that was also within expectations, and he¡¯d watched the patrol routes and patterns of the people within the fort for long enough now that he knew what to do.
He walked up to a nearby open-air workshop where workers were sorting and putting cogs and gears into separate carts for further assembly and use in standardized manufacturing. His hands wrapped around the arms of a nearby large cart laden with all manner of precision parts and advanced components.
¡°Take that one to the engineers and make it quick!¡± an overworked and stressed foreman barked, not even bothering to look up.
¡°Aye, on it,¡± Orodan replied, quickly pushing the cart away.
He had a black overcoat draped over his usual outfit so that he wouldn¡¯t stand out too much from a distance, but anyone who looked closely would notice his standard tunic on underneath alongside his weapons.
Still, having observed the patrol patterns and people for long enough, he knew now was an opportune time to move forth. He brought the cart to the base of the tower and quickly slipped inside carrying two large cogs nearly the size of his body which obscured his clothes, face and weapons from the soldiers standing guard at the entrance.
¡°Those blasted cogs are heavy as a horse, lifting two are you? What level¡¯s your Physical Fitness?¡± the guard idly asked as Orodan approached.
¡°Level 95,¡± Orodan answered.
¡°Hahah! Sure, sure. No need to pull my leg,¡± the soldier said with a laugh, clapping Orodan on the shoulder as he entered the building.
Inside, the first floor of the tower was full of various assistants and laborers running around in a mad scramble, and in the center, a haggard looking man wearing a top hat and monocle. Soot and grease covered his clothes, and he looked about done with it all.
¡°Damn it, damn it! We need more power in this mana battery Eliezer! How can the enchanters be expected to complete their work in a timely manner if they¡¯re stuck recovering power in-between sessions?! Get some crystals and fill this thing up immediately!¡±
¡°Yes Sir Clyburn!¡± the older engineer, an assistant, replied.
¡°And you, tell Lord Morvale to stop hogging his enchanters for useless projects!¡± the man barked at an enchanter who was sweating over the tall pillar-like object in the center of the room. ¡°We have three months before the next wave of conscription occurs and the pillar must show progress before that.¡±
¡°But sir¡ Lord Morvale won¡¯t speak to anyone and has secluded himself in his tower¡¡±
¡°That treacherous rascal! He would sequester himself away to intentionally sabotage this project all to spite my authority from the crown itself!¡± the lead engineer growled and then turned towards poor Fenton who was just standing there. ¡°And you, boy, make yourself useful and get to making sure the contents of that cart are disseminated to whichever machines they belong.¡±
¡°I uh¡ I don¡¯t know how to do any of that ser,¡± Fenton meekly replied, taken aback by the man¡¯s intensity.
¡°Then learn. We have books and instructional manuals in the floor above. Watch these other fops tinker, and pick up a skill level or two, progress waits for no one boy, least of all the deadlines imposed by the King himself,¡± the lead engineer said.
¡°Yes ser, I¡¯ll get to learnin¡¯ quick I will. I can pick up whatever you need me to Mister Clyburn.¡±
¡°That¡¯s sir Clyburn to you, boy,¡± the man corrected, but with no heat. ¡°Hmm, a base-born, are you? I suppose that makes you all the more teachable at least, unlike half these blue-blooded nitwits whose university credentials aren¡¯t worth wiping my arse with. Eliezer! Make yourself useful and get the whelp up to speed. We have deadlines to meet ladies and gentlemen, deadlines! We can change the war with our work!¡±
The man, who Orodan now surmised was Clyburn Anderthorn, stormed off upstairs to the upper floors of the tower after saying that.
And Fenton only then noticed Orodan looking at him; the boy¡¯s face lit up.
¡°M-mister Orodan? You actually came!¡±
¡°Why would I not? I see your introduction went well.¡±
¡°It did? Felt like I got run over by a bloody train¡¡± Fenton said, looking dejected. ¡°He barely even looked at me and those were the only words he said. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡±
¡°He seemed to treat you better than he did this lot,¡± Orodan said. ¡°Long as you work hard and push yourself, I can¡¯t see you failing.¡±
¡°Y-you think so Mister Orodan?¡± Fenton asked, gaining some hope. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down then ser.¡±
¡°I¡¯d heard you peasants might suffer delusions in the absence of a balanced diet, but to speak to thin air¡? Are you Fenton Penny?¡± the older assistant engineer asked, and Fenton¡¯s attention snapped to him. ¡°Eliezer Brackenshaw, though you may call me sir as I am of nobility from the lowland counties of the mainland. Who are you speaking to?¡±
¡°N-nobody ser, I get nervous and talk to myself sometimes,¡± Fenton said.
Orodan had of course applied Incipience of Infinity to everyone within the tower. His presence was ignored, as though he didn¡¯t exist.
¡°Right¡ well this room¡¯s a mess, so go make yourself useful and sweep it up, will you?¡± Eliezer asked, though it sounded more like a demand.
¡°But ser¡ am I not to learn from you?¡±
¡°Sir Clyburn often gives orders in error, the pace of his work furious and frenetic. An indentured servant cannot work on the engineering of the grand project we strive towards. Now get to work or I shall have to inform the guard about your incompetence.¡±
Orodan decided then and there that he didn¡¯t like this Eliezer Brackenshaw. The arrogant slime reminded him far too much of why he typically hated nobility in the first place.
¡°Worry not Fenton, we¡¯ll learn together, and I¡¯ll teach you,¡± Orodan declared.
If nobody taught Fenton over the coming months, then Orodan himself would.
More importantly though¡ was the pillar-like device in the center of the tower¡¯s first floor. It was tall enough that it went through the roof and Vision of Purity told him that it extended all the way to the very top.
Fenton noticed Orodan¡¯s staring.
¡°Do you know what it is Mister Orodan?¡± he quietly whispered, trying to avoid drawing attention. ¡°They say it¡¯s supposed to end the plague or something¡ but I can already see a few things off about it.¡±
Fenton was a genius, of course the lad could already instinctually notice a thing or two wrong with it. So could Orodan.
In fact, just at a glance, he¡¯d seen this sort of thing before. Not the device itself maybe, but the principles behind it certainly.
This¡
¡was a similar device to what Novar¡¯s Peak had set up for absorbing the power of the Eldritch.
No wonder Clyburn Anderthorn was under the confident belief that this thing could turn the tide of the war against the Eldritch. Yet, the enchantments were a little haphazard, and these peoples¡¯ understanding of the Eldritch was utterly crude at best. The first emperor of Novarria on his home world had the Eldritch-infected crown which doubtlessly aided in his understanding, and he¡¯d also had nineteen-thousand years to prepare his city and the arrays meant to drain Eldritch power.
For the people of Lonvoron to make an inferior attempt at the matter when they didn¡¯t understand the Eldritch as well and had enchanters not as focused upon the matter¡ was only natural.
¡°Aye, I know what it is Fenton. In fact, if this thing is created the right way¡ the people of Lonvoron and the Blackworth Collective might just be able to best the Eldritch on their own,¡± Orodan muttered. Without his help too. ¡°I wonder why this wasn¡¯t made and used on time during my first visit to this place¡¡±
Immediately, Orodan¡¯s mind went to the arrogant Eliezer, and the problems Clyburn Anderthorn had mentioned regarding enchanters. Furthermore, without his interference upon Lonvoron, who knew when and even if Fenton Penny ended up being brought to the fort. The lad had keen eyes, and Orodan had little doubt that this project could be completed, but the presence of arrogant engineers and a lack of good enchanters would doubtlessly stifle that.
Clyburn Anderthorn mentioned a deadline; it was exceedingly unlikely then that Fenton had joined in time enough and learned quickly enough to contribute to this project meaningfully.
Orodan had the time loops, but outside of them people still lived their lives and carried on with their plans. The Collective wasn¡¯t sitting on their rears waiting for a hero to show up; they were actively fighting and dying on the front lines, and they had attempts at research such as this. An anti-Eldritch project ordered by the crown of the Blackworth Collective? There was a good chance that moving down this trail might give him a clue about the previous looper¡¯s identity.
Just who had ordered this project? Perhaps quietly aiding in its completion might lead him further down the trail.
¡°Boy! The mess remains uncleaned!¡±
Well, that could come later. Helping young Fenton Penny came first.
#
¡°You look glum, Fenton. Did you not gain a lot of skill levels today?¡±
¡°I did, and I¡¯m mighty thankful for that Mister Orodan, but it¡¯s just¡ do I really need to keep workin¡¯ here? At least back in the workshop they treated me normal because I was an indentured servant like everyone else around me. But now? Can¡¯t turn around without tripping on some blue blood¡¯s coat tail. They don¡¯t like me, Sir Clyburn stays up on the top floor of the tower tinkerin¡¯ on the pillar, and I wouldn¡¯t have learned nothin¡¯ if you hadn¡¯t been instructing me throughout my work. And no matter how much I do it only makes those prissy well-born fops even angrier.¡±
¡°I merely gave you the theoretical knowledge and some bare bone lessons which can¡¯t be considered a proper education. You¡¯re the one who took my whispers and turned them into something.¡±
Enough so that Eliezer Brackenshaw had gotten quite angry at Fenton¡¯s sudden competence. The lad had gone around the tower fixing things, repairing broken parts and being the best all-round handyman that the west tower had seen in a long while. Orodan simply gave the boy a nudge, the rest was all Fenton.
With perhaps a hand lent when it came to the tedious tasks of cleaning. Fenton was better off devoting his time to actual Engineering and Artificing. Orodan naturally enjoyed Cleaning far too much to allow the boy to do any of it.
In any case, Fenton¡¯s quick study and contributions were unsurprising given how the lad had been working a poorly equipped gunsmithy for a year before Orodan¡¯s arrival. He was used to hard labor and had a knack for fixing, repairing and making things. All he¡¯d needed was proper knowledge and guidance, which Orodan felt he¡¯d have come upon by himself eventually anyhow.
And as Fenton worked, Orodan too had learned; reading through the various manuals on steam machinery, the fundamentals of the substance, enchantments related to it and many facets of engineering that were utterly foreign to him on Alastaia. The biggest takeaway from all that was a greatly expanded understanding of how he might repair the ancient machine beneath Mount Castarian.
Steam, the heating of it and its transfer via pipes was an excellent concept quite adjacent and transferable to one of his primary goals. It would take time, but Orodan was confident that he would leave Port Bellgrave with a greater understanding of Engineering and Artificing than he¡¯d come in with.
¡°I¡¯m no stranger to the rough life and havin¡¯ a target on my back ser¡ I feel like I¡¯ll catch a bullet if I carry on with this business,¡± Fenton said, expressing worry. ¡°Though, I suppose with you here I feel better about it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s part of why we¡¯re coming here too. I can¡¯t be the only ally you have in here, and I also need someone I can talk to who isn¡¯t likely to run off tattling at the sight of a strange otherworlder.¡±
¡°But¡ the fate reader? They say Luetta Treadway¡¯s a dangerous woman, what will we get workin¡¯ with her?¡±
¡°For you, increased protection and hopefully less bullying. For me, information, resources and guidance on which direction I should go,¡± Orodan said.
Mainly though, an individual he could appear alongside who would shield his existence and not cause the immediate descent of the previous looper via a series of escalating alarms. Stealth had its place, but when it came time to learn, he needed to not raise constant alarms and having someone in a position of power who could vouch for his presence was all but necessary. Fenton was nice, but Orodan appearing as his mysterious benefactor would raise questions and have others suspecting his identity as an otherworlder.
A veteran fate reader who even the previous fort commander had no authority over? A far sturdier cover.
The two guards in front of the north tower didn¡¯t look willing to allow Fenton in though.
¡°No visitors to the north tower. Lady Luetta¡¯s in closed door meditation,¡± the guard said.
¡°Please ser, I¡¯m just tryin¡¯ to have an audience with the lady fate reader.¡±
¡°You heard what I said, now get lost. Who¡¯s the big lug with you? I don¡¯t recognize-¡±
Orodan hadn¡¯t used Incipience of Infinity on the soldier, because he¡¯d already decided to commit to his course with a fist.
The soldier slumped over, knocked out cold, and Orodan quickly entered the north tower, Fenton in tow, as he brought the unconscious body in and laid it down gently.
¡°Bloody hell¡ we¡¯re so dead!¡± Fenton hissed. ¡°How are we going to cover that up?¡±
¡°We can smooth things over later with an apology,¡± Orodan reassured. ¡°Enchanted trinkets and gold have a way of smoothing grievances over.¡±
They walked up the stairs of the north tower. It was an almost entirely empty structure save for two maids who dwelled within, likely serving the fate reader. Both were in the kitchen however, and Orodan and Fenton managed to make it all the way to Luetta¡¯s chamber door.
Orodan was about to open the door when a crisp silver bullet tore through the wooden barrier, caught between his fingers, causing Fenton to yelp in surprise as he ducked down behind the stone wall to the side.
The direct approach it was.
A kick sent the door flying inwards, revealing a middle-aged woman in an excessively frilly dress, folding fan covering her face. She was sat behind a table with a cup of tea in front of her. Immediately, Orodan felt a quick and skillful scan of his fate. Now that he had chosen to be a part of the tapestry, such things were an aspect he would have to deal with, and his Fate Mastery also allowed him to detect anyone reading his.
¡°Not assassins then? Intriguing. And your fate is implying that you shall repair my door too? How pleasant! Rare to meet ruffians with manners nowadays,¡± the woman said, smoke wafting off the barrel of the gun in-built within the fan covering her face. ¡°Lady Luetta Treadway, not at your service. Might I inquire why you¡¯ve brutishly kicked my door down? Even my more daring paramours would not dare treat a lady in the night so. Given that my threads of fate do not abruptly sever upon meeting you two, I can only assume you¡¯ve come to kidnap me?¡±
The woman sounded casual on the surface, but her tone and demeanor were anything but. A pendant on her neck glowed; similar in function but differing in aesthetic from the communications amulets of Alastaia. Before it could send out a pulse of energy calling for aid, Orodan¡¯s Domain of Perfect Cleaning purged it of all energy and enchantments.
Her eyes took on a fierce look.
The fan in her hands whipped out in a slicing motion and a bright wave of orange flame spewed forth.
[Waterstream 22 ¡ú Waterstream 23]
Orodan¡¯s water spell met it in-between, causing the room to fill with steam as Fenton yelped and dove for safety away from the magical duel.
Her fan was thrown up into the air, freeing both her hands for two spherical objects to come forth from her dress.
¡°Grenade!¡± Fenton called out.
The warning was unnecessary. The two projectiles flew for him and Orodan simply clasped them between both of his large hands and allowed the shock of the explosion to dissipate in his palms as the fate reader¡¯s eyes widened at the absurd sight.
¡°What are you?¡± she asked, drawing a revolver from a thigh holster and letting twelve shots crack off.
Orodan ignored all of them as they harmlessly impacted his sturdy form.
¡°I¡¯m all too happy to repair your door as an apology for the entrance, but I need to speak to you.¡±
The woman took a step back in fear and wariness, her hand reaching out to catch the fan she¡¯d thrown up¡ only to look confused as it had yet to come down.
She looked up and gasped.
¡°Damn it Talricto¡ you choose now of all times to show up? You can¡¯t just steal people¡¯s belongings,¡± Orodan chided.
¡°Do not seek to lecture me my struggling student. I see you¡¯ve made a right mess of things here,¡± the dimensional phase spider said, hanging from the ceiling from a loose web, a fan in-between his forelegs that he was aerating himself with. ¡°Besides¡ it¡¯s quite the elegant fan.¡±
¡°I¡¯m in the middle of convincing this woman to help us. Having her possessions stolen by you is doing me no good,¡± Orodan said in a resigned tone.
Truly, this shameless kleptomaniac of a spider couldn¡¯t help but steal things.
¡°Now hold on a moment, why would I help you at all?¡± she asked.
¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It¡¯s because I¡¯m-¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you say it!¡±
-a time looper.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Quite the unbelievable story, I know. Perhaps I should start from the beginning where-¡±
¡°Get out of my tower.¡±
#
Lady Luetta Treadway, the resident fate reader of Port Bellgrave. From what Orodan had heard, she was a former inquisitor of the crown; but currently retired. And she was a veteran pyromancer and fate reader of great renown and skill, to the point where the commanding officer of the fort had no real authority over her.
The woman had many enemies, accrued over her long career fighting Eldritch and purging rebellious elements within the Blackworth Collective. Which meant that her reaction to Orodan¡¯s sudden entry had been quite violent as any reasonable person¡¯s would be. Needless to say, she wasn¡¯t impressed by his entrance and attempt at negotiations.
In the end, it had been Zaessythra whose political acumen and ability to negotiate with difficult people had helped secure the woman¡¯s aid.
Luetta Treadway had already been studying the recent disturbances in the tapestry of fate. More importantly, unlike the fate readers of Alastaia who only had access to the tapestry of their home world, Luetta¡¯s fate reading was at the Grandmaster-level and the Blackworth Collective had numerous devices and the technology to monitor the tapestry for large portions of their galaxy.
In other words, the woman had noticed something was off from the moment Orodan and the fractured remnants of Ur-Vah¡¯sahn had entered the Vystaxium Galaxy. With Zaessythra¡¯s help and some encouragement from Talricto who promised to return her fan, the woman agreed to calm down.
Securing her help from that point on seemed a far more difficult matter¡
¡if not for the presence of Fenton Penny.
As a general practice, Orodan didn¡¯t go around reading peoples¡¯ fates casually. The tapestry of fate was but a canvas of calculations, odds, ends and possibilities. Nothing was truly set in stone and his straightforward manner of living meant he just didn¡¯t bother reading it much.
Luetta, as someone who made a living off of reading fates, had no such compunctions. Upon reading Fenton¡¯s fate, the woman had been utterly shocked at the lad¡¯s raw potential. Orodan himself peered inwards, and with his raw processing power saw many, many years ahead and realized that the possibility for a Celestial-rarity skill was definitely in the young man¡¯s cards.
Orodan had innately felt that was the case, even before parsing Fenton¡¯s fate, but seeing it reflected in the tapestry was further reinforcement of the fact.
Luetta felt that cultivating Fenton¡¯s potential was a goal she could get behind, and after repairing the woman¡¯s door as an apology and Talricto agreeing to help her ¡®source¡¯ certain exotic items, the fate reader had agreed to help Orodan. Further elaboration on the time loops had only cemented the agreement after that.
In short, the cover story she¡¯d provided was that Orodan was an eccentric contact of hers from her military days.
It was a skimpy cover story, but even in retirement the woman had enough military rank and pull that people wouldn¡¯t dare question it if she declared it so.
All in all, the initial entry upon Lonvoron had gone well. Fenton now had a better life, the boy¡¯s mother was cured, Orodan had a cover story and had maintained his clandestine status without drawing the attention of the Prophet or the previous looper. The way in front of him for training upon Lonvoron and making inroads towards his goals over this long loop was clear.
With the day wrapped up, the only thing Orodan had before him was training, and a most irritating dimensional phase spider.
Dimensions the size of needles sallied towards him. His own freeform dimensional manipulations failed to stop them, and at the last moment a roar of command tore free from his lips as Orodan demanded they hit him as uniformly and thoroughly as possible.
[Commandment of War 37 ¡ú 38]
[Dimensional Resistance 22 ¡ú Dimensional Resistance 23]
He hit the ground as Talricto made sure to sweep him off his feet via dimensional force. Something the spider was growing fond of doing to mark Orodan¡¯s losses.
¡°That was good,¡± Orodan said, returning to his feet instantly. ¡°Another!¡±
¡°As many as you wish until I get hungry and demand you cook for me,¡± Talricto said. ¡°Still¡ you would have better success against me if you gave up this notion of stubbornly sticking to Dimensionalism alone and used the elements. The aftershocks of that battle you had against the Living Crystal were felt far and wide.¡±
As he¡¯d learned from Luetta, the Blackworth Collective¡¯s sensory mechanisms had pinged the destructive collision between him and Ur-Vah¡¯sahn as being enough to partially destroy an entire star system. It was a crowning moment, to come far enough that he could force an Embodiment-level being to flee in a battle which could ravage a star system.
Yet, Orodan had no overinflated opinion of his own abilities. The Living Crystal was particularly vulnerable to Incipience of Infinity¡¯s soul gaze due to having countless other minds assimilated into it. The shattering of Ur-Vah¡¯sahn into three parts had made it weaker, and this in tandem with Orodan¡¯s usage of light magic had allowed him to overpower it.
Elemental magic in tandem with his soul energy and melee combat¡ it was a truly frightening combination. Just how strong could Orodan become if he combined his monstrous strength in melee with the boundless energy he could funnel into magic? The answer had shown itself in how he¡¯d beaten an Embodier.
¡°I might have more success against you if I used magic, but mere victory isn¡¯t the goal, bettering myself is. No point to training if I simply batter you with magically empowered might,¡± Orodan explained. ¡°Besides¡ I know not how I¡¯m to reliably repeat that feat. It was a flash of inspiration, but not one I can consistently replicate.¡±
¡°Of course you don¡¯t know how. You¡¯re casting magic like a human when you¡¯re slowly becoming more like me than you are one of your kind.¡±
Orodan quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.
¡°I still have two arms and two legs, so it¡¯ll be a while if you¡¯re hoping I gain eight like you.¡±
Or forever, as Orodan had no intentions of changing his human form. Form-changing shortcuts which abandoned the essence of who he was weren¡¯t his way, and he felt, were the cheap way of a weakling.
¡°Bah! I mean the substance, not the form,¡± Talricto amended.
¡°Explain.¡±
Your whole body is partially dimensional in nature, each cell has a dimensional boundary and this is also what allows you to easily grant your Blessing unto others like myself. Yet, this is also what hinders your attempts to weave elemental magic into your melee stye with perfect synchronicity,¡± Talricto explained. ¡°If what you tell me about your early loops is true, then once upon a time you might have been capable of learning how to weave elements into your brutish style of combat in a simple manner. But now? You shall need to perfect your understanding of the dimensional art to get anywhere.¡±
As one benefit came, another became more difficult to acquire. This was something not exactly quantified by the System but was a reality. On Alastaia, during his fledgling days, he¡¯d learned of elemental tuning, where mages who cast a singular school of magic too often made their bodies elementally attuned towards that element. The spells became better and cheaper, but at the cost of making opposing elements harder to learn.
In acquiring Dimensional Resistance and making his body stronger, Orodan had experienced benefits, but now had to learn how to deal with channelling mana in perfect sync under these conditions. Otherwise, a fireball would merely blow his fist backwards or a lightning bolt might sail ahead of his sword, and it would be no more than two attacks striking instead of one monstrously powerful blow.
It wasn¡¯t that these paths were closed off to him. Rather, he had to truly master Dimensionalism and his very body in order to reach this state of perfect sync reliably. Good thing he had the ideal teacher for it right here.
¡°Punch me,¡± Talricto ordered.
Orodan clenched his fist and threw a light jab, not enough to actually hurt his teacher.
¡°No, do not swing your unsightly fist at me like some common thug. You are using Unarmed Combat Mastery, are you not?¡± Talricto asked, eliciting a confused nod from Orodan. ¡°Use Dimensionalism.¡±
¡°Dimensionalism? That makes no sense¡¡±
¡°It makes perfect sense. Tell me, that strange cleaning skill of yours. How have you trained it?¡±
¡°By cleaning.¡±
¡°Of course, but how have you utilized your cleaning? Did you just sweep dirty floors? Or did you do more than just that?¡±
Orodan thought for a few moments, and then it clicked in his head. He¡¯d certainly used Domain of Perfect Cleaning for more than just cleaning. He now understood what Talricto meant. He had certainly performed other functions via Cleaning, beyond what the skill was meant for.
Then¡
¡was the essence of real training located in using Dimensionalism to somehow punch.
It made no sense whatsoever, yet Orodan tried his best to follow the spirit of the assignment. He relaxed his arm, refusing to move it at all. Instead, the dimensional forces were used to elevate his right arm, and subtle manipulations closed his fingers into something resembling a fist.
Like a puppeteer controlling a marionette on strings, Orodan manipulated his own body into throwing a punch towards Talricto.
[Dimensionalism 73 ¡ú Dimensionalism 74]
The punch was utterly pitiful. And yet¡ the understandings he was forced to gain in Dimensionalism as a result were astounding.
¡°Talricto, this¡!¡±
Orodan was flabbergasted. His mind began spinning.
Titanic enemies were before him, but how could he bridge the gap? Now, no matter the time it took, he had stumbled upon an excellent method of training.
¡°You can bow before me later. For now, I think you understand how performing a skill entirely through the functions of another can be illuminating,¡± the dimensional phase spider said. ¡°Dimensionalism for eating, Dimensionalism for walking and even breathing. Our younglings are trained in such a manner straight from birth and it contributes to their development in the dimensional arts.¡±
¡°Not only that¡ but puppeteering myself via Dimensionalism might even benefit my martial abilities¡¡± Orodan muttered.
What further insights could he acquire if he finally managed to train Dimensionalism to the point where he could throw a punch of regular power with it? What if both his martial might and freeform dimensionalism were synchronized?
What if the elements were woven in?
He wasn¡¯t sure how far he could go, but the possibilities were endless, and he had time on Lonvoron to hone them alongside his other goals.
He recalled Clyburn Anderthorn mentioning that the deadline for the project the man was working on was three months. He would spend at least that long on Port Bellgrave. And engineering aside, he had a student to teach and at least a few more specialists in the fort who he could now somewhat freely approach.
Engineers, steam mages, alchemists and enchanters.
Orodan had much to learn and many paths to tread upon this small island of the Ironhaven Isles alone.