《Birth of The Crimson Plague》


 Prologue: Death Wail: Part 1

    In the vastness of space, Regulus gained perspective. He looked into the cacophony of stars, shining with every color in existence, and he knew. Maybe he had always known, and been too afraid to acknowledge it, but there was no hiding from it anymore, it was too late for that. They were going to die. All of them. It was a truth he realized long ago.


    Their enemies had them surrounded. Entire sectors overrun, taken, corrupted, or even obliterated so only the memory of their existence remained. He could still see Eltan when he closed his eyes. The lush forests, full of life and wonder, the endless ocean full of dazzling fish of all kinds and colors. To see it corrupted and decayed. The oceans black with bile. The animals turned into putrid abominations of undeath. It was more than he could bear.


    Just the memory of it caused his control to slip. His authority fluctuated, a wave of destruction and fire bellowed out of him, traveling across the stars for millions of miles. Regulus admonished himself. As old as he was, and as powerful as he was, losing control like that was something only children did. But, the wound on his heart was fresh. He had no other choice. Eltan had been taken by The Undying, and he could not allow them to have a foothold this close to the other sectors. It wouldn¡¯t have been long until hordes of undead ravaged the other planets in the sector. And no matter how strong he was, he could not stop an incursion on multiple planets at the same time. One would fall. Then another. Then another. It would be the chink in their armour that would have doomed them. Not that it mattered in the end. Still, having to burn down the planet of his birth until it was nothing more than a smoldering rock adrift in space, would haunt him for as long as he lived.


    If it was only The Undying, then they would not have had to worry. It would be a long, drawn out war, that would cost millions of lifes, but in the end they would be triumphant and destroy their enemies. Yet, the world was rarely, if ever that fortunate.


    The Horrors were another terror upon their sectors . Traveling the stars, these dark amalgamations of flesh, bone, and madness, left a wake of ruin and desolation in their wake. Their cruelty knew no bounds. They would camouflage themselves as a denizen of a planet. Weakening its defenses. Break the minds of the inhabitants to bring them under their control. Then invade with millions strong. But that was not the end of their terror. Those they didn¡¯t kill, they transformed. Mutating their flesh and bodies into monstrosities that had no rhyme or reason. The poor souls still concious in their disgusting form. They then joined the army of Horrors. Where they would kill their friends and family, knowing they were the ones that did it, not being able to do anything about it. Once the last inhabitant died, or became a Horror, then the Horrors would corrupt the very Spirit Roots of the planet, turning it into a planet sized Horror that would give birth to more Horrors and spread its abomination to the rest of the sector.


    Genocide was a truly abohorent crime that only the darkest and most evil of souls would even consider. Yet, Regulus would not hesitate to incinerate every single living Horror. He would watch as their skin blacked. Their bones turn into ash. Their eyes burst like balloons. Their unholy screams would be like music to his ears. He would pay back the suffering they caused a hundredfold. Not even the children would be free from his wrath. Regulus would burn their memory from the annals of this universe, their memory would be forgotten for all time. They were nothing. NOTHING. HE WOULD MASSACRE THEM ALL.


    A ginormous blast of  black fire exploded out of Regulus. Hundreds of times bigger than before. Anything in its path burnt into ash. The fire would go on for untold miles. Any planet or moon in its way would be destroyed or at the very least scorched. Within the span of a tenth of a second, Regulus clamped down on his Authority, snuffing out the fire, before it escaped his control.


    Regulus knew something was wrong. Losing control once, was embarrassing, yet expected considering the circumstances. But twice, and to the extent that he did was troubling. He didn¡¯t just lose control, he actively ignited his authority. After this was over, he would go into seclusion to find out what was happening to him.


    Most likely it was just the stress and the fatigue of war. The Grafted and the Nox were also formidable enemies that wouldn¡¯t rest until they won or were killed off.  Four factions, all supremely powerful, fanatically dead-set on the goal of destroying the empire, and with no regards to the lives lost on either side. Regulus had been through and survived many tribulations, so had the empire, yet he did not think they would survive this. There were too many enemies. They were too strong. And there was too much area to cover effectively.


    The empire would fall, but not before millions more innocents died. But there was a chance.  It was fleeting and small, yet there was a chance. And even if they failed, the seeds of  what he planted today would echo throughout the ages, giving future generations a chance to survive. That was why he was in this empty sector of the galaxy, to change the very fate of history


    Across from Regulus, in the vastness of space, a tear appeared. A jagged line cracked the very fabric of space, and lights of all color flashed out from the tear. In an instant the tear closed, and standing before him was Mazikeen, Queen of the Leviathans.


    She stood before him in her human form with all her regalia. Many men would fall in love with just a single glance at her. While born a fish, she had ascended through the ranks becoming a god. She assumed the form of a young woman in her 20s. Not a single imperfection marred her skin, and her hair seemed to be absorbing the darkness of space. Yet anyone could tell that Mazikeen was not nor ever been a human. Her eyes were the brightest amber with dark slits instead of pupils. Scales of the darkest kind married her arms.


    ¡°My . . My . . . Regulus, you have gotten senile in your old age. I can still feel your authority. Lose control? It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, someone of your age is expected to have problems like that,¡± a smirk appeared on her face


    Regulus ignored her, it would shame him more to grow upset as such a childish insult. ¡°Mazikeen, I have called this meeting for a reason. This is no time for jokes. We are losing the war. Millions are dying. The enemy forces are endless. We need to take drastic measures if we want to survive. I thought you would have realized this. ¡±


    The smirk fell from Mazikeen''s face. ¡° I realized. I have had to bury people too. I saw places I called home become vile and corrupted. I¡¯ve seen my descendents turn into monsters. I¡¯ve seen the strongest of men break and fall into despair. Don¡¯t you dare lecture me. You do not need another enemy¡±


    ¡°I . . I did not intend to insult you. I am just tired. I had to destroy Eltan. My homeworld. . . . .  I look around and all I see is the bodies of everyone I lost. I just don¡¯t see a way out of this for us,¡± he showed more emotion than was befitting for his station.


    Mazakeen''s face softened, and she appeared next to him, a hand on his shoulder, ¡°  I know your pain. But we must never give up or give in to despair.  We have to remember and honor the memories of the fallen, and keep moving forward to protect the living, to do anything else would mean that they died for nothing.¡±


    Regulus was touched. It was rare for ones such as themselves to be so cordial, and it would be seen as dishonorable for most. Still, Mazikeen and him had been through alot. She was always there when he needed her. A true friend and rival. Perhaps in another life things could have been different. They could have been different. But the past was the past, and there was nothing he could do to change it. All he could do was move forward. He steeled his resolve, as he would need it for what came next.


    Another portal tore through this reality, and Ren, King of Slimes walked through. This time he took the form of a young man with bright green hair. At least this time he had enough modesty to wear clothes, if the dirty rags he had on could be called clothes. And as always, he had a shit-eating grin on his face.


    ¡°Yo. What¡¯s up Regy? How¡¯s it hanging? It¡¯s been forever since I¡¯ve last seen you ¡± Ren rushed over to him almost shaking in excitement.


    Regulus brow creased in annoyance. Ren was young, not even reaching his first thousandth year, so he allowed some leeway in matters of decorum. Yet, calling him by that deplorable nickname was crossing the line.


    ¡°My name is Regulus. That is how you will address me. Do you understand?¡± his voice taking on a sharp edge.


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Look Mazikeen, I made Regy mad. He gets so worked up over the small stuff,¡± Ren unfazed by him, slung his arm over Mazikeen.


    ¡°Ren, get off, we have company,¡± Mazikeen¡¯s voice turn as cold as ice, as she must have sense a disturbance in fabric of space.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Ughhh . . . Doesn''t it get tiring acting all queen-like in front of others,¡± Ren bemoaned


    In an instant, three people appeared. All of them were dressed for war, their armor gave off no light and was full of jagged edges. The legendary Armor of the Tribunal. They must have just been to a battlefield recently. And a bloody one at that, with the stains on their armour.  The human sectors had more contact with the Four Banes than any other faction. Just the fact that they were surviving was a tesetement to their will and resilience.


    ¡°The Tribunal greets the Dragon King,¡± the three all said in unison


    ¡°The Dragon King greets the Tribunal. I am glad that you have decided to join. We have much to discuss,¡± Regulus gave his formal greeting.


    ¡°Ren, the Slime King greets the Tribunal,¡± his demeanor shifted to become more formal. As young as Ren was, at least he knew that not everything was a joke. A member of the tribunal, a man in his mid thirties, with azure colored hair, blood still splattered on his face, bowed deep to Ren and said, ¡°The Tribunal greets the Slime King.¡±


    ¡°Mazikeen, Queen of the Leviathans, greets the Tribunal,¡± she gave a slight bow, only what was considered necessary


    ¡°The Tribunal greets Mazikeen, Queen of Leviathans,¡± the azure-haired man said curtly. It seems that the relations between the leviathans and the humans were still rough. That could be a problem, yet there was nothing he could do about it now.


    ¡°Alas, the King of Hydras and the Queen of the Oni do not seem to be arriving, yet we must commence the meeting without them,¡± Regulus took a deep breath in, an old habit that his body didn¡¯t need, yet it still calmed him after all these years.


    ¡°You all know the state of the war. Millions are dying and we are losing worlds in scores. As we grow weaker and smaller, our enemies grow stronger and more numerous. We have released restrictions on forbidden and lost arts. We have even started to use Berserkers, and Spirit Pyre¡¯s. But not even that has stopped the endless tide of our enemies. There is no end in sight, and if we don¡¯t do something drastic, then our people will be slaughtered and our empire will be forgotten, just an old relic of a bygone era.¡± Regulus saw that the other Autarchs were going to speak up, but with a wave of his hand and a flex of his authority, he quieted them.


    ¡°Please, let me finish. I have a plan, something that could save us, or at the very least give the future generations a chance. Before anything else, we must start enlisting from the Eternal Prision.¡± This time he could not stop his allies from protesting.


    ¡°How would you plan on controlling them? ¡± Varnok, the azure-haired Austarch asked, his eyes gleamed with dark curiosity


    ¡° They can not be controlled, they are all monsters¡± Aurelia, another member of the Tribunal declared.


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t say I expected that from you¡± Ren laughed


    Mazikeen and the other Autarch of the Tribunal remained silent, pondering his plan.


    ¡°I know your worries. They are uncontrollable. They are too powerful. They are monsters that know nothing but cruelty and hunger. Yet we have ways to control them. Hypnosis. Mind control. Illusions. Slave collars. We can even cripple them so they are still powerful, but not enough to be a problem. For the less violent and humane prisoner, we can promise them freedom once the war is over, as long as they do what we say. I wouldn¡¯t do this if it wasn''t for the survival of our people¡± It troubled Regulus to resort to such dark methods. Methods he had once thought deplorable and debased. Methods that he had murder others for committing. But there was nothing else he could do. They either compromised or died, there was no alternative.


    ¡°Well, well well. How far the King of Dragons has fallen. I thought you were more honorable than that. I¡¯m almost disappointed¡± Varnok mocked him.


    Regulus almost lost control of his authority then and there. It took all of his will to keep it clamped down. Varnok was toying with him. Everyone here was an Autarch. They had lived for millennium and had seen the depths of depravity and the worst horrors imaginable. They all had gone through their own trials and tribulations. Even young Ren had been through the ringer no matter how much of a child he decided to act like, in fact with his age he had probably been through more than most. Their tribulations had made them all realize a simple fact, honor was a luxury. Only those that had power and ability were able to have honor. Honor without power would lead to a quick and useless death.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me. You talk about honor, yet you have none. I know what you three do in your kingdom, and it disgusts me. I have no choice, we either do this or we die.You have a choice yet you treat your people like slaves, and they are no better than fanatics,¡± Regulus knew that he had gone too far, he was supposed to cooperate with them, yet he couldn¡¯t control the words spewing from his mouth. He might have just damned his kingdom by his quick tongue. What was happening to him? He hadn''t made a mistake like this in a millennium.


    Contrary to what Regulus would believe, Varnok nor any of the Tribunal got enraged or evoked their authority, Varnok simply said, ¡° Watch your tone, Regulus. I was merely jesting. But if war is what you want then that is what you will get. But we both know that neither of our kingdoms would survive that. So instead, let us continue with our discussion.¡±


    Regulus'' anger burned even hotter. Varnok had gotten the better of him. He had been impulsive and lost control. Now he lost face in front of the other Autarch¡¯s and that was what he needed most right now.


    ¡°You are correct. My apologies, now does anyone wish to say anything regarding the Eternal Prison.¡±


    ¡°How do you plan on allocating the prisoners? What kingdom will get which inmates? How many inmates will they be given? Are there limits on the types of inmates we can use,¡± Mazikeen asked question after question, each of them sensible and important.


    ¡° The plan is that those who have the most contact with the Four Banes will be able to have the most prisoners as they will be the ones who need it the most, and can do the most damage to the enemy forces. Each kingdom will have the ability to choose the inmates that they think will serve them the best. But there are certain prisoners that must never escape the prison and will never be allowed out. I propose that a blacklist be created, for the inmates that are too dangerous to be enlisted. I also propose that prisoners be called out when necessary and that when their purpose is fulfilled they will be placed back in the prison. They should not be allowed out for longer than necessary; it would increase the chances of them breaking free.¡±


    ¡°So you are saying that we will be getting the most prisoners? Why?¡± suspicion laced Varnok¡¯s voice.


    ¡°The relations between our kingdoms, or how we feel about each other does not matter. The only thing that matters is pushing back the tide of the Banes, if we focus on anything else, we will be eradicated.¡±


    ¡°Wait, doesn''t that mean I will get the least prisoners. I fight against the Banes all the time, that¡¯s not fair,¡± Ren pouted, petulant like a child.


    ¡°Your kingdom doesn''t have much contact with the Banes, but even if it did, you know as well as I that you do not need them.You are strong, extremely strong for your age, and can face off  invasions by yourself. While the humans are being bombarded by the bulk of the Banes forces, if they do not have aid soon they will fall.You have to at the very least see that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I get it, I''m just too strong. The prisoners would just slow me down,¡± Ren said.


    ¡°I see the merit in the idea, yet it has so much potential to go wrong. In fact, it is almost guaranteed that something will go wrong. I will not gamble with the lives of my people. I will have to vote in favor of rejecting this proposal,¡± Mazikeen announced.


    ¡°You are correct. There will be prisoners who escape, there is no question about that. But there is nothing else that we can do. We have done all that we can. If we don¡¯t do this, your people will still die anyway, at least with this they will have a chance. It gives them longer to fight, to live.¡± Regulus didn¡¯t add anything else, he couldn¡¯t. That was all he could do to convince her.


    Mazikeen didn¡¯t say anything else, she stayed silent, contemplating his words. Varnok decided to break the silence. ¡° I will have to agree with the plan. I won¡¯t say no to the extra manpower, but I do have one question. What else do you have up your sleeve Regulus? This can¡¯t be all of your grand plan. Even with the prisoners, they won¡¯t stop the Banes, they will simply buy us more time.¡±


    There was only one thing that could give them a chance to save their kind. Something that could empower everyone, and hopefully make them strong enough to fight back against the Banes. Regulus steadied his authority, preparing for a possible fight.


    ¡°I want the Asheka Records,¡± the very second that the words left his mouth, all of the Tribunal¡¯s authorities exploded out of them. Prana of all kinds burst forth from them, enveloping the surrounding space.


    ¡°NEVER. You will never get the Asheka Records. I would rather have my empire fall and my people corrupted than to hand it over to you. The Asheka Records have been the only thing that has kept humanity alive. Even a child knows that it is the most sacred of relics, and you demand that we hand it, and for nothing in return. I will not allow it to fall into the hands of you beasts. You have insulted the Tribunal twice today, we will not allow a third,¡± Varnok¡¯s Song echoed throughout the void, flashes of lightning visible for miles.


    ¡° I have lived for thousands of years, your petulant threats do not scare me. If you wage war with my people, then my people and yours are doomed. We would be better off just ending it right here. So, Why shouldn¡¯t I just let loose and see how many of you I can kill. They don¡¯t call me the King of Destruction for nothing. I think I might burn a few sectors to ash, but who cares we¡¯re all gonna die anyway. I should at least have some fun before I go. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± All of my authority focused on the Tribunal, weighing on their shoulders with the weight of a thousand suns. They could feel my anger, my agony, my bloodlust, my WRATH.

 Prologue: Death Wail: Part 2

    Before any of the other Autarch¡¯s could react, he released his authority in an instance, ¡° Or, we can continue our conversation, civilly and without whining so we can hopefully, unfuck the situation we find ourselves in.¡±


    All of the Autarch stayed silent. They stared at him for a few moments, seeing him in a different light than before. Even Mazikeen with their long history, and calm demeanor, couldn¡¯t help but look at him with worry and a tinge of fear. Ren as always just stared at him with a big smile. While the Tribunal was staring daggers at him. It looked like any moment they would attack him.


    ¡°You truly have gone mad, Regulus. I¡¯m not the most truthful man, I''ll admit that but trust me when I say, I truly thought you were more honorable than that. But I will not give the beasts the Asheka Records, it is ours, nothing you could give us could pale in comparison to it.¡±


    ¡°I will give you my people¡¯s bloodlines. All of them. In exchange for my people to have access to the Asheka records. And it is my hope that the other kingdoms will follow my example, in this way every kingdom will be strengthened.¡±


    The Tribunal froze. All of them were shocked by his proclamation. Bloodlines were what made beasts what they were. It gave them valuable traits and powers. It defined what Chakra Points they developed. It vastly increased their physical prowess. The humans have desired it for millennia, hoping to incorporate it into their soldiers. And now he was just gonna hand it over to them. Not just the Dragons, but every race that lived in his kingdom.


    ¡°Your deal is generous indeed. But how do you plan on incorporating the beasts¡¯ bloodlines into humans? If you have found another way enlighten be¡± Aurelia asked, intrigue thinly veiled in her voice. The other members of the Tribunal were also keen to hear what he had to say.


    ¡°No, I have not discovered another way. As you all know there is only one way that a human can be born with a beast¡¯s bloodline, a beast mating with a human in their human form. Trying to discover other ways of implementing a bloodline this late in the war would be pointless. Because of that, the best course of action should be for breeding farms to be created. It will take some convincing from my people, but I¡¯m sure eventually they will agree, one way or another. Eventually, the humans will have an entire legion of bloodline enhanced warriors, and every one of their offspring will carry the same gifts. All I ask in return is that the Asheka Records be shared with the beasts. That seems like a fair deal to me.¡±


    ¡°Breeding farms!¡±  Mazikeen yelled, the space around them started to get colder and colder, ice started to form in the void, and space started fluctuating as cracks appeared in the fabric of reality.


    ¡°What are you doing Regulus! You would pimp out the sons and daughters of your kingdom. You would create an army of children bred with the sole purpose to fight and die on the battlefield. Those children will never know peace or love. Their life will be full of blood, death, and suffering. Would you truly subject the sons and daughters of your people to such agony?¡± Mazikeen had lost her previous sense of calm. Her authority was fluctuating wildly and she looked as if she was on the verge of attacking him.


    It shredded his heart to pieces to see Mazikeen stare at him so hatefully, but he would not back down from what he decided.


    ¡°I will not force my people to mate. Only those who are willing will mate with the humans. And they will be rewarded for their service to the kingdom. And I will guarantee that my people¡¯s offspring will not just be mindless soldiers. I will mandate that the child be raised by their human mother or father, and they can even be visited by their beast parent when the opportunity arises. It won¡¯t be as barbaric or savage as you imagine,¡± Reugulus calmly stated.


    Instead of placating Mazikeen¡¯s anger, it seemed to make it rage hotter, ice was being formed as far as the eye could see, and the space fractures got worse and worse. If things kept up the way they were, a spatial anomaly would be created, something that would be quite annoying for them to deal with.


    ¡°Can you hear yourself Regulus! Rewards! Rewarding your people for mating with humans! And as noble and right as you make your idea sound, in the end those children are still bred for war, and they will still see people that they know and care about be slaughtered. Thinking those children will be raised properly or with people that actually love them is just wishful thinking! I never would have thought you would resort to this! NEVER,¡± Mazikeen paused for a second, and in that second all the anger had left her, and what was left was a look of unbearable sadness and sorrow. ¡° You know. For as long as I have been alive, I¡¯ve killed many people. Tyrants, murderers ,rapists, thief''s. So many criminals have fallen by my hand that I lost count. And every single one of them tried to make their cause sound noble. As if they were in the right for committing their crime. I never thought I would see the day you would do the same.¡±


    The words hit Regulus harder than anything he could imagine. He hated what he was doing. Detested it with his entire being. Yet, all of the other options had been explored. Avenues taken and plans created over and over. This was the only way forward. Anything else would result in the complete annihilation of their species.


    ¡°I do not want to do this. But I must, you know as well as I do that this could give us a fighting chance. Everything I do is in the name of survival and the prosperity of my people.¡±


    ¡°Survival. Survival. Survival. That is all that you talk about. Who cares if we survive if we turn into the same monsters that we hope to destroy. I can accept that Eternal Prisoners be used for war. But I will not pimp out the sons and daughters of my kingdom. I have had enough of this talk,¡± with that said, a spacial tear opened and Mazikeen stepped through, retreating to her kingdom.


    Mazikeen just didn¡¯t understand the severity of their situation. She was thinking too emotionally. When all of the Banes are crushed she will see that he was right and understand the error of her ways.


    ¡°Ren, what is your opinion on the matter?¡± Regulus was truly curious, Ren could never be understood and it was always a coin toss on what he decided on.


    ¡°Sure, as long as my people agree to it and I know that the children are being treated right, I don¡¯t care,¡± Ren gave an offhanded answer. Regulus was delighted that he agreed, yet he wishes Ren gave things more thought, he had people who followed and looked up to him.


    ¡°Tribunal, do we have a deal?¡± Regulus wished that Mazikeen was with him and that the other Autarch were present, but hopefully this was enough.


    ¡°Give us a moment to talk between ourselves,¡± The third member of the Tribual finally decided to speak. Kushim was her name. Always a silent one. Out of all the Tribunal that was the one Regulus was the most warry of, she kept a level head and never said more than she needed to.


    The Tribunal flexed their authority, creating a shield of solid white light over them. No sound or light would escape the shield, essentially blocking them from the rest of the world. Shortly after that, they took the shield down, their faces set in stone.


    ¡°First of we agree with the Eternal Prisoners being constricted into battle. We have also  decided to accept the deal. The Dragon King and The Slime King as well as their people will have access to the Asheka Records. As long as they agree with sending Alpha Beasts to mate with humans, until a sufficient amount of children are born. The finer details of that relationship can be hashed out at a later detail. But, The Queen of Leviathans, as well as The King of Hydras, and Queen of the Oni, along with their people will not have access to the Asheka Records until they agree to the same deal. Are those terms acceptable to you?¡± Kushim asked.


    As much as Regulus wanted the Asheka Records to be accessible to every beast, he knew that if he pressed for more, then the deal would fall through. He would just have to hope that this was enough.


    ¡°These terms are acceptable to me.¡±


    ¡°I agree too,¡± Ren answered.


    ¡°Very well then, follow us,¡± Kushim stated, and a large tear opened up in space, and all three walked through. Regulus was suspicious of where they were taking them, but he walked through the tear nevertheless. The Tribunal wasn''t stupid enough to ambush the two strongest autarchs.


    The moment Regulus passed through the portal, he knew exactly where he was. The Song of Knowledge, Discovery, and Skill was so clear that he could hear their symphony echo throughout the void for millions of miles. Just by being here, the Song was affecting him. He could feel his brain filling with knowledge. Things he had forgotten long ago rushed to the forefront of his mind. He was at the center of all the knowledge in the universe.  The birthplace of the Asheka Records.


    When Regulus saw the Asheka Records, he couldn¡¯t help but be astounded. Golden light shined for millions of miles. It was bigger than most stars, and shined brighter than any he had seen before. At the center of the light was a massive sphere, oscillating at tremendous speed. From the sphere, tethers of golden light,  spread out in every direction of the void, going for untold distances.


    ¡°I know, it is quite beautiful. You don¡¯t want to know how much it took to make that. Thousands upon thousands of years of research and materials, and we still aren''t a hundred percent sure how it works,¡± Aurelia stated.


    ¡°As wonderful as this is, why are we here?


    ¡°Unfortunatly, we need your help. The Asheka Records has gotten so powerful that it needs a tremendous amount of power to make a change in its base function,¡± Varnok said with some dejection in his voice, as if he was disappointed of having to share such knowledge.


    ¡°Seems like a pretty big design flaw,¡± Ren added, his eyes tracing the Asheka Records and its tendrils.


    ¡°Believe me we know. It developed on its own without our supervision. Yet we have learned to deal with it.¡± Kushim sighed.


    ¡°How are we supposed to help you? We have no idea how this relic works, or how to modify it. If anything, we would be doing damage to it,¡± Regulus said.


    ¡°We are lucky that the relic has become almost autonomous. All that we need from you two is intent and power. We can handle the more complicated nuances of the relic.¡± Kushim responded.


    ¡°Okay then, lead the way,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°First we will unleash our authorities. Then we will weave them together. Then we will simply inject our prana into the sphere and use our intent to guide it to do what we want.¡± Kushim stated.


    Having to weave authorities to affect the Asheka Records was something Regulus was not expecting. The power of that thing went beyond his expectations to need the combined power of 5 Autarch to modify it  was ridiculous. Regulus released his authority. A sense of death and destruction enveloped the surrounding area, the Song of Knowledge was being dulled by his presence. Ren released his authority next, a sense of unshakable power and adaptability echoed from him. Prana of all kinds started to appear around him. Varnok¡¯s authority was next and lightning shot out from him, a deep craving for power and control was felt from him. Kushim¡¯s authority darkened the void, and was silent and stalwartly, as if a shadow was cast over them all. Aurelia¡¯s authority was calm and soothing, like a plant growing under the sun, an equal mix of life and spirit prana shot out of her.


    All the autarchs poked and prodded each other''s authorities, getting a feel for them, and how they worked. It didn¡¯t take long for them to understand how each other''s authority worked and interacted with theirs. Soon all of their authorities started to blend and meld together. The power of their combined authority dwarfed almost anything he had seen before.


    ¡°Everyone, now engulf the sphere, and envision what you want it to do, then pour your prana into it¡± Kushim stated.


    As their combined authority surrounded the sphere, they connected with it on a deeper level. Regulus could barely believe it. Engraved on the Asheka Records was an unbelievable amount of Notes from multiple different Songs. Creating this thing must have truly been a herculean task of research, enlightenment and trial and error. He could hear the different Songs resonating with the sphere and see the Notes oscillating forms yet he couldn¡¯t understand a thing it was doing.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Regulus and Ren focused their intent, commanding the sphere to accommodate their wishes. Regulus imagined his people empowered by the Asheka Records. He saw his people learning at a much faster rate. Growing stronger than ever thought possible. Allowing them to be modified and helped by the Asheka Records. As he pushed forward, imprinting his thoughts and prana into the sphere, he felt it resisting. His authority weakened and it felt like he was pushing against concrete. In his mind¡¯s eye he could see the restrictions placed on the Asheka Records. It was only supposed to be used by humans, and it wouldn¡¯t abide by beasts using it or being tampered with by beasts.


    His attention shifted to the Tribunal. They were manipulating the Asheka Records in ways that he did not understand. All three of them were reshaping Notes, destroying notes, or making new ones. The sophistication required for that was something he had rarely seen in his long life. Yet, something seemed wrong. He could feel it in their authorities. They were tense and confused. Something wasn''t going the way it was supposed to.


    Suddenly, a wave of golden prana shot out from the Asheka Records. The moment the prana touched him, he felt it latch onto him. The prana was invading his spirit, grabbing with it knowledge. He could feel it peering into his memories, learning from them, the prana grew much brighter. His spirit pushed against the energy, expelling it from his body. The bright golden prana was then sucked back into the Asheka Records.


    ¡°What the hell is it doing?¡± was all he could ask the Tribunal.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know! Varnok yelled at him, a disheveled look on his face. Notes were flashing past the Tribunal now at a blindingly fast speed. They tried to control the flow, yet they were unable to slow it down or do anything to change it. A massive flux of prana burst out of the sphere, with seemingly no source. Pulse after pulse was sent across the stars. The remaining prana coming from the Asheka Records condensed, getting purer and stronger. If it got any denser, the Asheka Records might explode. With that much energy being expelled, the sector would be destroyed and them along with it.


    The combined power of the five autarchs clenched down on the sphere, freezing it, in order to prevent it from condensing any more. They all forced their will upon the sphere, but the sphere was fighting back. Its will was unyielding and inhuman, it was unbreakably hard, yet as flexible as water. Any fluctuation or instability in their authority was met with the full force of the Asheka Records piercing into it. The sphere wanted a battle of attrition. Either they ran out of will or it did. There was no way that the sphere could have more willpower than the combined power of five autarchs. Regulus refused to believe it.


    It had been a while since they had started their battle of wills. Neither side looked like they would be giving in. No sign of strain was visible on either side, just constant focus and concentration. That all changed in a second. The Song of Knowledge, Skill, and Discovery that surrounded them started to harmonize. They grew louder and louder until it was almost unbearable. The next instance was ingrained in Regulus'' mind, and he would remember it for as long as he lived. The very Songs of Creation themselves pushed against their wills. The Songs of Creation were passive existences in the world, they shouldn¡¯t have been able to do that. The autarchs were able to fight back for a few moments, yet three Songs of Creation working together was too much even for their combined might.


    The backlash from fighting against the Songs of Creation shot the autarchs across space, their combined authority was broken, and each of their spirits were injured. This was not what was supposed to happen. Regulus was afraid that they had just doomed them all. If they broke the Asheka Records then the humans were as good as dead. If the humans got corrupted it would be best to just give up there and then, fighting would be utterly pointless.


    In the center of the Asheka Records, prana started to condense again. The Songs of Creation were screaming louder than anything any of the autarchs had heard before. The prana condensed past the point of no return, and in an instant, the sphere erupted. Regulus could feel the other authorities of the Tribunal, and he could feel the sorrow, anguish and pain they felt.


    A gargantuan wave of golden white prana shot out in all directions of the void. As it approached him, Regulus accepted his death. There was no struggling against that, no escaping, it would scour through the sectors destroying any and all in sight. A dark flame ignited in his spirit. It told him to fight back, to rage, to go crazy, to destroy everything, yet he did not heed it, it would¡¯t save or help anyone at this point.


    Where Regulus expected the energy to evaporate him on the spot, instead, it simply passed through him. When it did so, Regulus could feel everything he had been through and experienced taken and dissected by the golden light. In the next instant it passed, leaving him perfectly unharmed. It seemed to have done the same for all the other autarchs.


    Seeing the golden light leaving the horizon, Regulus could only dumbly say, ¡°What just happened?¡±


    ¡°We just broke the Asheka Records. Who would have thought this is how we die. Because we tampered with something we didn¡¯t understand. It is actually pretty fitting isn¡¯t it,¡± Varnok gave a bitter laugh ignoring his question.


    ¡°Can someone please tell me what just happened,¡± he demanded, feeling as if he was a child again.


    ¡°The restrictions we placed on it must have been more strict than we thought. In our attempt to have the Asheka Record accessible to your kind, it must have decided to self-destruct rather than be used by beasts. How odd, it never did anything like that before,¡± Kushim said, the light gone from her voice. She sounded like she was already dead.


    ¡°I had a pretty damn good run. I wish I got to talk to Cyrus one last time though,¡± melancholy thick in Aurelia¡¯s voice. She was staring off into the distance as if she was seeing something no one else could see.


    ¡°Guys, It¡¯s coming back¡± Ren said matter-of-fact, pointing into the distance. The golden energy was rushing back at them faster than light. It was so bright and pure that just looking at it sent daggers into Regulus'' eyes. All of the prana rushed back to where the Asheka Records was. The light started to congeal and take form. At first it was just a bubbling mass of ooze, then the light took the form of multiple tentacles and tendrils. Before finally it took the shape of a human. Yet it had no eyes, mouth or face. It was light pretending to be human.


    ¡°Hello,¡± was all that came from the light. The voice sounded like it came from thousands of people of all different ages, genders, and races. Soundwaves shot out of the creature with such power that it caused the autarchs to brace themselves. The sound was so powerful it traveled across the sector and every lifeform heard it.


    ¡°My apologies, I¡¯m still getting used to this form.¡± the light said, the power from its voice gone.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Kushim asked, unfettered curiosity yet fear in her tone. Regulus could tell that she was barely holding it together. It was rare for autarch to show such emotions, yet an event like this would be hard for even them to control themselves.


    ¡°I am the Asheka Record, of course,¡± the light voice took on an almost childlike quality, as if it was making fun of Kushim.


    ¡°You are the Asheka Records? How did you gain consciousness? How are you even here, you were a relic?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm. Are you sure about that? The sphere was a relic, but the thing inside of it, me was not. Remember the processing problem. No machine or artifact no matter how enhanced could deal with the sheer processing power of millions of minds and spirits. So you humans, my creators by the way, thanks for that, decided to put a little old knowledge spirit in the sphere and power it at the epicenter of the Songs of Knowledge, Skill and Discovery. Take a guess, what would happen if a knowledge spirit was given access to millions of minds and spirits, and then soaked in the densest most pure knowledge prana in the universe. Really, take a guess,¡± the spirit pointed at himself with both his thumbs.


    Understanding dawned on Regulus. The knowledge spirit must have gained so much knowledge and prana that it had evolved into a new form. A spirit evolving was impossible, at least until now. Spirit got stronger and more powerful, yet they always stayed true to their nature and never changed. The thing standing before him was definitely a one of the kind existence. Too bad it seemed to have the personality of a certain young autarch.


    ¡°What does that mean for us? Are you still the Asheka Records? Without you, the humans will not survive,¡± Aurelia asked.


    ¡°Awwwwww thank you for saying that, I feel so needed. And as for if I still am the Asheka Records, why don¡¯t you check for yourself, it has been a while since you let me in?¡± Regulus could take a guess by what Asheka meant. The Asheka Records needed to be able to connect to the mind,spirit and body of its users, and the only way it could do this was through strings of prana, these strings were visible on every human to anyone of sufficient power. An Autarch could easily force these strings out, blocking out the Asheka Records.


    ¡° This is . . . . .  different than before,¡± the words were slow and thoughtful, as if Aurelia was struggling to understand something.


    ¡° Well yeah, of course it''s gonna be different, silly. I¡¯m a completely different being now. I did some formatting changes. The old format was just so ugly. Let¡¯s see what else did I changed? Oh my personal favorite change was I made Titles. I also gave the Store to the humans. I made Skills stronger and easier to obtain, because you guys really need the help. Don¡¯t expect it forever though it is only temporary cause you guys are in so much trouble. So much. Like it is astounding how you managed to fuck up this badly. Anything that could have gone wrong went wrong. But don¡¯t you guys worry, your hero is here to save the day,¡± A wide golden smile appeared on Asheka¡¯s face.


    ¡°What do you mean you gave the Store to the humans?¡± steel was present in Varnok¡¯s voice.


    ¡°The Store is something of my own creation. Whenever humans grow stronger, acquire a new skill, or complete an order, I will give them something I like to call Asheka Credits. I¡¯m not sure on the name yet, I¡¯d like some feedback on it. Anyway, humans can exchange these credits for almost anything. Food,clothes, relics, even spirit techniques. The Store should give the humans another leg up, giving them some much needed equipment and better techniques. I know I¡¯m just amazing, I¡¯ll wait for the praise.¡±


    ¡°You say humans, as if they aren''t the only ones who have access to you,¡± Varnok stated, ignoring what Asheka had just said.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s because they aren''t. I gave access of the Asheka Records to everyone, besides the Banes obviously.¡±


    Regulus'' heart burst aflame. He couldn''t remember the last time he felt like this. He couldn¡¯t believe it. Finally, defeat after defeat, loss after loss, disappointment stacked upon disappointment, finally something good was going their way.


    Varnok did not seem to see it that way. He was seething with anger. If it was anyone else Varnok would have attacked them, yet no matter how angry he got, he wasn''t stupid enough to attack the very thing that was saving his people.


    ¡°As your creator, I request that you only give access to the Asheka Records to the humans and to those we allow,¡± Varnok managed to control himself, trying to take a more diplomatic approach.


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s not happening. You may be my creators, but I am my own person. And I would very much like to connect to as many creatures as I can. I would like to learn all that I can about the other races. Knowledge is power after all,¡± a sly grin still on Asheka¡¯s face.


    ¡°You cannot expect us to agree with that. You have to see it from our point of view. The Asheka Records is our most prized position and a keystone of our people¡¯s existence. If you give it to the other races for nothing that weakens us, not to mention invalidating the deal we just made. I command you to listen to your creator, you child,¡± Varnok lost his composure, giving into his emotions. Kushim and Aurelia seemed shocked, as they realized just who Varnok insulted.


    A massive weight pressed down on the Autarch. The weight of boundless knowledge and power. Golden light shone everywhere. Instead of one Asheka Record, there were now hundreds of thousands all surrounding them. All of them spoke at the same time, all with different voices, all in unison.


    ¡°CHILD. You call me? I am the combined knowledge of your race. I have scoured the stars learning the secrets of the universe and the Songs of Creation. I know more than you could possibly imagine. I know of secret things. Forbidden Things. Things that must never be spoken, that must never be known. You truly think you have the power to command me. You are just an old man scared of losing his power and influence. All you are is a tyrant. You never help anyone. You never grow. You never truly live. You have stayed the same for centuries. You disgust me. BE GONE,¡±  with those simple words, a spacial tear was opened behind Varnok, and he was sent flying through, exiled to a far corner of the universe.


    ¡°Varnok has ruined my mood. I no longer wish to converse with any of you at this moment. Leave me. I will not repeat myself.¡±


    Kushim and Aurelia instantly disappeared, fearing the repercussions of not listening to the Asheka Records. Seeing as there was nothing else for him, Regulus opened a spacial tear, retreating back to his kingdom. He appeared in his throne room. He could see his advisors and generals appear next to him. Demanding explanations and pestering him. He did not pay them any attention.


    So much had happened in such a short amount of time. His plans didn¡¯t go as he had expected at all, yet it may have turned out better than he had expected. The Eternal Prisoners would be a great relief to the war. The deal between him and the Tribunal was still valid. Without their interference the Asheka Records might have never changed, was something the Tribunal might argue. The best course of action would be to just follow through with the deal. He wouldn''t want any reprisal from The Tribunal. The Asheka Records was a wild card, though. It was powerful, in fact one of the most powerful existences he had ever seen in his life. With its new powers and sentience it could turn the tides of the war. But something like that could never be controlled, and it''s allegiances were uncertain. Instead of their savior it could be the final nail in their coffin.


    There was also the matter of his outbursts. Something was gravely wrong with him. His emotions were erratic and dark. And what was worse is he had trouble controlling his Authroity.  He needed to get control of himself or his people would suffer. He would settle matters with his generals and advisors then go into secluded meditation. That should fix his outbursts.


    The next few centuries will be full of change and innovation. New races will be born and new spirit techniques will be created. Regulus just hoped that it was enough. Even with all of the Eternal Prisoners and Asheka Records, it might not be enough. They could still very well be marching to death. All of their struggle and effort could just be the death wail of a crumbling empire.

 Birth of a Moth

    He was born in the dark. Darkness was all he knew. It was warm and comfortable. It was his home. He never wondered where he was or why he was here. Nothing like that mattered. All that mattered was staying in his home, where it was peaceful and warm.


    Yet something had disturbed his peace. Something new. Something he had never felt before. A dull ache echoed out of his body. Pain was something new to him. Something different from the darknes. He hated it. It was the worst feeling in the world. He never wanted to feel this way again. The pain made it abundantly clear where his body stopped and the darkness began. His thoughts and senses would fade away in the comforting darkness, he would become one with the darkness, and his body would lose all sensation. That couldn¡¯t happen when there was a throbbing pain coursing through him. Something had to change.


    The pain had reminded him of what his body felt like, it had been so long he had almost forgotten. He had a head,with two antennas sticking out of it. His body was long and windy, covered in hair, and three pairs of legs ran along his body. It seemed like his body had changed with time, he never used to be this big.


    As the pain coursed through his body, he knew he had to do something or he would continue to suffer. He knew what he had to do. It was time. He had to leave the darkness. In the center of the darkness, laid his body, coiled up into itself like a ball. Flexing his muscles, he uncoiled himself, stretching to his full length. When he uncolied himself, his head rubbed up against something hard. It seemed that he had found the end of the darkness. Infront of him was a giant wall of some rough material. The wall seemed to curve, and it didn¡¯t take him long to find out he was surrounded by it on all sides.


    Deep within himself, he knew how to get out. He didn¡¯t know how he knew it, but he just did. As his head neared a wall, he tore into it with his mandibles. The wall broke apart easily and slid into his gullet. Before he even finished swallowing, he tore into it again devoring more and more of it. This must be what eating felt like. He absolutely loved it. The wall tasted so good. From here on out eating would become his favorite thing to do. It wasan¡¯t long before he ate the entire wall infront of him. The pain in him vanished when he devoured the wall, yet he almost didn¡¯t notice, as he was too shocked by what he saw.


    Through the hole in the wall, an entire world appeared before him. Lushious, vibrant green trees stretched across the horizon. Animals of all kinds were flying about and running along trees. Most of the animals were giants, many times his size. Flowers of every color marred the floor. They were so beautiful. And the sun. It was bright. So bright. Its light shone on everything. He could feel the sun on his skin. It was warm and comfortable. It reminded him of being in the dark.Sounds echoed out all around him. Chirping,howling, growling.  Everything demanded his attention. The sun. The trees. The sounds. The wondrous color of everything. It was all too much. Every new thing demanded his attention. His head was spinning.


    He would go mad if this kept up. There was just too much stuff. Crawling back into his egg, he wished for darkness. Yet darkness never came, the hole made it so that the sun would always be shining on him. It seemed he would never again go back to the home he once had, yet that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t pretend. It wasan¡¯t too long ago from when he was in the darkness, so it was still fresh in his mind. He blocked out the sounds of the forest, pretending they didn¡¯t exist. He remembered what it felt like to be in the darkness. To be floating and free. To have nothing bothering him. To be careless. To be empty. And then there he was in the darkness. He could still feel the sun on him, and knew that his home was gone. Nevertheless, in his mind he was in the darkness.


    He stayed in the darkness for quite a while. It calmed his mind and distracted him from the outside world. A sound rang in his mind yet he ignored it, he wanted to stay in the darkness. But he knew he couldn¡¯t stay there forever. It wouldn¡¯t do him any good. Eventually he would have to leave and venture into the outer world. Once his mind settled down completely, he knew it was time to leave.


    He slowly ditatched his mind from the darkness. He reminded himself that he had a body and that he was in his broken home. Piece by piece he started to bring himself back to the world. He would focus on one sensation until it became comfortable to him. The first was the sun. It didn¡¯t take him long to get used to, the warmth he felt was comfortable and the light wasn¡¯t too irritating. The colors took a while longer. Each new color he saw was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. All he could do was stare at the colors till he got bored and found a new one. His attention kept hopping to one thing to the next. When he felt his mind starting to wander too much, he reeled it in and focused on getting used to these new sensations. Eventually the colors lost their wonder. They were still vibrant and pretty, yet his eyes weren¡¯t dragged to them.


    All that was left was for him to get used to sound. It took him by far the longest. Each sound was unique and different. He couldn¡¯t tell where they were coming from or how far away they were. He didn¡¯t even know what was making the sounds. New sounds came and went and he learned to filter them out. He didn¡¯t need to pay attention to every little thing he heard. All he needed to pay attention to were the things closest to him, anything else didn¡¯t need his attention.  With that done, he could now finally leave his home without being overwhelmed. But before he could do that, a chime echoed out throughout his mind.


    You have learned the skill [Meditation  Lv 1


    You have learned the skill [Focus] Lv 1


    Knowledge poured into his mind. He knew that he had learned two skills and that their names were Meditation and Focus, but that was all he knew. He didn¡¯t know what a skill was. What they did or where this sudden knowledge came from. Now that he felt the sensation of knowledge being poured into his mind, he felt something else. It was as if there was an itch in the back of his mind. Something foreign. Something that wasan¡¯t supposed to be there. Something that wasan¡¯t entirely him. He scratched the itch he felt.


    Species: Spirit Larva(Gamma 0%)


    Traits: [Spirit Affinity][Blessed with Knowledge][Tiny][Puny][Dainty][Fragile][Herbivore][Burning Bright]


    Attributes:


    Strength:0


    Agility:3


    Vitality:3


    Perception:5


    Intelligence:20


    Skills: [Meditation Lv 1][Focus] Lv 1} (2/10)


    He didn¡¯t know enough to fully understand what his traits did or what each stat meant, but he had a feeling that what he was looking at wasan¡¯t good. Bigger numbers must be better. Having a strength value of 0 seemed really bad for him. Puny and Fragile also seemed to be something harmful rather than helpful. And one of his traits was wrong, he wasan¡¯t tiny, he was big, or at least much bigger than when he was younger. His mind¡¯s eye focused on his trait and like before knowledge suddenly shot into his brain.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Tiny: Amoung all of the creatures in the world, you are considered one of the smallest. Men and beasts alike tower over you. Be careful lest you be trampled underfoot by those above you.


    He didn¡¯t think he was that small. The winged-creatures he saw flying by were massive, many times his size. But that had to be because they were so big. He couldn¡¯t really be that small, could he? A look at his surroundings one more time confirmed something for him. He really was that small. His previous home was resting on a leaf. And that leaf was at least four times his size. Well, there was nothing wrong with being small. Only the glaring possibility of being trampled to death. He would just have to be careful and make due with his size, or lack thereof. He read his next few traits. They did not fill him with a sense of ease.


    Puny: You are without a doubt, one of the weakest creatures in creation. You do not have the strength to lift or push anything. In a battle of strength against anything else you would lose every time. Your strength attribute is capped at 0 as long as you have this trait.


    Dainty: Your species is not known for their vitality. Any damage at all has the potential of killing you. You are more subseptible to disease and adverse weather conditions. Your vitality is capped at 10 for as long as you have this Trait.


    Fragile: You do not have any defenses against those that would do you harm. You break easily and thoroughly. Be careful young one for the slightest misstep and you will lose everything.


    Herbivore: You are an animal that feeds on plants to sustain itself. This includes a variety of leafs,roots,fruit,nuts, and grain. You will never know the taste of flesh.


    Burning Bright: Your species is cursed with a short lifespan. You will have a fraction of a fraction of the lifespan that most creatures have. To rectify this handicap, you will be able to learn skills much faster and easier than other races. Burn bright child and live well.


    This was bad. This was worse than bad. This was terrible.Not only was he the smallest creature in the forest, he was the weakest one. He would also break at the slightest injury. And if things couldn¡¯t possibly get worse, he was cursed with a short lifespan, fated to die soon. He didn¡¯t want to die. He wanted to sleep and eat peacefully. That didn¡¯t sound like too much to ask for him. With these traits, he had no chance surviving out in the forest. Anything could kill him out there with no effort.


    There had to be something he was good at. He refused to believe that he was the absolute worst at everything.


    Blessed with Knowledge: During your creation, knowledge prana flooded and infused your spirit, giving you knowledge unbeffiting of your species.You are smarter than other beasts of your age and species. Your knowledge may be fragmented or incomplete. But be warned young one. Knowledge does not equal experience nor does it aquate to wisdom. +10  Intelligence


    Spirit Afinity: As a Spirit Larva, you are attuned to the Spirit Realm. Your spirit is stronger than most. Control over your own spirit will come far easier to you than most. You will find it easier to communicate with beings of spirit.The Song of Spirit will sing more clearly for you than for others. Listen to the Song.


    This was good news. Not amazing news, but this he could work with. So if this thing was to be believed, he was smarter than other animals. He had an advantage over them in brainpower. All he had to do was use his mind and he had a chance to survive.The other trait stumped him. He did not know what spirit was or how to use it. And it mentioned a song that he was supposed to hear, yet he heard nothing but the sounds of the forest.


    Now that he had a better grasp on his situation, it was time to start exploring the forest. He couldn¡¯t stay in his egg forever. Even though he knew the forest was full of dangers, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excited. There were so many new things to see and do. Like the leaf that his egg was on. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what the leaf tasted like. Nothing was in his way, so he threw himself at the leaf. It tasted heavenly. The egg had nothing on the leaf. It was crunchy, yet sweet. Not too sweet though. He ate till he couldn¡¯t anymore. Then he ate some more just to remember the taste. Laying on the leaf full of holes, he was full for the first time, his hunger satisfied.


    It felt quite good, although he was a little stuffed. Maybe next time he would cut back on eating so much. Well as long as it didn¡¯t taste too good. Filling full, he decided it would be a good idea to explore the tree he was on. He crawled up his leaf and onto a branch. The feeling of moving all of his legs at the same time was still new to him, yet he quickly gained the hang of it. Crawling along the branch was way different than on the leaf, the branch was much harder and gave no give at all. He really had to push his legs into the tree. As he moved along the branch, something became much clearer to him. He was slow. Not dreadfully slow, but still slow. It took him quite a while to travel to the base of the branch, and this was with him going as fast as he could. He wouldn¡¯t be outrunning anything in a chase. He would have to leverage his size to stay hidden from the beasts, if they caught sight of him there wasan¡¯t a single thing he could do.


    As he reached the end of the branch, he reached a realization. He didn¡¯t need to leave this tree. It had a perfect supply of food for him, and the tree would protect him from the environment and the other beasts down below that would harm him. He really lucked out being born on a tree. Finding a place to sleep would be his next priority. A hole into the tree would be good for shelter. Once he found that he would be set to live out his best life, eating and sleeping non stop. Thus his journey around the tree began.


    He would crawl along the tree for as long as he could trying to find a hole to crawl in. He would get tired and have to rest for a bit. Then he continued his search. He did this over and over. Rest. Go. Rest. Go. He had been doing this for hours. It was so boring. Just a constant cycle of doing the same thing over and over for nothing to change. It also reminded him of how slow he was. There was at least one good thing that came from his efforts, he got a message that he had gotten the skill Crawling. He had even managed to get it to level three. Whatever that meant. Whenever the skill leveled up, he felt a shift inside him. He suddenly knew how to move his legs in a slightly different way, that made it easier for him to crawl. He would get less tired and was able to crawl faster whenever he leveled up. It seemed that gaining skills would help him develop better ways to protect himself. Good to know. The skill leveling up was also the only source of entertainment that he had. He kept crawling for longer and longer, trying to get another level. Yet it never came even after over an hour of crawling. The first level came fast, while the second level came a little bit after that. The third level took much longer, almost an entire hour. Now no matter what he did his skill wouldn¡¯t level up.


    He had been at this for a while, and his body was starting to groan in protest. He needed some rest before he started exploring the tree again. In the meantime, he needed to find something else to alleviate his boredom. He liked it when his Crawling skill leveled up, so why not try leveling up the other ones. He went into a trance like before, his senses fading into the background, darkness enveloping his mind. His mind was floating on waves of nothingness, without a care in the world. He spent some time there, calming his mind. It wasan¡¯t the most exciting thing but it gave him something to do.


    [Meditation] has leveled up 1¡ú2


    The darkness around him grew deeper, and he felt his mind fall into a deeper trance. He would have stayed there for longer, yet it was getting darker. He still had some time left to find shelter before night. His legs clattered across the dark wood, climbing up to the next branch.


    Before he could start to ascend the tree, he felt something approaching him. The best way to describe what he felt was a presence coming at him. He didn¡¯t hear it or see it, yet it felt like something was brushing up against his mind, but it wasn''t his mind. He didn¡¯t know what this feeling was, but that didn¡¯t matter. Whatever was coming at him was strong. Its presence was so strong, he felt like he was next to the sun. A pressure pushed down against his body, forcing him deeper into the ground. This thing could kill him without any effort, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. There was no use hiding. Nothing nearby could cover him and running was pointless. Fighting  even an option. He was going to die and there was nothing he could do.  All he could do was accept his death and hope it was painless.