469 Echoes of the Past

A brutal intelligence simmered in its ancient, glowing red eyes. On its back, a scarab beetle shell covered translucent wings that pulsed time mana. Runes covered the scarab shell's surface, and the cipher crackled in rhythmic waves of pure power.

It spoke in a diligent voice, one like an ancient librarian.

"The Harbinger and a dragon. This is truly a momentous occasion. Come. Let's have tea and toast."

Chapter Begin

I blinked in surprise, but I still analyzed the refined eldritch.

Emeralga, Keeper of Sands and Memories | Level 61,392 - Emeralga is a conglomeration of solidified memories from the echoes of an old world. Rebirth once held great importance as a hub for the vast [remnant] empire. These imperial roots influenced many of the developments within system-owned space thereafter, and they were culturally relevant to what occurred here.

As a warfaring world, Rebirth hosted many battles. Emeralga is the coalescence of the forgotten people who perished here during the fall of the remnants. This undoing of society is where the mana of Emeralga formed, and the resentment, passion, and ingenuity of those peoples still linger. In that regard, Emeralga is a genius, and it feeds on intense emotions, experiences, and sensations.

It wields many powers. It can manipulate the pace of time, but it can also divert timelines within its established domain. This causes certain outcomes to shift into other, alternative realities. It also has an intensely powerful ability to summon forth plague spells that can decimate entire planets if given time, and this grants the creature immense abilities in singular and factional conflicts.

Its danger doesn't only stem from its remarkable abilities, either. Unlike most eldritch, this creature has far more intellect, and it can stand toe to toe with great minds. Its greatest weakness is the divergence of its many thoughts and the chaos that stems from that disarray.

Fight with your life on the line should your paths cross.

I furrowed my brow. This was the first time I'd ever seen Schema purposefully reframe information. Well, it had done so in the past, but it pretended that there was some kind of error or glitch. This time, Schema was letting me know I wasn't ready for the information. Whether that was correct or not, I couldn't say.

I gestured at the empty plate in front of me.

"I don't-"

Toast appeared from nothing. I held back my surprise,

"Where'd you get toast?"

Emeralga's Doberman face smiled, its teeth well-maintained. Several of its teeth carried emerald coatings covered in runes.

"From your memories, of course. You exist here on Rebirth, and I can sense all that happens if it is something stored within a mind, given the experiences are intense enough. It came from a lovely memory, by the way. A lazy Sunday morning. Bacon sizzling on a skillet. Laughter in the kitchen. Hm. Your mother seemed like a sweet woman. It was a real shame what happened to her."

I struggled not to get defensive as he said that. He continued.

"I happened to enjoy the prospect of toast, so I did my due diligence, scrounged up a bit of machinery, and developed the technology before you arrived."

Emeralga opened a portal.

"And this is the result I obtained. Observe."

From a dimensional storage just like one of Schema's spatial rings, Emeralga pulled out a modern-day toaster with two live wires. It held them in its hand before pushing two loaves of bread into the machine. Chrona and I gawked at him before Emeralga stood and bowed to each of us.

"Thank you, thank you. Oh, enough applause, it's only extremely impressive."

No one had clapped, but I gave him a few finger snaps before walking over and sitting down on a gravity well.

"I'll take some toast and tea. How are you and the other pillars sensing our thoughts? It's unsettling."

Emeralga furrowed his brow.

"We're the collected principles of various areas. This conceptual splintering occurred many thousands of years ago during a great battle."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Was it the battle between Schema and the remnants that happened here?"

"No. It was one of law and that which is above it. As for your other question, we sense and know of anything that's using or touching upon those principles innately. It's not a conscious thing, merely a side effect of our natures."

I gestured to the toaster.

"Also, how'd you smooth out the metal? That's very difficult to hard to do."

Emeralga leaned against his stone throne.

"Ah, simply put, time. It required a simulation where I remade some industrial equipment for molding steel. Beyond that, the machinery was relatively simple. The polishing was tedious but not overly difficult."

He spread his scarab wings, the cipher glinting on the inner side of them.

"By comparison, these runic markings are quite complex. I see that you have a few runes upon yourself as well."

I gestured to my primordial rune.

"What do you think?"

Emeralga tilted his head.

"Honestly?"

I nodded.

"Always."

Emeralga took a deep breath.

"Firstly, I'd like to start with the craftsmanship. It's incredible. It sincerely is. It also has an air of ancientness to it. Somehow, it feels more in line with the runic carvings on an elemental furnace than the kind you see most sentients use these days. That would be my point of most praise - you've done a remarkable job with your execution of the rune. So much so that it elevates the rune's greatest weakness."

I raised a brow. Emeralga gestured a palm to me.

"That weakness is the conceptual understanding nested into the rune. It's competent enough to prevent permanent damage to you, but it lacks any complexity or depth. In fact, your rune is very similar to a rather humorous analogy. Imagine if someone made a sculpture of a simple and plain rock but then did so with such profound skill that most viewed your doomed endeavor as an artistic achievement."

I grabbed my chin.

"Huh. So it's like a children's book with Mona Lisas as the pages?"

Emeralga let out a booming laugh.

"Yes, precisely. You're quite adept at similes and the like."

I shook my head.

"I'm about as good with similes as I am at small talk and getting to know people. Speaking of, why did you let me assimilate the time mana that whirled around you? I'm sure you could've stopped me if you wanted to."

Emeralga bit into the toast. After swallowing, he raised it high.

"I didn't want to attract your ire. Aside from that, I'm certain you've seen that swirling energy around the other pillars, correct?"

I crossed my legs.

"I have. What's it for besides looking menacing?"

Emeralga pulled the toast out of the toaster. He pulled tea from his storage, placed the bags into two cups, and handed them to me.

"Will you?"

I reached over, and from a ball of origin mana, boiling water rose into the cups. I raised a hand, and a table of stone formed that Emeralga put the cups on. Emeralga handed me the toast before biting into his piece.

"Those circling vortices are the wasteful energy we purge from our nuclei. As is to be expected, not all energies are suitable, and the purer we make it, the less energy we oftentimes need. Whenever you began to absorb it, I allowed you to since it helped me twofold. It got rid of the troublesome mana while weakening you, should you wish to battle me thereafter."

I internally facepalmed. I struggled to use a new mana type because it was the runoff from some god-forsaken ritual. A wave of internal chastisement washed over me, but I didn't let those thoughts show in my face, expressions, aura, or mana.

But man, I made situations harder than they needed to be sometimes. Emeralga leaned back, his tea and toast in hand.

"Might I ask what you're here for?"

"I'm here for the radiant nucleus you have and to get a grip on your character. If you're not a raving lunatic, then I'm not gunning to go full murder hobo and kill everybody. I've done enough of that, and I'm trying to move on from that phase."

Emeralga put his hand on his chest, the bestial fingers ending in sharpened claws.

"You've seen that I'm quite civil. I have no intentions of attacking you or any of the settlers West of here. Many of the monsters here destroy any surrounding terrain, so I trapped them since they're quite violent. You no doubt noticed that the beetles here simply work on their towers and little else. That is why they are left unrestrained."

It was fair enough. I frowned.

"What about the core?"

Emeralga raised a hand.

"Do remember, it's a nucleus, and the distinction is actually quite important. You see, a dungeon core is a conglomeration of interdimensional energy into a stable form-"

My eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Of course. While my memory is far from perfect, I do recall the outbursts of interdimensional energy being a primary concern for the remnant's empire so long ago. Containment wasn't possible without using the energy for a purpose. Ergo, the dungeon cores arose."

"And you remember all of this since you're composed out of those that have died?"

He stirred his tea.

"Indeed. Now, a nucleus is a variant that lacks the same eternal balance as one of those cores, but they are far more malleable. All of the planetary pillars, as you've called them, are using these nuclei in a personal competition of sorts."

I nodded.

"I'd guess you're in a better position now?"

Emeralga pressed its fingertips together.

"Perhaps in terms of comparison, but not in terms of absolute potential. My method of developing my nucleus required me to gain the potent memories of anyone on Rebirth. Given my planetary scope, I was more than able to take the strong memories of the eldritch that Ghelid ensnared. Firamnia wasn't as important, but she carried many regrets that she brooded on incessantly."

Emeralga peered at Chrona. The eldritch continued.

"Given Firamnia's power, I gained far more in terms of my personal development from her memories than most. As that is my given method of obtaining power, I have no issues with you developing this world and expanding the population. In fact, I would love to assist you in the breeding of the humans you've chosen to protect."

I deadpanned.

"Breeding? Huh."

Emeralga backpedaled.

"Not for you to misunderstand, but I don't mean for me to breed them. I'm speaking more candidly about policies to encourage growth in the population. It should suit you're aims quite well, I'd imagine. That is, assuming your goals are still for the proliferation and continuation of humanity as a whole. That being the given axiom, it naturally follows that many humans dispersed across many worlds would result in a greater survival rate."

I shook my head.

"I want humanity to continue, but that's not my primary objective."

Emeralga leaned forward.

"Then what is your goal?"

I smiled as my primordial wake encompassed me.

"Hm. If I had to put it in simple terms, it's to create a haven from this universe."

Emeralga tilted his head.

"Ah, to save us from the hell that tends to come with living?"

I peered up.

"More like I want to avoid the pitfall of the Old Ones and other insane forces."

Emeralga leaned to me, his fingers steepled and his eyes piercing.

"Why?"

"Hm...I'd say my goals stem from the previous expectations I formed in a pre-system era. I'm carrying forward a worldview not scarred by an eternal struggle with the eldritch, Schema, or the Old Ones. In doing so, I will enact what I believe is a better life for my people and me."

Emeralga gazed at me with piercing eyes.

"But to what end? What purpose is there in changing the current system? From what I've gathered from pre-system societies, struggles are always something that must be dealt with. Even in a utopia, people will find a problem amidst nothing. The remnants were a fine example of that."

Emeralga spread his hands.

"In that regard, there is no end to the struggles of people. To that end, I believe people require struggle to survive."

Emeralga's eyes glowed from ambient mana in his blood.

"In the struggle we find, we also find meaning. Why rob people of that purpose?"

I thought for a moment. I gazed back at him, all of my minds set upon him.

"I believe that chosen struggles are better than forced ones. In my old world, people found meaning in many things, from painting to finance to family. In Schema's society, we aren't given any options for those struggles because a large portion of our population is dedicated to the act of fighting against monsters."

Emeralga smiled.

"Like me?"

I smiled back.

"Like Ghelid."

Emeralga leaned up.

"He was a nasty fellow, wasn't he? But back to the topic at hand. You're attempting to create a utopia amidst this chaotic universe. It's a lofty ambition, though I still question your objective's necessity."

I shook my head.

"Utopias are like perfection. They are to be strived for but never realized. I have no intention of making one. I'm simply giving people a choice."

My runes flared as primordial mana flowed through them.

"That's all."

Emeralga shrugged.

"We could argue the merits of whether choice and free will are even real, but alas, who am I to judge your perspective? As for my nucleus, it's mine and rightfully earned. I've curated that object for untold millennia. Stealing it from me would go against any grand purpose or designs you're attempting to perpetrate."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Perhaps, but perhaps not. Aside from that, I don't want to steal it. I can offer supplies, information, or territory in exchange for it. Otherwise, I don't require it in my possession."

Chrona kept her gaze trained on the eldritch. She left no room for a sudden attack to end her life. I held no such reservations for myself, though the palpable time energy within me also acted as a reassurance. Emeralga shook his hands.

"Ah, yes, there is such a thing under your possession that I do desire. It is one of the sets of system rights, if I recall correctly."

I steepled my hands.

"And why do you want them?"

"There are many obvious reasons. Firstly, power. That eldritch friend of yours has evolved since you gave her the ability to level within the system. I want that same evolution, and it's done so without the deterioration of one's mind. That is of absolute value to any eldritch with even a semblance of rationality."

Emeralga swung his hand.

"Secondly, I would gain the system's protections. You understand as well as I do that giving experience upon death is a powerful motivator. It's enough for someone to murder in cold blood. In my situation, I'd rather avoid the gaze of those powerful enough to destroy me."

His eyes flickered to me for a moment before Emeralga stood up.

"And thirdly, I would want teleportation rights to go and see the universe. Just imagining so much that I haven't seen...It is tantalizing."

Despite Emeralga's best efforts, a longing and hunger leaked into his voice. My smile tightened, and my eyes narrowed. Emeralga saw my expression, and he pulled his hand back.

"I am similar to both Amara and Plazia. I haven't done anything that deserves my death, and I have shown mercy upon-"

I leaned toward him.

"My status says you were formed from an event that killed the previous population. Being solidified memories, that's a rather unique form, isn't it?"

Emeralga sat back down.

"It's an aggregate form that many eldritch are formed from. To my defense, many aggregates are made through this process. There's nothing innately wrong with my form."

I raised my brow.

"True, but how exactly did those memories come together?"

Emeralga flourished a hand.

"It was a happenstance of mana and events. I am truly lucky to have been born."

I tilted my head.

"You know, I have very sharp senses, and they recently became even sharper. I can feel every part of your several hearts. I can even determine how you just slowed down your breathing, heart rate, and mana flow by using time magic. It's precise and controlled to a level that even I'm deeply impressed by."

Emeragla's gaze sharpened as I turned a palm to him.

"But even though you did all that, I can tell you tried to hide your lying just now. That's by no means a reason to start a war or conflict, but it does expose how you're holding a few secrets."

Emeralga's right eye twitched. He smiled.

"You're remarkably observant given that brutish form of yours."

I adjusted my arms and legs before cracking one of my knuckles. It let out a deep thump, like an underwater explosion.

"It's brutish, huh?"

I cracked another knuckle. Emeralga gulped. He raised a hand slowly.

"I only formed after thousands of years, and I know little of that pre-system era despite my formation from those memories. I do have bits nestled in my mind, and I'm willing to share them if you are willing to trust me. Aside from that-"

Emeralga put a hand on his chest.

"I don't think it's polite to make thinly veiled threats."

I met his eye, and I found fear. Further in, I found resignation. Emeralga understood that I killed two other pillars, foes Emeralga couldn't fight without being so weakened that the other pillars would kill him. I took a breath before dropping the whole mob boss schtick.

"Yeah, alright. You're right."

Emeralga peered back and forth.

"I am?"

I shrugged.

"You are. Hell, at this point, I'm so used to eldritch gunning for my throat that I tend to have my guard up against them at all times. I'm sorry that prejudice was your problem, so here, take this so that you know I'm sincere."

I put my hand on the ground. I floated several of the time leylines I harvested in a circle before building a well in the tower. Emeralga eyed me with suspicion but let me continue. After carving a hole in the tower, I let primordial mana build in my palm. Mana liquified, crystallized, then oozed down as a dense plasma. It sloshed at the bottom of the carved well like an ethereal liquid.

I spent several minutes filling the well to the brim before the leylines got to work. Emeralga had already gotten up to observe the process. The eldritch pursed his lips and interlocked his hands behind himself.

"That's an absurd mana source you have. Which treasures are you destroying or using for that abundance?"

I chilled my hand, so I didn't melt the stone around us.

"It's my converted blood."

Emeralga nodded.

"Fascinating. You remind me of Firamnia. She held much power before I was born. It's a shame her mana destroyed so many of her memories whenever she battled. She lost so much that she never needed to learn to defend her mind. Alas, such is the price for her psionic strategy."

I took a breath.

"She was a fighter who put it all on the line, and I can't fault her for that. As for your deal, I can't give you the system rights. They're too precious, and I need to know you won't backstab me later."

Emeralga tilted his head.

"Didn't you give them to Plazia-Ruhl relatively quickly?"

I stepped away from the mana well.

"He knew about me from my pre-system days. He could've killed me a thousand times over, yet he never did anything to weaken my planet or harm me."

Emeralga smiled.

"That you know of."

I smirked back.

"That I know of. It's also worth mentioning that Plazia has earned his keep since then, and he's exposed a lot of his history and goals to me. The same can't be said for you. Shalahora was also allowed near him many times, and I can trust that shadow due to our contract."

Emeralga winced upon hearing Shalahora's name. Emeralga spread his hands.

"Fair enough. I was simply seeing what your thoughts were on the matter."

"Would you like to meet Shalahora? That could clear-"

Emeralga snapped, his voice carrying a primal fear.

"No."

He composed himself.

"That is to say, I would rather not."

I scoffed.

"That's pretty clear. Anyways, what else would you want besides Schema's rights?"

Emeralga furrowed its brow.

"The other nuclei?"

I answered with a sorry smile. Emeralga shook his head.

"As is to be expected. Well then, the last item I would like would be your shard of the Sentinel's spear or tutelage under Helios on proper warping magic."

I leaned back.

"So you really do want to leave this place?"

Emeralga smiled, and the expression was melancholy and reflective.

"More than anything."

I gazed at the clouds and stars above.

"Isn't this your domain? You've been developing the nucleus for personal power. Why do all that if you're willing to leave it all at the drop of a hat?"

Emeralga walked up to the edge of his tower.

"I created my nucleus so that I could keep up with the other pillars here. I have no reason to extend my domain or increase my power beyond mere survival. That's why I'd much rather be a free weakling in the system than a powerful vagrant outside of it."

Emeralga interlocked his hands behind himself.

"I've gazed at these lands for centuries, and I've entertained myself with the memories and sensations of the fallen people that once lived here. I cherish those memories. They kept me sane, and I don't wish to take them for granted. But...How am I to even pretend that this life is even considered living?"

Emeralga turned to me.

"It isn't, is it? I'm a collection of other people's ideas, thoughts, and abilities. I'm like Ghelid in that I want to experience and feel on my own. I want to show that I am an individual, not some coalescence of circumstance that imitates free will."

My armor rippled over me, and from gaining its abilities, I could understand his feelings. Emeralga continued.

"Unlike Ghelid, I don't want stillness. I want a vibrant world that is lush with new experiences. I'd much rather have more to learn than eliminate the outer world."

Chrona chimed in from the back.

"So you are like a wandering scholar?"

Emeralga reached his arms out to her, his hands shaking.

"Yes. Yes. That's what I am at my core. I do struggle with hunger as all eldritch do, but I find myself far more sated with knowledge and novelty than mere mindless eating. I don't want to be devolved into some mindless thrall, and I would love to see the Earth-"

I pursed my lips.

"Probably not gonna happen."

Emeralga raised his hands in a soothing gesture.

"Of course, of course. But what of the moon? Of Blegara? Maybe Giess? I'd love to experience any of those worlds. I would take anywhere that isn't here."

I looked at him closely. I frowned.

"Alright, sure."

Emeralga leaned back.

"A-are you sure? And what are you sure of?"

I stood from my gravity well.

"I'll see what Helios's schedule looks like. I'll owe him a favor, but that guy already has a serious debt to me, so I think this will be a pretty easy cash-in."

Emeralga blinked.

"You're genuine? Serious? Candid?"

I nodded.

"Well, yeah. Time will tell how everything pans out, but I'm willing to give you a chance. You seem nice enough."

Emeralga closed his eyes. He stared up and held his arms up from his sides. He looked like a man who'd seen the sun for the first time.

"Eons trapped, and it is ended so easily. My escape almost seems fake."

I shook my head.

"It isn't. Trust me."

He took a breath before walking up to me. Chrona growled, her magic flowing. Emeralga grabbed one of my hands with both of his and shook it.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Thank you a thousand times."

He sighed before stepping back. From his storage space, he pulled out an ancient staff of twisting, lavender metal. Its gnarls billowed out further to the ends of the staff, and it held the time nucleus at its end. Emeralga slammed it into the ground, and a set of stairs began forming around his tower.

Emeralga walked through before swinging his hand.

"Do come in. I know what you both wish to gain upon coming here, and I won't let either of you leave empty-handed. As you'd say - If you do right by me, then I shall do right by you. "

Chrona and I locked eyes before Chrona harrumphed.

"Of course. I'm far too big to follow, as always."

I spread my hands.

"I can just stay up-"

She whipped her tail behind herself.

"I'll continue to keep myself entertained by counting the clouds and the stars. It will actually be with time magic, but I'll be enjoying the view as well. I'm ranting. And please, just go."

I nodded and left her to her own devices before I trekked into an unknown staircase. As I walked down the ancient steps, innumerable runes glowed across the walls. Emeralga gestured to them.

"I've spent quite some time on these sigils. They're how I've manifested my temporal field and kept the other pillars of this world at bay. It creates a potent defensive domain for me to use against my enemies. What do you think of them?"

I inspected the runic markings. While the accuracy of the runes was solid, Emeralga wasn't using any of the advanced techniques I incorporated. Dual-sided runes, multi-layering, or even 3-dimensional awareness, Emeralga neglected all of that in favor of complexity. It was still an impressive feat, though I'd seen better in Baldag-Ruhl and the furnaces.

I weighed my hands back and forth.

"It's pretty good. The patterns are complex to the point they're beyond me, but the craftsmanship could use some serious work. For example, the cipher works on three dimensions, and if you fail to take advantage of that, then you're neglecting its greatest strength."

Emeralga quit walking.

"Three? I always believed it was four."

I furrowed my brow.

"What do you mean?"

Emeralga dragged a hand across the runes.

"I've found that, as you've said, the width, length, and depth of the cipher matter. Ah, but so does the element of time. The runes change over spans as they weather various elements. The history they accrue allows them to change and grow in potential. I believe that is part of why your runes are beginning to peak in their potential."

Emeralga pulled his hand back.

"You're neglecting the fourth element. If I were to make a comparison, the cipher is art, and you churn it out in an industrial way. It simply can't be compared to genuine inspiration."

I considered his words before taking them to heart. I tapped one of the sigils, digging it deeper into the wall. As I did, Emeralga stepped up to me.

"What are you doing?"

I finished a quick touch-up, and the rune hummed louder. Emeralga gawked at me, his face a picture of bafflement. I gestured at it.

"You're neglecting the third element. Your runes lack depth."

Emeralga nodded before staring at me.

"I'm assuming you mean that literally and not figuratively?"

I sighed.

"You know, I hoped there was the potential for a pun there, but naw, I had to be literal."

Emeralga turned and continued his walk.

"I shall heed the advice then. Thank you, fellow carver."

"Uh, you too, fellow carver."

I made it awkward, but Emeralga let it pass. Ignoring my social ineptitude, I reflected on what he said about the runes, wondering what he meant in full. If anything, I'd have to experiment in many ways to expose his idea, but it would have to wait for another time. Stepping past many stairways, we reached a chamber full of potent temporal flows.

In all directions, time ran rampant. It shifted in different paces, each one a mockery of the other. Space itself warped along the way, and several of the glowing purple cores were present. Emeralga gestured to them.

"Balsht and I sometimes exchange pointers so that we may help understand one another's magic. He's not such a bad fellow, though a bit worn down by time. If you could, give him a chance for me, would you?"

I shrugged while pointing at the far side of the room.

"Sure, but what's all this?"

On the other side of the almost empty room, several pedestals held glass boxes. Lights beamed down from above, exposing the beautiful luster of different gemstones. Each carried potent streams of time magic, but unlike time-based mana crystals, these held enormous detail. Thousands of intricate fractals ran through each jewel. As I peered into their depths, they reminded me of the synapses of a brain firing.

Emeralga pointed at them.

"They are a marvel of the remnant empire. They controlled many mana types, and those mana types created dozens of different ways to control information. While electronics were reliable when fueled consistently, the remnants found that solar flares could disrupt their repositories of information."

Emeralga went over and opened one of the boxes. Careful as a mother holding her newborn baby, Emeralga took out a stone and handed it to me. Unwilling to even test the gem's hardness on my hand, I hovered it in a gravity well. Emeralga smiled at it.

"This is one of those repositories. They're called informational simulacrums. IS for short."

"My old world had the same acronym, but it was for informational systems."

"That isn't a far-off comparison. I made these simulacrums as the centuries passed. I did it so that I wouldn't forget all the wonderful creations the remnants managed to craft. To that end, the first simulacrum I crafted was on how to craft the simulacrums themselves. That's the one you're holding."

I furrowed my brow.

"How do they work?"

"Information is stored within an information matrix bounded inside the confines of a stabilized, temporal crystal. It requires extreme levels of precision in the crafting process, and that's why you only see a few hundred despite the thousands of years I've lived."

I marveled at the immense repository of information.

"This...This is very valuable to me."

Emeralga put a hand on one of the glass boxes.

"You can have them along with my time nucleus. However, you must get me off this desolate rock. Deal?"

Emeralga stuck out a hand. I smiled.

"I have a better idea."

I pulled a panel of my dimensional fabric out of my pocket dimension.

"I'd like to offer you a contract."