Sean Oswald

Exploration- Chapter 45

This will be the last one for the weekend. My wife and daughters will be home in a few minutes and I'll be prioritizing family time tomorrow.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Chapter 45- Flame and Hammer

I stood before the forge with twelve thousand pounds of iron stacked behind me and felt a quiet sense of rightness settle in. The heat rolled outward in waves, bright enough to wash the shadows from the far walls, but it barely registered against my skin. Spot had already adjusted the forge to the scale I needed, airflow deep and even, heat layered instead of flaring, as if the dungeon itself understood what I was about to attempt.

This wasn’t delicate work, and it wasn’t symbolic. This was construction at a scale that would have broken mortal tools and mortal bodies alike. It was a good thing that I was so much more than any normal human being ever could have been.

I started with the legs, because anything that stood twelve feet tall needed a foundation that would never argue with gravity. I lifted a stack of iron ingots that weighed more than a loaded truck and set it into the forge like it was nothing, watching it glow from dull red to white-hot in seconds. When I struck it with the hammer, the sound rang through the warehouse like a bell the size of a church, each impact reshaping tons of metal with measured precision.

I wasn’t swinging wildly or forcing the iron to comply. I was guiding it, letting the heat and mass do the work while I decided where it needed to go. For me the pace of the swings was just a steady rhythmic flow, but I realized that it was more akin to some machine from the old era of Earth with multiple strikes landing every second.

Force constructs flickered into place around the workpiece as I needed them, invisible braces holding sections steady while I hammered others into shape. They weren’t hands and they weren’t replacements for skill. They were clamps, supports, and reference points, allowing me to work at angles no physical rig could manage. I could acknowledge that they were a crutch, a sign that my skill wasn’t truly up to this task. The numbers for the skill didn’t mean as much as they might have, they were a sign of a high Mind stat that allowed me to learn things quickly. I simply didn’t have the breadth of extent

I could feel the iron settling as I shaped it, density redistributing, mass flowing where it belonged. Even before the leg took its final form, I could tell it would bear far more than its share of weight without complaint.

As the second leg took shape, I began to stack the mass mentally, picturing how the hips and torso would sit atop it. Too narrow and the golem would wobble under sudden movement. Too wide and it would lose the sense of inevitability that came from a solid, forward-driving stance. I adjusted the flare of the upper leg by inches, not because I needed to, but because I could feel when it wasn’t quite right. That instinct was new, sharpened by everything I’d been through, and I trusted it.

The torso came next, forged in sections simply because moving that much heated iron at once would have been inefficient even for me. I shaped the core thick and dense, a solid mass meant to anchor everything else, then fused the sections together while they were still glowing. My hammer blows didn’t leave seams so much as erase boundaries, the metal flowing into itself until there was no clear line where one piece ended and another began. Tad watched from a distance, silent and attentive, and I could tell he felt the significance of what was happening even if he didn’t fully understand the mechanics.

By the time I stepped back from the assembled body, the golem stood upright, massive and imposing even without motion or magic. It was functional, undeniably so, but something in me refused to let that be enough. The shoulders were a fraction too high, the chest carried weight in a way that would resist rotation, and the stance felt almost right instead of inevitable. I stared at it, hands resting on the hammer, and felt a familiar frustration creep in.

Power wasn’t the problem. Strength wasn’t the problem. I could lift hundreds of tons and crack diamonds in my hand if I had to, but shaping something this large into perfection was a different kind of challenge. I knew I could make it work as it was, but I also knew that if I accepted “good enough” here, it would haunt me later when the runes amplified every flaw I’d ignored. So I turned back to the forge, jaw set, already planning the next pass, determined to force this iron into the exact shape it deserved.

Almost as if it to taunt me a notification popped up.

Blacksmithing: 297 >> 301

Metallurgy: 245 >> 248

Metal Working: 315 >> 318

I growled under my breath and then refocused.

I went back to work with a sharper edge to my focus, striking and reheating, shaving mass from one place and adding it to another. Each correction improved the silhouette, but it never quite crossed the invisible line in my mind between acceptable and right. The shoulders still felt stiff when I imagined a full rotation, and the balance through the hips lagged just enough that sudden lateral movement would waste force. For something meant to stand against awakened enemies, wasted force was unacceptable.

I paused, hammer resting against my shoulder, and studied the golem from head to toe. It was impressive, no question about that, but it looked forged rather than born, assembled rather than inevitable. That bothered me more than it should have. I’d stood up to a goddess without this kind of doubt, but this was different. This was something I was creating to protect others, and the responsibility sat heavier than any weapon I’d ever wielded.

Urg’s presence shifted beside me, quiet but unmistakable. I felt his presence more than saw it and drew strength from him. Where I might have lost my patience, he kept me centered. He didn’t interrupt or comment on the shape directly, just watched the iron with the same patient intensity he brought to battle. After a long moment, he rumbled, “Forge is part of dungeon. Dungeon listens to Image.” His voice carried no accusation, only certainty, like he was stating a fact that should have been obvious.

I frowned and turned that over in my head while staring at the golem. I’d been treating the forge like a tool, even an advanced one, but still just equipment. Spot had provided heat, space, and support, but I hadn’t really considered what that meant beyond convenience. I felt a level of the connection with the dungeon. It was why this had felt possible in the first place.

The realization hit with a quiet snap that made me exhale a surprised laugh. “Terrakinesis,” I muttered, the word tasting right the moment I said it. I’d been swinging a hammer like a blacksmith when I should have been shaping matter like a native son of the world. Within this dungeon, with my connection to it, the rules were different. I didn’t need to fight the iron into place. The boon I’d gained caused me to be able to use Terrakinesis inside the dungeon and the forge was part of that dungeon.

I mentally thanked Urg for the reminder and then gathered my thoughts. This was an ability that I knew I needed to use more and yet I didn’t have anywhere near enough experience. At least while I was on Earth it held the potential to be my most powerful ability and that was saying something.

I set the hammer down and closed my eyes, extending my awareness into the golem’s body. The iron responded immediately, not resisting, not yielding, but it was mindless and couldn’t simply obey commands. I was going to have to refine my will. I felt its mass, its density, the way stress wanted to travel through it when force was applied. With a careful push of intent, I began to guide that mass instead of striking it, smoothing transitions, redistributing weight, and aligning structure in ways no hammer ever could.

The change was subtle at first, the kind you’d miss if you weren’t looking for it. Edges softened into curves that carried force more cleanly, and the torso rotated a fraction of a degree that suddenly made everything click. I adjusted the hips, lowering the center of gravity just enough that the stance became unshakeable, then refined the shoulders so the arms could swing with devastating momentum instead of dragging mass behind them. The iron didn’t heat or glow. It flowed under my will like clay remembering it had once been part of the earth.

When I opened my eyes, the golem stood transformed. It was still iron, still massive, but now it looked whole rather than assembled. The balance was perfect, the lines clean and purposeful, and the sheer presence of it pressed outward in a way that made the space around it feel smaller. I felt a deep, satisfied calm settle in my chest, the kind that only came when something was finally done right.

Urg inclined his head slightly, which for him was high praise. I smiled and rolled my shoulders, already feeling the next steps lining up in my mind. The body was finished at last, shaped not by brute force but by understanding. Now came the part that would decide whether this was just a statue or the beginning of something truly dangerous to our enemies.

I turned my attention inward again, letting the satisfaction fade into focus. Shaping the body had been about balance and inevitability, but runes were about intent. Each string I placed would change how the golem interacted with the world, not just how it moved through it. I took a steady breath and let Terrakinesis remain active, not forcing the iron but holding it receptive, like soil ready for seed.

I’d also never tried using Terrakinesis to inscribe the runes before. I’d always done it by hand, with my armor or any of the other magical items I’d created. This would be a first, but logically speaking it made sense.

I started with speed, not in the sense of grace, but in response. I guided thin channels through the legs and hips, embedding rune strings that would compress and release force in controlled pulses. These weren’t enchantments meant to glow or flare. They were patterns of that pulled mana into the golem and gave it abilities it wouldn’t have before. They were about making the golem both react more quickly and move faster once it was reacting. With Terrakinesis I simply sank the strings of runes into the metal, folding the rune paths inward until they became part of the structure itself.

Next came kinetic amplification, and I treated it with caution. Power without direction destroyed more than it helped, something I’d learned the hard way more than once. I layered the runes along the arms and across the chest, weaving them into the mass points I’d already identified. When the golem struck, these paths would gather force, reinforce it, then bleed a portion outward in a shock rather than trapping it inside the body. That would keep the structure intact while still letting it hit like a siege engine.

Jump capability came after that, and it made me smile despite myself. The thought of something this large flying through the air would have to give at least some of our enemies pause. I embedded the runes deep in the feet and calves, tying them into the center of gravity I’d already perfected. The idea wasn’t flight or elegance. It was explosive displacement, the ability to launch that twelve foot frame across a battlefield and come down with catastrophic intent. I could already imagine the impact, iron meeting ground with enough force to crater stone and shatter formations.

The breath weapon runes were the most complex, and I took my time with them. I traced a network through the chest cavity and throat, leaving space for whatever animation process Tad and the disc would introduce later. These runes weren’t defining the breath itself, only amplifying and shaping it, reinforcing output and stability so the discharge wouldn’t tear the golem apart from the inside. Whatever curse or cloud it exhaled would be denser, longer lasting, and harder to resist because of these foundations. The trickiest part of this was that I was seeking to amplify an ability which didn’t yet exist. That wouldn’t come into being until we’d installed the control disc.

Throughout it all, Terrakinesis and Rune Smithing blended into something new. I wasn’t switching between skills. I was using them together, will guiding structure while understanding dictated placement. The iron accepted the rune paths without resistance, and I felt the dungeon hum softly in approval, as if Spot recognized what I was trying to build. That feedback helped, steadying my focus whenever doubt crept in.

I paused several times to reassess, pulling back and then diving in again when something felt off. One rune chain along the spine created too much feedback, so I reworked it into shorter segments that could vent excess force. Another cluster in the shoulders threatened to over-amplify rotational momentum, so I redistributed it into the upper arms instead. Each correction made the whole more stable, more coherent, until the rune network stopped feeling like an addition and started feeling inevitable.

When I finally stepped back, the golem didn’t look any different on the surface. There were no glowing symbols or etched markings to give away the work I’d done. Yet with Spirit Sight, I could see the internal lattice clearly, a web of intent and reinforcement that made the iron feel awake even without animation. This wasn’t flashy craftsmanship, but it was dangerous in a way that mattered.

I let Terrakinesis ease and rested my hands on my hips, studying the result. This was as far as I could take it alone. The body was shaped, the runes were in place, and the framework was ready to accept the control disc and Tad’s authority. Whether it would become a true weapon or collapse into an expensive lesson depended on the next steps, but for the first time since starting, I felt confident.

Urg’s presence remained steady at my side, and I drew strength from that quiet approval. I wasn’t done, not by a long shot, but I’d laid the groundwork for something that could change the balance of power in Basetown. Now it was time to see if the rest of the plan would hold together as well as this had.

First though there were a few notifications to attend to. This time they were welcome.

Metallurgy: 248 >> 250

Metal Working: 318 >> 324

Rune Smithing: 290 >> 305

Terrakinesis (Epic 92%) >> 99%

          It was so close to evolving and I still had another golem to shape. I felt like before the day was over I’d have another legendary ability, but for now, it was time to install the disc and see if this was all worth it.

Exploration- Chapter 44

I'm gonna try to do one more chapter today. I'd hoped for 4 chapters today, but just not gonna happen. The creative well has to be refilled and I need to watch some football.

Wife and daughters will be back late tonight, so tomorrow will be a completely off day.

Chapters will resume on Monday.

Chapter 44- Delivery

Despite the absence of light, I felt warm and surrounded. I knew that my soul was communing with Urg’s as the spell was evolving.

“Image is always making enemies too big for him. This must change. Image must become bigger. Image will become bigger, but never stop being Image.”

“I’ve missed you Urg. I tried to summon you as soon as we got here…”

“Between us never is need for sorrow. Connected we always are.”

His words complete with their particular grammar gave me greater comfort than I would have expected. “What happens now?”

“Legendary spell is peak of mortal realm. Just as racial and class evolutions were bigger, so to this is bigger. It touches our souls and must reflect that. Urg will be able to be more as Image grows stronger. This part of that.”

There was power all around me, but it didn’t scour me, nor surge through me. It was part of me. I felt the spell evolving and leaned into it.

Your spell Summon Eidolon is evolving. It is your anchor to the Astral Lord to Be, Urg. This will expand your soul.

Primordial Aspect noted. Mortality accepted. Potential calls to potential.

The upgraded spell can add one of two benefits.

Summon Eidolon: Pocket Dimension- Your soul has been judged to be strong enough. The evolution will create a pocket dimension connected to both the Astral plane and your soul. Urg may reside there and thus be summoned to you despite system barriers because he is already wherever you are.

Summon Eidolon: Unrealized Potential- Urg is more than he seems and may become even more. By choosing this ability, with Urg’s agreement he may become a portion of his true potential- significantly greater than his current form for up to 1 minute. Then he must return to the Astral Plane for 30 days.

The tactical advantages of the second were tempting, especially because I was worried that the order had an Ascendant here, but it wasn’t enough for me to give up on always having Urg around. I asked him but in typical Urg style, he deferred to me so I went with the pocket dimension option.

Summon Eidolon has evolved to Summon Eidolon-Pocket Dimension (Legendary 1%)

You gain Will +1000 as your soul is stretched to accommodate the bond.

Urg’s Abilities are Updated to more closely reflect your soul.

Ability Imitation (Legendary 6/7):

Here Not Here

Blood is Life

Hunter’s Tether

Force Projection Mastery

Spirit Singing

Lightning Arc Mastery

Spell Imitation (Legendary 4/5):

Celestial Restoration

Cloud of Mana Disruption

Line of Sight Teleportation

Primordial Surge

Abilities:

Thunderous Taunt

Bastion of Sound

Protective Encasement

Astral Ideation

Blip

You also gain the Active Ability: Blip- this ability allows you to skip 1 second forward in time. You will not experience that second nor will any force less than Divine tier be able to affect you during that second. Your position will remain the same in the physical realm although if you would be harmed by reappearing in the same spot then you will be shunted to the closest location which will not result in instant harm.

You will adapt to the blip in time, but everyone else around you will be slightly disoriented unlike if you had simply teleported.

Note: You will have to trade this out for one of your current active abilities if you wish to use it.

Urg’s stats are updated to 400% of your current stats with the same proportional assignment.

For tinkering with a system outside of the Heavens your title: Tinker with the System is upgraded to Tinker with All Systems. This extends your power but does not give you full architect privileges with other systems.

I sucked in a deep breath and squeezed Urg in a hug. “I missed you so much buddy.” Then I pulled myself up, and he stood with me.

“Urg missed Image as well. Now, Urg not ever be cut off from Image. This is the way.”

I did a double take. “Did you just quote the Mandalorin?”

“Did Urg do it wrong?”

I laughed. “Not at all. I just wasn’t expecting it from you. This is gonna be great.”

“Powerful foes in this place. Urg feels better that he is here to protect Image now. Has been watching as best as possible. Urg not had chance to say, but approve of choice of other half of heart. Already feel a nascent connection with her.”

“Wait, you’re saying that you and Selena will establish a connection like we have.”

“Never like this, never full soul bond, but as two halves of heart grow together, emotions provide a bridge and connection. Will make Urg better. Will make heart half better.”

I was dumbfounded by that for a moment, but happy. I found a chair and sat down. I needed to decide what to do with Blip. I might have normally pushed it off, but I needed to stop punishing future Silas. So I looked over my current list of active abilities.

Active Abilities:

Here Not Here (Epic 90%)

Force Construct Mastery—Persistent (Legendary 13%)

Lightning Arc Mastery (Epic 55%)

Self-Propagation (Epic 32%)

Inheritance: Spirit Walk (Legendary 3%)

Inheritance 2: Spirit Singing (Legendary 62%)

Inheritance 3: Terrakinesis (Epic 92%)

       Inheritance 4: Mana Body (Epic 8%)

Hmmm… I didn’t feel like I could get rid of Here Not Here, Force Constructs,  or Lightning Arc as they were the foundation of my build in battle. Something inside of me said not to get rid of Self-Propagation. It had proven how deadly it could be, especially in conjunction with Blood is Life.

So that left me wondering if I could substitute Blip for one of the Inheritance slots. I chuckled, but only inside my head. I was an architect, if I couldn’t manage something like that then I might as well give up. Still I couldn’t’ give up Spirit Singing, it was too powerful and too important. Spirit Walk was something I rarely used, but it was very powerful. Terrakinesis also felt like an under utilized ability but it had the potential to be more powerful than any of my others, at least when on Earth.

It would have to be Mana Body. It was useful enough, but it was my least progressed ability. That was all it took. With the decision made, I shifted out Mana Body and shifted in Blip.

Inheritance 4: Blip (Legendary 1%)

I was glad to see that it was already at legendary tier and even happier to see that Mana Body wasn’t lost, it simply was marked as inactive.

Finally, I took a look around. The summoning of Urg and the evolution of the ability had taken hours. A glance at my system clock said that it had been nearly 20 hours since Oliver and Clay had left.

A short time after my updates, Selena and Samvek came back with the team. They’d both gained a paid or levels and the elves were all sitting at level 246. It was impressive to say the least. When I walked over to Selena, I could see that once again, she’d been pushing hard. On instinct, I cast Clean and watched as it washed over everyone around me.

Selena sighed. “Yeah, that’s the good stuff. I should probably keep you around just for that spell.”

I laughed, hugged her, and soon it transitioned to a kiss, but I could feel how tired she was. She suddenly did a double take. “Urg? How… never mind.” She let go of me and walked over to hug the eidolon.

“I felt like he was closer. I even mentioned it to Samvek a couple hours ago, didn’t I?”

He nodded.

Urg said, “Heart half is connected to Image. Urg is connected to Image as well. This makes sort of connection between Heart half and Urg.”

If she was confused by what he said, she didn’t let on, but hugged him tighter. “I’m glad you’re here Urg. I need all the help I can get keeping Silas from doing stupid stuff.”

After that, I managed to get all of them to lie down and rest. By the time that was accomplished, the door open. Lexa sprang into action, but then immediately stood down as Oliver and then Clay came in. Both looked worn in that particular way that came from sustained tension rather than combat, shoulders tight and eyes constantly flicking as if expecting pursuit even now. What they didn’t have that I could see was any iron.

Both Tad and I gathered around them. Oliver flexed magically and I felt a spatial disruption. Suddenly there were four large pallets of iron ingots and he said, “12,000 pounds of iron as requested, although we wiped out much of the supply in the city.”

Oliver’s shoulders finally loosened a fraction once the iron was out in the open, as if seeing it physically present proved the danger was over. Clay leaned against the doorframe for a moment, hands on his knees, breathing out slowly before straightening. Neither of them looked injured, but the strain was written into their posture, the kind that came from holding yourself rigid for hours at a time while waiting for something to go wrong. The iron ingots sat there in neat stacks, dull and unassuming, belying how much effort it had taken to get them here unseen.

“That wasn’t easy,” Clay said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not because of the weight. Oliver’s magic took care of that, once he figured it out.” The way he looked at the mage the mage sorta grumbled told me there was a story there, but I didn’t press. Instead, Clay continued. “It was more because of how jumpy everyone is. The Order’s presence has people on edge, and iron doesn’t exactly disappear quietly. I’m halfway convinced that some of the smiths assume that I’m trying to build an army from the guild to fight the Order.” He glanced at Oliver, who gave a tired nod in agreement.

Oliver took over the explanation without being prompted. “I couldn’t risk moving it in pieces. Too many trips, too many chances to be noticed. Instead, I collapsed it into a layered spatial containment, something like a nested pocket, but anchored to my own mana signature so it couldn’t be detected easily.” He winced slightly. “Holding that much mass compressed like that for hours is not something I want to make a habit of.”

I let out a low whistle. “I have an ability that gives me a spatial container and know many people who have rings and such for them, but I’ve never considered the idea of making one myself. I bet that was tricky.”

Tad crouched beside one of the pallets, running his hand along the iron as if greeting an old friend. “This is more than enough,” he said, relief bleeding into his tone. “Silas, you were right to ask for extra. If something goes wrong mid-forge, we won’t have to stop.”

“That was the idea,” I replied. I felt a familiar itch in my hands already, the urge to start shaping, refining, turning raw material into something purposeful. “Once we start, there’s no backing out halfway. Better to have too much than not enough.”

Oliver exhaled and leaned back against a crate. “Good. Because I don’t think I could repeat that trick tonight even if my life depended on it.” His eyes flicked toward the door, then back to us. “We weren’t followed, but it’s getting harder to move unnoticed. The Order isn’t just watching obvious targets anymore.”

“That won’t change,” Tad said quietly. “Not until this is over.” He straightened and looked at me, then at the iron, then toward the space Spot had already begun reshaping above us. “Are you ready?”

I glanced around the warehouse. Selena and Samvek were asleep, sprawled with the careless exhaustion of people who’d pushed past their limits. The awakened elves rested nearby, power still settling into them in subtle ways that made the air feel charged. Urg stood silent and watchful, wings folded, eyes following everything without comment. This was as good a moment as we were going to get.

I walked over to the forge and the other followed. “Once, we start this we’re both going to have to be completely focused.”

Tad met my gaze, serious now. “Agreed. This isn’t something to rush.”

Clay pushed off the wall and stepped closer, curiosity winning out over exhaustion. “So this is really happening. We’re building iron golems.”

I smiled despite myself. “Looks that way.”

Oliver shook his head with a quiet laugh. “As exciting as this is, I need some sleep. These old bones weren’t meant for cloak and dagger operations.”

Both he and Clay went to some of the other sleeping areas that were set up. They were out before I’d even finished going over the designs one last time.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling the familiar blend of anticipation and responsibility settle in. The iron was here. The forge was ready. The design was final. Whatever came next, there was no more theory to hide behind.

Exploration- Chapter 43

Sorry I didn't get this done last night. It sorta went in an direction I hadn't been expecting but which felt so right.

Chapter 43- A Most Welcome Friend

I managed to sleep for several hours, which was odd given my excitement, but dad has always said the most useful skill he’d learned in the Corps was the ability to sleep anywhere at anytime on anything. Grab your sleep when you could. As woke up that thought struck me followed by another realization. By now, I’d seen more combat than my dad had ever dreamed over. A part of me said that what he did was more heroic because he didn’t have powers but another said, he also hadn’t had to face down primordials, ascendant matrons, inhuman cyborgs from another universe, or a freaking goddess. At the end of the day both positions were valid.

I immediately noticed three things. Selena and the dungeon party weren’t back. They’d been going at it for hours. A moment of worry passed my mind, but Selena had been capable before getting her ascendant tier swords, now she was a wrecking ball. The same for Samvek, he’d always been everything I wanted to be in a warrior but with his new class added in, he was even more powerful. I didn’t need to worry about them.

The second thing I saw was Tad standing over my drafting table looking at my designs. The third was disheartening. There was no sign of Clay or Oliver. Hopefully they weren’t in any trouble and just as hopefully, they’d be back with the iron soon.

I stretched, stood up, and walked over to Tad, as I moved, I didn’t see Fara anywhere, but for all I knew, she might have the ability to hide from even my senses with her new upgrades. While I was looking around, I noticed Lexa had returned. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor and facing the one door to the warehouse.

Tad saw me and smiled, “I rarely let myself get enough sleep, but I’ve found even with boosted stats that it’s still good for me.”

I nodded. “Same.”

Then he started asking me about the designs. I decided that he needed to know about my conversation with his grandmother. “Before we go into that, I need to tell you about something that happened while you were sleeping.” I paused for a second to make sure I had his full attention and then continued, “I was trying to understand the control disc and used an ability I have in my system to see the base code of the system.”

“Base code?”

I cringed. How could I explain the concept of a computer to someone from a culture like this? “Uh, probably a bad example. Something from my world. Just think of it like the instructions that everything runs on. I can see how the system orchestrates things.”

He nodded. “And what did you find out.”

“At first, I couldn’t find anything but I kept pushing. I’m stubborn like that. Instead of being able to will it to happen, my efforts drew attention from someone else. She identified herself as Queen Simari of the Void Court and essentially called you her grandson.”

Tad seemed to need the drafting table to support himself as he sorta feel back onto the stool I’d been using. “She was here?”

“Well not here,” I tapped the side of my head, “more like here.”

“And what did she say?”

“She gave me a quest which was affirmed by my system. She allowed my System Sight skill to extend into the Fey System for 7 days as a sign of good will and thanks for helping you. But she offered me a bigger reward like a class from this system if I could complete a quest. She gave us 7 days to remove all the Order from Basetown.”

Tad got quiet then and he was lost in though. Finally he asked, “Was that it?”

“She made it clear that recovering you was important but that dealing with the Order was more important. She implied that dealing with them in Basetown would only be a tiny part of the task but I got the sense she was talking about the real battle being against their god. I want you to know that I made it clear from the beginning that she couldn’t use me to get to you.”

“Thanks for that. I guess, in an odd way I’m sorta relieved by that. She wants me back, I get that. I’m part of the family. But I’m hardly her top priority. That also makes sense. If I was, then how would I have ever been lost in the first place.”

I knew he had a lot to think about, but after that our conversation refocused on the designs. We talked about how I’d been able to enchant items in my world and that it was done with rune smithing. The entire thing seemed odd to Tad. “I can feel the magic in your armor, but it feels artificial and temporary, maybe long lasting, but not indefinite.”

“That’s my understanding too. Enchanted items eventually run out of magic, but since coming to Aerth, I’ve learned that there’s a lot more to enchanting than I knew. I have already been trying to figure out how to use raw spiritual energy to match what you can do. My companion might have a better idea about that, but I can’t summon him here. Apparently, the Fey System has something against astral beings.”

Tad’s expression was one of surprise. “I don’t even know what that is. Can you explain a bit more.”

I did my best to tell him about the Astral plane, what an eidolon was, how I was bonded to Urg. He listened and commiserated with me at how hard it must be to not have Urg here.

Then his eyes lit up. The expression on his face was that of a mischievous or defiant child. “You know, you said you now have the ability to see into the system and I have authority as a prince. I wonder if we could find a work-around to get Urg here?”

“Hmm… maybe, are you willing to do that? It sounds like it might piss off the System which is basically your grandmothers isn’t it?”

He shrugged and laughed. “It’s not like I’m being entirely selfless with this. You said Urg is powerful right?”

I nodded. “Maybe stronger than me, Selena, or Samvek. I honestly think that his connection to me is holding him back from expressing all of his power.”

“Then I think it’s a great idea. As for upsetting some family that I’ve never met, maybe they shouldn’t have lost me in the first place.” His grin got positively wicked.

In the end, I didn’t care about his motivations. If he could help me understand how to overcome this restriction, then I’d get Urg back. I’d feel better just for his presence. His power would definitely be helpful in the upcoming struggle.

I focused my attention on Tad deliberately, not with curiosity but with the same care I used when negotiating with a system interface. System Sight slid into place, and the world peeled back in layers I was only just learning how to read. His presence wasn’t a single authority or a unified signature. It was two distinct forces braided together, each reinforcing the other while remaining unmistakably separate.

For just a moment, I imagined that I was seeing the world with green lines of code floating in front of my eyes, but then I let the fancy go. This was called System Sight but it was as much about feel as it was sight.

The first felt warm and expansive, like sunlight filtered through leaves. It carried growth, renewal, and an instinctive generosity that pushed outward rather than pressing down. This was Summer, and it resonated with life, momentum, and the idea that things were meant to become more than they were. When I brushed against that authority, it didn’t resist me so much as acknowledge me and move on.

The second was colder and far more precise. Void authority didn’t spread. It condensed, sharpened, and defined boundaries with absolute clarity. Where Summer encouraged, Void selected. It felt surgical, deliberate, and deeply personal, as if every ounce of power had been weighed before being allowed to exist. Standing between the two, Tad wasn’t torn. He was balanced, and that alone explained why the system tolerated him instead of rejecting him outright.

What struck me most was what wasn’t there. I could feel the absence of the third court like a sealed door, not empty but locked, its outline etched clearly into the structure of Tad’s authority. He didn’t lack it because he’d been denied. He lacked it because it was never his to begin with. That distinction mattered, because it meant the system wasn’t waiting for him to claim it. It was waiting to see what he’d do without it.

System Sight: 11 >> 14

I compared that to my own standing and felt the contrast immediately. I didn’t have authority here in the same way. I wasn’t recognized as native, royal, or bound. What I had instead was permission, broad and unsettling, to observe, interpret, and intervene. Where Tad was acknowledged by the Fey System, I was tolerated by it, and only because my own system vouched for me as something useful rather than something safe.

That realization made the path forward clearer. Tad didn’t need to force anything. His authority already fit the framework of this world. I was the irregular element, the one who could push where the system preferred stasis. Together, we weren’t breaking rules. We were exploiting overlap, using legitimacy from one side and leverage from the other.

I pulled my awareness back and met Tad’s eyes. He was watching me closely, not with suspicion but with the same quiet intensity he brought to everything that mattered. I nodded once, slow and certain, because now I understood what he could do and what he couldn’t. More importantly, I understood exactly where I fit into this.

“If we’re going to try this,” I said quietly, “it has to be both of us. I can force the question, but only you can make the system accept the answer.”

Tad didn’t hesitate. He just nodded back, and in that moment I knew we were past theory. The next step was action, and whatever resistance waited for us, we were about to find out how hard the Fey System could push when something truly new tried to enter its realm.

I turned inward next, letting System Sight slide along the familiar thread that connected me to Urg. That bond had always been deep, older than most of my other connections, anchored in shared growth rather than command. I was reminded that it was only because of Uncle Dan that I had Urg at all. It was an ability that I’d inherited from him even if I’d made it my own. Even now, with distance and interference, that connection thrummed steady and patient, as if he were simply waiting for me to stop being blocked.

The resistance showed itself immediately once I tried to follow the bond outward. It wasn’t a wall or a denial, but something closer to static, a constant interference layered over the connection. The Fey System wasn’t cutting Urg off directly. It was drowning the signal, flooding the space between worlds with noise that made coherent passage nearly impossible. I could feel the intent behind it, not hostile exactly, but defensive in a way that assumed anything outside the system was a threat by default.

As I examined that interference more closely, the logic behind it became obvious. Astral beings weren’t just powerful, they were conceptual. They existed as thought, or rather as thought given form, which meant they didn’t fit neatly into the authority structures the Fey Courts relied on. Letting something like Urg move freely through their realm wasn’t just a risk of violence. It was a risk of change, and everything about this system was built to preserve a carefully managed equilibrium.

That understanding didn’t make the resistance any weaker, but it made it predictable. The Fey System wasn’t reacting to Urg specifically. It was reacting to what he represented. A being outside its hierarchy, outside its lifecycle, and outside its control was the exact kind of variable the courts had spent millennia eliminating. Knowing that shifted my approach from confrontation to redirection.

System Sight: 14 >> 16

I opened my eyes and looked back at Tad. “I see why they don’t want him here,” I said quietly. “Urg isn’t under their authority, and he never will be. He’s a being of thought and intent, not growth and decay. To them, that’s chaos.” I paused, then added, “But you’re proof that they can tolerate exceptions when it suits them.”

Tad’s expression tightened, not with anger but with focus. “So what do you need from me?”

“Your blessing,” I replied. “Not as a workaround, but as a bridge. I can push the summon, but the moment it manifests, the system will try to shut it down. If your authority is already present and accepting him, it won’t be able to reject him outright.”

Tad didn’t answer immediately. He closed his eyes and reached inward, the dual authority within him stirring as Summer warmth and Void precision aligned. When he opened them again, there was no doubt left in his gaze. “Then do it,” he said. “If they’re going to fight this, they’ll have to fight both of us.”

I drew in a slow breath and centered myself, fingers curling as I reached for the summoning. The static intensified the moment I began, pressure building behind my eyes as the Fey System pushed back harder. Even so, the bond to Urg flared bright and steady, unwavering despite the interference. I braced myself, knowing the next step wouldn’t be gentle, and nodded once to Tad.

“I’m ready,” I said.

The resistance spiked the moment I committed. The static turned into pressure, then into pain, like trying to force my way through a storm that existed inside my skull. I felt Tad’s authority surge beside me, Summer warmth and Void sharpness interlocking as he accepted what I was doing rather than trying to control it. The Fey System pushed back hard, and the air around us began to vibrate with a high, keening tension that made my teeth ache.

My knees hit the floor before I realized I’d lost the strength to stand. Tad went down with me, one hand braced against the stone, the other clenched tight as if he were holding the world together by will alone. I could feel his power straining, not slipping, but stretched thin across too many vectors at once. Somewhere behind us, I heard Fara move, felt her presence snap into place at Tad’s side like a drawn blade.

“What are you doing to him?” she demanded, her voice sharp with fear and fury.

“No,” Tad muttered, the word dragged out like it cost him something. “He’s not hurting me.”

I couldn’t spare a thought for her, not now. The bond to Urg was blazing, a clear line of certainty cutting through the static, and I followed it with everything I had. I shoved the summoning through Tad’s acceptance, anchoring it in his authority instead of letting it collide directly with the system’s rejection. The pain doubled, then tripled, my vision fracturing into overlapping layers as the Fey System tried to reassert control.

I screamed inward with my will. The static tore. It wasn’t clean or open but it was enough.

The air in the warehouse rippled like heat over stone. Space folded inward, then outward, reality stretching to make room for something that didn’t belong and was coming anyway. I felt the pressure release in a sudden, violent rush, and the system’s resistance collapsed into a furious background hum that no longer had purchase. The summoning circle burned itself into existence, not drawn, not cast, but asserted.

Urg stepped through.

He emerged fully formed, no flicker or half-state, as if he’d always been waiting just beyond a door someone had finally opened. Ebony skin caught the light like polished obsidian, muscles carved deep and precise as living stone. His torso was broad, his neck thick, and his head tilted slightly as he took in the space with eyes that glowed with quiet awareness rather than aggression.

Four arms unfolded as he moved, each one powerful and steady, hands flexing as if testing the rules of this place. White wings spread behind him, vast and immaculate, feathers edged in faint luminescence that contrasted starkly with his dark form. The air shifted around him, pressure equalizing, the dungeon itself reacting with something that felt suspiciously like respect.  A moment later, I heard Spot’s voice audibly. “Greetings, Astral Lord to Be. The Ways acknowledge you.”

I felt him then, fully and completely, the bond snapping into perfect clarity. Relief crashed over me so hard it almost knocked me unconscious, and I sagged forward, catching myself with one hand on the floor. Urg turned toward me immediately, his presence enveloping, familiar, grounding in a way nothing else ever had been.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to.

The static faded into nothing, the Fey System’s resistance withdrawing into sullen silence as if it had just lost an argument it hadn’t expected to. I could feel Tad’s authority settle, the strain easing as he sucked in a ragged breath and pushed himself upright with Fara’s help. Around us, the warehouse felt different now, altered by the presence of something ancient and uncontained.

Urg stood there, wings half-spread, four arms relaxed at his sides, a being of thought and power made manifest in a realm that had tried very hard to keep him out. My strength ran out and both Tad and I collapsed. I felt Urg catch me and saw Fara catch Tad.

Then the notifications hit.

You have acted in defiance of the Fey System… error… authority granted, authority used… consequences being calculated.

Diplomatic Immunity as a System Mediator acknowledged.

You have summoned your Companion Urg. His status has been boosted by 10% as he is here more than ever before.  Ascension draws closer.

Summon Eidolon is ready to evolve to Legendary Tier. This cannot be delayed. Prepare for the evolutionary process to begin.

Then there was blackness. It wasn’t oblivion or unconsciousness. It was a state that I was pulled into as I found a oneness with Urg. He was so much more than I knew.

Exploration- Chapter 42

Well as often happens, this chapter got a bit longer than expected, but I decided not to split it.
Things are heating up and its about time to start shaping some metal.

About 8300 words for the day. I'm still thinking that I'll do another chapter, but gonna take a break for a bit so probably won't be till late.

Chapter 42- Design Phase

I leaned over the drafting table and started sketching, charcoal moving in confident strokes as the shape of the golem took form. Twelve feet tall meant proportions mattered more than brute mass. Too much weight in the torso and the joints would shear under motion, too little and the core would lack stability. My old DM would be proud of how much nerd lore I retained from D&D because I was definitely borrowing heavily.

This was different than any of my other designs up to this point. They had all included space and the structure had form. My armor was a matter of layers put together. When I drew a design for a building, I had to account for the internal space and optimize that while still making it strong enough on the outside.

None of that mattered here. All that mattered was that I get a humanoid form with the right proportions so that the weight would be distributed properly. A golem didn’t wear armor to protect itself, it’s body was it’s own protection. Obviously, I had to assume that the magic was going to do a lot of the hard work because as strong as iron was, it would have been like warm butter before Wayfinder. If these golems were truly going to be a legendary tier creation they would have to be stronger than that.

As I worked, I kept one part of my mind tuned to the forge. Spot adjusted heat levels automatically as I made notes, the temperature shifting in precise increments that told me it was tracking my intent rather than waiting for explicit commands. That alone was impressive. I’d worked with automated forges before, but this felt closer to collaboration than tooling. The dungeon had provided the heat and space I’d need. Now it was up to me to finish the vision of this.

I leaned over the drafting table and kept sketching, charcoal smudging my fingers as I erased and redrew the same silhouette for the fifth time. Twelve feet was tall enough to be imposing without becoming unwieldy, but every inch mattered when you were dealing with that much iron. I wasn’t trying to engineer joints or clever mechanisms. The magic would handle movement. My job was to give it a body that wouldn’t fight itself once it stood up.

I forced myself to stop thinking like a machinist. Iron in this context wasn’t steel beams and bolts, it was closer to Play Doh that remembered from childhood. If I tried to design articulated knees or rotating shoulders, I’d just be giving stress points somewhere to form. A golem didn’t need efficiency of motion the way a mortal did. It needed balance, mass, and inevitability.

There was this absent thought in me where I wished that I could design it like a T2 with liquid metal. That was just a dream though. This was a blunt instrument and there was nothing wrong with that. Maybe if it ever evolved to mithril, that would become possible.

I redrew the torso thicker, then thinner, testing how the weight would settle if it leaned forward or twisted at the waist. Too much mass up top and it would topple under sudden movement. Too little and the core would lack presence, the kind of physical authority that made enemies hesitate before they ever struck. I caught myself smiling at that thought. Presence mattered, even for constructs.

The arms were next, long and heavy, but not oversized. I wanted reach without turning them into anchors that would drag the body off balance. Hands stayed simple, broad palms with thick fingers, more suited to crushing and grappling than delicate work. Even with that though, I made sure to add as much extra mass as I felt would work to the hands. They were weapons after all and hitting harder required more mass. I just had to be careful not to throw the balance off. Not matter what the magic did, it would still be limited by my design.

I moved on to the legs, spending more time there than anywhere else. They needed to be pillars, not springs, able to absorb force without transmitting it upward into the torso. I widened the hips slightly and lowered the center of gravity until the stance felt grounded even on paper. When I imagined it moving, the image finally stopped wobbling in my mind. Finally, I added more mass to the feet, because just as with the hands, they too were weapons as much as a method of movement.

Once the physical form started to settle, my thoughts drifted toward runes almost against my will. Rune smithing wasn’t something I could ignore anymore. I didn’t want glowing symbols etched across the surface like decoration. That would be obvious and brittle. What I wanted were embedded strings, rune paths laid through the body like veins, reinforcing structure and giving power a place to flow. I knew that we were in Tad’s realm and that his type of enchanting was different from mine, but I wanted this golem to end up being a blend of both.

I kept sketching, but the silhouette wasn’t the problem anymore. The body shape had settled into something that felt stable in my mind, and now the real work began. I started drawing rune chains over and through the form, not as decoration, but as pathways, the way nerves and veins carried signals and strength through living bodies. Each line mattered, because each rune implied a behavior, a bias, and a cost.

My first instinct was to lean into reinforcement. I drew a spine of linked runes down the back, then branched it into the shoulders and hips, imagining the magic distributing impact the way force constructs did when they took a blow and bled it into harmless angles. That felt safe, but it also felt passive. A golem that only endured would eventually be buried under enough pressure, especially if it had to stand against awakened enemies who knew how to break things. I needed something that could endure and still push back.

I tried a second arrangement focused on momentum and kinetic return. The concept was simple enough, take the force that hit the golem and feed part of it back into its next motion, turning defense into offense. On paper it looked elegant, but when I followed the rune flow in my mind, I could see the failure point. Too much feedback and it would become unstable, amplifying impacts until joints and structure tore themselves apart. The last thing I wanted was a twelve-foot iron bomb with legs.

I erased that and went smaller. Instead of one grand network, I designed local chains, clusters of runes embedded in key mass points. Hands, forearms, shins, chest, and the thick ridge of the back. Each cluster would reinforce that section and help it accept strain without spreading it in unpredictable ways. That approach felt more like how I designed things back home, modular and adaptable. There was still the question about how compatible they would be. I didn’t know if runes here would only end up being etched tattoos of if they would carry actual magical power.  

As I worked, I kept coming back to the same principle. The golem body was iron, but the thing that would make it legendary wasn’t the metal. It would be the interactions between the control disc, the dungeon’s animation process, Tad’s authority, and whatever rune framework I provided. If I designed runes that fought the disc’s logic, I’d create friction. If I designed runes that guided and supported, the golem might become something far more than a walking statue.

I spent a long time testing chains that enhanced sensory input. Not perception in a living sense, but detection of force, heat, and magical pressure. A golem didn’t need to see. It needed to react when something struck it from behind, or when an aura tried to suppress it, or when a spell attempted to bind it. I sketched runes that would translate external pressure into internal instruction, the equivalent of reflex. That made me grin because it was exactly the kind of solution I’d have mocked as overthinking a year ago.

The next set was about durability and endurance, but I pushed it beyond simple reinforcement. If the golem could evolve to mithril and then adamantium, then its internal framework needed to survive those transitions. I designed the rune chains with deliberate slack, not as weakness but as room for growth, as if the runes themselves could widen and settle into the new material. I wasn’t sure if that was possible, but the logic of it felt right. Growth was the theme of this entire world, and fighting it would be foolish.

I tore two sheets out of the notebook and started over when the design became too busy. That had been my biggest weakness as a planner. I liked options, liked redundancy, liked covering every angle. In combat that often saved me. In crafting, too many moving parts meant too many failure points.

The third full draft was cleaner. A primary reinforcement chain ran through spine, hips, and shoulders, while secondary clusters in limbs handled impact and load. A third layer, thinner and more conceptual, was built around stability, keeping the golem’s internal flow from becoming chaotic when magic pressure surged. It didn’t feel flashy. It felt inevitable, like this was how it had always been meant to be.

I sat back and stared at it for a long moment, letting my mind run the pattern again and again. I imagined the golem moving, taking hits, pushing forward, and I watched for places where the rune flow would snag or loop or amplify in the wrong direction. The design held in my head without wobbling. That was the first time it had felt that way.

Once I was satisfied, I set the charcoal down and rubbed at my eyes. My hands were stained black, and my shoulders ached from being hunched over the table for so long. The irony wasn’t lost on me that I’d fought gods and ascendants and survived, then ended up exhausted by drawing lines on paper. Still, if we were going to do this, I wanted it done right.

I let the charcoal rest and wiped my hands on a rag before reaching for one of the iron golem control discs. It felt heavier than it should have for its size, not in simple mass but in implication. I turned it over slowly in my palm, half-expecting to feel the familiar thrum of spiritual energy that so many artifacts carried. There was nothing, no resonance, no warmth, and no sense of intent pressing back at me. I knew it worked on different principles of magic than I was accustomed to, but I still believed I could figure it out.

That absence made me slow down rather than relax. I extended my senses carefully, the same way I did when examining an unfamiliar spell or system interface. Spirit Sight showed nothing at all, no glow, no tether, no nascent soul waiting to be shaped or awakened. That made is clear that this wasn’t an item that was enchanted based upon the rules of the Fey System. All of the enchantments, I’d encountered here so far had been anchored by spiritual energy, what Tad called sprites. Those flashes of color I was always seeing.

I shifted my focus away from spirit and toward structure, and that was when things began to click. The disc wasn’t empty, it was dense with complexity, but the complexity wasn’t magical in flavor. It was patterned, layered, and precise in a way that reminded me more of code than spellwork, logic folded into logic with contingencies waiting for the right conditions. I followed those internal pathways carefully, resisting the urge to push too hard, and realized they only made sense if the golem body itself was part of the equation.

The disc wasn’t a power source. It was an operating system.

That realization sent a chill through me, equal parts excitement and caution. This thing wasn’t meant to animate something abstract or half-formed. It was designed to slot into a completed body but this disc alone wouldn’t enchant the golem. That was still going to be up to Tad and me. Now, though, I needed to better understand what this was.

I didn’t try to dismantle it, even though the temptation was there. This wasn’t something to take apart out of curiosity, and I knew better than to treat it like a spell I could brute-force my way through. Instead, I focused on understanding its intent and how it would interact with the design I’d drawn up. If the body was balanced correctly and the rune paths I planned didn’t interfere with its logic, then activating this wouldn’t be a gamble.

I pushed with System Sight to see if I could get any sense and got back nothing. I growled under my breath. I felt so close to understanding this, perhaps even gaining a deeper understanding of magic. The thought came to my mind again. All energy was energy and it simply existed in different forms. Mana, life force, XP, vitae, probably even Psi, it was all the same, although, I hadn’t quite figured out that last one.

So this shouldn’t be beyond me. I leaned harder into my Architect occupation even though this wasn’t the Heavens. Surely there was something I could do. My mind beat itself against the form of the disc like a battering ram. I was not going to be denied. This was something I wanted.

Error… you are attempting to use inapplicable skills, System Mediator.

That was it. I practically screamed with my mind, “Fine then mediate with me.”

For a moment, I thought nothing was going to come of it, but then I felt another presence. It was like being looked at by that Catholic nun with the ruler, even if I’d never been to a Catholic school. Whoever this was, they were looking at me and weighing me.

“How interesting, System Mediator. We haven’t had one of you during my reign, or my mother’s before me. In fact, I don’t know how long it’s been, but you intrigue me. You’ve been around my grandson.”

The words as much as the self-assurance in the words told me that I was dealing with a fey queen. This was a goddess as far as I understood the system and my most recent dealing with a goddess hadn’t been very good. I wondered if the Ways would intervene to help me if one of the queens tried to attack me.

“I have, but don’t think you can get to him through me. I rather like Tad and am lending him the aid that I can, but it isn’t my place to speak for him. On the other hand, I can speak for the Heavens as an Architect and I can make deals. So why are you responding to me?”

“Someone with your authority has been on our radar since you entered our realm. It’s quite quaint the way your system uses mortals to design new paths of growth.”

“As far as I know the only other Architect is a goddess and she’s not exactly a fan of mine. So perhaps being an architect at my level isn’t exactly the way things are supposed to work.”

“Oh don’t speak so lightly of yourself. You are clearly a fulcrum for fate. What remains to be seen is if you can help me with my biggest problem. As for Gallarosa, I’ve never met her. The Fey System is stable and has very little interaction with other systems.”

“As I said, I’m not going to turn Tad over to you, if he wants to reunite with his family that will be his decision.”

“No, no, Mediator. As important as regaining my son’s child is, I have a bigger problem. Although it occurs to me that we haven’t been properly introduced. I am Queen Simari of the Void Court.”

When she stopped speaking in my head, I took that as my cue to introduce myself. There was a reflexive desire to bow just because my parents had taught me manners, but I caught myself in time. It would have been silly to bow to someone who wasn’t physically there. “I am Silas Renner Kalestian, Forerunner, Architect of the System, System Mediator, Duke of Hell, and a Heretical Trailblazer of the Fused Path.” I knew I was laying it on a bit thick, but went with my instincts.

“My, my, that’s quite a mouthful. I also see that you’ve already gained some insights into the Fey system and that you doubtlessly want to gain a piece of our realm for your Fused Path. Yes, I can sense a bit of the primordial in you although it seems to be sealed. You should know that Tad won’t be able to give you a class. He has been extended a certain amount of privilege but granting such a thing to someone such as you will only come directly from a queen.”

“Or the Ways?”

The was a moment of hesitation before she answered, not much, but enough to convince me that she didn’t know about what I’d been offered. “No, not even the Ways, although I suppose they could give you other things. I’m beginning to wonder how random it was that you ended up here. Perhaps we have allowed things to go too stagnant.”

She said the last as though she were speaking to herself rather than me. I could sense the difference but didn’t believe for an instant that any word which came out of her mouth was accidental. There were too many fairy tales about those who made poor bargains with fey.

“Then if it isn’t Tad that you want, you must want my help with the Order.”

“Well you got it in one. I propose a temporary agreement. I will allow you to extend whatever ability it is that allows you to see the underpinnings of your system to the Fey System as well for say 7 days. In exchange you must agree to help rid Basetown of the Order. I’m not going to ask you for a task that’s beyond your capability. And in turn, if you do so, then I’ll grant you a class and a proper connection to the Fey System.”

I thought about her offer. We were intending to help Tad anyway. If the boon was only for 7 days then she must have realized that things were going to come to a head before that point. I didn’t see any trap in what she’d said, although sometimes I could be blind. The clock was ticking though. “I’ll agree to that with one change. I need my connection to the Fey System to be approved by all three courts.”

“Oh, such a smart boy. I do like them like you. If you ever tire of the struggles of a Forerunner, I could find a place for you in my court. Humans aren’t typically welcome, but perhaps that was an oversight on our part. And in truth, you’re so much more than a human now. I could even help you open your primordial nature. Would you like that?”

I felt like I was being baited so I simply said, “Do we have a deal?”

Rather than getting a response from her I got a notification.

New Quest- Clear the Order out of Basetown.

Difficulty: Extreme

Reward: A connection to the Fey System, details to be negotiated

Status of remaining Order members: Arbiter- 1 of 1, Infiltrators 23 of /23, Dreadnought 65 of 68, Law Wardens 19 of 20, Light Seers 2 of 2, Truth Flames 10 of 10, Law Speakers 14 of 26, Law Keepers 184 of 240.

As soon as I got the notification, I felt a buzzing behind my eyes. I could see so much more in this realm now. I might not have the ability to modify it… yet, but I could see more of the rules of this system. The disc suddenly made sense. It was a true artifact but had been created incomplete without the sprites necessary to empower it. I understood the code of it so much more now. Better than anything, I now had a clear vision for how we would animate the golem.

Now, all I had to do was grab a quick nap before the iron got here. Once that happened, I was sure that neither Tad nor I would be willing to delay any further.

_______________________

Skill Gains Not Otherwise Mentioned:

Design: 315 >> 322

Programming: 271 >> 275

Rune Smithing: 283 >> 290

Drawing: 58 >> 64

Exploration- Chapter 41

After writing so much of Tad's crafting style over the past year, I feel like I haven't gotten to write Silas crafting in forever. Not really since he made his armor. There's been some little stuff, but no real process.

That's about to change.

Chapter 41- Finishing Up

Fara didn’t kneel in front of Tad and no one acted surprised by that. Tad certainly didn’t ask her to, not that he’d asked any of the others. Like me, Tad seemed uncomfortable with signs of submission like that, but had grown to accept the necessity. The relationship he had with Fara was clearly different and that alone told me to expect good things from this awakening.

She stepped forward on her own, stopping a pace away from him, posture loose but coiled, like a blade resting in a sheath. There was no ceremony in her movements, no attempt to make this look solemn. Her tail flicked once behind her, and her eyes never left Tad’s face. She was excited but there was more to it. There was a look of ownership, like Tad was hers, not like some jealous girlfriend but like a guard standing watch over something truly precious. They had history and while I only knew a little bit of it, they’d clearly been through a lot together. That breeds a familiarity that nothing else can. I thought about Samvek, Selena, Lana, Jiang, Cece, even Asta. There were similar bonds that I shared with each of them.

“You don’t need to test it with me,” Fara said. Her voice was steady, but there was heat under it. “I’ve trusted you longer than anyone else here.”

Tad swallowed, and for the first time since the awakenings began, he looked unsure. Not afraid. Just aware of the weight of what he was about to do. “That’s exactly why this matters,” he said. “You’re not just following me. You never were. I’d have been lost without you.”

Fara nodded once. “Of course you would. Your head is in the sky too much of the time, but that’s why you needed an attendant.”

The warehouse seemed to lean in again, that same charged stillness settling over the space. I felt something shift between them before any potion changed hands, a resonance already present, already aligned. This wasn’t prince and subject. This was survivor and protector, forged long before systems or courts had taken notice.

Tad lifted the potion and handed it to Fara who took it and drained it without hesitation.

The reaction was instant and violent. The ascendant energy didn’t flood her so much as ignite, tearing through her channels with predatory speed. Fara gasped, knees bending as her claws scraped against the stone, and the air around her warped with pressure. Tad was already there, one hand gripping her forearm, the other braced against her back, anchoring her before the surge could throw her apart.

Sprites exploded into view. Not drifting sparks this time, but swarms of color, red-gold, shadowed violet, flashes of sharp silver and ember-orange, circling Fara in tight, aggressive spirals. They didn’t hover politely or keep their distance. They dove, clung, recoiled, then surged again, drawn to something feral and incandescent in her soul.

I could see how they were pulled to Tad and while they were interested in Fara it was her connection to him that made them come in such numbers.

There was no oath this time, just a shifting that anyone with enough magical sensitivity should have been able to feel. There was a momentary fusing of the two and Fara’s power shot up as her soul seemed to expand. The power flowed back and forth with genuine give and take.

Fara screamed, but it didn’t seem like there was any pain. The rush of the changes in her must have been more than she expected.

Her aura detonated outward, a wild, burning thing that snapped back under Tad’s control just before it could lash out at the rest of us. Her scales glowed faintly, patterns shifting beneath them as her body and soul reconfigured in tandem. I could see it clearly with Spirit Sight. Where the others had been reinforced, refined, or aligned, Fara was being rewritten along lines that already existed but had never been allowed to fully express themselves.

Tad leaned harder into the process, sweat pouring down his face as he shaped the flow with ruthless precision. “Easy,” he murmured, not commanding, not restraining. Guiding. “You’re not losing yourself. You’re sharpening.”

The sprites reacted to that, their chaotic orbit tightening into a coherent pattern before dispersing all at once, like a pack that had decided there was nothing more to see here.

Fara collapsed forward, one hand braced against the floor, breathing hard, shoulders shaking. Tad stayed with her, steady and present, until her breathing slowed and her aura stabilized. Even then, it felt dangerous, coiled, like a predator at rest rather than spent.

The notification chimed, but I barely needed it.

          Fara Shadeless     (Legendary- Equivalent)  Level: 218

            Awakened Lacertian

            Bonded to a Prince of the Fey and tied as his protector of the Void Court. This awakening has boosted Agility and Perception each by 200 points.

            New Class: Void’s Shadow- each royal fey is appointed a hidden guardian who helps to protect them when their chaotic natures inevitably lead to problems. As the Twin Prince is connected to two courts, you were linked to the one which most closely matched your nature.

            As a Void’s Shadow you gain abilities possessed by the fey prince you guard including: Affinity for Void Magic, Soul Resistance, and Overclocked. Your bonus from Tad’s Stand in Front Trait is increased from a 25% bonus to a 50% bonus. You also gain the title Survivor, making you harder to kill the lower your life total reaches.

Void’s Shadow is a Champion class and gains additional stats at each level retroactively.

Her level had jumped higher than the others. I had to assume that the last three hours with Selena had been profitable for her. They must have been pushing very hard to have ended up in that condition. Doing the math became interesting. If she was 50% stronger than her level said then that put her at about 327. If she gained bonus stats for every level, then it was even more. She might just be able to give some of those Order awakened a run for their money in a one on one.

She pushed herself upright and looked at Tad, eyes blazing. Then she grinned, sharp and unapologetic. “Took you long enough.”

Tad laughed, exhausted and relieved all at once. “You were already terrifying. I just stopped holding you back.”

I exhaled slowly, realizing only then how tense I’d been. This awakening hadn’t just been stronger. It had been truer, shaped by shared history instead of hierarchy. This was something that I could build upon. I’d already done something like that with Samvek, but seeing how Tad did it, it convinced me that I could improve on the process I’d used.

As much fun as I was having here, at least a part of me needed to keep in mind all that was riding on my success. This could be a vacation, but it was a working vacation.

Tad straightened with visible effort and looked around at all of us. “That’s it for tonight,” he said. “If I do any more tonight I’ll make mistakes. But I want you all to know that I’m honored to have you on my team. I still don’t know how, but we’re going to figure out how to defeat the Order. Even if I have to make contact with my grandmothers.”

No one argued or added anything to his words. They all knew how overwhelming the challenge facing them and this was their home. I didn’t say anything because no matter how strong I felt, I didn’t have as much skin in this game.

Fara was the first to actually speak. “Good, then for once you’ll listen and take a nap. Those golems are going to be vital if we win, so you have to be in your best shape to make them.”

He nodded, “Silas and I have a bit to talk about, but I promise, I’ll eat and take a nap.”

That seemed to make her happy and she started moving around, apparently making preparations for him to sleep. It was a good reminder of all the people I had in my life who looked out for me.

Samvek and Selena exchanged a look with me and I sent a thank you to both of them with my eyes. It seemed like they got the meaning. Then Selena nodded toward the dungeon entrance. “We’ll take them in groups of four,” she said. “Let them stretch their new limits without drowning them. Fara was really starting to slow down when we finished up and I had to push myself pretty hard to keep the XP coming in for her. The dungeon seems to have adapted again and it was throwing level 280 monsters at us even when it was just the two of us.”

Tad nodded and looked at me. “As long as you’re okay with that, I’d like to send in the four forest elves first. I have some things that I need Clay and Oliver to do for me. Fara needs rest, and Lexa wants to go meet with Arbormaris.”

“It’s fine with me.” I looked at Selena, “You sure you don’t need some rest after that last run? It looked like it was pretty rough.”

She put her hands on her hips with what I’d come to recognize as mock outrage. “Are you saying that I look bad?”

I smiled back at her. “I’m not suicidal, besides, you’re gorgeous so why would I ever lie. I just want to do the same thing you do for me and make sure you aren’t pushing yourself too hard.”

She smiled back. “You’re good at this. Don’t worry, with Samvek there, I won’t have to push as hard. We might even do a run on level 4 first to see how they adapt to their new power.”

“Makes sense. I’m gonna get busy setting up a forge here.”

Then she, Samvek, and the four forest elves descended into the dungeon. Lexa had already disappeared, which was saying something because my senses usually caught everything.

Clay and Oliver were still standing near the worktables when Tad finally spoke again, his exhaustion worn openly now that the awakenings were finished. He didn’t waste time on preamble. He simply asked whether they could source ten thousand pounds of iron and move it to the warehouse without drawing attention. The question was blunt, not because Tad was being rude, but because he knew that it was going to be difficult given the presence of the Order in Basetown.

I imagined that in a modern world 10,000 lbs. of iron wouldn’t be all that difficult for a company to get, but it sure seemed like a lot for the level of technology they had here.

I stepped in before either of them could answer. “Make it eleven or twelve thousand,” I said. “Forging something that big is going to involve mistakes, trimming, and losses. I’d rather have excess than realize halfway through that we’re short.” Tad nodded immediately, already passing the adjustment on to Spot through whatever silent channel they shared.

Clay grimaced, doing mental math, while Oliver exhaled slowly and rubbed at his temple. “That much iron exists,” Oliver said, careful and precise even now. “The difficulty isn’t finding it. It’s moving it quietly. The Order has eyes everywhere, and iron in that quantity doesn’t exactly disappear.” He paused, then added, “We can do it, but it’ll take hours, not minutes.”

“That’s fine,” I replied. “We’re not racing the clock tonight. Tad needs to rest and honestly, I thought it might end up taking days. I apologize but I simply have no real idea what is normal for your world. We just need to avoid announcing ourselves.”

Clay nodded at that, resolve firming in his posture. He’d been a guild master long enough to understand logistics, and this was exactly the kind of problem he was good at solving. He and Oliver exchanged a glance and he shook his head, “Otherworlders.” There was a smile on his lips so I knew he was playing.

They left shortly after, already discussing routes, storage yards, and which merchants asked the fewest questions. Clay clearly had more knowledge of Basetown as Oliver hadn’t been active here for twenty years, but he could also move around and use his official position within the empire as Grand Mage to ensure that merchants stayed quiet. Watching them go reminded me again that not every contribution came from raw power. Some battles were won before a weapon was ever raised. Once they were gone, the warehouse felt emptier, the echo of their footsteps swallowed by the stone and wood.

I turned back to Tad and gestured at the cleared space near the center of the warehouse. “I’m going to need a forge,” I said. “A real one, not a camp setup. I need space to lay out a twelve-foot body, overhead clearance, and a drafting table where I can work through the design before I touch any metal.” I hesitated, then added, “If Spot can manage controlled heat zones and stable airflow, that would help more than you know.”

The hardest part here was that the Crembori had built my forge back on Earth. I might have the blacksmithing and metallurgy skills on my status sheet and as far as that went, I could do the job. But because I hadn’t learned those skills the old fashioned way with a bunch of study and painstaking practice, I didn’t understand all of the set up that was necessary. I knew what I needed it to do, but not how to make it.

Tad didn’t hesitate. He placed a hand against the dungeon’s influence and closed his eyes, posture shifting as he relayed instructions. I felt the response almost immediately, a subtle change in pressure and temperature as the warehouse floor thrummed beneath our feet. Spot wasn’t just listening. It was eager.

The dungeon expanded upward this time instead of down. Stone flowed like wax along the far wall, reshaping itself into a massive furnace structure with vents, channels, and a hearth large enough to swallow a truck. The heat was present but contained, steady and even, nothing like the wild breath of dragonfire. There was something both old and new about the forge. Obviously, when I’d put part of myself into the core, it had also gotten a look into some of my memories because this forge looked far too high-tech for Basetown. I couldn’t wait to use it, but that wasn’t all.

Nearby, a raised stone table formed, smooth and perfectly level, its surface etched faintly with geometric guidelines that made my fingers itch to start drawing. There were going to be many stages to this project and if I admitted it to myself, the visionary stage was my favorite. Some people were great at details, but that wasn’t really me. I was better at grand gestures and dramatic flourish. I lived in a dream and the world around me always seemed to be struggling to catch up.

I walked the perimeter slowly, taking it all in. The forge felt right, not just functional but intentional, like it had been built by something that understood purpose. I asked for a drafting table, and a moment later one rose near the forge, its surface angled just enough to be comfortable. Charcoal, chalk, and measuring tools followed, laid out with meticulous care.

Yes… this would work nicely.

Exploration- Chapter 40

This one grew so I split it. The next chapter is 3/4ths done, but I'm about to hop on a planning call with Aaron Renfroe about Apocalypse Breaker 4. Then I have to pick up my grandkids from school (since the wife is out of town), so I probably won't get Chapter 41 to you for another 3 hours.

Chapter 40- Learning More

Crynane stepped forward without hesitation. The dark elf didn’t glance at anyone else or seek reassurance, and she didn’t ask what the process would cost her. She simply knelt across from Tad and folded her hands, posture composed and deliberate, as if this were a duty long anticipated rather than a gamble with her soul. There was no fear in her, only resolve.

This matched the few observations I’d been able to make about her. She was different from the other elves. There was always a bit of tension between her and them despite the fact that they both followed Tad. The little bit about her past that I learned was that she had been the only one of the elves who was an adventurer before she met Tad. The others had been living in a small village and living mundane lives.

          The concept of hostility between different variants of elves was hardly outside of my expectations. Plenty of fiction had presented that concept and more often than not, I was finding that our fiction had apparently drawn upon multiversal norms. Thinking about it though brought the RA Corporation to mind and the blind favor that I owed it’s owner Salvor Tore. If I were to accept the herald offer, I had a feeling that debt would be called in sooner. That kind of power might let me accomplish whatever it was that he was angling for.

 Then, I realized I was letting my mind wander and focused in on what was happening before me. Crynane’s presence felt a bit different. All of the forest elves, even Dylus with his apparent grief had a sense of light and growth about them. It made it easy to understand the tension with Crynane. They were inherently different beings. She was all shadow and silence.

Tad paused longer than he had with the others. “I know you chose to follow me for your own reasons, but I’d feel bad if I didn’t give you a chance to leave without binding yourself this tightly to me. You know that with the fight we’re going to have, just here in Basetown that there are real risks.”

“You didn’t ask any of the surface elves this.”

Tad seemed flustered with that and after letting him hang there for a second she said, “If you can do this for me, then I promise that I can bring a few hundred more dark elves to your banner just for a chance to be awakened.”

“I just want to run a shop, not build an army.”

“Mmhmm, you are what you are my prince whether you want to be or not.”

For a moment there, I felt for Tad. Life had a way of growing out of control, but then I glanced over at Samvek. I thought about all the friends, and even a fiancé that I’d made because of the changes in my life. My lips settled into a smile. I wouldn’t give any of it back even if it saved me from all the pain and suffering.

Meanwhile Tad’s attention turned inward. His senses were clearly engaged in ways I still didn’t fully understand, and when he finally moved, his actions were careful to the point of reverence. He offered the vial, and Crynane drank it in one smooth motion, not a sip. The time for testing was gone and she was fully committed. The ascendant energy spread through her as with the others.

The warehouse seemed to dim, not in brightness but in activity, as though motion itself had slowed. I felt the power descend through Crynane’s channels like a cold current beneath ice, reinforcing instead of tearing, compressing instead of expanding. Tad leaned forward slightly, guiding only when necessary, his authority present but restrained. This wasn’t a flood to be shaped. It was a foundation being reinforced.

Sprites appeared, but only a few. They flickered at the edges of perception in muted tones, dark violet and pale silver, hovering without drawing close. Unlike before, they didn’t circle or cluster. They watched from a distance, as if recognizing that this soul was not something to meddle with lightly.

The oath took hold without spectacle. I felt it settle, heavy and final, like stone placed at the bottom of deep water. The bond between Tad and Crynane didn’t feel like allegiance in the way the Order imposed it. It felt like acknowledgment, a recognition of worth rather than a claim of ownership.

When the power finished settling, Crynane rose without wavering. Her aura didn’t grow larger, but it became denser, harder to shift, and I realized it had become difficult to read her without effort. Spirit Sight showed fewer bright flares than the others, but the channels that existed were deep and reinforced, built to endure strain that would have shattered lesser beings.

Her nature, everything about her was more muted than the other elves, but by examining her I could better understand the duality in Tad. He’d said he was from two different fey courts. I’d never been one for fey romance books, but I knew a little lore and at least some of it was accurate. That might be what made Tad so interesting. He was a man straddling two different worlds.

The notification arrived quietly, almost incidental compared to what I’d felt. Crynane had reached level 155, but the number barely mattered. What mattered was how real she felt now, how firmly she occupied the space around her. Just as with the others, this awakening was personal.

Then I noticed it. There was something different. There was an extra concentration around her soul. Before I knew what I was asking, I blurted out, “What’s that ring around her soul?”

Tad shook his head. “You saw that, huh?”

I nodded.

“It wasn’t intentional, but I’m getting the hang of this. I was able to refine her a bit more. The awakening connects us and opens up their potential, but I’m beginning to see how I can guide that potential. I was able to boost the power of her magic further enhancing both her curses and her healing.”

Then he glanced at the other elves. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can redo your awakenings, and I know she got an extra boost, but it wasn’t meant as a display of favoritism. I’m just learning as I go.”

They all gave him short bows and Mirren said, “We would never question you about that, my prince.”

 Oliver didn’t move right away. He’d been watching every awakening with the intensity of a scholar who knew he was witnessing something that would rewrite entire fields of study, and I could see the conflict playing out behind his eyes. This wasn’t just about power for him. I was paying attention and I got him to some extent. He was a man driven by duty to his kingdom and people. At some point, rather recently, he’d discovered that much of what he’d thought to be true was not.

It was fascinating for me to watch from the outside as Tad shook up these people’s lives without intending to. It was also a cautionary tale and reminder to me about the impact I had on those around me. In many ways, these insights alone would have made this trip worth it. The fact I was having a ton of fun only made it all that much better.

In Oliver as well as Clay’s case, their understanding of the universe they lived in had changed. The limits they thought were real turned out to be barriers placed by a being from beyond this world. The Lawgiver had proven himself to be no friend of Aerth.  When he finally stepped forward, his shoulders were squared, but there was a gravity to his movements that hadn’t been there before. His decision had been made.

He didn’t kneel at first. Instead, he looked at Tad directly, meeting his gaze without arrogance or defiance. “If I do this,” he said quietly, “then I’m done pretending that reform is possible from the inside. I won’t hedge. I won’t keep one foot in the empire and one foot out. I’m committing because it’s the only way to save my people from being bled dry by the Order.” His voice didn’t waver, but the cost of those words was written all over him.

Tad studied him for a long moment, then nodded once. “I won’t lie. I hate the Order with a passion that is in my blood. I mean that literally. It’s just a part of me and I can’t change that. It may color how I see thing but you have my promise that I want to improve life for regular people. Once I learned I could create magical items, all I could think about was running a shop that would not only sell sharp magical sticks to adventurers but also things like the ice boxes, endless water supplies, and magical lighting to improve daily life. I am and always will be that orphan. I’m connected to the people here despite what’s in my blood not because of it.”

In response to the sincerity in Tad’s voice, Oliver knelt, far less gracefully than the elves had, and accepted the vial with both hands. When he drank, the reaction was immediate and violent compared to the others, the ascendant energy slamming into him like a storm front instead of settling gently. Oliver gasped, fingers digging into the floor as raw power tore through channels that had been shaped by study and discipline rather than instinct.

This awakening was messy. Mana flared and snapped around him in unstable arcs, and I felt Tad lean harder into the process, authority firming as he guided the surge away from catastrophic overload. Sprites appeared in a sudden burst, far more numerous than before, their colors erratic and bright, clustering and scattering as if arguing with one another. I realized then that Oliver’s magic wasn’t just personal. It was academic, layered with borrowed frameworks and half-understood theories that now had to be reconciled with something real. He had been at a higher level of power than any of the others for a longer time.

The oath took longer to settle. I felt it form in stages, each one locking into place as Oliver consciously accepted what he was becoming bound to. When it finally held, his aura snapped into focus, less elegant than Mirren’s, less predatory than Lia’s, but expansive in a way that made my scalp prickle. Knowledge had always been his strength, and now that knowledge had weight.

When Oliver stood, it was with visible effort, but his eyes were bright in a way I hadn’t seen before. His level had shot up to 201 with the extra XP that he’d collected on our most recent dungeon run. More than that, I saw how he was refined inside. Tad really was getting better at this and I was taking notes.

He mumbled, “I can feel all the magic around me. I don’t know what you’ve done, but my class changed.”

          I hadn’t paid attention because I’d only been curious about his level but when I looked at the identification, I saw the difference. His class was now listed as Meta-Mage rather than Grand Mage and the description was interesting.

Meta-Mage: One of the blessed few mortals who can both see and feeel the very flows of magic. Your soul has been deeply connected to the magic of the Fey which powers this realm. You can now work with any spell and shape them as you see fit or even use no spell at all and craft your own.

For achieving this class you gain +300 to your Magic stat. Further as a meta mage, whenever you are in the presence of a fey, your magic stat and potency are increased by 10% for each fey. In the presence of the one who awakened you that is increased to 30%. As your oath of loyalty has been accepted you gain the 25% boost to all stats, spells, level efficiency, and traits based upon the power of the Twin Prince.

There was so much to unpack but before anyone could speak further. The dungeon opened up in the floor and practically spat out Selena and Fara. They looked a bit scuffed and Selena was breathing harder than she would have admitted to. There were scorch marks on Fara’s armor and a thin line of blood along one scaled forearm, already drying. Neither of them offered an explanation, and no one asked.

Fara’s gaze went straight to Tad, then to the empty space beside him. The impatience that had been simmering in her earlier had hardened into resolve. Whatever had happened in the dungeon, it hadn’t slowed her down. If anything, it had sharpened her focus.

Tad exhaled slowly and looked around at the group, now larger, stronger, and irrevocably changed. “All right,” he said, fatigue creeping into his voice at last. “One more.”

Exploration- Chapter 39

I forgot about the CFP playoff game tonight which distracted me some, but still just shy of 7k which isn't too bad for a slow production day where I rested my eyes.

If I can keep these habits, 2026 is going to be my most productive year. More stories and more chapters coming your way.

Thanks for understanding when I need to ease up on a given day and when other aspects of life get in my way.

Chapter 39- Liquid Magic

Coming out of this dungeon was so much easier. Spot was accommodating and smoothed a path for us out and there were no guards waiting to attack us at the exit. I knew this was what I should have expected, but somehow after the other dungeon, this felt different. Maybe it my connection with the dungeon.

That brought up something else. Selena was a Pioneer, which meant that she had a connection to my primordial aspect. The fact that she could sense that in the dungeon made me wonder just how strong that connection was. A thought formed in my mind, but I shook my head. I was probably being silly. I discarded it for now. There’d be time to think about long-shots later on.

For now though, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw her. She was practically dancing. She immediately noticed and grinned. “Best dungeon run ever. These swords are amazing. I feel so light on my feet. I’ve never gotten such a huge bump in my stats at one time.” Then she seemed to get serious for a while. “Is this how you feel all the time? Because if it is, then I can understand how you rush into things and just expect them to turn out right.”

“Uh, thanks”

She was next to me in a flash with her arm wrapped around mine. “Grumpy because you can’t use the loot that was made for you?”

“Who says I can’t use it.”

“Oh, I’m not telling you what to do. If my fiancé wants to become some multi-system powerhouse who can take me traveling all over, then I won’t argue. Even my uncle couldn’t dispute that. But, I think I know you well enough by now. You’re a good man, sometimes a simple man, and that makes you reliable. I’m glad to have some reliable in my life.”

I didn’t argue with her. I wanted to be able to accept the life being offered. Silver Surfer had been my dad’s favorite comic book. He’d always made a big deal of insisting that the Ron Lim art was the best version. In the end, he said there was something about Surfer that hit him. This guy had all this amazing power, he got to travel around and live the life he’d dreamed about, but in the end he was always beholden to someone.

He had always said that the military felt like that sometimes. Being deployed sucked, but getting to travel all over both before us kids and after, had been great in his mind. He like the change, but because he had to follow orders, it could all be upended at a moment’s notice. He said it was the balance between duty and freedom where a man found out what his true character was.

I shook my head. I should probably stop thinking about things my dad said. By Earth time he’d only been gone a little over three years, but thanks to time dilation it had been closer to 8 years for me. Shouldn’t that be long enough to stop grieving?

“Where’d you go? I lost you there for a minute.”

I returned my focus to Selena. “Sorry, just thinking about something my dad said.”

She didn’t respond but pressed herself closer to me. I knew that she didn’t fully understand what family meant to me. Her relationships had been so much more strained, especially with her father. But she knew how to be supportive and that was growth for her. I just hoped I was growing.

“You’re probably right, but I can’t bring myself to say ‘no’ quite yet. It would solve so many problems.”

“And create a bunch of new ones, but you already knew that. Maybe, if you ask nicely they’ll give you one of the stat potions.”

“I wouldn’t turn it down, but I’m not going to presume on that. Besides, I’m gonna get to make an iron golem. For now though let’s see what they want to do.”

The inside of the warehouse had changed significantly. I didn’t ask exactly how, but I assumed that Tad had some ability that allowed him to make things, that or he could bring materials out of the dungeon. There were tables, and places to cook, and comfortable seating. Samvek asked, “Not worried about us being found here?”

Tad said, “I was. I am. But I decided it wasn’t worth being uncomfortable for. They aren’t going to find us because of the furniture but the next 6 plus days will be comfortable at least. How’d the dungeon go?”

We all sat down, ate a good warm meal and I let Oliver and Clay talk about the dungeon. Lexa added some and showed the most emotion I’d ever seen from her when Tad praised her new level. He was very thankful to us for advancing them.

Then I said, “Well wait till you see what we got for loot.” I explained about my upgraded ability. Tad seemed to realize that there was more in play, although I hadn’t shared about the details of the herald offer. When I showed him the potions he could only shake his head. Then he marveled over the golem control discs.

An expression of concern crossed his face. “Did you see the requirement on these?”

“Which one?”

As it turned out, Tad was able to get more information out of the item than I was. He projected the extra line.

In order to use this disc the golem body must be handcrafted by the individuals who will control the golem.

          “Is that a problem?”

“Considering how much trouble we’ve had with a stone golem… and I don’t have the necessary skills to be able to forge metal like that. I once had the chance to take a trait, but I probably would have had to level it up several times.”

“Well then I guess this will be my chance to contribute more to our partnership.”

“You can forge something like that?” There was hope on Tad’s face.

“With the metal and a proper forge, yes. My blacksmithing skill isn’t amazing, but I was able to craft my own armor and I forged a new alloy that uses my blood to empower it. A simple metal like iron should be easy.”

That put him at ease. We discussed what to do next but the excitement from Tad’s people was too great. They wanted to see if he could awaken them with these potions. He didn’t have the heart to make them wait so we could start on the golems. It was all good, I wanted to watch the process again as I still needed to create three more horsemen and this seemed to act as a model for how to do it.

The warehouse went quiet in a way that had nothing to do with sound. It was anticipation. Even with everyone present, it felt like the space itself was waiting, holding its breath as Tad set the potion down between himself and Mirren. The vial glowed faintly, not bright or dramatic, but dense, like light trapped in glass and pressed tight. Fara stood off to the side, arms crossed, clearly vibrating with impatience, while the rest of us instinctively gave the two space. There was so much more than a potion to drink. This was something closer to a rite.

Mirren knelt first, folding her legs beneath her with practiced calm. She didn’t look afraid, but there was tension in her shoulders that hadn’t been there during the dungeon run. Her magic was the natural and healing. I’d watched her back when we made that run in the Endless Dungeon. She cared about her people and practically revered Tad, but now she was excited about what this could mean for her.

 Tad watched her closely, eyes half-lidded, his attention turned inward in a way that reminded me of how I focused when negotiating with the system itself.

Fara broke the silence. “If anyone should go first, it should be me.”
Tad didn’t look up when he answered. “I know why you want that, but no. We already know that this works on people from Aerth. We need to make sure that it will work with a potion and so we change the fewest variables. This needs to work on someone Aerth recognizes fully. I won’t gamble with you before I understand the process.”

Fara’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue further. It was hard to argue with the clear desire Tad had to protect her. If Mirren took offense at that, I couldn’t read it in her expression or body language. Selena shifted slightly closer to Fara, a silent reminder that patience was sometimes its own form of strength.

Tad picked up the vial and held it between his palms for a moment, as if feeling its weight. “Just a sip,” he said gently. “I need to watch how the potion interacts with you. This is a new magic for all of us.”

Mirren nodded and took the vial with both hands. She drank only a fraction, barely enough to wet her lips, and then passed it back without hesitation.

The reaction was immediate, though not explosive. I felt it more than I saw it, a subtle tightening of the air as the potion’s energy unfolded inside her. Mirren inhaled sharply, fingers curling against her knees, and a soft glow spread beneath her skin like embers buried under ash. Tad leaned forward, one hand hovering just above her sternum, his expression shifting as he tracked something invisible.

Oliver whispered, almost to himself, “He’s smelling it.”

I frowned at that. “Smelling what?”

“Magic,” Oliver replied quietly. “I’ve read about sniffers before, but I’ve never seen anyone actually do it. What Tad does though takes it to a whole new level.”

Mirren’s breathing steadied, but her aura changed. It didn’t flare or expand, but it gained definition, edges sharpening as if something inside her had been given structure. Tad exhaled slowly, relief bleeding into his posture. “Good. The energy’s integrating instead of tearing. She’s compatible.”

Compatible. The word carried more weight than he probably intended.

“Drink the rest,” Tad said, voice firm now. “I’ve got you.” Mirren didn’t hesitate. She lifted the vial again and drained it completely.

The ascendant-tier energy hit like a tidal surge. Mirren gasped, her back arching as power roared through her channels, and the warehouse lights flickered as if reality itself recoiled. Tad caught her wrist and shoulder at the same time, anchoring her physically while his will wrapped around the incoming force. This wasn’t brute control. It was guidance, shaping a flood into something that could be survived.

Sprites began to appear.

At first they were just flashes at the edge of my vision, quick sparks of green and gold darting through the air. Then they multiplied, clustering around Mirren in loose orbits, responding to the resonance between her soul and the potion’s power. Tad’s authority pressed outward, not as a command but as a framework, giving those nascent spirits somewhere to settle without being consumed. It wasn’t like the enchantments it just seemed that the sprites were interested in what was happening. I used it as an opportunity to learn more about enchanting in this realm.

Then my attention snapped back to Mirren. I felt the moment the oath took hold.

It wasn’t spoken aloud, but it resonated through the room like a bell struck underwater. Mirren’s connection to Tad deepened, not forced, not binding in the way the Order did it, but acknowledged. You are seen. You are chosen. You belong here. The difference was stark enough that it made my skin prickle.

Mirren cried out softly. There was no pain on her face, this was simply the release of tension. The power settled, folding inward instead of ripping outward, and her presence grew denser, more real. I could feel it clearly now, the way her soul anchored itself more firmly into her body, her potential no longer diffuse but aligned. The sprites drifted closer, then slowly dispersed, signaling that they thought the show was over.

When it was over, Mirren slumped forward, breathing hard but alive. Tad kept his hands on her for several seconds longer, ensuring stability before easing back. Sweat beaded along his hairline, but there was satisfaction there too, something earned rather than given.

A notification chimed in my awareness, mirrored by several others around the room.

          Mirren Helena has been Awakened and is bound to the Twin Prince of the Summer and Void Courts.

          Identify told me that her level had gone up to 155, apparently with the left over XP she had.

She opened her eyes and looked up at Tad, then at the rest of us. Nothing about her appearance had changed dramatically, but everything about her felt heavier, more grounded. When she stood, she did so without wavering, her posture instinctively adjusting to accommodate a strength she hadn’t possessed an hour earlier.

I couldn’t stop myself from comparing it to the Order’s awakenings. Those felt stamped, identical, obedience burned into the core. This felt like craftsmanship. Like Tad had taken raw potential and shaped it with care, respecting what was already there instead of overwriting it. It was the difference between mass production and art, and it told me everything I needed to know about why the Lawgiver feared this kind of power.

Fara finally exhaled, arms uncrossing. “So it works,” she said, a note of hunger creeping into her voice.

Tad nodded, tired but steady. “It works. And it’s getting easier.”

The second awakening began almost immediately, as though the moment Mirren stabilized, the process itself leaned forward, eager to continue. Lia stepped into the circle next, her movements quicker, more restless, shadow and silk magic coiled tight around her like a second skin. Where Mirren had knelt with calm acceptance, Lia crouched like a predator, ready to spring even as she submitted herself to Tad’s authority. Tad met her gaze for a long moment, clearly reading something in her that wasn’t visible to the rest of us, then nodded once.

The potion reacted differently this time. When Lia drank, the energy surged sharper, more angular, snapping through her channels like drawn wire instead of flowing embers. Tad adjusted instantly, his control tightening, not to restrain her but to keep her from tearing herself apart with her own momentum. Sprites flashed again, darker this time, streaks of violet and silver darting around her as if responding to the spider-aspect woven into her soul.

I felt the oath settle faster, more decisively. Lia’s bond to Tad wasn’t contemplative like Mirren’s. It was chosen in motion, loyalty born of action and shared danger rather than quiet faith. When the awakening locked into place, her aura flared outward in a brief, sharp pulse before snapping back under control, and she laughed breathlessly as the power settled.

Lewlen followed, methodical even now. He took his place with bow laid carefully beside him, posture straight, eyes never leaving Tad’s face. The potion’s energy moved through him in precise lines, reinforcing rather than reshaping, like a master archer tuning a weapon he’d already perfected. Tad barely had to intervene, guiding instead of correcting, and the sprites that gathered were fewer but brighter, hovering close to Lewlen’s hands and shoulders before dispersing.

By the time Dylus knelt, the warehouse felt charged, saturated with residual magic and intent. I’d been told that he had lost his brother only a couple months ago and that he was still in mourning. Dylus took the potion with grim resolve, jaw clenched as the power hammered into him like a forge strike. This awakening was heavier, slower, his endurance and earth affinity drawing the process out as Tad shaped the flow again and again, reinforcing without breaking. When it finally settled, Dylus rose like a mountain deciding to stand taller, solid in a way that made the floor feel steadier beneath our feet.

Each awakening took more than an hour, even as Tad’s efficiency improved. Sweat soaked his clothes, and I could see the strain building in him despite the smoother execution. Every individual demanded attention, adaptation, respect for who they were rather than forcing them into a template. That alone explained why the Order’s method felt so hollow by comparison.

Fara’s patience snapped somewhere during Dylus’s stabilization. She paced once, then twice, tail flicking sharply behind her before she turned to Selena. “If this is going to keep going, I need to move. I can’t sit here knowing I’m falling behind.”
Selena glanced at me, eyebrow raised, silent but asking. I nodded once. “It’s your call.”

Selena smiled, sharp and approving. “Then let’s go bank you some XP.”
Fara’s grin was feral. “About time.”

They were gone moments later, reality folding neatly around Selena as she took Fara with her into the dungeon. The absence they left behind felt strange, a gap in the rhythm of the room, but it was the right call. Fara needed to be doing something and Selena understood that instinctively.

When Tad finally leaned back after Dylus’s awakening, exhaustion etched deep into his expression, I took stock of the room. Four forest elves now stood awakened, each at level 155, each radiating a distinct, individual strength. None of them felt copied. None of them felt owned. Now there was Crynane the dark elf and Oliver the human grand mage to go, assuming that Tad was willing to awaken him.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized the difference in the way the awakened felt was more significant than the power itself. It was the freedom to grow that he represented which truly made Tad dangerous to the Order. I couldn’t help but smile as I considered what fun we were going to have over the coming days. Of course, my definition of fun might have changed significantly since I became a Forerunner

Exploration- Interlude 3

Have to say that the creative tank is feeling a bit low today. I wish I had an explanation for days like this.

I'll still get one more chapter done, but I need to step away a bit and write later.

Interlude 3- Drawing Closer

Allana’s breath felt like it left her as she looked down into the bowl of water in front of her. Her mother’s face glared back at her.

“What do you mean you aren’t looking for him any longer?”

“At least not until it’s safe. An ascendant from the Order has arrived on Aerth. I knew you wouldn’t want me to be harmed or to cause a disturbance by confronting him.”

The frown on that face Allanna knew so well only deepened. “What I expected was for you to have brought your nephew home. Have you even tried?”

“I created an awakened and sent them after him. He even found Tad, but the boy refused to come with him. I had to end the servant for his failure.”

A hand passed over the face on the other side of the scrying. “You are so lucky that I’m not able to come to Aerth right now. This is no game. I will not tolerate you failing at this. If you thought you were going to earn my favor with this, then you should know that right now you’re on the verge of being disowned. Get Tad and bring him home.”

The connection was broken and Allanna found herself staring down into an bowl of plain water. She let out a string of curses and then triggered her magic. This was going to be the stupidest thing she’d ever done and all for a nephew who was a mutt. Then the magic wrapped around her and she travelled to the coastline. She’d have to take a ship from here because using too much magic would alert the other ascendant.

This sucked.

___________________

The void yawned before him, as Sion traveled from the world he called home. The Void Court wasn’t just one world, it was everything that his mother owned. It was all of the power she held and her will, but even then he could admit that it was nothing compared to the emptiness of the void.

There were presences a great distance away. The void was a realm where Will was everything and intention mattered. Right now as he slowly made his way to Aerth he was primarily focused on not being discovered. He and his beloved had discussed what to do about Tad. His mother wanted to wait, her mother had sent an untrustworthy sister.

Now the planet was blocked to divine tier beings. There was something going on and they had decided that Sion would go. He was better at stealth than his Adrianna was and thus better equipped to sneak in and find Tad. If it came to a battle, Adrianna would burn cities to save their son, but he was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.

___________________

Azuria stood back up. The evolution was over. The process had been everything that Cami had warned her for. She looked back over her notifications.

Wing Path is focused upon mobility and speed. Your Agility will automatically be boosted by 25% and you will gain access to a variety of new abilities, including but not limited to: Improved Sprint, Long Range Flight, and Void Flight.

Cost: 175 DKP

Before that would have been a staggering amount of DKP because it was very hard to gain on Ileria, but now thanks to her bond with Samvek, she had more than enough to spare.

That didn’t meant the process had been easy. The itching had started out as awful but manageable and for a moment she had dared to hope that Cami had been wrong about just how bad it would be. Soon, she’d found herself scratching uncontrollably, rubbing her back against some of the dungeon rocks, till they shook. She might have screamed in pain but preferred to think of it as a roar of defiance. At least that was what she’d tell anyone who asked.

When it passed, just as Cami had warned, her wings, her beautiful wings were gone leaving only bloody stumps before. Then another notification had appeared.

First stage of wing evolution completed- removal. Next will be regrowth. Choose a wing type.

Improved Sprint- Base flight speed is increased by 25%. Double your movement rate for 1 hour per day.

Long Distance Flight- You may now fly for 3 days without stopping.

Void Flight- the void is the space between dimensions, between worlds. With this ability, you may travel to other worlds or leave the prime material plane.

It seemed so petty to simply call that the first stage. Her wings were gone, but Cami had calmed her. Sometimes you had to clear the rubble before you could build a better hoard. So she had pushed through and chosen Void Flight as her evolution.

Then her wings grew back better than before. They still captured her blue, but at the same time they were trimmed with a smokey blackness that framed her beauty. When the wings had fully grown in she’d flexed them and felt the power within them.

You have evolved your wings to Void Wings.

Gains:

          Agility +20%

          Perception +20%

                    Base Flight Speed: +20%

                    Void Flight- may fly into the void

They might not be as impressive as the emperor’s wings, but then he was a good, and she was merely an ancient dragon, although she was nearing the wyrm status thanks to the gains she made from her bond.

Thinking of the little furry man she was bonded with, made her wonder if she was becoming like some of these humans she had heard tales about. What were they called? Oh yes, cat ladies. Was she becoming a cat lady?

Azuria snorted. She was a dragon and the greatest kind, a blue. She could never be anything as silly as that and while Samvek was small to her like a kitten to a person, he was a warrior born and had proven worthy of their bond.

She bowed her head to Cami who teleported away as soon as she was sure that Azuria was safe and the evolution had gone well. Off to do demi-goddess stuff no doubt. Well, she had her own task. She had the wings, now she just needed a bit of practice. Distance would be no bar to her now and she would follow her bond to Samvek all the way until she reached whatever world he was stranded on. Then he better give her scales a good scratching.

_______________

Vespa Saggen knelt before Arbiter Kalix with her head to the ground. She had just completed her report about the encounter with the two strangers. The encounter that had resulted in the death of two members of the Order. It wasn’t like they weren’t all soldiers and prepared to lay down their lives. Those who died in the name of their god were never condemned.

It was those who were left behind who had to bear responsibility and that was a problem now because not only was she that person, but her brother had been one of those who fell. No attachment was more important than their god, but they were still encouraged to keep family ties. The Lawgiver taught that healthy relationships brought stability to your lives and allowed for them to fulfill their potential as mothers and fathers.

The fact that Kalix hadn’t spoken since her report ended left her uneasy. She didn’t dare look up but kept her head down awaiting his command. Everyone knew that ascendants saw time differently, but it was still a form of torture to wait as minute after minute passed. She knew she likely wasn’t the only one in town with these fears.

“You may raise your head, Inquisitor Saggen.”

She held in the sigh of relief. He had used her name and title, so she wasn’t to be stripped of her position. Perhaps she would get the chance to strike down those who killed her brother.

“Tell me, Inquisitor, if you were in my position what actions would you take now?”

That could be a trap, but she chose to take it as a genuine question. “I don’t pretend to understand the limits of your power, but we should be raiding every building, until we find this festering cancer within our midst. This world has been consecrated to the Lawgiver.”

“Exactly, so you don’t understand the limitations that I am operating under. So, I will inform you, all of you, and explain why your failures must not continue. Surely, you have sensed the saturation of mana on this world?”

She nodded, unsure what other answer to make.

“Yet has it caused you to wonder why the native population is so weak? Why their levels are so low and why they have no awakened?”

Of course, she had wondered that very thing. It was something often commented about by the awakened who had been brought to Aerth, but she simply said, “It is as the Lawgiver wills it.”

“Just so, and now, I’m going to tell you another secret. The Lawgiver was born upon this world, a very long time ago. From the lowly ranks of a put upon race, out of favor with the fey tyrants who choose only elves, dryads, and their ilk, he managed to rise to become the most powerful god of the system. And he has decreed that this world be kept as it is, so that he can return here whenever he wishes. You know that many low level worlds couldn’t not support even my presence let alone that of our god.

“Thus, while I could act here. While I could solve your problems. I can only do so under very specific circumstances, because I am not to deplete the mana saturation of this world.”

Vespa was too well trained to ask the obvious question, but Kalix must have known her heart.

“As for why, the Lawgiver has not come here personally, that is as he wills it. Even one such as I would never presume to question his divine judgment. So, you are being told all of this because either you will be elevated for finding these intruders. They must be part of some fey machinations. You will find them and you will kill them, and kill this supposed fey prince. And thus you will prove yourself worthy of the knowledge that I have given you. Now, report to Inquisitor Khalen but he already knows that you will be in charge of this search. You want to avenge your blood, I can feel it in you. Go make it happen. I don’t want this week to end without having a fey head to give to our god.”

She rushed out. Drivnor Khalen was the head Inquisitor on this mission. He was much stronger than she was and high up within the Order. Hopefully, he would have some advice for her, not that she could show any weakness.

Exploration- Chapter 38

So as I was writing this the loot ended up taking up too much time, so I've decided to move the final dungeon encounter further down the road. Next up will be an interlude.

Chapter 38- Strings Attached

We hovered there, breathing hard, surrounded by ruin that was already being absorbed back into the dungeon floor. My heart pounded, adrenaline singing through my veins, and I could feel the dungeon recalibrating again, already preparing whatever came next.

The loot box made me feel much better though. We all flew down because when it comes to loot, everybody loves large chests. I offered to let Clay open it, but Selena said, “Nope, you’re opening it.”

“Fine, but out of curiosity, why?”

She stepped up next to me. Her voice was soft although I expected everyone here had the Perception stat necessary to hear her words. “Because only one of us is a Forerunner with a looting ability that automatically upgrades low tier loot and has a reasonable chance of upgrading even higher loot, not to mention the upgrades to consumables.”

“Okay, good point. It just feels wrong to be the one to open all the loot boxes. We don’t even know of my ability affects the box or if the loot has already been determined when the chest was created.”

“Right, but that’s one large chest and if there is even a chance that you can affect it, then I don’t know why we would do it any other way.”

I didn’t debate it any further. She was probably right. I just reached out and opened the chest. As soon as I did, I got a notification.

For repeatedly looting corpses and now a loot chest within a dungeon of another system which is connected to you, your loot ability is upgraded.

Loot (Epic 53%)–Pelt Skinner, Final Blow  >> Loot (Legendary 1%)

Three variants exist for the upgrade, all versions will maintain the bonus to loot whenever you land the final blow on a target.

Loot- McScrooge:  All of your loot will have dramatically increased monetary value and an increased probability of obtaining credits or other negotiable valuables will significantly increase including property deeds, and merchandising contracts.

Loot- Crafter: All of your loot will have a significantly increased chance of being crafting materials and will be multiplied. All crafting materials will have a minimum tier of rare tier with the average being Epic tier. There will be a 20% chance that epic tier crafting loot is upgraded to Legendary and a 2% chance that it will be upgraded to Ascendant tier.   Note: this ability does not convey the skill necessary to craft with high tier materials.

Loot- Upgrader: An expansion of your basic ability and connected to Save for Winter. All loot will be a minimum of Rare tier, with Epic tier being the most common. Epic items will have a 20% chance of being upgraded to Legendary tier with that chance being increased to 60% for consumables and a 2% chance of being upgraded to Ascendant Tier with a 6% chance for consumables.

Rather than waste time, I shared the notification with everyone. The conversation happened fast and furiously, but in the end, as nice as it might have been to progressively build up wealth for my newly founded House, I choose Loot-Upgrader. The chance for getting ascendant tier gear was too much.

When I choose it I got another notification.

As special consideration for the first time using this upgraded ability and as a thank you from the dungeon with ulterior motives, the majority of your loot is shifted to consumables and all of your loot is upgraded to Ascendant Tier.

Note: The Ways have influenced this outcome. Take of that what you will.

Now, I absolutely had to get into that chest. It sprang open and then dissolved, leaving the loot on the ground for us all to see. There were 12 potions, a pair of metal discs, and dagger, and a pair of hooked swords.

I gestured for Selena to pick up the swords first. Her hands were trembling as she reached out. “My father only got an ascendant tier weapon after his time of compulsory service was over. To have one now…”

Her words faded away and her face glassed over as she must have been reading the description of the items. We didn’t have long to wait before she pushed the notification for all of us to see.

Twin Hooked Sword-  Set, Artifact

Ambient- Recharge 6 hours.

Perception: +100

These blades function as a set and grant the user A trait which they should not otherwise have access to:

Geared Up- this trait is normally reserved to the royal line of the Void fey but only as regards these swords. All stats boosted by 23% while wielding these swords or simply carrying them on your person.

Left Sword: This sword grants the user the ability to cast the spell: Void Rift once per charge. This will create an opening from any physical realm to the void or from the void to a physical realm.

Right Sword: This sword grants the user the ability to cast the spell: Reality Schism once per charge. Reality Schism will create an alternate reality where the user can manipulate events and then if successful can overwrite the base reality with the new one. The changes which are possible are broad and only limited by the user’s imagination but there will be resistance from the base reality depending upon the extent of the changes made.

Both swords have 75% increased physical damage and 10% of the damage caused is converted to spiritual damage. Spiritual wounds caused by these weapons will gain the Soul Decay status if the target is reduced below 10% health, making it almost impossible to heal from.

Selena was practically crying and while these items were called artifact rather than ascendant, it was clear that they were consistent with ascendant tier gear. My mind was already racing about the possibilities. The stat boost alone would have made them worth it. The increased damage was also impressive and the fact that it could cause spiritual wounds. As for the two special effects, well they would require some experimentation and the cool-downs made them trump cards rather than regular attacks, but I could already see uses for both, including a possibility to get home now.

Clay didn’t even wait for me to call his name, before he picked up the dagger. Likewise he projected the notification right away.

Dagger- Ender of Mortal Clay-  Artifact

Ambient-Recharge 1 hour, Channeled.

Agility: +100

This weapon is the anti-thesis of mortal existence but can not harm ascendant tier or higher beings. Any wound inflicted by this blade can not be healed by less than Legendary tier  magic and even then it is not a sure thing. Normal biological healing will never work.

This dagger gives the user the ability to cast the spell- Assassinate once per charge. The spell gives a 10% chance +1% per % of lost health to completely extinguish the life force of the target.

This dagger can inflict curses of weakening with each wound so long as the user channels 100 levels of mana per minute into the weapon. This will lower the targets physical stats by 1% per second. The curse cannot stack but can be inflicted again after the 1 minute duration.

The damage caused by this dagger will completely bypass any armor or magical defense of Elite tier or lower. It will likewise bypass 75% of the defense or armor at Master iter, 50% at grandmaster tier, and even up to 25% of the defense provided by an artifact. The base damage inflicted is increased by 100%.

We all congratulated him on his new weapon. It certainly would have been useful against the behemoth. Even if assassinate had failed, the ability to deal wounds that wouldn’t automatically heal was huge. It was difficult for me to say who got a better item. The nomenclature for these items was from the Fey System so that that complicated it.

More than once, I had wondered why their items granted so few stat points, but it struck me that they had few stats, only 7 to be precise while we had 10. I supposed that meant that the relative value of each stat point was greater because they governed more things whereas ours were split up. I still preferred the way the Heavens System did stats, but that might be because it was what I’d first become accustomed to.

After that it was onto the two discs.

Iron Golem Control Discs- Artifact, Growth

These consumable items can be implanted into a new crafted iron golem. Note only iron will work. No other metals can be included. Each one will be cued to the user and will grant absolute control over the golem. They will also assist in the animation process.

As growth items, the golems created with these items may evolve and grow, from Iron to Mithril to Adamantium. Significant XP will be required.

The required body must be 12 feet tall and weigh 5000 lbs.

Starting Level: 500, evolutions will come with changes in ability

Iron Golems take no damage from electrical attacks but are slowed by a sufficiently powerful electrical attack for 30 seconds. In turn, they are healed by fire based attacks and any slow effects are dispelled by fire.

These golems will possess a breath weapon which creates a cloud that curses any who are touched by it. The curse weakens their Durability and Endurance by 5-20%. The curse may stack over time. The breath weapon may be used once per minute.

Starting Stats:

Strength:  10000

Agility: 500

Durability:   10000

Endurance: 10000

Magic: 2000

Will: N/A

Perception: 1000

The description was for these discs was a bit lacking about how to use them, but I got the basic understanding. Hopefully, Tad would be able to form a golem body out of iron for us to try these on.

A pair of them wouldn’t be enough to completely defeat Tad’s enemies but the would surely help.

After that it was just the potions that we needed to cover. I definitely saw the influence of the Ways on this and how these items had been perfectly made for us, but I wasn’t going to turn down the advantages.

8 x Potions of Awakening (Artifact) – these potions will provide the ascendant tier energy necessary to awaken an individual. Authority will still be required.

I guess that the power we’d poured into the dungeon had gone a long way to solving Tad’s problems, but there were still four more potions that I wanted to look at.

Potion of Ascension (Divine)- This potion will allow a single individual to gain 500 levels  (up to a max of 750) and break the bonds of mortality, but in order for the effects not to overwhelm them, they must  have a patron to manage the flow of power.

3 x Stat Boon (Artifact)- An individual may only consume one of these potions during their mortal life. Each potion will grant a boost of +1000 to any stat chosen by the user.

Note: this will translate into 1429 stat points under the Heavens System.

All of the rewards were amazing. We would have to discuss who got the potions, but the obvious choices were Samvek, Lexa, and Oliver. Of course, that was because the Potion of Ascension was meant for me. There were problems with that though. I hadn’t considered this before, but if I ascended like this, I’d undoubtedly gain a Fey System class and that would be what would ascend. I would still only have a legendary class core in the Heavens system. While that would add extra power, I didn’t know how much of a change this would make for me. I wondered if it would be better to give that potion to Tad.

I was going to need to think about this, but now, we needed to leave the dungeon. There was still a keep in the distance that gave me an eerie feeling and I very much wanted to visit it, but it wasn’t going to be now. We needed to touch base with Tad and find out what we could make of the loot we’d just collected.

I said the same to everyone and they all agreed. Lexa was always quiet, but she didn’t even look at me. Instead her eyes were locked onto where the loot had been. Was she feeling left out? It was difficult for me to read her reactions even with my Charisma. I guess I’d just have to find out the old fashioned way.

For those who want audio- Magic Eater 3 is live now on Audible.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Settle-Audiobook/B0GFFDLYFT

Exploration- Chapter 37

Sorry this took far too long. I just really got into this fight. I ended up cutting off the final challenge and that will have to be Chapter 38. This one deserved it's own chapter and even then it was almost 2 chapters now.

I meant for the dungeon run to be only 3 chapters, but it'll have to be 4. I'll finish 38 tomorrow and then we'll be on to some other things.

On a negative note, I pushed my eyes pretty hard this morning. I'm probably gonna rest them in the morning and not start writing till like 10 am.

On a positive note, 11k words today- which is important to try to get back on my schedule.

Chapter 37- Larger Proportions

Once the last of the wyverns fell we reunited and I reviewed the gains up till now. I still hadn’t hit level 264, but that was fine. Both Samvek and Selena had gained a level. The other three were blowing past us in terms of growth. The wyverns pushed him to level 215, although he did say that he noticed it slowing a bit. Lexa was at 211. Oliver tried to put a positive spin on his inability to gain more levels by saying that he had increased the proficiency of some of his spells as he mastered them, by using them against much higher targets. The other good thing was that if he was earning XP he’d be earning it as a level 150, so potentially he’d be able to leapfrog beyond Clay if he got to keep that XP when awakened.

We only got a moment to catch our breath and while I’d been intending to wait to choose my spells, I asked the others what they thought. Ultimately, Selena’s question was what helped me make my decision. “I know that getting an ascendant tier spell sounds great, but when you put your mind to it, do you have a problem leveling your spells up?”

I shook my head. “Not if I have the time.”

“Then that kinda points out one of the spells you should choose and given the amount of damage your armor has taken here, I’d think it would behoove you to take Repair as your other spell.”

No one argued with her logic, so I took the two spells Time Pool and Repair. The knowledge of them filled my mind and I couldn’t help but feel that they were different from spells I got from my system. They weren’t attached to my class core.

No class consistent with the Fey System is detected. Spells are being modified to work with existing structure. If a Fey System class is later obtained the spells will improve.

That was promising as I was all about finding power from any source. But for now, I wanted to repair our gear. The cool-down on the spell was 24 hours so I’d only be able to cast once now, but I asked everyone to get as close as possible.

“I’m gonna try something with this. I’ve used it before with other spells, so hopefully it’ll work here.” Then without further explanation I attempted to target all of my gear and everything that was visible on each of the team members. As I cast the spell, I felt my mind being stretched but the denser mana here actually helped to empower the spell.

I held in a scream as I pushed to my limits but began to relax when I felt a hundred different threads coming out of me and attaching to different pieces of gear. My armor began to seal itself up before my very eyes. Even Wayfinder hummed in my hand with pleasure like I did when I used Clean on myself.

Multi-Target Spell: 209 >> 215

It would have been nice to celebrate the victory, but the dungeon had other ideas.

The ground split open ahead of us, stone tearing apart as something enormous hauled itself free. This wasn’t subtle emergence. This was raw mass asserting itself. A behemoth rose from the earth, its body a grotesque fusion of stone plates, ancient bark, and embedded crystals that pulsed with inner light. Each step it took sent shockwaves through the terrain, trees snapping and stone spires crumbling around it. It looked like the dungeon had gone from the swarm approach to the overpower approach.

Primal Behemoth (Legendary) Level: 310

Affinities: Earth, Gravity

Highest Stats: Strength, Vitality, Endurance, Durability

Lowest Stat: Dexterity, Mind, Agility

The aura which surrounded it hit like a physical force. Clay dropped a full meter before I caught him, Oliver’s spell collapsed mid-cast, and even Lexa groaned as the pressure tried to drive her back into the ground. I pushed against it, Trailblazer’s Aura flaring as I asserted my presence, and felt the dungeon acknowledge the contest.

“Let’s see if we can trap it.”

Lexa slammed her hands down, roots exploding outward in a massive network that wrapped around the behemoth’s legs. It broke them like they didn’t even exist. But she wasn’t alone. I cast Cone of Winter’s Debuff trying to slow it, but it didn’t seem to care anymore than the ground did about ice. Oliver was trying the same as he conjured an ice elemental in an attempt to hold one of its legs.

At the same time, Samvek and Selena were doing their own things. She warped reality causing the ground beneath its feet to be anything other than earth and stone. It almost looked like she turned it into something similar to crepe paper. The things massive weight caused it to sink through that though and when it made contact with the ground again, it’s power surged.

Samvek warped space around it, trying to use it in a way that I hadn’t seen before. It was almost like he was attempting to bring its insides out and its outside in. Yet the aura around it pulsed and gravity instantly became ten times greater. That wasn’t enough to affect us, but it warped space around it. Oddly, even the flow of time felt slightly off to me.

None of it seemed to matter to the behemoth. The thing was truly massive, putting dragons and dinosaurs to shame. It blasted out another wave of gravitational force pushing us all back and suddenly it was like we were back at the beginning of the battle. None of the damage we’d done had stuck and the creature was now moving freely, slowly, but without restraint.

The behemoth moved with terrible inevitability. Each step crushed a dozen yards of terrain flat, not shattering the dungeon floor but pressing it down as though the world itself were bowing. The plates along its legs ground together with a sound like mountains shifting, and every motion dragged gravity with it, the air thickening until even breathing felt like work. I felt the pull resonate deep in my bones, and worse, I felt my primordial aspect answer it with a low, uneasy hum. There was something there. I longed for the freedom that came with that type of raw power.

Samvek struck first, because of course he did. Lightning ripped from him in blinding arcs as he warped forward, spear driving into the behemoth’s knee with enough force to shatter a fortress gate. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, flattening trees and throwing debris skyward, but the behemoth barely reacted. It turned its head slowly, almost curiously, and brought one arm down in a casual sweep that forced Samvek to blink out of the way on instinct alone.

Selena was already moving, reality bending under her will as she folded space beneath the creature’s feet. For a heartbeat, the ground thinned into something insubstantial, like wet parchment, and the behemoth’s weight drove it downward. It had worked before but this time the creature emitted a field of gravity that prevented it from sinking in.

Then the dungeon reasserted itself, earth snapping back into solidity, and the behemoth surged with renewed power as though offended by the attempt. A gravity pulse rolled out from it, slamming into us like a tidal wave and Selena reacted before me, altering reality around them so that the gravitational force blasted into the ground instead of pulping their flesh and bones. She flew near me and said, “I’ve never felt this before, but it’s like when you touched me with your primordial aspect. This thing causes a yearning in me.”

I nodded in understand but couldn’t talk about it now.

I pushed back with my aura, Trailblazer’s presence flaring as I asserted myself against the oppressive weight. The pressure eased enough for us to move, but it was obvious this wasn’t a contest of dominance I could win outright. Lexa roared and drove her hands into the ground, roots exploding upward in a massive lattice meant to bind the behemoth’s legs. The creature tore through them without slowing, snapping wood and stone alike as though she’d tried to stop it with thread.

Oliver shouted something I didn’t catch as his spell collapsed mid-cast, the gravity disrupting his control. He recovered quickly, throwing strength and speed buffs across the group instead, his role crystallizing in the chaos. Clay darted in close, daggers flashing as he tested the behemoth’s hide, sparks and shards flying where steel met stone. His blades skittered off, leaving shallow gouges at best, and I felt his frustration spike through the air.

“Poison,” he called, more to himself than anyone else, already shifting tactics. He began carving shallow lines wherever he could reach, working fast and precise, trying to spread venom through a body that dwarfed buildings. It felt futile, but I didn’t stop him. Sometimes attrition was the only path left when brute force failed. In fact, the more I thought about it, I realized that he might have the right approach, but I wasn’t ready to give up on a faster kill yet.

I tried control again, focusing life force into Numbing Touch and driving it into the behemoth’s flank. My cultivator’s core spun as I pushed the flow of raw life force into it shaping it to my will. The energy flowed, pressed, and then simply dispersed, swallowed by sheer mass and vitality. The creature didn’t even twitch. Its response was a backhand that came down like a falling cliff, forcing me to blink sideways with spatial movement as the ground where I’d stood cratered inward.

Samvek adapted quickly, lightning coiling tighter around him as he layered Psi-enhanced physicality into every movement. The problem of course was that he’d run out of Psi all too quickly. He struck again and again, targeting joints and seams with brutal efficiency, but the behemoth’s durability was absurd. Even when his spear bit deep, the wound closed almost immediately, stone knitting back together under a surge of earthen power. Each successful hit felt like a victory that evaporated seconds later.

I reshaped Wayfinder into a heavy axe, the haft lengthening and the blade thickening until it felt like a siege weapon in my hands. Lightning crawled along its edge as I charged, driving the axe down into the behemoth’s thigh with everything I had. The impact sent a tremor through my arms and split a plate free, but the damage was shallow compared to the creature’s scale. It answered by stomping, a gravity surge slamming into me hard enough to drive the breath from my lungs despite my defenses. I followed suit after Samvek and used Physical Enhancement, pouring most of my Psi into it so that my stats doubled for just a few seconds. Even those blows weren’t enough.

For a moment, the battlefield felt completely out of our control. The behemoth dominated space simply by existing, its presence warping gravity, time, and momentum into something hostile and absolute. I could feel Selena straining to keep allies alive, Samvek pushing himself harder with every exchange, and the others fighting for relevance against a foe that barely acknowledged them. The truth settled in with brutal clarity.

This wasn’t a fight we could win by overpowering it. I needed to out think the trap. It had to be beatable.

The realization hit me like a cold blade sliding between ribs. We weren’t meant to trade blows with this thing until it fell. The behemoth wasn’t a wall to be smashed, it was a force of nature to be redirected, endured, and ultimately undone from within. Even as that thought formed, the creature proved the point by slamming both fists into the ground.

The impact was apocalyptic. A shockwave ripped outward in a widening ring, flattening everything in its path, trees folding, stone spires collapsing, and the swamp flashing to steam where raw energy surged through it. I threw up layered force constructs, one after another, each shattering but bleeding off enough power to keep us alive. Even so, Clay and Oliver were hurled through the air until Selena caught them by folding space and setting them down gently behind her.

Samvek used the opening with ruthless precision. He warped upward, lightning flaring as he drove his spear down into the behemoth’s shoulder, then twisted space to wrench the weapon free before the creature could react. Gravity spiked instantly, crushing down on him hard enough that I felt his bones protest through our bond. He snarled and pushed back, Psi and lightning reinforcing his body as he ripped himself free and blinked away at the last possible instant. It still wasn’t enough.

Selena struck in tandem, reality warping around the behemoth’s upper body. For a heartbeat, its mass didn’t align with itself, plates slipping out of phase as she tried to tear leverage away from its core. The creature bellowed, a sound so deep it vibrated through my organs, and responded by collapsing gravity inward. The distortion snapped back violently, forcing Selena to retreat as the world reasserted itself around the monster. There teamwork was impeccable and like watching a masterclass, but sometimes no amount of skill could beat simple mass.

Lexa’s attacks had been muted, so I pulled a sword out of Save for Winter. Dagen’s Sword of Sharpness has upgraded from rare to epic tier and was now a truly terrifying weapon. She charged forward and with it.  hands, Dagen’s blade hummed with supernatural sharpness as she drove it into the behemoth’s ankle. The weapon bit deeper than anything else had, carving a glowing furrow through stone and bark that oozed molten light instead of blood. The behemoth reacted instantly, dragging its leg back and kicking, the force launching Lexa across the battlefield until I caught her with a force net and eased her descent.

Clay committed fully to his strategy then. He vanished into motion, darting along the behemoth’s legs and lower torso, carving shallow but countless cuts wherever he could reach. Poison bled into those wounds, seeping inward drop by drop, a patient and relentless attack against a body that shrugged off everything else. I could feel the effect beginning, not damage exactly, but irritation, the monster’s regeneration stuttering in tiny, almost imperceptible ways.

I escalated things trying to simply slow it enough that we could take our time and focus on our attacks. Mana Body surged outward, my form ballooning until I towered over two hundred feet tall, lightning and force weaving into a colossal frame. I wrapped both arms around the behemoth’s torso and heaved, muscles and magic screaming as I forced it off balance. For a moment, impossibly, I had it, the creature tipping backward as the ground buckled beneath its weight.

Then gravity answered.

The pulse slammed into me like a god’s fist. A thousand times normal force crushed inward, collapsing my Mana Body in a cascade of shattered constructs and tearing energy. I was thrown clear, my vision flashing white as I crashed back into my own body, pain blooming everywhere at once. Selena caught me mid-fall, reality bending just enough to keep my spine from snapping.

I didn’t have time to recover before the behemoth pressed the advantage. It leaned forward, crystal growths along its chest flaring as it unleashed a wave of primordial force that tore through the battlefield. Oliver barely managed to keep his buffs active as he fled upward, while Samvek and Selena split in opposite directions, each barely avoiding annihilation.

Primordial Surge tore from me in answer, elemental fury slamming into the behemoth in a storm of lightning, ice, and raw force. The attack would have obliterated a city. The behemoth absorbed it, wounds sealing even as they formed, its vitality roaring back unchecked. Blood is Life whispered the truth I’d been refusing to hear. I’d been told that abilities which form our core become almost alive and I was definitely hearing it now.

You can’t kill it from the outside.

The thought was terrifying and clarifying all at once. As the behemoth raised its arms for another devastating strike, I stopped thinking about cutting it down. I started thinking about getting inside.

The moment that decision locked in, everything else narrowed into brutal clarity. If I was going to do this I was going to go all in. I Spirit Walked forward, slipping out of phase as the behemoth’s arm came down like a falling mountain. The strike passed through me with a pressure that still made my vision ripple, and then I was moving into the creature, not through a wound but through its mass, my awareness threading between layers of stone, bark, and crystallized vitality. Even in this form, I could feel the pressure of it’s aura, but I was a trailblazer… No, I was THE Trailblazer. I would not be denied and this was definitely going where no man had gone before.

The inside of the behemoth was hell.

Gravity twisted in impossible directions, crushing inward from every side, and the pressure was so intense that my force constructs screamed as they struggled to hold my body together. I phased back to solidity a fraction too soon and felt ribs crack, blood bursting from my mouth as the monster’s internal density tried to pulp me outright. I slammed every ounce of focus I had into reinforcing myself, force lattices locking around organs, bones, and spine just to keep me alive.

I found the heart by feel rather than sight.

It wasn’t a single organ so much as a nexus, a pulsing mass where earth, gravity, and raw primal vitality converged into something like a core. Each beat sent shockwaves through the creature, and every pulse tried to tear me apart. I wrapped one arm around it, anchoring myself, and felt Blood is Life flare with savage urgency.

This was the only way.

I tore into my own arm with my teeth, ignoring the pain as blood flooded free, already glowing with layered power. I drove my forearm into the heart’s surface and released Self-Propagation without restraint. When I first reaved this ability the System had warned me against misusing it, but we weren’t under the Heavens now. So I was going to roll the dice. My blood didn’t just spill, it invaded, threading into the behemoth’s internal pathways like wildfire through dry brush.

The reaction was immediate and violent.

The behemoth convulsed, its roar shaking the entire floor as conflicting instructions ripped through its body. With my blood came an adapted version of Night’s Fall. It was reshaped by the design of an architect, the blood of a man destined for ascension, and a soul linked to a primordial aspect. Regeneration stuttered, gravity pulses misfired, and the crushing pressure around me wavered just long enough for me to breathe.

Outside, everything broke loose.

I felt Samvek hit it with everything he had, lightning and Psi crashing down in relentless waves as the monster staggered. Selena folded reality again and again, forcing its limbs to miss, its footing to fail, buying me seconds at a time. Clay’s poison finally reached critical saturation, now that I had shut off its regeneration, his thousand cuts turning systemic as the behemoth’s internal chemistry fell apart. Lexa hacked deeper with Dagen’s blade, carving glowing channels that didn’t close anymore.

Inside, I pushed harder.

Blood flooded out of me, vitae and life force burning as they rewrote pathways that had never been meant to hold anything but primordial order. I screamed, not in pain but in effort, forcing my will through the connection until the heart began to slow. Each beat came weaker than the last, and with every falter the pressure around me eased. I used everything within me as though I were a virus intent on rewriting the behemoth’s existence.

The behemoth collapsed.

I felt it fall before I felt it die, its massive body slamming into the ground with a force that rippled for miles. Inside, the heart finally tore itself apart, unable to reconcile what it had become. I couldn’t use Spirit walk again quite this soon, but I had another options. At the last possible instant, I activated the Toe Ring of the Phased Step, and passed through the gray and decaying flesh that was breaking down around me and out into the light.

I hit the ground hard, rolling across shattered stone and steaming mud, my body screaming in protest as I forced myself upright. Blood ran freely from half a dozen wounds, but the behemoth was still, its vast form already being reclaimed by the dungeon in slow, deliberate waves.

Silence followed, thick and heavy.

Samvek was the first to reach me, lightning still crackling faintly along his skin as he grabbed my shoulder. Selena was there an instant later, hands already glowing as she assessed damage with ruthless efficiency. I waved them off weakly, breathing hard but grinning despite the pain.

“That,” I rasped, “was definitely not level appropriate.”

But all other thoughts were driven from my mind as a loot chest fit for a behemoth appeared where the beast had been.

Exploration- Chapter 36

Sorry for the delay. I had been promising my son that we could watch the greatest Christmas move of all time, but we hadn't managed to do it over the holidays and its hard to watch it when his 10 year old sister is home. So we did watch it tonight and it never disappoints. The details that went into that movie always impress me.

Jake Peralta would be proud.

Anyway- Chapter 36 broke 4000 words, so I split it. I hope to have Chapter 37 to you within 30-40 minutes after I go through it. But either way before bed tonight.

I don't want to complain so don't take this like that- but my eyes have been killing me all week. It's gotten to the point where I wasn't sure if I was going to have to take the afternoon off. Then we got the call that my glasses were in. They had to adjust the lens. I lived 52 years without them, but after having them for a few weeks- my eyes went on strike when I had to live without them for 9 days. They still hurt, but if I get a good nights sleep and have the glasses available all day tomorrow, I think I'll be back on track for 10k days. Hopefully, I hit it today.

Chapter 36- More Dungeon Fun

I glanced over at Samvek and realized something was off. Me looking was enough for him to say, “Apparently, I can’t use Hunger inside of a dungeon.”

It was easy to see why that would be upsetting to him. If he’d gotten even 1 or 2% of the stats from the monsters he actually slew, that would have added up quickly. Even more so because the monsters were only going to rise in level from here. “Did it say why?”

“Only that dungeon constructs don’t contain vitae, just purified XP.”

“That sorta makes sense with the Hell System. It want’s you fighting other sapients not beings who are created by a dungeon. Sorry about that, I’d been hoping you were going to shoot up in stats.”

“Me too, but at this pace eventually, I’ll gain a level and that’s worth something.”

I nodded and then we moved on. We went unmolested for a few dozen miles which given our flight speed, even limited for the others, only took a few minutes. The terrain around us began to change.

The ground beneath us hardened as we moved, loam giving way to cracked basalt threaded with glowing seams of magma. The humidity burned off in a rush of heat that rolled over us like a furnace door opening, and the canopy above thinned until only skeletal branches remained. Far ahead, the land rose into broken ridges and stone spires, their edges jagged as if gnawed by titanic teeth. The dungeon wasn’t subtle about its escalation.

The first roar came from the sky.

Shadows passed overhead, vast wings blotting out the sickly light as a trio of draconic shapes descended in tight formation. They weren’t true dragons, but they were close enough to set my nerves humming. Wyvern-things, their hides were a mix of obsidian scales and crystalline growths, wings stretched wide as they banked into a diving attack. Their throats glowed with internal heat, not fire exactly, but something denser and more violent.

Primal Wyverns (Legendary)  Level: 265
Affinities: Fire, Earth, Chaos

Highest Stat: Will

Lowest Stat: Perception

A fifteen level jump in monster power wasn’t much for us, but it would help keep the XP coming.

Samvek called out, “Azuria would laugh at these little worms. I’m going to kill them out of respect for her.”

I wasn’t sure how serious he was, but I knew that his bond with his dragon was very powerful. I’d seen the same with Cece and Jiang. If it was only three of them, that wouldn’t be an issue, but of course as soon as I thought that I could see more groups ranging between three and seven of the wyverns filling the sky like an aerial assault.

As if to confirm it, the lead wyvern folded its wings and dropped like a spear, claws extended straight toward Clay and Oliver. I didn’t even have time to react before Samvek was in the air. Lighting arced from his body and he stopped holding back. Each of the wyverns were struck. Their wings were seared. The power he unleashed had to be near his maximum capacity but I assumed he was trying to make a point.

As for the wyvern, they weren’t dragons, but they weren’t easy prey either. There was no doubt as Samvek danced amongst them in the air, wielding spear and lightning with equal ease that he would eventually slay them, but they were capable of absorbing more damage than their level would suggest.

Clay fired arrows, trying to hit each one of the, while Oliver did the same with spells. Lexa realized that her vines from the ground wouldn’t work but massive thorns grew out on her arms and then were shot out as projectiles at high speed. I was reminded of my first blood evolution a long time ago when I’d gone to Galen and gotten spines I could project from that dungeon boss.  

Selena said, “I’m going to take out some of the others before they get here. You need to focus on protecting them.” Then she disappeared.

Reality folded around her as she stepped between points, reappearing on the back of a wyvern far in the distance. Her hooked blades flashed, carving deep channels through crystal scale as she severed one wing joint. The creature screamed and spun out of control, crashing into a stone ridge hard enough to break it in half. The other wyvern with that one all began to circle around her and I wondered if I was going to have to pull her out, but I should have known better.

Instead, she had simply gotten some distance so she could cut loose. Her abilities were without a doubt the most versatile that I’d ever seen, but they could also be insanely destructive. As she rewrote the laws of nature, the wyvern started falling from the sky and she moved around opening each ones throat. As they started crashing into the ground the notifications came pinging in. She was dropping them faster than I would have thought possible.

Samvek surged upward on a burst of lightning, in his continued dance, but I could see that he noticed Selena. It felt like any minute they were going to start having a competition to see which of them could kill more wyverns and I couldn’t help imagine Samvek as Gimli in that equation, mostly because he was the more hairy of the two.

He didn’t bother with finesse. A bolt erupted from his body, slamming into the wyvern’s chest and punching through scale and bone. He followed it with a spear thrust that detonated inside the wound, lightning exploding outward and shredding the creature from the inside. One after another the wyvern died and he warped space taking him to the next group.

Oliver asked, “Are we going to follow them?”

I shook my head. “Draconic creatures are more dangerous than most other kinds and while I want you three to gain practice using your power, getting levels for survivability is more important. I’m sure it’s frowned upon here to tell someone else how to spend their stat points, but whatever you get make sure you focus on some type of durability or evasion.”

“If a mage is getting hit, then the battle is over. My defenses are multi-layered, although I admit that they aren’t up to dealing with these monsters. At least not yet.”

“Well if nothing else this will allow them to cut loose a bit. I’m sure you know how difficult it can be to really go all out when you have allies around you.” He seemed to get that.

As quickly as my companions were killing the wyverns, a few got through, which was just fine for us. I’d gained a full level and was half-way to my second level, but Clay had reached level 203, Lexa was at 196, and Oliver of course was stuck at level 150. I could only hope that all the XP he was gaining was being stored up for when he would hopefully me awakened.  

A trio of wyverns reached us and I decided to let them have a shot at one of them. “I’m going to take two of them. I want the rest of you to work together on the third”

There wasn’t any time for more instructions and I’d have to count on their training.

I angled upward immediately, pushing Area Flight just enough to separate my vectors from theirs. Two of the wyverns peeled off toward me, wings beating hard as they adjusted to my movement, crystalline scales refracting the ambient glow of magma veins below. Their mouths opened in near unison and dense streams of incandescent force blasted toward me, not flame but compressed heat and earth mana fused together. I twisted through the space between the beams and felt the heat scour past my legs close enough to make my armor creak.

Wayfinder flowed into its polearm form as I closed the distance, lightning crawling along the blade in tight coils. The first wyvern slashed at me with talons like quarry picks, and I met the strike head-on, bracing with a force construct shaped into a slanted plane. The impact still drove me backward through the air, shoulders screaming as weight and momentum slammed through the construct, but it held long enough for me to counter. I drove the spearhead up under its jaw and released a focused burst of lightning straight into its skull.

The creature screamed and convulsed, wings locking for a heartbeat before it spun out of control. I didn’t let it recover. I ripped Wayfinder free and hurled a second bolt into its exposed chest, the electricity detonating inside and tearing the wyvern apart from the inside out. Fragments of obsidian scale and molten crystal rained downward as the dungeon reclaimed what remained.

The second wyvern was already on me, smarter than the first. It circled wide, forcing me to track it while it built power in its throat, chaos mana rippling visibly along its neck. I felt the pressure spike and snapped a layered force shield into place just as it fired. The beam hit like a siege weapon, shattering the outer layers of the construct and driving me backward, pain flaring through my ribs as the remaining force bled through. The chaos tried to disrupt everything around me, but I refused to allow it. My Will stood firm and would not allow it. It probably helped that I had an innate 90% resistance to chaos mana, the stupid lizard never even knew.

I gritted my teeth and leaned into it instead of retreating, forcing myself forward through the resistance. Lightning answered instinctively, not as a wild discharge but as a focused lance that punched straight through the beam and into the wyvern’s mouth. Its head snapped back violently, internal structures rupturing under the conflicting energies. I followed through with a brutal sweep of Wayfinder that severed one wing at the joint, and the creature dropped like a stone, smashing into the basalt below and skidding in a spray of sparks before going still.

I didn’t give myself time to watch it die. My attention snapped back to the others, and what I saw made my stomach knot. Clay, Oliver, and Lexa were locked in a desperate engagement with the remaining wyvern, and this one had figured out exactly how to press them. It stayed mobile, diving and pulling up sharply to force them to split their focus, while its breath attacks bracketed their positions and denied easy movement.

Clay was bleeding from a gash across his shoulder, armor cracked where a talon had clipped him. Oliver was hovering lower than I liked, mana flaring unevenly as he tried to maintain multiple defensive layers while still casting. Lexa had taken the brunt of a wing strike, one arm hanging stiffly as she forced roots and thorns to keep the wyvern at bay. They were fighting well, but they were being pushed hard.

The wyvern shrieked and dove again, this time straight at Oliver. Clay reacted instantly, stepping into the path and then flashing in a blur that I assumed was some type of magical ability. An instant later, he was clinging to the horn on its head and driving his dagger into its eye. Green poison dripped along the edge of his blade and the wyvern crashed downward. I thought for sure it was going to blow through Oliver’s shields, but Lexa stepped up. She slammed both her hand around its head and took the full blow. I knew she was durable but worried if even a treant could take that kind of damage.

Apparently, I didn’t need to worry though because the beast was thrashing on the ground as Clay went to work trying to sever its spine and Lexa was holding onto its jaws struggling to keep them shut like some crazy Australian guy wrestling with a crocodile. It would have been comical if it wasn’t life and death. It was everything I could do not to intervene at this point.

It was severely wounded and finishing it off would have been simple enough for me. Yet, that would have gone beyond kill-stealing. Sure they’d still get XP, if I killed, it but they’d bled and pushed themselves to their limits. To deprive them of the finish would have been wrong.

Oliver suddenly let out a shout of exultation and I felt the strongest magic yet from him attach itself to the wyvern and suddenly all the thrashing stopped. His victory shout changed to, “It’s not dead, just paralyzed. Finish it fast. I don’t know how long I can hold it.”

Clay drove his blade into it’s spine and from the way he was cutting I think he finally managed to sever a vertebrae. At the same time Lexa’s arm had become a long wooden spear. She jammed it into the unspoiled eye but unlike Clay’s dagger this was long enough to reach the brain. She didn’t leave it there though as vines started to sprout out of its ears, eyes, and nose all carrying bits of the shredded brain. They’d won.

I didn’t wait for confirmation. I dropped to Clay’s side and laid my hand against his chest, Celestial Restoration surging into him in a warm, overwhelming rush. Torn muscle knitted together, shattered bone realigned, and his ragged breathing steadied as color rushed back into his face. I extended the spell outward, catching Oliver and Lexa in its radius, sealing burns, mending fractures, and pulling them back from the edge.

Lexa exhaled slowly as feeling returned to her arm, flexing her fingers with visible relief. Oliver sank down onto an invisible perch, hands shaking as he let his mana stabilize. Clay looked up at me, grimaced, and then laughed weakly. “I’m going to invest more in durability,” he said hoarsely.

“Good,” I replied, keeping my tone steady. “Because that was only the opening act.”

Exploration- Chapter 35

Chapter 35- Level Appropriate

The spiral staircase led us down in loops past four doors. Each wooden door was marked with a simple number in metal. Although of course appearances could be deceptive in the dungeon. These door could probably withstand most any attack thrown at them, short of a god getting involved.

When we reached the 5th door, Samvek waited and glanced back making sure we were all ready. After we each nodded in response, he opened the door. Immediately all six of us, since we were grouped felt a shifting of space around us as we were pulled onto the dungeon’s fifth floor.

Space folded and unfolded around us, and then the dungeon released us onto its fifth floor as if testing our balance. It was so fascinating to me how magic worked here. There was no specific type to the mana, not at least that I could use, yet it accomplished different purposes just as our various mana affinities did. There was another difference though. Since my interaction with the core, the mana didn’t feel overly dense here anymore. Rather it was like I could feel the natural ebb and flow of it. Hopefully, that would translate into more efficiency with my casting.

Sound hit first, a layered roar of wind through canopies, distant bellows, the churn of water and something heavier moving beneath it. Heat and humidity pressed in immediately, thick enough that my skin prickled, while the smell of rot, sap, and mineral-rich mud filled my lungs. This place felt old, not ruined, but unfinished, like the world was still deciding what it wanted to be. A part of me wondered if this was an ancient place which the dungeon had tapped into or if it had simply created the floor with the sensation of age. Ultimately, it didn’t really matter.

The ground beneath our feet was dark loam shot through with veins of stone, resilient and unyielding in that way only dungeons managed. Pools of sluggish water reflected a sickly green light from bioluminescent growths clinging to roots and rock faces. Massive trees rose around us, their trunks wider than buildings, bark layered in plates like armor, with vines hanging down in living curtains. Beyond them, I could see the faint silhouettes of mountains, jagged and sharp against a sky that wasn’t a sky at all but a roiling canopy of cloud and ash-tinted light.

One thing was clear. This place was massive. I couldn’t even get a sense of how far it extended out but my best guess was hundreds of miles in every direction. That raised questions about how we would find the exit, but rather than worrying, I felt my blood pumping. This was true adventure.

The noise never stopped. Insects the size of dogs buzzed and clicked somewhere out of sight, while deeper calls rolled through the forest like distant thunder. Every sound carried weight and intent, as though the dungeon itself was speaking in a language made of threats and challenges. I felt the appraisal then, a subtle pressure sweeping over us, measuring, weighing, and sorting. It wasn’t hostile, but it wasn’t kind either, and when it settled I knew the floor had made its decision.

The influx of energy that followed was immediate. Hell mana seeped into the ambient flow, thick and oily compared to what I was used to, threaded with a chaotic undertone that resisted structure. This wasn’t the disciplined hierarchy of the Hell System. It was rawer, closer to destruction for the sake of destruction, and it made the air feel unstable in a way that set my teeth on edge. Chaos mana rode alongside it, louder here than anywhere I’d felt before, unfiltered and aggressive, like a storm that refused to organize itself.

Party Scan completed. Based upon level variations, the dungeon will initially be set to it’s lowest setting. Evaluation will continue and subsequent segments of the dungeon may be increased as seems appropriate to provide a challenge. Current challenge level: 250.

I smiled at that. Even level 250 was a big jump from the other dungeons we’d been in before in this realm. More than that though, there was a feeling of potency that came with the primordial aspect. This dungeon was going to throw everything it had at us.

I cast Area Flight out without ceremony, the spell settling over the group like an invisible net. The sensation of weightlessness followed, and everyone lifted slightly off the ground as the magic adjusted to each of us. Clay looked startled for a moment before he steadied himself, while Oliver’s eyes went wide as he tested a cautious hover. Lexa rose with quiet ease, roots retracting smoothly as she adapted, and I felt a flicker of approval ripple through the dungeon at the display of controlled power.

The mage laughed. “Flight made easy. I can fly, but to cast a spell that affects so many, so easily is something far beyond me. Even when you explained this would be part of the strategy, I still found myself caught off guard.”

“Just be careful. The rate you can fly at is based upon my movement rate. If you  fly at full speed and run into something you’ll go splat and the more damage there is to you, the more difficult it is to resurrect you.”

He shuddered but then nodded to confirm his understanding.

We moved forward slowly at first, gliding just above the swampy ground to avoid whatever lurked beneath the surface. The vegetation reacted to our passage, leaves curling, spores puffing into the air, and thick vines drawing back as if sentient but hesitant to attack. I stayed alert, senses stretched wide, tracking movement through vibration and shifts in mana rather than sight alone. Those vines might not be a threat on their own, but if they tangled us up in the middle of a fight, it might make a difference. This floor was vast, sprawling out in every direction, and the sheer scale of it made my chest tighten with anticipation.

The first sign of a true monster came from the water. A massive shape slid beneath the surface of a nearby pool, displacing enough liquid to send ripples racing outward. Then it broke through, a behemoth slug-like creature hauling itself onto land, its body segmented and ridged with mineral plates that glistened with moisture. It opened a circular maw lined with grinding teeth and let out a wet, reverberating roar that shook nearby trees. As it did, Identify did it’s thing.

Primal Slug (Legendary) Level: 250

Highest Stat: Vitality

Lowest Stat: Agility

Samvek and Selena were moving for it and I projected a force dome around the other three. We needed to gauge how dangerous these monsters were before allowing them to engage. They already knew this but I could still see all of them chafing at being coddled.

Lexa said, “Protect us, but at least let us land an attack.”

She was right, I should be able to keep them safe without a full on dome to protect them so I dropped it down to three individual shields in front of each of them. Oliver got his attack off first as a fireball leapt from his hand and struck the back half of the slug. It’s slimy flesh sizzled and put off a putrid smell, but it didn’t even react. It couldn’t Samvek and Selena were keeping it too busy.

The lightning that danced along Samvek’s spear seemed to damage it the most but even then it was healing faster than we would have liked. That was fine though. It was supposed to be a challenge. If it died too quickly that wouldn’t let us get our attacks in. Everything around Selena shifted as she wielded reality as much as her twin hook swords.

Clay managed to get an arrow off that went through one of the two eyestalks, and Lexa and put her hands into the murky water beneath us. In response, sharpened roots and come up underneath the slug driving deep into its body. Still it persisted.

It was only after Selena removed its head, and Samvek released a charge of electricity directly into its core that it finally died.

Your party has slain a primal slug. Primal creatures possess greater power than their level would suggest and accordingly award 150% XP. Your Dungeon Ally trait has activated doubling your XP and any loot. You gain 3000 XP. Current progress to next level: 3000/16,000,000.

I grimaced at the totals. This was going to take a long time, but I reminded myself that we weren’t here to level ourselves up. Oliver was practically dancing saying that he’d gained 3 levels in one kill.

Then as the body was absorbed back into the dungeon floor, our loot was left behind. I wasn’t sure what I’d had in mind when I thought about doubled loot, but this wasn’t it. There were four jugs of some sorta of viscous fluid.

Slug Slime- this is an epic tier lubricant. The uses are as limitless as your imagination and can be used in machinery, for traps, or even tapped for regenerative properties if you don’t mind bathing in it.

Well it was better than nothing, and I quickly pulled it into Save for Winter as had been agreed upon later. All loot would be split after the dungeon run was over, and we were just beginning.

The water nearest us erupted again, not with a single mass this time but with multiple breaches that came almost in rhythm. Long shapes surged up through the murk, bodies coiling and uncoiling as they cleared the surface, each one plated in overlapping stone scales slick with algae and mud. They weren’t slugs like the first, but serpentine, their heads wedge-shaped and crowned with mineral ridges that cracked as they flexed their jaws. Heat rolled off them in waves, and the swamp hissed where droplets struck their hides and flashed to steam.

Each one identified as a primal slug, so apparently there was possible variation on how they could be shaped and each of them was level 250.

I barely had time to register the Identify tags before they attacked. One lunged straight up out of the water toward Oliver, jaws snapping wide enough to swallow him whole, and I slammed a force plate into its path. The impact rang through my bones as the construct shattered, but it was enough to deflect the strike so Clay could haul Oliver sideways through the air. The serpent slammed back into the pool hard enough to throw up a wall of sludge, then surged again without hesitation. The mage wasn’t intimidated though as I saw spears of ice streak from his finger tips and slam into vulnerable spot son the monster. Much as Clay, he might not have the levels, but clearly had the experience and instincts of an adventurer.

“Spread but don’t separate,” I shouted, already moving. Area Flight kept us mobile, but the creatures were fast, faster than their bulk suggested, and they used the terrain intelligently. One dove beneath the surface and reappeared behind Lexa, snapping at her roots, while another coiled around a massive tree trunk and launched itself like a spring-loaded weapon toward Selena. The issue was that these monsters weren’t a true test of power for any of us from Earth, while they were overwhelming for the other three. It was going to test our coordination to the extreme.

Samvek met the first head-on, spear flashing as lightning poured down the shaft and into the creature’s skull. The strike punched through stone scales and into flesh, but the serpent didn’t die. It wrapped around his torso instead, crushing with relentless force, and I felt the pressure spike through our bond. I drove a force lance into the joint behind its head, twisting hard, and Samvek followed through by discharging a concentrated bolt straight into its core. The creature convulsed, coils loosening just long enough for him to tear free.

More came, five at once, surging out of different pools and channels, some from the ground and some from the air where they’d used trees as launch points. I layered force constructs around the weaker three again, not domes but angled shields that shifted as they moved, forcing attacks to glance instead of land. Oliver hurled spell after spell into the mass, fire and ice tearing chunks from stone hides, while Clay’s arrows punched deep and stayed there, bleeding mineral fragments and glowing ichor. I new he was better with his daggers but he needed a few more levels before closing distance with monsters like this. Lexa slammed both hands into the ground again, and this time the swamp answered her with violent enthusiasm.

Roots the size of siege cables erupted upward, snaring two serpents mid-lunge and wrenching them apart with a sound like splitting mountains. Selena was everywhere at once, reality bending so her blades always found purchase, her strikes landing where defenses should have been but weren’t. One serpent tried to coil around her, and she stepped through it, space folding so the creature’s own momentum tore it in half. The pieces hit the ground still writhing before the dungeon absorbed them.

I switched to offense then, lightning pouring from my hands in controlled arcs that leapt from creature to creature. This wasn’t chain lightning in the casual sense. I was shaping the current, forcing it through weak points I could feel more than see, letting the energy tear through cores and nervous nodes. Each strike left the air smelling of ozone and scorched stone, and each kill sent a ripple of approval through the dungeon that I felt in my teeth.

One serpent got through anyway. It burst up beneath me, jaws closing around my leg, and pain flared hot and sharp as stone teeth bit through armor. I snarled and drove Wayfinder down into its skull, riding the impact as it thrashed and tried to drag me under. Life mana surged reflexively, sealing the wound even as lightning followed the blade and detonated inside the creature. It went limp, jaws loosening, and I kicked free just as the body dissolved into the floor.

The wound was closing already but my armor would take more work to repair. It was what I got for taking this slowly while being overly confident. Yes, I could have cleared all of these monsters much faster, but it was important that we learned what our tag alongs were capable.of.

I made another discovery when I realized that Cone of Winter’s Debuff was apparently incredibly lethal to these slugs, no matter what shape they came in. Lighting seared them, and flame consumed them, but the cold either outright killed them or made them stiff so that a blow from a weapon could crack their bodies apart. That sped the process up.

We didn’t slow. We couldn’t. The dungeon must have realized that a few of these weren’t a challenge so it was throwing them at us in large numbers. The noise alone would draw more, and I could already feel heavier presences shifting deeper in the swamp, something vast stirring under layers of mud and root. The serpents kept coming in waves, and the weaker three were forced to push harder to keep up. That was the point. We couldn’t let them coast, not if they were going to have to face the awakened of the Order.

When the last serpent finally fell, the swamp went quiet in a way that felt temporary and threatening rather than peaceful. Steam rose from scorched water, broken trees leaned at odd angles, and the ground beneath us pulsed as it reclaimed the dead. My chest heaved as I took stock, senses still flared wide, waiting for the next assault. Somewhere out there, something much bigger had noticed us, and I knew this floor was only just getting started.

You have slain 188, level 250 primal slugs. After all benefits are calculated you have earned 564,000 XP. You have gained 752 jugs of slug slime and 376 slug eye stalks. These have multiple uses in crafting and magic.

It was still going to take us a long time, but Oliver had already reached level 150. Lexa was now level 161 and Clay was level 183. The closer they got to the level of the monsters they more they’d slow down but for now the progress was incredibly fast.

“Do you want to stay Oliver, since you’ve hit your level cap?”

He laughed. “Are you kidding. I haven’t had this much fun… well I had some fun when I met Tad, but most of the time, I felt like I was about to die. Here, you’ve kept me so shielded that I’ve been able to explore a bunch of different spell combinations. Getting creative is always fun.”

Selena added, “He may be able to carry over some of the XP that he gets. At least that’s how it worked for Clay.”

“Fair enough. Then is everyone ready to go on?”

They were all more than a little excited. I thought once they got past level 200 we could start lessening our protection, but that was going to take a bit and Oliver couldn’t reach that point without being awakened.

Exploration- Chapter 34

Chapter 34- Step Two

As much as I wanted to get moving a bit of discussion was necessary. The first thing that I did though was push out with my senses as far as I could. I didn’t extend my aura because that might be detected but I did see if I could hear, feel the vibrations in the air, or otherwise sense any oncoming threats.

Selena opened her eyes and said, “I just used my reverse scrying spell. If anyone is magically searching for us or has locked in on us, then they have to be significantly more skilled than my tutors and mother used to be.”

I grinned at her. “I could probably use that spell.”

“It was a life saver when I was trying to snag a moment for myself. With it I knew how far I could push them before I’d really get punished. Always had to find the balance of having some independence without upsetting people who could wipe me out with a wave of their hand. Fortunately, the expected a bit of rebellion and even took it as a sign of a strong spirit, as long as it didn’t go too far.”

Once again, I was reminded of how little I actually knew about my fiancé’s life before me, before being sent to Earth. Oh, we’d talked but one can’t encapsulate a 50+ year life into a few conversations. Rather than being daunted by this, I was actually excited to find out more about her. Hopefully, someday she’d tell me how old she actually was, not because I cared, but because it seemed like that would be a litmus test for how open she could be with me.

The mage, Oliver said, “I agree as far as I can tell, no one outside of this warehouse knows what happened, but admittedly my spells are more limited than people of your level.”

I hadn’t gotten a chance to get a read on Oliver yet, but the fact that both Tad and Clay seemed to defer to his advice spoke highly of him. “We’ll we can fix that right now. What say, the three of us take you and Tad for a dive into the dungeon. I’ve got some spells to collect and so we can kill two birds with one stone.”

Before anyone answered my question, I heard Selena’s voice in my head through group chat. “Samvek and I both know that there’s more going on than you’ve let on so far. Please talk to us before you do anything rash.”

“Already planning to.”

By this point the lack of a response to my proposal was starting to grow awkward. Finally, Tad said, “That won’t work. You see one of the downsides of being a Dungeon Master is that I can’t be harmed by this dungeon, which in turn means that I can’t gain XP from it. I do get a small flow of XP based upon the flow of power through the dungeon. Up until now, that’s only accounted for a single level gain, but hopefully with the dungeon so much more powerful now, I’ll be able to gain more levels.”

“How have you gained so many levels then?” I asked.

“Funny thing there, but I gain XP for crafting. More than half of my XP has come from enchanting items.”

I shook my head. “Now, I’m really jealous.”

Samvek snorted, “As if you’d give up fighting, you battle maniac.”

I shrugged but didn’t respond. When the man was right, he was right, but it still sounded cool being able to gain XP from working on crafting. “Well then what do you propose?”

“Simple, we need to test out Spot’s new capabilities. He is so worked up with all of the changes that he’s barely communicating coherently. I think he really needs us to test out some of these floors. So you three should take Clay, Oliver, and Lexa with you. They can all gain levels still at least Oliver can until he hits level 150. Maybe that will give us time to figure out if there’s a way to awaken others.”

I considered his words for a moment. I really wanted to go into the dungeon. “Okay, but I still want to build some golems and we’ve only got seven days before a notification about the creation of this new dungeon goes out to the powers that be. I don’t know what kind of hornets’ nest that’s going to be kicking but, I assume that it’s not going to be a good thing.”

Tad smiled. “Agreed, and might I say that your turn of phrase is fascinating. I have to assume that some of the euphemisms don’t translate over very well.”

Selena made a chopping motion with her hand, “Oh no, don’t go encouraging him.”

Everyone laughed a bit then, but it flowed over the general tension. Seven days wasn’t a long time, but I’d made less work for us before.

Oliver said, “Perhaps I’m asking the obvious, but what floor are you intending to take us to. I’m only at level 119 and that’s only because I gained some XP with Tad after a long time without.”

Selena, Samvek, and I all looked at one another. No words were exchanged, just a simple nod so I answered, “There isn’t much point in going to any level other than 5. All three of us are over level 260, but we hit above our weight class. Uh… sorry maybe that doesn’t translate over.”

“No I got what you mean. We have the concept of prize fights here divided by weight classes. What you’re saying is that you have abilities which make you more affective than your levels would suggest.”

I silently asked Samvek and Selena if I could share a bit more information to put his mind at ease. At this point these people were our allies and were in an entirely different universe. I saw little need for secrets. We’d already given Tad some overviews but didn’t go into it full bore. They both reluctantly agreed, although I understood that was because both their upbringing and training treated information as a weapon as much as any sword.

“I have a title that doubles the stats that I gain, so not counting any of my other numerous titles, or stats that I’ve gained from pushing myself harder than I should have, I have very high stats. Then I have access to power from more than one system. I just gained two traits from the Fey System, although, I’m not sure what the difference between a trait and what we call a title is.”

Tad said, “I can explain that a bit. I’m curious what traits you got if you’re willing to share, but traits are typically reserved for magical items of fey. They are fundamental alterations of how we interact with the world rather than a spell. Humans, elves, and such gain spells as they level up but normally no traits. We also have traits which usually recognize some special accomplishment like I have one that doubles the amount of coin I receive whenever I get a coin reward either in a dungeon or from a quest.”

Selena laughed, “There are merchant houses which would kill for an advantage like that.”

“I bet.”

That meant it was my turn to share the traits that I gained. I first talked about the Traveler trait. They all agreed with me, that it was likely the system responding to the way the pylon had limited me before.

Tad said, “That’s one of the best type of traits and shows that the system itself is invested in your success.”

“That’s nothing new for Silas,” Selena said. “Let’s just say that he’s used to be the system’s favorite.”

Fara laughed. “Sounds like Tad.”

“Okay, okay, we get it. The two of us have a lot in common. You don’t have to keep mentioning it. The other trait I got is even better which is saying quite a bit.” Then I explained about Dungeon Ally.

Oliver nodded. “Now, I understand why you said it would be pointless to go to any floor other the fifth. I get some sense now of why you think you can keep me alive there.”

Samvek seemed to be getting tired of how this was dragging on. “There’s more to it than that. He can resurrect the dead, at least in our universe he can. He has some highly protective abilities like force fields, and a powerful healing spell. But it isn’t just him. Selena was raised by one of the most powerful family in the entire Heaven’s System. She was treated as a resource and a great deal of effort was made to make her as powerful as possible. For her level she would count as one of the ten most powerful beings in our universe and that’s before you consider the boost she got when Silas connected to her through his primordial aspect.

“As for me, I’m the heir of an up and coming clan. I also received some of the best training available and now in the dungeon, Silas created a connection to me that granted me a class from yet another system and an ability which allows me to drain a portion of the stats from beings that I defeat.”

“How’s that work?” Oliver blurted out, before adding, “No, never mind that. I get the point. I’ll be safe with the three of you. So when do we leave.”

“Give us half an hour. I need to talk to my friends a bit and you three can gather whatever supplies you’ll need as I don’t know how long we’ll be in there.”

Thankfully, no one questioned my desire for a private conversation and so we went to the far end of the warehouse. Selena created a field that would keep anyone from overhearing us and then looked at me. “Spill.”

I began talking about how the Ways had asked me to become their herald. We had a lot of discussion about what that meant but I had few answers. “All I really know is that it would require me to travel around the multiverse and somehow expand the reach of the Ways.”

“So the Fey System wants you now too?” Samvek asked.

I shook my head. “No, I don’t think that the Ways and the Fey System are the same.” Then I repeated what it had told me about how it had existed long ago but had become connected to the Fey System. “The voice mentioned something about the Fey System being created by a Remnant of Eternity.”

“You mean like the thing that saved you from Gallarosa?”

I nodded at him as I tapped my necklace. As far as I knew the remnant was still in there, but I had been both too busy and too nervous to check. Something that could act without even systems knowing that it had acted or which could alter my soul and mind to remove trauma was not something I wanted to interact with lightly.

“I can understand why you don’t want to accept, and I support you, but that kind of power would be hard to turn down. Protecting your family, friends, and Earth are all very important to you. Before you make your final decision you need to decide if you believe that the Ways could make good on the promise of that kind of power.”

Selena’s words caught me off guard. I had expected her to be the most opposed to it, since it would obligate me to a form of service even if it had been pitched as not being very onerous. “Um, not what I expected you to say.”

She smiled. “This is kind of my point. Whatever decision you make you need to know all the ramifications either way. Your decisions affect the lives of billions or even trillions of beings. That can’t be done lightly.”

“Okay, I’ll see what else I can learn, but I don’t want to be beholden to any more mega powerful beings that I already am. Now we should meet with them to go over protocol for the dungeon dive.”

The discussion took very little time. We already knew that Clay was a professional and Oliver proved to be no different. Lexa had been the most standoffish of Tad’s entourage, but something about our interaction with the dungeon must have made her more agreeable. She interacted politely with all three of us, most especially with me.

Once we had party order, and emergency protocols in place as well as a general discussion about what they could do to contribute, we headed for the entrance. Samvek took the lead, followed by Clay, then Selena, Oliver, and Lexa, with me bringing up the rear. Lexa paused a moment before entering the dungeon and looked back at me. “You really should take the offer. It would be an honor to be the herald of the Ways.” Then she moved into the dungeon without waiting for me to reply.

Apparently, this just got more complicated.

Exploration- Chapter 33

Chapter 33- Primordial Core

I found myself floating in what appeared to be clouds. There was light everywhere, but no source and shadows took up just as much space. I definitely wasn’t Unmoored in Time because I knew what that felt like by now. For a fraction of a moment, I looked around for pearly gates, or flaming pits, but then snorted in derision at myself. After all I’d seen, I knew one thing for sure. No one could know if there was an afterlife for humans. It was something you had to find out the hard way, which if Grandma Renner had been right was probably going to make a lot of people really regretful.

But that snort was too physical. Even as I realized that I wasn’t physically here, I knew that I was alive. That was when I felt it, a vast presence equal in many ways to Gallarosa but with a flavor that was closer to the Huntsman.

“I’d ask if I was dead, but I’ve already figured that out. I’m not sure where this is, but it sorta reminds me of the astral plane.”

A deep voice that seemed to make my very bones shake, even though they weren’t actually here, spoke. “No little one, you are not in the that place, although, We can see why you might think that. Your connection with the young astral lord is strong. We are sorry that your companion is not allowed here. By decree of the three courts, We are cut off from the realm of thought. Consider this a pocket dimension which We have created for you.”

“And you are?”

“We have gone by many names since long before the multiverse looked like it does now. We feel the touch of the Huntsman upon you. We once called him friend as much as being such as us have friends. That is a much more mortal concept, but We learn. There is little else for Us to do. You would know Us as the Ways, although your interaction has mostly been with only one part of Us.”

“Okay well nice to meet you Mr. Ways. I thought you were part of the Fey System.”

“We existed before this system, before a Remnant of Eternity was used to create something stable in chaos, before the Fey had evolved beyond their primordial status, much as the dragons you know have. And yes, your mind is open to Us, but We will not pry. Some things simply stick out more than others.”

“Then why do I get the feeling that you’re trapped here as much as I am.”

“Compacts were made. The fey were thought to be the best way for us to spread. There was, there is compatibility, but every traveler has lost their way at some point or another.”

“So you’re bound to them but you are a fulcrum within reality complete with potential that even you don’t know. We could help bring that out. We would offer you much.”

I thought about what was being said and sorta spoke off the cuff as I was trying to process. “I’m surprised you haven’t tried this before.”

“It has been tried before. The results were less than desirable, but We have learned more about mortals, about humans. You have no connections to this place, no pre-existing motivations. Mortals are very driven by concepts of justice and injustice and even when they transcend mortality, they often bring such things with them. It takes a very long time to gain a different perspective and the gods of this realm rarely live that long.”

That sorta rocked me, but an idea came to me. “Who did you try this with before?”

“That is protected by a compact. We will not speak of such things. Do you wish to hear our offer?”

Again, my mind was racing. This being was some sort of primordial, but part of a system and not a prisoner to it. At least, that was what I was thinking. I quickly realized though that I might be making assumptions. It was ancient and vast, I could feel that. It was also very powerful, but that power felt spread out and stunted in some ways. “Sure, it never hurts to listen?”

“We would have your for our herald. We would imbue you with great power, raising you beyond the limits of mortal existence. Eventually, you would even be raised to divine tier, although We have learned the dangers of doing so too quickly. With a compact with Us you could bypass the 1000 years of service that the Heavens require of all its ascendants. You would be able to shape the destiny of your world and family.”

“Okay, so that’s the offer, which sounds very tempting on it’s face, but what’s the hook? I know there’s one, so let’s deal fairly with one another.”

“We would have it no other way, but mortals often seem to like to focus upon the benefits and minimize the responsibilities.”

I laughed at that. Pegged humans in one go. “I’d still like to know.”

“As Our herald you would be bound to serve our purpose, but you like to travel. We can see that much in you. You would be afforded time for your home, but you need to travel and create new paths for us. Is that not what you are as a Trailblazer?”

“It is, but doing it for myself and doing it for someone else are two very different things. Let me ask you this though, would there be any planet eating involved?”

          “A strange question… ah, you make a reference to the imaginary culture of your world. This too is something new to us. Already you are proving useful. Understand, We would provide you with great power. You are already much stronger than your level would indicate, but with Our aid, you would instantly reach beyond mortal existence and your strength relative to your level would be even greater. You would be both primordial, and of multiple systems.

“Looking at the trajectory of your power and if you were to bind yourself to Us with a compact you would soon be able to stand against the Architect of the Heavens, and join your friend in the Divided Realms to save him from what he cannot defeat on his own. All this and more We offer you. You only need to agree to be Our herald and follow your true nature as a Trailblazer.”

I could feel the desire the Ways had for me to accept this. I didn’t think I could. It was certainly tempting, but it didn’t feel right for me. That said, I also didn’t want to reject a being like this out of hand and should probably talk to Selena and Samvek about a decision like this. “I need time to consider your offer.”

“You have it. The offer remains open until you leave this universe without having made a compact with Us.”

As soon as I heard that last word, complete with the capital U that I could absolutely hear in how the Ways spoke about itself, everything faded to black and I was bombarded by notifications.

You have altered the nature of a dungeon by granting it a share of your primordial energy. This has created a connection with you as well as empowering the dungeon.

This pleases the Ways. The Fey System is watching.

For bringing new power into the Fey System you are granted the traits:

Dungeon Ally: this trait grants you +5% to Mind and Perception (adapted to your current configuration) Loot and XP gains for you and your entire party will be increased by 100% as long as you are in a setting which is appropriate for your level.

Further you gain two new spells of your choice from the dungeon. You must enter the dungeon to collect this benefit but the choices are:

Time Pool (Legendary)- Manipulate the river of time into an eddy pool so that it will move at a pace different from the area around you. Mastery of this spell will enable you to more greatly modify the flow rate and the area affected. Cool-Down: 72 hours

Repair (Legendary)- This is similar to a healing spell but can repairs items restoring them to a pristine condition. It can affect items up to legendary tier or the equivalent. It also possesses a degree of spiritual energy which is fed to the sprite inhabiting the item when it is repairs. This results in a less than 1% chance that the item will evolve a single tier.  Cool-Down: 24 hours

Spatial Vortex (Legendary)- This spell will create a vortex around the caster. It will not harm or otherwise impair the caster’s movement, but will interact hostilely with anything it comes in contact with. Kinetic energy will be disbursed or redirected. Physical matter will be vibrated into a different phase. Duration: 10 minutes. Cool-Down: 24 hours.

Haste (Legendary)- You and all allies within 30’ of you will have your movement rate doubled and your affective Agility/Dexterity increased by 100%. Duration: 1 minute. Cool-Down: 1 hour.

It is also possible that you may be able to choose a single spell and have it upgraded to ascendant tier.  This trait may be leveled up two times to a max level of 3. Each time it levels up you will gain another spell and an additional boost to your Mind and Perception stats. Each level will grant an additional 50% boost to Loot and XP gains.

I could see reasons to choose any of those spells. Their nomenclature was definitely different than the spells of the Heavens System, but it was not so much that I couldn’t understand it. The last line made me suck in my breath, at least I think it did. I still wasn’t aware of the world outside of my mind.

Note: You have received a new title or the equivalent from another System. This does not meet the requirement of your borrow from another system quest as it has been determined you must create your four horsemen to complete that quest. But this title resonates with your Dungeon Manager title and triples the number of dungeons which you may manage.

It was giving me a bit of whiplash getting one message from the Fey System and then getting a bit of commentary on it from the Heavens, but I supposed I’d have to deal with that. The next notification was once again from the Fey System.

The second trait that you are granted is- Traveler: You will find that any form of movement comes easier to you and that you will have better control. This will also provide you with a measure of resistance to any attempt to limit your travel.  Your proprioception is increased significantly, resulting in a 5% increase in the effectiveness of your Dexterity and Agility. This trait may be leveled up to level 5 and you will gain further resistant to restraint and further increase to Dexterity and Agility with each level.

Then as if they were playing tag-team there was a notification from the Heavens.

The seal on your Primordial Aspect has been weakened, but remains intact.

Primordial Aspect: Trailblazer (Sealed 69%) >> 64%

Further the exposure to primordial energy has accelerated your body’s absorption of the remains of the dragon goddess.

Draconic Dust: processing 3% >> 7%

          With that the notifications faded away. There were messages about skills going up, but I ignored all of that. When I woke up, my head was sitting in Selena’s lap. I guess it could have been worse. As soon as I opened my eyes she started speaking. “I swear every time you start to show a bit of common sense, you go and push the limits. I mean, I know I told you that we need to test this, so it was probably the right thing to do, but if you got hurt from it, then I’m never going to forgive myself.”

“No oowies, but you can kiss me here. This part’s a little tender.” I pressed my finger against my lips and she accommodated me, although a part of me was sure she only did it to hear Samvek groan.

“I guess you really are okay.”

I nodded. “We have a lot to talk about but, what happened with the core.” I sat up as I asked the question and saw all eyes go to Tad.

Tad locked eyes with me but didn’t say anything before he stepped into the cleared center of the warehouse and lowered Spot with deliberate care. The core’s glow had changed, no longer a simple pulse of mana but something layered and weighted, like pressure building beneath calm water. The moment it touched the floor, I felt a tug in my gut that had nothing to do with gravity. The warehouse seemed to hold still, as if the space itself was listening.

The stone beneath the core did not crack or shatter. Instead, it softened, losing its resistance in a way that made my skin prickle, as though reality had decided to cooperate rather than be forced. I could feel distance compressing downward, not excavated but defined, space folding into ordered depth. Mana, life force, and something older aligned into a coherent structure, and the speed of it stole my breath. This was a new kind of growth, but I could see how it was being done. Even watching this, gave me a notification about a gain in my Terrakinesis. Understanding how to manipulate matter was fundamental to that ability and it was one which I had not spent enough time with.

I almost missed the way that all of the mana signatures from this huge expenditure of energy were being curved back in on themselves. There was a level of efficiency that I’d never witnessed before. That gave me ideas about how Mana Channeling could work, but how it could also be applied to power in other forms. I also suspected that it would make it impossible for anyone not physically present from sensing the creation of this new dungeon.

My connection to the dungeon flared, quiet but unmistakable. The primordial energy I had poured into Spot earlier echoed back through the bond. The resonance made me feel complete. There was power in it and in a sense, I never felt more myself than when I had primordial energy running through me. All of my classes, spells, and even Psi didn’t feel as natural as that did, yet at the same time it was frustratingly out of my reach.  The dungeon did not drink it greedily. It stabilized around it, using that ancient power to anchor itself, and I understood that this place would not be easily undone. Whatever had just been born here was meant to last.

The expansion accelerated, then slowed with absolute precision. I watched layers form simultaneously, corridors and chambers implied before they existed, their boundaries snapping into place with certainty. The Ways’ influence pressed in like a reinforcing brace, while Fey authority wrapped the whole thing in legitimacy. The result felt inevitable, as though this dungeon had always been meant to exist and was only now being allowed to do so.

When the motion stopped, the warehouse floor reshaped one final time. Stone rotated inward, smooth and controlled, forming a circular opening that spiraled down into waiting darkness. Faint lines of living mana traced the steps, not glowing so much as breathing, and the air rising from below hummed with readiness. I felt the dungeon notice me then. It wasn’t so much as a manager like with the dungeon on the moon. This was an odd brotherhood, a friendship. The dungeon was thanking me for bringing new life to it.

The dungeon: Trailblazer’s Choice has been formed. It is blessed by the Endless Dungeon. It is empowered with primordial energy. This is the first primordial dungeon on Aerth since this world was born. What that means for the future is yet to be determined, but it is a herald of change. Per ancient compact, the Queens and any other divine beings attached to the Fey System must be notified, but that notification will be delayed by seven days.

Trailblazer’s Choice has 5 levels which are each appropriate for different levels of people. Take note, the primordial is not compassionate. Prior safety protocols are removed except for Dungeon Master, Tad Ocean.

1: Appropriate for levels 20-50

2: Appropriate for levels 51-100

3: Appropriate for levels 101-175

4: Appropriate for levels 176-250

5: Appropriate for levels 251-325.

Further growth will be necessary to expand, but the dungeon hold the potential for ascension.

The Dungeon Ally may use Terrakinesis while within this dungeon as though he were on his home world.

I grinned. Tad was grinning as well. This went as well as I could have hoped. Now, I just wanted go down the spiral staircase in the floor which had opened up and claim my new spells or perhaps just one spell. But, I waited. Patience. I could be patient, if only just.

______________________

Gains not otherwise mentioned:

Mana Channeling: 882 >> 956

Channel Mana—Other: 104 >> 141

Terrakinesis (Epic 92%) >> 99%

Trailblazer’s Aura (Legendary 1%) >> 5%

Exploration- Chapter 32

Okay, I was at the gym and some inspiration for a slight shift in direction hit me. I came home, finished this chapter. Now, I need a shower, cause I reek, but I'll get one more chapter done tonight. I'm feeling energized.

Chapter 32- Step One

After rejoining Tad and the others, Samvek teleported all us and we reappeared right outside the warehouse with a soft displacement of air, the smell hitting me first. Old stone, damp wood, iron filings, and the copper tang drifting in from the slaughterhouse nearby layered together into something unmistakably industrial.

Mirren was already there, hands folded calmly in front of her as if she’d been waiting for us to arrive. She explained the arrangement without ceremony, saying the landlord had been more interested in being paid than knowing names or purposes. He’d made it clear he didn’t want guards, Lawkeepers, or city officials sniffing around his property, which suited us just fine. We all understood the unspoken truth that this bought us time, not safety, but time was exactly what we needed.

She opened the door and bowed to Tad, who the rest of us followed inside. Thick walls enclosed the space, their surfaces scarred by years of use, with heavy beams overhead that swallowed the light instead of reflecting it. It felt solid, private, and intentionally forgotten, the kind of place people stopped asking questions about a long time ago.

I walked the perimeter slowly, letting my senses stretch out and take stock of the space. The floor was uneven stone worn smooth in places, stained dark where heavy crates had been dragged or something unpleasant had leaked and never been cleaned. The air felt stale, but I figured we’d get it circulating soon enough.

Tad watched me with a thoughtful expression, then nodded once as if coming to the same conclusion. He said this would do, that Spot would prefer a place like this where the land wasn’t constantly shifting under water or traffic. Fara lingered near the door out of habit, eyes tracking every sound from outside, while Lexa stood near the center of the room like a living anchor. The rest of the group spread out naturally, each of them settling into the space in a way that made it feel occupied rather than crowded.

I stopped near the center and took a slow breath, feeling anticipation coil in my chest. This wasn’t a battlefield, but it carried the same sense of consequence as one. Whatever happened next would change this place and probably all of us along with it. I met Tad’s gaze and gave a small nod, ready for whatever came next.

Tad didn’t waste time once everyone had settled. He asked plainly who was willing to donate mana to Spot, his tone careful but hopeful, as if he already knew the answer and still felt the weight of asking.

Selena stepped forward first without hesitation, “We already discussed and all of us are willing. Silas seems to like you and that’s good enough for me, but this is a new procedure, so I’m going first. If it seems okay, then Samvek and Silas can join in as well.”

Tad nodded, “Honestly, I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to. Everything about you three is different and to my senses you don’t quite fit.”

Samvek looked at Selena, “I can do it.”

“I’m not helpless either and you’re only worried that Silas will get upset if something happens to me, but the same would be true if anything hurt you.”

He couldn’t argue with her reasoning and soon, Tad had pulled out the dungeon core and set it down on the floor. Selena sat down cross legged in front of it and leaned forward enough to put her hand on it. “You did tell it that I’m an ally right.”

Tad nodded. “Spot can hear everything we’re saying. If he really wanted to, he could project a voice for everyone to hear but he prefers speaking to me telepathically.”

I wanted to balk but if I was going to truly treat Selena as an equal then that meant letting her take the risk sometimes. It was difficult for me, but it made sense. I was our healer, so I should be the last one to do something new like this.”

I felt the flow of mana start from her. At first it was just a trickle. Then it began to expand. It all her reality mana.

The change was immediate and unmistakable. Selena’s mana didn’t surge so much as assert itself, a steady pressure radiating outward from her hand into the core. She was so very skilled and possessed a finesse that I knew it would take me years if not decades to achieve. I couldn’t be too hard on myself though, she was simply that far ahead of me, so for now bull in a China shop was going to have to describe my style.  

It was all reality mana, dense and uncompromising, and as it flowed I could feel the air around us subtly reorient, like the world was adjusting its posture to accommodate her presence. Tad inhaled sharply and went very still, eyes unfocused as he tracked something only he could perceive. “That really does smell different from any of the magic I’ve experienced in this world. If I wasn’t convinced you three were from another universe that would do it for me.”

Spot responded with a soft pulse of light, slow and rhythmic, as if acknowledging her contribution and thanking her for it. The trickle became a river, and Selena’s shoulders tensed as she leaned into the flow, expression calm but intent. I watched her reserves dip and then stabilize as she shifted into feeding only what she regenerated, her control precise enough that not a scrap was wasted. Tad whispered something under his breath, awe bleeding into his voice as he said he’d never felt mana behave quite like that. I could feel how the potential for something amazing to happen with Spot kept increasing the more reality mana that he absorbed.

When Selena finally eased back, Samvek didn’t wait. He dropped to one knee beside her and placed his hand against the core, posture relaxed but focused. His mana hit differently, lightning crackling through spatial tension with a darker undertone that made my skin prickle. The Hell System’s influence was unmistakable, not corrupting but hungry, and Spot’s light flickered faster in response before settling into a new cadence.

There was a moment of dissonance where the order insisted on by Samvek’s hell mana contrasted with the freedom of the dungeon core. It was inherently part of the Fey System which unlike the Hell System was about chaos and growth. The balance came as Spot adapted to the flow finding a common point. Both systems were based on authority after all.

Samvek grunted softly as the flow deepened, jaw tightening as he pushed past his comfort point and into pure regeneration. Tad flinched this time and said he could smell it, the sharpness of lightning and the bite of something predatory layered beneath it. I could feel the strain through our bond, but Samvek never wavered, holding steady until the core pulsed once in quiet approval. I watched as both of them continued to poor mana in. Selena’s stream had slowed, and I knew she was probably keeping it just below the her mana regen rate.

In fact, I didn’t have to guess. I opened up the party interface and saw that her mana was sitting at 50%. Trust her to hedge her bets and not leave herself vulnerable even now. I needed to learn from her. I also felt that with Samvek and Selena both pouring mana into the dungeon core that the tension of something not quite yet increased.

That left me. I stepped forward and sat down cross legged between the two of them, completing the circle. They seemed to barely notice as they were so focused on the core although I felt a wave of welcoming come out of them as spiritual energy.

My mana flowed out in layered currents, spatial distortion folding around lightning, life warmth threading through it, and beneath everything a faint trace of time that made my pulse hitch. I didn’t start out nearly as slowly as they had. They’d both proven that it was safe enough, so I quickly dumped half of my mana supply, which was to say the least, fairly prodigious for my level and then following Selena’s example, I pushed with my

We fed Spot together for a long while after that, each of us settled into the rhythm of giving only what we regenerated. The core’s glow brightened and steadied, its internal light no longer flickering but holding firm. At last Tad lifted his hand and told us it was enough, voice quiet and certain, and the moment the flow stopped the warehouse seemed to exhale. Spot’s light remained, warm and alive, and Tad closed his eyes as he turned inward to listen, leaving us to wait in charged silence.

Selena and Samvek pulled back, but that sense of something that could be but which I couldn’t yet see was becoming over-powering. “I think there’s something more I’m supposed to try.”

The mage, Oliver asked what I was talking about at virtually the same time that Samvek did, but Tad stayed still for a long moment, eyes closed, one hand hovering just above Spot as if afraid to interrupt whatever conversation was happening. The glow within the core shifted subtly, not brighter or dimmer, but more complex, layered in a way that made my skin prickle. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but I could feel intent radiating outward, choices being weighed and accepted. When Tad finally opened his eyes, the tension had drained from his face and been replaced by something like resolve.

He placed his hand on my shoulder. “A moment of inspiration?”

I nodded. “Or potential.”

I felt a pulse from the core as my hand touched it and heard a voice in my mind. “You are touched by the primordial. That is ancient, as old as the ways, and you are a traveler. What are the risks with what you’ll try?”

Instinctively, I knew it was Spot speaking to me, but I felt Tad’s mind in the conversation.

“Nothing is ever sure, but every great thing I’ve ever done has started like this.”

“Tad trusts you. You may try.”

I heard Selena’s voice, but it felt distant. “Remember what we talked about. If you’re going to do something stupid, do it with intent.”

Someone else, I think Fara laughed, “He really is just like Tad.”

Then I opened myself up more the core. I felt the tremendous power inside of it. The power was ancient, and I could see how this little core was a piece of something much greater. Finally, the Ways made more sense to me. There was a second layer to his power, another connection that bound him to Tad. Even in that was power beyond Tad himself as I felt what must be the Void Court. Those connections and that power resonated with the primordial part of me. What would be a better combination that the Ways and a Trailblazer.

The seal on my aspect felt weaker, more distant, perhaps because the Heavens were further away. As tempting as it was to try and break the seal entirely, I didn’t doubt for a moment that the system thought it was helping me. Primordials were dangerous and I wouldn’t do something like that blindly.

The seal didn’t break, but it bent. That was good enough for a flow of primordial energy to pour out of my soul into the core. It created a suction and soon it was as though the core was dying of thirst and trying to suck everything out of me. The dungeon core needed more and more of it. At the last second, I had to pull my hand away.

The room seemed to spin around me and I felt woozy. Notifications populated, but I couldn’t focus enough to read them so they were shunted to the back of my mind. Selena’s hands were on my face, and Tad was mumbling something about Spot apologizing, but again, focus was evading me.

As I felt consciousness slipping away from me, I only knew two things. First, I was going to get a lecture from Selena for pushing myself too far. I hadn’t passed out for a while, but apparently old habits die hard. Second, it was going to be completely worth it. I didn’t know exactly what had happened, but I knew it was going to be spectacular.

I don't point out how great my editor is often enough- beautiful paperback cover he made.

Thanks Josh.

Exploration- Chapter 31

Still planning on 2 more chapters today.

Chapter 31- In for a Penny…

With that the three of us went up to the room that Selena and I shared. The conversation had to start with an explanation about what training Samvek and I had done. I gave her more details than I had with the entire group and she asked insightful questions.

“Samvek has my approval to continue helping with your training. He clearly has a knack for it, but I don’t want you to forget that you can lean on me for that as well.”

“We’re still learning what this relationship means, but I would never want you to think that you aren’t a part of my life.”

She put her hand on my arm. “I don’t want to come across as being jealous. Frankly, I’m not a fan of all these new emotions, but setting that aside, I do have things to teach you that Samvek won’t know. The resources that were poured into my own training were intense.”

As she was speaking a notification popped up.

Draconic Dust: processing 2% >> 3%

The processing of the remains of a dead dragon goddess seems to be interacting with your Primordial Aspect. It is still sealed, but further analysis will be required to show the impact.

I immediately shared the notification and that shifted the conversation a bit. Finally, Selena said, “There’s a bunch of stuff on your stat sheet that we should talk about. In fact, a part of me feels like every morning before you go out, that we should sit down and remind you about things you need to work on.”

Samvek nodded. “That was a big part of the training that I had intended. This awakening of a Hell System class in me ended up taking up too much of the time, but there is much that Silas has which he isn’t use to its full potential.”

“Now that’s something we can both agree about. Just going off of the last time that I looked at his full status sheet there is your Potentiality, the primordial aspect, your ability to make pioneers, your affinities, you Hell class, the cultivation core, Psi, working on getting the rest of your abilities and spells to legendary tier, and that’s just off the top of my head.”

“What do you mean about Potentiality. I thought that just was. It isn’t something that I can work with.”

Selena grimaced and shifted her head from side to side. “Yes, technically that’s true, but I believe that you need to move forward with your eyes wide open. Right now you have a 5% chance of shifting events in your favor. You were talking about how you need to stop taking all your success for granted and I still agree with that, but the more I talked about you with Fara this morning the more I realized that much of this is just the result of your Potentiality.”

“Five percent doesn’t seem like enough to give me all the good things I’ve gotten.”

“And that’s just another thing that I can teach you about it. Much of this is just theory because supposedly even the ascendants don’t fully understand the full scope of what Potentiality can do and if the gods do then they’re being silent.”

Samvek leaned in. Clearly he was interested to hear what she had to say and if nothing else that told me that I needed to pay attention.

“Remember that Potentiality is constantly at work. How many choices do you think you make per day, thousand upon thousands if you break it down to the simplest choices. Then how many choices do other people around you make which might interact with you without their even meaning for them too. Add to that the natural world and how it holds sway over many of the circumstances in our lives. Your Potentiality comes into play with all of that. You’ll never even see more than a fraction of how it has shaped your path.

“But the theory is that the more important an event the more likely Potentiality is to affect it. My tutor called it Potentiality concentration. I don’t know if that’s really an accurate description, but you have to admit that it seems to work like that for you.”

I nodded. “I think I’m following you, but I still don’t know what I can do to make that work for me.”

“Exactly, you don’t know. You just always test it in battle and often it works out for you which seems to support the concentration theory. But what if your intent shapes it? What if you could cause it to focus only on the issues you wanted to affect, but in turn your odds would go up dramatically for those choices. You’d do that even if it would mean that you’d get worse reactions on more mundane events.”

Samvek seemed excited now. “So you’re saying that we need to test this and see if he can actively influence outcomes.”

“Well we know that he can. We’ve seen it happen too many times to doubt that. How many times has he called upon being an Architect to influence things in his favor. I’ve practically lost count and each time the outcome has been ridiculous. I know I’ve certainly never been able to tell the system that I didn’t agree with any of the choices it gave me and instead wanted to combine them all. My point though is, what if part of those successes isn’t just being an architect but also his potentiality.”

I thought about what she said and stayed quite while Selena and Samvek discussed potential ways to test it out and then even strayed into talking about methods they might use to train it.

While I listened, I got the next notification.

Potentiality: +5.03%/5.42% >> 5.04%/5.69%

Selena groaned when I told her. “So just thinking about it altered your potentiality… You are so broken, but I love it. Don’t read too much into it, we still need to test it more.”

“And that’s hardly the only thing. When we were fighting the Order he repeatedly used force constructs despite gaining a new Psi ability that does the same thing.”

“Excuse me for trying to be sure we were both safe. My mastery of that ability is far greater than a psionic constructs. It’s not like I wasn’t using Psi though, Precognition was active the entire battle. But we should also speak about your Psi levels and how we can recharge you.”

This led to a discussion about the Psi ability I’d been able to grant Samvek. I could tell that Selena was a bit jealous, but she kept it to herself. She was still connected to me as a Pioneer and had my vow of marriage. Samvek revealed that his Psi pool was only 500 but that it had grown to 505 during the battle, although it was empty now. I checked and mine was up to 4400 now and had fully regenerated.

“Let me see if I can fill your reserves up.”

I focused my mind on Samvek and went first to the part where I felt Psi inside of me and then connected to the spot within Samvek. Just like that I was able to push 505 points of Psi into him. “That was easy, and I seem to be regenerating a couple hundred points every minute based on how it’s going up.”

Selena asked, “Do you think that you can give me a Psi ability?”

I shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Given peace and quiet, I think I can replicate what I did with Samvek, but I get the feeling that I won’t be able to grant another Hell Class. The question is who else do I give the connections to other systems to. I’ve already passed my bloodline on to you so we know that all three of us will be able to reach ascendant tier. But, if one person is going to get a boost from the Divided Realms, and the others from the Fey and Dragon systems, then I need to shore up my own connections to them. At least with the Hell System, I had an actual class.”

She seemed to accept my answer for now. “Just so you know we really do need to find time for training. All those things I mentioned are important. You have that temporal mana crystal and an affinity for it. That isn’t something you can pass up. You’ve see how powerful it makes Lana.”

I nodded. “I’m a bit worried that Unmoored in Time will mess with it, but I agree it’s worth exploring and you’re right about my abilities and spells. For the longest time they were ahead of my class core, even to the point that it strained my soul at times. But now my class core is legendary tier and the majority of my spells are Epic or Rare tier with only three legendary- Long Range Teleport, Stable Portal, and Terran Rail Gun. Those all started at that tier.

“My abilities are a bit better off. I have 12 abilities if you don’t count the Forerunner abilities and 5 of those are epic, 6 are legendary tier with the final one being ascendant.”

“The fact that you have an ascendant tier ability is…,” Selena’s voice faded off as she shook her head, “but as impressive as that is, you need to get them all to legendary and if we are following your regular pattern at least a couple more need to reach ascendant.”

“Okay, I agree that we need to spend some time training. That’s a given, but what we need to be talking about is what you think about helping Tad.”

Samvek and Selena exchanged a look before she said, “We’re following you. That isn’t just for show. Yes, we’ll train you, but let’s not kid ourselves, you are the one in front. You’re the one who gets stuff done. And that’s saying a lot considering who we are, but neither of us is a Forerunner. I think you called it MC energy before.”

I chuckled. “Right, but maybe you have an opinion about whether we should agree to fight their enemies with them or if we should focus on the power-level training approach or the crafting first.”

“If you fight them then we’re with you, as for the others, I think it’s a mistake to make it one or the other. If they really can make a dungeon, then we should work on seeing if Tad can awaken his other people and then work on getting levels with them. To my mind that should come first. Golems sound useful and I know that it’s something you’ve wanted to work on for a while, but even my uncle always realized that people are our best resources. We need to put the focus there.”

I glanced and Samvek and he only nodded in agreement. “Last thing we should talk about is what you were up to this morning. You said you were talking with Fara?”

“Just girl talk… sorry, I kinda wanted to say that after watching all those movies. We were feeling each other out. She is as committed to Tad as I am to you but it’s not romantic. She thinks of him as a younger brother and is panicked that she isn’t strong enough to help him. We got along as well as too people from different universes who are inherently distrustful ever could. I’d like to see her have the strength to protect Tad or at least to watch his back. I get how she was feeling.”

Her message came through. “Okay, so dungeon first, then we try to see if we can replicate the awakening.”

Samvek spoke then. “About that, they said that it takes ascendant energy, but the amount of power that was channeled through Tad didn’t seem like it was a match for any of the ascendants I’ve dealt with. It was a lot and would stretch any of us to our capacity and maybe beyond, but together we should be able to match that.”

Selena said, “Unless there’s something unique about the energy required…”

I cut her off without meaning to, the words just came out before I could stop them. “All energy is the same, just in different flavors or at different frequencies if you will.”

“That’s not exactly what I was taught, but I’m curious to see if you can prove it.” The expression on her face had a strange emotional intensity that I wasn’t sure exactly how to read.

“No time like the present, I guess.”

Apparently, I'm hosting a panel at UI-Con

Nothing like last minute notice...

UI Con is held in Champaign, IL on Friday Jan 30th and Saturday the 31st at the end of this month.

If anyone is local and wants to stop by, I'd be happy to hang out, sign books or whatever.

AI Concept Art for Revised WttM 10 cover

If Luciano can fit it in and get it done in time, then I'll have him make a cover using this as the concept art. This is AI- which for the record- I'm neither a huge fan of nor a witch hunter of. I use human artists but believe that AI can be useful for creating concept art like this.

If he can then the current cover for book 10 will become the cover for book 11.

Thoughts?

Exploration- Chapter 30

I'm sorry. As the poll indicated, I needed to think through this somewhat. The poll results were fairly conclusive. So I'm going to tell this story as it unfolds, and worry about how I have to make it work for Magic Eater 5 after this.

Chapter 30- Decisions to Make

When we teleported we went straight to Samvek’s room. From there it was a simple matter to reach out to Selena via group chat. “Where are you at?”

There was a tension in her voice as she said, “Wait, is that the kind of husband you’re going to be? Are you always going to be checking up on me? Controlling?”

“Uh, who are you, and what did you do with Selena?”

The tension faded to laughter, “Ah, you’re no fun if you’re not going to react. Isn’t that the way that women from your world used to speak. While you and Lana were at the Bazaar, I binged a bunch of something called Lifetime movies…”

          I could only shake my head. “The only reason that I’m not seriously concerned now is that I know you’re messing with me. But seriously, we encountered some powerful members of the Order and ended up killing two of them but one got away. We just teleported upstairs, and the first thing I wanted to know was if you’re okay.”

“I guess I could get used to you being concerned about me. But, yes, I’m okay, although we’re hearing about all of this now. Clay and a mage named Oliver showed up today. They are trying to get Tad to leave Basetown, but he’s being stubborn for some reason.”

“We’ll be right down. I have something to add to this conversation.”

We ended up taking up a private room that the inn had off of the main hall. It was small enough that it got crowded quickly, but everyone deserved to hear this. Once the door was closed, it was my party of three, Tad, Fara, five elves, and two humans. Tad was the first to speak. “Oliver, let me introduce our new friends. You already met Selena, but this is Silas, and Samvek.” Then he looked at me. “And Silas, this is Oliver. He's a grand mage from the human empire, but he’s thrown in his lot with us for the most part.”

“I won’t betray my nation, but I don’t see Tad’s efforts to be in conflict with the empire. In fact, after learning about awakening and what it really entails, I’m more than certain that the Order has been actively working against our people.”

Clay stood next to him knocking.

Selena added, “Oliver is also that other party member that Clay was talking about. Unless he has some hidden power, I’m confident that we can trust him.”

Clay chuckled. “I told you that she could be blunt. She’s also more powerful than any of us from Aerth. I’d even include Tad in that despite what you’ve said he’s done in the past.”

I didn’t want this to get sidetracked. “We aren’t here to compare power levels, although, as it stands, yes, the three of us are more powerful than any of you. Samvek and I just fought a trio from the Order who were all in the mid 300’s for levels. We killed two of them and drove off the other.

“Before you say it, yes, they out-leveled us significantly, but we are quite strong for our levels. I already explained to Tad what it means to be a Forerunner where we come from as well as the advantages that Samvek and Selena had, so I won’t go into it. I can also say that I’m pretty good at sensing potential in people, and Tad definitely is stronger than his level would suggest as well. None of that matters though if we don’t come up with a plan.”

With that, Samvek and I went into details about what we’d been up to inside the dungeon. I talked about how the process had taken inspiration from the awakening that I’d witnessed but was different. “Two things were true both times though. It took an extraordinary amount of power kickstart the changes and a connection between us was required. Our connection was one of friendship rather than prince and subject, but I don’t know if that can work in your system or if the Fey System requires something different from the Heavens System required.”

Oliver shook his head. “All this talk about different systems has my head spinning. I trust Tad and he trusts you, not to mention that everything you say has the ring of truth, but it’s still a lot to take in.”

“Trust me, I get it. When I learned about the Heaven’s System, I didn’t even believe that magic was real or that anyone on my world could practice magic. Ironically, I discovered later that in the past there had been practitioners of magic, but they had drawn their power from the mother of dragons. It’s odd how all of the myths seem to have some basis in truth, somewhere in the multiverse.”

“Priest Bahran would say that was the infinite finding expression in the finite,” Samvek said.

“All of that said, I can say that the ones we fought were stronger than those that you fought while we watched, Tad. One of them was a Dreadnought like your two but the others were a Law Warden, and an Inquisitor. She was the one that got away.”

Oliver looked at Tad. “That unfortunate. If she got away she will tell the others who have arrived and then their seers will find us wherever we are.”

“You’re forgetting about how things obscure around me. The system itself is hiding me, and apparently something about my nature makes me difficult to find. I don’t dispute that eventually they’ll find us, but I’ve been running for the past few months. If our new friends will help us, then I want to make a stand.”

The impulse in me to immediately agree was instinctive, but I was trying to be better. So I looked at Samvek and Selena. “I can’t make that decision on my own. We’ll need to talk about it, but I first I’ve been thinking. There are two ways that we could help you and in fact help ourselves.

“The first, is that I think if we work together we might be able to supply Tad with enough power to awaken more of you. Then we could help you gain rapid levels in the dungeon at least up to level 200 or so. That might not make you a match for the Order but it would at least make you not a liability. Along with that we could help Tad gain more levels, but again our power-leveling will start to slow in the 200’s. I don’t know if it will be 200 or 250 but somewhere in there it will become harder. At least that’s what logic says.

“The second thing that we can help with is in the creation of golems. My time in the dungeon with Samvek has given me new insights into how that part of my class works so I think I can contribute more now.”

Fara asked, “And what do you get out of this?”

“Fair question. We’ll probably end up gaining a level from all the power-leveling. Hopefully, acting as batteries will provide us with some more insights into how to manage our power as well as helping me fulfill a quest. I need to borrow elements from four different systems. So far, I have significant elements from two of them, but the Fey and Dragon Systems remain.

“As far as the crafting, there is something different about your enchantments here. The sprites that Tad mentioned aren’t used in our system, but I can’t help but wonder if I wouldn’t be able to create more powerful items if I was able to imbue spiritual energy into them. Then there is the fact, that if Tad and I manage to create golems, then I’ll have that knowledge to take back with me. My world is always in need of more protectors.”

Fara seemed satisfied with that as did the others.

Tad said, “I won’t lie. I was also hoping that you’d fight along side us. No matter if we create golems and awaken all of these others. It still won’t be an easy fight. If what we’ve heard is true then there are 100 as powerful as the three that you fought. Would you have been able to take on 100 of them.”

Samvek and I looked at one another. I wanted to say yes, but knew that was foolish. “I don’t know how many we could have taken, and we were fighting with limitations there, but I don’t want to minimize how good of warriors they were. As for fighting with you. That’s part of what I need to discuss with my team.”

“There’s one problem with your suggestions that you haven’t considered. Or actually there are two. The first is that even if Tad’s presence distorts their ability to find us that still means that we all have to stay near him. More pressing though is that accessing the Endless Dungeon again is going to be impossible without a battle.”

Tad grinned. “Don’t worry about the dungeon. I’ve got a solution for that.” Then he pulled out the small sphere that he carried with him. He’s already identified it as a dungeon core and named it Spot. I found the name to be odd, but what in my life wasn’t odd.”

“This is Spot. We talked a bit about what it means that I have the Dungeon Master title and I’m sure that I mentioned Spot is a fragment of the Endless Dungeon, but there was a lot going on. What Spot needs is power. He gains that power from the environment, from his connection to me, but also from spells that are cast and people who die within his dungeon.

“I’m hardly a military genius, but it seems that we might be able to use Spot to our advantage. We simply need to lure some of the Order, a manageable chunk into the dungeon that Spot creates. Then we would have the advantage or terrain and if Spot didn’t have to help us too much, then he would grow stronger by absorbing the enemies we kill there.”

I grinned at the idea. There were details that still needed to be worked out, but it was promising. “One question though, once you Spot creates a dungeon won’t everyone get a notification about it. At least back home that’s how it works whenever a new dungeon is formed.”

He shook his head. “From what Oliver and I have been able to figure out only fey get the notification. The Lawgiver might, but he is also being obscured. So, I suppose there is some risk but there’s always risk.”

“Two more things. One of the adventurers mentioned that the leader of the group that came from the Order was far more powerful than these. They didn’t seem to have any direct information and admitted that it could be just gossip, but in our universe, we are what is called legendary tier and beyond that is ascendant tier, those are beings who are no longer mortal. Is it possible that one of those came to Aerth? Do you have such things?”

Some silent communication passed between Tad and his party. I knew the tell-tale signs too well. Finally, he replied. “We also have something called ascendant, although all the information on this world has been destroyed or hidden as apparently the Lawgiver didn’t want people here learning about it. I’ve spoken to Oliver, Fara, and both Arbormaris and Spot. What I’m able to piece together is that the traditionally only fey could become ascendants and even then it was mostly only the royals from each court.

“Dungeons or seedlings could become powerful enough to be equal to ascendants, but they are already immortal through their connection to the ways. Apparently, though, the Lawgiver was a human who somehow discovered a way to ascend. I don’t know how that was achieved. It’s possible that once he reached divine tier that he might have raised some of his followers to ascendant tier.”

Selena said, “That could complicate things.”

Tad nodded but then locked eyes with me, “Indeed, but what was your second question?”

“I assume you’ll be willing, but I’ve been thinking about what you told me about the Ways having been a path to travel the multiverse. Do you think that it will be able to free us to return home or even to go and help my friend?”

“No promises, but if you help us, then I’ll give my all to help you get home.”

This book is getting away from me...

Books are living breathing things, at least for me. The plot has some landmarks that it has to hit, and I know where the overall story needs to end up, but how it gets there can take many different shapes.

The problem being that sometimes as a panster, I don't realize that the trajectory has shifted enough that it's not going to end up where I thought it was. I usually don't stress about that too much unless it's the last book of a series in which case I stress a lot.

So this book, Exploration has gotten away from me. I've really tried to far with WttM to write it so that the cross-over books will add to your understanding of the story but aren't required reading.

At the moment, I think the logical flow of this book is going to make it so that if you don't read Exploration but then read Magic Eater 5, that you'll feel like you missed out on a lot. This is the first time, I've done the cross-over before the crossover series was complete and now, I'm worried about it.

As per the cover of Exploration, it was always supposed to start here, make a connection wtih Tad, and then they were going to end up in the Divided Realms for the rest of the book, before returning for a short part in Magic Eater 5.

I'm starting to feel like Silas being who he is won't be able to leave Tad without providing some significant assistance.

So considering this- what do you all think?

Exploration- Chapter 29

Chapter 2 of 3 today.

Chapter 29- Spatial Disruption

Lightning answered my decision before thought finished forming. I lifted my hand and sent a crackling bolt straight into the clustered Lawkeepers who were trying to reform behind the tents. The strike didn’t arc politely or dissipate on the first body. It tore through them in a jagged path, jumping armor to armor, flesh to flesh, leaving smoking corpses where disciplined soldiers had stood seconds before. The smell of scorched metal and burned ozone filled the air, sharp and undeniable. They weren’t our primary opponents, but I wanted to keep them out of the battle.

Samvek surged forward at the same time, abandoning measured footwork for raw momentum. Lightning burst from his body in violent pulses, not channeled through his spear but thrown outward as blunt force, smashing into Marken and driving the larger man back step by grinding step. Each impact rang through the stone like a hammer strike, the sound vibrating up my legs. Samvek’s eyes were bright, focused, and hungry, but he wasn’t wild. He was choosing every strike.

Marken answered with brute discipline, meeting Samvek head-on with blows that would have pulped a lesser fighter. Steel rang against steel as spear and armored fists collided, sparks and lightning spraying with every impact. Samvek took a hit that would have broken ribs and answered by slamming his knee into Marken’s chest, following with a lightning-charged elbow that cracked armor and drove the Dreadnought sideways. The exchange was fast, violent, and relentless, neither man giving ground for long.

The three of them were choosing to gang up on Samvek assuming he was the more dangerous of foes. That was fine with me. It had been a while since I got to play pure support. I still remembered back in the early days when my build went more that way. I also got to smile when Samvek cast haste.

If there was one spell that all by itself had the potential to change a battlefield that was it. I felt the surge in my reaction speed but stayed back as Samvek now had no trouble keeping up with all three. I expected one of them to have a counter for it, but so far they didn’t have enough time to do anything but try to stay alive.

I shifted my attention outward and raised force constructs around us, not as walls but as moving barriers that intercepted flanking attacks. Combined with Samvek’s speed they made him untouchable. The enemy weapons struck my force fields, hard, and made them either shudder or break, but they still served their purpose.

Most of the remaining Lawkeepers, those who had managed to survive the lightning storm I unleashed in their midst rallied and moved forward. I wasn’t sure whether to admire their bravery or pity them for the divine compulsion which pushed them to their deaths. A single spell was all that it took to end this threat. I dropped the temperature in front of them with Cone of Winter’s Debuff, the air frosting solid in an instant as bodies slowed, froze, and then shattered under their own momentum.

Darros reacted first, planting his feet and throwing his hands wide as golden sigils flared around him. The lattice between him and Vespa thickened, lines of life mana snapping taut as he redirected another killing blow meant for her straight into his own chest. He roared through the pain, armor deforming and then repairing in the same breath, holy energy surging to keep him standing. Vespa never even flinched, already repositioning with fluid steps, trusting the bond to carry the cost.

That freedom allowed her to press Samvek a bit more. It was clear that she’d done something to speed up her own attacks, because for the most part she was keeping up with him. I could already sense that the Psi reserves he had were nearly extinguished. The enhancement ability was impressive but we’d have to figure out how to manage it since he didn’t have any direct regeneration of Psi.

I almost got distracted watching them fight and didn’t notice when she veered off suddenly and attacked me. Precognition gave me just enough of an edge that I was able to dodge while it whispered to me feeding me a set of sensations rather than images.

Vespa moved like a blade sliding between heartbeats, her attacks subtle and perfectly timed, aimed for joints and gaps that would end most fights instantly. I intercepted what I could with force constructs shaped into angled planes, catching her strikes and turning them aside by inches. The ones I missed skimmed past close enough to burn, but never landed clean, my body already shifting where it needed to be.

Since he didn’t have to worry about her, Samvek met Marken again with a thunderous clash, spear and lightning coming down together. This time he didn’t just push, he tore. Hunger flared visibly around him as Marken staggered, vitae ripping free in a rush Samvek couldn’t entirely control. I felt the spike through our bond, raw and intoxicating, and Samvek let out a sharp breath as the stolen strength flooded him. His next strike came harder, faster, the spear punching through armor and driving Marken to one knee.

The light faded from the Dreadnought’s eyes and Samvek fell to his knees with a gasp. I knew all too well how potent the raw surge of vitae could be. I needed to finish the battle but after that I’d have to make sure that Samvek didn’t become addicted.

Vespa shouted something sharp and commanding, and Darros answered by slamming his hammer into the ground. A wave of binding light surged outward, trying to lock Samvek in place long enough for Vespa to finish him. I countered instinctively, throwing up layered force constructs that fractured the spell into harmless shards of light. Lightning answered my will a heartbeat later, slamming into Darros and blowing him off his feet in a shower of sparks and shattered stone.

That was when I saw it clearly, the spiritual element to the connection between the two of them. There was both mana and spiritual energy in it. Here all the mana was raw, but I knew what this was acting like. Life mana was one of my affinities after all. I reached for it without hesitation, slipping my awareness into the flow and asserting control the same way I would over any other living current. The connection resisted, rigid and authoritative, but it bent under my grip, strands unraveling as I seized the flow and cut it clean. A combination of Spirit Singing and my affinity was all that it took. I lacked the level of control I would have had when using the system back home, but it was enough. Their ability was powerful but lacked finesse.

Vespa and Darros were professionals, even with the death of their comrade they were still on mission. She lunged forward and stabbed straight at the kneeling Samvek, or at least that was what she tried to do. A three layered force construct stopped her magically enhanced thrust while also leaving her open.

Wayfinder opened a deep cut in her abdomen. Her eyes widened as she staggered back a step from the unexpected injury, but she quickly recovered.

Darros screamed as the redirection failed. “Sister.”

He charged at me swinging his hammer, but was too slow to hit me. I ducked and wove around him, while using force constructs to keep Vespa at bay. I’d noted the same last name, but finding out that they were brother and sister helped explain a bit more about the spiritual connection they had.

Darros came at me with a roar that carried more rage than discipline, his hammer arcing toward my head in a blow meant to pulp rather than strike clean. As dangerous as he was, it was refreshing to know that their façade of perfect order was just that a façade. Push hard enough and it would bend, twist, and perhaps even break. I slid inside the swing, Wayfinder already extended, the polearm’s shaft catching his forearms and redirecting the force just enough that it tore past me instead of through me. Lightning snapped from my free hand and crawled across his armor, not enough to kill him but enough to stagger his step and break his rhythm. He was strong, terrifyingly so, but I had not choice other than to occupy both of them.

Vespa tried to exploit that opening immediately. I felt her intent spike and threw up layered force constructs without even thinking, three angled planes snapping into place between her and Samvek. Her blade struck them in rapid succession, each impact shuddering through my constructs and chewing away at their integrity, but they held long enough. I saw her frustration flash across her face, just for an instant, before she shifted tactics again.

Darros slammed his hammer down and the ground flared with law-bound light, trying to pin me in place. They weren’t exactly the most imaginative bunch, once you learned their patterns.  

I let the energy wash over my boots and stepped through it anyway, trusting my balance and my read of the flow. Wayfinder came around in a tight, brutal arc that bit into his side, cutting deep enough that blood sprayed across the stone. He grunted and tried to pull back, but I stayed on him, lightning bursting from the blade as I drove it forward again.

The second strike broke something fundamental. His aura faltered, the rigid certainty that had anchored him unraveling as the law magic lost coherence without Vespa’s support. I twisted the polearm and wrenched it free, then stepped in and drove it straight through his chest, feeling resistance give way as his body finally failed. Darros sagged forward, hammer slipping from numb fingers as the light in his eyes dimmed and went out for good.

Vespa froze for half a heartbeat when she felt him die. That pause cost her blood. I surged forward and caught her across the midsection with a slashing cut that opened her armor and scored deep into flesh. She hissed in pain but didn’t panic, shadows already folding around her form as she retreated in a blur that my force constructs couldn’t quite pin down.

She vanished as suddenly as she’d appeared, leaving only a faint distortion in the air and the copper scent of blood behind. My senses were generally pretty good, but whatever spell or ability that she used, hid her even from me.

I considered chasing her for less than a second, then turned away when I felt Samvek stir. He was pushing himself back up, breathing hard, lightning flickering weakly around his hands as the Hunger receded to something manageable. His eyes met mine, clear again despite the exhaustion, and I nodded once to let him know we were still standing.

The battlefield went quiet after that, the couple of remaining Order members breaking and running rather than test us further. I stayed where I was, Wayfinder held low but ready, until the last of them fled out of sight. The fight was over, but the cost of it lingered in the air, heavy and undeniable.

The silence after the fight felt heavier than the clash itself. I let my aura roll outward in a controlled wave, not a threat so much as a statement, and watched adventurers tremble a bit. They stood their ground so that said something about them given that not a one of them was over level 80. As expected, none of the adventurers stepped forward to challenge us, and most wouldn’t meet my eyes at all. Fear and respect had settled into the same uneasy place, and that was fine by me.

I pulled out my silver tag and held it up, while locking eyes with their obvious leader. “We good here?”

He nodded before adding, “Sure, and let me say that was the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen, but with the number of them that are in Basetown now, I wouldn’t put money on you still be alive by the end of the day.”

“How many?”

“Rumor is that another 100 of them came but that some bigwig is with them who makes these guys seem like weaklings. Then again you know how adventurers are, they tend to gossip more than my gran did.”

I chuckled and then turned back toward Samvek. He was upright now, shoulders rising and falling as he steadied his breathing, the crackle of lightning around him reduced to a faint shimmer. “You good?” I asked quietly, keeping my tone even.

He nodded once, jaw tight, and I could feel through our bond that the Hunger had receded to a dull ache rather than a driving force. “Yeah that hunger is quite something. I could see how it would be bad if you got that class before having time to build up personal discipline. But it’s also pretty useful. With that he displayed a notification for me.

Hunger has activated and your hunt has been successful. You have converted a portion of the vitae you claimed from your victim to gain 2% of his strength (208)

          He shook his head then. “Two hundred strength is great even if it isn’t that huge of an amount for us, but that was from one victory. I’m starting to wonder if I can actually catch up to you in stats?”

          I nodded. “We’ve got a lot to talk about including Psi, but out here probably isn’t the best. I expect that she’ll be back with reinforcements sooner than we’d like.”

He agrees and so my attention turned to the pylon. Up close it hummed with a distorted rhythm, mana flowing through it in a way that bent the local rules of space and handed control to whoever held its counterpart. I could feel the pull of it like a hook in my gut, a promise of leverage I didn’t like trusting. It also had a similar spiritual weight to it, but felt more compressed than the items made by Tad. We shared a quick look at then I reached out my hand to grab it.

The pylon pulled free from the ground without any effort.

Teleportation Lock Pylon- set item, 6 of 25.

Range: 1500 feet radius
          Linked to a control rod.

Linked didn’t sound good, but then I had what felt like a good idea in the moment. Save for Winter was essentially it’s own pocket dimension. It stood to reason that if I threw it into there, that it wouldn’t be able to be tracked. The idea turned out not to be so good.

 The moment I tried to put it into Save for Winter, space screamed. The backlash detonated outward, throwing everyone off their feet as the air folded and snapped, and I was hurled a hundred feet into the mountainside hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs. Stone shattered around me, and I hit the ground already forcing my body back into motion before the pain could settle.

I was on my feet again in seconds, shaken but functional, and that told me everything I needed to know. Samvek shook his head, “I thought you knew that spatial storage and space disrupting items wouldn’t play nicely together.”

A quick leap had me standing next to him again. “I was able to store the spatial mana crystal.”

“Right, but that’s just a battery, it wasn’t actively using spatial mana.”

“Fair enough, can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Tell that to them,” he said as he pointed at the adventurers who were still struggling to get back up, “If they’d been any closer to us, not all of them would have made it. I blame myself though. You’re so capable that I keep forgetting how many things you still don’t know. Now, we should leave that. If it’s linked to something else, they can probably trace it. I’d have liked to take it, but it isn’t worth the risk.”

I looked at my boots for a moment, knowing that he was right. I was doing better, but it still wasn’t enough. “We need to warn Tad anyway. It sounds like thing are about to get rough here.”

Exploration- Chapter 28

Off to a bit of a slower start this morning. Release days always distract me, although nothing like the anxiety that I used to feel. That and my wife and daughter got back yesterday. They are flying out in about 5 hours for the rest of the week in Colorado.

So I may not get as much as much done today as I'd like, but still can expect a couple more chapters. Then it's off the races the rest of the week while they're gone.

Chapter 28- Out of Time

When Samvek’s eyes opened for just a moment, I saw a fire burning with them. There was a hunger inside of him that I’d never sensed before, but it had a spiritual weight and couldn’t be denied. For a moment, I worried that despite the notifications and my checks that I had harmed him in some way but then he shook his head and let out a gasp. “Wow, that’s an intense rush.”

His smile helped put me at ease, a bit. “You okay?”

“Yeah, there were a lot of notifications. Apparently, in the Hell System I’m your vassal now, although, I hope you don’t expect me to call you m’lord or anything?” If he hadn’t been smiling I might have worried that he was being serious.

“No, I think we can skip that. It said you got a class called Blood Hunter. I hope that isn’t anything too disgusting?”

“It’s potentially over-powered but we have to see how it functions in practice. I gained an ability or not sure if it’s really an ability, it’s a part of me now though and it’s called Hunger. I think it’s intended to be a bit of a combination of tracking and battle lust. The class isn’t really about blood, but rather about vitae and by consuming the vitae of monsters I defeat, I can gain a tiny percentage of their stats. The vagueness in the description is why I can’t say yet whether the class is good or not.

“I do want to say something and you need to hear me.”

I nodded.

“You did exactly what I told you to, but you don’t know why I told you to. Yes, I trust you, but I received advice from Priest Bahran who is practically a second father to me. He told me he couldn’t explain why but said that it came from a Seer named Brian.

“Anyway, he told me that there would come a time when we were training together and that I needed to allow you to augment me. He said without that, I was going to fall hopelessly behind you, but that if it was successful I would be able to stand beside you at the end. Ominous, I know, and the ‘if’ part certainly made me nervous, but like I said, I trust you and I trust him. So, stop beating yourself up about this.”

With that I told him about the entire horsemen part of my quest and how I needed to incorporate a different system into each of the people. He asked, “I saw that about the horsemen thing. The terminology seemed strange, but I take it that it has some significance for you.”

I tried to explain the horsemen of the apocalypse both from a Biblical model and an X-Men form. When I finished he said, “I think I like the mutant one better, but if the system says that you’re going to need to bring apocalyptic force to bear, then we just have to find your other three horsemen. Knowing you, you probably already have some people in mind.”

The problem is that there are only three slots and at a minimum, four people that I need to include. I would say that we could look for another system, but I think my head is already full enough as it is. Too many different aspects between primordial, and the five systems that I’ve interacted with so far, oh and don’t forget about Psi.”

He jumped up at that. “Yeah, I don’t have much Psi, but this new ability seems like it could be very useful. The notifications said that you gained it through our connection as well.”

“Yeah, we could try it out in the boss room.”

Samvek shook his head. “As much as I’d like to, I get the feeling that helping Tad is more important than ever. You can’t be late for your crafting and we probably need to bring him into the dungeon to gain some levels. He apparently isn’t locked at 150, so who knows how far he can go. Maybe we could catch him up to us.”

I mumbled an agreement, but my mind was already racing. There was something I needed to do with Tad, that was certain. I somehow doubted that it had as much to do with power-leveling him as it did with the crafting, but that was just a gut feeling. Being here was what had given me the idea for enhancing Samvek, as I followed the basic pattern of awakening.

The two of us locked eyes and clasped arms. Some things would difficult to say between men, but in that moment, I knew that I had another brother who would never leave or betray me.

No further words were needed as we raced to the floor exit and then teleported from the save room to the dungeon entrance. That was when things went to crap. The set up outside the dungeon was entirely different. The town guard was gone and the only adventurers were gathered around a tent to the side of the entrance with a couple of tables set up where they could process information for those who wanted to enter the dungeon.

The actual guards in front of the dungeon were all Order members now. Identify went off without me having to ask. In front of the entrance were a pair of Lawspeakers and a dozen Lawkeepers. None of them were over level 80 and they felt like toy soldiers we could knock over.

That sensation changed when my eyes strayed to the tents on the other side. They had the colors of the order and plenty of Lawkeepers standing around as what must have been ceremonial guards. The expressions on all of their faces were strained and I felt three much more powerful presences inside the tent. Without being able to see them, Identify wouldn’t work, although I made a mental note to try and tweak that later. Instead of waiting though, Samvek reached for spatial mana and began to warp the area around us but just before we were teleported away, a pilon sticking up three feet from the path that led up to the dungeon pulsed.

There was a screeching sound like nails down a chalkboard and all of the spatial mana was disrupted.

Teleportation Lock Activated

The notification flashed in my mind but I didn’t need to words to know what was happening. Neither did, the three auras inside the Order’s tent. They all rushed out. One woman was whipcord thin and tall in leather armor another was a man in heavy armor and at least 7 feet tall. The third was similar to the Dreadnoughts we’d seen with Tad.

Identify quickly did its thing.

Vespa Saggen     Legendary      Level: 375

Class: Inquisitor

Darros Saggen     Legendary        Level: 368

Class: Law Warden

Marken Tal           Legendary        Level: 324

Class: Dreadnought

My eyes widened just a bit at their levels. I knew both Samvek and I could hit above our level, but I didn’t know quite what to expect here in a new universe.

The three of them moved in unison as though accustomed to fighting together. I knew that feeling. Samvek and I had it, although it was much more two individuals covering each other’s backs rather than professional soldiers. My dad had always told me that there was a world of difference between how a Marine unit worked together versus a random group of guys with guns, even if they were good shots. I could see that in how they moved.

Vespa spoke first. “Hold and answer for how you are using magic beyond anyone from this world.”

I knew better than to try pushing out with Charisma, but my Psi ability Persuade had worked on the lesser members of the Order. Something told me that even that wasn’t going to be a solution to dealing with these three.

“Drop to your knees, hands behind your head. We will take you down hard at the first sign of any spell casting or drawing a weapon, but either way you’re going to answer our questions.”

She was annoying, but I was still doing the calculus about whether we should simply fight now or try to play along with them for a while. That was when I felt magical pressure bubble out from her and the reality alteration around Samvek disappeared. In an instant he was there as himself.

Every member of the order drew their weapons. The guild’s adventurers were on their feet as well.

Marken asked, “What is he? Some new kind of beastkin?”

Darros replied, “Disgusting either way.”

A simple look from Vespa had both of them shutting up. The hierarchy was clear. I was about to try talking our way out of this when the last thing that I expected happened. Samvek’s spear was in his hands and he was moving, straight at Vespa. I felt a swirl of Psi as he moved and realized that he was trying out Physical Enhancement.

Samvek was already in motion when my mind caught up to what he was doing, the consequences of his charge rippling outward faster than thought. His spear had already struck Vespa, the blow so clean and precise that for a heartbeat the world seemed to accept her death as fact. I saw the shaft buried deep in her chest, felt the certainty of the kill settle into my instincts, and then watched reality reject it. Her wound sealed in a flash of pale light, flesh knitting together as though the spear had never pierced her at all.

Darros paid the price.

The damage tore into him instead, armor collapsing inward as blood sprayed across the stone. He let out a hoarse scream and staggered backward, one knee slamming into the dungeon floor as holy light surged through his body to keep him upright. I felt it then, a rigid lattice of magic connecting them, a conduit that redirected harm from Vespa into Darros with ruthless efficiency. At least they didn’t seem to have any of the insta-resurrection items which had become one of my bans while fighting higher tiered people. This seemed more likely to be a function of Darros’ class, the magic was full of that feeling of law and authority.

Samvek didn’t slow when the kill failed. If anything, the backlash ignited something inside him, a sharp edge of aggression that I hadn’t felt before. The Hunger he’d described earlier surged to the surface, bleeding into his movements and tightening his aura until the air around him felt predatory. He ripped the spear free and drove it forward again, Psi screaming as he poured more power into the strike, aiming for Vespa with single-minded intent. Darros took it instead, the spear punching into his shoulder and shattering bone with a wet crack as the redirection flared again. The big man was healing rapidly and not just his flesh but also his armor which seemed to be a part of him.

I stepped in hard then, as I brought Wayfinder up, the polearm’s haft bracing against the shock of Marken’s advance. The Dreadnought hit like a moving wall, his presence slamming into me with enough force to blur my vision and drive my boots back across the stone. His weapon came down in a brutal arc meant to end the fight in one stroke, and I twisted into it, redirecting just enough of the impact that it didn’t crush my chest. Lightning crawled along Wayfinder as I held, muscles screaming under the strain.

Even after the shock of Samvek’s attack, they were still underestimating us. Marken was strong, but not stronger than me. Even with nearly a hundred levels on me, I was confident that I was still at least 25% stronger than him.

Behind Marken, Vespa recovered with unnerving calm. Her eyes tracked the fight with cold precision as she wove something subtle and dangerous, a pressure sliding along the edges of my awareness rather than announcing itself. I didn’t see the attack so much as know it was coming. Precognition flared with a certainty that left no room for doubt. I shifted an instant before her blade cut through the space my spine had occupied. The air burned where the strike passed, close enough that I felt heat along my back. If I’d had the time, I would have felt a smug sensation of being rather jedi like, but that would come later.

I spun with the motion, Wayfinder extending fully into its polearm form as I brought it around in a wide, controlling sweep meant to keep Vespa from closing again. She retreated a step, reassessing, while Darros dragged himself upright through sheer will, blood soaking into the stone beneath him. The bond between them pulsed stubbornly, their magic holding fast despite the damage piling up. Marken pressed harder, every strike layered with discipline and flawless timing, forcing me to give ground inch by inch. He flared flashed of light as though that would blind me, but my eyes were only part of how I saw the world now.

They were true professionals and under other circumstances I might have admired both their resolve and their precision. Samvek was still pressing Vespa, his strikes growing faster and more aggressive as the Hunger fed on the fight, and I could feel the edge he was riding. If he lost control now…

I shook my head refusing to allow it to go there. Samvek had one of the most powerful wills that I’d ever encountered. Besides, there was this new connection between us. He was my horseman, but first he was my friend and I could tell that while he was fighting with increased ferocity, he was still in control. This was simply a case of letting a little more of the beast out.

I tightened my grip on Wayfinder and dug in, anchoring myself against Marken’s advance as lightning crackled along the blade. We were restricted, boxed in by the pylon’s interference, unable to disengage or reposition the way we normally would. They outleveled us, outnumbered us, and had planned for this kind of confrontation. Even so, as the clash intensified and the dungeon echoed with the sound of steel on stone, I knew one thing with absolute clarity.

They had underestimated us and it was time to make them pay for that.

Court (Magic Eater 4) is out today

Happy to give free copies for patrons and asking for quick reviews just because of how Amazon is. Thanks.

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Exploration- Interlude 2

I'm sorry all of these pieces are necessary and I think now really is the best place. This interlude ended up being as long as 3 chapters. I'm sitting at 9500 words right now for the day.

I'm definitely going to start the next chapter, and it's still fairly early so hopefully I finish it.

I am however also experimenting and trying to be mindful about how much I can write one day without being unable to write or feeling drained the next day.

I guess we learn about this together.

Interlude 2- Moving Pieces

The air on the Australian coast tasted wrong, sharp with mana and heat even before anything moved. Jiang stood at the front of the formation, spear grounded lightly in one hand. His dragon, Veracian was far enough away to not take the focus off of the lesson he intended to teach today but close enough to intervene in the worst case scenario. Although, Jiang worried a bit that Veracian might not see the need to intervene to save any of their guests. Not for a single instant did he doubt the bond the two of them shared, but dragons had their own way seeing things.

The politicians clustered behind layered shields and armored transports, appeared  to be trying very hard not to stare at the wilderness stretching out before them. Australia had always been dangerous, but this was something else entirely. Of course, the council had representatives from each of the races that were native to Earth. For the Rigellians and Galenians this was old hat. For the Crembori it was new, but they were objective enough to take it in stride. It was the human leaders who were still having to be drug kicking and screaming into the future.

Some were better than others, but too many still thought that as things stabilized they could return to the life they’d known before. The success that Earth had under Silas’ guidance didn’t help on that front. There were now many cities even outside of the safe zone where people could live their lives without encountering monsters. Out of sight was often out of mind, and the night broadcasts tended to all be about other places.

Yet, Jiang had chosen this place deliberately.

The land ahead was broken and feral, trees twisted into unnatural shapes, the ground scarred by massive tracks that no normal animal should have been able to leave behind. Mana rolled through the environment in visible currents, bending light and sound in subtle ways. It was almost like the environment itself was a monster being evolved by the growing mana concentration on Earth. Jiang felt it pressing against his senses, familiar and unwelcome. This wasn’t a controlled zone, but that was the point.

The sense of mana did raise another question that he didn’t want to consider. Namely, what happened when Earth’s mana concentration reached legendary tier and some of the remaining incursions occurred, or other travelers simply found a way to reach Earth before the probationary period was up. With Silas gone, Jiang felt more exposed than ever.

One of the council members muttered that the area looked abandoned. Jiang didn’t turn his head when he answered. “It isn’t,” he said calmly. “You just aren’t welcome here. The things out there have claimed this land as their own.”

The first tremor hit a second later.

The ground shuddered hard enough to rattle teeth, and then the wildlife announced itself. A massive shape burst from the tree line in a spray of dirt and splintered roots, resolving into a kangaroo that stood taller than an armored truck. Its hind legs were thick with corded muscle, hide reinforced by mana into something closer to stone than flesh. It landed, crouched, and launched again, covering fifty meters in a single bound.

“Contact,” Jiang said, his voice carrying without effort. “Vanguard, engage.”

They moved as one.

The first kangaroo came down in the middle of the formation, forelimbs slamming into a shield with explosive force. The barrier cracked, light flaring, and Jiang was already there. His spear flashed out, driving through the creature’s chest and out its back, mana discharging in a violent pulse that dropped it mid-kick. He twisted the shaft and wrenched it free as the body collapsed, the impact shaking the ground. He had intended to let the Vanguard bear more of the burden but most of them were rare tier and that first monster had already been epic tier. This wasn’t starting out very well.

There was no time to linger. More followed.

Three, then five, bounding in erratic arcs that would have shattered conventional formations. Vanguard members broke into practiced pairs, drawing the creatures away from the civilians. One kangaroo kicked a transport hard enough to dent reinforced plating, only to be brought down by a coordinated strike that severed its spine. Blood sprayed hot and bright, hissing as it hit mana-scorched earth. At least these were weaker than the first.

The sky screamed.

Oversized birds dove from above, wingspans stretching impossibly wide, feathers hardened into bladed shapes that cut the air itself. One clipped a Vanguard soldier across the shoulder, ripping armor and flesh in the same motion. Jiang leapt with the wind wrapped around him, spear spinning as he met the next dive head-on. He drove the weapon through the bird’s skull and rode it down, tearing free just before it hit the ground.

Then the pressure changed.

A deep, rolling presence pushed outward from the swamp beyond the trees, heavy enough that several of the politicians cried out and staggered. Jiang felt it immediately, an apex aura that didn’t care who noticed it. Water surged as something massive hauled itself forward, scales the size of shields scraping against mud and stone. The crocodile was enormous, easily four times the size of anything that should have existed, its eyes glowing with a cold, predatory intelligence.

“Hold your line,” Jiang ordered. “Focus fire. Don’t let it reach the transports.”

Jiang assessed the threat and decided that this might work. It was well into epic tier but rather than jumping in to help the Vanguard, he let them take the first wave of attacks. Their healers were pushed to their limits as they healed all the frontliners who were bearing the brunt.

The croc pushed forward and the Vanguard line had to back up to keep from collapsing. Soon they were fighting with their backs to the armored vehicles and the thrashing of the monster had toppled one of those same vehicles over. The politicians, even those accustomed to monsters had all backed up. Their guards were eying the beast warily.

Hopefully that had made his point so Jiang could act now.

The creature lunged again, jaws snapping shut where a Vanguard member had stood a heartbeat earlier. Jiang slammed into its flank, spear biting deep between reinforced scales. Mana exploded outward, but the beast barely slowed, tail whipping around and sending two soldiers flying. Shields flared. One failed.

Jiang rose higher on wings of air, then drove straight down. The spear plunged through the creature’s skull, pinning it to the ground as he poured everything he had into the strike. The crocodile convulsed, jaws snapping uselessly, then went still, its aura collapsing in on itself like a dying star.

Silence followed, broken only by heavy breathing and the crackle of fading mana. A few more healing spells still had to be cast and more than one member downed a potion to be ready as quickly as possible.

Jiang landed and pulled his spear free, blood and mud sliding off the weapon in thick sheets. He turned slowly, taking in the damage, the fallen monsters, the Vanguard already reforming without being told. Then he faced the political leaders.

“This,” he said evenly, “was not a worst-case scenario. Not even close.”

No one spoke.

“This was manageable,” Jiang continued. “A routine response. We chose this location because it’s one of dozens where things like this happen regularly. There are places worse than this. Places we can’t afford to lose.”

One of the council members swallowed and asked if this was truly necessary to show them. Jiang met his gaze without anger or pity. “You wanted proof,” he said. “You wanted reassurance that Earth is under control. It isn’t. It’s being held and without Silas that grasp has slipped just a little bit.”

He turned back toward the wild. For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted to Silas, wherever in the multiverse he was fighting his own impossible battles. Jiang hoped he was alive. He hoped he was getting stronger. In his gut, Jiang knew they were going to need all that strength.

Then Councilman Chen Guoqiang spoke. “I think I speak for not only myself, but all of the council when I tell you that we will do all we can to ensure that you have the resources that you need.”

Jiang nodded. It wasn’t what he was really after from them, but it was a start.

_____________________

The training ground rang with the dull thud of impact and the hiss of scorched air. Lana stood with her arms folded, eyes fixed on Cece as the younger woman ran through another set of spear forms. Cece’s phoenix blood made her movements fast and explosive, fire licking along the blade as she struck, but there was sloppiness in the transitions that grated on Lana’s nerves. Nearby, Cece’s dragon lay coiled in the shade of a reinforced berm, chest rising and falling in a slow, thunderous rhythm, utterly unconcerned.

“Again,” Lana said, her voice flat.

Cece bit back a groan and reset her stance. She drove forward, spear thrusting, flames flaring brighter as she poured mana into the strike. Lana stepped in at the last instant, fingers flicking as a thin ribbon of metal mana hardened the air just enough to catch the spearhead. The impact jarred Cece’s arms and sent a shock up her shoulders.

“That’s not control,” Lana said. “That’s momentum doing the thinking for you.”

Cece pulled back, breathing hard. “I’m doing what you asked,” she snapped. “I’m hitting harder and faster.”

“You’re burning fuel, not learning,” Lana replied. She shifted her weight and the world seemed to stutter for half a heartbeat, time mana compressing the moment. Cece blinked, off-balance, and Lana was suddenly inside her guard, tapping two fingers against Cece’s ribs. “You’d be dead.”

Cece’s jaw tightened. “You didn’t have to freeze me.”

“I didn’t freeze you,” Lana said. “I slowed you. There’s a difference, and you need to feel it.”

They moved again, sweat and heat building as Cece cycled through strikes and counters. Lana corrected every error with ruthless precision, redirecting blows with metal-hardened palms or stepping aside at angles that made Cece’s fire splash harmlessly past. Minutes stretched into an hour, and the complaints finally broke free.

“This is ridiculous,” Cece said, lowering her spear. “Selena didn’t train like this. Silas didn’t train like this.”

Lana’s eyes narrowed, but her voice stayed calm. “Selena was too worried about upsetting Silas. Trust me, she had is far worse than this. Her tutors would have done everything short of killing her to make her stronger and it started before she was even old enough to have the system. As for Silas, what works for him doesn’t work for the rest of us. I trust him implicitly, but I wouldn’t ask him for training. He’d ask me.” had tutors who tried to kill her. Silas was thrown into wars. House Kalestian doesn’t do gentle.”

Cece laughed bitterly. “Easy for you to say. You grew up with this.”

“And it nearly broke me,” Lana said. She stepped closer, close enough that Cece could see the old scars along her knuckles. “I hated every day of it. I complained too. I thought it was unfair. Then I understood why.”

Cece looked away, shoulders slumping. “I just wanted to help him. I thought being strong would be enough. Sure you aren’t just taking it out on me because he didn’t pick you?”

Lana’s nostrils flare but her expression didn’t change otherwise. “I’m going to forget you asked that and move on, this one time. Just because I see why Silas did what he did, doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have been happy to be chosen. But I’m content to be his friend. When he gets back he’s going to need all the friends he can get.

“That’s all the more reason for you to train. Strength won’t be enough by itself,” Lana said quietly. “Not where Silas is going. Legendary tier isn’t a trophy. It’s the minimum price of admission.” She paused, letting the words sink in. “You need to reach it before he comes back.”

That snapped Cece’s attention back. “We don’t even know where he is?”

“No, but the search is narrowing,” Lana said. “Besides if you don’t, you’ll always be the one he’s protecting and I know how much that would annoy you.”

Silence hung between them, broken only by the crackle of dying flames around Cece’s spear. The dragon shifted in its sleep, a low rumble vibrating the ground, but did not wake.

Cece straightened, lifting the spear again. The fire along the blade dimmed, condensing into a tighter, hotter glow. “Show me where I’m weak.”

Lana nodded once. “Good. Start with footwork. Without balance your flames will just burn themselves out.”

They moved together then, slower and cleaner. Lana wove metal mana into the ground to change traction without warning, forcing Cece to adjust. She stretched seconds into long, punishing moments so Cece had to hold perfect form under strain. The complaints stopped, replaced by gritted teeth and focused eyes.

As the sun dipped lower, Lana watched Cece drive the spear forward again, flames controlled and precise this time. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. That was how the system worked. Each bit of growth built upon what came before. Lana allowed herself a single, small nod of approval. Pain was coming, more of it than Cece could imagine, but this path worked. It always had.

____________________

Terrel Nissun, head Inquisitor in Basetown, at least for the next few minutes stood sweating. Normally, he was the man who caused others to sweat, but today was different. Today, he would be called to task for his failures. Yesterday a pair of Dreadnoughts simply disappeared along with three Lawspeakers and a squad of Lawkeepers. The latter wasn’t really much of a loss. All the people on this world were so weak, but even lower level Dreadnoughts represented a significant investment of divine resources.

He'd been taught long ago never to waste those resources. Yet, all of them had disappeared and no amount of scrying or searching told them why. Faint traces of Order magic in the warehouse district was as close as he had gotten in his search. It just didn’t make any sense. No one on this world should be able to defeat even one of those Dreadnought. Supposedly, the cursed fey didn’t have any awakened on Aerth.

Once he was sure he couldn’t find them though, Terrel did his duty. The results might be unpleasant but he was sworn to his god and he would always obey. It was then that the portal opened.

The portal stabilized with a sound like a bubble popping. White-gold geometry unfolded in precise angles across the floor of the keep’s inner sanctum, runes flaring as law asserted itself over space. Terrel felt the pressure immediately, a familiar weight magnified to the point that breathing required conscious effort. He straightened anyway, spine rigid, hands clasped behind his back.

They came through in disciplined order. Inquisitors first, twenty of them. Their black leather armor mirrored his, but it wasn’t lost upon him that their leader was the famed Drivnor Kalen. He must already be level 450 and alone was more powerful that the rest of the Order’s forces on Aerth prior to this moment.  

Then the Dreadnoughts followed, sixty massive figures whose reinforced forms bent the air around them, divine power anchored deep into their frames. Each footfall rang with finality, as though the floor itself acknowledged their authority. As an Inquisitor, Terrell was good at rapidly assessing others. He immediately felt the weight of their unified aura. Not a single one of them was under level 250 and most of them were probably closer to 350 with a couple leaders over 400.

Light Seers emerged next, two hooded figures wreathed in a constant radiance that hurt to look at directly. Their eyes glowed with steady intensity, sweeping the chamber and cataloging everything within it. The were both level 400, but also half-mad as were all Light Seers. What could one expect though when their minds communed directly with the Lawgiver to see visions of the future.

Behind them came the Law Wardens, eight living bulwarks etched with sigils meant to anchor and enforce Order magic. Dreadnoughts were far more common and were always thought of as the unbreakable part of the Order, the raw physical might of their forces, but the Law Wardens showed the myth of that. They might lack in offensive capability but each was wrapped in armor that moved with them like flesh and made them impervious to almost any weapons.  

Last drifted the Truth Flames, ten men and women suspended in the air by weaves of holy fire. They were mages like the Lawspeakers, but specialized in detecting the truth and the use of elemental powers, especially flames. Fire was good for burning away the chafe and they were the spark that created it.

This was far too much. Even as the count completed itself in his mind, shock cut through his discipline. Aerth did not warrant this kind of response. Not for a handful of vanished operatives. Not for a world this weak.

Then the portal flared once more.

Arbiter Kalix stepped through alone, and the portal sealed behind him as though it had never existed. He was not enormous, nor grotesque, nor overtly monstrous. He was simply perfect, a figure shaped by authority rather than flesh, every line of him suggesting inevitability. His aura washed over the chamber in a crushing wave, and Terrel’s knees nearly buckled before he forced them to lock.

He'd been in front of Kalix before. Everyone always thought that they could adapt to being in the presence of an Ascendant, and perhaps if he were not imbued with the direct blessing of the Lawgiver that might be true, but he was an Ascendant of the Order that meant he was the hand of god.

Suddenly, Terrel realized what was happening. It was going to be as bad as he imagined. This force wasn’t hear for an inspection. He was about to be judged and then… well then he didn’t know.

“Report,” Kalix said.

The word carried no volume, yet it filled the chamber completely. Terrel spoke immediately, voice precise, measured, and utterly devoid of embellishment. He detailed the disappearance of the Dreadnoughts, the Lawspeakers, the Lawkeepers. He spoke of the warehouse district, of faint traces of Order magic, of the complete lack of evidence pointing toward betrayal. He did not speculate beyond what he knew.

As he spoke, the Truth Flames ignited.

Holy fire engulfed him, not consuming flesh but scouring it, burning away pretense and resistance alike. Pain lanced through every nerve, white-hot and absolute, and Terrel clenched his jaw to keep from crying out. Light Seers stepped closer, their radiance piercing into memory and intent, tearing through thought after thought with merciless clarity. Inquisitors watched without movement, witnesses rather than participants.

Terrel endured. He didn’t lie. He couldn’t.

Time lost meaning in the flames, each second stretching into agony. Finally, movement broke the stillness. “He speaks the full truth as he knows it,” Drivnor said. “No treachery detected.”

Kalix raised a hand.

The flames vanished instantly. The pain ceased as though it had never existed, leaving Terrel gasping on the stone, body shaking, armor scorched and spirit laid bare. He forced himself upright and dropped to one knee, head bowed.

“So only incompetent,” Kalix said calmly, “not treacherous.”

The words cut deeper than the fire had.

“You will be given one more chance to prove you deserve the spark within you,” Kalix continued. “Do not waste it.”

Terrel pressed his forehead to the floor in acknowledgment. Above him, Kalix turned his gaze outward, beyond the walls of the keep, toward a world that had just become far more interesting.

          __________________

          Back on the main human continent, a woman sat at a table in one of the finest restaurants in this hovel of a world. It was barely palatable to one such as her, but then again, she wasn’t really a human woman. She was a fey and not just any fey, but a princess of the Summer Court. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt the shift of pressure on Aerth.

Her thoughts raced. “An ascendant.”

Suddenly her task to bring back her nephew became so much more real. No longer was it a game. There was now someone on Aerth who might be able to harm her. She doubted whichever Arbiter it was who had been sent was as powerful as she was, but Allanna preferred to think of herself as a lover not a fighter.

This changed everything. She would have to be so much more careful.

__________________

Selena didn’t linger after Silas and Samvek left, even if she had acted like she was still sleepy. She felt the shift the moment they were gone, the absence of their combined presence like a pressure release that left too much space behind. She rolled her shoulders once, grounding herself, then went looking for Fara. She found her exactly where she expected, watching, waiting, already thinking three moves ahead. Selena found herself liking the lizard woman. She of course could see through the illusions but new the value of blending in.

“I’m heading to the dungeon,” Selena said without preamble. “You need levels, and I don’t feel like waiting around.” There was no challenge in her tone, just statement of fact. Fara studied her for a heartbeat, golden eyes narrowing, then nodded. “Good, I can’t protect Tad if I fall too far behind. I know he’s always going to be ahead of me, but I don’t want to be helpless.”

Selena nodded in silence. She understood the sentiment.

The guild was awake and busy, but they passed through it with minimal friction. Selena felt the eyes on her as they approached the counter. Those who were already up this morning wanted to know who she was. Newcomers were always examined. It was the same back home. They secured a stone keyed to the lower nineties and Selena’s new silver tag. The special marking from the guild master apparently opened doors for them.

They didn’t bother hiding themselves when the dungeon took them. Selena stood tall, purple skin faintly luminous in the low light, dark hair pulled back so it wouldn’t interfere. Fara moved with practiced ease beside her, scaled armor fitted close, daggers resting where her hands could find them without thought. There was no fear in either of them, only anticipation.

“I know that I’m still me whether hiding or not, but I still feel better inside my own skin.”

Fara sniffed at the air as though unsure. Selena realized it must have been a bold step for her to follow a stranger this deep into the dungeon. Fara wasn’t quite level 100 yet after all. “Agreed. You aren’t bothered by what I am?”

“Not if you aren’t bothered by me. Have you ever seen purple people before?”

“Can’t say that I have, but before Tad came to my world, I’d only ever seen my own kind. I don’t know if you purple skin is like my white scales or not, but I was an outcast back home until Tad made a place for me.”

“Where I was born my entire planet was filled with people who look like me, but I understand what it is to be on the outside. I can tell that you love Tad.”

“Yes, but not as you might imagine it. He’s that little brother who is precious to me and who I want to protect, but there’s nothing romantic between the two of us. There hasn’t been time. For such things. I gather that you and Silas are mates though.”

“Something like that, but it’s brand new. We’re both learning how it works.”

As the floor resolved around them, Fara glanced sideways. “So,” she said lightly, “Silas really is as ridiculous as Tad says?” Selena’s lips curved despite herself. “Yes,” she replied. “And before you ask, he’s worse when he’s trying to be helpful.”

Fara huffed a quiet laugh and adjusted her grip. “Figures. Tad’s the same. Does impossible things, then acts surprised when the world breaks a little.” Selena felt that familiar pull of protectiveness tighten in her chest, sharp and instinctive. “They mean well,” she said. “That doesn’t stop them from being dangerous.”

The dungeon stirred ahead of them, monsters already moving. Selena let reality mana slip loose just enough to feel the shape of the space, bending angles and distances until the path forward was exactly what she wanted it to be. She glanced at Fara one last time. “Stay close,” she said. “I’ll make you openings. You take them.”

Fara’s grin was all teeth. “Always.”

The first wave hit hard and fast, monsters boiling out of shadowed corridors in a rush of claws, chitin, and too many eyes. Selena stepped forward and the space between her and the enemy folded, angles bending until the lead creature overextended by a full stride. Fara was already moving, daggers flashing as she slid into the opening Selena had created, blades punching into joints and soft seams with lethal precision. The kill was clean, fast, and efficient, exactly what Selena had intended.

This was definitely intended to help Fara out and by extension Tad. She knew Silas well enough to know that was what he wanted. But Selena had grown up in House Turga. She didn’t believe in help without connection or strings. So if she was going to work with these people it would be because she trusted them and there was no better way to see who a person really was than in the middle of battle.

She didn’t attack directly after that. Instead, she warped the battlefield, shortening distances for Fara while stretching them for everything else. Enemies stumbled mid-charge as the ground betrayed them, feet landing a fraction too far or too short. Fara flowed through the chaos like water through cracks, every illusion and feint amplified by the environment itself conspiring in her favor.

They cleared the first chamber in under a minute. The XP came pouring in for Fara. Clay had had to share XP with three legendary tiers, but she only had to split it with Selena. The killing might not be quite as fast, but it was fast enough and it was giving her a chance to gauge what Fara was capable of. So far, Selena was impressed.

The next few floors blurred together, each one a variation on the last. Packs of scaled predators, insectile horrors, and mana-warped beasts rushed them in predictable patterns. Selena read the flows of the dungeon and adjusted reality just enough to turn those patterns against themselves. Walls narrowed, ceilings dipped, and lines of attack collapsed into fatal funnels. Fara took every opening, striking harder and faster as confidence built with each kill.

Selena watched the change happen in real time. Fara’s movements sharpened, hesitation burning away as her instincts caught up with her growing strength. Her illusions grew more convincing, shadows clinging to her form as if eager to help. When a heavier monster lunged at her, Fara didn’t retreat. She stepped inside its reach, daggers crossing as she severed tendons and slid past the collapsing bulk without breaking stride.

“That one felt different,” Fara said between breaths, eyes bright.

Selena smiled faintly. “You’re getting stronger.”

They pushed deeper, floors peeling away beneath their feet as Selena accelerated the pace. Boss chambers fell just as quickly, Selena pinning massive threats in distorted pockets of space while Fara dismantled them piece by piece. The dungeon tried to adapt, throwing mixed packs and layered ambushes, but it wasn’t enough. Selena wasn’t here to be tested. She was here to teach.

Somewhere past the hundredth floor, Fara paused mid-fight, surprise flashing across her face as another enemy dropped. “I just crossed it,” she said. “Level one hundred.”

Selena frowned slightly, still shaping the field. “Did you solo a boss?”

“No,” Fara said slowly. “I didn’t have to.”

That made Selena hesitate for half a heartbeat. It was enough for a monster to almost land a blow, but reality twisted and the strike slid past harmlessly. Selena dispatched it with a sharp distortion that left the creature exposed, and Fara finished it without comment.

“That wasn’t how it worked with Clay,” Selena said after the room fell silent.

Fara shrugged, wiping a blade clean. “What do you mean?”

“He told us he’d been stuck at level 100 for a couple of decades because he couldn’t advance without soloing a level 101 or higher monster. So why don’t you have to?”

“Maybe because I’m not from this world. From what I’ve seen so far, the people on this world are very weak. The elders of our cities could wipe most of them out and that’s not even to say anything about our champions.”

Selena filed that away, another assumption quietly dismantled.

They didn’t slow after that. If anything, they moved faster, clearing floor after floor in a relentless rhythm. Thirty levels passed in a blur of blood, mana, and shattered monsters. Fara’s aura deepened, her presence carrying more weight with every engagement. By the time they finally paused, the dungeon around them had gone quiet, as if deciding whether it wanted to continue offering resistance.

Throughout it all they talked and felt one another out. Selena was savvy enough to know that she was being interrogated at the same time. That was fine. Allies needed to know one another and for it being such a short time, Selena found herself liking Fara, enough so that they spent the entire day inside the dungeon, until the lizard folk reached level 150. At that point she too reached a hard cap just like Clay had. It would be interested to see if Tad could figure out how to awaken his allies. If not, she expected that Silas would find a way to help.

__________________

Far across the multiverse in an entirely different system, not quite to the frontier but closer than the Fey system, was another of Silas’ allies. One with a growing need for help.

The camp never slept. It only breathed more quietly when the children finally did, the wilderness around them settling into a tense, watchful stillness that Ryan had learned not to trust. He stood at the edge of the perimeter, axe resting against his shoulder, eyes scanning a tree line that had already betrayed them twice in the last three days. The Divided Realms were vast, beautiful in places, and utterly unforgiving when they sensed weakness, or rather then Primus was hunting for you.

They’d chosen this place because it offered cover without trapping them in and still had fresh water. The A rank and above cultivators could ignore physical needs entirely, but all of his planning was first and foremost over what would protect the children. A few of them were his, but his growing clan had many young families. Besides the children he had to consider the needs and limitations of both the lesser cultivators and the People of the Land who were amongst them. That was the cultivator term for any humans who couldn’t cultivate. Many cultivators would have abandoned them, but to Ryan they were part of the clan as much as any.

Jagged stone outcroppings rose like broken teeth, and thick-rooted trees twisted together overhead, their canopies woven with glyph work Amaya had laid down with tireless precision. He thought of his only wife who had come from the People of the Land. She could cultivate now thanks to his gift to her, but she and her people were the key reason that they had any comforts let alone luxuries out in this wilderness.

Those glyphs hummed softly now, a layered lattice of warning, concealment, and reinforcement that turned the clearing into something just shy of a fortress. Eluanshi’s work anchored it all, magma and earth mana sunk deep into the ground so the land itself would resist intrusion. Just thinking about it brought a smile to Ryan’s face. The way his wives worked together made him proud.

At the center of the camp, life went on despite everything. Infants and toddlers slept wrapped in layers of warded cloth, tiny chests rising and falling in rhythms Ryan found himself counting without realizing it. Lumina sat near them, wings folded tight, her presence a constant well of calm that soothed frayed nerves and restless dreams alike. Her light was more than physical. Even now, with exhaustion etched into every line of her posture, that light never dimmed.

Ryan felt the strain in his own bones. Not injury, not fatigue in the way battles brought it, but something deeper. A constant readiness that never fully shut off, a pressure that built with every new world they fled to and every new portal that followed them there. It was one thing to have to fight for his life. Since a disease stole his childhood from him, he’d been fighting for his life, but having to protect others, especially his wives and children was a different level of emotional drain.

Primus wasn’t relentless in the way a beast was relentless. He was methodical. Corrective. Each attack was calibrated to test, to probe, to adjust. The only good news was that according to his sources, Primus was unable to leave the source pool at the center of the Modron Peak.

Lianhua moved past him without a sound, sword at her hip, eyes sharp as she took over his watch. She was the most skilled among them in pure combat, and Ryan trusted her judgment without reservation. Fera was farther out, heat shimmering faintly around her as she patrolled the outer edge, dragon fire coiled tight beneath her skin. Whatever strange draconic bloodline that she possessed or which he’d awoken within her was growing stronger. Shikumo was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was exactly where she needed to be, shadows bending around her like old friends.

Nekita sat apart, back against a stone slab, blood mana drifting lazily around her fingers as she watched the dark between the trees. Ryan could feel her restraint like a held breath. She didn’t like being hunted any more than he did, but she understood the cost of giving in too easily. Control mattered. Balance mattered.

Amaya knelt near one of the larger glyph arrays, hands stained with ink and mana residue, already repairing stress fractures from the last engagement. She looked up when Ryan passed and offered a tired smile. “They’ll hold,” she said quietly. “For a while.”

“For a while,” Ryan echoed, not as agreement but acknowledgment.

He’d tried to leave the Divided Realms. He’d crossed worlds within it, slipped through cracks that should have been unreachable, bent space and reality until lesser beings would have shattered. Walking the void was possible, at least until he tried to take his family from the Divided Realms. Every time, Primus adjusted. The Void was vast, infinite perhaps, but somehow in a way only a god could, Primus had blocked his ability to leave this system.

Somewhere beyond the boundaries of this realm, Silas was moving, growing, breaking systems in ways Ryan could barely imagine. The thought was a thin thread of hope, but it was enough. Ryan tightened his grip on the axe and turned back to the dark.

As long as Primus continued to hunt him, then he’d have to keep paying the price, all while hoping that Silas would bring help.

____________________

          Back on Earth’s moon which was now a dungeon, Cami stood watch over an ancient blue. Azuria was going to try to evolve her wings to gain the ability to cross the void and follow after her bonded rider. Something had happened to him earlier in the day which had nearly driven her into a frenzy.

Cami would have advised caution, but dragons for all their ancient lives, could be as impetuous as a humming bird. She also knew that it would be good to have more dragons who could cross the void. Nico was twisted up inside over killing Tiamat. It was strange because he’d never shown this type of remorse before.

The evolution was dangerous and needed to be handled in a safe place. Strangely, Cami felt safer on this dungeon moon than she did on Earth. There were too many variables there. Here it was just the dungeon and this level of threat was exactly no threat to a demi-goddess. With a mere wave of her hand she had removed soul from body for every monster for a mile in every direction. They would know to avoid this place. And so she began her watch as Azuria began to evolve.

Exploration- Chapter 27

This ended up being a longer chapter. But here it is. Sorry, I overslept a bit this morning because on of the doggos got into something and I was up repeatedly with them vomiting or crapping on the floor.

I love my wife and daughter, but dang their dogs are annoying.

I still intend to get 4 chapters or 10k words today which ever comes sooner.

Chapter 27- Flesh Builder

The vitae began to fuse with his body and the life within his cells exploded before my eyes. He was gritting his teeth in pain and I could hear them grinding, but the point of stopping had come and passed. I needed to see this through or it would be much worse for Samvek.

It would be a mistake to think that this was either soul or body, but rather both. As I pondered that, I realized that I already existed in that state as did all Ascendants. I just happened to reach it earlier as part of my racial evolutions. I existed with a blended spiritual-physical body. This had served me well giving me a bit of extra resistance to a variety of beings who would have otherwise overwhelmed me.

I wondered if I could create the same within Samvek. The thing was after watching Tad awaken Clay, I could see a similar process here. It wasn’t natural to the Heavens though. So, how was I supposed to do something like that.

The answer to that was obvious and drove home why the system had spoken to me by title. It wanted change. The system realized that it needed to evolve if it was going to survive whatever challenges it faced and while Gallarosa may have provided stability, she was conservative in her designs and never thought outside the box.

That was practically my calling card or as some might say it, thinking outside the box was sort of my thing.

I stayed with the weaving, even as Samvek’s breathing grew ragged and the song in my chest threatened to slip out of harmony. Every time I reinforced his soul, his body lagged behind, tissue straining to keep up with spiritual density it had never before contained. When I shifted focus and strengthened the flesh, the soul pushed back, surging forward and tearing at its own anchors. It was like trying to force two gears together that had been forged for different machines.

One thing became painfully clear, I didn’t have the experience or training to do this. Then again, every pioneer in a field did things they’d never done before. It was part of what it meant to be a trailblazer and that was at the core of my identity. I even felt a surge of primordial power within me, not to cause any affect but simply as a resonance of my realization.

Samvek’s hands clenched into fists, muscles locking as a tremor ran through him. Sweat poured down his face and his jaw tightened hard enough that I worried he might crack a tooth. I could feel the imbalance spreading, subtle at first, then accelerating as each correction amplified the problem elsewhere. If I kept pushing this way, I wouldn’t make him stronger. I would tear him apart.

I pulled back just enough to think, the song dropping to a bare thread that kept everything from collapsing outright. What I was seeing wasn’t a flaw in Samvek. It was a boundary. Mortals weren’t meant to exist fully in that blended state without permission, without some higher authority smoothing the transition. For me that had been the racial evolution process with the guidance of the system and more experienced individuals like Bahran. I had crossed that line myself through evolutions and circumstances that shouldn’t have been possible, but Samvek was still on the other side of it. Even with all of the help I’d had, it had still required frequent healing of my body for me to survive some of my evolutions.

That thought caused me to cast Celestial Restoration on Samvek. The healing power surged through him and repaired damage, but he was out of balance, so new damage appeared as quickly as the previous damage was healed. I still layered multiple copies of the spell on him and hoped that the regeneration effect would keep him up and running. To ensure that, I boosted the duration of the spells.

You have gained the skill- Extend Spell: 10.

Channel Mana-Other 104 >> 108

Tad’s awakening of Clay came back to me then, not as a memory but as a pattern. In that case, the power had come from an outside source, but Tad had guided it. He’d given it shape and legitimacy through authority, letting the system accept what would otherwise have been rejected. That authority hadn’t come from strength alone. It had come from who Tad was.

That didn’t seem like it would work for me. Yes, the Hell System was based on authority and power, but Tad was literal royalty, not just of a world, but of the Fey System, itself. That wasn’t me… or was it. A list of titles, connections, and accomplishments sprang up. If there was any position within the Heavens System that was the same as a royal fey to the Fey System then it would have been Architect of the System.

I glossed over the fact that I wasn’t a divine tier being, but then again, neither was Tad. There was more to me as well. The primordial aspect within me might be sealed, but it represented a concept older than the system. Then there was the fact that I was now part of House Kalestian, the adopted son of Abel Kalestian. If there were any nobility or even royalty under the Heavens that family certainly qualified, no, not that family, but rather my family.

The realization hit me hard enough that my hands shook. The system hadn’t called me Architect by accident. It wasn’t flattering me or reminding me of past accomplishments. It was pointing at a function I hadn’t fully embraced yet. Architect wasn’t just a title. It was permission to design.

I felt Samvek’s condition deteriorating, the strain reaching a point where backing out cleanly was no longer an option. Stopping now would leave him damaged, caught between states without support. I swallowed and made the decision that had been hovering at the edge of my thoughts since this began.

I wasn’t going to awaken him the way the Fey did. I didn’t have that authority, and even if I did, it would create a hierarchy neither of us wanted. That wasn’t the way the Heavens worked. I was meant to borrow from other systems but only to improve what already existed.

What I did have was my bloodline, my path, and the strange, heretical place I occupied between systems. If awakening required authority, then I would provide a different kind of authority. One rooted in friendship rather than service.

I reached for that part of myself deliberately. It didn’t say human, but it was an evolution from humanity which somehow didn’t lose any of its purity. I’d never questioned that before and didn’t have time to do so now. I knew that my bloodline could be passed on to my children or to a partner like Selena, but it was going to take a architect to pass it on to a friend, even if only partially so.

The moment I asserted that authority, something shifted. There was nothing explosive or dramatic about it. Rather it flowed out as entirely natural. It was like a lock clicking open after a long, careful turn. The system didn’t resist. It didn’t argue. It watched. That alone told me this was what it wanted.

I wove the bond next, not as a chain but as a bridge. I didn’t impose commands or obligations. I offered recognition. You are like me. You walk this path with me. We stand together. The connection formed quietly, a shared lineage rather than a leash, and the pressure inside Samvek eased immediately.

His breathing steadied and the violent tremors subsided into manageable tension. Soul and body stopped fighting one another and began to settle into a shared rhythm, neither dominant, neither suppressed. I felt the bond take hold, thin but resilient, a channel that carried understanding rather than control.

The relief was sharp enough that I nearly sagged forward. I held the song steady until I was certain the change had stabilized, then let it soften into a sustained hum. Samvek’s eyes opened and met mine, clear and focused despite the pain he was still riding through.

Whatever I’d just done couldn’t be undone. It wasn’t awakening as any system defined it. It was something new, born of necessity and choice rather than tradition. As the weight of that settled over me, I understood that this was only the beginning.

The bond held, steady and quiet, but it didn’t solve everything. I could feel the mismatch still there, reduced but not gone, like a machine running smoother while still lacking the right fuel. Samvek’s soul was anchored now, strong enough to hold what was being asked of it, but his body lagged behind, flesh still bound by limits that no amount of spiritual reinforcement could fully erase.

I exhaled slowly and said, “This part is going to hurt more. I need to give you some of my blood.” I didn’t wait for an answer because he was already nodding, jaw set, eyes steady. Samvek flexed his fingers and his claws extended. Without ceremony he sliced a clean line along his forearm, blood welling bright and alive. I mirrored him an instant later, the blood flowing freely only because I willed the wound not to seal, holding my regeneration in check.

The scent of blood hit me harder than I expected. Not hunger exactly, but recognition. Blood was life, not as metaphor but as function, and my body understood that truth now at a level I’d never fully explored. The Elvampris element of Blood is Life came with a certain craving, but it was one I could manage. I then willed a stream of my blood to flow from my body to his, guiding it with a bridge created from a force construct.  

Blood is Life answered immediately.

I felt it happen at a scale too small to see and too vast to fully comprehend. My blood carried more than cells. It carried pattern, lineage, permission. Vitae followed it like a shadow, threading through Samvek’s bloodstream and into places that had never known it before. His body reacted violently at first, muscles seizing, breath hitching as tissues rejected and then reaccepted the change. Vitae was alien to him, yet through our bond, he was adapting to it.

I held on and guided it, forcing myself to stay precise. This wasn’t brute force. This was refinement. Cells broke down and reformed cleaner, stronger, more efficient, not growing larger but working better together. Capillaries reinforced, fibers tightened, pathways widened just enough to allow vitae to circulate without tearing him apart.

Samvek groaned, back arching as the transformation deepened. I could feel his body learning, adapting in real time, not copying me but finding its own equilibrium. There was no outward change, no monstrous reshaping, just an internal perfection of what already existed. When the worst of it passed, his breathing steadied and the tension drained from his frame in a long, shuddering exhale.

Something shifted then, deeper than flesh. I felt the Hell System take notice. There was nothing gentle about how it worked, but in this case it didn’t seek to harm him. Instead, it recognized one of its own and just like me, he was offered a class from a second system. I couldn’t have told you what the class was and even I could have spared the time to Identify it, I wouldn’t have. He would share it with me when he was ready. That was part of this. He wasn’t my minion, he was my friend. The power of friendship was not to be underestimated

I let our arms separate. My wound sealed the moment that I stopped restraining my natural regeneration and the same happened for Samvek just a fraction of a second slower. My vitae reserves felt lighter, the hollow ache behind my sternum deepening, but I didn’t regret it. I’d passed a little more than half of the reserves I’d held to him which should give him a new start on whatever his new class was. Samvek looked the same as ever, but when he flexed his fingers, there was a new density to the movement, a quiet confidence in how his body responded.

“That worked better than I expected,” he said hoarsely.

I was caught off guard a bit. If he thought this was better than what he’d expected, how badly did he expect me to mess up. He seemed to read my thoughts though. “I had no idea what form this would take and as always you surprised me, in a good way. The changes are still settling in, but I’ll fill you in on the details as soon as I know them myself.

I nodded. “Let me do one more once over to make sure there aren’t any problems I missed before.”

I reached out with everything I had to examine him, not rushing, not forcing, letting the new bond do what it had been created to do. Spirit Sight showed me a soul that was brighter and denser than before, its structure no longer straining against the body it inhabited. Spirit Singing brushed over it like a hand testing tempered steel, finding harmony where there had once been friction. I felt a deep, quiet satisfaction at that, the kind that came from a craft done well.

Then I saw it.

There was a narrow place within Samvek’s soul, not a flaw or a wound, but an opening that hadn’t existed before. It reminded me of a socket waiting for a piece that had never been meant to fit, a space defined by potential rather than absence. I didn’t analyze it. I didn’t debate. I knew, with the same certainty that had guided my blade in battle, what belonged there.

I pushed Psi into that opening.

The reaction was immediate and violent, the bond between us flaring bright enough that I gasped and had to brace myself. Samvek’s soul surged in response, not rejecting the energy but folding around it, adapting with startling speed. I felt his body answer the change as well, muscles tightening, posture straightening as something fundamental rewrote itself from the inside out. My Psi reserves were far from full but apparently had at least partially regenerated during the time I’d been working on Samvek.

Through the bond, the change echoed back into me. Whatever had awakened in him wasn’t contained, it resonated, and I felt it slot into place within my own structure as if it had always been there. Power flooded through me, not raw or overwhelming, but focused, purposeful, and alive. Notifications hammered at the edges of my awareness, too many and too fast to process, but I ignored them and stayed with Samvek until the surge subsided.

When it was over, the space between us felt different, deeper and more stable than before. Samvek inhaled sharply and then let out a long breath, eyes snapping open with a new intensity behind them. A rush of system notifications hit me. They were coming from more than one system and some of them could not be denied or delayed.

The first one hit like a ton of bricks.

New principles and options integrated into the heavens. The potential for select individuals to gain dual classes now exists, but these individuals must be linked to an Architect of the System.

Your quest Borrow from Other Systems has been updated to 1/4. You have now borrowed from the Hell System. The integration of vitae as an alternative source has begun and you have created an individual with dual classes from the Hell System.

Samvek Rayden has gained the class: Blood Hunter at the equivalent of legendary tier. Details are specific to him.

As this process has gone live, new understanding is achieved and a new role for you is designated. The purpose of this borrowed power is to extend the frontier and push back the ancient foes of purpose.

To this end you are granted a new title- Oncoming Apocalypse: you are a weapon of the Heavens and when the time is right, you will be aimed at the frontlines in the hopes that you will be an apocalyptic event for the other side.

No stats or other benefits are currently granted by this title as it has been created through your own work as an architect.

Well that was some BS. A title that ominous should come with some big perks, but I took a small amount of solace in the word, ‘currently.’ It still sucked, but I could live with it. What bothered me more was that no matter how much I poked or prodded the system it wouldn’t tell me anymore about this mysterious foe that it mentioned.

I was left with no choice but to move on with the next notification.

With an awareness of your proclivity for patterns and naming priorities, a new group is created to match your new title.

Horsemen of the Oncoming Apocalypse

1)   Hell System- Samvek Rayden

2)   Divided Realms-

3)   Dragon System-

4)   Fey System-

A horseman is empowered by being connected to you and by receiving power from another system. The potentiality of all Horsemen is boosted to a minimum of 1%.

I thought about that and wondered why those who were bonded with a dragon didn’t already count as having power from another system. In the end, I decided that this had to do with designing new paths for the system rather than simply gaining outside power. I’d need to think about it more, but for now, I kept going with the notifications.

Analysis has been completed. Psi defies complete system quantification, so estimation has been made.

You have granted to Samvek Rayden and gained for yourself a new Psi ability which is being called: Physical Enhancement- this will provide a base line 5% increase to the effectiveness of all your physical stats, but it is theorized that by using Psi you will be able to produce temporary but radical enhancements to one or all of your physical stats.

You continue to regenerate Psi through a process that has not yet been quantified. It is estimated that Samvek will need to have any Psi that he spends replaced by you or otherwise filled from an outside source.

That was fascinating. Now that the system mentioned, it I could feel the new ability within me. I wasn’t sure exactly how it worked, but as with all of the Psi abilities so far, it would require experimentation.

There was another notification from the Hell System about how my Golem Molder abilities had improved, and how I’d gained a vassal. The question there was whether what I’d done to Samvek really was similar to make a golem. If so, then it might be useful this afternoon when Tad and I got to work again.

I wanted to ask Samvek what he thought about it, but his eyes were still closed. I imagined that with a new class he had more to unpack, so I’d just have to wait a minute.

_____________________

Gains not otherwise mentioned since last update:

Vitae Reservoir: 6,754/15,500

Occupation: Architect of the System, Level: 166 >> 173

Trade Skills:

System Design: 41 >> 48

System Sight: 10 >> 11

System Interface: 27 >> 28

Skills:

Short Blades: 608 >> 610

Grappling: 624 >> 626

Defensive Fighting: 946 >> 952

Slashing Weapons—Life Slash: 1029 >> 1030

Polearms: 966 >> 970

Aerial Combat: 832 >> 835

Piercing Weapons—All In: 1024 >> 1025

Natural Weapon Fighting: 872  >> 876

Trainer: 458 >> 460

Mana Channeling: 882 >> 883

Active Abilities:

Spirit Singing (Legendary 62%) >> 64%

Passive Abilities:

Blood is Life (Ascendant 1%) >> 2%

Race: Heretical Trailblazer of the Fused Path (Legendary 69%) >> 71%

      Titles:

Soul Progenitor II >> III

Flesh Builder III >> IV

Draconic Dust: processing 1% >> 2%

Exploration- Chapter 26

Dinner break then I'm going to write more. I don't know if I'll finish chapter 27 today, but if not early tomorrow.

Chapter 26- Soul Tinker

I didn’t respond for a moment and simply stared at him. I trusted Samvek a lot, but in some ways this was the biggest ask he could come up with. “And what if I’m not comfortable with that?”

“Were you comfortable when you became a Forerunner? Were you comfortable when you were forced to make life and death decisions on alien worlds? Or when you had to squash the resistance of certain elements on Earth who seemed intent on mass destruction?

“Your entire life should be making you uncomfortable. In fact, I know that it does. You wanna know how I know that?”

“Mentor insights?”

He chuckled. “Sure, but no, I know because I’ve seen how much more light hearted you are here. For the first time in a long while, no one is truly depending upon you. Sure Tad can use our help, but even you haven’t developed a sense or responsibility for this world. You will, that’s both the great and the sad thing about you, but for at least the moment, you’ve just been enjoying the freedom.”

“Okay, fair enough, but shouldn’t you be the one asking the obvious questions about how this might affect you?”

“No, because neither of us know the answers to that, but what we do know is what sort of man you are. Look at that description again.”

I read it line by line again, including the other parts that he hadn’t projected, but my eyes kept coming back to one line.

only one who shows restraint may become a Soul Forger

I’d like to think that I’d shown restraint. I wanted power. It was absolutely necessary for my continued existence and for my ability to protect those I care about, but I didn’t want it without limits. That might be the biggest difference between me and the Hell System, otherwise I could have simply seized the power it offered.

“Okay, so you want me to try to enhance you?”

“If you can, but mostly, I want you to learn. The system gave you a quest to learn more, but that shouldn’t be necessary for you so see the need. As you are now, you’re like a child handed a blade with a molecular level edge sent running through town. The chances of chopping off something of yours and or something of someone else is too great. You need to understand what you’re capable of.”

There was no arguing with that. “Fair enough. I’ll do it. But I have a condition.”

He waited for me to expand.

“I want to use Spirit Singing at least as a back-up and to give me a better since of what I’m doing.”

“Fair enough. It is my soul I’m asking you to work on, so I’m not gonna be the one to argue against precautions, just don’t let it prevent you from learning about your Hell System class.”

I nodded and then we both sat down, cross-legged across from one another with our knees touching. I began to sing softly, the sound low and steady, more felt than heard, and the world seemed to lean in to listen. Spirit Singing hadn’t always come easily to me, but I’d been using it for so long and it had become such a core part of my build that it was second nature now.  

The tone settled the space around us, smoothing the jagged edges of tension and fear. Samvek closed his eyes and let his breath slow, offering no resistance at all. The notification I got was alarming but I forced myself to stay on task.

Samvek Rayden has opened his soul to you. All innate resistances have been voluntarily dropped. This is a show of absolute trust. Will you prove worthy, Architect?

Spirit Sight opened naturally as the song deepened. Samvek’s soul came into focus, not as a single shape but as a layered structure of strength, discipline, and scars earned over decades of hard living. I could see where training had etched deep grooves into him, habits and reflexes reinforced until they were as much spiritual as physical. There was nothing fragile there, but there were places worn thin by constant readiness.

 He was truly a man worthy of admiring and I felt a swell of pride that he was my mentor. I realized I likely wouldn’t even be alive today but for his guidance when I so desperately needed it. That alone pushed me to want to succeed for him. His opinion of me mattered a great deal, but more than that, I wanted to repay him a fraction of what he’d done for me.

I considered the words of the system notification. Most of what I’d gotten since arriving in this universe had felt impersonal compared to what I was used to. There was so much estimating happening. I almost glossed past this statement, but something about the personal address pulled my attention.

There was one thing that I knew. The system was always trying to guide me to specific outcomes. At first it had resisted other systems, but then somewhere along the way, it seemed to have come to the conclusion that there was something to be gained. I think it was when I became an architect. After that, the system treated me as a valuable resource.

So the question here, was what was it trying to guide me to now? I had to assume that it didn’t waste words, so by calling me Architect, I felt like it was implying that there was a way for me to use my occupation here. The problem with that was that, I was an Architect of the System, specifically meaning the Heavens System. We weren’t in the Heavens currently, so how would that apply.

I did what I generally did in a situation like this. I filed it away, but at least I didn’t save it for future Silas. This was something that was going to be relevant, but I was just going to have to wait for more clues. If it was important enough the system would guide me.

As I sang, faint flashes of color flickered at the edges of my vision. At first I thought it was an afterimage or some quirk of the Fey System leaking through, but the lights returned again and again. I’d seen the same with the various magical items, but always out of the corner of my eyes. This time, they seemed to be responding to spirit singing in a way they hadn’t back at the inn. Maybe it was a matter of concentration. There was definitely more spiritual energy on floor 277 of the Endless Dungeon than there had been in Basetown.

I took stock of what I was seeing. They were small, quick, and curious, never staying still long enough for me to pin them down. Each pulse seemed to respond to the rhythm of my song, brightening when the harmony held and dimming when it wavered. Their movement, even the way I was thinking about them made them seem like living beings.

I didn’t try to reach for them. Instinct told me that forcing attention on whatever they were would break the delicate balance I was building. Instead, I adjusted my singing, testing how changes in pitch and cadence affected Samvek’s soul and the space around us. The colors drifted closer when the song was gentle and steady, then scattered when I pushed too hard. Whatever they were, they felt alive. It was like they were fragments of souls rather than complete souls.

The Hell System side of me stirred a quiet pressure urging efficiency and extraction. I could sense how easy it would be to take, to pull strength directly from Samvek’s soul and add it to my own. My mind didn’t linger on such a thing. I’d happy create a bond between us but wouldn’t take from my friend without giving as much or more in return. I leaned harder into the singing, using it as an anchor to keep myself from slipping. To deny that a temptation was rising in me would have been to deny that I had a class from the Hell System. I’d accepted it as a trade-off thinking the upside would be better than bad parts, but I’d always known that temptation was going to come with it. Asmodeus didn’t strike me as a charitable benefactor, even if he might keep his word.

The space between us felt charged but stable, like a held breath that wasn’t yet released. Samvek remained completely open, trusting me without reservation, and the weight of that trust settled heavily on my shoulders. It was very much up to me to first learn and then prove what I could do.

I began to map Samvek’s soul carefully, layer by layer, letting Spirit Singing guide my perception rather than forcing conclusions. There were clear anchor points where his sense of self was strongest, places where loyalty, duty, and restraint had fused into something nearly unbreakable. There were also stress lines, not weaknesses exactly, but areas that had borne too much weight for too long. They hadn’t failed, but they had thinned, stretched by constant vigilance and the refusal to ever step back.

The Soul Forger instincts pressed harder as I observed those places. I could feel how easily I might reinforce them by drawing power from elsewhere, or worse, how simple it would be to siphon from Samvek directly and smooth those stresses by theft instead of craft. The class made those paths feel natural, almost obvious, and that scared me more than the complexity of the task itself. Power without friction was dangerous, especially when it came wrapped in temptation.

I adjusted my singing again, shifting tone and rhythm, watching how Samvek’s soul responded. When I softened the melody, the stress lines eased slightly, not healed but supported. When I pushed the harmony sharper, his core brightened and tightened, becoming more focused but also more rigid. The flashes of color reacted to these changes as well, clustering closer when balance was struck and scattering when I leaned too far in either direction.

That told me something important. Whatever those flickers were, they weren’t passive. They responded to harmony and imbalance the same way a living thing would. I didn’t understand them yet, but their behavior reinforced my growing certainty that souls, systems, and whatever this world called sprites were all part of the same spectrum rather than separate categories. That realization made me slow down even more.

I took another moment to simply observe, resisting the urge to act. Samvek’s soul didn’t need reshaping, and it certainly didn’t need extraction. What it could benefit from was reinforcement, not by altering its nature, but by helping it bear the weight it already carried. First though, I needed to understand the cost of touching another soul, both to him and to me.

I let the song taper off just enough to give us space and opened my eyes. Samvek was still there, still open, still waiting, and the calm on his face made the decision feel heavier rather than easier. I drew in a slow breath and said quietly, “I think I know what I want to try, but I need you to understand something first. I can’t be sure what this will do, only that it won’t take anything from you unless you allow it.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I allowed it the moment I sat down,” he replied, voice steady and unguarded. “If you need my consent again, you have it. Do what you think is right.”

It was too serious of a moment to laugh, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. “I couldn’t have been a man growing up in the US in the 2020’s without receiving multiple lectures about ongoing consent. Better safe than sorry.”

“Then you are safe.”

“That doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences,” I said. “For you or for me.” I felt the vitae within me stir at the thought, heavy and finite in a way mana never was.

Samvek smiled faintly. “Every worthwhile thing has a cost,” he said. “You’ve paid enough of them already. I trust you to choose which ones are worth paying.”

That was enough. I nodded once, more to myself than to him, and let the singing rise again, softer this time, shaped by resolve rather than uncertainty.

I reached inward and drew on vitae deliberately. This ability was from the Hell System and the currency there was vitae, life force taken by violence, not mana. It was more potent than mana, but less versatile and harder to restore, at least based upon what I’d seen so far. Not that the Hell System didn’t use mana, it did. It was just that the most vital things depended upon vitae.

The drain was immediate and unmistakable, a cold pressure blooming behind my sternum as the reservoir dipped. There was a reluctance to give it up, like I wanted, no craved every bit of Vitae that my body could get. Even parting with only 5% of my reserves made me feel like I imagined a junkie would after a week-long detox.

I guided that flow with Spirit Singing, shaping it gently so it wrapped around Samvek’s soul instead of piercing it. The Hell System instincts urged me to push harder, to make the change permanent and profound, but I refused them and kept the touch light.

When the vitae made contact, Samvek’s soul responded like tempered steel under a careful hammer. There was no flare of power, no violent reaction, only a gradual densification along the stress lines I had mapped. The thinned areas thickened, not by altering what he was, but by reinforcing what already existed. It felt less like adding something new and more like restoring balance that had been eroded over time.

The vitae began to seep into his soul and I could see it strengthening. I opened my eyes and looked at his face, but his eyes were closed and he was lost in deep concentration.

The flashes of color intensified then, clustering close enough that I could almost sense curiosity in them. They brightened as the harmony held, drifting in slow arcs around us, then pulsed once in unison as the forging settled. I didn’t try to grasp them or name them, but their presence made the moment feel witnessed in a way that set my nerves on edge. With each flare of vitae though, they would back off before seeming to become curious again. It was like the power was too hostile for them.

Now, that I felt I knew at least a little bit about what I was doing, I felt Samvek’s soul strengthening and so I did what I always do. If 5% of my vitae could enhance him like this, then what would 10% or 20% do. My mentor deserved the very best and if I could find a way to strengthen him further, then that would be amazing.

The first of the notifications started to pour in.

Samvek’s soul has been augmented.

Resistance to spiritual attacks and Hell Mana have been increased by 15%

Will +250, Perception +150.

That was good and all, but it was ultimately a rounding error for someone as powerful as Samvek. Sure he didn’t have my bloated stats, but he was still doing good for himself. So, I wanted more. As I looked, I saw how body and soul were connected. Perhaps it was the golem molder part of me, but I felt like I could do more for him.

As I pushed a combination of spiritual singing and vitae into his body, another notification popped up.

System Access to voluntary subject, Samvek Rayden, has been given. Special attention will be paid to the modifications you make. Note: some things can’t be undone.

That notification alone should have been enough. It would have been for most people, but I kept pushing. Good things always came when I pushed and for too long, I’d felt the power gap between me and Samvek shifting. I wanted to do as much as I could and if being an Architect of the System was good for anything then it should be good for helping my friends.

As I pushed the vitae into his body, he started to spasm, but we locked hands and he hissed, “Keep going.”

Exploration- Chapter 25

3 chapters so far, still at least 1 more today- although, I'm planning on 2 more. If I can't write lots when the wife and youngest are out of town then I don't know when I'll be able to.

I did spoil myself and my son but going to the better gym. Normally we go to one that's 8 minutes away, this one is 30 minutes away. But man it's 5 times the size of the one in our town.

Anyway, more to come.

Chapter 25- PSI?

I don’t know if it was more disorienting to no longer be able to see or hear or how easy it was to shut off those senses. The connection I had with my own body had dramatically shot up when I reached legendary, but I hadn’t noticed it till I was pushed to it. I suppose that made sense, because for so much of life we operate based upon our expectations.

It made me wonder what I would be able to do with Blood is Life given how much I could control my body now. The new ability had been a pillar for my legendary class after I created it with the synergy orb by combining Evolutionary Absorber and Synthesis of the Primordial Hunter amongst other parts of me.

The answer came as quickly as I thought about the ability. It was a passive ability so it worked without me having to activate it. In this case with the loss of hearing and sight, it was already increasing my other senses. Before this, I could sense small vibrations in the air against my skin and detect movement even when I couldn’t see or hear it, but now my body was trying to adapt to enhance that.

True to Samvek’s instructions, I forced it to stop. That was an ability even if it was passive and I should try to avoid using it if I wanted to learn what he was trying to teach me.

That was hardly the only part of me that tried to fill in for the missing senses. Trailblazer’s Mind had always been too potent for me. It was raw primordial power and even now, I knew it was more than I could fully handle, but it didn’t feel quite so overwhelming as when I’d been epic tier. I got the sense that my body and mind were better able to handle the massive amounts of information it could pull in, but that would also be a violation of the instructions so I focused on limiting it as well.

Spirit Sight was a part of my race and thus not inherently an ability although I often enhanced it with Spirit Singing. Still I didn’t try to shut it down. What surprised me though was how quickly my Psi Ability, Precognition flared to life. It did so without any system notification. The system still seemed to have trouble quantifying Psi abilities even if it had added them to my status sheet.

This wasn’t the first time that I’d leaned into precognition. During the battle on Galen, it had played an important role. I couldn’t help but wonder how much easier that battle would have been if I’d realized just what it meant to be legendary. Now, my tactile and olfactory senses combined with Precognition to tell me that the first wave of enemies was almost here.

It was mostly composed of the Bronx type gargoyles which went on four legs and had almost a dog like form. I couldn’t help but think of how Louis Tully would have felt being chased by one of these. There wasn’t time for speculation now though, as I needed to move.  

The moment stretched, thin and taut, as the dungeon breathed in. I could feel Samvek a few steps behind me, solid and unmoving, his presence a fixed point I had to protect at all costs. Without sight or sound, the world became pressure, texture, and intent, every movement announcing itself through subtle shifts in air and stone. My heart hammered, not from fear, but from the sheer effort of trusting senses I’d only recently begun to understand.

The first bronx hit low and fast. I felt it before it arrived, a ripple of inevitability sliding across my awareness, and stepped aside a fraction of a second before claws tore through the space where my legs had been. Wayfinder came around in a tight arc, guided not by vision but by certainty, and bit into stone shoulder with a jarring impact. The gargoyle yelped, a vibration I felt through my boots, and skidded away trailing fractured fragments.

My instinct had been to conjure a force construct first to block it and then to smash it, but I resisted. Instinct was a powerful driving force, but I presumed that Samvek was aiming for me to be in control of that instinct rather than the other way around.

Two more came in from opposite angles, their combined intent pressing down on me like a physical weight. Precognition flared brighter, not as images but as conclusions already reached, and my body obeyed before thought could interfere. I ducked, rolled, and came up inside their charge, blade flashing in brutal, economical strikes. Stone split, joints failed, and one of them collapsed in a heap that twitched once and then went still.

Another leapt high, aiming to crash down on Samvek. The warning hit me like a punch to the gut, sharp and immediate, and I moved without hesitation. I drove forward, shoulder slamming into its flank mid-air, redirecting the mass just enough that it missed him by inches. We hit the ground together, and I finished it with a short thrust that punched through its core, the internal light guttering out as its weight went dead.

Precognition 4 >> 5

The pressure didn’t ease, but I was adapting to it. I found that place of existing where thought and instinct blended like I had on Galen. More were coming, faster this time, and my skin prickled as their combined auras pressed in. I adjusted instinctively, shifting my stance, letting my body find balance without conscious input. Every strike landed where it needed to, every dodge happened just early enough, and I began to realize that I wasn’t reacting anymore. I was arriving at outcomes before the monsters did.

I would have loved to have more Psi abilities. Persuasion wasn’t going to be very useful here, although I remembered that I should likely use it more against the Lawkeepers. That simple thought created a grumbling inside of my brain like my stomach used to get when I was hungry.

A heavy impact glanced off my shoulder, numbing the arm, but I used the momentum to spin and cleave through another Bronx’s neck. Shards sprayed across my face, warm and gritty, and I welcomed the sensation because it meant I was still in control. Somewhere behind me, Samvek hadn’t moved an inch, and that knowledge anchored me more firmly than sight ever could have.

They kept coming and with me keeping Life is Blood inactive, my body wasn’t healing as quickly. It didn’t matter if I could predict where the attacks would be if I couldn’t move quickly enough to respond. Then it happened. Too many attacks were coming. My mind processed the data faster than ever before, but it wasn’t enough. There was no way that I could block all of the blows that were aimed at Samvek and not take a serious wound myself.

If necessity was the mother of invention, then this need was the birthing point for something new inside of me. There was the briefest tearing sensation inside my head. No notification popped up, but somehow, I formed a psionic construct which blocked two of the blows aimed at Samvek and gave me the time I needed to respond to the rest.

There was a sensation of drain deep inside of me. I wasn’t sure how to regenerate Psi, but I was sure that I was spending it faster now with this new ability. I didn’t know what to call it, but I made use of it.

Combining this psionic constructs along with precognition and my physical senses, I was able to tear through the remaining enemies. It might be because the new ability was so similar to my force constructs, but it quickly became second nature and I realized I could use them in the same ways as the other ability. They were more than just shields, but also blades. I felt the versatility for the psionic constructs was even greater than Force Construct Mastery. This was akin to a being a green lantern, and not the shoddy Ryan Reynold’s version.

With that same flexibility, I managed to tear through the rest of the gargoyles and soon was unable to sense any within range. I dropped down cross-legged, sucked in a deep breath and focused my senses outward. I maintained the limits set by Samvek but got the sense that my mind was capable of more. It was going to take experimenting and no new psionic ability popped up, but after ten heartbeats of searching I was comfortable that we were safe for a  while.

I turned my sight and hearing back on and stood up. Samvek was smiling at me. “Well done.”

“Thanks. Harder than I thought at first, and then easier that I would have imagined once I got the hang of it. I even learned a new psi ability, although the system hasn’t named it yet. Actually, let me check my status sheet.”

Sure enough there was nothing there, but I did find something kind of annoying. “Uh nothing, but I’ve gained less than 1% XP toward my next level. That doesn’t right.”

That got a real belly laugh out of Samvek. “Oh, sometimes, you’re good for such a laugh, my friend. Don’t say that around Selena or she’ll mock you relentlessly. We’ve been here less than an hour and you’re complaining because you haven’t gotten much XP. I know you were told that even you should have your growth slow down.”

I shrugged. “I guess seeing is believing, but it still sucks. I’ve got a goddess out to kill me or worse. I need to be much stronger and like immediately. Even if the system protects me from her for a limited time, she’s an architect. I can’t count on that protection holding long.”

“No you can’t, but since when can you count on anyone else to protect you. Maybe when you were a child. I know you too well, even before the system came to your world, you were a protector. You looked after your mother and Cece and that’s a good thing. Ultimately under the Heavens there are three kinds of people although some would say that it’s only two. There are those who need protecting and those who do the protecting. Sadly, the third group is more prevalent than it should be. That’s those who have the power but only utilize it to take from others.

“I’ve sat there listening to enough conversations between my father, Bahran, and others to know that as bad as our system is, there are other systems which promote that predatory stance much more. Still, I’m rambling on. The point is either you protect or you need protection. You are one who will always seek to protect.”

His description of me felt good but before I could say anything another notification popped up.

New Psi Ability has been quantified: Psionic Construct. This ability seems to work in a similar fashion to force constructs, but is powered by psi. Further experimentation is needed for better quantification.

Continue to gather information for the Heavens. Especially learn how Psi is generated. Once you have achieved that you will be rewarded.

Rewards were good, but there was something about that notification which left me uneasy. Jay had stressed that Psi was unique to humanity except where his actions had caused it to spread. He also insisted that it was independent of any system and not like mana which we depended upon under the Heavens. I wasn’t sure if he was completely right because no matter how powerful he was, he was clearly biased. Jay was outside of the system or any system, so the inner workings might be different than he imagined.

I had already come to the conclusion that all energy was the same just in different forms. If dragons could produce mana, then why couldn’t humans produce another type of energy, Psi. At least the system was right about one thing, more experimentation was going to be necessary.

I told Samvek about the new ability I’d gained. It was no listed as being at level 2 on my status sheet and Precognition was listed at level 6.

“Well that’s good enough for now. I chose that one first because it’s the one that I understand the least. Honestly, I only hoped you’d see how far you could push the precognitive effect, I didn’t imagine you’d gain a new ability, but then as Crag likes to say, all the most interesting things happen around Forerunners.”

“One other thing. My reserves of Psi are almost depleted now at least as quantified by the system. Actually, if anything, I think it might be over-estimating how much I have left, because I feel dry inside.” As I spoke, I projected the line from my sheet to him.

Psi Seed: 205/4088

“At least, the total potential increased by about 40%. The how I can control this process is a big question, but I feel fried on this front now, so I think it will have to wait.”

He nodded. “Yeah, we only have a few more hours, so I wanted to test other parts of you. I know you’re hell class makes you uncomfortable, but for the next battle, I want you to use just that class, and of course your physical abilities, but the point is to find out what you can do with that class.”

Hell System Class: Soul Forger-Golem Molder (Legendary equivalent)

Hell System Rank: Duke, vassal of Asmodeus

      Hell-Forged Resilience

Vitae Reservoir: 15,000/15,500

He was right, the very name of the class made me nervous. Forging was a creative process, but using souls or making souls. That just didn’t seem like something that someone as limited as me should be messing around with. I already did it enough with Spirit Singing. But, he was also correct that I couldn’t continue to have these parts of me that I didn’t explore.

“The trick is that I don’t exactly know what the class even does. I’ve managed to use it in limited ways to create squirrel constructs but I’ve barely touched upon what the class can do.”

“And that’s why we’re here to practice. I’ve already used my spatial awareness to determine that you’ve killed all of the monsters on this floor who aren’t in the boss chamber. There’s still one more room with a dozen or so gargoyles in it, one of them much larger than the others.”

“That’s where we’re going?”

          “Eventually, but not right now. Right now, were going to take the time for you to use a portion of your Soul Forger class that you haven’t, at least to my knowledge, touched upon. I recorded the class description when you projected it for me sooner, so let me show you what I’m talking about.”

A moment later he was projecting one of the paragraphs of my class description back to me.

As a Soul Forger, you will be able to shape the souls of allies and foes in ways which will affect them physically and spiritually. You can draw upon their power, but also use it to enhance others. Many of the abilities of a Soul Eater remain present with this class, but only one who shows restraint may become a Soul Forger.

“Um, okay, I admit that the description gets my mind going, but it isn’t exactly something I can use against these gargoyles is it?”

“You aren’t going to use it on them. You’re going to use it on me.”

Exploration- Chapter 24

Freaking amazing what I can do when I'm not being constantly distracted. Sorry if that sounded arrogant or something- that wasn't how I meant it. I just am marveling at how much easier it is to write 2 chapters in 3 hours than it is when my wife and or kids are constantly moving around me- even if they aren't asking me anything.

Here's hoping that all 8 days of writing retreat time go like this.

Now, I'm gonna hit the gym and then I'll be right back at it.

Chapter 24- Stone Foes

Something moved at the far edge of the broken plain, and then the stone itself seemed to stand up. At first I thought the pillars were collapsing, but the shapes peeled free instead, massive figures unfolding from crouched poses they’d held for who knew how long. There was only one word for monsters like this: gargoyles, although they were nothing like the crude statues people carved to scare birds. These were living things shaped like stone, ten feet tall at their largest, with thick torsos, powerful legs, and wings that folded tight against their backs until they snapped open with the sound of grinding rock.

Despite being made of stone, they moved with unsettling fluidity. Their joints flexed like muscle rather than grinding like hinges, and their weight shifted smoothly as they stepped forward. Faces that looked carved at first glance twisted into expressions of predatory focus, eyes lighting up from within with a pale, unnatural glow. Their mouths opened wider than any statue should have been able to manage, revealing throats lined with the same light that burned in their eyes.

The resemblance to the gargoyles from the old cartoon hit me then, broad shoulders, hunched posture, wings built for sudden bursts of speed rather than sustained flight. Smaller ones flanked the larger brutes, moving faster and darting ahead with claws extended, while the biggest among them held back, watching and waiting.

When Identify went off, I was surprised to find that even here in another universe, apparently a dungeon could borrow from my memories. The gargoyles seemed to be split into three types. There was only one of the largest while the others seems lean and fast or moved on four legs with an obvious strength.

Gargoyle Goliath- Legendary tier equivalent. Estimated level: 277

Gargoyle Demona- Legendary tier equivalent. Estimated level: 274

Gargoyle Bronx- Legendary tier equivalent. Estimated level: 270

I would have loved to talk about whether the dungeon floor had always been like this or if it had been customized for us, but didn’t have the time as they are already attacking.

The first gargoyle hit the ground hard enough to crack normal stone, but the dungeon remained unmoved. It unfolded from a crouch into a towering shape, wings snapping open as it let out a grinding roar that sounded like boulders being dragged across one another. Its eyes burned with pale light, and a second later a beam of brilliant light tore from its mouth, carving a glowing line across the ground where we’d been standing. Samvek and I split without speaking, boots skidding as we moved in opposite arcs.

I met the creature head-on. Wayfinder bit into stone as easily as flesh, the blade punching through its chest in a spray of shattered rock and glowing fragments. The gargoyle barely slowed, clawed hands slashing down toward my shoulders, and I twisted inside the strike, letting the talons scrape across my armor instead of tearing through it. I drove my shoulder into its torso and felt the impact reverberate through my bones as the thing staggered back.

Samvek was already moving, spear flashing as he took another gargoyle off its feet. He hooked a wing mid-swing, tore it free with a brutal wrench, and rammed the spearhead up through the creature’s jaw. The gargoyle convulsed, light spilling from the wound like molten glass, then collapsed into a heap of rubble that still twitched for a heartbeat before going still. There was no pause, no chance to breathe.

Three more dropped from above, wings folding as they slammed down around us. One raked its claws across my back, the impact numbing rather than cutting, and I spun with the force of the blow, letting momentum carry my next strike. Wayfinder cleaved through its arm at the elbow, stone exploding outward as the limb shattered. I followed through and drove the blade up under its chin, splitting the head in half as the light inside guttered out.

A beam lanced toward Samvek, white-hot and fast. He twisted aside, the edge of it catching his shoulder and scorching fur and armor alike. He didn’t slow. He charged straight through the pain, spear spinning as he slammed it into the gargoyle’s chest and levered the creature off the ground. He ripped the weapon free and brought it down again, smashing the head into fragments that scattered across the floor.

The ground shook as more gargoyles poured in, stone feet pounding, wings beating up clouds of dust and grit. They came in a loose wave, five, then seven, then more, all moving faster than creatures that heavy should have been able to. Claws scraped, wings buffeted, beams of light slashed through the air, and the floor became a maze of broken pillars and rising debris.

I ducked under a sweeping wing and hacked at the joint, feeling resistance give way in a satisfying crack. The wing tore free, and the gargoyle reeled, flailing blindly as I stepped in and drove Wayfinder through its spine. Another slammed into me from the side, the impact throwing me off my feet, and I rolled with it, coming up on one knee as its claws slammed down where my head had been. I rose into the strike, blade flashing in a brutal upward arc that split the creature from hip to shoulder.

Samvek fought with barely constrained lightning dancing all over him. He was as fluid as a waterfall and equally unstoppable. I admired how quickly he was adapting to his upgrades. He moved constantly, spear darting and retracting, never letting the gargoyles surround him. One tried to grapple him, stone arms locking around his torso, and he answered by slamming his forehead into its face hard enough to crater it. He shoved free and skewered the thing through the throat, twisting until the light inside went dark.

Stone dust filled the air, coating my tongue and stinging my eyes. My arms burned from the constant motion, but the power in my body kept me moving, strikes landing harder and faster than they ever had before. I was stronger and faster than I’d ever been before, but Samvek was right. There was something more to it than a mere physical upgrade. I just couldn’t put my finger on it yet.

 Each gargoyle fell in pieces, wings shattered, limbs broken, heads split open to spill that pale, dying glow. They were durable, relentless, and fast, but they weren’t enough.

When the last of the wave finally collapsed, the floor was a ruin of cracked stone and broken bodies. Fragments still shifted and settled, the echoes of the fight rolling away into the distance. I stood there, actually feeling my breaths as I had needed to exert myself a bit. That alone marked how powerful these foes were.

I held Wayfinder in a loose grip and felt the life within the weapon as it pulsed in my hands. Like me, my weapon lived for moments like this. There wouldn’t be long to rest or even time to talk about the oddness I was feeling in my body. Already there were more shapes moving at the edge of my senses, and I tightened my grip, ready for the next wave.

The next set of waves came faster and tighter, as if the dungeon had learned something from watching the first. Gargoyles dropped in coordinated pairs, wings folding just enough to control their descent before slamming into the ground and surging forward together. One would feint high with claw and wing, forcing a guard, while the other drove in low, talons scraping for legs and balance. It was smart, brutal fighting, the kind meant to overwhelm rather than outmatch.

I stepped into it anyway.

Wayfinder rang like a struck bell as it met stone, the impact shuddering up my arms. I parried one claw and drove the blade straight through the joint of a shoulder, twisting hard as I ripped free. The gargoyle reeled but didn’t fall, its partner already on me, wings battering at my sides with enough force to rattle my teeth. I ducked under the next swing, planted my foot, and took its head clean off in a rising cut that sent glowing fragments spraying through the air.

Samvek was in constant motion to my left, spear a silver blur as he carved lanes through the oncoming stone. He used reach and footwork to keep them from boxing him in, striking joints, throats, and wing bases with ruthless efficiency. A demona type lunged at him from above, claws outstretched, and he met it mid-air, spear punching through its chest as lightning crawled along the shaft and into the creature. The gargoyle convulsed once and dropped, breaking apart as it hit.

Light beams lanced through the chaos, brilliant and precise. I felt one graze past my shoulder, heat flaring as it scorched armor and skin alike, and I rolled through the pain without slowing. I came up inside another gargoyle’s guard, smashed my pommel into its face hard enough to crater it, then finished the job with a short, brutal thrust through the skull. The glow inside winked out, leaving nothing but dead weight.

They kept coming.

Five more, then eight, then a mixed pack that included another goliath, its bulk dwarfing the others as it charged straight through the press. Its fists slammed down like hammers, each blow carrying enough force to pulp bone if it landed cleanly. I met it head-on, blade flashing as I hacked at its arms, each strike biting deep but not stopping it outright. It grabbed for me, stone fingers closing around my torso, and I drove Wayfinder up under its ribcage, twisting and wrenching until the light inside flared and died.

Samvek took the opening I’d created, spear plunging into the Goliath’s throat from behind. He braced and hauled back with a roar, tearing the head free in a shower of glowing fragments. The body staggered forward a step and then collapsed into inert stone, finally still.

Stone dust hung thick in the air, every breath tasting of grit and dust. My arms burned, shoulders screaming from the constant impact, and I welcomed it. I welcomed the strain, the resistance, the proof that this floor demanded effort. These monsters were a worthy test of my physical capabilities.

What struck me was that the goliaths could match my strength for the most part, but were slower. Meanwhile the demona were nearly as fast as me, even if they lacked my strength. They each tugged at me a bit too. Even as dungeon monsters, they had an aura and they were fierce. Whenever I found myself surrounded by too many of them, their combined aura would weigh down on me.

I’d experienced some of this with the Malfon legendaries I’d fought, but this was different. Maybe it was because of the rules of this universe, but I felt like I was being suppressed by their auras. The weight of it combined to be something akin to an ascendant.

That alone caused me to struggle just to move properly. Then a thought struck me. No… it couldn’t be that simple, but maybe it was. My physical stats weren’t the only ones which had been cranked up with all the levels I’d gained. That wasn’t the core issue, but rather a symptom. My mental stats were affected as well and they were telling me something that seemed hard to believe.

Each tier increase had come with something greater than the tier before it. Samvek had often called legendary the peak of mortal existence. He reminded me that it touched upon the ascendant but wasn’t ascendant itself and just recalling his words made me feel sure about my instinct.

As soon as I created a momentary lull in battle, I paused for the duration of a single heartbeat. That was an eternity to one such as me locked in the middle of combat, but I needed it to square my mind away.

I was legendary tier now. I was more real, more complete, than at any point in my past. I needed to accept that.

Just like that, the pressure around me lessened as though the air suddenly weighed less. It was thrilling. I felt more connected to the world and in turn the pressure it was putting on me balanced out. In that moment, Trailblazer’s Aura activated and then evolved. There were no choices to make, it was a simple linear evolution.

Trailblazer’s Aura (Epic 99%) >> Legendary 1%

This aura can be used passively or actively, in battle or even social situations. It drains the health from foes, adding to your own with an enhancement to all your damage the longer that you stay within a sphere of a fifty-foot radius. It boosts the effectiveness of your Charisma and causes all around you to feel the effects of your primordial aspect.

You will be recognized as someone who stands apart from the masses. This may engender fear in some and excitement in others. More than anything this aura will stabilize your presence, and make you slightly more real.

As your aura reaches legendary tier even Ascendant Tier beings will find it more difficult to ignore. Further, your place as one apart will enable you to better withstand the aura of other beings, even those who are divine. This protection is not perfect, but is progressive as you find your place.

Note: Your quest to borrow from other systems will likely help you progress this aura more than simple use.

The moment of clarity passed and I was thrown back into the battle. This time I felt like my movement was more natural. I hadn’t gained any new stats but I was starting to use the ones I had correctly. The battle was still fierce without relying upon any of my spells or abilities, but it made me feel alive.

When the wave finally broke, the remaining gargoyles falling in shattered heaps around us, I stood there breathing hard, Wayfinder humming in my grip. My muscles felt heavy but responsive, power coiled tight instead of overflowing. Samvek straightened nearby, spear resting against the ground as he surveyed the field with a critical eye.

I could feel it then, the rhythm settling in.

“Well done. Now, we’re going to take turns helping you develop some of the unused parts of your build. I’m not going to fight the next wave and if I get hit or have to teleport away, then you will have failed this test. To make it more fun, you have to fight with your eyes closed and your ears shut down.

“What?”

“I saw you reach a new balance with your tier. Search inside yourself, but you can control every bodily function now. It’s just part of being legendary. Simply shut off the portion of your brain which processes the sound waves. You can’t shut it all down because it would affect your balance and I can’t explain it anymore than that because each species is different. But you can do this. You don’t have long though before the next wave gets here. Oh, and the skill set you’re going to be training is your Psi abilities. You can use any of them, but otherwise only use your physical stats for this battle.”

I wanted to tell him that he asked for the impossible but I didn’t want to turn this into any more of a Yoda moment than it already was.