Motivated by sheer spite, the Demonic creature triggered a chain reaction within the core of its foundation by activating a powerful Technique. With no hope of controlling the Technique in its current state, the Demonic creature did the opposite, allowing the Technique to do as it willed.
Despite escaping the epicentre of the blast thanks to my authority, my hand and arm now carried intense burns. Most of my armour had been vaporised, torn apart or otherwise consumed by the Demonic energy contained within the blast.
Ignoring the coils of smoke and steam rising from my injured arm, I focused on Kwan’s isolated border territory.
The two Monarchs had survived the blast but I could not gauge their condition.
The preexisting Anchor within the border territory and the Anchor worn on my person had both been destroyed. To deny the Monarchs an escape, I used blood from my burned hand to create a new Empowered Spatial Anchor out of stone made with the Empowered Stone Shape Spell and then deposited it deep in the bedrock of Kwan’s territory.
Taking in my surroundings, I was somewhat confused to discover I was standing outside the shrine I had created for purging Heart Demons.
Zhu Min was overseeing the meditation of several younger Cultivators within the temple. Judging by the style of their clothes, and their names, I was reasonably confident that they were newer arrivals from the deceased Demon of the Mists Realm.
Zhu Min had bowed briefly to acknowledge my presence but remained within the temple.
Through my increased sensitivity to Mana and all of its derivatives, I could see the aura of Daemonic energy Zhu Min was using to surround each of the young Cultivators.
Heart Demons were like a cancer of the soul. Not every Heart Demon would prove fatal, but they would alter the Cultivator’s psyche over time if left unchecked.
From my perspective, the negative influence on the Cultivators' minds was the greater danger. Which was why I had made the regular purging of Heart Demons mandatory.
So I was pleased to see that Zhu Min had found a way to augment her own training and development while also seeing to her responsibilities.
The Heart Demons didn’t have a physical form, per se. However, being made from the CUltivator’s internal energy, they could be encouraged to take on forms that separated themselves from the host Cultivator.
As each of the Cultivators materialised their Heart Demons through meditation, Zhu Min destroyed and devoured the Heart Demons with her Daemonic aura.
I didn’t want to break her concentration, so I moved out of her line of sight before Summoning Wraithe.
“My Tyrant!” Wraithe gasped in horror, her chisel-like teeth chittering and generating a spray of sparks as she laid eyes on my burned and savaged arm. “Who has done this to you!” Anxiety almost immediately gave way to intense anger bordering on rage. “I will! I will-” She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a long deep breath to calm herself. “I will...see to your injuries, my Tyrant,” Wraithe began diligently inspecting my injuries while muttering a running list of the tools and materials she would need to best treat the burns and cauterised cuts.
It occurred to me that Wraithe’s job might be made much easier if she was given a small measure of my authority. Allowing her to take any materials she might need from anywhere within the Realm as needed. Wraithe had already demonstrated that she could be trusted. So it was an easy decision.
Wraithe seemed to gain an immediate knowledge and understanding of the limited authority I had given her. Conjuring a dozen sealed glass jars containing foul-smelling pastes alongside a spool of thread and a large curved needle. She was halfway through stitching one of the deeper cuts before she expressed her thanks.
Beneath Wraithe’s steady gaze, the needle and thread gently, but firmly, drew my torn flesh back together again. The alcohol used to sanitise my wounds had also aggravated the burns. However, once Wraithe was finished with the stitches, she began liberally applying the burn cream from within the jars. A process that was performed with far less grace due to the substantial degree of surface area that needed to be covered.
After close to half an hour of treatment, my wounds disappeared in under a few seconds. Thanks to Wraithe’s Healing Abilities and the thoroughness of her treatment.
Dismissing Wraithe’s projection, I returned to the vanguard border territory. Committed to ending what had already been started.
The ocean was gone.
In its place was a large almost perfectly circular bowl formed from the bedrock.
Curiously, the Life Drain Spell had persisted despite my disappearance and the rampant Demonic energy. It was far thinner than it had been before, but it was there.
The Monarchs were both still alive as well. Hiding in the farthest reaches of the territory.
With a thought, I pulled the female Monarch, Gu Lin, to my location at the bottom of the stone bowl.
Mistaking her frantic movements for an attack, I sent her two dozen feet backward with my authority.
After taking a moment to observe what she was doing, I realised that Gu Lin wasn’t attacking at all. Performing what looked similar to Tai Chi on speed, she was actively shifting the Mana of the Life Drain Spell away from herself.
From what I could tell, there was no Technique involved. Gu Lin was using her Chi and Death Affinity to manipulate the Spell. However, it also appeared to require absolute focus. While her eyes were open, she had not looked at me even once.
Recalling the diplomatic relations between the two Monarchs, I decided that there might be room for other options besides execution. I was under no delusions as to why my Realm had been invaded. However, I also wanted to confirm HOW they had done it, and if possible, secure that means for myself.
With a potential war on the horizon, extra territories, and soldiers, would not go amiss.
Exercising my control over the Mana, I drew the persistent Life Drain Spell back from Gu Lin. Leaving her in the centre of the death-free bubble roughly ten feet across.
It took the Monarch a few minutes to recognise she was not in immediate danger. Growing still, she stared at me for several long moments in utter silence. “I offer my sincere thanks for your mercy,” Gu Lin inclined her head in greeting and a show of thanks. “I know I have trespassed and wish to make amends...” She withdrew the amulet from around her neck and offered it with both hands. “Such treasures are no doubt of little value to one with your peerless strength...Yet I have nothing else to offer...”
“How did you enter my Realm?” I demanded coldly, ignoring her attempt at bribery and flattery.
Gu Lin flinched slightly but kept her arms and offer extended. “An ancient treasure, supreme one. Taken from a Secret Realm...”
“How did you know to come here?” I asked. While I suspected the use of powerful Treasures, I needed to know for certain so I could devise some form of countermeasure.
“I experienced a vision while deep in meditation, Supreme One,” Gu Lin replied anxiously, her features becoming strained. “In my greed, my eyes saw only a Celestial Treasure. I sincerely apologise for not recognising the Supreme One’s claim-”
Predictably, the anger came just the same as before. However, this time I was ready for it and kept it firmly under control. “That Treasure...is my daughter,” I growled darkly.
Gu Lin winced and threw herself to the ground, discarding the amulet and falling into a submissive kowtow position. “I did not know! I beg the Supreme One’s forgiveness!” She insisted in a panic. “Whatever it takes to compensate for this sin, I will pay it! Even my right arm!” Gu Lin drew a jewelled dagger from the sash at her waist and moved the edge of the blade to her right armpit. “As a mother, I would demand no less!” She began to apply pressure, causing blood to stain her robes and run down the blade of the dagger.
“Enough.” I confiscated the dagger and amulet with my authority. “Your life is already mine to take.”
Gu Lin threw herself forward, fearfully resuming her kowtow. “Then! Anything! So long as it is mine to give!”
“Submit,” I demanded bluntly. “Swear your loyalty to me and you will be allowed to make amends. Swear upon your soul to serve my Bloodline above all and in all things!” I elaborated, struggling to keep my anger from boiling over and simply killing her on the spot.
It would be so easy...So much simpler...
“I...” Gu Lin’s internal energy began to fluctuate. Perhaps in preparation for an attack. “I so swear upon my soul...” She whispered hoarsely. Defeated and as long-lived as powerful Cultivators were, doubtless imagining what an eternity of servitude would entail.
Acknowledging the notifications announcing the assimilation of Gu Lin’s Realm, I made sure to keep it separated from the others. In the future, I intend to graft all of the Cultivation territories together into a single massive territory. However, it just wasn’t practical without first taking some precautionary measures.
Now that Gu Lin had become my subordinate, I could feel my anger toward her beginning to ebb. Which was a bizarre sensation made all the more strange by my awareness of it taking place.
For her part, Gu Lin remained prostrated on the ground and appeared to be working up the nerve to talk.
“Speak,” I commanded. Catching myself at the last moment to prevent the order from forcing compliance through pain.
“Supreme One, this servant does not dare to presume your will...” Gu Lin answered tentatively, an unspoken ‘but’ hanging in the air as she waited for permission.
I waved my hand, signalling her to continue.
“If it complies with the Supreme One’s will, this servant’s rival would also submit,” Gu Lin stated nervously. “This servant’s rival knows many sealing Techniques and could prove useful.”
It was difficult to tell whether Gu Lin was throwing her rival under the bus, intending to bring him down into servitude alongside her. Or whether she was trying to save his life.
I felt the anger bubbling up inside me again and forced it down.
“If he submits, he will live,” I replied dourly.
Assuming the other Monarch arrived through a similar means to Gu Lin, it would be unwise to simply kill him. Leaving such a treasure to be seized by potential enemies would be a big mistake.
Exercising my authority I moved the second Monarch, Jayesh, into a second sphere cleared of Mana.
Jayesh was sitting cross-legged on the ground with his head bowed and both hands cupped in front of his abdomen. Large clay prayer beads hung from his hands and trembled seemingly of their own accord. Many of the beads were cracked and broken, faintly radiating Mana taken from the Drain Life Spell.
If the state of the beads were anything to go by, the Monarch probably wouldn’t have lasted another hour. However, as things stood, Jayesh appeared no worse for wear. Perhaps a little tired, but otherwise unharmed.
Slowly opening his eyes, Jayesh’s wrinkled brow furrowed with overt concern. His eyes briefly darted to Gu Lin before returning to study me again.
“Submit,” I demanded, scowling as I was forced to suppress my anger.
Jayesh glanced at Gu Lin again before carefully unfolding his legs and transitioning into a kowtow. “I humbly bow before your power.”
Initially irritated by his disrespectful behaviour. It took me a moment to realise he hadn’t spoken aloud and was not aware that I heard him.
Gu Lin became deathly still.
Jayesh carefully extended his senses. Only to immediately withdraw them again. His bald scalp broke out in an intense sweat.
“I submit...to your will...” Jayesh croaked dryly, seeming to struggle to get out the words.
“Swear upon your soul to dutifully and loyally serve my Bloodline above all and in all things!” I demanded, repeating what I had required of Gul Lin almost word for word.
Jayesh’s eyes bulged from his head and veins stood against his sweaty scalp.
Jayesh froze. In a blur of motion, he suddenly slammed his forehead into the ground, causing the stone to crack and chip from the force of the impact. “I SWEAR TO SERVE THE GREAT ONE!!” He roared. His chest heaved and his body trembled violently in the wake of his Oath. Like a drowning man pulled from the sea only to discover he was still marooned in the middle of a vast uncaring ocean.
With the notifications serving as proof of the Bond, I was just considering my next move when I was alerted to several more invaders entering my Realm.
Unlike the Monarchs and Cultivators that had come before them. The latest batch of invaders were from the other System. Most likely mercenaries, adventurers, or spies that had snuck their way through the external portal in the former Asrusian Capital.
They had died almost immediately, so it was impossible to be certain without investigating the matter further.
“You will govern your Realms in accordance with my laws and directives,” I explained while remaining on alert for potential danger. “Auditors will oversee the transition and guarantee compliance. They speak with my voice and you will obey them as such! Am I clear?”
“Yes! Supreme/Great One,” the two Monarchs replied in near unison.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Using my authority, I sent the Monarchs back to their respective Realms. Taking care to deliver them to populated areas since I didn’t know where they lived or what dangers might exist.
Reluctant to leave the vanguard territory undefended, I realised I didn’t have much of a choice. Either I manned its defence myself or had to accept the risk that whoever I left in my place might be crippled or killed by the overwhelming force of powerful Monarchs or their servants.
Unless...I accepted a compromise.
While Kwan was still almost guaranteed to be unconscious, it wouldn’t make a difference to a Summoned projection.
After gathering Mana for close to half an hour, I Summoned a projection of Kwan in his new humanoid form.
Despite only being a projection, Kwan still appeared incredibly tired. “Mmm-what?” He muttered, blinking blearily in an attempt to bring his eyes into focus. “Where?” Kwan scratched at his head with clawed fingers while taking in his surroundings. Nostrils flaring his serpentine eyes suddenly snapped into intense focus. “WHERE IS THE WATER?!” Kwan howled in anger and despair.
Bending his knees slightly, he then leapt hundreds of feet into the air and remained there as if suspended by an invisible hand. Kwan turned one way and then another, all the while clutching at his head in a panic.
I explained and replayed my memory of events to show Kwan what had happened.
Technically, I could. All I needed was a Spell or Technique that generated water or ice as an effect.
Under normal circumstances, a Spell cast with MP or a Technique activated with Chi, would generate its intended effect and then dissipate.
Mana appeared to behave quite differently. Persisting after the Spell was cast so long as it was kept in a stable state.
Reviewing the list of Spells I could potentially add to my Grimoire of Flesh, I found four water-based Spells. Unfortunately, they all involved manipulating water rather than creating it from MP. However, there was a low-level Ice Spell, Ice Bolt, which would theoretically allow the infinite generation of water.
I had spaces to spare but was holding out for a Healing Spell.
Then again, the effects of a Spell were quite often open to a certain degree of manipulation based on the imagination and creativity of the caster. The Fire Lance Spell was intended as a ranged fire-based Spell. However, nothing was stopping the caster from using it to light a camp or kitchen fire or use it as an alternative to a traditional fuel-based fire outright.
After thinking it over, I relented and added the Ice Bolt Spell to the Grimoire of Flesh.
At Kwan’s insistence, I began experimenting with the Spell to see how large a ‘bolt’ I could create.
No sooner had I begun experimenting, than a new wave of intruders materialised within the stone basin.
The wolf cloaks worn on their backs announced their intentions without them needing to utter a single word.
Numbering fifty in all, the wolf-cloaks had come prepared. Active group Formations protected them from the Life Drain Spell’s effects, allowing them free movement within the basin.
A spokesman stepped forward from the group and pointed his crescent-bladed axe at my face. Dark eyes glinting with the promise of violence and yellowed teeth bared, he took a breath and-
The spokesman’s head disappeared, leaving a mangled stump of muscle and a shattered spinal cord.
Fine droplets of crimson misted the faces of the nearest wolf-coat Cultivators. Confused, they stared at the empty space their leader’s head had been only a moment prior. Unable or unwilling to accept what had happened.
Another Cultivator, this one on the left flank, folded over at the waist and tumbled to the ground. His entire armoured midsection now missing and replaced by a ragged hole.
A third Cultivator screamed in terror, staring at the bloody stumps where his hands had been only moments ago.
The scream served as a call to arms, rallying the Cultivators from their collective stupor. However it did little good.
Kwan was too fast to track with the naked eye and struck without warning, cleaving through flesh bone and steel with his bare hands and feet.
Like a herd of frightened sheep, the Cultivators knew there was a predator in their midst but were powerless to do anything about it. So they changed targets.
Seeing this as good an opportunity as any, I formed a stream of Ice Bolts in rapid succession and sent them flying into the centre mass of the Cultivators. Accelerating the bolts and altering their trajectories with my Mana control to guarantee they each found a target.
Despite haemorrhaging numbers, the Cultivators pressed forward with weapons bared and a savage wordless warcry on their lips.
A deafening roar from behind them stopped them in their tracks, seemingly rooting their feet to the ground. Two of the older Cultivators collapsed on the spot, gasping breathlessly while clutching at their chests. Kwan’s challenging cry had strained their hearts to the point of triggering cardiac arrest.
“R-Retreat!” One of the Cultivators cried, fumbling for a jade token hanging from his waist.
The cry was taken up by several others almost immediately afterwards but only served to generate further confusion and panic when their tokens failed to function as intended.
Using the Shape Earth Spell, I impaled several more Cultivators. Skewering them from Groyne to shoulder and then rupturing then finishing them off with dozens of smaller horizontal spikes created from the first.
Kwan took a deep breath, drawing in all of ambient Mana continuing to fuel the Drain Life Spell from within two hundred feet. Disappearing and then reappearing before a cluster of Cultivators, he opened his mouth and disgorged the Mana in a concentrated form several times more potent than the original Spell had possessed when I cast it.
The Cultivators' defensive formation buckled under the onslaught almost immediately. Left unprotected, the Cultivators' flesh and bones disintegrated into a cloud of ash that blinded the nearest survivors who were lucky enough not to be caught in the initial blast.
Attempting to escape, one of the Cultivators unwittingly ran through the concentrated Mana and disintegrated.
Face marred by blood and ashes, a cultivator raised a knife to his throat with the intention of taking his own life. Only for the arm holding the knife to disappear.
Now holding the man’s knife, Kwan threw it at one of the dwindling number of survivors.
The pommel of the dagger struck a man’s temple with a sickening crack, sending his neck snapping backward at an unnatural angle. Having failed to find its mark as intended, and knocked off course besides, the dagger went sailing off into the distance.
The suicidal Cultivator seized a sword from the ground with his left hand and angled the blade toward his throat. Only to find another terrified Cultivator already impaled upon the blade and staring back at him with desperate pleading eyes.
Releasing the blade, the Cultivator cried out in terror and desperately scrambled away. Abandoning the others to their fate and fleeing toward the edge of the stone basin.
Seemingly content to leave the Cultivator be, Kwan continued his bloody purge against the few invaders that remained within the centre of the basin.
As something of a mercy, I cast Thundering Strikes on an Ice Bolt and shot it into the fleeing Cultivator’s back.
Initially impaled by the Ice Bolt, the Cultivator lost his footing and pitched forward. His chest exploded half a second later, killing him almost instantly.
Kwan flexed his fingers and grinned triumphantly. “So much power!” His eyes flashed dangerously as he surveyed the carnage within the basin, searching for another victim.
In other circumstances, at another time, I would have found Kwan’s bloodlust unsettling.
Times had changed.
What I needed was a loyal hound to protect the front gate and deal with any invaders. How those invaders were dealt with was not my concern.
Expecting further incursions, I created five massive towers of ice on the periphery of the territory and then left Kwan’s projection to his vigil. The pillars of ice would melt over time, but it would take hundreds of them to replace the entirety of what had been lost.
Rather than hanging around and leaving myself open to attack. I decided it would be more prudent to simply create additional pillars as I worked elsewhere and then use my authority to deliver them. The five initial pillars were just intended as a show of good faith for Kwan.
Returning to Momoko’s peak, I was not surprised to find a small crowd waiting for me.
Hana was the first to react to my presence. Her long emerald grass-like hair looked frayed and listless. “Tim! What’s going on? Is Momoko going to be alright?” Hana pointed frantically toward Momoko and her peach tree. “I can’t hear her voice! She won’t speak to me!” Thick amber tears rolled down her cheeks.
Kohana embraced her sister and tried to reassure her, but it was clear that she harboured concerns as well.
And they were not the only ones.
The crowd parted, mostly of their own accord, and partly from Lurr’s not-so-subtle prompting. Revealing Lash and our two children seemingly sleeping at her side. “They fell into slumber...and will not wake...” Lash said quietly. While lacking any overt signs of Hana’s panic, there was no less concern.
“Tyrant,” Lurr stepped forward and bowed his head with grim resignation. “Failed you...” He offered his axe and bared the back of his neck in expectation of punishment.
Oba Kei slipped through the crowd, placing himself a step ahead of Lurr but not in front of him. “My Tyrant, there was a terrible Tribulation storm! We did our best to shield them from the Heavens’ wrath, but we were not strong enough...” His left arm hung limply at his side and a heavily bandaged hand could be seen peeking past the hem of his sleeve.
“Momoko is well,” I reassured Hana, sparing a moment to rest my hand on her shoulder as I brushed the others aside so I might approach my other children without trampling anyone in the process.
“There are no signs of injury, my Tyrant!” Wraithe announced anxiously while wringing her tail between her fingers. “I cannot hear them either...Their minds are closed to me...”
“To me as well,” Gric added, his face ashen from failure.
“Me too,” Sebet chimed in awkwardly. “But I only tried bec-”
I motioned her to silence, making it clear I already understood from the context.
“I don’t have anything close to the juice they have,” Jacque commented. “And I can’t hear their thoughts either. But I can feel they are still in there. So there is that,” she shrugged apologetically. Her current form imitated the appearance of Francis Asrus' dead wife, regal dress and all. Striking a bold contrast between her appearance and her words.
Jacque earned scrutinising looks from Sebet and the assembled Daemons.
“Poking about in my head won’t give you anything more than I said already!” Jacque warned, hissing as she rubbed at her temple.
A look from Gric brought the impromptu fact-finding mission to an abrupt halt.
Toofy got up from her place at Suzy’s side and wrapped my leg in a tight hug. “Toofy sorry, Tim,” she sniffled, leaving a trail of tears and slimy mucus on my shin. “Toofy not watch lessons...not there to help...”
I gently lifted Toofy from the ground and hugged her to my chest. “It’s okay, everything is alright.”
Toofy said something in reply, but it came out as an indecipherable string of mangled syllables.
Gently patting Toofy’s back, I continued toward the twins.
“You seem awfully calm...” Clarice commented warily. She winced and clenched her fists. “I mean, I’m not saying you aren’t worried or anything, just...You know...” She brusquely cleared her throat and focused on the twins instead. “Nadine wanted to come but, with her new baby and all...” Clarice shrugged.
I trusted Wraithe’s attention to detail with my life, but I didn’t feel satisfied until I had confirmed with my own eyes that they bore no injuries.
“They will be okay,” I reassured Lash. “I had not expected it to happen so soon, but they are undergoing a significant Evolution.” I took a moment to motion to Kwan and Momoko as well. “I don’t know how long it will take for them to wake. But when they do, they will be far more powerful than they once were.”
In my heart and on an instinctive level, I knew everything I said was true. However, there was more I wasn’t willing to divulge aloud. A part of me feared that giving voice to it would somehow collapse all potential possibilities into an absolute certainty Which was ridiculous and cowardly, given that I already knew it to be true.
Momoko, Pete and Suzy would all pay a price for their newfound power. Just as I had done.
I had seen the change in Kwan already. He had never been particularly averse to violence before, but there was an undercurrent of anger that had not been there before.
The same anger and rage I felt within myself.
If I could I would spare them, but it was already too late. And as much as I hated to admit, this power would help keep them safe in the uncertain days ahead.
Shifting Pete and Suzy into the small lake, I did my best to make a temporary dwelling that would allow them a measure of privacy. I would have returned them to their beds in Sanctuary, but there was a distinct possibility that they might trigger a tribulation within the Grove. Which would place hundreds, even thousands of other lives at risk.
It was better that they remained here on Momoko’s peak. At least the lightning rods and isolated location would guarantee a certain degree of safety.
Knowing full well that other matters demanded my attention, I remained with my family and did my best to explain what was happening in greater detail. Initially, it was mostly for Lash and Hana’s benefit, but at a certain point, it required referencing what I had learned from the tablet. Which then required further explanations regarding the Angels and the danger they represented. Of course, including my inner circle meant that few of those who had gathered outside were excluded.
Which was perhaps for the best.
“This is so fucked...” Jacque cursed with a hint of mania in her voice. “I knew there had to be something really fucky about those Labyrinths! I just didn’t expect it would be something this fucking stupid!”
In a very literal sense, only Awakened like us could understand and appreciate the big picture.
It was disturbing how accurate Jacque's initial predictions and assumptions had been. What made it worse, was that the Awakened weren’t even a primary focus of the System. They were a side project intended to synergise with the Tyrant project. A study to determine ideal personality profiles for a leadership caste.
The Awakened project had changed focus long before Jacque had been selected as a candidate. Relegated as advanced training targets for the Tyrant project.
The same went for the Labyrinths and Cultivator territories, They were both training fields intended to provide an approximation for what the tablet referred to as Tiamite Dungeons that existed outside in the real universe. The entire simulation was allegedly hosted using a modified Dungeon.
Which made everything in the simulation an inversion of how the Dungeons normally functioned. Instead of projecting mana constructs externally, it generated mana constructs internally.
Theoretically, it should be possible for a construct to leave the simulation. After all, the reason I had been created was to fight these Tiamites in a great war. Which would be rather pointless if these battles could only take place within the simulation.
“You learned all of this from this...artifice?” Sebet asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
“This is fucking nothing,” Jacque snorted, “The internet would blow your fucking mind!”
“In-ter-net?” Sebet asked curiously.
“It’s like hundreds of thousands of libraries from all over the world, but you can find whatever you want from pretty much anywhere at any time,” I explained. “Literature, art, music-”
“Porn!” Jacque interjected with a cackle, visibly calming down somewhat thanks to the change in topic.
“Pornography? Like lusty romances, indecent paintings and suggestively posed sculptures?” Sebet probed determinedly.
Jacque and I shared a knowing glance.
I made a point of breaking eye contact first and adjusting the twin's submerged blankets.
Jacque grinned lasciviously. “This is gonna blow your mind...”
The room went quiet as Jacque projected her thoughts for Sebet’s viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, whatever was allowing me to eavesdrop on telepathic conversations between Cultivators made me privy to the entire exchange and with no way of knowing how to opt out of it.
“Ooh!” Sebet bounced on her heels and gnawed at her lip in excitement. “This in-ter-net is a valuable artefact indeed!”
Gric snorted dismissively but said nothing.
Clarice looked confused but quickly became embarrassed when Sebet repeated the presentation for her benefit.
“Enough,” I ordered upon realising there was a very real chance my children may possess the same ability as myself. “You are not to raise such subjects around my children until they come of age. Am I understood?” I demanded firmly.
“Of course, my Tyrant,” Sebet agreed without argument.
“That’s fair...” Jacque agreed apologetically. Her expression became conflicted shortly afterwards. “Okay, so hear me out. What age would that be, exactly?” She asked tentatively. “Cause remember, our kids are monsters, and they hatch with a whole mess of things already imprinted in their heads. And they grow up fast-” Jacque raised her right hand from her waist to above her head to emphasise her meaning. “So-”
“Fifteen, minimum,” I interjected. Referencing a conversation I had with Lash on the subject months earlier. “Intellectually, they might be equivalent to a modern eighteen or twenty-year-old as young as a few years old. But emotionally? Most of the tribes don’t consider someone mature enough for a Bond until they reach at least fifteen.”
Lash nodded in support and Toofy scratched her head uncertainly.
“Okay...” Jacque agreed tentatively. “But what about Gric and the other Daemons?”
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose to ward off a headache. “The Daemons are a special case...” I sighed tiredly. “Especially Gric. I sincerely doubt there is much of anything you could show him that he hasn’t seen thousands of times already...As for his emotional intelligence, I don’t think I have the necessary doctorates to begin to approach assessing that.”
Gric grinned smugly but soured when Sebet began to snicker.
“Enough,” I insisted. “I have made my darling known, and that’s what we will stick to. So, if you don’t mind, I would like to spend some time with my family.”
“Mhm! Shoo!” Toofy nodded emphatically and splashed at the others until they began moving toward the exit. Content that she had seen them out, Toofy withdrew a large lilypad from her Storage and began making herself at home.
Amused by Toofy’s actions, I decided she could stay. Besides, I felt better knowing that she was looking out for Lash and my children.
After spending a few hours with Lash and Toofy, I reluctantly set myself to work. With war on the horizon, I couldn’t afford to remain idle.
Travelling to the private training grounds in the Oba clan estate, I found Oba Kei directing a small brigade of servants to restore the courtyard to a semblance of order.
The trees and light shrubbery were barely more than blackened ruins, but a small handful of young Cultivators were doing their best to coax the life that remained back from the brink using their Wood Affinity.
The other servants were scrubbing, chiselling and carrying away blackened chunks of masonry and shattered tiles.
“My Tyrant,” Oba Kei bowed respectfully, his left arm hanging limply as he did so.
“Tyrant,” the servants repeated respectfully before returning to their work.
“How may I assist you, my Tyrant?” Oba Kei asked earnestly. No doubt still unfairly blaming himself for what had happened to Pete and Suzy.
If anyone was to blame, it was me. Which made the old man’s injury all the more galling.
“Do you remember our discussion regarding the means of repairing a damaged foundation?” I asked.
“I do,” Oba Kei confirmed, his bright emerald eyes taking on new life and vigour. “Is it time for the Celestial Beast taming ceremony?” He asked excitedly. “Or perhaps a knowledgeable Alchemist has been located?”
I had intended to address the taming ceremony sooner rather than later, given I had been forced to cancel at short notice while dealing with the beetle-men. So I was fine with moving it forward as a priority.
I raised a hand to forestall further questions. “If I recall correctly, you said one possible means of repairing a damaged foundation was by the hand of a powerful Cultivator. Is that true?”
Oba Kei nodded but appeared uncertain. Unlike most, he knew I was not much of a Cultivator at all. Barely an initiate.
“I would discuss something with you in private,” I told him and then relocated us both to an isolated territory. “I will be blunt. Do you believe you could repair a damaged foundation-” I held up my hand again to forestall a reply until I was finished. “-assuming you had at least a portion of my power at your disposal?”
Oba Kei’s eyes widened in surprise and he appeared too shocked to form a reply.
To emphasise my point I gathered a portion of my Mana.
Oba Kei’s face grew deathly pale and he nearly fell to his knees before catching himself at the last moment. “This...My Tyrant...You are a hidden Deity?!” He wheezed breathlessly.
I chose not to answer. I actually wasn’t sure where I would rank on the Cultivator power scale. Especially since my combat capabilities mostly came from Abilities in the other System.
“Yes or no?” Insisted.
“With just a drop of such power...” Oba Kei shook his head and attempted an expansive gesture that failed to translate due to his crippled arm. “Even a foundation torn up by the roots could be grown into a once in a thousand year talent!”
Despite his confidence, I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself. So I made an effort to rein in my expectations.
“Is there an older clan member with a damaged foundation that would volunteer for this experimental treatment?” I asked, utterly unwilling to experiment on children.
The elders of the clan had already participated in inheritance experiments that restored their Cultivation. But the procedure wasn’t ideal. If someone’s foundation was too badly damaged, the procedure could kill the patient.
“The Patriarch...” Oba Kei said quietly, seeming not to realise he had spoken. “The clan Patriarch! His foundation is badly damaged and is in poor health. The Oba clan already owes a debt we cannot dream to repay in a thousand lifetimes...But if you can save the Patriarch and the young lord!... Even our ancient ancestors would sing your praises!”
The young lord, Oba Sora, was the Patriarch, Oba Shoji’s grandson. From what I had been told at the time, Sora had been crippled in a duel. Most of the remaining clan members had been crippled weathering opportunistic attacks from other clans before I decided to take them in.
If Oba Shoji was already on death’s door, it would be hard to find a more opportune test subject that met my moral requirements.
“Inform him of what I have proposed,” I ordered and relocated us both to the private training grounds. “Return when you have an answer.”
Oba Kei Bowed excitedly and raced from the training grounds with the use of a Movement Technique.
To pass the time, I restored some of the damaged stonework and brought new life to the courtyard. Much to the amazement of the young Cultivators.
It didn’t take long for Oba Kei to return with his Patriarch’s reply, along with the Patriarch himself.
Like most of the other elderly Cultivators of the Oba clan, the Patriarch wore long robes that prioritised comfort while advertising status. Thin to the point of emaciation and riddled with liver spots, it wasn’t difficult to believe he was on death’s door. “If it will see my Shoji made whole again, I will do anything!” Oba Shoji barked weakly while leaning on Oba Kei for support. The short affirmation was all it took to trigger a violent coughing fit that left his sleeve stained with blood.
After returning to the isolated territory with the two Oba clan members in tow, I spared a moment to ‘borrow’ an I-beam from the Dwergi foundries to serve as an improvised lightning rod.
“So...How should we proceed?” I turned to Oba Kei for suggestions. “Should I just inject the energy into his core? Or?...”
Oba Kei nodded stiffly. “In instances of severe damage, the Dantian must be forged anew,” he explained while settling the Patriarch into a sitting meditation pose on the ground.
“For the pain, Patriarch,” Oba Kei slipped a thick strip of leather with a strong medicinal scent between Oba Shoji’s teeth.
Oba Shoji grunted in thanks and then gave me a stiff nod to signal he was ready to proceed.
Extending my senses, I gathered a tiny amount of Mana, barely a single point’s worth, and injected it into the shattered remains of the Patriarch’s core. Now there was nothing left to do but wait and see if the venerable Patriarch had the remaining will and grit to see the process through.
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