[System Notice: You have cloned the Ring of Hidden Depths with a recognized mber of your bloodline. Do you wish to create a shared pocket dinsion that you both can utilize at the sa ti?]
[Yes/No]
I choose yes, rembering as I did so, the mont I had first received the ring. I found this eting with Ryu surreal enough even before the ring was cloned, the creation only highlighted the similarities. He had just reached the age I had been when Thom tossed into the Ascension chamber. Even now, thirty years later, I still wasn't the minimum age Sidhe had established for making the attempt. Forty-eight and the father of millions of Volar-fey, and who knew how many countless grandchildren.
The Volar-fey proliferated, their return to Talahm had been the impetus for an explosion of new life across all species. Even the staid strait-laced Seelie had found themselves willing to discard the insane standards for purity of blood they had clung to for eons in the face of once again giving birth. For so reason, mating with a Volar-fey increased the likelihood a new life would be ford. Perhaps because they are magic given physical form and identity.
Ryu had been a happy surprise. One of the Cu-sith that had chosen to follow and bond with , gave birth to a litter of pups in the middle of my bed. A litter of pups and Ryu, a boy child that confused the Cu-sith, and demonstrated for all the fecundity of the Volar-fey. They really would breed with anything.
There had been an imdiate connection between that hybrid child and . As soon as he had opened his eyes deep with void and shadow and sought comfort and understanding about the world around him, I ca to know a real love that had no basis for existing. He was a son to the Volar-fey, one of the millions born after their release. Subjectively, there should have been no real ties to bind us together, but love doesn't need logic or reason to exist. It, like magic, is hard to quantify, it simply is.
The Cyronax heritage ran strong in him, and I had no issues recognizing him as a mber of House Teigh. I did refrain from naming him heir, my mories of Thom, and how he was ruined by people in Power spoiling him, making his life one of ease and entitlent a warning I would take to heart. He may beco heir, one day, but only after he has walked his own path and created his own legacy.
Perhaps that was unfair. And I didn't abandon him. I made sure he had so of the best tutors, fighting masters, and professional trainers that I could find. And I bolstered that training weekly discussions and training bouts between the two of us.
There were tis, I was afraid I was going too far in the other direction, asking and expecting more from him than he could bear because I wanted no hint of impropriety or cronyism to color the perception of his accomplishnts. What I was asking from him, I was uncertain I would be willing to ask of another. And perhaps that was just as unfair as spoiling him.
The drop of blood he donated bound him, proved that he was a mber of my House and resulted in an unexpected gift. An exact duplicate of the Ring of Hidden Depths that I had worn for two decades was created when his ties of blood rged with mine. A spatial ring that had the sa functionality as mine. What was more important was that the Rings were linked, they shared common dinsional space.
I had hoped that was the case when I decided to give him access to the Ring. With this shared space, and a duplicate ring, we could use the dinsional magic that was linked between the rings to et up, leave ssages and items, allow for direct training, and give him a space to retreat to if things when pear-shaped. No matter how far he went, we would have the ability to stay connected.
Other than the nominal weapons training and innate magic he was born with, he had no connection to System skills and spells. His ability to access System nus was limited, and I worried, not sure if that was a good thing or not. Once my System interface had upgraded and allowed to create and use spells and skills more intuitively, my Powers beca more.
More adaptive and more powerful.
They were stronger, more responsive, and the connection between the Wild Magic and I had deepened. I hoped that the sa would hold true for him. But I had no idea what System would do, once he reached Ijal, to acknowledge and recognize him and his party.
I hoped as a hybrid, his parentage would allow him to connect with his natural affinities and abilities, more like how the Cu-sith and Volar-fey were born knowing how to tap into their talents. The Volar-fey were born an adult and fully Ascended. The fight to free themselves from the cocoon similar to the Sidhes' rite of passage that occurred in the Ascension chambers. The Cu-sith, like all animals, increased in strength naturally, adapting and increasing in power as they learned to respond to the world around them.
"Your Majesty?" Ryu said reminding that I wasn't alone and that I was in the middle of a conversation.
"The Universal Senate enacted rules of colonization for our people to claim Ijal. Rules that they thought would take our people a long ti to et. If ever, considering the issues with fertility that Sidhe had been exhibiting," I explained to Ryu as I handed him the newly created Ring.
"I wasn't sure what your bonding with the Ring of Hidden Depths would an, you are the first person who I have offered the bond. Guard it well and share with no one, the hidden features that ring offers. For most, it will appear as a House Teigh crest, sothing that has been stylized and woven into the tal filigree of a ring, so it will seem to be a House token or a personal seal.
"Only you and I will know the truth. The Ring has a training space, a pocket dinsion inside the Ring that will allow you to move your physical body inside. While your physical body is engaged within that pocket dinsion, a projection, an illusion that cannot be broken will exist to obfuscate the truth. You will appear to be in deep ditation by any observers, but safe within the depths of this ring, you will be able to experint, train, gain the muscle mory that only years of experience can provide.
"It makes this possible because of ti dilation. The sa chanics the Sitherns employ to slow the passage of ti Underhill. A night spent in the Ring translates to weeks, months, or years depending on what ti dilation ratio you select, and what you are training.
"Just as important, since the Ring cloned a copy for you to wear, I received a notification allowing to upgrade the Rings features and toggle a shared space that we can both use at the sa ti.
"We will be able to et face to face even when we are on different Planets?" Ryu asked.
"I believe so. There may be issues with syncing ti. But even if we can only et sporadically, we can remain in contact, leaving each other items and ssages. ssages that cannot be intercepted, decoded, or stolen," I said pointing out one of the largest benefits of possessing linked Rings would entail.
"The Senate has released information, publicly, about the type of System world that exists there. Ijal was swarming with beasts. Tides of animals that exist in perpetual war as each species strives for preeminence. This will change once you step on the planet and are recognized. It is unclear how, but the planet will beco more organized, more suited for our species.
"Unlike those that were sent there as part of the initial survey team, they have already been System integrated. You and your party will transition, beco a part of an evolving System paradigm, as Talahm and Ijal rge and beco protectorates of the Tuatha de Danaan. " I continued to lecture.
"New planets are almost always classified as Dungeon worlds. I'm sure the other Pantheons have so theory or idea why, but no one has shared what evidence they have to explain this classification. But if this is the case, Dungeons may be prolific. Which should be a good thing, since your goal is to find, defeat, and claim a Dungeon core.
"Aside from the normal dangers that you can expect on an unexplored world, System works differently there than on Talahm. The planet has not been claid by any Pantheon of Gods, as such, the Rank system doesn't exist. Or the Ascension process. You should have access to System; levels, skills, spells, and attributes soon after you arrive.
"The Egyptians have explained to that an unclaid System world, regulates the environnt, maintaining a homogenous system that can adapt, and will as you begin the process of claiming. Your actions and decisions will impact System, teaching it, in a way how to react, and what is expected."
"I can help the System evolve even though I don't have full access yet?" Ryu asked.
"The Twelve have discussed that, and we have reached a working theory. The unfiltered unbiased System archetype that exists on Ijal may not look like anything we have co to expect. But that isn't the point. As long as you can clear a dungeon, you can claim the planet for Tuatha de Danaan.
"The rging of the two varied paradigms will give birth to sothing new. Mostly modeled on the Talahm standard, but with enough new functionality to breathe new life and new paths for all Sidhe.
"But Ryu," I said my fondness for the boy finally breaking through, Grandfather, not Monarch speaking to him now, "if gaining a Dungeon core ans losing your life, leave it and co ho.
"The Sidhe live a long-long ti. There will always be chances for another planet."
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