The hamring of tal, the slting of ore and the gentle taps and clinks of jewelcrafting could be heard all throughout the chamber.
“This is new… we don’t usually get to building this thing until near the end of the loop. Why the change?” Edrosic asked as he sketched out new drawings on the spot within seconds.
The drawings were then telekinetically moved by Destartes to wherever they were needed.
“This ti, I have no intentions of using it until much later. We shall also need Fenton’s unique expertise and that of the engineers of Lonvoron,” Orodan replied. “Consider it… pre-building until they arrive and show us where we’ve gone wrong.”
It wasn’t that he had no faith in his enchanting skills, but that Fenton’s abilities and that of Clyburn Anderthorn’s were plainly better. He certainly intended on being capable of building the machine himself down the line. But having such experts around to correct him where he went wrong was important.
After all, Orodan wasn’t exactly naturally talented in either Enchanting or Engineering, and learning them in a void bereft of others like he could with Cleaning wasn’t an option.
Still, with all the people he had gathered now, rebuilding this ancient machine certainly wasn’t an activity bereft of others. If anything, one might argue there were a few too many people here. And much to his consternation, he wasn’t doing much.
“You! Move two paces to the right before you start applying that or else you’ll get in the way of the stonecutter, and you, work in sync with the ritualist below! Don’t start until that ritual is prepared first!”
Old Man Hannegan was barking instructions and corrections left and right, but there were just so many targets for them. So Orodan turned to the one man responsible for all this.
“Balastion…”
“Yes Orodan?”
“You realize that it is supposed to be us who builds the machine, correct?”
“Why, of course I do..”
“…then why are there dozens of additional specialists here?”
“To aid the effort.”
“And have you considered… that we did just fine in the prior attempts we had without all these specialists? When I was allowed to lift a hand and do so work?”
The first emperor laughed and simply clapped him on the shoulder.
“Consider that we each have our own specialties,” Balastion said. “Yes, you are an excellent stonecutter, but here we have Grandmaster Varnok of Scarmorrow and a team of the best stonecutters from the Eastern Kingdoms working on reinforcing the mountain. You are a great Jewelcrafter, but over there is Griok of the Rising Spear Tribe, now a Grandmaster Jewelcrafter and working alongside two other Grandmasters. And of course, we have the best smiths from the High Forges of Karilsgard and the Novarrian armories working together to ensure the tal is as strong as can be; dothril-reinforced in fact.”
“With assistance from the best enchanters of Aldenil too,” Eldarion spoke, in his seat at a conjured table where he, Adeltaj and Destartes were sipping tea. “And might I say that Gregory is as reliable as always? Even our crafters cannot quite understand how they are doing so much better under his guidance.”
“Neither can I. I still have no idea how that old man does it…”
Like a cat hearing its prey across a field, Old Man Hannegan’s ear twitched and he glared across the crowd to look at him.
“Who’re you calling old you rockhead?! Get down here and make yourself useful! I need so of this stuff hauled! Help throw the ore into the slters and help the ritualists with whatever they need.”
And Orodan imdiately moved to get to work, grateful for the opportunity to do sothing amidst this sea of specialists and experts crowding the chamber of the ancient machine.
It was no challenge for him at all, to pick up the crates of ore and hurl the contents into the openings for the furnaces that had been set up. His Physical Fitness, Body Tempering and even Gourmand had increased in level. The laast one due to the few tis he was able to cook and savor a fine al throughout his intense training regin, but the forr two were all improved during battle against so very strong Embodiers who had begun showing up once he had the goat-woman pressed.
He appreciated the training, certainly, but one among their number would be a real problem. Close to the power of an Administrator.
“In here sir!” a furnace worker called out, Elite-level and capable of extracting far more tal from ore than an untrained person doing the sa thing.
Orodan tossed the contents in and could only lant all the skill level gains he was missing out on. The furnacess, specialized devices capable of slting the incredibly expensive and powerful dothril ore, had been installed here by Novarrian and Republic engineers. The reason being that Balastion believed it best to have everything involved with the process in one chamber, where Old Man Hannegan could have access to it.
On cue, the benefits for that decision showed itself.
“Hey! Slt that ore properly! Stir the air into that mixture at proper intervals!”
And again, as ridiculous as it was the first ti Orodan saw it, the furnace worker’s slting beca smoother and Vision of Purity told him that the tal within was being purified better. Ridiculous. The old man had more than proven his worth. His skillset and ability to direct any form of labor to superior heights was growing by the day.
The ore being slted wasn’t regular dothril, but dothril Orodan himself had gone down to the abyssal depths to mine. The high density of world energy at those depths allowed for so truly powerful ore. Of course, powerful tal ant the ore was subsequently harder to mine, which ant that he’d needed to use his hands to smash it off the cavern walls. It was difficult to process too, and specialized furnaces capable of reaching extre temperatures with assisting pyromancers needed to be brought in.
These were the sa people who worked at the High Forges of Karilsgard and they knew what they were doing. But they still had their limitations, evident in one pyromancer who was struggling to maintain good control over the fires of her assigned furnace. The devices produced their own heat through the copious and expensive use of high-quality mana crystals fueling them, but pyromancers were still needed in order to control the fire, burn out unwanted air pockets and make sure the temperature was hitting the ore chunks evenly.
And the man who was sweating, the threads of mana between his hands and the furnace’s fire, was a high-Adept pyromancer. And his mana pool was running dry. Still, one didn’t have the full resources of Novarria, the Republic and Eldiron backing them without a good support system in place. But before the man could lift a mana potion to his lips or a replacent pyromancer could co in… Orodan stepped in and began stoking the flas.
“S-sir! This is entirely unnecessary!” the mage protested, embarrassed that his job was being taken over.
[Fire Magic Mastery 70 → Fire Magic Mastery 71]
The furnace’s flas wrapped around the chunk of ore and began targeting the weak points.
Orodan, being an Elite fire magic user himself, could now control external sources of fla. Long ago when he’d visited Guzuhar for the first ti he’d seen a blood mage drawing blood out of a hapless guard’s nose. It had demarcated her as an Elite of the art. At that threshold every elent’s associated mastery skill allowed the user to control the external elent not borne of their own mana.
Just as Dinsionalism allowed him to influence the dinsional forces freely and Space Mastery allowed him to influence or alter enemy spatiomancy, so too did Fire Magic Mastery allow him to control fire, albeit at the cost of mana.
Under his control the ore steadily lted down and was purified into dothril ingots. Of course, there was much processing involved for every aspect of this supply chain.
The freshly made ingots were carefully inspected by a tal mage. He had never seen a mage of that elent on Alastaia, but that tracked given how Balastion told him that the woman was one of three mages upon Inuan who possessed the tal Magic Mastery skill. Exquisite-rarity too, and it made the Elite-level talmancer’s services co with a hefty price, but one easily borne by the coffers of multiple continents.
The ingots were then looked over by alchemists who treated them and applied several different specialized solutions ant to strengthen it. After which it finally passed into a ti compression device. Small in scale, like an oven, but designed to rapidly speed up the passage of ti within so that the ingots could rest and the alchemical solution soak a bit.
The end product was marvellous and Orodan wondered if he could reforge his own sword with such a tal.
After a few batches of this process, he heard the old foreman bark again.
“Quick, Orodan! We need those ingots in the cooker for the machine’s new fra! Go on! Now’s the pri ti for it.”
As ordered, he swiftly moved and hefted the entire pallet of fifteen-hundred ingots atop his head. Dothril was a dense and sturdy tal even without being empowered by the world energy of the abyssal depths. This pallet then was heavy, not for his arms but for the floor. Enough that the ground of the cavern would collapse if not for the team of earth mages pumping mana and power into reinforcing the earth beneath his feet with each step.
With a casual flick of his wrist he tipped the entire thing over and into a giant furnace designed to heat massive quantities of tal. It was a reinforced furnace of carved granite sourced from the deepest parts of the under-mountain too; the only thing which could bear the extre temperatures needed to lt the enhanced dothril ingots. Re-lting the ingots after having already cast them was an extra step and he had questioned why they couldn’t just lt the ore down and then pour it into the mold directly, but the forgemasters from Novar’s Peak and Karilsgard had imdiately countered by saying that a high-level slter, high-level tal mage and high-level alchemist adding their expertise to each ingot and then letting them rest in fact improved the tal. Simply lting the tal and pouring it into the mold eliminated the work of such high-level specialists which in turn affected tal quality.
It sounded illogical to him. Why lt ingots and lose all the treatnt they had gotten? But again, he’d been reassured that this way was superior. That the ingots he was dumping into the hot mold now were better than simply throwing molten tal into the mold right from the furnaces. Still, perhaps there was sothing to these extra steps, much like he often did extra things when cleaning.
[Laboring 65 → Laboring 66]
An additional level and a welco one, proof of all the work he had been doing across the past five loops.
A giant mana crystal, sourced from the treasury of Novarria, was used to fuel this gigantic furnace.
“Damn… just running this thing for a second probably costs more than the budget for our barracks in Ogdenborough, eh Orodan?” Edrosic asked, coming up to stand beside him. “You really think we’re making the damn thing right this ti?
“It grates my pride to admit… but from the look of it, they certainly are,” Orodan admitted. “I might have a lot of crafting skills, but I’m not exactly a Grandmaster in either of them.”
This was the power of a full world coming together. Guzuhar, Eldiron, and the three nations of Inuan gathering their resources in order to build this ancient machine properly. Versatile as he was, he was no specialist of crafting on the level of many of these experts. And with the best of the best gathered from across Alastaia to assist? They far outstripped his own efforts.
Grandmaster pyromancers from across the three continents—including one from the Eastern Kingdoms with a Bloodline which gave him Fire Mastery and not just Fire Magic Mastery—began heating up the furnace to extre temperatures, lting the ingots down. Then Orodan was asked once more to lift, move and serially array a set of gigantic molds beneath the furnace’s dispensing lip so that the casting process could start.
He was still important of course. Especially when it ca to handling incredibly heavy objects which would have otherwise taken a team of telekinetic mages or specialized devices to move, but the actual construction of the device? Even the Enchanting he could only assist with since Grandmaster enchanters from across Alastaia were using his techniques and understanding of the enchanting script to do a better job of executing upon it than he was.
Sothing about that felt profoundly dissatisfactory, he admitted. But one day he vowed to beco capable of matching them.
Still, work on the machine proceeded at a good clip. Its newly forged fra was cast with enhanced dothril. It received an entirely new energy battery carved, polished and prepared from the largest mana crystal Eldiron had in their royal vault of Aldenil. And the dwarven Grandmaster stonecutter directed his crew to prepare even a massive portion of the mountain itself, as runes and etching were carved, ready to be slotted in with precious gem powder hand-prepared by Griok and his Jewelcrafters.
After twelve more hours of work, where Orodan wasn’t nearly as involved as he would’ve liked, the work was done, and the ancient machine stood there imposingly, not looking in the slightest like it had in the past. It was a work of art and a splendorous artefact of Alastaia; a testant to what their world was capable of when brought together.
“The treasury of Novar’s Peak was depleted by almost half in funding this endeavor,” Balastion spoke. “Yet I find myself not as dissatisfied with that fact as I would have thought.”
“Hard to muster up a feeling of discontent when such a shining jewel of our civilizations stands before us. At this point… is this even the original machine any longer? We’ve replaced every single part. It’s as though it’s a brand new thing entirely,” Eldarion spoke.
“We’re still basing much of our enchanting script and work off of the inscriptions on the original machine. The dinsional runes and glyphs are not so far off… and while the machine will hold up, I have a feeling the enchantnts will not,” Orodan honestly assessed. “This is no rebuke against our enchanters. But certain worlds have specialties that we lack. While we might possess warriors and mages aplenty, Lonvoron’s enchanting and engineering are their strong points.”
“We’re really going to do it then? We’ll be travelling to another galaxy to aid in their war just so we can bring one prodigious enchanter back?” Edrosic asked. “Seems a little fraught with danger… from what you told us of your last battle there, you had to fight an Administrator too, right?”
“Right, and I’ll fight him again. But you aren’t going to get dragged into battle Edrosic, so you needn’t worry,” Orodan assuaged. “I fight my own battles.”
“Well, thing is Orodan… I feel like coming along.”
Now that was a surprise.
“Has Aliya or Wainroach twisted your arm into this? I know it could not be Zukelmux, that one cares far too much about you to do that but-”
“No Orodan, it’s . I want to co along and fight alongside you. Stupid as this sounds, I want to experience that thrill of real battle.”
In response, he closely began looking up and down, starting at the militia man’s head.
“Hmm… no head injuries… nothing my sight can pick up on the mind and soul either…”
“Oy! Cut that out! I’m serious! No head injuries or mind control here!” Edrosic protested swatting at him. “I know this sounds unbelievable, especially for , but I an it. I want to go to Lonvoron and these other worlds with you. I want to learn, I want to fight. I want to help you.”
“I didn’t train you in the hopes that you’d begin helping Edrosic,” Orodan reminded. “You’re free to do as you wish. Especially now that you’re capable of beating the best student at Oxhead. You’re an Adept now and could pass the Bluefire entrance exam.”
“But that’s just the thing, Orodan! I don’t want any of that… these academies, these lessons, all these Drawing and Calligraphy tutors you get for each loop. I don’t an to sound ungrateful, because it’s the exact opposite. Thank you for everything you’ve shown . I used to be a bloody bumpkin with a carpenter father and seamstress mother, both of whom I love very much. And then one day you show up, shove mories of another ti where they were both murdered and I wandered the county seeking strength in the hopes of revenge,” the man spoke. “Initially, that’s what I thought I wanted. Strength so I could go rampage across Novarria… at least that’s what the mories of the other Edrosic said, and he had more drive in him than I ever did in my life. But then… then I began to see how unsuited I was to this fighting business. Zukelmux? That goblin’s beating Grandmasters now. Aliya? She’s teaching you moves with the halberd and spear. And Wainroach? I still rember that damned forest fire which covered half the Aenechean Forest last loop until you stepped in. I know I’m not like them… but I want to be.”
“Nothing in that desire implies you have to fight, Edrosic.”
“Right, and I now know that. But my point is… I’ve had my eyes opened to how big the world is. I used to be Parthus Edrosic the lazy militia man and now I’m Parthus Edrosic the Drawing Elite, close to being a Master. The more I study at the academy each loop, the more they keep telling how impossible it is that my levels for a skill rose as fast as they did,” the man continued. “And that’s just the thing… how am I going to keep growing if I don’t embrace that unknown over the horizon? You know what’s funny Orodan? I’ve always had the most growth in my Drawing whenever I’ve seen those old fogeys train and fight… but most of all, it’s when I’ve seen you. Gained ten entire skill levels when I drew that portrait of you eting the adventurer’s fist in Greenvale.”
A staff wielded by a familiar diminutive figure tapped the ground of the chamber behind him.
“I want to as well, teacher,” Aliya spoke. The polearm prodigy was now an Elite with Staff, Spear and Halberd, with Scythe Mastery soon to catch up as well. A far cry from the little girl he rembered rushing into monster infestation sites long ago. “I need to fight in real battle.”
And Wainroach upon her shoulder nodded seriously, determination in her eyes as well. Deadly flas roiled about the cockroach’s form, lethal but not harming Aliya in the slightest. He had in fact picked up an insight or two from her regarding his own pyromancy, and just like the eight-year-old polearms prodigy, he had no doubt that the cockroach would soon surpass him too as she was nearing the Elite-level.
Not in Fire Magic Mastery… but Fire Mastery.
“There’s a real chance you die. The battles upon Lonvoron will be no joke. And the Eldritch is horrifying,” Orodan warned. In fact, he had serious reservations about bringing a child along, no matter how prodigious. Sure, her mories had been ferried along for these loops and the girl had matured far quicker than a child her age normally would… but she was still functionally no more than nine years old.
“And how many tis have you died?”
The voice carried challenge in it, and he knew who it was. A part of him glad that the speaker had grown enough to challenge him, but another part a bit frustrated.
“You’ve co to care for them. It’s no surprise that you feel the way you do,” Zaessythra spoke.
“These disciples of mine will be the end of …”
Turning towards Zukelmux who looked more than ready to fight him over it, Orodan answered.
“Plenty.”
Zukelmux had grown terrifyingly strong under his guidance and with regular battles against the monsters of the abyssal depths. The spear-and-shield wielding goblin was now an excellent unard fighter and also capable of self-healing. And he was now a Master-level warrior who could now beat Grandmasters. Hells… Orodan suspected that the goblin could even give a weak new Transcendent a fair challenge.
“Then why will you not allow us the chance to face the sa odds and reach out for the strength that we desire? Let us stand alongside you with pride, or are you not Orodan Wainwright, warrior and teacher? The man I know would not refuse anyone their own decision,” the goblin challenged.
“A part of preferred when you were a ek and humble little student, you know?” Orodan shot back with an exasperated sigh.
The goblin laughed.
“And would that goblin be willing to challenge you to single combat for the right to fight alongside you?” Zukelmux asked, pointing his spear at him. “Teacher. Will you do the honor of this duel?”
“Us too! Us too!” Aliya exclaid.
“You lon! How is it a duel if it’s four-on-one?” Edrosic asked.
These idiots… he really was growing to care for them a bit much. This… was no good. It was what he sought to avoid each ti; that attachnt to those close to him, as it would always brutally be torn away in the end when it all reset.
And yet, over the past years’ worth of loops he had allowed himself to grow close to these fools and many others.
The Avatar of Ozgaric gave him a cheerful wave and sent a cascade of flowers towards him as a jest, the God taking a seat at the conjured table with Destartes, Adeltaj, Eldarion and Balastion. The first emperor’s face seed light, unburdened. Eldarion was no longer at odds with Novarria and trusting of humanity. Ozgaric looked mirthful as he played tricks upon them, the matter of the Eldritch Avatar not being a concern. And Adeltaj was alive.
The old halberdier was perceptive too. Amidst the revelry and good cheer of finishing their work the Simarji gave him a knowing look, followed by a brief nod of the head.
Did the old man know what Orodan was thinking? Then… perhaps attachnts were not a bad thing.
His fist clenched, the determination rolling off him in waves.
This ti, he would not fail. He would set things right. He would defend his world and bring everyone together.
“Uh… he looks rather scary Zukelmux… are you sure challenging him to a duel was the right idea?” Edrosic asked.
“A duel? It’s four-on-one, rember? And I think I’m looking at the man who shall be the focus of my attention,” Orodan replied, looking right at the militia man.
He had erred before, causing Edrosic to live in a ti where both the man’s parents were dead. But even in mistakes there could be lessons.
And the principles behind that particular mistake, if applied a certain way, could change everything.
#
“Wainroach… are you certain of this?”
Her antennae wiggled in outrage that he would even question it.
“Look… it’s just that you’re my student, not a training dummy. I don’t teach you so that you can be useful to . Or rather, the use is in helping level my Teaching skill, not in being an experintal sacrifice for my Elental Living Enchanting.”
She was adamant.
“Fine, fine. I suppose you require that final push to acquire what you need, do you not?”
She nodded.
“Are you still sore from that duel?”
She nodded again, a little more reluctant as her antennae wiggled with the mories of the beating he’d dispensed upon her and those four.
“A price well-paid was it not? You four showed your determination, and I’ve agreed to drag you all along to Lonvoron,” Orodan spoke with a cheerful smile.
She shook her little head, disagreeing with the notion that the beating had been that necessary, but agreed that the levels in Iron Body that she’d gained were worth it. Her antennae wiggled, motioning to him that he should get on with what they were here for.
“I… do not understand how you are communicating with her, Mister Wainwright,” Gormir Eltros spoke, although he kept giving nervous looks over his shoulder to the arrayed group behind him.
He was the premier body enchanter of the Republic, and possibly all Inuan. But that didn’t an he was the best enchanter of them all.
They were within Bluefire Academy’s enchanting workshop, and behind Gormir Eltros was the headmaster of the school of Enchanting, alongside two Novarrian Grandmasters, four elven ones and one from Guzuhar who were either looking studiously at Wainroach or looking judgentally at the workshop itself.
“As I’ve explained many tis now, warriors can just understand one another,” Orodan replied.
Frankly, he had theorized on it himself a few tis now, but he genuinely believed that the central rune of knowledge in his System was translating her attempts at communication into his mind. It wasn’t a phenona unique to him either as all his other disciples could understand Wainroach just fine, as could Zaessythra now. The key was being willing to see the cockroach as an individual and pay attention to its body language and eyes as a thod of communication. The intent was there.
Most people however, considered cockroaches beneath them. Which was a sha since Wainroach wasn’t the typical foul urban roach, but a forest one which didn’t even stay near peoples’ dwellings. Her kind were integral to keeping the ecosystem of life, death and natural decay running in such environs. It explained why he had singled her mind and soul out as being stronger than the other roaches when he’d first encountered her. Life out in the forest for a wood roach was a lot harder than that of their city-dwelling counterparts.
“Your communication with that thing aside, I must say that this academy’s enchanting workshops are more than a little… inadequate,” an elven Grandmaster of Enchanting complained.
“Inadequate?” the Bluefire headmaster sharply turned. “Why if you are so dissatisfied with it then we can-”
“Friends. Please, let us calm down and work together.”
The voice belonged to a familiar Transcendent who commanded the loyalty of the elves.
“A-apologies lord Eldarion… my display of poor manners shas ,” the arrogant elven Grandmaster grovelled, simring down.
“Now then, to business. Mister Wainwright, Wainroach claims that she is quite close to acquiring Fire Resistance, and your Elental Living Enchantnt is only five levels away from crossing into the Adept threshold,” Eldarion spoke. “With the combined expertise of Alastaia’s greatest experts of Enchanting, we hope to push he both of you past a threshold today… and hopefully expand the battle power of our world as a whole.”
Over the past five loops, Elental Living Enchantnt had been one of the skills Orodan had trained extensively. On himself primarily, with a few cases of unwilling practice against the Hegemony each ti they descended in response to one of his allies becoming Transcendent. And while the training he’d done in forming elental enchantnts within himself was good, the real insights had co from forming enchantnts within the body of Astalavar, Avraxas and Agrimon; his foes.
Now, with everyone here present and ready to guide and advise him, Orodan intended to delicately attempt Elental Living Enchantnt upon Wainroach. She was, as per her own insistence, close to acquiring Fire Resistance too. The culmination of many loops of effort hopping into open braziers, fire pits and even intentionally bearing the attacks of fire-wielding monsters.
She had nearly died many tis in her mad pursuit; developing many durability and self-healing skills. She had also legitimately died once forcing Orodan to reverse ti and making her his first disciple to suffer a death under his watch. It had been of her own volition, yes, but it still felt him both ashad and sowhat proud that one of his students was just as obsessed with pursuing insights as he was.
Not that he intended to allow her to repeat that of course.
“Right, well I suppose we should start. Any longer and Wainroach might self-combust with impatience,” Orodan said, channelling a Candlefla upon the tip of his finger.
She frantically gestured with her forelegs for him to get on with it already. And so he did.
[Candlefla 48 → Candlefla 49]
[Fire Magic Mastery 71→ Fire Magic Mastery 72]
A smaller and more delicate Candlefla than any he had conjured before ca into existence upon the tip of his finger. And before she could complain about hurrying up, his finger pressed against her flank, driving the fla against her carapace.
Her antennae went rigid, but she gestured that he should not dare to stop. Wainroach now had the Iron Body skill as well as the Regeneration skill, which was apparently far easier for cockroaches to obtain than humans as their species naturally had the ability to begin with and simply needed to develop it.
Wainroach’s carapace began to suffer minor damage despite the low-temperature and delicate nature of the fla, but still, it didn’t seem enough to push her over the threshold.
“As cavalier as this will sound, given that she acquired most of her important gains while under extre conditions, I do not think such a delicate Candlefla will work,” Eldarion said.
“I do not disagree, but I will only move forward at her insistence.”
And upon hearing it, insist she did.
So Orodan obliged, driving the Candlefla up a notch and allowing the tendrils of fla to enter the very orifices of her insectoid form.
It burned and it hurt, that much he could tell given how wildly her antennae were shaking. The pain was evident in her beady little eyes too, but she held on, and Orodan would not disrespect her by stopping simply because he disliked hurting soone he had grown fond of.
The flas began coursing through her little body, counteracted only by the Iron Body skill and her Regeneration which was working overti to try and repair the damage she was continually suffering. She had the ability to draw from her mana pool in order to fuel the skill too, and he could sense her reserves slowly but steadily dwindling as her body fought to outpace the damage.
But this still wasn’t enough. And she knew it too.
Her antennae wiggled, demanding he begin the actual enchanting now that she had properly acclimated.
“Alright. Let’s see if we can’t weave an enchantnt of toughness into you.”
[Elental Living Enchantnt 45 → Elental Living Enchantnt 46]
Imdiately, the flas spiralled along her small body in the shape and inscription of an enchantnt, one ant to toughen her body.
“You are utilizing the principles of Weaving while enchanting? Very good. Focus on keeping those threads tightly woven together, an elven Grandmaster said, closely watching but simultaneously in awe at the fact that elents could be used to enchant.
“Good, good! Keep your breathing even and your hands steady Mister Wainwright!” the headmaster of Bluefire’s enchanters instructed. “This is as much an act of elental mastery as it is Enchanting, soone get the headmaster of pyromancy in here!”
Orodan though, tuned out the instructions and entered into a focused trance. He noticed that Wainroach was beginning to slowly understand sothing about fire, but he would need to help her along. In her eyes he saw that sa trance and desperate drive to find the insights much like he had long, long ago in Eversong Plaza when facing Aeglos Argon’s flas.
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[Elental Living Enchantnt 46 → Elental Living Enchantnt 47]
The level gain ca as he successfully finished the enchantnt of durability and Wainroach’s body toughened further, giving her extra ti to make the insights she needed. He had never woven a living enchantnt of fla into the body of soone else before. Himself, yes. Another, no.
He was so used to being incredibly tough, resistant to mana and fire, and possessing abilities for self-healing which outpaced the damage delivered by so of the strongest beings in System space. But enchanting the body of Wainroach was such a radically different experience, and it forced him to truly consider the elent itself and work on lessening the damage his living enchantnt did.
As he worked, he acquired more and more insights.
He hadn’t cared at all about Agrimon and his toadies of the Hegemony. The enchantnts he’d woven into them had been full of rage, anger at them for how they’d ruined Zaessythra’s old life. They hadn’t survived those practice sessions.
But he cared about Wainroach, and his inscription of the following enchantnt of regeneration was one of the most delicate work he did. He forced himself to truly minimize the amount of damage the elent did to her form. It was invaluable practice, getting to see in real ti how much damage the skill was causing to the body of another and then being able to make adjustnts and get feedback right away.
“Control the fire, Mister Wainwright. You are an elite pyromancer, understand that flas are not just an elent but one of the ingredients to life itself in many beings. Your own body possesses heat, but too much and you will die. Similarly, the roach’s body also possesses natural heat,” instructed a Grandmaster fire mage who had just arrived.
And under this instruction Orodan focused and tried his best to understand the fire. It was life, it was heat… it was energy.
[Fire Magic Mastery 72 → Fire Magic Mastery 73]
The enchantnt finished, and Wainroach, although still in miserable pain and burning from the inside out, was in a better state than she was before the two enchantnts had been woven into her flesh.
“Incredible… this will change Alastaian enchanting forever…” one Novarrian Grandmaster muttered. “Elental body enchantnts… what could we achieve with this?”
“Even applied to just weaponry it would increase the power three or even fourfold!” another elf declared, the arrogant one from earlier.
Yet to Orodan this was dissatisfactory, for his true goal had not been achieved.
[Commandnt of War 60 → Commandnt of War 61]
“Focus! Wainroach!”
Under his harsh commandnt, the insect’s eyes took on a concentrated look despite the pain.
“For many loops now have you been skirting the line between life, death and fire, but today you must take that step into the next level,” Orodan sternly declared. His expectation of her, absolute. “A threshold one cannot cross without truly daring to reach past the boundary. Embrace it, embrace the flas.”
It certainly was not her resolve that was in question. Not when she madly gestured for him to switch from Candlefla to Draconic Fireball and demanded that he inscribe an enchantnt of power.
It was madness. Rare for Orodan himself to be thinking such a thing. But it was only natural when he was not the target but another was.
It was mad, it was insane… it was…
…good training.
[Fire Magic Mastery 73 → Fire Magic Mastery 74]
Her insectoid body began turning to ash. She was dying.
But Orodan would not hold back and disrespect a warrior who had asked for this. And the insights he had acquired in lowering the damage were now coming in handy as he tried to inscribe a controlled enchantnt of power fueled by his Draconic Fireball spell.
As he learned by weaving the enchantnt so too did she.
Despite the agony and the near death.
She managed to find what she had been looking for over all these loops.
[Elental Living Enchantnt 47 → Elental Living Enchantnt 49]
[Teaching 99 → Teaching 100]
[New Title → Teaching Grandmaster]
Sothing shifted. Orodan felt and saw it first with Vision of Purity, likely before even she did. But he knew then and there that nobody would die today.
Her body was partially ash when all of a sudden, her regeneration began outpacing the damage caused by the enchanting process.
“She’s healing!” Eldarion exclaid, letting out a great breath.
“It… it can’t be… how?” a Grandmaster asked, completely stumped.
And as Wainroach’s body began to reform before their very eyes, Orodan could only smile and say two words.
“Fire Resistance.”
#
“Filthy surface-dwellers! Always coveting! Always delving deeper and deeper! You would bring an inferior mockery of my kind to confront ?!”
“Given how the inferior mockery is brutalizing you, I’m not sure those words hold true,” Orodan replied.
“Should we… intervene?” Edrosic asked
“Does it look like she needs help?”
“I ant to save the Death Roach…” Edrosic replied.
Orodan brushed off the man’s concerns as he paid close attention to the ongoing clash between Wainroach and a death roach. They were in the deep depths of course, or more specifically, in an energy well. The energy well beneath House Firesword’s mines in Jerestir.
And he was watching as his newly empowered student went one-on-one against one of the most ferocious and infamous creatures of the depths. The exact one Orodan himself had fought against a long ti ago in the long loop he had spent at Bluefire. It was a dual-Grandmaster and incredibly strong.
In no way should the Elite-level pyromancer cockroach have been able to fight it.
But against all odds, she was. And Wainroach was winning and the death roach scrambling to find an opening for escape.
“Aren’t they practically cousins?” Edrosic asked.
“Wouldn’t that make the gorillas of the Altarban forest our cousins then?” Orodan posed in return.
“Good point… perhaps not cousins…”
“I do not understand teacher. How has Wainroach grown so powerful?” Zukelmux asked. “Even I would have difficulty fighting against her in her current form.”
“Elental Living Enchantnt. When one has Fire Resistance and is a natural pyromancer… permanent enchantnts inscribed with an elent aren’t out of the realm of possibility.”
And that was what magnified Wainroach’s combat effectiveness manyfold. As her tiny form blurred from one hard-to-reach part of the death roach’s body to another, the elental living enchantnts Orodan had inscribed within her body glowed with power.
Orodan himself had only used them in the form of burst-style attacks, throwing his all into them even at the expense of bodily destruction. It was what had allowed him to shatter the Living Crystal and best the Prophet in the end. But to see his own student use them in such a sustained manner over the course of a fight? It gave him ideas.
Not only did Wainroach have Fire Resistance now, which allowed her to withstand and outheal the damage caused by the elental enchantnts. But she also possessed Fire Mastery, which made her control over the flas far better than his own. This allowed her to not only fuel the enchantnts with her own flas throughout the course of battle, but to also circulate power through them more efficiently and with higher quality flas than he could.
The revelation of that had caused much discussion within that room in Bluefire once he’d finished. It could dramatically amplify the power of battlemages who used a certain elent. And Orodan had agreed to inscribe body enchantnts upon certain qualified battlemages and warriors who had the very rare Fire Resistance, or even Lightning Resistance since he was getting more confident with that elent.
And now, as he witnessed her zooming about the death roach, singing and scalding it with her flas, he had to admit that his Elental Living Enchantnts could be extrely powerful in the right hands. The death roach was still attempting to run, but she refused to let it, continuously cutting off its escape routes. Furthermore, the mont she had entered an orifice… it was bad news for the overgrown bug who had been cooked well and good until it managed to thrash with such force that it dislodged her sohow.
Now, it was slowly being burnt to a crisp as Wainroach circled it, moving with such agility as she guided propulsing flas to allow her limited flight in certain vectors. In a toe-toe-toe battle she wouldn’t have been its match. Its lee abilities were simply too fierce. Even Zukelmux at his current strength had to fight seriously against death roaches.
But when one was as small as Wainroach was and could fly about at great speed the situation was a different one.
The death roach flailed desperately, attempting to hit her, but she simply remained out of reach and obscured the battlefield with bursts of fla which masked her body. Having Fire Resistance ant she could dive right into and through her own flas without any harm, which gave her an opportunity to mask her movents. More importantly it remained in a state of perpetual guard against the possibility of her entering an orifice again.
It had managed to survive the last such incident but had paid dearly for it. It might not survive another one.
Unfortunately for Wainroach, fifteen more minutes of battle began to reveal the weakness of the Elental Living Enchantnt for anyone who wasn’t Orodan. The flas of the enchantnt inscribed into her flesh were power hungry, the flas a constant drain to keep empowered. He could sense that her soul energy was running low; the cost of maintaining such a heightened state of combat power.
She began flagging, her speed slowing and the flas lowering in amount. Eventually an opening presented itself for the death roach as it finally caught a glimpse of her through the now reduced flas which didn’t completely hide her body. And it took the opportunity…
…to run for its life.
“Smart of it. We shall put you through redial soul training, Wainroach,” Orodan said, hopping down into the giant cavern.
Everything else at this level of the energy well had fled from the titanic clashes between his disciple and the now escaped death roach. And Wainroach could only look forlorn and disappointed in herself as the rest of the group approached her.
“Do not look so broken!” Zukelmux said, trying to cheer her up. “You fought a dual-Grandmaster while an Elite! Who else could do such a thing?”
Wainroach looked at Orodan and wiggled her forelegs.
“Do not compare yourself to others, but asure your own progress. In ti, I’m certain you can beat even a triple-Grandmaster if you address the shortage of energy,” Orodan added. “Now co, I can see old Adeltaj has wrapped up his fight. He’s been waiting up ahead for a while.”
And as they went further down the shaft of the energy well, the advance party consisting of Desartes, Balastion, Eldarion and Talricto beca visible. Ozgaric was the only one not present and the Guzuharan God had ntioned that he disliked being underground. They were in a wider portion of the energy well’s shaft, dimly lit by glowing mushrooms on the wall. Their dim light revealing the section’s forr owner, a True Vampire, dead on the ground with a halberd through its head.
“Orodan! There you are!” Adeltaj called out. “I feel as though I should be a little happier about this mont, but strangely enough I feel nothing at all. Is revenge ant to feel so hollow?”
Orodan shook his head and pald his own face.
“Your lodramatics are not as funny as you think. How can it be revenge when you rember nothing of it?” Orodan questioned, causing the old halberdier to give him a wry smile as he yanked the weapon out of the dead bloodsucker’s skull.
“Always ruining my entertainnt… aren’t I supposed to be the mirthless old codger and you the brash young man? THen again… with how old you are…”
“You…! I’m not even old!” Orodan retorted.
“But Mister Wainwright, did you not say you spent thousands of years empowering the ti loops?” Destartes reminded. “That’s certainly older than everyone here besides Lord Eldarion and his majesty Balastion.”
They were all ganging up on him, because of course they would. Bunch of old fools…
“Do not worry, Orodan. You are still a young man compared to ,” Balastion reassured in a tone that was not at all ant to be so.
They all shared a laugh at seeing him grumble and the party moved onward.
Orodan had never quite gone to the absolute bottom of an energy well. Unlike fighting, idle exploration wasn’t exactly a pri goal of his. That being said, he could already see the world energy in the shaft far denser than he recalled it being at this depth the last ti he was here. A natural consequence of him purging all the Eldritch from Alastaia alongside his usage of Domain of Perfect Cleaning to banish the Gods he was hostile towards. It was a good thing he’d trained Zukelmux and Wainroach to not rely upon the external source of power that was world energy or else they’d have been insensate with euphoria.
With the planet and its world core entirely free of Eldritch, not just this well, but even the one at Anthus and those in Eldiron, Guzuhar, the Eastern Kingdoms and Novarria reported far denser levels of world energy.
As the party went deeper and deeper, they encountered so truly powerful monsters. A triple-Grandmaster spider which used blood as its elent of choice. Zukelmux had needed a full two hours to slay it in a duel. A large and muscular minotaur wearing sagely robes who had conversed with them and allowed them to go deeper once it realized that they ant no harm, and disgustingly, a slly fly the size of a house which had its entire section of the energy well lined with half-dead prey it was laying parasitic eggs within. This one, Wainroach took great pride in assisting with as she burnt the eggs and corpses to cinders while Zukelmux duelled it and secured yet another victory.
They proceeded deeper and deeper. And at a certain point Orodan stopped.
“Hmm… we’re a decent distance past the depth of the first gate.”
“And yet, no ssages marking us as subjects of a Quest,” Destartes remarked. “Most fascinating. Does this an that energy wells are a direct path to the world core? A weakness by System design perhaps?”
“Not sure if it can be called a weakness when the creatures dwelling within the shaft are in many cases stronger than even a Gate Guardian,” Orodan remarked.
Yet it seed a true enough observation as they kept moving down the shaft. Nobody on record had ever reached the very bottom of an energy well. The law of all three Inuanan nations held that going down an energy well past the level of the wild depths required royal or council approval. And while Orodan doubted that so of the shallower energy wells reached all the way down into the planet’s core, this one he felt, did.
And the farther down they traversed the more evident it was becoming that travel down the shaft of one of these allowed soone to go enturely undetected by the world itself. An interesting thing to consider.
Thirty minutes of travel and they were well past the second gate too. And an hour later, they were near what appeared to be an opening. Orodan’s Vision of Purity told him what was on the other side.
“That opening will drop us right next to the chamber of the world core. The core guardian is purified and no longer a threat. Neither is the world core for that matter, though I would watch your back for the angry gate guardians who will have suddenly learned of your presence.”
“Understood,” Balastion said, stepping forward and leading the way as he leapt down.
Everyone else followed, and the mont they touched down, Orodan aside, they all froze. His Vision of Purity had grown in skill, he could sense the searching tendrils of world energy finding and then stiffening in imdiate alarm. Alastaia now knew they were here.
“O-Orodan! I’ve just received a warning about being the subject of a Quest!” Edrosic exclaid. “Says I need to be captured and brought before the world core!”
“Hmm… captured but not killed? Intriguing,” he replied. “Anyone else receive a notification which says otherwise?”
A once over of them all confird that they had all received notifications warning that they were to be captured. Perhaps the core had a suspicion about what had happened to it recently? That and its recent purification might have made it far less defensive and bloodthirsty against intruders.
“Well there’s no need for any capture. We’re right here and can just go present ourselves to the core directly,” Destartes said while leading the party onwards.
The vent from the energy well had dropped them off at a side chamber which led to the familiar hallway. GIgantic; a thousand miles wide and double that in length, leading down to a gate at the end. Behind that, around a corner was the chamber of the world core.
Balastion led the group inside while Orodan watched the rear. He wasn’t concerned. With the core and its guardian purged… he knew that they were a lot more anable to a conversation than one would expect. In fact, it was to a world core’s benefit to have a world ruler and a strong world.
Sothing proven when they rounded the corner to stand before the world core, and the core guardian was tellingly passive as they approached.
“Welco, visitors. Are you friend or foe? Do you wish good for the world or ill? Are you saviors of Alastaia or its doom?”
“The world core of Alastaia itself… I have only ever heard myths and fairy tales of such a thing from when I was a little boy…” Balastion whispered, in awe and unable to respond clearly.
“World spirit, soul of the earth, that which our life sustains itself upon. I, Eldarion, emissary of Eldiron, greet you.”
“We welco you, Eldarion, although your unexpected Transcendence… surprises us. Did you take leave of Alastaia and attain it elsewhere? We have sensed no ripples in the tapestry, no shifts in the tumultuous currents of world energy.”
His students were as stricken by the sense of awe and majesty as Balastion was. Zukelmux could only stare on in awe while Aliya and Wainroach simply looked quite scared. Edrosic of all people though… he had a considering look upon his face, as though mapping sothing profound to draw in one of his later sketches.
Eldarion was showing respect, Adeltaj seed just as speechless as Balastion, and Destartes was studying it with an inquisitive look in his eye. But then there was the last mber of the party aside from Orodan himself. Find the newest release on novel{f}ire
“Rather small and pitiful for a world core, is it not? Why, in my travels I’ve seen world cores larger than the very star of this local stellar system!”
“We were not aware that visitors from the unseen planes were gracing our abode. Greetings, wanderer of the cosmos. Your kind are always welco to co and share a tale.”
“Don’t tell you know this arrogant bug…” Orodan muttered.
“We do not know it specifically, warrior of unknown origins. rely of its kind who are often happy to regale us with a tale and move on throughout the otherwise lonley years… although… that was before the madness began setting in…”
“Ah yes, the madness. About that…”
From another entrance a frenzied being blurred through and landed in an animalistic manner, it’s countenance almost feral.
“None shall touch Alastaia!” the Void Horror roared. “I shall fulfil my duty as-”
“Silence. We wish to hear this warrior’s explanation for the good fortune which has recently befallen us.”
The Void Horror, befuddled, could only freeze in confusion and then gradually stand down.
And so Orodan spoke and recanted the entire tale of this loop, the ti loops overall and his entire journey. Adeltaj and Destartes stepped in to help at many junctures too, which he was quite grateful for. After all, it felt like each ti he had to explain everything it got longer and longer with all the seemingly unbelievable things he had done.
“If anything, I’m surprised your lips do not grow tired of retelling it all. I have personally lost count of all the tis you’ve retold it… although I cannot help but intently hang upon the sound of every word each ti you do.”
This woman…
“Mister Wainwright? Your face is red, a poison?” Destartes asked, casting nurous spells and ready to respond to defend him.
“N-no… nothing of that sort,” he quickly dismissed to the sound of ringing laughter in his head.
Thankfully, it was Alastaia who interrupted his mont of being caught off-guard.
“Incredible. For a warrior of such prowess to be birthed from our bosom; for him to be anointed by the System itself in an act of supre ordination. We sensed no falsehood in your words, Orodan Wainwright. You… are our saviour. The crowning jewel of our world, the guardian and almighty champion of Alastaia.”
“You need not lave with excessive praise. I rely fought, and fought again until I beca strong enough to face the foes which threatened . By extension these enemies just so happened to be threats to Alastaia as well. Now, despite having t you before and having t many world cores in-between, I still do not exactly know what you are. Are you the world itself? A personification of its spirit? Its will? I know not, nor do I care. Such questions I leave to my academically inclined friend,” Orodan said, gesturing towards Destartes. “But what I do know is that you provided guidance, unwittingly as it was as your System was tampered with, but guidance all the sa. The Quest to stop the ancient machine, and then the Quest I took from Cyvrosdyr to stop the Eldritch Avatar. For that, thank you.”
“Vanguard of our world, we require no thanks for rely acting in self-preservation of ourselves and all who dwell upon us. Even throughout our gradual maddening from the source we retained enough clarity of mind to maintain vigil against any major threats and warn the mortal races and World Guardians of them accordingly.”
“Then you have my thanks for playing your role. Whatever it was, it allowed to have direction when I had none. But this is not over, our work is not done. There are greater cosmic foes which co for us, and for that, Alastaia will need the cooperation and aid of its very world’s will.”
“And the people who dwell upon us shall have it. It only requires one to reach out and grasp the crown within.”
Everyone’s eyes widened as a hollow leading to the center of the world core opened up, and a crown floated out of it, hovering before the arrayed party. Even Orodan was surprised as he didn’t know a world core would or could simply offer up its symbol of authority.
“Alastaia… are you truly offering up your crown so easily? It is not a decision which can be reversed…” the Void Horror spoke, cautioning the world core.
But the now uncorrupted core guardian, a Transcendent-level bat who had been silently watching from above all this ti, finally spoke.
“This is the one who purged all the corruption from our souls. Cease your foolishness. Even the weakest Transcendent of this group is capable of besting in battle. Better we accept our new lords with grace than invite suffering onto ourselves.”
“But our people past the gates…! How will-”
“They will be allowed to remain where they are and not bothered in the slightest,” Orodan interrupted. “I doubt the heroic Adeltaj Simarji would accept any other answer.”
“Even that I find dissatisfactory. Why should these folk have to hide beneath the ground like moles? If they wish to enter the surface we shall work upon integrating them,” Adeltaj countered.
“That is… that is most generous of you. I… can tentatively accept this arrangent then, provided you keep your word. Under your command we Gate Guardians and even the Core Guardian may join your armies in defense of our world,” the Void Horror added. “Long as you do not press our people into military service, we will follow you, Orodan Wainwright.”
“All that is contingent upon securing the crown of the World Ruler. Co, champion of Alastaia. Let us bequeath to you your right to rule.”
But for Orodan who hated the thought of leading, the sight of that crown and the image of it wrapped around his arm again made him quail. Having to actually lead people sounded like the most dreadful thing he could think of. Even the old Orodan who hated books and magic would agree.
“Can’t anyone else have it? Balastion? Eldarion? Either of you two are far better suited to rule than ,” he countered.
The first emperor looked to consider it for a mont, as did Eldarion, however the two looked at one another and then back at him before shaking their heads in dissent.
“My ti in these loops has shown that the burden of rule is a heavy one. How many mistakes did I make which could have been done better in hindsight? I have also found that I much prefer living in this world of peace you have helped create than ruling over it,” Balastion said. “It also needn’t be said, but Eldiron and the God-Queen would severely disapprove of Balastion Novar holding the world crown of Alastaia. She already bristles at the fact that you asked for Faraine’s release… and I would not subject my friend to further ire from his wife.”
Balastion and Eldarion, once rivals, were no longer so. The two rulers had beco quite friendly over the loops of knowing one another and had co to realize that they were more similar than they had thought. And while that was fantastic and made him happy to know, it also didn’t help Orodan in the slightest right now.
“Damn it… Adeltaj? Destartes? You two are wise old n, right? Want to take a shot at ruling?”
“? Rule? I’m so old… I think that sort of exhausting thing is best left to the young…”
“You old coot! What was all that about not letting stand alone!” Orodan protested as the old halberdier shalessly looked anywhere but at him.
“Don’t look at Mister Wainwright… I have discoveries to make and magical research to conduct. How can I do such things if I beco a subject of study myself?” Destartes spoke.
“What about you Zukelmux?”
He didn’t think it possible for a goblin to turn any greener than they were, but his strongest disciple sohow managed.
“Aliya? Wainroach?”
The two simply shook their heads frantically.
“…Edrosic?”
“How am I to draw a picture of King Orodan Wainwright, the first of his na, if I’m the one wearing the crown?”
Just for that, he would be dispensing extra combat lessons at a later date.
“Damn it… are the lot of you trying to force into dragging Old Man Hannegan here from his work? I’ll put the crown on his head myself.”
“Unless of course… soone were to put it on yours first.”
Orodan tried to resist, he did. But the chamber of the world core was far too cramped to unleash his full power without damaging anything. And try as he might, he had learned over the past five loops that when given the advantage of a ti loop, certain people were just better than him at certain things. Talricto was one of them
And as he trained and grew, so did the spider. If anything, the naturally more talented eight-legged dinsionalist, when given ti and exposure to Orodan’s techniques, could adapt to them very quickly.
Sure, he could counter the dinsional phase spider through raw power and brute force, which was his unique advantage. But in a match of finesse and pure skill… Talricto was his superior.
So when, despite his best efforts, the world crown slipped onto his arm via a deft dinsional push of force…
…Orodan could do nothing but grimace.
#
“Group twenty-four rotate out with group forty-eight. Group nine mind your spacing with those rituals unless you want to get in the way of the chronomancers from seven! And you! Tell your group leader to send that report on the supplies right away!”
A sheaf of paper was practically thrown at the face of the Logistics supervisor, Bodil Bistrid. The woman was reliable enough at her job and familiar with working alongside the old man, thus she’d been specifically called upon for the endeavor.
“Get the supplies on that list out of storage. We’re nearing the end,” Old Man Hannegan said.
“You heard him,” Bodil said. “Get the crystals and energy batteries. You’ll be the one filling them up after all.”
He nodded and set about going through the carefully organized warehouse of materials, pulling out finely crafted jewels and a gigantic energy battery.
[Logistics 31 → Logistics 32]
A level long overdue and part of his final efforts to get so training in while Old Man Hannegan directed the combined forces of Alastaia’s greatest craftsfolk and laborers towards constructing a grand array. Orodan’s own contribution to that effort had been working alongside Bodil Bistrid to manage the logistics, transport and distribution of materials.
A grand array capable of transporting a large group anywhere within the galaxy… or even beyond.
It was a design he recalled the Conclave possessing, a grand array capable of transporting soone very far while avoiding the dangers of the void between galaxies. Unless the device was damaged, only an Embodint of Space could interrupt it mid-travel.
Yes, Spatial Fold and his existing Space Mastery could likely replicate the feat, but the entire point of this was to make Alastaia self-sufficient. To make it so that its armies could traverse the galaxy as needed with or without him. Destartes in particular was taking ticulous notes, being their looping group’s designated research specialist, as was Old Man Hannegan, committing to mory the best and most efficient ways of rebuilding this thing if needed.
But Orodan found their actions unnecessary. He had faith, that this loop victory would be his. He intended on doing sothing which would eliminate the necessity of rebuilding from nothing each ti.
The final movents for constructing the grand array were perford with utmost care. It was a giant device; the product of every single nation of Alastaia providing its colective resources and wealth towards its construction. The final crystals were slotted into their designated sockets, and the energy battery was dlicately moved by a team of telekinetic mages into its rightful slot. Orodan was not even allowed to slot any of these things in, for so delicate was their placent that specialists alone could move them.
Forgemasters from Inuan and Eldiron, ritualists and diviners from the Eastern Kingdoms and Guzuhar, and enchanters from Xan’Coran. The greatest Grandmasters of each craft were present and providing their skills to this endeavor, and it had paid off.
“Orodan, now. Charge the battery up,” Old Man Hannegan directed.
And instead of filling it with his own power he instead directed the crown of the world ruler upon his arm and instructed Alastaia to do it.
In the last long loop where he’d been a World Ruler, his control over world energy had co through only the crown, and he hadn’t extensively experinted with it either. But now, having built a System of his own his understanding of System energy and its derivative, which was world energy, had grown. He could see and understand its flows. And with Destartes now having his mories returned each loop, the old wizard not only insisted that Orodan experint and use the world crown in unique ways so that the old mage could take notes, but also that he learn these thods for the future and help the world spirit of Alastaia itself grow used to helping in the planet’s defense.
The transfer of energy was a bit tumultuous. Orodan didn’t have access to the System everyone else did and the crown still worked when used by him although in a far jankier manner than that of any other World Ruler he had seen. But the energy battery powering the grand teleportation array filled up all the sa. A trendous amount of power which could transport any number of people many galaxies away.
The array ca to life with a hum, Griok’s handcrafted jewels and the energy battery holding steady under the strain. Space subtly shifted; the only indicator that the array was now working.
“It is… it is done,” Destartes said, looking excited. “I did not think our world and its peoples possessed the resources to build sothing of this scale, but it appears Alastaia itself has proven wrong.”
The world spirit was an imdiate and critical ally in helping build the array. The thing needed tal, lots of it. Furthermore, Alastaia didn’t have any Transcendent or divine craftsfolk the way the Conclave did. Which ant that their skill in actually executing the task of building such a grand array would be inferior. Which in turn ant that the array had a higher likelihood of failing.
But that was a problem solved by Alastaia’s world core directing them to safe areas within the abyssal depths where they could find more deposits of that enhanced dothril ore. With the gate guardians accompanying them, the mortal nations of the three continents sent mining teams to extract abundant amounts of the precious tal. It was proof of what could be achieved if not just the nations of the world, but it very world spirit and subterranean denizens could do when working together.
With the grand array composed of this enhanced dothril the margin for error was much wider, which allowed the comparatively unskilled specialists of Alastaia to still build the array functionally.
“We simply wish to see our shared abode defended against the coming intruders. If that involves seeking allies and talent from other worlds and galaxies… we shall aid in what we can,” the will of the world spoke through the crown on Orodan’s arm.
“Of course, we shall not be marching through with an army to this Lonvoron. Not initially,” Balastion spoke. “This world of voidships, guns and steam-powered tal machinery will not take kindly to a military incursion. Our forces are likely to be riddled full of holes if we try such a thing.”
“Correct,” Tegin Carrotfoot agreed. “Which is why Mister Wainwright shall go ahead first and establish contact with whoever he needs to. I believe this small island settlent, Port Bellgrave, is where you encountered Fenton Penny, correct?”
“Aye. But getting there was no easy task and I ran afoul of an Embodint of Space who was more than a little displeased with as a result. Which in turn drew into a fight against a Living Crystal, also at the Embodint-level.”
“Both of which are undesirable. Although friendly contact with this Alagath you ntioned would not be a bad idea…” Eldarion spoke. “Perhaps if soone other than yourself did the actual talking, we might be able to recruit this spatial spider?”
“I’m not even that bad… we fought, we got along and then we ca to an understanding,” Orodan defended.
“As impressive as your diplomatic abilities are, they succeed in spite of your bullheaded thods, not because of them,” Balastion reminded. “In the Prophet, this Alagath and we share a common foe. Perhaps we can bring it over to our side through diplomacy and the possibility of dealing with this corrupted Administrator.”
“If we can even win… I do not know how you intend to defeat this being which can break galaxies, Mister Wainwright,” Destartes said. “Strong as we have grown, we are still Transcendents while you are the only Embodier among us. And these Administrators seem to be the very pinnacles of Embodint.”
“Last ti, it took the Prophet a while to even commit to the battlefield in pursuit of the Administrator’s Mantle the previous looper bears. I cannot outright confirm this, but from everything I have seen thus far there appears to be so limit on how far these Administrators can go when interfering against lower-level beings. The Warrior seems quite ready to hound its steps should the Prophet act too rashly and too soon.”
“Right… I recall you saying that. Then, it makes no sense for it to act unless the Mantle is right within its grasp, and this Almyra’s secrecy ans that it cannot commit lest it waste its shot and attract the Warrior’s ire,” Tegin Carrotfoot added. “If we simply grab this Fenton and aid in liberating Lonvoron of the Eldritch, perhaps that will be enough?”
“In fact… I intend to bring her and the Blackworth Collective with . So that the eye of our foes may be drawn to Alastaia.”
“You are… confident of success this ti. But is it truly wise to court so much attention to our world?” the halfling asked Orodan.
“We will need it. The Administrators have conflicting opinions of one another, and drawing the Prophet here will be our surest chance of success. Especially with other Administrators converging here in less than two weeks’ ti as well,” Orodan answered.
Much as he wanted to fight them head-on, this loop he had sothing important to do. He had more than just himself to consider.
“Then the peoples of Alastaia shall et them when they co,” Ozgaric spoke.
“How goes the progress on your end?” Orodan asked.
“Well. That dinsional spider is exceedingly clever… the possibilities he has shown us. With his aid Malzim, Halor and I shall be ready soon.”
“As shall the other three of the elven pantheon,” Eldarion added on. “My wife is… excited at the possibility of what can occur, even though I dread to et her for too long in the material plane…”
“Which leaves only Lonvoron before us…” Orodan muttered, clenching his fist. “I believe it’s ti to get one of my students back.”
#
“Focus, Orodan. I know I call you a barbarian quite often, but I must concede that despite being a savage possessed of ill manners-”
“I’m not-”
“-in contrast to the brutish nature you regularly display-”
“I suppose I am-”
“-you are a hard worker, and passably talented at Dinsionalism for a human. I suppose that odd body composition of yours which allows for you to resist the dinsional forces does help, as does that unfair ability of yours to draw upon endless power as though you are a black hole incarnate… but you are genuinely good at this. If anyone can step past the defences of Lonvoron, besides I, the illustrious Talricto, it would be you, my disciple.”
Last ti, he had entered Lonvoron via spatiomancy. This ti, he intended to enter via Dinsionalism. His target was the sa shanty workshop upon the perpetually rainy island town of Port Bellgrave.
Vision of Purity had grown, but not anywhere near enough to tell whether Fenton was inside the shop from across galactic distances. Nor did he exactly have any vision skills which allowed him to actively look at the wards surrounding the Vystaxium Galaxy at present.
Furthermore, and the real reason he was using Dinsionalism… was that spatiomancy would see every enemy Embodier and those affiliated with them on his tail. Unlike traveling through the dinsional boundary, manipulating space to travel was easier and more powerful, but far more detectable and warded against. Going through the void between galaxies, where Embodiers resided, was fraught with far too much risk if using space.
And he could not afford to tip his hand early, not before everything was ready for him to enact his mad desire.
“I’m still not entirely sure how I’m to step onto Lonvoron while also avoiding the traps and wards ant to detect dinsional intrusion when I cannot see that far at all,” Orodan spoke.
“Foolish student. Do you not adapt to the barbaric tussle of swords and clubs? Why do you lack faith in yourself to adapt to this?” Talricto questioned.
“Like a fight then? An odd way to approach wards which will send out an alarm otherwise is it not?”
“Think less and simply do. You function best when committing to action, like the brute you are.”
The spider wasn’t wrong about that.
The gulf between galaxies was utterly and unfathomably massive. That being said, spatiomancy was in fact the harder field to cross truly gargantuan distances with. In that regard, Dinsionalism was superior as one could simply enter a dinsional plane where distances were incredibly compressed and then peel apart the boundary to re-enter the material plane at a different corresponding location much farther away.
But Orodan wasn’t known for shortcuts, and he had no doubts that Almyra had warded other such adjacent dinsional planes as they were the apparent and easy way to enter her galaxy.
So, with a flex of his full power, Orodan poured it all into a singular Dinsional Step aid right for the Vystaxium Galaxy.
[Dinsionalism 95 → Dinsionalism 96]
[Dinsional Step 48 → Dinsional Step 50]
Imdiately, he encountered the first bit of resistance as he walked past the boundary between dinsions and towards Lonvoron.
Dinsional entities. Strange, skittering things with which seed to feed off of the colossal energy he poured into his step. They were hungry too, and he could see even Talricto’s Dinsional Step fading out and the spider being forced to stand and confront these things or use alternate tricks to get away.
But while his eight-legged ntor was his superior in skill, that wasn’t the case for brute force.
A dozen of these entities exploded and died on the spot, the sheer energy contained in his Dinsional Step proving too much for them. If anything, they luckily helped bleed so power off as the next obstacle, a ward ant to detect excess dinsional force, like a checkpoint, was ahead.
Naturally… he utterly failed to stop himself being detected by it.
But that was okay, for as Talricto said, if he treated it like a fight he would get far. So he did.
Ti Reversal shot out and pulled the alarm state of that ward back to before it detected his spike of power. It had a built-in failsafe to counter such a move… a contracted elental whose System was sohow tied to the detection as it gained a level from spotting his passing.
This was an ingenious and absolute thod of preventing detection. No being in System space could reverse ti for soone’s System. That was… unless they were stripped of the System entirely and were a being outside of it like Orodan now was.
Another cast of Ti Reversal reverted its level gain and he carried on past it.
Three more obstacles got in his way, basic alarms and wards ant to stop dinsional intrusion. One of them even tied to the divine dinsion as a still loyal God of the Blackworth Collective maintained watch over the boundary between planes.
This too, he smashed right past by intimidating the divine sentry into outright ignoring his presence via Incipience of Infinity and brute forcing the other two and then reverting ti to reset their alarm states.
Orodan had expected a bit more when he found himself crashing through the familiar sheet tal roof of Fenton’s shanty gunsmithing workshop upon Port Bellgrave.
As usual, he destroyed a few racks of rifles and a familiar set of eight legs perched upon his shoulder imdiately after.
“That wasn’t so bad.”
“Congratulations my student. You bypassed all the wards but roused into a frenzy one of the largest swarms of dinsional horrors in this part of the cosmos.”
“…want to go kill them?”
Orodan wasn’t sure if spiders could sigh or palm their faces like humans could, but whatever Talricto was doing ca close to qualifying.
“No… no I do not. I shall handle guiding them away, and you… just try not to upend anything else.”
With that the eight-legged dinsionalist winked out of the material plane, leaving just Orodan in the shop.
Just him and one frightened young lad in a life of indentured servitude and far more enchanting talent than sense.
“Oy! Stay away you vagabond! I won’t be accosted by-”
The orb touched the lad’s head…
…and the entire workshop began glowing with power and resounded with the screams of Fenton Penny as his mories began to ld.
It took a lot longer than the others’ had. The sheer amount of insights and special notes Fenton had packed away into his specific mory bank were a novel function he hadn’t even known the orb was capable of.
Fifteen minutes of writhing and yelling later, the lad’s eyes finally opened. Just in ti to see a large palm heading for his head.
Quick as Fenton was, when Orodan wanted to cuff soone atop the head, they would receive and could do nothing about it.
“And that’s for getting yourself killed on my behalf. Stupid lad.”
Fenton, a red lump upon his head and eyes containing recognition could only look at Orodan.
Mist began to gather in the young man’s eyes.
“Hey now… you needn’t have such a look on your face-”
Like a missile, Fenton crashed into him.
“Mister Orodan!”
“You… you’re getting my uniform wet…”
Although he couldn’t bring himself to pry the hysterical young man off, nor stop himself from ruffling the boy’s head.
Idiot disciple of his.
“Y-you ca back! You actually ca back!” the lad said, pulling himself away and now looking exceedingly embarrassed at getting so emotional.
“Of course I did… did you think you get to slack on your training so easily? There are other students of mine who you’ll be learning alongside too,” Orodan spoke, and then looked the lad up and down. “How much do you rember?”
The boy frowned.
“From when I handed you the orb ser…”
Then the young man rembered a lot. Up to and possibly including his own death too. Yet that also ant that Fenton’s mind was fresh with designs, devices and insights that could make a true difference in his upcoming efforts.
“Did you really co back just to train ser? Won’t it all reset again when-”
“No. Not this ti. We’re going to cure your mother, save your world and get you a new ho.”
And at the end of it all, find a way to ensure that no more of these reunions were necessary.
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