Wisps of earth rippled through the ground and moved as if alive. They snaked through dead soil and withered vegetation, yet they fell victim to the all-consuming darkness that was everywhere.
David watched the land of the dead in boredom as Vitae Nihilum spread at a blinding speed. It had been a while since he’d returned to missions, and it looked like he was going to complete it. At last.
Spending day and night in the land of the dead had been beneficial. Unfortunately, benefiting from something did not mean it was interesting. Growing Vitae was pleasant, but so was training in regions rich in Aether. The land of the dead was not one of such regions. All the Aether he found was tainted by death and had to be consumed as well. After all, they didn’t want to give death—or the undead—even the slightest chance of a resurgence.
“Please tell me you’re satisfied.” David turned to the familiar frame of Zachariah standing near him, sword in hand.
The Regressor had been watching him since they returned to Kamia, and he never left David’s side.
Zachariah grunted, his eyes drifting to the last traces of death’s presence that were being mercilessly devoured as they spoke. He was still struggling with Vitae Nihilum, and David doubted the Regressor would ever accept its existence, but that was his problem. As long as he didn’t attack David for possessing Vitae, everything would be fine.
The Regressor shifted and stiffened, his eyes hollow as he accessed the Weave. That was one of Zachariah’s oddities, and David had gotten used to it by now. What wasn’t normal was Zachariah’s life signal. It flared up, his expression twisting in utter shock, then dimmed considerably as the Regressor’s shoulders slumped down in defeat.
“I… believe you,” he muttered, as if the truth had insulted him in the worst way possible.
“That was about damn time.” David sighed deeply, although the lost, almost lethargic glimmer in Zachariah’s eyes confused him.
He accessed the Weave with a thought, following the Regressor’s example, and noticed the issue right away. If it could even be called an issue.
“My connection to the Weave…” David mumbled, tilting his head as if that would answer all the questions flashing through his mind. He tried to make sense of the profound connection that seemed to have formed between the Divine Seed and the Weave, but failed to understand anything.
It had been a while since cleansing death’s presence from the land of the dead had stopped strengthening him. Vitae, on the other hand, never stopped growing, and that was enough reason to keep going and cleanse Kamia of the undead plague once and for all. He did not expect his connection to the Weave to grow. It was more expansive, much easier to enter, and, most importantly, it affected the stream of power flowing into the Divine Seed.
“What is going on?” David asked Zachariah, but the System answered in his stead.
[Congratulations, Ascendant, you have successfully established a connection to your native world, Earthen Union.
Your achievements, past ascension, have been recorded and reviewed. The Earthen Union deems you worthy enough to form a bond with you.
Planetary Bond (Frail) has been formed.]
Power flowed into his well-nurtured Divine Seed in tumultuous streams, filling it much faster than he could have hoped for. And all… because he cleansed the land of the dead?
Fuck, I should have waited until I became an Ascendant to start cleansing the wastelands!
If the land of the dead was already enough to form a frail planetary bond with the Earthen Union, how much stronger would the bond be if the wastelands had been added to the calculations? There had been dozens of massive wasteland patches that could have strengthened his bond with the Earthen Union, and he missed them all. What a waste!
As unfortunate as it was, the System seemed to care little as more screens popped up.
[You have discovered a requirement to claim the [Champion] title. Unravel the remaining requirements and complete them to become the Earthen Union’s sole [Champion]. Surpass the requirements and become the Herald.]
The message looked similar to something he’d seen in the past—was it after he’d cleansed the wastelands?—but it looked a little bit different. However, just like before, David was not interested in becoming a Champion. The planetary bond was a lot more helpful than becoming a Champion, especially if it took away his ability to ascend godhood.
Can that happen? I am close to becoming a 2-Star Ascendant, I… shouldn’t be able to lose my power as an Ascendant even if the System were to offer me the title. Right?
“Is it possible to become a Champion as an Ascendant? Or a Herald?” he asked Zachariah, who seemed to be struggling with himself.
He looked conflicted and sighed in defeat once more. “That… was my plan.”
David cocked an eyebrow. “Your plan was to become the Earthen Union’s Champion? That means the Champion of a planet is not the same as an Ascendant’s Champion.”
It wouldn’t affect his ability to ascend godhood if he met the last requirements to claim the title. If anything, it would make him stronger. There was no other reason for Zachariah to plan on becoming the Earthen Union’s Champion—or Herald.
Their eyes clashed and David was certain Zachariah would attack him.
“There’s no need to kill each other,” he said hurriedly. “If we do that, we’ll only worsen the Origin’s chances of victory. Instead, let’s compete fairly.”
The Regressor stared inquisitively at him.
“Whoever earns the right to become the Earthen Union’s Champion first, claims it. In the first place, this is not our decision to make. The Earthen Union’s sentience makes that decision.” David added, “And I am sure the Earthen Union picks whoever it deems as the best choice. To deal with the End and all those trying to harm the planet.”
Zachariah looked displeased. No, he looked royally pissed. However, he did not attack. Instead, he was deep in thought, probably ruminating on how to become the Earthen Union’s Champion without killing David.
He did not doubt the Regressor’s determination for a moment and, if necessary, Zachariah would definitely kill him.
But that was a matter for the future. Hopefully, the Regressor would get his act together by the time the Earthen Union made its final decision.
“Calm down. I don’t even know the Earthen Union’s requirements. I just learned one when the planetary bond formed, and I doubt a Frail bond is enough to become a Champion.”
That calmed Zachariah visibly. The chances were low, but he sincerely hoped the Regressor was further ahead and that he’d grow complacent now that there weren’t many Voidlings to fight. The End’s threat had been pushed to the backburner, which gave them more than enough time to grow stronger. Enough time to meet the Earthen Union’s standard and to cleanse many more wastelands.
And, of course, to expand his territory.
***
David sat on the edge of a watchtower’s rooftop, his eyes drifting to the bustling masses of workers and tamed monsters as Maja emerged from a distortion in space.
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“You’re right on time,” he said, not even bothering to turn around.
“How did you sense–... Never mind.” Maja chuckled and inched closer to sit down beside David. Her legs dangled over the edge and brushed against David’s.
Sensing distortions in space was much easier since he gained access to the Weave. As his connection to the Weave grew stronger, his raw strength was not the only thing that benefited. His senses were sharper than ever, even more so after the planetary bond came to be.
“I take everyone has settled,” he said, glimpsing at Maja, whose eyes were also drawn to the descending sun at the end of the horizon. “Or did Frey and Lukas clash again?”
Maja turned to him, eyebrow raised. “You heard about that?”
It was hard not to hear about their quarrel when everyone talked about it. David hadn’t even stepped foot into his territory when the lumberjacks he met on his way back to the Sanctuary told him about it. And a few other things, for that matter.
She chuckled lightly, a blissful sound that echoed in his mind. “Orhain is amazing. It is a beautiful Sanctuary, and a lot more than we’ve been hoping for. Sure, the Sanctuary is not connected to any networks or trading hubs, but I think that should be no problem. Orhain is already a Sanctuary, and it meets the other requirements as well. I talked to the survivors of the Dwarven Sanctuary’s Familia a little, and it is only a matter of negotiations whether a hub will be added to Orhain, and how long it takes to complete it.”
David regarded her for a moment. He was glad Maja was back. Not only was she an excellent Portaligist, who had become a horror to all enemies on the battlefield, but she was also a great strategist. Resigning Orhain’s growth to Maja, Lilia, and the others was probably one of the best things he did as an Ascendant.
“We settled well. Mostly, at least,” Maja responded to his initial question, a soft sigh escaping her lips. “I know you were busy cleansing the land of the dead to close a few Rifts leading to dangerous places filled with nothing but death and undead creatures, but it would have been easier if you were there. Sometimes, at least, to beat some sense into people.”
“I don’t understand people,” she muttered irritably and shook her head.
“The first meeting was interesting.” Maja stared at David, and he didn’t even have to look to know the expression on her face: ‘You should have been there.’ He knew that as well, but it was not like all problems with Zachariah disappeared into thin air just because Maja and the others wanted him in Orhain to take care of everything.
The Regressor had been a pain in the ass, only to disappear again. While he mentioned that he would only be away for a few days, neither David nor Maja – or anyone, really – believed Zachariah.
“Orhain’s residents reacted a little too drastically to their first encounter with members of other races. I cannot fault them for that, but it resulted in quite some tension. Disbanding the district was a little annoying, but you found great people with Lilia and the grannies. Frey… not so much. She and Lukas, plus company, were and still are among the most cumbersome thorns I’ve ever met.”
David was happy to see Maja like that. She had grown tremendously, considering how closely tied she had once been to Lukas and his friends. Maja was now leagues above them, their superior, so to speak, and she was responsible for their survival. The last part was probably her greatest misfortune in that regard.
“We had some problems with the distribution of jobs, the importance of a safe environment, and a friendly community, which was somehow lost when a few idiots decided to harass a young elven man. The elf was, quite literally, too pretty for his own good.” Maja waved dismissively when David’s head flicked to her. “Don’t you worry. The idiots apologized right away. They were jealous of the elf because their crushes fell in love with him less than twenty-four hours after we arrived in Orhain. They… well, they couldn’t quite understand what was happening, and jealousy got the better of them. The elf befriended them, just so you know.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her but remained silent as Maja shared more news about the changes in Orhain. The infrastructure hadn’t changed much in the weeks he was forced to spend with Zachariah, clarifying that Vitae was not Nihilum, and that it could be used for something good. And, of course, to ensure that Vitae could not escape David’s control.
But while the infrastructure didn’t change, life in Orhain certainly had. Everything was different, from the Aether in the air, to the sounds coming from the bustling streets, to the busy Classers hunting prey, taming monsters, tending to farmland, and much more. Humans from outside Kamia and Protectors from other worlds could be seen everywhere, sharing information, playing together—living as one community.
It was nice to witness and hear about, especially after the people from the Dwarven Sanctuary had lost everything a few weeks ago. They lost their home, their connection to their home world, and their friends—yet they never gave up. At least, most of them didn’t. Some had survived the fight against William and the Giants, but they could not go on knowing their loved ones had died. Knowing they wouldn’t return to their home world anytime soon.
Fortunately, only a minority thought that way. Everyone else understood the risks when they chose to become Protectors. The Earthen Union was not a safe place, and David doubted the Pantheon had advertised it as such when they invited the Protectors.
Maja shared more stories with him, each more heartening than the last. He enjoyed her company, but curiosity got the better of him when the trajectory of her stories shifted toward his territory and the potential it held. David called upon the System, and a notification popped up in front of him.
[Divine Seed]
Rank – 1-Star (96.35%)
Affliction – Unique (Twin Paths)
Champions – 1x Primal Champion (Electra)
Idols – 4x Guardians (Orhain – Firm Connection)
Sworn – 0
Bonds – 208,776 (29 Neutral)
Path of Favor – 6,526 (301x Favorable, 853x Trusting, 2,940x Loyal/Follower, 2,368x Believer, 63x Devotee, 1x Zealot)
Path of Conflict – 202,221 (95x Negative, 53x Critic, 186,712x Dissenter, 15,361x Opponent)
Planetary – Earthen Union (Frail)
Territory
Small Sanctuary – Orhain
Land – 63 km2
His territory was larger than it used to be, which was a pleasant surprise as it confirmed his suspicion. Naturally, minuscule portions of the power contained within the bonds of Favor were pulled toward the Idols. That could only happen if those with Favor bonds passed by or visited them—which everyone did on their way to work, the training grounds, and most other establishments. Following the Idols’ configurations, they would only absorb a specific amount of Might until reaching their limit, then redirect the rest to the territory, nurturing it.
David had been unsure how effective that system would be, but it worked better than expected. His territory grew considerably, and he didn’t even have to put in any work.
Less pleasant was the loss of tens of thousands of bonds. It wasn’t news to him—he could sense the shifts in the bonds, as well as the deaths of those connected to him, whether through Favor or Conflict—but he hadn’t expected to have lost nearly 80,000 Dissenter bonds.
It would take some time before all Goblins with Conflict bonds died, but it was bound to happen. Sooner or later, all bonds of Conflict would cease to be. As unfortunate as it was, it was something he had accounted for.
His calculations ended up being wrong, but the planetary bond more than compensated for the losses.
Maintaining bonds with enemies is fickle work. It’s worth it if you can afford it, but otherwise?
David tilted his head, barely noticing Maja’s weight as she leaned against his shoulder.
He did have a rare opportunity with the Goblins on the other side of the interconnected Rift, and he had taken it—knowing something like that was unlikely to happen again. At the end of the day, David knew he would have to kill most enemies, severing all bonds—or be the invader rather than waiting to be invaded. However, invading other worlds was a foolish ordeal for multiple reasons.
Bonds of Conflict were excellent, but only for short-term gains. Favor, on the other hand, was perfect for the long game—and David was adamant about playing both sides.
Since Conflict had been temporarily taken care of, he could now focus more on Favor.
“Rallying forces to fight and protect,” he muttered to himself. Maja jerked upright, suddenly aware of what she was doing, and moved away. She blushed and pulled back a little, watching him for his reaction—but he gave none.
Rallying forces would change everything. It would strengthen their side and prepare them for the inevitable. Plus, more powerful Classers with firm Favor bonds would be present in his territory, nurturing it over time.
“Do you want to help me expand my territory?” he asked Maja, who looked perturbed. So he added, “To help people. We can bring survivors from dangerous regions to Orhain.”
The plan was simple: transform Orhain into a proper Sanctuary—a home for tens of thousands of survivors. The following steps would be to expand the Sanctuary, claim Kamia, and rebuild the isolated country with some help—but that was a steep goal. One step at a time.
Maja sighed, resigned. “That sounds great.”
She didn’t look happy, but she continued. “Kamia is isolated, and I’ve heard enough about those Guardian Idols to know they can fight. That’s a lot better than the barriers in Arc and the Dwarven Sanctuary. That’ll give people hope—to protect their home from the invading forces.” Maja looked at David, disappointment giving way to excitement. “As long as you take care of our worst enemies, we’ll be able to help many.”
“Tens of thousands,” he nodded.
But Maja shook her head, a bright smile blooming.
“Millions.”
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