Chapter 270, 1/2

The island nation and the arcanaeum of Oceanside have been named the identical, as a result of to name them in another way was solely one thing that natives did. To all of the world, Oceanside was Oceanside. To Erick, Oceanside was the house of a good friend, and, in a approach, his alma mater, although he had solely ever spent a semester right here. That semester had been sufficient to show him every thing he needed to know on the time, and it had been sufficient to be awarded an honorary diploma years after that attendance, nicely after Erick had change into the Obvious King, throughout one of many calmer years.

Everybody had attended that award ceremony, and it had been a good time, although apparently Erick had been ‘not all there’ for he had been caught in an [Onward] for some time. Erick nonetheless recalled that point fondly. The Headmaster had adorned the tall off-white pillar towers of the arcanaeum and the lightward roadways within the air with strains of black and white, however largely white, in honor of the Obvious King.

However privately, Kirginatharp had advised Erick that he needed Melemizargo and his Shades nowhere close to the Arcanaeum for that celebration, and so Erick had despatched Goldie away, and advised the remainder to go away. Therapeutic from wounds 1450 years within the making was not a simple factor.

And now there have been new wounds, added simply final week.

The injuries of the reality of Idyrvamikor as an agent of Nothanganathor, and of how the Erased One had used Kirginatharp to form the world to his liking, by way of the Dragon Curse. Due to that, Kirginatharp was already stepping down from lots of his duties, however he was nonetheless the Second of Rozeta. He nonetheless had pull, and particularly right here, at his arcanaeum, at this middle of studying for all of Veird.

The solar set within the sky to the west, past the ocean, and but that wasn’t the solar and that wasn’t the sky in any respect. It was an phantasm with a weaker form of mild. The sky was not practically as orange and gold because it was once.

It was not the way it seemed that one time, way back, when Erick had met Kirginatharp for dinner with Jane, right here on the Azure Room, and mentioned [Duplicate]. The sky might need been completely different, however the crescent harbor of Oceanside seemed the identical, and the restaurant hadn’t modified in any respect, right here on the northern aspect of the primary metropolis.

Erick stepped right into a lobby the place every thing was blue opulence. Sapphire chandeliers adorned with white wardlights, blue vases sitting atop cream-colored plinths. Lifelike work of ocean life occupied central positions on the partitions, and a big staircase of blue stone led up from the lobby to the blue-crystal double doorways to the restaurant. The doorways have been already open. Mushy music flowed into the lobby, together with the scent of fine meals to return. It was bready and spicy and meaty, and great.

A pair of Cooks stood to the left, on the high of the staircase, sporting immaculate white uniforms, whereas the host for the night wore a superb blue uniform and stood to the opposite aspect of the doorway. Erick had [Reincarnation]ed the Cooks into their present types 8 years in the past, and the host had a request on file for a similar therapy. He’d in all probability get that therapy fulfilled, as quickly as Erick arrange the automated [Reincarnation] machines on the Home.

Erick’s white and silver glowthread garments swished round him like a correct wizard’s robes, matching the décor of the room however with a special form of opulence, virtually alien in nature. It was one of the best factor that Erick owned, and so he determined to put on it for the evening.

Erick strode ahead, up the blue stone staircase.

The goldscale waiter bowed, saying, “Welcome, Wizard Flatt. The Headmaster awaits your arrival.”

Erick smiled a little bit at that, after which he walked down the steps into the following room, the place virtually each desk had been cleared away, save one. A 200 diploma span of home windows confirmed the western sky and the northern wing of the crescent harbor of Oceanside, whereas blue gems encrusted the ceiling and chandeliers dripped with sparkle, and a pleasant, snug desk and chair set held in the midst of the room.

Kirginatharp sat on the left chair, although he stood upon seeing Erick. He was sporting the gold and white glowthread robes that Erick had introduced him; they have been like his regular robes, however fabricated from otherworldly materials. His expression was one in all quiet concern, hidden behind a bigger pleasure. He was each bit the picture of a Chinese language emperor greeting an outdated good friend.

Regardless of being a dragon, the Headmaster didn’t put on his horns brazenly, and he was solely his regular 170 centimeter top. Erick had chosen to place away his personal horns and top for the evening, so he was solely a little bit bit taller than Kirginatharp proper now.

Kirginatharp mentioned, “Whats up, Erick. Energy seems to be good on you.”

Erick chuckled on the ice breaker. They hadn’t seen one another in two years, and a complete lot had occurred in that period of time. Greater than ought to have occurred, actually.

Erick simply mentioned, “Appears to be like good on you, too! In order for you extra of these garments I believe my daughters and son are having some success weaving glowthread. The wild spiders received’t be making something for century, although.”

Kirginatharp grinned softly, touching the voluminous sleeve of his robes, the glowthread transferring like water earlier than settling again all the way down to gravity’s draw. “It’s a slightly marvelous thread.”

The 2 associates sat with out one in all them needing to ask the opposite to take action, and dialog got here simpler than Erick thought it might. There was tons to speak about. The meals was unbelievable.

Midway by way of the dinner, Kirginatharp modified the topic to deeper issues, casually saying, “I can’t be [Reincarnation]ed proper now, Erick, to remove the Dragon Curse. I’d lose all of my energy. My longstanding denouncement of the Eternally Warfare has angered too lots of the angels and demons, and there are particular components of their nations which have already threatened to homicide me if I’m weakened. There’s 4 billion of them, too. The one factor stopping them from taking on the world is their very own battle with one another, and the specter of Nothanganathor on the market.”

Erick nodded. “That’s positive. I do wish to remove the Dragon Curse quickly, although. Every time we are able to. The elimination of that Curse would remove one of many longstanding methods wherein Nothanganathor can threaten this world, and we may use these Free dragons in Ar’Cosmos as warriors in opposition to the Crimson, as soon as they’re able to transfer round freely with out needing to kill one another on sight.” Erick added, “Every time this may be executed, I wish to do it, and I’ll defend you afterward, Kirginatharp.”

Kirginatharp chuckled. “There’s no defending me if I have been to lose energy.”

These small phrases had mentioned an ideal deal.

“There’s a special choice we may attempt slightly than the direct battle in opposition to the Dragon Curse,” Erick mentioned, “You might choose an ally to change into Second to Rozeta and the Dragon Curse may unfold to them as a substitute, after which I may remedy it from them.”

Kirginatharp shook his head a little bit, saying, “There aren’t any True Dragons on the market which may threaten my maintain as Second to Rozeta. You’re utterly immune and out of doors of the working for Second due to too some ways to record. This ‘Shadow’ individual is correct out for a special record of causes, with solely partial overlap as your personal. The one one near Second is Solomon, and he’s half-Paradoxed, so he’s out of the working, too. I’ve no allies among the many Free dragons of Ar’Cosmos.”

“How about somebody you possibly can take a dive for?” Erick provided, “Or somebody you may increase as much as Second? Anybody would do, Kirginatharp.”

Kirginatharp shook his head a little bit, although he was pondering…

“One thing to consider, anyway,” Erick moved on, “So what’s this concerning the Angels and Demons threatening you?”

The subject was simple sufficient to slip into, for Kirginatharp readily started, “They’ve usurped your complete non secular underpinning of Veird in a number of methods. The Erasure of half of our authentic inhabitants is a small a part of the issue. Principally, the problems stem from the introduction of 1,000,000 or extra thousand-year-old monsters of doubtful morality, all of them with a heavy penchant for psychological, proxy warfare that they’ve honed by way of the Quiet Warfare over their lengthy afterlives. The essential troopers on either side are just about simply individuals, however the ones in cost… Properly you understand the Viridian King of Greensoil, Darundi Raivo. They’re all like him. The present Crown of the Host was from Greensoil. Virtually all of these in energy among the many Angels have been from there, too.” Kirginatharp mentioned, “I recognize what Solomon did for us much more than the typical individual, however he additionally prompted quite a lot of issues in saving these afterlives.”

Erick nodded. “I hear he’s annihilated a number of warfronts, alongside Avandrasolaro.”

“They do what they will but it surely merely isn’t sufficient relating to the self-reviving Angels and Demons.” Kirginatharp mentioned, “Solomon and Avandrasolaro haven’t engaged in any soul sundering, however the Angels and Demons are doing sufficient of that to one another after they can, and anybody else who steps into these wars with these weapons are quickly lower down by either side. I’d name the Angelic/Demonic cooperation a miracle in the event that they didn’t go proper again to attempting to kill one another, generally proper on the battlefields that they’d cooperated in to kill the outsiders.”

A server dished out extra wine, and introduced one other course. This one was braised monstrous cow ribs, every a meter lengthy and thick with meat. They have been scrumptious, and closely spiced with bluebell. Erick had missed that frequent spice; these tiny blue flowers have been kinda great, giving the meat an outdoorsy, wild-ish form of style, that was so distinctly ‘bluebell’, and arduous to place into different kinds of phrases. Additionally kinda floral and candy.

After ending off a rib, pondering all of the whereas, Erick mentioned, “I’m trying to get some peace treaties signed, however I’ve met some vital blocks. Are you able to get the Demon King or the Crown of the Host to really reply your requests to speak?”

Kirginatharp shook his head. “Haven’t been in a position to try this in a really very long time. They’re Prime Gods now, you understand. 2 billion followers will try this, after which you’ve the opposite 2 billion followers of the opposite god, polluting the divine waters with ranges of hate that encourage true zealotry. As massive as this world is, it’s too small for the each of them. Most of the others have gotten some energy again as nicely, for each angel and demon was initially an individual— That’s in all probability why Sininindi survived in any respect…”

The dialog moved to nuance and intrigue, and the dinner continued nicely on into the evening.

Erick nonetheless often labored as he and Kirginatharp shared a meal and dialog, but it surely was magic executed by way of tiny portals to the left of the dinner and never out within the open in any respect. Home Benevolence was slightly good about bringing issues to his consideration without having to really speak to him; Zolan would simply set stories onto a desk and Erick would get executed no matter wanted to be executed. Often it was simply signing paperwork, or porting a threatening letter straight onto somebody’s desk to get them to cease no matter it was they have been doing. Little issues.

On the finish of the dinner, Erick mentioned, “Sorry for needing to work as we spoke.”

Kirginatharp smiled softly. “You’ve come a great distance, Erick. Far past me. I’m just a few administrator, now, who is generally retired, and by necessity. You’ve earned the correct to work whereas stress-free, in order for you.” Kirginatharp mentioned, “When that is throughout, and for those who have been a traditional individual, I would want you luck to find a while to really calm down, however that’s simply not you.”

Erick chuckled.

Kirginatharp nodded, glad his tease had landed correctly.

Erick mentioned, “It was nice to see you once more, Kirginatharp. Thanks for the dinner.”

“Least I may do for all you’ve executed,” Kirginatharp mentioned, “And once I may give you some excellent news on the Dragon Curse enterprise, I’ll achieve this.”

“It’s not your fault. You have been used. I used to be used, too.”

Kirginatharp set free an exhausted chuckle. “That’s placing it frivolously.”

– – – –

“So what’s Genesis?” Solomon rhetorically requested. “It’s the solidification of risk into actuality.”

Erick seemed on the man. “That tells me nothing.”

Solomon laughed in a contented form of approach. He was trying fairly good lately. With a gray beard and hair and the physique of a match 50 12 months outdated man, and but the face of a a lot older man, Solomon seemed older than he was by far. The stress of the altering world was attending to him. It was attending to Erick, too, however Erick was Ascended, and Solomon was not. Not likely.

He was doing a little form of ‘cooperative cultivation factor’ with a bunch of aspect realities, however even he didn’t actually perceive that; he didn’t actually know what he had executed that Day of Genesis, over 2 years in the past, when he made Fenrir and the shells of Veird. Or at the least that’s what Erick had been in a position to piece collectively since he had come again to Veird.

Erick didn’t push that line of inquiry simply but. Possibly he would, quickly.

Erick was lastly in a position to sit down with Solomon a little bit over every week after the Shelter went round Veird and the sky stopped spinning. It was not a peaceful form of assembly. Even this little little bit of time would have to be taken rapidly, for as quickly as one thing resembling peace had returned to Veird there had been emergency after emergency, from ten thousand completely different corners of the world. Everybody had stuff that they wanted executed proper now, as a result of every thing was falling aside. From meals provides to hospitals in want of healers to 2-year-old tragedies that nobody had been in a position to work on till now, the world was therapeutic just a bit, and in that therapeutic, issues appeared.

Erick’s assembly with Kirginatharp the opposite day had been about the one calm time Erick had had because the Shelter went up, and even that hadn’t been too calm.

Solomon was equally busy. He was on the Worldly Path, too, and had been for some time. Solomon’s Wizardly apotheosis had actually occurred on that Day of Genesis, and he was a Wizard in reality, however then the world had clawed at him in so many alternative methods…

Solomon watched. “Wish to simply Mana Siphon some Genesis from me?”

“No,” Erick mentioned, “I wish to resolve this drawback in a a lot deeper approach. Not like Mana Siphon —as it’s—allowed me to suck in any of the additional talents that have been littered round Margleknot.”

Solomon nodded, asking, “You didn’t even attempt although, did you? Didn’t you say that Margleknot gave you a vein of energy in your own home to attract from, and also you didn’t draw from that vein?”

Erick winced… After which he relaxed. “Properly. There have been different powers within the air. Tons and plenty of them. Fairly positive I bought some expertise with Elemental Destiny from a good friend I made, however…” Erick held up a hand and tried channeling Elemental Destiny… And promptly bought nowhere. Benevolence got here out of his hand after which fluttered round. “Destiny is Banned, so if I bought Destiny then I don’t know the way to use it.” Erick mentioned, “I actually don’t suppose the issue is that Benevolence can’t be Destiny or Genesis, however that is all very new to me, and yeah, I in all probability do want to soak up some ambient Destiny and Genesis and all the remainder that I would discover later, littered all over the world.”

“You Siphoned Malevolence, proper?” Solomon requested, “Are you able to do Malevolence?”

“Ha!” Erick smiled. “You realize? I by no means even tried, and I’m going to maintain it that approach.”

Solomon smiled. “Yeah. Me, too. Strive the ambient assortment resolution.”

Erick made a tube of ambient Benevolence within the air, holding it on the backside together with his gripped hand. It was an upside-down [Renew] ring, with Erick’s gripped hand on the opening.

Erick flooded the tube towards the correct with Benevolence. White lightning-light rushed out in that course, quickly turning into nothing greater than invisible, ‘useless’ mana, because it swam across the tube towards the highest after which across the different aspect. This prompted a rise in mana strain within the tube, as a result of Erick was each in full management of the tube and he had a variety of mana to push.

He tried opening his soul on the opposite aspect of the tube.

… And nothing occurred because the tube full of denser and denser mana. Only some seconds handed, and the tube quickly crystallized, , in full defiance of the Script’s management over the land and this house. An excessive amount of mana from Wizards kinda did that. Erick launched the house and the mana crystal quickly vanished, for the Script had taken over once more, although it by no means actually stopped.

So there have been some issues.

Erick instructed, “Let’s go into the dungeon? You possibly can flip down the ambient mana in there?”

Solomon mentioned, “Certain. It received’t assist, although. You probably did every thing appropriately, simply not the re-absorption half.” Solomon stood, asking, “Wish to see the Black Gate anyway? I used to be questioning for those who may assist me deliver some stuff out of it that was too large for me, however we don’t have to try this now, both.”

Erick remained seated, as a result of now he actually Checked out Solomon. “You’re not okay. What’s unsuitable?”

Solomon was about to play it off as nothing was unsuitable.

Erick waited.

After which Solomon sighed. He sat again down. “My first fuckup which prompted the entire world to show in opposition to me was the lack of the Lifeblood Coronary heart. That big mana coronary heart left me, zipped away by way of all of the adamantium shells overhead, avoiding each single one who ought to have caught it, after which went crusing into the void. Rozeta kinda hated me for that. She wasn’t the one one. It was… powerful.” He sighed, then mentioned, “Gods, it’s so bizarre to be speaking like this— I misplaced monitor of gravity! I swear I did, however the mana historical past confirmed my internal ears telling me the place gravity was, however I aimed in the other way for some silly fucking purpose. I’d blame Malevolence, since that’s so modern lately, however I fucked up one way or the other and I do not know how. However! Even the worst case state of affairs was that that silly fucking Coronary heart ought to have nonetheless been within the sky doubling everybody’s mana era for years, irrespective of the place it went… However Nothanganathor ate it, clearly. He needed to have. Just about confirmed-without-confirming.”

Lots of people after they poured their hearts out solely needed somebody to vent to; somebody to hear.

Solomon needed options, and he needed Erick to have these options.

“Wish to make a brand new Coronary heart?” Erick requested, utterly severe.

Solomon’s unhealthy temper evaporated. “Sure. I do wish to make a brand new Coronary heart. I hoped that with you right here, that you just and I can work collectively to pluck it out of the Darkish, despite the fact that it’s already gone. I attempted for a protracted whereas to search out it once more alone, however… You know the way you suspected that we have been solely ever going to get one probability with a variety of issues we take from there? That turned out to be true, and the Coronary heart was a kind of.”

Erick mentioned, “I used to be pondering we may do one thing with the Awakening Machine stuff, really; we are able to go away the outdated options previously. You know the way the Lifeblood Coronary heart doubled everybody’s mana manufacturing inside a number of mild years of distance? The Awakening Machine turns a 1-mana-per-day individual right into a 50-MPD individual. No matter is happening there may be among the similar form of factor, however the scale is clearly utterly completely different. Maybe too completely different? I don’t know. The Awakening Machine is nice for low-level individuals, however the Coronary heart is unbelievable for top ranges and on a vastly elevated scale.”

Erick let his phrases hold on the market.

And Solomon had a variety of sudden ideas, chaining off of one another. Erick couldn’t learn his thoughts, however he may see Solomon pondering deeply. One thing flickered within the man’s physique, in his very soul, like a wave of invisibility sweeping by way of the clouds of Solomon’s being. Erick doubted that Solomon seen, as a result of the Script obscured that form of factor. Erick seen it. It was the circulate of resons in an individual; a golden mild that was obscured.

Erick realized one thing himself, in that second, about Truths and function and the multiplication of mana manufacturing attributable to higher futures, and puzzled if Solomon would share in his realization.

The Awakening Machine was an act of Authority demanding the waking of prospects of a greater future. This act prompted mana manufacturing to rise. It did greater than that, although. The Awakening Machine additionally helped improve reson manufacturing. All magic was linked, in spite of everything; even the magics of various universes.

That was why the individuals on the Awakening Machine Analysis Heart have been having such problem understanding it.

Erick was beginning to suspect that there was no understanding it. It was magic. Sure, individuals could be devoting a variety of effort and time into learning all of it, and there have been seemingly some underlying rules they might uncover other than the nebulous factor that the Awakening Machine ‘woke up somebody to the chances of Extra’. Nevertheless it was like a basic precept of the universe; previous a sure level, issues simply labored that approach.

Erick grinned that thought.

… After which he thought extra.

Maybe the underlying fact of the Awakening Machine and the Lifeblood Coronary heart was really rooted in Wizardry and Authority; that issues labored how they labored as a result of individuals determined they labored that approach—

Ah.

… Was the Lifeblood Coronary heart, maybe, the failed Ascension of a Creation Wizard?

Possibly a useless god?

Or slightly, was the unique Lifeblood Coronary heart any of these issues?

Melemizargo had spoken concerning the nature of the Lifeblood Coronary heart earlier than, but it surely was the form of clarification that Shadow had given about ‘what’s the Darkish Mark’; ‘It’s a factor that does a factor, Erick. What extra do it is advisable to know?’ Clearly neither of them had spoken precisely like that, however that was the gist of all of it. Melemizargo by no means bullshitted something, however he was a god, and he most popular giving individuals hints about deep truths, in order that they might uncover these truths on their very own. Shadow did the identical.

The very fact was that the Lifeblood Coronary heart had been part of the Darkish and Melemizargo till it had been liberated from the Black Gate, within the dungeon down on the backside of Solomon’s Black Fort. Every part that had come out of the dungeons was like that. Had been all these issues taken from the Darkish the unique factor? Not likely, and but they have been. Did they operate the identical as they ‘used to operate’? Additionally sure.

How?

Properly.

That’s the place Wizardry occurred.

Erick was reminded of the infinite density mana crystals of the Glittering Depths, upon which he had primarily based his personal Ascension to Wizardry.

When the individuals of Greensoil have been making that Grand Dungeon, and replicating these dense crystals, they have been piggybacking off of the concept of infinite depth crystals that have been first made within the Previous Cosmology. On that authentic world the place the mana-diamonds got here to be, the creation of the infinitely dense crystal had first required that somebody have that concept, after which make that concept occur. Actually make it occur, too. As soon as the unique thought had occurred, there was a shift within the native manasphere which made it simpler to copy the ‘impossibility’ of the unique creation.

Just like the world had discovered one thing new.

Just like the introduction of Renew to Veird, or Particle Physics to Earth, or any variety of different massive inventive occasions. ‘The world’ had discovered one thing new.

Solomon was studying one thing new proper now.

Erick felt like he was studying one thing new, too, but it surely wasn’t concerning the Lifeblood Coronary heart, or mana creation. It was about Paradox, and Benevolence, and Renew, and Genesis. However largely about this ambient-mana-thing that his Genesis-conversation had was.

Erick wasn’t positive when it had occurred, however abruptly—

Erick spoke, “I’m—”

“I want—” Solomon began proper with Erick.

“Go forward.”

“You first.”

Erick quickly mentioned, “I must go mess around with some spellwork, now.”

“Me, too.” Solomon requested, “Catch you round in an hour?”

“Possibly a little bit longer.”