Wild Era 3, Ch 22: Sovereign

The Sovereign’s hall stretched out endlessly around Kelin, until it seemed like it was merging with the stars and the Void. 

It was an entire plane of existence hanging above the worlds below. 

The stars shone here with eternal light and force, as if they were always at their brightest and had become undying, and drifting strands of primordial grey mist twined between them, promising change, destruction, and the rise of new realms.

It felt like everything here had existed since the dawn of time.

His prior height at Level 699 hadn’t come close to approaching the primal energies that were present here, and even if he’d reached the Seventh Evolution, they still wouldn’t have.

This was the Sovereign of Silver Chaos’s power and the reason for his name. He was part of the primal energy of chaos itself.

Kelin let awe wash through him for a moment, but then he gathered himself and bowed to the Sovereign. 

“Hello again,” he said. He felt no urge to be too formal. There was something about the Sovereign that told him it didn’t matter.

Even when he’d followed him into battle in the past, the being had never cared about excessive formality.

“You’ve made good progress,” the Sovereign said, smiling at him. “Now that you’re at the Second Evolution, I called you here to discuss your Path and to offer what advice I can. I didn’t think it would be necessary so soon, but you’re advancing more quickly than I thought.”

“Please, speak,” Kelin said immediately. “It would be an honor.”

Whatever advice the Sovereign had for him, it was bound to be something important. A few words from him might mean the difference between a thousand years of struggle or not, or between success and disaster.

“First things first,” the Sovereign said, waving to a stone table and chairs that were nearby. “Feel free to have a seat.”

As he spoke, his voice shifted to a calmer level, one that was still powerful but no longer overwhelming. 

As Kelin took a seat and poured a goblet of golden mead for himself, they discussed a few small things, but eventually the Sovereign came back to the point. 

“Your focus on undead dungeons is fine and I approve of your desire to get revenge on the one who killed you,” he said, “but as you no doubt know, if you continue to interact with Undeath’s energy, you will eventually end up drawing either his attention or that of his lieutenants. They will also be able to draw on stronger powers to face you.”

“Like in Shadowfall,” Kelin said, nodding in agreement. “The lich there had access to Laws that were beyond his level, as well as the altars and other remnants of Undeath’s lieutenants.”

“Yes, similar to that one,” the Sovereign agreed. “If it had been a higher level True Remnant, you might have been noticed. You should be aware of this if you continue on the same path.

“For now, your presence is invisible against the background of the universe and so you are beneath his notice, but in the next Evolution or two, that might change, especially if you enter more True Remnants. 

“Because his power lingers there, he might be able to see you and to influence the Laws there, or to have one of his lieutenants act on his behalf. The stronger you become, the greater the chance will be, but as I promised, I will prevent Undeath from acting against you directly.”

The Sovereign waved his hand and images of a dozen Seventh Evolution beings appeared.

“These are some of his lieutenants,” he explained as he indicated some on one side. “You have seen a handful already. Since you are set on this course, you should know who they are.”

Kelin recognized the Lord of Decay and then the Lords of Bone, Fear, and Silence, which had all left murals in the Shadowfall dungeon. Beside them were many others that were new to him, but each of them had a unique presence that filled his awareness.  

Now that he’d seen them, he wouldn’t forget.

“However,” the Sovereign continued, “meeting them would also present an opportunity for you.” 

He paused and a dangerous smile flickered across his features, one that promised a fight and destruction. He raised a golden hand to point at Kelin, looking serious.

“I can see the Path you’ve created so far and your focus on positive energy and rebirth,” he said. “You’ve been working on a Law of Life with your current focus, but if you want to master Reincarnation, you are going to need the other half.”

“A Law of Death,” Kelin said, his tone becoming just as serious. 

He knew where the Sovereign was going with this. It was something he’d been thinking about as well.

“Yes,” the Sovereign said. “You will need Life and Death together, as well as a transition element, to create something like a Flame of Rebirth.”

“You’re suggesting that I fight even more directly against undead dungeons and try to seek out Undeath’s lieutenants?” Kelin said as he put it together. “And learn or absorb the Laws of Death from them?”

“At least one Law of Death,” the Sovereign corrected. “Or rather, a fragment of a Law, not the full thing. That would be too much. A fragment that empowers a Heroic Ability would be enough for you to weave into your own Concept at the Fourth Evolution. 

“I can’t tell you which one will work for you, but I can see that you’ll need one eventually. Otherwise, your Law of Reincarnation will not have the necessary foundation. True Remnants and other powerful undead dungeons will offer you the best opportunity to acquire one.”

Kelin nodded. 

He had been thinking for a while about how to create a proper foundation for Reincarnation. He hadn’t been sure he needed a Law of Death, but if the Sovereign was telling him about it, then it was probably true.

He would have to get something and infuse it into his Evolutions, like he was doing with his current Law fragments, so that it could become part of the foundation for his Concept.

He had been debating if Wildfire could serve as the destructive element at the center, but it seemed that it wouldn’t be enough. While it was transformative and deadly, it wasn’t a Law of Death.

He would need something that could bridge the other side of death and return again.

“I think that’s enough of a hint for now,” the Sovereign said, chuckling. “I don’t want to have too much influence over your choices. Do you have any other questions while you’re here?”

The last time they’d met, Kelin hadn’t had an opportunity to ask one of the most important questions he had, but this time he was ready.

“Were there any other survivors of Irian?” he asked immediately. “And are any besides me still alive, or their descendants? Is there anyone who studies Irian Mana Weaving?”

In his past life, he had asked the Path of Stars this question many times, and with his rank as an Archduke he had received just as many answers, but there was a vast difference between his ability to discover information and the Sovereign’s.

It was worth asking again.

The Sovereign studied him for a moment and then slowly shook his head.

“Yes and no,” he said. “There are some descendants of Irian who still live, but their blood has just as much of a connection to other worlds, from marriage and dispersion. 

“As for true mages of Irian, there are none now but you and your apprentices. When Irian fell, there were forty-three of its mages scattered across the galaxy. Most of you threw yourselves into the war, either fighting directly or crafting armaments and teaching students, but of that number, you are the only one who survived for longer than five centuries. 

“Of those forty-three, you were the most advanced with Irian Mana Weaving. A few remnants of it exist in the techniques that the others passed down to their students and successors, but not the original art. 

“Most of them believed that it was too peaceful for war and chose to modify it, no longer adhering to the core techniques. Their variants became other forms of mana channeling and manipulation with several branches that eventually blended in with the techniques of other schools.”

Kelin clenched his hands on top of the table and bowed his head as he closed his eyes.

The answer was the same as what the Path had always given him, but more complete.

He had always held out hope, but he knew how devastating the destruction of the world had been and how few had been away when it happened.

It was no surprise to him that most of them had turned their attention to combat techniques. 

He had done the same for a long while.

It was only in the later years that he had turned his focus to rebuilding what was rather than avenging it.

The Sovereign gave him a sympathetic look.

“Even as a Sovereign, it is not always wise to recreate the past,” he said. “All we can do is go forward in time. You and your apprentices are a new beginning, as is the academy you are building.”

“I understand,” Kelin said quietly. 

“Any other questions?” the Sovereign asked.

“A few smaller ones,” he said as he gathered himself.

For a little while, he asked about the state of the war, Undeath’s forces, and other details, all of which the Sovereign freely answered.

Eventually, their meeting drew to a close.

“Congratulations on your advancement,” the Sovereign said at the end. “Before you go, there is one other thing I promised you.”

There was a wave of energy from the Sovereign that encompassed Kelin and traveled into the stars.

The Voice of the Path spoke in his mind.

Your Rank with the Path has improved. 

You have been promoted.

You are now a Knight Commander of the Path. 

Your authority has increased. 

You may now call upon other Knights of the Path to assist you should you need their aid.

Kelin was surprised for a moment as he took in the notification.

Knight Commander was a rare rank. It was parallel in authority to Baron and Platinum Rank, but usually reserved for the Army of Silver Stars.

He had imagined Baron would be next, but he understood why the Sovereign had given him this one instead. It was more useful in some ways. With this rank, his status among the followers of the Silver Lord would be quickly recognized.

He didn’t think there were any other Knights around Lareth to call on, but that might not always be the case.

He stood and bowed to the Sovereign, who inclined his head.

“Farewell, Kelin Wildfire,” the Sovereign said. “I look forward to your next Evolution. May you rise to walk among the stars.”

Then the world dissolved into starlight and Kelin found himself standing in the behemoth’s cave again. A shimmer of silver light faded from around him as the energy of his Evolution dispersed into the world.

Exactly an hour had passed.

The first thing he did was check on Gaius, who had just completed his own Evolution. The elemental’s presence was stronger than ever.

At his request, Gaius formed out of the earth and rose into sight, showing off the changes. He had been twelve feet tall, but now he was three feet taller and a foot broader at the shoulder. 

He radiated a dense Earthen mana field that pressed on the world around him. It had the feeling of an avalanche and crushing rock. If anyone entered it, they would feel the weight of a mountain on top of them.

Kelin analyzed him.

Gaius. Earth Elemental (Adult). Level 200.

Racial Evolution Available: (Runic) Silverflame Earth Elemental.  

Evolution Progress: 9%.

Current Form: 73,000 lbs, 15 feet tall, 7 feet broad at the shoulder.

He had gained a lot of weight and was stronger than before, but his weight fluctuated depending on the form he took. Sometimes, he was a pure spirit of Earth and completely immaterial.

When he took on a physical form, this was his most comfortable arrangement, but he could change it at need.

He still needed a lot of runic silverflame ore to complete his racial Evolution. 

Kelin had been giving him any magical ores they found, but the conversion to silverflame ore was slow. They would either have to find a vein of it or get a lot more high-quality ore to take its place.

Gaius rumbled in amusement as he flexed his mana field and showed off what he could do. The earth around him trembled as it bent in response.

“A good improvement," Kelin said with a chuckle. Then he pointed at the shipwreck where the behemoth had been.  “I think there might be some metals for you to convert over there. I can sense some mana concentrations. It looks like the behemoth had a treasure pile.”

His senses had improved with his Evolution and the mana signatures were as clear as day.

Gaius rumbled in agreement and a circular platform of stone rose up from the ground below him and Kelin. Then the two of them began to slide across the earth, riding it like a wave toward the ship.

The shipwreck had several chests of treasure left behind by the behemoth, as well as piles of random metals, twisted weapons, and other things.

It didn’t take them long to loot everything they found.

Gaius absorbed all of the spare metal and began converting it to silverflame ore, while Kelin stored away the rest of the treasure.

It was a decent haul of several thousand gold coins, some piles of silver, and a few gems, mana crystals, and enchanted items. There were even some elemental crystals and a scattering of Dark and Ice-aligned monster cores.

The behemoth had probably collected some of it from adventurers it killed, while other parts came naturally from the dungeon.

The Path had also given him a bit over 400 gold and 800 guild credits for completing the dungeon, which put his wealth at around 57,000 gold, not counting the new materials.

He would need to use some of it to improve his gear for the Second Evolution, but that was a relatively simple upgrade and he’d already bought most of the materials.

Once they were finished collecting everything, he stored away the remains of the behemoth, since it would be useful for the elemental energy in its eyes and blood. Its scales and the rest of it could be sold at the guild.

Then he headed toward the dungeon portal.

The silver-black of starlight and darkness passed over him and then he was on the other side, once again on the cliff near the ocean.

The sunlight was brilliant and the waves sparkled with a cerulean majesty, while the sound of the surf crashing against the shore filled the air. Bird calls and other sounds of life filled the area, things that had been absent inside the dungeon.

He drew in a deep breath, tasting the salt and the sunlight, and then he levitated to the top of the cliff, where he found a good spot to sit.

After resting for a little while, he began practicing with his new abilities, Soul Sage and Mystic Renewal, as well as familiarizing himself with his mana field.

He also began studying the two new Soulfire runes that had become available to him.

Now that he was at the Second Evolution, it was about time to leave the resort and investigate Sarathia, as well as to complete the quest that the Path had given him to investigate the origin of negative classes there.

But first he was going to clean up a few things, starting with those pirates at the resort.

From time to time, he’d sensed a flare of darker energy among that group, something that reminded him of the undead and the assassins he’d met before. 

There was a good chance they were connected.

Sarathia had a wide net across other countries and the Ocean of Storms was a powerful resource. He wouldn’t be surprised if the pirates were working for them.

The question was what they were planning.

He could tell they’d been sending messages back and forth to someone and the frequency had been increasing as the weeks went by. The last time he’d been back, it had been almost twice a day.

He had a feeling things were about to come to a head.