World Seal, Ch 14: Silver Lord (Patreon)

In the Void

Sam looked down at his palm, where three crystal vials of blood had just appeared. They glimmered with starlight from the transfer.  He examined them for a moment to confirm his avatar’s findings and then tucked them away.

Ahead of him, Silverguard glowed in the reflected light of the stars and its enchantments, which made the massive island look like an enormous palace set among the dark.

The bottom half of the island was dark and jagged rock, while the upper half was covered in buildings, towers, and open plazas. Massive walls ringed the edge, creating a circular defense, while the rest of the fortress rose in tiers beyond it.

As he looked around, he could see new enchantments where the avatars he’d set to watch it had been busy. There were only a couple of areas left to finish.

A moment later, the Silver Army materialized out of the Void behind him, carried on a wave of starlight. Soon, they landed on Silverguard and gathered in a plaza, looking up at Sam.

“My lord, we are prepared,” Sleset’s hiss rang out across the distance as he saluted. Behind him, three hundred Silver Nagas did the same.

Their scales burned brilliantly with the force of retained experience, making the space around them ripple in response. It was nascent dimensional energy, waiting for their choices.

“Then let us begin.” Sam’s command echoed across the Void as he nodded to them. A wave of his hand sent a silver shield across the sky, sealing off Silverguard from outside forces. “Make your choices. It is time to Evolve.”

He poured astral energy into the Titan Star and connected it to the Path of Stars. Then he passed that link to the enchantments of Silverguard, which glowed more brightly as they began to maintain it.

A vast and distant presence appeared, weighing down on the fortress, and a faint image of the Will of the Path appeared in the Void. His horns stretched up beyond the towers of Silverguard.

When he saw all the nagas gathered below, a smile creased his features. He already knew what was going on.

Let us begin, he confirmed. He raised his hand and a wave of three hundred stars fell from the Void, one of them heading for each of the Silver Nagas.

Hisses of eagerness rose to meet the stars, and soon all the nagas were covered in a glowing silver dome as they began their Fourth Evolution. From their perspective, a long time might pass, but on the outside, it wouldn’t be long at all.

Sam sensed the flow of energy that was maintaining the connection, and then he nodded in approval.

There was a massive amount of energy gathered in Silverguard, both mana and essence that he’d stored here, and the enchantments were constantly gathering more from the Void. The connection to the Path was expensive, but the fortress could handle it.

Then he turned his attention to the pressure of experience and essence that was gathered all around him, compressed near his skin like a layer of liquid starlight. He’d already absorbed most of it while hunting, but the final bit was waiting.

With the nagas taken care of, now it was time for his own Evolution. He nodded to the Will of the Path and then he focused on it.

All of the notifications that he’d received while hunting came together at once, streaming through his mind as he let the Titan Star summarize them.

Congratulations, Lord of Silver Stars.

You are now Level 399.

You gain 120 Strength, 120 Constitution, 60 Agility, 60 Wisdom, 600 Intelligence, 600 Aura, 240 Charisma, and have 24 free attribute points to spend.

Then the result of all his ability practice while hunting poured in.

Astral Binding has gained four tiers and is now Epic.

Astral Focus has gained a tier and is now Heroic.

Astral Strike has gained a tier and is now Heroic.

The advantage from reaching Heroic in Aura of Astral Flame was making itself known. It was easier for the rest of his abilities to reach that tier on their own now, without the World Core’s assistance.

For Astral Focus, his aura range doubled to 10 miles in the focused area and 300 miles in the wide area. It also improved in other ways as the Heroic quality infused it.

The burden on his mind to observe everything at once decreased by half and his precision with controlling his aura and perception leapt upward. The energies of the Void also became more distinct, making it easier for him to comprehend their movements.

For Astral Strike, the core of the ability’s power and efficiency doubled and his ability to merge attacks from his main body and avatars became instinctive.

It was similar to what he’d done when he merged the strikes of five avatars to destroy the Hastern residence, and it created a natural sub-ability called Astral Bombardment.

As the power of the new tiers settled in, the Titan Star continued with its announcements.

You have gained 3,103,090 essence.

Essence Constellation (Third Star): 9,763,420 / 10,000,000.

You gain 4433 Strength, 5172 Constitution, 1293 Agility, 7758 Intelligence, and 7758 Aura.

He’d gained a lot of experience and essence both, especially from the Fifth Evolution leaders of those mantises and beetles. He stopped the notifications for a moment as he checked the increase to his attributes and confirmed what he could already feel.

STR: 28, 118

CON: 32,099

AGI: 9,720

WIS: 3541

INT: 50,969

AUR: 50,969

CHA: 3861

His Constitution had just passed 30,000, and his Intelligence and Aura had passed 50,000. Both of those were landmarks.

You have unlocked the Racial Ability: Enduring Star (30,000 Constitution).

[Your energy shines like a star in the Void. Your Physique of the Stars has evolved. You gain increased resistance to elemental and dimensional damage, your speed of regeneration improves, and your connection to the stars is stronger than ever. Regeneration no longer requires direct starlight.]

You have unlocked the Racial Ability: Void Mind (50,000 Intelligence).

[Few can sway the mind of a Titan. Your thoughts are attuned to the Void, which is singular and infinite, and as a result you have become immune to nearly all mind-altering effects, whether they are from opponents or dimensional changes. Your ability to comprehend the primal nature of the Void has increased.]

You have unlocked the Racial Ability: Singularity (50,000 Aura).

[Your power as a Titan radiates from you like starlight and is not limited by your physical form. Your body and your aura are one. Anything within your aura will be affected as if it is in your hands and is subject to the full force of your strength. You can manipulate this force to suppress enemies or support allies.]

He didn’t need the descriptions to have an innate understanding of the new abilities. He could feel the increased durability of his body, as well as the new awareness of everything around him.

Singularity was more complex than the description suggested. Astral Titans were born as stars and the aura ability was a reminder of that. It was related to his Strength of the Sun racial ability, and an indication that his physical nature was one with his essence.

Effectively, it meant he could touch anything within three hundred miles of him, whether it was working with it as a tool or attacking it. As long as it was within his aura, the distance didn’t matter at all.

It was almost like saying his true body was three hundred miles across. That wasn’t as large as the Vos’Rekan he’d fought, but it was getting there.

As for Void Mind, that one was about to be very useful, since he would need it to help him comprehend a Law of the Void. He was just a sliver of essence away from the Fourth Star now.

His avatars would be able to collect that in no time.

He checked over the rest of the changes and noted that his height had increased to 488 feet now, with another 48 feet for his horns. He towered over the walls of Silverguard, taller than even the main tower at the center where the Astral Guardian’s life gem was glowing.

He let himself drop back down to a more familiar height and then he spent a few minutes creating two new avatars. The increase at 45,000 and 50,000 Intelligence made it possible to have nine of them now.

As soon as they were ready, he handed them some clothes and then they disappeared in streaks of silver light toward Aster Fall.

Those two would be the first to explore the Seal.

Soon enough, he would work on changing out the rest of his avatars, making them all as strong as possible. It wouldn’t take long.

The one that was heading into the distant Void would take a little more effort, but he could send a replacement out to reach it and then have it dissipate back into starlight. That would let him create a new one here.

For that one, he could also make it at his full strength, even after he reached the Fourth Evolution. It was only the ones on Aster Fall that he had to be careful about.

WIth that on his mind, he glanced at the army of Silver Nagas in front of him and then he turned his attention to the last notification that the Titan Star had for him.

Congratulations, Lord of Silver Stars. You have sufficient experience to reach Level 400.

You meet the requirements for the Fourth Evolution.

Evolutionary Node detected.

Connection to the Path of Stars confirmed.

Do you wish to Evolve here?

He checked everything to make sure he’d made the necessary arrangements, looking one last time around the area. His gaze again settled on the Silver Nagas.

They had all returned here to evolve together, in one great moment of their history, in step with their Oathlord. Now that they had begun, only he was left.

There was no way he would let them down. There were two avatars on Silverguard who could act as guards, and the Will of the Path was also here.

Even with only a fragment of its power channeled through the enchantments on the fortress, it was enough to handle most things.

It was time.

With his nod of approval, the world disappeared.

***

Silver stars burned in the Void, stretching out endlessly into the dark. There was nothing else except for their light. Astral energy burned from each star, creating pathways in the night.

Then multicolored light sprang up between the stars, washing through everything in great tides, and elemental winds began to blow from one side of the Void to the other, giving rise to massive changes as life and new power arose.

Dimensional energy followed, swelling upward in waves and twists of its own, sometimes merging with the elemental energy and sometimes not as it added its own layers to the Void, making what had been flat into something more.

Then as all the energies merged together, everything froze.

Within that dark and brilliant Void, Sam appeared, standing on nothingness as he looked around. Slowly, his awareness stretched out, becoming more as he studied the changes around him and understood how they came to be.

Except for his thoughts, everything was still.

It was a moment of choice. Whatever he decided here would change the course of this Void, recreating it in a new image

His new class.

As he gathered his thoughts, the Void waited. Everything here was his own power, waiting for his decision.

He had met Asenya for his earlier Evolutions, but this time she didn’t appear. Neither did the Will of the Path. The Fourth Evolution was different from the earlier ones. A guide was important for those.

This time, it was only him.

The choice he made here was what mattered. After he made it, the Path could step in to help him create abilities, but until then, he had to decide on his concept, which would be the foundation for his Fourth Evolution.

Technically he could choose anything, but it wasn’t that simple. The concept wouldn’t work if he didn’t understand it. More than that, he had to be able to create it with his current abilities.

It was a culmination of everything he knew and understood up to that point, like a test to create a better version of himself and then to refine everything else he was around it.

Since he wanted to upgrade his current class and keep the Lord tier path that he was on, it had to be something that raised it to a new level.

He had considered Rune Formation, Spell Forging, various aura and essence abilities, some of his racial traits, and more. All of them had enough depth that he could create a viable concept out of them, and his battles against Fourth and Fifth Evolution enemies had given him some insights into what those concepts would be like.

He was searching for unending strength, power that constantly regenerated itself and moved forward. He’d faced the Vos’Rekan’s voidflame and dimensional barrier, and he knew the depths of power it held, as well as the devourer’s massive endurance.

To kill it, he needed to be even stronger and more enduring.

To truly be the Lord of Silver Stars who could command the Void.

He’d thought long and hard about what to choose, but at the end of the day, the stars all spoke in the same voice, one that resonated with the history of the Astral Titans, his class, and his need for strength.

He began with the image of endless silver flames spreading through the Void, which was still vibrant in his mind, but that was only the initial form. It was based on his innate Aura of Astral Flame.

One by one, he began to merge his abilities into it.

As he did, it grew.

He started with the aura abilities that were the original foundation of Battlefield Reclaimer, identifying auras and reclaiming them, and then he added Shatter Aura, Imbue Aura, and the rest, as well as Combust Aura from his subclass.

The silver flames rippled, changing as they gained the ability to absorb aura themselves, to intensify it, and then to combust it for growth.

By the time he was finished, the silver flames were spreading on their own through the Void around him, gathering energy from the stars as they expanded. Some of the stars were consumed by them, while others became stronger.

He studied the result and nodded. The basic principle of converting energy was there. With it as the core, his silver flames would be able to absorb external energy and claim it for themselves.

The first step was complete.

Next, he added in Elemental Mastery, which made the flames surge higher. They changed from silver to dozens of different colors, cycling through the elements. It made the flames look like a nebula full of chaos and life.

The flames gained the ability to change from one element to another, to channel natural forces, and to condense from energy into solid material. Then they returned to bright silver.

After that came Modify Aura, which helped the stars change the energy they absorbed into their own form, and then he added Aura Regeneration, which sent a wave of growth through the flames as they became brighter and spread faster.

Next, he infused Spell Forging, and the flames began to change shape, twisting into runes that burned between the stars, and then Astral Construct, which made the runes change into interlocking enchantments that began to move on their own.

He clenched his hand, which caused the symbols to merge back into the flames. With those abilities infused into the flames, there was a good chance he could create constructs from pure astral energy in the future, something partway between an elemental and a golem.

Then he fused in Astral Fire, which sent a wave of silver heat through the flames, and Astral Ice, which turned the flames cold. With both of them there, it felt like the Void was burning with two sides, one hot and one cold.

It made it easier to define the edges of the flame, letting him draw in the cold energy outside to intensify the heat.

There was still more to add from his main class, but he held off as he turned his attention to his subclass abilities, which had served him so well. Normally, a Fourth Evolution wouldn’t have subclass traits in it, but his were critical to completing this concept.

He’d already added Combust Aura, so now it was time to add the rest.

He began with Astral Focus, which gave the silver flames an awareness of what was around them, and then Astral Strike, which made streaks of flame gather together and bolt through the Void like meteors.

Essence Shield was next, which made the flames harden into barriers before they returned to spreading across the Void.

Then he added Astral Passage, which made the flames leap as they began to twist in on themselves. Waves of flame disappeared from one area and appeared in another, transferring freely through his aura.

Then together he added Avatar of the Stars and Form of Astral Flame, which made copies of himself appear in the flames, rising and disappearing again. Stars burned among the flames, each a copy of him.

The avatars merged into the flames and disappeared, and then appeared again somewhere else as they teleported around the region. They resembled fire sprites, their bodies made of flame and runes.

The Blessing of Silver Stars followed, sending a wave of astral energy cascading through the flames that enhanced them, making every edge shine more brightly. Then he merged in his profession abilities as well.

Aura Forging joined with the aura abilities that were already there, enhancing the flames’ power to shape aura, and then Elemental Smithing added the ability for the flames to upgrade themselves if they gained enough energy.

Componentless Scribe was next, granting the flames the ability to shape themselves into enchantments and scrolls that could endure on their own. The Void changed until it resembled a vast scroll parchment, with the flames the runes on the surface.

Then he added Astral Binding, which cascaded through everything like a wave of dimensional ice, sealing the flames into reality. What had seemed ephemeral and flame-like before became as solid as crystal.

The dimensional energy from that ability was key in bringing this concept to life for the Fourth Evolution, and more than that, it was a promise of what he might be able to do when he was finished.

The image of creating a spell scroll from nothing but crystallized flame and runes floated in his mind’s eye, all of it brought into reality by elemental and dimensional energy sealed together.

It might be possible to create complete artifacts like that as well, or even constructs with a wave of his hand. They would be more like elementals, really, his energy shaped into a semi-living form.

The aura and profession abilities together would give him the power to tear apart materials with his aura and then rebuild them into whatever he desired. Upgrading the quality would be possible too, as long as he had enough energy.

The Singularity racial trait he’d just gained merged into the concept next, pulling everything together into one. His mind spread through the flames, until they were all an extension of his own body. It was an additional layer of enhancement, one that fit perfectly.

Then one by one, he added in the rest of his racial traits and everything else that was part of him, even the enchantments and spell forms that were second nature.

When he was done, he stood in the Void surrounded by silver flames that spread outward. They were alive, part of his consciousness. When they touched the chaos winds, they shaped them into new forms.

Under the influence of his abilities, before long, the entire Void was filled with silver flames. The stars were still there, but they were part of the flames, polished and shining as focal points of power that supported everything.

It was done.

He studied the result, testing the endurance of the concept, and then he nodded. It was as strong as he could make it. All he had to do now was give it a name.

The concept was based around absorbing energy and changing it to his own purposes, and the name came to him easily.

Stellar Conversion.

The words echoed across the Void, making the silver flames surge and the stars shine brighter.

It was the principle of breaking down all other energy and material to create his own.

If everything worked as he hoped, his ability to fight would reach a completely new level. It was also the best weapon he could create right now against the Vos’Rekan’s devouring ability.

The next time it tried to eat him, he would tear it apart and turn it into a rug.

With a nod, he looked up at the sky, and called on the Will of the Path.

The weight of the Will’s presence filled the Void, and he felt the figure examining his concept. A pulse of approval followed. Then a massive wave of energy descended on the area.

It gathered up the entire energy of the Void and the concept he’d created and compressed it back toward him.

Time and space warped as the Void became a single point, the core of a silver star. The pressure around it forced it to become purer and stronger. Eventually, the compression reached a critical point and everything began to change.

Evolution happened in an explosion of force as the star ignited and exploded outward again. A shockwave of silver flame spread across the Void, stretching endlessly into the distance.

At the center of the star, Sam’s eyes opened as he took a breath. The flames breathed with him, rising and falling across the Void.

There were many changes, but the most significant was a new awareness of dimensional energy flowing through his aura. Silver flames surged as he breathed.

Notifications filled his mind from the Will of the Path.

Congratulations on reaching the Fourth Evolution.

You have Evolved your Class: Lord of Silver Stars.

Do you wish to rename it?

You have two new options: Lord of Stellar Conversion and Lord of the Silver Void.

Sam tilted his head in thought. He liked the name of his old class, but the new options were interesting. Changing the name was a traditional way to mark an Evolution. He could still use the old title for dealing with people if he liked it better.

The first name came from the concept he’d created, while the second was related to how his flames spread through everything around him.

He didn’t want to name his class after just one ability, even if it was the concept he’d used, so he settled on the second.

Confirmed.

Congratulations, Lord of the Silver Void.

You have gained a new Class Ability.

Stellar Conversion (Special).

[Opposing forces are fuel to your flames. You have gained the ability to tear apart the aura, elemental, and dimensional energy of opposing forces and make their energy your own. You also gain the ability to condense your flames into physical matter, whether it is a scroll parchment or something more complex. The complexity of the item you can create relies on your Intelligence and Aura attributes.]

Lord of the Silver Void (Unique Legendary) grants +30 Strength, +30 Constitution, +20 Agility, +20 Wisdom, +100 Intelligence, +100 Aura, and +150 Charisma per level.

You continue to gain +2 free attribute points per General Level.

It was 450 attribute points per Class level, three times as many as he had received in the Third Evolution.

The increase in Charisma was the highest he could manage, but with his Blessing of Silver Stars, it would add another 75 to every attribute, effectively doubling the strength of every level with another 450 attribute points.

The force of Charisma for the class linked to the concept of Stellar Conversion, where all other energies fell under his command and became part of his aura.

The class was walking a line that was parallel in some ways to the devouring force of a Vos’Rekan, but it was much more beneficial. He wasn’t out to consume everything for his own gain, and his aura wouldn’t work that way.

He could convert energy and use it to create stronger spells and to expand his attacks, but he couldn’t simply devour things for his own growth. Instead, his new ability was a catalyst for change.

It would be useful both for fighting and for crafting.

As he considered the result, the Will of the Path continued with the final step of his Evolution. There was still one more thing to do.

You have merged your Subclass Abilities with your Main Class, which has realigned those Abilities under your Class.

This is unusual, but not unheard of.

As a result, you have an opportunity to choose a new Subclass, even one in a different direction.

Sam stood in the Void as he listened to the Will’s explanation. Then he nodded. He knew what he needed to do with his subclass. Asenya’s workshop had given him the idea, and so had the fragment of dimensional energy she’d left behind.

A moment later, the Void rippled as a massive wave of dimensional energy flowed through it, swirling around Sam as it fused into him. He was taking advantage of his Fourth Evolution’s focus on dimensional energy to do something critical.

Thanks to Asenya, he had the perfect model.

A few moments later, the Will of the Path announced the result.

Congratulations, Lord of the Silver Void. Your Subclass has Evolved.

You have gained a new Ability.

Dimensional Stabilization (Special).

[You have gained the ability to stabilize dimensional energy, including to shape it into dimensional walls that separate realms, to create defensive shields from it, and to wield it directly as a weapon.]

The ability was more effective than anything he had before. It was this type of ability that Asenya had used to solidify that fragment of dimensional energy at her workshop.

At the Fourth Evolution, he had the ability to sense and manipulate dimensional energy to some extent, but this was different. Asenya’s personal concept was about directly using dimensional energy like it was an element, whether that was to materialize it, shape it into spells, or more.

The Dimensional Mages that he’d met so far had no chance of doing that, even his great grandmother. They studied the laws of dimensional magic to borrow some of its force to imbue it into their mana.

At best they could use that energy to teleport or to infuse a shield. For attacks, they liked to tear open spatial cracks, but all they were really doing was disrupting the dimensional energy around them a little bit.

There was an enormous difference between that and the real thing.

Asenya’s enchantment at the workshop had created a part of a dimensional wall with that silver sphere and thrown it at him. It was the same type of dimensional barrier that separated subdimensions. That type of energy was extremely powerful and it was very hard to block.

The only way to stop it directly was with a similar dimensional force or overwhelming power, like sealing an entire realm in ice until even the dimensional energy froze.

This ability wasn’t completely new to him. It was based on Astral Binding, which let him use astral energy to influence dimensional energy.

With that ability as the foundation and his new command of dimensional energy at the Fourth Evolution, he was able to create this, effectively making one of Asenya’s abilities his own.

It should help with his exploration of the World Seal and the Dimensional Convergence.

Creating a true dimensional wall took an enormous amount of energy, but with Stellar Conversion, he would be able to convert existing energy to help.

Please give your Subclass a name.

The Will of the Path’s attention was heavy on Sam as he looked up. He could see the avatar’s outline in the Void and he gave it a grin.

Guardian of Aster Fall, he said instantly. Call it the same as before.

This time, he had no intention of changing it.

Acknowledged.

With the Will of the Path’s confirmation, the energy of the Void all around Sam began to shift. They were in a separate subdimension for this Evolution, one that the Will of the Path had created to aid him, where there was nothing but him.

The dimension began to dissolve around Sam and he took the opportunity to study it with his new senses, watching the flow of energy change under the Path’s control. As the darkness turned to silver light, he glanced at his status page to confirm the changes.

Sam Hastern

Level: 400

Class: Lord of the Silver Void

Subclass: Guardian of Aster Fall

Then his attention focused on the field of Silver Nagas that was appearing in front of him, and the booming hisses of their cheers as they held witness.

Their own Evolutions radiated from their scales, making them glow like silver blades in the night, and behind them, the enchantments of Silverguard made it blaze like a primordial palace in the Void.

When Sam raised his hand to acknowledge them, the foundation of the island shook with their approval.