Spellheart 9: Chapter 58 (Patreon)

I wasn’t able to boost any of the existing Sorcerers all the way to Demigod, but I was able to give them years of improvements in a single night. Tivana would catch up to her mother soon, and the others weren’t far behind her.

Before last night, the Hearthwood was a continental power with the strength to reshape the fate of nations. But now, we were well on our way to becoming a planetary power whose grip could span the entire World of Sanctuary and Serenity.

I was pleased with that because we might very well be stepping into that arena with the move I was about to make.

"I have one last surprise for all of you. Turns out I've got a new trick at my disposal..." I turned my attention to the menu before me.

Allocate Points to be spent on follower Spells and Techniques?

I shifted fifty thousand points over for my matriarchs to spend. They were worth it.

"T-Theo, is this what I think it is?" Tivana asked, voice full of awe.

I flashed her a smile. "Probably. Surprise! Pick from the library provided and grab a few new spells. Make sure to pick up something that'll be useful for space travel. I recommend everyone grab a shield spell and a way to move without touching anything."

Tivana's eyes went distant, already reading through the lists of spells before her. The others shared the same look.

"Theo! This is amazing!" Sava gushed. "There's so many abilities to choose from. All we have to do is select one and we can learn it instantly?"

"It feels like a bit of a cheat..." Illiel muttered. Assyrus nodded in agreement.

"Hooray for cheating!" Eltiana said as she tapped her finger against the menu. "Ow! I feel like somebody just jabbed a dagger in my skull!"

I chuckled. "You'll get used to it."

Eltiana flopped over, but she rose again a few seconds later with a grin on her face.

"My first Sorcerer spell..." she cackled. "With this power, I can do whatever I want! And anybody trying to catch me can kiss my ass as I flee through anything, even space!"

I shook my head, not sure what ability Eltiana had picked up, but knowing it would make her even more of a handful than she already was.

"Congratulations, Eltiana. Now, the rest of you. Make your selections and get to know your new abilities. The Training Grounds should be upgraded and available to you."

I figured they didn't need me for this, so I left everyone to recover in the Cultivation Chamber and exited early to check in with Mac.

“How are we doing for time?” I asked.

[Your friends, Sam and Dean, have retrieved all four Satyr Prisoners. They are ready to go with you to the World of Woods and Wilds. We think it best to claim you are all there for a diplomatic mission and negotiate for peace. It fits with what the Satyr King knows about you and should be readily accepted.]

I nodded. “I’m fine with that. I was planning something more clandestine, but that was before I knew I’d have a backup. It’s a good plan. Make arrangements and preparations on my behalf. While returning their lost Demigods will be the main gift, I’m sure we can scrounge up some nice-looking presents for the Satyr King to make the ploy look nice. I will be elsewhere for a bit.”

[Where will you be going?]

I chuckled. “Oh, you know me. People to save. Women to meet. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I waved Mac off and then dove into the nearest ley line. Before, I’d been reluctant to travel far within one. But after recombining with my missing soul fragment, my mind and will felt stronger than it had before.

The call of the earth was as strong as ever, but my doppelganger had been an earth elemental for a time. Now, I had the distinct impression that even if I let it claim me, my will was strong enough to tear its way free, given time.

So I traveled through the ley line all the way to the little valley village my doppelganger had made far off in the mountains. I had a promise to keep to the people there. It may not have been my words that spoke the promise, but I still knew I owed them the safety I’d promised.

My doppelganger had it in his head that he could bring them into the Devilbeast Wilds after he cleared them of all monsters. But the Devilbeast Wilds were no more. Thankfully, the Hearthwood had plenty of room these days since, combined with the Devilbeast Wilds had more than doubled the land mass we directly controlled.

The Hearthwood Forest was too big for the city, so a few minor towns and villages would do us good. Most of the settlements were concentrated around the Hearthwood’s southern end. I figured the northern side would be quiet and out of the way enough for these frightened valley folk. Given what they’d gone through, they were likely terrified of outsiders. I had the perfect place for them.

***

I emerged from the ley line in a small enclosed valley. It was exactly where my memories told me it should be. Hidden by towering mountains on all sides, it would be difficult to spot, even from the air.

My doppelganger had chosen this place for all the villagers he’d rescued.

I scanned for the small rock formation that designated the dungeon entrance. Already, I saw a few elves lingering outside with a cookfire. I hadn’t expected to be away for so long, and they were no doubt running low on supplies.

I saw a few of them fashioning spears, and they were likely debating whether they could risk picking over the ruins of their destroyed village. Thankfully, it wouldn’t come to that.

I jumped from where I was, traveling a full kilometer in the air before letting myself fall back to the ground in their midst. Like before, I landed gently and gracefully. A good thing, too, since the landings I used to use would probably have knocked everyone here off their feet. The strongest elf in the gathering was only a True Mage.

“Hey everybody, I’m back!” I grinned.

Everyone turned. A few pointed spears at me, and one knocked back a bow. A few others conjured balls of fire and other defenses. I expected to get hit by at least a few projectiles, but these elves had remarkable trigger discipline.

Then they noticed my cultivation, and the battle-readiness fled their gazes, completely replaced by the need to drop their weapons and fall to their knees.

“Calm down. None of that now.” I waved them all up. “I take it none of you recognize me? I’m fleshier than I was the last time you all saw me.”

“Y-you’re him? The metal man who saved us?” An elf asked hopefully.

“One and the same!” I thrust a thumb toward my chest. “How do you like the new look?” I flexed my biceps for them.

The elves looked at one another. Each of them seemed shocked and disbelieving.

“You... are a chaka now? A human? I thought you were an ancient, powerful golem?” the same elf asked.

I shook my head. “Powerful, yes. Ancient, no. What you interacted with before was a fragment of my soul possessing an adamantium skeleton. I guess you could say you’re finally meeting the real me. Rest assured, my promise of a home for you all is still good.”

“It really is you?” The elf stared at me intently.

“What? Don’t believe I’m flesh and blood? Here, give me a poke and find out for yourself.” I pulled my shirt off. Reaching the Demigod realm as a body cultivator had given me a fantastic body. Even more so than my previous enhancements had given me. I’d been waiting for an opportunity like this one to show it off.

The elf still seemed skeptical, but I moved forward in a flash and picked her up before she could so much as flinch. Her hand was on my chest before she knew it, and a blush covered her face. She still couldn’t meet my eyes, but this time, it wasn’t because of fear.

Seeing their companion unharmed, a few of the other elves darted in to run their fingers along my body as well. I chuckled and gave them another flex.

“Now, I think I have to put my shirt back on, or we’ll get nothing done!” I grinned, and the elves all chuckled. “I’m here to save you, after all.”

The elves giggled and blushed. Inwardly, I couldn’t help but feel a little smug. My doppelganger might have reached Demigod before me, but there were still things he couldn’t do.

I’d done in minutes something he hadn’t achieved even after months of contact and saving the lives of every elf here. No matter what he tried, they’d always been scared of him. Not so with me.

Normally, I would have spent a few hours talking to the elves and helping them salvage whatever was left of their belongings back in the village. Not today, though. I was going to be awfully busy today, so I needed to take care of this relatively quickly.

I had debated leaving it until after my business with the Satyr King was done, but it wouldn’t do to get into a big fight with a promise like this on my mind. So, I opted to take care of it immediately.

I opened a Pocket World Passage and directed the survivors into the Hearthwood.

“W-what is this place? I’ve never seen such shiny and well-polished walls!” An elf gasped.

“Don’t compliment the place too much. You’ll just stroke Mac’s ego!”

[You heard her. She was impressed! The cleaning drone was worth it! Now, just let me purchase ten more...] Mac’s excited voice echoed in my head.

I shook my head and led the elves outside The Wanderer. The city was still being rebuilt, but we already had shelters.

“You’ll have to take shelter here for a while. Sometime later, my daughter Comela will take you all on a tour of the northern regions of the Hearthwood. They’re sparsely populated, but still close enough that you can visit the city. Go with her and pick out a good spot for a village.” I gave them money and advice on picking up work while they were in the city. There was plenty to be had, given the reconstruction efforts.

Then I bid them goodbye and headed to my next meeting. The other person my doppelganger had promised to meet.

***

She was waiting for me where I’d first seen her, just as my memories said. The black castle looked a bit out of place, integrated into the rest of the forest. Not that it had looked normal to begin with. She stood still and silent in the empty hall, looking as still as the jade she was made from. I opened the door, and the look she gave me seemed an odd mix.

There was relief and joy in there, but it was mixed with sorrow and steely sacrifice. My heart fell in my chest. She knew what I planned to ask of her.

“Hello... Sava?” I asked, voice raised in a question. The person before me looked like Sava but wasn’t. She was made entirely of green jade carved in Sava’s image and made of a chunk of Sava’s soul stolen from her, along with a substantial portion of Sava’s cultivation. But that wasn’t her fault. It was mine, in a twisted sort of way.

Sava’s clone shook her head at my question.

“Not really,” she said, voice smooth and even. I could hardly even tell that it wasn’t the real Sava. Memories flashed in my mind. Yes, I’d spent a lot of time working on my own voice box and had some leftover materials. No wonder Jade Sava had gotten a good one right off the bat.

“Well, if it’s alright, I’ll call you Jade Sava.”

Jade Sava shrugged, eyes darting between me and the ground. “That’s fine. I take it that since you’re here, my Theo is gone?”

I waved my hand from side to side. “Not really. He and I are back together again. I remember making you. And at the same time, I remember the past year spent with your original as well. So I’m both.”

“I don’t believe you,” Jade Sava scowled. Her face really was impeccably sculpted. I had expected something more akin to the adamantium skeleton my doppelganger had used. Sava's body was crafted less for battle and more for appearances. She really was perfect for the job of tricking the Satyr King.

“You should believe. I’m a whole man once more. For the first time in a long time, actually. And I can prove it with the favor I’m about to ask. I suspect you know what it is.”

Jade Sava lowered her gaze. “You want me as a sacrifice to save the real Sava. It’s what I was created for, after all.”

I shook my head sadly. “I’m afraid so. But I won’t force you into anything. Will you do it?”

Jade Sava’s expression tightened. “Will this truly set the real version of me from the Satyr King? Make it so he can never bother our family or the Hearthwood Clan ever again?”

I reached out and wrapped her hands in my own. “It will. If this succeeds, I promise the Satyr King will never be a problem again.”

Her expression firmed. “Then I accept. I am ready and willing to play my role.”

I ran my hand through my hair, at a loss for a moment. “Wow... that was a lot easier than I thought. I had it in my head that you’d probably say no. At the very least, I expected I’d need to convince you. You’re a lot more cooperative a clone than mine was.”

Jade Sava’s fingers curled into fists. “Oh, I’m not doing this to save my original self. I don’t care what happens to her. I’m doing this for you. And for our family. The Satyrs can’t ever be allowed to attack us again.”

I ran my hand over her sculpted jade hair. It looked like it should be at my touch, but that was an illusion. What my fingers brushed against was as hard as a stone. Just like her will and unflinching determination.

“Of that, you have my word. With your help, the Satyrs will never trouble anyone else again, and our family will flourish like never before.”