51 Questions and Opportunities (Patreon)

The manipulation of spatial essence and the weaving of locational boundaries is an art that few will master. Indeed, those who have the proper mindset can become formidable foes or essential builders for their given civilization, and when blessed with a class corresponding to the essences and concepts corresponding to space, their potential will be amplified many-fold.

The systems themselves have an inherently invaluable relationship with space, capable of affecting the baseline state of most realms or even altering essence-modified domains by way of their reality-shaping powers.

However, for those that wish to exploit the potential of spatial magic but lack the power or perhaps the knowledge to proceed, items and artifacts can be used to reinforce these weaknesses.

Items like the spatial navigator, which will allow one to travel based on the flow of spatial essence so long as they have a critical nexus of altered space to tap into.

-Essence of Dimensionology

51

Questions and Opportunities

"So much for teaching me what it means to truly burn, huh?" Agnesia snorted a laugh as she looked down at the beaten and broken Knight of Lust.

The dragoness was healing quickly. Most of the wounds inflicted upon her body had long scabbed over. New scales were surfacing from patches of red, and every few seconds the bones within her would crackle and snap, sliding back into place. Likewise, there was a part of the Knight that would never heal—her ability to choose, her ability to self-determine—for her Will was broken, and though she whimpered and wept, it would never return.

She would never be whole again

It took little time for Wei and Roggi to arrive at the Specialization Rift. As they drew close, the young master took in the rest of his comrades using his perceptive sphere and found himself mostly pleased by their progress. 

Ellena had gained a few new levels and embarked down a path that would be most beneficial to her. More plates of armor had been added to her golden resplendent regalia, but most notable was the massive crown that rested now upon her brow. A ring of spiked tips adorned its design, and from each tip flowed trails of essence connected to her Mind, connecting her telepathically to six gold-plated Demons of Pride.

The two demonic vanguard that formed the vanguard bore shields. They, in turn, were flanked by even larger demons that wielded massive halberds, meant to sever and cut. Behind, a single demonic ballista walked on spider-like legs, forming the backline of her little army.

Ellena of Dawnrest, Patroness of Warriors (Rare) Lv. 6

Compared to her mother, Agnesia's changes were even more pronounced. Her draconic features were even stronger now, with her sporting an axe-like tail extending from the back of her body. She had also gained a full meter in height, and her eyes now blazed perpetually with flames of silver and darkness. Strangely, the scales adorning her limbs had faded, returning her appendages to a more human-like appearance. Finally, there were the massive wings of ash sprouting from behind her, and a building pressure emanating from the girl. She now looked a far cry from the scared, uncertain, but still resilient child trying to save her mother. A few short hours made all the difference in the world.

Agnesia of Dawnrest, Fury of the Everlasting Blaze (Rare) Lv. 7

Perhaps the most successful member of their group that waged this pleasure was Rafael, the lich Trespasser. Their changes were muted and subtle, but that likely benefited their class. They seemed some kind of infiltrator or assassin to Wei now, a cloak of invisibility billowed around them, masking most of their form and making Rafael seem like the floating head he had been before. However, a spiral of jade-colored masks drifted faintly around Rafael's face. Wei felt an essence radiating from each of the constructs, but was unable to fully identify it until his Enlightenment triggered.

Concept of [Deception]: Mask of the Stolen Face, allows the user to take on the physical and visual dimensions of someone they have studied extensively. Allows them to falsify essence signatures.

They frowned. It was a useful skill for the lich to have, which was exactly why the young master didn't want the lich to have it. It was troubling enough, given Rafael's mysterious past and inherent untrustworthiness, but this made them even harder to keep track of. And so, Wei resolved to keep the lich within reach of his Omniscience as long as he could, until he found a better solution to ensure his absolute loyalty. The young master considered breaking Rafael's will, but considering the hollow and unresponsive state of the night, such a thing would only make Rafael little more than a wailing burden.

Before beginning the interrogation, Wei chucked out the two bone-shaped greatswords he obtained from the Knights of Wrath. He gave those to Agnesia and Roggi and said nothing more. 

The girl at least seemed pleased, and the flames she wielded spiraled up her new blade with a cloud of billowing ash. Her control over her pyromancy had improved, to say the least. 

Dealing with the Knight thereafter, he demanded that she empty her Inventory and show him everything she had.

To his surprise, he found that she had three different potions, a single silver rapier, another set of armor, and, to his surprise and slight disgust, what looked to be three living people. One was sorted into the category of pet, while the other two were clearly marked as slaves. The items in her inventory spawned larger windows when selected, and when Wei commanded the knight to show him her newly claimed stock, she did as he asked without protest, revealing the unmoving forms of various bodies trapped in stasis.

Potion of Enlargement: Expands one’s mass by x10 and increases Aspect of Strength by 25% for 30 minutes.

Potion of Clarity: Clears one’s Aspect of Mind from outside influences and strengthens your mental state.

Potion of Accelerated Thought: Amplifies one’s Aspect of Mind by 25% for 2 hours.

Plate of the Rotting Roses: Grants the user +10 to their Constitution. Proves the user with limited Necromancy, allowing them to convene with the recently dead, wrap necrotic tissue around themselves for additional boosts to their overall Aspects, and siphon restorative energy from said corpses.

Silver Rapier of the Yearning Bloom: Class-bound item. A sharp rapier that can be recreated from any single rose petal. Recreating this rapier costs 5 [Desire] each time.

Gwen Darci (Human Pet)

Dracmor (Orc Slave)

Mat Lantern (Human Slave)

"I was trying to make a bit extra," she said, her voice a hollow whisper. "They were simply prey I caught along the way. You were the main course. You were supposed to be the main course."

Wei ignored her pathetic state and looked over the ones she captured. All of them were undressed and unharmed, and it seemed the knight took special care not to damage her newly obtained goods. Considering how she could hold people within her Inventory, Wei decided to take a closer look at her Inventory Skill Shard. As he expected, there was a modifying shard there, another fragment that further modified its full capabilities.

Inventory (Rare) [½ Modification Fragments Slotted]
>Personnel Storage: Modifies the Inventory Skill to better store living organisms and keep them in prolonged biological stasis. Warning: the organism needs to be in a dormant state. Use of spatial essence within the Inventory will cause this fragment to potentially overload.

Wei regarded his own shard thereafter.

Inventory (Common) [0/1 Modification Fragments Slotted]

A higher class rarity and more modification slots. Well. That would be remedied when Wei took the Knight’s Skill Shard. But as he directed his intent to capture the connection between the Knight's Class and its connected Skill Shard, he found himself surprised when his System failed to achieve his desired outcome.

No Concept Detected. No Target.

"What do you mean there's no target?" Wei asked.

The Skill is currently merged with the Class. The two are integrated together. The Skill must be unequipped before it can be disconnected. Presently, it is merged into the foundational structure composing the class. Applying metaphor to enhance understanding: Class is not a solid state structure. A class is a configuration that allows its user to embody and perform based under a System's design. 

This is why people have Classes such as Swordsman, which greatly enhance their ability to fight and cut using a weapon such as a sword. They can also channel additional magic and concepts through their use of a sword at a level far over what any baseline individual is capable of. As such, it is best to understand a class as a body of water or the set number of channels that form a network, allowing its user to impose their will upon reality in certain ways.

“So, the unslotted skills are in a separate configuration?”

Correct, it would only damage the System. If you wish to break the Skill.

Wei understood. Looking over the rest of the Knight's skills, the young master examined his bounty and found himself mostly unimpressed. The Knight of Lust had ten skill slots available. Only eight were filled, and most of them were esoteric skills related to manipulating minds. He already endured her Portrait of Salubrious Madness and Ballad of Desired Pain earlier when she ambushed him in the sanctuary. 

She tried using the former on him again during the fight, but he simply shattered it. And with her wings broken, she lost her channel for the latter. She also had a skill shard related to swordsmanship. Apparently, it worked like an infusion of knowledge, allowing her to fight at a preternatural level without ever truly training.

A sneer crawled across the young master's face as he regarded the knight once more. "Have you ever picked up a sword before you gained the skill?" he asked scornfully, suspecting he already knew the answer.

The knight simply shook her head. "Now it was a means to an end. I desired…I wanted to be like…like someone I admired…someone I killed."

Even devoid Will, some memories were painful for her to revisit, causing her to speak in a roundabout way. Wei considered forcing her to speak more directly but decided to let this go. It wasn't useful knowledge for him anyway, and he had little interest in understanding the knight's personal history.

Aside from her swordsmanship skill, Wei finally found the technique she used against him the most during their battles. 

Twilight of Roses (Rare) [½ Modification Fragments Slotted]: Allow the user to project essence-formed rose petals from their body. Places touched by the petals will begin growing rose bushes. These rose bushes will expand the user's Perception. These roses are considered part of the user’s being, and thus they can also use it to channel their Class skills.
>[Telekinetic Essence Shard]: The user can channel strings of telekinetic energy through their rose bushes and manipulate their surroundings. The Strength and Speed of their telekinetic tendrils are determined by their Aspects of Strength and Speed. Their telekinetic control will be determined by their Aspect of Will.

Wei regarded the Skill with fascination. Using roses to expand his Omniscience was a good capability to have. However, it was the telekinetic essence fragment that he found himself fascinated by. If nothing else, he was going to extract that and apply it to either his Essenceshift or his Lance skills to see how they would alter those designs.

“Unequip all your Skills,” Wei said.

The knight did just that, unhesitating, thoughtless. Wei's Intent finally found purchase a moment thereafter. It was like a gulf of space existed between the essence and energies composing the Knight's Class and her unallocated Skills—A separate zone of space within her. 

He struck then, and eight shards spilled free from her body, each a crystallized shard of crimson. The Knight flinched and groaned. Ellena closed her eyes and looked away, discomfort written upon her face. Wei noticed her former queen’s in his Omniscience, and almost felt ashamed. 

The Knight was beaten and broken. Of course, he intended to kill her when this was done, but he needed to take a more surgical approach. There was no point in making those who followed him feel bad as well.

Claiming her equipment and stripping her of all Skills, the young master finally prepared to begin his questioning. However, looking up, he saw Observers hovering in the distance, staring straight at him. He saw Collectors standing upon the battlements of nearby forts, their numbers replenished by the Sin-Incubators. 

It didn't seem like they were watching him, but paranoia swelled within Wei's mind. He didn't doubt that someone in these claimed hells would have the power to scry his every action.

And so, thinking back to how he managed to strike at his father, and with his mind further boosted, Wei did something uncharacteristic. He thought things through, and he considered his best course of action.

"System, can I replicate what I did against my father? Create a boundary of space between me, my companions, and the Knight."

"Yes," his System replied. "Simply focus on the Knight and those you wish to include. A liminal boundary will be created based on the properties of your Relativity: a Dimensional Boundary of around 420 meters, composed solely of Source. This effect can take function any time you have a direct point of reference to your target, such as through a pathway of essence, direct audio or visual representation, even a signal-based connection."

He nodded slowly, still not fully grasping the implications of his newfound power. It was something he needed to explore and discover with the passage of time. Tracing lines extended from the young master, connecting him with the others. Concurrently, numbers began to rise in his perception, with the effect only culminating when each value reached 100%.

At once, a shroud of darkness expanded from Wei like a growing sphere, where the boundaries of the space continued to be a patch of roiling black. The insides came alight with the purest white, wrestling and pushing against the darkened motes. Just like with the Rift, the Moongraves disappeared, Wei's aspect of omniscience became the spatial limit contained by this dimension.

His companions looked around, and Roggi let out a whistle. "Oh, this is bloody convenient. What Skill's this?"

Wei didn't answer them. Instead, he asked the Knight his first proper question. "So, you work for the Inheritors?"

"Yes," the Knight replied, not even bothering to deny anything—unable to deny anything.

"Why? Are they your masters? Are you doing this just for money? Sins?"

"It was just a contract," the Knight said, her voice hoarse. "I've worked with them before, procuring essential and specific specimens they desired. I deal in flesh and novel stock. Previously, they had me extract rare species and enlightened races from more hard-to-reach worlds. I… enjoyed it.”

"And Mepheleon allows this?" Wei asked.

The Knight's face contorted. "The Harbinger is not the sole power, even in his own domain. He is tied by various interests, playing all sides, but also being played by all sides. A great war is on the horizon, a new System War."

"System War. Over Earth?" Wei asked.

"Yes," she slurred at him, a flash of dull surprise in her eyes. "All this is for Earth. I don't know much about the world, but I know many want your System. Keter. Concept-Breaker. Rumors are already spreading across the crossroads: a new Keter system found, Fulcrum World destroyed, the last of the Fulcrum Worlds blockading the path to the Antediluvian Vault… a vault connected to a branch universe, devoid of any essence." The Knight fell silent for a moment. "Homeworld of the Trespassers. I thought it was an opportunity, another opportunity to get ahead and finally beat out my rivals… They humiliated me. They… they took my ascension… shamed me in the circle. I was… trying to rise again.”

Summoning his Compendium, Wei skimmed through the forums and found the general information provided by the Knight substantiated. He was otherwise indifferent to whatever tragedy the Knight spun of her life.

"Do you know my father?" the young master asked.

He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice but failed. He would work on that. His second attempt on his former patriarch's life had failed because he fought like a reckless child, unprepared, all intent, and no planning. These were bad habits. They needed to be rectified.

Severean stared at him for a long moment before she finally shook her head. "I have heard of the illustrious William Yu. Trespasser. Realm-toppler for hire… but I have never met him. He is associated with the Inheritors and the Circle of Envy, but also a former enforcer for the Dying Queen."

That captured Wei's attention and Ellena. "What?" the former Queen said, stepping forward in alarm. "His father was a Kindred?"

"No, not Kindred," the Knight of Lust said. "He was an ally, a mercenary, and then a traitor. He stole something from the Queen, something essential to her, gave it to the Inheritors to give them an advantage in the coming war. The action resulted in him being hunted. This is all I found out… The rest is nothing. I don't know anything at all."

Wei and Ellena stared at each other for a moment. The young master got the impression they were thinking about very different things. Turning back to the Knight, he continued his questioning.

"Do you have a contact among these Inheritors?"

"Yes. Harlon Seever. Don't know if that's his real name. Always worked with him. Thought he was boring, a prude. Wanted to make a slave of him someday. Never going to happen now…"

Wei scoffed. He couldn't have broken the Will of a better person.

However, this was something to consider. He had a name to offer the Harbinger, a name he could pursue. The Inheritors were already coming for him. It was only right that he hunt them back.

"All I know," the Knight choked out. "Told you all I know. Please. Kill. Kill me. Don't want to be like this. Don't want to feel empty. Kill…Kill…"

Wei considered this for a long moment and then shook his head. "Soon," he said. "But your use is not yet expended."

"Rafael," the young master called the lich.

The Trespasser went very still as they looked at the young master. "Yes, my friend?"

"Can you take on her identity?"

The Lich made a puckering sound. "I... her appearance, yes, but the amount of essence she has. She is a Knight, and I am just a Servant by Class Ascensions, you see."

"Then we must change that," Wei said simply. He had his own Class Ascension to handle as soon as they were done. That would take a bit of time to consider, but with the Knight broken, and a plan forming in his mind, time might be on his side once more.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Rafael said.

Wei summoned his spatial navigator and showed his companions the Artifact. "By bypassing the miserable parts of these trials, but more importantly, by hunting big game. Tell me, Knight, you use this to travel through the Moongraves without the Harbinger noticing, don't you?"

She simply nodded.

"It allows you to access any portal or spatial passageway in a network. You slip past direct transition points and choose."

Again, she just nodded.

"And you know other Knights, hunters like you."

"Yes," she replied after a long moment of hesitation. “No only Knights. Some are just… servants as well. Restrictions placed against higher Class Tiers. Can’t hide from the Harbinger as easily.”

“Good. Then, I have will more foes to wet my spear.”

A choked sound came from Knight as the young master regarded the rest of his comrades. "We have spent enough time playing to the rules. The Harbinger is missing. There are powers that wish to inflict ill things upon us, and for too long we lived as the playthings of the heavens. But the tides are changing, their attempts have failed. I think this is the moment that we should make some of our own decisions. There are other rifts in this place, rewards to claim, and the Hearted Realms to pass through thereafter.”

"So what are you proposing?" Agnesia said, looking the young master up and down with a vicious smirk. "That we skip ahead and make some more havoc of our own?"

“I am proposing that the rest of you seek different rifts and claim as many rewards as you can while I make prey of the other hunters and take more navigators from them. There are places we all need to be, and power we need to claim. Mepheleon claimed this was meant to be the Trial of Temptation. I intend to prove his desire false. I intend to make this trial one of eradication and dominance.”