HC: Pacifist | Ch. 288 - Audience with the Emperor (Patreon)

The details of his new [Peacemonger] skill filled the previously empty page of the [Way of Peace].

Sanctuary (Epic)

Description: By your mere presence, all aggressiveness and violence are quenched. You can create zones where no damage can be dealt.

Effects:

Channel for 30 minutes to plant a flag;

The radius of the safe zone depends on the flag’s grade.

Grade: 5SP

Roth scratched his head, trying to wrap his head around the purpose of this skill. It was similar to [Peace Decree] but took much longer to channel, required a flag sacrifice, and was permanent. What was the point of it? Why would he ever want to sacrifice a flag that cost hundreds of thousands of gold to make a safe zone?

Roth remembered the ambush he’d suffered when he first logged into AstroTerra. Had there been a safe zone in the village, he would never have suffered at the hands of his former guildmates. There were also all those instances inside Hilsford when he feared he’d be hunted by Pegasus. It was common for assassinations to take place inside cities. Maybe that was the purpose of this skill: to create safe zones that would enhance other players' living quality. 

But it couldn’t be just it. Could it? What was in it for him? Roth tried comparing the skill details with the lore of the story about Fraurian. Using witt, hunger, and economy, the tribal leader united the enemy tribes under one banner. Would this skill allow him to do the same? Would he be able to unite factions? If so, how would that work? There had to be something more to this. He just wasn’t seeing it yet.

Five skill points wasn’t nothing to scoff at, but he was too curious about this skill. His gut told him that he should learn it. He bit the bullet and invested half of his recently earned skill points. Once he learned the new skill, his class’ skill tree was immediately updated. New branches and nodules appeared, including the [Sanctuary] skill.

He hurried to check the upgrades, hoping to find more clues.

Consulate (Sanctuary Upgrade)

Description: Your allies send a consul to represent them wherever you create a safe zone. The level of ambassadors depends on your relationship with each faction and your wisdom.

Cost: 3SP

Asylum (Sanctuary Upgrade)

Description: Weary travelers and races who hear of your exploits will travel far and wide, seeking solace and peace in your sanctuary.

Effects: Scales with charisma.

Cost: 3SP

Tribute (Sanctuary Upgrade)

Description: There is a price to peace. Only by chipping in a little of their strength can the sanctuary prevail.

Effects: You gain 0,1% stats of all inhabitants of your safe zones.

“Whaat?!” Thoughts raced through Roth’s mind. Finally, he could see it! Finally, he got the idea behind this class. He was supposed to create a new city! Maybe that’s why it had been so hard to start buying property in the game. The developers probably intended players to build their cities, not buy the ones already in place by the system!

The last upgrade, [Tribute], was broken. He had already felt firsthand how meaningful the bonuses from [Peace Treaty] were. If he could bolster those bonuses further by getting hundreds or thousands of inhabitants to live inside his safe zone, his strength would soar to new heights.

He still had many questions, though. Could he create a safe zone anywhere? Could he just plant a flag inside an existing city, for example, and start benefiting from these bonuses right away? Or would the system require him to look for a deserted location to do so? Was the safe zone indestructible? Was it impossible for enemies to destroy his flag, for example? 

He would find out those answers soon. The important thing was that he now had a clear path ahead of him. He could finally see how he would grow stronger than everyone else. There would be time to investigate the effects of [Sanctuary] later. For now, he had to focus on the quest at hand. 

He studied the hollow tower and found no ladder, so he began rock climbing. At first, Roth hesitated, double-checking every foothold and throwing several glances downward. However, his nervousness soon dissipated. Unlike outside the mountain, made of polished crystal, the stone here was rugged and filled with little nooks and crannies where he could fit his hand and feet. It was more demanding than scaling ladders in the sewers and trees in the forest, but it wasn’t too bad.

Additionally, he had the [Climber] and the [Triathlete] titles. He could scale the wall with hardly any energy expenditure. With each meter he climbed, the brighter the stars above him became. The slight pressure he’d felt earlier was also increasing. He was getting closer to the emperor.

As Roth kept climbing, the air began to move until he felt a breeze. He was reaching the summit. As he spotted the last stretch of the climb, he decided to make his last preparations to meet with the emperor.

Fox Form!

Roth’s mousy figure turned into the prestigious ginger form of the foxes. That would hopefully help as he met with such a lofty figure. Roth rushed the rest of the climb and was suddenly on the tower's rooftop at the mountain's summit. 

All around him were gray clouds heavy with thunder. Over it, however, was the starriest sky Roth had ever seen. It almost felt as if he was actually in space. However, his amazement at the night sky only lasted for a moment. Once his eyes spotted the flying emperor, he could see little else.

A colossal figure appeared, wings stretched, covering the sky. However, Roth could only see the crow, not hear it. His flapping wings didn’t make a sound despite their massive size. The Crow Emperor was among the largest creatures he’d seen. He was even larger than the elephant ridden by that Pegasus player. Roth wasn’t even sure he was able to see the emperor. All he saw was a starry, shiny sky and then a black silhouette in the shape of a bird covering much of it. He seemed to suck all the light around him and was the darkest thing Roth ever remembered seeing.

The Crow landed smoothly next to Roth and looked down at the new arrival. Roth had expected the emperor to be an even more flamboyant version of Count Crow, wearing clothes of golden thread encrusted with gemstones and sitting among a collection of disco balls; however, all he wore was a simple black jacket. The Crow’s intelligent eyes sucked all of Roth’s attention as if they were black holes.

You’re the first player to meet the Crow Emperor.

+200 reputation with all corvids;

+1 insight;

+20 darkness affinity.

“Ah. Finally. A Lightbringer,” its tino was a pleasant, smooth baritone—a definite improvement over Count Crow’s shrilling voice.

Despite having charisma well over 1000, this NPC's pressure was no joke. Roth’s knees were shaking. Lin had retreated into his clothes, not daring to make a sound. “Your Highness,” Roth said, bowing. “I’ve heard so many great things about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”

The emperor nodded and, turning, began walking. Even though he didn’t say anything, Roth felt the implied invitation to follow him.

“Do you know why I asked for you, Lightbringer?” the emperor asked as they walked along the tower's rim.

“No, Your Highness. I have no clue. From what I know about your people, I’m sure you’d prefer I figure it out alone. I’m sorry. I’m sure I can’t compare to you in my riddling-solving skills.”

The emperor laughed. “That’s quite alright. You did well enough following the clues in the diamonds here. This wasn’t a riddle. Just a simple question.” The crow stopped and stared at Roth. “I called you here because my people are driven by one desire: light.”

Roth frowned. Really? A creature that gave darkness affinity just from seeing it was so interested in light? The crow resumed walking.

“Surprised, Lightbringer? I’m sure you’d say the opposite of that, am I right? That we are creatures of the dark. Why else would we be completely black and choose this abyss as our dwelling? Why else would we enjoy riddles that hide obvious answers under the cloak of shadow?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Those were my thoughts,” Roth promptly admitted.

“Most misunderstand our nature. It’s the exact opposite. No one loves light more than we do.”

The emperor reached a massive object covered with a dark cloth. Roth had completely missed it. Were it not for the emperor walking straight toward it, he wouldn’t have ever known it was hidden in plain sight. That cloth had to be an item with a special stealth effect.

As the cloth fell, it revealed a tall, massive tube positioned on a dome. On a second look, it was more of a cone. Its larger end faced the heavens, while its narrower end was closer to them.

“A telescope,” Roth whispered.

“That is correct. Corvids are creatures of light! Creatures of answers! However, the best place to see light is in pitch-blackness. The best place to find answers is to surround yourself with questions. Tell me, Lightbringer, have you ever seen such a starry sky?”

Roth took in the vast expanse with twinkling dots and shook his head.

“It’s because the Abyss is so dark. It is the best location to observe the stars on the whole planet. In the city, there is far too much light.”

“I didn’t know you liked astronomy, your Highness.”

“I like whatever gets me answers,” the emperor said, looking at Roth meaningfully. “Only by finding answers can I devise more questions, which I can inscribe in diamonds as a legacy for my people.”

“What kind of answers are you looking for?” Roth asked, trying to trigger whatever dialogue would let him complete this quest.

“Existential questions. Time. Gravity. The nature of the heart. And, first and foremost, the Rain of Fire.”

Here we go, Roth thought.

“The Rain of Fire's impact on this world is undeniable. Wouldn’t you agree, Lightbringer?”

“Of course, your majesty.”

“It has shattered the power balance in the planet, the distribution of intellect, and even splintered the very forces of nature. I understand what it did and what has happened since, but the why of the event has eluded me. Why did the fire rain here? Where did it come from? Was it a cosmic accident? Or the work of intelligence? Is the splintering of reality something that should be deepened or fought? These are the questions that have brought you here.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I know nothing about the Rain of Fire. Why do you need me, your majesty?”

“Ha. We reach the crux of the matter. Why does the mighty emperor of the corvids need the help of a human lightbringer? Only by diving into darkness can one see certain aspects of light; however, other nuances in light can only be experienced if you are light. A blackhole knows things about light that light knows not and vice-versa.”

Roth blinked a few times, unable to fully comprehend the profound scientific jibber-jabber. However, something about the sentence ‘if you are light’ made him think of Bergelmir and how he’d been able to converse with him throughout the painting. “You want to use me as a time machine!”

“No, no, no,” the crow emperor said immediately. “I want you to help me capture a time machine in transit.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Look at that star over there. See the one? With the reddish hue?”

Roth tried to follow the beak of the emperor and finally found it. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“That star is 341 lightyears away. Do you understand what that means?”

“It’s quite a distance away, Your Majesty.”

“Yes. True. Good job. Most think that lightyears are a measure of time, not of space. However, if one thinks about it, they are one and the same. Anyway, I digress. You’re seeing that star as it was 341 years ago. You’re looking at the past!”

Roth tried to imagine the light of a distant star shooting out from its scorching hot surface, traveling through billions of miles at an unimaginable speed, and still taking 341 years to get to Earth. It was mind-boggling. “I see what you mean.”

“I’ve discovered a planet that is ideally placed in the galaxy. It has a highly reflective surface. Whatever transpired on Earth centuries ago has just had enough time to travel to that galaxy, hit that planet, and then travel back. However, the light is very faint. Not even my utter darkness can suck it in. That’s why you’re here. You’re going to help me see what happened centuries ago. You’re going to help me understand the Rain of Fire.”

Ch. 287 - The Great Fraurian

INDEX

Ch. 289 - Accelerate