Brent Stinebaker
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II-21 Manufactured Enmity
🕑 Added 2024-11-17 17:58:12 +0000 UTCGetting sued or suing someone is the most common way people transfer funds in the Claimed Hells. I’d call it laundering, except that’s the entire point. There are so many Sin transference schemes going on that it’s impossible to keep track of who’s actually on whose side or where anyone’s loyalties lie.
Which might just be the way Mepheleon likes. The bastard.
Remember: the more everyone spends clawing at each other like crabs in the bucket, the less time they have to actually eye the throne…
In a strange, fucked up way, the best base for tyranny… might just be a corrupted democracy.
-Schrödinger
II-21
Manufactured Enmity
The surface of reality fractured with a flash of celestial fire as Wei summoned his newly evolved Eidolon. Porcelain-bright lightning greeted Wei first through the crack, lashing at his wounds, sealing them closed, and rebuilding his body and armor from ruin. The Source he lost remained so, but his pain faded as an outpouring of fire recreated him, restored him to wholeness as he mediated.
Celestial ichor came next, gleaming waters spraying over Wei, nursing his exhaustion like a healing balm. After that tumbled chunks of porcelain-bright shards, carried by divine winds that trilled with a chorus of heavenly music.
Finally came the Celestial Fang, its tip emerging like a resplendent wound, gliding across existence like a teardrop. Within its edge trembled the power of destruction, of creation, wed to become deconstruction. Its shaft was akin to a fluid bolt of lightning, and its hilt was a crystalline cross of purest light.
But the new Eidolon was more than a spear. The flames that radiated from its existence traveled over Wei, superimposing themselves onto his body like a translucent shell. Fires burned around him shrouded him, observed his flesh, and threatened the surrounding matter. His very presence turned the world around him supple and malleable, like clay.
As the Instance finally collapsed, Wei found himself right outside the portal. His Omniscience greeted the world with a new extension of its senses.
It never occurred to him how fragile matter was.
It had never stood out to him so much before now.
Class: Dominator (Pride/Wrath)
Eidolon Class Specialization Level > Lv. 81
Scion of the Celestial Flame (Next Specialization Evolution at Lv. 200)
Eidolon Form Evolution: [Celestial Fang]
>Aspect Advancements Per Level: +22 Strength, +18 Speed, +14 Mind, +14 Awareness, +22 Constitution, +14 Will, +10 Free Points
Free Points: [100]
Aspects
Strength > 944
Speed > 646
Enlightenment > 629
Awareness > 642
Constitution > 545
Will > 736
Abyssal Invocations
>[Will Above All]
>[Shroud of Scorn]
>[Empyreal Wrath]
Skills [8/10]
>[Minor Bolt of Judgment]
>[Minor Tyrant’s Stand]
>[Minor Icon of Domination]
>[Essenceshift]
>[Minor Hammer of Scorn]
>[Chain of Conviction]
>[Inventory]
>[Lance of Annihilation]
Minor Concept Core of (Destruction)
Minor Concept Core of (Creation)
Minor Concept Core of (Deconstruction)
The bridge of crystalline wood he stood upon began to warp and come undone, barely able to resist his aura. New vines of wood swarmed over the bridge, sent from the base of the tower. Even then, Wei felt their fragility—knew that he could simply take these new limbs with a channeled flame.
For destruction and creation were but expressions of the same art at their base.
More than just his Specialization, though, his Aspects had also developed.
They were growing at an astronomical pace. Already, Wei felt himself a titan compared to who he was. Strength flooded his muscles and bones. His vitality surged. His fine motor skills sharpened to a point where no mere mortal could match him. His awareness swelled, and his mind… his mind was no longer a howling hive of chaos. Slowly, it was turning into a fortress he could wield.
And yet, he still had so far to travel.
Back when he was a mere cultivator, this would have been a dream—what he believed to be the pinnacle of power. But now, this was just a facet of totality, a single aspect in his pursuit of absolute mastery.
And speaking of mastery, his System had nourished itself from his experiences as well.
Wei had refrained from using his scythe, so he didn’t claim any Concept Shards. Such a challenge was wise on the part of the trespassers—and beneficial for him. It finally occurred to him how much he’d been relying on his concept breaker. On his unfair advantages.
Shame filled him.
He’d crippled himself from proper development. One needed to start with the foundations of skill before using an all-powerful weapon. Unworthy wielders embarrassed their tools. And Wei would humiliate himself no longer.
Authority Advanced > 71
Relativity Advanced > 66
Enlightenment > 50
Omniscience > 48
Fortification > 47
Ambition — [Incalculable]
[29/100] Aspect Advancements to Core Ascension
Reviewing Encounter…
Masteries Demonstrated
>Meditation (III) — 101%
>Unarmed Combat (III) — 103%
>Spearmanship (III) — 103%
>Evasion (IV) — 110%
>Thrown Weapons (II) — 92%
>Tactics (III) — 189%
>Rapier — 89%
New Mastery Nodes Available >>> New Armor Components and Upgrades Available
Upgrades
Arms
Chainspear Arm (Common) > Spearforging Arm (Rare) = Allows the Shell to forge, project, and control Sourforged spears. Number of spears that can be controlled is determined by (Enlightenment). Distance of control within (Omniscience)
>>1.7 Months to Generate Upgrade in Core
>>Mastery Node (Intercepting Hand)
>>Corresponding Experiences (0%)
Gauntlet of the Breaker (Common) > Fist of Force-Breaking (Elite) = Unarmed strikes delivered through this gauntlet can store and redirect force based on (Authority)
>Requirements
>>3.5 Months to Generate Upgrade in Core
>>Mastery Node
>>Corresponding Experiences (0%)
Legs
Ambushing Spearstriders (Rare) > Intercepting Spearstriders (Rare) = Grants the Shell to perform [Echo Dashes] based on their (Relativity). Allows the Shell to [Echo Dash] through enemy attacks with perfect timing. Causes targets dashed through to sustain an impact based on the Shell’s (Authority) as well.
>>4 Weeks to Generate Upgrade in Core
>>Mastery Node
>>Corresponding Experiences (0%)
New
Body
Echoforged Body (Rare) — Allows the Shell to create Soure-made projections of itself that last for a brief period. These echoes will repeat a set amount of actions based on (Enlightenment) before vanishing. Consumes Source to use.
>>3 Weeks to Generate Upgrade in Core
>>Mastery Node
>>Corresponding Experiences (0%)
Examining his new Armor Components and upgrades, Wei noted their benefits and conferred with his Shell.
“Are you pleased?” he asked.
“No,” the Shell responded immediately. “I cannot be pleased because this is simply what I am. A master is not entranced with their own mastery, no more than a fire is enamored with how brightly it burns. Do not do this for appreciation or gratitude. Do this because this is who we are to become. This is the only way we will find satisfaction, find retribution, and stand above the heavens.”
Wei looked upon the Celestial Fang, and saw his own reflection in the flat of its blade. His hair had grown longer and the white of his eyes glowed with a divine radiance.
To his dismay, however, he wasn’t any taller than he was before. Which was frankly absurd because the Broken Crescent gave him a few centimeters! His evolution… his Aspects… all the struggle… so why was he still the same height?
“Ridiculous,” he muttered. “Perhaps we need to talk to Nils,” he said to his Shell, slightly dismayed. “Surely there are height-increasing procedures among the Claimed Hells?”
“There must be,” his Shell replied, equally disturbed. “People can be molded into hydras here. What difficulty could a few centimeters pose?”
“What difficulty, indeed,” Wei mused. He needed to hide his evolution from Agnesia—from the others as well. It wasn’t that he wished to be games of deception, but he saw a future where the girl would pout at him, and then attack his one weakness—his height! His damnable height! She would loom over him, ask him why he hadn’t grown literally if he was so powerful.
And what was Wei to say? That power didn’t come with height? She was still taller than him! That was wrong. Absolutely wrong.
It was—
Wei inhaled deeply and released. No. He would deal with that after. It wasn’t too late. Nils could help him. He was certain of this.
For a moment, he took in the aftermath of his victory and felt a calmness. An Acceptance. Joy or thrill did not follow as they had with his previous battles.
Perhaps this was a sign of growing maturity—or perhaps it was simply exhaustion.
“Be pleased with yourself,” his Shell finally said. “Pleased that you’ve come this far. Pleased that you are growing. But do not be satisfied. Never be satisfied.”
Wei nodded in agreement and dispelled the Celestial Fang.
With that done, he looked down—kilometers down—to the base of the tower where the trespassers remained. They stayed there as he cleared each instance, monitoring his progress. With his Perception amplified, he studied their silence, their slack-jawed looks. Priceless. Glorious. Doubtless, they would have feedback for him. Their perspectives could be interesting, even valuable.
A bit of smugness rose inside Wei, despite his Shell’s words.
Surely, they hadn’t expected this of him.
John Doe, Nils, and the rest were meant to take on mentorship roles. Such was the reason behind their introduction. If so, he looked forward to what he still had to learn. But it was not arrogance to say that they would never find another student like him. Not at all.
Stepping over the edge, Wei fell, plummeting down toward the base of the Tower of Possibility. He accelerated with a burst of divine wind, and the world around him blurred. He was exponentially faster than before—far more nimble at that—moving with barely any noise. Wei dodged between bridges, shifting like a kingfisher slicing down toward a river. He Essenceshifted, cycling through all his elemental Essences, and found each of them empowered by destruction, creation, and deconstruction.
His winds could unmake all that it touched. As could his lightning, his ichor, and his heavenly stones. Where the Celestial Vanguard was but a simple warrior defined by flame, Wei retained his complex and inherited the devastating powers of his bested foe. And with overwhelming power married to his master, he was now far greater than whom he had been before.
And this understanding was the greatest reward of all.
When Wei landed, a gust of wind swept the world around him, and the crater he left on the ground was sealed with a rush of celestial wind. A lingering expression of purest flame fused the cracks together, and Wei knew that to be the expression of deconstruction. But Wei dispelled his new power and put away his light before the urge to peacock overcame him.
He turned and greeted the Trespassers, his face impassive, the glow of his divine fire fading.
“Apologies,” Wei said. “I wanted to make things faster. I did not mean to startle.”
Four sets of eyes stared at him, and John Bishop was the first to break. Chuckling, the Trespasser summoned a cigar from his inventory and lit it with a snap of his finger. “You smug little fuck.”
Wei did his best to suppress a smile. His Shell loomed over him, glaring, daring him to break his stoic expression. “I do not appreciate your insult, Master Bishop,” Wei said.
Wei wasn’t proud. He wasn’t. He was just satisfied, that was all.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Bishop said, nodding. “No big display. You only got Doe here’s ass puckered so tightly he might be shitting diamonds the next time he goes to the shitter. His spot as the Lodge’s attack dog might be threatened soon. And Nils—”
At the mention of Nil, the Terrible Surgeon skittered over to Wei and wrapped an arm around the young master’s shoulder. “You have a remarkable ability to direct multiple attacks at once–tell me, have you thought about grafting a few more limbs onto your body? I fear the human form is insufficient to capture your full potential.”
Wei hummed at that. “I have not considered more arms, though I am aware of such techniques. But there is something I wish to inquire from you.”
“Please, ask.” Nils grinned.
“Can you make someone taller?”
“Taller?” Nils said. He looked Wei up and down. “You’re about 175 centimeters or so. That…” the Terrible Surgeon grinned, “can be improved.”
He laughed.
Wei laughed.
The Shell laughed.
Truly, the Trespasser’s Lodge was composed of nothing but good and noble souls.
“Nils,” Moonscar said, interrupting the Terrible Surgeon's merry-making with the Scion of Celestial Flame.
Nil withdrew his arm and shifted away from Wei. “Yes, yes. Business first,” he said, but glanced once more at the young master and mouthed: We’ll talk about this later.
The only two among the Trespassers who held steady expressions were Sarah Moonscar and John Doe. The former held to their flat expression while the latter seemed troubled and watched Wei like a hawk.
Wei’s Shell let out a low, rumbling laugh. “Poor fool. He’s threatened by us. He sees his coming inferiority.”
“Are you sure of this?” Wei asked, studying John Doe’s rigid stance himself.
“I can practically taste it from him,” the Shell replied, its tone tinged with amusement.
“Very well done,” Sarah Moonscar said. “We have observed your combat performance and find it… exceedingly satisfactory. I now see that I must make adjustments to your coming curriculum.”
“Curriculum?” Wei asked.
“Yes. To ensure that you are perfectly positioned to claim the role of Hell’s Vanguard. I anticipated some variation of combat training necessary but after this…” She looked at John Doe.
The Fighter, meanwhile, nodded. “I would like to challenge you in a week’s time. After you had a chance to go over your experiences today and familiarize yourself with Preceptor’s Descent.”
“Have I not demonstrated enough?” Wei said.
“What I have to show you cannot be expressed in words,” John Doe stated. “Only through battle. You pursue mastery. You learn by facing, overcoming, adapting, and overwhelming. So that is what I can provide you. A challenge you cannot easily overcome. At least for now.” The Fighter hesitated. “That, and I wish to see if I can triumph against you with this meager Specialization of mine.”
“Ah,” Wei said. “The Trespasser’s ability to switch Classes with ease. You have something greater in reserve, then. Why do you hold it back? To inspire false confidence in your foes… or is it because so few of them are worth your full effort, and you wish to keep your mastery of combat as sharp as possible through the whetstone of difficulty.”
The Fighter’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Something like that.”
“Then he is more alike to us than I anticipated,” Wei’s Shell declared. “Watch him. And, in the time you have been given, shake his spirit.”
“So, then. Does this conclude our initial business?” Wei said, regarding each of the Trespassers.
“Just about,” Bishop stated. “We’re almost done patching your father up. We’ll let you pick him up and… well. What follows is your business.” The Trespasser gave an unwilling shrug. “He agreed to the terms. He’s your karmic slave now.”
Wei’s gut turned slightly at that. His father deserved a great many torments, but taking the man as a slave—something was wrong. So very wrong with the thought.
“Remember her face. Remember her head. Remember what he took from you.” The Shell growled inside Wei.
And suddenly, the wrongness was boiled away, overcome by steaming rage. “Thank you, Master Bishop. It pleases me that this could be settled so… neatly.”
“Ain’t nothing neat about this,” Bishop snorted. “And that’s what makes it so convenient. Because after I surrender William and you make it back to the Third Rib, an unofficial assassination will take place—I will try to free my friend, and you’re going to fight me off—and then sue me for two billion Sins using your lawyer.”
Wei’s eyes widened. “This is the moment you are trying to engineer. The separation between me and Lodge.”
“I’ll also get disavowed after,” Bishop said. “Frees me up to be more… flexible.” He grinned, seeming pleased despite the personal cost this plan was to exact on his position and reputation.
“I… I cannot accept this,” Wei said, distressed. “You have helped me much, Master Bishop, you should have another—”
“No,” Bishop said, shaking his head. “It works better if I do it. It makes for a more believable story. Easier for everyone to swallow. And it’s good for me too. I don’t like doing things in the light. Not my place. Not my preferred theater.”
The young master was still uncertain. He wavered then, disturbed by how casually Bishop plotted his own disgrace, and the indifference maintained by the others as well. Even after everything Wei saw, he could barely believe the plan that was being conceived. No right cultivator would ever agree to this.
But then, he wasn’t among the cultivators anymore, was he?
Bishop reached out and placed a strong, stead hand on Wei’s shoulder. “Hey. Don’t worry. This is how things are done. This is the life I’ve always chosen. Ain’t gonna be your fault. Ain’t nothing for it. Just play along with it. You’ll get used to it.”
But I don’t want to, Wei thought to say. He didn’t though. He stayed silent, for fear of earning a reprimand from his Shell. This was the Claimed Hells. And every time he forgot, the world made sure to remind him, over and over and over again.
“Come on,” Bishop said, pulling Wei toward the exit. “Let’s go to the ‘infirmary’ and wave that new spear of yours in your father’s face. Wanna see his expression when he hears that you beat the fuck out of a Celestial Vanguard using just your Knight-Tier Eidolon. Maybe you can wave that new spear in his face too.”
Comments
Mimic
Nils = mengele?
Emerson Fortier
The combat in your stories is always top tier. Good stuff.
