Chapter 115: A Grand & Intoxicating Innocence pt. 1

The worldquaked, foundational tenets of existence shivering. Kaius felt something deep and central to his being fall silent. For the first time in his life he couldn’t feel the omnipresent connection to the system, revealed to him only by its absence.

He gasped, heart skipping a beat as adrenaline dumped into him. He had no idea what was happening, but if it was enough to break his connection to the system it wasbad. Locking eyes with Porkchop, he found the panicked confusion he felt thrumming inside of himself resonating through their bond. His bond-brother had been cut off as well.

“What is-” He started to ask.

Then he slid up-sideways-through the world, distance and space weaving itself into incomprehensible knots as an invisible claw of ancient power settled over him, yanking him away from the site of his victory.

A single moment, stretched into an unbroken loop. An eternity of being everywhere and nowhere.

Eyes wide,True Sightrevealed impossible secrets to him. Revealing more than his mortal mind could fathom. The way it all fit together, the mutable fragility of the world. Warmth fell from his eyes, a searing fire covering the orbs. It was too much. He couldn’t evenscream.

Kaius snapped back.

He was kneeling on nothing. His heart lurched at the yearning blackness, all of his senses rebelling at the impossibility before him.True Sighttold him it was real.

Porkchop was next to him. He could feel it. Feel the same panicked confusion welling up within his brother. He wanted to twist his head, to look and ask if he was okay. He couldn’t. An overwhelming presence suffocated him, weighing on every hairsbreadth of his body, heavier than a mountain. It held him still, scrutinised him. Screamed his insignificance.

A blinding radiance encompassed all, searing out his vision as pure unadulteratedpowerbattered him. He didn’t know what the energy was, for it wasn’t mana. Too refined by half, too flavoured by some imperceptible note. Like an affinity, but different.

“Whoops! Sorry about that. It’s been aeons since I've had company, let alone the mortal kind.” A voice boomed. Kaius knew that all the presence would need to do was wish them gone, and they would be obliterated.

There was a fingersnap, louder than a landslide.

The light vanished, and stone materialised beneath his knees. Smoothly carved blocks, each perfectly even and square, formed a masonry floor. The pressure vanished. Kaius moved as quickly as he could, pressing his forehead to the ground in total prostration. He felt Porkchop do the same. What hope did they have in the face of divine might? What else could one do in the presence of a god?

“Oh, stop that!” The voice said, quaking his very soul with the depth of its gravelly timbre. “I won’t have worship from honoured guests, and I am nothing so base as a half-sentient impression on a manafield,” the voice said, correcting Kaius’s unspoken assumption.

His heart fluttered. It could read his mind. Of course it could. But if it was not a god, then what, and what did it want with them?

“An ascendant. If you come sit I might tell you what that means.” The being explained congenially.

“Let’s do what the mysterious entity says, Kaius.”Porkchop’s voice flowed over their bond, resolute despite the undertone of panic.

Kaius took a shuddering breath, before he mustered his will and raised his head. He was in a room, simple and bare. In front of him were two chairs and a daybed centred around a roaring hearth. There was no door, and no windows.

The daybed and one of the chairs faced the remaining seat. On it, a figure lounged. Kaius stared at them with open shock and fascination. They were… impossible. Hyper-real, with tightly controlled power shimmering around them.

Skin like milk, flawless and painted on striated muscle. A man’s face, but cut from savage angles and hard features that looked like they could shear through steel with but a glance. A robe of purest white was draped over it, flowing over its form with such liquid ease that no feature was obscured from sight. The being was casual and relaxed, one leg crossed as it watched him with clear amusement. Three heads taller than him, the being dwarfed him at what must have been nearing eight-and-a-half strides tall.

What else could it be but a god.

“Please, come sit. You might find an answer to your question,” the being said, his voice rattling the very foundations of his soul. There was no malice in it, just the simple truth ofpower.

Kaius took a deep breath. He could do this,theycould do this. Even if it wasn’t a god, the being may as well have been. Yet, it was friendly enough to make their environment hospitable. Glancing over at Porkchop, he leant hard on their bond, drawing stoic courage from their connection.

They could do this. They’d just slain a Guardian for gods’ sake, he wouldn’t shy away from a simple conversation. Even if just to find out why they werehere.

He rose to his feet, Porkchop doing the same.

The being clapped. With every slap of palm and palm, a crack that threatened to sunder worlds echoed out. “That’s what I like to see! There’s some of that iron!” he said.

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Kaius approached cautiously, taking a seat in the plush leather arm chair. It was soft, the weight of his body sinking into the cushion. The soft touch of delicate hide against his skin was what finally made him realise that he wasn’t wearing his armour, nor was Porkchop wearing his barding. His chest rose evenly, even if keeping his breathing smooth took all of his willpower to avoid it catching in his throat.

With the clear power of the being in front of him, Kaius doubted that evenLegendarytier one artefacts would be more effective than tissue paper if he wanted them dead.

Why were theyhere? What did it want? He could feel that Porkchop had his own guarded curiosity. Neither of them were stupid enough to be so presumptuous as to ask.

“Well, that’s an easy one! You both did me a favour, so I wanted to thank you in person.” The being answered him, lifting the question straight from his mind. “Conveniently, we have a sliver of a moment while the system updates.”

Kaius stilled as the being’s words washed over him, his grip tightening slightly on the plus brown leather armrests. What did it mean, a sliver of a moment?

The being grinned, revealing almost pearlescent teeth and slightly too long canines. “Time is malleable at a certain level. My influence on your world is…heavily restricted, but there was an opportunity as the update processed. I simply stretched it.” he explained, every word thrumming with might, nearly enough to send Kaius reeling.

He might have meant them no harm, and had perfect control, but he was so far beyond them that his very presence was nigh-overwhelming.

The being shifted in his seat. “Now, time for introductions. I am, as I said, an ascender. Tasked with supervising your world's integration, after I fell on the wrong side of a little territory dispute. You may call me Ekum the Pale.” Ekum said. “I have been watching you, Kaius, since you fell into the Great Depths, and you, Porkchop, since you joined him.”

Kaius’s grip tightened for half a moment, before he forced his hands to relax. There was no doubt in his mind that Ekum had noticed. The roaring fire felt hotter than ever before, a thin sheen of sweat beading on his brow. That too, he assumed, Ekum noticed.

If the ascendant had been watching them, then was he who was behind the strange irregularities in their drops? The natural treasure? Their successes? Could he even be the reason that they ended up in that hell-pit in the first place?

Porkchop’s mind brushed up against his, concerned. Urging caution. He didn’t need the reminder.

Ekum turned to look at him, still smiling warmly. “Yes to the first, no to the rest. Your victories are your own, and it was no machination of mine that landed you in the challenge. Though, I will admit that it was to my benefit.” The ascendant leaned forwards, propping himself up on his knees. His burning white robes slipped down his arms, revealing forearms wrapped with enough hard muscle that they were as thick as Kaius’s calf.

“Ultimately, I am but a caretaker. A supervisor with no real power. As much as I wish it weren’t so, I do not have infinite time to explain. So you will listen, understood?” Ekum stated, clear in the fact that it was not a request.

They nodded emphatically.

“Good.” Ekum said. He leaned back, sinking into the plush back of his chair. “The system as you know it arrived on your world aeons ago. That period of transition is where many of your myths come from. It is also incomplete. The introduction is phased to ensure that as much culture and sentient life is preserved as possible. Often, it fails in that endeavour.” The ascendant paused, giving them a moment to digest his words.

Kaius’s mind raced. He’dheardrumours and stories about the arrival of the system. There was enough remnant history that it was somewhat common knowledge, at least according to Father. Yet, he’d never heardanythingabout the system being incomplete, what did that mean? And other worlds? Did he mean the higher realms?

The ascendant nodded to himself, as if pleased that Kaius was following along. “Good, good. I won't waste time on your irrelevant questions. Yes, the system is incomplete. Moving to later stages requires certain… triggers, to ensure a proper stage of development. Normally, in most cases this might take a century or two at most. One way, or the other. In yours? It has taken overthirteen milenia.” Ekum hissed his last words, the bitter noise digging claws into Kaius’s chest. He tried not to faint as a hostile frustration threatened to crush him.

Kaius coughed, tasting blood.

The ascendant paused. The pressure vanished. “My apologies. You see, I have been trapped here, alone, since the initial arrival of the system. It was to be a minor punishment. Half a millenia, maybe one and a half, of toil before I was released from my bond. I am… dissatisfied with the continual extension.” Ekum explained, the barest hint of escaping frustration sending the icy fear of death washing over Kaius.

He struggled to breathe.

“However,” the ascendant continued, uncaring but not unnoticing. “Then you two came along! Defeating a guardian solowhilestill in your assessment period? Even with completed legacies, and a smattering ofHonoursthat is no small feat. Discovering glyph-binding was a stroke of luck, and the benefit of your father’s genius, Kaius, but all the same! Now the second phase is upon us, and I come to you with five things. My congratulations, a warning, a reward, a proposition, and some advice. Will you listen?” Ekum asked, staring at them intensely.

Kaius sat frozen, barely able to move. His vision had started to narrow, but there wasnothinghe could do. Not in the demesne of something so far above him. He could only obey.

Ekum the Pale smirked, and twitched his finger towards them. Air rushed into his lungs, though he moved no more than he had a moment ago. The encroaching black fled as fresh air continued to circulate through his airway. Kaius nearly slumped in relief. The ascendant rose, walking over to the hearth, gripping the mantle to lean over its glowing interior. Platinum locks slipped down his head like waves, haloing the ascendants face.

“I have already given you my congratulations, so now I will give you a warning.” Ekum the Pale stared deep into the flames. “Integration is a fraught process. Each step injects chaos into the world, bringing with it death and fire. With how long it has been since the first stage, it will be worse for you in some ways, and better in others. In all scenarios, it is inevitable. The other stages must be reached, or your world will die.”

Ekum looked over his shoulder, eyes boring into Porkchop’s for a moment, before flicking to Kaius’s. They held an intensity, a coldness, that could smother worlds.

“In your success, you may have doomed the world.” he stated, ancient apathy dominating his features. “I will be honest, I care little either way, both will mean my freedom. That brings us to your reward.” The ascendant looked back to the flames, releasing Kaius from his grasp. “Knowledge, that with your success here, you have the chance to tip the balance in your favour. Knowledge, that you cannot rely on the high tiered. Everyone past the first tier is already crystallised; they will be unable to reach for the advancement that comes with the second stage.”

Through the gaps in the silver curtain of metallic locks, Kaius saw the god-like being smirk.

“What will you do, I wonder? Will the two of you fall, and doom your world? Or will you rise ascendant?”