There was a thick splotch of yellow on the mini-map on the other side of the island. It was a field of glowing soft-blue essence when they arrived, the colors of the wards. The System colors.
They set foot in the region and a notification popped up.
ððªð€ð¥ðð ððð€ ððð¥ððð¥ðð ððð¥ðð£ððð ðððð¡ðð£ððð
âðð£ð¥ðððð¡ððð¥ð€ ððð§ð ðððð ð€ðŠððððð¥ðð ð¥ð ðŠððððð£ ðððððððððð€
âðð€ð¥ð ð£ððð ðððððððâŠ
âðððððððð ð»ððððððŠðð¥ðª: âððð
âððððð£ðð¥ððð ðð ðð¡ððð€ðð¥ðð ðâŠ
After what happened with the Minotaur, Reina had suspected something like this might come again. The System seemed to like fairness.
Treasures started popping out in front of them, hovering on little lily-pads of blue light. In front of Avery shone a vial of thick green liquid, stoppered with a majestic wax seal.
ððð£ðð¥ðð€ ððð£ðŠð [ðŒðð£ð¥ð (ð¹)]
âð ððð ðð¥ðð ððª ðŸð£ððð ðžððððððð€ð¥ ðœð£ðð ð ð ð¥ðð ðððð¡ðð ð ð ð¥ðð ðð ð£ðð ðð£ðð, ð¡ð¥ð ðððððððŠð. ðððð€ ð¥ð£ððð€ðŠð£ð ððððð£ð€ ð¥ðð ð¥ððð£ð ððªð ð ð ð¥ðð ðððð, ðððð ðšððð ðð ð£ ð ðð£ððð ð¡ðð£ðð ð ð ð ððððð£-ð€ððððð. ððððð£ð€ ðŠðð¥ðððð¥ðð ððð€ðððð¥ ððð¥ð ð¥ðð ð¥ð£ðŠð¥ð ð ð ð¥ðð ðšð ð£ðð, ð¥ðð ðððšð€ ð¥ððð¥ ðŠðððð£ððð ððð. ððð§ðððŠðððð ðð ð£ âð ðððð¡ð¥ ðð ðð¡ð£ððððð€ðð ð.
"Heyyy!" exclaimed Avery. "Nice!"She'd been lookinge for something to help get a boost on her Laws.
For Evan, meanwhile, it was lightning in a bottle. Actual lightning. A strange suspensionâwhite bolts crackling around drops of shivering Bloodline, all trapped inside a little vial. Evan gasped at it.
ðŒðŠð£ððð ððððð¥ðððð ð»ð£ððŠððð¥ [ðŒðð£ð¥ð (ð¹)]
ðž ðð ððð ðð¥ðð ð ðððð ððª ð¥ðð ð»ððšðð£ð ð¡ ðððð, ðð ð£ððð£ððª ð ð ð¥ðð ðððð¡ðð ð ð ð¥ðð ðð ð£ðð ðð£ðð, ð€ð¡ððððððððððª ðð ð£ ð¥ðð ð€ð ð ð âððððŠðŠ ð¹ðð ð ð. ðððð ð£ð¡ð ð£ðð¥ðð€ ðð ðŠð£ ðð£ð ð¡ð€ ð ð âððððŠðŠ ð¹ðð ð ððððð. âðŠð£ððððð€ ð¥ðð ðð£ððððð£'ð€ ðð ððª, ðððð ðšððð ðð¥ ð¥ð ð€ð¥ð ð£ð ðð£ððð¥ ð¢ðŠððð¥ðð¥ððð€ ð ð ðððð£ððª ðð ð£ ððð¥ðð£ ðŠð€ð, ðððð ð¥ð ð ððð¥ð¥ðð£ðª.
Evan loved it.
In front of Reina, meanwhile, a seed. Seemingly plainâbut the more you looked at it, the more profound of a feeling it gave. Like there were great depths beneath that warm brown surface. Its aura was subtle, but strong.
ðŒð§ðð£ððð ð ð ðð ð¥ðŠð€ ðððð [ðŒðð£ð¥ð (ð¹+)]
ðž ð¥ð£ððð€ðŠð£ð ðŠððð¢ðŠð ð¥ð ð¥ðð ððð€ð¥ð£ðð€ð€ ððððð£, ð¥ð ðð ððð¥ððð£ðð¥ðð ððð¥ð ð¥ðð ðð ððª. ðŸð£ððð¥ð€ ð ð€ðððððððððð¥ ðð ð ð€ð¥ ð¥ð ððð ðŸð£ð ðšð¥ð ððð âððððšðð âð ðððð¡ð¥ð€. ðððð€ ðð ð ð€ð¥, ððð ð¥ðð ð¥ð£ððð€ðŠð£ð'ð€ ðð£ððð, ðð£ð ðšð€ ðð€ ð¥ðð ð€ððð ððð ð ðð€.
She got another treasure too. It looked exactly like the pearl that had hung at the end of the shaman staff.
ðð ðŠð ðððð¡ð ð âð ð£ð [ðŒðð£ð¥ð (â)]
ðžðð: ðð ððððððððð
ðð ðŠðð€ ððððððð: ð ððððð
Reina was quite pleased with her gifts too.
They would never get this kind of customized treasure offerings in a normal run, she speculated. She thought the Monsters were playing something of a dangerous gameâby coming after Zane, and failing, they could end up inadvertently boosting them tons too.
She still didn't like the thought of them targeting him though. Zane caught little looks on her face as she thought about it. She tried hiding it, but he could tell she was furious every time it happened. She had certain little expressions. And this oneâeyes narrowed, mouth drawn a little to one side, usually meant she had dark plans on her mind. She never forgot every time they came after him, filed it away in her mind. âŠIt was kind of scary.
It would be better for these Monsters' sake if they didn't succeed, Zane felt. He wasn't sure what she would do to them.
She took the seed to imbibe later. As for the Soul Weapon Core, she said Zane should have itâhe could make better use of it right now. It would count toward his Soul Weapon.
He would make it up to her, he resolved, one way or another.
Lastly, for Zaneâ
CLANG!
A giant hunk of steel dropped right in front of him. It was the size of a semi-truck.
ððð£ðððððð ðð¡ðð£ðð¥ ðð¥ððð ðð£ð [ðŒðð£ð¥ð (ð¹)]
ðžð ðŠðð£ðððððð ððŠðð ð ð ðð¡ðð£ðð¥ ðð¥ððð ðð©ð¥ð£ððð¥ðð ð€ð¥ð£ððððð¥ ðð£ð ð ð¥ðð ððŠðððð ððððð€ ð ð ðð ðŠðð¥ ðð¥ððððððð£ð¥, ð ðð ð ð ð¥ðð ðððð¡ðð€ð¥ ððð ðð ð€ð¥ ð§ðððŠðððð ððððð€ ðð ðð¥ð€ ððŠð¥ðð£ ðœððð¥ðð ð ðððððð ððð€ð¥ð£ððð¥. ðŒððð ðð€ ðšð ð£ð¥ð ðð¥ð€ ðšððððð¥ ðð ðŒðð£ð¥ð-ðð£ððð ðð¡ðð£ðð¥ ðð¥ð ðð.
Then, tooâ
ðð ðŠð ðððð¡ð ð âð ð£ð [ðŒðð£ð¥ð (ð¹)]
ðžðð: ðð ððððððððð
ðð ðŠðð€ ððððððð: ð.ð ðððððð ð
That had to be the Hydra's portion. And his rewards were complete.
***
After that, they all took a breather to go take in all their treasures. And they needed a little time to rest anyway. First, Reina fixed up the island someâwith waves of her hands she got grasses peeking out of the ashes, new rich soil overturning the burnt wreckage, saplings growing to young trees, growing to little links of greenery. Fields of pastel flowers, swaying gently in a fresh crisp breeze. Zane bent down and blinked at one for a bit, sniffed at it.
Then they all went off to their own little corners and got to work.
Zane picked up his hunk of steel, waddled over, set it down. And started melting and drinking it wholesale. And soon the Levels started pouring in, bunches on bunchesâ
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ð¹ððððð ð¥ð ððŠð€ððð ðððð -> ðð
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ððððð ðŠð¡!
âð ðð ð€ð€ðð ððððð ðð€ ðð -> ðð
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ðððð ððð¥ðððð âððð ðð -> ðð
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ððððð ðŠð¡!
ð¹ðð€ð¥ðð ð ð¹ð ðð ððð -> ðð
There was a lot of steel to get through. It took him the best part of half a day of nonstop eating.
***
Meanwhile his friends also got their powers. Avery took just a few hours to unlock a new Concept. It was called 'Verisimilitude'ânow her illusions could actually do damage if she supplied the essence. She showed off a little flame spirit that exploded on contact. It wasn't much, she said, frowning at it. But she brightenedâshe was still pretty happy with it. She could finally help beat up the bad guys too, which was her favorite part of the whole thing.
Evan could now charge himself all the way up before battles. It boosted his single shot power a good chunkâand increased how many shots he could throw by nearly 50%. Pretty huge.
Reina, meanwhile, had taken in the Everseedâand scooped up some Levels in the process. She tested her new healing on Zane, and he felt renewed, like he was waking after a long and restful nap. It was obvious how much difference she made when he thought back to the Hydra fight.
***
ᎠáŽáŽáŽ ɪɎ áŽÊᎠɪɎɎáŽÊ ÊáŽáŽáŽÊáŽê± áŽê° áŽÊᎠáŽáŽ¢áŽÊᎠê°ÊáŽáŽáŽ ê±Êê±áŽáŽáŽâŠ
In a chamber carved deep in the core of a star were two men.
One a lean old man with a whispy white beard. One hand was stumped with blackened fingers. Cross-legged on a plinth of molten steel, as though he'd been meditating.
The other, a regal-looking gray-haired man wrapped in embroidered combat robes. Kneeling, head inclined.
"And that, as far as our scrying can tell, is the extent of his upgrades," said Sage Burnwater, Outer Martial Elder.
Silence from the old man.
"That Title. It has to be responsible for the Awakening Evolution," continued Sage Burnwater. "I've never seen anything like it! It has to be of quite a high caliber, to prompt that kind of responseâŠI could swear I knew all the Heaven-grade Signature Titles."
Burnwater waited there quietly as his Master contemplated.
Sage Noughtfire might think, but he was never stumped. The answers always lay somewhere deep in the recesses of his memoryâit just took a while sometimes to pull them out.
And yet...
"I do not know of it either," said the venerable Sage at last.
"Truly?" Sage Burnwater gave a double-take.
Considering how much Sage Noughtfire had seen in his very long lifeâperhaps a little too long, by the old man's own estimationâit took a lot to surprise him.
"Could it be one of those ancient Titles that lay dormant for tens of millennia, but resurfaces once a Chaos Cycle?"
"No," said Noughtfire. He stroked his beard slowly. "It must come from outside the Dragonspire Galaxy. Zane Walker has attracted the attention of a force beyond our understandingâfrom the vast reaches of the Celestial Imperium itself."
He paused. Then lapsed back into deep thought.
Sage Burnwater sat there quietly too, not sure what to make of it. Not sure what to do about it either.
Eventuallyâ "Shall I close the file, Master?" he said politely.
Sage Noughtfire quickly lost interest in mortal affairs. Burnwater had seen it happen countless timesâthe old Sage's mind operated on the timescales of aeons, of Chaos Cycles. Only very few prospectsâmost recently the current Azure Flame Patriarchâhad caught his eye. But they always lost it just as quickly.
Such was the case. When you're one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, not much rose to your attention.
But this timeâ
"No," said Noughtfire. "Keep an eye on him."
He closed his eyes. "That is all."
"âŠOf course," said Burnwater. It took a moment to overcome his shock. The teacup had come down; he knew he was being dismissed. He gave another deep bow, turned to leaveâ
"It takes a certain kind of man to force True Stormfire into submission," said Noughtfire. His voice carried strong and clear, echoing through the hyper-heated air. "True Stormfire, in its final form. Walking that long and difficult path⊠It is a matter of the mind. But moreso, of the heart."
The wizened old man paused. "Zane Walker may just have what it takes."
Burnwater choked.
That was the closest thing he could remember to Noughtfire giving a compliment.
"Go," said Noughtfire.
"Y-yes, Master!"
***
"What in the Nine Hells is that?" said the Barbarian Sage, brow cocked. "That Title! Is that what gives him theâŠ"
He snapped his fingers a few times, frowning. "Intuitionâthat's it! His fight intuition!"
The Head Scout winced. "Perhaps, Grand Elder. Perhaps."
The Barbarian Sage burped happily. By now, he had set up camp hereâbrought out a giant bone throne carved out of the skull of some beast and sat there, legs crossed, right in the middle of the Observatory. A sofa of sorts. To one side of it, he kept a long line of drinks, mostly wines, which he offered many times to the scouts, who declined just as many times, wincing. On the other side, he kept racks upon racks of giant raw meatsâhe had a bone in one hand and was chomping voraciously as he spoke, blood-spittle flying all over the place.
It was somewhat distracting, to say the least. But the chortling barbarian had decided their job was his personal entertainment, and there wasn't much they could do about it.
"Errâ" said the Head Scout.
"You probably can't even articulate what makes him such a good fighter! His conscious mind doesn't knowâit's his subconscious that does. It's in the little things! Yes." The Barbarian Sage harrumphed as he smiled. "It's got to be some Title, I tell you! It's something else. Sayâwhat is it? I've never been one for the annals."
"I'm not sure, Grand Elder."
"But it's remarkable, isn't it?"
"Yes, Grand Elder."
He grinned. "Then again, you'd expect nothing lessâ"
"From your Bloodline heir, yes," said the Head Scout.
For a moment the Barbarian Sage stilled. Harrumphed. Treated the scout to some full-on side-eye. "Could it be you're tired of listening to me spout, Scout Chun?" he said. "You wish I'd shut up, don't you?"
The Head Scout flinched. "Errâ"
"That is a perfectly reasonable position," said the Sage. And he was cheerful again. "Unfortunately for you I outrank you, my dear Scout! So I shall continue spouting off as I please."
He chortled as the Scout groaned.
"Hey," said the Sage. "Want some?"
And he offered the Scout a fat juicy lamb leg, simmering with essence.
The Scout stared at it for a second. It was near dinner-time⊠and that did look quite enticing⊠the smell had been torturing him for hours, in fact.
Sighing, he accepted. They chewed silently, watching the projections.
"Good, isn't it?" said the Sage.
The Scout swallowed, dabbed the oil off his mouth. "âŠYes," he admitted.
"See? Undo a button! Loosen a belt!" The Sage started picking his teeth with the bone. "The 'Steel' in Steelheart means mettle. Gumption! Not that one ought to be a hunk of steel. That is all that's wrong with this Faction, I tell you."
This was coming from a man who held the Sect record for longest time spent in martial punishment. When he'd been a prime Chosen they'd nearly expelled the man four times. And succeeded in doing so twice.
Then Scout Chun saw how close the bone was to his head, and thought better of saying it.
"Yes, yes. Zane Walker's development is coming along quite nicely, I daresay," chuckled the Sage.
***
Zane and his friends had dinner after they finished powering up. Avery had the idea to play some games to unwind.
She made a net of essence. They were going to play some essence volleyball, she announced. Avery and Evan would be on one team. Reina and Zane on another. Evan was psyched.
They had to quit about 30 seconds in. Apparently having Zane smash something at you, even casually and gently, was quite terrifying. Avery used such phrases as 'having her life flash before her eyes'. Zane scratched his head at the smoking crater, helpless. He really hadn't meant to hit it hardâŠ
They were considering hide and seek. Then they looked at Zane, and decided that would be a little unfair tooâjust going the other way.
They tried essence darts, which was just Avery throwing up illusionsâand the rest of them would try to hit them with essence. Evan was winning so easily he felt bad and pretended to miss, so they could catch up. Evan was not good at pretending.
It was quickly decided physical games were a little too skewed. So they ended up making a little cozy campfireânormal flame, not Stormfireâand roasting S'mores around it. Ingredients Reina had packed because she really did think of everything. It was a nice break before the final stage of the floor.