Chapter 58
Dane was still inside his subconscious library and wasn't aware of his physical surroundings. The formless armor automatically activates every time he is sleeping or in a meditative state. This was a security feature incorporated with the formless armor. I might not be complete, but it was created to safeguard its host to its utmost capability. The chaos mana his body was realizing was enough to scare anybody that gets near him .
Elaria Syrune is Siglorr Bouldergrove outcast and adopted Elven daughter , who is 5'7" and has a slender, petite frame, white skin, green eyes, and small red lips. She is very beautiful. Standing a few feet from where Dane was meditating, as she secretly entered his room just to satisfy her curiosity. Sadly, she never expected to face this kind of fear. Dane's armor changed its shape to ward off potential threats in the room. If Elaria shows any killing intent or does anything to harm the main host, she will be killed
Siglorr Bouldergrove had no idea that his adoptive daughter would do such a thing, as she was known to be reserved and preferred to work alone and not bother anybody and just create new potions, but the power of the armor had completely transformed her demeanor. She was petrified with fear as the long, multiple, dark, metallic, liquid-looking serpents were moving around the large room, which was filled with these non-living creatures, while a few owls were seen standing by silently watching her.
She was trembling in fear as the serpent slithered around her feet; it was huge, as thick as the support columns that held the bedpost. The owls remained motionless, their eyes fixed on the terrifying scene unfolding before them. The woman could feel the cold, smooth scales of the serpent brushing against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.
When one of the numerous serpents stood up and faced her, this action made Elaria wet her clothes as the serpent opened its huge mouth that could easily swallow her entire body with one gulp. The woman's heart raced as she realized the danger she was in, her mind racing for a way to escape the serpents' deadly grasp.
She could only close her eyes and accept her foolish mistake and pray for a miracle to save her from the impending danger. The sound of the serpent's hiss grew louder, echoing in the cavern as Elaria braced herself for what was to come. When she heard a man's voice speak to her,
"You don't need to get scared, Elaria. Your adoptive father already mentioned you to my master."
"I won't hurt you; it's just relaying my master's intention, so please gather your courage and steel your resolve."
"Leave this room and address the situation."
"A young lady such as yourself shouldn't be roaming into other people's sleeping quarters."
As she opened her eyes, the multitudes of serpents were gone, and with this, she slowly walked toward the room door and went out. Elaria's face was already pale, but she was scared to death seeing such an entity. The chaos mana she felt was focused and was bound to just a limited area. Her knowledge of mana was extensive, but seeing chaos energy function like that was new for her. It wasn't a barrier now, magic spell. It looked and felt different. She knew it was chaos energy, but it wasn't destructive nor harmful. The energy itself was confined to a space; that act alone was intriguing to her, as she had never encountered such a controlled form of chaos energy before.
She was focused on making different potions based on her own curiosity and experimentation, but his unique form of energy was something she wanted to explore further. Its potential for creating new and powerful spells intrigued her; she cast a stealth spell and vanished as the night watch guard came up the mead hall's second floor to investigate the sound he heard. When the Dwarven guard saw nothing, he just went back down and returned to his post.
Nothing happened that night that alerted the inhabitants of the war forge, but the transfer bag still gained a few monsters; most of them were redcaps that entered the war forge to gather material, not knowing serpents roaming an area near Dane's room were cascading shadows as the moonlight shone at the opposite side of the castle. The remaining redcaps quickly retreated, leaving the war forge undisturbed for the rest of the night.
The settlement town where the war forge was located woke up like the previous days, and the war forge staff and personnel woke up and went about their normal day. The mead hall was filled with most of the staff, as they always did. The only thing that was different was that they weren't serving mead and alcohol.
The underground basement, where the transfer sack receiving end was sealed behind a thick wall, was filled with the dead remains of fifty dead redcaps. The harvesters who were managing the transfer sack vault were shocked, knowing their benefactor was inside his room all night long. They wondered how this happened.
Olmar Bouldergrove was informed of this situation. Soon Siglorr heard about the news, and some of the personnel wanted to know how this could happen. Dane heard the question as he was down from his room. The dwarfs were confused as they just wanted to know how the transfer sack could still gain raw material even if their benefactor was sleeping.
Unlike the main clan, some were doubting if the person that introduced himself as their benefactor was indeed the same person, but because they all signed a loyalty contract, they could never do anything that would ruin the clan's reputation. . Dane was seated at the large table eating with Siglorr. When a dwarf approached them and wanted to gain an explanation, Siglorr explained that the transfer sack is connected to their benefactor's skill.
Dane understands the predicament the warforged are facing. The contract they all signed was related to the Siglorr clan. So Dane asked the staff and personnel to join him at their enclosed farm so he could clear their confusion regarding the transfer sack.
Nearly all the Dwarven and human staff and personnel came out of their busy daily tasks to witness their benefactor's ability. Even Siglorr Bouldergrove was wondering how he could gather that many raw materials. Dane activated his formless armor and ordered Ward to capture a multiple monster near the area. The ten metallic, liquid-looking serpents extended upward and burrowed below the farmland and over the warforge walls. It only took a few minutes when the formless armor serpent came back with a different monster captured. The largest was a 500-kilo Criborian fire boar, and the rest were the remaining roaming redcaps that infiltrated the war forge walls.
Dane doesn't actually need to share this information, but he felt he needed to give them a logical answer to gain their trust as he showed them how he hunts the monster and extracts the mana core and leaves the remains intact for them to harvest and dissect properly. They saw how meticulous and precise the formless armor moved and placed the dead remains inside his dimensional storage space that was connected to the transfer sack bag by getting swallowed by the serpents under Dane's control. As soon as they all saw how Dane used his power, they were all shocked and at the same time afraid, knowing he could do these things without even losing control of the formless armor.
To those who were watching, the formless armor was a chaotic entity with no form or shape; it was pure chaos energy. The form it was representing now was Dane harnessing his power in a way that none of them had ever seen before. The formless armor seemed to be a manifestation of his control over chaos energy, leaving them in awe of his abilities. Siglorr Bouldergrove and the rest of his main family saw this and understood why their leader and father swore loyalty to Dane.
The fact they were seeing the formless armor that was a mythical weapon written down as the ultimate weapon in destroying anything based on the user. It was the shapeless, inanimate but somewhat living entity that feeds on mana and converts it to pure chaos energy.
It was written that only beings with vast amounts of mana could use it. A primordial being once used it but succumbed to malice and started killing without reason. The armor was said to have a mind of its own, making it dangerous for anyone to wield. Legends also spoke of the armor corrupting its user, turning them into a mindless killing machine driven by selfishness.
But Dane was controlling it effortlessly; he wasn't showing any signs of getting mad or losing control. Some believed he was the chosen one destined to master the chaotic power of the armor and use it for good, while others feared what would happen if he were to fall victim to its corrupting influence.
Dane could not admit this wasn't the real formless armor; it was an imitation. The system that gave him a second life created this, and it was based on the six skills getting fused into one to minimize the use of his 5 skill slots, a standard setup of all players .
Dane was just maximizing the ability of the separated system that came from the main tower until it fulfilled its task. Dane had to leave the tower and restart again as if he were rebooting a game. Everything he did was to test a theory out of curiosity, and he never expected it was actually real. He thought he was dreaming or, worse, somebody was playing tricks on him..
But he did die and got reborn again. The feeling of being in a dreamlike state for a year was also controlled and manipulated. Sadly, he was asleep for more than five years. All the things he did were not synchronized with his old persona, so he was just simply adjusting to what he thought was reasonable and logical in his new life. The memories of his past slowly faded away as he embraced his new identity and began to navigate the unfamiliar world around him with a sense of curiosity and wonder.
Olmar Bouldergrove and his other relative could only watch. Soon they felt something had changed.
Dane saw a private notification window status , stating the contract Siglorr Bouldergrove created and made everybody in the war forge sign, a new sentence was added stating the loyalty contract Siglorr Bouldergrove made no longer corresponded to its initial purpose.
"AS ALL THE WAR FORGE STAFF AND PERSONNEL SWORE LOYALTY TO THE FORGE MASTER:"
"AND BECAUSE SIGLORR BOULDERGROVE TOOK A KNEE AND SWORE ALLEGIANCE TO DANE LAZARUS, CERTAIN WORDS WITHIN THE CONTRACT WERE LIMITED AND SEEMED TO RESTRICT THE SCENARIO."
"THE LOYALTY CONTRACT WILL NOW CHANGE."
"ALL THOSE WHO SIGN LOYALTY TO SIGLORR BOULDERGROVE WILL NOW SERVE DANE LAZARUS AS THEIR TRUE MASTER AND BENEFACTOR UNDER THE INSIGNIA OF THE NETHERBORN."
THE SCENARIO RELATED TO THE NETHERBORN HAS BEEN CREATED, AND IT BRANCHES OUT INTO MULTIPLE POSSIBILITIES.
"Huh? A scenario related to Netherborn was created; it's a little late."
"The tower system might be expanding its influence beyond what we initially anticipated."
"It's adapting well to the crazy thing I just made."
"It's still within its normal function."
As Dane turned around, he saw all of the war-forged staff and personnel kneeling toward him.
"Ah, so this was the reason the notification was private."
After making a brief gesture, Dane returned to the main hall to complete his plan and go as soon as he learned about Duchess Elleena Rothchester's current situation and affairs. This didn't take long because of her well-known benevolence toward her people. She was able to persevere through the immense fight. A crucial piece of information caused Dane's plans to become more tactically coordinated, giving Siglorr a massive mission to complete. Considering how many players could enter their ranks, recruiting additional people would be challenging.
But Dane asked Siglorr to place a contract on those who were going to join their ranks; payment for each grunt worker and soldier staff must have a clear understanding of their tasks and duties. He promises Siglorr that the organization he will create will dominate the, so they need to establish a strong foundation to make it happen; trust, loyalty, and strong resolve are what he is looking for.
Dane was particularly fond of the game character of Siglorr Bouldergrove because he actually helped create it when Harvey Shepard, one of his character designers, made one of the three prominent mythological races in the Arcane Crusade.
He liked how the Dwarves were created , their core personality of this race: they were rooted in the Viking culture, they are hot-tempered , great forgers, and fiercely loyal. Dane appreciated the depth and complexity that Siglorr Bouldergrove brought to the story, making him a standout character in the Arcane Crusade virtual game.
The scenario quest Siglorr Bouldergrove was related to was not that hard, but the complexity of the mission and not knowing the actual reward were also quite questionable. Because nobody knows that the reward was directly correlated to man power and support, sadly no player passed his test and never got to fully see the potential of having strong support while conquering the tower.
Seeing him alive with real emotions and ambition, he knew beforehand he was the perfect fit to be his first retainer. Conquering the tower is not an easy feat; establishing a guild is ideal in accomplishing large tasks. But finding the right member is difficult, especially since human players have a nasty reputation of being greedy and easily corruptible.
That's the reason he only gave trust to those who he really knew and had proven themselves in situations that would test their loyalty and integrity. He believed that true strength lies in the bonds of friendship and camaraderie, rather than in individual power alone. His ultimate goal was to create a guild where members could rely on each other and work together towards a common purpose, overcoming any obstacles that came their way.
He asked Siglorr if he could see a sample of the magic contract; Siglorr gave the parchment scroll that came from the cathedral magic tower, a merchant branch of the cathedral church serving the God of Light, Aether, the only place where the magic language could be written down and sold legally. Activating the contract was toaddd blood to it.
The written magic spell is just another form of incantation, like using the magic language to cast a spell. These contracts are a normal part of magical practices in the realm, making sure both parties can benefit from it. A magic contract will not activate if the person who will sign it was forced at any level.
Slave contracts are legal, but they are heavily regulated to prevent exploitation and abuse. The consequences of breaking a magic contract can be mild to severe, but not enough to kill, so it is important for both parties to fully understand and agree to the terms before signing. Many guilds and large organizations also partake in these magic contracts to ensure smooth operations and clear expectations among members. It is recommended to seek legal advice or consult with experienced practitioners before entering into any magical contract to avoid any misunderstandings or negative consequences.
olmar bouldergrove went to his father officce and took out an unsigned contract as he gave it to Dane he asked ward to study the language and see if he can replicate it and create their own version of it, afer a few seconds, he rolled the scroll and gave it back to Olmar. He asked how much thus these scroll cost , Dane wanted to know id the amount he knew before remain the same as he notice that many players were still stuck in using low tier magic spells , Siglorr openly admitted the price of these magic spells has now triple in the last year,
Most magic skill scrolls were lock into tier three , the highest tier were reserve to nobles and royalty that can afford the amount that was a million gold colds for a tier five elemental attack spell.
Dane know the magic tier level is hard to obtain, even if a players gets a tier seven elemental attack spell the mana to fuel its destructive power is limited, so many mages are unable to fully utilize their highest tier spells in battle. This has created a hierarchy among magic users based on their access to rare and powerful spells, leading to increased competition and tension within the magical community.
That is why mana mages are force to relay on consuming mana crystal that is considered dangerous due to the risks of overloading their own core and breaking their own internal reserves. As a result, mages must carefully balance their use of powerful spells with the potential consequences of tapping into external sources of mana.
In the tower, there are five recognized types of energy, each with distinct origins and properties. Mana is the energy that flows from nature itself, drawing power from the elemental forces of the environment, such as the pulse of a river, the rustle of leaves, or the heat of the sun.
Aura energy, on the other hand, originates from within sentient beings, serving as a manifestation of their life force, emotions, and consciousness. This energy is limited and take longer to accuire , most racticioners of this energy are martial artist and take alot of time and dedication to harness and control. It is believed that mastering aura energy can lead to heightened physical abilities and a deeper connection with one's inner self. Practitioners of this energy often undergo rigorous training to unlock its full potential and create an aura core with enough power to rival even the strongest of external energies. The process of mastering aura energy involves a deep understanding of oneself and the ability to channel emotions and consciousness into a powerful force that can be used for both defensive and offensive purposes. Ultimately, those who dedicate themselves to harnessing aura energy are able to achieve a level of strength and enlightenment that goes beyond mere physical prowess.
Elemental energy is derived from the four classic elements: fire, water, earth, and air. It is raw and primal, shaped by the natural world and often harnessed for its direct and physical effects. Like fire, it is a very common elemental energy but very destructive if not controlled properly. Water is fluid and adaptable, earth is solid and grounding, and air is swift and unpredictable. Each element has its own unique properties that can be utilized in different ways depending on the situation at hand. And like any other energy, increasing its mastery requires practice, discipline,
Spiritual energy comes from a connection to the spiritual realm, linking the user to forces beyond the physical world, while divine energy is even more vast, drawing its power from the infinite expanse of the universe and its cosmic forces. Each of these energy types has its own unique characteristics and risks, requiring careful mastery to avoid unintended consequences.
Lastly, there is chaos energy, the most volatile and dangerous of all. Born from the chaotic forces of the universe, it is inherently unpredictable and difficult to control. While incredibly powerful, its unpredictability makes it prone to causing catastrophic results if mishandled. Only those with extraordinary skill, discipline, and wisdom dare to wield chaos energy, as the consequences of failure can be devastating.
All these different energies can only be used if a core is created to contain it, directing it towards a specific purpose, a core of the unseen internal law of a being created to control the energy; it's mostly depicted as a ball of swirling energy. Monsters physically manifested this energy into crystal form as big as a ten-millimeter pearl. The largest and strongest core obtained came from a primordial terra dragon. It was as big as an apple, about nine centimeters.
But unlike these creatures, higher, human-looking sentient beings have different binding laws in harvesting and gathering energy; their representation of how they gain this power is created from intricate and very creative means, as nobody has truly seen the core they were talking about inside them.
Assumptions and speculations have been made, but the true nature of their energy source remains a mystery to most. So just to gain a certain amount of understanding, they just let their imaginations run wild with possibilities, sparking endless debates and theories among scholars and scientists alike. Despite the mystery surrounding their energy source, one thing is for certain: the power it provides is undeniable and awe-inspiring.
Dane understands the idea too well, but as a game designer, he made sure that even the most highly critical reviewers of his virtual game in the past could gain reasonable answers if they would ask about the relation of their so-called energy to the outside world.
Gaining the mana engine is just his way of protecting himself from enemies, even if he knew most of the monsters roaming in the towers killing them would be difficult if you don't balance all your abilities and resources properly. It's a strategic move that he hopes will give him an advantage in the tower. And Dane also knows that playing solo might look heroic , but he learned doing everything alone can be overwhelming and ultimately lead to failure. Joining forces with others who have different strengths and abilities could be the key to success in conquering the tower.
When he was designing the foundation of the Arcane Crusade game system, he encountered so many challenges. As soon as he was able to hire his development team all over the world , he personally saw and realized the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Those eleven highly skilled and talented programmers, designers, and artists made his dream come true .as the created the perfect hunting ground for a real adventure. Even though they were separated by distance and remotely worked from the confines of their own homes, they created a virtual game that changed a billion people's lives all over the planet and generated enough money to rival kings and queens.
But knowing the tower and beta testing the game are different in actuality. Living inside it, everything was planned, but he started rough and risky. Dane understood having been diagnosed with savant syndrome is not a guarantee of success. The mistake he made was humiliating and arrogant, but deep down he felt humble and grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.
Just like what his father kept telling him when he was younger, to always be open to learning from your mistakes and never stop improving yourself. This experience taught Dane the importance of humility and perseverance in the face of challenges, shaping him into a better person overall.
While his mother would always tell him to master and overcome your weakness and not let pride and ego command your judgment and actions. Focus on one thing, then move on to the next. Deviation from a task can lead to many negative consequences. By staying focused and taking a breather to see the bigger picture and adjust accordingly,
He is now implementing these traits into the plan, and as he continues his talks with the Bouldergrove, laughter and thunderous cheers erupt as the elders see the plan to be grander than just being wealthy. Elaria Syrune was also listening to the conversation, but she was further away from where Dane and Siglorr were seated. She felt a little relief seeing their benefactor to be kind and not evil.
Seeing how her adopted father and family respected him and the presence was warm and welcoming, Elaria couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this family. The plan to expand their influence was the main reason she joined the Dwarven clan so she could also expand her skill and knowledge in creating potions to help those who are in need of a specific illness and improve her own abilities as an alchemist. She knew that with the support of this family, she could achieve great things and make a real difference in the world.
The day went on as Dane participated in all their daily affairs and tasks. He openly talked and interacted with those who were working and also contributed a few ideas for improving their daily lives. All the ideas were based on items that were on Earth. Making these products inside the tower will not be an issue , as the gatekeepers only stop Earth gadgets from entering, as the magical energy powering high-end artifacts was powered by a different energy source..
The day was filled with getting to know all of the staff and personnel. Dane even joined the workstation, from weapon and armor forging to potion and daily high-luxury products that the wealthy and nobles love buying from them. Dane was particularly interested in the location these staff traveled to. They realize that their benefactor was detailed even to small details like location, landmark, and distance. .
Cragmir Bouldergrove used to work as a hired mercenary. Unlike his older brother, he was skilled in using war axes. He had joined dozens of skirmishes and large battles all over the region, so he was very knowledgeable in the area. He even collected and sketched all of the places he traveled to and also created a map. Dane was excited as he wanted to gain information on these locations and create a geographical chart with detailed info on their travel distance and exact location. .
Dane's drive to learn this information was massive , as he has no actual knowledge on these matters, as he wasn't the one that created the entire map. Daniel Simmons and Ryeom Jung-Hwa spent thousands of hours and days creating these complex locations and created a geographical database for everybody to utilize and enjoy.
The map provided him with a wealth of knowledge that he could use for future travels and adventures. Cragmir Bouldergrov was a great artist himself, as he was thorough and also very detailed, especially in distance and topography. He made sure to include all the necessary information for travelers to navigate easily and safely through the terrain; Cragmir Bouldergrov has the natural gift and talent of a cartographer.
As Dane flipped the page of the leather-bound book, Ward didn't waste time in cataloging all the details Dane was seeing. There was even detailed information and travel distance toward the now fallen city of Lúthien. The travel time was 20 days exactly. Ward had to create a realistic calculation of the longitude and latitude of the map, Cragmir wrote down. Ward had to spend a few days on this., when Cragmir Bouldergrov mentioned Dane could gain a better map at the Royal accadamy,
As he explained, the information in his book was his personal research, and those places were part of his adventure and mission catalog. if he truly wanted to gain knowledge of the entire 4 regions, he could find it at the main library of the royal Solnara Academy. Dane thanked Cragmir and told him that the places he had been were wonderful places to visit in the future. Gaining the information from his stories was far more important than any other source he could find. Dane was grateful for Cragmir's insights and looked forward to exploring the regions further based on his recommendations.
As the night started to fall, Dane made a mental note to visit the main library of the royal Solnara Academy to expand his knowledge further. He was excited to continue his journey and discover all that the four regions had to offer. But two particular pieces of information captured Dane's attention, and they were the mission of Duchess Elleena Rothchester and the travel distance of the demon mouth gorge.
In Cragmir's note and shared stories , a loudmouth hired mercenary got drunk and told him about the things he did for a noble many years ago. The human mercenary was so drunk and rambling that Cragmir could barely make out the details. However, the mention of Duchess Elleena Rothcheste's mansion piqued his curiosity, as did the dangerous reputation of Demon Mouth Gorge, and the very questionable story Cragmir heard was too intriguing to ignore. He knew he had to investigate further, despite the risks involved in venturing to such treacherous locations.
Dane thanked Siglorr and Cragmir Bouldergrov and excused himself as he stood up and went to his designated room and ended the night with a smile on his face. Dane was waiting for a sign, and hearing Cragmir's story and seeing what was written on the leather bound book was the sign he was waiting for.
"Ward, calculate the distance from here to the demon mouth."
"Master Dane, that 32 days of travel by carriage is about 640 miles west toward Karion."
"The landmark on Cragmir Notes is complicated , as the actual area to which we shall come out will be unknown." Dane nodded, his mind already planning the journey ahead despite the uncertainty of what lay ahead. He knew that with Cragmir's detailed notes, they had a chance to reach their destination safely.
"Can we rise above the terrain and locate an area via visualization and just adjust based on the situation as we emerge from the teleportation burst gate?"
"Noted, master. Already calculating mana consumption."
"Prepare and enhance the Netherboard gear, and we need supplies."
" noted."