Monroe-Chapter Three Hundred and Twenty-three. Rays and Shadows.

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Bob closed his eyes and counted down from ten as he took slow, deliberate breaths.

Ten years. That was more than enough time to rebuild the Freedom with an eye towards efficiency. Hell, he'd been operating under the System for less than five.

The village represented two months of work and crystals gathered. Ultimately, it was that they still didn't have a place to settle down. He knew that Dave and Amanda wanted to bring their families with them, once they'd settled down. Naomeh's verdict served to delay that further.

"I do wish it could be otherwise," Naomeh said, "however the agreement between the twins is a fundamental aspect of their natures. Attempts to violate it compel them both to arrive and correct the offense."

She paused, and Bob could almost hear the frown in her voice. "The actions taken to correct that offense have been recorded and dispersed for millennia, and serve as a stark example that has prevented a repetition for time beyond living memory."

Bob opened his eyes as he pulled a sleepy Monroe out of his inventory, cradling the super-sized floofers haunches while draping the rest of the kitty over his neck, the big head drooping down his shoulder.

Monroe was used to his human's occasional need to deliver devotion, and accepted his relocation to a new napping position with the benevolent kindness that was the mark of those who rule by divine right.

Bob reached up with the hand not dedicated to supporting Monroe, and dug into the huge Maine-coon's ruff.

"It's clear we don't have a choice in the matter," Bob began. "We likely won't need the full ten years. We'll refurbish and replenish our ship, hit our tier cap, reincarnate, then once we've reached an appropriate level, we'll leave." He paused for a moment to do the mental math before nodding. "A year, maybe less."

"Where will you go?" Naomeh asked.

Bob shrugged, hefting Monroe a bit to reposition him. The update had taken away the attribute-per-level increase, and Bob hadn't invested points in Strength, which meant that carrying a tier six Monroe around was a workout.

"There are an infinite number of universes," he replied. "While it might take a while, we'll find one where we can make our home."

"There may be another, more immediate solution," Naomeh said. "The twins have been contesting over worlds forever. While the contest of seed worlds has been well established, there are ancient records of other struggles, abandoned in favor of the seed worlds. I have communed with Vorstach and there is are worlds where both the twins have declared a policy of non-interferrence."

"Okay," Bob said slowly.

Naomeh smiled. "Again, such a versatile expression. These worlds have remained uninhabited and undeveloped because the very act of bringing anyone to them would violate the agreement, which would cause the twins to act to correct, which would negate the effort of bringing people to inhabit them."

"Are these worlds in some distant arm of the most remote galaxy?" Bob asked.

"Quite the opposite," Naomeh sighed, "they are quite close to the core worlds. The records indicate that the loss of life in the struggles over those worlds was so devastating that the twins were forced to meet in peace for the first time in recorded history, where they came to their agreements. The abandonment and quarantine of those worlds was deemed a lesson for them both to learn from, one that would serve to remain in perpetuity."

"So, habitable worlds in easier reach than others more distant," Bob shook his head. "I find it hard to believe that someone didn't just, you know, go there. Without benefit of blessing of Vorstach or the other one, they'd be fine, right?"

It was Naomeh's turn to shake her head. "I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible," she began. "Those who wish to invoke the powers of Stone and Flame must first find the acceptance of Vorstach. Those who seek the powers of Stone and Ice seek out the cold one. Without those powers, such a voyage wouldn't be possible, but by having the sworn themselves to one of the twins, they are unable to go."

Shifting Monroe, Bob began to massage the big kitty's toe beans. It was one of the odd things tiering up had changed about his buddy. Beyond the proportionally increased appetite, Monroe had begun not only tolerating, but actively requesting toe bean interaction.

"Where I spent the past few years, there were a lot of gods. I mean, I think it was thiry-six?" Bob shook his head again. "Something along those lines. From what I understood, and it's definitely only a cursary understanding, they were pretty much operating across a single solar system. If I'm not committing heresy or anything, can I ask if Vorstach and Baldarkurax are the only gods around?"

Noameh frowned. "While not forbidden, the twins encourage us to correct anyone who uses the term 'gods.' They stand as the gatekeepers, those who have gone before us to show us the way, but they are not infallible."

"Let me rephrase then. Are those two the only way to access Divine magic?" Bob asked.

"Yes," Naomeh replied.

"Alright, I can see how that could be a problem," he mused, "still, you could probably get by with just Arcane magic, in terms of traversing from one world to another."

She shook her head again, her expression sad. Bob wasn't sure how exactly marble could move like that, but her perfectly sculpted features were incredibly expressive. "Arcane magic is forbidden to any save the Lhorne, a small sacrifice to repay the eternal debt."

"Full disclosure," Bob said hesitantly, "I use Arcane Magic, as do quite a few of my friends."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Your people had no part in the tragedy of the Lhorne."

Bob opened his mouth then closed, then opened it again, then closed it again. "See, I really want to ask what you mean by that, but at the same time, I don't know if it's relevant."

"The twins are not infallible," Naomeh replied. "Only the Lhorne are permitted to provide the details to those unaware."

Bob shook his head. "Back to the matter at hand. You said there are entire worlds where we, as people who aren't locals and have no skin in the game, could settle. My first question is, what are these worlds like, from a climate perspective, and how far away are they?"

"There are one hundred and nine solar systems, each of which contains one or more planets that were habitable by our standards, which from what I've been told matches yours closely enough," she explained. "As far as distance, they vary. Without knowing how quickly your vessel can move through the void, I'm unable to say. However, you would only need to travel from the nearest core world, as Vorstach and the cold one would move you from here to the core."

"Why?" Bob asked bluntly. "We're nice folks, and I'd like to think we've been good guests, but that's a tremendous effort on the part of two unimaginably powerful entities. I'm honestly not comfortable being this close to you, no offense, let alone those two who apparently over tier forty, which is a degree of power I don't think I'm really able to comprehend. What's in it for you?"

Naomeh smiled. "First and foremost, we can populate those worlds. I'm assuming a twenty-two month gestation and a life span of around a hundred and fifty core years?"

Bob blinked. "Sixty seconds to a minute, sixty minutes to an hour, twenty-fours to a day, between twenty-eight and thirty one days across twelve months contained in a year that measures three hundred and sixty-five days. Nine months gestation and I think seventy-one years, but that last number could be plus or minus ten depending on a variety of factors too long to list."

It was her turn to blink. "That's fairly close, I suppose, or enough so that you'd only be off by a dozen days each year. I'm sorry that your kind live such short lives, but your quick reproduction works to your advantage. It would take only a few millennia to populate those worlds, at which point both the Eire and the Irth would have a neutral trading partner." She shook her head. "The value of having a species partnered with both is well worth the effort."

Bob closed his eyes.

He liked dinosaurs. He'd loved reading about them. That did not mean that his exploration of science fiction had stopped a Jurassic Park.

"You see us taking up a role as a neutral party, trading with both factions at the periphery of the no-fly zone. We are shielded by virtue of only needing to step back into the protection offered by the twins agreement, while the factions aggression is blunted by that knowledge," he said softly.

"Yes," she agreed.

"But," Bob continued, "you don't have any guarantee that we'll play along."

"I do not, nor does Vorstach," she said. "We have only your actions to judge you by, and the actions of a few, especially a few outliers, are hardly enough to make an accurate assessment."

"Outliers?" Bob asked.

"You've shown me your title, Savior," she stressed the last word. "Seven Billion. Not even the core planets boast numbers so high. Yet, you are here with less than twenty people. I do not presume to know your culture, but amongst both the Eire and the Irth, that title alone would cause any to whom you displayed it to offer you aid. You should have a thousand people with you, more, given your numbers. Yet you have so few."

"I don't think there are twenty people who know I have it," Bob said quietly, "although there are quite a few who probably suspect it."

Naomeh looked at the mortal in front of her.

He stood on the seventh step, preparing to rise to the eight, and was far beneath her in power. It was known amongst mortals who neared ascendancy, that the changes wrought by taking that first step on a greater path were palpable to mortals, a mark of sorts to ensure that mortals did not trespass against them in ignorance.

Never before had she wished that this was not so. He was clearly unnerved by her presence, more so than the Eire and occasional Irth she encountered.

The 'update' provided by the previously mystic System had been decried by some as revealing truths that should be hidden, but those voices spoke from a place of fear. The ability to prove ones accomplishments irrefutably was a gift beyond measure.

Igniter of the World Engine.

You have dedicated yourself to the process of creating a habitable world from nothing more than compacted rocks. You stood at the pinacle of the rituals, channeling energy that would have destroyed you completely had you failed. You filtered the stones of an entire world, forming a core, then igniting it, allowing the world above to contain air, which breathed life.

Reward : While the core you have ignited continues to twist and burn, you receive a 7% bonus to both the Divine School of Elemental Earth, and the Divine School of Elemental Fire.

Vorstach did not directly involve herself in the politics of those who were not Transcendant, allowing them to sort out their own disputes.

There had already been efforts, successful efforts, to discredit her role in the success of this seed. She was too young, and too new to the path of ascendancy.

The System providing irrefutable evidence of her accomplishment had seen her rise meteorically, while those who had attempted to freeze her out had found themselves distanced.

It also served to highlight the character of the man in front of her. He had clearly acted to save his world, with it's boundless numbers, and hadn't been recognized for his efforts, instead being driven from his home.

Despite that, he still sought only a place to live with his friends. There was no such thing as a truly peaceful existence, but one where the only conflict was with the monsters, sent by Vorstach, or the System, she supposed, was a laudable goal.

She shared it. Part of ascendancy was the revelation of certain truths, one of which was that the hatred of the Eire for the Irth and vice versa was entirely unnecessary. Naomeh could envision a future where the twins amended their agreement, changing the contest for the seed worlds into something with less permanent consequences for those competing against one another. A small number of ageless could watch over the contest, removing those who would have otherwise perished.

She shook her head to clear it.

"You don't seem satisfied with that answer," she observed. Suspicion was written in his posture as he unconsciously lavished affection on his familiar.

"That's a rather large long term investment, one that may not even pay out," Bob replied.

"It is," she acknowledged. "However there is something else I want."

"What might that be?" He asked.

Naomeh pointed to the bracer on his arm. "Your people have developed in an unexpected direction," she said. "We have been working within the twin's graces, and through them, the System, forever. Somehow, without those benefits, you have gained an understanding greater than our own, and harnessed that understanding to spectacular results. You shared a memory of the Trials you undertook with Ordast in a fashion that allows him to share it others."

She shook her head. "To share it with anyone. That's incredible. We could place one of those devices in front of each Trial to ensure that any who entered it were prepared. The written word can be interpreted but a memory simply is."

"We like to say that a picture is worth a thousand words," Bob replied.

She nodded agreeably. "You can see the value of those devices." 𝘧𝘳ℯ𝓮𝘸𝓮𝑏𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓁.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Bob shook his head. "The problem is that we have a limited supply of them, and with our universe being integrated into the System, I'm not sure if people are going to keep making them. If they do, I'm not sure what the supply will look like."

Naomeh shrugged. "While I couldn't replicate the device, I'm certain that a transcendent could."

"Beyond the supply, is what might happened if we introduced our technology to your universe," Bob continued.

"I fail to see any problem, at least not if you were to provide it to both Vorstach and the cold one," Naomeh said.

"That's a lack of vision on your part, or ignorance," Bob replied, his voice low and his expression grim.

Naomeh raised an eyebrow in amusement. "How so?" She asked.

"Stop me if I'm wrong, but throughout the universe there a bunch of these 'seeds' being grown and contested over by the Irth and the Eire at the behest of the twins. I'm making a wild guess at the numbers, but based on my understanding of racial affinities, affinity crystals, and attributes, we're talking hundreds of thousands from each faction on each seed," Bob said.

"Close enough," she agreed.

"So, let's look at what we've shown you so far. Recording and relaying information," Bob continued. "My people have a saying. 'Amateurs talk tactics, professionals study logistics.' I'm not a soldier, but I've known some of them, and to a man, they have told me the same thing. Obtaining and disseminating information is key to victory. Do you think that every person in a fighting force having access to the ever changing situation on the battlefield wouldn't change the course of a war?"

Naomeh paused for a moment. As an ascendant, she was required to act as the overall commander on the battlefield, while forbidden to participate herself, save for action against another ascendant.

If her subcommanders and unit commanders had an overhead view of the battlefield, there ability to effectively maneuver against the enemy would drastically magnified. At the unit level, Eire would be moving in the right direction before the orders were even given.

"Providing one side, or even both sides, with the ability to more effectively kill each other?" the mortal shook his head. "I'm not sure I have the right to make that decision."