The Newt and Demon-7.47 - The Seal of Wisdom

It happened in a flash. One moment, Theo had been sailing through the void, and the next, he was standing in an expansive redwood forest. Trees stretched in all directions, and the sky above had a tinge of both dark black and glimmering gold. Elrin already had his impressive halberd out. He swung it through the air, forcing it to a stop that shook the very ground itself. The alchemist almost lost his balance as he heard a derisive chuckle.

A young elven woman, no older than 12 years old, stood in a plain white dress. She had her golden hair pinned in a bun and wore a smarmy expression on her face. With her arms crossed, she looked up at the impressive figure before her. "You stink," she said.

"You smell twice as bad, princess," Elrin said, cracking a smile. "Don't think I'm above killing you and destroying the throne."

"He would be hard-pressed to do something like that in a place like this." A dour voice came from somewhere behind Theo. He turned to find a male elf of the same age sulking near a tree. His long hair covered half of his face, and his eyes were downcast.

“Fate and Omen, right?” Theo asked, looking between the elven twins in confusion. “I'm not sure why you've brought me here, but—”

"Oh, he does prattle on," Fate said with a dramatic sigh. She flicked the axe head of Elrin's halberd, and it went flying, embedding itself into a tree and vibrating with enough force to resonate with that mighty redwood. "The rules have changed, Elrin, and you should learn to change with them."

To Theo's surprise, Elrin then knelt and pulled the god into a hug. He held her by the shoulders at arm's length and smiled at her. "To see your true form after all these years," he said. "It's good to see you're still alive."

Omen approached from the back, patting Elrin on the head. Although he seemed to be happy, no smile graced his face. “Good to see you too, old man.”

“Does anyone want to explain what’s going on?” Theo asked.

"Let's go somewhere more pleasant," Fate said. She jerked her head to the side, and then the entire group was in a completely different location. It was still a dense redwood forest, but there was a raised platform with two ornate thrones. Those were the thrones of the two gods. The helm of the Twin Realm.

"The gods have determined that you're breaking the rules," Omen said, ascending the platform and sitting on his throne. "And since my sister here has an interest in that violation, judgment has been passed solely to us. Huzzah."

"Oh, why bother getting straight down to business?" Fate objected, waving her dour brother's concerns away. “While it's true I want to sort the alchemist out, I really just wanted to see Elrin in the flesh.”

“I assume we can speak freely here,” Elrin said.

“You’re correct,” Omen confirmed.

"It worked," Elrin said, a look of sheer joy spreading across his face. "Against all odds, it actually worked."

"Yes, I suppose it did," Fate said. "Except there's quite a bit of damage that needs repairing."

"So, does anybody want to clue me in on what's going on since you bothered dragging me here?" Theo asked.

"When our two worlds were colliding, we were left with a choice," Elrin said. "Unfortunately, we had to pick one world to save and another to destroy. Earth was too far gone, so we selected Iaredin."

"And those two were gods at that point, right?" Theo said, pointing at Fate and Omen.

"More like what your people call ascendance," Elrin said. "Only now are they true gods. Actually, Fate has been to Earth, haven't you?"

"Oh yes, I went on a road trip and everything," Fate said, smiling. "It was quite fun. Until the killing started."

“She even met Jan. If you can believe it, they became pretty good friends."

"Yeah, that's a bridge too far for me to believe."

But Theo knew better than to talk back when two true gods were before him. He currently had both of their votes for his ascension plan, but that could change. It was better not to make them angry if he could avoid it. Whatever violation he had made would pale in comparison to getting his people and all their creations to a safe place. The celestial landscape was changing, and he had to move with the times.

"I'll let you guys catch up then," Theo said, waving as he walked a healthy distance away from the thrones. To his surprise, they actually started chatting without him. He absorbed the sense of godly power in the area. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. This was a different divinity, something far more pure than what he had experienced in the Ascended Realms.

Along with that sense of pure power, there came an understanding that time dilation was indeed in effect in these realms. Theo was familiar enough with the stunted passage of time to know that things were moving slower on the outside than they were on the inside. This meant that these gods had the advantage of time dilation, which was completely unfair. His realm currently experienced a two-to-one passage of time, although it had, in the past, enjoyed a much more favorable rate.

It took the group some time to finish chatting. During that time, Theo did his best to steal reagents from the godly realm. He found a few things he could pick, but the system refused to allow him to both inspect and take it.

“Stop trying to steal the flowers,” Omen said, shaking his head as he approached. “And come on. We’re ready to sentence you.”

Theo had an idea what this meeting was about. His suspicions were based on grapevine information he had gleaned about Fate and her power set. Without the uniqueness of her power, would she still have the same sway as a god? While he absolutely hated it, he was ready to enter the negotiation phase.

Elrin had wandered off after the meeting with Fate and Omen, leaving the platform open.

“Now,” Fate said, gesturing for Theo to ascend the steps. “Let’s get down to business.”

“These kinds of meetings will be common after the change,” Omen said. “But the gods have decided you and the other throne-holders are subject to power adjustments since you have access to stronger-than-normal abilities.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“We’re effectively adjusting stuff before the reset, hoping for a better result,” Fate said. “If you haven’t guessed, the powers my brother and I have are based on past and future events.”

“Right. I can read coming disasters,” Omen said. “Which is a power that has evolved to include large changes.”

“And I read the fates,” Fate said with a shrug. “I see the world as a tangled ball of golden yarn. Certain threads hold more weight, and I can follow them through realms and universes when it applies.”

“Which conflicts with my future-sight,” Theo said. “And the powerset Khahar had.”

“Exactly. You’re not allowed to mess with fate. That’s my job,” Fate said. “You people don’t understand how strong that ability is, and Khahar was lucky nothing horrible happened. I’ve been working without rest to fix these fates, and Elrin has been helping.”

“So, wait… You’re not bound by the Seal Of Passage?” Theo asked.

“I’d rather not explain exactly how it works,” Fate said. “But worry not. It follows the letter of the law.”

“So, you don’t want me to have my future-sight ability anymore, right?” Theo asked.

“Correct.”

“Give me something else,” Theo said. His goal was to play hardball. He knew the system wasn’t regressive. It wouldn’t remove an existing system without providing something else in return. He had seen it when the ascendants fell. Those aligned upgrades on his building were adaptive, to an extent.

“He’s playing hardball already!” Omen said with a laugh. “I like him.”

“This is the problem in dealing with experienced people,” Fate said with a sigh. “Much easier to nudge the fates of those who are unaware… Yet, I have viewed the future with the most favorable outcome for everyone.”

“Oh. Right. You’re the queen of future sight,” Theo said.

“Indeed. You’re the only living mortal with enough Wisdom to gain this future sight,” Fate said. “When I weave the Seal of Wisdom, it will remove that ability for all future users of Wisdom. And so, I will make you an offer you will accept.”

Losing future sight meant Theo would need to get something exceptional.

“Okay. I’m listening.”

“Your current use of your future sight ability is almost exclusive to sensing future danger,” Fate said, nodding to her brother.

“Ah, yes. That’s where I come into play,” Omen said, clapping his hands once. “You’d be perfect for my domain. Fate wants to swap your future sight for something closer to danger sense. The system has agreed to integrate this concept into your Wisdom of the Soul upgrade.”

Theo needed no more convincing about Fate’s ability to see the future. Perhaps even the past. This was effectively the only way he used his future sight ability. But he needed details.

“How would this power manifest?” Theo asked.

“That’s the fun part,” Omen said. “You’re going to need to make it your own. It could come as a sense, a system message, or even interpretive visions!”

“Omen took a long time to develop his power,” Fate said. “Even after ascending the throne.”

Theo should have taken some time to think about this. But he wasn’t standing before an ascendant he could scheme against. This wasn’t Zagmon or Balkor who he could one day kill. This was a true god who had looked through the fates. She had seen the best path forward for him and presented it. The alchemist allowed his gaze to linger over the forest before finding Elrin in the distance. The man gave him a sharp nod.

“Fine,” Theo said. “I trust you to do the right thing for me.”

“Exactly as I saw it going,” Fate said, clasping her hands together. “Your future sight will be transformed into a power of your own development. The Seal of Wisdom shall be placed upon the universe. And all is right with the world!”

Theo felt as though the world had tilted to the right. He stumbled on the platform, barely maintaining his balance as he reached the edge. The Dreamwalker’s Core in his chest shuddered with the power of the seal. A system message appeared a moment later.

[Dreamwalker’s Core Message]

A seal has been set in place. A recent exploit has been discovered has forced a change by the Godly Council led by Fate and Omen. The Seal of Wisdom has been set in place, limiting unintended power sets derived from the Wisdom attribute.

The world around Theo went gray. He watched as the potential futures reduced down to one, not realizing until now how much he relied on that future sight. The alchemist sagged, falling to a knee and taking a sharp breath.

“Oof. That stings,” Theo said.

“You took it on the chin,” Elrin said, coming over to help Theo to his feet. “I respect that.”

“Have you fought back against the gods before?” Theo asked. “It doesn’t end well.”

“I have,” Elrin said, pointing at Fate and Omen. “I fought them. They won.”

“And that was back before we weren’t true gods!” Fate said. “You won’t stand a chance now.”

“Yes… But now you’re limited,” Elrin said with a devious smile. “You couldn’t smite me without approval now.”

“Blah, blah,” Fate said, hopping down the steps. “Stop being so dramatic. Do you think father would have been pleased with the way we handled that?”

“Armel?” Elrin asked, scoffing. “That stuck-up asshole? No, he won’t be happy. Not even with the fact that you’re gods.”

Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.

“The Beast Tamer is right,” Omen grumbled.

“I’m gonna go, now,” Theo said. “I have a headache.”

“Right. Take the bura rider with you,” Fate said.

Theo was happy to do so… But he wasn’t the one to send them back into the void. He was drawn into it by the gods themselves, ejected from the heavens now that his trial was over. Not that it was much of a trial to begin with. Fate had a plan for him from the start, and there was little he could do to fight against it. At least he got a nice consolation prize for his efforts.

“That was eventful,” Elrin said as the pair approached the mortal realm. “I can see the shard up ahead. Working as expected.”

“That was the first time I’ve been to a true god’s realm. Very fun,” Theo said. “Not really, but whatever. They just kinda do what they want.”

Theo and Elrin landed in the center of Broken Tusk a moment later. The alchemist narrowed his eyes, turning as an unfamiliar shadow loomed in the distance.

“Excuse me, but what the hell is that?” Theo asked.

“The giant tower in the center of the farms?” Elrin asked. “That right there was the best place to put the shard. It wasn’t the original resting place for her, but with the way the continent was realigned… Well, I’ve had to redistribute a few things.”

“Excellent. I’m sure Banu will be thrilled about the massive eyesore you’ve planted right on his head,” Theo said, folding his arms. “Though I guess I can’t complain… This will help with the void energy, right?”

“It should already be in effect, although I’m not sure how you would check,” Elrin said.

Theo made a note in the administration interface. Elrin was right. He could feel a difference in the air. It wasn’t just that the shard was absorbing the new void energy. It was purging all kinds of random energy that still lingered in the air. If he was right, it was possible they could save at least one of the local dungeons.

“That was close,” Theo said, skimming through his administration interface. “They were going to destroy the Swamp Dungeon today. That was our most resilient and reliable dungeon.”

“Happy to help,” Elrin said, patting Theo on the shoulder. “I’ll come back around when I’m ready to pull another shard. Dunno how long that will take, but just be ready. And good luck with your new power.”

Theo watched as Elrin jogged off. The man didn’t even go to check out the new shard on the mortal plane. But the alchemist was excited to see what was within the massive gray tower. Before he even set off from the city’s center, he could hear the curses of the farmers echoing over the landscape.