Unbound-Chapter Nine Hundred And Seventy Three – 973
The kiss lasted far shorter than Felix wanted, and—judging by the way that Vess clung to him—far less involved than she cared for.
“You’re alive,” he breathed, tucking strands of hair behind her ears. “I knew you were.”
“Ocalla underestimated us both.” She wiped her thumb across Felix’s cheek and it came back wet with blood. “Are you well?”
He captured her hand in his. “I am now.”
A buzzing sounded at his hip and green-gold light fizzled up. “My Lord?”
Felix’s smile froze. “Karys. Not now.”
Vess’ dimple deepened. “Go,” she mouthed. “Be the king.”
“Vessilia!”
The pair of them turned to Roland Dayne as he tossed off his helmet. His face was streaked with blood and tears, his armor rent and buckled, but he was beaming. He thundered up to his daughter, took her in his arms and spun her about. “I thought you were—”
“I am fine, papa.”
“So you are.” Roland set her down and gave her a once over. “Stronger as well, it seems.”
Vess lifted her chin, a bright smile on her lips. “Master Tier.”
Roland laughed and hugged her again.
Felix stepped away, exchanging a nod of weary greeting with Thalgrym. The massive wyvern was beat up—they all were—but he was crowded close to Ondine with a gaggle of Chimera. Scylla bounced on her paws, eager to chat with the winged woman, and Pit clung to her side. The enormous tenku sat back and winked at Felix.
The Risi had clumped together, the enormous Warriors and Witches all gathered around Evie and Gabby, of all people. The Frost Giants seemed fascinated by the eleven foot woman and her weapons of gleaming gold. Battlelord Ari had sat down his enormous frame and was showing the Titan his own red-ice club. Gabby, though a bit overwhelmed, seemed interested. Evie just watched, a sharp smile on her face that she regularly stuffed with some sort of jerky.
The rest of the Unbound were nearby, each surrounded by Talons that were watching the serene surroundings with wary eyes. Those not on guard duty were all over the place, offering food, drink, and first aid to anyone that needed it. Felix was happy to see that most didn’t—he was far less happy when his perfect recall spotted missing faces. He clenched his jaw, adding their names to the running list in his heart.
“They shouldn’t have died,” he muttered.
“They knew what they were getting into,” Karys sent back. “Frankly speaking, your mission was foolhardy in the extreme. The chances of survival—”
“I know, Karys.”
His sword stopped buzzing. “I’m sorry, Felix. They will be remembered.”
Felix allowed himself a bitter smile. He wasn’t sure he was capable of forgetting. “What did you want, Karys?”
“Ahem. I have been trying to reach you since you’ve left. Every glass I’ve sent my awareness through our Bond, but until now I’ve always met a wall of inchoate noise. It seems your Authority has restored Amaranth.”
“Aeonis,” Felix corrected. “It’s original name, apparently.”
“Already your Authority Screen has been populated with new Territories.” Karys’ good cheer was hard to suppress. It rang along their connection like bells. “The Hierocracy is yours.”
Felix’s notifications blinked at him with renewed fervor.
Adamant Discord is level 147!
…
Adamant Discord is level 149!
Empyrean Embrace is level 126!
…
Empyrean Embrace is level 135!
Unseen Beholder is level 142!
…
Unseen Beholder is level 144!
Sonata of Dominance is level 139!
…
Sonata of Dominance is level 145!
Astrum Ascendence is level 126!
…
Astrum Ascendence is level 136!
Sovereign of Flesh is level 149!
Adamant Discord is level 146!
…
Adamant Discord is level 148!
Lay Of The Unfallen is level 148!
Wild Threnody is level 116!
…
Wild Threnody is level 133!
Grandmaster Tier!
You Gain:
+300 STR
+200 INT
+200 WIL
Manifestation of the Coronach is level 99!
Power rushed through him, rolling from the distant System before crashing into the opalescent latticeworks around his core space. Dissonance and Harmony warbled, both of them in a fluting counterpoint as colorless System energy transmuted itself within his dual rings and spat back out over his Skills.
“Coronach? When did I use that?” Perhaps when he’d called on the Grand Harmony—some parts of that battle were hazier than others. “Regardless, it looks like I’m getting close to Paragon.” He said it carefully, as if speaking it aloud might scare the advancement away. “Very close.”
“A few more levels and you will have attained it,” Karys agreed. “But those levels will prove to be your most difficult yet. Not to mention, you must master your Core Manifestation. Without it, you cannot rise to Paragon.”
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Felix frowned. “Explain, please.”
“Well—”
More alerts flooded his vision, the low bells of their arrival drowning out Karys’ mild voice. “Gimme a second, here. Then you’re explaining everything you can about Paragon Tier.”
“Of course.”
You Have Killed The Echo Of Noctis!
XP Earned!
You Have Gained 8 Levels!
You Are Now Level 128!
+160 to STR! +176 to PER! +176 to VIT! +208 to END! +192 to INT! +224 to WIL! +208 to AGL! +232 to DEX!
+160 All Harmonic Stats!
You Have 120 Unused Stat Points!
Your Companion Pit Has Gained 6 Levels!
Pit Is Now Level 104!
+60 STR, +54 PER, +24 VIT, +66 END, +42 INT, +60 WIL, +120 AGL, +120 DEX! +60 AFI, RES, and REI!
He Has 300 Unused Stat Points!
Your Authority Has Increased!
New Title!
Remnants of the Night (Divine)!
You have successfully killed a remnant of Noctis! A task long thought impossible, you have circumvented their regeneration and Authority by consuming their remnant flesh! This grants you many benefits, all of which are doubly effective upon consuming the core of Noctis’ power.
+Increased Authority During The Night
+Increased Conversion of Mana, Essence, And Significance When Consuming Shadow Constructs
+Increased Control And Strength When Shaping Shadow And Ice Elements
New Skill!
Strain of the Stalwart (Divine), Level 1!
A passive Skill that increases the stability of Creation around you by virtue of your presence. All Territorial Songs are amplified in effect and cost (10% per level).
Champion of the Grand Harmony (Divine)!
You have restored the Territory of Amaranth to its original state! The unstable Mana due to the fall of Noctis’ moon has been isolated, removed, or obliterated where appropriate and the stability of the Continent grows in its absence. You have proven yourself as a protector and Creation itself knows it.
+Increased Authority when defending Territories
+Increased Authority when stabilizing Mana
+Increased Effective Range Of Strain Of The Stalwart!
Strain of the Stalwart is level 2!
…
Strain of the Stalwart is level 10!
Skill Has Reached Max Level!
Due To Being An Emperor Of More Than Ten Territories, Strain Of The Stalwart Has Reached Max Level!
Felix blinked at that. He didn’t know that Skills had a max level. Still, this is damn useful. He glanced up at the cleared sky, where the Twins’ and Yyero’s moons still hung. Especially if more of those come crashing down.
Trilling glissandos rolled through him, puckering Felix’s skin with a cool sensation he couldn’t name. More notifications awaited, and these were edged in gold.
Aeonis Claimed! 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
All Territories Under The Hierocracy Have Transferred To The Empire Of The Fiend!
Authority Increased!
Andiva Claimed!
Tavan Claimed!
Neer Claimed!
Sept Claimed!
Sao’Thun Claimed!
Bos’Vaan Claimed!
New Shadowgates Have Been Secured!
Visit Your Heart Of Shadows (Elderthrone) To See More!
You Have New Territories Awaiting Chancellors!
New Titles!
Sovereign of Aeonis (Legendary)!
Before the Golden Empire, Aeonis was built from the very bones of the earth, and the Gigas ruled its halls. Possessed of uncommon Strength, they raised Aeonis into the sky, and from there ruled over the rolling, bountiful hills and the roving beasts that occupied them. Aeonis was a bastion of wisdom and the birthplace of empire on the Continent, where the Primordials’ blood spilled and gave rise to the mighty Races now Lost. Few Gigas remained when the Golden Empire rose to power, but even the Herald was wise enough to never offend their Sovereign.
+200 STR, END, VIT
+Increased Authority Within Aeonis
+Access To The Giant’s Grove
By Crown And Sword (Legendary)!
You have claimed fourteen Territories under the Empire of the Fiend, supplanting the Hierocracy founded by Ocalla Marzul. Moreover, you have claimed these Territories by virtue of your true Authority. Your powers of empire have grown!
+Emperor’s Aura - Increases allies' damage output and defensive capabilities by 20% when within the boundaries of the Empire of the Fiend. Adds a chance of inflicting an instance of Regal Dominance, reducing their Will and Perception.
+Conqueror's Dominance - All enemies in your empire suffer a 20% reduction in primary stats until they are no longer designated as enemies by you or your empowered representative.
+True Lord’s Authority - All beneficial aspects of a Territory’s true Seat and Seal are amplified by 30%. The cost of all Territorial Songs are reduced by 50%.
Felix couldn’t believe what he was reading. Putting aside whatever the Giant’s Grove happened to be, the sheer amount of Territories that were now in his hands boggled his Mind. His Authority was palpable now, the blue lines of his Bonds gleaming just a hairsbreadth away from his fingers. All that effort to reach toward his Territories earlier seemed silly—Felix was certain that, if he wished it, he could snatch the Bonds connecting the skies of Nagast and the cliffs of Sunara with flex of his Will.
More than that, the benefits from By Crown And Sword meant his hold over his empire was greater than ever. It would have been extremely useful to have in his fight against the Hierophant, but still, it was good to hold now.
And if anyone else comes calling, I can— Felix cocked his head. Wait. What’s that noise—?
A dissonant scrawl tore across the distance, etched into the dark space between his Skills until it bounced off his Divine Tree and dual cores. It flashed, stuttering into existence before his eyes.
Absorbing The Skull Fragment Of Veridaan.
Progress: 70% > 72%
Beast? What are you doing in there?
A low growl shook through his center. Holding On.
Felix closed his eyes, delving into his core space, and found things to be largely untouched…save for the abyss beneath his dual cores. There it was chaos around the spinning event horizon, bubbling and spitting like grease on a hot pan—or perhaps a glitching static across a broken television. Crouched over it all, more present than Felix had seen before, was the Beast. Its clawed limbs stretched and flexed, gathering up pieces of instability as they tried to escape, and shoving them into its gleaming maw.
Is this the unstable Mana from the Echo?
What Remains Of It And The Territory. Yes.
Felix swallowed. How are you containing it?
Digestion…Is Slow. The Beast snapped up another piece of jagged light. It gleamed as it traveled down its undefined throat. But We Bind All. This…Is Nothing.
What happened to it being “rot and ruin”?
The Beast turned baleful eyes on him and Felix flinched. They were his eyes. Rot Must Be Cleansed. The Song Cannot End.
Felix wanted to ask more questions. A thousand of them, in fact. The Beast had been adamant in its refusal to eat the unstable Mana of the Territory, let alone the Echo, but now it seemed proud to do so. It had wanted him to flee the Echo and its diluted Ruin, now it stayed crouched over the pieces they’d consumed. Why?
True, Felix had forced the issue, devouring the Echo and devising a rough, impromptu composition of the Grand Harmony to overwhelm the instability…but that had barely been enough to hold his ground.
What happened to running away from all this?
The Beast rose up, malformed body flexing around the abyss. Do You Wish Us To Release This, Scion?
NO.
The Beast settled back down, sealing it all up. To Release This Would Unmake Us. We Cannot Digest It All, But We Make Use Of It. Your Power…We Fed This Into Aeonis.
Unite the Lost. It took the edge off all this?
Some. Not All. A Great Bounty Remains If We Can Survive It.
If. Felix didn’t miss the use of that word. So much rested on it. He looked up, shading his eyes from silvered turquoise sky, and found the violet smear of the Ruin. It hurt to look at, but he stared until the ache burned behind his eyes.
“Felix. Enough.” Vess stepped up to him, taking his arm in hers. “We have lived today. Let us celebrate that.”
“Yes! Celebration! My best friend’s alive!” Evie crowed. Beef joined her, bellowing in a voice too deep for his thirteen year old soul, and the rest of their people joined in.
“Alright, fine,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. He gestured to the newly risen city and the gates opened, even from hundreds of yards away. “Let’s go exploring.”
