Ashlock watched the chaos descend upon Ashfallen City.
People rushed and pushed to get what they felt would be prime real estate, and he could hardly blame them. For those who had lived in the slums of Slymere at the base of the mountain, this was a chance at a new life. If they just ran a little faster and pushed enough people out of the way, they could secure a house near the center of commerce, which everyone knew would revolve around the main road.
"I wonder what type of people will willingly reside on the mountain and down in the mine." Ashlock glanced over the mountain to sate his curiosity and laughed as he saw pompous nobles huffing and wheezing as they climbed the hundreds of steps. They all seemed determined to reach the highest houses despite the fact they were all identical. "Are they thinking straight? Why do they want to live as far away as possible from the main road where the food will be distributed daily?"
Following one particular elderly couple in well-tailored clothes, he soon found the answer. Flanking them were two stoic-faced men in Taoist-style robes who seemed unfazed by the climb. From a glance, Ashlock could tell they were cultivators in the Qi Realm, meaning they could empower their bodies with Qi but could not manifest any specific element beyond their body as their Soul Core had yet to form.
"They would be useless in a fight against other cultivators, but as bodyguards against mortals or to act as servants, they must be worth the price." Ashlock mused. "If these elderly nobles lived far from the city and had these cultivators retrieve food and travel to Darklight City to buy things, then living as high up as possible made some sense."
"Even with the demonic trees absorbing the human waste for nutrients and the oyster mushrooms cleaning the air of pollution from industry, the city will still be loud and smell like those cities of medieval Europe." Ashlock wished he could have done more for the mortals to make Ashfallen City a paradise, but he did not want to waste all his Qi, and with the Mystic Realm opening, he was pressed for time. "It's good enough for now. I can work alongside Douglas to improve things at a later date."
Having sated his curiosity about who would live on the mountain, his vision blurred as he headed underground to see who would live in the mine. Confused, he saw everyone crowding around the entrance instead of heading in.
"What are they doing?" Ashlock wondered, "Why are they gathering pieces of wood from the ground?" His question was soon answered when someone wrapped some cloth around the stick's tip and set it aflame, illuminating the cave entrance.
"Oh… I see the problem. I forgot to light up the underground with mushrooms." Ashlock quickly summoned his {Magic Mushroom Production} menu and selected the entire underground mine. He decided to edit the mushrooms and make them extra luminescent. He also added pores, which expelled clean air that the mushroom drew from gaps in the stone caused by water erosion.
Upon accepting his changes, the menu was minimized in his mind. Seconds later, he felt a tug on his Star Core as Qi rushed through his vast root network and bathed the entire mine in his overwhelming power.
The mortals exchanged confused glances as the tunnel lit up with a glowing blue as mushrooms rapidly grew from black roots that ran along every inch of the mineshaft. After a few minutes of squinting down into the now-illuminated mineshaft, one brave mortal began walking down, and seeing that nothing had happened to him, the other mortals soon followed.
"Phew, glad I checked." Ashlock sighed with relief. "Seems mostly workers and some more shifty-looking individuals are heading down here… I mean, there is a guy who looks like a mafia boss with an entire entourage following him. Not suspicious at all."
Ashlock was a little worried about what the underground part of Ashfallen City would become, but ultimately, it wasn't his problem. He was the ruler, not the manager. The overall direction and vision of the city were his to dream of, but his ideals would be implemented through his loyal subjects—the members of his sect.
"Elder Brent," Ashlock spoke in the man's mind as he emerged from the largest portal on the main road flanked by a dozen members of the Redclaw family.
"What does the immortal desire?" Elder Brent asked while eating a Mind Fortress pill and looking to the sky.
"I leave the city's security in your hands while I am gone. Also, keep a careful eye on the mine and those who live there. Crime will likely run rampant there."
"Leave it to me," Elder Brent said, giving a short bow and then clicking his fingers at the dark red-robed cultivators that had followed him through. "As the immortal commands, take up your stations."
"Yes, Elder." They all replied in unison and began to disperse. Most leapt up onto random houses and decided to sit cross-legged on their roofs. Fire Qi from the Blaze Serpent Roses growing on the nearby trees swirled around them as they cultivated while keeping one eye open for trouble.
Leaving the city in good hands, Ashlock wanted to check on one more thing. Slymere. Had the situation changed? Was the storm gone? Or had the Skyrends finally made their move? His vision blurred as he soared over mountain ranges and looked at the horizon. Which seemed oddly clear.
Arriving at Slymere, his suspicions were confirmed. The storm had ceased, but evidence of its existence lingered. The city was a smoldering wreck. A few fires still burned, and the sky was tinted grey from smoke.
But there was no fleet of Skyrends hurling lightning from floating ships or any signs of battle. Instead, it was quiet. Almost too quiet. It was suspicious, but what could he do? Unlike the now-dead city it lorded over, the Voidmind residence that had survived the storm had its doors locked shut, and there were no signs of the noble family.
"Strange..." Ashlock looked around a little more, but there was nothing to see. No clues to derive a hint from. "Am I being paranoid, or does the fact the situation has mysteriously resolved itself suggest something greater is at play? Though that raised the question of... what? The Blood Lotus Sect Patriarch should still be in seclusion. Nox ran away to the east with my curse devouring her soul, and there didn't seem to be a war between the Voidmind and Skyrend families. The only threat I am aware of is the bounty hunters, who have been easy to deal with thus far. So why does the silence feel so loud?"
Ashlock sighed, "Should be fine. I have Quill to help hold down the fort alongside my Ents, and I can always pull people back from the Mystic Realm by using {Dimensional Overlap} if needed.
Returning to Red Vine Peak with more questions than answers. He was surprised at the chaos that the peak had become. A thousand Mudcloaks, ready for war, gathered around the other sect members in a ring. Douglas stood before them with his crude crown of stone on his head and an expression of grim determination.
However, the mood wasn't dreary. The Mudcloaks were cheering as if this were a stadium while the other sect members were engaged in light conversation.
Stella laughed and gave Maple head rubs as she discussed her recent failures regarding the cursed pill with Elder Margret. Meanwhile, the Grand Elder congratulated Douglas on his hard work and crouched down to shake hands with a Mudcloak while Elaine eagerly showed Diana a passage in a book.
Everyone was here except Elder Brent, who had stayed behind to manage the city. Ashlock also felt his branches were a little lighter, so Stella had likely plucked many fruit and distributed them to everyone present.
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"Is everyone ready for the Mystic Realm?" Ashlock asked, manifesting his presence in everyone's mind but the Mudcloaks. Most winced as Ashlock appeared in their consciousness through horrifying illusions and had to consume a Mind Fortress pill. Stella, Diana, and Elaine, however, seemed entirely unbothered.
They all paused their conversations and looked toward his trunk as he had made his presence and attention known.
"Most of you are regulars at this point, so there's no need to go over it again," Ashlock said as he mentally activated the Mystic Realm, "Stella, Maple, Diana, Elaine, Larry, Kaida, and the Redclaws make sure to come back alive. I will see you all in a month."
The familiar white fog filled with celestial shards materialized and swallowed the core sect members.
"Time for me to make my move," Ashlock mused as Willow floated overhead and cast the mountain peak in a looming shadow. Using {Progeny Dominion} on Willow, the system tore a fragment of his soul from his Star Core and implanted it into Willow's body via the ethereal roots that connected them across space while making the mountain shake with power. Rather than discomfort, Willow felt like a second home as the loveable offspring welcomed him with a wave of happiness.
"Alright, Douglas, let's go and save these lovable bastards from the kobolds' claws," Ashlock said to the last remaining human who stood before his army. "Just step through and find the shard for the Dragonite Realm again. I will follow close behind with the Mudcloaks."
"What if I can't find it?"
Ashlock grumbled, "We have gone over this. Enter any random realm, and I will handle the rest." It would involve wasting some sacrificial credits, so he would rather not. But it would be a worthwhile investment to gain thousands of new laborers... oh, and to save the race from extinction, of course.
Douglas tapped his stubbled chin for a moment as he looked down into the eyes of a nearby Mudcloak. The little guy returned the gaze with all the adoration of a puppy.
"You will do," Douglas bent down to pick the Mudcloak up. He then held the monster at arm's length from his chest and faced the Mystic Realm. "Guide me to your home."
The Mudcloak let out an excited squeal as if happy to be chosen by its king.
"The rest of you stay here until a portal opens," Douglas instructed his army of short but passionate monsters. "Once it does, head through and assist your king."
Douglas vanished into the Mystic Realm as screeches and broken sentences about killing overcame the mountain peak.
Ashlock found it impressive how Douglas had gone from a downbeat rogue cultivator under a mountain of debt to the king of a species and about to conduct interdimensional warfare all within half a year.
"Now, while Douglas searches for the Dragonite Mine realm shard with his Mudcloak detector, I need to secure our defenses." Ashlock's vision blurred as he entered the library, which felt oddly empty with Kaida gone. All that remained was Quill, who dominated the center of the ink lake with runic words inscribed all over his bark.
Just from a glance, the skills he could see that Quill could unleash on an intruder at a moment's notice were Chill Aura, Regenerative Bark, Vine Entanglement, Flame Ward, Spatial Lock, and Spatial Repulsion. A wide selection of defensive techniques that covered multiple affinities.
"Quill, I will put you in charge of defense for the peak and leave all the Ents except Khaos in your control, as my attention will be elsewhere. If anything happens, inform me through our connection and stay awake until nightfall. I will return by then, so don't miss me too much!"
Words began to manifest on a blank spot of bark, and in the ancient language, Quill wrote 'Bye Dad.'
"Never one for many words despite having a gift for communication," Ashlock chuckled as he left the library. "It reminds me of myself when I was younger. Now let's see if Douglas has had any luck..."
Opening his {Dimensional Overlap} skill menu at the top of the list of pocket realms to choose from alongside their price, there was a group of highlighted ones with the word 'Free' next to them with small people icons.
There were no earth affinity ones yet but he noticed an affinity he hadn't seen on the menu before.
[Ash Qi Realm:
Description: Kingdom of the Eternal Ash
Qi Level: Nascent Soul 1st Stage
Environment: Hostile
Monsters: True
Current Occupants: 1]
"Now that I think about it, this is Larry's first Mystic Realm of his chosen affinity. I always had him remain behind to defend me before, and last time he was dragged off to meet Maple's family." Ashlock mused, "The Kingdom of the Eternal Ash. What an ominous-sounding realm description, and the Qi level is high, too. It should help him reach his next evolution, but will Larry really be okay?"
Ashlock didn't get much time to ponder or check out the others as the one he had been waiting for appeared at the top.
[Earth Qi Realm:
Description: Dragonite Mines
Qi Level: Soul Fire 8th Stage
Environment: Neutral
Monsters: True
Current Occupants: 2]
"Two occupants? It seems the system identifies the Mudcloaks as being linked to me. So will they be pulled back to Red Vine Peak when the time is up?"
Ashlock would find that out later as he pressed the [Free] button, and the world rippled around him as Willow was dragged through space.
[Dimensional Overlap Initiated]
A moment later, he floated above a rocky landscape where nothing lived except one lumbering monster in the distance and Douglas directly below in the Bastion's shadow.
"What is that?" Ashlock asked Douglas, as he knew more about this realm than him.
"Titan Tortoise. The apex predators of this land and our way in."
"Way in?" Ashlock asked in confusion, "To what?"
"The underground cities. Compared to the smaller Earth Turtles that can swim through the ground in this realm. These titanic monsters have a very different hunting style. Just wait and see."
Ashlock did as instructed and waited. The Titan Tortoise earned its name as it was like a moving mountain. If not for its slow movement that shook the ground with every shift of its body weight and twisting of its head that could have an apartment complex built upon it, then Ashlock would have no idea it was alive.
The beast took a solid few minutes to raise a single leg—which it then slammed down with surprising speed, causing an earthquake visible from the sky that sprawled out to the horizon.
"Get ready," Douglas said, unfazed by the tremors.
Ashlock wasn't sure what he was getting ready for until he saw the Titan Tortoise's body shift to the side as if it had fallen down a hole.
"A cavern or the tunnel below the surface seems to have given way under the tortoise's immense weight," Ashlock observed and then realized what Douglas had been referencing as the tortoise slowly removed its blood-stained foot from the hole and dipped its giant head inside. It then reeled back with blood and fur dripping from between its beak.
"Looks like it found a city of Kobolds for us and cleared a path underground for your portals," Douglas said. "Though we must deal with the Titan Tortoise somehow; otherwise, it will crush the Mudcloaks as they leave the portal."
"You said this monster is great for finding Kobold cities?" Ashlock asked.
Douglas nodded, "As I said, it's the apex predator of this world. It's why the other races attempt to hide as deep underground as possible."
"Then I have an idea," the Bastion became wreathed in spatial flames as flowers sprouted from the sides and began charging up spatial bombs.
[Spatial Artillery: ACTIVE]
"Douglas, do you remember how I promised you a new earth affinity Ent when I found a suitable monster?"
The man looked up at the Bastion emitting a scary amount of power overhead, and his eyes widened, "You don't mean..."
"I think this big guy would be perfect for you," Ashlock replied as he instructed Willow to fire multiple volleys. The tortoise was incredibly slow but should be able to take a beating, so he would simply bomb it down from afar. Spatial bombs ripped through the sky and smashed into the Titan Tortoise. Booms echoed across the land as the area around the tortoise became a dust storm.
"Is it dead?" Douglas asked from the ground a whole ten minutes later.
"Should be. I put quite a lot of Qi into those attacks," Ashlock said as he waited for the dust to settle. "If not, I can always hit it again, it's slow—"
Ashlock discarded that thought when something truly massive emerged from the dust storm and charged at him with the speed of a rampaging rhino, just mountain-sized. The Titan Tortoise, wreathed in brown soul fire and seemingly uninjured, crossed the surprising distance in a few giant strides.
"Shit," Ashlock cursed as he didn't have time to bring up any menu, so he mentally activated the Bastion's shield. Willow burst into a column of spatial soul fire as a shield rippled into existence. "Brace for impact!"
[Spatial Shield: ACTIVE]
The Titan Tortoise grabbed the Bastion in its maw like an egg, and Ashlock felt his world spin as the ship was flung down to the ground as if it were a toy.
