Divine Apostasy Book 12 - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“What is it?” Overlord asked.

Ruwen read the Notification with the ominous red border out loud for everyone:

ALERT: Fate disturbance detected!

Localized luck probabilities altered.

Current Vector: Negative

Alignment Shift: 17% and increasing.

Source: Unknown.

Recommend extreme caution.

Ruwen continued with the next Notification:

WARNING: Proximity alert!

You are approaching the Vault of an Unknown Faction.

Dimensional signature does not match known registries.

Recommend Immediate Withdrawal.

“Who is sending those Notifications?” Uruziel asked.

Ruwen looked at Lir. “Is it the main System or this dungeon-planet?”

“It is hard to calculate. My experience via Persephone is that the dungeon can create System messages on its own or modify the System ones. That implies it can also suppress System Notifications.”

Ruwen’s Cleverness attribute triggered and an immediate connection formed in his mind.

“When I Fortified into the Divine Tier,” Ruwen said, “I received Notifications from what seemed like two different entities. The first quests came from the main System, but then I got one from this Sentinel. The quest comes directly from the god that created this Universe, Aeonrial.”

Ruwen projected the quest into the air.

Name: Forbidden Unity

Description: The Sentinel, by activating this quest, validates my hope that a different tomorrow remains possible. My importance to the Prime will not shield me from the heresy I have committed, nor will my age provide sympathetic mercy. Even so, I embrace the risk; after all, purpose is a crescendo of strength, and I desire to topple “truth” itself.

Step: 1 of 3

Step Description: The towering trees of faith and enlightenment, their roots deep in the foundations of existence and watered with Harmonic balance, spread their canopies, starving the Truth hidden in the shade of their boughs. Find the smothered notes [Completed], discover a different harmony, and the path to destroy the “truth.”

Reward (Step 1): Heritage Manual

Reward: (Final) Hate, contempt, and violence from the expanding Verses.

Reward: (Final) Assuming my survival in this foolish scheme, a drink on me.

“Some of this quest makes more sense now,” Ruwen said. “Although the more I learn the more I realize how ignorant I am. I thought I was so clever when I figured out the name of the quest ‘Forbidden Unity’ meant the combination of Soul Power, Chakra Energy, and Harmony. Now though, after what I learned in the Destruction Realm, another valid interpretation is the ‘Forbidden Unity’ references the combination of the three Realms: Creation, Material, and Destruction.”

“The Realm of Bones,” Overlord said.

“Exactly,” Ruwen replied. “I’m getting off topic. My point is this Sentinel activated the Forbidden Unity quest and generated a Notification about it.” He turned back to Lir. “Could the Sentinel be this dungeon?”

Ruwen had his Mental Domain extended so that his friends could materialize safely outside his mind. The Domain made him far more sensitive to the surroundings, and he detected a minute disturbance when he asked Lir if the Sentinel was the same as this dungeon-planet.

All doubt left Ruwen, and he held up a hand to stop Lir from responding. He didn’t want to endanger anyone if that information was supposed to remain secret.

“It doesn’t matter who is sending the Notifications,” Ruwen said. “I’m sidetracking us, and we have bigger issues. That Notification said we were approaching an unknown faction’s vault.”

Uruziel's expression turned serious. She’d obviously detected Ruwen’s sudden shift in focus and since separating his thoughts from his expressions seemed impossible, she’d likely read something on his face as well.

"This chamber is a vault?" Uruziel asked, accepting Ruwen’s change of topic. “You walked right in though.”

Ruwen glanced around, seeing all the crystals and gems in a new light. He switched to Harmonic Sight and chamber blared with swirling colors.

“Getting out will not be as easy,” Ruwen responded. “Some type of field surrounds us.”

“Why is the faction unknown?” Overlord asked. “You guessed the runes covering the rock you harvested your crystal from were Creation Realm. Maybe that’s your answer.”

Ruwen opened his eyes wide at Overlord and shook his head slightly. Ruwen didn’t want to use mental communication because he knew how easy that was to eavesdrop on.

Overlord remained oblivious to Ruwen’s attempt to shut him up.

“We learned in the Destruction Realm that the System in our Universe consists of the System from each Realm all smashed into one. Like three books glued together. So if the Notification had come from the Universal System it would have access to the Creation Realm System and should be able to identify this faction.”

Ruwen shook his head more vigorously.

“No, I’m sure this is right,” Overlord responded, misinterpreting Ruwen’s gesture. “Logically those Notifications had to come from this Sentinel which must not have access to all the details in the three-Realm-System.”

Ruwen went still, ready to react if he detected any type of energy surge. Nothing happened and he relaxed a little.

Facing Overlord, Ruwen replied. “You’re right. Good thinking.”

Ruwen wondered if he was this unaware of subtle subtext and decided he had more skills than Overlord. Ruwen had learned a ton from the Shade skill Microgesture which allowed him to read people not trained to hide their expressions and gestures. He’d recommend Overlord study that spell.

“This faction controls luck,” Uruziel said, helping to move them past the System discussion.

“That explains my issues with the second crystal,” Ruwen replied.

Ruwen studied the crystalline walls with renewed attention. What he’d taken for natural formations now seemed too perfect, too precisely arranged. The various crystals embedded in the walls weren't randomly placed but followed subtle geometric patterns that Harmonic Sight now revealed as intricate energy circuits.

"It’s like a crystal farm," Ruwen said.

"We should leave," Uruziel suggested. "Whatever we've stumbled into we can talk about it somewhere safer."

“I agree,” Ruwen said, and turned toward the direction he’d entered.

Ruwen’s intent to leave triggered a new Notification. This one had an intricate green border decorated with tiny shamrocks. The Notification looked different than the sparse and simple Notifications from earlier. He displayed it for everyone to read.

Stop Thief!

You have entered the Sacred Vault of the Ceardai Leprechaun Clan.

This ancient repository has remained dormant since the Great Fading.

Warning: Unauthorized removal of artifacts will trigger Clan tracking protocols.

"Leprechauns?" Overlord asked.

Lir spoke. “Leprechauns are from human mythology. They are small humanoid beings who dress in green, horde treasure, and create mischief."

“Not so mythical it seems,” Ruwen said. “Do you think the ‘Great Fading’ was when Pen locked away all the Spirit?”

“If so,” Uruziel said, “what else went dormant and might be activating or reviving with the influx of Infernal Spirit?”

“Don’t forget that ocean of power at the bottom of the Destruction Realm that Ruwen released,” Overlord said. “The process the Death Tower avatar described made it sound like once that energy makes its way through the Creation Realm it will reenter the Material Realm. This same issue might be happening on planets across the Universe.”

Ruwen hadn’t considered that. He tilted his head back in frustration and stared at the ceiling. When he Fortified to Deity he’d caused the System to malfunction because he’d already had the Architect Role that Uru had given him. This had caused the System to break out of the box Aeonrial had placed it in.

The Architect Role Ruwen possessed advanced to level two which had given him the power to modify how the System interacted with the Universe. He’d forced it to remain hidden, afraid the information would allow the other gods to quickly outpace him in power. That fear had largely disappeared.

After a few seconds Ruwen looked back at his friends. “If Overlord is right, which I think he is, old gods and who knows what else is going to wake up. Normal people will be defenseless against even the weakest magical creatures. Spirit, at least a little, should be circulating across the Universe again. I think I need to activate that option to expose the System to everyone. With Lalquinrial…gone the primary reason for hiding the System disappeared.”

“I agree,” Uruziel said. “I wish there was a way to communicate to people what is happening. It will cause a lot of uncertainty and turmoil.”

Ruwen looked to Overlord.

“I think giving people a fighting chance is the right thing to do,” Overlord said. “Despite the complications.”

Finally, Ruwen turned to Lir.

“Many of the deities have already found the hidden displays and activated related quests,” Lir said. “I think the logic for keeping the System hidden have disappeared.”

“Thanks for reminding me about the quests,” Ruwen said. “Everyone is going to get those faction quests. Well I don’t know that for sure since I don’t know what the requirement is to make them trigger. If just having a soul and chakras is enough then everyone will get those. I’m less sure about the Harmonic faction since accessing Harmony is a more complicated process. Does that change anyone’s mind?”

Ruwen opened his Architect Role and navigated to the System settings. With a thought, he activated the System for the entire Universe.