Eternium ~ 45!

My soul felt swollen. I was aching and in pain, and Barry hadn’t helped matters by touching the portal. The wound in my soul felt feverish and infected now, and I was thinking about closing it whether or not people were ready to see it happen. But… there was a benefit that I was seeing right away.

People had been fighting almost since the second person made it through the portal. When the Mages got going, throwing power every which way, I started seeing benefits from it that I hadn’t even been able to achieve in the deepest layers of my dungeon. Every bit of the used Mana was absorbed into the surroundings or air, just like in the world, but in here that meant that it was absorbed by me. So as more and more people joined in fighting over territory, fighting the monsters outside of the portal area, or just using their power for day-to-day things; my power would grow at the same rate as their usage.

I liked that enough to force myself to keep the portal open. Plus, all of the free air was really helpful in keeping everyone breathing. I had thought that I was doing well in my creation of atmosphere, but I forgot that humans breathe so much! And just constantly! Lungs. Pah. So inefficient. I had also forgotten that the plants in my world needed another catalyst in order to produce air constantly, and it came from people breathing the clean air and soiling it. Now that there was so much soil in the air from them, the air production had started to ramp up. Still, they would have been in trouble if the portal hadn’t brought in a few days’ worth of usable air already.

I was also getting all sorts of useful items from the people that had been entering this place. For some reason, they seemed not to understand that they weren’t allowed to have things. They were only allowed to have what they had earned from me. So, this translated to armor falling to pieces, weapons melting out of hands, food turning to ashes, liquids vaporizing, and wealth pouring out of pockets and into the soil.  By the time anyone took five steps through into my world, they were all wearing what I was calling ‘starting gear’. Simple clothes, no weapons, no money. No food either, but I would do for them what I had done for my Goblins way back when. Big table of food for a few days while they got all set up.

It was a good plan in my opinion. As time wore on, fewer and fewer people came through the portal, though it remained open for the stragglers. I looked around for familiar faces, and saw that Aiden and King Henry were talking and planning on setting up in the same area. They discussed the location, and ran off to scout the area together. As both of them had been altered by me, they moved quickly and started having fun finally getting to test their bodies to the fullest. 

Aiden had a body powerful beyond his ranking, and Henry had a higher tier as a Mage. They moved through their enemies, talked, and seemed to just have fun. It was nice to see my people bonding. Others were not so pleased to be in each other’s company. There were dozens of assassinations, murders, brawls, and terrible injuries. I stored the minds of anyone killed, telling myself that I’d bring them back later. When things weren’t so hectic, perhaps. Then I felt a new connection, and wrenched my mind out of my soul space and into the real world. 

There was a single flower blooming on the Silverwood tree that loomed above me. I had left open a small channel of Mana flowing into its roots, and it had seemingly accepted the connection! A root started wiggling around, and eventually started extending to me along the open-air path of Mana I had created. It touched the surface of my Core, and passed through it! I followed the ethereal root as it wound down and into my soul, and I directed it to the seventh continent that I had sketched out. I devoted a significant amount of my resources to creating a small oasis, the only portion of this continent that had a physical presence. 

The ghostly root touched down into the perfect soil, and a pulse of life raced down and into the dirt. A small seed formed, and sprouted roots that reached almost to the edge of the oasis I had formed. A single inch of the plant appeared above ground, with a tiny silver leaf showing. Neat. Then, I felt the tree speaking to me. Not… words, but desires and instructions. The Soul Silverwood Tree began pulling in Mana, Mana, and more Mana. Then it grew. When it reached the same size as the tree in the world above, small buds began to grow. I could peek through the petals, and saw small clusters of gems clutched within.

<I see that you have succeeded.> Eternium’s voice flipped my entire mountain twice before I could get back into control, and I had to count to keep my fury at the - unintentional - assault. <How ripe are the Cores the tree has grown?>

<I don’t even understand the question enough to formulate a response to that.> I sent back, a little of my frustration slipping through. 

<It matters not. Allow me to…> I felt the invasion of a mind and power so far beyond my comprehension that it was like an ant staring at an Inscribed weapon. Pure power raced into my Silverwood tree, and by using that as a filter, Eternium sent Soul Energy into the tree inside of me. I was terrified. I had an injection of power, and now a huge amount of it, that would corrupt and destroy me in an instant if I came in contact with it. The Soul Silverwood tree bloomed and grew even as the one in real life began to wither and blister.

A new blossom formed after the tree had reached ten feet tall, and a bud formed that was supported by three branches. I looked at the gem it contained, and saw that it was as transparent as the finest glass, though I was sure it would be entirely unbreakable to me. <Good, my new Core has been formed.>

<What… is this how natural Cores are made?> I was intrigued, horrified, and excited to have this information.

<Not normally, no.> Eternium dashed my hopes. <The World Tree can be used to form nearly any sentient creature, and is entirely influenced by the one it connects with. Right now, you can allow any Core-based being into your Tree, which will blossom and release them when enough power has been gathered to sustain them. I’m sure you saw how these trees in the wild drop orb-like seeds that contain other trees, yes? This is the same process. Now, instead of letting the tree grow a mind within that new Core, I will simply begin the process with my own mind.>

<And other Cores?> I questioned quickly. <How will I save them?>

<If they have a Silverwood connection, they can request aid from you and be transported via the roots of their tree into this one. Eventually, their hibernation will end and they will be reborn.> Eternium paused and seemed to consider something. <The Tree will also produce Wisps, but their coloration will be based off of the Mana fed to them. Have your Wisp manage that? Now that a connection has formed, she will instinctively understand the process.>

<That’s… disconcerting.> I was oddly disturbed that a tree could give birth to multiple races at once. <Oh… what about the Wisps that are currently bound to the Cores?>

<The binding will pull them as well, and they will undergo a similar process.> Eternium explained not-very-patiently. <I need to begin this, Cal. It is not a short process. As I do, I highly recommend that you leave this area at once. Everything held in check by me will slowly begin to wander, and they will likely be hungry.>

<Good enough for me!> It was finally time to get out of this creepy location that I never should have come near, and frankly it was going to take me a couple days to clear the edge of the territory Eternium had claimed. At least Dani was happy that we had done as she wished, and I gained a new ally - hopefully - in this powerful dungeon. I really liked the dungeon, and its advice might be really helpful… maybe I would name something after it as thanks? I glanced at the new Core on the Soul Silverwood Tree that was starting to glow. He had started the transfer! I was going to have a much more powerful soul contained in my soul! We did it! 

...yay.