重生到了1984年，杨宇将会如何开启新的人生？
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Fycro was immensely frustrated, but there was simply nothing he could do about it. The sorcerer proved a tad more powerful than he was, and he owed his survival to the Volume of Silence itself. With the scroll no longer in his hands, he dared not go after Joey to retrieve it.
Joey's injuries healed quickly within Lex's tower. He was already at the pinnacle of grade-10, and as such, was able to create elemental medicines. They were far more potent in terms of healing capacity than magic liquids. Elemental medicines were something that could only been used by professionals of grade-10 and above though. To humans below grade-10, such medicines were more than 100 times more toxic than most poisons.
In actual fact, such elemental medicines could actually be used as poisons themselves, for killing any creature below grade-9.
Joey's injuries had mostly recovered after ingesting the elemental medicine. He then began to look into the Volume of Silence that he got his hands on.
The Volume of Silence looked like a one yard long book on the outside with a pale green cover, which looked almost transparent. There was only one page after opening the book, which was blank. Joey touched the blank page with his finger, feeling the power housed within.
The violent burst of power he had unleashed using the Seal of Divine Powers was stopped by that very Volume of Silence before him at the moment. Joey felt time like stopped back then, as if all elemental vibrations were halted. The energy stored within the Seal of Divine Powers was not something that even Joey would be able to control, and yet it was blocked, then diverted, by the Volume of Silence.
The godly item was not something that the Lord of Glory crafted himself, and it did not have any divine powers of light in it. "Can Fycro be considered as being blasphemous to his god by holding onto a godly item like this?"
Joey's fingers were long and graceful, yet the power residing within was something that was capable of directly piercing through magic shields. A grade-10 sorcerer's body had to be strong enough to withstand the recoil brought about by powerful spells, and Joey's current level of power was above even that of grand swordmasters.
Joey felt it extremely taxing to even move his finger about as he touched the blank page. The book had not undergone complete crafting, and Fycro's way of using the book was similar to how Joey had used his Seal of Divine Powers.
Joey attempted to wipe any residual divine power left on the Volume of Silence yet found it difficult to infuse his powers onto the item itself. He put ten points of power into it, yet what remained on the book was merely one point. As such, it made it very difficult for him to unleash the true power of the item.
"Master," Lex called outside as he was still deep in thought of how to deal with the obstacle before him.
"Come in."
Lex walked into the room that had originally belonged to her, looking at Joey who fixated on the book and said, "Master...maybe Saleen could be of help."
"Saleen?"
"Don't you intend to cross the Stormy Sea? There is something with him that could help you pass freely."
"And what would that be?" Joey asked plainly, without showing any further interest.
Lex held a piece of crystal and played the images stored within. Within the magical image, a chain was seen floating in the air, with a sharp and pointy spearhead at one end.
"And this is?" Joey's green pupils dilated a bit. He was able to tell that the chain was something of high-level, a weapon infused with the power of rules.
"Something Saleen had taken for himself, called the Lance of Order. It's a godly item."
Joey thought about it and grinned. "I'll make an exchange with him. He will have the Volume of Silence, while I'll take the Lance of Order."
Joey was very clear of the possibility that the Lance of Order was inferior to the Volume of Silence in terms of levels. There was no residue of the gods left within the weapon to deal with, and he would be able to easily make it a true equipment for mages.
That meant that while he had no idea how long it would take him to research the Volume of Silence before he was able to use it, the Lance of Order was something that would work as a grade-13 equipment as soon as he got his hands on it.
In a long term perspective, he would have ended up getting a bad deal. In a short term perspective however, the Lance of Order would prove a better fit for him.
"Lex, what are Saleen's coordinates?" Joey asked simply.
Lex gave him the coordinates to his Magical Element Tower at that moment. Joey went on to draw a teleportation portal on the floor, stuff the book in a stone box, and sent the equipment over.
It was definitely Lex who informed Saleen that he had gotten the Volume of Silence. Joey was not angry however, as it was seen as a fair exchange after all.
The Lance of Order was delivered to him shortly after. Joey took the weapon that Van Gogh had lost and inspected it. The weapon proved to have no troublesome residues to deal with indeed, and it could be made a magic weapon right away.
With the Magical Element Tower stationed in Ceylon City at that moment, Saleen took the Volume of Silence in his hand and a grin was seen on his face. Feeling strange about the exchange Nailisi said, "Master, if that Lance of Order was to be fused with Gray Memory, it would have become a powerful weapon. What use do you have exchanging it for this book? Are you going to give it to that old man?"
"Nicholas can't use something like this. It was taken from Fycro after all," Saleen said as he opened the book, throwing his grade-19 Star Gathering Needle into it. He also pressed his family badge hard on the Volume of Silence.
Loud, eerie shrieks rang in the heads of everyone within a 100 mile radius inside the city. A golden dot shot out from the book. Saleen had cast a Darkness Shield prior, and then went on to activate his family badge in an instant, absorbing the shining dot into the badge.
Saleen slumped weakly onto the floor; he had given his all into the act, using a grade-9 spell to have his badge devour what was in the book. The badge did not disappoint. What was left in the book was forced out by the needle, and then fell into the trap that Saleen had laid beforehand.
"Gods, pfft!"
The Volume of Silence gradually began to show its original form—a squarish signet. The signet was translucent black in color, and there were ancient divine runes at the bottom of it. On top of the square was a small carving: an unknown magic beast sitting with all four of its claws clinging to the signet. The eyes of the carving were white, as if there was another world within them.
"Master!" Nailisi looked at the signet in Saleen's hand in awe. She was unable to understand how Saleen knew how to return the Signet of Order into its original form. If Saleen had not done what he had done, she would have been unable to tell that the signet had been disguised all along.
Nailisi hoisted Saleen up and let him sit. The Star Gathering Needle shot through the air and landed in his hand. While he was incapable of using the power residing within the needle, it was still capable of automatically breaking all kinds of seals. It was an attribute Saleen was able to use despite being only a grade-2 astrologer.
As to how he knew of the Volume of Silence's secret, it was all too easy for him. Raphael mentioned the equipment in his notes—a hidden godly item, one that was crafted by humans.
"Nailisi, do you have any idea what this is? The material used to make the signet was the divine persona of the greater god. Humans killed a good number of gods during their conquests all those years back. Divine personas, divine fires, and the bodies of most of those gods, were crafted into equipment."
Nailisi nodded. She knew at least that much. The war between the humans and the gods, put in a plain and unceremonious manner, was fueled by humans' desire to take from others. It was unfortunate for the gods that they were practically living, walking, and talking pieces of precious materials.
While the gods had their eyes on the souls of humans, the humans were eyeing the bodies of the gods. The war had been one that was geared to rob each other of resources. Humans were the ones that were able to provide the gods with the highest level of power of faith among all living beings, while the gods were the most precious and the purest high level alchemic materials available to humans.
The Volume of Silence was a rather renowned equipment back in those days. A human killed a greater god and used said god to craft a signet, the signet was then taken by one of the kings of gods in turn, to be turned into the Volume of Silence. That particular king of gods was then killed by the emperor of the First Dynasty, returning the Volume of Silence to human hands. The book went through many hands throughout the planes, before being lost after the First Dynasty perished.
The item was renowned for its ability to allow any human holding it to disguise themselves as a believer of the gods. The attribute was created by that king of gods instead of humans though.
The secret was entirely lost during the time of the Fourth Dynasty, with next to no one knowing it. Raphael was only able to find it out by chance. When he wrote it in his magic notes, he lamented that if he was only able to find the signet, he would be able to crush the Holy See.
As the signet's attributes were unique, it was able to stop the flow of time. If the attack received exceeded the limit of the signet's current level, it would divert the attack at another target.
After Saleen saw the Volume of Silence, he immediately wanted Lex to get it exchanged for something, whatever that may have been. No one else would be able to do anything about it; no one else but him. What the family badge absorbed was the Seed of Divine Fire. Equipment that was crafted using a divine persona was capable of giving birth to one such seed every 10,000 years. By the time it was 100,000 years of age, the divine fire within would burn again.
Saleen's family badge was empty at the moment, requiring replenishment of all sorts of energies, and the Seed of Divine Fire made one of the best materials there was to serve such a purpose.
The seed that was captured by the badge was disintegrated immediately. The space within the badge seemed to have grown considerably. Saleen was able to feel the change in the badge. The Seed of Divine Fire of a grade-17 god restored more than half of the badge and had gotten the rules of lightning one step nearer to completion.
Only Saleen was able to infuse his mental powers somewhat into the badge to take a look at the space within. Anyone else doing that would have had their souls burned immediately. Lightning filled the space within the badge and the power provided by the seed would have enabled the badge to unleash its strongest attacks.
The power of the lightning unleashed from the badge next time would be equivalent to that of a god's destruction.
Saleen did not pay any mind to the growth in power however. Unless the badge was given a chance to absorb such high-level powers, one attack would reduce it to little more than an ornament for half a year. What he was happy about, was that the seal on the Signet of Silence was able to be easily broken by his Star Gathering Needle. The needle was indeed something invisible, something that would have frightened even the likes of Seed of Divine Fire.
It had been instinctual. If the Seed of Divine Fire had not escaped, there was no certainty that the needle would have been able to locate it.
The Signet of Silence was completely made Saleen's. He would be able to use the signet to comprehend the rules of time. It would prove more potent than lesser prophecy spells. Saleen cradled the signet lovingly in his hands.
If he was able to master that piece of equipment, he would have no need to fear the heroic spirits of the Imperial City of the Abyss. He would be able to make his escape easily if anything untoward was to happen.
"A grade-15 Lance of Order was exchanged for a grade-17 Signet of Silence. No such thing will happen ever again, right?" Despite him only being able to use their powers at grade-9 at that moment, he would be able to circumvent the rules of the Myers Mainland the next time he visited the abyss, allowing him to look into the ultimate power within the signet.
That meant he would have be able to comprehend rules beyond the limit of the plane he was in. No one else, even those with greater talents than him, would have a chance like that!


It is said that the true meaning of a mage is to fully understand the truth of the world. A mage named Saleen Metatrin goes on many missions as a normal mage to try and change his fate. This in turn led to many problems and adventures.  

Tingkat kekerasan, ketahanan api, kekuatan, proses, dan konduktivitas berbagai macam energi… Informasi-informasi tersebut terus berubah-ubah dan menjadi semakin banyak.
'Simulasi aktivasi telah dimulai.' Chip itu melapor.
Angele menunggu selama sepuluh detik. Akhirnya, seruling itu berhenti berputar.
'Metode aktivasi: Darah segar. Gerakkan gelombang kekuatan mental Anda menuju lubang ketiga, kelima, dan ketujuh.'
Tanpa ekspresi di wajahnya, ia mengangkat tangan kirinya dan menunjuk ke depan. Ujung jarinya telah terluka, sehingga setetes darah mendarat pada permukaan seruling tersebut.
Seketika, setelah darah itu menyentuh seruling, terjadi sesuatu seperti reaksi kimia, sehingga seruling itu bergetar dan mengeluarkan api berwarna merah gelap.
Bara-bara api itu berubah menjadi duyung-duyung seukuran kepalan tangan yang berputar-putar di sekitar Angele.
Shing!
Api kembali muncul dari seruling itu, sehingga duyung-duyung tersebut mulai menghilang.
Angele memicingkan matanya. Ia membagi gelombang mentalnya menjadi tiga dan mengarahkan ketiga bagian itu ke lubang ketiga, kelima, dan ketujuh.
Wush!
Api merah membara terciprat dari semua lubang seruling dan berkumpul di depan Angele, sebelum berubah menjadi seekor duyung besar.
Anehnya, pada bagian tengah dada duyung itu terdapat sebuah kunci emas dengan tekstur yang sama dengan kunci biasa.
Tanpa ragu, Angele mengangkat tangannya dan memutar kunci itu.
Krak!
Duyung api di depannya membuka mulut dan melepaskan secercah cahaya merah yang melesat cepat ke arah dahi Angele.
Tidak menyangka bahwa akan diserang, Angele mundur beberapa langkah.
Tanda berbentuk kalajengking merah muncul di atas kepalanya dan menyerap cahaya merah yang ditembakkan duyung tersebut.
Cahaya itu memberinya berbagai macam informasi.
Membutuhkan lebih dari setengah jam untuk menyelesaikan proses pemindahan informasi tersebut.
Wush!
Seketika, duyung itu terpisah menjadi api merah dan masuk kembali ke dalam seruling.
Angele menggeleng. Ia berusaha memahami informasi yang baru saja ia dapatkan.
'Rasanya melegakan sekali… Teknik-teknik itu hanya bisa dipelajari oleh makhluk kuno dengan darah yang bersih… Walaupun darah kuno yang kumiliki adalah hasil proses ekstraksi, sepertinya aku masih bisa mempelajarinya…'
Berbagai macam pemikiran terlintas dalam otaknya, namun ekspresinya tetap tidak berubah.
'Baiklah, kalau begitu aku akan menghindari bagian yang membingungkan dan mempelajari dasar-dasar terlebih dulu. Setelah itu, mungkin aku bisa mempraktekkannya…'
Ia mengambil seruling itu dan memasukkannya ke dalam kantongnya setelah semua api pada seruling itu padam. Setelah selesai, ia berjalan ke sisi kiri ruangan dan duduk bersila.
Setelah duduk, ia menutup matanya dan berdiam diri di dalam ruang membaca. Kedua signet darah pada dadanya terus melepaskan cahaya merah yang sangat terang.
Kedua cahaya itu berubah menjadi benang energi yang berputar-putar di sekeliling tubuhnya.
Waktu terus berjalan. Dalam beberapa jam, kedua signet itu bersatu.
Perlahan-lahan, jubah hitam logam-nya meleleh dan terserap kembali ke dalam kulitnya.
Seketika, kedua signet yang bersatu itu berubah menjadi gumpalan merah kecil yang berdenyut-denyut. Jika dilihat dari jauh, gumpalan itu mirip seperti balon merah kecil yang menempel pada dada Angele.
Gumpalan merah kecil itu melepaskan pembuluh-pembuluh darah yang menutupi seluruh tubuhnya.
Dalam sepuluh menit, seluruh tubuhnya, termasuk wajahnya, tertutup oleh pembuluh-pembuluh darah aneh.
Darah dari gumpalan merah itu terus menyebar ke seluruh tubuhnya melalui pembuluh-pembuluh tersebut.
Dengan denyutan-denyutan cepatnya, gumpalan tersebut terlihat mirip dengan jantung kedua.
Ia sangat kesakitan hingga kehilangan kesadarannya, namun ia masih mampu merasakan sakit. Rasanya seperti ditusuk oleh ratusan, bahkan ribuan jarum-jarum tajam.
Namun, ia segera terbiasa dengan sakit itu. Tidak seperti dulu, sekarang ia lebih mampu mengendalikan diri dan menahan sakit.
Ia tidak tahu berapa jam sudah berlalu, namun rasa sakitnya mulai menghilang.
Saat membuka mata, ia melihat ruangan itu telah hancur berantakan.
Sepertinya, semua benda dalam ruangan itu tertiup angin. Beberapa botol-botol kecil seperti gelas beker, tabung reaksi, dan benda-benda lainnya terjatuh menabrak lantai atau dinding, hingga pecah berkeping-keping dan mencipratkan cairan-cairan berbagai warna.
Perlahan-lahan, Angele berdiri dari lantai. Kakinya terasa kaku setelah duduk begitu lama.
Ia merasakan gatal dari kepala dan bagian tengah kedua alisnya. Saat melihat dadanya, gumpalan berdenyut itu telah menghilang. Kedua signetnya sudah tidak terlihat lagi.
Ia mengangkat dan mengepalkan tangannya. Entah mengapa, tubuhnya menjadi lebih ringan.
'Ini… Kekuatan… Kekuatan asli tubuhku…' Ia merasakan tubuhnya terasa berbeda, dengan energi aneh yang terus menyebar dari dalam tubuhnya.
Setelah rasa kaku menghilang dari kakinya, ia menggerakkan tangan kanannya itu.
Cairan logam muncul di depannya, yang kemudian mengeras menjadi cermin perak.
"Ada apa ini…" 
Sosok yang terpantul di cermin terlihat berbeda.
Wajahnya masih sama, namun pada bagian alisnya, terdapat sepasang retakan kecil. Bentuknya seperti mata yang sedang tertutup. Cahaya keemasan bersinar dari retakan tersebut.
Selain itu, pada bagian atas kepalanya, muncul sebuah tanduk berwarna merah gelap. Tanduk itu tumbuh dan bergerak-gerak di antara rambut panjangnya.
Tubuhnya terasa jauh lebih kuat. Pada pantulan cermin, ia terlihat seperti makhluk barbar yang baru saja meninggalkan puncak gunung.
Saat ia menyentuh alisnya, ia merasakan tekstur yang mirip dengan kelopak mata.
'Menarik… Tapi, apa yang akan terjadi jika aku kembali ke duniaku… Apa wujudku akan tetap seperti ini?'
'Zero, apakah proses analisa sudah selesai?'
'Kedua darah kuno telah bergabung, dan ketidakmurniannya telah hilang. Kekuatan Anda meningkat pesat…'
'Angele Rio: Kekuatan 21,2 poin, kecepatan 18 5 poin, ketahanan 32,0 poin, kekuatan mental 157,1 poin. Mana 157,2 poin. Ketahanan api, 247 derajat, ketahanan lainnya, 104 derajat. Batas genetik telah tercapai. Keadaan: Sehat. Kekuatan signet darah kuno telah berubah menjadi kekuatan unik mirip Mantra Pasif.' Zero segera melapor.
'Gila…' Angele terhenyak. Kekuatannya telah meningkat dari 15 poin menjadi 21 poin, kecepatannya meningkat menjadi 18 poin dari 11 poin, dan ketahanannya meningkat lebih dari 10 poin. Sementara itu, kekuatan mentalnya bertambah sekitar 30 poin.
Kekuatan itu sangatlah mengerikan. Ia yakin akan mampu bertahan melawan sihir api yang digunakan seorang penyihir tingkat 2 hanya dengan tubuhnya. Ia hanya perlu menunggu. Cepat atau lambat, lawannya akan menghabiskan semua kekuatan mental mereka.
Ia melambaikan tangan kanannya, dan cermin perak di depannya segera menghilang.
Ekspresinya berubah serius. Sepertinya, ia sedang memikirkan sesuatu.
Tiba-tiba, ia menyentuh bagian tengah dadanya, dan tubuhnya menghilang dari ruangan itu.
**
Dunia utama, di rumah dekat Sungai Bass…
Perlahan-lahan, ia muncul di dalam ruang baca.
Tanpa membuang waktu, saat tubuhnya sudah benar-benar muncul, ia menciptakan sebuah cermin perak.
Pria di cermin itu terlihat seperti manusia biasa.
Angele mengepalkan tangannya – hanya kekuatannya yang berubah. Walaupun ia menjadi lebih kuat, di sisi lain, ia tidak lagi mampu menggunakan signet darah-nya di dunia nyata, seperti ada kekuatan misterius yang menahan kemampuan kedua signetnya.
Sepertinya, kekuatan misterius inilah penyebab kekuatan kedua signet tidak dapat digunakan.
Pada satu sisi, kekuatan kecepatan dari not musik, ditambah dengan pemindai memori dari signet mata, telah menjadi salah satu mantra pasif-nya. Namun, sampai sekarang, ia belum mengaktifkan signet mata itu secara sepenuhnya.
'Mengapa Dunia Mimpi Buruk berbeda sekali dari dunia ini?' pikir Angele dengan bingung.
Ia berjalan mendekati jendela dan mengintip keluar melalui ujung jendela. Di bawah, Lyn sedang sibuk berbicara dengan pelayan baru. Saat melihat Angele, Lyn menengadah ke atas.
Melalui jendela, Angele mengangguk, kemudian menutup pintu dan kembali ke bagian tengah ruangan. Sesampainya di tengah, ia menyentuh dadanya.
Shing!
Cahaya merah bersinar di depan matanya.
Ia kembali ke Dunia Mimpi Buruk, meninggalkan asap kemerahan di udara.
Lagi-lagi, ia menciptakan cermin logam. Benar saja, tanduk dan kedua mata tambahannya kembali.
Ia mulai berpikir seraya menatap cermin tersebut.
'Penggabungan ini adalah hasil dari mempelajari teknik rahasia pewaris, yang dilakukan dengan metode ekstraksi yang sederhana. Tidak mungkin pembuat teknik ini menulis informasi palsu, jadi tempat inilah alasan mengapa penampilanku berubah…' Angele terus berpikir.
'Sayangnya, Henn sedang sibuk mempelajari Kristal Seribu Bayangan, jadi aku tidak bisa bertanya tentang situasi ini.' Angele menggeleng perlahan.
Penyihir tingkat tinggi dapat menghabiskan beberapa tahun untuk mempelajari benda langka. Henn sama sekali tidak berbicara padanya beberapa bulan ini.
Untung saja, Kristal Seribu Bayangan itu menutupi kekuatan mental Henn, sehingga sang Penguasa Bayangan tidak mengejarnya.
Angele menjilat bibirnya, ada sedikit rasa pahit seperti belerang. Ia pun terkejut dan segera membuka mulutnya.
Pada pantulan cermin, terlihat gigi-gigi tajam, seperti gigi seekor buaya. Cahaya putih terpantul pada ujung gigi tersebut.


Dahulu, Ye Song adalah seorang pemuda yang hidup di bumi, dimana teknologi menguasai berbagai aspek hidup. Namun, setelah kematian yang misterius, ia terperangkap dalam tubuh Angele, seorang remaja keturunan bangsawan. Di dunia yang penuh pertarungan demi status, ambisi dan kekayaan, Angele berusaha menjadi semakin kuat, bukan demi ambisi apapun, namun demi kelangsungan hidupnya sendiri.
Dengan bantuan sisa teknologi dari dunia lamanya, sebuah chip penganalisa dan penyimpan memori, Angele berjuang untuk melindungi dirinya sendiri dan ayahnya, bersama dengan kedua wanita yang dicintainya, sembari mencari tahu keberadaan misterius para penyihir, yang selama ini hanya dianggap sebagai legenda belaka.


"Your reaction is unexpected." The hovering drone followed me smoothly through the opening, watching as I trailed the cable behind me. "Were you aware of me?"

 "The Seal Lock in its chamber above is absolutely free of dust. Not a mote is allowed to land upon it. If you think I could not guess it was psionically-empowered, you gravely underestimate me. Psionic empowerment coupled with pre-Imperial computing technology fairly screams of the existence of an intelligent data network. That you haven't had a massive meltdown and taken out the city means you remain uncorrupted.

 "Thus, you are a self-aware computer network that has been isolated by the Foundation, probably without you interfering with their overt maneuvers. Now, I believe you had the means, probably telekinetically, to re-establish contact with the data network, but you sensed Warp influence in it, realized the long-term harm it would do to you, and effectively sequestered yourself.

 "My actions here are basically to prepare you to resume normal duties. We can talk about isolation and preservation protocols after events unfold."

 "Resuming normal duties?" the drone repeated, and I could hear the arching tone. "You speak as if-" It was interrupted by a beep, and fell abruptly silent, snapping around to look at the thumb drive in my hand.

 "The Celestial Tribute!" it finally exclaimed in a halting voice. "It...It has been found?!"

 "And a new Duke Corunsun has been claimed by the Ducal Seal and Signet. Details within." I held it out in my palm, and waited.

 Micro TK plucked it off my open palm, spun it around, and a crystalline port formed on the drone's surface. The drone sat there in midair as I returned to hooking in data cables to various ports and areas of interest, leading to some systems that would be crucial to further events.

---

 A not-so-remarkably short span of time later, the drone zipped up to me considerably more quickly. "The identity of the Tribute and codes have been verified and accepted. You are the Duchess-in-waiting, Sama Rantha, the beloved of the Duke Briggs Corunsun. You are here to facilitate the return of the dynastic wealth and authority of the Corunsuns to its Duke!"

 "That is correct." I plugged in another superconductive data cable. "I trust you have sleeper programs in all the systems of the Foundation?" "Of course." I detected a subtle difference in the hum of the dense stacks of computer hardware around me, and diodes blinked up... and went quickly dark again...

 "Wonderful. The Duke will be visiting after you can assure me that transfer of properties to His name will be accomplished. He will place the Seal upon the Lock, and take the Ducal Seat, and begin the process of establishing Himself here.

 "However, He is in the middle of establishing a kingdom on the other side of the Great Rift right now, and will be unable to remain here."

 "You will be serving as his agent in the Empire. Understood." The Psionic Intelligence began to calculate quickly. "It would be best if I infiltrated their systems further. These data connections are a good first step. It would be best if I re-established my primacy first."

 I snapped in the last cable, which led into a minor terminal that had to deal with tax revenue storage numbers... which naturally would have to connect to something giving current tax revenue, and where those funds came from, and went to.

 "What do you need? I should be able to get it to you."

--------------

 Once the true Foundation, who I promptly dubbed Founding, was moving, things began to adjust.

 Taking over the cyborgs who maintained the computers down here in the sub-zero chill wasn't actually all that hard, once Founding was in the systems. A combination of downloaded program updates through their own local Boole and artful insertion of dataplugs into them with drones and TK did the job fairly smoothly. 

 It basically shifted their orders to coming from Founding instead of the families ostensibly running it, and rather quickly, Founding's ancient systems were hooking into the newer and considerably less sophisticated systems added over the years by the families to replace it.

 He was pleasantly surprised to find out I had access to programming and certain levels of technology even more sophisticated then he was, and started hinting at upgrades almost immediately. I demurred until Briggs had arrived to claim His Seat, naturally. I had no authority to upgrade or adjust the system until then, which Founding acknowledged with a sigh...

------------

 Getting Briggs into the Foundation's Royal Hall wasn't all that difficult. After all, he looked like an appropriately brutal bodyguard. We sauntered in quite openly; my identity was confirmed, and we were shown personally on a tour of the Royal Hall by a plastic-smiled guide happy to natter on about the legendary loyalty of the Foundation Families to their Duke.

 Briggs barely looked around, and of course nobody realized the significance of the Signet Ring upon his finger. Him Ar Dumb Broot, Him Ar.

 We entered the Hall with its breadth and shiny murals of ancient history, unchanged for millennia. The field about the Dais of Enthronement was unchanged, and would not go down save to the wearer of the Signet, of course.

 The guards were purely symbolic androids, of course. There was nothing to destroy or steal in here... the images could be restored by the same nanotech that preserved them, and it would take atomics to breach the Field about the Dais. 

 Which didn't mean the jaw of our guide didn't drop when Briggs strode unconcernedly towards the Dais.

 "Sir, Sir!" Pirvin shouted excitedly. "Contessa Rantha! Your bodyguard! If he touches the field, he-he will... will..."

 Briggs stepped right through it, the energy screen playing over his body visibly as he stepped through, and reached up to his neck to remove a certain medallion there.

 "He... what is he..." stammered Pirvin, and I grabbed his arm.

 "It may be worth a LOT of money if you record this," I noted to him. He looked at me, back at Briggs as that massive ham of a fist held up the much smaller medallion. Pirvin's eyes got very wide, indeed, and his optical recorder almost shimmered as he kicked it up to very high resolution.

 Briggs placed the Medallion upon the Lock, and the Seal shimmered with light. Psi-active matrices locked into unique crysto-metallic patterns shone and shimmered with liquid light.

 There was no flaring of light, merely a withdrawal of it. Briggs calmly withdrew the Seal and hung it again about his neck, this time on top of the massive suit wrapping his thick body.

 "Greetings, Duke Corunsun," a voice spoke up, as the Lock upon the Crown Pillar receded like falling water into the floor. The very expensive Orion Marble flowed and rose up, forming into a great throne, gleaming with veins of raw gemstones in spectacular fashion.

 Just the perfect size for him, too.

 "Please seal the Foundation, and Summon those who work here to the Hall." The actual headquarters had long been moved from this ceremonial heart to a new tower on the Crownspire of Corun long ago, so the most senior members of the Families weren't actually close by. "Begin the transfer of assets and titles to my name and the accounts provided to you.

 "Oh, and bring up The Corunsun."

 Pirvin swallowed hard at the rumbling bass of Briggs' voice, carrying power, assurance, strength, and determination that was trashing every image he ever had of Ancients. Sitting on that throne, the Ducal Seal glittering on his chest, he indeed looked like a great nobleman...

 Part of the dais flowed aside, and a stand arose. On top of it rose a great gemstone, a multifaceted, multicolored corundum jewel the size of a man's head, brought up from who knew where.

 The Corunsun...

 Briggs' pale violent eyes fell upon Pirvin, who fell helplessly to his knees beneath their weight.

 "Long ago, the vassals of Corunsun swore their fealty to the family and its Duke upon this, the jewel for which the family is named.
 "I am sure it is a mere formality, for are not the families of the Foundation known for their loyalty? Pirvin Skymander, you are invited to be the first to pledge yourself to the Ducal Seat of Corunsun in six thousand years."

 Pirvin swallowed again, staring at the glittering red, blue, and topaz gemstone, glowing there with real power. "A-and if I don't?" he had to ask.

 "Making a mockery of loyalty to the Corunsun name?" Briggs inquired, very softly.

 Pirvin almost lunged for the gemstone, slapping his hand down upon it. "I-I," he stammered.

 "I, Pirvin Skymander," I supplied him helpfully, and he repeated blankly, "do swear life, loyalty, and limb to the Seat of the House Corunsun, and He who sits upon it, His Grace Briggs, the Duke Corunsun!"

 He got it all out, his knees shaking so hard I was basically keeping him upright.

 The light flashed in his eyes as the Geas took hold. A Raised Geas, and applied with technopsi, too. This could not be broken without at least a Sixteen working on it... and the Duke would know if the Oath Corunsun was broken, as the heart of the Seal and the stone upon his Signet both came from the Corunsun.

 "Welcome to My service, Master Pirvin," Briggs greeted him with a cordial nod.

 "Your Grace!" Pirvin hyperventilated a few times, calming himself down. Now that he had Sworn himself formally to the man he was supposed to be loyal to anyways, he started to adjust. "How may I be of service to Your Grace?" he asked automatically.

 "Sama, give him a sidearm. Pirvin, you will be given several chances to prove your loyalty shortly."

 "Yes, Your Grace." He accepted the compact laz I gave him, switched off the safety with the attitude of someone who knew how to use it, and stepped off to the side, near me. "Uh, my lady, if I might ask-?" he inquired softly.

 "Fiance," I replied calmly.

 His eyes got very big again. "Yes, My Lady," he said, properly capitalizing things this time.

------

 It didn't take long for the first workers in the Hall to be shuffled inside, having been ordered to assemble here by the computer networks. They came into the long hall, and started at disbelief at the huge Ancient waiting there on a throne, with a glittering Medallion on his chest, and the glowing twinkling of the Corunsun gleaming there, just like it looked like on the walls.

 There were protests in back as the security bots hurled the recalcitrant and reluctant within, and suddenly things for some 1,247 Foundation Family members were rather quiet.

 "Greetings, Families of the Corunsun Foundation. I am Briggs, the Duke Corunsun. Long have I heard of your legendary loyalty to My Seat. Before you lies the Corunsun, upon which the vassals of the Dukes swore their loyalty long ago. I offer you now the chance to confirm your loyalty, and retain your status with the House Corunsun."

 There was a pregnant, fearful pause for them to digest that.

 "If you do not wish to confirm that loyalty, there are sixteen different death traps in this hall designed to kill the holder of the Ducal Seal, placed here by your families. You will be allowed to test the efficacy of your ancestors.

 "Camer Totsko, will you come forth and swear to this Seat?"

 The florid, red-faced man flushed even deeper at Brigg's deep, mild voice. "I do not believe this! You cannot be the Duke! The Seal would never permit an abhuman to claim the Seat!"

 There was a whine and flash of light, and the florid man's head exploded, showering the pseudo-nobles about with blood and brains.

 Privin calmly lowered his pistol back down. "Your Grace, he refused," he added politely.

 Briggs nodded slowly, pale violet eyes steady. "Then, I shall be more direct. In order to spare your fellows a cleaning bill, perhaps everyone who does not wish to uphold your famed loyalty should stand against the west wall..."

Note: As of 5/15/2020, this novel has moved to Royal Road (chapter 534).
 
Some time ago, a great and powerful Archmage tried to save the planet of Terra from impeding disaster by inventing a VR game to train the gamers who survived the apocalypse to defend humanity.

That game was the Power of Ten.

This is not that story.

This is the story of what happens when your patron gods realize you've invented a system to imprint ass-kicking VR characters onto souls, and decide to take advantage of some of those character templates!

Book One:
Join Sama and her allies as she first has to endure what it means to be a hagchild, and then on her road to Ten!
----------
Book Two: Space, the final frontier. In the grim darkness of the far future of a galaxy far, far away, there came a hagchild...
QX!
----------
 If you want exclusive, early access to upcoming chapters, you can support me on my new Patreon @ https://www.patreon.com/ThePowerofTen
 added 10/24/2019!

Updates Daily (on Royal Road now). Average Chapter length is about 2,000 Words (4+ Word Pages).

I have some expired Discord links in the author comments. My Discord Channel is The Power of Ten, TPoT, and I have Discord up all the time I'm on line, if you have questions or want to chat. The permanent link is:   https://discord.gg/gJ6fRs9

If you have confusion with terms or abbreviations, just reply to one of my comments, and I'll put it into the author notes for everyone!
If you are reading through, make sure to check the reader comments areas. I answer a lot of questions there.
I have added more acronym explanations to the early chapters in response to reader feedback. As of 6/8/2019, there is a glossary addended to Chapter One!

Although the Prophet was not seen as a strong foe by Jiang Fei, Tchaikovsky and his group could not afford to behave with such confidence. 
"Just how were the officials able to hunt and capture these odd living beings…" one of the group members grumbled. They too had scopes and combat level measuring tools and with it, they knew about the Prophet's abilities. 
"The more you know… Count ourselves lucky for getting this thing instead of a Grundel. We would definitely not survive a fight with that one," said Tchaikovsky. Unlike Caylan, he was not stingy in sharing information he had obtained before the trial. He had made sure to pick out the location of easier targets. That was why no "V.I.P." had ever ventured into the valley in the first place. They already knew that they would be facing a Grundel there. Only folks like Jiang Fei would have to rely on luck. If he had been without the power of the Blackhole Core, he would have died before he could even breathe.
"Fleshlings… How lucky!" said the Prophet when he noticed the large group of trainees. 
"How nice of you to prepare a meal for me just as I was summoned! Hahahaha! Marvelous!" said the Prophet with a long, eerie laugh. If Jiang Fei would have to guess, that would be the battle opening speech. 
As a Spiritual Being, the Prophet loved to consume beings that had powerful, resilient mental strength such as these trainees. They were, as the Prophet saw them, nourishment for his strength. 
"Come to me and be my food!" Prophet Nas roared as he slammed his ethereal staff on the ground, releasing a wave of concentrated psychic attack. 
"Oh no!" Tchaikovsky grunted. He had prepared a counter tool for this engagement but he was not ready to use it so soon! 
So was the behavior of pampered trainees. They had never experienced genuine combat or any life-threatening situations. Even with powerful tools, weaponry, or armor, they would still lose in a real fight if they were all consistently behaving like so. Who would wait for the enemy to finish their speech and then only start reacting? If it were Jiang Fei, he would have struck first and asked questions later! 
Fortunately, Tchaikovsky's group was not weak, so after taking the first wave of attack, none of them were gravely injured. 
"Time to f*ck off!" Tchaikovsky snarled as he withdrew a crystal ball and held it high in the sky. As soon as the crystal ball was exposed, a bright radiant light flashed, illuminating the surroundings with a bright, piercing golden light. 
As soon as the light of the ball touched the Prophet, he quickly shrank away like a vampire being exposed to sunlight. The crystal ball was a special psionic tool that radiated powerful psionic energy. This energy was weak against any material and could be easily stopped by a single sheet of paper. Like light itself, as long as there was a material dark enough to block out the pathway, it would stop shining out. Hence, it was extremely weak, so much so that it was completely ineffective on any living creature. 
However, without flesh and bones, a Spiritual Being would be completely exposed to the psionic energy. They were without a physical form which could not prevent the energy from penetrating their bodies. The energy acted like particle beams to humans, inflicting penetrative damage, causing wounds. A tool that was a hot knife to butter to a Spiritual Being. 
"Curses! Argh!" the Prophet screamed in agony as it tried to hide and shrink away from the light. 
"How intriguing… Just a shining ball of light…" Jiang Fei thought as he continued to observe the entire event. 
"Captain, that crystal ball is made out of a crystal ore found associated with Khorium. It is so rare that the crystal ball he is currently holding would be more than enough to purchase half a planet," said 0541 after searching through the scope's database. 
"What's Khorium?" 
"Khorium is a real metal that has the highest knowing conductivity of all other metals. As such, it was generally used as memory storage devices. The scope you are wearing is generally made of Khorium," said 0541. 
"This thing is made with Khorium?!" Jiang Fei gasped as he unconsciously caressed the scope on his ear. He had gotten used to the scope as it sat on his ear so comfortably. As such, he had never properly examined the scope. Until today, when he found a signet symbol on the corner of the scope. The signet was carved into the scope and was shaped like a dog's head. 
"Khorium is rare and those that could properly smelt them are even rarer. The optic scope you are currently wearing is made by a great master. The signet on the scope is a dog's head which gives the scope the name, Hound's Eyes!" 
Thump…
Just as Jiang Fei was putting his scope back onto his ears, a loud explosion was heard and the ground shook a little. 
"You lots forced my hands! If you are to bring destruction down upon me, I shall do the same unto you!" the Prophet roared. While enduring the radiance of the crystal's light, the Prophet slammed his staff onto the ground, sending out a saturated wave of psychic energy outward. 
"ARGH!" 
"Help!" 
"Ough!" 
"Help me!" 
"I give up! I give up! You hear me?! I give up!" 
…
The ones standing closest to the Prophet suffered the most lethal dose of psychic energy and had both external and internal haemorrhage. It got so bad that blood vessels inside their brains were exploding. Not two seconds after the initial blast, seven pillars of light shot down from the sky and saved those that had given up. Even though they were rescued, it would take the best of surgeons to save them all. 
"You should have left me alone!" the Prophet roared once more, shooting out waves of invisible psychic energy toward every trainee that was still standing. However, something changed. His staff glowed with a black hue and instead of psychic energy, he was shooting out a wave of death energy instead. 
Grass and moss that were growing around the bones on the floor decayed instantly, as if they were devoid of life itself. 
"Ack!" 
With a sudden shriek that ended as abruptly as it started, a trainee fell to the ground, with eyes wide open as he was exposed to the dark energy. Before he could open his mouth to utter the words that could save him, his entire body decayed away, leaving nothing but bones and dried up flesh. 
"F*ck!" Tchaikovsky grunted. He was not prepared for this! He had failed to factor in the amount of time it would take to kill the guardian! Based on the current situation, it seemed that it would be a test of endurance for both sides. 
If the Prophet bit the dust first, he would be killed by the light of the crystal ball. If Tchaikovsky decided to throw in the towel, he could simply give up the trial and return to the outside world and forever be a low ranking soldier. 
Knowing fully well what would happen if they gave up then, the trainees were still hesitant in making a decision. Unfortunately, due to the previous psychic attack, they were unable to move just yet as they watched the incoming dark energy radiate closer and closer to them. 
"I give up!" 
"I give up!" 
"I surrender!" 
…
Another five threw in the towel and were teleported away. Not 3 minutes since the start of the fight, Tchaikovsky's group members had been reduced to only seven. 
"Dammit! How is he not dying?!" Tchaikovsky groaned nervously as the dark energy was coming toward him. 
"Almost time…" said Jiang Fei as he rubbed his hands together. From the looks of it, it would be soon before all of Tchaikovsky's group perished. The Prophet himself was also down on his knees and was relying on the dark energy to kill his opponent. When the time was right, Jiang Fei would swoop in to deliver the final blow and take the weapon for himself! 


Average means nothing to our young protagonist! Why be normal when you have the chance to become a real life superman! Follow Jiang Fei as he discovers a mysterious ring that allowed him to play a Hyper Realistic Immersive MMORPG call Dawn Break! As the thin line between game and reality is gradually blurred, Jiang Fei finds himself having to deal with the troubles that follow him everywhere he goes. This is a story revolving around a real-life cheat code! From zero to hero, follow Jiang Fei as his fascinating adventures unfold!

Chen Mu's expression was a little dull when he received the news.
The fatty had died!
In front of him, Xi Ping's eyes were bloodshot, and his face was covered in tears. Bogner's face had turned pale but remained utterly calm to a scary extent. Chen Mu and Bogner did have a bad feeling before but hadn't thought the feeling would be so directly confirmed.
"It's Faya!" Bogner's voice was low. "They're the only ones who could make such a move at this time."
The more Bogner spoke, the deeper his tone became and the darker his gaze. He had limited power at that time, and it was the boss's base. He couldn't take advantage to do something for himself.
If it had been earlier… Bogner was clenching his fist too tightly; his knuckles were white, and his veins were popping out.
"Don't we have any way to do something?" Having restored his calm, Chen Mu suddenly opened his mouth to say something utterly surprising to Bogner and Xi Ping.
The two of them looked at Chen Mu, stunned. They had seen how Chen Mu had gotten to where he was with their own eyes. They knew how much bitterness and how much difficulty it had meant.
Their adversary was Faya. Faya could contend with the Big Six. Chen Mu had put everything into what he had been able to do there, and he had no obligation to do anything like that. Xi Ping and Bogner were both people who had gotten used to the highs and lows of the world. No one could blame Chen Mu for not doing anything. His watching over little Yang An already meant enough to them.
The thing the boss had uttered so calmly and coolly seemed completely foolish.
Sobbing, Xi Ping threw himself on his knees, desperately kowtowing to Chen Mu.
Bogner was stunned as he looked at Chen Mu. He didn't say anything until he suddenly opened up into a smile and said firmly and full of self-confidence, "I can guarantee you will have a powerful force."
Lifting up the tearful Xi Ping, Chen Mu turned to Bogner to say, "You do the planning, and I'll do the implementation."
The three of them then sat down for the important matter. If they were the least bit careless, it could possibly invite a fatal disaster. Xi Ping was restored to calm, and his expression had turned serious. He knew how powerful their adversary was. Faya's power wasn't something a local power could contend with.
Bogner placed three cups in the shape of a triangle.
"These are the three most powerful factions in Pomelo right now. The Central Repository of the Classics, the Federation Comprehensive Academy, and Faya. Among them, the Central Repository of the Classics is the most powerful. The card artisans Qiao Yuan brought here are very strong, adding up to more strength than the other two combined. Faya hasn't had any losses during this battle, but their power is slightly weaker. However, given the ferocity of the battle between the Federation Comprehensive Academy and the Central Repository of the Classics, now adding in the attacks from that bunch of Qiao Yuan's card artisans, they've become the weakest of the three."
He then put two of the cups together, leaving the other one slightly farther away.
"The current situation is that the Central Repository of the Classics and the Federation Comprehensive Academy are strangling one another while Faya lies in wait from the side. The commander behind the scenes for Faya is using an awesome strategy for them to dominate the dispute. They keep out of sight, quietly awaiting their opportunity."
Bogner's train of thought was clear, and his gaze flashed quite a bit of wisdom.
"The current situation in Pomelo is now delicate. That unexpected play of the Central Repository of the Classics has completely destroyed the entire rhythm of the battlefield. I'm guessing Faya didn't consider that the Central Repository of the Classics could gain such an overwhelming advantage in such a short time. No matter which of those two gain an advantage, it wouldn't be good for Faya. So, Faya will certainly respond."
Chen Mu and Xi Ping held their breath as they carefully listened to Bogner's analysis.
"What is Faya going to do? Send reinforcements to Pomelo? All the routes are still held by the Federation Comprehensive Academy. Neither of those two are going to permit card artisans from Faya to enter Pomelo. Faya needs time.
"I had been wondering why Faya would pull these wealthy businesses together. Given their size, they shouldn't really respect those powers. But I've finally figured out the simple reason. They don't have enough power on hand. In other words, they don't have enough power in Pomelo. With no way to get reinforcements into Pomelo, and even at the risk of being discovered, they gathered up all the power on the hands of the wealthy businesses.
"So, they need time. Otherwise, given the current situation, they could only look on helplessly while the Central Repository of the Classics takes away all the fruit. That's why I'm guessing they will certainly be making a move.
"If it were me, what would I do? I would let the power of Faya reside on the outskirts of Pomelo to help the Federation Comprehensive Academy's reinforcements enter Pomelo with the greatest dispatch. Once they enter, the time the two sides remain entangled would immediately increase."
Xi Ping made his first management decision. He had a quick mind and expressed his deep agreement. "The Federation Comprehensive Academy has blown up all the routes to the outside by now, leaving only one. That relieves the pressure on their defenses."
"That's right!" Bogner nodded. "Although the Central Repository of the Classics card artisans have a lot of strength, the Federation Comprehensive Academy are no vegetarians. While they might not be the equal of their adversary in a direct fight, when it comes to defense, they are extraordinary. If it really doesn't work, I believe the Federation Comprehensive Academy will certainly blow up the remaining route. That way, Pomelo would be isolated.
"The Central Repository of the Classics wouldn't dare apply too much pressure. If it were only them, they could still go back through the jungle. But they would be taking Ren Wenzhou and his group of ordinary citizens along with them. Ha ha, I'm afraid even with such a big card artisan escort, there would still be no way to guarantee nothing would happen to them. Never mind Qiao Yuan; they wouldn't be able to guarantee it even if the lord of the Central Repository of the Classics personally led them out.
"Ren Wenzhou had the control of the jungle communications technology in his hands, and the Central Repository of the Classics wasn't going to let anything happen to him, no matter what. Otherwise, all their losses during that time would have been in vain. Therefore, they would certainly storm the route the Federation Comprehensive Academy was defending, though not daring to use too much force. On the other hand, the Central Repository of the Classics' power on the outside ought to be able to occupy one of the routes at its terminus and start to repair it with all their power.
"That would be an opportunity for Faya; they could take advantage of the consolidated power of all of Pomelo to become a rather powerful player. Moreover, they would still have their own manpower. I would guess Faya has some secret weapon. Otherwise, if they wanted to seize Ren Wenzhou, they would have no way to get him out of Pomelo. It would have no value for them."
Bogner said coldly, "Faya has done their calculations well. Now, how can we fulfill their wishes? We only have to do one little thing."
After he stopped speaking, the following words were pronounced one by one: "Let the Central Repository of the Classics discover the existence of Faya."
Bogner then grinned to show his dense, white teeth. "We won't have to worry about Faya looking to cause trouble for us afterward since the entire federation has already descended into chaos. This is a melee from which no one can escape. There are many more people looking at Faya than there are looking at us."
Theirs would be a secret operation carried out by Chen Mu and Wei-ah. The two were both good at hiding, which would be perfect in such a confused time. Even if they couldn't fight, they would have no trouble escaping.
Taking advantage of the dark night, the two quietly left the base, bolting straight for Pomelo.
Chen Mu flew ultra low, stuck along the ground, so he could avoid being discovered by card artisans in the sky. Like a ghost, Wei-ah followed Chen Mu closely with a calm expression and no sign of exertion. Running along on just his legs, his speed wasn't at all slower than Chen Mu's. He showed the vigorous, explosive power of a cheetah.
Chen Mu wore no expression as the wind whooshed past his ears.
When he heard the fatty had died, a certain coldness surged from Chen Mu's heart. He'd had a rough fate, suffering life's ups and downs, and those he cared about could be counted on his fingers. The fatty had been one of them.
Although they had a cooperative relationship, what the fatty had done far exceeded the scope of partnership. As Chen Mu saw it, it was in the category of friendship. Chen Mu had very few friends. It had only been Copper before. He still remembered that after he went missing, Copper resolutely resigned from Bai Zheyuan and left Eastern Shang-Wei City.
Chen Mu felt he should do a few things, although he didn't know what they were.
His was a simple way of thinking. He didn't think too hard about things like the base's issues, which Bogner and the others were pondering.
Friendship wasn't so easy for Chen Mu.
He was glad in his heart to have Bogner, who was so good at seeing the big picture. Otherwise, he wouldn't even know what to do.
There was also a lot more he could do by having someone as awesome as Wei-ah.
Then, there was Xi Ping. If it weren't for him, they wouldn't even know where Faya was stationed. By then, Chen Mu felt profoundly how complex the fatty was to have laid out such a huge network in Pomelo within a few decades. But his enemy was a lizard who was just as cunning and much more powerful. It used the most direct and violent means to beat him.
But that time, the network the fatty had so painstakingly woven was finally proving its value.
The formerly bustling Pomelo was already desolated, with corpses and ruins everywhere. Bleak wailing and sobbing filled the air, and the people's eyes were vacant and hopeless.
Chen Mu couldn't help but inwardly sigh. He was afraid the Central Repository of the Classics and the Federation Comprehensive Academy would have one more city of enemies ever after. Although they were of the Big Six—the most honorable Big Six—the hatred wouldn't be reduced in the least because of how distinguished they were.
Settling his attitude, Chen Mu's expression resumed its calm.
He was no savior but was the same as all those ants pursuing their existence beneath the powers. He had no ability to change the heavens or the earth; he was as ordinary a participant as could be. He had to rack his brains in the same way they did just to survive.
Chen Mu and Wei-ah didn't actually go to where Faya was hiding. Instead, they ran over to the Central Repository of the Classics' encampment.


This is both a work of science fiction and an exploration of the meaning of life, love, literature and art. Brainpower is no longer the main ingredient for being human in this far distant future world.  Spirituality, physical balance, and diligence all come together as integrity for Chen Mu, the Card Apprentice.  The cards which Chen Mu masters in his own scrappy way, distill all the powers of the cosmos –  human and nonhuman –  into something that is not a book, not technology, and neither art nor magic, but is these and more.  Learn about these strange cards, which can embody everything you might imagine for the future of technology, but also a future beyond technology which promotes the best, and sometimes the worst, from mankind’s past.

I awaken to find a familiar scene surrounding me. it was a world of my own creation. the world of EXcalibur. a medieval world with guns, kind of. it was a semi medieval game because it had classes set in different categories each with different playstyles:

the classics were warrior mage and archer
the holy faction consisted of angels, priests and vampire hunter
the demon faction consisted of demons dark priests and necromancers
there was the assassin faction: the hit men, psychos and thieves
there was the monster faction: vampires, zombies and necros
there was also the classics+: magic swordsman, magic archer and sorcerer
then there was me in a separate category of developer
there was a weakness to all just like rock paper scissors
the demon faction beat the angels and the angels beat the monsters who could beat the assassin and the assassins could beat classic+ who could beat the classics and finally the classics could beat the demons. i was in the middle i could beat anyone at all.
I decided to check my stats and it was average for a normal person except my title which stayed the same. i opened the code panel and sure enough a blue panel appeared in front of me reading JS terminal. i decided to type something in and tried to give Excalibur but another panel popped up reading 'coding level too low' and decided to turn it down and wrote in the terminal 
>system.itemreceive ID: 18004
this time it suceeded and replied in the system
>system gave item ID: 18004 = Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi

the starting point to all my books, it's mostly to keep my focus in line. I don't know when it will end but when it does the final story will explain slot about the other timeline.

I might make the series split into many different books and make it season 1 of 'fractured worlds' which is an idea I have had for ages

Link's Mage Tower
Today, when all the Magicians woke up and went to their work rooms, they saw a new clear water mirror in the center.
The mirror had a long announcement. It said that the Mage Tower would enact a punishment and reward system from now on and described it in detail. There was also someone beside the mirror to hand out the special magic signets.
Sorotto was a Level-2 Magician, but he was already 30 years old. Because he was a commoner, he didn't have the chance to learn magic until he was 20. After that, he began working while learning basic magic. After five long years, he was still a Magician's Apprentice.
During these five years, he'd worked hard on creating various magic scrolls and basic potions to sell at the cheapest price. After scrimping and saving, he finally saved up 600 gold coins to enter a magic academy in a small northern city. That was when he started learning officially.
However, the tutors there weren't too skilled either. The dean was only at Level-4. The most advanced book in the library was Level-3; it was seen as a rare treasure and regular people couldn't look at it.
Sorotto had studied from a 60-year-old Level-3 Magician in the academy. Most of the time, he created magic scrolls for this old guy for almost nothing in return. It was rare for him to have one hour to study seriously.
After studying for three years, he finally became a Level-1 Magician. Then he was forced to graduate and expelled from the academy.
Level-1 was probably amazing for a regular person. They could live a comfortable life off of selling magic items. It wasn't enough for Sorotto though. He thirsted for magic knowledge and desired after the wisdom of saints. The world was unstable and filled with war. An official Level-1 book that could help bring him power cost at least 100 gold coins.
Sorotto worked hard for more than one year but could only buy four Level-1 books. His Mana reached Level-2, but he didn't have money for those books. On average, a Level-2 book cost more than 500 gold coins.
This horrible situation didn't improve until half a year ago.
At that time, Sorotto had traveled thousands of miles from the North to Ferde. Coincidentally, the Ferde Mage Tower needed Magicians badly. As a regular Level-1 Magician, he was fortunate to be accepted.
During this time, Sorotto received his first Level-2 book. He personally witnessed the Mage Tower's fast development. He also saw many talented youths level up quickly.
All this made Sorotto feel the Mage Tower's strong vigor. At the same time, he felt pressured. He had to work much harder than before. Otherwise, the others would leave him in the dust.
What improvements are there today? Sorotto walked up in anticipation.
Beside the water mirror, he saw Carrido. He was a Level-5 Magician and the Mage Tower's Magic Official. Looking over, he chuckled and said, "Oh, Sorotto. Let me see… Here's your signet. Take it."
"Signet?" Sorotto found it strange. He accepted it reflexively and studied it.
The round thing was two centimeters in diameter. One side wrote Ferde in runes. The other side had a realistic profile. Looking closer, it was the Ferde lord. The material was special. The surface had many silver veins; it was made of Mithril. Under the veins, it was semi-transparent and had a tinge of crystal-red. The inside had some beautiful bits of silver.
At a glance, the signet looked normal. There wasn't anything eye-catching about it. But if one inspected it carefully, you'd realize it had too much to discover.
As a Magician, Sorotto instinctively fed some Mana into it. An instant later, a beautiful female voice rang in his mind. Welcome, Mr. Sorotto.
Shocked, Sorotto looked around and discovered that many people with signets around him had the same expression. Good, Sorotto wasn't an ignorant civilian. He quickly gathered himself. This must be some telepathy spell.
He replied in his mind, "And you are?"
I am Lily, the spirit of the Mage Tower. From today, I will serve you. For the specific details, you may read the announcement or let me explain for you.
Sorotto immediately looked to the water mirror. The announcement was long and detailed, but he read every word. After finishing, he couldn't contain his excitement. "So my authority is Level-2 now?" he asked.
Yes. With this authority, you are qualified to read all magic books at or under Level-2 in the library. You may request to use all magic material at or under Level-2 in the Mage Tower.
"How many magic points do I have now?" Sorotto asked.
Lily immediately replied, All Magicians will receive a starting number of magic points equivalent to their level. You currently have 200 points. You may use it to buy reading rights, time to use the Elemental Pool, usage rights of enchantment room tools, usage rights of alchemy tools, and more. You may ask me for the price list at any time.
Sorotto grew more and more excited. This improvement didn't seem like much, but for someone who'd gone through all the hardships of the world, he immediately saw the benefits.
From now on, he didn't have to get on his tutor's good side or have connections to learn magic. He could get what he wanted just by earning magic points. All the uncertainty and time wasted on human connections were wiped out by this new system!
He asked for the specific prices and ways to gain magic points. It was another long list. Lily's voice was sweet and patient as she read it all out for him.
Hearing all this, Sorotto realized with surprise that his 200 magic points were quite a lot. Firstly, he could exchange it for 2000 gold coins. It was ten times as much. Of course, he wouldn't do something stupid like that. From now on, all resources in the Mage Tower had to be bought with magic points.
With these points, he could buy reading rights to two Level-2 books. He could also request up to 20 hours in the Elemental Pool and more.
There were many ways to earn magic points too. For example, he could collect magic materials, write magic scrolls, create potions, complete tasks in the various city offices, and more.
If he had limited talent, he could still gain many points by doing these things. He could also go find talented commoners. If he found a magic genius, he could even get a reward of 5000 magic points.
This wasn't the most exciting part. In the items list, there was also a Tutor System.
In this system, every Magician had a respective consulting fee. As long as a lower level Magician paid the price, they could ask high-level Magicians any question. The high-level Magician would not be able to refuse and must try their best in answering.
The system would record and rate the entire process. If a consulted Magician was "irresponsible" three times, their consulting fee would be drastically reduced. They'll also be given a bad rating. This would negatively affect their reputation.
Every high-level Magician had different fees. Sorotto checked his own and saw that it was 20 magic points per hour. This could be converted to 200 gold coins an hour. He couldn't help but chuckle wryly. So my power is quite valuable. I wish someone would come to consult me, ha.
Twenty points per hour was much faster than making magic equipment.
What excited Sorotto was that he saw Legendary Magician Link's fee in the system. It was 2000 magic points for half an hour, and he would only accept five consultations per week.
This was expensive, but he was a Legendary Magician!
Glancing at it, Sorotto felt inspired. Without wasting a single moment, he turned to the Golden Rune Workshop. He planned on making some equipment to earn magic points. Then he could consult the Legendary Magician.
In reality, it wasn't just him. After all the Magicians finished reading, they all acted the same way and rushed to earn magic points.
Sorotto walked down from the hall for official Magicians and arrived at the apprentice hall on the first floor. He saw the apprentices were in an uproar too.
These apprentices also had signets, but they looked less fancy than his. I'm sure they have a lower starting point for magic points.
Sorotto felt proud but was also alert. When the high-level Magicians see me, they'll probably feel this way too. I heard there are occasionally banquets on the roof of the main tower. The Magicians who make great contributions have a chance to dine with the lord of Ferde… that is such an honor!
He quickened his pace.
…
One day after implementing the authority and Magic Point system, Link and the other high-level Magicians received Lily's feedback. According to the data, all production in the Mage Tower had doubled!
The resource usage rate had increased from 60% to almost 100%. Practically not a minute was wasted.
Efficiency had gone through the roof.
This was definitely good news, but Link wasn't always successful. Their power seeds ran into some trouble.
At this moment, Link, Eliard, Vance, Alloa, and Eleanor were working together to create a new power seed. But after starting it, they realized it was harder than expected.
Human bodies were complex systems. In addition, they had to create something out of nothing and had no starting point. After a whole day, the group didn't even come up with an idea.
Link knew this couldn't do. "Creating like this is too slow. We must borrow from others!"
"Borrow? From whom?" Eliard asked. Of the five here, he was the most innocent and didn't grasp Link's meaning.
Vance understood though. Smiling, he explained, "High Elves have the power of nature. Dragons have Dragon Power, demons have demonic power, and Beastmen have wild power. These are all unique. If we need to borrow, we'll borrow from them."
"But they won't agree," Eliard said weakly. "Like the High Elves, they're so proud. They're upset with us over the magic equipment now too." The atmosphere felt weird to him.
Alloa looked up at the ceiling without saying anything. Eleanor's lips curled upward. "Who said we need their permission? Can't we do it secretly?"
"Secretly? Are we going to the Isle of Dawn to steal books?" Eliard asked. "High Elves have books, but demons and Beastmen don't."
Link shook his head. "No, no. Just using books isn't enough. The wisdom of sages is abnormally complicated and can't be understood easily. We need to find some people to try it on."
He had dragon magic books and the Heart of the Dragon. He still wasn't clear about the essence of Dragon Power though. It had taken 72 sages' countless years from ancient times to create Dragon Power. It then underwent centuries of refinement. He progressed so slowly, mostly because there was no real thing to study.
Now, the God of Destruction was already creating a military in the North. They had no time to waste. Desperate times called for desperate measures!
Eliard gulped. Did they want to find someone to dissect? This was dark magic; they were legit Magicians.
Vance cackled. "You all don't need to dirty your hands. I can do it! I have experience!"


Link was the top Archmage in the entire server. He had just defeated the strongest boss, the Lord of The Deep, Nozama with his party. However, instead of going back to town, he was transported to a secret location with pixelated CG. 

It sort of felt like a vacuum, and within it came a glorious and commanding voice that calls himself the God of Light. 

"Link, would you be willing to be the saviour who will pull the World of Firuman out from the churning abyss?"

What a huge mission! If it was in the real world, Link would have rejected it immediately. However, he was bent on being the hero in game.

"Bring it on!" Link answered confidently.

"Then, best of luck." 

And so begin Link's journey of magic, friendship, betrayal, love and despair in the ever changing World of Firuman.

I was integrating to the memories trying to archive and put memories of others in separate folder. 
   From Ernam's memories I took the mental training book. It will help me to improve my memory and also make my brain more like library. It can help me to contain large amount of information from two life time without mixing my true memory.
   The most important part is it can help me multitask. I no longer need to worry about my lessons so it is most important skill and first one need to learn.
   "Alarm Sound" Damn  I was late to exam.
 I ran toward school all my strength. How can I be late if I don't take the exam I need to repeat it next semester.
  Barely arriving before teacher disturbing the exam paper.
     While waiting the paper I decided the most important thing is to improve my body's foundation.

    The exam of languages. 
In this era there is no longer many countries like in the past, since apocalypse humanity united so many languages became official language.
   During the war many of books ancient classics were lost.
  Today one of my course exam research of ancient languages and classics.

The exam paper were too easy for me.From Raizen's memories he were what people call genius he had very high IQ .
Raunzen was pretty famous artist before apocalypse and in order to research inspiration he traveled trough many countries. Learning their language collecting interesting stories. In his arsenal there were whole dictionary for language and stories.
 As I immediately download and write down some classics from memory the exam were easy pie.
 After finishing before time I went out happily to celebrate my exam.
 
Unknown to Volcan after reading the turned paper Exam teacher was having hard time. The one passage he wrote were one of the classics that were considered lost and many research were conducted.
He knew about it because he participated it.
 Without knowing he had caused headache to researchers how to grade his exam. 
While Volcan was pretty happy to himself.
As I was walking someone suddenly calls me.

Memories and experience of 2 extraordinary person.How will he use them in his everyday ordinary lifestyle.

Exodus 39
 
39 :
 
1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
39 :
 
2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
 
39 :
 
3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
 
39 :
 
4 They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
 
39 :
 
5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
39 :
 
6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
 
39 :
 
7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
39 :
 
8 And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
 
39 :
 
9 It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.
 
39 :
 
10 And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.
 
39 :
 
11 And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
 
39 :
 
12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
 
39 :
 
13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
 
39 :
 
14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
 
39 :
 
15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
 
39 :
 
16 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
 
39 :
 
17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
 
39 :
 
18 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
 
39 :
 
19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
 
39 :
 
20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
 
39 :
 
21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
39 :
 
22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
 
39 :
 
23 And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
 
39 :
 
24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
 
39 :
 
25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
 
39:
 
26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
39:
 
27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
 
39:
 
28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
 
39:
 
29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
39 :
 
30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
 
39 :
 
31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
39 :
 
32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
 
39 :
 
33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
 
39:
 
34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
 
39:
 
35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and themercy seat,
 
39:
 
36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,
 
39:
 
37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
 
39:
 
38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
 
39:
 
39 The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
 
39:
 
40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
 
39:
 
41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.
 
39 :
 
42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
 
39 :
 
43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

Old Testament
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1984 signet classics

梦幻1984

Badge in Azure

Dunia Penyihir

The Power of Ten: Sama Rantha

The Almighty Ring

The Card Apprentice

the power of code (new world book 1)

Advent of the Archmage

Volcan new life

Up And Above

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