Chapter 63
Dane Ward and Miko were talking about the significance of spirit energy and its primary role in maintaining balance in the natural world. Miko explained how spirit energy is connected to all living things , these were sentient remains of a former being that lost its physical body. Miko explains in her study and research that souls can be seen in all living organisms that have the capacity to think beyond what they are supposed to do.
These traits are related to beings that can evolve and go beyond their natural instinct and seek out answers to the issue they were facing, whether it's about food, protection , shelter, or other useful resources that can make their lives more fulfilling. This ability to transcend basic survival instincts is what sets sentient beings apart from non-sentient beings in the natural world.
Emotions are also related to these souls. Miko thought it was just a chemical reaction in the brain, but based on what Miko understood, these souls should not hold any lingering emotions if it's chemically based, because there is no body to process these chemicals.
But these souls can still react by the punctuation of their energy and changing the density and color of their aura. This suggests that emotions are not solely a product of chemical reactions in the brain but rather a manifestation of the energy and essence of the soul. Understanding this connection between emotions and the soul can lead to a deeper appreciation for the complexity of human experience.
It was a very confusing and complex situation, as the wall of human reality was broken when the tower emerged out of nothing and came into existence. Humanity saw these changes but still refused to accept these facts, and everything humans understood was all created by their limited understanding about the vast cosmic universe and beyond it.
These souls were made of another form or type of energy. Miko pointed out that the human body was created to function on a cellular and biological level, the molecular structure of each body part is made up of six elements. Placing a soul inside a nonliving matter and gaining the ability to perceive motor and mental functions is something that humans could not comprehend. It is a huge theoretical leap that nobody was ready to comprehend. The implications of this discovery could potentially revolutionize the way humans perceive life and existence as a whole.
Dane understood that the AI he created by coding the traits and personality by building a system that has thousands of actions and all variables and responses toward any given situation, the two artificial intelligences he created, were all based on what he recalled when he was still interacting with his father and mother when he was still a child. The responses they made were just systematic answers to solve a problem and relate it toward Dane in a manner he programmed them to. In his mind, the formless armor, or Kitsune, became their physical body because it was still made of matter, but unlike mechanical parts that have specific functions like the hydraulic systems and the circuits connected to them.
Souls were pure fusion energy, and the laws related to this phenomenon are still unknown. Ward suggested integrating the formless armor to the souls in his body and creating a physical form these souls can inhabit. Hoping they too can gain control over the Amorphous Metallic Armor and manifest a physical form.
Dane actually realized something that never crossed his mind and just openly accepted it. Was it because he personally experienced these unnatural and supernatural occurrences? When he died, he felt his mind was still conscious , like his mind was floating in air and his body was submerged in water. Time was like a trap in a loop where forward felt backward, and there were no identifying signs that he was experiencing the passage of time.
This realization made him wonder if he was another creation of the old gods to satisfy their anger toward his relationship with the virtual game he designed and created. Then with this revelation, Dane knew he wasn't the product of his parents' love and physical bodies.
His brain was rewired to be Dane, and Damon was just the source code for his new personality.and just like that, he continued talking to ward and Miko as if he once again accepted these facts. Dane just processed these questions and came to a conclusion and reacted to it with a logical and rational reaction.
His savant syndrome was the only thing that held his personality intact; he knew it was him, and the deviation that the old god wanted to bring forth could never surface. He was still in full control, and because Dane was not the type to dwell on things, he agreed to Ward and Miko's suggestion. He asked them to facilitate this plan and lay out the structured plan to implement this. Miko pointed out that the material he was gaining from the monster, the mana cores, could be the soul's vessel extension that they could use to gather enough energy to manifest their own detached form.
But they need to increase the formless armor mana capacity to the point it can boost the soul into a certain level that it can finally sustain itself if they detach from the main host. The
Amorphous Metallic Armor came from the monsters he has killed, and the fundamental building blocks of crystals, which are atoms, are stored in the armor's structure and properties. This unique combination of materials allows for the absorption and manipulation of energy.
So he needs to just kill more monsters and collect all their mana cores. Dane smiled and understood it was a simple answer. Miko told Dane at his current rate of having 19 thousand stored mana energy, he needs to double that capacity in order to achieve a stable detached vessel where the soul can inhabit and use.
Dane calculated the amount and designed what he needs: about fifty to help him establish his guild base in the fallen land, which is located in Lúthien. So he needs great forgers and builders, with enough security to manage the place, as he selected the place because of its fertile land and strategic location. With the right resources and manpower, Dane is confident that he can create a thriving community in Lúthien. Considering the tower can't be achieved alone, he needs a vast amount of support.
And he knows gathering his father's clan will be hard considering their dignity and pride might get hurt. The insignia that will soon wave will bear his father's and mother's avatars, and that is the serpent coiled around a gun blade standing upright as it pierces a skull with three eyes and the horned owl body and wings open wide behind the gun blade .
The two understood the plan, and Dane gave out a smile knowing he just needed to do what he loved doing when he was younger , and that was to hunt. While this was happening, Kitsune was still protecting Dane's physical body. Soon he regained consciousness and noticed he was in the Netherborn appearance. Kitsune saw him open his eyes the armor reverted to his normal attire. He never saw what happened to Bai Xifeng, as she was unconscious below the staircase right above where the Anchorage Castle head administrator's exposed office was located. Dane brushed Kitsune fur; it was made of liquid metal, but it was able to gain the same texture and feel as animal fur.
He knew Kitsune was also the product of his increased mana capacity, so the plan to integrate the souls that attached to him that all came from the underground graveyard on the hill that was in Lúthien can also come into reality. E knows he can also get Ward and Miko to manifest a detached physical form soon. The serpent and horned owl were still relying on Kitsune's sentient mind. It was able to do multi-level tasks without any effort; the serpent and flying owls were still doing their tasks. Dane asks Kitsune if it can combine the other figure to its form. Kitsune unwraps its large, fluffy tail and detaches itself from the main host.
It was like a symbiotic separation; the motion was smooth and graceful as the other figure seamlessly merged with Kitsune's form. Dane marveled at the incredible display of symbiosis between the entities, realizing the true extent of Kitsune's power and capabilities.
Kitsune retains its furry fox head form, but this time it has ten snake tails on its back and owl wings. The fur, feathers, and scales were all interwoven seamlessly, creating a truly unique and mesmerizing sight. It stood around two feet tall , standing on all four legs, and had golden eyes and a snake's tail. Its legs were a combination of fox legs and horned owl feet.
Dane thought it was similar to a chimera or a hybrid. Kitsune was still playful, and Dane asked his new companion to revert back and stop the hunt and gathering information about the gorge for the time being, as he wanted to take this time to respond to the feeling he just experienced. As Kitsune transformed back into its original form, Dane felt a sense of uncertainty wash over him. It was an unexpected feeling; it was a brief moment, as if somebody or something didn't want him there.
Dane knew the answers, as the scenario related to this castle was also forwarded to him in the past, and remembered a certain figure under the main castle foundation. The quest hasn't activated yet, so Dane never intended to clear the task in the first place, but why was it reacting to his presence?
Kitsune looked at Dane, gesturing it might have done something to gain such attention, as the fox jumped down from Dane's lap and walked toward the staircase and somewhat looked down. Dane stood up and followed Kitsune toward the staircase, curious about what the fox wanted to show. As Dane looked down, he saw a female player unconscious below. He understood and connected all the information and assured Kitsune it was just doing its task in protecting his meditating body.
Dane went down toward the receiving lobby and gently picked up the unconscious body of Bai Xifeng and carried her up toward the place where he was temporarily staying and put her on the couch.
While he was touching Bai Xifeng's body, magic language automatically entered his subconscious library and manifested a book about Bai Xifeng's skill in mana detection.
All this magic language, either a permanent main skill or learned magic spells, and consumable skills were all inscribed on the blank books and stored in the sub conscious library.
Dane took out a thermal blanket and covered her and asked Kitsune to watch her as he planned to go down toward the underground facility of the castle to confirm that he would not clear the quest related to this place , knowing doing so would activate many branch scenario quests related to it. Opening more possibilities in the quest connected to the Empire of Grave.
The being under the castle wasn't truly evil, but it was just too hungry, as the caretakers that managed the castle were all dead, and it had to rely on the tribes living in the area to provide it with nourishment. The being's hunger had caused it to act out in desperation. Feeling a sudden large amount of chaos energy, it panicked and assumed Dane was there to kill it.
Dane walked toward the underground subbasement and knew where to go. In a matter of minutes, Dane was standing in front of the sealed gate, and he could hear the emotion on the other side. The metal gate was thirty feet tall. Dane saw the accumulated points the serpent and owl gained on his new form armband to represent his status information.
The curved, mirror-like screen attached to the armband had details on the notification and information on his attributes. He can only increase his other remaining attributes. His speed and agility were all nearing their limits and will soon link toward his skill tree. Reaching level 50 will automatically link with the Sprout, or the youngling tree.
So Dane, knowing the attributes were not related to his mana capacity, can increase his other remaining attributes like his strength and stamina. The moment the skill Sprout gains significant root, all of his level fifty traits will be part of the roots. Until that time comes, he just has to wait.
So he increased his strength and stamina equally. And use all the experience points he got. In a few minutes his strength and stamina reach level 35. He felt nothing change as he stood in front of the sealed gate. The place was illuminated well enough to see everything around him. The way he ventured down was another path he knew, as the structure was designed by Daniel Simmons. He showed the before and after of Anchorage Castle. All the designs his team created were all reviewed by everybody as they held virtual meetings inspecting each location, and because distance and actual size of the first floor were all digitally created and were constantly expanding based on the players' actions, the storage for digital maps is usually organized differently than a single image.
In essence, the size of a digital map can vary widely, but it's not limited by a fixed maximum size. Factors like the level of detail, data format, intended use, and software used all play a role in determining how much storage a digital map will require. Killing what's under the castle will trigger another scenario, opening another closed and stored map.
And if this place is a copy of the game system they built, chances are high the floating continent will surely come out. As Dane knew very well the the sentient trap under the castle was related to that place.
As he stood in front of the sealed gate, the creature mentally talked to Dane and begged to be freed from the chains in this bin. It wanted to see beyond the feeding open hole on top of its chamber.
the same opening where it receives offerings from the tribes that were influenced by its power, as it gave these tribes buffs to gain significant increases in their ability. Opening the sealed gate will not activate the sub-scenario, but Dane doesn't want to take that risk. The condition was freeing the trapped creature. Dane walked a few feet away from the gate and inspected the area, making sure that the place and structure were stable and had no signs of collapse.
The creature's head was sticking out of its body, and the rest of its body was chained down and was embedded under tons of solid granite. As it has been trapped in that location even before the castle was built on top of it, the ancient creature predates the gorge's creation, as it was the reason the demon mouth existed in the first place. The chamber room had a large pillar that was 2 meters thick and less than 2 meters tall. The creature's head could only extend a few feet near where the five-foot-wide hole was above its head.
as its entire body was submerged. The thick chains that were wrapped around its neck were as large as a fully grown oak tree, each link weighing more than a ton. The creature's eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, revealing centuries of anger and resentment towards those who had imprisoned it.
It could extend its head near the opening above its solitary prison and wait for food to be thrown into the feeding hole, but since the castle fell, it has remained there, tired, weak, and hungry. And its anger soon faded as it felt death was about to claim its life. The thick wall soon trembled as a thundering force was unleashed from the other side. the impact was so powerful that the stone cracked, and soon a human arm punctured the wall like it was made of Sandstone or drywall.
Dane was amazed at the increase in strength he gained. The durability of his body also adapted to the change as the force he had unleashed shattered the two-foot-thick wall effortlessly with 4,000 newtons of force. Dane took a peek at the hole he created and saw the creature's eyes at the light shining above the five-foot-wide hole cascading down. The distance of the hole opening was about 15 meters.
The creature begged Dane not to kill it, and seeing how Dane demolished the wall, it got scared and skated to panic. Dane once again punched the wall a few more times, creating a bigger hole. The vibration could be felt above as a wagon filled with dead monsters and a few wounded players was being pulled and transported toward the castle's secondary gate that was meant for supplies and
The ten war orcs, accompanied by twenty redcap goblins, march toward the castle to deliver their offering and feel the thundering force under their feet. They assume the large monster was going berserk as it was hungry. Feeding a strong living creature was more effective at sustaining its life until the next feeding , and the payment they gained was buffs to hunt even further .
The players were all still alive but were badly injured. The orc pushed the supple gate and entered the open courtyard. A hole could be seen at the far corner near the edge of the castle protective wall near the gorge. The hole had a metal cage placed on it, but it was now open, exposing the hole. The orc quickly ran toward the hole and grabbed the dead carcasses of the monster they had killed and threw them into the pit as the vibration continued.
As soon as the dead remains fell into the 15-meter pit, the vibration stopped. The orcs were now convinced their offering had reached the monster. The pile of dead monster bodies was lying in front of it, but it could not move as Dane entered the chamber from the large hole he had created.
The Netherborn appearance walked toward the trap and scared Aspidochelone. Its head was 2 meters tall, and its eyes were showing fear. Dane could not understand why they were reacting to the chaos energy his mana engine was producing to maintain this form. To Dane it was just an ordinary armor. To look intimidating toward his possible enemies .
And the armor function truly captures Dane's intention, as it was truly a sight to behold. The Aspidochelone creatures seemed to cower in fear at the mere presence of the Netherborn; his chaos energy was heavy and truly life-threatening, as if death and destruction were walking toward them. The Aspidochelone was sadly unaware of Dane's true intentions behind his action.
Dane walked slowly as the monster fell from the hole. He was waiting for any signs that he had activated the scenario related to the imprisoned Aspidochelone, but nothing came to his notification armband. He was relieved knowing he did something correct.
Aspidochelone's head stood still as the being walking toward it was emitting an energy that was new to it; even after living for many centuries, this feeling was new and unsettling. Dane watched in awe as the massive Aspidochelone seemed to shrink because of fear.
Dane stood in front of its huge head and talked to it with a soft tone, knowing the fear it was exhibiting. He told the ancient being that he knew its pain and suffering as he explained he was the reason why it ended up in this situation in the first place.
Dane wanted to have an additional scenario quest that would open the floating continents, so he asked Miranda Saunders, scenario designer, and Harly Shepard, creature and character designer, to create a suitable game scenario related to the Anchorage Castle that is still connected to the main story.
The huge turtle was the Seraphim flying battalion's war mount. Eons ago it was taken out by its caretaker and flew into the sky, but the king of the strongest military empire of Karion shot the 10-meter-tall from its 2-meter-tall head shell toward its head , and it was about 30 meters long. This cosmic being was weak and now trembling in fear, hearing the Netherborn explain it knew its pain. The Aspidochelone's fear turned into curiosity as it spoke, asking
"Great one, I am just a war mount , shot down from the sky eons ago and fell to this land, carving the very gorge I am now trapped in."
"Please explain what you just mentioned, that you know my feeling."
The Netherborn listened intently, its vast knowledge and power emanating from its being. With a gentle voice, it responded, "I understand your pain because I have witnessed the suffering of many beings like you throughout the ages."
Dane had to change his response as it was hard to understand, and these beings were breathing and living entities; creating more confusion wouldn't be proper .
"I wish to help you, but your existence is related to the cosmic thread of life and death, a balance that cannot be easily altered," the Netherborn explained solemnly. "
"Freeing you will open the gate of your masters, and more life shall be extinguished to satisfy their anger. They all assume you are dead, and the curse that your caretaking gave the empire of Karios was sealed by your sacrifice."
The Netherborn continued, their voice filled with sorrow. "But breaking that seal will unleash chaos upon the world, a price too high to pay for one soul's freedom."
"Then kill me, great one; please end my life here."
Dane could not answer, knowing it would also give out the same response: "The Aspidochelone mana is nearly depleted. Dane wanted to help, but he lacked vital answers, as he really could rely on the game rule they created, knowing the old gods had surely tampered and altered it to suit their reason. He wanted to know details of the Aspidochelone; sadly, he didn't have any knowledge of a magical assessment when he remembered the skill language he got from the female player.
If that skill can be upgraded to not just scan mana, but to actually upgrade it to a strong appraisal skill, it would be such a great help. He lacks mana cores. As he checks his inventory, the remaining cores are short, as he used the cores to upgrade the mana engine to a capacity of 19 thousand.
It was a simple answer, but even with this information, he was still lacking in the calculation. Mana cores are meant to upgrade a skill, and experience points are meant to increase their attributes. And the only way to do it was to hunt strong monsters.
He gained experience points from the information gathering expedition a few hours ago, using serpent and horned owl, but the two weren't able no collect additional mana cores, meaning the creature in the formless armor eliminated fell toward the gorge ground. Going down was the only option.
"I have taken pity on your condition; I will try to find a way to save you without disturbing the balance and fate you were supposed to fulfill."
As soon as Dane finished his sentence, an unconscious, wounded player fell and landed on the dear carcasses of the monster and rolled down to a stone floor. Soon more fell, and all ten players were lying on the floor beside the dead monster. The starving were desperately holding back their hunger, and the dead remains were already decaying and filling the air with a putrid stench. Dane knew this wasn't going to revive the creature's weak body but make it even more desperate and dangerous.
The mana core in his possession was lacking, but it was enough to upgrade his healing skill to a tier 3. He plans to heal the players so they can assist him in his plan. Feeding them to the Aspidochelone was an inhumane act; he would rather use them than sacrifice them to the monster. With his upgraded healing skill, Dane was confident they could all survive. He called Kitsune to bring the female player to where he is located.
Dane upgraded his healing skill and tasked the formless armor to retrieve the ten players and place them away from the hole. He asked the Aspidochelone for its name. The massive turtle was now feeling less scared as the Netherborn explained his side.
Aspidochelone said it had no name. The Netherborn simply informed it that he would refer to it as "chelone" for the time being and that the turtle's condition would only worsen if it continued to eat rotten food. Dane knew the turtle was famished, so he urged it to trust him when Dane opened its mouth.
Dane opens his dimensional storage and takes out a month's worth of food supplies. He carefully fed the Aspidochelone, making sure to give the creature adequate food to gain some strength back. . As the massive creature ate hungrily, Dane felt a sense of relief knowing he had helped it.
As his healing upgraded, he noticed his armband. He saw the healing skill was upgraded to tier 4 as he spent nearly twenty mana cores. The plan was simple: heal the players and force them to guard the Chelone from the tribal groups that will no longer gain from their sacrifices. As they again drain the turtle mana, the tribe will surely come down to investigate the prison, as they didn't get any magical buff.
He needs the players to protect it until he gets enough new mana cores to upgrade his newly acquired skill that has already taken root under the healing branch skill. He sadly needs 200 mana cores to gain a tier 3 appraisal skill.
For Dane, the five skill slots were no longer necessary as his skill tree was taking root. As Kitsune finally reached the lower floors , the female player was already awake. As Kitsune's tail was holding Bai Xifeng firmly , she saw the massive monster, but her attention was focused on Netherborn and her teammate lying on the floor a few feet away. The massive creature looked like it was resting after consuming a month's worth of food from Dane.
Bai Xifeng was confused and, at the same time, scared seeing her brother and teammate wounded. When the Netherbore asked Kitsune to bring the player near him, she thought she was about to die. Danre told the female player he would save her teammate, but they needed to repay his kindness.
Bai Xifeng was about to say something, but Netherborn cast a tier 3 healing spell on her teammate. He explained that the huge creature resting was an ancient being that requested his help. Her team must simply protect it until he returns after two days.
Jin Xifeng, the leader of the Velvet Knight Guild, was the first one to regain consciousness and heard what the Netherborn requested. Given the vast amount of power it was emitting, he would rather not take any chances and agreed to protect the ancient being. With a nod of approval, Jin Xifeng rallied the rest of the team that was healed. and helped them n their feet and explained what just happened some were able to grasp the situation and agreed to the request, they were all aware the being in font of them was the being that killed a dragonoid.
many players that entered the tower never felt anything like this in the past. they all knew beings with vast power tends to unconsciously or naturally emit their mana , most players felt chill facing of with strong Arche mages like the crimson and Azure mage serving the merchant kingdom kingdom of Solnara Cererindu.
Bai Xifeng, Jin Xifeng, and the remaining nine guild members were all grateful that the Netherborn helped them. Jin walked toward his sister and hug her tightly and was glad he was still alive and well, Jin asked his remaining teammate forgiveness in taking such a huge risk,
and he bowed down to the Netherborn and thank him, seeing it was an opportunity of a lifetime; serving him might change their destiny. The team knew that aligning themselves with the Netherborn could lead to great rewards and opportunities. They were ready to pledge their honor and protect the ancient being at all costs.
Dane just nodded and walked out of the chamber as Kitsune followed. The return to the castle administrative office on the second floor, and when out of the veranda, the moon was shining brightly in the night sky, casting an ethereal glow over the gorge. Soon he jumps off the veranda and plunges down into the thick fog.