The dawn light, fragile and gray, did little to dispel the deep exhaustion clinging to Renn. The adrenaline from Ardyn's fall had faded, leaving behind an ache in his bones and a restlessness in his soul. The ghostly warmth of the Reliquary map still tingled in his consciousness, and the memory of those four intertwined voices—ancient, seductive, imperious—was a fresh brand on his mind. "The time has come to summon me…"
He stood in the devastated main courtyard of what was now his Sylvan Bastion, the Banner of Faith planted defiantly amidst the scorched earth and elven corpses. The acrid, metallic tang of blood, the biting smoke, and the cloyingly sweet nausea of exposed living wood formed a grim perfume of victory. Lilith was a breath away, her black wings veined with gold rustling softly, her red eyes, now with those unsettlingly beautiful golden flecks, watching him with an intensity that was both possessive and concerned. Seraphina, a pillar of cold divine light, stood slightly apart, her silver hair catching the weak sun, her gaze distant as if still processing the "purification" she had imparted. Nyra, an elegant shadow, observed him with her knowing violet eyes, while Valka's formidable presence was a silent promise of power, her blue eyes fixed on the distant, mist-shrouded horizon. The remaining Templars secured the perimeter, their movements agile despite their exhaustion.
"My Lord," Lilith's voice, a silken murmur, broke the silence. Her hand, warm and surprisingly gentle, found his arm. "You're troubled. More than just battle fatigue. Was it… the voices again?"
Renn nodded, rubbing his temples where a dull throb had begun. "They were… clear. Four of them, speaking as one. Demanding. And the map…" He didn't need to pull it from his inventory; he could feel its insistent, almost painful heat. "It burned. Not with fire, but with… an energy. It wants something."
Seraphina glided closer, her ethereal robes whispering over the bloodstained ground. "Voices, My Lord? You mentioned this before Ardyn's… final judgment." Her golden eyes held a flicker of something Renn couldn't quite decipher—not fear, but a profound gravity. "What did they say, precisely?"
"'The time has come to summon me,'" Renn repeated, the words feeling foreign on his tongue. "Four distinct tones, yet perfectly harmonized. It felt… ancient. And powerful." He looked at Nyra. "You felt a resonance when Ardyn mentioned the contents of the chest."
Nyra's gaze sharpened. "Indeed, My Lord. The energy signature of the map fragment was… archaic. Deeply intertwined with forces that predate much of what we understand of the Endless World. These voices… they could be the same entities tied to the Reliquary, perhaps even its original guardians, or something far older that the 'Dark Entity' has usurped."
Valka spoke, her voice like the deep, resonant pull of the ocean tide. "The Reliquary stirs, My Lord." Her blue eyes seemed to look through Renn, to something beyond the physical realm. "The currents are agitated. This summons… it is a pivotal moment. The water feels it. There is immense power, but also an equally vast abyss if mishandled."
Renn considered the "Unique Summoning Seal" he had received as a reward. "The System granted me a Unique Summoning Seal after Ardyn's fall. Could it be for this? Not just any summoning, but this specific, demanding one?"
"It is possible, My Lord," Seraphina mused, her gaze analytical. "A 'unique' seal for a unique summons. The timing is too precise to be a coincidence. However, to summon beings of such apparent antiquity and power without understanding their nature or intent… carries an incalculable risk."
Lilith, however, practically vibrated with excitement. "Risk, dear Seraphina, is just another word for fun!" Her wings fluttered, scattering a few nearly invisible motes of black-gold energy. "Imagine the power, My Lord! Four ancient beings, bound to your will! Ardyn's little golem would seem like a child's toy!" Her eyes gleamed with avarice, but beneath it, a genuine desire for Renn to grow stronger.
Before Renn could delve further into the mystery of the summons, a different kind of tremor ran through him: the distinctive chime of his Lord's armband, followed by a resonant, world-spanning voice that seemed to emanate from the very fabric of the Endless World. It wasn't the usual crisp, mental System notification; this was a proclamation.
[World Announcement: Lords of the Endless World! The cycle renews! The conduit to your home worlds demands its tribute. Within one Earth month (30 days), all registered Lords must deliver the stipulated Sustenance Tithe to their designated Faction Nexus. Failure to comply will result in escalating penalties, beginning with resource confiscation, progressing to troop and territory seizure, and culminating in Faction expulsion and loss of protection. Earth cries out for aid; its reconstruction depends on your efforts. Let the resources flow!]
A detailed list of required "real resources" scrolled across Renn's vision, superimposed over the announcement:
Fertile Land: 10 Metric Tons
Potable Water: 5,000 Liters
Basic Crops (Specify Type: Grain/Vegetable): 1,000 Kilograms
Raw Lumber (Specify Type: Hardwood/Softwood): 500 Cubic Meters
The quantities were substantial, especially for a Lord who had just secured his second territory. The "every 6 months" cycle mentioned in the Worldview was clearly in effect, and this first demand was a stark reminder of his obligations.
Renn exhaled slowly. He knew this was coming, part of the fundamental rules of being a Lord from Earth. But seeing it laid out, a concrete demand with a tight deadline and severe penalties, added a new weight to his shoulders. This was no longer just about his power or the Sacred Order; it was about the survival and rebuilding of his home world.
Lilith tilted her head. "Sustenance Tithe? More chores, My Lord?" There was a playful pout in her voice, but her eyes were sharp, gauging his reaction.
"It's the price of power, Lilith," Renn said, his voice somber. "And a duty. Earth needs these resources to recover from the Great Collapse."
Seraphina's expression was one of stern understanding. "A Lord's responsibility extends beyond his immediate domain, My Lord. If this is necessary for your world's restoration, then it is our sacred duty to help you fulfill it. We must assess the resource production capabilities of the Sanctum and this… Bastion."
Nyra nodded thoughtfully. "The Sylvan Bastion, being elven, likely prioritizes wood and perhaps some specialized crops. Fertile land and large quantities of potable water might be more challenging to secure quickly here compared to the Sanctum's initial grounds, which you described as a lush clearing."
Renn's mind raced. The Sylvan Bastion, while a significant strategic gain, was a fortress built in a dense, ancient forest. Though rich in lumber, extensive fertile land for large-scale cultivation or easily accessible pure water sources might be limited without significant development or claiming surrounding resource nodes.
"The Worldview stated that the Endless World is abundant in these basic resources, especially compared to the depleted home worlds," Renn mused aloud. "We'll need to survey the territories we now control. The Bastion itself, and the lands around the Sanctum of Faith."
Valka's gaze, usually fixed on distant horizons, sharpened with concentration. "The waters near the Sanctum are pure, My Lord. And the land there is fertile. We have already established a Sacred Spring that provides Sacred Energy Crystals daily; perhaps its influence extends to other resources."
"This deadline, one month…" Renn frowned. "It's aggressive. We've just finished a major battle. Our forces need rest, the Bastion needs to be properly garrisoned, and its own production lines—if any—assessed." He glanced at the "Pool of Primordial Essence" listed as a reward. "And we need to understand what this Pool of Primordial Essence is. The description said it 'purifies and amplifies magic, strengthening the Sanctum's defenses and empowering arcane rituals.' That could be key, not just for defense, but perhaps even for resource generation or purification."
"Indeed, My Lord," Seraphina agreed. "The Pool could be vital. Its location should be a priority. If it can amplify magic, it might enhance Nyra's or Valka's abilities to locate or even generate the necessary resources, or purify contaminated ones."
The weight of the new "tax" announcement settled upon them. It was a stark reminder that their struggles in the Endless World had a very real, tangible impact on a world far away. It added a layer of mundane, yet critical, urgency to their fantastical existence.
Lilith, ever perceptive of Renn's moods, glided closer again, her wing brushing his arm in a comforting gesture. "Don't you worry your handsome head too much, My Lord. We'll get your dirt and water. We always do. Besides," her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, a glint of excitement returning to her eyes, "this just means more territory to 'explore' and more misbehaving Lords to… 'negotiate' with for their resource-rich lands, right?"
Renn couldn't suppress a small, grim smile. "Perhaps, Lilith. Perhaps." He looked again towards the distant, unseen Sanctum of Faith, then at the broken grandeur of the Sylvan Bastion around him. Two territories, a growing Order of devout and powerful women, and now, two pressing, intertwined objectives: to answer the chilling summons of the four voices, and to gather the lifeblood for a dying Earth.
His gaze fell again on the Unique Summoning Seal in his System interface. The voices had said "summon me"—summon me. This seal wasn't for just any powerful being; it felt intrinsically linked to that demand. The Reliquary, the voices, the seal… they were all part of a larger, unfolding destiny.
"Nyra, Seraphina," Renn said, his voice regaining its command. "Begin a full resource survey of the Bastion and what it would take to make it productive for the Tithe. Valka, I want you to focus your senses. That Pool of Primordial Essence… we need to find it. It could be our solution to many things." He paused, then looked skyward, as if the four voices might speak again. "Lilith… you and I need to understand this Seal. And these voices."
The path ahead was fraught with peril, ancient and new. But as he looked at the unwavering loyalty in the eyes of his Sacred Order, Renn felt not just the burden, but also the unyielding strength that came with it. The Endless World had thrown down another gauntlet. And Renn, Lord of the Sacred, would meet it head-on.