In the end, it was impossible to let anger guide me. I’d been pulled into a game I didn’t want to play, but there was nothing I could change. Not now that the pieces had been placed on the board and the first moves made.

  Sure, I was angry at myself for blindly trusting the Rulers, at the Rulers for attacking the Caldera, and at how easily the Council convinced everyone in the Grand Camp that the Caldera were the first to strike, but it was not like sulking helped anyone. Neither would punishing my friends or Soulkins with my sour mood and snarky remarks.

  They didn’t deserve to be mistreated just because I was in a bad mood.

  Yet despite all of that, it took me another week of constant training, refining, and daily chats with Aureus that lasted hours at times to regain my senses. The Ruler of Fire’s visit was still on my mind; his ability to tear my World open to inspect it was imprinted in the depths of my brain, but I had to move on.

  That, however, did not mean I had to talk to the Instructors and all those other idiots who had nothing better to do than talk about the war with the Outsiders, and, of course, how unfortunate mankind was to encounter only Outsiders with malicious intents. I tried attending a combat class once, hoping to blow off some steam, but nearly ended up giving in to Nox’s bloodlust instead.

  Knowing the truth about the events that happened in the Elemental Spires when everyone else knew only half-truths was complicated. Yet even if cadets like Wesley and others were to know the truth, they would justify the Rulers. Daniel was on my side. I knew he’d always be there for me, but my best friend was only this angry because of me. He liked the Caldera too, but I knew deep down that Daniel could understand the Rulers’ desire to advance to the next Rank.

  As long as the Rulers did so to protect mankind, which was clearly not the case. War with several sentient races wouldn’t help anyone, and Daniel understood that too.

  Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between right and wrong. There are no black-and-white decisions. The Rulers did not attack the Caldera directly. However, they ambushed them, betrayed their trust, and attacked the Elemental Phoenix. But you do have to keep in mind that no Caldera was killed until they joined the battle on their own accord. Even if the Rulers had the means to eliminate them all, they only struck those attacking them.

  Aureus reminded me, and, as always, he was right.

  Each of the Rulers had been strong enough to annihilate the Caldera delegation of the Elemental Spires. Maybe the Spiritcaller and a few powerhouses would have survived, but the casualties would have been much greater.

  Disliking the Ruler of Fire and all those responsible for the wars is justified, but I hope you do not nurture that hatred. Do not let it fester or become the fuel that drives you to power, or it will consume you. Bear in mind that kindness exists even in the darkest places. That not every Ruler has to be evil just because you were the victim of one’s selfishness. Look at the good of the world, nurture it, and help those who need help, just like you always wanted to.

  Sometimes I felt like hating my bond with Aureus. It was too firm to keep him out of my subconscious even if I tried to, which I didn’t. He knew what I was thinking, skimmed through my memories as he pleased, and hurled his wisdom at me.

  Stopping a war with multiple races was not something I could do. I mean, I could try, but I’d die without achieving anything in the first five minutes. That led me back to the same old issue: power.

  I had the potential, but it would take time and resources to realize it. Furthermore, I couldn’t stop any wars alone. Diplomatics were not my forte; I did not have any connections with households holding some power over the Bastions, and I had no idea who was on my side and who wasn’t. Approaching anyone with some sort of power with any kind of plan to hold Raffael Torch and all those responsible for the wars accountable was dangerous. They’d probably rat me out if they didn’t believe in me and my plan.

  Hence, I needed allies. People I trusted with my heart. Friends who would do everything needed to ensure mankind survived.

  Once again, all strings led to Daniel. He’d help me beat the Rulers, endangering the Bastions with their selfish actions, as long as he had the power. And that I could offer.

  I can help Daniel, I told myself, eyes fixed on the onyx ring. It was a spatial ring and contained most, if not all, of Ruler Kazriel’s belongings.

  The Ruler had been old. How old, I wasn’t sure about, but he’d been old enough to leave behind a few valuable items. Treasures I could use to grow stronger.

  “The least he can do in death is help us grow. Fix the chaos he’s caused.” I justified my actions while putting the onyx ring on, accessing it.

  An independent space appeared in my mind as the connection formed, but it faltered momentarily. I hurriedly added more ether and kept it fed until the connection had been established. By then, it was clear that the connection to the onyx ring was much more intimate than I was used to. The onyx ring was still strange to me but it was like it truly belonged to me. As if only I could access it.

  The half-molten storage belt, on the other hand, could be accessed by everyone. It was not nearly as secure. Nor was it as large.

  Accessing the spatial ring showed an independent space that stretched farther than my senses could perceive.

  The engravings on the onyx ring were far beyond my comprehension. That much had been painfully obvious, but it was hard to grasp just how little I truly understood. And, as it turned out, my understanding was not the only thing lacking. The onyx ring required too much willpower to maintain. I didn’t have the capacity to keep it open.

  Pressure built in my head as I roamed the spatial realm while it continued to expand, displaying just how much of a masterpiece the spatial ring was. It was worthy of a Ruler, and now it was mine. The ring was probably worth millions of Camp Coins, and that didn’t even include the treasures it contained.

  Ignoring the details of how and why, I continued to inspect the spatial ring. There was an armory filled with all kinds of weapons and armor. Beside it towered what looked like a five-story-tall Beaster Shop, filled to the brim with kibble, serums, and many more things I couldn’t name. They were clearly valuable, but I’d have to ask Daniel to tell me what they were. Then there was a warehouse with beast parts and much more, including a massive library that covered a quarter of the spatial ring’s space… and a mountain of jerky in the far corner.

  The jerky made me forget about all the techniques, Arts, and history hidden in the Ruler’s inheritance, and my attention shifted to a pristine white emblem levitating in the space’s epicenter–too high for me to sense when I first inspected it.

  Eyes narrowed, I retrieved the object from the spatial ring and severed my connection to the space. The drums ringing in my head ceased, and the pressure faded slowly. That didn’t leave me any less stunned by the emblem before me.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  It resembled a sphere engraved with intricate lines, depicting landscapes from a bird’s-eye view with great detail. Drawn to the pristine drawing, I almost missed the wings unfurling at the sphere’s back. They spread far and wide and released a pulse of life as they did so. Ether poured into the surroundings as the wings fluttered.

  My eyes bulged as the object’s ether grazed me, and my World resonated with it, confirming my initial suspicion.

  “A World Aspect,” I gasped, flabbergasted yet hopeful.

  Maybe Ruler Kazriel had already prepared the World Aspect Daniel needed, knowing I would do everything in my power to win the Katrak. Unfortunately, that was not the case. My hope was crushed.

  Ruler Kazriel did have a World Aspect among many other things. The World Aspect reached out to the surroundings–to my World–ready to merge and expand together, and my inner World reciprocated with eagerness. Both were ready to fuse, but I prevented them.

  A primal instinct, no more than a trace of knowledge, poured out of my inner World and informed me of the Aspect’s properties. It was a World Growth Aspect rather than Species Expansion, which was what we–Daniel–needed.

  World Growth would be useful for me. If it had been two weeks ago, I’d be overjoyed with the World Aspect and bind it. Now, however, my World had expanded greatly–courtesy of the disaster with the Katrak.

  Phoenix flames had nourished my World greatly. In a way, the Elemental Phoenix had bribed my World in a moment of despair, circumventing several troublesome steps in the bonding process to bind itself to my World. It didn’t have to ask for my permission and completed the bond instantaneously.

  That was the easiest way to look at it. The Phoenix’s death–its decision to self-destruct, to be precise–released an immense amount of energy resembling soul energy into the underground expanse. Parts of that energy forced their way into me and into my World’s core, expanding it forcefully and cracking it just enough to allow entry. Most of the Phoenix’s energy was used to repair the damage it had caused, while the rest served as a bribe, leaving merely a trace of the Elemental Phoenix’s existence. Even that trace vanished in the sacred flame to absorb energy anew and rise again.

  That was the explanation Aureus and I had come up with during last week’s chats. Maybe our conclusion wasn’t perfectly accurate, but it should be close enough. Anyway, we decided that we didn’t hate it.

  Aureus was a little jealous of the Elemental Phoenix and its potential, but our talks helped him regain confidence. He was close to a breakthrough with the Earthen Aspect, and I could only hope it would change Aureus’s future potential in the way we suspected.

  And honestly, as long as nobody found out about the Elemental Phoenix, binding it to my World was the best thing that could have happened. A major affinity, a World triple the size it used to be, and enough Gates to temper my body enough to surpass even the greatest Rulers were rewards hard to come by. The danger that came with the opportunity was only fair, even if I disliked it.

  My only problem was that chaotic mess of a physique. My Gates were still leaky, and the issue would only worsen. I could not yet tell whether the Gates resembling a candle’s wick would turn into blazing flames that would leak into my weave or if they’d become my first stable Gates. Hoping for the best was the right call, as long as I expected the worst–which I did.

  Accounting for the worst-case scenario, I used Soulfusion with Aureus, stored the World Growth Aspect, and retrieved a small strip of jerky from Kazriel’s massive stockpile. As long as I wasn’t mistaken, Soulfusion and the jerky would ease all worries for a long time.

  Holding the jerky between two fingers, I felt its power. The jerky was like a pool of solidified ether compressed with nutrients. It was so intense and radiated so strongly that my fingertips went numb.

  “That… should be more than enough.” I nodded to myself, thinking about the processes beef has to go through to retain all its ether and nutrients. There was always some loss. Perfect processing was impossible, yet here I was holding a piece of jerky smaller than my hand, and it terrified me – overwhelmed my senses just from holding it.

  There was no need to risk my life for food. I nibbled on the jerky and felt like Daniel’s Thunderhorn Bull electrocuted me. A tidal wave of ether rushed through my body, trickled down my throat like honey, accompanying a heavenly taste. My tastebuds were in ecstasy, which traveled down my throat to spread throughout my whole body, carrying enough ether and nutrients to fill both core and weave within minutes.

  Those few minutes were intense. I broke into a cold sweat; Soulfusion strained to its very limits from no more than one-fourth of a small jerky. I had to dismiss the Soulfusion and rest my bond with Aureus before I could try it again, for I did not want a piece of jerky to tear my bond apart.

  As terrifying as the jerky was, it was promising. Better than I could have wished for.

  Is that jerky from an Overlord? Maybe Monarch beef even? I was not quite sure about the Monarch part, but it might as well be. Kazriel was old enough to have slain a Monarch the size of a flying ship. Regardless of where the jerky came from, it was perfect.

  Going through the treasures in the spatial ring would take a while, but if that was what it took to help Daniel, so be it.

  ***

  “We can sell the World Aspect for a good coin. I also have 13 Tokens I’ve yet to use. Maybe that, alongside a few high-grade weapons and serums, will be enough to match the Species Expansion Aspect.” I pitched my idea to Daniel when he returned from Advanced Combat, but he didn’t want to hear it.

  “Adam, I don’t want to be mean, but… are you stupid? Did you fall on your head when I wasn’t looking or something?!” Daniel asked, looking genuinely worried for a moment. He sighed deeply. “A World Growth Aspect is exactly what you need. You might need it more than I need the Species Expansion Aspect. Selling it for my sake would not only be wasteful – it’d mean I am an asshole. There’s no way I’m taking away such a great opportunity for you!”

  I didn’t see it that way and jumped up from the edge of my bed, glaring back at Daniel. Why couldn’t he accept my offer? After everything he and his parents had done to help me, returning the favor with a small sacrifice was the least I could do.

  “I think you don’t understand how much of an advantage a World Aspect is. If you integrate it properly, you can easily triple your World’s size by the end of the month.”

  If I didn’t misinterpret my World’s resonance with that Aspect, it would more than triple in size.

  “I have more than enough spare room right now.” I waved dismissively, but it felt like I was talking to a wall.

  Why was it so difficult to help Daniel? His World was large enough to accommodate a Peak Guardian beast after years of refinement. The only thing holding him back was his restriction. A fusion of species and elemental restriction was rough. It slowed him tremendously, and it would keep him at the Expert Rank if his Soulkins, Coco and Filps, failed to evolve.

  “Just think about it.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I need the World Aspect as much as you. My focus is currently on Aureus and Nox’s growth. That might require some Camp Coins and maybe a few Tokens if you really don’t want them.”

  Growing my World would happen naturally since I would never stop refining it. If anything, I was going to spend more time training, pushing myself even more than before – even though the Earthheart and Ferronox Mantis were about to hit a plateau. They no longer required a massive amount of soul energy, which made expanding my World a lot safer than it used to be.

  It was no longer a desperate race against time, as soul energy would only be needed for Nox and Aureus as they evolved. Or to feed the sacred flame – the Elemental Phoenix. That, however, was something I could control. At least, for now, I could precisely control the amount of soul energy supplied to my third Soulkin.

  “Maybe I will study the sacred flame a little and get used to the Major Fire Aspect, but that won’t cost anything either.”

  Daniel was still shaking his head, but doubt had crept into his eyes.

  “Think it through and tell me your decision. I will respect your choice no matter how foolish it is.” I snickered when he looked up at the last bit.

  “Fuck you, dude.” He grumbled, but there was no edge in his voice.

  My smile widened.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but I like women.”

  Daniel’s disappointed groan and curses rang through the room, only to be dwarfed by the hollering laughter coming out of my mouth.