Over the past few days I had come to know the faces and names of almost everyone in Ascentown. It was an act of contrition for myself as I felt I had let them down by keeping my distance while remaining a figurehead. By making myself appear more human to the people, it was my hope that they would more easily reach the level of strength required to survive in this new world.
My eyes lingered on a few faces. A man named Sebastian who was extremely excited about his Aspect of Gardens and the ability to make the Outpost picturesque. Next to him, his wife Sophie, who designed clothes and was hoping to figure out how to enchant the items involved. Within every face was an expression, hidden under the placid mask of control. Everyone was terrified, angry or desperate to be freed.
Every member of The Ascent was here, including Tom and his mages. The only one spared was Harry, out with the other Fledglings. My eyes found Luke and a bubble of molten rage threatened to burn through my throat. His disappearance now made more sense, as I looked at the somewhat gaunt skin he bore. I knew how strong each of them were, maybe better than themselves in some cases. Even they could do nothing to save themselves.
I needed to do it for them.
“I’ve read the contract,” I growled. I was being led by the nose, and there was nothing I could do but accept. I could still get answers. While I would sign on the dotted line, it felt too… easy. Despite my better judgement, I asked the question plaguing me. “Why would you want this? Why not fight?”
I wasn’t sure of the creature’s combat capabilities, or how its skills worked, but I doubted anyone but me stood a chance against it. Even that would be a ridiculous feat of strength, though the dragon within knew it would be a certain victory for us. Clawing past unbeatable odds was becoming a fairly common occurrence. One that Steel Sovereign apparently feared.
“Because I might lose. There is an infinitesimal chance that you could defeat me and from what I’ve seen, that would be a risk not worth taking against the Grant Kaeron.” It said my name like a noun. I was struck by how very bizarre my life had become, but couldn’t dwell on it. “The System keeps me in the area until our situation is resolved. I would like to be free, and I suspect you would like the same. I truly wish no harm on you or your people, just room to grow on this planet which is now my home.”
I struggled to find an argument which would somehow free both myself and the captured Ascentown natives. Except Steel Sovereign was right. I had no way out of this without doing as it was offering. I also knew that I didn’t even really have a reason to refuse other than its methods. If I was being fair, it was probably a nicer deal that I would have given. Its compatriot claimants received no such offer.
So why did it feel like losing when I said yes? The connection which had attempted to form became solid. I immediately slammed the bond shut and placed up a fierce mental barrier. In the moment our souls had bonded, the monster had reached towards mine. I glared at my new familiar as gasps of breath, screams of relief and lots of anger rose from the crowd at once. Steel Sovereign simply smiled before pointing. It said “I’ll be waiting at my home. Come and visit. We are allies now. There are things I would share.”
The metallic creature shifted, its body compressing until it was nearly two dimensional. Then it sliced away, disappearing with a frightening quickness. Without my own Dao trying to overwhelm the creature, I didn’t receive the magical whiplash as the being of metal activated a skill. The air felt sharp even after it had vanished from sight completely.
The crowd had variously walked away, ran or slumped in place once released from the clutches of the metal monster. My familiar, I cringed. I didn’t stop them, didn't have the words to say to make anything better. The best I could do for these people is slink away, which I did. I waved Julianna off as she tried to talk to me and hoped she would understand but didn’t stop until I found a bed in Home Base to curl up into. To say the mood between us had been interrupted would be the biggest understatement possible, so I just shook my head and left.
The blinking System prompts felt like a stupid joke. I had technically completed the quest I received upon leaving the dungeon, but the success felt hollow for obvious reasons. I couldn’t even bring myself to open the quest completion prompt and instead managed to find a fitful sleep. Stress was more exhausting than anything else, these days.
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My dreams were haunted that night. Most nights that I slept came with one or two vivid and uncomfortable nightmares about failing my family, dying to the jaws of a vicious beast or, very occasionally, a test I hadn’t prepared for. Those dreams didn’t trouble me because I knew that my explosively powerful mind was capable of creating equally potent dreamscapes.
The nightmare after Steel Soverign’s unwelcome visit to Ascentown was not the casual unjumbling my subconscious usually does. I tumbled through a world of violent metal. The trees, the ground, the buildings and people were all made of steel. Except for me, the world had been covered in chrome. Even the sun was a gigantic lightbulb! As the only mortal, I was beset by attacks from all angles. The world itself morphed and stabbed towards me as I sprinted through the silver-grey cities in search of some way to make things better.
Whenever I stopped, the voice of Steel Sovereign screamed in laughter. The very universe was bent against me, wailing like a banshee. Eventually, I remembered that I was strong, and I started to rip the metal away from the flowers and trees. Hand after hand of grasping, wrenching force, I scoured the entire globe. When I was finished, the world was silent and barren but signs of life could be seen. Plants pushed through the now open ground. I replaced the lightbulb in the sky with a sun formed of my own power, blasted into the sky from my outstretched hand.
When I was done, I held a weight of metal greater than the planet upon which I stood, but I shouldered it for them. The humans who began to poke their heads out of bunkers and hiding places. The ones who had waited for protection. I would do it for them, and I could hold up the sky a dozen times over if need be. The nightmare ended with the sound of my elbow shattering and the weight tumbling.
Ominous, I told myself as I awoke. It at least made me more sure of my decision. I needed to say something. As with any dream, it soon faded to an obscure memory at best. While my high Mental attribute meant I could hold onto the imagery if I focused, I didn’t. A dream was just a dream.
That day, looking at the general distrust and fear on the faces of the denizens of Ascentown, I was shaken. One extremely tenuous ally gained, but how many were lost? What had I lost? I clenched a fist, striding away from the crowd and the noise that needled my ears. I had no apology for these people that would help them. As I began to walk away, I saw myself clearly. Saw a pattern of repetition, a cycle doomed to only get worse. Something had to change.
By the afternoon, I knew exactly what I wanted to convey to the people of Ascentown. Knowing who could do it best, I told Naea to find the girl who had joined me in exploring the Outpost, Melissa. Together, I tasked them with gathering everyone in the small town together at the training grounds.
It took a while, which was fair, but I knew from experience that trauma was not the same beast now the System had arrived. I was glad to see that most people weren’t considering leaving the Outpost due to what happened because I truly believed this was where they could grow the most. So long as I did my job.
And they did theirs.
“Thank you for coming, everyone.” Never much of a public speaker, I found myself much more comfortable writing the monologue than giving it in the past. After the last few months, the thought of being intimidated by a gathering was truly laughable. I continued, using my natural voice and the acoustics of the space to let my voice carry. “There’s some things I need to say.”
Alone in the middle of the training grounds, I nodded to Naea. She activated the room and used both of our mana pools judiciously to summon an enemy. A replica of the Golem Prince and Firehawk Monarch appeared opposite me. The bird screamed, but these weren’t the monsters the claimants themselves had been. Only as high level as Naea, and without the amplification of Cloudslash Peak, they were pale imitations at best.
It had only been a few days, but I found myself almost missing the simplicity of my mountainous climb. With a sigh, I began. Displaying my strength and magical potential, while impressive, wasn’t the entire point. This wasn’t training. Within two minutes, both of the powerful simulations were demolished. Conserving nothing of my own energy, I gracefully manoeuvred between their attacks and tore them apart without mercy. There were a few claps once my showing was complete, and the less patient members of the crowd thought I was just showing off.
I took a quick, calming breath. “Everyone stay where you are. I can see a few of you looking at me like you’ve got something to say. Well you’re not the only ones. You weren’t captured because of me. You were captured because you were weak.””
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Steel Sovereign returned to its abode and allowed itself to finally relax. A devastating fatigue crashed into it as the magic that was held in debt took its payment. It would not be able to cast spells or manipulate anything more than a thimble for the next few days but it had been worth it. Almost all of its strength had been used in that moment, and it had played its hand to perfection.
Even at a supposedly lower grade of strength, Grant Kaeron had been a terrifying monster. Being a singular existence held massive benefits, and Steel Sovereign considered itself above nearly all other beings… but the rising star the System had set against it was a monster all of its own.
Now Steel Sovereign had attached itself firmly to that impossible potential. Now all it needed to do was guide him in the right direction. Falling into its throne atop the Grade Two resource which had fueled its evolution, it was almost tempted to kick its feet! Finding that it enjoyed the act of talking, the Familiar, spoke happily to itself. “Where you go, I go, Grant Kaeron.”