Alexia

As it turns out, Alara managed to get herself Authority Level 1 from the nearby Authority Shards that I didn’t snatch myself. Which is a bit of a surprise considering how I’ve only barely managed to get ten of them.

At least it calmed my worries about those shards, because apparently you can only raise your Authority level once using shards. After that they don’t do anything for you.

So people can’t just go around to every island and collect shards for days before significantly increasing their Authority.

It also makes me less in a rush to get more shards, because I was planning on going to find a few more before returning to the dungeon. But now that isn’t really needed anymore. Unless I just want to stop others from getting Authority in the first place.

Also, from what Alara has said, the messenger from the – as they call themselves – Covenant is already long gone after delivering the message, apparently having been in a rush to deliver it to every budding large civilization they could find. Meanwhile, according to them, their own base consists of about a dozen islands located several day’s travel in flight from here. Probably only four days travel for me with my teleportation.

I sit in on their discussion next to Astrid, not really participating in any way and just listening. But most of what they’re talking about is how they’re gonna deal with the Covenant once they reach the Dimensional Council.

And while I am technically this base’s protector, as an Authority holder myself and since I don’t participate in the base, I’m going to the Dimensional Council separately from them.

If the Dimensional Council is anything like the Planetary Councils were before the Reset, everyone with Authority that is participating should be able to bring a certain number of people with them to act as advisors. So the plan is for Alara to bring a few of the people around this table including Elizabeth, her fiancé who apparently isn’t her fiancé anymore, and Astrid.

When asked why I wasn’t bringing Astrid by my sister herself, Alara answers, “To show that we’re allied with your sister.”

Which is a rather simple explanation. It’s not exactly hard to figure out that she and I are twins just from a single glance after all.

Astrid is also at Tier 2 already, something I find to be pleasantly surprising.

I’ll have to ask her about her requirements at another time.

Must’ve been easy enough to accomplish.

She’s now the highest level person in their base, if you don’t count me of course.

The discussions continue all the way till the timer for the Dimensional Council meeting reaches down to less than a minute remaining. At which point everyone breaks off into individual discussions while they wait.

“Good luck,” Astrid says to me with a nod. One that I quickly return.

This is going to be interesting, one way or another.

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Astrid and I sit in silence for the remaining time before a notification appears in front of everyone.

The Dimensional Council shall now commence. All Authority holders are advised to gather those you wish advising you during this council and mentally designate them as your advisors.

If they are not designated within the next minute, they will not be brought with you to the Council.

After half a minute, I sense Luna approaching before she bursts through the doors of the hall, startling everyone in it as she lands on my shoulder. And I quickly smile, scritch under her chin, and designate her as an advisor despite her inability to speak.

She’s currently back to her original size, having used that Size Manipulation skill of hers. One of the many new skills she’s gotten as I’ve leveled.

Unfortunately she only gets half the number of skills I get. So one new skill every second new skill I get.

The rest of the time passes quickly before a bright purple flash of light envelops everyone who will be participating, following which I find myself sitting on a throne at the very top of a massive room with four different levels separated by short staircases of only a few steps. Probably meant for the Level of Authority each user holds, considering how I’m the only one on the top level. Meanwhile I recognize a bunch of individuals on the level two beneath levels me.

And everyone – including my throne and I – is in a booth with an almost transparent barrier of purple energy around the booths, with each Authority holder’s advisors in their booths as well. Meanwhile the Authority holder themselves are sitting on a chair within the booth, albeit chairs less fancy looking than my own.

Then I surprisingly find two people on the layer directly beneath me, one of whom I recognize with a frown to be the former king of Silvercrest. The kingdom Astrid and I lived in before the Reset.

Guess Elizabeth and William’s father is still alive after all.

And if I had to guess, the other one on the third level is the King of Giants.

After looking around for a few more seconds, another notification appears in my vision.

The Dimensional Council shall now commence.

All users with a Level of Authority have been placed within the Council Chambers for Dimensional Block #108.

You will have one hour to discuss amongst yourselves before the vote will take place. Then the vote will be taken from the Authority holders.

The Dimensional Leader will be reselected once every ten years, and unlike the first vote, they will be selected only once they have a majority of 50% or more of the Authority holders’ votes.

I frown at the notification as a countdown timer appears in the corner of my vision, not believing an hour to be anywhere near enough time to figure out who the representative of our entire Dimensional Block should be.

Looks like the Dimensional Leader is probably gonna end up being the King of Giants after all. Or rather, former King of Giants.

On that note, I look around at the gathered people in the room again, and unsurprisingly, everyone is staring at me with fear rather obvious on their faces. Meanwhile the former King of Giants looks like I’d just kicked his favorite puppy.

If giants have puppies.

Silence fills the room as the people take in the realization that I’m in this Block.

And if I’m being honest, I can’t help but feel that this is rather amusing to watch.