- 1 year later -

Sorin had worked off and on when he felt he needed to act on behalf of the Aegis family. He was released and allowed to act as an agent as he deemed necessary, he didn't have to worry about conflicting commands or politics.

He would destroy enemy units as he found them and left them in the most horrific states to the point he had not only gained a legend as a monster, but a bounty by the Pallas faction for any information about what has been destroying their units.

Sorin was never seen by anyone who lived long enough to tell about it, but now he was done with the fighting as Euryale and her family had been closing in on the enemy's capital and should be forcing a surrender any day now which would allow her to keep her word to him, but he wanted to be ready. His power had grown even more in the rich environment of Ithaca. He had achieved Tier 14 and was working on an idea he had that he pulled from around the time of the second world war. The Nazis had been working on the weaponization of sound.

Sorin had found himself a nice little clearing far out into some forest adjacent to the Euryale's ancestral palace and was snapping his fingers over and over again while he watched what the energy generated did and why snapping made sound to begin with.

He saw a few things which actually amused him. He saw his skin stretch as the friction of his fingers tried to hold and grew more when he pressed harder. Then the elastic energy from the muscles and skin continue to build up potential energy until it overwhelms the hold of friction and it generates heat and sound which creates an omnidirectional wave of a different energy that his ears take in, becoming a different energy that our brain can interpret and recognize.

Sorin kept snapping and had but small instances to adjust the sound before it was out of his range as it moved more than 700mph. He would tighten the wave and the frequency which would increase the pitch to a high pitch ringing and then he could lower it into a tone that was deeper than the bloop they found under water a while back.

There was no sound particle, rather it was just vibration of the air molecule which Sorin had access to. He could already weaponize air and he had figured that out a while ago. Then he manipulated a single air molecule until it was humming with so much power he could hear that single molecule creating a humming for a small distance with enough power it was causing others to hum around it.

Sorin stopped and spread out his senses until he located what this planet had for a rodent. He watched the motes around it and from a distance, he expended a lot of energy all around in the lowered the wavelength so that it was beyond low into the infrasound range and ramped up the power.

The rodent felt something, but before it could move it began to throw up and it released its bowels. It fell down and began bleeding from every orifice then died.

*bleep*

*bleep*

*bleep*

*bleep*

Sorin smiled and pulled up the notifications.

Congratulations!

You have learned the skill: Sonic manipulation(a) - using aether in its different forms and frequencies, you can harm or heal allowing atoms and cells to gather or shed energy. Vibrations also cause heat which provide synergy to fire abilities.

Congratulations!

Your path has changed from Elementalist to Athereal Sovereign.

You have become an Aether King. Those of lesser tier than you cannot operate their skills within your presence (20 feet) without your permission. Your knowledge can guide those who gain your favor to greater power.

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You have obtained the skill: Sovereign Domain(p) - unless you allow it, no user of lesser tier may operate their path within 20 feet of your position. Skills already activated can breach this exclusion zone, but at a diminished rate.

Skill: Storm sense has been upgraded to: Aetheric sense(p)(a)- sense aether clearly around you with the ability to look closer or further at a target depending on aether expenditure. Adjusting the view of your aether sense shifts skill from passive (p) to active (a). Nothing hides from your sight.

Congratulations!

Due to your mastery in all major forms of aether and frequencies in which they operate your skills have been combined. Spirit Artificer has been also consumed in the process to create new skill.

Skill obtained: Aetheric Master(a) - Aether moves according to your while. Aether moves around you. If you can imagine it, you can do it provided you can bridge the right gaps to conform to Heaven's law.

Skill: Ignition has been consumed in new upgraded skill: Aether manipulation (a) - You can manipulate all aether in your immediate vicinity that you are aware of. NAFs of those beneath your tier are subject to your rule.

Skills Absorption, Aether Revival, and aether conversion have been combined to create skill: Aether Wellspring(p)(a) - Aether heads your presence. It swirls around you and will rejuvenate you in a passive state. Sleep, food, water, and air are no longer required for survival as you feast on aether alone. You may activate skill for greater absorption of aether and healing which are linear in their scaling.

Sorin smiled huge at the advance of everything and quickly pulled up his HUD.

Name: Sorin Ekart

Path: Aethereal Sovereign

AP: 39022000/39472000

Body: 18250/20000(T12)

Mind: 25025/30000 (T15)

Spirit: 24850/25000 (T14)

Abilities:

1. Aetheric Sense(p)/(a) - sense aether clearly around you with the ability to look closer or further at a target depending on aether expenditure. Adjusting the view of your aether sense shifts skill from passive (p) to active (a). Nothing hides from your sight.

2. Aether manipulation (a) - You can manipulate all aether in your immediate vicinity that you are aware of. NAFs of those beneath your tier are subject to your rule.

3. Aether Wellspring(p)(a) - all aether heeds your presence. It swirls around you and will rejuvenate you in a passive state. Sleep, food, water, and air are no longer required for survival as you feast on aether alone. You may activate skill for greater absorption of aether and healing which are linear in their scaling.

4. Aether Reaver(a) - Forcefully rip Aether from another being and add it to your own. Caution: someone of a much higher tier may be able use this to destroy your own channels and core.

5. Aetheric Master(a) - Aether moves according to your while. Aether moves around you. If you can imagine it, you can do it provided you can bridge the right gaps to conform to Heaven's law.

Sorin rose excited for something now that he had numerically enough aether to do it. He had wanted this for years.

Speeding his Aether Wellspring skill he reached within himself to build his electrical field. Sensing multiple rodents not far from him he reached out and pushed his field to destabilization until...

*Boom!*

Blue lighting forked out from his palm and he watched through his sense when it slammed into the first rodent and jumped from each one to each one in a brief moment causing them each to explode in a rain of blood and viscera.

*bleep!*

Sorin was giddy with excitement.

Congratulations!

You have learned the skill: Chain lightning(a) - using aether to build up your natural electromagnetic field enough that you can noww direct it into a easily directed bolt of lighting. Caution! Extreme Aether required! If aether cannot be provided, it will be taken from the body.

Sorin checked his aether levels and was still stunned, but not really suprised.

AP: 1251883/39472000

That attack took nearly all he had in a moment, but it was so worth it. He had the legendary chain lightning skill and he intended to use it.