Chapter 54: Dominion

Trint looked at the map and used his authority to distinguish humans from those who hadn’t chosen to side with him yet.

There was a large contingent of people riding beasts towards his city.

“Is that an army?” Trint asked.

“Well based on their weapons and armor they look ready for battle. But we shouldn’t make assumptions yet. I do recommend we establish walls and some defenses.”

“Good idea. They are still at least a few hours away based on their speed. Let’s finish here and meet them outside the city.”

As the final changes finished on the new building, all the citizens in the city were given messages with directions to their new houses with instructions on how to change their accommodations. No one was stuck where they were forever but they were placed based on the overall plan for unified efficiency. The farmers were near the fields but not too far from the markets, soldiers were in barracks but their families were housed close by.

Instructions for choosing classes would come in the next couple days but for now getting used to the modern conveniences of air conditioning, plumbing, and other previously unknown conveniences would take some adjustment.

For the population from the city that did not choose to accept the offer of loyalty, they had just seen a display of power like no other and many had been accepting as the day went by.

But the few that didn’t were given another offer. They were given the freedom to stay as they were as long as they signed a non-aggression agreement. There would be no tolerance for violence toward others in Joppa for anyone.

It took most of the night for people to get settled in their housing. They were all tourists in this new metropolis and many wandered the streets, admiring the glass, steel, stone and cement structures. They were more durable and also built with beauty in mind. Pneuma’s controls even allowed for plants to be grown using the Spirit. Trees and gardens were placed throughout the city and a harvest was nearly ready from the crops. It seemed with enough Spirit nearly anything could be built, created, or encouraged to flourish. Once the people learned to harness it they would be a powerful society.

Trint and Pneuma found themselves standing alone a quarter mile away from teh new city wall and gates. The approaching army was now insight. They had been spread out as they traveled.

According to Trint’s territory management controls he knew the exact number of people approaching him. There were close to one hundred thousand. Trint also knew they were part of a war lord’s collection of tribes. According to Erica they were well known for banditry and had conflicts with their city and the war lords of Joppa.

“I’m sure they saw the pillar of light from the pyramid and then they got the system messages,” Pneuma considered. “Clearly they didn’t accept the offer but it is possible to resolve this without fighting. But maybe you are in the mood for a fight?”

As the approaching army neared Trint projected his voice.

“Welcome to the new Joppa. You are welcome but before you enter you must agree to not harm any citizens.”

All of the riders looked toward the center of the formation. After signals were passed throughout the group a rider on an elephant-sized beast appeared out of the mass of riders and took the lead. The whole contingent slowed down to allow the rider to gain some distance out front. Raising a fist the leader called a halt to the army. He rode alone toward Trint and Pneuma.

The leader was a giant of a creature. He jumped from his mount and stood 8 feet tall. His bulking form and armor spoke to his experience in battle. Under his armor was a brown fur and he had the head of a boar. Tusks two tusks sticking out on each side of his mouth with one broken and jagged but the others were capped with gold.

“I see from your identification that you are the Sovereign who sent us an offer of allegiance,” The boar had a gravely growl to his voice. He chuckled as he attempted to mock them, “You don’t seem that impressive, but the city behind you does. Tell me how you did it and I might spare your lives.”

Trint and Pneuma looked at each other and laughed.

“Stop that,” the boar growled and took a fighting stance, unsheathing his large ax from his back.

“Well, it’s just that you come with an army but you have no idea what you are up against. You insult us and I’m sure you typically can intimidate others based on your level and size, but you don’t understand what I am.”

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Trint increased his size from his nearly seven feet height to a towering 20 feet. As he grew the boar took a step then another back. Subconsciously he lowered his axe and his jaw dropped. He seemed to become aware of response and gathered his ax back into both hands and charged towards Trint. Pneuma stepped back allowing Trint some fun. Arrows flew and bounced harmlessly off Trint.

The boar leader was fast but to Trint he moved in slow motion. He took a spin, winding up his ax around his body and slammed it towards Trint’s tree trunk left leg. The axe sank an inch in and stuck. Trint allowed the ax to hit and he then extended his spirit out over the head of the axe and absorbed it into his leg and out of the grip of the boar.

Reaching down he picked him up like a doll throwing a tantrum.

“Do you still wish to oppose my rule?” Trint’s voice now magnified and booming blasted the boar and his troops. The arrows had stopped and all the forces who had begun to flank him stopped.

Seeing their leader in the grip of this giant some of them dismounted and ran to attack but just as many bowed in their saddles or got on the ground and sank to bows or kneeled. Trint even noticed some accepted the previously offered contracts, transitioning to human form.

The boar in Trint’s hand stopped his struggle as the pressure increased to nearly crush his bones. “Stop,” the boar wheezed, “I submit, spare me and my people.”

Trint won the conflict with his display and they all to the last person accepted the new Sovereign. They were all given new accommodations and housing in the city.

The next day messages were sent out to start everyone with cultivation training. For all ages, they were all instructed on how to begin strengthening their connection to Spirit. Meditation was now a recommended daily activity. Trint didn’t want to dictate everything the people of Joppa did but getting stronger was key to his plans, and getting them trained in Spirit was one of the highest priorities.

Despite having gained a tremendous level of confidence, willpower and strength, Trint had not lost his singleminded drive to reach his family. Everything he and Pneuma planned was dual purposed, to benefit the people of the Subsystem, but also to help Trint gain the power and support to safely return to the System and find his family.

With the addition of 10% of any Exp gained by his people in the Subsystem, Trint knew levels were now going to start flooding him. His only limitation might be learning to grow as a fighter. If he allowed some or all of his people to enter instances then he would be getting 20% of any Exp gains while they fought.

Transforming Joppa was only the first step in his plans. Trint and Pneuma spent the next several days assisting Erica with organizing the new unified population of Joppa. They worked out Erica’s role and showed her how to navigate the City Lord system controls. With the duties of managing the new metropolis delegated, Trint and a small contingent of guards and support prepared to travel using the temple transportation.

All together, Trint allowed ten guards and four support staff. They were formerly assistants to Erica and would help in the transition of City Lord. If necessary one of them would take the Profession and Class Erica had and run the affairs of the new city. That was their purpose for joining the small group.

Pneuma, had become comfortable in splitting his physical forms and at most used about 30 different bodies. That allowed him to assist with training the military and police forces in learning the beginning steps of cultivation. As the trip to leave arrived, Pneuma consolidated all his forms to the one next to Trint and then combined himself with Trint. They didn’t want to run into any potential issues during the transfer.

The form of Pneuma liquified and surrounded Trint, raising him into a larger and more regal form. It was a combination of his first Alpha form and his Sovereign golden and black armor. Pneuma took it upon himself to also form a cape and enhance the crown to raise a little higher off Trint’s head. Then add details to enhance the grandness of Trint’s form. There was a sword on his hip now and the chest armor appeared inscribed with symbols from the temple and Trint’s family symbol.

“We will be traveling to the other Temples on this world and claiming the territories. We have decided to take command of all of them ending with Atlas Citadel,” Trint shared his plans with the group before leaving.

The group gathered around him and he initiated the controls they had previously explored. The transport to the next temple was instantaneous and painless. There was no noise or delay in their perception. It was if they blinked and were now in standing on a hillside.

Looking around they saw that they were at the top of a stone structure looking over a fertile valley and behind them was a shallow riverbed. Beyond the river was a struggling forest. They trees near the river were taller and thicker but as they spread further away they were more spread out and many looked dead.

The stone below them was old but intact. The temple stone spread over the hill and there were passages that led underground. Trint didn’t sense anyone in the temple complex but he saw many working in the valley below. They seemed to be farming some crops and beyond the valley he would see some small buildings.

“Maybe this temple is not near a large population?” Trint voiced his thoughts.

“I sense a large population in the distance,” Pneuma said as he separated into his own form again.

Trint had already received the System messages and options to take control of the temple and territory.

“Alright, I don’t wish to waste more time here than necessary,” Trint said as he claimed the territory for himself.

As his first order of business he had Pneuma send the system messages to the territory population.

As that was happening, Trint began reshaping this temple. He began building the temple structure up and over them to form a tower that rose towards the sky. He pushed the tower wide enough to cover the entire temple grounds. The entire hill seemed to rise and the tower rose hundreds of feet in the air.

Trint didn’t see any reason to not make a statement and so he didn’t stop the tower construction till he had made a sky scraper. There would be housing and room for thousands of people. He added elevators and all the modern conveniences he was accustomed to.

The most striking additions were the shining glow the tower gave off and the shining pyramid at the top. Trint created protections for the transportation room and directed everyone with him to the elevators.

Everyone got in and Trint pushed teh button for 164th floor before he and Pneuma stepped out.

“I’ll meet you at the top in just a moment. There’s something I need to try.”

Trint walked through the temple to the new outside steps leading to the valley. Once outside he looked up.