Chapter 55: Single Request

“Pneuma, why haven’t I tried this yet,” Trint grabbed with his Spirit, seizing the potent Subsystem Spirit. He rose above the ground with his connection and the nearly unlimited power at his disposal.

“Who doesn’t want to fly?” Trint asked Pneuma. Pneuma smiled and hopped in the air as well.

“I didn’t imagine us taking to the sky till we were in i3 and reached an appropriate level to grab hold of Soul. I have missed this.”

Trint experimented, flying around in the air. His cape fluttered behind him till he got annoyed by it, and he willed it to stop. The atmosphere and Spirit didn’t need to resist him like ordinary air might. He was a master of his form and his environment. After some experimenting, he looked up at the impressively tall tower.

“Shall we join them?” Trint voiced with excitement.

“After you,”

They flew higher and increased to such speed that they blew past the top very quickly. Well, Trint did. Pneuma having more control and experience, stopped at the top deck and watched Trint have a little more fun before he settled to join their people looking around the 164th floor of the tower. It wasn’t the absolute top, but it was a wide floor with access to the sky on decks that extended slightly beyond the tower’s main structure.

“This is where we will entertain the current leadership of the territory and city. I want you to go with Pneuma to the nearby city. At first, hide your forms to avoid alerting them to your humanity. Then bring the leadership here; I will plan for the new metropolis to expand this territory. Please go; we will only be here a few days.”

Trint and his party spent a week in the tower and repeated much of the same transformation in this territory. Trint had also steadily gained levels from the Joppa territory as the citizens leveled their new classes and professions, and receiving 10% of their experience translated to massive gains. During the last week, Trint also resummoned Iliana. They updated her, and she became part of the planning team and stayed close with Trint and Pneuma.

The conquest of the temples on the planet continued for the next several months. There turned out to be different designations for temples. There were Prime temples which consisted of larger territories and populations, and there were Secondary temples spread all over. Many, once claimed, proved to have few occupants. They claimed four of the five Prime Temples, increasing their citizen population to over ten billion. Leaving the Prime Temple of Atlas for last, they took possession of all other temples that the transportation network connected.

They received updates from Joppa and other captured territories. Not all the people of the Subsystem had joined his Sovereign contract, and there were now conflicts with those not part of his territory and people. So far, none had been strong enough to do much damage to his organizations or his people. His people having access to Spirit proved they were exponentially more powerful than the other Subsystem occupants. Those who initially refused his rule were again offered citizenship but at a lower tier.

Trint wanted all to benefit, but there were consequences for their rebellion. They would get less enticing classes but would soon have opportunities for advancement.

After six months of capturing the territories around the planet, they finally were left with only one left to take over; Atlas Citadel. There had been hundreds of secondary and minor transportation points, and some were captured, and having found no people, they built a few structures for future expansion and exploration.

“Everyone, please take these,” Trint extended his will and formed black plates of pure Spirit in front of his guards and support staff, and they each reached out and grabbed the plate in front of them.

“Place the plate over your chest,” Trint instructed. As they did, the plate expanded and formed a chest piece of armor. It passed through their cloaks for most, and for those with armor on, it created an outer layer over their chest pieces.

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“This is a token of my appreciation and a gesture of protection. If you need protection, simply slam your chest piece with your fist or say, “Battle.”

“While I hope you won’t need to use either of these. There is no guarantee my rule won’t be challenged, and I don’t wish for any of you to be harmed. Now come closer; it’s time.

They appeared in a sizeable Domed room in Atlas Citadel. Trint sensed the entire structure and noticed many people in and around the expansive Citadel. The structure was towering and widespread, and the surrounding city was also heavily populated and more advanced than others. The streets were laid out in a straight grid formation surrounding the Citadel. There were mountains ringing two-thirds of the city, a lake on another third, and then the rest was a stretch of fields followed by forest into the distance. A road traveled out from the city and into the woods.

Trint and Pneuma opened their eyes after sensing the forest. They looked at each other and smiled. They had experimented and knew that traveling in separate forms would not hurt Pneuma. They found that they could be on opposite sides of the planet while in the Subsystem and not have issues. They had yet to reach a limit to their connection.

Their shared smiles turned to face the approaching guards of the Citadel that had been near their teleportation.

“Welcome, Sovereign,” a guard addressed Trint and bowed. “Please, be welcomed to Atlas and the Atlas Citadel. We have been expecting you, and if you would, please follow me. The local council of Lords has been notified of your arrival.

“We will gladly speak with the council,” Trint agreed, “please lead the way.”

The guards from the Citadel led the way as a contingent fell into place behind them, coming from other entrances. They were now surrounded by an escort of nearly one hundred guards.

“Just to be clear,” Trint interrupted the march, “Do not attempt to threaten or harm my people or me, and it will not end well for you or the council.”

“If you will please continue this way,” the guard maintained a professional appearance, but Trint noticed a tightened jaw and not-so-diplomatic dismissal of his demand.

They were brought to what Trint assumed was this world’s version of a stadium or coliseum. The procession went through a corridor and came out on the sand of a vast arena after a few more passageways. The guards continued their march till they faced an ornately decorated and lavish section.

“This must be the council,” Trint sighed.

The guards surrounding them stopped their march but then took a dozen steps away from their escorts. They now formed a large square around Trint’s entourage. They all had weapons, but none had been aggressively directed at his people. A half-goat, half-man stood to address them, and he was dressed in armor and had a fine cloak over his shoulders.

“Welcome, Sovereign Trint, and honored guests,” Trint had grown in experience interacting with the citizens of the Subsystem, and his Mind stats had also significantly increased. That experience and his Mind told him they were not as welcome as those words said.

‘Pneuma, send them all back to the temple, protect and secure the teleportation room,’ Trint communicated in the blink of an eye. Pneuma nodded and, without a word, used the gifted plates of Spirit armor and his control over Spirit to lift the entire entourage, except for Trint, and flew out of the stadium and back to the Temple.

“What is the meaning of this?” The goatman demanded, sputtering with indignation. “How dare you flee. Should we take this as a sign of dishonor, or are you planning something violent?”

“Sir, is it your custom to bring honored guests to the floor of a blood-stained coliseum surrounded by armed guards?” Trint challenged in a calm tone, but his voice was projected and augmented by his Spirit power to spread across the entire city. “No, you show dishonor and have been trying to plan violence.” The guards surrounding Trint with weapons ready and more tightly formed around Trint. But some split their attention to the flying contingent returning to the Temple. In those, Trint noticed doubt.

“You are correct; this is a field of battle. It seems you are not fooled. But we have heard of your conquests and assume you come here to take Atlas for yourself. What do you intend for us and the planet once you control everything? How do you plan to help us? Why should we bow to you? We are free now if only slaves to the System itself? Can you truly keep us from the System trials?”

“You are also correct,” Trint began, “I come to conquer and command this city and all of the Subsystem. I am here to free you and offer you much. But I do ask that you follow me. The yoke of slavery the System imposes is one of tyranny. I hope to provide you options and stability. Stability to grow and become a united people. I don’t plan to stay forever, and I need you to work together to become much more than you are now. The System can be cruel, but it is also the ladder we will use to climb to true freedom and ascension beyond this prison and the cycle of the System itself."

"Well, then we have but one request," The goatman sneered. "Fight our current rulers to the death and if you win, we will follow you."

"Rulers?" Trint questioned, "How many rulers are there?"

"Just us," Trint turned to the voice of a large bullheaded creature who had to duck to enter the arena, followed by six others."