The Knights sent down to interfere with the Trials function more like recruiters than they do butchers or slavers. Some Sinners die. That is the nature of things. But the ones worth anything are usually left untouched—it’s how the Claimed Hells function, you see.
Hope and controlled chaos.
Outsiders to the Diaspora might think it strange, but we are a merciful people. We are gentle in our cruelties. And that is what makes us the fastest growing power in the Fathoms. Because we understand the game being played. And we have an actual opportunity to play it.
You might think yourself suffering a cruel fate, Sinner. But you would be wrong. So very wrong. I, like you, am not a native. No one truly is to this place. Once, this was a wasteland festering with demons and uncontrolled primordial concepts. You've seen the original masters of this plane. Those Archdevils.
Before the Harbinger, all demons spawned from their open wounds, they devoured man's sins, and in turn rewarded us myriad realms of the Fathoms with endless hordes of horror.
Understand this, sinner. You do not lead a miserable life. You are not damned by fate. No, you are blessed.
Our hunter might have beaten you, broken you, and captured you, but this, this is an opportunity — an opportunity for you to be part of a growing enterprise.
For you see, we are not a horde. Not like those mindless bastards you’re used to seeing. We are an enterprise. And you, my young and fortunate friend, have been judged a ripe specimen of Wrath.
Understand, it won't take much for a hunter to kill you, or anyone like you. You're not particularly powerful, even with your unique specialization, but that is fine. Whenever I see in you great anger, great loathing, the urge to break and kill, good, we can fashion something useful out of that. And in turn, well, you can increase our favor in the eyes of the Harbinger.
For you see, we, the Sinners of the Claimed Hells, are the freest citizens in all the realms. The Harbinger cares not for what you do, so long as it does not interfere with his control.
Here, anything is allowed, anything and everything, so long as you have the ambition to take it. So I have a proposal for you. You can continue thrashing in that cage, cursing at me, or you can pass your final trial and start using your sin instead of being used by it.
This is not torment. This is rebirth. And the gulf between paradise and purgatory ain’t that large.
-Halbergrave, Count of Wrath
52
Charting a Path
Slotted Skills [5/5]
>[Inventory] Replaced by [Inventory] (Rare)
The act of switching skills was a simple thing. All it took was for one to absorb the Essence Shard into their class and make a few necessary assignments. It took Wei a bit of time to get used to the menus. Rafael helped to explain some principles, but once the basics of navigating and controlling these interfaces were grasped, the young master found no more difficulty managing his desired operations.
Transferring everything he had from one Inventory to another was also a thing of absolute convenience. It simply required him to select the necessary items within one menu and direct them to another. With everything being mentally controlled, the entire process didn't take long to complete, and Wei felt himself slightly disturbed by the efficiency.
Back on Evernest, his sect had been the most advanced in terms of cultivation and technology, but everything his home offered paled before the claimed hells. Nothing highlighted this contrast more than the inventory skill itself. A cultivator would require substantial effort, study, meditation, and experimentation to achieve even a modicum of what the inventory provided. But with the skill shard, Wei could instinctively manage spatial magics on a minor level.
It took only a thought from him for a pocket of space to collapse around the Knight of Lust. Afterward, only a single line of text followed, asking him if he wanted to assign her as a pet or a slave. Both options disquieted him, but he thought the former would offend her more, and so his choice was made. He wasn't sure about the other slaves the knight took, but per Rafael's recommendation, they would be a problem to deal with once they finished climbing this tower.
The rest of the equipment was split between him and Roggi. He claimed only the Potion of Accelerated Thought from the other two, and took the silver rapier as well. He allowed Rafael to have the armor, as the lich stated he had experience working with necromancy. Though Wei’s doubts about the Trespasser remained, there was nothing they could do beyond the notice of his Omniscience.
With all that done, Wei claimed the remainder of the Skill Shards for himself as well. Most of them he put in his inventory. The telekinetic essence shard, however, he slotted into the only open spot his essence shift had. As soon as it integrated, he felt a sudden epiphany bloom in his mind. It was as if an awareness settled upon his mind and senses.
The essence of telekinesis was a subvariant of force, according to the Compendium. It was also quite the popular essence to wield, considering how many entries and recommendations were associated with it.
Essenceshift [1/1]
>[Telekinetic Essence Shard] — The user can channel strings of telekinetic energy using their currently shifted essence as a conduit. The user's telekinetic Strength and Speed are determined by their Aspects of Strength and Speed respectively, while Will and Perception will determine their telekinetic control and the effective range of their reach.
He would have been satisfied by this improvement alone, with all the other benefits he gained. The young master was practically overjoyed. He also made the Knight of Lust show him her various contacts. She knew well over 10,000 people in the Claimed Hells, but of her professional associates of the Inheritor variety numbered only two. When he tried to get her to make a call by the Chat fucntikon, they were unsurprisingly blacklisted.
"I do not think this Harlon Seever is someone's real name," Rafael said. "It is likely an expendable identity one uses to communicate with deniable assets. He has likely abandoned the identity now. It would be wise to. It will not take the Harbinger, or anyone who knows some basic ciphering, much effort to track him down."
Despite this, Wei had a name to go on, and he had a trail to follow. The Inheritors were not a small faction, from what he gleaned in the compendium. Rather, they were a substantial power stretching across entire universes within the Fathoms. The scope of their operation was a little hard for Wei to conceptualize, but it was big. Very big. Ultimately, that was beneficial to him, for it likely wouldn't take him much effort to find someone under their banner and begin a new line of questioning. However, before that could ever happen, he still needed to finish these miserable trials.
With the Knights sorted, Wei and the rest of the group separated to challenge various rifts. Wei and Rafael stayed in place before the specialization pylon as the young master watched. The lich modified the ciphers upon the space-manipulating sphere. Apparently, improvements could be made to its overall formula. More importantly, Rafael knew how to create a rift chart for them to consult, a map capable of displaying all the interconnected rifts within a spatial network. More importantly, it would also show recently activated rifts, granting Wei easier means to track down his design.
All complicated signs were swapped between different reference circuits, more traces were drawn, and a second layer of ciphers was added over the sphere. "Almost done," Rafael said, his voice a murmur of concentration. After a few seconds more, the pattern on the spatial navigator flared, and a rift map was projected directly overhead.
The visualization of the spatial network resembled a nautical chart to Wei. He could see streams of spatial essence flowing from node to node, and to his astonishment, he counted well over a thousand and thirty-two rifts displayed right in front of him. A beat passed when he found himself surprised at the sheer accuracy of his estimate. It took him barely a second to process all that visual detail. Advancing his aspect of mind was truly paying dividends.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"We are over here," Rafael said as he marked a single node in the middle of the mess with a flag. The lich flicked the sphere twice before sighing. "I wanted to make a region separation for each of the rifts. Some of these moon graves belong to another circle. We are currently in the region of Wrath, but some of these," he gestured vaguely at a patch of nodes, "would be associated with a different Circle of Sin altogether."
"How far apart are they?" Wei asked.
"Far," Rafael replied with a slight laugh. "And with the amount of hellish essence filling the atmosphere above us, this network is the only way to get from place to place. Well. For most of us. I suspect that your Source might grant you more leeway.”
"Are any of them connected to a sanctuary?" Wei asked.
"Absolutely. Those are probably connected to the nodes that blink in and out. Sanctuary portals are not always active."
Wei nodded as he noticed a few nodes trembling. "The vibrations… are they signaling recent activations?"
"Yes," Rafael replied. "Though my desired improvements have not taken effect. If the working was at full functionality, it would allow us to peek across and give us a glimpse of who is on the other side."
"That would have been useful." But being able to use the rifts, tunnel from place to place, exploit this trial for all it was worth, was more than satisfactory for Wei.
"So," Rafael said, letting out an awkward cough. "Do you have a strategy in mind?"
"Yes," Wei replied. "To confirm, all I need to do to reach another rift is simply select it."
"Exactly," Rafael said.
The young master smirked. "Very convenient. In our current position, that marker will remain?"
"Yes," Rafael replied. "So long as you have the spatial navigator, the tag will remain applied."
Then Wei had no more worries. "We are only going to target recently active rifts. Once over, I will locate a potential hunter using my Omniscience and engage them if the opportunity presents itself.”
“And… me?” Rafael asked.
“You will be… support.”
“Support,” Rafael said, lamely.
“Yes. Support. Whatever the case, I suspect that whatever benefits provided by the rifts in these Moongraves will be paltry goods compared to the treasures we can obtain from the Knights themselves. Further, I expect all of you to gain quite a few Class levels if you gain the opportunity to slay a vulnerable Knight.”
Suddenly, the lich’s apprehension faded, and a growing sense of appreciation took its place as a skeletal head nodded vigorously. “Yes… yes! Bold and dangerous—ah, but what good plan isn’t? The hunters will not be prepared for us. We will have an advantage in terms of surprise! Down with the Harbinger! Down with his dogs. Their mothers will be ours.”
“Your desire to possess someone else’s mother disturbs me,” Wei said plainly. “Never reference it again.”
“Of course, my friend. I’m sorry, my friend. It was—a fetish is a harmless thing.”
Wei grinned at the lich’s rapid backpedaling. It was good being System-host. “When we all reach our Class Ascension, I say we make for the Hearted Realms. We should also interrogate some of the Knights first for information. I suspect Mepheleon will not allow us to exploit his realm forever, despite his lenience.”
“Likely not,” Rafael agreed. “But I suspect the greater danger to be the Inheritors. They must assume their agent has failed. I would not put it beyond them to send others. Even more powerful foes, perhaps.”
The memory of the Riftblade returned to Wei as he recalled the suddenness of his death. His brutal victory of the Knight had filled him with euphoria, but Enlightenment was proving to be a good counterbalance to his pride. There were people here that could snuff him out with the barest effort. It would do him well to remember that.
But they also inspired him. The Riftblade was a foe to eventually break, and whatever he couldn’t do right now would not be so in the future. Nothing emphasized that more than his newest Core and Class Tier Ascensions.
Refining Source
>>>Source Refined: [140/140] Lumens
Source Core Ascended > Lv. 16
>[2/10] Aspect Advancements to Core Ascension
>>[6/20] Core Ascensions to [Gate] 2 System Ascension
>>>Source: [150/150] Lumens
Reviewing encounter…
Masteries Demonstrated
>Meditation (II) — 79%
>Unarmed Combat (II) — 65%
>Spearmanship (II) — 45%
>Thrown Weapons (II) — 22%
>Tactics — 61%
>Rapier — 0%
Mastery Node Capacity [7/10]
>Proximal Acceleration
>Form of the Manticore
>Form of the Resonant
>Lesser Hollow Mind
>Lesser Manifestation
>Vector Chain
>Lesser Cast Possession
>Mark of Enmity
Sourcery Advancements [2] Available!
Select [1]
Source Surge > Source Eruption [2 Sourcery Points] — The host can create 5 Lumens of Source by attuning with existence. The host can create [Harvests] of Source by targeting and breaking the essence infused within an object or entity. The essence will be converted to raw Source thereafter. The host can absorb the [Harvest] to restore their Source. Attunement can be performed through meditation or extreme focus. The host can now overcharge their total Source based on their Aspect of Intent. Overcharged Source will quickly be lost when the host leaves their attunement state.
Source Magnification > Source Propagation [Requires 10 Sourcery Advancements (Currently at 5)]
Aspect Infusion > Aspect Expansion [2 Sourcery Points] — The user can construct an Aspect Catalyst based on any of their current Aspects and infuse it into another being or object. Multiple Aspect Catalysts can be constructed. Each Aspect Catalysts will reduce the host’s total Source by 20%. The infused Aspect will now infuse the host’s ascended Aspects into their chosen target. Should the targeted entity be a System or Class entity, the user’s Aspect can be added to or subtracted from the sum of the target’s corresponding Aspect. Should the user’s Aspect reduce the target’s Aspect to nil, the target will be unable to affect the world with their corresponding Aspect.
Liminal Bridge > Liminal Tunnel [Requires 25 Sourcery Advancements (Currently at 5)
The new Sourcery Advancements didn’t disappoint Wei. Between Source Eruption and Aspect Expansion, his survivability and empowerment capabilities would both be elevated. However, the latter would mainly be useful when he was fighting in a group. If he could grant Agnesia his Authority, or maybe Ellena, Enlightenment, their powers would be made vastly superior as well.
However, as they were still progressing themselves, and with Wei currently about to embark on a duo hunt with someone he didn’t fully trust, the choice was an obvious one.
>Source Eruption
With his Core Ascension concluded, it was time to arrange things for his Class Tier Ascension, and decide on a simple choice.
Would he commit further to the Path of Pride? Or would he like to marry his current Sin of arrogance to another.
Class Ascension: Servant > Knight
You have reached your current essence threshold. You can no longer be considered a Servant to your own sins. By surviving and thriving in the Claimed Hells and taking the abyssal powers for your own, you will now embark down a path of greater power. No longer will you be wielded by your transgressions. It is time to shape them into your arms and armor instead.
Class Ascension — You claim dominance over your current Sin and delve deeper into its mysteries. Your Abyssal Invocations will be evolved as Arrogance becomes your armor and pride becomes your power. Unlocks new Class Specialization options.
>[Unlocked] — Requirements: Overcome and dominate a foe of a higher level [1/1]
A simple enough requirement, Wei could trigger his ascension with just a thought if this was what he desired. However, there was also another choice as well.
Class Divergence — A single Sin cannot define you. You desire to rule over more than just one wrong. By facing and overcoming varied foes and forces, you have found your limitations wanting and yearning to become more than you were before. You will merge your current Sin with a Sin from a separate Circle and transform it into something in between. Your Abyssal Invocations will also be transformed. Arrogance does not rule alone. Unlocks new Class Specializations or multi-specializations.>(Path of Lust) [Locked] — Requirements: [Unknown]
>(Path of Greed) [Locked] — Requirements: Force others to give you over 1,000,000,000,000 Sins.
>(Path of Envy) [Locked] — Requirements: [Unknown]
>(Path of Sloth) [Locked] Requirements: Dominate 10 other people and force them to fight on your behalf.
>(Path of Gluttony) [Locked] — Requirements: [Unknown]
>(Path of Wrath) [Locked] — Requirements: Dominate an adversary in combat and force them to end their own life thereafter.
Wei stared at his choices, and though it would be so easy to just go with Class Ascension, something about merging the Paths of Wrath and Pride—and breaking a foe so utterly—enraptured the young master.
Studying the locked options, he frowned, and slowly looked to the rift map. A nearby node was rapidly pulsing, but he already had a will-broken Knight. Perhaps he should just command her too—no. No. If he was going to break someone, he should do it properly, per the requirements.
“Rafael. Prepare yourself. I wish to see how much pain it will take to make a Knight of Hell finish themselves at my behest.”
“Of course—wait, what?”