Seever. I have located our quarry. This game is at its end.

There is another psionic here. Potent. Skilled. They will find me if I linger. But I have created a connection—a tenuous one. I have the Trine and an Oathbearer enthralled.

Yes. Yes. I will call them through the Hearted Realm. Dangle them a bit before the rift to lure the others in.

The other Oathbearers will certainly follow. As for the rest…

Well, if they come, it will make things easier for us. If not… there really isn’t that much room left for them to run.

The Harbinger? The last of the singularities have been consumed. Ah. Looks like I’m just in time, then. As always.

I do expect a raise for this. And a promotion.

-[Censored]

84

Forcing the Hand

Authority Advanced > 40

Class Level > 39

Free Points: [75]

Refining Source

>>>Source Refined: [190/190] Lumens

Source Core Ascended > Lv. 19

>[2/10] Aspect Advancements to Core Ascension

>>[11/20] Core Ascensions to [Gate] 2 System Ascension

>>>Source: [200/200] Lumens

Reviewing encounter…

Masteries Demonstrated

>Meditation (II) — 99%

>Unarmed Combat (III) — 1%

>Spearmanship (III) — 1%

>Evasion (II) — 33%

>Thrown Weapons (II) — 39%

>Tactics (II) — 11%

>Rapier — 0%

Mastery Node Capacity [7/10]

>Proximal Acceleration

>Form of the Resonant

>Lesser Hollow Mind

>Lesser Manifestation

>Vector Chain

>Lesser Cast Possession

>Mark of Enmity

>Outsight

Sourcery Advancements [2] Available!

Select [1]

Source Magnification > Source Propagation [Requires 10 Sourcery Advancements (Currently at 6]

Liminal Bridge > Liminal Tunnel [Requires 25 Sourcery Advancements (Currently at 6)

At the end, ten other sinners decided to take Wei up on his offer to join the Drowned Sky Sect. Mira Nocture, the depressed Faeblood, leaped at the opportunity especially. Despite the impressive show he put on, and though they were most pleased by the murder of the Middle Manager, the bulk of the group was content to wait, holding true to their current path in the vain hope that they would be able to pass through without risking death.

On some level, the young master understood their apprehension. Why risk one's life when you could achieve your goal, though the cost might be more than mere convenience? However, by his pride as a cultivator and the glory that came with refining one's strength, Wei could only scorn those who remained. To survive was not to live, and to exist as a slave was to submit to another's mercy. Better not to exist at all in that case.

The eyes of Greed are upon you…

A crushing pressure fell over the young master the moment he received that notification. According to Bishop, it meant that the Archdevil was dispatching a proper threat to handle the intruder. And this one would likely see Wei dead with a gesture.

Though the young master’s blood still boiled with battle-lust, his growing wisdom demanded he heed reason. He lost his Eidolon to the Middle Manger. If he hadn’t surprised the damned creature, this battle would have been his defeat. Wei doubled he could court fortune’s favor twice. Especially if Bishop got annoyed as well. His decision to leave was further enhanced by the sudden appearance of his mother's headless corpse, along with the other members of their sect.

He was taking the last of his new recruits into his Inventory when they appeared at the end of the hallway. They stood, the members in a line, all of them staring at him, the dread within Wei building alongside his foreboding. Immediately, the young master's gaze locked onto the gore-hallowed stump that remained of his mother's bifurcated neck. Something twisted inside him. It hurt just as much as it had before, but Wei found himself better able to digest the pain, to face the horror.

"That's because your Intent's still high," Bishop said. "Don't let that drop again or—"

"Yeah," Wei interrupted, not wanting to have this conversation. He knew. As much as it scalded his ego to admit, he knew.

Offering a wordless salute to the remaining sinners, he activated his Liminal Bridge and crossed back over into the Moongrave. He had ten new recruits in his Inventory and a Core Ascension to process. After that—

New Skill synergy detected

New Title synergy detected

Wei blinked as his Concept Cores pulsed. Notifications filtered into his mind from both his Class and System, and Wei looked through their contents with anticipation.

Achievement: You have survived the Hearted Realm of Greed and destroyed an entity that has taken something from you.

Refining New Titles for Concept Cores (Harvest) and (Destruction)

Recommended Title > Rough Customer (Harvest): Allows you to better steal from an enemy that has already stolen from you. [Mastery of (Theft) is required]

"Don’t just let the System lead you blindly." Bishop's voice cut in, pulling the young master's attention away from his notifications. "The damn thing can end with you walking off a cliff and crippling your own development. Don’t be a damn fool. Think about where you want to be so you don’t end up grabbing a bunch of useless Titles or Skills that cripple your future development. Know you’re a cultivator; same deal here.”

You don't approve of the options they provide?"

"Not even a little," Bishop answered. "Listen, your System and Concept Cores give recommendations purely based on your raw experiences and achievements. It’s guessing what you might want to be from what you’ve done. Everything you do shapes the future of your development and choosing to go against something like Greed might remove benefits down the line. I'm sure you already noticed that your form of harvest was looking mighty different from before."

That was true. The scythe now had a gleaming edge, allowing Wei to inflict Strength and Constition damage with every blow. The young master considered the Trespasser's words with a brief frown. He suspected something of this. With cultivation, the more varied Essences one pulled from, the more divergent their paths, the weaker their foundations. True, some people were more generalists than others, and some had a grander repertoire of Skills. But ultimately, those successful were versatile because of their path rather than in spite of it.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

To wander blindly while cultivating would more often than not dilute one's advancement and render their capabilities at odds with oneself. But so far, the titles Wei had gained and the skill advancements had proven nothing but helpful.

"Yeah, but they're Minor Concept Cores. With every Skill and Title you make, they’ll grow and change. You make a few more garbage Skills or Titles, your Concept Core is going to develop into something that’s subpar as well. No focus. No Intent. Sure, it’ll be able to make more things for you, but it will never match a more refined core. Hell, there’s even been cases where fools end up cultivating themselves into a crippled state. Imagine getting a Wealth-Destroying evolution for your Destruction core.”

Wei winced. That could be useful, but he was also not interested in being a pauper or a member of the Beggar Sect.

"I know you're in dire straits right now and doing everything you can to escape from this place. Your cores—those things are your future. Feed your experiences into them. Ruminate on them. Consider who you want to be. Don't just jump at the first garbage option your System provides. Nothing that's gold can be spun out of a half-assed incident."

The young master considered Bishop's words. His concept core of Destruction held great potential, but his Harvest and Augmentation related powers had kept him alive. Though he had a Class and a System, his experiences were limited, and he could only devote a certain amount to one. Dismissing the System notifications for now, and considering how he might develop his future Skills and Titles–

And then a message came, a message from Rapael, ruining all of Wei's plans. For all he wanted to finish his experiences and tour the final Hearted Realm of Pride, it was not to be.

“Wei, we have a problem. A serious problem.”

The young master closed his eyes and sighed. “What is it?”

“The Trine and Agate have gone missing. Some of the others spotted them moving towards the spatial rift of the Hearted Realm.”

Wei went very still at that. “Why? They couldn’t possibly have been compromised…”

Bishop's voice rose in the back of his mind, “No, I had my mind on them, they're right—” and then silence. A long pause followed before a single statement set the tone. “Motherfucker.”

“It seems you're not quite so infallible after all, Master Bishop,” Wei said, getting in a jab.

“Kiss my ass, kid. Get back there. We need to get ahead of this shit.”

But by then, Wei's Intent was already surging, reaching out for his nearest rift

“Go after them, Rafael,” Wei sent through his Chat. “Do whatever you can to stop them. But if they cross over, do not follow. Wait for me.”

And then, Wei shattered the distance, and the scramble was on.

***

When he returned to the Moongrave of Gluttony, his Omniscience immediately captured a whirlwind of motion. The first thing he noticed was Roggi soaring fast across the skies. He was a bulbous mass of cancerous tissue and fetid rot, and it seemed the faster he went, the worse Sloth’s effect weighed on his body. Even so, he came down before the Hearted Realm’s rift with a thunderous crash. Wei blurred into existence next to him a mere moment thereafter.

In the distance, Wei could see a gathering of inner and outer court disciples standing around Mobile Fortress Wei. Agnesia, Rafael, and Eleanor were also fast approaching the party, drifting in on a mystically constructed palm—the lich’s work, no doubt.

“They just bloody left,” Rogi bellowed, his eyes wild, his expression one of confusion and disbelief. “They laughed, and no one bloody noticed. No one stopped them.”

“There's another psionic here,” Bishop said. “A good one. Good enough to stay off my radar while I’m using Angeleous, at least.” A low growl of annoyance came from the Trespasser. “This also means they know where you and your sect are hiding, kid. No two ways about that.”

Wei let out an annoyed snort before he turned his attention back to Roggi. “We will get them back.” Pushing his Omniscience to the limit, he observed his surroundings, noting depressions left in the fetid soil, prints leading into the spatial rift—a set of three lighter bodies accompanied by one heavier being. This fit the profile of the Trine and one Oathbearer. It spoke volumes, they left without raising too many alarms. But why only a single Oathbearer? Where were—

“Roggi!” Wei heard a cry go up in the distance. Too massive armored forms were pounding toward them, throwing up dust as the approached.

Well, it seemed the other two Oathbearers were out of the loop as well.

“That means Agate was likely a capture of opportunity.”

A splash of dissolving ciphers spilled over the periphery of Wei’s vision as Ellena, Agnesia, and Rafael came to a halt right next to him and Rogi. Together, they stared into the swirling maw of blackness, a dreaded apprehension building in the air.

“I need to go in after them,” Roggi said. His fists were balled, but Wei heard a certainty in his voice. It wasn’t agitation; it was simply a fact, a duty.

“You go in willy-nilly, you’re not coming back out,” Bishop warned. “I haven’t had time to go through all your minds, but I can blunt some of your memories. Still, that doesn’t mean you’re anywhere near ready for this. And considering the Inheritors probably made the first move, they’ll be waiting for you. Ready for you. Hell, they’re coming for all of you.”

“You believe this to be a trap?” Wei considered.

“You bet your ass it's a trap, and you bet your ass they're counting on this to draw at least some of you over. They’re trying to force your hand. Pull your group apart. See what bad choices they can force on you.”

Once more, Wei regarded his many disciples in the distance. Just how many of them were compromised? How many of them could he trust? He didn’t know. But with his recent recruitment, he potentially had options—individuals uncontaminated by the others.

“So,” Agnesia said, hefting her blade over her shoulder. “When are we going over? We’re not going to let these bastards take all our people.”

Ellena bit her lip. “I think… I think we should not be hasty. We don’t know what waits—”

“There’s no bloody time for that, mother,” Agnesia interrupted. “They came for us. They know we're here. And so we need to hit them before they come and hit us. We’re already compromised. We can keep hiding and running, but eventually, they're going to find us. And then they're going to cut us down one after another.”

“Enough,” Wei said. He frowned as he took in the others, his mobile fortress, and considered the path ahead. The Inheritors were trying to force his hand, have him come to them, and short of killing Roggi, there was nothing Wei could do to stop the Oathbearer from going after his charges.

But more importantly, he agreed with Agnesia. Raid-filled and impatient though she was, their enemies knew. Knew everything about them right now, knew exactly where they were, and would only come hunting sooner or later.

The young master wished that he had more time—more time to acclimate to the hearted realms, more time to strengthen himself, more time to make up for his failings, to be the patriarch he needed to become. But time was never promised, and now only choice remained. Choice and opportunity.

“Rafael,” Wei said, “get the disciples ready. Have them gather within Mobile Fortress Wei. Roggi, we are going through, but I need you to start the fortress.” And then, his next request came out, a painful one. “Could you potentially have the sails at the back combust?”

“Were you talking about the engines?” Roggi asked, confused. “I mean, yeah, but why?”

“I wish to explode the ship alongside the Knight of Lust.”

“Oh.” Roggi grinned. “Aye. I’ll see what I can do.”

Wei shifted focus. “Ellena, Agnesia, go gather our most trusted disciples and convene with me shortly. We have a raid to plan.”

“Right,” Agnesia said. Immediately, she shot off, a blur of blackened flame flaring from her back like flapping wings.

Ellena bit her lip, worry clear on her face. She didn’t want to risk her daughter, nor did she want to face death again. This was no place for the pathless, but they didn’t have a choice anymore.

“Quartermaster,” Wei said, speaking directly to Ellena, “I know, this is not what you want. This is not what any of us want. But you have wisdom, and you have power now. More power than you had before. The Dying Queen—she comes for you. Her agents will never stop hunting you or your daughter. Just as the Inheritors covet that which lies in my spirit. Just as the Unfallen desire to capture the Trine. We are all wounded, and the enemy seeks to finish us off.”

The former queen stared on at the patriarch, her lips almost quivering, her gaze filled with fear and worry as she stared into the spatial rift. “I am not prepared for this. I do not... I do not know if I have the strength to—”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not,” Wei said. “But I will be here for you. I will support you however I can. You need not face your wounds alone. That is my responsibility as patriarch. That is my duty to you, to all of you.”

He finished his words by looking at Roggi and even Rafael. In this moment, he felt more like a patriarch than ever before.

“Well, that's all well and good, kid,” Bishop said in the back of his mind, “but what exactly is your plan? You gonna fly Mobile Fortress Wei across the rift and then just try to blow it up when the Inheritors come for you? Even with what I can whip up with the Knight, it ain't gonna be enough for all of them. They won’t just sacrifice all their forces to board your ship.”

“Good. For I have more surprises myself.” Wei pulled out a contract stored within his inventory. It was a contract he had left ignored for far too long. “Before you, there was another I struck a bargain with. Well, less a bargain, more of a mutual accord.”

“Wei,” Bishop said, his voice dangerously low.

“I haven’t signed myself over to anything, if that is what you fear,” Wei began. “The Circle of Pride will come to our aid. For they have been wronged as well. By the Inheritors. Mutual enemies and the such.”

“And when the hell were you going to tell me about this?” Bishop asked.

“Preferably never. You’ve been very helpful, Master Bishop. But helpful does not make you trustworthy. And that cuts both ways, don’t you agree?”

“Nah,” Bishop said. “I think I got your measure pretty well, kid. But you do surprise me sometimes. So, Circle of Pride, huh?” He snorted. “Yeah. Fits you. The little bit of Wrath you have goes well too.”

The young master simply shrugged. “I am what my path demands of me.”

“You’re gonna end up a hell of a lot more than that. Well. Fuck it. Sign that dotted line. Time to what kind of cavalry we can get.”