"That's impossible. I'll disappear once I resume the rift," Ysanna argued.

Cal shook his head. "Normally true, but you're awakened. There are ways to prevent your reset."

I frowned. Arz'odral could only exit the rift by sacrificing countless riftborns and doing some complicated ritual to possess Melena.

I didn't think Cal would so easily suggest sacrificing the rest of the souls in the rift, not to a goddess who cared so much about her people that she created it to honour their memory.

Cal subtly turned his head and caught my eye. "I wouldn't. I have a different solution, one I have been waiting to use for a few centuries now."

"Oh? Should I be here for this?"

"Don't be silly, you're my son. Because of your title as Scion, I can skirt many rules normally in place for god and follower relationships."

I raised an eyebrow and sat back. The couch really was comfy, tempting me to lie down and fall asleep.

But a sudden surge of pressure made me flinch, and I glared at Cal, who had an amused smirk on his face. I avoided looking at the glowing object in his hand since the glow around his fingers made me want to bash my head against a wall.

In front of us, Ysanna and Zolnja stared open-mouthed at the thing in Cal's hands.

"That's..." Ysanna started.

"How do you have this...." Zolnja added in with the same flabbergasted tone.

"When you fell, I took ownership of your essence. Both yours and Melzauthuum's. I swallowed one and kept yours hidden away."

"But the others! They wouldn't allow it!" Ysanna almost stood from her throne but ultimately stayed sitting. "Eraztis should have sorted out the distribution of my essence and recycled my soul into the Weave. How did you manage to claim it?"

Cal, who had been nodding, stopped smirking and lowered the object so that his arms blocked my sight. I sent him a thankful smile, and he grinned back before returning to a neutral expression as he faced the goddess.

"Your companion has no doubt shared my titles now that she recognized me. You know the stories, even back in your time before becoming a god. You two created chaos, and I made my claim. The pantheon never knew what happened after the battle, for I had shrouded the end where I made a promise to you. I helped you stay around long enough to create the dungeon and the rift, and you relinquished your essence in return."

"That's... huh." Ysanna sat back, stunned by Cal's words.

"And now that my son here has forced the rift to awaken you, I am here to offer a deal."

Zolnja lowered her head, and her jaw spread wide. Her eyes blazed the brightest blue, and I could see the air begin to distort around her.

Strangely enough, I felt nothing, and when I looked more closely near my feet, I found out why. "Thanks for cushioning this. I'd rather not suffer a headache right now."

Cal waved a hand but kept his eyes focused ahead.

"What would be the terms of the deal?" Ysanna said after calming down.

"Simple. My first requirement is that you give Cyrus a boon. Your powers will be weakened, but he deserves it after what I've seen in his memories.

"Done," Ysanna said quickly. "I already planned to reward him the moment I summoned him here."

Cal smiled. "Second requirement. You owe me a favour. I'd prefer if we became friends, something I failed to do before your fall."

Ysanna narrowed her eyes. "The last person to offer me a favor besieged my city and killed me."

"And I am not Melzauthuum . Unless you attacked me or mine, I would not retaliate."

"Fine." The water around Ysanna's throne calmed, and the sky brightened again. "What else?"

"I require a place to hide. As I'm sure you've noticed, I am weakened, just as you will be. Nobody would expect to find me hidden inside your realm, not when the two of you can mask your presence over mine."

This time, Zolnja answered. "Fine. But know that the pantheon will be investigating us for a while. If they find you, it will not be our fault."

Cal nodded. "That is fine. I am confident in my abilities."

Ysanna tapped her fingers on the armrest of her throne. "What else?"

"It goes without saying, but I will so that we may be clear with each other. Do not tell the others about me or Cyrus' involvement in this. You know Aelios. I am not ready to deal with him."

"Very well. Are you sure about not mentioning Cyrus' name? I can order my people to keep silent, but from what I saw, he was seen by more than a few people not of this rift. It'll be impossible to scrub his involvements."

Instead of answering, Cal turned to me. "What do you say? I have reasons as to why I asked to keep your name hidden. But if you-"

I held up a hand and stopped him. "Being praised for almost getting everyone sent to the void? Where they would have been killed during transit or succumbed to their wounds after arrival? No thanks. And I trust you. Whatever the reason is, it doesn't matter to me."

Cal turned back to the goddess and shrugged. "There you have it. Will that be an acceptable term to fulfill?"

Zolnja stared at me silently, her eyes trying to pierce into my thoughts, but I simply shrugged. Eventually, she scoffed and looked away. "We accept the terms."

"Good, then there is one final thing to do."

Cal reached a hand out and snapped his fingers. A strange wave of energy went through me, and then a notification blip appeared in the corner of my vision.

I turned to the god and raised an eyebrow. "I got so many new things added to the 'Ask Cal about it List."

"And I'll answer them. Just deal with your notifications while I discuss the details of the contract."

"Alrighty. Good luck."

I leaned back with my head resting on the cushions. Closing my eyes, I accessed the notifications and willed them to appear.

Congratulations Ascendant

For a feat worthy of a tale, you shall be rewarded.

Your legend may be sparse, but has grown through your mighty deeds.

You shall be rewarded for completing the Tier Two Rift: Ysanna's Fall.

Reward upgraded due to the completion of a rift two tiers higher than your own.

Rewarded enhanced for the completion of an extreme rift.

Tier two rift my ass. Those titans were not tier two, and neither was Callen. I had to practically cheat my way to a victory.

I wasn't genuinely complaining, but it felt good to be a grump, even if only for a second or two.

I was excited to see what the reward upgrades were. So, I continued to the next notification message without further ado.

You are rewarded with the following:

* For your efforts in protecting the city and its people: you have been rewarded with the perk: Devourer of the Deep

* For completing the rift scenario: Ysanna's Fall: you have been rewarded the skill stones: Torrential Assault and Chaotic Surge

* For completing the bonus objective: You have been rewarded the weapon: Horror Spike

* A random piece of equipment has been enhanced: Ink Lord's Mask of Expression has become: Spirit Lord's Hidden Mask

* A random piece of equipment has been enhanced: Zonlja's Protective Amulet has become: Zolnja's Divine Scale

Legacy Bearer, The Grand Weave awaits your ascension.

Weave a tale worthy of the gods and ascend beyond your mortal limits.

The realms await the Lord who wears the Obsidian Crown.

I turned my head and watched the portal made of rainbow energy pulse out and expand. The portal was just as beautiful as the first time. And at least Chomperz didn't have to have his stomach messed with even more since both upgraded items were in the physical world and not being stored.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Cal paused and reached over to place a hand on my chest. There was no need to ask him why when the portal popped, and a wave of energy spiraled into the air before corkscrewing down into my body.

The couch cushioned the blow, and I could feel Cal help regulate the energy roaring through my body. Ice and electricity tingled my limbs from fingertip to fingertip, but it did not hurt nor overwhelm my senses.

When the energy stopped making changes, he removed his hand and patted my shoulder. "An interesting perk. You wouldn't be the first demon to assimilate other energies. Just make sure you know when to stop."

He snapped his fingers, and my new spear and skillstones appeared beside me. The spear made me want to throw the thing away, toss it into the void, and never look back, but I wasn't that dumb.

It appeared as if someone had severed one of the rift monster's tentacles and turned it into a spear. The weapon, crafted from sleek, white hardened flesh, displayed little suction cups texturing one side, with a sharp barb made of blackened bone at the very end, approximately nine inches from the blade of the shaft.

Not wanting to deal with the new weapon called 'Horror Spike,' I left it alone and focused on the two skill stones. From the shape and clarity, both skillstones were high quality, each about the width of my palm.

The first skillstone resembled dark grey glass, appearing as though a storm brewed within. I watched as a streak of light zigzagged around the crystal's core before disappearing behind the swirling wind and water.

As I moved on to the second skillstone, I found a pitch-black crystal, so dark that it felt like looking into the void. But as I watched the brief flashes of light inside the crystal, I saw two different colours clashing against each other, creating smaller, colourful explosions.

I think, I'm most excited to see what the second one evolves into.

To round out the last of my rewards, I held up my mask. It was impressive that it had survived all the bullshit the rift offered. When I looked down, I could see my entire torso exposed. What was once armour, now consisted of little more than a few pieces of broken leather clinging desperately to fraying straps.

The mask itself was mostly the same, but when I stared into the center where the oily ink blotch pooled, the blotch expanded and formed three eyes and a fanged grin. The ink changed from an iridescent black to a blazing gold, followed by rich emerald, reflective silver, and finally a deep purple.

Beyond the light display, the mask felt mostly normal, so I set it to the side and lifted the amulet from around my neck. The amulet was still there, but the shape and material had changed.

The blue metal chain held an elongated orange scale. Its texture was smooth, almost like marble. In the middle of the amulet was a small sentence carved into a circle. I held it up, but the half-runic script in the language prevented me from fully translating it.

Amongst the ______ may __ scale ____ the tempest's _______? Why is it written in two separate scripts?

Zolnja rose up, her scaled head looming down at me from above. "It says, 'Amongst the storm, may my scale echo the tempest's strength.'"

I looked up and met her gaze. "Sorry, but it looks like the rift changed your magic amulet."

She leaned in closer till I could smell the sea from her breath. "It was given to Ysanna's chosen, but he was right in giving it to you. Keep it. My scale may offer you a boon for further endeavours. Do not lose it."

I nodded, my face serious. "I won't. Thank you, Guardian Zolnja."

"Hmmrph."

I didn't bother pulling up the description of the perk and grabbed the two skillstones. With a quick burst of mana, both stones dissolved, and I closed my eyes to watch the new skill wisps form inside my soulspace.

One skillstone became a chaotic tumble of colours that floated away freely, joining the other passive skillwisps bobbing along.

The final skillwisp appeared above the island. It was a grey orb lifelessly floating in the air. My familiars circled it, ready to welcome another spirit amongst the family.

Instead of leaving the soulspace, I pulled up my status sheet and noted the changes.

STATUS

Name: Cyrus

Race: Reborn (Felkin)

Age: ??

Tier: 0

Active Skills:

* (T:0 R:7) Summon Familiar: Verdant Healer: (Áine )

* (T:0 R:7) Summon Familiar: Resplendent Inferno: (Zharia)

* (T:0 R:6) Racial Skill: Dimensional Storage: (Chomperz)

* (T:0 R:7) Spirit Lord's Invocation

* (T:0 R:6) Summon Familiar: The Dead Will Provide (Erebus)

* (T:0 R:7) Summon Familiar: Reflective Coat of the Mirror Beast (Magnus)

* (T:0 R:0) Summon Familiar: Storm King's Tempest (N/A)

Passive Skills:

* (T:0 R:6) Etherious Blood

* (T:0 R:7) Sovereign-Threaded Soul

* (T:0 R:0) Chaotic Resonance

Perks:

Legacy of the Obsidian Crown

Scion of Calstrax

Demonic Blood

Child of Mana

Dread Guardian's Apology

Crystal Synthesis

Devourer of the Deep

So Chaos Surge evolved into Chaotic Resonance, and Torrential Assault became Storm King's Tempest. Sounds cool, but are they good?

I pulled up the description for the new perk and then the skills.

Devourer of the Deep:

* They sought to devour you, and in return, you devoured them. Let the monsters hidden beneath the waves understand who the true predator is.

* Consume monsters from the abyss and assimilate their power into your own.

Chaotic Resonance:

* Minor increase to all physical capabilities.

* The skill effect increases per every familiar actively summoned

Summon Familiar: Storm King's Tempest (N/A)(Currently no spirit contracted)

* Summon a bonded familiar. The familiar is a storm-based attacker.

* Summons can remain inside the body in a passive state. While active, they reserve an amount of your mana pool.

* All Summons have their own mana pool and regeneration but may tap into their summoner's mana when they run out.

A chilling, icy burn spread from the center of my chest. The feeling extended to the rest of my body, and I tried to breathe through the discomfort. When the sensation stopped, I looked down and saw that on the back of my hands were two runes that slowly rotated.

Suddenly, the center of my chest flared with a burst of fire and ice. The two runes on my hands flashed in a spectrum of lights before fading away. In their place was a glowing tattoo made of rainbow light. The diamond had two lines separating the top and bottom half that stretched to the edge of my chest.

It's not symmetrical .....That's going to bother me.

I touched the rune and felt my warm skin underneath. I tried to rub at the tattoo, but it was permanent. It was rather bright for my taste, but the tattoo complied when I tried to make it dimmer. Wanting to test its limits, I tried to dim it further, and it did, but it refused to comply when I tried again.

I guess this is acceptable.

The tattoo glowed but barely. If I were wearing a dark enough shirt, nobody would be able to see the tattoo underneath.

My gaze tore away from the new addition to my skin when I felt a tiny blip of mana appear from where Cal was standing. When I looked up, I saw him smiling brightly at me before his eyes dimmed, and he turned away.

"Later. You can ask me about it later."

"Alright," I replied.

Turning back to my system notifications, the skill evolution for Torrential Assault looked insane. I was already excited to start contracting a new familiar.

And I'll just ignore the perk for now. I'm not ready to eat that gross thing in a jar I have stored inside Chomperz.

With my skill notifications done and my new loot acquired, I sat back and watched as Cal discussed something with the two divinities.

It was nearly an hour of back-and-forth talk before Cal came and sat back on the couch. I glanced at him, and he simply smiled while Ysanna and Zolnja sat silently.

"How did it go?" I asked.

"There'll be a lot to do. Something like this does not happen often; I've only ever seen it happen once in my lifetime. And I've lived a very long time."

"So I'll have to put the interrogation on hold then?"

Cal chuckled. "Unfortunately, yes. I'm sorry, Cyrus. One day soon, I promise to sit down and have a real discussion with you."

"Don't worry about it." I stopped and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you doing okay? I don't see you coughing at least."

He grinned, showcasing his wicked fangs. "I'm doing marginally better. I've always had a good constitution, so recovery is only a matter of time. Do not worry for me. I've been through this experience many times before."

There was something about the way he said the last line that made me frown. Even if he kept a cheery attitude, his words itched my brain the same way when I knew something I shouldn't know.

It bothered me, but I wasn't going to press. "So, what will happen to the rift?"

"Ahh, the question of the hour. I have a suspicion about what will happen, but I'll wait and see. If I'm correct, though, it'll be an interesting time for the kingdom."

"You know, I'm starting to think you like all the chaos."

His eyes gleamed, and the firey orbs in his eyes shifted colours. "Chaos is my domain, Cyrus. And it looks like you're not too far behind."

I chuckled. "Not that I'm actively choosing to be chaotic. The world has a hard-on for making things crazy around me."

"Ah, but you rise up despite whatever challenges come your way. I mean, seriously, facing a dimensional horror at tier zero? Not even I would be so bold."

"I didn't fight it—I survived it."

"And that's all that matters."

The conversation entered a brief lull, and we waited as Ysanna and Zolnja stared at the two of us. Another hour passed before Ysanna finally stood up.

She stepped off her throne, the waves of water following her robes. "I, Ysanna the Storm Princess, initiate the exchange of favours. From one divine to another, I offer this strand of my tapestry. I consent to the binding by the Grand Weave. Do you accept?"

Zolnja flexed her scales, and the waters churned into a frothing whirlpool. "I, Zolnja the Guardian Serpent, initiate the exchange of favours. From one divine to another, I offer this strand of my tapestry. I consent to the binding by the Grand Weave. Do you accept?"

Cal stood up and gave me a wink before subtly snapping his fingers. "I, Calstrax the ________ ___, accept the exchange of favours. From one divine to another, I offer this strand of my tapestry. I consent to the binding by the Grand Weave."

I glared at Cal as I realized what he did when he snapped his fingers before accepting the exchange.

I'll find out whatever you're hiding someday, old man.

The pooling strands of light that started to unravel from the center of their chests were bright enough to force me to look away. When the light finally dimmed, and I could open my eyes, Cal sat back down while Ysanna and Zolnja were gone.

Cal pointed to the sky above Ysanna's throne. I looked over and blinked.

Huh.

Surrounded by dark grey storm clouds that flashed bright blue lightning was a vortex of water pulling from the ocean below. When the lightning flashed, it illuminated the bodies of the two divinities floating calmly inside the storm.

"So uh... How long is this going to take?" I asked slowly.

"That's the beauty of my plan."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"You have a lot of rift energy stored up from your time here. And you need to contract a new familiar, yes?"

"Yeah... Okay, so what about the others? Are they suspended in stasis or something?"

"Yes, and until the rift ends, they'll stay that way. But you, however, get the benefit of being here. And it's my apology gift for not being able to discuss things for the week that it'll take for Lady Ysanna to assimilate her essence."

"Wait, are you leaving?"

"For now, yes, I can't stay here too long, not without the goddess' presence to mask my own."

I stood up and held out a hand. "Oh, all right then. Stay safe, and talk to you soon?"

Cal reached for my hand and shook it. I was ready for the wrist clasp that Inoria does, but I forgot Cal had access to my memories from Earth.

He released my hand and gave me a final pat on the shoulder, clasping it gently. "You continue to make me proud, boy. What you did was amazing and courageous. Spend the next week relaxing and meditating. Grow strong, become more powerful, and most importantly, take the time to rest."

He patted my shoulder twice, summoned the runed door, and walked on through. The door disappeared after it shut, and I was left alone with the raging tempest above.

When I went to sit back on the couch, I found it gone. However, in its place was a big, fluffy beanbag with little images of dragons and fireball-slinging wizards.

Haa haa, very cute.

I flopped onto the beanbag and groaned, letting the softness partially consume me.

He said to meditate, but he also said to rest. Sooo..... Nap first? Yeah, nap first.