No pup lies in my bed when I wake, nor is he anywhere in my home. Aster must've woken early and found himself something to do. The only hope is that he isn't bothering people, but there's not much I can do if he is.

I fix myself a quick breakfast, then dress and exit my house just in time for Ryan to ascend the steps. After Ash and I talked last night and he revealed some things about me, we ate at the Starry Iris and I came home. Just as I got into bed, my boyfriend asked if I wanted to go to the sort-of-a press conference by the bureau this morning.

The answer was "not really" due to me already knowing what's going to happen there, but I decided to go to accompany Ryan since he's going.

"Morning, Evan," he pulls me in for a hug and a kiss.

"Morning, Ryan," I respond.

"Sleep well?" He asks as we release and make our way down to his truck.

"Yeah," I answer. "You?"

"Like a log," he responds. "Did you push yourself in the forest yesterday? Your Level went up by 4 and I know it takes a fair bit for that where you're at."

I didn't tell Ryan about remembering my past life on Thursday, not after nor when we had lunch together yesterday. Part of it was because I wasn't fully sure of what to tell him and part of it was because I wanted to learn more about my real self first. There are some things I won't tell him even when I do reveal, like that I seem to remember a different life each time I sleep.

"I did," I tell him. "The river's transitioning away from goblins and into trolls and boars more, so I'm hitting the Special Quest thresholds faster. Did around fourteen miles yesterday, and that's put me up to around… well, I think my current estimate is around thirty-seven miles of the river taken care of? Could be off as I'm not really keeping full track. I have probably just one or two left when accounting for curves. I could've finished it yesterday if I really wanted to, but I wanted to stop after reaching another Level threshold."

"Don't burn yourself out," he tells me. "You're wanting to restore it to enjoy it, aren't you? If you burn yourself out, you'll probably just get aggravated with it."

Ryan gives me a sideways glance before snorting.

"Then again, you don't really seem to get truly aggravated," he says. "I take it you're returning after the announcement, to finish the river and then do the lake?"

"Yeah," I answer. "Though I'll probably check on the Pup Leisure Pond first. As I mentioned at lunch yesterday, it's a place rich in mana-type plants so I can produce mana potions. Based on how it was when I returned after lunch yesterday, I should have the necessary reagents today."

That will let me stock up before the lake, in case that requires more than the 58,900 MP that I now have.

"Let me know if you need any help," he tells me. "Or even just want some company, yeah? I'm free today."

"I'll let you know," I tell him. "Small topic change, but I spoke with Ash last night."

"Ash is the guy who drops off your groceries on Sundays?"

"Yeah," I nod. "I'd contacted him about something I'd remembered on Thursday, and he gave me some answers about stuff. During my post-lunch nap, I recalled an entire past life. My soul doesn't get wiped between lives. The reason for that is because while I'm not a god, I am a transcendent. You and Nick were right in that I've transcended before, but it wasn't through mind or magical ability. It was through body. The King of the Celestials apparently altered the soul cycle to prevent reincarnates from remembering about other types of transcendence while in their mortal state rather than their transcendent form, and it seems that how and when we remember past lives and our real selves mostly varies based on the type of transcendence we did."

Ash gave me a little bit more information when he dropped me off at my house last night, information which Ryan will probably be thankful to know. It's not forbidden for reincarnates to know about other types of transcendent, they just won't remember it on their own.

I don't know what my brother's reasoning was for how he did things, but I'm not going to question it outside of to his face. That will have to wait until I see him face-to-face again.

"By body, huh?" Ryan mulls over that as he lets some kids cross the road, then continues driving forward. "I know that having transcended through mana and magical ability causes my reincarnations to have a higher talent for recovering mana and boosts my resistance to curses and the like. Since our recovery rate and such are locked by the System's allowances, that's why all gods are Rank 5. What does transcendence via body do to your reincarnations? I can make some assumptions about your real self."

"My real self has nigh infinite strength and constitution," I tell him. "And virtually limitless stamina and energy. I'm immune to any toxin as well and don't need to eat. In a reincarnation, I have a reduced need for sleep but can fall asleep whenever I want, and a reduced need for food and oxygen. I also process food more efficiently and my body eliminates any waste as it forms."

"Seriously?" Ryan raises his eyebrows as he takes his eyes off the road for a moment. "How often do you actually need to eat or sleep?"

"Depends on how active I am," I shrug. "I've gone a month without eating or sleeping before, but I wasn't really doing much during that time. It was a test to see my limits. Probably could have gone longer, but I enjoy eating and sleep so stopped so that I could."

"What did you eat after?"

"I was ten at the time," I tell him. "Got myself a big pie and a gallon of ice cream and devoured it all in one sitting, then curled up and took a nap that lasted four days."

With brief breaks because I kept getting woken up by people wanting to make sure I'm fine or to tell me to do stuff. I was a pretty stubborn kid and insisted on sleeping more.

"I also can't get sick," I add. "Another perk from being a reincarnated body transcendent."

"Damn," he says. "But you're not super strong or anything like that?"

"I would be if I weren't born into a place with the System," I tell him. "That hard locks our stats such as how strong we are. However, another thing Ash revealed to me last night was that all Rank 5s are transcendent. It's the only way to let us enjoy our higher abilities through the System. Rank 4s are people whose souls were cleansed, but had nearly transcended at some point before."

"All Rank 5s, huh?"

"Yeah," I confirm. "Through various methods. There are more than a dozen ways to transcend. And one last thing you might want to know about this topic is the reason you and other gods feel as if Griffin and I are superior to them."

"It relates to transcendence?" He asks. "It can't be just the method, can it? I only feel that way with the two of you. There are other Rank 5s who are body transcendents, right?"

"There are," I confirm. "Specifically, it's the number of times we've transcended. Transcending evolves one's soul, for a lack of a better term. It's still technically a 'mortal-type' soul which is why it's possible to reincarnate. At least, for the first time or two. Ash says that he's never heard of a triple-transcendent reincarnating once they reach that state.

"That evolution is why you have that inferior feeling to me and Griffin," I tell him. "We've both transcended more than once. Griffin has three times, though technically four. He can't reincarnate, either, as he's a Celestial. Did you ever notice him not having a soul?"

That didn't seem to come up before but it's a pretty large detail to miss.

"I noticed that he's able to conceal his energies," Ryan tells me. "I can't feel any energy from him, so just assumed he knew how to conceal that, too. He's a Celestial?"

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"He is," I confirm. "He apparently just likes to run clubs."

"How does Ash know all of this?" Ryan asks.

"He's a Celestial, too," I answer. "I'm not, though – I'm something called a Rift Wolf, and we produce aether naturally. That's why my eyes are purple: I have an innate affinity for it from my real self."

"Never heard of those before," he says. "Must be restricted information for reincarnation, then."

"Probably," I shrug. "Anyway, Ash is the third-eldest Celestial and Griffin is the fourth-eldest. I asked them about the Celestial Aster was talking about when he said that one had given the government some dragon meat… turns out that it was Griffin. He got bored and hunted a dragon, apparently. As for Aster, he is the second-eldest Celestial."

"And their king is the first," Ryan says.

"And also my older brother."

"Pardon?" He nearly swerves off the road but his Rank 5 Awakened reflexes kick in and he corrects before we've moved an inch off course. "Your older brother is the King of the Celestials?"

"I think he's annoyed by me reincarnating a lot."

Ryan snorts in response to that.

We talk a little bit more about what I've learned and remembered the past couple of days, though I do leave out some information. He's glad to finally know why he and other gods feel inferior to me, though. It's a matter of how many times my soul has evolved compared to his. Other types of reincarnated transcendent beings aren't as sensitive to soul influence, which is why it's mainly gods who feel that way.

I didn't bother asking Ash how many times I've transcended since it was obvious and I'd like to figure out the other one on my own.

Since triple-transcendent ones can't reincarnate, but I give off the feeling I'm superior to those who've only done it once and are sensitive to souls, that means I've transcended twice. Doing it via aether and mana aren't possibilities since Celestials can't reincarnate and a demigod nature overrides any other transcendence for how remembering the past works. Transcendence via an element also changes the soul into a different type so I couldn't have done it that way.

Without knowing about more methods of transcendence and their effects on reincarnates, I'll probably have to wait until I learn more or until I remember directly.

Rift Wolves are also immune to that soul influence, which is why I don't feel inferior to Griffin or Ash.

We talk more as we travel to the central district, where the announcement will be made. At the very heart of Central District is a massive park – over two miles in diameter, with the center being a large wooded section with some grassy areas and a lake. I came here a few times when I was little, before I got a permit to become a scavenger.

Being a scavenger was easier than going to school and there are some jobs they'll let children do if they want and can prove themselves at it. Scavenging is one of those since scavengers have an extremely low chance of encountering actual dangers, especially in Category 1-1 Dungeons. The job is also important enough to society that those who perform it aren't required to attend classes.

The announcement is being done near the southern edge of the park, and the stage for it has already been set up. Several Awakened stand at the ready as guards just in case something happens, and I recognize a couple of them.

Kelsey stands on the stage in her full armor, staff at the ready. She's fixed her hair into a tight braid and is scanning the crowd for potential threats to the non-Awakened bureau members around. The rep who's doing the speaking is an Awakened but not all bureau members are.

Nearby the stage but not on it is Barry, who's dressed in his purple-and-silver robe. Not many mages actually wear robes since they're generally impractical, but Barry very much prefers it. In his right hand, he carries his mage's staff, a slightly-gnarled staff with a purple crystal floating above it, several smaller grey ones circling around that.

That's not the same one I saw last time so it's probably new. Also very high-quality, if it's got floating crystals rather than attached ones.

Held on Barry's left hip is Colby. The grey shorts and purple sleeveless shirt he's wearing are probably what his dad's wearing underneath the robe. He's even wearing a trio of bracelets made to imitate storage bracelets on his right wrist and a pair of children's black combat boots.

As much as he likes to dress like his dad, he's not allowed to wear a robe or the leather armor his dad wears beneath it. That disappoints the tyke and I'm sure it won't be long before my friend starts allowing him to wear imitation ones.

"You weren't called for guard duty?" I ask.

"I offered," Ryan tells me. "But they felt it would be overkill to have Rank 5s over Level 20 acting as guards. Kelsey might be the strongest one here right now. On guard duty, that is. And they wanted people who are better at crowd control for normal crowds. I'm good at it for monsters."

That makes sense. Awakened aren't likely to cause trouble without the Dark Infection and the ones hired for guard duty are mostly here to deter normal people from doing anything. If there is a problem, Kelsey can use some of her nature magics to paralyze or sedate. Barry has spatial magics he can use to bend the area around the stage and prevent someone from rushing it or throwing things at it.

It's a real concern that normal people would do that as it's happened before. There's been an instigator at some announcements before – not in our city but in others – and the bureau wants to make sure that with an announcement like this, they can have peace and calm to ensure their statements are heard.

"Alright," I say. "I'm going to say 'hi' to Barry and Colby real quick."

"Mind if I come with?"

"Not at all," I answer. "Come on."

We head over to where Barry is and the moment Colby spots me, he waves and starts tugging on his dad's sleeve.

"What's up?" Barry looks at his son.

"Hey, Barry," I say, and my friend looks over.

"Oh, hey Evan, Ryan," he says, then looks at Colby. "You wanted to say hi to Uncle Evan?"

Colby nods, then reaches out for me. Barry passes his son to me and I bounce the kid a little once I'm holding him on my side.

"Came to hear the announcement in-person, I take it?" Barry asks.

"Yeah," I answer. "Mostly 'cause Ryan was coming."

"They gave us their estimates," he tells me. "Based on some chatter they've picked up, they do expect something to happen. Nothing we can't handle and another with spatial powers is preemptively putting up a warping. They're a fair bit stronger than me and can do it in such a way that it won't seem like there's anything different."

Of course someone who found out about the lack of Dungeons who wants to cause problems. At least I know they won't succeed in anything.

"Probably Meredith, then," Ryan says. "She's the strongest dimensionalist I know and she can do that sort of thing."

"That's her, yeah," Barry says. "It's almost time to start. Colby? Time to go to Grandma and Grandpa."

Colby looks at his dad, then looks up at me and stares.

"Or… would you mind, Evan?" Barry asks. "I think he wants to hang out with you."

"Not at all," I shift Colby and move him up onto my shoulders, and the little guy holds onto my head while I hold onto his legs for added support. "This will give him a good view."

"Thanks," Barry smiles. "He's been wondering about the next time he gets to stay at your place. You left out in the last pick-up report that you'd let him eat as much candy and ice cream as he wanted."

"And cake, too," I add. "We baked a cake and ate the whole thing."

"You say that with such a straight face," Barry laughs. "I'm amazed he even slept with all that sugar."

"Sugar crashes," I chuckle. "They hit hard. Let's go find a spot where we won't obstruct anyone's views, Ryan."

"I'm going to go in place now," Barry tells me. "Talk again after."

Barry gives Colby a light tap on the forehead, then heads toward the stage while Ryan and I find a good spot. A few minutes later, a spokesman for the bureau walks onto the stage and the event begins.

"Good morning, everyone," he says. "My name is Harold and I am here on behalf of the Bureau of Magic Management to discuss something some of you may have heard about already. For around a week now, no new Dungeons have formed, and no new Awakened have appeared. However-"

Harold cuts off as a loud cracking noise fills the air. From the very center of the park, an immense tree grows. Everyone else's attention turns to it as I make sure Colby doesn't fall off of my shoulders as he looks up, his grip on me tightening as the feeling of an immense, third-tier soul pushes on him and everyone around us regardless of their sensitivity to such a thing.

The tree continues to grow until it's trunk is around five hundred feet in diameter and more than seven hundred in height. Its canopy stretches hundreds of feet in all directions, shading a significant portion of the park. No leaves of any tree have ever been as true a green as those, and even from here they seem to glimmer in the sun above. That's an effect caused by the golden veins within the leaves. Spread across the thousands of branches of the great tree are pink flowers, and I'm sure some of them even bear fruit.

"Hello, mortals," a deep, ancient voice fills the air as the bark of the tree splits to form a mouth and a pair of lavender-colored eyes. "I am a being beyond your comprehension, one of the managers of the universe itself and a being above and older than the gods, with power far beyond that which even they could possess.

"There is no need to panic over the lack of Dungeons and new Awakened," the great tree says. "Continue your lives as normal and ignore those who claim shortages will occur. Anyone who buys in excess over fear will find all they buy rotting as punishment for contributing to a shortage. Do not make others suffer, or I shall make you suffer. Those who attempt to instigate panic and chaos over the changes will find their lives after death even more of a suffering.

"This is my law as the First of the World Trees," he says. "Enacted upon this world now."

Silence hangs in the air, not a single animal making a peep. Even the wind itself seems to have fallen silent from his presence.

"The System will return to full operation soon," the great tree states. "It has simply been shifted into a reduced mode temporarily. Though we could always turn it off instead…"

He lets the threat hang in the air for a few moments before speaking again.

"Abide by this law and none shall suffer."

The eyes and mouth of the tree close and return to a state of bark once more. The pressure caused by such an immense tier three soul fades as well, though everyone else is still affected by it. It might take them some time to recover.

Should I have brought a chair?