Grandma Muriel, is that you? Did I die?

“Dollar?”

Dollar groaned as he heard his name called, shifting as the wooden floorboards dug into his hip. He didn’t want to wake up, he was too comfortable. His clothes fluttered gently over his skin, and he felt like he was lying on a bed of wind and air. The breeze flowed across his ears and ruffled his hair, a calm sweeping through him like he was surrounded by a shield of safety.

“DOLLAR.”

The voice crashed against his perfect world and Dollar frowned. Then something brushed against his cheek, pinching it until a deep piercing pain filled his body.

Ow. OW.

“Mitsy, what the heck are you doing?” Dollar’s eyelids flung open and his golden-almond eyes watered as they took in the sight of his gently lit bedroom.

A pair of emerald green eyes met his and he saw Mitsy withdrawing her arm.

“Oink,” Bill stood beside her and joy laced his voice.

The uni-pig shuffled close to Dollar, though he didn’t brush against him, and Bill lowered his horn and patted it against Dollar’s cheek.

“Seriously, what are you doing?” Dollar wrestled with Bill as he tried to push the grec’s horn away.

Mitsy’s eyes were wide, but not in their usual playful attitude. “I could say the exact same thing!”

“What are you talking about?” Dollar grunted.

Then he realized what was wrong. Mitsy was eye level with him. Or rather, he was eye level with her. Which was impossible since he barely reached her chest when standing at full height.

“Did you get shorter?” Dollar asked. “Wait, no, that’s not right.”

Dollar looked down and held back a gasp. His body was resting on a mass of air that was warping with power, and his body was floating on top of it as the mass forced up winds that churned around him.

“What the hell is this?!” He shouted.

Bill looked at it and then back at him. “Oink.”

Dollar followed the grec’s gaze and his heart sank. The mass of twisted reality was just a side effect, and a series of blue boxes confirmed his fears.

[Aura Sense has reached level 2.]

[Aura Sense has reached level 3.]

[Aura Sense has reached level 4.]

…

[Aura Sense has reached level 8.]

[Aura Sense has reached level 9.]

[Aura Sense has reached level 10.]

Between the Progenitor’s realm and Ength, I’ve seen more than enough aura to last a lifetime.

Dollar’s thoughts paused as he gazed at the middle of the ball. There was a giant glowing silver and gold mass composed of aura, pulsating dangerously below him.

Is that Ength’s aura? Oh crap. This is not good.

He tapped the ball and it sparked with light, eerily similar to a bomb.

Correction. This is very, very not good.

“Dollar, what is this?” Mitsy asked. “Because it looks like it's about to blow us into oblivion.”

“Okay, no need to panic,” Dollar panicked. “This is just the power of a being with the ability to-, well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty if this got out.”

“It’s a little late for that,” Mitsy said dryly. Despite her cavalier attitude Dollar could see the edges of her eyes tightening with anxiety. “Please tell me this is your bloodline ability and I’m not standing next to an uncontrollable ball of energy so powerful it could wipe away my existence.”

Bill trotted back at her words, making sure his horn was nowhere near the mass. A second later he pushed his head forward, grinning as the winds flowed through his fur. His clomping hooves resonated as he moved in time with the breeze, and the sight allowed Dollar to relax and think.

“That’s a complicated answer,” Dollar said. “But no, it’s not going to kill us. Not directly.”

Dollar pushed himself off the energy, hoping that the act wouldn’t cause him to explode from the inside out. His hand brushed against the mass of aura, and he jolted.

“Oh, it didn’t hurt me,” Dollar waved his unharmed hand testily. “Good.”

The sensation of touching the aura wasn’t comfortable by any stretch of the word, but while his mind reacted like he was reaching into boiling water, his body didn’t suffer any harm. With a hop he bounced toward the floor, pausing in place as Mitsy caught him by the sides and gently lowered him to the ground.

“Thank you,” Dollar nodded at her.

“I wouldn’t thank me yet,” Mitsy shook her head. “You’d better come outside.”

She eyed the mass of energy he’d been sitting on warily as she spoke. Ength’s aura was strong enough that she could see it even without the required [skill]. Its presence was enough to cause even the heartiest of adventurers to be cautious.

Bill glanced curiously at the ball before moving through the open doorway, accompanied by Mitsy and then Dollar. The uni-pig sat down until Dollar passed by, and then joined him as he walked through the house. Mitsy leaned over Dollar and shut the door behind him as he moved.

“So, that was weird,” she said.

Crack.

The door shattered into fragments, and those fragments crunched as they disintegrated into nothingness. They’d been crushed and pulped by the ball of energy. The mass floated in the remains of the entryway, small enough to squeeze through the frame and surrounded by the jagged remains of the door it had killed.

Ength’s aura was following Dollar. He looked down and activated [Aura Sense], and he could see a thin stream of the aura tethered to his body.

“Hmm,” Dollar eyed the connection warily.

His thoughts were swept aside as Mitsy placed a hand on his back and pushed him forward.

“Keep moving,” Mitsy didn’t miss a beat. “Bill, walk in front of Dollar please.”

This is Mitsy, the adventurer. Dollar thought. In control and acting when needed.

The grec didn’t need to be told twice. Bill gave Dollar a reassuring nudge to the side before skipping ahead. They raced through the house, making sure to leave the doors open as Ength’s aura continued to follow them. Dollar glanced back and frowned as he saw smidgens of aura fleeing into the air. Unlike the mass, those minor segments didn’t cause any disturbances, and were instantly replaced as they escaped.

However, he did see exactly where they went.

The silver aura flew into the ground, merging harmlessly with the sand and dissipating. The gold stayed for longer.

I can deal with that.

Dollar’s footfalls froze as he reached the entrance of the house.

“That might be a bit difficult to handle,” Dollar said.

Mitsy and Bill paused as well, their eyes rising toward the top of the dome and then beyond it.

“Oink,” Bill said, shaking his head.

A world distorted by a million glimmering shards of light greeted Dollar. Reality had destabilized throughout the lake, and in its place was Ength’s aura. The light floated in the water, forming glittering rock-like formations that swayed in the gentle current of the lake. Thousands of fish and other creatures had gathered in giant swarms, rising to investigate, and millions of scales shone brilliantly as they reflected Ength’s aura into the depths.

“This is aura,” Mitsy said, with certainty in her voice. “I’ve heard of it, but this one is more powerful than I could have ever imagined.”

Dollar’s first thought was that the Progenitor’s sea of light had somehow leaked into the world through his bloodline, but a quick look around dispelled that theory. He’d witnessed golden aura when entering the Progenitor’s realm, but that wasn’t the first time he’d seen a familiar phenomenon.

The Progenitor didn’t do this. I did this. Dollar frowned.

“Where is it coming from?” Dollar asked.

Even as he asked the question, he knew the answer. The mass was tethered to him and constantly flickered as pieces of Ength’s aura escaped from it. Each new addition added to the light’s numbers and strengthened them.

A cacophony of blue boxes sat at the edge of his vision, vying for his attention.

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 4.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 5.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 6.]

…

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 33.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 34.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 35.]

[Ength’s Touch (Legendary): Efficiency of all crafted symbols, symbol variations, and symbol arrays increases by 55%. This boost will increase at higher levels.]

[Change: 23% -> 55%.]

“The aura is using one of my [skills] as a conduit to manifest into reality,” Dollar grimaced. “I just got a lot of System notifications.”

With each passing second, he could feel his ability activating further, placing the divine’s touch not just onto symbols, but onto reality itself. Without anywhere to go, Ength’s aura was ejecting into reality, hoping to fill it as best it could.

That wasn’t the only ability to increase.

[A Will Eternal has reached level 5.]

[A Will Eternal has reached level 6.]

[A Will Eternal has reached level 7.]

…

[A Will Eternal has reached level 10.]

[A Will Eternal has reached level 11.]

[A Will Eternal has reached level 12.]

It isn’t as big of an increase as [Ength’s Touch] but pitting my will against that of a being infinitely more powerful than me has its benefits. Dollar stared at the meteoric rise in levels.

As Dollar stepped out into the sand, he could feel [Ength’s Touch] activating again. Like a fatal attraction Ength’s aura and [Ength’s Touch] were colluding, but he didn’t know what the end goal was. As far as he could see the lake was being cut off from the rest of the world. Above all, he could feel the symbol’s call billowing out as though it and the aura were mixed as one.

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 36.]

[Change: 55% -> 56%.]

“So, what’s the plan?” Dollar asked.

“Can you break that big ball following you?” Mitsy glanced at him. “I don’t know what your [skill] is doing, but it’s definitely related. Turning it off should help.”

Dollar didn’t deny her words. It was obvious from the fact that the mass of aura was following him wherever he moved. In fact, when he probed his [skill] he felt like he could break the connection at any time. It was like he had turned on a tap and unleashed a torrent of water that only he could turn off.

The question is whether turning it off will cause a backlash. Dollar pondered. I can’t just go shutting off something like this and expect it to comply willingly. The progenitor suffered heavily for trying to go against Ength.

Dollar shuddered. If that power turned against him, his body would be crushed like his door had been.

“Stop.” Dollar held up his hand and Mitsy and Bill paused. “Let me focus for a second,” Dollar sat down on the sand, shifting it to the side and making himself comfortable.

A second later Bill plopped down beside him, sending a spray of loose sand over his legs.

[Aura Sense has reached level 11.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 37.]

[Change: 56% -> 57%.]

“Status screen,” Dollar said.

Name: Dollar Tiberius.

Class: A Will Eternal.

Bloodline: Bond of the Divine.

Affinity: Spatial.

Adventurer rank: Bronze.

Symbologist rank: Silver.

Affiliations: Members of the Adventurer’s Guild of Cresta. Member of the Symbologist Guild of Ioa.

Stats:

Level: 51.

Mana: 420.

Life Essence: 98.

Intelligence: 42.

Wisdom: 44.

Stamina: 155.

Dexterity: 183.

Available stats to assign: 50.

Available core points to assign: 2.

Bonded companion: None selected.

Divine bonds remaining: 1.

Skill list:

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

General:

Language - Symbols (Epic): Level 1 (Max).

A Will Eternal (Legendary): Rank 1, level 12.

Aura:

Aura Sense (Epic): Level 11.

Symbology:

Symbol Crafting (Uncommon): Rank 1, level 18.

Symbol Memorisation (Uncommon): Rank 1, level 50.

Symbol Library (Uncommon): Rank 1, level 50.

Symbol Variation (Rare): Rank 1, level 9.

Symbol Obscurity (Rare): Rank 1, level 50.

Symbol Divination (Rare): Rank 1, level 5.

Symbol Communication (Rare): Rank 1, level 8.

Symbol Array Deconstruction (Epic): Rank 1, level 15.

Symbol Negation (self) (Epic): Rank 1, level 7.

Defy Death - Symbols (Epic): Rank 1, level 2.

Transcriber of Reality (Epic): Rank 1, level 8.

Ength’s Touch (Legendary): Rank 1, level 37.

Dollar frowned as he realized he had stat points available to assign. He’d gotten caught out by the sudden onslaught and hadn’t been able to assign them anywhere during the emergency. Dexterity would help him with his symbols. Life essence would likely boost his bloodline’s abilities. And finally, intelligence would increase his mana, which would help his magic though he currently had no spells.

It wasn’t a tough decision.

[Life Essence: 98 -> 118.]

[Free stats: 50 -> 30.]

[Dexterity: 183 -> 213.]

[Free stats 30 -> 0.]

Dollar’s fingers tapped his status screen, and he shuddered as he felt The System boosting his abilities. On a whim he activated his [Aura Sense], examining his aura closely as his life essence increased. Within his aura he could see the silver being flooded with a wave of golden lights, it was hard to quantify, but he was willing to bet it was approximately twenty stat points worth. Instead of increasing in size, his aura solidified slightly, hardening, and shifting until the silver was plated with the gold to form a tighter version of himself.

Rather than quantity, his aura was increasing in quality. When he turned off his aura sense, he was surprised to see his skin flecked with small black spots, and when he wiped them away, they revealed clearer skin.

Did my stats just make me better looking? Dollar frowned.

“Alright, that’s my stats done,” Dollar rose, a smile crossing his lips. Billed looked at him curiously, then nodded, trust filling the uni-pig’s opal eyes.

“Can you stop the aura?” Mitsy asked again.

“I can stop it coming out of me, but I can’t get rid of what’s already released,” He looked at the ball behind him. It was hovering above the ground, but Bill had made several mounds of sand while playing and whenever the aura touched them, it turned the sand into glass.

“Right now, it’s not spreading far,” Mitsy ignored the horrific implications of the destroyed sand. “If it continues to flow into the bottom of the lake, we might be able to send it fully into the caverns and just let it dissipate over time.”

“Sounds like a plan, but I need to talk to an expert first,” Dollar said.

It's time for me to have a talk with my grandmother.

His gaze swept across the area and he quickly found his quarry. Levia had found a place for herself at the edge of the dome, gazing up at the lights through the cracks between Lotan’s massive tentacles. They glimmered like stars in her ocean-blue eyes, creating a picture of serenity. The only indication of stress was her hands, each one clenching tightly onto her blue dress.

She showed me that Ength’s aura could be manipulated.

“Grandmother,” Dollar’s approach startled her, and he held back a smile. “Thank you for your help. I wouldn’t have been able to escape if you hadn’t shown me how.”

“It was nothing,” Levia shook her head.

“If she’d seen you, you would have been killed,” Dollar replied. “You risked your life for me, and I will not forget that.”

A smile crossed her lips. Half relaxed, half jovial. She didn’t believe his words meant much, but he would repay her tenfold for what she’d given him. That was his policy, after all.

“Grandson,” Levia’s eyes fell onto the mass of aura behind Dollar. “This isn’t what I expected.”

“I know,” Dollar replied.

He sat down beside her, patting the ground for her to join him. With a smile she did, and the two sat side by side in harmony as they were illuminated by the lights above them. The mass of Ength’s aura followed him, but he could see Bill and Mitsy giving them space to chat.

“The aura is gathering into the form of crystals. It’s rare, but it happens when aura is concentrated in large quantities,” Levia said. “But the aura is weak right now. Unstable. It should vanish if given enough time.”

“What would make it stay?” Dollar asked.

“Adding more will stabilize it, but there’s not much reason to.”

“Why is it doing this?” Dollar asked. The fact that the lights were covering the surface of the lake seemed too precise to be an accident.

“I was going to ask you the same question,” Levia chuckled. “It is the aura of the being that lays claim to the lake, but not even I know its origins. Did you form a bond with it?”

Dollar shook his head. I don’t have that much of a death wish.

“Curious,” Levia traced the lake’s surface with her eyes and smiled. “Well, regardless, your intentions have become infused with the aura. Protection. Safety. Severance. Your intent filled the aura surrounding us, and since the Progenitor is gone, it is seeking to fulfill your intentions in other ways. It has formed these crystals above us to protect you. I suspect because House Tiberius is there.”

Wait. Is that what’s happening? Dollar took a second to digest the new piece of information. Then he smiled.

Levia stared at Dollar intently. “You must stop it as soon as you can. It will take months for these crystals to dissipate naturally, and I doubt anyone on the other side could break through it without using up intense resources. If it continues, you may be trapped here for years.”

She’s right. Dollar thought. But is that such a bad thing?

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 38.]

[Change: 57% -> 58%.]

“A few more months of solitude,” Dollar murmured. “Interesting.”

The moment the thought crossed his mind, there was a pulse of energy from the ball behind him. His willpower had stopped any more aura from escaping from it, but now it was reaching a breaking point, and it wanted to be released.

Levia glanced at Dollar sharply, but she saw him lost in his own thoughts.

“You broke the connection with the Progenitor,” Levia was the first to break the silence. “I can’t feel our family bond within you. Did you…” She couldn’t bring herself to ask the question.

“No, I’m not like mum,” Dollar answered her unspoken query. “I have the full bloodline. Purity, if you can still call it that. Or rather, something greater.”

He eyed a blue box, and a smile crossed his lips.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the bloodline: Bond of the Divine (full).]

It was called [Bonds of Life] before. Dollar couldn’t tear his gaze away from the message. I empowered it using Ength’s aura. Even now, I can feel it growing as I level up. What does this mean for my bloodline? What does it mean for me?

“Purity.”

Levia sat back, digging her palms into the sand. Then she laughed, the sound like a dozen silver chimes ringing out in the air. It swept over Dollar, a mixture of relief and happiness, and he found himself smiling alongside her.

“Thank the gods,” Levia said. “I was so worried.”

“I never doubted myself,” Dollar replied, smirking as he spoke.

The pieces of the puzzle had all come together for him.

“It confused me at first, why you’d bring me to the center of my House Tiberius’ power, but it was never about them, was it?” Dollar asked.

“The seas care little for the affairs of mankind, and Parelius and House Tiberius were not here before. Only when we arrived did I realize my mistake.” Levia relaxed, her hands digging into the sand below her. “I hope you can forgive me, but I had no choice.”

“I know,” Dollar replied. “I’d tried to unlock my bloodline anywhere else, the Progenitor could have killed me with a thought.”

“The Progenitor. Bah.” Levia tapped her chest where her heart was. “Family has proven difficult, and I apologize for that. I did not expect you to dismantle her influence and keep the bloodline.”

She paused, and her expression softened. “I’m proud of you, Dollar.”

The words sent a ripple of emotion through Dollar, and he found himself looking down at the ground.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

[Aura Sense has reached level 12.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 39.]

[Change: 58% -> 59%.]

“There’s just one thing confusing me,” Dollar continued.

“Oh?” Levia turned to him, her eyes taking on a gold tint.

Is that what I look like when I have my [Aura Sense] activated? Dollar wondered.

“If you’re wondering why your aura took the form of an adult, then that’s also because of your intent. Often, life essence takes on the properties of your will as well as your hopes and dreams. In this case, your aura has taken the form of the person you wish to become. Though I have never seen an aura so distinct in shape before,” Levia’s face lit up with pride. “Perhaps I have underestimated your life’s circumstances. They have toughened your will beyond your years. Though I didn’t foresee so many muscles as being part of your dreams. You’ll have to work hard for those.”

“Yes, that must be it,” Dollar kept a straight face. He would use that explanation in the future. “But I was actually going to ask why the progenitor does this. She doesn’t just give out bloodlines for free, does she?”

The Progenitor’s reaction to his attempt to sever her connection had been too extreme. She had to be profiting somehow. Also, Dollar refused to believe that his ancestor would give her power for free. Nobody could do something so horrible.

Levia pursed her lips. “What’s ours is ours, but it is also hers. Every bond. Every stat gain. Every increase in life essence. She gathers her share of each in return for giving us a portion of her power.”

“The progenitor takes a percentage of whatever you gain,” Dollar translated it into terms he understood.

“Yes,” Levia confirmed.

He recalled how the progenitor had tried to snatch away his bloodline at the end, her power carving the bloodline out of his body. “Or she can take it all, if she wants to.”

Levia didn’t reply this time, but her expression was all the answer he needed.

Contrary to Levia’s downfallen expression, Dollar could only think of the positives of the scheme. With each new family member contributing even further to her power, the progenitor could grow indefinitely without moving a finger.

I could benefit from something like that. Not as a follower, but as a leader, Dollar mused.

Using people as bloodline holders, the Progenitor’s sources of power would grow into dozens as people reproduced, then hundreds, and then thousands. The power gained by ripping out their bloodlines was miniscule compared to what could be gained over generations of contributions.

No wonder she didn’t want to erase my bloodline until all other options were exhausted, Dollar thought.

It was a pity that she had chosen to make him her enemy. He had a place for that kind of initiative in his life. And for the people that were ruthless enough to follow it through.

Now, he knew what her scheme was, and eventually, he would think of a way to take it for himself.

“I have not commented on it, but you’re allowing this aura to gather on purpose, aren’t you?” Levia asked. “From the moment I told you what would happen, you stopped trying.”

“It’s true,” Dollar admitted.

His Grandmother placed a hand gently on his shoulder, and he saw worry etched into her features.

“Dollar, this aura is rejecting all that belongs to the Progenitor, including her connection to me. Even now, I can feel it searching through me for avenues to attack, and I fear that if I continue to stay, I will face retaliation from not only it, but the Progenitor herself. She will not be happy, nor will the other clans. I must…figure out my new place. It is complicated, and I will not be able to help you if I leave.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Dollar replied, much to her surprise. “And you should go. I won’t stop you, or resent you for it.”

From what she’s told me, her reputation will have been hit hard. She might even be in danger. Dollar thought. I didn’t know how powerful my grandmother is, but my actions today will bring her a lot of suffering. She doesn't want me to know that, but it's obvious.

Dollar knew he would help his Grandmother when the time came. “If you need help, feel free to let me know, and I’ll come.”

“Thank you, grandson,” Levia grinned, a beaming expression that illuminated the air around her more than Ength’s aura. “I would teach you how to wield your abilities if I could, but unfortunately, I fear that path would lead only to retaliation against you. I will try to smooth over relations with the clans, and have them leave you be. Nevertheless, think over what I have said. If you truly wish to be at peace for a period of time, then think of the connection between aura and intent. This is a once in a lifetime event, and you can direct the aura around you wherever you wish to.” She pressed a finger to her lips and pointed upward, past the floating crystals and up to the surface of the lake. “Make the right decision when you do.”

With a flourish she rose, her dress unblemished by sand. With a tentative step she left the dome, and Dollar watched her go with a pensive gaze. Lotan’s tentacles lowered until they covered Levia from sight, and her giant eye fell onto Dollar. Then, with a pulse of power that swept across the lake, the leviathan pushed against the crystals and lake water, escaping into the depths and disappearing.

Dollar smiled. He’d seen the titanic being wriggling her tentacles goodbye as she’d left.

“Hey Dollar!”

Mitsy skipped toward him, leaping high into the air at the last moment and landing in front of him, spraying him with sand. Dollar coughed as it clung to his lips, and she giggled at his struggles.

“Aw, I didn’t get to say bye to your grandmother. And hey, am I finally going to hear about the cause of all this craziness?” Mitsy asked, twirling her finger toward the lights above them. “Or better yet, a plan?”

“Yeah,” Dollar explained what was happening, leaving nothing out.

His grandmother was lovely, and she had helped him more than he could imagine today, but he didn’t trust her. Not fully. His trust wasn’t something so easily earned.

Mitsy was different. She was his companion. Someone he trusted.

“Leaving this going is my plan,” Dollar gestured at the ball of aura behind him. “I can direct the aura wherever I want,” Dollar said, “and the most obvious place to put it is into the ground where it’ll cause the least disruption.”

“Oh?” She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in understanding. “But that’s not what you’re thinking, is it?”

Dollar shook his head. “No. It’s not.”

He closed his eyes, turning his thoughts away from the world around him. Independent pieces of information shooting forth to the front of his thoughts and displaying themselves. Dozens appeared together, each one a loose thread that would normally be useless. Within the chambers of his mind he awakened old processes, and emergency gears that had long lain dormant began to turn, waking up to think of a type of plan he hadn’t had to worry about in years. The kind that would lead to the destruction of his enemies.

I doubt that House Tiberius hasn't noticed the giant crystals of aura growing within the lake. Dollar thought. Soon they’ll descend into the depths to investigate the cause. The crystals are annoying to navigate, but they can be bypassed easily. They’ll find the dome and me.

“So, what can I do? What cards do I hold?” Dollar asked himself.

Mitsy opened her mouth to answer, but Bill bumped her side, shaking his horn, and she fell silent.

I’ve been investigating House Tiberius since I arrived. Surely, I must know something. Dollar thought over the pieces of information he’d picked up over the course of his time in the lake and city.

“The five guilds are fighting for dominance.” Dollar turned to Mitsy. “Despite being calm on the surface, they clearly have a lot of influence. And any influence they gain weakens House Tiberius further. Doing something that strengthens them will be to my advantage.”

“It will,” Mitsy said. “But that would hurt the people in the city as well, wouldn’t it?”

Dollar tilted his head to the side. “No. Not as much as you’d think. The city houses tens of thousands of grecs. I went to several more farms that had entire acres dedicated to growing vegetables and fruits. People are unhappy about taxes, but they aren’t starving. In fact, they could survive for years on their own produce. They’re self-sufficient. And most of that is run by the fisherman’s guild.”

“And basics like water and light are guaranteed by common artifacts,” Mitsy’s eyes gleamed as she caught on to his train of thought. “Plus, a lot of ships cross over the lake, but they only bring in quality of life stuff, not supplies people need to survive.” Mitsy’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “House Tiberius can survive a disruption to their supply lines. More importantly, the people of the city can live normally without those supplies coming in.”

“Yes,” Dollar confirmed. “And my uncle’s influence is negligible.Most people don’t care about him. Some don’t even know his name. A single tip either way could make him loved by the people or hated.”

Independently, these pieces of information were scattered and useless. When wielded by a master, they were revealed as jigsaw pieces that could be placed together to form a full picture. And when it came to using information, Dollar was the best there was.

Dollar wove each piece together, gazing at the tapestry it formed.

“I’ve got it,” Dollar said.

“Are you sure you want to do it?” Mitsy asked.

Dollar’s lips curled upward. “Of course.”

He waited for an objection, or even a question, but he could tell from the smile on Mitsy’s face that she knew exactly what he was planning to do. Only Bill looked confused, his opal eyes sparkling as they reflected the crystals floating in the air.

“Oink?” Bill asked.

“My plan is simple,” Dollar turned his attention to the grec. “A single step, in fact.”

Step one: Use the aura to cut off the entire lake from the city above.

There was no step 2.

Bill tilted his head, then looked up. “Oink.”

“Mitsy, do you want me to sever the connection now? I can still scatter this giant ball into the lakebed where it’ll dissipate harmlessly.” Dollar probed. “But if I don’t and my plan works, then we’re going to be stuck here for a while.”

“Keep it going,” Mitsy said without hesitation. “This is a chance that could save you years of trouble. Don’t waste it just because you think I can’t handle a few months in one place.”

“That would be more convincing if you could stay in one place for a few seconds,” Dollar replied.

Mitsy poked her tongue out at Dollar and gave him a playful shove that sent him sprawling into the sand. Bill trotted up to him, and a swish of the grec’s tail sent sand across his chest. The uni-pig chuckled, and then offered his horn to help Dollar up.

That was that.

Dollar focused his will onto the ball of aura beside him. He could feel the mass growing and pulsating dangerously. His forehead beaded with sweat and worry as he walked a fine line between leveling and making sure that the world around him didn’t explode.

I need to control it. But my willpower isn’t strong enough when it's not directed properly, Dollar thought.

“[A Will Eternal].”

As the seconds passed, he could feel his intention infused in the aura, layering it through the use of [A Will Eternal]. There was a thin line of aura fluttering out of his chest and into the mass, increasing its size, and he probed it, wondering if he could sever it without any repercussions.

Only time will tell now.

“It’s leveling you up somehow, isn’t it?” Mitsy asked. She didn’t have a hint of regret in her tone, a stark contrast to when she’d first started asking him about his [skills] and levels.

“One of my [skills] is,” Dollar grinned. “It’s a strong one, but I can control it.”

The mass rippled in response, and Dollar stopped talking, focusing solely on the aura that was ready to explode. Mitsy stepped back as the mass continued to grow, and Bill growled at it, staying by Dollar’s side.

[Aura Sense has reached level 13.]

[Aura Sense has reached level 14.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 40.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 41.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 42.]

…

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 48.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 49.]

[Ength’s Touch has reached level 50.]

[Change: 59% -> 70%.]

Power overwhelming flowed through Dollar as his [skill] increased in level, and he could feel the flow of aura increasing with it. His bloodline pulsated over his heart, clear and free, and strengthened as far as it could be. Above him, Ength’s life force permeated the air like a wave, and he could feel it struggling against his will to assert dominance. The only reason he could maintain a hold was because the divine itself wasn’t here to command it. It was an aura without any will behind it.

But his ability to command the connection was growing fragile. As he reached the level cap of [Ength’s Touch], he could feel his control slipping. If he let go, the only comfort he’d have was the second of ignorant bliss before his body disintegrated into a million pieces.

Okay, nothing to worry about. Dollar lied to himself. This will go fine.

Dollar felt a pull against his chest, and he knew it was time. He focused on [A Will Eternal], and his will solidified, caressing the mass of aura as though it were an extension of his body.

“Shield me.”

A swift pulse of willpower escaped his body, and with a gargantuan effort that tore at his very being he forced the ball of aura to rise. The dome buckled as the mass touched it, and his mind screamed as the limits of his willpower were reached.

Water churned through the hole that was created, and Mitsy shouted in panic, but then she paused, and gaped in surprise.

The dome had repaired itself, and the mass of aura had gone through it.

Rising toward the surface of the lake, the mass of aura beckoned to the nearby crystal, absorbing them into its mass and growing as large as Lotan. The final crystal quickly found its way into the mass, and the aura paused, and quivered. Then, it began to glow brighter.

“Dollar, whatever you just did, do it again right now!” Mitsy shouted.

“I’m…trying…Shield me.” Dollar’s command left his lips as a strangled heave.

The ball of aura paused as his command reached it.

Crack.

Countless undulations surged through its surface, slowly making their way through the entire lake, and the world shook around them.

BOOM.

The ball of aura exploded into an endless stream of silver and gold aura. The light flowed up to the surface, keeping its crystalline pattern but spreading out thinner, and wider, quickly taking on the form of a barrier that covered every inch of water’s surface with the aura of a divine.

Dollar watched the explosion with wide eyes. The aura was spreading far further than he’d expected. According to Grandma Levia, this could last anywhere from a few months to a year.

Above ground, he knew that the City of Tiber had to have taken notice, but the light was spreading too fast and far to be dealt with. He could see it caking the surroundings, passing port Gershwain and spreading toward the Grai Ocean.

The act was a double whammy, buying himself months to prepare, while also cutting off his greatest enemy’s supply line.

“It’s beautiful,” Mitsy said.

“I’ve thought of everything. I have to have.” Dollar said through gritted teeth. “There’s enough food, water, and light for the people.”

Bill and Mitsy glanced at him, and Dollar saw them smiling.

“I expected something about money to come out of your mouth,” Mitsy said.

Dollar blinked in surprise. “Huh. I did too.”

“Good, it’s important not to lose your morality. But when fighting an enemy out to kill you, think of yourself first, and others later,” Mitsy replied.

She sounds a lot like my old self when she’s in bloodlust mode. Dollar noted. Not that that’s bad.

Dollar strengthened his resolve. House Tiberius would lose much, but the city of Tiber would survive.

With a final, gargantuan effort of will that tore through his mind and body and exited into the remaining aura, Dollar directed the barrier to continue growing, ensuring that even if he collapsed the silver and gold aura would continue to strengthen the shield he was creating.

Then, as the world glittered with the light of a million stars, and was bathed in the comfort of divine protection, Dollar cut the connection.

And his world once again went dark.