The Soulmancer’s Ascension

Riven chilled on his phantasmal throne, his eyelids droopy as if he'd fall asleep any moment. Sherine and Zephyr handled the change of environment much better than his predictions. He saw no need to stalk them all day. In fact, he only gazed into their world when they called upon his name.

Sherine didn’t just ask for help this time. She wanted to meet him. It wasn’t a serious matter judging by her voice, her thoughts to be precise.

The duo made it out of the Dark Dimensional Door. Riven raised his brow at Zephyr’s transformation. Sherine’s champion was still on the thinner side, but the muscles underneath his tunic couldn’t be denied. He looked more confident as well, a different outlook from his sickly and quiet appearance.

Riven wasn’t looking at Zephyr’s physical changes, however. He was after the small seed swimming near his heart. The golden seed contained a minuscule amount of Divine Essence.

“You awakened your Divine Core?” Riven asked, baffled. He cast a glance at Zephyr’s status—a privileged skill for Ascendant Gods. “You aren’t level 30. What happened?”

“What can I say, Father-in-Law? I’m just special. What’s with this Divine Core and stuff? Explain it to this ignorant soul.”

His divine core already revealed the origin of Emblems. Shards of Lesser Authorities. He still didn’t know what made a Divine Core and what made it so special.

“You know mana?”

“MP Bar?”

Riven shook his head in disapproval. “It’s more than a simple fuel for magic and skills. Mana is the life force of every organic being.”

“Life force? Shouldn’t mana be linked to the Health attribute, then? Why do we have an extra Magic attribute?”

His Health was lower than his Magic, which made no sense with Riven’s explanation.

“Every world linked to the Void Archives is alive and breathing. The world’s core circulates mana throughout its lands to revitalize life forms. Magic attribute displays your limits to handle mana. The more you raise this limit, the more mana your body can circulate from your own life force and the surrounding environment. Is that simple enough, boy?”

“I see. Then what is this Divine Core?”

Riven nodded and explained the things he knew. Divine Essence was a source of energy exclusive to those with Emblems, the shard of Lesser Authorities, and Complete Lesser Authorities. While mana thrived in all beings linked to the Void Archives, an Emblem required Divine Essence to exert its full power.

The Divine Core acted as a container and generated Divine Essence through different means. Soul Essence for Soulmancy, Fire Essence for Pyromancy, and so on.

“There is a saying among gods. Once the seed cracks through the soil and sprouts three leaves, a new divinity shall emerge. Your seed has just taken root.”

Riven acted like a wise old man even though he appeared like a teen. Zephyr shook his head. At least Riven acted mature today, not his childish self.

“The first step. How far will the next step take?” Zephyr asked, skeptical. He was Level 23, an insignificant number in the grand scheme of things. “Sherine, do you have a Divine Core?”

“Dragons have horns to store Divine Essence,” Sherine said, touching her single horn. “As a half-dragon, I have an incomplete Divine Core and an incomplete Lesser Authority over Fate. I can partially glimpse into the future… I want to get better at it.”

She might see years into the future or just a day ahead—nothing was concrete with her clairvoyance. She had the drive to improve her Lesser Authority but lacked the means to do so. Her horn didn’t talk to her; it wasn’t truly compatible with her, or it had yet to develop its consciousness. And her father also refused to expand her knowledge on the matter. He had most knowledge on Sherine’s divinity from his wife, despite that he didn’t squeak a single word as if he saw no need to talk about the Dragon of Fate, her mother.

The power of foresight would be an immense help on their journey. If only she could control it.

Zephyr patted her back. “Who cares about looking into the future? I’d become more paranoid if you saw my death someday.”

Future Sight was a skill he’d kill to have. Yet, he lied to cheer her up.

“Your evolution,” Riven said. “If your Divine Core agrees, you should go with forced evolution.”

Riven acted oblivious to the brewing dissatisfaction in Sherine’s heart.

“Forced route,” Zephyr whispered. “Sure.”

The Emblem never stopped sending its confident calls since it awakened. At this point, he may as well listen to his Divine Core.

Riven summoned a dense fog and transformed it into a bed with a flick of his hand. “Lie down. Sherine, leave us alone. I don’t want him to be distracted.”

“I want that creation ability. Can I have it?” Zephyr asked as he rested his butt on the soft bed. Riven was his future Father-in-Law, his second relative in this life. He had earned the right to exploit Riven.

Riven rubbed his forehead. “You’ll be able to learn in the future.”

“Good. How long will evolution take?”

His Divine Core wasn’t intelligent enough to comprehend the concept of time. Riven wouldn’t summon a bed and send off Sherine if the evolution was instant.

“One day at least,” Riven smiled, amused. “Can’t stay away from your new home for one day?”

“One day?! Why?”

“I have to make sure your foundation is right. You’ll turn into a mediocre god without a solid foundation for your Lesser Authorities. I’ll not compromise on it.”

To accompany Sherine all his life, he needed to be a god. And Riven would do everything to make it happen, even if it took centuries.

Zephyr sighed and lay on the bed, clearly depressed. Xander’s party would depart in the early morning. His evolution won’t be finished before tomorrow afternoon. He wasn’t going inside the Chronos Chamber with Xander without evolving.

‘Should I return and tell Xander to hold off the expedition?’

Returning to Gallowind Town would take five to six hours. Xander won’t bother stopping his expedition for a day, not after he calls his guild members from Altissia City. Zephyr also couldn’t send Athena lest the hunters end up attacking her for her precious eyes.

“No Chronos Chamber for me,” he whispered. “Sherine, play with Athena until I return.”

Athena was put inside the Sheze house until they returned. She’d have to put up with the quiet Sherine for a day.

Sherine remained in her position, biting her lips and clenching his fists. Her determined expression convinced Riven that something was wrong with her.

“I’ll return to the town and tell Xander to stop.”

Zephyr sat up in an instant, shock written over his face. He had counted Sherine out since she was shy and taciturn with outsiders like an introvert.

“Zephyr, give me a chance,” Sherine said. “I can handle it.”

She could talk to others with his idea—communicating through written words. Zephyr was so hyped to enter the Chronos Chamber, and so was she. She wasn’t letting her champion be unhappy. They’d explore the Chronos Chamber, even if she had to deal with the obnoxious Xander on her own.