Soulstream (Rise To Omniscience Book 10), page 51
Intelligence - 1,774
Wisdom - 1,720
Traits - Eternal Soul, Perfect Aura Control, Devourer, King’s Might
Skills - Gravity Release, Bestial Might, Starforge, Earth Mastery, Expanse, Rift, Beast Soul, Spectral Sword
Superior - Infernal Star, Light Star, Meteoric Downfall, Continental Collapse, Soulstream
Ultimate - Eternity Beam, Sunscorch, World Breaker
Having already expected the increases to his individual attributes, Morgan was more interested in inspecting the new skill he’d earned. It was an unexpected addition, but one that he was more than happy to have.
Spectral Sword - Summon a sword of chaotic energy with the ability to cut through time and space.
Cost - 5,000 RP
Duration - 5 minutes
Cooldown - 30 minutes
If he understood the skill correctly, and he was pretty sure he did, he now had the ability to inflict damage to an opponent in both the past and future. Additionally, he could cut through the air in front of him and theoretically damage an opponent halfway across the world.
The time concept was a bit hard for him to wrap his head around, as he wasn’t sure how damaging someone in the past would affect their present. Would the wound show up as soon as he had the intention, or would he physically need to make the gesture?
On top of that, once he swung the sword, would this version of his opponent have bled or suffered enough, or would the wound he inflicted, not appear on this version of his opponent at all, but rather, on the version in the past? Meaning that a future Morgan would have used the same ability, meaning that his opponent could be injured at any time?
Even thinking about it made his head hurt. Everything else was straightforward enough. Trigger an injury in the future. Easy. An injury through space. Also easy. An injury in the past. Much more complicated.
Morgan closed his status, his eyes fixing once more on the beast floating above the wall. Hex hadn’t moved, even when Morgan’s attention had shifted away from him. It seemed the beast wasn’t one to sneak attack either, and why should he bother if he was the most powerful one present?
“Woah!” Sarah exclaimed, dragging Morgan’s attention away from the floating beast.
“What is it?” he asked, half-turning to look at her.
“Elves!” Sarah exclaimed, pointing back over her shoulder.
Morgan turned completely and saw that, sure enough, elves were pouring from an open portal. He couldn’t see Elyssa among their number, but figured that she must be somewhere in their midst. Either that, or she’d elected to remain behind in protest, refusing to the very end to help.
Whichever option turned out to be true would decide her fate once this battle was over. Hers, as well as the other leaders’ of Faeland, as he could now see dwarves, trolls, and beastmen all coming through different portals all along the border.
He briefly caught a glimpse of Ragnar, the King of the Dwarves, as well as Horgush, the troll leader. He didn’t see any other though. Still, the extra reinforcements were unexpected and would undoubtedly be helpful in the battle to come.
His eyes flickered upward to where the sun had continued its ascent into the sky, still blocked by whatever obstruction Hex was causing. So, the eclipse remained, tinging the sky an odd shade of red.
Their group stood in place as siege machines were rolled up. Catapults, oversized crossbows, and modified mana cannons were all set to strike the city from all sides. Morgan looked to his left, where all of the leaders were gathering on another small hill.
“Shall we?” he asked Sarah, extending a hand.
“Wait here,” Sarah told Grace, before going to join him. “We’ll be right back.”
Grace, who looked like she wanted to do anything less, pouted as the two of them took off, heading to the gathering place of the leaders.
82
“…I think that’s the last of them,” Le’vine was saying as the two of them touched down.
Everyone turned as they landed, the conversation pausing for a moment as Morgan took in all who were gathered here. Katherine, Le’vine, Beatrice, and Hu Kiln were all there. He had no idea what had happened to Herald but didn’t expect the man to show his face anywhere near the Five Kingdoms. At least, if he valued his life.
From Faeland though, only Ragnar and Horgush stood there, along with Ivaldi, the dwarf who’d managed to pull the dome down. According to him, Herald had run off as soon as he’d been set free, though Morgan could tell the dwarf was lying. Regardless, Ivaldi had gotten the job done, so he wasn’t going to pry.
As far as he was concerned, only one god remained on this world – well, aside from Gold anyway – and that was the other Morgan. Two enemies remained. One was floating just a couple of hundred yards away, and the other was hiding in the unknown. Morgan had a feeling that if the battle started going badly for Hex, his counterpart might make an appearance.
“Where are the others?” Morgan asked, turning to Ivaldi, trusting that the smith wouldn’t try obstructing any information like the leaders would.
“Decided to stay behind,” Ivaldi said with a shrug. “The people tried to talk sense to them, but they refused to listen. So, the people made their own choice.”
“I don’t understand why Elyssa of all people would act this way,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “I thought she had more sense than this.”
Ragnar let out a long sigh, looking sad.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately. She kept going back and forth, changing and unchanging her mind over and over again. When the people decided they were coming, regardless of her decision, I thought for sure that she would come join us. Seems I was wrong.”
“We’re not so surprised about the other two,” Horgush continued. “Malachi is extremely bitter about the war, especially after losing so many of his wives, and Tagar doesn’t want to risk any more of his people after they were devastated in the rebellion. But their people spoke for themselves and after supplies were completely cut off, they began asking questions.
“When it came out about the war and the leaders’ refusal to help, a few…rebellious types, shall we call them, roused the people to come fight for those who saved them from their doomed continent. Suffice it to say that it worked,” he finished gesturing around to the near-fifty thousand fighters from across the five races.
“So, I take it that everyone has gathered here before the commencement of the battle.”
Everyone turned to see the dark giraffe, Inksworth, ascending the hill, followed by Konk, Scratchy, and Cranky, the four remaining Pinnacle beasts from their group of bestial allies.
“Yes,” Katherine said, taking control of the conversation. “With you here, all our forces are present and accounted for. In total, we number at just over a million, which is nearly twice the soldiers our enemy has.
“Still, we can’t be too careful, which is why our first task will be to tear those walls down. Once they’re out of the way, we move in, destroying all of the monsters-”
“Goblins,” Morgan interrupted.
Katherine gave him a questioning look and Morgan replied.
“Hex’s minions aren’t ordinary monsters. They’re perfect versions of the creatures the other Pinnacle Kings used. His minions are strong, smart, and will work together in units, instead of as slavering, mindless monsters.”
“How do you know all this?” Katherine asked.
In answer, Morgan simply pointed to his eyes, then tapped the side of his head.
“Right…Stupid question,” Katherine said, then cleared her throat and continued. “Our mission as the leaders will be to command our separate forces in ensuring that not a single monster escapes.
“These creatures are dangerous, and while they will die after their Pinnacle King is killed, there is no telling the damage they’ll be able to inflict if left unchecked. So, while Morgan holds that monster back, we’re going to push into the city and retake the castle. Once we have that, we can surround the enemy and wipe them out completely! Additionally, although this may be an unpopular opinion, if you see any of the goblins infect an ally, kill them. Trust me when I say that you’ll be doing both parties involved a favor.
“Before we head out, does anyone have anything to add?”
Surprisingly enough, it was Ivaldi who spoke up once more.
“I made this thing to disrupt the control a Pinnacle King has over its minions,” he said, pulling a device from nowhere. “I have a feeling that it won’t work as well against these goblins though, if they’re as different as Morgan says.
“What I’d like is for someone to capture one of these creatures for me and bring it back behind the lines so that I can experiment. If I can find a way to disrupt its control, we can save a lot of lives.”
Everyone gaped at the dwarf as he spoke, Katherine most of all.
“Okay,” she said after a few more moments of silence. “Let’s make getting a goblin a top priority. You brought the portal down, so I have no doubt you can make this device work. My only question is if there will be any downside.”
“It would attract the attention of the Pinnacle King,” Ivaldi said with a shrug. “But seeing as he’ll be occupied, that doesn’t really matter much, now does it?”
“While getting his attention does sound bad, you’re right, it doesn’t make any difference if he’ll be preoccupied,” Katherine said. “Is there anything else?”
She looked around, but none of the leaders said anything, so she took that to mean that they were all in agreement.
“Great. Then everyone back to your stations. The signal to start will be going out in just a few minutes.”
The other leaders took a moment to wish each other luck and say their goodbyes before heading back down the hill and back to their troops. Morgan and Sarah remained for a moment longer so that they could speak with Katherine.
“I don’t think you should be fighting,” Sarah said, as she approached the woman. “But I doubt I’ll be able to convince you to stay out of it.”
“Not a chance,” Katherine replied.
“Why do you want her to stay out of the battle?” Morgan asked, confused about why Sarah would want one of their most powerful fighters to leave.
The two women shared a look, a look that told Morgan that they knew something he didn’t. Finally, Katherine let out a long breath and straightened to her full height.
“Remember that night we had together?”
Morgan felt his face grow a bit warm at that, especially since Sarah was standing right there.
“I doubt I’ll ever forget it,” he said carefully.
“Well,” Katherine said, her face turning a dark red. “It would seem that in my excitement I forgot to protect myself…”
Morgan’s brows came down as he tried to understand what the woman was trying to tell him.
“She’s pregnant,” Sarah stated bluntly. “With your baby.”
Morgan felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. His eyes went wide, looking quickly over to Katherine to confirm.
The woman, still blushing, placed a hand over her stomach and nodded.
“I was waiting for the right time to tell you, but it never seemed to come up.”
He looked back to Sarah, still trying to wrap his head around the whole thing.
“You’re not mad?” he asked, preparing for the worst.
“Obviously not,” Sarah said, walking over and throwing an arm around Katherine’s shoulder. “She needed it, and the fact that she’s going to have a baby means that you’ll have to come and visit her often so that your child will have a father. Even once the two of us are married and have our own children, you won’t neglect your firstborn.”
The way she spoke, Morgan had to wonder if she was more excited than Katherine about this child. He honestly wasn’t sure how to feel right now. He was about to go into battle against the toughest opponent of his life, and they’d dropped this in his lap.
One thing did stand out to him, though. A single word. Father. He was going to be a father. He’d never had a father, so he had no idea how to be one himself.
Morgan forced his rushing mind to come a halt and took a deep breath.
“We’re going to have to talk about this once this is all over,” Morgan said. Then, to make sure Katherine knew he was okay with this, he went over and hugged her tight.
“No matter what happens, you need to stay alive. Not only for your sake, but for the sake of our unborn child.”
He felt her pulse quicken through their contact and quickly pulled back before things could become awkward.
“Maybe we’ll get you a private island of your own,” Morgan joked, moving back to Sarah’s side. “This way, I won’t have to come all the way to the North to visit.”
“Now there’s an idea,” Katherine said, giving him a warm smile. “Be careful, you two, and best of luck out there.”
“Same to you,” Sarah called as the two of them took off, heading back to where Grace stood with the remaining members of Garrison Blue – those who hadn’t gone on the mission.
“Are you really okay with this?” Morgan asked as they flew.
“Katherine needs this,” Sarah replied. “You know she would never have moved on. Not with her stubborn streak. And since she couldn’t have you, I’m happy she has the next-best thing. She’ll make an amazing mother.”
Sarah snuggled closer to Morgan, pressing her nose into his hair and kissing him on the temple.
“Just promise me that you’ll be careful. I still want babies of my own, and if you end up dead, I’ll never get them.”
“Wow. It’s nice to see how concerned you are with my safety,” Morgan deadpanned, earning him a laugh.
“I’ll do my best to keep any of the stronger goblins off your back. And don’t worry. If your twin makes an appearance, we’ll kick his ass into next week.”
Morgan smiled and turned to catch her lips with his own as they drifted back to the ground. He savored the moment, as it might very well be the last one they ever shared. Of course, he was going to do his darndest to make sure they all made it out alive, but there were never any certainties in battle.
The two of them pulled back, simply staring into one another’s eyes until they touched down.
“I love you,” Sarah whispered, so that only he could hear.
“I love you too,” Morgan replied, matching her tone.
“Finally!” Grace exclaimed, ruining their moment. “Now can someone tell me what the hell is going on?”
Before either of them could answer, a loud series of horns sounded, all overlapping and sending a rush of anticipation flooding through Morgan’s body. He released Sarah, turning to face the Pinnacle King once again.
The machines of war began moving forward, pulled by beasts and powering up as they prepared their first volley.
“You two take care of yourselves,” Morgan said, taking one last look back at Sarah.
She looked more beautiful than she ever had before, dressed in gleaming armor, with her long red hair loose and billowing in the wind. He had never been more in love.
He turned away from her then and shot into the air like a beam shot from a mana cannon. Hex the Oppressor uncrossed his arms, his hands balling into fists as Morgan approached. The final battle was underway, with the fate of the entire world hanging in the balance.
83
“You know, I was never really a fan of the whole ‘fighting to save the world’ thing,” Chaos said, taking a loud sip from his oversized cup of club soda.
“Of course you wouldn’t be,” Order replied, taking a much quieter sip from his drink. “If it were up to you, the Pinnacle King would flatten them all in an instant.”
“It’s more interesting that way,” Chaos replied with a shrug. “So much more than the desperate fighting where ‘good’ tries to conquer ‘evil.’”
“You’re saying it sarcastically, but that’s literally what is happening right now,” Order replied, reaching for a bar of chocolate after having set his drink down.
The two of them reclined back in their movie theatre chairs, much as Gold and Morgan had been doing just a little while ago. Except, instead of sitting before a screen, the entire world spread out before them, every minute detail visible to their all-seeing eyes.
Chaos set his drink down, reaching for a bar of dark chocolate and tearing the wrapper off with his teeth.
“Can’t we just stop playing and watch?” he groaned as he fiddled with the wrapper. “This would be so much easier if I had both hands.”
“No,” Order replied. “It’s the only way we can keep the other restrained from interfering.”
Chaos groaned as he moved his finger, trying to trap Order’s thumb under his own and hold it there. The thumb war was a stupid game but one of the only ones they could play and still pay attention to the battle below.
It was mostly a formality, as neither of them was really trying to win by this point. The battle could only end in one of two ways, either with Chaos’s agents finally winning or by Morgan killing the Pinnacle King and Chaos’s last chance at success. So, the game was utterly pointless. It only served to assure that the other would remain where they were and wouldn’t try cheating for their side.
“I wonder how this will all end,” Chaos muttered. “We’ve been at this for quite some time now and I’ve gotta say, being joined in a single body is going to be weird, no matter who wins.”
“We don’t actually have a physical body,” Order countered. “But I know what you mean.”
Whoever came out on top in this would become the dominant side of the Author. If Order won, then the worlds would remain in balance, keeping both sides on relatively even terms. However, if Chaos won, the entire multiverse and everything in it would change forever. Or at least until Order’s personality built up enough strength to challenge him again.
That was the biggest problem between the two, in Order’s opinion. If he won, he couldn’t impose absolute order and peace, but if Chaos won, he could let loose. That was the dichotomy of their existence as the creators though. It was how they were born and how they operated. If any change were to occur, the multiverse as they knew it would simply cease to be.
