Paladin of the Seraph, page 55
The cloak senses when its wielder is in danger and will intercept incoming attacks by whatever means.
His cloak retained all its former effects, though its name changed, and its upgraded form was even more striking than before when unfurled to its fullest. It didn’t seem to help him in battle much, since there was little the cloak could do that he couldn’t do better himself. Still, suppose this ever ended up in the hands of an ordinary person. In that case, they’d swiftly become one of the greatest warriors in the Sacred Seas.
Finally, he came to the last of his items available for upgrading. He’d seen the option to perform the upgrade since he received Dagon’s Scale. The spatial storage artifact was the perfect sacrifice to improve his Inventory.
But he’d held off because his Inventory had been valuable to him for so long. It was a direct creation of his mother’s bag of holding, and besides Melancholy, it had been the best of what he had made in his youth. He’d played with it endlessly for a month when he first made it.
But if ever there was a time to risk breaking it hoping to get something better, it was now. Dagon’s Scale shattered in his hand and destroyed the pocket realm within in a swirl of power that
vanished as it combined with his Inventory.
[Inventory (Mythic)] has evolved to [Realmvault (Legendary)]
With limitless storage, the Realmvault’s space is as large as it needs to be. Any item within the Realmvault can be summoned into the real world at will, and any real-world item within the user’s control can be transported to the Realmvault.
The Realmvault draws upon the forces of order and chaos, and any item that can be sufficiently defined can be drawn forth from the forces of chaos and manifested into an object in the real world. Simple items like swords and armor can be manufactured instantly. More complex items, such as enchanted weapons, take longer to emerge from chaos.
Darren tested the Realmvault, and accessing it was even smoother than using his Inventory. He summoned Melancholy from inside it, and the weapon appeared in his hand instantly.
Curious about the Realmvault’s other abilities, he thought about wielding a long, curved scimitar, like the kind he saw wielded in Marsa. He had a few in his Inventory before upgrading it, but he wanted something new. Something he knew he didn’t have.
And yet, despite that, it appeared in his hand. The gently sloping curved blade was perfectly balanced in his hand.
He put it away and focused on a bronze coin. This too appeared in his hand, and his face was looking back at him on its surface. He focused again, and a pile of coins appeared in his hands. It looked like he would never run short of coins again now that he could simply summon bronze coins from chaos whenever he pleased.
He put the coins away, then turned to the exit. First, it was time to see if Laura was done with the Genius Loci, and then it was time to face Kalaziel once again.
53
Darren’s eyes blazed with determination, and his body was flush with his newfound power. Countless obstacles had barred his path, yet he overcame them. Did his mother ever think he would make it this far? Did his father?
At the very least, Kalaziel probably didn’t.
He ascended the narrow stairs back to the rest of Laura’s manor. He’d already depleted the Demonic Aura reserves she’d built up in this room, so it would be useless to him.
“I’m back,” he called out down the hall. He’d check her workshop outside if Laura wasn’t in her cabin. But he needn’t have bothered. He heard some girlish giggling down the hall just as he emerged.
Laura was in the other room playing games with someone, and the mechanical lilt in the other girl’s voice told him just who it was.
“You can’t start at level 100. That’s cheating!” Laura protested.
“I am the Dungeon Queen! All dungeons should be run by me, not some stupid demon lord!” the Dungeon Queen replied.
Laura sighed.
Darren poked around the corner to find Laura sitting in a cozy chair. Next to her was a familiar box. It was the precious game system that the Dungeon Queen had begged him not to leave behind. It seemed Laura got that working, too.
Two cables came out of the box. One went to a controller in Laura’s hand, and the other vanished inside a crystalline loop studded with the strange copper designs he’d seen on many ancient items of power.
“Oh, you’re up! I just finished an hour ago.” Laura hit a button, pausing the game. She stood and waved to the pillow on which the strange crystal loop was sitting. “Darren, meet the Dungeon Queen in her new housing. I thought a crown would be spiffy, so I made your quasi-Genius Loci into that.”
Darren bent over, leaning above the crystal loop. He picked it up, and it felt as light as a feather. Despite how light it was, though, he could sense the power within it.
Even his monstrous strength would struggle to break this item, handcrafted by the Lady of Darkness. It was a one-of-a-kind creation meant especially for him.
“It’s beautiful,” Darren said.
“Don’t you mean she’s beautiful?” the Dungeon Queen asked from within the loop.
“Sorry,” Darren said. He figured he would be talking to his crown a lot going forward. People were going to think he was crazy.
“Well, quit blue-balling me and put me on!” the Dungeon Queen asked, voice full of excitement. “Laura told me about my new primary directives. To discover your favorite foods and report them to her!”
Laura coughed.
“Oh, sorry. That was my secret directive. I’m supposed to manage the Divine Aura emanating from your area of the Sacred Seas and funnel it to you so you can use it to enhance the rest of your abilities,” the Dungeon Queen corrected. “Yep. I’m glad you chose me for this task. Imagine how boring that earlier copy of me would have been. All beep! Boop! Your Divine Aura quota has been fulfilled. Now entering sleep mode...”
The Dungeon Queen laughed, and Darren found himself smiling along.
“Just place the crown on your head, and the bonding process should begin,” Laura said. She grabbed it from his hands and stood on the tips of her toes to try to get it over Darren’s brows, though in the end, Darren had to bend over for her to reach his head. “Ha! A perfect fit. Do I have a good eye for sizes or what?”
“Yep, his head fits me perfectly!” the Dungeon Queen announced as she settled onto Darren’s brow. “I can get nice and comfy here.”
While the Dungeon Queen made a noise of contentment, Laura looked Darren up and down. He felt her eyes on him as she studied the jump in power he’d gotten from reaching the Sixth Order.
“I see my little spa served you well,” Laura said with a smile. “It looks like you managed to reach the Sixth Order after all. What aspect?”
“Retribution.”
Laura’s eyebrows rose. “That’s a fearsome one. Perhaps you should be a demon, with an aspect like that. You’re just a shade of gray away from the aspect of Vengeance.”
Darren let out a small snort.
“Oh, I’m just playing. If you were hanging around the Seven Hells full-time, none of the lesser demons would ever be able to sleep. There are quite a few stories about you these days, you know.” Laura covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.
While they spoke, the loop around Darren’s brow grew warmer. He heard a few grunts of concentration from the Dungeon Queen, so whatever she was doing was hard and getting harder.
Darren and Laura both offered what help they could, but the Dungeon Queen completed the task on her own. Eventually, Darren was greeted with a message from his sigil.
You have bonded a quasi-Genius Loci! You can now access Divine Aura from your domain. All your powers are dramatically enhanced when fighting near or within your domain. In addition, you will receive dramatically reduced debuffs when fighting a foe possessing a Genius Loci.
Be sure to travel the full scope of your domain regularly to maintain full control over it.
Note: Because you wield a quasi-Genius Loci, your increase in powers will be limited. To unlock the full potential of your domain and reach the Seventh Order, you must upgrade your Genius Loci.
Darren wasn’t worried about upgrading his new Genius Loci. When the time came, he could probably use his Limitless Evolution skill on it just like he did with everything else. But for now, it would let him match the power Kalaziel would have gained by bonding the Heavenly Throne.
He’d finally caught up to Kalaziel in power. If there was ever a time Darren was ready to face him, it was now. It was time for their final battle.
Darren left Laura and the lower levels of the Seven Hells with all haste. He had to travel the entire width and breadth of the Sacred Seas to complete the initialization and bonding process for his new Genius Loci. Thankfully, the journey would take him hours instead of years between his tremendous speed, his newly upgraded boots, and his extra bodies.
So he walked the surface. His footsteps took him past the towering mountains of Limedeep and the salty seas beyond them. He roamed over the great forests of Eastwood and the Northern Trade Union. He walked over the brilliant white cliffs of Whiteguard and the sandy shores of the Blackwind Empire.
Through it all, Darren felt a building sense of belonging. This realm was his to care for and his to call home. The Dungeon Queen agreed.
“Wow, the sky is a lot bluer than I imagined! I always thought that was just the lighting in video games. And look, I can even see the moon! I didn’t know the moon was real!”
“The moon is real,” Darren confirmed. He, too, had been impressed by the sky when he first emerged from his long stay in the Seven Hells.
“I’d like to stay and admire the view a little longer, but the bonding process is complete. We now have tenuous control over the Divine Aura throughout the Sacred Seas.”
“Then it is time to return to the Heavens.”
Darren had gotten a few messages from Asuriel through Cassandra. She was still in Calabor, though recent troubles had driven her away from their apartment and into hiding. Apparently, the Protectors had been disbanded. Now the Order of the Rod goons were patrolling the streets of the very heavens themselves in search of her and anyone else who might be opposed to Kalaziel’s plans.
He worried for her, but Asuriel could be resourceful in her own way. He still would have rushed to help, but he wasn’t sure he knew how to. Asuriel was far more at home in the Heavens than he was, so if she said she was somewhere safe, he figured he’d just have to trust her judgment.
Meanwhile, Horon was busy gathering what Protectors they could and resisting the advances of Kalaziel’s forces. Horon had lost his fight with Kalaziel before. Now that Kalaziel was bonding the Heavenly Throne and had become even more powerful, the Prime Saint of Honor knew he stood no chance against him. A new player returning to the board would turn the tide against the Prime Saint of Valor. Someone like Darren.
He returned to the capital of the Blackwind Empire, where he’d made his entrance before. He planned to cut a new Dimensional Rift and make his way into the Heavens. Then he would reunite with Asuriel and Horon and plan their next move.
But when he arrived in the Blackwind Empire, he already found it busy with activity. It looked like there was an entire army camped outside the city. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that was exactly what it was.
More than that, it was one of his armies. They carried his banner and everything. He even spotted the flags of the Order of the Rose among them.
He touched down in his usual spot in the city, hoping to talk with Cassandra and get a message through her mental link to Asuriel. He’d need her exact location and any information she’d gathered about the current situation before he took his troops into the heavens.
“Lady Cassandra is in the castle, Your Imperial Highness!” A guard saluted when he asked. The man gazed at Darren with an expression of awe that he was being addressed directly. However, it was more than the look of a guardsman speaking to his emperor. He looked at Darren like he’d just met his god in the flesh.
He followed the guard’s directions and found himself in the garden cabin Thalia had given him to avoid waking the palace staff every night. The lights were on, and he figured Cassandra was waiting for him.
“I’m back.” He swung the cabin door open and entered. He heard doors deeper within the manor swing open, followed moments later by the soft pad of several sets of bare feet.
Sasha was the first to arrive, followed a moment later by Thalia. He hadn’t expected his empress to spend time in his cabin when she had her own royal bed chambers, but he supposed she wanted to see her old friend Cassandra.
Sasha smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him tight. “We’ve missed you, Darren. I hear you’ve had one adventure after another without us.”
“Whiteguard is finally back in order,” Thalia said. “And we’ll have a good harvest here in the Blackwind Empire.”
Darren wrapped his arms around both of them. “I missed you both. But I need to talk to Cassandra soon to get a message to Ashe. Where is she?”
Thalia blushed. “Morning sickness.”
But moments later, the woman staggered out of the cabin, rushing forward to pull Darren into a tight embrace.
“Husband, you’re back!” Cassandra buried her cheek in his chest. Darren picked her up and kissed the center of her forehead. His eyes turned to her belly, and he realized he could see a small bump.
Looking with eyes that saw Divine Aura, he could see a tiny spirit deep within Cassandra’s womb. It was their first child.
“Hello to you, as well.” Darren rested his hand on Cassandra’s belly, and for a moment, he thought he sensed a response.
Cassandra rubbed her own belly proudly. “Boy or girl, this baby is a hungry one. I’ve been eating nonstop for the past week!”
Sasha laughed. “It’s true. You should have seen her put away half a wild boar. For a while, we thought she was just getting fat!”
Cassandra pouted, but her expression lifted to a smile when Darren laughed. He came to the true purpose of his visit a moment later.
“Cassandra, I need you to get a message to Asuriel. Tell her we’re on our way.”
Cassandra nodded, and the other faces around him turned serious.
“You mean, it’s time?” Sasha asked, voice full of anxious anticipation.
Darren nodded. “I have reached the Sixth Order. If there was ever a time to fight Kalaziel, it is now.”
“Understood. I’ll tell the troops.”
“Troops?” Darren asked. He’d originally planned to check in quickly and be gone as fast as he’d arrived. But the looks of all three devoted women around him darkened, and he knew they’d read his mind.
“We won’t let you go off to war alone, Darren,” Sasha said, stepping forward to wrap her hand in his. “I swore to fight by your side, and I plan to do just that. Even if you try to give me the slip.”
Thalia nodded in agreement and placed a hand on Darren’s waist. “You’ve done so much for the people of the Sacred Seas. It’s about time they did something for you in return. The armies of the Blackwind Empire will march with you.”
“As will the Order of the Rose,” Sasha added.
“And Limedeep. Callum’s waiting outside with the tents.” Cassandra ran her hand along Darren’s arm. “Besides. You’re going to be a father soon. So you can’t just go running off to fight demons and angels without telling anyone.”
“That’s right, Darren,” Thalia said. “You’re an emperor now. You have responsibilities. And even more importantly, you have our hearts. So we’ll give you our strength as we’re able, every step of the way.”
Darren cupped Cassandra’s chin fondly. “You’re right, all of you. We’ll go together.”
“Whew.” Sasha wiped the sweat from her brow. “You know, I was worried we would have to drag you to bed to convince you. Of course, that was Thalia’s plan.”
Thalia laughed. “Actually, it was Cassandra’s. But I’m sure she planned on dragging our love back to bed regardless of what he said to us.”
“Hey! Well... I guess you’re right.” Cassandra shrugged. Then she turned her beaming smile on Darren and started pulling on his wrist.
Darren ran his hand through his hair along the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. “There is actually a new skill I want to test.”
And then he told them about how he’d upgraded Lover’s Gift into Fates Intertwined. Being able to switch places instantly with any of his lovers would make him much more confident of their safety on a battlefield. The help it would grant to reach the next order would be most useful if applied immediately.
What followed was a long and noisy night, the last one he would spend in the Blackwind Empire for a while. Sasha sent word to his forces, and they all made their way to Whiteguard with all haste.
Fates Intertwined went into effect immediately. Thalia, the weakest of the group, was the first to reach a threshold. Darren elevated her to archpriestess the moment he thought she was ready.
Sasha followed after and became the second human to reach the Fifth Order, and like Darren, she’d done so as a paladin.
Cassandra followed next and became the first-ever champion priestess. Darren was a little worried for the baby growing inside of her, but the unborn child made it through the transformation none the worse for wear. In fact, Darren suspected they would grow up a little stronger because of it. In fact, he had the distinct impression that he’d gone through the same thing inside his mother when she became an archpriestess before he was born.
Introducing Ashe to their group was awkward at first. She was his woman now and deserved to be treated as such. No matter her past as a demon, she’d earned her place among them.
