Empire: A LitRPG Adventure (Unbound Book 10), page 4
+20 AFI, RES, and REI!
He Has 100 Unused Stat Points!
Your Authority Has Increased!
New Titles!
Banner Raised (Epic)
You have raised your banner high, announcing to all and sundry that you have claimed dominion over at least four Territories.
+Tier Upgrade For Two Features Of Your Primary Stronghold!
Empire’s Reach (Legendary)
You have taken a step down the Path of Empire, and your Authority has increased by leaps and bounds. You have risen, and your Territories follow.
+Tier Upgrade For A Single Feature Of All Secondary Strongholds!
See Authority Screen For More Detail.
Felix squinted against all of the notifications that crowded his vision, each one more vibrant and gilded than the last. A small influx of power flooded his core space from the level up, but it was a side note to the blooming awareness that his increased Authority afforded him. That felt strange and more potent than ever before, like…like he was developing new limbs that were stretching out into the horizon.
The notifications blipped, minimized as another, far larger box dominated his sight. It was gold and silver, and the letters were written in a pure lapis blue.
Hidden Quest Completed!
Restore The Crown!
The Fragments of the Crown of Elysium have been reunited! Lost at the end of the Golden Empire, they have rejoined in the hands of Felix Nevarre, Unbound Autarch of a fledgling empire of his own.
You have proven yourself worthy, Ascendent.
Claim what is yours by right of unification.
New Titles!
Resurrection Adept (Mythic)
To bring back that which was Lost again and again, you have wrestled with the lingering touch of the Ruin and learned much from your endeavors. Significance costs on all Skills is reduced by half.
Remembrance of the Ruin (???)
You have retained your memories of not one but two brushes with the mysterious force known as the Ruin. You have gained a permanent boost to your mental defenses.
A golden glow suffused the blue-green planet within Felix, the same one that the crown had erected around his Void Sanctuary. It sank into his Sanctuary’s foundations, threading across the opalescent walls until that dome became a perpetual fixture. A feeling of warm relief filled him, radiating outward through his chest and limbs to extinguish pains he never knew existed.
Significance cost reduction by half?! Felix leaned back, his breath coming fast. That’s huge. I could use Unite the Lost more and—He sat up straight. If any Divine still clings to Gabby, I can tear it to shreds easily.
Your Authority Has Increased!
Do You Wish To Bind Yourself To the Crown Of Elysium?
Y/N
Felix held up the crown, twisting it in his hands to inspect it. The glow persisted, and it was warm to the touch. It sings…something between compassion and reassurance. It’s like it has a Spirit.
Emperor’s Vigilance!
Name: Crown of Elysium
Type: Regalia (enchanted)
Lore: Once worn by the rulers of the Golden Empire, the Crown of Elysium steadied the Mind of the sovereign for the benefit of all.
That’s it?
Sometimes, when he used his evolved Analyze Skill, Felix would feel resistance from a target. It usually meant that they were protecting their information or were too strong for his Skill to reveal. Now, however, information came easily, yet it contained little more than what Felix already knew.
Emperor’s Vigilance!
He tried again, but the same information returned. There wasn’t even a hint of resistance, as if the crown was nothing more than old, enchanted metal.
It won’t even tell me what the enchantments are. This is—it’s hiding from me. It has to be.
Do You Wish To Bind Yourself To the Crown Of Elysium?
Y/N
The notification pushed to the fore, pulsing slightly now. Felix lifted the crown to his eye level, looking at the convoluted patterns shaped into its surface. “Yeah. I don’t see why not.”
The crown flared brighter than before, but Felix didn’t find it blinding. It sank into his skin like the heat of a fireplace after a snowy afternoon, flowing through him until all he felt was a calming warmth and a gentle clarity. His Mind sharpened, already bolstered by Skill and Title, but now it was as if a faint astigmatism had been wiped from his sight. Across the front of the crown, where the first set of tines spread up and outward, the blank space rippled. The metal lifted, forming itself into a familiar glyph—a burning eye surmounted by a crown.
The glyph of House Nevarre.
“Well, that’s cool.” He twisted it around, looking for any other changes. There were none. “Let’s try this again. Emperor’s Vigilance.”
Name: Crown of Elysium
Type: Empyrean Regalia (Enchanted)
Lore: Once worn by the rulers of the Golden Empire, the Crown of Elysium steadied the Mind of the sovereign for the benefit of all. Made of Crescian Bronze, the Crown of Elysium is a symbol of the connection between the sovereign and their people.
Crescian Resonance XX - Nymean design has imbued the Crown with a deep resonance with other artifacts crafted from Crescian Bronze.
Harmonic Repository XX - The Crown is indelibly linked to the Seals of Elysium and can be used to locate them. Range depends on Authority.
Fortress of the Mind XX - Enhances extant mental defenses and fortifies the Mind of its bearer.
Empyrean Regalia Set Piece - 1 of 3 - Effects will accrue when two and three set pieces are bound to your Aspects.
Set Effect 1 - Unknown
Set Effect 2 - Unknown
Once again, there was no sense of resistance as the information populated before him, yet this time there was more. A lot more.
“Empyrean Regalia. Its own classification, huh?” Felix spun the crown between his hands. It was pleasantly heavy but very balanced. “Empyrean, Elysium, Ouranic law, so many ancient Greek words. Or were they from here first?” He shook his head. “That doesn’t matter.”
“What’s it mean to resonate with other Crescian artifacts? Fortress of the Mind is clearly what’s reinforcing my Void Sanctuary right now. But Harmonic Repository? Seal of Elysium?” That felt important. Did it refer to the true Seals of Territories or something else?
“Set piece. One of three.” Felix twisted the crown in his hands again. He’d never seen an item that was part of a set before. “Where are the others?”
Sadly, that information didn’t present itself. Licking his lips, Felix lifted the crown and placed it on his head.
It fit perfectly.
Immediately it began to quiver, vibrating at a strange pitch that was nearly uncomfortable against his skull. Felix would have torn it off, were it not for the answering vibration at his hip. He unsheathed his Inheritor’s Will and lifted it into the air.
The Crown Of Elysium Resonates With The Inheritor’s Will!
The entire weapon was glowing with a white light that sparked with prismatic occlusions along the edge. The brightest spots, however, were the two glyphs by the hilt…and they were soon joined by a new glyph, rising from the depths of the blade just above the others.
The sword flared, burning away the night around them. Without willing it forward, the details for his sword popped up.
Name: Inheritor's Will
Type: Weapon (Long Blade) (Enchanted)
Lore: A weapon known by many names, it was once an instrument of the Herald herself, used to defend the Golden Empire from those that would wrong it. It is made of Crescian Bronze, a material stronger than orichalcum and mithril, yet lighter than both and more welcoming to enchantment. It enhances the Authority of its rightful bearer, Felix Nevarre, when interacting with remnants of the Nym.
Etheric Division - The first of several arrays. The blade may cut through spellforms and Mana formations at the Inheritor's request, but it is gated by the advancement of the Inheritor.
Etheric Unification - Nymean power resonates with the blade, drawing other sources of Nymean sorcery toward itself.
Etheric Empowerment - The blade is an extension of its bearer’s might, and as such the range of all effects of the Empyrean Regalia are doubled.
“Etheric Empowerment. A new power for my sword.” Felix turned the weapon, inspecting it for any other changes, but found nothing. “The crown resonated with the sword. Is that because of Crescian Resonance?” He checked the crown’s information again. “But the sword isn’t part of the set. Damn. I wonder if—”
The world pulsed. Felix’s awareness pulsed with it, spreading immediately in every direction as motes of light dotted the horizon. Some were close, but most were miles and miles away, some beyond even that. The world pulsed again, and this time, Felix’s senses were pulled back inward, snapping his head back like he’d been punched in the jaw. He stared, eyes unfocused as he processed what he’d felt.
Nymean ruins. Though his senses had retracted, he could still point to where the motes of light had glimmered, and he even had a vague idea of the danger they presented. Four star. Six star. Thirteen star. All within a week’s travel of this city.
He accessed his Authority Screen, pulling up the Maps of his Territories. The motes were reflected there as well, denoted with the same star rating the Nym used but otherwise unmarked. Looks like sixteen ruins within this Territory. He flipped to Ahkestria, Khalheim, and Nagast. And dozens more in the others.
Felix whistled, plans whirling through his Mind. His Essence store, while vast after the recent battles, was diminished by a significant chunk, thanks to his practice. The only things that gave him a challenge and enough Essence to truly tide himself over were creatures at Master Tier or higher…and the Nym were famous for imprisoning monsters in their ruins.
With his sword and the crown, he could find them.
With his Hunger, he could devour them all.
CHAPTER FIVE
Due To Binding The Crown Of Elysium
You Have Received New Quests!
More? Felix blinked at the notification, more than a little dazed. Alright. Show me.
New Quest!
Assemble The Empyrean Regalia!
The Crown of Elysium is but the first of three artifacts known as the Empyrean Regalia. Once claimed by the sovereigns of the Golden Empire, the Regalia is designed to reinforce the Aspects of their bearer. It is said the Herald bore all three, and with them was able to contest the very gods themselves.
Crown of Elysium - 1/1
Wellspring Chalice - 0/1
Exalted Bell - 0/1
Well, that answers my earlier question. Crown, Chalice, and Bell. Empyrean Regalia. Felix touched the crown on his head again. It felt odd to wear. He’d never really been a hat guy. Of course, the Quest doesn’t say anything about how to find the other pieces.
Nym.
Felix frowned. What about them?
Herald’s Artifacts.
Oh. Oh. You mean check Nymean ruins.
Check. Eat. Grow Stronger.
I’m not opposed to that, Felix said.
I Need More. I Am...Incomplete.
"What do you mean?" Felix asked. "Incomplete how?"
Hunger rumbled but gave no further answer.
"You just need to eat more? How much more?" Felix asked.
I…Need. I Hunger. Her words faded to a rumble as a weight shifted lower in his chest. The bulk of her presence settled back into the dark void in his core space.
Felix frowned. He certainly didn't have a problem with clearing out monsters from Nymean ruins, especially when he could benefit so much from it anyway. If it helped his Hunger, too…well, she had proven herself a stalwart ally. Even if she had eaten the majority of the Pathless’ power he’d consumed.
"Hunger," Felix said. "What happens when you're complete?"
Faintly, as if spoken from across a cavernous house, words spread up from within.
I Do Not Know.
“I suppose we can find out together, then,” he said. “Meanwhile, it looks like the notifications aren’t done with us.”
New Quest!
Restore The Seals!
The true Seals of the Continent were not invented, but discovered by the ancient magi. In the present Age, they have been Lost, and those that remain have been placed under false rule. Find them once more and use the Crown of Elysium to restore them to full potency, connecting the Corporeal Realm to the Grand Harmony once more and fortifying the world against the Ruin.
Rewards:
+Increased Protection Against Ruin
+Varies
“God, one bomb after another.” Felix tapped his chin. “The true Seals are the ones that the Hierophant overwrote with her Subordinate Seals, then. And they’ll fortify the world against the Ruin?”
That was huge news and the first bit of encouraging information he’d received about the pending disaster that was the Ruin. The crown would be of some help in restoring the Seals, and that meant he wouldn’t have to use Unite the Lost as much. That’d save him on spending significance. He still had plenty built up after his recent battles, but Felix was reaching a stage where that resource was becoming increasingly important to retain. He needed it for his Tapestry Stage, which would allow him to finalize his Core Manifestation.
A knot in Felix’s chest loosened. Just a little. The advent of the Ruin and the schemes of the gods occupied a great portion of his Mind, a bundle of worries he hadn’t yet solved—having some sort of actionable goal, no matter how difficult, was better than nothing.
New Quest!
Empire Of The Fiend!
You have passed the first mile marker on the path of empire, yet your climb is far from over. Claim the Seat and Seal of at least seven Territories to establish your realm.
Rewards:
+Increased Defensive And Offensive Capabilities In Claimed Territories
+Increased Resources In Claimed Territories
+Title
+XP
+Varies
“Empire of the Fiend,” he mouthed. “Jeez, that sounds like something the Claw would come up with.”
Name aside, Felix couldn’t argue against the benefits claiming more Territory would grant him and his people.
If I can restore the seals in other Territories, that means I can claim them at the same time. The Quests work in tandem. That’ll save me a ton of time. Claiming other Territories would increase his Authority and defend against the Ruin, not to mention be a huge benefit to ousting the Hierophant and her corrupt followers. Yeah. This could work.
He wanted to pace, but the damaged roof didn’t allow for much movement, so he tapped his foot rapidly instead. He cast his Mind over the information he had just received and what he already knew.
There were seven remaining Subordinate Seals, now that Pax’Vrell was free. Recalling the map that Karys had shown him, he scratched off each name as he went. Andiva, Levantier, Tavan, Ghreldan Hills, Calumb, Sao’Thun, and Bos’Vaan. Potentially Neer and Sept as well, if the rumors were true, and the Hierocracy had forcefully taken them over. Felix wasn’t sure what was involved in putting the Subordinate Seal together, but he didn’t doubt that, if the Hierophant conquered a Territory, she would establish her power immediately.
The Triumvirate weren’t under the Hierocracy’s heel, located as they were on the eastern side of the Rimefang Mountains. Composed of three Territories—Onar, Wyvarr, and Marif—they were only a loose confederation. According to Vess, if it weren’t for the Rimefangs, then they would have fallen to the Hierophant long ago.
The Territories of Sunara and Jaast were similar to the Triumvirate. Located to the southeast, they were protected by an unending storm and a vast, impenetrable jungle. All Felix knew about them was that they were dangerous to enter and had far stronger monsters. Beyond them was what people called the Interior of the Continent. Other nations and empires existed there, potent Authorities that no one Felix encountered knew much about. The barriers of storms and monstrous jungles kept them separated, much like the horrible chill of the Hoarfrost had kept it free from mortal interference.
Felix shook his head. The Continent was too big to control all of it, and if the Ruin was coming soon, then he had little time. He’d have to focus on the Territories around him first and foremost.
That meant a lot more traveling. He had to find the remaining Unbound, fix the Seals, claim the Territories, and foil the Hierophant’s plot…whatever it entailed. He’d already learned that she had summoned the Ruin somehow, apparently without the Pathless’ knowledge. The Hierei Mivun called it a cleansing of the world, and that had to be stopped.
The question was: could he do it?
I can, he decided as pieces of a plan began to assemble. I will.
First, though, he needed help from the Chanters.
Felix took to the sky, calling upon his Sonata of Dominance to command the air. It wasn't quite flying. Unlike Storm Shaping, he wasn’t so much manipulating the winds as he was commanding them to obey his Will. The night breezes obeyed without resistance, owing perhaps to the sheer amount of air all around him as much as his Skill level. With little Essence and effort, he sped across the thin air and landed on a sequence of elaborate balconies attached to the primary citadel, more than three hundred feet away.
Man, that’ll never stop being cool.
There were a number of such landings, all of them extremely wide and built with posts made of coral-colored stone spiking from their ends, as if they were perches for giant creatures. Dragons, Felix knew. They were clearly made to allow Dragoons to climb aboard their ancient allies and fly off.
Vess had said that Scalebreaker Citadel and its thirteen towers were designed to look like spears surrounding a fallen Dragon. It certainly had that appearance, but Felix had another thought: that it was instead a sleeping Dragon, protected by a ring of defenders. Knowing the truth of their origin as he did, that made a lot more sense.
The lights within the citadel were still lit, despite the advanced hour. As Felix crept closer, he heard Vess and her father, along with several others, engaging in a heated discussion. He recognized the Dragoon Marshal as well as a number of voices that he assumed were his captains. They weren’t shouting, but they weren’t far off.
