BOOK 4: CHAPTER 18: CYCLE'S EMBRACE

“That was about damn time!” David growled, the pristine blue screen’s reflection glimmering in his eyes.

[Congratulations, Ascendant! You have successfully claimed your first territory.

No opposing Ascendant contested your rightful claim to the surrounding lands in time.]

[Congratulations, Ascendant. A settlement meeting the requirements of a Small Town has been discovered within your territory.

Historical records of Orhain have been recovered and compared.]

[The settlement within your territory has been assessed and deemed ‘acceptable’. Henceforth, Orhain shall be recognized as a Sanctuary.

It will receive the same privileges granted to all Sanctuaries, so long as it fulfills its intended purpose.]

[Your Divine Seed has successfully connected to your new territory.

All rights, commands, and full Authority over your territory have been conferred. Fortify your Sanctuary, expand its reach, and offer refuge to those who cannot defend themselves within its walls of safety and solace.]

If it hadn’t been for Electra, he would have been stupefied by the messages. However, with the Sacred Beast’s insight and her timely explanations, David had been able to prepare himself for the influx of Authority and power.

Acquiring Authority over Orhain and the surrounding land was impactful, but even more significant was the Weave’s influence as his essence tethered to the Earthen Union. The connection was intense and gave him far more information about every single lifeform living within his territory. Yet the most powerful effect of the Weave was the tidal wave of Might that followed the creation of a Sanctuary and the successful claiming of his first territory.

Power seeped into him. It sloshed through his Energy Pathways, wove through his cells, and surged into the Corrupted Divine Heart. It bypassed the streams of darkness within and rushed straight toward the Divine Seed.

The last three months of work had resulted in a great recovery of most of his lost progress, but nothing compared to the Might now flooding into him.

[Vessel of Divine Seed has been filled.]

[Starless - 100%] → [1-Star - 0.1%]

David felt his entire being ignite. His cells burned as if there were no tomorrow, and, if only for a moment, he considered casting [True Restoration]. However, he wasn’t injured. It merely felt as if he was dying as his very being expanded.

Small influxes of Might were easy to handle. The steady supply barely registered as a power increase. This sudden burst, however, felt more like a bombardment. His skin tore, blood pouring out in waves. The damage wasn’t just on the surface; his body, mind, and soul felt ripped apart as the Weave forced more and more Might into him.

It didn’t stop at 1-Star, either. No, it continued to tear through him as the Might kept pouring in. It seeped into his cells, repaired them, only to tear new tissue apart moments later.

Time passed. It was now late afternoon, though David had no idea if it was still the same day. He highly doubted he’d only been in agony for a few hours. If someone told him he had been trapped in that hell for months, it would’ve seemed more believable. Unfortunately, Electra made sure to inform him it had only been a few hours.

“Thanks for nothing,” he grumbled, rubbing his sore muscles.

Applying [True Restoration] should have alleviated all ailments, but nothing happened. David remained in pain, silently wondering how long it would take before his body gave out.

Electra assured him his experience was normal, but he didn’t want to hear that. Rather than listen to the Sacred Beast’s rambling, he checked the remaining notifications.

[You have achieved the unthinkable and escaped the confines of the mortal realm. You successfully created a Divine Seed and unsealed its first layer. Congratulations, Ascendant. You have taken the first step toward true godhood.]

The message didn’t make much sense. It felt more like a generic notification handed to anyone who reached 1-Star. David had taken the long road, but that was fine with him. He had thousands of strong bonds, a territory, and now, he had unsealed his first divine ability.

[The first threshold has been crossed – the first step taken.

Arcana has been unraveled.]

[Cycle’s Embrace – 1]

Finally reaching the true threshold of an Ascendant was exhilarating, yet that excitement was quickly overwhelmed by the changes occurring around him.

His presence was now deeply embedded in his territory, allowing him to sense everything. But perception wasn’t all he had gained. David now held full Authority over his territory, and that included the portion of the Weave that shaped it. Ｒä₦ƟΒĘ𝓢

Electra had been informative, and thanks to her, he knew he could alter the Weave within his territory. All he needed was enough Might to engrave the changes into it.

As expected, altering the Weave came at a steep cost. Exorbitantly so, David realized as he reached out to the nearest strand.

How did she explain it again? He raked his fingers through his hair, trying to recall everything Electra had shown him.

Instead, David recalled his experience with another Ascendant who’d used his influence to create massive, fortified walls, seemingly out of nowhere. That Ascendant was none other than Fortress, though it was more appropriate to call him a god. After all, he had already ascended to godhood and no longer walked the path of an Ascendant.

Doesn’t that mean a god’s influence is actually Might? David wondered, and the idea made sense.

Ascendants and gods had to use their Might—infusing a portion of their power into a target—to create Sworn, Champions, to form and anchor Rifts, and to reward Classers for doing what they wanted. However, despite being immortal beings with the means to shape reality, they couldn’t descend on the Earthen Union. Not even Major Gods possessed the means to influence the Earthen Union’s reality more than others, and David was certain the Weave was at fault for that.

He was confident the Weave restricted the amount of Might foreign existences could use on the Earthen Union. However, it was only a matter of time until that restriction disappeared as well. It wouldn’t be long, now that the first native-born Ascendants began to emerge.

Zachariah is most definitely an Ascendant already, and there are probably a few more at this point. The last remnants of the World Awakening would soon be fully integrated into the Earthen Union. By then, the entire world would be thrown into shambles.

David sighed deeply.

“Influence sounds better than Might, though. We’re not forcing the Weave to change. We influence its structure and guide it to create what we desire,” he muttered as he made a simple decision for himself: there was no need to listen to everything the System did. Whether he called it Influence or Might hardly mattered. It was the same anyways.

And David took it upon himself to release his power to shape his territory. He pressed his palm firmly against the Guardian Idol towering before him and channeled the Divine Seed of Might to spread the roots of his first Idol, integrating it deeper into the Weave.

His presence pushed deeper into his land and stretched farther. David studied the borders of his territory as he traveled to the other Idols to repeat the process, and he was happy to see that his territory expanded. It wasn’t a massive expansion of land, yet it was enough to catch his attention.

“That was a bit expensive,” he grumbled, only to listen to Electra complaining about his stingy nature. She sent him some nasty images and threw a barrage of emotions at him.

“Calm down, will you?” David chuckled, ignoring her jabs. “I get it. I really do. Anchoring the Idols deep inside my territory improved their function as Idols. The expansion of my territory is only a side-effect—a welcome one though. It seems like owning more land provides as much power as some of the strongest bonds of Favor.”

The most impactful was the Sanctuary. As a Small Town—as the System labeled it before—it provided a steady stream of power equivalent to a few hundred bonds at the Believer level. However, now that Orhain met all requirements to be called a Sanctuary, it provided even more power than the two Devotee bonds generated. Although it was difficult to figure out the exact amount of energy provided, David was more than satisfied.

One more reason to focus on the expansion of Orhain and my territory. Rebuilding Kamia seems like the right choice.

His plan set in stone, after countless revisions, David checked his Divine Seed for anomalies.

[Divine Seed]

Rank – 1-Star (12.43%) → 1-Star (0.00%)

Affliction – Unique (Twin Paths)

Champions – 1 (Electra)

Idols – 4x Guardians (Orhain – Firm Connection)

Sworn – 0

Bonds – 6211 (25 Neutral)

Path of Favor – 4224 (895x Favorable, 1736x Trusting, 1487x Loyal/Follower, 104x Believer, 2x Devotee)

Path of Conflict – 1962 (492x Negative, 289x Critic, 609x Dissenter, 572x Opponent)

Territory

Small Sanctuary – Orhain

Land – 51 km²

Even though the bonds hadn’t changed according to the System, they were stronger than before. However, the effect wasn’t tangible. It was not a permanent increase, and it only affected the bonds of those residing within his territory. The Classers outside his territory weren’t affected.

Is that a trait of my territory… or is that something all territories do? Strengthening the bonds within the territory’s range?

That was something he’d have to research in the future. Now, though, David used his divine ability,the Arcana, Cycle’s Embrace. The Weave rippled and power flushed through his body, filling him with vitality and… was that the presence of death? David tilted his head, and he closed his eyes after a moment of doubt.

“Yep. The presence of death.”

There was no doubt about it. The presence of death manifested deep within him, and it spread through David to mingle with the vibrant life force occupying every part of his body.

Yet, as he released Cycle’s Embrace, nothing happened. It didn’t work.

The Arcana has other requirements, David figured, and left the town for the first time in months.

He located a few hostile life signals a dozen kilometers from Orhain and cast [Phantom Rush] as he propelled forward to reach them near-instantaneously. David had yet to give it his all, yet he was faster than before. Power pumped through his lower body and his calves bulged as he released his grasp on [Phantom Rush] to use his raw physical strength to accelerate.

His power was interesting, to say the least. First, the group of fire-spewing salamanders he encountered retreated apprehensively as he slowed down in front of them. There was no glimmer of intelligence in the salamanders’ eyes, but their instincts seemed to scream at them, urging them to avoid him at all costs. Yet, they did not turn their backs to him.

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Second, one of the salamanders in the back collapsed, dead, to the ground as a faint, almost inconspicuous crack resounded.

“Interesting,” David murmured, eyes resting on the dead salamander. Its neck had been twisted—broken to end the monster with a mere thought of will. A thought made real through the influence of the Weave.

Relying on his access to the Weave and the tremendous amount of willpower the command consumed, David killed the salamander. The action didn’t even consume Might, although it did momentarily reduce the trickle of Might flowing inside the Divine Seed. The difference was barely noticeable, and it would have escaped his notice if he hadn’t been paying attention.

Regardless, his focus returned to the roaring flames, the massive, burning figure within, and the apprehensive salamanders before resuming the experiment he had come for in the first place.

He activated Cycle’s Embrace once again.

Death resurfaced within him, and it did not remain idle. His vitality surged, and the dance of life and death filled him.

David felt a mixture of weakness and strength envelop him. He tried to contain the Arcana’s power within himself while dispersing the weakness, but that didn’t work. Life and death mingled together and couldn’t be separated.

Thus, following his instincts, David released Cycle’s Embrace at the salamanders. A thunderous, pained roar rang out from within the blazing flames as a beam of life and death struck the burning creature rather than the salamanders. Yet, instead of wounding the creature set ablaze, it seemed to strengthen it. The life within Cycle’s Embrace separated from death and seeped into the monster. It poured into the half-dead being, while death spread out. The presence of death looked like it was about to transform as it surged toward the true targets, and it took only a moment before needles of death pricked them. It bypassed the salamanders’ thick scale cover and plunged deep into them.

David expected something interesting to happen and was surprised when [True Sight] discovered a faint connection between the burning creature and the salamanders. Annoyed that the creature’s life signal had returned to the cusp of death, he reached for the Weave once more and extinguished the fire. It reduced the trickle of Might momentarily again, but the price was worth it. He discovered a half-burned, half-dead bear beneath the dying flames and manifested a brilliant wisp of [Healing Sphere] to keep it alive and heal it slowly.

Yet, as the first healing burst reached the bear, something interesting happened. The faint connection between the monsters flared up. It pulsated with a sudden burst of vigor and sent a trace of golden light from the salamanders to the wounded bear. Once the golden traces reached the bear, the monster’s life signal stabilized and regained some vigor.

The second burst of [Healing Sphere]’s power repeated the effect, and so did the third and following infusions of life. David even went as far as casting [True Restoration], which caused a much larger trace of golden light to traverse through the connection between the bear and the salamanders.

All while the bear regained more and more of its vigor, the salamanders grew weaker.

“Healing the target of Cycle’s Embrace harms nearby enemies,” David mused, tilting his head.

The effect was far from great, yet it was noticeable over time. He could feel the salamanders resisting the removal of vitality, but their willpower was too low to break the Arcana. Their lifeforce was siphoned and supplied to David’s ally, proportionally to the amount of healing he provided. It didn’t really matter that said ally was a bear—whom he didn’t actually consider an ally. Their relationship was purely transactional…and experimental.

David was so focused on the Arcana, its hidden traits, and the limits of his newest power that he failed to see the intricate lines swirling around him. He didn’t know how long they had flowed before him when he noticed them, but he instinctively knew what they were all about.

Arcana, Cycle’s Embrace, leveled up.

1 → 2

“So that’s why the efficiency of all healing applied to the bear increased,” David nodded to himself.

Sure, the increase wasn’t large, but it would grow as he raised the Arcana’s level. Maybe the amount of vitality drained from nearby enemies would increase as well with further advancement.

Increasing the efficiency of all healing applied to the allies registered by Cycle’s Embrace should also amplify the effect of death’s presence, shouldn’t it?

Cycle’s Embrace drained the enemy’s vitality proportional to the healing that reached the target. Thus, amplifying the latter with other means – be it potions, [Herald’s Blessing], the use of pure lifeforce and Origin Essence, or a simple overclock of the healing Skill used on the ally—should count, and so should the increased healing applied by Cycle’s Embrace.

“That requires more testing!” David craned his neck and flashed his teeth. The salamander backed off, but surely they didn’t think they could escape alive… right?

***

Arcana, Cycle’s Embrace, leveled up.

3 → 4

Each level of his Arcana felt unfamiliar. The notification wasn’t what he was used to. There was no holographic screen, let alone a message that reminded him of the System. The intricate lines swirling before him felt… different. Closer. More real.

It was almost like they were connected to the Weave.

David felt incredible. His Arcana wasn’t exactly overpowered or anything, but Cycle’s Embrace was bound to transform into a useful ability as long as he nourished it. However, he was unsure how much the Arcana would affect his fighting style from now onward.

He felt incredibly powerful as a 1-Star Ascendant, but that wasn’t only due to his advancement. Using his other Skill Runes and Spark on his way back to Orhain, David could tell how much every aspect of his power had advanced. After all, it wasn’t like his rank as an Ascendant was the only thing that had improved in the last few months.

He had worked hard to improve everything.

While he did teach a few Classers about the System, Sparks, and the like—accumulating more Favor from them—he had spent the last few months relying on [Dao Comprehension] to deepen his understanding of his Sparks and to create new Sparks using his grasp of the Law governing Rend and the Law of Blood. The former was something he thought of over the last few months, and it pushed him even closer to the Ancient Law.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have permanent access to the Weave and couldn’t spend all day, for weeks or months, working on [Dao Comprehension] to create more Sparks. He had various other Skills to focus on as well. That included [Mind Palace], [Soul Domain], and [Reinforce].

The path to a perfect foundation was long and challenging, but he was getting closer—slowly but surely.

His status screen confirmed that much.

Name – David Stears

Rank – Ascendant ⭐

Divine Seed – (0.01%)

Source – 243 Droplets

Corrupted Divine Heart – [Vitae Nihilum – 117]

[Modification – IV]

[Weave Optics] – [Bloodthrone Dominion]

[Promethean Constitution]

[Deryadus’ Arm] – [Sacred Beast Core]

[Arcana – I]

Cycle’s Embrace – 4

[Laws – II/Intents – VI]

[Law of Blood] – [Peak(Minor)]

Bloodlust – (Advanced)

[Law of ???] – [Disconnected(Ancient)]

Rend – (Superior)

Origin Attribute – (Intermediate)

Dominion(Vitae) – Domain of Vitae (Basic)

Pillar of Life (Basic)

Divine Compass

[Legacy Skills – I]

[Dao Comprehension] – [Advanced]

[Class Skills]

[Lifeweaver – VI]

[Bloodlife Echo] – [Advanced – (2000/2000)]

[Equivalent Exchange] – [Tier-2 VII]

[Weave of Life – [Tier-3 V]

[Sacrifice] – [Tier-3 V]

[Blood Manipulation – Lowest – Advanced]

[Unyielding Vitality] – [High(+) – Advanced]

[Monk – II]

[Aether Breath] – [Advanced]

[Reinforce – Tier-3 XX]

Body – Apex– III(14.01%)

Energy Pathways – Apex– I(1.84%)

[Serene Ego – II]

[Mind Palace] – [Transcendent – 7.54%]

[Soul Domain] – [Transcendent – 6.91%]

[Herald of Origin – V]

[Archaic Shackles – [Lowest – Advanced]

[Phantom Rush] – [Lowest – Advanced]

[Indomitable Will] – [High – Advanced]

[Primeval Pulse] – [High(+) – Advanced]

[Fearwrought] – [High(+) – Advanced]

[Skill Runes]

[Tier-2 – VI]

[Blood Burst – [Tier-2 IX]

[Crimson Bulwark] – [Tier-2 XII]

[Radiant Expulsion] – [Tier-2 XII]

[Healing Sphere] – [Tier-2 XX]

[Chain of Will] – [Tier-2 XXVI]

[Two of a Mind] – [Tier-2 XXVIII]

[Tier-3 – IV]

[Bloodbound Bastion] – [Tier-3 I]

[True Sight – [Tier-3 VII]

[Herald’s Blessing – [Tier-3 X]

[True Restoration – [Tier-3 XXXVI]

[Basic]

Bleeding – [Middle – Basic]

Lacerate – [High – Basic]

[Intermediate – I]

[Vital Weaving] – [Middle – Intermediate]

[Advanced II]

[Origin Lightning] – [Lowest – Advanced]

[Lifeweaver’s Bond] – [Middle – Advanced]

The biggest improvements were, by far, the acquisition and acknowledgment of Dominion, the Domain of Vitae, and the Pillar of Life, which had been the Beacon of Life before. Their lines were still slightly crooked, but David’s hard work paid off. He fixed most of the distortions and reached the minimum requirements to gain the System’s acknowledgment.

[Bleeding] was a useful Spark, which he created with the help of the Law of Blood, yet it was [Lacerate] that pushed him further than anything. Initially, David relied on Rend to create the Spark, but [Dao Comprehension] allowed him to grasp aspects of the Law governing Rend and to advance [Lacerate] to the peak of the Basic rank. The edge of his nails touched upon the Law governing Rend since that day, which was also when the change in his status screen came to be.

Nonetheless, looking at these few words, David could not help but be irked.

[Law of ???] – [Disconnected (Ancient)]

Clearly, he was close to unraveling the Ancient Law, but he had failed to take the final step.

Something stopped him, and it was beyond frustrating.