“Are you certain it isn’t possible?”
Isabel narrowed her eyes and refused to answer the question again. It didn’t even matter how comely the Sage of Persuasion was, she would not have the same conversation on repeat. The Sage stopped looming and sank into a chair in the cramped dining room. Her new home was very Jinn. Lots of metal and plastic, the clutter arranged so tight there was hardly room to breathe while every noise echoed harshly.
At least the dining room was only filled with tables and chairs at the moment. Persuasion had kept the meeting small. It was the two of them plus Conflagration and the woman with the odd name of Zelda. So far the interaction had been Persuasion asking some version of ‘is it possible Hector can advance to level ten even though you already said he could not’ and Isabel responding with variations of ‘trying that would definitely kill the guy I just swore to keep alive’.
Persuasion folded her hands together, looking more reasonable than any human should ever appear. How did she keep getting past Isabel’s mental strengthening? Her impassive features twitched at the only possible conclusion. Sage powers. In some cases resonance could bypass normal defenses. “Hector needs to reach level ten,” Persuasion declared.
“Why? Many consider the Sage of Conflagration equal in might to an Immortal. Equal to a Lord, I mean.” The truth was that the reputation of Conflagration terrified a lot of high level Xian. Isabel didn’t break bread with anyone at level ten back at the sect, but she occasionally spoke to those who did. Everyone knew the big names, the people considered the most powerful from their respective worlds. War Barge Elliott. The Lord Annihilator. The Sage of Conflagration.
“Hector is our weapon. He needs the power that comes from reaching level ten.”
Isabel was tempted to insult the pretty woman’s reasoning. Destroying your weapon was a poor way to improve it. This was an important person, she reminded herself. One who should be amenable to reason. “The benefits to becoming a Lord are immense, I admit. The body and mind are remade. The aura is magnified. The domain footprint expands greatly. But Hector has already slain a Dragon. Surely reaching the peak of level nine will be enough.”
“I don’t care about him being a Xian Lord,” Persuasion shot back. “I need Hector and his realm to undergo a Sage Confirmation.”
The concept of a Confirmation was new to her. “This happens at level ten for Sages?”
“Yes. It presents a unique opportunity for Sages. The resonance between realm, the world, and ultimate reality are balanced during the advancement to level ten.”
Isabel looked towards Conflagration and Zelda to see what they thought of the conversation. All she found was stubborn resolve. Everyone thought that they could pressure her into a different answer. “What does it matter what Sages do? Hector is not an Arahant.”
“He is a Sage,” Conflagration insisted.
Persuasion picked up the conversation once it became clear the man had said all he intended. “The term is not exclusive to my kind. It refers to anyone who encodes an insight into a realm. For it to be official, there has to be a vote in the College of Sages, but that is just a formality.”
“They never voted on me,” Conflagration said.
“Yes, we did,” Persuasion said. “We held the vote in absentia since you couldn’t be bothered to present yourself. The most highly combat rated Sage of Svarga was not going to remain illegitimate.”
“The Tribulation will kill Hector,” Isabel insisted.
“Can I speak?” The interruption came from Zelda.
Persuasion nodded in the woman’s direction.
“It seems to me that the two of you are talking past each other. If we’re going to figure this out, we need effective communication, not persuasive communication – an honest exchange of knowledge and ideas.”
Isabel studied the Zelda woman. “You speak sensibly.”
“Thank you. Can you tell us what a Tribulation is?”
“Strikes of lightning from the heavens. Any level nine Xian whose soul fully saturates will call for one if they fill their reserves. It is instant suicide to not advance when the Tribulation begins. The advancement helps endure the lightning until the threat ends. The world of Tian has many talents at the peak of nine who never go above three quarters of their energy reserves because they know they cannot survive a Tribulation.”
Zelda nodded in appreciation of the information. “How does lightning kill a Xian?”
“Of course it is not normal lightning,” Isabel said. “It is said to be the residue of the mundane that must be removed for an Immortal – I mean Lord – to sever themselves from reality.”
“So it’s lightning super-charged with cosmic energy? Does advancing away from Tian help?”
“Some believe the Tribulation is less on unempowered worlds, but the sects long ago determined that to be false. The lightning is everything but cosmic energy. It cannot be avoided by moving to a different world or blocked by obstructions. The soul is what attracts the Tribulation and what must ultimately face it. Among those properly trained in cultivation, it is known that no advancement in level should happen before every aperture is brought to the absolute peak. Failing to do that causes the anchor points of the apertures to be weak enough that the entire aperture will detach under the force of the Tribulation.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Persuasion’s jaw had dropped and she was staring at Isabel like she’d said something insane. “When you say ‘absolute peak’, am I to understand that to mean you invest the maximum amount of energy possible? Into every aperture? At every level?”
Isabel confirmed that with a quick nod.
“That is ridiculous. Not a single one of my apertures rates higher than mid seven on the System’s survey and I am a level ten Sage. How does anyone live long enough to become a Lord with such drastic investment requirements?”
“Xian live much longer than your kind. And we get the energy from resources.”
“You mean cannibalism,” Persuasion muttered.
“Perhaps we should focus on being productive?” Zelda’s interruption caught everyone’s attention. “If we can’t figure out a way to block or divert the Tribulation lightning, then is there something that can be done to strengthen the aperture anchors you mentioned?”
“Advancing properly is how anchors are strengthened,” Isabel said.
“You know of no other way?”
“It isn’t possible. The masses are kept ignorant in every nation on Tian so that talented nobodies cannot usurp the natural order. Advancing prematurely is the candied poison of the cultivation world.”
Persuasion groaned. “Candied poison? Is that an actual saying in Amarat?”
“It is an old phrase from Helvetia. Everyone loves the sweetness of fast advancement, but the wise understand that it is a trap. Hector… he cultivated based on the memories of a commoner. By the time he knew better it was too late. They say that for any given aperture you can miss two blessings and still have a small chance of surviving your Tribulation. Any more and it is impossible. Even those who do everything properly sometimes fail. Level ten is not a casual advancement for my kind.”
Zelda turned to look at Persuasion. “Are you certain the Confirmation is necessary?”
The Sage stared at the table between them. “I don’t know. Foresight told me to get Hector to level ten before bringing him back to Aes for the final push. I have no idea if she ever saw him as a real Lord or if she made assumptions based on his title. They may have thrown an honorary sobriquet at him to reward his service. Or maybe it was a successful branding campaign by a future version of me.
“Evelyn spent all her time planning what was supposed to be the hard part – the part we just lived through. Terra is saved and we escaped capture. There is one last move prepared in advance, then we’re on our own. So when you ask if it is necessary? I don’t have the answer. But if it is necessary, then we sure as hell need to find a way to pull it off. Damn it, this was supposed to be straightforward. Just protect Hector and point him at the Aes problem in a year.”
Isabel sniffed. “You thought Hector could reach level ten in one year?”
“I didn’t know about the aperture requirement. And he is off to a great start anyway. His domain is halfway through the nines.”
That couldn’t be right. He’d just advanced to eight a few weeks prior. “Are you certain?”
“My senses work just fine.”
Isabel stood. “I need to see him myself.”
“He’s resting.”
“Does his retinue not have access to him?”
Persuasion waved her hand as if fanning away an unpleasant odor. “Fine. Go. This hasn’t been a productive interaction, anyway.”
On her way out the door, she noticed Zelda was following her. “Do you not trust me?”
“I’m not supervising you, Isabel. I haven’t seen my friend Hector in many years.”
The vessel wasn’t large, so it didn’t take them long to locate the infirmary despite the fact that neither of them knew the layout. Inside, all of the partition curtains were pulled back to permit everyone in the gathered crowd see the center of attention. Esther nodded to Isabel. “He’s better looking when he isn’t making his serious expression.”
Isabel rolled her eyes and squeezed closer. Her mental sense probed the man before her. “Each of the apertures are above the peak of eight already.”
“He was still level seven the last time we saw him,” Darius complained. “Now nine.”
“I haven’t seen him since he was level five,” Zelda said.
Esther grunted. “I don’t mean to be rude, but who are you?”
The Arahant woman’s smile held a degree of sadness. “I was part of the group who brought him to the Coalition Army so he could plead for the rescue of his world.”
“I never heard about any of that,” Esther said.
“I know of her,” Darius interrupted. “His first friends on Union Central. Zelda and Rod.” He shifted awkwardly, which drew Isabel’s attention to Restoration, who was studying Darius with a quiet intensity that seemed borderline inappropriate.
Riley took up the conversation. “Oh! Yes, I remember now. Rod was Hector’s best friend. You were his second best friend. And I was his third. Though I think Darius might be the favorite now. They did a lot of adventures together.”
Darius snorted. “Do not be ridiculous. You are far more precious in his eyes.”
“I don’t even know what is going on here,” Esther remarked.
“Hector is level nine with each of his apertures above the peak of level eight,” Isabel said. “Is there any way for us to know if they reached the peak before or after his soul advanced? Though it wouldn’t matter. He cannot advance again either way.”
The shrill voice of Darius sounded then. “Why won’t you stop staring at me?”
“I would like to speak to you about a matter that has come to my attention,” Restoration said.
“What would that be?”
Restoration looked around. “The rest of you may leave now. You know Hector is here and healthy. I am claiming the medical facilities as my area.”
Isabel turned and left the room, pulling Esther along with her. “We must prepare to counter bad advice from the pretty Sage woman. Hector does not need any encouragement to behave foolishly. He must not attempt advancement.”
“The Sage is pretty, is she?” Esther turned and shouted towards the Titan lurking further down the hall. “Ajax, when you get a chance, I have something new for us to bet on!”
