Chương 155: The Sanctuary in the Sky (4)

Boreas might just very well be a paradise. Simon knew Endymion had a few seaside resorts where the imperial family's princes and princesses went on vacation, but he had never been invited there; his experience with them stopped with stories and pictures from books. Boreas probably beat them all with its vibrant waterfalls, its tropical beaches of sand around pristine lakes filled with fish unknown to the surface, its palm and exotic tree groves…

This would have been the exact kind of place catering to rich noblemen and merchant princes on the surface, and it clearly encouraged the locals to take a leisurely approach to life from the way most of them clustered in the water or slouched in the shade.

Simon had never seen a non-ruined elven settlement before, and the largest group of them he encountered were the mages who sealed him on Mount Colt many reigns back, yet here he found himself flying over clay huts and hundreds of Belzemine's kinsfolk basking in the ambient mana. Boreas' elf population dressed similarly to the kish, the men being mostly shirtless and the women wearing green robes leaving their shoulders exposed due to the heat.

They also seemed to favor tattoos and body paint alongside emerald or sapphire jewelry from what he could see. Most importantly, Simon spotted dozens of golems gathering various fruits or fanning elves lying in the shade near a beach as Eole carried him to the island. They were rather rudimentary stone automatons compared to the more advanced designs used by Endymion's military or Muse's, but still relatively numerous for a single settlement without access to industrial crafting production.

There must be thousands of them here, Simon thought as he glanced at Belzemine, whose usually blank expression had turned into one of distress as Ruto carried her above the elven village. A community that could support and welcome her.

"Here," Vayan said as he moved into an open temple similar to the one they departed from, built atop a manatree root. Simon guessed that they served as a way for the islanders to contact the Sky-Father.

"We are awaited." Indeed, two figures were already present at the temple; the first of them was likely the dryad of these lands, a bark-skinned lady with long green hair bound by purple flowers sprouting from her head and wearing a robe of woven leaves. Two antler-like branches stood above her emerald eyes. Simon's Dark Visionary senses immediately picked up on the light emanating from her, and a near-imperceptible thread of energy binding her to the manatree; as expected, this body was a mere projection.

And her radiance still remained dimmer than Belzemine's, whom the dryad immediately smiled at. The second was a creature that reminded Simon of a Kish at first glance, until he realized her greenish wings were merged with her arms, and that her hands and feet ended in talons. The legs, torso, and face belonged to a humanoid woman clad in a metal corset, though her orange eyes were those of a hawk rather than a human.

A golden choker glittered from beneath her blue mane of spiked hair, and she sported a whip weapon attached to her belt. This creature, which Simon assumed was a harpy, immediately focused on him during their approach.

"Eole!" The dryad smiled warmly at the kish when they landed. Simon could have sworn her voice belonged to a teenager rather than an ancient creature revered and feared in equal measure.

"I'm so glad to see you again, my sweet little sapling! I've missed your songs so much!"

"I will gladly make up for lost time, Lady Junon," Eole replied with a warm grin, which faded away the moment she faced the harpy.

"Queen Zeal."

"You brought another human foreigner here?" the harpy replied, ignoring Eole and studying Simon. He could tell she distrusted him at first sight.

"As if we didn't already have enough of them to deal with."

"You seem to be in a good mood, Queen Zeal," Vayan said, though Simon couldn't tell whether he was joking or being oblivious.

"Has there been a new development I am unaware of?" The harpy snickered.

"We have finally found a way to remove the foreigners from our territory."

"I informed Lady Alcyone that the material she needs to repair her metal bird could be found in the Forbidden Keep," the dryad said.

"On account of her level and experience, I have decided to grant her access to it."

"That is good to hear," Vayan declared, his gaze searching for the missing Alcyone, "But where is the Adventurer?"

"She already left for the Forbidden Keep." The dryad's laughter sounded like a waterfall.

"That one is like you, Vayan, she cannot roost in one place for more than an hour!" Exploring an ancient ruin full of monsters and forgotten treasures is catnip to an Adventurer, Simon mused. I pity Voltobauta, if he had to catch up to her all the time.

"The quicker she stops roosting in our lands, the better," Queen Zeal replied sharply, glaring at Simon and Belzemine.

"Why are they here?"

"Young Simon is a Visionary from the surface, who seeks shelter in our Sanctuary with his elven companion," Vayan said.

"He has come to warn us of a great danger."

"I am Simon Magnos, and this is Lady Agnes Firewand," Simon said. It pained him to introduce Belzemine by her slave name, but it would cause her distress to use her real one.

"I am Junon, dryad of these islands. Queen Zeal leads the local harpy community." Junon smiled warmly at the newcomers.

"I hope you'll enjoy your stay among us. I'm so very happy to meet one of my sisters again!" She clearly didn't know anything about House Magnos or Endymion, or else she would have reacted with suspicion or hostility. Simon knew that dryads talked to each other using their root network, and this one had been literally uproo–"Wait," Simon said, his head perking up." Sister?"

"Isn't Miss Agnes related to my mother?" Lady Junon asked with a puzzled expression.

"I feel her presence all around her."

"I am unrelated to the Mana Goddess," Belzemine replied with embarrassment.

"My parents were elven farmers."

"Truly? I feel Mother's blessing in you, so I thought you were one of my sisters." The dryad's smile widened.

"No matter, if my mother blessed you so much, then you are still kin to me." Could Belzemine descend from the Mana Goddess? Simon wondered. All elves technically did, but she might be a favored grandchild of some sort. That, or the Mana Goddess has a plan in mind for her.

"I can't wait to show you around," Lady Junon told Belzemine.

"I'll grow you the most comfortable seed hut you've ever seen!"

"I'm… thank you, but I live to serve Lord Simon," Belzemine replied with a hint of unease.

"I cannot leave his side."

"Oh?" The dryad covered her mouth.

"Are you two marr–""You said you came to warn us of a great danger," the harpy cut in sternly, saving them from an embarrassing conversation.

"Speak." Simon nodded and proceeded to give a quick recap of his 'visions,' warning them of the Goatfish's escape, the threat the likes of Vouivre represented for their society, and the threat of a new Doom coming. The dryad's joy turned to concern and distress, while the harpy's scowl deepened.

"This is very troubling," Lady Junon said, "We haven't checked the seal the Heroes put on the Forbidden Keep's prisoner since… a century ago?"

"Two," Vayan corrected her.

"Too long," the dryad admitted sheepishly.

"I will send my caretakers after Lady Alcyone to take a look."

"We should confiscate the foreigners' metal ship while their leader is occupied," Queen Zeal suggested.

"We can capture the crew and force the Adventurer to surrender her Crestone to us."

"What?!" Lady Junon sounded horrified.

"Why?!"

"To ensure no other metal bird comes to follow that one's trail, and take the Adventurer Class for ourselves," the harpy replied coldly. She was clearly more ruthless than all of the other Sanctuary leaders put together.

"If the human here tells us the truth, then we have a year to prepare for a great disaster. We need the Heroes' power to defend ourselves." The fact that she suggested that right in front of another foreigner —or that she thought taking on an Adventurer stronger than their patron god was in any way a good idea—told Simon she had no idea who she was dealing with.

Spending her life in a peaceful archipelago where the strongest creature didn't rise above level sixty must have given her the wrong idea of what Noble Class users were capable of.

"Such treachery would be cruel and wrong," Vayan protested.

"I will not allow it."

"I can craft a contract that would compel the Adventurer and her crew to keep this place's existence a secret," Simon proposed.

"And from what I've seen in my visions, the Adventurer would be the kind to help you anyway. Her friendship would also secure the Necromancer's help." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The harpy queen sneered.

"To rely on outsiders to protect ourselves is foolish. We should become strong enough to defend ourselves." Simon privately agreed with her, though her plot to backstab the Adventurer would only result in a bloodbath.

"You have no need to steal anybody's Class," he said.

"I can craft multiple Vassal Crestones. You have enough manaliths for me to arm half your population." Almost everyone except Belzemine looked at him as if he were the first man to discover fire, with the harpy squinting at him with both wariness and interest. Simon guessed they didn't know how to craft Vassal Crestones.

"That's… a bold proposal, but a bit premature," Lady Junon said with embarrassment once the initial surprise had passed.

"We can discuss it after we've confirmed the demon's seal is indeed faltering."

"I concur," Vayan added.

"You should focus on awakening your Visionary powers for now, young Simon." What's going on here? Simon would have expected them to react with more enthusiasm at his proposal. Everyone wanted more Crestones. Only Eole and the harpy appeared to see the value in it. Come to think of it, why do they have so few Crestones in the first place?

"I should be able to unlock your Remembrances, even if my connection to the Worldsoul has weakened since I was cut off from my sisters' roots," Lady Junon told Simon with enthusiasm.

"It will be my first time awakening a Visionary! It's so exciting!"

"Lady Junon collects and reincarnates all the souls inside the Sanctuary to ensure they do not rot into undead," Ruto explained.

"You could say she is a one-tree Worldsoul."

"Even though your roots don't stretch beyond Boreas?" Simon inquired.

"But they do," Junon replied with a chuckle.

"Where do you think all the manalith in the islands came from? There's a little piece of me in every floating rock in this archipelago." In short, she was a Worldsoul of one and a throwback to prehistoric days when each manatree was an isolated oasis in the middle of a lifeless wasteland. This pleased Simon, since it meant the Oracle wouldn't hear of his presence in the Sanctuary.

Lady Junon quickly attempted to unlock his Remembrances, a process which involved her touching his forehead where his 'third eye' should have been. Simon sensed her mana touch his soul through her warm fingers, only to hit an inviolable wall. Soul-reading negated by Indomitable Crown.

"What is th–" Lady Junon suddenly backed out, wincing.

"Ah!"

"Lady Junon?" Eole inquired with concern.

"What did you see?"

"Darkness… I saw darkness." Lady Junon shivered.

"A void so dark no light can shine inside." Vayan lowered his head.

"Is he indeed a Visionary of the Abyss?"

"I think he is, however impossible that sounds… but it is so much worse than that." Her expression had become terribly grim.

"Simon, your soul is entirely cut from the wheel of reincarnation. It will go somewhere else when you die." My soul was bound to the Crimson Throne the moment I inherited the Overlord Class, Simon thought before he asked, "Can you think of any way to break this connection?"

"I can't even tell how it happened, Simon. I've never seen anything like it. Even a demon's contract or undeath can't sever the Worldsoul connection so thoroughly." Lady Junon stared at him like a doctor announcing a terminal diagnosis to a sick patient.

"We have to find a solution before you die, or else..."

"It's a long-term issue and we have time," Simon reassured her.

"Are you kidding?!" Eole sounded horrified.

"Simon, didn't you hear her? You might turn into an undead after you die!"

"I don't think you understand the seriousness of your situation yet," Lady Junon said, crossing her arms.

"Your soul may end up devoured by demons in the Abyss or even disappear altogether for all we know." I still have eighty lives left, Simon thought. Still, he understood why his calm reaction might unsettle them, so he tried to word it in a reassuring way.

"I get it, but we have more pressing threats to address. I would rather ensure thousands don't die than worry about myself." While the kish and dryad remained concerned, Vayan accepted his answer with respect.

"You are a brave soul worthy of your lineage, Simon."

"That… that is very courageous and selfless, but we should still look into it," Lady Junon said.

"Unfortunately, I cannot awaken your past lives without a Worldsoul connection. Your soul has no past nor future." Simon scowled.

"I see… that's disappointing."

"I did sense vague echoes of presences bound to your soul," Lady Junon admitted.

"I couldn't distinguish them well, but I think they could serve as Remembrances if you connect with them… which I don't suggest." She was likely talking about the three past Overlords, which reminded Simon that Lady Justine's original plan to awaken his Dark Visionary powers was to have him connect with them through a symbolic reenactment of their greatest acts. Could he unlock their 'Remembrances' this way?

"What of his summoning skills?" Queen Zeal inquired, looking up to Vayan.

"Visionaries are said to summon the gods in battle."

"My System interface indicated that I could form a 'Dark Eidolon Pact' with him rather than a standard contract, but my instincts told me to recoil from it," Vayan admitted.

"I had hoped Lady Junon could ascertain the issue."

"A Dark Eidolon Pact?" Lady Junon scowled.

"No, I've never heard of this."

"One of my teachers warned me that it might corrupt an eidolon, though I've never tried it," Simon warned them.

"Corrupt?" Lady Junon scratched her cheek.

"This sounds ominous… maybe we shouldn't–""I say we test it," Queen Zeal insisted.

"Power is power. The gods wouldn't have granted him this gift without a reason."

"I suppose so… and he does travel with one of my mother's beloved…" Lady Junon hesitated a moment before clearing her throat and raising her voice.

"Carbuncle? Carbuncle, can you come here for a moment? Mana gathered at the dryad's foot and materialized in the form of a small, rabbit-like creature with green fur, big black eyes, and a ruby encrusted in the middle of its forehead. Simon found it rather adorable, and he quickly spotted the text floating over its head. Carbuncle, the Gemfinder Level 10 Eidolon of Gems, Mirrors, and Purity. Beast/Elemental Eole smiled warmly at the creature and petted it on the head.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Carbuncle."

"Oh, Eole, you're back!" the critter chirped with a squeaky, childlike male voice, and then waved its paw at everyone.

"Greetings, everyone! I'm Carbuncle, the Gemfinder! Polish my shrine, leave plenty of food on my altar, and I may give you a jewel in return!"

"Sounds like an honest deal," Simon replied with a smile. He assumed this was a minor eidolon with a small following.

"Lord Carbuncle is one of the weakest and friendliest eidolons on the islands," Ruto informed him.

"Every would-be Shaman usually begins their training by contracting with him."

"You're the newest Shaman on the block?" Carbuncle nodded at Simon and closed his eyes.

"Sweet! My blessing is not too good, but I love making friends!"

"Simon here can apparently form 'Dark Eidolon Pacts' with us, though I am unfamiliar with what that means," Vayan said.

"It might have negative effects on us. Maybe corruptive ones."

"Corrupt?" Carbuncle scratched the back of his head.

"Like my gem will lose its luster?"

"We do not know," Lady Junon admitted.

"I can purify any soul tainted by miasma with time, and your purview includes purity so I thought you could weather whatever side effects that may follow…" She raised her hands.

"But only if you want to try it out!"

"Sure, no problem. Anything for a friend." The cheerful critter didn't even hesitate.

"But if anything goes wrong, I want a new altar next to Big Bird's shrine!"

"Of course," Vayan replied.

"I will lend you some of my mana too."

"Agnes, could you cast purifying spells on Carbuncle?" Simon asked his retainer.

"Just in case."

"Give me a moment too!" Lady Junon insisted as she and Belzemine cast a motley of protections on Carbuncle, from Aegis to more esoteric Prayers Simon didn't recognize.

"Alright, we should be good." Carbuncle extended his paw at Simon.

"So, Simon, ready to form your first contract?"

"I would love to," Simon replied as a notification appeared in front of him. Form a Dark Eidolon Pact with Gemfinder Carbuncle? Simon thought 'yes' and shook hands with Carbuncle, who shivered in response.

"Brr, I feel so cold," the small eidolon complained, "But it's done! Enjoy my blessing!" You have formed a contract with Gemfinder Carbuncle. The Worldsoul be your witness, you have received the following blessing: you gain increased Luck when it comes to find– A chill ran down Simon's spine all of a sudden, the System notification darkened and twisting without warning. The Abyss bore witness to your Pact, which no power in the planes may break. You have formed a Dark Eidolon Pact with Carbuncle, the Devil-Mirror.

You can now summon Carbuncle, the Devil-Mirror, to help you in battle and channel its Auspice. Simon blinked as he reread the notification.

"Carbuncle the Devil-Mirror?"

"Uh…" Carbuncle scratched the back of his ear.

"That's not my title… Don't you have my blessing? The contract feels wrong somehow…"

"It says I must summon you in battle to channel your 'Auspice,'" Simon replied, "What does that mean?" Carbuncle blinked and looked up to Vayan and Lady Junon, who seemed to have no answer either.

"I don't see anything wrong," the dryad said after casting a few analysis spells.

"Our contingencies weren't triggered either."

"Can you try to summon Carbuncle to your side, Simon?" the Sky-Father asked.

"It should be a simple matter of focusing. The summoning chant should come to you naturally."

"You'll see, it's super duper easy," Carbuncle said.

"Since my estimated level is above yours, I'll appear in my cuter level 1 form."

"How does that work exactly?" Simon inquired as he tried to focus.

"All creatures have an effective level in the Worldsoul's eyes, which determines how much experience is awarded should we slay someone," Belzemine said.

"It is indistinguishable from our Class levels for us elves and humans, but stronger creatures like monsters have a higher one depending on their strength."

"We eidolons grow in power by accumulating mana from worship," Vayan informed Simon.

"Should you summon me, I would likely appear in a diminished form due to your lack of levels." As expected, not even eidolons can pierce through Anathemic Secrecy's false stats, Simon thought before asking out loud, "And if I were to exceed your level one day? Would yours increase in turn?"

"Of course not," Vayan replied with some amusement, as if the very thought Simon could surpass him in power was absurd.

"Although some Classes might work around this limitation." Probably like the Summoner, Simon thought as he gathered his breath. An invisible presence whispered words on the tip of his mouth, an incantation rising from the depths of the Abyss to the forefront of his consciousness.

"When the curtain of darkness falls on a world devoid of light, the black mirror shall show your true self!" Simon chanted.

"Reveal thyself, Carbuncle the Devil-Mirror!" The small eidolon disappeared in a flash of mana, only for a circle of miasmic, eldritch runes to form at Simon's feet. Carbuncle reappeared inside them like a demon called from the Abyss' depths. Simon immediately sensed a connection akin to the Devil Brands form between his soul and his summon, as if their two spirits resonated as one, with Simon holding the leash around the eidolon's neck.

"See, it was eas…" Carbuncle tensed up.

"What… what is this…" Eole looked at him with concern.

"Lord Carbuncle?"

"I feel… power… power swelling inside me… so much wealth…" Carbuncle held his ruby with both paws, basking in a feeling of euphoria.

"So much greed." Simon's enhanced senses immediately picked faint traces of miasma rising from the eidolon, which should have been impossible. Their kind was born of the Worldsoul and shaped by the people's faith, hopes, and desires. They were entirely made of mana. And yet the eidolon's luster darkened.

"Carbuncle?" Vayan asked, rising to his feet.

"Carbuncle, what is happening?"

"I feel great, Vayan! I feel amazing! This power is incredible!" The critter's voice deepened, and his ruby shone with a baleful glow. Carbuncle's body was absorbed into it as its very essence underwent a transformation.

"I am becoming… more! More!"

"Dismiss him, Simon!" the Sky-Father ordered, though Simon had no idea how to do so.

"Dismiss him now–" Carbuncle's ruby shattered, and a monster poured out of it in a sea of miasma.