The Ascender's Legacy [A CHAOTIC STORM LITRPG]

Sebastian Rune stood at the top of an ice mountain, overlooking the expanse of snow below. A cold wind blew against him, ruffling his lilac hair to reveal the ouroboros on his forehead, but Sebastian barely shuddered.

Compared to the frost-biting chill of Unoros, this place was tame by comparison. Or at least, its surface was. Its depth, however, was a different matter entirely.

Sebastian grimaced as he ran the probabilities for the umpteenth time, accessing alternate versions of the current reality just to find a potential path forward that didn't lead to destruction. The threads of possibility writhed in his mind like living things, many screaming of death and destruction.

The few that didn't were barely whispers—fragile possibilities that required more luck than he dared hope for.

One thing, however, was certain. There was no escaping the creatures beneath them. They would all have to fight for their lives, unless, of course, one had all sixteen grand abyssal pins.

He glanced at his palms, and his grimace deepened. He only had two.

"This is a mess," he muttered, frustration bleeding into his voice as he activated {Possibility Shift}. The world blurred, and suddenly he stood at the mountain's base—or rather, he'd always been at the base in this version of reality.

Space twisted violently behind him as reality sought to correct the breach, but Sebastian ignored it, his mind occupied with searching for the most favorable path forward.

Most likely, the cultists would split the realm in four, leaving those trapped in each section to battle their monster alone. But that was a death sentence.

If he let things unfold naturally, no one would live to see the next forty-eight hours.

He couldn't let that happen.

Muttering in annoyance, he grabbed hold of those fragile possibilities where survival was possible and began analyzing them—each required step, each anchor plan, each anchor person, and finally, each probability percentage.

Near completely blind to his surroundings, Sebastian focused with surgical precision, combing through the probability threads and discarding every version in which he didn't survive, regardless of the odds. Granted, none of the fragile probabilities offered high chances of success, but any that ended with his death were instantly rejected.

Regardless of what anyone might say, Sebastian valued his own survival above all else—above anyone and everyone. If he didn't survive, then that probability wasn't worth existing.

Eventually, after several minutes of exhaustive calculation, he settled on a thread that ensured the survival of himself and a few others he deemed important. The plan carried only a twenty-seven percent chance of success, but Sebastian was fine with those odds.

More importantly, it made perfect sense.

Rather than fight the sleeping creatures on a field the cultists created, they simply needed to create their own battlefield. There was only one problem. For the probability to hold, he needed to gather everyone together. Every single person scattered across the realm, fighting as one.

How would he even go about doing that? He asked himself. And even if he could, how could he convince the entire realm—nearly a hundred persons—to buy into his plan?

The answer came in the form of a mental image, and Sebastian's lips curled into a cold grin. He needed the telepath on his side. With her, he could nudge every mind in the realm toward agreement, planting the thought so subtly they'd believe it was their own.

Frowning, he peered once more into the probability thread, searching to confirm the telepath's survival. A quiet breath of relief escaped his lips when he saw that she had indeed made it—and a wide smile followed soon after.

Now, he just had to find a way to convince her. But to achieve that, he'd have to find her first.

Sebastian glanced at his surroundings, and his grimace returned. He had come across a few people in the last dozen hours, but they had been few and far between. How was he going to find the telepath in a realm this large?

He mulled on the subject for several minutes, ice crunching beneath his feet as he walked, before finally deciding that he needed a backup option in case things failed to work out with the telepath.

That backup would have to be someone with similar abilities to the telepath. And there was only one other person he knew like that.

Arkhan Veldr.

Communicating with people through dreams wouldn't be as efficient as getting the telepath to do it, but it would work. It would only take longer. But they still had time.

And fortunately for him, Arkhan was far easier to find. He simply had to determine when the dream awakened was asleep. And for that, well, let's just say he hadn't become a master of his dream state by accident.

Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and activated {Parallel Resonance} and {Future-Past Glimpse}—flooding his mind's eye with a cascade of overlapping possibilities. He combed through them deftly, burning through a huge amount of energy as he pushed against the realm's interference, searching for the faint shimmer of Arkhan's dreaming state.

He didn't have to search long.

A faint shimmer in the cascade of possibilities caught his attention—roughly two hours into the future, where Arkhan's consciousness drifted into sleep. Sebastian focused on that temporal thread and began pulling it closer—

A lance of pain sliced through his skull, and Sebastian immediately stopped, his smile wobbling as the familiar pain of going above his current abilities tore through his mind.

The pain was a menace. What was the point of infinite Energy if he couldn't use it to go above and beyond? But there was no way around the system's enforced balance.

Grimacing, Sebastian pushed the skill into a passive state, wiping blood from his nose and eyes. He would have to wait for the next two hours. With the timeline he was working with, it seemed like an eternity.

But he had no other choice.

Frustrated with his complete inability to get his plan in motion, Sebastian continued his walk through the shivering plains, uprooting pins as he went.

An hour passed in this manner, and before long, Sebastian found a forest of towering trees with blue leaves and a canopy that shimmered in the evening sun like the surface of a blue sea.

The moment he stepped past the forest line, though, Sebastian felt an instant change in the air.

{Infinite Possibility Access} activated immediately, and Sebastian turned his gaze to his left, forcing his eyes to see past the veil of serenity cloaking it. The veil rippled for a moment before peeling away to reveal a Calodan woman with skin of the color of rust and pupils of an array of turquoise, azure, and green.

The woman was dressed like most traditional Calodan women, covered head to toe in sand-resistant clothing that only revealed her eyes. And yet, a single glimpse at her multicolored irises was enough for Sebastian to recognize her as dangerous.

Despite his status in the outside world, Sebastian bowed, according her the respect he suspected she commanded. "Good evening, Serenya. I truly hope I haven't disturbed you."

The woman regarded him silently for a moment before giving a small bow of her own. "I cannot be disturbed, Young Rune. I choose who disturbs me, and I haven't chosen you."

Sebastian smiled, with {What-if Projection} and {Parallel Perception} running simultaneously in his mind to help him say the exact words he needed to get this woman on his side. He needed allies, and this woman was powerful.

Thoughts racing, he picked the response most likely to have the warmest reception and nodded. "Serenity weaves as it wills."

Serenya raised both eyebrows in surprise, having not expected to hear her own mantra from the mouth of a stranger. Wariness flickered in her gaze, then cautious respect. She tilted her head slightly, studying him with new interest.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"You speak of serenity as if you understand its nature. How?"

Sebastian felt the weight of her attention settle around him like a still ocean—vast, encompassing, and patient. Once again, he picked the response with the most favorable reception. This time, it was the truth.

"Infinity shows me many things. I am a paralleler. It means I can see hundreds of possibilities of every event and manipulate them, or at the very least, manipulate through them."

"I see," Serenya responded calmly, her latent aura bathing her surroundings in near-solid stillness. She leaned slightly forward, and though Sebastian couldn't see her lips, he had the distinct sense that she was smiling. "And what does Infinity show you about your future here, Sebastian Rune?"

Sebastian didn't hesitate, his tone grave as he spoke. "The same thing it shows me about everyone trapped in this cursed realm—that we are all going to die unless we work together to defeat the catastrophe looming over us."

Serenya's posture shifted immediately, not in alarm, but in the subtle attention of someone accustomed to seeing through deception. "Explain."

Sebastian gladly did, explaining all that he had seen with {future-past projections} and their chances of survival if they banded together. Of course, he didn't mention how greatly his plan favored him.

When he finished speaking, Serenya leaned back against an invisible wall. "So you're a hero. You want to save us all?"

"I wouldn't call myself a hero," Sebastian grimaced. "But if no one does anything, we'll all die. This way at least a few of us will survive."

"So, you're fighting for your own survival then?" Serenya asked, not quite realizing how close to home she was.

Sebastian shrugged, and she smiled with her eyes. "Most heroes start out this way." Gesturing to the ground, she said. "Sit and tell me your plan, Sebastian Rune. If we are to speak of calamity and cooperation, we should do so properly."

Sebastian eyed the snow-covered ground for a moment before complying. Surprisingly, his body barely disturbed the snow. And that was when he realized that the tension in his shoulders had vanished. Serenya hadn't done anything to him, but just being in her presence brought him peace.

She sat opposite him and loosened the wrap around her head to reveal a face only a few years older than his. Auburn hair fell down her shoulder in a cascade, freed from the prison of her scarf to frame her delicate-looking yet dangerously fierce expression.

The woman was beautiful, but rather than stir his heart with lust, she emitted a subtle sense of danger.

Serenya smiled at him, as if she could read his thoughts. "It's customary to reveal one's face when discussing heavy topics such as this." She tilted her head slightly. "So, now that you've seen my face, let's talk. How do you plan to get everyone together?"

Sebastian entwined his fingers and began laying down his plan, sorting through it even as he spoke. "There's a telepath amongst us. I don't know what tier she is, but I know she's more powerful than I am. She can get everyone together if I can get this information to her."

"That's if she buys into… all of this." Serenya's smile thinned. "I'm not quite sure I do either. Solitude is very precious to me."

"It's, however, not as important as life itself." Sebastian countered easily. "Also, concerning the telepath, I've considered the idea that she isn't receptive to the idea, and so, I've found an alternative. A friend of mine is a dream awakened. He could weave the information into their dreams as they slept. He might not get everyone, but he'll gather more than we can do on our own."

"We?" Serenya cocked an eyebrow at him, her smile vanishing. "You say that as if my acceptance is already a done deal?"

Sebastian let a faint crackle of infinity essence curl around his fists. "If it wasn't, you wouldn't have let me find you. You wouldn't have invited me to sit either, not to mention see your face. I may not know much, but if your solitude was so important to you, you would have gone to greater lengths to protect it."

She stared at him for a long, unreadable moment. The silence stretched—too long to be comfortable—before she finally exhaled and said. "Fine. If Infinity insists on crossing paths with Serenity, then perhaps resistance is unwise. For now, we're a team."

Sebastian grinned. Just like that, he had gained his first ally. Now he just had to gain ninety-seven more.

He and Serenya spoke a bit more about the plan and how the cultists were herding them toward their destruction with the pins. They began discussing the creatures themselves a few minutes later, and Serenya's expression sobered. "These creatures you speak of, were you able to identify them? Their affinities? Skills?"

"Yes," Sebastian frowned genuinely as images from several probabilities flashed across his mind. He explained all he had seen in detail, and when he was done, Serenya's frown had deepened significantly, her gaze distant as if she were gazing at something beyond the forest.

"These creatures," she said at last, voice low. "In your projections, you said they fought against us with so much hatred. Do you know why that is? What reason would they have to view us as enemies?"

Sebastian's grimace deepened. "It's not us they hate. It's the ones who trapped them here. They hate us because they believe we're the ones who imprisoned them here?"

The implication of his words hit Serenya like an avalanche, and her eyes widened. "But we're not. The cultists are the ones who trapped us here. We're victims just—" Serenya stilled, her gaze becoming twin pools of utmost serenity. And then she smiled, her gaze holding depths of understanding. "I think what we need to find out first is the motive of each creature. Why do they hate so much? If it's because they think we're the enemies, then maybe, just maybe, they can be reasoned with."

At that moment, while Sebastian processed Serenya's words, {Future-Past Glimpse} resonated loudly within his spirit.

Sebastian exhaled in relief and anticipation. Arkhan was finally asleep.

He looked back at Serenya, realizing just how much trust he was about to put in her right now. To speak to Arkhan, he had to sleep. He could either teleport to a secluded mountain to do so or do it right here, trusting her to protect him.

Sebastian chose the latter, not casually, but with intent. If he and Serenya were going to work together, they would have to trust each other sooner rather than later, and what better way to earn a Calodan's trust than sleep in their presence, utterly vulnerable before them?

Or at least, that was how it should seem to her.

Inhaling deeply, Sebastian frowned vulnerably. "I'm going to have to trust you with my life very soon, Serenya Serenity, so I might as well start now and close my eyes in your presence."

Serenya raised an eyebrow in shock. "You mean to take a nap? In my presence?"

"Yes." Sebastian replied soberly. "The dream awakened has gone to sleep. If I'm to speak with him, I must sleep too."

Serenya opened her mouth and then shut it, her expression still colored with shock. For Calodans, sleeping in each other's presence was a sign of the utmost trust. And yet, this Unorian she'd only just met was willing to lay his guard down beside her.

Serenya was amazed, and after regarding him for a long, quiet moment, she spoke, "I shall honor the trust you've placed with me, Sebastian Rune. I will not give you an oath. You have not earned one. But I swear on the sand of my home that I will not touch your body while you sleep. For as long as we remain allies, harm shall not come to you from me."

Sebastian lowered his head in deference. "I am grateful."

Without hesitation, he lay down on the bare ground, arms folded across his chest, and closed his eyes. It only took him a few minutes to fall asleep, and the moment he did, he took charge of his dream—a skill he had learned from his mother.

The formless scenery his brain had begun weaving dissolved into a field of lilac flowers and bubbling fountains. It was an exact replica of the garden just behind his room back at the Rune ducal palace.

The scenery usually helped him relax. This time, however, Sebastian was too tense to relax. Impatiently, he waited for Arkhan to find him. Seconds passed. Then minutes.

And then he felt it—like a brush against his consciousness as the veil of his dream was torn open and someone else stepped in.

He turned, fully expecting to see the usual smirk of rebellion and nonchalance on Arkhan's features. Instead, he found an emotion he could only describe as terror.

Despite this being a dream, Arkhan looked terrible. His hair was a mess, and his eyes had dark circles highlighting the fear within them.

Sebastian took one look at him, and he just knew. "You know about the creatures."

Arkhan nodded. "And you do too. How much do you know?"

"Not enough." Sebastian's expression hardened, and then he scowled. "I take it you saw their dreams. Tell me what you saw."

Arkhan did, and when he was done, Sebastian let out a shuddering breath. He had known the creatures were powerful—he had seen the parallels. But tier seventy-five?

That was a disaster in the making, and there were four of them!

Massaging his temples in growing frustration, Sebastian asked, "These creatures, do you think they can be reasoned with?"

"I very much doubt it." Arkhan shook his head. "The hatred and killing intent I felt from them was too much. Too overwhelming. But even if they can be reasoned with, how would we even reach them? Three of them nearly killed me just from entering their dreams."

Sebastian closed his eyes and sighed. "This is bad. We cannot win against them in pure combat. My plan was to gather everyone together and form a sort of wall to hold them back until the duration for this level elapses. But with them at the seventy-fifth tier, can we even do that?"

"I don't know." Arkhan shook his head. "But we'll have to come up with something."

Sebastian nodded. "We'll find a way. In the meantime, though, we need to gather everyone together. We can't fight these creatures alone or in small groups. We need to stand together as a united force."

Arkhan nodded in agreement, then paused, a frown coloring his features. "But what about the resurrected and those who took the oath? Bringing everyone together will mean having people we can't trust guarding our backs. They could turn on us at any moment."

Sebastian grimaced. "That's a risk we'll have to take. If we can get the telepath on our side, she should be able to identify both parties just from their thoughts." His grimace deepened. "We really need to get that woman on our side." He glanced up at Arkhan. "Can you do it?"

Arkhan frowned. "I'm not sure. Telepaths usually have very strong mental defenses."

"Try." Sebastian commanded, his expression darkening. "I've gotten Serenya Serenity on my side already. She's powerful, but we need more people, and until we get the telepath on our side, Arkhan, our survival relies greatly on you."

Arkhan smirked, his usual personality shining through the terror for a moment. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to gather everyone. Communicate with them through their dreams and tell them all you've seen. Tell them that we need to band together if we're to defeat these creatures."

"What about the pins?" Arkhan asked. "Should we keep gathering them?"

Sebastian's expression darkened. "We don't have a choice. But I suspect those pins might come in handy eventually." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Arkhan was quiet for a moment. "I can't afford to sleep forever just to communicate with people through their dreams. It's not safe for me."

"I'll protect you," Sebastian replied, lilac eyes shining with conviction. "Tell me where you are. Serenya and I will guard your body while you spread the word."

Arkhan hesitated for a moment, and then his gaze hardened. He shed all pretenses of submission in that moment and stepped up to Sebastian.

"Tell me, Master Rune. In your chosen projections, do I survive with you?"

Sebastian smiled. 'You're in my dreams—literally in my subconscious. What do you think?"

Arkhan smiled widely, stretched a hand to a lilac rose, and crushed it.

"I think I wouldn't mind sleeping for a few hours after all."