The First Archmage

(Gavin)

Eisnar. Home. Finally. Nothing like that old scent I've come to know and love, the feeling of the air, the pressure of its gravity, and more.

The moment the one thousand four hundred eighty-six people joining my Order from various worlds, planes, and realms I've traveled exit the Rift (my Aura of Power disabled the moment I'm through it), I'm assaulted by an over-excited Wolfborn and an excited Elder Fairy. Michael hasn't managed to Advance his Species a second time, sitting at only Level 9 of it, and Warren managed to hit Tier II of it his well, and currently rests at Level 2.

Looking at their ages, I'd estimated that roughly two years passed while I was gone, before Nies froze it.

"Hey, Michael," I ruffle his hair, hiding my amusement at Warren forgetting how shy he is with me, since he's clearly missed me, the way he's hugging me. "Hey, Warren. Michael – what happened after Nies sent you back?"

"Well, first," Michael snorts, detatching himself from me as people start trying to mingle with the various people I brought and sort out what's going on. "Nies didn't send me back. Not here, anyway. I found myself landing on top of Papa, who was in the middle of sleeping with Mama and Thomas. Not how they wanted to wake up! After talking with them, I hurried here. Two years have gone by, Gavin – what happened? You kind of freaked-out, then Nies showed up."

"Nies pulled me into the Divine Realms," I explain. "Doing that to the Divine Being kind of locked my Access, which was a huge decrease to my power since it augments me so much. I've spent the last three years working on fixing that issue and regaining Access. Thinking about things, I'm actually probably now how old I'd have been, had I not ended up on Earth when we went into that Dungeon forever ago, and had been here all along."

"So you have Access again?" He asks as the Dekami Scholar makes his way over to me.

"Yeah," I answer, looking to the Dekami Scholar. "Letting you know that the Kumadi are dead. Their realm was burning with nigh-unquenchable flames, the last I checked."

He pauses, frowning.

"How did that happen?"

"A Triple-Species guy got really pissed at them," I shrug. "Then two hundred or so Divine Beings started cheering him on. They continued to attack, so he continued to kill. Nothing remains of them except a burning realm. Has everything been running smoothly in my absence?"

"Indeed," he dips his head to me, then looks to Michael, who's actually giving jealous looks at Warren.

"Warren," I say. "Would you mind giving your boyfriend a hug?"

Warren quickly releases me, blushing deeply, and Michael snorts, before walking over and giving the Elder Fairy a hug. At least they aren't getting mushy. Right now.

"So?" I look at Michael.

"As you can see," he gestures to the town that's been built up. "We've expanded greatly over the last two years. Ryan's done a good job leading us while you were gone, though Warren, Dylan, Eli, and I have helped a lot."

"And Tristan?" I ask.

"He's studying in the tower," Michael answers, staring at the item hanging around my neck, resting against my sternum. "That's an interesting amulet. It radiates Divine Power. What is it?"

"It's the Divine Being I shredded up," I answer. "I had to fix him up to regain Access, and he decided to be an ass again. So I ripped his soul out of his form, forced him into the jewel-like state you see, and bound him into the amulet. Since he's not damaged, there's no Taboo Title to revoke Access from me."

Nies pouted for a solid hour about me doing that, too. He really wants to exact his revenge on the guy, but I compromised, and told him that he can have the guy after I finally die. He pouted about that, saying that it'll 'take forever and ever', but he agreed to the deal.

Seems he either doesn't know or doesn't believe Nahor about me dying in the next few-

Years.

It's been three years for me, and two for them here. No matter how it's sorted, unless his statement was about my time on Eisnar, then my death against that Dragon will happen soon. Which means I need to get to work.

It seems Ryan's already pretty much taken over, which is good. I'll start working from the background and continuing my recruitment-

I pause in that thought and look at the crowds of people, who are having trouble communicating.

Maybe we can halt on my own recruitment, for now? I'm sure everything will sort itself out after I ascend to the next plane of existence. If it calms down before then, then maybe I can go on another recruiting spree.

I pull the leaders of the Order aside and we spend several hours of me learning what's going on and the new layout of the valley, then I get to work on creating copies of my plans and the things I've thought about and learned. I take extra care to ensure a copy of my plans for the Grind Arenas are given to the Dwarfs, doing so personally.

Bad thing about spending so long away from here, I forgot how damn cheerful the Dwarfs were. Thankfully, I remembered to say 'nali-ho' when greeting them, which meant I did not have to suffer through a hundred Dwarfs shouting it multiple times.

Only once.

And that was to greet me as a group.

They're multiplying.

I speak with the Dwarf King who moved into the Order's area, and though he's officially leading his people, they all – himself included – still defer to the Order, and follow its codes and ways. It's somehow efficient, according to Michael, Warren, and Dylan.

I've yet to see Ryan, and I'm curious at his changes. He is, after all, fifteen, now.

Making a mental note to seek him out after I finish with the Dwarf King, I return my focus to him. He's excited at the idea of creating the Grind Arenas of the Dark Knights, having experienced them for himself a few times since I removed the Boundary of Sages.

It takes us a few hours to discuss the Grind Arenas, as well as where to place them with the new setup to the valley. The Dwarf King then leads me, along with some of the Fairies, to the Resource Training Rooms – the ones based off my own Skill.

It seems that Norahl, a few other Fairies, Eli, Tristan, Ryan, and the Dwarfs managed to figure out how to do it, and the training rooms allow for the recovery of up to ten of their respective Resource per second – though they have a set limit of ten people or beasts within them.

They've got them running on a payment system, partially to afford the cost of running the rooms, and partially to prevent people from just using them all the time. However, for the people who can't even hope of affording it ever, there are ways to 'work off' the payment over time, so even the less-fortunate members of the Order can still use it from time to time.

After I examine the Training Halls, I head to my home, hoping to see Ryan, but he's out. After taking a few minutes to relax, I decide to sleep. I am exhausted, after all – I haven't slept since before I went to the world with the two Divine Beings watching over it personally, and it's been nearly forty hours for me.

So I guess I can wait for some sleep. He'd probably appreciate me being awake when we reunite, anyway.

Heading up to my room, I detect the scents of no one in it, as well as a spell from Ryan warding anyone out of it, with a stern warning to not even think about entering.

Breaking the ward is no big feat for me, and I'm inside of my room only seconds later, stretching a bit, before summoning up a mirror.

There's no telling when I'll need to deal with the Dragon, so I should just up and finish my Species now. Pulling up the familiar interface, I smile. As expected, Timeless One is available. I Advance it and immediately max it out.

Timeless One (IV) is now Level 25!

+600 to all Attributes, LIF, Resources

Experience Remaining: 52,500

I can sort out what to take as my fourth Subspecies later. I still need something strong for it, and still need to find a powerful Dragon leader to befriend. They're the 'monstrous' of the big five Species, the ones that can move between universes, with or without ease, which means it'll be tough for me to do.

Shame the big bad one destined to kill me won't be friends. That would be fantastic. I'd strike two birds with a single stone, doing that. Not only would I not be dying, but I'd also have the final X Subspecies I'm missing.

Three birds.

I'd have a friend who's powerful as fuck and gives even other X Species pause.

As I expected, my body didn't really change, though the zierna did alter a bit. They're no longer runes, but just markings on my body. I can still trigger them at will, though.

I do feel a lot more powerful, though, and quickly reign in my aura as I read the notification that's appeared in my vision.

Three Tier IV Species Maxed-Out – Collective Species Merged

Single Species: Celestial (Nikamor)

I dismiss it, only to have a rather lengthy notification appear in my vision instead of allowing me time to process what that means and investigate it through my windows.

Notice: Celestial Species cannot have General Experience allocated to them.

Notice: Three Nikamor Seeds are generatable at will. Due to System Access, you will acquire the ability to generate one more every 5th Level of Celestial.

Notice: Nikamor Seeds will birth infant Nikamors (one each).

Notice: Nikamor are nigh-immortal, being a Celestial Species.

Notice: Nikamor boosts per Level: +200 to all Attributes, INT, +20 to All Senses, +100 to All Resources

Notice: Celestial Species do not grow better, but instead, simply continue to increase in Tier while remaining the same.

Notice: Too many damn notices for this.

I'd actually like more notices, thank you. Though I do have most of the information I want, and I grew even more powerful again, though my body didn't change outwardly, just my base adjusting to my new Species.

I'm curious to know how my new Species acquires Experience, what boosts actually affect it – I'm sure some don't, considering that I can't allocate General Experience to it – and how many others of it there are.

Or are Celestial Species so rare and difficult to Advance into that each time someone reaches it, a new one forms? It's highly unlikely for anyone to ever have the exact route I took to here, so that would make sense. I can sense how to form the Nikamor Seeds as well, though I'm going to refrain from doing it just yet – I want to deal with some stuff before having 'children'.

Making a mental note to speak with the Dekami Scholar in the morning about Celestials, I strip off my boots and pants, and climb onto my bed, settling down after vanishing my wings.

There's no itch to have them back out. At all. No need, no desire for it. Is that because I've just spent three whole years with them out, save for the rare few hours here and there I didn't? How long before the itch returns?

I'll revert my eyes in the morning, so they look 'normal', instead of starry. No reason to do it right now.

Stretching out on my bed, I pull my blanket over me, only then realizing something else.

The strong desire to be naked that came from the Beastborn and Fairy Species disappeared with the Advancement into Celestial.

Fina-fucking-ly.

It makes sense, though, considering that "Celestial (Nikamor)" is my official Species, now, and since I resisted that urge, it likely factored into the nature of my new Species. Being shirtless so much, giving into that urge, and not really being able to wear a shirt due to my wings the last few years will probably mean a shirt would itch to Oblivion and back.

Clearing those thoughts from my head, I quickly fall asleep, the last couple of days' activities finally allowed to catch up to me.