Unholy Player

The two lands lay under a sunless, clouded sky, the air cool and heavy. One side was washed in a pale light like morning, a thin silver that softened edges and lifted a fine haze from the soil. The other held a dimmer glow close to a melancholic evening, colors muted, shadows long, the ground drinking in the gray as if twilight had pooled there.

In that softer half-light rose the Rank 4 Spark Citadelith, its vast fortress-body girded by long walls that swallowed nearly half the land.

The stone looked rain-worn and dark, pitted in places, yet every line sat with the calm of something built to endure. From afar, it seemed gloomy; up close, it felt like a work of art, the kind you could sit before and simply watch, sipping wine as you appreciated its beauty.

Sszhar's massive serpent form was nowhere in sight. On Adyr's command, it had opened a pocket dimension with Rift Maw and withdrawn inside.

The choice cost energy, but space on the twin lands was too tight to host that body for now.

New Spark additions from the Tower of Worth trials dotted the brighter land.

A silent Wall Spark stood where Adyr had left it, plain and unmoving under the open sky, waiting there uselessly until the day it would be sold for some energy crystals.

Near the Gritstalk field, an ant the size of a car paced the furrows with patient steps.

It was the owner of the Size Manipulation skill Adyr used so often; its jointed legs clicked faintly over dry clods while its antennae traced slow arcs above the brown wheat, reading the field with each pass.

Cannibal could be seen in the middle of the field, his body a sickly light gray that almost blended with the dust. He moved as if working, though in truth he hid among the stalks.

He watched the giant ant from the corner of his eye, looking very tense, with his shoulders tight and his chin low, as well as keeping his movements small and careful so as not to draw the monster's unwanted attention.

The holder of Adyr's earthquake skill was a broad-shouldered mole resting beneath the Mother Tree.

The brown fur along its belly lifted and fell in the light breeze. Its paws lay half-sunk in the dark loam as if it had paused mid-dig and slipped into a quiet, undisturbed sleep.

There was also another Rank 3 Spark he had not found very useful.

The small monkey called Flame Ape darted through the region ringed by a sea of flames, scampering over blackened soil and springing across narrow tongues of heat, playfully chasing little red lizards as if it had finally found the home it had sought for so long.

It did not yet know that the place it called home would soon be lost, as it was planned to be sold at the first opportunity in exchange for energy crystals.

Looking over the Sanctuary as a whole, he saw many areas still to improve and to fill with useful, abundant resources, yet even in its current state, it gave Adyr the satisfaction he wanted.

He also needed to replace a few Sparks he barely used, such as Null Maggot, which was only Rank 2 and had fallen short in power for his needs. Especially when he tried it on Sszhar during their battle, he realized the Sense Fade skill did not affect a Rank 4 Spark at all and was completely ineffective.

I need to upgrade my entire Spark-skill reservoir to Rank 3, he thought, but for now it was only a thought, because that plan would require a massive amount of energy crystals, which Adyr didn't have at the moment.

A brief feeling of being broke flickered and passed as his energy body hovered, then descended toward Citadelith's old, dark tiled roof. He activated his newly gained skill for 300 energy, leaving just over 500 in reserve.

From the subjugation, Adyr would receive only 1 from all 4 skills, with the highest chances belonging to Stronghold and Exchange. Fortunately, he obtained the one he wanted most. Spending only 300 energy for a one time activation, he triggered Exchange, binding both his soul and his physical body to Citadelith.

At the moment of activation, the massive structure gave a low hum. The long walls seemed to loosen and draw a breath, and the main building answered in a muted musical note before the sound faded a few seconds later, leaving no visible change.

Even without a visible change, Adyr felt the effect moving through him, in both bodies, one on Earth and the other in the Beyond.

A strange yet solid link settled into place, like a pact sealed under watchful eyes.

Now, as long as this Rank 4 Spark endures, no harm can reach my body, he thought with quiet satisfaction. It was a very overpowered skill, especially in the Outer Region.

He thought of Sszhar's durability. To defeat it, he had needed to give everything, which showed how strong a Rank 4 Spark's defenses could be.

Moreover, Sszhar was an Aether Path Spark, whereas Citadelith was Nether, whose strength lay in defense. With that in mind, Citadelith's resilience stood far above Sszhar's, and across the region there would now be very few—almost no—threats capable of harming Adyr.

"A Rank 3 Practitioner with 2 Rank 4 Sparks… that has to be a first in the Outer Region," the Wanderer Merchant said, looking at Adyr with a heartfelt smile.

"Where you're from, though, I imagine that's normal?" He spoke lightly, but beneath the joke, his eyes held real curiosity, wondering what kind of absurd resources they had there.

Adyr smiled without giving anything away. "That's a privilege I don't have right now."

His reply made everyone pause and think, wondering once more what kind of mission would send him to a place like this without proper backup or resources, expecting him to rise on his own strength.

But no one voiced it, nor did they question their way of raising their young.

They could already see that even without any help, Adyr was thriving—so much so that the titled Practitioners felt a sting of jealousy watching him gain power upon power, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for a Practitioner.

"Then my business here is done," the Wanderer Merchant said after a short pause. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned away, walking slowly toward the tent's exit with the calm dignity of age.

Seeing him decide to leave so suddenly, everyone—including Adyr—lowered their heads. "We bid farewell to the Respected Wanderer Merchant," they said together, their tone filled with respect.

Turning a deaf ear, the Rank 5 Adept kept walking until he reached the tent's canvas doorway, where he stopped as if a thought had struck him and looked back at Adyr.

"If you ever need something, or just have time to talk, you can find me at the trade center in the Midlands," he said, showing the blunt grazing teeth set in his goatman face. "I've made a bit of a name there. Nothing grand, but useful enough."

Then his smile faded and his face turned serious. "One more thing. Be careful with that Sevrak boy. I have met enough people to know his type. He does not let things go easily."

His voice lingered in the vast tent for a moment, and then his body flickered out of sight, leaving everyone still bowing toward the empty air.