AA. 178

[Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of posts last few days. We've been in the hospital and its been pretty sleepless. Our baby is arriving today, but I found the energy and willpower to post today. The Cleansing is near! Chapter 180 onwards.]

The return to the ship was relatively smooth. Nil got worried during their departure that the guards were looking for them, but a scrub, a fresh change of clothes, and dignitary papers got them through the checkpoint. The unspeaking stone constructs lingered but made no move.

They must be programmed to specifically seek out Cursed Energy sources.

The magic was impressive, but the Scourge’s ability to bypass all the security felt far more awe-inspiring. Nil expected a world on the verge of ascending to Control World to have a lot more security and precautions against the scourge. Then he reminded himself that there was likely an arm’s race on both sides. The better one party got at protecting themselves, the more the other improved their infiltration skills. The scale of attack the Scourge had prepared was truly astounding.

“Is this enough evidence for the Weave to act?” Susan asked once they returned to the Nexus. Her wounds had already healed, but she used the Fountain of Pyrene anyway. 

“It should be,” Selia answered. “The Cursed Egg is enough. Everything you uncovered is just reinforcement and will let them come in with greater reinforcement. The local powers won’t be happy since this will hamper and slow their ascension. But they’ll appreciate it in the long run.”

“I’m sorry.” The summoner fidgeted awkwardly. “The dislike and animosity toward the Weave makes sense now. I can see why people would be biased against them.”

“It’s fine.” Selia smiled. “The Weave holds up a mirror, exposes their oversights, weaknesses, corruption, and faults. They keep worlds from ascending to Control World status because it comes with access to incredible secrets, technology, magic, and resources. The Weave doesn’t care whose feelings they hurt or who they piss off. Priority is ensuring the Scourge can’t use the Control Worlds’ networks and power to expand their reach and conquest. Unfortunately, not everyone understands what this kind of work entails, its necessity, and the possible mistakes.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if a bunch of the Grove’s druids come from worlds who suffered several setbacks because of the Weave. The spiders alone have kept some Seed and Beacon Worlds from ascending for centuries, if not millennia. I bet they’d have a field day if our Earth were to try to ascend someday. The corruption, Cursed Energy project, dickheads like Wilson would raise flags left and right.”

“You’re not wrong on that front.” Nil laughed. “It might be a hard pill to swallow. We’re nowhere near ready, and the likes of Symbiotech want to go about it the wrong way.”

“Either way, it's important we put our animosity behind us,” Susan said. “We don’t have to agree on things or even like each other—I wouldn’t blame you if you’d prefer to keep me at arm’s length, but we should make an effort to get along for our other half’s sake.” She met Selia’s eyeline and stood up straighter. “I love Nil. He’s a wonderful person, and whether he accepts it or not, we’ll never be even. You and Andrew also seem to have become close over the last few weeks. Any issues we might have in the future or recovering from our current issues shouldn’t get in the way of any other relationships.”

“I don’t have any issues with you, Susan,” Selia replied. “Your issues and doubts make perfect sense. My hostility and personal comments were unnecessary and immature. I respect you for your conviction, desire to do good, and for saving Nil’s life over the years. We should be friends. I think if we gave each other the benefit of the doubt and put in more effort, we’d get along swimmingly.”

Nil felt lighter when the pair hugged and put the matter behind them. It would probably take a while for egos to recover and things to return to the old normal, but all progress was positive progress. His fantasy of the pair being the dearest of friends like him and Andrew would probably never become a reality, but he hoped both women would find that kind of relationship in someone. Adam used to be Selia's person, and Nil thought Katherine was the same for Susan. One had passed, and the other worked for an organization that kept her busy and chronically out of reach. Both women appeared lonely outside of their relationships. They had friends and acquaintances, but none were truly close. Selia and Emily were starting to grow close. Given that there was an age difference of four or five years between them, Nil hoped they'd someday grow close.

You have received 1000 Schema Credit for completing the quest.

The Weave is thankful for your service. Your efforts and their results are worthy of a bonus. The Weave has sent you a new technique manual.

Nil excitedly checked his prize. It had an ominous name, and he skimmed over the new scroll saved in his Schema Interface. Absolute Array, at first glance, came across as a frost technique well beyond Nil’s capabilities. Then, as he read through it a second time, Nil realized it used the Source as fuel. The third analysis sent shivers down Nil’s spine. 

Absolute Array was a defensive technique that functioned by sapping molecular energy from all that came into contact with it, freezing them. The perfected technique supposedly could take temperatures down to Absolute Zero, creating a near-perfect defense, which was also terrifying offensively. What intrigued Nil the most was the possibility of creating a weapon out of Order and ensuring he wasn’t a sitting duck while Absorb was active. He needed to overcome the stationery limitations, but even without overcoming the limitations, he could foresee incredible potential.

A long list of possibilities and experiments ran through Nil’s head. Once he figured out how to make it work with the Source, Nil hoped to start with silver barriers capable of freezing anything that struck them. Overcoming his weakness to cold would come next. The stolen molecular energy needed to go somewhere, after all. Next, he’d figure out how frozen Order reacted with balance. The final step would be moving with Order and creation of weapons.

All hail the Weave.

It was the second useful technique he had gained because of Selia. He wasn’t sure whether his goals were achievable, but he looked forward to finding out. He knew how to spend the next few weeks. Cultivation and practicing techniques born of it had significantly accelerated Nil’s growth. Except for Selia and Shawn, all the people who were in Golden Aegis with Nil and qualified at the same time as him were starting to lag behind. Only the few who received assistance from Wilson Luduses managed to keep up.

“You did well,” Layla commented when Nil and Selia reported to their caseworker. Susan returned home. She was mentally exhausted and didn’t have much more to discuss. “The Weave and my bosses are impressed with you. Both of you. The Scourge infiltration is much greater than they expected, and the tactic is new. They’re launching investigations across several Control Worlds and other realms on the verge of ascension.

“The widespread consensus is that you got fortunate. But everyone agrees that you deserve a bonus. I hope your compensation was satisfactory?”

“It was generous,” Nil replied. Selia echoed the sentiment. “What did your bosses have to say about our requests for better Cleansing compensation?”

“It’s in the works,” Layla replied, putting on a polite, professional smile. “Emily’s year on Ashe Fall has been approved. She’ll be training in the Druid’s Grove. But they haven’t yet made a decision regarding Sameer Roy.” Layla’s attention shifted to Selia. “They’re more than happy to commit resources to find your family. Everything will go into action straight away, and you don’t have to wait until the Cleansing is over.”

“I’d rather Emily not get sent away until after the Cleansing. My father might not deal with the stress well.”

“I’m aware of his heart issues. We did a full medical examination before he started his work as the Forge’s manager. Emily won’t be sent away until a decision is made regarding Sameer and the Cleansing has passed. Is that acceptable?”

Nil nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate you advocating for us.”

“It’s not the standard, and I’ve met with a fair amount of pushback. The Summoned are supposed to be our mercenaries who serve the Nexus and Control World to fulfill their thirst for wealth and power. It's not every day that there is pushback or negotiation. My bosses assumed assistance to get into the Cleansing, and all the rewards that come from participation would be enough motivation.” Layla smiled. “They understand now that they are wrong. Working together means you’re more than ordinary Summoned, and we need to treat and compensate you accordingly.”

“And the matter with arcane plants and the tree of life in the Forge?” Selia enquired. 

An ear-to-ear smile dominated her face since hearing about the Nexus’s commitment to finding her family. She accepted that the chance of them dying during the cataclysm or to the warlords that dominated the lands afterward was high. However, she desired closure, and the truth was the first step toward it.

“It’s as Susan said,” Layla replied. “The Druid’s Grove spans across hundreds of Control Worlds. No matter the size or power, the Nexus or any organization can’t afford to act against them. Our hands are tied. We can try to keep the magic and flora from spreading past the Forge’s boundaries, but eventually, containment will become impossible. The energy density will overcome the barrier’s limits, or Yggdrasil’s newest daughter will break through it.”

Layla chuckled. “My bosses couldn’t be angrier. An unsanctioned, unapproved world will soon have a well of power powerful enough to transform your barren planet into one with enough magic to rival that of most Control Worlds. It might take a few centuries, but it will happen.”

“I bet the Weave is concerned about how our world will turn out.” Selia laughed. “As long as the likes of the Wilsons are around and uncontrolled, they’ll ensure we never graduate past Seed World.”

“Well, it's a good thing the Forge, you, me, Shawn, and everyone else is around,” Nil stated. He took Selia’s hand and squeezed it. “We can try to fix things and maybe influence change. There need to be guides to reach Control World status, right? We can learn things from the likes of Ashe Fall and help our people get there.”

“Are you sure you want to?” Selia asked. “Is it worth it? There will be pushback. Unrest. Bastards like the Wilsons will challenge us for control. Moving to a Control World or even settling somewhere untamed and starting from scratch might be a better bet.”

“I know I’m too idealistic and hopeful.” Nil sighed. “Maybe making plans past the Cleansing is a bad idea.”

“Most Summoned plan a few months ahead at most,” Layla stated. “Given your line of work, I don’t think you should do anything differently. Sort out all money matters before the Cleansing. You were right about the surrender tattoos failing you.”

“What happens if we win?” Nil asked. The question had occurred to him several times over the past year. The chances of reaching the top three positions were ridiculously low for a group with no team experience. Shawn believed they had no chance of coming in first unless literal gods interfered in the event. But Watcher said otherwise. The presence of the Void changed the rules, and the conventional laws of probability no longer mattered. “Is there a special reward if we make it to the top?”

Layla’s eyes narrowed. “I think you’re pushing your luck. If, on the off chance, you do succeed, the rewards for you and your world would be beyond anything you or your governments can imagine—assuming you decide to share it with them and not monopolize it for the Forge. I’m sure my bosses would be grateful and also give you a bonus for your team. When I say that, I mean reducing the requirements for your move to a Control World kind of bonus.”