Divine Apostasy Book 12 - Chapter 24

[Author’s Note – In what has become a habit, the next three chapters are raw and unedited. Straight from my brain. That means there are likely a lot of errors. Thanks for pointing them out…it helps.]

Chapter 24

Ruwen shifted his gaze to the gem in his hand and Analyzed it.

Target: Carnelian (Enriched)

Type: Resource – Crystal

Quality: 100% Pristine

Components: Silicon Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Trace Unknown Elements

Health: Energy Resonance (Superior), Emotional Resonance (Superior)

Alchemy: Water Resistant, Emotional Amplifier, Creative Catalyst

Uses: Jewelry, Emotional Healing, Chakra Resonator, Energy Focus

Identify provided more details.

Name: Carnelian of Desire (Pristine)

Type: Primal Sacral Crystal

Quality: Legendary

Resonance Bound: Ruwen Starfield

Description: The Desire stone is the second of the eight pillars of enlightenment, representing the flowing connection between emotion and creative force. This crystal has been infused with water energy by the Ceardai master crafters. Effects are amplified when in proximity to other Ceardai crystals.

Effect (Passive): Sacral Resonance – when held attunes to your Sacral chakra, accelerating Activation, Awakening, and Chakra Leveling by 25%.

Effect (Passive): Clarity Aura – when held creates a 10-foot field that reduces emotional manipulation by 10%.

Effect (Passive): Primal Water – when held establishes a direct link to water energy sources within 500 feet.

Effect (Passive): Creative Wellspring – when held increases inspiration and creative problem-solving by 20%.

Effect (Passive): Watery Embrace - when held, +200 to Charisma.

Effect (Triggered): Not About the Nail – once per day increase emotional perception by a factor equal to Sacral level. Duration equal to Sacral level in minutes.

Effect (Triggered): Sacral Blessing – once per day negate all emotion-based debuffs. Distance in feet equal to Sacral Chakra level times 20.

The crystal warmed Ruwen’s palm, the heat spreading up his arm and into his chest. The sensation reminded him of a tight hug from Hamma.

Reluctantly, Ruwen placed the carnelian in his Void Band. He opened his quest display and glanced at the four updated entries.

Radiant Eight

Locate and harvest an appropriate crystal for each chakra (2 of 8).

First Steps - Activation

Activate your chakras (3 of 8).

Hidden Vaults

Discover and enter the Ceardai Vaults hidden across this region (2 of 8).

Eight Vaults of Enlightenment

Collect the Black Tourmaline of Foundation (Root chakra) (1/1)

Collect the Carnelian of Desire (Sacral chakra) (1/1)

Closing the display, Ruwen opened his Void Band and after thirty seconds of careful excavation, scooped up the carnelian coral structure.

Ruwen opened the expected Notification.

Disappearance of the Sacral Vault has accelerated the Guardian awakening process by 30 minutes.

It had cost Ruwen a fifteen-minute penalty when he’d taken the Root Vault. Taking the Sacral Vault had doubled that to thirty minutes. If the penalty doubled every time…

Ruwen let the thought trail off as he opened the only debuff under his Profile in the upper left side of his vision.

Debuff: Ceardai Clan Mark of the Thief

Vault Guardian Awakening: 45 hours 5 minutes

If the penalty doubled every time, then the Vault Guardian would wake up fully and begin hunting Ruwen as soon as he took the last vault’s crystals.

"The timeline's shortening," Uruziel noted with concern as she and Overlord reappeared.

Overlord added his thoughts. “Killing leprechauns for that purge quest will probably advance the timer as well.”

“I hadn’t considered that,” Ruwen said as he stood. “We might need to fight that thing before we’ve finished looting all the vaults.”

Ruwen extended Sixth Sense and Stone Echo and Survey confirmed there were no hidden tunnels or treasure rooms nearby. It also didn’t show an ambush waiting for them on the surface.

“That Sacral Activation took two hours,” Ruwen said. “Plenty of time for those leprechaun scouts to find us, but I don’t see anything up there.”

“Not even with the Mental Domain?” Overlord asked.

“It doesn’t reach up there.”

“No leprechauns does seem odd,” Uruziel agreed.

“Maybe we should make some Minions and go check,” Overlord said.

Ruwen shook his head. “I want to approach these leprechauns with caution. They’re from the Creation Realm which means they have access to magic we know little about. Plus, they’ll have access to Outerverse magic. Oh, let’s not forget they also figured out a way to corrupt Chakra magic that one of the three Material Realm factions is based on. Any one of those things is concerning, but when you combine all three, it becomes worrisome. I think they’re up there, but I can’t detect them.”

That last statement made Ruwen’s brain itch and he let his thoughts drift to give the idea room to grow. It only took three seconds for it to appear.

“We’re missing something,” Ruwen said.

“What did you realize?” Overlord asked.

Ruwen slowly turned, using every bit of his Divine Perception. He projected what he’d realized above his head.

Eight Vaults of Enlightenment

The pristine black tourmaline has resonated with your Activated Root chakra, revealing the locations of the remaining Ceardai Vaults. Each vault contains crystals grown to awaken and empower dormant chakras.

Reward: Ceardai clan chakra manipulation knowledge (0/8)

“Don’t the rewards usually arrive when the quest is complete?” Uruziel asked. “You still have six more vaults to find.”

“Maybe,” Ruwen said. “I think the zero of eight is weird. It makes me think the rewards are found like the vaults. Also, I’m not sure who is giving me these quests. Is it the System or is it this dungeon planet? We really don’t know what’s normal here.”

Despite three rotations, Ruwen couldn’t detect anything. He paused to consider his options. Ten seconds later he caught the black onyx ring that dropped from the Void Band around his left wrist. He recalled the details.

Name: Watcher’s Ring of Travel

Quality: Rare

Durability: 41 of 50

Charges: 98 of 100

Duration per Charge: Until dismissed or damaged.

Weight: 0.2 lbs.

Effect (Triggered): Rub ring to manifest the Watcher.

Restriction: Watcher is noncombatant.

Restriction: Ring must be equipped for interface to function.

Description: A black ring made of onyx that contains the spirit of the Watcher. The Watcher summoned can be used as a mount, a scout to warn of danger, or simply a companion to discourage attacks. Watcher obeys simple commands.

Ruwen slipped the black ring onto his left thumb and rubbed the bottom with his index finger.

A portrait of black panther appeared on the right side of Ruwen’s vision between his Quest display and Inventory. Under the picture it read, “Whiskers.”

Whiskers had appeared in their mount form, a ten-foot-tall black panther.

Ruwen grinned, stepped forward, and rubbed the cat’s neck. Whiskers purred, the sound vibrating Ruwen’s whole body.

“Something fishy is going on,” Ruwen said. “I think there’s an ambush waiting for us on the surface, but I can’t detect anything. Can you check for us?”

In a blink, Whiskers transformed into a small house cat and dashed toward the tunnel entrance.

“Good to see Whiskers again,” Overlord said.

“She deserves better,” Uruziel whispered.

Ruwen turned to Uruziel. “She? That’s what Lylan said too. I thought Whiskers was a him.”

Uruziel turned to Ruwen. “Did you ever ask?”

“Uh, no.”

Lir materialized next to Uruziel and gave a small bow to Ruwen. “Your logs contain the detailed scouting messages Whiskers provides and those references ‘she.’ I had hoped to see her, but it seems I took too long to materialize. Do you mind if I wait?”

“Of course not,” Ruwen replied. “Always glad to have you around. And thanks for the clarification. Do you know much about Creation Realm Magic?”

“Only what I have learned by observing Hamma, which means very little. I hypothesize that concepts reside at the core, which are then powered with faith, or at least belief, and linked or combined with emotional energy. Master Sift refers to it as ‘wishful thinking.’ I am ninety-eight percent positive this is inaccurate however, as it has resulted in Hamma summoning her staff and attacking him one hundred percent of the time.”

“Wishful thinking,” Ruwen repeated. “Now that would be a good guild name. I’ll have Sift propose that though as I hate dodging Hamma’s bo staff. Especially if Lylan is around because she always throws daggers.”

“Any ideas on finding the hidden treasure here?” Overlord asked Lir.

“Without a waterfall my suggestions are limited,” Lir responded. “I calculate the only approach with a chance of success over one percent is Master Starfield’s idea.”

Overlord and Uruziel turned to Ruwen.

Ruwen shrugged. “I don’t know what he means.”

“My apologies,” Lir said. “You have mentally touched the same Inventory item five times in the last minute. I calculated you were only waiting for the proper moment to summon it.”

“What do you have in your Inventory?” Overlord asked.

“Nothing,” Ruwen replied too quickly.

Lir tilted his head as if confused. “Your Inventory count exceeds one hundred items beginning with—”

Ruwen waved his hands, interrupting Lir. “We don’t need to list everything.”

“Spill it,” Overlord said.

Ruwen sighed. “It’s so stupid and it probably doesn’t even work. I was like level five when I got it.”

“Now I’m curious,” Uruziel said.

Lir continued. “Black Pyramid magic items have a statistically higher rate of stupidity than other tier one dungeons, but they always work. In addition, until discovering this dungeon-planet, the Black Pyramid was the only tier one dungeon where the item power of the loot drops did not correlate well with level. Considering the item in question is cursed it likely means it has powerful capabilities.”

“You have Tarot in you Inventory?” Overlord asked.

“No,” Ruwen responded. “That stupid misfortune golem isn’t the only cursed object I have unfortunately. Speaking of that golem—”

Ruwen leaned his head back and yelled. “Tarot, quit hiding. I have a bunch of questions.”

Ruwen paused, head cocked to catch any sound. Nothing.

“I hate that golem,” Ruwen muttered.

Overlord and Uruziel stared at Ruwen and after three seconds he threw his hands into the air. “Fine!”

Ruwen launched the item out of his Void Band and caught it with his right hand. He held it up.

“A carrot?” Uruziel asked, obviously confused.

Ruwen projected the item’s details.

Name: Cursed Carrot of Clear Sight

Quality: Fine

Durability: 9 of 9

Weight: 1.0 lbs.

Area of Effect: 100 feet

Activation: Point carrot in the direction of interest

Effect: Color intensity increases with proximity and value of item(s).

Effect (Curse): Color seeps into the holder’s skin. Color fades one shade per minute (max ten minutes).

Description: Not all valuables are kept in plain sight. This Cursed Carrot can sense item(s) that possess value to others. The more others value the items, the deeper orange the carrot becomes. Be warned that value is very subjective. This item is all carrot and no stick.

Overlord and Uruziel laughed.

“That was before my time,” Overlord said. “But why the drama? Your skin is only orange for ten minutes.”

“It’s a cursed item from Blapy,” Ruwen replied.

Overlord turned thoughtful. “Very true.”

“Nobody has any other ideas?” Ruwen asked looking around.

Ruwen studied the carrot. He’d fed hundreds just like it to Shelly. With a loud sigh he pointed the carrot at a random part of the chamber and activated the Cursed Carrot of Clear Sight.