Chapter 320 - Inner Bound

Nate took a single step forward. That single act of moving was enough to take him from the outside world into Worldhammer’s Inner World. The aperture closed behind him immediately but Nate wasn’t worried. The Greater Divine had sworn on The System and Reciprocity would demand its due if Worldhammer violated his word. Instead, he saw the action of closing off the Inner World for what it was. An act of personal security.

Worldhammer had taken Nate to the Worldforger Sect grounds before giving him access to his Inner World, where Worldhammer’s personal vault resided. Nate was guessing that the actual location of the vault was a secret and wouldn’t have been surprised to find there was a fake vault on the Sects grounds. A trap for would-be thieves. Cast in that light, leaving the aperture open where others with the right Skills and Concepts could potentially scan Worldhammer’s Inner World was a risk better not taken.

Nate hadn’t been sure what to expect of Worldhammer’s Inner World. Kalin's Inner World, before his timely and well deserved death, had felt like multiple lakes of liquid silver embedded into a miniature world. As someone with their own world that he had just begun forging, Nate found Kalin’s ideas fairly uninspired. 

Might as well have just been a spatial storage device.

The same was not true for Worldhammer’s Inner World. While it wasn’t quite as large as Nate’s Created Space, it showed the time and care of someone who was truly invested in their Inner World. Kalin’s had been a storage space for the fuel for his other Skills. Nate only needed to glance around to know that this place was the core of Worldhammer’s Skills. Everything else the Greater Divine possessed was likely geared towards improving and utilising what he had available within this miniature world.

Nate hung in the air over the planetoid, forced to use a Gravity Control rune to maintain his position because the gravity of this planetoid mimicked the world of Serpent’s Wing perfectly. Below him was a small ocean, marked by tides and whirlpools from which Nate sensed Divine Energy. Above the ocean, creating the tides, were windcurrents that, in places, grew  into small typhoons.

Beyond the tempestuous ocean lay a landmass, dotted with volcanoes that vomited molten lava down their slopes while being plagued by earthquakes that opened up rifts in the ground for the molten slag to seep back into, in what Nate assumed was a neverending cycle. Despite the natural power on display, Nate could tell that everything was perfectly balanced, and perfectly driven by natural formations. He used that term loosely since it was clear that this world had been sculpted, rather than given rise to naturally. But there were no runes in place and no enchantments. Just Sigils carved into the environment that resonated or conflicted with each other.

Along the side of the landmass was a towering mountain range that pierced the clouds. Atop that mountain range lay a hammer that was bigger than the Solaris. Clearly a Peak-grade Divine Artifact, Nate could sense the Concepts of Shape and Form swirling around it as it lay restricted by a building that wove its way around the mountain peak. This was it, realised Nate. The Hammer that Forged a World. Nate had little doubt in his mind that this item rivalled his own Regalia. Or at least it did for now. Perhaps it would continue to, as Nate sensed that it could likely work with other Concepts in the same way his painting could.

Worldhammer appeared beside him. Nate could tell this was merely a projection of the Greater Divine. It lacked the elf’s normally massive presence.

“If you’re done looking over my Inner World, you’re here to pick your reward and then leave.”

Nate nodded and began drifting down towards the mountain peak and the buildings surrounding the gargantuan hammer.

“You’re an elementalist. That’s surprising,” commented Nate offhandedly, knowing he was wrong in his assertion. He only said it to see what Worldhammer would say in response and Nate wasn’t disappointed.

“I am a shaper,” replied Worldhammer derisively. “And yes, the similarity between our skillsets is not lost on me. Calling me a simple elementalist is as insulting as calling you a simple artist. We may be enemies tomorrow, but you can at least show me the same level of respect I am showing you. We’re not animals.”

Nate found himself agreeing with the elf and said so.

“Apologies. I did not intend to insult.”

“No, you were fishing for information. Information you could’ve gotten by just looking around you. Or perhaps it was confirmation you sought? Well, now you have it. Insult may not have been intended but it was given. I’ll remember that.”

Nate didn’t bother responding. There was no point in doing so. Like Worldhammer had stated so very clearly - they were enemies and there was no reason to try and mend any bridges or relationships. If Worldhammer followed through with his threat to seek Nate out after he evolved to Greater Divine, or more likely, removed his Class Core, then one of them would die and that would be the end of it.

Nate made a mental note to paint a picture of this world and of Worldhammer to remember the Greater Divine by. The old elf was a bit of an asshole, but he had an eye for aesthetic beauty. Nate would make sure that such a creation was remembered by Reality, or, at least, by those with access to Nate’s artworks.

Alighting on the mountain top Nate was quickly escorted through pagodas and beautifully rendered bamboo rooms to a door into the mountain itself. The door was wrought from gold and Nate could feel multiple Divine-tier Concepts woven into its creation. Lock, Seal, and Deny were the strongest and wisps of Divine Energy drifted into Nate at the recognition of new Concepts. He added them to his ever-growing tapestry and understanding of the laws of Reality, pointedly ignoring Worldhammer’s disgusted look at him.

At Worldhammer’s touch the doors opened and the treasures within were laid bare. The entire inside of the mountain was coated in the same layer of gold and bound with similar Concepts. A sealed room similar to Nate’s Regalia seal. Perhaps even better, he acknowledged, jotting down some mental ideas for improving his own Regalia going forward.

The contents of the vault stretched into the distance. There were piles of mana gems, a few even reaching the Divine-tier. A section was sealed off like a greenhouse with various plants and other living things within that emitted both powerful and rare Concepts, again with a few reaching the Divine-tier.

Low-grade Divine artifacts were sorted into piles based on Conceptual similarity and Nate would’ve liked nothing more than to spend hours pouring over all the different Concepts on display. This place could be a treasure trove for his understanding. The Mid-Grade and High-Grade artifacts were similarly sorted, but the Peak-Grades were kept entirely separate from each other behind layers of barriers, so as not to interfere with or influence each other.

Nate felt the projection of Worldhammer change the Shape of the world so that Nate couldn’t feel anything from the items. It was as though the distance between him and the items was too far for his Conceptual Sight to bridge.

“If you see something that interests you I will remove the restriction so you may sense it. I will not, however, let you take a full inventory of my vault.”

Nate nodded his understanding and considered his options. He knew exactly what item he was here for and had already noted its location with his initial scan before Worldhammer had sealed away his ability to sense the treasures present. The question was, should Nate bother to conceal that he knew what he was after. With a little thought, he came to the conclusion that doing so would benefit Arikanvil. 

Certainly Nate could probably generate a few more Divine Energy by working his way through a few more options. But that didn’t feel worth it when it benefited Arikanvil and Nate already had a pile of artifacts with enough Divine Energy to finally remove his Class Core nearby. It seemed better to potentially point Worldhammer, or his master, in Arikanvil’s direction and reveal that Nate was merely a pawn of the God of Space. Such an approach had the added benefit of concealing Ankh’s involvement. Nate wasn’t sure if the ancient dragon would actually care, but Nate didn’t like the idea of inconveniencing his supposed master.

With his decision made Nate made a beeline for a single enclosed case. Inside what looked like glass buzzed a flickering purple light that seemed to change shape constantly from a perfect sphere to a sharp-edged, many-sided prism, to a blob of undulating purple energy, and into even weirder forms. Space given shape.

Nate felt Conceptual Sight able to touch on the existence within as Worldhammer re-shaped the room.

“This? Truly? You have the entire vault to choose from and you select a Lesser Divine Spirit?” asked Worldhammer with feigned incredulity.

Nate wasn’t fooled. The glass itself was interfering with the true nature of the spirit within. Someone with a lower ability to sense, recognise, and categorise Concepts might not have been able to tell the difference. None of those things described Nate though. A small amount of Divine Energy trickled into Nate as he added Deceive to his Conceptual map.

The reaction from Reality was not lost on Worldhammer and the elf frowned, eyebrows drawn down with eyes that had started to look like one of the storms over the ocean of this Inner World.

“You knew.”

It wasn’t a question, and Nate could have denied Worldhammer the confirmation. Reciprocity certainly said so. But Nate wanted Worldhammer to know. Whether that would make Nate a greater target was a possibility, but he hoped it would shift some of the blame onto Arikanvil. Turning the Dynasty of the Heavenly Serpent against the God of Space just seemed like good planning to Nate.

“I did.”

“Risen Sun Sect,” spat Worldhammer. “At least now I know we couldn’t find a record of it anywhere. The question is, why is The System helping him?”

“Who said it’s helping him?” asked Nate pointedly. “Maybe it’s helping me.”

Reciprocity was building but the information being exchanged was yet to cross a line into what Nate didn’t want to share.

“Interesting. I don’t suppose you’d tell me where to find him?”

Nate wouldn’t. Arikanvil could die in a fire as far as Nate was concerned but he didn’t want to drag Galle into the mix. His friends and family were there and, against the mortal strata of the Dynasty, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

“I won’t.”

“Pity. Then again, I am surprised you are given this much room to incriminate that thief. He usually binds his…what does he call them again…”

“Heralds,” offered Nate.

“Yes, Heralds. He binds them far tighter than this. I think you know what’s going to happen next.”

“Obviously. You’ll follow me trying to find an opportunity to use me as a way to trace a path back to him or another Herald while also waiting for me to evolve to Greater Divine so you can kill me and take back this ‘Lesser Divine Spirit’,” replied Nate, his tone stating clearly that they both knew the spatial spirit was more than that.

“A thing that I suspect doesn’t truly belong to you anyway,” added Nate.

Worldhammer snorted, “I’d wish you luck but I am not in the habit of hoping for the best for my enemies. Begone with your prize, little thief.”

Nate felt himself ejected from the Inner World, reappearing in the physical realm still floating within the Worldforger Sects airspace. In his hand was the sealed container with the buzzing Nascent Spatial Spirit inside. The moment it was in Nate’s hands he felt Reciprocity seizing his body. Muscles spasmed as the uncontrollable urge to send the spatial spirit back to Galle took hold. He had made his agreements with Arikanvil and with one of the prizes now in his hand the urge to complete his agreement was coming due. Nate fought against it with every fibre of his being and in so doing felt himself being torn apart.

The Embodiment of Reciprocity may not be his own, but he had benefitted from it, incorporated it in the form of a Class Core, and now that same Embodiment was binding him to its purpose. It knew he had no intention of giving the spatial spirit to Arikanvil, and so demanded he do so now. Denying it was killing him.

Nate tried to put on a brave and stoic face but Worldhammer clearly noted his distress, the Greater Divine sneering at his evident discomfort.

“Bound indeed. Go on then. Fulfil your agreement. Show me the Shape of the connection.”

Instead, slowly dying, Nate fled. Flying through the air as fast as he could with multiple runes formed into his Regalia he sought out the only people who could help. Keeping himself from being torn apart, or worse, giving in to Reciprocity was taking up almost all of Nate’s mental focuses to the point where as he approached the Golden Tide compound he was unable to arrest his fall. Instead he crashed through three mythic walls, shattering his own barriers in the process, before landing in the dirt in the middle of the Golden Tide training ground.

Kiri was next to him an instant and Nate was glad that they’d been able to follow the plan. Grand Marshal Grommir appeared just as quickly, with Marshal Hondo only a second behind him. Throughout the training ground Mythics of the Golden Tide looked perplexed with what was happening in front of them. The winner of the tournament lay face down in the sand and dirt, twitching uncontrollably as his Regalia vibrated in pulses trying to hold his body and soul together.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Hondo.

Rather than Kiri, it was Grommir that answered.

“He is resisting a demand by Reciprocity. He’ll likely only last a day like this.”

Kiri looked stricken. “We request sanctuary within The Golden Tide. We’ll pay!”

Grommir looked thoughtful for a moment, the big eyes of the half-ogre narrowing as the Grand Marshal no doubt considered the potential political implications of agreeing.

“Very well. We’ll discuss payment later. Marshal Hondo, see that Nathaniel, Kiri, and the other members of the Risen Sun Sect are transported immediately to Erudia. Make sure they are given quarters appropriate for a visiting Ambassador. I will handle the mobilisation and extraction of our remaining forces.”

Nate felt himself lifted up by Kiri as she carried him quickly after a moving Marshal Hondo. The remaining members quickly joined them as they headed for a portal but Nate could barely feel the space around him even as he cradled the spatial spirit inside of his Created World. All he could feel was the pain of his existence being eroded and the pressure of Reciprocity to fulfil his agreement. Passing out wasn’t an option as, without his ability to fight back against the pull of Reciprocity, he wasn’t sure if he would unconsciously fulfil its demand or simply die from denying it.

As space warped around them, Nate knew what was needed. He couldn’t keep the Nascent spatial spirit and his Class Core. Which meant one had to go, and he had a day within to do it.

“Is my debt enough?” he asked.

“It is.”