D.G. - Chapter 267 - TEN-HUT!

Either she didn’t see me because she couldn’t break through my obfuscation, or she was already affected by the Mana Venom I left in that tier eight. I should have… No. Using Gaze or Omnis could have tipped her off.

Instead of regretting. I need to get out of here. I could make a decoy, or pack enough mana into a formation to blow up the whole area and escape in the blast wave. Am I being ridiculous? Probably. But I don’t have any way to hurt someone that powe-the atmosphere! I don’t have to hurt her, just escape and to do that, all I have to do is fly straight up. I couldn’t even make it half a kilometer before, I refuse to believe even an emperor can fly around up there without worry.

With so much mana in Armament, I can go elemental-mode and even if my body is completely destroyed, I’ll be fine! That settles it. If she’s still around, it's Operation UP, UP, AND AWAY.

Not sure why that reminds me.

Jiran activated Gaze of Pediamus, attempting to connect with the tether he left on Mayalyn. Instead of a tiny trickle of mana like he was used to, the skill wanted to drain him completely so he canceled it.

Good to know it will work, just a matter of distance costing more mana. No surprise there.

No longer allowing himself to be distracted, Jiran moved for the first time in several minutes. Slowly at first, then with building confidence, he flew to the top of the cavern. The rock ceiling parted with a breeze of Mana Transcendence. He pulled apart its molecular composition, converting it to air while more mana solidified to hold up the falling dirt and sand.

He flew into the Jiran-sized cavity and sealed it behind him by replacing the rock. Another five meters of repeating the process saw him past the thick layer of sediment that protected the cavern. Then, he was pushing upward through the sand, mana already stretched along the framework with a primed Teleportation.

The desire to release his death grip on the gate in his soulwall preventing Foresight from functioning was palpable. The realization that he had become addicted to the unique ability settled into his bones. If he used it now, he would immediately know if he was still in danger. But then, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself the next time, either.

There was no doubt in his mind that the curse was the reason he ran into her in the first place. Which meant that if he could make it out of this without using Foresight, he would be taking the first step toward breaking free from its shackles.

I have to do this. I can do this. Not just for myself, but everyone around me. 

More determined than ever, Jiran plowed ahead, slowly but surely nearing the distant surface. Twice, he stopped to open a tiny access to Armament and check on the ship; it remained right where it was supposed to be. What felt like an hour later, his head breached the sands and he slowly spun, spotting only rippling dunes and the brightly glowing suns.

After double-checking his obfuscation and suit for leaks, he hightailed it back to the pyramid, vowing not to return until he was much stronger. Jiran didn’t allow himself to breathe a sigh of relief until he was back in the Valley of Melodies and the portal closed behind him. Once more checking on the ship, he released a giddy bark of laughter that he’d actually succeded, and without Foresight.

If I can do it once, I can do it again!

His aura extended like stretched wings, hurling him through the air. By now, most of the encamped Forkara were arrayed in loose formations. They were busy inspecting the condition of each other's armor and weapons while the rest moved into position. Dokkuun was at the front, snapping commands in a threatening tone.

No portal yet. That's good. 

Dokkuun saluted as Jiran approached. He returned the greeting, “Rahaak leave already?”

“Yes, Senior Brother Guardian. These are the brave warriors who will be returning to your empire,” he swept a wing wide, indicating the excited warriors trampling the tall, natural grass. 

Most were between tier four and five, and there were thousands of them. The sight of so many people coming together for a common goal was electrifying. Jiran couldn't wait to see them in action again. “Let's take a closer look,” Jiran's suggestion was met with a serious nod and Dokkuun followed him to the front line.

The first warrior’s armor and sword were perfectly secured. The Forkara in question stood tall and proud, wings folded behind his shoulders. The slight trembling of feathers was the only indication of his nervousness.

[Forkara: (Tier 5 - Sapient - Adoration) (Concentration: 16) (Attributes: 320) (Estimated Power: 31,897) Avian mammaloid that prides in its speed. Highly territorial and aggressive. Abilities: Basic mana control - Mana to wind conversion - Wind control - Wind hardening - Basic auric proficiency]

With his Concentration and attributes maxed for his tier, the man should only have had 5,120 estimated power. Jiran appreciated how seamlessly Gaze of Pediamus accounted for the man's armor and sword. With them, he should have no issue soloing beasts his tier—which would cap out somewhere around eight thousand depending on the monster’s skills.

None of that was the real reason Jiran wanted to inspect the man. It was the affinity that he was most interested in. Adoration was good. He doubted this individual Forkara would ever betray him if he didn’t give the man a reason to. Patting him on the shoulder, Jiran met his sharp gaze, “You'll ascend in no time. Continue to show your loyalty, and I'll see to it your aura and elemental control reach a whole new level.”

The Forkara's eyes widened and he glanced at Dokkuun who nodded in approval. The man snapped off a smart salute, somehow managing to stand even taller and straighter. They continued down the line, where the trend of well put-together soldiers continued. Jiran took a moment to praise each one whose affinity was above Indifferent. He didn't need to convince each and every one of them to be loyal, he only needed enough of them to keep an eye on the others.

It wasn't until he reached the third row that he came across the first whose affinity was all the way down at Malice. She held herself exactly like the others, wings and lower lip trembling slightly. Though for her, it was clearly from a desire to hold herself back from tearing out his throat.

Jiran frowned, not sure how he wanted to proceed. If he dealt with her openly and without proof, he would lose the trust of many. “Name and clan?” He asked, trying his best not to sound suspicious.

“Tahklaahn of the Talon Pierces the Eye Clan!”

Jiran barely managed to suppress a groan, having forced himself to forget that the Forkara naming sense was on a whole other plane of existence. He buried the knowledge deep all over again, but not before the name gave him an idea. Using Mana Transcendence, he created a colorful plume-shaped badge that he pinned to her upper arm, “Congratulations, Tahklaahn! You are the first of the Order of the phoenix! Your order will be under my direct command, receiving orders only from me. May you all strive to reach Tahklaahn's degree of personal excellence!”

The Forkara cheered for her, however, the woman's reaction was far from ecstatic. Hoping to help, Dokkuun pitched his voice loudly, “The Phoenix? Does this name hold some special meaning to your people?”

“Not my people. It's a legend from another world. The phoenix was the most majestic bird to ever grace the skies. Its feathers were formed from the hottest fires. Upon death, it would burn to ashes and be reborn anew, growing in power each time. The phoenix was immortal, fearless, a god to some.” The Forkara were transfixed by his short tale, and now looked upon Tahklaahn with naked envy.

Jiran smiled broadly at her, patting her shoulder and tilting his head to the front and side of the formation. “The Phoenix will assemble there. May you continue to display such unwavering fierceness when we take to the skies.”

“T-thank you for your praise, Heavenly Supreme Commander of the Ultimate Divine Great Spirit Sect.”

Jiran took the verbal blow on the chin, only glaring at Dokkuun for a brief instant. Clearly misunderstanding, the old man preened under the attention, half flapping his wings to straighten their feathers. Tahklaahn took the opportunity to flee in the direction Jiran indicated. She stood alone, trying her best not to appear nervous.

The inspection sped up from there. Halfway through the lines, most of the Forkara were those slow to rise to the call to arms. As such, they tended to be less motivated with their affinity between Wary and Indifferent. It took almost two hours to come face to face with each one. By the end, The Order of the Phoenix had swelled to just over six hundred unruly members. Unsurprisingly, ninety-nine percent of them were from Divine Faction clans.

Dokkuun had caught on quickly, amazed by Jiran's uncanny ability to pick out each and every warrior who spurned his name over the last days, and many more besides. Quite a few of the other Forkara figured it out too, especially those wearing the bright and shiny plume badges. Jiran honestly didn't care if it looked like he was singling them out. This was the spies' one and only chance to turn a new feather before he sent them into combat so dangerous none of them returned.

Standing before the Phoenix with Dokkuun, Jiran eyed the fields. Not seeing the Unbroken yet, he tilted his head toward the forest, “Have there been any issues with the Timberling?”

“None whatsoever!” Dokkuun barked with gusto, prompting a questioning glance from Jiran. The aged Forkara was quick to explain, “The Rising Sky Faction has been fighting to bring them freedom for many seasons. The chance to interact with them is a blessing. They are every flap as magnificent as I always knew them to be.”

“Right… Can't disagree with you there. They are a fascinating people. I'm glad you're getting along. They had nothing but good things to say about you as well. Hopefully, we can continue this trend as we bring more species together,” Jiran's aura shaped his words so they would carry, garnering a flurry of shifting responses from within the ranks.

“You truly meant what you said? A portal in every roost, and more races beyond our four?”

Jiran nodded enthusiastically, “Definitely.” They shared a grin and Jiran motioned toward the crystal gripped tightly in Dokkuun's hand, “Since we still have some time, I'm going to go check on the Unbroken. Send a signal when Niya activates the portal.”

“Yes, Senior Brother Guardian.”

“As for the lot of you! Remain here until the portal opens. You will be the most glorious vanguard of the Great Spirit Sect! May our enemies choke on your spears!”

The responding roar from the Phoenix could hardly be called that. Jiran grinned at them, giving a wink before flying away. Behind him, Dokkuun was already spitting insults and threats as he berated everyone who didn't measure up to Jiran's mysterious standards.

Mana Omnis made finding the gathered Unbroken a breeze. They waited within the trees, only a few close enough to observe the gathered Forkara. Jiran landed next to Knife, wondering if he had enough time. “Is this everyone?” He questioned, running his eyes over the much fewer, and seemingly less well-equipped women. The fact their estimated power was two thirds of a tier five Forkara’s, and many, many times higher than any tier three beast was terrifying in its own right.

[Vacant Timberling: (Tier 3 - Sapient - Fervent) (Concentration: 4) (Attributes: 80) (Estimated Power: 21,720) A failed species incapable of complete integration. Abilities: Full body mana reinforcement - Mana to resonance conversion - Harmonic soul dissonance]

This time, the information granted by Gaze of Pediamus left much to be desired. The Timberlings’ abilities were significantly more nuanced and varied than what appeared in his head. For instance, their life cycle could be considered a skill or unique trait all its own with the way they turned into trees upon death. The soul they shared had completely unknown properties that he couldn’t wait to dive into, and their mana to resonance conversion compelled them to rhyme, even working through his translator which never did make any sense to Jiran.

As powerful as gaze is, it’s not perfect.

There were more mysteries around the tier three Timberlings than all the other races combined, and now was a perfect time to start getting to the bottom of them.

“This is all who stand tall. To the Great Spirit they swore, to follow unto war.”

“Good. Good. Since it's not quite time to go, how about we run a little experiment?” The corners of Jiran’s lips stretched higher and higher as his eyes returned to Knife. Instead of being creeped out as any sane person should have, she looked back at him, equally excited with leaves bursting from her brow to prove it.