Cataclysm War | Chapter 81: Adept (First Draft)

Sunday, August 7, 4 S.E.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations, Leonidas! You have successfully initiated your [Tempering Tribulation]!

SECOND TEMPER

MIND TEMPERING

[Description]: Rarest of all those within the System are those that challenge the might of the Heavens, the domain solely held by the Divine. Once again, by merit of your force of existence as a Cataclysm, you have earned the attention of forces far beyond the understanding of even the greatest of Cultivators. All that remains is to survive and see yourself reforged once more!

Leonidas read the words in silence as they flashed into existence before him and felt the same, sudden alertness of incomprehensibly vast consciousnesses turning their gaze upon him. As he did, the Mana in his body erupted; a conflagration of power that stole his breath as it raced through him. Unlike the first instance, however, this one was not assailing his body—it was ripping through his mind, creating the worst migraine he had ever experienced.

Sensation and awareness became a distant thought as pain assaulted him, striking at his mental self like knives slicing into his thoughts. It launched a tingling sensation across his body, akin to dissociative security, only for it to redouble into a sense of agony feedback. Leonidas wanted to scream, wanted to froth at the mouth, wanted to bite his own tongue—anything to reduce the unbearable pain consuming his mind.

Instead, he remained silent, remained still, remained suspended as his Mentor and the Duke of Morning battled against the nightmare above him, and the first bolt of scarlet lightning fell. It crashed through the hole in the shield, blitzing past the dodging Venerates to connect with his skull in a flash of distorting power that radiated through his consciousness. He felt something in his brain scream out in silence, and felt some part of himself distance itself as the pain cascaded again.

Awareness and consciousness abandoned Leonidas in the same breath as his Psi catalyzed itself from within his [Cataclysm Core], and he felt the energy from the lightning thread itself into the wounded source of his power. The Psi seemed to react instinctively, flooding his mind with preserving force as the second bolt of lightning struck, and he felt his Core surge with reactive power within him. Pain became a lost definition, drowned by the scourging of his consciousness in a way that put his Body Tempering to shame.

By the time the second lightning bolt fell, time had lost meaning to Leonidas.

He was trapped in a cycle of all-consuming agony, paired with a distance from awareness that was paradoxically linked to an absolute processing of everything that was happening. He could feel his mind being sloughed away, melted, eviscerated, torn apart, and then knit back together by the sundering power of the Tribulation. There was no reprieve, no break, no merciful pause in the cascade of rewriting power that surged within him.

The third bolt struck, and he lost all awareness of who he was.

All of him resided in the Psi now, the indomitable energy that soothed his wailing mental cognizance and kept him from falling into ribbons of amnesiac displacement. Again, and again, and again the lightning struck him, lancing into the crown of his skull with punishing force as the weight of those imperious gazes bore down on him like a physical thing.

He felt them in his soul, even as he died to every strike. He felt them in his [Cataclysm Core], as it screamed its insane bliss in hunger for the power that suffused him. He’d already lost count of the impacts by the fifth bolt, and the world dissolved into threads of Psi and forced awareness as he tried desperately to hold onto what made him Leonidas.

Memories danced, shattered, and reformed with greater clarity with each punishing volley from the bilious maelstrom, the titanic black cloud cover merciless in its deliverance of heaven’s judgment. He was dimly aware of Ceruviel and Uriel still fighting, dimly aware of his name being shouted, dimly aware that he was even aware. Madness and confusion replaced all sensible thought, and all he could cling to were those violet threads, tying themselves within his abused brain like a final lifeline.

The world lost meaning as another strike fell.

His heart lost connection as yet another followed in its wake.

His nervous system failed him when more came in turn.

Over and over, he was struck, assaulted like a metal rod in the depths of an apocalyptic lightning storm, and Leonidas ceased to be, was remade, and then ceased to be once more. He lost track of his name, and then gained it back in an agony of awareness, only to be struck dumb and brain-dead once more at the next blow to follow. The volley of scarlet castigation was like a hammering drum, burning and beating and slashing away all the impurities and unwanted imperfections of his consciousness.

Neurological function was a mockery of thought, an instinctive reaction of a long-dead corpse as his body refused to surrender, his Psi refused to dissipate, and his soul refused to accept death. On and on it went, shepherding him toward certain annihilation while simultaneously forcing him back to life. Visions of lives that could have been, visions of lives that never were, visions of what might have become him in a thousand, thousand different variations of reality danced throughout his abused mind.

Throughout it all, he was screaming, screaming so loud his lungs should have exploded.

Throughout it all, he was silent, a marionette held aloft on a pillar of light.

*

Aylar stood in line with all those in the Royal Box as their eyes were, invariably, drawn to the lightning rod her husband had become. Leonidas was utterly immobile, hanging still in the air, his [Manastorm Pinions] at full extension as the successive blasts of scarlet energy struck his head. At some point, she had gripped Reginald’s hand, holding onto her father-in-law with every iota of her strength, and the Archmage held on in turn, his other arm firmly wrapped around Maryanne’s shoulders as the Sword of Manhattan wept.

None of them reacted, none of them judged.

Synthra held onto the emotional woman as they watched, in unified horror, while the lightning assailed the man who had, invariably, brought them all together.

Kairi stood beside her with Parnym, holding onto the Mender like a lifeline while her eyes misted in rage, and she watched her brother suffer the System’s judgment.

Bardulf was uncharacteristically silent, his eyes narrowed on his best friend, while his shoulders were hunched forward in wolfish discomfort, and a wince struck him each time that thunderous lightning cracked the air with earth-shaking force.

Silence was their unifying strength, silence was their communion, bringing them together in joint witness as the Defier of Heavens was punished for daring to strive beyond the allowance of the System. It was cruel to Aylar. It was an unforgivable act of sociopathic disregard. The System had forced upon Leonidas his status as a Cataclysm, and now demanded he suffer for the sin of Cultivating in order to assure his own survival.

Each bolt rattled the Royal Box, shook the arena, and made Dawnhaven tremble. Each bolt eviscerated all rational understanding of power, and all the Swordmaiden could wonder was how: how could her husband survive? How could her King endure? How could the man she had sworn to spend forever with endure such terrifying power?

Another bolt, the fifteenth by her count, lanced into Leonidas, and Maryanne sobbed as she watched, leaning on Synthra as the Sorceress’ own golden, unyielding gaze was riven by tears. Leonidas was silent, but in that silence, Aylar could almost taste his agony. There was a greater horror at play in his lack of motion, for Leonidas had already told them what tribulation was like.

Trapped as a witness within his own body.

Unable to do more than suffer in utter stillness.

Another lightning strike fell, and Aylar heard something shatter with impact as it was cast from its position, but none of them so much as glanced at the sound. Above Leonidas, Ceruviel and Uriel continued to fight, denying the approach of the abomination as it continued its relentless attempt to seek out the defenseless King, to latch him in its jaws, to do whatever foulness drove it onward.

The Regents were like storms of power themselves, incandescent as they battled in a spectrum that went beyond the physical; exchanging blows and discharges of power that would obliterate even an Elite in a single strike. The strength they wielded was awe-inspiring and terrifying in its own way. Together, the Duke of Morning and Duchess of Twilight embodied the very essence of their monikers as they defended their rightful King.

She felt moisture on her cheeks, realizing belatedly she, too, was weeping—but did nothing to address it. The tears were good. The tears were proof that love still existed, that Leonidas had those who would cry for his pain and acknowledge his sacrifice in the pursuit of the strength to protect them all. She felt as helpless as a girl in that moment, for all her power, all her might, all her authority; she could only watch, impotent, as the future Father of her children was riven and hewn by the fury of the Heavens he defied.

She wanted to grip her sword and charge; she wanted to stand at his side, but suicide was no reward for his martyrdom on their behalf—and so she stood, gripping her father-in-law’s hand, and watching in haunted, powerless desperation as the man she had given her body, her mind, and her heart to in marriage was tortured.

Aylar could only rage in silence as Leonidas died twenty times before her very eyes.

*

Awareness returned with the final strike of the Heavens’ fury.

The sudden return to function shocked him like the pads of a defibrillator, reigniting his cognition as his mind surged with newfound focus and precision. Above him, as his head rose, he saw the blazing radiance of his Mentor and of Uriel, falling back as the thing within the storm receded—its gaze focused on him with an intent he could feel—and dissipated into the blackened clouds.

He felt the gazes of the Divines turn away in unspoken acceptance, retreating once more as he yet again survived the Heavens’ judgment and emerged alive from tribulation. The [Manastorm Pinions] on his back, he realized belatedly, were extended; humming with power that seemed entirely different from when he’d first acquired them.

The echo of the Storm Phoenix within him screeched its approval, and Leonidas felt the force holding him aloft release—shattering at the same time as the column of light shattered. His eyes drifted upward again, and he saw Ceruviel and Uriel floating down toward him; tired, but not overwhelmed, tested, but not overwrought. The Venerates met him as he began to fall, and their expressions were filled with a mix of empathy and quiet understanding.

“How are you?” Ceruviel asked simply, her force ever-so-slightly strained.

“Alive,” Leonidas replied in a surprisingly calm tone, devoid of any measure of uncertainty despite his ego-shattering ordeal. “More… aware. My mind feels like it’s been awakened.”

Uriel nodded at his words.

“Tribulation has a far greater effect than any normal Tempering,” the Dawn-Lord said wearily. “For all the agony you must endure, the rewards are amplified by that very suffering. You did well to survive this, Your Majesty. Tribulations have killed more than a few Cultivators.”

The three of them touched down on the manastone moments later, and Leonidas glanced up at the soft rain of cardinal light descending on them, smiling faintly.

“At least the aftermath is beautiful,” he said, distantly aware that he could somehow process everything more viscerally. It felt as if he’d only been half-awake, and much like with [Cataclysm Overdrive], the world seemed… clearer, after the Tribulation. Sharper. More easily discerned.

“It is that,” Ceruviel agreed quietly. “It always is, at the end.”

Leonidas did not reply; instead, he simply drank in the newfound clarity of the world around him.

The effect of the Tempering was not nearly as profound as Overdrive’s addictive effects, but it certainly was pleasant and notable enough to be noticed. His eyes drifted toward the Royal Guard in the stands as he looked around, and he saw several of them leaning on weapons or one another, exhausted by their efforts to contain the Tribulation.

Before Leonidas could thank them, however, the alerts he’d been awaiting finally appeared in a flurry of System screens, taking him by surprise.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations, Leonidas!

You are now [Level 21]!

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations, Leonidas! You have successfully passed your [Tribulation Tempering]!

[Description]: You have passed through the crucible of Mind Reforging, sundered and eviscerated by the power of the Heavens’ fury. As a result of defying the odds and surviving a near-impossible challenge, your mind has been codified and enlightened. As a Cataclysm, your development has been tailored to better fit your chosen Evolution and will serve as the foundation of your future rise.

[Effect 1]: All Attribute impacts passively increased by 50%.

[Effect 2]: Your mind has been [Tribulation Tempered], increasing your Psionic Potency by 25%.

[Effect 3]: Your Neural Pathways have been [Tribulation Tempered], reducing the destructive influence of wielding your [Cataclysm Core]’s power.

[Effect 4]: Your brain and bioelectric connections have been [Tribulation Tempered], increasing your Intelligence and Willpower Attributes by +5.

[Reward 1]: 200 [Aetherium]

[Reward 2]: [Skill Upgrade] Point

“Potency increase, resistance to the Core, Aetherium, an Upgrade Point, and mental increases? Not as impressive as the first one, but nothing to sneeze at,” he murmured in appreciation, dismissing the window and looking toward the next one in the considerable queue with quiet interest. With his Intelligence raised to 35 and his Willpower now at 68 after three levels and the Tempering, Leonidas felt calm in a way he hadn’t after his first Tempering. He was inherently aware of himself and his goals. It was a strange kind of mental peace that, after the agony of the Tribulation, felt all the more impactful.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations, Leonidas! You have upgraded your [Title]!

DEFIER OF HEAVEN

[Quality]: Legendary

[Description]: By your own actions, whether intentional or not, you have achieved a legendary feat for someone of your Tier, and defied the oppressive power of a Divine being twice! As a result of this momentous achievement, you have upgraded the Title [Defier of Heaven] and been granted a new effect!

[Effect 1]: +1 Willpower per Level

[Effect 2]: +100% Willpower Attribute value when resisting Mind Control effects

[Effect 3]: +15% Resource Regeneration

Leonidas nodded in acknowledgement of the message and dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Resource Regeneration was a fairly irrelevant gain, until one considered what that actually looked like in a longer session of economic combat. It would, at base, increase his effective fighting time by four minutes out of every hour—a small increase if he was considering it from a strictly numerical standpoint; but a monumental one when considering potions and other factors. Those four minutes could be the difference between a killstroke of his own and death.

His eyes drifted to the next window, and he raised his eyebrows at it.

He’d expected it, but it still took him by surprise.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations, Leonidas! You have unlocked a new [Sovereign Domain] effect!

SOVEREIGN DOMAIN

[Name]: Sovereign Domain

[Quality]: Legendary

[Current Maximum Size]: 26 Meters

[Cost]: 200 Mana

[Current Maximum Duration]: 26 Minutes

[Description]: An ability wielded solely by those granted the [Sovereign] Ambition, this Skill allows the wielder to declare a Domain of size and duration equal to their Charisma Attribute in a circle around them.

[Effect 1]: All Loyal Citizens of the [Sovereign] receive 25% of the [Sovereign]’s Attribute values as a Buff at the time of Domain creation.

[Effect 2]: All Loyal Citizens of the [Sovereign] receive Damage Reduction equivalent to the [Sovereign]’s Charisma Attribute at the time of Domain creation.

[Effect 3]: [Locked]

[Effect 4]: [Locked]

[Effect 5]: [Locked]

“Alright, System, not bad,” he said gracefully, drawing glances from Uriel and Ceruviel, but smiling at them and shaking his head. “I’ll explain later,” he said for their benefit, earning twinned nods—a mildly frustrated one from Ceruviel, admittedly—as he perused the next screen that popped up after dismissing the [Sovereign Domain] alert. When it appeared, he was momentarily surprised, but not terribly so.

After all, this one he had been directly warned about.

He’d just been wondering when this particular shoe would drop.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations, Leonidas! You have unlocked a new [Quest]!

WEATHER THE STORM

[Quality]: Epic

[Description]: In accordance with your compact with the Storm Phoenix that agreed to become your wings, you have been issued a [Quest] by the residual echo of its will and essence. Completing this [Quest] will unlock further advantages for your [Manastorm Pinions]; failure will result in [Consequences].

[Time Limit]: Two Months

[Quest Objective(s)]: Defeat a foe two Tiers higher

[Optional Objective(s)]: Defeat a foe two Tiers higher without violence

[Reward 1]: Unlock [Effect 2] of your [Manastorm Pinions]!

Leonidas sighed quietly and dismissed the window.

Defeat a foe of Elite rank? Hell, if he’d gotten that quest a week ago, he’d already have finished it. The injustice of the situation momentarily rankled him, but he shook his head at it. Technically speaking, his ability to defeat an enemy of Elite rank was even more within reach now, after ascending to Adept rank and gaining the passive 50% boost to his Attributes. He’d be able to undertake the new task with little worry, so long as he picked his opponent carefully.

He’d need to at least try to do it on his own power.

He couldn’t rely on [Cataclysm Overdrive] for everything.

It was a rationale he would need to stick to, lest he find himself growing dangerously addicted to the power that his Cataclysm ability could afford him. Leonidas had already felt firsthand how dangerous it was, and he had a feeling that overuse would eventually incur greater penalties. While the System hadn’t said it specifically, it was a gut feeling that stuck with him—a feeling he’d learn, in other circumstances, to give serious credence to.

Finally, he turned his eyes to the last window that popped up.

When he read the new alert, a moment later, he felt himself go slack-jawed.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

Congratulations, Leonidas! You have awakened a new [Divine Path]!

DIVINE MAGISTRATE

[Quality]: Transcendant

[Description]: As a follower of the Path of Divinity, you have unlocked your first [Divine Path], and become a [Divine Magistrate]. Henceforth, the success and progression of the Dominion and Sub-Dominions under your rule will grant you benefits, while failures of governance will in turn damage your [Divine Path]. Rule well, Magistrate, for the Divines watch you closely!

[Effect 1]: +1,000 [Aetherium] per Quarter of Net Growth

[Effect 2]: +1,000 [Platinum] per Quarter of Net Growth