Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 600: Alex’s Considerations II

CH600 Alex’s Considerations II

***

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Battle for the Heaven’s Mandate?"

One Heaven nodded in affirmation.

"Gu Mo aims to strip the plane bare of its Providence, the traitors plot to claim supreme dominion over the plane, and you stand to halt them... all demand a degree of sway over the plane’s Consciousness—over the Heaven’s Will," he explained.

"Yet, having 'killed' the plane’s Consciousness a millennium past and driven its rebirth, the Heavens stand sealed ever since."

"A key unlocks the Heavens—the soul realm of the plane’s Consciousness, presently rebirth-bound."

"The Heaven’s Mandate...?" Alex cut in.

"Precisely." Old Man One Heaven affirmed.

"Only the holder of supreme authority between Heaven and Earth can breach the Heavens' seal."

"The plane’s Consciousness remains either locked in rebirth... or scarcely awakened.

"In that vulnerable phase, any who enter the Heavens could sway it with ease."

Alex nodded gradually, grasping the point.

Verdantis’ planar Consciousness was essentially a newborn.

Easily swayed, deceived, or dominated—especially by one reaching straight to its soul.

'Survival of the fittest... the strong devour the weak.'

'The universe holds true to form. Planes fall under this grand law too.'

Alex breathed out softly.

Even vast worlds served as prey.

He recalled One Heaven’s earlier words...

—

"...its energy, laws, and fortune can be plundered by entities of other planes, either for themselves or for their own plane."

—

'Planes face devouring by outsiders, or dispatch their folk to prey on others, indirectly claiming the plane and Providence.'

Alex’s eyes narrowed faintly.

'Does Pangea pursue that?'

Though nobility-dominated, interplanar travel flourished in Pangea.

Its inhabitants explored endless planes, conquering certain ones and exploiting others to reap resources and Providence.

Alex questioned if Pangea sought to collapse planes outright—expeditions seemed resource-driven outwardly—but wondered if Providence theft was a hushed aim.

Perhaps unvoiced, yet comprehended.

Lower and mid nobles like him might miss such realities, but top tiers—the Legends and beyond—couldn’t claim ignorance.

His father...

His master...

The grand noble houses...

The royals...

'Are they truly unaware...?'

Alex’s mind delved further.

'Or do they simply not care?'

Unease flickered through him.

'Now considering it, can I claim Father, other nobles—and even me—are so unlike Gu Mo?'

Mind shifting to his Ashen Castle arrival.

The Marblebrook Plane map, Earl Drake’s campaign underway.

Drake Fury never concealed his goal to conquer, dominate, and subjugate the plane’s denizens.

Vassals if feasible—slaves otherwise.

Most chilling: Earl Drake Fury wasn’t outlier.

He embodied the rule.

Alex’s fingers clenched lightly.

Fundamentally, do Pangea nobles like Earl Drake Fury, leveraging crushing military might to rule a plane, differ truly from Gu Mo?

As scion of such House and plane, did he possess moral right to block Gu Mo or this plane’s Navi?

'The Navi here belong to this plane at least. Its rise or fall gives them stake.

'Gu Mo and I? Outsiders from higher planes, come to harvest its riches.

'I won’t outright destroy it, but any regime I build might prove no superior.

'My notions from past life, flawed even originally. Expecting flawlessness here? Unlikely—they could amplify here!

'Gu Mo delivers quick end; Navi offer oblivious bliss.'

Alex’s reflections turned grim.

'But I... could unleash something far worse.'

An exploitative order.

Not instant death, but lingering drain.

Thoughts wandered to Pangea’s embedded ways—outer-world slavery, plane trading, harvesting irreplaceable planar treasures.

Systems ruinous to those planes’ folk, normalized unquestioned in Pangea.

'Noble of Pangea, do I hold right to judge another world’s fate, ignoring my own?'

A keen disquiet pierced suddenly.

'If true, Gu Mo from higher plane... he may not stand alone.'

Alex’s heart clenched.

'What if an organization backs him?'

'He falls... they arrive next?'

Paranoia stirred briefly.

Unseen adversaries weighed heavy for an instant.

Yet moments later—

He exhaled, casting it aside.

'No... curb the overthinking.' He centered himself.

'A Class 8 Transcendent wouldn’t summon help lightly.'

'Prefer self-sacrifice or total annihilation over shame.'

Mind honed sharp.

'Even with reinforcements, how many such powerhouses could one group deploy?

'Willing to meddle, knowing this plane felled one already?'

A knowing spark gleamed in his eyes.

'Greater strength breeds greater wariness.'

Appeased, Alex quelled the doubt and shifted focus to Old Man One Heaven.

"How to claim the Heaven’s Mandate at my current power level?" he questioned.

Tone steady, but words laden.

One Heaven had grasped the Mandate via brute force.

Alex lingered weak, insignificant—a Second Circle amid behemoths.

Yet One Heaven merely shook his head.

"Rank holds no sway," he replied. "For you won’t seize the Mandate through power."

A faint smile touched his lips.

One blending assurance and threat.

"Your task..." He paused. "...is to erect an empire."

***