Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 602: Pillars of Providence II
Previously on Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage...
***
One Heaven grinned, his fingers instinctively threading through his beard as was his habit.
Instead of replying to Alex’s query with words, he reached under the table separating them and pulled out a box, setting it in front of Alex.
"Open it," he instructed.
Alex regarded the box with suspicion for an instant before extending his hand to lift the lid.
Nestled within lay an oval-shaped crystal.
"An egg?" His eyebrow arched in slight astonishment.
"That’s a Legacy artifact forged from the essence of Heaven and Earth," One Heaven explained, continuing to caress his beard.
"Pour your essence into it, and comprehension will follow."
Alex, having already probed the crystal egg with his Spiritual Force, lifted his gaze to the elder and gave a nod.
Though his Spiritual Force failed to pierce the crystal and reveal its secrets, no threat emanated from it.
Relying on his Spiritual Force’s innate alert to peril—or its absence—Alex chose to go ahead.
He started infusing his essence into the egg.
Mana... Bloodline energy... True Name concepts... Spiritual Force...
Each of his powers streamed into the crystal egg in turn.
Suddenly—
Alex’s eyes flew wide.
Upon merging, his energies etched a glyph on the egg’s surface—one both strange and recognizable.
’A Greater Rune?’
It was a Greater Rune unknown to him previously, but via his link to it, its name sprang to mind instinctively.
’National Fortune!’
Before Alex could respond, the egg morphed into a ray of light and streaked straight into the middle of his forehead.
The egg materialized anew in his Mindspace, hovering right before OmniRune.
A light beam from the Greater Rune on the egg’s exterior lanced toward OmniRune.
OmniRune, the primordial Greater Rune, responded by reshaping itself into an identical copy.
A bond instantly formed between OmniRune and the egg.
A ripple surged from their junction, expanding throughout Alex’s entire Mindspace.
The surge didn’t halt at the edges.
Rather, it pressed onward, infiltrating other conceptual realms in Alex’s form—his Soul Space, his Bloodline Space, and further still.
Before Alex could grasp the events, fresh threads of linkage seized his mind and soul.
His frame shuddered.
A subtle, itching influx of alien power infiltrated his core.
’What the—?!’
Though the current inflow was minor, Alex distinctly perceived its vast potential.
Should this gradual drip of might amplify, it might propel his power up a whole stage... maybe a complete rank... or beyond.
’How can this be?!’
Incredulity filled his stare at One Heaven.
Swiftly, Alex examined the new bonds in his consciousness.
Some terminated at known points.
His followers.
Understanding dawned then.
The remaining ties... stemmed from his wives and fellow party members.
His face hardened instantly.
"Did you just make me a Deity Cultivator?" he demanded, tone icy.
One Heaven’s beard-stroking hand froze in place.
"...ha-ha..."
Laughter erupted from him then, like he’d heard the funniest tale ever.
"Of course not," he managed once composure returned. "Deity cultivation demands worship as a god. Has anyone done so?"
Alex shook his head.
’Obviously not.’
"Then why does it feel like their connections are boosting me?" he challenged.
"Faith stems from belief," One Heaven answered steadily. "Trust and loyalty qualify as beliefs too."
"Like faith, they produce an energy transferable to another... exactly as you’ve felt."
The ancient sorcerer averted his eyes from Alex, gazing at the eternal vistas past the peak.
"Long ago, delving into Gu Mo and the traitors’ cultivation roots, I discovered multiple benevolent paths already in existence."
He faced Alex again.
"I’ve mentioned this plane’s faith pool before—that’s one straightforward substitute."
"Holy Lands and vast groups employ another unwittingly."
"As a Holy Land swells—drawing more beneath its wing—the rising trust and loyalty from them build up Fate and Fortune for the group."
"Making it mightier."
His gaze sparkled subtly.
"I pondered: doesn’t this mirror Deity cultivation’s core?"
A brief halt, then onward.
"Only after uniting with the Heavens did the real truth emerge."
"Fate and Fortune from others don’t demand faith alone."
"Any large enough group spawns its own Fate and Fortune—from the pooled fate and fortune of its subordinates."
"The cause? The emotions and beliefs they harbor—trust, loyalty, etc."
"Emotions and beliefs... akin to Deity cultivation."
One Heaven smiled anew, hand resuming its beard stroke.
"Soon after, another insight hit," he went on.
"Distinct from standard Deity Cultivation, no belief feedback imprints the group’s identity itself."
"That’s when it became clear—this resembles Deity cultivation but flows more naturally, and crucially, it’s fleeting."
"Its natural quality matters greatly. An organization’s Providence ebbs and flows with members’ collective providence, yet individuals stay distinct and untouched."
"Put differently—"
"The group’s providence doesn’t drain its members," Alex cut in.
"Unlike Deity Cultivation, this is mutual growth. Both thrive side by side... properly."
’Hold on... properly? Where’d that come from?’ Alex mused internally.
"Precisely." One Heaven nodded with approval.
"Moreover, Trust and Loyalty count as beliefs and emotions..."
’Debatable,’ Alex reflected quietly.
"...yielding emotional energy—like faith—that sways the belief’s focus."
"Yet," One Heaven pressed on, "unlike Deity cultivation, this feedback lasts briefly and skips impacting cultivation rank."
Alex’s eyes tightened in contemplation.
"So this power surge I sense now... you’ve systematized it to let me tap energy from my party’s trust and loyalty?"
"Correct." One Heaven beamed.
Chatting with a sharp mind proved invigorating.
"Your party functions as an organization," he elaborated. "The power lift you detect arises from their shared Trust and Loyalty."
"Note well—the boost activates only briefly. It’s capped by party size and can exhaust."
"Meanwhile, your party now holds its own Providence. Overseeing your members’ Fate and Fortune is mandatory now.
"It shapes your whole organization’s providence directly."
Alex paused briefly, fingers drumming the table as he absorbed the revelations.
"That explains urging me to forge an empire," he concluded.
"An empire claims territory—Territorial Providence."
"It rallies citizens—Collective Providence."
"And as an organization, it breeds its own providence, fueled by people’s trust and loyalty."
"Thus, I unlock extra power surpassing rank limits—temporarily."
"Authority Providence."
One Heaven nodded.
Alex did too.
Truly, an ingenious framework.
Centered on one goal—empire expansion—it naturally amassed all three Providence pillars.
A last epiphany hit.
"The Providence quality..." he murmured.
"Empire providence, born from citizens’ collective, boasts superior purity."
"No need for personal refining."
"Spot on." One Heaven’s features lit with true admiration.
’One point sparks ten insights,’ he mused contentedly.
’Truly, the perfect Legatee.’
Yet his look grew grave shortly.
"No system lacks weaknesses," he warned.
"This one bears constraints."
"Organizational—or imperial—providence resists expansion."
"You must uplift citizens’ lives swiftly and widely."
To his surprise, Alex smirked.
’Swift and wide uplift... simple enough,’ he pondered.
’This realm lags in primitive times. Once Rune-Tech revives, I’ll hurl it toward 22nd-century heights.’
’That counts as swift and broad, right?’ He nearly chuckled.
As Alex envisioned Rune-Tech driven tech upheavals blending his prior life’s wisdom, One Heaven conjured a scroll before him.
"What’s this?" Alex inquired.
"The technique converting Sorcery into hand seals," One Heaven answered.
Then appended,
"It lets you craft any Mystic Art or invent casting methods."
Alex’s eyes expanded faintly.
"Hold on... any Mystic Art?" he queried. "Meaning I can devise any spell desired?"
"Indeed, you can," One Heaven affirmed with a grave nod.
***
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Guesses on Alex’s upcoming spell?
Hint: Rune-Tech.
Catch you next chapter.