Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Authority 6

May 8, 624

The rail slowed into the terminal.

I had already pried myself from the divot in the seat left by my sleeping form, sauntering up to the doors empty-handed as they started to slide open.

I couldn’t help myself. As I took in the familiar terminal of the Capital, a bright smile forced itself onto my face. It was summer and a nice warm breeze was making itself known, heating up the cold atmosphere the Rail carried from Stronghold Charlie.

I stepped out.

“Man, FUCK the snow! I didn’t realize how much I could miss warm weather…”

I took in a deep breath, expelling the air of the Rail and filling my lungs with the familiar scent of the magical city.

“John.”

I heard my name, turning to the one person able to greet me at the terminal.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the person I wanted to see most.

I pressed down those thoughts before they could surface, waving to Maxwell. He was dressed in his normal royal blue robes gilded with golden runes and symbols. It was probably powerfully enchanted.

“Heyo! Long time no see.”

“Indeed. You look like you’ve aged a decade.”

“Well, you certainly aren’t looking youthful yourself.”

“Hm. I trust the military has treated you well?”

“Better than the Magisterium, which is saying a lot.”

Maxwell led, taking us to a rather plain carriage he had prepared. But most telling was its lack of a driver entirely; it was just the two of us on the trip to the Black Spider Hotel.

Along the way, I took another look outside, confirming that the golden barrier was still there on the horizon – not that it had ever disappeared, no matter where I went.

I decided to ask the same questions I asked Jasmine.

“Hey Maxwell, what’s that giant golden wall way off in the distance.”

“Golden wall?”

He turned to stare at me, eyes like an Owlykat’s.

“Is it tall? On the horizon?”

“Yes. It appeared a little while ago, always out there no matter where I go.”

“I can’t believe it…”

He massaged his forehead with a groan.

“You aren’t messing with me, right? This is no kidding matter.”

“No, I’m not. It’s not like I can prove it to you though.”

“I understand that. More than anyone. That is the Great Barrier, the literal barrier to greater power…”

He said the same things Jasmine said regarding its limitations. But then, he spilled a couple other details.

“Before I lost my power, I had been working to break past that barrier. I almost succeeded, but… God did not have those plans in store for me. Regardless, no summoner has ever broken past the Great Barrier. Because of that, it’s much more difficult to break through than normal. The first time is always the hardest. However, if you’re seeing it before you’ve even reached Authority 6...”

His wisened old eyes stared straight into my soul.

“You may just be able to. You’ll have the time. I’ve already given you the necessary tools, and your Summons make you suited for doing it. The only factor left is Aura, but…”

He left the words unsaid, but I knew exactly what he meant.

“How exactly do you break past the Great Barrier?”

“Well, there’s no certain way. All we know is that one needs to overcome all their weaknesses. It can’t simply be broken down with one’s strengths. That’s why you’ll never see an Authority 12 with a weakness. They may have aspects that are lacking compared to others, but what they’ll never have is a weakness.”

“So, what, does it require Summoners to be as strong or resilient as knights?”

“Not necessarily. However, it may require your summons to be. Regardless, that’s why Aura will become so important. It can make up for your weaknesses, even if it doesn’t truly solve the problem.”

We arrived at the Hotel, but Maxwell stuck out an enrobed arm, blocking me from walking forward.

“Don’t go blabbing about all this. Especially to the Key Master.”

“Why? I trust the Key Master.”

“He’s obviously not what he looks like. He’s a very powerful individual, and even I have yet to ever discover his true identity, so if you don’t have to, don’t flap your lips. It’ll extend your lifespan.”

“Fine, fine.”

I agreed as we walked into the lobby, smiling when I saw the Key Master.

“Key Master! It’s been a year!”

“Ah, John! It’s good to see you well. You as well, Sir Albarain.”

“Key Master.”

Maxwell gave a nod, standing to the side as I approached the desk. I shook the Key Master’s gloved hand before leaning on the edge.

“How does it feel to be back in the city, Major Cooper?”

“So you’ve heard. It honestly feels pretty damn good. It’s weird though. I usually have so much to do. It feels off, not working on something.”

“I think that’s a sign of overwork. Unfortunately, that’s also often the indicator for competence in the military. At least you’re doing well.”

“I am. And I assume everything is as usual here in the Capital?”

“Generally, yes. The King’s been appearing in private, making rounds to various noble houses. Some are agitated, and others are getting bolder.”

My brows raised.

“The King? You know, I’ve never thought much about him since he’s hardly ever talked about. For some time I almost thought he didn’t exist. Since he’s real though, would he be the strongest person in the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue?”

“Hoh, far from it.”

The Key Master chuckled as if that were a joke.

“King Distrion Jealven Alphon is an Authority 11 warlock and, according to the hushed but prevailing opinion, nothing but a puppet to the nobility. The Royal Family has been in decline for decades now, propped up only through inducting other stronger noble bloodlines through marriage. However, their wealth and heritage are indeed among the deepest in the Kingdom and a major reason why they are still the Royal Family.”

“Huh. I wonder what they have stashed away, seeing as it keeps the other noble houses in check.”

“Well, the Kingdom’s name should give you some hints.”

“They have dragon tongues stashed away?”

“Among other things.”

“Interesting. They must’ve made bank killing dragons, considering they’re here and dragons aren’t. Built on the shoulders of giants – well, corpses – and all that. They probably turned all those dragons into weapons.”

“...”

The Key Master and Maxwell were silent. I glanced between them, surprised.

“Did I guess right?”

“Boy, stop guessing the darkest secrets of the Kingdom. It’ll shorten your lifespan.”

“Hey, I can’t help the fact that I’m a genius. Even then, I seem to learn something new everytime I talk to you, Key Master.”

“I aim to please.”

The man bowed a bit, making me smile.

“Well, it was good talking to you. Now, I get to go advance.”

“Authority 6 is here so soon?”

“Rather than soon, it felt like an eternity trying to figure out that formation.”

“A year is very good time.”

“I suppose. I feel like I don’t have that time though.”

“I can understand that. Then I wish you a successful advancement.”

“Thank you.”

We said our goodbyes, Maxwell and I walking off and heading to his place in the Polaris Family headquarters.

Once inside his office, Maxwell sighed.

“It baffles me that you two talk like old friends.”

“He’s a cool guy. I bet you’ve never held a conversation with him before.”

“I have. Let’s just say he’s not that hospitable to everyone. Now, before we get on with your advancement, we need to discuss the Mind Palace technique.”

He sat down behind his desk, on top of which was a larger than normal Orb. I sat down nearby, not far away from the tempering chair used during my last few advancements.

He activated the projection cradle, sending a few dozen images of formations into the air.

“I’ve developed a few prototype formations for arranging what you’ve described to be the Mind Palace. I quite like the idea. In fact, one might think it excessive. Summoners like us already have a vast capacity for both fast and thorough thought. To bring it all together under one technique would amplify those strengths further, even more than what your next advancements will provide. However, a technique this complex will require the reformations that Authority 6 through 10 provide. It will require you to reshape your mind alongside the normal changes my Call will impart.”

He looked up at me.

“Unfortunately, I can’t test this technique myself. You’ll have to do it. Didn’t you say that you had already started working on it?”

“Yes. I’ve already reformed the stars in my mind a bit while making those connections between them. I’m figuring out how to reshape my mind using the advancement formation and certain visualization formations. We can compare notes.”

I brought out my own Orb, handing it to Maxwell for him to parse.

He nodded after a handful of seconds.

“Indeed. They aren’t too different from my own. Hmm… forcing what would normally be the results of long-term training… reshaping the mind, making information access easier and using memory associations to multiply memory retention. The technique is relatively simple for the benefits it provides. It won’t take long to implement this. Are you prepared to make these changes during the advancement?”

“Somewhat? It’s not like it's a finished product, but I know what I’m going for. I’ve already started working on it.”

“Good. Then we’ll sharpen up the technique, divide the formations into different sections, and then have you implement them…”

He rubbed his chin, looking at me for a few seconds silently before waving.

“Come.”

I followed him into another side room of the office, one I had never been in before.

A single table, fuzzy with a coating of dust, and a straight-backed wooden chair dominated the room.

Maxwell snapped his fingers, summoning a rag into his hand, before he haphazardly wiped off most of the dust, sending motes scattering into the cone of light cast from the singular window.

With a single swipe of a finger, the table started glowing, formations surging with magic across its surface as thousands of runic lines unfolded in the air. Impossibly complex formations flashed for a few seconds before being replaced by even more intricate ones, far beyond my capability to even begin to figure out.

“This is my research desk. Don’t mess with anything you don’t understand. Now, work with me on these Mind Palace formations.”

“Alright.”

I walked over and lifted my hands above the table. It was enchanted with runic work that condensed the Psyka above it, making it incredibly easy to use Aura and draw formations. It behaved a lot like an Orb, but the runes let us physically interact with the patterns we were drawing.

It was really convenient, especially when I saw some of the tools. Copy and paste functions, testing functions. You could even reprogram it to make corrections on its own, supposing you knew how to reprogram in the first place.

I quickly familiarized myself with its functions as we started developing these formations properly. All I had were scattered fragments of a whole; he had progressed further than me, with entire sections and assemblies completed, but we still had to bring it under one definitive system, usable by everyone who followed the Call of the Fallen Angel.

It became clear after a while that Maxwell had put a surprising amount of thought into my thoughts; I hadn’t expected a working technique anytime soon, thought I’d be making things together as we went, but within a handful of hours we almost had a finished product.

I scanned at the stacks of formation circles and arrays above the table, my eyes slightly bloodshot. Another thing I realized was how powerful Maxwell’s mind was. Despite being far from his prime, he easily outclassed me in thinking ability. He was faster, smarter, and generally more oriented. He seemed to already see the end goal and was just working toward it while I was still figuring some things out in my mind.

It was rather amazing watching him work, but at some point, he had to slow down.

“Alright, let’s stop here for today.”

He shut down the table, staring at its blank surface for some time before blinking and pulling his gaze away.

I could recognize the signs of mental fatigue and a nasty headache when I saw it. I had been subject to those constantly at the Treehouse. Maxwell wasn’t young and spry anymore though. He couldn’t stress himself so much.

“We’ll come back tomorrow, finish this, and then start your advancement. Go rest for now.”

“Sure.”

I was a bit tired as well. This week would be a short period where I could get good sleep, so I intended to take full advantage of it.

With that, we wrapped up and I went back to the Hotel. A quick wave to the Key Master and I was up in my room.

I took a deep breath inside. I suddenly felt like living alone sucked, even though the room was wonderfully familiar and comfortable. I wanted Umara here.

Unfortunately, though it pissed both of us off to no end, she wasn’t able to get her leave approved. Neither of us knew why, but we had plenty of ideas, especially if the mother wasn’t keen on letting us have a reunion without supervision.

With a loud sigh, I went and drew a bath, deciding to thoroughly enjoy the luxuries I had lacked for so long.

After a bath was dinner from the Hotel. Delicious, as always. Then it was bedtime.

I threw all my nice blankets onto the huge bed and jumped in, laughing a bit as I felt the heavenly comfort of an actual mattress.

It didn’t take me long to fall asleep after that.

……

14 hours later, I finally crawled out of bed. From then on, I was working with Maxwell.

It took us the first half of the day to finalize the Mind Palace technique, almost unrecognizable compared to anything I had initially developed for it – with four different levels with four layered formations each, it needed the malleability offered by an advancement to even properly form in the mindspace.

It was even tailored to my specific advancement. With this one, I would be on the road to fully developing it, advancement by advancement.

However, this technique wouldn’t be entirely incomplete just because I was only on the first or second level. No, it would be completely functional; only its efficiency and power increasing with each level.

After this advancement, the technique would be active. I was a bit excited to see the improvements it gave.

With that, it was finally time. Authority 6.

I sat down in the tempering chair, surrounded by three Authority 8 White Crystals.

Over the days prior to arriving in the Capitol, I had already accumulated as much Psyka as I needed. Now, I merely needed to finish the effects of the advancement formation and break into the 6th Star.

“You know, my time at Authority 5 felt relatively underwhelming. I feel like I’ve been doing nothing but desk work for the past year. I hardly got to use my summons and fight.”

“You’re a summoner. Such things should’ve been expected, especially if you’ve been as competent as you’ve told me.”

“Yes, I’m apparently really good at my job. I like fighting though.”

“You’re crazy, so do yourself a favor and stick to the safe jobs until you can hold your own against at least Authority 8s.”

Maxwell activated the chair, the White Crystals glowing as Magika condensed around me, forming a visible fog. I could feel the pressure on my mind, like I was deep in an ocean of Psyka.

“Begin.”

I closed my eyes, the advancement formation manifesting within my mind.

With its direction, Psyka started to flow. It’s power was supplemented by the incredibly dense Magika around me, amplifying its effects further.

By now, all the stars within my mind, those kernels of memory and being, had all been connected to each other in a vast spiderweb of lines and runes. However, when I started morphing everything according to the new Mind Palace Technique, the stars, previously only in the brief shape of a palace, began to transform.

My Spark sped up, controlling the technique in my mind’s stead. It became the center with the stars circling it in almost-familiar orbits, concentrating power into that area.

Then, something more than just darkness, stars, and my Spark appeared in that space.

I started seeing things. Not just magika energy flows, but tangible objects.

Walls were constructed from the spiderwebbed stars, hexagonal patterns taking form over its surface and composed of pure Psyka. A foundation was constructed in tandem, made not of stone but solid diamond, the hardest, most pure material I could imagine.

The Palace was massive, spanning almost my entire Mind Space. I felt tiny standing within it, not that the emptiness was helpful.

So, with a thought, I began to reshape things.

I closed off the Palace. It was more than just some pretty building. It was a fortress. This would be the structure that both stored all of my memories and protected them. It couldn’t have gaps. It had to be made of the strongest materials I could think of and armed with my most core aspects to combat anything that might attempt to hijack my own mind.

Case in point, Anarchy.

On the roof of the Palace, an image was carved in the diamond and Psyka. There I inscribed not the evil that had prompted my need for a fortress, but my triumph over it. I may not have been able to kill that monstrous being, but I was able to conquer the influence it had on my mind. I was able to overcome it.

The image depicted this victory of mind in a most grand fashion, a knight overcoming that monstrous beast with spear and shield, skewering it through the chest as it screamed helplessly.

Once it was finished, I nodded in grim satisfaction and moved on.

The inside of the Palace was renovated, looking a bit more comprehensible than a structure made out of solid diamond and Psyka. After all, this was the palace in which my memories would be visualized and stored. By imagining things I was familiar with, the technique would become more effective.

So the palace morphed into a home. Not just any home, but the home I had spent the longest time in, my home on Earth.

It was a sizable house with two stories and a rustic theme. It filled with everything I remembered, from the living room to my siblings’ bedrooms.

But I wanted the master bedroom and didn’t care about filling this place with my other siblings’ things, so I swept through the place and got rid of things that weren’t mine.

This place was mine and mine alone. It had to be familiar, but it wasn’t like other people would be taking a tour. I tailored it specifically to me.

Like that, the general shape of the home was kept while the main bedroom was made to look similar to my room at the Black Spider Hotel. It had become my new home, and was arguably the most impactful place in my life, the one place I found refuge in this brand new world.

After filling it with some small pieces of furniture and stuff to match what I knew, I started forming the other facilities.

A grand library was created in the central part of the Palace. In there, I stored all of the miscellaneous knowledge in books and papers. Thousands of books floated to their shelves, categorized according to a thrown together organizational system known only to my mind, filled with images and facts and concepts and equations.

It took some time to do this. I was reshaping my memories, after all. I had to process everything. While it was getting close, my mind had yet to become infallible. I still couldn’t recall every small and insignificant detail of my life.

I could get damn close though. That’s what the library was for. A store of my knowledge. However, I also had aspects of my mind that couldn’t be categorized as simple knowledge. Certain philosophies and principles and such that I had formed my being around.

With a thought I created another room in the center of the grand library. There, I manifested my Spark.

A pulse rippled through the entire Mind Space as it manifested. Not only had my Psyka reached a tipping point, primed to break through to the Sixth Authority, but all of the stars that composed my Mind Palace suddenly twinkled, their spiderwebbed lines all forming, connecting to the Grand Library and, most importantly, the Spark that served as the core of this entire Palace.

The room around the Spark flashed with countless lines and runes. I could see formations manifest along the walls, floors, and ceiling. I didn’t really create them. They simply formed based on my knowledge, a fluid occurrence taking place as if it were simply breathing, speaking, or thinking, in this language of runes had become natural to me. I could whip up any formation I wanted to suit my purposes. I simply had no reason to until now.

Thus, throughout the entire Grand Library, thousands of formations engraved themselves on the structure, every shelf and table and chair covered in these runes. I could feel all of my knowledge seamlessly connecting, as if it hadn’t already been before.

And the core of it all was the Spark. A pedestal raised underneath it, cradling the precious crystal of pure Psyka and intellect. Along the pedestal, tens of thousands of those runic lines traveled up, connecting the Spark with the rest of the Palace.

My thoughts suddenly became coherent, as if I had been living my entire life in a haze up until this point. It was a full transformation, my entire mind completely restructured around this Palace. My mind was the Palace and the Palace my mind. At some point I didn’t even have to think anymore. All of my knowledge and memories were simply cataloged into the Grand Library. That library composed a vast majority of the Palace by the time everything had been logged.

Then, my accumulated Psyka reached the threshold. Up in the sky, beyond the transparent rooftop of the Palace, I could see the 13 Stars of my Crest. The first five Stars had been opened, leading to the dimensions. Now though, the sixth was broken down.

That barrier shatter like a thin pane of glass, fragile before the overwhelming force of my power.

I peeked into the next dimension, curiosity overtaking me.

The sight of those weapons, many of which were familiar, filled me with glee.

This next dimension wouldn’t simply provide me with better weapons.

Nay, when I returned, I would thoroughly enjoy introducing the Scourge to the concept of modern warfare.

Of course, I’d have to get myself on some missions, but that should be easy enough. I was involved in planning many of them, after all. There was no reason I couldn’t simply put myself in one, especially if things were going to get as hectic as I thought they were.

With the Sixth Star open, power flooded my mind. It solidified my Mind Palace. It was no longer so open to change, but that was alright. It was well on its way to completion, a proper visualization of what a Mind Palace should be, even if it was relatively bare bones.

I opened my eyes, suddenly feeling the condensed Magika around me seeping into my body. Mana and Vigor took root. It was a slight amount, but I couldn’t complain. All of it would amplify my capabilities further, and I always appreciated extra boosts in physical power.

At some point, when my body could no longer be saturated, Maxwell shut down the tempering chair. I felt the dense energy disperse, my body and mind feeling extraordinary.

Maxwell nodded.

“Congratulations.”