Altura

“Oh, did you not gather? I was a vine on the System tree for a very long time, and inherited some of its powers. How do you think I was able to see into your past so clearly? The lake? Ha!”

“The First Warrior isn’t the only one that can steal some Qi from the System. I have my own stash too. But be warned, the cost will be great, you will never ever recover the [Royalty] trait if you do this, and you shall be forced to watch your actions again.” the vines said.

“But it will give me a chance to survive and save the others.” I stated questioningly.

“I doubt your survival will be in question, you could always hide here and not go out.” the vines said.

“I shall take my chances.” I said, as the vines nodded and sent Qi into the spirit space.

The space transformed, turning into some kind of mirror, and there I watched. I watched as I ignored Kerrin, and did all those things the System pointed out. The things kept on playing.

But…they did not feel very important. Or rather, while they did show that I had a tendency towards being selfish and arrogant, they did not tell me how I was not royal. A royal had to rule. I had made a good bunch of mistakes.

The lack of a constitution, the risking of my most capable lieutenants, and leaving those two there. But getting Qi was the logical answer, even if I went about it the wrong way. I was arrogant, but that arrogance had not reached a level where the seed would break.

And did seeds even break on things like this? I knew that if they did not match your identity, they would reject you, but I still considered myself royal. And helping the people. Perhaps I would eventually turn into a tyrant at the rate I was going, but even I doubted that.

The seed breaking…made no sense at all. I suddenly felt a fog clear from my mind. And my instincts started screaming danger at me.

I moved towards the broken tree, observing it. The cut was there, a bit too straight, but there. The seed was dead. And everything seemed to be just as the vines said it was. And the staff, why did the staff break? The thing made no sense! Ugh.

I wish the staff were here, maybe I could test it or…wait. I could summon the staff. And so I did, the staff did come. I picked up the two halves, trying to join them together. But as expected, the staff was too broken to be joined again. Switching on my spirit eye, the thing looked like a broken circuit.

The Qi inside was moving, but could not interact with the other side, except for one single thread that attached the two halves. The third seal, it was still around. Why was it still around, wasn’t the staff broken? What was going on?

Just like many things, it made no sense. But here, at least, I could just try to open the third seal and see what happened. And so I did, I sent my senses into the seal trying to pry it open. And…it worked?

The seal came apart like it was barely stuck. Had the staff breaking made it lose? I suppose that made sense, seals on things did not stick around when things broke. And there was only a single Qi thread maintaining it.

As soon as the seal was removed, a white smoke came out of the staff and transformed into a ghost of a tree. Or at least what looked like one. The ghost sniffed at me and then started walking to the cut of my Grand Tree.

“So, what’d you do to get it so bad, lassie? Disobey your King or something? I know it's been a while, but you know my policy. I ain’t interfering in Kingly matters. Not even for the person who rescued me.” he said. What Kingly matters? And who was this guy that seemed to think I knew him?

“I am sorry, I do not know you. As for the Grand Tree, it broke because I was too arrogant. Apparently that was too unroyal of me.” I answered.

“What? Are you some kind of bumpkin? How do you not my famous self? But no, you're sitting here with a Royal seed, you're clearly a princess or something. And since when was arrogance unroyal?”

“I ain’t met a single King that wasn’t arrogant. But that does explain why that bloody staff broke. The idiot programmed it to only respond to a humble ruler willing to sacrifice themselves for their people. Did you do something not in that bastard’s perception of Royalty?” the ghost asked.

Ok, what? I needed context. The ‘idiot’? And the staff was the one programmed?

“Could you perhaps tell me what is going on? I fear I have little context to base this on. Perhaps we can introduce ourselves first?” I suggested.

“Oh sure lassie. I get wanting to know someone as handsome as me. I am Vorrilius Mesturfer, Grand Master of Artifacy, Father of Artifacy, Founder of Artifacy, Grand Master of Blacksmithing, Father of Blacksmithing, Founder of Blacksmithing, Grand Master of Magica Crafting, Father of Magica Crafting, Founder of Magica Crafting, The Founder of the Crafting association, The Founder of the Blacksmithing Association…”

The ghost just went on and on for what was a very long list that just said ‘very good crafter and supposedly the first one.’ I had just met what real self-obsession looked like. How much could I bet that the guy had given all of these grand titles to himself? And did he think I liked a tree? A different species.

But I did have a little time to think things through. The staff was apparently programmed for a humble ruler. I could see that there had been signs. The staff had immediately bonded with me. And it got weak when I left the two Trees.

But really, what I did reeked of overconfidence more than arrogance. Oh, I might have considered myself better than everyone else in the Arch duchy, but that was kinda a requirement to be royal. What royal did not think themselves better.

As for Kerrin, well, fine, I made a mistake. I could have, should have, maybe cared for him a bit more. I was selfish. And a bit arrogant. I did use him, but that did not mean I did not give him appropriate compensation.

After all, what nation did not use its people. The farmers were used for food, the soldiers for war. A nation ran on the people on the top using everyone. The morally right thing was to provide ample compensation to them and make sure that they were happy. I did try to do that.

And Kerrin seemed happy. So did Xerte. I was overconfident and maybe a tiny bit arrogant, not a bad ruler. The tree breaking made even less sense. The [Royalty] trait, I suppose, could have cracked because I lost the [Royal lightning] element. Actually, where was the other part of the Grand Tree? The bottom part remained, but the top did not.

“Oi! I know my titles are dazzling, lassie, but there’s no need to be rude.” the ghost said, interjecting my monologue.

“Oh yes, I am Archduchess Altura of the Arch duchy of Alvere. Now, could you tell me how you came to be in the staff?” I asked. I was having a little problem focusing on this guy now. But he could have answers. At least he knew things about the staff.

“Oh, that's a tale of great betrayal. A great many years ago, about fifty years after the bloody System came along, I rose to my great self. I was the best crafter in all of Norten-”

“I am sorry, Norten? I fear that I am unfamiliar with this name.” I interrupted.

“Norten, that's the world we live in. What bloody back lands did you come from lassie that you don’t even know the name of the world? Did you hit your head or something?”

“Anyways, you asked for the story. Well, I, being how good I was, provoked a lot of jealousy in my peers. So the fools conspired against me! And they were led by my own apprentice! The foolish lad challenged me in my very own great hall.”

“And cheated! I can’t prove it, but I know it! The lad could never have won without cheating. I was too good. The others though, wouldn’t have it. The old sods demanded that I give away my titles and ‘make way for the new generation’ and when I refused they killed me and stuck my spirit in this bloody staff so that my spirit could power it.”

“To empower a true ruler, they said. What ruler can really rule with humility, tell me? To make laws means that you consider yourself so much wiser than others that you can tell them what to do and what not to.”

“What bloody seed did you have? The humble royal? Cause I don’t see a different one falling to arrogance of all things. Not unless the fools managed to manipulate the System somehow.” he said.

I had to agree with mister ghost here. The entire thing seemed contrived somehow. But why? Why would the System manipulate me? And the Qi it gave, there was a heck lot of it, but not enough to get to Spirit Tree. Just short of it, in fact. Was there something that stopped the System at the Spirit Tree level?

Hmm, thinking back, the vines mentioned how the First Warrior wasn’t the only one that could take Qi. So the First Warrior could steal QI from the System, the System wouldn’t like that. And a Warrior Tree therefore could fight and win against the System. But that could also work for a Spirit Tree to a limited area. The System controlled things around Qi, but Spirit Qi wasn’t really Qi, was it?

In fact, I could see how the System influenced things. Just like a massive planetary version of a seed. The power granted from spirit sight. Now, say the System couldn’t interfere with a Spirit Tree. I did not have any proof, or even evidence. Just a hunch.

A Spirit Tree had a heck lot of importance in the world, so if there was any stage that could do it, it was that. And logic dictated that there be some kind of middle stage between manipulable and powerful enough to oppose the System. The Spirit Tree stage fit the criteria.

And I was well on my way there. Now if the System wanted to get rid of the defying First Warrior, it needed to either act itself, which might have not be possible, or get someone else to do it. But it had to ensure that the one that replaced the First Warrior was manipulable. And I would be that person.

Now, the vines, a part of the System, ghost lighted me into thinking I was arrogant and needed guidance. The subsequent nerfing, loss of Royalty seed and the staff would leave me convinced. And accepting whatever the vines told me next. A little more manipulation, and I would become the System’s puppet.

But then there was the fact that whatever the System was doing did not seem to be working here. Was there something else I was missing?

“Oi lassie! Come back, you got lost in your own head again! What is up with you? The System get into your head or something?” he asked.

“What do you mean the System got into my head?” I asked.

“Well, there were all kinds of rumors when the System came that the System could manipulate your thoughts and the only way to stop it was to get more powerful. Oh, and is there any reason you’re growing a [Receptive ruler] seed? I dunno, it seems like a bad idea to me.” the ghost said. “I always think the common people are stupid and shouldn’t be listened to.”

Well, wasn’t that coincidental. And how was this ghost looking at things I had no idea how to? I suppose a part of it was that the guy seemed very experienced, and his titles did say he was some kind of artificer. A magical artificer. I had yet to actually find a way to make magical items, but this guy had figured it out.

“How do you see things like that? I can’t even see where the rest of my Grand Tree is.” I asked, trying to get the guy to open up. Ok, fine, I was back to manipulating people. But what the heck, I could ask for some info from the conveniently placed grandpa in my staff.

“Oh, you are a wise ruler to seek my counsel! The trick is layers. The spirit sight only shows a top layer. The spirit sight often only grants the top layer, say how you see water. But water itself has layers too. So does the spirit. I know it might take a while to imagine it-” the ghost continued, but I already knew what he was talking about. A fluid had flow lines and flow tubes. I knew that. And since the spirit was a fluid…it had them too.

The spirit eye changed, accounting for all the tiny flow tubes and flow lines. And I could see a whole lot more, and work with more precision.

“I have it. So, can you tell me how I can change what the seed is growing into? Can I change that?” I asked.

“Oh, sure. The things were quite common among the circles around the System tree back in the day. Though I suppose you wouldn’t have heard of them in your little back lands.” the ghost replied.

Ugh, I know the Land of Six Jewels isn’t exactly prime real estate, but I have some good information sources, you know? I wouldn’t miss something as important as that. But there was the chance that such things were being taken by the First Warrior. After all, a seed like this that could grow into anything would be really helpful in making armies.

“So, how do I do it?” I asked.

“Well, there are two ways. The first is to use the seed to replicate another. But not one you’ve had already, so the Royalty seed won’t work. Or let it grow into something suitable according to your personality. “ The ghost replied. Ok, I had the Energy seed I could duplicate. But did I want Energy? No, especially not when the second option was open.

“How do I make it grow according to my personality?” I asked.

“Just do something that is significant to you. Do a thing you like doing.The seed will change based on what you are thinking and feeling at the time. And the things you do” he said. Well, I wanted to make some administrative decisions, but that was rather hard to do from in here. But if all that was needed, I had a crafter, spare materials from the staff and quite a bit of spirit.

“Tell me, sir, what would it take for you to make me a scepter. The kind suited for an Archduchess?” I asked, smiling.

“Going right back to the royal thing, are we? Well, I used to charge a mountain of gold, but say you let me go from this spirit space afterwards eh?” he asked.

Oh, he couldn’t leave? Well, I had no problem letting him go.

“I agree.” I answered.

The ghost got up and walked towards a corner of the spirit space. I observed what he was doing with my new and improved spirit sight. The flow lines were a bit too near there…hmm, wait. The flow lines left a blank space…no! The ghost pulled it apart to reveal the rest of the Grand Tree. And the very straight cut it had.

“Are you sure that it cracked, lassie? Cause that's not a cracked tree, I should know. I am one. A cut one? Now that is more probable.” the ghost said.

“Yes, that is more probable.” I said, with venom in my voice.

The ghost simply walked to the pieces of the staff and floated them up. And then pushed them down. Up. Down. Up Down. And the things changed. As if a whirlpool had formed where the ghost was, a massive amount of spirit began coming into the spirit space.

A tenth of it went to the staff, but the rest went right into the ghost. The gas-like form slowly solidified as the staff pieces merged with the Grand Tree piece. The guy had used me to get himself powerful again. Now, letting the ghost continue was a risk, but it was one I would take.

Because I had come to realize something. I had looked down on the ghost as an old grandpa that knew nothing of the present, and he had looked down on me as a country bumpkin. The ghost wouldn’t trouble me, I was beneath him.

And so it happened. A scepter was slowly born before my eyes. A straight rod of wood, topped by a purple jewel that had a rather peculiar emblem on it. The thing reminded me of the UN emblem, except the world was a snowflake and the olive branches were breaths of fire.

The rod itself had two dragons entwined on it, their mouths emerging inside the jewel, as if they were spewing hate fire. I was reminded of my elements, Dragon fire and Snowflake Ice. A reminder? But I had better things to do. System, show notifications.

The legendary grade item: [The Archduchess’ Scepter] has been forged.

The Scepter was forged from the broken staff of royalty, a royalty Grand Tree and an unreasonable amount of spirit stolen from the system. The Scepter may be wielded only by Archduchess Altura Selrin whose Grand Tree it was made from.

The Scepter grants the following bonuses: [Archducal lightning], A colossal class Qi boost.

The forger of the Scepter has used forbidden methods to forge a weapon that stands in defiance of the ways of the System. The consequences of such an action are still unknown.

Error! The forger is no longer within detection parameters.

As a witness and benefactor of the process, Archduchess Altura Selrin gains 10 million Qi.

Seed gained! [Archduchess]

Class is unchanged.

Trait gained: [ Archducal]

Requirements:

Archducal Seed

Archducal Element

Landed Nobility

Royalty trait skills have been transformed to Archducal skills.

Qi gained!

Total Qi

Mid-Grand Tree [161, 357,896/39,321,600]

Begin Trial?

Oh, sweet sweet System. I am sorry for blaming you, the vines must be lying, how could they be a part of you. After all, didn’t you just give me about 3 million Qi more than was needed to reach the Spirit Tree stage?

Wait for me, double breakthrough, I am coming. And also, thank you for that seed. I will take that title drop, because I get the feeling it means absolutely nothing. Tell me, are there two minds in you or something?

SCENE CHANGE

System sub-sub routine vines, under System subroutine Bug removal, an autonomous routine.

[The Subject, classification Altura, remains outside of observation parameters. Requesting permission from Subroutine Bug removal to halt breakthrough process.The Sub-subroutine vines has observed the roll through to have unfavorable results.]

[The request is denied. The Main routine has complete control over breakthrough processes.]

[The Sub-subroutine vines request permission to withdraw Qi from the Subject. The sub-sub routine considers such an action possible.]

[The request has been automatically denied by the Main routine. The Main routine shall not allow any interference during breakthrough process.]

[The sub-sub routine considers the anomalous nature of the breakthrough highly dangerous with possibility of Subject breaking confinement. The Subject has shown extraordinary intelligence and reluctance in accepting instructions.]

[The Subroutine Bug removal approves Sub-subroutine vines assessment. The Main routine has denied all access to breakthrough processes. The denial has been denoted bug #0007 classification priority high. The Subroutine cannot interfere with Qi allocation, alternate avenues of interference are non-existent. Bug #0007 deemed unresolved]

[The Sub-subroutine wishes to conduct an extended scan and manipulation on the Subject to ensure obedience.]

[The Sub-subroutine vines is granted permission to conduct a Grade 3 manipulation on the Subject. The Subject’s obedience to System commands is vital to the resolution of bugs #0001, #0003 and #0006 and reaffirmation of System control.

The Sub-subroutine is also ordered to insert commands against Surprise, classification Grand Elder Artica. Surprise has shown rejection of all System overtures and attempts at manipulation. The Subroutine bug removal deems the success of an- Error-anomalous breakthrough detected. Sub-subroutine vines, report condition of subject]

[The Subject shows signs of anomalous breakthrough to Spirit Tree stage. The Subject shows unusual concentration of spirit. Error! Subject has broken through to Spirit Tree stage! Error! The Subject has gained anomalous immunity to manipulation and observation. Requesting aid from Subroutine Bug removal! Requesting immediate aid!]