Chapter 23: Stocks and Bonds

‘System, display my total allowable bonds or any information about Creator Subclass, Keeper.’ Trint tried requesting.

System Error: Class Requirements Not Met

Error Detail: Keepers are a subclass of Summoner. The Summoner class is not present.

Sovereign Status Acknowledged: Creator/Keeper Subclass Confirmed

Subclasses for Sovereign follow unique rules.

Many advantages of standard subclass apply to Sovereign with additional benefits depending upon primary class or other subclasses a Sovereign has.

Primary Class: Creator, Subclass: Keeper - System information requested:

Information Available: Sovereign Level Privileges Active

Current Creator Class with Hierarchy of 3 subclasses available: Unique 1 of 1

Creator - Manipulate Physical matter, either adding or subtracting from given mass, shaping and controlling as mana reserves allow.

Creator (Sovereign Class) - Manipulate any State of matter or energy: Body, Mind, Spirit, or Soul, either adding or subtracting from the given source and controlling it as (XXXXXXX) reserves and access allow.

Keeper Class - A summoned bond(s) allowed to remain active with additional cost to the caster. Maximum Summoning Power limits the number of bonds able to contract and summon.

Keeper (Sovereign Class) - Summons of Bonds remain active until removed. You are limited only by (ERROR) reserves and (ERROR) access.

Current Summoning Power is calculated as 122 summons.

Creator Primary Class impact on Keeper Subclass: Limited information available

Sovereign-Keeper status allows for permanent freedom from Subsystem to iteration equivalent to creature level. Freed Summons will still be subject to being summoned for a term agreed on by both parties. Additionally, Freed Summons will be required to change current species and be recreated in the species of their Sovereign. Both parties must agree to the recreation and term of service, or Summons will be standard Keeper-Summons contracts.

System recommendation:

Creators are often uniquely inventive in the use of their power. Keepers grow attached to or dependent on their Summoned Bonds for combat and companionship. Both excel when pushed to use their power in unexpected ways. As a Sovereign, many limitations are removed from you. Utilize that power and responsibility to rule well.

“Wow, is that a lot?” Trint said aloud, “First, I get bits and pieces and now pages of info. Still, that leaves me with so many questions. I suppose I should be grateful, right?”

“Hey, check this out,” Trint said, now reverting to speaking again after so long of only conversing in his head with Pneuma. Trint displayed the system messages to Pneuma.

‘This is very helpful,’ Pneuma thought to Trint. ‘Yes, this helps and also complicates some things. Regarding the bonds, I think you are fine to accept the one. But as a Sovereign-Keeper, it seems they will not stay with you when unsummoned but be sent to the iteration of equivalent level. And also be able to be summoned by you for a set length of the contract. You need to find out what level equivalent 43-12 is, and be sure to get them to agree to a nondisclosure system agreement before you accept them. Ask for a 10-year contract.”

‘You will be able to summon them whenever you want, but they will also gain the advantage of being in the System,’ Pneuma explained.‘I’m not sure that has ever happened before.No one I know of has been able to learn what you just did about a Subsystem. Many wouldn’t want that sort of knowledge. It could be very dangerous. You should discuss a contract and explain the difference between a Summoned Contract and the Freed Summons. This should be an informed decision, and they will have to agree if it’s system-enforced.’

“I’ll be right back,” Trint said, and then he was back in the Spirit Scape looming over the tiny bosses.

Trint explained what he learned from the system messages. Sn5C43-12 explained in its name the five stood for their subsystem iteration equivalent. 43-12 believed she would be the equivalent of about level 400 as that was the highest combatant they had faced in an instance. That was its best guess. After some more discussion, Sn5C43-12 agreed to a 100-year contract. Trint asked for ten but decided that 43-12’s freedom from the subsystem was worth more than ten years, and Trint was not required to summon it any more than necessary, but having the option could be mutually beneficial.

‘There seems to be no way to know the system costs for contracting this new bond.’ Pneuma reminded Trint. ‘The error text specifically blocked the resources and amount for each bond. There is no way to know if you can do this till you try.’

“Right,” Trint started. “43-12, when you are ready, let’s attempt the bond.”

“Yes, I am ready,” They responded. “Whatever the changes may be for me, I am ready.”

Trint had yet to attempt a summon as a Keeper and barely scratched the surface of what a Creator could do as a Sovereign. Trying something new would have been daunting, except as he thought about what he wanted and willed it to happen, he felt like he remembered what to do. It felt like a childhood memory he was recalling. Like sledding down a snow-covered hill. He simply had to hop on and enjoy the ride.

Trint’s will and newfound memories of what to do started the process. Trint felt a pulling sensation. A pull from his core around his heart.The additional appendages that formed his latest battle form retracted and liquified. As they did, they lit up in a golden glow. The glow was intermixed like a thick liquid with black dots that absorbed the surrounding light. But many more deep blue flecks crackled and discharged small arcs of lightning between each other. They were the color of the black and blue wind from his adoption and pairing with Pneuma.

The thickened golden glowing liquid started forming into spheres the size of about two inches in diameter. Soon there were over one hundred of them. Each was a little different. They appeared like little balls. The flecks of black void surrounded the glowing orbs, then the blue lighting ended the little voids, and if examined closely as Trint was able to, they appeared like voids in space containing tiny galaxies rotating within the floating spheres. Trint was lifted off his feet by the invisible forces guiding this display. Trint was 15 feet above the ground in the epicenter of another storm. He was still in his Alpha form, with his tail minus the extra limbs.

After 30 seconds, they all formed and settled in positions Trint recognized as a mirror of his Spiritual cage. The spheres left those fixed positions and started spinning and rotating around Trint in different directions in a beautifully ordered chaos. Complex patterns of spinning circles, none was hitting the other. The spinning increased, and as Trint suspended off his feet, the patterns of spinning orbs of varying distances from him created a depth to the chaos. With Trint in the center, they extended below him and all-around from a few feet out to 20 feet away from him.

The spheres vaporized the stone for about a five-foot depth at that height. Their spinning increased till the orbiting spheres were nearly invisible. They were producing wind but were otherwise silent after carving out the stone below finer than dust as if there had always been a smooth bowl in the ground. With immeasurable suddenness, they stopped in what Trint guessed was the center of each hexagon in his spirit cage.

One of the many spheres now glowing bright moved away from its position right in front of Trint and, without any additional effort or thought on Trint’s part, drew towards 43-12. They were now standing 40 yards away as they had backed away in awe, watching the display. It was both a powerful and new sight to them. From the view of 43-12, the sphere was blindingly bright, and with its sudden stop and the approaching glowing orb, they were also frozen in fear. It stopped a mere 2 feet from them at chest height. They instinctively realized this was the final step and must again agree to the terms discussed. This was the binding and catalyst for change.

Without delay, they accepted, and the sphere continued steadily approaching 43-12. Like a hot ball of lead, the globe pushed forward and burned through their spirit in the middle of their chest. It did not hurt but rapidly expanded from its core. The pain and wash of energy radiated throughout their entire being. As this spread, there was a light that at first glowed through their skin, till a bright glow was shining out under their skin. Then that glow turned to bright light.

Trint and Pneuma, through Trint’s vision, watched but soon couldn’t see through the light. They both could sense through their Spirit the changes going on, and soon, a system message appeared to Trint.

Sovereign has granted Freedom to Sn5C43-12.

Permanent Transfer from the Subsystem to the Iteration System

Mind, Spirit & Soul will remain with minimal alterations.

Sn5C43-12 will no longer retain their Body.

The Body now reflects the species: Human.

Language Addition: System spoken and written language

Identifier Change from Sn5C43-12 to Iliana

Retains Sex: Female.

Her level remains at 387 but is capped to Sovereign’s level while summoned.

Iliana will be sent to the highest iteration qualified to enter when unsummoned.

Current Unsummoning will transfer Iliana to i5.

All Exp while Summoned will go towards Bondholder

Summon Cooldown upon Unsummoning is one week at this time.

Iliana received the same information from the System that Trint did, but hers had much more detail and some choices to make. It included the options to transfer Professions or start a new one. Several other choices had timers of 40 days to choose. The countdown had already begun, but only a few moments had passed on the timer.

After a brief overview to confirm none of the choices had to be made now, Iliana turned her attention to the two around her. She looked from Trint to Sn5C43-87. Previously her connection to Sn5C43-87 was that of clan familiarity and loyalty. That was muted and felt unimportant compared to the overwhelming desire to serve Trint.

She knew she had free will and wasn’t a puppet, but she was now predisposed to the desire to act upon his orders or requests. She bowed her head to Trint and then turned her attention to Sn5C43-87. She attempted to connect with her telepathy. The connection was still there, and they began discussing the changes. Trint and Pneuma took that time to discuss the messages Trint received. After about 10 minutes, Trint waited, but it was much a longer telepathic and Spirit communication between Sn5C43-87 and Iliana. When they were finished, they both turned toward Trint.

“We wish to thank you,” Iliana began. “43-87, and I never imagined an end to the life we had before. So we never wished for this. 43-87 wishes to return and tell our clan and the Sect of you. Will you allow him to do that? He promises to bind them to secrecy before revealing anything about you. We wish only to tell them of the reality of your appearance. He will generally spread the word, not using your name or description. Others from the sect will be willing to serve you. But among the Subsystem, most do not follow the Sovereign sect. Many see us as foolish for believing in something never before seen. And not all are aware enough to communicate. Don’t expect to be able to discuss bonding with others from the Subsystem politely. I assume you have the power to demand they be your summons, but not many will choose this.”

“I will allow Sn5C43-87 to share with your clan and sect the news of a Sovereign in the System and the possibility of transcending to the System,” Trint said. “I can’t promise to free anyone else, but I will do my best to help those I can. I will especially help you during our time together. I promise never to abuse my role as your Summoner. I look forward to learning about the Subsystem and progressing together in the iterations. Do you want time to say goodbye to 43-87? Take what time you need. Pneuma and I have decided to leave this instance after we decide how you can work with us. We have some planning after you say goodbye to 43-87.”