Chapter 36: It Gets Worse

Trint recounted most of his adventure. Jung interrupted several times to clarify and scold Trint for going into a level 102 instance. He had already figured it out since Trint’s level had jumped to 94. Trint left out the details around the cause of the explosion but said he witnessed it and was close by.

“There is a chance people will track me down,” Trint said. “Even if they only want to learn more about my involvement or me being seen running from the scene. Whatever the reason, if the wrong people come looking, it could mean trouble for everyone here. Potentially those looking for me will come. I can’t risk that. Jung do you have any ideas on what I should do? Also, I need to assign my stats from the instance.”

“Trint, your ability to surprise has no end, but this was careless,” Jung stated. “You should have been more evasive and tried not to run directly back here. But that is in the past. It would help if you allocated your stats, but it will likely put you out of commission for a while. During that time, I will send my people to investigate the potential leads directed back our way. I’ll also develop a plan to keep us all safe. I have a home in another capital. We could always go there. For now, go to the training room, lay down, and assign the stats. It could be messy and painful. I’ll have a plan when you are done.”

“Ok, if you think that’s the best plan,” Trint was pessimistic about what could happen. “I trust your judgment, but I don’t think we have much time if we are being cautious.”

Trint went to the sand-covered center of the training area. As he lay down on his back, looking at the sky, he hoped that the billowing Spirit cloud off in the distance wouldn’t be a smoke signal pointing everyone to him.

Without further delay or thought, Trint confirmed the preplanned allocation for his free stats and braced for whatever happened next. He didn’t brace hard enough. Typically it would take someone in i8 50-100 years to go from level 40 to 100. Trint had done that in less than a day. The growing pains were ridiculous. The changes were qualitative, not quantitative. There were no significant changes in appearance. His frame slightly filled out, making him look even more athletic, and his facial features became somewhat more attractive. These were all micro-adjustments. But in another dimension, he was experiencing massive changes. A person in i8 typically prepares their Body and Mind to enter the Spirit realm; by getting their stats and level up to the minimum required level. That made the transition easier and increased the chance to unlock their potential for the Spirit Realms of i7-i5.

Trint already had great Spirit, and now his body was somehow catching up, but the impact rippled into his Spirit. Trint’s spirit circuitry lit up like a lightbulb filament getting too much electricity. The levels not only imparted a boost to pools, but as a person approached level 101, there was a chance they would access and unlock their Spirit Stats. Most never even did this, but the very few who did this in the Spirit realms were the rising stars of their generation.

Trint knew something was changing. His whole body was rigid and shaking. He was uncontrollably locked as pain surged through him. The sight in the training ground was a man having a seizure; the spiritual view was like a man tossed into an electrified pool. He was feeling it, and there was no numbing the pain. Trint’s ability to process the situation was slipping as he felt his consciousness fading. Even his spiritual view was narrowing, the blackness starting to close as his view of his body blurred. Then he was unable to stop it and embraced the void.

Waking up, Trint wanted to examine his surroundings, but he was too shocked by the system screen in his view.

System Message: Congratulations! You have unlocked your Spirit stats.

Sovereign Privilege Acknowledged: Stat Evolution Confirmed

Stat Evolution Complete: The following are your new stat categories for Sovereign Spirit

Allocate your unspent stat points

“What?” Trint was confused and, now reading this, was unsure what to think. Things had been to his advantage since becoming a Sovereign, but why wasn’t there a guide for this. “What are my categories for Spirit?”

Evolved Spirit Stats:

Reign: Reign is the stat that determines your power and influence with Spirit

Increases in Reign will impact the integrity of your Spirit manifest in the physical world.

Kingdom: Kingdom is the range of influence and your connection to the world of Spirit

Increases in Kingdom will impact the distance you can control Spirit and Spiritual creatures in the spirit plane.

Court: Court is your influence on your own Spirit, your Spirit plane, and the world around you.

Increases in Court will impact your most internal systems of Spirit and allow greater influence in strengthening your cultivation.

There was an attached system message that followed the Spirit stat information.

Sovereign Stat Evolution and Class Hierarchy Synergy found:

Unlocking additional Subclass Governor:

Unlocked Class: Creator,

Unlocked Subclasses: Keeper and Governor

Governor class functions as a leadership class. Providing benefits and boons to followers.

Governor subclass for Sovereign: Leadership benefits are evolved to ruler benefits.

Ruler Boons/Benefits

-Child of the Gods Boon:

-Committed followers or subservient Summons will be offered a system contract to protect their Sovereign and be protected by them. Successfully bound contracts will impart the Child of the Gods Boon.

-All contracted will be considered direct lineage descendants of the Sovereign and receive system privileges as long as the contract is valid. Privileges can be restricted or rescinded by Sovereign Governor at will. Benefits may not exceed a 25% increase in Spirit Stats and are determined by favor with the Sovereign.

-Follow and Be Favored:

-Temporary Boon for an allied party in instances or battles. Any allied party will receive a 10% boost to Spirit stats for one day. Boon may be refreshed after a 40-hour cooldown.

“So Spirit stats….” Trint whispered. He dismissed the rest of the messages. To see what damage his thrashing might have caused. His body was in some pain, which didn’t surprise him.

“What was that? I think he’s finally rejoined us!” Trint was immediately on edge. The voice was condescending and unfamiliar. There was an entitled thread in their tone.

Trint’s vision cleared, and he saw he was now in the main banquet area where Jung would host larger gatherings. He was bound with something, holding his hands in front of him, and those bindings were lashed down to his bound feet. He flexed his body in an attempt to break them. Despite his incredible stats, this was some system devised way to control the powerful. He felt weak in his inability to break them. He quickly tested if he could summon his Spirit form by extending a sliver of spirit to elongate his fingernail. The black nail extended and pierced the center of his palm. With blood now dripping from his clenched fist, he decided to wait and assess the situation before an actual attempt to break free.

“I see you found you are not going anywhere,” the man confidently enjoying his power over Trint. “Before you start yelling and telling me to let you go, know that I cannot. If I were even to give you a chance to flee or save your friends, the ones that are left, I would be killed myself.”

Trint’s heart raced, but his adaptability had risen with the stat increase. He knew that he needed to be calm, assess, and adapt.

“Oh, I can read your mind,” Exclaimed the captor. “Yes, both of your hosts resisted and tried to protect you. They are no longer with us. They will be Restarting in…oh, who cares. They are dead for now. We will be ascending soon. I know, I know you can’t. You are under level for i7, let alone another iteration. Don’t worry; we have a few ways to work around that. One way is for family. Did you know your adoptive family could have summoned you to their iteration?”

“

So tell me, why would they risk your getting captured or killed? Do you know? Of course, you don’t. Anyway, I should introduce myself; my name is Constant.

“It used to be Constance, but I changed it a little. I am always right and perfect in my endeavors in the system; it seemed more appropriate. Don’t you think? Oh, and I am from an illustrious and powerful kingdom. The kingdom of the Tri-Domus Dynasty. I am but a Peasant, but I am still your distant relation.”

“Alas, I am not here to take you to your father. No, I have found a new master. One who is more generous than our family has ever been to me. Our family relationship allows me to take you to an Ancient Realm. This is going to be quite fun. We will be taking this young lady with us to ensure your cooperation. So if you would be so kind, please release your hold over me and allow me to use my hand again. Or else I will need to persuade you by hurting your friend.”

Trint didn’t say a word but was considering his options. His silence was not incredibly well received.

“Ok, now it is your turn to say, yes, Constant, I will play nice and go willingly, so no one else gets hurt,” Constant mimicked.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Trint gritted through his teeth. He didn’t hate many people in his life. But he hated this self-righteous brat. Jung and Befiny had been the kindest people he’d met since the system integration. ‘How could they be dead now?’ He thought to himself. He still had hope of getting out of this alive. But now they knew what he looked like and where he was. How would he ever finish the climb to his real family? So many thoughts ran through his head, but a part of him still felt he had the option to fight and probably escape.

“That’s enough; I’m ready to go.” A new voice behind Trint said. “You shouldn’t talk so much. You are a delivery boy, not the one in charge. Now shut up, and let’s move. We aren’t the only ones looking for this one.”

“My apologies, I am only excited at our lucky find,” Constant said. “Secretary, you are more than welcome to lead the way. I am, as you said, only here to assist in the familial ascension. Please ask this heir to release me.”

“Yes, thank you for the apology, even if you don’t mean it,” Elise mirrored the expression of disgust that Constant now had. “You know that if he lives and is ransomed, he knows your name now. What if his father, who you don’t know exactly who he is, decides it is worth his time to find you for this family betrayal. You said yourself that they are the prime power in the Ancient Realms and beyond. You are a fool. Oh well. Team, get the woman and Trint ready for transport. We will leave in 10 minutes. And no, I won’t force him to release you. It is humorous but also proof of his lineage. It stays for now.”

“Secretary!” An armored woman entered the room—sweat on her brow and a look of frustration. “Several groups are approaching this compound, and we have reports of the city being swarmed with new arrivals. We likely are only the first to track this one down. I suggest we move out now and take a detour.”

“Right,” Elise sighed with exasperation. “Just our luck. We get lucky and now have to deal with the rest of the prospectors. Alright, everyone, we are moving now! Our scouts reported a forested area several miles west, parallel to the city. We will regroup there. Alert our forces in the city; we already sent the assassin back there. Make sure they are kept updated. We don’t want the same done to us. We will have to get distractions and escape routes set up. Send communications out now, and we will use the forest to give us a better chance at extraction. I won’t give this one up even if the wrong group catches us. We need to get him out of i7.”

‘I just need to wait for one chance and make sure I have a plan for Iliana.’ Trint planned. ‘I can always unsummon her. I hate doing that without talking to her.’

‘Trint, your system messages are blocked. I already tried Jung and Iliana. Neither worked, so they either lied, and Iliana’s dead too, or your restraints are blocking your communications.

“Time to go. Get him up,” one guard directed another four. Trint was picked up like a casket. Escorted and held aloft facing the sky. He felt like a pig on its way to the banquet to be cooked and eaten.

‘They don’t eat people, right?’ Trint randomly wondered.

‘No, Trint, I haven’t heard of that practice in the Ancient Realms,’ Pneuma assured. ‘There is no Exp to be gained by eating others. Maybe we shouldn’t have skimped on your wisdom stats. But right now, you need to focus, or we won’t get out of this.’