Chapter 85

Ajimal the Great

Divine Providence

The storms of fate had begun to die. The power that Ajimal’s one true god had provided as a test to others was now gone. Ajimal stood, eyes glowing brightly as the last vestiges of energy from the last dark pillar slowly filled his body with its power. As the power began to pull into his body, he felt the call and command of his god. Now more powerful than ever the call of his god told him to conquer the land, to bind the world under one banner. The banner of his army, and his one true god.

Number of Corrupted Pylons Accessed for Power: 40 of 49.

That wasn’t the only message he received, as he received one more message that was more concerning than the fact that he wasn’t the only person who had used the pylons for power.

Number of Corrupted Pylons left: 0 of 49.

Ajimal couldn’t understand what happened to the pylons. By all accounts there should have been nine left. The numbers even seemed to claim as much. Had someone destroyed the pillars? If so how?

The whole process made no sense. Ajimal did the math in his head, his mind now alight with the ability to process and experience the world in a whole new way. By all accounts he himself had seven of the sacred pillars bestow their power to him. Then he had gifted one to each of his generals, and his beloved sister. That should only have been thirteen pillars. That meant a total of thirty-seven other pillars had been accessed for power.

A chill ran down his spine as he thought of an enemy with thirty-seven blessings of power. As it was Ajimal could barely control the power coursing through his own body. Fortunately for him, when he made his transition to the third echelon he had been offered [Energy Infused Body]. At the time, he had been suffering from his body being ripped apart by the rampant surges and swells of energy flowing through him from the different pillars he had consumed. The [Energy Infused Body] made it so he could survive with his newfound power. This improved body also made the amassing of power even easier. Only now that Ajimal stood at the precipice of the fifth echelon did his body start to tingle again. Though this time the power coursing in his body was nearly immeasurable, compared to when he was just breaking into the third echelon. He had grown a lot since that point. Since he also knew the criteria for passing into the echelons, he also pushed his mind, body, and soul forward. Focusing not just on improving his attributes, but also improving the skills and abilities he had been tasked with by his god to improve. Most skills were lower tier, basic level skills but he focused on them and pushed through them easily.

The more skills he got, the more he refused to improve upon them. This was a short-term reach for power. The idea was that once he got his skills and abilities to the correct number, he would be able to go back and work on improving the skills he already had.

Sixteen different Tier 5 skills. Or skills that had been broken off from the base five different times. This meant that Ajimal had sixteen skills that were completed. He like so many others had spent the first few years of his life trying to improve his two initial skills to the highest level possible. This lapse in judgment and lack of understanding on his part caused him so much trouble recently. But that was no longer an issue. Now after realizing what was going to be required of him to advance, he would easily advance. To the fifth echelon

Eight different Tier 5 Abilities. These were abilities that had been refined and focused on. Many were just quick improvements on the base powers he had received. Here he didn’t improve his base power, for his base power was already powerful enough. It was the ability to control and summon forth lightning, the power that proved he was a direct descendant from the great shaman of the past.

For two months Ajimal had stopped his relentless advance on the mainland. His forces had already conquered Tython proper, only a few fringe villages stood any real chance of surviving the main might of his forces. But he had his troops hold fast at this last pillar. The purpose for the wait was simple, Ajimal needed to train up. He needed to get enough junk skills and weak power abilities to have it so his body could instantly transcend to the fifth echelon once he withdrew the power from the final pillar.

Now that he had the power coursing through his body, he let his mind ease away from the concerns of his army. The need to expand, to conquer. Instead, he would focus on what would be next. He focused on the fact that with this last pillar not one, but two of his attributes had increased to the fifty-point threshold.

Blessing Bestowed: Fifth Echelon

Fifth Echelon: You have managed to push your mind, body, and soul beyond the normal limits of human capability. You have reached the fifth echelon of transcendence. Requirements: Minimum of two Attributes to fifty (2 of 2). Minimum of sixteen Skills evolved to the fifth skill tier (16 of 16). Minimum of eight Abilities evolved to the fifth evolution (8 of 8). This is an evolutionary echelon, as such you can pick options that will change not only yourself but will be carried down to your future progeny.

Reward Options: [Lightning Elemental Mastery*], [Air Elemental Mastery], [Untethered Flight], or [Mind of the Psionic]

Note: Traces of [Lightning Elemental Mastery] are already identified within host. Next stage of adaptation is now available.

Seeing the options before him, a sigh released from Ajimal’s lips. He had been offered he [Lightning Elemental Mastery*] as part of his third echelon breakthrough but knew his body would not be able to survive as it was. Seeing the same option again this time around filled his heart with a calming effect. The note also let him know the sacred texts of his great great grandfather were correct. That he had managed to meld his body with Lightning. This also explained how each child had been born with at least some affinity for lightning.

With the options before him, there was only one true choice to make. With a happy sigh of contentment, he chose.

Are you sure you wish to choose [Lightning Elemental Mastery*]?

Warning: Choosing this evolutionary path will close off other possible paths for both you and your progeny. Do you wish to continue [Yes] or [No]?

Without even wasting a second on indecision he chose [Yes].

As soon as the choice was made storm clouds appeared overhead. Distant sounds of thunder could be heard. The sky grew dark. Horses cried out. People took off for shelter immediately as an oppressively cold wind tore through the camp that had been set up around the final pillar.

Thunderclap.

Lightning roared down from the heavens striking at Ajimal. From a distance Ajimal had somehow angered the gods, that he was now finally receiving his divine punishment for a life of decadence and conquest.

Many in the camps also felt that this might be an omen, a sign that one man had dared to grow too powerful. That he intended to eclipse the power of the very gods he claimed to worship. They would be wrong of course.

For an hour lightning bolt after lightning bolt flew down from the heavens, some lighting up the sky for kilometers in all directions as they raced to find their final resting spot. They raced to finally rest within Ajimal.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The ground shook and quaked. Horses had in a panic broken free and ran for safety in the countryside. No one dared leave the area they had gone to for safety as no one wanted to be a standing object in this torrent of lightning.

With each strike of lightning only one figure remained. Ajimal the Great, standing like a lightning rod for heaven’s wrath. Each bolt of lightning caused his body to illuminate like a beacon. Each strike caused his skin to glow a little bit brighter.

Finally, after a long time, the number of lightning bolts flashing each moment died down. Then finally a light coating of rain fell, as if to put out any fires that might have resulted from the torrents of lightning. Then the sky cleared up to reveal a nighttime sky.

The moment was soon to take on a name. This name and moment would soon come as a turning point in the war. This would be a rallying cry for Ajimal and his forces. For he stood, proud and

The Judgment of Ajimal. The time when the gods judged Ajimal and found him acceptable. That was but one of two options, the second option was that he had somehow transcended beyond the ability for the gods to truly judge and punish. Either option seemed fitting. Either option seemed to fit what everyone had just witnessed.

By all accounts they had witnessed something that had never been seen since before the fall. An event that would forever mark the history. At this moment Ajimal had even surpassed his great great grandfather, a legend in his own right. The man who claimed to have gone to heaven and stolen the ability to use and wield lightning. That man had only gained the first evolution that is available to everyone at the third echelon. Ajimal had not only met but surpassed his great great grandfather’s legacy, surging all the way to the fifth echelon.

The last time a person managed to achieve such a feat, they were able to make the final progress and ascend as a god. Of course, they did this before they broke the world and caused the world to shatter.

Still Ajimal had a lot to do. With this step complete, he looked forward to the horizon. His eyes now glowing with the golden yellow of lightning as he began to view the world in a vastly different light. Now he was so far above everyone that he began to feel a bit of how the gods must feel. The soldiers and sycophants that tended to him were little more than ants to his great power. They were needed ants, but ants all the same.

Right now, Ajimal could see the shape of the world unfolding around him. With his elemental body, and his now double lightning affinity he would be the most powerful person in existence. His children would be set up to be rulers for generations to come. By the time the next wave of calamity ended he could have his family be the only true power in the world. There were of course a few things he would need to take care of in the immediate future. The first would of course be to kill his grandfather and find the final resting place of his great great grandfather, but that was a future goal. For now, he had other matters of concern. The first and foremost was what to do with his army.

Ajimal realized that while his forces were more than capable of holding the lands they currently held, he would need to conscript from the locals if he wanted to be able to unite the continent under his banner. He also knew that others had dared to take power from the sacred pillars. Power that should have rightly gone to him and his subordinates. With these revelations Ajimal made plans within plans.

“Jolin!” Ajimal’s voice like thunder roared out, echoing over the plains with a crackling sound of power.

For a moment the whole camp that had been trying to piece itself together paused and as one turned to stare at Ajimal. Ajimal for his part looked shocked by the way his body and voice had changed. He now felt that he was truly the living embodiment of lightning. Just as he was going down thoughts related to this new aspect of his being, Jolin his head spy master approached.

“Yes master!” Jolin said, appearing before him before pressing her face to the ground.

Seeing this newfound reverence in Jolin made Ajimal question the purpose, but only for a moment. He had more important things to do than to try to understand his subordinate.

“Jolin. Use your network of informants and find the others who have gained power from the dark pillars. Find them and track their whereabouts. I will need to strike them down if they do not yield to my forces.” Ajimal said, letting his true thoughts be known for why these others would need to be tracked.

“It will be done.” Jolin said, her body shivering slightly.

Looking at the woman, it was clear that his voice still had a new quality that was altogether disconcerting for anyone who heard him speak. This was something he knew he would have to work on. Also looking at the woman, it seemed that she would be incapable of rising on her own. As a result, Ajimal turned to the right, so that he could only see the woman out of his peripheral vision.

With the full weight and might of his dominating presence gone Jolin felt a weight lift off her and slowly raised her head from the ground to see her master turned to other matters of concern. With the moment she got up and quickly fled from his presence, intent on personally following through with his order. This was the first order of the Ajimal the Great since his transformation, and it would not look well for her to be seen as lacking in her task.

With his first order given, Ajimal’s eyes grew yellow with lightning as he stared into the night sky and prepared for his next steps to take.