The Fourth Gate: Chapter Twenty-Three

Despite the promised meeting for rewards, it actually took the better part of three hours for me to receive them. Orykson, the Craftsman, the Dreamer, and the Amethyst Mask all left to go attend to various projects that they were working on, while Meadow, Ikki, and I headed into Dusk’s realm. 

Dusk was mostly recovered, her form not reduced to wisps in the same way that Idyll’s had been, but she was sleeping. Within her, Dawn was working away, golden light working to restore things, and Meadow nodded. 

“They work well together. Spiritual damage can creep up on spirits all at once, in the same way that small physical damage can creep up on elderly humans. Not that I doubt the Healer’s work, but it’s still good to see.” 

I followed her into a table with Kene, my dad, Ed, Liz, my grandmother, Kene’s grandmother, Liz’s grandfather, and more, and was passed through a round of excited, celebratory cheers and hugs, swamped with all sorts of congratulations. It seemed to last for hours, though it was probably minutes, and we began to migrate to the kitchen, cooking some fresh eel that Kene had bought for a late lunch. I’d barely had time for two bites, though, when Orykson’s magic seized me, and I sighed. 

“I’ll be back, the rew–” 

Meadow and I appeared in a hall next to Orykson and Ikki. As soon as I appeared, I rolled my eyes at Orykson. 

“You could have at least let me finish my sentence,” I said.

“The River Lord couldn’t find you. I could,” Orykson said simply, and I rolled my eyes a second time. Of course he’d interrupt me for the chance to show off. I let it go and glanced around the hall, even as Ikki moved to open the doors in front of us. 

We were in a massive pagoda, atop what looked to be the highest of the sect mountain range’s peaks. Beneath us, the city and sect sprawled out in every direction, and beyond that were the lines of floating glass and metal trains that moved over the forests and distant villages. The pagoda itself was a study in power and opulence, painted in shades of purples and reds, with gold, jade, and silver ornamentation scattered all throughout, in symbols and diagrams I didn’t recognize. The place seemed to be built in such a way that the energy flows through the room created a funnel, all leading through the doors, and as I stepped through, I was reminded of a throne room. 

The River Lord, Patriarch of the Silent River Sect, lounged atop a wooden chair, where all of the moisture in the room had gathered. The chair itself had been ornately carved, with a soft purple-blue light leaking from its many grooves and whirls. The spare lunar energy around him was strong enough that it had to be considered within the realm of an occultist. Two attendants stood on either side of him, each of them sixth gate, though it seemed to me like neither would be able to progress any further – there was something fundamentally wrong with their magic. 

“Welcome to the peak of the world,” the River Lord said, sweeping his arm out.

At his words, I sent my mana senses surging upward, through the dome of the pagoda, and frowned. 

“We’re nowhere near the peak of the world. The top of the Crysite Mountain range is higher than this. And come to think of it, don’t Kijani, Elohi, Tianzhu, and several parts of the unclaimed lands all have mountains that go above the flight level?” 

The River Lord glowered at me, and the mana senses of him and both of his attendants rushed forward, hammering into me. The first time I’d felt the weight of Orykson’s mana senses, I’d been left gasping for air. Unfortunately for the River Lord, I had more experience dealing with Titled and people like Prince Dhruv than just about anyone else in my advancement bracket, outside of immortals. It wasn’t pleasant, but I gritted my teeth and dealt with it, until Meadow tapped her cane on the floor. The weight vanished, and the River Lord relaxed, settling on his throne. 

“Allow me to rephrase, since it seems you have no poetry in your soul,” he said, his serpentine eyes narrowing. “Welcome to the pinnacle of Zhuanzhe’s power and might. You have earned the right to request items of value from me. Consider this a valuable opportunity, not simply for the free access to allotment of monetary value and magical might that each of the eight has been granted, but for the reach and resource acquisition abilities of a full nation, as well as for my insight into your path.” 

I paused for a moment, remembering that these items were supposed to be hand selected by the River Lord, with input from myself and my mentors. I bowed, attempting the same sort I’d seen people give to people of higher advancement around here. 

“I would be grateful to know what treasures you have selected for me. It will doubtless serve as a superlative starting point.” 

That seemed to ease some of the River Lord’s annoyance, as he flicked his finger, and the ring on his finger let out a pulse of mana, before five tables, low enough that I would have to kneel at to sit, appeared in the room. Each of them had a variety of objects on them, and I wandered over to the first. It looked like a sphere of forged mana, made of three overlapping plates. One of the plates was a silvery color, another bronze, while the final seemed to be a dark, unrefined iron. 

“The Tripartiate Sphere, from the inner disciple treasure hall of the Endless Mercies of Falling Stars Sect,” the River Lord said. 

“What does it do?” I asked, tempted to pick it up and play with the spinning plates. “I would assume the Falling Stars Sect collects items from starfalls?” 

“Indeed. Largely deep mana seeds, rare metals, and the potent mana sources. This was collected nearly a century ago, and seems hardly warped or deformed at all. The Analyst indicated you have an interest in such matters, similar to the Fortress’ late wife or the Amethyst Mask. They would be willing to part with it for a modest fee, so I took the liberty of arranging for it to be sent here,” the River Lord said. “As for its function? It is a curiosity, and little more. Dozens have attempted to unlock some hidden power or function, and with the resounding failures, we have come to accept it is likely never to be anything other than ornamentation. Should you wish for some other aesthetic item, such as a commissioned statue, it could be arranged.” 

As he explained what it was, my thoughts went back to the bent, lumpy meteorite atop Crysite, and the tree that wasn’t a tree sticking out of it. She might be one of the few creatures on the planet who could do something with this. And if it really was just ornamentation, then I didn’t need anything in it anyhow. I picked up the orb and sent it into Dusk’s treasure vault with a ripple. 

“No need, sire, it was an excellent choice,” I said, moving to the next table. This one, at least, had multiple objects on it. One of them was a rose that had been painted black and white, an imitation of a true Spellbinder Rose. Next to it, there was a bottle of a shifting, flowing elixir, and a smooth cobblestone-shaped gem. I could guess what both of them did, but I didn’t need to. He’d doubtless detected how saturated my spirit was. The potion was a spirit-strengthening potion, and a remarkably powerful one. I was guessing most people would be able to take on a new growth item after drinking it, and maybe even a bonded item like a crystalheart too. The gem was similar, albeit in reverse, diminishing the weight that a bond placed on a person’s spirit, while somehow not lessening the power it provided.

For someone who didn’t know my staff automatically expanded to take up the maximum possible potential of my spirit, any of these three would seem like a reasonable solution and an excellent opportunity to provide more power. I picked up the painted rose, then glanced at the River Lord, expecting him to change it out for the real one.

“We have two leads on a Spellbinder Rose, but we are still in negotiations,” the River Lord said. “It will be brought to you as swiftly as possible, now that you have selected it.” 

“Completely understandable,” I said, trying to mask my mild disappointment at not getting one here and now, before moving to the third table. On it were a variety of items, but I immediately recognized one of them: a crystalheart. My heart rate started picking up, even Ikki stepped up next to me and began to speak. 

“Your stressed spirit and damaged channels represent the greatest pitfall on your path,” he said softly. “As such, solutions to both were prepared. None of these are perfect, but each of them represents help.” 

“How does the crystalheart help?” I asked. 

“It represents the brute force solution. Your spirit will struggle to exert its power in full as you advance? Simply double the mana, the energy, and power you can tap into, and ignore the loss.” 

“Mm,” I said, then picked up the jade slip on the table, examining it. It had a date roughly three years from now written on it. 

“The saint level restorative baths must be doled out selectively,” the River Lord said. “They take months to recover after each use, and rewarding them as a top two prize will strain them further. This is the nearest available time slot for the baths to be opened to you.” 

“I see,” I said, before gesturing to a bundle of twisting thorns and spikes tethered by energetic threads. They felt… hungry. 

“The beast thorn meridians,” Ikki said. “They utilize the high quantity and diverse amount of energy found in beasts to forge new mana pathways. It will not heal your broken or cracked channels, but it will add a new set. One and a half sets of mana channels, rather than merely half a set.”

“And if I healed the channels fully, I’d be able to output twice the amount of force without straining my spirit, and double my recovery rate.” 

Orykson stepped up next to me and pointed to a strange, slightly lopsided ellipsoid shape. 

“Speaking of. That is a bio generator. It feeds on your body’s locked energy, which eats into the user’s lifespan. Thanks to your empowerment of Quality Lifespan, you should be able to largely offset this loss. It’s no replacement for your channels, as it won’t help you exert your power outward. I don’t deny that, but it will bring your mana regeneration to a normal level. If you found another way to restore or heal your channels, you’d find your restoration suddenly leagues ahead of your peers, especially as you advance. It also drains some free energy, which would help speed the progress of training.” 

That didn’t sound like a bad idea, but it was entirely reliant on me finding some other way to heal my channels. More than that, I needed to heal them faster than I could break them. But there were still two more items on the table, so I pointed to one of them. It looked like a tiny model of the solar system, with the sun, moon, and some of the planets. Each celestial object was made from a different metal. 

“In the systems of the Hallowed Orrery, there was a belief that the interactions between body and soul could be traced in alignment with the natural patterns of the universe’s motions,” Meadow said. “The Seven Metal Inner Orrery is somewhat like a set of nadis or meridians.” 

“Makes sense, and I do like the name, but what does it do?” 

“Once they’re integrated, they will strengthen the channels immensely. It renders them virtually impossible for you to injure again, and as your soul magic spells develop, provide a solid base for modifications. It does also provide a tiny bit of generalized spiritual toughening when absorbed, which should help manage your over-taxed bond situation.” 

“Ah. If I were able to pick both the bath and the Seven Metal Inner Orrery, I’d be in an ideal spot, wouldn't I?”

“You could, if you are willing to forgo your spirit’s reward and the minor rewards,” the River Lord said, and I shook my head, before gesturing to the final object on the table. 

“Dusk earned her reward. I can’t take it from her. What are these?” 

“Spirit-channeling nadis,” Ikki said. “The name translates only partially. The nadis must be aligned into an idealized orientation before being absorbed, a process that takes a full year. From there, they provide a near-constant spiritual regenerative effect, as well as conduct beneficial dominions through the body better. They will take time, but they could heal any of the channels that are not completely broken. Bring you to…” 

He looked at Orykson.

“Given that only three channels are completely broken, and the rest are either cracked, severely cracked, or missing half their conductiveness, after they finished their work completely, you’d likely be at about eighty-five percent.” 

Considering I was at fifty percent now, that was quite the leap. I bit my lip, then gestured to the next table in the row. 

“May I move on, and come back to this table in a moment?”