Episode 19: Armory

Arson took time to contemplate his decisions. Troy was sad, and he found himself bothered more and more by how much grief she felt over the loss to The Demon.

He’d tried to talk to her about it, but she told him she didn’t want to take her anger out on him, but he felt she was treating him like a child. If he did something wrong, he wanted to know what exactly he did, and why it was the wrong thing to do.

He’d never attempted to end someone’s life, nor did he ever want to be that angry again. He didn’t like the uncontrolled rage that overtook him, and he would do anything to never be taken there again.

So Arson did as his training and new disciplines demanded; he trained even more.

So much in fact that he now felt he should unlock something within his Overlay. He hadn’t made a direct choice yet, but settled for sure on a second point being put into Armor.

He still hadn’t mastered conductive water orbs full capabilities from what he saw in the vision from the SunStorm Sovereign when he’d unlocked the skill, and he didn’t want another offensive ability that would require a lot of time before it was useful.

He still didn’t know exactly what an additional point into System would bring, and he hadn’t talked it over with Jade yet either. So that left him with an Armor choice that he thought would be easy.

Arson looked at his whopping 153k stat points and paid to unlock Armor for 10k points. Which he thought was garbage because breaking a node had been that expensive, but he remembered that when the node opened entirely that his mana regeneration increased further, so he dismissed his complaints.

Now that he’d actually put the second point into Armor, he’d had a nearly overwhelming decision to make. One that both confused and exhilarated him. He had 11 choices, all of which gave him something different, none of which seemed to correspond with one another.

“Holy sparks.” Arson was overwhelmed. Jade had told him that creation type Cultivators normally would have an armor system built around a type (or types) of affinities their ancestry had claimed. He read his options seven times or more and couldn't infer what his ancestry wasn't attached to in the world of Cultivation.

One of his ancestors had been the first immortal. The words of the option left Arson with questions, a slight revulsion, and a potential roadblock.

He didn’t know if he could wear the pants of someone who’d died in them, even if he also suspected that may have been the moment they became immortal.

He had many connections to magic, karma, and divinity itself. In the end, Arson decided to go from head to toe with his armor choices, and started with the head piece.

It seemed to be the simplest item and very beneficial in the short term. When he made the selection, he had his new viral video in mind. He loved those on his side, but those who weren’t had an opinion about his youth that he couldn’t dispel.

So the hood and mask combination seemed perfect. Sovereign would serve as his political side, be hooded, and faceless. While Arson would serve as his Warfare persona and be masked.

He’d always wished to be able to play more into his Gemini birth, born in the center of all seasons as he was, and now he could.

He rose from his position and accepted the vision that would teach him his new ability. The vision consumed his sight and he was able to witness a new perspective once more.

He was now in the body of a young man who howled with the roar of a dragon mixed with the shriek of a ghoul or demonic creature. Arson caught a look at the boy’s appearance as he ran by a fountain filled with water and his heart skipped a beat.

A literal tempest was wrapped around the young man’s face in the shape of an armored headpiece. Its shape was a chaotic mix of a dragon skull and armor but formed of elements.

Water, lightning, and wind masked the boy’s appearance, and before Arson was able to feel more of what it was like to use the ability, the scene changed and the boy fought in the air, and inhaled a blizzard. The energy visibly enriched the lines of power that ran through his body.

Then the vision changed once more and Arson found himself sitting across from an old man, not in a vision of another, but within his own body.

“How did I get here?” Arson tried to look around but couldn’t take his eyes off the old man with the hood on in front of him.

“Don’t bother to try and look around, a mortal’s brain is incapable of perception and processing what is occurring behind me, so you may not be able to move while here. As for your question, you must have triggered some sort of requirement to attain my guidance in regard to something,” stated the man simply. Arson could only see the white beard beneath the hood as the man talked, and only attempted to look away a few more times before he gave up.

“I gained an ability, some sort of cowl made of light, it’s supposed to affect things around me, maybe? I’m also unsure why I’m here, to be honest with you, sir.”

“Honesty doesn’t matter here, boy. But yours is appreciated. Many have sat where you are and asked to learn many things from me, but none have ever asked for something as simple as the Illuminated Cowl,” said the man with a grumble.

“Should I ask to learn something more valuable? I don’t know what would help me more than the ability described,” said Arson. He purposefully left out the name of the ability he’d chosen, as the man seemed to want to teach him something different, which intrigued Arson.

“You value basic knowledge above grand-tier atrocities and the like. With the understandings of the basics of magic, I have twisted many portions of the Univers into my own direct control, sometimes even unintentionally. Your respect of basic knowledges will get you far more time and information from me, boy.” Arson nodded and waited silently for the lesson to begin.

“Hmmm, this shall do,” Arson felt the man move as he couldn’t break line of sight with the man, and his periphery was hazy within the space he found himself.

Then a line of light connected their foreheads and the man began to speak.

“This is a formal understanding connection. Through this line our subconscious will be connected and as I instruct you, what I am trying to convey will truly be conveyed, even if you don’t have an understanding of what words I use.” Arson nodded and smiled, as he believed he understood everything thus far.

“Light is a manifestation of the lightest and most powerful form of energy in creation. To be able to control and manifest light requires internal atom splicing or parthenogenesis of mana-enriched blood. Either will work. You coincidently have both options which should make this easier for you. What you are attempting to learn is the Cowl of Illumination or maybe even a combination of many minor forms of omnipotent relic-based armor,” said the man. His eyes became visible to Arson and he felt his own mind shrink at the sight alone. His own power recognized the difference in depth between their minds and Arson became thrilled at what he now knew could be possible. Was this man even more powerful than a Keeper?

“This cloak draws in light, and also the thoughts and sensations of others. If they look you in the eyes long enough, your eyes will only be visible underneath the cowl when the ability is in use, and may also interact with technology through hacking basic operating systems. The more you understand of science and technology, the more systems you will be able to interact with. Finally, if you have a trinity core—which you are close to completing—you may innately be attracted to treasure or items of power and knowledge.” Light began to pool atop Arson’s head as he sat and stared down the man who seemed to hold all of two separate existences in each one of his eyes. Realms held within the clutches of a single being, only there to power the actions of the same entity that controlled them.

The liquid light formed a cowled hood made of pure white light, with a tribal sun that moved chaotically in a crimson red at the back of his head. When it was completed, Arson’s face disappeared behind a brilliant twist of sunset colors that made his facial features invisible.

“It seems you are good at listening as well,” said the old man, but Arson didn’t remember when the man actually gave an explanation on how to form the cowl. When Arson thought on how to do it though, he felt he could easily achieve the feat.

“Your subconscious is far more powerful than your waking mind, it will listen to the directions I give it immediately, rather than think before attempting something, skipping mental barriers that you would have put before yourself.” Before Arson could thank the man, he found himself standing back atop a trash heap. He looked down to see everyone stare up at him.

He pulled his cowl from thin air as if he wore a jacket and its hood was down. The others looked on in amazement.

While most gasped, Khalif chuckled and spoke up first. “You look like one of those Lava lamp things Xani found in the dump.”

Everyone went silent when Arson parted his lips to speak. “Do I? Good,” he said with a voice that was both deep and smooth as perfectly strung cello chords. Then Arson pulled the cowl down past his chin.

He ignored the prompt from his overlay as his new mask snapped into place. He felt the same energy build around his eyes as he had when he’d fought The Demon, and a swirl of energy erupted around his skull.

The chaotic energy twisted around his head like a sun. Just like he’d seen in the vision, a helmet formed. It was shaped like a dragon’s skull, the only difference being the bird-like features of Arson’s own mask.

The energy that twisted around his skull to make the mask also wasn’t a simple storm, but made of sunlight and twisted gravity, infused with other energies such as Mana and Univers.

His visage was terrifyingly powerful and threatened any who looked at him. Then he roared.

The sound was like a Sun Dragon, the most powerful of all dragons. It was not the full-grown roar of the beast that could end a realm with its yell alone, but that of its child, new to the world of power and dominion.

Half the training group scattered and hid, while the other half froze in place. Arson began to laugh, which somehow also managed to be impressive, before he pulled down his cowl entirely to show his face.

“This is going to be fun,” said Arson.

“Please tell me you don’t plan to wear that to the meeting with Sven and his boss,” Arson turned to see Troy step atop the trash heap and smile at him.

“Yeah, actually, I do. Maybe not the mask, but the hood for sure,” said Arson as he once again lifted the cowl and slid it beneath the crown that floated above his head.

“The light from your hood makes your crown look that much cooler, kiddo,” said Troy. She tapped his crown and it made a soft hum that made her smile when she heard it.

“I wish you wore it out more,” said Lane. Arson hid his crown as the cameras came into view. He was sad to have to take on what he felt to be his “serious” persona, as that had been the first time he’d seen his friend smile since her match, and she’d barely stopped training since.

“My crown is for my people, and those who choose to follow me. It’s not for the realm abroad, Lane. We’ve spoken about this,” said Arson.

“Well, Sovereign, my people enjoy the crown and you get more views when it’s out,” said Lane. Arson was again glad that his facial expression couldn’t be seen. Both now as he rolled his eyes at Lane, and earlier when Troy had made his cheeks warm when she’d touched his crown.

“That doesn’t change what I just said, Lane. I appreciate your fans’ attention, but not at the cost of my own morals.” Lane nodded and smiled back at him.

“So boss, what are your plans now, after the rumble in the ManaWell, anything new and exciting?”

“No, not really. Other than what the Builders have going on this week,” said Arson with a smile toward Troy, who smiled back even though she couldn’t see his face.

“Oh, and what is that?” asked Troy to build excitement for Lane’s viewership, as she already knew what was next.

“Builderfest.”