Rise of the Godking - Chapter 144

Daneel ignored the stares from the three people in the cavern while he picked up Seline's body and moved it onto the crystal, laying it on top of the large matrix in a way that the jutting, sharp ends did not penetrate her skin. He could even feel an itch in his back from the direction of the gaze that felt the heaviest, and already, he was dreading the conversation that he would soon have to have with the ancient elf who had been exposed to many of the things that Daneel had been keeping secret from him ever since they had met.

He needed to finish the process that had already begun first, though. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't been as surprised as the woman when Seline had run towards her, believing her to be the mother that had reportedly died when she was very young, and truly, he had marveled at the way things had worked out in such a perfect manner. It even made him suspect whether larger forces were at work…but because this was a possibility that he could not investigate nor research to a satisfying degree, he had set aside this thought forcefully as it would only lead to useless anxiety that couldn't be escaped in any way at the moment.

He wasn't really doing anything. The system was the one handling the connection, and the process of the transferral. Back on Angaria, it had already done this multiple times, and he trusted that there would be no problems, at all.

The woman had been quite adamant about the fact that she did not want to go into someone's body, parceled around as if she was nothing but a burden. Daneel had only convinced her to talk to Celine and see what she thought, and of course, towards the end, she had ended up asking for the transferral, herself.

The need to live, to survive beyond what the world might have intended for a certain being was a core tenet of humanity, one that he admired to a great degree. It was truly a testament to the woman's character that she had tried to throw away the lifeline that Daneel had extended to her, and once again, he was glad that he was able to save her, especially as her end would have been guaranteed if it had been anyone but him who had come to this island.

The moment the system gave him the message that the transferral was almost done, Seline's body arched up, her back rising ofd the part of the crystals that he had placed her on. At the same time, the tiny spot of light inside the tall, glasslike substance glowed brighter before suddenly growing dim, and at that second, he knew that the process was over.

He hit himself on his head as he realized that he had forgotten to ask her name again. As the system sent the message that everything had gone well, he glanced at Seline and saw that she was breathing deeply, as if she was asleep.

Laying her body down on the ground, he ran his hand over her face to close the eyes that had snapped open during the transferral. He even knew what it must feel like; it was a shock to one's mind to suddenly find that there were two existences in a place that had been designed only for one, so it would require some time to adjust and mold one's own self around the new being that was now also present.

With a sigh, he turned around and found Mors right in front of him. He hadn't heard the elf move, and the moment he met the ancient being's eyes, he saw so many questions that they reminded him of his own state when he had first left Graiton and found both his companions.

Letting out a breath, he spoke first, intending to set the tone. He already knew exactly what the man would ask, so it seemed better to clarify some of them so that he could try and veer the conversation in the direction that he could control.

"I'm sorry I've been keeping secrets from you, but I had no choice. I know that you must have sensed when you were helping me- I appreciate that, by the way- that this is not the first time this has happened. If not, how can a rebel who unlocked his seed only a month or so ago already be at the level of a Tyro mage? To be clear, it has happened thrice, so far, counting what you've just seen. The first time was on my home island, of course. Then, I didn't even realize it had happened. The second time was on the island where I met Alex. The Will of that place had almost died, but a small part of it was left. Someone had replaced it with something fake, and it was angry. It called to me when I happened to fight for it… and that ordeal ended with the entire island sinking. This is the third time…and if I'm not wrong, I think it won't be the last."

All his suspicions confirmed in such a direct manner, Mors took a step back, showing more surprise and shock than Daneel had ever seen on that smooth face. The cool nature of an elf had been shattered, and it didn't look like it would be back any time soon.

He looked at Daneel as if he was seeing something that shouldn't exist. Each time he blinked, his wonder only grew. Finally…it was the sound of someone's knees thudding to the ground that broke the silence between them.

Both of them turned in its direction to see that it was the old man, from whose sunken eyes tears flowed down those wrinkled cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak, and his voice boomed in the cavern.

"Even the land he steps on shall bow to him. His strength will be the essence of the sacrifice of the millions whose deaths will not be in vain. Our lives are his. Our blood is his. We are all his…for the day of deliverance is near."

He fell back, then, and after a pause, Daneel ran to him. He didn't need the system to tell him after running a scan to understand that the man had fainted from sheer exhaustion. Yet…his eyes remained open, and the smile on his lips was as wide as it could be.

"It was only a theory. It was laughed at by all the eminent researchers on the Mainland, and the one who presented it went into seclusion, soon after, and was never heard from again. It is a known secret that at the very peak of power, the only way to move forward is to gain the acceptance of the Mainland, and bathe in the energy that is unique to it. One of the Forn theorized that the same energy should be present on the islands, too…but the widespread belief that the Mainland is superior to all these scraps of land is too prevalent. Overcome with greed, some tried…but over time, no one succeeded, so even the theory disappeared from the minds of most. I…can't believe that I've just seen it come true."

Daneel turned to him, eyes shining even in the dimness of the cavern as a hint of the true peak of power had been dropped on him in such an abrupt fashion. Before he could say anything, though...a man with a long beard burst into the cavern from the fake wall they had stepped through before, and the message he blurted out swept away all other thoughts from the minds of all those still conscious.

"We've just received a message! Someone from the Garbonor family is coming soon to check on us! What do we do?!"