Chapter 940 Sovereign of Bulwark (4)
Next up on Kyran's agenda was to assist the old man's ascension. Frankly, he did not expect the latter's ascension to take so much time. True Void even suggested it, thinking it would help block sneak attacks from Sovereigns who were after Kyran.
In the end, Kyran dealt with Deus, who was after him and even reduced possible threats to Somuli by killing Flos and Obstruction, yet the old man had not completed his ascension.
Could the old man truly have difficulty ascending because he once rejected it?
Kyran and Cyneah entered the separate space prepared for Nachum's ascension.
There, True Void diligently supplied magic energy to the array formation that Neo created and was maintaining while Ames stood guard.
Upon Kyran and Cyneah's entrance, Ames's expression turned sour as she glowered at the latter.
"Why did you bring that woman here," she demanded. "Did you forget what her predecessor did to your predecessor?"
"Don't use that tone when speaking of Neah, she's different from that woman."
"Don't talk that way to the Mistress, or you'll piss your great x50 grandson."
"Please don't disrespect the Mistress, Master will go ballistic."
Kyran, True Void, and Neo responded respectively and almost at the same time, resulting in smoke coming out of Ames's nostrils— an obvious sign of her displeasure at their united stance to defend Cyneah.
Cold sweat trickled down Cyneah's face as she heard them. She already met Ames when Kyran was still unconscious and was subjected to her hostile attitude. At first, Cyneah did not know why she was very hostile. But after Kyran explained the relationship between their predecessors, as well as several other things about Ancient Magic on their way there, she more or less expected Ames's reaction to her appearance.
Nonetheless, Kyran and the others defending her against such a formidable person touched Cyneah.
"You don't use that tone on me, young man," Ames snorted back at Kyran. "Or did you forget I am the Dragon Lord's wife and your grandmother? Would you rather fall out with me rather than discredit that woman?"
"Yes—."
"So!" True Void interjected before Kyran could complete what he was saying. With cold sweat trickling down his back, he hastily continued, "You're already here! How's everything going outside?"
Obviously, True Void's question was only meant to divert the conversation. After all, he and Ames sensed some of the things happening outside. They even sensed the arrival of the Fates and were almost forced to leave the independent space. In the end, they decided to stay and allow Kyran to handle everything on his own. It would also serve as a valuable experience, warning him that Sovereigns were not the only ones he should be wary of. There were far more powerful existences out there, especially in the Higher Realm, that could easily destroy a plan with just a flick of their fingers. The only reason none of that had happened was due to the rules that protected the Lower Realm.
Ultimately, Kyran succeeded in forcing the Fates into retreat. However, they did not know yet whether it was a good or bad thing because the Fates were only a few of the existences in the Lower Realm that were not affected by its law. With Kyran forcing them back, there were bound to be dire consequences.
Alas, Ames and True Void did not know yet that apart from the consequences Kyran had to face after forcing the Fates into retreat, he also had to face the outcome of killing two prominent Sovereigns in the Lower Realm.
At the moment, the latter poses a bigger threat to Kyran than the Fates' retaliation. Then again, the threat resulting from Flos's and Obstruction's deaths might be the Fates' way of exacting their punishment.
"I let Deception escape, and Ruin said the remaining leaders of Flos's faction will come here at any moment," Kyran replied, not bothering with idle talks.
Ames's annoyed scowl turned into a frown of concern as she said, "If that's the case, it is better to leave this plane and return to the Human plane. You're safer there."
"I'm not going to abandon this plane," Kyran replied while looking at Nachum. At the moment, Nachum was at the center of the array formation, sitting in a cross-legged position. His brows were knitted tightly together as if he was troubled by something.
An almost tangible magic energy swirled around him. But rather than being assisted by the energies in his ascension, they appeared to be suffocating him.
Kyran frowned when he saw this, he looked at Neo, who had a solemn look on his face and was busy adjusting the array formulas on the formation. Seeing the latter's expression, Kyran reigned in his desire to step in and adjust the array formation himself. He might be worried about the old man, but he also did not want to appear as if he did not trust Neo.
Among Kyran's puppets, Neo was the first one to birth a sentient. He might not be considered an automaton yet because the quality of his body was still fragile, like a puppet. However, he was no longer restricted by what Kyran programmed him to do. At the same time, his knowledge did not require Kyran to update it again. Neo could now absorb new knowledge based on his experience and his own understanding.
Kyran inwardly approved the new formulas Neo had used to adjust the array formation. He was also impressed that Neo did not even ask True Void for the material and simply directed the required amount of and type of magic energy to create the formula.
Theoretically, anyone could create an Array as long as they had the correct amount and type of magic energy on hand. This concept was similar to how a mage could summon their magic through magic arrays. The only reason an Array was different from a Magic Array was because the former required materials. However, Array did not need the physical attributes of these materials but the type of magic energy they possessed. With this in mind, if a mage had an affinity to different types of magic energy, he or she could create an Array without requiring physical materials.
Of course, this was not to say that all Array Formations could be created like this. It would still depend on the level of the Array one was trying to create. If the formulas in a formation required a large amount and a unique type of magic energy, then one could not simply rely on their affinity to different types of magic energy.
At the end of the day, a mage only had one magic core, thus possessing one innate magic. There were cases where mages appeared to possess two innate magic, but that was not the case. It only meant that their magic core could absorb two types of magic energies, allowing them to summon two types of magic. However, between the two types of magic, the one they excelled most was still considered their true innate magic.
Considering this, Kyran was the only one who could create any level of Array Formations with the use of magic energies alone. It went without saying that the reason behind this was the Void's nature of being anything and nothing.
Half an hour later, though Neo succeeded in adjusting the formation and improving Nachum's situation, the latter still did not show any signs of ascending.
Kyran finally voiced his doubts at this point, "Was the old man having difficulty because he once rejected his ascension?"
Ames immediately shook her head, "That should not be the case. Once a mage sensed an impending ascension, whether he delayed it or not, he would still ascend."
"Then could the problem lie with the fact that Somuli already has a Sovereign? He might be a fake, but at the moment, he is a Sovereign," Kyran wondered, recalling that a plane could only birth one Sovereign.
Initially, he had thought that once the old man ascended, the fake Sovereign of Bulwark would lose his sovereignty and return to being a Sage. He never expected that the old man would have difficulty ascending instead.
Ames shook her head with a sigh, "I am unsure myself. Planes in the Higher Realm are not restricted to having only one Sovereign. It would even pose a huge crisis if that were to happen. That plane will be devoured by the other planes."
"Is it because the lowest level of mages in the Higher Realm are Sovereigns?"
"That's right," Ames replied without thinking. But then her face distorted as she realized what she had said.
"....!"
Ames looked at Kyran disdainfully. He had asked that question so casually she answered without thinking!
"Do not try to pry any information about the Higher Realm from me. You already caught the eye of someone high up over there, and if you continue to gain knowledge of that realm, you'll tempt the Fates."
"I'm not afraid of them."
"You should."
Kyran did not comment on that. Instead, he diverted the conversation back to the old man's situation.
"Will it help if the fake Sovereign of Somuli reverts back to being a Sage?" he asked no one in particular.
Hearing Kyran's seemingly innocent question, Cyneah had a different take on it and had a bad feeling.
"You're not planning to...."
Kyran smiled, turning his head slightly to look at her. He did not reply to her, but his eyes seemed to say, "You know me best."
True Void saw the look on Kyran's face and broke out in cold sweats, "Oi, oi, Void Halfling! If you're planning to touch the fake Sovereign, stop right now! Though the Sovereign's Cradle he summoned is weak, it still prevents other Sovereigns from entering the plane. If you touch him... Please, don't do anything reckless! I beg of you!"
"Master did not have to touch that man to help the old man ascend," Neo chimed in. "He can simply turn that man into a Servant, and everything should be fine, right?"
Kyran raised his brows, "Hm. That's also an option."
"No, it's not! Definitely not! You can't just turn people into your Servants! My goodness. You and Neo... What are you two even thinking?"
"Well, my way of thinking has been influenced by my Master, so..."
"Oi," Kyran frowned at Neo. "Your thought process is based on Tyr. Not me."
"Is there a difference?"
Kyran's brow twitched. He did not think Neo birthing a sentient would be this troublesome. To think that the latter would be brazen enough to talk back to him!
In the end, Kyran ignored Neo's nonsense and looked up.
"What you guys think does not really matter at the moment," he said with an amused smile. "Since he seemed to have personally delivered himself to my doorsteps."
Only then did the others realize that a powerful presence loomed above the Eidum's border outside.
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