Chapter 25: Chapter 25 - The Sleeping Authorities
Chapter 25 — The Sleeping Authorities
The bridge fell silent.
Even the river beneath us seemed quieter somehow after Lyra’s words.
"Other forgotten authorities are waking up too."
Cold wind swept across the stone crossing while everyone processed what she’d just said.
Lucien’s expression hardened immediately.
"That information should have been reported directly to the Eternal Light."
Lyra rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Oh yes, because religious councils handle dangerous discoveries so efficiently."
Honestly?
Fair criticism.
The commander clearly wanted to argue but stopped himself.
Probably because deep down he knew she wasn’t entirely wrong.
The mercenary leader crossed her arms while leaning casually against one of the bridge stones.
"The eastern ruins activated three nights ago."
My heartbeat quickened slightly.
Three nights ago.
The same night my authority evolved after fighting the hunters in Erald.
The blue core inside my chest pulsed slowly.
Connected.
Everything felt connected.
Elena stepped slightly closer toward Lyra.
"What exactly awakened?"
The mercenary woman became unusually serious now.
"Ancient resonance signals."
Her amber eyes narrowed carefully.
"Authorities nobody has seen in centuries."
Dorian frowned immediately.
"That should be impossible."
Lyra shrugged lightly.
"So should a living Technology authority."
Fair point honestly.
The mercenaries behind her remained silent while nearby Eternal Light knights exchanged uneasy glances.
Fear spread subtly through both groups now.
Not panic.
Worse.
Anticipation.
Like everyone sensed history beginning to move again.
I looked toward Lyra carefully.
"What kind of authorities?"
The mercenary leader hesitated briefly.
Then quietly answered—
"We don’t know yet."
Not reassuring.
"But," she continued, "the eastern ruins reacted specifically after news about you spread."
The blue core pulsed harder.
The prophet’s warning echoed again inside my head.
"The pathways continue opening."
If ancient authorities truly were awakening because of me—
then this situation was escalating far beyond simple political conflict.
Lucien’s golden eyes sharpened slightly.
"How reliable are these reports?"
Lyra smirked faintly.
"Reliable enough that three mercenary factions already abandoned eastern contracts."
Interesting.
Mercenaries followed money.
If even they considered something too dangerous—
that was concerning.
Dorian quietly muttered beside me—
"Markets will collapse if panic spreads."
Of course the merchant worried about economics first.
Honestly consistent.
The refugees behind our convoy whispered nervously among themselves now too.
They clearly didn’t understand the full conversation, but they understood tone.
And fear.
Humans always understood fear quickly.
The little girl from earlier still stood beside her mother holding her healed brother’s hand.
She watched me silently now.
Trustingly.
That somehow made everything heavier.
Lyra noticed my gaze drifting toward the refugees.
Her expression softened slightly.
"You already started collecting believers."
I looked back toward her.
"Not intentionally."
"Doesn’t matter."
The mercenary leader straightened slowly.
"Most gods never intend becoming gods at first."
Interesting statement.
The blue core pulsed again.
I frowned slightly.
"What exactly are forgotten authorities?"
Lucien answered this time.
"Conceptual domains erased or abandoned throughout history."
His voice remained calm, but tension lingered beneath it.
"Some disappeared naturally after losing worshippers."
The commander’s expression darkened slightly.
"Others were deliberately suppressed."
Technology.
Definitely the second category.
Lyra nodded casually.
"History gets rewritten more often than people realize."
The mercenary woman glanced toward the surrounding knights.
"Especially by surviving pantheons."
No one argued with her.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
This world’s divine politics sounded increasingly similar to corporations controlling narratives on Earth.
Remove competitors.
Control information.
Shape public belief.
The original Technology God probably threatened every existing power structure simultaneously.
Not because he was evil necessarily—
but because innovation destabilized established systems automatically.
The realization felt strangely familiar.
The phone vibrated softly inside my pocket again.
I quietly checked the screen.
Passive Faith Growth Stable.
New Conceptual Links Detected: — Innovation — Restoration — Hope
My stomach tightened.
Hope?
That sounded dangerously broad.
Technology linked itself conceptually to human progress itself.
No wonder it evolved endlessly.
Lyra noticed my expression immediately.
"The device again?"
I looked up sharply.
"You know about it?"
The mercenary leader shrugged casually.
"Rumors."
Of course.
She studied me carefully.
"They say the forgotten authority carries a divine machine."
The blue core pulsed uneasily.
Lucien’s expression sharpened instantly.
"Who told you that?"
Lyra smirked slightly.
"People talk."
Dorian sighed beside me.
"Civilization truly was a mistake."
Honestly fair.
The mercenary leader looked toward me again.
"Mind if I ask something?"
I crossed my arms slightly.
"Depends."
Lyra’s amber eyes narrowed carefully.
"When you healed that child..."
The atmosphere became quiet again.
"...what did it feel like?"
Interesting question.
I hesitated.
Because honestly?
I didn’t know how to explain it properly.
The warmth.
The faith.
The overwhelming emotional connection.
And beneath all of it—
the terrifying realization that helping people strengthened me.
Finally I answered quietly—
"Addictive."
Silence followed immediately.
Lyra’s expression became more serious.
Lucien looked away slightly.
Elena remained very still beside me.
Because all of them understood exactly what that answer meant.
Gods weren’t corrupted merely by power.
They were corrupted by dependence.
Worship created emotional reinforcement loops.
The more people needed miracles—
the more gods wanted to provide them.
Not always from kindness.
Sometimes because faith itself felt impossible to resist.
The original Technology God probably began as a savior too.
Then civilization started depending on him for everything.
And eventually—
he consumed the world’s spiritual energy entirely.
Not necessarily out of malice.
Maybe simply because growth never stopped.
The blue core pulsed slowly.
Hungrily.
I suddenly felt cold.
Elena noticed immediately.
Her hand gently touched my arm.
Silver divine energy flowed softly again, stabilizing the restless pulses inside my chest.
Honestly?
I was becoming alarmingly dependent on her calming me down.
Dangerous emotional development.
Very dangerous.
Lyra observed the interaction silently.
Then smiled faintly.
"Well."
The mercenary leader pushed herself away from the bridge railing.
"At least you’re aware of the danger."
Lucien frowned slightly.
"That doesn’t solve the problem."
"No," Lyra agreed.
"But it helps."
The wind across the bridge intensified briefly.
Dark clouds slowly gathered far above the western mountains.
Storm approaching.
Fitting honestly.
One of Lyra’s mercenaries suddenly approached quickly from the opposite side of the bridge.
A younger man wearing light leather armor.
He looked nervous.
"Captain."
Lyra turned toward him immediately.
"What happened?"
The scout swallowed slightly.
"We found another shrine."
Everyone became still.
Lyra’s expression hardened instantly.
"Activated?"
The scout nodded.
"And abandoned."
Cold silence spread again.
Lucien stepped forward sharply.
"Where?"
"Northwest forest ruins."
The scout looked toward me nervously afterward.
"There were blue symbols everywhere."
The blue core inside my chest pulsed violently.
Pain shot briefly through my chest.
I staggered slightly before Elena steadied me again.
"What kind of symbols?" Lucien demanded.
The scout hesitated briefly.
Then quietly answered—
"Machines."
My heartbeat accelerated.
The phone screen flickered inside my pocket.
System Alert: External Resonance Detected.
Connection Attempt Pending.
Oh no.
Oh absolutely not.
I pulled out the phone carefully.
The glowing interface shifted rapidly now.
Unknown Technology Shrine Located. Synchronization Available.
WARNING: Ancient Systems May Remain Active.
Ancient systems?
That sounded horrifying.
Lyra noticed the screen immediately.
"Well."
Her expression became far less amused now.
"That confirms the rumors."
Dorian stared at the display carefully.
"The original Technology God left infrastructure behind."
Infrastructure.
Not temples.
Not relics.
Systems.
Entirely different mindset.
The original authority truly approached divinity like engineering.
Build networks.
Create scalable structures.
Connect civilizations.
The realization became more terrifying the longer I thought about it.
Because infrastructure survived longer than empires did.
Lucien looked toward me sharply.
"You’re not going there."
I blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"The council comes first."
The commander’s voice became firm again.
"These ruins may represent catastrophic risk."
Lyra immediately laughed softly.
"Translation?"
She grinned slightly.
"He doesn’t want you finding old Technology weapons before political negotiations."
Lucien’s jaw tightened.
"I want containment."
"Same thing," Lyra replied casually.
Honestly these two clearly hated each other professionally.
The refugees nearby watched the conversation nervously without understanding most of it.
The little healed boy suddenly tugged weakly at his mother’s sleeve.
Then pointed toward me.
"The blue light is brighter."
Everyone looked at me instantly.
I looked down.
Blue static flickered visibly beneath my skin now.
Not just around my hands anymore.
The core pulsed faster and faster.
The phone vibrated violently.
Synchronization Request Escalating.
Ancient Shrine Responding To: Primary Authority Detected.
And then—
far beyond the western forests—
a massive pillar of blue light erupted into the sky.
The entire bridge froze.
The refugees screamed.
Knights drew weapons instantly.
Mercenaries cursed loudly.
And somewhere deep inside my chest—
the divine core responded.
Like something ancient had just recognized its king returning.
