-oOo-

-oOo-

"Thank you, Lenape. You just saved me a week of work."

Sylvia stood beside Yaalon Lake, the giant turtle floating in the water beside her. Sunlight glittered off Lenape's wet shell, the titanic creature dwarfing the tiny witch. Between the pair was a waygate.

Not a new waygate, an old one.

This was the frame Sylvia had constructed back at the Black Silk Forest. The pillars were even set in the same stone podium. The lump of hewn rock sat awkwardly on the shore, leaving the gate tilted at an odd angle.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all, Miss Sylvia," Lenape replied. The turtle's big, yellow eyes gazed at the arch with fascination. "What a curious construct. I can sense its function, but I admit I haven't the faintest clue as to how it was created."

Lenape was a world turtle by species. World turtles were a rare type of phantasmal beast that had a deep, natural control over the element realm. Earlier this morning, Emily and Sylvia had opened a gate to Black Silk Forest with the intention of dismantling their prior creation. Lenape had been attracted by their actions, filled to the brim with questions.

Sylvia had been happy enough to explain their intent. They wanted to build a waygate in Axis, but materials were tight. Therefore, they were going to recycle the Black Silk Forest frame.

Once Lenape understood, he had volunteered to help. And by help, the turtle had apparently meant he would mosey his way over to the old gate, uproot it wholesale, then bring it straight back.

It'd taken the immortal beast all of ten minutes.

"If I have time, I'll explain it to you later," Sylvia offered.

While Sylvia was grateful, she was a little put out. How much time would they have saved if Lenape had taxied them from Starlight to Axis in the first place!

The witch wisely kept those thoughts to herself.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to delay your work for such a thing, Miss Sylvia," Lenape rejected.

To be fair, Sylvia wasn't all too interested in explaining either. So the silver-haired girl changed the subject. "Is this a safe place to leave the frame, or do we need to move it?"

"It is quite safe here. Only Nithe and the servants of Empress Idetta venture near the lake's shore. I'll be sure to explain the gate's import, if any show up."

"Then I'll get it settled into the dirt."

Sylvia started casting spells. The crooked podium sank into the mud on Yaalon Lake's north shore. Once the mechanical issues were addressed, the witch ran through a series of diagnostics. The ultimate test, however, would be when Emily gated back.

As for what the adorable emeraldette was up to? The little imp was busy murdering spiders. She wanted 'a hundred, no, a thousand!' droms of spider silk.

Sylvia wished her the best. The silver-haired witch wasn't too worried. Emily was strong. And if she didn't show up tomorrow, Sylvia could always send a note. If Emily didn't foist a one page letter on Sylvia first.

After three hours of tweaks and inspection, Sylvia was satisfied the gate was in working order. Lenape watched her labor patiently, yellow eyes taking in her actions. It was only at the end that the turtle's head suddenly turned up.

Sensing the shift in the ether, Sylvia's fractal pink eyes followed those of Lenape. In the heavens above, Yaalon's leaves dimmed, losing their vivid hue.

"Did something happen?"

"Yaalon has entered a period of slumber," Lenape explained. "When he reawakens, the souls of the guardians will be called so that we might receive new purpose."

It had begun.

As Yaalon slept, the System would be imprinted on its code and essence. Then, with the tree as a vector, the System would be spread to all of Yaalon's guardians.

The silver-haired witch shivered.

"I see," Sylvia whispered, staring at the dulled branches.

This change was just the first. A shift, neither instant nor dramatic. Revolutions rarely were. Though, through the lens of history it might seem sudden, change was always the product of years. Growth and creation took time. The guardians were unable to receive Lucifer's gift in full. Emily had stated it forthright. The System was meant to come first and the bloodline code second.

Yet, change built upon change. New souls would enter the nether. Old souls would slowly adapt. In the lonely wilderness would arise a town. That town would become a city. That city, a nation. That nation, a storm sweeping the netherworld with the shock and suddenness of a pyroclastic flow cast by an angry mountain.

Then the fire would consume everything.

The Devil's spark had been lit. The ground was dry tinder. Knowing the wildfire to come, Sylvia felt a touch of trepidation.

"Ah, should I welcome the Great Work or should I tremble before the burden," Lenape said, giving voice to her thoughts. "To have purpose, function, and meaning or to laze about in my lake, watching the years pass. Perhaps I am an old turtle, but I find myself wary of this glory."

Before this moment, the coming revolution had been academic. Distant. Abstract. An idea understood only by the intellect. Now she could feel it, the weight of it. The power of it. Sylvia wondered what would happen when a thousand gamers walked these lands?

What would happen when the thousand became a million?

Today, the spark was small. Soon, the land would burn in earnest. Then nothing could stop the change that was coming. Not her. Not Emily. Not even the Devil himself.

In fact, it might already be too late.

"Lenape," Sylvia queried. "Do you know a place where I could build a small town? Preferably a location with a source of wood and stone nearby."

"The land shadowed by Yaalon was left to the apostle to serve His Great Work," Lenape said. "Of the guardians in this area, there are only six. If there is any territory you desire, you need but speak. If the land is already taken, I will entreat with the owner. They will surely step aside."

Sylvia shook her head. "There's no need to run anyone off."

"If you do not wish to disturb the guardians, then might I suggest the hills to the west," the world turtle said after careful consideration.

The silver-haired girl waved a hand, revealing a map of the Cloud Island Wilderness. Placing her palms near the west ridge of the crater, Sylvia spread her arms zooming in to reveal the territory she had named Axis.

"Oh, how marvelous."

Sylvia studied the screen. After a minute, she bopped a finger marking forest and grasslands split by a river. "How about here?"

"I believe that would be quite fitting," Lenape agreed, nodding his giant head.

"Then I'll go check it out," Sylvia said. She mounted her broom. "Thanks again, Lenape."

"It was my pleasure, Miss Sylvia," the turtle replied before sinking back into the lake.

The witch took to the air, white dress aflutter.

To fly freely was a breath of fresh air. Since entering the Cloud Island Wilderness, Sylvia had faced countless dangers the second she took to the sky. Much of her journey through Pyrinas had been on foot. Slow and slogging, as though she were stuck on the highway amid rush hour traffic.

Finally, Sylvia could travel as she pleased.

Well, she could fly so long as she stayed in Axis anyway.

It took no more than ten minutes to reach her destination. Once there, Sylvia swept wide loops using her eyes to add details to her crude map. The first notables were the rocky hills to the north, only a few kilometers away. To the south-west, just over the river, was a splotch of forest covering sixty square kilometers. The rest was rolling grassland.

"Looks good at first glance," Sylvia said to herself. "But let's see what you look like after I strip you naked."

The asteri drew ether from the crystal on her belt. Observe Terrain. Causality magic rippled, a ping echoing across the land. Sylvia checked her map again, zooming in to review the details.

She smiled.

"I can't believe I found a good place on my first try," Sylvia muttered. "Well then, before I get down to business, I should fill out the map more fully."

Observe Terrain. Observe Terrain. Observe Terrain.

The silver-haired girl looped around the territory, triggering the System spell at a steady pace. Between each execution, Sylvia condensed causality ether, refilling her source. Slowly but surely, Sylvia collected 130 km2 of terrain data.

Which also served to reward a trickle of merit points.

An hour and a half later, with a third of her mana remaining, Sylvia settled on a grassy hill. The sun filtered through Yaalon's branches to fall upon the land. That soft light was shadowed further by her broad brimmed witch's hat. To better enjoy the warmth, Sylvia swapped it for her short billed newsboy cap.

Then Sylvia triggered a System feature she'd recently purchased.

Architectural Overlay.

A series of controls and options appeared at the rim of Sylvia's vision. The witch projected the local map, spreading the window wide so the flat screen occupied a three meter by three meter space. The river, the gentle hills, and the tufts of forest were shown in fine detail.

A virtual bridge appeared in the asteri's hand. She plopped it down over the river, nudging it here and there until she liked the look. Various designs appeared as icons. Sylvia tested a few until she found a style she enjoyed. The System showed the result, laying pillars, moving earth, and scaling the structure as needed.

It even provided a running tab of construction costs, estimated time, labor, and materials.

"I should've bought this before building my base on Starlight."

It would've saved her a lot of wasted effort.

Pleased, Sylvia wished into existence four more buildings and a paved path. She adjusted them a few times, gazing at the collection from multiple angles.

Her pastel pink eyes flicked to the banner up top.

"6,000 droms of wood and 4,500 droms of stone," Sylvia murmured. She gazed out over the hill. "I should check it out in the real world."

With a flick of thought, Sylvia turned on the System's augmented reality display.

On the grassy hills appeared an illusion. The Inn, a wooden building, sat atop the highest hill in the surroundings. Sylvia walked through the bare structure, gazing out illusionary windows. Displeased, she grabbed a corner of the building. With three steps, she shifted the angle by a few degrees so the view was more beautiful.

Much better.

The witch spent the next few minutes touching up interior and exterior. Once satisfied, Sylvia descended and adjusted the stone path. She walked along it, feeling the soft soil beneath her Blood Bone Heels rather than the hard stone the virtual world projected.

"It's missing something."

Ah.

Sylvia gestured. Illusionary street lamps appeared along the road, casting the world in their glow. She followed the path a bit longer to reach the Guild Hall and Item Shop. She frowned, pinching her chin.

"They're too close," Sylvia realized. "Rather than placing them here, I should turn this place into a square."

The witch waved a hand. The Guild Hall flew back before settling on a slope. A path and stone steps filled in. A light push and the Item Shop was moved a dozen meters. Finally, Sylvia swirled her hand. The virtual road split, dividing the space between into a little park. Without prompting, the System smoothed the terrain in between.

Then it plopped a statue in the center.

…

Sylvia scrubbed the offensive monolith out of existence.

"Hmph," she huffed in disdain.

The asteri reviewed the result. Nodding to herself, Sylvia closed the overlay.

"I'll run it by Emily later."

Sylvia just knew her green-haired friend would have a lot of strong opinions.

"Before starting on the construction, we'll have to complete the prep work."

Wards had to be laid to keep the phantasms out and resources had to be gathered then left to age. After that, Sylvia could get started on the bulk labor of shifting terrain. Smooth land made for smooth construction.

A devious smile grew on the witch's lips.

"Tomorrow, I'll try to sucker Lenape into porting supplies from Chaos Lagoon," Sylvia said. She glanced up, judging the sun. "As for the rest of today, I'll focus on adding resource nodes to the map."

The asteri mounted her broom again. Two hundred meters above the land, Sylvia made use of her second new feature.

Observe Resources. Observe Resources. Observe Resources. Observe Resources.

The sun set. Darkness fell upon the land, its shadow made light by the glow of slumbering Yaalon.

-oOo-

"What do you think?"

With an excited smile, Emily revealed a wood mannequin. On its shapely form rested a pink dress stacked with layers of cute frills. Black bows and dark lace added an edge of shadow to the picture. The top was black with plenty of ruffles.

The only positive Sylvia could muster was that the garment was less suggestive than her Witch-Princess Dress. At the expense of being more girly.

Sylvia did her best to keep her expression flat. "You'll look very cute in it."

"No, no, no. You'll look cute in it," Emily corrected. "I even made you a hat."

The 'hat' the adorable emeraldette referenced was a headdress. A band of black lace with a dozen pink flowers on either side.

"That is not a hat," Sylvia elucidated.

Emily stuck out a tongue. Sylvia's lips quirked. It was good to see her friend having fun.

Over the last two months, the girls had built the skeleton of a village. Though village was a generous term for five buildings occupying the same space. A two story inn sat atop the hill. The main street had been paved, leading to a stalwart bridge crossing the river. Along the way sat the Guild Hall and the Item Shop.

Sylvia had even added a warehouse to store materials. Though, house was a generous term, given the warehouse consisted of a roof, a floor, and nine columns.

What these buildings lacked were interiors. Stairs and railings. Chairs and counters. Tables and shutters. The Inn and Guild Hall were particularly empty, not even having a second floor. They were just empty boxes, really.

Recently, Emily had tasked herself with furnishing the Item Shop, which obviously demanded the emeraldette make cute dresses for Sylvia to wear.

"Are you planning to enchant it?" Sylvia asked.

Emily showed a teasing smile. "Do you want me to?"

"I'd rather a cool set of robes," Sylvia answered blandly. A naughty idea flashed through her mind. The silver-haired witch leaned forward to peer at the design. "The silk does look nice though."

Umbral eyes drifted, the gorgeous nebula drawn to an abyssal cleft. A warm thrill stirred in Sylvia's heart. The silver-haired witch feared her cheeks were heating. Emily's eyes flickered, her friendly smile revealing nothing of her brief distraction.

"It makes such wonderful cloth," the emeraldette agreed enthusiastically. "We have to build another gate to the Black Silk Forest."

Today, Sylvia was wearing her Witch-Princess Dress with its black silk and pink trimming. Though her armor was far from Sylvia's favorite thing, she'd admit she was happy to wear real clothes again. Covering herself with a conjured white dress always left Sylvia feeling half naked.

"We have enough realm brick for two," Sylvia admitted. "But most of it has been set aside already."

Emily sighed, taking on an older, more serious visage. "I know."

The atmosphere had taken a dreary tone. Gazing at the pink atrocity, Sylvia turned back to the subject. "You're quite good at making dresses."

The pink dress was truly beautiful. Sylvia would've loved to see Emily wearing it. She was less interested in seeing herself inside it. Though, she would secretly admit, she was a little curious how she'd look.

"As a lady of the court, I was expected to know how to sew and design dresses," Emily answered proudly. "After my death, I often saved money by making clothes for myself."

Sylvia gave a teasing smile. "I assume you were always the height of fashion."

"Of course," Emily declared, with firm certainty. "Countess Chanlina even had me design a few dresses for her."

That was a name the silver-haired witch had never heard. "Countess Chanlina?"

Emily's expression tightened.

"Chanlina is a vassal of Archduke Asmodeus and one of his seventy-two wives," Emily explained. "I served under her as an appointed devil before I earned my title. She even introduced me to the archduke. That was shortly after I earned my laureate. At the time, I thought it a mere honor, but it was quickly made obvious I was being presented as a prospective wife."

Asmodeus was a Prince of Hell. By tradition, prince and princess were titles granted to any devil who had served as demon king or emperor. This was similar to how a former president was still called Mr. President after their term.

As a former emperor, Asmodeus was a famous figure. He was known as the Prince of Lust, owing to the archdemon's harem of seventy-two wives. Seventy-two, incidentally, was the number he aspired to, not the actual number of wives he had at any moment.

Demons, for all their immortality, still died. Which was to say, Asmodeus was always in the market for a fiancee. Sometimes, he was looking for several.

"You refused, of course."

Emily laughed, her voice soft and sweet. "Oh Sylvia, a devil does not refuse an archduke. I politely deferred."

All's well that ends well, Sylvia supposed. Asmodeus, it seemed, was more a gentleman than Viscount Nychta.

There was a brief pause while neither party spoke.

"The deal went through," Sylvia said into the silence.

Emily perked up. "Then?"

"Forty tons of raw chaos crystal have been delivered to Gate Point," Sylvia revealed.

Yaalon, like Esmeralda's cosmic ash, produced magical sap. To collect this precious resource, the Keeper had installed a truly giant tap. Over the years, the resulting sap had gathered into three subterranean lakes, the liquid separated by virtue of its elemental domain. When the Keeper left two millennia ago, a few centuries after Nithe's birth, he had taken much of this with him. A reward for his service.

But, in the thousands of years that followed, these pools had accumulated anew. With time, the oldest and deepest strata had congealed into crystal. This was a strategic resource listed in the System's governance panel. There were several million tons of it, raw material from which could be forged any elemental source whether life, chaos, or primordial.

It was here that Sylvia's title showed its worth. As Founder of the Cloud Island Wilderness she could directly buy these crystals by exchanging merit points.

It wasn't cheap, though.

Actually, it was cheap in the grand scheme of things. It just wasn't cheap for Sylvia. To be precise, to buy those forty thousand droms, the witch had spent three thousand merit points.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

Just the thought made Sylvia want to cry. Her poor, poor merit points.

But it had to be done. Things were getting hot in Vallen and they needed an escape path now, not later. And while Sylvia cared deeply for her merit, she wasn't about to abandon the Academy in its hour of need.

Alas, while the System granted her the right, obtaining the crystal had proven troublesome. The subterranean lakes were controlled by Empress Idetta. The empress was a hive ant queen, a lesser guardian, and an immortal beast. With Yaalon in slumber, Sylvia had no way to convey the System's command. Thus, Sylvia had turned to Lenape. Who, in turn, had negotiated with Idetta, arguing for countless hours before the Empress would relent.

It had been a miserable affair. Sylvia would rather have built a few benches or mined stone from the quarry instead.

There was one good bit of news, Sylvia could earn her merit points back. The witch had abused her authority as de facto governor to spawn the quest Soul Vector.

Quest: Soul Vector

Faded Star, the micro-plane presently owned by Esmeralda Vallenfelt, will eventually become the hub through which souls are brought to the Cloud Island Wilderness. However, the interplanar and interdimensional gates on Faded Star are not suitable for this high volume transit.

To complete this quest, transform the ritual gates into full gates that can be opened without the help of a mage or sacrifice. The merit points reward for this quest will depend on the degree to which these gates are upgraded.

This quest was issued by Governor Sylvia Swallows.

Quest Reward: * Merit Points Objectives: [ ] Complete the quest System Node [ ] Install sufficient realm crystal [ ] Convert the interplanar gate [ ] Convert the interdimensional gate

"Wonderful," the emeraldette said, clapping her hands happily. "We should get started."

Sylvia shook her head. "I won't be able to help. Not today." The asteri smiled then patted her chest near her core. "Last night, I finally converted enough essence. I'll be busy chasing the second consolidation."

Emily's eyes widened.

"Congratulations! My little Sylvia, all grown up," she cheered. "It took Belkis half a century to reach this point."

…

"I'll head for Gate Point first, then," Sylvia said.

"Go, go," Emily insisted, making a waving motion as though pushing the girl out. Then her cheeks puffed. "Mmm, I won't finish your armor before you leave."

"Remember, I want cool robes and a snazzy hat," Sylvia said, heading for the door. "An actual hat. Not a headdress."

Or a hair band. Or any other kind of hair ornament. Just because it went on the head didn't make it a hat!

"Don't worry, Sylvia. It'll be super cute," Emily assured. "All the other girls will be so jealous."

And now Sylvia was worried.

The witch slipped out of the Item Shop, her gaze sweeping the Beginner's Village. She felt a touch of pride gazing at the tiny town. The first few ether light lamps stood, glowing in the morning mist. A fog clung to land, soon to vanish. The hour closed on noon and the sun's filtered beams were slowly burning away the mist.

The witch imagined the street teeming with gamers. Groups standing in the square, gathering their party before venturing out into the forest beyond. Others rushing to the shop to buy supplies. More carrying wagons filled with stone or porting empty carts into forest, hoping to gather wood and complete their daily quest.

She could see it in her mind's eye, a town swelling as houses, shops and business were erected to serve the growing population.

Years from now, this fantasy might become truth.

Sylvia smiled. How exciting.

But today, Sylvia had a different task to accomplish.

"■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■."

Three hundred and twenty-one runes were spun into a circle. Into this spell, Sylvia fed streams of mana, one natured into space the other void. The energy was catalyzed by the magic, transforming into the element realm.

With this refined energy, Sylvia wove her second spell.

"■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■, ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■, ■■ ■■■■■."

With twenty-eight syllables, she forged three runic chains. The first pair wrapped around one another, forming a giant wreath. The last was tied into a knot. Sylvia cast the ball through the wreath's center. Sylvia felt a deep and distant resonance. The waystones of two gates sounded. One near. One far.

The witch reached for the distant structure. She felt the line go taut. Straining, Sylvia directed massive flows of mana with her staff.

The air sparked. Energy flowed through the tunnel. A swirling portal tore open the fabric of space. Sylvia stepped through, borrowing ether from the crystal beyond.

Voomp.

The magic collapsed behind her, unable to maintain its form without a witch to guide it.

Just like that, Sylvia was at Gate Point.

To the north lay the starry void and the great gyre. To the south was Chaos Lagoon, a space with weak astral currents thanks to the series of shield islands protecting the harbor. The world turtle, Lenape, rested in the middle, tuckered from the task of porting forty thousand droms of raw crystal from Yaalon Lake.

Further still was the sandy beach and the path to the cave she called home.

"It wasn't long ago I landed here for the first time," she said to herself.

Before leaving, Sylvia checked the heaping pile of solidified sap. The jumble was taller than Sylvia's head. The raw crystal couldn't be used as is. First, it would have to be refined. In this case, the initial refinement would be done in a rush so as to achieve minimal function.

Even then, the realm source forged would be insufficient to open the interplanar gate without sacrificing precious sap.

Months of labor would follow. The crystal would undergo a second and third refinement to maximize its worth, the latter passes done with slow care to preserve as much material as possible. The gate's frame would be shored up to handle repeated openings. The slim ether channels embedded in Gate Point would be replaced then widened so they could recharge the massive realm source.

The end goal was a gate that could transfer 5,000 droms of material a day. That would require eighty thousand realm ether, as the System measured it. It'd take seventy silver-haired witches to supply the same.

This was a major project. One Emily would have to carry out by and large on her own.

Because Sylvia would soon travel to the Timeless Beryl Wilderness.

"At least she'll have Lenape to talk to," Sylvia said.

The asteri stepped off the island. With flowery steps, Sylvia crossed Chaos Lagoon.

Her first act on reaching the shore was to check the Utrecht. The astralship remained moored, its phantasmal sailors intact and guarding the hull. A gargoyle flew overhead, an outrider to clean up beasts that might've slipped the wards.

Next, Sylvia headed for her home.

The resurrection pool was in working order and a quick pulse of Track Threats made clear the wards were intact.

Checklist complete, Sylvia entered her room. The witch stripped her dress then dumped her entire inventory into a box.

It was time.

Sylvia summoned the window.

Class Advancement: Elite Witch

[x] Level: 300 / 300 [x] Experience: 50,000 / 50,000 Please confirm to initiate class advancement from Common Witch to Elite Witch. The class advancement process will require between 2 and 4 hours. During this process, all System features will be locked. The User may remain conscious during this time, but heavy exertion should be avoided for your safety.

Initiate Advancement / Cancel

Sylvia rested her head on a pillow. Gazing up at the drab, gray ceiling she gave her command. "Initiate Advancement."

Compress. Congeal. Implant. Incubate. Communion. This time, Sylvia remained awake, her consciousness outside her soul. Rather than policing the System's action, she just laid back and let the machine do its job. She could feel the jolt run through her soul at the start. A sense of weakness and discomfort followed as the essence within was disrupted.

Closing her eyes, she waited. After fifteen minutes the pressure eased. But it would be hours before Sylvia fully recovered.

With nothing better to do, Sylvia picked up a book. Wizard Means Wise IX was still sitting in her quest log. She chuckled to herself. How long had it been since completing the last part? More than a year.

Time passed quickly. Soon a bell sounded in her head.

Ding.

Class Advancement Complete!

Class: Elite Witch * +150 Hp/Mp * +9 all Physical Attributes * +21 all Magical Attributes

Your Tier has advanced, increasing your influence on the world: * +10% all fundamental attributes

Due to the evolution of your code, the following traits have emerged:

Trait: Ether Affinity I * +35% ether gathering rate * A moderate reduction to the difficulty of filtering ether * A moderate reduction to the difficulty of holding ether

Your soul is attuned to the natural world. Ether bows to your whim. Whether gathering, filtering, or holding ether you will find the task significantly easier. This is true whether the ether is being gathered for direct use, by your elemental palace, or in cooperation with a magical tool.

Ether gathering rate is affected by traits, arts, equipment, and Mysticism.

Trait: Deep Reservoir I * +12% Max MP * +12% Mana recovery rate

Your body has been optimized to not only store more mana but also to accelerate the digestion of ether into mana. As a side effect, this somewhat improves your body's ability to cling to ether, meaning that your mana recovery rate will be less hampered by low ether environments.

Finally, this trait will slightly improve the digestion speed of mana potions.

Two new traits. Neither was transformative. Ether Affinity would improve Sylvia's DPS but would do nothing to increase her burst damage. In a duel, its use was minor. For a battle mage about to join the field of war, it was quite a good mutation. The secondary effects, the improved ability to filter and hold ether though, were mostly useless. That's what staves were for.

Not that it hurt. It'd certainly be a nice boost when Sylvia was casting earth elemental spells or magics from a rarer element.

"With this, it'll take five seconds to recharge my staff," Sylvia mused. "If I learn ether breath, I should be able to chop that number down to three."

Deep Reservoir wasn't nearly so straight forward as it seemed. The buff to her mana pool was an obvious effect. The boost to her mana regeneration was less so. Mana recovery rate scaled with the size of the pool, which meant the two factors multiplied. In real world terms, her recovery rate had jumped by twenty-five percent.

Not a huge help in a fight, but a massive gain when it came to magical labor.

Which, given Sylvia's recent work, was near and dear to her heart.

Eager to see the accumulated result, Sylvia opened her status window.

Name Sylvia Swallows Class Elite Witch Level 300+90 Exp 791 / 3010 HP 495 / 558 MP 887 / 1483 Str 18 Mag 102 Vit 13 Spr 107 Agl 48 Wit 102

"First order of business is to round those numbers out," Sylvia said with a grin. "Then I'll push my strength up to twenty-five."

The witch nodded to herself. Between the attribute boost and the tier advantage, Sylvia would finally have enough power to stand comfortably on air even without her Blood Bone Heels.

…

Her Blood Bone Heels….

Which, to Sylvia's sudden existential horror, she realized she'd been wearing for her entire trip through the Cloud Island Wilderness. High heels. In the jungle. In the swamp. On the mountains. High heels everywhere.

"Donuts," she whimpered to herself.

Could she still call herself a man? Most girls weren't that girly.

"When I have enough skill books, I need to learn how to make my own clothes," Sylvia said through gritted teeth.

… But, would people look at her funny if she started wearing flats again?

Sylvia quickly opened the next window to save her sanity.

Strength 9 + 9 Magic 81 + 21 Force 189% Dominion 559% Scaling 118% Mysticism 202% Vitality 4 + 9 Spirit 86 + 21 Toughness 167% Integrity 581% Resilience 113% Resolve 207% Agility 39 + 9 Wit 81 + 21 Celerity 179% Awareness 236% Precision 148% Capacity 202%

Satisfied, Sylvia snapped the screen closed.

"From today on, I'm a second consolidation witch."

The first consolidation represented the ordinary. The second marked the elite. On mature planes, like Tartarus, around seven percent of the population had entered the second consolidation. On young planes, like the Timeless Beryl Wilderness, such demons were in the top one percent.

In other words, she was now officially strong as demons went. Not overwhelmingly strong. Just notably stronger than the majority of her opponents.

The second consolidation marked another turning point. With three cores, Sylvia's soul had been strengthened to the point she could Awaken. The first grand mutation was the divisor between the noble and the normal.

She'd have to ask her teacher about it later.

Sylvia opened one last window.

Class Advancement: ??? [ ] Level: 300 / 600 [ ] Experience: 791 / 150,000

Please advance your level to the required point before attempting class advancement from Elite Witch to ???.

"As I thought, level 600 before the next advancement."

Sylvia knew the pattern firmly now, but it was always better to confirm than assume.

Overall, the second consolidation represented a minor bump in strength. In fact, the biggest and most immediate gain was something the System hadn't listed. Her soul's carrying capacity had increased.

In the first consolidation, Sylvia's limit had been 100 droms. Any more than that and she risked randomly dropping items upon death. Now, her soul could tolerate 150 droms. With her realm ring array solidifying the outer membrane, this number was bumped up to roughly 180 droms.

The whole of her equipment set massed 144.8 droms exactly.

"I'm finally able to carry my armor and my broom at the same time," Sylvia said gleefully.

Not only that, she had plenty of space for knickknacks.

Sylvia rolled out of bed. Slipping her clothes back on, she stuffed all her equipment back into her inventory. It was time to check on Emily and see what she could do to help.

-oOo-

Little arms wrapped around Sylvia's waist.

"I'm going to miss you," the petite emeraldette said.

Sylvia held her friend without resistance, indulging in Emily's soft warmth. If there was one great thing about being a girl, it was the physical intimacy. Sylvia had gotten more hugs in the last month than she had in ten years as Eric Swallow.

It was nice.

"At most, I'll be gone for half a year."

"Which means, I'll super miss you," Emily repeated clinging tight. After holding for half a minute, the witch stepped back. Umbral eyes peered into those of fractal pink. "You have to write. At least once a day!"

"I don't have enough pages to write once a day," Sylvia pointed out.

Emily waved a tiny fist. "That's okay. Once the gate system is working, we can exchange normal letters."

"I can only promise once a week," Sylvia rejected.

The silver-haired witch was pretty certain she was incapable of writing daily letters.

Emily's cheeks puffed. "Mmmm! Then you have to write cutely. You're an adorable girl, so your handwriting has to be cute!"

…

"No matter how much you beg, I'm not dotting an 'i' with a heart," Sylvia deadpanned.

The two girls were on Gate Point. For the last week and a half, the two of them had refined raw chaos crystal. Poor Lenape had also been suckered in for assistance. Sylvia's heart hurt just thinking about all the material that had been wasted, but they had achieved their goal.

The interplanar gate was now fit for more regular travel.

The gate's frame remained slim, but the ground beneath it had undergone major renovation. The stone podium was now ringed by thick wood that spiraled out to the island's edge. Lumps of orange-black crystal had been fitted into slots on either side of the gate's body, fueled and ready.

It wasn't pretty, but it'd work.

They had verified the function four days ago. A simple open and close test. Twelve hours after that, with poor Lenape charging the battery, Emily had crossed over to Faded Star. The witch had remained there for a full day to carry out a few minor modifications. Then she had returned with Lady Vallenfelt's astral furnace in hand.

Which meant, it was time for Sylvia to go.

"Stay safe, Sylvia," Emily said.

"I'm counting on you to keep the gates in good order," Sylvia reminded.

"Mmm," Emily nodded. "Refining the crystals and increasing the realm ether generation is first priority."

"Lady Vallenfelt and I will draw up a list of what items to send your way first," Sylvia said.

Vallen's spare realm brick would be sent promptly, a fraction held back so Sylvia could do maintenance on their side. After that, they might tear up the cultivation array set along the Academy's void-facing rim. There were some decent chaos domain materials there. Not what they needed to make a gate, but good stuff for building the ether channels to fuel one.

"Miss Sylvia, rest assured that I will keep Miss Clark safe in your absence," Lenape interjected.

"Thank you, Lenape," Sylvia said, nodding to the world turtle.

"May your every action further the Great Work," the turtle returned.

"See you two in six months," Sylvia replied.

"Remember Sylvia, write!" Emily reminded.

The silver-haired witch picked up a small, wooden box. It was a cheap container to hold her phylactery. Given all the demons running around the Academy, it was best not to carry it outwardly.

"I will," Sylvia promised.

Emily's cheeks puffed, promising great pain if Sylvia failed to keep her word. The silver-haired girl wisely added a weekly reminder to her System calendar.

Sylvia knew exactly how much it sucked to be alone for months on end.

Eyes watering, Emily started to chant.

"■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■."

Runes flowed out, carrying with them the element law. The spell flew toward the empty frame. The blank surface shimmered. The gate's enchantments reacted. Masses of ether flowed. Runes lit along the rim, scores large and visible. Thousands so small they shimmered like glitter.

Sylvia knew there were tens of thousands more, each so tiny they appeared like luminescent mist.

Realm crystal drained. Space sparked. Emptiness was set afire. The flame turned into a whirl. A large portal formed, filling the interplanar gate's frame.

Emily gazed at her, trying not to cry.

Sylvia flashed a smile then stepped through.

It felt as though she'd been sucked into a tube.

The world twisted. Up, down, left, and right tumbled upon one another. Distance and direction became a chaotic rumble. Sylvia's eyes strained, striving to make sense of rippling space. Then, no more than ten seconds later, her stretched form snapped back.

For a brief instant, Sylvia caught a glimpse of Faded Star. Short green grass. A small house. A beautiful ash made of glass.

Then she was jerked through the second gate. One tunnel into another with barely a second to stop. Sylvia's existence stretched again, like a rubber band pulled back.

Then – Voomp – she was tossed through a swirling door.

Sylvia blinked dizzily.

"Welcome to the Timeless Beryl Wilderness, little sis."

Belkis offered a graceful curtsy before putting on a loose smile. The dark-skinned prisma was wearing a deep red dress. Atop her curly, golden-brown hair rested an ornamental hat.

"Hello to you too, senior sister," Sylvia said gently, mirroring the elemental witch. "And thank you for making me curtsy," she added cattily.

"I just wanted to remind you of your manners before you met Master," Belkis teased. "Also, your hair is absolutely adorable. I love it."

It was only then that Sylvia remembered she was still wearing twin tails.

-oOo-

Transport Gates

Waygates

Construction Cost: 1 to 1.5 million soli

Use Cost: Mage's mana

Waygates are the cheapest gate based transportation structure. Most of their cost comes from the realm brick and waystone required for their construction.

However, waygates are not an effective form of public transportation. To use a waygate, a demon must cast the gate spell and only around one in five thousand demons can accomplish this action. Even for mages, public waygates are undesirable. This is because, should two gates be opened to the same destination at the same time, the spells will deconstruct.

While not suitable for the public, private waygates are extremely popular among upper class demons. Some are owned by individual demons while others are controlled by small groups, such as a coven. To prevent waygates from being inappropriately accessed, most are designed to only accept spells cast with the mana from a specific set of mages. This acts as a biometric security measure.

Other, semi-public, gates may rely on a key stone to gain access. In high security situations, the gates are set to demand both.

Planar Gates

Cost: 20 to 30 million soli

Use Cost: 1 to 2 soli a drom

By adding layers of enchantment and firming the frame, a waygate can be modified to catalyze its own gate spell. This demands a sufficient realm source to fuel the spell, along with an ether gathering array to regenerate the consumed energy.

Despite the additional cost, planar gates are common transport tools on developed planes. They allow quick travel at high convenience. Unlike waygates, these don't require special knowledge to use. Furthermore, they are often part of a network with automated queuing and frames set aside for entry and exit. This greatly reduces the risk of a clash.

Because gathering realm ether is challenging and expensive, planar gates often use joint transit. This allows them to cross through a node that borders the starry void where astral ether can be gathered faster and cheaper. This ether supply is then fed back into the realm crystals of the calling gate, ensuring they always have enough to create the initial connection.

While this design does save money, it means that most gate networks are highly vulnerable to interplanar attack.

Interplanar Gates

Ritual Gate

Cost: 30 to 100 million soli

Use Cost: Resource expenditure/Ritual

Full Gate

Cost: 400 to 500 million soli

Use Cost: 40 to 100 soli a drom

An interplanar gate is any gate that crosses between two netherworld planes. They are broadly divided into ritual gates and full gates. Both gate types require sophisticated enchantments to open the channel. However, ritual gates eschew the costly law and realm crystal. This drastically lowers the capital expenditure but mandates the use of a ritual to open the gate.

Hence their name, ritual gate.

Typically this is done by gathering dozens of mages to feed the magic jointly. However, many gates also operate on the sacrifice of valuable materials such as cosmic sap.

For a ritual gate, 80% to 90% of the cost comes from the waystone. Waystones suitable for interplanar gates are rare, meaning they almost always have to be purchased at auction.

Full Gates have high capital cost, but lower use cost. Despite this, they struggle to be economically viable. Due to distance, complexity, and structural needs interplanar gates cannot be networked. Their high initial price and ongoing maintenance requirements result in unaffordable ticket prices. This fault, combined with a lack of destinations, limits the number of travelers. Which only serves to drive ticket prices higher.

Despite this, high level governments often own full gates to facilitate rapid deployment of military resources or transport of valuable goods. As for ritual gates, the netherworld is littered with hidden gates left behind after the three Great Wars.

Interdimensional Gate

Cost: 1 to 3 billion soli

Use Cost: 25 to 60 soli a drom

An interdimensional gate is one of the few known means to travel between the netherworld and the material universe. Every interdimensional gate is a priceless structure, as they can only be built using true matter that has been imbued with realm essence. Ordinary demons can only find this material by chance. Hell, Heaven, and the Fey Federation, however, all know how to synthesize these materials.

Somewhat ironically, the use cost of an interdimensional gate is cheaper than that of most interplanar gates. This is despite the heavier ether consumption. There are two reasons for this. First, interdimensional gates are almost always exploited to their limit as there are no good alternatives when it comes to interdimensional travel. Secondly, the matter used in their construction sturdies the gate against mystic forces, meaning that these gates require much less long term maintenance.

Sylvia's Notes: Late in her mortal life, Esmeralda lucked upon a cosmic ash whose roots had touched Ayu. The stone she gathered from that site was used to make her interdimensional gate.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.