-oOo-

-oOo-

Faded Star's interdimensional gate was constructed from stacked stone. This was very different from the smooth frames of the gates Sylvia had built. And for good reason. This was true matter. Big, gray blocks of rock hewn from the mountains of Duo Pacu Ayu. The glistening granite was riddled with veins of quartz.

Sylvia admired the design. Constructing a gate from true matter demanded a different approach. Runes had been shaped into the stone, the shimmering bands of white appearing as flat glyphs on the surface. Magic was embodied both materially and phantasmally, an artistry of two worlds overlapping.

"It's strange to think that common stone can be considered a legendary material," Sylvia laughed.

But it was. True matter was a rare substance in the netherworld. It bore with it the laws of physics, imposing the firm rules of science onto ether's erratic logic. Stone like this, that bore within it a phantasm, was rarer still.

The gate would've been no more precious if it'd been forged from adamantine or mythril instead.

With the girls busy building a road, Sylvia had returned to Faded Star to check Emily's work. A century ago, Esmeralda had laid down the channels for her gate. At the time, the sole asteri had cut corners, using the cosmic ash as a fulcrum for all her enchantments. While this saved her on construction costs and facilitated the use of cosmic sap, it put a strain on the tree.

When Lady Vallenfelt was summoning thirty souls on a biannual basis, this hardly mattered. If the Devil wished to call a dozen souls a day, however, it would be a serious problem.

If the tree died, Faded Star would die with it.

The solution? Move the tree out of the main path and use a giant pile of realm crystal as a capacitor instead. With this method, the cosmic ash would only serve the circuit by siphoning ether and recharging the battery.

"Looks good," Sylvia said, after spending another ten minutes reviewing the astral channels.

The witch reached for her earth scepter.

Then she paused. A sly smile spread on her lips. With pastel pink eyes, the witch spotted Emily's approach. Rather than stooping normally, Sylvia bent at the waist like a porn actress reaching for a pen.

Emily missed a step. Sylvia's heart leapt. The silver-haired girl snickered, straightening as though nothing had happened.

On a completely unrelated note, earth scepters were awesome. Sylvia didn't favor earth magic in battle, but it was amazing when it came time to build something. One of these days, she was going to buy a better one.

Along with a better staff.

And better robes.

And better shoes.

… and she'd need a new realm ring array too, after she Awakened.

She, uh, needed better everything at this point.

The emeraldette closed, her cheeks showing a touch of pink. "Did I mess anything up?"

"No, it looks good to me," Sylvia answered, twirling her scepter for fun. "But I'd run another channel and set a couple small crystals close to the frames. The gate is going to drive a big surge when it opens. Better to soften the back flow and reduce the damage."

The silver-haired witch stopped in thought, then added.

"And we should bulk up the interplanar gate more. It'd be a real pain if it broke without one of us on either side."

"Mmm," Emily sounded, nodding her agreement. The adorable witch looked a bit worried. "We're running low on realm brick though."

"Yeah, and we're probably years from having the industry to make it ourselves," Sylvia sighed. Beyond that, they'd want to conquer Nemesis. There should be good veins of chaos materials there. She continued, tone soft. "How does it feel? First, you lost Vallen. Now, you're losing another home."

Emily walked up, setting her hand on the granite gate.

"It's hard," Emily said quietly. "I've had Faded Star since I entered the netherworld. Back then, I only found the plane out of pure luck. I was a seventy-year-old lady, all frail and shriveled up. The royal court had heard reports of a magical disturbance up in the mountains. The king sent me to investigate, mostly to keep me out of his hair."

Sylvia found a comfortable bench to sit on. "I struggle to see you as an old lady."

"He he," Emily laughed. The emeraldette spun around happily, skirt rising in a flutter. "That's because I'm very pretty."

She was indeed.

"It was a brutal trek. When I reached the location of the phenomena, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. At first, I thought it might be a breach into the nether, so I ordered it sealed. And since I, too, had enough of the court, I decided to build a house beside it so I could study this gate."

"And let me guess, after realizing what you'd found, you robbed your sovereign blind," Sylvia teased.

"Hmph!" Emily huffed. "Why should I care when he sent this lonely old lady up into the mountains."

…

Didn't she just say she was happy enough to be there?

Also, a cosmic ash was worth billions of soli. Sylvia felt Emily's suffering hardly equated to what she'd stolen.

Though, if the king had tried to cling to a microplane it might well have ended his kingdom. Only by removing it from the world had Lady Vallenfelt kept her treasure hidden from the greedy hands of the netherworld.

"Sure, sure," Sylvia needled.

The little thief raised her nose, unapologetic.

Sylvia's gaze shifted to the gate. "How did you get all this up here anyway?"

Having spent months working with realm magic, Sylvia had a solid appreciation of its limits.

"The phenomena arose when a root of the cosmic ash grew through the dimensional layer to settle on Ayu. Once I knew how to materialize it, reaching Faded Star was simple. I just climbed it like a rope. With magic, of course. Not with my hands."

Lady Vallenfelt was clearly a Mary Sue, Sylvia sneered internally. Not only was she impossibly beautiful, she was also extremely talented, spiritually, magically, and intellectually. And lucky. So crazy lucky that she entered the netherworld with the massive cheat known as Faded Star.

Though, arguably, Sylvia's rise was far more broken.

And soon, there would be a whole world of cheaters.

"Esmeralda and the beanstalk," Sylvia joked. "Fee-fi-fo-fum."

Emily's umbral eyes narrowed. The green-haired witch put an adorable hand on her hip. "Sylvia, you're too short to be a giant."

"I'm a whole inch taller than you," Sylvia replied blandly.

"No, no, no, we're both tiny and cute. See," Emily said, as she sat down on the bench, pressing her back against that of the other witch.

Sylvia expertly raised her nose. She had the System. And the System said she had two centimeters on Emily. At their size, that was a massive 1.3% difference.

Emily giggled. Her soft hand rested gently on top of Sylvia's.

Sylvia's chest tightened.

This warmth. This closeness. It was painful. Having Emily beside her had become a core part of her life. Talking to her and being with her had kept Sylvia sane as they ventured through the Cloud Island Wilderness. Even before, she had always been there. Except when Sylvia went to Tartarus, Emily was always at her side.

No one had shared so many precious moments with Sylvia in her entire life.

Vallen had fallen into ruin. The Starlight Nether Witch Academy was gone. Soon Faded Star would be Lucifer's. But what struck Sylvia the hardest was Emily. In a year, Emily would be gone. Her soul would merge with that of Esmeralda Vallenfelt.

Only one person would remain.

Sylvia's grip tightened. Delicate fingers slipped through Emily's, grasping onto the girl. She feared if she let go, the emeraldette would vanish forever.

"So you climbed up to Faded Star, created your own nether code, then sailed away into the night," Sylvia continued, trying hard not to think about the future.

Emily leaned against the silver-haired witch. "Not like that. I made my nether code earlier. I was very talented, you know. I reached the limit of my mortal cultivation when I was in my twenties. But I was unsatisfied. So I spent years collecting samples of code before cobbling together a bloodline for myself."

She made it sound so straightforward. Sylvia knew it was anything but. Creating a bloodline was simpler than genetic engineering, yes. Nether code was a construct of runes. It followed the same logic and understanding as magic, enchantment, and alchemy. The ideas and concepts within could thus be read by a human mind.

But this only made the task easier. It didn't make it easy.

"How does mortal cultivation work, anyway?" Sylvia asked.

"Even without a bloodline, the soul can still accumulate essence," Emily explained. "You can also create a phantasm in the flesh. Knights do that, but nobles look down on the practice because only cultivating the soul brings you closer to the divine.

"However, without a code it's impossible to consolidate. Sometimes, if you're talented, you can strike a deal with a demon, angel, or faerie to receive a bloodline as a gift. But providing bloodlines to mortals costs karma, so they won't help unless the trade is worth the loss."

Sylvia nodded. Thus originated the myth of humans selling their souls for power.

"Do you have to?"

Sylvia's words lingered in the air, as heavy as her heart.

"Mmm?" Dark eyes turned, peering into ancient galaxies of fractal pink.

"Merging your souls," Sylvia explained.

Emily's hand squeezed hers lightly.

"Sylvia, the soul isn't meant to be split into parts. Every day I can feel it. A pull. A longing. It's like a piece of me is missing, a limb torn off or a love forever lost," Emily said softly. "It hurts, carrying with it a deep and slow pain. Most days, I can forget the longing, but it is always there."

Umbral eyes gazed through the granite gate. Within them lay a nebula more beautiful than the twinkling stars of the astral world beyond.

"Even if I were to endure the pull, giving up my other half means giving up my future. You've probably noticed I haven't been cultivating. That's because there is no point. With my soul split, my talent is too weak. It's better to wait until the parts are rejoined and the wound healed."

"I see," Sylvia murmured heavily.

Her fingers eased, ready to slip through. Emily's grip tightened, refusing to let her go.

"I'm not going to die, Sylvia," Emily said firmly. "I won't even be gone. We'll be one person. That's all. We've always been one person."

"But you won't be Emily."

"No, I'll be Esmy. Or Emmy," Emily insisted. She paused. "Sylvia, can you do something for me?"

"Of course," Sylvia answered.

"After Esmeralda and I are one, I want you to seduce me."

…

What?

What!?

Sylvia's brain sputtered. Her mouth gaped. Was that a joke? What did 'seduce' even mean? The silver-haired witch didn't so much respond as gurgle.

Emily giggled, umbral eyes dancing with emerald shimmers.

Sylvia's expression turned into a scowl. "Are you playing with me?"

A shadowed nebula gazed into Sylvia's soul. Emily's expression was unreadable. Her adorable nose and delicate cheeks so close Sylvia felt her chest flutter.

Suddenly, the emeraldette leaned forward.

Two lips, soft as petals, pressed against her own. The silver-haired witch froze. A moment eternal and passing was seared into her synapses, a whirl of emotions standing forever yet so incredibly brief.

"I like you," Emily breathed, as she drew back. "I like, like you. But starting a relationship wouldn't be fair to my older self. So I have to hold back."

"I…."

Her tongue was thick. Sylvia didn't know the words. Part of her mind insisted the last few seconds were nothing more than delusion, a fantasy conjured by a fevered mind.

"I can't promise that future me will agree," Emily continued. "I'll have memories where I'm your teacher as well as your friend. Part of me will insist I should keep my distance. That's why you have to try and snatch my heart. Don't be shy. Just take it. I won't be able to resist."

Sylvia just stared dizzily. A sly smile crawled across the imp's face. The witch leaned closer, this time to whisper in Sylvia's ear.

"Did you just get kissed by a twelve-year-old girl or a two-hundred-year-old witch?"

Sylvia's brain broke.

Tittering in delight, Emily stood. The emeraldette danced back in a whirl, skirt fluttering in the air. Just before she left, the girl leaned forward for one last word.

"And Syl~vi~a, a lady does not tease."

Then she was gone.

Sylvia was left petrified on a bench. Only the granite body of the interdimensional gate stood as company.

Slowly, the paralysis faded. Still in a daze, Sylvia lifted a hand and set it against her heart. The crystal core was still. It did not offer a single thump. But the witch could feel the phantom echo of her heart fluttering wildly. Confused. Elated. Bewildered. Euphoric.

It was as though the witch's mind were floating away into the sky.

Was this love?

Sylvia didn't know.

But she knew one thing for certain. Emily was most assuredly the evilest, old, cradle robbing hag Sylvia had ever met.

Also.

"What do you mean two-hundred-year-old witch? If I include your mortal age, you're halfway to three hundred!"

-oOo-

With no urgent tasks, time slipped by quickly. Before Sylvia knew it, it was already the second week of Men-Ventus. Roughly two months had passed since they fled the Timeless Beryl Wilderness.

Sylvia wasn't still during this time. The silver-haired witch feasted on a steady diet of blood essence, driving her level ever higher.

For a carnivore, levels 200 to 600 were the optimal period of growth. Below this point, killing phantasms was a struggle. Meat and resources had to be bought or experience shared among a party. Above 600, the situation would reverse. Experience requirements would continue to climb, but the speed of a demon's hunt would remain stagnant.

The netherworld wasn't a game. Encounters weren't meticulously balanced to reward or punish the player according to their advancement through the main quest. Most phantasms were Class I or II. Class III beasts were rare. When hunting high-level phantasms, it was often easier to seek a nether beast.

And Sylvia's stomach wasn't big enough to swallow Slyde's blood essence even if she could kill him.

In fact, the more she killed, the more Sylvia realized her most potent tool wasn't her battle power but rather her broom and Track Target. She spent more hours moving from place to place than killing. And, if she continued to murder at this rate, sooner or later, world logic would treat her as an apex predator and all her prey would start to run and hide.

"In light of this, there's no immediate benefit to diving further into combat magic," Sylvia lamented.

Right now, the silver-haired witch was contemplating something far more important than levels. She was deciding her next set of skill books.

A few weeks ago, Lady Vallenfelt had finished the hand off of Faded Star. With that, the main quests System Node and Soul Vector were marked complete. Esmeralda would have to wait until Yaalon woke before she received her mutation fruit, but Sylvia's reward had been immediate.

3,357 merit points. What a delicious haul.

Though, it wasn't nearly what could've been. As Sylvia feared, their poor use of the chaos crystal had resulted in deductions. If Sylvia were to get technical, she'd barely broken even.

Sigh. Such was life.

That pile of points did not stay in her pocket for long. Sylvia had used them to buy books for Elementary Alchemy, Spell Theory 101, and Smelting – an Ether Smith's Guide. The shock of knowledge had opened windows in the asteri's mind and set Sylvia on the path to becoming a well-rounded witch.

Or a professor.

"It wouldn't be bad to expand my base further. I still have the encyclopedia of runes to learn," Sylvia mused. "Alternatively, I could further augment my skill in crafting. Using a book specifically for enchanting would be useful. Diving deeper into the field of alchemy would pay dividends too."

A single skill book was enough to transform her into a newly graduated expert on any subject. But ten were necessary if Sylvia wanted to be a true master. Sylvia was reluctant to spend so many books on any subject at this point, however. Merit points were precious and skills were subject to severe diminishing returns.

And, as Sylvia had to remind herself, she was no longer the plane's sole expert. Several of the graduates were decent hands at the production side of magecraft. They had witches skilled at making enchanted tools and structures. There was also Kristina Evans, a staff maker of moderate ability. They even had a pair of alchemists, though one was specialized in potions while the other had focused on rote production. Neither had mastered alchemical theory.

Which was a major problem.

Only those who understood theory were fit for alchemical research. Thus, the plane's success hinged on Emily and Esmeralda, both of whom were extraordinarily busy. Sylvia could be considered a lab assistant, at best. And she too, had far too many tasks on her plate.

"The System database can support a second alchemy book, but I doubt it can handle a third," Sylvia mused. "Plus, if I want to go further, I'd need to use skill books on arithmancy and spell theory."

Also, she really did need to learn more runes. Spells, for the most part, were restricted to the Great Codex. There were only a thousand or so runes beyond that set which could be effectively used in casual casting. Nether codes and enchantments, however, made use of a much broader collection.

"Or I could skip magic altogether and chase something different. I could learn chemistry, math, history, or physics," Sylvia considered.

…

Ha! That was a good one! Chuckling, Sylvia's eyes were drawn to what was really dear to her heart.

"But I want to learn how to dual cast," she whined.

It was so, so tempting. But Sylvia couldn't justify it. Dual casting only shined when used by duelists. For a witch fighting solo, whether in tournaments or in the wilderness, it was a divine technique. For a mage traveling in groups, it was next to worthless.

And Sylvia simply did not need it. Who was she going to fight? Slyde? Casting basic magics with her free hand wouldn't make the snake any easier.

Plus, she'd be drowning in merit points when the gamer population hit one hundred thousand.

Unless Lucifer screwed her.

He was going to screw her, wasn't he?

Waffling, Sylvia expanded the list of skill books already in the shop. Sylvia wasn't the only busy bee in the last year. The gamers of Earth had been accumulating their own merit. A few smart cookies had even realized that using a blank skill book to create a new one was an investment which would provide returns in the long run.

Though nobody had a near monopoly on core skills like Sylvia.

"There's quite a few here now," she realized. She dug in deeper. "I wonder if there's anything that'd be useful for architectural design."

Ding!

The System bell sounded. Her pastel pink eyes flicked to the event log.

Quest Complete: Beginner's Village: Rocky Road

"Yes!!!" Riley shouted.

Grinning, Sylvia banished the blue windows. Natalie plopped down in the back of the wagon, tired and worn. On her arrogant face, Sylvia spotted a hint of a smile.

Willow raised a hand into the air and gave a weak cheer.

The path between town and quarry was complete. One day, hordes of gamers would walk this road, bringing with them carts both empty and full. Diligent workers would fill the warehouse with good stone, eager gamers striving to complete their daily quests.

What a nice image.

The silver-haired witch stood.

The asteri had been resting on a hill while she 'overlooked' the girls' labor. Now that the quest was done, Sylvia descended. Grass brushed against her calves, her twin tails a breath above them.

"Congratulations," Sylvia said when she reached the group. "How does it feel now that you've completed your first quest?"

"Good," Riley said, leaning against the wooden wagon. "Exhausting, but good."

Sylvia had built the wagon so the girls could transport stone. It was hand driven, of course. Sylvia lacked the skill to make golems. Nor did she know how to tame beasts.

… hmm, those were some good skill books too.

"Collecting merit points is more difficult than I expected," Natalie stated from her seat.

"Tell me about it," Riley groaned.

"You girls are collecting them fast enough," Sylvia refuted.

"You could've finished the quest in half the time it took us," Willow mumbled.

That... was true.

Sylvia's mana pool was six times the size of the other girls. This was the advantage of level. Her trait, Deep Reservoir tilted things further in her favor, goosing her mana regeneration by 12%.

Then there was the advantage of skill. Even on Earth, there was a large gap between an amateur and an expert. Sylvia had more experience with magical construction. Furthermore, she used advanced magic instead of basic spells. Even her tools were better than the ones they wielded. Sylvia had scavenged up some cheap staves, but neither sported the advantages brought by her scepter.

As a simple example of the gap, when Sylvia wanted to pave a section of road, she'd load rock into a crate, levitate it with magic, then fly to her destination using her broom.

The girls took the same stone, put it in their cart, then wheeled it into place.

All three witches were jealous.

Sylvia loved it.

That said….

"If I'd done so, you would've earned less merit," Sylvia pointed out. "You might even have earned none. But, before we get into a debate, I want everyone to rattle off the number of points you gained."

"The System gave me 157," Riley said first.

Willow spoke next, snapping into place like a professional soldier. "178."

"165," Natalie Ward added, cool and attentive. With the prim way she sat, one would think the green-haired witch hadn't been involved in heavy labor. "That adds up to exactly 700 points, assuming you collected 200."

"I did," Sylvia confirmed. "Which means we're still under the cap, so I can afford to help a bit more next time."

When quests showed their merit reward, the points displayed were the greatest amount an individual could earn. Players on Earth, however, had discovered the System hid a larger pot. If the quest was completed by a team, this pot would be split among the participants according to contribution.

In this case, the secret pot had held 700 points. Even if Sylvia completed a greater share of the work, her reward would remain fixed at 200 points. The only change being, the quest finishing faster.

However, Sylvia had to be careful. Forum experiments made clear the System also had hidden, minimum contribution levels. Anyone who failed to match would receive fewer points, even if the pot had yet to be emptied. And if their contribution was low enough, they would earn nothing at all.

Alas, it was impossible to know what these secret variables were. Otherwise, Sylvia would game the haupia out of these quests to maximize her profit.

Which was probably why the System kept this information hidden.

"Regardless, you girls are earning merit points fast enough as is," Sylvia pointed out.

Completing quests as a party was pure win-win. Sylvia had built half the road on her own. From her perspective, having the three witches assist had doubled her point-to-labor ratio. Riley and others had made out like bandits, scoring five times the points they otherwise would've expected.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Gamers were going to soar once they entered the Cloud Island Wilderness.

"Look at it this way, four more quests and you'll have your first skill book," Sylvia continued.

"Three," Riley refuted, holding up her fingers. "I'm at 237, counting my dailies."

"Three," Sylvia accepted. "And they'll go faster with levels and practice."

"Only if we don't buy any System Features first," Natalie added. The witch turned her deep, blue eyes toward the pinkette.

Willow pressed her lips.

Riley and Natalie were committed. Both wanted skill books above all else. Willow, on the other hand, had been dithering. The twin-tailed pinkette desperately wished to contact the sisters she'd left behind. Yet, at the same time, she feared how her sisters would react when she renewed her ties.

The freckled tomboy suffered a similar conundrum. Before her death, Riley had a good relationship with her parents. She hoped to speak to them again in the future.

"Since you finished your quest, I'll let you have the rest of the day off," Sylvia offered. "But before you run away, I want to talk about our next quest. As for which one, I think you can guess."

Sylvia projected a screen.

Quest: Beginner's Village: Breaking Bedrock To the north of the Beginner's Village lies a quarry of stone. This is an important resource point for construction materials. However, there is a limit to how much stone this quarry can produce.

By order of Governor Sylvia Swallows, this material collection point is to be upgraded. Nothing less than a doubling of daily capacity will do. The upgraded quarry must allow for efficient extraction of stone while providing protections against excess exploitation.

By order of the governor, players may participate in this task as a daily quest. * 0 / 10 labor slots have been used

Quest Reward: * 100 to 400 merit points on completion (based on quality and contribution) Objectives: [ ] Propose a new architecture [ ] Carve out the new quarry structure [ ] Setup ether channels and enchantments to improve stone production [ ] Setup infrastructure so laborers may efficiently gather and collect stone [ ] Ward the territory against phantasms

"I'll handle the wards and enchantments," Sylvia said. "Which means you three will be responsible for the digging and the shaping."

Riley was the only one who grinned. The blonde had always preferred hard labor over bookwork.

"I've drawn up a plan already," the silver-haired witch continued. "But let's test your understanding first. How do you think the quarry should be modified?"

The tomboy groaned. Natalie's expression turned serious.

"We need to lay a grand circle then concentrate earth ether into the existing stone," the forest-haired witch said.

Rock was a phantasmal substance. Droms of the material were a representation of essence and essence was bred from ether. As long as the plane's world logic recognized the quarry as a place with stone, rock would continue to grow in the earth much like wood grew on trees. Pumping in thicker, purer ether was an obvious improvement.

"We have to add some fire," Willow pondered, fingers against her chin. "Otherwise we might grow dirt essence instead of stone."

"The netherworld is so weird," Riley muttered.

"A five to one ratio will be optimal," Sylvia confirmed, ignoring her friend. "Increasing ether will improve daily production, but what should we do to make the stone accessible?"

"We could dig down to expose more rock?" Willow suggested, unsure.

"Then we'd have to carry it up," Riley pointed out. She paused, thinking about it a little harder. "Though, I suppose we could build a lift."

Sylvia waited in silence, letting the girls discuss. As a mentor, her job was to make the witches think. That way, a year from now, she wouldn't have to hold their hands when they were completing quests.

"Instead of going down, we should grow the rocks up," Natalie interjected.

"Going down with a few hundred pounds of stone is just as hard as going up," Riley rejected. "Plus, you'd have gamers hacking stuff off the top, then throwing it without a care for who they might crush."

Sylvia chuckled.

Oh, they'd definitely do that. Humans were a species already prone to toxic behavior. Add immortality and things would get worse. Sylvia could already see jerks tossing boulders over their shoulders just to make their lives easier.

"Surely they wouldn't," Willow said in disbelief.

"They would," Sylvia confirmed bluntly. "And while it'd be funny to see a few idiots crushed to death, this is the Beginner's Village. I don't want to encourage bad habits."

Speaking of which, she really needed to set aside a zone for PvP. Actually, scratch that. It'd be better to build an arena. Sylvia quickly added the idea to her notes.

"We don't have to grow it that tall," Natalie replied, her tone cold. "Just high enough that the rock appears above ground."

"What, like a stone forest?" Riley questioned, struggling to visualize it.

"That's a great idea!" Willow said enthusiastically. "We can have plots where the stone grows, and big roads between the plots."

"The roots would be below ground, which would discourage overexploitation," Natalie added.

Riley nodded. Then the tomboy glanced over in Sylvia's direction.

"What's your grand plan, then?"

Sylvia gestured. Architectural Overlay projected her design in a giant map.

"You girls came pretty close to what I imagined," Sylvia praised. "The foundation is a series of rock-filled pits. Channels will feed ether into these pits, increasing both the density and ratio of the desired elements to encourage growth. As the rocks expand, they'll push upward, forming harvestable piles."

Sylvia tweaked her map, revealing the buried parts of the imagined structure.

"For now, we'll use cheap wood for the channels. The effect won't be the best, but it's the only thing we have on hand. That said, I don't want to bury it deep because when we get something better we'll have to replace it.

"Like Natalie suggested, we'll plant a wide circle to capture the ether. Then we'll add a set of interconnected circles around the pits. Per Willow, wide roads between the resource points. This will provide plenty of room for wagons and carts."

Natalie leaned in close, studying the hologram.

"If stone is collected too slowly, the rocks will spill out onto the road," she pointed out.

"The roads are wide enough to survive a little laziness," Sylvia returned. Then she gave an evil smile. "And, if the gamers are too slow, the headaches which come after will add to the fun."

Plus, she didn't want to lay down enchantments sophisticated enough to stop it. This was a stone quarry, not a resource point producing precious materials like elemental crystal or cabalistic copper.

Riley shook her head. "We free then?"

"Yep. Run off. Have fun," Sylvia encouraged. "Just don't get yourselves killed. There's work to do in the morning."

"Ummm," Willow sounded.

Sylvia glanced in her direction. The pinkette took a deep breath then stepped forward.

"I think…," Willow began nervously. "I think I'm ready."

A hush fell. Riley gazed at the girl, green eyes sharp and bright. Natalie watched with silent contemplation. Sylvia's visage turned serious.

"Are you sure?"

Six weeks ago, Willow had been on the cusp of class advancement. This was the advantage of age. Since then, experience points had piled up. A week prior, Willow's steady diet of astral amber pushed her past the limit. The pinkette's first consolidation was complete.

Yet, an obstacle remained. Transmigration.

"I am," Willow said. Her blue-amethyst eyes reflected worry and resolution. "I have to set the standard for all my little sisters. And… and I think, looking forward to the call will push me. That's why I have to transmigrate now."

Riley let out a breath. The blonde stood, then walked up beside her companion. She set an affirming hand on Willow's shoulder.

"You can do it," Riley encouraged. "And I know they'll be happy to hear from you."

"Thanks," Willow mumbled, head lowered.

Sylvia's expression was still.

Transmigration.

Transmigration meant shedding the outer layers of the soul. Soul essence would be purged, forcefully setting Willow's level back to zero. The outer and inner membranes would be rebuilt as well, restoring talent lost to injury and decay. The process, however, offered a huge gain. Willow would cultivate faster. By the time she reached level 300, the experience points saved would exceed the experience points lost. In Willows case, the difference in talent would be especially extreme due to the integration of the System.

But transmigration wasn't without risk.

Once the outer soul was shed, the nuclear core would sink naked into the depths of Unus Mundus. The self would be exposed to the one world's collective unconsciousness. If the ego could not hold, the soul would melt into the morass.

True death, unrecoverable.

Ordinary demons did not fear transmigration. After their mortal death, their uncoded soul would be drawn into Unus Mundus. There they would float for half a century before arriving in the nether. Persons with weak egos and those lacking the desire for life would meet their end. Thus, their souls had already been filtered.

Asteri, however, were untested. Nether code, even when the core was stripped naked, was a shield of sorts. Transmigration was also far shorter in duration than mortal death. So the risk was smaller than it seemed.

But small wasn't none.

For Natalie, Sylvia had no fear. That woman's heart beat with ambition. Riley wouldn't falter, if not for herself then for her friends.

Willow's spirit was by far the weakest.

"If you're sure, then I'm certain you'll make it," Sylvia said. She dared not say more. The girls had been warned. Another word and the pinkette's resolve might break. "When you get back, I'll power-level you to 100."

Consolidation had granted Willow full access to the System, including carnivorous consumption. This was no empty promise.

"Thank you," Willow said firmly.

"Natalie and I will be right behind you," Riley encouraged.

"I'll work hard and when it's your turn, I'll help you recover your strength too," Willow cheered, conjuring strength from her little sisters.

"Great, that'll make my job a lot easier," Sylvia said blandly.

Riley grinned. "See. Now you're not allowed to fail anymore."

Willow nodded, looking a little stiff. Sylvia hoped she hadn't added too much pressure.

Natalie flipped her forest-green hair. "If we're done here, I wish to return to my room and study my runes."

"Go on," Sylvia nodded. "Willow, if you need help…."

Willow's blue-amethyst eyes were confused. "It's just the push of a button."

If the demons of Hell could hear you, they'd be crying.

"What Sylvia's asking is, do you want either of us there with you?" Riley added kindly.

She was not, in fact, asking that. But Sylvia kept her mouth shut.

"I… I would rather do it myself," Willow said, reaching for her confidence.

"Good luck," Sylvia offered.

"We'll have a party when you get back," Riley added. She wore a teasing smile. "Sylvia will cook."

Sylvia glowered at the blonde playfully. "I'm this close," she said, finger and thumb a tiny bit apart. "This close to getting it figured out."

Sure, Sylvia could've used a skill book. But that'd be admitting defeat. She was going to cook delicious cakes, tasty drumsticks, or grill fish, all Hell be dondurma.

And it was going to be flippin' perfect.

Willow let out a stifled giggle. The pinkette gave a sharp salute, left fist clenched and arm crossed against her chest. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"Hear that, Sylvia?" Riley joked. "No more half-hearted attempts. This time, you've got to get it right."

Sylvia's gaze was dead and cold. "None of my attempts have been half-hearted."

Did Riley think she was half-hearted about food? Impossible! What next? Would her friend accuse her of being half-hearted about hats? Blasphemers should be burned at the stake.

The pinkette left. Sylvia watched her go. When Willow was far away, the silver-haired witch let out a breath. Riley's jovial expression vanished as well.

"Tell it to me straight," she said, intense, green eyes serious. "What are her chances?"

"Ninety-nine out of a hundred," Sylvia hedged. "She's the highest risk out of all of you."

Riley sucked in a breath. "One in a hundred then."

"Still going to go for it?" Sylvia asked.

"You bet your ass I am," Riley replied, punching the girl in the shoulder. Then she looked worried. "I'm not going to screw it up, am I?"

"Emily and I will cry if you don't make it," Sylvia said. "That's why I'm sure you'll make it."

Riley nodded. Then the freckled blonde smirked. "Don't worry. I won't make you cry your manly heart out."

Har. Har. Har.

Sylvia's gaze turned to the road. In the distance, the Inn peeked out, half hidden by the rolling hills. Natalie and Willow were making their way along the path of cobblestone. Someday in the future, the silver-haired witch would create a quest to smooth the surface further.

…

Sylvia's eye twitched. They left the cart. Sylvia was going to have words.

"Are you going to run off and study your runes too," Sylvia teased.

"No way. I'll just cheat with a skill book. My foundation is beyond saving anyway," Riley rejected. The witch scratched a freckled cheek. "Don't get me wrong, I don't like being a laggard. But I know what kind of girl I am."

Sylvia decided to be nice.

"You shouldn't worry about being behind right now. You'll catch up then leave them in the dust. Your talent is better and, more importantly, you have the better cheat."

Riley showed a dubious look. "Really?"

"You have me," Sylvia thumbed to herself.

The blonde snorted a laugh.

"I'll be counting on you then. Just don't show me too much favoritism." Humor faded away. Bright green eyes followed the witches who were growing distant. "Seriously though, I'm jealous of her focus."

Sylvia quirked a smile. "You're ready to forgive the starlight thugs then?"

"Nope," Riley refused. "I get where she's coming from now. She's very driven. That's a good trait. But that doesn't mean she can get away with dumping her expectations on everyone else."

Sylvia agreed. Natalie's greatest attribute was being demanding of herself. Her greatest flaw was that she was equally demanding of others.

Most students didn't aim to be top of the class. In fact, only one person could be top of the class by definition. Another reason utopia was impossible.

"So…," Riley drawled, throwing an arm over the silver-haired girl's shoulders. "Do you have any secret quests saved up for me? Insider tips on how to earn merit points quickly?"

"I do," Sylvia said with a sly smile. "If you want to earn lots of merit points fast, pick up a phantasmal object then put it into your soul. The System will extract the item's data and reward points for newly discovered codes."

Riley paused. "That's true?"

Sylvia's grin grew wide and wicked. "Sure. The trick is, you have to find something I haven't grabbed first."

"You little cheat," Riley's comforting grip turned into a headlock. "You didn't leave anything for me, did you?"

"You'll pry my merit points from my cold, dead body!"

"Challenge accepted!"

The two playfully tussled for a few minutes. Sylvia flopped back into the grass. Yaalon's leaves remained dull, but the rainbow gradient still held a magical hue. Riley sat down beside her, chin tilted up so she could witness the heavens.

The world tree was a magnificent sight.

"I almost wish I got Wizard Means Wise," the blonde sighed.

"Almost?"

"Yeah. Almost. You see, first I think it'd be great. Then I realize Wizard Means Wise would put Natalie even further ahead," Riley laughed. "Finally, I recall all those times I saw you reading textbooks. That's when I remember, yeah, I'm better off without."

"Lots of textbooks," Sylvia groaned. "Lots and lots of textbooks. And a few of those trashy romances Esmeralda loves."

Riley's head swayed in her direction. "How trashy we talking?"

"I still haven't recovered from the trauma."

Maiden of the Silver Lake was unforgettably bad. Becoming a girl hadn't opened Sylvia's heart to romance books, but even accounting for that, the story was an atrocity.

Worse, the book had viciously teased her with hints of yuri. No wonder Esmeralda's scorn had been equal to Sylvia's. Both of them had been tricked.

Tch. She should've realized her master was a lesbian right then and there. It was obvious in hindsight. Only a girl clinging to the vain hope the foolish apprentice would wake up and realize her one true love could make it to the end of that book.

"Is it bodice-ripper horrible?" Riley asked with a raised brow.

"Did I just find your genre?" Sylvia deadpanned.

The freckled blonde's smile was shameless. "What about you? What's your favorite romance?"

"I'd rather read history books," Sylvia said scathingly. She wouldn't touch another of those vile things with a ten-foot pole.

A quiet settled. The wind blew. Grass swayed around them.

"No other hints?" Riley probed after a while.

"Complete quests and level up as fast as you can," Sylvia answered. "Once your level is high enough, the question is less 'how fast can quests be completed' and more 'how many good quests are left on the board.'"

"Stop," Riley said, bright green eyes staring at her. "I thought you could create any quest you wanted."

"I wish," Sylvia grumbled.

The silver-haired witch gathered her thoughts for a moment then explained.

"The System has four categories of quests: main, side, minor, and daily. I can't create main quests. A full-scale government might be able to, but I can't. I can create side quests. But side quests have to support the main quest in some way, shape, or form.

"Take Rocky Road, for instance. Having the road to the quarry helps to support the Beginner's Village. So the System will allow it. But if I wanted to make a road all the way to Starport, the System would balk."

Riley nodded to indicate she was following along. "What about minor quests?"

"I can turn anything that reasonably supports the community into a minor quest. So yes to Starlight road and no to having gamers build me a house."

Riley rolled her eyes. "If the System allowed that, you'd immediately turn into a corrupt official."

"I don't need the System's help to be corrupt," Sylvia scoffed. "I'm an evil witch. It comes naturally."

Riley snorted a laugh.

"While I can pump out as many minor quests as I want, there's a problem. The merit point reward is about a fifth of what a side quest offers for the same amount of work," Sylvia continued. "It's a bump over daily quests but only if you can complete them fast enough."

Or if they doubled as daily quests, like the set of side quests Sylvia had arranged for the three witches.

"In that case, can't you just keep expanding the Beginner's Village?" Riley offered.

"It's Beginner's Village not Beginner's Metropolis. The System isn't that dumb."

Sooner or later, the System would slap her down and say: 'advance the main story if you want to add more quests.'

"I suppose it doesn't really matter," Riley considered. "You obviously can create enough quests for now."

Sylvia nodded. "We're good for the next four months, at least. Once you clear out the list I created, I'll be able to add five or ten more. There are a lot of things we need to build to get the village up and running."

"What, exactly, are you planning to add? I mean, beyond the obvious things like housing and infrastructure."

"Cultivation spots," Sylvia answered immediately. "We need venues for meditation. All the primordial elements. Beyond that, resources for consumption. Which means monsters, since I don't know what else gamers can eat. And monsters means dungeons."

There were many steps to creating a stable society. Resources – raw, human, and synthetic – had to be developed. Gamers had to be trained and leveled. Materials must be collected and stone smelted. Civilization was a chain. There were things that couldn't or shouldn't be built before the parts earlier in the sequence.

Like airships. Sooner or later, they'd need a fleet of airships. It was the only cheap way to transport raw goods. But they didn't need them now.

"Dungeons?" The freckled blonde laughed. "You're leaning a little heavy into the game theme, don't you think?"

"That's what the System wants," Sylvia retorted.

Lucifer's vision of utopia was a video game. So that's what everyone would get. Reality that worked like a video game.

"And while dungeons might sound silly, they're a perfect way to spike the phantasm population," Sylvia continued. "It's simple math. Depending on where you are on the plane, creatures spawn at a daily rate of one hundred to two hundred experience points per square kilometer."

And Sylvia could digest two thousand points of blood essence per day. Which meant she used ten square kilometers to keep herself fed.

"Thus, it takes no more than a thousand gamers before Axis can't spawn monsters fast enough to keep up."

"So dungeons."

"Right. Dungeons to farm monsters." Literally and figuratively. With a good design she could goose the phantasm growth rate by an order of magnitude. "Some of these will be field dungeons. That's the plan I have for the Beginner's Forest. But I figure half of Axis will be swallowed by urban sprawl sooner or later. So most of the dungeons will have to be underground."

"When you lay it out like that, it sounds so logical," Riley said, shaking her head. "Dungeons it is. We should design a few nasty ones just for fun?"

"The kind with axes swinging back and forth across a narrow bridge?" Sylvia joked. She nudged her friend. "Sounds like you've been bitten by the construction bug."

"These wimpy little witch arms of mine can move a lot of rock," Riley laughed, flexing her right twig.

Sylvia smiled. Then her joyful expression suddenly turned sour.

"What is it?" Riley asked, alarmed.

"My skill book monopoly!" Sylvia cried as though mortally wounded. "Griffmiss stole my magical skill book monopoly!"

Riley thwacked the distraught asteri on the head.

That pain was nothing compared to the soul-searing agony of seeing Intermediate Arithmancy on the purchasable skill book list.

-oOo-

Months of the Year

The netherworld calendar consists of thirteen months, each with four weeks. These weeks have seven days adding up to a 364 day year. The netherworld adds one day beyond this set, the Festival of Light, which takes place between Men-Stella and Men-Lux. This serves as the new year.

Unlike Earth, the netherworld does not use leap days. That's because there is no standard frame or set of seasons with which to compare. As such, there is no need to adjust the calendar to maintain this frame.

DustyLibrarian: Just from the 365-day year we can see the profound impact Earth's history had on the netherworld. Earth is truly the world of origin.

Months

- Men-Lux (Light) - Men-Vita (Life) - Men-Ignis (Fire) - Men-Fulgur (Lightning) - Men-Ventus (Wind) - Men-Glacies (Ice) - Men-Pulvia (Water) - Men-Lignum (Wood) - Men-Terra (Earth) - Men-Ferrum (Metal) - Men-Mors (Death) - Men-Tenebris (Darkness) - Men-Stella (Stars) - (New Years Day) The Festival of Light

Grand Mutations

During advancement, souls undergo a total of three grand mutations. Each mutation sets the foundation of future growth. They cannot be ignored as, without these mutations, the cores created during consolidation are false. A grand mutation incorporates these cores fully into the soul, making them true.

Typically, a grand mutation is attempted every other consolidation. This results in a pair of false cores, leaving the soul balanced during the process. This is not, however, strictly necessary. Demons can violate this pattern. Doing so is ill-advised, as this not only risks the immediate mutation but all future mutations unless balance can be restored.

Thus, most demons will Awaken while in their second consolidation, Transcend while in their fourth, then complete Apotheosis during the sixth. Note that only the number of cores matters. A second consolidation demon can transmigrate, setting their 'level' to '0', then Awaken. Though, the lack of soul essence makes the process moderately harder in that state.

Grand mutations are not the only form of mutation a soul might experience. Minor mutations occur during consolidation, giving birth to traits. On rare occasions, mutations can occur due to natural or external events. Sometimes demons will edit their code or add to it, which is a mutation of sorts.

However, the grand mutations remain special as only they convert false cores into true.

Awakening

Awakening is the first grand mutation. During the Ancient Era, Awakening was named because it was at this point that a mortal soul returned to awareness and life. Even in modern times, wild fey are sometimes born through this mechanism.

Most Awakenings, however, are conducted by demons who are already 'awake' by ancient standards.

Awakening represents a resolution of contradiction between the mortal self and the nether self. This is achieved by either transformation or acceptance. For this reason, Awakening has a powerful humanizing aspect. Of the grand mutations, Awakening represents the smallest leap in power but the greatest growth in mental and spiritual stability.

There are many scholars who argue that Awakening is, therefore, the most important grand mutation.

Transcendence

The second grand mutation, Transcendence, represents a willful separation from the mortal origin in pursuit of a new, ideal self. During this period there will be a strong refinement of the code. For this reason, most demons become far better-looking after Transcendence.

While Transcendence is mostly an act of perfection, it also lays the foundation of godhood. According to the will of the Transcendent, a trait will be born which will later become a providence during Apotheosis. This redirection of fate and nature means that the bloodline begins to deviate from its origin. If the change is great enough, the bloodline might become a unique subspecies.

After Transcendence, demons will have greater control over their future evolution. This makes adding bloodlines to the existing one easier, and even allows the Transcendent to influence which traits will emerge during future consolidations.

Apotheosis

Apotheosis is the last of the three grand mutations. For much of history, beings who completed this process were considered gods. However, during the Silver Age, many demons refuted this title, proclaiming that only the Heavenly Will is divine. Thus, it became popular to use the title 'arch' instead, producing archdemons, archangels, and even archfey.

Apotheosis represents the act of taking a portion of the world's logic into the self. This produces a powerful providence allowing a god to influence the world on a larger scale. For this reason, beings who complete this transformation are considered gods of a specific domain.

For instance, Thor was the god of thunder.

It is broadly recognized that Apotheosis is the last grand mutation. There is much to debate as to why. Some say that by the time the mortal soul reaches godhood, it has already been stretched to its limit. Thus, any further growth would make the soul rupture.

Others insist a fourth mutation exists, but has been hidden for some reason. Notable scholars have pointed out the pattern of accept and reject between mutations and have proposed that the fourth mutation is impossible because it demands the soul reject their individuality.

On this basis, some argue that the Heavenly Will is a soul which has completed the fourth grand mutation. More extreme interpretations proclaim the Heavenly Will a demiurge and that Unus Mundus is the true god to whom all return.

Sylvia's Notes: There is something truly absurd about thinking there is an after-afterlife. The most hilarious part is that no one can refute it.

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