Sacrifice Mage

Chapter 257 (B3: 84): Nether Artist

Calling my view odd was doing it a great disservice. It was a bird’s eye view of the entire Nether Vein, and I could see everything. The moment I recognized where I was, the first thing I noticed was the fact that my vision wasn’t clouded. There was no darkness occluding my sight. Everything appeared to possess some level of diffuse light that allowed me to take a look at things.Honestly, I felt like I was playing an RTS. Like I had a top-down view of everything and had a certain measure of over everything too.

The assurance of that control came from when I found I was able to shift my view as I wanted. No matter where I targeted, I found my vision moving there of its own free will. Or, I supposed, will.

And it wasn’t just that. The longer I remained in my current state, the more I realized just how much I could sense. The writhing of the no-longer-threatening Netherthreads, the movement and even the general emotions of the Nether Vein’s monstrous denizens, the pressure and motion of the various mechanisms tucked away inside the metal walls and floors.

And of course, I could feel the movement of those who didn’t belong here at all.

I was a little amazed I had found them so… effortlessly. Or maybe I had already put in the effort in other directions, I had already strived for this through my various battles and training and growth, and now, the reward for all that was manifesting.

Regardless, my goal was within reach.

It was odd, but I could move my presence close enough to actually hear the travellers.

“Doesn’t this thing go any faster?” one of the Claderovians asked within the train.

A human. I knew there were several of those in Claderov happy to exist while ignoring the state of others of their kind elsewhere. The thought wasn’t very kind, but seeing the people in the little train car, remembering exactly what they had done, and what happened inside was making my mind revolt with hatred.

Because I could see the stains of blood they hadn’t bothered cleaning up. Along with so much else. Fluids I couldn’t identify. Far too much torn hair. A burnt smell clung to everything like cobwebs.

I felt like I was in a torture chamber, and if I had been here physically, I probably would have been gagging.

“We’re free now, come on,” said a Plumefolk. His rich coat was made of the same feathers that he had on his body, so it made him look kind of naked. What an awful fashion choice. “What more do you want?”

“I want to be rid of this filth. They can’t even take care of their playroom after they’re done having fun.”

My body was probably still back on Ring Four, but I felt my blood pressure rising with every passing second. These people…

These people were the real monsters, not the poor denizens I had suddenly found I could influence.

“You survived Zairgon,” a haughty Scalekin said. I was sure I recognized her from the big courtroom meeting too. “That’s all that matters. Within a day at most, we’ll be at Claderov again, barring anything unexpected. So stop being so whiny and start thinking of the next steps. You want to be involved, yes?”

“What next steps?” the man continued. “They’ve already beaten back the advance force and we’ve been forced to The Senators won’t be happy to hear any of this. The rest of the Vaunted will have the biggest stick up their behinds for the rest of my time in Claderov.”

“Oh, pish posh. Anything Zairgon stated was just empty threats. There’s no reason for us to worry. Now that things are different, we’ll just adopt a new approach.”

The Plumefolk squawk-grunted in agreement.

“You don’t understand,” the man continued. “Those bastards have already secured the divine connection. That lowly mongrel, that , he defied the odds and took from us. Honestly, those others should have torn that vampire to shreds and served it on a silver platter as a gift for Moreland’s tremendous success.”

I had heard enough. The anger I had been nursing ever since I had heard the Claderov torturer’s deeds, ever since I had entered the Nether Vein and spotted these fleeing Claderovians, now spiked to incandescence.

In response, the Nether Vein trembled.

“What’s that tremor?” the Plumefolk asked with squinted eyes.

“Is something coming?” The Scalekin woman strode to the window. “Impossible. Our Klevacite lamps are working perfectly fine.”

The sheer arrogance of their disregard made my temple throb. Mirroring my feelings, the Nether Vein throbbed too.

Everyone in the train car screamed as the whole train jerked on its tracks before finally tilting entirely to one side and screeching along the metal floor. Its occupants were thrown around within the train, though several had instinctively fired their Aspects to try cushioning the impact even as the shock dragged out shrieks.

The Scalekin’s cottony Aspect allowed the train’s occupants to emerge mostly unharmed despite the crash. They were looking around, talking among themselves in excited concern, but their conversation was cut short.

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I wasn’t done.

Newfound power flowed through my new state of being. I had no way of describing what I was just then. A spirit? A god of some sorts? Some strange metaphysical amalgamation with the Nether Vein? I had no way of explaining things. All I could do was , and right that moment, I needed the Claderovians to feel at least a sliver of the pain they had delivered.

The Netherthreads struck. One of the bastards, the Plumefolk, had grabbed the Klevacite lamp and managed to haul it close enough to try and ward off the storm of dark strands, but they weren’t having a lot of luck.

Not when the Netherthreads were flaring like that. Not when they turned golden and blinding and like living sunbeams. Not when searing light was shooting everywhere.

Not when it felt like the sun itself was paying a very close visit.

And as if that wasn’t enough, I had called in a horde of monsters. The rage I felt, the hatred I couldn’t push down, they all shot through me and into the creatures I had at my beck and call, creatures that I myself had fought and killed what felt like months ago. And all that hate, all that frothing need for destruction, came rushing to a head. The monsters into the people I had targeted.

It wasn’t long before they were fighting. It wasn’t long after that they were pushed back, that their Aspects started failing against the onslaught, that they were about to be overwhelmed.

I stared at it all. I wasn’t sure if I ought to be glad I didn’t have a face and a body, because my physiological reactions to the scene were limited. Which was good because it was letting me see through what needed to be done.

Because at the end of all this, I wanted to send a very clear message to Claderov. So, I saw it through.

###

When I returned to myself, my body felt odd. I had to deal with a splitting headache and a strange dizziness. It was like I was on the verge of falling unconscious, which was scary.

I wondered if the sensation would get better if I… possessed the Nether Vein more often.

What else was I supposed to call it? It felt like we had become one—me and the Nether Vein. And now that I could think clearer, now that my mind wasn’t drowning in the rage that had afflicted me earlier, I could start thinking a little more clearly.

I could start wondering just what the implications of what I had done actually meant. For if I could the Nether Vein, then I was the bridge between Zairgon and Claderov. Perhaps between Zairgon and other Nether Vein gates elsewhere.

Which brought the question of just how far could my influence stretch. It had felt somewhat like an infinite ocean, and I could swim to any spot on it that I wished. But my area of control and sensation was still relegated to that one spot. Was that something I could improve by growing stronger and ranking up something like Spirit? Or perhaps, Fervour?

And what about the bits of the Nether Vein all around Ring Four? Could I influence those too, one way or another?”

And there were my exact capabilities. In that last instance, I had influenced the Nether Vein. I had tampered with the Netherthreads and somehow sent my frothing rage into the monsters that had remained within the Nether Vein, and then them to where they could express that anger themselves.

The question remained on what else could I do. That felt like just the basics. Surely there was more.

I could focus on that instead of everything that had gone on in the Nether Vein, everything had done within it, because there was a weird separation. Like I had become else in there, so everything that had happened was conducted by that someone else.

It was weird.

Nevertheless, as thoughts of the potential of my new discoveries warred against what was even now taking place deep within the bowels of that darkness, I walked away. I couldn’t decide what exactly I was feeling just then. Things were too much of a riot upstairs.

But at least that burning need for retribution had died down to embers I could ignore for the time being.

The plan for the next few days was apparently visiting some of the more important clients for the Starlamps.

“It’ll help the sales in the long run,” Linak promised. “You have to believe me.”

“I do, I do,” I said. “You’re much better at the business side than I am.”

“I’m much better than you at the crafting side of the business too.”

“Right. You’re making me feel inadequate.” He stared at me. “In terms of this , that is.”

“It’s alright. You were fine with the manager of the Preserves.”

“And the barkeep, the high-ranking officer from Ring One, and Lord Revayne too.”

Linak gave me an apologetic bow of his head. “Well, this is one guest that I think you’ll be happy to meet for a change.”

That was true. We were meeting a Councillor again. Ostensibly about the Starlamps, but of course, I figured we’d be chatting about a few other things as well.

It was Wargrog and Se-Vigilance that we were meeting near the peak of Zairgon mountain. We were near the very centre of Ring One. I had never been here before, so I unashamedly took in everything like a gawking tourist.

We exchanged pleasantries and some light chatter before Wargrog and Linak dove into the technicalities of the engineering behind the Starlamps that started to go over my head. I thought I knew enough to at least keep up with them, but I was quickly proven wrong. It was quite humbling. Especially when the conversation devolved into jargon.

Thankfully, Se-Vigilance came to my rescue.

“This is, as you must already understand, merely a formality,” she said. “The Councillors will officially embrace the Starlamps. Wargrog has already prepared a list of applications for it.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re warming up to it,” I said with a grateful smile. “Despite its rocky start.”

I still shuddered remembering just how many headaches I had needed to go through to launch the Starlamp business. Venture capital was a terrible way to establish something back where I had come from, but even that didn’t face sort of resistance.

“We always believed in it,” Se-Vigilance said in a low voice. “It was just that, as a Councillor, we could never really express that without it becoming… controversial.”

“That’s fair, I suppose.”

Wargrog and Linak had already moved off, now tinkering with an actual Starlamp. I wasn’t sure quite what they were fascinated about, but it felt like nice seeing them kind of obsess over it. Maybe I was just proud that I was involved with it too.

“I heard you were successful, Avenger Moreland,” Se-Vigilance said.

I blinked. Then quickly looked around. There was nobody else nearby. “I saw that only one of them got out of the Nether Vein.”

“You , is it?”

I didn’t miss the emphasis. “I’ve got a certain… connection with the Nether Vein. Ever since the incident. There’s quite a lot I probably need to tell you, Councillor, but the gist is that I can now control the Nether Vein.”

Se-Vigilance took some time to chew on that silently. “You may be right. We possibly do have a lot to think about. we’ve had some time to consider and think about things.”

“Right. I’m not worried about that, since I figure you all can at least trust me to handle things properly.”

“We can. And I . Regardless, there will be issues with one man holding so much power in his hands without enough oversight and agreements.”

I hummed, not quite disagreeing but not fully agreeing either.

“If anything,” I said. “I think we can figure things out on our own. But Claderov…”

Se-Vigilance nodded. “You’ve taken things in your own hand. Just like the supposed insurgents from Claderov. All even now.”

“Exactly.”

I shared a look with her. One that confirmed that, even if there any political fallout from Zairgon because of what I had done yesterday, then they really had no grounds for it. They were using the same excuse to get away with it, after all. We would just need to wait and see their level of hypocrisy.