Return of the Fallen Volume 9 Chapter 31
Zephris had managed to defend himself from thousands of experts and come out on top. This though left most of the experts of the continent as his enemy. After the devastation from the island fight, Detra a powerful Titan had fixed all of the damage her son Torezz caused. The amount of damage Torezz caused though was only a portion of the chaos that took place that day. Because of this, almost a third of the continent was still in disrepair. Massive floods, famine, disease, and war broke out.
This time though there was no Zephris to help. Not that he didn’t wish to but instead he had a large target on his back. Everyone wanted a piece of him. Not only that, in order to shift the blame the people had for them, all of the leaders lied and said Zephris was the cause of everything. Once again, Zephris had gone from saint to villain in a single day and his reputation was in the dirt.
Since he didn’t defend himself from these accusations everyone believed them to be true. Zephris shook the vile thoughts that crossed his mind away.
(It isn’t the people’s fault. They do not know what is really going on and can not be blamed. I wish to help them but right now none would have it. Not only that, the experts all wish to destroy me. It was different when only a few came here and there but now after the island incident, they’ve formed alliances with one another, all with the goal to restrain me and if I don’t comply, kill me.)
The only source of protection Zephris had now were the guardians of his city as well as his city itself. It’s not that he feared the outside world, that wasn’t the reason he didn’t leave his city, rather he feared what would happen to his family if he were gone for too long. The apes could not defend the city forever.
(Were I to head out and am ambushed, I do not fear death but if the fight last too long and they attack my city while I am not present, my family would suffer. I must hurry and complete my Aziriran’s. Only when they are fully functioning and can be controlled perfectly will I create millions of them and only then will this world be under my rule.)
For the next few years, the gates of Zephris’s city were closed and everything was self-contained and self-sustained. The city was large and had plenty of inner fields for crops and freshwater. The Adrola apes as well as his family had everything they needed to live but not necessarily everything they wished for. Because of this the many relatives of Zephris often had complaint after complaint. It was fair for them to have to be locked away in a city for the rest of their lives just because Zephris was an enemy of the world.
Zephris grew tired of the same shit being spouted time and again and finally he made a decision that would lead to ruin. He made contact with the outside world and initiated talks for peace.
This of course was something he never took seriously in the first place. It was merely a tactic to ease the guards of his enemies. If things could become peaceful for now, then he could fully concentrate on his work and when the time came he could send down heavens flame and reset the board so to speak, this time with his rules.
The outside world didn’t find this to be the least bit suspicious. They figured Zephris was growing weary and knew who was the rightful rulers of the world. Many wanted to deny Zephris out of pure spite but others knew of Zephris’s vast and profound knowledge. They found this to be an opportunity to return partially to the previous status quo. Where they could take from him endlessly and enrich and fatten their coffers as well as enhance their military might.
Zephris had stolen knowledge from many clans and kingdoms. He knew many secrets and ancient magics. They figured if they could get their hands on just one of them, it could lead to great fortune and unlimited possibilities. They would be fools not to entertain negotiations. With both good and evil thoughts in mind, an uneasy peace came about and for the first time, the Orichalcum city was opened to everyone.
The moment Zephris’s city was opened, many were surprised by how normal it seemed. That is until they got a closer look at the actual material the city was made of. The metal material was something they had never seen before. It could greatly amplify one’s magic and was more than 100% more efficient than Magic gold and well beyond other materials.
Not only was this metal super light but it was also incredibly tough. Many Ancient beasts and powerful Mages tested it right there and then in the city streets and found that many of them couldn’t destroy it and the rare few that could require several attacks or nearly all of their strength. This news spread far and wide at lightning speed. A material such as this, was it not the ultimate find, the ultimate creation. Because of this, the name Orichalcum was not one that rolled off the tongue, and instead many simply called it God Metal.
Just as Zephris suspected, the moment these outsiders realized what they stood on, very quickly small pieces were stolen away. Zephris knew this would happen but he did not fear anyone trying to figure out how to make it for it required someone near his level at least when it came to alchemy and even then it took a special method that he doubted any could replicate.
Meanwhile, Zephris’s relatives were promised absolute protection. They would have escorts and no one was allowed to touch them otherwise the wrath of not only Zephris but of every kingdom, clan, expert, and Ancient beasts. His family roamed the continent and with Zephris’s infinite wealth, they lived like kings themselves and were respected everywhere they went.
At the same time, Zephris breathed in relief. With his family protected by not only him but basically the continent, he felt his family was secure. This didn’t change some hearts who still blamed Zephris for the mass destruction of the continent but these people could do nothing to Zephris nor his family and had to swallow their anger deep down.
Zephris dove back into his work and he mastered the division of his soul. Giving these fragments to his Azirian’s, he quickly ran into another problem.
For some odd reason, some of the Azirian’s who received a fragment of his soul gained their own personalities and their own consciousness. This was incredibly dangerous. Now some of these Azirian’s could not only think for themselves but could actually defy him even more than before and some could even manipulate magic.
The dangers of having an army that could think for itself did not sit well with Zephris. He immediately destroyed nearly all of these Azirian’s and kept only a few for research purposes.
(I did not expect that some of them would develop sentience and consciousness. They seem to develop even further after the initial transplant of soul fragments. The development can not be halted fully as it seems to be coming directly from my own soul. As my soul grows further, it also enhances the soul fragments that are no longer attached to my soul. There’s still a link which is how I’m supposed to control them but it is this very link that allows them to continue to evolve. Severing the link disconnects my control over them which makes it a pointless act. Can’t sever it but I can’t stop their fragments from further development.)
“If the fragment I’ve placed inside of them develops enough, could it become a full soul? If it does, what then happens to my very soul, could they rip control away from me!?”
Zephris spoke out loud as the idea was absolutely ludicrous in his head. Saying it out loud though seemed to bring it into reality and this terrified him.
(NO! I will not lose control, not if I add something but what.)
Zephris looked through his research and thought about his parasitic worms once more.
(What if I use the worms. I’ll create a new creature. Yes, I’ll place the fragment within the worm themselves…No, that is the wrong direction. I need to think more efficiently. Why add another creature at all. Instead the blood. Yes, the blood. I’ll fuse my fragment directly with their blood and I’ll create a device for myself. This device will be capable of destroying some of the soul fragment within the Azirian’s. Every time the fragment within them develops to a certain point the device will destroy and reduce the fragment back to its original state. Actually, I can even go a step further. Instead of destroying the fragment, why not split it.)
Zephris’s thoughts began to run wild as the possibilities popped up one after another.
(Yes, once the soul reaches a certain amount, my device will automatically split the fragment inside the Azirian. One half will stay inside the Azirian while the other half returns to me. It will join my soul and increase my own soul. If I have millions of Azirian’s and the fragment in them grows and then splits…All of that power will become mine, I could…no…what could stop me at that point!)
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