by Noam Oswin
“Master Sionis said Fort is a bastion. Bastion against the night.”
“Then, be a bastion,” I said. “Be my Bastion.” I rose my hand. “My name is Janus. I am the one who will become the King of Nightmares. To do this, I’ll certainly make no small number of enemies. So, Zyvar, rather than rot, would you not prefer to stand beside me, against the full might of the forces of Alamir?”
“…but… you are a Nightmare.”
I waved my hand. “And yet here I stand, the sole being who has been able to hear your voice in thousands of years. If I am not worthy to command you, then who is?”
The ground rumbled. Shook. Onna, behind me, struggled to find her footing. My lips, curled behind my mask, as I rose my right hand into the air.
“Well, Zyvar!” I roared. “Who is worthy?!”
The Fort was shaking. I could hear the panic of the nightmares. I focused instead, on my power, the power of the [Gatekeeper] and the power of my authority as the owner of Fort Zyvar.
My eyes lit up at the sight of a floating blue light. The spirit of the Fort. The light swirled, blinking like a firefly dancing atop fireworks. Turning and shaping, swirling and taking form, until, it landed directly before me.
The person before me was a young, disheveled man with dusty brown hair and empty white eyes. In broken Greek-style armor littered with a million cuts, the spirit of Fort Zyvar stood on shaky legs.
“If… If I must serve you – I must test your mettle. Do – do you have what it takes… nightmare… to command me?”
Do I have what it takes to command?
I chortled. “Zyvar…” I rose my right hand. Channeling my power. “KNEEL.”
You have used the Skill: [Spirit Manipulation].
You have used the Skill: [Gatekeeper].
Title: [User] has come into effect.
Title: [Demiurge] has come into effect.
You have consumed [1] Influence Point.
You have been recognized by the System.
You are exuding [Sovereignty].
Zyvar dropped to both knees, screaming. “I YIELD! I YIELD!”
I drew back my power. Stopped the lull of overwhelming pressure that smacked down unto the spirit like a thousand falling planets. Zyvar was left, on the ground, coughing, bleeding, wounded. The fort was almost crumbling into pieces, walls, fading and falling.
[You have attained Sovereignty over Fort Zyvar]
Your Domain: [Fort Zyvar] has reached the Maximum Level.
You now have [Absolute Control] over the Domain: [Fort Zyvar].
You may now freely edit, control, set and manipulate the rules of your Domain.
“Now…” I took a deep breath. “[Upgrade].”
[Domain Sovereignty Found]
[Gatekeeper Activated]
Upgrading…
A Monster’s [Domain] was their little slice of paradise. A slice space that belonged exclusively to them. A monster who attained the highest level of a Domain would be able to turn that Domain into their pocket-dimension and effectively play god – although with some limitations. They could set rules of reality that would apply within, such as making gravity inverted or making the air produce carbon dioxide instead of oxygen. There were limits because limits were always needed on such things to prevent them from being game-breakers, and so I couldn’t create certain organic or sentient material. Of course, I could probably circumvent those limits with the right skills.
“Un…unbelievable…”
I willed Fort Zyvar’s walls to be reinforced titanium, and my wish came to be. I willed the ground to be gold, and so it became gold. [Earth Control] allowed me to manipulate earth normally. The Domain was merely an extension of my power, enabling me to use it as I desired.
I willed my Tungsten Golem Artillery to man the walls, and they came to life, standing at attention. I willed Tungsten Golem Infantry to patrol the gates, and they came to be. I desired the broken walls to be fixed, the courtyard to be stretched out, the tower to ascend further to the sky. I willed, with [Ice Manipulation] a giant frozen fountain to rise from the center of the ground in my likeness. I told the ice to never melt, and it wouldn’t. I told the water to be clean from deep within the ground, and it was. I commanded clouds, to form at the ground level and exist in the shape of furniture, and so it was.
Within one’s Domain, one was a god.
‘Don’t let it go to your head.’
I rolled my eyes. Yes, mother.
In the end, this was only possible because Fort Zyvar as a Domain was at the maximum level. Getting a domain to the Max Level was stupid difficult. You would need to have fought off invaders time and time again to do that. I sidestepped that requirement because Fort Zyvar had already fought off invaders, time and time again. I was reaping from the hard work of all those poor nightmares, Elvani, and Hlahani warriors who’d died attacking and defending this place time and time again.
It wasn’t so much standing on the shoulders of giants as it was creating a skyscraper from a mountain of dead men.
“[Domain].”
Domains
You currently have (1) Domain:
[Fort Zyvar – Lv. Max]
“Perfect.”
[Fort Zyvar – Lv. Max]
A Domain previously belonging to Erzili, the Slithercreep. It is located within the Hlahan Forest, in South-Eastern Alamir, three hundred stretches South-West of the Kataramenos Forest. Created in 311FE by the Hlahani Human Army as a means to prevent the advance of a rogue Elvani faction seeking domination of the South during the Elvani Wars. The Fort was championed and defended by one of the earliest of humanity’s Champions, Sionis the Savior. Ultimately, the Fort fell in 323FE, once Sionis met his demise at the hand of the Leporinian God-King Haresen. Since then, it has been used as a stronghold by different noble and ignoble individuals alike.
Core Domain Bonuses:
+200% HP Regen while within the Domain.
+150% MP Regen while within the Domain.
+100% EXP Gain while within the Domain.
Bonuses from Domain Defenses:
Infantry Bonus: +100% Attack Power while within the Domain.
Artillery Bonus: +100% Defense Power while within the Domain.
Bonuses from Domain Aesthetics:
Fountain of Janus: +50% Morale to Fort Inhabitants.
Streets of Gold: +20% Increase in Harvests.
Tower of the King: +1 Influence Point Per Day.
“Lord Janus!”
Erzili came running, Slim, Arol and Wunder trailing behind her. Onna, I just realized was flat on her ass, staring at the changed landscape like a child who’d stumbled into an amusement park for the first time.
“I am at your full command, Commander Janus,” Zyvar’s voice whispered into the air.
The spirit of the Fort whispered in my ear. Zyvar’s appearance had changed. Gone was the tattered and broken armor, replaced instead with a new, almost futuristic military attire. The spirit’s complexion was certainly brighter, with a brilliant smile that accompanied an odd, militaristic air.
“They still can’t see you, can they?”
“Only you, Commander, have that privilege.”
“Good,” I whispered. ‘Watch them for me.’
Zyvar saluted. “As you wish, Commander.”
“You…” Erzili stared around the Fort. Drinking in the change of appearance. The sturdy walls. Cloud-furniture. The ice fountain. The Commander’s Quarters being a veritable tower in the sky. The golden streets and Tungsten Golems, marching and patrolling.
“…you fixed the fort.”
My lips twitched beneath my mask. The looks on their faces were priceless. Even Slim, the normally hard-to-read King of Wendigos was staring at the redesigned Fort Zyvar with an expression that belayed befuddlement.
Arol looked as if she was about to explode on the spot from excitement. She was trying hard, it seemed, to keep herself in check.
‘Zyvar… install some indoor plumbing.’
Ic
e taps and shower-heads galore. Public, because we were all nightmares here, and almost everyone was naked by default. Wunder walked around with his dick always visible, so I sorely doubted anyone was going to ask that they wanted privacy.
“Consider it a small token of appreciation,” I said.
“Appreciation?”
I hummed. “My submitting yourself to me as my eternal slave, I gained access to this Fort. The very least I could do was make it more… livable.”
“That’s one hell of an understatement,” Wunder whispered.
“Even Oreilles does not have streets of gold.” Slim agreed.
[From improving the living conditions of Fort Zyvar, your Minion’s Loyalty to you has gone up!]
Quest Objectives Complete!
Increase the Fort’s Defenses – [Complete!]
Increase the Fort’s Offensive Capability – [Complete!]
Increase the Fort’s Morale – [Complete!]
Attain Full Control of the Fort – [Complete!]
All in a day’s work…
“Now, then. Where was I?”
I spun my attention on Onna. She jerked straight like a student who’d been called out by a teacher. “Seven fingers.”
“Y-yes, Lord Janus?”
“We’re off to complete our stroll.”
Erzili cleared her throat. “Lord Janus –”
“Relax.” I waved my hand. “Onna and I are only going to have a casual chat.”
At the end of the day, I would end up killing an entire flock of birds with one single stone.
Chapter 15: Antiquity
[Path A: Janus]
Having a split personality – not a split personality! – helping me complete tasks in a separate timeline was something I initially held my reservations about, but ultimately could not argue with the results. Sunny was me – but not me – in that he said and did things I wouldn’t bother saying or doing, but would not deny that there were all things I could have feasibly said or done. Making the streets gold though?
I chuckled as I scrolled through Erzili’s books, the Slithercreep hovering over my shoulder, and raising an eyebrow in a surprisingly detailed understanding of human micro-expressions. “Does the history of Alamir’s world amuse you so much, Lord Janus?”
“It’s rather convoluted,” I said, picking up the book. “Humans seem to be in agreement that the world was created by the Prince and His Nine, but the Elvani disregard the view of them as gods and insist they were mortals from a higher plane of existence, the so-called ‘Fourth Dimension.’”
I ran my hand through my hair, grabbing another book. “The Midwarfs agree with the Elvani, but claim that the Prince was a Midwarf who traveled through worlds, and would one day come back on the Ship That Sails Through Stars, Skithblathnir. And then, he’ll take all of his chosen with him to their true homeworld of Fólkvangr before the prophesied end-of-times.”
I dropped that book and picked up another. “And then, the Leporinians don’t even give a damn about the Prince, and instead worship their God-King Haresen, who vanished, and thus began the Leporinian Great Pilgrimage. Every single one of them believes that they’ll be the ones to find their missing Messiah.”
Erzili laughed. “It seems all rather straightforward.”
I dropped that book as well, rubbing my eyes. “Why does no one agree on a single true origin point?”
“Why do you desire to know about Alamir’s origins so desperately?”
“Because of this,” I gestured my hands into the air, summoning a piece of chalk with [Earth Control] and then writing, in the air, two words:
Hello, World.
Despite writing it out in the air, the words appeared and hung, white with chalk. “The Antediluvian Hieroglyphs. Or Mothertongue. Or Lost Language. Or Cursed Language. Or whatever different name it has. Someone or something was the one who put this system in place, the Nightscripts, the levels, domains, minions – etcetera.”
Erzili walked over to the shelf, grabbing another book and furrowing her brow. “You believe that Alamir’s creator is responsible for the Mothertongue?”
“They have to be,” I said. “I found it odd that none of the books or creation myths mentioned the language, or even hinted at this possibility. At least, none of the books you have here.”
Erzili’s gaze snapped to the neat stack of books I arranged on one side. “…how did you go through all those books?”
“I’ve always been a fast reader.”
“Erzili thought you did not know how to read.”
“I know how to read. I just couldn’t read Alamir’s languages. But there was something I could use that helped me.”
I grabbed another dusty book with ineligible squiggles that told me the language was Jezik and wrote out with chalk on the book:
TRANSLATE
[Recognizing Command Prompt…]
[Analyzing…]
[Checking Authorization Level…]
[Authorization Found.]
[Demiurge: Janus]
[Command Authorized.]
Upon opening the book, the squiggles and lines had English text superimposed directly above it, enabling me to read and know what words meant what.
“That is… useful.”
“Very.”
I wiped off the chalk, and the superimposed English text vanished, returning the squiggly lines to be their normal self. Erzili glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, and I glanced back.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, nothing at all, Lord Janus – Erzili is merely… impressed.”
‘Read: she’s pissed that we don’t have to rely on her.’ Sunny’s voice quipped.
“It’s nothing at all.” You think so?
‘If she’d taught us how to read, she’d be able to shape and choose what we learned. Mold and form our ideas and opinions, and make sure they align with her motives. But by reading and learning without her, we can avoid that. All we have to be on the look-out is for the biases in the book, not the biases in the teacher.’
“It seems Erzili’s collection is incomplete,” Erzili lamented. “The knowledge you seek must be within the far older, far more antique tomes. The Grand Archives of Saint Marie du Médecin may have what you’re looking for. It is touted to be the largest collection of knowledge in the world, though Erzili cannot vouch for those claims.”
A library? “And why not?”
Erzili turned to the map posted on the wall, pointing to a single spot. “The Holy Empire of Maris is… restricted, in who may enter and who may not. The country chose the Saint as their patron goddess, taking one of the Nine and making her into a deity revered above all others. The rest of the world found it baffling to worship a servant of the creator rather than the creator himself, and shunned them, thinking it would make them rethink the error of their ways.”
I rubbed my nose. “Let me guess, it didn’t.”
“The Marisians were convinced that their persecution was a sign of being on the right path, and entrenched themselves further in their beliefs. They developed, rapidly. There is a saying, ‘if one be afflicted with a curse or sickness from which there is no cure, find a Marisian, and he shall give you three.’”
My brow rose. Erzili laughed. “It sounds like an exaggeration. Erzili assures you, if anything, it is an understatement. The Holy Empire of Maris has both the finest, and the largest number of healers, priests, clerics, physicians and surgeons in all of Alamir.”
“A country of doctors,” I muttered underneath my breath. “Imagine that.”
“If you’re considering visiting, Erzili would highly recommend against it,” Erzili said, immediately. “Marisians, while remarkable, have little room for anyone who disrespects or does not follow their faith. Those who do not worship the Saint are branded faithless at best, and heretics at worse. In the brief time Erzili visited, Erzili witnessed a child stab his mother seventy-two times in the middle of the street because she was branded a heretic. The child was later award
ed a medal of nobility and honor.”
“Fuck.”
‘Holy shit we should visit that place.’ Sunny laughed.
“Fortunately, their healers and physicians all swear the Oath of Nil Nocere and are required by Marisian law to obey it. If a healer is found to have willfully or knowingly committed harm against a patient, they are punished severely.”
“…I take it the Marisians have a group of people who go around converting others to their religion, usually at held at sword-point?”
“You’ve encountered the Vertueux?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I just guessed. Fanatical religions tend to spread into the military, one way or another.”
‘We should visit. We need to know what sort of medical practices Alamir has on offer, and if there’s anything we can get out of it.’
I stretched my arms, taking a stand from my sitting position. “I think that’s enough of a history lesson for one day.”
“Indeed. There is much we must do.” Erzili’s hand stretched out, grabbing a book from the shelf. “Initially, Erzili was going to bring this up later, but Erzili feels now might be the right time.”
“Bring what up?”
“Remember when you said your Epithet Skill was the power to turn back time?”
“…what about it?”
She held the book open. “Whereas Erzili does not doubt that you will survive in the battle against Giggles and against all foes we have to face, Erzili does not feel too confident about her darlings. Erzili desires for them to be stronger, but Erzili is lacking the patience needed for them to grow naturally. A nightmare gains power as they fight and age, but there is also the risk of death and demise. Erzili needs safeguards against this,”
My brow furrowed. “You can’t safeguard against death.”
“With The Heart of Sisyphus, it becomes possible.”
My brow furrowed harder. “The Heart of Sisyphus?”
“A Floater Relic. An artifact of immense power that can overrule everything under the sun. Once one is with it, supposedly, they cannot die or fail until they complete a task or finish a condition that they must have set beforehand. If they die before they can complete that task, or fail to complete it, they are sent back to the moment at which they set the condition, and must try again.”
