Azimuth: The Elden Throne

Hey guys, I should be posting the 100 Power stone bonus chapter soon.

Peace!

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"..."

Dale turned around to look at David, the talking golden head staring straight at him.

He remained silent, and instead, looked around first to see if there was anyone else still there.

And seeing that everyone had just left, he asked:

"You do remember that there are people nearby right?"

But David said:

"And you do remember that I can feel the presence of anyone within a decent radius of the Church right? Especially now that a considerable portion of my power has returned."

Hearing this made Dale's eyes open in surprise.

"Returned?..."

"Heh, I'll explain that shortly, but first, let's talk about what just happened."

He nodded.

"So, about what happened... If I was to say… It was sudden."

"Like any other time, I was here waiting on my own, when suddenly this place was stormed by a group of people… Being led by none other than your… 'Friend' Rodi."

"That guy?... Was leading them?"

'I thought Rodi had messed up but realized too late, but that may be wrong, perhaps he messed up and instantly realized it, but it was too late to fix things.'

"They seemed really interested in your sword, but throughout the entire conversation, the kid never stopped saying that they shouldn't touch it, and everyone seemed to respect his decision..."

"It didn't take long though… For 3 more groups to arrive… Wait, 5 more... For a total of 6."

"When that happened, tension filled the air, but that kid's group immediately retreated and assumed a neutral stance, they wouldn't move regardless of what happened, putting their honor on the line..."

"And just like that, a fight broke out."

"2 groups had actually been eliminated prior to your arrival, they were minor and weaker groups, as such, they were quickly eliminated by the others."

"I'm not surprised…" Dale said with a sigh

'I did see the fallen loot on the ground, though it was hard to say where it came from exactly.'

'In the first place, the low amount of players in this place was already surprising, which might point out to the fact that Rodi didn't make this information public, but instead, released it to a contained community...'

'The information being the Legendary sword Caladgold.'

'Another reason to check Rodi's streaming channel once I log out.'

"After the 2 groups were killed, the other 3 groups started negotiating, but it didn't take long for everything to crash down and for them to start man-fighting each other."

"That happened after they realized they couldn't just take the sword out of here since no one was strong enough to lift it."

"It was fun seeing their struggles and embarrassment..."

"The Kid's group remained neutral the entire time, which they did and that was the reason why they weren't killed off by you." David said with a deep tone

"I see."

'It seems they did predict this would happen, meaning that Rodi really worked very hard to make them understand that Resko is more than capable of defending itself and was a place that shouldn't be messed with.'

'But that doesn't make me like them more, not interfering does not mean that they are helping us. It proves the contrary even. That they are unwilling to expend resources and burn bridges over this matter.'

'Of course, I'm being a bit harsh, but it's better to have a wall between us rather than trusting them this soon in the run.'

'As for the others, I have a clear image of every group that appeared, I will do a background check when I log out.'

After waiting for a while, David continued:

"But oh man that was awful."

"What do you mean?" Dale asked

"Being stored in that… Thing. It was like a fully white room… But not white and not a room… It made me remember my greatest fear…"

"And that is?"

"Being stuck."

"..."

'So that is how it feels to be inside the inventory?... That's rather interesting...'

'It is novel to see what it looks like from the object's perspective.'

"You don't understand me, man… I am but a head."

"If I fall into a hole, who is to tell how long it will take till someone recovers me…" He said with a trembling voice as he imagined the situation

"I still remember that traumatic day when I fell in a river and… Sniff… That was terrible, I was buried halfway in the mud for almost a week until someone rescued me."

"If they didn't… Imagine how long it would've taken for someone to save me!" Exclaimed David almost crying

"It must be rough…" Dale said as he rolled his eyes

'In that situation, wouldn't he be able to unstick himself through the use of his abilities?...'

'It feels a bit far-fetched to go so far as to remain silent even if it means being stuck in the mud for 100 years...'

"But oh man, thanks to you and the wrath of my Boss I am safe and sound once again, and full of energy!"

"Talking about your Boss…"

David rolled his eyes.

"I know what you want to ask, so I'll be pretty direct."

"Do you really think someone like my Boss would be so angry over a bunch of fodder bandits? What they did was unforgivable, but it wouldn't require Divine intervention."

"Divine intervention is something pretty serious after all, even if done in a minor way through a medium like this time… Only because this situation was an exception."

"..."

'Exception... What was the condition, I wonder? It doesn't seem like he'll tell me that...'

"Okay, but first, before we continue… Are Gods limited in any way?" Dale asked as he crossed his arms

"Yes and no, they limit themselves out of their own volition and not because there is someone or something impeding them from being here in the mortal plane."

"They could be here if they wanted to, and they did so for a while, mortals call those times... Uh... Ehh... Something... It slipped my golden tongue..."

"I forgot the name, figures... I'll remember eventually."

"I... See..." Dale said as his eyelids twitched

"Still, anyway, why would they do so?"

David smiled and said with a full smile:

"Quick history lesson time!"

"..."

'I shouldn't have asked that...'

"Long ago, there was a time when Gods walked the Earth together with their creations and the beings that were born together with them."

"That was a chaotic time, with strong creatures rising and failing, kingdoms being built and razed to dust..."

"At the start, the Gods and these beings believed this to be natural, and that it was all part of the natural cycle of life, it was everything they knew."

"It was how the world spun."

"But as time passed, they realized this wasn't the case, or at least, not quite. Such Chaos was causing more harm than good. This wasn't the balance they were supposed to maintain, and instead, it was disrupting it."

"Because once there was destruction, there was a need to fix it, and most times, it was the Gods' job to do so… And that took resources... Time... Power."

"A God creates, and a God fixes... The Cycle begins with them and ends with them."

"Gods manifest the means through which destruction shall befall their own creations... And thus Death was born."

"However, what happens when something unexpected is born?"

"Should they just leave it be as a product of their own work, or should they cut it out?"

"That was a Question that remains unanswered to this day, just like the time when the first Tumor was created."

"The Gods departed how such a thing was possible, and wheater they should maintain it..."

"Some propose to start anew, others propose to fix the root of the problem, a few told to leave it be as life was meant to develop just like how a sprout grows from the soil..."

"Eventually... Conflicts rose from their diverging views."

"For this example, I will use the Gods as adults and kids as Mortals."

"When Adults play, they can often do dangerous things from the perspective of Kids."

"For them, an adult moving his leg too quickly could easily injure or even kill them."

"So the adults have to learn how to remain controlled when near the kids, else they could hurt them… As for the reasons, it's up to them to determine why."

"This is what happened. The Gods decided that it was time to stop with the Chaos they themselves created and that it was time to enjoy the world through another perspective…"

"A silent agreement came into the picture and they stepped back to watch their creations grow."

"For them, this may very well be a mere moment of their existence, in no way do I think this will last forever. But I hope you can understand why they may be limited."

"Perhaps it's for entertainment, or for another cause. Though in the first place, applying such concepts is illogical, to begin with."

"As a way to influence the real world, they made Churches and spread their own beliefs, although some had this be made naturally, others sought out people on their own."

"A simple action such as merely manifesting with their true bodies could set mayhem to the fragile balance the world is currently in."

"If a strong monster can already cause massive destruction with its foot, what to say a God?"

"A cow will trample on grass without a thought, a God could overturn the skies with its breath."

Dale didn't think much and asked:

"So why did today happen?"

"In normal scenarios, Gods can be allowed to employ more power and influence into the real world than they are normally used to."

"My Boss had the reason, excuse, and desire to interfere today, and that was more than enough."

"And most importantly, she had the means, and that was you and me. Through me, she channeled her influence pretty easily, and you were strong enough to carry out her will."

"But as I said, although she acted with the excuse to protect her honor and quell her anger, that was pure... Bullshit."

"..."

'He's pretty direct… I hope I won't be condemned with him…'

"What my Boss actually wanted, was to recover a part of my power."

"Normally, a God sharing his power directly wouldn't be allowed, it breaks the purpose of their actions..."

"But today was different, she was given the chance to influence the world, and that was done through me, and now, a portion of that power still remains within me."

"A reason or better put, excuse appeared if you got my meaning."

"And sometimes, even if they're just meant to watch, influencing things directly or giving it all a push can result in even greater results..."

"That is why some Gods are more revered then others, from the way they act to how frequent."

"People have their own standards, and they seek Gods who fit those, such is the hypocrisy of mortals."

"Uhum... So… Let me see if I understood."

"Today's event was not exactly meant to punish the bandits, but as a way for your… Boss, to help you?"

"Correct, and oh, don't worry, other Gods can't hear our conversation right now, this territory has an owner after all."

"..."

'Are you telling me they usually can?'

"In any case, congratulations, you made it through that ordeal." David said with a smile, if he could clap his hands he would

"Ordeal?... You… Do you know what happened? The things that happened within my body..."

"I do, I sensed it, I saw it, I was there."

"For a moment, I thought you were a goner when a Mana Void formed inside of you, but you resisted it long enough so the blessing could wear off…"

"Really impressive, I expected less of you."

"... Fuck off..." Dale said in an annoyed tone

"Boss was never really good with numbers and predictions, and today was no different, he gave you a blessing way beyond what you could handle, and you almost died." David replied

"That I know… And felt… But what is a Mana Void?"

David had to think for a few moments before replying.

"In simple terms that would make the Academic shut-ins mad, a Mana Void is a transitory, volatile state of Mana."

"When a certain concentration of mana forms within the air, it condenses into a new substance which is still mana, but with different qualities and characteristics."

"These qualities and characteristics depend on the environment and the Mana itself, but that doesn't matter right now."

"The Mana can also seep into the rock strata, forming into different kinds of minerals and substances... "

"This normally happens over decades or centuries in a much milder and unnoticeable way and it receives a different name, Azure sedimentation."

"But when a large quantity of Mana reaches the necessary concentration within a limited recipient/place, it may trigger this process spontaneously in an instant…"

"A process that takes decades is shortened to a few seconds or hours... It's rather chaotic."

"However in that case, due to how fast and sudden it is, and a few more mathematical shenanigans, a vortex is formed, drawing in more mana from the surroundings to sustain itself, but that ends up increasing the force of the vortex..."

"It goes on and on until it reaches a balance before it starts to decay."

"And in the center of it, due to the forces at play, it paradoxically creates a void of Mana, but only when the Vortex is strong enough."

"Even then, it's not a perfect void and the degree of that depends on the force of the Vortex itself."

"And in this extremely rare and chaotic situation, if mana is continuously supplied to the vortex, in 99% of the cases that succeed, since there is a for it to go wrong, a perfectly clear blue glass marble will be created, a marble with a complete void inside it…"

"The Azure Gem! It's a very pretty and useful stone… But that isn't important right now."

"If the minimum is not achieved, the vortex will collapse and dissipate like in your case… Or just go 'Boom!' Luckily it wasn't the latter..."

"Regardless of it all, things wouldn't be pretty, as if you had enough Mana, then by now you would be reeling in pain due to a marble the size of a thumb being somewhere inside your body... Perhaps a bit bigger."

"Though that would've been hard, marbles only form when the Mana of an entire environment condenses... If you had so much within you, other problems would've risen sooner..."

"Still, it doesn't change the fact you managed to survive your body being torn apart long enough for the mana to dissipate, good work." David said with praise

"As a reward, your body is much stronger now."

After hearing all of this, Dale simply let out a sigh and said:

"Reward you say… I am lucky to even be alive…" He said as he rubbed his forehead

"You are undermining your own efforts buddy… But well, you are indeed lucky." David said with a 'shrug' or what seemed to be one

However, a big smile formed on his lips.

"But enough talk! It's time for some action!" David said as his eyes flashed golden

"This power won't remain for long, so it's better if we use it for something interesting before it also dissipates on its own…"

"So what do you say of us going on a little adventure while everyone else is occupied, um?" David asked with a sly smile

"..."

'I don't like where this is going...'

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Notes

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