Chapter 1-41- Golden Orbs (2/2)

“No, it’s actually lower order. Burning and converting chi or mana to Qi is a net loss in power. Breaking it back into chi and mana actually increases the total power. Its sole benefit is it takes the place of both of them.”

WHY DO THEY PURSUE THIS PATH, THEN?

“Power, of course. The Qi system is based on a system of meridian energy rotation. It’s not genetic, like the Powered. Potentially, anyone can learn to use Qi. Realistically, those adept with it are exactly as common as adept Powered... but no Powered can use Qi.”

SO, SOMETHING I COULD USE... IF I WASN’T PACTBOUND.

“Correct. You, the punk on the corner, the rice farmer aching in his field, the intellectualist... everyone born not Powered.”

THAT IS AN ALLURE IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST. A PATH TO POWER FOR THE ‘AVERAGE’ PERSON.

“Except it is guaranteed death for them, and Stats still drive everything. If you literally aren’t a genius in one aspect or another, you’ll still amount to nothing... and naturally the greatest powers are reserved for the elite. You can’t train Daoism off the Karma system... it’s not part of the human Akasha. Daoist Immortals are not human!”

BUT THEY SEEK POWER OVER ALL HUMANITY...

“Can’t make more Daoists without more Golden Orbs eating human souls, after all.”

WITHOUT AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE NON-POWERED...

“There are multiple paths for the non-Powered. The Forsaken travel a path of denying magic and chi power over them, and can advance every bit as far as the Powered, if not so easily.”

I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THEM?

“I am not surprised. Becoming Forsaken is not as intuitive for the Primos as gaining Levels is for the Powered. Still, it is knowledge that should be spread. The main problem is that like anything else, Leveling and gaining strength is still hard. But at least you aren’t making an alien soul in your gut who consumes you.”

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO SO?

“I only know you have exactly two chances in your life: when you are a One, and when you take your third Human Level. If you miss them, you’re Primos, period.”

NOBODY REACHES SEVEN EASILY, MISS TRAVELER...

“Which means probably most of the people alive. The easiest solution would be a Human Race progression, like the Elves, Dwarves, and such have. Those are only subject to time and Karma, not Stat requirements, for Levels.”

CONVENIENT FOR THEM..., he mused.

“Yes. Humanity will be a second-tier race until we discover our Human Race Progression.”

WHAT PROMPTED THIS LINE OF THOUGHT?, he inquired, and I made a mental note that he was sharper than he looked.

“A rakshasa-blooded creature is of the Orient. I’m wondering if a group of Daoists might have visited here recently.”

THEY LEFT IT HERE?

“More to the point, were the four dead people Powered who never amounted to anything?”

His thumbs were soon tapping out a question or three to Gregorigori... and some startling new information about Daoists...

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Hard to miss The First Light of Dawn, the temple to Aru. Not only did it occupy a decent place for a view, fairly close to the water, but the big golden sphere, glowing with the defiant light of the sun, taking the light leaking through the Haze and magnifying it, was pretty hard to miss.

At the lower end of the church’s property, as it rolled down to the waters of the harbor, a twenty-foot wall had been built, complete with battlements and watchtowers, all of them also blazing with bright lamps.

It was erected on the lands of Fort McHenry, having effectively taken over defense of the inner harbor from the military, who didn’t have the magical resources to do the task... but were more than happy to man the cannons and mortars overlooking the church as it shone there, a bright beacon in the night against infiltrators coming out of the sea.

Fred gave me his Vaccine with a general history of the area, noting there had been eight different major battles in this area, and they all started at the leading edge of the land where the First Light would flare brightly and announce that the enemy was here.

The Rays from the Golden Orb of the temple could reach out over a thousand yards to attack any Deep Ones or Sahaug who dared to show themselves in these waters, fully capable of backing up the opposite shores and a massive swathe of the area around the temple. Full sunlight stabbing into their eyes, killing rays of light coming down to pick them off, fully capable of punching through the water to do so... there was no doubt whatsoever that the sea-dwelling races hated this temple immensely.

Unfortunately for them, this was one of the major training grounds for Aruans on the martial path, and plenty of Templars and Clerics came here to both skirmish against the restless dead in DC, and fight against the horrors of the Deep.

KEEP YOUR SHARDS UP, he told me as Sleipner exited the highway, and Ward-Rode across the yards of the big cement company bordering the harbor. I noted they had basically left it for any invader to push loads of gravel and powder around if they decided to come ashore... and the guns of McHenry seemed to have left a few filled-in craters in the broad open area where they dumped their road construction fill.

LET’S SEE IF I CAN PULL SOMETHING UP, he told me, Sleipner neighing in quiet challenge as the cycle actually settled down on the waters and powered across on top of them, his engine suddenly revving quite loudly indeed.