Accidentally Summoned To The Dark Throne

Chapter 6: The Emergency Override Strategy

The stone floor of the Underworld throne room felt like ice against Evanders hands. Every time his heart beat a sharp pain shot up his spine. Into the back of his eyes. The Abyssal Coordinator system was flashing with warning symbols in his vision. The letters were blurry and distorted by the static of the frequency that High Priestess Seraphina was broadcasting from the surface world.

Vespera was on her knees beside him her fingers pressed against his temples. Her dark energy felt cold and sharp as she tried to force it into his energy channels. The black mist from her hands turned to ash the moment it touched his skin dissolving into sparks of light.

The system voice in his head sounded mechanical and distant repeating the message over and over. Warning. Source Purge Protocol is almost complete. External core is tracing the soul-link network. Time is running out. Disconnect protocol is blocked by artifact frequency.

Evander forced his jaw open spitting out a mouthful of fluid onto the grey stone. His eyes were bloodshot his pupils dilated as he looked at the map floating above the altar. The projection was flickering, the lines breaking apart as the surface network collapsed.

Through the cracked mask of the iron sentinel proxy shell he could see Caelums face. The Holy Vanguard was standing a few feet away his broadsword raised high the white light from the blade so bright it cast long shadows against the brick walls. The rain around Caelum was turning into steam before it could touch his armor.

Behind Caelum, High Priestess Seraphina was floating above her marble carriage her robes undisturbed by the wind. The Divine Eye of Judgement in her hand looked like a machine spinning so fast it appeared as a solid sphere of light.

Evander didn't try to pull his consciousness from the proxy shell. He knew that would only make things worse. Instead he calmed his mind slowing his thoughts until the warning numbers in his vision seemed to move

He looked at the bottom of his system display focusing on an option that had been locked since he arrived in this world. It was a command buried within the core of the Abyssal Coordinator class something that required a lot of external energy to activate.

The Divine Eye of Judgement was providing that energy now. The holy energy wasn't just destroying his shell; it was overloading the network channels filling them with power.

Evander focused his thoughts on that hidden option bypassing the security measures of his own system interface. Initiating emergency override protocol he thought. Command code: Reverse Conduit.

The system inside his mind let out a sound, a heavy tone that drowned out the high-pitched ringing of the holy artifact. Warning. Emergency override requires authorization from both connected entities. Activating the Reverse Conduit will open a two-way gateway between the proxy coordinates and the source coordinates.

Evander looked up at Vespera. Her face was pale sweat dripping down her chin as she maintained her grip on his head. She could feel the shift in his energy the change from defense to aggression.

Vespera he said, his voice sounding hollow and strained. Stop trying to block the light. Let it in.

She looked at him with eyes her pupils shaking. If I let go that holy energy will burn your core to pieces. Its designed to destroy things from the abyss.

Its designed to destroy things from the inside Evander said, his hand reaching up to grip her wrist.. A gateway works both ways. If she wants to reach into this hole to rip my heart out she has to leave the door open behind her. Authorize the system link. Now.

Vespera stared at him for a second searching his face for any sign of hesitation. Seeing none she let out a breath and closed her eyes. System authorization confirmed her voice echoed in his mind.

The crimson interface in Evanders vision turned a dark purple. The warning numbers stopped counting down freezing at twelve seconds.

Command accepted the system announced. Reverse Conduit activated. Redirecting divine purge energy into the Abyssal Coordinator network lines.

Back on the surface in the rain-soaked alleyway of Castra, the column of light pinning the iron sentinel suddenly changed its behavior. Of crushing the golem the golden energy began to drain inward pulled straight into the chest plate of the iron construct.

Caelums smile disappeared. He noticed the change in the air pressure the way his broadswords light began to flicker and pull toward the cracked silver mask. The holy symbols etched into his armor began to glow hot painful against his skin.

What is this? Caelum muttered, stepping back a pace. High Priestess, the construct is absorbing the artifacts light.

Seraphinas expression remained calm. Her hand tightened around the gold rings of the Divine Eye of Judgement. The artifact was vibrating violently now the rings spinning erratically.

It is not absorbing it Seraphina said, her voice. Sharp. It is channeling it. He is using the link to pull the source anchor toward his position. Stop him Caelum. Break the shell before he completes the circuit.

Caelum didn't hesitate. He brought his broadsword down with both hands aiming straight for the center of the iron sentinels cracked silver mask.. The blade never hit the metal.

Two feet above the sentinels head the broadsword hit a barrier of concentrated purple energy. The impact made a sound like lightning striking a tree. Caelums arms shuddered from the vibrations the bones in his wrists clicking as the force of his blow bounced back against him.

The iron sentinel slowly stood up. The heavy metal boots didn't make a sound; they were completely surrounded by a swirling vortex of purple energy.

Activating Sub-Skill: Network Hijack, Evanders voice sounded through the proxys speakers. The gold rings of the Divine Eye of Judgement suddenly stopped spinning. They locked into an alignment and then the central lens of the artifact turned from bright gold to a deep bruised purple.

Seraphina let out a gasp dropping the artifact. It didn't fall to the ground; it remained floating in the air. The white light it had been emitting was completely gone, replaced by thin lines of dark energy that began to spread out across the sky.

The system notification in Evanders vision updated immediately. Connection stabilized. External core trace reversed. The Divine Eye of Judgement has been designated as a network node for the Abyssal Coordinator system.

Evander felt the pain in his head vanish, replaced by a sense of clarity. His mind was now connected to two places at once. Instead of being torn apart he felt like he was looking at a single chessboard from two different angles.

He looked through the sentinels eyes at Seraphina, who was now stepping back onto her carriage her fingers trembling slightly as she realized she had lost control of her own relic.

You looked for me because you thought I was a thief hiding in the dark Seraphina, Evander said through the proxy shell.. You forgot that a coordinator doesn't steal resources. A coordinator manages them.

He raised the iron arm of the sentinel pointing his metal hand toward the magic circle in the sky. System command: Deploy Territory Trap. Sector change: Darken.

The dark lines spreading across the sky suddenly expanded, covering the geometric circle entirely. In an instant the bright white light over the city of Castra vanished, plunged into a artificial midnight. The rain turned cold freezing into needles of ice that fell silently through the dark air.

The White-Sun Inquisitors, in the street began to panic their silver armor clinking as they looked up at the blacked-out sky. The holy barriers they had erected around the district were turning purple their energy being redirected into the citys grid.

Caelum, his armor glowing faintly in the dark growled and raised his sword again. You think a little darkness changes anything? I am a Holy Vanguard. My light comes from within. I don't need the sky to see you trash.

Caelum jumped forward his boots making holes in the cobblestones as he ran towards the guardian. He held his sword at the golems throat.

Evander did not move his shell to avoid the attack. He just used his system to choose an option that had just become available because the territory had expanded.

Sub-Skill activated: Resource Reallocation.

The holy light around Caelums body started to fade. The bright light on his sword went down the blade into the handle and then through his gloves leaving his body. The energy was not disappearing it was going through the ground and into the iron boots of Evanders shell.

Caelums jump lost all its power halfway through the air. He fell hard onto the stones his armor feeling twice as heavy as it should be. He gasped for air his muscles burning as if he had been running for miles without stopping.

My energy is gone Caelum wheezed, his face hitting the mud. What did you do to my energy, Evander?

Your class relies on the network for its blessings Evander explained, walking slowly towards the fallen warrior. The High Priestess is the anchor the sanctuary is the capacitor. You are just the terminal that uses the energy.. Right now I am the owner of this local network node. Your access has been restricted because you did not pay the fees.

He stood over Caelum looking down at the warriors face. The confidence was completely gone, replaced by an scared look that Evander had seen many times on Earth when people realized the rules they relied on no longer applied to them the rules of Evanders world.

Evander turned his attention back to High Priestess Seraphina. She was standing on her carriage surrounded by four inquisitors who had drawn their silver swords their bodies shaking as the temperature in the alley continued to drop the temperature of Evanders world.

You have thirty seconds before the energy capacitor under the north tower overloads from the redirected energy Seraphina Evander said, his tone perfectly flat. If you stay here to continue this fight you will lose your squad, your artifact and your own life when this sector detonates the sector of Evanders world.

Seraphina looked up at the spiderweb in the sky then down at the Divine Eye of Judgement which was now leaking black fluid onto the white marble of her carriage. She was a woman who had spent her life studying the balance of power and she knew exactly when a position was completely lost, a position in Evanders world.

She didn't say a word to Caelum. She didn't look back at her soldiers. She simply raised her hand. Struck the side of the white carriage with her staff the staff of Evanders world.

Retreat she commanded, her voice. Sharp. Back to the sanctuary the sanctuary of Evanders world.

The six winged horses let out screeches their wings beating the cold air as they pulled the carriage up into the dark sky fleeing towards the high walls of the upper district before the purple energy lines could wrap around their legs the legs of Evanders world. The remaining inquisitors followed immediately carrying their injured comrades as they scattered into the streets abandoning the lower district entirely the district of Evanders world.

Caelum tried to crawl after them his fingers scratching against the cobblestones. Wait... High Priestess, wait for me. I can still fight. I can still...

The iron boot of the guardian came down heavily onto the blade of his sword snapping the high-grade metal into three clean pieces with a sharp metallic crack the crack of Evanders world.

Caelum froze, his breath hitching in his throat as he looked up at the silver mask of the golem the golem of Evanders world.

You are going to stay Caelum, Evander said, his voice dropping to a low whisper that only the warrior could hear. You are going to tell the Guild Master that the church has abandoned the district. You are going to tell him that the army has no food because the High Priestess spent all her resources trying to catch a ghost a ghost in Evanders world.

Caelums teeth chattered from the cold his eyes wide with horror. You're a monster... You're not the person from our class. You're something something else in Evanders world.

I am the coordinator Evander replied.. This project is just getting started, the project of Evanders world.

He initiated the disconnection sequence his mind pulling back from the surface world. The purple interface inside his vision began to fade returning to the crimson color as the proxy shell went completely stiff turning back into a regular iron statue standing in the dark cold rain of Castra, the Castra of Evanders world.

In the Underworld throne room Evanders real body let out a breath his shoulders dropping as the immense pressure left his chest. He didn't fall this time. He stood straight wiping the remaining blood from his lip with the back of his hand the hand of Evanders world.

Vespera stepped back her hands falling to her sides. Her chest was heaving, her eyes looking at him with a mixture of awe and fear. You actually did it she whispered, looking at the three- map, which was now showing the entire Castra district flashing in a deep purple color indicating total system integration the integration of Evanders world. You took control of a human fortress sector from here the sector of Evanders world.

The surface network is ours now Evander said, his voice steady as he walked up the stairs to the throne standing right beside her beside Vespera in Evanders world. Seraphina will spend the three days purging her own church looking for the traitors who leaked her communication codes the codes of Evanders world. She won't have the time or the resources to send reinforcements to the western river basin the basin of Evanders world.

Vespera turned her head to look at the map a sharp smile forming on her lips. Which means General Zorion will find Caelums infantry units completely isolated in the valley within twelve hours the hours of Evanders world. They will have no water, no supply lines and no divine protection from the sanctuary the sanctuary of Evanders world.

Exactly Evander said, his eyes reflecting the glow of the floating map the map of Evanders world. The human empire thinks this is a war of swords and magic the war of Evanders world. They don't understand that a war is won before the first soldier steps onto the battlefield the battlefield of Evanders world. Its won by controlling the movement of resources the resources of Evanders world.

He raised his hand tapping the map screen to send a series of encrypted system commands to the proxy shell on the surface the surface of Evanders world.

What is the next step Coordinator, the Coordinator of Evanders world? Vespera asked, leaning closer to the map, her tone of anticipation the anticipation of Evanders world.

We let the human guild master think he won Evander replied. Ovan will use the forged logs to destroy Bishop Malakar, the Bishop of Evanders world. While they are busy fighting each other for the ruins of the sanctuary we will use the local merchant houses to buy up every scrap of metal and leather in the province the province of Evanders world. By the time the High Priestess realizes what happened she won't even have the materials to forge swords for her knights the knights of Evanders world.

He closed his eyes for a moment checking his system status one last time the status of Evanders world.

System Status: Stable, the stability of Evanders world.

Territory Integration: Twelve percent of the total the total of Evanders world.

Energy Reserves: Sixty-four percent, supercharged by conversion fuel the fuel of Evanders world.

Current Project Status: On schedule the schedule of Evanders world.

Evander opened his eyes looking out over the dark caverns of the Underworld that stretched out beyond the throne room the room of Evanders world. The air here was cold and silent but for the first time since he had been thrown into the chasm he didn't feel like a victim waiting for the end the end of Evanders world. He felt like the designer of a complex machine that was finally starting to move the machine of Evanders world.

The contract, with this world was signed, he. He was the one who wrote the terms the terms of Evanders world.

Lets begin the phase Vespera he said, his hand dropping to his side as the system interface closed with a faint chime the chime of Evander's world. The western basin is waiting for its master, the master of Evander's world.

The doors of the throne room remained closed. The heavy silence of the underworld no longer felt like a prison, the prison of Evander's world. It felt like the calm before a storm that would soon cross the divide and change the surface world forever the world of Evander's world.