Accidentally Summoned To The Dark Throne

Chapter 9: The Anatomy of a Collapse

The trip to the part of Castra was like going up a big ladder of social classes in the Radiant Empire. The lower parts of the city were really cold and foggy. The air smelled bad because of the wet wood.. The upper part, where the military and church people lived was warm and nice. They had heat crystals under the streets to keep it that way.. On this night the warmth did not feel right. The light from the lanterns made long shadows on the empty streets and instead of the usual sound of carriages you could hear the sound of soldiers marching.

Guild Master Ovan pulled his cloak tighter around him as his carriage went through the iron gates of the city. His hands were clenched together. His knuckles were white because he was nervous. He had a folder in his pocket that had fake lists of food and supplies that Evander had given him. It was a good fake. It said that they had found a secret storage of food in a warehouse that used to belong to Bishop Malakar.

To people who did not know what was going on it would look like the military was just taking some assets.. To General Caelum, who was in charge of the military and was having a lot of problems it would look like a lifesaver.

The carriage stopped in front of a fortress made of grey stone. The walls had crossbows on them but many of them were not being used because they did not have the right parts. Ovan got out of the carriage. Was immediately surrounded by four soldiers in shiny armor. They had spears and looked very serious.

The leader of the soldiers asked Ovan who he was and why he was there. Ovan told him that he was the Guild Master of the Castra Adventurer Guild and that he had come to talk to General Caelum about something. He said that he had found a storage of food that could help the military.

The soldiers looked at each other. Then one of them stepped back and told Ovan to follow him. Ovan went with the soldier through the halls of the fortress. He saw that everything was very chaotic and that the soldiers were all very nervous. He also saw that the communication room was not working and that the mages were trying to fix it but were having a lot of trouble.

The soldier took Ovan to a room where General Caelum was. The General was very angry. Was yelling at his captains. He was asking where one of his divisions was and why they had not heard from them. Ovan came into the room. The General saw him. He looked very angry. Asked Ovan why he was there.

Ovan told the General that he had come to help him. He said that he had found a storage of food that could help the military. The General was very interested. Asked Ovan to show him the food. Ovan gave him the lists and the General looked at them very carefully.

The General asked Ovan where the food was and why it had not been reported before. Ovan told him that it was in a storage that was hidden behind a magic barrier. He said that the guild had only found it because the citys magic grid had been fluctuating.

The General was very happy to hear about the food. Asked Ovan to bring it to him as soon as possible. Ovan said that it would take 24 hours to get the food ready. The General said that he needed it sooner. He offered to send some of his soldiers to help Ovan get the food.

Ovan said that he could not let the soldiers go with him because the storage was trapped and if anyone with an church signature tried to go in it would explode. The General got very angry. Threatened Ovan, with his sword. Ovan stood his ground. Told the General that he would have to wait for the guild to bring the food.

You are pushing your luck, merchant Caelum snarled at Ovan. You think the church is divided and the military has no power. I can have your head on a spike before the sun comes up and my mages will get the validation keys from your brain.

Ovan looked at the sword his eyes locked on the tip. If you kill me General, the guild will shut down every market in Castra. Your soldiers will have no food, no beer and no arrows by morning. The blacksmiths will not. The gate guards will leave their posts. You cannot run a city with swords. You need the infrastructure. I am the one who controls it.

The room was quiet the air with tension. The senior captains held their breath looking at Caelum and Ovan. It seemed like Caelums pride would win. He would attack Ovan.. Caelum was also a politician and he knew what would happen if the city fell into chaos. He needed food. He needed the city to be quiet. So he slowly lowered his sword.

Twenty-four hours Ovan Caelum said, his voice cold. If the supply wagons are not at my gate by this time tomorrow I will consider the guild to be in rebellion. I will declare law and I will take the lower district by force. Get out of my sight.

Ovan picked up his leather folder bowed his head and walked out of the room. He did not run, even though he wanted to. He walked with a pace past the guards and down the long corridors until he was back in his carriage.

As the carriage moved away from the fortress Ovan collapsed against the cushions his body shaking with fear. He took a glass vial from his pocket drank the calming liquid and looked out the window. The lie had been. The general had believed it.. Now time was running out and Ovan knew that if the next part of the plan did not happen within twenty-four hours the city would be in chaos.

Deep beneath the earth in the throne room Evander opened his eyes. The system interface. He saw the data from Ovans meeting with the general. Evander stood up feeling light and agile. He walked up to Vespera, who was looking at a stone tablet.

Ovan survived the meeting Evander said. Caelum has agreed to the twenty-four-hour timeline. He is waiting for a delivery that will not come. He has grounded his soldiers to avoid a conflict with the guild.

Vespera looked up her eyes reflecting the light of the soul-crystals. Then we have a chance she said.. We cannot wait, Evander. General Zorion sent a message while you were away. Something strange is happening to the soldiers we defeated.

Evanders brows furrowed. What is happening to them he asked.

The holy energy from their armor and their souls is not disappearing Vespera said. Instead it is pooling together forming a node of light that is resisting our dark magic.

Evander activated his system interface looking at the energy distribution modules. He focused on the coordinates of the western river basin. What he saw made him catch his breath.

The map showed a glowing golden matrix expanding beneath the surface. It matched the style of the summoning circle he had seen in the human cathedral.

System Alert, the voice in his head said. Anomalous resonance detected. The regional soul-density has exceeded the threshold. The Radiant Empires global matrix protocol has been initiated.

Evanders fingers moved quickly across the interface pulling up the logs of the summoning ritual. He realized that the summoning was not an event but a network anchor. The human kingdom did not just summon heroes to fight the demon lords. Every individual summoned from Earth carried a high-density soul signature that acted as a beacon for a system framework.

Vespera Evander said, his voice urgent. The summoning circle was not a gateway. It was a network anchor. When a human soldier or hero dies in this world their experience points, mana and soul fragments are not lost. They are harvested by the system matrix. Routed back to a centralized power capacitor beneath the grand sanctuary in Castra.

Vesperas skin turned pale her hand gripping the edge of the stone dais. What does this mean she asked.

The church is not trying to save this world Evander explained. They are using the war with the Underworld to feed soul energy into an entity buried under their city.

Vesperas eyes widened, her face pale. A entity she whispered. One of the gods from the first era.

The system calls it the Core of the Radiant Dawn Evander said, his interface flashing with warning symbols. The destruction of the division was not just a victory for us. It was an injection of fuel for the churchs project. Two thousand human souls were. All of that energy is being pulled back toward the sanctuary grid.

Evander pointed to the city map of Castra. The purple lines were being compressed, pushed back toward the district borders by a surge of golden light rising from the deep foundations of the upper district sanctuary.

The internal purge is not a distraction Evander whispered. Seraphina is not arresting the bishop because she thinks he is a thief. She is executing his retainers to prepare for the activation of the core. She used my forged documents as an excuse to clear the halls so she could initiate the sequence without interference.

The system voice in his head sounded a tone. Warning. Core activation sequence has reached sixty-two percent completion. The local regional network is being overridden, by the Divine Authority protocol.

Evander looked down at his hands. He saw a faint golden thread of light wrapping around his fingers. It was the summoning link attempting to pull his true location out of the shadows.

Seraphina is tracing the link again Vespera screamed, her hands flying to her head. She is not using the artifact this time Evander. She is using the core itself. It is too strong. It is cutting through my defense matrices.

Evander did not panic. His mind was trained to handle situations from his time on Earth. He knew that if he tried to fight the threads with his current skills he would lose. The core was in charge within the empires territory. He had to use an approach.

He opened the class evolution module. Looked at the skill he had selected just an hour prior: Network Mimicry.

Evander thought to himself System command, Activate Skill: Network Mimicry. Target signature: Holy Vanguard class. Replicate signature code from General Caelums network registry.

The purple interface around his vision changed, the lines turning into a bright simulated gold. The golden thread wrapping around his fingers stopped moving as the system code re-analyzed his energy signature.

Synchronization progress: Ten percent... Thirty percent... Seventy percent.... The Abyssal Coordinator class is now hidden beneath a Holy Vanguard signature matrix.

The golden thread did not go away. It changed its behavior. Of looking for an external source to purge the energy settled into his skin accepting him as a legitimate node within the empires network. The painful vibrations in Vesperas head. She fell to her knees gasping for air.

Did it work? She asked, looking up at Evander with scared eyes.

It is a fix Evander said, his voice sounding strange to his own ears. The system thinks I am a high-rank vanguard soldier. It has stopped the purge protocol. The core is still moving forward. We have time than I thought.

What happens if the core reaches one hundred percent? Vespera asked, standing up slowly.

If the core activates it will send out a holy purge field Evander said. The field will destroy every entity within fifty miles including you and the vanguard army. It will turn the basin into a dead zone for dark mana.

We have to stop her Vespera said, her eyes flashing with a desperate resolve. We have to send Zorions army to storm the city walls.

No Evander countered. An army cannot storm those walls if the sanctuary arrays are active. They will be killed before they reach the gates. If we want to disable the core we have to do it from the inside.

How do we do that? Vespera asked. The inner sanctuary is guarded by the White-Sun Inquisitors.

A demon cannot get in Evander agreed.. A Holy Vanguard can. My Network Mimicry skill allows me to replicate Caelums signature. I can walk into the core chamber without triggering an alarm.

You are going to go alone? Vespera asked, her voice full of anxiety. Evander if she catches you your simulated signature won't save you.

Then I will make sure she doesn't catch me Evander said. I need you to contact General Zorion. Tell him to move his infantry units to the ridges overlooking Castra. They must not. They must not show themselves.

What about Ovan? Vespera asked.

Tell Ovan to move his guild guards into the district plazas Evander instructed. He must tell the people that the church is preparing to sacrifice the city. Panic is a tool, Vespera. If the lower district erupts into a riot Seraphina will be forced to redirect her inquisitors.

He turned toward the archway his mind shifting back toward the proxy sync protocol. The stakes had changed from a problem into a desperate race against time.

The system inside his mind chimed more. Core Activation Progress: Sixty-four percent. Time remaining: Four hours, twelve minutes.

I am returning to the surface Evander said, his voice dropping to a whisper. Wish me luck Vespera. If I fail this room will be empty by morning.

I don't believe in luck Coordinator, Vespera said, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. I believe in your plans.. Break their machine.

Evander closed his eyes. Initiated the proxy sync.

The descent into the void was faster this time. When his awareness slammed back into the iron sentinel the transition was accompanied by a metallic ring.

The proxy shell was different now. The dull silver accents were gone, replaced by a simulated golden sheen. The dark wool cloak was gone, replaced by a white cape.

Evander looked down at his metal hands testing the articulation of the joints. The system display at the edge of his mask was completely gold.

He pushed open the warehouse door. Stepped out into the freezing fog. The lower district was already changing. He could hear the shouting of guild criers their voices amplified by magic megaphones.

Evander turned his back on the district his golden boots clicking sharply against the cobblestones. He began his march toward the white stone avenues of the district. He didn't use his march aura; he wanted everyone to see him.

He reached the inner gate dividing the sectors within ten minutes. The vanguard sentinels who had stopped Ovan earlier were still there. As they saw the brilliant golden figure approaching their halberds immediately dropped to their sides.

General Caelum! The lead sentinel called out saluting deeply. We didn't expect you to return from the command tower soon sir.

Open the gate sentinels Evander said, his voice modulated to replicate Caelums tone. I have business with the High Priestess.

The sentinels didn't hesitate. They pulled the iron levers and the massive white stone gates began to swing open.

Evander marched across the plaza his eyes fixed on the bronze doors of the cathedral. Standing outside the entrance were twelve White-Sun Inquisitors, their silver rapiers unsheathed.

Stand aside Inquisitors, Evander commanded, stepping up the marble stairs.

The lead inquisitor raised his hand his mask reflecting the light, from the dome. The High Priestess is conducting the activation, General the inquisitor said. No military personnel are permitted inside the sanctuary during the transition. Return to your command tower.

Evander did not take orders from a clerk. He stepped closer to the inquisitor until his simulated vanguard aura hit the inquisitors barriers. My third division was wiped out because your sanctuary node went blind Evander said. If the High Priestess wants to complete her ritual she will have to explain to Evander why Evanders men were sacrificed to fuel her machine. Move or Evander will paint these marble steps with the inquisitors blood.

The inquisitor did not move his hand. His fingers trembled slightly as the simulated signature of Evanders sword began to hum with power. The network priority of a hero like Evander was almost equal to that of an inquisitor commander and the system was struggling to resolve the conflict between their security authorizations.

For three seconds the standoff remained absolute. Evanders internal clock was counting down the numbers flashing in his vision with a speed. Time remaining until soul dissolution: One hour, forty-two minutes.

Slowly the lead inquisitor lowered his hand stepping back into the shadows of the doorway. The remaining eleven guards followed his lead parting to form an aisle between their silver rapiers. You may enter, General Evander, the inquisitor whispered.. Remember that inside the core chamber Evanders sword cannot save him from the light of the dawn.

Evander did not reply. He pushed open the bronze doors of the cathedral and stepped inside the doors slamming shut behind him with a sound that felt like a final seal on a tomb. The interior of the cathedral was completely hollowed out. The grand pews and altars had been removed, replaced by a spiral staircase made of solid quartz that descended into the very depths of the earth beneath the city.

The entire structure was filled with a golden fog that made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead but Evander did not need his eyes. Evanders system interface was tracking the flow of the energy lines guiding him down the steps toward the source of the immense vibration. Evander descended for minutes the air growing hotter and tighter with every step until he reached the final landing.

The core chamber was a subterranean dome supported by twelve massive pillars of solid diamond. In the center of the dome suspended above a pit of liquid gold was the Core of the Radiant Dawn. It looked like a mechanical heart made of interlocking golden rings that were spinning at an impossible speed emitting a high-pitched frequency that made the iron shell of Evanders proxy vibrate violently.

High Priestess Seraphina was standing on a stone walkway that extended over the pit her arms raised toward the spinning machine. Her white robes were stained with blood from her fingertips and her eyes were wide burning with a fanatical ecstasy that showed she had completely surrendered her mind to the entity above her. You are late Caelum, High Priestess Seraphina said, without turning her head. Her voice was not human anymore; it was layered with the resonant echo of a thousand souls speaking in unison. I felt Evanders signature cross the threshold. Did Evander bring the remaining fragments of his knights souls to add to the altar?

Evander walked slowly onto the stone walkway his golden boots clicking against the quartz. Evander did not draw his broadsword. Instead Evanders real mind inside the Underworld reached out through the network mimicry interface preparing the override command code. I did not bring souls High Priestess Seraphina, Evander said, his voice returning to his flat tone as the simulated vanguard signature dropped its cloak. Evander brought an audit.

High Priestess Seraphina froze. The golden rings of the core suddenly paused their rotation and the blinding light inside the chamber turned a violent crimson as the system finally realized that the entity standing on the walkway was not the hero it had summoned but the failure it had cast aside into the abyss. High Priestess Seraphina turned her head slowly her mask slipping from her face to reveal eyes that were completely black filled with a swirling vortex of golden geometric symbols.

You High Priestess Seraphina whispered, her voice dropping its echo replaced by a cold venomous terror as she looked at the silver sentinel interface glowing red beneath the false golden armor. The trash commoner from the chasm. How are you here Evander?

System command: Initiate Structural Deconstruction, Evander thought, his fingers clicking inside his mind as the purple interface slammed against the cores framework. Open the gate, High Priestess Seraphina. Lets see what's inside your god Evander said.

The quartz walkway beneath their feet suddenly let out a crack and the twelve diamond pillars began to bleed lines of dark purple data setting up the ultimate confrontation, for the survival of the western world.