It was high time for Sammy to check out the updates to D.I.V.A., so she cracked it open to see what she was working with.

  Nice. That is a stupidly high value. I can personally recharge a lot faster in Limbo, but this massively expands my maximum output.

  “System, can you tell me about each mana level in depth? I don’t think I’ve even heard of ‘Seething’ for example.”

  Certainly, Director. Here is the information.

  That’s definitely going to be useful. She’d only ever interacted with ‘High’ as far as she knew. The Nexus was going to be specifically the tower, she believed, and was uncertain what the surrounding area would be. At a minimum, the islands were probably a Saturated zone.

  She noticed a small ‘activation’ crystal embedded in the pedestal that housed the central floating crystal. It was tied to the platform and was a simple levitation protocol. She activated it remotely and the entire circle gently lifted up and became flush with the upper surrounding platform, thus giving a full range of view through the crystal panels at the ocean and landscape, from the ritual-casting center.

  Sammy grinned. A simple, cool-ass pleasure.

  Her eyes were drawn to another, lower peak of rock next to the tower. She floated over to get a better look from a window. It was some of the only surviving remains of structure to what was once part of the castle grounds of the place. So much had broken apart during the emergence. If she wanted a surrounding fortress or palace, she’d have to build it herself. But there was something special to the other bedrock. Greater strength and importance.

  That’s where the auxiliary tower was, I’m sure of it. Perhaps I can figure out how to build a new one?

  Whatever she was about to do, she needed her mana recharged, so she dematerialized and popped into the Limbo area near Heaven to meditate for around ten minutes and recharge.

  Her first order of business back in the material world was to ensure ships could get to the locations and between them, which would speed further preparations. She utilized [Deific Pneumamancy: Manamaterial Synthesis] to create some piers and a small dock below the tower fortress, then some simple fortifications leading to stairs going up the stone to the tower.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Utilizing the ability’s ‘continuous creation’ aspect, she then fashioned a bridge across the water to the main island and the city ruins. Every ‘five-minute application’ (in a Saturated Mana area) produced up to 48 square meters of material, but in terms of actual ground covered, it depended entirely on how thick the substance was. Rather than trying to make the Golden Gate Bridge or something, she made the material stretch more — a pontoon bridge of hollow steel floats held together by steel cables and anchored poles every so often. With much of the distance essentially bridged with air, she covered the eight hundred meters or so efficiently.

  On the other side, she made another dock and worked on the immediate area of the ruins, clearing and repairing roadways and a few buildings that might be desired. One well-preserved and sturdy structure appeared to have been a huge inn. She made sure to prep it for potential habitation, repairing the interior.

  Sammy called it quits after a few hours and a lot of MP spent. By this time, her people had already set up mirrors in numerous spots for quick transfer when needed, and ferrying with her numerous Pegasus escorts was fast enough. Geirkos was only fifty kilometers or so.

  When she returned to Heavenpeak and plopped on her throne, feeling a bit mentally spent, Azure soon materialized sitting on her lap. After snuggling briefly and kissing Sammy’s cheek, she added, “A couple of things, Darling of Divinity. One, I think I found the perfect place for your temple inside the tower. Like a cathedral, complete with awe-inspiring architecture. It is undamaged and untouched, though sadly the murals are faded to almost nothing. Archangel Dina has already asked to paint it.”

  “Oh!” Sammy exclaimed. “Good. I’ll have to check it out. Need to get that Consecration thing done, like, yesterday. Okay, what else?”

  Azure grinned. “I believe that the tower is another waiting Transition Point.”

  Sammy gasped. “Really?! Finally at home base! I’m going right now!”

  Sammy shunted over to the Bridge of Edges and focused on the tower, soon feeling the draw and following it across the twisted spaces to fall into the most obvious gravity well of the realm yet. She was pulled through and spat out in front of the tower fortress’s main entrance facing north.

  You have discovered a [Transition Point] on the Bridge of Edges, preliminary designation ‘Point 5’. Avatar position moved… Anchorage and transition in-world complete.

  Smiling up at the tower, Sammy took a moment to review all of her Transition Points and name them for better familiarity. She went ahead and reordered them, too.

  The only bad thing is I have to use these personally. I can Maze people to transport them, though, and apparently dodge otherwise high costs for teleportation by other means. An FE or two per person is nothing comparatively.

  Next, she wanted to find something close to Caneboro, but it wasn’t a huge priority right then, and she did have an Avatar there for quick access if needed.

  When she returned to her throne again, Azure had already disappeared to oversee this or that. Suddenly, a familiar presence reached out and connected to Sammy — bees swarming over a hive, vines and moss slowly growing over old stones, and something unseen tickling the reeds over a pond. Also: a bat.

  “Redberry!” Sammy exclaimed in elation back at that presence before the sister goddess could say anything.

  “Moth,” Redberry replied in greeting. “Congratulations on your tower and the breaking of an ancient curse. I’d suggest settling and claiming every blade of grass on those islands as soon as possible. Without the curse, that land is incredibly rich and fruitful.”

  “I will! I’ve noticed the same. The mana concentration is absurd.”

  “So the tales ever persisted of those who braved the islands and tasted the delight of its fruits, dismissive of curses already working into their bones. They never got the taste from their mouths even so. Even literally. What is grown there is sweeter. There are legends about Ranonian wine, also called Oblinin. Supposedly the most delightful and expensive drink ever made, lost aeons ago for obvious reasons.”

  “Huh. I guess grapes are grown here?”

  “No. Obles. Fat, spherical yellow berries on giant bushes that only grow there. Among the legends are fae that shape change to birds to steal without setting foot on the soil. A dangerous, forbidden act. The pooka Ciaran gorged on so many he grew fat and fell to the ground, cursing himself. So the tale of Mad Ciaran began, who ran with coyotes and broke into the Keskiri Vault.”

  “Yeah, but who hasn’t?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nevermind. I will take heed and perhaps have these berries harvested.”

  “I believe they’d be green this time of year. In some weeks you’ll see yellow. I’d suggest some for wine, both immediate and aged. It would be priceless and bring you great fame in Geirkos.”

  “Fame for Madam Dark Helm and the Hidden Hand, anyway.”

  A pause, a weighing consideration. “Perhaps you should consider going public soon. Suspicions will only mount from here, and the Dominion must already suspect a new deity. They just can’t do anything about it efficiently here, and they know I am your ally.”

  “I’ll let the suspicions grow naturally. I will consider it when the war pushes further and denial no longer serves a purpose. I haven’t even defended Merrington yet.”

  “We. By the way… I will be there.”

  “Are you sure? After what you’ve been through…”

  “It won’t happen in Merrington, Samantha. It doesn’t matter what I’ve been through. I will fight and they will see my fangs again. I will crush them again. Under Nature’s foot, they go — where they belong.”

  Sammy grinned. “I’m looking forward to it, Red.”

  Careful, Red, they might like that.

  Next Chapter...

  More news, and a certain key question for Redberry.

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