Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 600: Alex’s Considerations II
CH600 Alex’s Considerations II
***
"Battle for the Heaven’s Mandate?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
One Heaven affirmed with a nod.
"Be it Gu Mo, who seeks to plunder the plane of all its Providence, the traitors who seek to take over as the supreme rulers of the plane, or you, who must stop them... all of you require some form of control over the plane’s Consciousness— over the Heaven’s Will," he said.
"However, because I ’killed’ the plane’s Consciousness a millennium ago, forcing it into rebirth, the Heavens have since become sealed."
"A key is required to access the Heavens— the soul space of the plane’s Consciousness, which is currently undergoing rebirth."
"The Heaven’s Mandate...?" Alex interjected.
"Exactly." Old Man One Heaven confirmed.
"Only one who possesses the highest authority within the Heaven and the Earth can bypass the lock placed upon the Heavens."
"The plane’s Consciousness is either still in the process of being reborn... or has only just awakened.
"In such a fragile state, anyone who gains access to the Heavens would be able to influence it with minimal effort."
Alex nodded slowly in understanding.
Verdantis’ planar Consciousness was, for all intents and purposes, akin to a newborn.
It was easy to influence, mislead and/or control, especially for someone capable of reaching directly into its soul.
’Survival of the fittest... the strong devour the weak.’
’The universe is surprisingly consistent. Even planes themselves are not exempt from this great truth.’
Alex exhaled softly.
Even entire worlds could be prey.
He recalled something One Heaven had said earlier...
—
"...its energy, laws, and fortune can be plundered by entities of other planes, either for themselves or for their own plane."
—
’So not only can planes be devoured by external entities, they can also send out their own denizens to prey on other planes, indirectly devouring that plane and its Providence.’
Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’Is that what Pangea does?’
Interplanar travel, though largely monopolised by the nobility, was highly developed within Pangea.
Its denizens had ventured across countless planes, conquering some and exploiting others to harvesting resources and accumulate Providence.
While Alex doubted that Pangea actively sought to exploit other planes to the point of collapse —its interplanar expeditions were, at least on the surface, resource-oriented— he couldn’t help but wonder, was the subtle theft of Providence also one of the intended outcomes?
Perhaps not something openly acknowledged, but something quietly understood.
While it was possible that lower- and mid-ranked figures like himself were unaware of such truths, it was far harder to believe that those at the top —the Legends and above— were equally ignorant.
His father...
His master...
The great noble houses...
The royals...
’Are they truly oblivious...?’
Alex’s thoughts deepened.
’Or do they simply not care?’
A flicker of unease crossed his mind.
’Thinking about it now, can I really say that Father, the other nobles —and even myself— are all that different from Gu Mo?’
His thoughts drifted back to his arrival at Ashen Castle.
The map of the Marblebrook Plane and Earl Drake’s ongoing campaign there.
From the very beginning, Drake Fury had never hidden his intent to conquer, dominate and subjugation of the plane’s inhabitants.
He intended to make them vassals if he could—and if he could not, if necessary, slaves.
The most unsettling truth about this was that Earl Drake Fury wasn’t an exception.
He was the norm.
Alex’s fingers tightened slightly.
At its fundamental core, can one really say Earl Drake Fury and the other nobles of Pangea who use their overwhelming military superiority to dominate a plane are that really different from Gu Mo?
As a scion of such a House and such a plane, did he really have the moral standing to try to stop Gu Mo or the Navi of this plane?
’The Navi of this plane are at least inhabitants of this plane. Whether the plane flourishes or goes to damnation, one could argue they have a bigger say in it.
’On the other hand, Gu Mo and I might actually be the same, individuals from higher-ranked planes who had come to plunder this plane for its resources.
’While it could be argued that I don’t intend to literally ruin and destroy the plane, who is to say any system I can establish would be much better.
’All the systems I can think of are from my previous life, and even there these systems are flawed in themselves. I can’t possibly expect a miracle to happen that would remove those flaws here, can I? They might even be worse here!
’At least Gu Mo offers a swift end while the Navi promise a blissfully ignorant one.’
Alex’s thoughts darkened.
’But I... I might introduce something far worse.’
An exploitative system.
One that doesn’t kill outright, but consumes slowly.
His mind drifted to the systems already entrenched within Pangea— Outer-world slavery, the trade of entire planes, the harvesting of rare irreplaceable planar resources.
Harmful systems to the inhabitants of those planes so normalised in Pangea that they were no longer questioned.
’Can I, as a noble of Pangea, truly claim the right to decide the fate of another world when I already have my own to consider?’
A sharp unsettling thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
’If I’m right, and Gu Mo truly comes from a higher-ranked plane, then he might not be alone.’
Alex’s heart tightened.
’What if there’s an entire organisation behind him?’
’If he falls... wouldn’t they come next?’
A flicker of paranoia crept in.
For a brief moment, the weight of unseen enemies pressed down on him.
But just as quickly—
He exhaled, letting it all go.
’No... don’t overthink it.’ He grounded himself.
’We’re talking about a Class 8 Transcendent. Someone of that calibre wouldn’t casually call for reinforcements.’
’More likely, he would rather fall on his sword or scorch the earth than accept such humiliation.’
His thoughts sharpened.
’And even if reinforcements exist, how many beings at that level could a single organisation truly command?
’And how many would willingly intervene, knowing this plane has already resisted one of their own?’
A faint, knowing glint passed through his eyes.
’The stronger one becomes, the more cautious they grow.’
Satisfied, Alex suppressed the lingering unease and turned his attention back to Old Man One Heaven.
"How do I obtain the Heaven’s Mandate with my current strength?" he asked.
His tone was calm, but the question carried weight.
One Heaven had claimed the Mandate through overwhelming power.
Alex stood at the opposite end of that spectrum, weak and insignificant— a mere Second Circle in a game of monsters.
Yet, One Heaven only shook his head.
"Your rank is irrelevant," he said. "Because you will not be taking the Mandate through strength."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
One that carried both promise and danger.
"What you must do..." He paused. "...is build an empire."
***
