Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 590: Erdania

Workshop

Erdania dropped down from the platform they used to fly. It took them only a day to arrive at their destination without holding back. She used Gravity to pull them ahead, and Ryun swallowed up space in front of them to get them to skip through it faster.

Eratemus’s home was at the edge of the core, in lands that were now mostly surrounded by those swallowed up by the Exalted Empire. But it was immediately apparent that the Empire hadn’t pushed and tried to take the territory. The undead were everywhere, even if they sat dormant beneath the ground. Eratemus’s death hadn’t changed much for his home, the protections he had spent his life building were still active.

The Death Essence was thick in the territory, enough that she knew those not on a Death related path wouldn’t even be able to survive here.

She glanced at Ryun as they walked up to the entrance. They hadn’t spoken much during their flight, but she could feel that his emotional state was better. There was still a lot of anger inside of him. He seemed to have made a decision, but he was clearly still working things through. She didn’t press him, for now she was just here to provide a quiet support.

The giant fortress loomed over them, set into the mountain, a tower rising high above it. The walls were made of black stone, infused with so much Death Essence that a permanent chill clung to them like mist.

They reached the large open gate, and were greeted by a solitary figure, their approach probably noticed by border wards when they entered the territory. A skeleton, dressed in quality garments, with a pure white skull and with glowing eyes.

“Antaro,” Ryun greeted the steward of Eratemus’ home.@@novelbin@@

The skeleton inclined his head. “Master Ryun, Mistress Erdania, welcome. Your visit is unexpected.”

“I see that things remain the same,” Ryun commented. “The Exalted Empire hasn’t pressured you?”

The flaming orbs in the steward’s eyes flashed before he answered. “Master’s death was a tragedy, but he has prepared us for the eventuality. Many of his children have left to pursue their own goals. His work remains, I remain. The Exalted Empire has been probing, but their attempts were insignificant.”

They had visited on their way home from the battle with the Unchained, to inform Eratemus’s creations of what had happened. It was the least they could do. His undead had already known, their connection to their master was no more. Many of his creations were mindless undead, but there were those whose souls remained, who were thinking undead beings, such as Antaro.

“They are waging war against the sects now,” Ryun said. “I’ve come to ask for a favor.”

Antaro eyes grew dim for a moment. “Master’s armies follow his last last instructions, they cannot be commanded by anyone other than him.”

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Ryun shook his head. “No, I’m not here for his undead.”

Antaro tilted his head.

“I’d like to use his workshop, his materials. I’m willing to grant you anything you might want in return.”

The flames in Antaro’s eyes flickered. “Ah, I understand. There is no need for payment. Both you and the Mistress are on my Master’s list of approved individuals. You may use the facilities at your leisure. We who remain have no use for them.”

“Thank you,” Ryun said.

Erdania felt a flicker of excitement break through the fog of his anger.

Together, they followed Antaro and entered the fortress.

* * *

Eratemus’s workshop was a marvel of necromantic ingenuity and inscription mastery, a testament to the late High Ranker’s profound understanding of the intricate dance between life and death, soul and matter. The vast domed chamber hummed with a subtle energy, a lingering echo of the potent forces that coursed through its veins. Everywhere Erdania looked, she saw evidence of Eratemus’s genius.

The walls of the workshop were lined with shelves crafted from petrified wood, each one overflowing with an astonishing array of engraving tools. Delicate chisels of dragonbone lay nestled beside sturdy hammers of dark iron, their surfaces worn smooth with countless hours of use. Erdania recognized some of the tools as she had been learning Engraving herself to help Ryun in his smithing endeavors. But she was just an amateur compared to Eratemus.

In the center of the room stood a massive workbench, its surface a mosaic of polished jade and onyx. Above it hung an intricate network of articulated metal limbs, each one tipped with a needle-sharp stylus that could inscribe formations with unparalleled precision. Erdania could only imagine the power that Eratemus had wielded in this space, the ease with which he had manipulated all the Essences of existence.

Every inch of the workshop was covered in intricate engravings, a tapestry of interwoven formations that resonated with the deepest laws of reality. Erdania could feel the connection to the very stone beneath her feet, the way it pulsed with a life of its own. Her nature, Reliability, recognized the profound principles embedded within the structure of the workshop. This was not merely a room, but a sanctuary, a fortress designed to withstand the ravages of time and the assaults of enemies both physical and ethereal. It was a space where the veil between the Ethereal Realm and the Real Realm was thin, where the Essences of the Aspects flowed freely, infusing the workshop with an almost tangible power.

The sheer quality of the materials used in the workshop was staggering. Each piece of equipment, each tool, each inscription was crafted from the rarest and most potent substances imaginable. Erdania recognized the gleam of starmetal, the iridescent shimmer of dragon scales, the subtle hum of Essence stones. Any one of these items would be considered a treasure beyond compare in most of the world, yet here they were, mere components in Eratemus’s grand designs. The raw materials alone were worth as much as mid-sized factions, a testament to the Necromancer’s wealth and influence.

Ryun had walked around and gathered the materials he thought he needed in large chests around the center of the room. Then he pulled out Bright Star, the hammer and the anvil.

“What are we doing here Ryun,” Erdania asked finally. She had tried to just offer silent support, but both her and Selia were worried.

“You were right,” Ryun said slowly, his eyes gazing down at the anvil. “I don’t know how to deal with my emotions, I never have. It wasn’t an issue before. I don’t know if what I want to do is wrong, if I should change my mind, I don’t know… But if you and Selia think that I’m not thinking clearly, then I trust you.”

He turned around and met her eyes. She could see the love he had for them shining brightly in those pits of nothingness.

“The last time I was this angry, was when Tali was taken. When I created Scorn. I… That is the only way I know how to deal with my emotions, by pouring them into something. My ability to create is slowly draining away, but it is not gone just yet.”

He paused for a few moments, his emotions flickering in her mind. Then he gave her a small smile. “Will you help me?”

She walked over and embraced him, leaned her mouth next to his ear. “Of course,” Erdania whispered.