The murals on the sixth floor's walls were sketched in simple gold lines. They depicted a pagoda towering into the clouds, out of sight.
πππ πππππ π₯πππ€ πππ π π£ π₯ππππππ€, said the Spirit, ππ€ π₯ππ πΈππππ€ π π πππππππ₯πͺ. ππ₯'π€ π₯ππ ππ π€π₯ π‘π π¨ππ£ππ¦π ππππππ€ππ§π π€π π¦π πππππ π₯πππ€ βπππ ππ πππ€ π₯π π ππππ£βπππ, π πππ πππ€π₯ππ£ππ, ππ₯ πππ π£ππ‘ππ π₯ππ ππ₯π₯ππππ€ π π ππ§ππ π π‘πππ ππ£π¦π πΎπ π!
It squinted at Zane, as though daring Zane to say something.
"Nice," he said.
βππ‘π. ππ ππ ππ‘π£πππππ ππ₯, π ππ ππ¦π€π₯ ππ πππππ§π π π π₯ππ πππππππ₯π ππππππ€ππ ππ€ π π π₯ππ βπππ ππ. πΉπππ ππ!
It held up an arm, and up shimmered a vision. Two figures stood on a mountain's peak.
The Red Moon Emperor faced a two-headed wolf. Enormous batlike wings spread from a back writhing with muscles, and a crown made of white fur dappled its brows. Smoke hissed from its fangs as it growled.
Its aura was a bonfire in the Astral Plane.
That thing was a True God.
ππ£π₯ππ£π¦π€, ππ₯π π£ππππ πππͺ ππͺπ£πππ₯ (ππ ππ€π₯ππ£ ππππ)
πΌπ€π€ππππ πππ§ππ πππ
The Red Moon Emperor stared it down calmly.
The wolf's heads howled. Its throats blazed in the Astral Planeβand in both throats, Zane felt the presence of a Monstrous Bone.
A torrent of shadow and gunk rushed out of its mouth, laced with arcs of jagged black lightning. Crashing down the Astral Plane.
But the Red Moon Pagoda flared around the Emperorβfar larger than Zane had ever seen it go.
And though it faintly shimmered in the physical realm, it vanished into the skies in the Astral Plane, towering into the heavensβit gave an impression of endlessness. Layer on layer on layer of majestic red and gold.
The blast struckβand somewhere high up, a layer shattered. Then another. Then anotherβZane felt the shockwaves in the Astral Plane; the attack kept crashing throughβbut with each layer, it weakened more and more.
Until it was halted in its tracksβdissipated utterly.
The Emperor stood there, proud and untouched. His Pagoda stood tall. Its aura of endlessness stayed strong.
The wolf hissed.
ππππ₯, intoned the Spirit, ππ€ π₯ππ π‘π π¨ππ£ π π π₯ππ πΈππππ€ π π πππππππ₯πͺ! πππ ππ π£π πͺπ π¦ πππ€π₯ππ£ ππ₯, π₯ππ ππ π£π πππͺππ£π€ ππ₯ π ππ₯ππππ€. ππ₯π€ π€π₯π£ππππ₯π ππ€ ππ π₯ π₯πππ₯ πππͺ π ππ πππͺππ£ πππ π€π₯π π‘ ππ ππ₯π₯πππ. πΉπ¦π₯ ππ₯π€ πππͺππ£π€ π€π₯πππ π€π ππππ§πππͺ, π ππ ππ₯π π‘ πππ π₯πππ£, π₯πππ₯ ππ₯ πππππ€ πππ‘π π€π€ππππ π₯π ππ£πππ π₯ππ£π π¦ππ π₯ππ π¨ππ ππ π₯ππππ!
This pleased some deep-down part of Zane. It was simply too big to fall.
πππ πΈππππ€ ππππππ€ π£ππππ₯ππ§πππͺ π¨πππ, said the Spirit. πΈπ₯ πππ£π€π₯, ππ₯ πππ π πππͺ π₯πππ π₯ππ ππ₯π₯πππ π π π ππ π‘πππ ππππ π£ πΎπ π. πΉπ¦π₯ ππ₯ ππ¦ππππ€ πππ€π₯βπππ ππππ πππͺππ£ ππ π£π₯πππππ€ π₯ππ πππ€π₯, π€π₯π£ππππ₯ππππππ π₯ππ π¨ππ ππβ¦ πππ€π₯ππ£ ππ₯, πππ ππ₯ ππππ πππ€ ππππ£ππͺ π¦ππ‘ππ£πππππππ ππ π₯ππ π»π£πππ ππ€π‘ππ£π πΎππππ©πͺ. ππ π‘ππ£ π¨ππ₯π π₯ππ πΉππππ ππ π£π₯π ππ€π'π€ ππππ£ππ πππππ π₯ππππππ’π¦π, π π£ π₯ππ βππππππ€π€ ππππ'π€ πππ πππ π¦π€πππ π½ππππ€ π π πΎπ π!
Its nostrils flared as it looked at Zane.
ππ ! ππππ₯ ππ πͺπ π¦ π₯ππππ π π π₯πππ₯?
Zane shrugged. "Pretty cool."
The Spirit sagged, relieved.
β¦πΎπ π π. πππππ ππ π ππππ€π€.
He cracked his knuckles. "Let's begin."
***
πΉππππ¦π€π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π βπππ ππ ππ€ πππ£ππππͺ π π‘ππ£π₯ π π πͺπ π¦π£ π€π π¦π, π πππ πππ‘ππ£π₯ π₯πππ€ πππππ πππ£πππ₯ππͺ, said the Spirit. βπ π¨ ππ¦ππ πͺπ π¦ ππ£ππ€π‘ π π ππ₯ π¨πππ πππ‘πππ π π πͺπ π¦π£ πππππ₯π πππ‘ππππππ₯πππ€. ππ‘ππ πͺπ π¦π£ ππππ.
Zane didβrelaxing. A moment laterβ
πππ βππ ππ π π βπππ ππ π¨π π¦ππ ππππ π₯π πππ‘ππ£π₯ π₯ππ ππͺπ₯πππ+ (β) πππππ 'πΈππππ€ π π πππππππ₯πͺ.' πΈππππ‘π₯?
Zane did.
And an impression began to unfurl in his mind. Growing clearer fast. It was a distillation of someone else's memoryβthe feeling of wielding the Aegis, drawn from the Emperor himself, he realized.
Zane's brow furrowed as he sat with it. Trying to get a good feel for it.
Its core was the Red Moon Pagoda treasure. But he would activate a new functionβa little like flexing a muscle he'd never flexed before.
Slowly he eased into the feeling. And as he did, he felt the Pagoda humming, brightening, responding to his willβ¦
πππ πππ£π€π₯ π€π₯ππ‘, said the spirit,ππ€ π₯π ππ£πππ₯π π₯ππ πππ£π€π₯ π₯πππ£. πππ ππ π¦ππππ₯ππ π π¦π‘π π π¨ππππ πππ π₯ππ π π₯πππ£ πππͺππ£π€ π¨πππ π€ππ₯. ππ₯ πππππ€ π₯π ππ ππππ π‘ππ£ππππ₯! ππ₯πππ£π¨ππ€π π₯ππ πππ₯ππ£π π€π₯π£π¦ππ₯π¦π£π ππ€ ππ₯ π£ππ€π π π ππ£π¦ππππππ.
There was a pause. Zane was still digesting things.
π'ππ ππππ§π πͺπ π¦ π₯π ππ₯, π₯πππ π'ππ π£ππ₯π¦π£π ππ π πππ¨β
"Wait," he said, still focusing hard. "One moment."
β¦ The Pagoda looked at him again. β¦π»π π'π₯ πͺπ π¦ πππ£π.
"I haven't gotten it yet, no," said Zane, brow furrowing. "But I think⦠I'm close."
About fifteen minutes later, he held out a hand.
A faint image shimmered up around himβlacquered red walls and a roof of blemishless gold. It shone much clearer in the Astral Plane than the physical.
βππππ₯! said the Pagoda, throwing up its hands. ππ ππ π¦π£π€π. ππππ, ππ π π ππ π, πππ πππ π₯πππ₯. πΈππ π₯πππ£ π π ππͺ ππππππππ£πͺ ππππππ€ ππ π₯ππ πππ! πππͺ ππ π₯? πΈππ ππ ππ πππ₯ππ£ππ π π'π€ π¨π π£π!
It muttered some more. Something about a 'charmed life.' Zane sat there patiently and let the fellow get it out of its system. It'd become rather grumpy; it seemed to have some things it needed to work through.
In the meantime, he examined his foundation.
"It needs work," he concluded, scratching his chin.
It wasn't nearly as robust as the image in his mind. The outside looked good. It was hard to pinpoint exactly where, but it felt like it had some structural issues. Something internal.
ππ ππ π¦π£π€π ππ₯ ππ ππ€! cried the Pagoda Spirit. ππππ₯? π»ππ πͺπ π¦ ππ©π‘πππ₯ π₯π πππ₯ ππ₯ π£ππππ₯ πͺπ π¦π£ πππ£π€π₯ π₯π£πͺ?
Zane began to say something.
π»π π'π₯ πππ€π¨ππ£ π₯πππ₯.
"Okay."
The Pagoda Spirit took a walk around him, frowning at it.
ππ₯'π€ π π€π₯ππ£π₯, πππππ€ π€π ππ π₯π¨ππππππ. ππ π¦ ππ π¦ππ πππ€π€πππ₯ ππ₯. πΉπ£πππ ππ₯ ππ‘ππ£π₯, ππ¦π₯ ππ₯ π₯π πππ₯πππ£ πππππ, π π§ππ£ πππ π π§ππ£. πππ₯ππ πͺπ π¦'π§π ππ π₯ ππ₯ π£ππππ₯.
It considered Zane. ππ₯'π π₯πππ π π¨ππππ, π₯ππ π¦ππ. πππ π’π¦πππππ€π₯ π¨ππͺ π₯π π€π¦π€π€ π π¦π₯ ππ₯π€ π¨ππππππ€π€ππ€ π¨π π¦ππ ππ π₯π π€π₯π£ππ€π€-π₯ππ€π₯ ππ₯ πππ£πππ₯ππͺ.
He nodded. "Bring it on."
ππ₯'π€ ππππππ£π π¦π€, said the Spirit. πΈππ ππ₯'ππ ππ π€π₯π£πππ¦π π¦π€βπ π, π¨ππ ππ π πππππππ?
It waved a hand.
All the light was sucked out of the room in an instant, stranding Zane in darkness.
He wasn't sure what all that was about. But there wasn't much time to think on it.
A new world was coming to life around him.
Silk threads slicing through the air, each as thick as bridge cables, slick with moonlight. A spun web cascading all around him, weaving together to make some massive nest stretching far into the gloom.
It wove around gnarled trees so giant they seemed to belong to a prehistoric time.
Above, the night sky was empty save for a sickly sickle moon.
βπ£ππ€πππ₯πππ, πππ βπ£ππ¨ππππ βπ¦ππππ£ π€π¨ππ£π!
Somewhere in the far distance a wolf howled, long and somber. Then it choked off abruptlyβand there was only silence.
Spooky stuff.
He looked around, curious.
Then came the first light besides the moon's weak offering.
Giant eyes opening in the dark. A glaring red not five feet in front of Zane. So bright they illuminated the rest of the beast, and he saw it in fullβbig as a barn, hairy legs thick as tree trunks.
Mandables jutted out of its mouth like fat scythes, a milky poison shimmering at its ends. Sacred Bones.
πΎπ£πππ₯ ππ π£ππππ₯π π£ ππ‘ππππ£
πΌπ€π€ππππ πππ§ππ πππ
Zane blinked at it.
It was pretty sneakyβhe hadn't felt it until that moment. It had to have pretty good cloaking.
Then its mandibles opened up. And with a silent shriek it clamped down on him.
But that was no physical attack.
Its force came in the Astral Planeβchomping down on Zane's new Pagoda formation.
CRACK!
White, shining seams split the walls in two.
β¦That wasn't great.
The spider struggled, frothing at the mouth. Visibly losing power. But the cracks split wider and wider.
Zane noticed where the cracks spread. They seemed to coincide with its weakest points. It was quite illuminating.
He was still studying the walls when the whole thing shattered.
Then the spider's jaws closed over his head, and shredded into his soul. CRACK!
He groaned, head ringing.
Instantly he felt a bit sleepy, a bit wobbly on his feet. Some great unseen weight had descended on his mindβ¦ his eyelids wanted to close and weld shut. His thoughts came sluggish, as if they were going through mud. Some dark force tried to drag him underβ¦
He growled.
His heart gave a fierce thump. Then another. And a shot of life blazed through his head. The fog burned away instantly. And he was wide awake again, breathing heavy, flush with sudden vitality.
It was his body, he realized. One of its powersβhe couldn't be sedated.
Figures. The scene faded, and there was the Pagoda Spirit, arms crossed.
πΈ πππ₯π ππ£π π π₯ππ πΎπ£πππ₯ ππ π£ππππ₯π π£ ππ‘ππππ£ πππ π‘π¦π₯ ππππ π£ πΎπ π βπππ§ππππͺ πΌπππ‘ππππ₯π€ πππ₯π π ππ ππ, πͺπ π¦ πππ π¨.
"I do feel a bit sleepy."
'βπ π¦π£π€π πͺπ π¦ ππ . The Spirit sighed. Then it looked at Zane, a bit miffed.
πΈππ£ππππ₯, π€π πͺπ π¦ πππ π¨ π¨πππ₯'π€ π¨π£π ππ ππ π¨βπππ₯ π₯π ππ π£π£πππ₯πππ ππ₯! πΎπ π π.
"β¦Are you okay?" said Zane, blinking. The fellow seemed increasingly annoyed with him.
ππ π£π£πͺ, said the Spirit, deflating. ππ₯'π€ ππππβ¦ ππ₯'π€ ππππ πβ¦ π¨πππ£πβ¦ πππ¨ ππ ππ₯ππ€β¦
Zane sat down and got to it.
It took an hour to get the shape mostly right, and another half-hour to hammer out all the kinks. By the end, he had a shining layer of Pagodaβtotally encasing him in the Astral Plane. A little fortress unto itself.
A sturdy foundation to build on.
πππππ ππππ£πππ!
πΈππππ€ π π πππππππ₯πͺ [ππͺπ₯πππ+ (β)]
πππ§ππ π
The Spirit examined it from every angle before giving a nod of approval. βππππ₯. πππ₯'π€ π£π¦π πππ π₯πππ£ π₯ππ€π₯, π€ππππ π¨π?
They tried it against the fangs of the Giant Tormentor Spider. But this time, its mandibles only managed to punch a crack in the walls. The cracks grew to about halfway down the pagoda's walls.
Then the spider's jaw shattered.
Eight massive eyes blinked at him in shock.
Then it shrieked, turned, and vanished into the night.
"That went alright," mused Zane.
πππ€, πͺππ€, said the Spirit. It seemed less miffed now, but still a little over the whole thing. πππ₯π π₯ππ π€πππ ππ!
***
Now that Zane built the first layer, it only took him another hour or so to make another and weld it under the first. Once he didβ
πππ§ππ π¦π‘!
πΈππππ€ π π πππππππ₯πͺ πππ§ππ π -> ππ
πππ₯'π€ π₯πππ ππ₯ π¦π‘ π ππ π₯ππ,said the Spirit.
Their next test dropped him into the Tormentor Spider nest again. But this time, two Great Tormentor Spiders came out of the gloom.
They descended on him in a mad rush.
But once more their mandibles shattered before they could touch him. He'd doubled his soul defense in the space of an hour.
Zane nodded. He was pretty pleased with how things were going. They were already getting close to the Pagoda's base soul defenses.
Onto the third layer.
By then he was getting the hang of making it.
This time it only took an hour or so.
πππ§ππ π¦π‘!
πΈππππ€ π π πππππππ₯πͺ πππ§ππ ππ -> πππ
The fourth came similarly fast.
πππ§ππ π¦π‘!
πΈππππ€ π π πππππππ₯πͺ πππ§ππ πππ -> ππ
By day's end, he'd built out a pretty strong base.