For the first time in years, I felt genuine confusion. I tried to deduce what exactly happened.
‘It said activated the Skill: Ruler. Capital S, is it a seperate power system like magic spells?’
That was when James felt it, his strength multiplying at a terrifying rate. He panicked, rightfully so, he was already over the limit of what a human could handle, the only reason he didn’t burst due to the sheer amount of mana was because he tempered his body multiple times. For the first time in his life, he felt death was closer than ever.
He tried suppressing the growth, failing miserably.
‘Am I going to die like this? Because I became too strong? Really?’
“”You will not””
As a reflex, James spread his mana, sensing his surroundings. After confirming no one was there he asked.
“Who are you and where are you talking from”
“”I am the world you live on, naturally I speak from the ground, which is part of me””
James blinked, stupefied by the ridiculous answer. But he decided to go along.
“Then, what in gods name is this skill thing, and Ruler”
“”This lowly one shall explain”” James inwardly frowned, the voice said it was the world, several billion years old and probably much stronger than himself if it is alive. Yet it called itself lowly.
“”Skills, similar to spells, yet completely different. You may say it is a manifestation of the mind, or an action you repeated for years that it is a second nature. A Skill can be anything, of all magic spells, a stronger version as a Skill exists. Unlike spells however, Skill does not use mana, or any other energy for the matter. It instead drains your mental power. As for your Excellency’s Skill Ruler, there are many effects it has, the most notable one is. The ability to give an order to anyone and anything which must be followed””
“Make a meter tall pillar of stone here”
Almost immediately a cylinder of stone rose from the ground, reaching exactly a meter high.
James stared at it with interest, he didn’t feel any mana fluctuation at all, it was a completely natural occurrence.
“”Ahem, so the skill allows your words to become laws. They are even given higher priority than the laws of the universe. That is only one of the passive effects, another passive effect is multiplying your current strength by 10 every second, the activated version is increased to multiplying by 10 every millisecond. As a mage, intellectual person, you should understand how horrifying this can be, due to your previous suppression, it has slowed down to multiplication by 10 every minute instead””
James thought for a while, then asked. “So basically it is absolute obedience, then what and who sent the projections?”
“”I do not have permission to answer that””
James frowned. ‘Given how powerful 2 of the passive effects are, it is most likely a unique skill, or a very rare skill, while it has absolute obedience, the fact the world can’t answer me means someone with higher authority silenced it. Multiplying strengths every second… so it is me from the future. An impetus was required for skill activation, or awakening. The projection was a way to speed it up, in other words, there is a strong opponent in the future me can't handle without gathering more power. Which resulted in a time jump message so I awaken the skill earlier’
“It is from the future me of a different timeline, the reason it is fragmented is to reduce the influence on other worldlines. The reason for being unable to tell me is because I am too weak, if I lose self control due to the huge influx of information I would try to break the dimension barriers to learn more, resulting in the collapse of space”
“”...Correct””
James nodded, before frowning again. “But can’t all that simply be prevented through Ruler? Ah, wait, considering me I wouldn’t want to interfere with the natural order too much”
He nodded, deducing more and more on the other worldlines. It took a few hours before he was out of the trance.
“Damn, I still have an Empire to destroy, not the time to get distracted”
Just as he was about to teleport he stopped, thinking a bit.
“Every magic spell has a skill counterpart that is stronger, if so. Fire Cemetery”
Nothing happened. Confused, he asked the world.
“Why didn’t that work?”
“”You do not own that Skill””
I nodded in understanding.
“Well then, grant me access to all skills”
Again, there weren't any changes.
“World?”
“”Uh, yes, you can now use all Skills currently in existence””
“Hm, the projection seemed like a kind of system, perhaps I should make one for these kinds of things. Anyhow, Fire.. no Meteor”
Meteor, also known as the most destructive spell. It is capable of pulling the debris from space and directing it towards the planet. It is a spell of mass destruction, erasing civilizations off the face of the planet, completely devastating the ecology and climate, creating a death zone that lasts for decades. However that is only if someone on the level of a Sage casts it, for ordinary mages, if they have the capability to cast it at all, instead of pulling rocks from space, it is an artificially created meteor that is much weaker and less impactful.
James closed his eyes, spreading his mana senses, before retracting them and grinning.
“Show Kiltes Empire”
Immediately something like fog gathered, creating a 3D image of the Empire.
He wanted to see, when the spell is already that powerful, how great is the skill version.
Moments later the fog scattered. Leaving nothing behind.
Then the tremors came, heavy earthquakes shook the entire planet, everywhere the same scenes. Buildings collapsing, people dying under falling debris, children crying, running away, animals going on a stampede. It was only because of James’ abundant mana that the house stayed intact.
He immediately zoomed out on the 3D model.
Before long, a small scale of the entire planet was seen. Around a sixth of the surface was simply gone, revealing the magma underneath.
“This… Mother! Show me where mother is!”
Unlike before however, the visuals didn’t show what he wanted, instead he felt a sharp pain piercing his mind.
“”Skills bruden the mind, you already used a tremendous amount of mental power to summon a meteor.””
Without hesitation, James ordered, using the capabilities of his newfound power to its fullest.
“Remove all backslashes caused by skill usage. Restore destroyed landscapes and buildings, revive everyone killed by the aftereffects of the meteor, not those of the Kiltes Empire.”
The shearing pain vanished, while all around him, with his mana vision he could see the effects of the meteor being reversed.
Suddenly a flash of light appeared before him, mother teleported here.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE DONE?!”
She screamed, which she rarely did. Her rage was written all over her body language.
I knew why she was angry, but I couldn’t understand it. Was there a reason to be angry? There wasn’t, the people who died tried to take advantage of her position as Great Sage, they disregarded the basic rule of society, plundering soley for economic greed, and imprisoning the Great Sage. An Empire of such corruption deserved death, mother isn’t acquainted with anyone there either, there is no need to be angry.
As such, I simply remained silent.
“GET OUT!! THIS VERY INSTANT”
“...”
“Do not make me repeat myself”
James closed his eyes, envisioning a landscape, it was one he had visited once, somewhere on the opposite side of the planet.
“Teleport”
I landed on the familiar grasslands, as far as the eye can see. Well, I thought I should research more about this ‘Skill’ so I don’t use it carelessly like just now. Previously, I would have used massive amounts of mana to construct a large space room and necessary utility. Come to think of it, does Ruler react to thoughts?
‘Create a stable spatial room’
In front of James, space twisted, breaking apart and reconstructing. In just a fraction of a second, a space in the main plane was created, well hidden and stable so it wouldn’t just collapse.
I continued, just imagining the laboratorium, and the space rebuilding its internal structure accordingly. A few hundred floors, each spanning kilometers upon kilometers, several rooms and chambers, the needed furniture and research instruments as well.
James grinned, despite everything that happened.
There was no backlash at all, nothing, for using this ability.
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