Chapter 15: The Power of Allegiance: Secrets of Eldros Unveiled
After Ram agrees to Ash's proposal of loyalty, he drops to his knees, his movements deliberate and respectful, pledging his loyalty to the city's altar and to Ash.
Ash feels a wave of awkwardness wash over him as he watches Ram bow, but he tries to shake it off. He tells himself that he must respect the culture of Eldros. This is a world where power is everything, where strength dictates the rules, and there is only one law—might is right. The altar owner's might always surpasses that of an ordinary person, especially in a world where most depend on the altar's purification power for survival. Without it, they wouldn't become mere street dogs or cats—they would be mindless monsters. Ash can't help but shudder at the thought. The weight of this world presses down on him.
The power here feels vast, overwhelming. Ash senses it—he can't fully grasp it yet, but he knows it's far greater than anything he can compare or even imagine.
He shakes his head, his gut telling him not to underestimate the power of the altar and its owner. The power he can feel now is but a fraction of what's truly possible. Ash begins to piece together the complex web of this world from his altar and from what he learns from Evan and Ram. A thought crosses his mind: Ram knows that meeting a new altar owner and becoming his trusted man is often more of an opportunity than a risk. He knows how many people in Eldros would give anything to become an altar owner—and nearly everyone wants it. But few ever get this chance.
Even heirs to kingdom-level altars are willing to risk it all to become a new altar owner, because of the unique potential to combine talents. If they inherit a kingdom-level altar and claim a new one, they can merge their powers, drawing two sources of talent—one from the kingdom's altar and one from the new altar. The result is a dramatic boost to their power.
The price for a new altar is always acceptable in Eldros, and if the heir to a kingdom's altar doesn't get the new altar, their siblings may. If a prince or princess with a direct blood relation to the altar's owner is chosen, they become the new heir, and there is nothing the previous heir can do to stop it.
Ash understands now. Everyone, from the citizens to the ministers, is dependent on the altar for life and peace. They all want to strengthen the altar, to make it as powerful as possible. The altar owner shares this mindset.
Ash considers the territory—new altars or lower-level altars suffer fewer monster attacks compared to bigger, more established altar cities. After all, every altar must share the brunt of the monster assaults in Eldros. The higher the altar's level, the greater the share of the attacks, but everyone desires to upgrade their altars. There's no guarantee that a lower-level altar won't be destroyed. Most altar owners seek to raise their altars' levels as much as possible to ensure the city's survival, striving for more fundamental strength. Having multiple talents in an altar always strengthens it further.
It's clear to Ash now: every altar owner must increase their bloodline, for it raises the chances of a child inheriting a new altar. Once the altar is passed on, it becomes more powerful, strengthening the entire city, and thus, ensuring the safety of the altar.
Ram explains to Ash that some older altar owners offer their daughters to new altar owners as brides, knowing that the child born will inherit both altars and combine their powers. The baby becomes the ruler, with both altar owners serving as deputy rulers, but only with the child's permission. However, this desperate measure is taken only when an altar is facing certain destruction, as it is a last-ditch effort to survive. Ram himself had survived because of his previous city altar's destruction. He can sense that this city's altar has great potential, but survival in Eldros is a game of talent. Without it, a city is left vulnerable, subject to the mercy of other cities' protection.
Ash thinks about this. A twist of fate lies in the balance—first, you must find a city owner with the power to protect both your city and theirs. If an altar submits to another, the submitted altar must share its percentage of monster attacks with the altar it's pledged to. But Ash knows that submission comes with a cost. A city must have a talent that makes the arrangement worth it. If the city doesn't possess a significant talent, then It does not worth the headache.
Ash begins to see the underlying strategy, but in the end, most city owners avoid submitting altars. When altars combine, however, the resource and attack percentage issues are avoided, making it a viable option. It's a survival tactic.
After a long pause, Ash speaks, breaking the silence. "Why not absorb the mana from the mana tree? It won't heal you, but at least it will maintain your body's condition."
Ram looks up, stunned. "What?"
After a brief moment of silence, Ram mutters, "Let's see if mana trees can help me."
Ash gives a small nod, and together they walk toward the mana tree. When Ram sees it, he speaks again. "It can help me, but not like an altar." He pauses, then adds, "Better than nothing, I suppose."
Ash nods in agreement, a smile tugging at his lips.
As Ash examines the mana tree, a pop-up window appears before him, detailing its features:
Name: Mana Tree (Specialty)
Status: Occupied
Ability: Able to produce mana with different levels of trees
Level: 0 (Growable)
Production: Mist Mana Level 0 * 2 per day
Description: After planting in an altar city, it will grow slowly and produce mana naturally for the city without interfering with its mana production. This is thanks to the roots' unique properties.
Ash is stunned. He had expected the mana tree to take time to yield any results, but this—this is good. More mist mana means a stronger source for his city. It will ultimately make him stronger than others, and it will bolster his city's power. Ash feels a surge of pride, knowing this resource will attract more strong individuals.
He turns to Ram for clarification. "What about the mana tree?"
Ram shrugs, "I don't know much about mana trees. But I do know that having a new mana source always strengthens a territory. However, no altar owner will reveal such things unless they are certain of someone's loyalty."
Ram's voice grows serious. "Never admit it publicly or reveal it to strangers. Many altar owners would see this as an opportunity to blackmail you for the resource—or worse, attack you."
Ash nods, understanding the weight of Ram's warning.
Ram continues, "Altar owners generally support each other. More altars in Eldros mean fewer monster attacks. But there are always fights over the best resources. Special and unique resources often lead to bloodshed. If two altar cities have equal power and neither can overpower the other, they'll sometimes share resources, or they'll sell them to avoid conflict."
Ash listens intently, his mind whirring with new understanding. He realizes he holds something precious in his hands—something he can use to strengthen his position in this world. The mana tree is upgradable. Its contributions will stand by his city's side, no matter its level.
After speaking with Ram, Ash bids him farewell and begins his patrol of the city. He soon spots Evan, refining mist mana within his body. Intrigued, Ash opens his mind to check Evan's status window.
Name: Evan (Altar Subject)
Age: 18
Status: Healthy
Abilities: None
Level: 0 (30/100 Mist Mana Level 0)
Weapon: Low-grade axe, low-grade shield
Ash smiles quietly to himself, seeing that Evan is refining his mana easily, without difficulty. He knows, without a doubt, that Evan will reach Level 1 by the next day with no trouble at all.