Year 336 Post-Collision – Day 118 (Sanctuary City)
Sunny was lying awake in their rented room at Sanctuary's diplomatic quarter when the idea hit him like a meteor strike.
The Auto-Analyzer had been running background calculations all night—power projections, dungeon readiness assessments, magicule capacity optimization strategies. Standard preparation analysis.
Then it stumbled onto something.
[AUTO-ANALYZER: ANOMALOUS CALCULATION DETECTED]
[REVIEWING: NAMED SERVANT BOND MECHANICS]
[CROSS-REFERENCING: MAGICULE NETWORK THEORY]
[DISCOVERY: POTENTIAL EXPLOIT]
[ALERT: THIS IS IMPORTANT]
[WAKE UP]
Sunny's eyes snapped open. "What?"
[YOUR NAMED ANTS: ALL HAVE MAGICULE RESERVES]
[SMALL INDIVIDUALLY (5-15 UNITS EACH)]
[BUT COLLECTIVELY...]
[CALCULATING...]
[74 NAMED ANTS × AVERAGE 10 UNITS = 740 MAGICULES]
[5,300 CONTROLLED ANTS × AVERAGE 3 UNITS = 15,900 MAGICULES]
[TOTAL COLLECTIVE POOL: 16,640 MAGICULES]
[YOUR PERSONAL CAPACITY: 1,669]
[THEIR COMBINED CAPACITY: 16,640]
[RATIO: 10:1]
[QUESTION: WHAT IF YOU COULD ACCESS THAT?]
Sunny sat up slowly, heart pounding. "What do you mean 'access'?"
[YOUR BOND WITH NAMED ANTS: DEEP]
[SHARED CONSCIOUSNESS NETWORK]
[LOYALTY ABSOLUTE]
[SOVEREIGNTY CONNECTION]
[THEORETICALLY: YOU COULD SIPHON THEIR MAGICULES]
[POOL THEIR COLLECTIVE RESERVES INTO YOURSELF]
[TEMPORARILY CREATE: MASSIVE CAPACITY BOOST]
[ESTIMATED COMBINED CAPACITY: 18,300+ MAGICULES]
[THIS WOULD LET YOU...]
The Auto-Analyzer went silent, processing implications.
[HOLY SHIT]
[THIS WOULD LET YOU PERFORM: ULTIMATE-TIER SYNTHESIS]
[THE KIND THAT CREATES: ULTIMATE SKILLS]
[LIKE RAPHAEL, LIKE BEELZEBUB, LIKE SHUB-NIGGURATH]
[YOU COULD EVOLVE THE ARCHIVE COMPLETELY]
[SKIP STAGES, JUMP STRAIGHT TO FINAL FORM]
[AND IF YOU SUCCEED...]
[THE EVOLVED ARCHIVE COULD TRIGGER: COLLECTIVE EVOLUTION]
[YOUR ANTS WOULD EVOLVE IN RESPONSE]
[SYMBIOTIC TRANSFORMATION]
[EVERYONE GETS STRONGER]
Sunny's hands were shaking. "Is this possible? Actually possible?"
[ANALYZING FEASIBILITY...]
[CROSS-REFERENCING: MEDIA CATALOG]
[SEARCHING FOR: SIMILAR CONCEPTS]
[FOUND: MULTIPLE EXAMPLES]
EXAMPLE 1: THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME
Rimuru's subordinates provide magicules through soul corridor Collective power pool for major evolution events Gifts flow both ways (lord → servant, servant → lord)
EXAMPLE 2: OVERLORD
Guild base draws power from all members Super-tier magic requires multiple casters OR massive reserves Ainz's World Item usage draws on Nazarick's collective power
EXAMPLE 3: FATE SERIES
Masters provide mana to Servants Servants can provide power back in emergencies Grail can pool mana from multiple sources
EXAMPLE 4: VARIOUS CULTIVATION NOVELS
Sect formations draw qi from all participants Breakthrough rituals use collective cultivation base Master-disciple links allow power sharing
[PRECEDENT: EXTENSIVE]
[MECHANICS: COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR SOVEREIGNTY SYSTEM]
[NAMED BONDS: STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THIS]
[RISK: EXTREME]
[IF SYNTHESIS FAILS DURING ULTIMATE SKILL CREATION...]
[EVERYONE CONNECTED COULD DIE]
[INCLUDING ALL 5,374 ANTS]
[AND YOU]
[SUCCESS RATE: UNKNOWN (TOO COMPLEX TO CALCULATE)]
[ESTIMATED: 40-60%]
[RECOMMENDATION: ...]
[... I DON'T KNOW]
[THIS IS INSANE]
[BUT SO WAS EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'VE DONE]
Sunny stood and walked to the window, looking out at Sanctuary City's night lights. His mind was racing through possibilities.
An Ultimate Skill. The kind that defined peak-tier entities. The kind that made the difference between strong and unstoppable.
If he could evolve the Archive completely—skip the gradual progression, jump straight to Raphael-class or beyond—he'd have:
True parallel processing (millions of calculations simultaneously) Perfect prediction (model future scenarios with near-certainty) Skill creation (design any ability from first principles) Thought acceleration (perceive time at 1/1000th speed) Complete analysis (understand anything instantly) And most importantly: The ability to help his ants evolve in response
This wasn't just about him getting stronger. This was about transforming Blackshore's entire military capability in one massive, coordinated ascension.
But the risk...
[CLARIFYING THE RISKS:]
[1. MAGICULE DRAIN]
Pulling from 5,374 ants simultaneously They'd be completely drained (unconscious for days) If synthesis fails mid-way, they might not recover
[2. BOND STRAIN]
Your sovereignty network would be pushed beyond limits Mental backlash could shatter your consciousness Named ants might lose their names (revert to instinct)
[3. EDITOR RESPONSE]
Continuity Debt would spike massively (55.8% → 75%+) Ultimate Skill creation = MAJOR REALITY VIOLATION Editors would respond in force Could mean deletion attempt
[4. SYNTHESIS COMPLEXITY]
This isn't combining 2-3 concepts This is fusing HUNDREDS of fragments + Archive + Sovereignty + Collective Power Most complex synthesis ever attempted Failure means: Everything breaks
[BUT IF YOU SUCCEED:]
[SUNNY: ULTIMATE SKILL UNLOCKED][RANK: JUMPS TO C+ OR B-][ARCHIVE: BECOMES SOVEREIGN'S MIND (RAPHAEL-CLASS)]
[ANTS: COLLECTIVE EVOLUTION][NAMED ANTS: RANK UP (+2 RANKS)][UNNAMED ANTS: GAIN PROTO-INTELLIGENCE][QUEENS: POTENTIAL ULTIMATE EVOLUTION]
[BLACKSHORE: BECOMES LEGITIMATE SUPERPOWER OVERNIGHT]
[YOU'D BE READY FOR DUNGEON: IMMEDIATELY]
[YOU'D BE READY FOR ANYTHING: PROBABLY]
"Archive," Sunny said quietly, "you said you don't know if I should do this. But what does your analysis actually suggest? If you had to calculate probability of success versus risk, what's the verdict?"
[PROCESSING FINAL ASSESSMENT...]
[CONSIDERING: ALL VARIABLES]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 47.3%]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY IF FAILURE: 12%]
[TOTAL LOSS PROBABILITY: 40.7%]
[BUT...]
[IF SUCCESSFUL: POWER GAIN = 300-500% INCREASE]
[TIMELINE TO DUNGEON: DROPS FROM 6 MONTHS TO IMMEDIATE]
[LONG-TERM SURVIVAL: INCREASES DRAMATICALLY]
[SHORT-TERM RISK: CATASTROPHIC]
[EXPECTED VALUE CALCULATION...]
[MATHEMATICALLY: WORTH ATTEMPTING]
[EMOTIONALLY: TERRIFYING]
[RECOMMENDATION: YOUR CALL]
Sunny looked out at the city, at the peaceful streets where people slept safely behind barriers and walls. He thought about his tiny kingdom—67 humans and 5,374 ants who'd sworn loyalty to a nine-year-old with impossible dreams.
He thought about the Leviathan, deep in her ocean trenches, who'd claimed him because he refused to disappear.
He thought about being Rajah Williams—dead at nineteen over a stolen phone, never amounting to anything, never mattering.
And he thought about being Sunny Blackshore—king of ants, fighter of spawns, challenger of dungeons, builder of impossible things.
"When?" Sunny asked.
[WAIT—YOU'RE ACTUALLY CONSIDERING THIS?]
"I'm not considering. I'm deciding. When's the optimal time?"
[... YOU'RE INSANE]
[OPTIMAL TIMING: AFTER COALITION CONFERENCE]
[REASONING:]
[1. GET COALITION SUPPORT FIRST (LEGITIMACY)]
[2. RETURN TO BLACKSHORE (SAFE TERRITORY)]
[3. PREPARE RITUAL SPACE (NEED OPTIMAL CONDITIONS)]
[4. INFORM THE ANTS (THEY DESERVE TO CONSENT)]
[5. COORDINATE WITH LEVIATHAN IF POSSIBLE (HER CLAIM MIGHT STABILIZE)]
[TIMELINE: 5-7 DAYS FROM NOW]
[DAY 123-125: IDEAL WINDOW]
"Five days," Sunny said. "After we secure Coalition support. After we get back home. Then I pool every magicule in Blackshore and attempt an Ultimate Skill synthesis."
[NAMING IT NOW: "SOVEREIGN'S MIND"]
[BASED ON: RAPHAEL + AKASHIC RECORDS + YOUR UNIQUE SYNTHESIS SYSTEM]
[COMPONENTS REQUIRED:]
[- CURRENT SOVEREIGN'S ARCHIVE CORE]
[- ALL 28 REMAINING CONCEPT FRAGMENTS]
[- COLLECTIVE MAGICULE POOL (18,300+ UNITS)]
[- ABYSSAL SOVEREIGNTY (EVOLVED)]
[- LEVIATHAN'S CLAIM (STABILIZATION)]
[- YOUR WILL (ABSOLUTE)]
[THIS WILL BE: THE HARDEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE]
[MAKES DEMIGOD PHYSIQUE LOOK EASY]
[CONTINUITY DEBT WILL SPIKE: 55.8% → 78%+]
[EDITORS WILL MANIFEST: GUARANTEED]
[YOU'LL NEED: PROTECTION DURING SYNTHESIS]
[RECOMMENDATION: BURGUNDY + ALL QUEENS + FULL ARMY]
[THEY HOLD OFF EDITORS WHILE YOU ASCEND]
[IF YOU SURVIVE: EVERYTHING CHANGES]
[IF YOU DON'T: EVERYTHING ENDS]
Day 119 – Morning Conversation
Sunny found Burgundy on watch at dawn. The commander immediately sensed something was different.
"My Lord. You have that look. The one that precedes monumentally dangerous decisions."
"I need to tell you something. But first—what are your magicule reserves? Exactly."
"Twelve units, my Lord. Why?"
"What about the other named ants? The queens?"
"Varies. Named soldiers: eight to fifteen units. Queens: fifteen to twenty-two units. Unnamed ants: two to four units." Burgundy's antennae twitched. "Why are you asking about collective magicule reserves?"
Sunny explained. Everything. The discovery. The possibility. The Ultimate Skill synthesis. The collective power pool. The risks. The potential rewards.
Burgundy listened in absolute silence through their mental bond.
When Sunny finished, the commander was quiet for a long moment.
"You're asking to drain every ant in Blackshore simultaneously. Pool our entire collective power into one synthesis attempt. Risk all of our lives on a 47% success rate."
"Yes."
"And if you succeed, we all evolve. Become stronger. You gain an Ultimate Skill that makes you legitimately powerful. Blackshore becomes a force that cannot be ignored."
"Yes."
"And if you fail, we all die."
"Most likely, yes."
Another long pause.
"When?"
"After the Coalition conference. Five days from now. Back in Blackshore, in controlled conditions. I'll need every ant's consent. This has to be voluntary. I won't command this."
"My Lord..." Burgundy's mental voice carried something like affection. "You gave us names. Gave us intelligence. Gave us purpose. Transformed us from insects into people. You have made the impossible normal. If you believe this synthesis will work—if you believe it's necessary—then we believe it too."
"This isn't like naming. If this fails, I can't bring you back."
"We know. But consider: you have never failed a synthesis you truly committed to. The Demigod Physique should have killed you. It didn't. The Sovereign's Archive Core should have killed you. It didn't. You have a gift for surviving impossible things." Burgundy clicked his mandibles firmly. "The ants will consent. We will provide our magicules. We will hold off the Editors. And you will create this Ultimate Skill. This is what we choose."
[AUTO-ANALYZER: EMOTIONAL RESPONSE DETECTED]
[YOURS, NOT MINE]
[LOYALTY LIKE THIS: RARE]
[TREASURED: ADVISED]
"Thank you, Burgundy."
"Thank us by succeeding, my Lord. Now—you have a Coalition conference to attend. Secure our legitimacy. Then we shall attempt the impossible. Together."
Day 119 – Coalition Conference (Opening Session)
The Central Forum was packed. Representatives from forty-three independent settlements, towns, and small kingdoms. The Free Settlements Coalition wasn't a unified nation—it was a defensive pact, mutual trade agreements, and coordinated response network.
But it was real political power. And Blackshore needed to be part of it.
Sunny entered with his delegation: Elena in formal Chancellor robes, Marcus in dress uniform, Burgundy standing eight feet tall and radiating controlled menace, and Nina in simple but clean clothing representing Blackshore's civilian population.
The room went silent.
Conversations stopped. Heads turned. A nine-year-old king with an ant general had just walked into regional politics.
Ambassador Lysa—who'd witnessed Crossroads—stood at the podium. "Honored members of the Coalition. Today we welcome a new petitioner: Lord Sunny Blackshore, representing Blackshore Kingdom. I witnessed this kingdom's military capability personally. I recommend we hear their petition with open minds."
Sunny approached the speaker's platform. The Founder's Blade was on his hip. The Auto-Analyzer was running maximum analysis on every face in the room.
[SCANNING ROOM...]
[IDENTIFYING: MAJOR POWERS, POTENTIAL ALLIES, HOSTILE PARTIES]
[KEY FIGURES DETECTED:]
[- AMBASSADOR LYSA: SUPPORTIVE (WITNESSED CROSSROADS)]
[- LORD MARCUS VAL: NEUTRAL BUT CURIOUS]
[- MERCHANT QUEEN SYLVA: CALCULATING (SEES PROFIT)]
[- GENERAL KOROTH: SKEPTICAL (MILITARY TRADITIONALIST)]
[- MAGUS ELENA CROSS: FASCINATED (RECOGNIZES YOUR POWER)]
[OVERALL SENTIMENT: 60% CURIOUS, 30% SKEPTICAL, 10% HOSTILE]
[PROCEED WITH PRESENTATION]
Sunny spoke clearly, projecting his voice with Abyssal Sovereignty giving it weight:
"Honored Coalition members. I am Lord Sunny Blackshore. Four months ago, my kingdom didn't exist. Today, we have sixty-seven citizens, five thousand military forces, and a defense record that includes zero casualties while protecting Crossroads from a 247-spawn rift surge."
Murmurs. People remembered Crossroads.
"We seek Coalition membership. But we're not asking for charity. We're offering value."
Elena handed him the presentation materials. Sunny laid them out systematically:
"Blackshore provides: Advanced rift spawn detection covering fifty-plus miles. Military rapid response capability. Unique construction and logistics support through our ant forces. Trade opportunities in specialized materials. And—most significantly—we are positioned to attempt conquest of the Northwest Dungeon."
That caused real commotion. The Northwest Dungeon had been unconquered for three centuries.
General Koroth stood. "You—a child—think you can conquer a 47-floor Djinn dungeon?"
"I don't think. I plan to." Sunny activated Phantom Movement briefly—teleporting ten feet to the side and back in an instant. "I defeated a B-rank spawn at Crossroads while three ranks below it. I command an army that operates with precision military discipline. I'm claimed by a primordial entity of the deep ocean. And in five days, I'm attempting an Ultimate Skill synthesis that will either kill me or make me legitimately powerful."
Absolute silence.
Sunny continued: "I'm not asking you to believe in me. I'm asking you to invest in potential. If I fail the dungeon, you lose nothing. If I succeed, the Coalition gains an allied Djinn Lord. The math is simple."
Magus Elena Cross stood. "An Ultimate Skill synthesis? That's... those are mythical. Near-impossible. The kind of thing legends attempt and die doing."
"I know. I'm attempting it anyway. Because standing still isn't an option. Blackshore grows or dies. I choose growth."
Merchant Queen Sylva spoke up: "What would Coalition membership cost us? What are you asking for in exchange for this... ambitious proposal?"
Elena stepped forward with the formal terms:
BLACKSHORE'S COALITION PETITION:
We Provide:
Intelligence network (rift spawn early warning) Military support (rapid response to threats) Trade goods (construction materials, silk, specialized items) Future Djinn Lord alliance (if dungeon successful)
We Request:
Formal recognition as legitimate kingdom Trade agreements (standard Coalition rates) Information sharing (dungeon intelligence, monster data) Political backing (protection from annexation attempts) Support during Ultimate Skill synthesis (optional but appreciated)
Terms:
Standard Coalition membership dues Mutual defense obligations Open borders for Coalition merchants Participation in Coalition councils
"These are standard terms," Elena said. "We're not asking for special treatment. Just recognition and partnership."
The delegates conferred. Voted. Calculated.
Three hours later, Ambassador Lysa announced the decision:
"By vote of thirty-seven to six, with three abstentions, the Free Settlements Coalition formally recognizes Blackshore Kingdom as a legitimate member state. Welcome, Lord Sunny. Try not to die in the next week."
[COALITION MEMBERSHIP: ACHIEVED]
[LEGITIMACY: ESTABLISHED]
[POLITICAL BACKING: SECURED]
[OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE]
[NOW: PREPARE FOR ULTIMATE SYNTHESIS]
Day 123 – Blackshore Kingdom, Ritual Preparation
They'd spent three days preparing. A massive circle in the center of Blackshore's square, inscribed with every symbol of sovereignty Sunny could remember from his Media Catalog. Burgundy had positioned all 5,374 ants in concentric rings around the ritual space. The queens stood at cardinal points. The named ants formed an inner circle.
Elena had evacuated all human citizens to the edges of the kingdom—just in case.
Marcus and his militia formed a final perimeter—not to stop Editors (they couldn't), but to maintain order.
And at the center: Sunny, with the Founder's Blade, surrounded by every concept fragment he'd collected, about to attempt something that should be impossible.
The sun was setting. The ritual would begin at full dark.
Sunny stood at the circle's center and reached out through the bond network:
"All ants of Blackshore. What we're about to attempt is dangerous. You'll be drained of magicules—all of them. You'll be unconscious for days. If I fail, you might die. I'm giving you this chance to leave. No judgment. No consequences. This is your choice."
Not one ant moved.
Burgundy's voice resonated through the network: "We stand with our Lord. All of us. To the last."
[AUTO-ANALYZER: FINAL PREPARATIONS]
[ALL ANTS: CONSENTING]
[MAGICULE POOL: 18,309 UNITS AVAILABLE]
[CONCEPT FRAGMENTS: 28 READY]
[CURRENT ENTRIES: 10 (WILL BE ABSORBED INTO ULTIMATE SKILL)]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 55.8% (ABOUT TO SPIKE)]
[EDITOR RESPONSE: GUARANTEED]
[LEVIATHAN: WATCHING (I CAN FEEL HER)]
[READY?]
Sunny looked toward the ocean, miles and miles away but somehow present in his mind. He felt the Leviathan's attention focus on him like a spotlight.
Mother, he thought. I hope you see me. I hope you're watching. Because I'm about to do something impossible.
Again.
The Leviathan's presence pulsed with what might have been approval or hunger or love—with her, it was hard to tell the difference.
"DO IT, SMALL THING. SHOW THEM WHAT CLAIMED MEANS. SHOW THEM WHAT REFUSING TO DISAPPEAR LOOKS LIKE."
Sunny activated the ritual.
[SYNTHESIS: ULTIMATE SKILL - SOVEREIGN'S MIND]
[INITIATING: COLLECTIVE MAGICULE DRAW]
[BEGINNING: IMPOSSIBLE TRANSFORMATION]
[EDITORS: INCOMING]
[OUTCOME: UNKNOWN]
[GOD HELP US ALL]
The world screamed as eighteen thousand magicules began flowing into one nine-year-old king.
And in the distance, reality itself took notice.
An Editor manifested.
But this time—it wasn't alone.
[END CHAPTER 25]
[ULTIMATE SKILL SYNTHESIS: INITIATED]
[MAGICULE POOL: 18,309 UNITS]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 47.3%]
[EDITOR RESPONSE: ACTIVE]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: SPIKING (55.8% → ???%)]
[LEVIATHAN: WATCHING]
[OUTCOME: PENDING]
[NEXT CHAPTER: ASCENSION OR ANNIHILATION]
[EVERYTHING CHANGES NOW]