Chương 16: B1 | Chapter 15

Aidan My first attempt is an utter failure as I don't even manage to create a void core. Even after asking the Void Empress to make another one for me. I just can't figure it out. Until the Void Empress tells me to stop looking at it from a human perspective. When I do just that and instead let my instincts take over, I feel a strange sort of muscle I never had before. And when I use said muscle, I both see and feel void mana leaving my hand to form a very small void core.

Only for said void core to fragment and shatter in seconds as I lose my concentration.

"Again," the Void Empress states in a near emotionless voice. I try again, only to fail again. With the Void Empress merely stating, "Again," in that same near emotionless voice. Like a drill instructor. So I try over and over again over the course of the next day. And ever so gradually, I begin to make progress. First I manage to manifest the void core for longer and longer before it shatters.

Then I manage to manifest it without it shattering entirely, but without some of the necessary parts of the void core inside of it, making said void core useless. When I reach that point, the Void Empress walks me through the process of meticulously crafting the inside of the void core. Including all of the void circuits necessary to replicate void mana inside of it. Eventually I finally create a working void core after an entire day of nonstop practice and no sleep.

Which actually gives me a rather surprising message when I do so. [Basic Level 0 Void Core has been created for the first time. Appropriate source mana has been allocated.] [User's Profession, Void Creator, has reached level 19. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +1 Mind, +1 Soul.] Nice. Creating this void core actually gave me a level in my Profession.

"Now practice creating a body," the Void Empress states, snapping me back to my work again.

"But create the body separate from the void core. Creating the body around the void core makes for a more powerful voidling from that act alone, but it isn't required. And failing to create a body around the void core itself will lead to the waste of the void core. Which you can't do with your mana supply." Her words bring my attention to my current mana supply, which is down to about a third of my total capacity. Right.

If I kept trying and failing to make voidling bodies around the void cores and wasted the void cores each time, I'd quickly run out of mana. Fortunately for me, making the voidling's body actually ends up being a rather simple and easy process. All I have to do is visualize it while following my instinct. It's a lot less intricate and detailed than the process of making a void core itself. So I manage to make a perfectly working voidling body after just a dozen or so attempts.

One that looks like a weaker version of the one the Void Empress made earlier. [Basic Level 0 Voidling Body has been created for the first time. Appropriate source mana has been allocated.] And while it drains the rest of my mana, I manage to merge both the void core and the body just like the Void Empress did. Then the Void Empress lets me take a break for a few hours to sleep. After which she immediately starts instructing me on the process to make a voidling soul.

A process that is, once again, less intricate than the process to make a void core. But also still more complicated than making a voidling body. Well, for a sapient voidling, that is. The process to make a drone's soul and mind is far simpler than making a broodmother or soldier's soul and mind. The strength of the mind relies on the strength of the soul. A stronger mind requires a stronger soul.

So when making a drone that just follows orders and doesn't think for itself, it's a lot more basic than making one that can actually think. And I manage to figure it out after several hours of trying and wasting mana cores. Mana cores that the Void Empress is supplying me with. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Of course, these mana cores are all bottom of the line garbage ones.

Nothing more than trash meant to start my journey as a Void Creator and not to level me up. Judging by what I've seen of the System so far, this is probably because of some System restriction. Otherwise a mentor could give their student a massive boost in the Tutorial and reap the rewards if the student ever joins their faction. Regardless, I get another message when I finally manage to create a soul that merges correctly with the source mana. [Basic Level 0 Voidling Soul has been created for the first time. Appropriate source mana has been allocated.] [User's Profession, Void Creator, has reached level 20. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +1 Mind, +1 Soul.] And now my Profession is the same level as my Class.

"The mind is the easiest part to create for a drone, so follow your instincts and you should succeed within a few tries," the Void Empress states with her arms crossed and what I think might be a hint of excitement on her face? Or maybe just anticipation? Is she happy to see another Void Crowne creating voidlings or something? Either way, I try making a voidling mind and succeed on my second try. Which makes sense since the voidling drones don't really have much of a mind to work with.

[Basic Level 0 Voidling Mind has been created for the first time. Appropriate source mana has been allocated.] After making the voidling mind, I merge it with the soul before finally finishing my first voidling. With this one moving to bow its head to me just like the one the Void Empress made. But that's not all as I also feel a sort of connection made between me and the voidling. A one-sided one that lets me give orders and nothing more. [Basic Level 0 Voidling has been created for the first time. Appropriate source mana has been allocated.] [User's Profession, Void Creator, has reached level 21. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +1 Mind, +1 Soul.] And now my Profession level is higher than my Class level. I identify my voidling. [Level 5 Voidling Drone] Yeah, much weaker than her voidling.

"When you reach Silver Tier, you will get a skill to carry a certain number of voidling drones in a separate space within the void wherever you go," the Void Empress states.

"Until then you will have to give the drones you create orders or deal with drones following you all the time."

"Understood," I respond with a faint smile as I look at the voidling I created. Then I turn to focus on the Void Empress to speak further, only to blink as I notice something. Is it just me, or does she look slightly proud? Hmm. Probably just me.

"Thank you for your teachings," I tell her with a smile. And she just nods her head. I look at the voidling I made again before the Void Empress says, "I will continue teaching you through the Mentor Menu once you leave here. Please look for me whenever you have the time. For now, work hard to level up and survive." Her words surprise me as I turn to look at her again, only for her to speak again before I can say anything, "You have my approval to pass the floor."

Then I find myself being teleported out of the void and into the room with the pathway again as more messages appear in my vision. At the Flower Crown atop the World Tree Seraphyne Voidstar, the Supreme Empress of the Void Throne, reappears in the place she was previously taken from at the top of the World Tree. Where she sees the two people she was in a meeting with immediately turning their attention away from their squabbling subordinates to her.

But no matter what's going on around her, she doesn't pay it any mind. Instead she just focuses on the new Mentor Menu she's received. A mark of being a mentor of a user from a newly initialized world with the same Profession as you. And now she finally has it. Has a student. Has kin. Someone of the same species. The corner of her lips twitch ever so slightly upwards. Enough that it surprises both the avatar of the World Tree and the Ruler of the Dead in front of her when they see it.

Because they know the Void Crowne never smiles.

"Something good happen, Seraphyne?" the Ruler of the Dead, Alaric Deadfallen, asks as his eyes narrow. His thick robe shifting slightly to reveal his seemingly unhealthily skinny hands beneath their long sleeves as he snaps his fingers to directly control the undead soldiers shouting at the dryads to shut them up. Spreading his aura out to cover the Flower Crown and suppress them entirely until they're kneeling with their heads on the ground.

Feeling immense stress just from being within their Adamantium Tier Ruler's aura, yet feeling lucky that their Ruler didn't decide to spread his Domain out instead to restrain them. And before the dryads can grow smug at the undeads' sudden situation on the branches of the World Tree, they find themselves being wrapped up in vines and dragged deep into the branches of the World Tree as the World Tree's avatar says, "Tell us, Seraphyne. Why were you teleported away by the System?"

The undead and dryads were only verbally fighting because the meeting was put on hold after the Void Crowne was suddenly forcibly teleported away by the System for unknown reasons. Leaving the rest of them to wait for her to return. Because they all know she will never answer a message within any reasonable time after receiving it. And usually the two let their underlings bicker as much as they please, but not now. Not when something this unusual occurs.

Seraphyne understands the two of them well enough to know this. But she doesn't satisfy their curiosity. Instead she just says, "You will understand soon." The World Tree's avatar and the Ruler of the Dead share a disappointed glance before they continue the meeting about the latest Galaxy to be initialized into the System. With the Imperial Guard of the Void standing to each side of Seraphyne's luxurious and shiny black throne. Each currently unmoving in humanoid forms covered in sleek black carapaces.

Just like the many other voidlings standing frozen around the Flower Crown in a manner some may find creepy. There's no point in them grilling her for details if she won't tell them. If she won't tell them now, she never will. That's what they've come to understand about her from the trillions of years they've known her. And that won't change even with a sudden unusual occurrence. But the two Rulers make sure to keep it in mind for the near future.