After seeing Anderson off, Silas's room quickly fell silent.
This was his first time alone since advancing to "Black Knight."
"Luna, go watch the door for me."
He sent the black cat to stand guard at the entrance, then sat down on the bed, closed his eyes, and began simulating the sound of hazy ocean tides in his mind.
Ma'am M had once said that advancing in sequence would strengthen his control over that ocean.
Now that he'd become a "Black Knight," what kind of changes might have occurred on that sea?
Before long, the hazy sound of waves surged from all directions and engulfed him.
"Splash..."
The waves churned, white mist billowing. The hazy, viscous seawater lapped rhythmically against his feet.
The chaotic, deep-black water seemed to contain every color imaginable, and staring at it too closely made his vision swim with dizziness.
"Welcome back."
The red-haired, golden-eyed woman stood on the surface of the sea, smiling at him.
The ocean breeze ruffled her white robe, outlining her full, graceful curves. Ma'am M looked serene and gentle.
"Mm."
Silas glanced at her briefly, acknowledging her greeting. His gaze swept across the sea, trying to sense whether anything had changed.
Immediately, an extremely obvious alteration caught his eye.
The stone platform where Cecilia's soul was kept had somehow risen substantially higher!
What's going on?
His heart lurched. He flew across the water's surface toward it, moving quickly.
With the platform elevated, the structure beneath was now visible.
It was slightly thicker at the base but still maintained a streamlined shape, extending downward. It looked like... a white tower?
Silas had no time for a careful inspection. He rushed to the top of the tower and peered into the pool-like depression.
His sister's soul was floating peacefully inside, nourished by the clear seawater. Nothing seemed amiss.
Thank goodness.
Silas let out a long breath.
"Cecilia, I'm glad you're okay."
He spoke to the sleeping girl.
Her eyes were closed, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned. She looked peaceful and serene.
Time seemed to stand still here.
Silas stared at her, lost in thought.
"Cecilia, come visit me in my dreams sometimes, would you?"
After a long while, he murmured to the girl, "I miss you."
He gazed at his sister for a few moments longer, then finally began to examine the structure.
With the base raised, it truly did resemble a tower. A white tower continually ascending toward the sky.
Was it rising because of his advancement in sequence?
Silas instinctively looked upward.
Above, white mist swirled thickly, greatly obscuring his vision.
But perhaps it was just his imagination... he felt as though something was moving up there.
Won't let me see?
Silas activated his ability, letting the wind lift his body as he attempted to rise further.
But he hadn't climbed more than a few meters before the force supporting him became unsustainable and abruptly vanished.
The invisible laws of this place refused to let him approach.
If the tower continues to rise with my next advancement, I should be able to see clearly then.
Still, seeing what's up there might not be a good thing. Better to extract Cecilia before advancing...
Before leaving, he glanced at his sister one more time, then descended from the tower to the sea's surface.
"Such a touching display of sibling affection."
Ma'am M said with a smile.
"Shut up."
Silas silenced her as usual, then began surveying the waters, sensing the deeper changes.
First, the most significant change was that the sea area he could control had expanded.
What had once been the size of a pond had now grown to the size of a man-made lake.
As expected, the qualitative leap from Sequence 5 to Sequence 4 was reflected here as well.
Second, the fog over the sea had thinned considerably, greatly extending his range of visibility.
He looked toward the edge of the mist. Far in the distance, he could vaguely make out a shadowy outline.
The True Creator...
He thought coldly.
Right.
He'd almost forgotten.
He seemed to be sharing this ocean, to some degree, with that being.
It appeared that as his sequence advanced, he'd eventually be able to dispel all the fog and see the full extent of these waters.
Don't tell me the full picture is the True Creator on the far side of the sea and something terrifying overhead too?
That would be a bit too ironic.
Silas couldn't help but glance back toward the white tower. He was starting to wonder if keeping his sister here was truly safe.
Maybe I should store her back in my body periodically, and only return her here when her soul shows signs of wear...
The word "battery" suddenly popped into his mind.
It felt both hellish and not at all funny, so he immediately shoved the thought away.
What else had changed?
Well, with the expansion of the sea, his mastery over the tides had improved.
The duration of summoned tides would now last longer, the integration with his body would be more seamless, and the burden of using "Blood River" had decreased significantly.
And then there were the related authorities within the sea.
Silas opened his hand, causing the hazy seawater beneath his feet to rise up and pour into his body.
"Splash..."
The water rapidly filled his form, making his spirit body more solid and heavy. He felt power surge through him.
"Whoosh!"
A violent storm whipped up around him: majestic, fierce, impossible to look upon directly.
"Buzz!"
Golden radiance flickered in his eyes: mysterious, profound, piercing straight into the soul.
These were the extraordinary abilities of the Sailor and Spectator pathways he'd possessed before.
As his sequence advanced, the abilities he could wield became both more numerous and more powerful.
At full strength, I should reach the level of a Sequence 4 demigod.
Not only that, he could now withstand a far greater infusion of seawater than before.
As more and more water flowed in, a new authority quietly coalesced behind him.
Around Silas's body, golden light gradually began to form.
It was a pure, dazzling brilliance: blazing, holy, drawing people irresistibly toward him. As if he were the only answer, the only salvation.
The authority of the Sun pathway!
Silas opened his eyes.
He felt as though he'd become a miniature sun.
Just as he was about to test the abilities of this pathway, he sensed that his spirit body could no longer bear the strain and was on the verge of collapse.
Looks like this is my limit for now.
He thought with some regret, then expelled the seawater.
His advancement in sequence had granted him greater control over this ocean.
Correspondingly, the white tower had risen, the fog had receded, and new authorities had been born.
What new changes would come with further advancement?
Silas couldn't tell if he felt anticipation or dread.
He lingered a while longer, familiarizing himself with the authorities, before finally returning to reality.
---
Backlund, Queens District, Earl Hall's villa.
"Miss, the master is calling for you."
Annie, her personal maid, entered Audrey's room, a hint of puzzlement on her face. "There are several people in military uniforms in his study."
MI9, then? Finally.
Audrey thought to herself as she rose gracefully.