At the top of the Black Tower, Anser looked down over the island below, silently watching Bratt and the others settle the refugees.
Half of them had been assigned to Rudin's Paradise Village, while the other half were being taken to the coastal docks to establish a fishing village.
However, the sparse fish stocks in the surrounding waters had yet to recover, so the villagers' primary tasks for the foreseeable future would still be clearing farmland and growing crops.
'I still need to purchase another batch of grain and meat,' Anser thought.
The development of Holrewen could be left entirely in Bratt's hands and those of the other administrators, but until the settlement became self-sufficient, it would still need a steady supply of resources from outside.
With a wave of his hand, the black stone wall returned to its original color.
After much deliberation, he decided to convert that strand of divinity into experience points.
The die had no way to conceal it. The moment he stepped outside, he could be identified as a chosen of an evil god. If that attracted the attention of the churches and brought a crusade down on him, it would be a serious problem.
The power of a divine chosen was formidable—far beyond that of ordinary adventurers.
Moreover, now that he had formed an alliance with Brunhilde, he could use her as a detector of sorts, quietly observing from a third-party perspective, determining who was suspicious, and then waiting for the right opportunity to act.
'If someone really tries to scheme against me, absorbing the divinity is the safer option.'
He teleported to the Celestial Ritual Array, sank his consciousness inward, and touched the strand of divinity.
[This process is irreversible. Decompose this divinity?]
"Yes."
The die suddenly began to spin. It turned translucent and drew the strand of divinity into its center, compressing it into a tiny golden sphere.
As time passed, a crack appeared on the surface of the golden orb. Strands of iridescent light were forcibly extracted and slowly absorbed by the die.
At the same time, faint golden specks appeared across the silver twenty-sided die—like fragments of gold dust, or stars scattered across the night sky.
Anser froze for a moment and opened his character sheet, only to find that his experience pool hadn't increased at all.
'So you get the meat, and I only get the soup.'
Grumbling aside, he knew that whatever the die could consume was probably something he couldn't use himself.
Divinity was likely the sublimation of humanity. Every deity's divinity was unique, representing the fundamental nature of that god.
If an ordinary person forcibly absorbed divinity, their own humanity might become contaminated by it—or even completely replaced. Their personality, thoughts, and will could all be altered.
Why did so many gods return from death again and again?
First, because their faith endured. As long as believers remembered them, they were never truly gone.
Second, because their divinity remained. As long as it existed, there was always a chance for rebirth through another vessel.
These weren't baseless theories invented by scholars. According to ancient myths and historical records, there was plenty of evidence supporting them.
'If a divine chosen remains fused with divinity for too long, they'll probably be affected as well.'
The thought carried more than a little malice.
By this point, the decomposition and conversion of the divinity was nearly complete.
Ding—
[You gained 10,000 experience points. Lifespan +20. Hit Points +20.]
Anser felt a wave of comfort wash through his entire body. Even the tension he had been carrying seemed to dissolve, leaving him with a long-forgotten sense of ease.
'Worth it. Absolutely worth it...'
An extended lifespan was simply too powerful.
Who wouldn't want to live a few more years?
Otherwise, why would so many dragons choose to transform themselves into dracoliches?
According to legend, half of the glory of the Netherese Empire had been built upon the pursuit of immortality.
'Level up.'
He opened his character sheet and selected his class options:
[Advance your Sorcerer level or choose a new class.]
'Advance Sorcerer.'
[Level Up: Sorcerer Level 12!]
[Your draconic power has increased. Gold Dragon Power +1. Silver Dragon Power +1.]
[You may learn one new spell, one Evocation spell, and one enhanced Metamagic ability.]
[You have gained a new Feat. You may manifest one of your innate magical abilities as a supernatural ability.]
'That's quite a substantial improvement.'
Anser silently marveled.
He invested both points of draconic power into his Charisma score, raising it to 25—the maximum for a young dragon.
A Charisma score of 25 was enough to double a spell's base range, area of effect, and casting speed. It also increased spell damage and made most Charisma-related checks significantly easier.
Next came his spells. There were relatively few 6th-level Evocation spells available.
After some consideration, he chose the Cleric-exclusive spell "Blade Barrier."
...
Blade Barrier: 6th-level Evocation.
Base Range: 27 meters.
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes.
You create a wall of whirling magical blades composed of force energy, with its shape determined by the caster.
You can create either a straight wall up to 100 feet (30 meters) long, 20 feet (6 meters) high, and 5 feet (1.5 meters) thick, or a circular wall up to 60 feet (18 meters) in diameter, 20 feet (6 meters) high, and 5 feet (1.5 meters) thick.
The wall provides three-quarters cover, and the space it occupies is considered difficult terrain.
Any creature within the wall's space must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 6d10 (6–60) force damage; on a successful save, it takes half damage.
...
This was essentially half defensive spell, half battlefield-control spell. More importantly, its visual effect was incredibly cool and intimidating.
For the duration of the spell, most enemies wouldn't dare charge through it recklessly. Otherwise, they'd be shredded by the rapidly spinning magical blades and carved into strips of meat.
It was an exceptionally effective spell against melee combatants, useful for stopping enemies from closing the distance and for dividing the battlefield.
His choice for the other spell was more difficult. He could either continue enhancing his supernatural abilities or select another powerful spell.
Considering that Truesight and immunity to fire and cold could all be replicated through equipment or other spells, he ultimately chose the spell he had wanted for a long time:
"Disintegrate."
...
Disintegrate: 6th-level Transmutation.
Base Range: 60 feet (18 meters).
You fire a green disintegration ray at a visible target within range.
The target can be a creature, a nonmagical object, or a magical force construct such as a Wall of Force.
A target creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 10d6 + 40 (50–100) force damage. If this reduces the target to 0 Hit Points, it and all nonmagical items it is wearing or carrying are turned to dust.
A creature slain by Disintegrate can be restored to life only through True Resurrection or Wish.
...
The destructive power of this spell was beyond question. Its single-target damage was absurdly high, making it ideal for eliminating powerful enemies.
With it, Anser no longer had to worry about running into Wizards or divine chosen who could cast Wall of Force. It gave him yet another way to break through difficult situations.
The drawbacks of Disintegrate were just as significant.
Once it killed a target, the victim was reduced to ash, leaving no opportunity whatsoever for interrogation.
Moreover, ordinary possessions—and even lower-grade magic items—were unlikely to survive, making it an extremely wasteful spell.
Fortunately, high-grade magic items possessed strong resistance and would usually survive, preventing a complete loss.
It was a spell that became more expensive the stronger the caster's enemies were!
Next came his enhanced Metamagic ability.
His original plan had been to take Enhanced Twinned Spell or Enhanced Distant Spell.
But after encountering divine chosen with extraordinarily high saving throws, he reluctantly decided to prioritize Enhanced Heightened Spell.
...
Enhanced Heightened Spell: Spell Save DC +1.
When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw, you can further empower the spell, suppressing the target and causing it to make its saving throw with disadvantage.
...
The improvement wasn't enormous, but it was still valuable. Heightened Spell was already extremely powerful to begin with.
For his new Feat, he selected Ability Score Improvement, raising his Strength to 17 and moving one step closer to unlocking his third multiclass.
The higher one's level became, the harder it was to continue advancing. If he didn't unlock additional classes and gain more Feats as soon as possible, it would be difficult for his Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom to ever reach mortal limits.
The final option, Arcane Bloodline, was somewhat awkward.
He still had two manifestations remaining, but none of his remaining 5th- or 6th-level spells were particularly suitable candidates.
'Maybe I should enhance one of my existing supernatural abilities instead.'
After a long analysis, he decided to strengthen Transcendent Form.