Chapter 13

Fated Meeting Part 4

I arrived on Demacia exactly the day after that. I opened a portal to the Palace and I had kept it open for the other Demacians who have yet to wake up. They had immersed themselves into the celebrations last night so they could forget what I just did. The Royal Guards who spotted me bowed and parted.

"His Holiness Adriel has arrived!" someone had announced. At the throne room, a round table magically appears whenever the council is in session. Naturally, on this very day, that round table is filled with the many representatives of the King's inner circle. They looked at me in alarm and rose to their feet.

"Where's the King?" one had asked the moment he stood up. I raised a hand and dark smoke zoomed off of me. Everyone in the palace grounds stood still as time had halted. I walked to the garden grounds and conjured upon my Seedling, Grow I, III and III spells.

"Well, Demacia, desperate times calls for desperate measures." I said. I poured Mana into the seeds and changed them to their core. After five minutes of alteration, I threw the seeds into the air. They changed into a massive plant that formed into a tangled circle that hovered in the air unassisted.

Adriel's Seedlings: The Whisperer

• Natural Self-sustainability

• Magical Self-sustainability

• Natural Self-repair

• Magical Self-repair

• Immunity to pestilence

• Immunity to blight

• Immunity to disease

• Greater Damage Resistance

• Greater Damage Nullification

• Constant Intagibility

• Constant Invisibility

• Constant Camouflage

• Constant Nexus Growth

• When in Demacian lands, projects a magical field that covers the entire nation

• Demacians within that area are implanted with subconscious suggestions and varying degrees of emotional, spiritual and mental manipulation

• Adriel's followers can request to gate anywhere in Demacian lands

• Requires a tribute of Mana once per week to function properly

Well, I think that's enough. It's a strong one but it doesn't overpower your ability to think or choose. It's just enough to nudge you my way. I watched as the airborne plant developed a near-impenetrable crystalline shell then disappeared from sight.

I walked back to the throne room and undid my spell. Time moved again and the nobles and allies of the king looked at me in question.

"The king is busy for the moment. Until the next week, I will be here as his representative." I said. They looked at each other, wary. "It may not be my place to say this, Lord Adriel, but the High Priest traditionally does not participate in political matters." the same man who asked for the king said.

I smiled at him serenely. "I'm not butting into political matters, my lord, but in the king's absence, I think I must. Please, allow me to see how great the problems in Demacia are." I said.

I ordered The Whisperer to compel these nobles. The hidden magic was conjured and the nobles met me with not resistance. They began to talk and talk about the politics, their worries that was mostly brought about by my appearance and everything else. I wish I had someone with me. They pitched in their ideas.

Meh. Most of these guys had self-serving reasons to be worried. Undermining influence, undermining traditions, undermining the sovereignty of the nobility and royalty and so on and so forth. If I had a list of their reasons, it would go on to pages 10 and above.

I stand by what I said before: these guys are way too happy up their golden roosts that they'll snap at anyone who dares to shake it. I think I'm about to fall asleep with their whining.

It's not that I don't feel about them but their high-and-mighty attitude plus their insufferable pride made them highly unlikable to me. I can't roll my eyes hard enough so I stopped time again.

The Whisperer and I combined our powers to do a massive character rewrite on these guys and all in their bloodline. Instead of being the main force to oppose my agendas, I'm turning them into true paragons of virtue and honor and would support the greater good of Demacia.

I sailed from the throne room, leaving the altered people to recover their wits. They'll never know what I did to them but the people will certainly be astounded by this sudden change of tune.

I ordered The Whisperer to begin detecting and influencing all Demacians who are resisting the change I'm implementing. There's nothing like a mind-controlling plant to help your plans for world domination.

Demacians are inflexible bunch. They're deep-rooted in their traditions and are afraid to question the norms they have known for so long.

There are Demacians, particularly the younger and rebellious ones that clamor for change in their society's structure, but they are considered outcasts even by their own families.

It's tough being a Demacian but then again, it just comes back to being it's tough being in Runeterra. It's a nice place and all but it takes insane amount of willpower, brains, guts, constitution and endurance to be a Runeterran.

You have to deal with monsters all the time, Void creatures and the Harrowing in special mention, not to mention you have to watch your back from even your own fellowman. And I sure as hell don't want to settle this the long way. How many years would that actually take? Ten or more? No, thank you.

I called upon my Greatest Shadow Demon spell again and summoned more Shadow Demons to serve me. 10, Black Watchers, 10 Black Flayers, 10 Shadow Guards and 3 Greater Shadow Queens. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Coordinate with The Whisperer. Eliminate those who you deem unworthy of change and second chance. Make sure their deaths are made public but make it very sensational. So sensational that an urban legend will be born from each death." I ordered.

I unleashed all my Shadow Demons, excluding the Greater Shadow Queens, and they left me. My shadow won't be exactly empty but it'll have more room for the remaining ones. The Mana I have to sacrifice for all their maintenance will double because of the distance between us.

Diablo 2 items work for me but the items from Elder Scrolls aren't applying except for their abilities. Knowing how my Innate Power works, only the Age of Mythology (Even though I'm limited to Myth units, God Powers and Myth units only), Age of Empires 3, Battle Realms, Card Wars and Plants VS. Zombies are functioning properly. The Nirn and Sanctuary Innate Power have many features still unlocked.

Then it hit me. I can't summon anything major from Elder Scrolls yet (I'm still planning on summoning the Nine Divines or the Daedric Princes) but I can summon generic NPCs. Well, well, well. Ain't that a good thing?

I'll summon an entire adventurer team composed of generic NPCs! Nurufufufu~! They'll be my eyes and hands in Runeterra. I'll send them out to the world and let them explore. That'll be a great thing, I think.

I didn't know that as I was making my through the palace, I'm making my dark laugh. People I came across had flinched at the sinister sound. I looked around the place and found it quite dull. Grand, check. Lavish, check. Superbly imposing, check.

And it had the total absence of being a home and looked like someone bought every overpriced thing they could find and gathered it all here. I brightened. What if I did something of an overhaul design here? Make it more vibrant? Garen told me the garden I designed was a huge hit.

Apparently, Queen Ashe of Freljord wanted to pay a visit. So right after Swain's visit, Ashe will make hers and Garen said something of some visitors from other nations I haven't read about at all from the LoL lore.

Okay, Adriel, it's time to work your magic. I ran all the way to the entrance of the palace. The guards who noticed me looked in wonderment but they saw the look of excitement on my face and let down their caution.

I floated up into the air until I was so up high that I could see the palace below. "By the power of Set, I summon thee!" I intoned. Set's God Power came alive and I can see the inside of the palace and all its entirety right before me.

Gaudy, gaudy, gaudy, is all I can think of it. I closed my eyes and called upon "The Greatest Enchanter That Ever Lived". The palace erupted into a little girl's dreamland, again looking so much like straight out of a Disney princess movie.

I'm pretty sure the Demacians were stunned at the change as the surfacing visions dragged them to dance and sing along with them. Sparkles and showering stars joined to form a grand fireworks display of color. I wasn't planning on changing anything important in the palace, I merely want to add color, vibe and grace into it.

Flower-bearing plants of multitude of colors raced through the columns, ceiling and walls, decorating the stone and mortar with their hues. Rooms began to rearrange and reappear with new features and were swallowed up by the majestic pieces of furniture I conjured.

I snapped my hands again and the plants released glowing insects and small birds that were as colorful, bright and imaginative as the flora that birthed them. It gave the entire palace a fairytale-like setting and I'm very satisfied with the results.

The courtyards changed next. The landscape changed entirely. Small brooks with waters that flowed like a sung lullaby rose from the earth and joined sparkling waterfalls that shone with several rainbows.

The trees grew with whimsical encouragement and formed into fantastical patterns of ancient heroes, fearsome monsters and faerie creatures until they formed into a canvas for storytelling.

I smiled as the results were simply breathtaking. A sweet smell filled the air and scenery uplifted fatigue from those who looked at it. People would want to visit this place every day of the week, just to treat themselves for hours of imagination and fantasy.

I'm amazed at my own work. Not to be some sort of a prideful asshole but I think I deserve a pat on the back for my work. As the changing magic faded, the little girl's Disney dreamworld ended their songs and jumped into celebration as their work was successful.

I have to say I'm getting used to them. I enchanted all this work with both natural and magical sustainability and several other hidden features that the King can tap into.

I flew down and looked at the Royal Guards, all of whom had their mouths hanging open. "So, how do you like it?" I asked eagerly. They looked at me with watery eyes. "What? Too much?" I asked.

"It's beautiful alright." a voice joined us. I looked and saw Lux and Ezreal stepping through the open portal to New Adriel. Ezreal yawned and rubbed his eyes like a kid. "It's beautiful, Addy." he said then yawned again.

"So, where did you take the prince and the king? Xin and my brother are pretty worried about them." Lux said, dropping her voice so only the two of us can hear.

"Right about now, they're mending their father and son relationship with high quality danger to make sure they drop whatever inhibition they both carry that stops them from reaching out to each other." I whispered back.

"Whoa. Are you sure that's gonna work? What if it backfires?" she askwed worriedly. "Don't worry. There's plenty of emotional moments in store for them. They'll come around. Isla del Diablo has a lot of that." I said.

"Isla del Diablo?" Lux echoed, an eyebrow shot up. "It means Island of The Devil. It's a positively dreadful story, Lux." I said. I grabbed her hand and regaled her all about it as we walked back into the shapeshifted palace.

When the other people saw it, they were astounded first then their own personal emotions came through first.

Lulu and Pix were positively delighted and oooh-ed and ahhh-ed at every little thing.

Quinn tried hard not to squeal and run around the corridors like a country bumpkin, although Valor had given in to the urge.

Vayne whistled when she saw it and inspected the glowing animals.

Poppy played like a kid at the waterfalls and her unlikely partner was none other than Shyvana.

Xin had fainted at what would be the reaction of the people in charge of the decorations and ceremony.

Garen admired the tree figures and could almost imagine the battle of the heroes taking place.

Lux and Ezreal had taken a stroll among the gardens.

Overall, I call this a success. I left the others to tend to their own curiosities and strolled back to the throne room, falling at each of my side was Shen and Zed. They had hidden their reactions from me. "It's amazing, you know. The Eye of Twilight at my right and the Master of Shadows at my left. It's almost a dream." I said as I sat at the throne that was now an edifice of stone, wood and flora combined.

Xin had guided me through the work of the King of Demacia. I will meet the people coming to the palace. They were the ones who had personal petitions to the king.

"So, what brings you two here? Tell me the truth now. Zed, didn't I sent you on a shopping quest?" I said. Zed looked at me and I could see the grin through his mask. "Why do you think students exist for? They're the ones doing the deed for the master." he said.

I grinned wickedly back at him. "Then to them I shall teach the knowledge." I said and in an instant, a blade had appeared at my throat.

"I dare you." Zed replied but there was no malice or aggressiveness in his act. We bantered. If I didn't know any better, I would we're flirting with each other. "Can you really extend the promise you made to me?" Shen's voice cut through our conversation. Zed grunted in displeasure. I looked at Shen and smiled.

"Of course, I can. I have already done so, in fact. I'll be giving you the item I speak of when we get back to New Adriel. I'm sure you'll find that, if you happen to carry a load of one hundred, you'll be relieved of seventy." I said confidently.

"Then I will side with you. I cannot promise I will not question your decisions though." Shen said. I smiled at him. "I won't be a fan anymore if you turned out to be a yes-man." I said. Zed was about to butt in when Xin opened the massive doors and the populace entered. I just had to pick the day the king does this. What luck I have.

•

It was already early evening when the whole thing ended. Oh, holy God... I never felt so tired. My butt ached the most with all the time I spent sitting down. "You handled it very well." Xin said, his eyes glowing with pride. We shared a warm moment together. Zed coughed so loud that it brought us back to the present.

"Well, I think I'm going to have a good night's rest back at Ratharbor. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I said. Lulu, Pix, Ezreal, Shen, Zed and I stepped into the portal and went back to New Adriel.

When we reappeared, Lulu, Pix and Ezreal returned to their rooms because they wanted to sort through the many items they bought using my bottomless resources. I smiled as I watched them hurry away.

I know the two were hooked up in the Gingerbread Town and I sent Zed after them so he could treat himself to some great food. Zed knew that I really wanted a private moment with She and he shrugged and disappeared into a pool of shadows.

I looked at Shen and took a ring from my inventory. I gave it to him and Shen's eyes widened at the amount of spiritual power emanating from the piece of jewelry.

Shen's Ring

• Permanent Summon: The Pig Summoner Little-Foot

• Permanent Summon: The Chicken Inventor Wide-Eye

• Permanent Summon: The Duck Assassin Hunt-Sight

• Permanent Summon: The Goose Wizard Big-Nose

• Permanent Summon: The Fish Destroyer Mist-Runner

• Permanent Summon: The Sheep Necromancer Sweet-Potato

• Permanent Summon: The Goat Sorceror Rain-Dancer

• Permanent Summon: The Cow Astrologer Tree-Hugger

• Permanent Summon: The Ox Ritualist Paper-Maker

• Permanent Summon: The Buffalo Monk Sun-Water

• Permanent Summon: Bear Mother Ester and her 1,000 Children

• Permanent Summon: Wolf Warlord Simon and his 1,000 Conquerors

• Permanent Summon: Elephant Abbess Veronica and her 1,000 Sisters

• Permanent Summon: Lion King Solomon and his 1,000 Sages

• Permanent Summon: Court of Wasps

• Permanent Summon: Court of Owls

• Permanent Summon: Court of Scorpions

• Permanent Summon: Court of Dinosaurs

• Permanent Summon: The Three Wishing Turtles

• Permanent Summon: The Good Snake

• Permanent Summon: The Fish of Wonders

• Permanent Summon: The Cave of Knowledge

• Permanent Summon: The Demigoddess of Cats

• Permanent Summon: The Demigoddess of Spiders

• Permanent Summon: The Demigoddess of Ravens

• Permanent Summon: The Demigoddess of Bats

I have got to say that this is the biggest effort in using the enchantment perk of "Imaginary Friend" and "Perfect Imagine" plus "Spirit Font", "Works of Art", "Increased Enchantment Capacity", "Mana Refinement" and "Mirrored". All of them worked together to create living and sentient magical beings from the essence of Shen's soul.

They retain his character but they had their own personalities and thus, their overall performance waxes and wanes depending on Shen's state of being.

Shen's eyes widened that as the moment he wore the ring into his finger, the spirit world had burst into life with the birth of the creatures the object had brought into being.

"This is amazing." he breathed. Is that emotion on Shen's face? I can hardly believe. "You do not know how much you have helped me." he said, his voice cracking. I gaped at him.

SHEN IS SHOWING EMOTION! OMFG!

"Shen, are you alright?" I asked worriedly. I approached him and I was greatly but pleasantly surprised when he scooped me up in a hug. "Thank you, thank you!" Shen said. He twirled me around and set me on the ground, laughing.

Well, I guess it's safe to say that Shen is happy to have someone help him in keeping the balance between the physical world and the spiritual world.

I mean, it's hard to keep the balance all alone. Shen's just human. If the Kinkou had any decency at all, they should've trained more people for this instead of putting all the responsibility on the shoulders of just one person.

"Well, you're not alone with dealing the problem now. You have friends to watch your back." I said as the two of us walked back to the Gingerbread Town. I began think. I once read about a saying and it goes like, "the powerful cannot hope to be silent for theirs is a voice far stronger than the weak many".

Even if I didn't plan to be a ruler or something, any action I would take would still have a massive rippling effect. There won't be a time where I could stand not to use my Innate Powers or stuff like that.

If I started playing in a different way, would things turn out the way it is now? Maybe yes, maybe no. Who knows? But I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. I'm in the verge of helping a lot of people.

Demacians first, Ionians and Noxians next. What I would really want is an adventure of my own. Adriel and the Sorceror's Stone. Adriel and the Chamber of Secrets. Adriel and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Mwahahahahahaha. That sort of thing. I don't need a lot of Existences trailing after me all the time. It's like a nuisance.

I raised my hand and slapped myself hard. I did the action two more times before I noticed Shen looking at me with great worry in his eyes. "It's nothing. Just me and and my stupidity." I said. We continued walking. What the hell am I saying? The Existences did nothing wrong.

They're busting their asses for me, working to the bone to meet my every whim. It's not fair to pay their perseverance with my ingratitude. The Supreme Beings would be disappointed with me. God would be disappointed with me. Marshal would be disappointed with me.

The universe would be disappointed in me. Marshal would be disappointed in me. It'll all your fault, Adriel. No one else is to blame. This current situation and problem of yours is the result of the choices you made in the past. When you come across a very important crossroad, you took a path. You made your own coffin, you gotta lie in it.

We entered the mansion and saw that Zed had busied himself with reading several books I purchased back at Curiosities while helping himself to some hot-and-spicy fried buffalo chicken wings and ice cold beer (I don't know how he manages to eat with that mask still on).

"Yo!" he said the moment he spotted us. I floated up the tower of vending machines and picked up some strawberry yogurt and tuna salad. Shen had opted for jasmine and peppermint tea.

Ionia is not that technologically advanced and I seriously don't think they've ever seen a vending machine before but I suspect someone had taught them how to use it while I had slept.

That or maybe because the instructions on each vending machine was so precise and informative even an idiot can understand. "So, gentlemen, how can I help you? I know you didn't show up just to spy on me." I said.

Zed jerked up while Shen looked like he anticipated my question. "Well, to the point, Lord Adriel, we would like to ask for your aid." Shen said. I arched a brow.

What could be so important that the Eye of Twilight and the Master of Shadows join forces together? They're archrivals. Is it about Jhin? It's got something to do with that delusional, homicidal son of a bitch. I'm sure of it.

"Well, don't leave me hanging." I said. The pair looked at each other then nodded. "We want you to come with us for an auction in Piltover." Shen said. My eyes widened. Whattttttttttttttt?! That's not what I expected. I was so sure about it having to do with Jhin. Guess I'm wrong.

"Piltover? That's a little far off from Ionia..." I said. "What we really need is your financial support and presence. This auction that will be held in exactly a week and my contacts tell me seven Ninja Scrolls will be sold there. All of them stolen from the Noxian invasion." Zed said in frustration. I understood. "Okay. Let's have it then." I said.

Seven Ninja Scrolls. What the hell are those? I guess they might be very important. "What's a Ninja Scroll?" I asked. "Ninja Scrolls are ancient technique scrolls containing a lost knowledge of the ninja arts. They are valuable to both the Kinkou and the Order of Shadows. There are fifteen Ninja Scrolls of Ionia. Only three remained safe." Shen said. Told you it was important.

"Zed here tried to steal it so he is wanted all over Piltover for that. They are especially vigilant after his failed attempt. We have no choice but to participate. That is where you come in. We want you to purchase them for us but you will have to do so disguised. If someone recognizes you as the High Priest of Demacia, they will give you a hard time." Shen said. I'm trying hard not to ask what's in it for me.

"I will accompany you in this journey. In return for your aid, the ninja wars may come to a standstill. We will honor your kindness and our blades will be in your service." Shen said. I nearly fainted. My own band of Ionian ninjas.

DON'T FAINT, ADRIEL! DON'T FAINT!

"Okay then. Zeddy-poo will be sitting this one out?" I teased. Zed groaned. "Don't call me that." he said. He stood up and cleared his dishes.

"I'll be heading back to Ionia. You got something that can teleport me there?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and I saw him grin. Dark smoke zoomed off of me and turned into four pearls.

"One use each. Two way teleportation from Ionia and New Adriel." I said and levitated the pearls to him. Zed activated one and he disappeared in a flash of color. I was left alone with Shen.

DON'T FAINT, ADRIEL! DON'T FAINT!

"I'll be making the preparations then!" I said, leaping excitedly to my feet. I rushed from the mansion, took the Underworld Passage back to Ratharbor and called up C.A.C.A.

The Pawn Cards make sure they return by nightfall and they doubly make sure they finish their jobs right before sunset. They're so effective. I summoned C.A.C.A. but they all came to me.

"Okay, guys, new people will be coming up!" I said. They knew I meant new Cards and they celebrated. I had C.A.C.A. summon 18 more Soul-Guide Cherubims for a total of 50. 12 more of Boy and Girl Wannabes for a total of 30 each. 16 more of Flower Power and Lady of The Lake for a total of 20 each. 26 more of Borometz Trios and Cinderella's Assistants for a total of 30 each.

"C.A.C.A. special effect: activate! Special summon! Ten times! Cupid Assistants!" I yelled brightly. C.A.C.A. glowed brightly for a moment then ten versions of Cupid Assistants appeared in a cute puff of smoke. They're Minor Pawn Cards from the Heavenly Order.

They looked exactly like the ones you see in love letters and are seen everywhere during Valentine's Day. They're cute clothed toddlers with golden wings and halos and carried with them golden bow and arrows and a glowing magical apple followed them around. Although they're just Minor Pawn Cards, they have very strong special effects.

You can choose between making a target Card invulnerable for a turn or increase the defenses of all Cards in your Field and these effects trigger when they're removed from the Field so your opponent will smack into one of these whether he likes it or not.

"C.A.C.A. special effect: activate! Special summon! Ten times! Lost Love Angel!" I yelled brightly. C.A.C.A. glowed brightly for a moment then ten versions of Lost Love Angels appeared in a cute puff of smoke. They're from the Heavenly Order too. They look so much alike the Cupid Assistants but the only difference in the gloomy air and sadness permitting from these Minor Pawn Cards.

They're toddlers with violet wings, violet halos, surrounded by a thick violet mist and carried in their hands a broken golden heart. Violet tears poured from their eyes and they had a perpetually sad expression on their faces. Each of them can be sacrificed to lower an target Card's defenses and it can stack up to fifty times. Meaning they can take down an Omnicard if you allow that to happen.

"C.A.C.A. special effect: activate! Special summon! Ten times! Choir Cherubims!" I yelled brightly. C.A.C.A. glowed brightly for a moment then ten versions of Choir Cherubims appeared in a cute puff of smoke. They're like Soul-Guide Cherubims, being different breeds of dogs standing upright with wings, halos, pure white clothes, with the difference being Choir Cherubims each possessed a musical instrument which they play heavenly music with. They are Minor Pawn Cards that, when present on the Field, continually heal all your Monster Cards per turn of any player.

"C.A.C.A. special effect: activate! Special summon! Ten times! Angels of Eden!" I yelled brightly. C.A.C.A. glowed brightly for a moment then ten versions of Angels of Eden appeared in a cute puff of smoke. Angels of Eden looked like six-winged old ladies wearing gardener outfits.

They had halos formed by flowers and plants and were always accompanied by animals who assisted in the gardener's work.

In the Card Lore and Card Lexicanum, they are the busiest angels as they forever work hard to keep the sacred garden of Eden green and wage a terrible war against the Demons and Fallen Angels of Envy who would try to steal the beauty of Eden for themselves.

They're Minor Pawn Cards cannot be removed from the Field because their special effect causes them to return to the Deck to special summon a Monster Card to take their place instead.

"C.A.C.A. special effect: activate! Special summon! Thirty times! Trick-or-Treaters!" I yelled brightly. C.A.C.A. glowed brightly for a moment then ten versions of Trick-or-Treaters appeared in a cute puff of smoke. They're Minor Pawn Cards from the newly released Hallows Card family. The Hallows are all Halloween-inspired and positively oozed with spookiness and Halloween cheers.

They're a weak Card family that snowball into the late game as an unstoppable force. The unique mechanics of the Card family is "Trick Or Treat" and just like the Acts of Faith mechanic, it has tremendous gameplay effects.

As their name would suggest, they're a mob of children who go door to door asking for treats on Halloween night. Trick-Or-Treaters are unique in a sense that they generate both Treat points and Trick points as long as they're on the Field.

Hallows don't have a single Major Pawn Card in them because the Trick Or Treat's Pumpkin Patch spell summons Pumpkin TOKENS directly. The more irritating thing about them is that they cannot be removed unless all of them are removed at once.

Yeah, you have seven Monster Card slots but there are ten Pawn Card slots. Good luck with that Mwahahahahahahahahaha!

"C.A.C.A. special effect: activate! Special summon! Thirty times! Christmas Elves!" I yelled brightly. C.A.C.A. glowed brightly for a moment then ten versions of Christmas Elves appeared in a cute puff of smoke.

Nothing to see here. They look just like what you imagine Christmas Elves to be. Little, happy and overly-cheery things that assist Santa Claus in his workshop. They're from the Yuletide Card family that was announced and released alongside the Hallows Card family.

If Hallows is Halloween, Yuletide is Christmas-inspired. This Card family has the mechanic "Gift of Giving". This mechanic is unique in a sense that they greatly affect the gameplay of other Card families. Yuletide is built around the idea of a Total Support role.

Of all the Cards from this family, Christmas Elves generate the most points and they can special summon Mrs. Claus into the Field who, in turn, will summon Santa Claus who, in turn, will prevent the aforementioned Cards from being removed from the Field as long as he is around. 'Tis the season to give your opponent headaches, la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

"C.A.C.A. special effect: activate! Special summon! Oasis!" I yelled brightly. C.A.C.A. glowed brightly for a moment then Oasis appeared in a cute puff of smoke. Oasis is a Major Pawn Card from the Desertfolk Card family. She's a living oasis teeming with life, both flora and fauna.

As she moved, her body was like a dancing rhythm of wild things shrinking and returning to full size. In the Card Lore and Card Lexicanum, she's the reason how the forefathers of the desert empire of Impirgos survived and thrived in the process. She can mass-summon TOKENS (Green Growth) and had the special effect to restore a destroyed Plot or Magic Card back into the Field.

I looked around and saw the many new faces joining us. "Well, welcome to the gang, you guys!" I said. The new Cards smiled warmly at me and joined their brethren. "Okay, guys, tomorrow I'm gonna need a whole lot of help from you." I said.

The Cards gamely nodded their heads but they questioned about the handling of the tradewares from and to Demacia and the food distribution among the outlying villages. I paused to think then grinned. "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it later." I said. I then told them to get a good night's rest. I went back to the Dragon's Coast and to the Gingerbread Town.

Ezreal's and Lulu's houses had turned out their lights so I guess they must be asleep. I headed straight to the mansion. I opened the door and found the massive accommodation to be empty.

Shen must've gone somewhere. I sat at the bed, thinking about what should I do. Do I bother the Supreme Beings again? Hands down. I should bother them.

"Supreme Beings, I humbly call upon your endless might to aid me. Bless me with your grace that all of creation might aid my purpose. With this plea, I give you praise and gratitude endlessly though unworthy I am." I intoned. Once again, the Supreme Beings' unfathomable power filled me, a state of hallowedness and blessed contentment.

I asked for twenty-eight Rocs, thirty Leviathans, twenty Caladria and twenty Servants and summoned the power to call upon the Tartarian God Power to summon eighteen Tartarian Gates at the Shadow Isles in addition to the two I summoned earlier (For a total of twenty).

I let the power ebb from me and I thanked the Supreme Beings for being so graceful as to let me bother them. "These gifts will be used for the greater good. Thank you so much." I said reverently.

All the summoned Myth units appeared from a celestial portal at the grounds of the Dragon's Coast and the eighteen Tartarian Gates had appeared at the Shadow Isles. I had taken it to consideration that I rearranged their formations.

They now formed a curved wall to block the direction that would lead the Harrowing to New Adriel. Frankly, I'm quite disappointed with the Shadow Isles. They couldn't stand toe to toe against the spawns of the Tartarian Gates. Two gates had chewed through their numbers like hot knife through butter but twenty would be a killing overkill.

It seemed to me that the Shadow Isles favored melee combat over ranged. They had little to no ranged units among their undead numbers. Is that a product of their delusion of superiority?

"By the power of Hera, Artemis, Nephthys, Horus, Thoth, Freyja, Tyr, Leto, Hyperion, Atlas, Chang'e, Zuong Kui, He Bo, Ao Kuang and Chongli, I summon thee!" I intoned,c alling upon the Lightning Storm, Earthquake, Ancestors, Tornado, Meteor, Forest Fire, Fimbulwinter, Spider Lair, Chaos, Implode, Barrage, Uproot, Geyser, Tsunami and Inferno God Powers respectively.

I dispersed the God Powers all around the Shadow Isles so the damage would be tremendous. A simultaneous lightning storm, earthquake, tornado, falling meteors, black hole, giant tidal wave and inferno consumed the cursed land.

To support the damage I just dealt, an undead army rose alongside a sudden winter weather bringing with it packs of wolves, lairs of spiders, fields of superheated geysers, an overgrowth of rampaging roots, a sudden epidemic of insanity and the spectral forests suddenly bursting into wildfire had risen.

I really think this is the biggest attack I made against the Shadow Isles yet. Scores of shades and undead beings had been claimed by the chaos that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

But one thing must be clear: the being capable of this is toying with them much like how the Harrowing had plagued the living. The Shadow Isles had caught the attention of a more powerful being. That left their fates extremely uncertain.

I watched in satisfaction of the destruction left by my God Powers. Who should I take first as a minion? I need someone to do the dirty work for me anyway. People like Jhin or the Dark Lords of the Shadow Isles fit the bill perfectly. Thresh won't do. We're already enemies, what with me destroying his pets and his precious lamp.

Karthus seemed nice. I wonder how his ult translates into this world.

There's Mordekaiser and Hecarim. I'm leaning towards them. A pair of savage warmachines like that with only the desire to kill and conquer seemed perfect.

Yorick and Kalista are good people in Shadow Isles standards. They might make it because they have more than just a fighting chance.

Elise can be controlled. You only have to get to Vilemaw, her spider god, in order to bind her to you.

I opened my character screen and checked out the newest additions to Life Affinity. I'll the rest for later.

•

LIFE AFFINITY:

Soul Twin (2 points) (Split yourself into two separate forms of the same being, each capable of functioning on its own. You can choose when and how to distribute power between the two)

Soul Triplets (2 points) (Split yourself into three separate forms of the same being, each capable of functioning on its own. You can choose when and how to distribute power between the three)

Soul Quadruplets (2 points) (Split yourself into four separate forms of the same being, each capable of functioning on its own. You can choose when and how to distribute power between the four)

Lessest Doppelganger (2 points) (Summon an intelligent copy of a living being. Limited by spell level)

Place of Wonder (1 point) (Create a magical place imbued with a font of power)

Wonder: Wisdom (2 points) (Imbue a place with with the power to grant wisdom. Requires Place of Wonder)

Wonder: Knowledge (2 points) (Imbue a place with with the power to grant knowledge. Requires Place of Wonder)

Wonder: Wishes (2 points) (Imbue a place with with the power to grant immaterial wishes. Requires Place of Wonder)

Wonder: Fate (2 points) (Imbue a place with with the power to grant destiny. Requires Place of Wonder)

Wonder: Treasure (2 points) (Imbue a place with with the power to grant material wishes. Requires Place of Wonder)

Wonder: Power (2 points) (Imbue a place with with the power to grant power. Requires Place of Wonder)

Lessest Seed Life (2 points) (Create a creature from a pre-existing race or a new one. Limited by spell level)

Future You (2 points) (Summon a future you from the same or another dimension)

Past You (2 points) (Summon a past you from the same or another dimension)

Present You (2 points) (Summon a present you from the same or another dimension)

•

Mwahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Nurufufufu~! BANZAI, LIFE AFFINITY, BANZAI! I will spend all six skill points here. No looking back. No regrets. No guts, no glory! Yeeeeeeeeeeeah!

I'm picking Soul Twins, Soul Quadruplets and Future You. I'm positively drooling from the thought of what I could do with these. I will use Soul Quadruplets to rape Garen and Xin, test their sexual prowess to the max.

I'M SO EVIL! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Man, I should stop laughing by myself. It's so creepy. I activated Soul Quadruplets and a hologram screen appeared in front of me.

"Greetings, Chosen! You are now attempting Soul Embodiment. This will separate your bodily form into four different beings. They are all capable of functioning independently and seamlessly. You will be given a number of choices for the power distribution, functionality and effectiveness of the four forms."

The screen flickered and a list of choices and... WTF?! I can control genders and features of the body?! OMFG! It's a dream come true! I can finally get to be the woman I've always wanted without a sex change operation! Haha! Whoa. Now that I'm reading it very carefully, these things are harsh.

Basically, I have got to divide my power among the four forms I'm taking or else the spell is broken. Although I can freely switch powers between the four of us, there is a limitation of that per day. I can only switch a limited times per day and under the right conditions.

Well, I did want an adventure where I don't stand out as much as I do now. Why not take it to the core? Okay, I'm taking and only taking the Plants VS. Zombies Innate Power.

Everything else I'm giving to the three. However, for that work, at least two forms have to be together. That means the two must always be together while two get to roam around.

Okay. I see. About the power switching, the more severe the conditions, the more times I can switch. I chose the condition of being out of combat and it gave me nine uses a day. Okay, Soul Quadruplets, let's have it!

I don't know if the spell triggered or not because I didn't feel anything at all. opened my eyes and to my surprise, I felt like I was watching four television screens at a time. I'm looking at four versions of myself. "AWESOME!" we squealed together.

So this is what an Existence feels like. So many you that you control at the same time. I can't describe it properly. MIND-BLOWING. That's just one word but it fits the whole experience.

We squealed again. We inspected each other. Man. Do I really look like that now? A damn bishie, that's what I am.

Holy shit. I looked good. No wonder I get so lucky with the guys. I'm practically a girl already. I switched and looked at the form I planned to use to my way to Piltover. It's a full-fledged woman form. Breasts, reproductive system, the whole package! We all drooled at the thought.

We screeched excitedly again and we rushed out to find Persephone. She didn't feel surprised at my surprise at all. She said she saw it coming from a mile away. I blabbered on and on about how awesome it feels and she listened to me wail all night.

"Adriel, Persephone wants to ask if you know what you are getting yourself into."

"What do you mean by that? Of course, I know what I'm doing. I'll be in two places at the same time!" I said excitedly. Persephone sighed.

"This is what Persephone meant. Adriel, we are Existences. We are deathless and innumerable. You are not Existence. If at the chance that you lose all four of your forms, you will die for real. You have a gift from the Supreme Beings that revives you but Persephone does not think it applies to you now as you have elected on another form."

Man. "This is why I love you, Persephone. But don't worry. I'm planning to have the Cards escort the two me to Demacia tomorrow and the one me going to Piltover will summon fat help. Don't worry. What could happen?" I said.

"Are you trying to tempt the universe?"

"Nope. I'm being optimistic, is all." I said.

"Well then, do not let your optimism hit you on the way out."

She snickered after that. I rolled my eyes. "I'll be leaving one in New Adriel, Persephone, so I can help out even though I can contribute little. I don't know a thing about managing a town. Come to think of it, I don't have managerial skills at all." I said.

"Very well then. Persephone can help you with all that you need to know about New Adriel and the changes we plan to implement."

Persephone and I chatted long and serious into the night. It was around midnight that I finally got tired and excused myself. All four of me headed back to the Gingerbread Town. Tomorrow, I'm gonna tell Shen that we're going to Piltover sometime after lunch. I'll tell Ezreal to meet me there.

I need a guide in the city and a place to stay. I'm sure he can round up some. I'll be sending 1st and 2nd to Demacia to handle things there while 3rd remain in New Adriel for Persephone's lessons and 4th will prepare for the trip to Piltover. I have to wake up early tomorrow.

The send-off for the Battle Realms units bound for Ionia will be tomorrow. I think it'll be quite a trip for them because they plan to take the scenic route. Zymeth said that so I have my doubts that the scenic route in his mind is in the same definition as mine.

Though I sincerely hope they are. As I crawled into bed that night, I had high hopes for tomorrow. A trip to Piltover! Imagine that. I phased back into one person. The Soul Quadruplets will have its official run tomorrow. I fell right asleep and I didn't feel Shen joining me on the bed.

•

This day will be awesome. I can feel it in my bones because I woke up sleeping on Shen's chest. I drooled over the fact that we spent the night together. I nearly fainted at the prospect that something naughty might have happened.

I noticed that Shen had acquired some sleeping robes. I do remember adding a feature like that in the Gingerbread Town. A provision of clothes for the tenant in their sizes. Imagine my nosebleed when I woke up to see that splendid chest in full view. I will take that as a divine sign. This day will be an awesome one.

I rushed ahead for the send-off of the emissaries. I think they looked surprised to see me. Fan Geisha said to my face that they hoped to be gone before I woke up because they had the feeling I might go on a grandma rampage. I did. I phased back into my soul-split forms and Fan Geisha had rolled her eyes heavenward.

"That reeks of desperation." she said as she looked with amusement at my female form. The healers, Battle Maiden, Dryad, Witch, Overseer and the female Zen Masters had laughed out loud at the discovery while the men had sent me pitying looks. "IS THAT A BIG OF A DEAL?!" I finally screeched.

They laughed again and continued packing, badgering me every now and then. I had to phase back into one to make them stop teasing me. It only served to make them tease me further.

I woke up very early so summon enchanted food for all of them. So while they were finished with the crates they were going to give to Ionia as a symbol of goodwill, they had to carry on-board the infinite-supplying vending machines I conjured.

Basically, I copy and pasted the vending machines from the Gingerbread Town's mansion and duplicated all of them several times. "Addy, we won't be gone for three days." Yvaine said as she looked in exasperation at the amount of vending machines being brought in.

She took one look at my puppy eyes and surrendered. "You know, lad, we might just take back the supply crates and give the Ionians the vending machines instead." Soban said. That suggestion had a ringing round of approval. "Oh. That didn't occur to me." I admitted after some thinking.

They all facepalmed. Mwahahaha. "Sorry. I'm not quick." I apologized. I bribed the Zaratans with giant-sized Scooby Snacks for the trip and they almost destroyed the bases built on top of them in their sheer joy.

"Every time you want a snack, you just imagine the Scooby Snacks appearing and it will, okay? I added new variations and flavors so you wouldn't get tired of eating the same thing over and over again." I instructed the massive sea monsters.

The octopus and the turtle Zaratan nodded in understanding fervently, once again almost destroying the bases on top of them. My experiments on Scooby Snacks was very well-received by Scooby and Shaggy who had fainted at the sight of them.

All of my followers and citizens from New Adriel had appeared to send off the emissaries, wishing them well and a safe trip. I waved my hands energetically and dabbed my wet eyes with a handkerchief Hawk Moth had provided. "They'll be gone for a week the most. They're not going on exile." he kept saying to me over and over again.

I watched them sail off until their forms disappeared over the blue horizon. I looked back and prepared for another farewell. The New Adriel residents I had given an important mission are going this day as well.

Nigel, Lemuru, Sirus and his men, Stemis, Poison's Touch, Beardwall, Sthatolm and Ester and her girls were all going to different places, either for a very important mission or a trip to obtain resources for my requests.

I gathered them for a private blessing and I gave them each sets of magical rings I made through Greatest Demonic Wish-Granting. Each of those rings possessed a magic they can call upon in times of need but they had a limited number of charges.

For Sirus and his men, Stemis, Beardwall and Ester and her girls, I gave them more than the rest because their missions were dangerous in nature.

They kept thanking me again and again. I told them that none of the missions I gave them are worth giving their lives for. They should treat it as a secondary goal because the main goal for them is to return safe and sound to my side.

I think I may have said something because they had burst into tears. I said I would be gone for a while and I might meet up with Ester and her girls at Piltover.

I had them sign a piece of magical parchment I summoned through the same source as the rings. I told them that I would be able to mentally communicate with those whose names appear in the paper and they would be able to do the same thing with me.

It was around near 12:00 p.m. that they departed and the last one had been Ester and her girls.

They used the power I gave them and summoned two elegant, white carriages drawn by white winged unicorns, one to be filled by their luggage and the other they would ride with, and were attended by masked men in clothes of the same whiteness.

They had dressed and prettied themselves up until they looked like dolls. "See you girls in Piltover!" I said as they made their way. They waved back at me and I too watched as they disappeared over the horizon.

I conjured upon my power and summoned all four of my forms. I had no problems controlling four forms at once but I will mostly let them go in autopilot mode. I would be focusing on the one going to Piltover with Shen.

1st and 2nd had gathered the Pawn Cards and opened a portal to Demacia. 3rd had gone with Hawk Moth and Mystery Inc. for the seminar they and Persephone had spontaneously planned. I shifted to 4th. I abandoned the female body and opted for the normal me. I left a message for Lulu and Ezreal where I've gone.

I also added a note asking Ezreal a favor for my trip to Piltover. I said there I'll be arriving in maybe four days or earlier. It's sad but Zed would not be able to join us for this trip. Shen said Piltover is on high alert because of his failed heist. I looked forward to the trip to Piltover. Mainly because Shen is with me.

Kkkyyyaaaaaaaaaaaahhh~!