Daz spent a few minutes storing the coins strewn around the room from his early outburst into his Industrial Item Box. He then used the skill to place them back into their neat hill-like piles.

With that done, he cautiously pulled out a physical Star of Eternity and laid it out on the floor in front of him as he sat down with crossed legs.

"So this little thing can do what the altar in El Dorado can?" He wasn't wholly sure of how to use it. In light of that, he pulled up the item's only skill: Granting of Eternity.

Granting of Eternity The host must push the Star of Eternity into their own heart or core with the strong desire to make something that they specifically own permanent. Note: Does not work on items, concepts or intangible things bar host-tied system changes.

"Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Still, this... piece of severed reality is weaker than the ritual Sir Albert performs? From my understanding, that has no restrictions on what can be made permanent beyond prerequisite Stars of Eternity. The ancient citizens and the pantheon of El Dorado were incredibly knowledgeable it would seem... Why would the foolish esper families wipe them out?" he asked himself.

Shaking his head, he said, "I plan to visit the Hamilio and Crowthorne ancestral homes eventually. Maybe they'll have records on their reasoning from back then. For now though, I have to figure out what five things I'll make permanent..."

First, he went over what his existing Stars of Eternity were attached to.

His silver bloodline, Survivor's Instinct, Astral Crystal Control, Ashborne, Rimmy's initial skill variation and lastly, his contract with Ak and Tek.

"I'm lacking permanent defences against everything bar being turned into ash," Daz noted. "Survivor's Instinct is great in that regard but it can't do much if I can't physically dodge the attacks coming for me."

With that in mind, Daz felt he had a few options. Namely, he could give permanence to his defensive stats as well as to his Lifeforce Dependency skill.

The issue with making that particular skill permanent was that he'd first have to make his lifeforce itself permanent, meaning it would require two Stars of Eternity in total.

He mulled over the matter for quite a while longer before finally nodding his head. "Yeah, let's go full-on defensive with these stars. I can go offensive with the altar of permanence in El Dorado."

With that decided, Daz slowly pushed the first Star of Eternity into his chest as he thought strongly of his lifeforce.

A few minutes after that, he had used four out of his five stars. Daz pulled up his status and the skill, Lifeforce Dependency to see the changes.

Host's Status Basic Information Name: Daz Species: Reaper Race: Archreaper Age: 20 Sex: Male Class: Crystal Digger Affinity: Lawful Neutral Energies ✧ Lifeforce: 100,000/100,000 Death Energy: 90,500/105,000 Worldforce: 17,500/17,500 Stats Strength: [LR] 1,500(2,250) Dexterity: [LR] 2,000(3,000)| Item Boost: +50. Constitution: [LR] 3,000(4,500) Intelligence: [LR] 2,500(3,750 Transparency: [LR] 780(1,170) Agility: [LR] 1,500 Charisma: [LR] 2,000 | Item Boost: +15. ✧ Defence: [LR] 2,000| Item boost: +3,000. Immunity: [LR] 2,000 Soul Power: 280,000 Luck: [LR] 1,250 | Item Boost: +375. Justice: 30,600 Corruption: 0 Wisdom: [LR] 4,000 | Item Boost: +250. ✧ Regeneration: [LR] 2,000 | Item boost: +100. Mana Sensitivity: [LR] 5,000 Lifeforce Dependency [SS-Rank (Lower Tier)] ✧ Description

A skill which tightly links the host's life to their Lifeforce.

You have weird kinks. Of all the thing to give a Star of Eternity to, you give one to the skill that is essentially a torturer's wet dream? You scare me, man.

Level N/A Abilities So long as the host has at least 1 point of Lifeforce, they shall not die.

Daz nodded happily. "With this, I should be pretty difficult to kill even if my system upgrades are stripped from me."

He had left the fifth and final Star of Eternity in his Industrial Item Box since he had a plan for it. A plan he hoped he wouldn't have to enact, but he was never one to skimp on preparations.

He left the vault and instead moved to his personal training area - a courtyard at the rear of the castle.

He grabbed a random sword from a rack of weapons at the side of the training area and then pressed it down onto his arm with the normal strength of your average person before the system's coming.

Daz's flesh didn't even budge. "Having so much Defence sure is helpful... System, if I recall correctly, Defence adds to my muscle density, does it not? How much more muscle density do I have than I should thanks to the stat? Please make sure to separate what I have just from myself and what I'm getting from my gear."

Confirmed. As the stat [Defence] adds 0.5% muscle density per point, the host has 1,000% additional muscle density. When factoring in the passive boost of the [Travelling Gear of Altros], the host has 2,500% muscle density.

"Damn... I do wonder why I don't weigh several dozen tonnes and why this doesn't factor into my power... Any answers, system? I'd be thankful if you could clear this up for me," he requested.

Confirmed. This is because the muscle density granted by the stat [Defence] only gives the host the defensive properties of condensed muscles. Other stats are required for other effects.

Daz nodded slowly. "That makes sense."

His mind moved to Regeneration. 'So long as I don't get a limb severed or receive an attack strong enough to kill me outright, then I should be able to heal from most injuries with relative speed and ease.'

Daz then thought on the fifth and final physical Star of Eternity which had hadn't used but had instead kept in his Industrial Item Box. "It's just a gut feeling but I think that'll be more useful not being consumed thanks to the possibilities Lindsey's Embers provide."

At that moment, his phone rang from within his pocket. Taking it out and answering it, he said, "Yes, Rose?"

"Hey. Come meet me at my office, would you?" his little sister asked. "I've got a couple of things to talk to you about. A couple of important things, sadly."

"Sure. I'm not particularly busy right now so I can make time for my adorable little sister," Daz responded.

"Well, when you're done meeting her, come to my office," Rose grumbled back.

"Haha, sure," Daz said, laughing in surprise at her self-deprecating quip.

Daz was proud to see Lindsey Blancard behind the reception counter when he reached the private waiting room just outside of Rose's office.

She was dressed up in a dashing suit and despite her closed eyes, she operated the computer in front of her with sophisticated ease.

"Ah, High King Daz!" Lindsey exclaimed happily. "It's good to meet you again."

"Likewise, Lindsey," Daz replied with a nod of the head and a smile. He knew she couldn't see him, of course, but smiling when greeted had become a bit of a habit due to his political status. "How are you doing? Are your Embers developing well?"

Over the past two months, Lindsey had managed to learn how to identify words from the vibrations they created alone.

That with her class ability to detect intent from a person's aura led to her becoming a great interpersonal communications expert.

Daz was aware of this from his communications with his grandfather who was, along with Emma, training Lindsey and the other bloodline-lacking esper children in trying to manipulate their internal energy.

This new talent of hers was exactly why she had been hired by Rose to be her secretary. She needed a special computer since she was blind and deaf but it was worth the price for a capable face to greet the little tyrant's guests.

Lindsey nodded and answered, "Quite well. Uh... how was your 21st birthday, Your Majesty? I'm sorry I couldn't get you a gift but I was there for the grand banquet. The feelings of joy and merriment I sensed that night were amazing."

Daz held his chin as he replied, "It was fun. I've never celebrated it before beyond Maddy buying me a cake and asking me to blow out the candles, so I enjoyed it. Thanks for asking."

"I'm glad. Well, I'm sorry for keeping you. Rose is inside and is waiting for you," Lindsey said with a warm smile on her lips as she gestured to the blurred glass double doors at the side of her desk.

"I'll go inside in a second. How is your internal energy training going?" Daz asked hopefully.

Lindsey stiffened a bit. "Miss Cromwell and Mr Morana are excellent teachers but, uh, I think they're right when they say it's impossible for us... mutants to utilise our energy."

Daz frowned. "Don't call yourself a mutant ever again. it's an ugly word unbefitting dazzling and talented kids like yourselves. That may be the esper societies official term for those lacking bloodlines, but here in New Earth, it's a slur."

Lindsey's expression softened a bit upon feeling the vibrations and emotions from those words of his. "Thank you. That means a lot... but, um, I was being serious. It's no use trying to control and manipulate our internal energy."

Daz grinned. "Have faith in your king. I have a plan to help you all unlock your hidden potential. It's not a plan I can enact any time soon though, so I'll need you all to not lose hope and to try your best to find a path that I have yet to see. Okay?"

His words filled Lindsey with inspiration judging from her more confident expression. Granted, his skills of a persuasive nature likely helped but she truly felt moved to her very core. "I'll do my best!"

"That's what I like to hear. I'll meet with my sister now. It was lovely talking to you, Lindsey," Daz said politely.

Lindsey bowed her head and returned his smile. "Likewise."

Once inside of Rose's office, the girl skipped greeting her brother to instead immediately say, "Four things; first, we can solve the issue of you paying failed goal fines in a year by forcing every citizen to store exactly 744 merit points into an account they can't physically access after that initial deposit."

She gave him a second to digest that before adding, "The compounding interest of 20% per week will add up to a little over 10,000,000 merit points after ten months. This needs to be completed before the next Monday rolls around or, naturally, the initial deposit will have to be larger. For any new citizens we get from now to the semester's end, we make it a mandatory thing to store whatever of their 100,000 merit point joining reward which is necessary to eventually compound to 10,000,000 or more in the allotted time frame. We can't do much for super late joiners beyond excluding entry to the kingdom or something."

'Trust Rose to find a simple and relatively easy method to solve one of my biggest worries with the use of mathematics... I wish I could tell her how proud I was but she'd likely throw a quip my way and make light of my pride,' Daz thought with a shake of the head.

"I'll make arrangements immediately. I'll need to upgrade the Medicche Travelling Bank to give everyone not only a current account and a lockable savings account but a forced lockable savings account that can't be withdrawn from. It's a brilliant idea," Daz praised.

Rose scoffed. "Of course it is. It took me four hours to think up. Any idea over two hours is nothing but pure genius."

"Second," she said sharply, "I have a lot of info on China, Japan, Mongolia and India's political, geopolitical and militaristic powers. I've already given it to the generals and I've sent it to your phone. Read over it when you've beaten the Truthians."

"Will do and thanks for the certainty that I'll be victorious," Daz replied.

"You're my brother, after all. If anyone can beat overpowered religious nutjobs, it's you," Rose shrugged. "Third, I've found a new mythical city."

"Oh? What mythical legends of old will I encounter this time?" Daz asked a bit jokingly.

Rose shook her head. "I have no idea. From what I've guessed thus far, the city doesn't relate to any known mythos or legends of Earth. It's been kept hidden for a long time. Well, kind of..."

"Huh. Well, what do you know then? Don't be cryptic with me. One system is enough, thanks," Daz said.

Rose snorted. "As if the system can match up to my brilliance." She smiled a little at her brother who grinned right back at her. "Well, it's right under the North Pole."

Daz narrowed his eyes. "Is it why the Northern Lights are a thing?"

"Don't be dumb. Science can explain those. It's just a coincidence," Rose barked back.

"Santa it is," Daz nodded very seriously, resulting in a heavy sigh from his sister. "Well? What's fourth?"

"... Fourth, people are going missing and I don't have any idea why or how. Because I don't know why or how, I know exactly why or how," Rose claimed smugly.

All signs of the prior jesting escaped Daz as he became entirely solemn and his face frosted over in coldness. "Explain."

Rose choked up a bit seeing Daz like that. She coughed to clear her stuck throat and answered, "It's got to be the Truthians. Who else can spirit people away from under my very sensitive nose without me knowing or being able to accurately guess anything at all? This reeks of system interference."

Daz scowled deeply. "If that's the case, we need to move up our plans."

Rose nodded. "This means war, right?"

"Yes. This means war. As soon as enough moonlight has gathered for one more Star of Eternity, I'll make the declaration," he turned on his heels and made to leave the office.

"Thanks, Rose. I'll get to work on the bank stuff and don't worry about the mythical city. No one else knows about it, right?" he asked.

"As far as I know, I'm the only one of Earth to have discovered its location," she answered. "It's true location, at least. Other people are there but there's no risk of them obtaining the city. Don't ask me why. I ran out of guesses."

"Concerning but overall good news. It can wait with that being the case," Daz replied before exiting the room.

Rose ran a hand through her gorgeous platinum-blonde hair as she exhaled. "He can be really terrifying when he wants to be... I'm half convinced he has a fright aura skill or something..."