(End of Part 1) Chapter 226 – A New Era

"I'm doing it."

"I figured..."

Dream sighed when his sister flew over to him. In front of them was lava, pillars of which occasionally rose into the air. 

Melody's decision wasn't surprising. He already knew she would want to. Still, she hopefully understood what she was getting herself into.

"Well, I'm not gonna stop you. Sophia."

[Now?]

"Why not."

[Alright. Commencing Title bestowal...]

When Sophia spoke, she connected to Melody, Luna, Iris, and Alice. The five of them created one powerful star as the transcendent power of the paper fragments was activated. Dream didn't even turn around to observe as the girls received their new titles. 

The process was simple, not flashy or redundant. Each girl received a title and skills. 

Luna received the [Origin Guardian] Title. This title actually provided her with a similar boost to Dream's power. For one, her experience gain was multiplied by 3, and she could also receive experience based on her assistance to other Specialists. Basically, if she was healing or protecting another specialist who gained experience, she would receive a part of that experience based on contribution. This kind of system was unprecedented since the only other way to gain experience was through killing. 

On top of the title, she also gained two skills. The first was called [Sentinel], and it was an intelligence just like [Sophia] or Alice's [Master], only oriented to assist guardians and not as developed. The second was called [Rule], and Luna wasn't sure exactly what it did. After Luna received the title and skills, her other titles like [Daughter of the Moon], [Blessed of the Greeks], and [Blessed of the Moon] were wiped. Despite that though, none of the abilities were taken away. In fact, they were integrated under that single Guardian title. 

The results of this were her spear, helmet, and shield turning into a full set of glorious armor. This armor was a combination between dress and armor. She was given pure white robes with golden grieves, vambrace, pauldron, and cuirass. The rest was like a flowing greek toga. Her helmet was taken away, and her spear and shield were turned gold. There was also a silver blue moon glowing on the breastplate, a representation of her blessing from the goddess of the moon. Everything made Luna look like a holy battle priestess, though Dream only questioned the efficacity of it all. Was her head still protected even with no helmet?

After Luna was Iris, though her changes remained internal, not being as flashy as Luna's. Like Luna, her previous titles were absorbed by the new [Origin Raider] title. She also received the [Master] intelligence skill that Alice had. Fortunately, neither her [Annihilate] nor [Gluttony] skill immediately attempted to devour this intelligence, so there weren't any problems. 

Last was Melody. Like Iris, she received the [Origin Raider] title, though since she didn't have any other titles, nothing was taken away. However, she was given the [Master] intelligence as well as another skill. This additional skill was called [Blood Drop Stance], and it was apparently a sword art. When Alice heard of this, she was confused for a bit. She never received anything like that, so it must've been gifted to Melody specifically. 

After getting this skill, Melody went into a deep trance as she analyzed everything. It was apparently profound, since she stood there and never responded to anyone's calls.

Dream didn't mind though and just let her do what she needed. He wouldn't interrupt inspiration for no reason. He turned to Luna and Iris.

"So? How are things?"

"Very nice. I'm already enjoying this intelligence."

Luna nodded as her mind communicated with her [Sentinel] skill. While it was nowhere near Sophia's level, she was already seeing its applicability. Suddenly though, she summoned some ice and formed it into a golem that looked like an ice butler. It had facial features and everything.

"Good afternoon, Dream."

"What the..?"

Dream's brows went up when he heard the golem. He sensed a connection between Luna and it and guessed what she did.

"Why did you give a body to your intelligence?"

"Only temporary, obviously, but I thought it would be cool. I actually wonder why you still don't make a body for Sophia. From what you told me, she's almost an independent entity."

[I have my own body in Dream's mind space and have yet to desire a material body of my own. Although, it isn't as if I don't experience living in a body alongside Dream. I'm more than satisfied.]

Sophia answered before Dream could speak. Luna heard her and nodded. 

"Interesting. Oh well. At least I now have a little helper of my own. I'm already excited to put it to use."

Luna smiled as she patted the butler. When she did, the butler melted and dispersed into vapor. She could form a golem for her new intelligence whenever she wanted and in whatever form she desired. She was already putting it to use as she processed the different tasks it was capable of. Not only that, but the intelligence could communicate easily with Sophia, enhancing its capabilities and adding another layer of convenience. 

She wasn't the only one. While Melody was entranced by her new sword skill, Iris's mind communicated with her own [Master] intelligence. The different uses streamed into her mind. However, it immediately seemed to her that this intelligence was... different. 

Iris noticed how this intelligence wasn't anything like Sophia. Not just that, but it seemed exceptionally rudimentary. As she used it, she could barely tell it apart from a stupid animal. Even communicating was an issue, and a frown appeared on her face. The information that streamed out of this skill was gibberish, making no sense and confusing her. 

So Iris went and solved that problem. She figured that there was something special about this intelligence and that she received tailored treatment like Melody, since this was obviously different from even Alice's intelligence. So although she didn't know why, she decided to go with her instincts and destroy the intelligence. 

Iris activated her [Gluttony] and [Annihilation] skills in conjunction, instantly destroying the intelligence and reducing it to pure energy and data that was integrated into [Gluttony]. However, during this process she discovered a path. She figured this was some kind of root for the intelligence, so she used her two skills to follow and destroy the root. 

Iris destroyed the root, but after a while it started to get more difficult. She found that the root led somewhere beyond skills, and it took diving deep into her nucleus. Soon, she encountered another set of data at the end of the root, and her two powers went to work and gobbled it all up. 

[Iris has destroyed her intelligence.]

"Hm?"

Sophia spoke, and Dream turned toward Iris who was staring off into space. He saw the data that Sophia sent him and understood that Iris had done something. He just let her be though. At least, until Sophia spoke again. 

[The connection to her [Origin Raider] Title has... changed.]

"Changed?"

Dream looked at the connection alongside Sophia, seeing the information that was pouring over from Iris. Those with the Specialist titles could inherently sense each other. Dream could feel connections with Melody, Luna, and Alice through his title. But now, Iris's was changing. 

Meanwhile, Iris was trying to figure things out herself. She had sent her two powers to destroy the title, but her annihilatory power was resisted, leaving only the gluttony skill to absorb the title. This resulted in the nature of the title changing. She expended energy to convert the title into something owned entirely by her, eliminating all external influence. All its functions were retained, but its use could be determined by her. She could reduce it to pure energy if she wanted, though she decided not to. 

Only one thing had changed though. While she could still sense the connections to other specialists, her connection was now different. This difference is what Dream picked up on. It still indicated that she was a specialist, a raider, but he could sense a chaotic aura from it. It was like he could sense Iris's nature through that connection. He knew right then that she had probably eaten the title and skill, though he was surprised that she was capable of that. 

Dream just looked at her, pondering something for a second before shaking his head. Iris also awoke from her trance, acting as if nothing happened. 

"Alright, I guess you guys can focus on your new skills and whatnot while I finish this. It shouldn't take more than another day."

"I don't really have anything to do for a day..."

Alice mumbled as she thought about her situation. Her task was now fulfilled, having bestowed the specialist titles to the other girls, and she was on Earth. She literally had nothing to do besides what she wanted. The only thing she could think of was to check out the city that Dream had built. While she could try and assist Dream, she didn't have any skills that could help him in any noticeable way. 

Dream looked at her for a second.

"...Luna, how about you take Alice, her family, and my family over to the Haven. Give them a little tour and spend some time together. Take Iris with you too."

"Sure. What about your sister?"

Luna looked at Melody who was still in her own little world. Dream just shrugged. 

"I'll take care of her. She shouldn't be disturbed right now anyway."

"Of cour-"

"Oh! I almost forgot. Hang on."

Interrupting Luna, Dream suddenly took several things out of his inventory. There were 6 different blobs of silver liquid, as well as a canister full of an unknown, black substance. All of them fluctuated with absurdly powerful enchantments.

"These 6 orbs of liquid platinum can be given to our family members. They're suits and I've already programmed them so they'll bond with each person smoothly. Then there's this canister for my mom. I noticed that she still has old injuries from her younger days that haven't healed even with her new powers, so this will take care of that."

"I actually noticed that too. Should I just heal her? I can make her basically as good as new."

Luna offered, knowing what Dream was referring to. With their senses, nobody below the class 4 realm could hide anything from them, and their bodies and souls were seen in their entirety the moment they looked at them. Naturally, Luna had seen several injuries or imperfections among the bodies of several of Dream's family members. She didn't do anything without Dream's word though, just leaving it be and remaining oblivious. 

"Do that after you have her drink the liquid in this canister. This liquid is enchanted carbon with some other chemicals specially designed to enhance her bodily functions. Before she drinks it though, I want you to put her to sleep. The process will only take around 20 minutes, and after that you can use your healing on her for the final touches. All of that should put her in the best shape of her life."

"Alright. When, exactly, did you make this though?"

"Punching a bunch of holes in the ground is rather boring, so I decided to multitask. I also planned on making a sword for Melody, but I'll wait to get her opinion on what kind of sword she wants now. I have a feeling she'll have ideas."

"Right. Then I'll get goi-"

"Wait! One more thing."

Dream interrupted her again and took out a few more canisters, these ones a bit smaller than the one for his mother.

"These are for everyone else, including Alice's parents. It's not as specialized, but It'll still rejuvenate them and repair their bodies, getting rid of any defects or just simply cleansing everything. I know Alice's dad has high cholesterol, so this'll help with that. Plus, it'll alter their digestive systems, making it so they can eat whatever they want basically without consequence. Given a few months, everyone will look exceptionally healthy as if they plan their lives around diets and exercise."

"...Sure thing."

Luna smiled, slightly baffled, and stowed everything in her inventory. Alice also had a bright smile, thinking about the reaction her dad would have when he no longer had to worry about taking medicine to monitor his health. She didn't even doubt Dream's words or the capabilities of the liquid in those canisters. 

After saying bye, Luna, Iris, and Alice teleported off back to California where they would carry out Dream's little task. He stayed behind. 

He looked at Melody who was still in a trance. Not wanting her to be disturbed, he used some magic and created a dome of pure mana that blocked out all external stimuli and isolated her from the world. He then turned back to the boiling pools of magma around him, continuing to work on this terraformation. 

............

It took almost 20 hours, but Melody eventually snapped out of her reverie. When she did, she felt a wave of fatigue hit her, and she fell flat on her back with a thud. 

"Finally lucid?"

A voice came from beside her, along with the appearance of a cosmic, godly figure. Melody's eyes shot open seeing that celestial being, but before she could say anything, it was wrapped up in skin, turning back into Dream.

"...What the hell was that?"

"You'll know when you reach class 4. Now, what kind of skill did you get?"

Dream asked as he sat beside her. She just stared at him for a second before opening her mouth.

"It's a sword skill, one so simple yet complicated that I've only grasped the outermost elements."

"Hmm, I'm not that convinced about sword skills or any weapon skills though. Wouldn't it be better just to manipulate magic directly? It's certainly the most direct and efficient way."

He spoke as he pondered. Dream had certainly seen weapon skills before, from both demons and other species. Sword arts, bow skills, combat techniques, and more. Hell, the Sword School from the other world was entirely devoted to the pursuit of power through skills based around weapons. Dream knew that the President of the Sword School had a 'supremely powerful' sword skill according to others. He had even seen it in combat. But that begged the question: what exactly did these skills do that basic magic couldn't? Why was a weapon necessary? 

Dream could form weapons from pure mana that were only weaker than an enchanted weapon of his own design. But the reason he never used weapons was because it wasn't necessary. In fact, it was limiting. He didn't want to be restricted to using a sword, nor did he only want to use a gun. Anything he could do with a gun or a sword could be done with magic. He was someone who manipulated energy directly, resulting in endless possibilities when it came to combat. His punches could be infused with any magic he could think of. Or he could simply send out magic attacks at a range. 

It was because of this that he didn't particularly care about using any specific weapons, only things like armor. This was why he called Aegis his greatest weapon. While he did have his enchanted railgun, that was supplementary. He didn't truly need it. The railgun was just something that could deliver his magic at high speeds through the projectiles without using up any of his own energy. Pre-enchanted items were very useful in protracted battles. Though as he started to touch upon spatial manipulation, he was already seeing how obsolete even that railgun would become. 

So when he saw things like sword arts and the like, he questioned their capability. It seemed to him that these kinds of skills were just handicapped versions of real magic, needing weapons to successfully perform. 

Melody huffed at him though.

"Not everybody can just manipulate magic, Dream. I've only met one person who came close to direct manipulation, and he's one of the best enchanters in the world who has basically pioneered codified magic and enchanting. Now, I'm not sure what your skills are, but from what I've seen, they're even more incredible than his. Something like that is rare to come by."

"Hmm... I guess."

"Weapons can be used to guide our energy. You know, to supplement that deficiency in skill. Sure we still need to know magic and need some form of direct manipulation, but having a weapon allows us to tread that path with a framework of mind. Like an outline that you can fill over time with magic, experience, and skill."

"Huh. Sounding pretty wise for a 21 year old."

"You're literally only two years older."

"Sure."

Dream smiled and thought about what she said. Eventually, he figured that it wasn't such a bad way to tread the path to power. In a universe where you got stronger by killing, basing skills around weapons wasn't a bad choice. Of course, there were pros and cons. Should you lose your weapon, you could be weakened significantly. But otherwise, it was a smart choice. 

"Anyway, how are you feeling? Your aura seemed exhausted."

"It's nothing crazy. I'll be fine in a day or so."

"Hmm, hang on."

Saying that, Dream contacted Luna over their contracts. After requesting some of her healing energy, she sent it, and he channeled that power over to Melody. Silvery blue energy streamed into her, rejuvenating her very soul.

"Wow... This is nice."

Melody unintentionally smiled as she was refreshed in a matter of seconds. Dream just shrugged. 

"The healing powers from a pseudo class 5 is like that. Now, you wanted a sword from me, but I decided to get ideas from you first. Tell me about the kind of blade you want, how many swords, the type of enchantments, and everything else."

"Oh! I was actually going to talk to you about that. Especially now. That sword art has inspired me."

"Sure. Here, take this and design your sword."

Dream handed a blob of silver to her when he said that. Melody took it with confusion, but when her hand touched the blob it formed into a dull default looking sword. 

"The shape will change based on your visual thoughts. Design it however you want, and I'll build your swords around that."

"Hmm, alright."

"And I'm serious when I saw however you want. Doesn't matter how odd the sword is or looks like, you just need to design your absolutely ideal sword. Don't worry about anything else. You can even have multiple designs if you want. Nothing is off limits."

"..."

Melody's smile went away at his serious statement, nodding and going quiet. She focused on the sword in her hand. It rapidly took on changes as she quickly got used to imparting her thoughts. The blade elongated slightly, and then became so slim as to look like a needle. When she was done, the sword was just a hilt with a long, thin poker the width of two hairs.

"A sword that has no trouble poking and piercing, aspects that are significant in this new sword art of mine. Hopefully it isn't so thin though as to not be able to transfer lots of energy due to lack of material."

Melody spoke as she held it up for him. Dream just looked at it for a second before nodding.

"Alright. Is that it?"

"No. I want one of these. I'll design another one right now."

"Go ahead."

Dream nodded, and Melody went back to designing another sword. This time, it took on the form of a rapier. A long, thin, straight blade rose into the air. The tip of the blade was a tanto point though, and only one side of the sword was sharp. 

"A sword for cutting, the second significant part of my new sword art. I want two of these."

"Hmm... Alright. That it?"

"Pretty much. Piercing and cutting are the two main aspects of this art. There's nothing like hacking or slashing. It's really straightforward, though go any deeper and things get complex."

"Sure. Okay, I already have an idea. I'll have your swords tomorrow. Oh, here's your suit as well. I already gave some to the rest of the family."

Dream tossed a silver blob to her as he said that. The blob swallowed the sword she was designing on, proceeding to latch onto her body and envelop her completely. 

"What is this?!"

"It's a suit. Wear it under whatever other clothes or armor you put on. I knew you wouldn't like its plain aesthetics, so I made it more subdermal."

"..."

Melody was quiet as she checked out the suit. It seeped over her skin, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. It was like a second skin. Even magic could flow through it easily, as if it weren't even there. She nodded after creating a mental bond with it, establishing her ownership and now capable of controlling it with her thoughts. 

"This is cool! Hey, do you have any plans to start an enchanting business or something? You'd become the richest man on the planet!"

"Please, I'm already the richest man on the planet. The wealth on my person alone probably outstrips the value of this entire planet. Plus there's my vast accumulation of resources that can rival the combined nations of the world."

"Hmm, I'm not sure if you're lying or not, though I'm more inclined to believe you. Oh well. I look forward to-"

"Melody. Get behind me."

"Huh?"

Melody felt a little chill when Dream's attitude suddenly flipped. Before she could even understand what was happening though, Dream teleported in front of her. He simultaneously released his cosmic form, the space, mana, and energy around him freezing as if time stopped.

"Show yourself."

"You've got a keen eye, alien."

An ethereal voice rang in their ears when Dream looked to a spot in the sky. Melody looked from behind Dream's shoulder to where his calm but alert gaze was pointed, laying eyes on a being she had only seen once before.

"Angel?!"

Dream nodded as he looked at this angel that had appeared before them. This one took on the form of a human with wings, no halo over his head, but a blindfold over his eyes. He also held a book in his right hand, one that looked like some kind of gospel.

The angel, despite having a blindfold on, looked directly at Dream's cosmic figure that shone with stars and colorful nebulae. He smiled gloriously, no sense of hostility present in his aura. 

"The human known as Dream. Well, not quite human anymore. I don't recognize your species at all."

"I made it myself."

"Indeed. That's impressive. Though, seeing how you're a specialist of the wanderer faction, I don't find it too surprising."

"Wanderer faction?"

"Yes. Are you not aware of the faction you belong to?"

"I'm not sure what a faction is. But that's not important. I want to know why an angel is here."

Dream spoke, not with any malice, but with obvious caution. 

As soon as this angel appeared, he could discern its level. It was at least a class 5, and easily stronger than that devil who had merely been an artificial class 5. There was only one consolation though. This angel didn't have an image, a spiritual body, meaning his potential likely ended at class 5. Not that that would make his immediate combat strength any lesser. This angel was a force to be reckoned with, one that Dream wasn't absolutely sure of winning a battle against. 

The worst part was, his sister was right here. This was what made him most guarded. She was only a class 3, and a sneeze from this angel could wipe out her soul. Only he could prevent that. 

The angel spoke gently.

"I'm not here with any ill intentions, only curiosity. After all, you've caused quite the stir since you've returned. As the keepers of this world, we naturally couldn't stand by without at least investigating."

"Keepers?"

"Us keepers come to underdeveloped worlds to help them fight back against the demon threat, targeting a few key people and guiding them down the right path. Earth had done well until now, though with you here, there's no chance the demons can take over now. However, you've brought along a new problem. An entire population from a supposedly doomed world."

"Yea."

"Tell me, are you truly native to Earth?"

"Yea."

Dream nodded plainly under the gaze of the angel. They looked at each other for a while before the angel also nodded.

"I see. So you were sent away. There's no record of any doomed world in our books though, at least not any recent ones."

"I repelled the demons on the other world, so depending on your definition of doomed, it isn't truly. I just didn't feel like forcing the people I protected to revive their world that I had also turned pretty baren. Taking them here was an easier choice."

"Interesting. That brings up more questions though... Oh well, they're not ones you or I can answer. Now I ask you Dream, what do you plan on doing with the demons here?"

The angel gave another piercing gaze, but Dream just responded straightforwardly.

"Nothing much. I'm going to confine them to their territories and ensure they don't grow beyond the ability of Earth to handle. These ones are more tame than the ones I faced, so it should be fine. Other than that though, I don't plan on doing anything directly to them."

"I see. That's good. We usually like to take a non-interference stance, unless things get truly out of hand. Naturally, this tends to apply to transcendent beings. While you haven't ascended, compared to this planet you can be considered on par with us keepers. Because of that, I'll ask you to refrain from interfering too much. What you've planned is encroaching upon that line a bit, but I'll allow it."

"I don't require your permission, but thanks anyway."

"I don't intend to be hostile, but yes, I believe you do. We are envoys from heaven that seek to ensure the development of lesser worlds, as well as protect against the demons that threaten countless other worlds like your own. Earth falls under Heaven's territory and protection as it has been invaded by demons. According to the code that keepers abide by and enforce, transcendent beings, which are people who outstrip the general power level of a world by a significant margin so as to be capable of heavily influencing its development, are to refrain from direct interference as much as possible. You fall under this definition, and therefore, we must ensure that you follow some general guidelines under our authority as keepers and Heaven's envoys."

"Hmm, I get all that, but I'd rather rely on myself than you guys."

Dream frowned a bit as he responded.

"The demons I faced on the other world threatened to wipe out all life after only developing for a year or so. You guys claim to protect lesser worlds, but there were no angels to help us out. I had to wipe out and exterminate the demons myself, resulting in hundreds of millions dying both by the demons and by my own hands. My city is the last remnants of many prosperous empires and races. They never even had a chance to survive. The strength and development speed of the demons was extraordinarily unfair. I even had to fight off an artificial class 5. So forgive me for not trusting your words, or at least, not putting my safety in your hands. I'll do what I believe is necessary to manage the demon threat on my home world. Your opinion comes secondary to mine. But rest assured, I won't intentionally stifle your efforts. Continue protecting as you have been. It'll be another added layer of security."

"..."

The angel looked at Dream for a bit, neither a frown nor smile on his face. After seemingly coming to a decision though, he did reveal a smile, flipping open the book in his hand. After he created some golden script in mid air, it landed on a page in the book. The book closed quickly after, and he nodded to Dream. 

"Very well. I understand. I will not interfere with your efforts. After all, you are a native to this world. I will trust your judgment and your ability to protect this world. I have seen your infrastructure in space, so I know you have the ability to do as you say. The amount of keepers deployed here will lessen, and Earth's development will more or less fall under your hands. It will remain this way unless this world takes a negative developmental turn. Does this arrangement satisfy you?"

"...Yes, it does. Is this okay with you though?"

Dream asked confusedly. He wondered why this angel was okay with giving him free rein when he had clearly made known his supposed authority just now. Dream was challenging this authority, but now the angel seemed okay with that. 

The angel nodded to him.

"Yes, I am okay with this. Just the fact of you crossing worlds and exterminating demons who were on the verge of calling down a demon lord shows your ability. I don't doubt that you could easily exterminate the demons here. That along with you being a native here gives me assurance that you at least won't lead this world toward its destruction. While I will still leave keepers with a select few talented people on this world to monitor the overall situation, they will not interfere with your decisions."

"...Alright."

"I don't believe there's any need to make this complicated. Besides, if any of that isn't enough, I believe in the reputation of the Seekers."

The angel smiled, and Dream's brow raised slightly. After looking at each other for a second though, he just sighed and stood straight.

"Alright then. I think we've come to a consensus. If you have a problem with anything I do, just come find me. There's no reason I can't at least listen."

"I appreciate that. Then I'll take my leave. Oh, one more thing."

Just as the angel started to turn away, he faced back toward Dream. 

"When a world begins to produce high level class 4's and stagnates, we open our gates and allow them to enter one of our realms among the inner universe. This device will allow you to contact one of the other keepers. Should the time come where either you or the people of this world wish to enter the inner universe, talk to us, and we will open the gates. Although I can't expect you to join our faction as a Seeker, you as well as the people of Earth are a welcome ally."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Dream nodded as the angel gave him a device, and the two said their goodbyes. After all traces of the angel disappeared, Dream reverted back into his human shell.

"Sigh..."

"Man, I couldn't even sense that guy's power."

Melody wiped off the trickle of sweat as she stepped out from behind Dream. Despite the two only exchanging words, her world view seemed to be broadened. She was understanding more and more just how powerful her brother was. 

Dream rolled his eyes at her though.

"You have me and your weakness to thank for that."

"Whatever. You know, I've met some people who supposedly have the support of angels. That one guild leader from the guardian guild has an angel. This one though seemed to be some kind of leader."

"He was. He's kind of like a supervisor for this planet, overseeing the other keepers."

Dream spoke as he thought back. When the two were talking, much more information was exchanged than just words. While Melody heard the English language, they were actually speaking in Universal Language. Due to this, their communication exchanged more details. One such detail was this Angel's authority. The script that the angel used to write in his book was also Universal Language. 

"So... What now?"

Melody looked up at her brother who was deep in thought. 

Dream was pondering over the angel's last statement where he offered to enter the inner universe. Should Dream take him up on that, he wouldn't have to worry about building his own portal, something which would take a few years to do at minimum. 

After thinking for a while though, he decided not to. Even if the rest of Earth started stagnating, he would only open it for them. He wanted to crack the portal technology himself, giving himself a layer of security and greater power. 

After deciding on his path, he turned back to his sister. To her, he had only been pondering for a few seconds. 

"Now we just go back to what we were doing. I'll be sure to make those swords for you, and you focus on increasing your power. Whenever you have questions about gaining power or your next steps, come talk to me. There's nobody who knows more about advancing into class 4 than me."

"Hm, alright."

Dream nodded at her and then turned his attention elsewhere. The angel had also handed him that communication device, though not how someone would normally hand someone else something. The angel had passed it directly to him through space, almost inserting it directly into his inventory. Dream had grabbed it from there. It was a method of transfer that had surprised him. He suddenly had more ideas as to wield Aether. 

"Status."

Dream called out his status to take another look at things.

|Profile|

Name: Sylus Dreamer

Species: [Metacosmic Psykhe]

Class: [Prophet]

Title: [Origin Seeker]

Level: 398

Stats: Strength- S+      Agility- S+

Stamina- S+       Magic- S+

Passive Skills: [Sophia] Lvl. 44, [Arcana] Lvl. 97, [Universal Language] Lvl. MAX

Active Skills: [Particle Manipulation] Lvl. 70, [Arcane Transmutation] Lvl. 1

Seeing the stats and skills, he nodded. Dream wasn't sure what the next step for his stats were beyond S+, but he didn't worry about it. He wasn't sure if the system could accurately tell his true stats anyway with his gray mist and the interference from his Title. 

All he cared about was his two main skills that were approaching max level. He knew he could max out [Arcana] rather quickly, but he wondered if he could do the same for [Particle Manipulation]. 

He just shrugged. If he could, then he would. He would just have to continue developing himself to find out.

...........

.......

After the little meeting with the Angel, Dream proceeded to move on with the list of things he needed to do. 

First, he finished off the brunt of the work for the island, tasking bots to continue building the city and to take care of everything else. Some bots were tasked to bring dirt and sand and plants to continue terraforming the place, turning it into a more hospitable and welcoming environment. While it would take a few leveled mountains to cover the area of the island, that didn't really matter to Dream. 

He also determined a place for his little slice of paradise, the tree dome. Since there wasn't any empty plots of land several dozen square miles in size near his family's house, he could only opt to put it on the coast. He chose to place it only 2 miles from a beach. For this, he simply dropped the chunk of land through the atmosphere, creating a giant ball of fire that seemed like the world ending meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. When the land approached the ocean though, he alongside many ships and bots slowed its descent and gently plopped it in the water, only creating a few 200 meter tall waves. All devastation was circumvented by him and the bots thankfully. 

By the end, many people were stunned by what had happened, and the matter quickly made it on news stations throughout the world. This was especially so since he decided to remove the fog barrier surrounding the dome. What was left was a ring of several-hundred-meter-tall trees surrounded by bots that guarded it, a grand display only trumped by the World Tree in the Haven cities. Within a mere day, there were already hundreds of curious people who approached with their boats, including the American navy, but nobody could actually step onto the land to search.

Dream didn't pay attention to it longer than he had to though, so with that taken care of, his next order of business was to wall off the demons. Sophia had already established where the demons occupied in the world. They had taken over nearly all of former Russia, turning it into their empire, and were gradually spreading through the rest of the lands near it. 

After thinking for a bit, he eventually had Sophia task nearly 700 million bots to go and wrangle them in. He decided to confine them to Russia only. He would do this by building the biggest wall ever seen around the entire landmass. It would span hundreds of miles and be a few hundred meters tall, and would also be manned by his bots 24/7 to prevent demons from breaking free. This would be their only territory, the only beings that could move in or out being humans. 

Naturally Dream couldn't restrict human access. He didn't want to either. The demons served as a plentiful and unending source of experience as well as materials. He would allow the world to enter this demon territory to fight and develop. This was the only reason he kept the demons anyway. He would still control entry though. While he wasn't exactly sure how, he knew that this could be used to either promote or assist Luna and the Haven. He figured she could find some way to use this, so he passed off the decision to her. 

After sending bots to begin construction and wrangle demons, he started to prepare himself for his own things. There was quite the list. 

The hardest things he needed to do were research and development. He needed to crack the portal technology and develop his spatial manipulation skills. He was already doing it, but it wasn't refined enough to meet the standard of his other energy manipulation skills. 

The second most difficult item on his list was to study [Arcane Transmutation]. This skill could supposedly create matter from mana and vice versa. It was the foundation of the summons skill that could allow him to buy items with mana, so it was one of the most important topics to tackle. Something like that, should he master and understand it, would advance his power by leaps and bounds. 

Finally, there was the stuff with the Haven. Dream had left most of the matters to Luna, but he still needed to assist her with declaring its sovereignty. He didn't have the first clue as to how to do this, and while he didn't really care about it due to having absolute power, Luna did. even while going around and 'relaxing' with the family, she was constantly pulling data from the internet and deliberating with Sophia on the issues she needed to tackle. She was sprinting down the path of a leader and politician.

Dream didn't need to do the same as her, but he at least needed to pay attention. He solved the problems she needed to be solved and that she gave to him while making sure not to do certain things for the sake of the Haven's development and her image. The things he couldn't do mainly included directly threatening countries with his weapons as well as unintentionally bringing about massive amounts of destruction. Basically, she didn't want him doing anything that would be talked about or seen, unless it was something good like confining the demons. If she wanted to make things work, she needed to maintain control over everything. He was fine with all this and just listened while telling Alice to keep an eye on Iris. 

Surprisingly though, issues with the Haven were the easiest on his list. Even making Melody's swords was more difficult. 

This process only took a day, as he said it would. Dream spent some 20 odd hours in his factory messing with plenty of different concepts before ultimately creating a single blade for her. 

This sword, at first glance, looked dull and unassuming. It was plain gray, looking like something right off an assembly line. It didn't even look comfortable to hold, the grip being a simple cylinder. 

When Melody grabbed it though, that all changed. She immediately figured out how to operate it and willed it to shapeshift into the first blade, her piercing needle. The blade instantly shed all of its material, the metal retracting into her suit leaving only the hilt. Despite nothing being there though, Melody could sense the channel of power that existed where the blade would be. 

This channel of power was extraordinarily concentrated. It was like a lightsaber, but instead of light, it was mana. The channel would, upon her inserting her own power, guide the energy into a single line, allowing her to burst forth with massive amounts of power in a tiny point. It did exactly as she wished for, allowing her to concentrate her energy into a single point and pierce.

Then there was the second function. Upon activating the blade again, the material moved back from her armor onto the hilt where a blade was formed. The blade looked like a normal rapier blade, long and thin. In fact, the only special thing about it was the fact that the blade was only the width of a hundred atoms, being unnaturally sharp. However, there was a hidden function to this blade. The blade could turn and face any direction its user wanted it to. 

When Melody saw this, she was stunned. She had never thought of something so simple yet ingenious. Though, only Dream could develop a sturdy and powerful blade that could handle this function. It opened up a whole new world of combat for her, one that involved a little more trickery. She wouldn't have to worry as much about turning her wrist to face the blade edge toward her opponent, instead directly slashing toward them in the quickest, most efficient way. Should one get confused by this small detail, she would gain an advantage. 

Also, the blade could indeed be split into two, giving her dual swords with the same functions. Dream also added in a safety function that would make Melody immune to her own weapons. Should she accidentally swing the sword at herself or have it be used against her, the blade would just give way, not hurting her in the slightest. This could be used as both a safety function and a little trick to use in combat. 

With that, Dream left Melody as she went to play with her new toy. While she wanted to change the look of the sword a bit to give it better aesthetics, he just left her with the means to do so while not bothering to change it himself. With the special device he gave her, she could make it look however she wanted. 

With the sword done, Dream crossed that one thing off his list. 

As for the rest, it would take time. Luna worked on developing the Haven. Iris had her fun in the demon territories, playing with her skills. Alice either stuck with Dream or her parents, sometimes going to train with Melody who often requested a sparring partner. 

Dream had all the time he wanted, so he took things as they came and didn't rush. If he felt like spending time with the girls, then he did. If he got inspired and holed himself up in the factory, then that's what happened. For once, he didn't have a threat looming over him, so he was able to expand his ever-growing foundation to unseen levels. 

Research into aether and portal tech, building cities and space habitats, developing weapons, growing his skills and knowledge. He did it all. He gradually approached the class 5 realm while pushing his power to unprecedented heights. All the while, the thought of revisiting the Legacy space and comprehending that silver script lingered in his mind. Most of what he did was to push toward that next goal. He wanted to reach that higher realm of existence while uncovering the secrets of the universe. His curiosity and hunger for knowledge knew no bounds as he devoted himself further to that pursuit. 

............

Dream stood on the roof of his factory cube. Behind him was Earth, and below him were countless assembly lines and factories. In front of him was a table for crafting and the endless void. He had moved himself out here for research as he found looking into the depths of the cosmos to be inspiring, something beneficial to his development. 

It wasn't long after he had given Melody her sword. He hadn't even been on Earth for two months now, but he already found himself with many things to do. There was no deadline though, so he often spent time as he was now: staring into the void. 

He thought of all the things he had to do. He thought of the inner universe and the places waiting for him, as well as the coordinates the god had given him and where they would take him to. The endless possibilities in a place even bigger than the universe he knew. What would he find there?

Dream found himself spacing out, his thoughts both chaotic and orderly. His thought process couldn't be compared to a normal human. Naturally, the thoughts themselves couldn't easily be understood. Sometimes he didn't even know what he was thinking. 

He always returned to reality though, grounding himself before moving on with whatever crafting or research he was doing. The thoughts of the future and the past came and went through his mind constantly, but that never distracted him from his task. 

He crafted and studied in a place with no sense of day or night, time having less and less of a significance as he treaded further and further down his path. There were no longer any plans, just what he wanted to do or what he needed to do. He crafted with a free mind. A free soul. 

That cosmic figure stood on his cube, endlessly thinking, looking neither lonely nor troubled. That figure almost didn't seem to exist as he merely toiled away, blending into the space and void around him. 

And toil he would for several years, not stopping until he reached his goals alongside the people around him. Everything would gradually fall into place, and he, as well as Earth, would reach heights that have never been seen before.  

It was the dawn of a new era.

Sp4de

Alright, there it is. The chapter that begins my Hiatus. Well, it already started a while ago, but now all chapters are out. I am establishing this as part 1/2 of my story.

I don't exactly have any plans to start writing again soon. The only thing I want to do is continue lifting for sports, and funny thing is, I just finished the last of my finals for school today. With that, I'm just looking to enjoy my summer a bit. We'll see what happens in July or August. Though, maybe I'll dabble around with my second story if I ever feel inspired.

If there are any other updates, I'll be sure to let you guys know. Until then, I bid you farewell with this last chapter. This isn't the end though. I will return whether I like it or not. You all merely need to await my second coming.

Toodles!