[Tree] Chapter 648: Goldreach (Patreon)

Ashlock found it strange to follow Diana on the 9th Layer, while knowing she was still present on the 8th Layer with Morrigan on the deck of Moros. One version of her was spinning up schemes and plans on the 8th Layer, while another was heading out to investigate a city.

The Archdemon glided through soft streaks of twilight bouncing off the World Tree's leaves as they shimmered overhead, trailing demonic mist from her mighty feathered wings.

"I really don't know what I'd do without you," Ashlock idly said to Diana. She had always been someone he relied on, but more now than ever. Without her, the Ashfallen Empire would be nothing but a blood-soaked land lost to anarchy.

"Everyone in the Ashfallen Empire's Inner Circle has a vital role to play," Diana said, grinning and showing her fangs. "But thank you. I'm just doing my best to see the Ashfallen Empire prosper."

No matter how many times he spoke with Diana, Ashlock could never tell whether he was talking to her or one of her clones—which, now that he thought about it, was the entire point of a clone. What impressed him more was that even his Gaze of the Tree God skill couldn't tell them apart, despite her clones being a few stages weaker than her main body and nothing but demonic mist constructs bound together by a soul strand. Only when the 'real' Diana and her clones stood together before his Evil Eye did its true sight reveal which was which.

"Speaking of the Ashfallen Empire prospering," Diana said as Ashlock was lost in thought, "I approved production of the Ashfallen Coins. But I worry it may take too long to inject enough into the economy to make a difference."

Diana continued gliding south, off the edge of the Sanctuary and around the World Tree's trunk.

"What do you mean?" Ashlock asked. He deliberately left things like fiscal policy to others, as unlike every other ruler, he had little use for money. Money was for those who couldn't grow what they needed or draw sustenance from reality itself

"The population we oversee is simply too ridiculous now," Diana explained. "For every billion people, we need to produce more than a hundred billion coins to facilitate basic trade. Now I don't know how you produce that resin, but surely servicing such an amount is beyond you?"

"Um, yeah." Ashlock paled at that figure, as he was the only one who could produce the resin used to make the coins. "We might need to look into making paper notes then."

"Paper notes?" Diana sounded confused. "As in using parchment for money? That doesn't sound practical. Wood is already in short supply due to our ban on harming your offspring, not to mention that paper is easy to duplicate and damage. Hell, a fire cultivator could use the paper notes in someone's pocket as fuel to burn their target. That's why your resin makes for such a good currency, as it's practically immune to a cultivator's tampering."

"Right... good points. We will need to look for other solutions then."

Ashlock continued following Diana as she glided gracefully around the World Tree's trunk. He had offered to open a portal, but she had chosen to fly instead to get a feel for the land. It made sense. Wagons loaded with spirit stones were apparently being hauled to Goldreach, which was highly suspicious given how worthless they had become since the Era of Ascension began.

After making her way around, Diana stopped on the south side of the World Tree's trunk, where Empyrea gave way to Floridawn's innermost borders.

"Is it here?" Ashlock asked, looking down at the world shrouded in beams of moonlight. Honestly, he had no idea where Goldreach was, since he had left the takeover of the Celestial Empire's cities to Diana and the other Grand Elders.

"Yeah, if the map I got was correct, it should be atop that mountain." Diana pointed out a mountain ridge nestled between two World Tree roots and dove down toward it. Only once they got closer did Ashlock notice the city, shrouded in darkness except for the glow of the forges. For a place said to mint the Celestial Empire's currency and with a name like Goldreach, Ashlock had been expecting... more. This place resembled an industrial mining outpost more than a city.

Diana floated in the air, wings outspread, and surveyed the area with a piercing, analytical gaze. Despite its industrial look, a lot was going on. Wagons filled with spirit stones and other goods flowed toward a large stone-walled building atop the mountain, and pillars of smoke rose from forges.

"I can see why this place escaped your notice until now," Ashlock said. "Even if it is the mint for the Celestial Empire, it's so ordinary-looking." He used his Gaze of the Tree God skill to analyze the Qi density in the air, and it was indeed the only un-ordinary part of this place. "Just as the reports said, the Qi here is nearing that of the wasteland. All except one place."

The stone fortress atop the mountain. Like a funnel, all Qi in the region falling from the 8th Layer of Creation was drawn into the fortress. Whatever was hiding in there was Qi-hungry if the stream of wagons loaded with spirit stones was anything to go by.

"Work of a sin, no doubt about it," Diana said after hearing what he discovered. "Can you peer inside?"

"I can, but whoever is inside will feel my gaze when I do. Perhaps get closer first."

Diana nodded, and under the cover of darkness, she swooped closer to the building. It lorded over the mining town of Goldreach, its walls stained with smoke and grime. The surrounding buildings resembled those in Ashfallen City. They were short, barely over three stories tall, and made of uninspiring grey brick. Besides the wagons, Ashlock caught a few mortals heading to the mines with worn pickaxes resting on their shoulders.

Pausing on a nearby roof and folding her wings, Diana crouched and observed the fortress. Aside from a few guards herding in the wagons, security seemed rather relaxed for a mint said to handle the creation of the old Celestial Empire's currency.

Something wasn't right here, and Ashlock wanted to find out.

Pouring more Qi into {Gaze of the Tree God [S]}, the defensive formations around the building peeled away like the layers of an onion, and suddenly he was in. All of the guards and workers inside the building reacted at once. The mortals simply shuddered as if a sudden chill had washed through the room, while the more perceptive cultivators serving as guards snapped their attention in his general direction.

One dashed across the large open foyer toward a gong—

"Stop."

A Qi-empowered voice thundered through the room, making everyone freeze. A methodical clink of metal on stone reverberated as a figure slowly emerged from the building's darkness, his presence drawing everyone's gaze.

For Ashlock, it was his striking figure that stole his attention and raised questions. He was unnaturally tall and gaunt, wearing layered golden cloth robes that were immaculate except for loose threads at the hems. Rings, far too many to be practical, were stacked to the knuckle on every finger, but most striking of all were his eyes. They were smooth and blank, like balls of gold, and matched his gold-leaf skin. Despite having the makeup of a golden statue, he was distinctly human with how he moved and worked his mouth.

Stopping in the middle of the foyer, he gestured with his chin toward the grand doors, sealed shut.

"Open the gates."

"But my lord," one of the guards started, "we felt the gaze of the All-Seeing Eye. If we open the gates, the formations will deactivate and—"

The Golden Lord glared at his subject. "It's precisely because it's him that we open the gates. The Celestial Empire couldn't stand against him, so what makes you think we can? Besides," he looked toward the opening doors, "I've been waiting for this visit."

Ashlock hadn't expected any of this when Diana informed him through her clone on the 8th Layer about her investigation. Whoever this Golden Lord was, he was far from ordinary. His strange appearance aside, he had the spiritual presence of a Monarch.

"Why are the doors opening?" Diana asked.

"Because they wish to welcome you," Ashlock replied, not really believing what he was seeing. "At least I think they are..."

Just because the Golden Lord had been waiting for this visit didn't mean it would be peaceful. But he at least seemed to understand his position and rightly feared Ashlock's power.

For once, it seemed negotiations were on the table.

"Weird," Diana muttered and spread her wings. With a single flap, she dispersed into demonic mist and reformed a second later at the seam of the opening doors. Ashlock followed, curious how this would go.

***

Diana was in the middle of blowing off steam when she felt her clone calling out to her. Grunting in annoyance, she rolled out of bed, got dressed, and called for Desmond to watch over her while she switched her attention.

The moment Desmond walked into the room, he blanked at the mess. Diana could only shoot him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, business calls," Diana said as she collapsed into a chair and blinked. Her consciousness lurched, and when she opened her eyes, she stood before an open doorway. All of her clone's recent memories appeared in her mind as abruptly as a released bowstring.

Which was helpful, as she stared down at an unknown golden man.

"Welcome, Grand Elder Diana of the Ashfallen Empire," the man said smoothly as he stepped forward with cordial grace. "It's an honor to finally meet you after all the letters we have exchanged."

"...Letters?" Diana tilted her head. Was this the doing of one of her clones or demons?

"Yes, my name is the Gilded One. I'm one of the Chairman's seven egos and have overseen this mint since the Celestial Empire's foundation." He smiled, showing a row of golden teeth. "Though you might know me better by the name Sterling."

"Wait, you're Sterling?!" Diana had exchanged letters with someone named Sterling. They were the contact the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion had provided her for financial matters concerning the Celestial Empire, but they had never met in person. "I didn't think I was talking with the Gilded One the whole time. Can I assume you represent the sin of... greed?"

The man bowed. "Guilty as charged."

For the first time in ages, Diana was stunned. Not only had she been working with one of the sins and exchanging letters, but the man had also just openly admitted it while knowing Ashlock was watching.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Why?" she asked, plain and simple.

Sterling had a knowing smile as he straightened.

"It's simple, really," he said, spreading his arms wide, his oversized sleeves flapping with his movements. "It's because I have leverage."

The shadow behind Sterling rippled, and Thanatos emerged from it with eyes of blazing gold. Few could match Thanatos's imposing height, but the Gilded One almost did, being only shorter because of his hunched posture. A scythe pressed against Sterling's golden throat as tendrils of darkness spread from Thanatos and took over the room.

"And what leverage might that be?" Ashlock asked coldly through Thanatos. "Because so far, the other egos of the fallen Chairman have served me better in death."

Sterling smiled. "I have almost no fighting ability, so killing me would be easy. Even a mere clone made from mist could strangle the life out of me." His eyes gleamed as he gazed at Diana.

How does he know I'm a clone? Diana wondered, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Did it have something to do with his unusual Dao comprehension as one of the Sins?

"My eyes can see the intrinsic value in things," he said, offering the answer as if her question was written on her face. "But even without these eyes of mine, I could tell you were a clone. Because, like me, you're a cautious schemer. The All-Seeing Eye is an ally anyone would desire, but I know how the Ashfallen Empire operates. You obliterate targets with an army of elites, yet here you are, Grand Elder Diana, walking into my home. Alone."

"Clever. It seems you are smarter than your fellow Sins," Diana said, curious to see how he took a compliment.

"No, no," he shook his head. "Quite the contrary. I'd consider myself foolish compared to them. It's simply that the enemy they faced was beyond this realm's capabilities. To fight to the death against such an existence... is pointless. But until you and the All-Seeing Eye arrived and destroyed the Empire, I seemed foolish. Stuck here, making coins for mortals while the others ruled in the skies."

A smile tugged at the edge of his lips. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"You're glad some of them died?" Ashlock asked, not removing the scythe from the Gilded One's neck.

The golden man's expression suddenly turned cold. "Why, yes, of course. We had an agreement, and they broke it. I don't tolerate such things."

Diana had been studying Sterling from the start, trying to read him. But unlike the other Sins, who had been almost stupidly straightforward and driven by the sin they were formed after, the Gilded One was confusing.

Her biggest concern right now was this leverage he spoke of. Because he had proven himself smart and cautious. He must have known his activities would eventually draw Ashlock's All-Seeing Eye, so he had planned for this.

"What's the leverage, Sterling? Spit it out," Diana demanded.

The Gilded One smiled again. "I don't simply run the mint—I am the mint. All money circling the old Celestial Empire is mine, and I loan it out at a compounding rate. Most don't know they are in debt, as the debt is heaven-binding and generational. It was their ancestors who signed, and they are overdue to pay." The Gilded One paused and looked back at Thanatos. "Kill me, and the debts come due, and if they can't pay the loans their ancestors took out, they pay with the only thing they can. Their life force."

"I don't trust your words," Ashlock said. "You're saying if you die, billions will evaporate as unknown debts their ancestors signed to you demand to be paid? That's ridiculous."

"Really?" he grinned. "What if I could prove it?"

The Gilded One leaned into the scythe, its tip piercing his skin and drawing golden blood.

Thanatos pulled the scythe away.

"Prove it."

The Gilded One turned on his heel and walked past Thanatos.

"Follow me," Sterling said, "to the vault."