IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE

  Hello Readers,

  Hastur here! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I know it has been a slow burn, but I promise the pace will pick up soon, hang in there!

  But that aside I would love to hear your thoughts. If you have a moment, please drop a review or share some feedback to let me know what is working for you or what isn't, or if you're excited to see what happens next.

  On another note, I want to share some pns for the book. It won't be an overly long series compared to some epic sagas out there. I’m aiming for 500–600 chapters across 8 volumes, with shorter volumes around 30-50 chapters and longer ones spanning 60–75 chapters.

  We're nearing the end of the first volume, or Arc 1, which will wrap up around chapters 40–45. So, we’re almost there!

  Thank you for reading, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

  Best,

  Hastur

  Nier’s brow furrowed, at Kaly words.

  'Rune Magic? What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

  He asked Kaly, who responded to his question immediately.

  'Curious are we now my love, well Rune Magic is the art of wielding a god's divine nguage, tapping into their very identity of being to shape reality through symbols.'

  'It's like borrowing a fragment of their power to bend the world to your will, but only within the boundaries of their domain. High Gods, those lesser deities tethered to the Material Sphere, are shackled by its rules. Their Rune Magic, called which is magic that obey's the framework of your reality. Take physics, for instance, it is a concept of order, a rigid w in your universe and countless others. A High God bound to it can't cast spells that viote those rules, or they would unravel the very fabric of existence.'

  She paused, her voice taking on a sly, almost teasing form.

  'But the rule isn't completely fixed, because concepts like or for example exist beyond the grasp of physics, allowing supernatural High Gods, God's who govern stranger Principles can push the boundaries. Tachyons, for example, defy the speed-of-light limit because the concept of permits it. In your universe, physics dictates that nothing can move faster than light, but in another, the rules might differ. The concept of opens the door for supernatural High Gods to exist, weaving their influence into your reality. That is the Material Sphere's rule... Gods are powerful, but limited by its own ws set by the various High Gods within as such it creates both order and contradiction to order to apply here.'

  Nier's eyes narrowed, his mind racing to untangle her words. The boys stood frozen, oblivious to the conversation unfolding in his head, their nervous gnces darting between him and the tamed skinwalker.

  'And I guess that apply to you too right?!'

  He asked mentally, his voice low.

  But Kaly response to his question however was different.

  'Oh fuck no.'

  She bluntly said, her voice swelling with a fierce pride that sent a shiver down his spine.

  'I am an Outer God darling, born of the Immaterial Sphere. Our magic, is called which is pure chaos, unbound by reason or the framework of reality. We exist beyond it all, and our runes defy logic itself. You, my beloved, can wield my concept of for example to twist these boys minds and souls, bending them your will. It's not just control, like creation of new rules... Dark Fertility is of chaos as such it can perverse and is absolute by this world standard.'

  'But do keep in mind you are not me, so you can't wield my power freely. High God servants need faith or divine energy to cast runes, gathered from their followers or sacred rites. For you, an Admission user, it's Negativity, so like your authority you need Negativity to even use Admission Magic.'

  Said Kaly, and at the same time a cold thrill ran through Nier as a glitching, shadowy figure flickered into existence behind him, invisible to the boys but vivid to his heightened senses, and Nier connection to his wife.

  Kaly's spectral hand, shimmering like a fractured hologram, seized his wrist with a gentle but unyielding grip.

  As he could feel her rge breast behind him. His arm moved against his will, his fingers tracing a series of glowing red runes in the air before Daniel.

  The symbols were jagged, alien, and incomprehensible, yet they radiate with a dark, malevolent intent that seemed to hum with life.

  Daniel froze, his eyes widening as if he felt an unseen power settle over him, though he couldn't see the magic weaving around his body. The other boys shifted uneasily, their breaths shallow, sensing something was wrong but unable to pinpoint it.

  'What the hell are you doing?'

  Nier muttered mentally, his gaze locked on the runes. They were a chaotic jumble of lines and curves, meaningless to him but heavy with there purpose of operation.

  The air around them seemed to thicken, charged with Negative energy that made his skin prickle.

  Kaly's voice was a soft chuckle, warm and intimate, like a lover's whisper in the dark.

  'My true divine nguage is… complex, darling, far beyond what your mortal mind could grasp in a single moment, and I can't properly teach you because I am sealed. So I've simplified it for you, crafting runes from the English alphabet to make it easier to learn. Each letter is a redefined symbol, a fragment of my power. You'll study them in time, but for now, I've written three words. It's a spell born of Dark Fertility, my concept of perverse creation and control. It doesn't erase their minds, it chains their souls, making them loyal, silent, and obedient to you, or rather, to me through you.'

  Nier's gaze flicked to Daniel, who stood rigid, his eyes gssy as the invisible magic took hold.

  The boy was unaware of the bonds now wrapping his essence, tying his will to Nier's command.

  'What do those words mean, exactly?'

  Nier asked, his mental voice edged with curiosity, though his annoyance lingered.

  Kaly's tone turned almost pyful, though the seriousness of her words was undeniable.

  'Bound locks their will, anchoring it to your command like roots sinking into fertile soil. And ties their very souls to the spell's purpose, a bridge that channels your intent into their being. Silence seals their lips, ensuring they'll never speak of what they've seen unless you permit it.'

  'I see.'

  Nier said as the runes faded, their red glow dissolving into the nothingness after being cast.

  Daniel blinked, shaking his head as if waking from a daze, but the spell had already taken root.

  The other boys shifted nervously, their eyes darting between Nier and their friend, sensing a change they couldn't name.

  'This is indeed convient.'

  Nier said mentally, his voice low.

  'And I don't have to burn 1,500 Negativity Points to do it.'

  'Exactly.'

  Kaly said, her presence fading like a dying echo in his mind.

  'Either way, I have to go now, I can't maintain my form or will to this pne any longer. However start off by offering these kids a job under the pretence of Mercy. Tonight, in your dreams, I'll teach you more. These boys are just the first step, darling. Our empire begins here, with their fear and awe as our foundation.'

  Nier lowered his hand, the air around it still tingling with the aftershock of Kaly's magic.

  He studied the boys, their expressions dulled, their souls now tethered to his command.

  Daniel, now bound by the Bound of Silence spell, stood slightly apart, his posture subtly different, less defiant, more submissive, though he didn't yet realize it.

  Neil and Sam were next, and Nier could feel Kaly’s influence lingering, urging him to complete the process.

  He raised his hand again, his fingers twitching as he prepared to trace the same runes over the others.

  The forest seemed to hold its breath, the silence broken only by the faint rustle of leaves and the distant call of a night bird.

  "Stay still."

  Nier said aloud, his voice cold and commanding. The boys froze, their eyes wide, too terrified to move.

  He focused on Neil first, Kaly's as he imagine Kaly's spectral hand guiding his own once more.

  The red runes fred to life, their jagged forms weaving through the air like threads of blood.

  Neil whimpered, his knees trembling, but he couldn't look away as the spell took hold, binding his will to Nier's.

  Sam was st, his face a mask of resignation as the runes enveloped him, sealing his silence and loyalty in the same breath.

  As the final runes faded, Nier stepped back, his chest tight with a mix of exhaustion and grim satisfaction.

  The boys stood before him, their expressions dulled, their souls now tethered to his command.

  They wouldn't speak of what they had seen here, not of the skinwalker, not of his powers, not of the battle that had nearly cost him everything.

  They were his, whether they knew it or not.

  Right after, he looked at them, and said.

  "Ok, I am finished."

  With that the boy then Looked at Nier, Daniel being the one to speak up.

  "So Mr. Augustus um, when will our memories fade, I still can remember everything."

  However What Nier said next shocked them.

  "Be thankful that I am merciful, I change my mind... Starting today I am hiring you boys, to work for me, I will be putting you on a Pay-roll of course."