Psion Hand

Principal Zeek became solemn.

"To the Emperor, his wife is more valuable than anything and anyone. He was ready to turn everything upside down without care for consequences.

"Ask your chamberlain, the world as we know it would have changed that day. Until now some of us tremble at recollections of the events."

Wisdom Zeek trembled and his fist clenched.

"The Empress, being the Wisdom she is, predicted it. Within the moment she was alive, she carved her spirit into the whole palace and into the people around."

The man trembled, recalling the terror.

"Wherever the Emperor looked, he saw her pacifying him. Her voice echoed in his ears, telling him that if he destroys anything, he destroys her memory."

He took a deep breath, which make the room to cool down

"Even with that, the Emperor spent five years at her grave, wailing alone."

Imperial Principal Zeek became silent, seeing Seth was not himself.

"Do you understand what I mean? The Imperial Bloodline in your veins screams for the throne. If you allow it, you will do anything to get it, resulting in utter destruction.

"But allow yourself to wander elsewhere. See the world and its beauty. Accept that life is not about the throne but about living a true life."

"I am not understanding your language," Seth said dryly and he looked at Rin. "Translate for me in short sentences!"

"Too much obsession leads to destruction, especially for things that you have no authority over."

The Ninth Prince became thoughtful. He could understand, but at the same time he couldn't.

What was there in the world worth being obsessed over but the throne?

He is the Ninth Imperial Prince.

His status is above the Kings and Queens.

He is only below the Emperor.

His word was law. Everyone must bow except the eight other siblings he had.

Seth could wipe out cities and only the Imperial Order could judge him, and that was the Imperial Majesty himself.

What is above him but the Throne? Nothing.

Seth tried to understand. He made note that maybe there was something he might be interested in, but nothing could match the throne.

A deep exasperated sigh escaped him. "Who do you think is closest to getting the throne?"

"Sixth Prince!"

"What?" Seth didn't believe it. "That reclusive guy? I never met him until two days ago at the ceremony."

The Principal smiled as he glanced at Rin. She too was shocked by the way she looked at him.

"You see, crowning is not a simple matter of reputation and power. It's about true unique merit that enhances the empire."

The man sighed. "There will be four rulers after the crowning: Imperial Throne, Imperial Crown, Imperial Scepter and Cape of Majesty. From then, everyone must work hard to collect the rest. Not through war but through ways I can't disclose.

"But what you should worry about is how you can get the Throne or the Crown or the others. What actions will make you eligible? Does the Emperor decide that or the Council?"

Seth absorbed every word the man said. He knew for sure among the four, the Throne is the highest.

"I am not allowed to tell you more, but one thing you need to know is this: The one that will get the throne is someone who, if he was removed from his current position, the whole empire would shake."

The Principal smiled broadly, his pearly teeth showing, and added with a mischievous tone, "Each Imperial Siblings would shake the Empire except you. But the one that will shake the empire greatly, more than others, is the Sixth Prince."

Seth's eyes widened. This is information he never knew because he was not allowed to know by the Imperial Order until he Awakened.

"It's about becoming a Pillar to the empire," Seth said in desperation. "Reputation with the common folks or the Nobles barely matters. Riches and martial prowess are all secondary."

"Yes and no. You get the Pillar part but you do need the acceptance of the people." The man chuckled, "The question is how can you become a Pillar? That should be your worry."

Seth then demanded, "How can I become a Pillar?"

"You become a Pillar through the Merit you did for the empire. Accumulate that for about a decade until you find your unique position and then carve yourself."

The smile of the man increased. "But it's not easy. Though, It has spread that you are a greater Psion than your siblings. True. But surpassing your siblings doesn't matter. You can't just replicate what they did even if did better than them and call that Merit. It has to be uniquely attributed to you!"

It won't be easy. He had grown up hearing the relentless effort his siblings had been putting forth.

They never rested, they were always on the move, always hunting, exploring.

They became akin to heroes that always responded to danger.

"Who is next?" Seth asked with a defeated expression.

"Third and Eighth!"

"Why are you calling the names that aren't even on the radar!" Seth shouted.

***

He sat in a glass ship streaking across the sky, his imperial dress is the usual black with gold weaving suit.

On his waist was the blade the emperor gave him.

On his back was a cape. Very light, but it was actually a defensive measure against all attacks.

He sat, one leg above another, in a thoughtful expression.

His discussion with Principal Zeek had shaken him more than he thought. The blunt way the man spoke made Seth irritated but also appreciate it.

'I have forgotten to ask him about other things!'

Seth shook his head to clear his mind. He had four hours before he reached Central Plain. He must prepare first.

Central Plain was where the temple existed. The place where thousands of men were sacrificed to create a sanctuary that ward away Endoēr: Nether

Seth pulled out a fist-sized crystal that had tiny channels inside. It was the device Principal Zeek sketched for him.

A pulse came from Seth's head and it became a thin hair-like tendril Psion Hand and he seeped into the crystal.

Seth was always able to shrink his Psion Hand to bare minimum, which was the highest efficiency he could do.

The reason he asked for the device was because he needs professional coaching that will make him hone himself to improve.

He also wants to have efficiency when using the eyes. He can't have his Psionic Energy exhausting every time he uses his eye.

The Psion Hand inside the crystal makes his brain visualise the tiny channels in complex patterns inside.

"Physical Barrier, Mind Shield, Force Blast and Efficiency!"

Those were the four skills embedded inside the crystal, but the whole four skills were just extensions of the last one. Efficiency.

Using them all at once, will give him a means to have incredible efficiency in using his Psion Hand.

Seth smiled. That was what he wanted. Psion Energy Efficiency. With it, he could use his Eye Power longer than before.

He didn't wait and commenced to train.

Psionic Power was versatile and very easy to understand how skills come to be.

As a Tier 1: Line Force, Seth could send and pull his Psion Hand in a straight line, but when Psion Hand entered into an object, it became an energy and spread.

Technically, Psion Energy was both tangible and intangible. And once inside an object, it became energy and began to refine it into a Holdform.

Holdform is a refined object that the Psion could control at will. In making it float or move it forward and backwards.

The crystal device was made with materials that resist refinement and it has intricate channels in pattern that guide to skill making when Psion Energy spreads through them.

Grasping them and understanding them would allow one to mimic them without the crystal.

If the Psion Hand re-enact the pattern, the skill would become in effect.

Psion Energy is like raw cement, and the Crystal Device will show it how to make bricks and from them make walls.

Though, with enough time, a genius would discover how to do the same through trial and error, but Seth didn't have time playing genius.

"To think a Basic Barrier has this complex pattern, makes you wonder how complex the Advance Barrier is!"

Seth goes slow. He needed to grasp it well before he reached his destination.

It took him 30 minutes before he grasped the whole Psion Barrier pattern.

He dissipated the Psion Hand and brought out another.

He tried to re-enact the pattern but the Psion Hand refused to change.

He tried again but nothing happened.

He looked back at the crystal thoughtfully.

Psion Hand could only go forth and backward. The barrier might not be moving but had to spread in all directions which might be the reason it refused to move.

Seth pulled his Psion Hand and made it spread across his body before he deployed the barrier.

Bubble. It came on and burst away. It's not stable but a smile came to him.

Tier 1 Psion Hand has limitations of straight line which refuses to expand in all directions when it is out of him.

But when the Psion Energy spread through his body he was able to re-enact the Psion Barrier because the Psion came from all his body.

Seth raised his hand, and the Psion Energy came from the palm forming a barrier around it before it burst.

Psion Energy came from his face and expanded to cover his face before it burst.

Seth stood from his couch to the room center.

His Psion Energy rippled from his body. This time he carefully expanded it until there was a transparent bubble around him.

His eyes were closed, concentrated on the pattern he got from the crystal.

He was not perfect but he carefully repaired gradually, one part at a time.

A ripple passed through the barrier and it became very stable.

'Then the hard part!'

Seth thought with practice trepidation.