Chapter 271: More Value

(White Castle, Archimedes’s POV)

Archimedes felt the unfamiliar Storm Aether fluctuations and rushed to Riven’s room at once.

However, what he discovered inside was not something he had expected.

On one hand, he could immediately sense that Riven had broken through to the Spark Rank, which was hardly an extraordinary achievement considering how common such advancements were amongst young Ascendants.

What baffled him, however, was how the boy had managed to accomplish it.

The last time Archimedes had examined Riven’s Soul Vessel, he had been nowhere near the threshold required for a breakthrough, and although his Perfect Storm Affinity was exceptional, talent alone could not replace the necessary accumulation of Aether.

"What happened here? And why do you look so pale?"

Archimedes asked, approaching the bed while examining the scorched sheets and the lingering traces of electricity surrounding Riven’s body.

"I don’t know, sir."

Riven answered, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I woke up, and suddenly there was electricity everywhere. And when I checked my Soul Vessel, I realized that something had changed."

He hesitated before looking towards Archimedes.

"I think I’ve broken through."

"Yes, that you have."

Archimedes replied, placing a hand upon his shoulder.

"Although I’ll be damned if I understand how."

As he spoke, Archimedes extended his senses throughout the bedroom, searching for any traces of foreign Aether that might suggest someone had interfered with Riven’s advancement.

However, despite examining every corner of the room, he discovered nothing unusual.

Even the protective formations surrounding the White Castle remained completely undisturbed.

’Strange...’

Archimedes thought, withdrawing his hand as he examined the boy’s Soul Vessel more carefully.

The advancement itself appeared perfectly natural, with no instability or residual foreign energy suggesting that the breakthrough had been artificially induced.

In fact, the quality of Riven’s newly stabilized Aether was considerably higher than what Archimedes would ordinarily expect from someone who had just entered the Spark Rank.

’This doesn’t make any sense.’

He thought, feeling his curiosity deepen.

"Sir? Is something wrong?"

Riven asked nervously.

"No, boy. Quite the opposite."

Archimedes replied, while stroking his beard.

"Your breakthrough is remarkably clean, and as far as I can tell, there’s nothing wrong with your Soul Vessel."

Archimedes confirmed before letting out a long sigh.

For a while, neither of them spoke, as though each expected the other to offer some explanation for what had happened, until Archimedes finally decided that there was little point in continuing a conversation neither of them had the answers to.

"Sleep well, boy, we will continue this conversation tomorrow."

He said before turning to leave. However, the moment he stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind him, the reassuring expression disappeared from his face.

’An advancement without sufficient ambient Aether, without an advancement potion, and without any external interference...’

Archimedes thought, stroking his beard.

There were only a handful of explanations that could account for such a phenomenon, and most were so improbable that he dismissed them at once.

Yet one particular possibility continued troubling him.

’This is only possible if his soul vessel is connected to a shared soul space with unimaginable power.’

He stopped walking.

There were ancient records describing elemental bloodlines descending from the Gods capable of tapping into a shared soul space, although most of those accounts had long since been dismissed as myths.

"The storm in that boy’s blood may be stronger than I expected...."

Archimedes muttered.

"I’ll have to report this to Drew. Perhaps we’ve been looking at this boy the wrong way."

Until now, Riven’s greatest value had been his potential as a political heir and a means of strengthening the Duke’s relationship with the Eastern Ascendant sects.

However, if Archimedes’s suspicions were correct, Riven could eventually become something far more valuable..... A genuine powerhouse capable of influencing the balance of power within the Empire.

’Perhaps one day, he’ll become a force to be reckoned with.’

Archimedes thought, turning towards the library instead of his chambers.

There were several ancient records concerning Storm bloodlines that he needed to examine, and although he could not remember their exact contents, he was certain that one particular account had mentioned something remarkably similar.

’Now, where the hell did I put that book?’

He wondered, quickening his pace as an unfamiliar excitement stirred within him, fueled by the possibility that one of the countless books he had spent decades collecting might finally reveal something useful.

—---------

Once inside the library, Archimedes quickly located the book he had been thinking of, an ancient manuscript containing detailed accounts of the Stormborn and their extraordinary bloodline abilities.

According to the records, the Stormborn possessed a unique bloodline trait known as the Eternal Storm, which allowed them to access a shared soul space containing the collective memories of their ancestors and an almost inexhaustible reserve of Storm Aether.

Through this connection, they could inherit the accumulated knowledge and experiences of countless generations, learning from the mistakes of their predecessors while drawing upon an extraordinary reserve of Aether during battle.

As long as their connection remained open, they were said to be amongst the most terrifying warriors of the ancient world, capable of fighting prolonged battles and unleashing ferocious spells.

However, as Archimedes continued reading, he encountered a passage that made his brows furrow.

According to the manuscript, the Eternal Storm had not been accessed by any known Stormborn descendant since Surthur and the other Gods withdrew from the mortal realm, as their departure had seemingly rendered the ancestral soul spaces inaccessible to their descendants.

’Then how the hell did the boy manage to break through?’

Archimedes wondered, slowly closing the manuscript.

Of course, there was no definitive proof that Riven had actually entered the Eternal Storm, although his sudden breakthrough certainly suggested that he had somehow drawn upon an external reserve of Aether.

But if his suspicions were correct, then the question was no longer simply how Riven had managed to advance to the Spark Rank.

It was why a connection that had remained dormant for thousands of years had suddenly awakened again?