Kharon's eyes narrowed as he read the words. His fingers slightly twitched as he looked up at the ceiling.
'I feel like I am remembering something... but what? Could it be that I was present during the Great Purge? But that would mean I am at least 500 or over. Or that I was 500 before getting sealed...'
Looking back down, Kharon read on with curiosity as the book continued, "The Great Purge was an event caused by the Arcane Obelisk which released a large surge of aether similar to its impact. This surge wiped out all the cities which had been built. The once recovering world was back to square one. But due to the divine gift from the Gods, the chosen Wielders were able to protect the people from monsters and arcane anomalies."
'I almost forgot about that. The common people are fed lies to stop them from becoming wielders. The Arcane Association is just limiting the growth of the civilians by doing this. Maybe I can change that...'
Smiling eerily, Kharon returned to the book.
"It was during this time that the Arcane Association; formerly a small council composed of powerful wielders and scholars, became a major institute of power. With the Association's help, the people began rebuilding. Though arcane phenomena was rampant during the next century, there were less deaths and casualties."
'So during this time the Association must have set the rule about licensed and unlicensed wielders to control the populace. As a result, wielders were more coordinated and were able to carry out missions to help these early civilizations.'
"Less babies were born but more lives were preserved because of this. And after a few more decades of growth and advancement, the early foundations of cities such as Lunaris Haven and Aeon Reach were laid. Unlike in the past, large walls began to be built to protect these cities from beasts and arcane phenomena alike. This ensured that in the event of another Great Purge, there wouldn't be as many lives lost."
Kharon's fingers twitched once more as he thought, 'If the walls were being built so early then why wasn't the city officially complete...? Was it because of the creation of arcana? But how would that delay the city's formation?'
"It was also during this time that researchers began studying runes and their effects. This led to the creation of arcana which is also known as runic magic. With it's creation came great innovation. The Aetheric Barrier Columns were created which boosted the city's security greatly. Houses and infrastructure made with the help of arcana became common."
'Brighthart Simons and the other four researchers really changed the course of history. Who knows just how different Lunaris Haven would be without all it's runic inventions. Also there are the ancient runes which the five families and the Arcane Association have in their control. There are still so many things to learn. I can't stop now, I have only just begun...'
Kharon placed the book down as he stretched for a bit before sitting back down. He proceeded to spend his entire days reading the pile of books he had collected; learning more about not only Lunaris Haven but also Aeon Reach and the other cities.
'So Aeon Reach is the city of wielders with a quarter of it's population being wielders... The Sacred Oasis was the least affected by the Arcane Obelisk...?! The Crescent Isles have the highest amount of mystic constructs and most of them are sold in special auctions...'
Kharon as a wielder and because of his apparent status was even able to request a special book on the arcane paths. Through this, he learnt about the different abilities of the other paths and their weak points. He read more about the mechanism of space expansion and how to integrate arcane abilities into it.
After three days of constant learning with only a few breaks, Kharon felt exhausted. He spent his fifth day resting and consolidating his knowledge as he began laying the foundations of the Null Order's headquarters.
'I can use the third compartment of the Storage Box for this. It is already as big as a mansion. I wonder if Master Lodge predicted this... Well, at least I won't have to expand it as much. Maybe I can build a mansion in here. Though I have no experience buildings...'
Kharon's fingers twitched as he sighed and returned to the library. He spent the whole night learning about architecture and design.
'I am glad that my memory has been boosted twice because of my path. If not I would surely forget everything I have learnt. To create this mansion I am going to need materials. Furthermore, I need to find a way to integrate Veiling into it.'
Sitting in front of a desk filled with parchments, Kharon stretched and cracked a few bones before he began his runeweave. He quickly became engrossed in his work as hours flew by like seconds. Once he had completed the complex tapestry, he integrated them into the third layer of the Storage Box. Looking nervously at the box, Kharon opened the third compartment and jumped in.
Inside the box, he could see a bright, yellow ball of energy; an artificial sun of his making. He smiled briefly before looking gloomily at his surroundings. He was about to sigh but stopped himself before taking in a small breath. When he felt that everything was fine, he took in a deep breath before exclaiming, "I did it! The box can now accommodate life. All I need is to add some grass, create a fake atmosphere and build the mansion..."
His smile slightly wavered at the list of things to do, but Kharon crossed his arms and looked up at the sun.
'If I can create a sun, I can surely build a mansion. The ancient runes I am using can definitely create an actual sun but I am not at that level yet. If I had someone's domain to study, maybe it would be possible. But the amount of aether needed would be massive. I need to become a tier 3 wielder before I can dream of doing that. This will be our first headquarters, not our last.'
...
The two week period had quickly flown by due to the amount of work Kharon had done. Zack had still not contacted him about a potential new member which made Kharon both relieved and worried. He had managed to find and hire an expert arcana user who helped add more features to his space. His wallet had temporarily been reduced to just 5000 Aethermarks before Axel sent him 250,000 Aethermarks from selling the Corrupted Graveborn Monarch to the Association.
'I have enough money to live comfortably for a few decades... Well, maybe I will be able to rest when I complete all my goals and retire. Until then I must work myself to the bone. Unless I want to become an actual pile of bones...'
Kharon chuckled at his ridiculous joke and looked at the sight in front of him. A large mansion stood before him like a mountain. He could feel a cold breeze pass over him as he looked at the black grass beneath his feet. The starry night sky shone as the black sun above flew around the space.
'Who would have thought that I would create a city wide space for our headquarters? Now that the Storage Box is just one big compartment with a whole mansion, it seems strange to keep calling it a box... The Eclipse Sanctum sounds fitting.'
Walking through the empty field, Kharon made his way to the obsidian mansion. With each step he took, the black grass turned purple as if reacting to his will. He slowly stepped onto the stairs. As he climbed higher, the dark mansion seemed to release a low hum, welcoming it's master and creator.
Kharon placed his hand on the door when a faint light came from his hand. On his right index finger was a ring, it had white pearl which contained an outer ring of broken chains. With twelve crescent moons surrounding a large, dark circle. The upper most moon shone as the door slowly swung open. Little candles lit up one by one as a faint white light was emitted from them.
With steady steps, Kharon walked up the grand staircase reminiscent of the Hollow Syndicate's. He climbed until he reached the top floor. Inside was a large, circular table with twelve seats around it. On the wall, was the exact same symbol from Kharon's ring.
Smiling with satisfaction, Kharon walked towards a seat which had the word 'Architect' written on it's top rail. He sat down and looked at the eleven empty seats.
'I have already given Zack his own ring. So if I just..'
Kharon released a gently stream of aether into the ring on his right index finger. The black circle and all the crescent moons turned white as he waited. After a minute, a faint figure appeared in the left seat next to his. It was the Enforcer, Zack Starling. He slowly rose from his seat as he bowed before Kharon as he said, "Hey boss."