The Primordial Record

Due to the quick action of the Mages, the arrival of the storm did not cause much destruction in the realm, but because the storm was unexpected and had many destructive powers, losses were inevitable.

Hundreds of millions had perished in the first few moments when winds that were so strong blew entire continents into space and many other acts of heavenly fury that rained down destruction on the realm, but if there was one thing that Mages were famous for, it was their adaptability.

Rivaling the Primordial Domain in their responsiveness to danger, the Mages did not take long to construct a great dome of rippling forcefields over the areas buffeted by the storms, and as if it was by fate, the leader of the defense department who quickly solved this crises was a Rank 9 Archmage, Archibald Wilos, a member of Andar's Limit Breaker group.

This led to Andar, the Endless Magus, being perceived as a higher-dimensional mage who placed the interests of his people above all else and whose quick response to danger was something to be praised.

Andar had braved the storm and saved countless mages. The breadth of his powers seemed almost infinite as massive tentacles of Aether surrounding him plunged into the storm, and he fished out those who were on the verge of perishing.

His speed was almost too fast to be glimpsed as he traveled from one end of the realm to another, entering deep into the earth and reaching into space to rescue and to heal. His singular effort was equal to all the higher-dimensional mages who came out in rescue, most of whom were related to Andar or were his supporters.

Most higher-dimensional beings were cold and brutal, not caring for the fate of the mortals and lesser immortals below them. Mages followed this rule in treating those lesser than them in their eternal quest to find the truth about all things.

Andar's action to rescue those who would have otherwise perished in the storm made his supporters follow his example. Since his coronation ceremony was not placed on hold even during such a reality-shaking event like this storm, the people who saw his actions came out to celebrate a genius whose character and talent might steer the path of the Mages into a new realm.

It also helped that Aeynid Erikson was working behind the scenes with the entire might of the Erikson family to push Andar's name to the forefront, telling tales of his origins, the tribulations he had to face to reach this position, and the many achievements he had made along the way.

Among his many achievements, the thing that stood out more than most was his kindness. Andar had no air of pride around him, nor did he kill unnecessarily like most powerful mages did when they craved a prize; his record was flawless.

A leaf could not cover a blazing fire, and Andar's innate goodness could not be hidden.

Mages were not fools. In the past, there had been others who wore a cloak of righteousness to hide the stains inside their hearts, and if Andar were a Mage who was a hypocrite about his activities, then it would not be long before he was discovered.

However, Andar lived up to the stories and more. In his million years of life, his accomplishments were legendary. Perhaps the higher-dimensional mages might not see the importance of his actions. The lesser mages, whose lives had limits and lived under countless constraints, saw Andar as a light in a Reality that was beyond cruel.

A million years was a long time to reveal the core of a man's character, and Andar's character was well known and loved.

Aeynid expected that her campaign to push Andar's name into the consciousness of the Magus society would make waves.

Still, she did not expect the maniacal wave of support and adoration pouring out from the Mages here for the Supreme Title celebration of her son.

For a moment, it made her rethink her values in life as she asked herself, to be feared or loved, which was better?

Among some of the more maniacal group of mages whose support of him had almost become nothing less than worship, there was talk of Andar becoming the next Supreme Magus, and the evidence for that was that he had been granted a Supreme Title.

Aeynid broke into a cold sweat when she heard those rumors and quietly began to silence those voices. Endirius was not to be trifled with, and only old families like the Eriksons understood the tyranny of their leader.

It would cost him nothing to kill Andar and the entire Erikson family for a lesser offense, and wiping out every Magus in the realm was a possibility. There were old rumors that Endirius had repeatedly killed every single mage in existence during his many experiments.

Although these rumors had not been substantiated, the Magus society's past had glaring holes, and Endirius had not gone out of his way to deny these accusations.

Still, it would seem as if she could only put out one fire and a hundred spring up in other places; she was almost suspecting that the hands of someone else were manipulating the minds of these mages, but who could be so bold?

Torn between despair and pride at her son, Aeynid continued to put out these rebellious fires until she gave up, realizing that whatever was happening was beyond her. The only thing she could do was to follow the leader of their family, Andar Erikson. Whatever path he led them towards, that was what she would follow.

Aeynid's instincts were correct, although Andar was a great Mage. Perhaps his kind would never be seen again, as someone like him could only be born once in an Era. There was more at play here, and Rowan's hands were in it. All of this subtle manipulation began a million years ago, and everything would culminate on this day.

®

Andar's call to bring down the barrier was madness. Aeynid did not know what had entered her son's mind to call for such an action, but to her sheer astonishment, the barrier over the storm was broken without concern.