Chapter 6 - A Skill Heaven Deleted
Mira could not see my system.
Not exactly.
She saw something older.
"Heaven Marks," she said. "Threads around people. Warnings. Doors. Sometimes deaths."
I did not tell her mine came with menus.
"Why is Veyr keeping you here?"
"Because my spirit root is useful when removed from my body."
That sounded worse than I expected.
I examined the chains.
[Heaven-Lock Chain]
[Break requirement: Foundation strength OR forbidden skill]
A new option appeared.
[Search deleted skills? Cost: 20 Defiance Points]
I had thirty-five.
I paid.
The screen flickered violently.
[ERROR]
[ACCESSING HEAVEN'S TRASH ARCHIVE]
One skill appeared.
[MERIDIAN BITE — Rank: Deleted]
[Consume foreign qi structures by direct contact.]
[Side effect: Heaven's Debt +5 per use.]
I touched the chain.
My palm burned.
The qi inside the metal flowed into me like molten glass.
The chain cracked.
[Heaven's Debt: 6]
Mira stared.
"That skill was erased during the First Ascension War."
"Good to know."
I broke the second chain.
Thunder rolled above the mountain.
[Heaven's Debt: 11]
[Debt threshold reached.]
[Minor Tribulation scheduled within 24 hours.]
Mira rubbed her wrists.
"You just made Heaven angry."
"Apparently we have that in common."
We turned to leave.
A door opened behind the cage.
Inside were shelves.
On them sat dozens of glass jars.
Each jar contained a glowing spirit root.
May you like
And one had my name on it.
