The OP Lich is a Returnee, Chapter 81 (Patreon)

Chapter 81 – Diplomatic

“I must say, I was surprised when this meeting request came across my desk.”

I chuckled as I sat in the office of the Australian Ambassador to Japan. The Ambassador shook his head with a smile. He was amicable enough, but I could tell that he was suspicious. After all, I’d not really bothered with diplomacy up until now.

“Well, a few things have changed in recent weeks, and so I felt it best to start taking a different tack on things. Now that I am my own state in exile, doing things through diplomatic channels is an option that is now open to me. So, in cases where the country involved is not already upset with me, there’s no reason not to try, yes?”

“Ah, yes. I heard about the Japanese government granting you Government-in-Exile status. A nice little trick to separate themselves from your actions, without needing to condemn you, or put themselves in situations where they have to stand between you and the United States.”

“Exactly. They did not wish to be put in a position where they would have to sever ties with a longtime friend to look after their national interests. Such as the fact that the balance of power in the world is shifting. The old superpowers of Russia and the US are fading in relevance as magic changes the playing field, and many of the Cold War divisions have been blown away. Even the former North and South Koreas have been unified!”

I sighed, and shook my head sadly. “Unfortunately, there are some people who are refusing to acknowledge that the world has changed. Whether they will learn from the gentle lesson I gave them, or continue on with their belligerence until they remove themselves from relevance is up to them. But I have no reason to transfer grudges against one country to another, just because they are friends.”

“Well,” the Ambassador said, “I am certainly glad to hear that. So, I’ve been told that you are a fan of cutting through the normal diplomatic doublespeak and getting straight to the heart of things. What might be your goal for this meeting today?”

“That is simple, Ambassador Weaver. Recent revelations have necessitated my going on a bit of a ‘world tour’. It started in China, and the next place I need to go is Australia. Specifically, I need to venture into the outback, to the rock formation known as Uluru.”

“Really, Uluru? And this has something to do with your recent trip to China? I don’t suppose you can tell me what that was about? There happens to be a bit of a betting pool in the Embassy about the reason for that trip.”

I chuckled, and nodded. “I can tell you, but I’d like you to refrain from letting the information spread to the general public until after I’ve finished my tour. It could cause unnecessary complications when I get to the final stop, you see.”

Weaver grinned. “Oh, well now I simply have to know! Do you mind if I record this, so the boys in Intelligence don’t smother me in my sleep?”

“Of course. This isn’t a secret, so much as a situation that would best be handled without causing a panic.” When the Ambassador nodded his understanding, I continued, “Most people believe that the Awakening brought magic to this world. Even I thought that was the case. However, I have since uncovered information that suggested that was not the case.

“Without naming sources, since they have no wish to join the public eye as I have, I found someone who claimed that magic had always been in this world, but that it was sealed away, beyond the point where any human could use it easily. This is why magic was so rife in early cultures, but dwindled to little more than myth, superstition, or metaphor after a certain point. The Awakening did not bring magic to this world. It cracked the seal, and allowed magic to start seeping in.”

“That is… well, that’s definitely something. I don’t know what, but it is something. And you say your trip to China has something to do with this seal?”

“Yes. The seal is actually one main seal, with eight supporting pillars, damming up the wellsprings through which mana flows into this world. I journeyed to China to check on the seal there, and ascertain what, if anything, needed to be done.”

“I take it by your continued ‘tour’, that there was indeed something that needed to be done?”

“You are correct. The Awakening cracked the seal, and that seal is weakening, like a dam with a leak in it. If the seals fail, then it will be like a dam breaking. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the forces involved, should the seals fail at once, may well be enough to send the Earth into a new Ice Age. I am sure that you can guess at how that would affect life on Earth.”

“Yes, well, I am starting to understand why you would want to keep this from the public, until the danger was past. I take it you found some way to avert catastrophe?”

“To continue the dam analogy, you have to release pressure on the dam by letting the water out in a controlled way, so that, when the dam breaks, it is a manageable affair, and doesn’t flood the town downstream.”

“Then there’s no repairing, or shoring up the dam?”

“Through study of the dam, I could perhaps learn the necessary techniques to replicate, repair, or rebuild the dam, but, even with my preexisting knowledge and talents, and with the full might of Risen Athelia behind me, that would take longer than we have before the dam fails. This is not something that you can just put a crude patch on. It was the masterwork of a forgotten age of magic, done in secret to prevent those in power from learning of it until it was too late.”

“So, they didn’t exactly leave behind blueprints, I understand. Then, what would this controlled release look like? Is there any danger to it?”

“The release will take one of three forms. First is a slow seeping of mana into the environment, which will warp and change the land and creatures living there in unpredictable ways, in a process taking years, if not decades. Second is a sudden explosion, like a shaped charge, removing a significant portion of the land from existence, but with little long-term effect. Third would be to find a vessel to filter the energies through. Unfortunately, should the vessel break, it will be back to the shaped charge.”

“This ‘vessel’ isn’t just some object, is it?”

“No, it must be a living being, trained enough in the ways of cultivating their mana that they can filter the raw, elemental power through their body, but not so trained as their innate power becomes a hindrance to the process. They will endure unspeakable pain, and if they lose control at any point, the power will destroy them, and all those around, like a nuke to the face. But, should they survive, they will have powers akin to those of a summoned hero in the other world.”

“They will become like you?”

“No, they will become an existence similar to how I was, when I was first summoned. However, due to the nature of the change, their elemental nature will be far more pronounced. The vessel used in Xi’an was changed, taking on elements of Shadow to match the wellspring sealed there.”

“The Emperor. Intelligence spotted him with… a new look, shall we say, after your meeting with him. They didn’t know whether it was some cosmetic thing, or some equipment found beneath the tomb of the first emperor of China, or something else. So, the energy changed him in some fundamental way, as well as giving him the power of a ‘hero’?”

“Yes, and the only reason he could survive it is because his element was Shadow. Someone with a different element would likely have been ripped apart by the energies, or mutated in ways that are truly horrific. Which brings us to another problem. You see, the seal under Uluru is the one of Life mana.”

“So, it would be potentially dangerous for you to go near it?”

“Possibly, but unlikely. I am a creature of Death, yes, but Life and Death are not so antagonistic as, say, Fire and Water, or Earth and Air. However, being a creature of Death, it is quite impossible for me to be the vessel to filter the Wellspring of Life.”

“So, you need someone to take up that role.”

“Yes. If they succeed, then they will gain the power of a hero. If they fail, they will be destroyed, along with Uluru. However, the mutations caused by their success may be worse than death.”

“What do you mean? This is the Life well-thingy we’re talking about, right? Surely that’s a good thing?”

I smiled. “That is a common misconception. You see, as I explained in a lecture on the nature of elements a few months ago, Life might help with healing, and ensuring things grow strong, but life is also the domain of plagues, and cancer. Viruses and bacteria are both Life. Simple life, but Life all the same. And cancer is just Life running rampant, out of control.”

“So, the chosen vessel, in addition to needing an elemental… affinity?” He looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded. “So, the vessel will need an elemental affinity for life, and will undergo severe pain, in hopes of getting the power of a hero. However, if they fail, they blow up, and if they succeed, they may get magical super-cancer?”

“Yes. It is a bit more complicated and nuanced than that, but that is the general idea.”

“This poses a problem, you understand. Finding someone with the proper element is a challenge on its own. Add on their being willing to undergo what is essentially torture, all for the hopes of being a hero? That is not something that the Government could order its people to do. Especially if the end result is cancer.”

“Of course. I am not asking you to do something like send me a prisoner for human experimentation, or something barbaric like that. If you find someone willing to take up the role of a vessel, then I can, at least, offer them a quick end, should the changes be cancerous or life-threatening. It is not a perfect solution, but it would prevent them from suffering.”

“There is that, I guess. But it will not be easy to get volunteers, despite all of that. And losing Uluru would be a major cultural blow to the country. What about the third option, the one of leaking mana into the area? What would that do, if the area around is mostly desert?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. Something like this has never been done before. However, my experience with areas where mana has been aspected one way or another beyond reasonable bounds tells me that things would change, dramatically.”

“How so?”

I took a breath to consider my next words. “First, you will see a rise of plants, animals, and monsters that can survive off mana alone, though they still may take nutrients from the soil, or eat plants and animals to supplement this. Second, you will either see a greater diversity in creatures, or they will grow to greater size. The greater the diversity, the more plentiful creatures will be. The smaller the diversity, the more singular entities will arise. In the worst case, they might even reach the level of kaiju.”

“You mean like Godzilla? We could actually have some creature reach Godzilla heights?”

“Yes. And there’s no telling what kind of creature it would spring from. While I doubt the monster would have atomic breath, it would definitely have magic, and would almost certainly be a walking calamity, with regenerative abilities that would make them nearly impossible to kill.”

“Have you ever seen such a creature, in the other world?”

“Only once, and only from afar. I was venturing to a country on the northern edge of the continent, ostensibly to start a new offensive against the Demon King and his forces in the neighboring land, though I also wished to destroy their copies of the Summoning Ritual that brought me to that world. I was able to witness the Terror Casque from afar, as it grazed upon a forest like a hippopotamus, with the tallest trees reaching up to its knees.”

“That sounds… troublesome. Hopefully it did not have a hippo’s temper?”

“No, the thing made a hippo look positively docile and friendly by comparison. And its carapace made it insanely resistant to magic. Attempts had been made to kill it before, even with Death magic, but, even when the body had been physically cut apart, and rendered to ash, the creature still managed to regenerate.”

“Well, that’s going to give me nightmares.” Weaver shook his head, clearing away those thoughts. “All right, I will pass your warning along. I assume that you want to do this rather quickly?”

“Within the week, if possible. I have not yet laid eyes on the prime seal, so I do not know if we have months, or years before it fails. So sooner is better than later.”

“Right. I’ll get on that. Thank you for coming, your Majesty.”