Veritas Alpha ascended, the familiar disorientation momentary before the structured calm of the celestial gathering enveloped him. The ethereal space held the quiet gravity of ancient power, far removed from the clamor of the mortal realm he currently navigated. Around the vast, shimmering nexus where they convened, the other entities—the 'old gods'—awaited, their forms mutable, shifting echoes of light and shadow that represented eons of existence and influence.
"Veritas Alpha," one voice resonated, carrying the weight of historical precedent, "We thank you for answering our summons so swiftly."
Calvin, or rather, the consciousness inhabiting the guise of Calvin, inclined his form respectfully. "The needs of the realm outweigh the concerns of the immediate work, though the latter is of import. You wished to speak of the Albright subject."
Another entity, whose presence felt like tempered steel, spoke next. "Indeed. The progressive you have managed with the mortal human, Shane Albright, is… unexpected, given the initial parameters. He has internalized the system faster than anticipated, and his localized successes are already making ripples we can observe from this distance."
"He is naturally inclined toward stabilizing his immediate environment," Veritas Alpha confirmed, keeping his report clipped and purely factual. He did not, and would not, reveal the breadth of his own involvement or the extent of Shane's potential advancement—namely, the transformation into a celestial being. That was reserved for the ultimate disclosure, should Shane succeed. "He is building a foundation, ensuring his immediate sphere of influence is sound before attempting larger constructs. His success in stabilizing the volatile elements amongst his crew—Gary, Marcos—demonstrates a necessary precursor to broader application."
"And the winnings," the first voice pressed gently. "The sudden infusion of capital. A predictable catalyst for disruption, yet he seems to be utilizing it as intended—for expansion, not self-indulgence."
"The structure of the system is robust," Veritas Alpha stated. "The incentives align with the necessary outcomes. He is currently directing resources toward establishing formal growth pathways for his crew, which will serve as the scaffolding for future endeavors."
A third entity, whose light felt cool and distant, like starlight filtered through millennia, cut through the praise. "We appreciate the accounting of his tactical successes, Veritas Alpha. However, we must turn to the more pressing issue. Have you gleaned any substantive information regarding the whereabouts or status of the Raven God?"
The mention of the missing entity caused a subtle dimming in the ethereal plane. This was the crux of their anxiety. Apex Negativa's slow, pervasive control was only manageable because of the inherent imbalance that the Raven God's disappearance had caused.
"No," Veritas Alpha replied, the admission feeling like a small failure even in this timeless space. "There are no defining markers of his reintegration into the mortal plane, nor any echoes of his celestial signature that would indicate his level of awareness. He remains elusive. If he is reborn into mortality, the memory shield remains intact, or perhaps he has not yet reached the point of reawakening that triggers the system's 'clarity' phase."
"Then the primary obstacle to countering Apex Negativa's dominion remains the Raven God's absence," the tempered steel entity concluded grimly. "His potential—the unique contours allowed by his original role—could redefine the conditions of engagement. We cannot risk rewriting the parameters for anyone else with the same scope."
Veritas Alpha considered the question of celestial power acquisition, the abstract currency that kept them whole and relevant against the slow entropy engineered by AN. "My own acquisition remains steady, if slow. Guiding mortals toward acts of deliberate, constructive good—building, healing, protecting—yields the most consistent returns in this current epoch. Shane is a highly efficient conduit for this purpose."
One of the older entities sighed, a sound that nonetheless carried tremendous resonance. "Our paths are far more restrictive now. The worship that once fueled us has been systematically diverted or poisoned by Apex Negativa, who presents himself as legion. Our required conditions are near impossible to meet in the current societal configuration. To regain parity, we would require reincarnation, a voluntary descent into mortality to realign our influence."
"And reincarnation is a gamble," Veritas Alpha reminded them, recalling the fate of the last entity who attempted to resist AN directly through that method without prior safeguards. "A descent risks forgetting, or worse, an ambush while vulnerable. The Raven God, with his unique potential, could have his conditions rewritten to align with the current flow, providing us a potent weapon without the peril of mass descent."
"Precisely why the search is paramount," the distant light affirmed. "If we are to engage Apex Negativa directly—and that day approaches, as his chaotic mandates become increasingly broad—we require that countermeasure."
Veritas Alpha then shifted the focus back to Shane, to actionable progression, because inaction here would effectively stall everything. "If I may present the next phase for Albright, contingent on maintaining current trajectory?"
The collective presence signaled assent.
"Shane must immediately insulate the foundational crew. The immediate threat from Director Thorne, directed by Apex Negativa, is clear: to disrupt the stability he has achieved through financial reward or crisis. He needs layers of reliable, capable structure so that if a cornerstone is pulled, the building does not collapse."
Veritas Alpha detailed his vision for Shane's company. "Saul is the linchpin for mentorship. He must transition from simply being a reliable worker to an active leader in training the next tier. Shane needs to formalize a structure where Saul oversees a dedicated apprentice program, perhaps initially focusing on Ben, but soon expanding. This establishes the company's *ethos* as sustainable, not dependent on Shane's physical presence or even his divine luck."
"The expansion must be rapid, yet organic," Veritas Alpha continued, channeling the necessary blueprint through his own system interface, though the 'old gods' perceived it instantly. "By leveraging initial capital responsibly—securing high-grade equipment, incorporating properly, ensuring favorable contracts—Shane builds wealth, which translates to localized influence. This influence, even in mundane construction, allows him to counteract AN's subtle erosion of community trust. Every successfully completed, ethically managed project acts as a micro-stabilizer against the global chaos AN breeds."
"The goal is national reach, not merely local dominance," Veritas Alpha stressed. "National reach grants the necessary systemic influence to begin offsetting national-level manipulations orchestrated by AN's hidden directors. Each expansion, each successful long-term contract secured outside his initial radius, provides exponential scaling for his system's capabilities. Higher influence equals higher system unlocks, which in turn grants him the perception and awareness needed to directly challenge AN's agents."
The structure was not merely about building houses; it was about building a counter-narrative to the division AN promoted. Every employed, sobered, stabilized man became a tangible rebuttal to the chaos.
"It sounds," the voice of tempered steel noted, "like a meticulous, if immensely ambitious, strategy for grassroots counter-insurgency, disguised as a successful small business venture."
"It is the only viable path for a mortal host," Veritas Alpha agreed. "He cannot fight a celestial war with hammers and nails, but he can build a fortress of stability and competence so large that it becomes politically and economically significant enough to draw the attention of necessary mortal powers, thereby creating unforeseen variables for Apex Negativa."
He paused, letting the strategic implications settle. "Until the Raven God reappears, the best defense is aggressive, ethical growth. Shane must become untouchable, and his influence must become so interwoven into the fabric of commerce that removing him triggers a societal rather than a localized disturbance."
The discussion then circled back, one last time, to the lingering uncertainty.
"And the Raven God?" the distant light inquired again. "If he is dormant, trapped in a cycle, is there anything *we* can do to hasten his memory return, short of self-immolation?"
"No," Veritas Alpha reiterated firmly. "The conditions that govern his return are highly personal and tied to specific celestial equations that AN disrupted. Attempting to force the issue would likely alert AN to our active intervention prematurely. Shane's system, once fully realized, *might* provide the necessary resonance to locate him, but Shane needs significantly more power and awareness before he could safely interact with a being of that magnitude, even if we could find him."
He felt the familiar, low-level energy drain that accompanied the transfer of such complex projections across dimensions. "I must return to my post. The necessary counsel has been given. Shane is due for a significant system update next time he successfully manages a catastrophic failure point. I will ensure the environment is ripe for such a trial."
With a final nod that was felt rather than seen, Veritas Alpha initiated his egress from the council chamber. He phased out of the celestial light, the transition back into the familiar, albeit temporary, vessel of Calvin a sharp jolt.
He reappeared not in the celestial void, but back on the dusty, sun-drenched roof—or rather, the construction site adjacent to it, subtly shifting his perception to view the ongoing work from a slightly elevated, watchful distance. He held the memory of the meeting perfectly: the strategy for Shane's expansion laid out, the necessity of the Raven God's return hammered home, and the acute danger of drawing AN's direct, undivided attention too early.
He saw Shane conferring with Saul and Ben near the scaffolding. Shane was wearing the focused intensity of a man moving mountains with slightly confused efficiency. The growth was steady, built on the back of good decisions reinforced by the system. Gary was diligently operating a piece of equipment, looking sober and engaged, a minor victory Shane treated with immense internal gravity. Marcos, too, seemed less burdened, his conversations with Saul carrying a lighter tone.
*Phase one: Stabilization of the core module, complete,* Veritas Alpha calculated internally.
Now came the hard part: scaling up before AN's next move. AN was not patient; he preferred disruptive chaos over incremental decay. The fact that the last significant counter-intervention Thorne orchestrated had failed—the initial accident thwarted by Shane's newly unlocked speed—would certainly have enraged AN. Such a blatant obstruction rarely went unpunished by the entity.
Veritas Alpha needed to give Shane the environmental challenges that would force the next level of system unlock—the one that would see him capable of handling the weight of national economic maneuvering.
He took a slow breath, the construction dust seeming mundane compared to the celestial discourse he'd just left.
He reviewed the next projected milestone. Shane needed to secure the zoning variance for the community center project—a massive undertaking that required navigating layers of municipal corruption. This was the perfect crucible. It forced direct confrontation with the systemic rot AN had cultivated, testing Shane's ability to use influence, allies, and his X-ray vision into human motivations, rather than brute force intervention.
*Time to plant the seed for the zoning crisis,* Veritas Alpha mused, already layering concepts and possibilities into the ambient awareness around Shane, waiting for the exact moment the construction worker would look up, feel a familiar flicker of clarity, and wonder how he was supposed to get through city hall red tape next week. If Shane could handle the bureaucracy, the celestial power surge would be immense. If he faltered, AN would have an entry point.