Empire Of Souls 157 Makings Of An Empire 2

Aleks was pleased with what he saw as the horde neared what appeared a town under construction. When Aleks originally left the valley, many servants, laborers and slaves had been left behind to begin construction on a new city. This would be the capital of Aleks's future empire and it was also the spiritual resting place of the Tower of Babel. Although this world was no longer the exact same world he once lived in, it was still his world in essence. The Tower of Babel, which the denizens of his world had thought was a scientific marvel, was in fact not entirely built through scientific principles. Even Aleks hadn't been aware that at that time, there was more to the Tower of Babel then he ever imagined.

Although the tower no longer existed in the physical world, it had actually been finished and even turned on, even if only for a mere moment. That moment was enough to activate the tower and allowed it to be infused with the soul of the world. Because of this, the tower did in fact exist in spirit, if not physically. No one could see the tower within the physical world, but to Aleks, the tower existed. Not only did it exist, but as he looked towards the town with a gaze of expectation, he could see the vast and majestic tower which once awed an entire world. It had always been here in his eyes, and its crown pierced the endless sky. He could feel its power and the aura of life that emanated from it.

This brought him a hint of joy and pride. This was his crowning achievement, his life that he toiled for, even at the cost of everything. 

"There you are.. How marvelous, how magnificent. The world will once more see your grandeur and it will know fear."

When it came into his sight so clearly, he blanked out and memories of the past filled his mind. His mask at that time glowed dimly, but Aleks wasn't aware of it. Through the eyes of the mask, there was another who silently looked on. Lariel noticed it, for she was always observing Aleks. Only he was worthy of such attention by her, but she didn't say anything. She knew Aleks wasn't willing to accept this, and the one in the mask didn't wish to reveal it either.

'Perhaps in time.' She thought wistfully as she considered the possibility of her eventual demise, 'at least he won't be fully alone.'

There was also the possibility that she would survive the curse, but she didn't want to feel hope only to have it taken from her. 

Lenia was quite excited when she saw how much progress was being made on the construction of their new city. Although it could just barely be called a town at this point, she couldn't help but think of how grand it would be in the future. This was her first true home, she had never had any other except for at Aleks's side. Nelay was mostly apathetic, at least on the surface, but there was a trace of expectation in her heart.

Although the Tower of Babel was only visible to him, the many large structures under construction were visible to everyone else. Many structures were still unfinished, but the magnitude of the construction was immense. This was to be a grand city, a capital of an empire and it required such grandeur. It wasn't necessarily clear to everyone what the purpose of each structure would be, but there were a variety of structures undergoing construction or basic planning. Some were delicate, with intricate designs, while others were st.u.r.dy and imposing. There were a few which especially stood out because of the intended size. As both an emperor and a deity, Aleks would require a magnificent Imperial palace as well as a majestic cathedral. These would be symbols of his power and prestige.

After finally arriving within the bounds of the town under construction, Aleks was carried into a large building that was only partially built. It was being constructed using a type of elegant and st.u.r.dy stone, but only the basic foundation of the building was in place. A part of the ground floor of this building had been completed, but there was still much of it that was under construction. The interior of this structure, which would one day be an imperial palace, was mostly bare. The architectural style and craftsmanship was superb and it was clear that it had been constructed with the aid of magic. 

It was apparent that when it was finally complete, it would be quite majestic and worthy of Aleks's status. As of now though, it was a mere sh.e.l.l with only a few functioning rooms. This was enough for now and even though Aleks said nothing, he was pleased with the progress. He had never been one who cared for flaunting wealth, but he couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship and vision. Whether he wished to or not, he had to come to terms with his new status. He was no longer a lone wanderer, he was now a ruler of many.

Now that Aleks was back within his domain and could feel the supreme aura of the Tower of Babel washing over him, he felt much more comfortable. If not for rushing about so much, he would have been happy to spend more time a.n.a.lyzing his abilities and the functions of his domain. There was much that he could do now that he was here and many preparations which needed to be made. As for the all the issues of his new army, the construction of his capital and settling his people, these were matters that also needed to be addressed. Most of these matters would be delegated to his subordinates, but he still had to make decisions as their sovereign.

Aleks was bathed, dressed and made to be presentable by his servants. This was something which came with the territory and it didn't bother Aleks much. He was happy to have others handle these trivial things for him as his mind was constantly elsewhere. He never stopped using his inherent system to a.n.a.lyze the laws he was familiar with as well as perusing all of the information obtained from the Tower of Babel regarding his domain. 

He was astounded by how much power he had at his fingertips and what he could do using the system right before his eyes. His mask acted as a conduit, which made it easier for him to see everything broken down into simple data and relayed the information to him in an orderly and organized fashion. It reminded him of his past life as a scientist and an engineer when he worked side by side with his brother. The tables, graphs, charts and other information presented to him gave him a sense of familiarity and nostalgia.

"It seems that within my domain I can use 'Soul Potential' to increase productivity of the soil, make changes to the geography and environment to a degree, and even affect the type and quant.i.ty of resources. I can also provide a variety of benefits to any who worship me within my domain. I am still only a DemiG.o.d, so there are many limitations to my powers, but what I am able to do already borders on the realm of divine beings. Even if I can only affect my domain, which is still not very large, this is an unprecedented power. Lariel informed me that no divine being has ever been able to create their domain within the mortal world and they are limited to the heavenly plane. This definitely must be because of the Tower of Babel and the Origin. The only issue here is my lack of Soul Potential and without a sufficient supply, it will hinder my actions."

Aleks slowly walked down the hallway leading from his personal bedroom to the throne room. Behind him followed his servants who kept a respectful distance from him. They quietly kept their heads slightly down as they followed behind him and they would only speak when necessary or when responding to his orders. Being in his own domain, he could let his guard down a little and so he walked somewhat absentmindedly. 

He would know right away if another deity intruded on his domain. It wasn't a perfect detection ability and it was possible for mortals serving other deities to infiltrate within his domain, but it would be impossible for a vessel of another deity to do so without Aleks being made aware immediately. Normal mortals were no threat to him in the slightest, only a very few in the mortal world could threaten him. If any of those few decided to come seeking trouble with him here, they would have to leave their lives behind. In this place, Aleks was greatly empowered under the protection of the tower and it was here where he was at his strongest.

Unless a G.o.d was somehow able to personally descend upon the mortal plane, or he suffered an attack from many powerful saints, he had nothing to fear while within his domain.