The weight of the Void-Caller's Baton felt natural in Reidar's hand.

But it wasn't just the weight that felt right—it was everything about the Void-Caller's Baton. Reidar had bought it from Zyreth'Kal back at the survivor camp, and from the moment he'd first held it, he knew it was exactly what he needed.

—[« Void-Caller's Baton »] —

Rarity: Mythic (+120% Bonus)

Item Level (ILVL): 337 → Tier: 33 (+330% Bonus)

Type: Magical

Subtype: Wand

Weight: 0.9 kg

Handedness: One-Handed

BASE STATS

Damage: 2,500 - 4,800 (Arcane/Cold)

Attack Speed: +15%

Range: 45m

Resource Cost: Mana: 120

ATTRIBUTE SCALING

S.H.I.E.L.D.: C

F.L.A.I.R.: A

A.C.U.M.E.N.: S+

F.L.I.P.: B

CORE ATTRIBUTES

S.H.I.E.L.D.: +8.5

F.L.A.I.R.: +22.0

A.C.U.M.E.N.: +45.5

F.L.I.P: +12.0

TIERED BONUSES

A.C.U.M.E.N Scaling: +66% Summon Damage

F.L.A.I.R. Scaling: +33% Summon Attack Speed

CUSTOM EFFECTS

Essence Link: 20% of damage taken by Reidar is distributed evenly among active summons instead.

Necrotic Feedback: When a summoned minion dies, it explodes, dealing 400% of its max health as Arcane damage to enemies within 10m.

Void Siphon: Summon attacks have a 10% chance to restore 2% of Reidar's max Mana.

Chrono-Stasis: Active summons last 330% longer.

SOCKETS & REQUIREMENTS

Sockets: 10 (Base 4 [Mythic] + 6 [Tier 33/5])

Requirements: Level 307, A.C.U.M.E.N. ≥ 60

Acquisition: Bought from vendor Zyreth'Kal

—[<<END>>]—

The weapon was elegant yet simple. It was a sleek rod of dark metal that seemed to drink in the surrounding light, crowned with a crystal that pulsed with violet energy. It wasn't flashy. There were no engravings, and it didn't scream for attention. But the moment Reidar's fingers closed around it, he felt it was the right weapon.

The baton amplified his summons' abilities. It made every link to his summons stronger.

Reidar had spent almost a year learning to manage his summons, balancing thousands of creatures at once. But with the Void-Caller's Baton, it felt far easier. He could coordinate a hundred Sky-Hunters as easily as he used to manage ten.

He'd tested it on the journey to Redwater Crossing, experimenting with different combinations of summons and commands. Every test had exceeded his expectations. The baton gave him options and a flexibility he'd only dreamed of.

Zyreth'Kal had undersold it, honestly. Reidar had paid a hefty sum for the weapon, but it was worth every Survival Point and far more than the vendor sold it for, in Reidar's opinion. He wondered if the vendor had known just how perfectly suited it would be for him, or if it had been simple luck.

Either way, Reidar wasn't complaining.

Reidar adjusted the Vestments of the Hive Mind, his new chest piece, across his chest. The fabric was deceptively light for something that offered such immense protection.

—[« Vestments of the Hive Mind »] —

Slot: Chest

Rarity: Legendary (+80%)

ILVL: 337 (Tier 33)

Weight: 4.0 kg

Resistances: Physical +40%, Cold +40%

Core Attributes: S.H.I.E.L.D. +35, A.C.U.M.E.N. +20

Special Properties:

Living Fortress: Increases Armor by +10 for every active minion under your control.

Symbiotic Regeneration: Heal for 1% of your Max HP every time a minion lands a Critical Hit.

Aura: Nearby allies (including minions) gain +20% Physical Resistance.

—[<<END>>]—

Reidar, Lena, and Jake were standing on a rocky outcropping, staring down at Redwater Crossing.

Once, it had been a bustling river port. Now, it was a cancer on the landscape. The river was black, as it was choked with runoff from the facility it housed.

Reidar had no idea what the Church did that turned the water black, but it didn't matter.

"It's silent," Lena said, crouching beside him. "Too silent for a place this size."

"They must be at work."

Reidar closed his eyes, focusing on the link to his Vorathid Sky-Hunters. He had summoned hundreds of them, shrinking them down to the size of large ants using their Size Shift ability. They were currently flying through ventilation shafts, drainage pipes, and, in general, around the city.

Reidar saw hundreds of cages stacked in rows like inventory in a warehouse. Of course, they were full. There was no way the church didn't use them. However, there were far too many empty cells there.

Most likely, these had been occupied at some point, but now, the prisoners weren't there anymore. They had been killed.

But it was what surrounded the cages that made Reidar's stomach churn.

Monsters. Some were unrecognizable lumps of flesh and teeth. Others were clearly recognizable species like the Iron-Hide Behemoths. There were even Void Serpents.

<These beasts are massive; how the fuck were they able to contain them?>

It looked like the absence of the system made the Church speed up their research on mana.

<But they can already make things like these…>

He saw scientists in white coats moving between the cages. They carried clipboards and took detailed notes on the monsters' behavior. They threw raw meat and feed to the creatures, checking their reactions and recording the data. The prisoners in the nearby cells received nothing. No food. No water. They were left to starve while the monsters were carefully maintained and studied.

<Bastards…>

Reidar watched the images filter through the mental link with his Sky-Hunters, and he felt his jaw tighten involuntarily. He saw the cages and the monsters, but what hit him hardest was the realization that the prisoners were being left to rot while the beasts were fed and studied like prized specimens. He felt the hard surface of the Void-Caller's Baton under his fingers and noticed he was gripping it so hard his knuckles had turned white.

When the food appeared, the creatures became aggressive. They lunged at the bars of their cages, clawing and biting at the metal.

His gaze went to the humans in the adjacent cells, and he saw them pressing their spines against the cold bars, trying to put every possible space between them and the beasts.

He noted how some clamped their hands over their ears to block the feeding sounds, while others just stared, too terrified to even look away. It made Reidar sick to realize they had to live like this, just meters away from being eaten.

"What do you see?" Lena asked.

He relayed what the Sky-Hunters were seeing around, especially in the deepest levels of whatever building they entered.

The main findings of the Vorathid Sky-Hunters were the five massive Evolution Chambers scattered here and there around the whole town. Of course, most of the town was a ghost town, but that didn't matter.

Then Reidar saw someone he was already aware of, thanks to the Vorathid Foragers, someone with whom he was finally, albeit figuratively, face-to-face.

"I found High Executor Lira Feid."

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