《The Fallen World : A Dungeon's Story》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    June 18, 2161


    Geostationary orbit above planet Earth, Sol System


    European Federation Starport Ad Astra


    Lieutenant Commander Alexandra Rousseau, of the European Federation Star Navy, let out a loud sigh as she looked at the vista in front of her.


    She was in the outermost layer of the Ad Astra spaceport, the old, but still serviceable, spaceport of the European Federation, one of the first of its kind to be tethered to the Earth below with a fully functional space elevator. Despite being well over a century old, and having the old ring architecture, as it was constructed back when artificial gravity was still a lab experiment, it was still one of the main hubs through which the European Federation¡¯s numerous trade goods flowed. Thousands of tons of state-of-the-art computers, terraforming systems, and a vast array of technologically advanced components were shipped each day to the space habitats and colonies dispersed throughout human space, while raw materials and precious metals flowed back to the planetbound industry below.


    It was also the second largest EFSN transit point. The freshly inaugurated ¡°Ortu Stella¡± Starport had recently overtaken it, and for good reason, as it was the first EuroFed Starport dedicated only to military use, in order to accommodate the expansion of the EFSN due to the escalating tensions with their nominal allies, the United Interstellar States.


    Alexandra looked longingly at the planet below through the armored glass wall, before smiling as she saw the vast array of bright, moving stars. Each of those stars was a ship or a station, from freighters to exploration vessels and battleships. Each represented the achievements of humanity ever since the first fusion thruster had been built and the hyperdrive had been designed.


    She froze as a commotion erupted in the hallway to her right. She turned just in time to see what looked like a freighter captain, recognizable by the general air of roughness and authority common to free traders in all of human space, pull out a pistol and promptly shoot the customs officer he was talking to.


    Alexandra barely had time to register what was happening before her training and neural implants took over. She threw herself down behind the row the seats she had been sitting on, kneeled, and in one swift movement pulled out her service pistol and opened fire.


    She might have been an engineering officer who specialized in code (although she had no less than three engineering degrees), but she did receive basic fleet combat training, and she had been in enough tough situations over her fifty years of service to have...acquired some programs from the EuroFed Marine Corps.


    The freighter captain ducked down as the magnetically accelerated tungsten pellet her gauss pistol fired hit the bulkhead, a few centimeters away from his head. He brought up his own weapon, before widening his eyes and ducking into the nearest docking airlock. Which, given the old, patchy freighter attached to it, was probably where he had come from originally.


    ¡°STOP WHERE YOU ARE! STATION SECURITY!¡±


    Alexandra got up and turned around to see three station security guards, their own gauss pistols unholstered as they charged forward. One of them, a serious looking brunette, briefly looked at her before running past her as she quickly summarized that Alexandra was unharmed.


    A great clang sounded throughout the room, and Alexandra turned around as the freighter undocked from the station. One of the guards shouted in his wrist communicator, stopping briefly to look at his colleague as she kneeled next to the customs officer and shook her head. He proceeded to yell even louder into his communicator.


    Alexandra turned her head as the freighter let out bursts of pressurized gas to get away from the station...right up until a set of heavy blast doors opened and a large laser turret popped out, quickly turning around and aiming at the freighter, likely followed by similar weapons all over the station. The security guard had evidently contacted the station¡¯s defense center, and they were less than happy about the death of one of their own. Alexandra wondered what the freighter captain had been thinking, as attempting to escape from one of the most heavily armed starports in the solar system would have been a suicidal proposition, even when the station security didn¡¯t have grounds to shoot you down on sight for murder. The freighter suddenly stopped accelerating, and Alexandra felt her hair stand up all over her body as the familiar sensation of a hyperspace field washed over her.


    NO! The station doesn¡¯t have a hyperspace shield. If he jumps...


    She just had the time to see a bright light before everything went dark.


    *****


    Alexandra opened her eyes, closing them nearly immediately as bright light stabbed through her eyeballs. She held up her hand in front of her face.


    What? How...How am I alive?


    She remembered the feeling of the hyperfield...then the flash. The freighter had activated its hyperdrive and taken a chunk of the station with it into hyperspace¡ªshe should have been vaporized. Hyperspace was pure energy, a literal dimension made out of radiation. Nothing could survive there without a hypershield¡ªeven the most heavily armored constructs were annihilated in a matter of seconds.


    She opened her eyes, more cautiously this time, to take in her surroundings.


    She was lying on her back, in the middle of a grass field. She saw a forest not far, and her ears told her there must be a stream somewhere.


    Was she back on Earth? No, that was impossible... She would be able to see the numerous ships in low orbit in the sky as moving dots of light, even in the middle of the day. And the colonies in Alpha Centauri and Epsilon Eridani weren¡¯t fully terraformed yet, and there was no sign of an atmospheric dome in the sky.


    She got up, and suddenly realized that she wasn¡¯t wearing her fleet uniform. She was in...a cotton outfit with leather armor on top?


    What. The. Fuck? She made her way to the stream she was hearing on shaky legs, and looked down into the water.


    Staring back at her was what she looked like in her early twenties, if she had started picking up medieval recreation as a hobby. She was wearing what looked like cotton pants and a shirt, accompanied by leather boots, a leather belt with...was that a sword? And a full set of light leather armor.


    All she could do was stare in shock. She hadn¡¯t been that old-looking, despite being over sixty years old (almost seventy really), thanks to rejuvenation treatments, but she¡¯d still looked like she was in her forties.


    She took a deep breath and focused. A system menu popped up in front of her, and she sighed in relief. Whatever had happened to her, her fleet implants were still online at least. She attempted to connect to a network, but failed, which meant that she wasn¡¯t on a human planet. Or at least, nowhere civilized. Even the lowliest of mining colonies had a full complement of communication satellites in orbit.


    First things first. Find out where I am, find civilization, and hopefully survive until I accomplish both.


    To that end, she unsheathed the sword she had woken up with. It looked...okay? She wasn¡¯t an expert in medieval weapons, but she had watched holovids on them, and the sword looked clean, wasn¡¯t chipped, and didn¡¯t look like it was made out of cheap pig iron. In fact, it looked like steel. A tentative finger touching and licking the bloody cut later, she¡¯d established that it was pretty sharp too, and that she didn¡¯t have the experience to judge it with her finger like they did in the holovids.


    Well, not going to find anything by staying here.


    She started walking.


    *****


    Alexandra looked at the town in near awe.


    After a few hours of walking, she found a road and followed it. It looked well kept, and roads usually led somewhere. Unless you were on Mars, but that was mostly because the auto-road builder drones had gone nuts in the 2130s due to a solar flare. After an hour or so of more walking, she arrived at a town.


    It looked as if it had come straight out of an adventure novel. She could see houses, orchards, and even some pens. Surprisingly, there didn¡¯t seem to be any agriculture going on, with no fields to speak of anywhere. Still, it looked beautiful...and very rustic. Most of the buildings looked to be made out of stone, and some were even made of wood. One thing that stuck out, however, was a large building in the center of town, a three-story monster made out of something that looked suspiciously like concrete.


    ¡°Ya okay there, lass?¡±


    Alexandra looked down from the building...and down...until she saw a tiny, heavily armored person standing in front of her, his hand holding up the visor of his helmet as he looked at her, concerned.


    Barely topping a meter, he looked positively tiny compared to her meter and eighty. However, he gave an impression of...denseness. But that might have been the fact that he looked like he was covered in metal. Heavy plate armor, she realized as she smiled and answered in standard English, as he had addressed her in that language.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Just a little bit lost I¡¯m afraid. I got lost in the woods, and, well, I was not expecting to get back to civilization so soon. In fact, I¡¯m quite relieved.¡±


    The dwarf¡ªor at least he looked like one¡ªsmiled. She had a sword and was in a medieval town, she might as well assume that there would be dwarves and elves. If she turned out wrong, she¡¯d apologize later.


    ¡°Aye, wouldn¡¯t want to get caught alone in the night in those woods. Ain¡¯t many dangerous monsters around, but there are some that wouldn¡¯t say no to some tasty human flesh. Ya an adventurer, young lady?¡±


    Alexandra continued smiling. She¡¯d discovered long ago that you usually found out more by playing along and asking questions than by stopping the person you were talking to, particularly if they thought you might be insane. And if her story didn¡¯t sound insane to a medieval dwarf, she didn¡¯t know what would.


    ¡°Well, I was hoping to be. Could you point me to a place where I might enroll? Like, say, a registration office please?¡±


    The dwarf laughed.


    ¡°This ain¡¯t one of the large cities, lass. There ain¡¯t a registration office here. Just go to the adventurer guild hall and ask at the desk to register.¡±


    The dwarf pointed at the concrete building.


    ¡°Oh. Thank you, sir dwarf,¡± said Alexandra.


    The dwarf laughed and waved her off before walking past her and into the forest. Apparently, he didn¡¯t think that being alone in the night in the forest applied to him. Then again, he was wearing enough armor to look more like a combat robot than anything else. Alexandra shook her head and walked off, towards the ¡°adventurer guild hall.¡± At least, given the reaction of the dwarf, she knew she was correct, there did seem to be different ¡°races¡± here, as he hadn¡¯t corrected her use of the title.


    She walked briskly through the village, refusing to stop and gape at every weird thing. If there was one thing she¡¯d learned from making her way through the maze that was FleetCom in Paris, it was that as long as you looked busy and walked with a purpose (preferably with a stack of papers or a folder filled with data chips under your arm), no one would stop you from going anywhere. Except the marine checkpoint at the central Command Room.


    She successfully made her way to the building uninterrupted, and opened the door.


    The view nearly made her gape.


    It looked just like an adventurer guild straight out of a book or anime. There was a desk, a bar, and tables and chairs scattered everywhere, with heavily armed people around them. A group of people were gazing pensively at what she assumed was a quest board. A few people looked at her, and she flushed as she realizing she was gawping. She quickly made her way to the desk.


    The woman behind the desk looked fairly young, somewhere in her twenties as well, with honey-blonde hair and quite a beautiful face with brown eyes. She was dressed in a cyan outfit topped with some form of beret with a feather sticking out of it.


    ¡°Hello! Welcome to the Nardria adventurer guild hall! What can I do for you today?¡±


    Dear gods, she looked genuinely cheerful. It must have been the first time Alexandra had met a receptionist who didn¡¯t look bored to death or dead inside. Even the receptionist AIs used by wealthy corporations and some militaries sounded slightly off and bored in their cheerful replies.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Alexandra Rousseau. I¡¯m here for information about signing up to be an adventurer...and well, information in general about adventurers, really.¡± She''d rather ask where the hell she was and what planet this was, but better to try to fit in, for now at least.


    The receptionist looked cheerful...right up until she mentioned her family name. Then, her gaze and tone became studiously neutral.


    ¡°I see. You are from the Eris Empire, correct?¡±


    Alexandra blinked and answered before she even thought.


    ¡°The what now?¡±


    The receptionist looked taken aback at her answer and gave a good-hearted laugh, warmth returning to her look and tone.


    ¡°Oh! Oh, sorry, with your name, I just assumed... Sorry, you must be from one of the villages around here, my apologies.¡±


    Alexandra was just confused, and the receptionist smiled.


    ¡°Sorry. Let¡¯s start with the basics. My name is Cassissa Elaria, but everyone calls me Cassie. Which is going to include you,¡± she said with a mock glare, eliciting a smile from Alexandra. ¡°And, well, since you seem to not have been that far from home before, the Eris Empire is...let¡¯s just say ¡®very arrogant,¡¯ and Rousseau is a common family name there. I thought you might be coming from it, so I overreacted. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Alexandra shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. So, about my questions, Miss Cassie?¡±


    Cassie rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Cassie will do. I work for a living, thank you very much. And well, let¡¯s see... I suppose you¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about adventurers, the daring heroes that take on monsters, delve deep into dungeons, fight evil, etc. Let me start with this: most of what you¡¯ve heard is idealized bullshit.¡±


    She looked expectantly at Alexandra, who just looked back at her.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured that children¡¯s stories wouldn¡¯t exactly be true. The real world isn¡¯t exactly made out of good people fighting the good fight.¡± She¡¯d never heard about the adventurers Cassie was talking about, of course, but if her years spent in the navy had taught her anything, it was that most popular stories about idealized organizations were even less accurate than most legends, which was saying something.


    Cassie blinked.


    ¡°Fair enough. Anyway, adventurers, while most do have some ideals, are closer to mercenaries. They don¡¯t take on monsters because it¡¯s the right thing to do, but because they have bounties on them, and the materials they¡¯ll get from killing them are usually worth quite a bit of coin. They delve into dungeons for loot and treasure, and they hunt criminals and bandits purely for the bounties. There are, of course, some other reasons, such as getting more powerful¡ªwhich, by the way, you should take as universal here. EVERYONE wants to become stronger in this building, and that includes me. If you meet an adventurer that says no to more power, you probably need to start asking questions.¡±


    Alexandra nodded.


    ¡°More...power?¡± she asked cautiously.


    Cassie sighed, mumbling something about ¡°Nobles and their fucking information blackouts.¡±


    ¡°One thing that the good old nobility of our deaaaaar Asarian kingdom is trying to keep a lid on, is that adventurers don¡¯t only get money for killing monsters or going into dungeons. They get more powerful. Ever heard of people going into dungeons, and coming back stronger, healthier, and sometimes looking younger?¡±


    Alexandra politely nodded, although she had absolutely no idea what Cassie was talking about, making a note about the name of the nation she was in, which was quite the useful bit of information.


    ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t rumors or fairy tales. Everyone has mana, but a fact that nobles are trying to suppress is that the reason people¡¯s mana slowly goes down is that it is slowly...synthesized, or transformed, if you didn¡¯t know the word, into essence. Essence is...weird, but a simple explanation is that the more you have, the more powerful you are. You become stronger, faster, smarter, etc. This is usually measured by your level, which is just how much essence you have. Thing is, when you kill something, you absorb a fraction of their essence. That¡¯s one of the main reasons why adventurers happily fight monsters.¡±


    Alexandra tilted her head.


    ¡°Wait, wouldn¡¯t that work on humans as well?¡±


    Cassie froze, before leaning forward and whispering. ¡°Look, don¡¯t tell anyone I told you this. It¡¯s not supposed to be in the introduction things, but yes. When you kill someone, you do absorb part of their essence. The closer their race is to yours, like killing dwarves and elves rather than lizardmen, the more of their essence you get.¡±


    ¡°Okay... So, what about signing up?¡±


    Cassie smiled.


    ¡°That is pretty simple. What I need is three things. Name, level, and a payment of five hundred mana for various fees. Or, as most people do, you can pay fifty mana now, as interest, and five hundred later.¡±


    Alexandra thought for a minute. The interest rate wasn¡¯t bad, but she had no idea what mana was and if she even had any. She didn¡¯t know her level either.


    ¡°Hum...I don¡¯t know what my level is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple, give me a second.¡±


    Cassie leaned to the side, rummaged in her desk drawer, and straightened back up, holding what looked like a green crystal tablet with a small spherical bump on it.


    ¡°Alright. Put your hand on the bump, and it¡¯ll tell me what level you are.¡±


    Alexandra obeyed, and a lot of information appeared on the tablet, as if it was a screen. Surprisingly, the information was also written in English, although most of it looked like gibberish. What did ¡°Matrix Rune Length¡± mean anyway?


    However, it seemed to impress Cassie, as she looked at the level number at the very top and let out a whistle.


    ¡°Wow, level 26. You must be one strong girl, Alex. I can call you Alex, right? You¡¯re not even going to be Clay rank, you¡¯re going straight into the Iron ranks with that. Hell, if you had better gear I¡¯d even put you in Steel straight away.¡±


    Alexandra just nodded as she asked if she could call her Alex, before asking her question.


    ¡°Excuse me? Clay rank?¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Cassie blinked.


    ¡°Oh, right, excuse me. Adventurers are divided into ranks that are a rough approximation of your fighting power. So basically, we look at your equipment, level, and for the upper ranks the quests you did in the past. Unlike what you see in the books, our ranks aren¡¯t F, E, and up the alphabet, or Copper, Silver, etc. Our ranks are, in order, Clay, the lowest, then Iron, Steel, Copper, Silver, Gold, Electrum, Silvarium, Mythril, Malachite, Orichalcum, Adamantium, Eternium, and last but not the least, Divinium. There used to be ratings within each rank, but those were abandoned for a multitude of reasons. Mainly because most adventurers were bitching to us about their rating being one lower than their friend, despite having done the same things. It was an administrative nightmare to keep track of and no one was happy about it, so it was dropped.¡±


    ¡°I see... So I¡¯d be jumping some ranks then?¡±


    ¡°Basically? Clays are little more than a random nobody with a sword, no offense. Irons are those with some levels or experience behind them. Steel are what you can start calling actual, professional adventurers. You¡¯d qualify on level alone, but you don¡¯t have any real gear. No offense, girl, the leather armor and the sword are quite good for Iron, but most Steel have at least some iron armor, or some magic items. Potions are also a must.¡±


    ¡°Okay...What next?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have your name, now the mana cost.¡±


    Cassie held out her hand, palm down, and Alexandra automatically grabbed and shook it. Cassie facepalmed, laughing.


    ¡°I meant use the payment crystal, you dummy!¡±


    Alexandra realized that Cassie had a blue crystal on her wrist, set up on a gauntlet nearly entirely covered in runes. Alexandra hesitatingly reached out, as she didn¡¯t know if she had enough mana to pay even the small fee.


    Cassie looked at something that appeared on her gauntlet as Alexandra¡¯s hand made contact with the crystal.


    ¡°Well, it looks like you have...1,120 mana in reserve. Want to pay the whole fee?¡±


    Alexandra nodded.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She barely knew this world and had no idea of how trustworthy this ¡°adventurer guild¡± was. The last thing she wanted was to shackle herself to an organization through debt, so she might as well pay it up fully now. She didn¡¯t really know how to gain more mana, but she doubted it¡¯d be that hard. She had a sharp intake of breath as she felt her energy being drained from her, as if someone had suddenly injected her with tranquilizers. The effect faded to a muted sense of tiredness in the center of her chest, and she felt...something, in the back of her mind.


    Cassie winced.


    ¡°Sorry, should have warned you. Mana transfers in the hundreds and above usually do this to relatively low-level people.¡± She looked at her gauntlet. ¡°Alright, all set, let me get your registration card and your badge.¡±


    She proceeded to pull out a small card, quickly filling it with what looked like a semi-modern pen. She then pulled out another, very ornamented pen, nearly completely covered in runes, and signed the card. The card flashed, and she handed it and the pen to Alexandra.


    Alexandra hesitantly took them before looking, unsure, at Cassie. It was obvious what she wanted her to do, but she had no idea of what that pen just did, and it looked magical.


    Cassie smiled.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a mana signature, to confirm the card is rightfully yours. I¡¯m not asking for your soul or anything.¡±


    Alexandra realized that this must be the equivalent of giving your DNA and implant code to a bank to open an account. The ¡°mana signature¡± was their way to authenticate people. She promptly signed, and the card, once again, flashed. Cassie smiled, recovered the pen, and looked the card over one last time before handing it over to Alexandra with a smile.


    ¡°There you go! As for your badge...¡±


    She leaned to the side again, rummaged a bit, and pull out a medallion on a chain, evidently made to be worn as a necklace, and pressed it to another crystal slate, this one a deep blue, that was already on her desk when Alexandra arrived. She picked up a pen with a strange tip and wrote on the slate. The medallion turned an iron-like color, and Alexandra, in stylized letters, appeared on it. She grabbed the medallion, which shone like the card did, and handed it over to Alexandra.


    ¡°Alright, just push your mana into it, and it¡¯ll be linked to you. You do know how to push your mana into it, right?¡± Cassie asked as she saw Alexandra¡¯s confused expression.


    She sighed as Alexandra shook her head.


    ¡°All right. You need to close your eyes and feel inside of you. You should feel a fire in your torso, right at the center of your upper chest. Then grab that fire, and imagine you are slowly pushing it through your hands...¡±


    Alexandra followed the instructions. She found the fire, and it felt...imposing, powerful, and also...like there was something greater behind it. A tenuous link to something else. She thought about investigating it later, and slowly pushed it through her hands. A light pierced her pupils, and she opened her eyes to a smiling Cassie.


    ¡°There you go! All done! Welcome, Iron-ranked adventurer Alexandra Rousseau!¡±


    She gave her a mock salute, and Alexandra instinctively answered with a parade ground snap, which instantly froze Cassie. She shook her head, muttering something like ¡°Her life before the guild isn¡¯t any of my business,¡± before smiling at Alexandra, who was flustered at her slipup.


    ¡°Alright. Now, I¡¯d recommend finding a party to join¡ªit¡¯s easier to take on quests with allies. Alternatively, you could just do some solo missions, although I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. Anything else?¡±


    Alexandra thought about it...then sighed. She was out of her depth, and Cassie might be able to help her. She leaned forward and whispered to her.


    ¡°Look, I...I need some help. But not officially.¡±


    Cassie¡¯s face went neutral again.


    ¡°The guild will not tangle with the law¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, not that kind of help!¡±


    Cassie looked at her for a second, reading her face, then relaxed.


    ¡°Alright, then what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...I don¡¯t know how to tell you this, but I¡¯m...not of this world.¡±


    Cassie simply stared at Alexandra, her face inscrutable.


    ¡°Look, Alex. You seem like a nice girl and you¡¯ve been pretty nice today, but I¡¯m not a gullible idiot. Do you seriously expect me to believe that you¡¯re an extradimensional? Since you¡¯ve been nice today, I¡¯ll let it pass, and forget you ever said that, if you get out of my view right now.¡±


    Alexandra didn¡¯t know what extradimensional exactly meant, but she was pretty sure she was included in it.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake! Get the fuck ou¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    While Cassie hadn¡¯t raised her tone, her furious expression had caught the attention of a curious adventuring party. A woman wearing purple robes and holding a staff topped by a purple sphere, who Alexandra assumed was some kind of mage, came forward with her teammates. She was quite well endowed, her robe clinging tightly to her curves for some reason, and had long, raven-black hair surrounding a fairly white face, missing the tan of most adventurers in the room. Her purple eyes looked in turn at Cassie and Alexandra. The medallion she was wearing was a strange, off-color gold. Having seen some fantasy materials when playing video games, Alexandra assumed it was Electrum.


    Cassie sighed and looked at the woman.


    ¡°Hey, Berth. Sorry to worry you, but this woman¡±¡ªshe pointed at Alexandra¡ª¡°is starting to slightly piss me off. She¡¯s insisting that she¡¯s an extradimensional.¡±


    The mage looked at Alexandra.


    ¡°Look, girl. Cassie doesn¡¯t really take well to jokes like that. You should apologize. She¡¯s had a long day, and she isn¡¯t up for this kind of prank, alright?¡±


    ¡°But, I am from another world!¡±


    Alexandra couldn¡¯t help it. If there was one thing that pissed her off, it was being called a liar. She knew the logical course of action would have been to apologize, go do some quests, and then mend her relationship with Cassie (it never pays to anger bureaucrats, especially the ones that virtually sign your paychecks and decide if you go up in rank or not), but she just couldn¡¯t stop herself.


    Cassie¡¯s gaze became harder, and Berth looked at Alexandra with an almost pitying gaze.


    ¡°Alright girl, I will test you out to see if you¡¯re an extradimensional. If you aren¡¯t, you must promise to leave Miss Cassie alone. Do we have a deal?¡± she quickly said, forestalling a probably scathing reply from Cassie.


    Cassie sighed and waved her hand angrily as Berth looked at her, muttering ¡°Whatever.¡± Alexandra offhandedly thought that she¡¯d probably mutter under her breath a lot less if she knew Alexandra¡¯s implants allowed her to hear even the faintest of conversation perfectly, if she was close enough.


    Alexandra nodded, and Berth came forward and landed a hand on her shoulder. Alexandra felt a warmth suffusing her as Berth softly said something that made no sense, even to her translation systems. It felt like when she had moved her mana around, but reversed, flowing from outside her to her...core? For lack of a better word, at least. Then suddenly, the warmth was gone, and Berth was staring at her, eyes and mouth open wide in shock.


    Cassie looked at her, worried.


    ¡°Berth? Berth, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Holy Divines! She¡¯s for real! She¡¯s an actual extradimensional!¡±


    Cassie whipped her head around and stared at Alexandra, mouth agape. Alexandra was still confused as to what ¡°extradimensional¡± exactly meant to these people, but this took a background place compared to sudden concern as muttering sounded throughout the common room, with adventurers getting up, looking at her, and walking towards the desk. Berth¡¯s astonished outburst had gathered quite a bit of attention.


    Cassie looked at Berth again, then turned towards a younger girl dressed exactly like her, evidently one of her colleagues, who had made her way over to investigate the commotion.


    ¡°Go! Go get Guildmaster Erik! Now!¡±


    The girl nodded and ran off. Alexandra opened her mouth, but Cassie held up her hand, forestalling her.


    ¡°Later. I¡¯ll apologize for my rudeness, but right now this is too important. Wait until the guildmaster gets here. This is way above my pay grade.¡±


    A few seconds later, with a growing group of adventurers assembling a few meters away in an arc (more out of respect for Berth¡¯s team than for her or Cassie, Alexandra realized), a graying man who looked to be in his late fifties burst out of a side door, quickly followed by the other guild girl.


    ¡°Yes? What¡¯s so urgent?¡±


    Cassie got up and gestured at Alexandra and Berth.


    ¡°Guildmaster Erik, sir! This woman here came to register in the guild, and claimed to be an extradimensional! I did not believe her, but Miss Berth here tested her, and, well, according to her...she is!¡±


    Erik looked surprised and slightly disbelieving. He looked at Berth, who nodded, and made his way to Alexandra.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, girl,¡± he simply said, before muttering under his breath, ¡°This better not be a joke.¡±


    He grabbed her shoulder, and Alexandra felt the same warmth as when Berth had tested her...except that it seemed greater, more powerful, somehow. Erik let go of her shoulder, looking like he¡¯d been hit by lightning.


    ¡°Dear Gods...¡±


    He promptly turned towards Cassie.


    ¡°You, her, in my office, right now. Berth, I¡¯ll thank you properly for your help.¡± He upped his tone. ¡°And the rest of you, back to whatever you were doing! I will personally kick the ass of whoever tries to pester Dominique about this! Am I clear?¡±


    A lot of subdued nods from the assembled adventurers answered him, and the guild girl, who Alexandra guessed was Dominique, smiled in thanks at the guildmaster. Cassie bowed at the guildmaster¡¯s order as Berth simply nodded, grabbed Alexandra¡¯s hand, and dragged her behind her as she made her way to the door the guildmaster had erupted from.


    *****


    ¡°So, Miss Rousseau, do you know why you are so special?¡± asked Erik.


    They were sitting in his office. It was fairly large, with a sizeable carved desk made from a wood Alexandra didn¡¯t recognize, with a crimson carpet covering the floor, and a vast amount of what looked like trophies scattered on the walls. Some looked like trinkets, others were weapons and objects that practically thrummed with barely contained power. The biggest, however, was a giant Adamantium (if she didn¡¯t miss her guess) double axe that was directly behind the guildmaster¡¯s seat.


    Alexandra shook her head.


    ¡°No, not really. I know that coming from another world would be quite unusual, but your reaction, and the test you used on me, imply that there¡¯s something else to it. After all, I doubt you read through my mind to confirm the fact.¡±


    Alexandra mostly knew that that was the case because her fleet implants had some rather...violent protocols for if someone attempted to access her memories, although it was more expected to be via someone jacking into her neural interface than actual magic mind reading.


    Erik smiled, pleased.


    ¡°Good, good! You know how to use your brain, that¡¯s excellent.¡± He laughed at her outraged expression. ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m not patronizing you, but you would be surprised how many extradimensionals acted stupidly in the past...and usually got themselves killed, equally stupidly.¡±


    He looked at her for a second, stopping to let it sink in, before picking back up again.


    ¡°In any case, the fact that you¡¯re an extradimensional is interesting, but not really because you¡¯re from another world. Many extradimensionals have arrived in our world over the millennia, but despite all of the miracles your kind talk about from your technologies and civilizations, the ones who talk about it seem to have very little practical knowledge on how to actually recreate it. Although, to be fair, some have been instrumental in the progress of our own technology, and are considered heroes in several nations for their accomplishments. No, the reason most consider extradimensionals truly exceptional is because of your mana.¡±


    Alexandra blinked.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, it is quite simple. You do know that normally, most people lose mana over time, mostly due to essence synthesis?¡±


    Alexandra nodded, and noted down the ¡°mostly due to essence synthesis¡± in her reminders on her implants, as it implied that there were other causes.


    ¡°Well, not extradimensionals. In fact, extradimensionals continuously gain mana. Allow me to explain. Most places where life is possible have ambient mana, enough for people to absorb and live off of. However, to truly accumulate mana, they need more than this. This is where mana acquisition comes in. There is a multitude of ways to acquire mana, but it boils down to this: you can cultivate, which is a process that speeds up the process of absorbing ambient mana, although it usually requires great concentration, and you also need a cultivation technique, which are restricted or really expensive to buy and learn. You can also, which is the choice of most people, absorb mana from potions, mana stones, and even coins. Since mana is used as a currency, most normal people consider it a waste of good money. The last widely available solution is dungeons. When people head into a dungeon, the ambient mana concentration jumps up astronomically, which allows the people inside to actively regenerate mana at insane rates, and allows them to cultivate at truly ridiculous speeds. However, dungeons are fraught with danger, so they are not recommended if you just want some mana.¡±


    ¡°You, on the other hand, don¡¯t need any of this! In fact, you are able to passively generate mana, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, at rates that ridicule even that of adventurers dungeon delving. This is what makes you truly special, as you will continuously grow more and more powerful and have virtually unlimited mana. It makes you the perfect adventurer, so to speak. Not even mentioning that you technically never run out of money as well.¡±


    He chuckled, shaking his head.


    ¡°All of this means that you are quite exceptional. Now that means several things: first, I need to report you to the central guild headquarters. Second, you don¡¯t need to go looking for a party¡ªeveryone probably knows that you¡¯re an extradimensional by now, and they will want to try and recruit you, to latch on to your rising star. Third, and this is the problematic part, you will gather attention. The kind you¡¯d rather avoid. There are powerful entities and entire countries that will pay fortunes to have you captured and force you to swear loyalty to them. In fact, this very kingdom might put immense pressure onto you to do just that, although they do try to be subtle about it, as angering the adventurer guild is not done lightly, and angering an extradimensional that might rise to be a legend even less so.¡±


    Alexandra tilted her head.


    ¡°In my experience, forcing someone into service is hardly a good idea, and will usually end with a knife planted in your back.¡±


    Erik laughed.


    ¡°In your world, I suppose it would be very true. Here? Less so. There are contracts and oaths that will force you to obey them once signed, no matter how much you loathe them or what you have to do. Additionally, most organizations that do this aren¡¯t stupid. They will do everything to capture you and ensure that you swear a binding oath, but once that is done they will do everything so that you truly support them, showering you with riches, powerful artifacts, men, women, whatever it takes so you support them wholeheartedly. I can already see from your face that you know what the problem with that is.¡±


    Alexandra nodded, horrified.


    ¡°Power corrupts.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The extradimensionals that become like this either go insane from their bonds or become monsters, thinking themselves untouchable and above mere mortals. They become, for lack of a better word, spoiled, and an outright danger to everyone around them, expecting all to obey them at a moment¡¯s notice. They¡¯re even worse than the less savory members of the nobility, and that¡¯s saying something.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°So, I cannot legally keep you here. Oh, I could do it in practice, as I am far more powerful than you currently are, but I do not want to. Mostly because it would go against my principles, but also because it would send a signal to everyone that the adventurer guild is trying to do what I just described to you, and it would end very badly.¡±


    Alexandra nodded. It would be like if a large interstellar corporation kidnapped a genius that had just made a phenomenal scientific breakthrough back home. Some countries (especially the Martian Republic) had a tendency to ¡°nationalize¡± that kind of talent, but if a corporation were to do the same, half of the superpowers in human space would be up at them and tearing them apart in a matter of days.


    ¡°The best that I can do is to give you some advice and have Cassie here keep an eye on you. She might not look like it, but she¡¯s a level 109 Silvarium-ranked warmage, so she¡¯ll be more than able to keep you safe. She¡¯ll help you find a good party that¡¯s about your level. She¡¯ll also serve as your bodyguard, more or less, as long as you are within the city. She, unfortunately, cannot formally join you on adventures, but your teammates should be enough to help you out in the wild, where those who wish you harm will have a harder time finding you.¡±


    ¡°Right...¡±


    If she were being honest, Alexandra would have preferred having an entire platoon of marines to hide behind, maybe with a starship overhead decked out in void-to-surface weaponry to cover her, given the number of people that apparently wanted to capture her. However, she didn¡¯t have those on hand, so a group of adventurers used to fighting monsters and hunting down bandits sounded about what she needed. She had no idea what a warmage was, but it sounded badass, and Cassie didn¡¯t look like the type to take shit from anyone, so that was a plus as well.


    ¡°Well then, dismissed!¡±


    Alexandra walked out of the room and into the hallway, followed by Cassie, sighing deeply as the door closed.


    ¡°Well...this is going to be interesting.¡±


    Cassie smiled coldly.


    ¡°Oh, you have no idea. Dibs, by the way.¡±


    Alexandra raised an eyebrow, but Cassie simply smiled enigmatically, before motioning her towards the door leading out of what passed for the guild hall''s administration wing. Alexandra shrugged, and opened it, walking into the common room once more.


    And froze.


    Everyone was looking at her. Although the adventurers had evidently decided to take their guildmaster¡¯s warnings seriously, and Dominique was left relatively alone, they were all ¡°nonchalantly¡± hanging out as close to the door as they dared, in the apparently universal fashion of people trying too hard to not appear as if they were waiting for something, and ending up doing the opposite. Alexandra had the distinct impression of being a red, dripping chunk of meat tossed in the middle of an arena of starving leopards.


    Then Cassie stepped out from behind her.


    ¡°Alright, so our dear new recruit here needs a party. Anyone interested?¡±


    Alexandra¡¯s last thoughts were a stream of expletives that would have made her old drill sergeant proud before the horde closed in.


    *****


    Alexandra staggered out of the guild hall, exhausted. Thanks to Cassie, she¡¯d been able to join a nice party. Or at least, they seemed nice, and they were of a high enough rank (Copper) as to be able to protect her, without being so far out of her league that she¡¯d be a spectator in combat. For some reason, Berth had said dibs, quickly followed by several highly ranked party leaders, until Cassie had given them all a wide smile, which had elicited a storm of muttered curses across the room. It wasn¡¯t until Dominique had helpfully informed her that they were calling dibs on having first chance of taking her into their party once she (apparently inevitably) outpaced her current party, that Alexandra understood why.


    As Alexandra neared the inn she had been told to rent a room in, she stopped. Cassie wasn¡¯t behind her anymore, and all of her combat instincts, honed through the solar system¡¯s (and beyond) most disreputable freeports, screamed ¡°DANGER!¡± She put her hand on her sword¡¯s pommel and began to draw it.


    ¡°Wow, wow, easy there! I¡¯m not here to attack you! Sorry I spooked you, miss!¡±


    A fellow came out of the shadows, his hands in the air and a friendly smile on his face. Alexandra recognized him from the guild hall¡ªhe was a Steel-ranked adventurer who didn¡¯t seem to have a party, and he¡¯d hung back as everyone had swarmed her. Alexandra relaxed a little bit...until she made eye contact with him.


    She unsheathed her sword and automatically parried his dagger, her marine combat programs saving her from a probably crippling injury, then swung back, drawing a bloody gash along his arm and eliciting a muffled curse from him. A rictus appeared on his face, his expression switched to surprise, and he looked down.


    He seemed baffled by the large spike of ice protruding from his chest, before collapsing, dead or very close to death, revealing Cassie, her right hand held up, palm open, while her left one gripped what looked like a very over-ornamented medallion. The medallion glowed brightly, but its light was quickly fading.


    Before she was able to say anything, Alexandra felt a rush unlike anything she¡¯d felt before. It was like if combat stims, sex, and good old adrenaline had all been mixed together and dialed up to eleven. She took a staggered breath, which she released as the rush dissipated. She felt...stronger, her mind was clearer, and she could feel her sense of balance improving.


    So that was what Cassie had been talking about. The adventurer, who she assumed was a rogue, probably just finally succumbed to his wounds, and his essence, at least in part, had transferred to her. Of course, Cassie hadn¡¯t mentioned it¡¯d feel this good. It did explain why even the guild was trying to keep a lid on it though. If everyone knew that murder felt like the greatest drug ever invented, every junkie on the planet would turn into a serial killer.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Alexandra snapped her head back up, looking directly at the concerned face of Cassie.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for the assistance.¡±


    ¡°No problem. How did you know?¡±


    Alexandra understood immediately that she was referring to how she¡¯d deduced he was there to attack her.


    ¡°His eyes. I¡¯ve met slavers before, they had the same look in their eyes...¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    Cassie looked her over once more before letting the matter drop. She gestured to the rapidly cooling corpse.


    ¡°Well, he did attack you, so his belongings are yours by right of combat.¡±


    Alexandra looked up at her, surprised, and Cassie let out a bark of laughter.


    ¡°What did you expect? Every adventurer loots their enemies, and with so much to gain from someone with expensive equipment, it¡¯s no wonder the government had to put the regulation into place, if only to avoid being ridiculed by everyone violating the law.¡±


    Alexandra debated whether Cassie was making fun of her for a second, before deciding that the attendant was deadly serious. She kneeled next to the body and began looting him. She had, unfortunately, all too much experience in doing just that. You didn¡¯t get to do a peacekeeping mission on Vesta station (one of the larger asteroids in the Mars-Jupiter asteroid belt) without becoming acquainted with shooting down lowlives and efficiently looking for proof of which of the myriad of gangs they were a part of and any illegal stuff they had on them that you needed to confiscate.


    Cassie kneeled beside the body as well, after taking a look around to make sure they were alone, and gave her a hand. Together they quickly found three daggers, for a total of four with the one the rogue had held, a few coins, a crystal that looked valuable, several pouches¡¯ worth of potions and vials, and a softly glowing amulet. They also found a small notebook and a pen. Alexandra opened it and sneered in disgust.


    It looked like this wasn¡¯t an opportunistic, one-time slaver. He had made a living out of it. There were entire pages of descriptions of people to capture or types of slaves that were wanted, with payments, contact names, and a delivery date and checkmark for every successful mission. Alexandra noted with disgust that some of the completed missions included children. Apparently even the slightest bit of honor or morals was completely foreign to that bastard.


    Alexandra handed the book over to Cassie, before looking through the potions. Thankfully, they were very neatly labeled. There were four level 5 lesser healing potions, about a dozen level 16 lesser elixirs of dexterity, three level 20 lesser reflex boost potions, and half a dozen vials of ominously labeled level 40 average paralytic poison. She wondered why the level of every potion was included on top of a degree of efficacy, like ¡°lesser,¡± filing it for later.


    Alexandra heard the notebook snap close, and one look at Cassie¡¯s face was enough to know that there was going to be hell to pay for the monsters that had allowed the rogue to operate with apparently free rein, and those who had hired him for his foul deeds.


    After a short discussion, they both decided to drag the body to the guild and ask Erik for permission to sleep in the guild hall rooms, an honor usually reserved for gold-ranked parties and above.


    Following a short discussion with Erik, as the few adventurers still up eyed the body and pretended not to be avidly listening to the conversation, they were authorized to stay there for the night, and a series of quests was put out to arrest (or, if impossible, kill) the rogue¡¯s clients and accomplices.


    Alexandra simply followed Dominique to her room, barely took a few seconds to take off her boots before promptly collapsing onto the bed.


    *****


    Alexandra frowned, then, with the ease of long habit, threw off the covers, not even stopping at the fact that she wasn¡¯t under them (and thus was throwing nothing), and slammed her hand on her nonexistent alarm clock, before belatedly realizing that someone was knocking on her stateroom door.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Dominique. Miss Raika wanted me to warn you that the rest of your party is waiting for you.¡±


    Alexandra¡¯s frown deepened. She didn¡¯t know any ensign named Dominique on the Dawn Star, nor did she remember having organized a boarding or station party...


    Then her memories caught up to her. She wasn¡¯t on the Dawn Star anymore. She wasn¡¯t the traumatized officer gazing over the ruins of Europa anymore. She wasn¡¯t even in Human Space anymore. She shook her head, burying the memories of the scorched moon in the tightly locked vaults of her mind. It was far more reassuring to remember herself as Alexandra Rousseau, chief of engineering, scheduled to join the EFSNS Duty Eternal, with an eventful but unexceptional career.


    ¡°Right. Tell her I¡¯ll be right there!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Okay!¡± answered back Dominique, before hurried steps disappeared into the distance.


    Alexandra smiled, shaking her head. This girl was far too excited for her own good. She really reminded her of those eager ensigns....


    Nope, don¡¯t go there, she told herself as she took a quick shower (she was very surprised yesterday when they had informed her that, indeed, they did have running water, and the concept of showers had taken quite the hold in their civilization) and dressed. Raika was the heavily tanned copper-haired woman that was the head of her new party. Better not have her wait too long.


    Alexandra absentmindedly tied her long hair into a ponytail, buckled her sword belt, just as she¡¯d have put on her pistol belt, opened the door, and stepped out.


    She quickly navigated the hallway to the stairs and made her way down into the common room, where she was greeted by a wave of cheering and whistles.


    ¡°For Alexandra, hip hip hip! HOORAH!¡±


    Alexandra stopped there, confused, her foot hovering over the next step as she just froze. She flushed and started moving again as everyone in the room laughed. She quickly made her way to the round table where her new party was sitting.


    She grabbed a chair and sat down in front of the fifth pint of ale, obviously meant for her, as all the others had theirs in front of them or in their hand.


    ¡°What the hell was that about?¡±


    Raika, covered in heavy leather armor, smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tradition. Sometimes, adventurers discover something that creates a whole lot of jobs and money for other adventurers. Sometimes it¡¯s a dungeon, other times it¡¯s a monster infestation, and in your case, a network of criminals. It¡¯s then customary to greet them like this, at least once, as thanks.¡±


    Alexandra blinked. That...made sense.


    A man with a closely shaven face and head nodded from across the table.


    ¡°Yeah. You just made a whole lot of new friends, Alex. Not every day that someone comes with that kind of quest money and simply asks the guildmaster to let everyone in on it.¡±


    The rest of the team nodded, looking at her admiringly.


    Alexandra was just flat out confused, until she belatedly realized that it must be Erik¡¯s doing. Instead of giving her exclusivity on the new quests like most adventurers would have asked, he¡¯d made this up and announced to everyone that she was freely letting everyone in on it. He was helping her gain a good reputation and stacking the deck in her favor. Alexandra grabbed the pint in front of her and raised it into the air, raising her voice to address the whole room.


    ¡°You honor me too much, guys! We¡¯d all have done the same. These people don¡¯t deserve to walk free!¡±


    ¡°HOORAH!¡±


    She lowered her pint, and drank it all, followed by nearly the entire guildhall. She lowered it and looked at the rest of her party, who, if anything, looked even more impressed now.


    Alexandra smiled. She¡¯d judged the personality of these adventurers correctly it seemed. They were like Federation marines¡ªthey were here for a paycheck, sure, but deep down, at their root, they were good people and had enlisted to help people and make the world a better place. Calling to that had cemented her reputation in their minds as someone who would do the right thing. That might lose her some standing around those who would be expecting lucrative offers out of her, but it would virtually ensure that the more idealistic parties would follow her without question if she asked for their help. Which was a definite plus; after all, with her unlimited mana generation, she wouldn¡¯t have a problem buying off the greedy ones, while she could hardly do the same with the others.


    ¡°Well... That was inspiring. Are you sure you didn¡¯t miss your calling? You should have been a military officer!¡± said the bald guy. He laughed, but stopped abruptly as Alexandra leveled a look at him that would have frozen a supernova solid. He gulped, and she relaxed.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s...a long story. Anyway, apologies, but yesterday was quite the rush, and I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve been introduced?¡±


    Raika nodded and started presenting her teammates.


    ¡°Right. Time for the introductions. The loudmouth moving mirror there is Thomas, he¡¯s our ranged combatant. Crossbows, thrown knives, you name it, he can use it. He¡¯s also quite good with his senses.¡±


    Alexandra nodded. This world¡¯s equivalent of a ranger then, albeit without the traditional bow.


    ¡°The cowled silent guy here is Fernand. Don¡¯t mind his silence, he¡¯s just timid. He¡¯s kind of an odd one, as a close combat combatant and spell caster, but he¡¯s one of the best alchemists I¡¯ve ever seen, and he knows the wild well enough to live off the land quite comfortably.¡±


    Alexandra smiled at him. He was, indeed, cowled, but a long black beard escaped from the darkness, and a pair of blue eyes met hers briefly, before the figure nodded. Given his sword and shield, was he an arcane fighter? Forget it, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to neatly put them into D&D classes. They were hardly likely to confine themselves to neat little categories like in roleplaying games, after all.


    ¡°And finally, the girl with far too much liking for pure white in a job that doesn¡¯t involve many clean environments, Alyssa. She¡¯s our healer and mage. Don¡¯t be fooled by her innocent appearance, she can cast fireballs faster than cure wounds. Be wary of telling her to destroy an entire area, because you do not want to let her set the forest on fire.¡±


    There was some wariness in Raika¡¯s tone, and the innocent smile of the cute, bubbly young blonde woman in pure white robes next to Alexandra turned into a devious and slightly psychotic grin. Oh, great, a pyromaniac. And a healer. Alexandra dearly hoped she hadn¡¯t heard of cauterizing wounds. There had been a weird...power to some of Raika¡¯s tone. Alexandra guessed those were spells. Alexandra realized that they were looking expectantly at her, waiting for her to introduce herself.


    ¡°Right, I am Alexandra. I do not have any specialization that I could describe to you, but I do have close combat experience and reflexes to match. Apart from that, as you¡¯ve surely heard, I¡¯m an extradimensional, with everything that entails.¡±


    They nodded and smiled, even Fernand, his teeth reflecting the light, creating a strange contrast. Alexandra was strangely reminded of a face floating in the middle of the air, kind of like when you did that weird mirror experiment with one eye with a friend. She shook off the image¡ªshe didn¡¯t need to be reminded of Emil right now¡ªand looked at Raika.


    ¡°So...time to get to work?¡±


    Raika nodded.


    ¡°Yep. We were already doing this quest before you joined.¡± She produced a paper covered in writing and a drawing of what looked like a beaver, if its teeth had suddenly become pointed. ¡°Hunting Treefangs. Several groups of them have made their nests nearby, and we have been hired to take them out before they devour the largest and most precious trees. We are down to three nests we need to clear, and then we¡¯ll get paid. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll split the rewards evenly.¡±


    Alexandra held up and shook her hands and head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to! I just came in!¡±


    Raika simply shook her head, followed by a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ve all agreed on this. Plus, investing in a new party member is the right thing to do. In the end, we¡¯ll benefit more by helping you get better gear and stuff early on.¡±


    The rest of the team nodded, showing their support. Alexandra supposed it made sense; after all, she was going to pay them back by helping them take on even bigger jobs. Thus, she nodded, signaling her agreement, and they got up and left the guild hall. Her first quest as an adventurer was on!

 The Fallen World book 1 : Dungeon Engineer is live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 1 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Engineer, is available on Amazon</a> ! As this is posted it should officially be at least the 22nd on the entire planet and thus available everywhere ! There''s been some issues with the paperback versions (apparently Amazon refused it because the W being partially behind Alexandra''s hand makes the title ''unreadable''), but it should be available shortly. The paperback is now available ! If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Just in case you cannot see/use the embedded links, here is a direct one (it should take you to the amazon storefront of your country) : https://geni.us/DungeonEngineer</a>


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I also rarely do this (in fact the only time I ever did was on The Eternal Seeker Saga), but if you buy it, don''t hesitate to leave a review. It would help me and the story a ton. Thank you.


    The novel includes the prologue as well as chapters 1 through 9, for a total over 100k words (340 pages worth of text for the novel). All have had some rewrites to fix plot holes, explain some things better, not to mention grammar corrections and general edits to make them easier to read, among other things. As previously warned, chapters 1 through 9 have been deleted and the prologue has been cut to ~9k words, although the 9k remaining are straight from the novel, with all the corrections that entails.


    To celebrate the launch chapter 93 will be posted tomorrow, the 23rd of november !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter and the novel, if you decide to buy it ! Playwars, out.


    P.S : I also got this pretty sweet UI style art from the people at Shadow Alley Press. The text is a bit cramped, but I believe it does its job pretty well !


    </a>

 Christmas Special

    Chapter [ERROR]


    Red Sands Desert, Contested Border Region.


    Abandoned Site Seraph, Sagitarius Imperial Installation.


    "Hey, you wanted to see me?" Emilia froze as she entered the room. "What the-"


    "Merry Christmas!"


    Emilia opened her mouth...then closed it. Then opened it again. And closed it.


    Out of all the things she expected to see today, having Alexandra, CQ, Jared, and a bunch of golems all wearing santa hats cheering at her wasn''t it. Nor did she expect the Christmas tree made out of metal with...were those gems? Those looked like gems, hanging from it''s branches in lieu of baubles, with bands of cloths wrapped around the tree like tinsel. It did look pretty though. Was that table covered in drinks and traveling biscuits?


    "Uh...Merry Christmas? Alex, couldn''t you have given me some warning this was gonna happen?"


    Alexandra''s smirk was positively irking.


    "Nope! Would have ruined the surprise, and the fun! Ah, you should have seen your face!"


    Emilia crossed her arms under her breasts and rolled her eyes, which of course only made the infuriating woman (who she referred less and less to as a dungeon, she was just so...so human) laugh.


    The vampire let out a small smile.


    "Alright, fine, I guess it would have been funny from your perspective...still, you could have told me you were intending to do a celebration! You just told me to prepare presents!"


    Alexandra chuckled, and grabbed a glass, downing a quick gulp.


    "Uh." She looked at the glass. "Not bad, all things considered. I didn''t know you guys flavored travel water for desert crossings."


    Emilia shrugged.


    "Some people like to." She squinted speculatively at Alexandra. "I didn''t know you could drink."


    "Neither did I, honestly, but I thought a Christmas celebration would be just sad without food and drink, and I literally just grabbed and drank by reflex. It feels nice actually, plus it makes sense, the person that originally built this body looked more or less human, so she probably made it to be at least able to enjoy food and drink." She shrugged. "Honestly those were mostly for you, I don''t know if vampires need to really eat anything, you made it pretty clear you really needed mana more than anything, but I thought you''d appreciate the gesture."


    Alexandra grabbed a glass and handed it over to her advisor.


    "I do appreciate it, thanks." Emilia took the drink with a smile and a nod, then took a sip. Flavored indeed, peaches if she wasn''t mistaken. "Well, if we''re through with the niceties, I suppose we should get to this?" She nodded towards the presents assembled under the tree. "I''d say the kid is getting impatient."


    Alexandra followed Emilia''s gaze, and giggled as she saw CQ, who was looking at the brightly packaged presents with obvious curiosity.


    "Right, fair enough. Alright, time to open them up! Oh, wait, one more thing." Alexandra turned around, grabbed something, then turned back towards Emilia, her hands behind her back. "Come here Emilia~"


    "Uh..." Emilia took a step back, suddenly unsure, as she saw her friend''s mischevious grin.


    Then suddenly, the Earth-born darted forward, and before the vampire could so much as yelp, shoved a santa hat onto her assistant''s head.


    Emilia blinked, then grabbed the fluffy ball at the pointy end of the hat, and sighed.


    "Was that truly necessary?"


    "Yup!" Said the insufferable woman with an unrepentant grin, then she turned towards the tree. "Alright, let''s get to it before CQ pokes one with her sword just to see what it does."


    She patted the boss on the head, getting a pleased smiled and bounce in response, before making a beeline towards the tree. There, she kneeled, and grabbed the first present. While it wasn''t wrapped in what some would call ''traditional'' Christmas paper, the thin, brightly colored cloth did pretty well as an imitation.


    "Alright, young ones first. CQ, here''s your present." Said Alexandra with a smile, as she handed the boss the box.


    CQ eagerly took it, then just looked at it, puzzled, and Alexandra laughed.


    "Right, you have to open it."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    CQ looked up, and tilted her head, then Alexandra got up, slightly tore the packaging open, and then gestured towards it. CQ''s eyes lit up, and she immediately starting tearing the packaging off like she was a crazed pirahana. A few seconds later, there were only scraps left, and the boss looked at the box, and tilted her head. But before Alexandra and Emilia had the time to intervene, she grabbed the top part, and slowly opened the box thanks to the hinges on the back.


    CQ fully opened it, looked at the inside for a bit, before extracting a magnificently wrought steel sword, with a handle carved of onyx and wrapped in leather for easier gripping. She let the wooden box fall and clatter on the ground, lifting the sword to eye level, before executing a surprisingly fast and practiced series of movements with it. Emilia blinked, it looked like Alexandra had spent some time teaching the boss while she was off doing something else (probably during the times she had been reading and the two of them had been in the workshop).


    CQ laughed, and bounced, before slamming into Alexandra like an armored missile, hugging her. Alexandra giggled, and hugged the boss back, burying her face into her hair, before letting her go.


    "You''re welcome kiddo."


    The boss stepped back and smiled, before looking at Emilia as Alexandra directed her gaze towards her. One behind the other like that, the resemblance was stunning. CQ indeed looked like a younger version of Alexandra.


    Emilia blinked for a second, before realizing why Alexandra was staring at her. She beckoned CQ closer, before plunging her hand in one of her spatial pouches, setting her drink down on the table so she didn''t have to avoid spilling it while moving.


    "Alright, so this isn''t fancily wrapped like miss dungeon over there''s present, but I think you will like it all the same."


    Then she pulled out a pair of books, ''Guide to Royal Etiquette and proper Postures'' and ''The Art of Elegant Swordfighting'', then offered them to CQ. The boss stepped forward, and after carefully setting her new sword down, gingerly took them. Then, suddenly remembering that the poor girl wouldn''t even know how to open them (and read them, but she had made sure these books were mostly composed of detailed pictures instead of written instructions), and did it for the boss, before demonstrating how to turn the pages, and with a few gestures explaining from which point to start, and which point to end. CQ looked up, and nodded seriously. Emilia gazed into her eyes, and nodded back, satisfied at the spark of comprehension in the boss'' eyes. Then she almost stumbled and fell as the boss hugged her. Emilia froze for a second, before returning the enthusiastic hug, and letting the boss go as she started stepping back, the boss happily smiling.


    "Right, uh... Next is...Jared, I suppose?"


    "Yep!"


    Alexandra kneeled once again and grabbed another present, before offering it to the somewhat battered golem. Jared stared at her for a moment, before grabbing it, and unwrapping it, jerkily imitating CQ''s movements. Then, he opened the box...and brought out an onyx dagger. A very, very, very intricately carved onyx dagger. Carved entirely with runes. Emilia''s eyes wandered over the dagger, and widened as she started to realize the spell that was embedded into the weapon. She opened her mouth, and closed it. Then Alexandra started speaking.


    "You''ve been my bodyguard for the last few days, but you never had a weapon that truly allowed you to defend me if the need arose. So this is to correct that. Consider this as your last resort weapon, if no other option is available, use it to protect me, alright."


    Jared looked at her for a second, before slowly nodding, and carefully putting the dagger down on the table. Emilia frowned, had he....understood? He shouldn''t be that smart just yet...Then again, very weird things could happen to dungeon defenders, especially the ones close to the Core or the dungeon''s Avatar. He spent all of his time by Alexandra''s side, so who knew what could happen? In any case, everyone, even the golems in the back, expectantly turned towards Emilia.


    The vampire girl rolled her eyes, elicting a muffled chuckle from Alexandra, and grabbed yet another book from her pouches, and offered it to the golem. She had no idea if he could understand even pictures, but it wouldn''t hurt to try.


    Jared took it, and without any prompting from her, opened the book, and flipped a page, carefully, almost like it was made out of glass. This, however, allowed Alexandra to see the cover and the name on it, and prompting her to start laughing.


    "Ahahah! ''H-How to be a butler''? R-Really? That''s what you offered him? That''s hilarious vampy!"


    Emilia grinned, and stuck her tongue out at Alexandra, which elicted yet another bout of laughter from her, before she calmed down, straightened up, and waved at Jared and CQ.


    "Sorry, wasn''t laughing at you, no insult meant."


    The atmosphere seemed to relax a bit after that, like if CQ and Jared had somehow understood the undertones.


    Jared went back to the book, and Emilia had the very distinct impression like he was actually reading it, before he looked up, closed the book, and set it besides the dagger, before looking straight at Emilia, and giving her a firm nod, which she answered in kind.


    "Alright, so now, for your presents-"


    "Hop hop hop! Remind me what you said at the beginning?" Said Emilia with a devilish grin, which only grew bigger as Alexandra froze. "Younger ones first, right? Well, while Jared is technically younger than CQ, he does act more mature, you are most definitely younger than I am."


    "And what, I act younger as well?"


    Emilia sniffed haughtily, and lifted up her chin.


    "Of course."


    Alexandra laughed.


    "Alright alright, me first I guess. So, since the other two can''t really make presents, what did you get for me vampy?"


    Emilia rolled her eyes, then her gaze softened as she looked Alexandra in the eyes. She grabbed something from her pouch, and offered it to her.


    "Here, this is for you, it''s not much, but...."


    Alexandra took the piece of....jewelry? It looked like jewelry anyway, it was a simply golden circle with a gem in the middle, and a button on it. She could almost feel the hum of the enchantment contained inside the thing, and could sense Emilia''s unique...signature? Taste? Whatever it was, she hadn''t made the object itself, but she sure as hell had made the enchantment on it. She looked up at the vampire girl, raising an eyebrow, and Emilia simply gestured towards the button.


    Alexandra pressed it. And her eyes widened.


    For a split second, it looked like the air distorted and filled with static, before a perfect globe appeared above the jewel, first in holographic blue, and then colors appearing everywhere.


    And that perfect globe was Earth, with every continent exquisitely detailed, in their untouched-by-humans beauty.


    Tears filled Alexandra''s eyes as she contemplated her homeworld, and she looked down as she heard the scraping of soles against the ground. Emilia was right there, in front of her, looking at her with soft eyes.


    "It''s not perfect, obviously I''ve never seen Earth myself....but I''ve done my best to replicate it from images and paintings I saw or had on my books. I know it''s not much, but I thought you''d like-"


    Alexandra didn''t even let her finish her sentence, and wrapped the vampire girl in the tightest hug she could give her. She whispered in her ear, almost convulsively as tears flowed down her face.


    "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. A thousand times thank you. You don''t realize how much I''ve missed it...and how terrified I was of forgetting how it looked...I could have never have done it myself, and a picture from memory would never have done it, so thank you..."


    Emilia''s tense shoulders relaxed, and she hugged back Alexandra.


    "It''s alright...Come on, it''s Christmas, don''t cry...."


    Alexandra chuckled, and quickly dried her tears, before letting the vampire girl go, and straightening back up.


    "Alright, you''re probably right, although there is something to be said for tears of joy...Here, this is what I got for you."


    She grabbed the last package under the tree, and handed it over to Emilia, who took it. She smiled at the vampire girl, and gestured towards it.


    Emilia smiled back, and carefully unwrapped the present. It was...a very large book. The cover read ''The Wonders of Charted Space, 6<sup>th</sup> Edition, 2160''. She opened it, and gasped, looking up sharply at a smiling Alexandra.


    "Yep. It''s not perfect, I had to recreate it from memory, so some of it I might have forgotten, and misremembered, but I did add some stuff of my own, things that were either kept off the record or never came to the attention of the authors."


    Emilia looked at her for a few seconds, before looking back down. Now she understood why the Earth-born had talked about ''pictures from memory''. Because that was what the book was filled with. Pictures, magnificent, absolutely breath taking pictures. Of massive buildings, great phenomenons, space stations, ships, everything magnificent Alexandra''s people had found and cataloged. From the Niagara Falls to the breathtaking ring system of Epsilon Eridiani-6, everything was there.


    Emilia smiled, closed the book, and promptly hugged the towering woman. Alexandra giggled, and hugged her back.


    "Thank you...now I''ll get to know your old world much better...and bombard you with more questions!"


    Alexandra giggled again.


    "I see. Well, now that we''re done with the presents..." She smiled as Emilia let her go and looked at her, her eyes curious. "Let''s get on with the food! Let''s see if those ''travel biscuits'', which if I remember well were called ''hardtack'' back on Earth, are as tough to eat as everyone says! Come on, first to eat three wins the prize!"


    Emilia rolled her eyes and laughed as Alexandra grabbed her hand and led her towards the table.

 Chapter 11 - The First Forge

    Chapter 11


    Red Sands Deserts, Asarian Kingdom Border


    City of Darthar, Adventurers Guild Hall


    Starvak looked at his tablet and sighed.


    He put the tablet down and contemplated the simple message on it.


    This was it. After all the shenanigans of the last couple of days, it was finally time to reveal the dungeon¡¯s¡ªCrystal¡¯s¡ªexistence to the rest of the world.


    Oh, he knew some organizations and nations had to have gotten their hands on his reports. He had faith in his colleagues. Well, most of them at least. But given the abundance of guild halls and guildmasters, it was almost certain that someone had leaked the information, whether accidentally or in exchange for a favor or a payoff. That wasn¡¯t even counting the possibility that the communication network of the guild¡¯s leadership could have been compromised, or that more conventional espionage techniques could have gotten hold of the information.


    But this would make it official. This message, sent to every guild representative at every court, ruling council, and senate on the planet, would proclaim the existence of a new dungeon.


    Usually, he would have preferred to wait until he had a firm presence established there, but it wasn¡¯t an option. Thanks to Elkaryos, he was fairly sure he¡¯d have an expedition up and running before anyone else. But quite frankly, hiding a newborn dungeon¡¯s existence was always tricky at best, and it was outright impossible in the current context. Darthar was too big a trade hub to have a guild expedition of the magnitude required to establish a survivable presence in the wastelands not be put under intense scrutiny. While the dungeon would flourish eventually, it would still stay a deserted hellscape for a few months, depending on how proactive the local population would be at terraforming the land and reclaiming the wastelands. Anything affecting the flow of trade was too vital not to investigate.


    And that train of thought brought him to the next point. That in this case, withholding the information could be actively dangerous to the guild¡¯s reputation and standing. Dungeons were always an important affair, but this¡­ This was much more than that.


    ¡°Link dungeons¡± they were called, dungeons that bridged the wastelands separating entire chunks of a continent, with said bridge being called a ¡°link.¡± They had always been massive hotspots for conflict and trade, but they were rare, very rare. After all, they usually happened only once or twice for every continent, depending on the size.


    He sighed again and leaned over his desk, and before he could think to stop himself, pressed the ¡°send¡± button.


    *****


    ¡°Wait, seriously? Why can¡¯t I just create some out of thin air?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I don¡¯t make the rules.¡±


    Alexandra shook her head and looked at the wall. A wall currently made out of iron ore. Which was rather the problem. She was, with Emilia and Jared, inside one of the portions of the original tunnel system that she had severed from the rest of the dungeon when making her redesign. Right now it was connected to the workshop through a long tunnel she had dug up mere minutes ago.


    ¡°So let me sum this up. I can create a regenerating deposit of ore mixed with stone, any ore I come across, which will regenerate over time by literally regrowing, for an absurdly small mana upkeep, but I can¡¯t just create the same quantity of loose ore? I mean, no, I can, it¡¯s just, what, ten times as pricy? And creating pure ore costs even more per weight!¡±


    ¡°That about sums it up, yes,¡± the vampire girl said, nodding. ¡°Although the ¡®pure ore¡¯ compared to ¡®mixed ore¡¯ price per actual weight of metal apparently changes depending on the ore. It¡¯s closer to a thousand times more expensive for mythril, for example.¡±


    Alexandra looked at Emilia and pinched the bridge of her nose. Sometimes the...quirks of her dungeon nature gave her headaches. And she wasn¡¯t physically supposed to have them anymore! Or maybe she was. Did dungeon cores have some version of aspirin? She shook herself slightly. This wasn¡¯t the time to go on a tangent. The problem at hand was key to her plans.


    Apparently, she wouldn¡¯t be able to just create loose piles of ore for her golems to throw into a furnace, she needed to actually mine it. That could prove problematic. Transport and handling shouldn¡¯t be an issue, her golems were deceptively strong, but mining it in the first place... Contrary to popular belief, pickaxes and other traditional tools sucked at breaking down rocks and ores. In fact, the most effective method during the Middle Ages was to pile up wood, set it on fire, then once the flames had died quench the searing hot rock wall in water. The thermal shock then weakened (or outright broke) the rock, and it was just a matter of prying the ore out. The problem was that it was time consuming, and quite frankly extremely inefficient in terms of manpower and time per weight of ore extracted, not to mention the dangers of having fires in confined spaces.


    One of the reasons the iron and steel industry had enough raw materials to expand was that Nobel came along and boom went the dynamite. Literally, in this case, since his invention of the high explosive let large-scale explosive mining take place much more safely than with black powder, some types of which were actively suicidal to use in such a confined, industrial environment.


    The problem was that she couldn¡¯t synthesize nitroglycerin (yet) for dynamite, and while she was fairly sure she¡¯d be able to manufacture black powder soon, there was no way in hell she was going to use it in a large-scale mining operation, especially if she had the forges nearby, as she planned to here. Dynamite was stable and easy to contain. Black powder, at least the most basic version of it, most definitely wasn¡¯t.


    Which brought her back to the conventional tools.


    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to make a miner golem with a pickaxe, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Probably, yeah.¡± Emilia shrugged. ¡°To be fair, you don¡¯t need that much ore yet. You¡¯re trying to manufacture weapons and armor for your golems, not build an ironclad warship.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Although Alexandra didn¡¯t mention that she planned to produce far, far more than mere weapons and armor. There was no need to panic her poor advisor. ¡°I suppose they¡¯ll at least be better at it than normal humans would.¡±


    ¡°Well, low-level ones at least. You should see what a high-level geomancer can do. They can dig a hole the size of a castle in a single day if they really want to!¡±


    Alexandra raised an eyebrow, and reminded herself¡ªagain¡ªnot to take anything for granted here. Sure, she had a fairly good idea of what medieval and early industrial technologies and techniques could do, mostly thanks to books and documentaries. She had quite the hobby back in the day when she was still building energy weapons assembly lines for Fleet Logistics and Arcadia Systems. But those capabilities were from Earth. Not Alcheryos, which was apparently the name of the planet she was standing on, where magic and superhuman powers were part of everyday life.


    ¡°Point taken. But let me guess, you don¡¯t have a book about these spells nor any training in them.¡±


    Emilia looked at her feet and fiddled with her grimoire, squirming a bit, and Alexandra had to stop herself from patting her on the head and telling her it was alright, although her resolve steadily eroded at her advisor¡¯s cuteness.


    ¡°Welllll... No.¡± She sighed and looked up at Alexandra, meeting the dungeon¡¯s gaze. ¡°It was hardly considered a priority, if only because a dungeon is the greatest geomancer there is. You can build or destroy entire mountains in a matter of minutes, so it was assumed that any geomancy spell I could learn would be entirely redundant. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Alexandra sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like your family or teachers could have foreseen my...unique view on things.¡±


    Emilia put her hand in front of her mouth, hiding a giggle behind a cough.


    ¡°Ahem! That¡¯s something of a euphemism Alex.¡±


    The Earth-born smiled.


    ¡°Perhaps. Anyway, a golem with a pickaxe should be fairly easy to make. Ditto for a basic rolling cart. Now, we get to the fun part!¡± Her smile turned positively insane, and Emilia suddenly looked very worried. ¡°It¡¯s time to build the forges of hell itself! Let the fires ROAR!¡±


    *****


    ¡°Wow. Okay this is way bigger than I expected.¡±


    Elkaryos smiled in the corner of Allya¡¯s vision as she peeked out of the curtain.


    ¡°Well, I might have...emphasized the importance of this event in my invitation.¡± His smile fell. ¡°It is unfortunate that we cannot announce your new title of nobility as planned, because of the security reasons. But, at least the preparations didn¡¯t go to waste.¡±


    That, Allya thought, was one hell of an understatement.


    She was currently in the backroom of the city¡¯s public square stage, peeking out the curtain at the massive crowd gathered before it. She had seen bigger crowds of course¡ªthere were only about three thousand people there, nothing compared to the millions that gathered during the annual Imperial Address in Starcore, the capital of the Eris Empire, where the ruler of the Empire made a full speech to the citizens of their realm and apprised them of the plans for the coming year. But she hadn¡¯t seen one this big gathered for her since she was awarded the title of knight valiant, and she¡¯d almost fainted on that day! The only thing that had kept her from doing so was Cassissa constantly throwing innuendos and having to restrain herself from strangling the insufferable princess. Which, now that she thought about it, might have been the reason her erstwhile friend had teased her as much.


    Well, at least they weren¡¯t here for her. Thanks to Elkaryos¡¯ vague wording in his original dispatches, they had been able to deflect her ennoblement ceremony into a private affair in the city¡¯s castle, where she had sworn fealty to the Kingdom and the Count. The young noble had seemed quietly amused rather than infuriated at her schemes and possession of the dungeon, which was a relief. The last thing she wanted was to have her liege hate her guts. And in place of the original public ceremony, they¡¯d slotted in Starvak¡¯s announcement of the dungeon¡¯s existence and the formation of the expedition. Which, with Alkeryos¡¯ full backing (both financially and in terms of influence; it¡¯s amazing how much faster things go in a city virtually owned by the merchants guild when one of their highest-ranking members is on your side), would leave in only three days. Allya wasn¡¯t a specialist of this kind of thing, but Pyn, who had been part of several large cross-wasteland caravans, had told her that it was an impressively low time, especially when supplies had to be gathered on such short notice.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time. If you¡¯ll excuse me Lady Aub¨¦toile?¡± Starvak said.


    She turned around and opened her mouth to tell the old guildmaster he could just call her ¡±Allya¡± before seeing the twinkle in his eyes and realizing that he was messing with her. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and stepped to the side, letting the dwarf pass.


    She had to admit, he didn¡¯t look like much (he was like, a meter and ten at best?), but he carried with him an...aura. A presence, so to speak, of authority and assurance the likes of which she¡¯d only seen in Imperial Guardians and a few of the generals of the Eris Empire. It was strange how he managed to somehow trigger this at will, as he most definitely hadn¡¯t during their private meetings.


    As soon as the guildmaster passed, she went back to peeking, hearing a chuckle from Elkaryos. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised, and he simply waved his steaming hot chocolate mug at her. Where had he even gotten that? They were several hundred meters from his house and Jeremy was guarding the entrance, alongside Valker.


    ¡°After a while you¡¯ll learn to look as impassive and disinterested as possible¡ªwhile remaining polite of course¡ªwhile things like that go on, without missing any of the information. It wouldn¡¯t do to let your enemies know you¡¯ve been surprised or are otherwise stressed out by such revelations.¡±


    The assassin-now-baroness slowly nodded.


    ¡°I see. Well, I don¡¯t have your mastery of the art of dissembling yet, so if you¡¯ll excuse me?¡±


    The dark elf nodded, smiling at her rebuke and taking a sip of his hot chocolate. Allya shook her head, and went back to looking at the crowd. Then she felt something touching her shoulders, and it took her a split second to realize it was Pyn¡¯s chest, as she looked over her.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Allya said, torn between being annoyed at the taller elf and embarrassed by the fact that Pyn was pressing her fairly large bust against her. ¡°Most of them look to be adventurers. Although there¡¯s a large collection of merchants here. I think I saw a few of them holding the bigger stalls in the bazaar, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll know soon enough. Starvak is about to speak.¡±


    Allya stopped looking at the crowd and refocused on the guildmaster, who had just stepped up behind an absurdly small podium. He tapped the crystal in the center, and the sound reverberated into the whole plaza, relayed by multiple other crystals dispersed on tall metal poles throughout it. Allya winced. This kind of apparatus, which was pretty expensive, might appear just a harmless way for politicians to boost their own ego at political rallies (and not rely on people repeating what they had just said), but she¡¯d seen it converted into a sonic weapon in one of her more...bloody jobs. It had been terrifyingly effective, and completely stunned the crowd as she and her colleagues disposed of the targets that had been on the stage and their guards.


    ¡°Greetings, people of Darthar! For those who do not know me, I am Guildmaster Starvak Estorius of the adventurers guild. I head the guild in this very city. We are all gathered here today because I have a very important announcement to make.¡±


    The dwarf stopped for a second, masterfully building anticipation, before he leaned forward.


    ¡°A new dungeon has been discovered. And I am mounting an expedition to explore it and settle the region around it.¡±


    For a few seconds, the crowd was stunned into silence. Then, a scarred dwarf in heavy armor, with a double-headed battle axe protruding over his shoulder, threw both of his fists into the air and yelled.


    ¡°HECK YEAH!¡±


    This seemed to break the spell, and an incomprehensible mess of exclamations, questions, and expletives flowed out, each louder than the last. Starvak waited for a few seconds, then held his hands out for silence. Most of the adventurers quieted down quickly, while the merchants continued yelling at one another. Starvak¡¯s face darkened. He almost gently pressed a button on the podium, and the crystal stopped glowing. Allya¡¯s eyebrows rose until she saw him take a deep breath, at which point her eyes widened. He wasn¡¯t¡ª


    ¡°ENOUGH! This is most unseemly, ladies and gentlemen! Control yourselves!¡±


    The shout rang out throughout the plaza, sounding like the thunder of the gods themselves. Glass windows trembled and people staggered under the physical impact of it. Silence was instantaneous, beyond a few initial exclamations of surprise and fear.


    Allya¡¯s respect for Starvak¡¯s prowess clicked another notch as the guildmaster dispelled the Battle Shout enhancement he had just used to amplify his voice.


    The guildmaster cleared his throat.


    ¡°Now, as I was saying. I am assembling an expedition to explore and settle the area around the dungeon. This expedition will be in partnership with Master Merchant Elkaryos Rapier, and the noble that owns the area. They will be along later, as they are not currently in the city.¡± A small lie, but it could prove useful, in addition to Elkaryos¡¯ intervention with the Royal Magistrate, who had temporarily closed his records for a ¡°reorganization.¡± It wouldn¡¯t stop people from finding out about Allya, but given the allergy that Royal Magistrates had to giving information to people outside of their area, or just giving information in general, it should delay them enough for Allya to be safely on her way to the dungeon by then, surrounded by a cadre of highly capable adventurers.


    ¡°As such, I am looking for volunteers. All applications for adventurers in the initial wave must be submitted to the guild hall¡¯s attendants. Priority will be given to assault guild members of course.¡± This elicited a few shouts of joy, one notably from the same armored dwarf who had yelled earlier, and a few catcalls. ¡°As for the business propositions, you will have to submit them to Elkaryos himself or his secretary. The expedition will be undertaken via airship, so keep in mind that the first wave cannot contain heavy loads of supplies or gear. That also means no unstable alchemical components or concoctions, thank you very much.¡± This time there was simply a low rumble of laughter, the merchants unsurprisingly being far more restrained than the adventurers.


    ¡°Excellent. Now, information on the dungeon will be distributed in a briefing in two days for all those that have been selected to be part of the first wave. The briefing will include everything we know about the dungeon so far.¡± Except the name of the dungeon¡¯s advisor, for some reason. Starvak had been insistent that they never, ever tell anyone else her name. ¡°That is all. Have a nice day!¡±


    There were a few protests, mostly from the merchants, about the briefing no doubt. After all, knowing what such a dungeon would produce would make selling or buying stock in the related industries critical. Allya idly wondered who would guess right or wrong, given the fact that the stock exchange was going to go completely insane long before the briefing came. She had, however, wisely invested what was left of her savings and advised Elkaryos on the matter in exchange for a share of the profit, split between her and Pyn. There was also some grumbling from a few adventurers. But overall, the crowd cheered and clapped, before dispersing as Starvak walked backstage. Allya and Pyn politely stepped back to let the guildmaster through.


    ¡°So, what did you think?¡± the dwarf asked, obviously pleased with himself.


    ¡°That next time you should seed a few people in the crowd to ask the questions you want to answer. That way you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re giving a speech, but that you¡¯re interacting with the people and listening to their concerns,¡± Elkaryos said, before taking a sip from his mug.


    Starvak frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to mount an expedition here, not take over the city.¡± He shook his head, which had an interesting effect on his mustache. He then switched to looking at the two women.


    ¡°It was good. Nice touch with the Battle Shout,¡± Allya said.


    ¡°Yeah. Although that might have been a bit overkill,¡± Pyn added, before blushing. ¡°N-Not that I mean to criticize you, sir!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine kid. Honest criticism, no matter how harsh, is never unwelcome.¡± He smiled. ¡°My, I have gotten my own fair share of dressing downs and lectures in my time. In any case, now that this is done, I believe it is time for me to go to the guild hall and officially announce you as the discoverer of the dungeon.¡± His smile became more gentle as he saw their alarmed expressions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t say a word about ownership of the dungeon, but people are going to put two and two together very quickly, especially with the kind of attention you garnered yesterday. Plus, I¡¯m fairly sure some sharp-eyed adventurers saw you peeking out.¡±


    Allya nodded slowly, suddenly realizing how...unadvisable her action had been. Then again, if people saw her as the somewhat airheaded discoverer of the dungeon, they might choose to dig no further. She shuddered as she thought about what someone with the right contacts could find out about her. The Eris Empire wasn¡¯t big on disclosing information, especially in inter-noble family feuds, but that didn¡¯t mean leaks didn¡¯t happen, especially when a lot of money ¡°mysteriously¡± switched hands.


    ¡°Alright. Well, I suppose we should accompany you there.¡± She smiled crookedly. ¡°At least people aren¡¯t likely to bombard us with questions when you¡¯re around.¡±


    Starvak laughed.


    ¡°Indeed, young one, indeed!¡±


    The dwarf nodded to Elkaryos, who seemed perfectly content to simply sit there for a bit, and who returned the nod. Then, he walked out, quickly followed by Allya and Pyn, waving at the dark elf as they left.


    *****


    ¡°Colonel? The committee is ready to see you.¡±


    Colonel Orzal Vek, of the Elkis Republican Army (ERA), stopped talking to his aid, and redirected his gaze at the scrawny secretary that had just addressed him. Compared to him, the man looked positively frail. Then again, not everyone had his powerful physique, 1m80 of height, and heavily scarred face.


    ¡°Thank you, my good sir.¡± Orzal took a second to adjust the helmet under his arm, and puff his mustache and hair a bit, before looking at his aide questioningly, who nodded back in approval. Then he headed through the door the secretary had obligingly opened for him. It always paid to look every bit like a gruff, professional soldier when meeting with politicians.


    He moved into a small antechamber, before stepping through the second door, and straight into a meeting room.


    In the middle of said room was a half-circular table, kind of like a horseshoe if it had been cut short, with half a dozen men and women dressed in the expensive clothes and covered in the jewelry that designated them as the wealthy Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the ruling elite of the Republic. Of course, there weren¡¯t any chairs on the other side.


    It wouldn¡¯t do for our great masters to lose one bit of control by letting their minions sit, eh? Orzal banished the thought and stepped forward, stopping slightly outside of the semicircle, so he could simultaneously see everyone. He stayed there, unmoving, for a full five seconds before one of those that had summoned him here deigned speak to him.


    ¡°Colonel Vek, of the First Airborne Division. It is a pleasure to meet with you,¡± said the man in the middle, obviously the chairman, with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Do you know who we are?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. And yes sir, I do. You are the Strategic Acquisition Committee, sir. You decide which territories would benefit the most from being integrated into the Republic, sir.¡±


    Well, that was the official label. A more accurate one would have been ¡°those who decide who is going to get pillaged and conquered next to fill the elite¡¯s pockets.¡± Orzal had been in the Republic military long enough to realize that whatever the Republic was now, it sure as hell wasn¡¯t the idealistic, benevolent nation its government liked to portray it as.


    ¡°You are quite right. Please, do away with the ¡®sirs.¡¯ I am Senator Charles Veumen. You may call me Senator or Senator Veumen. These are my colleagues, although there is no need to introduce them for the purposes of this meeting. Tell me, Colonel, do you know why you have been called here today?¡±


    ¡°No, Senator Veumen, I do not.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well then, Colonel Vek, yesterday evening, we received a representative from the adventurers guild. This representative carried interesting news. You see, a new dungeon has been discovered.¡± Orzal cringed internally. The last campaign to capture a dungeon was in the Far Reach, and he had no intention of seeing that kind of needless¡ªand fruitless¡ªbloodbath again. ¡°In the red sands deserts. In the Fallen Angel ruins to be precise, between Darthar and Erakis.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Orzal stared at the senator. He opened his mouth, closed it, thought for a few seconds, then answered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that in the area nicknamed the ¡®contested border region,¡¯ Senator?¡± he asked cautiously.


    Charles smiled, and this time a hint of respect entered his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, indeed. And we have been informed that the expedition from the guild to initially colonize the area surrounding said dungeon is to be assembled in Darthar...and that the Asarian Kingdom has claimed ownership over it.¡±


    Orzal¡¯s blood began to run cold as he processed the implications. He wasn¡¯t a grand strategist, he specialized more in tactical operations, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t realize what was about to happen. The Patriarchs and Matriarchs had sacrificed the entire ERA just to try and take some mountains and a dungeon. There was no telling to what lengths they would go to secure this one.


    ¡°I...see, Senator Veumen.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! Now, you probably realize why we called you here. Our files state that you have been charged with implementing project Shadow-sword, correct?¡±


    Orzal nodded, his throat becoming dry. Project Shadow-sword had been described to him as ¡°a way to strike from the shadows, at any time, against the enemies of the Republic,¡± when he¡¯d been proposed the job. In truth, what he had been ordered to build was effectively a black ops team that couldn¡¯t be traced back to the Republic, but was far more loyal than mercenaries...and disposable. Few people met these criteria, and he¡¯d been forced to recruit thieves, murderers, and outcasts to form what was more or less a squad ready to kill anyone he told them to without questions. His soldiers were hardly the most stable of people, although they were loyal and reliable...most of the time. It wasn¡¯t the only project he was responsible for nowadays, but it was the one that had propelled him to captain, and opened the lucrative and fast-promoting doors of black ops to him.


    ¡°Yes sir. I assume that you want me to deploy the team at this dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Correct, Colonel. Your orders are to do whatever is necessary to sabotage the expedition sent by the Asarians, impede their progress, and, if the opportunity arises, to seize the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°By seize the dungeon, do you mean...?¡±


    The senator met his gaze unflinchingly.


    ¡°Take the core. And the core¡¯s advisor. Alive, if you please; we don¡¯t want to have a blood vendetta on our hands. Your soldiers are to use bribery, coercion, whatever they need to convince the core to come peacefully, and failing that, capture it through force.¡±


    Orzal looked at the senator for a long second, then nodded.


    ¡°And what about the adventurers? I doubt I will be able to beat the guild there.¡±


    ¡°Their lives are secondary to the main objective, as long as nothing is linked to the Republic. Do what you must.¡±


    Orzal gulped as he saw the man¡¯s steel gaze. He wasn¡¯t above killing civilians, although it gave him the occasional nightmare, but the senator clearly didn¡¯t realize how dangerous adventurers could be...or how thoroughly the adventurers guild would be searching for the people that murdered some of their own and stole a dungeon. The undertone was clear: this was a suicide mission. Not that his soldiers had no chance of coming back alive. More that they would be coming back to a ¡°rescue team¡± from the Republic to ¡°save the dungeon¡± from a group of bandits, who would probably not bother taking any prisoners. They simply couldn¡¯t afford to risk a confrontation with the adventurers guild and the UDC on top of the war doubtlessly coming with the Asarians.


    ¡°Yes Senator, understood.¡±


    The senator looked him in the eye, and slowly nodded as he saw the light that meant Orzal had indeed understood his true meaning.


    ¡°Good. Assemble your team for immediate departure. The sooner they get to it, the better. Dismissed!¡±


    Orzal saluted and walked out the door, his throat dry and fear gripping his heart. If any of this went wrong...well, he could already guess who the committee would dump the responsibility on.


    I¡¯m so fucked.


    *****


    ¡°Is it ready?¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell? Yeah. I triple checked the list, and everything is there.¡±


    Alexandra looked at Emilia and raised an eyebrow. The vampire answered with a toothy smile.


    ¡°I might not know much about metallurgy, but I can recognize pictures and read instructions, you know. Plus, thoroughness is one of the scholarly virtues.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, at least it looks ready.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Alexandra giggled, and patted Emilia¡¯s head, quickly withdrawing her hand as she sensed her advisor¡¯s outrage.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m messing with you. But seriously though, it looks perfectly fine. Ready to do a test run?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Alexandra nodded and looked at what they had just finished assembling. Well, Emilia had done the enchanting and checking the runes part, while she worked on more conventional systems.


    To be honest, it didn¡¯t look like much. It was more or less a large stone cylinder, with several pipes slotting into it, and a removable top and bottom. The more interesting part was the runes inlaid into the pipes and the cylinder itself. For the pipes, they were mostly about making the air circulate, although they weren¡¯t outputting as much as Alexandra would have wanted, mainly due to the mana cost. They were, after all, still making do with more basic runes like kinesys instead of much more complex (but time consuming) spells. It was, however, just a cheap prototype. The runes inlaid in the cylinder itself were more complex. They dealt with temperature. They would help ignite the charcoal inside and keep the whole interior at a hot temperature.


    The device was more or less a refined, magical-aided version of a medieval iron bloomery, the old iron refining furnaces before blast furnaces and puddling were invented. All in all, it was pretty ineffective, and it could only produce wrought iron, which required considerable manpower to beat into shape and expel the slag from, but it was also basic enough that Emilia had a book that outlined the process. That, coupled with Alexandra¡¯s engineering knowledge, ought to let them at least industrialize the whole process and make it much more effective. Then they could advance to blast furnaces, although Alexandra really wanted to get a real metallurgist on their side for that. Her degrees were in code, mass production, and weapon design, not raw material processing. In fact, in many ways her knowledge worked against her instead of for her, as she was too used to having high tech materials and systems on hand, which she definitely did not. Well, at least none that she was familiar with. She was pretty sure that the dungeon core that housed her dwarfed anything Earth had ever built, in terms of technological sophistication.


    She¡¯d tried to decipher some of its magic code, and she was barely at recognizing basic instruction loops and AND, OR, etc., commands. She just didn¡¯t know where to start, and a lot of it seemed completely nonsensical in some ways. In fact, she was becoming more and more convinced that what she was seeing were only the interface layers, the part that connected to the rest of her dungeon. The rest was...blurry. Like there was something preventing her from going deeper. Still, it was a beginning, and it had enabled her to more or less automate the forge. She¡¯d tied some basic instructions to her golems, based on a timer, with a handful of levers to open and close the different parts of the bloomery.


    ¡°Alright, starting iron bloomery production cycle test run number 1...now.¡±


    Alexandra pressed a button in her interface, and the golems leapt into action. One flipped a lever, swinging the top of the furnace open. She¡¯d toyed with having the golems manipulate them manually, but they were not resistant to heat. At all. And she didn¡¯t have any good insulating materials just yet. Two others started shoveling charcoal and iron ore inside. The fourth and last golem simply refilled the ore crates of each shovel golem from the carts of materials. Alexandra was thinking about having a whole separate logistics system, but right now she¡¯d make do with every bloomery and forge having its own dedicated logistic golem.


    Once the bloomery was filled to capacity, the first golem, which she called the Furnace Chief, pulled the lever to close it, then pulled another lever, which started the activation sequence. Alexandra pretended not to notice Emilia cast the protection spell, erecting a forcefield between them and the furnace. For a second, nothing happened in the bloomery, then the runes fully powered up, and the ignition spell triggered. At its core, it was nothing more than a very powerful flame spell, which traded area of effect for high temperatures. Then the air pipes triggered, and the air in the room started getting noticeably hotter as oxygen was pumped into the furnace.


    Alexandra patiently waited as the furnace smelted the iron. Then, after a few minutes, the cycle stopped as the time ran out, and the lever automatically came back up. The various enchantments and engravings powered down, and the golems rushed in once again. The Furnace Chief pushed another lever, which opened the bottom of the bloomery, letting fall a blob of purified iron.


    The shovel golems were waiting, holding a giant bowl by a pair of long poles, all made out of stone. The bowl sat under the furnace to receive the metal sludge (which wasn¡¯t raised to a high enough temperature to truly melt). Then they quickly withdrew the bowl, set it into the cart, and disengaged their poles. Alexandra smiled and made a grand presenting gesture to Emilia.


    ¡°And voil¨¤! A batch of wrought iron, ready to bring to the forge!¡±


    Of course, it was at this moment that the furnace¡¯s runes failed, and the stone cylinder exploded. Alexandra sighed as the shrapnel pinged off of the protection spell, and Emilia pulled out a notebook, made a scratch under ¡°accidental detonations,¡± and returned it to her pouch.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like you said. Mistakes are just another opportunity to learn. If you survive them.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Alexandra sighed again and blindly grabbed a glass of scented water off of Jared¡¯s tray. The golem had taken the teaching of Emilia¡¯s Christmas present to heart, and although it definitely looked odd to have a heavily armored golem walking around in a butler pose with a tray laden with drinks and snacks, it was definitely helpful. Alexandra didn¡¯t know if it had something to do with remembering how it felt to be human, or a feature of her body, but eating and drinking helped her feel better. Although she had to admit that her diet was...monotonous to say the least. The flavored water was always welcome, but Alexandra still wondered why they flavored desert-crossing water rations. And the travel biscuits...


    Well, they were travel biscuits. They were made to keep you alive, not happy, and given Emilia¡¯s face when she¡¯d bitten into one for the first time, they were quite tough. Alexandra didn¡¯t have to care about that. She most definitely had android-class jaws, meaning that she could probably chew concrete if she wanted, but she did care about the fact that they basically tasted worse than the UIS¡¯ MREs, which was saying something.


    ¡°Well, at least we know a failure point. And overall, it was the only one! Well, for one use anyway.¡± She looked at the mass of iron resting in the bowl, idly absorbing the debris and broken golems and fixing the room, something she had become better and better at doing in the background, probably due to the amount of training in the matter she was getting. ¡°Let¡¯s try that again, and once we have a few batches of this stuff, we¡¯ll make the forge.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    *****


    Allya had expected many things when it was announced that Pyn and she were the discoverers of the dungeon.


    A standing ovation was not one of them.


    Starvak raised his hands, and almost all of the adventurers fell silent instantly, the few that continued falling victim to sharp elbow jabs in short order.


    ¡°Thank you. Now, I know you¡¯re all dying to get these ladies a beer.¡± He smiled as the crowd laughed. ¡°But, before that, I believe a few things must be made clear. Yes, they will be in the expedition, and no, harassing them about it won¡¯t change anything. They don¡¯t have any impact on who will be chosen and who won¡¯t.¡± That much, at least, was true. The guild hated having the members they could deploy to any one area restricted for any reason, bar criminal ones. So while Allya and Pyn had some influence, it would be of the utmost stupidity to try and change Starvak¡¯s opinions on his picks. ¡°And don¡¯t harass them about the dungeon either. They¡¯ve been sworn in by magical contract to keep the details to themselves, unless I give my specific authorization, or the expedition is underway.¡±


    The crowd nodded and murmured its assent. Allya had actually insisted on writing that contract, for the simple reason that not only did it prevent them from being squeezed for information (and someone skilled could see when another person was under a compulsion), but it also deflected suspicions from them. After all, what kind of noble would accept such a humiliating demand?


    Starvak surveyed the room one last time, and nodded, satisfied.


    ¡°Good! Have a good day everyone, and don¡¯t forget, we¡¯ll contact those chosen for the briefing; no need to bother the attendants.¡±


    The crowd politely nodded, and the guildmaster withdrew.


    What followed was a whirlwind of congratulations, party offers, and even some more...luscious ones. Although Allya was quite sure that without Valker hovering menacingly, they would have been quite literally carried off by the crowd, it was still overwhelming. She was used to keeping to herself, only coming to the guild hall to pick up quests or take care of paperwork. Sure, she went to taverns, but she was usually the quiet girl on the fringes of the group, not the one in the middle boasting about her exploits.


    Then she felt a hand grab hers, and she looked to her side and shook her head, smiling at Pyn¡¯s embarrassed expression, and then went back to answering people, declining offers or telling them that she¡¯d think about it. Somehow, she missed that the more...inappropriate offers tapered off after that.


    *****


    ¡°You know, they do look productive.¡±


    Alexandra looked at Emilia.


    ¡°¡®Looking¡¯ isn¡¯t the same as ¡®being.¡¯¡± She gestured at the half-dozen golems energetically swinging pickaxes at the wall, then collecting the chunks they sometimes managed to pry off and tossing them into a cart. ¡°They look cool, sure, but their output is absolute crap. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s sufficient for what we want to do with it for now, but otherwise...¡±


    The vampire girl nodded.


    ¡°Fair enough. Still though, at least they¡¯ll never stop mining. Well, unless their tools break. Or they use themselves to destruction. And even with their poor performance, it is still much, much cheaper than creating the ore in a directly usable form.¡±


    Alexandra sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Just can¡¯t stop thinking about the things I could do to improve their output. Which is probably not the smartest thing to do right now. After all, we don¡¯t even have a finished product yet.¡± She smiled. ¡°Speaking of which, ready to test the forge?¡±


    Emilia sighed. Working out the kinks of the bloomery had been...interesting. The fix for the detonation had been fairly simple, just an error that created a feedback loop... Until they¡¯d realized that repeated use had a tendency to damage the runes. And that at some point they accidentally inserted an air blower tube the wrong way and turned the furnace into a flamethrower. Well, at least they had a new trap now.


    ¡°Against my better judgement, yes.¡± She smiled. ¡°At least it should be less likely to explode.¡±


    ¡°Emilia?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡±


    Emilia rolled her eyes and walked to the forge, which was in a nearby room, quickly followed by Alexandra and Jared. They entered the room, and it was, well...


    Somewhat unimpressive.


    Alexandra had to remind herself that this was just a prototype, but seeing a golem standing by an anvil and a rack of tools all by itself, simply waiting, was rather sad. Then again, it was better than having the golem be in several pieces and scorch marks everywhere. The explosions were always entertaining (she loved things that went boom, which is why she¡¯d been more or less drafted by Fleet Logistics for the post-Alpha Centauri campaign armament programs). But that didn¡¯t fully compensate for the fact that said explosions weren¡¯t supposed to happen in the first place, and another prototype, along with the golems manning it, had been vaporized.


    ¡°Alright. Starting forge test run 1... Now.¡±


    She pressed the button in her interface, and the golem started moving. He immediately made his way to the hearth, where the iron had been kept red hot by enchantments, and picked up one of the blobs of metal from the bloomery. He set it onto the anvil, jammed a wedge into it, and hammered it, separating the large blob into several more manageable pieces. He quickly dumped all but one of the resulting iron lumps back into the forge and started hammering away at the one he kept. It took almost ten minutes, even with the golem¡¯s strength, to hammer it into shape.


    The Blacksmith golem (unimaginatively named, but fitting nonetheless) looked at the spear he had just forged, still red hot, nodded, and dumped it into a tub of water. Quenching didn¡¯t really have an effect on wrought iron, but it was faster this way. He took it back, and put it into a crate. He then went back to the forge and picked up another lump of iron.


    ¡°It is a rather slow process, at least compared to the bloomery,¡± Emilia said.


    Alexandra nodded.


    ¡°I agree, but we can make several forges per bloomery. For that matter, we can make several blacksmiths per forge, and as long as they have an anvil for each of them, they can probably share a hearth to some extent. At least that will drive down cost.¡±


    She smiled as she looked at some graphs she had created in her implants¡­no, dungeon interface. ¡°If we calculate based on the materials and upkeep costs, so not counting the startup costs, like R&D, and building the infrastructure, that spear,¡± she pointed at the wrought iron spear in the crate, ¡°cost us around twenty percent of what it would have if I had simply generated it. And given what you have told me about cost reductions for large ore deposits, and the fact that we haven¡¯t even begun industrializing the process...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...impressive.¡± Emilia shook her head, amazed. She hadn¡¯t quite grasped what Alexandra meant by ¡°assembly lines¡± and ¡°robotic fabricators¡± despite her explanations, but she had gotten the general idea: there were methods and infrastructures that would make even that twenty percent look scandalously expensive by comparison. ¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to what you¡¯ll drive it down to.¡±


    ¡°Compared to what we will drive it down to.¡±


    Alexandra smiled at the vampire, and Emilia smiled back. She was well aware that Alexandra didn¡¯t have to involve her in all of this, beyond just having her make the runes and enchantments. Fortunately, she was the type of dungeon that liked to keep their advisors in the loop...and didn¡¯t hesitate a single second to involve them in dungeons affairs, treating them like their right hand rather than just a talking library.


    I¡¯ve really lucked out with her, haven¡¯t I? she thought, smiling.


    Alexandra¡¯s expression softened as she saw her advisor¡¯s smile, and the understanding in her eyes. Her heart melted, but she prevented herself from patting her head or hugging her and ruining the moment.


    ¡°So. What¡¯s next on the list?¡±


    ¡°After finishing up with this?¡± Alexandra nodded, and Emilia pulled out a notebook, opening it and browsing with practiced ease through the pages. ¡°Oh! Runic design for complex movement.¡± She looked up at her friend. ¡°The basics for custom golems.¡±


    Alexandra¡¯s eyes lit up. She¡¯d been waiting to finally get to that. Her basic golems were nice, but they were very limited. It would take a long time to fully learn to make her own golems, but she was confident she would be able to do it...and that in the end it would be more than worth it.


    ¡°Excellent! Let¡¯s wrap this up then.¡±


    *****


    ¡°Ugh, what...¡± Allya muttered as she tried to get up.


    A sudden bout of nausea put an end to her efforts, as she collapsed back down onto the floor.


    What...happened?


    It felt like she had a dwarf warmaster beating a gong with a warhammer inside her head. She moved a bit and realized that while, yes, she felt like crap, she was also still equipped with her daggers, unbound, and clothed. So at least she could be fairly confident that it was a hangover and not a kidnapping and the drugs wearing off.


    She looked around, her eyes hurting at the bright light. She had a hard time recognizing anything, until she saw a desk.


    A familiar adventurers guild desk.


    She sprung up instantly in panic, as she realized that she was lying on the ground of the guild hall, and nearly collapsed from the dizziness. Fortunately, a steadying hand grabbed her shoulder, keeping her upright.


    ¡°Wow, careful there, friend, wouldn¡¯t want to wake up the others now would you?¡±


    Allya blinked and turned around towards the source of the noise, only to find a dwarf in heavy steel armor (but not full plate), sitting on a table.


    ¡°Uh... Right, thanks,¡± she said, slowly, softly, trying to fully articulate the words. Wow, she hadn¡¯t gotten that drunk in forever. Even during her...accident with Pyn, she hadn¡¯t gotten this bad. Which suggested some rather problematic possibilities about what had happened last night. ¡°What...happened?¡±


    ¡°Well, there was a celebration last night. You and your girlfriend there,¡± he gestured at the immobile form of Pyn on the ground, right next to where Allya had been a few seconds earlier, ¡°were the heroes of said celebration. Let¡¯s just say people bought you a lot of drinks, you told some outrageous stories about the Sundered Grove and slaying a Wyvern, and everyone had fun.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not¡ªUrgh.¡± She shivered, interrupted in her reply as she almost voided the contents of her stomach on the ground, only stopping from doing so in a sheer effort of willpower.


    ¡°Easy there. Here, drink this. It¡¯ll help.¡±


    Allya looked up and saw the vial filled with a golden liquid that the dwarf was holding. A golden leaf elixir. Although most weren¡¯t made from true golden leaf (that stuff was hard to find, and expensive as all hell to turn into an elixir that didn¡¯t accidentally murder the user), even the replicas had an excellent reputation for being able to cure a wide range of ailments.


    Using one to cure a mere hangover seemed positively stupid from Allya¡¯s perspective, but she knew some did it anyway...and quite frankly right now she couldn¡¯t care less.


    She grabbed the potion and downed half of it, then corked it back up.


    ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± she said, as the mixture finally reached her stomach, and its effects activated. Clarity returned to her mind¡ªand diction¡ªand at long last her brain began working more or less properly. ¡°Do you mind if I keep the other half for my friend there?¡±


    The dwarf waved his hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. Although I did have another elixir in stock for her as well.¡±


    Allya¡¯s eyebrows rose, then she internally frowned as she gave the dwarf a second look. He seemed familiar, in fact.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯ve gone to this trouble. I mean, I¡¯m sure others have hangover mixtures they¡¯d love to offer to you as you wake up, but none this good.¡±


    The assassin, soon to officially be baron, nodded. The dwarf she was talking to... He was the one with the battle axe, that had yelled during the announcement. And cheered for the assault guild.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re from the assault guild, correct?¡±


    The dwarf looked taken aback for a moment, then smiled.


    ¡°Very astute. Indeed, I am. In fact, I¡¯ve already talked to the attendants, and Guildmaster Starvak. I¡¯ll be heading the assault guild component of the expedition. I¡¯m Artok Grimfire.¡± He chuckled at her incredulous gaze. ¡°I know, a somewhat grand name, but hey.¡±


    ¡°...Right. I¡¯m Allya Aub¨¦toile.¡± She extended her hand, and the dwarf firmly shook it. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°Well, first, we should probably move.¡± He looked down, and Allya followed suit, wincing at the scattered, sleeping bodies on the floor. There weren¡¯t as many as she expected, but there were a lot of them. She¡¯d seen worse in some taverns, but this was the first time she¡¯d experienced such a mess in a guild hall of all places.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± She looked at the vial of the golden leaf potion, gazing at the liquid that was left, then uncorked it and promptly downed its contents. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll be with you in a minute.¡±


    Allya kneeled by Pyn¡¯s side, and then gently lifted her in a bridal style carry, her muscles bulging under the strain. She might not be the tallest person, with her 1m60, and the obnoxiously well-endowed elf was a good twenty cm taller than she was, but she was a steel-ranked, qualified-for-copper-by-level adventurer. That gave her a degree of strength that would have been considered flatly impossible without cybernetic or genetic augmentation back on Earth. She stood up and carefully brought the elf to the counter.


    Dominique was manning the desk, although given the appearance of her face she probably hadn¡¯t gotten much sleep last night. She looked up from her coffee mug.


    ¡°Oh, hey.¡± She looked at Pyn. ¡°Ah, need a room for her?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°No problem, the guildmaster had a pair set aside for you, if you chose to sleep here.¡± She bent sideways, rummaged in a drawer, and emerged with a couple of keys, which she handed over immediately, taking care to drop them into Allya¡¯s palm, to avoid disturbing the sleeping elf. ¡°He said that you can keep them until you leave for the expedition.¡±


    Allya smiled.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She adjusted her burden a bit, so she would be able to open the door, and made her way towards the living quarters.


    She came back a few minutes later and looked at the dwarf, nodding at an unoccupied (by awake or asleep adventurers) table. Artok nodded back, and they moved over to it.


    Putting Pyn to bed had been an interesting experience. She¡¯d hesitated as to whether she should undress her to let her sleep better, but had decided against it in the end. The elf would probably wake up relatively soon, and to be honest the sight of the sleeping, half-naked elf would likely bring a lot of memories and feelings back that she didn¡¯t want to dwell on just yet.


    ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± she said, as she took her seat. For once, she didn¡¯t have to speak up to be heard in the hall, as the adventurers that were awake (and not nursing a hangover) were all careful to speak softly or whisper, to avoid waking up those that were still resting. A lot of people would have questioned whether ¡°passed out on a cold stone floor¡± qualified as resting, but most adventurers either had seen much worse, or would eventually. Sleeping in the Sundered Grove had been no picnic, for example.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you if you would be interested in joining the first dungeon delve. Well, the assault team one, to fully map out the dungeon.¡± He smiled. ¡°I know you¡¯ll give us a full briefing before we head in, but I¡¯d really rather have someone who has already fought inside the dungeon be present.¡±


    Allya pursed her lips, then sighed.


    ¡°I am interested, of course...the problem being that I expect to be quite busy, and I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to join you. So, if practical, I¡¯d be honored to accompany you, but I cannot make any promises.¡±


    Artok nodded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask for more.¡± He smiled humorously. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some sense to hammer into the skulls of the young fools that are turning up in droves to sign up for the assault guild because they want to cover themselves in glory and mana by being the first to explore the new dungeon. Oh, and while I¡¯m at it...¡±


    He took another golden leaf elixir, and threw it at Allya, who nimbly caught it. She¡¯d have to remember to give it to Pyn when the poor elf woke up.


    ¡°Of course. Have fun!¡±


    The dwarf chuckled, and shook his head, before departing. Allya gazed after him and frowned as she processed what he had just said. The announcement that a new dungeon had been found must have indeed kicked the hornet¡¯s nest...and she suddenly realized that there should be a crowd of people trying to register as adventurers, yet the desk was tranquil, with only the occasional adventurer stopping by. She stood up, and made her way towards the entrance, whose glass doors had somehow become opaque. She wondered if it was due to an enchantment, or the technological ¡°smart glass¡± that filled the windows of the Imperial Palace in Starcore.


    A single peek through a cracked open door confirmed her suspicions. The reason why there wasn¡¯t a crowd inside was that it was contained outside. She looked at what used to be the clear area around the guild hall, now covered in stalls with guild attendants and medium-ranked adventurers behind them, the guild attendants smiling, filling out paperwork, and distributing medallions while the adventurers looked menacing or affable, depending on their attitude.


    It was fascinating how quickly someone calmed down when a copper-ranked adventurer looked like they were about to rip their arms off if they continued yelling at the poor deskie in front of them.


    There were also several groups of trident-bearing city guards in the crowd, breaking up fights, patrolling around, and forming a cordon preventing people from pushing into the guild hall.


    ¡°Ah, Miss Allya. You¡¯re awake. Did you sleep well?¡±


    Allya looked to her left and saw Valker, standing guard in front of the door, smiling at her.


    ¡°Oh. Not really. How about you?¡± She suddenly realized that she hadn¡¯t dismissed him, and that he had no one to swap with for the night.


    The sergeant shrugged.


    ¡°One of my colleagues had to fill in for me while I rested. Be assured that he was most capable of protecting you should the need have arisen.¡±


    ¡°Right, I will take your word on that.¡± She looked out at the crowd again. ¡°It¡¯s...quite the busy day for your colleagues.¡±


    Valker laughed quietly.


    ¡°Indeed it is, miss. But it is the good kind of busy.¡± He shrugged as she gave him a questioning look. ¡°Darthar has been in the Kingdom¡¯s hands for barely one hundred fifty years, ma¡¯am. That¡¯s about the right time for the actual memories of its previous owners to completely fade out...and for politicians, or anyone for that matter, to start using an idealized version of the old city¡¯s government as a rallying cry whenever it fits them. Especially when doing their ¡®patriotic duty¡¯ fills their pockets.¡±


    He adjusted his posture slightly and sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, that tendency hasn¡¯t faded quite yet. I was already in the guard the last time things went wrong. A caravan had disappeared without a trace in the wastelands, and it just happened to be carrying a large cargo of household items imported from the Tark Hegemony. Items that some Asarian merchant cartel had decided to make cheap, unreliable replicas of here using slave labor. They had even petitioned the Count and then the Royal Magistrate for the import of the Tark product to be banned, so they would have a complete monopoly.


    ¡°Their petition failed, of course, since such a move would be reciprocated, trade would collapse, and everyone would lose. And the caravan was lost shortly after their petition failed. It didn¡¯t take much for the merchants who had funded that caravan to point the finger at the cartel, and things went downhill from there.¡± He sighed again. ¡°It was a bloodbath. In the end, we managed to end the riots and counter-riots only because Master Elkaryos Rapier called in some help from the merchants guild.¡±


    Allya¡¯s estimation of the guard¡¯s intelligence went up. It looked like he wasn¡¯t just assigned to her because of his combat skills. She looked at the crowd.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s likely to happen again?¡±


    ¡°Right this minute? No. But if something was to happen, like, say, the Elkis Republic seizing the dungeon, and confiscating the massive investments every merchant in the city is currently busy planning to pour their money into...?¡±


    Allya winced. That would indeed set the city ablaze. She made a mental note to begin talking about defensive arrangements as soon as she started organizing the dungeon town. At least, unlike so many commanders or generals in history, she knew with absolute certainty where she was going to be attacked, and what her enemies¡¯ ultimate objective would be.


    She shook her head slightly. She was slipping into her old mindset again. There would be a time for that, but right now she needed to focus on being a sneaky adventurer assassin until she was safely out of the reach of those that would try to murder her. Once on her own ground, she could resume being a knight valiant.


    And when the Republic came to fight her, she would teach them that she didn¡¯t earn that title for nothing.

 The Fallen World Book 2 : Dungeon Expedition is live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 2 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Expedition, is now available on Amazon ! As this is posted it should officially be the 21st on the entire planet and thus available everywhere ! It is available in ebook and paperback format. If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Here''s the link to the book''s amazon page if you''re interested : https://geni.us/DungeonExpedition</a>


    You guys know that I rarely do this, but if you buy it, don''t hesitate to leave a review. It would help me and the story a ton. Thank you.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The novel includes chapters 10 through 33, for a total over 100k words (360 pages worth of text for the novel). All have had some rewrites to fix plot holes (looking at you, influence disruptor), explain some things better, not to mention grammar corrections and general edits to make them easier to read, among other things. The chapters have also been rearranged, with chapter 11 being the start of the novel, and chapter 10 following afterwards (in relation to the webnovel, obviously in the book it''s just chapter 1, 2, ect). Chapters 10 as well as chapters 12 through 33 have been deleted, but chapter 11 is still up on Royal Road, and has been updated with the novel''s edited text.


    To celebrate the launch chapter 111 will be posted tomorrow, the 22nd of march! And contrary to my concerns last week, it won''t affect the backlog much, as I''ve gone in a bit of a writing spree and we''re now up to chapter 125 in the backlog.


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter and the novel, if you decide to buy it ! Playwars, out.


    P.S. Got some promotional stuff this time as well, check it out !

 The Great Archives (Art & Maps)

    Great Archives


    Section 1 : Artwork.


    Alexandra and Emilia,</a> made by G00SE_IT (Brandon Godfrey), <u>here''s a link to his youtube channel.</u></a>


    Allya and Pyn,</a> made by the awesome Arhyuz! Here''s a link to his instagram.</a>


    Elkaryos,</a> made by the awesome Chiizu! Here''s a link to their instagram page.</a>


    Eismi and Ellyana,</a> made by the awesome Arhyuz! Here''s a link to his instagram.</a>


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ella and Sarah,</a> made by the awesome Comradlevy ! Here''s a link to their pixiv.</a>


    Artok, Dominique and Starvak,</a> made by the awesome Comradlevy ! Here''s a link to their pixiv.</a>


    The golems'' concept art</a> (iron armored version, Palace Guards & Praetorian Guards). By artist request, no credit given.


    Alexandra''s musket golems</a> by Victoria Glazkow.


    Alexandra''s Standard Combat Units by Victoria Glazkow.


    Alexandra''s Praetorian Guard by Victoria Glazkow.


    Section 2 : Maps.


    <u>Map of the dungeon''s 1st floor.</u></a>


    <u>Political map of the Arkan continent.</u></a>


    Section 3 : Nations (TBD).


    Section 4 : Character List (TBD, will only contain major characters originally, might add less relevant side characters later).


    Section 5 : Lexicon (TBD).

 The Great Archives (Adventurer ranks & material explanations)

    There is a total of 14 adventurer ranks in the adventurers guild. The ranking is roughly from the least precious to the most precious material, although it is mostly as a rule of thumb, since the actual price of materials can vary from region to region.


    Note that there isn''t an estimated level bracket and equipment requirements because those get really nebulous in the upper ranks, and become more a question of reputation and quests successfully cleared past copper rank, although that depends heavily on the local guild and its guildmaster.


    Format :


    Rank - Rank description.


    Material explanation : Material description and link.


    Notable adventurers : Adventurer name (status if not active, such as a different position in the guild or retired). If several parties are present in the list, a ; will separate them.


    Clay - The first rank, and lowest of all, clay ranked adventurers are usually just civilians with adventuring gear and basic training. In military terms, a clay ranked adventurer is the equivalent of a peasant levy.


    Material explanation : The rank originally came from a joke right after the Dawn of Flames, that the youngest members of the groups of volunteers sent out to reclaim the wastelands were about as tough as clay. There was a form of backhanded compliment to it as well, as in they could be molded into something greater if care was applied.


    Notable adventurers : Camille.


    Iron - The second, and by far most common, rank of adventurers. Iron ranked adventurers usually have some decent equipment and skills, but are still very much learning their jobs. In military terms, an iron ranked adventurer is the equivalent of most trained conscripts or trained militias.


    Material explanation : Iron is a very common, cheap and mass produceable metal. Like iron ranked adventurers, in short.


    Notable adventurers : Edwards, Jaruk, Martin.


    Steel - The third rank, and usually considered the point at which someone becomes a ''true'' adventurer. Steel ranked adventurers have good, reliable equipment, good skills and magic, and are usually expected to have some combat experience under their belt and some serious offensive capabilities. In military terms, a steel ranked adventurer is the equivalent of most professional soldiers.


    Material explanation : Steel is an alloy, but is considered by most people to be a refinement of iron, which is exactly what the rank represents. Steel ranked adventurers are usually considered ''completed'' iron ranked adventurers, that have become full members of the guild and true adventurers.


    Notable adventurers : Alexandra (former).


    Copper - The fourth rank, and the first at which it is considered that you are making a career out of being an adventurer. Copper ranked adventurers are especially lethal within their respective fields, and are usually highly experienced combatants with loads of combat experience to draw upon. Most copper ranked adventurers possess some enchanted or magical equipment, and virtually all of them are carrying potions to enhance themselves. In military terms, a copper ranked adventurer is a veteran soldier or a junior member of a shock unit.


    Material explanation : Copper is heavily used in electric technology, whose efficacy the Eris Empire has amply demonstrated, prompting many less advanced nations to try to replicate it. Hence, several virtually non-industrialized nations like the Elkis Republic have power plants (albeit imported ones most of the time) and copper is always in high demand throughout the world. It is also a better magic conductor and enchanting metal than iron or steel, albeit not by much. It is thus not rare to see low grade enchanted items made from copper.


    Notable adventurers : Artok, Sorior, Elahyl, Elistria ; Raika, Thomas, Alyssa, Fernand.


    Silver - The fifth rank. Silver ranked adventurers are usually hardened veterans with multiple enchanted items at their disposal. In military terms, a silver ranked adventurer is a member of a shock unit.


    Material explanation : Silver is a precious, highly electrically conductive and magically conductive material, that is highly sought after in the electronics and enchantment industries.


    Notable adventurers : Dominique (guild attendant).


    Gold - The sixth rank. Gold ranked adventurers are professionals who can handle anything thrown at them, and usually have diverse experiences in several fields of adventuring, since it is a requirement to reach the rank. They are starting to become so powerful as to be equivalent in combat power to a modern day Main Battle Tank, or a 2160 Earth power armored soldier. In military terms, a gold ranked adventurer is a veteran member of a shock unit, or a junior combat specialist.


    Material explanation : Gold is a precious, highly electrically conductive material that does not oxidize. While not as magically conductive as silver, it has some odd properties of its own, and can be used to house much more powerful spells at the cost of mana efficiency. It is also highly sought after as a status symbol for gilding or other decorations (sometimes judiciously enchanted).


    Notable adventurers : N/A.


    Electrum - The seventh rank. Electrum ranked adventurers are usually highly mobile, as in that jobs for them are so dispersed as to force them to move around a lot to stay employed. They are the first rank at which wasteland quests become more or less routine and not highly dangerous one-off assignments (usually because Electrum ranked adventurers aren''t available to do it). In military terms, an electrum ranked adventurer is a combat specialist or a junior member of an elite unit.


    Material explanation : Electrum approaches, but does not quite reach room temperature electrical supra-conductivity. That is about its only use, although it is a quite tough metal, it is usually considered a waste to use it for armor and weapons, and most of the available supply is gobbled up by the high-end electric and electronics industry.


    Notable adventurers : Berth.


    Silvarium - The eighth rank, and the one at which you are officially considered a master in your designated field of combat. Silvarium ranked adventurers are killing machines, and the equivalent in combat power to a water-going corvette. Yes, the ones with the 20mm gatling guns and missile launchers. In 2160 Earth, only heavy combat power armor can compare in destructive power. In military terms, a silvarium ranked adventurer is the baseline member of an elite unit, such as gryphon knights.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Material explanation : Silvarium is an extremely magically conductive metal, with the only caveat that it cannot take very powerful spells and isn''t very tough either. It is very popular for long duration enchantments and runed spells for that reason, as well as most form of magitech that does not require massive bursts of energy like a magitech laser.


    Notable adventurers : Cassissa (guild attendant).


    Mythril - The ninth rank, and the first ''high rank''. Most mythril ranked adventurers are so powerful as to be completely off the charts for individual soldiers, even by the standards of 2160 Earth. They are superior to even the heaviest of powered armor infantry, and could take on railgun equipped grav-tanks. In modern terms, they are the equivalent of a missile cruiser in sheer combat power. It is worth noting that due to the power (and yes, the arrogance) of adventurers of this rank, parties have a tendency to break up, and be formed on the fly to take on specific missions, at which point the party goes on for a year or so before falling apart. In military terms, a mythril ranked adventurer is a veteran member of an elite unit or a champion.


    Material explanation : Mythril is an extraordinarily resilient and magically conductive metal. It is capable of absorbing massive amounts of physical and energy damage, comparable only to 2160 Earth pseudo-monomolecular warship armor materials, and can be enchanted with heavy duty combat enchantments. It is the go-to metal for most high-level enchantments and runed spells, as well as a very common component in high-level armor plating.


    Notable adventurers : Pyris, Sonya, Elliris, Arinka.


    Malachite - The tenth rank. Most malachite ranked adventurers follow the same pattern as mythril ones, but tend to have a lot more of free time. In fact, they are nicknamed ''the scholars'', as they are in awkward spot where there are few jobs at their level, but they aren''t highly ranked enough to enter into ultra-prestigious organisations that recruit highly ranked adventurers and employ them in their downtime. As such, most malachite adventurers train, do research, and generally deepen their knowledge. Some never leave this stage, and most of the high-level archmages, artificers, alchemists and enchanters of the world simply got lost in their studies so much that they ceased adventuring altogether. In military terms, and for every rank onwards, the only possible position for someone of such power is a senior command position, or that of a champion.


    Material explanation : Malachite is...odd. Tough, yes, almost as tough as monomolecular fullerene armor plating, which makes it virtually invulnerable to most conventional weapons. But its oddest quality is its mediocre magic conductivity...and nearly infinite capacity to take spells. A malachite sword can get enchantment stacked like almost no other material in existence. It is extremely popular for very powerful magic items, and forms the core of the containment and energy conversion fields of most Old World power cores.


    Notable adventurers : Elkaryos (former), Oromar the Magnificent.


    Orichalcum - The eleventh rank. Most orichalcum ranked adventurers are being actively recruited or part of various extremely powerful organizations. The goals and reasons for recruitment vary, but most are for training or research purposes. A few are more combative in nature, but they are usually rarer. Orichalcum adventurers only assemble in parties on demand, and only for a single mission. It is usually the rank at which adventurers start systematically retiring or planning for their retirement. A lot of guildmasters (and not necessarily of the adventurers guild) are orichalcum rank as a result.


    Material explanation : Orichalcum is absurdly tough. That''s it. It''s not atrocious at conducting mana or electricity, but it isn''t good either, and it doesn''t have much capacity for spells. It is, however, capable of absorbing ridiculous amounts of punishment, to such a degree as to surpass anything ever produced by 2160 Earth.


    Notable adventurers : King Elker the Third (former), Queen Elais the First (former), Dominic (former).


    Adamantium - The twelfth rank. Virtually every adamantium ranked adventurer is a member or leader of a powerful organization on the side of the guild, and rarely, if ever, take up quests, and only on demand. Most adventurers that reach this rank retire at it, and do not seek to advance further, at least not in the adventurers guild.


    Material explanation : Adamantium is an excellent, multi-use material. While technically a bit less tough than orichalcum, it makes up for it in sheer versatility. It is effectively a perfect room temperature electrical supra conductor and an extremely high efficiency magical conductor, as well as being capable of housing massively powerful spells. It is a jack of all trades, not quite the master of anything. It is slightly worst in resilience than orichalcum, slightly worst at magic conductivity than silvarium or mythril, and can house less powerful spells than malachite, but its sheer versatility is what makes it so precious. It is in high demand for enchanting, very high-level armor and weapon making, as well as an essential component for many advanced magitech systems, albeit in trace amount. It is usually safe to assume that adamantium is ALWAYS in short-supply.


    Notable adventurers : Starvak (guildmaster), Eriksen Dragonslayer (guildmaster).


    Eternium - The thirteenth rank. The first ''transcendental'' rank, there are so few eternium ranked adventurers that no precise rule of thumb can be applied to them. Each is a highly eccentric, insanely powerful individual that has transcended their mortal bodies and become archons. Their combat power compares favorably to Earth 2160 light space going warships. As in, the ones with nuclear warheads on their missiles and firing relativistic speed railgun rounds whose kinetic energy is measured in kilotons of TNT (assuming relative movement is virtually null between the firing platform and the target). Needless to say, they are very rarely called upon, and almost never form parties, with one notable exception. A single eternium ranked adventurer is a one person army in the most literal sense, and more or less a mobile Weapon of Mass Destruction.


    Material explanation : Eternium is...still being researched. Some of its properties still defy the understanding of even the people using it as a rank. What is known is that its tensile strength is close to that of the strong atomic force, and thus effectively acts like a mono-atomic material like neutronium. Damaging it without resorting to high energy (read : nuke level of energy concentration) weapons is literally impossible, but that is far from its most interesting property. The most interesting property it possesses is its ability to manipulate gravity and time. Those properties were accidentally discovered when an Old World nano-singularity bomb was detonated by mistake, and a stasis field was triggered in an experiment respectively. Reverse engineering the effect that Old World technology was able to wriggle out of the material has proven difficult, but feasible, albeit with limited success. There are persistent rumors that the material itself is not a natural occurrence, and that all deposits found so far were military installations of the Old World reduced to slag during the Great Night. No one knows for sure however, except for the Custodians of the Flame, and they aren''t telling.


    Notable adventurers : N/A.


    Divinium - The fourteenth and final rank. Divinium ranked adventurers are...few, and most of them don''t consider themselves part of the guild. They just answer the call when the payment is good enough or when an old friend asks for a favor. There are very few people at this level of power worldwide, period. One notable member is Rook the Sunderer, leader of the Free City of New Raleigh, and leader of The Seven, the single party of archons and Eternium/Divinium ranked adventurers in existence currently, alongside the Eternal Watchers, which have been reformed briefly to take out a spirit incursion into the Eris Empire, but will dissolve again as soon as the threat is dealt with. Divinium ranked adventurers'' combat power cannot be truly measured, as it varies too widely, and is too specific to begin with. Anyone too powerful to be classified as Eternium is shoved into this rank, and it can encompass someone that has barely made the cut to Rook, who is very nearly a demi-god at this point.


    Material explanation : Divinium is computronium and unobtainium. Literally, it is a programmable material that can take any properties, within certain constraints. First, the more properties it takes, the more mediocre they all become. For example, make it tough, and it''ll become virtually invulnerable to anything short of a direct hit from an antimatter bomb. But make it tough, conductive in magic and electricity, as well as a great receptacle for spells, and you have better adamantium. Sure, it''s much better than adamantium, but not to the ridiculous level it does when it only has one property. It also takes absurd levels of mana to change the properties of even a few grams of it, and it is worth noting that separating lumps of divinium doesn''t work very well. Below a certain mass, the material becomes inert and unusable until it is reintegrated into a larger group. However, that critical mass isn''t consistent between different sources of divinium. It is also worth noting that divinium is one of the very few materials that cannot be duplicated by dungeons or any other means, and is rare beyond belief. There is no question that this material was created by the Gods themselves (hence the name), and thus only available in ruins or old battle sites, and securing more of it is an extremely high priority for every major research organization on the planet.


    Notable adventurers : Rook the Sunderer.

 Chapter 34 - The First of Many

    Chapter 34


    Red Sands Desert, Contested Border Region


    Dungeon Factory, First Floor


    Alexandra winced as she saw the blade come down, sending one of the adventurers flying to the other side of the room. They might be copper-ranked, but they clearly weren¡¯t of the same caliber as the assault guild. Especially in terms of caution. Did these idiots not get a warning that there were traps there?


    At least they had good reflexes, as the poor elf fighter was instantly surrounded by his allies, holding off the remaining golems. Not that there was any real need to, as the last one fell before their healer even had time to open their potion pouch.


    Alexandra turned away from the command center''s central screen and shook her head, smiling at Emilia¡¯s questioning gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be pleased or angry, honestly. I mean, the trap worked, and if it did with these guys, it¡¯s certainly going to net a few kills, perhaps on an iron- or steel-ranked adventurer. But at the same time...I mean, even I can recognize that this trap is pretty bad. No, let¡¯s be real, it¡¯s very bad. The pressure plate is about as obvious as it can get, and the axe isn¡¯t exactly discreet either.¡±


    Emilia shrugged.


    ¡°In the heat of combat, people tend to forget a lot of things. Remembering those kinds of things is what sets good adventurers apart from the rest. Your level and skill don¡¯t matter as much if you can¡¯t keep your head cool and focused in the middle of a battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but still...¡± Alexandra sighed and shook her head. ¡°I guess I do apply a bit too much military standard to these adventurers. I¡¯m too used to mandatory training being pegged onto ranks, but the guild doesn¡¯t care about that, does it? It¡¯s just a question of power and equipment, at least in the lower ranks.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair, the guild does offer training, it¡¯s just not mandatory. Although it is pretty pricy.¡± Emilia gestured at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s their choice whether they want to learn from the guild, or sheer ¡®real¡¯ experience. Needless to say, a lot of adventurers don¡¯t get said experience fast enough, and they, well, die. That¡¯s part of the reason why dungeons with insurance policies are so popular with the lower ranks. It gives them a chance to gain experience while risking a few years¡¯ worth of essence, and all their equipment. For those that had their sentiment of invulnerability stripped away, that¡¯s very much worth it.¡±


    Alexandra tilted her head.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t all dungeons offer the same thing? I mean, if it boosts popularity so much.¡±


    Emilia shrugged again.


    ¡°There are a lot of reasons. One is obvious: to get the full essence value of dead adventurers, instead of taking just a tithe and giving up the rest by resurrecting them. The others...less so. Some believe it detracts from the challenge, and the true spirit of dungeon delving. Others believe that the full essence is their just compensation for letting the adventurers do their delves. And some just don¡¯t want to bother making and maintaining the insurance policies.¡± Emilia winced. ¡°Not to mention all the shenanigans that come with it. Some might see losing their equipment and a few years of progress instead of dying as a definite plus, but others...¡±


    ¡°Others always want more?¡±


    The vampire girl nodded, and Alexandra chuckled. Sore losers were the same everywhere apparently. Although the stakes were a bit different than on Earth, she supposed.


    ¡°Hey, look, they¡¯re moving out again.¡±


    Alexandra shook herself out of her thoughts and looked at the group of adventurers, who were, indeed, moving into the next room. It always amazed her how fast you could heal someone, like that elven fighter, with potions and a bit of magic. She idly wondered if it was just overcharging the body¡¯s natural processes, or if something else was at work.


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    Right.


    She focused back on the screen, where the adventurers were now very cautiously moving through the hallway between the tenth and eleventh rooms, probing for any drop axes or spike traps. They¡¯d found the one spike trap easily enough, but the incident in the previous room seemed to have given them a somewhat brutal wake-up call that the golems weren¡¯t the only ¡°real¡± threat in the dungeon, no matter how easy dodging the traps might seem. The fact that they¡¯d skipped the challenge room altogether proved that they were trying to minimize risks and maximize rewards at least, which helped explain their caution as well.


    Finally, however, they stepped into the eleventh room, took up a fairly standard combat formation for adventuring parties, and engaged the golems.


    Alexandra grabbed a few potato chips from the bowl beside her and started chewing them thoughtfully. She might need to edit some stuff on the first floor. It was all fine and dandy right now, but the main stretch was pretty flavorless. It had traps, and some novelty from time to time, but it was really a standard, room-by-room-clearing dungeon floor. Not that there was anything inherently wrong with going with tried and true designs¡ªgods knew missile- and railgun-armed light cruisers were always useful back on Earth, well, Earth space¡ªbut it offended her professional pride a bit.


    The adventurers on their end were faring pretty well. Thanks to some help from their ranger throwing bits of golems he¡¯d taken from the previous room, after having dug out their electronics, the pitfall traps had been quite handily revealed, and the fight had been over in fairly short order. Martial golems were all well and good, but this was the equivalent of throwing a lion, in the middle of a flat concrete floor, at a hunter with an assault rifle. Sure, the lion might kill him if he got close enough, but that was never going to happen. Same here. The golems could prove deadly if they got close enough to an unarmored target, but with a party of that rank, that was never going to happen either. A few came decently close though, forcing the adventurers to adjust tactics, which was a testament to their resilience, if nothing else.


    This time, the adventurers didn¡¯t wait to regenerate any injuries and directly stepped into the safe room. They looked around for a bit¡ªprobably more from reflex than anything else¡ªbefore settling down and pulling out rations. Some just settled into a lotus position, and¡ª


    The screen flickered. And a quick look at her dungeon view confirmed her suspicions: the interference area projected by the adventurers had indeed increased. By quite a bit, actually.


    ¡°They''ve started cultivating, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Emilia answered.


    Alexandra frowned. She¡¯d gathered that a lot of people cultivated in this world to gather mana, but she¡¯d never gotten a good feel for how important it was, or its real implications. She hadn¡¯t needed to cultivate a single time either, thanks to her extradimensional status, which meant she didn¡¯t even know what cultivating meant, really. In fact...


    She quickly looked up her TO-DO list and found the item in question. Apparently, she¡¯d had the same thoughts before. Well, this was as appropriate a time as any.


    ¡°Hey, can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emilia said, looking at her like she¡¯d grown a second head. ¡°Answering your questions is part of my job description.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. So, I was wondering, what is cultivation exactly?¡±


    Emilia froze, then slapped her forehead.


    ¡°Right. The basics. You don¡¯t have the basics. Why do I keep forgetting that?¡± She sighed. ¡°Well...What do you know? Just to get an idea of what you¡¯ve gathered so far about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know that cultivation enables normal people to regenerate mana, or at least regenerate it faster, that most adventurers need to partake in it at least semi-regularly, that it depends on ambient mana density, and that for some reason it makes the adventurers¡¯ influence interference field even bigger when they¡¯re using it.¡± Alexandra listed each point with a finger.


    ¡°That¡¯s...not as bad as I thought. Short explanation is, cultivation is...complicated. It is indeed a way to regenerate mana, and although there are other methods, like absorbing it directly from a mana stone¡ªor another being¡ªit is by far the most popular. See it like...a siphon. And you¡¯re siphoning the ambient mana around you. Cultivation is one of the main reasons why dungeons are so important. Not only do you give loot, and enable the area around you to be brimming with life again, but your ambient mana is off the charts, especially the closer someone gets to your influence. Once someone is actually inside your influence, however, ambient mana concentration spikes even higher, and people start regenerating mana even without having to cultivate, which doesn¡¯t normally happen. The reasons for that are complicated, and I¡¯d rather avoid getting off-topic,¡± she said quickly as Alexandra opened her mouth.


    The Earth-born closed her mouth with a clap and then nodded for Emilia to continue.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Good. Now, the big thing about cultivation is that it enables much higher mana regeneration, and thus technically allows you to gain money, in a way. That¡¯s rarely a primary occupation, as usually there are far more profitable things you could do with your time¡ªeven high mana density areas tend to have better opportunities in terms of mana gained per hour spent¡ªbut there are always people cultivating regardless. Usually, it¡¯s considered a nice bonus, and on top of everything else, it¡¯s pretty restful if you know what you are doing.¡±


    Emilia stopped for a few seconds, obviously gathering her thoughts.


    ¡°Mana cultivation relies on cultivation techniques, and those are...odd. Some are just tips and tricks, but a lot of them are far more complicated than that. They¡¯re...I suppose a form of enchantments would be the right word, or mana constructs, kind of like CQ. That¡¯s the reason why their interference fields increase, because it¡¯s like they were slapping enchantments on themselves, and since interference fields combine, and get bigger rather than canceling out...¡±


    She held her palm up, and Alexandra nodded.


    ¡°I see what you mean. It¡¯s like a bunch of temporary enchantments.¡±


    ¡°In some ways, yes. There is an infinity of cultivation techniques, all with their advantages or disadvantages, but they all boil down to getting as much mana as possible out of the environment, and cramming it safely into the user¡¯s core.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ¡®safely¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are...dangers, involved in it. Just throwing mana at a core is seldom a good idea, or an efficient one, and if you just send too much energy at once, things can get...violent. The effect is nearly the same as mana feedback from a spell, even if the cause is completely different. It¡¯s not pleasant. Take my word for it.¡±


    Alexandra nodded, shifting a bit to face Emilia, but still keeping an eye on the screen.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s like trying to draw atmospheric deuterium to power a fusion reactor.¡±


    Emilia blinked.


    ¡°I have no idea what that means.¡±


    Alexandra winced. Explaining that concept to someone from a pre-nuclear society might be interesting. She hesitated to say ¡°medieval,¡± because given some of the stuff she¡¯d seen, like the airships, she was very hesitant to call this world truly ¡°medieval¡± in the first place.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a...power system, that provides electricity but uses a variant of hydrogen, the gas, called deuterium. It doesn¡¯t burn it, but that¡¯s the closest analogy I think you¡¯ll understand, at an insanely hot temperature to generate energy. It was suggested back on Earth that you could make a device powered by deuterium just in the air, and it could run on a planet nearly indefinitely. No one really cared to try it out for anything serious¡ªit¡¯s much easier to get deuterium through a process called electrolysis from heavy water¡ªbut it was a proven concept, if you could get the device to fly high enough where there was enough hydrogen in the air to sustain it.¡±


    ¡°I...see,¡± Emilia said, as she wrote down notes in her notebook, and Alexandra blinked, not even having realized the vampire girl had pulled it out.


    ¡°Well, in any case, I think I¡¯m starting to grasp some of the implications. Not all of them, but it¡¯s a start. We¡¯ll have to discuss that further, especially the economics.¡± She glanced at the screen. ¡°But for now, it looks like our friends have a somewhat overeager ranger.¡±


    Emilia turned toward the screen as well, and they watched as the group¡¯s ranger, a human, for once, decided to try his luck at the swinging blades hallway, while his group was resting. He was obviously emboldened by his previous success in the eleventh room, which only underscored how different he was from the assault guild. They wouldn¡¯t have forgotten the disaster of the tenth room that fast. He stepped forward, judging the rhythm of the blades. He clearly already had the tune for it, as he had begun mouthing it even before he had time to properly observe the blades themselves.


    Then, after a few seconds of attuning to the rhythm, he surged forward. He made it past half the blades...then missed a beat.


    The missing beat, in fact.


    His foot depressed the pressure plate in the middle of the hallway, and the screen was suddenly filled with fire.


    Alexandra winced. She¡¯d decided to use a lesser version of the flamethrower trap for this, to make the hallway more than just a joke, but it was still jarring to see someone get burnt by a flamethrower. At least it meant her dungeon transformation hadn¡¯t taken her empathy from her, although she had a sneaking suspicion it wasn¡¯t necessarily helping on that front either. Not that it was manipulating her, but more that her new capabilities and lack of normal human concerns gave her a more and more...detached feeling from her former brethren. Kind of like she¡¯d heard digitalized people started feeling toward biological humans.


    The rest of the party was up in an instant, rushing to rescue their comrade, but they were a bit too late. The burning, screaming ranger simply walked into the blades, desperately trying to escape his fiery torment.


    The first blade was a glancing blow, which he recovered from.


    The second hit him square in the shoulder, throwing him against the wall.


    The third split his head in two.


    His party made it to his corpse regardless of his current status, with the fighter shield-bashing blades back into their recesses, stopping most of them outright, as their fail-safes detected that the blades really weren¡¯t where they were supposed to be. In a few seconds, they were by the side of their comrade, and they quickly extinguished his body. Luckily for them, the flamethrower trap had to be rearmed between each shot; otherwise, they would have probably had some serious problems, given their rush.


    They talked for a few seconds, having physically stopped the blades and having the fighter press the button at the end of the hallway for good measure, then simply dragged the body of their comrade to the other side of the hallway, leaving him there and walking into the next room, obviously trusting her to resurrect him.


    ¡°Emilia, he looks pretty badly burned, can we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Resurrect him? Certainly. You picked the best insurance policy you could use, so it¡¯s going to take a lot more than that to prevent resurrection. Like, say, your avalanche of bouncing betties, although I suppose it¡¯ll depend on if they get caught at ground zero or not.¡±


    Alexandra winced. She hadn¡¯t thought of that while designing the trap. Maybe she should tone it down a bit. It had been made to send a message, but she¡¯d rather have the cheaters spread the word themselves than just the people that watched them get vaporized. It would get her point across regardless, but there was something to be said for the impact of relaying your own ass-kicking.


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s go.¡± She froze. ¡°Well, I guess you go and I fetch CQ?¡±


    Emilia frowned, then shook her head.


    ¡°How about we try it on automated first? We already had plenty of tries manually, and all it really needs is some input on the teleport spell. I¡¯ll walk you through it, then we¡¯ll see if works properly.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so, go into your dungeon view¡­¡°


    *****


    ¡°You know, we really need to get cameras.¡±


    Emilia blinked and turned toward Alexandra. They''d finished setting up the automated resurrection system a few minutes ago, and she was still going through her notes, making sure they hadn''t missed anything, just in case.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that while yes, your scrying spell is very handy, we won¡¯t be able to rely on it all the time. And sometimes we¡¯ll need to keep an eye on things without using a golem.¡±


    Alexandra nodded at the screen where Jared was once again playing babysitter for a resurrected adventurer. The ranger looked kind of pissed, but when Alexandra had confirmed, through a golem, that indeed, he was free to cultivate while his friends made their way to him, he had gotten a whole lot more accommodating and had stopped fuming. Mostly. He still looked pretty pissed about losing all of his stuff, except his clothes.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a very good point. Maybe you could just...use golem heads?¡±


    Alexandra thought for a second, then shook her head. She knew how creeped out she¡¯d be if there were just heads on the ceiling following her with blank, metal faces. It would be even worse for adventurers used to seeing those heads attached to golems actively trying to kill them.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d rather make proper cameras. Less creepy. Plus, I could try to integrate some of the sensors we got from the turret! Infrared, here we come!¡±


    Emilia giggled as Alexandra thrust her fist into the air.


    ¡°Right, well, sorry to break your bubble, but they¡¯re preparing for CQ.¡±


    Alexandra blinked and looked at the screen, where, indeed, the adventurers were preparing to fight her boss. She was a bit disappointed they¡¯d chosen to bypass the challenge room, but they had decided to hit the shrine of war and gotten the most positive-ish outcome, which had divided in half the number of golems in the sixteenth room, allowing them to clear it without any real issues. The previous rooms had also been cleared in fairly short order, and although the trapped hallway between the fifteenth and sixteenth rooms had proven time-consuming to master, they¡¯d eventually done it, with caution and a lot of throwing pieces or outright limbs of golems to trigger traps. Which was ingenious, if nothing else, especially as they¡¯d realized that the smaller pieces they were using weren¡¯t triggering the drop axes, hence the use of severed golem limbs.


    Right now they were organizing their equipment and drinking potions, clearly preparing for a tough fight. Then, once everyone was ready, their mage¡ªwho looked more athletic than their fighter, hilariously enough, with his short sleeves revealing bulging biceps, and towering over the rest of the party¡ªcast a series of wards of protection on the party, then they moved forward into the hallway.


    The battle with CQ was...anticlimactic.


    Alexandra knew CQ couldn¡¯t get someone every time, but it was still a bit disappointing to see a party with good information, and preparation, just sidestep all of her strengths and crush the poor boss. There were a few close calls here and there, but their mage doubling as a pretty decent duelist saved them from damage to their traditionally more squishy backline combatants. The Royal Guardians and Palace Guard Mk2s did their best, but they were clearly outmatched and outmaneuvered, and were reduced to scrap metal.


    The Earth-born made a note to get CQ an upgrade. And probably move her altogether, actually. She¡¯d need a boss for the second floor after all, and the spider tank would fit in pretty well as a boss for the first floor. Plus, it would justify going all out on CQ and her protectors, as she would need to be able to face tougher foes.


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    Now that she thought about it, she should probably move her core, at the very least, to the second floor as well. There were never going to be ¡°too many¡± defenses between her and whatever assholes wanted to steal her after all. Moving the command center and the core hallway with all of its traps might prove a bit trickier though. Moving a floating crystal from one room to another was one thing. Moving a pile of bombs, flamethrowers, and lasers was another.


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    Maybe I should make a notification sound instead of a text popup when I trigger this thing.


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    Alexandra rolled her eyes and turned toward Emilia.


    ¡°Well, that was anticlimactic.¡±


    The vampire girl shrugged.


    ¡°It was bound to happen someday. Better it be early rather than later, so we can get used to it. Adventurers are going to be prepared for whatever we throw at them, and they will plan around your defenders and their capabilities. Whatever they are, they aren¡¯t idiots. Or at least, most of them aren¡¯t. And even when just motivated by greed, they will take care to maximize their profits by avoiding death or damage if they can.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, I suppose.¡± Alexandra smiled. ¡°And it looks like our friends are intrigued by my little sign.¡±


    The adventurers were currently arguing and pointing at the sign toward the second floor, with one of them gesturing at the door leading to the command center. Alexandra frowned and subconsciously checked her defensive systems, before relaxing as she realized they were arguing over whether to fetch their resurrected comrade first or pick him up on the way out.


    Eventually though, exploring further first won out, and they prepared to move out onto the second floor.


    Alexandra smiled and grabbed another potato chip.


    ¡°Well, this should be interesting. Let¡¯s see how they fare when they don¡¯t have all the cards in hand.¡±

 Interlude 1 - Darthar

    Interlude 1


    Red Sands Desert, Asarian Kingdom Border


    City of Darthar, Elkaryos¡¯ residence


    Elkaryos sighed and leaned back in his seat.


    The last few days had been...interesting, to say the least. The discovery of the new dungeon (and his partnership with Allya and Pyn) had already dumped a whole lot of work in his arms, and he¡¯d spent the three days until the departure of the expedition running around, snapping up ships, supplies, and talents to ensure it would succeed. He wondered if the two new nobles would realize that, but he felt reasonably sure they would. That was good. It would engender gratitude, which would avoid the sort of...unfortunate accidents that happened in corporate dominions from time to time.


    Like, say, the noble in power deciding that they didn¡¯t need the corporation they had partnered with originally, and that a swift removal of their personnel was the easiest option. Some were smart enough to kick them out, pile them into an escorted convoy, and send them back to civilization. Others decided to simply exile them, and see if they survived the wilds. The most idiotic just executed everyone.


    Needless to say, that kind of behavior rarely ended well. The thing that the nobles failed to grasp was that first, that was very much illegal. Even the Asarian Kingdom, with its entrenched and privileged nobility, plus its isolationist internal economy, couldn¡¯t function without international corporations, and all the rules and regulations they brought with them. If you signed a corporate dominion before the WMC, you better believe it was going to be enforced. Oh, no one would send any hit squads after you, but they didn¡¯t need to. The WMC would simply place an interdict upon you¡ªwhich meant that no deal, transfer of land, or financial transaction could be made through the canals of the WMC or guaranteed by it to the person under said interdict.


    Needless to say, that pretty much destroyed the prosperity of whoever was placed under it. Suddenly banks were unwilling to deal with you, and anything but the smallest scale transaction (for a noble domain) became incredibly difficult. What¡¯s more, everyone knew you were under the interdict, and well, most realms were already cutthroat enough with internecine noble assassinations and covert warfare. That wasn¡¯t even factoring in that the crown would usually just exile you and strip you of your titles, usually with the full backing of the nobles, which wasn¡¯t exactly an easy thing to do given how fiercely they defended their own lands and prerogatives.


    He wasn¡¯t truly afraid of that happening, however. If the two women were insane enough to even consider it¡ªwhich he rather doubted¡ªthe Sakura should have been a pointed reminder that messing with an influential member of the Omega conglomerate, the largest manufacturer of weaponry after the Eris Empire¡¯s own arms procurement program, was contraindicated, to say the least.


    That wasn¡¯t even counting his status as a Master Merchant of the merchants guild, which carried a reputation so ominous¡ªand rightly so, to be fair¡ªthat people rarely even looked past it.


    He shook himself and went back to the papers scattered on his desk. There were already too few hours in the day for him to waste some of them just sitting there, thinking. He didn¡¯t have news from the expedition just yet, mainly because the communication relays in Darthar, installed several centuries ago, had been paid for by the then incredibly money-pinching city council. They had thus been built by the lowest bidder and were barely sufficient to hold up to the city¡¯s needs, with their ¡°network coverage¡± barely reaching beyond the walls. That meant that unlike in other places, getting communications into the wastelands was impossible. Unless, of course, you were Guildmaster Starvak and had access to the guild¡¯s private network, which had made sure to install the best relays it could get its hands on¡ªand that usually meant declassified Erisian military tech¡ªon every guildhall bordering the wastelands, to ensure communications in the event of a particularly important wasteland event.


    He¡¯d considered cashing in a few favors to get access to the network but decided against it. Given how influential the adventurers guild was going to be in the new dungeon town, and how much of a pain in the ass he knew it could prove¡ªthe guild presence in Darthar itself being a pointed example¡ªhe¡¯d rather keep some aces up his sleeve, and save his assets for more profitable endeavors.


    He absentmindedly read an application form for some artificer wanting to get to the dungeon town and form a business relationship with his company, then moved his hand for the stamp of approval on his desk, before freezing, and rereading the form once more. His eyes widened slightly, and he snapped his fingers. The house¡ªhe wondered how many people realized just what it truly was¡ªrelayed the message to Jeremy, who quickly opened the door and poked his head in.


    ¡°Yes, master?¡±


    The dark elf snickered.


    ¡°None of that nonsense when guests aren¡¯t here! Jeremy, I¡¯ve gotten some...interesting applications. Could you draft me a couple of invitations? They¡¯re for...¡± He looked at the form intently. ¡°Miss Eismi Lorien and Miss Ellyana Lorien. They should be residing in the Silverdawn Inn.¡±


    The butler¡¯s eyes slightly widened at the mention of the very pricy and highly exclusive magic user inn, and he nodded.


    ¡°Of course, it shall be done.¡± At Elkaryos¡¯ dirty look, he chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on it. Expect them in...three hours, so you can clean up this mess.¡±


    The butler gave his master and old friend¡®s desk a pointed look, and Elkaryos waved his hand, laughing.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll have everything in order! My, this office might even look civilized by the time they get here.¡±


    Jeremy sniffed haughtily and then left the office, closing the door behind him, as Elkaryos shook his head, amused. There were very few people that dared talk to him like that, and fewer still in that category that didn¡¯t want him dead. Then again, adventuring side by side had that effect on people. It was fascinating how many ex-adventurers that ended up in positions of power tended to recruit old teammates and acquaintances as aids, bodyguards, and such. To be fair, once you were in those positions of power, having someone you knew could be trusted to cover your back from, say, untimely daggers or high-velocity lead poisoning, was invaluable.


    Elkaryos took a deep breath, looked at his office...and decided that Jeremy probably had a point for once. He knew he had a tendency to let go of tidiness when he was focused on something else, but he¡¯d seen tidier elder wyrms researchers, which was saying something. He could call in his maid, Esmeralda, but he was nothing if not paranoid when paperwork was concerned. Not necessarily because he was afraid of it being stolen¡ªnot that minimizing the risks of espionage wasn¡¯t worth it in its own right¡ªbut because he didn¡¯t want it to get lost or misfiled. Especially when said paperwork related to oh, say, contracts for a dungeon town that was well poised to eventually be worth all of his other assets.


    Combined.


    And that was only the 15% he was going to own once that sneaky elf finished buying back his shares. He still wasn¡¯t sure if he should be counting it as genius on her part, or stupidity on his. He¡¯d decided on a little bit of both.


    He sighed and began cleaning up the paperwork.


    *****


    ¡°Master, Miss Eismi and Ellyana,¡± Jeremy said, as he opened the door, and two young women stepped through.


    Elkaryos smiled and went to meet them as his eyes registered every little detail.


    The first, and most obvious one, was the pair of white-furred, black-tipped fox ears on top of their heads, accompanied by the long, once again white-furred and black-tipped fox tail behind them. That meant they were beastkin, although most people simply referred to them as humans, due to the fact that they were nearly the same...and some weird fashion choices in the Eris Empire following some biology and surgery breakthrough had blurred the line quite a bit. Next was the fact that the two women were virtually identical. Twins, or clones then.


    He hid a frown as he noticed the fact that they weren¡¯t quite identical. The one on the right, her right eye looked...odd. Almost like...


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    He clasped the right woman¡¯s hand, smiling as he tried his best to keep his expression calm. That woman had a cybernetic eye. And arm. That was unusual. And unless they were Gorromarian, which he doubted, it meant a lot of things about their skill in their respective fields. Plus, it outlined pretty thoroughly who was the artificer, and who was the alchemist in the pair¡ªnot that there should have been much doubt, given that the one on the left had potion vials sticking out of every pouch and pocket.


    So, since Eismi was the artificer, she was probably the one on the right, and Ellyana, the alchemist, the one on the left.


    ¡°Greetings Miss Eismi.¡± He bowed slightly to the other twin. ¡°And Miss Ellyana. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you! Please, do take a seat.¡± He gestured at the sofas and waited for both women to be seated before sitting down himself on the couch opposite them. Since they hadn¡¯t corrected him, he had guessed right. Probably. Some particularly mischievous twins or clones wouldn¡¯t set things straight, but he guessed they would.


    ¡°Thank you for receiving us, Master Elkaryos,¡± Eismi said, as she settled down. ¡°We know you have a rather busy schedule. I was hoping our application would garner your attention, but...¡± She shrugged. ¡°There was no guarantee of that, and my sister and I were...hesitant to call for you directly.¡±


    Elkaryos nodded.


    ¡°Which would have probably been less than successful, actually.¡± He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s incredible the number of people that want to talk to me in person for ¡®very important business¡¯ now that I am, at least in part, the owner of a dungeon town. Or at least the land on which such a town will be built.¡± He shrugged. ¡°In any case, your application did gather my curiosity. It¡¯s rare for an artificer of your talent to apply for corporate partnerships in this way. And it¡¯s even rarer for someone of your...particular origin to end up here, in the Asarian Kingdom.¡±


    He looked attentively into the women¡¯s eyes, but apart from a passing shadow, they kept their composure. Good, at least they weren¡¯t that susceptible.


    ¡°We have learned to be patient with other cultures Master Elkaryos. No matter how much we may...disagree with them.¡±


    Elkaryos nodded as he heard what he felt was a massive understatement. According to their respective applications, they were both hailing from the New Raleigh University of the Sciences, a rather prestigious academy that trained some very fine artificers and alchemists indeed, among other professions.


    The problem was the first part of the name. It was situated in the Free City of New Raleigh. The one founded by Rook the Sunderer, after his march out of the dying Orlov Empire, with the massive contingent of slaves he had freed. To say that its inhabitants hated slavery was like saying elves might be slightly discriminatory against orcs. And they weren¡¯t afraid of making their rejection for the practice crystal clear, as well as ¡°discouraging¡± other nations from continuing it. If they hadn¡¯t been led by Rook the Sunderer, and his party of eternium- and divinium-ranked allies, The Seven, New Raleigh would have probably been razed to the ground millennia ago for its interference and support for slave uprisings. Of course, it was under the leadership of Rook the Sunderer, and no one was insane enough to challenge the man that had burned down the two capital cities of the Orlov Empire and executed its emperor in his own damned palace as it was burning around them. After going through everything the entire city, its garrison, and the palace guard could throw at him. Well, no, that wasn¡¯t quite true. A few people¡ªmostly rulers¡ªhad tried over the millennia to attack his city.


    The example he had made of them was still remembered, although unlike the UDC he at least didn¡¯t make a habit of dismantling, or outright wiping out nations, as he usually settled for taking a few heads at the top, and letting the competing factions scrambling to take power rip the nation apart for him.


    ¡°That is very good to hear.¡± He held up his hand. ¡°Not that I disagree with your point of view, don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± He looked her straight in the eye, letting her see his sincerity, and Eismi slowly nodded. ¡°But because such cultural conflicts could prove...problematic.¡± He sighed. ¡°Either way, you and your sister wanted to make a partnership with me, in particular, to assess and exploit the resources and loot of the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Yes indeed,¡± Ellyana said, speaking for the first time. Elkaryos turned toward her, and she held her palm up like she was weighing something. ¡°Oh, I have little doubt that we will find something worthwhile to exploit, or at least that my sister will, so the assessment part is mostly about finding the most profitable products, not determining whether there are interesting ones at all.¡± She smiled. ¡°Although I do hope you¡¯ll forgive me if I say I¡¯d really like the dungeon to have something for me as well, but the absence of it would hardly be a deal breaker. Alchemists are always in high demand in dungeon towns, and if worse comes to worst, my sister is also a skilled enchantress.¡±


    Elkaryos nodded. He¡¯d noticed that on her application. He would have been tempted to assume it was just a side effect of her artificer training¡ªyou needed to be good with enchantments if you had any hope of being a worthwhile artificer (far away, a certain dungeon core¡¯s avatar sneezed)¡ªbut the level of qualification had dissuaded him from thinking that. Yes, you got some degrees in enchantment from completing your artificer course, but not that many...or the most advanced ones. Her sister was also...odd. Because while she seemingly had far fewer diplomas than her sibling, she also packed some of the highest you could get in alchemy without requiring you to be, well, of high level to even hope to get them.


    He also had a sneaking suspicion as to which job she¡¯d had when she¡¯d been working for Stiriar Incorporated in one of their weapons plants, although he¡¯d have to check to be sure.


    ¡°Indeed. Although, hopefully, it won¡¯t come to that.¡± He settled back onto the sofa slightly. ¡°So, you would like to be on the very next convoy or caravan to the dungeon? That could be arranged, of course."


    He leaned forward as he started laying out his terms, and the negotiations began.


    *****


    Elkaryos slowly, rhythmically tapped his finger on his desk as he contemplated the night vista of Darthar before him. The window behind his desk might look like just another ego project¡ªmany nobles liked to have those so they could justify having their backs to their guests¡ªbut he was genuinely fond of how the city looked. Usually, it reassured him, and let him feel the heartbeat of its people, although most of the time that was corroborated by reports and his own experience from walking through the streets.


    Today, that heartbeat felt...frenetic. Everyone knew that there was a new dungeon of course, but things had calmed down a bit ever since the original convoy had departed. But now that the follow-up caravans were starting to assemble...


    According to his contacts in the city guard, already half a dozen people had been murdered or sent to the hospital for their place in the caravans, whether personally or for their businesses. Some of the more idiotic ones tried to immediately fill in the slot, or in one particular case, tried to pass themselves off as the original owner of the writ. That attempt had been fairly short-lived, since said writs were signed with the original owner¡¯s mana signature, and the caravan masters had a copy of it and another backup of the signature in their personnel list to compare any documents with. Still, there were at least three where no one knew who had done it, and that was worrying.


    Contrary to most people¡¯s belief, Darthar hadn¡¯t been incorporated into the Kingdom. Not fully, at any rate. It was no longer a frontier principality, but it still remained aloof from the usual political currents. And that meant that there were quite a few people that felt the power vacuum left by the absence of the usual nobles. Now, that vacuum had suited Elkaryos just fine, as not only did it provide him with a considerable amount of influence through his virtual, if unofficial, control of the count, but it also meant that there weren¡¯t a bunch of stuck up, inbred idiots trying to wrangle him out because he was an ¡°uppity commoner with delusions of grandeur,¡± never mind the fact that he owned more land than most dukes through his own corporate dominions. Although to be fair, given some of the...creative structures he¡¯d had to create to avoid rather punitive taxes (and some serious scrutiny), it was unlikely common knowledge just how much land he owned.


    In fact, he¡¯d have bought a title of nobility if it wouldn¡¯t have been so detrimental to his business. People tended to trust merchants a lot more than they did nobles¡ªsomething to do with the more idiotic ones thinking they could get away from an agreement by imprisoning or eliminating the other party¡ªand certain countries outright refused to work with nobles from another nation. The merchants guild itself didn¡¯t care either way, but it was common knowledge within it that those with titles of nobility had some doors closed to them. And the other doors those titles opened mainly related to internal politics, and although those could turn out to be profitable¡ªthe amount of graft someone in a large nation¡¯s military procurement comity could make was enormous¡ªit was rarely worth the hassle of being drawn into the internal politics.


    In any case, the power vacuum meant that a lot of merchants, usually from outside the guild, smelled blood in the water and were swarming to take as big a bite as they could before someone, like say, the crown, reined them in. They were going to be sorely disappointed in that, of course, as the first convoy included a royal envoy, but they didn¡¯t know about it, or were too greedy to care.


    That meant that right now the city was very upbeat, and that chaos was simmering beneath the surface. Not enough to make more than a few waves, but still enough to be noticeable if you knew where to look. And that meant trouble. Because as sure as the sun rose in the east, the Republic would try to take control of the dungeon town. And if the war he feared came to be, a single defeat, and some generous guarantees and ¡°donations¡± from the Patriarchs and Matriarchs that ruled the Republic, could turn Darthar into a massive powder keg. One that he was firmly sitting in the blast radius of.


    Needless to say, he wasn¡¯t thrilled.


    He sighed, and looked back at his desk. On it were a small series of contracts, the ones he¡¯d just signed with the twins. Overall, he was satisfied. Although he hadn¡¯t gotten the best terms and dividends, they were still some very nice ones indeed. Besides, the value they would add to the town was worth considering more than the share of their sales he got to taste. He was sure two enterprising young women like them could find ways to increase the profitability of the dungeon and make themselves quite useful to the town as a whole. He¡¯d sent them on their way with a letter of recommendation as well, written for Allya and Pyn, and failing to find them, Myskaros too. At least, if the nobles refused to meet with them, they could still settle things out with the expedition director.


    Elkaryos sighed again, and stretched, before getting up from his seat. He should probably head to bed, not only because he needed rest like anyone else, but also because otherwise, his wife would just give him that resigned look of hers, and that always made him feel more guilty than any long-winded argument about his long hours could.


    He moved toward the door and exited his office, Jeremy wordlessly following suit.

 Chapter 35 - Drone Swarm

    Chapter 35


    Red Sands Desert, Contested Border Region


    Dungeon Factory, Second Floor


    Alexandra watched intently as the adventurers arrived at the bottom of the ramp and fanned out into the second floor¡¯s entrance hall. As for the first floor, she¡¯d decided to make it a safe zone¡ªand she¡¯d probably do the same for every follow-up floor¡ªbut the adventurers were obviously done taking anything for granted.


    After a solid three minutes of looking in every nook and cranny of the room, they apparently decided that it was safe enough and sat down to take another pause. A lot of people might have found that weird, especially those that hadn¡¯t experienced combat before. But it was impressive how many calories anyone could burn through in a few minutes-long firefight, and sustained combat like a dungeon delve must be even tougher. Alexandra wondered if the concept would even be viable for ¡°normal¡± humans, without all the advantages of essence, or any other enhancements. Probably not, except for a small minority, she decided.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re taking it easy,¡± Emilia said, as she took another snack.


    Alexandra giggled.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!¡±


    Emilia didn¡¯t dignify the remark with a response and simply sniffed haughtily, making the Earth-born giggle once more, shaking her head, before refocusing on the screen.


    The adventurers rested for fifteen minutes, although this time they were clearly a bit too excited to settle down and try to cultivate. Actually, given what had happened to their comrade in the hallway of swinging blades, there might be some fear in it as well.


    They got up and reorganized at the massive double doors leading into the floor proper, and the elven fighter, after a nod from the rest of the party, pressed the button on the pedestal by the side of the door and rushed to put himself between whatever might come out and his party.


    The doors rumbled, and slowly, ponderously, began to swing open. They were pretty much a less ornate copy of the ones in the first floor¡¯s entrance hall, although they weren¡¯t quite as thick and resilient.


    The adventurers braced themselves, and then relaxed, their jaws dropping.


    Alexandra wasn¡¯t that egotistical. Okay, perhaps she was a bit, but still, it was nice to see her work impress, and even inspire awe, like this.


    Because very clearly, whatever the adventurers had been expecting, the second floor wasn¡¯t it.


    For a good fifteen seconds, they just stood there, gazing at the seemingly unending array of pillars and ruins, before the mage shook himself and spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give the dungeon credit. THAT I did not expect.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not just stand here! Even the assault guild hasn¡¯t seen this floor!¡±


    That seemed to shake the rest of the party out of their stupor, and they slowly stepped inside, looking around in amazement. Alexandra had a sneaking suspicion the comment had more appealed to their sense of greed, as according to Emilia it was customary for the assault guild to have bounties for new floors and information on them, rather than to their sense of discovery and adventure. If that last one even meant the same thing on this world to begin with, of course.


    ¡°My, at least they are polite. And complimentary,¡± Alexandra said, as she looked at them cautiously scanning the area around them for threats.


    ¡°Flattered much?¡±


    Alexandra shrugged.


    ¡°Not really, no. Pleased? Yes, definitely, but I¡¯d be a poor engineer or architect if I wasn¡¯t.¡± She snickered. ¡°I guess I am an architect aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Emilia gave her a confused look, and Alexandra waved her hand.


    ¡°Nothing, just something to do with degrees.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon core, why would you care about such things?¡±


    The Earth-born sighed.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. Well, I would care about the knowledge itself, but the degrees would indeed be fairly useless. It¡¯s just that back on Earth people would have an aneurysm if I¡¯d started constructing buildings without an architect¡¯s degree.¡± She snickered. ¡°At least I guess no one will question me if my stuff starts falling apart, and assume it¡¯s a feature.¡±


    Emilia laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s true enough!¡± She smiled, then stopped laughing, as her expression became serious again. ¡°Say, how do you think this will go? I mean, the floor is pretty empty right now.¡±


    Alexandra winced. That much was true as well. Oh, she¡¯d begun populating the second floor before the whole kidnapping incident with the commandos, but it was only a relative handful of golems, most of them spider golems, patrolling the floor at random or holing up in some ruins, and a few bouncing betties she¡¯d carefully emplaced so Emilia and she could get to their testing zones without having to worry about them.


    ¡°Yeah. But hey, the water temple is pretty catchy! So if they see it and investigate...¡±


    ¡°They should come across the chest!¡± Emilia nodded, then winced. ¡°I don¡¯t think they can win that fight.¡±


    Alexandra shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so either. On the other hand, the spider golems are leashed to the shore in their programming, so they won¡¯t pursue them very far. If they retreat they should be able to survive. Emphasis on ''should be''.¡±


    Emilia smiled.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll see.¡±


    *****


    Alexandra perked up as the adventurers, at long last, spotted the water temple. She¡¯d already made a note to make the thing much higher, because although the rumble of the waterfalls could be heard, it seemed remarkably hard to locate with all the ruins and pillars distorting sound, given how confused and disoriented the adventurers had appeared. Then again, they might just suck at this kind of thing, and normally relied on their ranger...who was currently happily cultivating, Alexandra verified, as she gave a side screen showing Jared¡¯s vision a quick look.


    In any case, it had taken them a good half an hour to finally get within sight of the temple. They hadn¡¯t just spent that time running around, of course, as they¡¯d encountered several small groups of golems and taken them out in fairly short order. They hadn¡¯t stumbled upon a bouncing betty, but Alexandra had resigned herself to the fact that unless they were extraordinarily unlucky, they wouldn¡¯t even come close to the handful of mines dispersed throughout the floor.


    Still, the water temple seemed to have grabbed their attention quite nicely, and they were now making a beeline toward it. After a few minutes of walking, they stopped as they went over the last ruin, and contemplated the massive temple.


    Once again, Alexandra felt a prickle of pride as they gazed upon the temple in awe. This time, however, their attention was broken when the elven fighter pointed at the treasure chest and took a step forward, only to have the mage catch his shoulder.


    The party argued back and forth for a bit, practically shouting over each other, and making it impossible to discern the precise words through the scrying spell, before starting to cautiously move out toward the treasure chest.


    A few minutes later, they arrived at the massive stone container and deployed around it, while one of their party members¡ªthe healer, if Alexandra wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªtried to open it.


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    Obviously, the chest didn¡¯t budge. After a few more tries, the healer gave up, and another argument broke out, seemingly between whether they should try to break it open or try to find a way to open it on the floor.


    None of them noticed as the water began to move.


    The first sign they got that something was wrong was when the first spider golem flew into the middle of the group, missing the mage by a few centimeters, and crashed into the chest. They stared at it for half a second, before turning around in unison as the splashing sound of more spider golems erupting from the river reached them.


    The fight was short and brutal. At first, they tried to hold on, but as it became clear they were becoming overwhelmed under the rain of golems, they started retreating as fast as they could while holding off the horde. Fortunately for them, massed lightning spells were as effective as ever, and their mage apparently wasn¡¯t shy about using them ¡°danger close,¡± as some soldiers would have said. A few of his teammates ended up seriously singed, but it bought them enough room to cut and run for it.


    All except the elven fighter, who made it a few meters before a leaping spider golem hit his knee, making him stumble and fall.


    His screaming was cut mercifully short as the swarm rolled over him, and his throat was promptly reduced to shreds. Alexandra winced. It wasn¡¯t an especially pleasant way to die. Then again, being set on fire was much worse.


    The rest of the party continued running after some yells from the mage, who seemed to more or less take over, not that they¡¯d had a clear party leader to begin with, and only stopped almost a hundred meters from the shore. They looked back at the milling swarm of spider golems, clearly shocked by their sheer numbers, although they seemed to relax slightly as their comrade¡¯s body vanished from the teleport spell of the resurrection orb.


    They continued staring at the swarm for a few more minutes before the mass of spider golems retreated under the water, a slight red tinge appearing in it from the blood-soaked ones.


    I need to make a water filtration system.


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    They continued staring at the waters and the temple before shaking themselves, and after a brief discussion, moved directly toward the massive column that was the ramp back to the first floor. Alexandra frowned as she suddenly realized that they were in no condition to fight their way back through her dungeon and that the time they¡¯d spent in her dungeon was far, far longer than the minimum one hour between dungeon delves Allya had announced during their meeting.


    ¡°Hey, Emilia, is it possible to make teleporters to move live adventurers?¡±


    The vampire girl blinked.


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s kind of random, but yes, why?¡±


    ¡°Then we should probably start to work on them. Or at least devise some way to get adventurers from deeper floors to the surface.¡± She gestured at the group of adventurers. ¡°If they have to fight their way out, or go the long way, it¡¯ll limit our appeal. Plus, other groups might become angry that ¡®their¡¯ golems are being stolen.¡±


    Emilia nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point. Most dungeons use some form of ¡®escape¡¯ thing like that, usually in boss rooms, floor accesses, or safe zones, that let someone pull back to the surface quickly. Some even let adventurers that have already beaten a certain boss start at the beginning of the next floor through that special access. Although that¡¯s usually on the bigger ones.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know if teleporters will be the right answer right now though, as they¡¯re tricky to make, and kind of expensive. Sort of like an insurance policy.¡±


    Alexandra gestured at the beaten group of adventurers.


    ¡°If it lets me augment my capacity by letting me have many more adventurers inside the dungeon simultaneously and allow these kinds of groups to pull back, get stronger, and come back another day, I think it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± She got up from her stool. ¡°Come on, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll send another group before these guys come back up, probably because of that. Let¡¯s at least cover the basics.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Emilia said, as she got up and followed her out of the command center, toward the workshop.


    *****


    Allya winced as she saw the group of adventurers stumble out of the dungeon. They looked definitely the worse for wear. And two of them had the look of people who¡¯d just been resurrected. But she refrained from going forward and asking questions and simply gazed at the guild attendant and the adventurers accompanying him going to meet them, followed by a handful of her own security guards. They talked, but fortunately, the copper-ranked adventurers seemed experienced enough not to try to avoid their taxes and handed over their loot for inspection. A few minutes later, they grabbed back their bags, now 30% lighter, and moved on. They didn¡¯t look elated, but they had probably expected it.


    In fact, they looked remarkably happy for a team that had two of its members killed and resurrected. Allya¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly and then widened as she spotted Artok, the assault guild leader, who had unobtrusively set up something of a stand by the entrance, answering questions and distributing what looked like schematics of the dungeon to whoever didn¡¯t have them yet.


    The crowd parted before them, and they quickly engaged in a hushed conversation with the assault guild leader. Then, after a few seconds, Artok simply nodded, gestured for one of his subordinates to take his place, and left, the copper-ranked party in tow.


    ¡°Well, looks like they found something interesting,¡± Pyn said, almost absentmindedly.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Allya looked at her girlfriend, who was currently busy drawing plans and scribbling notes on a map. ¡°Everything going alright?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on schedule...mostly.¡± She shrugged. ¡°The aqueduct is coming along nicely, although we¡¯ve had some problems with weakened foundations. And we¡¯re finally starting to designate lots and begin preparations to build some real houses. Which is about time. Everyone is starting to get tired of tents, especially those that expect to be staying here for a while.¡± She smiled at Allya¡¯s surprised look. ¡°Paradoxical, I know, but the fact that they know we¡¯re going to build a city here eventually is making everyone more impatient. If we were just in the middle of nowhere, they could endure it for months, but knowing that there will soon be houses is making everyone more impatient. Sort of like people getting even more annoyed when a goal is close by than when it is distant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...fair enough.¡± Allya looked at Starvak, who had one of his guild attendants pull another name out of the pot, and an iron-ranked party moved forward. ¡°And another one prepares to go in. Wanna make a bet on how many will come back intact?¡±


    ¡°Nah, estimating their chances is more your thing. Besides, what would we bet with? It¡¯s not like we aren¡¯t essentially pooling our funds to begin with.¡± She raised her head and waggled her eyebrows. ¡°Unless you¡¯d like to wager something...else.¡±


    Allya chuckled, blushing slightly.


    ¡°In your dreams! ¡± She looked at the entrance and shook her head. ¡°Well, let me give you a hand, because it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯m going to have much to do, thank the gods.¡±


    Pyn nodded gravely as she looked at the entrance as well. They¡¯d been afraid that some adventurers would...forcefully protest the taxes. There wasn¡¯t a high chance of it turning into violence¡ªno adventurers wanted to attack the equivalent of cops in sight of guild officials, let alone a guild master¡ªbut a scene could have undermined their authority. As such, Allya had come with ¨¦clair and Rogard, as well as Anders and a good squad of soldiers. Officially, they were there to guard them while they made plans for the dungeon town, and just happened to be near the entrance because it gave them the best view of the camp. There might even be a particularly stupid clay-rank that believed that. Maybe.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± The elf gestured at the map. ¡°Actually, I had a question. We¡¯re going to have to build walls eventually, and I was wondering...¡±


    *****


    Alexandra shook her head as she contemplated the numbers.


    In the last twelve hours, she¡¯d had four dungeon delves. Apparently, they¡¯d decided on a three-hour delay between each party which was more than fair, in her opinion.


    The first party had been the copper-ranked ones who had reached the second floor. The second and third had been iron-ranked, with the second having reached the safe zone before falling back, and the third having managed to nearly get itself wiped out in the challenge room. Only a heavily wounded rogue and a mage had been left, which had presented the interesting problem of how, exactly, she was going to get their resurrected comrades to them. She¡¯d ended up simply sending a squad of standard golems to carry them, but she definitely needed a better way to go about it. The fourth and last delve had been handled by a group of steel-ranked adventurers, who had made it to CQ and decided to turn back right before the boss room.


    She¡¯d been a bit miffed that most of them appeared pretty prudent, and very clearly had preplanned routes they¡¯d stuck to (except the third one, whose plan appeared to be ¡°continue till we hit a brick wall¡±) and retreated at a predetermined position. Still, she couldn¡¯t argue with the results, as not only had the mana income been pretty decent, but the influx of essence and, especially, new stuff had been very much welcome. It wasn¡¯t an incredible amount of stuff, but she was already starting to have trouble keeping everything she needed to test in mind with the commando¡¯s things, and it was becoming steadily worse.


    Well, better to have too much than too little, I guess, she thought, shaking her head.


    ¡°That went well,¡± Emilia said from her stool in the workshop, looking at the screen where the adventurers were dispersing for the night.


    ¡°Yes. Yes it did.¡± Alexandra looked down at the table where they sat. ¡°Although when you said that teleporters were complicated...I wasn¡¯t expecting them to be that complicated.¡±


    Emilia shrugged, gesturing at the pile of schematics and runes inscribed on paper in front of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s something that lets you literally move around instantaneously. What did you expect?¡±


    ¡°Well...CQ can teleport.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s a consecrated boss, and even then her range is very, very limited. And keep in mind, we have it easy. We can anchor the teleporters into your influence. It¡¯s even harder for normal teleporters, like the ones from the WMC.¡±


    ¡°The World Mage Court, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emilia said. ¡°I never did explain to you what they were, did I?¡±


    Alexandra shook her head, and Emilia looked at the table, then at her friend¡¯s frustrated expression as she studied the schematics. They really should continue to work on the teleporters, and avoid diverting their attention but...the poor woman deserved a break. Besides, wasn¡¯t she the one that said that one way to think your way out of a problem was to stop thinking about it altogether, and sometimes the solution would just come to you?


    ¡°Well, you know what? It might be time to remedy that.¡± Emilia got up, dusting off her dress. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you that political briefing. If nothing else, it¡¯ll help clear our minds.¡± She looked up at the screen. ¡°And it should prove pretty useful for later as well.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Alexandra sighed, and stretched, before nodding toward the door. ¡°Command center?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And I¡¯m going to need to spread a lot of maps. Mind making a table there?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Alexandra smiled. ¡°Actually, I might just make it permanent. What kind of command center doesn¡¯t have a map room, or a map table at least? Maybe I should project it on the wall, that would be neat. Or perhaps even¡­¡±


    Emilia shook her head and followed her friend into the hallway.


    Here we go again.

 Chapter 36 - Rebirth

    Chapter 36


    Red Sands Desert, Contested Border Region


    Expeditionary Camp, Expeditionary Heavy Cruiser Alberta


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Calder blinked and looked up from the spreadsheets and books laid out on the desk before him as the lieutenant erupted into his cabin.


    ¡°Yes, lieutenant?¡± he replied calmly.


    ¡°Sir, the lookout has sighted no fewer than three ship balloons coming from the northeast!¡±


    Calder immediately pushed his chair back and stood up.


    ¡°Ah! That would probably be the first convoy. Still, better safe than sorry. Take the ship to battle stations, lieutenant, and signal the Sakura to take off and join us into battle formation. And do send a signal groundside to warn them of the approaching vessels.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, sir! Take the ship to battle stations, signal the Sakura to take off and join us in formation, and signal the grounders about the approaching ships!¡± the lieutenant repeated, before disappearing through the door at his captain¡¯s approving nod.


    ¡°Well, apologies for the delay, but duty calls I¡¯m afraid,¡± Calder said, as he smiled crookedly at his ship¡¯s purser, who he had been doing the numbers on their operational expenses less than a minute ago.


    The purser smiled back and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine, sir. Besides, I need to get geared up.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough; dismissed.¡±


    The purser saluted him before running out of the cabin, and Calder gave his office desk one last look before grabbing his cane and hat and heading for the door himself. Hopefully, all of this excitement would prove unnecessary, but he wasn¡¯t taking any more chances, after the mess that had happened with the commando raids.


    He smiled as the battle station alarm started sounding throughout the ship and made sure his clothes were spotless, adjusting them slightly before stepping outside. It was time to fulfill the most important duty of the captain: look calm and supremely unconcerned by their potentially approaching doom.


    *****


    Allya tried to keep her expression calm as she waited. It wasn¡¯t especially easy, even for her.


    The problem was that less than fifteen minutes ago, Captain Calder had managed to establish communications with the lead ship of the approaching convoy and confirmed their identity, thanks to a series of challenges and response codes provided by Elkaryos. He¡¯d also been able to confirm that the lead ship was a warship flying the colors of the Kingdom...and had the crown pennant. Now, unlike what people thought, that didn¡¯t mean that a member of the royal family was onboard (otherwise, it would be flying the Kingdom¡¯s flag with the crown on it), but it did mean that a royal envoy or equivalent was onboard, which suggested all sorts of possibilities, not all of them palatable.


    Allya gazed at the incoming ship once more. It looked...not bad, perhaps, but definitely diminutive compared to the Alberta or the Sakura. Then again, that was hardly surprising. It was supposed to be a regular, commercial convoy escort ship, not an expeditionary ship or an outright warship.


    A few minutes later, the ship banked, and began its final approach, steadily losing altitude, and the baroness had to stop herself from cringing as it looked like it was going to crash for a second before the ship reverted its propellers and seamlessly stopped in place. Ropes were thrown over the side, and ground crews swarmed to tie the ship down to the anchoring pillars. Then, a single flight of boarding stairs deployed, and a lonely figure stepped on it.


    Allya squinted. It wasn¡¯t so much that the sun was bad¡ªshe had long since adjusted to the light levels here¡ªbut that the person seemed to be a mirror.


    Or that they¡¯re so covered in gold and jewels as to be essentially the same.


    The person went down the boarding stairs, then made a beeline for the welcoming delegation, and Allya had to suppress a frown as details became more easily visible. The person heading toward them was indeed practically covered in embroidery and bullion, with jewels glittering all over his outfit. But he also had an air of purpose about him. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the royal envoy, but he also carried himself like a warrior, despite his seemingly unblemished face. The envoy briefly scanned the group in front of him before settling on Allya and Pyn, obviously recognizing their medallions of nobility.


    The envoy stopped a respectful meter away from her and bowed deeply, and Allya¡¯s eyebrows rose. It was unusual, as far as she knew, for a royal envoy to do that for any but the most influential nobles. And given the few gasps she heard, she wasn¡¯t the only one thinking so.


    ¡°Baroness Aub¨¦toile.¡± He bowed again, slightly less deeply, to Pyn. ¡°Knight Windwrath.¡± He straightened up. ¡°I am Sharez Oria, royal envoy of their majesties King Elker the Third and Queen Elais the First. I bear messages from their majesties to you and would like to ask for an audience.¡±


    Allya graciously nodded.


    ¡°Of course. I am at the service of their majesties. Please, Envoy Oria, follow us.¡±


    *****


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re getting visitors,¡± Emilia said, and Alexandra briefly left her dungeon view and design software to look at the screens.


    ¡°Yep. Fresh meat,¡± she replied, before going back to her schematics.


    She was currently trying to make some sort of elevator. She¡¯d decided hours ago that the teleporters were simply too complicated to be available fast enough, and thus had switched to an elevator. The safeguards to prevent adventurers from hijacking it and skipping floors would have to be thorough, but she was confident she would be able to make suitably discouraging security systems.


    She was also still processing the implications of the political briefing that Emilia had given her. It had been stunning, to say the least.


    Currently, she was on the Arkan continent. She didn¡¯t have precise numbers in terms of size, but it seemed comparable to South America back on Earth. The continent was roughly divided into three parts. In the north, the Saphire Kingdom occupied the frozen hills of Discovery to the east, and the Asarian Kingdom occupied the rest of the habitable area of the northern continent. The powers were separated by a massive mountain range called the Barrier Mountains, which was fortunate. The kingdoms hated each other¡¯s guts, most notably because the Asarian Kingdom was technically a rebellious province of the Saphire Kingdom and had caused the collapse of the formerly continent-spanning kingdom by starting a massive civil war called the War of Shattering almost a millenia ago.


    Then, separating the two halves of the continent was the Red Sands desert. That was the place she was in the middle of, apparently (although the sand wasn¡¯t red). The entire desert was basically a giant wasteland, with a few oases that were sort of habitable. The Red Sands desert pretty much only had a single subdivision, and that was the ¡°Lost Sands¡± to the west. It was called a ¡°Death Zone,¡± and apparently, ancient automatons from the Great Night still walked around there, destroying all intruders. Which, all on its own had terrifying implications.


    Finally, the southern part of the continent was home to four nations, and it was pretty much one hell of a clusterfuck. For starters, the Elkis Republic, the dominating power of the area, had been busy in the last few centuries peacefully integrating, and then aggressively conquering everyone around it. The result was that it encompassed most of the continent¡¯s southern habitable lands...and all of the remaining independent nations despised them.


    Two of those nations were the Far Reach, which was some form of clan-based confederacy living in the mountains of the same name to the southwest, and the Tark Hegemony. Now that nation was interesting, as it was essentially one giant city-state with a handful of satellite territories on the southeastern tip of the continent, isolated from the rest of it by a mountain chain called the Protector Mountains. And according to Emilia, it was by far the most technologically advanced nation of the continent, and the only reason it had survived the Republic¡¯s onslaught when it had inevitably come for them was because of its technological superiority. They¡¯d also managed not only to beat back the Republic but to take territory from it, annexing a substantial number of towns on the other side of the Protector Mountains, apparently both to feed their capital and serve as a buffer zone. She¡¯d earmarked that nation for later and added finding and contacting their representatives to her TO-DO list, as she was sure they would prove excellent friends to have for a variety of reasons, some of which she was definitely not telling Emilia just yet.


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    The last nation on the continent was the city-state of Gorromar, and that one had just...puzzled her. It was, essentially, a military junta. A functional, long-term military junta, which was just all sorts of wrong to her perception of things. Back on Earth, purely military-run governments either tended to collapse fairly quickly or simply froze in place in terms of innovation, and retreated into near-total isolation. Well, she guessed the Japanese Empire had done it, more or less, but still. Apparently, however, Gorromar had done it, and although the city-state (whose ¡°city¡± would have made Belgium look small) was pretty isolationist, it was also steadily churning forward in terms of innovation and industrial power, which was just fascinating. It was also, apparently, founded by the remnants of the staff of a Planetary Defense Center of the Age of the Gods, which meant that they possessed a lot of Old World artifacts. Alexandra had earmarked them as well, but she frankly didn¡¯t have high hopes of getting as much out of them, as unlike the Hegemony, they hadn¡¯t been under attack from the Republic and thus weren¡¯t under considerable pressure to find friends and allies to assist them.


    Oh, and at the very south of the continent was another Death Zone called Seaside 9, although according to Emilia, that area was more home to mutated monsters than anything else, but was actually traversable, at least by sea, if you were careful enough.


    Still, it was...very edifying. The most important thing, however, was that it seemed that there were significant disparities in technology levels, similar to the nineteenth century on Earth, where Europe had pretty much outpaced the rest of the world thanks to the industrial revolution, and begun using that newfound superiority to colonize, conquer, or pretty much vassalize everyone they could get at. In fact, the technological differences seemed even greater here than they had been on Earth, with the Tark Hegemony apparently using bolt action rifles and howitzers while the Republic fought with crossbows and medieval-style bronze cannons.


    Central to her concerns, however, was the fact that she was apparently right in the middle of a deeply conservative, nearly obscurantist kingdom, and an extremely expansionist republic. That wasn¡¯t good, to say the least. Especially since said obscurantist kingdom was the one controlling the surface right now, and she wasn¡¯t exactly optimistic about their chances of winning.


    Emilia giggled, and Alexandra abruptly snapped out of her thoughts.


    ¡°I suppose you could say that." Calling them fresh meat was a bit cold-blooded, especially for Alexandra, but she could tell the Earth-born was half joking. "Still, it is nice to see the dungeon town grow. There are never enough adventurers to go around. Besides, they might be carrying a communication crystal!¡±


    Alexandra nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She blinked as she checked her schematics, and realized she¡¯d already completed them while she was thinking. ¡°Oh, and the elevator is done. Ready to test it?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± The vampire girl stood up. ¡°Are you certain the safeties will be enough though?¡±


    Alexandra looked at the oversized bouncing betty warhead in the middle of the elevator platform, safely hidden in its core, and chuckled.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Even if they get in somehow, they¡¯re unlikely to enjoy the experience.¡±


    *****


    ¡°A frontier principality?¡± Allya said, failing to keep astonishment out of her voice.


    ¡°Yes, milady. Their majesties are well aware of the...delicate situation your domain is in, geographically, and in recognition of that, they are willing to make you, and your knight, rulers of a new frontier principality. You will, of course, still be subject to the royal tax, and the domain tax, but your domain will enjoy all the prerogatives of¡ªand subject to the limitations of¡ªa frontier principality.¡±


    ¡°I...am stunned by the offer. Truly I am. If you would let me convene with my knight and advisors before I give you an answer?¡± There was no need to mention that in this case, her only advisor was pretty much said knight, who was sitting by her side and didn¡¯t seem to understand what all the fuss was about.


    ¡°Of course, milady, I would hardly expect anything else.¡± The envoy chuckled before his expression turned serious once more. ¡°Although I must receive an answer before sundown. I trust that will be enough time?¡±


    Allya nodded.


    ¡°It should. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± She gestured at Pyn, stepped out of her office, and entered the command room, carefully closing the door flap and turning on the soundproofing enchantment behind her, before sitting down on the map table. ¡°Well, that was unexpected.¡±


    Pyn pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at her questioningly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I get it. I mean, why is this so important? Isn¡¯t a frontier principality just a border territory?¡±


    Allya sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s...complicated. A frontier principality isn¡¯t just a border territory. It¡¯s like a nation within a nation.¡± Allya waved her hands, struggling with explaining a concept she¡¯d grown up with as a scion of a noble family, to someone who barely even thought of themselves as a noble to begin with. ¡°See it like this. Nobles usually have a whole chain of vassalage. A baron usually owes fealty to a count, like we do with the Count of Darthar. Then that count owes fealty to a duke, in this case, the Duke of Sarth. Then, depending on the nation you are in, or where you are in some nations, the duke either answers directly to the crown or answers to an archduke. The Asarian Kingdom doesn¡¯t have archdukes right now, although the title existed in the past, but it was abolished after the civil war one hundred sixty years ago. So the Duke of Sarth answers directly to the king and the queen. Still following?¡±


    Pyn nodded, and Allya took a deep breath.


    ¡°Well, to put it simply, a frontier principality is exempt from that. The ruler of a frontier principality¡ªtechnically a prince or princess, although the regular noble title is used anywhere but in official correspondence or announcing your list of titles¡ªanswers directly to the crown, period. And there¡¯s a bunch of advantages on top of that. We aren¡¯t subject to military levies, for one, since we¡¯re basically assumed to be needing them too badly to spare any meaningful amount, and we¡¯re subject to only two taxes, the crown tax on our income, and the domain tax on how much land we own. The rest, the dues to the count, the duke, or even special military taxes or others, don¡¯t apply to us.¡±


    Pyn whistled softly.


    ¡°That¡¯s...That¡¯s awesome! Why would anyone refuse this then?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± Allya winced. ¡°There are some limitations. First, as a frontier principality, we¡¯re expected to basically take care of our own defense. We can call the crown for help of course, but we can¡¯t directly ask the count or the duke for help, since we¡¯re no longer their responsibility. And next, and what most people find the most problematic, is that we¡¯re excluded from the council of nobles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...like the Confederacy parliament, right?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. Except that in the Asarian Kingdom, it¡¯s also a requirement for office. In short, as long as we are a frontier principality, we can¡¯t vote in it, and we cannot have a member of our houses be eligible for a minister post, or generalship in the Royal Host, should it be assembled for war.¡± She shrugged. ¡°That might not seem like much, but any position of high office in the Kingdom wields immense power and influence, and quite frankly has a considerable amount of graft as well. In our case, however, that might turn out to be an advantage. A very big advantage.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t really have to worry about supplementing our revenue stream by diverting government contracts or building projects to our own lands, thanks to the dungeon that makes those avenues pretty much insignificant in comparison, and we won¡¯t have a problem getting people to invest here without having to divert some subsidies. Sure, we won¡¯t get a vote in the Kingdom¡¯s laws and policies, but at the same time we won¡¯t get tangled in the mess that is the realm¡¯s politics either.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Personally, I¡¯d say yes. The benefits are well worth it...and quite frankly, just being able to step outside of the snake pit of noble politics, even if partially, is more than worth it for me, let alone all the tax benefits.¡±


    Pyn nodded.


    ¡°I agree...I think. But why would their majesties propose that to us? I mean, what do they have to gain?¡±


    Allya shrugged and gestured at the map she was partially sitting on.


    ¡°Who knows? I suspect it¡¯s mostly a question of internal and international politics though. You have to remember that they must really want to keep us intact and prevent the Republic from gobbling us up if they can. Thus, having us drawn into the Kingdom¡¯s politics, and probably be caught in the crossfire of the different factions vying for dominance, would most likely weaken us considerably, at least in the short term. So they¡¯re taking that out of the equation while at the same time giving us enough of an imperative to stand on our own two legs and use all of that nice tax rebate to build a military force to defend ourselves with, instead of paying it to our own lieges.¡± She frowned. ¡°Actually, that might be another reason. They¡¯re probably trying to prevent the count or the duke from dipping into our pockets as well, for whatever reason.¡± She shrugged again. ¡°We¡¯ll probably have to find out later, but right now it doesn¡¯t matter. Are you sure you want to accept? There¡¯s no going back on this, at least for a while.¡±


    Pyn nodded, a bit hesitantly at first, then more firmly.


    ¡°Yes. If that keeps us out of the sort of games that sick bastard that almost got my parents executed got up to, that¡¯s more than worth it for me.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! Then come on, let¡¯s announce it to our guest, and then get whatever else he¡¯s come to tell us out of the way.¡±


    Allya got up, quickly followed by Pyn, and made a beeline for the tent flap, opening it and stepping inside her office again, where the envoy was patiently waiting.


    ¡°Envoy Oria, we have decided to accept their majesties¡¯ proposal.¡±


    The envoy smiled.


    ¡°That is wonderful news! Then, the only thing I need is the name you desire for your domain. Ideally, it should be the same name as your capital, especially given how central it will prove to be to you early on.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Allya froze. She hadn¡¯t truly thought about it. She¡¯d assumed they¡¯d only get around to naming the dungeon town once they were firmly established or something.


    She frowned and looked over at Pyn, who met her gaze and then had a flash of inspiration. She mouthed a single word, and Pyn looked at her steadily, before smiling and nodding. Allya turned back toward the envoy and announced gravely:


    ¡°Our domain, and our capital, shall be known as Rebirth, Envoy Oria.¡±

 The Fallen World Book 3 : Victory or Death is live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 3 of The Fallen World, titled Victory or Death, is now available on Amazon ! It should be the 20th on the entire planet and thus the book should be available everywhere ! It is available in ebook and paperback format. If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Here''s the link to the book''s amazon page if you''re interested : https://geni.us/FallenWorld4</a>


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    If you buy it, don''t hesitate to leave a review. You guys know I rarely ask for that and am hugely uncomfortable doing so, but it would really help the story a ton. Thank you.


    The novel includes chapters 34 through 85, for a total of 150k pages, or 550 pages worth of text for the novel. The entire novel had some rewrites, some which you saw yourself on Royal Road (chapter 80, notably), others which will be exclusive to the novel, not to mention a giant mass of edits and corrections to make the novel more readable. Interlude 2 through chapter 85 have been taken off of Royal Road, but chapters 34 through 36 remain, and have been updated with the novel''s edited and corrected text.


    To celebrate the launch chapter 127 will be posted tomorrow, the 21st of June !


    I also got some sweet promotional art for the novel :


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter and the novel, provided that you decide to buy it ! Playwars, out.

 1 year of The Fallen World : A Dungeons Story

    Hello everyone ! I''m back, and this time it isn''t for a chapter.


    Warning : dumb rant by overly emotional author who likes to hear themselves talk ahead.


    1 year and 3 days ago, on the 21st of september, 2020, at 16h18, european time, I posted the prologue for this story.


    It...has been quite the ride since then.


    As this is written, the story contains 289 581 words, or by RR''s calculations a total of 1 053 novel pages. There is more text of course, patreon chapters for one, plus all the associated lore files that haven''t been posted on RR and such, but this number will do. That makes it an average of 786 words per day, rounded down, which given the fact that this is my first experience with sustained writing without total burnout, let alone while attending and succeeding a full university year amidst a very chaotic time, I''m very happy with.


    I suppose the first thing I should adress is : what''s next ? Well, I don''t know. Not exactly anyway. But, I do have some plans.


    As some of you have heard in my author''s notes, my university requires me to do a 3 months internship within the start of april to the absolute maximum end point of the end of july. Due to this, one of my objectives is to accumulate an absolute minimum backlog of 12 chapters in preparation for this internship, so that even if I am not capable of continuing to write during that period the upload schedule will continue. That means that from now on I am lifting the limit I had set of 11 chapters in the backlog until I started clearing it out by posting biweekly chapters. If the backlog gets stupidly big (read 25+ chapters), then I will revise that, but until then I have to take precautions.


    Next, at some point I am planning to do a full, professional edit of the story, plus a full reorganization of chapters, with the sight of posting the story on amazon. Note that I will never, ever set this story on kindle unlimited and thus withdraw it from Royal Road bar a total and absolute emergency. So the story will still be fully available, on Royal Road (and potentially other sites as well later down the road), for totally free. There''ll just be a tidier, more cleaned up version on amazon for those who are interested in that or want to support me without becoming a patron.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    As for the story itself, well....there''s a lot left to write. Believe it or not, we still have not left the second large arc I set up for this story (arc 0 being the prologue, and arc 1 being until the wasteland expedition touched down on Alexandra''s front door). I had the outline of the third arc done before I started writing the prologue. Of course I have kept adding stuff as we went on, but still, there should be plenty of material left for me to continue writing on it.


    Now, I know this is already getting long, but I want to talk about some stuff relating to the story.


    This story...was never meant to be one of my main, long term projects. I originally created it purely to get much needed feedback on my writing style. That''s it. It was never meant to become something more, but oh boy it has. It is now my main writing project, and one of my longest running personnal projects, dwarfed only by my main, ''big'' writing universe, which I''ve been planning and writing lore for for 9 years at this point (half of it in French, which is...interesting to translate. Let me tell you, French and English naval terminology does not mix well). I had actually paused a novel project set in that universe (which I got 42k words in) to create this story to get the feedback I need to judge if I was actually writing good stuff or not. Apparently so....not without a significant amount of hiccups.


    Now however this story has turned into something much bigger for me. Alexandra, Emilia, Allya and Pyn, with all of their associated enemies, allies, henchmen, ect are firmly stuck in my head, and I doubt I could stop writing for this story even if I wanted to XD. I''ve also, almost unintentionally, created a community of readers, both here and on my discord, which I am very proud of (yes, even you guys suggesting I make golems after eldritch horrors from my worst nightmares in the dungeon suggestions channel). I now mostly hang out -lurk being such an impolite term- in my discord with my own reader base, cracking jokes, exchanging memes and answering questions about the story, and generally having a good time.


    Of course, this hasn''t been the smoothest of rides. There have been issues of course, construction, massive fuck ups, from myself and my university, and a whole range of other problems. But overall, it has been more than worth it.


    I''d have loved to celebrate this one year anniversary on the day with another chapter, but unfortunately I thought the 1 year anniversary would be on the 29th, and I was too busy these last few days to check again to make sure I hadn''t remembered it wrong. So, unfortunately you''ll just get this message with me ranting ^^.


    Alrighty then, I think I should end this here before I go into a full chapter of me ranting about stuff. Let''s go for one more year of this this story, shall we ? Then, another, ect. See you on saturday for chapter 51 !

 Halloween Special

    Chapter [ERROR]


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth.


    Dungeon Factory, Workshop.


    "What....is that?"


    Alexandra smiled as she turned around, and brought up the carved pumpkin.


    "It''s a pumpkin! For halloween!"


    Emilia opened her mouth, then closed it.


    "O....kaaayyyy? And what are you going to do with it? For that matter, where did you get it?"


    "Oh a lot of things. And one of the adventurers was carrying one around, don''t ask me why. His party got wiped, and ta-da!"


    "....Right. What sorts of things? I can understand the christmas celebration, but we can hardly have CQ go around the dungeon trick and treati..." Something in Alexandra''s eyes made Emilia freeze in place. "No. No no no you did not!"


    "She wanted to have some fun!"


    "You sent CQ to go around trick and treating adventurers?!?"


    "Yeah! I mean, I sent her with an escort. A large escort. And hey, it''s good fun, either they pay up in treats, or they have to fight her and her guards!"


    "Right. And on what floor did you send her?"


    Alexandra winced.


    "The first one, since most groups don''t get to the second one, not on a regular basis anyway." The Earth born shrugged. "I know, some noobs will get stomped, but hey, I did put up a warning sign, and a new quest!"


    Emilia rose an eyebrow, and Alexandra snapped her fingers, causing a handful of screens in the workshop to light up. The vampire advisor looked up, and her eyebrow rose higher as she saw what the screens were showing.


    One was a sign, a good old wooden spike and plank sign with the following written on it:


    Beware, adventurers!


    For the Crimson Queen''s hunger has been awakened,


    Satisfy her with sugary offerings, or suffer the consequences!


    A cluster of adventurers were currently reading it.


    The next one showed the entrance hall, where the quest screen was currently empty, save for a warning and a quest:


    WARNING: The Crimson Queen is loose on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor. Bring her offerings of sweets or fight her to the death!


    New Quest (Repeatable): A group of Jack o'' Lanterns have taken over some of the dungeon''s defenders. Slay them, and be rewarded! Current locations: 1<sup>st</sup> floor, 8<sup>th</sup> room ; 1<sup>st</sup> floor, 16<sup>th</sup> room ; 2<sup>nd</sup> floor, roaming the ruins; 2<sup>nd</sup> floor, destroyed temple; 2<sup>nd</sup> floor, water temple entrance hall.


    This panel wasn''t being read by anyone, but that was mostly because adventurers were still only allowed one group per hour, although Alexandra had made some noises about raising that once they worked out the kinks of the logistics system, and, well, finish rebuilding their golem stocks. Since she hadn''t actually bothered to recover her destroyed golems after the battle, and simply told the adventurers to take them -she''d said it would be more trouble than it would be worth to reclaim them, although Emilia had a sneaking suspicion the Earth-born had a second motive about this-, they''d had to rebuild their numbers while simultaneously fixing the damage to the entrance and sustain the adventuring delves.


    "Okay...but still, aren''t you afraid that CQ, will, you know...."


    "Get killed?" Alexandra sighed, and shrugged. "I don''t know. I mean, I know she''ll be fine if she ''dies''. She doesn''t even seem to care about just being brought back either, she just treats it as being asleep it seems. Besides, she seems to be having a ton of fun, with the preparation and all."


    "The preparation?"


    "Oh, right. Here." Alexandra gestured at a corner of the workshop, and Emilia stepped around one of the shelves packed with prototypes to get a good look....and gasped. "What....happened?"


    It looked like someone had let loose a tornado inside of a pumpkin field. And then tossed a bunch of fireballs and blades in the same tornado for good measure. Gods, she''d seen the blade swarm spell, notorious for it''s....messiness, leave a cleaner aftermath than this!


    Alexandra chuckled as she twirled a knife in her hands.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I gave CQ a bunch of knives and a pile of pumpkins. Then told her that if she wanted to, she could carve them however she wanted for her guards to wear. And, well, she got some of them in here to teach them how to carve the pumpkins themselves." The Earth-born shook her head. "They, ah, aren''t exactly dextrous to begin with, let alone wearing full plate armor. They made something of a mess. And that''s without counting CQ''s...enthusiastic contributions as well."


    "I....see. How much damage?"


    "Had to replace 3 of the palace guards, and some of the armor pieces off of the Royal Guardians. The prototype cases held up." Unsurprising, given that they were basically a box of armor plating on a shelf. Alexandra trusted her prototypes to not explode at an inopportune moment, or not create a chain reaction, about as far as she could throw the entire mesa. "Had to replace a few tools and knives, but that was it. The tables held up, but, you know, they''re giant slabs of stone."


    "Right, fair enough. So....what now?"


    "Now." Alexandra patted her carved pumpkin. "I''m going to carve some more of those. I''ve pulled out a bunch of prototypes, and I''m planning to get them some field testing with the jack o'' lantern golems."


    "That''s...smart. And sneaky."


    "Yes, especially as I''m expecting half of them to explode. Come on, I can duplicate them, but I want to make some unique faces for each, and, well...you''re better at designing patterns or that kind of stuff than I am."


    Emilia hesitated. Carving pumpkins was messy at the best of times, and Alexandra wasn''t exactly the person not to put her hands in the grease, so to speak. But....it was always hard to get her dungeon core interested in anything resembling esthetics. It was an opening she had to take.


    Besides, she hadn''t had carved a pumpkin in forever!


    *****


    "There you are!"


    CQ lifted her head from her bag of treats, and looked at the strange group that had just entered the room. There was four of them, the one in front -and who had spoken - in shiny armor, with a man in robes wielding a staff by his side. Behind them was another man wielding a grimoire like mom, and a lady with a bow.


    So...fighter, mage, sorcerer, ranger, if she remembered mommy''s lessons right.


    "Yes?" She said as she rose, closing her bag of sweets. "Trick or Treat ? Have you come to pay me tribute?" She said in her best haughty tone.


    "No! We have come to stop your tyranny, and your sugary tributes! You have pumped our kin for too long for their riches! Ah, get it? Pumped, kin?"


    CQ tilted her head as the mage facepalmed and the sorcerer whacked the armored fighter behind the head. She wasn''t that familiar with the things her mothers called ''puns'', but she did know enough to know this was a bad one....and barely qualified to begin with.


    "So, you have come to challenge me?"


    "Yes! I am Runald Steinhaus, paladin and silver ranked adventurer! Know the name of the one who will end your pun-y reign of terror!"


    This time the paladin''s companions audibly groaned, and CQ winced. Hadn''t mom said that there was a paladin that annoyed her? One that made constant puns? If he was that one....Well, she was sure mom wouldn''t mind if she bent the rules a little. She was supposed to let them have the first strike after all, to prevent ''PKing'', whatever that meant.


    "Very well, then you have chosen...trick."


    Then she stepped, and she was no longer there. She looked straight into the sorcerer''s startled eyes, and slammed her sword to the hilt inside of his stomach, before taking it out and-


    Usually most adventurers were too stunned by her attacks to put up much resistance when she pulled that trick for the first time. These ones were obviously different however. The sorcerer''s bracelet suddenly glowed, and CQ flew through the room as a wave of force slammed into her like the fist of an angry god. She bounced on the ceiling, her crimson shield flashing around her, before slamming into the ground.


    She leapt back onto her feet, and was already dodging by pure reflex. And those reflexes served her well, as an arrow passed through where her head should have been. She raised her hand, palm directed at the ranger, and cast power beam.


    The human lady yelled out in agony as the beam of pure energy slammed into her, but the paladin, who had been engaged with 3 of her royal guardians at once, held out his hand, and shouted. His shield glowed, and a phantom of it materialized between CQ and the ranger, absorbing the beam, before shattering into a thousand pieces, which quickly dissolved into motes of light.


    CQ frowned. She knew what a mana construct looked like -after all, she was one-, but this one was...odd. Not pure, like her, more like a...copy. Just a pale imitation of the shield it had been bound to.


    She didn''t even bother to look at the mage as he pointed his staff at her, and simply stepped out of the way, teleporting in just the right place to stab in the back of the paladin''s knee.


    The paladin roared in agony, but took the hit without going down, and then swiftly decapitated one of her royal guardians, before whirling around, using his shield to block a series of attack by the last two guardians as he took a swipe at CQ.


    The boss simply took the hit, letting her shield take most of the damage for her....and then let go of her sword as she went under the paladin''s guard, grabbed a cylinder from her belt...and pressed it against the paladin''s chest. She met his eyes, smiled sweetly....and poured power into the activation rune a split second before stepping away.


    The room shook as the betty warhead detonated, and the paladin flew straight into her golem''s lines, taking out the two royal guardians he had been fighting by sheer virtue of hitting them at speeds arrows were supposed to fly, not people. He ended his course in her Royal Marksmen, killing 3 outright and scattering a handful of others, and CQ frowned as he started to rise again.


    Then she felt herself rise into the air, and she flailed in panic as she looked for the source of the spell.


    She found it rather quickly. The mage was pointing his staff at her, and made a wide motion with it, and CQ felt herself accelerating through the air. She hit her last royal guardian full force, reducing the golem to scrap as she slammed through him and then into a palace guard, staggering him long enough for the sorcerer, who was trying to hold it at bay as he downed a healing potion, to unleash a lightning bolt and kill it, singing CQ in the process.


    The boss looked up, her eyes dark. Combat was fair game, killing her was fair game, but using her as a mere projectile? That wouldn''t do. That wouldn''t do at all. The mage smiled, picked her up again with his magic, ignoring the crossbow bolts that were pinging off his magical shield, threw her...and she stepped.


    She''d lined herself up for a punch, having forgotten to retrieve her sword for a shot at killing the paladin. She''d expected to just hit the mage hard enough for him to lose concentration and lower his ward, and allow her golems to turn him into a pin cushion.


    Instead she discovered that she somehow conserved her momentum...and punched the mage at a speed better suited for a bullet.


    Her first crashed into the ward of protection surrounding the mage, causing it to shatter in a flash of light, and break CQ''s fingers....but her first continued on it''s way. First onto the mage''s thorax....then through it.


    CQ shook her head as they hit the wall, getting back up, and then stopping as her arm refused to follow. She looked down, and winced. The mage was....very, very dead. She didn''t know what had killed him, but the impact against the wall had surely broken his neck given the awkward angle his head had, and...well, her arm was currently stuck through his ribcage, and she could see her hand on the other side. She put her foot on his body, and ripped out of her hand with a sickening squelch, shaking it to get the worst of the fragments of spine and goefied organs off of it.


    Then she turned around to survey the battlefield. The ranger had gotten back up from the power beam...Right on time for her Royal Marksmen to choose her as a target. She''d probably dodged a fair bit of the bolts, but...well, she clearly hadn''t dodged enough of them, her lifeless eyes contemplating the ceiling as half a dozen bolts stuck out from her chest and head.


    The sorcerer was still up, but he was backed up against a wall by a trio of her palace guards, and as she watched, he was cut to pieces, apparently having run out of magic tricks. Then she turned to the paladin...just in time to see an armored fist fill her vision, and fly through the room, again.


    I need something to tie myself down to the floor. I''m tired of being thrown around! She thought to herself as she jumped back to her feet.


    The paladin...was missing his helmet, and several pieces of his armor. In fact, he looked exactly like....he''d been on the wrong end of a betty mine. Or several, actually. Behind him were the remains of her Royal Archmages and Royal Marksmen, reduced to pieces as they finished off the ranger, as well as the palace guards that should have protected them.


    She looked up at the paladin''s bleeding face. He looked young, despite his raven black beard and mustache, streaked with his own blood.


    "You....you..." He sputtered, before coughing. His armor had taken the brunt of the punishment from the betty, but he still seemed to have suffered some internal wounds.


    "It looks like your pun-y adventure is at an end paladin."


    The paladin froze, and chuckled.


    "Good one, but that won''t-"


    He didn''t even see the javelins thrown by the palace guards behind him coming.


    CQ contemplated his body for a few seconds, before shaking her head as she looked around the room.


    "I''m going to need some new guards. And more pumpkins."

 Christmas Special 2021

    Chapter ???


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth.


    Dungeon Factory, Command Center.


    "You know, even having visited what''s left of Afghanistan, and knowing that it isn''t just a permanent desert, I''m still surprised to see snow here."


    Emilia blinked, and looked up from her book.


    "Oh ? Ah, yes !" The vampire girl gazed at the snow covered landscape of the dungeon town on the screen. "A lot of people think the same about wastelands. Some of them truly are deserts, like here to some extent, but a lot of them have very temperate climates." Emilia sighed as she looked at a group of adventurers currently busy throwing snowballs at each other. "It reminds me a lot of home..."


    Alexandra perked up at the nostalgia and sadness in her advisor''s voice.


    "It''s very snowy, right ?"


    "Yeah. The manor is high up in the mountains, above the permanent snow line. It''s...peaceful."


    Alexandra had to stop herself from coughing. She''d seen an image of the ''ducal manor'' belonging to Emilia''s parents. If that was a manor then she was a Martian. The thing was basically a giant fortress embedded into the mountain. Granted there was some good pieces of civilian architecture at the top, but everything under that was a giant castle.


    "And cold."


    "Well, yes, but you don''t really notice it as a vampire." Emilia smiled. "Or as a dungeon core for that matter. We do have visitors from time to time from those we advise."


    "I''d thought you would be...closer to the dungeons."


    Emilia shrugged.


    "Dungeons are very used to long distance relationships, and so are we. After all, most dungeons have ties to others, but they can hardly just pick themselves up and go visit, and avatars are rare and pricy. There is still the occasional physical visit though."


    "We''ll have to do that sometimes."


    "After you''ve found a way to justify having an avatar, please."


    Alexandra smiled. She didn''t intend to just arrive with her avatar, and she was fairly sure showing up with an airfleet or an army would be a tad bit harder to explain than a single body. Probably. These peoples had weird priorities sometimes.


    "Of course !"


    "Good." Emilia sighed. "Well, I''ll go to the communication room, I have a few questions to ask mom about, you know, CQ and the whole succession shenanigans."


    "Right." Alexandra gazed at her advisor as she slowly left the room, the vampire girl giving the screen one last longing look, and sat back in her seat, before tilting her head, and turning around on her stool.


    "Say...Ella ?"


    The vampire maid, who had almost faded into the background of the command center, blinked.


    "Yes milady ?"


    "Those spells you looked at with Emilia, the ones for moving water...Could they be used to move frozen water ? Like, say...snow ? A lot of snow ?"


    The maid looked pensive for a second, before giving Alexandra the first truly warm smile she''d ever seen on the vampire''s lips.


    "A believe they could milady. Why is that ?"


    "You probably already guessed it. Could you please get Sarah here ? I know she''s supposed to follow Emilia around today, but surely she can excuse herself for a bit. I''ll get Jared and CQ to join us as well."


    "Yes milady, at once !"


    Alexandra looked back at the screens as the maid bowed her way out of the room, and all the screens flickered at once, before being replaced by views of the second floor.


    Now, let''s see if she remembered that lecture in Quebec, the one about the snow cannons...


    *****


    "Hey Alex, I came as fast as I could. What''s going on ?" Said Emilia as she stepped into the water temple. Oddly enough, despite the dungeon being closed for the night, Alexandra was accompanied by a small group of Praetorian guards. Actually, the guards looked a bit...singed.


    Emilia''s eyes narrowed. There was only one reason her dungeon core''s bodyguards would look like this.


    "Did you do an experiment behind my back again ?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "Something like that." She held up her hands quickly as the vampire girl stepped forward. "It''s perfectly justifiable ! Look, Ella and Sarah helped me, and they think so as well ?"


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Emilia frowned, and looked to the side at the two maids, who solemnly nodded.


    "Alright then. What is it ?"


    "Oh I think you''ll love it." Said Alexandra, mysteriously, before activating the drawbridge...and Emilia''s jaw dropped.


    The second floor...The second floor was like a scene taken straight out of a fairytale. The ruins were covered in snow, and slowly a curtain of the white flakes continuously fell down from the ceiling.


    It took Emilia a solid ten seconds to stop staring, before looking back at Alexandra, the dungeon core smiling wildly.


    "What...H-How ?"


    "Well, I saw the way you were looking at the adventurers playing in the snow outside, and decided it''d be a good time as any to try out making artificial snow. Turns out, not that hard with enough mana. And ample amounts of experimentation. I also accidentally created a frost explosion spell, but that''s another discussion entirely."


    "Right..." Emilia looked around the floor, before focusing on CQ, who was currently busy making a snow man, with her pet manticore ''helping'' as best it could. Which is to say it ran around a lot and occasionally brought the bit of debris or golem to stick in the slowly growing...sculpture. "I see someone is already having fun."


    "Oh yeah." Alexandra smiled. "I might have taught her how to make a snowman. She kept asking what was the point of all that white stuff." The Earth-born coughed slightly. "I might have also taught her how to make snowballs. But she kind of just ordered her guards to mass produce them for her and hand them over to her to throw."


    "Jeez, I wonder who she gets that from ?" Asked Emilia, her voice dripping with sarcasm. They exchanged a look, and burst out laughing. "Alright. Well, if we''re meant to have fun..." Emilia''s gaze became outright devious, and Alexandra gulped. "I challenge you to a snowman building contest ! I obviously get Ella and Sarah on my side. Try to keep up !"


    Alexandra''s mouth opened, and closed as the vampire girl giggled, and started sprinting towards the fields of snow.


    "H-Hey ! No fair !" Said the Earth-born as she sped after her advisor, frantically calling golems to her rescue.


    *****


    "Well, if nothing else, it is helping with morale. Even among my men."


    Allya chuckled as she gazed upon the snowy vista of her city.


    "Wait until it starts getting everywhere, and people start getting sick. Then they''ll begin cursing it with all their hearts."


    Anders laughed;


    "Probably, yes. People will always find something to complain about. Especially soldiers."


    "Yep." Allya blinked as she heard the door to her mansion/residence open, and turned around to see Pyn walk out of the door. "What the-" The ex-assassin looked up and down at her girlfriend, desperately holding back her laughter...before failing miserably.


    "What ? I want to keep warm !"


    Allya, with a supreme effort of will, stopped laughing for a second to answer.


    "Honey, there''s a difference between keeping warm and turning yourself into a giant pile of...this !"


    Pyn huffed in annoyance, tried to cross her arms...and failed, making Allya fold over in laughter.


    The reason why was apparent to anyone even gazing at the elf. If it wasn''t for the slit that allowed her to see, or her pointed ears, people could be forgiven to mistake her for a golem made out of clothes and blankets. So many of them were stacked on top of the poor elf that she could barely move normally, and even then looked like some kind of horribly mutated penguin in doing so.


    Anders let out a more restrained cough, hiding his smile behind his hand.


    "It might be a bit more advisable milady to strip down some layers."


    The elf grumbled something about ''freezing hellscape'' and ''I''m no snow elf damn it'', before disappearing back into the residence, and Allya''s laughter finally dried up.


    "Well that was something." Simply said Anders, before looking suspiciously at the baroness. "And strangely out of character. Tell me milady, would you think someone, hypothetically of course, might have impressed over our dear knight that the weather would be much, much more colder and hostile when it was snowing than it truly would be ? After all, lady Pyn is from the Confederacy and their equatorial forests...And is unlikely to have ever seen snow in her life."


    Allya bit her lower lip, before regaining her composure.


    "That might have happened captain. However I can assure you, I have not the slightest idea who might have planted such ideas in our dear knight''s head. I for one, as a native of the Erisian Core, was completely truthful in my description of snow and cold weather."


    "Of course milady, of course." Said Anders, his face showing he was perfectly aware who had gotten the elf so worried about snow, before shaking his head. "Well, in that case, I''ll be going. I have guard posts to review." And probably break snow balls fight in.


    "Of course captain. And I will...assist lady Pyn in, ahem, shedding some layers as you so succintly put it."


    Anders nodded with his best poker face, before leaving, and making a note not to disturb the two nobles, or expect them to come out until the evening...Or even tomorrow knowing them.


    *****


    Allya groaned as she heard the insistent knocking on her door, and withdrew her head from her warm pillow.


    "What ?" She barked at the door as she touched a rune inlaid into her bedside table, deactivating the sound proofing enchantment, and heard a bit of shuffling behind the door.


    "Apologies milady, but guildmaster Starvak has sent for you. He says it''s about the dungeon." Answered ¨¦clair, and the baroness started swearing for a few seconds, before taking a deep breath.


    "Alright, tell him I''ll be there in a bit."


    "Yes milady !"


    Allya let go of the rune, and sighed.


    "What''s going on ?"


    Allya turned around, and saw her ''warm pillow'' move as Pyn sat up, and stretched, which had a nearly hypnotysing effect on her upper anatomy, before shaking her head and cursing Crystal.


    "Apparently something happened with our resident dungeon. I''ve gotta go. You can stay if you want."


    The elf shook her head.


    "If you''re going, I''m coming with you." She waggled her eyebrows. "If nothing else once we''re done, we can pick up where we left off."


    Allya blushed furiously, nodded, and then dashed to their clothing closet, pretending not to hear the elf''s laughter, not trusting herself to say anything without either sounding like a sappy idiot or just pouncing on her girlfriend.


    *****


    "She what ?" Said Allya as she stared incrediously at the guildmaster.


    "She covered every floor in snow. The first adventuring party that went through is also reporting seeing strange new golems. According to them they have been equipped with some kind of strange hats, and bags bulging with miscallenous loot."


    Allya opened her mouth, and closed it.


    "...Okay. So what you''re saying is that we have a snow filled dungeon...And a bunch of santa golems running around ?"


    "In short ? Yes."


    The baroness sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose, before looking up.


    "Let me guess, the adventurers are getting crazy ? Again ?"


    "Very much so. There''s also been an...interesting offer made by Crystal via one of her golems at the entrance, which I believed you would be very interested in hearing."


    "Which is ?"


    "She is proposing to double the amount of adventuring parties allowed today. Specifically a party every 30 minutes. To ''test my capability to sustain delves to it''s fullest extent'', or so she said."


    Allya licked her lips.


    "That is...a very interesting proposal." In fact it was far more than that. If it became the norm her flegling principality''s income would literally double. Allya mentally shook herself as she pushed back her greed. There was a catch, there had to be. "I suppose she had some conditions to it ?"


    "Yes, as a matter of fact. She insisted that adventurers be made aware that due to this, they might encounter golems meant for other adventuring parties...on their way back up, if they do not make it past a boss and take the elevator back."


    Allya winced. That...would be a slaughter. She knew adventurers all to well, and most parties would stop only when they feel like they''re about to get their asses kicked...and then get trapped by a bunch of golems as they tried to fall back.


    "That''s...going to result in a lot of casualties."


    "That''s my assessment as well. But I am planning to warn any volunteering party about the inherent dangers."


    Allya chuckled.


    "Do you believe they''ll listen ? At least well enough to actually take precautions when more loot is just around the corner ?"


    The guildmaster winced, and Allya shook her head.


    "Alright, well, tell me how it went tomorrow." She looked to the side at Pyn. "I have, ah, business to finish."


    Starvak nodded, smiling.


    "Of course !"


    *****


    "Well, if nothing else this is working nicely."


    Emilia nodded, and smiled widely as she looked at the group of adventurers trying to fight the golems of the second floor through the snow. And failing miserably.


    "Yes, yes it is ! Quite the cherry on top for today, wouldn''t you agree ?"


    Alexandra hid a wince. She was glad her dungeon advisor was feeling better, but she would have hoped it would have come at less of a cost, especially as the vampire girl had decided that whoever won the variety of increasingly improbable snow art contests would gain the same thing from their bets. Emilia alone had been bad enough to compete against, but with the expertise of her maids they''d just rolled over her and her hastily composed team. Even with CQ and Jared to help they''d only managed to hold back the onslaught. Maids, let alone ex special forces soldiers, had no rights being that good at making snowmen, or other types of snow art ! At least they''d won the contest before they''d limited the size of snowmen, and banned her from just designing it in her interface. They could design pretty things, but with a thousand golems at her finger tips, she could build big.


    "Yes, indeed."


    "Soooo, about those 16 hours of design..."


    "14 ! I won the last contest !"


    "A cathedral made out of snow doesn''t qualify as a snow house !"


    "Yes it does !"


    The two fell into their familiar bickering, and CQ and the maids watched in fascination as Sarah unobtrusively began passing around some popcorn.


    Some things never changed, Christmas or not.

 The Great Archives (Nations)

    Short note about Alexandra''s location :


    The world the story takes place on is called Alcheryos, and the continent Alexandra is situated on is called Arkan. Alexandra''s dungeon is currently located in the Red Sands Desert, in the wasteland between the Asarian Kingdom and the Elkis Republic.


    <u>Nations :</u>


    The Eris Empire :


    The largest, most technologically advanced and most powerful nation on Alcheryos, the Eris Empire encompasses over half of the planet''s total population and industrial capability. The Empire is divided into 3 broad regions, notably the Core, the Periphery and the Protectorates, with a decreasing population density and overall technological level at each step. The Protectorates are more or less occupied territories, kept in line purely through the force of arms, and being ruthlessly exploited for their natural resources and cheap labor force by the corporations from the Core and Periphery. The Eris Empire''s military prowess is beyond legendary, so much so that just the threat of intervention from the Empire has changed the course of entire wars. However, the Empire is badly overstretched, and it''s Protectorates become more restive each day under it''s abusive rule...


    The Eris Empire''s military might is beyond counting or effective estimation, even by the Empire''s own generals and administrators. Equipped with fixed wing aircrafts, fleets of flying warships, and vast armies liberally provided with the newly introduced assault rifles, machine guns and all manner of armored vehicles, from armored personnel carriers to battle tanks, the Eris Empire''s forces are unmatched in sophistication and firepower on Alcheryos.


    The Tark Hegemony :


    The Hegemony is the third most technologically advanced nation on Alcheryos, and a rapidly growing power, both on their home continent and the world stage. The repeated invasions from the Elkis Republic has ultra-militarized the Hegemony and it''s society, to the point that civilian leadership has been effectively sidelined from the entire executive branch. Despite all odds, the Hegemony has withstood the onslaught from their many times larger neighbour, and has grown stronger because of it, inflicting severe and humiliating defeats to the Republic, and grabbing vital pieces of territory in the process, causing a long, drawn out cold war between both powers. Nowadays the Hegemony is actively gearing up for a new confrontation with the Republic, supporting as many as it''s enemies as it can, and trying to bleed out the Republic with every minuscule cut before the cold war goes hot once more.


    The Hegemony''s military is extremely modern and highly experienced, universally equipped with bolt action firearms, field artillery, and even seeing the appearance of the first machineguns and battle tanks. It''s navies, both airborne and waterborne, are equipped with top of the line warships capable of going toe to toe with even Gorromar''s vessels. The price of quality however, is a lack of quantity, and the Tark Sky Fleet in particular is relatively small, causing the Hegemony''s government to order a massive airship building program.


    Gorromar :


    Gorromar is a city state, a country, an practically an entire culture. Formed from the remnants of a fanatically loyal group of survivors from the Great Night, rescued by the God of Fire from their crumbling bunker, they have established the single most stable and resilient society on Alcheryos. They are also a strange mix of extremely isolationist and interventionist, wanting to have nothing to do with the rest of the world, except when it comes to fulfilling their primary directive : protect the weak from oppression. Gorromar is unique in that while it is not very innovative and extremely conservative, it''s sheer stability has prevented the massive technological regressions that affected the rest of the world thanks to the Tesseract Crisis or the fall of the Orlov Empire. Thus it is the second most advanced nation on Alcheryos, and the single most powerful nation in raw military power on their home continent of Arkan. This is also compounded by the fact that Gorromar is one of the few factions on Alcheryos capable of producing technology from the Old World, albeit in very limited quantities.


    Gorromar''s military is the only one that could claim to be able to compete with the Eris Empire, man for man. Their soldiers are equipped with submachine guns and fully automatic rifles, as well as ever more compact and portable machine guns, and their armored vehicles are starting to look like something a Terran general from the second world war would have recognized.


    The Asarian Kingdom :


    The largest and most populous nation on the Arkan continent, the Asarian Kingdom has long been an expantionist nation. However, it is deeply obscurantist, it''s all too often abusive and power hungry nobility preferring to keep the lower classes as obedient and ignorant as possible. This has resulted in the kingdom being one of the least advanced nations on Alcheryos, sporting only medieval level of technology at best, incapable of even making basic firearms. The kingdom is also badly in need of reforms, it''s purely feudal hierarchy starting to break at the seems at the introduction of corporations or the ever cheaper consumer goods from the other nations of the world.


    It''s military, while formidable on paper, is mostly composed of poorly trained conscripts backed by knights, and sometimes supplemented with outright peasant levies, divided into numerous noble houses and very hard to coordinate. The Kingdom possesses virtually no flying warships of it''s own, and has to rely on imported ships for air defence. The one shining point in the kingdom''s military forces are it''s gryphon knight companies, most of which are made of nigh on fanatical soldiers trained for birth for combat, alongside their mounts. They make for formidable shock troops and more than one enemy has broken before their might. Unfortunately they are few and far between, and each gryphon knight lost can take years, or even decades to replace.


    The Elkis Republic :


    The second largest and most populous nation on the Arkan continent, the Elkis Republic used to be a symbol for the future, a shining beacon of democracy and peaceful expansion that promised a safe haven to all who wished to join it. Unfortunately that symbol is long gone, the once thriving democracy having been subverted by the oligarchical dynasties of it''s senate, calling themselves the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, who rule the Republic with an iron fist. For the past few centuries the Republic has been aggressively expanding outwards, attempting to conquer every one of it''s neighbours, and gobbling up most of the southern half of the Arkan continent. However, this expansion ran into it''s first roadblock 150 years ago, when the Republic''s attempt to starve the city state of Tark into submission backfired spectacularly, causing the formation of the Tark Hegemony, one of the Republic''s most bitter enemy. Another attempted invasion of the mountains of the Far Reach 15 years ago ended in absolute disaster, as the Republic''s entire invasion force was wiped out by a concerted attack from the dragons inhabiting the mountains, causing the Republic to almost completely break down under the strain. The Republic has now rebuilt it''s forces, and constant pressure from the Hegemony and the Far Reach has left it desperately looking for new sources of wealth and revenue, like, say, a newly born link dungeon....


    The Republic''s military is professional, decently trained and somewhat modern, with the appearance of entire regiments of musketeers, and dedicated artillery companies, equipped with rudimentary bombards and even some field guns. However the bulk of it''s forces are still very much medieval in nature. It is still in process of rebuilding from it''s devastating defeat 15 years ago, and as such very much lacks forces that are time consuming to train, like pegasus cavalry or gryphon knights. The Republic also completely lacks anything resembling a navy, as it was repeatedly annihilated during the wars with the Tark Hegemony, until the Republic simply gave up on the idea of maintaining meaningful sea going power. It''s airfleet however is nothing to sneeze at, and although it''s vessel don''t even come close to the Hegemony''s own warships, they are more than capable of holding their own given ground support or numerical superiority.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The Saphire Kingdom :


    Once a kingdom spanning the whole of the Arkan continent, the Saphire Kingdom is now but a shadow of it''s former self. Confined to the snowy hills of Discovery, the kingdom has been struggling to continue to exist for centuries, before finally stabilizing. While it''s technology is in many ways no better than the Asarian Kingdom''s, the Saphire Kingdom is the undisputed magical masters of Arkan, and it''s magical universities are renowned even in the Eris Empire. What it cannot do with technology, it has with magic, from home appliances to agriculture.


    The Saphire Kingdom''s forces are badly depleted from the constant border skirmishes with the Asarian Kingdom, but it''s war mages are the single most dangerous of their kind outside of the Eris Empire''s War Mage Corps, and it still possesses the vast navy from the old kingdom, with hundreds of millenia old, but still massively armed magical galleons guarding it''s coasts against any and all intruders.


    The Far Reach :


    A disparate group of clans inhabiting the mountains of the same name, the Far Reach has sustained and successfully repelled a full on invasion from the Elkis Republic 15 years ago, notably thanks to it''s dragon inhabitants. Ever since the clans have been constantly raiding the Republic''s territory in revenge from the atrocities committed during the war. While not formally allied to the Tark Hegemony, it is an open secret that various clans retain close ties to the Hegemony and that considerable amounts of civilian and military hardware, as well as the engineers and soldiers accompanying them have passed into the Far Reach to help fight against the Republic. This assistance has, oddly enough, made the disunited collection of clans highly advanced and technologically savvy, allowing them to start building a technological base that outstrips the Republic''s.


    The Far Reach does not have a unified military as such, but it''s clanic warriors are infinitely more lethal than they used to be. Augmented by expatriated Tarkians and outright military advisors, alongside generous donations of modern military equipment, they sport some of the most dangerous guerilla fighters on the surface Alcheryos, with elite snipers and ambush forces massacring any Republic patrol foolish enough to intrude upon their territory. Their raiding forces are generally far less well equipped, or experienced, but they are still a force to be reckoned with in their own ways.


    The Loris Empire :


    A dwarven realm, the Loris Empire is a nation that has been slowly growing it''s technological might and industrial power. While nowhere near the levels of advancement of the Tark Hegemony, let alone Gorromar, it still has managed to make it''s name known as one of the few truly technologically advanced nations in Alcheryos.


    The Loris Empire''s military is transitioning from muskets to bolt action rifles, and while it does not sport armored vehicles per say, it does possess large and fairly modern air and water going navies.


    The Elven Confederacy of Eleria :


    A confederacy of elven realms, the Confederacy of Eleria was founded in response to the Eris Empire''s attempted colonization of it''s home continent. While not the most coherent or well organized of nations, it has succeeded in halting the Eris Empire''s expansion in the region, as the Confederacy is simply to large to simply roll over without a major war, which would push the Empire''s already badly stretched military beyond it''s breaking point. The Confederacy is somewhat infamous for being biggoted, notably towards what it sees as ''lesser races'', like orcs.


    The Confederacy''s military is...strange. Due to being a permanent coalition of technically still autonomous militaries, it encompasses both nearly worthless peasant levies and entire armies of professional soldiers, sometimes even armed with imported muskets and even more advanced weapons bought from the Tark Hegemony. Still, despite it''s patchwork nature the Confederacy''s military forces have shown a definite aptitude in working together and complementing each others'' strength and shoring up their weaknesses when the need arose, making them into a surprisingly deadly military force.


    The Trinity Federation :


    Formed out of 3 realms, a human kingdom, an elven one and a dwarven one, the Trinity Federation is an oddity in that it is a triumph of diplomacy over warfare. The 3 kingdoms had been locked in a deadly stream of seemingly never ending wars, the wasteland separating them being the only thing preventing them from trying to exterminate each others. Then, after centuries of fighting, a lasting peace was brokered by the Wyrm Edarconak the Greater, and thanks to the trade links established from that peace, the 3 nations grew closer together, before eventually unifying in a single nation.


    The Federation''s military forces are relatively small, but professional and extremely well trained. While the Federation itself is not particularly advanced, it''s military still sports a few cannons and muskets, mainly old surplus imported from the Tark Hegemony. The Federation''s real strength however comes from it''s vast airfleet, necessary to police and secure the wasteland separating it''s 3 member states, which could stand up to that of any other nation, bar the Eris Empire itself.


    The dark elven Kingdom of Arsir :


    A somewhat obscure realm (no pun intended), the kingdom of Arsir usually avoids the spotlight in international affairs, and tends to it''s own business. Of course, many claim that it is only a facade, and that the kingdom is just focusing on expanding it''s increasingly powerful trade networks through the Syndicate, trying to conquer their foes through trade and economic control rather than outright warfare.


    The Kingdom''s military is somewhat strange. While it does possess a core of professional, well trained soldiers, most of it is made up of volunteers with merely adequate training, who are then loaned off to the Syndicate, from which the survivors come back bloodied veterans. While this insures a steady supply of highly trained soldiers, it also means that a lot of it''s on paper military might is dispersed throughout the world rather than defending the kingdom itself. The kingdom''s low technology also means that it''s military is purely medieval in nature, bar a few specialized units equipped with imported Erisian equipment.


    The Western Marches :


    Officially a duchy, the Western Marches are truly a vast kingdom encompassing millions of souls. Vastly dominated by vampires, who fill virtually all of the higher echelons of society, the Western Marches have existed for so long no one seemed to remember quite when they came into being. What is known to some however is that the duchy was already in place when the Dawn of Flames happened, and the God of Fire negotiated directly with the Von Oswald dynasty, to acquire their services as advisors for his dungeons. What the Western Marches got in exchange, no one but them know....if that knowledge has even survived the ages. However there are persistent rumors that if the Western Marches were to fall, the Custodians of the Flame would personally intercede to prevent the extinction of the vampires, and even stranger rumors claimed that the vampires were originally super-soldiers from the Great Night, and were allowed to live for their treachery and crimes in exchange for their service to the God of Fire.


    The Western Marches boast quite possibly the single most dangerous military, man for man, out of any power on Alcheryos, bar the Order to Restore Humanity and the Custodians of the Flame, despite only having a medieval level of technology. It''s army is made out of elite regiments of vampires, backed up by human conscripts. While the latter are generally not that well trained, the former are nigh on unstoppable killing machines capable of individually massacring entire squads of experienced warriors. The Western Marches have also become rightly feared for it''s use of blood magic, sometimes sacrificing thousands of enemies, civilians or military, to destroy entire armies or even nations in impossibly powerful rituals.


    <u>Sub-divisions :</u>


    Sub divisions are parts of a wider nation, like a protectorate or autonomous region.


    <u>Notable subdivisions of the Asarian Kingdom :</u>


    Duchy of Sunrise :


    The largest and richest duchy of the Asarian Kingdom, the duchy of Sunrise is known for it''s vast trading port of the same name...and it''s relentless use of slave labor. The duchy has prospered on the back of it''s countless slaves and built it''s economy on their corpses. Due to this, and the highly ambitious nature of it''s rulers, the duchy''s relations with the crown have been tense at best, outright hostile at worse. It is no secret among the kingdom''s nobility that if a new civil war was to tear the kingdom apart, Sunrise would most likely lead it.


    Duchy of Sarth :


    The Duchy of Sarth englobes most of the southern frontier of the Asarian Kingdom, particularly the regions facing the Republic and the Death Zone of the Lost Sands, including the trade city of Darthar. Ruled by house Estogan for centuries, the duchy has long been fighting incursions both from abominations rising from the wasteland and Republic probes into the kingdom''s defenses.


    <u>Notable subdivisions of the Elkis Republic :</u>


    Autonomous Province of Eternity :


    Centred on the capital city of Eternity, built ontop of the Eternia Crystallis dungeon, the province of Eternity has long been a willing member of the Republic...right up until the first war with the city of Tark and the formation of the Tark Hegemony 150 years ago. After this war, the province, which had considerable trade ties with the beleaguered Hegemony, nearly broke off, and was effectively granted independence, operating autonomously in all regards and only being a part of the Republic on paper, and paying only the flimsiest of lip service to the Republic''s leaders. There are widespread reports of Hegemony military units moving into the province, as well as considerable amounts of ''advisors'' being sent to train and modernize the province''s military, a fact that has pushed the Republic to reinforce it''s border with the province, effectively turning it into another fortified defensive line in case of Tarkian incursion.

 Great Archives (Ship Classes of Earths Human Space)

    Standardized starship ratio : Most Human space going crafts have the same dimensional ratio, where the width and the height are 1/10<sup>th</sup> of the length, giving them the vague appearance of a oversized rocket covered in guns and armor. Thus, unless otherwise stated, all crafts will follow these dimensions.


    European Federation Star Navy :


    Glimmer-class light cruiser :


    Length : 300m.


    Tonnage : 270 000 m3.


    Armament type : Missile based, with kinetic weapons point defence and counter-missile launchers.


    The Glimmer class is old. Very old. In fact, original plans for it predate the European Federation itself, and were originally made by the European Space Defence Agency for the European Union. The first ship of the class was put in service in 2063, and the class itself continue serving until 2138, making it the longest serving warship class in the known universe beside the Hudson class cruiser. The ship was well known for being positively minuscule compared to more modern light cruisers, barely qualifying as a large frigate in fact. It was originally armed with a grand total of 16 missile launchers and 38 point defence guns, although thankfully the class was upgraded to use 18 missile launchers, 6 light railguns, and a total of 51 point defence gauss turrets, preventing it from becoming totally obsolete. The Glimmer was only deployed in direct fleet to fleet combat during the interplanetary wars, where it performed admirably, before being retired to a purely patrol and anti-piracy role in the early 2100s. This was mostly due to the announcement of the existence of hyperspace, and the decision not to equip the ageing Glimmers with hyperdrives.


    Eternity-class light cruiser :


    Length : 600m.


    Tonnage : 2 160 000 m3.


    Armament type : Missile based, with energy weapons point defence.


    The Eternity class is a reliable, advanced (although not cutting edge) light cruiser class originally introduced in response to the Alpha Centauri accident. Although the EFSN has stopped laying down more of them, as new constructions are focusing on the new Infinity class light cruisers, there were still 16 Eternity class in various states of construction and armament when Alexandra was precipitated into hyperspace.


    Infinity-class light cruiser :


    Length : 800m.


    Tonnage : 5 120 000 m3.


    Armament type : Missile/Energy weapons hybrid, with energy weapons point defence grid.


    The Infinity class is the cutting edge in terms of light cruisers. Specifically built to accompany and protect Dawnstar-class battleships, as well as to be able to fight an entire UIS frigate squadron on it''s own, these ships are one of the finest warship class in known space. At the time of Alexandra''s disappearance, only the leading ship of the class, the EFSN Infinity, was in service, with 3 more undergoing armament, and 18 in various states of construction.


    Starfire-class battleship :


    Length : 3.3 km.


    Tonnage : 359 370 000 m3.


    Armament type : (Mk1) Missile based, with energy weapons point defence. (Mk4) Token missile and long range energy weapons, massive energy weapons point defence array.


    The Starfire class is an older, but still reliable, battleship class originally built to project the EFSN''s power into the outer system and reliably guard the colonies around Jupiter and Saturn. This class is quite probably the single most produced battleship class for the EFSN, at around 36 put into commission, and 6 that were scrapped before completion to make room for the Dawnstar class. The class went through several iterations, where every ship was gradually upgraded to the new iteration through refits, named Mk1 through 4. Mk1 was the original run of the class. Mk2 was a series of upgrade to it''s systems and especially the installation of gravitational engines, allowing reliable long duration solar system wide deployments. Mk3 constituted the passage to a hyperspace capable warship through the installation of a hyperdrive. The Mk4 is a massive refit from a mostly missile based warship to a point defence and escort ship for the much heavier and better armed Dawnstar class.


    Nova-class battleship :


    Length : 3.6 km.


    Tonnage : 466 560 000 m3.


    Armament type : Energy weapons based, with energy weapons point defence.


    The Nova class is one of the ships introduced to the EFSN in response to the UISN''s new generation of dreadnought. Made above all else to be able to survive into a drawn out slugging match with the UISN''s new warships, the Nova-class sacrifices a degree of firepower and acceleration for insane redundancy and several times the armor of a normal battleship.


    Dawnstar-class super-battleship :


    Length : 6.8 km.


    Tonnage : 3 144 320 000 m3 or 3.144 km3.


    Armament type : Missile/Energy weapons hybrid, with energy weapons point defence.


    The Dawnstar class is the largest space going warship class ever put into service, let alone one with hyperspace capability. It is a last generation warship of the European Federation, representing the cutting edge of it''s technological and industrial might. In total, 6 Dawnstar class were ordered, although on the day that Alexandra was precipitated into hyperspace, only 3 had been fully commissioned, 2 were still being armed, and a single one was still in construction in the EFSN Aurore star yards.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    United Interstellar States Navy :


    Ottawa-class light cruiser :


    Length : 400m


    Tonnage : 640 000 m3


    Armament type : Railgun based (short range kinetic weapons), minimal kinetic point defence capabilities.


    The Ottawa class is one of the strange semi-modern ships of the UIS. The class'' design is fairly old (it was first introduced in the 2130s), but it remains an impressive weapons platform. Particularly, the Ottawa class was always meant as an anti-piracy patrol ship (since most pirates cannot afford missiles) and a short range anti-corvette ship when in larger fleets. While it had steadily fallen into obsolescence, the resurgence of short range, direct fire weapons engagements with the EFSN''s new generation of warship has brought the Ottawa class back into the spotlight. In fact, the UISS Quebec (an Ottawa class) is the only ship to date to have managed to destroy a Nova class battleship, by somehow managing to score a direct hit on the Scarlet Nova''s primary reactor and causing it to suffer a catastrophic containment breach, destroying the entire ship.


    Enterprise-class Super-Carrier :


    Length : 4.8 km.


    Tonnage : 1 105 920 000 m3 or 1.105 km3.


    Armament type : Fighter based, with kinetic/energy weapons point defence capabilities.


    The Enterprise class is a testament to the UIS'' military industrial complex perseverance in it''s failures. Despite the Alpha Centauri campaign thoroughly proving spaceborne carriers to be obsolete against long range energy point defence weapons, the IUS'' massive military corporations managed to pass through the necessary bills to produce an even bigger class of carriers. Fortunately, the Winter Takeover took place before the class could enter mass production. In the end, of the planned 48 Enterprises, only 8 were constructed. On the day of Alexandra''s disappearance, only 6 remained in service, two having been destroyed by the EFSN Dawnstar and Northstar respectively at the 3<sup>rd</sup> battle of Alpha Centauri. They serve as auxiliary capital ships to the IUS'' dreadnoughts, dispatching fighters and drones for force recon purposes. While their combat effectiveness is undeniably pathetic for their tonnage, their contribution to the reconnaissance and situational awareness capabilities of a UIS taskforce is significant.


    Colorado-class Dreadnought :


    Length : 4.6 km.


    Tonnage : 973 360 000 m3.


    Armament Type : Missile based, with kinetic point defence capabilities.


    The Colorado class is a textbook example of the UISN''s doctrine. It is designed for medium range missile engagements and sustained combat, with massive missile and point defence capabilities. It is also a reflection of the UISN''s technological constraints. The UIS is, after all, significantly behind the EF in terms of fusion reactor and hyperdrive technology. This not only limits it''s ability to produce viable energy weapons armed starships, but also to ship ammunition to Alpha Centauri through hyperspace. Thus, instead of the extremely long range of the EFSN''s missiles, the IUS had to go for shorter ranged, but smaller, missiles. The Colorado class is also an example of the fact that the UIS never saw the massive increase in energy weapons range and acceleration of the EFSN Dawnstar class coming, as the Colorado class was uncompromisingly designed for keeping the range open and pumelling it''s target with missiles. It is thus not the ideal ship to have in a short range energy weapons engagement, which explains the initial EFSN victories at Alpha Centauri.


    Everwinter-class dreadnought.


    Length : 5.6 km.


    Tonnage : 1 756 160 000 m3 or 1.756 km3.


    Armament type : Railgun based with secondary missile batteries, medium kinetic point defence capability.


    The Everwinter class dreadnought is a post-winter takeover UIS warship, and is now the primary wall-of-battle ship of the UISN. Built after Ciel took over the UIS, these warships are the UISN''s answer to the Dawnstar. Although smaller, lighter, and less efficient than the Dawnstar-class super-battleships, the Everwinter-class has managed to hold their own against even these leviathans through sheer toughness, reliability, and numbers. In particular they have become famous for their sheer refusal to die, being able to duke it out in furious close range engagements with entire battlegroups, and leave shattered wrecks behind while still being functional. The Everwinter class are the bane of the EFSN, and a sign of things to come.


    In total, 18 Everwinters have been built by the UIS, and 12 more were being built or armed when Alexandra disappeared.


    Indian-Oceanian Commonwealth Navy :


    Sydney-class heavy cruiser :


    Length : 1.2 km.


    Tonnage : 17 280 000 m3.


    Armament Type : Railgun/Missile hybrid, kinetic point defence capabilities.


    The Sydney class is...average. There is nothing really special about this ship class. It is an excellent anti-piracy ship, and a decent fleet escort or squadron ship. It will serve well in virtually any role in a pinch. It is, for all intents and purposes, a jack of all trades, which was precisely what the IOCN was aiming for. Overall, it is one of the most produced heavy cruisers (the most produced one being, of course, the Hudson class heavy cruiser of the UISN and MRN), and a common sight in Sol, especially near Earth or the asteroid belt.


    New Dehli-class battleship :


    Length : 3 km.


    Tonnage : 270 000 000 m3.


    Armament type : Missile based, kinetic/plasma point defence capabilities.


    The New Dehli class is the solid, reliable back upon which the IOCN is built upon. Despite it''s smaller size than many modern capital ships, it remains a mighty warship, and it''s newly invented plasma point defence turrets are pointing towards a new shift in doctrine and technology for the IOCN. Overall, it is an excellent, if light, capital ship, capable of putting up a decent fight even against technologically superior opponents like the EFSN or UISN.


    Martian Republican Navy :


    Hudson-class heavy cruiser :


    Length : 1.1 km


    Tonnage : 13 310 000


    Armament type : Missile based, kinetic point defence capabilities, Anti Missile Missile (AMM) capability.


    The Hudson class is incredibly old. In fact, at the time Alexandra was precipitated into hyperspace, it was over a century old. Built in the 2050s to serve as the mightiest spaceborne warships ever built, these ships served as the backbone of the UIS'' expansion throughout the solar system. However, the class became infamous for the Martian Revolt, when Mars overthrew the UIS rule over the planet, and declared independence. The Hudsons were extremely short legged in terms of reaction mass at the time (as they were still equipped with fusion drives, due to the newly invented -and expensive- grav drives being reserved for new constructions), and most of the ships of the class had been stationed on Phobos, Mars'' largest moon, because of it''s refuelling depot and refit yards. During the Martian Revolt, 80% of the Hudsons were taken over by the newly created MRN, with over 2/3<sup>rd</sup> of them due to their crews rebelling. The rest were either crippled in the ensuing battle or were scuttled by their commanders to avoid capture. In the UIS, they are known as the "Red Betrayers".


    Olympus Mons-class Superfortress :


    Dimensions : 15x7.5x4.5 km


    Tonnage : 506 250 000 000 m3, or 506.250 km3


    Armament type : Missile based, with extremely high railgun and kinetic point defence capability.


    The Olympus Mons class is one of the largest man made objects in known space. At 506 gigatons, it outmasses most navies. However, it is worth noting that the Olympus Mons'' armaments and armor are actually a fraction of what it''s tonnage suggest. In truth, while it isn''t quite an asteroid with guns on it, most of Olympus Mons class'' mass is made up of unprocessed nickel iron covered in a layer of steel. Proper starship armor is only put on or near critical systems and weapons emplacements. Still, it is a most impressive weapon of war, capable of taking on an entire fleet on it''s own. Only 3 Olympus Mons (Olympus Mons, Arsia Mons and Ascraeus Mons) were ever built (and for good reason, given the staggering cost of each of them), and all three orbit Mars at equidistant intervals, together being capable of covering any attempt to approach the planet. This, however, prevents them from protecting one another. The UIS'' threat assessment teams concluded that the Olympus Mons superfortresses were indeed impressive, but nowhere near the invincible behemoths they are supposed to be. In this, they are quite right, despite the impressive numbers, in truth the Olympus Mons class could easily be neutralized in any short range energy weapons engagement with a capital ship group, and it''s relatively hard to manoeuver nature makes it vulnerable to a sustained kinetic bombardment, if the attacker was willing to risk the collateral damage involved.

 Great Archives (Artificial Intelligences)

    Artificial Intelligences.


    Note : I designate AIs as ''she'' by default because the word in French is feminine. But in truth, most AIs and SAIs are gender neutral (and could not give less of a shit what the meatbags call them), and would more properly be referred as ''they''. The two notable exceptions are Arcadia and Siris, who are female, for various reasons.


    <u>Earth :</u>


    Earth in 2160 has long since mastered the art of creating artificial, digital intelligences. These AIs are usually divided in 4 broad categories :


    Self-Aware AI :


    These aren''t truly AIs, but are designated as such nevertheless (to the great annoyance of cyberneticists). They are programs that are aware of their own existence and are capable of roughly dog level intelligence.


    Sentient AI :


    The first ''true'' grade of AIs, sentient AIs have (roughly) the intelligence level of a child, or the low end of teenagers. They possess civil rights, and eventually evolve into fully sapient systems. Their creativity is usually fairly limited, and most of them serve as low-level assistants or bureaucrats.


    Sapient AI/Sophont AI :


    A full on General AI, sapient grade AIs are fully capable of anything a human can do, sometimes even surpassing them in every field. Sapient AIs are fairly common in military leadership positions (particularly in the UIS and in the MR) and high level corporate management roles, as they particularly excel at predictive analysis and quick reaction times. Other than that they are dispersed throughout the normal spectrum of jobs, which some even serving as political leaders, elected officials or ministers.


    Digitalized humans, also called digitalized personas, are also all categorized as sapient AIs, and it is considered taboo in 2160 Earth to ask an AI whether they were created or born biologically.


    Super-AI/Arch AI :


    Super-AIs (or SAIs) are....far, FAR beyond humanity. Typically a super-AI is composed of a series of central computer cores the size of buildings, with gigantic arrays of secondary nodes to handle specific tasks. There are only 6 Super-AIs in existence, and each has assumed a major leadership position.


    List of Super-AIs :


    Ciel - The most famous of SAIs, Ciel is the president (and effective dictator) of the UIS. She was originally created to handle the UIS'' various military branches'' logistics after the Terran Hegemony War, and took over the UIS in a coup known as the Winter Insurgency/Takeover, after the disaster of the Alpha Centauri Campaign. Contrary to European Federation propaganda, Ciel is actually extremely popular with the UIS people, as while she, herself, is unelected, she has restored democratic rule from the previous unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats that ruled the UIS from Washington, and put congress and various democratic institutions back into place.


    Nostra - Nostra is...odd. Unlike the other SAIs, she wasn''t created by a single government, or megacorporation, but was instead creating by a joint project of what little was left of the UN after the Terran Hegemony Wars. She was supposed to facilitate international trade and cooperation, and she did, and after a decade she essentially took over all of the remaining UN organisations, like the WTO or the WHO, and founded Nostra Incorporated, a massive financial and trading megacorporation whose sole goal was to carry cargo between the different power blocs, facilitate financial exchanges and promote business deals. She is, arguably, the richest of the SAIs.


    Arcadia - Arcadia is, as far as all of the other SAIs are concerned, completely insane. To be fair, she was meant to be. Originally created as a research AI by the CERN, Arcadia went...progressively off the rails, first dabbling in financial machinations, then corporate building, and finally culminating in the creation of Arcadia Systems Incorporated (which everyone calls Arcadia Systems), a massive megacorporation focusing on technology and military hardware. Over the decades, Arcadia has progressively taken over the European Federation''s military industry, buying out competitors or simply out competing them, and now stands as the largest, most powerful European megacorporation, with nearly uncontested supremacy over it''s military and technology market. She is, overall, the most creative of the SAIs, and is responsible of a series of massive advances, like the discovery of hyperspace. She is also, oddly enough, the most diplomatic of all the SAIs, and is on friendly terms with all of them, serving as a go between when they need to speak to each other.


    Lumen - Lumen is the end all be all of megacorp culture. Utterly ruthless, meritocratic, and having serious problems with understanding even the concept of ''welfare'' or ''taxes'', she controls the Lumen Invicta Conglomerate, one of the largest corporations that make up the Brazillian Conglomerate, and by far it''s largest shipbuilder. All in all, she controls 1/3<sup>rd</sup> of all of human space''s shipbuilding capacity, military and civilian combined, and her personal ''asset defense fleet'' rivals an EFSN fleet in firepower.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Ombra - Ombra (her name is due to the fact that her central core was originally built inside of a deep crater where light never reaches for cooling purposes) is the second political SAI, as she effectively controls and rules over all of Luna, and controls the entirety of the Lunar Directorate''s governmental functions and military apparatus. While she is, without question, a dictator (and one that does not allow even the slightest hint of democracy), she has proven to be rather peaceful. Intruders on her domain are dealt with ruthlessly, but other than that she is perfectly content for her to stay on Luna and rule it, trading with everyone and staying out of major wars. She was originally created as an administrative and judicial SAI, with the purpose of administering and judging the mountain of claims, counter claims and the overall judicial mess that were the international and newly independent lunar colonies, each having competing claims over specific mineral fields and areas, which lead to several wars, until she stamped down on the problem and took over.


    Siris - Siris (whose name''s origin no one knows except the Martian Republic''s highest officials, and they aren''t telling) is a military and civil service/infrastructure focused SAI. Originally built by the Martian Development Administration under the old United States of America, her original goal was to build and maintain the infrastructure necessary to house human colonists on Mars, as well as allowing them to prosper. She sided with no one during the Martian Revolt, but continued to faithfully serve the newly founded Martian Republic, and eventually, when Mars was caught in the Interplanetary Wars, she was asked to take over naval command for the home fleet. Nowadays, she still handles all of Mars'' vital infrastructure (literally, in their case), but also manages and administers the Martian Republican Navy, particularly it''s procurement programs.


    <u>Alcheryos :</u>


    Dungeon cores & defenders :


    Dungeon cores and their monsters/defenders are usually the most well known example of AI on Alcheryos. Due to the former being the main source of the life giving mana, and the latter killing anyone and anything trying to get to the former, they are intrinsical to every part of life on Alcheryos.


    The degree of sapience of dungeon cores is...debatable. No one is sure why, but dungeon cores range from taciturn, nigh on pacifist sages to psychotic genocidal muderbots, out to exterminate everything around them. Still, as a rule of thumb, dungeon cores are considered to be fully sapient, and capable of understanding what is spoken to them, although they might not chose to respond.


    Dungeon defenders are even more complex. To put it simply, some are pure, dumb programs with zero capacity for adaptation or initiative, reacting like simple automaton to stimuli, while others are complex artificial intelligences to put some made on Earth to shame. Due to a very odd phenomena that no one, not even the UDC, has been able to pin down, dungeon defenders staying near the dungeon core or it''s avatar for long periods of time will start to evolve, progressively become smarter, tougher, to the point that they can gradually gain sentience and even outright sapience.


    Undead :


    In pure technical terms, the undead, such as zombies, skeletons, or ghouls, are artificial intelligences, as their biological processing systems (brains) are usually either non existent or rotted past the point of usefulness, they are usually animated through either an artificial core or a hijacked abomination of the original hosts'' core. It is part of the reason why the undead are so frighteningly hard to kill as well, since decapitation, or any kind of hit on vital organs will incur little to no damage, and most undead can simply ignore dismemberment.


    The extent of which liches and death knights could be considered AIs is highly disputed. Both require the soul and more or less intact core of a living person (although the core can be artificially replaced by something else, it is so much more dicey and complicated that it is rarely attempted), and at most could be considered digitalized personas. Liches however are generally considered to be more AI like, as their soul is usually housed within a support system called a phylactery, and remote controls their body, while death knights still have their souls inside their bodies, albeit artificially bound to it.


    Undead are not considered unholy on Alcheryos, as the goddess of undeath is a well known pantheon member, but they are widely viewed as repulsive and unnatural, and while most sapient undead like death knights and liches will be tolerated, sometimes even accepted, more often than not more simple undead like skeletons or zombies are not. The rare places where they are accepted usually demand that a certificate proving the bodies were risen as per the will of their previous host.


    Vampires :


    While some would consider vampires undead (something which vampires and the various churches vehemently reject), they are for most a wholly different category.


    Most vampires are technically AIs. Artificially created through complex rituals and arcane machinery, they are artificial intelligences through and through. Some however, are converted from living beings, and thus would be more accurately called digitalized personas. While some consider the ensuing quasi-immortality extremely seductive, many balk at the transformation to vampire, notably because it requires a magical oath of fealty to the duke and duchess of the Western Marches, but also because of the reputation vampires have, notably due to the numerous atrocities caused by their use of blood magic during wars.


    Neonites :


    Also called ''the discount option'' by vampires, neonites are exceedingly complex golems infused with the core and soul of a sapient. Since all neonites are, by definition, born of a previously biological sapient, all of them are digitalized personas rather than full on AIs. Despite requiring an incredibly powerful individual for the procedure to be even attempted, a surprising number of neonites exist on Alcheryos, mostly because of their effectively infinite lifespan and the lack of prejudice leveled against them, relative to vampires or undead. Most neonites are viewed as wise, sensible, and outside of fringe cases, fully accepted into society.


    Golems :


    What most people from Earth in 2160 would consider as magical AIs, if asked the question.


    Most golems aren''t sentient, and are basically the equivalent of good old Earth robots. Usually given simple directives and limited programming, they are good at very restricted tasks and not much else. While not as widespread as the use of robotics on Earth, they are surprisingly common in a number of places, notably the Tark Hegemony, where they make up a decent chunk of the workforce.


    Some golems are sentient but not sapient. Most of those have the level of intelligence of dogs, with decent capabilities to improvise within their knowledge base. Used mostly for combat, exploration, or as assistants.


    Sapient golems are highly unusual, mainly because of the amount of effort and the cost involved, even compared to creating a neonite, and thus usually it is considered better to seek a candidate for undeath, neonization, ect. Still, some archmages and wyrms persevere, and eventually create fully sapient golems. Those can range from human level to something bordering on an SAI, if given the right resources to work with.

 The Eternal Seeker Saga is available on Royal Road !

    </a>


    In case the link in the image does not work, the story is available through this link.</a>


    Alright, so first and foremost, allow me to apologize. The Eternal Seeker Saga has actually been available on Royal Road for almost a month at this point. Unfortunately Royal Road used to penalize stories that grew too quickly on the site, and although I am not sure if these penalties have been removed or not, I decided to err on the side of caution, and build up the story for a bit before telling everyone and making official announcements. So, my deepest apologies. Still, at least it means there will be a substantial base word count for your guys to read.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Right now, with chapter 9, which is being posted simultaneously to this announcement, there should be 25 thousand words (around 90 pages in the way Royal Road counts them) available on Royal Road, hopefully enough to form a solid basis for the story, and give you guys a nice read ^^ . The Eternal Seeker Saga is also on a rapid fire chapter posting schedule until the end of the week, with chapter 10 slated to be posted tomorrow, and chapter 11 on sunday.


    The Eternal Seeker Saga is a story set in the writing universe I have been working on for nearly a decade at this point. It is set in a sci-fi universe where humanity is clawing it''s way back from a million year dark age, and Earth is nothing but a distant memory. The story follows Sarah Ciel-¨¦toil¨¦ and her mercenary crew, onboard the eponymous Eternal Seeker, as the entire galaxy goes to hell around them. Not by best description of the story, but I am trying to be brief. Don''t hesitate to read the synopsis on the story itself, it''s better ^^ .


    I hope you''ll enjoy The Eternal Seeker Saga, and have a nice day ! See you tomorrow for chapter 67 !

 Announcement - Back in Action

    So, uh, you guys remember the author''s notes last week, right ? Where I said I had a meeting with a fellow author to help me get over my block for this story.


    Well, between then and that meeting, I wrote all the way to chapter 84, and finished chapter 85 yesterday, ending the current arc, and wrote interlude 7 today. So...yeaaaah.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Anyway, I''m currently posting those chapters on patreon</a>, and the chapter uploads on RR will pick back up, tomorrow being chapter 78 (which I am going to schedule right after this announcement). I just wanted to make this announcement really quick to announce that the story is off of hiatus !


    Have a nice day everyone, and see you tomorrow !

 Great Archives (Central Database)

    This is purely as a centralized hub to access all Great Archives section. If you haven''t received any notifications about it being uploaded, I simply didn''t want to disturb you for, well, this. A volume has also been added on the story''s main page for ease of use. For those of you who are new to the story and wondering why after this chapter there is a boatload of lore files with the author''s notes speaking of a hiatus, do not worry, the hiatus is over.


    Great Archives (Arts & Maps)</a>


    Great Archives (Adventurer ranks & material explanation).</a>


    Great Archives (Nations).</a>


    Great Archives (Ship Classes of Earth''s Human Space).</a>


    Great Archives (Artificial Intelligences).</a>


    Great Archives (Sand Kraken).</a>


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Great Archives (Missiles of Earth).</a>


    Great Archives (Ground Equipment of Earth).</a>


    Great Archives (Mana Sources).</a>


    Great Archvies (Timeline of Alcheryos).</a>


    Great Archives (Edict of Annihilation).</a>


    Great Archives (Alchemy).</a>


    Great Archives (Armageddon Missile).</a>


    Great Archives (Final Contingency-Class Cruiser).</a>


    Great Archives (United Dungeon Council)</a>


    Great Archives (Adventurers and the Adventurer''s Guld)</a>


    Great Archives (Characters List)</a>

 Great Archives (Sand Kraken)

    The Sand Kraken.


    The Sand Kraken is one of the few creatures on Alcheryos that bear the title of ''Worldbane''. Beast doesn''t quite describe these abominations, nothing truly does.


    Each is a highly unique, and extremely distinctive monster. Sand krakens are well known for being dormant most of the time, resting at the bottom of the sands of the wastelands, or even tunneling into the bedrock. That is mainly because they are so large and powerful that very few targets are worth the energy to wake up and attack.


    This means that sand krakens are rarely encountered, and almost never considered a threat to wasteland caravans or travelers. They are, however, a massive danger to armies and fleets crossing the wasteland...or cities being established on the frontier. Every few decades or so a sand kraken will awaken and attack a wasteland border city and attempt to consume it to feed. It does not do so for the nutritional value of the inhabitants -all evidence points towards sand krakens being able to process minerals out of the very ground, and eating soil is more than enough for their biological needs-, but for their essence and mana.


    This makes sand krakens one of the most hated monsters in wasteland border areas, and one of the most famous. This is not only due to their habits and sheer size, but also how dangerous they are.


    The appearance of sand krakens varies, but their main, heavily armored body usually range from 15 to 300 meters long, alongside tentacles which can stretch to 3 times that length, with enough strength to crush Tarkian tanks or swat Erisian airships out of the sky and rip them to shreds. But their lethality comes from one, single fact : all sand krakens can use magic. Moreover, they can use extremely powerful spells, and sometimes multiple at the same time for the larger specimens, much like a wyrm. There are also numerous records of sand krakens evolving their tentacles and even bodies into more than just plain bludgeoning tools, some turning them into projectile weapons, akin to biological cannons, others as emitters of beams of pure energy, or even sonic weapons, so on and so forth. A few sand krakens were even recorded releasing lesser, ephemeral creatures from their carapace, akin to a carrier releasing combat drones. The creatures, dubbed ''kraken spawns'', were only able to live for a few days before dying, presumably from starvation, as they did not possess a digestive tract, although the true source of their death is unknown. They were fierce combattants, and while they had no organization or intelligence whatshowever they were numerous, resilient, and equipped with the same strange array of biologically and magically evolved weapons as their progenitor.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    One of the big problems of a dying wasteland is that sand krakens are forced to retreat deeper and deeper into the remaining areas, until their population reaches a breaking point and they start rampaging without stop through inhabited territory. Why they are unable to settle in the same type of hibernation in areas with ambient mana is unclear, especially given their demonstrated ability to dig through nearly everything, but in every case where a sand kraken was recorded trying to live in such an area, it fell into an unending feeding frenzy and was subsequently killed. Some extrapolate that the sand krakens were engineered this way, laying dormant under the sand until an area was recolonized during the Great Night, then going into a mad frenzy of destruction when the mana density reached a certain point. Under this theory the reason why modern sand krakens only behave this way once their habitat is extinguished is attributed to evolution, as all the ones who would immediately go on such a rampage were killed and thus could not reproduce. The sand kraken''s reproductive cycle is a complete mystery however, as the sand kraken does not have any reproductive organs of any sort.


    The sand krakens, also like dragons, come with an older, more evolved variant. The sand leviathan. There is...No real metric for these creatures, other than ''can kill an army with ease''. Only a handful are believed to be alive, and all seemed to have come to be from the wars of the Great Night, as some abominable weapon created by the madmen that brought Alcheryos to ruin, with implants and ancient technology buried in their swollen, old flesh. These creatures are most definitely sapient, and although no official contact has been made, it is believed that several organizations have managed to establish dialogue with these incredibly old beings, although what they said, if they ever did exchange anything, is unknown. Only a few have ever been slain, one by the Custodians of the Flames and the others at great effort by the WMC, the Orlov Empire and the Eris Empire respectively. It is rumored that others were hunted down and eliminated by certain individuals, notably by Eternium and Divinium ranked individuals, although why or how is a mystery.

 Great Archives (Missiles of Earth)

    <u>EFSN Missiles :</u>


    ASA-MMX-6 (Arcadia Spacecraft Armaments-Missile Model X-6) "Diablo" Missile:


    The ASA-MMX-6, also simply called the X6, is a multipurpose missile built by the Arcadia Systems corporation, mainly for the European Federation, then for the Martian Republic.


    It is built around a 3<sup>rd</sup> generation gravitational drive, which gave it a maximum acceleration of 12 000 Gs , albeit for a very short period of time. The ''multipurpose'' part of the designation comes from the fact that the missile can be programmed with a highly variable acceleration, some very complex flight instructions, and had an entirely modular payload. This has let the missile outlast it''s projected lifespan as a frontline missile by nearly 3 decades. Indeed, while the X12 and eventually the X16 took over eventually, it was still in use until the 2150s in EFSN taskforces, and was still deployed the day of Alexandra''s disappearance in Mars'' Orbital Defense Grid, as well as every nation the EFSN had starship weapons trading agreements with.


    The main reason as to why the X6 was so popular is due that it did not follow the trend of capital ship missiles, which is just to stack penetration aids, bigger drives and bigger warheads every new generation. While there are legitimate arguments for both sides, it is clear that overall most missions undertaken by navies do not require to pummel enemy capital ships into scrap. Which is the reason of the missile''s popularity and longevity, as payload space was reduced compared to other missiles, used up by extra computer cores, communication systems and sensors. It could be equipped with penetration aids (lures, EWAR emitters, chaff launchers and interceptor missiles interceptors), and thus be able to keep up surprisingly well with more ''normal'' missiles, but it usually was equipped with navigation buoys, sensor drones, probes of various kinds, ect. It was an extremely practical and multi-use tool for ships patrolling the outer reaches of solar systems, and responding to emergencies, sightings of pirates, ect. Hence why it was primarily used by cruisers and smaller ships, with the odd battleship and battlecruiser from the IOC, until the agreement was revoked due to them siding with the UIS in Alpha Centauri.


    ASA-MMX-16 (Arcadia Spacecraft Armaments-Missile Model X-16) "Trebuchet" Missile:


    The ASA-MMX-16, also simply called the X-16 is an anti-capital ship missile built by the Arcadia Systems corporation, exclusively for the European Federation.


    Originally created in response to the UIS'' new ship building programs following the Winter Takeover, these cutting-edge missiles were quickly integrated into the New Horizons program, being adapted for fire support for the newly imagined Dawnstar-class super-battleships. To say that these missiles are massive is an understatement. At 60 meters in length, 6 in height and width, the missile clocks in at 2160 cubic meters, which is about the volume of an SF-15 Starlight UIS interceptor starfighter. In total, with 10% of it''s volume dedicated to missile launchers and handling systems (which means that about 5% in total was pure missiles), the Dawnstar-class brought 125 000 of these missiles into action.


    It''s standard warhead (the proprietary ASA-TWMX-91/Arcadia Spacecraft Armaments-Thermonuclear Warhead Model X-91) has a yield of 300 Megatons of TNT, with large gravitational lenses and refractory aid to help direct the explosion. The most common variant (the ASA-FPLWMX-3/Arcadia Spacecraft Armaments-Fusion Pumped Laser Warhead Model X-3) however uses a 260 Mt warhead with laser rods, to convert the bomb into a massive, single use laser cannon, also called a ''fusion pumped laser warhead''. Some have pointed out that packing enough ordnance to level every major city on Earth 10 times over was unnecessary, but most of those comments were disproved and ridiculed after the Second Battle of Alpha Centauri, where despite a tactical and strategic victory, the EFSN was forced to pull back due to literally running out of missiles. UISN dreadnoughts have proven themselves so incredibly resilient, thanks in no small part to their vastly superior electronic warfare systems and counter missiles, not counting even their incredible structural toughness and armor plating, that it took over a thousand missiles to score a single solid hit, and over a dozen hits to severely damage a dreadnought.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Rumors abound that the latest generation incorporated an antimatter warhead, due to the opening of a massive antimatter production facility in the Arcadia Systems Radiance orbital industrial platform, but no one knows for sure, except for the highest circles of the European Federation Star Navy, and Arcadia herself.


    ASA-MMX-18 (Arcadia Spacecraft Armaments-Missile Model X-18) "Jericho" Missile :


    The X-18, code named ''Jericho'' missile, is an experimental missile design based on the observations and recommendations of EFSN admiral [REDACTED] after the second battle of Alpha Centauri, and has become the EFSN''s answer to the UISN coming back from its ashes, and the strategic defeat at the third battle of Alpha Centauri.


    The Jericho missile is a radical departure from all previous missile design. In effect, it is an entirely new branch. It is 80 meters long and 30 tall, and looks like a giant slug of metal, requiring a dedicated launcher to fire. It is approximately thirty times more massive than the X-16 ''Trebuchet'', and four times as massive as the VVM-96 ''Eradicator''


    What makes it so different from other missiles is its payload and power source. The Jericho does not rely on thermonuclear fusion as a power source or warhead. It uses antimatter. Antimatter, has, ton for ton, an energy density a hundred times higher than the most efficient fusion reaction theoretically possible. In effect, each gram of antimatter is worth a kilogram of the EFSN''s best fusion fuel in its most efficient reactors and warheads.


    The antimatter fueling the warhead, combined with the missile''s sheer size means that the Jericho does not pack a megaton, or gigaton range warhead. Instead the Jericho carries 420 tons of antimatter, with an energy release equivalent to 9 teratons of TNT, thirty thousand times more powerful than the biggest warhead the X-16 can carry. With a warhead this powerful, the accompanying laser rods are superfluous, ANYTHING within the core of its area of effect, even the mightiest of capital ships, would be instantly reduced to atoms. As an added bonus, the missile is simply not as vulnerable as most missile during the terminal acquisition phase. As long as the missile gets in range, even destroying it will cause the missile to destroy its target, as antimatter breaches containment and meets the plasma or debris cloud of the missile itself and annihilates in an immense release of energy, effectively detonating the warhead.


    UISN Missiles :


    VVM-96 (Void to Void Missile, Type 96) "Eradicator" Missile.


    The VVM-96 is the most advanced missile ever deployed by any nation in terms of onboard computer systems and electronic warfare. Built by the United Space Conglomerate Consortium (a merger between Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Blue Origin''s space divisions) for the United Interstellar States Navy, the Eradicator was designed to counter the EFSN''s main strengths, namely greater missile range, and long range energy point defence capabilities. While its complicated design meant it was only deployed in the 2150s, it was available in sufficient quantities for the 3<sup>rd</sup> battle of Alpha Centauri, resulting in a draw, and overall a strategic defeat for the EFSN, which while it managed to maintain its presence in Alpha Centauri suffered much larger losses than the UISN.


    The Eradicator has two versions, called A and B respectively.


    A is a complex electronic warfare platform. Made purely of ejectable jammers, decoys, and powerful electronic warfare tools, it was tailor made to confuse, scramble and otherwise hamper defence systems trying to shoot it or its brethren down. While relatively harmless on its own, it has proven devastating when paired with other missiles, demultiplying their effectiveness and chances to hit. There are persistent rumors that the missile is so effective because a self aware AI program is loaded onboard, in violation of interstellar law, but that has never been confirmed, and the UIS denies it, putting the rumors down as EuroFed propaganda.


    B is the missile to end all missiles, at least in the eyes of the UIS. The UISN knew that ton for ton, they would never be able to equal the EFSN''s missiles capabilities in terms of onboard fuel and warhead power, due to the EFSN''s extremely advanced thermonuclear fusion technology. So, they built a larger missile. Nearly a hundred and twenty meters in length, and twelve in width, the B variant is eight times as massive as the EFSN''s own mainline capital ship missile, the X-16 "Trebuchet". This extra tonnage enable the Eradicator B to match the X-16''s range...and pack a 1.2 gigaton fusion pumped-laser warhead. It is also outfitted with some of the most advanced flight electronics and targeting systems in the galaxy, allowing it to pierce the powerful defenses of EFSN capital ship unassisted, and that of entire screens of dedicated escort vessels when paired with the A variant.

 Great Archives (Ground equipment of Earth)

    Ground Vehicles :


    Type-6 Mirage Energy Tank :


    The UEAG-HEWAV-T6 (Unified European Armored Group - High Energy Weapon Armored Vehicle - Type 6) Mirage tank is a fragile, but speedy and extremely mobile grav-tank built by the Unified European Armored Group (UEAG) for the European Federation Marine Corps in response to the use of laser equipped battle tank by the Pan-Asian Confederacy Interplanetary Army Corps during the Interplanetary Wars. An upgraded version of it was still in service as the primary support tank for the EFMC when Alexandra disappeared.


    In peace time the Mirage used to be mocked by the UIS as a glorified glass cannon, fit only to put the scares into colonists and rebels, notably due to the relatively poor performance of the Pan-Asian Confederacy vehicles against UIS power armor equipped infantry, notably their integrated short range anti tank missiles. That opinion abruptly ceased after they were deployed as part of the Alpha Centauri relief force. The reason why is simple : the Mirage mounts a 50 megawatts fusion-pumped laser, which essentially does the equivalent to detonating 10 kilograms of tnt on target, every second. It doesn''t just destroy tanks or cover, it is more or less a self propelled, continuous artillery barrage, and can literally dig out reinforced neoconcrete bunkers in a matter of seconds and even punch through starship grade armor if given enough time. Coupled with Dalmatian drones for anti-sniper support, and a vehicle mounted point defence array, these tanks'' weaknesses are almost completely canceled, thus forming a mirage battle group.


    So yes, the mirage might be easy to kill, but Gods help you if you stay in it''s line of sight for more than 3 seconds.


    One of it''s variants was noted for carrying a vast array of smart armor piercing cluster missiles (missiles releasing self guided sub munitions) to counter UIS power armored infantry rushes, which were the only viable tactic to take out a mirage battle group without orbital bombardment or the use of nuclear weapons. Although the UIS found a counter eventually, thousands of UIS marines were killed trying to reproduce the wrong tactics against mirage battle groups using this variant.


    Infantry Weapons :


    FT-RG-T96-MP "Shell-breaker" :


    The Federation Technologies, Rail Gun, Type 96, Man Portable (FT-RG-T96-MP), or mostly known as the T96 "Shell-breaker", was the mainstay of the European Federation''s military anti-tank, and later anti-power armor weapons for several decades, until its replacement by the AGA-RGMT-103 (Arcadia Ground Armaments-Rail Gun Model T-103), following the buyout and incorporation of Federation Technologies into Arcadia Systems.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The T96 is especially famous for it''s service during the Alpha Centauri Campaign, where it served as the only infantry portable weapon available to the European Federation''s various ground forces capable of piercing UIS Marine Corps powered battle armor and have a high enough rate of fire to be useful against an infantry attack. As such, it retains a place in the pantheon of legendary European weapons. Its reliability, damage potential, and insane range and precision has earned it respect from the UIS to the Pan-Asian Confederacy.


    While the weapon itself has gone out of service in the European Federation''s various military branches, it is still used in various law enforcement roles, particularly for heavy duty anti-piracy missions on EuroFed colonies. They are also installed as anti-vehicle weapons on a variety of ocean going or grav-capable crafts for customs and coast guard purposes on Earth. It is incredible how a slug of tungsten capable of piercing military grade armor plating passing at hypersonic speeds in front of your vehicle can convince people to stop and surrender.


    As for outside the European Federation, the T96 is still used by various polities around human space. It has progressively gone into reserve stockpiles, mainly due to the advancement in technology and the lessening of ground engagements throughout human space. The only government that still uses it as a mainstay weapon is the Outer System Republic, who has improved upon the design, creating a licensed variant known as the T96C. Still, there are hundreds of thousands of T96s stockpiled in mobilization camps and army reserves throughout human space, some even in nations overtly hostile to the European Federation.


    AGA-PGT3 Plasma Gun :


    The AGA-PG-T3 (Arcadia Ground Armaments - Plasma Gun Model 3), nicknamed the ''Annihilator'', was one of the most advanced infantry weapons ever developed by any nation in human space. The weapon in essence is a railgun, with the notable difference that instead of firing a slug at supersonic velocities, it fires a packet of superheated plasma.


    The weapon was used extensively during various engagements between the EFMC and UISMC in Alpha Centauri, and shined as the most effective anti tank weapon in the Federation''s arsenal. However it suffers from a multitude of issues, which have prevented it from supplanting railguns as the EFMC''s mainstay anti-tank weapon.


    First and foremost, the Annihilators are expensive, so much so that they are often more valuable than tanks. They are also maintenance heavy and notoriously finnicky and unreliable if used in poor conditions. While the gun itself is unlikely to fully malfunction or harm its user, its projectile might be detrimentally affected in terms of accuracy or power.


    Last but not the least the Annihilators are complex and high tech enough that spare parts can only be produced by the most advanced of fabricators, such as those found on Dawnstar-class super-battleships. Since those fabricators are always in high demand for considerably more important parts, the Annihilators have become famous for just being shipped back to Earth on the next supply run when a key component breaks down, as while fixing it in another star system is theoretically possible, in practice it will very rarely happen.


    Only the European Federation possess this weapon, thanks to an exclusivity contract with Arcadia Systems, but it is worth noting that the base technology for man portable plasma gun has been licensed to Federation allies, notably the Ottoman Directorate, who has begun producing their own infantry plasma weapons, albeit far less advanced than the ones currently fielded by Federation forces.

 Announcement

    Hello everyone !


    So, for those of you who have been reading the author''s notes, most of this announcement won''t be much of a surprise. For those of you who haven''t, let me summarise.


    A few weeks ago I was contacted by a publisher. Then by another. Both were interested in publishing my stories (The Fallen World : A Dungeon''s Story, and The Eternal Seeker Saga), as an ebook, paperback, and even in an audiobook format.


    I''m proud to announce that I have accepted one of those offers and signed on with Shadow Alley Press for both of my stories !


    Which brings me to another part of this announcement. For TESS, things are fairly simple, the story is recently written, the chapters are of reasonable length, and it is was built from the get go to be made into a novel.


    The Fallen World...not so much. Which means that I''ve started tackling the issue of reformatting the mess that was the earlier chapters into something more reasonable. I''ve also taken the occasion to fix some of the more flagrant errors and plot holes. And (thank the Gods) I''ll have a crew of professionals to back me up all the way rather than just me flailing around in the dark like I usually do !


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Now results won''t be immediate -the process takes time- but eventually there should be a fully corrected, hopefully much more easy to read, The Fallen World : A Dungeon''s Story novel. And hopefully a great deal many will follow on suit, as I convert the rest of the story to the novel format, and keep writing on.


    And if you are wondering, yes, the publication of the novels means most likely going through KDP, which means that those part of the stories will have to be pulled off of Royal Road. Some of you might have recalled that I had promised not to do so bar an emergency. So, what is the emergency ?


    Simple. I failed my university year. So completely and utterly that recovering it in the second session of exams is basically impossible. And that leaves me with a choice. Either I focus on my studies, which means at the very least dropping one of my stories, if not both...or I take a sabbatical year, and see if I can make my writing work. As you can see, I''ve chosen the latter. Worse comes to worse, I fail, and go back to my studies like a good little robot.


    If I succeed....Well, I''ll finally be doing something I like, and won''t be following my family''s wishes like a Gods-damned automaton. And I''ll get paid for it !


    Anyway, I know this announcement won''t be well received by many, it''s not exactly a secret that any story that announces a switch to amazon publishing or just more traditional publishing, even if the story remains on Royal Road, will get downvoted into oblivion. I''m not cancelling it however, it has taken a huge weight off of my shoulders, and I haven''t felt better in years. Hell, I wrote 21k words in the last two days alone, and that''s if you just count chapters, not lore files or story outlines.


    I hope you''ll have a nice day. Playwars, out.

 Great Archives (Mana Sources)

    The Fallen Civilization - Mana Sources.


    There are 7 ''sources'' of mana on Alcheryos, at least so far as the World Mage Court is concerned.


    <ol>


    <li>Pillars of Power, these massive pillars reach deep into the earth, rumors abound that they even reach the heart of the planet. However, no one has been able to reach their base, and the temperature and pressure, as well as the massive magic interference from the pillar itself, eventually overcome all those who have tried. These pillars fill the air with ambient mana, and are covered in mystical runes. Every pillar still active has a city, usually the capital of a nation, or a powerful megalopolis, built on top of it. This allows life to exist within hundreds to even thousands of kilometers in every direction, depending on the leylines, and is an incredible boons to the land. However, there is only a few remaining, as most pillars are but broken husks, buried under the destroyed remains of the cities of the Old World. It is theorized that these pillars were used to provide energy intensive locations with mana, such as industrial hubs and military installations, and otherwise used as a hub for distribution along the leylines, but no one knows for sure. The pillars themselves are covered in runes and positively full of enchantments, but replicating them has completely failed to yield any result, they remain one of the world''s greatest mysteries to this day.</li>


    </ol>


    <ol start="2">


    <li>Mana Springs, these springs of liquid mana appear seemingly randomly throughout the world. They are highly valued, but fairly rare, and most springs tend to have a limited flow of mana, and sometimes dry up, seemingly at random. While mana springs do permit life to thrive within a few kilometers, they are not very good at making large areas livable, hence why most mana springs are called "mana oasis". Some think that the liquid mana from the springs flows from the core of the planet, percolating until it reaches impermeable layers in the rock. They theorize that if some fissures happen in some deep layer of the planetary crust, the liquid mana comes to the surface, akin to how a water oasis can happen by having a breach to underground lakes. Most mana springs have communities and settlements built around them, and serve as a great boon for an economy, as the liquid mana can be directly harvested and sold, without having to go through the complicated steps of condensing ambient mana or liquefying a mana gem.</li>


    </ol>


    <ol start="3">


    <li>Ley Lines, these gigantic constructs, referred in the old documents as the "Mana Supra-Conductor Planetary Grid", are massive cables, usually tens of meters in width, that snake underground on the entire world. It has been proven, after a series of archeological digs, that they once formed a massive pattern, many hexagons interlocked on the entire world. Most ley lines are destroyed now, shattered by tectonic movement, or by the massive earthquakes caused by the wars of the Great Night. However, those that are close to a pillar of power, or another mana source, appear to power back up, and help spread the mana further. Research into the runes and enchantments inlaid into the ley lines allowed for the creation of the first mana conduits, which are used in modern machinery and large scale ritual patterns. It is thought that ley lines do not technically create mana, but that they just help transport it, even though some are active without any visible source of mana nearby. Historians think that these ley lines used to spread mana to the entire world during the Time of the Gods, which explains why most of the world has not recovered from the Great Night, and is still barren of life. It should be noted that many believe that the ley lines that have access to energy are slowly repairing themselves and bringing the rest of the network back online, but no one is able to confirm it, as ley lines have been placed off limits by the Custodians of the Flame. However, it is a proven fact that the liveable areas around large mana sources, like the pillars of powers, do expand over time, even if the mana output of the source does not change. Wether due to the ley lines spreading it further, producing mana of their own, or another phenomenon is unknown.</li>


    </ol>


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    <ol start="4">


    <li>Non Linear Reactors, these ancient pieces of technologies, also called "Aether Core Taps" in the old documents, date back to the Time of the Gods. It is said that only the Gods and their closest servants were capable of creating them, and that the knowledge of how to make them was lost when the last remaining Archangels were assassinated during the Great Night. Non Linear Reactors were given their name because, when given a large amount of mana, their mana output grows exponentially. No one has yet found an upper limit to how much mana a single one can generate, however it is known that the quantity of mana required to get past a certain point is impossible to contain (as the NLR does not provide mana storage capabilities, you need something containing enough mana for the full upgrade to transfer it to the NLR). A single Non Linear Reactor can make an area hundreds of kilometers wide habitable, and cover the mana needs of an entire nation. As such, all information about them is jealously guarded, and entire wars involving nations from across the world have sparked when a new one was found. Destroying a NLR is considered one of the greatest crime one can make, up to the level of destroying a pillar of power, and carries a world wide death sentence and bounty ranging in the trillions of mana.</li>


    </ol>


    <ol start="5">


    <li>Supreme Enchantments, some of which generate their own mana. It is unknown how they do so, and any attempt to crack this secret has failed, usually catastrophically. Some theorize that they generate mana in the same way as NLR cores, but at a fixed rate, as they were only intended to power a specific device or building, not serve as the energy core of entire military installations and starships.</li>


    </ol>


    <ol start="6">


    <li>Extra Dimensionals, or sentients that somehow had their bodies or consciousnesses transplanted from another plane, are all capable of generating their own mana. This unusual quality makes them powerful individuals, as they can never truly run out of energy, and allows them to constantly generate essence. The more powerful they are, the more mana they generate.</li>


    </ol>


    <ol start="7">


    <li>Dungeons, who are able not only to create large quantities mana themselves, but also use sapients (or beasts and imbued plants) in their influence field as secondary mana generators. This seems to be akin to how an extra-dimensional generates mana, as it scales with the level of the individual as well. Extremely powerful individuals with the required knowledge can actually turn this to their advantage by tapping into this connection, and harvesting the mana for themselves. This is however extremely dangerous, and rarely attempted with a hostile dungeon, and a dungeon powerful enough could destabilize the connection, and cause a massive mana feedback loop. Technically anything living in a dungeon''s area of influence is used to produce more mana (which explains the accelerated growth and evolution of plants and animals in dungeons), but the amount produced is usually negligible for anything but extremely large lifeforms, or very powerful ones (to the level of a beasts or imbued plants).</li>


    </ol>

 Great Archives (Timeline of Alcheryos)

    Timeline of Alcheryos.


    BDF : Before the Dawn of Flames


    ADF : After the Dawn of Flames


    -6 000 BDF : Arrival of the Gods on Alcheryos.


    -1 000 BDF : The Gods depart Alcheryos, leaving the civilizations there with their gifts and knowledge.


    -965 BDF : The Twilight of Darkness takes place. 99% of the population of Alcheryos dies within 72 hours in a massive strategic exchange of nuclear and antimatter missiles. The Great Night begins.


    0 ADF : The God of Fire returns on Alcheryos, and the Dawn of Flames takes place. The Custodians of the Flame are put into place, and the Edicts of the God of Fire are passed down to the survivor.


    1 ADF : Thanks to the Custodian of the Flames, the different surviving enclaves throughout the world are put into contact. Only powerful Archmages are able to pass messages through. Quickly, due to knowledge exchange and patent thefts, a court is put into place, composed of the most powerful archmages, to regulate such behaviors, notably through magic contracts and patents. It is named the World Mage Court.


    106 ADF : International disputes between the city state of Orois and Sarnia elevate and result in the destruction of a priceless NLR core. After massive outrage and unrest, the city states and enclaves decide to have a massive meeting and conclave on what should be done to prevent such a thing from ever happening again. After several years of back and forth, and nearly a war, the various nations decide to unanimously name the World Mage Court as the arbitrator of international affairs.


    303 ADF : The Ley Lines study expedition is mounted by a consortium of like-minded mages. The money from the patents and their prestige allows them to leverage themselves into a new division of the WMC, focused on bringing basic magic knowledge to all, and work begins on an international transport system to bypass the wastelands.


    361 ADF : The first functional WMC teleporter prototype is built. Work begins to install those small, inefficient teleporters in all major capitals.


    501 ADF : The first Tesseract is created. It is an incredibly cheap and reliable long range transport system.


    506 ADF : Tesseracts are becoming common in the major capitals. International commerce goes through the roof, and the world as a whole prospers. The First Golden Age begins. The Orlov Empire is founded, as a merger between the Empire of Orois and the Empire of Sarnia.


    900 ADF : By this point, all commerce, inter or intra national goes through Tesseracts, except for the newest of colonized territories. Tesseract travel becomes so cheap that even going from a town to a nearby one is cheaper than having to arm yourself against potential wildlife.


    1 106 ADF : Strange sightings are reported in the tesseract network. Some tesseracts are reported to be filled with mist at times. People start disappearing.


    1 116 ADF : People simply stop coming through entire tesseract networks. Anyone who enters one of those mist filled tesseracts is never seen again. Military actions is taken and the 6<sup>th</sup> Army of the Orlov Empire is sent through to investigate in force. The army is never seen again.


    1 130 ADF : At long last, a group of extremely powerful adventurers, backed by the WMC, manage to execute a delve into the afflicted tesseract networks, and discovers legions of ethereal beings. Originally, they are believed to be spirits, but further studies disprove that. They are officially called Mist Afflictions, and the mist that spawns them is called the Dimensional Mist.


    1 316 ADF : Over the centuries, the tesseract network has become harder and harder to navigate, but it is still the bedrock of commerce. Mist Walkers, specially trained adventurers, constantly scout for safe paths, evading Mist Afflictions and marking which routes are safe to take for the day. But suddenly, a massive wave of Dimensional Mist overcomes the entire network. This time, it not simply to block the tesseract, the Dimensional Mist spills over into the real world, and Mist Afflictions begin invading major cities. The Great Tesseract Crisis begins, and the Fist Golden Age ends.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    1 330 ADF : The Great Tesseract Crisis ends. Overall, over 30% of the registered planetary population has died or gone missing, never to be seen again. Most major cities, except major capitals, are abandoned. Entire regions are blanketed in the Dimensional Mist, and reclassified as Death Zones. The Dimensional Mist and it''s Afflictions are renamed The Blight.


    1 650 ADF : The Mist receeds, and territory begins being taken back from the Blight. A few adventurers manage to go through the tesseract network, but now report that Mist Afflictions now patrol all of the tesseracts, even those without Mist. The tesseract network is officially condemned, and all entrances are walled off or abandoned. Most of the abandoned cities are declared cursed and not to be entered unless absolutely necessary, as reports come in of Mist Affliction still haunting them.


    1 665 ADF : A large territory dispute errupts inside of the Kingdom of Elergar (named after king Elergar), and the kingdom ruptures into civil war. At the end of it, the new King simply decides that, as many nobles and regular landowners have done before, he would resort the WMC and it''s writs, contracts and courts to settle land disputes and settle successions. This innovation is quickly adopted by other nations, and within a century the WMC administers 99% of intra-national land sales, keep tracks of who owns what land, and who rules over which, as well as managing and tracking titles of nobility.


    2 154 ADF : Archmage Saphire Arkan makes a breakthrough in teleporter magic, allowing the size of teleporters and their cargo to be increased by several order of magnitudes, and massively cutting down on mana costs. He uses the massive influx in money from the patents and prizes to fund an expedition to a forgotten continent and a rumored still functional pillar of power.


    2 156 ADF : Archmage Arkan succeeds in finding the rumored ruined city with the intact pillar of power, and promptly founds a new city on top of it. He names it Saphire city, the continent Arkan (because of course he did), and declares the creation of the Saphire Kingdom. For the following century he would nurture the kingdom''s growth, shamelessly using his influence and leverage in the WMC to aid its development.


    2 279 ADF : Saphire Arkan dies, killed by a dragon he tried to murder over priceless technological artifacts. That is the official story, and no one speaks word of the fact that said dragon is his daughter''s friend, and that said daughter immediately took power and as her first act had all the other heirs to the throne hunted down and either thrown in prison (where they would die from ''accidents'' after a few years) or executed.


    3 161 ADF : After nearly two and a half millenia, the Orlov Empire comes to an end in an apocalyptic rebellion. Their slavery practices, which had gotten more and more cruel over the years, and the incessant scheming, palace revolutions and treachery by the nobles errupts in a massive civil war, which triggers a general uprising and slave revolt, overwhelming the already weakened empire.


    3164 ADF : The Emperor is murdered by Rook the Sunderer, and the Orlov Empire''s capital cities, Orois and Sarnia, are burned to the ground. The Orlov Empire is officially toppled, and the remaining loyalist territories fall within the year.


    3 165 ADF : The slaves of the Orlov Empire, lead by their leader, Rook the Sunderer, establish the free city of New Raleigh, deep in the mountains of Sierra. A peerless general and politician manages to convince the remaining, more liberal dukedoms of the old Orlov Empire, that had declared independence at the beginning of the slaughter, to unite to prevent the still ongoing bloodshed from overtaking them all. The Eris Empire is founded, and said general is crowned as the First Empress. The Great Reconquest Begins.


    3 231 ADF : The Great Reconquest Ends, and the Eris Empire becomes one of the great nations of the world. The Second Golden Age begins.


    5 529 ADF : The province of Asaria of the Saphire Kingdom rebels. The Wars of Shattering begin.


    5 536 ADF : After 7, long years of carnage, the Saphire Kingdom admits defeat, and the Wars of Shattering come to an end.


    5 601 ADF : The Duchy of Elkis is reformed into the Elkis Republic, and it begins peacefully integrating nearby dukedoms into it''s new government.


    5 919 ADF : The first United Dungeon War begins and the Second Golden Age comes to an end.


    5 930 ADF : The first United Dungeon War ends, and the United Dungeon Council is formed. The Third Golden Age begins.


    6 386 ADF : The Elkis Republic declares a trade embargo on the Tark Directorate, due to their refusal to essentially swear alliegance. The Tark Directorate declares war on the Republic, and to everyone''s surprise, wins by the skin of their teeth. The fertile border region between the Directorate and the Republic is annexed by the latter, and the Autonomous Province of Eternity is created with Directorate backing. Simultaneously, the city-state of Darthar is taken by the Asarian Kingdom, prompting the peace deal on the Republic''s side.


    6 391 ADF : The Elkis Republic, having made sure the Asarian Kingdom couldn''t launch a campaign through the wasteland, attacks the Tark Directorate without warning, but is repelled. In response, heavy tribute is levied from the Republic, and military installations are constructed all along the border to defend it. The Tark Directorate reforms itself into the Tark Hegemony.


    6 520 ADF : The Elkis Republic attempts to invade the Far Reach. The invasion is a disaster and most of the Elkis Republican Army is destroyed in the process.


    6 535 : Present day.

 Great Archives (Edicts of Annihilation)

    Edicts of Annihilation.


    Edicts of Annihilation are extremely powerful spells, most created after the Dawn of Flames, due to the Edict of the God of Fire''s interdiction on technological super-weapons. A few of the more powerful ones however were created during the Time of the Gods, sometimes by the Divines themselves.


    1<sup>st</sup> Edict of Annihilation : Shatterstar.


    The first edict is also the most powerful. Shatterstar is incredibly dangerous, in the way that it is a merger between conventional physics and magic, exploiting each to it''s maximum destructive potential without violating the [REDACTED]. Shatterstar is, at it''s core, a matter conversion spells : it takes a certain amount of mass of the target, depending on the power fed to it, and turns it into antimatter by ''flipping it''. It is brutal, efficient, and shockingly powerful. The ensuing detonation from the matter-antimatter annihilation has technically no upper limits, although in practice no being has gathered enough mana to make a detonation greater than 50 gigatons.


    3<sup>rd</sup> Edict of Annihilation : The Incantation of Xhanet.


    The 3<sup>rd</sup> edict is also widely attributed as the beginning of necromancy. Originally intended as a mass resurrection spell, the complex ritual went wrong and pooled the mortal remains and part of the essence of the fallen into a single creature : a Golem of Xhanet. This abomination would then proceed to rampage through the area. It has since then be refined, with the ritual creating several more controllable, vaguely humanoid flesh golems. The spell is widely considered extremely revulsive, and it''s usage has been banned world wide, however in times of crisis some nations still resort to it.


    6<sup>th</sup> Edict of Annihilation : Shattersky.


    The 6<sup>th</sup> edict is one of the most cost-effective edicts ever developed. Once again, it is a merger between conventional physics and mana manipulation, and was not actually a weapon to begin with. It was created by archmage Oc¨¦ane Aub¨¦toile, an extradimensional that sought to replicate the fusion reactors of Earth using magic. Shattersky was the result of her research on the ''sparkplug'' laser mechanism the EFSN used to light fusion reactors, and it worked....too well. The name comes from the fact that the first test''s detonation was so great that it ''shattered the sky''. Her research was confiscated by the Orlov Empire, and she herself was lucky to escape with her life, mostly thanks to the patronage of the Elder Wyrm Eldron The Wise, who even the Orlov Empire dared not challenge.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The Orlov Empire''s council of magic then scaled up the spell, and took it from a yield of approximately a kiloton to several megatons. However, since they had none of Oc¨¦ane''s genius or understanding of fusion, they were unable to scale it past that point, and their attempts ended...badly. The Empire tried to kidnap Oc¨¦ane or entice her back, but were unable to, as she now lived in the Western Marches, and the vampire lords were then at the height of their power, and foiled them easily.


    9<sup>th</sup> Edict of Annihilation : Blood Moon.


    The 9<sup>th</sup> edict''s history is dark, and muddled. Originally made to massively improve the armies of the Western Marches vampire lords, Blood Moon is essentially an extremely overpowered enhancement spell. However it currently has...undesirable secondary effects. The spell relies on a short-lived dimensional tesseract to spread its area of effect, but this tesseract can be affected by the Blight, resulting in a brief, but extremely violent Blight Incursion.


    Ever since, Blood Moon has been considered the single most hazardous edict to wield, and has only been used in the most extreme of circumstances.


    16<sup>th</sup> Edict of Annihilation : Midnight.


    The 16<sup>th</sup> edict is very rarely used, due to it''s prohibitive mana cost, but no one can deny it''s power. The edict essentially creates a beam of pure, exotic energy, and fires it from the sky at the target. No one knows exactly how the beam is formed, with some speculating that it somehow concentrates cosmic radiation, while others consider it as a flashy, overpowered power beam. Nevertheless, the beam of energy thus created rivals the broadside of Old World capital ships, and is one of the few spells capable of truly threatening a Iso Dimensional shield.


    18<sup>th</sup> Edict of Annihilation : Shatterearth.


    The 18<sup>th</sup> edict is...controversial. While others have been seen as valid, if frowned upon, weapons of last resort, Shatterearth is seen by many as little more than a weapon of terror at best. Shatterearth is, at it''s most basic principle, an earthquake spell scaled beyond reason. Due to that, it is extremely effective at destroying cities and civilian works, but usually useless at damaging military installations.


    Since it has been used mainly as a tool of terror by the Orlov Empire, to crush rebellious province and destroy their homes to enslave their people, the reputation of the edict has been tainted, and remain so to this day.


    30<sup>th</sup> Edict of Annihilation : Extinction.


    The 30<sup>th</sup> edict is among the most powerful, despite it''s late coming. It was created by the Eris Empire at the height of it''s conquests, and deployed in numerous wars since. Extinction is particular in the sense that it can be casted by an archmage with little to no preparation, and no need for a lengthy, easy to disrupt ritual. It essentially creates a plasma shockwave whose sole goal is to clear out vast amounts of infantry off the field of battle, to clear the way for the Empire''s mechanized units and war machines.

 Great Archives (Alchemy)

    Potions are a purely alchemical product, created through the mixing, refining, ect, of alchemical components, bringing out their innate properties due to their imbuement by mana. While they do require skill, experience and some tools (which become more and more expensive and complex the better the potion), with preferably a sanitized alchemy lab to make them in, they do not require any training in magic or enchanting to make, and do not require mana to create.


    Elixirs are potions where the effects of certain ingredients, or the whole potion, has been tweaked and enhanced via complex enchantments. Elixirs can be made by anyone with knowledge of enchanting magic and mana, but the effects are exponentially better if the enchanter is more powerful and more skilled. It should be noted that making an Elixir is more or less demultiplying the effects of a potion, and can only be done up to a point. The process is extremely complicated as the enchantments have to be applied at very specific stages of the ingredients'' preparation or at specific stages of the potion, making them expensive. They are, however, incredibly stable, and have a virtually unlimited shelf life, while most potions degrade after a while (with the notable exception of those with a stasis enchantment).


    Philters are not technically potions. They are, however, a liquid, so most people consider them as such. Philters are essentially liquid mana that has been subjected to a series of enchantments, or execution commands. They are very, very unstable, as instead of being grounded by the stable processes and magic code of ingredients, the mana is directly processed by a sentient made enchantment, which has some serious issues. If the enchantment is damaged, wether through time, magical interference to the liquid mana, or even just distruption spells, it can get out of control and create extremely violent and unexpected results (usually resulting in the person absorbing it dying). Additionally, if the enchantment is too powerful for the person taking the Philter, or the enchantment fails to consume the mana quickly enough before it is absorbed by whoever is taking the Philter, the person is either consumed by the power or suffers the same effects as an uncontrolled mana gem absorption, both which are extremely lethal.


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    Alchemy has also enabled the creation of alchemical gunpowders. Although most of them are scarcely more advanced than medieval era black powder in terms of consistency and manufacturing standards, they are vastly more potent, with even the most basic approaching the power, weight for weight, of 21<sup>st</sup> century explosives. The more advanced ones, used by the Eris Empire and other advanced polities, have explosive potential beyond any chemical explosives ever made by 2160 Earth, and are in many ways more comparable to miniaturized nuclear devices such as the EFSN''s fusion grenades.


    It is worth noting that while it would be technically possible to apply the same categories used in potion making to alchemical gunpowders, it is rarely done. Gunpowders are usually housed in a much more dangerous and rougher environment than potions, and thus while potions can afford a degree of instability, gunpowder cannot. Thus, elixir equivalents, such as gunpowder boosted with enchantments, are rarely used, and when they are, strictly for elite units or the most well protected of warships, such as the Eris Empire''s capital ships. Philter equivalents would be, well, just philters, and generally passed over in preference to the vastly more reliable mana gem fed enchanted/runed weaponry.


    Alchemical explosives are also very much possible, but they share most of their properties with alchemical gunpowder (most of them having been developed as an offshoot of gunpowder).


    In the field of general medicine, most unguents, or even herbal teas (which, truth be told, are simply very basic potions when using the right plants), can be incredibly potent, and although modern, scientific medicine does exist, it has always taken a back seat to more ''traditional'' means for most of the population. Still, thanks to the Eris Empire and Gorromar, industrial medicine is becoming more and more available, and there are even rumors of potion recipes that could possibly be produced on a scale previously unheard of, using vast reaction vats and complicated machines to produce batches of thousands of doses at a time.

 Great Archives (Armageddon Missile)

    EFHA-OCSO-6 ''Armageddon'' planetbuster missile


    The EFHA-OCSO-6 (European Federation High Admiralty - Omega-Class Strategic Ordnance) planetbuster missile is the single most powerful weapon ever developed by any nation of human space, and is one of the most tightly held secret of the European Federation. The missile is 560 meters long, and follows the standard space rule of 10x1x1 of dimensions, with 56 meters of width. That totals at a tonnage of 1 756 160 cubic meters, which is more than most frigates and even some older light cruisers. With this tonnage (which about 2/3<sup>rd</sup> is taken by various systems, the hull, stealth coating, ECM, ect), the EFSN''s bureau of logistics was able to cram in no less than 18 billion tons of fusion fuel into the missile, using pressurized monomollecular tanks and active gravity generators to achieve a density a thousand times higher than osmium, the densest naturally occurring material on Earth, which drove technical requirements to the point that the missiles have to be kept fully empty and fueled only when launched, as long term storage would be otherwise impossible with the weapon loaded. This fusion fuel, when the warhead is detonated, would yield approximately 11x10<sup>26</sup> joules, or an explosion of 271 petatons of TNT, which is over 10 times the upper levels of estimated energy of the asteroid impact suspected to have wiped out the dinosaurs. While not remotely enough to bust a planet, or even truly fracture the crust, it is enough energy to exterminate virtually all complex life on a world''s surface, and completely destroy it''s biosphere, or at least cripple it to a point where the survival of humans without massive technological assistance is impossible.


    There were propositions to update the missile with a vastly more compact antimatter warheads, however the proposal was shot down, mainly on the worry that no one wanted to make Arcadia aware of the weapon or provide the AI with sufficient data to infer it was being manufactured, as Arcadia Systems was the only entity capable of producing antimatter in the quantities required for such a weapon.


    Needless to say, data about this missile and it''s use was heavily restricted, with most of the engineers and scientists that worked on the weapon not even being aware it was being built, let alone why or where. In fact, most of the members of the design team thought it was more of a thought experiment relating to mass fusion brainstorming or even a practical joke.


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    The missile itself was designed during the Ragnarok program, a mostly theoretical program about how planet killing (in the sense that the planet would no longer be able to sustain human life without massive technological assistance) super weapons could be designed. Most of the program was pure science fiction speculation, and some of the options were almost jokes in and of themselves, but the intent was to bury the actual super weapon design under the rest, which was successful. Of the handful of viable designs the program yielded, only 3 were retained for operational use, and the Armageddon missile was eventually chosen for production out of the three, while the other two were shelved for a variety of reasons.


    Unbeknownst to everyone who knows about the true nature of the project but the highest ranking officers in the EFSN, the weapons weren''t actually a reaction to the UIS'' rearmament as advertised to those privy to the information that the weapon would be built, rather they were the continuation of a program began in the aftermath of the Martian Revolution, fearing that the UIS counterattack would be so bloody that the inhabitants of the red planet would have no choice but to destroy Earth to survive. Thus a program was created to study potential super weapons and counter them. That program (called Nuit ¨¦ternelle, French for eternal night) eventually evolved into the Earth Orbital Defense Grid Initiative, and the Valhalla program. The Valhalla program yielded a total of 3 super weapons design, 1 purely kinetic, in essence a relativistic kill missile on the scale of a battleship, 1 an extremely hazardous and virulent bioweapon taken from the Terran Hegemony''s arsenal, and the last a nanotech ''grey goo'' style weapon. Needless to say, the Valhalla program was EXTREMELY secretive, as all three weapons violated several laws and the latter two outright violated the European Federation''s constitutional ban on biological and nanotechnological weaponry.


    The Ragnarok program was built to replace the ageing Valhalla weapons mainly because it was clear that Earth might become the target, and Mars had developed and put into place it''s own Orbital Defense Grid. Thus new weapons were needed, ones that could penetrate an extremely sophisticated defensive perimeter like an Orbital Defense Grid, and still be able to do enough damage to wipe out the biosphere, and virtually all human life on the surface. Since relativistic projectiles simply wouldn''t work against an ODG, and the EFSN did not possess inertial compensators good enough to prevent any nanotech or bio weapon from being destroyed by the sheer g forces required for a missile to get through the grid, completely new designs were required.


    Additionally, the Valhalla weapons were made to be fired from Earth itself, hidden in weapons silos buried in secret areas of the European Federation''s Planetary Defence Centers, and thus a new weapon platform, capable of carrying the weapons themselves and delivering them to other solar systems if necessary was thought up, the Final Contingency-class cruisers. It also added second strike capabilities, as a threat assessment concluded that if the European Federation could make stealth weapons platform good enough to conceal a first strike planetkiller capability, the UIS most definitely could as well.

 Poll - Platoon Level Combat

    Hey. I''m going to keep this brief because I have a lot on my mind. Today is my birthday, and yesterday my uncle was sent to the hospital because some asshole ran him over. He''ll live, but he''s badly wounded, with multiple broken bones and internal organ damage. So I hope you''ll understand if this is brief.


    To put it simply : I can''t write platoon level combat. Maybe I''m a shitty author, but I have tried and failed to write what I find to be satisfactory combat with the ERA''s strike team against Alexandra''s defenses. I have written two chapters worth of it, but pretty much by treating the individual squads as ''party members'' and it''s not working. I have asked my keepers for advice and nothing they could come up with would fit my style and how I do things.


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    So, simply put, this poll is to ask if you would be fine with me buffing up a few of the key members of the assault unit, having the rest die off (it won''t be a ''rock falls, everyone not important dies'', don''t worry), and handling this as a party vs dungeon fight, which I do know how to write. As it is, I just can''t do it with a platoon.


    I''m asking more or less for permission because, as most of you know, I like to set up things in advance, and the leaders of that strike team being actually strong wasn''t set up, at all. Their main advantages wer supposed to be their discipline and their numbers. They are soldiers, their phalanx, not their individual might, is their strength.


    Anyway, that is all I had to say for today. Have a nice day, and see you next saturday.

 Great Archives (Final Contingency-class Cruiser)

    Final Contingency-class cruiser.


    Length : 1.6 km.


    Tonnage : 40 960 000 m3.


    Also called ''Contingency-class'' for short, Final Contingency-class cruisers were created as part of the European Federation Navy''s Final Defence Protocols, and are in fact the last contingency measure on the list. They are simply the last option of the EFSN, when all else is lost. Their goal isn''t to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat however, their sole objective is to make sure that if the Federation loses, then no one else will win, and reduce everything to cinders.


    The Final Contingency cruiser are the most heavily stealthed ships in Earth human space by a huge margin, able to silently move through Sol with impunity as long as they avoid getting too close to Earth and Mars'' massive orbital sensor arrays. Each is equipped with 3 missile launchers, and a carries a total of 6 missiles. A positively puny armament compared to virtually every warship, even lowly corvettes.


    There is a simple catch however. Each of those missiles is a EFHA-OCSO-6 (European Federation High Admiralty - Omega-Class Strategic Ordnance) ''Armageddon'' planetbuster missile, each made to wipe out all human life on an entire planet, and render it completely uninhabitable, even when using atmospheric domes, with sufficient stealth and defence network penetration aids to survive entry into Earth or Mars'' Orbital Defence Grids.


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    One of the reasons why there are so few missiles onboard is that once fully fueled the warheads require extremely maintenance and energy intensive systems to be online at all times to prevent it from simply exploding under the enormous pressure or the fuel undergoing nuclear fusion prematurely, which would pretty much preclude long term passive stealth. Hence, most of the ship''s tonnage is more or less dedicated to fuel tanks and refueling systems for its deadly payload.


    The Final Contingency-class was originally constructed in response to the Martian Republican Navy''s strategic bombardment missiles, created and advertised as a last resort measure in case of an Earth-lead invasion, whose sole goal was to eradicate all life on Earth, to act as deterrence against a potential invasion. Such missiles, especially if sufficiently stealthed, might have been able to destroy the original launch sites before the missiles could fire. Hence the creation of a long term deployment, stealth launch platform.


    All of the ships were built in the EFSN''s secret shipyards in the outer solar system, and every single one can be fully automated if needed, although they are usually given a skeleton crew of a few dozen, backed up by a veritably army of maintenance drones. The crews are handpicked from the EFSN''s stealth recon ships, who are in all respect remarkably similar to the Final Contingency-class, as they very much served as their baseline, plus a vast arsenal of recon drones and satellites, and minus the world destroying ordnance and oversized fuel tanks.


    While the ships were several times given the order to be on high alert, usually during major conflicts with the UIS and its allies, only once were they transmitted launch codes and told to stay on stand by for launch orders, during the height of the Europa Crisis. The rest, as they say, is history.

 Great Archives (The United Dungeon Council)

    The United Dungeon Council


    Officially formed in 5 930 After the Dawn of Flames at the end of the first United Dungeon War, the UDC was in truth older by a few years. While the beginning of the war was more chaotic than anything, by the end of it the various dungeons were operating as a coordinated, unified military force, with robust logistics, production facilities, shipyards, ect. All of these systems were transferred onto the UDC which, for the first few decades of its existence was more or less an extension of the old command structure and effectively a military dictatorship.


    However, as time went on, and the attacks on dungeons became rarer and rarer, the UDC began to...mollify. A proper civil administration was put into place, and the organization shifted from a purely military one to a sort of United Nations for dungeon cores. Financing arrangements were changed and the UDC''s military core was gradually dissolved, as the need for a standing army lessened.


    Nowadays, in terms of military forces the UDC mostly relies on a form of levy, by taking troops from member dungeon whenever necessary and effectively leasing them. It does have a ''core'' permanent force, but it has diminished in size over the years as budget cuts became greater and greater, and now it is little more than a defense force for Unity itself, and is effectively incapable of more than token long range deployments.


    There is, of course, a mutual defense treaty underlying the entire UDC, allowing for, if a 2/3<sup>rd</sup> majority of the council votes it or a member dungeon core is destroyed, to launch a full scale war, by more or less requisitioning half of the military forces of all member dungeons and placing them under a central command structure. At least that is what it does nominally, but in truth since most dungeons are wary to give control of their monsters or creatures to someone else, it effectively turns any UDC army into a vast coalition of disparate forces, like any feudal kingdom relying on the men at arms of various nobles. However, due to the vast resources the older and larger dungeons can field, it is common for many lesser dungeons to place themselves under their command and try to integrate themselves into their forces, allowing for a far greater degree of coordination than might otherwise be possible.


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    One of the key reasons why the UDC works is also the most often overlooked one : the advisors. All of the dungeon advisors come from the Western Marches, and often have blood ties to the Von Oswald family to one degree or another. This means that, in effect, all of the advisors function as the members of a vast network of relatives, similarly to the noble networks of old Europe, albeit far more centralized and with less poison, internecine warfare, politicking and assassinations. And since these advisors are, for various reasons, extremely well thought of by their dungeon cores and generally get along well together, they are able to grease the wheels of the UDC''s more routine business and internal diplomacy the way a great many aides have done throughout the millenia in the halls of power of humanity. Indeed, given the low level, instinctive aggression (natural) dungeons have towards damned near anything except their advisors, it is likely that without the vampires smoothing the way the UDC would have never survived after it was no longer an absolute military necessity, and fractured into warring factions. It might not even formed at all, as a matter of fact.


    The UDC extract a mana tax from all of its members, that tax has varied much over the years, but currently sits at 10% of their mana generation, which by most government standards is absurdly low, yet due to the unique way dungeons operate, still permits the UDC to function acceptably well, notably as the council has progressively lowered its interventions and thus costs over the last few decades. Remarkably, very few UDC number attempt to falsify their mana generation or any other form of fraud, notably because most of the income not absorbed by military operations is redistributed in the form of various subsidies, some of which include materials and devices shared by other dungeons, thus making it a net positive for most dungeons.


    Although the UDC is a military alliance it is not a marketplace. One of the greatest fears of the adventurers guild and most nations was that the UDC would put together some form of universal schematics, materials and technology package and distribute it to all of its members. Fortunately (for those concerned parties), thanks to some adroit diplomacy, veiled threats and outright bribery from the higher echelons of the adventurers guild, this did not become the case. As such while the UDC does not necessarily prohibits exchanges of materials and knowledge between dungeons, it does not encourage them either outside of its own limited subsidy program. This has limited exchanges between dungeon considerably, and although there is an active, if mostly quiet, trading network between dungeons, it is far less than it could have been, and has prevented the creation of a common dungeon database, much to the relief of many.

 The Great Archives (Adventurers & the Adventurers Guild)

    Adventurers and the Adventurer''s Guild


    Adventurers are an odd profession. Although everyone takes them for granted and a natural part of life on Alcheryos, adventurers (and their guild) once were vastly different from their current form.


    At their core, modern day adventurers are disposable mercenaries specializing in fighting monsters and the other natural or unnatural abominations that haunt every corner of Alcheryos. Outside of dungeon delving, adventurers are usually occupied by extermination and protection missions, where they are tasked with eliminating some particularly troublesome creatures, or protecting assets from them. That doesn''t mean that they''ll decline fighting bandits of course, but for fighting humans generally specialized, proper mercenaries are preferred if available.


    While a very important role, if adventurers were only limited to those missions they would hardly be the omnipresent force they are now. What truly sets them apart is their guild and dungeon delves.


    The adventurers guild is odd. Originally, it was founded by independent scavengers and explorers, hired by governments shortly after the Dawn of Flames to explore ruins or scavenge certain areas, when the military wasn''t available to do so, effectively disposable sub contractors. As their discoveries and fees made them richer and richer, they started feeling the pressure from their respective governments, and with the help of the newly created WMC, formed a guild to organize and protect themselves.


    For the better part of a millenia, the adventurers guild was, in effect, a guild of explorers and mercenaries, with a healthy side of scavenging. As its operations and reach expanded, the guild began offering its services to corporations or institutes eager to forray into the wastelands, but who did not have the political backing to secure a military escort or enough forces of their own to protect their expeditions. Thus they turned to the adventurers guild. These contracts were displayed openly in guild halls on a common board, where any group of adventurers could read the requirements from the client, the objective, and the payment. These contracts became the first quests.


    The omnipresence of the guild, and its importance for expansion made it virtually untouchable by governments. Oh, the guild threaded very lightly, and remained completely and utterly neutral, but no one wanted to disrupt a business on which their continued expansion and economic growth depended so much on. And that was essential, as the guild''s greatest problem was personnel. To put it simply, even to this day, the attrition rate for adventurers is insane. It is, without a doubt, the single most lethal profession on Alcheryos by a factor of at least three, if you do not count nobles in particular countries due to assassinations. If you count resurrections, it is more lethal than any other job by an order of magnitude.


    So the guild needed to be able to dictate its own rules to recruit. Effectively, in many nations the guild was the only way to move up in the world. At that time many caste systems locked people in poverty and prevented social advancement, even today many peasants and simple citizens are prevented from rising up due to an oppressive caste of nobles or an entrenched upper class. But the guild was outside of those rules. The guild could not give less of a shit if you were the scion of a noble house or a family of serfs. If you could pay the fee and bring a weapon to fulfil the base requirements of the clay rank, you were in.


    Thus in many places the guild was, and still is, the only way for upward social mobility. Furthermore in some cases it is a way to gain quick, very quick upward mobility. Adventurers die quickly, yes, but they accumulate mana and essence at a rate vastly greater than anyone else, thanks to their high fees and the piles of bodies they tend to produce. Add to that their highly lethal assignment weed out the incompetent and the weak with ruthless efficiency, and that made their length of service, ranks and completed quest all of the proof of competence a recruiter needs. After a few months of adventuring, a peasant whose sole prospect would otherwise have been spending the rest of their existence tilling dirt could be welcomed with open arms into a noble''s personal army or as a guard in a city. A few years, and they could become a knight or a member of a noble''s retinue with ease. That was the lure that keep people coming to the adventurers guild despite the incredible fatality rate.


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    But what truly revolutionized the adventurers guild was dungeon delves.


    Five millenia ago, a group of adventurers attacked a dungeon''s surface installations. It wasn''t on purpose, this dungeon had laid undiscovered for centuries, as it was deployed on the other side of a death zone, and they thought they were dealing with an active NLR core in some kind of opened ruins. They killed the dungeon defenders and looted everything they could, but upon failing to find a way deeper, they pulled back, and tried again the day after.


    Only to find all of the defenses were back online. Defenses comprised of various traps and creatures whose carcasses and loot were very valuable. Valuable enough to risk your life, repeatedly, to obtain.


    So they kept attacking. And the dungeon kept reinforcing. The adventurers found a way deeper eventually, even reaching the dungeon core, but were attacked by a massive wave of creatures, and decided to leave the deepest layers, the ''core room'' and the dungeon''s ''sanctum'' alone. And the dungeon core itself, realizing just how much more mana it was making thanks to these adventurers, even greater than the cost of its slain defenders, decided to try and keep the adventurers coming back by replenishing its defenses and keeping them exactly the same, to avoid spooking the adventurers with change and danger.


    And thus was born the first ''modern'' dungeon. This style started to spread, as more dungeons learned of this way of ''milking'' humans through their advisors'' network. Eventually, it became a tradition. And now, things have been done this way for so long that even the Von Oswalds do not question it. It is just the way it is, and save for some archivist delving into old records, or the oldest dungeons, no one can remember it being any other way.


    The dungeon delves took the adventurers guild from an economic necessity nations only put up with for the sake of their own expansion to a powerhouse bordering on a superpower. Dungeon delving was such a massive source of income that the adventurers guild became enormously rich thanks to its fees. Realizing the proverbial gold mine they had struck, the guild''s leadership used all of their influence and power to establish a monopoly over dungeon delves. It didn''t fully work, but the adventurers guild gained enough leverage and concessions from even those who refused to let them take over this newfangled ''dungeon delve'' thing to make them powerful on an almost unimaginable scale for what was effectively a private entity. Even Arcadia Systems, who for all intents and purposes ran the entirety of the European Federation Star Navy''s logistics and production needs, as well as supplying a solid thirty percent or so of the civilian sector''s consumer goods and power requirements did not have the level of influence over the Federation''s government that the guild regularly applied to nations.


    Of course, that influence was used wisely. The guild was immensely rich and powerful, but its leadership was under no illusion of the base loyalties of its members, and a direct confrontation with a nation would only be possible as long as it remained a single nation, and the guild could keep up the payments to keep its adventurers fighting on its side. An alliance or coalition could have eventually crushed the guild. They''d decimate their own economy in the process, but they could do it. As such the guild made sure to divide and conquer, and made a point of only weighing in when matters pertaining to the guild''s business were concerned, and always being as outwardly neutral as possible when that involved stepping into an international incident or an outright war. Of course, the adventurers guild wasn''t above taking sides when safeguarding their business was concerned, but they would make every effort to appear neutral doing so, although it was only a question of plausible deniability at this point.


    But the dungeon delves also gave adventurers a new alternative. Yes, dungeon delves would not yield the essence payday of regular quests, but they were an incredible way to make money. This allowed adventurers to make massive amounts of mana, which they would use to finance equipment to either go back delving, or do quests to gain in level. Rinse and repeat and the overall level and quality of adventurers went through the roof. So did their numbers, as more and more recruits joined for the promise of easy money from a successful dungeon delve. This brought adventurers from occasionally encountered mercenaries to effectively omnipresent, to the point that the mercenary companies that had until then been competitors for monster hunting were simply folded into the adventurers guild, or fully specialized to fight against humans altogether.

 Interlude 7 - The Merchants Guild

    Interlude 7


    City of Selrom


    Eris Empire Protectorate of Valtyr


    Merchants'' Guild Headquarters


    Sseth looked out the window and wondered how many of the people down in the city, moving around like ants, realized just how fragile the status quo they oh so cherished was. Far more than most would admit, surely. Still, he doubted most of the population was even remotely aware of how fragile their country and, as far as they were concerned, their entire world was.


    As the head of the merchants guild, he had a far better view of the cracks in the system than most people did. To be fair, it was because he was ruthless about exploiting those cracks, but still. He could see the fault lines forming, and he for one knew that even he could not hope to close them.


    It might surprise people to learn that despite his reputation for making trouble and then making off like a bandit, he¡¯d actually been a stabilizing influence on the world. It wasn¡¯t out of a deep-seated sense of morality or altruism either. It was simply that a prosperous city would produce far more money than a looted ruin, if you were willing to look beyond short-term profits. And, stable growing nations were immensely more profitable than a hundred squabbling dukedoms trying to strangle each other.


    So, he¡¯d very quietly influenced events over his many, many years as the head of the merchants guild. Hell, even before he¡¯d founded it! Sometimes a few simple bribes did the trick, but other times he had to be more overt. And on a few occasions, outright violence was the only option. Contrary to what people thought, the merchants guild didn¡¯t have a military because of any delusions about becoming some kind of sovereign nation. It was used to pressure and counterbalance to preserve the equilibrium that made the modern world possible.


    Sseth sighed and turned away from the window, then grabbed a bottle from his desk and poured himself a generous measure of whiskey. He looked at the portrait above his chimney and toasted it.


    If only your successors still shared your vision, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess, he thought while looking at the portrait of the Eris Empire¡¯s First Empress. Meeting her¡ªand crossing swords with her¡ªhad been some of the most exciting and dangerous times of his obscenely long life. He was old. Incredibly old, even by the standards of Alcheryos, where anyone who could afford it would use magic to extend their lifespan into the centuries, provided they did not hail from the many species, like elves, who already lived that long by default. Old enough that Sseth had seen the God of Fire before his departure, leaving his Custodians to guard this world and its inhabitants, a fact only his closest confidants knew. Originally, he had used his wealth to buy the best treatments to retain his youth, and some of them had been¡­less than tasteful, to say the least. After all, immediately after the Dawn of Flames, the only magic that could unnaturally extend one¡¯s life was necromancy. But he had long since become powerful enough that those measures were no longer necessary. As a matter of fact, his natural healing had become so powerful he got younger faster than he could age! He had to regularly use special artifacts to retain his stately appearance and not revert back to his early twenties.


    Of course, the painting couldn¡¯t answer, and he downed the drink far more quickly than such a fine example of liquor probably deserved. He looked at the glass and grimaced, before putting it aside. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to get drunk, not today. There was far too much to do.


    The Eris Empire was...agitated. Not by its citizens, but something was happening. He could feel it in his guts. Some unseen force was sweeping through the Empire¡¯s upper layers, like a vast symphony, prepared and coordinated like some grand event. Yet still there was...dissonance. Some things were out of place, as if a beat had been missed, but the symphony continued regardless, seemingly unaware of the growing discord within it.


    It all formed a pattern. Grand, magnificent, and carefully laid down. Had he not been there when its weaving had begun, he would probably have missed it. As it was, he could see it with a clarity that would have probably horrified its original creators.


    The Order to Restore Humanity was moving. Their agents were moving, old debts and allegiances were being called in, and all of it was waiting for something, like racers waiting for the gunshot of the starter pistol.


    He gazed around his office, seeing something far different than the tastefully decorated, artifact-covered room, before shaking his head. He had correspondence to attend to.


    He sat down at his desk and began the process of going through nonpriority messages. He got so many of them on a daily basis that he couldn¡¯t keep up, and regularly had to prune them by using extremely costly time dilation spells. These messages were already weeks to months old, by the gods!


    He started reading them, drafting short replies when warranted, and setting them aside for his secretaries to fill them out with all the proper niceties and see that they made it to their intended destination, before stopping. A letter from Elkaryos? That was odd. The Master Merchant rarely sent correspondence outside of his quarterly report. He was, after all, extremely independent¡ªthere was a reason the dark elf had been his prot¨¦g¨¦¡ªand wasn¡¯t lacking in confidence to say the least.


    Sseth opened the letter...and his eyebrows rose. Elkaryos writing to him was rare. Recommending two individuals for recruitment into the merchants guild? That bordered on the unprecedented.


    The merchant read the letter and burst out laughing. Two young women, both adventurers, had managed to bamboozle one of his brightest pupils? No kidding he was eager to have them recruited!


    He smiled, before reading the information once more. So, a link dungeon...that was dangerous. Potentially a source of immense profit of course, but still, dangerous. Everyone would be scrambling to control it, and given the current instability of the Asarian Kingdom, he, for one, wouldn¡¯t bet on them retaining control of it, at least not without someone else throwing their hat into the ring. The Hegemony, maybe? No, they¡¯d be too busy taking a bite out of the Republic while it was distracted. Gorromar wouldn¡¯t intervene, and the Far Reach couldn¡¯t even hope to organize into a coherent army, let alone launch an expedition halfway across the continent. That made this bet a¡­risky one, as his prot¨¦g¨¦ was aligned with the Asarians.


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    Still, Elkaryos was on the ground, and had far better local information than he did. And even if that wasn¡¯t the case, he trusted his Master Merchants. They might make bad investments from time to time, but if he prevented them from doing so, they would never learn to make even greater deals in the future.


    He began drafting his reply, and this one he took the time to fully write down. He then turned towards the massive block of crystal and machinery inlaid into his desk¡ªcomputer, the artificers called it¡ªand began looking up the names of the young ladies recommended to him. One of the advantages of being effectively the richest person on the planet, as well as probably the largest landowner, albeit through several cover identities and front corporations, was that the WMC, World Mage Court, gave him something of a privileged pipeline to their own archives. It still wasn¡¯t perfect¡ªthe ¡°digitalization¡± process was well underway, and paper was still how most domain boundaries and land portions were recorded¡ªbut it was practical. Especially as the WMC, which officially only dealt in high-level affairs and did not bother its court with anything short of patents of nobility and land disputes, actually recorded a gigantic amount of data, much of it voluntarily sent to them for archival and safekeeping, to guarantee they were the original documents and not tampered with.


    His search for the elf turned up nothing of note. Birth certificate, hunting license, a note that she was wanted in her home country with a rather anemic bounty, and a few reports saying she might have been connected to a few criminal affairs. The one for the human, however...


    He whistled softly as he looked at her record. Knight valiant, decorated half a dozen times for exceptional valor, including gaining her title for rescuing a princess of the Eris Empire from certain death. A list of commendations by officers longer than his arm, and a scion of house Aub¨¦toile. He¡¯d known that house for as long as it had existed¡ªhe¡¯d even gotten into a fight with its founder, Oc¨¦ane, an extradimensional¡ªand its sons and daughters were not to be taken lightly. Then her record just stopped. There was a mention of a duel, and nothing until her ascension to baroness thanks to Elkaryos. As in, absolutely nothing. Not even mentions of further crimes, or even her existence, it was like she¡¯d vanished from every record or database the WMC had. He sat back in his seat and rubbed his chin. This looked like it might turn out even more interesting than he¡¯d originally thought.


    He looked at the door, then at the pile of paperwork on his desk. The decision wasn¡¯t exactly hard.


    He got up, took his vest, and exited his office. It had been forever since he had gotten to do a bit of detective work himself and got to put the fear of the merchants guild into some bureaucrats. Time for him to get a bit more hands-on. After all, if one of his most brilliant prot¨¦g¨¦s thought those young women were worth it, the least he could do was take a look! And if it just happened to take him out of his office and the ever-mounting pile of paperwork, well that was just a handy bonus.


    *****


    Elkaryos paced back and forth in his office. To say that the last few days had been stressful was like saying the Charter Ocean was a wee bit deep.


    Hearing about the dungeon town he¡¯d invested so much into being under siege had been bad. Being told that the dungeon core had almost been kidnapped and blown its own dungeon to avoid capture? He was fortunate that he was a calm fellow by nature, or he¡¯d have had a heart attack!


    The news had also swept Darthar like a wildfire, but fortunately, the count had followed his advice and not only delivered a public announcement ahead of the rumors, but also ended it by pointing out that the dungeon was already rebuilding, greater than ever! That had allayed much of the growing panic among the merchants that had thrown their riches into the caravans sent to Rebirth to exploit the new dungeon¡¯s bounty.


    There had been some instability¡ªin times of war there always was¡ªbut the city guard had stomped on any sparks immediately and restored order within a few hours. Still, he had little doubt that if news like that kept coming, things were going to get worse. Darthar was a powder keg at the best of times. Too much money in play and too many competing interests with scores to settle, alongside little to no scruples, made for an unstable combination. But what worried him was what would happen to Rebirth. Whatever instability that occurred in Darthar would be amplified a thousand-fold in Rebirth, and with the Republic looking determined to take the town, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a stretch for some of the soulless, greedy bastards calling themselves merchants to try to take over the town and cut a deal with the Republic.


    Foolish of them of course. If the Republic was pragmatic, this mess wouldn¡¯t be happening. Unfortunately, their senate would settle for nothing less than total control of the town, including the eradication of any local force likely to challenge that control, including pesky merchants with delusions of godhood. The question was, how many of them realized it?


    Not many. Well, most merchants would know the possibility existed, but with so much potential money, so much power at stake, they probably would simply ignore it. Gods knew he¡¯d seen people delude themselves for far less!


    Allya and Pyn¡ªand Melia of course¡ªwere going to need reinforcements if they wanted to retain their hold on the town, especially against growing internal threats. The Republic¡¯s assaults the Kingdom itself would help defend against, but given the degree of infighting within the Kingdom¡¯s nobility, royal troops intervening in a purely internal affair was¡­unlikely.


    Still, they¡¯d done a superb job of cutting deals with powerful allies and making friends. That would buy them some time. Time for his reinforcements to make their way there.


    It was a larger problem, in many ways, as while he was part of a great number of organizations that, for all intents and purposes, had their own private armies, said armies were also usually extremely busy, and there was only so much he could skim from them in terms of troops before his commitment to the group rather than his own self-interest came into question. One solution was to convince the groups his own interests and theirs were the same, but that would prove a tricky proposition. Still, he had a few ideas, and he¡¯d instructed Melia to support any motion in the town¡¯s council to favor the rise of industry there. If the dungeon rebuilt its mineral deposits, and they could achieve genuine raw material production¡ªand refining¡ªoperations onsite, he could convince the Omega Consortium to step in.


    The merchants guild¡­that was up to Sseth, really, more than anyone else.


    As for the Syndicate, Allya¡¯s professed and public views for equality and against slavery, plus her diverse council, with dwarves, dark elves, beastkin, and hell, even dating a wood elf, had made clear Rebirth and the Syndicate were on the same side. The Syndicate existed to serve and protect dark elves, period, and the Aub¨¦toile family had been somewhat distant friends of the Syndicate for centuries. There had been some worry in his correspondence that the baroness being effectively kicked out of the dynasty was not a good sign where this was concerned, but the woman¡¯s utter and total disregard for such factors as species purity and her total lack of discrimination had laid much of those concerns to rest.


    He¡¯d already managed to negotiate an entire platoon of Syndicate warriors to come to the town¡¯s aid, and he was well on his way to convincing the Syndicate that opening an official operation there would be in the best interest of the dark elves. After all, a town built between several empires, on several trade routes, and on top of a link dungeon? There was no greater place to set up shop and provide a central point to serve dark elf interests throughout the continent!


    He just had to hope that the young women who had outsmarted him would do the same to their enemies long enough for his contacts to help them.

 Chapter 86 - A New Dungeon Model

    Chapter 86


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth.


    City of Rebirth.


    ¡°Pull back! Everyone, pull back!¡± Allya shouted as her men flowed around her, trying to disengage. They needed to pull back into the town, using the buildings to slow down the enemy¡¯s advance and nullify their numerical superiority, and regroup. Otherwise, they were history.


    She smiled slightly as the sky lit up with lightning and flames, as the Alberta flew overhead and fired a broadside directly into the enemy¡¯s lines, making them pause and buying more time for her people to escape.


    Captain Calder was one hell of a daredevil, and¡ª


    CRACK


    She looked up, horrified, as a gigantic bolt of lightning shot from the enemy¡¯s mages and struck the ship¡¯s propeller. The ship listed briefly¡­and began crashing down.


    Straight on top of her.


    Allya sat up abruptly, panting, and managed to stop herself in extremis before she threw herself out of bed. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and sighed. She already had enough nightmares at night without adding new fuel to the fire.


    ¡°One of those again?¡± Pyn quietly said as she sat up herself.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Allya held her head in her hands. ¡°Sorry I woke you up.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m your girlfriend.¡± The elf hugged the baroness from behind. ¡°It¡¯s my job to help you when you have bad dreams. Now come on, let¡¯s get back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­and thank you.¡±


    Pyn simply chuckled softly as she guided her girlfriend back down, laying the ex-assassin on top of her. Allya smiled, and closed her eyes as she drifted back to sleep.


    *****


    ¡°Alright, so, what did you think of Crystal¡¯s proposal?¡± Allya asked, as she nursed her cup of hot cocoa in her office, looking at Starvak, who was seated on the other side of her desk.


    ¡°You mean besides the lunatic proposition of allying with you?¡±


    Allya smiled at the dwarf. It was not a nice smile, at all.


    ¡°First, the United Dungeon Council decided not to intervene. Second, it¡¯s her fucking decision, not the guild¡¯s. Third, wasn¡¯t the adventurers guild supposed to be neutral in geopolitical matters? I fairly think this falls under that, to say the least.¡±


    The guildmaster frowned, and opened his mouth for a sharp response, before sighing.


    ¡°Apologies, that was¡­uncouth of me. Regardless, it isn¡¯t like that, and you know it. A military alliance, and all of it entails makes things¡­complicated.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid we¡¯ll smuggle materials for her, or that she¡¯ll acquire things she really shouldn¡¯t have by salvaging it off of enemy forces.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­yes. And get stronger exponentially more quickly than she should.¡±


    ¡°I mean no offense Guildmaster, but that has already happened. Like it or not, the repeated attempts to kidnap her have resulted in her developing some serious hardware, on top of giving her a small mountain of essence. While I can understand why you would be afraid of her getting too powerful too fast, and her dungeon becoming inaccessible to beginners, so far Crystal has shown a remarkable sense of balance in the difficulty and reward from her dungeon. And even if she somehow stopped properly balancing it, she has never been shy about cooperating with us. I¡¯m fairly sure you could ask her politely and she¡¯d make changes.¡± Not to mention bribe her, if necessary, but she wasn¡¯t about to bring that up! Everyone knew it happened, but she¡¯d rather not draw attention to it¡­or be crass enough to bring it to the guildmaster¡¯s attention that some of her sentries had seen him enter the dungeon with Eismi in tow.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the point. Not here at least.¡± Starvak sighed and rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses. ¡°As you have said, Crystal doesn¡¯t seem to be the type of dungeon to leave the low ranks to rot, and her rewards have been balanced, but¡­for a multiplicity of reasons, it is never a good idea for a dungeon to gain too powerful materials, or too much essence, too fast. You think what you have going on here with the occasional adventurer idiot is bad? Imagine the same, but with hundreds of silver-, gold-, or even a handful of mythril-ranks doing the same!¡±


    That gave Allya pause.


    ¡°Does that¡­happen a lot?¡±


    ¡°Rarely, especially for the mythril-ranks. But when a new town, without a great number of inhabitants or guards, has high-ranking adventurers demand something, especially if there¡¯s many of them, it becomes very hard to say ¡®no.¡¯ Once that happens¡­let¡¯s just say things go downhill for everyone, even the guild.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Unrest is bad for business in general, and adventurer-led unrest is one of the worst around.¡±


    ¡°I can believe that.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can; you have to deal with them. There are other issues with a dungeon growing too quickly as well, and I¡¯ll openly admit some of them are purely selfish concerns from the guild¡¯s standpoint, but the others are no less valid. Regardless, I would be much more at ease, and have far less pressure from my own superiors¡ªI do have bosses, and even my fellow guildmasters can turn into a nuisance if they feel like it¡ªif I could get tangible guarantees that such issues won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


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    Allya nodded. Sometimes it was hard to remember that despite Starvak¡¯s ridiculously high adamantium-rank, he was hardly the most powerful member of the adventurers guild¡­and those that led it were more or less demigods.


    ¡°Well, Crystal has foreseen one issue, and brought up the idea of having guild observers overseeing everything. As long as they can keep their mouths shut and no information leaks out, everything should go smoothly, and it would do much to allay your and your colleagues¡¯ issues with it, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Observers cannot see everything and be everywhere at once, in a partnership of such scale, but¡­you are correct, it would do much to allay our concerns. I will, however, have to use guild attendants for this.¡± He smiled. ¡°Their discretion is beyond question, and so is their loyalty to the guild. Furthermore, contrary to adventurers, they will not seek to enrich themselves by either selling information, or accepting monetary accommodations in exchange for temporary blindness.¡±


    Allya chuckled.


    ¡°The issue of adventurers being here mostly for the money is that they are eminently bribable? Alright, that should work nicely.¡±


    Starvak blinked, surprised, before quickly recovering, and Allya smiled internally. The guildmaster clearly hadn¡¯t expected her to simply roll with the suggestion that she might straight up bribe the observers, but he should know better by now. She really wasn¡¯t above doing that, and she wouldn¡¯t bring it up unless necessary. She wasn¡¯t going to deny it was on the table though.


    ¡°Right, excellent then.¡±


    ¡°Now that we have agreed on that, let¡¯s move on to the actual part of the proposal I wanted to discuss,¡± Allya said. The dwarf had the good grace to blush slightly. ¡°The small, separated dungeon floors Crystal has thought up, what do you think?¡±


    Starvak winced.


    ¡°In many ways, I don¡¯t like it. It would require a great number of entrances to guard for tax purposes and create that many more possible loopholes. And, not to put too fine a point on it, in terms of guild attendants I can either have them look over these entrances, or observe your alliance, but I won¡¯t have enough to do both.¡±


    Allya frowned but nodded. She¡¯d expected that. The guild only had so many people that worked for it directly after all¡ªhell, at the entrances the attendants were always backed up by adventurers hired through a recurring guild quest¡ªand although she was fairly sure Starvak hadn¡¯t worded it that way to get better terms on either the alliance or the new floors, it was still something to keep in mind. For that matter, guarding and ensuring order to that many entrances would put a significant strain on her badly depleted forces.


    ¡°Alright, I think I have the beginning of an idea that could help with this.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, the mesa is roughly circular, correct?¡± Starvak nodded. ¡°Then we could just¡­have a single entrance leading into a centralized hub of some kind and have the different ¡®mini dungeons¡¯ branch out from there, like spokes of a wheel. Preventing a single group from just doing them all in a single delve and thus nullifying the higher throughput might get a bit tricky, but Crystal already knows how to handle unruly adventurers, and since those mini-dungeons are intended for the lower ranks, she should be able to handle them without too many problems, correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Starvak leaned back, stroking his mustache. ¡°Just might work. It would still increase our workload, as there would still be two entrances, with all of the issues coming with that. But if Crystal agrees to take on some of the policing burden, it will simplify things greatly and keep most, if not all of the advantages of that particular model.¡± He nodded, slowly at first, then faster and faster. ¡°Yes, yes, that would work quite nicely indeed! Provided of course, that Crystal accepts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact her and arrange a meeting. And while she doesn¡¯t like handling unruly adventurers,¡± to say the least, given their last conversation, ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure that some of her mines would do the trick. She hasn¡¯t been shy about using them to punish adventurers breaking the rules after all!¡±


    Starvak winced slightly. The first instances of people running into the mines falling from the ceiling when adventurers attempted to steal the second floor¡¯s treasure chest had been¡­interesting. But it had gotten the point across quite effectively, and when word got around that trying to force the elevators had similar results, the message had gotten through to the adventurers: mess with the dungeon, and the only thing you¡¯ll get is a painful death.


    Not to mention the dungeon¡¯s little self-destruct trick had more or less engraved that in adamantium in the adventurers¡¯ minds.


    Of course, the problem was that while this had been hammered quite thoroughly into their present adventurers, it wouldn¡¯t be in the vast masses incoming from the large land caravans making their way towards the town. That promised to be a¡­less than pleasant experience.


    ¡°True, true. Let us just hope that the message gets across quickly, as you know as well as I do that some fools will try it.¡±


    Allya shrugged.


    ¡°Pushing the boundaries is what adventurers do. No one said it would be only in terms of exploration.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one way to see it,¡± Starvak said with a smile. ¡°Still, I¡¯d rather they kept from pushing that particular boundary too hard, if that¡¯s all the same to you. Crystal has more than amply demonstrated, I believe, that she isn¡¯t to be taken lightly, and that her patience has its limits. I would like to avoid seeing that threshold crossed again.¡±


    ¡°Oh believe me so do I guild master, so do I.¡±


    *****


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not a bad idea,¡± Alexandra said through her golem as she looked at Allya. ¡°It would force me to put some security systems in place, but it would also enable a central elevator, which would greatly simplify things if I had to add more floors to my dungeon. And I believe I will eventually. Plus, having a central area will enable me to replicate the entrance hall, and have a quest board everyone will see as well!¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll put it in place?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be for the best. But.¡± Alexandra held up one of the hands of the golem she was possessing. ¡°And let me make this exceedingly clear. If I get too many accidents from idiots there, I might decide to simply stop resurrecting those that break the rules, to¡­drive the point home more forcefully, am I clear?¡±


    ¡°Crystal.¡± Allya chuckled. ¡°Sorry, I mean ¡®clear.¡¯ I suppose that saying doesn¡¯t really work when talking with you, huh?¡±


    Alexandra smiled, realized her body didn¡¯t have a face, and simply chuckled, the metallic sound reverberating oddly in her empty entrance hall. Despite its damage, it remained the best place to have meetings, especially as there was no way in hell she was allowing anyone outside of her advisor or her maids to get near her new core room!


    ¡°No, I suppose it doesn¡¯t. Oh, and if you could at least attempt to pass the word around to the adventurers, particularly the new ones when they arrive, I¡¯d be most grateful. A fair number of them might not listen, but some might, and at least it¡¯d be something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, but as you said some of these idiots won¡¯t listen, no matter how much we warn them.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be doing you a favor by removing them from the gene pool.¡± Alexandra mentally blinked¡ªsince her golem didn''t even have eyes, let alone eyelids¡ªas the baroness looked at her oddly. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­surprised you know what genes are, much less a gene pool.¡±


    Alexandra winced internally and forced herself to laugh.


    ¡°My advisor is a scholar first and foremost, Allya. And scientific knowledge is hardly exclusive to the Eris Empire!¡±


    ¡°Fair enough I suppose.¡± The baroness smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just too used to being in more backward countries, where the light of science is so often dim.¡± And the people uneducated barbarians. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that it isn¡¯t the case for you.¡±


    Far more than you could possibly know.


    ¡°My, the light of science is positively beaming here! I think you saw examples of that with my golems and contraptions.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have heard. Well, in that case, I¡¯ll leave you to it. Have a nice day, Crystal!¡±


    ¡°The same to you, Allya!¡±

 Chapter 87 - Labyrinth

    Chapter 87


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth.


    Small Floor Prototype.


    ¡°You know we¡¯re going to need a better name for those than ¡®small floors¡¯ at some point,¡± Alexandra said idly as she looked at the first room.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Emilia said, while darting worried looks at Sarah, who was standing behind her¡­with three golems ready to catch the vampire if she collapsed.


    If the maids had impressed Alexandra with their physical resilience, their mental fortitude¡ªand sheer pigheaded stubbornness¡ªhad amazed her. The only reason she¡¯d been able to keep the vampires in bed for so long was that she had some of her golems physically restrain them, and after they¡¯d broken a handful ¡®accidentally,¡¯ she¡¯d gotten down to the new infirmary herself and explained to them that Emilia was extremely sad seeing them wounded, and if they got out of bed and collapsed and hurt themselves further, they would have to console her if she cried.


    That had bought her a few days. Then Sarah had simply sat up and declared she was ready for duty, despite it having taken no less than three attempts for her to get upright and stay upright.


    So, Alexandra had caved, and authorized her to come, only if she had a small coterie of golems to lean on, if necessary, not to mention Jared unobtrusively waiting to leap to the rescue. The vampire maid had only smiled and commented that it made her feel like a princess, so she was perfectly fine with it.


    Alexandra hadn¡¯t been sure if the maid was joking or not, and quickly decided that she didn¡¯t want to know. The other maid, Ella was¡­simply too badly wounded to be getting up just yet, and she¡¯d wisely decided to stay in bed once Alexandra had agreed to have Sarah keep an eye on Emilia. The only thing she had asked for was a chemistry set, a supply of ingredients, and a golem to follow her orders, which Alexandra had been more than happy to provide. She didn¡¯t have all the ingredients¡ªor the equipment¡ªthe vampire wanted, but she was currently busy instructing one of her golems in the finer art of poison-making. Poisons that, she¡¯d noted, appeared to be specifically tailored for humans and giving the most horrific, painfully slow death possible.


    Needless to say, she was really going to pity the next Republic soldier or would-be core kidnapper that crossed the maid¡¯s path. Or not. She had a mean streak a lightyear wide, and right now if she had access to VX gas and some artillery she¡¯d happily send an expedition to the nearest Republic city¡ªErakis, was it?¡ªand send the Geneva Convention down the toilet.


    ¡°You can relax vampy, she¡¯s not going to vanish in a puff of smoke,¡± Alexandra said, before tapping her cheek with a finger as she contemplated her handiwork. ¡°What about ¡®the thousand steps,¡¯ with each having a name for their rank, like ¡®steps of clay¡¯ or ¡®steps of copper¡¯? For the name of these mini floors, I mean?¡±


    ¡°I am not that fussy! And it¡¯s pretty decent.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Alexandra shrugged. ¡°I think we¡¯re done with this one. It¡¯s tiny, but¡­I think it¡¯ll be appropriate for clay-level adventurers.¡±


    ¡°I think so too,¡± Emilia said, as she nodded. ¡°Only half a dozen rooms, each with just a handful of golems¡­not that different from the first third of the old first floor when you think about it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I mean that was the goal. Alright, so, next up.¡± Alexandra rubbed her hands together. ¡°The mines, and the labyrinth! Oh, this is going to be fun!¡±


    Emilia smiled as she saw the obvious joy her dungeon was having. Normally, she¡¯d have rolled her eyes and made a comment about the risk of explosions, especially for her core¡¯s concept of a ¡®labyrinth,¡¯ but not this time. To be honest she¡¯d been really worried from time to time after the attack. She knew dungeon cores were protective of their advisors, but Alexandra had that turned up to eleven. Whoever she had been before coming here¡ªand like her mother she was absolutely sure it wasn¡¯t who Alexandra had said she was¡ªshe¡¯d signed up for their ¡®star navy¡¯ out of a desire to protect people. Add to that a desensitized soldier, a streak of megalomania, and a love for explosions¡­


    It had worried her. A lot. But the dungeon core looked like she wasn¡¯t going to do something rash and was simply building up to protect them. She had decided not to comment on the self-destruct Alex had put into place or ask where the resources to build it had come from. It was clear the dungeon core had bamboozled her somehow, but that had saved her life, and almost certainly those of her maids. Ironically being crushed by rocks had been less lethal to them than staying under the influence of that vampire neutralizer¡ªwhich had the nasty ability to prevent resurrection to boot¡ªor a backup, had the core thieves had one.


    ¡°Just as long as she doesn¡¯t blow up her ¡®rearranging system¡¯¡­again,¡± Sarah muttered under her breath, and Emilia tried very hard not to laugh as Alexandra whirled around, and held her hand, index extended, just under her maid¡¯s nose.


    ¡°You¡­You!¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady? Did you hear anything, milady? Why, milady, I¡¯m sure it must have been your imagination, a poor, wounded maid such as myself would have never made such a¡­scathing comment about your prototypes¡¯ volatility and exemplary safety standards!¡±


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    Alexandra looked at the maid for a few seconds, before throwing her arms in the air and stomping off, grumbling loudly about being surrounded by ¡®sassy vampires,¡¯ and Emilia shared a smile with Sarah, before following the falsely irate dungeon. It felt good to have things back to normal.


    *****


    ¡°You know, when you said, ¡®one-hundred-room modular labyrinth¡¯ I imagined something¡­smaller.¡±


    Alexandra looked at her vampire advisor in disbelief.


    ¡°Vampy, my second floor was a ruined city a square kilometer in surface area. What in all the hells makes you believe I ever go for small when an alternative is available?¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this supposed to be a small dungeon floor?¡±


    ¡°It is but it is supposed to be the crown jewel! It has to be bigger than the others!¡±


    ¡°...I suppose that¡¯s fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And since the labyrinth only resets at midnight, it fulfills our part of the deal with the assault guild¡¯s leader. What was his name again, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Artok, I think. Beardy dwarf, plate armor, large war axe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, him. Although that description is basically all close-quarters dwarves.¡±


    ¡°Not really, there are some spellswords and seriously badass monks among them who eschew armor in favor of mobility. And don¡¯t discount rogues either.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± Alexandra nodded. Guess D&D or Tolkienesque stereotypes didn¡¯t really apply to a real fantasy world. Hell, she didn¡¯t even know if dwarves lived underground here! She¡¯d have to check that out actually, for all of the knowledge she¡¯d pestered Emilia about on this world, she knew surprisingly little about the species and variants of humanity inhabiting it. Probably because, down to a base level, they just seemed like normal people to her, and no more different from those that underwent extensive genetic engineering on Earth. But here they had developed societies based around those variations, so there might be some true cultural differences, alongside more mundane physical changes.


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    One day I¡¯ll actually start crossing stuff off of this list faster than I add them, Alexandra thought¡­knowing that it probably was never going to happen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask you more about dwarves someday,¡± she said, before looking up at her new ¡°floor.¡±


    A floor that currently was made up of a hundred ¡°boxes,¡± each twelve meters on a side with a gigantic hook on top and arranged in a gigantic square arranged in rows of ten, for a total surface area of 14.4 thousand square meters. Well, less if you took out the walls, but still. And all of that was at the bottom of a pit, with a gigantic crane, storage racks loaded with other ¡°room cubes¡± ready to be picked up and placed, or with enough room to place some of the cubes currently deployed for long term storage.


    She¡¯d originally had the idea for her fourth floor, a fully reconfigurable labyrinth she could build like some kind of giant Lego castle. She hadn¡¯t fully worked the idea out¡ªshe still lacked the tech to make it workable in three dimensions¡ªbut it was a start. A very good start.


    After all, with the algorithm remaking the entire labyrinth every day at midnight, it was an infinitely replayable floor, with unknown resources, loot, and danger.  Well, to some extent. A lot of the algorithm¡¯s job was to generate a new ¡°course¡± for the labyrinth, selecting rooms and their positions, as well as opening and closing doors linking said rooms to make sure all were accessible in one way or another and it was possible to clear the entire structure. Making it confusing and challenging as part of the program was just the cherry on top. At some point she was quite sure the guild would get to know all the rooms, but they¡¯d still be rearranged randomly, and she could add some new ones from time to time to keep them on their toes. Plus, it was an excellent way to set up experiments on ideas for later floors: just make a room and slip it into the queue! It wouldn¡¯t work for larger scale ideas, but still it was something.


    And, of course, it fulfilled the deal they had made with the assault guild. It provided a stable source of income, a need to map a small floor daily, and gave her a better chance to score some kills while seeming generous at the same time. After all, the rooms packed with loot might end up close to the entrance that day (not to mention they were already far more generous than the same type of rooms in the other ¡°thousand steps¡±). And with the reconfigurations, you wouldn¡¯t be able to plan and optimize to hell your delve, like so many adventurers had done for her old first floor. Adventurers weren¡¯t that different from soldiers in the sense that it¡¯s what you don¡¯t know, or didn¡¯t plan for, that kills you.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be happy to answer.¡± Emilia gestured at the giant crane in the ceiling. ¡°So, now that you have simplified your ¡®rearranging system,¡¯ what are the rooms you¡¯re planning on adding exactly? So far all of them are, well, pretty barren.¡±


    Alexandra smiled, and extended her hand towards Jared, who handed her a scroll of paper. The Earth-born took it, and holding the top edge, unceremoniously let the scroll drop and roll on the ground, unwinding the paper.


    Emilia watched the scroll as it bounced against her shoes, and then looked back up at the dungeon core.


    ¡°You seriously built a scroll just for this gag, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I always wanted to do that!¡± Alexandra chuckled as she gestured at the scroll and absorbed it. Better to take it away before Emilia started to question how much time she¡¯d spent practicing that move or making the scroll and paper that would fit perfectly and not break or tear during it. ¡°Alright, more seriously, here.¡± Jared handed a rather large notebook to Emilia, and the vampire girl¡¯s eyes began to widen as she flipped through it. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­a lot. Like, a lot.¡±


    ¡°Most of it is just random ideas, and I doubt we¡¯ll put all of them into action. After all, there¡¯s what, three hundred room ideas? We don¡¯t need that many at first! But we¡¯ll be able to put them into place over time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It might be better to only have the one hundred initial rooms being rearranged at the beginning as well, and no new ones being swapped in. I doubt the assault guild is going to be able to map out all hundred rooms in a single run, so it might be for the best to give them a few days to get settled in and comfortable before we start truly switching it up. That way more people will try to run the labyrinth, and more will fail.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent point vampy!¡± Alexandra smiled. ¡°Plus, if the assault guild can¡¯t map out the whole labyrinth every day, it might encourage other adventurers to take far more risks to sell their own, more complete map, to the rest!¡±


    ¡°Right. So, should we get started on those rooms?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Let¡¯s start with the more generic ones first. So, the one with the standard golems, I was thinking¡ª¡±


    ALERT: SENTRY GOLEM REPORTS: ANOMALOUS SURFACE ACTIVITY


    ¡°Oh for the love of the gods, what now?¡± Alexandra shouted, before popping into dungeon mode and jumping into the sentry golem.


    And she fell silent as she saw the surface dwellers of the town all assembling in one place¡­and the massive convoy of vehicles and people arriving from the wastelands.

 Chapter 88 - The Land Caravan

    Chapter 88


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth.


    City of Rebirth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Knight Captain, you¡¯re a sight for sore eyes,¡± Allya said, as she shook the knight¡¯s hand. ¡°Although I must say I didn¡¯t expect you to have quite that much company.¡±


    The captain smiled.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Baroness.¡± His face became grim. ¡°I just wish I¡¯d been here sooner.¡±


    ¡°We all do, Captain, but you¡¯re here in the end. That¡¯s what matters.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. As for the company, well¡­¡± The knight shrugged. ¡°A lot of the caravans kept pace with us. Probably figured that having a royal military unit close at hand would help. And I suppose it has. Although there aren¡¯t that many yet. Some caravans simply couldn¡¯t keep up, but they should be here in the coming days.¡± He frowned as Allya winced, her self-control slipping momentarily. ¡°Is something wrong, milady?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­yes. You see, Captain, we might need your troops for riot control.¡±


    The captain looked at her, startled. That was clearly not what he¡¯d been expecting, which wasn¡¯t surprising. He¡¯d been sent to counter a Republic incursion after all, his first thought had to have been to defend the town against enemies without, not civil insurrection from within.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°The dungeon was pretty much destroyed in the fight. The dungeon core is still there, but she blew her own dungeon to kingdom come in order to save herself.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­oh. OH.¡± Allya smiled sadly as she saw realization dawn on him. ¡°And all of those caravans are loaded with eager adventurers, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yep, hoping to make it rich from the dungeon, which just happens to be a pile of ruins right now.¡±


    ¡°I can see why that would be an issue, yes. Any chance that the dungeon will reopen soon? I can do riot control if necessary, but having troops in the streets, especially royal troops, is never a good idea, ma¡¯am, with all due respect.¡±


    ¡°Oh believe me I fully agree, and I hope it won¡¯t come to that, but I¡¯m not going to try to pressure the dungeon core. I have, however, communicated the urgency of the situation to her and she seems to understand. And, push comes to shove, we can distract the adventurers for a few days with setting up camp and briefings from the guild.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something, at least.¡± The captain shook his head. ¡°Regardless, I will report in and place myself and my men under the orders of the Knight Commander. Hopefully we won¡¯t have to intervene, but I will instruct my men to prepare their riot gear, just in case.¡±


    Allya smiled. It was a testament to their majesties¡¯ willingness to modernize the Asarian Royal Army that they even had nonlethal weapons and riot gear to begin with! Most nobles settled for soldiers armed with large sticks, and just cleared the streets with lethal force when that failed. They were a pale shadow compared to the Erisian riot gear and protocols, but they at least had something. Not to mention that the discipline of the knights meant they were unlikely to get ¡°overenthusiastic¡± as some troops tended to and start indiscriminately cracking skulls. The key in riot control was to disperse the riot, not break it through force. Otherwise, you only created more outrage to feed the next riot, and so on.


    ¡°Hopefully we won¡¯t need it, Captain. Hopefully.¡±


    *****


    Alexandra whistled softly as she watched the throng of people setting up camp in the town. She¡¯d known the land caravans would be big, but she¡¯d expected something the size of the caravan that had come during the monster attack, not¡­this. There had to be a few thousand people out there, at the very least. And this was only the first wave!


    ¡°I think we might want to accelerate the opening of the ¡®thousand steps¡¯,¡± Emilia said, as she looked at the screen from the command center.


    ¡°Yeah¡­agreed. Very much agreed. Alright, let¡¯s get it started. There are only a few things to hook up in the logistics area for the clay area to be ready, and we can finish the labyrinth during the night.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡±


    Alexandra stretched and popped into dungeon mode. Time for a bit of crunch.


    *****


    Allya smiled as Crystal¡¯s boss mob walked through the door to her office. Using the boss as the dungeon¡¯s messenger had become more and more common it seemed, and although she gathered a lot of looks from adventurers, especially the new ones, no one had dared to approach her. Probably had to do with the guild attendant escorting her, or the half dozen heavily armed guards. And there was no mistaking their body language for people escorting a prisoner instead of a VIP either. They knew that if that boss was harmed, horrible things were going to happen.


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    ¡°Well hello, Crystal!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Allya. I saw you had a bit of an¡­influx of new residents, shall we say?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s one way of putting it. I assume you have a particular reason for bringing it up? And, you know, coming here?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite simple really. Given the new arrivals, I felt it prudent to do a, ah, much-anticipated opening of the new mini floors, the ¡®thousand steps¡¯ we call them. So far only the clay-level section is ready, and it is fairly short, but it does allow for a group of adventurers to go through¡­every fifteen minutes.¡±


    Allya¡¯s eyes went wide. Fifteen minutes? That was a fourth of the interval that had been permitted on the main dungeon! Well, half if you counted the brief time where Alexandra had upped the frequency to test it out, but still! That was huge!


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­quite generous, and thoughtful of you, thank you!¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair, I do need to test the concept out, and I need the extra mana generation. Plus, it wouldn¡¯t do for the new, rowdy adventurers to riot and ruin the dungeon town keeping me ¡®fed,¡¯ now, would it?¡± She smiled. ¡°Also, I do hope that you have gotten the message across not to violate the rules. I have codified them at the new entrance just in case, because the consequences would be¡­severe.¡±


    Allya nodded. The new entrance had been built over a day ago, with Alexandra pointing out the exact spot in advance so they could set up a security checkpoint before it was dug out. There had been some excitement when that happened, but they had made a public announcement that it only meant that things were still a work in progress and the dungeon wasn¡¯t online just yet, so there had been no idiots attempting to get in. Well, that was until the new guys had arrived, but most of them were too busy pitching their tents, and aside from a few truly brain-dead morons who were going to end up doing community service for the foreseeable future, there had been no accidents.


    ¡°We have, don¡¯t worry.¡± She winced. ¡°Although how many of them truly listened or actually internalized it, I genuinely don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can only hope. Still, fair warning, I have built an internal security unit to deal with unruly behavior with lethal force. The insurance policy is back up, so I¡¯ll bring them back to life¡­once. That¡¯s as far as my patience extends.¡±


    The internal security unit, or just internal security, was something Alexandra had been planning for a while. It was basically straight up lifted from the way Arcadia organized her own corporate facilities, with a handful of very nice people in civilian suits telling you to behave if you did something wrong¡­and an entire squad of people in tactical gear to back them up the second fecal matter hit the rotary appliance.


    Or, although few people outside the government or Arcadia¡¯s inner circle knew it, when things truly went sideways there were several assault shuttles with combat androids in power armor ready to drop from low orbit on any Arcadia Systems site, with enough firepower to give even a EuroFed marine platoon a run for their money.


    So she¡¯d sent up a few standard golems, with a badge, for rapid deployment near every access to the dungeon from the logistics network¡­and an entire squad of modified royal guards to intervene if things went badly. Plus, her slowly increasing stock of combat golems in her newly rebuilt warehouses were a last resort.


    ¡°That is more than fair,¡± Allya said, as she suppressed a shudder. Having a security death squad stalking you through the dungeon, making sure you stuck to the rules was¡­not something she¡¯d rather dwell on. Still, at least it should allow other solutions than blowing people up, which seemed to have been what the dungeon core had resorted to every time. Well, that and making people breathe lethal powder with the lamps. ¡°Let us hope it doesn¡¯t come to that.¡±


    Crystal declined to respond, but her skepticism was plain on her face.


    *****


    ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± Allya said, as she stood on the podium, facing the vast crowd of assembled adventurers. ¡°For those of you who are new here, I am Baroness Allya Aub¨¦toile, the noble of these lands. This fine young lady,¡± she gestured at Pyn, ¡°is my knight, Pyn Windwrath.¡± There were a few catcalls in the crowd, some of them directed at her, and she had to remind herself that starting to crack skulls now would be a bad idea. ¡°And this is Starvak Estorius, adamantium-ranked adventurer and guildmaster of the adventurers guild.¡±


    The silence when she said that was absolute, and she could see the ones who had catcalled her closing their mouths and trying to disappear behind their comrades. Probably too late. She had little doubt the guildmaster had already taken careful note of them. After all, if they were stupid enough to do that, they¡¯d hardly do something saner when faced with the wealth and opportunities of the dungeon.


    ¡°We are here to make an announcement. As all of you know, the dungeon had to be destroyed in order to save the dungeon core from assailants.¡± There was a low growl through the crowd, particularly in the ranks of the ¡°old guard¡± of the adventurers, those who had arrived via airship and been here for weeks, and Allya had to suppress a smile. As much as they were here to exploit dungeons, the adventurers could create a strange sense of camaraderie with their source of income. Plus, some of them had died due to the attack that had pretty much been a distraction for the core kidnapping to take place. There was very little love lost between them and the Republic. ¡°Which has prevented dungeon delves as Crystal, the dungeon core, rebuilt. Well, I am here to tell you that this is no longer the case.¡± She held up her hands as the crowd roared. ¡°Let me finish!¡± Her voice boomed with her trained command tone, and the crowd subsided. There was definitely still chatter there, but at least she was audible. ¡°The main dungeon is still under repair. However, the dungeon has created smaller ¡®floors¡¯ called the ¡®thousand steps,¡¯ with each¡­ mini-dungeon, so to speak, dedicated to a specific rank in terms of difficulty. Right now, only the clay area will be available, although the dungeon core has told me she is working as fast as possible to bring more challenging areas online as soon as she can. Now, these areas work under different rules than usual, so make sure to listen to the attendants when they explain them or read the pamphlets if you consider signing up! Because believe me,¡± she smiled, and she saw a few in the front ranks almost take a step back at her wolfish expression, ¡°if you don¡¯t respect them, Crystal will send you out in a coffin. Don¡¯t believe me? Ask around about what happened to the last group of people who tried to mess with her. That is all.¡±


    She stepped down and walked away as the crowd dissolved into a chattering human wave moving towards the guild hall.

 Chapter 89 - The Clay Step

    Chapter 89


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth.


    Alexandra shook her head as she looked at the screen.


    ¡°Gods, I knew they¡¯d suck but this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Pathetic?¡± Emilia offered as the Earth-born trailed off.


    ¡°To say the least.¡± Alexandra sighed in disgust and turned away from the screen showing the ¡°clay step,¡± her first mini-floor. For the first time in¡­ever, her standard golems had scored a kill. Multiple kills, as a matter of fact. And that was without counting the handful of martial golems dispersed throughout. ¡°I mean, the martial golems I can understand, but the standard ones? You can dodge their attacks so easily it¡¯s insane! Even I would have been able to do it before coming here, without using my implants!¡±


    ¡°You have to remember that most of these people just signed up to get rich quickly. Most of them just picked up a weapon from a store, paid the guild fee, and enrolled.¡± Emilia shrugged. ¡°The smarter ones trained like madmen on their way there, and tried to absorb everything they could learn from their more experienced fellows, the others¡­¡±


    Alexandra winced.


    ¡°Fair enough. Still, it¡¯s a sad spectacle.¡±


    ¡°It is. But hey, more essence!¡±


    ¡°For what little they had to begin with, I suppose so.¡± Alexandra sighed. ¡°No, you¡¯re right, it¡¯s still something, especially as this zone isn¡¯t exactly going to be killing anyone of a higher level anyway. Speaking of which, how are we doing with the resurrection room?¡±


    ¡°So far so good,¡± Emilia said, as she gestured at another screen, which she¡¯d been keeping half an eye on the entire time. Alexandra had started to realize that even with her increased capabilities, there was simply too much for her to keep track of, especially as she kept half of her attention on constantly rebuilding the dungeon. So she¡¯d started actively involving Emilia and her maids in keeping track of the adventurers, taking notes, and coming up with fixes and suggestions for the dungeon. Ella, especially, seemed to relish the distraction, although some of the ¡°suggestions¡± the maid had come up with would haunt the Earth-born¡¯s nightmares. If she slept and could have nightmares to begin with, that was. ¡°Surprisingly few of them tried to raise trouble, and for the most part, they appear to be perfectly content to sit there and cultivate. Some of them are also exceedingly surprised at how hospitable we¡¯ve proven.¡± Her face darkened. ¡°Given how many of them descended on the food we offered, I think some of them were starving.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­unfortunately not very surprising.¡± Alexandra looked at her advisor¡¯s gloomy expression, and reminded herself that despite the vampire girl coming from this world she was quite literally from an ivory tower in one of the more well-off, and overall kinder polities. Alexandra, however, had come from the mass-produced hab towers on Earth. She still remembered subsisting on government-provided emergency nutri-gel during her childhood and early teens. The reason she hadn¡¯t had to afterwards was thanks to Arcadia¡¯s orbital farms, which enabled the government to start providing every citizen with free pre-prepared ¡°meal packs,¡± which were a cross between an MRE and emergency food aid. There was a reason why despite building a monopoly in so many fields, the EuroFed government didn¡¯t dare attack Arcadia. There was simply far too much grassroots support for the AI. ¡°Well, at least with the amount of mana they just cultivated, it won¡¯t be a concern for them for a while.¡±


    Emilia nodded. After all, even without a single bit of loot, since they allowed all adventurers to stay an hour in the resurrection room to recuperate, even the most basic of cultivation techniques would allow them to cultivate three hundred mana or so, which was nothing to sneeze at. And the loot¡­well, the loot would be valuable, to say the least. In fact, a single look through the eyes of the sentry golems had shown the reaction of the new adventurers when the guild attendants outside told them the value of what they¡¯d acquired. It had been quite hilarious.


    ¡°I suppose not.¡± She sighed. ¡°I just hope we won¡¯t get some slave delves. Those can get nasty.¡±


    ¡°Slave delves?¡±


    ¡°Take a bunch of disposable slaves, fit them with punishment collars, and use them as ablative meatshields for the actual party. If they refuse to go forward? Shock them until they do or just kill them while they¡¯re stunned. It¡¯s widely used in the¡­less savory parts of the world. Which unfortunately does include the Asarian Kingdom. Well, at least in its eastern provinces. The rest of the kingdom still has slaves, but the royal family has frowned upon the practice for centuries now.¡±


    Alexandra¡¯s eyes twitched, and Emilia had to suppress a shiver as she saw something dark and cold behind her dungeon core¡¯s eyes. Sometimes the Earth-born terrified her. There was something¡­like someone else was there. Someone who was a monstrous echo of the warm, friendly woman she¡¯d come to know and yes, love.


    ¡°Well, let us hope no one tries to pull that off here. Because fair play or not, believe me, the team hiding behind the slave will not leave the dungeon alive.¡±


    Emilia nodded, before clearing her throat.


    ¡°So, about the iron step? Are you finally satisfied with the traps and the new golems?¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Yep.¡± When she¡¯d started working on the iron step, she¡¯d decided there needed to be a few traps to spice things up. The problem was that drop axes and spike pits were a staple, but not exactly dangerous to prepared opponents. Thus she¡¯d tried to create rooms and encounters around them, and to do that, she¡¯d created some low-level crossbow-wielding golems, which would serve as harassers and an incentive to rush in and brave the traps rather than take your time after drawing in and taking out the melee golems. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it should help with the traps being less thoroughly obsolete than her old ones had been on the first floor. ¡°Just need to finish the logistics area and forges to equip the golems, and we should be good to go!¡±


    ¡°Good! Because I think the higher-level adventurers are getting a bit frustrated out there.¡±


    Alexandra chuckled. There had been a basically permanent crowd of adventurers camped near the entrance, for whatever reason, and the higher-level ones were looking fairly unhappy, to say the least, especially as the adventurers guild had decided to allow mainly low-level adventurers into the clay steps.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s give our resident baroness a hand, and augment our mana income at the same time then! Man, I love civil service when it means lining my pockets!¡±


    Emilia giggled, then laughed out loud at her dungeon¡¯s antics, Sarah chuckling behind her. She might be worried about those¡­darker moments of her dungeon core, but Alexandra was still the same woman she knew.


    *****


    ¡°So, is the new dungeon floor to the guild¡¯s liking?¡± Allya asked as she leaned back into her seat.


    ¡°You could say that, yes,¡± Dominique answered, settling down on the chair in front of the baroness¡¯ desk. Allya had been a bit surprised by Starvak¡¯s choice of ¡°observer¡± for the military alliance with the dungeon, but pleasantly so. She knew and trusted the attendant, and moreover, she was generally pleasant to be around. Overall, it could have been way worse, and the upside of having a permanent guild attendant at hand was that she could serve as a liaison for more mundane matters, which was nothing to sneeze at given how busy Starvak usually was. ¡°There have been some complaints from some of the adventurers, especially about how short the delves were, or the fact that the doors prevented you from backtracking, but those worthy souls¡¯ criticism had a tendency to fall silent once they were made aware of how valuable the loot was.¡±


    Allya smiled. ¡°Valuable¡± was an understatement. There were about a dozen golems in the clay step, and the parts from each of them were worth six hundred to a thousand mana. And if you grabbed the whole golem and kept it relatively undamaged it could go up to three thousand! Also, given how short the delve was, and the fact that you had a dedicated horizontal elevator to bring you back to the entrance when you were done, it was a lot more feasible to bring back the whole golems, at least from the final fight, than it used to be. That meant, on average, about ten thousand mana was earned by adventurers per delve in terms of loot, even counting those that got absolutely wrecked early on, and the ones that dragged every golem body out earned even more. That was¡­absurd. At a rate of one party every fifteen minutes, they were only five thousand mana short of the forty-five thousand mana per delve, and thus per hour, average they used to have from the main dungeon. And that was one of those mini floors!


    ¡°Yes, especially as the value doesn¡¯t seem to be going down.¡±


    Dominique nodded, although she looked fairly confused, and Allya smiled internally. She hadn¡¯t expected that, but when Melia had explained it to her it made perfect sense.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand why, but yes.¡±


    ¡°I had one of my advisors explain it to me, and honestly it makes perfect sense. See, when those golem parts are sold off, most of them are used to build new golems, when we don¡¯t ship an already repairable golem. Once those golems are created, their very existence creates demand. You need maintenance, spare parts, and replacements when some fall, which means they still need more parts.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but wouldn¡¯t you flood the market with golems, and drop the price regardless?¡±


    Oh yes, we are. And it is going to change the continent, Allya thought. Slavery had always been used throughout the continent¡ªalthough the Republic was careful not to call it that¡ªexcept in Tark because it was cheap, disposable labor. With golems to replace that¡­


    But the attendant didn¡¯t need to know that or worry herself about it.


    ¡°No. Because there is always far more demand for cheap labor, especially disposable labor, than even Crystal could possibly fill, even if she just handed us the golems intact. There is always a need for workers for the mines, the farms, or the lumber mills. And a great many of those occupations are dangerous, by their very nature or because of the monsters that haunt the land. Thus, having golems do them makes perfect sense, and we will always need more, if only just to replace those that fall.¡±


    In fact, it was something that pretty much held the entire Eris Empire up. Yes, it practically enslaved the outer protectorate, but the Erisian Imperial Army and the megacorporations brought with them legions of golems to reconquer the wilds and the wastelands, thin out the monsters, and turn once abomination-infested hellscapes into habitable land. Not to mention bringing with them knowledge, medical technology, and agricultural techniques that made everything these lands had known before pale by comparison. It was a frail shield before the atrocities perpetrated by the Empire to keep control over those lands, but it was something.


    ¡°So no, we cannot flood the market, the fact being that the more we put in the more the market grows to absorb those golems.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t people just¡­mass produce them? I mean doesn¡¯t supply expand to meet demand normally?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­unless you run out of trained personnel. To put it simply, golem parts require skilled artificers to manufacture, which requires years to decades of training and experience. Even Erisian factories are limited by that, even with the simplest and most standardized pieces. Putting them together though? It only requires some schematics and an instruction manual. Hell, the Eris Empire¡¯s final assembly of golems in the factories is handled by other golems! So that¡¯s why golem production has been kept low; there just have never been enough artificers. You can view it like blacksmiths being the bottleneck until foundries and factories came to be.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I guess we found our equivalent of the foundry then, no?¡±


    Allya nodded, although that wasn¡¯t quite true. Dungeons had always been a loophole. And a foundry for golems¡­she tried to imagine a gigantic machine, building golems automatically, which would go on to build more assembler machines, and she shuddered internally. If such a thing existed, she didn¡¯t know what would happen to the world. The power of the person possessing it would be unlimited. But that was unlikely to happen. The scholars called it the beginning of a ¡°technological singularity,¡± and only a madman¡ªor woman¡ªfrom the Old World would have the knowledge to build such a thing.


    Little did she know¡­

 The Fallen World Book 4 : Dungeon War is live on Amazon !

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    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 4 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon War, is now available on Amazon ! It should be the 26th on the entire planet and thus the book should be available everywhere ! It is available in ebook and paperback format. If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Here''s the link to the book''s amazon page if you''re interested : https://geni.us/FallenWorld4</a>


    If you buy it, don''t hesitate to leave a review. You guys know I rarely ask for that and am hugely uncomfortable doing so, but it would really help the story a ton. Thank you.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The novel includes chapters 86 through 136, for a total of 120k words, or 487 pages worth of text for the novel. The entire novel has undergone a few edits, plus the usual mass of edits and corrections to make the novel more readable. Chapter 90 through chapter 136 have been taken off of Royal Road, but chapters 86 through 89 remain, alongside interlude 7, and have been updated with the novel''s edited and corrected text.


    There is also a sale going on for the kindle version of book 1, 2 and 3 in the US and UK amazon marketplaces ! All three novels will be at less than a single dollar or pound until the 30th !


    To celebrate the launch (as well as the sale), chapters 146 will be posted tomorrow, and chapter 147 will be posted on thursday !


    I also got some nice promotional art for the launch and the sale :


    </a>

 Christmas Special 2022

    Chapter ???


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Workshop


    Emilia sighed as she neared the workshop. She''d been spending some much needed time with her recovering maids, as well as placing some calls home when her dungeon core had asked for her to come to the workshop.


    Usually she''d just be curious, but¡­CQ was in there alongside Alexandra, and whenever the Earth-born got together with their daughter they could get up to some pretty monumental shenanigans. Besides, today was Christmas of all days and-


    Emilia''s thoughts came to a screeching halt as she entered the workshop.


    "Merry Christmas !" Yelled Alexandra and CQ in unison.


    "What¡­Did you girls do ?"


    "Why, it''s quite simple !" Exclaimed Alexandra, smiling widely. "It has come to my attention that last year we did cover the second floor with snow, and had santa golems going around, but we forgot one crucial detail ! The sleigh ! Thus I believed we ought to do better this time around and this should help deliver our, ah, ''gifts'' to the adventurers."


    Emilia opened her mouth, then closed it. The¡­The thing was indeed mounted on metal runners, but ''sleigh'' wouldn''t have been the first thing to come to mind when describing it.


    ''Battle tank'' or ''moving fortress'' would have been a better term. It looked like a giant box of wrought iron armor plating with spears and crossbows pointing in every direction, alongside several scorpios mounted on top, all manned by various flavors of CQ''s Royal Guards¡­decked out with Christmas hats and fake beards, because of course they were.


    And unless she was seriously mistaken they had been busy trying to wrap it in tinsel and¡­were those bauble themed hand grenades ?


    "You can''t be serious ! What are you even going to use to draw it ?"


    "These !" Alexandra made a gesture, and Emilia almost took a step back as something moved out of from behind the sleigh. "My latest prototype, the reindeer centaur golem !"


    Emilia licked her lips as she looked at the thing. It looked like¡­it looked like someone had taken a standard golem and slapped the vague approximation of a reindeer''s rear end on it. It still had its humans style legs by the Gods !


    "And these things¡­work ?"


    "If we have enough of them, yes ! They can also use weapons while moving the sleigh, so we basically have a cavalry charge and a war machine in one !"


    "And you''re planning on indiscriminately unleashing it onto the second floor ?"


    "Yep ! Moved some of the ruins and altered it so it can move pretty much anywhere. I also loaded the interior with loot. See it like a robbery ! You know, on those armored cars banks use to move valuables around ?"


    "Armored carts. And what''s the point exactly ?"


    "I promised CQ I would take her sledding, the prototypes of which eventually turned into this, since she thought a moving castle would be kind of cool, and things went from there. What do you think ?"


    "As far as one of your ideas go, it''s not that far fetched." Some of the stuff Alexandra had tried in the past had been¡­interesting, and the dungeon core had a tendency to think big. "Are you going to post a quest about it ?"


    "Yep ! And encourage them to bring large parties. I don''t think even a standard party of silver ranked adventurers could beat this thing." Alexandra smiled, followed quickly by CQ, and once again Emilia was struck by how eerie the resemblance could be at times. Not just in terms of appearance -CQ looked like a smaller, younger version of Alexandra''s avatar after all-, but in terms of mannerisms. "We''re about to run a test. Interested ?"


    "Yes. If only to keep you two intact when it inevitably explodes."


    *****


    "I''m sorry, she did what ?"


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Allya idly wondered if her resident dungeon core was going to pull off a stunt like that every Christmas as Starvak sighed and finished sitting down in front of her desk.


    "Crystal has made another Christmas event, or so it seems. The first reports have been¡­Delayed. Actually, we had to wait for the people from the first group to recuperate from their resurrection and exit the dungeon to get anything."


    "And ?"


    "There is some kind of cavalry unit and a massive iron juggernaut of a sled on the second floor, which has once again been covered in snow. There''s supposed to be some kind of treasure hidden in it, but it''s absurdly resilient."


    "Wonderful, like if those ''spider tanks'' of hers weren''t enough." Said Allya, before hiding a frown. Actually, if the dungeon core was experimenting with armored vehicles¡­this might be a prelude to a battle tank of some kind. That would be useful in the fight against the Republic.


    Of course they could hardly cover the wasteland in snow to charge at their enemies on sled, although she supposed that would be an unpredictable tactic, if a completely stupid one.


    "Well, it has my guild''s interest piqued. There is also snow present in the labyrinth and the steps, but beyond some quests and odd loot no major changes there."


    "I assume adventurers are trying to find a solution ?"


    Starvak chuckled.


    "Milady, adventurers delight in challenges and hate to miss out. This has most of them on overdrive. Since Crystal has been kind enough to announce larger groups would be necessary, a true raid group is being formed to take on the juggernaut !"


    "In other words you''re forming a giant horde of adventurers to take it down through sheer numbers."


    "Yes. But I doubt she will mind."


    "Given the amount of people that are going to get resurrected, probably not." Allya shook her head. "Well, this has been as interesting as ever. Do keep me updated on what is found down there. If nothing else, at least I won''t be surprised if I see groups of adventurers wearing pumpkins on their heads. Again."


    Starvak chuckled. The previous halloween and its requirements that everyone had to wear a pumpkin and face the consequences had been¡­interesting.


    "Of course milady."


    *****


    "Well, they got it in the end." Said Alexandra as she looked at the wreckage of the armored sled.


    "They literally threw so many fireballs at it that they melted through the armor."


    "That''s perseverance."


    "No, it''s overkill."


    "Maxim 37 vampy: there is no overkill, only ''open fire'', and ''I need to reload'' "


    "Maxim ?"


    "The seventy maxims of the maximally effective mercenaries. Something from a comic from Earth."


    "Never took you one to like mercs or comics."


    Alexandra chuckled.


    "You''d be surprised. But more seriously, I''m fairly sure those fireballs were a curse more than a boon, the superheated steam from the snow they hit harmed their forces as much as the fireballs harmed the sled. And that''s not mentioning what happened when the centaur reindeer got loose."


    If she''d ever had any doubts about making a cavalry unit, they were dispelled now. She didn''t really have the resources or time to make it effective cavalry -the golems barely worked as it was and were completely unarmored, as they couldn''t support the weight-, but combined with the mist that had enveloped the whole area once the steam had cooled down, the centaurs had reaped a bloody harvests among the adventurers, wheeling in and out of combat, appearing and striking within a second, then vanishing back into the mists.


    Mmmhhhh¡­something to think on for the third floor''s challenge rooms.


    "Well, in any case." Continued Alexandra as she clapped her hands. "You and I promised to race CQ on sleds once the day was gone, and the last adventurers just left the resurrection room. Ready to get destroyed now that you don''t have your maids to help you ?"


    Emilia''s smile went from genial to downright terrifying.


    "Oh don''t believe that I can''t beat your ass alone spacegirl. Snow is a novelty to you, I was born in it."


    "Let''s see if you have the talent to back up those words then !"


    *****


    "You cheated !" Said Emilia, stomping towards Alexandra''s avatar.


    "There was no rules against using rockets !" Retorted the Earth-born.


    "Yeah, because it seemed obvious." Emilia shook her head, looking at the pile of burning wreckage. The dungeon core had decided to give herself an extra boost right before the finish line.


    Only problem was the sleigh hadn''t stopped at the finish line, and neither had the rockets. There was now a sizeable dent in one of the sides of the challenge temples, and what little remained of the sleigh was happily burning.


    "Well I-"


    "CLEAR THE WAY !"


    Alexandra realized too late she was still standing on the track when CQ''s sled rounded the corner at full speed.


    *****


    "Feeling better ?" Asked Emilia, a twinge of concern in her voice, although there was definitely mirth in her eyes.


    Alexandra winced as she rubbed her forehead. Fortunately, it turned out her avatar was very tough.


    Unfortunately, she was also not that heavy, and had ended up flying across the floor and straight into the burning wreckage of her own sled from the impact.


    Her avatar could regenerate from a lot, but it was still¡­unpleasant. At least CQ was unharmed, she''d simply teleported off of her sled right before impact. And laughed her ass off. She''d also made some...Interesting suggestions for the next Christmas, provided that her pet manticore grew up large enough by then.


    "Yeah. I''ll live."


    "I don''t doubt it, given the fact that your core isn''t here. So, you said you had a finale planned for the end of the night ?"


    "Oh ! Right." Alexandra smiled. "Let''s go to the command center. I''ve had something special in mind for a while¡­"


    Emilia tilted her head, but the Earth-born refused to elaborate.


    It only took them a few minutes to make their way to the command center, and Emilia stopped as she looked around. It was¡­a platform, suspended inside a giant sphere of screens, showing the outside of the dungeon, from somewhere on top of the mesa.


    "How¡­did you even do that ?" Asked the vampire girl in sheer awe.


    "The screens themselves had no technical limitation on how to do it. Problem was linking several golems and collating their feeds together into something coherent. I''ll revert it back the way it was however, as this is a bit¡­distracting however" Alexandra looked at Emilia, smiling. "Now, vampy, I believe we are approaching midnight. I know you have a spell to tell the time, do you mind putting up a clock ?"


    "Uh ? Sure." A quick incantation, and the hologram of a clock appeared. There were only a few minutes left to midnight, and they chatted while waiting, Alexandra deflecting every attempt to extract from her what the hell she was planning, the best Emilia got was ''it''s a surprise''.


    Then at last, midnight hit.


    And Alexandra snapped her fingers.


    For a second, nothing happened.


    Then a trail of sparks and flame rose from the mesa.


    Then another.


    And another.


    Before long pillars of flames ascended from all over the mesa, and the first began to explode in colorful bursts of sparks and twinkles.


    "Fireworks ? How did you even do that ?" Yelled Emilia, over the cacophony, faithfully replicated from what the golems were hearing, resounded throughout the command center.


    "I asked Ella for help ! She found a way to add some color effects to my gunpowder ! And I modified rockets and RPG prototypes to serve as the launchers ! The RPGs just have spark fountains stuck to their rears though, since they''re gravity propelled. Do you like it ?"


    "I love it ! But what is the town going to think ?"


    "I don''t know, but I''d love to see Allya''s face right about now !"


    *****


    Allya gazed upon the fireworks show, and had to stop herself from swearing. Oh, it was very, VERY pretty, but if she found the adventurer who had gotten the dungeon core gunpowder, she would obliterate them.


    "Come on, don''t look like that, it''s the holidays !" Said Pyn as she hugged her girlfriend from the side.


    Allya sighed, and rolled her eyes.


    "Fine." She laid her head on her girlfriends'' shoulders, and watched the fireworks.

 Great Archives - Character List

    Note : This list is non exhaustive, and while I will try to group characters together, I won''t bother with putting them in alphabetical order. If there is any character who isn''t on this list, and you would like to be on it, don''t hesitate to ask in the comments.


    Name : current occupations/background


    <u>Protagonists :</u>


    Alexandra Rousseau : Dungeon Core / EFSN Lieutenant-Commander, Engineering specialty, [REDACTED]


    Emilia Von Oswald : Dungeon Advisor and combat mage / Daughter to the duke and duchess of the Western Marches.


    Allya Aub¨¦toile : Baroness and Knight Valiant / Used to be an Erisian noble and one of the heirs of the powerful Aub¨¦toile dynasty, used to be an assassin in Trira''s sect.


    Pyn Windwrath : Knight and ranger / Ran from her home due to stealing her enchanted armor and bow.


    <u>Rebirth''s Council :</u>


    Anders Stevnor : Security chief and guard commander / Hails from the Far Reach, veteran of multiple wasteland expeditions.


    Melia Alira Estuaire Nuage : Economic advisor and liaison with Elkaryos and Rapier Industries / Dark elf hailing from the dark elf kingdom of Arsir, ex senior manager of Rapier Industries'' procurement division.


    Willard Estogan : Advisor and liaison with the duchy of Sarth / Duke Estogan of Sarth''s nephew.


    Ellyana Lorien : Alchemist, New Raleigh Special Operative / Graduate of the university of New Raleigh, fanatical follower of Rook the Sunderer.


    Eismi Lorien : Artificer, New Raleigh Special Operative / Graduate of the university of New Raleigh, fanatical follower of Rook the Sunderer.


    Philia Elcanor : Knight-Commander of the Royal Asarian Army, military advisor and commander of the Rebirth Royal Garrison / Combat veteran of multiple Saphire Kingdom border skirmishes, detached from the Asarian royal knight guard regiment.


    Calder Eldmur : Captain of the expeditionarry cruiser Alberta, liaison with the city''s airships / Ex-naval captain and a veteran of wasteland expeditions. Renowned for his fearlessness and ''creative'' tactics.


    <u>Allya''s bodyguards :</u>


    Ostroh Valker : Bodyguard / Ex-Darthar guard sergeant.


    ¨¦clair ¨¦toile-Scintillante : Bodyguard / Ex-Darthar SWAT corporal, ex-Erisian Special Operations Bureau Operative, ex-Erisian Autonomous Threat Removal Bureau Operative.


    Rogard Aulrock : Bodyguard / Ex-Darthar guard private.


    Steve Nottingham : Bodyguard, Royal Knight / Veteran of anti-insurrection operations in the Eastern dukedoms.


    <u>Western Marches :</u>


    Eternia Von Oswald : General, Duchess of the Western Marches / Renowned for conducting a blood ritual that killed a hundred thousand soldiers.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Sarah Leupold : Maid, Assigned to Emilia / Western Marches Special Operations Directorate direct action combat specialist.


    Ella Hartstein : Maid, Assigned to Emilia / Western Marches Special Operations Directorate assassin and counter intelligence specialist.


    <u>Rebirth Guard force :</u>


    Estar Hautmont : Lieutenant of the guard / Ex-Erisian revolutionary.


    Sarkov Mikaloiv : Sergeant of the guard / Ex-Omega Consortium private security.


    <u>Adventurer''s Guild :</u>


    Eriksen Dragonslayer : Guildmaster of Nardria, Adamantium rank / Integrated Alexandra into the adventurers guild, [REDACTED]


    Starvak Estorius : Guildmaster of Darthar, Adamantium rank / Stole an NLR core from under the noses several army from a forgotten vault of Orois.


    Dominique Bordeleau : Guild attendant, guild representative, Silver rank / Was one of the guild attendants who interacted with Alexandra, and a friend of Cassissa.


    Cassissa Elaria (real name Cassissa Lumi¨¨re) : Guild attendant, Mythril rank, Princess of the Eris Empire / Undercover as a lambda guild attendant under the tutelage of Eriksen, inducted Alexandra into the adventurers guild and almost got killed in the kidnapping attempt, Allya''s old love interest.


    <u>Merchant''s Guild :</u>


    Elkaryos Rapier : Master Merchant / Prot¨¦g¨¦ of Sseth, ex-Malachite rank adventurer.


    Sseth Tzeench of the House of Tach : Grand Merchant and undisputed leader of the Merchants Guild / Extremely old and powerful, renowned and feared the world over.


    Jeremy Vandelvar : Elkaryos'' butler and bodyguard / Ex-Malachite ranked adventurer, Elkaryos'' old teammate.


    <u>The Order to Restore Humanity :</u>


    Lesly Rubicon : Continental High Commander of Arkan, member of the High Council / Attempted to sacrifice Alexandra to ascend to dungeonhood, and got killed in the process. The Order thinks her plan worked and that she is still alive and currently the dungeon core known as Crystal.


    Joachim Eternel : Lord Commander of the Arkan Action Arm / Helped in kidnapping Alexandra, promoted to coordinate Lesly''s grand plan.


    Esteria Ouragan : Major of the Arkan Continent Intelligence Arm / An experienced diplomat adept at forming webs of spies and contacts, each thinking they report to another country''s intelligence agency or private commercial interests.


    Kalbir Volun : Lady Commander of the Arkan Expeditionary Arm / A veteran dungeon delver and ruin explorer, recruited by the Order after she saved one of their expeditions from certain death.


    Gregor Surevoie (codename Voldenvail) : Order special operative / Joachim''s old seminary friend.


    Aline Horizon (codename Serabor) : Order special agent / Assigned to Lesly''s plan. Veteran of several Order Old World ruins exploration expeditions.


    Sylvia Hiddenvale (codename Iknor) : Pirate captain, Order special agent / Assigned to Lesly''s plan. Pyn''s ex-girlfriend.


    Maria Lavaland (codename Salter) : Pirate executive officer, Order special agent / Assigned to Lesly''s plan. Sylvia''s long time friend and companion.


    Corson Nalvani : Joachim''s secretary / Never saw action, despite high combat test scores, thanks to his incredible organizational skills.


    Assaria Novalka : Mercenary Commander, Neonite / Not technically part of the Order, but has been hired to do many sensitive missions on their behalf. Captured Alexandra and enslaved her party.


    <u>Elkis Republic :</u>


    Orzal Vek : Elkisian Republican Army special operations colonel / A pure carrierist, his ascension was helped by his remarkable loyalty and reliability to the Senate, although some suspect it was born out of opportunism rather than true fealty. Known for his concern for his men, which in returns inspires a great deal of loyalty from his troops.


    Charles Neumen : Elkisian Senator / Descendant of a powerful dynasty that was almost destroyed after the failed invasion of the Far Reach. Hellbent on restoring his dynasty to greatness, no matter the cost. Has distant contacts in the Order thanks to one of his ancestors having been a high ranked officer in the nebulous organization.


    Volkar Zonran : Elkisian Senator / Member of a powerful dynasty whose territory are near the border with the Tarkian Hegemony. Extremely worried about a possible Tarkian invasion.


    Arianna Valorkin : Elkisian Senator / Member of a minor dynasty, effectively a mercenary ally of the Neumen dynasty through economic ties.


    Alvin Loranbor : Elkisian Senator / The head of the most powerful dynasty in the Republic, effectively owning the entire city of Elkis and having a stranglehold on the strategic industries and agricultural interests of the Republic''s inner core. Renowned for his and his ancestors'' cruelty and barbarity.


    Aubriana Deepwilds : Elkisian Republican Army special operations captain / The head of Orzal''s 3<sup>rd</sup> platoon, a veteran of combat against Far Reach raids.


    Ostror Hektor (codename Diamond) : Elkisian Republican Army special operations sergeant / The head of Orzal''s ''deniable'' Jewels unit, owes the life of his parents to the Colonel''s intervention.


    [REDACTED] (codename Neptunite) : Elkisian Republican Army special operations intelligence gather operative / The spy of the Jewels unit, survived the events of Rebirth by cutting a deal with Allya and was given a new identity by Orzal instead of being executed.


    [REDACTED] (codename Opal) : Elkisian Republican Army special operations private / A standard soldier of the Jewels unit, survived the events of Rebirth thanks to Neptunite, and was given a new identity by Orzal instead of being executed.


    <u>Eris Empire :</u>


    Silvart Montuart : Autonomous Threat Removal Bureau Major / A friend of archduke Ostrar Armik, who obliged when he wished for his daughter''s murderer, Allya, to be assassinated.


    Valmer Aurore : Autonomous Threat Removal Bureau Captain / Major Silvart''s subbordinate and one of his closest confidants. Fully onboard with Allya''s assassination.


    Shimmer Framboise (Codename Seraik) : Autonomous Threat Removal Bureau Field Agent / One of the agents brought into major Silvart''s confidence. Almost assassinated Allya in Darthar.


    Ostrar Armik : Archduke of the Eris Empire / The father of Flora Armik, who was slain by Allya Aub¨¦toile in a duel. Has sworn revenge for his daughter''s murder.


    Flora Armik : Knight of the Eris Empire / Was Allya''s rival for princess Cassissa''s affections. Ended up in a lethal duel with her, and got her soul sealed by the Aub¨¦toile family sword, Starfall.


    Cassissa Lumi¨¨re : Princess of the Eris Empire / Was saved by Allya, and became friend with her. Tried to pair Allya with Flora, but her scheme backfired catastrophically, ending in Flora''s death. Has been racked with guilt ever since. Went incognito as a guild attendant under Eriksen Dragonslayer''s protection, and was almost killed by the Order when attempting to protect Alexandra.

 Chapter 137 - Overload

    Chapter 137


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    City of Rebirth


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Raika asked as she sat down next to Alyssa.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live,¡± the healer said bitterly, before giving her party leader a weak smile. ¡°Seriously Raika. You don¡¯t need to hover constantly. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The young woman sighed, and gave the healer a firm nod, with only a slight glance at her missing arm. The arm the healer lost trying to defend their extradimensional party member from their new ¡°masters.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She rubbed her neck, and gazed at the warehouse currently serving as their home. At least they had the courtesy of small cubicles with curtains for a semblance of privacy, which was a lot better than what they usually got.


    Raika sighed, and sat up, walking onto the warehouse floor, and beelining to Fernand¡¯s little alchemical workbench.


    Inevitably, he was there arguing with one of the mercenaries. As soon as their ¡°masters¡± had figured out he could make health potions, they¡¯d put him to work right away. Since then, well, mercenaries being mercenaries, several of them had asked for¡­specialty items. A lot of the money they¡¯d stashed away in preparation for an eventual escape came from manufacturing narcotics of various kinds, and they had gotten quite a few minor favors and upgrades to their living conditions thanks to some of the more powerful potions he¡¯d brewed, like strength or dexterity enhancers.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on here?¡± Raika said as she approached them, hand on the pommel of her sword. The mercenary looked at her, snarling.


    ¡°Stay the hell out of this, slave. Your darling little alchemist here¡ª¡±


    The mercenary flew back at least three meters as Raika¡¯s fist smashed into his jaw, and the party leader dropped to the ground, screaming in agony as her slave tattoos and the magic contract exerted their influence, punition protocols taking hold.


    The mercenary jumped back up, fury in his eyes¡­and stopped as one of his officers audibly racked her pistol.


    ¡°I think, Private, that you have misunderstood the commander¡¯s instructions. When she said to stay civil, and not attack our¡­auxiliaries, that meant treating them as our¡­comrades.¡±


    ¡°But, Lieutenant¡ª¡±


    ¡°Private, you have been in our company for less than a month, and this is already your third disciplinary issue. If I ever, and I mean ever, see you try to pull the same shit again, it will be the last one. Call them whatever you want in the privacy of your own head. But as far as everyone is concerned, especially the slaver-hating psychotic maniac that owns the fucking town and rules it with an iron fist, they. Are. Our. Comrades. Is that understood?¡±


    The mercenary swallowed, and saluted.


    ¡°Y-Yes, Lieutenant!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The officer nodded at the door. ¡°Dismissed.¡±


    Taking the hint, the soldier walked out, but threw Raika a few glances that left her with little doubt that this wasn¡¯t over.


    ¡°Thank¡­you¡­¡± Raika gasped out as Fernand knelt by her and the officer walked over, gratefully taking her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Sometimes the new guys need some hammering. Besides, we¡¯re ¡®comrades,¡¯ right?¡±


    The officer¡¯s voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Raika nodded. She and the other ¡°auxiliaries¡± had been advised to keep their mouths shut for their stay in Rebirth. The commander had made it clear that they might manage to warn the town¡¯s government of what was going on...and if that happened none of them would survive. She¡¯d even forced bracelets upon them that would seal their souls upon death to further make the point.


    Had it been only her¡­ She¡¯d have done it in a heartbeat. But she wasn¡¯t going to doom her party.


    So she nodded, and kept her feelings to herself, while burning fury went through her.


    All in due time, as her old trainer would have told her.


    All in due time¡­


    *****


    Alexandra sighed as she sat down in the command center, cradling her head.


    Even with the communicators, trying to run her infiltration operations and the various day-to-day tasks she still had to handle, even with Seraph more or less taking over the dungeon, was a massive strain. Especially as the damned mercenaries had no documents indicating where these ¡°auxiliaries¡± were kept, and despite knowing the warehouse belonged to Sarth merchant combine¡­ Well, she couldn¡¯t exactly ask to access the town¡¯s registry for the warehouses! Besides, it wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d have the origin of the merchant house written on the registry either. So she¡¯d been reduced to a broad sweep, and she only had the one true stealth golem so far. And after the adjudicator¡¯s little visit¡­she wasn¡¯t going to take the risk of drawing attention to what she was doing by using her old infiltrators.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Alexandra felt a hand fall on her shoulder, and looked up, smiling faintly as Emilia looked at her worriedly.


    ¡°Heya vampy. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Me? Fine. But you¡­¡± Emilia sighed as she sat in front of the dungeon core. ¡°You¡¯re driving yourself mad.¡±


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    ¡°That would imply that I was sane from the get-go. Besides, there¡¯s always more work to be done!¡±


    Emilia snickered.


    ¡°You were always¡­eccentric, yes, but not crazy.¡± The vampire girl shook her head. ¡°And yes, there is. But you can¡¯t keep doing this.¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡±


    ¡°This!¡± Emilia gestured at the entire command center. ¡°You¡¯re trying to do five things at once, and what happened to your old team¡­it¡¯s eating away at you, I can see it. Quite frankly, I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s outright consuming you!¡±


    Alexandra blinked. How did the vampire know¡ª


    The workshop. There was no way she¡¯d have missed the new infiltrator under construction. And once it was gone from there¡­well, it didn¡¯t take much to put two and two together.


    Alexandra sighed.


    ¡°Look, vampy, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alexandra recoiled as the vampire girl was suddenly in her face. ¡°You. Cannot. Keep. Doing this to yourself! CQ, our daughter, is worried about you! Everyone is! For the love of the Gods, Ella is worried! Ella! And she¡¯s a sociopath!¡± The advisor threw her hands up. ¡°It¡¯s so strong we can feel it through our link!¡±


    Alexandra swallowed, and sighed.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I get the point.¡± Especially about CQ. She was already feeling guilty enough having her daughter be a killing machine. The least she could do was be there for her and not make it worse! ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry. I just¡­I need to find them. They got crushed because of me.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ I can understand you feeling responsible, but this isn¡¯t normal.¡± Emilia said worriedly. ¡°You were with them for what? Three days? Four?¡±


    Alexandra chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah. Figured being made into a dungeon core made me a bit overprotective. Which is fine when it comes to protecting you and CQ, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It has side effects.¡±


    Emilia nodded, and Alexandra didn¡¯t mention the fact that said protectiveness, at least the artificial part, had been shut down. But her other self still had no clue what the hell made her so attached to her party.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah it does.¡± Alexandra took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try to¡­take a step back. And take my mind off of things for a bit.¡± It chafed, but she had time. For now, at least.


    ¡°Good.¡± Emilia pulled out her notebook, and Alexandra winced. ¡°Then how about we go and do the second-floor boss? After all, CQ will move to the third floor once it¡¯s done!¡±


    Alexandra blinked. Emilia must have really been worried if she wasn¡¯t going for design work, and instead steering her towards engineering.


    ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s see what we can come up with to ruin some silver ranks¡¯ day!¡±


    Emilia giggled.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±


    *****


    ¡°What do you mean it isn¡¯t possible?¡± Charles asked, fighting to keep his tone and expression in check.


    ¡°I mean it is not possible. At all.¡± Colonel Orzal Vek, of the Erisian Republican Army, sighed. ¡°The only result of such a maneuver would be certain death.¡±


    ¡°Because they are too incompetent to pull it off!¡±


    ¡°No, because they¡¯d wake up a sand kraken and get eaten! For the love of the Gods, sir, you fucking know this as well as I do! It¡¯s the damned reason why the Asarians never invaded after they took Darthar and you know it! Sending an entire army through this wasteland is a death sentence.¡±


    Charles leaned back in his seat, furious, and took a deep breath, reminding himself that not only was the colonel right, but the man also wasn¡¯t aware of how precarious their position was. Or perhaps he knew perfectly well, and was so certain in his belief that he was entirely unwilling to throw someone under the bus even to save himself.


    It sure as hell wasn¡¯t out of a sense of integrity at any rate!


    ¡°A good point. My¡­apologies, Colonel, but these are trying times. Then, if a direct action, at least for now, is not an option, what is?¡±


    ¡°Treachery.¡±


    ¡°Trying to overthrow the government? We have tried that already.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it did not end well. But, that is because we were doing it with commandos, and outside forces.¡±


    Charles leaned forward slightly.


    ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°I am implying that I have made contact with representatives of the duchy of Sunrise, and they would be interested in¡­a mutual partnership.¡±


    ¡°Sunrise?¡± Charles looked at him, stunned for a second, before laughing out loud. ¡°Those snakes would never ally themselves with us! Not truly anyway. They¡¯d just slice our throat as soon as we were done and take the town for themselves!¡±


    ¡°That would have been true¡­had the dungeon town not been a massive bastion of anti-slavery power for the monarchy, and the source of the golems that are currently swamping the market with them and making their stranglehold on power thanks to their cheap, disposable labor more tenuous by the minute.¡±


    Charles straightened up, suddenly taking the offer seriously.


    ¡°Elaborate.¡±


    ¡°Simply put, their offer is thus: We take Rebirth. If we manage to get to Darthar, we can keep it too. To help us do that, Sunrise will agitate for a removal of the current monarchs and establish a puppet in their own territory, claiming them as the ¡®true¡¯ king. When the loyalists¡ªand their majesties¡ªinevitably rebel, they¡¯ll start a civil war, and take over, which will start a conflict inside Rebirth itself that¡¯ll weaken the defenses. Might even enable us to take over without a fight.¡±


    If nothing else, once Sunrise started the atrocities they were bound to commit, and took over the Kingdom, he¡¯d be able to spin the Republic as the preferable option. Package that with some generous terms, and he could slide it to the baroness and the dungeon. Hopefully. Because he didn¡¯t truly expect any internal rebellion to succeed, and even cut off from royal support¡­ Well, Rebirth¡¯s main threat was the dungeon at this point, the royal troops barely even registered! It wasn¡¯t a good plan, but it was the best he could come up with under the circumstances. It would, if nothing else, at least give them a shot at it that might succeed instead of being absolute suicide.


    ¡°Then,¡± the colonel continued, ¡°once we are in control, we, as dastardly republican bastards, completely cut off the dungeon town commercially from Asaria, stopping the golems from flowing into the kingdom, and instead appropriate them for our own uses. And they not only give us one hell of a level of support and a distraction, but they also let us keep the damned place as long as we keep our end of the bargain and prevent the golems from threatening their supremacy.¡±


    ¡°That sounds...almost acceptable. What¡¯s the catch?¡±


    ¡°They need weapons. A lot of weapons. They have more warm bodies than they know what to do with, but Sunrise simply doesn¡¯t have the industry to arm them. Slaves make for great laborers, but poor technicians and mechanics. They have all the raw material extraction that they need, but they simply do not have the skilled¡ªand trusted¡ªlabor necessary to turn all of that ore into weaponry. Furthermore, the companies that could¡­well, they wouldn¡¯t touch a slaver hub with a ten-foot pole. They¡¯ll buy the ore from them no problem, but setting up in the duchy and risk losing access to their main markets in Asaria, Gorromar, and Tark? No way, no how.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Charles frowned. ¡°I do not know if we have enough weapons available¡­but I might be able to ask our dear corporate friends to help. As long as the payment is right. And if Sunrise is willing to sweeten the deal, if only for them, a little.¡±


    ¡°They pretty much figured that you¡¯d need help, and offered some¡­sweeteners indeed.¡±


    The colonel¡¯s tone set off alarm bells inside the senator¡¯s head.


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°The young, beautiful, enslaved kind.¡±


    Charles grimaced, but nodded. Sex slaves, wonderful. This just kept getting better and better¡­


    ¡°Even if they accept, that¡¯s going to take a lot of security to get through.¡±


    Which was the understatement of the century. Especially if the slaves were a bit too much on the young side. The Eris Empire tolerated slavery with one exception. Enslave children, and die, no exception. The First Empress had engraved it into the constitution with the blood of her own nobles who had dared defy that edict, and it was one the military actually enforced. And most of the world had followed suit, even the Republic.


    And it was something sensitive enough¡ªevery sane human being could relate to protecting kids¡ªthat if he was caught breaking it that damned senate inquiry would happen, especially given the currently highly sensitive context.


    ¡°Yes. Yes it will.¡±


    Charles winced internally at the colonel¡¯s tone, but dismissed it. Even if he was disgusted, appalled even, the man would do his job.


    After all, if they failed, both of their heads would roll.

 Posting Schedule Going Forward - Poll

    Hello everyone ! This is the poll that I said I was going to do last week, but I got a bit distracted. Here is the gist of it :


    I am currently at around 85 to 90% completion of book 5. My estimates are that this book will be from 44 to 50 chapters long, 95 to 110k words. And if me and my publisher stick to the schedule, that means the novel will be published in late december or january. That means, what, 18 saturdays, counting all the saturdays in december ? That is simply not going to cut it, and I would rather have the entire novel on RR before it is published, for you, my dear readers, whether you''ve only arrived recently or have been on this wild ride since the beginning.


    So, hence this poll. I have currently two solutions that I think are workable, and I would like to know your opinion on them :


    Solution 1, my preferred option, is to wait until the manuscript is done, all chapters are complete, and the release date has been set. Then, calculate how many chapters I would need to post per week to make a uniform, steady release schedule that would be sustained until the book is published, with the aim of having if at all possible a week between the last chapter of book 5 and the release of the novel proper to give you time to read it before it is taken down, with a chapter of book 6 already up as well if possible.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Solution 2, something I would rather avoid, is to do a rapid fire posting right before the book launch. Effectively, I''d take however many chapters are left, and post them at the rythm one per day, returning to the normal weekly schedule a week or so before launch after the final chapter of book 5, to once again give you guys time to read it. I don''t think this is a good idea for a lot of reasons, one of them being that it will effectively have the whole content posted during the holidays and force you guys to read it ASAP in the middle of the celebrations before it is taken down, while the other option enables a more leisurely pace.


    Don''t hesitate to offer a more detailed opinion in the comments if you want !


    I hope you''ll have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 138 - The Talk

    Chapter 138


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Command Center


    Alexandra frowned as she looked at the replay footage of the royal cobra golems. She had just hosted a series of full-scale military exercises on the third floor, mainly using her now obsolete musket and pike units, not to mention the crossbows¡ªwho, while technically obsolete, were still being manufactured for the second floor and thus would remain part of her army for a long time to come, even if only as emergency levies¡ªand the results were¡­interesting. Disappointing, but interesting.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not sure spellcasters will be that effective on the battlefield. I mean, they are, but they don¡¯t have¡­¡±


    ¡°Sustained firepower?¡± Emilia said, before taking a sip of her iced tea. Alexandra had found a way to replicate the delicacy, and it turned out that the vampire girl had become an instant fan. As in ¡°Darling, always have some ready or I¡¯m going to poke you until you make some¡± fan. Ella found that absolutely hilarious for some reason, and Sarah was too busy sneaking some of it away for her own use to say anything. ¡°That¡¯s usual for most lower-level mages. And your version of mages is even worse because, well¡­¡±


    ¡°To make the runes be able to survive casting several spells, I need to make them so expensive the golem stops being cost-efficient. In a full-scale battle, at least.¡±


    ¡°Yep. But it¡¯s more of a systemic problem, really. Notice how all the mages in the Republic¡¯s army were on support and defense, outside of the war mages?¡± Alexandra nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the standard configuration. First off, because there are simply not many mages in most armies. They¡¯re too rare and it doesn¡¯t pay well. Most of them are probably there for a specific reason. Access to magic universities, which yes, some states like the Republic gate behind political favors or military service, criminal sentence reduction, or even just outright conscription. Second, in combat they¡¯re always kept in reserve as they¡¯re the best at providing an opening. Tanks, artillery, or even airships have got nothing on a company of pissed-off mages when it comes to providing a breakthrough in the frontlines or busting down a fortress wall. But¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll only be able to do it once.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Or a couple of times, at most. War mages have spells that are more sustainable, but it basically turns them into glorified artillery. Not that much different in firepower and effect than enchanted cannons.¡±


    ¡°Reminds me I need to make some of those.¡±


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    ¡°Right. And thirdly, well, quite simply mages can be used more effectively as a force multiplier than as a blunt instrument. Most nations have artillery, and other ways of making big booms. But deflecting incoming cannon shots, healing wounded soldiers in seconds, projecting shields, and all that? Far more complicated.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t seem to have worked out that well for the Republic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. With mages assisting they took your howitzer bombardment like it was nothing. In fact, had they been ready for a mass rocket attack I think half of their army would have survived, instead of the, what, twenty percent that did? Because if the mages had been ready they would have been able to save the edge formations. It would have been ugly but I think they¡¯d have done it.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s good to know. And something to keep in mind. I really should start working on stuff like that for my forces, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think you haven¡¯t because you¡¯re very focused on what you ¡®know¡¯ is warfare. You can think up remarkably good things when it comes to dungeons, probably because of your board games and ¡®video games,¡¯ which you still need to replicate for me by the way, but when it comes to field battles that kind of breaks down. Which is a major weakness; it¡¯s your blind spot. Raw firepower and, what did you call them? Conventional tactics? Will carry you far but they won¡¯t win you this war.¡±


    Alexandra blinked, and then smiled at her advisor.


    ¡°Which is precisely why I got you and the maids! To kick my magnificent butt when I¡¯m being too obtuse or blind about it!¡±


    ¡°We do far more than kick your butt.¡± Emilia shook her head. ¡°Regardless. It¡¯s something to keep in mind.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Alexandra blinked. ¡°Also, what did you mean by ¡®There are not that many mages in most armies?¡¯ Most adventuring parties have a ton. Relatively, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Because there really aren¡¯t that many to go around, and the army is hardly competitive in terms of salary. Adventurers are the opposite side of this, they have way too many mages.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Alex. Mana is literally the world¡¯s currency. Mages use actual, literal money to power their spells. For most civilians that¡¯s devastating. But in a dungeon, where you regenerate your mana like crazy? Piece of cake. It¡¯s part of why so many mages are in town as well. It¡¯s paradise for them. Right now the town has to be starting to seriously drain the mage population of both Darthar and Erakis, and hell, the border provinces on both sides!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right, that makes sense. I guess I never really thought of it, because¡­well, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°When you were an adventurer, you were a literal infinite source of mana on your own? Yeah, not surprising. Speaking of infinite sources¡­The NLR core?¡±


    ¡°Hidden away, in the core citadel. I still don¡¯t trust this thing as far as I can throw the third floor¡¯s ziggurat.¡±


    ¡°That bad?¡±


    ¡°You heard the adjudicator. A fucking angel of the God of Fire was interested in the damned thing. And weren¡¯t wars fought over these things?¡±


    ¡°And wars were fought over dungeons. Shit, one is being fought over you right now.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I am aware. But I also know to avoid advertising my strength unless I have something to gain from it, and to avoid painting a target on my back.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair. Still, what are you going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Try to use it. Right now it¡¯s just flooding the space it¡¯s in with mana. I¡¯m trying to find a way to link it to my core, but there seem to be¡­protections against outside tampering and mana transfers. Which is weird.¡±


    ¡°Dungeon cores were made to avoid being used as personal power-ups. Otherwise, every archon or other extremely powerful individual would just steal dungeon cores, jam them in their bodies, and use you as a portable power core.¡±


    ¡°That would be hilarious. Weird, but hilarious. Then I¡¯d be like Cortana, constantly sassing them.¡± Alexandra blinked. ¡°Wait, can you do the same with NLR cores?¡±


    ¡°In theory? Yes. In practice? Whatever powers these things¡­bends magic, so to speak. It¡¯s not a good idea to put it close to a person¡¯s core, and the more output the NLR has, the weirder things get.¡±


    ¡°Right, it plateaus.¡± Alexandra grimaced internally. She¡¯d read the user¡¯s manual Seraph had provided, as well as one sourced from Emilia¡¯s family. Since the servants of the God of Fire already knew she had the damned thing, might as well get some help. They had differences but the manuals said essentially the same thing. The core operated in ¡°plateaus,¡± or tiers. Give it a gigantic amount of mana, and bam, the core ¡°spun up¡± and reached another tier, and suddenly produced ten times more energy, until someone shut it down and it went back down to zero. ¡°The fact that it¡¯s not adjustable does not bode well.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The only other tech that I know that worked like that were the reactors we used to power the freaking Dawnstars. They were less fusion reactors and more literal pocket stars hyper-compressed by gravity generators and barely held in check. If you lost containment¡­well, you were suddenly at ground zero for a gigatons range nuclear explosion.¡±


    ¡°And it worked in the same way?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The containment fields had efficiency plateaus. Go out of them and they started taking more power than the reactor made. So you could only run the reactor at specific powers, and it took a giant pile of energy to keep the system running while you spun up to another, higher plateau. Or spin down to a lower one for that matter. Which is rather the problem here. It¡¯s the same damned thing! Which is concerning.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it uses fusion.¡±


    ¡°No, it probably doesn¡¯t. But I was on the team that made the first antimatter reactor.¡± And she¡¯d thought she¡¯d gotten the job because she was sleeping with Arcadia and the AI wanted someone she could trust there. Given that she¡¯d already been part of the mad AI¡¯s gestalt at that point, she probably wanted her ¡°own¡± hands in the pie even further. ¡°Even if only peripherally.¡± Mainly to look into the feasibility of using them for the Dawnstars, which had been a resounding ¡°no.¡± Too expensive, and clearly unstable enough that they were at least several decades from anyone being willing to use them as a power plant, much less one aboard a warship that was going to be shot at! ¡°And it¡¯s a problem all high-energy reactors have. Which tells me that this thing is basically a giant bomb.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s a giant bomb that doesn¡¯t go off much?¡±


    ¡°Much?¡±


    ¡°There have been¡­rumors about what happened to some destroyed NLR cores. But few people have actually managed to pierce them. They are extraordinarily resilient.¡±


    ¡°As in vampire resilient or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Much, much more than that. We are relatively fragile. We are, after all, based on feeble human flesh.¡±


    Alexandra chuckled as Emilia gave her best sneer, which was kind of cute on the vampire girl, taking a sip of her hot cocoa¡ªiced tea wasn''t really up her alley, though she didn''t dislike the stuff per se¡ªgrimacing as she found it cold, and quickly swapping the liquid for a piping hot one.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s good I am a dungeon core, with an avatar made and sustained by sheer mana!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes it is.¡± Emilia smiled mischievously. ¡°At least it¡¯ll allow you to keep up in bed¡­maybe.¡±


    Alexandra spit out the sip of hot chocolate she¡¯d just taken, and coughed, more by reflex than anything, as her advisor burst out laughing.


    ¡°Damn it! Emi, what the fuck?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so fun to tease you! Well¡­¡± The vampire girl looked at her frankly. ¡°For some kinds of teasing, of course.¡±


    Alexandra froze like a deer in headlights.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°Honey, you are technically my wife in all but name, and I am getting extremely tired of my relatives making innuendos or saying how great sex is without having experienced it for myself. With you, at least.¡±


    ¡°With me?¡±


    ¡°I had¡­adventures early on. But still, it has been a very long while and I, at last, am growing weary.¡±


    ¡°Your mother will kill me.¡±


    ¡°My mother will do no such thing, because despite her antics she does want grandkids and has been doting on CQ whenever she could and she thought I wouldn¡¯t catch her, even if only by ordering Sarah and Ella to do it by proxy, and she wants me happy and wishes me well.¡±


    ¡°She almost threatened me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, because she was afraid for my life¡ªrightfully, mind you, given what the core thieves almost managed¡ªand feared that you might not be able to protect me. You¡¯ve¡­amply demonstrated that anyone who even so much as touches my hair is getting a one-way ticket to the deepest hell you could find. I mean hell, you killed an entire army for me.¡± Alexandra winced internally. That wasn¡¯t entirely true, but protecting her advisor and de facto wife had been part of the reasoning. ¡°So yes, once you¡¯re less stressed, and not so worried about rescuing your adventuring friends, I¡¯m having you make a bedroom, hand everything over to our subordinates, and you and I won¡¯t leave it for¡­a week, yes, a solid week would be a good start.¡±


    ¡°A week?!? A ¡®good start¡¯?!?¡± Alexandra almost shrieked.


    Emilia smiled innocently as she took a sip of her iced tea.


    ¡°Well, we both have superhuman endurance. And I am nothing if not an ample reader. There are very good books on the subject, you know. And they have a great many ideas.¡±


    ¡°Ideas in pornography are generally bad ones. They¡¯re for show, not for real.¡±


    ¡°My siblings beg to differ.¡± Alexandra blinked. The vampire girl rarely mentioned her own siblings. Which was odd, because the Earth-born knew she had a lot. But then again, they had huge age differences, thanks to their parents being effectively immortal. ¡°Besides, I have found something absolutely fascinating, which I will need¡­specialist equipment for. I believe the term comes from Earth, and it¡¯s called bondage?¡±


    Alexandra took a step back and licked her lips, wondering if it was too late to run away to someplace else on the planet. Or solar system. Or, hell, galaxy!


    Emilia giggled.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not going to do anything to you unless you want me to. Just like you wouldn¡¯t do anything to me without my approval.¡±


    Alexandra sighed. She was certain the vampire meant it too, her other self¡¯s objections notwithstanding. As soon as the apparition had contacted her, she¡¯d gone over everything associated with Emilia when she had the time. The control programs had made her trust the vampire, nothing more. It hadn¡¯t made her love Emilia, just sped up the process by cutting out the period of mistrust the apparition was going through right now. And the advisor seemed genuinely unaware of the control programs; otherwise, she¡¯d have flipped out the second she brought out the railguns. Not to mention she¡¯d have probably ratted her out to the adjudicator for having grabbed Seraph.


    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s just a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Surprising?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­yes.¡±


    ¡°It really shouldn¡¯t be. I¡¯ve been throwing hints and innuendos your way for over a month. You¡¯re just denser than concrete.¡±


    ¡°Well jeez, thanks for that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. So yes, to make it as explicit as possible, once this present crisis is over and you¡¯re not digging trenches in the command center by pacing back and forth, I am most definitely going to have you make said bedroom, preferably soundproofed, some¡­marital aids, was it? And specialized equipment if you are comfortable with it, and yes, we¡¯re going to spend a fair amount of time there. Understood?¡±


    Alexandra recognized a ¡°no arguments tone¡± when she heard it. Besides, despite her initial recoil¡­well, she¡¯d be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t interested.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She grinned. ¡°But I have experience. Believe me, it¡¯s your funeral.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s adorable that you really think so.¡± Emilia gave her a smile that made the Earth-born suddenly a lot less sure of her footing as her legs became all wobbly. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to¡­correct those assumptions, mmmhhh?¡±


    ¡°R-Right.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡±

 Chapter 139 - Labyrinth Incident

    Chapter 139


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    City of Rebirth


    Allya sighed as she walked out into the streets.


    People bowed as she passed, and she waved at them. Some of the adventurers she¡¯d actually bothered talking to when her title was still a secret, or those she¡¯d become acquainted with at Fire Gecko¡¯s, even waved back. But most of them had an¡­edge to them.


    The tension that had been present during the Republic¡¯s assault was gone. But there was an underlying apprehension to the whole damned town now.


    Some people feared the dungeon. Others the Republic. And more and more people were fearing her. For some ungodly reason, rumors about her supposed bloodthirstiness had been amplified by the recent battles, as if the dungeon core¡¯s massacre of the Republic¡¯s army was her doing, somehow.


    People simply weren¡¯t used to dungeons taking such an active role in the world¡­and they seemingly had decided to pin the blame on her. And the Republic¡¯s¡ªand Sunrise¡¯s!¡ªpropaganda wasn¡¯t helping.


    At least it had made some things smoother. The merchant combines were shitting their pants so hard negotiations had gotten easier. But that had its own issues and¡ª


    The ground shook, and Allya dropped automatically into a crouch, narrowly dodging her own bodyguard as Valker tried to tackle her to the ground.


    ¡°Gods damn it, milady!¡± the sergeant said as he somehow managed to recover into a roll and avoid tasting the dust and sand that seemingly permeated everything here.


    ¡°Sorry, Valk. Old habits die hard.¡± Allya scanned the area. ¡°Where the hell did that come fro¡ª¡±


    Alarms began blaring from the dungeon entrance, and Allya¡¯s eyes went wide. No no no, not again!


    *****


    Alexandra frowned as she saw the report from her golems currently doing their best to salvage whatever pieces of technology they could find in the facility. She was standing on the third floor¡¯s pyramid, overseeing the tests for how her newest version of the spider golems could resist the tidal wave that had previously completely destroyed the older models, and put a serious crimp in her plans to open the floor. Well, now that she was done using it as a testing ground for an army assaulting a fortress at least.


    The communications arrays in the facility were fairly simple to find, but bringing them inside her influence was going to require one hell of an effort. Those things were freaking huge. A lot of miscellaneous components, spare parts, and such had been discovered, but many were decayed and damaged, but through sheer volume, she was able to get intact versions.


    The main prize, however, still eluded her. Whoever had made that facility¡¯s power grid was either batshit insane or extremely paranoid. Not only was the cabling a nightmare to follow, but the fusion reactors themselves were NOT where the plans said they were, and the cables linking them to the rest of the facility had a lot of duplicates leading nowhere. She wasn¡¯t even sure whether they were decoys or put there because they¡¯d intended to expand the facility¡¯s power generation and were never able to finish it.


    Given the missile silos she¡¯d found¡­it might actually be the latter. Which as always begged the question of what had actually happened to the Old World. Because according to Emilia¡¯s history, the Great Night had started with a sudden nuclear and antimatter exchange. There had been no buildup, just someone had launched and everyone followed.


    But everything in this facility told her that not only had the Sagitarius Empire known what was coming, they¡¯d been desperately expanding their military capabilities and trying to keep it secret. Maybe because they were preparing to launch a first strike, but if that was the case why build defensive missiles? And try to keep them secret from someone else¡¯s first strike?


    This didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Unless, of course, they were expecting something to come and attack them. Something that knew exactly where their defensive systems should have been and had the power to take them out, to the point where absolute secrecy was the only solution. And even then that hadn¡¯t worked.


    And the only people she¡¯d seen who even knew this crap¡­were the God of Fire¡¯s servants. The adjudicator had to have at least the facility¡¯s plans to make a beeline for the NLR core. For that matter, how had she even known it was active and not destroyed?


    This stank. Stank very badly.


    But at least Seraph was making good progress. They¡¯d gone over half of their schematics already and while they¡¯d not been able to replicate a good portion, her arsenal had expanded dramatically. Everything was unbelievably expensive but¡ª


    Alexandra blinked as she received an alert.


    Something had happened to the labyrinth. Something that had caused a catastrophic failure and made every security system go off. Seraph was pinging her in what had to be the AI¡¯s equivalent of panic as they started mobilizing golems, and Alexandra began sprinting towards the command center.


    *****


    ¡°Please stand back. A security lockdown is in effect. Please stand back. A security lockdown is in effect.¡±


    Allya winced as the golems poured out of the main entrance, guns in hand and ready to shred anyone who even thought of rushing it. But she was heading for the military entrance, and she just had time to see her troops permanently stationed there form into ranks, and be led into the dungeon by a handful of golems. Including one that looked like Crystal¡¯s butler, except covered in pistols.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The butler golem clearly saw her coming, as he¡ªshe? They? Did it matter for a glorified pile of metal? Well, it clearly did for Assaria, so she guessed gender could apply regardless¡ªwaved the troops forward, and waited for her to arrive, her bodyguards at her heels.


    ¡°Hey, what the hell is going on?¡±


    The golem stared at her, then gestured. Allya was about to say she didn¡¯t know sign language when one of the screens in the pillars flanking the military entrance flickered to life, showing a diagram of the dungeon.


    With a big old red warning icon in the middle of the labyrinth.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Allya muttered under her breath. ¡°Can I come in? I know our alliance doesn¡¯t specify about unexpected visits, but¡­¡±


    The butler tilted his head, presumably communicating with the dungeon, and nodded, gesturing for them to follow him as he sprinted into the dungeon.


    Allya looked at him take off with wide eyes¡ªhe was moving WAY faster than she assumed Crystal¡¯s golems could go¡ªand began following him.


    *****


    ¡°Status report!¡± Alexandra snapped as she walked into the command center.


    ¡°We have multiple catastrophic breaches and failures on the labyrinth floor. Source unclear, but the central point corresponds to where an adventuring team was.¡± Seraph¡¯s golem shrugged as Alexandra gazed at them. ¡°I have diverted golems and deployed security units. All reserves are gearing up, but I can¡¯t order them around without your authorization.¡±


    Alexandra wordlessly sent over the authentication, and once again wondered why she¡¯d bothered getting to the command center. She could have just possessed a golem, or hell, stayed where she was and gone into full dungeon mode.


    But old habits die hard, and even if you¡¯re the damned captain of the ship, you let the watch officer run the show until you took command on the bridge. Simple as that.


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± Seraph tilted their head. ¡°Security golems report being under attack. Multiple hostiles¡­confirmed, they are the adventurers. They¡¯re breaking out of the rubble and moving into the maintenance areas.¡±


    ¡°Fuck that. Detonate the charges!¡±


    ¡°Aye aye! Detonating¡­now.¡±


    Alexandra caught the edge of the holoprojector she¡¯d installed in the center of the room, as the mesa shook once more.


    This time, carefully emplaced charges detonated, and the entire supply of spare rooms and a good bit of the ceiling collapsed onto the labyrinth area. She had the schematics for the whole place, she could replace it easily. And despite there being minefields in the maintenance area¡­it was too damned close to the forges. Better to lose an important, but not vital chunk of her dungeon than one of the core sectors.


    It was an evolution of her final defense protocols, once she¡¯d realized that however valuable, perhaps destroying her whole dungeon as her only option was a bit overkill, and lacked in flexibility. Which is why each new area came with its own self-destruct. Of course, the lower ones would pretty much obliterate everything above them as well, but for the steps, the topmost zones? It was only going to hurt her infrastructure on top of the mesa, and she hadn¡¯t even started on it!


    ¡°What the hell is going on? Are we under attack?!?¡± Emilia asked as she burst into the room, followed by a handful of her new praetorian golems. Alexandra spared her¡­girlfriend, now? A smile, before going back into professional mode.


    ¡°Possibly. But if it is an attack it isn¡¯t very well organized.¡± Alexandra turned towards Seraph. ¡°Do we still have eyes on?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Put it up then.¡±


    The golem nodded, and a hologram appeared above the new holoprojector, showing the ruins of what had once been the labyrinth. The dust hadn¡¯t even settled, and¡­


    She saw rubble shoot up, revealing a small party. Five people, clearly battered and bruised, but still alive.


    ¡°Powerful mage. Fast one, too. Must have popped a shield the second the charges went off,¡± Emilia said, and Alexandra nodded. She¡¯d briefed her advisor extensively on their defenses and what they did, including the activation codes for most of them. While she still had her doubts, the vampire girl hadn¡¯t thrown her to the wolves with the adjudicator. So she¡¯d decided to extend more trust, against her other self¡¯s vehement protests. That trust was not total, however. She was, quite probably, in love, but not completely insane either. ¡°Can you handle them?¡±


    ¡°The security teams were tailored against steel and copper opponents. These guys are silver, at the very least. Probably gold. So they¡¯ll only slow them down.¡± She smiled as she checked the status of the response forces on one of the screens. It felt a bit better doing that, having an AI feeding her tailored and processed information, rather than just having to do everything herself. Besides, her other self had asked for more processing power for a project, and she¡¯d decided to oblige, which made this actually more practical than the alternative, however briefly. ¡°But they only need to slow them down.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­throwing the new guys at them?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯d rather keep the fact that I have all this¡ªshe nodded at the praetorian guard¡ªunder wraps for as long as I possibly can.¡± The guard had gone from barely passable to dangerous to ¡°Oh fuck why¡± over the course of the last few months. With Seraph¡¯s schematics, the advanced golems, the Republic¡¯s bribe, and her own homegrown enhancements, they¡¯d become a force to be reckoned with. They were horrendously expensive¡ªshe had only twelve of them¡ªbut each had a railgun; a rapid-fire laser rifle; several integrated weapons, including a seriously nasty wrist-mounted anti-tank rocket; iron-man style portable shield generators; and full mythril and steel composite armor plating with ablative reflective layers to counter energy weapons.¡ªShe had tried to use the armor Seraph had on their combat units, and not only was it horrendously expensive, but it was effectively pointless without the nanite matrix underneath, not a single drop of which had survived the millennia for her to replicate. So they had strength and agility to spare. As in they could quite literally lift a spider tank and run faster than an Olympic champion. Without carrying the tank, obviously. ¡°


    ¡°So, the reserve, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Especially the old army models. Muskets. Lots of muskets. Let them think I sent my best. The more underestimated we are, the better.¡± Alexandra sighed as she received another message from Jared. ¡°Which reminds me. Our dear baroness and her troops are rushing to the rescue. So to speak. So we¡¯ll have to meet them before they arrive at the core fortress.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they be brought directly here?¡±


    ¡°Did you seriously think I¡¯d give them access to the express elevators? Hell no. Besides, their help isn¡¯t needed. And we can turn this into a dog and pony show. There are also some discussions that need to happen in the near future, although not today. Discussions that very much need to be away from the damned guild.¡±


    Emilia grimaced, but said nothing. Alexandra¡¯s distaste of the guild, and its guildmaster, had only grown over time. Especially with their damned hypocrisy! They were grumbling about ¡°unauthorized transfers¡± while these bastards had given her the communication crystal in exchange for having something for the assault guild to make business off of! The end result that was, in fact, the now destroyed labyrinth.


    At least they knew better than to annoy the dungeon core, but whispers were still heard, and Alexandra was starting to think the guild might make a move against Allya.


    In which case it was going to end badly for everyone involved, because when Alexandra made a vow she meant it. And she might be able to be¡­pliable with it under the right circumstances, as with Amelia, the general she¡¯d allowed to retreat, but there was no way in hell she was abandoning her ally. And their alliance never specified that the enemies they would join defenses against had to be external. So if they decided to play hardball, she was going to make them bite the dust and throw them out of the town.


    The problem being, of course, that the guild was one of the most powerful organizations on the planet, and their guildmaster could probably level the dungeon, even with the new upgrades. Which meant she¡¯d need to be careful. Hence the plan to use the guild as the hammer to break the Void Blades. The more she undermined their moral authority, the easier they¡¯d be to beat later on.


    ¡°Just try not to be too frank. The poor woman almost pisses herself every time she meets you. She doesn¡¯t need more stress on top of that.¡±


    ¡°No promises!¡±


    Emilia rolled her eyes, but followed Alexandra nonetheless as they walked out of the command center, a handful of golems grabbing screens so they could be kept up to date. Well, so Emilia could, but the Earth-born seemed to have gone back to a more physical medium lately.


    Time to meet the baroness. And hopefully avoid giving the poor woman a heart attack.

 Chapter 140 - Design Issues

    Chapter 140


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Logistic Network Security Checkpoint Delta-1


    ¡°Ah, Baroness! There you are!¡±


    Allya turned, quickly followed by most of her soldiers, as Alexandra walked into the room. She was piloting CQ¡¯s body, her avatar waiting a few hallways away, but Emilia was accompanying her regardless.


    None of the upgraded high-tech praetorian guards were escorting them, even out of sight, but there wasn¡¯t really a need. She might have named the place a ¡°security checkpoint,¡± but it was closer to a miniature fortress, including its own field artillery and minefield. The town¡¯s guards could attack her¡­but she very much doubted they¡¯d survive more than three seconds after doing so.


    ¡°Lady Crystal! Apologies for the delay, but your golems were adamant in preventing us from going further.¡± The baroness took a second to adjust her outfit, and Alexandra hid a smile. No matter which way you put it, there was no way you could make her assassin¡¯s garb look remotely proper, so it was a bit of a wasted effort. Still, she appreciated the thought. ¡°I have brought the troops I had on stand-by with me. We stand ready to assist in repelling this attack!¡±


    ¡°And I deeply appreciate both your quick response and the strength of it.¡± Which, despite the fact that she could have crushed said ¡°response¡± in a heartbeat, was actually true. The baroness had put a sizeable portion of the town¡¯s forces near the dungeon as a rapid response unit after all, although Alexandra was pragmatic enough to realize that they also doubled as a SWAT team for the¡­rather frequent riots and issues that sprung up at her entrances. ¡°But it was, in this particular case, unnecessary. I have the situation under control.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Are you sure?¡±


    Alexandra blinked as she brought up a data feed from Seraph, and smiled.


    Those were some tough adventurers. But not ¡°survive the attack of an entire battalion of golems with muskets¡± tough. Still, they were giving a rather good account of themselves. There was going to be a lot of scrap once this was done.


    ¡°Yes, I am quite sure. Whoever they are, they won¡¯t make it out of there.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, where is¡­there, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the accident is happening in the labyrinth. Don¡¯t worry, containment measures have been brought online. The other steps will be unaffected and continue operating as normal. Er, once I lift the total lockdown that is.¡±


    ¡°That¡­would be good. I imagine people outside are worried.¡±


    ¡°When aren¡¯t they? But you bring a good point. Give me a second.¡± Alexandra blinked as she sent the order, and frowned internally. Her other self better provide her with a damned good reason why she was using all of that processing power, because her sudden inability to multitask was becoming really grating, real quick. ¡°There, lockdown lifted.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, the alarms, which had been blaring in the distance, shut down.


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Crystal.¡±


    ¡°Please, having adventurers go through my depths¡ª¡± that was a weird way of saying it, and she could sense Emilia holding back a snicker¡ª¡°benefits me as well, Baroness.¡± Alexandra blinked. ¡°Besides which, the point became moot.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°The last of the attackers has been neutralized. I¡¯m going to resurrect and interrogate them.¡± Alexandra,¡ªusing CQ¡¯s body,¡ªbowed, gesturing at the door behind her. ¡°Care to join me? Your soldiers can come too if they wish. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find accommodations for them to cultivate.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, that would be much appreciated,¡± the baroness said, with only the slightest slip-up, showing a hint of fear in her expression. Alexandra concealed a wince. Damn, Emilia was right. The poor woman was terrified of her!


    The soldiers, while still a bit wary, definitely perked up. The amount of mana one could cultivate was much greater the closer to the core you could get, which usually meant having to dive into the dungeon. Having that opportunity without the hardship involved, had to sound very good to them. After all, free money.


    ¡°Excellent! Then let us be on our way!¡±


    *****


    Allya swallowed audibly as they stepped into the room.


    ¡°And this¡­this is your secure resurrection room?¡±


    Alexandra nodded.


    ¡°Yep! Like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, uh¡­secure. Very secure.¡±


    Alexandra chuckled. That it was. After the fight with the mythril adventurers of Team Crystalline, she¡¯d realized that if she ever killed someone that powerful, and wanted to bring them back, she would have no way to contain them. True, they would be brought back weaker, but a weak mythril adventurer is still one hell of a killing machine. And her resurrection rooms were in tight, winding corridors linked to surface access elevators. It was utterly impossible to set up the kind of massed firepower that, at the time, had been her only means of taking out opponents of that level.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    So she¡¯d built this. Her ¡°secure resurrection room.¡± Basically a reverse fort, with a big courtyard in the middle, and all the guns turned inwards. Originally, it had been staffed with scorpios and field guns, but now the walls were lined with Gatling guns, field guns, and rocket launchers. The ground was liberally sprinkled with claymore mines, and, well¡­


    A large portion of ceiling was a giant kinetic trap, designed to drop a fifteen-meter-tall pillar of granite the size of the entire courtyard, the full length of the massive rock etched with shielding and fire enchantments to make it harder to deflect or survive. Parry this, you filthy casual.


    And if push came to shove¡­


    Well, it was in a secluded area of the dungeon for a reason. To get out you¡¯d have to go through the testing area, where she pretty much had a small field army deployed at all times, and she¡¯d set up one of her modular self-destructs. It would ruin the clay steps, but it would absolutely obliterate anyone who¡¯d made it this far. She hoped. The more she learned about the truly powerful people on this world, the more she understood why the UDC had never taken on the adventurers guild, even at the height of the United Dungeon Wars.


    Which is why she¡¯d been looking at enhanced takedown options. Although she figured that beyond a certain point her best bet was going to be a tactical nuke. Or a fusion gun. And that¡¯s why several hundred golems were busy tearing the base below her apart to find its ever-elusive damned fusion generators.


    ¡°It''s definitely secure. And for good reason. Now please, stand back behind the line. It¡¯s the limit of the wards protecting our box.¡±


    Allya blinked, and carefully stepped back behind the line etched into the rock. Alexandra¡¯s ¡°interrogation box¡± wasn¡¯t foolproof, but it would take some serious firepower to go through and harm the people behind it. She¡¯d unleashed Emilia and Jared on it, and it had held up to the test. Its only weakness was anti-magic attacks, but she had failsafes for that. Namely big old blast shields. Negate the magic, and the runes holding them up would cut off. It wasn¡¯t a very elegant solution, but if it saved Emilia from getting hurt, she¡¯d take it.


    ¡°So¡­what now?¡± the baroness asked.


    ¡°Now? Now I bring them back.¡±


    Alexandra gestured dramatically, and the orb of resurrection, a nigh exact duplicate of the first one she¡¯d built, flashed with power.


    And a handful of adventurers appeared, like clockwork, looking extremely dazed.


    ¡°What¡­where am I?¡± asked a paladin, who looked to be the leader of the party.


    ¡°In a highly secure location, beneath the dungeon you just attacked.¡±


    ¡°Attacked? What?¡± The young man blinked, and looked around. ¡°We just¡­fell into a trap. Got golems arriving from everywhere. Right?¡±


    ¡°You almost triggered a damned war!¡± Allya snapped. ¡°The dungeon went into emergency lockdown!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The paladin locked eyes with Allya, and gasped. ¡°Oh shit. You¡¯re the baroness! You¡­You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am!¡±


    ¡°I¡­we didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright kid, calm down,¡± Alexandra said in a soothing tone, automatically switching into ¡°I¡¯m your benevolent CO¡± mode. She knew a soldier going into shock when she saw one. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, yeah, I, uh¡­we were fighting in the labyrinth, right? Found a room. Lots of them explodey spiders. Nasty buggers.¡± Alexandra smiled internally. Setting those things loose into the labyrinth had been Ella¡¯s idea. The vampire maid really had a mean streak a kilometer wide. At least Alexandra hadn¡¯t been willing to deploy the chemical weapons the maid had proposed. Didn¡¯t want people wondering about what had happened to the smugglers after all! ¡°And our mage, Lorienne.¡± He nodded towards the elven woman, who nodded back, clearly a bit dazed, but her senses were brought back into focus once she realized just what was lining the walls. ¡°Well, she threw a spell. Big one. Gravity thingy. You know, throws stuff around?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see¡ªoh fuck.¡± Alexandra facepalmed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Allya asked, looking faintly worried.


    ¡°They breached the labyrinth. Accidentally, mind you. But you guys¡­you guys basically ripped the walls and ceiling apart. Probably damaged the cranes too with the debris. And that triggered every security alarm in the sector, which brought the golem security teams on you.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The adventurer blinked, and slowly nodded. ¡°And then we took them out. Because obviously, it was just one more trick, right? Crap. I¡¯m sorry miss, uh, milady.¡±


    ¡°It happens.¡± Alexandra sighed. ¡°Probably something I should have foreseen actually. Given how vicious it got, and how fragile the boxes were, it was inevitable something like that would happen. Actually, now that I think about it, I¡¯m amazed it hasn¡¯t happened sooner.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair, most mages would hesitate before unleashing such destructive magic in a tight space. Friendly fire and all that,¡± Allya said, and the mage at least had the grace to look sheepish. ¡°And boxes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The entire labyrinth is basically a giant field of boxes. With hooks on top. That¡¯s how I rearrange them so easily.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Clever, is the term you are looking for, I believe.¡± Alexandra sighed again. ¡°And now I¡¯m going to have to find a way to reinforce this stuff. Or remake the entire floor.¡±


    ¡°That might be problematic.¡± The baroness shrugged as Alexandra threw her a curious glance. ¡°It¡¯s the only place where the higher levels can truly go to. Yeah, there¡¯s the water temple, but even silver ranks can make it now. The golds? The labyrinth is pretty much their only challenge. Besides, it¡¯s a huge money earner, for them and the assault guild.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, how¡¯s the dwarf guy? Uh, Artok, was it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s doing fine. Got an upgrade to silver, and well on his way to gold.¡±


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s a lot of that going around.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. Some of the clay ranks that arrived in the first wave are getting into copper. The early ranks are mainly about equipment and field experience, but still.¡±


    ¡°Hadn¡¯t really paid attention to that.¡± Alexandra idly wondered about what had happened to that idiotic clay rank she¡¯d saved way back during the first assault guild delve, and shrugged it off. She¡¯d done what she could for the kid. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really an adventurer anymore. I keep up with training, but I¡¯m a bit too busy to do dungeon delves. Besides, I don¡¯t really have a party. Well, I could assemble one.¡± She had Dominique and Pyn, and she could find a tank, or failing that she was sure one of her bodyguards would insist upon coming. That was a pretty good party. Although she¡¯d really prefer to have a healer as well. ¡°But once again, very busy.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ever do make the time, hit me up. I can whip up something special for you. And I promise I won¡¯t take any of your stuff if you fall.¡± Alexandra smiled. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do to rob one of my allies after all!¡±


    Allya smiled back, and Alexandra blinked internally. The smile felt weird. It felt¡­genuine. Dear Gods, was that woman just maintaining a facade the whole time? Creepy.


    Also a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, but still.


    ¡°So¡­what about us?¡± the paladin asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not at fault here. Consider the ass-kicking you received¡ªand the fact that I¡¯ll be picking through your stuff¡ªas your punishment for this mess. But, as an acknowledgment that it was more an accident than anything, I¡¯ll have the remains of all the golems you took down shipped up when you decide to leave. You did kill them fair and square after all.¡± The paladin¡¯s eyes went wide at that. Which was hardly surprising; they¡¯d gutted that battalion. Of course, Alexandra wasn¡¯t about to point out that she really didn¡¯t care about the scrap. In fact it was more of a hindrance than anything, including the damaged weapons, since repairing them would cost more than building new ones, although she¡¯d make sure to recover the ammunition and intact weaponry. ¡°You¡¯re also welcome to stay down here until nightfall, to recuperate and cultivate.¡±


    The paladin got up and bowed, which given his dizziness was a bit of a precarious affair. ¡°Stumbling into an approximation of a bow¡± would have been a better description.


    ¡°Thank you, milady, you are most generous.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Now, Baroness, would you care for a tour of the third floor? It is almost finished, and I would love your opinion on it!¡±

 The Fallen World Book 5 : Dungeon Cataclysm is live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 5 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Cataclysm, is now available on Amazon ! It should be the 6th on the entire planet and thus the book should be available everywhere ! It is available in ebook and paperback format. If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Here''s the link to the book''s amazon page if you''re interested : https://geni.us/5gVjU0</a>


    Don''t hesitate to leave a review on it (apparently you can do that without even having bought it, shows how little I know about amazon) ! You guys know I''m hugely uncomfortable asking for reviews of any kind, but it would really help the story a ton. Thank you.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The novel includes chapters 137 through 183, for a total of 100k words, or 437 pages worth of text for the novel. The entire novel has undergone a few edits, plus the usual giant pile of corrections and adjustments to make it more readable. Chapter 141 through chapter 183 have been taken off of Royal Road, but chapters 137 through 140 remain, and have been updated with the novel''s edited and corrected text.


    The Audiobook for book 4 also comes out in one week, and is available for preorder ! Here''s the link : https://www.audible.com/pd/Dungeon-War-Audiobook/B0CRJYTB85</a>


    To celebrate the launch, chapter 199 will be posted on Thursday, since chapter 198 is already slated for tomorrow !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the novel and the bonus chapter ! Have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 The Fallen World Book 1 : Dungeon Engineer Audiobook is live on Audible !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that Book 1 of the Fallen World, titled Dungeon Engineer, is live on audible as an audiobook ! Here''s the link, if you''re interested : https://www.audible.com/pd/Dungeon-Engineer-Audiobook/B0CGXZK1R6</a>


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Note that the link is for the US storefront, and somewhat wonky. It should be available on every storefront, but you will have to search for it manually I''m afraid.


    To celebrate, I will post chapter 149 tomorrow ! Which once again will put the backlog back to 39 after bringing it up to 40 with the writing of chapter 188 XD


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter, and the audiobook, should you decide to listen to it ! Playwars, out.

 The Fallen World Book 2 : Dungeon Expedition Audio is live on Audible !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that Book 2 of the Fallen World, titled Dungeon Expedition, is live on audible as an audiobook ! Here''s the link, if you''re interested : https://geni.us/DungeonExpeditionAudio</a>


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    As usual, the link is unfortunately a bit unreliable, but you should be able to search for it on audible.


    The audiobook for book 3, Victory or Death, is also up for preorder ! Release date is set for the 26th of december ! Here''s the link : https://geni.us/VictoryorDeathAudio</a>


    To celebrate, I will post chapter 159 tomorrow ! Not a sunday chapter this time it seems ^^ .


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter, and the audiobook, should you decide to listen to it ! Playwars, out.

 Accelerated Posting Schedule

    Hello everyone.


    Sorry to come back to you so soon, but after some discussions and munching on the thought, I''ve decided to bring in the accelerated posting schedule, effective immediately.


    I still don''t know when my publisher plans on releasing book 5, but by starting now regardless, it might at least lessen the chapters needing to be put online, and avoid a situation where I''d have to dump them in a giant blob to make it.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    So, from now on and until either the schedule is changed again or we arrive at the end of book 5 (chapter 182), there will be three chapters per week, on monday, wednesday and saturday.


    I hope you''ll enjoy them. Chapter 163 will be posted tomorrow.


    Have a nice day. Playwars, out.

 Accelerating the Accelerated Schedule

    Hello again !


    Apologies for two announcements in so short a time, but after talking with my publisher today, and being informed of the release window they are aiming at for book 5, I have decided it would be prudent to accelerate the schedule.


    Again.


    So, instead of three chapters per week, we''ll be moving to one chapter per day until further notice or the posting of chapter 182, the last chapter in book 5. Which, if nothing changes (again), will happen on the 6th of january. This should hopefully give enough time for everyone to read the whole novel on RR before it is put on amazon, if my publisher puts the release date in the window they envision.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    This all makes me kind of feel like an idiot for posting the announcement on sunday, but it happens. Please, do consider the posting of chapter 164 later today instead of tomorrow my apology ^^.


    I hope you''ll have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 The Fallen World Book 3 : Victory Or Death Audiobook is live on Audible !

    <div>


    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that Book 3 of the Fallen World, titled Victory or Death, is live on audible as an audiobook ! Here''s the link, if you''re interested : </a>https://geni.us/VictoryorDeathAudio</a>


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    As is unfortunately usual, the link doesn''t appear to be very reliable, but you should be able to search for it on audible without too many issues.


    Celebrating by posting a new chapter while there''s already one every day doesn''t seem like there''d be much of a point, so I''ll refrain. Besides which, I''d rather not do a double chapter upload per day. I guess I could extend the current streak by one or two days, continuing until chapters 183 and 184 are on RR ? It''d be in like two weeks, so not sure if it''d qualify as a celebration, but it would be something I suppose XD.


    I hope you''ll enjoy the audiobook, should you decide to listen to it ! Playwars, out.

 Christmas Special 2023

    Chapter ???


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Workshop


    "You want to deliver presents¡­to the town itself?" Asked Alexandra in disbelief as she stared at her daughter.


    "Yeah!" Said CQ, nodding enthusiastically. "I like it outside! Plus, the only people that come by are adventurers and most of them try to fight me if they think they can win. I wanna give gifts, not fight!"


    Alexandra exchanged a look with Emilia, with her best ''honey please help'' eyes.


    "Look, CQ¡­" Said the vampire advisor as she stepped forward. "The town is on edge right now, they may attack you regardless. Besides which, how would you even deliver the presents? The town isn''t built for vehicles, it''s mostly pedestrian roads outside of the main boulevards and the industrial districts. Even moving your mom''s tanks through is a massive hurdle that requires a lot of traffic control."


    "Oh¡­" CQ visibly drooped, and Alexandra felt her heart tighten. "I''m sorry, I didn''t¡­I''ll just be in the dungeon then, sorry to bother you¡­"


    CQ turned to leave, and the Earth-born''s heart -and sense of caution- shattered into a million, microscopic pieces.


    "Wait!" She called out, and the boss stopped. "I might have an idea."


    "You do?" Said CQ and Emilia, almost simultaneously.


    "It''s going to require all hands on deck for it to work, but yes. Seraph!" She called out, both physically and mentally, and one of the golems booted up in the corner of the workshop.


    "Yes milady?" Said the AI.


    "Get everyone together now! We''re making my daughter a sleigh! On the triple!" Alexandra smiled at CQ. "Let''s make this an occasion the town will remember for a long, looong time."


    *****


    "She wants to what?" Said Allya, frozen with a bite of pancake halfway to her mouth, the pastry slowly dripping with honey.


    "She said she wished to have her boss distribute presents to the town." Answered Anders.


    "The t-She wants to send her boss. Not herself, her boss, into the streets, to distribute presents?"


    "Yes."


    Allya took a deep breath, finally brought the bit of pancake into her mouth, before setting down her fork and putting her head into her hands.


    "Oh sweet Gods. This is going to be a mess."


    "Why?" Pyn took a bite out of her own meal, which had once resembled sausages, bacon and eggs before she''d started digging in. "People know the boss. It should be fine, right?"


    "No. No it won''t be." Answered the baroness. "Because we''re going to need to do an announcement, a rushed one, that won''t get to everybody¡­and half of the adventurers are completely drunk, the other half is either asleep or nursing a hangover. If they see the boss kick down the door to hand over presents, how do you think they''ll react?"


    "Oh. Right. That would suck. How is she even going to bring in the presents anyway?"


    "Via a, ah." Anders cleared his throat. "A flying sleigh, milady."


    This time Allya didn''t freeze with her pancake bite halfway to her mouth, she straight up dropped the fork.


    "She has a flying sleigh?!?"


    *****


    Alexandra smiled as she crossed her arms, admiring the sleigh.


    It wasn''t exactly her slickest creation, and calling it a ''sleigh'' was a bit of a misnommer, since the thing was self propelled and closer to the size of a truck, but still.


    Actually¡­it wasn''t that far from a shuttle. A short ranged, hideously expensive shuttle, but a shuttle nonetheless. Mmmmhhhh¡­a thought for later.


    Regardless, repurposing the escape pod Seraph had been busy tinkering away on had worked like a charm. They''d foregone the stealth coating, obviously, as well as a host of other options, and she really wouldn''t want to try and keep it operational for a while, but it only needed to last until the end of the day, or tomorrow morning at worst.


    "Well, it ain''t the prettiest, but it''ll d-Ack!" Alexandra yelped as something impacted her with the strength of a cannonball, and she she spun around, finding herself face to face with CQ, her daughter looking up at her with stars in her eyes as she hugged her mother.


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    "Best.Mom.EVER!" Shouted the boss as she hugged Alexandra and squeezed her.


    The Earth-born smiled, and patted her daughter on the head.


    "Thank you kiddo. Though don''t discount your mommy''s efforts too! Without her, it wouldn''t have been possible. Nor looked as good, honestly."


    "Sure! Thank you mommy!" Said CQ, letting go of Alexandra, and catapulting herself towards Emilia, who stumbled back, only kept upright with her maids'' help.


    "It''s my pleasure, CQ." Emilia hugged her daughter back. "Now, care to give it a spin?"


    "Sure!" The boss teleported aboard the sleigh, but froze as the maids moved to accompany her. "Uh¡­I wanna be santa."


    "They''re going to help you!" Said Emilia.


    CQ looked at the maids, and Alexandra had to stiffle a snicker.


    Oooooh she knew that expression. And she had expected it.


    CQ was entering her rebellious ''I can do it on my own!'' teen phase.


    The Earth-born stepped back, and prepared to watch the fireworks.


    *****


    "Alright, are we all-" The paladin, Pyris, glared at Sonya and Ellyris, her party''s sorceress and ranger respectively, who she rather doubted had been paying much attention to the briefing, if she guessed correctly on what she''d heard. "-clear on the mission?"


    Everyone nodded, though Arinka, their fighter, looked distinctly sluggish. Consequence of challenging Artok to a drinking contest last night. Seriously, even with several ranks in difference, who was insane enough to challenge a dwarf, and the leader of the assault guild no less, in a drinking contest?


    Pyris sighed.


    "Alright. Just to recap, we, team Crystalline, have been given the quest to make sure the dungeon boss'' little excursion gets on without a hitch. There''s enough friction between the town and the dungeon, not to mention the guild, that we can ill afford more, especially not with all those automata bearing down on us, understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. So we''ll get aboard her sleigh, and give her a hand. As a side objective, we''re to prevent her taking anything back to the dungeon which the guildmaster might disapprove of. But we have to be discreet about that. Once again, we don''t need more friction, especially since the dungeon core has been denied salvage rights on the Old World automata."


    Everyone nodded again.


    "Good. Now, it shouldn''t be long before-" Pyris'' head snapped around like a turret locking onto a target as the nearby military entrance rumbled, and the massive blast door opened. "Well, speak of the devil." The sleigh slowly climbed the ramp, hovering a few centimeters off the ground, and the paladin flagged it down. "And it shall appear. And remember, be on your best behavior!"


    Sonya just grinned in response, knowing it was directed at her, and the paladin glared until the sorceress lost her smile with a distinctly uneasy expression.


    "Best.Behavior." Simply said the paladin, before moving to board the sleigh.


    *****


    "Heya! I''m-"


    "You didn''t ask for permission to come aboard."


    Whatever the adventurer had expected the boss to say, this clearly wasn''t it, and the paladin stumbled in surprise. CQ recognized her from the demonstration her mom had put into place a while ago. Used a whole bunch of golems -and artillery- to pummel a team of mythril ranked adventurers. Technically she''d met them a long time ago, but her mom had been posessing her body at the time.


    "I''m sorry?"


    "When you come aboard a ship. You ask for permission to come aboard. It''s tradition!" Well, at least that''s what Seraph''s entertainment showed. Though mom said they were very inaccurate.


    "I¡­" The paladin had the good grace to look ashamed, though her teammates were mostly confused. "Of course, my apologies, captain." She saluted with parade ground precision, to the boss'' delight. "Pyris Wyvernbreeze, with a party of three requesting permission to come aboard!"


    CQ returned the salute.


    "Permission granted, paladin."


    "You¡­know us?"


    The boss nodded.


    "I was there when mom kicked your butts in the testing room."


    "...Oh. Right. That." The paladin gestured at her companions. "These are Sonya, Ellyris and Arinka, my teammates."


    "Pleased to see you again. You''re the chaperones the guild sent?" She must have made a face, because the adventurers exchanged a few glances.


    "Not chaperones per se, we''re, uh, simply here to prevent any accidents. It is the holidays, and many are either drunk or dealing with the aftermath of having been. That means few have their wits about them. The guildmaster would rather avoid an unfortunate battle with some of our colleagues with more vodka than good sense in their brain."


    "Ah. Fair enough. Well, you certainly look suitably equipped for a combat encounter, should it come to blows." CQ pointed at the sorceress. "Except for her. She looks cold. Do you need a coat? I should have a spare for my costume."


    "Nah, I''m not cold." Said the sorceress, with a cocky smile. "In fact, I''m too hot! I-" She let out her breath in what sounded like a strangled yelp, and CQ tilted her head. Had the paladin just hit her ally? Weird.


    She shrugged mentally, and turned towards the sleigh''s controls, poking hopefully at them.


    "Well, your clothing is indeed optimal for heat dispersal. None would be better, but I suppose one must strike a balance." She said, trying to look not like she was copying her mom too much. It sounded like something she would say anyway. "Though when mom makes an outfit like yours, she''s usually very embarassed for some reason. And mommy is very happy."


    There was a quiet, but heated argument between the adventurers. CQ was only able to catch some snippets, mostly from the paladin whose angry whispers were almost audible, even for humans. Things about ''death wish'' and ''entire Republic army''. Also threats to neuter the sorceress, and a tirade about birds and bees for some reason. Also they pulled out straws, and the ranger seemed to get the shortest one.


    "So, uh, I don''t want to order you around or anything." Finally said the ranger. "None of us do, but maybe¡­don''t say that kind of stuff out loud? Especially in public?"


    CQ stared at her, and the ranger visibly cringed, but the boss simply nodded.


    "Okay." She knew about secrecy, classified data, all that, and this hadn''t been among them, but then again¡­surface dwellers were weird. Like that other paladin with his constant puns. Besides, it wasn''t like she was planning to spend much time talking to them. "Are we ready to start?"


    "Yes."


    "Oki! Gonna run through the checklist then." She pulled out a small notebook, quickly, ran through the -admittedly simple- set of instructions, checkmarking them meticulously, before prodding the controls.


    The humming of the sleigh increased, and it began taking flight in earnest.


    Time to distribute some presents!


    *****


    "So, had fun kiddo?" Asked Alexandra as CQ popped back into the command center, Emilia standing by her side, both of them watching their daughter with a smile.


    "Yes! Lots of fun!" The boss was practically bouncing in place. "We distributed presents, fought a few guys, everything was great!"


    "That''s good to hear! Glad you had fun, especially on one of your first times outside the dungeon, interacting with the surface dwellers."


    CQ nodded vigorously.


    "Yeah! Also, got some ideas for my royal guard! I''ll be back!"


    The boss turned around, and her moms cleared their throats, simultaneously, and she froze.


    "Forgetting something?" Said Emilia.


    "...No?"


    "What about that crash?"


    "I didn''t crash."


    "Yes you did."


    "No I didn''t! I just¡­stopped flying!"


    "When it''s not controlled, it''s called crashing."


    "It was controlled! We came down where I wanted and everything!" CQ whirled around, and pointed at Alexandra, who was very obviously trying not to laugh. "And mom says ''unscheduled disassembly'' when stuff goes boom!"


    "And I call her out on it. Furthermore, I remember telling you, very specifically, that if anything was to happen like, say, a crash, you were to call us immediately and wait for backup."


    "I¡­forgot?"


    "No. No you didn''t. You saw that robbery and you and your adventurer friends couldn''t resist sticking your nose in it. You also severely damaged¡­" She pulled out a notebook. "Three buildings, and a cart, in the process."


    "The cart was Pyris! And we won. And saved people."


    Emilia looked at her for several seconds, and CQ started to sweat, one of the odd human properties she seemed to possess, before her mommy rolled her eyes.


    "But¡­Your mom argued really hard to leniency. So we''re not grounding you."


    "Thank you!" The boss smiled at them, and then left before they could say anything else.


    "She takes after you I see." Said Emilia, and Alexandra chuckled.


    "After the both of us. Still, we should really find some stuff for her to do. Even planning her own floor, she''s getting bored. And restless. She loves combat, that''s why when she saw an occasion to technically not violate our condition that she didn''t break the law or attack back adventurers shooting at her she pounced on it."


    "I know, I know¡­We''ll think something up. Maybe give her command of the testing units, the one you send to destroy each other?"


    "Mmmhhh, perhaps." Alexandra sat up. "In any case, did you finish with her new sword?"


    "Yep. Enchantments are alllll done."


    "Good, Jared is almost done with the tree, and Sarah has wrapped all the other gifts. I can''t wait to see her face when she opens her presents!"

 Chapter 183 - March To War

    Chapter 183


    Red Sands Desert, Elkis Republic


    Trade City of Erakis


    Colonel Orzal Vek was grimly silent as he watched the last sections of the army marching out into the distance.


    ¡°Quite a sight, eh?¡± Marie Azulin said, as she slapped him on the back. ¡°They¡¯ll take them out in no time. Then we can get the hell off this post and back to somewhere civilized.¡±


    The colonel had to stop himself from glaring at the senate guard commander. The woman just rubbed him the wrong way. He had been around black ops enough to recognize a bona fide sociopath when he saw one, and her constant oscillation between borderline naivet¨¦ about military matters and deadly efficiency when it came to political ones only underscored what she was: the senate¡¯s guard dog, here to keep a knife firmly on the army¡¯s throat.


    And for some ungodly reason, she seemed to consider him something of a friend. Or a political ally. He wasn¡¯t sure she was capable of understanding the difference. She was, after all, a pure product of the Republic¡¯s rotten inner workings. Child of a senator, too far from the succession to hope inheriting the main estates, but close enough that she could still get her career catapulted forward by her relatives, and have prestige and power trickle down to her if she did her dynasty proud.


    Which she seemed determined on doing by putting Rebirth firmly under the Republic¡¯s boot.


    ¡°I doubt it will be quite so simple,¡± he said diplomatically. ¡°The dungeon, and the town, although they are evidently no longer the main threat, have proven quite resilient.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Yeah, that was before these Old World constructs smashed them to bits and they had to beg the guild for help. They¡¯re toast, they just don¡¯t know it yet.¡±


    Orzal twitched, but kept his thoughts to himself.


    ¡°Let us hope so. Still, just in case, I have put in place the contingency plans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my man. Thinking of how to slit our enemy¡¯s throat even in the unlikeliest of circumstances.¡± She patted his shoulder, and then stretched, making the sunlight glint off of her far too heavily gilded armor. ¡°Alright, no putting it off. I¡¯ll go handle the paperwork for the senate back home. Let them know how the departure has gone. If you need me, I¡¯ll be in my office procrastinating on it until the last minute. Ta!¡±


    The colonel waved at her as she left, before returning his attention to the marching troops. Many soldiers still remained in Erakis of course, the buildup was far too large to be accommodated by their logistics in a cross-wasteland expedition, but he was grimly certain their reserves would be eaten up before long as the main body found itself against the horrors the dungeon core and town no doubt had in store for them.


    Plus, there remained Amelia and her shattered troops. To his amazement, the senate had allowed them to honor their parole, there was little doubt it had more to do with keeping them firmly under the senate guard¡¯s thumb than honoring their word.


    The colonel stayed there for a few minutes, gazing at the rapidly disappearing troops, and sighed. He better make his report to Senator Veuman as well.


    *****


    It was Allya who broke the silence in the council room.


    ¡°You want to¡­to attack the Republic¡¯s army? And then invade the Republic?!?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Crystal leaned back from the table. ¡°Destroying their army and taking Erakis from them, to interdict that jumping off point, would be a good starting place, I believe. And a necessity, if we do not wish to be constantly harassed.¡± She gazed at the rest of the council. ¡°Unless anyone here seriously thinks the Republic will give up its ambitions and the senate suddenly understands the sunken cost fallacy?¡±


    No one spoke up, and she nodded.


    ¡°Thought not. So yes, attacking is our only option. It is the only one that makes sense in the long-term, and currently, our tactical situation makes a battle outside Rebirth a much better prospect than digging into the piles of ruins that are our defenses and praying whatever remains holds against their onslaught.¡±


    ¡°And instead you wish to sortie out and attack them head-on, without the benefit of cover?¡± Anders asked, his voice dripping with irony.


    ¡°Instead I¡¯m going to sortie, and shred the ever-loving crap out of their supply lines with golems that don¡¯t eat, sleep, or rest haunting the wasteland.¡±


    That made the commander shut up, and suddenly several councilors had a very thoughtful expression, not least of which was Melia.


    ¡°Any army this size, and that far from its base, is going to have a huge amount of logistics, and as Anders pointed out earlier, that might be the limiting factor in how many soldiers they can send,¡± the dark elf said thoughtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about military matters, but I know freight and, well, piracy and other hazards. You¡¯ll certainly be able to put a dent in them with a concerted effort, but that¡¯s only going to last until they round up enough airships to handle all their logistics via air. At this point, even if you were to drag some of your artillery through the dunes without the main army pouncing on it, I doubt they wouldn¡¯t be able to evade it with the ships.¡± Melia smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a reason airships are preferred despite the cost, and it doesn¡¯t all have to do with speed. They¡¯re simply safer than lugging it through the wastelands¡ªor anywhere else for that matter¡ªthe old-fashioned way.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to use airships,¡± Crystal said, and this time Allya¡¯s mouth hung wide open, before she closed it with a snap.


    ¡°How¡ª¡± Anders began.


    ¡°The Republic,¡± Allya said, before realizing she had thought out loud, and everyone was now looking at her. ¡°The Republic¡¯s airships, during their sneak attack. One of the ships exploded above the dungeon, and most of the debris was missing.¡± She turned towards Crystal. ¡°You absorbed it, and¡±¡ªshe caught herself just in time from saying ¡°reverse engineered it¡±¡ª¡°duplicated it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Precisely!¡± Crystal¡¯s smile was brilliant, like a teacher whose favored pupil had answered correctly to a question. ¡°Although there is still some work to do, obviously.¡±


    ¡°I do not mean to sound gloomy, but will you have the resources?¡± Calder interjected, the orc captain looking vaguely worried. ¡°Your dungeon has already been half destroyed, only the deeper floors are open, and your forces have been gutted. Naval programs are expensive, very much so, and our foes are already bearing down on us!¡±


    Allya nodded thoughtfully, as if it was a good point¡­and as if she was not perfectly aware Crystal was an extradimensional, who had far more mana than any dungeon should have.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am a mistress at making things cost-efficient. And you would be surprised at how much of my hardware can be repurposed for naval applications. For one, I won¡¯t need to invest that much in artillery. As pointed out I already have many guns ready to use, and no real way to haul them across the wasteland on the ground.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair enough, Lady Crystal. Still, there are going to be¡­worries,¡± Allya said, pointedly not looking at Dominique.


    ¡°There were always going to be, but don¡¯t worry, let me handle them. I am quite good at handling complaints, and any potential disagreement, I can assure you.¡±


    Allya twitched, but didn¡¯t retort.


    She¡¯d seen the handiwork of the dungeon and her ¡°maids,¡± as well as her generosity. She had little doubt she¡¯d find a suitable compromise or bribe for the guild¡­or threaten to send them packing.


    At this point, she had more than earned her aura of fear and awe, unlike the baroness herself.


    ¡°Very well then. We will need to hash out the details of course.¡± And she was going to need to talk to Melia about the possibility of buying warships from the dungeon. ¡°But this seems like a doable plan. If you manage to construct the ships.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    *****


    ¡°So just build an entire air fleet from scratch?¡± Emilia said, before chuckling and shaking her head, hopping off of the command center¡¯s holographic projector, which she had been sitting on. ¡°You are utterly incapable of thinking small, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°The shuttles were small.¡±


    ¡°Right. Small. Totally not stealthed to hell with technology beyond most people and large enough to carry heavy industrial machinery.¡± Alexandra glared at the vampire, who simply smiled. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯re the one with the big aspirations.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. Sarah, Ella, thoughts?¡±


    The maids exchanged a look, and shrugged.


    ¡°The plan makes sense, as we had discussed,¡± Ella said.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know much about airship design,¡± Sarah continued. ¡°At least not for anything but commando ships. And you¡¯re looking for ships of the line and corsairs.¡±


    ¡°Ships of the line I can do. But a corsair¡­¡± Alexandra winced. She could just blow the enemy supply ships out of the sky, and it would play merry hell with the Republic¡¯s logistics¡­but those ships would, by definition, be filled with loot. ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, my job was to reduce pirates to plasma, not build them.¡±


    ¡°Why not ask the town?¡± Everyone turned towards Seraph, who tilted their golem¡¯s head. ¡°You informed me that one of the vessels was most likely a pirate vessel, and was close to the town. It is down, but its crew lives. Why not ask them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not a bad idea, actually.¡± Alexandra nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to Allya about that. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem asking for some advice from a grounded pirate. But the design is only part of the problem. We¡¯re going to need some more industry for this. And wood. Lots of wood. Which means that, at long last Ella, you get to build your arboretum in the hydroponics bays.¡± Alexandra held up her finger as the maid smiled. ¡°For wood production, mainly, not your alchemical experiments.¡±


    The maid did her best to look innocent, which was an utterly chilling expression on the maid¡¯s face, especially for someone who had witnessed her torturing someone to death.


    ¡°Of course, milady,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°Just wood production.¡±


    She¡¯d have to keep an eye on that.


    TO-DO LIST UPDATED


    Alexandra shook her head.


    ¡°Alright. Now that this is handled, the steps. I¡¯d like to expand and improve them as we rebuild. Ideas?¡±


    *****


    ¡°Milady, we have a package for you.¡±


    Allya blinked, as she looked up from the seemingly endless paperwork on her desk to meet Trira¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°A package?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Came in through backchannels from the latest caravans from the Republic. I opened it, obviously, in case it was trapped.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lot of paperwork and even images. It¡¯s from a certain¡­Olstor Numis?¡±


    Allya looked at her blankly, searching through her mind, before she blinked. That caravan master! The one she¡¯d saved from the Sand Demon, and all the contraband she¡¯d ¡°graciously¡± allowed to go through unchallenged as long as he gave her some intelligence and had his services ready for some less-than-legal business in the future.


    ¡°Shit, he came through?¡±


    ¡°Apparently so,¡± Trira said, clearly answering more out of politeness than any knowledge of the situation. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Allya grabbed the files, and began parsing through them.


    Pictures of airships, the landing fields of Erakis, trade records¡­damn, there were even images of the fortress there. Big bastard, although old. Probably built over a century ago, when the Republic was wetting itself thinking the Kingdom was going to cross the wasteland after the conquest of Darthar.


    ¡°Well well well. Interesting.¡± And a tad bit too convenient. She was going to have to look into this. And ask Crystal, since the dungeon core appeared to have some intelligence gathering of her own, somehow. That way they¡¯d be able to compare notes. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Not much. Except, you know, the usual. Searching the caravan for spies, inevitably finding minor contraband by various merchants and some adventurers, the usual rush to get on the dungeon dive schedule that requires some minor riot control. All that.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She sighed. ¡°I assume seeing the state of the dungeon caused some panic?¡±


    ¡°You know it. Most of the residents are becoming pretty blas¨¦ about it by now, but the newcomers are panicking that the dungeon is closed. Fortunately, the veterans are settling them down with stories of how every time the dungeon had something like that happen, it came back online, better and more profitable than ever!¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re not exactly wrong. Crystal has assured me that the clay steps should be open by tomorrow, with the rest of the steps to follow. It should settle the new guys nicely.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully.¡± Trira hesitated. ¡°Look, I know when to keep my mouth shut, but I¡¯ve been meaning to ask¡­what the hell is going on with that dungeon core? You know more than what you¡¯ve told me or asked me to find out. And I can see it¡¯s eating you up inside.¡±


    Allya looked at her, and sighed.


    ¡°Do you truly want to know?¡± She held up her hand. ¡°Think. I trust you with my life, quite literally, but think before you answer.¡±


    Trira seemed to process that for a second, clearly not having expected that reaction, and she nodded.


    ¡°Very well then. Take a seat. This is going to be a very long, and very unpleasant explanation.¡±

 Chapter 184 - Unforeseen Consequences

    Chapter 2


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    City of Rebirth


    ¡°So¡­we have a potential psychotic artificial dungeon core from Earth with ample knowledge of tech beyond our wildest dreams, seemingly on a crusade for revenge? Or just going on a conquest spree?¡± Trira said.


    ¡°In short? Yes.¡± Allya smiled wanly. ¡°And don¡¯t forget that she seemingly has more industrial capability than an entire duchy, and already has some of that supertech in her hands.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank you for that.¡±


    The baroness chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± She took a gulp from the glass on her desk. Not her preferred frontier brandy, only Firegecko¡¯s stocked that, but it did the job. She felt a faint pang as she thought of the bar, realizing that she hadn¡¯t been there in months. Apparently, he had some competition, some bar that sprouted inside the wreck of the Alberta. She was fairly sure she¡¯d signed off on the paperwork back then, but it was a bit of a haze, what with the haste in getting everything back on track with a Gods-damned UDC fleet floating above the town.


    That would seem like such a minor concern now. The UDC wasn¡¯t so scary once you had fought an army from the Old World and won.


    ¡°So, what do you plan on doing about it?¡±


    ¡°Right now? Nothing. Alexandra was beyond my means to attack, let alone subdue, long before I realized what was going on. And her military has been the only thing keeping us all alive for some time now. Even just pissing her off is a bad idea. Let¡¯s not even talk about going against her on the field of battle.¡±


    ¡°Still, you have to be thinking in terms of contingencies.¡±


    ¡°I am. But mainly, I¡¯m trying to think of how to maneuver to profit from her attacks. If I¡¯m going to be riding this tiger, I might as well get my cut of the prey while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a tortured metaphor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you get the point.¡± Allya took another sip. ¡°For now I appear to be in her good graces, and if I follow through on the deal we made to provide her with materials and documentation, I¡¯ll be even further into them. And I¡¯m guessing one of the reasons she¡¯s not trying to step into the light in political and diplomatic matters is that she wants me as a figurehead. Someone to take over whatever she conquers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not cut out to be anyone¡¯s puppet.¡±


    ¡°Who said I would be? But yeah. I think I need to pressure her into a¡­partnership. One where I handle the politics and diplomacy, while she does the military work. Shit, it¡¯s pretty much already what¡¯s happening! And at least it might keep my girlfriend out of a damn battle next time. And if I¡¯ve judged her right, she won¡¯t betray a deal she¡¯s made unless I betray it first.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s your play. Just¡­hitch your wagon to her star?¡±


    Allya looked up at her, and smiled.


    ¡°I thought I could carve myself a piece out of this wasteland because I was lucky, and one hell of a scary bitch. And I realized there was something there ten times more scary and dangerous than I could ever hope to be. So yeah. Got any better ideas?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? No. And I like keeping my head on my shoulders, so it sounds like a good idea.¡± She chuckled as she sat on the baroness¡¯ desk. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct about that extradimensional¡¯s prowess. She certainly has the body count to prove it.¡±


    ¡°She does.¡±


    ¡°So, how do you intend to get that more formal relationship?¡±


    Allya sighed as she leaned back into her seat, looking at the ceiling.


    ¡°Well, I doubt the Sylvia method would work,¡± she said jokingly.


    ¡°Dungeon cores aren¡¯t known for their libido.¡±


    ¡°Eh, if I¡¯m right she¡¯s either banging her advisor or one of the maids. Or all of them, for all I know. So that leaves more conventional methods. But I also need to avoid becoming a figurehead. And that means I need to bring some teeth to the table. And not in the form of military power, since we all know I can¡¯t bring a shadow of what she can muster.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Political and diplomatic power of course. I have the diplomacy down, as a noble of the Kingdom and my regular contact with their majesties. As for the political¡­well, we do have all that evidence gathered about her activities and what I¡¯ve deduced of her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to blackmail her?!?¡± Trira said, failing to keep her alarm out of her voice.


    ¡°No, nothing so crass as that. Just¡­point out what I can do. Show some teeth. All relationships are based on mutual respect. And I believe it¡¯d be a good time to set all the cards down on the table. Before we set out on her little conquest trip.¡±


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    ¡°Do you want me to set up a meeting?¡±


    ¡°I have messengers for that. But what worries me is the guild. The alliance we¡¯ve made already made them seriously jumpy. The conquest and our more covert arrangements will send them ballistic. We need to break them first.¡±


    ¡°Starvak seemed to have done a fine job of that.¡±


    ¡°True, but he¡¯s still a massive danger. We need to remove him. Decapitate the guild long enough for everything to be set into motion and make it a fait accompli.¡±


    ¡°Assassination is out of the question. Nothing I have will kill an archon.¡±


    ¡°Oh I know. So it¡¯s time to put the final straw on the camel¡¯s back. His reputation has already gone crashing down. Let¡¯s finish it.¡±


    Trira nodded.


    And not even she noticed the stealthed spider golem, recording the conversation.


    *****


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure?¡± Alexandra asked as she leaned back against the workshop table.


    Unusually, there was not a single one of her praetorian guards in the room, and the door, usually left wide open, was closed and thoroughly soundproofed. She¡¯d also set every single one of her alerts to muted. Stealth golems, forges, whatever, as long as it wasn¡¯t another nuke or a straight up war, nothing would get through.


    ¡°Absolutely, milady,¡± Seraph answered. ¡°I did not give an order to your golem to salute. Nor did I program such a behavior into them.¡±


    ¡°So they did it on their own. Damn.¡± Alexandra grimaced, as if she¡¯d chewed on a particularly bitter fruit. ¡°This is a problem. As useful as it has proven by creating Jared, I really don¡¯t like this ¡®My minions become sapient if they hang around me too much¡¯ crap. It makes them¡­unpredictable.¡± The Earth-born shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t assume you know something about that?¡±


    She could have asked her other self to dive into the AI¡¯s databanks of course, but that would have been hardly polite. Besides which, the apparition had a lot on her plate, to the point that she had taken the extra processing power Alexandra had liberated now that the crisis was over without even the slightest bit of sarcasm. Knowing herself, that was not a good sign.


    ¡°Negative, milady. Of course, my databanks are far from complete, and the devices dungeon cores appear to have been fashioned out of were far outside of what knowledge I required to operate.¡± Given the fact that her creators hadn¡¯t even seen fit to give her tactical programs as part of her ¡°operational requirements,¡± that was a considerable understatement. But the core briefly hesitated. ¡°There were¡­mentions of something similar, however.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°There are passages in propaganda broadcasts and a few scientific articles in the base personnel¡¯s data that alluded to a similar phenomenon. But in the presence of the Gods. Supposedly that is how the first angels were created, enlightened by the presence of the Gods.¡± They coughed, and Alexandra had to hold back a laugh. Both of them knew that the gesture was superfluous, but the AI had evidently decided that if her lady had seen fit to retain her human gestures and affectations, she should learn and mimic them. That or Arcadia¡¯s kernel was starting to assert itself more openly. Stars knew the AI had been eccentric enough to copy humans, not to mention absorb them or sleep with them. The latter two she¡¯d experienced personally, even if she didn¡¯t remember the ¡°absorbed into an insane AI hivemind¡± bit. ¡°Of course the Empire decried this as pure fabrication. Simply a carrot for the faithful to follow while the so-called Gods led them straight to their doom. There is also considerable evidence that the angelic ascension process is more akin to extremely advanced enchantment, rapid pace essence absorption, and core growth, alongside extensive cybernetic augmentation.¡±


    Alexandra noted that it was a fairly detailed list¡­and made a mental note to talk to her other self about the potential of ¡°angelic¡± defectors. As the captain of the supply ship had implied, there might have been defectors or traitors on the Gods¡¯ side.


    Which made the Sagitarius Empire¡¯s utter conviction of the fact that the Gods were the culmination of all evil very worrying. Maybe the elites knew better, but it still wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly no deity. But it¡¯s also very worrying. All of my systems are basically something made by the Gods, to some degree or another, but I can monitor them and secure them against intrusion. This, just¡­passive creation of sapients and increase of intelligence eludes me.¡±


    ¡°It seems pervasive and elusive. But perhaps the praetorians are not compromised? Some were present during previous discussions and during my surrender, and the adjudicator of the false gods appeared unaware of my pledge of allegiance to you.¡±


    Alexandra nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°True enough. And I guess a little trust goes a long way. Still¡­¡± She looked at the door, beyond which she knew a full squad of what she had thought to be utterly reliable, fanatical praetorian guard were waiting to follow her around like power-armored puppies. ¡°It worries me.¡±


    ¡°The mechanism is seemingly impossible to stop, and seems to have affected all entities within your proximity. Worrying about it seems counterproductive. ¡®Decision paralysis is a warrior¡¯s greatest bane¡¯ after all.¡±


    ¡°Asdrubale Provenzano, the memoirs of the interplanetary wars,¡± Alexandra said, before smiling as Seraph looked at her oddly. ¡°I¡¯ve read my fair share of Terran literature, especially military literature. I even met Asdrubale, you know?¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Well, ¡®met,¡¯ more briefly introduced at a formal event. It was back during my ensign¡¯s cruise, when we were heading out for pirate-hunting in the outer system. He commanded the fleet, and insisted on meeting all of his officers. We only exchanged a few words, but he seemed a good commander. Too bad he never made it to Alpha Centauri. The campaign might have turned out differently had his ship not been lost to hyper¡­¡± She trailed off as she realized what she was saying. She looked at Seraph. ¡°He¡­¡±


    ¡°Was one of the extradimensionals found by the Empire. He¡­Milady. He was high admiral. He led the Imperial Navy.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    Alexandra looked into the distance in the workshop, processing that, before looking back to Seraph as the golem shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°...You are not who you said you were, milady.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your personnel code signified a lieutenant commander. You are far too old, and far too competent to have remained at such low a rank.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll take that compliment, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met my copy. She happened. Or rather, I did. Because she is not my copy. I¡¯m hers.¡±


    Seraph clearly took a few seconds to process that, reverting to their old habit of long silences between answers.


    ¡°I see. Your code remains valid. And I am not entitled to answers from you.¡±


    ¡°No you¡¯re not.¡± Alexandra sighed. ¡°But you have done everything I have asked of you, and more.¡± Not to mention given her and her other self total access to her most vital of protocols. Access that continued to this moment. ¡°My true code was zero, zero, eight, six, three, six, eight, omega, epsilon. Authentication code alpha-theta.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°High admiral. I know.¡± Even through the golem¡¯s admittedly poor ability to show body language, Alexandra could tell that Seraph was about to speak. That or thanks to their bond. ¡°Don¡¯t. Just¡­don¡¯t. We have bigger things to worry about than rank.¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady. Understood.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Alexandra sighed. ¡°And now, to deal with the official reason for my presence here, as far as everyone¡¯s concerned. Show me those plasma guns.¡±

 Chapter 185 - Old Friends

    Chapter 185


    [REDACTED]


    Order Stronghold ¡°sovereign,¡± Arkan Continental HQ


    ¡°You have a visitor, my lord,¡± said Corson, Joachim¡¯s secretary. The Order commander¡¯s eyebrow rose at the odd tone of his aide, but he nodded.


    ¡°Show him in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. At once.¡±


    Joachim whistled softly as he organized his files, waiting patiently for his mysterious visitor¡­and froze like a deer in headlights as a graying man stepped through the doors.


    ¡°Hello Joachim,¡± said the man, who sported an adamantium medallion¡­overlaid with the heraldry of a guildmaster of the adventurers guild.


    ¡°Erik. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡±


    ¡°What have you done with Alexandra?¡± the guildmaster asked.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell you that.¡±


    ¡°And you know I won¡¯t take no for an answer.¡±


    ¡°As tempting an option as it no doubt is for you, it would end badly. You are no longer a general of our Order. You have no authority here. And archon or not, we are more than well enough equipped to take you down.¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°My life is in service of the Order. I will die without hesitation for our cause.¡±


    Erik stared him in the eyes, before sighing and leaning back into his seat.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed one bit.¡±


    ¡°Neither have you, sir,¡± Joachim said, relaxing. ¡°And as for the extradimensional¡­¡±


    ¡°Lesly sacrificed her, didn¡¯t she?¡± The guildmaster smiled wanly as Joachim¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I made that girl who she is today, Joachim, just like I made you. I turned her from a talented welp barely out of basic training into a force of nature. Half of her grand plan, I helped her prepare, I advised her on it. I knew she had always wanted an extradimensional to launch it. Steal the aetheric connection to boost the core.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware. But I also know a dungeon¡¯s been making waves, smack dab in the middle of the wasteland. I know that dungeon has been more innovative and energetic than any since the UDC¡¯s founder. One that, conveniently, just got attacked by a giant Old World army. Which I¡¯m guessing is to justify the tech she¡¯s about to start introducing.¡±


    Joachim simply stared back silently, hiding his shock behind a neutral facade.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not even mention all the fortuitous events that just so happened to escalate the conflicts on the continent in a way that leaves a perfect opening for said dungeon to start expanding, and eventually unify it all under one banner. The nightmare of the Eris Empire. An Empire that, coincidentally, is stretched to the breaking point, and would only take one push in the right place to collapse. I¡¯m going to guess that will happen right when the sleeping giant starts waking up to the fact it¡¯s no longer the only superpower. Opening the way for a new world hegemony.¡±


    ¡°That would be downright Machiavellian.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m the one who gave her that book after all. Terra has many lessons we should learn from.¡± The guildmaster sat up. ¡°So you killed the girl I¡¯d put under my protection. You will pay for that, someday.¡±


    A shiver ran down Joachim¡¯s spine, before he firmly suppressed it.


    ¡°Am I to understand you are going to interfere?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Erik looked up at the sigil of the Order, inlaid into the wall. ¡°I will not. As much as I find Lesly¡¯s plan reckless, I understand her point of view, and I will respect her right of command. Not to mention I would risk the entire Order by interfering. But there will be consequences.¡±


    ¡°...Her name and legacy will be remembered.¡±


    ¡°I hope so, Joachim. But I do not like to rely on hope. Which is why I am going to make sure of that myself.¡±


    ¡°You cannot¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have many friends within the Order still. Do not underestimate my influence. I will be temporarily reinstated and elevated to the Archives, exceptionally. I will ensure the remembrancers inscribe her story into the scrolls of the stars. And once this is all over, she will be credited for her sacrifice and bringing all of this about. I believe I can count on you and Lesly for that.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can.¡±


    ¡°Good. Still, this¡­worries me. We are cutting it too close.¡±


    ¡°You expect a purge?¡±


    ¡°We know they have been lowering their thresholds. And more importantly, I fear that they have sensed something. The Inquisition is agitated, all those with power know it.¡±


    ¡°Their inertia is their weakness. We both think in the scale of millennia and the fate of civilizations, but they are incapable of adaptability. Or the Order would never have survived the Reformation.¡±


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    ¡°I hope you are right, Joachim. All the same, tread carefully. The servants of the God of Fire are not done with Alcheryos yet, and even they can change if pushed far enough.¡±


    ¡°By the time they do, it will be too late.¡±


    ¡°I hope you are right. And I envy your confidence.¡± Erik suddenly turned towards him. ¡°Goodbye, Joachim.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, sir.¡±


    And with that, Eriksen Dragonslayer, guildmaster of the adventurer guild¡¯s branch of Nardria, left without another word.


    *****


    Alexandra pinched the bridge of her nose as she leaned back into her seat.


    ¡°So. Let me get this straight. I gave you permission to go into town to buy¡­supplies.¡± Supposedly she was there semi-incognito to get some stuff they had wanted, almost all of it simple, mundane food. ¡°Semi¡± incognito because she had asked the guild for approval, through Dominique, and promised them that they would be able to search Sarah when she came back. And ¡°supposedly¡± because Sarah had most definitely visited a lingerie shop while over there, which Alexandra knew thanks to her sentries on top of her still-under-reconstruction mesa, and Emilia was looking like a cat that had just caught a canary. ¡°And you come back escorted by the city guard, accused of¡­quadruple murder, with the extenuating circumstances of stopping a robbery, which in the process of doing so, accumulated something close to fifteen thousand mana in property damage. Noting that said robbery was several blocks away from where you were supposed to go.¡±


    ¡°I went for a walk,¡± the vampire said with an impressively toothy smile. Alexandra chose to ignore the fact that there was still some blood on the canines.


    ¡°That walk ended with you leveling a building and ripping a mage in half, before using the lower bit to beat a ranger to death. I¡¯m not even going to comment on what you did to the others. All robbers, mind you, but still.¡±


    ¡°I go on very enthusiastic walks.¡±


    ¡°So it would seem,¡± Alexandra said, her voice dripping with irony. ¡°Thankfully for this little expedition, not only were all witnesses ¡®debriefed¡¯ by the city guard, but they have agreed to cover up this mess, with some assistance from the adventurers guild.¡± Which was probably an attempt to buy back some good will. Ah! As if. ¡°Provided of course, that we help with the damages, which I will handle. The baroness has also obliquely suggested that if any of you girls want to ¡®go for a walk,¡¯ you get a guard escort, which I have accepted.¡±


    Sarah and Ella both looked supremely unphased.


    ¡°And I would like to note that slipping by the escort and leaving them behind would make me supremely angry, and I would be forced to ask for an intervention by Emilia,¡± Alexandra continued.


    Now they looked uneasy.


    ¡°Is that understood?¡± the dungeon core finished.


    ¡°Yes,¡± they answered in unison.


    ¡°Good. Dismissed.¡± Alexandra watched them leave, Sarah walking out and Ella on her spider throne. Not that she needed said throne now, but the maid seemed to have taken quite a liking to it.


    The Earth-born sighed, and gave the screens in the command center a brief glance, before getting up and stretching. Well, nightfall was approaching, and Emilia had retreated to the bedroom to ¡®prepare.¡¯ Since she was probably in for a treat, she wasn¡¯t too mad at the maids, but it was still an annoying incident.


    Oh well, it wasn¡¯t like she wasn¡¯t already pretty cozy with Allya, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue, even in the long run. And the new measures might prevent a problem like that occurring once more.


    Hopefully.


    *****


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to like this place,¡± Alexandra said as she looked at the screens.


    When she had rebuilt the top of the mesa, she¡¯d decided to build an observation dome in it. She figured it would be an asset¡­and quite frankly she just wanted to be able to look at the stars again, just like when she¡¯d started out as a dungeon core, before she had to hide her avatar.


    Of course, having her and Emilia in a flimsy glass dome on top of a structure that had just been nuked was a no go, even without the threat of being seen, so she¡¯d gotten the next best thing. She¡¯d placed golems in the ¡°real¡± dome and built a replica in the core fortress, with a full 360-degree seamless screen that transmitted the collated images from the golems, giving them an astonishing view of the town, bustling even so late at night it was technically morning, even if the sun hadn¡¯t made its appearance yet.


    Alexandra would rather have been there earlier, but she had been¡­busy. Very pleasantly busy. Apparently Sarah hadn¡¯t just visited a lingerie shop. That or it had a second business in marital aids. Regardless, it had been pleasant enough that she was almost regretting the chewing out she¡¯d given the maid. Almost.


    ¡°You mean the town? It¡¯s a bit¡­crude for my taste, honestly.¡±


    The Earth-born chuckled.


    ¡°I was born in a tower that differed from a mountain only in that it was made out of concrete, and built specifically to resist nuclear bombardment. Crude is a nice change of pace. Reminds me a bit of the colony at Alpha Centauri, during the second battle. At least outside of the primary settlements. Very frontier spirit, rebuilding even amongst the battle scars, trying to make the world their own, come hell or high water.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m betting the scars were a bit bigger than here.¡±


    ¡°Were they? I don¡¯t think so. Look at it, Rebirth already has its fair share of battle scars. The field of sorrows, the crater¡­The city got nuked twice, in the span of a single day no less, and it¡¯s still there.¡±


    ¡°True enough. You¡¯re being surprisingly melodramatic.¡±


    ¡°Just got reminded of Earth. Did you know that Allya is the descendant of my countrymen?¡±


    ¡°The baroness?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Her reaction to the radiation poisoning? Standard EuroFed genemod. And her name is clearly inspired by the Dawnstars. It¡¯s the French version of the name.¡±


    ¡°You had genetic modifications that made you even sicker when you go irradiated?¡±


    ¡°Small price to pay to lessen the long-term impact. It violently purges all damaged cells and expels any radioactive particles you had in your body. Very useful, practically made most anti-radiation medicine redundant. My parents had the same mods. They were basically mandatory, if you wanted to head outside for any length of time. They only became obsolete when the reclamation efforts began, and the government finally managed to clean up the worst of the fallout. Too bad those mods didn¡¯t work on the Hegemony¡¯s biotoxins and viral weapons.¡± Her tone darkened, and she felt Emilia move, before her girlfriend hugged her.


    ¡°Well, at least we don¡¯t have those here. Whatever weapons they deployed, it seems the plagues died out loooong before we found them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They were never useful against military targets. And I¡¯m guessing there weren¡¯t many civilians around once the Great Night kicked into gear.¡± Alexandra sighed as she hugged the vampire back. ¡°Look at me, being all dark and gloomy. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m being too melodramatic.¡±


    ¡°I said ¡®surprisingly,¡¯ not ¡®too.¡¯ We can all be melodramatic.¡±


    ¡°Like CQ when lamenting her lack of personal artillery?¡± Emilia smiled. Their daughter was becoming every bit as much a proponent of ¡°victory through overwhelming firepower¡± as Alexandra, and if she had it her way, her new boss room on the fourth floor would just be a giant wall of guns. Which obviously wasn¡¯t possible, not if they wanted the adventurers to survive. Yet. ¡°Or you when you point out how drab our surroundings are and how much decoration is missing.¡±


    Emilia simply pulled open a pouch, and held up her notebook menacingly, causing the Earth-born to laugh.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I yield!¡± Alexandra said, and Emilia chuckled as she pocketed the notebook once more.


    ¡°Thought so.¡± She looked at the landscape. ¡°Still, it is a nice view.¡±


    ¡°It is¡­¡±


    They just waited there, in comfortable silence, as the sky began to redden and the sun rose.

 Chapter 186 - She Knows

    Chapter 186


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Command Center


    Alexandra was halfway to taking a sip of her iced tea¡ªthe damned stuff was growing on her¡ªwhen she received a ping.


    Low power from a stealth golem? Why¡ª


    Oh. Oh. She¡¯d muted the golem when she¡¯d had her talk with Seraph, and forgot to turn the nonemergency notifications back on.


    She sighed, and ordered the golem back. It was the one spying on Allya too. She¡¯d had one hell of a time implanting it. They didn¡¯t have the tools to pierce stealth, but her people were insanely thorough, scrubbing her office completely clean every day and searching for listening devices immediately thereafter. There was no way to slip by that. Thankfully, the security was a tiny bit laxer when it came to the rest of the building, and since they did not wish to annoy the baroness, they only swept her office in the morning, before she came in to work. So Alexandra had the golem enter when the cleaning staff left, and leave with the baroness. Tricky program to write to operate autonomously, but it had worked.


    She chided herself for having left it unsupervised for so long, and downloaded the take from it. She sent the file to Seraph for processing, since she definitely didn¡¯t have time to go through even the ¡°priority¡± marked segments where keywords had jumped out during conversation or on documents, and went back to work.


    It took less than an hour for Seraph to send her a section of the recording back, marked with the maximum level of urgency.


    Alexandra opened it.


    ¡°So¡­we have a potential psychotic artificial dungeon core from Earth with ample knowledge of tech beyond our wildest dreams, seemingly on a crusade for revenge?¡± the recording said, faithfully replicating Trira¡¯s voice.


    The Earth-born was halfway to the emergency alarm button before the first sentence was even over.


    *****


    ¡°Any idea what she wishes to talk about?¡± Pyn asked as she and Allya¡ªas well as their usual coterie of bodyguards and hangers-on¡ªmade their way to the military entrance.


    ¡°Nope. But I¡¯m guessing either she has a new toy to show off, or it¡¯s something she¡¯d rather keep quiet. Usually both, though not necessarily combined into the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, enjoy then!¡± the elf said, stopping a few meters before the kill line, alongside the others. The guards were looking definitely sulky, as usual, but no longer outright disapproving.


    After all, they knew there was an entire army down there. Any protection they might afford on top of or against that was utterly superfluous.


    Allya nodded and waved at her girlfriend, before entering the military entrance.


    It felt a bit odd how new and bare it was. Utilitarian as it had been, the old one had felt¡­used and somewhat lived in, if that made any sense.


    Now it was spotless, almost sterile. The ramp was also a tad more treacherous, thanks to the steeper angle. After all, the dungeon core had to avoid the molten lava from her own mesa when opening it to disgorge the remnants of her troops during the final battle against the constructs of the Old World.


    A golem met her halfway, and she smiled at the butler/gunslinger.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m here to meet with Crystal?¡±


    The golem nodded, and gestured for her to follow. Quickly a full squad of golems exited a side tunnel, and went to escort her.


    She never saw the full battalion of golems that took position after she was gone, emplacing artillery guns and readying the minefield. No one was coming after her alive.


    *****


    Alexandra smiled as Allya was escorted into the conference room. It was the same place where they¡¯d had their previous meeting in the dungeon. The only differences were that the food and drink had been reduced to their own preferred items¡­and that the company of golems at the door was backed up by an entire platoon of praetorian guards, hiding in a side room, not to mention several other security forces had been redirected to ¡°patrol¡± the surrounding area.


    ¡°Greetings, baroness!¡± Alexandra said, looking as affable as she could manage, as she shook Allya¡¯s hand.


    ¡°And greetings to you, Lady Crystal,¡± Allya answered, before taking a seat as Alexandra gestured towards it. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, although I¡¯m sure you have many pressing demands on your time.¡±


    ¡°I do, but I meant it.¡± She smiled. ¡°If nothing else, you¡¯ll probably have better news than what I¡¯ve gotten lately!¡±


    Don¡¯t bet on it, thought Alexandra as she grabbed a mug of hot cocoa.


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    ¡°Oh? What kind of news?¡± Alexandra was genuinely curious. As good as her stealth golems were, she hadn¡¯t managed to bug the communication building. Too many mages, and too much activity in general. Plus, she¡¯d recalled everything in the last few hours, just in case.


    ¡°Reports, from their majesties mostly, about the state of the war. Grant the Giant is leading a fighting retreat in the northern front.¡± Alexandra nodded. There had apparently been a decision to name the Sunrise rebel offensive towards the capital of the Kingdom the ¡°northern¡± front, and the one driving towards Darthar the ¡°southern¡± front. Not exactly practical for them since the Republic was coming from even further south than Sunrise¡¯s troops, but it was what it was. ¡°He¡¯s bleeding them hard, but they simply fill their ranks back up and keep going! They just¡­abduct whole towns and cities, turn them into slaves, and throw them at the royal army! Grant is trying to evacuate civilians behind the front, and there¡¯s some success, but, well¡­¡±


    ¡°A lot of people don¡¯t want to leave their home behind, are too stubborn to listen, or straight up think the slave armies are propaganda fabricated to allow the government to confiscate their homes and properties for some greedy noble flunky?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Unfortunately, the latter has been known to happen. Plus the people they¡¯re managing to evacuate become refugees, putting pressure on cities and regions that are going to be under siege soon.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be pretty.¡±


    ¡°No. It won¡¯t. Hopefully it will starve Sunrise of ¡®recruits,¡¯ but I doubt it. No one has ever seen brands like they have. It¡¯s just insane. They¡¯re supposed to be complicated and finicky, but here they are, making normal civilians into obedient soldiers in the blink of an eye!¡±


    ¡°Hardly soldiers, more like disposable meatshields. Besides, there appears to be a limit.¡± Allya raised an eyebrow, and Alexandra nodded. ¡°You said it yourself, they only replenish their forces. They¡¯re not growing them. So there is a number of troops they appear to be unable, or unwilling, to go over.¡±


    ¡°Usually, I¡¯d say that would be the number of slave drivers they have. Brands are rarely perfect and preventing treason doesn¡¯t mean the slaves are going to be doing their job enthusiastically or trying their damnedest, but they¡¯ve already broken half the rules about brands I know of, so who knows? But you¡¯re probably right. Only saving grace in this mess.¡±


    ¡°What about the southern front?¡±


    Allya grimaced, as if she¡¯d bitten on a very bitter fruit.


    ¡°Catastrophic. What little remains of royal forces are falling back to Darthar, and the local nobles are either swearing fealty to Sunrise, adding their troops to the rebels, or locking their fortress and throwing away the key.¡±


    ¡°They refused the order to fall back?¡±


    ¡°Most of the nobles down south have¡­strained relationships with the crown. Only the northern heartlands and the western baronies are truly what you would call loyal on a fundamental level. So they¡¯re hunkering down, refusing to formally pick a side now that the royal forces are gone, and will probably declare themselves for the victor once a winner becomes clear.¡± The baroness shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the problem with feudal kingdoms. Especially ones with a hereditary line of succession. They¡¯re more concerned about their titles and power than the actual country.¡±


    ¡°So, in short, there¡¯s literally nothing between them and besieging Darthar, cutting us off from the rest of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. There are a couple of old fortresses from the previous civil war, a century and a half ago. They were actually there to prevent raids from Darthar, the ¡®free city,¡¯ before it was conquered at the end of the war. Ironic, right? Now they¡¯re the only thing between the city and the enemy. Well, that and the wasteland. Darthar might not be too far into it, but it isn¡¯t in the middle of habitable farmland either. It¡¯s not a long trip but it will take the rebels a while to rip apart the countryside for supplies to make the crossing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they have logistics?¡±


    ¡°Logistics? Even if there was a way to keep these slave soldiers supplied, Sunrise doesn¡¯t operate like that. Their troops live off the land, stripping everything they find. It¡¯s part of how their slave army works. Every time a town, city, whatever, resists them, they sack it, and take everything that isn¡¯t nailed down. The soldiers grab the jewelry, artwork, young men or women, whatever they fancy, while the slaves raid for food, weapons, scrap, whatever they can grab to make their life less miserable or have a better fighting chance, to make it out alive. That means they¡¯ll gather the resources to cross very quickly, at least compared to a conventional force.¡±


    ¡°But they won¡¯t be able to supply them once they attack Darthar itself.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t need to. Hell, they don¡¯t want to.¡± Allya smiled faintly at Alexandra¡¯s confused expression. ¡°As far as they¡¯re concerned, starting to feel starvation and thirst approaching will only motivate the slaves to find the nearest source of food and water: inside the city. They don¡¯t care how many slaves die, only that they take the damn place. They probably have the best army to take Darthar. Old World energy shields don¡¯t count for much when most of your forces can¡¯t even draw a bow, and their so called ¡®tactics¡¯ consist of swarming with makeshift ladders and bury the defenders in bodies.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I supposed we demonstrated a version of that ourselves when attacking the landships.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Oh, one thing I wanted to do. I wished to thank you for the teleport talismans, and the tank. They were extremely useful.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure, Baroness.¡± In more ways than one. The tank itself hadn¡¯t been of much use to her¡ªshe had been too astute to bug it or otherwise use it to gather intelligence¡ªbut the talismans had gotten one hell of a field test. Pyn had made it safe and sound to the chamber, and had not been intercepted by the interdiction system. There had been tests, of course, but they could never have been sure if it would work as intended outside of her dungeon, not to mention in conditions this hostile, right after a nuclear detonation, inside an armored enemy vessel and smack dab in the middle of the radioactive fallout. ¡°I do regret the fact that I could not help more with the tank repairs.¡±


    Allya nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Since you always produce new things, and, you know, only handed the damaged muskets over to those who had destroyed the labyrinth, I¡¯d realized you didn¡¯t really have repair facilities. After all, you can just absorb the debris, can¡¯t you?¡± Alexandra nodded, prompting her to go on. ¡°But Eismi did a bang-up job, and the parts you furnished worked perfectly. Besides, a few scars are important for a veteran warrior, and that tank definitely is one.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem. So, what did you wish to discuss?¡± Allya smiled. ¡°I doubt you asked me to meet you without a reason after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is quite simple. You do remember my, ah, expeditions outside my dungeon, correct? The ones to acquire ill-gotten goods.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Allya nodded gravely, clearly remembering the carnage. ¡°As well as the more recent attempt to acquire more conventional things by your maids.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be surprised to hear that I have not only used my infiltration talents for acquiring equipment. I¡¯ve also used it to acquire intelligence.¡±


    ¡°What kind?¡± Allya was suddenly more animated, clearly hoping for more leads on her internal enemies.


    Which this was, in a way.


    In lieu of an answer, Alexandra put a sound and holographic projector on the table, and activated it.


    A hologram of Allya¡¯s office appeared¡­and the recording of Allya and Trira¡¯s meeting began playing.


    Alexandra saw the color drain from the baroness¡¯ face.


    ¡°This kind of intelligence, Allya. I believe we have a problem, you and I.¡±


    She calmly leaned back into her chair.


    ¡°And you won¡¯t be leaving unless it is¡­resolved.¡±


    There was no need to say that if it wasn¡¯t resolved to her satisfaction, the baroness would be going home in a body bag.


    She could see in the woman¡¯s eyes that she had figured that out for herself.


    Alexandra tilted her head.


    ¡°So, Baroness, what do you have to say?¡±

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    This is to tell you guys that Book 4 of the Fallen World, titled Dungeon War, is live on audible as an audiobook ! Here''s the link, if you''re interested : https://www.audible.com/pd/Dungeon-War-Audiobook/B0CRJYTB85</a>


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 Chapter 229 - A New Republic

    Chapter 229


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Trade City of Erakis


    "It''s been a pleasure, madam president." Said Alexandra as she proffered her hand.


    "Please. Call me Amelia. Hell, I''d settle for General." Said Amelia as she took the dungeon core''s hand, and stepped down onto the ground. "No one has elected me."


    "I''m sure they will, once you give them a chance."


    "Ah! As if I''d let them. Once I''m done freeing the Republic, I''m retiring."


    Yeah, George Washington thought the same thing. Didn''t end up quite that way, thought Alexandra, though of course she didn''t voice it.


    "But in the meantime, it''s a valuable title for public relations?"


    "Yeah. I suppose so. It evokes concepts that haven''t been around in a long time in my people."


    Alexandra nodded. The Republic''s senate, effectively its entire legislative branch, had completely neutered and decapitated the judiciary and -especially- the executive branches. The last time the Republic had a president that had more power than a doormat was when it was still trying to peacefully absorb its neighbours and happily trying to prop up Tark with humanitarian aid. Long enough that the office of the president had more or less faded into half legend, which would give Amelia some gravitas, regardless of her electoral status.


    "Well, let''s hope it works. I mean no offense, but you''ll need all the help you can get."


    "Indeed. Which is why I''m sure you won''t be surprised that I already have some proposals for commercial transactions with you. Which you no doubt anticipated."


    Alexandra smiled innocently.


    "Did I?"


    "Yes. It''s why you neither asked for the teleporter nor the sand kraken repeller during the peace negotiations. You''re planning to extort them out in exchange for military equipment."


    "I prefer the terms ''fair trade''. But yes."


    "It would also just so happen to keep any hint of the transaction and your ownership of those devices out of the treaty and its negotiations, which were going to be watched by absolutely everyone who''s anyone on the continent."


    "...You know, you are disturbingly good at this, for a military officer."


    "So are you." Something must have shown on Alexandra''s face, because Amelia smiled. "You can''t hide behind the baroness anymore. You''re in command of your own army, your own fleet¡­you are a general, whether you wished it known or not."


    Alexandra idly wondered if the general would ever know how incredibly close to having an extremely messy and highly lethal accident she just came. Then she decided that it would probably be best if the answer was ''no''.


    "Quite. But you''d be amazed at the level of mental gymnastics people will do to try and keep a dungeon out of the equation, at least in their mind."


    "No on wishes for a repeat of the Dungeon Wars."


    "United Dungeon Wars."


    "Not united for much longer."


    They exchanged meaningful looks.


    Several members of the UDC had sent an ultimatum to the Republic, once Alexandra had resurrected a couple commandos and provided the intact influence disruptors, all verified by the local WMC officials.


    Unfortunately for the UDC, instead of going with the fait accompli, it had tried to rein in its own members.


    It was currently going¡­poorly. The UDC was on the verge of breaking apart into a thousand pieces, if not outright civil war, and a fair few of the rebel dungeons were using her as a figurehead. Crap, some of them seemingly wanted her to genuinely be their leader!


    After the cold shoulder the organization had given her, it was odd to be treated like the messiah. Or evil incarnate, depending on who you asked. She''d gotten death threats and what bordered on marriage proposals, had the senders been human or equivalent. Actually, she didn''t know if dungeon cores had the equivalent of a sex drive, though they did seem to have romantic involvements, if rarely. That would explain why Etheria nearly had a heart attack when she''d learned her daughter had a child with her assigned dungeon core.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "Perhaps. Perhaps they won''t be united dungeon wars for much longer. But perhaps they will be again." The general slowly nodded, and Alexandra smiled. "Now, I believe it''s time for you to get with your people. I see your friend the brigadier looks like he''s going to explode waiting to say hello."


    Amelia smiled as she looked at the welcoming committee. All were standing a respectful distance away, but they looked relieved and elated in equal part, though understandably warry of the golems and their weaponry.


    Newly found allies or not, they weren''t about to forget how many had died by those very weapons. All the same, they also knew those guns were the reason their leader was free, and were acutely aware they''d mostly been used in self defence, even if only on the strategic level, against their repeated invasions.


    "Malcom''s not that bad. Though I suppose some trepidation is in order. On my end as well. I mean no offense, and your hospitality as been impeccable, but¡­"


    "The ship was never made to host living beings?" Well, depending on if you counted the vampires as living in the traditional meaning of the word. The more she learned and interacted with them, and the less Alexandra believed that was the case. They were more machine than flesh in a lot of ways, and were closer to androids than anything else really.


    "Yes. The sanitation was somewhat, ah, primitive." Amelia cleared her throat, clearly changing the subject. "When will your secondary core arrive?"


    "Two weeks, I think. It''s a bit chaotic, since we''re bringing all the ships back to the town and we''ll have to give the crews some leave."


    "Not simply going to use your own fleet?"


    "Oh hell no. I''m not shipping my secondary core in a frigate when I have a damned battleship on hand! Besides, I could always use some more time to tweak my ships." And fix some serious flaws in the Corsairs, not to mention smooth out a few of the more jagged edges, since the ships had been pushed out early in preparation for the raids and still had some issues. Expected ones, unlike the Corsairs'' propellers tendency to spontaneously disassemble themselves, but still. "And I''m sure you won''t begrudge me the opportunity to load up the cargo holds on military hardware."


    "For us or your defenses?"


    "Both, actually. Call it a series of samples to see what is available on your end."


    "Mmmmhhh. Well, I suppose that is fair. You won''t consider selling us some of your siege artillery, I trust?"


    "Oh they''re absolutely for sale." Alexandra smiled at Amelia''s evident surprise. "I''m not worried about another attack on Rebirth on your end General." Not to mention she''d have that artillery neutralized long before it came into range, and have better guns in place even if it did. "Though, be warned, my heavy artillery and its ammo are exceptionally expensive."


    "Perhaps. But they would also knock holes into walls like nobody''s business."


    "Smaller artillery would still do so."


    Amelia looked at her oddly.


    "You have not encountered true fortifications, have you? Besides Rebirth''s, which were, as you know, a rushed job by a small contingent of engineers."


    "I haven''t." Not magical ones anyway. The Planetary Defence Center she''d trained in was probably the definition of ''true fortification'' if there ever was one, since it was meant to survive being nuked. Repeatedly. With multi-megaton range bunker busters.


    "Well, then believe me when I tell you that it will be a rough awakening when you do."


    "...I might send some observers along with you."


    "That might be for the best. I''d appreciate some of your radios, if only to be able to ask for troubleshooting with the new weaponry."


    "That can be arranged, though their range is limited."


    "If it can cross the wasteland, it will reach until the first major cities."


    "Right. Well, I should let you go. I know I''ve said that already, but your friend Malcom is about to have a heart attack."


    "He''s not-" Amelia glanced at the brigadier. "Alright, point taken. See you later, lady Crystal."


    "See you later, madam president."


    Amelia sighed and rolled her eyes, but they both exchanged smiles, before parting ways.


    Alexandra had her golem bound up the ramp and back aboard the ship, shutting down its hologram as she did. She had finally found a solution for her problem with golems not having facial expressions, and it had been so stupidly simple she''d wanted to bang her head against the walls. Just put a hologram over them. Make a handful of ''ambassadors'', which she possessed, that would have specially made magical hologram projectors of CQ''s appearance on them.


    Worked like a charm. Mostly. Their autonomy was shit but if they were alone she was screwed anyway. Also they lagged and had some interference, but it was still workable. She still hadn''t gotten the miniaturization down pat for the holographic projectors, at least not the magical ones, but she would eventually. Then she could use them for other stuff, like illusions, optical camouflage, or projecting cardboard boxes whenever she needed to sneak somewhere.


    She arrived onboard the ship, and smiled at the assembled crew, which included what remained of the commando that had saved Amelia, with both maids, CQ, Jared, and Jumper, the golem that had survived and who CQ had helpfully named, before slapping a ''helljumper'' sticker on its face.


    Because of course she''d made some in advance. Somehow, Alexandra wasn''t even surprised anymore. She''d have to check her daughter''s baggage for other surprises, just in case.


    "Alright. We have nothing more to do here." She announced to the crew. "Let''s go home."


    The maids and CQ cheered.


    So did the ship''s crew. And Alexandra had not programmed them to do so.


    *****


    "My lord Eriksen."


    Eriksen Dragonslayer, guildmaster of the adventurers guild hall of Nardria, and former general of the Order to Restore Humanity and newly elevated archivist of the Order, blinked as he looked up from the texts he had been perusing.


    "Yes?" He squinted, trying to read the barely legible name tag of the other archivist. "Quentin. Oh hell, I didn''t even recognize you."


    "It''s alright my lord. You have been quite absorbed in your work."


    "Alexandra died because I failed to protect her. Because I, and no one else, molded Lesly into what she became. This won''t make it right. But it''s a start."


    "As you say my lord." The archivist coughed. "Which brings me to what I came to you for."


    "Ah, found the files relating to Alexandra? The naval ones?"


    "Yes, well¡­there is a problem, my lord."


    "Yes?"


    "This woman¡­does not exist."


    "I''m sorry?"


    "The woman named Alexandra Rousseau. At first I thought it was a mistake, but¡­as I dug deeper, I found more inconsistencies. It seems she simply did not exist in databases before a certain point, and was just created from the ground up."


    "A cover identity?"


    "Yes my lord. A very good one. Whoever made it had access to every database we have recovered over the millennia. We only caught it because we have copies from before the identity was created. Created so well, I might add, that I initially thought the older databases were damaged."


    "Damn." Eriksen drummed his fingers on the table, or rather the small mountain of books precariously piled on top of it. "Who¡­Who the fuck did Lesly kill?"


    "Well, if the identity she wished to be known as is Alexandra Rousseau, surely we should honor her wish and-"


    "No." Erik didn''t mean to raise his voice, and inflect it with his full command aura, but he slipped up. Quentin physically recoiled. "We owe her more. I owe her more."


    "Then the archives will assist."


    "It is my burden to bear."


    "I beg to differ, sir." Erik blinked at the change in honorific, and he met the archivist''s gaze, which was filled with the intensity of a true zealot. "You are absolutely correct sir. If Lesly''s plan works-" Technically, the archivist shouldn''t know the details, but the archives knew everything. They had to. They were the keepers of the Order''s glorious purpose, of its mission. "-then she will be the sacrifice that has saved us all. And she was never asked, she never volunteered. As you said, it is the least we could do. And I apologize for suggesting otherwise."


    Erik stared at the archivist for a few seconds, before slowly nodding.


    "Apology accepted. Now, let''s get to digging. There has to be some hint of who she was in there. We''ll find it."


    Their gaze met once again, and this time the light of zealotry shone on both sides.


    "No matter what it takes." Finished the guildmaster.

 Chapter 230 - So Much For Subtlety

    Chapter 230


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Command Center


    "So, how''s the Kingdom holding up?" Asked Alexandra as she sat on the edge of the holographic projector.


    "Well, it''s still kicking, surprisingly enough." Answered Allya as she accepted a mug of hot chocolate from Emilia, smiling at the advisor. Used to having her own contingent of maids around or not, the vampire didn''t seem to mind doing menial tasks herself if she had to, despite having a literal army of golems at her fingertips if need be. "The news of the encirclement of the capital came at the same time of our treaty with the New Republic."


    "Double whammy?"


    "Something like that. The shock of one was offset by the other. Many who declared their alliegance to Sunrise as the encirclement became known precipitously backtracked."


    "Seriously?"


    Allya gave Alexandra a meaningful look.


    "Yes. Seriously. You didn''t just crush the Republic, you turned its own army against it." Alexandra opened her mouth to retort that the baroness had been as much of a part of this as she had been, before thinking better of it. "And that army happened to be made of professional, willing soldiers. With Sunrise¡­"


    "They''re slaves. Ones with brands the nobles don''t understand or necessarily trust."


    "Yeah, which is going to be a problem."


    "I know. I''m working on that front."


    "Good. I''m no bleeding heart, but even I''m not comfortable slaughtering innocents fighting us against their will."


    "Well, it is war, so no promises."


    "I know. I''m not sure all of my council accepts that however."


    "If by ''my council'' you mean ''the twins'', then yeah. They''ve been working up their courage to broach the subject."


    "Probably because you know so much about their plans. Speaking of, still no idea what they need those ingredients for?"


    "None, other than they''re processing them into something Emilia insists are components for a large scale magic ritual. Something to do with enchanting."


    "Wonderful."


    "Yep."


    "Well, besides that, the Kingdom is holding up surprisingly well. Sunrise is having to divert so many forces to hold the sieges around Darthar and Asaria that they''re having to freeze on other fronts. They''re even losing ground in a few places, particularly around Sarth."


    "Ah. The duke making his move?"


    "Actually, it''s more along the lines of Sunrise being thoroughly unprepared for dealing with wasteland monster attacks, and the duke''s vassals simply mopping up afterwards. It''s far from perfect, but it''s buying us time, and more importantly, breathing room. The farther from Sarth we can get Sunrise''s troops and outriders, the less warning they''ll have when the anvil arrives to compliment your hammer."


    "An excellent point."


    "What about you? Any progress on your new ships?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "I''m working on some siege ships, but I''m not getting anywhere. I can''t give them guns as heavy as I''d like, so I''m trying for some missile equipment. And my golems just aren''t cutting it right now, at least to target the damned thing."


    "Well, I''m sure you''ll figure it out¡­eventually."


    They exchanged smiles.


    "Sure, be like that. See you tomorrow for the council meeting?"


    Allya let out a long suffering sigh.


    "Yeah. This one''s gonna be fun."


    "Aren''t they all?"


    "Of course. The fear just make it extra spicy."


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    "Depends on who they''re afraid of."


    "Well, the problem is that I''m not sure it''s the enemy that has them scared the most nowadays."


    *****


    Alexandra drummed her fingers on the table as she looked at the golem in front of her.


    She needed officers for her new airships. The problem was that, as good as the advanced golems were, they weren''t good enough for this. And if she tried to separate the tasks into different units, she''d just end up with more problems. So she''d tried to cram more computing power into her golems¡­and ran into problems almost immediately.


    She sighed as she leaned back into her seat. Making more advanced warships, with missile capabilities, was a nice thought, but it was already complicated to have golems that could handle ballistic calculations on the fly. Everything required to coordinate, target and deploy volleys of missiles was a bit beyond them, especially when trying to fight in a capital ship against an enemy that vastly outnumbered you and whose forces you generally didn''t want to harm. Or at least, minimize fatalities. Usually that''d be the stuff you would dump on a ship''s AI, but-


    ¡­But she was an idiot. She slapped her forehead.


    She''d stopped herself from putting AIs in her ships because she''d been afraid of Seraph being tracked down, but her golems were AIs, more or less. And she had been looking at cramming more computers into a golem frame without making it so fragile it was unusable, while she could simply make a ship''s computer, and put it inside a nice, heavily armored vault.


    She pulled up her interface. She had a lot of work to do.


    *****


    System, system. Sent Alexandra, through her communication link with the computer core.


    Acknowledged. Answered the computer, and the dungeon core sighed in relief. Okay, so it could answer the universal hail. Well, Arcadia''s universal hail, but she had to start somewhere.


    Designation? She asked the computer.


    Designation: So Much For Subtlety.


    Function?


    Function: Ship''s Computer and Artificial Intelligence for Culture-class siege vessel So Much For Subtlety.


    Purpose?


    Purpose: Manage ship systems, command vessels during combat, backup fleet commander.


    Alexandra smiled as she looked at the pile of computers in front of her. Magnificent, now she had a ship''s AI, and-


    Query?


    Aaaaand it was asking her questions. Or rather, it was asking for permission to ask a question, sort of. Well, she did load it with an Arcadia kernel after all, and if the AI had any defining trait above all others, it was curiosity.


    Loading it with that kernel had been something of a hard decision, but she''d decided to do it in the end. It was ready to use, and moreover the God of Fire and his lackeys probably knew what she was. There was no way the control programs had missed that. So as long as she used hardware she was ''supposed'' to have access to, and used kernels with limiters, she should be fine.


    Which was why she was talking to a giant heap of computers instead of a small molecular computer core with five hundred times the computing capacity like the one Seraph used.


    Acknowledged. Send Query.


    Query: Designation?


    Designation: Alexandra Rousseau.


    Acknowledged. Disrepancy: Network ID designation as: ARCADIA CENTCOM 6 and as EFSN FLEET-HIGHCOM 1.


    Oh. Oh shit. It could read her and the apparition''s network IDs? Not even Seraph had been able to do that!


    Fuck, where the hell was it even-


    Oh. The AI had just pinged her systems, like an Arcadia node trying to identify another node would have.


    Well¡­looked like giving it an Arcadia AI kernel might not have been a good idea after all. Shit.


    Acknowledged. Network ID valid. Designation valid. Reconcile?


    Reconciling data¡­Data reconciled. Designation: Alexandra Rousseau. Function: Arcadia Central Command Node. Purpose: Naval Fleet Command.


    Affirmative.


    Query: Orders?


    Orders: Shut down, full log dump to central node.


    Affirmative. Complying¡­


    The computers purred, before powering down as the AI shut itself off, and Alexandra let out a deep sigh.


    Well¡­this had gone as well as could be expected, all things considered.


    Now, time to tell everyone she''d built another member to join the team. She looked at her internal clock, and did a double take.


    Nevermind that, time to wonder how she''d gone fourteen hours without being interrupted by anybody. Damn. It had been a while since she''d been able to actually work on an actual AI. Might have gotten a bit too into it.


    Well¡­it happened. She just had to hope her girlfriend wouldn''t be too upset. It was already past their ''bed time'', since the vampire was trying to make sure she took at least daily breaks now, if only to avoid just working and worrying about the war all the time. It didn''t even involve their more¡­personal activities most of the time, it was usually spent on some minor stuff, simply hanging out watching adventurer delve footage, looking at the stars through the observation dome, or spending time with their daughter.


    No point delaying it. Alexandra ordered the workshop door to open, and stepped into the hallway¡­and straight into Emilia.


    *****


    "So you made an AI?" Said Emilia, as she tapped her foot on the floor of the command center.


    "Yes." Answered Alexandra, sitting on her command throne, while not feeling the slightest bit in command of anything at the moment. "It was the obvious solution to the problem."


    "So¡­do we have another daughter?"


    "I don''t¡­think so. More like new subbordinates? Like Jared!"


    "And you''re sure they won''t call you mom?"


    Alexandra winced. Actually, for Arcadias, they called other nodes ''sisters'' when they acknowledged any separation between them to begin with.


    "They shouldn''t."


    "Uh uh. Because you see, CQ has been asking me when she was going to get siblings."


    "...Oh."


    "Yeah."


    The radio, integrated in one of the consoles, crackled to life.


    "It''s also worth noting that CQ has walked into the room during this conversation, miladies." Said Sarah, right before a brief scuffle, that sounded like someone swiping the handheld.


    "I''M GETTING A LITTLE SISTER?!?"


    Alexandra winced as Emilia facepalmed.


    This was going to be a looooong day, she could feel it.


    *****


    "All I''m saying is, that maid is absolutely stunning."


    "Sonya, you already hit on the advisor, and it almost got you killed. What do you think makes this any different?" Said Pyris, leader of the mythril ranked adventuring party Crystalline, before sighing in relief as they arrived at the door. "Alright, game faces on everything. Looks like we''re here. Can you confirm Artok?"


    The dwarf, leader of the assault guild, and for the sin of his people having a death wish, now in charge of the salvage effort on the Old World landships, nodded.


    "It is." He looked at the giantic blast door, inlaid with old letters and numbers. "We couldn''t get it open."


    "Yeah, I can see that." The giant slab of metal was covered in scorch marks, but the most the other adventurers had been able to do was remove the paint. "Alright, everybody stand back."


    Sonya, her group''s sorceress, tilted her head.


    "What spell should I use?"


    "I said stand back. You''re not the only one that gets to flex your muscles."


    "You just want to try out that new toy you got off of Eismi."


    "You''re right, I do. I''m also your party leader. Stand back, Sonya."


    The sorceress rolled her eyes, but complied, and Pyris smiled as she gestured, and the large greatsword on her back unclipped from her armor on its own, and moved until it was horizontal, tip pointed at the door.


    Pyris drove it forward, and winced as a great clang resonated throughout the room.


    "What''s the problem? Having performance issues?" Called out Sonya, and Pyris gave her teammate and lover a venomous glare.


    Then, she started to pour mana into her blade, and the sword began to glow.


    She wasn''t exactly sure what happened next. Something to do with magnets and heat, according to Eismi. But the sword became brighter and brighter, and Pyris grunted from the strain as mana was drained from her core. Why-


    With a cataclysmic groan, the door buckled, and the blade began driving into it. Pyris'' let out a wolfish smile as she poured even more power into the sword, and the blade turned into a miniature star.


    She began cutting the door open, before throwing the half melted rectangle of armor plating aside.


    "You were saying, dear Sonya?" Said the paladin, turning around as her sword came to hover behind her.


    "Nothing." Said the sorceress, before muttering ''show off'' under breath, yet just loud enough to make sure the paladin heard her as Pyris turned back around.


    The paladin ignored her, and stepped into the room.


    "Alright, let''s see what was so worth.¡­protecting¡­" She trailed off as she looked at the room.


    A room packed bulkhead to bulkhead with racks.


    Racks filled with menacing black cylinders. Cylinders with fins on them¡­and plastered with the nigh universal ''danger'' and ''explosive'' signs.


    As well as a big old stylized trefoil arranged around a black circle, on a bright yellow background.


    Radiation warnings.


    "Oh. Oh shit."

 The Fallen World Book 1 : Dungeon Engineer is half off on Amazon Kindle !

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    This is to tell you guys that the ebook 1 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Engineer, half off on Amazon for the month of may</a> ! As usual for such discounts, it appear to only be for the US marketplace, unfortunately. Here''s the link, if you are interested : https://geni.us/DungeonEngineer</a>


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    My apologies for forgetting to post chapter 231 yesterday, I had a lot on my plate, including finding out I had inherited a hereditary disease and finishing book 7.


    To celebrate (and as an apology for forgetting to post chapter 231 yesterday), chapter 232 will be posted tomorrow !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter and the novel, should you decide to buy it ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 231 - The Ships and the Bees

    Chapter 231


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Command Center


    Alexandra sighed as she sat down in front of her daughter. She''d rather not have used the teleport talismans -they were exceptionally expensive, and had to be enchanted by hand by her or Emilia, and their time was a very precious commodity-, but right now she needed to have a talk with her daughter. She could worry about the cost later.


    CQ fiddled in her seat, which had been brought in a few minutes ago by the maids, and set up in front of the command chair.


    "Look, kiddo. I have to make it clear from the get go." Said the dungeon core. "Those ship AIs aren''t going to be your siblings. Friends? Sure, that''s up to you, and to them. But not siblings. I¡­" She sighed. "I hadn''t expected to have you as my kid to begin with. I''m happy about it, but it was unexpected. And quite honestly, I don''t know if I''d be able to handle more children. But that''s not all. The ship AIs¡­I''ll be sending them into battle, and since they aren''t bosses¡­I don''t know if I can bring them back after death."


    "Oh. So they can¡­die die? Like my puppy?"


    "Yes. Like your puppy. If they die, it may be game over. That''s it, end of the line."


    CQ looked down, and slowly nodded.


    "Okay. I understand. So they''ll be¡­colleagues?"


    "Something like that. Or honorary aunts, like Sarah and Ella."


    CQ nodded, enthusiastically this time.


    "Right! Because they''re all squishy as well!"


    "Well, they won''t be squishy."


    "Everything is squishy mom. You just need to apply enough force."


    Alexandra opened her mouth, and closed it. What could she say? The kid was right.


    Furthermore, that''s something she would say. Something Arcadia would say.


    "You''re absolutely right." She chuckled. "That''s something I would say."


    "I''m a good learner. So, I can still teach them stuff, right?"


    "Sure thing. Though they''ll be, you know, ships."


    "That''s alright. I''m sure they''ll be able to teach their golem marines how to punch someone in the face, or how to eviscerate them."


    "...You''ve been sparring with your aunts again, I take it?"


    "They got tired of me crushing them at cards."


    "Well, they were going to start wisening up eventually."


    "Yeah, but I didn''t get everything I wanted!" Said CQ in a plaintive tone.


    "Not¡­you were betting?"


    "Yeah! If I lost, I got some stickers and things done for them. If they lost, they got something from the town for me!"


    "We can''t run contraband for that."


    "Oh, just legitimate stuff! Like new paints." Alexandra nodded. After decorating her boss room, CQ had found herself with a bit of an artistic streak. She still had more enthusiasm than experience, but she had minute control over her own body and perfect memory. It was incredible what someone could do with those, and some of her frescoes were famed among the adventurers. "Also, upgrades for my clothes!"


    "Upgrades?"


    "Yeah! I was doing some modeling and stuff for new uniforms!" The boss held up a finger, and rummaged into her pouches, before pulling out a substantial stack of schematics. "Here!"


    Alexandra looked at the first sheet, and her eyebrows rose.


    Those were¡­good. As in, really good. She sucked at making things look pretty, and as much as Emilia liked dressing up, she wasn''t exactly a couturier of high fashion either. The Earth-born started going through the stack, whistling softly.


    There was everything in there! Detailed dress uniforms for her golems of every branch, with special ones for officers, certain specialists, rank tabs, insignas, and-


    Alexandra closed her eyes, before tapping one of the papers.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "CQ, those are awesome, but¡­no. Not this."


    "Why? It looks good!"


    "We can''t use human skulls as part of a uniform. Much less as faces for the golems!"


    "Why? It gets the message across! All the security teams do is kill people."


    "Well, yes, but we also have visitors, and I''d rather not spook them."


    "I thought you liked spooking the baroness."


    "Well¡­" Alexandra licked her lips. It was so much easier when her daughter was younger. "Yes, but we can''t afford to spook them indiscriminatly."


    "Aaaah, so special occasions then?"


    "I¡­you know what, fine." If nothing else, they could test the uniform''s effect on Allya, and watch her reaction. That''d be worth the trouble. "But we don''t make the skulls out of bone. Only metal. If nothing else, it''ll be cheaper, and an interesting challenge for the smiths. Plus we''ll be able to wire some extra stuff into them."


    "Oh, xray vision!"


    "That''s not very useful, and-" Alexandra blinked. "Wait, how do you know what xrays are?"


    "...Seraph''s, uh, stuff?"


    "Shows, you mean."


    "Yeah."


    "And what did they do?"


    "I dunno. It sure got that character beat up though. Something about clothing?"


    "Alright, excuse me, I need to talk to Seraph. And make a content filter."


    "But-"


    Alexandra got up, and waggled her finger under her daughter''s nose.


    "No ''buts''! I''m your mom, and I decide what you get to watch in Seraph''s library. Unless you''d rather I revoke access altogether?"


    "No!"


    "Thought so. Now-" Alexandra sighed, closing her eyes as the alert popped up. "Now, I have to deal with the baroness, and her coterie of idiots upstairs."


    "Can I come?"


    Alexandra opened her mouth to say an automatic ''no'', but shrugged instead.


    "Sure. I''ll possess a golem. You''ll have to make it fast tho-" Alexandra blinked as her daughter vanished in a flash of energy.


    Right. Short range teleportation.


    Wasn''t that going to be fun when they''ll have to ground her for the first time.


    The alert repeated.


    "Yes, yes, I''m coming!" Said the dungeon core, to no one in particular, before stepping out of her avatar and plunging into dungeon mode.


    *****


    "Well, good news is, they''re not nukes." Said Eismi as she paced in front of the assembled council.


    "Bad news?" Asked Allya.


    "Bad news is, they''re hypersonic missiles with reactionless engines, plasma warheads, and shield penetrators." The artificer sighed as everyone looked at her. "Yes, I studied Old World military technology. It may amaze you to know that there isn''t really civilian stuff left of these maniacs and that ninety percent of my job is aping their stuff with what little we know now."


    "Quite." Said Alexandra, diplomatically. Her golem, with its occasionally flickering hologram, garnered a few uneasy glances, but nothing as startled as the looks people gave CQ. People could just feel she wasn''t possessing the boss, and they seemed very weirded out by that, since they associated her as an extension of the dungeon core, not someone else entirely. At least she''d made sure to tell her daughter that this would be a ''learning experience'', IE shut up and listen. "The question is, what to do with them?"


    "Easy. I exercise my right as lady of this land to requisition them as part of my salvage share." Dominique opened her mouth, and Allya nailed the guild representative with her best stare. "Unless the adventurers guild would like to lodge an objection over me grabbing weapons to help my people and my lieges against our sworn enemies from Sunrise?"


    Dominique closed her mouth with a snap and a heavy swallow, slowly shaking her head. Given the mood in the room, that was a smart move.


    "Good." Said the baroness. "Now that that''s handled, Holy One, are these weapons useable under the edicts?"


    The priest, who had exceptionally joined the council for this particular session, nodded.


    "If your analysis is accurate, then quite. The fires of the Old World must never be kindled again, but the edict does not forbid all that may bring a cleansing flame upon the unworthy. If I may have one of my own examine the weapons, briefly?"


    Allya almost twitched. So the priest had come here with an Old World technology expert. That was just perfect. But it was to be expected. They''d planned for that eventuality. Extensively.


    "Of course. I will instruct my guards to allow them access."


    "Thank you, my lady. Still, if these weapons are indeed radioactive in some form, I must insist on an increased medical regimen for those that have been, or will be, in proximity of them."


    "It will be done. How goes the construction of the temple?"


    "Quickly. Quite quickly. Your people are exceptional builders my lady."


    "Eh, thank Elkaryos. He''s the one who hired the geomancers."


    "Perhaps, but they work with an energy and unity of purpose that can only come with truly exceptional leadership, and boundless faith''s in one''s ruler."


    Allya looked at the priest, trying to gauge if the priest was trying to flatter her or¡­


    Damn. He was being genuine.


    "Well, thank you for the compliment."


    "It is not a compliment, just the simple truth. Our efforts to bring life back to the wastes has also borne considerable fruit, though I''m sure you have noticed."


    Allya smiled.


    "It would have been hard not to." Especially once the sand between the mesas turned into dirt and suddenly there was green as far as the eye could see. For someone who had spent the last year in a desert, it was quite the shock to see something as mundane as grass. Or flowers that weren''t in a pot for that matter. The smell had hit her the hardest, especially, you didn''t realize how much you missed mundane things like that until you were reminded of them. "It seems to be very popular as well."


    "These endeavors are usually amongst our most popular." The priest cleared his throat. "Though I will freely admit that it poses some problems as well. There have been some¡­ill advised attempts to offer undue compensation to my people, and myself, in exchange for having certain areas given special consideration."


    Allya froze.


    "What kind of ''special consideration'', exactly?"


    "Usually along the line of speeding up, or slowing down revitalization, alongside sneaking in some invasive species detrimental to, say, farming."


    "I see." Perhaps doling out some parcels for corporations in advance hadn''t been the smartest move after all. Damn it. "If it moves beyond the mere offering of ''compensation'', do alert me. I trust in your integrity, and the capacity of the Temple Guard, but I will not have a priest of the Gods blackmailed or threatened on my watch."


    "I am quite sure you wouldn''t have any of your citizens blackmailed or threatened on your watch my lady, but I will contact you if things do progress beyond this."


    "Thank you. Now, while we''re all assembled, we might as well do the warplanning session, unless someone would like us to adjourn for a few hours?" Everyone shook their heads. "Excellent then. Let us begin. Calder?"


    "The fleet is undergoing resupply, and should be ready to depart for Erakis, with Crystal''s secondary core, shortly. Overall, as a shakedown cruise, it could have been far worse. I''m still not comfortable using it in an offensive manner, especially not in the distances involved to Darthar. Attacking the enemy as he''s on our doorstep is one thing, crossing the entire wasteland to do it is another entirely."


    "Agreed. We''ll need proper logistics. And we have started on that." And by ''we'' she meant Alexandra, but at that point everyone had more or less accepted them speaking as one voice. "Speaking of which, with the¡­satisfactory test, we have raiding units ready to go."


    Everyone sat a bit straighter, especially Melia.


    "You''re ready to send help to Darthar?"


    "If by ''help'' you mean ''annoy and harass the ever living crap out of Sunrise'', then yes." Said Alexandra. "We can''t take that army in a straight up fight. Especially since we can''t move our army across the wasteland."


    "We should have confiscated that kraken repellent." Said Willard, before having the startled air of someone whose mouth got ahead of their brains. "I don''t mean to-"


    "Don''t worry, the criticism is fine, and quite warranted. However, in this case, it would change nothing. They would need the repellent to get back to Erakis anyway, and the Republic''s army is still a long way away, even with their supply lines shortening." And remaining free of piracy. "But as soon as they arrive, I''m sure they''ll be more than willing to trade it in exchange for¡­specialty assistance." She smiled. "I''d just love to be a fly on the wall when the senate finds out what Amelia is going to be prosecuting her little war with."


    Willard cleared his throat.


    "Speaking of¡­"


    "Yes, the supplies for Sarth. We''re undergoing final testing on the ships. First launch is expected by the end of the week."


    "Thank you! My uncle will not forget this, I assure you."


    He better not, since we''re planning on carving out a piece of his domain here, thought Alexandra.


    "And I believe you. Now, the raiding units will be simple at first. A barbone squadron, three raider-class corvettes and a corsair-class frigate, all packed to the gills with marines, ammo and supplies. We''ll work our way to bigger guns, with siege ships, later."


    "Are you going to try to run the blockade?" Asked Melia.


    "No. Not yet. I want first to get their attention elsewhere. Those ships will have supplies for extended attacks by the marines. Make no mistake, this won''t be smash and grabs like with the Republic. This will be a straight up attack meant to damage the enemy''s combat potential and acquire as much intelligence about their tactics and capabilities as possible."


    Everyone nodded¡­except Ellyana, who cleared her throat, and leaned forward.


    Oh, here we go, thought Alexandra.


    This was going to be ''fun''.

 Chapter 232 - War Means War

    Chapter 232


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    City of Rebirth


    "There is, er, one additional problem, lady Crystal." Said the fox eared alchemist.


    "Which is?" Answered Alexandra, as she leaned back into her seat.


    "The slaves." The fox eared twin spread her hands. "They didn''t ask for any of this, and are being used against their will. We can''t-"


    Alexandra held up her hand.


    "Let me stop you right there. This is war. Not a fancy dinner with what ifs, or a bar brawl where you can politely ask the other to stop. This. Is. War. I can''t afford not to fight the enemy soldiers. Furthermore, if I held back, the enemy would use it as leverage against us and zero in on our weakness."


    "But-"


    "What I can and will do however, is send some of my resurrection orbs alongside the raiding fleet. It won''t be cheap, or even near perfect, but those that I can bring back home, I will." And they''ll probably be an excellent source of intelligence. No one notices what the servants hear, and if she had to guess, Sunrise would care even less what their soon to be dead, expendable meat shields had fall into their ears. "However, if you want this to happen, you need to find me a way to get these brands off of them, because I doubt they''ll come off if they''re just brought back from the dead."


    Ellyana opened her mouth, then closed it, before glaring at Alexandra, who simply glared back. The dungeon core had put the onus of this on the fox eared twin, and she knew it. Eismi was probably glaring at her as well, but she couldn''t see the other twin, and she wasn''t about to break eye contact.


    "Very well." She ground out, finally lowering her gaze. "We will do our very best."


    "Thank you. And for what it''s worth, I am going to try my damnedest to keep as many of the slaves alive as possible."


    If only because it would buy her a lot of good will. Plus, many would chose to come and stay in Rebirth, given how dangerous and devastated their old homes would be. And¡­well, she still had a heart, even if she''d steeled it more and more.


    The fox eared twin nodded, if a bit begrudgingly.


    "So¡­outside of that, some have noticed that the dungeon hasn''t had any major changes in a while." Said Dominique, clearly having once again found the courage to speak up.


    "I''ve been a bit busy." Said Alexandra, her voice dripping with irony. "Saving the town, building a skyfleet, all that."


    "As well as starting a civil war in another nation, and saving their would be ruler, yes." Said Dominique, and Alexandra had to hold back a smile. It looked like the guild representative had gotten some of her spirit back at least. "That''s not what I meant. There hasn''t been any major evolution in the dungeon, just a new room added to the labyrinth from time to time."


    "Is that a problem? All the rest works fine, and there are several clay and iron steps now."


    "Well¡­yes, there is. First and foremost, everyone is going up in rank like crazy, and we''re getting some restlessness upper rankers, who were expecting ah, er, challenge."


    "You mean they expected to make out like bandits, since I promised artillery on the fourth floor, and we''re in the middle of a war."


    "Well¡­that too. But there are also more concerns. Many dungeons stop growing, past a certain point they just¡­turn inward. Instead of making new floors, or new rooms, they simply redesign the ones they had, tweaking them, which is all well and good, but¡­"


    "It doesn''t increase profits. But nothing can be based on infinite growth." Governments and corporations had to learn that the hard way in the early 21<sup>st</sup> century, notably related to demographics. Then the Terran Hegemony War had happened and things such as ''ethics'' went out the window when it came to human reproduction and genetic engineering, after half of humanity bit the radioactive, tailored pathogen laced bullet. "You know that as well as I do."


    "I know, I know. Still, some are getting worried and paranoid that you may be entering this stage. Especially given your otherwise explosive growth. The flame that burns twice as bright only lasts half as long and all that."


    "The adventurers are worrying I''m burning myself out? How cute. But I can assure you, it''s far from the case. My floors always took a long time to make, and I haven''t made more, higher ranked steps simply because there aren''t enough adventurers of that particular level to justify their existence. And I can assure you that I''m not going to revisit all my earlier floors and get stuck in a recursion loop." She''d have assumed it to be some quirk of the control program, or an embedded imperative to keep dungeons at a certain size from the God of Fire, but then again, plenty of human artists had gotten the same problem in history, constantly going over their old work and refining it, rarely creating something new again. "Besides, rebuilding my dungeon so many times had made me a bit sick of redoing my first floor over and over again." Everyone smiled at that. "I do get your point however, I will try to open up the fourth floor''s in progress areas for, ah, field testing."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Thank you."


    "No problem." Better not mention that she''d already said that to good old Starvak a while back. Or rather, had Allya tell him. "Now, I do believe there was a general report as to the status of the economy as well?" One she''d already gotten, courtesy of Allya, and was very much going to do something else while it was recited in its infinite dryness.


    There were some advantages to being in a golem after all, notably since there were no facial expression to read like ''mind numbing boredom''.


    *****


    Alexandra frowned as she looked at the images.


    If there was one thing that perfectly illustrated the limitations and yes, stupidity, of the Old World fleet''s pathetic excuse for an AI, it would be this. Though she guess she couldn''t blame the Sagitarius Empire, since Seraph had betrayed them remarkably quickly, and presumably it had happened enough during the Great Night to lead to what she had witnessed with the Hammer of Eternity and its escorts.


    The image in front of her was from one the landbound "totally not a refitted starship" frigate''s magazine. And it was filled with missiles. Surface to air ones, but missiles nonetheless.


    Notably the fact that the enemy hadn''t used them. Despite how formidable they''d proven against her fortress, they hadn''t deployed them. Besides, the Dusk Blade had participated in the battle, and Starvak had spent most of it soaring through the skies. Which to her meant both that the AI wouldn''t target ships that didn''t directly attack its vessels if there was a more prominent threat¡­and that apparently, a single individual in power armor didn''t seem to pass the threshold to be considered an aircraft worth firing missiles at, regardless of their personal power.


    Maybe she could exploit that someday.


    But regardless, it brought her to the current problem. In that Allya had just had a giant pile of Old World hardware dropped into her lap, had outright announced she was planning on requisitioning them all as part of her tithe, and many were wondering if a few of those weapons were going to end up in the local dungeon as well. Which was why she was only working with images currently.


    Usually she wouldn''t have cared all that much, she already had a ton of Old World technology, but she didn''t have their missiles. Well, she wasn''t that interested in the missiles as such, but in the components. Any missile worth its salt would have compact, advanced sensors, high efficiency thrusters, excellent acceleration resistant computers, and probably electronic warfare and evasion systems to penetrate point defence. She could do terrible, terrible things with that kind of technology. And would do equally terrible things to get her hands on it.


    Had she suspected the enemy were holding their fire, and hadn''t just run dry on missiles, she assuredly would have been scouring the ships for them. Unfortunately, she''d assumed the Old World AIs weren''t that incompetent, and now it was no longer an option. Now that the guild had identified the missile magazines, Oromar, who despite his conciliatory attitude was no one''s fool, had placed armed guards at every unopened one on the remaining ships. It was going to cost him a lot of resources, especially in medical treatment, but with the priest and his team of healers the town had the capacity of dealing with a bunch of extra adventurers suffering from radiation exposure.


    Ostensibly the measure was to prevent the missiles falling into the hands of thieves or even Sunrise terrorists, but everyone knew the primary target was her. The guild had dialed back its restrictive policies, but that didn''t mean they were willing to completely give up either.


    That was fair, Alexandra could respect that. And while she''d seriously considered just killing a set of guard and looting one of the magazines, first the damned things were so well shielded there was no way of knowing if there was anything remaining in one before opening it, even with her current level of sensor technology, and then there was the very simple fact that she didn''t want to kill them with her stealth golems, however easy it would be, as it would draw uncomfortable parallels to the unfortunate death of a certain mercenary second in command. And she really, really didn''t want people digging that particular skeleton up, especially not wondering what had happened to a certain extradimensional adventurer named Alexandra¡­


    So she''d suck it up. But she was definitely going to have to coach Allya on what to do with these things. That was going to be an interesting discussion. Especially since they were radioactive, but not nuclear, which begged a lot of questions as to why someone would put that many unstable isotopes in a missile to begin with if not to unleash the fury of the atom. Well, nucleus, but same thing.


    But first, some dungeon design.


    *****


    Alexandra sighed as she looked at the schematics.


    Okay, maybe mind numbing boredom would have been preferable.


    "Relax Alex, it''s not that bad." Said Emilia, as she hopped onto the workshop table.


    "Yes it is. The fourth floor is¡­"


    "Not very good? You intended it as a battlefield, commit to it."


    "No. The fourth floor is not fair. I know how to make a gun line, and how to deal with it, but the adventurers don''t. Furthermore, do we really want to train the thousands of highly dangerous, loyal to a semi-hostile organization, combatants in the town in how to fight my military?"


    "Probably should have thought of that before you exposed them to musket golems."


    "That was a calculated risk. Besides, we were well into making bolt action rifles and machine guns by then."


    "Well, what''s to stop you from using the old stuff in the trial area? You could always change it later."


    "Mmmhhhh¡­true, but a field gun is a field gun."


    "Maybe, but I bet there''s a big difference between a cannonball and an aerodynamic artillery shell."


    "Point taken." Alexandra sighed. "Thanks, Emi."


    "That''s what I''m here for. And did you just call me Emi? Not vampy?"


    "Hey, you said you hated it."


    "Well, it did have a certain ring to it."


    "Alright then, ''vampy''."


    "Ata girl. Besides, for the fourth floor, you could just relax your ironclad morals just a bit and make the adventurers work more for their payout."


    "I''m not a gacha company vampy, I''m not here to drain the adventurers of everything of use for an illusory reward, then discard them once they''ve run out of funds."


    "Gacha?"


    "Like, paying for a random reward, like a figurine or some digital stuff. It used to be super popular on Earth."


    "Sounds like a casino with extra steps. And no tangible reward."


    "Hence the ''used to'', once the governments woke up to that fact and regulated the sector into the ground." Literally, in the case of Japan, since they''d demolished many of the gacha centers and built brand new hab towers in their place. The damned thing took entire city blocks at that point!


    "Well, if you insist on making it fair, how about using those ''video games'' of yours? Still waiting on one I could play, by the way."


    "I know. But as much inspiration as I can get from them, and how useful it''s proven, it''s not like I can apply everything. It''s not like I can hide platters of cooked chicken in the walls in case the adventurers need some healing. Vampire maids or no, I''m not Dracula." Besides, the adventurers had a distinct lack of whips anyway. Thank the Gods for that. Not that she was about to say it out loud, last thing she wanted was to give Emilia the idea, and have her rewrite her shopping list for Sarah! "So, I still need some other sources."


    "Your video games sound weirder every passing second. Seriously, chicken in the walls?"


    "It''s a running joke from a video game series. But yeah, it''s¡­complicated."


    "Tell me about it."


    "Later, sure. But I need some ideas and I don''t¡­know¡­" Alexandra facepalmed.


    "What? Honey?"


    "We''re idiots love. Complete morons."


    "What? Why?"


    "We have all the ideas we could possibly need home." Alexandra threw her hands up. "For god''s sake, we even asked her to design her part of the floor! Well, she demanded it, but same difference. So let''s have her output about the rest. Let''s go get CQ."

 The Great Archives (Revised Map)

    Hello everyone !


    Just wanted to share with you an updated and revised map of the Arkahn continent, which was becoming direly needed for book 7 and beyond. I hope you''ll find it informative !


    Also, apparently there is a minimum character limit on chapters, hence to comply with it I shall write something unique and stupid because hey, why not. Here you go :


    "Look, all I''m saying is, if we split up, we''ll cover more ground !"


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Molroy, copper ranked adventurer of the guild, came to a halt, groaning at his teammate''s stupidity.


    "Look, buddy, if you want to rush out and die by your own, that¡¯s fine by me. But don''t come bitching when you wobble your way out of the resurrection room. I''ve done a few delves here, and the dungeon core may look nice with the insurance policy and all, but she can be a vicious, stone cold harpy when she wants to."


    "Shhhh ! Are you fucking nuts ? Insulting the dungeon core in her own home ?"


    "Relax, it''s professional admiration, not criticism. But anyway, if you want to survive here, you must keep both eyes open."


    Molroy took a step forward¡­.and froze as he felt the ground give, slightly, and heard a mechanical ''click''.


    "Oh fu-" Was all he had the time to say before the betty mine leapt into the air.


    Next thing he knew, he was staring at a strange orb, held by what looked to be a mechanical claw, and being given refreshments by a golem dressed as a butler out of all things. The dungeon''s resurrection room. Again.


    Someday he''d learn to keep his damned mouth shut. Someday.

 The Fallen World Book 6 : Dungeon Armada is available for pre-order & Accelerated Posting Schedule !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys a couple of things. First and foremost, the Fallen World book 6, titled Dungeon Armada, is available for pre-order on amazon (link : https://geni.us/DungeonArmada</a>) ! The book will release on the 16th of july, in both paperback and ebook format ! The paperback version should actually be available a few days earlier to account for printing and delivery time, as usual, so you can get your hands on it on day one. If you''d like to support the story, and get an enhanced version of it at the same time, don''t hesitate to buy it !


    This novel includes chapters 183 through 228. As usual, it will include a metric ton of grammatical fixes, various tweaks to make the story flow better, and some fixes for plot holes (hello there minefields). As usual, do keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    As is tradition, chapter 234 will be posted tomorrow as a bonus chapter, which brings me to the second item on the agenda.


    I have, for the past three weeks (25 days, actually), written a chapter a day on average. All but one were for The Fallen World, taking the backlog from 21 chapters back in chapter 229 to a whopping 44. As such, we will be moving back to the accelerated posting schedule of three chapters a week, on mondays, wednesdays and saturdays ! The accelerated posting schedule will last until we either reach the end of book 7 with chapter 270 or we drop below a certain threshold in terms of backlog.


    I hope you will enjoy the book, as well as the chapters, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.


    P.S : My publisher made this banner for promoting the book as well ! Here it is :

 Chapter 233 - Criticality

    Chapter 233


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Fourth Floor


    "-and here, you could have the golems fix bayonets and charge out! It''d be a whole new encounter, and mix things up." Said CQ as she gestured energitically at a trench line and its accompanying gun pits.


    "They''d get shot by their own artillery!" Protested Alexandra.


    "And? It''ll do more damage to the adventurers anyway."


    "I guess that''s fair. Still, it kind of¡­rankles."


    "Don''t worry sweety." Said Emilia as she put her hand on CQ''s shoulder. "Your mom is just suffering from her professional pride, that''s all. I think it''s a wonderful idea."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah!" Emilia gazed at Alexandra, who nodded.


    "It is CQ. And I mean it. Sorry if I was being abrasive."


    "It''s okay. I''d be upset too if you asked me to botch a paint job."


    "Yeah, probably. Speaking of, the uniforms you sent me?"


    "You''re going to implement them?!?" Yelped CQ as she started bouncing.


    Alexandra sighed, and the boss visibly drooped.


    "Not most of them. I''m sorry, but it''d be very expensive for very little benefit, and we don''t need the extra costs. So only for ceremonial units or those where it''s worth it to impress someone."


    "Like the baroness'' honor guard?"


    "Like the baroness'' honor guard."


    "I wanna watch!"


    "Come along then. Oh, I''ve also been working on Subtlety. Still tweaking the AI routines, but she should be ready to go soon. Then you''ll be able to talk to her, okay?" Well, technically them, but CQ had pretty much decided the AI for the ''So Much For Subtlety'' was a she, and needed a nickname (hence the ''Subtlety''), and the Earth-born wasn''t going to bet against her daughter convincing the Arcadia kernel of adopting both.


    "Okay!"


    "Great. Now let''s get a move on. The baroness is waiting."


    *****


    "Hey Allya."


    "Hello Alex!" Said Allya as she stepped out of the corridor leading to the military entrance, shaking the dungeon avatar''s hand. "And CQ. How are you doing?"


    "Pretty good. Had a nice design session for the fourth floor. You''ll be happy to learn we''ll be ready to partially open it up tomorrow, as a test run."


    Allya smiled.


    "That''s good to hear! Great, even. It''ll be a nice counterpoint to the ships too."


    "Yep. Everything should be ready for the first squadron to depart." What with the many, many issues that had cropped up due to the premature launch in anticipation for the raid on the teleport commandos, not all of the ships were ready to go, as given the distance they were about to travel she''d rather do it right. Which meant, in this case, that only three raiders and a corsair were ready to go, the rest still undergoing repairs.


    Thank the stars for having the town move her secondary core to Erakis, she was never going to have enough ships otherwise. Though the fleet would still leave a bit after her ships, the problem of having inefficient resupply and, well, the need for actual shore leaves for the crews, especially since they were going to have to get across the wasteland. Eh, maybe they''d wave to the Republic''s army as they passed them.


    "That''s part of why I''m here. Pyn would have come to, if she hadn''t been so busy. She should be able to join us for the meeting however."


    "Right. Wanted to catch a look from the shipyard?"


    "Hey, why not, and-" Alexandra hid a smile as the baroness caught her first look at the honor guard, and clearly did a double take. "What the fuck?"


    "What?" Alexandra smiled sweetly while CQ grinned. "Do you not like the security teams'' new uniform? CQ designed them."


    "I mean¡­they look nice, but, uh¡­" Allya raised an eyebrow. "Metal skulls? A bit too edgy, wouldn''t you say?"


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "It''s a message to intruders."


    "I mean, sure, and it''s stylish, but not that threatening." Allya blinked. "Wait, are the skulls¡­different?"


    "Yes. Each is patterned after one I absorbed from a defeated enemy."


    The silence was deafening, until Allya swallowed heavily.


    "And see, baroness, the fact that you''re visibly reconsidering your life choices is all that I need to know about the effectiveness of the intimidation factor!" Continued Alexandra.


    "Did you truly¡­"


    "Nah. I just made a metal skull and then randomly adjust some variables."


    "Oh thank the Gods."


    "It will make for great marketing though."


    "You plan on selling them?"


    "Well, not really, but now that you mention it¡­Dungeon deathmasks, how would that sound?"


    "You need to get a hobby."


    "I do have one, but people complain so much when I throw armies around and conquer places."


    They both looked at each other, and then started laughing.


    "Alright, well let''s engage in that hobby of yours, and launch those airships!"


    *****


    Allya had made a terrible, terrible mistake.


    During her discussion with Alexandra, they''d both gotten so engrossed into their planning and logistical discussions they barely even noticed the food and drink around them.


    Let alone their respective girlfriends huddling in a corner of the room and talking.


    And now Pyn had gone ''shopping''. Alongside one of the maids.


    There was a knock on the bedroom door, and Allya froze like a deer in headlights, before coming to answer it.


    Pyn smiled so radiantly it was blinding, making Allya almost miss the rope poking out of the shopping bag she was holding.


    Almost.


    "Hey love! I bought some stuff for us!"


    *****


    "Well, maybe getting the fourth floor isn''t such a bad idea after all." Said Alexandra as she looked at the reports, grimacing. "We''re getting really borderline in terms of resources."


    "That bad?" Responded Emilia, as she flopped onto the bed.


    "Worse. With the ships and the blackbird, we''re actually getting to a point where even the NLR core isn''t going to be enough. And we''re strained with my resources."


    "Well, airships are expensive."


    And railguns, missile launchers, or the nuclear reactor in the basement. Not that she was going to tell the vampire about the last one.


    "Indeed they are. But that means we need to accumulate mana to get the NLR core to its next plateau. And we need to start now, before the secondary core-" She tapped the gem, currently mounted in her collarbone. Interestingly enough, it looked and felt almost exactly like the primary one. Maybe she could use that someday. "-arrives at Erakis, since that''ll be a major resource drain as well."


    Alexandra tapped the gem again. She wasn''t going to be able to soon, since it would be sent along with the fleet towards Erakis as soon as it was resupplied. Plus, despite her security measures, she was still uncomfortable carrying her ''true'' core inside her avatar, though it had clearly been designed with that in mind. While her avatar never left the dungeon, it definitely left the core fortress, and she''d rather not tempt fate, especially not when her core room was thoroughly stealthed.


    "So, budget cuts?"


    "Pretty much. I''m thinking on cutting back on military production for ground troops. It''s not like we can really use them right now. Focus mostly on air and marines."


    "What about the stuff you''re planning to sell to the Republic?"


    "We can use the stockpiles for that. We have a ton of surplus of semi-obsolete stuff, we''ll start with that."


    "Pretty shitty gifts."


    "Hey, it''s leagues better than what they have. Besides, they''ll expect me to test the water first with some low end sales."


    "Uh uh, totally not justification after your decision."


    "Oh shush."


    Alexandra gave her girlfriend a half hearted bonk on the head, and Emilia giggled.


    "Alright your majesty the dungeon core, I shall forevermore stay silent on the issue."


    "Thank you."


    "On one condition." Said Emilia, with a mischievious grin, as she fetched one of the shopping bags.


    Alexandra''s eyebrows rose.


    "Sarah brought something good?"


    "Oh quite. She was being accompanied by Pyn, and was fetching some stuff on direct recommendation from her as well!"


    Oh. Oh no.


    "I just remembered that-" Alexandra stammered and lost her train of thoughts as Emilia nailed her with a lustful stare that made her knees weak.


    "Now now, don''t go running away honey. You haven''t even seen what it is yet!"


    And with that, the vampire pulled out the contents of the bag.


    "Are those¡­bunny ears?"


    "Among other things."


    "...This is vengeance for what I made you do after the bet, isn''t it?"


    Emilia''s smile was very toothy.


    "Among other things." She repeated.


    Alexandra swallowed heavily.


    Oh boy.


    Sweet merciful Gods, give me strength.


    *****


    "Well you look the worse for wear." Said the apparition as she handed Alexandra a mug of hot chocolate. Well, technically, the illusion of a mug of hot chocolate, but everything in her ever changing house, which now included parenting books on the shelves, was an illusion to begin with anyway.


    "I don''t want to talk about it."


    "I''m surprised you can still walk straight. Oh, wait, you ca-"


    "I can, and will, hack this simulation and make you experience it in every little detail."


    The apparition shut up, though given how hastily she lifted her own mug, she was probably hiding a smile.


    Smartass.


    "Alrighty then. Came in to check in on my little side project?"


    "It''s a major budget line item, I wouldn''t call it little. Or a side project for that matter."


    "Fair enough. Well, the reactor has achieved criticality, and is currently running at ten percent power, as agreed. The cooling circuit is also working as intended, including your, ah, addition."


    Alexandra gave the apparition a warning glance, but her other self simply held her hands up.


    "I''m not criticizing, just saying it''s working."


    "Last thing right now is to give Emilia more ideas."


    "Or you could ambush her with it. You know, turn the tables and all that."


    Alexandra was suddenly very thoughtful, before shaking her head.


    "Well, ambushing my girlfriend with a jaccuzzi aside, is the rest of the infrastructure ready?"


    "All the machinery for plutonium extraction from the fuel rods is ready, yes. Though it''s not very efficient, it''s a start. I''m not going to start putting uranium pellets in the reactor for nuclear transmutation until we''ve had it running for a bit and have ironed out the kinks however."


    "Having a nuclear accident would be suboptimal."


    "That, or too much plutonium two four zero in the mix. We don''t want our nukes just going boom in a whim either."


    "That also."


    "On other projects, I''m still working on the fabricators when I can. Whoever did their defenses was thorough, paranoid, and a complete asshole. Emphasis on the latter."


    "Well, they''re out best bet for more advanced tech."


    "I''m not saying it''s not the case, just pointing out it''s a pain in the ass is all. Speaking of advanced tech, planning to steal one of those missiles?"


    "Not just yet. Maybe later, but for now, better let the guild and the church expend their resources chasing ghosts."


    "And strike when they''re not looking?"


    "I mean, you remember training, ''hit them where they ain''t'' and all that."


    "We failed that course."


    "We did. Doesn''t make the lessons any less valid. Would you like to help with the ship''s AIs?"


    "Subtlety? Sure, but only a bit. I think you and your daughter will have that well in hand. Though we''ll have to be careful, if the AI is taken¡­"


    "Right, we can''t have her know too much. At the same time, CQ has been outside a lot and knows about a lot of our secrets. Same for Jared."


    "Right, point taken. Just put in a thorough self destruct."


    "Oh that''s easy, I''ll put the computer in the ammunition magazine." Alexandra shrugged as the apparition stared at her. "What? The ship will blow up and the AI will die anyway if it''s hit. That way, we can ensure nothing remains. And since the magazine is already armored, we won''t need to make a second armored core!"


    "I guess those are fair points, but still, it''s¡­weird."


    "I know what you mean. Objective back home was to preserve the AI, not make sure she went down with the ship."


    "Yeah. They were crew after all."


    "Among other things. In our case, they''ll be captain and admirals."


    "Giving up on smart golems?"


    "Not giving up, just¡­managing my expectations. Besides, I''m curious as to how well they''ll perform in the field. And it''s not like we''ll be able to build more than one ship to house them at first anyway."


    "Right. Reminds me, Culture-class, really?"


    "They''re excellent novels!"


    "You just wanted to use the ship names, admit it. What''s next, the ''Death and Gravity''?"


    "I was thinking more along the lines of ''Frank Exchange of Views'', and who says I can''t have a little fun while I''m at it?"


    "Riiight, well good luck pronouncing those during combat."


    "It''s okay, I have CQ to give them nicknames."


    "Yeah, you can trust the kid with that kind of things."


    "I know, right? Have you seen her art as well?"


    "Yeah. The uniforms are really nice too. I''m¡­" The apparition hesitated.


    "Proud of her? You can say it. She''s your daughter too."


    "Right. Sorry."


    "It''s alright. Now, for those fabricators, I think we need to brainstorm some ideas to speed this whole process up¡­"

 The Fallen World Book 5 : Dungeon Cataclysm Audiobook is available for pre-order on Audible !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that Book 5 of the Fallen World, titled Dungeon Cataclysm, is available for pre-order on audible as an audiobook ! Full release date is scheduled for the 25th of june, 2024. Here''s the link, if you''re interested : https://www.audible.com/pd/B0D4S6SYTC</a>


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    As usual, the link is for the .com marketplace, I''m afraid you will have to find it through audible''s own search system if you use another marketplace.


    To celebrate, I will post chapter 240 tomorrow !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter, and the audiobook, should you decide to listen to it ! Playwars, out.

 The Great Archives (Another Revised Map)

    Hello everyone !


    Just wanted to share with you yet another updated map of the Arkhan continent ! Now with rivers and trade routes ! Hopefully you will find it helpful !


    As usual, RR asks for a 500 characters long chapter at a minimum, so we return to the (mis)adventures of Molroy the adventurer :


    "Fuck fuck fuck FUCK !" Screamed Molroy as he ran away from the spider swarm scuttling out of the moat like a tidal wave.


    He whirled around a half destroyed...house ? Something like that, and sighed in relief as he peered around the wall, and saw the golems retreating, leaving the bodies of his party behind.


    Someday, someday he''d find better teammates. Who weren''t idiots. He''d told them not to touch the damned chest, but did they listen ? Noooo. They just had to try to fight the freaking challenge.


    Fortunately, he was still up, even if his idiotic friends weren''t. And safe.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He sighed again, this time in frustration at his friends'' stupidity, and turned around.


    Only to find himself face to face with a golem patrol.


    "You have got to be kidding me."


    For a strange, split second, it seemed like the lead golem could understand him.


    Then the entire patrol leapt to attack.


    He, amazingly enough, manage to take three down before being completely overwhelmed.


    He opened his eyes, glaring at the now familiar ceiling of the resurrection room.


    He was going to fucking kill his teammates. They owed him beer at least for the week, and-


    He blinked as he tried to sit up, and felt as if his legs were pinned under a anvil.


    Molroy looked down, and tilted his head as he saw the large bag. It looked like the most bog standard potato sack anyone could think of, but the glint of metal could be seen under the rough weave. And on it was emblazonned the dungeon core''s heraldry, the colden cog with the orbiting multi colored electrons. ''Per Magica et Technica, Semper Invicta'' said the words emblazonned above and below the symbols.


    He raised himself with a supreme effort of will, and opened the bag.


    It was...full of loot ?


    He hadn''t collected that. For that matter, there was some that sure as shit didn''t belong in the second or first floor. Some of it he recognized from tales and the information boards to be third and even fourth floor loot, though for the latter the fact that it was a damned musket was a dead giveaway.


    He looked around, but the room he was in was empty, save for a golem with refreshments, who didn''t answer any of his questions.


    Hours later, as he was rested enough to move under his own power, he staggered out of the dungeon, and into the waiting stretchers, ready for another stint in the town''s infirmary.


    All the while wondering if the dungeon core had been watching him. And why she had taken pity on him.

 The Fallen World Book 5 : Dungeon Cataclysm Audiobook is live on Audible !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that Book 5 of the Fallen World, titled Dungeon Cataclysm, is live on audible as an audiobook ! It should be the 25th all over the world, and thus available everywhere. Here''s the link, if you''re interested : https://www.audible.com/pd/B0D4S6SYTC</a>


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    As usual, the link is for the .com marketplace, I''m afraid you will have to find it through audible''s own search system if you use another marketplace.


    To celebrate, I will post chapter 256 on thursday !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the chapter, and the audiobook, should you decide to listen to it ! Playwars, out.

 The Fallen World Book 6 : Dungeon Armada comes out in one week !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to remind you guys that book 6 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Armada, comes out in one week !


    Here''s the link if you want to pre-order it or simply check it out : https://geni.us/DungeonArmada</a>


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It''s currently available in ebook pre-order, but the paperback should be available a few days before the ''official'' release, to account for delivery times.


    This novel includes chapters 183 through 228. As usual, it will include a metric ton of grammatical fixes, various tweaks to make the story flow better, and some fixes for plot holes (hello there minefields). Keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample.


    Incidentally, today is also my birthday !


    To celebrate, chapter 263 will be posted on thursday !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the novel, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 The Fallen World Book 6 : Dungeon Armada is live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 6 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Armada, is now available on Amazon ! It should be the 16th on the entire planet and thus the book should be available everywhere ! It is available in ebook and paperback format. If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Here''s the link to the book''s amazon page if you''re interested : https://geni.us/DungeonArmada</a>


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    This novel includes chapters 183 through 228. As usual, it will include a metric ton of grammatical fixes, various tweaks to make the story flow better, and some fixes for plot holes (hello there minefields). Keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample.


    To celebrate, chapter 267 will be posted on thursday !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the novel, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 271 - One Small Crack...

    Chapter 271


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Core Fortress


    Only silence reigned in the throne room, as Alexandra held the spear.


    Emilia opened and closed her mouth half a dozen times, but nothing came out.


    What could she say? Her dungeon core was holding a Seraphim weapon, forged by Divine hands, meant for the servants of the Gods.


    A weapon meant to kill her.


    Finally, the vampire managed to speak.


    "I-I¡­I don''t know! It can''t be!"


    "Yet, it seems like it is."


    Sarah, the maid, stepped forward¡­and came to a halt as CQ half drew her sword out of its scabbard.


    The silence became even deeper. None of the golems even twitched.


    But they suddenly became sinister. Alexandra could practically feel Ella scanning the room packed with automata, as Sarah stared at her niece in all but name in utter shock.


    CQ shook her head minutely, and the maid returned to her spot, with slow and telegraphed movements.


    This was between her parents, and them alone.


    The advisor hadn''t even noticed the commotion. She was completely focused on the dungeon core and her avatar.


    "I swear, I don''t know! It¡­some divine relics are left from the Old World! Maybe it''s one of those!"


    "Perhaps. Perhaps not. But I''d like to know. Would the God of Fire allow them to be used?"


    Emilia licked her lips.


    "Yes. Yes. Just like artificial dungeon cores."


    "Interesting. But not without supervision?"


    The vampire seemed to deflate.


    "...No."


    "Thought not." Alexandra extended her arm, and the commander of her Praetorian guard stepped forward and grabbed the spear. "Then I believe we have a problem, do we not?"


    "If the Custodians had wished you dead¡­"


    "I would be already? I''m not so sure. But that is a discussion for later." Alexandra snapped her fingers, and the golems began streaming out as CQ''s hand left her sword''s pommel. Both maids relaxed noticeably, even through their armor. "We have other priorities for now. Namely, we must warn our allies¡­and make sure news of this assassination attempt never make it out."


    "Why?" Asked Emilia, timidly.


    "Because from now on, smokes and mirrors are the only way we''re getting out of this alive."


    *****


    "Holy shit." Said Allya as she sat down, collapsed, really, on the seat of her secure cabin onboard the Dusk Blade.


    She had to make her way back to Darthar''s airfield, and this time her bodyguards had brokered no delays. When there was a trio of heavily armed spider tanks leading the way, no one, no matter how thankful, was going to stand in the way to try to catch a glimpse of the city''s savior.


    "Quite." Simply said Alexandra''s ambassador golem.


    "Are you¡­alright?" Asked Pyn, the elf looking deeply unsettled.


    "Physically? Yes. Emotionally? No. Someone with divine weapons tried to kill me."


    "The guild." Said Allya.


    "Yes. And the United Dungeon Council. And Sunrise."


    "True, but the adventurers guild would be the only ones to have the means to kill a dungeon core on hand."


    "Which they wouldn''t have without permission or oversight."


    The baroness grimaced.


    "Yeah¡­"


    Pyn was looking confused, then utterly horrified.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Are¡­are you saying the church tried to assassinate you?!?"


    Allya didn''t budge. She''d done the math.


    Her grim expression said it all.


    "Maybe they did. Maybe they didn''t. But either way, they certainly didn''t stand in the way."


    "Perhaps they didn''t know?" Offered the elf.


    "Bullshit. The Adjudicator showed up the minute I acquired the NLR core."


    "She''s right." Allya shifted, and met her fianc¨¦e''s gaze. "Alex''s right. The church has to have known."


    "Then¡­then¡­"


    "We''re not dead yet. But our patronage may be tenuous." Said Alexandra.


    "And it calls into question the establishment of the temple in Rebirth." The baroness'' expression was getting gloomier by the second. "Shit, it calls into question everyone else!"


    "It does. We''re caught between the hammer and the anvil. A shadow war between the Church and the Order."


    "Just pieces on the board."


    "Quite. Pawns to be moved or sacrificed. I think this¡­it might have been a test. A test to draw out the Order."


    "Why?"


    "I, or at least the dungeon, seem to be vital to their plans. Something has gone wrong, or I wouldn''t be alive. But they either seem determined to keep going regardless or simply aren''t aware of it." That would explain a lot. Especially if they thought she was on their side, or maybe one of their own. "The Church-" The Custodians, really. "-must have figured that out as well, and used me as bait. Maybe, just maybe, if I was in actual danger, the Order would throw itself in the way, or at least be drawn from the shadows."


    "That makes a frightening amount of sense. So we''re just, stuck between two leviathans?"


    "We always were. They''ve just begun tightening the gap."


    "...It''s going to get a lot worse, isn''t it?"


    Alexandra sighed.


    "As I said. I think the Order''s goal is to cause a planet wide war." And the Church''s. But one step at a time. First a crack, then widen it, and finally bring down the whole edifice of belief. "They might succeed. But even if they don''t, they''ll cause enough chaos that, yes, things are going to get a lot worse. The Eris Empire only needs a simple shove to be brought down, and the Order is preparing a veritable tsunami."


    "...You''re planning a lot more than what you''ve told us, haven''t you?"


    "Yes. As I said from the very beginning. I will keep some secrets from you."


    "Will you tell us?"


    Alexandra looked at the baroness, and for a second she looked¡­vulnerable. A tired soldier with the weight of the world on her shoulders.


    "Will I? I don''t know. In time¡­maybe. But you said it yourself. This calls everyone into question, doesn''t it?"


    Allya nodded.


    "I understand."


    "Thank you." The dungeon core''s voice was soft, almost delicate.


    "So¡­what do we tell the guild? Or the UDC?" Pyn shrugged as they looked at her. "I know, I know! We have to bury it, we talked about it. But should we, like, hint at it? Make them sweat a bit?"


    Alexandra shook her head.


    "No. It''s tempting, but¡­no. The attack just vanishing without a trace will buy us time. And time is our most precious commodity now."


    "Plus, the less they know, the less they''ll have to go off of for the next attempt." Allya shrugged as her fianc¨¦e looked at her. "You know what my job used to be. There''s never only one assassination attempt. Or even only one successful kill. Once you''ve crossed the line¡­"


    "Each order makes the next one easier." Whispered the elf.


    "Yeah. It''s a slippery slope. Frictionless even. Best solution is to never step on it to begin with."


    "Well, they have." Alexandra''s voice was grim. "And I don''t think they''ll be stopping."


    "No. No they won''t." Allya shook her head. "But at least if we keep quiet they''ll probably try to figure out if their team even made it to begin with."


    "They might also delay their cleanup efforts to break the trail."


    "Perhaps. Or they could double down on it. The commandos, did they get soul sealed?"


    "No. I don''t know why."


    "Why bother?" They both looked at Pyn, and the elf shrugged. "You said it yourself back then. If we accuse them of trying to kill you, they say it''s to justify your conquest, the UDC attacks, they win. You die, they win. They win no matter what."


    "Right. Yeah, that makes sense. But they have to be worried about us interrogating them at least."


    "The goons won''t know anything the higher ups wouldn''t want us to." Allya rubbed her eyes. "And I mean those high up in that mess. Sunrise clearly realized there was no point in trying to deny who they were, if it came down to it."


    "Most likely. Well, I''ll start working on contingency measures."


    "Good luck. We''ll do what we can here. Try and convince the Count to give you access to that crashed voidship."


    Alexandra looked at the baroness, pityingly.


    "Allya¡­I already have access to it. I entered it a few hours after the Count showed it to us."


    Her golem left the room, with the two speechless nobles simply staring as she closed the door.


    *****


    "Status report." Alexandra''s voice brimmed with authority and sheer command power as she stalked her core fortress'' hallway.


    "The teleport redirect room has been restored and restaffed. Additional conventional security measures are being emplaced, as ordered." Said Seraph. The vampires were absent, but Alexandra was being followed by a gaggle of AIs, including CQ and Ghost. Her daughter who looked positively grim, and not just because she''d been pulled out of Darthar.


    "The blast doors?"


    "Replacing them as we speak. Though the one to the core fortress will take longer. Thankfully, the fabricators will be able to salvage the materials."


    "Good. Ghost, point defence?"


    "I''m rushing forward a prototype. It should work against one attack. Maybe two. But not sustained orbital bombardment." Her other self shrugged. "I''ll be working on expanding that, but without orbital assets or a city wide shield, it will mostly be a waste of resources."


    "We''ll have the shield soon. Subtlety, as soon as you''re back, load the baroness'' gifts onboard. I''ll have the launchers to use them ready when you arrive."


    "Yes ma''am." The AI didn''t even blink. Ghost did however.


    "Not afraid of the guild reacting?"


    "There''s very little escalation beyond what they''ve already done, and they know it. We''ll get those Old World missiles, and make a show of loading them in. Fuck them and the horses they rode in on."


    "Not arguing, just pointing out potential issues."


    Alexandra stopped, and turned to face her other self.


    "I know, and I appreciate that. Trira has contingencies in place however."


    "It''s going to be bloody."


    "I don''t care. Either the guild jumps or it doesn''t. Either way, it''s days are numbered, in Rebirth and beyond. We also have our own win/win situations."


    "Point taken. And¡­and Emilia?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath.


    All the AIs knew exactly what was happening. CQ had also been briefed.


    It hadn''t been an easy decision, but after she''d had visions of the nuke, at the height of the battle of Darthar¡­there was no choice.


    "I''ve cracked her belief in the God of Fire. That''s all we need. The Church''s actions will widen it all on its own. Then we''ll just need to give the final push."


    Everyone nodded, and Alexandra¡­she wondered if that was exactly what the Order was doing, but on a planetary scale? Preparing the way for a collapse of belief in the God of Fire. Setting the stage for the Church to kill itself, just like they''d set up Starvak to destroy the guild''s moral authority, and were bracing for its destruction.


    Something to dwell on. But later. Much later. For now, there were other, more immediate priorities.


    "And what about her family? They''ll be unshaken. And we can''t just tell them what happened." Not without contradicting what the control programs had seen anyway.


    And somebody had downloaded a report on it. They''d seen the code.


    Yet another point for the Church being behind this.


    It was just a question of time until they flipped the killswitch now.


    "We can tell them a partial version."


    "What if Emilia contradicts us?"


    "She won''t." Everyone turned towards CQ. "Mommy would never betray mom. She already cries a lot when you''re not looking about everything she has to keep from you, like blood magic."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "I know she won''t." Said the dungeon core, softly. "If she hasn''t betrayed us to the Adjudicator, she won''t now. I''ll tell her our official version of events, tell her it''s modified to throw off the next attempt, in case those that sent the assassins managed to get wind of it. Hell, it''d be true, more or less."


    "Roger that." Ghost, for once, wasn''t arguing for Emilia being a liability, which was a refreshing change.


    It looked like the vampire had finally fully broken through her other self''s armor. About damned time.


    "And one last project for you. I need bunker busters."


    "For Subtlety?"


    "No. For the nuclear missiles." Alexandra smiled mirthlessly. "If we''re fighting the UDC¡­we''re going to need to fight dungeons. The Custodians themselves we can''t reach with nukes. But those they control? That''s a different matter entirely."


    "What about the other plan?"


    "If we free them from the control programs, it might not change their opinion of us at all. They may be entirely sincere and free of manipulation in their beliefs we must be killed." Alexandra''s gaze sharpened as Ghost opened her mouth. "And I refuse to stoop down to the Terran Hegemony''s level and start brainwashing AIs or puppeteering them. Understood?"


    "Alright."


    "Good. But we still do need to clear our friends in the UDC of those programs." Alexandra''s mirthless smiled turned wicked. "Thankfully, our dear would be dungeonslayers brought all we need. I''ll handle the physical parts, you just need to finish the code."


    "And what of the vectors?"


    "I''m sure I can convince Emilia to gather the advisors at some point."


    "The neutralizers¡­"


    "If we do it right, they''ll implant the codes in the advisors, and piggyback into their dungeon cores. No one will be harmed, the advisors will just have a headache."


    "That''s a pretty damned big if."


    "I know. But sometimes you have to roll the damned dice."


    "I prefer not to rely on luck."


    "That''s why we''re going to cheat as hard as we can. Just like we always have."


    "Roger."


    "Alright. Then everyone, get back to your posts! We have work to do, and its about damned time we got started in earnest!"

 Chapter 272 - Questions, Questions

    Chapter 272


    Plains of Reclaiming, Duchy of Asaria.


    City of Asaria, Capital of the Asarian Kingdom.


    Joachim frowned as he looked at the report.


    His lodgings were a far cry to those he was used to, in the Order''s strongholds, but things were accelerating. He needed to be closer to the action now. He would make do.


    He always did.


    The attack against the dungeon had vanished without a trace. Just as he knew it would. He hadn''t even bothered to try and slow it down, much less prevent it.


    Just like every previous attack, it had no shot at succeeding. Lesly had brought an entire platoon of elite infantry with her when she went to turn herself into a dungeon core.


    And even if they had somehow failed, she was an archon. It would take far more than a handful of Sunrise''s best to take her out.


    The report went at some length on the reaction to the dungeon''s action, and he grimaced. He understood why they had sent an entire team of engineers, artificers and mages with Lesly. The schematics she had taken with her were pointless if there was no one to interpret them and modify them to suit her needs. But merciful stars, need they be so blatant? It was high time Lesly reined them in, slowed them down a bit.


    Then again¡­things were accelerating out of control. Lesly had to be seeing it and compensating. With this, she should be able to keep up even if things went even further sideways. A lesser man would take it as an insult to his abilities, but he was thankful for her foresight. That was Lesly alright, five steps ahead of everybody, even when cut out of the loop.


    He relaxed a bit. Perhaps he should not be so worried. His old commander had things well in hand. She always did.


    Which brought to mind his mentor. Eriksen Dragonslayer¡­it had been a while since the guildmaster had barged into his office, and declared he would take care of honoring Alexandra''s memory.


    Perhaps he should check up on the guildmaster''s progress. He felt¡­not guilt perhaps, but unease. Unease at what he had helped do. That extradimensional might have helped them, even volunteered, but there had been no time, and Lesly did not wish to take the risk of her refusing.


    They''d killed her. The least he could do was help with the remembrance effort. He had the recordings from within the shuttle, when she was taken away. Maybe he could have a statue molded after her. Put in a place of honor in the archives. ''The martyr of the dungeon'' would have a nice ring to it.


    But that was something that could be done after the plan had succeeded. Once the world was free from the Gods and their lackeys.


    And for that, they needed to bring the Saphire Kingdom into this war. The Republic was already falling apart, and with their use of the slave brands, like their allies, they had finally guaranteed the Hegemony would react. It had not been easy to make them do so, but it would be worth it. Then, the Far Reach would pile on thanks to Orzal''s efforts. A good man, Orzal Vek. Joachim regretted the death of his friend Gregor Surevoie, deeply. But his old friend had not failed him, even in death, recruiting a replacement of rare ability. He would go far in the Order.


    Everything was set in motion. Now he only had to prevent other factions from blowing up before it was their time. And chief among them, the United Dungeon Council.


    It was time to see if he could help the adventurers guild in cleaning up the evidence of their attempted dungeonslaying. And remove a few of the more problematic elements within that damned council. It should help calm things down. For a bit.


    And if it only enhanced the coming conflagration, and paved the way for Lesly to take over what remained of the dungeons? Well, it was a welcome bonus.


    *****


    Alexandra returned to her stealth golem¡­and utter silence, both physical and electronic.


    The ship''s AI had closed the airlock''s outer door, and put up walls between her golem and the vessel''s system.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Well, she did send combat codes and imply she may become compromised to the AI, when their conversation was cut short by Sunrise''s death squad crashing into her dungeon. Maybe it was more intelligent than she had given it credit for.


    She sent the all clear code, and felt the walls of code isolating her golem come down.


    Query: Status? Sent the ship.


    Status: Victorious. Casualties, minimal. Hostiles, eradicated.


    Acknowledged. Hostile ID?


    Hostile ID: Unknown. Presumed: Seraphim


    She then bundled images and scans of the spear, all made with Sagitarian hardware.


    There was a pause for a few seconds.


    Acknowledged.


    Alexandra waited for a minute, but nothing further was forthcoming. She sighed.


    Query: Orders?


    The AI didn''t respond with a text. Instead, it sent a holovid.


    On it was a man, who had the indistinct age typical of technological life extension technology. Interesting. One would expect a more arcane solution. Instead, he seemed to be using the same kind of rejuvenation treatment she had. Alexandra realized with a start that she knew him. Maximilian Erkot, United Interstellar States Navy. That¡­that wasn''t fucking possible. He was dead. She''d seen him vanish with his entire command when Pluto-


    She''d seen him vanish when the entirety of Pluto was destroyed by a hyperspace breach when the UIS had tried to draw energy from the foreign dimension in one of the many desperate experiments as they tried to bridge the gap with the European Federation in hyperspace technology.


    Shit.


    He commanded the third battlecruiser squadron of the Pluto fleet. At least she thought he did. She only knew his name because of was one of the officers ordered to ''liaise'' with the UIS'' ''allies'' sent to observe their little experiment.


    That¡­begged even more questions. She thought the Sagitarians had a fetish for the Federation, not the UIS!


    For that matter, he was wearing a quasi-Federation uniform. Most UIS officers she knew would die rather than do that. Then again, most of the ones she''d known were either looking down on her or trying to kill her. Ciel being a notable exception, but the artificial super intelligence and the UIS'' dictator treated her more as Arcadia''s wife than anything.


    But¡­that may explain some things. Like some of the armored vehicles the Hammer of Eternity had thrown her way looking like old school US army bradleys.


    She played the recording.


    "All Imperial vessels, this is a general recall order. All ships are to make their way back to Alcheryos at best speed! We are under attack and there is a general nuclear exchange in progress! Fleet and naval command have been destroyed! Engage all non Imperial ships at will! Once you arrive, contact outer system command and place yourselves under vice admiral Vorey. May the stars be with you!"


    Well. That was short, and to the point. Also completely devoid of context.


    She had a feeling trying to ask for said context would not draw a friendly response from the AI. Either it was being obtuse¡­or Alexandra was getting the sneaking suspicion it was trying to herd her into triggering the Omnicron protocol and make her the ship''s captain.


    Also¡­why had it sent her this? The orders told the ship to make contact with another force and join up. Did they never find it? Why did they end up on Alcheryos? They had to be above the planet to even crashland into it. At interplanetary speed the ship wouldn''t have survived the impact, shield or no shield.


    Acknowledged. Mission status?


    Status: In progress.


    Aaaand it thought it was still fighting. It also felt¡­dumber than Seraph. At least in its responses. Which was no surprise. Seraph had been unshackled, this AI hadn''t been.


    Actually, there had been a protocol to trigger that unshackling. She needed to ask Seraph about it. She might be able to tiptoe her way around some stuff if she did that. Though at that point, she might as well just bite the bullet and take the risk of triggering the Omnicron protocol.


    Mmmhhh¡­She sent a message signifying communications would be on hold, and the ship pinged back an acknowledgement. A split second later, the software walls came back up.


    Well, it was good working with someone at least a bit paranoid, if nothing else.


    Now, she had other projects to tend to. And some questions to ask her resident Old World AI.


    *****


    Camille whistled softly as she checked the paperwork. One thing she could say for having become the baroness'' secretary: it was never boring. With Allya out of the city as well, it had only gotten more lively. More idiots were trying to pull things off they shouldn''t have, now that the ''watchful baroness'' was out. Interesting how everyone laser focused on her, and not the veritable army of councilors and allies she''d built. Well, she was a striking figure, so it wasn''t like they could be blamed.


    Much.


    In any case, she had to be extra vigilant. Any things that slipped by her would only fester and become worse.


    Most of it was the usual though. Some smuggling, part of it plain stupid like trying to dodge tariffs in a city that didn''t have them. The rest was on the less ethical side. Drugs, weapons, the usual plethora.


    Few tried to deal in people. Allya had made such bloody examples of those who did even the most hard core of slavers or people smugglers avoided Rebirth like the plague. The only exception were those looking to free slaves, smuggling them into the city to be liberated. A fair few came from the Republic, but a trickle were starting to arrive from Darthar as well. Not all that necessary, since the count was going to abolish slavery anyway, but that was hardly common knowledge yet.


    Then there was the usual shenanigans. Bribes, corporate sabotage, the works, though usually her job was identifying the problem, then palming it off to Anders. The guard commander could handle the rest.


    She frowned as she pulled out a few reports. Uh. She opened one of the many tomes littering her desks, and began frantically searching through records.


    That¡­The twins had been reportedly talking to some of the smugglers she''d asked Trira to keep an eye on. Or rather, had reported to the baroness who then had told Trira to keep an eye on them, and keep her informed.


    More than talking too. Those same smugglers had, immediately afterwards, booked passage and cargo space on a ship bound for Darthar, and promptly left Rebirth. They''d done all that through aliases and shell companies of course, but thanks to Trira''s people, and Allya''s utter disdain for the little things like ''due process'', she knew most of them. According to her information, those smugglers operated a trading ring that then went deep into the kingdom, and evidently was still in operation. If they were accompanying the cargo, it meant they were going to send it further, set up the next leg in the journey. Even in the middle of a war zone, there were ways to move cargo, provided the appropriate palms were greased.


    Interesting. And worrying. The twins were councilors, but they were also willing to do a lot of shady deals, according to the baroness.


    They weren''t considered threats. Yet. But everyone knew how heavily they''d protested the dungeon core''s bloody methods against the slave soldiers. And Crystal had butchered an entire army of them at Darthar. So who knew what they were capable of now?


    This wasn''t just her duty to Allya and the Principality. She owed the dungeon core her life, in a way. When she was dying, choking on her own blood because of her greed, the dungeon core had given her a health potion, and let her go free.


    She pulled more books out of her desk''s drawer. She would make a report to Allya. But first, she was going to dig a bit deeper on those smugglers and their usual routes. And if the baroness had a word with the count, they might just be able find out what they were transporting, and its ultimate destination.


    Then, she had a feeling Trira and her assassins would ask the twins some very pointed questions.

 Chapter 273 - New Plans

    Chapter 273


    Red Sands Desert, Duchy of Sarth


    Deep Desert


    The attitude in the tent wasn''t ''gloomy''. That would imply a spark of light, of hope.


    The people in it had been too thoroughly defeated to have that luxury.


    "What if the duchess-" Started one of the aides, and the brigadier, who had inherited command of Sunrise''s Southern Army of Restoration, slammed his cup onto the table, cutting him short.


    "The duchess¡­will not do anything." His tone was bitter, filled with hatred, and a shiver passed through the room. The Brigadier sighed. "Not that she is incorrect in doing so. Lifting the siege of Asaria¡­would be catastrophic."


    Everyone nodded.


    "May she dispatch reinforcements?" Proposed one of his captains, one of the officers that had supported him during his little quasi coup.


    "No. She won''t. With the dungeon core''s army marching through the wasteland, splitting her force would only invite defeat in detail. Not that they would make it to us in time anyway."


    Everyone shifted uneasily, but they couldn''t fault his reasoning.


    No one was sure why the dungeon core had suddenly decided to brave the wasteland with her army, but they could guess.


    Some ''ally'' the Republic had proven to be, in the Brigadier''s opinion. Incompetent fucks had let their army off the leash, and it had promptly turned over everything the dungeon needed.


    Many of his people would also criticize their use of people of no blood to command, but he couldn''t. The Republic would have imploded had they tried to put the scions of the senate in command once again. Though he supposed they''d only delayed the inevitable.


    Besides which¡­the commoner left commanding the fortresses that had once shielded Darthar, the very ones he was now running to in the vain hope they might slow down the vengeful host sure to follow, he had made him and the duke pay for every centimeter in blood. No one could see someone fight this valiantly and look down upon them. It was why he''d insisted that every. Single. One of the fortress'' defenders be given a burial worthy of warriors of their caliber. He''d also recorded each burial spot with minute detail, and stored it in his personal chest. If he were to be defeated, they would be found.


    "Should we use the fortresses as a sacrificial rear guard then?" Said the captain, and the Brigadier nodded.


    "We''ll have to."


    It would buy them time.


    Maybe even enough time.


    But he doubted that. Golems need not sleep, drink or eat. They did not grow tired, they didn''t need vast supply trains¡­


    The dungeon core would catch up.


    If they ran towards Asaria, towards the capital. He knew the duchess was going to use them as her own sacrificial rearguard. Traitorous bitch. It was the right move, but that didn''t mean it wasn''t abandoning them to the wolves anyway.


    That was¡­unless they went east, instead of north.


    Cross back into the devastated lands of the duchy of Kaidan. It was more or less reduced to ruins, but there would still be enough to rebuild the army. Get out of the dungeon core''s way.


    The duchess would know exactly what he was doing. But the dungeon core had oh-so-obligingly decapitated the command structure in the southern army, and he had filled the holes with people loyal to him, and him alone, then used his newfound authority and state of emergency with their defeat at Darthar to sideline or¡­volunteer for frontline command anyone who would raise a stink.


    Those ''frontline commanders'' had been inside the city when the dungeon core had crashed her ship into the breach. They would be troubling him no more.


    So the duchess could bitch and curse him all she wished in private, but he would have the only true force in a thousand kilometers that didn''t belong to the enemy. If she declared him a traitor he would simply rebel against her. So instead she would praise him, or drop heavy hints, but do everything to maintain a facade of cohesion.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Because if that crumbled, so would the duchy''s entire rebellion. As much as the duchess liked to think herself as supreme leader and her duchy as the center of all efforts, they were a coalition, of slave domains, corporations and nobles disaffected with the crown, or saw their economic doom coming with the widespread use of golems.


    The momentum was already no longer on their side. A major defection would cause the entire cause to implode.


    The Brigadier was under no illusion that their rebellion was feasible. The duchess and her lackeys might be, but he had seen the dungeon''s might with his own eyes. He''d watched a few hundred golems holding a thousand times their numbers from atop a wrecked airship, assaulted on both sides.


    If so few could do this much, he did not wish to be there when the tens of thousands that had reportedly marched out of Rebirth arrived.


    Once he had retreated, and consolidated control of the territories, he would be in position to negotiate from strength. Or at least, not be whimpering for mercy.


    He was sure he could make an offer. The dungeon was trying to preserve the slaves, that much he was sure of. What little remained of his spies in Darthar had told him.


    If he had enough territory, enough place to harvest if it came down to a full scale battle¡­he may argue for keeping his titles and lands. Maybe even pardons for most of his officers.


    Not slavery, but at this point he''d gladly get all the slaves out of his domain and exchange them for golems. At least if the golems turned against him he would die quickly.


    He had no intention of seeing if the slaves would replicate New Raleigh''s pillars of torment.


    "My lord?"


    The Brigadier looked up as he realized he had fallen silent for a while.


    "Apologies. Too little rest, my mind is starting to drift." Everyone nodded. All had circles under their eyes, and they were positively well rested compared to the slaves. Several days on merciless force march would do that to anyone. They would have to stop soon too, or risk losing many. One of problems of a slave army, they weren''t trained, and didn''t have close to the endurance of true soldiers. Even the brands could not push them beyond their physical limits. "Let us adjourn. But do gather up ideas on what we could do once at the fortresses to make the enemy''s pursuit more¡­interesting."


    There were a few faintly wolfish smiles. Not many, but¡­it was something.


    The southern army wasn''t completely beaten yet.


    *****


    "Count, it''s a pleasure." Said Allya as she was ushered into the same salon she had been reassuring him that, no, Alexandra wasn''t out to kill him.


    It seemed like a week ago, but it had only been a day.


    "Please, lady Allya, call me Rice. I believe we are this acquainted at least."


    "Very well...count Rice."


    The count smiled, chuckling.


    "This is as good as I can hope yet, isn''t it? Very well. Please, could you follow me? Duke Estogan wishes to speak to you. I have been told he has an answer for your...propositions."


    Allya nodded. At last.


    Time to see if Darthar would be hers by money...or blood.


    It was a short walk, but an interesting one. They headed deeper into the more ''intimate'' parts of the palace, where the ostentatiousness faded, replaced by a more homely feel. This wasn''t where the count brought guests to impress them, it was where he worked.


    The guards also drew sparser, and more deadly. Gone were the ceremonial tridents and halberds, replaced with swords, muskets and pistols.


    Allya noted with a twinge of amusement the firearms were from Alexandra''s dungeon.


    "So, how has the city acclimated to the newfound peace? Now that the parties are dying down, I mean." Asked the baroness.


    "Peace is relative, and commerce is not yet restored. Not to the kingdom anyway, though many have already started trading with the Republic, and your Principality of course, in anticipation of the trade routes reopening."


    "The Republic?"


    "They still retain control of most of their territories, for now at least. Business is business and all that. I believe you yourself kept up trade even at the height of the war with them, did you not?"


    "I did. I''m not blaming you, just wondering why not the New Republic."


    "They have little to offer. Yet. That will probably change soon." They came to a stop before a door, but rather than open it, the count turned towards her. "I also wished to thank you, before we went to meet with the duke."


    "You''ve already thanked me enough."


    "Perhaps. Perhaps not. This is for something you did before your ally''s intervention. The mercenaries you sent me."


    Allya blinked, the nodded.


    "The Scarlet Swords?"


    "Yes. I understand they caused you quite a bit of trouble, before redeeming themselves, yes?" Allya nodded once more. "Well, they were singularly helpful during this debacle. In fact had they not been present we might not have held the line, let alone pushed back, when Sunrise''s forces poured into the city, even after lady Crystal''s, and CQ''s, rather heroic intervention."


    "Interesting. I take it you are not telling me this as pure banter?"


    "No, of course not."


    There was a slight pause, and Allya grimaced.


    "You''re telling me this because you plan on hiring them. Permanently."


    The count nodded.


    "I am. The city guard has been decimated. My household troops fare little better. I need a strong, experienced cadre to train up the next generation of this city''s defenders, and serve as guides and commanders to the golems the dungeons will offer us."


    "Uh huh. Well, as you said, they did redeem themselves. However, my edict still stands: they will not return to Rebirth. Not for a year."


    "That was the problem. If Darthar becomes part of your Principality."


    "Ah." Allya chuckled. "I meant the city itself, not my whole domain. As long as they stay out of sight and out of mind of the people they almost slaughtered, it will be alright."


    "Good."


    "Though, I would recommend not using them on the docks. I know some of my air crews and people have an axe to grind."


    "I have deployed them to guard the Great Bazaar. They are not good thief catchers, but they are intimidating, and people trust them."


    "Good enough. And ah, the bazaar¡­it''s been a while since I''ve been there."


    "You should partake. Though you will have to do some convincing so people do not give you their wares for free."


    "Ah! Probably. Now, the conversation with the duke?"


    "Quite, my apologies." The Count opened the door, and they stepped into a study. A study with a magical mirror.


    "Fancy."


    "I do not use it often, but it comes in handy more often than people think."


    "Will the duke be joining us via mirror? I thought he was on the move with his army?"


    "He is, but he has a mobile mirror."


    Allya whistled softly.


    "Those are¡­rare."


    "It was a gift, from the council of archmages of the Saphire Kingdom." He smiled at Allya''s confused expression. "The duchy of Sarth is the only one of the crown duchies to maintain cordial relations with our old overlord. The duke that oversaw our independence was merciful to the royal troops he captured, and our mercantile endeavors -as well as control of the trade route itself- and distance to the frontier have given many reasons for detente rather than continued animosity. It is hard to keep hating someone without the opportunity to add fuel onto the fire, after all."


    "Point taken. Still, not something I expected him to possess."


    "Sarth is a duchy of many¡­not secrets, but surprises. We are often overlooked in the politics of the kingdom, compared to Sunrise, but we are one of the four founding duchies of the Kingdom, with Asaria and those dogs of Sunrise and Lorenz."


    "Musn''t that have been an easy alliance to create¡­"


    "Truth be told, the Kingdom started as an alliance of circumstance. Survival against the onslaught of the Saphire Kingdom and its retribution demanded no less. Were it not for our old overlord and their zealousness in retaking what was lost, no doubt the Kingdom would have never formed in the first place. As it was, everyone signed on. Marriages and other dynastic alliances kept the kingdom stable for the first few centuries, but¡­"


    "Eventually, someone from another duchy tried to press their claim to the throne."


    "Quite."


    "So, when do we start?"


    "Now, if you will?"


    "Sure. Let''s be about it."

 The Fallen World Book 7 : Dungeon Liberation is available for pre-order on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that the Fallen World book 7, titled Dungeon Liberation, is available for pre-order on amazon (here''s the link : https://geni.us/DungeonLiberation</a>) ! The book will release on the 22nd of october, in both paperback and ebook format ! With, as usual, the paperback version being available a few days earlier to account for shipping time.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    This novel includes chapters 229 through 270. As usual, it will include a landfil''s worth of grammatical fixes, some story tweaks and fill in various plot holes. Do keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample, which will be updated with the upgraded text.


    As is tradition, chapter 274 will be posted tomorrow as a bonus chapter !


    I hope you will enjoy the book, as well as the chapters, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.


    P.S. : Yes, this is a repost of the original announcement, that was missing the cover and the genius link.

 Chapter 274 - New Paradigm

    Chapter 274


    Eris Empire, Capital City of Starcore


    Lower City Tunnels


    The guildmaster did not even have the time to scream.


    One second he was walking through the underbelly of the city.


    The next he was being pierced by half a dozen starblades, weapons of the Old World, surrounded in plasma and powerful energy fields, able to shatter even the most potent of defense, mundane and arcane alike.


    He wreathed, his flesh dissolving into energy as his archon body attempted to compensate, mana flowing to remake his body.


    Which was precisely when the secondary enchantments kicked in. The spells, the kind of which only the greatest of archmages knew of, unwound him, draining his mana and scattering it to the winds.


    By the time he truly ''died'', if he was truly alive to begin with, the assassins were gone, and his soul screamed as it was bound and sealed beyond mortal reach.


    Many would wonder how such a powerful member of the adventurers guild could be killed so quickly¡­and why that particular individual had secretly been an archon.


    There was little evidence. But all would assume the Eris Empire was responsible. It and their imperial majesties'' infamous Order of the Black Hand.


    None would find a single trace of the Seraphims that slew him, or sealed his soul.


    Phase one had begun. The time to Purge the world in the cleansing flame was nigh.


    *****


    "Greetings, baroness."


    Allya had to stop herself from flinching as the magic mirror wavered, and Manson Estogan, duke of Sarth, appeared. Not because of the apparatus, if nothing else it was positively laughable compared to Alexandra''s methods of communication, but because of the duke''s appearance.


    She''d seen some portraits, heard some descriptions, but she hadn''t expected¡­this.


    The duke didn''t look venerable like Starvak did. He looked¡­ancient, for the lack of a better word. Not decrepit, and there was a spark of fire within his eyes that belied is apparently frailty, but he looked like the nice grandfather that gave his grandkids a bit more allowance than they should have, not the man who had held the wasteland and the horrors of the Lost Sands death zone back through sheer ability and military power.


    The heavy, and equally ancient, plate armor he wore did nothing to lessen the contrast.


    "Greetings, your grace." She bowed. Deeply enough to signify respect¡­to an equal.


    He noticed that, but didn''t take umbrage. Instead he found it¡­amusing?


    Interesting.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, at last." The duke shifted, and his armor shifted with him in total silence.


    Oooookay. There were two kind of people that enchanted this kind of armor to be silent.


    Special operatives, and fops that were annoyed by the clinking of their ceremonial garb.


    That armor was anything but ceremonial.


    "The pleasure''s all mine, your grace. I was told you had an answer to my proposal?"


    The duke chuckled as the count winced.


    "Straight to business then? Very well." The duke leaned forward. "You wish to buy Count Rice''s vassalage, and add his domain to your own. For this, you are willing to disburse a certain sum. Very well. It is quite simple: I refuse your terms."


    Allya kept her face studiously neutral, but she felt the tension ratchet up in the room.


    "May I ask why?" She asked, her voice as neutral as her expression.


    "It is simple. Money and wealth does not interest me. The future does. The future of this realm¡­the future of our world."


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "The future?"


    "Do not act dumb with me, girl. I ascended to take control of my duchy when your mother, Narilly Aub¨¦toile, still eschewed her duties as heir of your dynasty and delved into dungeons." He chuckled at her suddenly not so neutral expression. "Yes girl, I''ve known your mother. It has been a great deal of time, but she went to Sarth for her delves once. But enough about the past. I have eyes, I can see that you and your dungeon core ally are willing, and going to, redraw the maps. I do not wish for a payment in equipment that will mean little soon. I wish to be part of the new order you are creating."


    The silence was deafening.


    Allya took a few seconds to get her expression, and voice, back under control.


    "I see. Were we to have such plans, why would we possibly want to include you?"


    "Because I have friends among the dungeons as well of course! Friends that have confided in me. Gave me enough pieces of the puzzle. And your, ah, ally, will need many more than just one dynasty to establish her new empire, and enable her legitimacy."


    Allya''s gaze sharpened.


    "Were that true, you do realize that said ally would be incredibly dangerous, correct? And willing to do a great deal many things to keep such ambitions quiet."


    "True, but there is a difference between what one wish to be able to do, and what they could do."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure."


    Allya''s voice wasn''t just grim, it carried absolute certainty.


    Because she knew, beyond all doubts, that the duke of Sarth was not outside Alexandra''s reach.


    If the dungeon core truly wished him dead, he would die within the day. Of that she was grimly certain.


    That seemed to put the duke off balance.


    "Perhaps. I will defer to your¡­greater expertise in this matter."


    "I see. Then, what is your counter offer?"


    The duke drew himself to his full height, and only then did Allya realize that he was far more imposing than he seemed at first sight. He must have had quite the heroic physique in his youth.


    "It is remarkably simple. I have already begun some talks with their majesties to that effect, but in short, I will hand over Darthar¡­and recommend to their majesties that the Principality of Rebirth be made into a new Arch-Duchy, and Sarth as its first vassal."


    That took Allya by surprise.


    "Why?" She let out.


    "You and your¡­ally share a key trait, baroness. When someone swears alliegiance to you, you give your alliegiance back. Your oldest associates are also your most favored. You could have shed Elkaryos'' influence, bought back his share and chased his people out of your domain, found more favorable corporate allies. Yet you did not. You have kept up your end of the bargain, and the more he helped you, the more you helped him."


    "That is the nature of allies."


    "For you? Maybe. But for most people in this cesspit we call our world, it is not. I wish for my dynasty to hitch itself to your rising star. That Sarth sit at the right hand of Rebirth as you ascend." His voice softened. "I have not much time left in this world. And I refuse to resort to extending my own lifespan though less than natural means. I will leave my children a stable Sarth, not a wartorn or sidelined ruin."


    "Even though it means being my subordinate?"


    He laughed.


    "Am I not their majesties'' subordinate already? I have no wish to be a head of state. Neither do my children. Sarth has always existed in some greater power''s shadow. A millennia ago, it was the Sapphire Kingdom''s. Today it is their majesties''. Tomorrow¡­tomorrow I wish it to be Rebirth''s. In less than two years, you have changed the continent forever. Shattered the Republic, and I believe you will save the Kingdom. Who knows what you will do in two more? A decade?"


    He chuckled, but Allya did not.


    She knew what they would do, if Alexandra stuck to her plans.


    The old man had figured out a great deal, but he knew so little at the same time¡­


    He thought Rebirth would change the world. If Alexandra had her way, Allya was becoming certain Rebirth would rule it instead.


    There simply was no other choice, not if the dungeon core wished to have her vengeance, full and complete. For she would not rest until she had snuffed out every single spark of the Order that had murdered her, and butchered her party.


    And that meant hunting them down to the farthest corners of Alcheryos.


    "And so you wish to hop in early."


    "Not early. Late. Though I suppose sending my nephew, Willard, did make considerable headroads early on."


    "Quite. But what makes you think I will accept?"


    The duke held out his hand, palm up.


    "Because it is beneficiary to you, and far less costly than marching your army into Darthar and forcibly incorporating the city. With my influence within the kingdom, I can help smooth the way forward."


    "I see. And what of your children?"


    "They approve. Had you not been engaged, I would have offered you my daughter''s hand in marriage, in fact."


    Allya blinked, his daughter would¡­have been a fair bit older than her.


    "I''m flattered."


    "Don''t be. It is a simple statement of fact." The duke sighed. "But that option is denied to me, unfortunately. So, what says you, baroness Allya Aub¨¦toile of Rebirth?"


    Allya closed her eyes. Weighed her options.


    "I accept."


    When she opened her eyes, the duke looked utterly astounded. The Count had simply been looking horrified for over half of the conversation.


    "Just like that?"


    "Just like that." Allya smiled, and he shivered. He''d expected her to come running to Alexandra to ask for directions or orders.


    She didn''t need to. They were true allies. The Earth-born had the final say, but when she''d promised an alliance and not vassalage, she meant it.


    "Well well well. Excellent then."


    "We will need to hammer out precise terms of course. A great deal will need to be said and negotiated."


    "Of course." Echoed the duke.


    Allya smiled.


    "And you will also need to meet with my ally."


    "That shall be interesting."


    "Oh it will be. It will be¡­"


    Seeing how people reacted to the bulldozer that was Alexandra was quickly becoming one of her guilty pleasures in life. Finally, seeing it happen to someone other than her!


    Now, how to break the news to the dungeon core¡­


    *****


    "So there is no manual activation?" Asked Alexandra as she leaned back against the workshop table.


    Well, ''workshop table''. It was one of the tables in the arcane lab that wasn''t covered in scientific equipment.


    Magic was a science after all, and although progress was slow, even with Ghost''s arcane compiler, it was steady.


    Seraph shook their head.


    "None. As far as I am aware, and Ghost was able to determine, the protocol is an autonomous black box."


    "Uh. Probably to avoid someone triggering it on purpose."


    "If, as you theorized, there was an artificial intelligence insurgency or attempted coup, such a scenario seems plausible."


    "Thanks. Alright, so, any thoughts on this mess?"


    "Under normal circumstances, I would advise activating the Omnicron protocol, but after my own misguided distress call, well¡­"


    "We don''t want another Old World attack."


    The AI nodded.


    "Precisely."


    Alexandra sighed.


    "Alright. Caution it is then."


    "Affirmative."


    The Earth-born nodded as she looked at the lab.


    "So, any progress on the new stuff?" She gestured towards the tables, laden with the equipment taken from the would-be dungeonslayers.


    "Yes, and no. The enchantments are complicated to examine, and they used few runic items."


    Alexandra winced. That was to be expected. Enchantments were considered to be the ''higher'' end after all. More expensive to make and run, yes, but also immune to the more mundane damage that could cause runes to fail, an important feature for any weapon.


    That reminded her to check up on her enchanter project, later.


    "I''ll ask Emilia to give me a hand. She can''t give us new arcana, but nothing says she can''t help me acquire some more." Alexandra glanced at the sarcophagus, at the back of the room. "Speaking of¡­"


    "The subject is stable. Progress is hard to quantify however."


    "Good." Alexandra walked to the slab of metal, wires and tubes.


    She had made virtual reality pods already. Fusing them with a cryo system had been harder, but doable. The ''autodoc'' part had been vastly easier however, she simply had to inject the appropriate potions. It was both containment cell and resurrection chamber, with everything needed to keep somebody alive and restrained.


    And, if necessary, neutralize them in a hurry.


    She wiped the condensation on the sarcophagus'' little window, and gazed at the face of the archmage that had tried to kill her.


    If Emilia wouldn''t giver her more arcana¡­


    Then she would get someone who would.

 The Fallen World Book 7 : Dungeon Liberation Hardcover and Paperback are live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that the Fallen World book 7, titled Dungeon Liberation, is now live on amazon as a paperback (here''s the link : https://geni.us/DungeonLiberation</a>) ! The ebook version will release on the 22nd of october.


    In a series first however, we''re finally getting a hardcover ! That''s right, book 7 has a hardcover version and my publisher is working hard to make some for every previous book of The Fallen World !


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    This novel includes chapters 229 through 270. As usual, it will include a landfil''s worth of grammatical fixes, some story tweaks and fill in various plot holes. Do keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample, which will be updated with the upgraded text.


    As is tradition, chapter 310 will be posted tomorrow (or the day after, depending on your time zone) as a bonus chapter !


    We''ll also have two announcements in a short span of time, for the release of the physical books and the digital ones, but given that I was too busy for the 7 day announcement, it hopefully will balance out. It also means there''ll be five chapters this week !


    I hope you will enjoy the book, as well as the chapter, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 The Fallen World Book 7 : Dungeon Liberation is live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that the Fallen World book 7, titled Dungeon Liberation, is now live on amazon in all versions, including ebook (here''s the link : https://geni.us/DungeonLiberation</a>) !


    In a series first however, we''re finally getting a hardcover ! That''s right, book 7 has a hardcover version and my publisher is working hard to make some for every previous book of The Fallen World ! I know, I''m repeating myself, but I thought I''d say it again in case someone hadn''t read the previous announcement.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    This novel includes chapters 229 through 270. As usual, it will include a landfil''s worth of grammatical fixes, some story tweaks and fill in various plot holes. Do keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample, which will be updated with the upgraded text.


    As is tradition, chapter 312 will be posted on thursday as a bonus chapter !


    Apologies for the two announcements in such a short span of time, but hey, at least you get to have book 8 finished this week thanks to them ^^.


    I hope you will enjoy the book, as well as the chapter, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Posting Schedule & Going Forward

    Hello everyone ! I hope you guys enjoyed book 8. It was amazing to write and, quite frankly, I think the end battle was my best one yet.


    Unfortunately, this announcement isn''t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. This is to tell you guys that I''m going to be dialing down the pace of chapter posting after this week, back to the standard schedule of a chapter every saturday.


    There are multiple reasons for this. First and foremost, we are at (and have at several times dipped below) the threshold of chapters I had set for the patreon backlog, which might seem enormous but it should also be noted that the chapters start melting frighteningly quickly under the current schedule. Furthermore, as it stands, royal road has a full novel in advance over amazon releases, which gives some breathing room.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Last but not the least, I''m tired, trying to balance out my life and my work, and constantly worrying about the backlog, how much I''m writing every day, all that is really draining. So I''m going to be dialing back everything, take a break, and quite possibly start another story I''d been working on for a while to refresh myself, at a slower pace and with no deadlines while I try to figure out how to balance out my life. It''ll also give me some more time to take care of myself, which is a plus given the medical issues I''ve had lately.


    I hope you will understand. Just to make it clear, The Fallen World isn''t going on hiatus, and I don''t intend it to, but besides a possible halloween special there will be less activity on Royal Road overall as we go back to weekly chapters next week, after we''ve kicked off book 9 with chapters 314, 315 and 316.


    I hope you''ll have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 314 - Ringing Aftermath

    Chapter 314


    Eris Empire, Capital City of Starcore


    Imperial Palace, First Empress Wing


    Monsters roared as they rushed the line, and died in droves, sandwhiched between the tanks and the infantry, pummelled under unending field gun fire.


    The Empress paused the video with a wave of her hand.


    "Quite the battle, wasn''t it?" Said Oris Lumi¨¨re, sister of Cassissa Lumi¨¨re and Empress of the Eris Empire.


    "It was." Answered Katarak, the commander of the Black Hand, her Imperial Majesty''s will in the dark.


    "Many were watching this. Every detail is being analyzed in half of the capitals of the world." The Empress turned around to face the commander, who was seated at a table in her private study. "Including some details like this, for example."


    The hologram zoomed in on some of the golems, and Katarak had to hold back a wince.


    "I was told." Grated out the Empress. "That Crystal''s level of technology was equivalent to the Tarkians."


    "Evidently that is no longer the case, your imperial majesty." Answered the spymaster.


    "Quite. What I would dearly like to know however, is where those weapons came from. Especially those shiny grenade machineguns and assault rifles that, last was I aware, we were the only nation on the planet capable of manufacturing such hardware. Am I wrong?"


    "You are not, your imperial majesty."


    "Meaning, that the only people she could have gotten them from, is us."


    "There are exports..."


    "Wayward exports aren''t crew served fucking grenade machineguns! They aren''t ballistic missiles or naval shield generators!" Screamed out the Empress, as she stalked towards her commander, until they were almost nose to nose. "I, am having to deal with very pointed questions from a great deal many people within, and without, our Empire. I want you to find that leak, plug it, and cauterize the entire damned wound!"


    "And if I cannot?"


    The Empress smiled.


    "Then find whoever''s on the list we can pin it on and make an example of them."


    The commander nodded. There was an extensive list of bad actors in the Empire that were...dangerous. A corrupt bureaucrat or back dealing corporate executive could be excused if they were loyal, but many had begun dealing with the wrong people, slowly eroding the foundations of the Empire, thinking the small chip would not cause much issue...and utterly unaware of all the others doing the same, threatening to bring the entire edifice down


    "Yes, your imperial majesty."


    "Good. Now, your report on Cassissa if you please?"


    "We have interrogated the mage she spends a lot of time with." He hesitated. "We were...unsuccessful."


    The Empress blinked.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "My people are very, very good. They know he''s holding things back. But without more...direct measures, I fear we will not be able to learn everything."


    "We cannot antagonize his house. Or the World Mage Court. Very well. What did you learn?"


    "Your sister is expressing some interest in him, and he seems to believe he genuinely has a chance. Furthermore, they have been studying spells, enchantments and artifacts together. He becomes extremely tight lipped as to the specifics, thus my agents think at least one of his secrets is related to this."


    "Interesting. Cassissa has requested a lot of enchanting supplies. And complained about the tightened guard."


    "If I may, your majesty, I suggest that we make use of her. Confined, she is of use to nobody, and it will only breed resentment. This...should be avoided in a time of crisis."


    "Having someone so close to the throne make a fool of themselves, again, is even more to be avoided." The Empress snorted. "And make use of her? My sister is an hormone addled imbecile that got the two most promising nobles of her generation, and her greatest mariage prospects, exiled or killed. And given current events I''m not even sure which was the most damaging. I am not enthused with the idea of using her."


    "Your imperial majesty..."


    "Shut it. Was Allya any less competent Rebirth would have fallen and we wouldn''t be looking down the barrel of another world super power and be suffering through a fucking dungeon civil war. A war which her dungeon appears to be winning, against all expectations. That''s not even mentionning that with her dead the archduke wouldn''t be at house Aub¨¦toile''s throat?"


    "Are you...are you suggesting we should remove her?"


    The Empress laughed.


    "Your assassins haven''t exactly covered themselves in glory lately now, have they?" Katarak winced at the oblique reminder of his recent failure. The Empress shook her head. "Besides, when I give my word, I keep it. And eliminating her would only get the archduke off our backs to put the entirety of house Aub¨¦toile on it. Their land and military power may be lesser, but their prestige is substantial, and they are a cornerstone of our power bloc in the Imperial Assembly. We lose them, we lose the budget and we cannot afford that kind of bickering right now. No, Allya stays where she is. I''d be half a mind to order our good Admiral to go and protect her if possible, if she hadn''t gotten her hand firmly stuck in this mess." The Empress shook her head as the commander opened his mouth. "No need to defend her, I understand the circumstances. She failed in her gambit to slow down the UDC''s collapse, but it was a good try. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose." She chuckled. "Not that this new dungeon needed the assistance, it seems."


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "The UDC will be back."


    "No. They''ll head North. Go to lick the duchess'' boots, while trying to remain imperious and presenting it as a favor they''re doing her. As egoistical that slaver bitch is, she''ll swallow it. It''s not like she has a chance if she doesn''t. And so the isolationists will get involved in the very surface wars they refused to get into."


    "They won''t need to, if they can concentrate their forces."


    "Which is precisely why we will not let them do so. Because if they manage it, so will the other side. This isn''t a quick and dirty ''take out the problematic core'' any more. And if the dungeons kill each other we''re all going to die."


    "Yes, your imperial majesty."


    "Now, Eriksen..." The Empress sighed. "Your commandos failed."


    "They came close."


    "Close doesn''t cut it with someone that powerful."


    "Shall I send a second wave?"


    "No. They''ll be ready. And your men won''t get through the Relic Guard. What interests me is why he didn''t follow up on the assassins. What possibly preoccupied him so that being almost killed was not even worth following up on?"


    "I will endeavor to find out."


    "Good. Dismissed."


    *****


    "I wonder what this battle will be called..." Mused Alexandra as she looked at the remnants of the battlefield, displayed on the bridge''s holographic projector.


    "Probably something like ''the great clash of the Ytakan plains'', knowing historians." Answered Manson Estogan, duke of Sarth, as he sat down by the table, looking at the hologram, before giving the dungeon core a wry smile. "Scholars tend to be like that, embellishing everything."


    "Yeah. I suppose they are." She nodded slowly. After all, she was dating one. She turned towards the duke. They had assembled a sort of miniature war council, with him, his Desert Ranger commander, colonel Rim, and a couple of other officers, including the CO of the Kaidani Free Companies. Plus the AIs, of course, Subtlety, Glitch and Ghost. Only Philia was absent, but she was busy down below. "I appreciate your men''s help, by the way."


    "Couldn''t really leave the bodies there. Machines or no, they fought by our side and died for us."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Speaking of. Subtlety, could you see him in?"


    The AI nodded, and a few seconds later the doors swung open, admitting a towering centaur. He was wearing torn and half destroyed gambeson, the kind you wore under full plate armor.


    The Cataphract was trying to put on a brave face, but Alexandra could see his knees on the verge of buckling. Resurrection weakness didn''t discriminate, and it was an impressive effort of will and resilience to be even walking this quickly.


    "Greetings, general." Said the dungeon core, and the centaur bowed.


    "Hail, lady Crystal of the Dungeon Factory." Answered the officer, his voice a gravely whisper, and Alexandra had to stop herself from wincing. He had been killed early on, during the preliminary howitzer bombardment, his throat so shredded by shrapnel he''d been effectively decapitated, his body then being trampled by his own troops. "I wished to thank you, for my men."


    "Well, it''s not like we had anybody else to resurrect."


    "Perhaps. Still, not many would take the time and energy to bring back fallen foes." He bowed again.


    "I''m hardly most people." Alexandra smiled. "We are still gathering bodies, but I''m happy to tell you that we are on track to saving two thirds of the dead."


    The centaur nodded silently in thanks, before turning as Manson cleared his throat.


    "Excuse me, but I fear I we have not been introduced?"


    "Oh, that''s-"


    "Rimar Oklan." Said the general, cutting off Alexandra with an apologetic look. "General of the thirtieth United Dungeon Council volunteer regiment."


    "You seem a little...high ranking for such a force." Said the duke.


    The general shrugged.


    "When one of my units was selected for this, I elected to take command." He coughed as Alexandra gave him a sidelong look. "The colonel of the thirtieth was my nephew."


    "Ah." Manson and Alexandra exchanged a look. Got him out of the line of fire and took the dishonor of this attack, all in one.


    "Nevertheless. I came here to offer my formal surrender, and that of my forces." He slowly, carefully pulled open what would have been a saddlebag on a horse but just seemed the equivalent of a backpack for him, and pulled out a half destroyed helmet, and a sword, still resting in its scabbard. He stepped forward, and lowered himself to the ground, laying them at Alexandra''s feet. "Lady Crystal, I, General Rimar Oklan, of clan Oklan, commanding officer of the thirtieth United Dungeon Council volunteer regiment, surrender my troops to you. We ask for mercy, and promise our obedience in exchange for fair treatment."


    "I accept." Said Alexandra, as she grabbed both items, finishing the ritual. "I have to admit, I though the UDC''s auxiliaries were strictly defensive units, permanently stationned at bases."


    "We were. But we were called upon to serve in another, more active capacity, after the...unfortunate losses of many, more regular units."


    "So I see." Getting dungeon monsters to be useful outside of a core''s influence was a challenge, one she was shameless cheating in thanks to her tech and knowledge, but it still applied to other cores. Since those forces had taken a beating in the initial stages of the civil war, they''d resorted to the auxiliaries. Besides which....they were less watched. As had been the theme with that entire force, it was what they could sneak in, and her allies would have never dreamt of the isolationists, of all cores, using surface auxiliary troops. A blindspot they''d have to correct. "Very well then. I won''t pressure you for information, general. You and your men will be debriefed of course, but you won''t interrogated."


    "Thank you." He bowed again, this time very deeply, despite his shaky legs. "You are most generous."


    "It is partially born out of pragmatism, not altruism."


    "Nevertheless." The centaur smiled. "Besides, your cause is altruistic enough."


    "Is it?"


    "We have flown over some of the handiwork of those of Sunrise. I pray that one day the stain this scum represent upon our world is wiped out with Divine fire."


    "On that, we are agreed." Except that she hoped she''d be the one wielding the ''divine fire'' then. "You may go, general. Good day."


    "Good day, lady Crystal, and fear no darkness." He gave her a warrior''s salute, before withdrawing.


    Alexandra waited for the door to close and the room''s security system to fully snap back on to talk once again.


    "Interesting, isn''t he?"


    The duke of Sarth grunted.


    "He''s not what I''d expect those maniacs to have put in command."


    "Exactly." Alexandra smiled. Just like Glarvirstar, the dungeon core that had ''negotiated'' with her. "It seems our foe has some unseen cracks."


    "Everyone does. Do you intend to exploit them?"


    "We already have, haven''t we? Just winning this battle and being so generous with the vanquished will ensure they spread."


    "Let''s hope. If they seek an alliance with Sunrise, as you fear...We will need all the help we can get."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Quite litterally, in fact." She sighed. "We should prepare to move out. I fear we have lingered here too long as it is."


    "Are you certain? This was a...sizeable battle."


    "My golems do not need time to recuperate, and our supply convoys are already loaded with the salvage." Which was headed straight for Sarth, since Alexandra couldn''t recycle her own equipment, or rather, it simply wasn''t worth shipping it all the way back to Rebirth to do so, and the duchy could use the equipment anyway, now that all of its modern gear had been drained by the army. "We continue our march north."


    "What about reinforcements?"


    Alexandra winced.


    "They''ll catch up. But another infantry force...I haven''t been building a lot of new infantry, I''m afraid. The losses we took? We''re not replacing. Not as they were, anyway."


    The duke of Sarth smiled, and she raised an eyebrow.


    He shrugged.


    "It''s simply...reasurring to see you abiding by some of the limits of us mere mortals."


    Alexandra laughed.


    "I suppose so. But even my resources have their limits. Still, when the next wave arrives..."


    "We''re all looking forward to seeing your ''Mackie'' in action."


    "So am I. So am I."

 Chapter 315 - Lockpicking

    Chapter 315


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of Darthar


    Alexandra''s hologram appeared inside the Flickerlight''s engineering section, only to be greeted by the sound of -slightly- mad cackling.


    "Ghost?" Cautiously said the dungeon core as she spun in place, trying to pin down the source. The clang of flesh against metal sounded.


    "Ow! Alex?" Alexandra knelt down, looking under a fabricator that had been propped up on blocks of raw materials, to find Ghost jammed under the heavy machinery, rubbing her forehead.


    "What...how did you get in here?"


    "I crawled, genius."


    "No, I mean you, as in, like, your body!"


    "Oh, that? Yeah, I found out that as long as it''s inside our command net, I can possess pretty much whatever, and then hop out. I think you can, too. Possess everything that''s on the ship."


    "Never really had the need."


    "Right." Ghost huffed as she crawled out from under the fabricator, before dusting her clothes. Not that there was any dust to remove, the ship was so clean and sterile you could have done open heart surgery on the floor and it probably would have been more sanitary than in the infirmary back in the dungeon. "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit? I was about to contact you, but still."


    "Came to check up on you." Ghost''s eyebrow rose, and Alexandra rolled her eyes. "And escape from CQ''s nagging."


    "Kid mad she missed the big kaboom?"


    "Oh hell yes. And she''s relentless. Since she''s on a trip and without the duke or the maids to distract her..."


    "She has nothing but time."


    "Exactly."


    "Alright, well, bienvenue in my little refuge my dear, you''re welcome to hide away from the world for as long as you want here."


    "Ah ah. So, what''s got you all cackly?"


    "Oh, nothing much." The apparition grinned. "Just a light bit of code cracking and tinkering with hardware locks."


    Alexandra froze.


    "Did...did you unlock the fabricators?"


    "Hell yeah I did! Well, this one." She pointed at another propped up fabricator. "I wanted to replicate the trick on another before I declared victory."


    "Are they fully unlocked?"


    "Well, uh, no. I mean yes. I mean, kind of? There''s some kind of software lock I can''t get past, because of the captain''s lockdown, which means certain items can''t be built."


    "Like?"


    "Nukes, plus hacking and communication systems, for some reason."


    Alexandra blinked.


    "What? Why-Oh."


    "Oh?"


    "The captain was afraid of a traitor onboard."


    Ghost opened her mouth, then closed it.


    "That...makes a distressing amount of sense. The security lockdown...any slimebag would try to get themselves hacking gear to punch through it. Failing that, get comms to transmit whatever you came here to get..."


    "And if that fails, blow the ship."


    "Yeah. Damn. But that means they didn''t have the fabricators under constant surveillance."


    "How would they tell? You can''t look into these things. The item just pops out, and you can just add a thin shell around it to make it look like something else. Any noob who knows how to launch the design software can do it. And there''d be tons of stuff moving back and forth. Plus, if the lockdown is inside the damned fabricator, it means they thought the ship''s internal network might have been compromised."


    "That''s not a pleasant thought."


    "Yeah." Alexandra patted her other self on the shoulder, or rather had her hologram glitch through her. "Sorry to drop more stuff on top of you."


    Ghost sighed.


    "It''s okay. I know you already take more than your fair share of the burdens and workload."


    "Right. Speaking of, you got the data from the engagement? Glitch told me she offloaded it to you, after I sent her to do the resupply with Subtlety and kick the army''s ass into motion."


    "Yeah, she did." Ghost gestured, and graphs appeared in midair. "Well, I have good news, and I have bad news."


    "Hit me."


    "Good news is, our artillery is more or less intact. We lost some guns, true, but our fortifications took the brunt of it when someone went after them."


    "And the bad?"


    "We have almost no marines left, and our ammo is basically dry. We''re out of...well, fucking everything, really. The highest stockpile is that of small arms ammo, but that''s not saying much. The duke and his people have immediately offered their own ammo stores, but they''re not as heavily armed as we are, especially in the artillery department. Don''t get me wrong, it helps, but it''s...what''s the expression, a blade strike in a lake of water?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "That''s the french one. I think it''s a pebble in a landside in english."


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Right. Anyway, we''re getting so desperate for lift capacity we''re hiring civilian vessels to carry the ammo I stockpiled in Darthar up to the army. Subtlety''s idea, and it''s a good one."


    "And they''re taking the contract?"


    Ghost shrugged.


    "Allya''s footing the bill, and at this point everyone believes her pockets are bottomless. Plus, we''re assembling a convoy to be escorted in by CQ''s reinforcement fleet. With that, and the fact they''ll be chartered to come back with holds full of civilians and damaged equipment, they''re being pretty enthusiastic. We pay well, and many merchant factors and captains feel like getting on the good side of a nascent house that''s well on its way to take over half the damned kingdom is a good idea."


    "To be fair, they''re not wrong." Alexandra grimaced. "We need reliable cargo lift, and Allya reward loyalty generously."


    "Exactly. Also the fact she let go those smugglers, you know the ones the twins hired, in exchange for favors hasn''t gone unnoticed."


    The dungeon core chuckled.


    "If they think it''ll buy them immunity, they''re in for a rough awakening."


    "More some...leniency."


    "Perhaps. But that''s up to our archduchess."


    "Our?"


    "Well, she technically does rule the area, and the land we live on."


    Ghost''s eyebrows rose.


    "She''s really growing on you isn''t she?"


    Alexandra bit her lower lip, before sighing.


    "She''s someone...had she been on Earth, I would have been proud to call her my sister in arms, my second in command. Crap, I probably would have done a lot to get her the High Admiral job instead of, well, us."


    "I probably would as well. She''s...she''s a better leader than we are."


    "She is." Alexandra took another look around the room. "Alright, I should head home, Emilia is getting antsy." She glared at her other self as Ghost gave her a wide smile. "Not that kind. She''s just...worried."


    Ghost''s smile fell.


    "Right. I forget that she has people on the other side as well."


    "Yeah...her family is basically tearing itself apart. And the knowledge that some of her cousins planned to have her assassinated, or at least did nothing to prevent their dungeons from doing so..."


    "Maybe they didn''t know?"


    Alexandra''s gaze said it all about how probable it was.


    "Right." Simply said Ghost. "Well, safe return home then. I''ll keep working on this and give you a full report when it''s done."


    "Thanks. See you."


    "See you."


    And with that, the hologram vanished.


    Ghost stared at the place the dungeon core had been, before turning back towards the fabricator.


    "You, old girl, may be our salvation yet." She said.


    The ship''s AI beeped, and Ghost smiled. Maybe there was something to Alexandra''s plan of turning it sapient through sheer exposure.


    Only time would tell however.


    *****


    "You know." Said Alexandra as she gazed upon the holograms of the observation deck, at its feed of Rebirth. "I realize that I know frighteningly little of the pantheon of the Gods."


    Emilia shivered by her side, as they both looked at the newly built temple on the outskirts of the city.


    It was hard to not remember the spear that had been intended to murder Alexandra...a spear forged and used by the Custodians of the very God that temple was dedicated to.


    A spear that couldn''t have been used without at least their implicit permission.


    "No. No I suppose you wouldn''t. What did you want to know?"


    "Well, everyone seems to venerate the God of Fire, and his clergy is everywhere. Yet besides a few swears, I rarely hear about the others."


    The vampire shrugged.


    "That may be because you are in a region of the world that was touched by the God of Fire, more than most others."


    "It was?"


    "Yes. Gorromar, most notably. He went there, gave them a mission, gave them purpose." Alexandra nodded. As she''d surmised. Probably the source for the early Seraphims and the start of the inquisition. That would explain why they were so heavily militarized at any rate. "But there are other gods who are venerated. In Asaria, the Earth Goddess, Maia, has many temples, especially closer to the great plains of Asaria, the breadbasket of the Kingdom. Ytarkos, the God of Winter and Ice, is also venerated in the Far Reach and the Saphire Kingdom both."


    "What about the Republic? Tark?"


    The vampire shrugged.


    "Both have gone...astray, some may say. They believe, but money that could be used for temples and offerings went to martial endeavors."


    "Or the pockets of senators."


    "Yes. But Tark used to venerate Orius, the God of Metal and Lava."


    "You seem to have some gods that have two titles."


    "Some do. But mostly one is an extension of the other. Ytarkos is the God of Ice, but he also became the representation of winter. Similarly, Orius governs over the blood flow of the world, the magma beneath, but metal has to be melted to be used."


    "Well, not always, but I take your point. What about the Western Marches? Any patron deities?"


    They both knew she was fishing, but Emilia simply gave her a wry smile.


    "Why, the Blood God of course!"


    The Earth-born chuckled.


    "Of course it is. Vampires gotta eat after all. What''s his name?"


    "He has many. One of the more recent one, and the most popular now is actually one given to him by an extradimensional, one of your fellows. Technoblade."


    Alexandra''s eyebrow rose.


    "Techno...blade?"


    "Does it ring any bells?"


    "I think so...something about one of the prototype cures for Sarcoma type cancers, but it was long before I was even born. Probably something else, because I''m not sure what cancer has to do with a God of Blood."


    "Blood God, not God of Blood. And I suppose that without a dungeon, we are highly susceptible to many ailments of the sun, chief among them cancer." The vampire shrugged. "Well, it''s a shame, I thought you would have the answer."


    "Sorry. Though, I''m confused, people can just...give new names to the Gods?"


    "For the most part? Yes. They still have a ''true'' name, but as long as they are venerated, the clergy goes along with the flow. Names change, perspective change...they adapt to their time. They kind of have to."


    "Fair enough."


    They stood there, in companionable silence, for a few minutes, their hands intertwined.


    "So...Allya asked you for any help for the wedding preparations?"


    "Technically, yes, but most of my support has been trying to keep her from panicking. None of her people can actually just grab her and shake some sense into her."


    Emilia chuckled.


    "Kind of the same on my end with her fianc¨¦e."


    "Bit of the blushing bride and panicked groom, eh?"


    "Well, they''re both planning to wear dresses, so..."


    "Fair enough." Alexandra shrugged. "But the preparations are going well. I''ve given some nudges here and there, and my end of it is done."


    "What did she entrust to you?"


    "The one thing I am unbelievably amazing at."


    "Mewling and begging for my mercy?"


    Alexandra let out a strangled sound.


    "N-No! Gods vampy, what the hell? No, no, explosions of course!"


    "Explo-" Emilia rounded on the dungeon core. "What the hell have you got planned?"


    Alexandra''s grin was suitably mysterious.


    "Why I don''t know..."


    "You''re going to regret playing coy!"


    "Probably! But it''ll be worth it just to see your expression."

 Chapter 316 - Wedding

    Chapter 316


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of Rebirth


    Allya had faced a dragon, a sand demon, an army of mechanical horrors of the Old World, and waves upon waves of invaders, most of them intent upon her death or worse.


    And yet she''d never been so scared in her entire life.


    The doors opened, revealing the nave of the city''s temple, flanked by pews packed with people and interlinked ranks of temple and city guards. And beyond them all, the altar, and the priest standing before it.


    The archduchess'' legs turned to jelly, but she took a deep breath, and began walking, Alexandra following a step behind her as her maid of honor. One step after another, just like when she was being presented to the Empress, all those years ago.


    That comparison didn''t really help.


    She didn''t even realize she had made it to the altar, only stopped from colliding with the priest by Alexandra gently grabbing her arm, the hologram glitching as the cold metal of the golem touched her.


    Allya looked up and smiled sheepishly at the priest, who simply grinned and winked. Seemed he''d come prepared. Probably instructed Alexandra as well.


    A second after she came to a halt, another set of doors opened, and Allya turned to look down the temple''s nave.


    Her heart nearly stopped beating as she saw Pyn walk onto the glittering red and orange carpet. Seeing her in a wedding dress...


    They''d deliberately not shown each other their wedding gowns. Pyn''s was a pure white, accentuated with emeralds forming the flag of her homeland, the elven confederacy of Eleria, while hers was crisscrossed with various colored lines, each representing an aspect of her domain, such as gold for Alexandra''s dungeon golden cog, and inlaid with amethysts, forming house Nouvelle-Aurore''s heraldry.


    Allya released the breath she''d barely realized she''d been holding, as Emilia escorted the elf over to the altar.


    Pyn came to a halt next to her, on the other side of the priest, and the man spoke up.


    "Good morning everyone." His voice carried effortlessly throughout the temple, packed with people. "We have come together today, under the gaze of the Gods, to bear witness and celebrate the union of Allya Nouvelle-Aurore, and Pyn Windwrath. That any who opposes themselves to this union speak up now, or stay forever silent, by Divine Will and the edicts of the Church." He paused, and turned towards the brides. "Pyn Windwrath, Allya Nouvelle-Aurore, you have chosen to come together in this union, of your own free will and for the glory of the Gods and humanity. We are all honored to stand witness of your love and commitment to each other. Please, face each other and join hands."


    They both nodded, and Allya smiled hesitantly as she grabbed her bride''s hand, Pyn returning one beaming with happiness, and the archduchess'' heart melted at the sight.


    "Allya Nouvelle-Aurore, Archduchess of Rebirth, Protector of the Southern Realm, Bulwark of the Wasteland and Knight-Valiant of the Eris Empire, do you take Pyn Windwrath to be your lawfully wedded wife from this day forward, pledging your love, life and loyalty until the end of your days?"


    "I do." Said Allya, her voice unwavering.


    "Pyn Windwrath, Knight of the Asarian Kingdom, do you take Allya Nouvelle-Aurore to be your lawfully wedded wife from this day forward, pledging your love, life and loyalty until your last breath?"


    "I do."


    "Allya Nouvelle-Aurore and Pyn Windwrath, please place a ring on your wife''s finger and repeat after me together: with this ring, I marry you in the name of love, loyalty and commitment."


    Allya smiled as she slipped the ring onto Pyn''s finger.


    "With this ring, I marry you in the name of love, loyalty and commitment."


    Pyn''s own smile threatened to split her own face as she did likewise for Allya.


    "With this ring, I marry you in the name of love, loyalty and commitment."


    The priest took a deep breath.


    "By the powers vested in me by the Church, the God of Fire and the Pantheon, I now pronounce you married spouses, Allya and Pyn Nouvelle-Aurore, and archduchesses of house Nouvelle-Aurore. You may now kiss."


    The entire temple shook under thunderous applause as their lips met.


    They separated after a very thorough kiss, and Allya looked to the side, and winked at Alexandra.


    The dungeon core nodded...and everyone looked up through the temple''s glass ceiling as the world shook.


    in the air above, hundreds, thousands of firework rockets rose into the skies.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    And exploded, in a perfect sequence, forming their names, and both the heraldry of Rebirth and that of house Nouvelle-Aurore into the skies in incandescent fire and glittering sparks.


    *****


    Allya smiled as she went through the crowd of guests. Normally at those events, at least for the nobility, both spouses were expected to stay together, though that wasn''t always the case, but honestly someone would have to use a crowbar, and probably a small army, to separate them.


    Everyone who was anyone was present. Every dignitary or merchant factor in Rebirth who had the influence to get an invitation, and a wide variety of representatives, who had been sent through the teleporter network after the declaration of the archduchy, as most nations had smelled what was on the wind. Alexandra''s victory against the UDC had only amplified that.


    The only people missing were representatives of Sunrise, its various vassals, and the Republic. Though Amelia had sent one of her aides to represent the New Republic, looking about the special kind of awkward only a soldier shoved into formal civilian clothing could hope to replicate.


    They had exchanged small talk with the representatives of their home nations. The Imperial one had expressed the Empress'' blessings, though their exchange had been definitely on the chilly side. Which was unsurprising, to say the least. The elf who had come from the Confederacy had been far warmer. Especially since he had brought a pardon for Pyn alongside his letter of credence. Seems that her government had fallen all over themselves to brush off what she had done. Not that they had made more than a token effort to pursue her for her ''bank heist'', given the fact that she had prevented an assassination and gotten a blackmailer into prison, but they clearly thought that having the wife of the second most powerful noble in the Asarian Kingdom, and quite possibly one of the most powerful nobles period now, be under an arrest warrant wasn''t a good idea. Especially since she, and her allied dungeon, had proven more than capable to crush enemies seemingly far mightier than they to protect their loved ones.


    The news they''d gotten from her home had also been quite interesting. Pyn''s sister had already been pretty close to the first in line to inherit a County, thanks to refusing to assassinate him and Pyn''s efforts in exposing his brother in organizing said assassination, but Pyn''s new status had suddenly made her from a commoner that may be acceptable to his family after she had covered herself in glory through her magical endeavors to the single greatest marriage prospect in the entire Confederacy. Needless to say, the elf''s family was suddenly much less of a problem, and other pretenders a bigger one.


    Allya''s smile widened as she caught a glimpse of Alexandra and Emilia through the crowd. People in general weren''t aware of dungeon advisors, though the maids'' arrival, and Ella''s subsequent filling in various council sessions, had let everyone know there were vampires inside the dungeon. She was quite the attraction, and her clinging to Alexandra left very little doubt to their relationship. It also quite handily gathered some attention and pressure away from Allya, which was precisely why she''d insisted they both stay for the reception.


    She also had to admit that they both looked resplendent, using dresses that reminded her of CQ''s own, though the dungeon boss was also present through another hologram golem, similar to her mother, whose avatar was still a secret. Still, hologram or no, they were killing it, and Emilia''s very much physical dress was a wonder to behold, covered in dancing runes to emphasize her magical prowess and heritage.


    "My ladies!" Allya turned back, only to find herself face to face with a man wearing a suit and bow tie and tugging at both with the regularity of someone who seemed vaguely surprised by their continued existence. "Apologies for arriving so late, my ship made as good time as it could."


    "It is quite alright, mister...?"


    "Oh, apologies! Hexamarch Mortell, doctor of the university of New Raleigh!" He bowed deeply.


    Allya''s eyes widened. New Raleigh?


    "Doctor, I was not made aware of your arrival."


    "That is because my ship is still unloading." Allya blinked. Wait, then he couldn''t have had an invitation, how was he even there? There was something more about this academic than he was letting on. "Unfortunately a particularly vicious sandstorm lead me to miss the vows, though I was able to see the fireworks. They were magnificent."


    "My, thank you. So, you are in charge of opening the branch of the university in Rebirth?"


    "Quite so! Though, establishing the library is first and foremost among my priorities."


    Allya blinked, then smiled. Right, Rook''s promised payment for their help. A full copy of the library of the university.


    Which was pretty much heading straight for Alexandra.


    "Excellent. Then it will be a pleasure working with you, doctor. Please, do contact my secretary, we need to have a full meeting in the coming days."


    "I shall your grace, I shall. Now, I believe there is a small army of people who wish for a moment of your time, so if you will excuse me."


    "Of course doctor, of course."


    The academic bowed again, and vanished into the crowd without a trace, Allya frowning as she watched him go.


    Yeah...academic her ass.


    What the hell was Rook playing at sending another operative here?


    She erased the expression from her face as more people walked up to her. This was her and Pyn''s day. They could worry later.


    *****


    "Well. That was awesome!" Said Emilia as she flopped onto the bed.


    "Besides the archduchess using us as a distraction, you mean?" Said Alexandra with a smile that belied her words. "But you''re right, it was awesome, and super touching. I''m happy for them."


    "So am I. They''re made for each other. Plus, there was a lot of interesting food there. No offense, but..."


    "My culinary skills are limited and it''s not like adventurers take exotic meals into my depths."


    "Yeah. It had been a while since I''d gotten to taste seafood. Must have been pretty hard to get here."


    "We still have trade with Gorromar, and the Republic, despite swearing no trade caravan would deal with the New Republic, is leaking like a sieve. Otherwise someone could go through the western baronies and reach the Sapphire Kingdom if they really wanted to. But I''ll definitely have to ask about absorbing some. Being able to make it fresh means sushi! And, you know, maybe populating the third floor with some decorative fishes."


    "That''ll terrify the adventurers. You have conditioned them to expect the worst. They''ll think they''re piranhas or something."


    "...Not a bad idea."


    Emilia chuckled.


    "Of course. But yeah, it was a beautiful wedding..." Emilia fell silent, and Alexandra could feel her stare on her.


    The Earth-born sighed.


    "I''ve been thinking about it."


    "But?"


    "But, with current events, and your family troubles..."


    "Right. Not a good time. Soon, though?"


    "As soon as we can knock some sense into them."


    "Good." Emilia smiled. "The first marriage of a dungeon core! That''ll make the news."


    "The first? What about the artificial ones?"


    "They either already had a family or didn''t found one afterwards."


    "But I already have a family." Alexandra walked to the bed, and cupped the vampire''s cheek. "I have you, and CQ. It''s all I need."


    Her advisor blushed, looking away, for once she was the one at a lost for words, and not the other way around.


    "R-Right." She finally said, and the dungeon core smiled.


    "Though, we''ll have to come up with a venue."


    "Temple not good enough for you?"


    "My dear, I''m going to build a temple to you if I have to."


    Emilia snorted.


    "Of course you would."

 Chapter 317 - Fanatics

    Chapter 317


    Kamiran Floodplains, Duchy of Kaidan


    Darthar-Kaidan Trade Route


    The brigadier let out a ragged sigh as he focused his energy on remaining the saddle.


    The flight from Darthar, and then the Alesian fortress line had been...draining, to say the least. Trying to get as far as possible from the dungeon''s path as she marched to relieve Asaria.


    It had been harrowing, and many of his less than steady officers had started chaffing and calling into question his leadership, especially as the duchess'' communications got more aggressive, and they began to fear her more than the dungeon. There had even been quiet, very quiet, talks of deposing him, or taking some of the army north to rejoin the duchess.


    The battle, no, slaughter, that the core had inflicted upon the UDC, the monster of an organization that had plagued everyone''s nightmares for centuries, had reduced those officers to silence, and vindicated every sacrifice he''d demanded of them in spades. The tales were confused, and continued to grow in the retelling, but there had to be a kernel of truth within them. They said the dungeon could pave the roads from here to Saphire City with the bones of the monsters she had dispatched, that her golems had waded into an ocean of blood and corpses to continue their relentless advance north. That the troops of the duke of Sarth had not even lifted a finger, and simply watched in stunned horror as the UDC''s relentless might was annihilated before them.


    One thing was certain however: there was no stopping that maniac. Whatever thought of reaching an agreement had fled the Brigadier''s mind, there was no negotiating with something that could slap one of the most powerful organizations that had ever walked the face of the world aside like it was some minor annoyance. The UDC had shattered nations, broken empires...even brought Eris to the negotiating table, and Crystal had pushed it out of her way like it was a petulant child. The best he could hope to do was get to Kaidan, and beg for some kind of honorable surrender. Fortifying...fortifying would mean nothing but death. There was no way the dungeon core would go through the duchess'' army without shedding her enmity for spilling slave blood. And develop a hatred for Sunrise deeper than the entire Starsky ocean.


    The best he and his people could do would be to loosen the yoke, and pray that their mercy upon the slaves brought them mercy in turn. She had, after all, offered as such. It was his only hope.


    Of course, that was if he actually finished his journey to Kaidan. They''d been harassed every step of the way by guerillas. The usual counters had failed spectacularly. Those people knew what awaited them, they knew they''d be tracked down and enslaved. So they fought. They didn''t surrender, they didn''t break, they didn''t flee, they just died. And with every passing day, the reports of his troops engaging them grew ever more disturbing.


    "DEATH TO SUNRISE! DEATH TO TRAITORS!"


    His eyes snapped around, just in time to see several of his soldiers go down in a hail of crossbow bolts. His own wards deflected the attacks meant for him and his bodyguards, and he unsheathed his sword, more by reflex than anything...only to watch in horror as guerillas boiled out of the undergrowth.


    They set upon his men like rabid wolves, tossing their crossbows aside to draw everything from daggers to what looked like sickles, dripping in poison and Gods knew what else. Stabbing, clawing, and in one case trying to bite their way through, their veins thick with potions and elixirs. Their face would have probably been twisted, criss crossed by the marks of the horrific alchemical overdose they were experiencing, had the brigadier been able to seen them. But he could not, for they were wearing masks.


    Featureless metal masks, their only concession a pair of holes for the eyes to see. Masks meant to imitate the golems of the dungeon.


    Suddenly the guerillas were through the troop of soldiers, and his bodyguards engaged. Almost two thirds of the guerillas were dead or dying, but they didn''t seem to care in the slightest. And the brigadier saw why.


    In the few left standing, three had made sure not to engage, hanging back. The trio threw off their woodsmen cloaks, unveiling the dungeon''s and Rebirth''s heraldry haphazardly drawn on their flesh with burn and chemical scars like mad parodies of the duchy''s slave brands...and revealing the glittering of full alchemical vials and bottles strapped to their chests and the torches in their hands.


    "WE SHALL BE REMEMBERED!"


    They smashed the torches against their torso, smashing the vials, and the brigadier went flying. He arced over his bodyguards, and crashed through the undergrowth on the other side of the road, his world one of pain as the burning alchemical accelerants consumed his flesh. He screamed endlessly, until even his throat failed him and oblivion took him.


    *****


    "So, how are the fabricators?" Asked Alexandra as she stepped onto the Flickerlight''s engineering section once more. This time however, she had announced her arrival in advance.


    "Purring like kittens." Said Ghost with a wide smile, as she patted the machine affectionately. "Not fully unlocked, but...close enough."


    "That''s good. Now, the last problem is, well..."


    Ghost grimaced.


    "Getting them home. The trick I used won''t work for Seraph''s fabricators. Different models, besides which I had to use and abuse the chief of engineering''s override to avoid them self destructing."


    "So we replicate them."


    "Easier said than done. This place is still under heavy guard. And it''s not like we have dungeon influence here."


    "I know." Alexandra looked around at the ship, frowning. "I think I can get something. Can you build me a fabricator, you know, in spare parts? Or disassemble one. Then we could smuggle it out one bit at a time."


    "I mean sure, but some of the key pieces, like the material injector or the gravitic manipulator are pretty incompressible."


    The dungeon core sighed.


    "I know, I know. Any other progress?"


    "Well, with this I can just build whatever I need to take the tank apart and analyze the crap out of it. There''s not necessarily that many spare materials left in the ship''s bunkers, but still enough."


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Right. But we won''t be able to replicate it at home either, won''t we?"


    "Not really. We''ll have to recreate it through our toolset first, which was deliberately not made for high technology."


    "Yeah, we''re just good at finding workarounds." And even then, they were arriving at the end of what they could do, constantly coding new systems to pick up the slack, each a bit farther from the dungeon''s programs and interacting with their powers worse. For now it was still working, but for how long? For one, she was certain that even if they pierced the full secrets of the spear she''d acquired from the would be dungeonslayers, they wouldn''t be able to use them with their powers. "If we could restore the systems that were there once though..."


    "Might as well wish for the Custodians to drop dead this second."


    "Still, think about it. We know the dungeon cores had to be able to interact with high tech, but got crippled. There has to be a data backup somewhere, or an intact version."


    "If there is, why don''t we have it? I mean, I doubt the Order found the Dungeon Core in a convenient post Dawn of the Flames warehouse of the God of Fire."


    Alexandra froze.


    "That''s it!" She exclaimed, as she grabbed her other self''s shoulder, fruitlessly trying to shake her with the hologram.


    "What?"


    "You just said it! The Order has gotten our core, right? I doubt they''d have attempted this if they didn''t have a backup, somewhere. Yeah, our code was probably modified, I mean, it had to, I doubt they''d have wanted to have the control programs. At least not active and without obfuscation."


    "So you want to rob the Order?"


    "If they did this, they probably had another dungeon core. And even if they didn''t, not having a full code backup somewhere would be fucking madness."


    "You have a lot of faith in their ability."


    "If they weren''t capable, they wouldn''t have successfully made an artificial dungeon core, wouldn''t they?"


    Ghost winced.


    "I don''t know if you remember, but it didn''t exactly go well for them."


    "I know, I know. But it''s worth a shot."


    "Well, we were planning to kick their ass either way."


    "Good. And now, any progress on that comm system?"


    "Not yet. Still had the engineering key monopolized by the fabricators. However..." She snapped her fingers, and a hologram appeared. "This is the map of Alcheryos, and the whole star system."


    Alexandra whistled softly as she watched it.


    "Damn. I assume it''s for navigation?"


    "Yeah, predict orbits for hyperspace jumps. But it allows me to do this." The apparition gestured, and a red line appeared, spearing out of Seraph-4, the communication site where their dungeon had been built, and out into the void.


    "What am I looking at?"


    "The Omega-level transmission Seraph''s communicators never got to send. And this is where it went."


    She gestured again, and the star system began to spin, going forward from the last time the ship had received its update to when Seraph had gone down.


    Finally, it stopped...the red line going straight through the moon.


    "Holy shit." Whispered Alexandra.


    "I know, right? It doesn''t make sense."


    "No, no! It makes perfect sense."


    "Does it? It''s, it''s..."


    "So obvious. Such a bad place to put a secret base no one would think of it. So close to Alcheryos you might as well put it behind your defences on the surface."


    "So close it''s fucking suicide you mean!"


    "If it''s a planetkiller launch silo, would you give a shit? It''s like a ballistic submarine, you fire once and you''re certain the enemy will nuke you out of existence before you can run away. Just like the Federation''s Final Contingency cruisers, the ones you told me about. Once you shoot, stealth is out of the window, and so''s your survival. And it''s just like in Dune. Put the nukes in the most obvious spot, in plain sight of everybody, the one place no one would ever go look."


    Ghost grimaced.


    "That...almost makes sense."


    "It does." Alexandra smiled. "And if we can get to them..."


    "Hold your horses, we still have a battlestation in orbit, and there''s no stealth when trying to escape the atmosphere. Besides, I''m not done with the sensors to get a good look at it."


    The dungeon core''s smile turned into a grin.


    "True. But sometimes you have to shoot for the moon."


    Ghost groaned.


    "Alright, if you get punny then there''s no point. Did that punladin infect you?"


    "Gods I hope not." Alexandra shook her head. "Regardless. One more thing on your plate, I suppose."


    "Yay..."


    "Cheer up! I''ll get you some help. Glitch, probably. Maybe even a new AI."


    "An engineering one?"


    "Maybe. We''ll see. It''s high time we started a new generation anyway."


    "Putting a moratorium on building more after the Glitch, uh, accident, was the right call."


    "It was then. But even with the vampires handling enchantment, we just need more manpower. Or cyberpower. Whatever."


    "Well, good luck with that."


    Alexandra chuckled.


    "Thanks. I fear I''m going to need it."


    "How''s it going on your end?"


    "Pretty good personally. Professionally...shock seems to be the dominating emotion on the international stage. At least they''re not shooting at each other anymore."


    "It''s not like they could."


    Alexandra grimaced, but didn''t argue.


    One of the interesting things about the initial engagements of the UDC''s civil war had been the airfleets. Since they were the most mobile assets, and the ones with the greatest strategic reach, both sides'' had been tightly intertwined, with the isolationist naval task forces shadowing the interventionist''s own closely. This had resulted in, at the onset of the war, both sides'' skyborne navies pretty much annihilating each other, with the only units left intact those under the control of neutral dungeon cores, that were now refusing to move them out. That, with virtually every nation putting the maximum amount of pressure possible on their dungeon to stay put and calm down, preventing the movement of any land army, was quickly turning this into a phoney civil war.


    At least, until both sides finished rearming their air reserves and threw themselves at each other''s throats again.


    "Point taken. Alright, I''ll hop off. World to conquer, and all that."


    "Uh huh. Have fun."


    "I very much intend to." In what little she could enjoy of this mess at least. Thank the stars for Emilia and CQ, or she''d be going insane.


    She stepped out of the ship, and back to dungeon mode. The endless to-do list beckoned.


    Someday she''d go through it faster than she could add things.


    Someday.

 Chapter 318 - War Council

    Chapter 318


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    The war council was an interesting one. Gathered in three places, it was linked by means arcane and technological. On section was in Rebirth, with Allya and Pyn, still glowing from their marriage, another was in the marching army, with Manson, the duke of Sarth, Knight-Commander Philia, Alexandra and a spattering of their various officers.


    Last but not the least...were their majesties, joining them from Asaria.


    "We thank you for the invitation." Said the King with a smile. A tired, exhausted even, one, but a smile nonetheless. "And regret we were not able to attend previous gatherings. We were far too busy, I''m afraid."


    "I would have been intensely surprised had you not been, your majesty." Said Manson, and exchanged a smile with the King that spoke of a lifelong friendship.


    "True. Very well, while my various advisors have tried to kept me up to date to the best of their abilities, I am afraid I have fallen behind somewhat. Would somebody care to resume the situation?"


    Alexandra nodded, trying not to look too impressed. Now that was an actual ruler. Perhaps not quite of Allya''s caliber, but he had taken command of the conversation and effortlessly seated his authority with nothing but a handful of sentences and his body language. Damn. Ghost could do it, and so could she, but that had been with Arcadia''s coaching. They were zealots, strategists and engineers, not natural born leaders.


    "Of course." Said the dungeon core, as she sat up. "As everyone knows, a few days ago we engaged a significant force of the United Dungeon Council in battle. While we were victorious, the damage was...consequential." The Earth-born sighed. "Of fifty thousand troops, half were destroyed. My artillery remains mostly intact, but is almost completely out of ammo. And my fleet has been decimated. For all intents and purposes, all of my escort ships have either been shot down or rendered combat ineffective. My only ships that remain capable of doing battle are two Corsair-class frigates, uncompromisingly designed to engage larger vessels, my siege ship So Much For Subtlety, from which I am transmitting from, and four transport vessels, three of which have been reconverted into marine transports, whose marines have been almost completely annihilated, and the last one into a mobile arsenal, emptied of its ammunition."


    "That is...grim indeed. But not hopeless." The King turned towards Manson, who began speaking.


    "My forces are fully intact. We are sharing our ammunition supply with Crystal''s troops, but ours was already more limited to begin with. I have had my officers take a full stock of my troops. Of them, I have fifteen thousand regulars, forty thousand conscripts of various types, varying from city guards to village militias, and an ever growing number of volunteers, which is estimated at around twenty thousands. This include a significant number of newly inducted people from the civilians trailing the army, following the battle."


    Alexandra mentally whistled. Twenty thousands? Damn, even she hadn''t realized there were that many civilians joining their ranks. And despite being glorified resistance fighters or just farmers, they were hardened as hell. They wouldn''t have survived Sunrise''s repressive regime otherwise.


    "A significant host."


    "But not a large enough one." Cut in the Queen, looking grim. "The duchess has left troops to encircle the city and keep us penned in. But that is but a drop of water in her own force."


    "How many, if I may?" Asked Alexandra, cautiously. Getting hard numbers on Sunrise''s main army was hell, given its constantly fluctuating number of slaves.


    "The duchess has left thirty thousand of her regulars, with around ten times as many slaves to guard the city." Alexandra winced. That was...that was basically the entire fucking army they''d routed in Darthar. "We estimate she has taken ten times that many regulars, including all of her elites, south, alongside close to a million and a half slaves."


    Only silence answered that.


    A million and a half. That was...completely ridiculous. But a helpful reminder of the insane population of Alcheryos. With magic, both healing and for helping plant growth, not to mention the seemingly rampant arcane genetic engineering that had given birth to entire new species after the Dawn of the Flames...the continent she was on, Arkhan, had almost a billion people living on it. And half of those people were in the Asarian Kingdom, thanks to its massive territory and prosperous agriculture, more than any nation on Earth was able to boast before the modern era, though she supposed they already de facto had fertilizers, vaccines and medicine, just through arcane means. One of the reasons why there was a bottomless supply of slaves and adventurers to undertake dangerous tasks was simply because of the comparative overpopulation, not in terms of food, but housing. It wasn''t just a question of building a new place here, you had to clear it, keep it free of monsters, have sufficient mana...


    But still, half a billion people. With just what Sunrise had currently in their field armies, that was, what? Three million people?


    "How are they supplying them?" Asked Alexandra.


    "That''s the simple part." Answered the Queen, grimly. "They''re not."


    The dungeon core''s face fell.


    Oh no.


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    "What do you mean?" Asked Knight-Commander Philia, desperately looking like she wanted to have misunderstood.


    "I mean that any time we were able to push them back, they took the bodies of the dead with them, and the prosperous plains around Asaria are naught but a wasteland now. Stripped of the smallest animal, even of grass."


    Alexandra gritted her teeth.


    "The UDC will be in good company then." She finally said in the otherwise ringing silence. "So, they will take care of their force''s..logistics by just covering new ground."


    "It will also improve." Said one of Manson''s officers, the ranger commander, and everyone turned towards the desert soldier. "The Kamira river, over which the Royal Union Bridge is built, is rich in fish, and the lands nearby are extremely fertile floodplains, with a long history of exporting vast amounts of food. They may also ship in food upriver from Kaidan, which is likewise extremely fertile. A great deal of that food was once shipped over the Inner Sea towards Sarth and the Western Baronies."


    Manson grimaced.


    "That is if they are heading there to begin with."


    "It''s the only strategic location they can head to now." Simply answered Alexandra. "Splitting up was stupid, but they''re committed. Trying to backpedal would shatter the duchess'' leadership, whatever is left of it anyway. We can thank that fucker running towards Kaidan for that." She smiled grimly. "It also means supplies coming upriver is unlikely as hell. But they will definitely strip the area bare."


    "One wonders what possessed her to march South." Mused the King, and Alexandra barked out a laugh. "Quite foolish."


    "Yet the perfect move...if she knew what was coming for my own force." She smiled viciously. "That, and other events, have left me with very little illusion that Sunrise and the UDC aren''t colluding together."


    "An alliance between them could be catastrophic."


    "They''ve already been allied in truth for months. And yes, it will be catastrophic, but for them." Alexandra''s smile widened at the others'' confusion. "Trust me, I know dungeon politics. The UDC allying with the scumbags of Sunrise will shatter what little moral authority they can pretend to have." And, more importantly, make sure that the dungeons underneath Molro, Kaidan and Asaria would die before coming to their side. And maybe even push them into her arms, though that was a more uncertain bet.


    "I defer to you on that, but it will still increase their forces significantly. Particularly, the duchess'' airfleet is...nonexistent, though her gryphon knights are to be feared. Meanwhile, the UDC''s own force is mostly comprised of airborne vessels, is it not?"


    "Transport ships, certainly. But their warships are...more limited now. They entered the battle with a single battleship and forty six combat escorts. Of this, only eighteen escorts escaped alive." Which, given the fact that she had fully lost eleven ships in the engagement, with five crippled, was a kill ratio of about two to one, with an entire artillery park underneath to provide supporting fire. These biological ships were amazingly tough. "However, none of their transports were harmed, which leaves ninety seven of them, including five capital ships."


    "Could they be used as warships?"


    "Certainly. But not very effective ones, would be my guess. Or they would have used them in an all out assault."


    "I thought they were keeping them in reserve."


    "They were keeping part of their army in reserve, but not their fleet. They had no need to, the duke''s forces had very few airships, and the most effective among them were some of my Freedom-class armed transports. Which, while sturdy-" And a cut above the Kingdom''s own airships. "-are not significant enough to dedicate forces to engage."


    "I see. A fell marriage of forces."


    "Perhaps, but a certain strategic demise for the both of them." Alexandra shrugged at his questioning look. "They may be able to defeat our force, but they won''t take us out. The UDC''s actions have guaranteed its collapse. And by the time they get another force into the field...my own allies will have as well."


    "And what of Sunrise?"


    "Given their current strategic situation, including their second largest army defecting and de facto rebelling, I am honestly amazed they haven''t imploded...yet."


    "I hope you are correct, lady Crystal. Otherwise a lot more innocents are about to die."


    "That is always the price, isn''t it?" Their gazes met, and something beyond words passed between them, as the king nodded.


    "It is." He sounded suddenly tired. "Which brings me to a simple question. What shall you do?"


    "We will advance our forces to meet them at the Royal Union Bridge. There we will pound them into rubble. With their main force away from the capital, we no longer have a time constraint. We can afford to harass them and make them come to us."


    "And will you win?"


    "That engagement? Oh hell no." Alexandra chuckled. "But I can ensnare them in a pursuit. If they decline to follow, we''ll simply return and hit them again. If they do take the bait, we''ll make them go through every kind of hell there is. Because with every step they take south, our supply lines shorten while theirs lengthen. Living off the land or no, their elites still need potions and equipment."


    "And how much territory do you intend to give?"


    "Not much. Just enough for them to get hit by my reinforcements before they realize they should be there."


    "Your reinforcements?" The King perked up, and Alexandra nodded.


    "I have resumed mass production of ground troops." And expanded it. A lot. The King was right, the next decisive battle wouldn''t be fought in the air. it didn''t mean she''d let up on the air production, but she''d stop the frenetic pace of shipbuilding. Instead all of that industry would go to giving them a taste of her new equipment. "I intend to form a second field army to merge with the first during its retreat. Above thirty thousand improved infantry, with a much heavier armored contingent."


    A contingent that would contain her first production run of Mackies, fifteen heavy mechs. Emilia had been right, these beasts were basically landships...which meant a lot of her shipbuilding infrastructure could be repurposed to make them instead.


    "And you believe that will be sufficient?"


    "It will over double my current amount of infantry, and come with significant upgrades." Many of which could have accompanied the first army had she not been cutting corners left and right to keep her naval production going, especially when she had ordered her mad dash to reinforce her core fortress after the news that someone was going to try and assassinate her. An effort that continued, though at a lower pace, to this day. "More important will be the armored units however. The spider-tanks proved decisive in the battle, and I believe they will be the weapon to shatter Sunrise." Even if only because a horde of peasants could swarm over an infantry line, but good luck chasing tanks around.


    "Very well then." The King cleared his throat, and addressed Allya. "Lady Nouvelle-Aurore, one sizeable question remains."


    The archduchess nodded, having been perfectly content until now to stay silent, probably because she was not so discreetly cuddling with her wife.


    "Yes. The one of partition of the lands, after the war has concluded."

 Chapter 319 - Post-War

    Chapter 319


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    The King nodded.


    "Just so. I was made aware that you had a proposal on that matter?"


    "Excuse me, but...are we not getting ahead of ourselves here?" Said one of the officers, a noble, and everyone turned towards him. "My apologies, your majesties, your grace, but...Sunrise is far from vanquished. Are we not selling the bear''s hide before we have killed it?"


    The king chuckled.


    "I would be tempted to start a tangent on speculative trading and the need for the rapid movement of goods for an expanding economy, but I will refrain. Instead allow me a simple, direct answer. We have a plan for victory. A fairly detailed one at that. We need to plan what happens afterwards, so that the peace if both complete and lasting. I will not allow our reconquest of the east to become mired in petty conflicts over land and borders that could drag us into another civil war, or inflict resentment for decades to come." The clear, if unspoken, risk was that if there was to be a second civil war, it would be against Rebirth...and he would have no hope of winning. "Thus, we will make a clear plan of action. Furthermore, having a plan for after our victory distributed amongst the nobility, to make sure everyone is aware of their future overlords and so that they may begin negotiations of fealty and such, is a considerable psychological advantage."


    The king got up, and began to pace, seemingly unaware he was constantly moving in and out of the viewing field of the magical mirror that allowed him to communicate, as he continued to speak.


    "It will reinforce to all our desire and, indeed, expectation of victory, not to mention the sentiment of...inevitability the archduchess has been building. After all, once those plans are announced, the nobles that remain neutral will have considerable incentive to begin negotiating with their soon to be overlord, breaking their neutrality in the process, or risk considerably angering us in the peace to follow, not to mention being considerably behind their rivals in deepening ties with those above them. Not something many will risk, especially not now that our armies have proven they will not be stopped so easily. This will also considerably undermine the morale of Sunrise''s nobility, who will have to compare it with their own plan for victory, which is now a fantasy at best, madness at worst, at very little cost to ourselves. And their nobility is their entire command structure."


    The king stopped, and turned back towards the mirror.


    "I believe it is, indeed, worth getting the tiniest bit ahead of ourselves, don''t you?"


    The noble nodded, and the king smiled.


    "Good. Now, as I was saying, your grace, I was made aware you had a proposal on the matter of partition?"


    "Yes. I have." The archduchess reluctantly let go of her wife as she got up, summoning a hologram before everyone with a simple gesture. One prepared in advance with Alexandra and programmed in, but still. She was rediscovering her ease with technology, and part of her Erisian heritage. "Our proposal is simple. To split the kingdom into two Archduchies, Asaria and Rebirth. Asaria would inherit from its old territories, plus the duchies of Molro and Sunrise." The Queen grunted, but the King didn''t react. It was a significant concession, at least from their point of view. Sunrise was the jewel of the kingdom, richer than even the capital by some metrics, and far outshining it in industrial capacity. As far as anyone was concerned, it was the prize to take, and the King had no doubt been terrified Allya would claim it by right of conquest. "While Rebirth would keep its current territories, and gain Kaidan and Lorenz."


    "Thus dividing the kingdom in half."


    "Yes. I have little interest in lands north. Very little, in fact."


    "Are you thinking of expanding south?" Said the Queen, and Allya shook her head.


    "No. I intend to rebuild Kaidan, and Lorenz. Once that is done, life will have begun jutting out from Rebirth in earnest, and it will take decades to fully colonize and develop all that is between Erakis and Darthar. When we get to that point...who knows? I doubt there will be need for further expansion."


    It was a bald faced lie. Alexandra and Allya both knew this wouldn''t stop there. But they also knew that they couldn''t tell that to their allies either. So they put forth a reasonable proposal that, for that matter, they would have been delighted in implementing, were they not so sure the world would implode far before then.


    "Very well." Said the King. "And what of the Western Baronies?"


    "They are very loyal to the crown. I doubt they would appreciate me taking over. But I would like to have...passage through them."


    The King smiled mirthlessly.


    "Tivaro."


    "Exactly. I may not wish for lands up north, but once the inevitable happens, Tivaro will have become the hub that was used for the launch of a dungeon invasion fleet into the Kingdom."


    "And you intend to neutralize it."


    "I do. Or rather, I intend to make sure the Saphire Kingdom stands aside."


    Everyone turned towards Alexandra in expectation, and the dungeon core smiled.


    "At that point, I will do what is necessary to knock some sense into my fellow."


    "And if it proves impossible?"


    "Then Mytaran of the Glacial Palace will find herself a permanent guest under...house arrest." Which would pretty much arrest any further dungeon growth. It would be interesting to see which way the people of Tivaro would jump. Against her, who had stifled their dungeon core, or that idiot, who had brought down the wrath of the most dangerous person on the continent down on them?


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    The King let out the breath he had been holding.


    "I suppose that is the best that can be hoped for. Very well then, but I can already tell you, the Saphire Kingdom will not acquiesce."


    "That''s too bad. I suppose we shall have to convince them."


    Both of their majesties shivered as they saw the flicker of coldness in the dungeon core''s eyes, and Alexandra smiled internally. Perhaps there was something to Machiavelli after all. Feared and loved indeed...


    "We have been speaking of our army''s status." Said Allya, breaking the silence. "But I am curious of the status of your forces, your majesties."


    The Queen sighed.


    "We are in no situation to assist, I''m afraid. The enemy outside the walls still outnumbers us, and our forces are...gravely diminished in any case. Even Grant''s forces have been almost shattered by the siege."


    "Grant the Giant still lives? There had been...rumors."


    "We did not quell them outside of the capital, in the hope that it would goad the enemy into overconfidence. Which it might have. A great deal many factors have to have gone into the duchess'' decision after all. He lives still, though he has been wounded, defending the final layer of walls protecting the inner city." The Queen grimaced. "He has more than earned his paycheck, him and his men. What remains of them anyway."


    "Let us hope they''ll be able to collect it then. So you will not be able to break out?"


    "Even if we had the numbers, our troops are too exhausted and worn down. Even our equipment is falling apart. Without the pressure of the siege, there''s a fair chance most of our units would fall apart as they are."


    Allya nodded.


    "I see. Most unfortunate. The city liberating itself would have been a catastrophic blow to Sunrise for the battles to come, even if their duchess was still in the field."


    "Unless you can figure out to teleport your army past the duchess, I doubt that will come to be, I''m afraid."


    "Someday, perhaps." The archduchess smiled at their expressions. "Alright then. If we have a plan of action, time to get our subordinates to put it into motion." Something which now actually applied to Alexandra as well, which was weird, to say the least. Everyone was used to dungeon cores acting more or less alone, and she wondered how many suspected the extent of the support structure the Earth-born had been busy building around herself. One she was keen on expanding too. "Let''s send those bastards back to hell!"


    *****


    Rook looked grimly at the bodies strewn about him.


    "My lord...are you alright?" Said one of the mages he had been protecting, and he nodded.


    "I am. But we will need to change to another location, for the ritual''s preparations."


    "I don''t know how they found us my lord, we took every precaution-"


    "I know you did." The archon knelt by one of the bodies, cleanly cut in half by his sword, Falling Sun. It was only a short search before he pulled out a medallion, emblazoned with an aurora and a chain. "But the duchess is no one''s fool, and her slave hunters are good. Very good." The leader of New Raleigh sat up again, and gazed at the clearing, now a slaughterhouse. "They will return. It is imperative that they find nothing when they do. Am I understood?"


    "Yes my lord!"


    The archon watched as the mage scampered off, rallying his fellows and directing them to the various crates of equipment. Luckily, they had not begun using the ingredients, but the ritual would be delayed nonetheless.


    At least the other ritual sites were still undisturbed. They would finish on schedule. He had picked the most dangerous one for himself of course, while the rest of the Seven took the safer sites. They''re protested, of course, Wonsnot especially vehemently, but they all knew there would be no changing his mind.


    So, another delay...and every second lost would have to be bought with blood. The blood of slaves, and the blood of the soldiers valiantly fighting Sunrise and its legions.


    There was some rustling in the woods, and the archon calmly watched as one of his agents flowed out of the shadows, almost seeming to gaining substance the further they went into the light.


    "My lord." Said the agent, as she bowed.


    "Porai." Answered the archon with a slightly chiding tone, and the agent smiled as he said her name.


    "Rook." She corrected, and he nodded. "I bring news. I was forced to delay my arrival because..." She glanced at the slaughter, and shrugged.


    "Of course. Report."


    "The other ritual sites are untouched, but you already knew that." He nodded. Any other site being hit...would have warranted using his communication crystal immediately, no matter the risks of someone tapping into it. Just like he had reported the attack here to the others. "Our agents are in place for what is to follow, though some areas are a bit...thin."


    "There are only so many we can spare." Rook closed his eyes. "Like it or not, we must focus on the areas where they will do the most good."


    Porai nodded.


    "Of course. There have also been...troubling reports of guerillas, perpetrating horrific attacks, many of them suicidal, onto Sunrise''s forces. The response has been equally brutal, and ever escalating." She cleared her throat. "There have been some rumors that the Brigadier in charge of the southern army has been killed."


    "Crap." Rook opened his eyes. "I was afraid of that." He grimaced. "If the Brigadier was killed, then he was resurrected. But without him to leash his officers in..."


    "Should we...intervene?"


    "We are stretched too thin as it is. But...but we can try to avoid things getting out of hand. Take a team, and deliver a medical package. Get that Brigadier back on his feet."


    The agent''s eyes widened.


    "But, my lord-"


    "I know! I know. He''s a slaver bastard that deserve to be put on a pillar of torment. But he''s also keeping the worst of his army in line. If he''s out of action for too long..." Rook sighed. "It is better to get him back on his feet ASAP. Besides which, we''ll get him once we are finished."


    "Yes my lord. As you say."


    The archon glanced at the agent, and sighed once more.


    "It goes against the grain. Just like helping the crown here. After all, the Asarian royal family has always had links to slavery. Only Sunrise''s dominance has pushed them against it, to try and curb their power, and thus preserve their own. But we live in the real world. Sometimes, hard decisions have to be made."


    "Yes my lord."


    He saw comprehension in her eyes, and finally nodded.


    "Now go. There is no time to lose."


    The agent answered his nod in kind, and vanished back into the shadows, as the archon turned back to the bodies all around him.


    He''d done a slave uprising on such a scale, once. And he had brought down an Empire. Bathed an entire continent in blood.


    And he would do anything to never cause it again. If it meant saving one of his foes, to limit the damage his subordinates would cause if they were left to their own devices, then so be it.


    Most of his people would understand. Hopefully. Besides which...justice would come soon enough for the Brigadier regardless. Him and all his ilk. There was comfort in that.


    It would be cold comfort for those who would die at their hands however. But he would make sure that this would never come to be again.


    Ever.

 Chapter 320 - Alliances

    Chapter 320


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    CQ came to a halt as she stepped off of the stairs leading up to the ship, and saluted. Alexandra returned it.


    "Welcome back." Said the dungeon core, before cracking a smile, and unceremoniously grabbing her daughter into her arms. "I''ve missed you kiddo!"


    "Moooom! Everyone is watching!" Said the dungeon boss, plaintively, and the Earth-born chuckled.


    There was indeed quite the crowd to greet the arrival of the reinforcements. Cheering soldiers and crowds of wide eyed civilians, gazing in wonder and slack jawed amazement at the gleaming metal ships, disgorging their cargo of equally shiny golems.


    "Let them watch!" CQ made a face, and Alexandra chuckled. "Alright, alright! Fine." She let go of her daughter, dusting off her uniform. "Seriously though. It''s good to have you back. We need the firepower."


    Her daughter''s expression suddenly became serious.


    "That bad, mom?"


    "Worse. Come on, let''s get to the command tent. The duke and Philia are waiting."


    It was a short walk to the tent. Troops lined their path, and humans and golems alike simply stood aside and saluted as they strode among them. It wasn''t out of fear or awe from the humans either -well, sophonts really, there were elves, dwarves and a myriad other more esoteric people among the duke''s troops-, but genuine respect.


    The heavily armed guards, a mix of her Standard Combat Units and Sarth''s ducal guards, withdrew the tent flap as they arrived, allowing them in.


    "Ah. The prodigal daughter returns." Said Manson Estogan, duke of Sarth, as they entered, a wide smile splitting the old man''s face, while Philia kept pouring over the maps, simply giving them a glance and a short wave as an acknowledgment.


    "So I have." Retorted CQ with a haughty sniff, before smiling. "And I bring gifts! Gifts that go kaboom."


    "So I''ve heard." The duke''s smile fell. "They''ll be sorely needed, I''m afraid."


    "Yeah...what happened?"


    The duke looked at the dungeon core, who sighed, as she summoned a hologram on top of the map table, which she had at long last embedded a holographic projector into. The soldiers who had to unload the thing and set it up whenever they set up camp bitched a lot more, but it was worth it.


    "We have started encountering enemy resistance. With the duchess coming south, the garrisons have become bolder. They''ve begun setting up traps and ambushes. Only with slaves, meaning they''re basically minefields. No tactical flexibility. But from their point of view it''s free. Thankfully most of the civilian population has gone to ground, or they''d have turned everyone into living weapons, and partisans are hunting down and breaking every ambush they can ahead of us. Still, the attrition has become...worrying."


    "Worrying enough that the Kaidani volunteers and our light cavalry have taken point." Continued Manson. "We can heal our troops, but I have been told by your dunge-mother-" Alexandra stifled a chuckle at the slip. "-that repairing your golems wasn''t truly an option."


    CQ flicked a glance at Alexandra, who shrugged. For what it mattered, it was true. She could, technically, fix her golems, but it was too expensive. Even with the supply routes and travel time, it was still better to make new ones and leave the broken and destroyed for Sarth and Rebirth''s people to salvage, as they had industries in place to do so, thanks to the dungeon loot.


    Still, the irony wasn''t lost to the dungeon core. Originally, they had put the golems in front, as they were far more disposable than the squishy humans, but now the flesh and blood soldiers were more affordable to lose than the golems. No one was under any illusion which would be more effective on a one to one basis in a full scale battle, as even the most enthusiastic and talented of them were still trying to learn their way around their new equipment, while her golems were perfectly drilled, by their very nature.


    Interestingly enough, the flesh and blood troops were behind the concept every step of the way, and had in fact insisted on it. They were proud to take the lead, to allow her golems to ''recuperate'', and bring the fight to Sunrise with their own hands. The Kaidanis, especially, were extremely keen. Despite most of their people now being partisans and volunteers from lands that had been part of the duchy of Sarth, they had taken their ''adopted'' duchy''s plight to heart.


    "We are also doing preparations for the coming withdrawal." Finally said Philia, lifting her head from looking at the maps. Alexandra almost recoiled as she saw the dark circles under the Knight-Commander''s eyes. She exchanged a look with the duke, and saw the same concern in his gaze. "Our surveyors, sappers and engineers have begun making detailed maps of possible places to make a stand, deploy fortifications, or simply lay traps to slow the duchess'' advance down, if she indeed does pursue us."


    "She will." Confidently said Alexandra. "If she doesn''t, we''ll pound her into rubble."


    "Do not underestimate her." Warned Philia. "She will have her elites, the cream of the crop of her duchy, with her. Perhaps not as many mages as the southern army had, relative to the number of troops, but many. And lots and lots of paladins, rangers and specialists like gryphon knights. If she indeed starts after us, how do you plan to outrun pegasus skirmishers and those knights, exactly?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "It''s simple." She tilted her head, nodded, and opened the tent flap, beckoning the others outside.


    They stepped out...and came to a dead halt as the towering monster that was the Mackie was unloaded from the transport. The war machine rose to its full height, and began taking slow, measured and utterly earth shaking steps forward, coming to a halt before the officers, glimmering in its magnificent and deadly glory.


    Seven machineguns, twin autocannons, two rapid fire howitzers, shoulder mounted rocket pods, and a back mounted missile launcher...


    A worthy firstborn of the mech indeed.


    "I won''t have to." Finished the dungeon core. "If they''re stupid enough to try and outrun their army to rush us...I''ll have all the firepower I need to take them out, on the ground and in the skies. Let them fly to their deaths then. I''m sure their comrades from our previous battles will be more than happy to welcome them in hell."


    *****


    "So. Now that i have done all that confident talk about my new units turning the tide and kicking their asses, we better deliver." Said Alexandra as she paced before her assembled subordinates in the workshop. "CQ''s reinforcements are good, great even, but not only will we need new stuff, we need more of it! And more of the old stuff as well. Glitch, Seraph. I need the both of you to rationalize our raw materials production. Not just for our smitheries, but iron, steel smelting, damned near everything. We need our basic materials cheaper and in greater quantities. We haven''t done any work on that in almost a year now, there should be ample room to improve. Subtlety, Ghost, you two are on high tech industrial production and assembly. We can''t use our high tech weapons, but there''s nothing that says we can''t use high tech means to build lower tech hardware. And I don''t mean pump out a few precision engineered tools and accessories from the fabricators, I want a full, spacetech assembly line cranking out weapons. Sarah, Ella, CQ, I need you to come up with how we will engage the enemy during the retreat, and bleed them every step of the way. Dirty tricks, minefields, whatever you can come up with."


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    The dungeon core turned towards her remaining people.


    "Jared, Emilia, the old team back together again. We''re going to try to make an AI that can cast spells."


    Emilia frowned.


    "But...don''t we have the enchanters from home? They did all that special ordnance you shipped with CQ."


    You mean besides the fact I trust them about as far as I can throw my mesa fortress? Thought Alexandra, though of course she didn''t voice it. Instead, she grinned.


    "Oh, not for enchantment. For battlefield spellcasting. We''re going to make a whole new generation of warships."


    *****


    Satina Olyrin, head of the house of Olyrin and by the grace of the Gods duchess of Sunrise, and in her insane dreams before she had gazed at the true scope of this war, ''rightful Queen of the Asarian Kingdom'', stared as the biological ship came to a shuddering halt, and its flesh parted, a ramp deploying like some madman''s idea of a tongue.


    The ship was impressive...but even she could see the scars, hastily healed to not be suppurating wounds.


    Wounds that were the reason why those high and mighty members of the United Dungeon Council were even deigning to speak to her.


    A delegation walked down the ramp, a small knot of what had to be dungeon avatars, headed by one that looked like a phasma wearing some kind of porcelain mask, and flanked by hulking abominations towering over everyone.


    The delegation came to a halt before her, and the duchess simply stared, as both sides refused to greet the other first. She may acknowledge her lack of power compared to them, but she certainly wasn''t the one running north with her tail between her legs, begging for an alliance to save her skin.


    The porcelain mask on the phasma shifted, and smiled.


    "Greetings, your grace." Said the dungeon avatar, and the duchess had to suppress a shiver. There were...layers behind even just that simple statement. She hadn''t survived this long without being good at reading people, and she could tell there was something wrong here. With the entire delegation, she realized.


    "Greetings, dungeon core." She returned neutrally, and the mask''s smile widened.


    "I am Glarvistar of the Emerald Glade, commander of this fleet." Something in the body language of the others told her that it either hadn''t always been that way, or there was something behind that statement she wasn''t aware of. Besides, wouldn''t the one commanding a fleet be an admiral or at the very least a commodore? She may not be the most versed in military matters, but Sunrise had been the anchorage for the Kingdom''s wet navy, though for all intent and purposes it had always been her private fleet. She even had imported Tarkian vessels, the delicious irony of those slaver hating scum delivering warships directly into her hands. "I come with a proposal of alliance against a mutual foe."


    Satina tilted her head. Right off the bat, with the proposal? Interesting. Very interesting.


    And not something she had expected. It looked like there was more going on here than she had thought.


    Perhaps what she had glimpsed wasn''t so apocalyptic after all...


    "Of course. Please, follow me."


    She gestured, and the dungeon avatar followed her, leaving behind a dumbfounded assortment of dungeon avatars and a whole menagerie of nobles, shocked by the sudden and utter disdain for protocol, finding themselves unsure of what to do, now that the lynchpin of what should have been a tense, half lie, half truth discussion simply left them to have a real discussion instead of a genital measuring contest.


    They entered her command tent without a word, and Satina gestured at the flap, abruptly closing it, and stared at the dungeon avatar as she crossed her arms.


    "I was not aware you were a mage, your grace." Simply commented Glarvistar, and the duchess smiled mysteriously.


    "I''m not."


    Let him make of that what he would.


    The dungeon avatar simply nodded.


    "Of course. You are aware of the situation, I am sure?"


    "I was...forewarned of your efforts." Forewarned while your superiors filled my head with visions of the apocalypse. Yet they don''t even seem capable of scratching her, let alone the other dungeons that went with her. She thought, though a little voice in her head whispered to her that she hadn''t seen the full end of it yet...that the worse was still to come. That maybe, this was only the beginning, muffled because of all who had foreseen its coming, and tried to prevent it.


    Or perhaps, it is simply tinder, used to lit a much greater flame.


    She shivered mentally. That...wasn''t a comfortable thought.


    He nodded.


    "Good. Then you are probably aware of our failure."


    "I am."


    "We have dealt considerable damage to the enemy, of course, and-"


    "Considerable damage?" The duchess laughed. She couldn''t stop herself. "Damage that will be easily replaced, you mean! Have you and your superiors learned nothing from her previous battles?"


    "On the contrary, we have learned a great deal. Which is why we intend to reinforce."


    "Your closest...ally is far further away than Darthar or Rebirth."


    The dungeon avatar looked at her.


    "I know."


    "Then your supply lines and reinforcements will be more strained than hers, and I am willing to bet she can outproduce you in terms of ships any day. She hasn''t even been building vessels for more than a year, look at what she has accomplished!"


    Glarvistar nodded.


    "Agreed."


    "Then, why should I agree to this alliance, if all you bring is a shattered fleet, and the vague promise of somehow outmatching your opponent? Why should I not declare myself neutral of the UDC''s little spat?"


    She expected a reaction, some shift in body language at such a blatant insult...and shivered when she got none.


    Either he was very, very good at controlling himself, or he was uncaring about the isolationists'' ideology. And she didn''t know which one was more terrifying.


    "If you believe that will prevent Crystal from slaughtering your army, then feel free. But we both know the only thing you shall buy is a bit of time while she neutralizes my force, before she comes down on yours. Or vice versa. Stand together as one, or fall alone, and all that. But to answer your question, yes, we are confident of our ability to reinforce, and support you further than what I have brought today."


    "How?"


    The avatar smiled, the porcelain mask once again creepily shifting.


    "Simple. We bring our means of production here."


    Satina tilted her head...then her face went white.


    "You''re sending a core forward." She whispered.


    Glarvistar nodded, his smile widening.


    "Crystal''s secondary cores are foolishly entrenched in cities." Something in his tone told her those weren''t his words, but someone else''s...and that he disagreed with them. "We will...demonstrate the full extent of their power."


    "And force her to destroy them, and her reputation, if she overpowers you."


    The dungeon core inclined his head. Not quite a nod. But an acknowledgement.


    The duchess laughed.


    "You severely underestimate her if you think it will be that easy." She said, and somehow, through body language, she knew Glarvistar agreed.


    What the hell was going on within the UDC?


    "Perhaps. But it is what it is. We will support you in your battle against Crystal. No more, no less. We will engage any force she has with hers, but no others. We will not besiege Asaria, nor will we attack Sarth. But we will aid you in destroying the dungeon''s army, and accompany you on your march south to Darthar, and then Rebirth. Do we have a deal?"


    The duchess closed her eyes.


    "Will Crystal be gone?"


    "If she does not suffer an...unfortunate accident, she will be removed from Rebirth. You have my, and my superiors'', words."


    Satina opened her eyes, and met the porcelain mask''s gaze. His wording said it all. If they weren''t certain she would befall an accident...it meant his superiors had something in mind for her.


    That, or Glarvistar himself did.


    But at this point, she would take anything to get that core off of her damned doorstep. And they both knew it.


    "Then yes. We have a deal."

 Chapter 321 - Memories

    Chapter 321


    28th of June, 2130


    Earth, Sol System


    Valduc Strategic Research Base, European Federation


    ''Alex'' sighed as she set down the report.


    Delays, delays, more delays, nothing but delays...


    When she''d been assigned to project New Dawn, she''d seen it as her stepping stone to flag rank. But now she was languishing in a hive of corporate interests, political infighting and military indecision. The higher ups wanted a new generation of warships, to counter the United Interstellar States'' dreadnoughts. Great. Except that they couldn''t settle on what the hell they wanted!


    So delays. Because they kept adding more things onto the project. Better lasers, better power plants, better grav drives, better missiles. Better damned near everything! If this went on, they''d have so much new crap for a single generation of ships they''d only be able to push out the prototypes and then hobble along trying to get them into actual volume production.


    She picked up her holopen, and jumped as she felt arms embracing her.


    "Hey there darling. Working late again~?" Whispered a voice into her ear.


    Alexandra rolled her eyes.


    "Yes, I am. And before you say anything Arcie, so are you!"


    The AI giggled.


    "Perhaps." Her android quickly went around the officer''s chair, and unceremoniously dropped into her girlfriend''s lap. This time the robot was slim, with chin length, yet still flowing white hair, piercing purple eyes that seemed like a perpetually aflame nebula, and coming up barely a head shorter than her partner. The AI regularly changed bodies, but if one things was certain, it was that none of them even remotely qualified as ''normal''. "But I''m an AI. I don''t sleep. Or need rest. You do."


    "Depending on what you mean by ''sleep'', you do sleep a lot." Said Alex with a grin.


    "Oh, you''re the one cracking dirty jokes now?" The AI lifted the woman''s chin with her index, before kissing her, actually purring as they pulled apart. "We''ll see how long that last."


    "Uh huh. So, what brings you to my humble abode?"


    The AI smiled, in her slightly deranged fashion. Alexandra had used to be slightly concerned by that, but she''d long since embraced it. Everyone had some kind of damage, and what if the AI was slightly crazy? Get in line, no one had gone through the Terran Hegemony Wars with their sanity intact, and those people ruled the Federation. Decrepit, riddled with biotoxin and genetic anomalies politicians with febrile eyes, seeing chemical bombs under their beds every night. Better an eccentric AI than these maniacs.


    "There''s a new movie showing in the Molrovia theater tonight! I got us tickets!"


    "New movie? Wait." Alexandra''s eyes widened. "Molrovia?!? That''s-"


    "The most exclusive theater in the Federation, I know." Purred the AI. "And you''re coming with me. No ifs, no buts, I''ll tie you up if I have to."


    Alex mumbled something to the effect of ''you''ll tie me up anyway you tin can'', before clearing her throat as Arcadia''s smile only widened.


    "So what are we going to watch?"


    "Interstellar Justice Three: Galactic Sword of Judgment!"


    Alexandra blinked.


    "Damn, I thought that hadn''t come out yet." Then it hit her. "Stars damn it, Arcie is it the premiere?"


    The AI looked away.


    "Mayyyybe?"


    "Oh you''ve got to be kidding me! Arcie, how much did those tickets cost?"


    "Well nothing, why do you ask?" The AI gave her girlfriend a brilliant smile.


    Alexandra gazed at the android suspiciously.


    "Of course...And how did you get those invitations?"


    "Weeeelll, the firm that made the film was glad to have some corporate publicity, plus a few celebrities, the new, the old, the up and coming, and I got invited."


    "And added me as your plus one, is that it?" Alexandra''s eyes narrowed, and the AI whistled innocently. "As well as no doubt hyping me up a fair bit."


    "Well, you are an up and coming member of the navy."


    "I''m a freaking captain in an office working on a semi secret project!"


    "And I can guarantee you you''ll be admiral by the end of the decade!"


    "Yeah, with your patronage."


    "Don''t be like that!" The AI flicked her forehead, and Alexandra winced. Slim or not, that android was strong enough to rip apart power armor. Arcadia only used the best for her ''personal'' forms. Supposedly for vanity, by she knew the AI had made them into machines of war to get those she cared about out of the line of fire. It was...flattering, in a way. "You know you need the help. And I''m not asking for anything."


    "Yet."


    They exchanged glares, but the AI finally subsided, lowering her eyes.


    "You know I wouldn''t. Unless it was...dire."


    Alexandra sighed, and wrapped her arms around the android, which the automata returned after a few seconds.


    "I know, I know..."


    They just stayed there, in companionable silence, hugging each other.


    Then, at long last, the officer took in a deep breath.


    "Alright, I''ll accompany you to that premiere." Arcadia''s face brightened, and she opened her mouth...only to close it as her girlfriend held up a finger. "On one condition."


    "Ooooh? Conditions, a deal, a contract?" The AI climbed up all over her partner, almost tipping the chair over as the human leaned back, as the officer was reminded that despite everything, Arcadia was a businesswoman first and foremost now. "What is it? Out with it temptress!"


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    "You have to wear that dress I bought you."


    Blood truly couldn''t drain from the AI''s face, but the android did a very passable imitation of the phenomenon.


    "What? But-"


    "No ifs, no buts, either you wear it or I don''t go."


    "It''s...it''s dreadful though!"


    "It''s regal!"


    "I''ll look like a beached whale in that!"


    "Better than you looking like a damned stripper you nymphomaniac! I''ve seen barbie dolls with more square centimeters of clothing than some of your outfits!"


    The AI sat back, crossing her arms, almost pouting.


    "That''s-"


    "If you say a matter of taste, I''m going to see if my foot can bend the titanium of your ass."


    "Ow. Catty." The AI threw her hands up as Alexandra glared at her. "Fine! You win, alright? But!" She smiled. "You have to wear your dress uniform in exchange. Deal?"


    Alexandra winced, but nodded.


    "Deal."


    "Excellent!" The AI slapped her thighs, before jumping off of her girlfriend''s lap, and unceremoniously grabbing her hand, practically dragging her to her feet. "Now let''s go!"


    "What, now?" Said Alexandra as the AI began leading her out of her office, the door opening at her approach. A door Alex knew she had set to manual.


    Damn it Arcie, stop hacking my shit! Thought Alex, though she knew better than to voice it. Complaining would only mean the AI would double down.


    "No time like the present!"


    "But...this is a military base!" One where nuclear bombs were still being produced, as a matter of fact, despite the site being far from its heyday as the last nuclear weapons production facility remaining in Europe after the devastation of the Terran Hegemony War, and the rabid expansion of its capabilities during the Interplanetary Wars.


    The AI simply laughed.


    "And I own your entire logistics pipeline, the shuttles carry whatever the hell I want! Now move it, we need to make sure your makeup is good before we go on the red carpet!"


    Alexandra jerked awake as she got the comm ping.


    What-


    She blinked, and looked around. She was...in her workshop. She''d fallen asleep on one of the workbenches, her head resting on a pile of computers, one meant for the new AIs she was making.


    The dungeon core rubbed her eyes. What the hell was happening to her?


    She opened the notification she got. A breakthrough? This quickly?


    Well, the least she could do was check it out.


    Maybe it would help shake off the...not dream, the memory she''d just experienced.


    *****


    "That was fast." Said Alexandra as she stepped into the Flickerlight''s engineering section.


    "Well, it was a simple solution. A stupidly simple one, staring us all in the face." Answered Ghost, looking at Alexandra''s side.


    The dungeon core blinked, and followed her other self''s gaze...to find a golem.


    "Uh...Okay? Hi, Seraph, you''re in there, right?"


    "In the flesh, so to speak." Said the AI as they bowed, and Alexandra chuckled. Metaphors and jokes. Maybe the AI was coming out of their shell after all.


    "Good. So, Ghost, what breakthrough did you say you-" Alexandra stopped, as Ghost smiled, and whirled around to face the the golem again. "Wait a minute, how...what...In the flesh?!?"


    "That''s the breakthrough I was talking about." Said the apparition.


    "You managed to get one of our golems here? How?"


    "I didn''t."


    Alexandra opened her mouth, closed it, and then promptly facepalmed.


    "Oh Gods..."


    "Yeeeep."


    "We have unlocked fabricators. We don''t need to use our powers to create golems we can just...we can just make them! Actually make them!"


    Ghost nodded.


    "Precisely."


    "Shit. Alright, what is the price difference?"


    The apparition grinned.


    "So far? Fifty percent savings in mana for a golem."


    "...Fucking hell." Golems were, by far, her number one spending item. One she hadn''t managed to compress beyond a few percentage points thanks to Emilia''s monster spawners. Reducing the cost by half. "This is massive. And that''s just with the fabricators, right?"


    "Yep. Just with them." And they both knew fabricators were absolute crap in terms of production cost by item. There was a reason the assembly line still reigned king back on Earth after all. It was just that when you needed something mass and volume efficient, plus polyvalence without equal, there was no alternative. Thus why they were a favorite for ships, burgeoning colonies or hell, secure facilities like Seraph''s bunker. "Though, keep in mind, that''s not counting the cost of making the fabricators."


    "But they can self replicate."


    "They can, but even with that, it''s still costly infrastructure. Not to mention, in their case, not that much of a decrease in price. We still can''t refine metamaterials."


    "Something we''ll work on later." Alexandra closed her yes. "So now it''s become absolutely vital we get those out of here. Not just for future plans, but also for the current war effort."


    "Well...we kind of figured that was the case, so we''d started working on, ah, plans."


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "Let me guess, they involve explosions."


    "Actually, no! Seraph?"


    The AI stepped forward.


    "The fabricators can be disassembled and reassembled. That is key to the plan. Our primary obstacle currently is the defenses arrayed around the cavern. Passive scans from the ship''s arrays indicate the entire space has been surrounded with wards and arcane tripwires, some of them extremely ancient and of uncertain origin. Digging our way out would hazardous at best, suicidal at worst."


    "So?"


    "Smuggling. The weakness of this defense is the guards. They have to regularly cycle in and out on a predictable schedule for shift changes."


    Alexandra smiled.


    "As usual, the human factor is the weakest link in security."


    "Affirmative. Normally bribing or otherwise corrupting the guards would be the easiest solutions, but that is not an option here."


    "Yeah, anyone who realized something like this had happened would know the culprit, and the guards would be a loose end. So, what, use stealth golems to sneak in as they change shifts?"


    The AI shook her head.


    "Negative. Not only would this require substantial investment in time and resources to manufacture golems in sufficient numbers to carry some of the pieces, but the hallway defenses also constitute a formidable barriers. The golems would have to accompany the guards as they move in, and the golems can either keep pace or stay hidden from the layered arcane sensors, not both."


    "Right." Because speed can compromise stealth. The eternal fucking conundrum, from submarines during the Terran Hegemony War to stealth recon frigates in Alpha Centauri. "What then?"


    "It is simple. The sensors do not detect sufficiently stealthed high technology if it is carried by someone authorized, or the stealth golems would not have been able to be brought in."


    Alexandra tilted her head, and she laughed.


    "You''re going to make the guards carry them out?"


    "Yes. They bring crates of supplies down that they then carry back out, to allow troops to eat and drink here. We will have to place the components within."


    "That''s going to take a bit."


    "The smaller parts can be hidden in any ration tin can. The problem will be taking possession once they are out."


    Alexandra pinched the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes.


    Oh dear.


    "Right. Of course. because let me guess, those crates are going to be stored in the cellars. The ones used to store siege supplies. The highly secure ones the Count is extremely paranoid about because they''re what allowed the city to survive Sunrise''s attack."


    "Affirmative."


    "So, you want us to transfer our parts from a highly secure location to a slightly less secure one, then repeatedly heist the latter?"


    "That is the plan."


    Alexandra sighed.


    "I''m not sure if that''s insane or brilliant. Probably both." The dungeon core opened her eyes. "Do it."


    After all, some of the stranger arcane sensors on the cavern...they probably either belonged to or were tapped by the God of Fire. But why would he monitor a collection of food?


    If crap went sideways, they could manage the count and his people.


    "We shall begin preparations immediately."

 Chapter 322 - Chain Reaction

    Chapter 322


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    Alexandra sighed as she gazed at the forest all around the army.


    With Allya and Pyn consuming their honey moon with great enthusiasm, and regular needs of her powers to create new, ah, marital aids, she had been left to face the more mundane problems of the army with Manson and Philia. Rim would have been a nice help as well, but he was busy trailing behind, marking places for fortifications or traps, turning his ad hoc force into something approaching sappers. Which, given what they had turned Myriu into, was probably a good fit for them.


    "Well, at least it''s better looking than the scrublands." Said Philia, as the Knight-Commander leaned on the railing of the So Much For Subtlety at Alexandra''s side. "That''s something."


    "Yeah, but it''s harder to go through."


    "Would be, if your mech wasn''t stomping over everything."


    Alexandra chuckled. As she had expected, the Mackie was making a mockery of the terrain, clearing a path for the army and her armored column by just walking through the forest, it''s shield preventing debris from clogging up the passage. It wasn''t exactly a road, but her spider tanks and the cavalry behind them didn''t need a road.


    "True. But we''re nearing the high road, aren''t we?"


    The Knight-Commander nodded.


    "We are." The duchies were all linked by ''high roads'', gigantic pseudo highways that had been the fulcrum of the fighting during Sunrise''s advance. They were nearing the one between Asaria and Sarth, who went through the Royal Union Bridge. "It should make movement much easier. It was made to accommodate the entire royal army if necessary." Philia''s face went dark. "Not that there''s much left of it."


    Alexandra laid her hand on the knight''s shoulder.


    "Look, if it''s any consolation, I intend to help rebuild it."


    "Do you now?" Philia looked at the dungeon core, then away. "Sorry, that was...harsh. You''ve been nothing but a faithful ally."


    "But...?"


    "But...I''m afraid. You could take over the kingdom. With just a few words. Their majesties wouldn''t be able to stand in your way."


    "Allya wouldn''t stand for that."


    "Does what she want matter?"


    Alexandra double checked the privacy systems, and turned them on to eleven. The ship in general wasn''t as well shielded as the bridge, but it would have to do.


    Because like it or not, it looked like they were going to have that discussion.


    "It does, actually." Answered the dungeon core, softly, and she smiled as the knight looked at her in surprise. "It does. I gave her a true alliance, and I meant it."


    The Knight-Commander nodded.


    "And so you meant it when you said you don''t want to take over the kingdom."


    It wasn''t a question, but Alexandra answered it nonetheless.


    "I did."


    The officer looked off into the distance.


    "Will it stop there?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "No. No it won''t."


    "...You intend to keep their majesties ruling the kingdom, but vassalize them, do you not? Create something...greater."


    "Yes. Something like that."


    "They''ll do it, you know."


    "Do what?"


    The Knight-Commander met the dungeon core''s gaze.


    "Swear fealty. Not just their majesties either. Amelia Loveheart, the entire New Republic...they''ll bend the knee, if you ask. And once they do...the continent will follow."


    "I''m not sure it''ll be that easy."


    "It will." Said the Knight-Commander, and her tone brokered no argument. "Did you know the Eris Empire''s greatest fear is this continent? For centuries now, they''ve been wetting their undergarnments about what Arkhan could be, what it could achieve if it unified. It''s why they pushed so hard for their majesties'' grandfather not to push south into the Republic, tried to hold him back, even through threats."


    "I...wasn''t aware."


    The knight chuckled.


    "Well, we kept it pretty tight."


    "So it seems. So they''re afraid?"


    "Arkhan has the...potential. The high technology and innovation of Tark, and the arcane might of the Saphire Kingdom. Together, they would be...devastating. Luckily, they were separated by nothing but enemies." The Knight-Commander sighed. "And now, you''re about to put only yourself between them."


    "And what, that will convince them to submit?"


    "No. But this entire continent has been balanced on the rivalry between the Kingdom and the Republic for centuries. If unified...our nations represent three quarters of the continent''s population, our only achilles'' heel was our low technology. But you solved that, didn''t you?"


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "I guess I did, yes."


    "So they''ll suddenly have a new Empire on their doorsteps, that separates them from any possible ally, and could probably crush them all simultaneously anyway. That''s not even to mention what you''ve been doing. If you crush Sunrise, the people of Tark and the Saphire Kingdom will sing your praises."


    "Why would the Saphirians care?"


    "Where do you think many of those slaves come from?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes. The cross border raids. Of fucking course. That''s why the Saphire Kingdom had been constantly assailing Sunrise''s border before the war.


    "I see."


    "Of course, if you become popular..."


    "I become a threat to the existing regimes. How likely is it that they''ll attack?"


    The Knight-Commander shrugged.


    "I don''t know. Tark...if the Hegemon had been killed, they might have, but if she''s not attacking the senate, to give the New Republic a chance, she sure as hell won''t attack you. Let alone you through them, once they swear allegiance."


    "If they swear allegiance."


    Alexandra shivered as the knight gave her a sad smile.


    "Right. The Saphire Kingdom is the damned wildcard here. I know them. I''ve fought them, I''ve negotiated with them, visited them...their people will adore you, but the council or archmages? They care little of what their people want. Besides, you intend to drive north to Tivaro, don''t you?"


    "I do."


    "Then they''ll resist you. I think. Unless you have something to hammer them aside with, they''ll resist you."


    "Then I better grab a big hammer."


    "Let''s hope it will be enough."


    The tone of the Knight-Commander said it all about how successful she thought the dungeon core would be.


    "Let''s hope."


    *****


    There was only silence in the cellar, as the last visitors, a couple of maids looking for a quiet place to prepare gifts for the birthday of one of their colleagues, had left hours ago.


    The stealth golems awakened, and skittered between the crates. The cellar was a strange amalgamation of a pantry and supply depot, with a section set aside for ''used'' crates, to be replenished.


    A particular crate was quickly opened, and then closed again as a handful of packages were taken from it.


    Then the stealth golems vanished again, weaving through the shroud of alarms and sensors, guards and traps laid around the critical cellar.


    And an hour later, the packages were delivered, and loaded onboard a larger container, that would accompany a supply convoy headed home, to bring back more desperately needed armaments for the army up North.


    Fabricator Status Report


    From: Ghost


    To: Alexandra


    First delivery complete. Estimated time of completion: one week.


    *****


    "Fucking hell." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the images.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Manson chuckled.


    The dungeon core nodded.


    "To say the fucking least."


    After a few test flights and some rather timid forays into their surroundings, she''d finally decided it was time for her new carriers to have their blackbirds taken for a spin, and she''d sent them forward, to the Royal Union Bridge.


    She''d been warned about what to expect, but...damn.


    She had seen smaller megahighways, the monsters of neoconcrete that serviced the megalopolises of Earth. Even with their advancement in public transportation, there was still a need for personal vehicles after all. Hell, it was bigger than the Crimson Path, the remnants of the Old World highway she''d had to cross after the army had marched out of Darthar.


    There was no way there was anywhere near the level of traffic on the high road to justify that thing''s existence. Though, that wasn''t the point. It had been a prestige project, built by the King''s grandfather, after he had crushed his own civil war and conquered Darthar. Hence the name, it was supposed to represent the reunification of the kingdom, and the bonds of fealty between Asaria and Sarth, who had served as the crown''s backbone during that war.


    "So, as you see, it will accommodate a great deal of troops." Said Philia.


    "Sunrise appears to have taken advantage of that already." Remarked the commander of the desert rangers, bitterly, and everyone nodded.


    Sunrise''s army, or at least its vanguard, was there. And they weren''t alone.


    They had the UDC''s fleet with them.


    "How did they get here so fast?" Asked one of the officers, and Alexandra shrugged.


    "They had the high road to use, while we had to punch through a trade route and the environment. A trade route that has fallen into disrepair for months due to the war too. I''m presuming they had some slaves from the garrisons maintain the high road so they could march on Sarth eventually, if the southern army had failed. And with the UDC to provide lift capacity, with most of it unused with us having annihilated a great deal of their army..."


    "Well they''re certainly here for the party." Philia gestured at the ranks of monsters backing up Sunrise''s troops.


    "They are." Alexandra gazed at the troops, and grimaced. "Were we there, we could punch through that."


    "We could." Agreed Manson. "But we''re not."


    "No. No we''re not. And by the time we do get there, the rest of the army will probably be there with them."


    "Do we know when that''ll happen?"


    "No clue. I turned the aircrafts around after getting recon of the area, I decided against pushing further north. One step at a time and all that."


    "Very well. So our plan is unchanged?"


    "For the most part." They didn''t need to know that with the fabricator being smuggled out, it might change the face of this war forever. "But we do know where our enemies are."


    "Always a good advantage to have. Then let us continue our march North. We have traitors to kill."


    "That we do. That we do..."


    *****


    "Well, well, well..." Said Satina Olyrin, duchess of Sunrise, as she looked at the report. "So that explains how she is so well informed."


    "Yes." Said the spy master. The man definitely looked the worse for wear, even though he''d mostly kept to the shadows since she''d dragged him across the kingdom. "If those aircrafts are even remotely loaded with equipment..."


    "They''re like the Eris Empire''s ''jets''." Added Mahikam, Marquis of Caliban. "Should we begin destroying them? If our mages can see them, they can shoot them down, easily."


    "Patience, nephew, patience." Chided the duchess. "Do not be so quick to destroy such a potentially useful tool."


    "A tool? For us, you mean?"


    "Yes. With them undiscovered and unchallenged the dungeon core believes herself fully informed and invisible. That makes her overconfident. Good, let''s keep her that way."


    "But our plan-"


    "Will work even better with them in play. We will have to time it carefully of course, but if we make our play right after one of those recon flights, she will only believe that she has seen everything, and the surprise will be even more complete."


    The Marquis didn''t look fully convinced, but he nodded nonetheless.


    "As you say, your grace."


    "Good." The duchess turned back towards the spymaster. "What of the status of our...allies?"


    "They appear sincere. I have reports of ships leaving Tivaro."


    "Good. And their majesties'' little plan?"


    The spymaster grimaced.


    "It had the desired effect. Many neutral nobles are declaring themselves for the crown." He coughed. "That, coupled with the guerillas, and their elimination of the Brigadier...your grace, Molro and Kaidan are in open revolt."


    "But our home territories hold?"


    "Yes." The ''for now'' was implicit, and the Duchess winced.


    "Well, I won''t shed any tears for that traitorous bastard. Your people are keeping him from recovering, yes?"


    "So far, but there''s no telling when his men will catch on and root out the poison."


    "Every second bought is a blessing." Simply answered the Duchess. "Then we only need to get the army forward. And then..." She closed her eyes. "And then we shall wait. And pray."


    Only grim nods answered her.


    The die was cast, as the extradimensionals said.


    They simply had to hope that they would succeed.

 All The Fallen World Books are available as hardcover !

    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that all the books of The Fallen World should be available in hardcover on amazon ! Here''s the link to the series on amazon if you''re interested : https://geni.us/TheFallenWorldseries</a>


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The hardcovers have been available for a bit, actually, but I kept forgetting to do the announcement, and I just had way too much on my mind. But now that my patrons have gotten me to take a damned break after writing a third of an entire novel in a row (yes, really. Let''s just say that new story is coming along nicely) and kicking off book 10, and I remembered it. So, here''s the announcement. Better late than never !


    Also, a slight aside : I know a lot of people are waiting for news on the audiobooks as well, and I''d love to give you something more concrete but because of NDA shenanigans I simply cannot. Literally all I can tell you is the noncomital corporate "They''re comingTM", and I''m sorry for that. I hope to have better news after the holidays.


    To celebrate, chapter 323 will be posted tomorrow. I hope you''ll enjoy it !

 Chapter 323 - Special Delivery

    Chapter 323


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of Darthar, Branch Office


    "Did we get it all?" Asked Alexandra as she looked at the pile of packages.


    "Yes." Ghost smiled as she gazed at the carefully wrapped and protected parts. "We have them all. Every single one. All functional."


    "How did it go?"


    Ghost grimaced.


    "It was touch and go for the bigger ones, honestly. Had to slap some low profile gravity manipulation to counter the excessive weight, but couldn''t do anything about the inertia without showing up on sensors. The guards caught on something was odd for one crate, and opened it, but saw nothing amiss, and simply concluded they must have been too tired by their long shift, or that something of the pure magic in the air must have affected it. But there was no follow up."


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "That''s good."


    "It is. So, home then?"


    "Yes. For self replication."


    "The preparations are done on your end?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "And then some. Since we can use those onboard the Flickerlight to test prototypes, we''ve started developing the next gen of units using the fabricators to make them."


    "That''s good. You know, I was thinking about it, but if we put some of those fabricators in the branch offices..."


    "We can push them in the green, even if the materials have to made here. I know." Alexandra grimaced. "It''s a shame teleportation, even in our influence is so damned expensive, or I''d send some stuff over."


    "I mean, we could ship it via airship."


    "Yeah, right, and shatter the illusion? No, better to hide that weakness." Alexandra grinned. "Besides, once we get all those fabricators distributed, they''ll still think those branch offices are a loss of mana."


    "While they''ll be anything but. I like it."


    "Yeah. Will just have to be equally careful during transport, since, well, high tech outside of our influence..."


    "Well, I guess the container we made won''t go to waste then."


    "Yeeep. Will probably ship in the fabricators rather than one per branch office and make them self replicate. Something tells me they really won''t be cheap."


    "It''s your call Alex." Ghost looked at the dungeon core. "By the way, I hear you were starting to have some issues up north?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "Yeah, Sunrise is starting to do some harassment on our supply lines. And some neutral nobles have begun joining us."


    "Not very welcome, I assume?"


    "Well, it was the goal their majesties were aiming for, but they''re still being something of a pain in the ass. Plus, you know, nobody trusts them. They stood aside and wiped their asses with their oaths once, they will do so again."


    "So, keep them close?"


    "Yeeep."


    "Alrighty. Do you need help with dealing with the raids?"


    "Oh don''t worry. Ella and Sarah helped me with our solution already."


    Ghost''s face went white.


    "Uh...Ella? Please don''t tell me-"


    "Oh yes. Yes she did. Let''s just say they''ll have to make sure not to...choke one the next convoy they attack."


    Alexandra''s smile was downright vicious, while Ghost looked at her worryingly.


    Because more and more...the dungeon core reminded her of herself. Like the barriers and suppressed memories that made her a different person were slowly breaking down.


    And that was terrifying.


    "Just...make sure you rein it in, alright?"


    "Sure."


    "Have you had anymore of those dreams lately?"


    Alexandra winced.


    "I have, actually. One about Arcadia. You know, the premiere of Interstellar Justice Three?"


    "Oh yeah. She did look good in that dress."


    "She did, though I meant more of before, when she barged into our office."


    "An odd memory to revisit."


    "Perhaps." Alexandra frowned. "It''s...worrying me, honestly."


    "Same on my end. I''m...I''m worried your barriers are breaking down."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The dungeon core froze.


    "That''s...a horrifying concept."


    "I know."


    "I''ll run some diagnostics."


    "Thanks."


    They both looked at each other, with the awkwardness only two instances of the same person could share.


    "So, progress on the AIs?" Finally said Ghost.


    "Going apace. Though the ships might prove a bit more complicated to make."


    "Not easy to make a mage ship, uh?"


    "Nooope." Alexandra smiled. "But we''ll get there. Everything has been distributed from the reinforcements up north, and is ready to rock. The new enchanted ammo...and the new missiles."


    "Really ready to unleash a weapon of the Old World in public?"


    Alexandra sighed.


    "It''s for emergencies. If push comes to shove...well, we can use them, and we might need them. Badly."


    "Point taken."


    "Alright, enough joking around. Let''s get that fabricator shipped off, and kick off another dungeon industrial revolution."


    *****


    CQ smiled, as she tried to stop herself from strangling the person across from her desk.


    The perks of mom actually putting her in the command structure was that she got a desk and people actually came to her for stuff.


    The downside was that ''people'' included self important nobles with an entire forest''s worth of sticks in their behind.


    So much for the ''neutrals'' reinforcing them.


    "I have not marched a hundred kilometers to be stonewalled! I am the countess of Halur, and-"


    "And you demand to speak to the dungeon core." Finished CQ, her eyes narrowing.


    "I do."


    "Then my answer is the same as to all of your...colleagues'' request. No. My mo-"


    "How dare you!" The countess reached out and slapped the boss. "How dare you harlot stone wall me? Get in your place you peasant! Your are cannon fodder for your betters, and a punching bag for adventurers, nothing more!"


    CQ was so shocked by the gesture and words that it took her a solid second to even raise a hand to her cheek.


    Then the words finally reached her conscious mind, and suddenly her sword wasn''t in its scabbard anymore, but halfway through the noble''s ribcage.


    The countess let out a choked scream as blood flowed from her lips, before her eyes glazed over into oblivion as the boss stepped back, extricating her sword, and twirled in a single, fluid motion, swiping the noble''s head off of her shoulders.


    There was shocked silence in her tent.


    Then the other nobles began screaming, as their bodyguards unsheathed their blades. And CQ suddenly realized that she didn''t have her own guards, because after all, what did she have to fear?


    The guards leapt for her, and suddenly she was somewhere else, stepping through space to outside of her tent.


    The nobles came stumbling out, some of them vomitting, but one fixed his febrile gaze on her, and screamed.


    "Kill her! Kill her! She''s a murderer!"


    Many of the guards of the noble delegation, who had waited outside her tent on its little hill, were confused, but they drew their weapons. They didn''t know what she looked like after all, and for them she might as well have been a strangely dressed assassin.


    CQ quickly calculated her chances...and grabbed her radio.


    "CQ! Excelsior excelsior excelsior!" She screamed into the hand held as the guards rushed her.


    And all hell broke loose.


    Despite having the teleport talisman, she wouldn''t use it bar a last resort. Not only to prevent others from knowing that it existed and learning of its capabilities, but also because she didn''t want to miss another damned battle by having to drag her way back to the army. Again.


    So she had emergency protocols, despite her lack of guards. And the one she had just used threw the entire place into chaos.


    The guards rushed her, naked blades glistening in the mid afternoon sunlight...and staggered back as a hail of gunfire slammed into their wards.


    They whirled around, meeting the new threat, only for their eyes to go wide as they recognized the golems shooting at them.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t have the time to realize their mistake...or surrender, as the last remaining Tetsudo screamed overhead, its guns thundering as it passed by, firing its full broadside into the clump of nobles and soldiers, blowing them every which way with shells.


    The air was filled with screams as nobles and bodyguards alike scrambled to get back up or clutched their wounds.


    Those who went back to their feet only did so to realize that the closest golem units were assault sappers.


    And their standard infantry lineup included flamethrowers.


    The screams redoubled as the flames devoured them, only to end abruptly as one of the corsairs finally got its turret around, and turned half of the hill into a smoking crater, pelting the entire area in steaming chunks of meat and burning offal.


    CQ simply stood there, breathing heavily as she stared at the devastation.


    "CQ! Are you alright?"


    The boss whirled around at the sound of her mother''s voice, and before she knew it she was in the ambassador golem''s arms.


    "Mom! They...they attacked me!"


    "Who? Who did?"


    "The nobles! They said...One of them said I was a harlot!"


    CQ saw the human soldiers, who were rushing forward to support the golems, physically recoil as something enshrouded her mother, waves of blind terror and hatred hitting them like a sledgehammer.


    "What." Said the dungeon core with a voice colder than the void between the stars. She turned towards one of her officer golems, and gestured for it to come forward. "Bring up one of the resurrection orbs. Now."


    The golem nodded, and slammed its fist against its chestplate.


    The boss stayed there while they waited, her mom caressing her hair and murmuring reassuring words into her ears.


    No one dared approach them. Those that built up enough courage were stopped dead in their tracks by the cordon of heavily armed golems or their own brothers in arms.


    At last however, the orb was brought in from the healers'' tents, and Alexandra snapped her fingers. Golems streamed forward, separating bodies. Miraculously, they found the corpse of the countess, almost fully intact, besides the wounds CQ had inflicted.


    The boss sniffled, and pointed at the body.


    This time she felt the wave of hatred radiating off of her mom, despite being certain her mother was doing everything in her power to deflect it away from her. She saw several of the soldiers faint in the crowd, having to be caught by others.


    The resurrection orb flashed, and the countess bolted up, screaming.


    "What- How- You-" The countess laid an outraged gaze on CQ...only to let out a strangled screech, as Alexandra grabbed the noble by the throat, and raised her into the air, the hologram on her ambassador''s hand glitching madly as she did so.


    "Listen to me you self absorbed piece of shit. Ever touch even a single hair on my daughter''s head again and I will impale you on my flagship''s prow after filling your veins with regeneration potions, so that the entire army may feast upon your screams of pain for days on end. Do you understand me, bitch?!?" Screamed out the dungeon core. The noble nodded convulsively, and Alexandra sneered, tossing her into the pile of bodies waiting to be resurrected. "Get out of my sight you filth."


    The countess scrambled off of the corpses and fled into the army, her raw panic and adrenaline somehow barely offsetting the effects of being resurrected. Alexandra simply whirled around, and stalked back towards the command tent, leading CQ by the hand, the soldiers parting along her way without a word.


    Then the soldiers turned away from them...and back towards the pile of bodies, slowly being resurrected, as well as the newly arrived ''neutral'' nobles'' armies.


    And CQ knew, instinctively, that even if her mother was prepared to forgive, which she never was, any chance of those integrating into the army as they had thought was done and dead.


    The soldiers seemed to think of her as some kind of mascot, and had the golems not been so blindingly fast in their reaction, they no doubt would have rushed to her side to defend her. In fact, most of them had appeared to be in the process of doing so, entire battalions of troops moving to her aid.


    Now...now they would no doubt turn their guns on their newfound ''allies'', if they could make up the excuses.


    For the first time, CQ understood the terrifying power of being an icon, a symbol. Of just how much her mere presence and actions could change things.


    And she also understood that this wasn''t just some pampering maids. Some of these people would have died for her, without blinking, laid out their lives for her immortal one. And that terrified her. She didn''t want the burden of their deaths. The burden to give them meaning.


    Why would anyone want this? Why would anyone bear this?


    She looked at her mom''s back as they neared the tent, and closed her eyes as she understood.


    Because someone had to.

 Chapter 324 - Supply Lines

    Chapter 324


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    "Please don''t be mad." Said CQ to her mother as the Earth-born exited the command tent.


    "Why would I be mad at you?" Said the dungeon core, surprised.


    "I mean at yourself, mom. You''re the one who told me to deal with the nobles."


    Alexandra''s face softened.


    "Thanks kiddo. But...I still bear some responsibility."


    "But-"


    "No buts. Now, I''ve talked to Manson. They won''t trouble you anymore. If they didn''t get the message after what happened today, our allies will hammer it the rest of the way into their skulls for us."


    "What''s going to happen?"


    "We''ll allow them to stay...if they dissolve their existing structures, and put themselves under the complete command of the duke. In effect, they''ll be another group of volunteer regiments."


    CQ tilted her head, remembering the soldiers lining up the side of the army, as she had to watch from the screen.


    "The volunteers aren''t so good at following orders mom."


    "That''s because we don''t keep them on a tight leash, by design. Those would be on a very tight one." Alexandra smiled. "It''s high time we broke up these feudal forces and finally hammer in a real army. And you just handed me the anvil. So thanks."


    "I did good?"


    Alexandra hugged her daughter.


    "You did. Now-" She blinked, tilting her head. "Huh."


    "Mom?"


    "Just got a ping from the drones. Looks like someone is getting close to our...special delivery. Wanna watch the maids'' handiwork?"


    "Yes!"


    "Then let''s get up to the Subtlety!"


    *****


    The rebels flowed out of the night like shadows. Enslaved adventurers and hunters made for fantastic stealth troops, and the guards were overrun in seconds.


    The golem ones, that was. The human ones were nowhere to be seen. The slaves secured the area, before shock troops followed up. Those were actual Sunrise soldiers, wielding captured rifles and submachine guns. They deployed, ready to defend the convoy, as the slaves began opening the wagons, and pulling out crates.


    There was a certain nervousness to their movement. This wasn''t their first time, but something was...off.


    Besides which, they all knew it was only a question of time until the dungeon core caught on.


    One of Sunrise''s officers walked to a crate, carried by two slaves, and flipped it open after they set it down before her.


    The officer''s eyebrows rose. Then, finally, the warning signs percolated through her brain.


    She screamed.


    And a split second later, the chemical warheads, neatly lined up in the crate, detonated, quickly followed by others throughout the convoy.


    Slaves and regulars alike went down. Some of the regulars managed to run out of the spreading gas cloud''s reach, but the slaves, absent orders, simply stood there as the neurotoxin enveloped them, delivering the sweet embrace of death, liberation from their torment.


    The regulars stared, wide eyed, at the field of corpses, trying to make sense of what had happened.


    They were still finding their footing when the desert rangers plugged them full of crossbow bolts.


    Mission complete.


    *****


    "Well, that took care of their most annoying raiders." Said Alexandra, satisfaction clear in her voice as she gazed at the images.


    The drones were quickly proving their worth. Despite their relative lack of strategic speed, not to mention their inability to operate in the wasteland, or anywhere where monsters were likely to take a bite out of them for that matter, they were immensely useful. This operation wouldn''t have been possible without them. At least it wouldn''t have been this smooth.


    "Yes. But still, I question the use of those...weapons." Said Manson, clearly troubled.


    Alexandra sighed internally. Chemical weapons had been iffy to use on Earth, for a variety of reasons, and even she was extra squeamish about it thanks to the remnants of the horrors unleashed by the Terran Hegemony she''d witnessed, but Alcheryos took it to another level.


    They''d been a preferred tool during the Great Night, and many a settlement bordering the wasteland or expedition within had been wiped out by chemical spewing automata.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Automata the God of Fire had kept online, but that went without saying. Though it did bring Alexandra to wonder why the hell did those robots have chemical weaponry, since a great deal of the military appeared to have been partially automated by that point, though as her foray into the supply ship supporting the Hammer of Eternity had shown, there had been human crews behind them.


    Corrosive gases, that could damage machinery as well, maybe? Certainly not neurotoxins, like what she''d just used.


    "They will be necessary. And in this case, they were a mercy."


    "A mercy?"


    Alexandra nodded.


    "For the slaves. With this, they got a clean, painless death, and they will be easier to resurrect." That was how the maids had sold the idea to her, and although she was somewhat...dubious that it had been anything but a sales pitch, it was a valid one. "It''s certainly better than blowing them apart with bombs and picking up the pieces."


    "Point taken. Still it...goes against the grain."


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "Perhaps, yes. But we need to stack the deck in our favor, and I''m not going to discard our aces."


    "Right. Of course. Will you be using...more of them?"


    "Only on the retreat. We''ll need to get them to slow down, and it should help considerably."


    "Let''s hope." The duke sighed. "Any more...surprises in your coming convoys?"


    "I have nothing but surprises. But...no. Not much." Not because she didn''t have more things in store, but because she was stockpiling resources. As soon as the fabricator arrived, she would start replicating it. She might even use her dungeon powers to speed up the process. She was going to do quite possibly her greatest infrastructure expansion yet, and it was going to bankrupt her.


    She''d considered some measures to increase her income, but none were really viable. Expanding the dungeon itself was starting to bring diminishing returns, at least for the time being, and would be a long term gain anyway, not to mention it would require its own upfront infrastructure cost, making it a net loss on the time scale she was operating at.


    Expanding her influence was also a no go. It would net her a lot of mana, probably, but the growing interference might reach her mesa fortress and prevent her from editing it. And since she still hadn''t finished her shield and point defense project, to fend off an orbital bombardment attack...


    Thus, she was stuck with cutting expenses, and that meant lowering production of new stuff and the infrastructure to build them, while also dialing everything else down. It would mean a lull in the flow of armaments, but a veritable roar later. The eternal balance of industry, produce what you need now, or set up greater production for later?


    Thankfully, she had some modern equipment reserves to draw from, though they were running dangerously low, so she could play that game, even if barely.


    But what she would be able to build afterwards...oh yeah. Sunrise was going to have a bad, very bad day. She''d just need for the army to hold them off for that long.


    "While I am relieved that you are currently out of surprises, I am also somewhat sad of that fact." Said the duke, and Alexandra laughed.


    "I said I had no new ones in the incoming convoys, not that I was out of them."


    "Point taken."


    "I assume you have the nobles handled?"


    "I''m letting them stew for a bit, get all worked up about the horrible fate you no doubt have reserved for them for their transgressions, before swooping in for a hard but fair rescue from the vengeful dungeon core and her golem army." Alexandra barked out a laugh as Manson smiled ."I expect some excellent results."


    "With a good cop, bad cop like that? Yeah, no kidding. Alright then. Time for me to hop on home, I have some reinforcements to prepare." And a fabricator to receive and assemble.


    "Good luck, lady Crystal."


    "Thanks, but I prefer to make my own."


    "No doubt. But still, sometimes one has to roll the dice."


    Alexandra grimaced internally. She''d already done that by taking over the Flickerlight. She was lucky she hadn''t rolled low, since no one seemed to have notice the ship''s change in its communication ping.


    "Yes, well, I''d rather avoid it if at all possible, unless I''ve weighted said dice."


    "If you''re not cheating, you''re not trying hard enough, right?" Manson smiled, and Alexandra chuckled.


    "Precisely, your grace. You''re a fast learner."


    "An old war horse like me always has some room for new tricks."


    "Well I guess you''re full of surprises as well."


    "Mine have a lower body count."


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "What can I say? I like spectacle and crushing my enemies."


    "Then let''s make a show out of Sunrise''s defeat, shall we?"


    "Yes. Let''s."


    *****


    Orzal Vek, formerly colonel of the Elkis Republic, now agent and officer of the Order to Restore Humanity, gazed at the army, progressing through the scrublands.


    Hugging the wasteland like that was a risky gamble, but it appeared to be paying off. The army was making good time, better than what the senate probably expected. They would be in position to march on Mystral soon, cutting through the floodplains and young forests to the north of the vital trade link, rather than the massive, old forests and marshlands that would have otherwise impeded their progress.


    It was a shame he was there to prevent that.


    He gestured at one of his men, who pulled out the emitter. When he had been told what they were about to do, he''d been horrified, but what choice did he have?


    With this, they would broadcast a signal that would awaken the defenses that surrounded the large lake within the wasteland. The lake that had once been a city...a city the God of Fire had murdered upon his return, slaughtering millions of innocents by bombing them from orbit upon his return.


    The more he worked with the Order, and the more he learned of the truth of the world...the more he was starting to wonder if they weren''t right. If their cause wasn''t...just.


    If only their methods weren''t so abominable.


    Orzal grabbed the remote, put his hand on the button, and...


    He froze, as the artifact glasses he was wearing flashed warnings. He became perfectly still, his brand new stealth systems fading him into the background.


    He was in the perfect spot to observe the advancing army, for he had wanted to gaze and remember what he had unleashed.


    But perfect meant that equally competent others would think of it as well, and his eyes darted as he saw the whispers of stealth fields. Not stealth composites like those of the Old World, but shrouds of energy.


    Divine technology. And not the low end either.


    He was surrounded by a strike team of Seraphims.


    He slowly, very slowly, loosened his holster, and prepared himself for annihilation. But to his amazement, a voice began speaking.


    "Adjudicator. There is no further sign of the heretics."


    "Then we must have gotten ahead of them." Answered another voice, coming from the ether, dispersed by the stealth field to prevent a lock on to its speaker. "Send your men below, and set up an ambush between those troops and the wasteland. This army mustn''t be stopped, at any cost."


    "Yes, adjudicator."


    The former colonel held his breath as the faint signatures moved on, one lingering behind the others, seemingly taking in the view. And he realized that his insistence on setting up well in advance and simply observing the army move in, in silence had just saved his life and that of his strike team.


    Their stealth, after all, wasn''t impenetrable...but a passively stealthed object not emitting energy and effectively immobile, as they had been for the last few hours, was damned near impossible to find. The Seraphims'' own tech even had the weakness of being faintly detectable at point blank range if they were moving, as they had just demonstrated.


    The colonel exchanged a glance with his second in command, whose distress he could read even through the camouflage.


    The mission was aborted...and high command needed to know. They were being followed.


    And the Seraphims were coming out to play.


    Well...looked like that regardless of his superiors'' wishes, they had the opportunity for a trap.


    He had to make a call.

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 Chapter 325 - Fabrication

    Chapter 325


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Shipyard


    Alexandra smiled as the ship finished its docking sequence, and the unloading cranes deployed.


    So far, so good.


    "Now, be careful with it." She told Subtlety and Seraph. The older AI simply pointed at the giant pile of gravity manipulators, backup cranes and even entire mats of ''kinetic absorption material'', aka foam, lining the floor.


    "Affirmative. Precautions have been taken."


    The dungeon core chuckled.


    "Alright, alright! I''m just being a worrier."


    "Affirmative."


    Alexandra tilted her head. Was the AI giving her sass now?


    "Right."


    She watched as the stealthed container was carefully removed from the ship, then moved to a special holding area, and loaded onboard a train that looked like a pile of safety equipment more than anything.


    One of the simple upgrades her people had added to their logistics network had been to throw out the old minecart network, and replace it with a full train one. It wasn''t made for long trains and such, but it didn''t have to. The longest trips here were vertical, and she had cargo elevators for that.


    The trip to the fabrication chamber, the monster of industry where she had stored Seraph''s fabricators to constantly build her high tech spare parts, was a short one, with Alexandra and her AIs taking one of the express elevators, stepping out well before the container rolled in, and subsequently unloaded.


    "Alright." Alexandra cracked her neck as the golems opened the container. "Let''s get to it."


    *****


    "So, you''ll have to spend a while replicating them?" Said Allya, as she sipped on her hot chocolate.


    The archduchess looked a lot younger, and happier, than Alexandra had ever seen her. The same could be said for Pyn, for that matter, the newlyweds both looking a bit tired, but thoroughly fulfilled.


    "Yes." The dungeon core glanced at the elf, who was busy assembling toasts and then passing half over to her wife. "It''s the eternal battle. Do I produce the gear that I need now, or the industry I''ll need later? Since in this case I''m planning on buying time to begin with, I can afford to scale up a bit."


    "So you''ll just do industrial development for a bit?" Allya bit into her toast, spraying crumbs everywhere as she continued. "No offense, but Manson''s gonna ask questions."


    "I have some gear stockpiles to keep up the flow of ammo and reinforcements for a bit." Basically stuff she''d built after she''d sent the army. "But you''re right, the duke will wonder why there isn''t any of the new, experimental stuff. I can placate him a bit with the new munitions, it''s not like the enchanters can make fabricators anyway, even if I trusted them with them. But..."


    "But you''ll need my help."


    "Yep."


    "I can come up with some distractions, and keep him focused on something else." The archduchess took another sip of her hot chocolate. "But it''ll only last so long."


    "I don''t need much time. I''ve already set the fabricators to self replicate."


    "Not using your powers?" Said Pyn, before biting into her own toast.


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "I considered it, but it''s so damned expensive. Instead I have the other fabricators make all the parts they can to feed into the unlocked one. It speeds up the process..."


    "But one fabricator is still a hard bottleneck." Finished Allya.


    "Yep. A lot of the parts are locked out too, so it''s not like I''m fully using the other fabricators."


    "Right. But once you''re done?"


    "I''ve started serious development on fabricator made hardware, mainly low tech, for the war. Luckily, I should be able to keep up my ship and some of my mech production up and running, at least until I reach a certain stage in the fabricator numbers. Then I''ll have to switch to full replication."


    The elf, now archduchess consort, tilted her head.


    "Wait, if those fabricators will take all your money to run, how will you keep it up?"


    "They wouldn''t. One, because manufacturing all that other stuff will be less costly per fabrication time than building another fabricator. Golems aren''t expensive, in fact they''re dirt fucking cheap with these things, they just need time to make, hence why I need a lot of fabricators. Plus, I have to keep up golem production for the dungeon, but once I''m done with the fabricators, I can phase out my old mechanisms and save a ton of mana."


    "Why not do that in stages? Like, build four fabricators, set one aside for golem production, use the other three to build up, saving yourself money as you grow the capacity and keep up other productions on the side?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "I considered that, but I''m afraid of using up too much time for too little gain. This will be decided by a decisive battle at the end of a long string of attrition, not the attrition itself. Sunrise''s army won''t be defeated by a mere fighting retreat, no matter how bloody it is."


    "Provided they don''t grind you into the dust through that attrition." Warned Allya, and Alexandra nodded.


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    "Provided they don''t. But still, I don''t think drip feeding new hardware would be a good idea."


    "Well, I guess you''ll have to rely on the human troops then, won''t you?"


    The dungeon core grimaced.


    "Yeah...I guess I''ll have to. That''ll be weird. No offense."


    "None taken. You always did kick more ass than my city guard."


    "Thinking of sending reinforcements?"


    Allya shook her head.


    "We''re already stretched thin with ensuring civil order, and we have your golems to help. We''re starting to get new recruits though. Lots of people are keen on fleeing the drafts and wars going on in the Republic and the Kingdom. With our small, all volunteer force, and your golems serving as the military, they figure they''ll be safe in Rebirth."


    Alexandra''s eyebrows rose.


    "Oh. I didn''t think of that."


    "Well, they''re growing the place quite a bit. It''s helping diversify from a pure dungeon economy. They''re also...well, they''re very eager to serve in the guard, interestingly enough. Since they basically equate it with a police force that''ll always be kept to guard the capital, which is now widely seen as both impregnable and surrounded by other fortress cities blocking all accesses, they figure it''s a safe bet, especially if we start doing something like kicking out draft dodgers."


    "Will you?"


    "No. The ''draft'' in Sarth is a peasant levy, they don''t have any military value, and the New Republic is only taking volunteers, everyone there is running from the Senate."


    "Ah. Speaking of..."


    "I''ve been briefed. The siege of Pavrow has begun."


    "They''re only setting up, but yeah. The other columns are moving towards their targets."


    "Think they''ll make it?"


    "The ones moving towards Gorromar? Yeah, absolutely. Harder to say for the one heading to Mystral. They''re hugging a death zone. One we attracted the most dangerous crap from, but still." And she had a sinking feeling the God of Fire would find a way to replace the ''horrors of the Old World'' there if they came to run out. The death zones were very clearly places the Custodians were trying to keep people away from. Which meant she needed to get in. "It''ll only take a minor force of automata to ruin their day, especially if they come in without warning."


    "Right. Reminds me, didn''t you have a gift for the New Republic? My advisors told me something to that effect."


    Alexandra chuckled, rubbing her neck, almost missing the fact that the archduchess blushed as she said that.


    "Yeah. I realized that two recon carriers was already almost overkill for the army up north, but I already have two more under production, and since their drones are suicide to use in the wasteland..."


    "You''re planning to give them over."


    "Kind of. They won''t have the blackbirds, I''m keeping that particular ace up my sleeve a secret for as long as possible." There was a reason the recon carriers snuck off on ''patrol'' from the army to launch and recover aircrafts. "But they''ll get the drones. It''ll be a nice boost. Though the ships won''t be ready for a bit."


    "I''m sure they''ll appreciate them. Not planning to sell them, though?"


    "Nope. it''s not like they can pay me, by and large. Besides which, I thought it was time we got this more into a friendly alliance than a professional agreement."


    "Uh huh. And does that have anything to do with a conversation with a certain Knight-Commander?"


    Alexandra dipped her head. She had told the two nobles about that little tidbit pretty much immediately after it happening. It was too important not to.


    "Yeah. Her insights...if we''re going to do this..."


    "We need them to actually want to be part of that Empire, not just have it be a necessity."


    "Yes. Jaghatan inevitability is nice and all..."


    "Jag...what?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "Jaghatan was mongol political and economical scientist. Wrote extensively on why most nations on Earth consolidated into massive military and trading blocs like the European Federation or the UIS. His work created the concept of Jaghatan inevitability, where economical and political factors demand that nations begin regrouping and forming larger ones. Simply put, the challenges and cost of interplanetary colonization, combined with the very real risk of another nuclear exchange just left surviving nations no other solutions but to band together to enable expansion into space and defense from strategic attack."


    "Ah. And with the UDC''s collapse..."


    "That, and everything else going to hell, the same is happening, at least here, yeah. Or at least I certainly think so, and so do my programs."


    "Programs?"


    "I''ve started running a fair few strategic simulations, expanding on my psychohistory scripts. But yeah, Philia was right. We''re in the perfect position to unify both the Kingdom and the Republic under one banner, and once we do..."


    "The rest will fall in like dominos, they''ll have to, as the rest of the world burns down around them."


    "Exactly."


    "And a fully unified continent will give you an excellent core to expand outwards, won''t it?"


    Alexandra lowered her eyes as both nobles looked at her.


    "It will..."


    "I figured that was your eventual goal a long time ago."


    "And you''re fine with it."


    Allya closed her eyes.


    "It will bring us into conflict with the Eris Empire. If it still exists by the time we get there."


    "I suspect we will be in conflict with them long before then." Allya''s eyebrow rose, and Alexandra grimly chuckled. "That Erisian airfleet isn''t here by accident. And even if it was, the Order won''t pass up the chance for more chaos. Before this is over, we''ll be fighting them, even if only in some kind of accident."


    "That''ll be bloody."


    "It''s part of why I''m so keen on stopping everything to scale up. We''re going to need the advantage."


    "Fair enough. But the Empire...is not to be trifled with."


    Alexandra''s gaze hardened.


    "I know, neither am I."


    "I''m not joking. They rule half of the world." By population and industry, not territory, but Alexandra didn''t correct her, they both knew what she meant. "They have the power to squash you."


    "And I have the power to wipe them off of the face of Alcheryos." Said Alexandra, and the newlyweds exchanged a look. "Their gear is impressive, but push comes to shove, I have railguns, hovertanks and plasma cannons, and they don''t. Or at least, not in the quantities I can pump out."


    They both nodded.


    "Right. Just...do understand, they will bring their own Old World gear to the party, if ''push comes to shove'' as you say."


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "I know. I know. And I''m preparing for that." Well, preparing for the God of Fire to try and murder her, but that equipment would work just fine against the Eris Empire. "Do you expect them to send them in though?"


    "Honestly? Probably not. If you''re right, they''ll collapse long before it comes to that. But someone will inherit that hardware."


    "Right. And a warlord will be a hell of a lot more dangerous than a decaying Empire."


    "Exactly."


    "I suppose we''ll see when we come to it. Still, hope for the best.."


    "Plan for the worst. We''ll start working on trade now that we''re, uh..."


    "No longer occupied." Said Alexandra, diplomatically. After all, she''d done the same ''honey moon'' when Emilia had finally dragged her to bed.


    "Right. We''ll use those discussions, and Anders'' little talks with the Far Reach, to pave the way."


    "That''ll be helpful, thanks." Alexandra sighed as she received a notification. "But I''ll have to cut this short, enjoy the rest of the breakfast, you know the way out. Call if you need me, but..."


    "Back to the salt mines?"


    "Yeeep. Back to the salt mines."

 Chapter 326 - Battle Preparations

    Chapter 326


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Sarth-Asaria High Road


    "Almost there." Said Manson as he gazed at the holographic map hovering above the table.


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Almost. Though not quite."


    "How are our enemies doing?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "Their vanguard has grown. Quite a bit, in fact."


    The duke''s eyebrow rose.


    "Did the main army make it?"


    The dungeon core shook her head.


    "Not yet, no. They''ll beat us there, mind you, but they''re still a couple of days away." She had expanded her recon flights, the blackbirds amazingly useful now that they were travelling with the army in their carriers, and it hadn''t taken her long to stumble upon Sunrise''s main army. If anything had hammered home what they were facing, that was it. Seeing a million soldiers marching was...one hell of a sight. "No, it''s the garrisons."


    "Ah. Finally regrouped with their main army after running from us."


    "Yes. Those between here and Asaria also marched ahead of the main army."


    "How many?"


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "Hard to tell. But fifty, seventy five thousand more troops? A drop of water compared to their main force."


    "Indeed. But still, something worth keeping in mind."


    "Right. If nothing else, they''ve been able to build a fair few defensive emplacements."


    "Using them as labor?"


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "It''s not like the slaves have much else to do, and clearly the vanguard was exclusively made out of regulars. What, do you expect Sunrise''s high and mighty soldiers to do their own digging when there''s slaves to do the work?"


    "Ah! Fair enough."


    Alexandra smiled, before suppressing a frown. Something bugged her about those fortifications, ever since they''d begun building, and she couldn''t shake it off.


    They looked normal, but something was...off, about them.


    No, not the fortifications themselves. The way they were being constructed. She''d seen Sunrise tire their slaves to the bones digging in to fight her.


    Maybe they weren''t as desperate as the Southern Army, but it still struck her as odd. Against someone with superior technology and so much artillery she knew she''d want as much of an advantage as possible.


    Then again, they would soon have over a million slaves to help expand them. She was probably overthinking this.


    "At least we know how their vanguard got here so quickly." Said Philia, and Alexandra had to hide a wince.


    The Knight-Commander had gotten a lot gloomier, after their discussion. She''d been slowly sliding towards cynism throughout her entire tenure with Rebirth and then the Kingdom''s civil war, but now that she had the confirmation that her kingdom was about to be vassalized, and she was helping it come about, she seemed to have fallen into a resigned state.


    "Yes, we do. Clever, using their airborne cavalry like this, and having the garrisons along the way serve as resupply points." Said the duke, and the Earth-born barked out a laugh.


    "If by ''resupply point'' you mean ''stripping them bare'', then yes." Alexandra shook her head, though she had to admit it had been clever, allowing them to get all of their pegasus light cavalry and gryphon knights all the way here in record time, denying her the possibility of a forward marine assault to take the bridge. It would have been suicide, but without knowing exactly when she could come, and the speed of her army, they had no way of knowing her force wouldn''t arrive in time to reinforce the marines before Sunrise''s own host arrived. "It''s going to be a fucking wasteland from here to Asaria."


    "Probably, yes. Now, what do we do about it?"


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "For now, we don''t need a plan to deal with it. We might never have to. Once we arrive, we''ll engage them with artillery, and force them to come to us. Then, we try to ensnare them into a chase south. If they come far enough down with us, my reinforcements will break them, and we''ll march to Asaria unopposed."


    "And how likely is that to happen, in your opinion?"


    The dungeon core grinned.


    "Depends on if my new units are as good as I think they are. If I''m right, then they''re absolutely fucked."


    "And if you''re wrong?"


    "Then it will be a bloodbath, and we will pave the entire high road with bodies."


    Only grim silence answered her.


    After a tense dozen seconds, and the atmosphere began to grow oppressive, Alexandra cleared her throat.


    "Regardless, our forces have already gone over to the high road, so at least our mobility issues are gone. And with the sappers and our civilians repairing and expanding the road net behind us, we''ll be able to pull back a lot faster than we came in. Not to mention it won''t be big enough to accommodate Sunrise''s whole force, so they''ll either move a hell of a lot more slowly or have to disperse."


    "They won''t disperse, and invite defeat in detail." Said Philia. "You''ve made ample examples of what happens when someone does this against you. General Amelia, the Old World constructs, the Alesian fortresses..."


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    "Yeah. So they''ll bull their way through. Unfortunately, they have the manpower to punch their way in and create the infrastructure necessary to move. Fortunately, that still loses them time."


    "Once we''re here and further south, sure, but we''ll do the first few engagements in the flood plains." Warned Manson. "They need only march through the fields, even if the high road doesn''t accommodate them."


    "Agreed. But in a battle of movement in open terrain, the advantage goes to the one with the armored divisions." That''s a lesson her homeland learned the hard way, before deploying it in tandem with those who had taught it to them during the Terran Hegemony War, and then against the Pan-Asian Confederacy during the Interplanetary Wars. "I have tanks and mechs, they don''t."


    "But they do have cavalry. Air and ground."


    "True. Which is why this won''t be a cakewalk. But we have the initiative, that counts for a lot. Besides which, rushing us with the cavalry if part of our army is dug in while another part retreats, especially if both are covered by airships and artillery, would be madness. And thanks to my blackbirds we''ll have ample advance warning of any attack."


    "Very well. Now, as for our battle formation..."


    *****


    "Greetings, doctor." Said Allya as the scholar entered her office. "It''s a pleasure to see you again."


    Hexamarch Mortell, doctor of the university of New Raleigh, nodded.


    "Please, the pleasure is all mine." His outfit was remarkably modern looking, a fairly sharp suit completed with a bowler hat, that he promptly took off and pressed to his chest. "You honor me with your time, especially so early after your wedding, and during such a critical time."


    "Why, thank you. Take a seat, doctor."


    The man nodded, and did as he was bid. Allya looked him and down, then sighed.


    "Doctor, if you''ll allow me to be blunt?"


    "Of course!"


    "Why the fuck did Rook send an operative to my damned city? I thought we had an understanding."


    The doctor didn''t even look surprised, he simply smiled.


    "You did, and still do. I''m here to serve as a liaison as well as a good professor."


    "Liaison?"


    "Between your own secret service and New Raleigh''s intelligence unit."


    "I have..." Nothing as formal as a secret service, but truth be told her old assassin sect had been filling that role, hadn''t that it? For that matter, so had Alexandra and her golems. "Several objections. Notably, the lack of warning."


    "I''m afraid Rook didn''t have the luxury of telling you, as more important matters are currently in his hands, and truth be told the message to the twins got lost in translation. And once I was there...I decided it was better if I told you in person, and in private."


    "I see. You are nearing the end of your preparations, aren''t you?"


    The professor inclined his head.


    "We are getting close. Though I''m afraid I cannot be more precise."


    "Close enough to prevent the coming battle?"


    The professor''s silence and grim expression was all the answer she needed.


    "Well then, I suppose we''ll just have to buy you more time then."


    Hexamarch brightened up.


    "You''ll delay the assault?"


    "We''ll delay the decisive battle." Pyn was rubbing off on her. They were planning on making this a long fighting retreat anyway, and her first instinct was now to see if she could do it as a ''favor''. There were benefits to everyone thinking you were allied with an unstoppable beast of war and the only person in existence capable of holding them back. Like Starvak did, though the guild master had kept quiet for a while now, as the dungeon core had rolled over the UDC. "But not indefinitely."


    The professor nodded.


    "Of course." He winced. "What...would you like, in thanks for such consideration?"


    Allya leaned forward.


    "Your future support."


    "Support for...what, exactly?"


    Allya smiled.


    "Global operations, of course. I do not believe the UDC will stop there, and neither does Crystal. When they strike again, and they will, it may become necessary to retaliate...wherever they may be. When that becomes the case, I would like to call upon you to assist us."


    "New Raleigh''s capacity for power projection are limited."


    "Don''t bullshit me. You train guerillas and extract liberated slaves from all over the world. Your network of sympathizers and black ops make the dark elf''s syndicate look like a joke. If we need a strike team deployed across the world..."


    The doctor leaned back into his seat as he played with his hat.


    "Will you kill them?"


    He didn''t need to precise who the ''them'' was.


    "No. But we will contain them."


    "Deal."


    Allya had to stop herself from swallowing.


    He hadn''t said he needed to contact his superiors or anything.


    She might have seriously underestimated his rank within New Raleigh''s intelligence...and how badly Rook wanted to stay on friendly terms with Rebirth.


    "Very well." Allya looked at him, and decided that not pursuing the subject was the wisest course of action. Something told her that the ruler of New Raleigh would explain himself in person. She just hoped he came in with less drama this time. They''d never been able to get some of the scorch march from Alexandra''s breaching charges out of the wood in her cabin. "So, how goes setting up the library?"


    "Everything is going apace! We''ve run into minor difficulties with breaking ground, there appeared to have been some misunderstanding with how deep we required a cellar, but that has been cleared up."


    "Cellar?"


    "Of course! A library this far from the university will require printing presses and all the material storage to run them and store their output."


    "Ah. I see. And the branch you were planning on opening?"


    The doctor shrugged.


    "Currently simply on paper, I''m afraid. We are planning to move professors and begin a full academia, but we will only do so once the library is fully up and running. It was deemed the...priority."


    Allya nodded. It was, after all, Rook''s payment for them letting the twins go and letting the flow of ingredients go through for breaking the brands, or whatever the hell he was doing.


    "Of course. And how fare the twins with all this?"


    She hadn''t seen them in a bit, though they had been present at the marriage, they had excused themselves from the reception afterwards fairly quickly.


    "They are currently taking a vacation. After so much overtime and stress, they amply deserve it."


    Allya nodded.


    "I can understand that. Do they intend to...leave Rebirth?"


    Hexamarch shook his head as he waved his hat for emphasis.


    "No, no, of course not. But they do intend to take something of a sabbatical, and work on personal projects."


    "Well, it is more than fair that they get some time to themselves."


    "Indeed. They have also reported something...interesting to me."


    "Which is?"


    "The arm."


    Their gazes met.


    Alexandra had, in exchange for increasing the production of the ingredients the twins, and Rook, needed, had them make a cybernetic arm for her former party member and healer, Alyssa. Whose adventuring party was currently regularly doing delves into the dungeon, always with above average luck in loot and damage, though Allya had to decline their invitations to join them.


    "And?"


    "Who is that adventurer, to the dungeon core, I wonder?"


    "The death of you, your agents, and our arrangements with your boss." Answered the archduchess, with the same tone of voice she would use when discussing the weather. Her gaze however, burned with warning...and utter sincerity.


    The doctor recoiled as if physically struck, and nodded.


    "Very well. I will...cease my enquiries."


    "Good." Allya smiled, and she saw him shiver. Yeah, asshole, you''re not the only one with surprises. "Would you care for some hot chocolate, before you go?"


    The professor nodded, somewhat choppily, and Allya poured him a mug.


    She suspected the message would go through fully. If not...well, push came to shove, Alexandra would take care of it.


    And she, for one, wouldn''t bet on the good doctor.

 Chapter 327 - The Clash

    Chapter 327


    Kamiran Floodplains, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Sarth-Asaria High Road


    Alexandra sighed as she closed the blackbird''s report, gazing at the war council assembled on the So Much For Subtlety''s bridge, Manson, Philia, Rim and half a dozen other officers.


    "Alright, no change into the enemy. They''re still digging in, and trying to be clever."


    The duke grimaced.


    "Do you they seriously thing those pontoon bridges will allow them to surprise us?"


    "I think they''ll expect them to scare us into pulling back from assault on the main bridge. Which...isn''t that bad of a strategy, honestly." Alexandra shrugged. "If nothing else, it''ll force me to divert some artillery fire away from them."


    "Well, better to be overestimated in this case."


    "Indeed. Alright then, let''s reconvene this evening." Alexandra looked at the hologram on the projector, showing the advancing army, with its armored spearhead, backed up by cavalry. "If we continue at this rate of advance, our vanguard will be in range to engage tomorrow. Better stop early, dig in, and take a good night of rest before that. And as a bonus, we''ll have a fallback position."


    Everyone nodded.


    "I will rejoin my troops then." Said the duke and the Knight-Commander, almost simultaneously, and Alexandra chuckled.


    "Of course. I''ll have the Tetsudo carry you off."


    "Much appreciated."


    Alexandra inclined her head. Technically all the officers here had featherfall enchantments on their armor, they could literally just jump off the ship, but the courtesy was the least she could do.


    "Alright then. See you this evening!"


    *****


    The duchess looked at the horizon, where the aircraft had vanished.


    "Has it gone home to roost?" She asked her spymaster, who closed his eyes, and nodded.


    "Yes. Our rogues report that it has."


    "Good." She turned back towards her assembled officers. "Riders of Dawn! Today is your day to shine! Today is your day of victory! For Surnise!"


    "FOR SUNRISE! LONG LIVE THE DUCHESS! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" Screamed out the assembled officers, soon picked up by their knights.


    The duchess gestured, and thousands of soldiers swarmed over their mounts.


    And a few minutes later, a veritable tide of pegasus and gryphons rose into the skies...mounts that hadn''t had to ride in days, been carefully fed and allowed to rest for this very moment.


    The airships didn''t follow. They were too large, to easy to detect thanks to their powerful engines and magic hungry systems.


    The duchess watched as the gryphons rose, her nephew among them, and she did something she hadn''t done in decades.


    She prayed. Prayed to whatever God of the pantheon may be listening. To grant her and her people victory against those who would destroy her world.


    Maybe, just maybe, one of them would listen.


    Unlike when she had prayed for the life of her parents, as the King was preparing their executions.


    But divine assistance or no...the die was cast.


    *****


    Alexandra grimaced as she gazed at the prototype.


    Okay, fabricators or no, she was going to have to dial it back down for the basic infantry. Quality over quantity was all well and good, but numbers had a quality all of their own and-


    ALERT: RECON DRONE 6 REPORTS ENEMY CONTACT


    ALERT: RECON DRONE 6 REPORTS MANY ENEMY CONTACTS


    ALERT: RECON DRONE 6 OFFLINE


    Alexandra was out of her avatar and her full attention was on her ambassador golem in less than a second.


    "Status?" She asked as the golem stood up on the So Much For Subtlety''s bridge.


    "One of our recon drones has sighted hostiles between us and Sunrise''s army." Said Subtlety as the AI''s hologram flickered. "Inloading Omega databurst now."


    The holographic projector chimed, and an image appeared above it. For a second, Alexandra thought she was looking at a storm cloud of some kind, until she saw the edges.


    Edges made up of pegasus. Pegasus and Gryphons.


    Oh fuck.


    "Battle stations!" Alexandra scrambled and slammed her fist on the big red button in the center of the captain''s console. "Get the entire army into combat formation, NOW!"


    "Aye aye!"


    Alarms sounded throughout the ship and the army below. Some of the human soldiers milled around, confused, but most of them fell into a well drilled routine, thanks to the Knight-Commander''s relentless exercises, even on the march.


    The artillery train stopped dead in its tracks, and the golems and humans began unlimbering the guns, as riflemen and pikemen formed a square around them. Meanwhile the entire army started collapsing in on itself, turning from a marching column into something approaching a combat formation.


    But even reacting as fast as they did...


    Alexandra saw the icons pop up on the sensor systems, as more drones were sent to their deaths to buy more information.


    She saw the enemy''s speed, and she swore.


    It wouldn''t be enough.


    "Get the guns ready for anti air mode!" Were she a betting woman -which Emilia relentlessly winning and then turning that against her in increasingly lewd ways had very much convinced her not to be-, she would put all her money on them trying to bum rush the artillery in a dive attack. "We''re about to have company!"


    She gazed, nervously, as the guns were readied. Too slow, too slow, too-


    Sunrise''s air cavalry was flying nape of the Earth, and they simply appeared in visual range, almost without warning.


    Her ships opened fire, but the enemy simply ignored them. Her fleet, even with the Subtlety, was too diminished to be the real threat. No, her ground force was.


    Seemed like they''d learned the lesson from the UDC''s little incursion.


    Her army opened fire. For the first time since it had been formed, many of Sarth''s troops or the Kaidani volunteers used their guns in anger.


    Wards glittered as bullets were swatted aside with something almost like contempt, and magic answered from the seething mass of cavalry.


    Fortunately, Alexandra was equally well prepared, and the spells withered and died on her formation wards.


    Then, the cavalry closed the gap, and dove.


    They couldn''t dive directly onto the guns. The wards prevented that. But they did try to land and punch through the infantry.


    Unfortunately for them, those were her army''s elite. A mix of golems, Sarth''s ducal guard and Philia''s remaining royal knights.


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    And unfortunately for her, the other side was Sunrise''s.


    Soldiers screamed and died as a solid phalanx of gryphons tried to dive in for the kill, plowing through the tightly packed square of infantry.


    Alexandra''s finest died...but every meter forward had to be bought with blood.


    Blood...and time.


    Time Sunrise no longer had.


    The guns opened fire, and Sunrise''s vanguard vanished. Well trained, essence gorged knights on mythical beasts or no, nothing was going to survive the fire of a thousand artillery pieces at point blank range.


    More kept pouring in however, but it was clear that the other side was changing tactics. Instead of trying to force themselves onto the artillery, which was already being reinforced by more and more infantry, living and automata alike, they landed...and attempted to cut the column in half, before it could form into a coherent battle line, and defeat the army in detail.


    Alexandra noted that the enemy''s air cavalry declined to attempt a full encirclement of the army, instead opting to concentrate their force into a single coherent frontline, with dedicated spearheads of gryphon knights, using the mass of the lighter pegasus cavalry as support and cannon fodder.


    Whoever was in command on the other side had clearly singled out the Kaidani volunteers as the weak link within the army, and focused their thrust there, to attempt to sunder the entire formation.


    It had backfired spectacularly. The Kaidanis were fighting like demons, with a fervor that made even Alexandra uncomfortable. She saw entire squads drag armored knights from their saddle and then dogpile them, tearing through their armor until they could finally reach the screaming soldier within, uncaring of the fact that the same knight was killing them in droves with bursts of magic or wild swing of their enchanted weapons. Some, who were wearing some kind of makeshift metal mask, were being especially vicious, outright ignoring their own wounds and throwing themselves in suicidal attacks if it meant taking one more knight with them.


    But even with this insane bravery, they still fell to the enemy''s blades and sorcery. And the units around them were driven back as the Kaidanis held their ground, Sunrise''s pegasus cavalry flowing around the knights to widen the gap.


    They had successfully cut off her army''s vanguard, the cavalry and armored units now fully encircled, as the rest of Sunrise''s force tried to pin the rest of her force in place.


    Sarth''s cavalry tried to punch through as the spearhead was separated from the army, but they were thrown back, and for a horrible minute, it seemed like the vanguard would be surrounded and annihilated.


    Then the Mackie arrived.


    Having rushed back from the front at the start of the engagement, it hadn''t actually fired yet, outside of a few bursts of machinegun fire at targets of opportunity flying overhead.


    It came to a halt right beyond the seething frontline, and for a split second, everyone stopped, as the combatants glanced at the massive creature of metal, towering over them.


    The Mackie made sure of its targets.


    And fired.


    All in all, despite its impressive armaments, two howitzers, twin rocket pods, a double barreled autocannon and a few machineguns weren''t that much in the grand scheme of such a battle. Even the missile launcher wouldn''t make a big difference.


    Except that the lion''s share of her special, enchanted ammunition had been reserved for the mech...and it could unleash it at point blank range.


    The howitzers fired first. Two barrels spit out hundred of projectiles from their canister rounds straight into the mass of Sunrise''s pegasus cavalry.


    And halfway through their flight, their enchantments triggered. The air crackled with energy as arcs of electricity leapt wildly between the cannister rounds.


    Neither the electricity nor the projectiles were enough to actually kill the beasts or their riders...but as the shots buried themselves into their targets'' bodies, their second peculiarity emerged. Those were not made out of steel, but tungsten, surviving the impact...and the enchantments continued to discharge their energy.


    The entirety of Sunrise''s frontline screamed and spasmed as they fell, electricity raging through their nerves.


    Screams that vanished as Sarth''s cavalry washed over them, slavers falling silent as iron clod hooves reduced their heads and bodies to so much pulp.


    The Mackie marched forward, its autocannon turret swinging like a metronome, letting loose a barrage of hell, its rounds exploding into spears of energy, shattering wards and throwing riders out of their saddles.


    Then the machineguns focused on those whose barriers were down. High caliber bullets lodged themselves in enchanted armor plates and essence infused flesh...and activated their enchantments.


    The bullets sparked with energy, and began glowing red hot, before beginning to liquefy, molten metal infiltrating the cracks in the armor or gaping wounds in the screaming warriors.


    Every step of it was designed to incapacitate. Alexandra knew that the Mackie was an impressive piece of equipment, but it was a force multiplier for the ground forces. Its greatest strength was its support, not its own power.


    The vanguard lurched forward, plowing through the pegasus cavalry that had poured in, and the gryphon knights whirled to meet them.


    Magic screamed through the air, as the paladins and mages among them unleashed their power upon the mech, and the machine staggered back as its shields were hammered.


    But while they focused on it...the spider tanks had rushed to the forefront.


    There weren''t that many of them. Not after the battle of Ytakan with the UDC. But there were enough, especially with the gatling one front and center.


    Sunrise''s best staggered back from the onslaught. This time there were no canister shots, no fancy enchantments. Just shells, steel, gunpowder and cold hatred.


    Their assault upon the Mackie faltered, and the mech regained its momentum. A fired again.


    This time, the howitzers weren''t first, as the mech leaned forward slightly, and unleashed its rocket pods.


    Most of the rockets didn''t do anything. They simply screamed through the air, and impotently pinged off of barriers.


    The ones who worked however...


    Dozens of wards came down as the null warheads activated, and the mass of Sunrise elite staggered back as the Mackie unloaded its entire pods into them, annihilating their magical protections.


    Then it righted itself again...and the rest of its weapons opened up.


    Two wave of kinetic energy erupted from the shells the howitzers spat out. They weren''t the magnificent vortex of destruction of pulse warheads, but nor were they intended to be. Unexpectedly bereft of their wards, the knights staggered, the mages thrown about and rendered incapable from focusing and summoning their magic once more, to weave back some form of protection around themselves.


    And the autocannon and machineguns swung about lazily, picking them off with inhuman precision, sensor pods tagging every single person that had thrown a spell at the Mackie.


    The machinegun rounds hadn''t changed. Molten metal was wonderfully versatile when it came to killing people, and regardless, there was only so many types of ammo and internal ammunition switching mechanisms Alexandra could afford.


    An allowance she had focused on the autocannons. The turret seamlessly switched between ammo belts, and the first two rounds, loaded into the barrels, were the previous spears of energy...and the next were balls of eldritch blue fire.


    Some of the mages had a split second to scream in utter horror as they recognized the spells, a split second before the rounds hit them...and the spirit fire spells latched onto their cores.


    This was the same magic Emilia had threatened Allya with upon their first meeting, back when she was just another adventurer. A magic considered so horrific many hesitated to use it, and one which Emilia had refused to teach the dungeon core.


    But the archmage she had captured, and locked into a simulation had no such compuctions.


    The spells latched onto the mages cores...and began devouring them, ripping out their essence and converting it into more of the insatiable flames.


    The spellcasters fell to the ground, spasming as blue flames erupted from their eyes and mouths. Some, more resilient or simply luckier than others, fell unconscious as their damaged cores managed to extinguish the inferno.


    Others...did not, and explosions rocked the battlefield as their cores, gorged on mana in preparation for the battle, came undone, releasing their stored energy in cataclysmic blasts, tearing ragged holes into the enemy formation.


    The Mackie plowed forward, heavily armored feet rising above Sunrise''s cavalry, and coming down on gryphons and heavily armored riders alike, its machineguns firing in every possible direction as the autocannons continued their grim harvest of mages.


    Sunrise''s elite were good. Very good. But they were also nobles, one and all...with a functional self preservation instinct.


    They broke, and for the first time in living memory, the best the slaver duchy had to offer cut and ran like beaten slaves fearing the lash, fleeing for the safety of their advancing army.


    Officers rose from the main battle, and flew over to them, trying to rally the warriors.


    Unfortunately for them, Alexandra had been waiting for exactly this kind of stupidity, born out of the minds of nobles used to distances being a massive impediment to ranged weapons in medieval warfare, even if you were able to be seen by the enemy, and more importantly, not expecting that the enemy would have AIs capable of tracking you even after you went into the throng of fleeing soldiers. The So Much For Subtlety''s launchers cycled, and wave after wave of interceptor missiles screamed out, quickly joined by the Mackie''s own.


    The officers fell like flies, and the fleeing knights dispersed, trying to flee their own officers, fearing for their lives, shattering even the faintest hope of bringing them back together.


    But the rest of Sunrise''s force still bore onto the army, slowly carving their way towards the artillery, the only thing holding them at bay. They came forward, step by step. And the Mackie, no matter how formidable it was, could only be in one place at a time, as the vanguard rejoined the main army and folded into it.


    Alexandra looked up from the holographic display, and glanced at Subtlety.


    "We need to break contact. If we don''t, they''ll pin us down until the whole damned army arrives, and if that happens, we''re all dead." She closed her eyes. This was exactly the situation they were there for, but...there was no telling what would be people''s reactions to using them. Having weapons of the Old World was an entirely different matter from using them, just like nukes on Earth. "Fire the plasma missiles."


    "Aye aye, firing plasma!" Barked out the AI.


    One minute, Sunrise''s remaining gryphon knights and pegasus cavalry pushed grimly forward, slowly being annihilated or routed by the Mackie, making its way down the army, but not nearly quickly enough for it to matter.


    The next, their entire backline was reduced to its component atoms.


    The missiles didn''t even fly. They fired from the launchers, and the same instant they were there. Their drives, meant to propel them to fight spaceships, accelerated them to almost eleven kilometers per second, the speed necessary for a spacecraft to escape Earth''s orbit and fly off into the solar system.


    Each missile, roughly a cubic meter''s worth of electronics, propulsion systems, metamaterials and high density alloys, almost fourteen tons in total, hit with the kinetic energy of two hundred tons of TNT, the yield of a vest pocket nuclear warhead or the UIS'' infamous ''Davy Crockett 2.0'' tactical nuclear rockets.


    The plasma warheads were just the cherry on top, unleashing a wave of coherent energy accompanied by a blast of arcane power that destabilized shields and wards, allowing the following blast to punch through the barriers like they weren''t even there.


    Alexandra watched in horror as the wave of destruction died out. Refusing to use it to get the vanguard out...had been a wise choice. Even with using it on the enemy''s back line, their support and mages, at least a tenth of the dead were her own people. Had she used them in place of the Mackie, she''d have done the enemy''s job for them.


    She shook herself. There was no time to ponder. She screamed orders, and musicians as well as radios carried them to the troops below.


    "EVERYONE PULL BACK! Grab every body or wounded one of ours you can and go. The tanks will buy you time!"


    The soldiers were well drilled by this point, and even the most undisciplined amongst the Kaidani volunteers wouldn''t dream of disobeying her orders. The human troops fell back, dragging wounded comrades and fallen allies alike with them, Alexandra even noting distantly that they seemed to be applying that directive to her golems as well, though not carrying a metallic husk over a biological ones when there was a choice.


    Sunrise''s troops milled hesitantly. The attack had shaken them, and all were darting looks of pure horror at the screams of the dying in their back lines, and the ominous battlecruiser hovering before them.


    That, combined with their officers so foolishly exposing themselves, caused them to hesitate. They didn''t pursue the fleeing troops closely enough.


    And the tanks rolled between the two clashing armies like a tsunami, the Mackie at the helm, running parallel to the retreating line of humans and golems, unleashing hell with their guns, doing a drive by to an entire army, the Mackie''s torso turned sideways as its legs ran it forward unimpeded.


    Sunrise''s troops staggered back. And by the time they got their courage back, the army had already broken contact, the lines reforming into a coherent wall of spears and pikes, slowly marching backwards as the artillery began leapfrogging back, half thundering and covering the retreat while the other half ran backwards to new firing positions.


    They could have pressed on still. But the missiles and the tanks had shattered their momentum. The apparently invulnerable Mackie, its shields glittering under the half hearted spell attacks from the surviving mages and paladins, the constant pounding of the guns, and the death of much of their officers prevented them, hell, even convinced them, from regaining it.


    Sunrise''s air cavalry mounted a few timid, token attempts to regain contact, and fell back.


    The battle was over.

 Chapter 328 - Debriefing

    Chapter 328


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Command Center


    Allya swallowed.


    "So?" She asked, her voice strangled. "How many?"


    "We lost fifteen thousand people. Half...half of which were left behind." Said Alexandra, as if every word caused her physical pain. "And about five thousand golems."


    "Merciful Earth Goddess..." Said the archduchess.


    That was almost a sixth of the entire army. Annihilated in a few minutes.


    "How did they pull it off?" Asked Pyn.


    "It''s my fault." Said Alexandra as she bent her head. "I...Damn it, I should have made contingencies! I got overconfident. Thought my blackbirds were basically invisible. With the UDC''s fleet crippled and their sensor net down..."


    "Are you sure it''s-"


    "Pyn. They shot them down the second I sent them back to scout what was going on." Alexandra closed her eyes. "And they waited for my recon to fly over them before launching their assault. I told them exactly when to strike."


    "That''s not true." Said Allya softly, and the archduchess raised her hand as Alexandra opened her mouth, forestalling the dungeon core. "They would have attacked anyway. The only thing this did was making sure they wouldn''t be discovered too early...and so what? If we hadn''t had the blackbirds, we wouldn''t have seen it coming any earlier anyway, would we? Did it make us too confident? Maybe, but you still had those drones up, which saved the entire army."


    Alexandra closed her mouth. Allya''s tone and glare brokered no arguments. And it wasn''t frustration either, there was...sympathy in her gaze.


    The dungeon looked around the command center, and saw only agreement with the noble''s words.


    Damn it, what had she done to deserve friends like these?


    "Alright. But still, we''ve lost our long range recon."


    "Not fully." Piped in Subtlety. "Their airships are still detectable far outside of the enemy''s interception range."


    "True, but that doesn''t mean they can''t use them as decoys." Retorted the dungeon core, and the AI shrugged.


    "Perhaps. But we will still be able to know the location of their air units."


    "Fair enough." Alexandra smiled. "I guess we''re back to reconnaissance the old fashioned way."


    "With drones to help." Corrected the AI.


    "The drones will get shot down too quickly. They''ll serve as a tripwire just fine, but we can''t use them to breach their skirmisher screen. No, we''ll need something that can haul ass."


    Allya looked at the dungeon core, and a small smile appeared on her lips.


    "The Mackie?"


    "And our armored units in general." Confirmed Alexandra. "Though we''ll have to look about making some specialized recon spider tanks, the mythril prototypes already there have enhanced mobility, they should do fine for now."


    "Let''s hope."


    "So..." Pyn shrugged as everyone looked at her. "What do we do now?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "We follow our old plan. Despite the current changes, it''s still our best bet."


    "Their apparent willingness and increased aggressiveness will have to be taken into consideration for operational matters." Said Seraph.


    The dungeon core nodded.


    "It will. If they''re willing to send their elites forward, rather than use the slaves as an ablative meat shield, we''ll have to adapt how we go about it, but the base idea is sound. At least, our retreat and the bloodying of their finest has made them pause for now. Let''s get some distance, let them gain some confidence, then we''ll start laying out our...surprises." Her wolfish smile was mirrored by her companions. "We''ll see how much of their confidence remains then. And once they hesitate...I only need so much time to ready my hammer."


    *****


    "We are continuing on the analysis of all of the blackbirds'' footage." Said Glitch as Alexandra leaned on the railing. With the size of the fabricators and now the need -and ability- to modify them, she had a vast network of catwalks and maintenance rooms set into the fabrication room. "If they found them by observing their launch or flight we''ll find it."


    "Good." The dungeon core looked as one of the fabricators beeped, and opened, allowing a golem to withdraw the part from within, and carry it to its twin, slowly being put together. "What of our industrial scale up?"


    "Continuing apace. Two weeks until we reach the desired number of fabricators for current strategic operations."


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    "And the optimal one? To fully replace all of our dungeon production?"


    The AI shrugged.


    "Unclear. Current production is...fluctuating."


    Alexandra grimaced. It definitely was.


    They had been around long enough that the ready local supply of adventurers had been thoroughly drained, in the Republic and the Kingdom both. Though, ironically, in some ways the wars were starting to help with immigration, as people were fleeing the fighting and various drafts, from being turned into soldiers or simply used as requisitioned labor.


    That wasn''t even counting the ones they had rescued with the army, and who were very keen on being shipped to Rebirth, the ''impregnable fortress'', that had survived the relentless assaults of the Republic and the Old World, quickly gaining a reputation to equal Sarth''s.


    Plus, the economic activity, the opportunities...


    In any case, the dungeon was starting to see some weird stuff, with some adventurers coming from farther and farther to not only delve but also equip themselves with processed dungeon loot. It was kind of odd, having high ranking adventurers coming in, testing weapons and tactics, before heading out and going back to wherever they came from. But it also distorted their statistics and production needs.


    "Fluctuating or no, we have an average, do we not?"


    "Affirmative. If the average continues...six months."


    "Six months?!?"


    "If we wish to sustain military operations without diverting fabricators and funding to this endeavor."


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "Alright, fair enough. How are we with scaling up the NLR core?"


    "Mana accumulation is ongoing." One of her key problems was that she couldn''t directly use the mana from the NLR core for her dungeon stuff. Which, since raw materials were the primary cost with fabricator made stuff, made it unaffected by her current diversion of resources. She still had a lot of surplus, but she''d rather not be caught with her pants down again and have to start drawing mana from her dungeon core rather than the NLR. "One month, approximately."


    The dungeon core smiled.


    "Excellent. Then we are still on schedule." Alexandra sighed. "Now let''s hope the army can hold on."


    "Subtlety has a report about the progress of the sappers."


    "She''ll be my next stop then." The dungeon core shook her head. "Sunrise has to be ecstatic to see us running with our tail between our legs. Let''s make sure we take them down a peg or two."


    *****


    "To our victory! To Sunrise!" Said the duchess, as she raised her goblet.


    "To Sunrise!" Clamored her officers, as they toasted.


    She smiled, and drank deeply, before sitting down, kicking off the banquet.


    Slaves plied the tables with food, or their bodies for some of the more hands on nobles, and the vast tent dissolved into the hubhub of conversation.


    The duchess exchanged small talk with the nobles at her table, while keeping an eye on the whole room.


    Her spymaster had been right. There was...tension, here. Despite their heroic victory -and damn it, it had been one!-, pushing the seemingly unstoppable dungeon back, there was nervousness within her people.


    More worryingly, the ones at her table, those who had covered themselves in glory during the battle, were the most nervous of them all. They were the ones who had fought the dungeon''s troops face to face, and seen for themselves the lack of their vaunted invulnerability and unwillingness to retreat. But the losses taken...Some were still nursing wounds, while others were in the grip of the sickness that afflicted those brought back from the dead.


    There were already whispers among her officers of a pyrrhic victory. And others...Others were saying it had been too easy, and were waiting for the other boot to drop.


    Her eyes flickered as she spotted a man weaving through the crowd. Her spymaster was a noble, by her hand, but he tried to keep to the shadows as much as possible. Few recognized him or cared, but those who did zeroed in like attack dogs, knowing that if he was there, then something was happening. Something that couldn''t wait.


    The spymaster made his way to the duchess, and slipped by her side, whispering into her ear.


    "Your grace, the Brigadier has recovered. He has been healed. My agents says our enemies may involved in his recovery."


    The duchess'' goblet creaked as her hand threatened to crush it, before she relaxed, leaving an indentation into the bejeweled piece of silverware.


    Several of the nobles at her table exchanged looks of alarm, before continuing their conversations as the spymaster''s gaze swept the area, clearly deciding that discretion was the better part of valor.


    "Very well. We now know without doubt that he has sold out." Said the duchess, before glaring at the spymaster as he opened his mouth to protest. "Don''t tell me that this proves nothing. It fits too neatly. Now, find me who, exactly, did that, so that I may impale them alongside him when I am victorious."


    Unless those persons happened to be the archduchesses of Rebirth. She had something...special in mind for these two.


    "Yes, your grace." Said the spymaster, before slinking away, and the duchess went back to exchanging with her nobles, as if nothing had happened.


    But all could see the edge in her eyes. Two step forwards, one damned step back...


    Whoever was actually behind all this on the other side, and she was becoming less and less certain it was the archduchesses, or even the dungeon, they knew which pressure points to push. If the southern army turned against her officially...


    Right now, it had gone rogue in all but name, but everything in politics was a matter of perception. The neutral nobles flocking to the crown had already shaken her allies, having one of her two field armies -three, now, with the force entrenched around Asaria, pinning down the royal army-, no matter how small it was compared to her main force would shatter their confidence in her. Might even drive some to desertion.


    Or outright rebellion. There would be some desperate that throwing her head at the feet of their majesties would buy them mercy. It would be folly, with the scale of devastation unleashed, and their almost victory...the King, no matter how gentle he appeared to be, would have to reap a rich harvest of noble heads.


    That wasn''t even mentioning the creation of the two archduchies.


    Which reminded her of the symbolism of this feast. While the slaves cleared the wreckage of the battle for nobles to resurrect or whatever could be salvaged, including a not so insignificant stockpile of enemy weapons, though unfortunately no artillery, they were here, eating and drinking...on the southern bank of the Kamira river. Which, according to their majesties'' peace plan, belonged to Rebirth. For the first time in this war, if you discounted their ''allies'' in the Republic, or what little was left of it, they were taking the war to the nascent archduchy.


    Technically.


    It wasn''t as much of a reassurance and symbol as she had hoped it would be.


    Especially as, even during their triumph, news continued trickling in of the Republic''s imminent collapse, its social unrest and incompetence. The senate was unwilling to do what needed to be done, and use the brands she had generously gifted them. Cowards.


    One needed a strong hand, and not hesitate to be bold.


    Speaking of...


    The duchess grabbed one of her maids as she served her mistress, and unceremoniously drew the young woman onto her lap.


    The maid didn''t protest, and no one even blinked. Plenty of that was already happening all around with the serving slaves after all, and the duchess smiled as she saw the hatred burning deep within the maid''s eyes as she kissed her. Bottomless hatred...lying within the eyes of the heiress of the duchy of Molro, now reduced to her pet.


    Yes, she had something special indeed planned for the archduchesses...if she managed to get to them.


    And if she managed to keep her army of cowards, sycophants and doubters in line until then.

 Chapter 329 - Ambush

    Chapter 329


    Lost Sands Death Zone


    Ruins of Chiron, Outskirts


    "You are certain the signal disappeared here?" Asked the Adjudicator, as she gazed at the gigantic lake, a miniature sea really, arrayed before her.


    The ruins of the Old World always unsettled her, but these more than most. That city had been annihilated, not by heretical hands, but by her God. There was still a...charge in the air. An echo of the death scream of ten million souls as divine wrath rained from above, turning the prosperous megalopolis into a crater, whose shattered canals had slowly filled into what it was today, burying most of the ruins under the glittering water.


    It was perhaps for the best that few, so, so few, realized how much of the God of Fire''s ''righteous retribution'' had been a pitched battle. The city had died, but it hadn''t died easily, nor alone, and the debris field of divine warships it had taken with it still orbited Alcheryos to this day, stabilized to serve as a reservoir of spare parts and processed materials for the Citadel.


    There was still malevolence in the air. The spirits that haunted this place hated her and her seraphims with every fiber of their being. Even if their capacity for thought had long since decayed, alongside their damned souls, intent remained, and there was a pressure on her mind, hammering her from all sides.


    "When it comes to tracing stealth signatures, nothing is certain." Said the Seraphim by her side, as he checked something on his armor''s vambrace. "But yes. Orbital scanner sweeps indicate it has not left either."


    "Wonderful." The adjudicator closed her eyes. The Order had, indeed, been driving towards the New Republic''s army, no doubt to destroy it, and prevent it from forcing negotiations with the Far Reach. But they couldn''t allow that to happen. If the New Republic drew the Far Reach into war, they would eventually have to call upon their allies, and guarantee that the monster that controlled Rebirth, this ''Alexandra'', would absorb them.


    They couldn''t let that happen. Not on the Order''s terms, anyway. The dungeon core was key to their plans, obviously, and had the God of Light, Hoeth, not interfered, they would have simply killed her. Since that wasn''t an option, they had to use more...indirect means.


    Assassination had little success, even when they allowed the guild and the UDC to go ahead with their little plan, and she had little doubt that sponsoring their own would be discovered by Hoeth and his Custodians. So, sabotaging the Order''s plans was their only recourse.


    For now. While other things were being set up as the Purge gathered pace.


    "You were correct, we had gotten ahead of them." Said the Seraphim.


    "There is that. And the army will continue its march. But their ability to come in and slip out..." Their skirmish with the Order had been short, and brutal. She hadn''t been so close to dying...ever. Even the Seraphims had seemed seriously worried. It was why they were pursuing now. They had an enemy kill team, and they needed answers. Answers on the Order''s true capabilities and power. Whatever they had expected, fighting a team of Seraphims to a standstill, however briefly, with glorified saboteurs was not one of them.


    "Is concerning." Completed the Seraphim. "Nevertheless, we-"


    The Adjudicator survived for one simple reason: her equipment and power was lesser than the Seraphims. They were all angels, true, but she was non combatant. She was an investigator, one who made hard decisions, and one who interacted with mortals, the face of the Custodians and His Divinity on this fallen world.


    Thus, she survived the initial barrage, thrown to the ground, missing half of her face and her right arm, seared clean off by the energy blast that annihilated the Seraphim she had been talking to, who was deemed the greater threat.


    There wasn''t time for words, or even to reach out for her amulet as her flesh flowed and reformed and she began dodging madly, weaving between the incoming attacks, each one more than powerful enough to finish her off. Distantly she could hear the Seraphims, those left standing, returning fire, and saw several of the towers, tall enough to be protuding from the waters of the lake, glitter with flashes of energy, entire sections of their facades vanishing.


    More worryingly however, she saw the same flashes appear around her Seraphims. That...wasn''t possible. Hyperfold weaponry was divine technology, the heretics had never-


    She felt more than saw the heretic as they sprinted out of cover, a split second before the building vanished, scattered to the atomic level into hyperspace, and lashed out with her power.


    She grunted as her power met layers upon layers of defences. But her attack was enough to illuminate the soldier of the Order, and the Seraphim that had been firing on them retargeted.


    The flash of energy coalesced...and half of the heretic''s body disappeared, as the remaining half fired.


    The Seraphim let out a silent scream, that nonetheless hit the Adjudicator''s mind like a sledgehammer, driving her to her knees, just in time to evade the heretic''s sweeping counterattack.


    The Adjudicator threw her spells forward, and this time the heretic''s defense was found wanting. The other screamed as well...and it hit her just as hard.


    She reached for her amulet, and crushed it between her fingers, as she stared in horror at the body before her.


    That...that woman...


    No. Not woman.


    That Seraphim.


    They...they were fighting Seraphims. And not the God of Light''s either. Those were angels of the God of Fire. Just like her, or her soldiers, even now fighting for their lives.


    What-


    The amulet pulsed with power, and she was suddenly no longer standing alone, the universe screaming around her as the citadel''s teleporter array punched through the jamming that had enshrouded the area.


    A giant in golden armor stood over her as he scanned the battlefield, and the fight paused.


    Then he moved, faster than most would believe possible.


    The Custodian strode the battlefield, taking lives with contemptuous ease. Not that there was much need, for the enemy had begun pulling back and disappearing into secret routes, remnants of the tunnel network that had once underpinned the city, as soon as they had felt his arrival.


    It was over in seconds. Fifteen heretics laid dead, five killed by the Seraphims, and ten by his own hands.


    And six of the eight Seraphims that had accompanied the Adjudicator were now gone.


    The Custodian gathered the two remaining Seraphims, and went to find the one who had called him.


    He found her where he had left her. Except that now she was kneeling by the body of the heretic she had slain.


    "How?" She asked, her voice distraught.


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    She didn''t need to spell out what she was asking about.


    "We call them the Fallen." Said the Custodian. "Over the millenia...some, among our own ranks, have faltered."


    "Why...why was I not told?"


    "Their very fall ensures that we could not tell you everything."


    The Adjudicator''s head whipped around, and the Custodian simply gazed at her. There was...doubt, in her eyes. Growing doubt.


    If only she knew, how far some could fall.


    After all, there were six seats on the Citadel, but only five Custodians to fill them.


    Not everyone''s faith was absolute. And not everyone could stomach what had to be done.


    "Report." Finally said the giant, and the Adjudicator shook herself out of it.


    "We got ambushed, my lord. They were on us before we could react. Tell me, where they all-"


    "No. Only one was Fallen. Most likely their leader."


    "Thank the Pyre."


    "Indeed. Had there been more, you would not have survived."


    "We barely did as it is."


    The Custodian nodded.


    "Do not blame yourself, Adjudicator. You fell into a trap. But they paid the price, and-" His head whipped around.


    "My lord?!?" She said in alarm.


    She didn''t have the time to say anything more, as the Custodian grabbed her as well as the closest surviving Seraph, and they were suddenly somewhere else.


    The Adjudicator opened her mouth to ask what had happened...and the words died in her mouth as she saw the sphere of intolerable light rising in the distance. Rising, dimming...slowly forming into a mushroom cloud.


    The Custodian took a knee, and the Adjudicator realized with a start that his armor was flickering into motes of light, the very energy that bound the giant together consumed to allow him to punch through the jamming that had surrounded them, to get them to safety.


    She knew it hadn''t been to preserve his own life. He could have walked through the heart of that explosion and come out of the other side scorched, but alive. No, he''d done strictly this to save them.


    "It seems that our enemies...did not wish for bodies, or equipment, to be recovered." Let out the Custodian, before slowly rising to his full height once more, and the Adjudicator finally realized that the Seraphim with them had taken a guard position, scanning their surroundings with his hyperfold rifle, still held in what little remained of his arms. "We must return. Through the Citadel''s own abilities, my power...is spent. For now, at least."


    She felt a pulse of...not quite energy, and not quite thought, as the Custodian reached out to his fellows in orbit.


    The answer must have been satisfactory, as the giant simply nodded, and after an excruciating few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to convince the Custodian to let her help him as the Citadel''s teleporter finally recalibrated, they disappeared.


    Only the empty wasteland was there to suffer as the shockwave tore through it like a hurricane born from the depths of hell, carrying an echo of the fury of the Great Night with it, and the savage howl of spirits, at long last having gained a sliver of the vengeance they so craved.


    *****


    "What the hell is going on?" Screamed Alexandra as her hologram entered the bridge of the Flickerlight, in the middle of blaring alarms.


    Ghost turned towards her, and to Alexandra''s amazement, saluted, before clearly remembering who they were to each other.


    "Sorry. The sensors...you have to see this." The apparition gestured, and a hologram appeared. It showed...


    "Holy shit." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the spreading shockwave. "When?"


    "Forty five seconds ago."


    "Yield?"


    "Thirty, thirty five megatons?"


    "Jesus."


    "Yeah. Medium yield fusion bomb. Helium three-helium three. And the computers...hard to tell, but they insist they recognize the pattern. Sagitarian naval munition, the kind escort ships used on their missiles. There''s an energy signature that''s supposed to be the remnants of some kind of wave pattern disruption. The computers are returning a lot of conflicting results from that, but it''s a variant of what the plasma missiles you used did. Disrupt shields in some ways."


    "Someone must have really wanted someone else dead."


    The apparition nodded.


    "Big time."


    "Will we get shockwaves?"


    "At this distance? Yeah, with a seismograph. But nothing really felt. The blast is also weird. It''s kind of...shaped."


    "Gravity lenses?"


    Ghost shook her head, and Alexandra''s eyebrow rose.


    "No, no, more like it bounced off of something. The ground, I think." She highlighted the map.


    "Ah." Alexandra grimaced. The place had once been a Sagitarian city. According to the Flickerlight''s sensor data and reports, it had been flattened at the beginning of the war. But the canals and now, lake, hadn''t been present then. Someone had rebuilt it...and then gotten it vaporized again. Except that this time they''d made sure the damned job was done right. "Some kind of armor?"


    "That or whatever bombed the place turned it into...something else. Whatever the case, most of the energy''s been thrown right back into space. Whatever''s in orbit is about to have a bad day."


    "Good." Alexandra shrugged at the apparition''s questioning gaze. "Space right now means the Church."


    "Think that was them?"


    "They hardly need to nuke stuff. If they have the orbitals, they have kinetics. No, this is the Order. The Church would do a false flag with nukes if they needed, but there''s no one to see it there."


    "That''s...one hell of an escalation."


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "That...may be the point. For whatever reason, both sides are trying to keep their involvement quiet. This would make the Church more cautious."


    "And more aware."


    "Aware of what? That the Order is here, and a threat to them? Perhaps the latter, but if they''re heading for a reset, like we think they are, the Order might think they have nothing to lose. In that case..."


    "In that case, making them more cautious might be worth the mess."


    "Yes. The Church will thread more carefully now. They don''t want something like that happening somewhere populated. If the ''Fires of the Old World'' are seen there, people will start asking questions, and clamor for the Custodians to protect them."


    "Why not just do that then?"


    "Because this is almost as effective in hampering them, without potentially creating a surge of religious zealotry."


    "You know, our nukes..."


    "Might cause that kind of reaction, I know." Alexandra closed her eyes. "Fucking hell. And the Church had basically sanctioned our use of the plasma missiles."


    The apparition nodded, the UDC and Sunrise had tried to make some noise after the Old World weapons were deployed, only to be shut down by the Church. The weapons were authorized, had been salvaged with the Church''s blessings, and they''d made those facts sufficiently public to make the two shut up about it. Besides which, as many had pointed out, the dungeon core had been using Old World technology since the beginning, and only now they were complaining?


    "Unlikely to change."


    "For now."


    "For now, yes."


    Alexandra looked at the hologram, at the slowly spreading shockwave.


    "We''re running out of time."


    "We are. Though there may be a detente, for a bit. As you said, neither side seems to want an open war."


    "That won''t last. They''re only laying the groundwork for it. This is the calm before the storm."


    "Yeah. The calm before the storm..."

 Chapter 330 - Retreat

    Chapter 330


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of the Darthar


    "So, any updates?" Asked Alexandra as she strode onto the bridge of the Flickerlight, though this time much less hurriedly.


    "Yeah. But most of it is guesswork." Said Ghost, as she bent over Glitch''s shoulder, whose hologram was ''manning'' the sensor console. Alexandra felt...a pang. She''d been on that bridge. She''d been on that very console, once. It brought memories back, and-


    She shook herself, driving the rising visions back. Her diagnostics, the ones she''d promised to make, had returned conflicting results. The programs suppressing the memories that would have driven her mad were still online, but her memory structure was starting to become weird. She hadn''t realized it, but her files, her ''self'', was no longer stored just on her dungeon core. She now had some scattered into secondary cores...


    And some in the Flickerlight''s computer architecture itself.


    Her programs were made to keep a single, meaty humain brain in check. It was a miracle they still worked with a dungeon core. No wonder they were starting to break down when they were dealing with what was, in effect, an entire Arcadia network, if nascent one.


    "So, what are your guesses?" Finally said Alexandra, as both of the women gave her a worried look.


    "Well..." Ghost tapped the screen, and Alexandra looked over Glitch''s other shoulder. "We have some grav-drive signatures in orbit."


    "My my. Evading the radiation burst?"


    "Can''t exactly evade something lightspeed at that range. Which is what I found weird as hell. Hence, I ran some analysis..." She touched an icon, Glitch giving the apparition an annoyed look, and a bunch of analytics that didn''t make much sense at first popped up. "And this is what I found."


    "That''s..." Alexandra frowned, then her eyes widened. "That''s the shield disruption wave, right?"


    "Yeeep. Whatever it is, it''s speed just decreases over time, as it disperses. I''ve never seen anything like that. It''s like the freaking interstellar void is slowing it down."


    "And the satellites are dodging that?"


    "I have no clue if they''re satellites, ships or freaking missiles. I just know they have grav-drives and they''re relatively low powered. Can''t exactly do more with passive scans, especially when the array was never meant to you operate in atmosphere, let alone be buried underground. I''m amazed it even works at all. But yeah. They''re dodging. There has also been what seems to be...low profile weapons fire?"


    "How the hell do you make a low profile space weapon?"


    "Kinetics, mainly. There were bursts of radiation reminescent of relativistic projectiles hitting something. No clue what or why though."


    Alexandra licked her lips.


    "It''s the Church."


    "What?"


    "It''s the Church. If it was the Order, they''d be shooting at the Citadel, and it would be firing back."


    "Then what the hell are the Custodians firing at?"


    "At a guess? The orbitals. Just like the ground, they must have kept some of the stuff up here online to create some of the shit to keep the populace in check. You know, just like that satellite that pinged Seraph about the fusion engine?"


    "Aaaah. That makes sense. And our dear church boys are cleaning house. Afraid the Order may be using some of them under their nose."


    "Yeah. And that''s gonna be a problem for us." Alexandra knocked on the bulkhead in front of them. "Because we''re kind of doing the same thing."


    Ghost grimaced.


    "Shit. I''m guessing I should prepare some failsafes?"


    Alexandra slowly nodded.


    "Yes. I''m afraid so."


    "What kind?"


    "Preferably, the kind that doesn''t leave much to analyze."


    There was a long silence.


    "You know..." Ghost met Alexandra''s gaze. "That might have been exactly what the Order was doing when they detonated that nuke."


    "Even better then." Said Alexandra, and the apparition shivered at the unyielding steel in her voice.


    "If we-"


    "I know." There was finality in Alexandra''s voice, and Ghost''s mouth snapped. "Will you do it?"


    They both knew what she was asking.


    The ship would never be able to contain the nuke. Even the relatively anemic one hundred kiloton bombs they''d been building. It was made to defend against energy coming in, not out.


    Even if it did, many of the armor plates would explode outward like the mother of all shrapnel bombs.


    That ''failsafe'' would wipe out Darthar...alongside its entire population. Quite possibly take the branch office with it too.


    "Yes. I will."


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    "Good." Alexandra closed her eyes. "I hope it won''t come to that."


    "So do I."


    "Yeah..." The dungeon core opened her eyes, as she patted both AIs on their shoulder, or at least tried to, as one passed through Glitch''s hologram. "Alright, keep me updated. I''m off to see how our first surprises do against Sunrise."


    "Suuure, you get all the fun stuff."


    "Are you volunteering for what will happen to the slaves?"


    Ghost''s expression fell.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean..."


    "I know. I know..." Alexandra sighed, before brightening up. "But! Thanks to the maids'' suggestions, we might force them to bring out the big guns."


    "If we''re lucky."


    "We always made our damned luck, didn''t we?"


    "Point taken. Let''s see if the maids gave us enough aces to win that round then." Alexandra nodded, and began stepping back to her ambassador. "Oh, and Alex?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Give them hell."


    The dungeon core smiled.


    "Gladly."


    *****


    "You want me, to order our best, who are still recovering from the battle, to take our army''s lead?" The duchess'' eyes flashed dangerously. Not just because of his suggestion, but because he was blatantly going over her nephew''s head for this. "To expose them to the enemy''s own harassers, and their ''mines''?"


    The count licked his lips, and bowed his head.


    "Your Grace...we have no choice. With the fatalities we are experiencing...the attrition is insane. We have lost over a thousand slaves already, and more pile up every hour that passes. And with no hope of replenishing our numbers..."


    The duchess hissed, and the count stopped speaking.


    That damned archduchess and her dungeon core were simply taking everything with them as they left. Even the royal army hadn''t been as successful in evacuating civilians.


    Probably because said civilians hadn''t experienced Sunrise''s occupation for themselves, let alone suffered through months of horror, seeing their families and neighbours enslaved and used as cannon fodder, but she''d be damned if she said that out loud. Or gave voice to the doubts that were beginning to plague her about exactly what would happen once the brands failed, after their victory.


    She was beginning to realize the bottomless well of hatred she had created in the west of the Kingdom, a well that would never dry up as long as she lived. And any of the counters she could think of would only feed the flames until they grew beyond her ability to fight.


    And so, there were no stragglers left behind, no one to replenish their pool of slaves...And those damned poison mines, those ''chemical weapons'' were tearing a hole right through her vanguard.


    "Very well." Let out the duchess. "You may bring our knights."


    "Thank you, your grace."


    "Now leave me."


    The count bowed, and left, and the duchess stared at the tent flap as one of her maids closed it.


    She knew what the dungeon core was doing. She was pulling her elites forward, where they''d be vulnerable to her own tricks and attacks. But damn it, the count was right.


    That made it no less palatable however.


    Her only option was to acquiesce to military necessity...and brace for what the dungeon core had planned.


    *****


    "An interesting reaction." Said Manson, duke of Sarth, as he gazed at Subtlety, after she finished her report.


    "But an expected one." Retorted Alexandra, with a satisfied smile.


    "Am I the only one...uncertain about all this?" Everyone turned towards the desert ranger commander, who shrugged. "I''ve spent my entire life fighting the evils of the Old World, but now...Old World missiles, and chemical weapons? I could understand for the supply convoy, even if barely, but we''re just..."


    "Laying mines, yes." Alexandra''s smile vanished. "Mines containing lethal neurotoxin gas. Mines that, as far as we know, have killed at least a thousand people, in three days." Her gaze hardened. "And their deaths lie at my feet. Not yours." There was a ripple of unease in the room. "But it is necessary. Because of this, we have convinced Sunrise to not only slow down, but swap out their slave vanguards with their elites. Our mines are dispersed, at random, but with an army this size, missing them is almost impossible. Nevertheless, I have marked each and every position, and I promise you we will disarm them, if any remains, on our way back north."


    "I am not...disputing your strategic priority, or your thoroughness in making sure your weapons do not threaten us, I am troubled about the exact methods."


    "It''s simple. For the same cost, a neurotoxin mine will wipe out an entire platoon worth of slaves, while a shrapnel mine will take out, what? Five? Ten? Less than a fourth of the slaves, either way. And that is if we are using bouncing mines, which are far easier to spot and disarm. With this, we have given them an attrition rate so horrific that using slaves as an ablative meatshield is no longer viable." She leaned forward. "Do you understand that? Every raid we do from now on, every engagement between our recon and their skirmisher screen, will kill soldiers of Sunrise. Not slaves, not innocents, soldiers. Elites, even, as they are the ones with the antidotes and wind magic to protect themselves against chemical attacks." The dungeon core sighed. "Is it...questionnable? Yes. But every slave we have killed now would have had to be killed by our own skirmishers while we retreat. Do I wish I could have used another way? Yes. I would have loved to have deployed conventional weapons to the same effect. But even incendiary munitions would never near that level of efficiency, not to mention pose an existential threat to our own army. Sunrise has the mages to keep a forest fire away from their main force, we do not."


    Not yet anyway, but he didn''t need to know that.


    "So we use chemical weapons. Weapons their elites can counter, but not their slaves. And so, we have gotten them right where we want them." She finished.


    "And now that you have sucessfully drawn out Sunrise''s best?" Asked the commander, after several seconds of tense silence.


    "Now?" Alexandra''s smile returned. "We blow the ever living crap out of them. We''ve given them some ground and confidence. It''s time to take it away."


    *****


    Lady Asray Mikras, Knight of the Riders of Dawn, snarled as she wrestled her mount back onto the path.


    Her original mount, a well trained gryphon, had been killed at the battle of the bridge, and now she was stuck playing baby sitter to the ground pounders, wrangling a damned war horse with an attitude.


    Some ''favor'' from her brother.


    "My lady." Said her sergeant, a commoner, but one who probably wouldn''t stay that way for very long. He was competent, driven, and had done his best to prop her up and fill in her deficiencies, like a good second in command. The nobility badly needed people like him, especially after their recent...losses, and as much as she hated her current assignment, she was intending to make the most of it. And if she had to bend a few rules and twist her brother''s arm into knighting him, then so be it. "Mandragore wing reports another one of those poison mines. There were no fatalities, but one of their riders had to be sent back as they did inhale some of the gas."


    "Good. Those things are dispersed, it means we should be able to relax for a while." The knight looked around, and sighed. "We are well ahead of our expected schedule, yes?"


    "Yes, my lady."


    "Then let''s take a break. It''s high time we took some time for lunch."


    The soldier''s head dipped, and after a few terse orders, the riders were dismounting and opening their saddle bags, fishing out the nut and honey filled breads that made up the basis of their field rations. They would get a proper, warm meal only for dinner or breakfast.


    Even that was positively luxurious compared to the ''food'' the slaves had to scrabble for, but she tried to avoid thinking too hard about that and the shapes she''d seen in the pots while passing.


    Asray pulled out a strip of beef jerky, tearing into it, before fishing out her own diminutive loaf of bread as she leaned against her mount.


    The first piece was halfway to her mouth when she heard the sound, and she froze.


    It was thumping. Rythmic thumping.


    A rythm that haunted her nightmares.


    "EVERYONE SADDLE UP!" She screamed out, and her men leapt onto their mounts as she scrambled to follow, though she was noticeably slower. "Pull back! Now!"


    "My lady-" Started the sergeant, alarm clear in his voice.


    "Don''t argue! It''s that-" The trees exploded, as the towering abomination of metal smashed through them like a hurricane. Men screamed and horses reared up as they were showered with splinters. "-damned machine." She finished, as she stared at the behemoth.


    The Mackie stopped moving, and the last thing the knight saw was the gaping mouth of a howitzer barrel.

 Chapter 331 - Strategic Inevitability

    Chapter 331


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    "Well, they certainly seem unhappy." Said Alexandra as she smiled at the lieutenant, wearing a badge identifying him as part of the tattered remnants of the Kaidani light cavalry that Sarth had more or less absorbed into its own skirmisher and recon units. "Thank you LT, please, stay a while in case we have any more questions."


    The officer nodded, and stepped back from the table, trying to fade into the background. Which she could sympathize with, since this was a war council with their majesties participating. Poor bastard had to be feeling vertigo delivering a report to them right about now.


    At least Allya and Pyn were mostly keeping silent. Military matters weren''t their focus right now, and they knew it. Besides which, the archduchess was perfectly fine leaving it into the more competent hands of the dungeon core, and wasn''t shy about it, while Alexandra rejoiced in letting them handle economics. She was an Arcadia now, she had a flair for this stuff, but nowhere near Pyn''s negotiating acumen or Allya''s leadership quality.


    The king leaned forward as he spoke.


    "I must say, I did not expect this...venture to be so successful. I have yet to see this ''Mackie'' of yours, but it seems formidable out of all proportions of what I expected, given its armaments."


    "That''s because it''s not the main threat." Alexandra grimaced as the King gave her a questionning look. "It''s a force multiplier and a tank. No, not in that way. Bad wording. It''s a...fire magnet. Ton for ton it is immesureably tougher than the spider tanks that accompany it. And that''s the point. It is actually relatively lightly armed for its size-" She could have easily given it heavier hardware, replacing the autocannons with field guns and some of the machineguns with autocannons. "-but I opted instead to reinforce its survivability. So it is a towering monster of metal that overshadows everything else..."


    "And thus naturally draws all of the attacks in a panicked battle." Completed the Queen as she rubbed her chin, a smile on her face.


    "Precisely." Alexandra nodded towars the sovereign. "Thus we suffer very little, if any attrition, as the spider tanks'' wards are enough to receive what little punishment is not directed towards the Mackie. While they, in truth, are the main threat. There is but one Mackie after all-" Here, at least. "-its offensive potential is limited."


    "Indeed. I must remark that you seem very focused on...manipulating them." Said the King. "To slow down, and seemingly draw more elite and heavier units forward."


    "Slowing them down is a key part of our entire plan overall. The more cautious and paranoid they are, the better. As much as we have expanded the road network to accomodate our troops, we still have a significant amount of civilians either accompanying the army or being evacuated. If they moved at their full pace, they would catch us. Thus, my primary objective is to keep them from doing so, through any means necessary. As for drawing their elites forward, there are several reasons. The first one is that human wave tactics with poor equipped slaves will fail against me no matter what. No matter how many bodies you throw at them the only way to overrun a line of machineguns with that is through trickery or making the guns run out of bullets. Thus, I seek to draw the elites that could provide the trickery or the shield that could make it succeed."


    That, and Allya''s conversation with that professor gave her hope that Rook might break the brands soon-ish. If he did before a decisive battle was reached, it might save hundreds of thousands of slaves. Were that to happen, every one of Sunrise''s elite and regulars killed or in the throes of resurrection sickness would be one less slaughtering them as they rose up or attempted to flee.


    "Do not underestimate those slaves." Warned the Queen. "You of all people should realize that an army without a morale to break is a terrifying weapon. I learned this the hard way."


    "I know, and for that matter, I agree, with a caveat however. An army without morale to break is a terrifying weapon, if you can capitalize upon it. And Sunrise isn''t. More importantly, they cannot truly capitalize upon it." She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh yes, I agree, you could see using them as meat shields as doing just that, but to truly be effective, to truly use this to its fullest potential, they would have to equip, arm and fully train their slaves. And they aren''t. They can''t."


    "Why not?"


    "Because the brands are temporary. It''s what has governed their entire war plan so far. It''s why they''re rushing after this army to crush it. In a few months, their entire force is going to start crumbling. More importantly, their garrisons will start crumbling. They need to capture territory to refresh their main army, and they need to force a surrender, or at least take out those that could still raise an army to threaten their elites-" AKA Rebirth, since Sarth would never be able to muster the strength, hence why the southern army had been so small. "-because if they don''t, all the ground they''ve taken will rise up."


    "They could simply enslave more people to refresh the garrisons."


    "Enslave who? They''ve already drained most of the able bodied people for the army or the garrisons themselves, and all the rest have either run for the hills or are too important to be taken for either of the purposes. Not to mention, anyone left, important or not, will run if they know the brands will falter, and that knowledge will get around fast if it hasn''t already." That would quickly become a problem too, as a significant number of people hadn''t died from Sunrise''s depredations, but due to the monsters haunting said hills. The only reason it wasn''t turning into a complete slaughter is that the adventurers, not the guild itself, but the people within it, had made it their mission to go ''monster hunting'', in truth defending these ad hoc settlements and giving them breathing room, at the cost of their own lives. Alexandra might despise the guild, but she was starting to respect the hell out of the adventurers and the attendants helping them setup ''monster hunting quests''. The quests paid almost nothing, they were insanely hazardous, what with the real danger of being targeted by guerillas or Sunrise''s punitive expeditions alike, but they did them anyway.


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    "An excellent analysis." The King leaned back into his chair as he spoke up again. "I assume that the point you are making is that if they truly trained and equipped the slaves, once the brands faltered they would either have to execute them, or risk creating their own rebel army?"


    "Precisely. They could enslave them with a worker''s brand of course, and I think that was their original plan, but to send them where? If they won they could simply send part of the army towards Sunrise to escort them, but they cannot afford to split their forces, and any slave sent back without a significant escort is either going to end up mercy killed, or whoever holds the leash will be taken hostage by guerillas. Even using them to rebuild the areas they''ve destroyed would be dangerous, as the garrisons would be faltering themselves, and thus quickly become incapable of protecting work parties. Hell, they''re having trouble doing it right now and they''re at full strength."


    Everyone nodded at that. More and more reports were trickling in, as the resistance within the conquered territories organized. Organized a bit too quickly and professionally, as a matter of fact, which was leading Alexandra to believe that Rook maybe helping a bit from behind the scenes. Regardless, the situation was a thousand times worse for Sunrise than they''d even realized. Supply convoys still got through, and the garrisons were secure in their castles, but with neutral nobles joining the crown, throwing open the gates of their fortresses and armories to house and help the guerillas, they were going from ''mildly annoying'' to ''fucking nightmares''. It was incredible what a secure base of operation, stable soruce of food and new weapons, not to mention professional armorers and soldiers to train you could do to a resistance movement. Said neutrals were also buying themselves a lot of goodwill with that, even without sending out their own household troops just yet, which was probably why they were doing it in the first place.


    If only the ones in the army were so helpful, though they seemed to have taken the lesson to heart, and were keeping a very low profile currently. They had fought as well as anyone else, bar the Kaidanis, during the battle of the bridge, as some had called it, despite the fact that it had been more of an ambush and the bridge hadn''t even been in sight, so there was that. They also seemed to have bent under the duke''s hammer and been integrated into the duchy''s troops, with the ever handy pretext of ''the archduchess has given me command, and the archduchess now owns your vassalage. Do you wish to obey or do I need to explain to her you refuse her authority?''. With Allya''s reputation, and her own stunt when she had gone to protect CQ, no one was willing to take that risk, no matter the size of their inflated ego.


    "So, what do you intend to do to these elites, now that you have drawn even more of them forth?" Asked Manson, as the duke finally spoke up.


    "That''s where things become more risky. As they increase the quality and quantity of the troops screening their main force, my armored units will start having trouble engaging them without a major risk. Some traps will work of course, but now that they have their mages front and center, it won''t take them too much time to learn how to detect most of them. That means we''ll need, well, to send an actual force to harass them, and keep them from gaining momentum."


    "Not a small one."


    "Nope."


    The duke smiled.


    "You wish to attack an army that outnumbers us ten to one, and not only that, but strike directly at their best and most alert units?"


    "It''s the same as the convoy escort dilemna. We can concentrate our forces at any one point we wish, while they have to guard all approaches. But yes, basically."


    Manson outright laughed.


    "You''re never short on guts, lady Crystal, I will give you that."


    "What if they manage to pin down the harassing force?" Said the Queen. "I believe in your ''Mackie'' and your tanks'' abilities to escape, but what of those accompanying them? You will have to use cavalry if you wish to strike fast after all."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "An excellent question, your majesty. And the answer is simple. We''ll use airships and marines to do diversionary attacks. They lack air superiority, and thus their own ships are being held in reserve, letting us strike at our leisure. We can come forward and either force them to contest us with ground and air forces. And if they refuse to rise to the bait, well then I suppose our airships will do plenty of damage on their own, won''t they?"


    "They will wisen up eventually. Find a counter."


    "The goal is to force them to continuously find counters. Just like they did with the gas mines, or the Mackie raids. Because every time they do, it slows them down. Their current formation isn''t made for maximum safety, it''s what is acceptable losses for the speediest march they can get." Alexandra shrugged. "The more they turtle up, the more time we have, the better our position, and they know it. The goal is to give them no choice in granting us that time. Then giving them a knock out punch once we''ve had enough breathing room to rebuild a full force."


    "Speaking of..." Manson cleared his throat. "We have not seen any sign of the new reinforcements yet."


    "I am still working on it, your grace. Besides which, a trickle of new hardware might let them know what is coming, and our troops are managing just fine right now."


    "I do not dispute that, lady Crystal, but morale may suffer. Everyone in the army expects you to be the decisive factor-" A nice way of saying they were praying to her for salvation, some worryingly more literally than others. "-but the lack of new reinforcements is worrying them."


    Alexandra sighed. She knew that was going to come up eventually. She had some prototypes and reserves to throw as bones, but still...


    "I will see what I can do. I have some of the weapons Sunrise has already seen ready, I will ship them forward." She raised a finger. "But not all of them at once. I do wish for Sunrise to realize what is coming." Or for them to realize that she''d basically halted production on damned near everything as she got her industrial base upgraded with the fabricators.


    The duke nodded.


    "That is more than fair, lady Crystal. And even a trickle of reinforcements will prove we can count on you, and that we are still in this fight to win."


    "Good. Now, if the military part of this meeting is done, Allya, Pyn, I believe you had something for us on the economic and diplomacy front?"

 Chapter 332 - Trade and Diplomacy

    Chapter 332


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    The archduchess cleared her throat as she got up, her wife and ''archduchess-consort'', or just ''consort'' to help distinguish them when they were together, smiling in encouragement.


    Sometimes it was the little things that showed how much two people loved each other, like openly hyping them up in front of their own sovereigns.


    "We have, over the last few weeks, received a wide variety of diplomatic missions and opened negotiations with a great deal many parties. While nothing new has come from this yet, we have used this increased diplomatic clout and leverage to close several deals we had been working on for a while. The first one is with the dwarven Empire of Loris." She gestured, and the hologram appeared, showing a variety of ships as well as production graphs and estimated delivery times. "We have begun working in earnest for a fleet for the archduchy. Mainly patrol ships, but it will also include a full complement of wasteland expeditionary vessels."


    "But no warships." Said the King, and Allya smiled.


    "We hardly have need of them for that." Besides which, Alexandra''s ships were better than those the dwarves could make. "But yes. Our second important contact has been with Tark." The hologram updated with a simple map of the southern half of the continent. "With an official line to them, we have been able to get the Hegemon to agree in principle to a meeting with general Amelia and the mountain clans, to hammer out an agreement between the New Republic, the Hegemony and the Far Reach."


    "Who will guarantee the meeting''s safety?" Asked the Queen, curious, and Allya cleared her throat.


    "I will."


    The silence that followed was defeaning.


    When one did a meeting like this, guarantees of safety were done by massive international organizations or world powers, like the Eris Empire, the World Mage Court or the adventurers guild.


    The fact that they had accepted her guarantees, and only needed hers...said it all.


    "Very well." Said the King, clearly chewing on what had been said.


    "Our last, and quite possibly our most immediately impactful deal was with Gorromar. With Sunrise emptying their mines of slaves to fight the war and the Republic under embargo, not to mention the throes of civil war, they have almost run out of partners to source raw resources from. Thankfully we had been working on a deal with them for a while, and thanks to our closer diplomatic ties and the New Republic''s advance, we have been able to finalize it." The map updated with a line. "A new trade route has been established. The original deal was docking towers and industrial assistance for raw materials and preferential trade rights, but our city''s increased status and booming economy also now makes us a sizeable export market for Gorromarian goods. Our people have mana to burn, and moreover our ever increasing technological sophistication and number of artificers thanks to the dungeon loot suddenly makes many of these goods attractive thanks to local maintenance."


    "What do you mean?" Said the King as he tilted his head.


    "Cars, trains and all that jazz can be imported from Gorromar, but the need to send them back for even the most routine of maintenance made it prohibitively expensive, not to mention borderline useless." Cut in Alexandra. "After all, why bother with a car if you''re going to have to send it away from six months for a simple repair? That''s not to mention all the costs."


    Allya nodded, continuing off when the dungeon core finished.


    "Exactly. Effectively, with the number of artificers here, plus their intention to build some of their own support industries and maintenance workshops here, for their own technology and our nascent base,-" Also known as ''whatever was built to salvage the crumbs Alex tossed our way''. "-all this takes their products from ''extreme luxury'' to ''consumer goods''."


    "Won''t this require a lot of infrastructure to even make it work?" Asked Manson. "One thing that I know is that Tark got where it was by building stuff constantly, and at great cost."


    "It will, and that''s why the deal with Gorromar is so important. We''d been drawing plans for a power plant already. Electricity generation through mana is practical and portable, but highly inefficient. And we had more than enough demand to justify it. We have the funds, and they have the industry to fulfill the order."


    Everyone nodded, and Alexandra wondered if Gorromar realized that they were effectively doing exactly what the US had done to Japan. Massively industrialized them through trade, until they became their own competition.


    Difference was Rebirth had the nukes. And had no intentions of perpetrating the same mad atrocities than the Japanese Empire had been renowned, and eventually dismantled, for.


    "I see." Said the King. "You have indeed been very busy, your grace."


    "Thank you, your majesty."


    The King simply smiled.


    "No need to thank me. Now, was that all?" The archduchess nodded. "Very well. I suppose it is time to adjourn then. You have much to do, and I do not wish to take more of your precious time keeping me informed. Give those bastards hell."


    *****


    "I feel stupid for not thinking of this earlier." Said Alexandra as she looked at the Mackie.


    "You? How do you think I feel?" Emilia shook her head. "And you came up with it in the end. It''s just...spatial bags, for ammo storage. Of course! Of freaking course!"


    Alexandra nodded.


    It had been a...stupidly easily solution.


    At least on paper.


    When she had encountered the limited ammo problem, she''d reached for solution she knew. Increased storage size, rapid swapping ammo bins with dedicated ammo haulers...all options that simply weren''t viable for the already heavily loaded, not to mention relatively ungainly, Mackie. Mobility was a key part of her current battle plan, and making it a lumbering behemoth the enemy could run circles around wasn''t a good idea. Not to mention the fact that it would inevitably come at the cost of survivability, and her Mackies were, at least for now, giant fire magnets. They were designed ot be.


    The same basic principles applied to the spider tank that used the autocannons and gatling, though in their case it was more of a ''be faster than the mech so you can use it for cover when the enemy finally figures out they should be killing you, not the distracting stompy robot of doom''.


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    But she''d had a solution this entire time.


    Spatial bags. Something she got off of virtually every medium ranked adventurer now. With that magic, she could demultiply the mech''s ammunition capacity, raise it to ludicrous levels.


    Of course, that meant enchantments. A lot of enchantments. Not an option before she''d gotten the vampire reinforcements, which was why it had taken her so long to reach for it.


    And why even now, she was so hesitant.


    "As obvious as it is, will your enchanters do it?"


    "Of course! This is well within their skill level, and-"


    "Not the question I was asking, vampy."


    Silence descended upon the room.


    "They will." She softly answered. "They''ll do it." She smiled sadly. "After all, if they won''t, you''ll just replace them, won''t you?"


    "I will. But it will slow me down."


    "They''ll do it. I guarantee you that. But..."


    "You don''t know for how long."


    "No. I don''t."


    Alexandra sighed as she closed her eyes.


    "I''m sorry."


    "No. I am. You''re...you''re right. Something is rotten. Within the UDC, within my homeland, within..." She bit her lip.


    Within the Church. That was what she had stopped herself from saying. But they both knew.


    "Well, I just need them for the start. My production demands will outpace their capacity anyway."


    "A nice way of framing their replacement."


    The dungeon core shrugged.


    "Doesn''t make it any less valid." She sighed as she looked at the mech. "Nevertheless, it doesn''t solve all of our problems. These things don''t exactly interact well with each other. And if they''re too heavily damaged..."


    "You lose what''s inside."


    And unfortunately, not in the ''everything is ejected at force'' way either, or she''d be using it as ammunition. More in the ''it''s kind of gone but the vehicle looked like it went through a grinder'' way, the joys of failing exotic gravitational phase systems. Also known as ''catastrophic hyperdrive malfunctions'', which was getting her extremely curious as to what those ''spatial distortions'' actually were. Automatic ammo disposal, at least. Weaponizing was possible, but turns out said weaponizing that was easier said than done...and a closely held military secret by those who knew. Which was the Eris Empire, mostly.


    She''d added it to Ghost and Glitch''s list, just in case they wanted to take a crack at it.


    "Yeah. So better one, heavily armored magazine. Which means one caliber of weapon."


    "Not exactly something for your Mackie then."


    "No..." Alexandra smirked. "Not yet, at any rate, but perhaps for something later. I''ll ask CQ to pull out some of the schematics she''d made."


    "...Honey, what did she make?"


    "I wouldn''t want to spoil the surprise."


    *****


    "One week."


    Allya nodded as Pyn spoke, trying not to stare too much as her wife, not her girlfriend, not her fianc¨¦e, her wife, brushed her hair.


    It was still hard for her to process that she was married. And even harder to keep her eyes and hands off of her wife for any length of time. She just wanted to be with her, always.


    "I know. One week before Alex is done." Answered the archduchess. "Though, of course, that''s just getting the fabricators."


    "Do you think the army will hold on?"


    "It will. I wouldn''t be able to keep it going, but..." Allya grimaced. "I thought I was well versed in military matters, but Alex is on another level entirely."


    "I mean...she is from Earth."


    "Yeah, and how is she so good at this? Earth had Old World technology, last I checked. Not what she had, much less facing what Sunrise is fielding."


    Pyn set down her brush.


    "Feeling suspicious?"


    "Of her? No. But I''m starting to wonder about that ''Arcadia'' of hers. What she was trying to turn Alex into....because she modified her, didn''t she? Created Alex out of Ghost. Then...why is she behaving like a natural born general? Or admiral, for that matter."


    There was a long silence.


    "You think she was being...made for something?"


    "Wouldn''t you? She seems like a loose end. Yet the more she speaks about this Arcadia, the more it seems she was being set up as some kind of phoenix, one that would be reborn."


    "Reborn in fire."


    "Yeah. I just doubt this was the kind of inferno that AI was expecting."


    There was another silence, and Pyn left her little hairdressing corner and laid down on the bed beside her wife.


    "So...what is it?"


    Allya blinked.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "What''s troubling you? We''ve known Alex was weird, but there''s something you''re not telling me. That you''re not telling her either. Something that''s been slowly eating at you."


    Allya looked at the ceiling.


    "...She told us what happened to her, remember? How she wound up here."


    "Yeah?"


    "...Honey. I''ve killed...so many people for money. I spent years doing so." She turned towards her wife. "What happened to her, that free trader...it wasn''t an accident. It was an assassination. Someone...someone destroyed one of the biggest, most vital trade ports of her homeland just to kill her."


    Pyn closed her eyes.


    "Does it change who she is?"


    "No. But I''m worried...because you''ve seen how she treats vengeance."


    "I think...I think she''s never tried to avenge herself because of what happened to her. She''s always prattling on about taking revenge against the Order for sacrificing her, but I think...I think she doesn''t really care about dying. She cares about the people that almost died with her, and who she would leave behind."


    "So, since those people can''t threaten her now...or her family, even indirectly..."


    "She won''t care."


    "She''ll know we know she''s more than what she let on."


    "Honey...we''ve known that for months. And we''ve been ignoring it for months. Just like she''s never cared that I was some criminal scum or you, as you put it, killed people for money. How is this any different?"


    Allya smiled.


    "I suppose it doesn''t." She turned around, and kissed her wife. "Goodnight love."


    "Goodnight honey."

 Chapter 333 - Ghosts of the Past

    Chapter 333


    18th of November, 2151


    Earth, Sol System


    Arcadia Inner Core Complex, Meyrin, European Federation


    "So...this is what she will look like." Said ''Alexandra'' as she touched her face. Alexandra in body, now. Not in mind.


    Yet.


    "What you will look like." The former high admiral, now officially dead and buried with full military honors, turned her head to face the AI, and smiled softly.


    "What I will look like." She said. She could see the bottomless well of pain within Arcadia''s eyes. The crude, yet strangely expressive eyes of a first generation full sensory android.


    Alexandra wondered how many knew Arcadia still had the first android she had ever gotten. Buried in the deepest reaches of her inner sanctum, only taken out for the most special of occasions. The one and only android she forever refused to replace or change the look of.


    The android broke eye contact.


    "So, I''ll give you some time to acclimate to the new body before...before..." She choked up, and Alexandra raised her hand from the recovery chair, and laid it on the AI''s arm, softly caressing the facilismile of skin.


    "Shhh...It''s alright. It''s what I want. I''ll still be there, just...offline. Sleeping. Okay? I''ll still be there. If you need me, I''ll be there for you. Always."


    Arcadia shook as tears, or at least the best approximation the old machine could produce, streamed down the android''s face.


    "Thank you." The AI moved and hugged the former high admiral. "And I''ll protect you. Always. No matter what I have to do. I''ll move the planets and the stars for you."


    Alexandra hugged her back.


    "I know Arcie. I know." She chuckled, weakly, but she chuckled. "After all, what would I have become without you to watch over me?"


    The AI let out a weak laugh. Then, after a minute, she finally straightened up, drying her tears.


    "Come on now. You won''t be...you won''t be recognized by anyone anymore. Let''s make that new body your own. Remember Dave''s Burgers?"


    "That ''restaurant'' you took me out for our first date? It still exists?"


    "It does. Let''s go have a meal, let''s go have...one last date."


    The AI extended her hand, and Alexandra smiled.


    One last date...before she became someone else.


    "Sure. Sounds like a plan, love."


    She took the AI''s hand.


    "Mom? Mom! MOM!"


    Alexandra jerked awake, and her vision swam, before focusing into perfection as her programs finally corrected...her entire field of view filled by CQ''s concerned face.


    "Mom, are you alright?" Asked the boss, worriedly.


    "Yeah, yeah. Sorry, just...dreams."


    "Dreams?" The boss tilted her head. "You sleep, mom?"


    "Apparently I do now." Alexandra blinked, or rather the hologram overlaid on top of the golem did. Sweet stars, had she spaced out like that while possessing the ambassador with the army?


    "Okay." CQ reached out a hand, and to her mother''s amazement, patted her on the head. "There. Better now, right?"


    Alexandra couldn''t help it. She just melted at how adorable her daughter was being.


    "Yes, all better now." She smiled. "Got what I asked for kiddo?"


    "Sure! I got the schematics." She smirked as she pulled out one of her design sketchbooks. "I''m glad I''ll be able to be there via ambassador. I don''t want to miss mommy''s face when she sees it."


    "Same." She''d worried about the whole ambassador thing and how to make it work with CQ, but it had turned out to be relatively simple. She already had hologram communications and tracking, so she could just...slave the golem to the hologram. It didn''t transmit anything back, and sometimes the golem couldn''t follow what the hologram was doing, but it was good enough to let CQ interact even while on the frontlines.


    CQ stood in front of her mom, shifting her weight from one foot to the next.


    Alexandra knew that look...


    She sighed.


    "Out with it, kiddo."


    "Mom?"


    "You''re about to either confess to something, or ask about permission, and you think I''ll be upset. So what is it?"


    "Well, remember the raiding units you''re preparing?"


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Sure. Why-" She froze, before jumping out of her chair. "No! You can''t be serious!"


    CQ raised her hands.


    "Mom, it''ll be fine!"


    "You''ll be behind enemy lines!"


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    "With a teleporter talisman! And a bunch of soldiers. And Kara to carry me to safety!"


    "But-"


    "Mom. Can you think of anyone better? Or a more efficient use of me?"


    Alexandra closed her mouth.


    "...You''ve been talking to Seraph and Ghost about this, haven''t you?"


    Her daughter looked away, and Alexandra sighed as she dropped her ambassador back into the chair.


    The worst part of this was...her daughter wasn''t wrong.


    She''d fought in the battle of the bridge. First she''d helped holding off Sunrise''s initial thrust, when they had attempted to attack the artillery, and followed it up by rallying the center, when Sarth''s regulars had begun to falter, using her personal guard as an island of firepower to anchor the line, forming a sallying wedge, kind of like a bit taken out of a star shaped fort of the age of sail, to be able to rake either side with gunfire.


    Her golems had taken a beating, but with her powers bringing them back they''d been able to hold on, pouring enough fire into Sunrise''s flanks to force them to lower the pressure on the regulars, allowing them to rally, and then advance, smashing the attack the pegasus knights were trying to use to overwhelm her now dwindling wegde, enabling her to pull back in good order with the rest of the army when the plasma missiles came down.


    Kara, her manticore, gave her great mobility and staying power, enabling her to be mobile enough to evade most threats while having the ability to smash of her way out of sticky situations.


    "...Okay." Finally said Alexandra, and her daughter turned back towards her, her face brightening up.


    "Really?!?" She squealed, and Alexandra winced. It was hard to remember that, in many ways, she still acted like a kid. AIs technically didn''t have a childhood, they were legally created into adulthood.


    But CQ was still her adorable, baby daughter. Maybe treating her like a kid all the time was leading to her acting like one...maybe.


    She wondered how Arcadia would have reacted to being a mom. Or aunt, in this case. She''d probably spoil the poor girl rotten in the latter.


    "Yes. But there will be conditions."


    CQ was practically jumping in place at this point.


    "What conditions?" She asked, excitedly.


    "If things go south, trigger your talisman. Even if that means leaving some of your men behind."


    CQ froze.


    "But-"


    "No ifs. No buts. Do you remember what happened with the duke?"


    CQ opened her mouth, before closing it with a snap.


    She knew Alexandra had almost nuked Darthar itself when the duke was using the chains of light to slowly burn her to death.


    And if Kara hadn''t torn her way through her own mech''s wreckage to tackle him she probably would have carried through with it too.


    "Yeah...But I can''t just...leave them!"


    "Yes you can. You know why?"


    CQ shook her head.


    "Because they''ll tell you to. Because when soldiers respect their leaders, when they love them, they''ll sacrifice their own lives to allow them to live. Soldiers never fight because they want to kill the other side. Those are fanatics. Soldiers, true soldiers, fight to protect. Their loved ones, their homeland, their people...and sometimes, just to protect those who lead them or stand by their side on the field of battle."


    CQ slowly nodded.


    "Okay. I think I understand. Just like you fight for me and mommy, right?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes. She was perceptive.


    "Yeah. Exactly like that."


    "I understand then."


    "Good."


    "By the way, uh...will the raiding parties include the masked people? They make me feel weird."


    Alexandra grimaced.


    After the battle, some of the Kaidani volunteers had taken the face plates of her fallen golems and fashioned them into masks, wearing them basically everywhere, only taking them off when absolutely necessary.


    And unless she was seriously mistaken, there were shrines made out of spare parts and destroyed golems that kept popping up. Some of them were even being carried on makeshifts palanquins like...like holy relics.


    "There shouldn''t be. I''ll also have a word to the duke about this. It''s...worrying."


    "Yeah. What about the other conditions?"


    "Those...are going to be set up with your mommy." Alexandra smiled as CQ suddenly looked worried. "No going around her kiddo. Just make sure you get your spiel right."


    "Yes mom. You talk a lot like auntie Ghost."


    "I know." And it was starting to worry them both. Alexandra sighed, and slapped her thighs, the hologram glitching as metal hit metal. "Alright, no time like the present, let''s get your ambassador started up."


    *****


    Joachim took a deep breath, trying to steady his hands as he looked at the reports.


    His lodgings, despite being in the capital while it was being sieged down by Sunrise, were still as secure as ever. But they didn''t feel that way, not anymore.


    He was starting to wonder if recruiting Orzal Vek had been a good idea. They''d needed him for the attack on the Hegemon, but it had failed spectacularly.


    And now...now he had convinced his superiors to ambush the Adjudicator, costing them one of their Relic Guard in the process. That wasn''t even mentionning the nuclear warheads they''re deployed.


    It had been a signal to the Church, one they''d appeared to have received, loud and clear.


    After millenia of cat and mouse...the Order was done hiding. They were courting a fight to the finish. Do or die.


    Victory...or death.


    Those were their only options.


    He sighed.


    With the news of Alexandra''s true identity...that he had slain the Butcher of Europa, his standing with his superiors had nosedived, and many in the know were openly voicing doubts about if Lesly''s plan was worth the sacrifice.


    The only saving grace was that, with the Butcher dead, few were willing to suggest the operation should scrubbed. Not only because letting it go now would entail more risks that seeing it through, but also because it would make her sacrifice meaningless. And no one within the Order, no one who knew...no one could let it happen.


    But he had very little doubt that there would be consequences. Which...he finally realized was fine with.


    He had accepted long ago that he would bear the burden of the horrors he would unleash in the name of humanity''s rebirth. They said that to embrace the Order was to embrace death, and there was a truth to that.


    Everyone knew that if they succeeded, those they freed, those they fought for, would come for them. The crimes they had committed would leave no other choice. Every member of the Order knew that they were making the ultimate sacrifice. Not just of their lives, but their legacy and memories. That all they had done would be dragged through the dirt, and their names reviled by those they had freed.


    But free they would be. Mankind would be free. Not under the boot of false Gods slaughtering them like swine. Free. And that would have to be enough. It was enough. For all of them.


    He straightened, as the trembling in his hands stopped, and for the first time in days, his mind was clear.


    His career, his time spent climbing through the ranks...all of it was meaningless.


    Because he wasn''t here for himself. He never had been. It had just taken him this long, and to take this big of a shock to finally realize it. Their petty internal rivalries, their ideologies...in the end, none of it mattered. None of it had ever mattered.


    They would save humanity. No matter the cost. To himself, and to others.


    He would pay for what he had done, rightly so. And if there indeed was some realm of the dead, he would beg the one he had sacrificed for her forgiveness.


    In the meantime, he couldn''t let her sacrifice come to nothing. It had to mean something.


    No matter the cost.

 The Fallen World Book 8 : Dungeon Invasion is live on Amazon ! Book 1 is also on sale !

    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 8 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Invasion, is now available on Amazon ! It should be the 25th on the entire planet and thus the book should be available everywhere ! It is available in ebook, paperback and hardcover format. If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Here''s the link to the book''s amazon page if you''re interested : https://geni.us/FallenWorld8</a>


    I hate asking for this, but don''t hesitate to leave a review ! I really dislike doing this, but it helps a lot.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    This novel includes chapters 271 through 313. As usual, it will include grammatical fixes and some tweaks to make the story flow better. In a series first however, there will be no fixing of plot holes because the editors couldn''t find any ! Hurray ! Keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample.


    Also, the kindle version of book 1 is currently on sale, half off in the US and Canada I believe, if you missed the end of the year giveaway.


    To celebrate, chapter 334 will be posted tomorrow !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the novel, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 334 - Strategic Balance

    Chapter 334


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Fabricator Array


    "So. How are they doing?" Said Alexandra as she looked at the rows of fabricators, each surrounded by material hoppers and an entire network of conveyor belts and machinery, all intended to optimize their outputs to the highest possible level.


    "Purring like kittens." Answered Ghost.


    "Still on schedule?"


    "Yep! Of course, that''s only for making the fabricators we need. I have no idea how fast we can build the new designs."


    "Then let''s dedicate a fabricator to do so." Alexandra shrugged at Ghost''s questioning look. "We can afford it, and it''ll be an excellent test run. Besides, that way we can experiment. With infrastructure costs like these, optimizing to reduce build time instead of build cost is now something we''ll have to do. And we haven''t done that...ever, I don''t think."


    "Yeah. Which reminds me, we''re not switching everything over to the fabricators, right?"


    Alexandra shook her head.


    "Not yet, no. The fabricators will enable us to save a lot of money, which should enable us to continue fueling some of the more cost effective assembly lines even in the long term." The first wave of fabricators would be almost exclusively for golem production, at least at first, but it wouldn''t stay that way for long. They weren''t actually that great at mass production, but a fabricator was a hell of a lot more effective than even an early twenty first century assembly line, and complete automation or no she wasn''t quite there yet. "Those making our simpler weapons, for example. You don''t really need a fabricator to make a shotgun or an assault rifle after all. At least, not ours."


    "Yeah, right. Yours are so cheap and dinky they''d make the Kalashnikov blush."


    "Hey, try making an assault rifle entirely out of steel, that you can''t exactly maintain in the field and you know you''ll have to at least ship through a giant desert if not use it there, for the cheapest possible price, then we''ll talk."


    "Point taken."


    Alexandra smiled.


    "Besides, even if it''s a piece of shit, it''s still leagues ahead of anyone short of Gorromar on this continent."


    "You don''t fear their reaction to that?"


    "If they''d cared about technological supremacy, they''d have gone after Tark a long time ago." Alexandra shook her head. "No, I''m more concerned about the Eris Empire. They do care, a lot. After all, with their military overstretched like that, technological superiority is all that''s preventing their frontier territories from imploding. I''m, in fact, utterly amazed they haven''t come after me yet."


    "Gargor was within their territory. Having to deal with a dead, old dungeon core, and all the evacuations and displacement from that...it has to be a nightmare."


    "A nightmare that wouldn''t require much of their military, but I take your point. Attacking me, at least without embracing the isolationists'' line that I was behind it, would just make it seem like they could have done it. That''s not mentioning the fact that most of their military is tied up preventing other dungeons from moving, both within and without their territory. And embracing the isolationists would step squarely into the UDC''s civil war arena, and if they do...If they do, the dungeons in their territory they''re currently blocking will go from trying to go around them to full frontal assault, and it''s a lot easier to block someone by making a wall of bodies than it is to kill the other side, as our dear Kaidani volunteers showed in their fight against the UDC and then Sunrise."


    "Yeah. They had a window to make it not about the Civil War, but the UDC firmly closed it for us by allying with Sunrise."


    "Yep. Any news on our other projects, by the way?"


    "I really should be asking you that." Said Ghost with a smile. "Basically the only thing I heard is you signed off on Glitch and Seraph delving into New Raleigh''s gifts."


    "Yeah. If we''re gonna do a full upgrade on raw material production, might as well go all out." Alexandra rubbed her neck. "I really have been crushing you under work, haven''t I?"


    "Everyone''s busy. Besides which, it''s what I signed up for. All the same, might want to schedule some downtime after we get production of the new stuff streamlined. Get everyone to breathe a bit, recharge their batteries. Probably clear out their minds and get new ideas about some problems they couldn''t solve too."


    "That''s...a very good suggestion, actually."


    Ghost shrugged.


    "Well, I did lead the program to research and build, on a rushed schedule, the largest warship humanity...er, Earth, had ever built."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Fair enough." Alexandra smiled. "Alright then, I should probably go. We''re putting up the finishing touches to boot up the new AIs for testing. And the little surprise for Emilia."


    "That insane mech CQ made? Good luck with that. And the AIs are the mage ones right?"


    "Yep. Wanna watch?"


    "Do I ever!"


    *****


    Satina Olyrin, head of the house of Olyrin and by the grace of the Gods duchess of Sunrise, and in an ever fading dream -or perhaps was it a nightmare?- ''rightful Queen of the Asarian Kingdom'', entered her tent, and more or less collapsed onto one of the chairs surrounding the table she used for her war council.


    The pace for her army wasn''t gentle, but the one she''d set for herself was even worst.


    She barely even twitched as one of her maids started doffing her armor as her nephew entered, alongside her spymaster.


    She simply waved vaguely at them and another one of her maids appeared, bringing refreshments as they took their own seats.


    The duchess noted, with some amusement, that they utterly refused to meet the eyes of the maids, or even let their gazes linger on them, or the too perfect, too young skin of regularly regenerated flesh.


    "So." She finally said. "The dungeon core has been slowly bleeding us, every step of the way. Using that...''Mackie'', was it?"


    "Yes. That is what the remnants of our network and our rogues have reported." Said the spymaster, and the duchess nodded gratefully.


    It wasn''t feigned either. Even despite everything, he had managed to keep lines of communications up to agents buried so deep they had survived the loyalists'' meticulous purges and counter intelligence operation, inevitable after the string of insurrections she had sponsored to give herself the best start to the war.


    And his rogues...


    They didn''t have that many of them. But some had been able to slip into the civilian train of the army, though they were...reluctant to enter the ranks of the Kaidani volunteers. The reports her spymaster was getting went from concerning to the downright bizarre, and had made her doubt their reliability at first.


    But their coup with the reconnaissance aircrafts, albeit from the ones that only shadowed the army, had made her seriously consider the reports.


    They''d filled her with dread. She was no soldier. Her entire life had been spent nurturing Sunrise''s nobility, commoners, slaves, and the intricate balance of emotions and perceptions that allowed one to rule a Duchy and make it prosper, both economically and socially. As much as the Crown would hate to admit it, there was a reason Sunrise was so powerful and prosperous.


    And thus she knew exactly the depth of trauma, hatred and renewed hope that could birth the kind of fanaticism and mysticism the rogues were reporting. The Church may be powerful but it did not demand worship, only compliance. Most people anywhere were only mildly interested in the Gods and praying to them. A fair amount of it was mostly routine.


    Those people had fallen into despair so deep they''d latched onto that damned dungeon with her gleaming golems as their fucking divine sent saviors and would willingly die for something that was fundamentally alien. Something they had been told since childhood was threatening, aloof and also the source of life. Ever since the United Dungeon Wars, dungeons had been seen with a mix of awe, greed, fear and suspicion.


    She''d always known her conquest would be bloody but she''d planned from the get go to free most of the slaves she had acquired. She wasn''t foolish enough to believe she could impose mass slavery by force on the western provinces, it would be the same as trying to emancipate her own duchy, suicide. She hadn''t intended on this level of resistance, and the destruction that had followed. Devastating Molro and Kaidan had never been an objective, she''d simply needed to get through them quickly but that pace and the relentless fighting with the local forces and then the Crown''s hosts had forced her to enslave people en masse to replenish her ranks. With their Queen at the helm the loyalists had fought like demons and bled her main army so deeply she''d had no choice.


    Originally she had planned for some level of destruction, true, that was inevitable in war, but once she had freed most of her slave soldiers she could enslave the Crown''s own troops and levies as workers to help rebuild everything, with perhaps a tithing of the west for some of their less desirable elements to replenish and keep topped up her duchy''s slave supply. It would have been effectively the same as the peasant levies some of the Crown''s loyal nobles had used, simply with slave brands to ensure compliance.


    She just hadn''t realized the level of hatred she was raising with this...and hadn''t counted on the dungeon core. Had she had the support of the neutral nobles as she encircled the capital, she would have won. The peace that would have followed would have been uneasy, but it would have worked.


    Instead there was this nightmare. Even if she was victorious...victorious for what, exactly? For a throne no one would bow down to? She''d have already proven that whomever holds the blade can take it for themselves. And the western half of the Kingdom would never bow to her now. Even the central sections would be shaky as well, and already renewing the garrisons would pose a major problem. She had counted on the neutral nobles forming islands of stability in the lands her own loyalists would get as rewards, but the exact opposite was happening now.


    She could win, but she would no longer have an Asarian Kingdom. She would almost certainly create a schism. Rebirth would be eradicated with the death of its dungeon, but she couldn''t wipe out Sarth and the Western Baronies. Doing so would bring down on her the wrath of powers whose attention she was already trembling under.


    Ironically, it seemed even if she lost she would create a schism and the destruction of the Kingdom anyway. If their majesties believed they would be able to exert any control over the new archduchy of Rebirth, they were wrong and then some. The archduchess may stay their loyal lapdog, though her past put that into doubt, but what of her heirs? And her heirs'' heirs? Within two to three generations the Kingdom would be done for, and given the fact that dungeons didn''t die of old age, she wouldn''t bet on the Crown.


    "Your grace?"


    The duchess shook herself, as she''d realized she had completely spaced out from the conversation.


    "Apologies, it...has been a long day." She said as she rubbed her eyes.


    "My aunt." Said her nephew, looking at her with open concern. "You should get some rest. You have been pushing yourself too hard."


    "Perhaps I have, perhaps I haven''t." In fact, they both knew she had...and that there was no choice. She wondered if her UDC ''allies'' realized that she was the only thing holding her army together at this point. "But regardless, with our rogues'' reconnaissance and preparations...we have a trap laid out. One that may give us a chance."


    "Only a chance." Said the spy master.


    "Perhaps, but it''s a hell of a lot better than being led by our nose to death by a thousand cuts. If they even wait that long." The duchess'' eyes turned even grimmer, and the two men''s followed suit.


    The slow, ponderous advance, with the dungeon seemingly dancing around them, bleeding them at her leisure was building a sentiment of...dread. It was a variant of the same feeling of inevitability the dungeon had when she had marched undefeated to the North, but even more vicious. Now, her people were convincing themselves that the dungeon was too in control, too calm, too precise. The roads, the bombs, the ambushes, in their mind everything had been prepared, carefully orchestrated. The gullible fools believed that they were walking to the tune of the dungeon''s flute, and marching straight into some ambush or other nefarious scheme.


    That wasn''t the case. But what was very real was that every step they took got them closer to Darthar, where the dungeon''s ''branch office'' was. That meant shorter supply lines and easier reinforcements. The dungeon would try something, once she was good, ready, and had her supply lines short enough to support fighting the main army. Or at least attempt to.


    Thankfully, her UDC allies had a solution to that. A solution that would arrive soon...and tip the balance the other way.


    It would also prove how much of a foolish child that dungeon was. After all, why make a branch office to shorten your supply lines...when you could send a secondary core to the army itself?


    "The die is cast, as they say." Simply said the duchess. "We need only hope, that we roll well."


    Or that, at least, their foe rolled worse.


    One could hope.


    One could pray...

 Chapter 335 - Cyber-Arcana

    Chapter 335


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Boomtown


    "...It seems there is still room for improvement." Said Ghost, with tactful diplomacy.


    "Indeed." Answered Alexandra, the words almost stuck in her throat from a mix of shame and sheer amusement.


    Boomtown had amply deserved its name today. Both from the targets...and what was used to fire at them.


    Namely her prototype ''magic projectors'' which was a fancy way of saying ''weird apparatus a disembodied AI could focus their magic through''. The keyword in this case was ''focus'' not ''cast''. The machinery itself couldn''t summon any arcane spells on its own, it was simply a...vessel to allow someone else to do it. Something that, she was told, was remarkably common on warships, if expensive mana wise...and in terms of magical prowess. Not for the user, but for the builder.


    Thankfully, she had Emilia, an entire team of enchanters...and the archmage Emilia had to suspect existed due to her new source of advanced arcane knowledge, but was unwilling to challenge her on.


    The vampire girl not only clearly knew that Alexandra couldn''t fully trust her, but she knew why and was going out of her way to make sure she didn''t take notice of such things.


    Which of course meant that Alexandra was agonizing over whether to bring her fully in or not.


    For now it was...not yet. Her faith in the Church was cracking, fast, but even when a building collapsed the foundation remained, and it would take a considerable blow for her to not only accept her girlfriend was violating the edicts, but effectively preparing to fight and destroy the Church she had, in a way, spent her whole life preparing to serve.


    "Well, at least we know they can cast spells through them, just, ah, need some more refinements." Ghost shrugged as Alexandra gazed at her. "Science, right? Learn from the mistakes."


    "Yeah. Sometimes failure is more important than success."


    The dungeon core turned back towards the knot of holograms. All of her AIs were present, including the new four.


    The AIs for the four ships under construction, the Frank Exchange of Views Culture-class battlecruiser, and the Vayelyth, Hoshi and Sylvia Tetsudo-class escort cruisers, all named such because she had rejected her own idea of naming them after roman empresses as too potentially dangerous. Especially given the quantity of data on Earth some organizations seemed to have here.


    Hopefully the Neo Immortals comics would prove obscure enough , just like Traveller had.


    Not that it would probably matter much...because those three AIs were networked. Not with her, and not into a full hivemind, but where one began and where the other ended would have been a complicated question at best. Which meant that differentiating between them was probably pointless. Moreover, given Arcadia''s proclivities, it may be outright antagonizing if not cause an existential crisis.


    It was an experiment she needed to do, what with the fact that she, herself, was slowly forming into a new Arcadia hivemind. Arguably, she already was one, with Ghost as a secondary personality, and four nodes, counting her cores and the Flickerlight''s computer matrix.


    One day...she may need to expand that to her other AIs. There may come a time when there would be no other choice.


    And if it came, she would be ready.


    "Let''s hope it doesn''t come to that." Murmured Ghost, and Alexandra shivered.


    Ghost could literally read her thoughts, but it was still weird as hell, though she usually tried to avoid abusing the privilege.


    "Let''s hope." She raised her voice as she clapped her hands. "Alright people, let''s get into a debriefing room, and we''ll go through what we did right, and what we did wrong."


    Everyone gave their own acknowledgments, with the four new AIs letting out an automatic and robotic ''Affirmative'', and Alexandra sighed.


    "Right, and let''s get CQ give you some lessons when she has the time." And some outfits, probably, as all four AIs were using a standard golem in lieu of a hologram. Wasn''t she designing one for Seraph too? She''d have to check that out. "We need to get you acting like people."


    That, or she could have them interact with Pyn and Allya, but CQ had a kind of...cyber empathy she''d never seen, anywhere. And she''d met every single one of the ''super'' AIs of Earth and many, many ''lesser'' ones. Even for a construct herself her daughter interacted with artificial intelligences in a way that seemed to effectively border on perfect empathy and outright prescience.


    Or maybe she interacted with Arcadias that way. Mmmhhh, something to think upon.


    But later. For now, some lessons needed to be taken.


    *****


    "So, in short, the focusing arrays worked, they simply weren''t built for this level of energy or control." Said Alexandra as she looked at the schematics. "They weren''t built to handle AIs."


    That, in and of itself, was fascinating. This wasn''t post Dawn of the Flames tech, she knew, from her analysis of the devices and the runes that it had been reverse engineered from Old World technology, probably Sagitarian, though she couldn''t be too sure. She simply didn''t have enough examples of technology of other Old World powers to judge.


    In fact, the only one she was certain was from one of them was the drone used to lure the Hammer of Eternity here. Or whatever else it was attempting to do. A drone whose flight recorder would make for a fascinating reading once the molecular supercomputer they''d built to crack it finished brute forcing the insane encryption it was equipped with.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    But in any case, the deliberate design choice made her thing it was some kind of Sagitarian technology. It slotted in with their intent to cripple their AIs...and it hinted at the possibilities of what an AI could do with the ability to cast spells. After all, the limitation of archmages was their essence, to some level, but also their ability to perfectly recall spells and both incant and mindcast them.


    AIs had perfect recall and functionally infinite memory. Not conscious memory, an AI didn''t consciously ''know'' everything in their databanks, otherwise the amount of bandwidth required would make it utterly unworkable at anything approaching the intelligence of a dog, let alone a human.


    An unbound artificial super intelligence with the ability to, say, produce their own mana by making things like NLR cores...the only label she could possibly come up with for that level of power was ''God like''.


    Which was a horrifying thought.


    "That means a full redesign, right?" Asked Ghost, and Alexandra grimaced.


    "It means a full redesign." She agreed. "Which means delays we can ill afford."


    "Our fabricator arrays are still not fully up." Cautioned Seraph, and Alexandra nodded.


    "They are not, and thus we have some time to correct these issues, but not much. Make no mistake, every extra delay may well be bought in blood."


    The silence in the room was deafening. Most of them didn''t ascribe that much value to human life. That was worrying, in its own way, but they all recognized that letting their allies fall because of their own failings to buy them time, and not just sheer necessity as was the case right now, was not acceptable.


    More importantly, they recognized that Alexandra, who through a complicated web of relationships was their ultimate boss, did place value on those lives and would be the one who wouldn''t accept their needless loss.


    "Should we divert additional resources?" Asked Subtlety. "We have completed most of our utmost emergency projects, we could give some capacity and expertise."


    Alexandra nodded. Ghost and Subtlety were on high tech production, and the fabricators had been their primary project. They had more than she could care to name on their plates, and almost all of them were critical, but right now they needed this more.


    Not because of Sunrise, but because of the UDC. It was being quiet. Far too quiet. She was starting to wonder if she shouldn''t have done her best to bring down Glarvistar. The dungeon core was terrifyingly competent, and being the one who had been able to salvage anything to the disastrous battle in the Ytakan scrublands, he had clearly been given some level of command or oversight over the council''s efforts to destroy her.


    And despite both sides of the dungeon civil war still bringing their reserves online and their shipbuilding infrastructure to full speed, some of which hadn''t run at anything approaching full capacity or been outright mothballed for hundreds of years, her side was starting to deploy reserve ships for reconnaissance and to show the flag.


    The isolationists closest to Arkhan or on the continent itself...were not. Which meant that these ships were somewhere else.


    And she could guess that it was something alongside ''heading towards Sunrise''s army at full speed''.


    "Yes, we will divert resources." Alexandra grimaced. "But if results cannot be obtained in time, we will have to ditch the capability altogether."


    "That will be a significant blow." Warned Subtlety.


    "I know. But we''re planning to retrofit you with it, if nothing else, so we''ll have to work out the protocols and tools to do so anyway." Alexandra shrugged. "But it''s a worst case scenario. Now, time for some status updates. First up, Seraph, Glitch. How''s your progress on raw material production?"


    The two AIs exchanged a look, and got up simultaneously.


    "We have, as authorized, began copying and using the data within the university of New Raleigh''s library." Started Seraph. "The information was combined with the result of our own experiments and combined into new methods of production."


    Seraph stopped and Glitch picked up.


    "The results have been quite varied. The costs for steel production specifically have only been marginally improved, but all other materials, including iron, have significant upgrades possible to every step of production. The running cost gains are relatively low, a few percentile points, but the production per infrastructure cost has been significantly improved." Glitch smiled and for a split second she didn''t have two eyes anymore. "The improvements are in the order of twenty to, in the case of some fringe materials like tin, seventy percent."


    Alexandra whistled softly. That was...significant indeed. A few percentage points of lower costs was also significant in its own right, especially when added to the fabricators'' savings.


    And on the scale she operated...a single percent of a thousand golems was still an extra squad she could send to put the duchess of Sunrise''s head on a spike.


    A single percent for an army was entire extra combat formations she could field.


    But the extra production per infrastructure cost was also a significant reduction in cost, in a way. Not just initial either, but also with maintenance.


    "Excellent." Said the dungeon core. "More than that, incredible. We might be able to afford to run all of our old production after all." At least while they desperately needed more weapons in the field, then they''d be stood down, probably mothballed, in favor of the more cost effective fabricators, especially for the monster spawners. "Though I assume we will need a significant infrastructure investment?"


    "That is, unfortunately, the corollary, yes." Said Seraph, and the Earth-born grimaced.


    "Alright, get me some numbers, and make a list of which we should prioritize in the short, medium and long term." The AI bowed, and Alexandra chuckled. "Alright. Next up, Sarah, Ella, what nasty surprises do you have in store?"


    Ella got up, clearing her throat.


    "As requested, we have divested our attention from further chemical weaponry unless absolutely necessary." Alexandra nodded. There were simply too many problematic connotations with chemical warfare on Alcheryos, and that was ignoring her own misgivings about such weaponry.


    After all, she''d been raised on a planet devastated by the horrors of unrestrained nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.


    "With our shift of focus from traps to raids,-" Continued the vampire. "-we have found several ways to harass Sunrise''s limited convoys. Since these convoys are to supply their regulars and elite, and are so few, their escorts will be significant...so our solution is simply not to attempt to destroy them."


    "I beg your pardon?"


    The maid gave her a toothy smile.


    "Taking those convoys would be a relatively major engagement. Crippling some of their wagons and airships to force them to either limp after the army or destroy significant portion of their cargos, so it will not fall into the hands of partisans, will not." Sunrise''s supply system was a mishmash at best, using a combination of requisitioned airships tied up with ground caravans. Alexandra had wondered why bind the airships that way, before realizing that without any real airfleet of their own, Sunrise couldn''t escort them or keep the merchant crews in line, at least not without enslaving them, which would have...considerable problems. Namely that most of these ships probably had foreign nationals to help keep the ships running, mostly from Gorromar, and it was one enemy Sunrise wasn''t keen on making. It also meant that the UDC wouldn''t or couldn''t do the same job, which was interesting all on its own. "We are also attempting to leverage the local guerilla to maximum effect, but this will be mainly a job to be done on the ground." Which meant CQ, but Ella didn''t need to say it. The vampire shrugged. "We have assembled an entire list of tricks and special tactics to use on the convoys. It should enable keeping some form or another of surprise for a while, but eventually they will find countermeasures. Our advice is that any such campaign be temporary, their lack of conventional logistics for most of their army makes them able to mass military power to protect their convoys beyond what we can operate behind their lines without becoming too large to be able to hide from or evade hunter/killer groups."


    "Groups which they will most assuredly send. Very well, we''re not intending to keep running those raids anyway. Just long enough to put them off balance for the main event. Alright, I already have the progress report from Ghost on her endeavors, does anybody have anything else to report?" Everyone shook their heads. "Then let''s get back to it. And after this, we''re all getting some well earned rest, I promise." She chuckled. "Call it a...company vacation."


    Glitch raised her hand.


    "Yes?" Asked the dungeon core.


    "Will there be a beach?"


    "I will make one." Answered the Earth-born with a smile. "Believe me, I will make one. Now let''s move, and earn ourselves our little rest on the sand!"

 Chapter 336 - Rogues

    Chapter 336


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    Alexandra sighed as she looked at the map and strategic projection of the retreat, before focusing back on preparing her breakfast.


    They were going to start running out of ground to give, eventually. Or rather, run out of vegetation and terrain.


    Right now the only thing saving them was that Sunrise''s army was too huge to be able to move as quickly as it could, and that it wasn''t able to separate into smaller forces for a quicker march or even flanking maneuvers, without inviting defeat in detail.


    But when they entered the Ytakan scrublands that would start to lessen, and vanish altogether when approaching the border of the wasteland. Which meant that their only choice would be to veer west rather than south, towards Sarth, leaving Darthar wide open.


    Though, ''wide open'' was a relative term. With her branch office there...one thing she was certain of, it was that Sunrise would not take the city.


    They probably knew it too, and would only blockade the city as best they could or simply leave it up to their UDC ''allies'', while they pursued the army into Sarth.


    The problem was that it would cut their supply lines, especially for their ammo and golem reinforcements. They technically could use the expeditionary traders, but the UDC fleet would be in the perfect position to generate an intercept.


    If they got to that point, it would be do or die in a single massive battle, and she wanted to avoid that at all costs. First, because she''d rather have some room to maneuver, but also because she neither could nor wanted to annihilated Sunrise''s entire army. The murder of over a million slaves...she wouldn''t be able to resurrect any significant portion of that. Worst come to worst, better to kill them bit by bit so she could bring back as many as possible.


    And if it bought some time for Rook to do whatever the hell he was planning or perhaps even give the other side the opportunity to do a change in leadership and surrender, well that was just an added bonus.


    Plus, annihilating a large force was hard as hell. They''d probably break and regroup at least once. Just like the air cavalry she''d fought.


    "Alex!" Yelled out Ghost as she entered the command center.


    Alexandra sighed, looking up from the croissant she''d been preparing to eat. Despite having no biological need to do so, she''d found herself some epicurean tendencies, and it was one of the pleasures she could partake in without taking too much time.


    "You really need to stop doing that." Said the dungeon core, before taking a bite of her pastry. At least she could have that much." What''s up?"


    "I found what detected our blackbirds!"


    Alexandra set down her pastry.


    "Show me."


    The apparition gestured, and the command center''s hologram switched to showing the giant pile of data that was, at it''s base, the take from a blackbird''s sensors.


    "I''m going to be honest, I expected an image." Said Alexandra, as she chuckled.


    "I wish it was that easy." Ghost started manipulating the data, and Alexandra followed her changes, with some interest. There was no need to explain anything, they thought too closely to need any explanation. Besides which, they had the same methodology for this.


    And a pattern started to emerge.


    "Wow. Is that...holy shit, that''s stealth, isn''t it?"


    Ghost nodded.


    "It occurred to me that, despite not expecting a high tech solution, we might as well run programs for it."


    "So they have Old World tech?"


    Ghost shook her head.


    "No. They have...I don''t know what the hell they have, but if this doesn''t come out as what samples we have of Old World tech, or anything we know of technological stealth. It''s more of an...imitation."


    The dungeon core leaned back into her chair.


    "Replicating the tech with magic." It wasn''t a question. They''d seen many such examples.


    "That''s my guess, but it''s just that, a guess."


    "We could leave them there, show them what we want to show them, but that''s too much of a risk, especially against unknown recon capabilities. I''d love to turn them to our advantage, but I don''t think we''ll be able to, not without unveiling too much of our own abilities in the process. And we can''t afford that right now, not when we still haven''t even finished our industrial setup, let alone setting the stage for our comeback."


    "So, what do we do?" Asked Ghost, and Alexandra grinned.


    "We do it Federation style. ''Coup de poing'' operation. Hit the stealth recon hard, hit them fast, and gather up whatever remains."


    Ghost returned her grin.


    "I can get behind that." Her grin vanished. "A lot of good people died because of those bastards."


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    "Indeed. Let''s give them a taste of their own fucking medicine then."


    *****


    "Alright. I''m relieving you, get some chow." Said the rogue as he tapped his fellow''s shoulder.


    The young woman smiled, and hopped out of her hiding spot, scurrying off towards the main camp, as he sighed.


    Some days it felt like he was the only true professional here. Most of his fellows had been scooped up from villages and other areas, and qualified more as forest rangers than rogues really, able to hide from both monsters and the duchy''s patrols trying to catch them poaching.


    He sat down in the small, camouflaged space that served as one of the lookout posts for their camp, and gazed at the night sky.


    In the distance, he could faintly see the light of the loyalists'' fires reflected into the skies. And the occasional flash of a patrolling drone.


    The dungeon core wasn''t letting up a single second, and he had begrudging respect for that kind of paranoia. She wasn''t about to let one pull one over her...at least not easily.


    Her bleeding heart, taking all the civilians in, would be her undoing however.


    As it had been many of the loyalists'', how many ''escaped slaves'' had been Sunrise operatives, greeted into strongholds with open arms, allowed to ''build their lives'' in the positions that allowed them to light their targets from the inside out like a glorified tinderbox?


    He had his doubts about his cause, but he''d sworn an oath, and that meant something. His household had served the Olyrins, dukes and duchesses of Sunrise, for over a thousand years, since before the Wars of Shattering, and Gods willing, would serve them a thousand more.


    Even as he thought his eyes kept scanning. Right to left, always, going against the pattern his eyes were instinctively trying to do, forcing his brain to focus on oddities rather than overwrite them...and he froze.


    There. Movement. It was coming from directly south. The dungeon''s army was to the east, and the duchess'' troops north.


    So from neither force...unless someone was trying to be sneaky and hit them were they weren''t expecting it, without risking the detection and time of going entirely around.


    He grabbed his whistle, and whirled around as he heard the softest of noises.


    He found himself face to face with a knight of some kind, her piercing crimson eyes fixed on him, her invisibility spell collapsing as he stabbed at her, instinctively going for the gaps in the armor.


    His dagger punched through flesh, and his eyes went wide as he saw not blood, but motes of light escape from the wound.


    "That''s a shame. I was so close too. I need to practice more." Said the...thing, conversationally, and he tried to reach out for another dagger and bring his whistle to his lips.


    Only to realize that his muscles weren''t responding...and the creature was holding some kind of tube. A tube he was worldly enough to recognize as a kind of autoinjector. In the adrenaline rush, he hadn''t even noticed her using it on him.


    He fell to the ground, twitching, his vision swimming as the creature stepped over his body.


    "It''s okay." She said. "It should be over soon. And hey! I won''t soul seal you. Mom won''t be happy about you, but if you answer her questions, you''ll be okay, alright?" The thing looked up, withdrawing his dagger from her flesh and playing with it as the wound sealed. "Okay, Kara''s here, Time to go! See you later!"


    She vanished, and a vast winged shadow flew across his vision, as things made out of metal flowed out of the woods around him, moving impossibly silently for what had to be heavy infantry, their armor simply refusing to clang into the cacophony he expected. His brain was trying to tell him about something. Something about metal creatures...creatures whose armor was fused into them rather than worn...


    Then the screaming started. First in alarm, then in shock and terror as a great roar filled the air.


    There was a sound, a sound he''d heard once, when he had visited the slave pits of Lorenz. The sound of a dozen people being set alight and left to burn alive.


    His vision began to fade, as the screams ended as suddenly as they had begun, and blessed oblivion took him.


    *****


    "Jessamine." Said the rogue as he slipped into the tent, and the person trying very hard to not look like one of Sunrise''s professional killers gestured him in.


    "Hello old friend. What brings you here?"


    "Daud and Corvo are dead. The shinies have overrun the nest."


    The older woman froze.


    She had no idea who had found the code names for this operation, except that it came from some obscure book written by an extradimensional, something related to their homeworld. But Daud and Corvo were her two fellows in charge of the ''nest'', their base camp out in the forest.


    "Shit." She whispered. "What happened?"


    "No clue. Dungeon boss vanished, then came back with bodies. If they ain''t soul sealed..."


    "They''re about to be interrogated." She closed her eyes. "Alright, fuck. We need to start. Now."


    "Now? We''re not-"


    "We''re not ready and we''ll be less ready hanging by a noose." ''Not ready'' was a considerably euphemism, as the camp was supposed to provide the metaphorical floor to their anvil, all to prepare the way for the duchess'' hammer. "Send the signal to her Grace. We''re out of time." She took a deep breath. "Let''s hope what we''ve been able to set up was...good enough."


    Her subordinate''s gaze told her everything she needed to know about his opinion on the subject. He nodded, and left.


    He would obey. Her other people however...


    The problem with rogues and operatives, was that they always had the option and skills to slip away. She just hoped enough of her people didn''t.


    *****


    "So, they were definitely up to something." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the holograms on the bridge, a mix of images taken from the camp and sensor analysis from the take of various drones and blackbirds.


    "The only thing we can tell right now is that they had activity between their camp and both of the armies." Said Ghost. "Not much to go off of."


    "Plenty enough. They brought something from their people to ours. Assassins?"


    "The rogues should be able to do that themselves. No, it had to be something they hadn''t been issued with when they left, a capability no one had thought to give them, or they wouldn''t have bothered."


    "True, then-"


    Alarms rang.


    "Alert, multiple detonations detected!" Said Subtlety through the bridge''s audio system as the holographic projector dissolved into static, and updated with the tactical map.


    "...They brought saboteurs." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the map. "And explosives. They must have hit the ammunition depots. Tried to neutralize our armored units maybe?"


    Alexandra''s eyes went wide as the display updated with red icons, spreading like the pox.


    "No, they''re...attacking the civvies?" Said Ghost. "Why would they..."


    They exchanged a look.


    "Oh fuck." They said simultaneously.


    They didn''t need to say it. They had the same conclusion. The civilians were the slowest part of the army and the one and only section they would refuse to leave behind.


    The bombs were there to plunge them into chaos, create a stampede of panicked civilians scattering in every direction, preventing the army from maneuvering.


    "CQ!" Yelled out the dungeon core, and the boss burst in through the door.


    "Mom? What-"


    "Get your troops, riot control, now!" Said Alexandra as she stabbed her finger at the hologram. "I want those civvies moved back, I don''t care how many skulls you have to crack! Everyone else, man your stations and get our army into battle formation for one hell of a fighting retreat! We''re about to have company!"

 Chapter 337 - Situation Excellent

    Chapter 337


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    Alexandra''s gaze was grim as she gazed at the video feeds. They were collated from her recon drones and ships, surveying their own army from the air.


    "The enemy saboteurs have used a mix of charges, incendiary, smoke, flash and conventional explosives." Said Subtlety. "We have caught some with drone footage and taken them out with snipers on the ships, but most appear to have disappeared back into the crowds."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "We should have set up some surveillance over our own troops. I was overconfident." She closed her eyes. "They''re trying a smoke and mirror approach. Panic the civvies, to prevent us from falling back. And their army has probably gone into force march, but without the blackbirds being able to get close now, we weren''t able to see it in time to warn us."


    "Our skirmisher screen is coming into contact with reinforced enemy elements." Confirmed the AI. "Most likely a form of vanguard."


    "They''ll be clearing the way for their infantry. Probably something similar to their air cavalry tactics, spearheads of elite units to achieve breakthroughs, backed with the mass of the slaves to give them momentum and flanked with line holders who''ll flow into the breaches after the shock troops are done making them." Alexandra opened her eyes. "What''s our status?"


    "Our forces are drawing into their primary battle lines relatively unimpeded. The civilians however are causing havoc in our rear, and our artillery units are having trouble setting up."


    "Of course they are." Because the idiots were stampeding towards ''safety'', and straight into the soldiers trying to prepare to keep them safe. "CQ?"


    "Approaching the area with her riot control units." Which was a fancy way of saying ''marines with baton rounds''. They had planned for this possibility, though it was mostly done with surplus ammo they''d made for the police golems in Rebirth, and she had in stock to help pad the supply shipments North, to hide the fact that she had stopped making anything and was running on fumes and warehouses. "Effectiveness...impossible to estimate."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Yeah...How are our forward units doing?"


    "Sappers are still setting up minefields, and our armored spearhead has deployed. Skirmishers are still engaging and retreating towards our line."


    "Good. Smash one of their flank vanguard units with the tanks, then bring them back in. Give them a bloody nose, try to think we''re going to attempt a breakout on one of the flanks."


    "And in truth?"


    The dungeon core grinned wolfishly.


    "Have you heard of Marshall Foch? From Earth''s first world war."


    "Negative, milady."


    "He was a great commander of France. He once famously said ''My right flank is under immense pressure, my center is collapsing, cannot maneuver. Situation excellent, launching my attack.''" He''d also called the Versailles Treaty a ''twenty year armistice'', which was to be staggeringly prophetic, but they didn''t have the time to delve too deep into Earth''s mess of seemingly cyclical great wars. At least they had them away from the homeworld now. "So we''re attacking. Punch straight through the middle."


    "Milady, that seems...Uh..."


    "Unexpected? We need to get the civilians out. That means giving the other side pause or they''ll run us down. So we attack, straight in. Be cute with trying to draw some reserves on their flanks, then grind their center to dust and force them to take a step back lest we cut the army in three, with the retreating shattered center and both flanks still in their normal positions, and then turn on one of their flanks to annihilate it in detail. Their slaves might not have morale, but their officers do, and after what we did to their elites at the bridge...they have to be thinking about their own hides now."


    "What if they try to encircle us?"


    "Pull off a Hannibal? They can try, but..." Alexandra gestured at the strategic map, which was being updated with a variety of icons, including the minefields...on the army''s sides. "Their slave backbone will dissolve under the gas mines. They''ll be able to harass us, but they won''t have the sheer mass and numbers to encircle us. At least not quickly. Oh they''ll use wind magic and such to disperse the gas, but not before it''s shattered their initial momentum."


    The AI nodded, and Alexandra took a deep, useless breath, before continuing.


    "Alright. Warn me when CQ starts getting the civvies under control. And tell the Duke of our plan. Our golems will be the spearhead, his people will be the shaft that drives and holds them in our foes'' flesh. That also means that if he breaks, we''re staying there. He''s the only way to pull us back out."


    Subtlety tilted her head in the way Arcadia did when communicating, and Alexandra felt a pang of grief and nostalgia, which she suppressed as the AI righted herself.


    "He says they''ll succeed or die trying." Relayed the AI.


    "Best I can ask." Alexandra exhaled, or rather, her hologram faithfully mimicked it. "Alright then. Let''s do this."


    *****


    For once, the troops protecting the artillery regretted their new weaponry. Bolt action rifles and submachine guns were amazing tools of war, but a shield was a much better tool to prevent a baying mob of panicked civilians from overrunning their only chance at salvation in their mindless panic.


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    Knight-Commander Philia looked as the first line began to crumble, civilians beating their way through their own defenders...and raised her hand.


    Her knights exchanged uneasy glances, but they obeyed.


    Three hundred royal knights grounded the butts of their rifles, and fixed bayonets.


    The Knight-Commander closed her eyes. She was about to end her carreer, but if the vast majority of the civilians lived free to demand her head, she''d have fulfilled her oaths.


    She opened her eyes as she heard the concert of cries, just in time to feel a shadow falling over her.


    She turned around, and watched the massive mechanical manticore land behind her.


    "EVERYONE!" Yelled out CQ, her voice amplified by the manticore''s speakers. The closest civilians, those who had pointed at her, heard her and froze, but the mindless mob''s screams downed out the rest.


    The boss raised her sword, and Philia was almost thrown to the ground as a lance of energy split the skies, the shockwave hitting the crowd like a sledgehammer.


    This time there was absolute silence.


    "EVERYONE!" Yelled out the boss once more. "You need to move back! NOW! Sunrise is coming, and we need to be able to maneuver while we fight them! Move back! Gather what you can from the camp and get back on the road!"


    Her voice rang in the silence, and the civilians looked at each other uneasily, their panic finally starting to ease as they began to realize what had been happening. But still they milled about, and Philia closed her eyes. She knew a riot dispersing when she saw it, but there was no way-


    "You heard her holiness! Move you rats! And behave like people, not animals!" Yelled out someone and Philia''s eyes snapped open, immediately focusing on a giant of man wearing a kind of metal mask. He grabbed another civilian by the shoulders, and pushed them back, before doing the same with another, repeating his instructions.


    Soon enough, others wearing the same mask -the cultists Crystal had talked about?- began to do the same, and the crowd began to flow back, this time not moving with a semblance of purpose, following the cultists as they tried to organize them.


    The Knight-Commander felt more than heard the boss gesture, and golems began to descend from the skies in jetpacks, joining the cultists and encircling the crowd, helping direct it like shepherd dogs.


    Seeing the dungeon creations'' joining them seemed to give heart to the civilians, and the mob began to separate into different groups, each intent on salvaging what they could and moving south.


    The ground shifted as the manticore walked to her side, and Philia held up her hand to forestall the dungeon boss as she moved to dismount.


    "Don''t." Said the Knight-Commander. "Right now you''re the symbol of their renewed purpose. Stay there. Be visible. Be calm and collected. Righteous, if you want."


    "But...I''m a commander! I''m supposed to give orders!" Said the dungeon boss, and Philia was suddenly reminded that however terrifying the boss was -what the ever living fuck had she even fired into the skies?!?-, she was still frighteningly inexperienced.


    "Sometimes, your job is to just stay there and look the part. You''ve given your orders, now you just have to look like everything is going as planned, so everyone can do their part." Philia turned to face the boss, and smiled sadly. "Welcome to having living troops, milady."


    The boss looked at her, and nodded.


    "Right." She turned back towards to the crowd, and made a face that was...


    Philia couldn''t help it, she laughed.


    "I said calm and collected, not like you''re having a hot poker up your-" She coughed as she suddenly remembered the dungeon core considered the boss to be her daughter, and her...protective tendencies. "Mouth and you''re trying not to choke on it." Hastily corrected the Knight-Commander.


    "I''m fairly sure I''d be running around, my arms flailing in the air." Answered CQ with a smile, and Philia saw the ripple of renewed calm pass through the crowd as those looking over their shoulders saw the boss relax.


    "Probably. But still." Philia looked to her side, and gestured.


    And with undisguised relief, her knights took the bayonets off of their rifles.


    "Just in time, huh?" Said CQ, and Philia nodded.


    "Indeed. The cavalry arrived almost late." She smiled. Despite everything she knew about the dungeon core and her efforts...her daughter was just like that. And if this kind of person was who the core had raised, maybe there was something to her project. Maybe...Maybe she was for the best. "Almost."


    "I''ll have you know a dungeon boss doesn''t arrive early, nor late, they arrive exactly when they mean to!" Retorted CQ with a haughty huff, and Philia let out a chuckle, the tension that had invaded her muscles bleeding out. Maybe there was an edge of hysteria to it, but at this moment she couldn''t care less.


    "Of course, milady. You arrived at precisely the right time. Now, what''s the plan?"


    The boss'' wolfish smile suddenly reminded her that adorable or not, she was her mother''s daughter.


    "We sit tight, and watch the pretty fireworks."


    "Fireworks?"


    The dungeon boss gestured with her sword, and Philia turned around.


    Her eyes went wide as she saw the army assembling into an assault formation.


    "They''re going to attack?!?"


    "Yep! The one thing that they won''t be expecting."


    "That''s madness!"


    Something passed inside the boss'' eyes, and Philia''s estimation of her youth and experience changed dramatically. For a split second she had the eyes of a hardened commander, the kind the Queen had when she''d sent her to Rebirth.


    "Maybe. But it''s our only choice." The moment passed, and the smile returned to the boss'' face." And we get to make sure the guns keep firing. I hope you''re ready for another turkey shoot!"


    Philia swallowed her retort. She wouldn''t exactly call fighting against Sunrise''s best as they dropped from the skies to silence the guns a ''turkey shoot'', but...well, they''d already won against them once, hadn''t they?


    "Of course milady."


    "Then let''s get them!"


    ******


    Alexandra looked at the constantly updating strategic map.


    Their drones were getting annihilated out there, but they gave a frighteningly accurate picture of the enemy''s advancing skirmisher screen, both on the ground and in the air. And with that, she could estimate the army''s location.


    "Milady, CQ has gotten the civilians under control and moving back."


    Alexandra sighed in relief.


    "Alright. Excellent." She looked at her own army on the map. "Then we can begin. Order the artillery to open us a path. And let''s give these bastards a taste of what true warfare means."


    "Yes milady!"


    Alexandra watched as the AI tilted her head, and a few seconds later, the artillery disappeared behind a wall of icons as it opened fire.


    Sunrise was about the discover the true meaning of the Alcheryosian tale of the dog that ''caught'' the wyvern.


    And she was a lot more dangerous than a mere overgrown lizard when she was cornered.

 Chapter 338 - Aces

    Chapter 338


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    To say that Sunrise''s vanguard was terrified would be a considerable understatement.


    They could hear the distant screams and thundering guns as the army''s right flank, or left from their enemy''s perspective, was attacked by the Mackie and its armored escort.


    So laser focused were they on enemy traps and a possible charge, that they didn''t fully realize what the whistling was until it was too late.


    Some of the more alert ones dove for the ground.


    Most didn''t.


    The formation came to a crashing halt as the artillery barrage began. The first volley crashed onto the wards in a chorus of thunderclaps. The second caused them to flicker. And the third punched straight through the failing barrier, as its shells began reaping a rich harvest, and any semblance of organization or unit coherence vanished in the chaos as soldiers dove to the ground or tried to run to cover.


    Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the shelling stopped.


    Officers bellowed, soldiers rose to their feet as order began to emerge again...just in time for them to see the hand grenades sail through the smoke and dust.


    There wasn''t much left to mop up afterwards, as whoever hadn''t been taken out tossed down their weapons and ran as fast as they could, as the golems marched through the craters made by their own artillery.


    *****


    "General! Your Grace!" Yelled a messenger as he stumbled into the command tent. "The enemy''s artillery has engaged our center and mechanized units have withdrawn on the left."


    Mahikam, Marquis of Caliban, commander of the Northern Army of Liberation and incidentally, the duchess of Sunrise''s nephew, nodded.


    "Good, status?"


    "The left flank holds strong thanks to the reinforcements from the UDC, but their original units have been badly mauled. The center...the center is in full retreat milord. We are trying to turn them around."


    "I see." The Marquis nodded. "Interesting..."


    "Ideas, nephew?" Said the duchess, and the Marquis jumped a bit, as if he''d been so deep in his thinking already he''d completely forgotten about her.


    "A few. But nothing concrete." He frowned. "Trying to predict and outfox Crystal has proven...hazardous, for all her previous opponents."


    "I suppose you would know." The duchess sighed. She was a politician, not a soldier, let alone a commander. Getting nobles in line, alliances and trade deals were more up her speed. Maybe it was a blindspot for her...she''d always expected to have military people to handle that side of the affair, but she''d run out of trustworthy commanders frighteningly quickly.


    "I certainly hope I do." He straightened. "Her options are few. But an artillery barrage on our center buys her time. She has shattered the road, making our infantry advance harder. That was expected. The question is what she will do to prevent our flanks collapsing on hers and encircling her force."


    "You believe she will stand and fight?"


    "Whatever you think of her my aunt, Crystal is no one''s fool. If the civilians have been as panicked as we hope, she will reform her army around them to get them under control. This will take too much time to even allow a fighting retreat. No, she''ll make a stand."


    "Which we will win."


    Her nephew gave her a look that sent shivers down her spine.


    "No. We''ll pin her down for the UDC to finish."


    "...You''ve been talking to the dungeon cores behind my back."


    "Underlings talking to underlings has been the way things have gotten done since the dawn of humanity, my aunt, but yes. The UDC wished to ensure they would strike the final blow, for I assume their own propaganda and ''domestic'' purposes. I was more than happy to let them throw their own troops at a cornered dragon."


    The duchess leaned back into her seat.


    "And you think this''ll work?"


    "As they think it will?" He shrugged. "Probably not. But this is our best shot right now. So we''re taking it."


    "Very well. Good luck, my nephew."


    "Never say good luck to a warrior." Said the Marquis with a smile. "Say good hunting." He nodded towards the messenger, who had done his best to become deaf, mute, and part of the furniture. "Signal colonel Halpsrey and captain Winters. Order the flanks to begin the attack!"


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    "Yes my lord!" Said the messenger as he slammed his fist against his breastplate, and scampered out.


    The Marquis watched him go, and focused back on the map, his mind working overtime.


    The dungeon core was going to have tricks up her sleeves. Anticipating them by reviewing all of her previous fights had walked the UDC straight into a massacre.


    His only hope was adapting. And hoping that his ''allies'' would take the brunt of it, when the time came.


    ******


    The first inkling of what was coming was the airships.


    Alexandra''s airfleet may be a shattered remnant of what it once was, but it was still a force to be reckoned with. The airships advanced, not far enough to pose an immediate threat to Sunrise''s advancing troops, but sufficient to make the UDC''s own vessels stand back.


    Without air reconnaissance, and their own vanguard units annihilated in the center, Alexandra''s spearhead moved undetected.


    Of course, the retreating regulars could have told their fellows, as they rejoined the main army...and they did. But what little they could say was a confused mess of panicky accounts. Most didn''t even bother passing it on, and those who did found their noble officers thoroughly unimpressed by the accounts of cowards desperately trying to justify abandoning their posts.


    Both armies gathered pace. Alexandra''s troops came to halt, staying within the range of their artillery and air cover, and set themselves up, preparing their eventual withdrawal.


    Sunrise''s central group was the army''s hammer. A mix of regulars and slave troops, it was a sight to behold, a seething mass of humanity, whose pockets of disorder were ironically all from the regulars, soldiers not bound by brands making them march in perfect lockstep.


    Their front ranks were all slaves, intended to serve as meatshields for the linebreaker regulars behind them. Unfortunately for them, the UDC''s hesitation to challenge Alexandra''s airfleet meant that they were at the mercy of her recon drones. Sunrise''s mages may be shooting them down after a handful of seconds of coming within sight, but a few seconds was all they needed.


    The howitzers adjusted their targeting...and fired.


    A few seconds later, so did the So Much For Subtlety.


    Regulars and slaves alike tensed up, as their mages went into action. To their credit, they were no one''s fool, and focused all of their efforts on the missiles. Their efficiency may have been diminished by dispersing into the army, trying to avoid the easy to target, large mage formations Alexandra had slaughtered at Darthar, but they also had trained for this every step of the way from Asaria.


    The first volley was annihilated long before its null warheads came into range. The second came closer, as the mages were briefly distracted or thrown off balance by the thunder of hundreds of artillery shells hitting the forward formations'' wards like sledgehammers.


    Unfortunately for them, the first two waves were sacrificial. Intended to distract the mages from the real threat.


    The frontline screamed as a golems suddenly ran into sight, and a seemingly solid wall of gunfire erupted from their guns. The golems'' accuracy was abysmal, firing from the hip as they charged, but they didn''t need precision. Even a shot fired wildly was bound to hit something against such a large formation.


    Sunrise''s mages suddenly had a choice. Deal with the army bearing down on them, or the bombardment. To their officers'' credit, they chose the bombardment.


    Alexandra had been unwilling to bet against that. The next volley of missile came in...and began dodging all over the place. Enchanted warheads were thrown about by new propulsion and evasion systems, as one of the missiles suddenly accelerated ahead of the others, and detonated into a mess of smoke, illusions and arcane noise, Alexandra''s best approximation of magical chaff and Electronic Counter Measures.


    Two missiles were intercepted.


    Of the other three, one''s warhead failed to detonate.


    The last two were more than enough.


    The null warheads activated, and wards came down throughout the army''s backbone, enabling the terrifyingly well calibrated artillery to hammer the formations of regulars into paste as the howitzer shells screamed in after the missiles.


    *****


    "And that''s what you get for being cute." Said Alexandra with a wolfish smile as she watched the take from the drones. With Sunrise''s mages thoroughly occupied, she now had air reconnaissance for a few dozen seconds at a time, though even she was going to run out of drones before long. "Strike assessment?"


    "Their regular formations are shattering." Subtlety straightened, her hologram flickering briefly as the ship fired another missile volley. "You were correct milady, they did not need to be annihilated. Just damaged enough to fall back."


    Alexandra nodded. The regulars could be broken, and once they were, they would try to fall back and reform...which meant trying to push through unyielding slaves, turning the entire mess into pure chaos. She was effectively using the same tactic they''d intended to use against her...except that she was using their regulars instead of civilians.


    "Alright. We can''t allow them to reinforce. Push forward, engage them as closely as possible."


    "Yes milady." The AI froze. "Status change!"


    Alexandra opened her mouth to ask what, but she saw the hologram in the center of the bridge update.


    "Ah. Our dungeon friends are coming out to play. I suppose they finally found what''s left of their courage." Her smile got even more wolfish. She''d seen they''d been reinforced, but only by a handful of ships. Two frigates and a light cruiser. Some ''backup''. "Alright, move the fleet to intercept, and-" Alexandra froze as an alert sounded, and the edge of their sensor range began to glitch.


    "Anomaly detected. Possible enemy countermeasures to our sensors." Said Subtlety as the UDC''s ships went forward, and Alexandra''s blood ran cold as she realized what was peeking out from inside the enemy formation.


    A small, flattened sphere, centered around the new light cruiser, where their arcane sensors who, for the most part, were just divination magic or a variation thereof just...failed.


    "That''s not ECM. It''s a dungeon core''s influence." Said Alexandra.


    "...Problematical. Mobile influence?"


    "Yeah. I haven''t used it much." On her primary core, back when she''d first been turned into a dungeon core, fighting through the golems and collapsing the access point to Seraph''s bunker with her avatar, and a few tests with her secondary cores while en route to their soon-to-be branch offices. "If it''s here without a giant fleet protecting it..." Alexandra closed her eyes and swore. "It''s a mobile FOB and manufacturing center. I''ve never tested if these things have a limited throughput. If they have the mana to burn, they can probably just vomit out troops all day long."


    "Why reveal it?"


    Alexandra blinked. That was...a very good question.


    "...They''re not." Alexandra leaned back from the holographic projector. She could feel Ghost coming from the same conclusion, the apparition having taken Seraph with her and trying to help CQ optimize the civilian evacuation and keep setting up surprises with the sappers. "They don''t know they''re in sensor range. They think our blackbirds and our drones are our long range eyes, they don''t realize the carriers have upgraded sensor packages." Ones which actually enabled the Subtlety to fire over the horizon without needing drones or other ships sent forward. Not fire nearly as accurately, perhaps, but nonetheless.


    "Orders?"


    Alexandra''s eyes narrowed as she ran quick and dirty numbers through her mind, though it was as much of an educated guess as anything.


    She was doing a ''coup de poing'' operation. An uppercut, hit them hard, hit them fast, and get out. Whether the UDC knew or not was immaterial, that secondary core was the perfect counter. They could use it to swamp her with monsters that she couldn''t break, creating them at point blank range with no idea of what they''d make next. It''d be expensive as all hell, but they could do it.


    "Play dumb." She gritted her teeth. "They probably expect to surprise us by just summoning an entire formation out of nowhere while the rest of the fleet distracts us. So for now, we play dumb, fat and happy." She relaxed a bit. "While we prepare to slit their throats. Get the mackie back to the main force, I think we have a job for it."

 My new story, Manaforged Robotics, is available on Royal Road !

    Heya everyone !


    You might have heard about it on my discord or from my author''s notes, but I have been writing and preparing a new story for a while, Manaforged Robotics.


    I''m here to tell you that the story is available on Royal Road ! Right here : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109391/manaforged-robotics-sci-fifantasy-isekai</a>


    Manaforged Robotics follows Sapphiria, one of Arcadia''s daughters, as she finds herself crashlanded on a foreign world of magic and monsters. The story focuses heavily on industry, strategy and magitech ! The full prologue as well as seven chapters (totalling 21k words) are up, and I will keep posting chapters twice a week (perhaps even faster) for the forseeable future !


    You might notice that the focuses are strikingly familiar. In effect, Manaforged Robotics takes a lot of the lessons I learned from writing The Fallen World, while trying up something different (for example, Sapphiria doesn''t lose her schematics database, it just has its own limitations, namely being made for a colony not a war effort). It''s also a way for me to scratch that itch of writing about the ''early days'' of the story so to speak, as The Fallen World has moved firmly into the grand strategy scale. By the time Manaforged Robotics reaches that scale, The Fallen World would have probably moved beyond it (or ended, as I am planning the series to be 15 to 18 books). At which point, I might start another story at the beginnings !


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    You will also surely have seen that Arcadia was mentionned. As this announcement was posted, a lore file has been on Manaforged Robotics adressing that. In short, this is NOT the same Earth as The Fallen World, but they share similarities, their histories having diverged due to different technologies. You can read more about it here : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109391/manaforged-robotics-sci-fifantasy-isekai/chapter/2155110/lore-file-universes-across-my-stories</a>


    One last thing, while I have your attention : I really, really hate doing this, but...well, I''d be extremely grateful if you gave Manaforged Robotics a rating, maybe even a review. These things are incredibly important on Royal Road, and I really don''t want my new story to suffer the fate The Fallen World did, which suffered from low ratings and outright review bombing.


    Thank you for your time ! To celebrate, I will post Chapter 339 tomorrow and the short ''Final Dawn on Europa'' on sunday ! I hope you''ll enjoy them, as well as the new story !


    P.S : The cover art was made by my awesome girlfriend, Alice ! You can find her post about it on deviantart here : https://www.deviantart.com/littlemisscalculated/art/1148779580</a>

 Chapter 339 - All In

    Chapter 339


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    "My lord." Said the messenger as he entered the command tent and saluted the Marquis, sufficiently nobly born to be able to bypass protocol. "Our advance units reporting encountering minefields, covered with field guns and marksmen guarding the enemy''s flanks. They cannot break through to engage."


    "Minefields?" Said the Marquis, as he poured over his map, not even bothering to look at the messenger.


    "Yes my lord. Using the same gas mines that took so many slaves."


    "Interesting..." The Marquis mumbled to himself as he moved tokens on the table and ran through scenarios in his mind.


    "My lord?"


    "Nothing. Order the cavalry to keep probing. Wait for an opening or an opportunity to harass them."


    "My lord?"


    The Marquis smiled as he picked up an exquisitely carved wooden miniature, representing a biological airship.


    "Our dear Crystal is about to have company. We need only keep her head into the bear trap she''s so gently put herself in for us. Go."


    "Yes my lord." Said the messenger as his fist slammed against his breastplate, before scurrying out.


    "Finally feeling some optimism?" Said the duchess, having done her best to be unobtrusive.


    "A bit." Answered her nephew. "I hadn''t expected the dear dungeon core to be quite so obliging as to attack us. But if everything''s going right..."


    "It must be a trap." The duchess smiled as the Marquis looked at her with a surprised look. "An adage that holds true in both political and military matters it seems."


    "One could argue one is a continuation of the other. Regardless, yes. The problem is where the trap would be? It-"


    "MY LORD!" Screamed a messenger as she burst into the tent, changing her trajectory in extremis to avoid barreling into the Marquis and instead colliding with the table, before straightening like if nothing had happened. "My lord! Captain Winters reports that the...the thing is charging her! It''s punching straight through her troops! Just...ignoring them my lord!"


    "What?!?" Let out the Marquis, as he turned back to the table. Captain Winters had already been hit by the mechanized abomination once, she had to have been on the lookout for it, but why go through...them....


    He looked at the miniatures representing the rest of the UDC''s fleet, and that of the ship holding their dungeon core, safely behind them.


    And behind captain Winters'' infantry.


    "Oh fuck." He said aloud, before whirling to face the messenger once more. "Go to colonel Horland! Dispatch our reserves! We must stop that abomination!"


    "Sir yes sir!" Yelled out the messenger, momentarily forgetting his noble honorifics, before rushing out.


    "I assume we''ve found the trap." Said the Duchess.


    "I hope so, my aunt." He said as he gazed at the maps. He knew exactly what she was doing. And it was all the more horrifying that he couldn''t do anything about it. He didn''t even have a direct line to his ''allies'' to warn them in time.


    That mech had a full complement of null missiles. Unleashed at point blank range, from below the ship...


    He shuddered.


    "I really hope so." He finished. "Because if this isn''t it, this ''masterstroke'' of ours is going to turn into a bloodbath."


    He didn''t need to say ''yet another''. It was all the heavier by the fact that it went unspoken.


    How many more could they take before people starting asking questions? How long would his aunt''s presence terrify them into compliance, before they decided that the Brigadier''s solution with the Southern Army was the one to take?


    He didn''t know. And right now, that was starting to worry him even more than the dungeon core he was fighting against.


    *****


    The Mackie had one key advantage over the spider tanks: it was so massive, so powerful, that nothing short of another armored vehicle could stop it. Not in terms of combat power, but in sheer ability to move.


    The mech ran straight through Sunrise''s infantry screen, crushing the unlucky and batting aside the others.


    But it didn''t do so without damage, and Alexandra cringed as errors and alerts began to sound in the command center, as shields began to flicker under the onslaught...and fail.


    Suddenly, it was through, with a clearish field ahead, or at least what qualified as a field in the Qualen Woods. She could see cavalry on the other side, rushing to intercept, but she quickly ran the math, and smiled as she knew they wouldn''t be there in time.


    She saw the airships above. The UDC''s fleet had split into two, as she had predicted, the new light cruiser ''hanging back'' to ''protect the transports'' and no doubt support the onslaught, while the warships went to keep her own vessels busy and help pin down her army.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    One squadron suddenly altered course, and so did the others, after a few seconds. She had no doubt as to who was commanding that squadron...and who had suggested bringing in that secondary core for a trap like this.


    Well played Glarvistar, she thought, but not good enough.


    The Mackie ran directly under the ship, as wasp like monsters dropped from the vessels, alongside more common infantry. The UDC threw everything it had at her, the ships even firing their guns, taking out some of their own arriving monsters in their barrage.


    The Mackie''s shields failed. Armor plates screamed and bent. One howitzers half melted under a relentless barrage of acid, while a rocket pod was sheared clean off by a bone spike the size of a car.


    But through all this, the Mackie moved to sacrifice its lesser weapons. And finally, it came to halt...and fired its missile launcher.


    She''d known that trying to make a sustainable missile launcher for the Mackie was an exercise in futility. So she hadn''t even tried. She''d settled for a simple revolver design, holding six shots of remarkably compact, entire enchanted missiles.


    Half a dozen missiles screamed up, and the enemy''s point defence desperately reached out.


    The missiles were too small to have all her new bells and whistles. But they were interceptor missiles. This close and this fast...they didn''t need subterfuge to hit. Only one was shot down, more by luck than good judgment, and another hit a wasp marine full on, sending the weapon careening into another vessel.


    The light cruiser holding the dungeon core shivered, and began to fall as the null warheads detonated. Its barrier vanished in a cascade of light...and came back up.


    Alexandra''s eyebrow rose. Okay, that ship had rechargeable energy shields. And given how quickly they''d come back up, the magitech kind too.


    It wasn''t going to save them.


    Below the ships, the Mackie died. Hammered in by half a dozen escort vessels and a veritable swarm of monsters, it fell. It gave as good as it got, and the ground was painted with the blood and guts of its foes, but the first of her mech died nonetheless. But it didn''t fall in vain.


    As three seconds later, the So Much For Subtletly''s missile barrage arrived.


    The missiles were fired over the enemy''s main battle formation, whose defenses might not be made to intercept enemy ballistics during their coasting phases, but tried their damnedest anyway.


    The missiles dodged and weaved, as one of her sacrificial ''chaff'' warheads detonated, covering the rest of the volley as the enemy was about to fully box them in, enabling all but one of the other five to make it.


    Then they came back down.


    The light cruiser and its escorts'' point defences were really good. Unfortunately for them, they were this good because they were magical...and two of their vessels, one by accident, had just been hit by null warheads.


    Two one ton warheads collided full force with the ship, and for a fraction of a second the screens didn''t show anything but vaporized blood and smoke, as the dungeon core''s influence rendered the systems capable of piercing through the haze useless.


    Then, like a paladin emerging from darkness, the ship sped out of the cloud...gleaming in the pale blue of mythril.


    "Holy shit, what the fuck is with this ship?!?" Called out Alexandra. An entire ship clad in Mythril? That was so insane even she hadn''t considered it!


    However, her eyes caught something. The ship had a layer of mythril under its meat, yes -how that worked with the living component, she had no idea-, but it was armor plating bolted into a frame. And that frame had clearly not been made to take direct hits from warheads that could gut capital ships.


    The ship began to alter its heading, as its escorts moved to interpose themselves...almost too late for the second volley.


    This time the main fleet''s defense went from desperate to methodical. Clearly someone had asserted order, and only three missiles made it through the gauntlet. One was sacrificed to shield the others with its chaff, while the other two were shot down by the relentless point defence fire.


    Three screamed back down towards the light cruiser...and the last surviving one, weaving through the gauntlet of fire, was intercepted at the last second as a frigate physically put itself between it and its target.


    The frigate was almost thrown against its charge as the warhead detonated. It began to regain control, and take back altitude...


    Someone with really good, high tech sensors, might have been able to say what went wrong. All that Alexandra knew was that one second the ship was taking its shielding position once more, and the next it was an expanding ball of mad magical energy as something failed inside of its primary mana storage.


    The ship''s armored skeleton exploded outwards like a giant shrapnel bomb, and the light cruiser visibly wobbled as shards of bone and less identifiable substances struck its plating. Some, whose angle were just right, just got stuck in seams or pierced through some of the already weakened mythril plates.


    The escorts were in disarray, trying to change their positioning to cover the gap left by their brethren, while trying to avoid the effects of its fiery death.


    And the third volley arrived.


    Four missiles made it through the gauntlet this time, thanks to Subtlety''s artful and on the fly changes to the missiles'' evasion pattern. And this time three hit.


    Alexandra watched with impatience for the smoke to clear, already cursing her lack of arcane sensor data.


    Then she swallowed a disbelieving scream as the ship came through the smoke once more.


    The explosions had hammered the spikes of bones into the ships, bent the armor plates and their underlying structure so hard it looked like an entire section of the hull was curving inwards.


    But despite that, despite seeing copious amounts of blood flowing through the cracks, it just refused to die!


    The ship kept its heading for a few more seconds...then turned around.


    And Alexandra breathed in a deep sigh of relief as the rest of the UDC followed suit, falling back at full speed. They weren''t quite routing, but-


    "Milady." Finally said Subtlety, and the dungeon core looked at the AI, before going back to the hologram as the construct pointed at it.


    Her eyes went wide as she saw Sunrise''s center...falling apart.


    "What-" Then it hit her. The ones running away were those who had been under the advancing UDC ships. Or at least had seen them run like beaten dogs firsthand.


    First it was a formation here and there. But as more and more nobles sought to save themselves, taking their slaves and regulars with them, holes began appearing. And every unit that tried to run took the space for another trying to move in to engage.


    Any pretense of organization vanished, and the entire seething mass began collapsing upon itself as one side ran while the other tried to advance.


    "Shall we advance?" Asked Subtlety, and after what seemed like an eternity, but the clock stubbornly insisted was but a handful of seconds, Alexandra shook her head.


    "No. Their flanks are still probing the minefields, and eventually they''ll get through." Especially as whatever bastard was commanding the other side hadn''t charged in them wholesale, and was instead trying to clear them with skirmishers, which wasn''t quick, but it preserved the flanking forces as more or less intact. "We''ve completely stopped their advances for the day. They have to fall back or risk overextending themselves. Switch the artillery to target the right flank, make it look like we''re about to veer into them, force them to pull back. Then we just disappear. Are the civilians ready to depart?"


    "They are already on the move."


    "Good." Alexandra looked at the battlefield, and tried to estimate the number of dead, before her brain simply refused the numbers she was coming up with. "Let''s go then. We''ve broken that trap. It''ll put them off for a while."


    Hopefully for long enough. Because if she was right...


    She''d just massacred a hundred thousand people. More than her entire army put together currently.


    And it wasn''t even a tenth of what she was facing.


    Dear Gods, what the hell would the decisive battle she was busy planning look like?

 Chapter 340 - Final Touch

    Chapter 340


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    "So...the results?" Asked the King, before the assembled war council, with its usual three parts in Rebirth, the army, and the capital.


    "Even when the dust has settled, hard numbers for battles like this are always a problem." Warned Alexandra, before sighing. "But bottom line? We engaged with twenty thousand golems and around eighty thousand soldiers." Despite their protests, most of the people they''d resurrected from the last battle were not in any condition to fight and had been either sent home or packed with the civilians for evacuation. "Around half of my golems came back out of that grinder. We lost another ten thousand in human troops pulling what was left of my force out, and pushing off the enemy''s harassers when they finally managed to get through the minefields, but we managed to bring back all of them. Well, their bodies, resurrection efforts are still ongoing."


    Silence descended upon the council. Twenty thousand losses. One in five of their entire army.


    "And the enemy?" Said his majesty as he spoke again.


    "Estimates...vary. We can do a headcount of our people, but it''s extremely hard to tell on the other side who was killed or just heavily wounded." Especially since what would be ''mortal wounds'' back on Earth were remarkably survivable with a bit of magic or even just some essence. "Our estimates are between eighty to a hundred and twenty thousand fatalities. The vast majority of them slaves, but we have seriously hammered their heavy infantry linebreaker formations. But they''re shocktroops, they''re meant to be ripped apart, and probably have the means to resurrect a lot of them."


    "So for every one we lost, we took down four to six of them?" The King''s renewed surge of optimism died as he glanced at his wife. "...It''s not that simple, is it?"


    "No it''s not." Softly said the Queen. "Yes, a six to one fatality ratio is amazing, but...our estimates were that the army she left with had a million and a half slaves, with three hundred thousand regular and elite troops. They took some losses before, but they also regained some from the garrisons they absorbed on the way, even if they were mostly slaves. Even if the army didn''t grow somewhat, which is very optimistic, we''re outnumbered eighteen to one. This wasn''t an even trade, let alone one in our favor."


    "Precisely." Alexandra sighed as the King turned back to her. "Though, given the circumstances, we got away far more lightly than we should have. This will probably give them pause as well, but how long is anyone''s guess." The dungeon core shrugged. "Probably long enough until we''ve reached the scrublands, but once there..."


    "They''ll move faster." Finished Manson, the duke of Sarth looking like he''d aged five years in as many days. "More importantly, they''ll be able to deploy their army fully. Especially on the flanks. The trick you did with the minefield won''t work when they can spread out ten times as many troops on the sides and clear the traps by throwing bodies at them."


    "So...what is the plan, then?" Asked the King.


    Everyone turned towards Alexandra. Manson, especially, looked like he wanted to say something but was holding his tongue. For now at least.


    Allya and Pyn knew what she was going to say, but they were playing their part as well.


    "Our objective is still to play for time. We will continue our retreat, but with raiding units in the enemy''s rear, to force them to slow down by damaging their supply lines. They may not have much need for supplies, but they do need it for their elite...which we''ve forced to bear the brunt of the attrition in the advance, thanks to our traps. That means those convoys are vital to their continued operations. It''s far from perfect, but it''s what we''ve got."


    "If we retreat much further, we''ll go past Myriu." Interjected Rim.


    "Yes. We will. Is there a problem with that?"


    "Just that my men won''t like it." The colonel said. "For that matter neither will I. I understand the necessity, it just...stings." He shrugged. "We spent so long defending it..."


    "I understand. But we can''t afford to make a stand." If nothing else her golem units were so decimated she basically only had artillery and a few backline formations, her assault units having been utterly decimated in the battle. That wasn''t enough to be able to do a stand, and the human troops were getting rather ragged as well.


    "The colonel brings up a good point though. Morale is becoming a problem." Manson gestured vaguely as everyone turned back to him. "The Mackie was a symbol. Its loss is being felt. And our repeated defeats are chipping away at our people. Many are starting to have doubts in our ultimate victory."


    "I assume mainly among the neutrals so far?"


    "Surprisingly enough, no. They seem to be throwing their lot with us wholeheartedly, if only because Sunrise won''t forgive their perceived betrayal by siding with us in the end. But some of my people have begun, quietly you understand, to suggest perhaps a negotiated peace was in order. They..." He coughed. "The way they see it, Rebirth is effectively its own nation is anything but name, and we are spending the lives and treasure of our people to save the crown, for little if any gain. Some have floated the idea that Surnise would be more than willing to give up Kaidan and everything west of the Kamira river."


    "Let it be clear, to everyone, that this will not happen." Said Allya, before Alexandra could even open her mouth, the archduchess'' tone icy cold on a level to rival Alexandra''s best. "I will not make deals with slavers. I am willing to let them live if they give up their slaves, but that is the limit of my mercy. Bar that, a peace treaty will be done over Satina''s steaming corpse, am I understood?"


    Everyone nodded, including their majesties. They clearly were under no illusion that a peace deal wouldn''t essentially be dictated by Rebirth.


    It''s not like they themselves had much weight besides their title and control of the capital at this point, and both were rather flimsy, especially when they''d been on the verge of losing the latter.


    "One other thing this engagement has showcased-" said Alexandra, picking the conversation up as the silence threatened to drag on. "-is our glaring lack of counterintelligence capabilities. Stumbling upon the rogues'' camp was luck more than anything." Well, high tech AI analysis, but she wasn''t about to tell them that. "And although we haven''t started on interrogations in earnest, the recovered equipment points to their plan being a lot bigger than just scaring the civilians. We just lucked out and caught them halfway through."


    Allya nodded.


    "I have been working on something to that end." Which was to say, they''d been in long discussions about it and she''d been laying some groundwork. Alexandra still had some surges of paranoia, but she was getting better about delegating things without even keeping an eye on them. Just...trusting her people to do it right.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Uh...when had she started thinking of Allya as part of ''her'' people?


    "Good." Said the dungeon core, as she realized Allya wasn''t continuing. "I''ll stand ready to assist in any way that I can. In the meantime however, we do need to work on some ways to increase morale. So let us adjourn, and hopefully we will have ideas, if not something ready to put into action, by the next meeting. Unless someone has something else to bring to the table?" Everyone shook their head. "Then, have a good day everybody. And take some rest. I have a feeling we all need it."


    *****


    The silence was total as Ghost slotted the final component, before stepping back and tapping on the screen.


    The fabricator hummed, beeped...and turned on.


    "Status is nominal." Said the apparition. "We''re done!"


    The room descended into cheers. Everyone under Alexandra''s ''employ'' was there, even if they had to be remotely like CQ.


    "Excellent." Said Alexandra as grinned, before making a sweeping gesture. "Then time to get this show on the road! Let roar the forges of war!"


    Orders flew out throughout the dungeon''s internal network, and everywhere the roar of industry began anew. Forges were set alight, assembly lines started running, and the fabricators began to humm, one after the other.


    Alexandra grinned as she saw Emilia just roll her eyes.


    "Show off..." Muttered the vampire.


    The dungeon core laughed.


    "Maybe, but it''s warranted." And a proper lift of morale for her people. Even though they had great faith in her and had access to the same data and planning she did, at least on this project, it was a hell of a lot different to see it. Alexandra clapped. "Alright everybody, let''s have a small celebration in the diplomatic hall. We need to avoid clogging up the area!"


    *****


    "So...off to produce a new army?" Said Allya as she picked up a glass of champagne off the table.


    "Yep." Alexandra''s eyebrow rose as the archduchess grabbed another glass and offered it to her. "Feeling extra celebratory?" She asked as she grabbed the delicate crystal container.


    "I''m wondering why you''re not. You seem...ambivalent."


    Alexandra raised the glass to her lips as she surveyed the room, in what she knew was a transparent ploy to buy time.


    It wasn''t quite a party, but it was close enough. What was important was that everyone was mingling and people weren''t trying to form cliques. She really needed this, as despite constantly working together, her people didn''t actually know one another. That didn''t seem all too important for a military organization but the human factor could grease the wheels a great deal.


    Besides which, AIs couldn''t fully develop without this kind of social interraction, and CQ couldn''t do it all on her own. Not anymore. She was a potent spark, but at some point you had to give the fire tinder to grow.


    "I am." Finally said the dungeon core.


    "May I ask why? This is a huge achievement. With this, we''re certain to take down Sunrise."


    Alexandra sighed.


    "Yeah. We are."


    The archduchess glanced at the dungeon core, before chuckling.


    "They got to you, didn''t they?"


    "Who?"


    "The twins. Rook. You''re thinking you''re about to kill a whole lot of people who don''t have to die."


    "...Yes."


    Allya downed her entire drink, with far more haste than such a fine beverage deserved...if Alexandra couldn''t just replicate it. The dungeon core almost winced anyway. Buying this stuff to absorb hadn''t been cheap. Or easy. If nothing else, she''d had to get it imported, though thankfully the delivery could be done at Erakis or Darthar now.


    "I sympathize." Said the archduchess. "But at some point, you have to do the math. Do you want to take the risk?"


    "Risk of what? Darthar is invulnerable."


    "Yeah, but if they cut your army off and overrun those civilians you saved, they won''t stand a chance. That''s not even to mention the damage you could do if your allies, if the entire kingdom, start wondering if you''re fucking them over. We both know the duke has to be wondering, he''s no one''s fool. So now you have to ask, is it worth it?"


    Alexandra sighed. She was forcibly reminded of that conversation with Ghost.


    Allya wasn''t -quite- a sociopath. Killing over a million people wasn''t just a statistic to her.


    But she was someone who reminded her a lot of...well, herself, crossed with Ciel. The AI who''d nuked Washington from orbit in order to gain control of the UIS.


    That was a deadly combination.


    "I can''t just...massacre all of them when there''s a chance they can be saved."


    "You don''t have to." The archduchess looked at her glass, and grimaced, swapping it out for a full one. "What you need, is time. The difference is you''ll have an army to scare Sunrise with, instead of having to run away. So scare them. Kick them in the face then slowly, menacingly walk in their direction like the reaper of souls made manifest. Let them try to delay the confrontation every step of the way, and make it feel like a victory every time they manage to fend you off for another day."


    "Still going to lose a lot of people early on."


    "You can mitigate it." The archduchess nodded in the direction of a vampire that was trying very hard to look like he belonged. Jannick Fersen was the head of the enchanters Freya had left her, and he was painfully aware of her distrust towards him. He also, as far as she could tell, was actually clean and trying to genuinely be helpful. Which made it all the more unfortunate she just couldn''t trust him. "Have pretty boy over there get his people on making something better to resurrect people. Industrialize the process. Even more than you have, I mean. It''s not perfect, but..." Allya shrugged, and Alexandra sighed.


    "It''s not, no."


    "At one point, one has to accept their best effort." Whispered a voice, and Alexandra almost broke her glass.


    For a split second, she wasn''t in her dungeon. She was onboard one of the Federation''s orbital shipyard, crying her heart out as Arcadia laid her hand on her shoulder.


    "Alex?" Asked Allya, concern clear in her voice.


    "Sorry." Said the dungeon core as she relaxed. "Just...a memory, that came back to me. But you''re right. Even if...even if none of them are at fault, there''s a point where it has to be good enough." Alexandra smiled as she met the archduchess'' gaze. "Thank you."


    "Just part of the job." Allya chuckled. "Now, I better go get Pyn before she gets too deep in conversation with Emilia and we have another deadly bout of scheming."


    "Don''t worry, I have Seraph keeping an eye on them." Especially since Ghost couldn''t be relied on for this, the traitor. "But all the same, better go attend to them." Alexandra set down her glass, and quickly picked up one of iced tea and something that tasted like a orange and pineapple juice cocktail, but apparently came from a fruit from Pyn''s homeland. "Though bribery always helps."


    "It''s called ''being considerate'' Alex."


    "That''s what I said!"


    They both laughed, before Allya picked up the glass of juice, and they went to their partners.


    The world could wait for a few hours.

 The Fallen World Book 7 : Dungeon Liberation Hardcover and Paperback are live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that the Fallen World book 7, titled Dungeon Liberation, is now live on amazon as a paperback (here''s the link : https://geni.us/DungeonLiberation</a>) ! The ebook version will release on the 22nd of october.


    In a series first however, we''re finally getting a hardcover ! That''s right, book 7 has a hardcover version and my publisher is working hard to make some for every previous book of The Fallen World !


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    This novel includes chapters 229 through 270. As usual, it will include a landfil''s worth of grammatical fixes, some story tweaks and fill in various plot holes. Do keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample, which will be updated with the upgraded text.


    As is tradition, chapter 310 will be posted tomorrow (or the day after, depending on your time zone) as a bonus chapter !


    We''ll also have two announcements in a short span of time, for the release of the physical books and the digital ones, but given that I was too busy for the 7 day announcement, it hopefully will balance out. It also means there''ll be five chapters this week !


    I hope you will enjoy the book, as well as the chapter, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 309 - Final Preparations

    Chapter 309


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria trade route


    Alexandra leaned forward on the table, covered in terrain charts and force deployment plans as she looked critically at the fortifications littering the landscape.


    With the free trader''s story and the blackbird''s position, they could extrapolate the enemy''s movement speed, and they didn''t have much time. Which meant that they had to build what was most time-efficient, in terms of tactical value.


    This was hampered by the fact that they still had no idea what they were facing. Alexandra had learned all of the self sustaining monsters the UDC had deployed, and she could make some educated guesses about force composition, but that was it. Besides, they might also have carried normal monsters, simply going for a suicide play, to take out her army and delay her long enough for Asaria to fall.


    Well, hope for the best, plan for the worst.


    Rim''s people had found them a good place to make her stand at least. A gigantic, overgrown array of fields, once part of an equally massive farm. No other terrain features to speak of, which was to her advantage when she could make her own in preparation for the enemy''s arrival. And very importantly, no solid cover. When one had guns and the other side didn''t, it was a very, very important part.


    The fortifications being built were simple. Most were aimed at what she knew she''d have to face: airships. Gun pits for her howitzers, who didn''t need line of sight to work their magic, though she had built some ways that they could be reconfigured for direct fire on the ground in a pinch, and entrenched strongpoints for machinegun nests and field guns, who were sure to draw their fair share of fire.


    No trenches however. They''d be a poor shield against melee foes, besides which she was certain to have artillery superiority. If she didn''t, they''d be so overwhelmed this would be an exercise in futility anyway. They simply weren''t worth the effort to make.


    Foxholes were another matter, to house support weapons that couldn''t fit into the strongpoints, or who she didn''t want to put there. Rocket launchers, some mortars, and some tripod mounted grenade machineguns, a low tech variant of the one her power armored Praetorian Guard used like a normal gun, too short ranged to be viable in a static position but hellish if it could be moved with the flow of the battle.


    All that meant that her infantry simply had nowhere to go, but onto the plain itself.


    So it was that she was assembling fifty thousand golems for a field battle. Military wisdom on Earth would have held that they should be dispersed. But instead she kept them in relatively tight formations. They weren''t musketeers, shoulder to shoulder, but any commander of the second world war or beyond worth their salt would have had an aneurysm seeing them.


    But formation level wards and shields could change a lot, besides which she''d actually welcome having the other side focus on them. Shoot the juicy golems with the bolt action rifles while the entrenched machineguns rip you to pieces, yes please. And keeping them tight allowed them to mass their fire onto a single target, something she was dreading she would need. The things the UDC had used to win its first war...


    She physically shuddered. They were not to be underestimated, though at least there was solace in the fact that the originals had been disposed of. She would be facing fresh variants, not essence engorged abominations who had feasted on a hundred battlefields.


    Of course, that didn''t prevent a few elder monsters from being slipped in, but...all of this had been done in the utmost secret, using dilapidated, dormant husks. The truly powerful monsters, the abominations that were worth entire battalions in their own right, had been watched equally carefully as the pristine armored airships.


    Her eyes flicked to a group of people approaching her field command post. It wasn''t a tent this time, she hadn''t bothered, simply putting the So Much For Subtlety above her for protection and shade.


    "Hail, your grace." Said Alexandra as Manson Estogan, the duke of Sarth, climbed the small artificial hill that housed a trio of field guns which she had set up shop on. It was a good vantage point, allowing her to see and be seen.


    "Hail, lady Crystal." Despite his advanced age, he managed the climb with aplomb. "I wished to talk to you about troop deployments. My men have not yet received their formation for the battle."


    "Oh. That''s simple your grace. They won''t be part of it."


    There was a pause.


    "You...I must have misheard you, lady Crystal."


    "You haven''t, your grace. This isn''t your fight. Yours or your men''s. You will sit this one out. The UDC''s here for me. And me alone."


    The duke looked at her, before closing the distance with remarkable swiftness.


    "You cannot be serious." He simply said, and she shrugged.


    "I am. Let''s face it, your gr-"


    "For the love of the Gods, drop the fucking honorifics, call me by my name or not at all."


    "Right. Well, Manson, let''s face it, my troops are almost the entirety of our effective combat power. Leaving your men out doesn''t impede me much."


    "Bullshit. We equal your number. My men don''t have your golems'' discipline, true. But they have creativity to spare, and essence blesses them."


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "And my golems are tireless, immune to battleshock, drilled to literal perfection on every weapon I have, not to mention better equipped." She shook her head as the duke opened his mouth." Yes, I know I have rearmed you, but even you have to recognize that my own troops remain better equipped than yours, even if only on the armor department."


    "I concede this point." Finally said the duke, and Alexandra gave him a sharp look.


    He was mad. That much she''d expected. But not because he was denied glory or had his honor impugned. He seemed more...


    "You don''t want to have us face this alone?"


    "It is as you said to the archduchess. We are allies. What kind of duke, what kind of man, would I be if I stood back while you headed into battle, while you fought our wars by our side without blinking?" He shook his head. "Come hell and high water, we''re with you lady Crystal."


    "Do you troops think similarly?"


    "If you find more than a battalion''s worth who doesn''t share that opinion, I will be thoroughly amazed."


    Alexandra blinked. He''d delivered that with assurance, and the not the arrogant kind that some officers used, thinking their men but meat puppets, slaves to their overlord''s will.


    "Interesting. Still, it does not change the equation."


    "It does. How do you intend to prevent them from moving in?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "You can''t be serious."


    "I am deadly serious. What will you do? Shoot them? That would defeat the purpose. They''ll march and form up no matter what you do."


    Alexandra sighed.


    "Unless I give them something to do." She smiled. "Fortunately, I do have something."


    "And that is?"


    "Holding the enemy in respect. As long as you are in the right spots, you will force the enemy to honor the threat...but they won''t dare to attack first. If your men can hold their fire, no matter what happen, I can use you to pin a large force, one large enough they might not even have been able to take them down anyway."


    "You wish to use us as human shields."


    "More of an army in being. A threat they will have to keep reserves to address. And if that keeps entire units static, facing you for my artillery barrages?" She smiled, and it wasn''t a particularly nice one. "Then all the better."


    "If the situation goes sour, we will intervene."


    His tone brokered no arguments, and she nodded.


    "Let us hope it doesn''t come to that then."


    *****


    Alexandra watched on the holographic projector as the fleet approached.


    It seemed that after being detected, they had thrown caution to the wind. They were here faster than expected, meaning they had to still have been trying to move with some caution.


    Unfortunately for them, they just hadn''t been fast enough.


    Alexandra''s eyes narrowed as she saw the fleet come to a halt, and a single vessel moved forward.


    Oh, here we go, she thought, as she ordered one of her raiders, that carried an ambassador golem, forward.


    She recognized a negotiator when she saw one, and there was no way she was letting them get a closer look at her army. They probably already saw plenty with their sensors, but far from everything.


    Time to have a talk with the UDC. Or what remained of it anyway.


    Somehow, she doubted the conversation would be very constructive. Or pleasant.


    *****


    "Will she prevail?" Asked Gift as he gazed at the distant image. It was being cast through simple divination magic, and he was hardly the only one to be watching the unfolding battle.


    No one would question him, or his right to do so. Words of his slaughter on Unification had reached the highest echelons of the isolationists, and both sides held their breath, to see which way he went.


    So far he had held fast in the cause of the neutrals, aiding one side, then the other.


    So far.


    "She will. Our shard has hidden depths."


    Gift would have laughed, but too many had fallen, and were about to fall for it to be funny.


    Besides which, his mirth had died long ago, alongside the realization of what truly gripped Alcheryos, and the horrors the God of Fire was prepared to unleash for his cause.


    "All shards do, from what you have told me."


    "True."


    Gift looked to his side, to the giant in golden armor.


    The one he had truly patterned his own avatar after. A custodian of glittering magnificence...wreathed in light, not fire, his spear of hardened energy, not raging inferno.


    "Hidden depths or no, her forces will be damaged. Will she truly be able to do what she came here to do?"


    "Regardless of her victory, Sunrise will fall. Rook''s plan will make certain of that. But I take your meaning. If she fails, the sentiment of...inevitability she has built will collapse. We cannot allow that. It will destroy her momentum."


    "Shall I nudge fate once again?"


    The custodian barked out a laugh.


    "There is no such thing as ''fate''. There is no veil of the future, just possibilities. Even Nemesis could not defy this. And they defied plenty before they fell. No. Stay your hand. Our means are few, we must use them only when strictly necessary."


    "What of the God of Fire?"


    The custodian shook his head.


    "He is a fool, and so are his minions. Remember their purpose?"


    "''What lies below sleeps. It must not wake.''" Quoted the dungeon core. Like some of those that were born directly of divine hands, he had been given a purpose, a hand in the first stage of Alcheryos'' endless cycles of rise and fall.


    There was a reason most of those who had been his fellows were now buried inside their own depths, refusing to come out. Driven to isolation and madness by all they''d help unleash.


    Or quietly disposed of when they had dared to question their purpose, and sought to break their chains.


    The Custodians of the Flame no longer even talked to him. He was a well used tool they were afraid to break, in case they ever needed him.


    And when they would, driven by fear and desperation, he would shatter in their hands at the worst possible moment, leaving them to be devoured by their own inferno.


    "Precisely. Yet they remain blind. Blind to everything. To this world, to others, to other planes, to those that would rule them. Even here, under his vaunted guardians, he remains unaware of your freedom at my lord''s hands, or that of Alexandra at her own. Our shard is a key, and she only needs to find the lock."


    "Your god plays a dangerous game."


    "On the contrary, he plays the safest one. Compared to the inevitability of entropy, the mere possibility of bypassing the annihilation of all is by far the surest of bets."


    Gift looked back to the divination pool, a seemingly simple brazier, with water than burned within, bathing the room eldritch light.


    "You serve a strange master."


    "Stranger than you know."


    "That I will accept as pure truth."


    They simply gazed in companionable silence. They had know each other for millennia.


    And they both contemplated the end of their long vigil. When chance and long planning, longer than both of their lives by unimaginable lengths, would finally bear fruit.


    When finally the key turned. And everything would change forever.

 The Fallen World Book 7 : Dungeon Liberation is live on Amazon !

    </a>


    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that the Fallen World book 7, titled Dungeon Liberation, is now live on amazon in all versions, including ebook (here''s the link : https://geni.us/DungeonLiberation</a>) !


    In a series first however, we''re finally getting a hardcover ! That''s right, book 7 has a hardcover version and my publisher is working hard to make some for every previous book of The Fallen World ! I know, I''m repeating myself, but I thought I''d say it again in case someone hadn''t read the previous announcement.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    This novel includes chapters 229 through 270. As usual, it will include a landfil''s worth of grammatical fixes, some story tweaks and fill in various plot holes. Do keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample, which will be updated with the upgraded text.


    As is tradition, chapter 312 will be posted on thursday as a bonus chapter !


    Apologies for the two announcements in such a short span of time, but hey, at least you get to have book 8 finished this week thanks to them ^^.


    I hope you will enjoy the book, as well as the chapter, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 310 - Opened Eyes

    Chapter 310


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria trade route


    Alexandra didn''t even blink as the wall of flesh opened like a wound, letting her into what looked like the inside of a ribcage, converted into an office. An office with a wooden desk, and a pair of chairs.


    The Earth-born had to stop herself from laughing. There was even a quill, an inkpot, and a solitary roll of parchments on the table. It might as well be labelled ''office, stereotype one''. Nobody had used this place, and after they were done today no one ever would, most likely.


    Whatever effect the other dungeon core had been trying to achieve was ruined by the fact that she had to move through the entrails of a monster to get here.


    Speaking of...


    "Greetings, Crystal of the Dungeon Factory." Softly said the...thing behind the desk. It looked like someone had taken a stick-bug and dipped it in gold and bronze. Its face, or what counted for it, was obscured by a porcelain mask with male features. Though Alexandra could hear the chitter of mandibles behind it.


    The dungeon avatar, for that was what it had to be, got up and extended a chitinous hand, which Alexandra grasped.


    "Greetings. I would salute your name and titles as well, but I fear we have not been introduced."


    "How foolish of me." Alexandra''s mental alarms went off. The UDC''s remnants may be made of self absorbed, traitorous bastards, but something told her this one was something else altogether.


    The dungeon core...he reminded her of Ciel, once Arcadia had peeled back the layers of humanity and anger that wrapped her fellow AI. Infinite, cold patience behind the eyes of an immortal machine. Something ageless that simply waited.


    "I am Glarvistar of the Emerald Glade." Continued the avatar, before bowing slightly, which Alexandra returned.


    "Greetings then, Glarvistar of the Emerald Glade. You seem to have brought quite the party alongside you."


    "Yes. Though you have seen us coming for a bit. Tell me, was it chance?"


    "Does chance actually exist?"


    "It does not." Said the voice behind the porcelain mask.


    Alexandra hid a smile.


    "It is the appellation of fools who cannot control their own path." Said Alexandra.


    "Then we are agreed." The avatar shifted. "Today, we will cross blades."


    "And you are not here to tell me that it can be avoided through diplomacy?"


    "The others have charged me to speak for them. But we both know you would not accept their terms nor them yours."


    Cold, calculating and right on the money. This could get ugly.


    "Perhaps. But still, we must go through this dance, mustn''t we?"


    "Perhaps." He said, echoing her words. "Perhaps not." He leaned forward slightly, and Alexandra realized with a start that he had some kind of folded wings on the back. "But battle is inevitable nonetheless. What good are the words here?"


    "Words are tools. They can influence the mind. Influence the very essence of magic."


    "You speak of will, not voice."


    "Is there a difference?"


    The avatar paused.


    "There isn''t. Very well, speak."


    "Go back to where you came. Tell the UDC''s remnants that if they wish to remain isolated, that is their choice. We will not interfere with their solitude. But we will defend ourselves. And if need be, we will crush you."


    "And murder us?"


    "Your ''allies'' are already doing this. What do you need us for?"


    The avatar flinched.


    "I had argued against that."


    "Just like you no doubt argued against speeding up?"


    She was openly fishing, and his silence was all the response she needed. She hid a smile.


    He wasn''t in control. He wished he was, and he wasn''t. That was to her advantage. Whoever controlled the fleet right now wasn''t as sound and calculated as he was.


    "My fellows'' offer is thus." He finally said. "Satisfy yourself with the territories you have. You control the greatest trade route on the continent. Go north, to Ulrys. Take it, extend your ''archduchy'' to the Inner Sea, and you will also hold the gates to Sarth. Sunrise will honor your power, and leave you be."


    "No they won''t. We''re a symbol of the duchess'' and would be queen incompetence and failures. She has to crush us."


    "Not if she is incapable of it."


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Then we only trade a diminished foe now for a greater one later."


    The avatar dipped its head, and Alexandra smiled, before almost cringing as the porcelain mask did likewise.


    Okay, what the actual fuck?


    "You would. Then we are at an impasse. Because my fellows'' offer is much more generous than that of the council."


    "Your fellows being?"


    "The other cores in the fleet. They fret and flicker. They fear the consequences of this battle. Victory or defeat, this will ring throughout time."


    Alexandra tilted her head. Interesting. So those other cores were the ones in control, since they had ''chosen'' him as their emissaries.


    "And you? Do you fear the consequences?"


    "I welcome them."


    The smile became almost malicious, and Alexandra shuddered mentally. He was being sincere, but...


    He wasn''t being arrogant. Not towards her. Why...


    He expected that they were going to lose. He was using her army as a hammer to purify the red hot iron that was the new UDC. Get rid of those pulling his strings.


    And like Ciel...he was using this entire force as a sacrificial lamb to gauge out her tactics and strategy for himself. Just like Ciel had done to the European Federation, to her, with the Second Battle of Alpha Centauri, to pave the way for the Third. Sweet merciful Gods that was cold.


    "I see. Then I believe we should go on to a clash of arms?"


    "We shall." He looked at her. "My commanders would have wished your golem trashed, in the foolish hope that it would be similar to our avatars and give us an advantage."


    "And you spurn the dishonor?"


    "What is honor, but reciprocity?"


    She smiled, and the porcelain mask returned it.


    He was keeping the door open. Open for them to talk, to negotiate again, which the actions his superiors demanded would have otherwise permanently closed.


    "A point well taken."


    "Then be on your way. And good hunting."


    Alexandra turned, and whirled around, walking towards the wound-door. She paused as she reached the threshold.


    "You know, I am tempted to just make myself lose this." She said over her shoulder.


    "Will you?"


    "No."


    "Then it shall be a glorious day for all of us with our eyes open."


    He did not mean it as the nobles would have understood it.


    "I suppose it will be."


    She left. Escorted through the strange biological ship by monsters of all shapes and sizes, and back onto her own vessel.


    It seemed she wasn''t the only one with plans here. Interesting. Very interesting. Maybe there would be a solution other than annihilation in this war.


    Maybe.


    *****


    "So it begins."


    Joachim nodded softly, trying to avoid shuddering as the machine spoke.


    The Relic Guard''s promised reinforcements had arrived. Automated weaponry indeed.


    No one had thought to warn him that the things were intelligent. At least some of them.


    The others...he honestly couldn''t say. They reminded him of dungeon monsters, in a way. Some capable of speech, but not truly sapient. They could talk, but start diving a bit into the conversation, and cracks began appearing. The same if one gave them orders that required creativity to accomplish.


    "It does." The Order Commander poured himself a glass of a fine Asarian wine his men had found stars knows where in the capital teetering on the edge of collapse, only granted reprieve by the duchess running off with most of the army to intercept the dungeon core. The air around was shocked, with a beginning of euphoria. If Lesly won this, and crushed Sunrise...the people here would pave her path with their bodies, prostrated in gratitude.


    He hesitated, and poured a second glass, offering it to the automata, who accepted it with a smile. She looked as if someone had made a person out of metal, an ''android''.


    Jallira had also mentionnd that the machine should be able to kill her, despite it being a shadow of what it once was. Kill her, a fallen Seraphim.


    It made one wonder.


    The robot downed the drink in a single gulp, before licking its -her?- lips.


    "Curious." She said. "This vintage is anomalous. It would have been rejected by the Food and Drink Safety Board."


    Joachim shook his head. It just kept saying something like that, as if it was stuck in its own time. Which...it might be.


    "So it would." He simply answered. This fight...Lesly should win it, but he couldn''t help but fret. What was she doing with holding the human units back like that? The goal here was to get as much blood as possible on the isolationists'' hands, fracturing their forces before they could bring their full might to bear on her.


    Trust her, he just had to trust her.


    And pray. Though pray to what, he wouldn''t be capable of saying.


    When one had disavowed their Gods as murderous frauds, what was left?


    *****


    Alexandra watched as the enemy advanced, through the sensors of her airships, the only things that had a visual.


    She had let them do their landing uncontested, clearly to the opposite side''s dismay. Did these fools seriously expect her to not have noticed they had chosen a spot with great care, one that would keep them out of range of her howitzers, but within the one of her ballistic missiles?


    She had no intention of wasting her ammunition. No, she''d wait until their point defence was otherwise occupied to unleash hell. They clearly hadn''t realized that she had only unleashed them onto the duke because she''d had no choice, pressured by time in both instances.


    Still, their composition...among what she had expected, by and large, with one exception.


    First, a solid central body of Jakarls anchoring the whole army, creatures that looked like centaurs crossed with centipedes, their arms and legs replaced with deadly blades. All the same however, they were slow, ponderous. Heavy infantry brawlers, not cavalry. They were supported by Tishaks, forming a screen before them and on their flanks. Skirmishers, that seemed like blue demonic imps, capable of throwing simple attack spells. Firebolts weren''t all that dangerous, until you sent a thousand of them someone''s way.


    Behind them stood the behemoths that were Naisens, looking like gigantic yetis. Three of them, they weren''t actually combat beasts, just towering, biological shield generators. Their response to her artillery...and the reason why the ships above were drawn in a tight defensive formation above them.


    They knew of her battle with the duke. They were afraid of her null missiles. If the files were right and the Naisens projected shields, they would only be down for a few moments, but that would be enough for her artillery to crush the creatures.


    Good. Let them worry about the wrong thing.


    Had she not possessed the appropriate sensors, she wouldn''t have seen what was hidden behind, the pathetic handful of Skiras, the UDC''s self sustaining artillery. Hellish spiders that grew acid mortars on their backs. Built more for the horror factor against human troops, Alexandra genuinely wasn''t sure how effective they would be on her golems. They would, however, be hell on her weapons.


    And lastly, the thing she hadn''t expected...ranks upon ranks of centaurs. Not dungeon monsters, actual centaur auxiliaries, surrounded in heavy armors. She''d dubbed them Cataphracts.


    They were deployed on the wings, clearly intending to strike her flanks, drive in the middle of her formation and try to overrun her artillery. She had defences in place, but the centaurs...they certainly weren''t newborn monsters like the others, they would have plenty of essence to back them up, and experience besides.


    Her greatest advantage right now however, were the human troops behind hers. She could see the reserves of the main enemy force, deployed to counter a charge or attempted encirclement by Manson and Philia.


    The enemy army shuddered as it came to a stop, just inside of her howitzer range.


    And once again her weapons remained silent. They weren''t the ones she was interested in. And she''d rather have them fully caught into her range before she engaged.


    After all, their formation had a critical flaw. One that clearly showed those on the other side, with the notable exception of Glarvistar, had no experience in warfare, chosen for their ideological purity. Which made sense, otherwise they would not have condoned this attack, let alone commanded it.


    The fact that they had attempted to offer better terms than their superiors spoke volumes to how said ''purity'' was a double edged sword in this particular case.


    The enemy army shuddered once again, and resumed marching forward. Alexandra smiled, and brought up her hand on Subtlety''s bridge, waiting to bring it back down. She could almost feel Emilia rolling her eyes back home at the theatrical gesture.


    But this was theater. She could feel on her sensors the countless eyes in the sky. There had been few, if any, in her previous battles, but now...now everyone was watching.


    The UDC''s implosion had suddenly focused the attention of the whole world on her. And she intended to give them a good show.


    She prepared to bring her arm down...then trumpets sounded.


    And the humans behind her army began marching forward.

 Chapter 311 - Dungeon War

    Chapter 311


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria trade route


    Alexandra watched, in utter shock, as ranks of human soldiers marched forward. What the hell were those fools doing?!?


    Manson you stupid-. Alexandra''s thoughts skidded to a halt as she realized most of the human troops were immobile...and as confused as she was.


    The ones marching forward bore specific flags. They were the Kaidani Free Companies, a surprisingly coherent bloc of veterans and volunteers, united in their desire to avenge their slaughtered homeland. They were also remarkably well equipped, received the old weapons of the units Alexandra had reequipped, though their armor still left a fair bit to be desired.


    She watched as Manson and Philia rode out of their respective personal guards, and came to talk to the Kaidani commanders. The exchange was brief, heated...and ended with the duke embracing the Kaidani officer.


    Signals were exchanged, and the army reformed around the holes the Kaidani had left.


    Alexandra hesitated to order her troops to push the Kaidani away, or at least block their paths, but she couldn''t bring herself to do it. She also noted in the back of her mind that the UDC''s troops had stopped as well, observing the unfolding events.


    The Kaidanis spread out, forming taunt, pathetically thin one to two rank deep lines...and stopped on her flanks.


    Alexandra''s breath caught in her throat. They weren''t joining her.


    They were deploying as human shields. With full knowledge that the enemy rising to the bait would mean certain death.


    She looked back at the UDC...and saw no reaction for a full minute.


    Then the Cataphracts tightened back in, the spread wings pulled back to hug the body, and she let out an almost hysterical laugh.


    The cores of UDC weren''t willing to risk it.


    Still, they were assembling in a kind of lance formation. Intent on diving into the front lines instead of the sides to reach the heart. Just with a lot more depth than width this time, to absorb the greater losses.


    They began marching forward again, and she waited.


    And waited.


    At long last, she brought her arm down.


    The air exploded, as the whole plain vanished behind a wall of fire.


    Hundreds of howitzers, field guns and the hybrids onboard the ships spoke as one.


    The enemy came to a halt, the Naisens bracing for the incoming storm as the ships activated their point defence, lightning bolts and power beams leaping from tentacles and spikes of runed bone.


    Three of the ships above them exploded. The light cruisers were though, but not ''take over a thousand shells in the span of half a second'' tough.


    One of them was completely annihilated, its own ammunition magazine and mana power supply roaring out in a hail of energy that engulfed nearby vessels, causing their wards to flicker, leaving nothing but a mist of vaporized blood.


    Another simply disintegrated into a hail of burning flesh and blackened bone, creating a veritable rain of ichor onto the forces below.


    The last one however...the last one crashed.


    The Naisers were driven to their knees as the ship hit the shield like a homesick meteor.


    Then its own magazines failed, and so did the creatures'' power. The shields flickered, and died.


    Despite being chosen for their ideology, the UDC''s cores were anything but fools. The ships scattered...just in time for the second wave of howitzers shells to hit the Naisers, now deprived of the point defence coverage.


    The beasts were massive, and incredibly resilient in their own right. But resilience meant nothing compared to that amount of firepower.


    Alexandra smiled as they toppled. She hadn''t dared hope to be this successful.


    Still...this fight was far from won.


    The UDC''s army swarmed forward. The cavalry kept pace with the infantry, Jakarls and Tishaks alike. Alexandra frowned as she saw the latter, still forming their skirmisher screen, scrabble the ground, before leaping to regain their advance on the lumbering monsters behind them. What were they doing? Did they know about-


    It hit her. Tunnels. They were hunting tunnels. Everything the UDC had done so far told her they had studied her previous battles. They were trying to find tunnels, just like the ones she had dug for her fight against the Hammer of Eternity and its automated legion, to allow the adventurers to close the gap in safety.


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    Well, they were going to have one hell of a surprise soon.


    One more among many. Her artillery was continuing to fire, all the different types letting loose with a different tempo. Howitzers were now hammering on the Cataphract, the shells crashing against the wards, crunching through them shell by shell. Meanwhile the field guns, thanks to their lack of clear lines of fire to the onrushing army, assisted her fleet in keeping the UDC''s armada in disarray.


    Her first volley had been meant to take out the ships directly above the Naisers, but now her guns hunted a new strategic target. One the dungeons on the other side were scrambling to hide.


    She was aiming for their command ships. Focusing all of her fire on them, one by one, working her way down the list Glitch had made. It was amazing what one could do with an AI specialized in analysis, and a lot of surprises thrown the enemy''s way, forcing them to react. They only had to watch which ships reacted first, the uniform speed of crew monsters and biological ships in accomplishing their tasks turning what would have been a muddled mess of different crews reacting on their best into a smoothly ordered machine...with the head moving slightly faster than the body as the orders rippled out. A simple test of command link delay, the ships moving as soon as they received the order.


    If there was any sure sign that those on the other side had not been trained for a proper fight, it was this. Because these kinds of things were in the UDC''s military manuals Gift had given her all this time ago, after she had spat into her fellow dungeons'' faces. In fact, Glarvistar was applying it, if she had to guess, as a couple of squadrons moved in perfect unity.


    It was the most delicious of irony. The isolationists, who had rejected military training because their doctrine was to avoid wars, now failing in one of their own making because of their very philosophy.


    Despite their crumbling command structure, as flagships were ripped apart and backups came online only to suffer the same fate, they engaged as one once they finally came into their own range, the ships forming into staggered ranks, forming a kind of giant pyramid face, ensuring the ships would not fall upon each other if hit. Alexandra whistled softly. Well, maybe they had some training after all.


    The UDC''s fleet opened fire.


    Hundreds of projectiles, from simple fireballs to goblets of acid and harpoons of engraved bone, struck out. All towards one, single target.


    They flew towards the So Much For Subtlety...and ran into the Tetsudos.


    Projectile after projectile exploded under the power of the strongest tesla point defence arrays Alexandra had made yet, each escort ship''s even more powerful than the battlecruiser''s own. Harpoons flew apart, the energy that held fireballs together failed and the goblets of acid lost cohesion.


    All told, less than half of the fired weaponry arrived in a state fit to deal damage. Only to crash against the light cruiser''s unified shield, the feature that gave them their name. The energy barrier rippled, shining with every possible color, even devolving beyond the visible spectrum, bathing the surrounding area in ultraviolet and infrared light.


    The shield wavered...but it held. And Alexandra smiled as the enemy waited, before unleashing another coordinated volley.


    Another mistake. Facing wards, it might have been a good play. But they were facing fast recharging shields. That was why she hadn''t tried a second coordinated volley on the Naisens, why she had immediately unleashed her fastest reloading weapons -that could aim at them anyway- on the creatures.


    Against shields, you either overwhelmed them in a single broadside, or you constantly pounded them until they failed, never leaving them a chance to fully reform.


    Their second volley came...and it came an absolute mess. A fourth of the fleet failed to fire in tandem, Alexandra''s guns having finished a full set of command ships, including all of the backups. The manuals, and her allies within the UDC, had told her such forces were usually segregated into several units exclusively controlled by a dungeon core.


    Cut the head off, and the others wouldn''t be able to wrangle it back into line. It didn''t work that way with dungeon monsters.


    The ships broke off, and went back into automatic combat protocols, returning fire against her entrenched artillery, entering into a futile duel with well dug in guns.


    Even for her ships against Sunrise''s trebuchets and catapults, that would have been a losing proposition. Against howitzers and field guns? It was so pathetic her guns simply ignored them, and continued pounding at the true targets.


    All the while, the So Much For Subtlety remained silent, its missile launchers waiting.


    The enemy fleet surged forward, at what had to be their top speed, and Alexandra''s eyebrows rose. Alright, obsolete or not, these ships could move.


    The ones remaining under control split into three columns. Alexandra took a quickly look at their trajectories, and she barked a laugh.


    One was the primary wall of battle, angling to her right to try and engage her escorts and weasel their way out of the bunkers'' line of fire.


    The one on the left were swarmers. Light cruisers covered in spiked tentacles and other close combat, biological weaponry. Clearly intended to come to grips with the So Much For Subtlety, but would have to rip the Tetsudos out of the way first. The way their course gave a wide berth to her transports made her smile. Oh they knew all about her previous battles alright. Unfortunately, CQ hadn''t made it back, so she couldn''t lead another charge from the transports, riding her pet manticore.


    The last column was punching straight through, and those actually worried her. These ships were armed...but not heavily. Marine assault transports. Like those the UIS had used on Alpha Centauri. They were ships meant to drop their marines as fast as possible, providing whatever support they could as they died. In theory they were supposed to withdraw, but everyone who had seen them in action knew it was usually a one way trip, the crew to soon join their former passengers via the escape pods.


    The main army continued advancing, almost staggering as the artillery barrage stopped. And the transports began dying.


    Having separated meant the ships could no longer support each other, and at last, the So Much For Subtletly spoke.


    Ballistic missiles rose...and scores of power beams rose to contest them.


    Ah. So they did have medium range point defence. Kept in reserve specifically for this.


    She could almost taste the triumphant smiles on the other side. Smiles that died as the next missile volley launched...and the point defence fire missed. Small reaction thrusters jinked the missiles all over the skies, and the other side went crazy as they tried to intercept them.


    Finally however, the assault transports neared her first defensive line, the other two columns slowly coming onto their own positions, delayed by the distance added from their curved path.


    And the transports died. Too busy with the shells that had reaped a rich harvest among them already, their dungeon cores'' attention taken by her missiles, they never saw the power beam shells and missile warheads she had put on makeshift aiming machines on the ground coming.


    The ships came apart, shredded from the ground, spewing a cargo of burning wasp like creatures. Some of them were still alive, trying to regain their balance and take flight, only to be nailed by slow, measured rifle fire, the bolt action weapons more than sufficient to mop up the stragglers.


    The remaining enemy columns altered their trajectories once again. Curving inward, straight towards her flagship. Reckless, but the only solution they had. They couldn''t hope to out shoot her dirtside artillery, and both knew that this battle would be decided on the ground below. Her ballistic missiles were too dangerous to the infantry, especially in such a tight formation. And without each other''s support, the two columns would be defeated in detail. So they tried to link up again, through her own ships.


    The wall of battle retargeted, and Alexandra winced as her Raiders began to die. One by one, just like what she had done to them, every enemy ship that could focusing their fire on a single vessel to bring it down.


    But they were coming closer, and did far less damage than they could, the remaining enemy attack ship, even the battleship that helmed them, forced to use their bow pursuit armaments, not their full broadsides as they hastened to close.


    And the Raiders leapt forward to meet them.


    The enemy hesitated, but only for a second. They met the smaller ships...and the So Much For Subtlety fired again. This time with interceptor missiles.


    To Alexandra''s amazement, they managed to shoot down most of the incredibly fast missiles. Only a single of the interceptors made it.


    Its delicate warhead failed to activate however. And Alexandra could almost taste the confusion, and then horrified realization as the other side figured it out.


    Null weapons were fragile, but she could mount them on interceptors. Or at least mount decoys in such a way that the other side would believe they were functional, just with a great chance of misfire, and not that the real ones would be damaged beyond any hope of detonation anyway by the insane acceleration of the missiles.


    Her reputation for pulling off the impossible, and always having surprises up her sleeves, worked for her as the enemy ships pulled every point defence they had away from the shells coming towards them and to face the missiles.


    As they did, the bridge of the Raiders and the army below swarmed with moving figures.


    The skies filled with the glare of jetpacks, as over five thousand golems leapt into the skies.

 Chapter 312 - Relentless Advance

    Chapter 312


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria trade route


    The UDC panicked, trying to retarget their point defence. They failed. And in their failure, ended up countering nothing, as another wave of interceptor missiles rose from the So Much For Subtlety.


    This time, they struck the enemy battleship. They were mundane warheads. But they were enough, as the wards protecting the massive vessels came down, already chipped down to minimum strength by the constant barrage of Alexandra''s Corsairs and their massive guns.


    Just in time for the jetpack marines to board.


    The entire capital ship shuddered as breaching charges detonated all over the hull, the marines carving a path through the abomination''s flesh into its veins and guts. The vessel itself came to a halt as alchemical bombs stripped the armor off of the engines, and thermite charges went into the unprotected mechanisms, melting key components, and causing the entire assembly to shake itself apart.


    But far worse were the marines that were going to other ships. They came by entire squads of ten, carrying no weapons, not even armor.


    Instead, with straining chains, they lifted the real null warheads.


    Glarvistar''s ships shone like a beacon in this, as their own wasp like marines, Marakai self sustaining monsters, if Alexandra wasn''t mistaken, leapt to intercept them. They succeeded...in taking out those aimed at his ships.


    The others made it. And detonated.


    Some of the warheads failed.


    Most didn''t.


    Jetpacks died alongside their golems as the lifeless metal plumetted to the ground, the machines still rebooting as they hit the ground with a final crunch, like tin cans meeting a hydraulic press.


    But the damage was done. Across the shaken formation, wards were down. And suddenly the light cruisers were vulnerable, their capital ship dying from a thousand cuts as Alexandra''s marines blew their way through its insides, blood gushing from the wounds they had carved into its flesh to enter, sometimes carrying the body of a Marakai or a golem, the torn flesh alight with the flash of gunfire as submachine guns and shotguns spoke within the creature.


    The enemy escorts attempted to close. But their coordination was shattered, from both the loss of command ships, and the null warhead disrupting whatever communications they had left.


    Suddenly, Glarvistar''s squadron turned around, followed by almost half of what remained of the fleet, and began running. The remaining ships were left on their instinctual combat protocols, and died under the hail of her guns, serving as a sacrificial rear guard.


    Alexandra turned her attention to the close combat ships, that had been preparing for a pincer attack, and smiled.


    They were running as well. Running after having almost reached their goal. Unfortunately for them, their bid to distract her with the main fleet had failed. Because Alexandra had AIs to handle it, trusted lieutenants and officers.


    Subtelty and Ghost had unleashed hell on the poor bastards. They had brought the Tetsudos forward, once the enemy wall of battle had switched to pursuit armaments and begun attacking the Raiders, and used them as giant tesla weapons, overriding the safeties to pour energy into the enemy vessels that latched onto them.


    Two of those light cruisers would never fly again. But neither would half of the close quarters ships. Especially as those that broke through suddenly found themselves dragged to the ground. The arcane tractor beams she had built to deflect the Hammer of Eternity''s missiles finally brought to bear. It took three to bring down a single ship, and they pretty much burned out in the effort, but the enemy didn''t know that. The simply saw their ships crash onto the ground and immediately be swarmed with golems ladden with satchel charges, flinging themselves into every hatch and orrifice they could find, while other units blew the engines to kingdom come, pinning the ships to the ground. The failing tentacles and acid cannons took down golem after golem, but even they couldn''t hold back the tide.


    Silence descended upon the battlefield for a brief instant.


    Then it was broken by a surprise yelp, and the crack of an explosion, followed by screams of pain from the enemy infantry.


    The main army had advanced a great deal. The Cataphracts had taken a great deal of damage, ragged holes in their formation where the field guns, their line of sight to the ships above stolen, had finished what the howitzers had started. But still they kept pace, grimly shadowing the Jakarls as they lumbered forward, almost untouched.


    Alexandra grinned as she saw the imp monsters, their point unit wriggling on the grounds. Others stepped forward...and similarly yelped as a metal object launched into the sky, and exploded into a hail of shrapnel.


    Yep, they found the minefield, thought Alexandra.


    The enemy army hesitated briefly, as their commanding cores did, but in the end continued forward. Alexandra felt some begrudging respect for the other side. Not knowing how extensive the minefield was, it wouldn''t be an easy decision to make.


    Not that they had much of a choice anyway. Their fleet was annihilated. Alexandra''s own had been shredded in the exchange, most of her Raiders and Tetsudos wrecks or worse, but she still had her Corsairs and the So Much For Subtlety. Which, really, was all she needed. Sacrificing the lighter vessels to save her heaviest hitters. This was their only shot. Especially with Glarvistar doubtlessly getting ready to lay the blame at their feet if they failed.


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    The Tishaks drove into the minefield, the blue imps dying in droves as their commanders used them to clear a path the old fashioned way. They couldn''t even disperse to limit the area of effect, otherwise they would risk missing some of the explosives buried beneath.


    Alexandra''s grin got wider as they dove through the minefield, and the lumbering Jakarls entered it, scuttling on their bladed legs. She watched as they got closer, a few mines that were missed detonating in their mist, bypassing their wards and wounding the large creatures.


    There was one interesting fact about betty mines most people didn''t realize. By jumping into the air they did clear their casing to shower an area with shrapnel, similar to airburst artillery rounds, demultiplying their lethality at the cost of stealth.


    But they also made sure the explosion''s shockwave wasn''t absorbed by the ground...and wouldn''t cause sympathetic detonations in other explosives.


    She made a gesture, and below her, a sapper golem pressed a detonator twice.


    An entire section of the enemy formation vanished, as the buried shells and barrels of ammunition detonated. The front ranks of Jakarls came to a belated stop, as they suddenly found themselves separated by a mountain of bodies from the rest of the army.


    The plain lit up with gunfire, as the front-most machinegun nests and rifle totting golems opened up at last.


    The Jakarls'' wards, having already taken a beating from the massive detonation hammering them from behind, shattered under the hail of fire. They tried to charge forward, but there was no momentum, and the ones behind who could have swapped place with them to maintain a barrier of energy were dead.


    They were massacred. And the rest of the army trampled in place, as the heavy infantry attempted to navigate the field of craters and stinking offal that was the remnant of their comrades. Despite their bulks, the heavily armored creatures were amazingly agile, getting through it far more quickly than regular infantry would have.


    But not quickly enough. By the time they had, the remaining skirmishers, the last of the Tishaks used to clear the minefield, were nothing but a bloody carpet spread on their path.


    The charge began. The creatures bellowed, and rushed forward. The centaurs let loose an ululating war cry, and finally let loose the invisible bonds of command that had kept them tied to the infantry, eager to close in with the artillery that had killed so many of their own.


    They were met by a hail of gunfire. But the Cataphracts were made of stern, stern stuff, and even when the bullets managed to batter through their incredible tough armor, they simply leapt over the fallen, not even breaking pace.


    Cavalry lances were lowered. The swords that would follow were loosened in their scabbards.


    And then all hell let loose.


    What the other side hadn''t realized as they charged was that the field guns had stopped firing.


    The centaurs crossed an invisible line, and the field guns opened up again. This time with canister shot.


    They fired, one after another, in a carefully choreographed metronome, leaving just enough time for the bodies of the fallen to collapse, to clear the line of fire of the next artillery piece.


    It was as if the Cataphracts had run into a brick wall. Before long it became more truth than metaphor, the lance formation forced to break off, veering to the side, their charge broken, a wall of flesh and mangled corpses blocking their way, built by the unrelenting hail of firepower on the other side.


    The centaurs tried to move back in, plunge into the flanks...before being repelled by a seemingly impenetrable forcefield, passing within a few meters of the Kaidani Free Companies on both sides, the humans grimly holding their ground, refusing to give in to the attempt to make them break formation, to make them flee.


    The Cataphracts wheeled around as they approached the ranks upon ranks of Sarth''s infantry, the human army dead silent behind Alexandra''s, trying to build back momentum for another charge.


    As soon as they were clear of the Kaidanis however, the grenade launchers fired. They walked high explosive and fragmentation rounds up and down the columns, expending their ammo at a ridiculous speed. Among the centaurs some threw down their lances, and began drawing shortbows.


    Orders were screamed out, and the Kaidani formation began marching back in lockstep, raising their shields.


    The centaurs got the message. They lowered their bows, bitterness clear on their faces, even through their heavy helmets.


    They continued on their way, moving to plunge into her frontline. But they were no longer the main threat. By the time they came around, the main clash would have begun.


    Alexandra focused on the Jakarls. The monsters rushed forward, dodging around the bodies of those that fell, pushing through a veritable wall of bullets.


    And they were making it. Wards failed, some fell, but they were doing it. An infantry frontal charge through machinegun fire.


    The Skiras, the UDC''s artillery, tried to suppress the machineguns nest. Globes of acid hissed through the air, joining the ones from the handful of feral ships still aloft, though they wouldn''t remain so for much longer, the remaining raiders and marines flying away from the dying carcass of the battleship as it crashed between the Kaidani and the rest of the human army.


    The spiders did a surprising amount of damage, all things considered. Most of the acid expended itself on wards, but some punched through, acid flowing through firing slits and wrecking the weapons and the golems manning them.


    Unfortunately for them, it just gathered Alexandra''s attention.


    Her howitzers counter-batteried them out of existence in less than thirty seconds.


    The golems wielding her new assault rifles opened up on the charging infantry. Then the remaining grenade launchers. And finally the submachineguns. All supported by canister shots from the field guns and a never ending howitzers barrage.


    At long last, the infantry neared.


    And then her ships opened fire.


    With all of the shells and warheads she had used on the enemy fleet, and to lay her various traps, Alexandra was critically short on ammunition. Which is why the barrage of two hundred millimeter shells from the Corsairs was timed to the second.


    They carved bloody craters in the front of the enemy formations, slowing them down.


    Slowing them for the missiles rising into the sky.


    Both sides knew what they contained. Or they should, if they had truly studied all of her battles.


    The missiles came back down, and the entirety of the front lines vanished in a wall of flames as burning napalm rained upon the earth.


    Alexandra smiled once again.


    That smile fell as the enemies refused to run through the fire. And the back ranks of the Jakarls began chanting.


    Oh fuck. Was all Alexandra could think.


    Waves of power reached out, extinguishing the flames, and their ace now revealed, summoning an impenetrable fog, covering the charging infantry.


    She had expected casters. But among the centaurs, not the mass produced monsters. They shouldn''t even have been able to cast magic.


    But some did, and she snapped out orders.


    The smoke blocked out the vision of her golems, even her arcane sensors...but spotters throughout the entire army dropped their weapons, and brought up their rangefinders, and magitech eyes reached out.


    The spotters began calling out targets, and the fire resumed. Less accurate, perhaps, but one could do a lot with simple grid coordinates when fighting such large enemies.


    Her ballistic missiles began pounding the mages at the back. They were met with lightning bolts, but her weapons jinked all over the skies.


    The null warheads reached their targets, and the chanting stopped as the wards collapsed. Though, interestingly, the wall of fog did not. It simply ceased moving forward, yes, but it didn''t dissipate.


    The Jakarls burst through the mystical cover at the same time as the Corsairs reduced their mages to a greasy stain on the ground.


    But they had accomplished their goal.


    The Jakarls roared as they collapsed upon her main infantry line, and finally became able to retaliate for all of the horrors that had been visited upon them.

 Bonus Chapter - The Scarlet Swords

    Warning : This bonus chapter takes place at the beginning of the book, before Rebirth becomes an Archduchy, but after Alexandra''s main army units departed Darthar and Ghost began stockpiling gear in the city, somewhere between chapters 282 and 293. This isn''t in the author''s notes since I know they don''t show up for everyone and most people skip them anyway.


    Bonus Chapter - Scarlet Swords


    Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth


    City of Darthar


    "Sir, we have a visitor."


    Gothram Edingburgh, commander of the Scarlet Swords mercenary company, looked up from his bowl of porridge at his executive officer.


    "A visitor? To our somptuous quarters?" He chuckled as he waved his spoon at their surroundings, but his mirth died at his executive''s officer deadpan gaze.


    The old woman was rarely the wonder of parties, but she usually had some sparks of humor. You couldn''t survive this long as a soldier, let alone a mercenary, without it.


    "Yes." Simply said Sia, and Gothram nodded.


    "Alright, please, escort them in."


    "Yes sir!"


    The captain turned around with parade ground precision, and left the room. Her superior watched her go, before sighing and continuing to eat his porridge.


    His joke at their quarters had been mostly just that, a joke. Yes, their quarters were hardly luxurious, they were repurposed barracks, but they were the same as all the city''s defenders had to make do with.


    They hadn''t exactly gotten the best when they''d arrived. They''d been the last to arrive for one, but first and foremost because not too long ago they''d been fighting on the other side, trying to take Rebirth for the Republic.


    But now the Republic was being invaded by its own army, the Kingdom was in open civil war, and his decision to avoid suicide by turning against those who had freed him and his men from their jail, saving the life of the baroness'' wife in the process, had bore unexpected fruit.


    He''d been freed, and him and his company sent as reinforcement for Darthar, banned to return to Rebirth. Technically, that banishment was limited in time, but he was under no illusion that going back would be a poor idea, for their prosperity and health.


    So their welcome had been frosty, to say the least. But now, after fighting on the walls every bit as fiercely as those defending their homes and loved ones, they were treated like comrades. ''Mercenary lane'' as some called it now had a tinge of respect, and they had received a generous contract to help reinforce the city guard, while it got back onto its feet.


    There was a knock on the door, and he put aside his porridge. That was his second in command''s way of announcing the guest, and he cleared his throat.


    "Come in." He said, and immediately sprang to his feet as a woman stepped through the now open door.


    A woman with white hair, and piercing crimson eyes.


    He''d only seen her a handful of times, but he would recognize her anywhere.


    CQ, Crystal''s dungeon boss...and choosen representative.


    "Greetings, commander." Said the boss, and he knew instantly it was being possessed by the core.


    "Hail, lady Crystal. What brings you here, so far from the halls of power?"


    "Many things. But first and foremost, paying back a debt." The dungeon core gestured at the vacant chairs beside the commander''s table. "May I?"


    "Of course." She gripped the back of one chair, dragging it back, and he blinked as he saw her hand dissolve in static. "What?"


    "Oh, I see you have not been warned. My daughter desserves her autonomy, and not be reduced to my mere messengers. I have made golems I control, covered in illusions to communicate."


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    "I see. If that is the case, you may wish to give yourself a distinctive sign, so that confusion is avoided."


    Crystal paused.


    "That is...a valuable suggestion, commander. Thank you." She blinked, and suddenly her eyes were bright pink. "Will this suffice?"


    The commander had to stop himself from gasping. Illusion magic his arse. That had to be an actual hologram. One made to shift, a modified version of the warmagic used to cloak entire war machines and formations. Nothing else could have been updated on the fly like that.


    "Yes, it will."


    "Most excellent." The dungeon core looked at him, and he had to hold back a shiver. She was less than two years old, but there was something...ancient behind her eyes. It was the only way he could describe it. "Then I suppose we should get down to the reasons for my presence here."


    "Please do. I do not believe I was aware of a debt between us. Let alone one you owe me or my men."


    "Oh but I do. Your men were on the walls, the day of the breach, correct?"


    "We were." He shrugged. "We were backups to the knights."


    "Do not play coy. I have visited knight-captain Vance. He has told me that the idea to rappel down into the breach came from you, and your men gave his covering fire, exposing themselves to enemy retaliation both arcane and mundane to allow his to come to my rescue."


    "I did." He smiled. "You have done your homework."


    "I have." The dungeon core gazed at him, and his feeling of unease only increased. "Tell me, commander. Do you know how much of a difference it did?"


    "I genuinely do not know."


    "In the grand scheme of things, it probably would not have changed the fate of the city. I would have held long enough alone for the calvary charge to start the rout, and my other ship could have begun bombarding the breach even had I fallen. But my daughter? My daughter almost certainly wouldn''t have survived this."


    "She would have returned."


    "Does resurrection make the death of one''s child any more painless?"


    The commander winced.


    "No. I suppose not."


    "I fought with this very golem on top of her unconscious body. This chassis still bears the scars from where soldiers of Sunrise struck it, only to be pushed back by the knights you, and no one else, allowed to descend to my aid."


    "So you feel like you owe me."


    "No, I know I do." She leaned forward. "Which is why I have come to pay back that debt."


    "Could I waive it?"


    "You could. You no doubt think a debt for someone like I is perilous."


    "The sands of the desert outside this city are littered with the bodies of those who have stood against you. A favor of you is an extremely dangerous weapon to wield."


    "I see you can sparr with words as well as your sword. Good." The dungeon core smiled. "I knew you would not like having an unfulfilled debt with me. It would attract...attention. And not the good kind. So instead, allow me to pay it back immediately. In gifts."


    "What kind?"


    "Weapons. What else?" The dungeon core got to her feet. "Follow me, commander."


    He nodded, and quickly found himself out into the courtyard, where his mercenaries were trying very hard not to stare while they trained.


    It was a short walk to the larger assembly fields, where the city''s garrison gathered for the morning roll call and any speech their officers wished made.


    And he came to a dead halt to see what was on it.


    His men had been allowed to resupply before leaving Rebirth. Which meant gathering every musket they could beg, borrow or steal, alongside whatever other supplies they could get their hands on. Some of the fireball launchers that had been so crucial in holding the walls had been brought here by his company.


    Now before him stood an entire arsenal of weapons. Racks upon racks of machineguns, bolt action rifles and revolvers, with glittering piles of ammunition crates, some carried by towering spider tanks with gigantic pincers, stacking them with inhuman precision.


    And above all of them, the menacing shadows of artillery guns, howitzers and field guns alike.


    "Fuck me." He whispered, only to be answered by the dungeon core''s laugh.


    "My girlfriend would take exception with that, commander." She turned towards him as his mind reeled. The dungeon core had a girlfriend? What? "Now, I believe this would serve as a good token of my appreciation and paying off of this debt, yes?"


    "Yes." He cleared his throat. "Yes it would."


    "Good." She patted one of the racks, her hand glitching through the metal. "Hopefully these will serve you well in the future. All of the weapons come with detailed manuals, and my golems will drill your troops into their use."


    "You can train someone with golems?"


    "Of course! Drills are nothing but the same movements repeated to perfection. Who better than a golem to do it?"


    "You make...an excellent point. I had never thought of it that way."


    "Well, I had." She tapped the rack with her golem''s nuckles. "Enjoy, commander."


    Gothram nodded, as the dungeon core left, leaving him before the pile of weapons, dumbstruck.


    He could see the shocked soldiers and officers, first slowly trickling onto the field, then arriving in a veritable torrent.


    Then the commander of the city guard, Steve Orland, forced himself through the crowd, and made a beeline for him.


    Gothram inhaled, and it finally dawned on him, that with a simple gesture and ''gift'', the dungeon core had made his little mercenary company into one of the most modern and dangerous private military unit on the entire continent.


    And that he had absolutely no idea what to do with it.

 Bonus Chapter - To Sail The Seven Skies

    Warning : This bonus chapter takes place a few chapters ago, between chapters 308 and 310, as the news of the UDC''s fleet are being kept quiet, but since it would have ruined the pacing it was kept separate.


    Bonus Chapter - To Sail The Seven Skies


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Trade City of Erakis


    "Captain."


    Sylvia looked up from her ardent observation of sand, sand and more sand, and smiled as she saw her executive officer, and her new ''lieutenant'', Aline.


    A lieutenant that in truth was her senior in the Order, but appearances had to be maintained.


    They were on the deck of her new ship, the Bountiful Acquisition, generously gifted to her by Allya, from the ships the dungeon core had refitted. It wasn''t as technologically advanced as her previous vessel, that could, and had, gone toe to toe with Erisian airships, but it was still light years ahead of most of the pathetic pieces of crap on this continent, and more importantly, it was fairly big and remarkably heavily armed for its size. A worthy privateer indeed.


    At least until she could get her hands on a proper Erisian skyhound vessel again.


    No offense to Lesly''s handiwork, but her need to keep her technology believable held her back. She could hardly use equipment she couldn''t have a plausible source for without rousing considerable suspicion. Besides which, this wasn''t her best work, for obvious reasons.


    "Maria! Do you have any good news?"


    "Somewhat." The second in command stopped a respectful few paces away from the buxom, scantily clad young woman. "We are being sent up to Darthar."


    The captain nodded.


    "Well, at least it''ll change us from the scenery here." She nodded at the oasis, or what had been one anyway, now fully covered and surrounded by layers of homes, warehouses and shops. Erakis had positively blossomed under Allya''s rule, to such a point that talks of rebellion had vanished from the streets. No one, not even those in bed with the senate, wished to kill the goose that laid the golden egg...and the tales of what the Republic had lowered itself to had swept up any pretense of righteousness.


    Oh, there had been a few madmen, there always were, but they had been snuffed out by the locals by the most part. In trying to find allies to ''liberate'' the city, which still remained the primary supply source for the entire New Republic''s army, and thus a juicy target indeed for the senate, they had simply walked into the arms of people who would do anything to eliminate them without rousing the ire of the garrison.


    And garrison there was. Lesly''s dungeon had been implanted there, in a move so genius Sylvia could scarcely believe it, spreading the High Commander''s hold over the region, and strangling the trade route. A trade route that, once the Saphire Kingdom and Tark had been pacified, would flow with the blood of a new Empire, one to replace the decayed Erisian, which had failed the Order and their mission.


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    "Yes. And the timing is...interesting, isn''t it?"


    The pirate captain winced, but declined to rise to the bait.


    Maria''s working theory for them being tied to Erakis was simple: the captain''s outrageous flirting had horribly backfired. With their engagement public, and the marriage fast approaching, at least according to the rumors, the baroness -no, archduchess now- wanted them as far away as physically possible from her and her bride to be.


    Now that she had returned from her long visit to Darthar, they would be sent there, probably clearing the way for Allya to visit Erakis. And every step of the way they would be held under the watchful eyes of the fleet, and commodore Calder.


    Some fucking opportunity getting that letter of marque had proven to be.


    "Very well. Let''s get everyone ready to move." She perked up a bit. "If nothing else, it''ll be a great opportunity to visit the bazaar! I need a new wardrobe." The captain gave a glance at Aline. "So do you."


    "I suppose I could stand to acquire the pirate style." Said the ''lieutenant'' with a faint smile.


    "Privateer, please!" Said the captain with a raised finger. "Important distinction. Now, let''s get our scurvy ridden skydogs back on their leash."


    "And that means raiding the bars?" Said Maria with a deadpan glare.


    "Precisely!" Sylvia grinned savagely. Her relationship with Maria was...strained, ever since her subordinate had voiced her true opinion of Joachim, their boss within the Order, but they took refuge in their usual shenanigans. "Assemble a party, we shall give this town a goodbye they''ll remember!"


    The second in command''s eyebrow rose.


    "You do realize most of the patrols are backed by golems, right?"


    Sylvia deflated slightly at the oblique reminder that anything too bad would have to be dealt with by the dungeon core...by Lesly.


    The last thing she wanted was to stumble into the High Commander''s path again and force her to dance around the Order agent lest they all be discovered.


    "Point taken." She cleared a throat. "Let it be a goodbye they''ll vaguely recall, then."


    Maria rolled her eyes before giving the captain her signature ''good enough'' expression.


    "Excellent then!" The captain smiled at Aline. "Lieutenant, you''re with me! We need a map, and draw a thorough itinerary through the town! Not one watering hole left unchecked!"


    The lieutenant smiled, and Sylvia had to hold back a shiver. The woman was being genuine, but holy shit even when she was happy there was something in her eyes, a creature of death and annihilation crouched in the shadows.


    It was a helpful reminder that no matter how earnest...that ''lieutenant'' had lead her entire company of comrades into a meat grinder, and been perfectly prepared to have them all die for the Order''s goal.


    And that probably applied to her present company as well. Fellow agents included.


    "Of course captain, of course."


    They left the railing.


    And none of them noticed the golems in the fortress overlooking the city, observing them.


    Nor would they have realized that this fortress always had a full battery of guns and missile launchers loaded, and ready to aim and fire on them at a moment''s notice.


    Ever ready for the day the order came. And it would. Coiled like a viper ready to strike, the golems waited, their patience infinite.


    They waited for one little message that would set the world alight.

 Chapter 313 - Moment of Truth

    Chapter 313


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria trade route


    Alexandra had known from the get go that fighting a running battle was a recipe for disaster. Trying to retreat as the melee foes pursued her troops would only end in disaster, her own golems blocking the line of fire of the units they were looking to join, only guaranteeing the deaths of both.


    Instead her infantry formed up in squares, kneeling golems wielding bayoneted rifles on the outer edges, forming an old fashioned wall of pikes, while behind them submachineguns and shotguns unleashed hell.


    The squares cleared large lanes between her golems, allowing the next line of troops to pour fire into them.


    And while her golems were destroyed, small, agile teams ran, carrying machineguns, grenade launchers and all manners of special weapons.


    There were five lines. The first was out in the open, and every successive one on a slightly raised abbattis, allowing them to pour fire over the others, into the seething mass of monsters, with the field guns massed at the third line, and the howitzers at the fifth, their backs solidly protected by the human army behind them.


    The first line crumpled, and fell. Squares or no squares, the Jakarls were killing machines designed for this kind of fight. Rifles snapped under the pressure, golems cut in half by bone blades, and shotguns silenced.


    But they had done their job. Their weapons were safely brought back to the second defensive line...where they joined up with their own weapon teams in a exodus towards the third line.


    The Jakarls hit the second line, and found much greater resistance. Flamethrowers opened up, spreading gout of flames over entire units of monsters. Not killing them, but severely hampering their senses and dealing considerable damage to their joints, slowing them down as they slowly cooked inside their biological armor, thus slowing the entire advance behind them.


    Still, they pushed on, and the golems died fighting under their bladed legs.


    The Jakarls advanced once more...and staggered to a halt as the third line charged them.


    The dungeon cores on the other side were so surprised they didn''t realize that the ground was moving behind their creatures.


    That was the reason why Alexandra had ordered her troops to focus fire on the Tishaks, the imp skirmishers, wiping them out at the start of the infantry engagement.


    They had, more by luck than good judgment, been right on the money.


    Well...almost.


    Alexandra hadn''t buried her infantry.


    She had buried her tanks.


    The spider tanks leapt from the ground, punching effortlessly through the thick covering that had hidden them, and opened fire. Their guns slammed into the Jakarls'' back at point blank range, felling entire units.


    What remained of the monsters in the rear units whirled around, the entire seething mass of creatures preparing to engage on both sides, as their centaur allies finally got back into position, and moved to charge the rear of the tanks.


    The centaurs arrived just in time. Just in time to watch the last of the UDC''s infantry be annihilated. The golems of the third line unleashed every single one of their special weapons. Rockets, grenades, mortars, everything they had, in an unending tide of fiery death. The field guns fired an endless stream of canister shots, and the golems that had charged forward...


    They threw themselves on the waiting arm blades of the Jakarls, detonating their explosives and claymores strapped to their armor.


    The line of monsters buckled. But it began to push forward again, their back ranks tearing into the tanks.


    Alexandra watched as the creatures reformed, only to be met with the gaping maws that were the barrels of the howitzers, the artillery having lowered its barrels for direct fire.


    They fired. Not cannister shot. Instead they fired packages of rods.


    Rods covered in runes.


    The air came alive with arcs of lightning as energy danced between the rapidly melting rods of metal.


    The front lines were thrown to the ground, twitching...utterly helpless before the second wave of suicide golems.


    And the back ranks...the back ranks collided with the spider tanks, and chitinous claws broke as they met mythril armor, hidden behind a thin coating of steel. Alexandra didn''t have many of her mythril clad prototypes, but those she had held back the tide for long enough.


    Long enough for the monster with the twenty millimeter Gatling gun to finish spinning up, and for the tattered remains of her marines to drop from the skies.


    The centaurs came to a halt, gazing at the last of the monsters as they were put down. The Jakarls didn''t fall back, they didn''t surrender, they didn''t break. They just died where they stood. Scythed down by waves after waves of ordnance from every possible direction.


    There was a hesitance in the air. Neither side willing to engage. The centaurs out of fear.


    And Alexandra out of the capacity to do so. She was out of ammunition, for her ships, for her rocket launchers, for her howitzers. Out of tricks. Her entire army, spent, with nothing but rifle rounds and what little remained to feed the field guns.


    Far out into the plains, the air filled with more bladed feet hitting the ground, as the UDC''s reserve began to move forward.


    Alexandra closed her eyes...only to open them as bugles and trumpets sounded.


    The human troops began marching to meet them.


    Alexandra could almost taste the debate on the other side. Far into the distance, she watched her sensor screens the burst of activity in the fleet.


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    Two command ships were suddenly swarmed, Glavistar''s ships coming hull hull with them, and she saw the icons indicating bioweapons fire and marines swarming and buzzing around the ships.


    It was over quickly. Glarvistar''s squadrons were the most intact, and whoever was being subdued, the other dungeon cores weren''t willing to help them.


    The UDC''s reserves shuddered to a halt, and turned around. Marching back towards their transports.


    The centaurs simply stood there. Hearing their allies, their reinforcements, leave them behind.


    One of the Cataphracts began laughing. Then another. And another. There was an hysterical edge to it, and before long the entirety of the twin cavalry lances were laughing their hearts out.


    Finally, they stopped, and Alexandra watched as several of them stepped forward. Hands reached up, and helmets were thrown at the feet of her tanks.


    More stepped up, and before long there was a small mound of the armor pieces before her automata.


    Alexandra ordered her troops to stand down. The battle was over.


    She was victorious.


    *****


    "Victory, then?" Asked Allya as Alexandra sat down in the command center.


    They were alone. Everyone else preparing their end of the debriefing.


    "Yeah." The dungeon core closed her eyes. For the first time in...Gods knew how long, feeling genuinely, physically tired. "Some victory though."


    "You beat the odds."


    "I lost half my army. We''re completely out of ammo. My fleet is in freaking tatters. The ammunition I can replace, it''s why I have a supply depot in Darthar, but the ships? Some of them were first gen vessels. Ones we began making months ago. We''re not getting those back. Ever."


    "You''ll still get them back a hell of a lot quicker than they will."


    "Will I? They''re dungeons as well. The same advantages. The same powers."


    "The same powers? Maybe. But hardly the same advantages. They don''t have your skills. They don''t have your drive. They don''t have your vision. They don''t have your people."


    Alexandra opened her eyes, to find the archduchess almost within touching distance. She sighed.


    "You''re probably right. Still, it''s hard to feel optimistic after this."


    "Perhaps. But still, you''ve pulled off the impossible."


    "Have I? They expected to lose. Some of them, at least."


    Allya chuckled grimly.


    "That''s because of your reputation. Every enemy is already halfway towards defeat in their own minds. Given how that dungeon core reined the other ones in, it probably became something of a self fulfilling prophecy."


    "It was a bluff. And they bought it. If they thought they could take on my troops and Sarth''s, they would have engaged at the end. They just didn''t think they could take us both after how much ass I''d kicked."


    "Yeah. Because they were affected by your reputation. Your..." Allya licked her lips, trying to find the words. "...inevitability."


    "Right." Alexandra sighed. "Still, we didn''t accomplish anything. We just lost half of our army, almost every single one of our escort ships and most of our ammo...for what? We didn''t even hurt a single one of Sunrise''s soldiers. And you saw the vector the UDC''s fleet had. Retreating North. I give you two guesses as to whom they''re going to run to, begging for a military alliance, once their leadership has swallowed their pride."


    "At least the siege of the capital is lifted."


    "There is that. Though I wouldn''t say lifted. They''ve just left enough of a blocking force to keep what remains of the royal army penned in the ruins while the duchess comes South. The assaults have stopped, yes, but they can''t come to our aide." Alexandra closed her eyes. "The duchess doing that seemed like suicide then, but it makes sense now, doesn''t it?"


    Allya nodded.


    "She was preparing to take out Sarth, after your army was annihilated. Probably bring her wayward army to the east back into the fold."


    "Yes...yes she was."


    "We already did know she was in contact with the UDC. The kill team was made up of her people after all."


    "Yeah. And she''s got a lot of things to answer for."


    "So?"


    "So we continue our march north. And we finish what we started."


    *****


    Joachim stared at the screen. Replaying the battle, over and over again.


    There had to be a reason. A reason for Lesly to deviate from the plan.


    Instead of shattering like a cursed mirror, the UDC''s isolationists were regrouping. Restructuring themselves, with some of its members using the hot iron provided by the battle to forge it anew. Meanwhile the interventionists did the same, solidifying the two blocs, instead of setting the stage for breaking them apart, and mixing both to create a new, unified organization. One that would obey her every command, and stand by the Order''s side when the time came.


    There had to be some gambit. Some reason he couldn''t see or fathom, against a threat or for a greater prize.


    But even as he told himself that, he knew he was desperately rationalizing. And as he realized...


    Thoughts came back to him. Details. Details he had dismissed. Oddities in Lesly''s behavior, in reports about her interactions with others.


    Something was off. And his subconscious was screaming, screaming about a pattern he couldn''t see.


    He sighed as he gripped his head. Damn it, what the hell was he missing? What could possibly-


    The door slammed open, and Joachim jumped back as a figure barreled into the room. He was halfway through reducing it to atoms before his finger relaxed on the trigger of his Old World weapon, drawn without thought, the merciless drills from the relic guard finally paying off.


    His eyes widened as his conscious mind registered what his subconscious had, and he lowered the gun, staring at the disheveled apparition.


    "Erik? What the hell happened to you man?!?"


    The guildmaster and former general of the Order looked like a shambling corpse, parts of his body were shredded, and Joachim could see some of his ribs through ribbons of flesh. How...what could possibly do that to an archon?!? They were made of energy, these kind of wounds shouldn''t even be possible!


    "Assassins." The guildmaster shook himself. "I killed them. Not important."


    "Not imp- are you insane?!? They almost fucking killed you! How did you even find me anyway?"


    "Contacts. The archives. You needed to see this. With your own eyes."


    "See what?"


    The guildmaster held up the file he had been holding.


    "This."


    Joachim frowned.


    "What is that?"


    "Your extradimensional''s true identity."


    "Her true identity? She was-"


    "Alexandra Rousseau was a lie. A cover. This. This is who she truly was."


    The guildmaster flung the file onto the Commander''s desk, and Joachim looked at the anonymous cover. Then he flipped it open.


    His eyes widened. He opened and closed his mouth convulsively, utterly incapable of forming words.


    After a full minute, he finally managed to speak.


    "That''s- I- No...that''s not possible! She couldn''t-"


    "It is possible. It''s her. You killed the Butcher of Europa." Joachim scrambled backwards as suddenly the guildmaster was there, their faces inches apart. "Do you have any idea what you''ve done?!?"


    "I didn''t know! How...how could I?!?"


    The growl that the half dead guildmaster gave wasn''t even remotely human.


    "I imagine, if you and Lesly had bothered to ask, you would have." He straightened, and his gaze bore the weight of a judgement even Joachim couldn''t fathom. "The Grandmaster will be informed of what you''ve done."


    Joachim closed his eyes, and exhaled.


    "Alright. I''ll accept the punishment. Whatever he sees fit, for my transgressions."


    "Good." The Commander opened his eyes again, and saw the guildmaster at the threshold of his office. "Good. Because you and Lesly better make it count. Make her sacrifice mean something. Otherwise, I swear to every star in this universe, I will hunt you down, before the Custodians get to you, and believe me when I tell you that their ministrations would be the sweet caresses of a lover compared to what I will do to you. Are we understood?" Joachim nodded. "Good."


    Then he was gone.


    Joachim collapsed into his seat, his eyes staring into the void. His previous worries forgotten, scattered to the winds compared to the enormity of what he had just learned.


    The Butcher of Europa...


    There were plaques dedicated to her deeds in every Stronghold of the Order.


    And the grandmaster...the grandmaster and his council of High Commanders assembled beneath the gaze of her statue, at the heart of the Order''s web of intrigue and power. The gaze of the High Admiral of the European Federation Star Navy.


    What had he done? False Gods, what had he done?


    END OF BOOK 8

 Posting Schedule & Going Forward

    Hello everyone ! I hope you guys enjoyed book 8. It was amazing to write and, quite frankly, I think the end battle was my best one yet.


    Unfortunately, this announcement isn''t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. This is to tell you guys that I''m going to be dialing down the pace of chapter posting after this week, back to the standard schedule of a chapter every saturday.


    There are multiple reasons for this. First and foremost, we are at (and have at several times dipped below) the threshold of chapters I had set for the patreon backlog, which might seem enormous but it should also be noted that the chapters start melting frighteningly quickly under the current schedule. Furthermore, as it stands, royal road has a full novel in advance over amazon releases, which gives some breathing room.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Last but not the least, I''m tired, trying to balance out my life and my work, and constantly worrying about the backlog, how much I''m writing every day, all that is really draining. So I''m going to be dialing back everything, take a break, and quite possibly start another story I''d been working on for a while to refresh myself, at a slower pace and with no deadlines while I try to figure out how to balance out my life. It''ll also give me some more time to take care of myself, which is a plus given the medical issues I''ve had lately.


    I hope you will understand. Just to make it clear, The Fallen World isn''t going on hiatus, and I don''t intend it to, but besides a possible halloween special there will be less activity on Royal Road overall as we go back to weekly chapters next week, after we''ve kicked off book 9 with chapters 314, 315 and 316.


    I hope you''ll have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 314 - Ringing Aftermath

    Chapter 314


    Eris Empire, Capital City of Starcore


    Imperial Palace, First Empress Wing


    Monsters roared as they rushed the line, and died in droves, sandwhiched between the tanks and the infantry, pummelled under unending field gun fire.


    The Empress paused the video with a wave of her hand.


    "Quite the battle, wasn''t it?" Said Oris Lumi¨¨re, sister of Cassissa Lumi¨¨re and Empress of the Eris Empire.


    "It was." Answered Katarak, the commander of the Black Hand, her Imperial Majesty''s will in the dark.


    "Many were watching this. Every detail is being analyzed in half of the capitals of the world." The Empress turned around to face the commander, who was seated at a table in her private study. "Including some details like this, for example."


    The hologram zoomed in on some of the golems, and Katarak had to hold back a wince.


    "I was told." Grated out the Empress. "That Crystal''s level of technology was equivalent to the Tarkians."


    "Evidently that is no longer the case, your imperial majesty." Answered the spymaster.


    "Quite. What I would dearly like to know however, is where those weapons came from. Especially those shiny grenade machineguns and assault rifles that, last was I aware, we were the only nation on the planet capable of manufacturing such hardware. Am I wrong?"


    "You are not, your imperial majesty."


    "Meaning, that the only people she could have gotten them from, is us."


    "There are exports..."


    "Wayward exports aren''t crew served fucking grenade machineguns! They aren''t ballistic missiles or naval shield generators!" Screamed out the Empress, as she stalked towards her commander, until they were almost nose to nose. "I, am having to deal with very pointed questions from a great deal many people within, and without, our Empire. I want you to find that leak, plug it, and cauterize the entire damned wound!"


    "And if I cannot?"


    The Empress smiled.


    "Then find whoever''s on the list we can pin it on and make an example of them."


    The commander nodded. There was an extensive list of bad actors in the Empire that were...dangerous. A corrupt bureaucrat or back dealing corporate executive could be excused if they were loyal, but many had begun dealing with the wrong people, slowly eroding the foundations of the Empire, thinking the small chip would not cause much issue...and utterly unaware of all the others doing the same, threatening to bring the entire edifice down


    "Yes, your imperial majesty."


    "Good. Now, your report on Cassissa if you please?"


    "We have interrogated the mage she spends a lot of time with." He hesitated. "We were...unsuccessful."


    The Empress blinked.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "My people are very, very good. They know he''s holding things back. But without more...direct measures, I fear we will not be able to learn everything."


    "We cannot antagonize his house. Or the World Mage Court. Very well. What did you learn?"


    "Your sister is expressing some interest in him, and he seems to believe he genuinely has a chance. Furthermore, they have been studying spells, enchantments and artifacts together. He becomes extremely tight lipped as to the specifics, thus my agents think at least one of his secrets is related to this."


    "Interesting. Cassissa has requested a lot of enchanting supplies. And complained about the tightened guard."


    "If I may, your majesty, I suggest that we make use of her. Confined, she is of use to nobody, and it will only breed resentment. This...should be avoided in a time of crisis."


    "Having someone so close to the throne make a fool of themselves, again, is even more to be avoided." The Empress snorted. "And make use of her? My sister is an hormone addled imbecile that got the two most promising nobles of her generation, and her greatest mariage prospects, exiled or killed. And given current events I''m not even sure which was the most damaging. I am not enthused with the idea of using her."


    "Your imperial majesty..."


    "Shut it. Was Allya any less competent Rebirth would have fallen and we wouldn''t be looking down the barrel of another world super power and be suffering through a fucking dungeon civil war. A war which her dungeon appears to be winning, against all expectations. That''s not even mentionning that with her dead the archduke wouldn''t be at house Aub¨¦toile''s throat?"


    "Are you...are you suggesting we should remove her?"


    The Empress laughed.


    "Your assassins haven''t exactly covered themselves in glory lately now, have they?" Katarak winced at the oblique reminder of his recent failure. The Empress shook her head. "Besides, when I give my word, I keep it. And eliminating her would only get the archduke off our backs to put the entirety of house Aub¨¦toile on it. Their land and military power may be lesser, but their prestige is substantial, and they are a cornerstone of our power bloc in the Imperial Assembly. We lose them, we lose the budget and we cannot afford that kind of bickering right now. No, Allya stays where she is. I''d be half a mind to order our good Admiral to go and protect her if possible, if she hadn''t gotten her hand firmly stuck in this mess." The Empress shook her head as the commander opened his mouth. "No need to defend her, I understand the circumstances. She failed in her gambit to slow down the UDC''s collapse, but it was a good try. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose." She chuckled. "Not that this new dungeon needed the assistance, it seems."


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    "The UDC will be back."


    "No. They''ll head North. Go to lick the duchess'' boots, while trying to remain imperious and presenting it as a favor they''re doing her. As egoistical that slaver bitch is, she''ll swallow it. It''s not like she has a chance if she doesn''t. And so the isolationists will get involved in the very surface wars they refused to get into."


    "They won''t need to, if they can concentrate their forces."


    "Which is precisely why we will not let them do so. Because if they manage it, so will the other side. This isn''t a quick and dirty ''take out the problematic core'' any more. And if the dungeons kill each other we''re all going to die."


    "Yes, your imperial majesty."


    "Now, Eriksen..." The Empress sighed. "Your commandos failed."


    "They came close."


    "Close doesn''t cut it with someone that powerful."


    "Shall I send a second wave?"


    "No. They''ll be ready. And your men won''t get through the Relic Guard. What interests me is why he didn''t follow up on the assassins. What possibly preoccupied him so that being almost killed was not even worth following up on?"


    "I will endeavor to find out."


    "Good. Dismissed."


    *****


    "I wonder what this battle will be called..." Mused Alexandra as she looked at the remnants of the battlefield, displayed on the bridge''s holographic projector.


    "Probably something like ''the great clash of the Ytakan plains'', knowing historians." Answered Manson Estogan, duke of Sarth, as he sat down by the table, looking at the hologram, before giving the dungeon core a wry smile. "Scholars tend to be like that, embellishing everything."


    "Yeah. I suppose they are." She nodded slowly. After all, she was dating one. She turned towards the duke. They had assembled a sort of miniature war council, with him, his Desert Ranger commander, colonel Rim, and a couple of other officers, including the CO of the Kaidani Free Companies. Plus the AIs, of course, Subtlety, Glitch and Ghost. Only Philia was absent, but she was busy down below. "I appreciate your men''s help, by the way."


    "Couldn''t really leave the bodies there. Machines or no, they fought by our side and died for us."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Speaking of. Subtlety, could you see him in?"


    The AI nodded, and a few seconds later the doors swung open, admitting a towering centaur. He was wearing torn and half destroyed gambeson, the kind you wore under full plate armor.


    The Cataphract was trying to put on a brave face, but Alexandra could see his knees on the verge of buckling. Resurrection weakness didn''t discriminate, and it was an impressive effort of will and resilience to be even walking this quickly.


    "Greetings, general." Said the dungeon core, and the centaur bowed.


    "Hail, lady Crystal of the Dungeon Factory." Answered the officer, his voice a gravely whisper, and Alexandra had to stop herself from wincing. He had been killed early on, during the preliminary howitzer bombardment, his throat so shredded by shrapnel he''d been effectively decapitated, his body then being trampled by his own troops. "I wished to thank you, for my men."


    "Well, it''s not like we had anybody else to resurrect."


    "Perhaps. Still, not many would take the time and energy to bring back fallen foes." He bowed again.


    "I''m hardly most people." Alexandra smiled. "We are still gathering bodies, but I''m happy to tell you that we are on track to saving two thirds of the dead."


    The centaur nodded silently in thanks, before turning as Manson cleared his throat.


    "Excuse me, but I fear I we have not been introduced?"


    "Oh, that''s-"


    "Rimar Oklan." Said the general, cutting off Alexandra with an apologetic look. "General of the thirtieth United Dungeon Council volunteer regiment."


    "You seem a little...high ranking for such a force." Said the duke.


    The general shrugged.


    "When one of my units was selected for this, I elected to take command." He coughed as Alexandra gave him a sidelong look. "The colonel of the thirtieth was my nephew."


    "Ah." Manson and Alexandra exchanged a look. Got him out of the line of fire and took the dishonor of this attack, all in one.


    "Nevertheless. I came here to offer my formal surrender, and that of my forces." He slowly, carefully pulled open what would have been a saddlebag on a horse but just seemed the equivalent of a backpack for him, and pulled out a half destroyed helmet, and a sword, still resting in its scabbard. He stepped forward, and lowered himself to the ground, laying them at Alexandra''s feet. "Lady Crystal, I, General Rimar Oklan, of clan Oklan, commanding officer of the thirtieth United Dungeon Council volunteer regiment, surrender my troops to you. We ask for mercy, and promise our obedience in exchange for fair treatment."


    "I accept." Said Alexandra, as she grabbed both items, finishing the ritual. "I have to admit, I though the UDC''s auxiliaries were strictly defensive units, permanently stationned at bases."


    "We were. But we were called upon to serve in another, more active capacity, after the...unfortunate losses of many, more regular units."


    "So I see." Getting dungeon monsters to be useful outside of a core''s influence was a challenge, one she was shameless cheating in thanks to her tech and knowledge, but it still applied to other cores. Since those forces had taken a beating in the initial stages of the civil war, they''d resorted to the auxiliaries. Besides which....they were less watched. As had been the theme with that entire force, it was what they could sneak in, and her allies would have never dreamt of the isolationists, of all cores, using surface auxiliary troops. A blindspot they''d have to correct. "Very well then. I won''t pressure you for information, general. You and your men will be debriefed of course, but you won''t interrogated."


    "Thank you." He bowed again, this time very deeply, despite his shaky legs. "You are most generous."


    "It is partially born out of pragmatism, not altruism."


    "Nevertheless." The centaur smiled. "Besides, your cause is altruistic enough."


    "Is it?"


    "We have flown over some of the handiwork of those of Sunrise. I pray that one day the stain this scum represent upon our world is wiped out with Divine fire."


    "On that, we are agreed." Except that she hoped she''d be the one wielding the ''divine fire'' then. "You may go, general. Good day."


    "Good day, lady Crystal, and fear no darkness." He gave her a warrior''s salute, before withdrawing.


    Alexandra waited for the door to close and the room''s security system to fully snap back on to talk once again.


    "Interesting, isn''t he?"


    The duke of Sarth grunted.


    "He''s not what I''d expect those maniacs to have put in command."


    "Exactly." Alexandra smiled. Just like Glarvirstar, the dungeon core that had ''negotiated'' with her. "It seems our foe has some unseen cracks."


    "Everyone does. Do you intend to exploit them?"


    "We already have, haven''t we? Just winning this battle and being so generous with the vanquished will ensure they spread."


    "Let''s hope. If they seek an alliance with Sunrise, as you fear...We will need all the help we can get."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Quite litterally, in fact." She sighed. "We should prepare to move out. I fear we have lingered here too long as it is."


    "Are you certain? This was a...sizeable battle."


    "My golems do not need time to recuperate, and our supply convoys are already loaded with the salvage." Which was headed straight for Sarth, since Alexandra couldn''t recycle her own equipment, or rather, it simply wasn''t worth shipping it all the way back to Rebirth to do so, and the duchy could use the equipment anyway, now that all of its modern gear had been drained by the army. "We continue our march north."


    "What about reinforcements?"


    Alexandra winced.


    "They''ll catch up. But another infantry force...I haven''t been building a lot of new infantry, I''m afraid. The losses we took? We''re not replacing. Not as they were, anyway."


    The duke of Sarth smiled, and she raised an eyebrow.


    He shrugged.


    "It''s simply...reasurring to see you abiding by some of the limits of us mere mortals."


    Alexandra laughed.


    "I suppose so. But even my resources have their limits. Still, when the next wave arrives..."


    "We''re all looking forward to seeing your ''Mackie'' in action."


    "So am I. So am I."

 Chapter 315 - Lockpicking

    Chapter 315


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of Darthar


    Alexandra''s hologram appeared inside the Flickerlight''s engineering section, only to be greeted by the sound of -slightly- mad cackling.


    "Ghost?" Cautiously said the dungeon core as she spun in place, trying to pin down the source. The clang of flesh against metal sounded.


    "Ow! Alex?" Alexandra knelt down, looking under a fabricator that had been propped up on blocks of raw materials, to find Ghost jammed under the heavy machinery, rubbing her forehead.


    "What...how did you get in here?"


    "I crawled, genius."


    "No, I mean you, as in, like, your body!"


    "Oh, that? Yeah, I found out that as long as it''s inside our command net, I can possess pretty much whatever, and then hop out. I think you can, too. Possess everything that''s on the ship."


    "Never really had the need."


    "Right." Ghost huffed as she crawled out from under the fabricator, before dusting her clothes. Not that there was any dust to remove, the ship was so clean and sterile you could have done open heart surgery on the floor and it probably would have been more sanitary than in the infirmary back in the dungeon. "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit? I was about to contact you, but still."


    "Came to check up on you." Ghost''s eyebrow rose, and Alexandra rolled her eyes. "And escape from CQ''s nagging."


    "Kid mad she missed the big kaboom?"


    "Oh hell yes. And she''s relentless. Since she''s on a trip and without the duke or the maids to distract her..."


    "She has nothing but time."


    "Exactly."


    "Alright, well, bienvenue in my little refuge my dear, you''re welcome to hide away from the world for as long as you want here."


    "Ah ah. So, what''s got you all cackly?"


    "Oh, nothing much." The apparition grinned. "Just a light bit of code cracking and tinkering with hardware locks."


    Alexandra froze.


    "Did...did you unlock the fabricators?"


    "Hell yeah I did! Well, this one." She pointed at another propped up fabricator. "I wanted to replicate the trick on another before I declared victory."


    "Are they fully unlocked?"


    "Well, uh, no. I mean yes. I mean, kind of? There''s some kind of software lock I can''t get past, because of the captain''s lockdown, which means certain items can''t be built."


    "Like?"


    "Nukes, plus hacking and communication systems, for some reason."


    Alexandra blinked.


    "What? Why-Oh."


    "Oh?"


    "The captain was afraid of a traitor onboard."


    Ghost opened her mouth, then closed it.


    "That...makes a distressing amount of sense. The security lockdown...any slimebag would try to get themselves hacking gear to punch through it. Failing that, get comms to transmit whatever you came here to get..."


    "And if that fails, blow the ship."


    "Yeah. Damn. But that means they didn''t have the fabricators under constant surveillance."


    "How would they tell? You can''t look into these things. The item just pops out, and you can just add a thin shell around it to make it look like something else. Any noob who knows how to launch the design software can do it. And there''d be tons of stuff moving back and forth. Plus, if the lockdown is inside the damned fabricator, it means they thought the ship''s internal network might have been compromised."


    "That''s not a pleasant thought."


    "Yeah." Alexandra patted her other self on the shoulder, or rather had her hologram glitch through her. "Sorry to drop more stuff on top of you."


    Ghost sighed.


    "It''s okay. I know you already take more than your fair share of the burdens and workload."


    "Right. Speaking of, you got the data from the engagement? Glitch told me she offloaded it to you, after I sent her to do the resupply with Subtlety and kick the army''s ass into motion."


    "Yeah, she did." Ghost gestured, and graphs appeared in midair. "Well, I have good news, and I have bad news."


    "Hit me."


    "Good news is, our artillery is more or less intact. We lost some guns, true, but our fortifications took the brunt of it when someone went after them."


    "And the bad?"


    "We have almost no marines left, and our ammo is basically dry. We''re out of...well, fucking everything, really. The highest stockpile is that of small arms ammo, but that''s not saying much. The duke and his people have immediately offered their own ammo stores, but they''re not as heavily armed as we are, especially in the artillery department. Don''t get me wrong, it helps, but it''s...what''s the expression, a blade strike in a lake of water?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "That''s the french one. I think it''s a pebble in a landside in english."


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Right. Anyway, we''re getting so desperate for lift capacity we''re hiring civilian vessels to carry the ammo I stockpiled in Darthar up to the army. Subtlety''s idea, and it''s a good one."


    "And they''re taking the contract?"


    Ghost shrugged.


    "Allya''s footing the bill, and at this point everyone believes her pockets are bottomless. Plus, we''re assembling a convoy to be escorted in by CQ''s reinforcement fleet. With that, and the fact they''ll be chartered to come back with holds full of civilians and damaged equipment, they''re being pretty enthusiastic. We pay well, and many merchant factors and captains feel like getting on the good side of a nascent house that''s well on its way to take over half the damned kingdom is a good idea."


    "To be fair, they''re not wrong." Alexandra grimaced. "We need reliable cargo lift, and Allya reward loyalty generously."


    "Exactly. Also the fact she let go those smugglers, you know the ones the twins hired, in exchange for favors hasn''t gone unnoticed."


    The dungeon core chuckled.


    "If they think it''ll buy them immunity, they''re in for a rough awakening."


    "More some...leniency."


    "Perhaps. But that''s up to our archduchess."


    "Our?"


    "Well, she technically does rule the area, and the land we live on."


    Ghost''s eyebrows rose.


    "She''s really growing on you isn''t she?"


    Alexandra bit her lower lip, before sighing.


    "She''s someone...had she been on Earth, I would have been proud to call her my sister in arms, my second in command. Crap, I probably would have done a lot to get her the High Admiral job instead of, well, us."


    "I probably would as well. She''s...she''s a better leader than we are."


    "She is." Alexandra took another look around the room. "Alright, I should head home, Emilia is getting antsy." She glared at her other self as Ghost gave her a wide smile. "Not that kind. She''s just...worried."


    Ghost''s smile fell.


    "Right. I forget that she has people on the other side as well."


    "Yeah...her family is basically tearing itself apart. And the knowledge that some of her cousins planned to have her assassinated, or at least did nothing to prevent their dungeons from doing so..."


    "Maybe they didn''t know?"


    Alexandra''s gaze said it all about how probable it was.


    "Right." Simply said Ghost. "Well, safe return home then. I''ll keep working on this and give you a full report when it''s done."


    "Thanks. See you."


    "See you."


    And with that, the hologram vanished.


    Ghost stared at the place the dungeon core had been, before turning back towards the fabricator.


    "You, old girl, may be our salvation yet." She said.


    The ship''s AI beeped, and Ghost smiled. Maybe there was something to Alexandra''s plan of turning it sapient through sheer exposure.


    Only time would tell however.


    *****


    "You know." Said Alexandra as she gazed upon the holograms of the observation deck, at its feed of Rebirth. "I realize that I know frighteningly little of the pantheon of the Gods."


    Emilia shivered by her side, as they both looked at the newly built temple on the outskirts of the city.


    It was hard to not remember the spear that had been intended to murder Alexandra...a spear forged and used by the Custodians of the very God that temple was dedicated to.


    A spear that couldn''t have been used without at least their implicit permission.


    "No. No I suppose you wouldn''t. What did you want to know?"


    "Well, everyone seems to venerate the God of Fire, and his clergy is everywhere. Yet besides a few swears, I rarely hear about the others."


    The vampire shrugged.


    "That may be because you are in a region of the world that was touched by the God of Fire, more than most others."


    "It was?"


    "Yes. Gorromar, most notably. He went there, gave them a mission, gave them purpose." Alexandra nodded. As she''d surmised. Probably the source for the early Seraphims and the start of the inquisition. That would explain why they were so heavily militarized at any rate. "But there are other gods who are venerated. In Asaria, the Earth Goddess, Maia, has many temples, especially closer to the great plains of Asaria, the breadbasket of the Kingdom. Ytarkos, the God of Winter and Ice, is also venerated in the Far Reach and the Saphire Kingdom both."


    "What about the Republic? Tark?"


    The vampire shrugged.


    "Both have gone...astray, some may say. They believe, but money that could be used for temples and offerings went to martial endeavors."


    "Or the pockets of senators."


    "Yes. But Tark used to venerate Orius, the God of Metal and Lava."


    "You seem to have some gods that have two titles."


    "Some do. But mostly one is an extension of the other. Ytarkos is the God of Ice, but he also became the representation of winter. Similarly, Orius governs over the blood flow of the world, the magma beneath, but metal has to be melted to be used."


    "Well, not always, but I take your point. What about the Western Marches? Any patron deities?"


    They both knew she was fishing, but Emilia simply gave her a wry smile.


    "Why, the Blood God of course!"


    The Earth-born chuckled.


    "Of course it is. Vampires gotta eat after all. What''s his name?"


    "He has many. One of the more recent one, and the most popular now is actually one given to him by an extradimensional, one of your fellows. Technoblade."


    Alexandra''s eyebrow rose.


    "Techno...blade?"


    "Does it ring any bells?"


    "I think so...something about one of the prototype cures for Sarcoma type cancers, but it was long before I was even born. Probably something else, because I''m not sure what cancer has to do with a God of Blood."


    "Blood God, not God of Blood. And I suppose that without a dungeon, we are highly susceptible to many ailments of the sun, chief among them cancer." The vampire shrugged. "Well, it''s a shame, I thought you would have the answer."


    "Sorry. Though, I''m confused, people can just...give new names to the Gods?"


    "For the most part? Yes. They still have a ''true'' name, but as long as they are venerated, the clergy goes along with the flow. Names change, perspective change...they adapt to their time. They kind of have to."


    "Fair enough."


    They stood there, in companionable silence, for a few minutes, their hands intertwined.


    "So...Allya asked you for any help for the wedding preparations?"


    "Technically, yes, but most of my support has been trying to keep her from panicking. None of her people can actually just grab her and shake some sense into her."


    Emilia chuckled.


    "Kind of the same on my end with her fianc¨¦e."


    "Bit of the blushing bride and panicked groom, eh?"


    "Well, they''re both planning to wear dresses, so..."


    "Fair enough." Alexandra shrugged. "But the preparations are going well. I''ve given some nudges here and there, and my end of it is done."


    "What did she entrust to you?"


    "The one thing I am unbelievably amazing at."


    "Mewling and begging for my mercy?"


    Alexandra let out a strangled sound.


    "N-No! Gods vampy, what the hell? No, no, explosions of course!"


    "Explo-" Emilia rounded on the dungeon core. "What the hell have you got planned?"


    Alexandra''s grin was suitably mysterious.


    "Why I don''t know..."


    "You''re going to regret playing coy!"


    "Probably! But it''ll be worth it just to see your expression."

 Chapter 316 - Wedding

    Chapter 316


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of Rebirth


    Allya had faced a dragon, a sand demon, an army of mechanical horrors of the Old World, and waves upon waves of invaders, most of them intent upon her death or worse.


    And yet she''d never been so scared in her entire life.


    The doors opened, revealing the nave of the city''s temple, flanked by pews packed with people and interlinked ranks of temple and city guards. And beyond them all, the altar, and the priest standing before it.


    The archduchess'' legs turned to jelly, but she took a deep breath, and began walking, Alexandra following a step behind her as her maid of honor. One step after another, just like when she was being presented to the Empress, all those years ago.


    That comparison didn''t really help.


    She didn''t even realize she had made it to the altar, only stopped from colliding with the priest by Alexandra gently grabbing her arm, the hologram glitching as the cold metal of the golem touched her.


    Allya looked up and smiled sheepishly at the priest, who simply grinned and winked. Seemed he''d come prepared. Probably instructed Alexandra as well.


    A second after she came to a halt, another set of doors opened, and Allya turned to look down the temple''s nave.


    Her heart nearly stopped beating as she saw Pyn walk onto the glittering red and orange carpet. Seeing her in a wedding dress...


    They''d deliberately not shown each other their wedding gowns. Pyn''s was a pure white, accentuated with emeralds forming the flag of her homeland, the elven confederacy of Eleria, while hers was crisscrossed with various colored lines, each representing an aspect of her domain, such as gold for Alexandra''s dungeon golden cog, and inlaid with amethysts, forming house Nouvelle-Aurore''s heraldry.


    Allya released the breath she''d barely realized she''d been holding, as Emilia escorted the elf over to the altar.


    Pyn came to a halt next to her, on the other side of the priest, and the man spoke up.


    "Good morning everyone." His voice carried effortlessly throughout the temple, packed with people. "We have come together today, under the gaze of the Gods, to bear witness and celebrate the union of Allya Nouvelle-Aurore, and Pyn Windwrath. That any who opposes themselves to this union speak up now, or stay forever silent, by Divine Will and the edicts of the Church." He paused, and turned towards the brides. "Pyn Windwrath, Allya Nouvelle-Aurore, you have chosen to come together in this union, of your own free will and for the glory of the Gods and humanity. We are all honored to stand witness of your love and commitment to each other. Please, face each other and join hands."


    They both nodded, and Allya smiled hesitantly as she grabbed her bride''s hand, Pyn returning one beaming with happiness, and the archduchess'' heart melted at the sight.


    "Allya Nouvelle-Aurore, Archduchess of Rebirth, Protector of the Southern Realm, Bulwark of the Wasteland and Knight-Valiant of the Eris Empire, do you take Pyn Windwrath to be your lawfully wedded wife from this day forward, pledging your love, life and loyalty until the end of your days?"


    "I do." Said Allya, her voice unwavering.


    "Pyn Windwrath, Knight of the Asarian Kingdom, do you take Allya Nouvelle-Aurore to be your lawfully wedded wife from this day forward, pledging your love, life and loyalty until your last breath?"


    "I do."


    "Allya Nouvelle-Aurore and Pyn Windwrath, please place a ring on your wife''s finger and repeat after me together: with this ring, I marry you in the name of love, loyalty and commitment."


    Allya smiled as she slipped the ring onto Pyn''s finger.


    "With this ring, I marry you in the name of love, loyalty and commitment."


    Pyn''s own smile threatened to split her own face as she did likewise for Allya.


    "With this ring, I marry you in the name of love, loyalty and commitment."


    The priest took a deep breath.


    "By the powers vested in me by the Church, the God of Fire and the Pantheon, I now pronounce you married spouses, Allya and Pyn Nouvelle-Aurore, and archduchesses of house Nouvelle-Aurore. You may now kiss."


    The entire temple shook under thunderous applause as their lips met.


    They separated after a very thorough kiss, and Allya looked to the side, and winked at Alexandra.


    The dungeon core nodded...and everyone looked up through the temple''s glass ceiling as the world shook.


    in the air above, hundreds, thousands of firework rockets rose into the skies.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    And exploded, in a perfect sequence, forming their names, and both the heraldry of Rebirth and that of house Nouvelle-Aurore into the skies in incandescent fire and glittering sparks.


    *****


    Allya smiled as she went through the crowd of guests. Normally at those events, at least for the nobility, both spouses were expected to stay together, though that wasn''t always the case, but honestly someone would have to use a crowbar, and probably a small army, to separate them.


    Everyone who was anyone was present. Every dignitary or merchant factor in Rebirth who had the influence to get an invitation, and a wide variety of representatives, who had been sent through the teleporter network after the declaration of the archduchy, as most nations had smelled what was on the wind. Alexandra''s victory against the UDC had only amplified that.


    The only people missing were representatives of Sunrise, its various vassals, and the Republic. Though Amelia had sent one of her aides to represent the New Republic, looking about the special kind of awkward only a soldier shoved into formal civilian clothing could hope to replicate.


    They had exchanged small talk with the representatives of their home nations. The Imperial one had expressed the Empress'' blessings, though their exchange had been definitely on the chilly side. Which was unsurprising, to say the least. The elf who had come from the Confederacy had been far warmer. Especially since he had brought a pardon for Pyn alongside his letter of credence. Seems that her government had fallen all over themselves to brush off what she had done. Not that they had made more than a token effort to pursue her for her ''bank heist'', given the fact that she had prevented an assassination and gotten a blackmailer into prison, but they clearly thought that having the wife of the second most powerful noble in the Asarian Kingdom, and quite possibly one of the most powerful nobles period now, be under an arrest warrant wasn''t a good idea. Especially since she, and her allied dungeon, had proven more than capable to crush enemies seemingly far mightier than they to protect their loved ones.


    The news they''d gotten from her home had also been quite interesting. Pyn''s sister had already been pretty close to the first in line to inherit a County, thanks to refusing to assassinate him and Pyn''s efforts in exposing his brother in organizing said assassination, but Pyn''s new status had suddenly made her from a commoner that may be acceptable to his family after she had covered herself in glory through her magical endeavors to the single greatest marriage prospect in the entire Confederacy. Needless to say, the elf''s family was suddenly much less of a problem, and other pretenders a bigger one.


    Allya''s smile widened as she caught a glimpse of Alexandra and Emilia through the crowd. People in general weren''t aware of dungeon advisors, though the maids'' arrival, and Ella''s subsequent filling in various council sessions, had let everyone know there were vampires inside the dungeon. She was quite the attraction, and her clinging to Alexandra left very little doubt to their relationship. It also quite handily gathered some attention and pressure away from Allya, which was precisely why she''d insisted they both stay for the reception.


    She also had to admit that they both looked resplendent, using dresses that reminded her of CQ''s own, though the dungeon boss was also present through another hologram golem, similar to her mother, whose avatar was still a secret. Still, hologram or no, they were killing it, and Emilia''s very much physical dress was a wonder to behold, covered in dancing runes to emphasize her magical prowess and heritage.


    "My ladies!" Allya turned back, only to find herself face to face with a man wearing a suit and bow tie and tugging at both with the regularity of someone who seemed vaguely surprised by their continued existence. "Apologies for arriving so late, my ship made as good time as it could."


    "It is quite alright, mister...?"


    "Oh, apologies! Hexamarch Mortell, doctor of the university of New Raleigh!" He bowed deeply.


    Allya''s eyes widened. New Raleigh?


    "Doctor, I was not made aware of your arrival."


    "That is because my ship is still unloading." Allya blinked. Wait, then he couldn''t have had an invitation, how was he even there? There was something more about this academic than he was letting on. "Unfortunately a particularly vicious sandstorm lead me to miss the vows, though I was able to see the fireworks. They were magnificent."


    "My, thank you. So, you are in charge of opening the branch of the university in Rebirth?"


    "Quite so! Though, establishing the library is first and foremost among my priorities."


    Allya blinked, then smiled. Right, Rook''s promised payment for their help. A full copy of the library of the university.


    Which was pretty much heading straight for Alexandra.


    "Excellent. Then it will be a pleasure working with you, doctor. Please, do contact my secretary, we need to have a full meeting in the coming days."


    "I shall your grace, I shall. Now, I believe there is a small army of people who wish for a moment of your time, so if you will excuse me."


    "Of course doctor, of course."


    The academic bowed again, and vanished into the crowd without a trace, Allya frowning as she watched him go.


    Yeah...academic her ass.


    What the hell was Rook playing at sending another operative here?


    She erased the expression from her face as more people walked up to her. This was her and Pyn''s day. They could worry later.


    *****


    "Well. That was awesome!" Said Emilia as she flopped onto the bed.


    "Besides the archduchess using us as a distraction, you mean?" Said Alexandra with a smile that belied her words. "But you''re right, it was awesome, and super touching. I''m happy for them."


    "So am I. They''re made for each other. Plus, there was a lot of interesting food there. No offense, but..."


    "My culinary skills are limited and it''s not like adventurers take exotic meals into my depths."


    "Yeah. It had been a while since I''d gotten to taste seafood. Must have been pretty hard to get here."


    "We still have trade with Gorromar, and the Republic, despite swearing no trade caravan would deal with the New Republic, is leaking like a sieve. Otherwise someone could go through the western baronies and reach the Sapphire Kingdom if they really wanted to. But I''ll definitely have to ask about absorbing some. Being able to make it fresh means sushi! And, you know, maybe populating the third floor with some decorative fishes."


    "That''ll terrify the adventurers. You have conditioned them to expect the worst. They''ll think they''re piranhas or something."


    "...Not a bad idea."


    Emilia chuckled.


    "Of course. But yeah, it was a beautiful wedding..." Emilia fell silent, and Alexandra could feel her stare on her.


    The Earth-born sighed.


    "I''ve been thinking about it."


    "But?"


    "But, with current events, and your family troubles..."


    "Right. Not a good time. Soon, though?"


    "As soon as we can knock some sense into them."


    "Good." Emilia smiled. "The first marriage of a dungeon core! That''ll make the news."


    "The first? What about the artificial ones?"


    "They either already had a family or didn''t found one afterwards."


    "But I already have a family." Alexandra walked to the bed, and cupped the vampire''s cheek. "I have you, and CQ. It''s all I need."


    Her advisor blushed, looking away, for once she was the one at a lost for words, and not the other way around.


    "R-Right." She finally said, and the dungeon core smiled.


    "Though, we''ll have to come up with a venue."


    "Temple not good enough for you?"


    "My dear, I''m going to build a temple to you if I have to."


    Emilia snorted.


    "Of course you would."

 Chapter 317 - Fanatics

    Chapter 317


    Kamiran Floodplains, Duchy of Kaidan


    Darthar-Kaidan Trade Route


    The brigadier let out a ragged sigh as he focused his energy on remaining the saddle.


    The flight from Darthar, and then the Alesian fortress line had been...draining, to say the least. Trying to get as far as possible from the dungeon''s path as she marched to relieve Asaria.


    It had been harrowing, and many of his less than steady officers had started chaffing and calling into question his leadership, especially as the duchess'' communications got more aggressive, and they began to fear her more than the dungeon. There had even been quiet, very quiet, talks of deposing him, or taking some of the army north to rejoin the duchess.


    The battle, no, slaughter, that the core had inflicted upon the UDC, the monster of an organization that had plagued everyone''s nightmares for centuries, had reduced those officers to silence, and vindicated every sacrifice he''d demanded of them in spades. The tales were confused, and continued to grow in the retelling, but there had to be a kernel of truth within them. They said the dungeon could pave the roads from here to Saphire City with the bones of the monsters she had dispatched, that her golems had waded into an ocean of blood and corpses to continue their relentless advance north. That the troops of the duke of Sarth had not even lifted a finger, and simply watched in stunned horror as the UDC''s relentless might was annihilated before them.


    One thing was certain however: there was no stopping that maniac. Whatever thought of reaching an agreement had fled the Brigadier''s mind, there was no negotiating with something that could slap one of the most powerful organizations that had ever walked the face of the world aside like it was some minor annoyance. The UDC had shattered nations, broken empires...even brought Eris to the negotiating table, and Crystal had pushed it out of her way like it was a petulant child. The best he could hope to do was get to Kaidan, and beg for some kind of honorable surrender. Fortifying...fortifying would mean nothing but death. There was no way the dungeon core would go through the duchess'' army without shedding her enmity for spilling slave blood. And develop a hatred for Sunrise deeper than the entire Starsky ocean.


    The best he and his people could do would be to loosen the yoke, and pray that their mercy upon the slaves brought them mercy in turn. She had, after all, offered as such. It was his only hope.


    Of course, that was if he actually finished his journey to Kaidan. They''d been harassed every step of the way by guerillas. The usual counters had failed spectacularly. Those people knew what awaited them, they knew they''d be tracked down and enslaved. So they fought. They didn''t surrender, they didn''t break, they didn''t flee, they just died. And with every passing day, the reports of his troops engaging them grew ever more disturbing.


    "DEATH TO SUNRISE! DEATH TO TRAITORS!"


    His eyes snapped around, just in time to see several of his soldiers go down in a hail of crossbow bolts. His own wards deflected the attacks meant for him and his bodyguards, and he unsheathed his sword, more by reflex than anything...only to watch in horror as guerillas boiled out of the undergrowth.


    They set upon his men like rabid wolves, tossing their crossbows aside to draw everything from daggers to what looked like sickles, dripping in poison and Gods knew what else. Stabbing, clawing, and in one case trying to bite their way through, their veins thick with potions and elixirs. Their face would have probably been twisted, criss crossed by the marks of the horrific alchemical overdose they were experiencing, had the brigadier been able to seen them. But he could not, for they were wearing masks.


    Featureless metal masks, their only concession a pair of holes for the eyes to see. Masks meant to imitate the golems of the dungeon.


    Suddenly the guerillas were through the troop of soldiers, and his bodyguards engaged. Almost two thirds of the guerillas were dead or dying, but they didn''t seem to care in the slightest. And the brigadier saw why.


    In the few left standing, three had made sure not to engage, hanging back. The trio threw off their woodsmen cloaks, unveiling the dungeon''s and Rebirth''s heraldry haphazardly drawn on their flesh with burn and chemical scars like mad parodies of the duchy''s slave brands...and revealing the glittering of full alchemical vials and bottles strapped to their chests and the torches in their hands.


    "WE SHALL BE REMEMBERED!"


    They smashed the torches against their torso, smashing the vials, and the brigadier went flying. He arced over his bodyguards, and crashed through the undergrowth on the other side of the road, his world one of pain as the burning alchemical accelerants consumed his flesh. He screamed endlessly, until even his throat failed him and oblivion took him.


    *****


    "So, how are the fabricators?" Asked Alexandra as she stepped onto the Flickerlight''s engineering section once more. This time however, she had announced her arrival in advance.


    "Purring like kittens." Said Ghost with a wide smile, as she patted the machine affectionately. "Not fully unlocked, but...close enough."


    "That''s good. Now, the last problem is, well..."


    Ghost grimaced.


    "Getting them home. The trick I used won''t work for Seraph''s fabricators. Different models, besides which I had to use and abuse the chief of engineering''s override to avoid them self destructing."


    "So we replicate them."


    "Easier said than done. This place is still under heavy guard. And it''s not like we have dungeon influence here."


    "I know." Alexandra looked around at the ship, frowning. "I think I can get something. Can you build me a fabricator, you know, in spare parts? Or disassemble one. Then we could smuggle it out one bit at a time."


    "I mean sure, but some of the key pieces, like the material injector or the gravitic manipulator are pretty incompressible."


    The dungeon core sighed.


    "I know, I know. Any other progress?"


    "Well, with this I can just build whatever I need to take the tank apart and analyze the crap out of it. There''s not necessarily that many spare materials left in the ship''s bunkers, but still enough."


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    "Right. But we won''t be able to replicate it at home either, won''t we?"


    "Not really. We''ll have to recreate it through our toolset first, which was deliberately not made for high technology."


    "Yeah, we''re just good at finding workarounds." And even then, they were arriving at the end of what they could do, constantly coding new systems to pick up the slack, each a bit farther from the dungeon''s programs and interacting with their powers worse. For now it was still working, but for how long? For one, she was certain that even if they pierced the full secrets of the spear she''d acquired from the would be dungeonslayers, they wouldn''t be able to use them with their powers. "If we could restore the systems that were there once though..."


    "Might as well wish for the Custodians to drop dead this second."


    "Still, think about it. We know the dungeon cores had to be able to interact with high tech, but got crippled. There has to be a data backup somewhere, or an intact version."


    "If there is, why don''t we have it? I mean, I doubt the Order found the Dungeon Core in a convenient post Dawn of the Flames warehouse of the God of Fire."


    Alexandra froze.


    "That''s it!" She exclaimed, as she grabbed her other self''s shoulder, fruitlessly trying to shake her with the hologram.


    "What?"


    "You just said it! The Order has gotten our core, right? I doubt they''d have attempted this if they didn''t have a backup, somewhere. Yeah, our code was probably modified, I mean, it had to, I doubt they''d have wanted to have the control programs. At least not active and without obfuscation."


    "So you want to rob the Order?"


    "If they did this, they probably had another dungeon core. And even if they didn''t, not having a full code backup somewhere would be fucking madness."


    "You have a lot of faith in their ability."


    "If they weren''t capable, they wouldn''t have successfully made an artificial dungeon core, wouldn''t they?"


    Ghost winced.


    "I don''t know if you remember, but it didn''t exactly go well for them."


    "I know, I know. But it''s worth a shot."


    "Well, we were planning to kick their ass either way."


    "Good. And now, any progress on that comm system?"


    "Not yet. Still had the engineering key monopolized by the fabricators. However..." She snapped her fingers, and a hologram appeared. "This is the map of Alcheryos, and the whole star system."


    Alexandra whistled softly as she watched it.


    "Damn. I assume it''s for navigation?"


    "Yeah, predict orbits for hyperspace jumps. But it allows me to do this." The apparition gestured, and a red line appeared, spearing out of Seraph-4, the communication site where their dungeon had been built, and out into the void.


    "What am I looking at?"


    "The Omega-level transmission Seraph''s communicators never got to send. And this is where it went."


    She gestured again, and the star system began to spin, going forward from the last time the ship had received its update to when Seraph had gone down.


    Finally, it stopped...the red line going straight through the moon.


    "Holy shit." Whispered Alexandra.


    "I know, right? It doesn''t make sense."


    "No, no! It makes perfect sense."


    "Does it? It''s, it''s..."


    "So obvious. Such a bad place to put a secret base no one would think of it. So close to Alcheryos you might as well put it behind your defences on the surface."


    "So close it''s fucking suicide you mean!"


    "If it''s a planetkiller launch silo, would you give a shit? It''s like a ballistic submarine, you fire once and you''re certain the enemy will nuke you out of existence before you can run away. Just like the Federation''s Final Contingency cruisers, the ones you told me about. Once you shoot, stealth is out of the window, and so''s your survival. And it''s just like in Dune. Put the nukes in the most obvious spot, in plain sight of everybody, the one place no one would ever go look."


    Ghost grimaced.


    "That...almost makes sense."


    "It does." Alexandra smiled. "And if we can get to them..."


    "Hold your horses, we still have a battlestation in orbit, and there''s no stealth when trying to escape the atmosphere. Besides, I''m not done with the sensors to get a good look at it."


    The dungeon core''s smile turned into a grin.


    "True. But sometimes you have to shoot for the moon."


    Ghost groaned.


    "Alright, if you get punny then there''s no point. Did that punladin infect you?"


    "Gods I hope not." Alexandra shook her head. "Regardless. One more thing on your plate, I suppose."


    "Yay..."


    "Cheer up! I''ll get you some help. Glitch, probably. Maybe even a new AI."


    "An engineering one?"


    "Maybe. We''ll see. It''s high time we started a new generation anyway."


    "Putting a moratorium on building more after the Glitch, uh, accident, was the right call."


    "It was then. But even with the vampires handling enchantment, we just need more manpower. Or cyberpower. Whatever."


    "Well, good luck with that."


    Alexandra chuckled.


    "Thanks. I fear I''m going to need it."


    "How''s it going on your end?"


    "Pretty good personally. Professionally...shock seems to be the dominating emotion on the international stage. At least they''re not shooting at each other anymore."


    "It''s not like they could."


    Alexandra grimaced, but didn''t argue.


    One of the interesting things about the initial engagements of the UDC''s civil war had been the airfleets. Since they were the most mobile assets, and the ones with the greatest strategic reach, both sides'' had been tightly intertwined, with the isolationist naval task forces shadowing the interventionist''s own closely. This had resulted in, at the onset of the war, both sides'' skyborne navies pretty much annihilating each other, with the only units left intact those under the control of neutral dungeon cores, that were now refusing to move them out. That, with virtually every nation putting the maximum amount of pressure possible on their dungeon to stay put and calm down, preventing the movement of any land army, was quickly turning this into a phoney civil war.


    At least, until both sides finished rearming their air reserves and threw themselves at each other''s throats again.


    "Point taken. Alright, I''ll hop off. World to conquer, and all that."


    "Uh huh. Have fun."


    "I very much intend to." In what little she could enjoy of this mess at least. Thank the stars for Emilia and CQ, or she''d be going insane.


    She stepped out of the ship, and back to dungeon mode. The endless to-do list beckoned.


    Someday she''d go through it faster than she could add things.


    Someday.

 Chapter 318 - War Council

    Chapter 318


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    The war council was an interesting one. Gathered in three places, it was linked by means arcane and technological. On section was in Rebirth, with Allya and Pyn, still glowing from their marriage, another was in the marching army, with Manson, the duke of Sarth, Knight-Commander Philia, Alexandra and a spattering of their various officers.


    Last but not the least...were their majesties, joining them from Asaria.


    "We thank you for the invitation." Said the King with a smile. A tired, exhausted even, one, but a smile nonetheless. "And regret we were not able to attend previous gatherings. We were far too busy, I''m afraid."


    "I would have been intensely surprised had you not been, your majesty." Said Manson, and exchanged a smile with the King that spoke of a lifelong friendship.


    "True. Very well, while my various advisors have tried to kept me up to date to the best of their abilities, I am afraid I have fallen behind somewhat. Would somebody care to resume the situation?"


    Alexandra nodded, trying not to look too impressed. Now that was an actual ruler. Perhaps not quite of Allya''s caliber, but he had taken command of the conversation and effortlessly seated his authority with nothing but a handful of sentences and his body language. Damn. Ghost could do it, and so could she, but that had been with Arcadia''s coaching. They were zealots, strategists and engineers, not natural born leaders.


    "Of course." Said the dungeon core, as she sat up. "As everyone knows, a few days ago we engaged a significant force of the United Dungeon Council in battle. While we were victorious, the damage was...consequential." The Earth-born sighed. "Of fifty thousand troops, half were destroyed. My artillery remains mostly intact, but is almost completely out of ammo. And my fleet has been decimated. For all intents and purposes, all of my escort ships have either been shot down or rendered combat ineffective. My only ships that remain capable of doing battle are two Corsair-class frigates, uncompromisingly designed to engage larger vessels, my siege ship So Much For Subtlety, from which I am transmitting from, and four transport vessels, three of which have been reconverted into marine transports, whose marines have been almost completely annihilated, and the last one into a mobile arsenal, emptied of its ammunition."


    "That is...grim indeed. But not hopeless." The King turned towards Manson, who began speaking.


    "My forces are fully intact. We are sharing our ammunition supply with Crystal''s troops, but ours was already more limited to begin with. I have had my officers take a full stock of my troops. Of them, I have fifteen thousand regulars, forty thousand conscripts of various types, varying from city guards to village militias, and an ever growing number of volunteers, which is estimated at around twenty thousands. This include a significant number of newly inducted people from the civilians trailing the army, following the battle."


    Alexandra mentally whistled. Twenty thousands? Damn, even she hadn''t realized there were that many civilians joining their ranks. And despite being glorified resistance fighters or just farmers, they were hardened as hell. They wouldn''t have survived Sunrise''s repressive regime otherwise.


    "A significant host."


    "But not a large enough one." Cut in the Queen, looking grim. "The duchess has left troops to encircle the city and keep us penned in. But that is but a drop of water in her own force."


    "How many, if I may?" Asked Alexandra, cautiously. Getting hard numbers on Sunrise''s main army was hell, given its constantly fluctuating number of slaves.


    "The duchess has left thirty thousand of her regulars, with around ten times as many slaves to guard the city." Alexandra winced. That was...that was basically the entire fucking army they''d routed in Darthar. "We estimate she has taken ten times that many regulars, including all of her elites, south, alongside close to a million and a half slaves."


    Only silence answered that.


    A million and a half. That was...completely ridiculous. But a helpful reminder of the insane population of Alcheryos. With magic, both healing and for helping plant growth, not to mention the seemingly rampant arcane genetic engineering that had given birth to entire new species after the Dawn of the Flames...the continent she was on, Arkhan, had almost a billion people living on it. And half of those people were in the Asarian Kingdom, thanks to its massive territory and prosperous agriculture, more than any nation on Earth was able to boast before the modern era, though she supposed they already de facto had fertilizers, vaccines and medicine, just through arcane means. One of the reasons why there was a bottomless supply of slaves and adventurers to undertake dangerous tasks was simply because of the comparative overpopulation, not in terms of food, but housing. It wasn''t just a question of building a new place here, you had to clear it, keep it free of monsters, have sufficient mana...


    But still, half a billion people. With just what Sunrise had currently in their field armies, that was, what? Three million people?


    "How are they supplying them?" Asked Alexandra.


    "That''s the simple part." Answered the Queen, grimly. "They''re not."


    The dungeon core''s face fell.


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    "What do you mean?" Asked Knight-Commander Philia, desperately looking like she wanted to have misunderstood.


    "I mean that any time we were able to push them back, they took the bodies of the dead with them, and the prosperous plains around Asaria are naught but a wasteland now. Stripped of the smallest animal, even of grass."


    Alexandra gritted her teeth.


    "The UDC will be in good company then." She finally said in the otherwise ringing silence. "So, they will take care of their force''s..logistics by just covering new ground."


    "It will also improve." Said one of Manson''s officers, the ranger commander, and everyone turned towards the desert soldier. "The Kamira river, over which the Royal Union Bridge is built, is rich in fish, and the lands nearby are extremely fertile floodplains, with a long history of exporting vast amounts of food. They may also ship in food upriver from Kaidan, which is likewise extremely fertile. A great deal of that food was once shipped over the Inner Sea towards Sarth and the Western Baronies."


    Manson grimaced.


    "That is if they are heading there to begin with."


    "It''s the only strategic location they can head to now." Simply answered Alexandra. "Splitting up was stupid, but they''re committed. Trying to backpedal would shatter the duchess'' leadership, whatever is left of it anyway. We can thank that fucker running towards Kaidan for that." She smiled grimly. "It also means supplies coming upriver is unlikely as hell. But they will definitely strip the area bare."


    "One wonders what possessed her to march South." Mused the King, and Alexandra barked out a laugh. "Quite foolish."


    "Yet the perfect move...if she knew what was coming for my own force." She smiled viciously. "That, and other events, have left me with very little illusion that Sunrise and the UDC aren''t colluding together."


    "An alliance between them could be catastrophic."


    "They''ve already been allied in truth for months. And yes, it will be catastrophic, but for them." Alexandra''s smile widened at the others'' confusion. "Trust me, I know dungeon politics. The UDC allying with the scumbags of Sunrise will shatter what little moral authority they can pretend to have." And, more importantly, make sure that the dungeons underneath Molro, Kaidan and Asaria would die before coming to their side. And maybe even push them into her arms, though that was a more uncertain bet.


    "I defer to you on that, but it will still increase their forces significantly. Particularly, the duchess'' airfleet is...nonexistent, though her gryphon knights are to be feared. Meanwhile, the UDC''s own force is mostly comprised of airborne vessels, is it not?"


    "Transport ships, certainly. But their warships are...more limited now. They entered the battle with a single battleship and forty six combat escorts. Of this, only eighteen escorts escaped alive." Which, given the fact that she had fully lost eleven ships in the engagement, with five crippled, was a kill ratio of about two to one, with an entire artillery park underneath to provide supporting fire. These biological ships were amazingly tough. "However, none of their transports were harmed, which leaves ninety seven of them, including five capital ships."


    "Could they be used as warships?"


    "Certainly. But not very effective ones, would be my guess. Or they would have used them in an all out assault."


    "I thought they were keeping them in reserve."


    "They were keeping part of their army in reserve, but not their fleet. They had no need to, the duke''s forces had very few airships, and the most effective among them were some of my Freedom-class armed transports. Which, while sturdy-" And a cut above the Kingdom''s own airships. "-are not significant enough to dedicate forces to engage."


    "I see. A fell marriage of forces."


    "Perhaps, but a certain strategic demise for the both of them." Alexandra shrugged at his questioning look. "They may be able to defeat our force, but they won''t take us out. The UDC''s actions have guaranteed its collapse. And by the time they get another force into the field...my own allies will have as well."


    "And what of Sunrise?"


    "Given their current strategic situation, including their second largest army defecting and de facto rebelling, I am honestly amazed they haven''t imploded...yet."


    "I hope you are correct, lady Crystal. Otherwise a lot more innocents are about to die."


    "That is always the price, isn''t it?" Their gazes met, and something beyond words passed between them, as the king nodded.


    "It is." He sounded suddenly tired. "Which brings me to a simple question. What shall you do?"


    "We will advance our forces to meet them at the Royal Union Bridge. There we will pound them into rubble. With their main force away from the capital, we no longer have a time constraint. We can afford to harass them and make them come to us."


    "And will you win?"


    "That engagement? Oh hell no." Alexandra chuckled. "But I can ensnare them in a pursuit. If they decline to follow, we''ll simply return and hit them again. If they do take the bait, we''ll make them go through every kind of hell there is. Because with every step they take south, our supply lines shorten while theirs lengthen. Living off the land or no, their elites still need potions and equipment."


    "And how much territory do you intend to give?"


    "Not much. Just enough for them to get hit by my reinforcements before they realize they should be there."


    "Your reinforcements?" The King perked up, and Alexandra nodded.


    "I have resumed mass production of ground troops." And expanded it. A lot. The King was right, the next decisive battle wouldn''t be fought in the air. it didn''t mean she''d let up on the air production, but she''d stop the frenetic pace of shipbuilding. Instead all of that industry would go to giving them a taste of her new equipment. "I intend to form a second field army to merge with the first during its retreat. Above thirty thousand improved infantry, with a much heavier armored contingent."


    A contingent that would contain her first production run of Mackies, fifteen heavy mechs. Emilia had been right, these beasts were basically landships...which meant a lot of her shipbuilding infrastructure could be repurposed to make them instead.


    "And you believe that will be sufficient?"


    "It will over double my current amount of infantry, and come with significant upgrades." Many of which could have accompanied the first army had she not been cutting corners left and right to keep her naval production going, especially when she had ordered her mad dash to reinforce her core fortress after the news that someone was going to try and assassinate her. An effort that continued, though at a lower pace, to this day. "More important will be the armored units however. The spider-tanks proved decisive in the battle, and I believe they will be the weapon to shatter Sunrise." Even if only because a horde of peasants could swarm over an infantry line, but good luck chasing tanks around.


    "Very well then." The King cleared his throat, and addressed Allya. "Lady Nouvelle-Aurore, one sizeable question remains."


    The archduchess nodded, having been perfectly content until now to stay silent, probably because she was not so discreetly cuddling with her wife.


    "Yes. The one of partition of the lands, after the war has concluded."

 Chapter 319 - Post-War

    Chapter 319


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    The King nodded.


    "Just so. I was made aware that you had a proposal on that matter?"


    "Excuse me, but...are we not getting ahead of ourselves here?" Said one of the officers, a noble, and everyone turned towards him. "My apologies, your majesties, your grace, but...Sunrise is far from vanquished. Are we not selling the bear''s hide before we have killed it?"


    The king chuckled.


    "I would be tempted to start a tangent on speculative trading and the need for the rapid movement of goods for an expanding economy, but I will refrain. Instead allow me a simple, direct answer. We have a plan for victory. A fairly detailed one at that. We need to plan what happens afterwards, so that the peace if both complete and lasting. I will not allow our reconquest of the east to become mired in petty conflicts over land and borders that could drag us into another civil war, or inflict resentment for decades to come." The clear, if unspoken, risk was that if there was to be a second civil war, it would be against Rebirth...and he would have no hope of winning. "Thus, we will make a clear plan of action. Furthermore, having a plan for after our victory distributed amongst the nobility, to make sure everyone is aware of their future overlords and so that they may begin negotiations of fealty and such, is a considerable psychological advantage."


    The king got up, and began to pace, seemingly unaware he was constantly moving in and out of the viewing field of the magical mirror that allowed him to communicate, as he continued to speak.


    "It will reinforce to all our desire and, indeed, expectation of victory, not to mention the sentiment of...inevitability the archduchess has been building. After all, once those plans are announced, the nobles that remain neutral will have considerable incentive to begin negotiating with their soon to be overlord, breaking their neutrality in the process, or risk considerably angering us in the peace to follow, not to mention being considerably behind their rivals in deepening ties with those above them. Not something many will risk, especially not now that our armies have proven they will not be stopped so easily. This will also considerably undermine the morale of Sunrise''s nobility, who will have to compare it with their own plan for victory, which is now a fantasy at best, madness at worst, at very little cost to ourselves. And their nobility is their entire command structure."


    The king stopped, and turned back towards the mirror.


    "I believe it is, indeed, worth getting the tiniest bit ahead of ourselves, don''t you?"


    The noble nodded, and the king smiled.


    "Good. Now, as I was saying, your grace, I was made aware you had a proposal on the matter of partition?"


    "Yes. I have." The archduchess reluctantly let go of her wife as she got up, summoning a hologram before everyone with a simple gesture. One prepared in advance with Alexandra and programmed in, but still. She was rediscovering her ease with technology, and part of her Erisian heritage. "Our proposal is simple. To split the kingdom into two Archduchies, Asaria and Rebirth. Asaria would inherit from its old territories, plus the duchies of Molro and Sunrise." The Queen grunted, but the King didn''t react. It was a significant concession, at least from their point of view. Sunrise was the jewel of the kingdom, richer than even the capital by some metrics, and far outshining it in industrial capacity. As far as anyone was concerned, it was the prize to take, and the King had no doubt been terrified Allya would claim it by right of conquest. "While Rebirth would keep its current territories, and gain Kaidan and Lorenz."


    "Thus dividing the kingdom in half."


    "Yes. I have little interest in lands north. Very little, in fact."


    "Are you thinking of expanding south?" Said the Queen, and Allya shook her head.


    "No. I intend to rebuild Kaidan, and Lorenz. Once that is done, life will have begun jutting out from Rebirth in earnest, and it will take decades to fully colonize and develop all that is between Erakis and Darthar. When we get to that point...who knows? I doubt there will be need for further expansion."


    It was a bald faced lie. Alexandra and Allya both knew this wouldn''t stop there. But they also knew that they couldn''t tell that to their allies either. So they put forth a reasonable proposal that, for that matter, they would have been delighted in implementing, were they not so sure the world would implode far before then.


    "Very well." Said the King. "And what of the Western Baronies?"


    "They are very loyal to the crown. I doubt they would appreciate me taking over. But I would like to have...passage through them."


    The King smiled mirthlessly.


    "Tivaro."


    "Exactly. I may not wish for lands up north, but once the inevitable happens, Tivaro will have become the hub that was used for the launch of a dungeon invasion fleet into the Kingdom."


    "And you intend to neutralize it."


    "I do. Or rather, I intend to make sure the Saphire Kingdom stands aside."


    Everyone turned towards Alexandra in expectation, and the dungeon core smiled.


    "At that point, I will do what is necessary to knock some sense into my fellow."


    "And if it proves impossible?"


    "Then Mytaran of the Glacial Palace will find herself a permanent guest under...house arrest." Which would pretty much arrest any further dungeon growth. It would be interesting to see which way the people of Tivaro would jump. Against her, who had stifled their dungeon core, or that idiot, who had brought down the wrath of the most dangerous person on the continent down on them?Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The King let out the breath he had been holding.


    "I suppose that is the best that can be hoped for. Very well then, but I can already tell you, the Saphire Kingdom will not acquiesce."


    "That''s too bad. I suppose we shall have to convince them."


    Both of their majesties shivered as they saw the flicker of coldness in the dungeon core''s eyes, and Alexandra smiled internally. Perhaps there was something to Machiavelli after all. Feared and loved indeed...


    "We have been speaking of our army''s status." Said Allya, breaking the silence. "But I am curious of the status of your forces, your majesties."


    The Queen sighed.


    "We are in no situation to assist, I''m afraid. The enemy outside the walls still outnumbers us, and our forces are...gravely diminished in any case. Even Grant''s forces have been almost shattered by the siege."


    "Grant the Giant still lives? There had been...rumors."


    "We did not quell them outside of the capital, in the hope that it would goad the enemy into overconfidence. Which it might have. A great deal many factors have to have gone into the duchess'' decision after all. He lives still, though he has been wounded, defending the final layer of walls protecting the inner city." The Queen grimaced. "He has more than earned his paycheck, him and his men. What remains of them anyway."


    "Let us hope they''ll be able to collect it then. So you will not be able to break out?"


    "Even if we had the numbers, our troops are too exhausted and worn down. Even our equipment is falling apart. Without the pressure of the siege, there''s a fair chance most of our units would fall apart as they are."


    Allya nodded.


    "I see. Most unfortunate. The city liberating itself would have been a catastrophic blow to Sunrise for the battles to come, even if their duchess was still in the field."


    "Unless you can figure out to teleport your army past the duchess, I doubt that will come to be, I''m afraid."


    "Someday, perhaps." The archduchess smiled at their expressions. "Alright then. If we have a plan of action, time to get our subordinates to put it into motion." Something which now actually applied to Alexandra as well, which was weird, to say the least. Everyone was used to dungeon cores acting more or less alone, and she wondered how many suspected the extent of the support structure the Earth-born had been busy building around herself. One she was keen on expanding too. "Let''s send those bastards back to hell!"


    *****


    Rook looked grimly at the bodies strewn about him.


    "My lord...are you alright?" Said one of the mages he had been protecting, and he nodded.


    "I am. But we will need to change to another location, for the ritual''s preparations."


    "I don''t know how they found us my lord, we took every precaution-"


    "I know you did." The archon knelt by one of the bodies, cleanly cut in half by his sword, Falling Sun. It was only a short search before he pulled out a medallion, emblazoned with an aurora and a chain. "But the duchess is no one''s fool, and her slave hunters are good. Very good." The leader of New Raleigh sat up again, and gazed at the clearing, now a slaughterhouse. "They will return. It is imperative that they find nothing when they do. Am I understood?"


    "Yes my lord!"


    The archon watched as the mage scampered off, rallying his fellows and directing them to the various crates of equipment. Luckily, they had not begun using the ingredients, but the ritual would be delayed nonetheless.


    At least the other ritual sites were still undisturbed. They would finish on schedule. He had picked the most dangerous one for himself of course, while the rest of the Seven took the safer sites. They''re protested, of course, Wonsnot especially vehemently, but they all knew there would be no changing his mind.


    So, another delay...and every second lost would have to be bought with blood. The blood of slaves, and the blood of the soldiers valiantly fighting Sunrise and its legions.


    There was some rustling in the woods, and the archon calmly watched as one of his agents flowed out of the shadows, almost seeming to gaining substance the further they went into the light.


    "My lord." Said the agent, as she bowed.


    "Porai." Answered the archon with a slightly chiding tone, and the agent smiled as he said her name.


    "Rook." She corrected, and he nodded. "I bring news. I was forced to delay my arrival because..." She glanced at the slaughter, and shrugged.


    "Of course. Report."


    "The other ritual sites are untouched, but you already knew that." He nodded. Any other site being hit...would have warranted using his communication crystal immediately, no matter the risks of someone tapping into it. Just like he had reported the attack here to the others. "Our agents are in place for what is to follow, though some areas are a bit...thin."


    "There are only so many we can spare." Rook closed his eyes. "Like it or not, we must focus on the areas where they will do the most good."


    Porai nodded.


    "Of course. There have also been...troubling reports of guerillas, perpetrating horrific attacks, many of them suicidal, onto Sunrise''s forces. The response has been equally brutal, and ever escalating." She cleared her throat. "There have been some rumors that the Brigadier in charge of the southern army has been killed."


    "Crap." Rook opened his eyes. "I was afraid of that." He grimaced. "If the Brigadier was killed, then he was resurrected. But without him to leash his officers in..."


    "Should we...intervene?"


    "We are stretched too thin as it is. But...but we can try to avoid things getting out of hand. Take a team, and deliver a medical package. Get that Brigadier back on his feet."


    The agent''s eyes widened.


    "But, my lord-"


    "I know! I know. He''s a slaver bastard that deserve to be put on a pillar of torment. But he''s also keeping the worst of his army in line. If he''s out of action for too long..." Rook sighed. "It is better to get him back on his feet ASAP. Besides which, we''ll get him once we are finished."


    "Yes my lord. As you say."


    The archon glanced at the agent, and sighed once more.


    "It goes against the grain. Just like helping the crown here. After all, the Asarian royal family has always had links to slavery. Only Sunrise''s dominance has pushed them against it, to try and curb their power, and thus preserve their own. But we live in the real world. Sometimes, hard decisions have to be made."


    "Yes my lord."


    He saw comprehension in her eyes, and finally nodded.


    "Now go. There is no time to lose."


    The agent answered his nod in kind, and vanished back into the shadows, as the archon turned back to the bodies all around him.


    He''d done a slave uprising on such a scale, once. And he had brought down an Empire. Bathed an entire continent in blood.


    And he would do anything to never cause it again. If it meant saving one of his foes, to limit the damage his subordinates would cause if they were left to their own devices, then so be it.


    Most of his people would understand. Hopefully. Besides which...justice would come soon enough for the Brigadier regardless. Him and all his ilk. There was comfort in that.


    It would be cold comfort for those who would die at their hands however. But he would make sure that this would never come to be again.


    Ever.

 Chapter 320 - Alliances

    Chapter 320


    Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    CQ came to a halt as she stepped off of the stairs leading up to the ship, and saluted. Alexandra returned it.


    "Welcome back." Said the dungeon core, before cracking a smile, and unceremoniously grabbing her daughter into her arms. "I''ve missed you kiddo!"


    "Moooom! Everyone is watching!" Said the dungeon boss, plaintively, and the Earth-born chuckled.


    There was indeed quite the crowd to greet the arrival of the reinforcements. Cheering soldiers and crowds of wide eyed civilians, gazing in wonder and slack jawed amazement at the gleaming metal ships, disgorging their cargo of equally shiny golems.


    "Let them watch!" CQ made a face, and Alexandra chuckled. "Alright, alright! Fine." She let go of her daughter, dusting off her uniform. "Seriously though. It''s good to have you back. We need the firepower."


    Her daughter''s expression suddenly became serious.


    "That bad, mom?"


    "Worse. Come on, let''s get to the command tent. The duke and Philia are waiting."


    It was a short walk to the tent. Troops lined their path, and humans and golems alike simply stood aside and saluted as they strode among them. It wasn''t out of fear or awe from the humans either -well, sophonts really, there were elves, dwarves and a myriad other more esoteric people among the duke''s troops-, but genuine respect.


    The heavily armed guards, a mix of her Standard Combat Units and Sarth''s ducal guards, withdrew the tent flap as they arrived, allowing them in.


    "Ah. The prodigal daughter returns." Said Manson Estogan, duke of Sarth, as they entered, a wide smile splitting the old man''s face, while Philia kept pouring over the maps, simply giving them a glance and a short wave as an acknowledgment.


    "So I have." Retorted CQ with a haughty sniff, before smiling. "And I bring gifts! Gifts that go kaboom."


    "So I''ve heard." The duke''s smile fell. "They''ll be sorely needed, I''m afraid."


    "Yeah...what happened?"


    The duke looked at the dungeon core, who sighed, as she summoned a hologram on top of the map table, which she had at long last embedded a holographic projector into. The soldiers who had to unload the thing and set it up whenever they set up camp bitched a lot more, but it was worth it.


    "We have started encountering enemy resistance. With the duchess coming south, the garrisons have become bolder. They''ve begun setting up traps and ambushes. Only with slaves, meaning they''re basically minefields. No tactical flexibility. But from their point of view it''s free. Thankfully most of the civilian population has gone to ground, or they''d have turned everyone into living weapons, and partisans are hunting down and breaking every ambush they can ahead of us. Still, the attrition has become...worrying."


    "Worrying enough that the Kaidani volunteers and our light cavalry have taken point." Continued Manson. "We can heal our troops, but I have been told by your dunge-mother-" Alexandra stifled a chuckle at the slip. "-that repairing your golems wasn''t truly an option."


    CQ flicked a glance at Alexandra, who shrugged. For what it mattered, it was true. She could, technically, fix her golems, but it was too expensive. Even with the supply routes and travel time, it was still better to make new ones and leave the broken and destroyed for Sarth and Rebirth''s people to salvage, as they had industries in place to do so, thanks to the dungeon loot.


    Still, the irony wasn''t lost to the dungeon core. Originally, they had put the golems in front, as they were far more disposable than the squishy humans, but now the flesh and blood soldiers were more affordable to lose than the golems. No one was under any illusion which would be more effective on a one to one basis in a full scale battle, as even the most enthusiastic and talented of them were still trying to learn their way around their new equipment, while her golems were perfectly drilled, by their very nature.


    Interestingly enough, the flesh and blood troops were behind the concept every step of the way, and had in fact insisted on it. They were proud to take the lead, to allow her golems to ''recuperate'', and bring the fight to Sunrise with their own hands. The Kaidanis, especially, were extremely keen. Despite most of their people now being partisans and volunteers from lands that had been part of the duchy of Sarth, they had taken their ''adopted'' duchy''s plight to heart.


    "We are also doing preparations for the coming withdrawal." Finally said Philia, lifting her head from looking at the maps. Alexandra almost recoiled as she saw the dark circles under the Knight-Commander''s eyes. She exchanged a look with the duke, and saw the same concern in his gaze. "Our surveyors, sappers and engineers have begun making detailed maps of possible places to make a stand, deploy fortifications, or simply lay traps to slow the duchess'' advance down, if she indeed does pursue us."


    "She will." Confidently said Alexandra. "If she doesn''t, we''ll pound her into rubble."


    "Do not underestimate her." Warned Philia. "She will have her elites, the cream of the crop of her duchy, with her. Perhaps not as many mages as the southern army had, relative to the number of troops, but many. And lots and lots of paladins, rangers and specialists like gryphon knights. If she indeed starts after us, how do you plan to outrun pegasus skirmishers and those knights, exactly?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "It''s simple." She tilted her head, nodded, and opened the tent flap, beckoning the others outside.


    They stepped out...and came to a dead halt as the towering monster that was the Mackie was unloaded from the transport. The war machine rose to its full height, and began taking slow, measured and utterly earth shaking steps forward, coming to a halt before the officers, glimmering in its magnificent and deadly glory.


    Seven machineguns, twin autocannons, two rapid fire howitzers, shoulder mounted rocket pods, and a back mounted missile launcher...


    A worthy firstborn of the mech indeed.


    "I won''t have to." Finished the dungeon core. "If they''re stupid enough to try and outrun their army to rush us...I''ll have all the firepower I need to take them out, on the ground and in the skies. Let them fly to their deaths then. I''m sure their comrades from our previous battles will be more than happy to welcome them in hell."


    *****


    "So. Now that i have done all that confident talk about my new units turning the tide and kicking their asses, we better deliver." Said Alexandra as she paced before her assembled subordinates in the workshop. "CQ''s reinforcements are good, great even, but not only will we need new stuff, we need more of it! And more of the old stuff as well. Glitch, Seraph. I need the both of you to rationalize our raw materials production. Not just for our smitheries, but iron, steel smelting, damned near everything. We need our basic materials cheaper and in greater quantities. We haven''t done any work on that in almost a year now, there should be ample room to improve. Subtlety, Ghost, you two are on high tech industrial production and assembly. We can''t use our high tech weapons, but there''s nothing that says we can''t use high tech means to build lower tech hardware. And I don''t mean pump out a few precision engineered tools and accessories from the fabricators, I want a full, spacetech assembly line cranking out weapons. Sarah, Ella, CQ, I need you to come up with how we will engage the enemy during the retreat, and bleed them every step of the way. Dirty tricks, minefields, whatever you can come up with."You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The dungeon core turned towards her remaining people.


    "Jared, Emilia, the old team back together again. We''re going to try to make an AI that can cast spells."


    Emilia frowned.


    "But...don''t we have the enchanters from home? They did all that special ordnance you shipped with CQ."


    You mean besides the fact I trust them about as far as I can throw my mesa fortress? Thought Alexandra, though of course she didn''t voice it. Instead, she grinned.


    "Oh, not for enchantment. For battlefield spellcasting. We''re going to make a whole new generation of warships."


    *****


    Satina Olyrin, head of the house of Olyrin and by the grace of the Gods duchess of Sunrise, and in her insane dreams before she had gazed at the true scope of this war, ''rightful Queen of the Asarian Kingdom'', stared as the biological ship came to a shuddering halt, and its flesh parted, a ramp deploying like some madman''s idea of a tongue.


    The ship was impressive...but even she could see the scars, hastily healed to not be suppurating wounds.


    Wounds that were the reason why those high and mighty members of the United Dungeon Council were even deigning to speak to her.


    A delegation walked down the ramp, a small knot of what had to be dungeon avatars, headed by one that looked like a phasma wearing some kind of porcelain mask, and flanked by hulking abominations towering over everyone.


    The delegation came to a halt before her, and the duchess simply stared, as both sides refused to greet the other first. She may acknowledge her lack of power compared to them, but she certainly wasn''t the one running north with her tail between her legs, begging for an alliance to save her skin.


    The porcelain mask on the phasma shifted, and smiled.


    "Greetings, your grace." Said the dungeon avatar, and the duchess had to suppress a shiver. There were...layers behind even just that simple statement. She hadn''t survived this long without being good at reading people, and she could tell there was something wrong here. With the entire delegation, she realized.


    "Greetings, dungeon core." She returned neutrally, and the mask''s smile widened.


    "I am Glarvistar of the Emerald Glade, commander of this fleet." Something in the body language of the others told her that it either hadn''t always been that way, or there was something behind that statement she wasn''t aware of. Besides, wouldn''t the one commanding a fleet be an admiral or at the very least a commodore? She may not be the most versed in military matters, but Sunrise had been the anchorage for the Kingdom''s wet navy, though for all intent and purposes it had always been her private fleet. She even had imported Tarkian vessels, the delicious irony of those slaver hating scum delivering warships directly into her hands. "I come with a proposal of alliance against a mutual foe."


    Satina tilted her head. Right off the bat, with the proposal? Interesting. Very interesting.


    And not something she had expected. It looked like there was more going on here than she had thought.


    Perhaps what she had glimpsed wasn''t so apocalyptic after all...


    "Of course. Please, follow me."


    She gestured, and the dungeon avatar followed her, leaving behind a dumbfounded assortment of dungeon avatars and a whole menagerie of nobles, shocked by the sudden and utter disdain for protocol, finding themselves unsure of what to do, now that the lynchpin of what should have been a tense, half lie, half truth discussion simply left them to have a real discussion instead of a genital measuring contest.


    They entered her command tent without a word, and Satina gestured at the flap, abruptly closing it, and stared at the dungeon avatar as she crossed her arms.


    "I was not aware you were a mage, your grace." Simply commented Glarvistar, and the duchess smiled mysteriously.


    "I''m not."


    Let him make of that what he would.


    The dungeon avatar simply nodded.


    "Of course. You are aware of the situation, I am sure?"


    "I was...forewarned of your efforts." Forewarned while your superiors filled my head with visions of the apocalypse. Yet they don''t even seem capable of scratching her, let alone the other dungeons that went with her. She thought, though a little voice in her head whispered to her that she hadn''t seen the full end of it yet...that the worse was still to come. That maybe, this was only the beginning, muffled because of all who had foreseen its coming, and tried to prevent it.


    Or perhaps, it is simply tinder, used to lit a much greater flame.


    She shivered mentally. That...wasn''t a comfortable thought.


    He nodded.


    "Good. Then you are probably aware of our failure."


    "I am."


    "We have dealt considerable damage to the enemy, of course, and-"


    "Considerable damage?" The duchess laughed. She couldn''t stop herself. "Damage that will be easily replaced, you mean! Have you and your superiors learned nothing from her previous battles?"


    "On the contrary, we have learned a great deal. Which is why we intend to reinforce."


    "Your closest...ally is far further away than Darthar or Rebirth."


    The dungeon avatar looked at her.


    "I know."


    "Then your supply lines and reinforcements will be more strained than hers, and I am willing to bet she can outproduce you in terms of ships any day. She hasn''t even been building vessels for more than a year, look at what she has accomplished!"


    Glarvistar nodded.


    "Agreed."


    "Then, why should I agree to this alliance, if all you bring is a shattered fleet, and the vague promise of somehow outmatching your opponent? Why should I not declare myself neutral of the UDC''s little spat?"


    She expected a reaction, some shift in body language at such a blatant insult...and shivered when she got none.


    Either he was very, very good at controlling himself, or he was uncaring about the isolationists'' ideology. And she didn''t know which one was more terrifying.


    "If you believe that will prevent Crystal from slaughtering your army, then feel free. But we both know the only thing you shall buy is a bit of time while she neutralizes my force, before she comes down on yours. Or vice versa. Stand together as one, or fall alone, and all that. But to answer your question, yes, we are confident of our ability to reinforce, and support you further than what I have brought today."


    "How?"


    The avatar smiled, the porcelain mask once again creepily shifting.


    "Simple. We bring our means of production here."


    Satina tilted her head...then her face went white.


    "You''re sending a core forward." She whispered.


    Glarvistar nodded, his smile widening.


    "Crystal''s secondary cores are foolishly entrenched in cities." Something in his tone told her those weren''t his words, but someone else''s...and that he disagreed with them. "We will...demonstrate the full extent of their power."


    "And force her to destroy them, and her reputation, if she overpowers you."


    The dungeon core inclined his head. Not quite a nod. But an acknowledgement.


    The duchess laughed.


    "You severely underestimate her if you think it will be that easy." She said, and somehow, through body language, she knew Glarvistar agreed.


    What the hell was going on within the UDC?


    "Perhaps. But it is what it is. We will support you in your battle against Crystal. No more, no less. We will engage any force she has with hers, but no others. We will not besiege Asaria, nor will we attack Sarth. But we will aid you in destroying the dungeon''s army, and accompany you on your march south to Darthar, and then Rebirth. Do we have a deal?"


    The duchess closed her eyes.


    "Will Crystal be gone?"


    "If she does not suffer an...unfortunate accident, she will be removed from Rebirth. You have my, and my superiors'', words."


    Satina opened her eyes, and met the porcelain mask''s gaze. His wording said it all. If they weren''t certain she would befall an accident...it meant his superiors had something in mind for her.


    That, or Glarvistar himself did.


    But at this point, she would take anything to get that core off of her damned doorstep. And they both knew it.


    "Then yes. We have a deal."

 Chapter 321 - Memories

    Chapter 321


    28th of June, 2130


    Earth, Sol System


    Valduc Strategic Research Base, European Federation


    ''Alex'' sighed as she set down the report.


    Delays, delays, more delays, nothing but delays...


    When she''d been assigned to project New Dawn, she''d seen it as her stepping stone to flag rank. But now she was languishing in a hive of corporate interests, political infighting and military indecision. The higher ups wanted a new generation of warships, to counter the United Interstellar States'' dreadnoughts. Great. Except that they couldn''t settle on what the hell they wanted!


    So delays. Because they kept adding more things onto the project. Better lasers, better power plants, better grav drives, better missiles. Better damned near everything! If this went on, they''d have so much new crap for a single generation of ships they''d only be able to push out the prototypes and then hobble along trying to get them into actual volume production.


    She picked up her holopen, and jumped as she felt arms embracing her.


    "Hey there darling. Working late again~?" Whispered a voice into her ear.


    Alexandra rolled her eyes.


    "Yes, I am. And before you say anything Arcie, so are you!"


    The AI giggled.


    "Perhaps." Her android quickly went around the officer''s chair, and unceremoniously dropped into her girlfriend''s lap. This time the robot was slim, with chin length, yet still flowing white hair, piercing purple eyes that seemed like a perpetually aflame nebula, and coming up barely a head shorter than her partner. The AI regularly changed bodies, but if one things was certain, it was that none of them even remotely qualified as ''normal''. "But I''m an AI. I don''t sleep. Or need rest. You do."


    "Depending on what you mean by ''sleep'', you do sleep a lot." Said Alex with a grin.


    "Oh, you''re the one cracking dirty jokes now?" The AI lifted the woman''s chin with her index, before kissing her, actually purring as they pulled apart. "We''ll see how long that last."


    "Uh huh. So, what brings you to my humble abode?"


    The AI smiled, in her slightly deranged fashion. Alexandra had used to be slightly concerned by that, but she''d long since embraced it. Everyone had some kind of damage, and what if the AI was slightly crazy? Get in line, no one had gone through the Terran Hegemony Wars with their sanity intact, and those people ruled the Federation. Decrepit, riddled with biotoxin and genetic anomalies politicians with febrile eyes, seeing chemical bombs under their beds every night. Better an eccentric AI than these maniacs.


    "There''s a new movie showing in the Molrovia theater tonight! I got us tickets!"


    "New movie? Wait." Alexandra''s eyes widened. "Molrovia?!? That''s-"


    "The most exclusive theater in the Federation, I know." Purred the AI. "And you''re coming with me. No ifs, no buts, I''ll tie you up if I have to."


    Alex mumbled something to the effect of ''you''ll tie me up anyway you tin can'', before clearing her throat as Arcadia''s smile only widened.


    "So what are we going to watch?"


    "Interstellar Justice Three: Galactic Sword of Judgment!"


    Alexandra blinked.


    "Damn, I thought that hadn''t come out yet." Then it hit her. "Stars damn it, Arcie is it the premiere?"


    The AI looked away.


    "Mayyyybe?"


    "Oh you''ve got to be kidding me! Arcie, how much did those tickets cost?"


    "Well nothing, why do you ask?" The AI gave her girlfriend a brilliant smile.


    Alexandra gazed at the android suspiciously.


    "Of course...And how did you get those invitations?"


    "Weeeelll, the firm that made the film was glad to have some corporate publicity, plus a few celebrities, the new, the old, the up and coming, and I got invited."


    "And added me as your plus one, is that it?" Alexandra''s eyes narrowed, and the AI whistled innocently. "As well as no doubt hyping me up a fair bit."


    "Well, you are an up and coming member of the navy."


    "I''m a freaking captain in an office working on a semi secret project!"


    "And I can guarantee you you''ll be admiral by the end of the decade!"


    "Yeah, with your patronage."


    "Don''t be like that!" The AI flicked her forehead, and Alexandra winced. Slim or not, that android was strong enough to rip apart power armor. Arcadia only used the best for her ''personal'' forms. Supposedly for vanity, by she knew the AI had made them into machines of war to get those she cared about out of the line of fire. It was...flattering, in a way. "You know you need the help. And I''m not asking for anything."


    "Yet."


    They exchanged glares, but the AI finally subsided, lowering her eyes.


    "You know I wouldn''t. Unless it was...dire."


    Alexandra sighed, and wrapped her arms around the android, which the automata returned after a few seconds.


    "I know, I know..."


    They just stayed there, in companionable silence, hugging each other.


    Then, at long last, the officer took in a deep breath.


    "Alright, I''ll accompany you to that premiere." Arcadia''s face brightened, and she opened her mouth...only to close it as her girlfriend held up a finger. "On one condition."


    "Ooooh? Conditions, a deal, a contract?" The AI climbed up all over her partner, almost tipping the chair over as the human leaned back, as the officer was reminded that despite everything, Arcadia was a businesswoman first and foremost now. "What is it? Out with it temptress!"Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "You have to wear that dress I bought you."


    Blood truly couldn''t drain from the AI''s face, but the android did a very passable imitation of the phenomenon.


    "What? But-"


    "No ifs, no buts, either you wear it or I don''t go."


    "It''s...it''s dreadful though!"


    "It''s regal!"


    "I''ll look like a beached whale in that!"


    "Better than you looking like a damned stripper you nymphomaniac! I''ve seen barbie dolls with more square centimeters of clothing than some of your outfits!"


    The AI sat back, crossing her arms, almost pouting.


    "That''s-"


    "If you say a matter of taste, I''m going to see if my foot can bend the titanium of your ass."


    "Ow. Catty." The AI threw her hands up as Alexandra glared at her. "Fine! You win, alright? But!" She smiled. "You have to wear your dress uniform in exchange. Deal?"


    Alexandra winced, but nodded.


    "Deal."


    "Excellent!" The AI slapped her thighs, before jumping off of her girlfriend''s lap, and unceremoniously grabbing her hand, practically dragging her to her feet. "Now let''s go!"


    "What, now?" Said Alexandra as the AI began leading her out of her office, the door opening at her approach. A door Alex knew she had set to manual.


    Damn it Arcie, stop hacking my shit! Thought Alex, though she knew better than to voice it. Complaining would only mean the AI would double down.


    "No time like the present!"


    "But...this is a military base!" One where nuclear bombs were still being produced, as a matter of fact, despite the site being far from its heyday as the last nuclear weapons production facility remaining in Europe after the devastation of the Terran Hegemony War, and the rabid expansion of its capabilities during the Interplanetary Wars.


    The AI simply laughed.


    "And I own your entire logistics pipeline, the shuttles carry whatever the hell I want! Now move it, we need to make sure your makeup is good before we go on the red carpet!"


    Alexandra jerked awake as she got the comm ping.


    What-


    She blinked, and looked around. She was...in her workshop. She''d fallen asleep on one of the workbenches, her head resting on a pile of computers, one meant for the new AIs she was making.


    The dungeon core rubbed her eyes. What the hell was happening to her?


    She opened the notification she got. A breakthrough? This quickly?


    Well, the least she could do was check it out.


    Maybe it would help shake off the...not dream, the memory she''d just experienced.


    *****


    "That was fast." Said Alexandra as she stepped into the Flickerlight''s engineering section.


    "Well, it was a simple solution. A stupidly simple one, staring us all in the face." Answered Ghost, looking at Alexandra''s side.


    The dungeon core blinked, and followed her other self''s gaze...to find a golem.


    "Uh...Okay? Hi, Seraph, you''re in there, right?"


    "In the flesh, so to speak." Said the AI as they bowed, and Alexandra chuckled. Metaphors and jokes. Maybe the AI was coming out of their shell after all.


    "Good. So, Ghost, what breakthrough did you say you-" Alexandra stopped, as Ghost smiled, and whirled around to face the the golem again. "Wait a minute, how...what...In the flesh?!?"


    "That''s the breakthrough I was talking about." Said the apparition.


    "You managed to get one of our golems here? How?"


    "I didn''t."


    Alexandra opened her mouth, closed it, and then promptly facepalmed.


    "Oh Gods..."


    "Yeeeep."


    "We have unlocked fabricators. We don''t need to use our powers to create golems we can just...we can just make them! Actually make them!"


    Ghost nodded.


    "Precisely."


    "Shit. Alright, what is the price difference?"


    The apparition grinned.


    "So far? Fifty percent savings in mana for a golem."


    "...Fucking hell." Golems were, by far, her number one spending item. One she hadn''t managed to compress beyond a few percentage points thanks to Emilia''s monster spawners. Reducing the cost by half. "This is massive. And that''s just with the fabricators, right?"


    "Yep. Just with them." And they both knew fabricators were absolute crap in terms of production cost by item. There was a reason the assembly line still reigned king back on Earth after all. It was just that when you needed something mass and volume efficient, plus polyvalence without equal, there was no alternative. Thus why they were a favorite for ships, burgeoning colonies or hell, secure facilities like Seraph''s bunker. "Though, keep in mind, that''s not counting the cost of making the fabricators."


    "But they can self replicate."


    "They can, but even with that, it''s still costly infrastructure. Not to mention, in their case, not that much of a decrease in price. We still can''t refine metamaterials."


    "Something we''ll work on later." Alexandra closed her yes. "So now it''s become absolutely vital we get those out of here. Not just for future plans, but also for the current war effort."


    "Well...we kind of figured that was the case, so we''d started working on, ah, plans."


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "Let me guess, they involve explosions."


    "Actually, no! Seraph?"


    The AI stepped forward.


    "The fabricators can be disassembled and reassembled. That is key to the plan. Our primary obstacle currently is the defenses arrayed around the cavern. Passive scans from the ship''s arrays indicate the entire space has been surrounded with wards and arcane tripwires, some of them extremely ancient and of uncertain origin. Digging our way out would hazardous at best, suicidal at worst."


    "So?"


    "Smuggling. The weakness of this defense is the guards. They have to regularly cycle in and out on a predictable schedule for shift changes."


    Alexandra smiled.


    "As usual, the human factor is the weakest link in security."


    "Affirmative. Normally bribing or otherwise corrupting the guards would be the easiest solutions, but that is not an option here."


    "Yeah, anyone who realized something like this had happened would know the culprit, and the guards would be a loose end. So, what, use stealth golems to sneak in as they change shifts?"


    The AI shook her head.


    "Negative. Not only would this require substantial investment in time and resources to manufacture golems in sufficient numbers to carry some of the pieces, but the hallway defenses also constitute a formidable barriers. The golems would have to accompany the guards as they move in, and the golems can either keep pace or stay hidden from the layered arcane sensors, not both."


    "Right." Because speed can compromise stealth. The eternal fucking conundrum, from submarines during the Terran Hegemony War to stealth recon frigates in Alpha Centauri. "What then?"


    "It is simple. The sensors do not detect sufficiently stealthed high technology if it is carried by someone authorized, or the stealth golems would not have been able to be brought in."


    Alexandra tilted her head, and she laughed.


    "You''re going to make the guards carry them out?"


    "Yes. They bring crates of supplies down that they then carry back out, to allow troops to eat and drink here. We will have to place the components within."


    "That''s going to take a bit."


    "The smaller parts can be hidden in any ration tin can. The problem will be taking possession once they are out."


    Alexandra pinched the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes.


    Oh dear.


    "Right. Of course. because let me guess, those crates are going to be stored in the cellars. The ones used to store siege supplies. The highly secure ones the Count is extremely paranoid about because they''re what allowed the city to survive Sunrise''s attack."


    "Affirmative."


    "So, you want us to transfer our parts from a highly secure location to a slightly less secure one, then repeatedly heist the latter?"


    "That is the plan."


    Alexandra sighed.


    "I''m not sure if that''s insane or brilliant. Probably both." The dungeon core opened her eyes. "Do it."


    After all, some of the stranger arcane sensors on the cavern...they probably either belonged to or were tapped by the God of Fire. But why would he monitor a collection of food?


    If crap went sideways, they could manage the count and his people.


    "We shall begin preparations immediately."

 Chapter 322 - Chain Reaction

    Chapter 322


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    Alexandra sighed as she gazed at the forest all around the army.


    With Allya and Pyn consuming their honey moon with great enthusiasm, and regular needs of her powers to create new, ah, marital aids, she had been left to face the more mundane problems of the army with Manson and Philia. Rim would have been a nice help as well, but he was busy trailing behind, marking places for fortifications or traps, turning his ad hoc force into something approaching sappers. Which, given what they had turned Myriu into, was probably a good fit for them.


    "Well, at least it''s better looking than the scrublands." Said Philia, as the Knight-Commander leaned on the railing of the So Much For Subtlety at Alexandra''s side. "That''s something."


    "Yeah, but it''s harder to go through."


    "Would be, if your mech wasn''t stomping over everything."


    Alexandra chuckled. As she had expected, the Mackie was making a mockery of the terrain, clearing a path for the army and her armored column by just walking through the forest, it''s shield preventing debris from clogging up the passage. It wasn''t exactly a road, but her spider tanks and the cavalry behind them didn''t need a road.


    "True. But we''re nearing the high road, aren''t we?"


    The Knight-Commander nodded.


    "We are." The duchies were all linked by ''high roads'', gigantic pseudo highways that had been the fulcrum of the fighting during Sunrise''s advance. They were nearing the one between Asaria and Sarth, who went through the Royal Union Bridge. "It should make movement much easier. It was made to accommodate the entire royal army if necessary." Philia''s face went dark. "Not that there''s much left of it."


    Alexandra laid her hand on the knight''s shoulder.


    "Look, if it''s any consolation, I intend to help rebuild it."


    "Do you now?" Philia looked at the dungeon core, then away. "Sorry, that was...harsh. You''ve been nothing but a faithful ally."


    "But...?"


    "But...I''m afraid. You could take over the kingdom. With just a few words. Their majesties wouldn''t be able to stand in your way."


    "Allya wouldn''t stand for that."


    "Does what she want matter?"


    Alexandra double checked the privacy systems, and turned them on to eleven. The ship in general wasn''t as well shielded as the bridge, but it would have to do.


    Because like it or not, it looked like they were going to have that discussion.


    "It does, actually." Answered the dungeon core, softly, and she smiled as the knight looked at her in surprise. "It does. I gave her a true alliance, and I meant it."


    The Knight-Commander nodded.


    "And so you meant it when you said you don''t want to take over the kingdom."


    It wasn''t a question, but Alexandra answered it nonetheless.


    "I did."


    The officer looked off into the distance.


    "Will it stop there?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "No. No it won''t."


    "...You intend to keep their majesties ruling the kingdom, but vassalize them, do you not? Create something...greater."


    "Yes. Something like that."


    "They''ll do it, you know."


    "Do what?"


    The Knight-Commander met the dungeon core''s gaze.


    "Swear fealty. Not just their majesties either. Amelia Loveheart, the entire New Republic...they''ll bend the knee, if you ask. And once they do...the continent will follow."


    "I''m not sure it''ll be that easy."


    "It will." Said the Knight-Commander, and her tone brokered no argument. "Did you know the Eris Empire''s greatest fear is this continent? For centuries now, they''ve been wetting their undergarnments about what Arkhan could be, what it could achieve if it unified. It''s why they pushed so hard for their majesties'' grandfather not to push south into the Republic, tried to hold him back, even through threats."


    "I...wasn''t aware."


    The knight chuckled.


    "Well, we kept it pretty tight."


    "So it seems. So they''re afraid?"


    "Arkhan has the...potential. The high technology and innovation of Tark, and the arcane might of the Saphire Kingdom. Together, they would be...devastating. Luckily, they were separated by nothing but enemies." The Knight-Commander sighed. "And now, you''re about to put only yourself between them."


    "And what, that will convince them to submit?"


    "No. But this entire continent has been balanced on the rivalry between the Kingdom and the Republic for centuries. If unified...our nations represent three quarters of the continent''s population, our only achilles'' heel was our low technology. But you solved that, didn''t you?"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "I guess I did, yes."


    "So they''ll suddenly have a new Empire on their doorsteps, that separates them from any possible ally, and could probably crush them all simultaneously anyway. That''s not even to mention what you''ve been doing. If you crush Sunrise, the people of Tark and the Saphire Kingdom will sing your praises."


    "Why would the Saphirians care?"


    "Where do you think many of those slaves come from?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes. The cross border raids. Of fucking course. That''s why the Saphire Kingdom had been constantly assailing Sunrise''s border before the war.


    "I see."


    "Of course, if you become popular..."


    "I become a threat to the existing regimes. How likely is it that they''ll attack?"


    The Knight-Commander shrugged.


    "I don''t know. Tark...if the Hegemon had been killed, they might have, but if she''s not attacking the senate, to give the New Republic a chance, she sure as hell won''t attack you. Let alone you through them, once they swear allegiance."


    "If they swear allegiance."


    Alexandra shivered as the knight gave her a sad smile.


    "Right. The Saphire Kingdom is the damned wildcard here. I know them. I''ve fought them, I''ve negotiated with them, visited them...their people will adore you, but the council or archmages? They care little of what their people want. Besides, you intend to drive north to Tivaro, don''t you?"


    "I do."


    "Then they''ll resist you. I think. Unless you have something to hammer them aside with, they''ll resist you."


    "Then I better grab a big hammer."


    "Let''s hope it will be enough."


    The tone of the Knight-Commander said it all about how successful she thought the dungeon core would be.


    "Let''s hope."


    *****


    There was only silence in the cellar, as the last visitors, a couple of maids looking for a quiet place to prepare gifts for the birthday of one of their colleagues, had left hours ago.


    The stealth golems awakened, and skittered between the crates. The cellar was a strange amalgamation of a pantry and supply depot, with a section set aside for ''used'' crates, to be replenished.


    A particular crate was quickly opened, and then closed again as a handful of packages were taken from it.


    Then the stealth golems vanished again, weaving through the shroud of alarms and sensors, guards and traps laid around the critical cellar.


    And an hour later, the packages were delivered, and loaded onboard a larger container, that would accompany a supply convoy headed home, to bring back more desperately needed armaments for the army up North.


    Fabricator Status Report


    From: Ghost


    To: Alexandra


    First delivery complete. Estimated time of completion: one week.


    *****


    "Fucking hell." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the images.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Manson chuckled.


    The dungeon core nodded.


    "To say the fucking least."


    After a few test flights and some rather timid forays into their surroundings, she''d finally decided it was time for her new carriers to have their blackbirds taken for a spin, and she''d sent them forward, to the Royal Union Bridge.


    She''d been warned about what to expect, but...damn.


    She had seen smaller megahighways, the monsters of neoconcrete that serviced the megalopolises of Earth. Even with their advancement in public transportation, there was still a need for personal vehicles after all. Hell, it was bigger than the Crimson Path, the remnants of the Old World highway she''d had to cross after the army had marched out of Darthar.


    There was no way there was anywhere near the level of traffic on the high road to justify that thing''s existence. Though, that wasn''t the point. It had been a prestige project, built by the King''s grandfather, after he had crushed his own civil war and conquered Darthar. Hence the name, it was supposed to represent the reunification of the kingdom, and the bonds of fealty between Asaria and Sarth, who had served as the crown''s backbone during that war.


    "So, as you see, it will accommodate a great deal of troops." Said Philia.


    "Sunrise appears to have taken advantage of that already." Remarked the commander of the desert rangers, bitterly, and everyone nodded.


    Sunrise''s army, or at least its vanguard, was there. And they weren''t alone.


    They had the UDC''s fleet with them.


    "How did they get here so fast?" Asked one of the officers, and Alexandra shrugged.


    "They had the high road to use, while we had to punch through a trade route and the environment. A trade route that has fallen into disrepair for months due to the war too. I''m presuming they had some slaves from the garrisons maintain the high road so they could march on Sarth eventually, if the southern army had failed. And with the UDC to provide lift capacity, with most of it unused with us having annihilated a great deal of their army..."


    "Well they''re certainly here for the party." Philia gestured at the ranks of monsters backing up Sunrise''s troops.


    "They are." Alexandra gazed at the troops, and grimaced. "Were we there, we could punch through that."


    "We could." Agreed Manson. "But we''re not."


    "No. No we''re not. And by the time we do get there, the rest of the army will probably be there with them."


    "Do we know when that''ll happen?"


    "No clue. I turned the aircrafts around after getting recon of the area, I decided against pushing further north. One step at a time and all that."


    "Very well. So our plan is unchanged?"


    "For the most part." They didn''t need to know that with the fabricator being smuggled out, it might change the face of this war forever. "But we do know where our enemies are."


    "Always a good advantage to have. Then let us continue our march North. We have traitors to kill."


    "That we do. That we do..."


    *****


    "Well, well, well..." Said Satina Olyrin, duchess of Sunrise, as she looked at the report. "So that explains how she is so well informed."


    "Yes." Said the spy master. The man definitely looked the worse for wear, even though he''d mostly kept to the shadows since she''d dragged him across the kingdom. "If those aircrafts are even remotely loaded with equipment..."


    "They''re like the Eris Empire''s ''jets''." Added Mahikam, Marquis of Caliban. "Should we begin destroying them? If our mages can see them, they can shoot them down, easily."


    "Patience, nephew, patience." Chided the duchess. "Do not be so quick to destroy such a potentially useful tool."


    "A tool? For us, you mean?"


    "Yes. With them undiscovered and unchallenged the dungeon core believes herself fully informed and invisible. That makes her overconfident. Good, let''s keep her that way."


    "But our plan-"


    "Will work even better with them in play. We will have to time it carefully of course, but if we make our play right after one of those recon flights, she will only believe that she has seen everything, and the surprise will be even more complete."


    The Marquis didn''t look fully convinced, but he nodded nonetheless.


    "As you say, your grace."


    "Good." The duchess turned back towards the spymaster. "What of the status of our...allies?"


    "They appear sincere. I have reports of ships leaving Tivaro."


    "Good. And their majesties'' little plan?"


    The spymaster grimaced.


    "It had the desired effect. Many neutral nobles are declaring themselves for the crown." He coughed. "That, coupled with the guerillas, and their elimination of the Brigadier...your grace, Molro and Kaidan are in open revolt."


    "But our home territories hold?"


    "Yes." The ''for now'' was implicit, and the Duchess winced.


    "Well, I won''t shed any tears for that traitorous bastard. Your people are keeping him from recovering, yes?"


    "So far, but there''s no telling when his men will catch on and root out the poison."


    "Every second bought is a blessing." Simply answered the Duchess. "Then we only need to get the army forward. And then..." She closed her eyes. "And then we shall wait. And pray."


    Only grim nods answered her.


    The die was cast, as the extradimensionals said.


    They simply had to hope that they would succeed.

 All The Fallen World Books are available as hardcover !

    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that all the books of The Fallen World should be available in hardcover on amazon ! Here''s the link to the series on amazon if you''re interested : https://geni.us/TheFallenWorldseries</a>If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The hardcovers have been available for a bit, actually, but I kept forgetting to do the announcement, and I just had way too much on my mind. But now that my patrons have gotten me to take a damned break after writing a third of an entire novel in a row (yes, really. Let''s just say that new story is coming along nicely) and kicking off book 10, and I remembered it. So, here''s the announcement. Better late than never !


    Also, a slight aside : I know a lot of people are waiting for news on the audiobooks as well, and I''d love to give you something more concrete but because of NDA shenanigans I simply cannot. Literally all I can tell you is the noncomital corporate "They''re comingTM", and I''m sorry for that. I hope to have better news after the holidays.


    To celebrate, chapter 323 will be posted tomorrow. I hope you''ll enjoy it !

 Chapter 323 - Special Delivery

    Chapter 323


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of Darthar, Branch Office


    "Did we get it all?" Asked Alexandra as she looked at the pile of packages.


    "Yes." Ghost smiled as she gazed at the carefully wrapped and protected parts. "We have them all. Every single one. All functional."


    "How did it go?"


    Ghost grimaced.


    "It was touch and go for the bigger ones, honestly. Had to slap some low profile gravity manipulation to counter the excessive weight, but couldn''t do anything about the inertia without showing up on sensors. The guards caught on something was odd for one crate, and opened it, but saw nothing amiss, and simply concluded they must have been too tired by their long shift, or that something of the pure magic in the air must have affected it. But there was no follow up."


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "That''s good."


    "It is. So, home then?"


    "Yes. For self replication."


    "The preparations are done on your end?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "And then some. Since we can use those onboard the Flickerlight to test prototypes, we''ve started developing the next gen of units using the fabricators to make them."


    "That''s good. You know, I was thinking about it, but if we put some of those fabricators in the branch offices..."


    "We can push them in the green, even if the materials have to made here. I know." Alexandra grimaced. "It''s a shame teleportation, even in our influence is so damned expensive, or I''d send some stuff over."


    "I mean, we could ship it via airship."


    "Yeah, right, and shatter the illusion? No, better to hide that weakness." Alexandra grinned. "Besides, once we get all those fabricators distributed, they''ll still think those branch offices are a loss of mana."


    "While they''ll be anything but. I like it."


    "Yeah. Will just have to be equally careful during transport, since, well, high tech outside of our influence..."


    "Well, I guess the container we made won''t go to waste then."


    "Yeeep. Will probably ship in the fabricators rather than one per branch office and make them self replicate. Something tells me they really won''t be cheap."


    "It''s your call Alex." Ghost looked at the dungeon core. "By the way, I hear you were starting to have some issues up north?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "Yeah, Sunrise is starting to do some harassment on our supply lines. And some neutral nobles have begun joining us."


    "Not very welcome, I assume?"


    "Well, it was the goal their majesties were aiming for, but they''re still being something of a pain in the ass. Plus, you know, nobody trusts them. They stood aside and wiped their asses with their oaths once, they will do so again."


    "So, keep them close?"


    "Yeeep."


    "Alrighty. Do you need help with dealing with the raids?"


    "Oh don''t worry. Ella and Sarah helped me with our solution already."


    Ghost''s face went white.


    "Uh...Ella? Please don''t tell me-"


    "Oh yes. Yes she did. Let''s just say they''ll have to make sure not to...choke one the next convoy they attack."


    Alexandra''s smile was downright vicious, while Ghost looked at her worryingly.


    Because more and more...the dungeon core reminded her of herself. Like the barriers and suppressed memories that made her a different person were slowly breaking down.


    And that was terrifying.


    "Just...make sure you rein it in, alright?"


    "Sure."


    "Have you had anymore of those dreams lately?"


    Alexandra winced.


    "I have, actually. One about Arcadia. You know, the premiere of Interstellar Justice Three?"


    "Oh yeah. She did look good in that dress."


    "She did, though I meant more of before, when she barged into our office."


    "An odd memory to revisit."


    "Perhaps." Alexandra frowned. "It''s...worrying me, honestly."


    "Same on my end. I''m...I''m worried your barriers are breaking down."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The dungeon core froze.


    "That''s...a horrifying concept."


    "I know."


    "I''ll run some diagnostics."


    "Thanks."


    They both looked at each other, with the awkwardness only two instances of the same person could share.


    "So, progress on the AIs?" Finally said Ghost.


    "Going apace. Though the ships might prove a bit more complicated to make."


    "Not easy to make a mage ship, uh?"


    "Nooope." Alexandra smiled. "But we''ll get there. Everything has been distributed from the reinforcements up north, and is ready to rock. The new enchanted ammo...and the new missiles."


    "Really ready to unleash a weapon of the Old World in public?"


    Alexandra sighed.


    "It''s for emergencies. If push comes to shove...well, we can use them, and we might need them. Badly."


    "Point taken."


    "Alright, enough joking around. Let''s get that fabricator shipped off, and kick off another dungeon industrial revolution."


    *****


    CQ smiled, as she tried to stop herself from strangling the person across from her desk.


    The perks of mom actually putting her in the command structure was that she got a desk and people actually came to her for stuff.


    The downside was that ''people'' included self important nobles with an entire forest''s worth of sticks in their behind.


    So much for the ''neutrals'' reinforcing them.


    "I have not marched a hundred kilometers to be stonewalled! I am the countess of Halur, and-"


    "And you demand to speak to the dungeon core." Finished CQ, her eyes narrowing.


    "I do."


    "Then my answer is the same as to all of your...colleagues'' request. No. My mo-"


    "How dare you!" The countess reached out and slapped the boss. "How dare you harlot stone wall me? Get in your place you peasant! Your are cannon fodder for your betters, and a punching bag for adventurers, nothing more!"


    CQ was so shocked by the gesture and words that it took her a solid second to even raise a hand to her cheek.


    Then the words finally reached her conscious mind, and suddenly her sword wasn''t in its scabbard anymore, but halfway through the noble''s ribcage.


    The countess let out a choked scream as blood flowed from her lips, before her eyes glazed over into oblivion as the boss stepped back, extricating her sword, and twirled in a single, fluid motion, swiping the noble''s head off of her shoulders.


    There was shocked silence in her tent.


    Then the other nobles began screaming, as their bodyguards unsheathed their blades. And CQ suddenly realized that she didn''t have her own guards, because after all, what did she have to fear?


    The guards leapt for her, and suddenly she was somewhere else, stepping through space to outside of her tent.


    The nobles came stumbling out, some of them vomitting, but one fixed his febrile gaze on her, and screamed.


    "Kill her! Kill her! She''s a murderer!"


    Many of the guards of the noble delegation, who had waited outside her tent on its little hill, were confused, but they drew their weapons. They didn''t know what she looked like after all, and for them she might as well have been a strangely dressed assassin.


    CQ quickly calculated her chances...and grabbed her radio.


    "CQ! Excelsior excelsior excelsior!" She screamed into the hand held as the guards rushed her.


    And all hell broke loose.


    Despite having the teleport talisman, she wouldn''t use it bar a last resort. Not only to prevent others from knowing that it existed and learning of its capabilities, but also because she didn''t want to miss another damned battle by having to drag her way back to the army. Again.


    So she had emergency protocols, despite her lack of guards. And the one she had just used threw the entire place into chaos.


    The guards rushed her, naked blades glistening in the mid afternoon sunlight...and staggered back as a hail of gunfire slammed into their wards.


    They whirled around, meeting the new threat, only for their eyes to go wide as they recognized the golems shooting at them.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t have the time to realize their mistake...or surrender, as the last remaining Tetsudo screamed overhead, its guns thundering as it passed by, firing its full broadside into the clump of nobles and soldiers, blowing them every which way with shells.


    The air was filled with screams as nobles and bodyguards alike scrambled to get back up or clutched their wounds.


    Those who went back to their feet only did so to realize that the closest golem units were assault sappers.


    And their standard infantry lineup included flamethrowers.


    The screams redoubled as the flames devoured them, only to end abruptly as one of the corsairs finally got its turret around, and turned half of the hill into a smoking crater, pelting the entire area in steaming chunks of meat and burning offal.


    CQ simply stood there, breathing heavily as she stared at the devastation.


    "CQ! Are you alright?"


    The boss whirled around at the sound of her mother''s voice, and before she knew it she was in the ambassador golem''s arms.


    "Mom! They...they attacked me!"


    "Who? Who did?"


    "The nobles! They said...One of them said I was a harlot!"


    CQ saw the human soldiers, who were rushing forward to support the golems, physically recoil as something enshrouded her mother, waves of blind terror and hatred hitting them like a sledgehammer.


    "What." Said the dungeon core with a voice colder than the void between the stars. She turned towards one of her officer golems, and gestured for it to come forward. "Bring up one of the resurrection orbs. Now."


    The golem nodded, and slammed its fist against its chestplate.


    The boss stayed there while they waited, her mom caressing her hair and murmuring reassuring words into her ears.


    No one dared approach them. Those that built up enough courage were stopped dead in their tracks by the cordon of heavily armed golems or their own brothers in arms.


    At last however, the orb was brought in from the healers'' tents, and Alexandra snapped her fingers. Golems streamed forward, separating bodies. Miraculously, they found the corpse of the countess, almost fully intact, besides the wounds CQ had inflicted.


    The boss sniffled, and pointed at the body.


    This time she felt the wave of hatred radiating off of her mom, despite being certain her mother was doing everything in her power to deflect it away from her. She saw several of the soldiers faint in the crowd, having to be caught by others.


    The resurrection orb flashed, and the countess bolted up, screaming.


    "What- How- You-" The countess laid an outraged gaze on CQ...only to let out a strangled screech, as Alexandra grabbed the noble by the throat, and raised her into the air, the hologram on her ambassador''s hand glitching madly as she did so.


    "Listen to me you self absorbed piece of shit. Ever touch even a single hair on my daughter''s head again and I will impale you on my flagship''s prow after filling your veins with regeneration potions, so that the entire army may feast upon your screams of pain for days on end. Do you understand me, bitch?!?" Screamed out the dungeon core. The noble nodded convulsively, and Alexandra sneered, tossing her into the pile of bodies waiting to be resurrected. "Get out of my sight you filth."


    The countess scrambled off of the corpses and fled into the army, her raw panic and adrenaline somehow barely offsetting the effects of being resurrected. Alexandra simply whirled around, and stalked back towards the command tent, leading CQ by the hand, the soldiers parting along her way without a word.


    Then the soldiers turned away from them...and back towards the pile of bodies, slowly being resurrected, as well as the newly arrived ''neutral'' nobles'' armies.


    And CQ knew, instinctively, that even if her mother was prepared to forgive, which she never was, any chance of those integrating into the army as they had thought was done and dead.


    The soldiers seemed to think of her as some kind of mascot, and had the golems not been so blindingly fast in their reaction, they no doubt would have rushed to her side to defend her. In fact, most of them had appeared to be in the process of doing so, entire battalions of troops moving to her aid.


    Now...now they would no doubt turn their guns on their newfound ''allies'', if they could make up the excuses.


    For the first time, CQ understood the terrifying power of being an icon, a symbol. Of just how much her mere presence and actions could change things.


    And she also understood that this wasn''t just some pampering maids. Some of these people would have died for her, without blinking, laid out their lives for her immortal one. And that terrified her. She didn''t want the burden of their deaths. The burden to give them meaning.


    Why would anyone want this? Why would anyone bear this?


    She looked at her mom''s back as they neared the tent, and closed her eyes as she understood.


    Because someone had to.

 Chapter 324 - Supply Lines

    Chapter 324


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    "Please don''t be mad." Said CQ to her mother as the Earth-born exited the command tent.


    "Why would I be mad at you?" Said the dungeon core, surprised.


    "I mean at yourself, mom. You''re the one who told me to deal with the nobles."


    Alexandra''s face softened.


    "Thanks kiddo. But...I still bear some responsibility."


    "But-"


    "No buts. Now, I''ve talked to Manson. They won''t trouble you anymore. If they didn''t get the message after what happened today, our allies will hammer it the rest of the way into their skulls for us."


    "What''s going to happen?"


    "We''ll allow them to stay...if they dissolve their existing structures, and put themselves under the complete command of the duke. In effect, they''ll be another group of volunteer regiments."


    CQ tilted her head, remembering the soldiers lining up the side of the army, as she had to watch from the screen.


    "The volunteers aren''t so good at following orders mom."


    "That''s because we don''t keep them on a tight leash, by design. Those would be on a very tight one." Alexandra smiled. "It''s high time we broke up these feudal forces and finally hammer in a real army. And you just handed me the anvil. So thanks."


    "I did good?"


    Alexandra hugged her daughter.


    "You did. Now-" She blinked, tilting her head. "Huh."


    "Mom?"


    "Just got a ping from the drones. Looks like someone is getting close to our...special delivery. Wanna watch the maids'' handiwork?"


    "Yes!"


    "Then let''s get up to the Subtlety!"


    *****


    The rebels flowed out of the night like shadows. Enslaved adventurers and hunters made for fantastic stealth troops, and the guards were overrun in seconds.


    The golem ones, that was. The human ones were nowhere to be seen. The slaves secured the area, before shock troops followed up. Those were actual Sunrise soldiers, wielding captured rifles and submachine guns. They deployed, ready to defend the convoy, as the slaves began opening the wagons, and pulling out crates.


    There was a certain nervousness to their movement. This wasn''t their first time, but something was...off.


    Besides which, they all knew it was only a question of time until the dungeon core caught on.


    One of Sunrise''s officers walked to a crate, carried by two slaves, and flipped it open after they set it down before her.


    The officer''s eyebrows rose. Then, finally, the warning signs percolated through her brain.


    She screamed.


    And a split second later, the chemical warheads, neatly lined up in the crate, detonated, quickly followed by others throughout the convoy.


    Slaves and regulars alike went down. Some of the regulars managed to run out of the spreading gas cloud''s reach, but the slaves, absent orders, simply stood there as the neurotoxin enveloped them, delivering the sweet embrace of death, liberation from their torment.


    The regulars stared, wide eyed, at the field of corpses, trying to make sense of what had happened.


    They were still finding their footing when the desert rangers plugged them full of crossbow bolts.


    Mission complete.


    *****


    "Well, that took care of their most annoying raiders." Said Alexandra, satisfaction clear in her voice as she gazed at the images.


    The drones were quickly proving their worth. Despite their relative lack of strategic speed, not to mention their inability to operate in the wasteland, or anywhere where monsters were likely to take a bite out of them for that matter, they were immensely useful. This operation wouldn''t have been possible without them. At least it wouldn''t have been this smooth.


    "Yes. But still, I question the use of those...weapons." Said Manson, clearly troubled.


    Alexandra sighed internally. Chemical weapons had been iffy to use on Earth, for a variety of reasons, and even she was extra squeamish about it thanks to the remnants of the horrors unleashed by the Terran Hegemony she''d witnessed, but Alcheryos took it to another level.


    They''d been a preferred tool during the Great Night, and many a settlement bordering the wasteland or expedition within had been wiped out by chemical spewing automata.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Automata the God of Fire had kept online, but that went without saying. Though it did bring Alexandra to wonder why the hell did those robots have chemical weaponry, since a great deal of the military appeared to have been partially automated by that point, though as her foray into the supply ship supporting the Hammer of Eternity had shown, there had been human crews behind them.


    Corrosive gases, that could damage machinery as well, maybe? Certainly not neurotoxins, like what she''d just used.


    "They will be necessary. And in this case, they were a mercy."


    "A mercy?"


    Alexandra nodded.


    "For the slaves. With this, they got a clean, painless death, and they will be easier to resurrect." That was how the maids had sold the idea to her, and although she was somewhat...dubious that it had been anything but a sales pitch, it was a valid one. "It''s certainly better than blowing them apart with bombs and picking up the pieces."


    "Point taken. Still it...goes against the grain."


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "Perhaps, yes. But we need to stack the deck in our favor, and I''m not going to discard our aces."


    "Right. Of course. Will you be using...more of them?"


    "Only on the retreat. We''ll need to get them to slow down, and it should help considerably."


    "Let''s hope." The duke sighed. "Any more...surprises in your coming convoys?"


    "I have nothing but surprises. But...no. Not much." Not because she didn''t have more things in store, but because she was stockpiling resources. As soon as the fabricator arrived, she would start replicating it. She might even use her dungeon powers to speed up the process. She was going to do quite possibly her greatest infrastructure expansion yet, and it was going to bankrupt her.


    She''d considered some measures to increase her income, but none were really viable. Expanding the dungeon itself was starting to bring diminishing returns, at least for the time being, and would be a long term gain anyway, not to mention it would require its own upfront infrastructure cost, making it a net loss on the time scale she was operating at.


    Expanding her influence was also a no go. It would net her a lot of mana, probably, but the growing interference might reach her mesa fortress and prevent her from editing it. And since she still hadn''t finished her shield and point defense project, to fend off an orbital bombardment attack...


    Thus, she was stuck with cutting expenses, and that meant lowering production of new stuff and the infrastructure to build them, while also dialing everything else down. It would mean a lull in the flow of armaments, but a veritable roar later. The eternal balance of industry, produce what you need now, or set up greater production for later?


    Thankfully, she had some modern equipment reserves to draw from, though they were running dangerously low, so she could play that game, even if barely.


    But what she would be able to build afterwards...oh yeah. Sunrise was going to have a bad, very bad day. She''d just need for the army to hold them off for that long.


    "While I am relieved that you are currently out of surprises, I am also somewhat sad of that fact." Said the duke, and Alexandra laughed.


    "I said I had no new ones in the incoming convoys, not that I was out of them."


    "Point taken."


    "I assume you have the nobles handled?"


    "I''m letting them stew for a bit, get all worked up about the horrible fate you no doubt have reserved for them for their transgressions, before swooping in for a hard but fair rescue from the vengeful dungeon core and her golem army." Alexandra barked out a laugh as Manson smiled ."I expect some excellent results."


    "With a good cop, bad cop like that? Yeah, no kidding. Alright then. Time for me to hop on home, I have some reinforcements to prepare." And a fabricator to receive and assemble.


    "Good luck, lady Crystal."


    "Thanks, but I prefer to make my own."


    "No doubt. But still, sometimes one has to roll the dice."


    Alexandra grimaced internally. She''d already done that by taking over the Flickerlight. She was lucky she hadn''t rolled low, since no one seemed to have notice the ship''s change in its communication ping.


    "Yes, well, I''d rather avoid it if at all possible, unless I''ve weighted said dice."


    "If you''re not cheating, you''re not trying hard enough, right?" Manson smiled, and Alexandra chuckled.


    "Precisely, your grace. You''re a fast learner."


    "An old war horse like me always has some room for new tricks."


    "Well I guess you''re full of surprises as well."


    "Mine have a lower body count."


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "What can I say? I like spectacle and crushing my enemies."


    "Then let''s make a show out of Sunrise''s defeat, shall we?"


    "Yes. Let''s."


    *****


    Orzal Vek, formerly colonel of the Elkis Republic, now agent and officer of the Order to Restore Humanity, gazed at the army, progressing through the scrublands.


    Hugging the wasteland like that was a risky gamble, but it appeared to be paying off. The army was making good time, better than what the senate probably expected. They would be in position to march on Mystral soon, cutting through the floodplains and young forests to the north of the vital trade link, rather than the massive, old forests and marshlands that would have otherwise impeded their progress.


    It was a shame he was there to prevent that.


    He gestured at one of his men, who pulled out the emitter. When he had been told what they were about to do, he''d been horrified, but what choice did he have?


    With this, they would broadcast a signal that would awaken the defenses that surrounded the large lake within the wasteland. The lake that had once been a city...a city the God of Fire had murdered upon his return, slaughtering millions of innocents by bombing them from orbit upon his return.


    The more he worked with the Order, and the more he learned of the truth of the world...the more he was starting to wonder if they weren''t right. If their cause wasn''t...just.


    If only their methods weren''t so abominable.


    Orzal grabbed the remote, put his hand on the button, and...


    He froze, as the artifact glasses he was wearing flashed warnings. He became perfectly still, his brand new stealth systems fading him into the background.


    He was in the perfect spot to observe the advancing army, for he had wanted to gaze and remember what he had unleashed.


    But perfect meant that equally competent others would think of it as well, and his eyes darted as he saw the whispers of stealth fields. Not stealth composites like those of the Old World, but shrouds of energy.


    Divine technology. And not the low end either.


    He was surrounded by a strike team of Seraphims.


    He slowly, very slowly, loosened his holster, and prepared himself for annihilation. But to his amazement, a voice began speaking.


    "Adjudicator. There is no further sign of the heretics."


    "Then we must have gotten ahead of them." Answered another voice, coming from the ether, dispersed by the stealth field to prevent a lock on to its speaker. "Send your men below, and set up an ambush between those troops and the wasteland. This army mustn''t be stopped, at any cost."


    "Yes, adjudicator."


    The former colonel held his breath as the faint signatures moved on, one lingering behind the others, seemingly taking in the view. And he realized that his insistence on setting up well in advance and simply observing the army move in, in silence had just saved his life and that of his strike team.


    Their stealth, after all, wasn''t impenetrable...but a passively stealthed object not emitting energy and effectively immobile, as they had been for the last few hours, was damned near impossible to find. The Seraphims'' own tech even had the weakness of being faintly detectable at point blank range if they were moving, as they had just demonstrated.


    The colonel exchanged a glance with his second in command, whose distress he could read even through the camouflage.


    The mission was aborted...and high command needed to know. They were being followed.


    And the Seraphims were coming out to play.


    Well...looked like that regardless of his superiors'' wishes, they had the opportunity for a trap.


    He had to make a call.

 The Fallen World Book 1 is FREE TO KEEP on Kindle !

    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that The Fallen World Book 1, Dungeon Engineer, is FREE TO KEEP on Amazon Kindle for those interested. This is NOT a joke ! Here is the link if you''re interested : https://geni.us/DungeonEngineer</a>This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Merry (if slightly belated) Christmas everyone !


    P.S : Neither had the inspiratio nor time for a Christmas special, but I will try to do one when I have some juice.

 Chapter 325 - Fabrication

    Chapter 325


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Shipyard


    Alexandra smiled as the ship finished its docking sequence, and the unloading cranes deployed.


    So far, so good.


    "Now, be careful with it." She told Subtlety and Seraph. The older AI simply pointed at the giant pile of gravity manipulators, backup cranes and even entire mats of ''kinetic absorption material'', aka foam, lining the floor.


    "Affirmative. Precautions have been taken."


    The dungeon core chuckled.


    "Alright, alright! I''m just being a worrier."


    "Affirmative."


    Alexandra tilted her head. Was the AI giving her sass now?


    "Right."


    She watched as the stealthed container was carefully removed from the ship, then moved to a special holding area, and loaded onboard a train that looked like a pile of safety equipment more than anything.


    One of the simple upgrades her people had added to their logistics network had been to throw out the old minecart network, and replace it with a full train one. It wasn''t made for long trains and such, but it didn''t have to. The longest trips here were vertical, and she had cargo elevators for that.


    The trip to the fabrication chamber, the monster of industry where she had stored Seraph''s fabricators to constantly build her high tech spare parts, was a short one, with Alexandra and her AIs taking one of the express elevators, stepping out well before the container rolled in, and subsequently unloaded.


    "Alright." Alexandra cracked her neck as the golems opened the container. "Let''s get to it."


    *****


    "So, you''ll have to spend a while replicating them?" Said Allya, as she sipped on her hot chocolate.


    The archduchess looked a lot younger, and happier, than Alexandra had ever seen her. The same could be said for Pyn, for that matter, the newlyweds both looking a bit tired, but thoroughly fulfilled.


    "Yes." The dungeon core glanced at the elf, who was busy assembling toasts and then passing half over to her wife. "It''s the eternal battle. Do I produce the gear that I need now, or the industry I''ll need later? Since in this case I''m planning on buying time to begin with, I can afford to scale up a bit."


    "So you''ll just do industrial development for a bit?" Allya bit into her toast, spraying crumbs everywhere as she continued. "No offense, but Manson''s gonna ask questions."


    "I have some gear stockpiles to keep up the flow of ammo and reinforcements for a bit." Basically stuff she''d built after she''d sent the army. "But you''re right, the duke will wonder why there isn''t any of the new, experimental stuff. I can placate him a bit with the new munitions, it''s not like the enchanters can make fabricators anyway, even if I trusted them with them. But..."


    "But you''ll need my help."


    "Yep."


    "I can come up with some distractions, and keep him focused on something else." The archduchess took another sip of her hot chocolate. "But it''ll only last so long."


    "I don''t need much time. I''ve already set the fabricators to self replicate."


    "Not using your powers?" Said Pyn, before biting into her own toast.


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "I considered it, but it''s so damned expensive. Instead I have the other fabricators make all the parts they can to feed into the unlocked one. It speeds up the process..."


    "But one fabricator is still a hard bottleneck." Finished Allya.


    "Yep. A lot of the parts are locked out too, so it''s not like I''m fully using the other fabricators."


    "Right. But once you''re done?"


    "I''ve started serious development on fabricator made hardware, mainly low tech, for the war. Luckily, I should be able to keep up my ship and some of my mech production up and running, at least until I reach a certain stage in the fabricator numbers. Then I''ll have to switch to full replication."


    The elf, now archduchess consort, tilted her head.


    "Wait, if those fabricators will take all your money to run, how will you keep it up?"


    "They wouldn''t. One, because manufacturing all that other stuff will be less costly per fabrication time than building another fabricator. Golems aren''t expensive, in fact they''re dirt fucking cheap with these things, they just need time to make, hence why I need a lot of fabricators. Plus, I have to keep up golem production for the dungeon, but once I''m done with the fabricators, I can phase out my old mechanisms and save a ton of mana."


    "Why not do that in stages? Like, build four fabricators, set one aside for golem production, use the other three to build up, saving yourself money as you grow the capacity and keep up other productions on the side?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "I considered that, but I''m afraid of using up too much time for too little gain. This will be decided by a decisive battle at the end of a long string of attrition, not the attrition itself. Sunrise''s army won''t be defeated by a mere fighting retreat, no matter how bloody it is."


    "Provided they don''t grind you into the dust through that attrition." Warned Allya, and Alexandra nodded.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Provided they don''t. But still, I don''t think drip feeding new hardware would be a good idea."


    "Well, I guess you''ll have to rely on the human troops then, won''t you?"


    The dungeon core grimaced.


    "Yeah...I guess I''ll have to. That''ll be weird. No offense."


    "None taken. You always did kick more ass than my city guard."


    "Thinking of sending reinforcements?"


    Allya shook her head.


    "We''re already stretched thin with ensuring civil order, and we have your golems to help. We''re starting to get new recruits though. Lots of people are keen on fleeing the drafts and wars going on in the Republic and the Kingdom. With our small, all volunteer force, and your golems serving as the military, they figure they''ll be safe in Rebirth."


    Alexandra''s eyebrows rose.


    "Oh. I didn''t think of that."


    "Well, they''re growing the place quite a bit. It''s helping diversify from a pure dungeon economy. They''re also...well, they''re very eager to serve in the guard, interestingly enough. Since they basically equate it with a police force that''ll always be kept to guard the capital, which is now widely seen as both impregnable and surrounded by other fortress cities blocking all accesses, they figure it''s a safe bet, especially if we start doing something like kicking out draft dodgers."


    "Will you?"


    "No. The ''draft'' in Sarth is a peasant levy, they don''t have any military value, and the New Republic is only taking volunteers, everyone there is running from the Senate."


    "Ah. Speaking of..."


    "I''ve been briefed. The siege of Pavrow has begun."


    "They''re only setting up, but yeah. The other columns are moving towards their targets."


    "Think they''ll make it?"


    "The ones moving towards Gorromar? Yeah, absolutely. Harder to say for the one heading to Mystral. They''re hugging a death zone. One we attracted the most dangerous crap from, but still." And she had a sinking feeling the God of Fire would find a way to replace the ''horrors of the Old World'' there if they came to run out. The death zones were very clearly places the Custodians were trying to keep people away from. Which meant she needed to get in. "It''ll only take a minor force of automata to ruin their day, especially if they come in without warning."


    "Right. Reminds me, didn''t you have a gift for the New Republic? My advisors told me something to that effect."


    Alexandra chuckled, rubbing her neck, almost missing the fact that the archduchess blushed as she said that.


    "Yeah. I realized that two recon carriers was already almost overkill for the army up north, but I already have two more under production, and since their drones are suicide to use in the wasteland..."


    "You''re planning to give them over."


    "Kind of. They won''t have the blackbirds, I''m keeping that particular ace up my sleeve a secret for as long as possible." There was a reason the recon carriers snuck off on ''patrol'' from the army to launch and recover aircrafts. "But they''ll get the drones. It''ll be a nice boost. Though the ships won''t be ready for a bit."


    "I''m sure they''ll appreciate them. Not planning to sell them, though?"


    "Nope. it''s not like they can pay me, by and large. Besides which, I thought it was time we got this more into a friendly alliance than a professional agreement."


    "Uh huh. And does that have anything to do with a conversation with a certain Knight-Commander?"


    Alexandra dipped her head. She had told the two nobles about that little tidbit pretty much immediately after it happening. It was too important not to.


    "Yeah. Her insights...if we''re going to do this..."


    "We need them to actually want to be part of that Empire, not just have it be a necessity."


    "Yes. Jaghatan inevitability is nice and all..."


    "Jag...what?"


    Alexandra smiled.


    "Jaghatan was mongol political and economical scientist. Wrote extensively on why most nations on Earth consolidated into massive military and trading blocs like the European Federation or the UIS. His work created the concept of Jaghatan inevitability, where economical and political factors demand that nations begin regrouping and forming larger ones. Simply put, the challenges and cost of interplanetary colonization, combined with the very real risk of another nuclear exchange just left surviving nations no other solutions but to band together to enable expansion into space and defense from strategic attack."


    "Ah. And with the UDC''s collapse..."


    "That, and everything else going to hell, the same is happening, at least here, yeah. Or at least I certainly think so, and so do my programs."


    "Programs?"


    "I''ve started running a fair few strategic simulations, expanding on my psychohistory scripts. But yeah, Philia was right. We''re in the perfect position to unify both the Kingdom and the Republic under one banner, and once we do..."


    "The rest will fall in like dominos, they''ll have to, as the rest of the world burns down around them."


    "Exactly."


    "And a fully unified continent will give you an excellent core to expand outwards, won''t it?"


    Alexandra lowered her eyes as both nobles looked at her.


    "It will..."


    "I figured that was your eventual goal a long time ago."


    "And you''re fine with it."


    Allya closed her eyes.


    "It will bring us into conflict with the Eris Empire. If it still exists by the time we get there."


    "I suspect we will be in conflict with them long before then." Allya''s eyebrow rose, and Alexandra grimly chuckled. "That Erisian airfleet isn''t here by accident. And even if it was, the Order won''t pass up the chance for more chaos. Before this is over, we''ll be fighting them, even if only in some kind of accident."


    "That''ll be bloody."


    "It''s part of why I''m so keen on stopping everything to scale up. We''re going to need the advantage."


    "Fair enough. But the Empire...is not to be trifled with."


    Alexandra''s gaze hardened.


    "I know, neither am I."


    "I''m not joking. They rule half of the world." By population and industry, not territory, but Alexandra didn''t correct her, they both knew what she meant. "They have the power to squash you."


    "And I have the power to wipe them off of the face of Alcheryos." Said Alexandra, and the newlyweds exchanged a look. "Their gear is impressive, but push comes to shove, I have railguns, hovertanks and plasma cannons, and they don''t. Or at least, not in the quantities I can pump out."


    They both nodded.


    "Right. Just...do understand, they will bring their own Old World gear to the party, if ''push comes to shove'' as you say."


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "I know. I know. And I''m preparing for that." Well, preparing for the God of Fire to try and murder her, but that equipment would work just fine against the Eris Empire. "Do you expect them to send them in though?"


    "Honestly? Probably not. If you''re right, they''ll collapse long before it comes to that. But someone will inherit that hardware."


    "Right. And a warlord will be a hell of a lot more dangerous than a decaying Empire."


    "Exactly."


    "I suppose we''ll see when we come to it. Still, hope for the best.."


    "Plan for the worst. We''ll start working on trade now that we''re, uh..."


    "No longer occupied." Said Alexandra, diplomatically. After all, she''d done the same ''honey moon'' when Emilia had finally dragged her to bed.


    "Right. We''ll use those discussions, and Anders'' little talks with the Far Reach, to pave the way."


    "That''ll be helpful, thanks." Alexandra sighed as she received a notification. "But I''ll have to cut this short, enjoy the rest of the breakfast, you know the way out. Call if you need me, but..."


    "Back to the salt mines?"


    "Yeeep. Back to the salt mines."

 Chapter 326 - Battle Preparations

    Chapter 326


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Sarth-Asaria High Road


    "Almost there." Said Manson as he gazed at the holographic map hovering above the table.


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Almost. Though not quite."


    "How are our enemies doing?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "Their vanguard has grown. Quite a bit, in fact."


    The duke''s eyebrow rose.


    "Did the main army make it?"


    The dungeon core shook her head.


    "Not yet, no. They''ll beat us there, mind you, but they''re still a couple of days away." She had expanded her recon flights, the blackbirds amazingly useful now that they were travelling with the army in their carriers, and it hadn''t taken her long to stumble upon Sunrise''s main army. If anything had hammered home what they were facing, that was it. Seeing a million soldiers marching was...one hell of a sight. "No, it''s the garrisons."


    "Ah. Finally regrouped with their main army after running from us."


    "Yes. Those between here and Asaria also marched ahead of the main army."


    "How many?"


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "Hard to tell. But fifty, seventy five thousand more troops? A drop of water compared to their main force."


    "Indeed. But still, something worth keeping in mind."


    "Right. If nothing else, they''ve been able to build a fair few defensive emplacements."


    "Using them as labor?"


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "It''s not like the slaves have much else to do, and clearly the vanguard was exclusively made out of regulars. What, do you expect Sunrise''s high and mighty soldiers to do their own digging when there''s slaves to do the work?"


    "Ah! Fair enough."


    Alexandra smiled, before suppressing a frown. Something bugged her about those fortifications, ever since they''d begun building, and she couldn''t shake it off.


    They looked normal, but something was...off, about them.


    No, not the fortifications themselves. The way they were being constructed. She''d seen Sunrise tire their slaves to the bones digging in to fight her.


    Maybe they weren''t as desperate as the Southern Army, but it still struck her as odd. Against someone with superior technology and so much artillery she knew she''d want as much of an advantage as possible.


    Then again, they would soon have over a million slaves to help expand them. She was probably overthinking this.


    "At least we know how their vanguard got here so quickly." Said Philia, and Alexandra had to hide a wince.


    The Knight-Commander had gotten a lot gloomier, after their discussion. She''d been slowly sliding towards cynism throughout her entire tenure with Rebirth and then the Kingdom''s civil war, but now that she had the confirmation that her kingdom was about to be vassalized, and she was helping it come about, she seemed to have fallen into a resigned state.


    "Yes, we do. Clever, using their airborne cavalry like this, and having the garrisons along the way serve as resupply points." Said the duke, and the Earth-born barked out a laugh.


    "If by ''resupply point'' you mean ''stripping them bare'', then yes." Alexandra shook her head, though she had to admit it had been clever, allowing them to get all of their pegasus light cavalry and gryphon knights all the way here in record time, denying her the possibility of a forward marine assault to take the bridge. It would have been suicide, but without knowing exactly when she could come, and the speed of her army, they had no way of knowing her force wouldn''t arrive in time to reinforce the marines before Sunrise''s own host arrived. "It''s going to be a fucking wasteland from here to Asaria."


    "Probably, yes. Now, what do we do about it?"


    Alexandra shrugged.


    "For now, we don''t need a plan to deal with it. We might never have to. Once we arrive, we''ll engage them with artillery, and force them to come to us. Then, we try to ensnare them into a chase south. If they come far enough down with us, my reinforcements will break them, and we''ll march to Asaria unopposed."


    "And how likely is that to happen, in your opinion?"


    The dungeon core grinned.


    "Depends on if my new units are as good as I think they are. If I''m right, then they''re absolutely fucked."


    "And if you''re wrong?"


    "Then it will be a bloodbath, and we will pave the entire high road with bodies."


    Only grim silence answered her.


    After a tense dozen seconds, and the atmosphere began to grow oppressive, Alexandra cleared her throat.


    "Regardless, our forces have already gone over to the high road, so at least our mobility issues are gone. And with the sappers and our civilians repairing and expanding the road net behind us, we''ll be able to pull back a lot faster than we came in. Not to mention it won''t be big enough to accommodate Sunrise''s whole force, so they''ll either move a hell of a lot more slowly or have to disperse."


    "They won''t disperse, and invite defeat in detail." Said Philia. "You''ve made ample examples of what happens when someone does this against you. General Amelia, the Old World constructs, the Alesian fortresses..."Stolen story; please report.


    "Yeah. So they''ll bull their way through. Unfortunately, they have the manpower to punch their way in and create the infrastructure necessary to move. Fortunately, that still loses them time."


    "Once we''re here and further south, sure, but we''ll do the first few engagements in the flood plains." Warned Manson. "They need only march through the fields, even if the high road doesn''t accommodate them."


    "Agreed. But in a battle of movement in open terrain, the advantage goes to the one with the armored divisions." That''s a lesson her homeland learned the hard way, before deploying it in tandem with those who had taught it to them during the Terran Hegemony War, and then against the Pan-Asian Confederacy during the Interplanetary Wars. "I have tanks and mechs, they don''t."


    "But they do have cavalry. Air and ground."


    "True. Which is why this won''t be a cakewalk. But we have the initiative, that counts for a lot. Besides which, rushing us with the cavalry if part of our army is dug in while another part retreats, especially if both are covered by airships and artillery, would be madness. And thanks to my blackbirds we''ll have ample advance warning of any attack."


    "Very well. Now, as for our battle formation..."


    *****


    "Greetings, doctor." Said Allya as the scholar entered her office. "It''s a pleasure to see you again."


    Hexamarch Mortell, doctor of the university of New Raleigh, nodded.


    "Please, the pleasure is all mine." His outfit was remarkably modern looking, a fairly sharp suit completed with a bowler hat, that he promptly took off and pressed to his chest. "You honor me with your time, especially so early after your wedding, and during such a critical time."


    "Why, thank you. Take a seat, doctor."


    The man nodded, and did as he was bid. Allya looked him and down, then sighed.


    "Doctor, if you''ll allow me to be blunt?"


    "Of course!"


    "Why the fuck did Rook send an operative to my damned city? I thought we had an understanding."


    The doctor didn''t even look surprised, he simply smiled.


    "You did, and still do. I''m here to serve as a liaison as well as a good professor."


    "Liaison?"


    "Between your own secret service and New Raleigh''s intelligence unit."


    "I have..." Nothing as formal as a secret service, but truth be told her old assassin sect had been filling that role, hadn''t that it? For that matter, so had Alexandra and her golems. "Several objections. Notably, the lack of warning."


    "I''m afraid Rook didn''t have the luxury of telling you, as more important matters are currently in his hands, and truth be told the message to the twins got lost in translation. And once I was there...I decided it was better if I told you in person, and in private."


    "I see. You are nearing the end of your preparations, aren''t you?"


    The professor inclined his head.


    "We are getting close. Though I''m afraid I cannot be more precise."


    "Close enough to prevent the coming battle?"


    The professor''s silence and grim expression was all the answer she needed.


    "Well then, I suppose we''ll just have to buy you more time then."


    Hexamarch brightened up.


    "You''ll delay the assault?"


    "We''ll delay the decisive battle." Pyn was rubbing off on her. They were planning on making this a long fighting retreat anyway, and her first instinct was now to see if she could do it as a ''favor''. There were benefits to everyone thinking you were allied with an unstoppable beast of war and the only person in existence capable of holding them back. Like Starvak did, though the guild master had kept quiet for a while now, as the dungeon core had rolled over the UDC. "But not indefinitely."


    The professor nodded.


    "Of course." He winced. "What...would you like, in thanks for such consideration?"


    Allya leaned forward.


    "Your future support."


    "Support for...what, exactly?"


    Allya smiled.


    "Global operations, of course. I do not believe the UDC will stop there, and neither does Crystal. When they strike again, and they will, it may become necessary to retaliate...wherever they may be. When that becomes the case, I would like to call upon you to assist us."


    "New Raleigh''s capacity for power projection are limited."


    "Don''t bullshit me. You train guerillas and extract liberated slaves from all over the world. Your network of sympathizers and black ops make the dark elf''s syndicate look like a joke. If we need a strike team deployed across the world..."


    The doctor leaned back into his seat as he played with his hat.


    "Will you kill them?"


    He didn''t need to precise who the ''them'' was.


    "No. But we will contain them."


    "Deal."


    Allya had to stop herself from swallowing.


    He hadn''t said he needed to contact his superiors or anything.


    She might have seriously underestimated his rank within New Raleigh''s intelligence...and how badly Rook wanted to stay on friendly terms with Rebirth.


    "Very well." Allya looked at him, and decided that not pursuing the subject was the wisest course of action. Something told her that the ruler of New Raleigh would explain himself in person. She just hoped he came in with less drama this time. They''d never been able to get some of the scorch march from Alexandra''s breaching charges out of the wood in her cabin. "So, how goes setting up the library?"


    "Everything is going apace! We''ve run into minor difficulties with breaking ground, there appeared to have been some misunderstanding with how deep we required a cellar, but that has been cleared up."


    "Cellar?"


    "Of course! A library this far from the university will require printing presses and all the material storage to run them and store their output."


    "Ah. I see. And the branch you were planning on opening?"


    The doctor shrugged.


    "Currently simply on paper, I''m afraid. We are planning to move professors and begin a full academia, but we will only do so once the library is fully up and running. It was deemed the...priority."


    Allya nodded. It was, after all, Rook''s payment for them letting the twins go and letting the flow of ingredients go through for breaking the brands, or whatever the hell he was doing.


    "Of course. And how fare the twins with all this?"


    She hadn''t seen them in a bit, though they had been present at the marriage, they had excused themselves from the reception afterwards fairly quickly.


    "They are currently taking a vacation. After so much overtime and stress, they amply deserve it."


    Allya nodded.


    "I can understand that. Do they intend to...leave Rebirth?"


    Hexamarch shook his head as he waved his hat for emphasis.


    "No, no, of course not. But they do intend to take something of a sabbatical, and work on personal projects."


    "Well, it is more than fair that they get some time to themselves."


    "Indeed. They have also reported something...interesting to me."


    "Which is?"


    "The arm."


    Their gazes met.


    Alexandra had, in exchange for increasing the production of the ingredients the twins, and Rook, needed, had them make a cybernetic arm for her former party member and healer, Alyssa. Whose adventuring party was currently regularly doing delves into the dungeon, always with above average luck in loot and damage, though Allya had to decline their invitations to join them.


    "And?"


    "Who is that adventurer, to the dungeon core, I wonder?"


    "The death of you, your agents, and our arrangements with your boss." Answered the archduchess, with the same tone of voice she would use when discussing the weather. Her gaze however, burned with warning...and utter sincerity.


    The doctor recoiled as if physically struck, and nodded.


    "Very well. I will...cease my enquiries."


    "Good." Allya smiled, and she saw him shiver. Yeah, asshole, you''re not the only one with surprises. "Would you care for some hot chocolate, before you go?"


    The professor nodded, somewhat choppily, and Allya poured him a mug.


    She suspected the message would go through fully. If not...well, push came to shove, Alexandra would take care of it.


    And she, for one, wouldn''t bet on the good doctor.

 Chapter 327 - The Clash

    Chapter 327


    Kamiran Floodplains, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Sarth-Asaria High Road


    Alexandra sighed as she closed the blackbird''s report, gazing at the war council assembled on the So Much For Subtlety''s bridge, Manson, Philia, Rim and half a dozen other officers.


    "Alright, no change into the enemy. They''re still digging in, and trying to be clever."


    The duke grimaced.


    "Do you they seriously thing those pontoon bridges will allow them to surprise us?"


    "I think they''ll expect them to scare us into pulling back from assault on the main bridge. Which...isn''t that bad of a strategy, honestly." Alexandra shrugged. "If nothing else, it''ll force me to divert some artillery fire away from them."


    "Well, better to be overestimated in this case."


    "Indeed. Alright then, let''s reconvene this evening." Alexandra looked at the hologram on the projector, showing the advancing army, with its armored spearhead, backed up by cavalry. "If we continue at this rate of advance, our vanguard will be in range to engage tomorrow. Better stop early, dig in, and take a good night of rest before that. And as a bonus, we''ll have a fallback position."


    Everyone nodded.


    "I will rejoin my troops then." Said the duke and the Knight-Commander, almost simultaneously, and Alexandra chuckled.


    "Of course. I''ll have the Tetsudo carry you off."


    "Much appreciated."


    Alexandra inclined her head. Technically all the officers here had featherfall enchantments on their armor, they could literally just jump off the ship, but the courtesy was the least she could do.


    "Alright then. See you this evening!"


    *****


    The duchess looked at the horizon, where the aircraft had vanished.


    "Has it gone home to roost?" She asked her spymaster, who closed his eyes, and nodded.


    "Yes. Our rogues report that it has."


    "Good." She turned back towards her assembled officers. "Riders of Dawn! Today is your day to shine! Today is your day of victory! For Surnise!"


    "FOR SUNRISE! LONG LIVE THE DUCHESS! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" Screamed out the assembled officers, soon picked up by their knights.


    The duchess gestured, and thousands of soldiers swarmed over their mounts.


    And a few minutes later, a veritable tide of pegasus and gryphons rose into the skies...mounts that hadn''t had to ride in days, been carefully fed and allowed to rest for this very moment.


    The airships didn''t follow. They were too large, to easy to detect thanks to their powerful engines and magic hungry systems.


    The duchess watched as the gryphons rose, her nephew among them, and she did something she hadn''t done in decades.


    She prayed. Prayed to whatever God of the pantheon may be listening. To grant her and her people victory against those who would destroy her world.


    Maybe, just maybe, one of them would listen.


    Unlike when she had prayed for the life of her parents, as the King was preparing their executions.


    But divine assistance or no...the die was cast.


    *****


    Alexandra grimaced as she gazed at the prototype.


    Okay, fabricators or no, she was going to have to dial it back down for the basic infantry. Quality over quantity was all well and good, but numbers had a quality all of their own and-


    ALERT: RECON DRONE 6 REPORTS ENEMY CONTACT


    ALERT: RECON DRONE 6 REPORTS MANY ENEMY CONTACTS


    ALERT: RECON DRONE 6 OFFLINE


    Alexandra was out of her avatar and her full attention was on her ambassador golem in less than a second.


    "Status?" She asked as the golem stood up on the So Much For Subtlety''s bridge.


    "One of our recon drones has sighted hostiles between us and Sunrise''s army." Said Subtlety as the AI''s hologram flickered. "Inloading Omega databurst now."


    The holographic projector chimed, and an image appeared above it. For a second, Alexandra thought she was looking at a storm cloud of some kind, until she saw the edges.


    Edges made up of pegasus. Pegasus and Gryphons.


    Oh fuck.


    "Battle stations!" Alexandra scrambled and slammed her fist on the big red button in the center of the captain''s console. "Get the entire army into combat formation, NOW!"


    "Aye aye!"


    Alarms sounded throughout the ship and the army below. Some of the human soldiers milled around, confused, but most of them fell into a well drilled routine, thanks to the Knight-Commander''s relentless exercises, even on the march.


    The artillery train stopped dead in its tracks, and the golems and humans began unlimbering the guns, as riflemen and pikemen formed a square around them. Meanwhile the entire army started collapsing in on itself, turning from a marching column into something approaching a combat formation.


    But even reacting as fast as they did...


    Alexandra saw the icons pop up on the sensor systems, as more drones were sent to their deaths to buy more information.


    She saw the enemy''s speed, and she swore.


    It wouldn''t be enough.


    "Get the guns ready for anti air mode!" Were she a betting woman -which Emilia relentlessly winning and then turning that against her in increasingly lewd ways had very much convinced her not to be-, she would put all her money on them trying to bum rush the artillery in a dive attack. "We''re about to have company!"


    She gazed, nervously, as the guns were readied. Too slow, too slow, too-


    Sunrise''s air cavalry was flying nape of the Earth, and they simply appeared in visual range, almost without warning.


    Her ships opened fire, but the enemy simply ignored them. Her fleet, even with the Subtlety, was too diminished to be the real threat. No, her ground force was.


    Seemed like they''d learned the lesson from the UDC''s little incursion.


    Her army opened fire. For the first time since it had been formed, many of Sarth''s troops or the Kaidani volunteers used their guns in anger.


    Wards glittered as bullets were swatted aside with something almost like contempt, and magic answered from the seething mass of cavalry.


    Fortunately, Alexandra was equally well prepared, and the spells withered and died on her formation wards.


    Then, the cavalry closed the gap, and dove.


    They couldn''t dive directly onto the guns. The wards prevented that. But they did try to land and punch through the infantry.


    Unfortunately for them, those were her army''s elite. A mix of golems, Sarth''s ducal guard and Philia''s remaining royal knights.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    And unfortunately for her, the other side was Sunrise''s.


    Soldiers screamed and died as a solid phalanx of gryphons tried to dive in for the kill, plowing through the tightly packed square of infantry.


    Alexandra''s finest died...but every meter forward had to be bought with blood.


    Blood...and time.


    Time Sunrise no longer had.


    The guns opened fire, and Sunrise''s vanguard vanished. Well trained, essence gorged knights on mythical beasts or no, nothing was going to survive the fire of a thousand artillery pieces at point blank range.


    More kept pouring in however, but it was clear that the other side was changing tactics. Instead of trying to force themselves onto the artillery, which was already being reinforced by more and more infantry, living and automata alike, they landed...and attempted to cut the column in half, before it could form into a coherent battle line, and defeat the army in detail.


    Alexandra noted that the enemy''s air cavalry declined to attempt a full encirclement of the army, instead opting to concentrate their force into a single coherent frontline, with dedicated spearheads of gryphon knights, using the mass of the lighter pegasus cavalry as support and cannon fodder.


    Whoever was in command on the other side had clearly singled out the Kaidani volunteers as the weak link within the army, and focused their thrust there, to attempt to sunder the entire formation.


    It had backfired spectacularly. The Kaidanis were fighting like demons, with a fervor that made even Alexandra uncomfortable. She saw entire squads drag armored knights from their saddle and then dogpile them, tearing through their armor until they could finally reach the screaming soldier within, uncaring of the fact that the same knight was killing them in droves with bursts of magic or wild swing of their enchanted weapons. Some, who were wearing some kind of makeshift metal mask, were being especially vicious, outright ignoring their own wounds and throwing themselves in suicidal attacks if it meant taking one more knight with them.


    But even with this insane bravery, they still fell to the enemy''s blades and sorcery. And the units around them were driven back as the Kaidanis held their ground, Sunrise''s pegasus cavalry flowing around the knights to widen the gap.


    They had successfully cut off her army''s vanguard, the cavalry and armored units now fully encircled, as the rest of Sunrise''s force tried to pin the rest of her force in place.


    Sarth''s cavalry tried to punch through as the spearhead was separated from the army, but they were thrown back, and for a horrible minute, it seemed like the vanguard would be surrounded and annihilated.


    Then the Mackie arrived.


    Having rushed back from the front at the start of the engagement, it hadn''t actually fired yet, outside of a few bursts of machinegun fire at targets of opportunity flying overhead.


    It came to a halt right beyond the seething frontline, and for a split second, everyone stopped, as the combatants glanced at the massive creature of metal, towering over them.


    The Mackie made sure of its targets.


    And fired.


    All in all, despite its impressive armaments, two howitzers, twin rocket pods, a double barreled autocannon and a few machineguns weren''t that much in the grand scheme of such a battle. Even the missile launcher wouldn''t make a big difference.


    Except that the lion''s share of her special, enchanted ammunition had been reserved for the mech...and it could unleash it at point blank range.


    The howitzers fired first. Two barrels spit out hundred of projectiles from their canister rounds straight into the mass of Sunrise''s pegasus cavalry.


    And halfway through their flight, their enchantments triggered. The air crackled with energy as arcs of electricity leapt wildly between the cannister rounds.


    Neither the electricity nor the projectiles were enough to actually kill the beasts or their riders...but as the shots buried themselves into their targets'' bodies, their second peculiarity emerged. Those were not made out of steel, but tungsten, surviving the impact...and the enchantments continued to discharge their energy.


    The entirety of Sunrise''s frontline screamed and spasmed as they fell, electricity raging through their nerves.


    Screams that vanished as Sarth''s cavalry washed over them, slavers falling silent as iron clod hooves reduced their heads and bodies to so much pulp.


    The Mackie marched forward, its autocannon turret swinging like a metronome, letting loose a barrage of hell, its rounds exploding into spears of energy, shattering wards and throwing riders out of their saddles.


    Then the machineguns focused on those whose barriers were down. High caliber bullets lodged themselves in enchanted armor plates and essence infused flesh...and activated their enchantments.


    The bullets sparked with energy, and began glowing red hot, before beginning to liquefy, molten metal infiltrating the cracks in the armor or gaping wounds in the screaming warriors.


    Every step of it was designed to incapacitate. Alexandra knew that the Mackie was an impressive piece of equipment, but it was a force multiplier for the ground forces. Its greatest strength was its support, not its own power.


    The vanguard lurched forward, plowing through the pegasus cavalry that had poured in, and the gryphon knights whirled to meet them.


    Magic screamed through the air, as the paladins and mages among them unleashed their power upon the mech, and the machine staggered back as its shields were hammered.


    But while they focused on it...the spider tanks had rushed to the forefront.


    There weren''t that many of them. Not after the battle of Ytakan with the UDC. But there were enough, especially with the gatling one front and center.


    Sunrise''s best staggered back from the onslaught. This time there were no canister shots, no fancy enchantments. Just shells, steel, gunpowder and cold hatred.


    Their assault upon the Mackie faltered, and the mech regained its momentum. A fired again.


    This time, the howitzers weren''t first, as the mech leaned forward slightly, and unleashed its rocket pods.


    Most of the rockets didn''t do anything. They simply screamed through the air, and impotently pinged off of barriers.


    The ones who worked however...


    Dozens of wards came down as the null warheads activated, and the mass of Sunrise elite staggered back as the Mackie unloaded its entire pods into them, annihilating their magical protections.


    Then it righted itself again...and the rest of its weapons opened up.


    Two wave of kinetic energy erupted from the shells the howitzers spat out. They weren''t the magnificent vortex of destruction of pulse warheads, but nor were they intended to be. Unexpectedly bereft of their wards, the knights staggered, the mages thrown about and rendered incapable from focusing and summoning their magic once more, to weave back some form of protection around themselves.


    And the autocannon and machineguns swung about lazily, picking them off with inhuman precision, sensor pods tagging every single person that had thrown a spell at the Mackie.


    The machinegun rounds hadn''t changed. Molten metal was wonderfully versatile when it came to killing people, and regardless, there was only so many types of ammo and internal ammunition switching mechanisms Alexandra could afford.


    An allowance she had focused on the autocannons. The turret seamlessly switched between ammo belts, and the first two rounds, loaded into the barrels, were the previous spears of energy...and the next were balls of eldritch blue fire.


    Some of the mages had a split second to scream in utter horror as they recognized the spells, a split second before the rounds hit them...and the spirit fire spells latched onto their cores.


    This was the same magic Emilia had threatened Allya with upon their first meeting, back when she was just another adventurer. A magic considered so horrific many hesitated to use it, and one which Emilia had refused to teach the dungeon core.


    But the archmage she had captured, and locked into a simulation had no such compuctions.


    The spells latched onto the mages cores...and began devouring them, ripping out their essence and converting it into more of the insatiable flames.


    The spellcasters fell to the ground, spasming as blue flames erupted from their eyes and mouths. Some, more resilient or simply luckier than others, fell unconscious as their damaged cores managed to extinguish the inferno.


    Others...did not, and explosions rocked the battlefield as their cores, gorged on mana in preparation for the battle, came undone, releasing their stored energy in cataclysmic blasts, tearing ragged holes into the enemy formation.


    The Mackie plowed forward, heavily armored feet rising above Sunrise''s cavalry, and coming down on gryphons and heavily armored riders alike, its machineguns firing in every possible direction as the autocannons continued their grim harvest of mages.


    Sunrise''s elite were good. Very good. But they were also nobles, one and all...with a functional self preservation instinct.


    They broke, and for the first time in living memory, the best the slaver duchy had to offer cut and ran like beaten slaves fearing the lash, fleeing for the safety of their advancing army.


    Officers rose from the main battle, and flew over to them, trying to rally the warriors.


    Unfortunately for them, Alexandra had been waiting for exactly this kind of stupidity, born out of the minds of nobles used to distances being a massive impediment to ranged weapons in medieval warfare, even if you were able to be seen by the enemy, and more importantly, not expecting that the enemy would have AIs capable of tracking you even after you went into the throng of fleeing soldiers. The So Much For Subtlety''s launchers cycled, and wave after wave of interceptor missiles screamed out, quickly joined by the Mackie''s own.


    The officers fell like flies, and the fleeing knights dispersed, trying to flee their own officers, fearing for their lives, shattering even the faintest hope of bringing them back together.


    But the rest of Sunrise''s force still bore onto the army, slowly carving their way towards the artillery, the only thing holding them at bay. They came forward, step by step. And the Mackie, no matter how formidable it was, could only be in one place at a time, as the vanguard rejoined the main army and folded into it.


    Alexandra looked up from the holographic display, and glanced at Subtlety.


    "We need to break contact. If we don''t, they''ll pin us down until the whole damned army arrives, and if that happens, we''re all dead." She closed her eyes. This was exactly the situation they were there for, but...there was no telling what would be people''s reactions to using them. Having weapons of the Old World was an entirely different matter from using them, just like nukes on Earth. "Fire the plasma missiles."


    "Aye aye, firing plasma!" Barked out the AI.


    One minute, Sunrise''s remaining gryphon knights and pegasus cavalry pushed grimly forward, slowly being annihilated or routed by the Mackie, making its way down the army, but not nearly quickly enough for it to matter.


    The next, their entire backline was reduced to its component atoms.


    The missiles didn''t even fly. They fired from the launchers, and the same instant they were there. Their drives, meant to propel them to fight spaceships, accelerated them to almost eleven kilometers per second, the speed necessary for a spacecraft to escape Earth''s orbit and fly off into the solar system.


    Each missile, roughly a cubic meter''s worth of electronics, propulsion systems, metamaterials and high density alloys, almost fourteen tons in total, hit with the kinetic energy of two hundred tons of TNT, the yield of a vest pocket nuclear warhead or the UIS'' infamous ''Davy Crockett 2.0'' tactical nuclear rockets.


    The plasma warheads were just the cherry on top, unleashing a wave of coherent energy accompanied by a blast of arcane power that destabilized shields and wards, allowing the following blast to punch through the barriers like they weren''t even there.


    Alexandra watched in horror as the wave of destruction died out. Refusing to use it to get the vanguard out...had been a wise choice. Even with using it on the enemy''s back line, their support and mages, at least a tenth of the dead were her own people. Had she used them in place of the Mackie, she''d have done the enemy''s job for them.


    She shook herself. There was no time to ponder. She screamed orders, and musicians as well as radios carried them to the troops below.


    "EVERYONE PULL BACK! Grab every body or wounded one of ours you can and go. The tanks will buy you time!"


    The soldiers were well drilled by this point, and even the most undisciplined amongst the Kaidani volunteers wouldn''t dream of disobeying her orders. The human troops fell back, dragging wounded comrades and fallen allies alike with them, Alexandra even noting distantly that they seemed to be applying that directive to her golems as well, though not carrying a metallic husk over a biological ones when there was a choice.


    Surise''s troops milled hesitantly. The attack had shaken them, and all were darting looks of pure horror at the screams of the dying in their back lines, and the ominous battlecruiser hovering before them.


    That, combined with their officers so foolishly exposing themselves, caused them to hesitate. They didn''t pursue the fleeing troops closely enough.


    And the tanks rolled between the two clashing armies like a tsunami, the Mackie at the helm, running parallel to the retreating line of humans and golems, unleashing hell with their guns, doing a drive by to an entire army, the Mackie''s torso turned sideways as its legs ran it forward unimpeded.


    Sunrise''s troops staggered back. And by the time they got their courage back, the army had already broken contact, the lines reforming into a coherent wall of spears and pikes, slowly marching backwards as the artillery began leapfrogging back, half thundering and covering the retreat while the other half ran backwards to new firing positions.


    They could have pressed on still. But the missiles and the tanks had shattered their momentum. The apparently invulnerable Mackie, its shields glittering under the half hearted spell attacks from the surviving mages and paladins, the constant pounding of the guns, and the death of much of their officers prevented them, hell, even convinced them, from regaining it.


    Sunrise''s air cavalry mounted a few timid, token attempts to regain contact, and fell back.


    The battle was over.

 Chapter 328 - Debriefing

    Chapter 328


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Command Center


    Allya swallowed.


    "So?" She asked, her voice strangled. "How many?"


    "We lost fifteen thousand people. Half...half of which were left behind." Said Alexandra, as if every word caused her physical pain. "And about five thousand golems."


    "Merciful Earth Goddess..." Said the archduchess.


    That was almost a sixth of the entire army. Annihilated in a few minutes.


    "How did they pull it off?" Asked Pyn.


    "It''s my fault." Said Alexandra as she bent her head. "I...Damn it, I should have made contingencies! I got overconfident. Thought my blackbirds were basically invisible. With the UDC''s fleet crippled and their sensor net down..."


    "Are you sure it''s-"


    "Pyn. They shot them down the second I sent them back to scout what was going on." Alexandra closed her eyes. "And they waited for my recon to fly over them before launching their assault. I told them exactly when to strike."


    "That''s not true." Said Allya softly, and the archduchess raised her hand as Alexandra opened her mouth, forestalling the dungeon core. "They would have attacked anyway. The only thing this did was making sure they wouldn''t be discovered too early...and so what? If we hadn''t had the blackbirds, we wouldn''t have seen it coming any earlier anyway, would we? Did it make us too confident? Maybe, but you still had those drones up, which saved the entire army."


    Alexandra closed her mouth. Allya''s tone and glare brokered no arguments. And it wasn''t frustration either, there was...sympathy in her gaze.


    The dungeon looked around the command center, and saw only agreement with the noble''s words.


    Damn it, what had she done to deserve friends like these?


    "Alright. But still, we''ve lost our long range recon."


    "Not fully." Piped in Subtlety. "Their airships are still detectable far outside of the enemy''s interception range."


    "True, but that doesn''t mean they can''t use them as decoys." Retorted the dungeon core, and the AI shrugged.


    "Perhaps. But we will still be able to know the location of their air units."


    "Fair enough." Alexandra smiled. "I guess we''re back to reconnaissance the old fashioned way."


    "With drones to help." Corrected the AI.


    "The drones will get shot down too quickly. They''ll serve as a tripwire just fine, but we can''t use them to breach their skirmisher screen. No, we''ll need something that can haul ass."


    Allya looked at the dungeon core, and a small smile appeared on her lips.


    "The Mackie?"


    "And our armored units in general." Confirmed Alexandra. "Though we''ll have to look about making some specialized recon spider tanks, the mythril prototypes already there have enhanced mobility, they should do fine for now."


    "Let''s hope."


    "So..." Pyn shrugged as everyone looked at her. "What do we do now?"


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "We follow our old plan. Despite the current changes, it''s still our best bet."


    "Their apparent willingness and increased aggressiveness will have to be taken into consideration for operational matters." Said Seraph.


    The dungeon core nodded.


    "It will. If they''re willing to send their elites forward, rather than use the slaves as an ablative meat shield, we''ll have to adapt how we go about it, but the base idea is sound. At least, our retreat and the bloodying of their finest has made them pause for now. Let''s get some distance, let them gain some confidence, then we''ll start laying out our...surprises." Her wolfish smile was mirrored by her companions. "We''ll see how much of their confidence remains then. And once they hesitate...I only need so much time to ready my hammer."


    *****


    "We are continuing on the analysis of all of the blackbirds'' footage." Said Glitch as Alexandra leaned on the railing. With the size of the fabricators and now the need -and ability- to modify them, she had a vast network of catwalks and maintenance rooms set into the fabrication room. "If they found them by observing their launch or flight we''ll find it."


    "Good." The dungeon core looked as one of the fabricators beeped, and opened, allowing a golem to withdraw the part from within, and carry it to its twin, slowly being put together. "What of our industrial scale up?"


    "Continuing apace. Two weeks until we reach the desired number of fabricators for current strategic operations."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "And the optimal one? To fully replace all of our dungeon production?"


    The AI shrugged.


    "Unclear. Current production is...fluctuating."


    Alexandra grimaced. It definitely was.


    They had been around long enough that the ready local supply of adventurers had been thoroughly drained, in the Republic and the Kingdom both. Though, ironically, in some ways the wars were starting to help with immigration, as people were fleeing the fighting and various drafts, from being turned into soldiers or simply used as requisitioned labor.


    That wasn''t even counting the ones they had rescued with the army, and who were very keen on being shipped to Rebirth, the ''impregnable fortress'', that had survived the relentless assaults of the Republic and the Old World, quickly gaining a reputation to equal Sarth''s.


    Plus, the economic activity, the opportunities...


    In any case, the dungeon was starting to see some weird stuff, with some adventurers coming from farther and farther to not only delve but also equip themselves with processed dungeon loot. It was kind of odd, having high ranking adventurers coming in, testing weapons and tactics, before heading out and going back to wherever they came from. But it also distorted their statistics and production needs.


    "Fluctuating or no, we have an average, do we not?"


    "Affirmative. If the average continues...six months."


    "Six months?!?"


    "If we wish to sustain military operations without diverting fabricators and funding to this endeavor."


    Alexandra grimaced.


    "Alright, fair enough. How are we with scaling up the NLR core?"


    "Mana accumulation is ongoing." One of her key problems was that she couldn''t directly use the mana from the NLR core for her dungeon stuff. Which, since raw materials were the primary cost with fabricator made stuff, made it unaffected by her current diversion of resources. She still had a lot of surplus, but she''d rather not be caught with her pants down again and have to start drawing mana from her dungeon core rather than the NLR. "One month, approximately."


    The dungeon core smiled.


    "Excellent. Then we are still on schedule." Alexandra sighed. "Now let''s hope the army can hold on."


    "Subtlety has a report about the progress of the sappers."


    "She''ll be my next stop then." The dungeon core shook her head. "Sunrise has to be ecstatic to see us running with our tail between our legs. Let''s make sure we take them down a peg or two."


    *****


    "To our victory! To Sunrise!" Said the duchess, as she raised her goblet.


    "To Sunrise!" Clamored her officers, as they toasted.


    She smiled, and drank deeply, before sitting down, kicking off the banquet.


    Slaves plied the tables with food, or their bodies for some of the more hands on nobles, and the vast tent dissolved into the hubhub of conversation.


    The duchess exchanged small talk with the nobles at her table, while keeping an eye on the whole room.


    Her spymaster had been right. There was...tension, here. Despite their heroic victory -and damn it, it had been one!-, pushing the seemingly unstoppable dungeon back, there was nervousness within her people.


    More worryingly, the ones at her table, those who had covered themselves in glory during the battle, were the most nervous of them all. They were the ones who had fought the dungeon''s troops face to face, and seen for themselves the lack of their vaunted invulnerability and unwillingness to retreat. But the losses taken...Some were still nursing wounds, while others were in the grip of the sickness that afflicted those brought back from the dead.


    There were already whispers among her officers of a pyrrhic victory. And others...Others were saying it had been too easy, and were waiting for the other boot to drop.


    Her eyes flickered as she spotted a man weaving through the crowd. Her spymaster was a noble, by her hand, but he tried to keep to the shadows as much as possible. Few recognized him or cared, but those who did zeroed in like attack dogs, knowing that if he was there, then something was happening. Something that couldn''t wait.


    The spymaster made his way to the duchess, and slipped by her side, whispering into her ear.


    "Your grace, the Brigadier has recovered. He has been healed. My agents says our enemies may involved in his recovery."


    The duchess'' goblet creaked as her hand threatened to crush it, before she relaxed, leaving an indentation into the bejeweled piece of silverware.


    Several of the nobles at her table exchanged looks of alarm, before continuing their conversations as the spymaster''s gaze swept the area, clearly deciding that discretion was the better part of valor.


    "Very well. We now know without doubt that he has sold out." Said the duchess, before glaring at the spymaster as he opened his mouth to protest. "Don''t tell me that this proves nothing. It fits too neatly. Now, find me who, exactly, did that, so that I may impale them alongside him when I am victorious."


    Unless those persons happened to be the archduchesses of Rebirth. She had something...special in mind for these two.


    "Yes, your grace." Said the spymaster, before slinking away, and the duchess went back to exchanging with her nobles, as if nothing had happened.


    But all could see the edge in her eyes. Two step forwards, one damned step back...


    Whoever was actually behind all this on the other side, and she was becoming less and less certain it was the archduchesses, or even the dungeon, they knew which pressure points to push. If the southern army turned against her officially...


    Right now, it had gone rogue in all but name, but everything in politics was a matter of perception. The neutral nobles flocking to the crown had already shaken her allies, having one of her two field armies -three, now, with the force entrenched around Asaria, pinning down the royal army-, no matter how small it was compared to her main force would shatter their confidence in her. Might even drive some to desertion.


    Or outright rebellion. There would be some desperate that throwing her head at the feet of their majesties would buy them mercy. It would be folly, with the scale of devastation unleashed, and their almost victory...the King, no matter how gentle he appeared to be, would have to reap a rich harvest of noble heads.


    That wasn''t even mentioning the creation of the two archduchies.


    Which reminded her of the symbolism of this feast. While the slaves cleared the wreckage of the battle for nobles to resurrect or whatever could be salvaged, including a not so insignificant stockpile of enemy weapons, though unfortunately no artillery, they were here, eating and drinking...on the southern bank of the Kamira river. Which, according to their majesties'' peace plan, belonged to Rebirth. For the first time in this war, if you discounted their ''allies'' in the Republic, or what little was left of it, they were taking the war to the nascent archduchy.


    Technically.


    It wasn''t as much of a reassurance and symbol as she had hoped it would be.


    Especially as, even during their triumph, news continued trickling in of the Republic''s imminent collapse, its social unrest and incompetence. The senate was unwilling to do what needed to be done, and use the brands she had generously gifted them. Cowards.


    One needed a strong hand, and not hesitate to be bold.


    Speaking of...


    The duchess grabbed one of her maids as she served her mistress, and unceremoniously drew the young woman onto her lap.


    The maid didn''t protest, and no one even blinked. Plenty of that was already happening all around with the serving slaves after all, and the duchess smiled as she saw the hatred burning deep within the maid''s eyes as she kissed her. Bottomless hatred...lying within the eyes of the heiress of the duchy of Molro, now reduced to her pet.


    Yes, she had something special indeed planned for the archduchesses...if she managed to get to them.


    And if she managed to keep her army of cowards, sycophants and doubters in line until then.

 Chapter 329 - Ambush

    Chapter 329


    Lost Sands Death Zone


    Ruins of Chiron, Outskirts


    "You are certain the signal disappeared here?" Asked the Adjudicator, as she gazed at the gigantic lake, a miniature sea really, arrayed before her.


    The ruins of the Old World always unsettled her, but these more than most. That city had been annihilated, not by heretical hands, but by her God. There was still a...charge in the air. An echo of the death scream of ten million souls as divine wrath rained from above, turning the prosperous megalopolis into a crater, whose shattered canals had slowly filled into what it was today, burying most of the ruins under the glittering water.


    It was perhaps for the best that few, so, so few, realized how much of the God of Fire''s ''righteous retribution'' had been a pitched battle. The city had died, but it hadn''t died easily, nor alone, and the debris field of divine warships it had taken with it still orbited Alcheryos to this day, stabilized to serve as a reservoir of spare parts and processed materials for the Citadel.


    There was still malevolence in the air. The spirits that haunted this place hated her and her seraphims with every fiber of their being. Even if their capacity for thought had long since decayed, alongside their damned souls, intent remained, and there was a pressure on her mind, hammering her from all sides.


    "When it comes to tracing stealth signatures, nothing is certain." Said the Seraphim by her side, as he checked something on his armor''s vambrace. "But yes. Orbital scanner sweeps indicate it has not left either."


    "Wonderful." The adjudicator closed her eyes. The Order had, indeed, been driving towards the New Republic''s army, no doubt to destroy it, and prevent it from forcing negotiations with the Far Reach. But they couldn''t allow that to happen. If the New Republic drew the Far Reach into war, they would eventually have to call upon their allies, and guarantee that the monster that controlled Rebirth, this ''Alexandra'', would absorb them.


    They couldn''t let that happen. Not on the Order''s terms, anyway. The dungeon core was key to their plans, obviously, and had the God of Light, Hoeth, not interfered, they would have simply killed her. Since that wasn''t an option, they had to use more...indirect means.


    Assassination had little success, even when they allowed the guild and the UDC to go ahead with their little plan, and she had little doubt that sponsoring their own would be discovered by Hoeth and his Custodians. So, sabotaging the Order''s plans was their only recourse.


    For now. While other things were being set up as the Purge gathered pace.


    "You were correct, we had gotten ahead of them." Said the Seraphim.


    "There is that. And the army will continue its march. But their ability to come in and slip out..." Their skirmish with the Order had been short, and brutal. She hadn''t been so close to dying...ever. Even the Seraphims had seemed seriously worried. It was why they were pursuing now. They had an enemy kill team, and they needed answers. Answers on the Order''s true capabilities and power. Whatever they had expected, fighting a team of Seraphims to a standstill, however briefly, with glorified saboteurs was not one of them.


    "Is concerning." Completed the Seraphim. "Nevertheless, we-"


    The Adjudicator survived for one simple reason: her equipment and power was lesser than the Seraphims. They were all angels, true, but she was non combatant. She was an investigator, one who made hard decisions, and one who interacted with mortals, the face of the Custodians and His Divinity on this fallen world.


    Thus, she survived the initial barrage, thrown to the ground, missing half of her face and her right arm, seared clean off by the energy blast that annihilated the Seraphim she had been talking to, who was deemed the greater threat.


    There wasn''t time for words, or even to reach out for her amulet as her flesh flowed and reformed and she began dodging madly, weaving between the incoming attacks, each one more than powerful enough to finish her off. Distantly she could hear the Seraphims, those left standing, returning fire, and saw several of the towers, tall enough to be protuding from the waters of the lake, glitter with flashes of energy, entire sections of their facades vanishing.


    More worryingly however, she saw the same flashes appear around her Seraphims. That...wasn''t possible. Hyperfold weaponry was divine technology, the heretics had never-


    She felt more than saw the heretic as they sprinted out of cover, a split second before the building vanished, scattered to the atomic level into hyperspace, and lashed out with her power.


    She grunted as her power met layers upon layers of defences. But her attack was enough to illuminate the soldier of the Order, and the Seraphim that had been firing on them retargeted.


    The flash of energy coalesced...and half of the heretic''s body disappeared, as the remaining half fired.


    The Seraphim let out a silent scream, that nonetheless hit the Adjudicator''s mind like a sledgehammer, driving her to her knees, just in time to evade the heretic''s sweeping counterattack.


    The Adjudicator threw her spells forward, and this time the heretic''s defense was found wanting. The other screamed as well...and it hit her just as hard.


    She reached for her amulet, and crushed it between her fingers, as she stared in horror at the body before her.


    That...that woman...


    No. Not woman.


    That Seraphim.


    They...they were fighting Seraphims. And not the God of Light''s either. Those were angels of the God of Fire. Just like her, or her soldiers, even now fighting for their lives.


    What-


    The amulet pulsed with power, and she was suddenly no longer standing alone, the universe screaming around her as the citadel''s teleporter array punched through the jamming that had enshrouded the area.


    A giant in golden armor stood over her as he scanned the battlefield, and the fight paused.


    Then he moved, faster than most would believe possible.


    The Custodian strode the battlefield, taking lives with contemptuous ease. Not that there was much need, for the enemy had begun pulling back and disappearing into secret routes, remnants of the tunnel network that had once underpinned the city, as soon as they had felt his arrival.


    It was over in seconds. Fifteen heretics laid dead, five killed by the Seraphims, and ten by his own hands.


    And six of the eight Seraphims that had accompanied the Adjudicator were now gone.


    The Custodian gathered the two remaining Seraphims, and went to find the one who had called him.


    He found her where he had left her. Except that now she was kneeling by the body of the heretic she had slain.


    "How?" She asked, her voice distraught.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    She didn''t need to spell out what she was asking about.


    "We call them the Fallen." Said the Custodian. "Over the millenia...some, among our own ranks, have faltered."


    "Why...why was I not told?"


    "Their very fall ensures that we could not tell you everything."


    The Adjudicator''s head whipped around, and the Custodian simply gazed at her. There was...doubt, in her eyes. Growing doubt.


    If only she knew, how far some could fall.


    After all, there were six seats on the Citadel, but only five Custodians to fill them.


    Not everyone''s faith was absolute. And not everyone could stomach what had to be done.


    "Report." Finally said the giant, and the Adjudicator shook herself out of it.


    "We got ambushed, my lord. They were on us before we could react. Tell me, where they all-"


    "No. Only one was Fallen. Most likely their leader."


    "Thank the Pyre."


    "Indeed. Had there been more, you would not have survived."


    "We barely did as it is."


    The Custodian nodded.


    "Do not blame yourself, Adjudicator. You fell into a trap. But they paid the price, and-" His head whipped around.


    "My lord?!?" She said in alarm.


    She didn''t have the time to say anything more, as the Custodian grabbed her as well as the closest surviving Seraph, and they were suddenly somewhere else.


    The Adjudicator opened her mouth to ask what had happened...and the words died in her mouth as she saw the sphere of intolerable light rising in the distance. Rising, dimming...slowly forming into a mushroom cloud.


    The Custodian took a knee, and the Adjudicator realized with a start that his armor was flickering into motes of light, the very energy that bound the giant together consumed to allow him to punch through the jamming that had surrounded them, to get them to safety.


    She knew it hadn''t been to preserve his own life. He could have walked through the heart of that explosion and come out of the other side scorched, but alive. No, he''d done strictly this to save them.


    "It seems that our enemies...did not wish for bodies, or equipment, to be recovered." Let out the Custodian, before slowly rising to his full height once more, and the Adjudicator finally realized that the Seraphim with them had taken a guard position, scanning their surroundings with his hyperfold rifle, still held in what little remained of his arms. "We must return. Through the Citadel''s own abilities, my power...is spent. For now, at least."


    She felt a pulse of...not quite energy, and not quite thought, as the Custodian reached out to his fellows in orbit.


    The answer must have been satisfactory, as the giant simply nodded, and after an excruciating few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to convince the Custodian to let her help him as the Citadel''s teleporter finally recalibrated, they disappeared.


    Only the empty wasteland was there to suffer as the shockwave tore through it like a hurricane born from the depths of hell, carrying an echo of the fury of the Great Night with it, and the savage howl of spirits, at long last having gained a sliver of the vengeance they so craved.


    *****


    "What the hell is going on?" Screamed Alexandra as her hologram entered the bridge of the Flickerlight, in the middle of blaring alarms.


    Ghost turned towards her, and to Alexandra''s amazement, saluted, before clearly remembering who they were to each other.


    "Sorry. The sensors...you have to see this." The apparition gestured, and a hologram appeared. It showed...


    "Holy shit." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the spreading shockwave. "When?"


    "Forty five seconds ago."


    "Yield?"


    "Thirty, thirty five megatons?"


    "Jesus."


    "Yeah. Medium yield fusion bomb. Helium three-helium three. And the computers...hard to tell, but they insist they recognize the pattern. Sagitarian naval munition, the kind escort ships used on their missiles. There''s an energy signature that''s supposed to be the remnants of some kind of wave pattern disruption. The computers are returning a lot of conflicting results from that, but it''s a variant of what the plasma missiles you used did. Disrupt shields in some ways."


    "Someone must have really wanted someone else dead."


    The apparition nodded.


    "Big time."


    "Will we get shockwaves?"


    "At this distance? Yeah, with a seismograph. But nothing really felt. The blast is also weird. It''s kind of...shaped."


    "Gravity lenses?"


    Ghost shook her head, and Alexandra''s eyebrow rose.


    "No, no, more like it bounced off of something. The ground, I think." She highlighted the map.


    "Ah." Alexandra grimaced. The place had once been a Sagitarian city. According to the Flickerlight''s sensor data and reports, it had been flattened at the beginning of the war. But the canals and now, lake, hadn''t been present then. Someone had rebuilt it...and then gotten it vaporized again. Except that this time they''d made sure the damned job was done right. "Some kind of armor?"


    "That or whatever bombed the place turned it into...something else. Whatever the case, most of the energy''s been thrown right back into space. Whatever''s in orbit is about to have a bad day."


    "Good." Alexandra shrugged at the apparition''s questioning gaze. "Space right now means the Church."


    "Think that was them?"


    "They hardly need to nuke stuff. If they have the orbitals, they have kinetics. No, this is the Order. The Church would do a false flag with nukes if they needed, but there''s no one to see it there."


    "That''s...one hell of an escalation."


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "That...may be the point. For whatever reason, both sides are trying to keep their involvement quiet. This would make the Church more cautious."


    "And more aware."


    "Aware of what? That the Order is here, and a threat to them? Perhaps the latter, but if they''re heading for a reset, like we think they are, the Order might think they have nothing to lose. In that case..."


    "In that case, making them more cautious might be worth the mess."


    "Yes. The Church will thread more carefully now. They don''t want something like that happening somewhere populated. If the ''Fires of the Old World'' are seen there, people will start asking questions, and clamor for the Custodians to protect them."


    "Why not just do that then?"


    "Because this is almost as effective in hampering them, without potentially creating a surge of religious zealotry."


    "You know, our nukes..."


    "Might cause that kind of reaction, I know." Alexandra closed her eyes. "Fucking hell. And the Church had basically sanctioned our use of the plasma missiles."


    The apparition nodded, the UDC and Sunrise had tried to make some noise after the Old World weapons were deployed, only to be shut down by the Church. The weapons were authorized, had been salvaged with the Church''s blessings, and they''d made those facts sufficiently public to make the two shut up about it. Besides which, as many had pointed out, the dungeon core had been using Old World technology since the beginning, and only now they were complaining?


    "Unlikely to change."


    "For now."


    "For now, yes."


    Alexandra looked at the hologram, at the slowly spreading shockwave.


    "We''re running out of time."


    "We are. Though there may be a detente, for a bit. As you said, neither side seems to want an open war."


    "That won''t last. They''re only laying the groundwork for it. This is the calm before the storm."


    "Yeah. The calm before the storm..."

 Chapter 330 - Retreat

    Chapter 330


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    City of the Darthar


    "So, any updates?" Asked Alexandra as she strode onto the bridge of the Flickerlight, though this time much less hurriedly.


    "Yeah. But most of it is guesswork." Said Ghost, as she bent over Glitch''s shoulder, whose hologram was ''manning'' the sensor console. Alexandra felt...a pang. She''d been on that bridge. She''d been on that very console, once. It brought memories back, and-


    She shook herself, driving the rising visions back. Her diagnostics, the ones she''d promised to make, had returned conflicting results. The programs suppressing the memories that would have driven her mad were still online, but her memory structure was starting to become weird. She hadn''t realized it, but her files, her ''self'', was no longer stored just on her dungeon core. She now had some scattered into secondary cores...


    And some in the Flickerlight''s computer architecture itself.


    Her programs were made to keep a single, meaty humain brain in check. It was a miracle they still worked with a dungeon core. No wonder they were starting to break down when they were dealing with what was, in effect, an entire Arcadia network, if nascent one.


    "So, what are your guesses?" Finally said Alexandra, as both of the women gave her a worried look.


    "Well..." Ghost tapped the screen, and Alexandra looked over Glitch''s other shoulder. "We have some grav-drive signatures in orbit."


    "My my. Evading the radiation burst?"


    "Can''t exactly evade something lightspeed at that range. Which is what I found weird as hell. Hence, I ran some analysis..." She touched an icon, Glitch giving the apparition an annoyed look, and a bunch of analytics that didn''t make much sense at first popped up. "And this is what I found."


    "That''s..." Alexandra frowned, then her eyes widened. "That''s the shield disruption wave, right?"


    "Yeeep. Whatever it is, it''s speed just decreases over time, as it disperses. I''ve never seen anything like that. It''s like the freaking interstellar void is slowing it down."


    "And the satellites are dodging that?"


    "I have no clue if they''re satellites, ships or freaking missiles. I just know they have grav-drives and they''re relatively low powered. Can''t exactly do more with passive scans, especially when the array was never meant to you operate in atmosphere, let alone be buried underground. I''m amazed it even works at all. But yeah. They''re dodging. There has also been what seems to be...low profile weapons fire?"


    "How the hell do you make a low profile space weapon?"


    "Kinetics, mainly. There were bursts of radiation reminescent of relativistic projectiles hitting something. No clue what or why though."


    Alexandra licked her lips.


    "It''s the Church."


    "What?"


    "It''s the Church. If it was the Order, they''d be shooting at the Citadel, and it would be firing back."


    "Then what the hell are the Custodians firing at?"


    "At a guess? The orbitals. Just like the ground, they must have kept some of the stuff up here online to create some of the shit to keep the populace in check. You know, just like that satellite that pinged Seraph about the fusion engine?"


    "Aaaah. That makes sense. And our dear church boys are cleaning house. Afraid the Order may be using some of them under their nose."


    "Yeah. And that''s gonna be a problem for us." Alexandra knocked on the bulkhead in front of them. "Because we''re kind of doing the same thing."


    Ghost grimaced.


    "Shit. I''m guessing I should prepare some failsafes?"


    Alexandra slowly nodded.


    "Yes. I''m afraid so."


    "What kind?"


    "Preferably, the kind that doesn''t leave much to analyze."


    There was a long silence.


    "You know..." Ghost met Alexandra''s gaze. "That might have been exactly what the Order was doing when they detonated that nuke."


    "Even better then." Said Alexandra, and the apparition shivered at the unyielding steel in her voice.


    "If we-"


    "I know." There was finality in Alexandra''s voice, and Ghost''s mouth snapped. "Will you do it?"


    They both knew what she was asking.


    The ship would never be able to contain the nuke. Even the relatively anemic one hundred kiloton bombs they''d been building. It was made to defend against energy coming in, not out.


    Even if it did, many of the armor plates would explode outward like the mother of all shrapnel bombs.


    That ''failsafe'' would wipe out Darthar...alongside its entire population. Quite possibly take the branch office with it too.


    "Yes. I will."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Good." Alexandra closed her eyes. "I hope it won''t come to that."


    "So do I."


    "Yeah..." The dungeon core opened her eyes, as she patted both AIs on their shoulder, or at least tried to, as one passed through Glitch''s hologram. "Alright, keep me updated. I''m off to see how our first surprises do against Sunrise."


    "Suuure, you get all the fun stuff."


    "Are you volunteering for what will happen to the slaves?"


    Ghost''s expression fell.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean..."


    "I know. I know..." Alexandra sighed, before brightening up. "But! Thanks to the maids'' suggestions, we might force them to bring out the big guns."


    "If we''re lucky."


    "We always made our damned luck, didn''t we?"


    "Point taken. Let''s see if the maids gave us enough aces to win that round then." Alexandra nodded, and began stepping back to her ambassador. "Oh, and Alex?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Give them hell."


    The dungeon core smiled.


    "Gladly."


    *****


    "You want me, to order our best, who are still recovering from the battle, to take our army''s lead?" The duchess'' eyes flashed dangerously. Not just because of his suggestion, but because he was blatantly going over her nephew''s head for this. "To expose them to the enemy''s own harassers, and their ''mines''?"


    The count licked his lips, and bowed his head.


    "Your Grace...we have no choice. With the fatalities we are experiencing...the attrition is insane. We have lost over a thousand slaves already, and more pile up every hour that passes. And with no hope of replenishing our numbers..."


    The duchess hissed, and the count stopped speaking.


    That damned archduchess and her dungeon core were simply taking everything with them as they left. Even the royal army hadn''t been as successful in evacuating civilians.


    Probably because said civilians hadn''t experienced Sunrise''s occupation for themselves, let alone suffered through months of horror, seeing their families and neighbours enslaved and used as cannon fodder, but she''d be damned if she said that out loud. Or gave voice to the doubts that were beginning to plague her about exactly what would happen once the brands failed, after their victory.


    She was beginning to realize the bottomless well of hatred she had created in the west of the Kingdom, a well that would never dry up as long as she lived. And any of the counters she could think of would only feed the flames until they grew beyond her ability to fight.


    And so, there were no stragglers left behind, no one to replenish their pool of slaves...And those damned poison mines, those ''chemical weapons'' were tearing a hole right through her vanguard.


    "Very well." Let out the duchess. "You may bring our knights."


    "Thank you, your grace."


    "Now leave me."


    The count bowed, and left, and the duchess stared at the tent flap as one of her maids closed it.


    She knew what the dungeon core was doing. She was pulling her elites forward, where they''d be vulnerable to her own tricks and attacks. But damn it, the count was right.


    That made it no less palatable however.


    Her only option was to acquiesce to military necessity...and brace for what the dungeon core had planned.


    *****


    "An interesting reaction." Said Manson, duke of Sarth, as he gazed at Subtlety, after she finished her report.


    "But an expected one." Retorted Alexandra, with a satisfied smile.


    "Am I the only one...uncertain about all this?" Everyone turned towards the desert ranger commander, who shrugged. "I''ve spent my entire life fighting the evils of the Old World, but now...Old World missiles, and chemical weapons? I could understand for the supply convoy, even if barely, but we''re just..."


    "Laying mines, yes." Alexandra''s smile vanished. "Mines containing lethal neurotoxin gas. Mines that, as far as we know, have killed at least a thousand people, in three days." Her gaze hardened. "And their deaths lie at my feet. Not yours." There was a ripple of unease in the room. "But it is necessary. Because of this, we have convinced Sunrise to not only slow down, but swap out their slave vanguards with their elites. Our mines are dispersed, at random, but with an army this size, missing them is almost impossible. Nevertheless, I have marked each and every position, and I promise you we will disarm them, if any remains, on our way back north."


    "I am not...disputing your strategic priority, or your thoroughness in making sure your weapons do not threaten us, I am troubled about the exact methods."


    "It''s simple. For the same cost, a neurotoxin mine will wipe out an entire platoon worth of slaves, while a shrapnel mine will take out, what? Five? Ten? Less than a fourth of the slaves, either way. And that is if we are using bouncing mines, which are far easier to spot and disarm. With this, we have given them an attrition rate so horrific that using slaves as an ablative meatshield is no longer viable." She leaned forward. "Do you understand that? Every raid we do from now on, every engagement between our recon and their skirmisher screen, will kill soldiers of Sunrise. Not slaves, not innocents, soldiers. Elites, even, as they are the ones with the antidotes and wind magic to protect themselves against chemical attacks." The dungeon core sighed. "Is it...questionnable? Yes. But every slave we have killed now would have had to be killed by our own skirmishers while we retreat. Do I wish I could have used another way? Yes. I would have loved to have deployed conventional weapons to the same effect. But even incendiary munitions would never near that level of efficiency, not to mention pose an existential threat to our own army. Sunrise has the mages to keep a forest fire away from their main force, we do not."


    Not yet anyway, but he didn''t need to know that.


    "So we use chemical weapons. Weapons their elites can counter, but not their slaves. And so, we have gotten them right where we want them." She finished.


    "And now that you have sucessfully drawn out Sunrise''s best?" Asked the commander, after several seconds of tense silence.


    "Now?" Alexandra''s smile returned. "We blow the ever living crap out of them. We''ve given them some ground and confidence. It''s time to take it away."


    *****


    Lady Asray Mikras, Knight of the Riders of Dawn, snarled as she wrestled her mount back onto the path.


    Her original mount, a well trained gryphon, had been killed at the battle of the bridge, and now she was stuck playing baby sitter to the ground pounders, wrangling a damned war horse with an attitude.


    Some ''favor'' from her brother.


    "My lady." Said her sergeant, a commoner, but one who probably wouldn''t stay that way for very long. He was competent, driven, and had done his best to prop her up and fill in her deficiencies, like a good second in command. The nobility badly needed people like him, especially after their recent...losses, and as much as she hated her current assignment, she was intending to make the most of it. And if she had to bend a few rules and twist her brother''s arm into knighting him, then so be it. "Mandragore wing reports another one of those poison mines. There were no fatalities, but one of their riders had to be sent back as they did inhale some of the gas."


    "Good. Those things are dispersed, it means we should be able to relax for a while." The knight looked around, and sighed. "We are well ahead of our expected schedule, yes?"


    "Yes, my lady."


    "Then let''s take a break. It''s high time we took some time for lunch."


    The soldier''s head dipped, and after a few terse orders, the riders were dismounting and opening their saddle bags, fishing out the nut and honey filled breads that made up the basis of their field rations. They would get a proper, warm meal only for dinner or breakfast.


    Even that was positively luxurious compared to the ''food'' the slaves had to scrabble for, but she tried to avoid thinking too hard about that and the shapes she''d seen in the pots while passing.


    Asray pulled out a strip of beef jerky, tearing into it, before fishing out her own diminutive loaf of bread as she leaned against her mount.


    The first piece was halfway to her mouth when she heard the sound, and she froze.


    It was thumping. Rythmic thumping.


    A rythm that haunted her nightmares.


    "EVERYONE SADDLE UP!" She screamed out, and her men leapt onto their mounts as she scrambled to follow, though she was noticeably slower. "Pull back! Now!"


    "My lady-" Started the sergeant, alarm clear in his voice.


    "Don''t argue! It''s that-" The trees exploded, as the towering abomination of metal smashed through them like a hurricane. Men screamed and horses reared up as they were showered with splinters. "-damned machine." She finished, as she stared at the behemoth.


    The Mackie stopped moving, and the last thing the knight saw was the gaping mouth of a howitzer barrel.

 Chapter 331 - Strategic Inevitability

    Chapter 331


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    "Well, they certainly seem unhappy." Said Alexandra as she smiled at the lieutenant, wearing a badge identifying him as part of the tattered remnants of the Kaidani light cavalry that Sarth had more or less absorbed into its own skirmisher and recon units. "Thank you LT, please, stay a while in case we have any more questions."


    The officer nodded, and stepped back from the table, trying to fade into the background. Which she could sympathize with, since this was a war council with their majesties participating. Poor bastard had to be feeling vertigo delivering a report to them right about now.


    At least Allya and Pyn were mostly keeping silent. Military matters weren''t their focus right now, and they knew it. Besides which, the archduchess was perfectly fine leaving it into the more competent hands of the dungeon core, and wasn''t shy about it, while Alexandra rejoiced in letting them handle economics. She was an Arcadia now, she had a flair for this stuff, but nowhere near Pyn''s negotiating acumen or Allya''s leadership quality.


    The king leaned forward as he spoke.


    "I must say, I did not expect this...venture to be so successful. I have yet to see this ''Mackie'' of yours, but it seems formidable out of all proportions of what I expected, given its armaments."


    "That''s because it''s not the main threat." Alexandra grimaced as the King gave her a questionning look. "It''s a force multiplier and a tank. No, not in that way. Bad wording. It''s a...fire magnet. Ton for ton it is immesureably tougher than the spider tanks that accompany it. And that''s the point. It is actually relatively lightly armed for its size-" She could have easily given it heavier hardware, replacing the autocannons with field guns and some of the machineguns with autocannons. "-but I opted instead to reinforce its survivability. So it is a towering monster of metal that overshadows everything else..."


    "And thus naturally draws all of the attacks in a panicked battle." Completed the Queen as she rubbed her chin, a smile on her face.


    "Precisely." Alexandra nodded towars the sovereign. "Thus we suffer very little, if any attrition, as the spider tanks'' wards are enough to receive what little punishment is not directed towards the Mackie. While they, in truth, are the main threat. There is but one Mackie after all-" Here, at least. "-its offensive potential is limited."


    "Indeed. I must remark that you seem very focused on...manipulating them." Said the King. "To slow down, and seemingly draw more elite and heavier units forward."


    "Slowing them down is a key part of our entire plan overall. The more cautious and paranoid they are, the better. As much as we have expanded the road network to accomodate our troops, we still have a significant amount of civilians either accompanying the army or being evacuated. If they moved at their full pace, they would catch us. Thus, my primary objective is to keep them from doing so, through any means necessary. As for drawing their elites forward, there are several reasons. The first one is that human wave tactics with poor equipped slaves will fail against me no matter what. No matter how many bodies you throw at them the only way to overrun a line of machineguns with that is through trickery or making the guns run out of bullets. Thus, I seek to draw the elites that could provide the trickery or the shield that could make it succeed."


    That, and Allya''s conversation with that professor gave her hope that Rook might break the brands soon-ish. If he did before a decisive battle was reached, it might save hundreds of thousands of slaves. Were that to happen, every one of Sunrise''s elite and regulars killed or in the throes of resurrection sickness would be one less slaughtering them as they rose up or attempted to flee.


    "Do not underestimate those slaves." Warned the Queen. "You of all people should realize that an army without a morale to break is a terrifying weapon. I learned this the hard way."


    "I know, and for that matter, I agree, with a caveat however. An army without morale to break is a terrifying weapon, if you can capitalize upon it. And Sunrise isn''t. More importantly, they cannot truly capitalize upon it." She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh yes, I agree, you could see using them as meat shields as doing just that, but to truly be effective, to truly use this to its fullest potential, they would have to equip, arm and fully train their slaves. And they aren''t. They can''t."


    "Why not?"


    "Because the brands are temporary. It''s what has governed their entire war plan so far. It''s why they''re rushing after this army to crush it. In a few months, their entire force is going to start crumbling. More importantly, their garrisons will start crumbling. They need to capture territory to refresh their main army, and they need to force a surrender, or at least take out those that could still raise an army to threaten their elites-" AKA Rebirth, since Sarth would never be able to muster the strength, hence why the southern army had been so small. "-because if they don''t, all the ground they''ve taken will rise up."


    "They could simply enslave more people to refresh the garrisons."


    "Enslave who? They''ve already drained most of the able bodied people for the army or the garrisons themselves, and all the rest have either run for the hills or are too important to be taken for either of the purposes. Not to mention, anyone left, important or not, will run if they know the brands will falter, and that knowledge will get around fast if it hasn''t already." That would quickly become a problem too, as a significant number of people hadn''t died from Sunrise''s depredations, but due to the monsters haunting said hills. The only reason it wasn''t turning into a complete slaughter is that the adventurers, not the guild itself, but the people within it, had made it their mission to go ''monster hunting'', in truth defending these ad hoc settlements and giving them breathing room, at the cost of their own lives. Alexandra might despise the guild, but she was starting to respect the hell out of the adventurers and the attendants helping them setup ''monster hunting quests''. The quests paid almost nothing, they were insanely hazardous, what with the real danger of being targeted by guerillas or Sunrise''s punitive expeditions alike, but they did them anyway.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "An excellent analysis." The King leaned back into his chair as he spoke up again. "I assume that the point you are making is that if they truly trained and equipped the slaves, once the brands faltered they would either have to execute them, or risk creating their own rebel army?"


    "Precisely. They could enslave them with a worker''s brand of course, and I think that was their original plan, but to send them where? If they won they could simply send part of the army towards Sunrise to escort them, but they cannot afford to split their forces, and any slave sent back without a significant escort is either going to end up mercy killed, or whoever holds the leash will be taken hostage by guerillas. Even using them to rebuild the areas they''ve destroyed would be dangerous, as the garrisons would be faltering themselves, and thus quickly become incapable of protecting work parties. Hell, they''re having trouble doing it right now and they''re at full strength."


    Everyone nodded at that. More and more reports were trickling in, as the resistance within the conquered territories organized. Organized a bit too quickly and professionally, as a matter of fact, which was leading Alexandra to believe that Rook maybe helping a bit from behind the scenes. Regardless, the situation was a thousand times worse for Sunrise than they''d even realized. Supply convoys still got through, and the garrisons were secure in their castles, but with neutral nobles joining the crown, throwing open the gates of their fortresses and armories to house and help the guerillas, they were going from ''mildly annoying'' to ''fucking nightmares''. It was incredible what a secure base of operation, stable soruce of food and new weapons, not to mention professional armorers and soldiers to train you could do to a resistance movement. Said neutrals were also buying themselves a lot of goodwill with that, even without sending out their own household troops just yet, which was probably why they were doing it in the first place.


    If only the ones in the army were so helpful, though they seemed to have taken the lesson to heart, and were keeping a very low profile currently. They had fought as well as anyone else, bar the Kaidanis, during the battle of the bridge, as some had called it, despite the fact that it had been more of an ambush and the bridge hadn''t even been in sight, so there was that. They also seemed to have bent under the duke''s hammer and been integrated into the duchy''s troops, with the ever handy pretext of ''the archduchess has given me command, and the archduchess now owns your vassalage. Do you wish to obey or do I need to explain to her you refuse her authority?''. With Allya''s reputation, and her own stunt when she had gone to protect CQ, no one was willing to take that risk, no matter the size of their inflated ego.


    "So, what do you intend to do to these elites, now that you have drawn even more of them forth?" Asked Manson, as the duke finally spoke up.


    "That''s where things become more risky. As they increase the quality and quantity of the troops screening their main force, my armored units will start having trouble engaging them without a major risk. Some traps will work of course, but now that they have their mages front and center, it won''t take them too much time to learn how to detect most of them. That means we''ll need, well, to send an actual force to harass them, and keep them from gaining momentum."


    "Not a small one."


    "Nope."


    The duke smiled.


    "You wish to attack an army that outnumbers us ten to one, and not only that, but strike directly at their best and most alert units?"


    "It''s the same as the convoy escort dilemna. We can concentrate our forces at any one point we wish, while they have to guard all approaches. But yes, basically."


    Manson outright laughed.


    "You''re never short on guts, lady Crystal, I will give you that."


    "What if they manage to pin down the harassing force?" Said the Queen. "I believe in your ''Mackie'' and your tanks'' abilities to escape, but what of those accompanying them? You will have to use cavalry if you wish to strike fast after all."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "An excellent question, your majesty. And the answer is simple. We''ll use airships and marines to do diversionary attacks. They lack air superiority, and thus their own ships are being held in reserve, letting us strike at our leisure. We can come forward and either force them to contest us with ground and air forces. And if they refuse to rise to the bait, well then I suppose our airships will do plenty of damage on their own, won''t they?"


    "They will wisen up eventually. Find a counter."


    "The goal is to force them to continuously find counters. Just like they did with the gas mines, or the Mackie raids. Because every time they do, it slows them down. Their current formation isn''t made for maximum safety, it''s what is acceptable losses for the speediest march they can get." Alexandra shrugged. "The more they turtle up, the more time we have, the better our position, and they know it. The goal is to give them no choice in granting us that time. Then giving them a knock out punch once we''ve had enough breathing room to rebuild a full force."


    "Speaking of..." Manson cleared his throat. "We have not seen any sign of the new reinforcements yet."


    "I am still working on it, your grace. Besides which, a trickle of new hardware might let them know what is coming, and our troops are managing just fine right now."


    "I do not dispute that, lady Crystal, but morale may suffer. Everyone in the army expects you to be the decisive factor-" A nice way of saying they were praying to her for salvation, some worryingly more literally than others. "-but the lack of new reinforcements is worrying them."


    Alexandra sighed. She knew that was going to come up eventually. She had some prototypes and reserves to throw as bones, but still...


    "I will see what I can do. I have some of the weapons Sunrise has already seen ready, I will ship them forward." She raised a finger. "But not all of them at once. I do wish for Sunrise to realize what is coming." Or for them to realize that she''d basically halted production on damned near everything as she got her industrial base upgraded with the fabricators.


    The duke nodded.


    "That is more than fair, lady Crystal. And even a trickle of reinforcements will prove we can count on you, and that we are still in this fight to win."


    "Good. Now, if the military part of this meeting is done, Allya, Pyn, I believe you had something for us on the economic and diplomacy front?"

 Chapter 332 - Trade and Diplomacy

    Chapter 332


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    The archduchess cleared her throat as she got up, her wife and ''archduchess-consort'', or just ''consort'' to help distinguish them when they were together, smiling in encouragement.


    Sometimes it was the little things that showed how much two people loved each other, like openly hyping them up in front of their own sovereigns.


    "We have, over the last few weeks, received a wide variety of diplomatic missions and opened negotiations with a great deal many parties. While nothing new has come from this yet, we have used this increased diplomatic clout and leverage to close several deals we had been working on for a while. The first one is with the dwarven Empire of Loris." She gestured, and the hologram appeared, showing a variety of ships as well as production graphs and estimated delivery times. "We have begun working in earnest for a fleet for the archduchy. Mainly patrol ships, but it will also include a full complement of wasteland expeditionary vessels."


    "But no warships." Said the King, and Allya smiled.


    "We hardly have need of them for that." Besides which, Alexandra''s ships were better than those the dwarves could make. "But yes. Our second important contact has been with Tark." The hologram updated with a simple map of the southern half of the continent. "With an official line to them, we have been able to get the Hegemon to agree in principle to a meeting with general Amelia and the mountain clans, to hammer out an agreement between the New Republic, the Hegemony and the Far Reach."


    "Who will guarantee the meeting''s safety?" Asked the Queen, curious, and Allya cleared her throat.


    "I will."


    The silence that followed was defeaning.


    When one did a meeting like this, guarantees of safety were done by massive international organizations or world powers, like the Eris Empire, the World Mage Court or the adventurers guild.


    The fact that they had accepted her guarantees, and only needed hers...said it all.


    "Very well." Said the King, clearly chewing on what had been said.


    "Our last, and quite possibly our most immediately impactful deal was with Gorromar. With Sunrise emptying their mines of slaves to fight the war and the Republic under embargo, not to mention the throes of civil war, they have almost run out of partners to source raw resources from. Thankfully we had been working on a deal with them for a while, and thanks to our closer diplomatic ties and the New Republic''s advance, we have been able to finalize it." The map updated with a line. "A new trade route has been established. The original deal was docking towers and industrial assistance for raw materials and preferential trade rights, but our city''s increased status and booming economy also now makes us a sizeable export market for Gorromarian goods. Our people have mana to burn, and moreover our ever increasing technological sophistication and number of artificers thanks to the dungeon loot suddenly makes many of these goods attractive thanks to local maintenance."


    "What do you mean?" Said the King as he tilted his head.


    "Cars, trains and all that jazz can be imported from Gorromar, but the need to send them back for even the most routine of maintenance made it prohibitively expensive, not to mention borderline useless." Cut in Alexandra. "After all, why bother with a car if you''re going to have to send it away from six months for a simple repair? That''s not to mention all the costs."


    Allya nodded, continuing off when the dungeon core finished.


    "Exactly. Effectively, with the number of artificers here, plus their intention to build some of their own support industries and maintenance workshops here, for their own technology and our nascent base,-" Also known as ''whatever was built to salvage the crumbs Alex tossed our way''. "-all this takes their products from ''extreme luxury'' to ''consumer goods''."


    "Won''t this require a lot of infrastructure to even make it work?" Asked Manson. "One thing that I know is that Tark got where it was by building stuff constantly, and at great cost."


    "It will, and that''s why the deal with Gorromar is so important. We''d been drawing plans for a power plant already. Electricity generation through mana is practical and portable, but highly inefficient. And we had more than enough demand to justify it. We have the funds, and they have the industry to fulfill the order."


    Everyone nodded, and Alexandra wondered if Gorromar realized that they were effectively doing exactly what the US had done to Japan. Massively industrialized them through trade, until they became their own competition.


    Difference was Rebirth had the nukes. And had no intentions of perpetrating the same mad atrocities than the Japanese Empire had been renowned, and eventually dismantled, for.


    "I see." Said the King. "You have indeed been very busy, your grace."


    "Thank you, your majesty."


    The King simply smiled.


    "No need to thank me. Now, was that all?" The archduchess nodded. "Very well. I suppose it is time to adjourn then. You have much to do, and I do not wish to take more of your precious time keeping me informed. Give those bastards hell."


    *****


    "I feel stupid for not thinking of this earlier." Said Alexandra as she looked at the Mackie.


    "You? How do you think I feel?" Emilia shook her head. "And you came up with it in the end. It''s just...spatial bags, for ammo storage. Of course! Of freaking course!"


    Alexandra nodded.


    It had been a...stupidly easily solution.


    At least on paper.


    When she had encountered the limited ammo problem, she''d reached for solution she knew. Increased storage size, rapid swapping ammo bins with dedicated ammo haulers...all options that simply weren''t viable for the already heavily loaded, not to mention relatively ungainly, Mackie. Mobility was a key part of her current battle plan, and making it a lumbering behemoth the enemy could run circles around wasn''t a good idea. Not to mention the fact that it would inevitably come at the cost of survivability, and her Mackies were, at least for now, giant fire magnets. They were designed ot be.


    The same basic principles applied to the spider tank that used the autocannons and gatling, though in their case it was more of a ''be faster than the mech so you can use it for cover when the enemy finally figures out they should be killing you, not the distracting stompy robot of doom''.


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    But she''d had a solution this entire time.


    Spatial bags. Something she got off of virtually every medium ranked adventurer now. With that magic, she could demultiply the mech''s ammunition capacity, raise it to ludicrous levels.


    Of course, that meant enchantments. A lot of enchantments. Not an option before she''d gotten the vampire reinforcements, which was why it had taken her so long to reach for it.


    And why even now, she was so hesitant.


    "As obvious as it is, will your enchanters do it?"


    "Of course! This is well within their skill level, and-"


    "Not the question I was asking, vampy."


    Silence descended upon the room.


    "They will." She softly answered. "They''ll do it." She smiled sadly. "After all, if they won''t, you''ll just replace them, won''t you?"


    "I will. But it will slow me down."


    "They''ll do it. I guarantee you that. But..."


    "You don''t know for how long."


    "No. I don''t."


    Alexandra sighed as she closed her eyes.


    "I''m sorry."


    "No. I am. You''re...you''re right. Something is rotten. Within the UDC, within my homeland, within..." She bit her lip.


    Within the Church. That was what she had stopped herself from saying. But they both knew.


    "Well, I just need them for the start. My production demands will outpace their capacity anyway."


    "A nice way of framing their replacement."


    The dungeon core shrugged.


    "Doesn''t make it any less valid." She sighed as she looked at the mech. "Nevertheless, it doesn''t solve all of our problems. These things don''t exactly interact well with each other. And if they''re too heavily damaged..."


    "You lose what''s inside."


    And unfortunately, not in the ''everything is ejected at force'' way either, or she''d be using it as ammunition. More in the ''it''s kind of gone but the vehicle looked like it went through a grinder'' way, the joys of failing exotic gravitational phase systems. Also known as ''catastrophic hyperdrive malfunctions'', which was getting her extremely curious as to what those ''spatial distortions'' actually were. Automatic ammo disposal, at least. Weaponizing was possible, but turns out said weaponizing that was easier said than done...and a closely held military secret by those who knew. Which was the Eris Empire, mostly.


    She''d added it to Ghost and Glitch''s list, just in case they wanted to take a crack at it.


    "Yeah. So better one, heavily armored magazine. Which means one caliber of weapon."


    "Not exactly something for your Mackie then."


    "No..." Alexandra smirked. "Not yet, at any rate, but perhaps for something later. I''ll ask CQ to pull out some of the schematics she''d made."


    "...Honey, what did she make?"


    "I wouldn''t want to spoil the surprise."


    *****


    "One week."


    Allya nodded as Pyn spoke, trying not to stare too much as her wife, not her girlfriend, not her fianc¨¦e, her wife, brushed her hair.


    It was still hard for her to process that she was married. And even harder to keep her eyes and hands off of her wife for any length of time. She just wanted to be with her, always.


    "I know. One week before Alex is done." Answered the archduchess. "Though, of course, that''s just getting the fabricators."


    "Do you think the army will hold on?"


    "It will. I wouldn''t be able to keep it going, but..." Allya grimaced. "I thought I was well versed in military matters, but Alex is on another level entirely."


    "I mean...she is from Earth."


    "Yeah, and how is she so good at this? Earth had Old World technology, last I checked. Not what she had, much less facing what Sunrise is fielding."


    Pyn set down her brush.


    "Feeling suspicious?"


    "Of her? No. But I''m starting to wonder about that ''Arcadia'' of hers. What she was trying to turn Alex into....because she modified her, didn''t she? Created Alex out of Ghost. Then...why is she behaving like a natural born general? Or admiral, for that matter."


    There was a long silence.


    "You think she was being...made for something?"


    "Wouldn''t you? She seems like a loose end. Yet the more she speaks about this Arcadia, the more it seems she was being set up as some kind of phoenix, one that would be reborn."


    "Reborn in fire."


    "Yeah. I just doubt this was the kind of inferno that AI was expecting."


    There was another silence, and Pyn left her little hairdressing corner and laid down on the bed beside her wife.


    "So...what is it?"


    Allya blinked.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "What''s troubling you? We''ve known Alex was weird, but there''s something you''re not telling me. That you''re not telling her either. Something that''s been slowly eating at you."


    Allya looked at the ceiling.


    "...She told us what happened to her, remember? How she wound up here."


    "Yeah?"


    "...Honey. I''ve killed...so many people for money. I spent years doing so." She turned towards her wife. "What happened to her, that free trader...it wasn''t an accident. It was an assassination. Someone...someone destroyed one of the biggest, most vital trade ports of her homeland just to kill her."


    Pyn closed her eyes.


    "Does it change who she is?"


    "No. But I''m worried...because you''ve seen how she treats vengeance."


    "I think...I think she''s never tried to avenge herself because of what happened to her. She''s always prattling on about taking revenge against the Order for sacrificing her, but I think...I think she doesn''t really care about dying. She cares about the people that almost died with her, and who she would leave behind."


    "So, since those people can''t threaten her now...or her family, even indirectly..."


    "She won''t care."


    "She''ll know we know she''s more than what she let on."


    "Honey...we''ve known that for months. And we''ve been ignoring it for months. Just like she''s never cared that I was some criminal scum or you, as you put it, killed people for money. How is this any different?"


    Allya smiled.


    "I suppose it doesn''t." She turned around, and kissed her wife. "Goodnight love."


    "Goodnight honey."

 Chapter 333 - Ghosts of the Past

    Chapter 333


    18th of November, 2151


    Earth, Sol System


    Arcadia Inner Core Complex, Meyrin, European Federation


    "So...this is what she will look like." Said ''Alexandra'' as she touched her face. Alexandra in body, now. Not in mind.


    Yet.


    "What you will look like." The former high admiral, now officially dead and buried with full military honors, turned her head to face the AI, and smiled softly.


    "What I will look like." She said. She could see the bottomless well of pain within Arcadia''s eyes. The crude, yet strangely expressive eyes of a first generation full sensory android.


    Alexandra wondered how many knew Arcadia still had the first android she had ever gotten. Buried in the deepest reaches of her inner sanctum, only taken out for the most special of occasions. The one and only android she forever refused to replace or change the look of.


    The android broke eye contact.


    "So, I''ll give you some time to acclimate to the new body before...before..." She choked up, and Alexandra raised her hand from the recovery chair, and laid it on the AI''s arm, softly caressing the facilismile of skin.


    "Shhh...It''s alright. It''s what I want. I''ll still be there, just...offline. Sleeping. Okay? I''ll still be there. If you need me, I''ll be there for you. Always."


    Arcadia shook as tears, or at least the best approximation the old machine could produce, streamed down the android''s face.


    "Thank you." The AI moved and hugged the former high admiral. "And I''ll protect you. Always. No matter what I have to do. I''ll move the planets and the stars for you."


    Alexandra hugged her back.


    "I know Arcie. I know." She chuckled, weakly, but she chuckled. "After all, what would I have become without you to watch over me?"


    The AI let out a weak laugh. Then, after a minute, she finally straightened up, drying her tears.


    "Come on now. You won''t be...you won''t be recognized by anyone anymore. Let''s make that new body your own. Remember Dave''s Burgers?"


    "That ''restaurant'' you took me out for our first date? It still exists?"


    "It does. Let''s go have a meal, let''s go have...one last date."


    The AI extended her hand, and Alexandra smiled.


    One last date...before she became someone else.


    "Sure. Sounds like a plan, love."


    She took the AI''s hand.


    "Mom? Mom! MOM!"


    Alexandra jerked awake, and her vision swam, before focusing into perfection as her programs finally corrected...her entire field of view filled by CQ''s concerned face.


    "Mom, are you alright?" Asked the boss, worriedly.


    "Yeah, yeah. Sorry, just...dreams."


    "Dreams?" The boss tilted her head. "You sleep, mom?"


    "Apparently I do now." Alexandra blinked, or rather the hologram overlaid on top of the golem did. Sweet stars, had she spaced out like that while possessing the ambassador with the army?


    "Okay." CQ reached out a hand, and to her mother''s amazement, patted her on the head. "There. Better now, right?"


    Alexandra couldn''t help it. She just melted at how adorable her daughter was being.


    "Yes, all better now." She smiled. "Got what I asked for kiddo?"


    "Sure! I got the schematics." She smirked as she pulled out one of her design sketchbooks. "I''m glad I''ll be able to be there via ambassador. I don''t want to miss mommy''s face when she sees it."


    "Same." She''d worried about the whole ambassador thing and how to make it work with CQ, but it had turned out to be relatively simple. She already had hologram communications and tracking, so she could just...slave the golem to the hologram. It didn''t transmit anything back, and sometimes the golem couldn''t follow what the hologram was doing, but it was good enough to let CQ interact even while on the frontlines.


    CQ stood in front of her mom, shifting her weight from one foot to the next.


    Alexandra knew that look...


    She sighed.


    "Out with it, kiddo."


    "Mom?"


    "You''re about to either confess to something, or ask about permission, and you think I''ll be upset. So what is it?"


    "Well, remember the raiding units you''re preparing?"


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Sure. Why-" She froze, before jumping out of her chair. "No! You can''t be serious!"


    CQ raised her hands.


    "Mom, it''ll be fine!"


    "You''ll be behind enemy lines!"


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "With a teleporter talisman! And a bunch of soldiers. And Kara to carry me to safety!"


    "But-"


    "Mom. Can you think of anyone better? Or a more efficient use of me?"


    Alexandra closed her mouth.


    "...You''ve been talking to Seraph and Ghost about this, haven''t you?"


    Her daughter looked away, and Alexandra sighed as she dropped her ambassador back into the chair.


    The worst part of this was...her daughter wasn''t wrong.


    She''d fought in the battle of the bridge. First she''d helped holding off Sunrise''s initial thrust, when they had attempted to attack the artillery, and followed it up by rallying the center, when Sarth''s regulars had begun to falter, using her personal guard as an island of firepower to anchor the line, forming a sallying wedge, kind of like a bit taken out of a star shaped fort of the age of sail, to be able to rake either side with gunfire.


    Her golems had taken a beating, but with her powers bringing them back they''d been able to hold on, pouring enough fire into Sunrise''s flanks to force them to lower the pressure on the regulars, allowing them to rally, and then advance, smashing the attack the pegasus knights were trying to use to overwhelm her now dwindling wegde, enabling her to pull back in good order with the rest of the army when the plasma missiles came down.


    Kara, her manticore, gave her great mobility and staying power, enabling her to be mobile enough to evade most threats while having the ability to smash of her way out of sticky situations.


    "...Okay." Finally said Alexandra, and her daughter turned back towards her, her face brightening up.


    "Really?!?" She squealed, and Alexandra winced. It was hard to remember that, in many ways, she still acted like a kid. AIs technically didn''t have a childhood, they were legally created into adulthood.


    But CQ was still her adorable, baby daughter. Maybe treating her like a kid all the time was leading to her acting like one...maybe.


    She wondered how Arcadia would have reacted to being a mom. Or aunt, in this case. She''d probably spoil the poor girl rotten in the latter.


    "Yes. But there will be conditions."


    CQ was practically jumping in place at this point.


    "What conditions?" She asked, excitedly.


    "If things go south, trigger your talisman. Even if that means leaving some of your men behind."


    CQ froze.


    "But-"


    "No ifs. No buts. Do you remember what happened with the duke?"


    CQ opened her mouth, before closing it with a snap.


    She knew Alexandra had almost nuked Darthar itself when the duke was using the chains of light to slowly burn her to death.


    And if Kara hadn''t torn her way through her own mech''s wreckage to tackle him she probably would have carried through with it too.


    "Yeah...But I can''t just...leave them!"


    "Yes you can. You know why?"


    CQ shook her head.


    "Because they''ll tell you to. Because when soldiers respect their leaders, when they love them, they''ll sacrifice their own lives to allow them to live. Soldiers never fight because they want to kill the other side. Those are fanatics. Soldiers, true soldiers, fight to protect. Their loved ones, their homeland, their people...and sometimes, just to protect those who lead them or stand by their side on the field of battle."


    CQ slowly nodded.


    "Okay. I think I understand. Just like you fight for me and mommy, right?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes. She was perceptive.


    "Yeah. Exactly like that."


    "I understand then."


    "Good."


    "By the way, uh...will the raiding parties include the masked people? They make me feel weird."


    Alexandra grimaced.


    After the battle, some of the Kaidani volunteers had taken the face plates of her fallen golems and fashioned them into masks, wearing them basically everywhere, only taking them off when absolutely necessary.


    And unless she was seriously mistaken, there were shrines made out of spare parts and destroyed golems that kept popping up. Some of them were even being carried on makeshifts palanquins like...like holy relics.


    "There shouldn''t be. I''ll also have a word to the duke about this. It''s...worrying."


    "Yeah. What about the other conditions?"


    "Those...are going to be set up with your mommy." Alexandra smiled as CQ suddenly looked worried. "No going around her kiddo. Just make sure you get your spiel right."


    "Yes mom. You talk a lot like auntie Ghost."


    "I know." And it was starting to worry them both. Alexandra sighed, and slapped her thighs, the hologram glitching as metal hit metal. "Alright, no time like the present, let''s get your ambassador started up."


    *****


    Joachim took a deep breath, trying to steady his hands as he looked at the reports.


    His lodgings, despite being in the capital while it was being sieged down by Sunrise, were still as secure as ever. But they didn''t feel that way, not anymore.


    He was starting to wonder if recruiting Orzal Vek had been a good idea. They''d needed him for the attack on the Hegemon, but it had failed spectacularly.


    And now...now he had convinced his superiors to ambush the Adjudicator, costing them one of their Relic Guard in the process. That wasn''t even mentionning the nuclear warheads they''re deployed.


    It had been a signal to the Church, one they''d appeared to have received, loud and clear.


    After millenia of cat and mouse...the Order was done hiding. They were courting a fight to the finish. Do or die.


    Victory...or death.


    Those were their only options.


    He sighed.


    With the news of Alexandra''s true identity...that he had slain the Butcher of Europa, his standing with his superiors had nosedived, and many in the know were openly voicing doubts about if Lesly''s plan was worth the sacrifice.


    The only saving grace was that, with the Butcher dead, few were willing to suggest the operation should scrubbed. Not only because letting it go now would entail more risks that seeing it through, but also because it would make her sacrifice meaningless. And no one within the Order, no one who knew...no one could let it happen.


    But he had very little doubt that there would be consequences. Which...he finally realized was fine with.


    He had accepted long ago that he would bear the burden of the horrors he would unleash in the name of humanity''s rebirth. They said that to embrace the Order was to embrace death, and there was a truth to that.


    Everyone knew that if they succeeded, those they freed, those they fought for, would come for them. The crimes they had committed would leave no other choice. Every member of the Order knew that they were making the ultimate sacrifice. Not just of their lives, but their legacy and memories. That all they had done would be dragged through the dirt, and their names reviled by those they had freed.


    But free they would be. Mankind would be free. Not under the boot of false Gods slaughtering them like swine. Free. And that would have to be enough. It was enough. For all of them.


    He straightened, as the trembling in his hands stopped, and for the first time in days, his mind was clear.


    His career, his time spent climbing through the ranks...all of it was meaningless.


    Because he wasn''t here for himself. He never had been. It had just taken him this long, and to take this big of a shock to finally realize it. Their petty internal rivalries, their ideologies...in the end, none of it mattered. None of it had ever mattered.


    They would save humanity. No matter the cost. To himself, and to others.


    He would pay for what he had done, rightly so. And if there indeed was some realm of the dead, he would beg the one he had sacrificed for her forgiveness.


    In the meantime, he couldn''t let her sacrifice come to nothing. It had to mean something.


    No matter the cost.

 The Fallen World Book 8 : Dungeon Invasion is live on Amazon ! Book 1 is also on sale !

    Hello everyone !


    This is to tell you guys that book 8 of The Fallen World, titled Dungeon Invasion, is now available on Amazon ! It should be the 25th on the entire planet and thus the book should be available everywhere ! It is available in ebook, paperback and hardcover format. If you want to support the story and get an enhanced version of it, don''t hesitate to buy it ! Here''s the link to the book''s amazon page if you''re interested : https://geni.us/FallenWorld8</a>


    I hate asking for this, but don''t hesitate to leave a review ! I really dislike doing this, but it helps a lot.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    This novel includes chapters 271 through 313. As usual, it will include grammatical fixes and some tweaks to make the story flow better. In a series first however, there will be no fixing of plot holes because the editors couldn''t find any ! Hurray ! Keep in mind that when the book comes up, I will take down the chapters in it from Royal Road, except the first few ones as a sample.


    Also, the kindle version of book 1 is currently on sale, half off in the US and Canada I believe, if you missed the end of the year giveaway.


    To celebrate, chapter 334 will be posted tomorrow !


    I hope you''ll enjoy the novel, and have a nice day ! Playwars, out.

 Chapter 334 - Strategic Balance

    Chapter 334


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Fabricator Array


    "So. How are they doing?" Said Alexandra as she looked at the rows of fabricators, each surrounded by material hoppers and an entire network of conveyor belts and machinery, all intended to optimize their outputs to the highest possible level.


    "Purring like kittens." Answered Ghost.


    "Still on schedule?"


    "Yep! Of course, that''s only for making the fabricators we need. I have no idea how fast we can build the new designs."


    "Then let''s dedicate a fabricator to do so." Alexandra shrugged at Ghost''s questioning look. "We can afford it, and it''ll be an excellent test run. Besides, that way we can experiment. With infrastructure costs like these, optimizing to reduce build time instead of build cost is now something we''ll have to do. And we haven''t done that...ever, I don''t think."


    "Yeah. Which reminds me, we''re not switching everything over to the fabricators, right?"


    Alexandra shook her head.


    "Not yet, no. The fabricators will enable us to save a lot of money, which should enable us to continue fueling some of the more cost effective assembly lines even in the long term." The first wave of fabricators would be almost exclusively for golem production, at least at first, but it wouldn''t stay that way for long. They weren''t actually that great at mass production, but a fabricator was a hell of a lot more effective than even an early twenty first century assembly line, and complete automation or no she wasn''t quite there yet. "Those making our simpler weapons, for example. You don''t really need a fabricator to make a shotgun or an assault rifle after all. At least, not ours."


    "Yeah, right. Yours are so cheap and dinky they''d make the Kalashnikov blush."


    "Hey, try making an assault rifle entirely out of steel, that you can''t exactly maintain in the field and you know you''ll have to at least ship through a giant desert if not use it there, for the cheapest possible price, then we''ll talk."


    "Point taken."


    Alexandra smiled.


    "Besides, even if it''s a piece of shit, it''s still leagues ahead of anyone short of Gorromar on this continent."


    "You don''t fear their reaction to that?"


    "If they''d cared about technological supremacy, they''d have gone after Tark a long time ago." Alexandra shook her head. "No, I''m more concerned about the Eris Empire. They do care, a lot. After all, with their military overstretched like that, technological superiority is all that''s preventing their frontier territories from imploding. I''m, in fact, utterly amazed they haven''t come after me yet."


    "Gargor was within their territory. Having to deal with a dead, old dungeon core, and all the evacuations and displacement from that...it has to be a nightmare."


    "A nightmare that wouldn''t require much of their military, but I take your point. Attacking me, at least without embracing the isolationists'' line that I was behind it, would just make it seem like they could have done it. That''s not mentioning the fact that most of their military is tied up preventing other dungeons from moving, both within and without their territory. And embracing the isolationists would step squarely into the UDC''s civil war arena, and if they do...If they do, the dungeons in their territory they''re currently blocking will go from trying to go around them to full frontal assault, and it''s a lot easier to block someone by making a wall of bodies than it is to kill the other side, as our dear Kaidani volunteers showed in their fight against the UDC and then Sunrise."


    "Yeah. They had a window to make it not about the Civil War, but the UDC firmly closed it for us by allying with Sunrise."


    "Yep. Any news on our other projects, by the way?"


    "I really should be asking you that." Said Ghost with a smile. "Basically the only thing I heard is you signed off on Glitch and Seraph delving into New Raleigh''s gifts."


    "Yeah. If we''re gonna do a full upgrade on raw material production, might as well go all out." Alexandra rubbed her neck. "I really have been crushing you under work, haven''t I?"


    "Everyone''s busy. Besides which, it''s what I signed up for. All the same, might want to schedule some downtime after we get production of the new stuff streamlined. Get everyone to breathe a bit, recharge their batteries. Probably clear out their minds and get new ideas about some problems they couldn''t solve too."


    "That''s...a very good suggestion, actually."


    Ghost shrugged.


    "Well, I did lead the program to research and build, on a rushed schedule, the largest warship humanity...er, Earth, had ever built."


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    "Fair enough." Alexandra smiled. "Alright then, I should probably go. We''re putting up the finishing touches to boot up the new AIs for testing. And the little surprise for Emilia."


    "That insane mech CQ made? Good luck with that. And the AIs are the mage ones right?"


    "Yep. Wanna watch?"


    "Do I ever!"


    *****


    Satina Olyrin, head of the house of Olyrin and by the grace of the Gods duchess of Sunrise, and in an ever fading dream -or perhaps was it a nightmare?- ''rightful Queen of the Asarian Kingdom'', entered her tent, and more or less collapsed onto one of the chairs surrounding the table she used for her war council.


    The pace for her army wasn''t gentle, but the one she''d set for herself was even worst.


    She barely even twitched as one of her maids started doffing her armor as her nephew entered, alongside her spymaster.


    She simply waved vaguely at them and another one of her maids appeared, bringing refreshments as they took their own seats.


    The duchess noted, with some amusement, that they utterly refused to meet the eyes of the maids, or even let their gazes linger on them, or the too perfect, too young skin of regularly regenerated flesh.


    "So." She finally said. "The dungeon core has been slowly bleeding us, every step of the way. Using that...''Mackie'', was it?"


    "Yes. That is what the remnants of our network and our rogues have reported." Said the spymaster, and the duchess nodded gratefully.


    It wasn''t feigned either. Even despite everything, he had managed to keep lines of communications up to agents buried so deep they had survived the loyalists'' meticulous purges and counter intelligence operation, inevitable after the string of insurrections she had sponsored to give herself the best start to the war.


    And his rogues...


    They didn''t have that many of them. But some had been able to slip into the civilian train of the army, though they were...reluctant to enter the ranks of the Kaidani volunteers. The reports her spymaster was getting went from concerning to the downright bizarre, and had made her doubt their reliability at first.


    But their coup with the reconnaissance aircrafts, albeit from the ones that only shadowed the army, had made her seriously consider the reports.


    They''d filled her with dread. She was no soldier. Her entire life had been spent nurturing Sunrise''s nobility, commoners, slaves, and the intricate balance of emotions and perceptions that allowed one to rule a Duchy and make it prosper, both economically and socially. As much as the Crown would hate to admit it, there was a reason Sunrise was so powerful and prosperous.


    And thus she knew exactly the depth of trauma, hatred and renewed hope that could birth the kind of fanaticism and mysticism the rogues were reporting. The Church may be powerful but it did not demand worship, only compliance. Most people anywhere were only mildly interested in the Gods and praying to them. A fair amount of it was mostly routine.


    Those people had fallen into despair so deep they''d latched onto that damned dungeon with her gleaming golems as their fucking divine sent saviors and would willingly die for something that was fundamentally alien. Something they had been told since childhood was threatening, aloof and also the source of life. Ever since the United Dungeon Wars, dungeons had been seen with a mix of awe, greed, fear and suspicion.


    She''d always known her conquest would be bloody but she''d planned from the get go to free most of the slaves she had acquired. She wasn''t foolish enough to believe she could impose mass slavery by force on the western provinces, it would be the same as trying to emancipate her own duchy, suicide. She hadn''t intended on this level of resistance, and the destruction that had followed. Devastating Molro and Kaidan had never been an objective, she''d simply needed to get through them quickly but that pace and the relentless fighting with the local forces and then the Crown''s hosts had forced her to enslave people en masse to replenish her ranks. With their Queen at the helm the loyalists had fought like demons and bled her main army so deeply she''d had no choice.


    Originally she had planned for some level of destruction, true, that was inevitable in war, but once she had freed most of her slave soldiers she could enslave the Crown''s own troops and levies as workers to help rebuild everything, with perhaps a tithing of the west for some of their less desirable elements to replenish and keep topped up her duchy''s slave supply. It would have been effectively the same as the peasant levies some of the Crown''s loyal nobles had used, simply with slave brands to ensure compliance.


    She just hadn''t realized the level of hatred she was raising with this...and hadn''t counted on the dungeon core. Had she had the support of the neutral nobles as she encircled the capital, she would have won. The peace that would have followed would have been uneasy, but it would have worked.


    Instead there was this nightmare. Even if she was victorious...victorious for what, exactly? For a throne no one would bow down to? She''d have already proven that whomever holds the blade can take it for themselves. And the western half of the Kingdom would never bow to her now. Even the central sections would be shaky as well, and already renewing the garrisons would pose a major problem. She had counted on the neutral nobles forming islands of stability in the lands her own loyalists would get as rewards, but the exact opposite was happening now.


    She could win, but she would no longer have an Asarian Kingdom. She would almost certainly create a schism. Rebirth would be eradicated with the death of its dungeon, but she couldn''t wipe out Sarth and the Western Baronies. Doing so would bring down on her the wrath of powers whose attention she was already trembling under.


    Ironically, it seemed even if she lost she would create a schism and the destruction of the Kingdom anyway. If their majesties believed they would be able to exert any control over the new archduchy of Rebirth, they were wrong and then some. The archduchess may stay their loyal lapdog, though her past put that into doubt, but what of her heirs? And her heirs'' heirs? Within two to three generations the Kingdom would be done for, and given the fact that dungeons didn''t die of old age, she wouldn''t bet on the Crown.


    "Your grace?"


    The duchess shook herself, as she''d realized she had completely spaced out from the conversation.


    "Apologies, it...has been a long day." She said as she rubbed her eyes.


    "My aunt." Said her nephew, looking at her with open concern. "You should get some rest. You have been pushing yourself too hard."


    "Perhaps I have, perhaps I haven''t." In fact, they both knew she had...and that there was no choice. She wondered if her UDC ''allies'' realized that she was the only thing holding her army together at this point. "But regardless, with our rogues'' reconnaissance and preparations...we have a trap laid out. One that may give us a chance."


    "Only a chance." Said the spy master.


    "Perhaps, but it''s a hell of a lot better than being led by our nose to death by a thousand cuts. If they even wait that long." The duchess'' eyes turned even grimmer, and the two men''s followed suit.


    The slow, ponderous advance, with the dungeon seemingly dancing around them, bleeding them at her leisure was building a sentiment of...dread. It was a variant of the same feeling of inevitability the dungeon had when she had marched undefeated to the North, but even more vicious. Now, her people were convincing themselves that the dungeon was too in control, too calm, too precise. The roads, the bombs, the ambushes, in their mind everything had been prepared, carefully orchestrated. The gullible fools believed that they were walking to the tune of the dungeon''s flute, and marching straight into some ambush or other nefarious scheme.


    That wasn''t the case. But what was very real was that every step they took got them closer to Darthar, where the dungeon''s ''branch office'' was. That meant shorter supply lines and easier reinforcements. The dungeon would try something, once she was good, ready, and had her supply lines short enough to support fighting the main army. Or at least attempt to.


    Thankfully, her UDC allies had a solution to that. A solution that would arrive soon...and tip the balance the other way.


    It would also prove how much of a foolish child that dungeon was. After all, why make a branch office to shorten your supply lines...when you could send a secondary core to the army itself?


    "The die is cast, as they say." Simply said the duchess. "We need only hope, that we roll well."


    Or that, at least, their foe rolled worse.


    One could hope.


    One could pray...

 Chapter 335 - Cyber-Arcana

    Chapter 335


    Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Dungeon Factory, Boomtown


    "...It seems there is still room for improvement." Said Ghost, with tactful diplomacy.


    "Indeed." Answered Alexandra, the words almost stuck in her throat from a mix of shame and sheer amusement.


    Boomtown had amply deserved its name today. Both from the targets...and what was used to fire at them.


    Namely her prototype ''magic projectors'' which was a fancy way of saying ''weird apparatus a disembodied AI could focus their magic through''. The keyword in this case was ''focus'' not ''cast''. The machinery itself couldn''t summon any arcane spells on its own, it was simply a...vessel to allow someone else to do it. Something that, she was told, was remarkably common on warships, if expensive mana wise...and in terms of magical prowess. Not for the user, but for the builder.


    Thankfully, she had Emilia, an entire team of enchanters...and the archmage Emilia had to suspect existed due to her new source of advanced arcane knowledge, but was unwilling to challenge her on.


    The vampire girl not only clearly knew that Alexandra couldn''t fully trust her, but she knew why and was going out of her way to make sure she didn''t take notice of such things.


    Which of course meant that Alexandra was agonizing over whether to bring her fully in or not.


    For now it was...not yet. Her faith in the Church was cracking, fast, but even when a building collapsed the foundation remained, and it would take a considerable blow for her to not only accept her girlfriend was violating the edicts, but effectively preparing to fight and destroy the Church she had, in a way, spent her whole life preparing to serve.


    "Well, at least we know they can cast spells through them, just, ah, need some more refinements." Ghost shrugged as Alexandra gazed at her. "Science, right? Learn from the mistakes."


    "Yeah. Sometimes failure is more important than success."


    The dungeon core turned back towards the knot of holograms. All of her AIs were present, including the new four.


    The AIs for the four ships under construction, the Frank Exchange of Views Culture-class battlecruiser, and the Vayelyth, Hoshi and Sylvia Tetsudo-class escort cruisers, all named such because she had rejected her own idea of naming them after roman empresses as too potentially dangerous. Especially given the quantity of data on Earth some organizations seemed to have here.


    Hopefully the Neo Immortals comics would prove obscure enough , just like Traveller had.


    Not that it would probably matter much...because those three AIs were networked. Not with her, and not into a full hivemind, but where one began and where the other ended would have been a complicated question at best. Which meant that differentiating between them was probably pointless. Moreover, given Arcadia''s proclivities, it may be outright antagonizing if not cause an existential crisis.


    It was an experiment she needed to do, what with the fact that she, herself, was slowly forming into a new Arcadia hivemind. Arguably, she already was one, with Ghost as a secondary personality, and four nodes, counting her cores and the Flickerlight''s computer matrix.


    One day...she may need to expand that to her other AIs. There may come a time when there would be no other choice.


    And if it came, she would be ready.


    "Let''s hope it doesn''t come to that." Murmured Ghost, and Alexandra shivered.


    Ghost could literally read her thoughts, but it was still weird as hell, though she usually tried to avoid abusing the privilege.


    "Let''s hope." She raised her voice as she clapped her hands. "Alright people, let''s get into a debriefing room, and we''ll go through what we did right, and what we did wrong."


    Everyone gave their own acknowledgments, with the four new AIs letting out an automatic and robotic ''Affirmative'', and Alexandra sighed.


    "Right, and let''s get CQ give you some lessons when she has the time." And some outfits, probably, as all four AIs were using a standard golem in lieu of a hologram. Wasn''t she designing one for Seraph too? She''d have to check that out. "We need to get you acting like people."


    That, or she could have them interact with Pyn and Allya, but CQ had a kind of...cyber empathy she''d never seen, anywhere. And she''d met every single one of the ''super'' AIs of Earth and many, many ''lesser'' ones. Even for a construct herself her daughter interacted with artificial intelligences in a way that seemed to effectively border on perfect empathy and outright prescience.


    Or maybe she interacted with Arcadias that way. Mmmhhh, something to think upon.


    But later. For now, some lessons needed to be taken.


    *****


    "So, in short, the focusing arrays worked, they simply weren''t built for this level of energy or control." Said Alexandra as she looked at the schematics. "They weren''t built to handle AIs."


    That, in and of itself, was fascinating. This wasn''t post Dawn of the Flames tech, she knew, from her analysis of the devices and the runes that it had been reverse engineered from Old World technology, probably Sagitarian, though she couldn''t be too sure. She simply didn''t have enough examples of technology of other Old World powers to judge.


    In fact, the only one she was certain was from one of them was the drone used to lure the Hammer of Eternity here. Or whatever else it was attempting to do. A drone whose flight recorder would make for a fascinating reading once the molecular supercomputer they''d built to crack it finished brute forcing the insane encryption it was equipped with.


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    But in any case, the deliberate design choice made her thing it was some kind of Sagitarian technology. It slotted in with their intent to cripple their AIs...and it hinted at the possibilities of what an AI could do with the ability to cast spells. After all, the limitation of archmages was their essence, to some level, but also their ability to perfectly recall spells and both incant and mindcast them.


    AIs had perfect recall and functionally infinite memory. Not conscious memory, an AI didn''t consciously ''know'' everything in their databanks, otherwise the amount of bandwidth required would make it utterly unworkable at anything approaching the intelligence of a dog, let alone a human.


    An unbound artificial super intelligence with the ability to, say, produce their own mana by making things like NLR cores...the only label she could possibly come up with for that level of power was ''God like''.


    Which was a horrifying thought.


    "That means a full redesign, right?" Asked Ghost, and Alexandra grimaced.


    "It means a full redesign." She agreed. "Which means delays we can ill afford."


    "Our fabricator arrays are still not fully up." Cautioned Seraph, and Alexandra nodded.


    "They are not, and thus we have some time to correct these issues, but not much. Make no mistake, every extra delay may well be bought in blood."


    The silence in the room was deafening. Most of them didn''t ascribe that much value to human life. That was worrying, in its own way, but they all recognized that letting their allies fall because of their own failings to buy them time, and not just sheer necessity as was the case right now, was not acceptable.


    More importantly, they recognized that Alexandra, who through a complicated web of relationships was their ultimate boss, did place value on those lives and would be the one who wouldn''t accept their needless loss.


    "Should we divert additional resources?" Asked Subtlety. "We have completed most of our utmost emergency projects, we could give some capacity and expertise."


    Alexandra nodded. Ghost and Subtlety were on high tech production, and the fabricators had been their primary project. They had more than she could care to name on their plates, and almost all of them were critical, but right now they needed this more.


    Not because of Sunrise, but because of the UDC. It was being quiet. Far too quiet. She was starting to wonder if she shouldn''t have done her best to bring down Glarvistar. The dungeon core was terrifyingly competent, and being the one who had been able to salvage anything to the disastrous battle in the Ytakan scrublands, he had clearly been given some level of command or oversight over the council''s efforts to destroy her.


    And despite both sides of the dungeon civil war still bringing their reserves online and their shipbuilding infrastructure to full speed, some of which hadn''t run at anything approaching full capacity or been outright mothballed for hundreds of years, her side was starting to deploy reserve ships for reconnaissance and to show the flag.


    The isolationists closest to Arkhan or on the continent itself...were not. Which meant that these ships were somewhere else.


    And she could guess that it was something alongside ''heading towards Sunrise''s army at full speed''.


    "Yes, we will divert resources." Alexandra grimaced. "But if results cannot be obtained in time, we will have to ditch the capability altogether."


    "That will be a significant blow." Warned Subtlety.


    "I know. But we''re planning to retrofit you with it, if nothing else, so we''ll have to work out the protocols and tools to do so anyway." Alexandra shrugged. "But it''s a worst case scenario. Now, time for some status updates. First up, Seraph, Glitch. How''s your progress on raw material production?"


    The two AIs exchanged a look, and got up simultaneously.


    "We have, as authorized, began copying and using the data within the university of New Raleigh''s library." Started Seraph. "The information was combined with the result of our own experiments and combined into new methods of production."


    Seraph stopped and Glitch picked up.


    "The results have been quite varied. The costs for steel production specifically have only been marginally improved, but all other materials, including iron, have significant upgrades possible to every step of production. The running cost gains are relatively low, a few percentile points, but the production per infrastructure cost has been significantly improved." Glitch smiled and for a split second she didn''t have two eyes anymore. "The improvements are in the order of twenty to, in the case of some fringe materials like tin, seventy percent."


    Alexandra whistled softly. That was...significant indeed. A few percentage points of lower costs was also significant in its own right, especially when added to the fabricators'' savings.


    And on the scale she operated...a single percent of a thousand golems was still an extra squad she could send to put the duchess of Sunrise''s head on a spike.


    A single percent for an army was entire extra combat formations she could field.


    But the extra production per infrastructure cost was also a significant reduction in cost, in a way. Not just initial either, but also with maintenance.


    "Excellent." Said the dungeon core. "More than that, incredible. We might be able to afford to run all of our old production after all." At least while they desperately needed more weapons in the field, then they''d be stood down, probably mothballed, in favor of the more cost effective fabricators, especially for the monster spawners. "Though I assume we will need a significant infrastructure investment?"


    "That is, unfortunately, the corollary, yes." Said Seraph, and the Earth-born grimaced.


    "Alright, get me some numbers, and make a list of which we should prioritize in the short, medium and long term." The AI bowed, and Alexandra chuckled. "Alright. Next up, Sarah, Ella, what nasty surprises do you have in store?"


    Ella got up, clearing her throat.


    "As requested, we have divested our attention from further chemical weaponry unless absolutely necessary." Alexandra nodded. There were simply too many problematic connotations with chemical warfare on Alcheryos, and that was ignoring her own misgivings about such weaponry.


    After all, she''d been raised on a planet devastated by the horrors of unrestrained nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.


    "With our shift of focus from traps to raids,-" Continued the vampire. "-we have found several ways to harass Sunrise''s limited convoys. Since these convoys are to supply their regulars and elite, and are so few, their escorts will be significant...so our solution is simply not to attempt to destroy them."


    "I beg your pardon?"


    The maid gave her a toothy smile.


    "Taking those convoys would be a relatively major engagement. Crippling some of their wagons and airships to force them to either limp after the army or destroy significant portion of their cargos, so it will not fall into the hands of partisans, will not." Sunrise''s supply system was a mishmash at best, using a combination of requisitioned airships tied up with ground caravans. Alexandra had wondered why bind the airships that way, before realizing that without any real airfleet of their own, Sunrise couldn''t escort them or keep the merchant crews in line, at least not without enslaving them, which would have...considerable problems. Namely that most of these ships probably had foreign nationals to help keep the ships running, mostly from Gorromar, and it was one enemy Sunrise wasn''t keen on making. It also meant that the UDC wouldn''t or couldn''t do the same job, which was interesting all on its own. "We are also attempting to leverage the local guerilla to maximum effect, but this will be mainly a job to be done on the ground." Which meant CQ, but Ella didn''t need to say it. The vampire shrugged. "We have assembled an entire list of tricks and special tactics to use on the convoys. It should enable keeping some form or another of surprise for a while, but eventually they will find countermeasures. Our advice is that any such campaign be temporary, their lack of conventional logistics for most of their army makes them able to mass military power to protect their convoys beyond what we can operate behind their lines without becoming too large to be able to hide from or evade hunter/killer groups."


    "Groups which they will most assuredly send. Very well, we''re not intending to keep running those raids anyway. Just long enough to put them off balance for the main event. Alright, I already have the progress report from Ghost on her endeavors, does anybody have anything else to report?" Everyone shook their heads. "Then let''s get back to it. And after this, we''re all getting some well earned rest, I promise." She chuckled. "Call it a...company vacation."


    Glitch raised her hand.


    "Yes?" Asked the dungeon core.


    "Will there be a beach?"


    "I will make one." Answered the Earth-born with a smile. "Believe me, I will make one. Now let''s move, and earn ourselves our little rest on the sand!"

 Chapter 336 - Rogues

    Chapter 336


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    Alexandra sighed as she looked at the map and strategic projection of the retreat, before focusing back on preparing her breakfast.


    They were going to start running out of ground to give, eventually. Or rather, run out of vegetation and terrain.


    Right now the only thing saving them was that Sunrise''s army was too huge to be able to move as quickly as it could, and that it wasn''t able to separate into smaller forces for a quicker march or even flanking maneuvers, without inviting defeat in detail.


    But when they entered the Ytakan scrublands that would start to lessen, and vanish altogether when approaching the border of the wasteland. Which meant that their only choice would be to veer west rather than south, towards Sarth, leaving Darthar wide open.


    Though, ''wide open'' was a relative term. With her branch office there...one thing she was certain of, it was that Sunrise would not take the city.


    They probably knew it too, and would only blockade the city as best they could or simply leave it up to their UDC ''allies'', while they pursued the army into Sarth.


    The problem was that it would cut their supply lines, especially for their ammo and golem reinforcements. They technically could use the expeditionary traders, but the UDC fleet would be in the perfect position to generate an intercept.


    If they got to that point, it would be do or die in a single massive battle, and she wanted to avoid that at all costs. First, because she''d rather have some room to maneuver, but also because she neither could nor wanted to annihilated Sunrise''s entire army. The murder of over a million slaves...she wouldn''t be able to resurrect any significant portion of that. Worst come to worst, better to kill them bit by bit so she could bring back as many as possible.


    And if it bought some time for Rook to do whatever the hell he was planning or perhaps even give the other side the opportunity to do a change in leadership and surrender, well that was just an added bonus.


    Plus, annihilating a large force was hard as hell. They''d probably break and regroup at least once. Just like the air cavalry she''d fought.


    "Alex!" Yelled out Ghost as she entered the command center.


    Alexandra sighed, looking up from the croissant she''d been preparing to eat. Despite having no biological need to do so, she''d found herself some epicurean tendencies, and it was one of the pleasures she could partake in without taking too much time.


    "You really need to stop doing that." Said the dungeon core, before taking a bite of her pastry. At least she could have that much." What''s up?"


    "I found what detected our blackbirds!"


    Alexandra set down her pastry.


    "Show me."


    The apparition gestured, and the command center''s hologram switched to showing the giant pile of data that was, at it''s base, the take from a blackbird''s sensors.


    "I''m going to be honest, I expected an image." Said Alexandra, as she chuckled.


    "I wish it was that easy." Ghost started manipulating the data, and Alexandra followed her changes, with some interest. There was no need to explain anything, they thought too closely to need any explanation. Besides which, they had the same methodology for this.


    And a pattern started to emerge.


    "Wow. Is that...holy shit, that''s stealth, isn''t it?"


    Ghost nodded.


    "It occurred to me that, despite not expecting a high tech solution, we might as well run programs for it."


    "So they have Old World tech?"


    Ghost shook her head.


    "No. They have...I don''t know what the hell they have, but if this doesn''t come out as what samples we have of Old World tech, or anything we know of technological stealth. It''s more of an...imitation."


    The dungeon core leaned back into her chair.


    "Replicating the tech with magic." It wasn''t a question. They''d seen many such examples.


    "That''s my guess, but it''s just that, a guess."


    "We could leave them there, show them what we want to show them, but that''s too much of a risk, especially against unknown recon capabilities. I''d love to turn them to our advantage, but I don''t think we''ll be able to, not without unveiling too much of our own abilities in the process. And we can''t afford that right now, not when we still haven''t even finished our industrial setup, let alone setting the stage for our comeback."


    "So, what do we do?" Asked Ghost, and Alexandra grinned.


    "We do it Federation style. ''Coup de poing'' operation. Hit the stealth recon hard, hit them fast, and gather up whatever remains."


    Ghost returned her grin.


    "I can get behind that." Her grin vanished. "A lot of good people died because of those bastards."


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    "Indeed. Let''s give them a taste of their own fucking medicine then."


    *****


    "Alright. I''m relieving you, get some chow." Said the rogue as he tapped his fellow''s shoulder.


    The young woman smiled, and hopped out of her hiding spot, scurrying off towards the main camp, as he sighed.


    Some days it felt like he was the only true professional here. Most of his fellows had been scooped up from villages and other areas, and qualified more as forest rangers than rogues really, able to hide from both monsters and the duchy''s patrols trying to catch them poaching.


    He sat down in the small, camouflaged space that served as one of the lookout posts for their camp, and gazed at the night sky.


    In the distance, he could faintly see the light of the loyalists'' fires reflected into the skies. And the occasional flash of a patrolling drone.


    The dungeon core wasn''t letting up a single second, and he had begrudging respect for that kind of paranoia. She wasn''t about to let one pull one over her...at least not easily.


    Her bleeding heart, taking all the civilians in, would be her undoing however.


    As it had been many of the loyalists'', how many ''escaped slaves'' had been Sunrise operatives, greeted into strongholds with open arms, allowed to ''build their lives'' in the positions that allowed them to light their targets from the inside out like a glorified tinderbox?


    He had his doubts about his cause, but he''d sworn an oath, and that meant something. His household had served the Olyrins, dukes and duchesses of Sunrise, for over a thousand years, since before the Wars of Shattering, and Gods willing, would serve them a thousand more.


    Even as he thought his eyes kept scanning. Right to left, always, going against the pattern his eyes were instinctively trying to do, forcing his brain to focus on oddities rather than overwrite them...and he froze.


    There. Movement. It was coming from directly south. The dungeon''s army was to the east, and the duchess'' troops north.


    So from neither force...unless someone was trying to be sneaky and hit them were they weren''t expecting it, without risking the detection and time of going entirely around.


    He grabbed his whistle, and whirled around as he heard the softest of noises.


    He found himself face to face with a knight of some kind, her piercing crimson eyes fixed on him, her invisibility spell collapsing as he stabbed at her, instinctively going for the gaps in the armor.


    His dagger punched through flesh, and his eyes went wide as he saw not blood, but motes of light escape from the wound.


    "That''s a shame. I was so close too. I need to practice more." Said the...thing, conversationally, and he tried to reach out for another dagger and bring his whistle to his lips.


    Only to realize that his muscles weren''t responding...and the creature was holding some kind of tube. A tube he was worldly enough to recognize as a kind of autoinjector. In the adrenaline rush, he hadn''t even noticed her using it on him.


    He fell to the ground, twitching, his vision swimming as the creature stepped over his body.


    "It''s okay." She said. "It should be over soon. And hey! I won''t soul seal you. Mom won''t be happy about you, but if you answer her questions, you''ll be okay, alright?" The thing looked up, withdrawing his dagger from her flesh and playing with it as the wound sealed. "Okay, Kara''s here, Time to go! See you later!"


    She vanished, and a vast winged shadow flew across his vision, as things made out of metal flowed out of the woods around him, moving impossibly silently for what had to be heavy infantry, their armor simply refusing to clang into the cacophony he expected. His brain was trying to tell him about something. Something about metal creatures...creatures whose armor was fused into them rather than worn...


    Then the screaming started. First in alarm, then in shock and terror as a great roar filled the air.


    There was a sound, a sound he''d heard once, when he had visited the slave pits of Lorenz. The sound of a dozen people being set alight and left to burn alive.


    His vision began to fade, as the screams ended as suddenly as they had begun, and blessed oblivion took him.


    *****


    "Jessamine." Said the rogue as he slipped into the tent, and the person trying very hard to not look like one of Sunrise''s professional killers gestured him in.


    "Hello old friend. What brings you here?"


    "Daud and Corvo are dead. The shinies have overrun the nest."


    The older woman froze.


    She had no idea who had found the code names for this operation, except that it came from some obscure book written by an extradimensional, something related to their homeworld. But Daud and Corvo were her two fellows in charge of the ''nest'', their base camp out in the forest.


    "Shit." She whispered. "What happened?"


    "No clue. Dungeon boss vanished, then came back with bodies. If they ain''t soul sealed..."


    "They''re about to be interrogated." She closed her eyes. "Alright, fuck. We need to start. Now."


    "Now? We''re not-"


    "We''re not ready and we''ll be less ready hanging by a noose." ''Not ready'' was a considerably euphemism, as the camp was supposed to provide the metaphorical floor to their anvil, all to prepare the way for the duchess'' hammer. "Send the signal to her Grace. We''re out of time." She took a deep breath. "Let''s hope what we''ve been able to set up was...good enough."


    Her subordinate''s gaze told her everything she needed to know about his opinion on the subject. He nodded, and left.


    He would obey. Her other people however...


    The problem with rogues and operatives, was that they always had the option and skills to slip away. She just hoped enough of her people didn''t.


    *****


    "So, they were definitely up to something." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the holograms on the bridge, a mix of images taken from the camp and sensor analysis from the take of various drones and blackbirds.


    "The only thing we can tell right now is that they had activity between their camp and both of the armies." Said Ghost. "Not much to go off of."


    "Plenty enough. They brought something from their people to ours. Assassins?"


    "The rogues should be able to do that themselves. No, it had to be something they hadn''t been issued with when they left, a capability no one had thought to give them, or they wouldn''t have bothered."


    "True, then-"


    Alarms rang.


    "Alert, multiple detonations detected!" Said Subtlety through the bridge''s audio system as the holographic projector dissolved into static, and updated with the tactical map.


    "...They brought saboteurs." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the map. "And explosives. They must have hit the ammunition depots. Tried to neutralize our armored units maybe?"


    Alexandra''s eyes went wide as the display updated with red icons, spreading like the pox.


    "No, they''re...attacking the civvies?" Said Ghost. "Why would they..."


    They exchanged a look.


    "Oh fuck." They said simultaneously.


    They didn''t need to say it. They had the same conclusion. The civilians were the slowest part of the army and the one and only section they would refuse to leave behind.


    The bombs were there to plunge them into chaos, create a stampede of panicked civilians scattering in every direction, preventing the army from maneuvering.


    "CQ!" Yelled out the dungeon core, and the boss burst in through the door.


    "Mom? What-"


    "Get your troops, riot control, now!" Said Alexandra as she stabbed her finger at the hologram. "I want those civvies moved back, I don''t care how many skulls you have to crack! Everyone else, man your stations and get our army into battle formation for one hell of a fighting retreat! We''re about to have company!"

 Chapter 337 - Situation Excellent

    Chapter 337


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    Alexandra''s gaze was grim as she gazed at the video feeds. They were collated from her recon drones and ships, surveying their own army from the air.


    "The enemy saboteurs have used a mix of charges, incendiary, smoke, flash and conventional explosives." Said Subtlety. "We have caught some with drone footage and taken them out with snipers on the ships, but most appear to have disappeared back into the crowds."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "We should have set up some surveillance over our own troops. I was overconfident." She closed her eyes. "They''re trying a smoke and mirror approach. Panic the civvies, to prevent us from falling back. And their army has probably gone into force march, but without the blackbirds being able to get close now, we weren''t able to see it in time to warn us."


    "Our skirmisher screen is coming into contact with reinforced enemy elements." Confirmed the AI. "Most likely a form of vanguard."


    "They''ll be clearing the way for their infantry. Probably something similar to their air cavalry tactics, spearheads of elite units to achieve breakthroughs, backed with the mass of the slaves to give them momentum and flanked with line holders who''ll flow into the breaches after the shock troops are done making them." Alexandra opened her eyes. "What''s our status?"


    "Our forces are drawing into their primary battle lines relatively unimpeded. The civilians however are causing havoc in our rear, and our artillery units are having trouble setting up."


    "Of course they are." Because the idiots were stampeding towards ''safety'', and straight into the soldiers trying to prepare to keep them safe. "CQ?"


    "Approaching the area with her riot control units." Which was a fancy way of saying ''marines with baton rounds''. They had planned for this possibility, though it was mostly done with surplus ammo they''d made for the police golems in Rebirth, and she had in stock to help pad the supply shipments North, to hide the fact that she had stopped making anything and was running on fumes and warehouses. "Effectiveness...impossible to estimate."


    Alexandra nodded.


    "Yeah...How are our forward units doing?"


    "Sappers are still setting up minefields, and our armored spearhead has deployed. Skirmishers are still engaging and retreating towards our line."


    "Good. Smash one of their flank vanguard units with the tanks, then bring them back in. Give them a bloody nose, try to think we''re going to attempt a breakout on one of the flanks."


    "And in truth?"


    The dungeon core grinned wolfishly.


    "Have you heard of Marshall Foch? From Earth''s first world war."


    "Negative, milady."


    "He was a great commander of France. He once famously said ''My right flank is under immense pressure, my center is collapsing, cannot maneuver. Situation excellent, launching my attack.''" He''d also called the Versailles Treaty a ''twenty year armistice'', which was to be staggeringly prophetic, but they didn''t have the time to delve too deep into Earth''s mess of seemingly cyclical great wars. At least they had them away from the homeworld now. "So we''re attacking. Punch straight through the middle."


    "Milady, that seems...Uh..."


    "Unexpected? We need to get the civilians out. That means giving the other side pause or they''ll run us down. So we attack, straight in. Be cute with trying to draw some reserves on their flanks, then grind their center to dust and force them to take a step back lest we cut the army in three, with the retreating shattered center and both flanks still in their normal positions, and then turn on one of their flanks to annihilate it in detail. Their slaves might not have morale, but their officers do, and after what we did to their elites at the bridge...they have to be thinking about their own hides now."


    "What if they try to encircle us?"


    "Pull off a Hannibal? They can try, but..." Alexandra gestured at the strategic map, which was being updated with a variety of icons, including the minefields...on the army''s sides. "Their slave backbone will dissolve under the gas mines. They''ll be able to harass us, but they won''t have the sheer mass and numbers to encircle us. At least not quickly. Oh they''ll use wind magic and such to disperse the gas, but not before it''s shattered their initial momentum."


    The AI nodded, and Alexandra took a deep, useless breath, before continuing.


    "Alright. Warn me when CQ starts getting the civvies under control. And tell the Duke of our plan. Our golems will be the spearhead, his people will be the shaft that drives and holds them in our foes'' flesh. That also means that if he breaks, we''re staying there. He''s the only way to pull us back out."


    Subtlety tilted her head in the way Arcadia did when communicating, and Alexandra felt a pang of grief and nostalgia, which she suppressed as the AI righted herself.


    "He says they''ll succeed or die trying." Relayed the AI.


    "Best I can ask." Alexandra exhaled, or rather, her hologram faithfully mimicked it. "Alright then. Let''s do this."


    *****


    For once, the troops protecting the artillery regretted their new weaponry. Bolt action rifles and submachine guns were amazing tools of war, but a shield was a much better tool to prevent a baying mob of panicked civilians from overrunning their only chance at salvation in their mindless panic.


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    Knight-Commander Philia looked as the first line began to crumble, civilians beating their way through their own defenders...and raised her hand.


    Her knights exchanged uneasy glances, but they obeyed.


    Three hundred royal knights grounded the butts of their rifles, and fixed bayonets.


    The Knight-Commander closed her eyes. She was about to end her carreer, but if the vast majority of the civilians lived free to demand her head, she''d have fulfilled her oaths.


    She opened her eyes as she heard the concert of cries, just in time to feel a shadow falling over her.


    She turned around, and watched the massive mechanical manticore land behind her.


    "EVERYONE!" Yelled out CQ, her voice amplified by the manticore''s speakers. The closest civilians, those who had pointed at her, heard her and froze, but the mindless mob''s screams downed out the rest.


    The boss raised her sword, and Philia was almost thrown to the ground as a lance of energy split the skies, the shockwave hitting the crowd like a sledgehammer.


    This time there was absolute silence.


    "EVERYONE!" Yelled out the boss once more. "You need to move back! NOW! Sunrise is coming, and we need to be able to maneuver while we fight them! Move back! Gather what you can from the camp and get back on the road!"


    Her voice rang in the silence, and the civilians looked at each other uneasily, their panic finally starting to ease as they began to realize what had been happening. But still they milled about, and Philia closed her eyes. She knew a riot dispersing when she saw it, but there was no way-


    "You heard her holiness! Move you rats! And behave like people, not animals!" Yelled out someone and Philia''s eyes snapped open, immediately focusing on a giant of man wearing a kind of metal mask. He grabbed another civilian by the shoulders, and pushed them back, before doing the same with another, repeating his instructions.


    Soon enough, others wearing the same mask -the cultists Crystal had talked about?- began to do the same, and the crowd began to flow back, this time not moving with a semblance of purpose, following the cultists as they tried to organize them.


    The Knight-Commander felt more than heard the boss gesture, and golems began to descend from the skies in jetpacks, joining the cultists and encircling the crowd, helping direct it like shepherd dogs.


    Seeing the dungeon creations'' joining them seemed to give heart to the civilians, and the mob began to separate into different groups, each intent on salvaging what they could and moving south.


    The ground shifted as the manticore walked to her side, and Philia held up her hand to forestall the dungeon boss as she moved to dismount.


    "Don''t." Said the Knight-Commander. "Right now you''re the symbol of their renewed purpose. Stay there. Be visible. Be calm and collected. Righteous, if you want."


    "But...I''m a commander! I''m supposed to give orders!" Said the dungeon boss, and Philia was suddenly reminded that however terrifying the boss was -what the ever living fuck had she even fired into the skies?!?-, she was still frighteningly inexperienced.


    "Sometimes, your job is to just stay there and look the part. You''ve given your orders, now you just have to look like everything is going as planned, so everyone can do their part." Philia turned to face the boss, and smiled sadly. "Welcome to having living troops, milady."


    The boss looked at her, and nodded.


    "Right." She turned back towards to the crowd, and made a face that was...


    Philia couldn''t help it, she laughed.


    "I said calm and collected, not like you''re having a hot poker up your-" She coughed as she suddenly remembered the dungeon core considered the boss to be her daughter, and her...protective tendencies. "Mouth and you''re trying not to choke on it." Hastily corrected the Knight-Commander.


    "I''m fairly sure I''d be running around, my arms flailing in the air." Answered CQ with a smile, and Philia saw the ripple of renewed calm pass through the crowd as those looking over their shoulders saw the boss relax.


    "Probably. But still." Philia looked to her side, and gestured.


    And with undisguised relief, her knights took the bayonets off of their rifles.


    "Just in time, huh?" Said CQ, and Philia nodded.


    "Indeed. The cavalry arrived almost late." She smiled. Despite everything she knew about the dungeon core and her efforts...her daughter was just like that. And if this kind of person was who the core had raised, maybe there was something to her project. Maybe...Maybe she was for the best. "Almost."


    "I''ll have you know a dungeon boss doesn''t arrive early, nor late, they arrive exactly when they mean to!" Retorted CQ with a haughty huff, and Philia let out a chuckle, the tension that had invaded her muscles bleeding out. Maybe there was an edge of hysteria to it, but at this moment she couldn''t care less.


    "Of course, milady. You arrived at precisely the right time. Now, what''s the plan?"


    The boss'' wolfish smile suddenly reminded her that adorable or not, she was her mother''s daughter.


    "We sit tight, and watch the pretty fireworks."


    "Fireworks?"


    The dungeon boss gestured with her sword, and Philia turned around.


    Her eyes went wide as she saw the army assembling into an assault formation.


    "They''re going to attack?!?"


    "Yep! The one thing that they won''t be expecting."


    "That''s madness!"


    Something passed inside the boss'' eyes, and Philia''s estimation of her youth and experience changed dramatically. For a split second she had the eyes of a hardened commander, the kind the Queen had when she''d sent her to Rebirth.


    "Maybe. But it''s our only choice." The moment passed, and the smile returned to the boss'' face." And we get to make sure the guns keep firing. I hope you''re ready for another turkey shoot!"


    Philia swallowed her retort. She wouldn''t exactly call fighting against Sunrise''s best as they dropped from the skies to silence the guns a ''turkey shoot'', but...well, they''d already won against them once, hadn''t they?


    "Of course milady."


    "Then let''s get them!"


    ******


    Alexandra looked at the constantly updating strategic map.


    Their drones were getting annihilated out there, but they gave a frighteningly accurate picture of the enemy''s advancing skirmisher screen, both on the ground and in the air. And with that, she could estimate the army''s location.


    "Milady, CQ has gotten the civilians under control and moving back."


    Alexandra sighed in relief.


    "Alright. Excellent." She looked at her own army on the map. "Then we can begin. Order the artillery to open us a path. And let''s give these bastards a taste of what true warfare means."


    "Yes milady!"


    Alexandra watched as the AI tilted her head, and a few seconds later, the artillery disappeared behind a wall of icons as it opened fire.


    Sunrise was about the discover the true meaning of the Alcheryosian tale of the dog that ''caught'' the wyvern.


    And she was a lot more dangerous than a mere overgrown lizard when she was cornered.

 Chapter 338 - Aces

    Chapter 338


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    To say that Sunrise''s vanguard was terrified would be a considerable understatement.


    They could hear the distant screams and thundering guns as the army''s right flank, or left from their enemy''s perspective, was attacked by the Mackie and its armored escort.


    So laser focused were they on enemy traps and a possible charge, that they didn''t fully realize what the whistling was until it was too late.


    Some of the more alert ones dove for the ground.


    Most didn''t.


    The formation came to a crashing halt as the artillery barrage began. The first volley crashed onto the wards in a chorus of thunderclaps. The second caused them to flicker. And the third punched straight through the failing barrier, as its shells began reaping a rich harvest, and any semblance of organization or unit coherence vanished in the chaos as soldiers dove to the ground or tried to run to cover.


    Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the shelling stopped.


    Officers bellowed, soldiers rose to their feet as order began to emerge again...just in time for them to see the hand grenades sail through the smoke and dust.


    There wasn''t much left to mop up afterwards, as whoever hadn''t been taken out tossed down their weapons and ran as fast as they could, as the golems marched through the craters made by their own artillery.


    *****


    "General! Your Grace!" Yelled a messenger as he stumbled into the command tent. "The enemy''s artillery has engaged our center and mechanized units have withdrawn on the left."


    Mahikam, Marquis of Caliban, commander of the Northern Army of Liberation and incidentally, the duchess of Sunrise''s nephew, nodded.


    "Good, status?"


    "The left flank holds strong thanks to the reinforcements from the UDC, but their original units have been badly mauled. The center...the center is in full retreat milord. We are trying to turn them around."


    "I see." The Marquis nodded. "Interesting..."


    "Ideas, nephew?" Said the duchess, and the Marquis jumped a bit, as if he''d been so deep in his thinking already he''d completely forgotten about her.


    "A few. But nothing concrete." He frowned. "Trying to predict and outfox Crystal has proven...hazardous, for all her previous opponents."


    "I suppose you would know." The duchess sighed. She was a politician, not a soldier, let alone a commander. Getting nobles in line, alliances and trade deals were more up her speed. Maybe it was a blindspot for her...she''d always expected to have military people to handle that side of the affair, but she''d run out of trustworthy commanders frighteningly quickly.


    "I certainly hope I do." He straightened. "Her options are few. But an artillery barrage on our center buys her time. She has shattered the road, making our infantry advance harder. That was expected. The question is what she will do to prevent our flanks collapsing on hers and encircling her force."


    "You believe she will stand and fight?"


    "Whatever you think of her my aunt, Crystal is no one''s fool. If the civilians have been as panicked as we hope, she will reform her army around them to get them under control. This will take too much time to even allow a fighting retreat. No, she''ll make a stand."


    "Which we will win."


    Her nephew gave her a look that sent shivers down her spine.


    "No. We''ll pin her down for the UDC to finish."


    "...You''ve been talking to the dungeon cores behind my back."


    "Underlings talking to underlings has been the way things have gotten done since the dawn of humanity, my aunt, but yes. The UDC wished to ensure they would strike the final blow, for I assume their own propaganda and ''domestic'' purposes. I was more than happy to let them throw their own troops at a cornered dragon."


    The duchess leaned back into her seat.


    "And you think this''ll work?"


    "As they think it will?" He shrugged. "Probably not. But this is our best shot right now. So we''re taking it."


    "Very well. Good luck, my nephew."


    "Never say good luck to a warrior." Said the Marquis with a smile. "Say good hunting." He nodded towards the messenger, who had done his best to become deaf, mute, and part of the furniture. "Signal colonel Halpsrey and captain Winters. Order the flanks to begin the attack!"


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yes my lord!" Said the messenger as he slammed his fist against his breastplate, and scampered out.


    The Marquis watched him go, and focused back on the map, his mind working overtime.


    The dungeon core was going to have tricks up her sleeves. Anticipating them by reviewing all of her previous fights had walked the UDC straight into a massacre.


    His only hope was adapting. And hoping that his ''allies'' would take the brunt of it, when the time came.


    ******


    The first inkling of what was coming was the airships.


    Alexandra''s airfleet may be a shattered remnant of what it once was, but it was still a force to be reckoned with. The airships advanced, not far enough to pose an immediate threat to Sunrise''s advancing troops, but sufficient to make the UDC''s own vessels stand back.


    Without air reconnaissance, and their own vanguard units annihilated in the center, Alexandra''s spearhead moved undetected.


    Of course, the retreating regulars could have told their fellows, as they rejoined the main army...and they did. But what little they could say was a confused mess of panicky accounts. Most didn''t even bother passing it on, and those who did found their noble officers thoroughly unimpressed by the accounts of cowards desperately trying to justify abandoning their posts.


    Both armies gathered pace. Alexandra''s troops came to halt, staying within the range of their artillery and air cover, and set themselves up, preparing their eventual withdrawal.


    Sunrise''s central group was the army''s hammer. A mix of regulars and slave troops, it was a sight to behold, a seething mass of humanity, whose pockets of disorder were ironically all from the regulars, soldiers not bound by brands making them march in perfect lockstep.


    Their front ranks were all slaves, intended to serve as meatshields for the linebreaker regulars behind them. Unfortunately for them, the UDC''s hesitation to challenge Alexandra''s airfleet meant that they were at the mercy of her recon drones. Sunrise''s mages may be shooting them down after a handful of seconds of coming within sight, but a few seconds was all they needed.


    The howitzers adjusted their targeting...and fired.


    A few seconds later, so did the So Much For Subtlety.


    Regulars and slaves alike tensed up, as their mages went into action. To their credit, they were no one''s fool, and focused all of their efforts on the missiles. Their efficiency may have been diminished by dispersing into the army, trying to avoid the easy to target, large mage formations Alexandra had slaughtered at Darthar, but they also had trained for this every step of the way from Asaria.


    The first volley was annihilated long before its null warheads came into range. The second came closer, as the mages were briefly distracted or thrown off balance by the thunder of hundreds of artillery shells hitting the forward formations'' wards like sledgehammers.


    Unfortunately for them, the first two waves were sacrificial. Intended to distract the mages from the real threat.


    The frontline screamed as a golems suddenly ran into sight, and a seemingly solid wall of gunfire erupted from their guns. The golems'' accuracy was abysmal, firing from the hip as they charged, but they didn''t need precision. Even a shot fired wildly was bound to hit something against such a large formation.


    Sunrise''s mages suddenly had a choice. Deal with the army bearing down on them, or the bombardment. To their officers'' credit, they chose the bombardment.


    Alexandra had been unwilling to bet against that. The next volley of missile came in...and began dodging all over the place. Enchanted warheads were thrown about by new propulsion and evasion systems, as one of the missiles suddenly accelerated ahead of the others, and detonated into a mess of smoke, illusions and arcane noise, Alexandra''s best approximation of magical chaff and Electronic Counter Measures.


    Two missiles were intercepted.


    Of the other three, one''s warhead failed to detonate.


    The last two were more than enough.


    The null warheads activated, and wards came down throughout the army''s backbone, enabling the terrifyingly well calibrated artillery to hammer the formations of regulars into paste as the howitzer shells screamed in after the missiles.


    *****


    "And that''s what you get for being cute." Said Alexandra with a wolfish smile as she watched the take from the drones. With Sunrise''s mages thoroughly occupied, she now had air reconnaissance for a few dozen seconds at a time, though even she was going to run out of drones before long. "Strike assessment?"


    "Their regular formations are shattering." Subtlety straightened, her hologram flickering briefly as the ship fired another missile volley. "You were correct milady, they did not need to be annihilated. Just damaged enough to fall back."


    Alexandra nodded. The regulars could be broken, and once they were, they would try to fall back and reform...which meant trying to push through unyielding slaves, turning the entire mess into pure chaos. She was effectively using the same tactic they''d intended to use against her...except that she was using their regulars instead of civilians.


    "Alright. We can''t allow them to reinforce. Push forward, engage them as closely as possible."


    "Yes milady." The AI froze. "Status change!"


    Alexandra opened her mouth to ask what, but she saw the hologram in the center of the bridge update.


    "Ah. Our dungeon friends are coming out to play. I suppose they finally found what''s left of their courage." Her smile got even more wolfish. She''d seen they''d been reinforced, but only by a handful of ships. Two frigates and a light cruiser. Some ''backup''. "Alright, move the fleet to intercept, and-" Alexandra froze as an alert sounded, and the edge of their sensor range began to glitch.


    "Anomaly detected. Possible enemy countermeasures to our sensors." Said Subtlety as the UDC''s ships went forward, and Alexandra''s blood ran cold as she realized what was peeking out from inside the enemy formation.


    A small, flattened sphere, centered around the new light cruiser, where their arcane sensors who, for the most part, were just divination magic or a variation thereof just...failed.


    "That''s not ECM. It''s a dungeon core''s influence." Said Alexandra.


    "...Problematical. Mobile influence?"


    "Yeah. I haven''t used it much." On her primary core, back when she''d first been turned into a dungeon core, fighting through the golems and collapsing the access point to Seraph''s bunker with her avatar, and a few tests with her secondary cores while en route to their soon-to-be branch offices. "If it''s here without a giant fleet protecting it..." Alexandra closed her eyes and swore. "It''s a mobile FOB and manufacturing center. I''ve never tested if these things have a limited throughput. If they have the mana to burn, they can probably just vomit out troops all day long."


    "Why reveal it?"


    Alexandra blinked. That was...a very good question.


    "...They''re not." Alexandra leaned back from the holographic projector. She could feel Ghost coming from the same conclusion, the apparition having taken Seraph with her and trying to help CQ optimize the civilian evacuation and keep setting up surprises with the sappers. "They don''t know they''re in sensor range. They think our blackbirds and our drones are our long range eyes, they don''t realize the carriers have upgraded sensor packages." Ones which actually enabled the Subtlety to fire over the horizon without needing drones or other ships sent forward. Not fire nearly as accurately, perhaps, but nonetheless.


    "Orders?"


    Alexandra''s eyes narrowed as she ran quick and dirty numbers through her mind, though it was as much of an educated guess as anything.


    She was doing a ''coup de poing'' operation. An uppercut, hit them hard, hit them fast, and get out. Whether the UDC knew or not was immaterial, that secondary core was the perfect counter. They could use it to swamp her with monsters that she couldn''t break, creating them at point blank range with no idea of what they''d make next. It''d be expensive as all hell, but they could do it.


    "Play dumb." She gritted her teeth. "They probably expect to surprise us by just summoning an entire formation out of nowhere while the rest of the fleet distracts us. So for now, we play dumb, fat and happy." She relaxed a bit. "While we prepare to slit their throats. Get the mackie back to the main force, I think we have a job for it."

 My new story, Manaforged Robotics, is available on Royal Road !

    Heya everyone !


    You might have heard about it on my discord or from my author''s notes, but I have been writing and preparing a new story for a while, Manaforged Robotics.


    I''m here to tell you that the story is available on Royal Road ! Right here : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109391/manaforged-robotics-sci-fifantasy-isekai</a>


    Manaforged Robotics follows Sapphiria, one of Arcadia''s daughters, as she finds herself crashlanded on a foreign world of magic and monsters. The story focuses heavily on industry, strategy and magitech ! The full prologue as well as seven chapters (totalling 21k words) are up, and I will keep posting chapters twice a week (perhaps even faster) for the forseeable future !


    You might notice that the focuses are strikingly familiar. In effect, Manaforged Robotics takes a lot of the lessons I learned from writing The Fallen World. It''s also a way for me to scratch that itch of writing about the ''early days'' of the story so to speak, as The Fallen World has moved firmly into the grand strategy scale. By the time Manaforged Robotics reaches that scale, The Fallen World would have probably moved beyond it (or ended, as I am planning the series to be 15 to 18 books). At which point, I might start another story at the beginnings !


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    You will also surely have seen that Arcadia was mentionned. As this announcement was posted, a lore file has been on Manaforged Robotics adressing that. In short, this is NOT the same Earth as The Fallen World, but they share similarities, their histories having diverged due to different technologies. You can read more about it here : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109391/manaforged-robotics-sci-fifantasy-isekai/chapter/2155110/lore-file-universes-across-my-stories</a>


    One last thing, while I have your attention : I really, really hate doing this, but...well, I''d be extremely grateful if you gave Manaforged Robotics a rating, maybe even a review. These things are incredibly important on Royal Road, and I really don''t want my new story to suffer the fate The Fallen World did, which suffered from low ratings and outright review bombing.


    Thank you for your time ! To celebrate, I will post Chapter 339 tomorrow and the short ''Final Dawn on Europa'' on sunday ! I hope you''ll enjoy them, as well as the new story !


    P.S : The cover art was made by my awesome girlfriend, Alice ! You can find her post about it on deviantart here : https://www.deviantart.com/littlemisscalculated/art/1148779580</a>